bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bowel Perforation During Haemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Treatment with Corticosteroids and Anakinra
Authors: Adamski Jan , Jäschke Björn , Nieminem Tuomas , Weigl Wojciech
Published: November 2021

We report the use of anakinra to treat a case of a 64-year-old man diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) with neurological involvement. After the administration of intravenous pulse corticosteroid therapy, immunoglobulin, and anakinra, the patient showed neurological recovery. However, the recovery was complicated by the perforation of a pre-existing bowel diverticulum. The effect of anakinra on bowel inflammation has not yet been clearly established. It can potentially augment bowel inflammation and contribute to the risk of bowel perforation associated with the concomitant use of corticosteroids.
Mycobacterium chelonae Cutaneous Infection: A Challenge for an Internist
Authors: Gaudencio Margarida , Carvalho André , Bertão Maria Inês , Barreiro Ivo , Bessa Maria Isabel , Gonçalves Abílio
Published: November 2021

Cutaneous infections caused by the Mycobacterium chelonae complex show a heterogeneous clinical presentation, which varies according to the patient’s immune status. Most standard antimycobacterials have no effect against these species. Clarithromycin alone was shown to provide adequate treatment, although resistance has been reported. Consequently, the literature supports multi-drug therapy to combat resistant strains. Here, we describe the case of a 59-year-old man under systemic immunosuppressive therapy who developed cutaneous lesions whose evolution was highly suggestive of atypical infection.
Gut microbiota is associated with bone mineral density
Authors: Cheng Bolun , Wen Yan , Yang Xuena , Cheng Shiqiang , Liu Li , Chu Xiaomeng , Ye Jing , Liang Chujun , Yao Yao , Jia Yumeng , Zhang Feng
Published: November 2021

Aims

Despite the interest in the association of gut microbiota with bone health, limited population-based studies of gut microbiota and bone mineral density (BMD) have been made. Our aim is to explore the possible association between gut microbiota and BMD.

Methods

A total of 3,321 independent loci of gut microbiota were used to calculate the individual polygenic risk score (PRS) for 114 gut microbiota-related traits. The individual genotype data were obtained from UK Biobank cohort. Linear regressions were then conducted to evaluate the possible association of gut microbiota with L1-L4 BMD (n = 4,070), total BMD (n = 4,056), and femur total BMD (n = 4,054), respectively. PLINK 2.0 was used to detect the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) × gut microbiota interaction effect on the risks of L1-L4 BMD, total BMD, and femur total BMD, respectively.

Results

We detected five, three, and seven candidate gut microbiota-related traits for L1-L4 BMD, total BMD, and femur BMD, respectively, such as genus Dialister (p = 0.004) for L1-L4 BMD, and genus Eisenbergiella (p = 0.046) for total BMD. We also detected two common gut microbiota-related traits shared by L1-L4 BMD, total BMD, and femur total BMD, including genus Escherichia Shigella and genus Lactococcus. Interaction analysis of BMD detected several genes that interacted with gut microbiota, such as phospholipase D1 ( PLD1) and endomucin ( EMCN) interacting with genus Dialister in total BMD, and COL12A1 and Discs Large MAGUK Scaffold Protein 2 ( DLG2) interacting with genus Lactococcus in femur BMD.

Conclusion

Our results suggest associations between gut microbiota and BMD, which will be helpful to further explore the regulation mechanism and intervention gut microbiota of BMD. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(11):734–741.
Melanin concentration maps by label-free super-resolution photo-thermal imaging on melanoma biopsies
Authors: Bouzin Margaux , Marini Mario , Chirico Giuseppe , Granucci Francesca , Mingozzi Francesca , Colombo Roberto , D’Alfonso Laura , Sironi Laura , Collini Maddalena
Published: November 2021

Surgical excision followed by histopathological examination is the gold standard for melanoma screening. However, the color-based inspection of hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained biopsies does not provide a space-resolved quantification of the melanin content in melanocytic lesions. We propose a non-destructive photo-thermal imaging method capable of characterizing the microscopic distribution and absolute concentration of melanin pigments in excised melanoma biopsies. By exploiting the photo-thermal effect primed by melanin absorption of visible laser light we obtain label-free super-resolution far-infrared thermal images of tissue sections where melanin is spatially mapped at sub-diffraction 40-μm resolution. Based on the finite-element simulation of the full 3D heat transfer model, we are able to convert temperature maps into quantitative images of the melanin molar concentration on B16 murine melanoma biopsies, with 4·10-4 M concentration sensitivity. Being readily applicable to human melanoma biopsies in combination with hematoxylin-and-eosin staining, the proposed approach could complement traditional histopathology in the characterization of pigmented lesions ex-vivo.
Efficiency and fairness improvement for elastic optical networks using reinforcement learning-based traffic prediction
Authors: Valkanis Anastasios , Papadimitriou Georgios , Beletsioti Georgia , Varvarigos Emmanouel , Nicopolitidis Petros
Published: November 2021

