bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurogenic tumours of the posterior mediastinum and differential diagnosis considerations
Authors: den Bakker Michael A , Weissferdt Annikka
Published: September 2023

The mediastinal compartment harbours vital organs and structures, including the heart, great vessels, major airways, and thymus. These structures are embedded in and associated with soft‐tissue elements consisting of adipose and fibro‐collagenous tissue in which soft‐tissue tumours may develop. A detailed inventory of soft‐tissue tumours that may be encountered in the mediastinum based on the WHO 2013 classification was published in 2015. In addition, several comprehensive reviews on mediastinal soft‐tissue pathology are available, including reviews focusing specifically on a single tumour type. This review will focus on primary neurogenic and spindle cell tumours of the somatic soft tissue of the posterior mediastinum and provide a discussion of the pertinent differential diagnoses.
Atypical cystic hypersecretory lesions of the breast commonly harbour TP53 alterations
Authors: Boyraz Baris , Sgroi Dennis C , Iafrate A John , Lerwill Melinda F
Published: September 2023

Aims

Cystic hypersecretory lesions are rare and include atypical cystic hypersecretory hyperplasia (A‐CHH) and cystic hypersecretory carcinoma in situ (CHC‐IS). Despite detailed morphological descriptions, little is known about the genetic landscape of these lesions.

Methods and results

We identified four A‐CHH and three CHC‐IS from 2010 to 2022. Patients ranged from 39 to 65 (median 49) years. All lesions showed characteristic cystically dilated ducts with colloid‐like secretions lined by enlarged cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and at least moderate cytological atypia. CHC‐IS was remarkable for a greater degree of intraductal proliferation, typically with a micropapillary pattern. Four patients had concurrent ipsilateral invasive carcinoma. Next‐generation sequencing (104 cancer‐associated genes) was successful in four, showing variants in TP53 (3), KEAP1 (1) and MDM2 (1). p53 immunohistochemistry was concordant with molecular results with mutant‐pattern staining in three TP53‐mutants and wild‐type in one. In three cases where sequencing failed, one showed mutant p53 staining, one was wild‐type and one had no remaining lesion. The combined molecular and immunohistochemical results demonstrated p53 alterations in one A‐CHH and three CHC‐IS.

Conclusion

Based on this limited cohort, atypical cystic hypersecretory lesions appear to commonly harbour TP53 alterations. To our knowledge, this is the first study to characterise molecular alterations in this rare subset of breast lesions.
Operations strategy for a construction supply chain: modular integrated construction and blockchain adoption
Authors: Chen Chenyi , Dong Ciwei , Ng Chi To , Shi Xiutian
Published: September 2023

Modular integrated construction (MiC) becomes a promising solution to improve production efficiency in the construction industry. However, the off‐site production and on‐site installation processes of MiC pose challenges to collaboration efficiency among the multiple stakeholders involved, including subcontractors, contractors, and consumers. These challenges stem from information dispersion, which impedes effective collaboration and communication. Such problems can be solved by introducing a blockchain‐based cyber‐physical service platform, which can facilitate information sharing and collaboration across the supply chain. In this paper, we study the impacts of MiC and blockchain technology on construction supply chains and reveal several important insights. First, we find that there exists a first‐mover advantage in the traditional construction supply chain, where subcontractors engage in a sequential game, and the subcontractor who produces first obtains more profit than the counterparts. Moreover, the contractor's ability to increase profits by reducing the unit cost of construction time is limited, but it can improve the effectiveness of the time gap due to early delivery. Second, we show that MiC should not be introduced if it significantly reduces collaboration efficiency in the supply chain. Interestingly, increasing the unit cost of construction for subcontractors can actually result in greater profits for all members of the supply chain. Regarding adopting blockchain technology, our findings suggest that supply chain members generally hold similar attitudes. Specifically, when the value of blockchain in improving collaboration efficiency is below a certain threshold, its adoption may not be beneficial, despite its potential to enable rapid production and early delivery.
Heat shock protein family A member 8 is a prognostic marker for bladder cancer: Evidences based on experiments and machine learning
Authors: Liu Yang , Pang Zhong‐qi , Wang Jian‐she , Wang Jin‐feng , He Jia‐xin , Ji Bo , Zhang Lu , Ren Ming‐hua
Published: September 2023

