bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metformin synergistically enhances the antitumour activity of Lenvatinib in hepatocellular carcinoma by altering AKT‐FOXO3 signalling pathway
Authors: Cheng Yizhe , Zhan Ping , Lu Jing , Lu Yuyan , Luo Changhong , Cen Xuesong , Wang Fuqiang , Xie Chengrong , Yin Zhenyu
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims

Lenvatinib is a first‐line drug commonly used in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its clinical efficacy is very limited due to drug resistance. Therefore, there is a great need to explore its combination with other agents to achieve better therapeutic effects. Metformin has been demonstrated to show an anti‐cancer effect. This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of lenvatinib with metformin in HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo and elucidate the possible molecular mechanisms.

Methods

Flow cytometry, colony formation, CCK‐8 and transwell assays were used to study the effect of Lenvatinib–Metformin combination on the malignant behaviour of HCC cells in vitro. Constructing an animal model of tumour‐bearing to study the effect of combined drugs on HCC in vivo. Western blot experiments were performed to assess the relationship between AKT and FOXO3 and the cellular translocation of FOXO3.

Results

Our results suggested that Lenvatinib and Metformin synergistically inhibited HCC growth and motility. Mechanistically, the combination of Lenvatinib and Metformin synergistically suppressed the activation of the AKT signalling pathway, which in turn reduced the phosphorylation level of downstream effector FOXO3 and induced its nuclear aggregation. In vivo studies further confirmed the synergistic suppression of lenvatinib with metformin in HCC growth.

Conclusion

The Lenvatinib–Metformin combination may provide a potential therapeutic strategy to improve the prognosis of HCC patients.
Perinatal care and breastfeeding education during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Perspectives from Kenyan mothers and healthcare workers
Authors: Ickes Scott B. , Lemein Hellen , Arensen Kelly , Kinyua Joyceline , Denno Donna M. , Sanders Hannah K. , Walson Judd L. , Martin Stephanie L. , Nduati Ruth , Palmquist Aunchalee E. L.
Published: May 2023

The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on breastfeeding (BF) practices in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) is not well understood. Modifications in BF guidelines and delivery platforms for breastfeeding education during the COVID‐19 pandemic are hypothesised to have affected BF practices. We aimed to understand the experiences with perinatal care, BF education and practice among Kenyan mothers who delivered infants during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We conducted in‐depth key informant interviews with 45 mothers who delivered infants between March 2020 and December 2021, and 26 health care workers (HCW) from four health facilities in Naivasha, Kenya. While mothers noted that HCWs provided quality care and BF counselling, individual BF counselling was cited to be less frequent than before the pandemic due to altered conditions in health facilities and COVID‐19 safety protocols. Mothers stated that some HCW messages emphasised the immunologic importance of BF. However, knowledge among mothers about the safety of BF in the context of COVID‐19 was limited, with few participants reporting specific counselling or educational materials on topics such as COVID‐19 transmission through human milk and the safety of nursing during a COVID‐19 infection. Mothers described COVID‐19‐related income loss and lack of support from family and friends as the major challenge to practising exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) as they wished or planned. COVID‐19 restrictions limited or prevented mothers’ access to familial support at facilities and at home, causing them stress and fatigue. In some cases, mothers reported job loss, time spent seeking new means of employment and food insecurity as causes for milk insufficiency, which contributed to mixed feeding before 6 months. The COVID‐19 pandemic created changes to the perinatal experience for mothers. While messages about the importance of practising EBF were provided, altered HCW education delivery methods, reduced social support and food insecurity limit EBF practices for mothers in this context.
An island ‘endemic’ born out of hybridization between introduced lineages
Authors: Salter Jessie F. , Brumfield Robb T. , Faircloth Brant C.
Published: May 2023