The characteristics of traffic in core networks have changed in recent years, with the data flows among network nodes now showing large volumes but also large fluctuations during the day. In such a dynamic environment, the static allocation of network resources by making reservations at the peak rates is wasteful, both in terms of energy consumption and resource efficiency. Periodic reconfiguration of network resources is necessary for the full exploitation of an elastic optical network’s potential. In this paper, we present a resource reconfiguration scheme for an IP over elastic optical core network. The cornerstone of the proposed scheme is a novel traffic prediction mechanism based on reinforcement learning. Using the forecasting mechanism, a heuristic routing and spectrum assignment algorithm was designed to efficiently and fairly allocate network resources periodically. Simulation results show both a reduction of the bandwidth blocking probability and an increase of the fairness index regarding the network resources allocation over corresponding algorithms in the literature.
Analysis of an electrically reconfigurable metasurface for manipulating polarization of near-infrared light
Authors: Eskandari Mohammad Reza , Ali Shameli Mohammad , Safian Reza
Published: November 2021

Integrating plasmonic metasurfaces with transparent conductive oxide (TCO) materials provides a new, to the best of our knowledge, opportunity to dynamically manipulate all degrees of freedom of light beams. Applying external stimuli to TCOs changes the plasmonic response of the nanostructure as a result of establishing an inhomogeneous optical property with deeply subwavelength films of epsilon-near-zero media, which is a challenge for better theoretical understanding of the dynamical tuning functionality. In this paper, we propose a dynamically reconfigurable reflective metasurface with the capability of electrical manipulation of the polarization state of near-infrared light. The structure behavior is investigated by numerical analysis and described based on the coupled-mode theory concept using the parameters of resonance wavelength, absorption, and radiation quality factors, altered by an external voltage. Variation of the applied bias voltage from

−

0.7

to 4.2 V for

p

-polarized light leads to a wide range of absorption quality factors from 43 to two. This change causes a dramatic decrease in the equivalent surface impedance of the metasurface in the ratio 4.9:0.2, which may pave the way to tailor polarization-manipulating functions such as circular-to-linear polarization conversion and cross-polarization conversion.
How single-photon emission performance for a coupled hyperbolic metamaterial–plasmonic antenna varies from the visible to the infrared regime
Authors: Ahmed Nadeem , Inam Faraz Ahmed
Published: November 2021

Hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) based resonators have emerged as a very promising tool for providing highly enhanced as well as directional emission from a quantum emitter. HMM provides high-

k

hyperbolic modes to the radiation emitted from a quantum emitter embedded inside the HMM. These high-momentum hyperbolic HMM modes are coupled into free space by an antenna, which overcomes the large mismatch between free-space modes and HMM modes. Recently, cylindrical metallic antennas were observed to be the most effective in overcoming this momentum mismatch. In this work, we try to understand how this free-space out-coupling of emission from a quantum emitter embedded inside the HMM, with a cylindrical plasmonic antenna over the HMM’s top surface, varies as a function of frequency (or wavelength). HMM mode hyperbolicity was observed to increase with an increase in the emission wavelength, leading to its effective coupling to a cylindrical antenna. However, for large excitation wavelengths, the absorption cross section of the plasmonic cylindrical antenna was found to be significant. This leads to increased radiation losses within the plasmonic antenna, leading to a reduction in the collection and quantum efficiency of the coupled system. The performance of the HMM coupled cylindrical plasmonic antenna was observed to have a Gaussian envelope type profile, having peak performance in the range of 1000–1100 nm, with maximum collection and quantum efficiencies reaching 52% and 70%, respectively.
Controlling spatial coherence with an optical complex medium
Authors: Nardi Alfonso , Tebbenjohanns Felix , Rossi Massimiliano , Divitt Shawn , Norrman Andreas , Gigan Sylvain , Frimmer Martin , Novotny Lukas
Published: November 2021

Control over optical spatial coherence is a key requirement in diverse applications including imaging, optical trapping, and communications. Current approaches to controlling spatial coherence are constrained by speed or limited to a single pair of optical fields. Here, we propose a method to achieve single-shot control of the spatial coherence between an arbitrary number of fields. Our method employs a multi-port linear optical device, which we realize by shaping the wavefront of the input light fields and transmitting them through a complex medium. To demonstrate the capabilities of our method, we experimentally realize a 3 × 3 −port system and use it to generate three output beams with desired mutual correlations.
Temperature dynamics in silicon core fibers during CO2 laser processing
Authors: Mühlberger K. , Harvey C. M. , Fokine M.
Published: November 2021

Silicon core fibers are a promising candidate for optoelectronic and photonic applications. Fabrication and post-processing of those fibers is thus far done without precise knowledge of the processing temperatures. Here, a simple technique is presented that allows for in-situ temperature monitoring during thermal processing of silicon core fibers. The temperature was probed across the silicon melting point and cooling rates above 3500 °C s−1 were measured. The silicon core was found to be molten at a temperature of 1281 °C, more than 100 °C below the bulk silicon melting point. This is attributed to stress inbuilt to silicon core fibers during the fabrication process.
All-polarization-maintaining divided pulse fiber oscillator mode-locked with the optical Kerr effect
Authors: Edelmann Marvin , Hua Yi , Kulcsar Gabor , Kärtner Franz X.
Published: November 2021