Heat shock protein member 8 (HSPA8) is one of the most abundant chaperones in eukaryotic cells, but its biological roles in bladder cancer (BC) are largely unclear. First, we observed that HSPA8 was abundant in both cell lines and tissues of BC, and the HSPA8‐high group had poorer T stages and overall survival (OS) than the HSPA8‐low group in the TCGA patients. Next, when we knocked down HSPA8 in BC cells, the growth and migration abilities were significantly decreased, the apoptosis rates were significantly increased, and the Ki67 fluorescence intensity was decreased in BC cells. Moreover, caspase 3 was significantly decreased with overexpression of HSPA8 in BC cells. After that, a machine learning prognostic model was created based on the expression of HSPA8 by applying LASSO Cox regression in TCGA and GEO patients. The model indicated that the low‐risk (LR) group with BC had better tumour stages, lymphovascular invasion, and OS than the high‐risk (HR) group. Additionally, the risk score was demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for the prognosis of BC by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. Moreover, the HR group showed a greater rate of TP53 mutations and was mostly enriched in the ECM‐receptor interaction pathway than the LR group. Importantly, lower CD8+ T‐cell and NK cell infiltration, higher immune exclusion scores, higher expression of PD‐L1 and CTLA4 and poorer immune checkpoint therapy effects were found in the HR group. These findings demonstrated how crucial HSPA8 plays a role in determining the prognosis of bladder cancer.
Bonding stability of universal adhesives to feldspathic ceramic with or without prior silane application
Authors: Cardoso Gabriela C. , Nakanishi Leina , Isolan Cristina P. , Rodrigues Camila S. , Moraes Rafael R.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the bonding stability of three universal adhesives to a CAD‐CAM feldspathic ceramic with or without prior silane application.

Materials and Methods

The universal adhesives tested were Ambar Universal (FGM), Single Bond Universal (3M), and Ybond Universal (Yller). Scotchbond Multipurpose Plus (3M) was used as a control. The silane used was RelyX Ceramic Primer (3M). Microtensile bond strength (μTBS) to Vitablocs Mark II was measured after 24 h or 6 months of water aging (n = 20). Failure modes were observed through scanning electron microscopy, and pH and degree of C=C conversion (DC) of the adhesives were measured (n = 3). Data were analyzed using one‐, two‐, and three‐way ANOVA.

Results

The pH values differed significantly among the adhesives (p < 0.001), while the DC was similar (p = 0.141). The universal adhesives showed significant differences in μTBS, with higher immediate results when using silane and lower results after aging. Notably, a significant decrease in μTBS was observed after 6 months when silane was applied. In contrast, the control adhesive exhibited consistent results between the 24‐h and 6‐month storage periods. The universal adhesives showed a decrease in μTBS ranging from 25.5% to 40.1% after prolonged storage. Adhesive failures were predominant in all groups. The presence or absence of silane in the adhesive composition did not affect the bonding performance.

Conclusions

The application of a separate silane coupling agent improved the immediate bond strength of universal adhesives to CAD‐CAM feldspathic ceramic. However, this bond strength significantly decreased after 6 months of water aging. The bond strength remained stable for universal adhesives when applied without silane after 6 months of aging.
Site‐specific pathophysiology in a neonatal mouse model of gastroparesis
Authors: Edwards Price T. , Soni Krishnakant G. , Conner Margaret E. , Fowler Stephanie W. , Foong Jaime P. P. , Stavely Rhian , Cheng Lily S. , Preidis Geoffrey A.
Published: September 2023

Background

Early‐life events impact maturation of the gut microbiome, enteric nervous system, and gastrointestinal motility. We examined three regions of gastric tissue to determine how maternal separation and gut microbes influence the structure and motor function of specific regions of the neonatal mouse stomach.

Methods

Germ‐free and conventionally housed C57BL/6J mouse pups underwent timed maternal separation (TmSep) or nursed uninterrupted (controls) until 14 days of life. We assessed gastric emptying by quantifying the progression of gavaged fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)‐dextran. With isolated rings of forestomach, corpus, and antrum, we measured tone and contractility by force transduction, gastric wall thickness by light microscopy, and myenteric plexus neurochemistry by whole‐mount immunostaining.

Key Results

Regional gastric sampling revealed site‐specific differences in contractile patterns and myenteric plexus structure. In neonatal mice, TmSep prolonged gastric emptying. In the forestomach, TmSep increased contractile responses to carbachol, decreased muscularis externa and mucosa thickness, and increased the relative proportion of myenteric plexus nNOS+ neurons. Germ‐free conditions did not appreciably alter the structure or function of the neonatal mouse stomach and did not impact the changes caused by TmSep.

Conclusions and Inferences

A regional sampling approach facilitates site‐specific investigations of murine gastric motor physiology and histology to identify site‐specific alterations that may impact gastrointestinal function. Delayed gastric emptying in TmSep is associated with a thinner muscle wall, exaggerated cholinergic contractile responses, and increased proportions of inhibitory myenteric plexus nNOS+ neurons in the forestomach. Gut microbes do not profoundly affect the development of the neonatal mouse stomach or the gastric pathophysiology that results from TmSep.
Validation of parental recall questionnaire to classify preterm delivery subtypes: Spontaneous preterm labour, preterm premature rupture of membranes and clinician‐initiated preterm delivery
Authors: Rich‐Edwards Janet W. , Stuart Jennifer J. , Becene Iris A. , Largier Louise F. , Rexrode Kathryn M. , Cantonwine David E. , Carpenter Maribel O. , McElrath Thomas F. , Gray Kathryn J.
Published: September 2023

Background

Preterm delivery (PTD) includes three main presenting subtypes: spontaneous preterm labour (sPTL), preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM) and clinician‐initiated preterm delivery (ciPTD). PTD subtype data are rarely available from birth registries and are onerous to derive from medical records.