Humans have profoundly impacted the distribution of plant and animal species over thousands of years. The most direct example of these effects is human‐mediated movement of individuals, either through translocation of individuals within their range or through the introduction of species to new habitats. While human involvement may be suspected in species with obvious range disjunctions, it can be difficult to detect natural versus human‐mediated dispersal events for populations at the edge of a species' range, and this uncertainty muddles how we understand the evolutionary history of populations and broad biogeographical patterns. Studies combining genetic data with archaeological, linguistic and historical evidence have confirmed prehistoric examples of human‐mediated dispersal; however, it is unclear whether these methods can disentangle recent dispersal events, such as species translocated by European colonizers during the past 500 years. We use genomic DNA from historical museum specimens and historical records to evaluate three hypotheses regarding the timing and origin of Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) in Cuba, whose status as an endemic or introduced population has long been debated. We discovered that bobwhites from southern Mexico arrived in Cuba between the 12th and 16th centuries, followed by the subsequent introduction of bobwhites from the southeastern USA to Cuba between the 18th and 20th centuries. These dates suggest the introduction of bobwhites to Cuba was human‐mediated and concomitant with Spanish colonial shipping routes between Veracruz, Mexico and Havana, Cuba during this period. Our results identify endemic Cuban bobwhites as a genetically distinct population born of hybridization between divergent, introduced lineages.
Increased number and domain of interlaminar astrocytes in layer I of the temporal cortex in epilepsy
Authors: Zhou Nan , Fan Zhen , Tong Yusheng , Xiao Xing , Xie Yongsheng , Qi Zengxin , Chen Liang
Published: May 2023

Aim

The functions of the interlaminar astrocytes in layer I of the human cortex are currently unknown. Here, we aimed to explore whether there is any morphological remodelling of interlaminar astrocytes in layer I of the temporal cortex in epilepsy.

Methods

Tissues were obtained from 17 epilepsy surgery patients and 17 post‐mortem age‐matched controls. In addition, 10 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and 10 age‐matched controls were used as the disease control group. Paraffin sections (6 μm) and frozen sections (35 or 150 μm) of inferior temporal gyrus tissue were used for immunohistochemistry. With the use of tissue transparency, 3D reconstruction and hierarchical clustering, we performed a quantitative morphological analysis of astrocytes.

Results

Upper and lower zones were identified in layer I of the human cortex. Compared with the astrocytes in layers IV–V, layer I interlaminar astrocytes occupied a significantly smaller volume and exhibited shorter and fewer process intersections. Increased Chaslin's gliosis (consisting of types I and II subpial interlaminar astrocytes) and number of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)‐immunoreactive interlaminar astrocytes in layer I of the temporal cortex were confirmed in patients with epilepsy. There was no difference in the number of interlaminar astrocytes in layer I between AD and age‐matched control groups. Using tissue transparency and 3D reconstruction technology, the astrocyte domain in the human temporal cortex was classified into four clusters, among which the interlaminar astrocytes in cluster II were more abundant in epilepsy, showing specific topological structures in patients with epilepsy. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the astrocyte domain of interlaminar cells in layer I of the temporal cortex in patients with epilepsy.

Conclusion

The observed significant astrocytic structural remodelling in the temporal cortex of epilepsy patients showed that the astrocyte domain in layer I may play an important role in temporal lobe epilepsy.
PKL is stabilized by MMS21 to negatively regulate Arabidopsis drought tolerance through directly repressing AFL1 transcription
Authors: Jing Yexing , Yang Ziyi , Yang Ruizhen , Zhang Yunwei , Qiao Weihua , Zhou Yun , Sun Jiaqiang
Published: May 2023

Drought stress causes substantial losses in crop production per year worldwide, threatening global food security. Identification of the genetic components underlying drought tolerance in plants is of great importance. In this study, we report that loss‐of‐function of the chromatin‐remodeling factor PICKLE (PKL), which is involved in repression of transcription, enhances drought tolerance of Arabidopsis.

At first, we find that PKL interacts with ABI5 to regulate seed germination, but PKL regulates drought tolerance independently of ABI5. Then, we find that PKL is necessary for repressing the drought‐tolerant gene AFL1, which is responsible for the drought‐tolerant phenotype of pkl mutant. Genetic complementation tests demonstrate that the Chromo domain and ATPase domain but not the PHD domain are required for the function of PKL in regulating drought tolerance. Interestingly, we find that the DNA‐binding domain (DBD) is essential for the protein stability of PKL.

Furthermore, we demonstrate that the SUMO E3 ligase MMS21 interacts with and enhances the protein stability of PKL. Genetic interaction analysis shows that MMS21 and PKL additively regulate plant drought tolerance.

