bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost-effectiveness of mechanical thromboprophylaxis for cesarean deliveries in Brazil
Authors: Veloz Alex , Silas Ubong , Saunders Rhodri , Grisamore Jody , Malavasi André Luiz
Published: June 2023

Objective

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using mechanical thromboprophylaxis for patients undergoing a cesarean delivery in Brazil.

Methods

A decision-analytic model built in TreeAge software was used to compare the cost and effectiveness of intermittent pneumatic compression to prophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin or no prophylaxis from the perspective of the hospital. Related adverse events were venous thromboembolism, minor bleeding, and major bleeding. Model data were sourced from peer-reviewed studies through a structured literature search. A willingness-to-pay threshold of R$15,000 per avoided adverse event was adopted. Scenario, one-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of uncertainties on the results.

Results

The costs of care related to venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and associated adverse events ranged from R$914 for no prophylaxis to R$1,301 for low-molecular-weight heparin. With an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of R$7,843 per adverse event avoided. Intermittent pneumatic compression was cost-effective compared to no prophylaxis. With lower costs and improved effectiveness, intermittent pneumatic compression dominated low-molecular-weight heparin. The probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed that the probability of being cost-effective was comparable for intermittent pneumatic compression and no prophylaxis, with low-molecular-weight heparin unlikely to be considered cost-effective (0.07).

Conclusions

Intermittent pneumatic compression could be a cost-effective option and is likely to be more appropriate than low-molecular-weight heparin when used for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis for cesarean delivery in Brazil. Use of thromboprophylaxis should be a risk-stratified, individualized approach.
Metamorphic gene regulation programs in Xenopus tropicalis tadpole brain
Authors: Raj Samhitha , Sifuentes Christopher J. , Kyono Yasuhiro , Denver Robert J.
Published: June 2023

Amphibian metamorphosis is controlled by thyroid hormone (TH), which binds TH receptors (TRs) to regulate gene expression programs that underlie morphogenesis. Gene expression screens using tissues from premetamorphic tadpoles treated with TH identified some TH target genes, but few studies have analyzed genome-wide changes in gene regulation during spontaneous metamorphosis. We analyzed RNA sequencing data at four developmental stages from the beginning to the end of spontaneous metamorphosis, conducted on the neuroendocrine centers of Xenopus tropicalis tadpole brain. We also conducted chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) for TRs, and we compared gene expression changes during metamorphosis with those induced by exogenous TH. The mRNA levels of 26% of protein coding genes changed during metamorphosis; about half were upregulated and half downregulated. Twenty four percent of genes whose mRNA levels changed during metamorphosis had TR ChIP-seq peaks. Genes involved with neural cell differentiation, cell physiology, synaptogenesis and cell-cell signaling were upregulated, while genes involved with cell cycle, protein synthesis, and neural stem/progenitor cell homeostasis were downregulated. There is a shift from building neural structures early in the metamorphic process, to the differentiation and maturation of neural cells and neural signaling pathways characteristic of the adult frog brain. Only half of the genes modulated by treatment of premetamorphic tadpoles with TH for 16 h changed expression during metamorphosis; these represented 33% of the genes whose mRNA levels changed during metamorphosis. Taken together, our results provide a foundation for understanding the molecular basis for metamorphosis of tadpole brain, and they highlight potential caveats for interpreting gene regulation changes in premetamorphic tadpoles induced by exogenous TH.
Pharmaceutical company responses to Canadian opioid advertising restrictions: A framing analysis
Authors: Eisenkraft Klein Daniel , Lexchin Joel , Sud Abhimanyu , Bavli Itai
Published: June 2023

The pharmaceutical industry’s promotion of opioids in North America has been well-documented. Yet despite the clear consequences of improperly classifying pharmaceutical company messaging and frequently permissive approaches that allow the pharmaceutical industry to self-regulate its own advertising, there has been scarce investigation to date of how pharmaceutical industry stakeholders interpret definitions of “advertising.” This study explores how variations of “marketing” and “advertising” are strategically framed by the different actors involved in the manufacturing and distribution of pharmaceutical opioids. We employed a framing analysis of industry responses to Health Canada’s letter to Canadian manufacturers and distributors of opioids requesting their commitment to voluntarily cease all marketing and advertising of opioids to health care professionals. Our findings highlight companies’ continuing efforts to frame their messaging as “information” and “education” rather than “advertising” in ways that serve their interests. This study also calls attention to the industry’s continual efforts to promote self-regulation and internal codes of conduct within a highly permissive federal regulatory framework with little concern for violations or serious consequences. While this framing often occurring out of public sight, this study highlights the subtle means through which the industry attempts to frame their promotion strategies away from “marketing”. These framing strategies have significant consequences for the pharmaceutical industry’s capacity to influence healthcare professionals, patients, and the general public.
Seroprevalence and assessment of public awareness of Brucella spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Chlamydia abortus in small ruminants from selected smallholder commercial farms of Zimbabwe
Authors: Tarusikirwa Dey F. , Blacklaws Barbara , Trotter Caroline L.
Published: June 2023