Objectives

To develop and test the validity of a questionnaire to classify PTD subtype based on birthing parent recall of labour and delivery events.

Methods

The questionnaire was sent in 2022 to 581 patients with PTD history documented in the LIFECODES study, a hospital‐based birth cohort in Boston, Massachusetts. Eighty‐two respondents reported 94 PTDs that could be linked to medical records. Data on PTD subtype were extracted from medical records as the reference standard.

Results

Medical records indicated 47 spontaneous (24 sPTL, 23 pPROM) and 47 ciPTD deliveries occurring a median eight years earlier. The sensitivity and specificity of the recall questionnaire were 88% (95% confidence interval: 68, 97%) and 89% (79, 95%) for sPTL; 96% (78, 100%) and 94% (86, 98%) for pPROM; and 83% (69, 92%) and 100% (92, 100%) for ciPTD, respectively. Greater time since pregnancy did not degrade the sensitivity or specificity of the parental recall questionnaire.

Conclusions

Although derived from a modest sample, the moderate‐to‐high sensitivity and specificity of the parental recall questionnaire to classify sPTL, pPROM and ciPTD demonstrates its potential for large studies of PTD and for correction of misclassification bias. Future studies are required to test the questionnaire in a variety of populations.
Electrophysiological signatures of visual temporal processing deficits in developmental dyslexia
Authors: Santoni Alessia , Melcher David , Franchin Laura , Ronconi Luca
Published: September 2023

Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that affects reading ability despite normal intelligence and education. In search of core deficits, previous evidence has linked DD with impairments in temporal aspects of perceptual processing, which might underlie phonological deficits as well as inefficient graphemic parsing during reading. However, electrophysiological evidence for atypical temporal processing in DD is still scarce in the visual modality. Here, we investigated the efficiency of both temporal segregation and integration of visual information by means of event‐related potentials (ERPs). We confirmed previous evidence of a selective segregation deficit in dyslexia for stimuli presented in rapid succession (<80 ms), despite unaffected integration performance. Importantly, we found a reduced N1 amplitude in DD, a component related to the allocation of attentional resources, which was independent of task demands (i.e., evident in both segregation and integration). In addition, the P3 amplitude, linked to working memory and processing load, was modulated by task demands in controls but not in individuals with DD. These results suggest that atypical attentional sampling in dyslexia might weaken the quality of information stored in visual working memory, leading to behavioral and electrophysiological signatures of atypical temporal segregation. These results are consistent with some existing theories of dyslexia, such as the magnocellular theory and the “Sluggish Attentional Shifting” framework, and represent novel evidence for neural correlates of decreased visual temporal resolution in DD.
Theories and theorizing in public administration: A systematic review
Authors: Hattke Fabian , Vogel Rick
Published: September 2023

Theories and theorizing are central to scholarship on public administration (PA). Only a few attempts have been made to review the theories applied in PA broadly and systematically, to take stock of the theoretical repertoire, and to engage scholars in critical reflection on how they “do” theorizing. This study analyzes the theoretical landscape of PA scholarship with a novel combination of bibliometrics and natural language processing. A “tree of theories” shows how 150 theories merge into one body of scholarship, with 15 theories at the core. The theories vary considerably in terms of disciplinary background, methodological choices, geographical settings, author diversity, and reach beyond academia. While the results indicate the plurality and vitality of the field, they also raise concerns about how core theories show limited geographical dispersion and low societal relevance. These concerns are further fueled by an apparent schism between micro and macro theories.
Response to Gallagher (2022)—the Australian Tidal Restoration for Blue Carbon method 2022—conservative, robust, and practical
Authors: Lovelock Catherine E. , Adame Maria Fernanda , Dittmann Sabine , Hagger Valerie , Hickey Sharyn M. , Hutley Lindsay I. , Jones Alice , Kelleway Jeffrey J. , Lavery Paul S. , Macreadie Peter I. , Maher Damien T. , Mosley Luke , Rogers Kerrylee , Sippo James Z.
Published: September 2023

The Blue Carbon Accounting Model (BlueCAM) is a tool for tidal restoration projects established under the Tidal Restoration for Blue Carbon method (2022) of the Australian voluntary carbon market. The commentary of Gallagher discussed that BlueCAM did not subtract allochthonous carbon, which is carbon in wetland soils from external sources, either terrestrial or marine sources, from estimated net abatement. This approach was used because all organic carbon preserved in a restored wetland soil, irrespective of its source, is deposited because the wetland was restored, and thus all carbon preserved above the baseline is “additional.” As restoration projects develop, further characterization of different soil carbon fractions as suggested by Gallagher may improve BlueCAM. BlueCAM is transparent, conservative, and importantly is feasible for implementation, as well as being consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the Australian legislative offsets integrity standards.
The 0.0003 Percent: Short‐Run Dynamics of Extreme Wealth in America
Authors: Singh Arsh , Singh Nirvikar
Published: September 2023