In this Letter, we investigate a Yb-doped mode-locked fiber oscillator
that uses coherent pulse division and recombination to avoid excessive
nonlinear phase shifts. The mode locking mechanism of the laser is
based on the accumulation of a differential nonlinear phase between
orthogonal polarization modes in the polarization-maintaining fiber
segment. The inserted coherent pulse divider, based on YVO4
crystals rotated successively by 45°, enables stable and undistorted
mode-locked steady states. The output pulse energy is increased from
89 pJ in the nondivided operation by ≈6.5 dB to more than 400 pJ with
three divisions. A measurement of amplitude fluctuations reveals a
simultaneous broadband noise suppression of up to ≈9 dB in the
frequency range from 10 kHz to 2 MHz.
Laser frequency measurement in the short-wavelength region using an intermediate laser and a frequency noise cancellation method
Authors: Kojima Yuki , Ikeda Kohei , Tanabe Yuto , Akamatsu Daisuke , Hong Feng-Lei
Published: November 2021

Optical frequency combs play a crucial role supporting optical
frequency standards and cover a wide range of wavelengths (octaves).
However, broadening the comb spectrum to the short-wavelength visible
region (λ < 500 nm), where GaN-based blue diode lasers are
available, is not an easy task. In this study, we propose a method for
measuring the laser frequency in the short-wavelength region using an
intermediate laser and a noise-canceling scheme. We demonstrate this
method by measuring the frequency of a GaN-based laser at 399 nm and
confirming that the frequency measurement is not affected by the
frequency noise of the intermediate laser.
Repression of the Hox gene abd-A by ELAV-mediated Transcriptional Interference
Authors: Castro Alvarez Javier J. , Revel Maxime , Carrasco Judit , Cléard Fabienne , Pauli Daniel , Hilgers Valérie , Karch François , Maeda Robert K.
Published: November 2021

Intergenic transcription is a common feature of eukaryotic genomes and performs important and diverse cellular functions. Here, we investigate theiab-8ncRNA from theDrosophilaBithorax Complex and show that this RNA is able to repress the transcription of genes located at its 3’ end by a sequence-independent, transcriptional interference mechanism. Although this RNA is expressed in the early epidermis and CNS, we find that its repressive activity is limited to the CNS, where, in wild-type embryos, it acts on the Hox gene,abd-A, located immediately downstream of it. The CNS specificity is achieved through a 3’ extension of the transcript, mediated by the neuronal-specific, RNA-binding protein, ELAV. Loss of ELAV activity eliminates the 3’ extension and results in the ectopic activation ofabd-A. Thus, a tissue-specific change in the length of a ncRNA is used to generate a precise pattern of gene expression in a higher eukaryote.
daf-16/FOXO blocks adult cell fate in Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larvae via lin-41/TRIM71
Authors: Wirick Matthew J. , Cale Allison R. , Smith Isaac T. , Alessi Amelia F. , Starostik Margaret R. , Cuko Liberta , Lalk Kyal , Schmidt Mikayla N. , Olson Benjamin S. , Salomon Payton M. , Santos Alexis , Schmitter-Sánchez Axel , Galagali Himani , Ranke Kevin J. , Wolbert Payton A. , Knoblock Macy L. , Kim John K. , Karp Xantha
Published: November 2021

Many tissue-specific stem cells maintain the ability to produce multiple cell types during long periods of non-division, or quiescence. FOXO transcription factors promote quiescence and stem cell maintenance, but the mechanisms by which FOXO proteins promote multipotency during quiescence are still emerging. The single FOXO ortholog in C. elegans, daf-16, promotes entry into a quiescent and stress-resistant larval stage called dauer in response to adverse environmental cues. During dauer, stem and progenitor cells maintain or re-establish multipotency to allow normal development to resume after dauer. We find that during dauer, daf-16/FOXO prevents epidermal stem cells (seam cells) from prematurely adopting differentiated, adult characteristics. In particular, dauer larvae that lack daf-16 misexpress collagens that are normally adult-enriched. Using col-19p::gfp as an adult cell fate marker, we find that all major daf-16 isoforms contribute to opposing col-19p::gfp expression during dauer. By contrast, daf-16(0) larvae that undergo non-dauer development do not misexpress col-19p::gfp. Adult cell fate and the timing of col-19p::gfp expression are regulated by the heterochronic gene network, including lin-41 and lin-29. lin-41 encodes an RNA-binding protein orthologous to LIN41/TRIM71 in mammals, and lin-29 encodes a conserved zinc finger transcription factor. In non-dauer development, lin-41 opposes adult cell fate by inhibiting the translation of lin-29, which directly activates col-19 transcription and promotes adult cell fate. We find that during dauer, lin-41 blocks col-19p::gfp expression, but surprisingly, lin-29 is not required in this context. Additionally, daf-16 promotes the expression of lin-41 in dauer larvae. The col-19p::gfp misexpression phenotype observed in dauer larvae with reduced daf-16 requires the downregulation of lin-41, but does not require lin-29. Taken together, this work demonstrates a novel role for daf-16/FOXO as a heterochronic gene that promotes expression of lin-41/TRIM71 to contribute to multipotent cell fate in a quiescent stem cell model.
Chalcones identify cTXNPx as a potential antileishmanial drug target
Authors: Escrivani Douglas O. , Charlton Rebecca L. , Caruso Marjolly B. , Burle-Caldas Gabriela A. , Borsodi Maria Paula G. , Zingali Russolina B. , Arruda-Costa Natalia , Palmeira-Mello Marcos V. , de Jesus Jéssica B. , Souza Alessandra M. T. , Abrahim-Vieira Bárbara , Freitag-Pohl Stefanie , Pohl Ehmke , Denny Paul W. , Rossi-Bergmann Bartira , Steel Patrick G.
Published: November 2021