Brucella spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Chlamydia abortus have long been recognized as zoonoses and significant causes of reproductive failure in small ruminants globally. A cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2020 to determine the seroprevalences of Brucella spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Chlamydia abortus in 398 small ruminants from four districts of Zimbabwe (Chivi, Makoni, Zvimba, and Goromonzi) using Indirect-ELISAs. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 103 smallholder farmers towards small ruminant abortions, Brucella spp., T. gondii and C. abortus, and to obtain a general overview of the significance of small ruminant reproductive failure(s) on their livelihoods. The overall seroprevalences were: 9.1% (95% CI: 6.4–12.3) for Brucella spp., 6.8% (95% CI: 4.5–9.7) for T. gondii and 2.0% (95% CI: 0.9–3.9) for C. abortus. Location, age, parity, and abortion history were associated with Brucella spp. seropositivity. Location was also associated with both T. gondii and C. abortus seropositivity. The questionnaire survey established that 44% of respondents had recently faced reproductive disease challenges within their flocks, with 34% correctly identifying abortion causes and only 10%, 6% and 4% having specific knowledge of Brucella spp., C. abortus and T. gondii, respectively. This study provides the first serological evidence of Brucella spp. in small ruminants since 1996 and builds the evidence on small ruminant toxoplasmosis and chlamydiosis in Zimbabwe. Evidence of these zoonoses in small ruminants and the paucity of knowledge shows the need for a coordinated One Health approach to increase public awareness of these diseases, and to establish effective surveillance and control measures. Further studies are required to establish the role these diseases play in small ruminant reproductive failure(s), to identify the Brucella spp. detected here to species/subspecies level, and to assess the socio-economic impact of reproductive failure in livestock among marginalised rural communities.
Multi-modal recommendation algorithm fusing visual and textual features
Authors: Hu Xuefeng , Yu Wenting , Wu Yun , Chen Yukang
Published: June 2023

In recommender systems, the lack of interaction data between users and items tends to lead to the problem of data sparsity and cold starts. Recently, the interest modeling frameworks incorporating multi-modal features are widely used in recommendation algorithms. These algorithms use image features and text features to extend the available information, which alleviate the data sparsity problem effectively, but they also have some limitations. On the one hand, multi-modal features of user interaction sequences are not considered in the interest modeling process. On the other hand, the aggregation of multi-modal features often employs simple aggregators, such as sums and concatenation, which do not distinguish the importance of different feature interactions. In this paper, to tackle this, we propose the FVTF (Fusing Visual and Textual Features) algorithm. First, we design a user history visual preference extraction module based on the Query-Key-Value attention to model users’ historical interests by using of visual features. Second, we design a feature fusion and interaction module based on the multi-head bit-wise attention to adaptively mine important feature combinations and update the higher-order attention fusion representation of features. We conduct experiments on the Movielens-1M dataset, and the experiments show that FVTF achieved the best performance compared with the benchmark recommendation algorithms.
Solving the general 3-D safety factor by combining Sarma’s idea with the assumption of normal stress distribution over the slip surface
Authors: Wang Linghui , Lu Kunlin
Published: June 2023

This study proposes a method for determining 3-D limit equilibrium solutions. The method, inspired by Sarma, introduces the horizontal seismic coefficient as a slope failure parameter and implements a modification of the normal stress over the slip surface. Four equilibrium equations are used to solve the problem without compromising the accuracy of the calculations: three force equilibrium equations in the x, y, and z directions and a moment equilibrium equation in the vertical (z) direction. The reliable factor of safety can be determined by calculating the minimum value of the horizontal seismic coefficient. Furthermore, we analyzed several typical examples of symmetric and asymmetric slopes, finding good consistency with the existing literature. This consistency indicates the reliability of the factor of safety we obtained. The proposed method is favored due to its straightforward principle, convenient operation, fast convergence, and ease of programming.
Viruses in saliva from sanctuary chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Republic of Congo and Uganda
Authors: Dunay Emily , Rukundo Joshua , Atencia Rebeca , Cole Megan F. , Cantwell Averill , Emery Thompson Melissa , Rosati Alexandra G. , Goldberg Tony L.
Published: June 2023

Pathogen surveillance for great ape health monitoring has typically been performed on non-invasive samples, primarily feces, in wild apes and blood in sanctuary-housed apes. However, many important primate pathogens, including known zoonoses, are shed in saliva and transmitted via oral fluids. Using metagenomic methods, we identified viruses in saliva samples from 46 wild-born, sanctuary-housed chimpanzees at two African sanctuaries in Republic of Congo and Uganda. In total, we identified 20 viruses. All but one, an unclassified CRESS DNA virus, are classified in five families: Circoviridae, Herpesviridae, Papillomaviridae, Picobirnaviridae, and Retroviridae. Overall, viral prevalence ranged from 4.2% to 87.5%. Many of these viruses are ubiquitous in primates and known to replicate in the oral cavity (simian foamy viruses, Retroviridae; a cytomegalovirus and lymphocryptovirus; Herpesviridae; and alpha and gamma papillomaviruses, Papillomaviridae). None of the viruses identified have been shown to cause disease in chimpanzees or, to our knowledge, in humans. These data suggest that the risk of zoonotic viral disease from chimpanzee oral fluids in sanctuaries may be lower than commonly assumed.
Porphyromonas gingivalis under palmitate-induced obesogenic microenvironment modulates the inflammatory transcriptional signature of macrophage-like cells
Authors: Minne Xavier , Mbuya Malaïka Mutombo Joanna , Chandad Fatiha , Fanganiello Roberto D. , Houde Vanessa P.
Published: June 2023