This paper examines short‐run dynamics and changing sources of wealth among the Forbes 400 annual list of wealthiest individuals in the United States, before and after the 2008–2009 financial crisis. We analyze the interaction of growth of wealth with education, age, and being self‐made versus inheriting wealth. We find evidence of conditional convergence of wealth within the group. The wealth of the self‐made grew faster than their counterparts, though less so after the crisis. Those with advanced degrees had higher pre‐crisis growth of wealth than those without such degrees. Controlling for these characteristics, age was not a factor in wealth accumulation. Mobility in and out of the group was higher pre‐crisis.
Gallium-doped Zinc Oxide with Silver Nanowire Transparent Electrode for Photovoltaic Applications by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet
Authors: Chou Chih-Yun , Luo Yu-Tang , Yeh Ying-Chin , Huang Zhang-Bo , Zhou Zhehan , Xu Li , Juang Jia-Yang
Published: September 2023

The importance of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) in optoelectronic applications has long been recognized due to TCO’s expensive processes and necessary trade-offs between electrical conductivity and optical transmittance. In our previous works, we successfully coated gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) via atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ), a vacuum-free and low substrate temperature process, on bare glass with low sheet resistance (18 Ω /sq) and high transmittance (> 80%) in the visible spectrum. However, the transmittance in the near-infrared regime does not equally behave as the visible spectrum and declines sharply, resulting in a loss of power-conversion efficiency (PCE). Aiming to increase the transmittance in the near-infrared regime while maintaining the conductivity of TCO, we unveiled a novel method by reducing the GZO film thickness and including silver nanowire (AgNW) networks in the coating process. As a result, we achieved a high transmittance (about 80% in the visible spectrum and over 60% in the near-infrared region), even lower sheet resistance (about 10 Ω/sq), and high haze (about 25%) AgNW/GZO film. AgNW networks typically require thermal pretreatment to bond the nanowires and lower the contact resistance. Also, an inactive protective layer is required afterward for its poor stability. With the APPJ procedure, we could bond the AgNWs, and simultaneously cover them with thin GZO shielding film without additional actions. Moreover, our method could adjust the amount of AgNW to balance the transmittance and conductivity. For further investigation, we fabricated AgNW/GZO film into perovskite solar cells to test their performance. The best PCE reached 13.58%, which surpassed 11.23% of the bare GZO film. These results demonstrate that our APPJ system can build a high-quality film with notable transmittance and conductivity in a single step, a cost-effective and time-saving procedure.
A Low Area Overhead SPA-Resistance Edwards25519 Accelerator for IoT Biosensors
Authors: Li Kuan-Lin , You Chun-Heng , Chao Paul C.-P.
Published: September 2023

An area-efficient Edwards25519 accelerator for biosensors is successfully developed and validated by this study. To achieve low area overhead of the ECC implementation on biosensor devices, this paper proposes an Edwards25519 accelerator with a unified point addition formula in projective coordinates. The unified point addition formula has the advantage of not only saving the area of point multiplication module, but also the resistance to simple power analysis (SPA). With our rescheduling on the unified point addition formula, it costs only four modular radix-2 multipliers, one modular adder, and one modular subtractor. A non-adjacent form rearrangement is applied to the secret scalar to save the computation time of double-and-add algorithm and confuse the attempted side-channel analysis (SPA). This proposed Edwards25519 accelerator, implemented on the AMD Xilinx Virtex-7 platform, achieves the lowest area requirement with resistance to SPA compared to the state of the art and the competitive performance on the product of area and computation time, making it the most appropriate Edwards25519 accelerator for low-cost biosensor devices.
A Dynamic Frequency-Temperature Modeling Method of Crystal Resonator Based on Long Short-Term Memory
Authors: Su Bo-Chen , Chao Paul C.-P. , Nguyen Duc Huy , Huang Kuei-Ting
Published: September 2023

Quartz crystal resonators are a critical component in many electronic systems, providing the reference frequency source for the system’s clock. However, temperature often affect frequency stability. As a result, frequency-temperature (f-T) characteristic modeling has become an important area of research in frequency control. The traditional f-T modeling method omits system dynamics and can result in significant frequency compensation errors in the case of rapid temperature changes. To address this issue, this paper proposes a dynamic f-T modeling method with considering the thermal hysteresis. A dynamic f-T modeling method based on long short-term memory (LSTM) is presented to reflect the thermal hysteresis characteristics of quartz crystal resonators. Compared to traditional methods, LSTM are suitable for processing and predicting time-series data and consider past temperature history to make predictions. Additionally, transfer learning techniques are used during the training process of the model. Transfer learning fine-tunes the LSTM model for new/unknown crystal readout circuits using less data. Finally, the modeling and testing results on real experimental data show that the proposed method provides better frequency deviation predictions.
Hip sonography according to Graf: practical notes for the student, the examiner and the reviewer
Authors: Chlapoutakis Konstantinos , Maizen Claudia , Placzek Sonja , O'Beirne Joseph , Dubs Beat , Casini Carolina , Tzatzairis Themistoklis
Published: September 2023