With current drug treatments failing due to toxicity, low efficacy and resistance; leishmaniasis is a major global health challenge that desperately needs new validated drug targets. Inspired by activity of the natural chalcone 2’,6’-dihydroxy-4’-methoxychalcone (DMC), the nitro-analogue, 3-nitro-2’,4’,6’- trimethoxychalcone (NAT22, 1c) was identified as potent broad spectrum antileishmanial drug lead. Structural modification provided an alkyne containing chemical probe that labelled a protein within the parasite that was confirmed as cytosolic tryparedoxin peroxidase (cTXNPx). Crucially, labelling is observed in both promastigote and intramacrophage amastigote life forms, with no evidence of host macrophage toxicity. Incubation of the chalcone in the parasite leads to ROS accumulation and parasite death. Deletion of cTXNPx, by CRISPR-Cas9, dramatically impacts upon the parasite phenotype and reduces the antileishmanial activity of the chalcone analogue. Molecular docking studies with a homology model of in-silico cTXNPx suggest that the chalcone is able to bind in the putative active site hindering access to the crucial cysteine residue. Collectively, this work identifies cTXNPx as an important target for antileishmanial chalcones.
Kdm6a deficiency restricted to mouse hematopoietic cells causes an age- and sex-dependent myelodysplastic syndrome-like phenotype
Authors: Tian Ling , Chavez Monique , Chang Gue Su , Helton Nichole M. , Katerndahl Casey D. S. , Miller Christopher A. , Wartman Lukas D.
Published: November 2021

Kdm6a/Utx, a gene on the X chromosome, encodes a histone H3K27me3 demethylase that has an orthologue on the Y chromosome (Uty) (Zheng et al. 2018). We previously identified inactivating mutations of Kdm6a in approximately 50% of mouse acute promyelocytic leukemia samples; however, somatic mutations of KDM6A are more rare in human AML samples, ranging in frequency from 2–15% in different series of patients, where their role in pathogenesis is not yet clear. In this study, we show that female Kdm6aflox/flox mice (with allele inactivation initiated by Vav1-Cre in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) have a sex-specific phenotype that emerges with aging, with features resembling a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Female Kdm6a-knockout (KO) mice have an age-dependent expansion of their HSPCs with aberrant self-renewal, but they did not differentiate normally into downstream progeny. These mice became mildly anemic and thrombocytopenic, but did not develop overt leukemia, or die from these cytopenias. ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq studies showed only minor changes in H3K27me3, H3K27ac, H3K4me, H3K4me3 and chromatin accessibility between Kdm6a-WT and Kdm6a-KO mice. Utilizing scRNA-seq, Kdm6a loss was linked to the transcriptional repression of genes that mediate hematopoietic cell fate determination. These data demonstrate that Kdm6a plays an important role in normal hematopoiesis, and that its inactivation may contribute to AML pathogenesis.
The impact of the incorporation of a feasible postoperative mortality model at the Post-Anaesthestic Care Unit (PACU) on postoperative clinical deterioration: A pragmatic trial with 5,353 patients
Authors: de Souza Gutierrez Claudia , Bottega Katia , de Jezus Castro Stela Maris , Gravina Gabriela Leal , Toralles Eduardo Kohls , Silveira Martins Otávio Ritter , Caumo Wolnei , Stefani Luciana Cadore
Published: November 2021

Background

Practical use of risk predictive tools and the assessment of their impact on outcome reduction is still a challenge. This pragmatic study of quality improvement (QI) describes the preoperative adoption of a customised postoperative death probability model (SAMPE model) and the evaluation of the impact of a Postoperative Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU) pathway on the clinical deterioration of high-risk surgical patients.

Methods

A prospective cohort of 2,533 surgical patients compared with 2,820 historical controls after the adoption of a quality improvement (QI) intervention. We carried out quick postoperative high-risk pathways at PACU when the probability of postoperative death exceeded 5%. As outcome measures, we used the number of rapid response team (RRT) calls within 7 and 30 postoperative days, in-hospital mortality, and non-planned Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission.

Results

Not only did the QI succeed in the implementation of a customised risk stratification model, but it also diminished the postoperative deterioration evaluated by RRT calls on very high-risk patients within 30 postoperative days (from 23% before to 14% after the intervention, p = 0.05). We achieved no survival benefits or reduction of non-planned ICU. The small group of high-risk patients (13% of the total) accounted for the highest proportion of RRT calls and postoperative death.