Metabolic diseases and low-grade chronic inflammation are interconnected: obese persons are at higher risk of developing periodontitis. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the development and progression of periodontitis in an obesogenic microenvironment in response to periodontopathogens are still lacking. This study aims to investigate the combined effects of palmitate and Porphyromonas gingivalis on the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and on transcriptional landscape modifications in macrophage-like cells. U937 macrophage-like cells were treated with palmitate and stimulated with P. gingivalis for 24h. Cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 were measured by ELISA in the culture medium and cell extracted RNA was submitted to a microarray analysis followed by Gene Ontology analyses. P. gingivalis, in presence of palmitate, potentiated IL-1β and TNF-α secretion in comparison to palmitate alone. Gene Ontology analyses also revealed that the combination palmitate-P. gingivalis potentiated the number of gene molecular functions implicated in the regulation of immune and inflammatory pathways compared to macrophages treated with palmitate alone. Our results provide the first comprehensive mapping of gene interconnections between palmitate and P. gingivalis during inflammatory responses in macrophage-like cells. These data highlight the importance of considering systemic conditions, specifically obesogenic microenvironment, in the management of periodontal disease in obese patients.
Have the concepts of ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’ been normalized or pathologized? A corpus study of historical semantic change
Authors: Xiao Yu , Baes Naomi , Vylomova Ekaterina , Haslam Nick
Published: June 2023

Research on concept creep indicates that the meanings of some psychological concepts have broadened in recent decades. Some mental health-related concepts such as ‘trauma’, for example, have acquired more expansive meanings and come to refer to a wider range of events and experiences. ‘Anxiety’ and ‘depression’ may have undergone similar semantic inflation, driven by rising public attention and awareness. Critics have argued that everyday emotional experiences are increasingly pathologized, so that ‘depression’ and ‘anxiety’ have broadened to include sub-clinical experiences of sadness and worry. The possibility that these concepts have expanded to include less severe phenomena (vertical concept creep) was tested by examining changes in the emotional intensity of words in their vicinity (collocates) using two large historical text corpora, one academic and one general. The academic corpus contained >133 million words from psychology article abstracts published 1970–2018, and the general corpus (>500 million words) consisted of diverse text sources from the USA for the same period. We hypothesized that collocates of ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’ would decline in average emotional severity over the study period. Contrary to prediction, the average severity of collocates for both words increased in both corpora, possibly due to growing clinical framing of the two concepts. The study findings therefore do not support a historical decline in the severity of ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’ but do provide evidence for a rise in their pathologization.
An intact S-layer is advantageous to Clostridioides difficile within the host
Authors: Ormsby Michael J. , Vaz Filipa , Kirk Joseph A. , Barwinska-Sendra Anna , Hallam Jennifer C. , Lanzoni-Mangutchi Paola , Cole John , Chaudhuri Roy R. , Salgado Paula S. , Fagan Robert P. , Douce Gillian R
Published: June 2023

Clostridioides difficile is responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality in antibiotically-treated, hospitalised, elderly patients, in which toxin production correlates with diarrhoeal disease. While the function of these toxins has been studied in detail, the contribution of other factors, including the paracrystalline surface layer (S-layer), to disease is less well understood. Here, we highlight the essentiality of the S-layer in vivo by reporting the recovery of S-layer variants, following infection with the S-layer-null strain, FM2.5. These variants carry either correction of the original point mutation, or sequence modifications which restored the reading frame, and translation of slpA. Selection of these variant clones was rapid in vivo, and independent of toxin production, with up to 90% of the recovered C. difficile population encoding modified slpA sequence within 24 h post infection.

Two variants, subsequently named FM2.5varA and FM2.5varB, were selected for study in greater detail. Structural determination of SlpA from FM2.5varB indicated an alteration in the orientation of protein domains, resulting in a reorganisation of the lattice assembly, and changes in interacting interfaces, which might alter function. Interestingly, variant FM2.5varB displayed an attenuated, FM2.5-like phenotype in vivo compared to FM2.5varA, which caused disease severity more comparable to that of R20291. Comparative RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of in vitro grown isolates revealed large changes in gene expression between R20291 and FM2.5. Downregulation of tcdA/tcdB and several genes associated with sporulation and cell wall integrity may account for the reported attenuated phenotype of FM2.5 in vivo. RNA-seq data correlated well with disease severity with the more virulent variant, FM2.5varA, showing s similar profile of gene expression to R20291 in vitro, while the attenuated FM2.5varB showed downregulation of many of the same virulence associated traits as FM2.5. Cumulatively, these data add to a growing body of evidence that the S-layer contributes to C. difficile pathogenesis and disease severity.
Intraluminal neutrophils limit epithelium damage by reducing pathogen assault on intestinal epithelial cells during Salmonella gut infection
Authors: Gül Ersin , Enz Ursina , Maurer Luca , Abi Younes Andrew , Fattinger Stefan A. , Nguyen Bidong D. , Hausmann Annika , Furter Markus , Barthel Manja , Sellin Mikael E. , Hardt Wolf-Dietrich
Published: June 2023