Since the publication of Professor Reinhard Graf’s work in 1980, Graf’s technique has become the gold standard for screening Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) in many European and non-European countries. Despite the fact that it is supported by robust literature evidence, there is criticism about its reliability and reproducibility, questioning severalaspects of the diagnostic procedure. There is, however, concern, based on recent literature, about the quality and reliability of the published data, which may, in many cases, be based on inadequate scans, and therefore any conclusions drawn have to be questioned. The aim of this review is to demonstrate the most important aspects of Graf’s technique, to clarify the potential sources of confusion and to flag up the most common errors and mistakes made, either during the ultrasound examination, or during the reporting procedure. Furthermore, this review can be used as a guide for reviewers and editors and should help to enhance the quality control of publications on this subject.
Antiviral epithelial-macrophage crosstalk permits secondary bacterial infections
Authors: Lane Sidney , White Tristan L. A. , Walsh Erin E. , Cattley Richard T. , Cumberland Rachel , Hawse William F. , Delgoffe Greg M. , Badylak Stephen F. , Bomberger Jennifer M.
Published: September 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are produced by most known cell types as a form of intercellular communication to influence the physiological function of neighboring cells. During respiratory viral-bacterial coinfection, the preceding antiviral response can lead to an impaired antibacterial response, driven by miscommunication between cells responding to viruses and cells responding to bacteria. Previous studies have shown that antiviral signaling can influence EV cargo and promote antiviral defense in the recipient cell; however, how antiviral EVs may influence host defense against coinfecting microorganisms, specifically bacteria, is not known. Herein, we demonstrated that EVs released from the respiratory epithelium during antiviral signaling alter macrophage inflammatory signaling, induce anti-inflammatory metabolic reprogramming, and impair antibacterial activity against
Staphylococcus aureus
, a common coinfecting bacterial pathogen. Further proteomic analysis revealed that antiviral EVs are preferentially loaded with pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), a metabolic enzyme with immunomodulatory effects, and treatment with antiviral EVs leads to increased PKM2 in macrophages. Moreover, we showed that antiviral EV-treated macrophages displayed enhanced oxidative phosphorylation, a metabolic profile consistent with impaired
S. aureus
clearance, and that this metabolic state is phenocopied in macrophages treated with a PKM2 activator. Taken together, our findings identify EVs as a component of the epithelial antiviral response that contributes to impaired bacterial clearance through epithelial-macrophage crosstalk and suggest a role for EVs in driving disease progression during respiratory coinfection.

IMPORTANCE

Miscommunication of antiviral and antibacterial immune signals drives worsened morbidity and mortality during respiratory viral-bacterial coinfections. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a form of intercellular communication with broad implications during infection, and here we show that epithelium-derived EVs released during the antiviral response impair the antibacterial activity of macrophages, an innate immune cell crucial for bacterial control in the airway. Macrophages exposed to antiviral EVs display reduced clearance of
Staphylococcus aureus
as well as altered inflammatory signaling and anti-inflammatory metabolic reprogramming, thus revealing EVs as a source of dysregulated epithelium-macrophage crosstalk during coinfection. As effective epithelium-macrophage communication is critical in mounting an appropriate immune response, this novel observation of epithelium-macrophage crosstalk shaping macrophage metabolism and antimicrobial function provides exciting new insight and improves our understanding of immune dysfunction during respiratory coinfections.
The E301R protein of African swine fever virus functions as a sliding clamp involved in viral genome replication
Authors: Li Su , Ge Hailiang , Li Yanhua , Zhang Kehui , Yu Shaoxiong , Cao Hongwei , Wang Yanjin , Deng Hao , Li Jiaqi , Dai Jingwen , Li Lian-Feng , Luo Yuzi , Sun Yuan , Geng Zhi , Dong Yuhui , Zhang Heng , Qiu Hua-Ji
Published: September 2023

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a complex nucleocytoplasmic, large DNA virus that infects both domestic pigs and wild boar, but little is known about the process of genomic replication. The E301R protein (pE301R) from ASFV was previously predicted as a proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-like protein through clamping DNA polymerase to the DNA duplex, but its exact structure and functions remain uncharacterized. Here, the crystal structure of pE301R revealed that it is composed of structurally similar head and tail domains and shares significant structural similarities to the DNA polymerase processivity factors, including sliding clamp and eukaryotic PCNA. More specifically, we demonstrated that pE301R exhibited multiple oligomeric states (with dimers and tetramers dominant), and the tetramers are consistent with the ring-shaped homotetramers in a head-to-tail manner generated by crystal packing. We also showed that pE301R interacted with the ASFV genome and viral DNA polymerase O174L. Furthermore, knockdown of
E301R
by specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) significantly decreased the virus genomic replication. Interestingly, the downregulation of PCNA by siRNAs significantly decreased the cell viability, whereas the inhibitory effect was reversed by pE301R overexpression. Notably, we demonstrated that overexpression of PCNA partially restored ASFV replication upon transfection of siRNAs targeting
E301R
. More importantly, T2 amino alcohol, a PCNA-specific inhibitor, markedly inhibited ASFV replication at the stage of viral genome replication. Taken together, we revealed that pE301R functions as a sliding clamp in ASFV genomic replication and can be used as a potential antiviral target.