Conclusion

Employing a risk predictive tool to guide immediate postoperative care may influence postoperative deterioration. It encouraged the design of pragmatic trials focused on feasible, low-technology, and long-term interventions that can be adapted to diverse health systems, especially those that demand more accurate decision making and ask for full engagement in the control of postoperative morbi-mortality.
Determinants of financial distress in the European air transport industry: The moderating effect of being a flag-carrier
Authors: Shi Yin , Li Xiaoni
Published: November 2021

Due to the COVID-induced global collapse in demand for air travel, the year 2020 was a catastrophic one for the aviation industry. A dramatic drop in operating revenues along with continuing fixed expenses drained the cash reserves of airlines, with consequent risks of financial distress and, potentially, even of bankruptcy. Flag-carriers are a special group in the airline business—they are considered to have privileges in terms of the support given by governments while, on the other hand, are often viewed as having low efficiency and performance. This study aims to estimate for European airlines the interaction effect of being a flag-carrier (flagship) with the relationship between leverage, liquidity, profitability, and the degree of financial distress. Findings obtained from analysing 99 European airlines over a period of ten years, indicate that the negative influence of leverage on financial stability is higher in the case of flag carriers (flagship). The impact of liquidity and profitability on financial health is more positive for flagship than for non-flagship carriers. These findings are not limited to contributing to the existing literature, but also have significant practical implications for executives, managers, and policy makers in the European air transport sector.
Local action plan to promote access to the health system by indigenous Venezuelans from the Warao ethnic group in Manaus, Brazil: Analysis of the plan´s development, experiences, and impact through a mixed-methods study (2020)
Authors: de Jezus Sonia Vivian , Ilha da Silva Adriana , Alexandre Arcêncio Ricardo , de Faria Marcos Terena Nahari , dos Santos Pinheiro Jair , Souza Sacramento Daniel , de Souza Silva Freitas Paula , Carminati Siqueira Priscila , Mocelin Helaine Jacinta Salvador , Maria Silva Araújo Vania , da Silva Lima Rogério , Nascimento do Prado Thiago , Maia Martins Sales Carolina , Noia Maciel Ethel Leonor
Published: November 2021

Background

The provision of care and monitoring of health are essential for indigenous Venezuelans from the Warao ethnic group, who are at risk of decimation.

Objective

Analyze a Local Action Plan (LAP) to promote access to the health system of indigenous Venezuelans from the Warao ethnic group (IVWEG) in Manaus, Brazil.

Method

A mixed-methods study was performed. Quantitative data were collected to assess the provision of care and monitoring of health conditions in IVWEG through a survey that was self-completed by healthcare providers. Qualitative narrative data were collected to gain insight into IVWEG that seek care. We applied descriptive statistics, grouping analysis (GA) by hierarchical levels, and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). Content analysis was applied to qualitative data.

Results

106 healthcare providers participated in the study, with the following characteristics: 94 (88.7%) females, 67 (63.2%) pardo race/color, 40 (37.7%) working in primary healthcare, and 49 (46.2%) nurses. In addition, 43 (40.6%) of the healthcare providers reported providing care to IVWEG. Among the providers, 89 (84%) had received training for assisting IVWEG. Additionally, 30 IVWEG were enrolled for interviews in the qualitative phase. The barriers to seeking care were language, distance to health units, and lack of money for transportation. The LAP proved to facilitate access to the health system by indigenous Venezuelans from the Warao ethnic group in Manaus. The study contributed to knowledge on a LAP addressed to IVWEG and helped improved their access to the health system, providing appropriate training for healthcare providers and other relevant actors by implementing a coherent and consistent public health policy at the local level.
Internal and external drivers for compliance with the COVID-19 preventive measures in Slovenia: The view from general deterrence and protection motivation
Authors: Mihelič Anže , Jelovčan Luka , Prislan Kaja
Published: November 2021

The emergence of a pandemic is usually accompanied by different measures–economic, social, preventive, and (self)protective. In the case of the COVID-19, several preventive measures were formally enforced by state authorities in the majority of countries worldwide. Thus, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the intertwining of formal and informal social control could be observed. Hence, in this study a cross-sectional design was chosen to explore the issue in Slovenia. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first in the current literature to empirically test the general deterrence theory in pandemic circumstances (as external factors predicting individuals’ compliance with the COVID-19 preventive measures). The results suggest an important role of informal punishment, with perceived informal severity being the only statistically significant factor from the general deterrence theory. In contrast to external factors, internal factors play a significantly greater role in promoting people’s self-protective behavior in pandemic circumstances. During the unknown, the uncertain and delicate situations with which people have no previous experience, both personal beliefs about the effectiveness of measures and perceived self-efficacy are more important than fear of formal sanctions.
Isolation, identification, and biological characteristics of Clostridium sartagoforme from rabbit
Authors: Gong Ruiguang , Ye Xiangyang , Wang Shuhui , Ren Zhanjun
Published: November 2021