Collectively, our findings uncover a MMS21‐PKL‐AFL1 module in regulating plant drought tolerance and offer insights into a novel strategy to improve crop drought tolerance.
Agency in evolution of biomolecular communication
Authors: Caetano‐Anollés Gustavo
Published: May 2023

Biomolecular communication demands that interactions between parts of a molecular system act as scaffolds for message transmission. It also requires an organized system of signs—a communicative agency—for creating and transmitting meaning. The emergence of agency, the capacity to act in a given context and generate end‐directed behaviors, has baffled evolutionary biologists for centuries. Here, I explore its emergence with knowledge grounded in over two decades of evolutionary genomic and bioinformatic exploration. Biphasic processes of growth and diversification exist that generate hierarchy and modularity in biological systems at widely ranging time scales. Similarly, a biphasic process exists in communication that constructs a message before it can be transmitted for interpretation. Transmission dissipates matter‐energy and information and involves computation. Agency emerges when molecular machinery generates hierarchical layers of vocabularies in an entangled communication network clustered around the universal Turing machine of the ribosome. Computations canalize biological systems to perform biological functions in a dissipative quest to structure long‐lived occurrents. This occurs within the confines of a “triangle of persistence” that maximizes invariance with trade‐offs between economy, flexibility, and robustness. Thus, learning from previous historical and circumstantial experiences unifies modules in a hierarchy that expands the agency of systems.
Measuring gerontological nursing competencies among aged care nurses: Cultural adaptation and psychometric validation
Authors: Ho Mu‐Hsing , Lee Jung Jae , Joo Jee Young , Bail Kasia , Liu Megan F. , Traynor Victoria
Published: May 2023

Background

Existing gerontological nursing competencies include the requisite knowledge and skills required for aged care nursing. What were not previously considered were legal and ethical aspects and access to technology, e‐health and social media.

Objectives

This study aimed to validate an Australian gerontological nursing competencies scale and assess the factors associated with for aged care nurses in Taiwan.

Methods

A methodological study design was used to validate the scale with a sample of 369 aged care nurses from aged care settings including nursing homes, long‐term care facilities and aged care wards in Taiwan. The cultural adaptation and psychometric validation were evaluated. The content validity, construct validity through exploratory factor analysis and the internal consistency of the scale were assessed.

Results

The exploratory factor analysis extracted two levels of gerontological nursing practice, ‘essential’ and ‘enhanced’, which accounted for 80.8% of the total variance. The internal consistency, split‐half reliability and test–retest reliability were excellent. Aged care nurses with higher levels of education, aged care education as their highest degree and continued education within 6 months, and certified long‐term care education had higher gerontological nursing competencies scores than those who did not.

Conclusions

This validated gerontological nursing competencies scale is a reliable and valid tool that can be implemented in future workforce planning, research and postgraduate and undergraduate curriculum and education in Taiwan and other Mandarin‐speaking locales.

Implications for practice

Using validated gerontological nursing competencies scales to explain different levels of specialist practice is crucial for addressing negative views about aged nursing and explicitly demonstrate the possibilities for career pathways in gerontological nursing.
Percutaneous extraction of a Micra AV transcatheter pacing system due to a rare sudden battery failure after 19 months from implantation: A first experience worldwide
Authors: Santobuono Vincenzo Ezio , Basile Paolo , Carella Maria Cristina , Pomarico Francesca , Favale Stefano , Ciccone Marco Matteo , Guaricci Andrea Igoren
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Micra AV Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) represents an innovative second‐generation leadless pacemaker which represents an effective alternative to conventional devices in selected cases. Intrinsic malfunctions of these devices are rare, requiring sometimes their retrieval. When performed in experienced centers, this procedure is safe.

Case Presentation

We describe a case of sudden battery malfunction of a Micra AV TPS, which required the extraction and the placement of a new pacing system in the right ventricle.