IMPORTANCE

Sliding clamp is a highly conserved protein in the evolution of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The sliding clamp is required for genomic replication as a critical co-factor of DNA polymerases. However, the sliding clamp analogs in viruses remain largely unknown. We found that the ASFV E301R protein (pE301R) exhibited a sliding clamp-like structure and similar functions during ASFV replication. Interestingly, pE301R is assembled into a unique ring-shaped homotetramer distinct from sliding clamps or proliferating cell nuclear antigens (PCNAs) from other species. Notably, the
E301R
gene is required for viral life cycle, but the pE301R function can be partially restored by the porcine PCNA. This study not only highlights the functional role of the ASFV pE301R as a viral sliding clamp analog, but also facilitates the dissection of the complex replication mechanism of ASFV, which provides novel clues for developing antivirals against ASF.
Terpenes modulate bacterial and fungal growth and sorghum rhizobiome communities
Authors: Chou Ming-Yi , Andersen Trine B. , Mechan Llontop Marco E. , Beculheimer Nick , Sow Alassane , Moreno Nick , Shade Ashley , Hamberger Bjoern , Bonito Gregory
Published: September 2023

Terpenes are among the oldest and largest class of plant-specialized bioproducts that are known to affect plant development, adaptation, and biological interactions. While their biosynthesis, evolution, and function in aboveground interactions with insects and individual microbial species are well studied, how different terpenes impact plant microbiomes belowground is much less understood. Here we designed an experiment to assess how belowground exogenous applications of monoterpenes (1,8-cineole and linalool) and a sesquiterpene (nerolidol) delivered through an artificial root system impacted its belowground bacterial and fungal microbiome. We found that the terpene applications had significant and variable impacts on bacterial and fungal communities, depending on terpene class and concentration; however, these impacts were localized to the artificial root system and the fungal rhizosphere. We complemented this experiment with pure culture bioassays on responsive bacteria and fungi isolated from the sorghum rhizobiome. Overall, higher concentrations (200 µM) of nerolidol were inhibitory to
Ferrovibrium
and tested Firmicutes. While fungal isolates of
Penicillium
and
Periconia
were also more inhibited by higher concentrations (200 µM) of nerolidol,
Clonostachys
was enhanced at this higher level and together with
Humicola
was inhibited by the lower concentration tested (100 µM). On the other hand, 1,8-cineole had an inhibitory effect on
Orbilia
at both tested concentrations but had a promotive effect at 100 µM on
Penicillium
and
Periconia
. Similarly, linalool at 100 µM had significant growth promotion in
Mortierella
, but an inhibitory effect for
Orbilia
. Together, these results highlight the variable direct effects of terpenes on single microbial isolates and demonstrate the complexity of microbe-terpene interactions in the rhizobiome.

Importance

Terpenes represent one of the largest and oldest classes of plant-specialized metabolism, but their role in the belowground microbiome is poorly understood. Here, we used a “rhizobox” mesocosm experimental set-up to supply different concentrations and classes of terpenes into the soil compartment with growing sorghum for 1 month to assess how these terpenes affect sorghum bacterial and fungal rhizobiome communities. Changes in bacterial and fungal communities between treatments belowground were characterized, followed by bioassays screening on bacterial and fungal isolates from the sorghum rhizosphere against terpenes to validate direct microbial responses. We found that microbial growth stimulatory and inhibitory effects were localized, terpene specific, dose dependent, and transient in time. This work paves the way for engineering terpene metabolisms in plant microbiomes for improved sustainable agriculture and bioenergy crop production.
Molecular characterization of highly prevalent
Escherichia coli
and
Escherichia marmotae
resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins in European starlings (
Sturnus vulgaris
) in Tunisia
Authors: Souguir Meriem , Châtre Pierre , Drapeau Antoine , François Pauline , Azaiez Sana , Ncir Sana , Madec Jean-Yves , Mansour Wejdene , Haenni Marisa
Published: September 2023