In order to develop microbial additives for rabbit feed, a spore-forming bacteria was isolated from the feces of Hyla rabbit using reinforced clostridium medium (RCM). The 16S rDNA sequence of the bacterium was subjected to pairwise sequence alignment using BLAST; the colony morphology, and physiological, biochemical, and stress resistance were studied. The results showed that the bacterium was Clostridium sartagoforme, a gram positive anaerobe, which can produce spores. The colony diameter was 0.5 mm—2.5 mm, the diameter of the bacteria was 0.5 μm—1.0 μm × 2.0 μm—6.3 μm, and the spore diameter was 1 μm—1.2 μm × 1 μm—1.2 μm. C. sartagoforme can utilize various sugars and alcohols such as fructose, galactose, sorbitol, and inositol. It secreted cellulase into the extracellular environment to form a transparent hydrolysis circle in Congo red medium, it could not liquify gelatin, and the lysine decarboxylase reaction was positive. In liquid medium it entered the stable growth period after 9 h of inoculation. Additionally, it had good stress resistance with a survival rate that exceeded 53% after gastric juice (pH 2.5) treatment for 3 h, it grew in a medium with a bile salt concentration of 0.3%, and the survival rate exceeded 85% after 10 minutes at 80°C. Moreover, animal testing indicated that this strain has no adverse effects on the morbidity and mortality of rabbits. In summary, C. sartagoforme XN-T4 was isolated from rabbit feces. This bacterium has good resistance to stress, can decompose a variety of monosaccharides and polysaccharides including cellulose, which is relatively harmless for animal health.
Testing the role of symbols in preschool numeracy: An experimental computer-based intervention study
Authors: Hyde Daniel C. , Mou Yi , Berteletti Ilaria , Spelke Elizabeth S. , Dehaene Stanislas , Piazza Manuela
Published: November 2021

Numeracy is of critical importance for scholastic success and modern-day living, but the precise mechanisms that drive its development are poorly understood. Here we used novel experimental training methods to begin to investigate the role of symbols in the development of numeracy in preschool-aged children. We assigned pre-school children in the U.S. and Italy (N = 215; Mean age = 49.15 months) to play one of five versions of a computer-based numerical comparison game for two weeks. The different versions of the game were equated on basic features of gameplay and demands but systematically varied in numerical content. Critically, some versions included non-symbolic numerical comparisons only, while others combined non-symbolic numerical comparison with symbolic aids of various types. Before and after training we assessed four components of early numeracy: counting proficiency, non-symbolic numerical comparison, one-to-one correspondence, and arithmetic set transformation. We found that overall children showed improvement in most of these components after completing these short trainings. However, children trained on numerical comparisons with symbolic aids made larger gains on assessments of one-to-one correspondence and arithmetic transformation compared to children whose training involved non-symbolic numerical comparison only. Further exploratory analyses suggested that, although there were no major differences between children trained with verbal symbols (e.g., verbal counting) and non-verbal visuo-spatial symbols (i.e., abacus counting), the gains in one-to-one correspondence may have been driven by abacus training, while the gains in non-verbal arithmetic transformations may have been driven by verbal training. These results provide initial evidence that the introduction of symbols may contribute to the emergence of numeracy by enhancing the capacity for thinking about exact equality and the numerical effects of set transformations. More broadly, this study provides an empirical basis to motivate further focused study of the processes by which children’s mastery of symbols influences children’s developing mastery of numeracy.
Use of universal primers for the 18S ribosomal RNA gene and whole soil DNAs to reveal the taxonomic structures of soil nematodes by high-throughput amplicon sequencing
Authors: Kenmotsu Harutaro , Takabayashi Emi , Takase Akinori , Hirose Yuu , Eki Toshihiko
Published: November 2021

Nematodes are abundant metazoans that play crucial roles in nutrient recycle in the pedosphere. Although high-throughput amplicon sequencing is a powerful tool for the taxonomic profiling of soil nematodes, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers for amplification of the 18S ribosomal RNA (SSU) gene and preparation of template DNAs have not been sufficiently evaluated. We investigated nematode community structure in copse soil using four nematode-specific (regions 1–4) and two universal (regions U1 and U2) primer sets for the SSU gene regions with two DNAs prepared from copse-derived mixed nematodes and whole soil. The major nematode-derived sequence variants (SVs) identified in each region was detected in both template DNAs. Order level taxonomy and feeding type of identified nematode-derived SVs were distantly related between the two DNA preparations, and the region U2 was closely related to region 4 in the non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity. Thus, the universal primers for region U2 could be used to analyze soil nematode communities. We further applied this method to analyze the nematodes living in two sampling sites of a sweet potato-cultivated field, where the plants were differently growing. The structure of nematode-derived SVs from the two sites was distantly related in the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) with weighted unifrac distances, suggesting their distinct soil environments. The resultant ecophysiological status of the nematode communities in the copse and field on the basis of feeding behavior and maturity indices was fairly consistent with those of the copse- and the cultivated house garden-derived nematodes in prior studies. These findings will be useful for the DNA metabarcoding of soil eukaryotes, including nematodes, using soil DNAs.
Contact lenses contamination by Acanthamoeba spp. in Upper Egypt
Authors: Hassan Faten A. M. , Tolba M. E. M. , Abed Gamal H. , Omar H. M. , Abdel-Hakeem Sara S.
Published: November 2021

Background

Acanthamoeba spp. are one of the free-living amoeba that spread worldwide causing keratitis. Owing to the increase in the use of lenses, whether for medical or cosmetic purposes, the incidence of disease increases every year. Contamination of the lenses with the Acanthamoeba trophozoites or cysts may lead to eye infection and cause sight-threatening keratitis in human. We isolated Acanthamoeba spp. from new lenses, used lenses, and contact lens disinfecting solutions and identified them based on morphological characteristics and molecular test.