Discussion

This case, which has never been reported, highlights the need to a careful fluoroscopic evaluation and the usefulness of remote monitoring.
A histogram‐based sampling method for point cloud registration
Authors: Ervan Osman , Temeltas Hakan
Published: May 2023

Accurate and efficient point cloud registration is essential in various fields, such as robotics, autonomous driving and medical imaging. The size of point clouds presents a significant challenge for existing registration methods. In this paper, a novel point cloud sampling method to improve the performance of the point cloud registration process is proposed. Instead of geometric feature preservation, which is preferred in most existing sampling methods, our approach scales every point and groups the scaled points into clusters to generate a histogram for the point cloud. The histogram is then used to identify the most significant regions of the point cloud to create the downsampled output data. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method improves accuracy and is robust against noise. Registration errors are reduced by up to 7% in rotation and 116% in translation. Additionally, the proposed method filtered out up to 98% of noise from the point cloud that was uniformly distributed at a rate of 25%.
Orthodox Christianity in the United States: A challenge for the study of American religion
Authors: Riccardi‐Swartz Sarah
Published: May 2023

Arguably one of the oldest forms of Christianity, with a global population of more than 260 million adherents, Orthodox Christianity is a major religious system, with networks of believers on almost every continent. However, within the study of American religion, as well as most of the social sciences and humanities (not including theology), Orthodoxy has received minimal research and interest. The broad omission of Orthodoxy from the history of American religions pushes a question to the fore: Why are some forms of Christianity at the very edge of our academic topography? This article explores existing literature on Orthodox Christianity in the United States, looking at issues between emic and etic studies, notions of Eastern Christian alterity, and the rise in new research at the intersection of contemporary social issues, Orthodox theology, and religious practice. In doing so, this article draws out how Orthodoxy provides rich American religious histories tied to global politics, immigration, and nationalism, while also prompting us to reconfigure how we study religion in the United States.
Incidence rate of osteonecrosis of jaw after cancer treated with bisphosphonates and denosumab: A systematic review and meta‑analysis
Authors: Zhang Chengrong , Shen Guoshuang , Li Huihui , Xin Yuanfang , Shi Mingqiang , Zheng Yonghui , Wang Miaozhou , Liu Zhen , Zhao Yi , Zhao Fuxing , Ren Dengfeng , Zhao Jiuda
Published: May 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the overall incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) caused by bisphosphonates and denosumab when used for controlling bone cancer metastasis or as adjuvant therapy.

Subjects and Methods

A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases and major meetings’ proceedings as of July 30, 2022, identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational trials that evaluated ONJ caused by denosumab or bisphosphonates. The total incidence and risk ratio (RR) for ONJ were calculated using a random‐effects model.

Results

A total of 42 003 patients with various solid tumors reported in 23 RCTs were included. The overall ONJ incidence in cancer patients receiving denosumab or bisphosphonates was 2.08% (95% CI 1.37–2.91; p < .01; I2 = 94.99%). Patients receiving denosumab had a higher ONJ incidence than those receiving bisphosphonates (RR 1.64, 95% CI 1.10–2.44; p < .05; I2 = 65.4%). Subgroup analyses showed that prostate cancer patients receiving denosumab and receiving zoledronic acid had the highest ONJ incidences, 5.0% and 3.0%, respectively. The incidence of ONJ induced by different doses was also different.

Conclusions

The incidence of ONJ caused by denosumab and bisphosphonates is low, the dose of the drug and the type of cancer have certain influence on ONJ. Therefore, clinicians should use the drug reasonably to improve the quality of life of patients.
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia, negative social interactions, and fluctuations in unmet interpersonal needs: A daily diary study
Authors: MacNeil Sasha , Renaud Johanne , Gouin Jean‐Philippe
Published: May 2023

Introduction

This study examined daily fluctuations in the unmet interpersonal needs of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in response to daily negative social interactions, as well as the moderating role of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) across adolescents at lower and higher risk for suicidal ideation.

Methods

Fifty five adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD, i.e., higher‐risk group) and without MDD (i.e., lower‐risk group) completed measures of resting RSA, and daily measures of negative social interactions, perceived burdensomeness, and loneliness, as a proxy for thwarted belongingness, for 10 consecutive days. Within‐person analyses examined the association between daily negative social interactions and unmet interpersonal needs, and the moderating roles of RSA and higher‐risk group status. Between‐person analyses also examined the association between RSA and unmet interpersonal needs across groups.