Recruitment of neutrophils into and across the gut mucosa is a cardinal feature of intestinal inflammation in response to enteric infections. Previous work using the model pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S.Tm) established that invasion of intestinal epithelial cells by S.Tm leads to recruitment of neutrophils into the gut lumen, where they can reduce pathogen loads transiently. Notably, a fraction of the pathogen population can survive this defense, re-grow to high density, and continue triggering enteropathy. However, the functions of intraluminal neutrophils in the defense against enteric pathogens and their effects on preventing or aggravating epithelial damage are still not fully understood. Here, we address this question via neutrophil depletion in different mouse models of Salmonella colitis, which differ in their degree of enteropathy. In an antibiotic pretreated mouse model, neutrophil depletion by an anti-Ly6G antibody exacerbated epithelial damage. This could be linked to compromised neutrophil-mediated elimination and reduced physical blocking of the gut-luminal S.Tm population, such that the pathogen density remained high near the epithelial surface throughout the infection. Control infections with a ssaV mutant and gentamicin-mediated elimination of gut-luminal pathogens further supported that neutrophils are protecting the luminal surface of the gut epithelium. Neutrophil depletion in germ-free and gnotobiotic mice hinted that the microbiota can modulate the infection kinetics and ameliorate epithelium-disruptive enteropathy even in the absence of neutrophil-protection. Together, our data indicate that the well-known protective effect of the microbiota is augmented by intraluminal neutrophils. After antibiotic-mediated microbiota disruption, neutrophils are central for maintaining epithelial barrier integrity during acute Salmonella-induced gut inflammation, by limiting the sustained pathogen assault on the epithelium in a critical window of the infection.
Antigen pressure from two founder viruses induces multiple insertions at a single antibody position to generate broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies
Authors: Joyce Collin , Murrell Sasha , Murrell Ben , Omorodion Oluwarotimi , Ver Lorena S. , Carrico Nancy , Bastidas Raiza , Nedellec Rebecca , Bick Michael , Woehl Jordan , Zhao Fangzhu , Burns Alison , Barman Shawn , Appel Michael , Ramos Alejandra , Wickramasinghe Lalinda , Eren Kemal , Vollbrecht Thomas , Smith Davey M. , Kosakovsky Pond Sergei L. , McBride Ryan , Worth Charli , Batista Facundo , Sok Devin ,   The IAVI Protocol C Investigators & The IAVI African HIV Research Network, Poignard Pascal , Briney Bryan , Wilson Ian A. , Landais Elise , Burton Dennis R.
Published: June 2023

Vaccination strategies aimed at maturing broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) from naïve precursors are hindered by unusual features that characterize these Abs, including insertions and deletions (indels). Longitudinal studies of natural HIV infection cases shed light on the complex processes underlying bnAb development and have suggested a role for superinfection as a potential enhancer of neutralization breadth. Here we describe the development of a potent bnAb lineage that was elicited by two founder viruses to inform vaccine design. The V3-glycan targeting bnAb lineage (PC39-1) was isolated from subtype C-infected IAVI Protocol C elite neutralizer, donor PC39, and is defined by the presence of multiple independent insertions in CDRH1 that range from 1-11 amino acids in length. Memory B cell members of this lineage are predominantly atypical in phenotype yet also span the class-switched and antibody-secreting cell compartments. Development of neutralization breadth occurred concomitantly with extensive recombination between founder viruses before each virus separated into two distinct population “arms” that evolved independently to escape the PC39-1 lineage. Ab crystal structures show an extended CDRH1 that can help stabilize the CDRH3. Overall, these findings suggest that early exposure of the humoral system to multiple related Env molecules could promote the induction of bnAbs by focusing Ab responses to conserved epitopes.
The exception that proves the rule: Virulence gene expression at the onset of Plasmodium falciparum blood stage infections
Authors: Wichers-Misterek Jan Stephan , Krumkamp Ralf , Held Jana , von Thien Heidrun , Wittmann Irene , Höppner Yannick Daniel , Ruge Julia M. , Moser Kara , Dara Antoine , Strauss Jan , Esen Meral , Fendel Rolf , Sulyok Zita , Jeninga Myriam D. , Kremsner Peter G. , Sim B. Kim Lee , Hoffman Stephen L. , Duffy Michael F. , Otto Thomas D. , Gilberger Tim-Wolf , Silva Joana C. , Mordmüller Benjamin , Petter Michaela , Bachmann Anna
Published: June 2023

Controlled human malaria infections (CHMI) are a valuable tool to study parasite gene expressionin vivounder defined conditions. In previous studies, virulence gene expression was analyzed in samples from volunteers infected with thePlasmodium falciparum(Pf) NF54 isolate, which is of African origin. Here, we provide an in-depth investigation of parasite virulence gene expression in malaria-naïve European volunteers undergoing CHMI with the genetically distinct Pf 7G8 clone, originating in Brazil. Differential expression ofvargenes, encoding major virulence factors of Pf, PfEMP1s, was assessed inex vivoparasite samples as well as in parasites from thein vitrocell bank culture that was used to generate the sporozoites (SPZ) for CHMI (Sanaria PfSPZ Challenge (7G8)). We report broad activation of mainly B-type subtelomeric locatedvargenes at the onset of a 7G8 blood stage infection in naïve volunteers, mirroring the NF54 expression study and suggesting that the expression of virulence-associated genes is generally reset during transmission from the mosquito to the human host. However, in 7G8 parasites, we additionally detected a continuously expressed single C-type variant, Pf7G8_040025600, that was most highly expressed in both pre-mosquito cell bank and volunteer samples, suggesting that 7G8, unlike NF54, maintains expression of some previously expressedvarvariants during transmission. This suggests that in a new host, the parasite may preferentially express the variants that previously allowed successful infection and transmission.

Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov -NCT02704533; 2018-004523-36
Neutralization profiles of HIV-1 viruses from the VRC01 Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) trials
Authors: Mkhize Nonhlanhla N. , Yssel Anna E. J. , Kaldine Haajira , van Dorsten Rebecca T. , Woodward Davis Amanda S. , Beaume Nicolas , Matten David , Lambson Bronwen , Modise Tandile , Kgagudi Prudence , York Talita , Westfall Dylan H. , Giorgi Elena E. , Korber Bette , Anthony Colin , Mapengo Rutendo E. , Bekker Valerie , Domin Elizabeth , Eaton Amanda , Deng Wenjie , DeCamp Allan , Huang Yunda , Gilbert Peter B. , Gwashu-Nyangiwe Asanda , Thebus Ruwayhida , Ndabambi Nonkululeko , Mielke Dieter , Mgodi Nyaradzo , Karuna Shelly , Edupuganti Srilatha , Seaman Michael S. , Corey Lawrence , Cohen Myron S. , Hural John , McElrath M. Juliana , Mullins James I. , Montefiori David , Moore Penny L. , Williamson Carolyn , Morris Lynn
Published: June 2023

The VRC01 Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) efficacy trials conducted between 2016 and 2020 showed for the first time that passively administered broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) could prevent HIV-1 acquisition against bnAb-sensitive viruses. HIV-1 viruses isolated from AMP participants who acquired infection during the study in the sub-Saharan African (HVTN 703/HPTN 081) and the Americas/European (HVTN 704/HPTN 085) trials represent a panel of currently circulating strains of HIV-1 and offer a unique opportunity to investigate the sensitivity of the virus to broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) being considered for clinical development. Pseudoviruses were constructed using envelope sequences from 218 individuals. The majority of viruses identified were clade B and C; with clades A, D, F and G and recombinants AC and BF detected at lower frequencies. We tested eight bnAbs in clinical development (VRC01, VRC07-523LS, 3BNC117, CAP256.25, PGDM1400, PGT121, 10–1074 and 10E8v4) for neutralization against all AMP placebo viruses (n = 76). Compared to older clade C viruses (1998–2010), the HVTN703/HPTN081 clade C viruses showed increased resistance to VRC07-523LS and CAP256.25. At a concentration of 1μg/ml (IC80), predictive modeling identified the triple combination of V3/V2-glycan/CD4bs-targeting bnAbs (10-1074/PGDM1400/VRC07-523LS) as the best against clade C viruses and a combination of MPER/V3/CD4bs-targeting bnAbs (10E8v4/10-1074/VRC07-523LS) as the best against clade B viruses, due to low coverage of V2-glycan directed bnAbs against clade B viruses. Overall, the AMP placebo viruses represent a valuable resource for defining the sensitivity of contemporaneous circulating viral strains to bnAbs and highlight the need to update reference panels regularly. Our data also suggests that combining bnAbs in passive immunization trials would improve coverage of global viruses.
Central carbon flux controls growth/damage balance for Streptococcus pyogenes
Authors: Merriman Joseph A. , Xu Wei , Caparon Michael G.
Published: June 2023

Microbial pathogens balance growth against tissue damage to achieve maximum fitness. Central carbon metabolism is connected to growth, but how it influences growth/damage balance is largely unknown. Here we examined how carbon flux through the exclusively fermentative metabolism of the pathogenic lactic acid bacteriumStreptococcus pyogenesimpacts patterns of growth and tissue damage. Using a murine model of soft tissue infection, we systematically examined single and pair-wise mutants that constrained carbon flux through the three major pathways thatS.pyogenesemploys for reduction of the glycolytic intermediate pyruvate, revealing distinct disease outcomes. Its canonical lactic acid pathway (via lactate dehydrogenase) made a minimal contribution to virulence. In contrast, its two parallel pathways for mixed-acid fermentation played important, but non-overlapping roles. Anaerobic mixed acid fermentation (via pyruvate formate lyase) was required for growth in tissue, while aerobic mixed-acid pathway (via pyruvate dehydrogenase) was not required for growth, but instead regulated levels of tissue damage. Infection of macrophagesin vitrorevealed that pyruvate dehydrogenase was required to prevent phagolysosomal acidification, which altered expression of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10. Infection of IL-10 deficient mice confirmed that the ability of aerobic metabolism to regulate levels of IL-10 plays a key role in the ability ofS.pyogenesto modulate levels of tissue damage. Taken together, these results show critical non-overlapping roles for anaerobic and aerobic metabolism in soft tissue infection and provide a mechanism for how oxygen and carbon flux act coordinately to regulate growth/damage balance. Therapies targeting carbon flux could be developed to mitigate tissue damage during severeS.pyogenesinfection.
Análisis de la organización y preparación para la respuesta ante la pandemia de COVID-19 por los Servicios Médicos de Emergencias Extrahospitalarias en España
Authors: Iglesias-Vázquez José Antonio , Echarri-Sucunza Alfredo , Navalpotro-Pascual José-María
Published: June 2023