European starlings are widespread migratory birds that have already been described as carrying bacteria resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC-R). These birds are well known in Tunisia because they spend the wintertime in this country and are hunted for human consumption. The goal of our study was to estimate the proportion of ESC-R in these birds and to characterize the collected isolates using whole-genome sequencing. Results showed that 21.5% (42/200) of the birds carried either an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) or an acquired AmpC gene. Diverse
bla
CTX-M
genes were responsible for the ESBL phenotype,
bla
CTX-M-14
being the most prevalent, while only
bla
CMY-2
and one
bla
CMY-62
were found in AmpC-positive isolates. Likewise, different genetic determinants carried these resistance genes, including IncHI2, and IncF plasmids for
bla
CTX-M
genes and IncI1 plasmids for
bla
CMY-2
genes. Three chromosomally encoded
bla
CTX-M-15
genes were also identified. Surprisingly, species identification revealed a large proportion (32.7%) of
Escherichia marmotae
isolates. This species is phenotypically indistinguishable from
Escherichia coli
and has obviously the same capacity to acquire ESC-R genes. Our data also strongly suggest that at least the IncHI2/pST3 plasmid can spread equally between
E. coli
and
E. marmotae
. Given the potential transmission routes between humans and animals, either by direct contact with dejections or through meat preparation, it is important to closely monitor antimicrobial resistance in European starlings in Tunisia and to set up further studies to identify the sources of contamination of these birds.

IMPORTANCE

The One Health concept highlighted knowledge gaps in the understanding of the transmission routes of resistant bacteria. A major interest was shown in wild migratory birds since they might spread resistant bacteria over long distances. Our study brings further evidence that wild birds, even though they are not directly submitted to antibiotic treatments, can be heavily contaminated by resistant bacteria. Our results identified numerous combinations of resistance genes, genetic supports, and bacterial clones that can spread vertically or horizontally and maintain a high level of resistance in the bird population. Some of these determinants are widespread in humans or animals (IncHI2/pST3 plasmids and pandemic clones), while some others are less frequent (atypical IncI1 plasmid and minor clones). Consequently, it is essential to be aware of the risks of transmission and to take all necessary measures to prevent the proportions of resistant isolates from increasing uncontrollably.
Supplemental Material: A long-lived mafic magma reservoir: Zircon evidence from a hornblende peridotite in the Hida Belt, Japan
Authors: Itano Keita , al. et
Published: September 2023

A summary of U–Pb, O, and Hf isotope and trace element data.  
Severe orbital blow-out fracture: complete displacement of the globe into the maxillary sinus
Authors: Steel David Anthony , Mortimer Tamsyn , Bater Michael Colin
Published: September 2023

Displacement of the globe of the eye into the maxillary sinus is very rare in cases of facial trauma. Herein, we report a case of complete dislocation of the left globe into the maxillary sinus following a road traffic collision. The patient had prompt surgery to replace the globe after CT imaging confirmed the diagnosis. Subsequently, ongoing follow-up has focused on cosmesis in the affected, non-seeing eye. A multidisciplinary approach has been key throughout the patient’s journey.
Endoscopic stone management in an ectopic ureter inserting into the prostatic urethra
Authors: Heijkoop Bridget , Lahoud John , Wong Eddy Lee Hao
Published: September 2023

We report a case of successful endoscopic stone management in a patient with ectopic ureteric insertion. The patient had a complete duplex collecting system, with the upper moiety ureter inserting ectopically into his prostatic urethra, and an obstructing ureteric stone in the distal portion of the ectopic ureter. This made both characterisation of the patient’s anatomy and initial emergency stone management challenging.

The case offers several learning points for clinicians who may encounter similar situations. By describing the challenges of managing this patient’s presentation, we highlight considerations in imaging interpretation and operative approach that may help the reader manage a similar presentation to their practice. Additionally, we remind the urologist to consider the implications of an ectopic duplex ureter on future procedures, such as transurethral resection of the prostate or radical prostatectomy.
Role of autopsy in diagnosing asplenia and right bilobed lung in a fetus with dextrocardia
Authors: Nerune Savitri M , Bidri Shailaja R , Sandilya Upasana , Das Sayandeep K.
Published: September 2023

We present a unique case of a fetus with dextrocardia, asplenia and a right bilobed lung in a primigravida woman in her 20s at 21 weeks’ gestation. Prenatal ultrasound examination revealed dextrocardia and other anomalies such as atrioventricular septal defect and situs ambiguous with the gallbladder on the left, leading to termination of the pregnancy. Fetal autopsy confirmed the diagnosis, detected additional findings such as asplenia and right bilobed lung missed on ultrasound and highlighted the importance of autopsy in prenatal diagnosis. This rare case emphasises the value of a comprehensive prenatal assessment, fetal autopsy and a multidisciplinary approach in diagnosing, managing and counselling families affected by congenital anomalies. Timely detection and appropriate genetic counselling can guide affected families in making informed decisions regarding future pregnancies while providing closure and support in their grieving process.
Observational study on the timing and method of interruption by hospital consultants during the opening statement in outpatient consultations
Authors: Mulder-Vos Inge , Driever Ellen M , Brand Paul L P
Published: September 2023

Objective

To analyse verbal interruptions by Dutch hospital consultants during the patient’s opening statement in medical encounters.