Results

At the within‐person level, participants reported more unmet interpersonal needs on days when they reported more negative social interactions. At the between‐person level, higher RSA was associated with decreased loneliness in both groups, and decreased burdensomeness among the higher‐risk group.

Conclusions

Negative social interactions are associated with daily unmet interpersonal needs. Higher RSA may serve as a protective factor mitigating risk for unmet interpersonal needs, particularly burdensomeness, among adolescents at higher risk for suicidal ideation.
Age‐related differences in the neuromuscular performance of fatigue‐provoking exercise under severe whole‐body hyperthermia conditions
Authors: Baranauskiene Neringa , Wang Junli , Eimantas Nerijus , Solianik Rima , Brazaitis Marius
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine if aging would lead to greater decline in neuromuscular function during a fatiguing task under severe whole‐body hyperthermia conditions.

Methods

Twelve young (aged 19–21 years) and 11 older (aged 65–80 years) males were enrolled in the study, which comprised a randomized control trial under a thermoneutral condition at an ambient temperature of 23°C (CON) and an experimental trial with passive lower body heating in 43°C water (HWI‐43°C). Changes in neuromuscular function and fatigability, and physical performance‐influencing factors such as psychological, thermoregulatory, neuroendocrine, and immune responses to whole‐body hyperthermia were measured.

Results

A slower increase in rectal temperature, and a lower heart rate, thermal sensation, and sweating rate were observed in older males than young males in response to HWI‐43°C trial (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, prolactin increased more in response to hyperthermia in young males, while interleukin‐6 and cortisol levels increased more in older males (p < 0.05). Peripheral dopamine levels decreased in older males and increased in young males in response to hyperthermia (p < 0.05). Surprisingly, older males demonstrated greater neuromuscular fatigability resistance and faster maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque recovery after a 2‐min sustained isometric MVC task under thermoneutral and severe hyperthermic conditions (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Neuromuscular performance during fatigue‐provoking sustained isometric exercise under severe whole‐body hyperthermia conditions appears to decline in both age groups, but a lower relative decline in torque production for older males may relate to lower psychological and thermophysiological strain along with a diminished dopamine response and prolactin release.
Do Men and Women Integrate Guns into Risky Health Lifestyles in Young Adulthood?
Authors: Burdette Amy M. , Lawrence Elizabeth , Hill Terrence D. , Taylor Miles G. , Dowd‐Arrow Benjamin
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and latent class analysis to assess the extent to which individuals integrate guns into broader health lifestyles. We also examine how these new health lifestyles differ for men and women. While men integrate guns with a variety of risk‐taking behaviors, including smoking, heavy drinking, risky sexual behavior, and fast‐food consumption, women do not. Our results are consistent with a gendered theory of gun ownership and health lifestyles. On the one hand, some men may use guns and other risky health behaviors to project hegemonic masculinity. On the other hand, some women may avoid guns and other elements of risky lifestyles to signify normative femininity. It is important for sociologists and public health scholars to focus more on how and why men are more likely to integrate guns into generally unhealthy lifestyles.
Fine‐scale simulation of spatial population distribution by coupling GA–ABM and big data: A case study of Dongguan, China
Authors: Lai Zhipeng , Li Shaoying , Lin Jinyao , Li Haibo
Published: May 2023