Este artículo valora la respuesta de los Servicios de Emergencias Médicas (SEM) en España ante la pandemia por SARS-Cov-2,su nivel de integración y las responsabilidades asumidas. Estudio descriptivo transversal de todas las Comunidades Autónomas del Estado Español. Recogida de datos realizada entre el 14 y el 30 de abril de 2020. Encuesta enviada a los miembros del Grupo de Investigación OSHCAR (Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Registry). 48 preguntas. Variables cualitativas: mediana (Mdn) y rango intercuartilico (IQR). Recibidas respuestas de todos los SEM. Comité interdisciplinar en el 76% con reuniones de periodicidad variable. Plan de contingencia en 10 Centros Coordinadores de Urgencias (CCU).Refuerzo de plantillas en operadores (Mdn=13;IQR=21,25). Médicos (Mdn=5;IQR=6,91) y enfermeros (Mdn=5;IQR=27,08). Acceso a pruebas, 10 CCU a información, 6 solicitud directa y 5 por otros servicios. Nuevos teléfonos de información gestionados por los SEM directamente en 11. Interrogatorio telefónico para autodiagnóstico en 9 y consulta on line en 7. Todos los SEM disponían de unidades asistenciales exclusivas (1-84) para COVID (Mdn= 8;IQR=18,125).Medidas especificas para atención a la parada cardio-respiratoria en 13. Podemos concluir que los SEM han demostrado una gran capacidad de adaptación a situaciones nuevas y han sido esenciales como primera línea de contención en la pandemia.
Lições da pandemia COVID-19. Confinamento, a importância da percepção de controlo-descontrolo e risco de manifestação de depressão, de ansiedade e de stress
Authors: Dos Santos Cardoso Francisco
Published: June 2023

Decorrente da pandemia COVID-19, pretendemos observar respostas psicológicas causadas pelo confinamento, com foco para importância preditora da perceção de controlo e de variáveis sociodemográficas na manifestação de depressão, ansiedade e stress. A recolha de dados foi realizada online via google forms, entre 6 e 29 abril de 2020. Participaram 303 pessoas entre os 18 e 74 anos. A prevalência, segundo a situação de confinamento, variava entre 23 % e 42 % para a ansiedade, 24 % e 51 % para a depressão e entre 26 % e 45 % para stress. A percepção de descontrolo e a mudança da situação profissional, de layoff, perda de emprego, estudo online, revelaram ser preditores e de risco para a depressão, ansiedade e stress. Ser do género feminino e ter baixa escolaridade revelaram-se preditores de ansiedade e de stress. A manutenção da situação profissional, a percepção de controlo, ser masculino (exceto para a depressão) e ter escolaridade superior revelaram ser fatores protetores. Os resultados requerem intervenções clínicas no domínio da percepção de (des)controlo e de apoio que suprimam a insegurança.
Harpa
Authors: Bernardino Paulo
Published: June 2023

The Christmas Cantata O Pássaro Azu - composed on poems by António Arnaut (1936-2018) taken from O Pássaro Azul - Contos e Poemas de Natal published in 1998 by Coimbra Editora - is a choral-symphonic work of great dimensions, both in its number and its duration (ca. 1:30). In its instrumentation, besides the usual instruments of the orchestra, we also find the Guitarra de Coimbra, soul of our Coimbra song, metaphor of our portugality.
With the support of the Guarantee Cultur programme, the time has come to give wing to the blue bird of A. Arnaut, in homage not only to all the artists who suffered so much with the pandemic, but also to the bravery of the National Health Service, in the hope that his words may appeal to the deepest and most heartfelt humanity within each one of us.
It is hoped that this publication may contribute to a greater richness of the Portuguese immaterial heritage, both poetic and musical, and that it may include as many Portuguese orchestras and choirs as possible, in order to bring the implicit tributes to all the stages in our country.
Soprano (Solo)/Coro
Authors: Bernardino Paulo
Published: June 2023

The Christmas Cantata O Pássaro Azu - composed on poems by António Arnaut (1936-2018) taken from O Pássaro Azul - Contos e Poemas de Natal published in 1998 by Coimbra Editora - is a choral-symphonic work of great dimensions, both in its number and its duration (ca. 1:30). In its instrumentation, besides the usual instruments of the orchestra, we also find the Guitarra de Coimbra, soul of our Coimbra song, metaphor of our portugality.
With the support of the Guarantee Cultur programme, the time has come to give wing to the blue bird of A. Arnaut, in homage not only to all the artists who suffered so much with the pandemic, but also to the bravery of the National Health Service, in the hope that his words may appeal to the deepest and most heartfelt humanity within each one of us.
It is hoped that this publication may contribute to a greater richness of the Portuguese immaterial heritage, both poetic and musical, and that it may include as many Portuguese orchestras and choirs as possible, in order to bring the implicit tributes to all the stages in our country.
S. Solo, SATB, Redução para piano
Authors: Bernardino Paulo
Published: June 2023

The Christmas Cantata O Pássaro Azu - composed on poems by António Arnaut (1936-2018) taken from O Pássaro Azul - Contos e Poemas de Natal published in 1998 by Coimbra Editora - is a choral-symphonic work of great dimensions, both in its number and its duration (ca. 1:30). In its instrumentation, besides the usual instruments of the orchestra, we also find the Guitarra de Coimbra, soul of our Coimbra song, metaphor of our portugality.
With the support of the Guarantee Cultur programme, the time has come to give wing to the blue bird of A. Arnaut, in homage not only to all the artists who suffered so much with the pandemic, but also to the bravery of the National Health Service, in the hope that his words may appeal to the deepest and most heartfelt humanity within each one of us.
It is hoped that this publication may contribute to a greater richness of the Portuguese immaterial heritage, both poetic and musical, and that it may include as many Portuguese orchestras and choirs as possible, in order to bring the implicit tributes to all the stages in our country.
Tubular Bells
Authors: Bernardino Paulo
Published: June 2023