Design

Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Setting

Isala teaching hospital in Zwolle, the Netherlands.

Participants

94 consultations by 27 consultants, video recorded in 2018 and 2019.

Main outcome measures

Physicians’ verbal interruptions during patients’ opening statements, rate of completion of patients’ opening statements, time to first interruption and the effect of gender, age and physician specialty on the rate and type of physicians’ verbal interruptions.

Results

Patients were interrupted a median of 9 times per minute during their opening statement, the median time to the first interruption was 6.5 s. Most interruptions (67%) were backchannels (such as ‘hm hm’ or ‘go on’), considered to be encouraging the patient to continue. In 52 consultations (55%), patients could not finish their opening statement due to a floor changing interruption by the consultant. The median time to such an interruption was 31.4 s, on average 20 s shorter than a finished opening statement (p=0.004). Female consultants used more backchannels (median 9, IQR 5–12) than male consultants (median 7, IQR 2–11, p=0.028).

Conclusions

Hospital-based consultants use various ways to interrupt patients during their opening statements. Most of these interruptions are encouraging backchannels. Still, consultants change the conversational floor in more than half of their patients during their opening statements after a median of 31 s.
Index hospital cost of adverse events following thoracic surgery: a systematic review of economic literature
Authors: Jones Daniel , Kumar Srishti , Anstee Caitlin , Gingrich Molly , Simone Alexander , Ahmadzai Zubair , Thavorn Kednapa , Seely Andrew
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Adverse events (AEs) following thoracic surgery place considerable strain on healthcare systems. A rigorous evaluation of the economic impact of thoracic surgical AEs remains lacking and is required to understand the value of money of formal quality improvement initiatives. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review of all available literature focused on specific cost of postoperative AEs following thoracic surgery.

Design

Systematic review of the economic literature was performed, following recommendations from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement.

Data sources

An economic search filter developed by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health was applied, and MEDLINE, Embase and The Cochrane Library were searched from inception to January 2022.

Eligibility criteria

We included English articles involving adult patients who underwent a thoracic surgical procedure with estimated costs of postoperative complications. Eligible study designs included comparative observational studies, randomised control trials, decision analytic or cost-prediction models, cost analyses, cost or burden of illness studies, economic evaluation studies and systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of cost analyses and cost of illness studies.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts in the first stage and full-text articles of included studies in the second stage. Disagreements during abstract and full-text screening stages were resolved via discussion until a consensus was reached. Studies were appraised for methodological quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist.

Results

3349 studies were identified: 20 met inclusion criteria. Most were conducted in the USA (12/20), evaluating AE impact on hospital expenditures (18/20). 68 procedure-specific AE mean costs were characterised (USD$). The most commonly described were anastomotic leak (mean:range) (USD$49 278:$6 176–$133 002) and pneumonia ($12 258:$2608–$34 591) following esophagectomy, and prolonged air leak ($2556:$571–$3573), respiratory failure ($19 062:$11 841–$37 812), empyema ($30 189:$23 784–$36 595), pneumonia ($15 362:$2542–$28 183), recurrent laryngeal nerve injury ($16 420:$4224–$28 616) and arrhythmia ($6835:$5833–$8659) following lobectomy.

Conclusions

Hospital costs associated with AEs following thoracic surgery are substantial and varied. Quantifying costs of AEs enable future economic evaluation studies, which could help prioritising value-directed quality improvement to optimally improve outcomes and reduce costs.
Incidence of constipation and associated factors in the period of lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Juan Juan , Sun Ran , Guo Sha , Yang Sha
Published: September 2023

Introduction

The lifestyle and habit changes that have emerged as a result of quarantine measures may have had a negative impact on defecation habits. However, there is a lack of data on combined estimates of its occurrence and prevalence.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a systematic search for observational studies on PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, SinoMed, VIP China Science and Technology Journal database, Chinese Biomedical Databases and Wanfang Data. The search will include literature published from the inception of the databases to September 2022. Two authors will independently screen articles and extract data based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The risk of bias in the included studies will be evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies. Statistical analysis will be performed using Review Manager software V.5.4 and STATA V.16.0 software. Heterogeneity among studies will be assessed using the Q statistical test and I2statistical tests. In case of significant heterogeneity, subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis will be conducted to explore the source of heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses will also be performed to assess the reliability of the study findings. If feasible, a meta-analysis will be conducted. Otherwise, a descriptive synthesis will be performed using a best-evidence synthesis approach. The primary outcome of interest will be the prevalence of constipation. The secondary outcomes will involve examining the association of risk factors. To evaluate potential publication bias, we will use both the Begg funnel plot and Egger’s weighted regression statistics. Furthermore, to accurately assess the quality of evidence for our primary outcome, we will employ the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system.

Ethics and dissemination

This systematic review protocol will only consider published studies available in databases and will not include individual patient data. Therefore, ethical approval is not required, and the findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPER registration number

CRD42022366176.