Capturing spatial population distribution can offer useful information for urban planning to promote reasonable population distribution and allocate urban resource. Agent‐based model (ABM) based on the modeling idea of “bottom‐up” can offer the ability to simulate the complex individual behaviors that generate spatial population distribution. Previous ABMs were unable to be extended for simulation of spatial population distribution at a fine scale due to the shortage of fine characterization of the urban environment and the calibration of agents' behavior. This study filled these gaps by proposing a genetic algorithm‐ABM (GA–ABM) for fine‐scale simulation of spatial population distribution in a manufacturing metropolis. In this model, the employment and residential choice behaviors of agents were defined by the labor economic theory and discrete selection model. Multisource geospatial big data such as enterprise points‐of‐interest big data and building footprints data were used to finely characterize the labor market and urban environment to reflect the impact of agents' employment choices on their residential decision. Furthermore, the grid‐scale population investigation big data were combined with the GA to calibrate the agents' residential decision behaviors. The proposed model was used in Dongguan, the typical manufacturing metropolis in China. As a comparison, the expert‐experience‐based method‐ABM (EEBM–ABM) was also conducted by using the same data set. Through the comparison of the results produced by these two models, it was demonstrated that the model coefficient calibrated by GA could effectively reflect the agents' residential decisions. The calibrated GA–ABM is more capable than EEBM–ABM in simulating spatial population distribution in a manufacturing metropolis. Hence, the proposed model can be used to simulate spatial population distribution in a manufacturing metropolis which helps the urban planner to conduct scientific urban planning.
Using GIS to improve public health emergency response in rural areas during the COVID‐19 crisis: A case study of South Carolina, US
Authors: Carbajales‐Dale Patricia , Annan‐Coultas Dusti , Joseph Anjali , Thompson Martie , Jafarifiroozabadi Roxana , Limber Susan P. , Holaday Bonnie , Mihandoust Sahar
Published: May 2023

Geographic information systems (GIS) have become essential tools in the public health domain, especially when it comes to monitoring and surveillance of disease. The purpose of this article is to describe and explore the benefits of using GIS to improve public health emergency response during a global pandemic and, in particular, how to effectively optimize the allocation of public health resources in a rural setting using a data‐driven approach that considers the multifactorial demand for new COVID‐19 testing sites. Herein, the authors present their interprofessional project as an example of such efforts to inform applications for practice. The team developed a GIS‐based multicriteria decision analysis model for use by decision‐makers and public health experts in similar future planning and response scenarios. Focus is placed on rural characteristics (e.g., accessibility), vulnerable populations, and daily changing conditions (e.g., COVID‐19 daily case fluctuations) that create additional challenges for public health agencies and policymakers.
Integrated mass spectrometry imaging and single‐cell transcriptome atlas strategies provide novel insights into taxoid biosynthesis and transport in Taxus mairei stems
Authors: Yu Chunna , Hou Kailin , Zhang Hongshan , Liang Xueshuang , Chen Cheng , Wang Zhijing , Wu Qicong , Chen Ganlin , He Jiaxu , Bai Enhui , Li Xinfen , Du Tingrui , Wang Yifan , Wang Mingshuang , Feng Shangguo , Wang Huizhong , Shen Chenjia
Published: May 2023

Taxol, which is a widely used important chemotherapeutic agent, was originally isolated from Taxus stem barks. However, little is known about the precise distribution of taxoids and the transcriptional regulation of taxoid biosynthesis across Taxus stems. Here, we used MALDI‐IMS analysis to visualize the taxoid distribution across Taxus mairei stems and single‐cell RNA sequencing to generate expression profiles. A single‐cell T. mairei stem atlas was created, providing a spatial distribution pattern of Taxus stem cells. Cells were reordered using a main developmental pseudotime trajectory which provided temporal distribution patterns in Taxus stem cells. Most known taxol biosynthesis‐related genes were primarily expressed in epidermal, endodermal, and xylem parenchyma cells, which caused an uneven taxoid distribution across T. mairei stems. We developed a single‐cell strategy to screen novel transcription factors (TFs) involved in taxol biosynthesis regulation. Several TF genes, such as endodermal cell‐specific MYB47 and xylem parenchyma cell‐specific NAC2 and bHLH68, were implicated as potential regulators of taxol biosynthesis. Furthermore, an ATP‐binding cassette family transporter gene, ABCG2, was proposed as a potential taxoid transporter candidate. In summary, we generated a single‐cell Taxus stem metabolic atlas and identified molecular mechanisms underpinning the cell‐specific transcriptional regulation of the taxol biosynthesis pathway.
Navigating imperfect policies to donate plasma: Survey on plasma donation and a pilot plasma donation program among men who have sex with men in Canada
Authors: Vesnaver Elisabeth , Gibson Emily , Goldman Mindy , Butler‐Foster Terrie , Hill Nolan E. , Lapierre Don , MacDonagh Richard , Rubini Kyle A. , Miguel Glenndl , Rosser Andrew , MacPherson Paul , Palumbo Amelia , Randall Taylor , Osbourne‐Sorrell William , O'Brien Sheila F. , Otis Joanne , Greaves Mark , Al‐Bakri Taim Bilal , Reid Marco , Labrecque Maximilian , Germain Marc , Orvis Shane , Clapperton Andrew T. , Devine Dana , Presseau Justin
Published: May 2023