The Christmas Cantata O Pássaro Azu - composed on poems by António Arnaut (1936-2018) taken from O Pássaro Azul - Contos e Poemas de Natal published in 1998 by Coimbra Editora - is a choral-symphonic work of great dimensions, both in its number and its duration (ca. 1:30). In its instrumentation, besides the usual instruments of the orchestra, we also find the Guitarra de Coimbra, soul of our Coimbra song, metaphor of our portugality.
With the support of the Guarantee Cultur programme, the time has come to give wing to the blue bird of A. Arnaut, in homage not only to all the artists who suffered so much with the pandemic, but also to the bravery of the National Health Service, in the hope that his words may appeal to the deepest and most heartfelt humanity within each one of us.
It is hoped that this publication may contribute to a greater richness of the Portuguese immaterial heritage, both poetic and musical, and that it may include as many Portuguese orchestras and choirs as possible, in order to bring the implicit tributes to all the stages in our country.
Violino Solo/Violinos I
Authors: Bernardino Paulo
Published: June 2023

The Christmas Cantata O Pássaro Azu - composed on poems by António Arnaut (1936-2018) taken from O Pássaro Azul - Contos e Poemas de Natal published in 1998 by Coimbra Editora - is a choral-symphonic work of great dimensions, both in its number and its duration (ca. 1:30). In its instrumentation, besides the usual instruments of the orchestra, we also find the Guitarra de Coimbra, soul of our Coimbra song, metaphor of our portugality.
With the support of the Guarantee Cultur programme, the time has come to give wing to the blue bird of A. Arnaut, in homage not only to all the artists who suffered so much with the pandemic, but also to the bravery of the National Health Service, in the hope that his words may appeal to the deepest and most heartfelt humanity within each one of us.
It is hoped that this publication may contribute to a greater richness of the Portuguese immaterial heritage, both poetic and musical, and that it may include as many Portuguese orchestras and choirs as possible, in order to bring the implicit tributes to all the stages in our country.
Índice de desarrollo humano e índices de desarrollo humano sostenible en la Iberofonía 2000-2020
Authors: Flores Polán María Gema , Macorra y Cano Luís Fernando de la
Published: June 2023

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Antithrombin Deficiency: Frequency in Patients with Thrombosis and Thrombophilic Families
Authors: Pejková Maria Anna , Ivanová Eva , Sadílek Petr , Malý Radovan , Thibaud Zuzana , Dulíček Petr
Published: June 2023

Purpose: Antithrombin (AT) deficiency is a well-known inherited risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, F V Leiden and F II20210a mutations have drawn much more attention in the recent years. Therefore, we have decided to analyze the frequency of antithrombin deficiency in different cohorts of patients and tried to formulate indications for its testing. Results: Antithrombin deficiency was found in 4% of patients with recurrent VTE ≤ 50 years of age with, in 1% of patients with splanchnic vein thrombosis and in 2% of cases associated with combined oral contraceptives (COC) use or pregnancy. In patients with central venous thrombosis, antithrombin deficiency was not found. Recommendation: We consider antithrombin testing useful in patients with thrombosis occuring up to 45 years of age without any risk factors. Namely, females with VTE in pregnancy and puerperium should be tested as well as females with thrombosis on COC, if VTE occurred within the first year of their use. Conclusion: In spite of degressive interest in thrombophilia work up, we still consider antithrombin testing useful in defined clinical situations.
Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS Syndrome)
Authors: Mendes Marta Filipa Lemos , Fernandes Diana Silva , Brandão Ilídio
Published: June 2023

DRESS syndrome is an idiosyncratic drug reaction and potentially life-threatening. The authors report a case of this syndrome presenting with fever, rash, mucosal involvement, liver and muscle involvement associated with moxifloxacin treatment.
Z dziejów jednej z najstarszych szkół średnich ogólnokształcących w Polsce: Szkoła kaliska i jej budynek, red. B. Celer, J. Montelatic, K. Walczak, Kaliskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, Kalisz 2020, ss. 197
Authors: Radziszewska Maria
Published: June 2023

Recenzja: Z dziejów jednej z najstarszych szkół średnich ogólnokształcących w Polsce: Szkoła kaliska i jej budynek, red. B. Celer, J.  Montelatic, K. Walczak, Kaliskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, Kalisz 2020, ss. 197
Giuliana Strambi, Le terre agricole abbandonate. Il recupero produttivo nella legislazione sulle “banche della terra” e nel Testo unico in materia di foreste e filiere forestali, Editoriale Scientifica, Napoli 2022
Authors: Budzinowski Roman
Published: June 2023

Giuliana Strambi, Le terre agricole abbandonate. Il recupero produttivo nella legislazione sulle “banche della terra” e nel Testo unico in materia di foreste e filiere forestali, Editoriale Scientifica, Napoli 2022, ss. 346.
English medium instruction (EMI) in Moroccan secondary schools: Science teachers’ perception
Authors: Hammou Salah Ben , Kesbi Abdelaziz
Published: June 2023