Methods

New and used lenses and contact lens disinfecting solutions were cultured on monogenic media. Light and scanning electron microscope was used to identify Acanthamoeba spp. morphological features. Genotype identification was also evaluated using PCR sequencing of 18S rRNA gene specific primer pair JDP1 and JDP2.

Results

A hundred samples were examined, 29 (29%) were infected with Acanthamoeba spp. That belonged to two strains of Acanthamoeba (Acanthamoeba 41 and Acanthamoeba 68). 18S rRNA of the Acanthamoeba 41 had 99.69% sequence identity to Acanthamoeba castellanii clone HDU-JUMS-2, whereas Acanthamoeba 68 had 99.74% similar pattern to that of Acanthamoeba sp. isolate T4 clone ac2t4 that are morphologically identified as Acanthamoeba polyphaga. The obtained data revealed that the isolated strains belong to T4 genotype that was evolutionarily similar to strains isolated in Iran.

Conclusions

Cosmetic lenses and disinfectant solutions are a major transmissible mode for infection. This genotype is common as the cause of Acanthamoeba keratitis. To avoid infection, care must be taken to clean the lenses and their preservative solutions and prevent contamination with the parasite.
Multi-site comparison of factors influencing progress of African insecticide testing facilities towards an international Quality Management System certification
Authors: Begg Sara , Wright Alex , Small Graham , Kirby Matt , Moore Sarah , Koudou Ben , Kisinza William , Abdoulaye Diabate , Moore Jason , Malima Robert , Kija Patrick , Mosha Frank , Edi Constant , Bates Imelda
Published: November 2021

Background

Insecticidal mosquito vector control products are vital components of malaria control programmes. Test facilities are key in assessing the effectiveness of vector control products against local mosquito populations, in environments where they will be used. Data from these test facilities must be of a high quality to be accepted by regulatory authorities, including the WHO Prequalification Team for vector control products. In 2013–4, seven insecticide testing facilities across sub-Saharan Africa, with technical and financial support from Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC), began development and implementation of quality management system compliant with the principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) to improve data quality and reliability.

Methods and principle findings

We conducted semi-structured interviews, emails, and video-call interviews with individuals at five test facilities engaged in the IVCC-supported programme and working towards or having achieved GLP. We used framework analysis to identify and describe factors affeting progress towards GLP. We found that eight factors were instrumental in progress, and that test facilities had varying levels of control over these factors. They had high control over the training programme, project planning, and senior leadership support; medium control over infrastructure development, staff structure, and procurement; and low control over funding the availability and accessibility of relevant expertise. Collaboration with IVCC and other partners was key to overcoming the challenges associated with low and medium control factors.

Conclusion

For partnership and consortia models of research capacity strengthening, test facilities can use their own internal resources to address identified high-control factors. Project plans should allow additional time for interaction with external agencies to address medium-control factors, and partners with access to expertise and funding should concentrate their efforts on supporting institutions to address low-control factors. In practice, this includes planning for financial sustainability at the outset, and acting to strengthen national and regional training capacity.
Leucine rich amelogenin peptide prevents ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice
Authors: Haruyama Naoto , Yamaza Takayoshi , Suzuki Shigeki , Hall Bradford , Cho Andrew , Gibson Carolyn W. , Kulkarni Ashok B.
Published: November 2021

Amelogenins, major extra cellular matrix proteins of developing tooth enamel, are predominantly expressed by ameloblasts and play significant roles in the formation of enamel. Recently, amelogenin has been detected in various epithelial and mesenchymal tissues, implicating that it might have distinct functions in various tissues. We have previously reported that leucine rich amelogenin peptide (LRAP), one of the alternate splice forms of amelogenin, regulates receptor activator of NF-kappa B ligand (RANKL) expression in cementoblast/periodontal ligament cells, suggesting that the amelogenins, especially LRAP, might function as a signaling molecule in bone metabolism. The objective of this study was to identify and define LRAP functions in bone turnover. We engineered transgenic (TgLRAP) mice using a murine 2.3kb α1(I)-collagen promoter to drive expression of a transgene consisting of LRAP, an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) to study functions of LRAP in bone formation and resorption. Calvarial cell cultures from the TgLRAP mice showed increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and increased formation of mineralized nodules compared to the cells derived from wild-type (WT) mice. The TgLRAP calvarial cells also showed an inhibitory effect on osteoclastogenesis in vitro. Gene expression comparison by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) in calvarial cells indicated that bone formation makers such as Runx2, Alp, and osteocalcin were increased in TgLRAP compared to the WT cells. Meanwhile, Rankl expression was decreased in the TgLRAP cells in vitro. The ovariectomized (OVX) TgLRAP mice resisted bone loss induced by ovariectomy resulting in higher bone mineral density in comparison to OVX WT mice. The quantitative analysis of calcein intakes indicated that the ovariectomy resulted in increased bone formation in both WT and TgLRAP mice; OVX TgLRAP appeared to show the most remarkably increased bone formation. The parameters for bone resorption in tissue sections showed increased number of osteoclasts in OVX WT, but not in OVX TgLRAP over that of sham operated WT or TgLRAP mice, supporting the observed bone phenotypes in OVX mice. This is the first report identifying that LRAP, one of the amelogenin splice variants, affects bone turnover in vivo.
Does the construction of an integrated transport network promote urban innovation? A perspective based on the theory of flow space
Authors: Zou Shengrui , Li Mingxian , Chen Junfei , Chen Yixin
Published: November 2021

Transportation infrastructure, which has always been regarded as an important element to promote regional innovation, accelerates factor flows and productivity spillovers. In February 2021, the State Council of China issued the outline of national integrated multidimensional transportation network planning (2021–2050), which proposed that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the Yangtze River Delta would speed up the construction of an integrated transport network to serve the dual circulation development pattern in China. However, few studies have systematically investigated the development of integrated transport in the Yangtze River Delta, especially the relationship between transport operating efficiency and regional innovation based on the theory of flow space. This study aims to calculate the integrated transport efficiency of 26 cities in the Yangtze River Delta and analyse the spillover effect of efficiency improvement on urban innovation. The results reveal that integrated transport efficiency is relatively stable at approximately 0.92. We find that the local innovation value would increase by 0.119% with every 1% increase in transport efficiency, and it would exceed 0.26% after introducing spatial factors. The spillover effect on the surrounding cities is significantly higher than that in the cities themselves, and the result is 0.292 under the economic spatial distance weight matrix. These findings will support the construction of the integrated transport network and provide useful references for government decision makers in the Yangtze River Delta.
Who am I? Narratives as a window to transformative moments in critical care
Authors: Mema Briseida , Helmers Andrew , Anderson Cory , Min Kyung–Seo (Kay) , Navne Laura E.
Published: November 2021

Critical care clinicians practice a liminal medicine at the border between life and death, witnessing suffering and tragedy which cannot fail to impact the clinicians themselves. Clinicians’ professional identity is predicated upon their iterative efforts to articulate and contextualize these experiences, while a failure to do so may lead to burnout. This journey of self-discovery is illuminated by clinician narratives which capture key moments in building their professional identity. We analyzed a collection of narratives by critical care clinicians to determine which experiences most profoundly impacted their professional identity formation. After surveying 30 critical care journals, we identified one journal that published 84 clinician narratives since 2013; these constituted our data source. A clinician educator, an art historian, and an anthropologist analyzed these pieces using a narrative analysis technique identifying major themes and subthemes. Once the research team agreed on a thematic structure, a clinician-ethicist and a trainee read all the pieces for analytic validation. The main theme that emerged across all these pieces was the experience of existing at the heart of the dynamic tension between life and death. We identified three further sub-themes: the experience of bridging the existential divide between dissimilar worlds and contexts, fulfilling divergent roles, and the concurrent experience of feeling dissonant emotions. Our study constitutes a novel exploration of transformative clinical experiences within Critical Care, introducing a methodology that equips medical educators in Critical Care and beyond to better understand and support clinicians in their professional identity formation. As clinician burnout soars amidst increasing stressors on our healthcare systems, a healthy professional identity formation is an invaluable asset for personal growth and moral resilience. Our study paves the way for post-graduate and continuing education interventions that foster mindful personal growth within the medical subspecialties.
An optimized method for RNA extraction from the polyurethane oligomer degrading strain Pseudomonas capeferrum TDA1 growing on aromatic substrates such as phenol and 2,4-diaminotoluene
Authors: Cárdenas Espinosa María José , Schmidgall Tabea , Wagner Georg , Kappelmeyer Uwe , Schreiber Stephan , Heipieper Hermann J. , Eberlein Christian
Published: November 2021

Bacterial degradation of xenobiotic compounds is an intense field of research already for decades. Lately, this research is complemented by downstream applications including Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), RT-PCR, qPCR, and RNA-seq. For most of these molecular applications, high-quality RNA is a fundamental necessity. However, during the degradation of aromatic substrates, phenolic or polyphenolic compounds such as polycatechols are formed and interact irreversibly with nucleic acids, making RNA extraction from these sources a major challenge. Therefore, we established a method for total RNA extraction from the aromatic degrading Pseudomonas capeferrum TDA1 based on RNAzol® RT, glycogen and a final cleaning step. It yields a high-quality RNA from cells grown on TDA1 and on phenol compared to standard assays conducted in the study. To our knowledge, this is the first report tackling the problem of polyphenolic compound interference with total RNA isolation in bacteria. It might be considered as a guideline to improve total RNA extraction from other bacterial species.