The present study explored a small-scale English medium instruction (EMI) initiative in Moroccan secondary schools, which is part of a top-down multilingual policy based on teaching science subjects through foreign languages, namely French, English, and Spanish. 18 secondary EMI teachers of math, physics and life and earth sciences were interviewed in order to understand the new policy. Following grounded theory (GT) methodology, the findings show positive attitudes towards the implementation of EMI in Moroccan education, but the teachers seemed unsatisfied with the way it has been implemented. They thought science teachers were not prepared for such a new tendency. The study also revealed that teachers’ low English proficiency was considered the major challenge to the successful implementation of EMI in Moroccan secondary schools and the essential reason behind using the first language in the EMI classroom. To prepare future generations for extending EMI in the Moroccan education, the teachers called for a switch to English as the first foreign language, instead of French, in all levels of schooling, and suggested gradual introduction of EMI in primary and middle schools. The study ends with some implications for overcoming the challenges of the new policy.
Linked Open Data. Zukunftsweisende Strategien
Authors: Petz Georg
Published: June 2023

Bibliotheken stellen bereits seit einigen Jahren ihre bibliografischen Metadaten als Linked Open Data zur Verfügung. Die Idee dahinter ist, Daten aus verschiedenen Quellen und Formaten (Datensilos), die derzeit nicht oder nur schwer zugänglich sind, in möglichst einheitlicher Form miteinander zu verknüpfen. Dieser Artikel fasst die aktuellen Entwicklungen zusammen und es werden die vier grundlegenden Möglichkeiten, Linked Open Data zu veröffentlichen, miteinander verglichen. Abschließend werden die Initiativen der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek auf diesem Gebiet vorgestellt.
Multifunctional analysis and antimicrobial activity of Adhatoda vasica: a traditional medicinal plant
Authors: Fatima Maryam , Zafar Imran , Ain Qurat ul , Anwar Muhammad Masood , Yousaf Waqas , Rather Mohd Ashraf , Nainu Firzan , Sharma Rohit
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Antibiotic resistance is rising, prompting innovative strategies for eradicating the epidemic. This study investigated the antibacterial properties of the leaves of a widely used medicinal plant, Adhatoda vasica.

Methods

The plant’s polar (water, methanol) and non-polar (hexane) extracts were tested against several different bacterial strains using the disc diffusion technique.

Results

In a study, it was found that the water extract had the greatest inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus simulans and Staphylococcus aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 16.444 and 19.315 g/mL, respectively. Gram-negative strains were more susceptible to plant extracts than Gram-positive strains. The phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, and steroids, where absorbance was recorded at 415 nm. The water extract had the highest amount of phenolics, with a total phenolic content of 53.92 0.47 mg and a total flavonoid content of 7.25 0.08 mg. Results suggest that the extract may have potential therapeutic applications for antimicrobial properties.

Conclusions

The study concluded that the extract’s phenolic group of secondary metabolites were responsible for its antibacterial activity. The study highlights A. vasica as a promising source for discovering new and effective antibacterial compounds.
Hydromechanical behavior of wood during drying studied by NIR spectroscopy and image analysis
Authors: Amaral Evelize Aparecida , Baliza Lívia Freire , dos Santos Luana Maria , Shashiki André Tetsuo , Trugilho Paulo Fernando , Hein Paulo Ricardo Gherardi
Published: June 2023

The physical properties of wood are important parameters to qualify the material. However, as it is a heterogeneous material, moisture content and wood contractions may vary within the sample. Thus, the objective was to monitor the hydromechanical behavior of wood during drying using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and image analysis. Equidistant points were marked on the radial surface of a wooden board and NIR spectra were recorded at each marking during drying of the piece. After spectral acquisition in each drying step, images were obtained and the markings were referenced to monitor contractions during drying. Moisture content (MC) estimates via NIR spectra showed strong correlation with reference values (R2cv = 0.92, RMSEcv = 9.82 %). From the estimates it was possible to generate graphic images to visualize and quantify the spatial variation of MC and shrinkage during wood drying. In the initial stages of drying, the ends of the material showed high moisture in relation to the center of the sample. However, MC loss was 11 % greater at the ends of the wood board when compared to its interior while the shrinkage in external zones was 3 times greater than the internal part. The use of NIR technique associated with image analysis can be a promising tool for estimating moisture contents and contractions in wood.
Assessing the influence of differential code bias and satellite geometry on GNSS ambiguity resolution through MANS-PPP software package
Authors: Shehata Ashraf G. , Zarzoura Fawzi H. , El-Mewafi Mahmoud
Published: June 2023

Ambiguity resolution (AR) is essential for quick and accurate Global Navigation Satellite System GNSS location and navigation. In addition to location parameters, there are various additional GNSS characteristics that are relevant for a wide range of applications such as instrumental calibrations, atmospheric sounding, and time transfer. We offer differential code bias and satellite geometry for the GNSS estimable parameters using MANS-PPP software backage. In this research, we used the MANS-PPP software package to execute the processing method and generate the PPP GNSS solution. We demonstrated how differential code bias and satellite geometry can effectively enhance initial time and positioning error for multi-GNSS satellites. PPP Processing observation data in static mode was used by the different DCB files the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), and the Centre for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE), for the 12 stations from IGS, and we analyzed the impact of errors from the satellite geometry. The results illustration that the correction of DCB significantly improves the PPP ambiguity resolution success rate and quality, which have higher DCB values. The satellite geometry also has a substantial influence on the PPP ambiguity resolution, with a better geometry leading to a higher success rate and quality. Furthermore, the use of multiple GNSS constellations and the optimization of the satellite selection and weighting algorithms can further improve the PPP ambiguity resolution and the resulting positioning accuracy.