Background

In 2021, Canada implemented a pilot plasma program allowing some sexually active men who have sex with men (including but not limited to gay and bisexual men; gbMSM) to donate plasma. Changes to plasma donation policy could help address inequities in access to plasma donation and increase Canada's domestically collected plasma supply if more gbMSM donate as a result. We aimed to (1) examine views regarding plasma donation and the pilot program prior to implementation and (2) identify modifiable theory‐informed predictors of gbMSM's intention to donate plasma.

Methods

We developed, piloted, and disseminated a questionnaire informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). We recruited gbMSM in London (ON) and Calgary (AB) to an anonymous, online cross‐sectional survey.

Results

A total of 246 gbMSM completed the survey. On scales from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), general intention to donate was high (mean = 4.24; SD = 0.94). The pilot program itself was mostly acceptable (mean = 3.71, SD = 1.16), but the intention to donate under the unique requirements of the pilot program was lower than general intention (mean = 3.58; SD = 1.26). Two domains from the theoretical domains framework (TDF) (beliefs about consequences of donating plasma and social influences) were independently associated with general intention to donate.

Discussion

The pilot plasma program as an incremental step toward more inclusive policies was mostly viewed as acceptable by the impacted communities. Historical and ongoing exclusions create unique barriers to donation. There are clear opportunities for developing theory‐informed interventions to support gbMSM to donate plasma as policies continue to become more inclusive and more become eligible to donate.
Protecting human amnion and chorion matrices during processing: Performance enhancement in a diabetic mouse model and human co‐culture system
Authors: Sanders Mitchell Corey , Balaji Swathi , Martin W. Blake , Siegmund Nikole , Poland Lindsay , Sanders Hanna Mia , Wei Da , Kaliada Hanna , Littlejohn Sara , Ganey Timothy
Published: May 2023

Recent evidence suggests that protecting human amnion and chorion matrices (HACM) during processing enhances the performance of HACM for wound repair and tissue regeneration. We utilised a diabetic (db/db) delayed wound healing mouse model. Treatment of db/db full‐thickness excisional wounds with HACM, processed with a polyampholyte preservative accentuated the proliferative phase of wound healing that decreased the time necessary to heal wounds. Polyampholyte protection improved the preservation of growth factors and cytokines during room temperature storage following E‐beam sterilisation and improved its function in wound healing applications. Our findings indicate protected HACM tissue up‐regulated MIP2, NF‐kB, TNF‐α, KI‐67, and Arg1 (0.6‐fold to 1.5‐fold) but those changes were not statistically significant. Immunofluorescent assessment identifying cell activity illustrated an induction of the proliferative phase of wound healing and a switch from an inflammatory macrophage phenotype (M1) to a pro‐regenerative macrophage phenotype (M2a). Genomic profiling of 282 genes was performed using Nanostring from co‐cultures of human macrophages and fibroblasts. The polyampholyte + HACM‐treated group, compared with the HACM or polyampholyte alone groups, had a statistically significant up‐regulation (32–368 fold) of 12 genes primarily involved in macrophage plasticity including CLC7, CD209, CD36, HSD11B1, ICAM1, IL1RN, IL3RA, ITGAX, LSP1, and PLXDC2 (adj. p‐value < 0.05). The polyampholyte alone group demonstrated statistically significant down‐regulation of four genes ADRA2, COL7A1, CSF3, and PTGS2 (adj. p < 0.05). The HACM alone group up‐regulated four genes ATG14, CXCL11, DNMT3A, and THBD, but the results were not statistically significant. Biomechanical measurements indicated that wounds treated with polyampholyte‐protected HACM had more tensile integrity compared with wounds treated with HACM alone. These findings indicate that better protection of HACM during processing stabilises the HACM matrix, which may lead to improved wound healing outcomes.
Ancistroceruswasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) from the Centre of Europe: Phylogeny, cryptic species, neutral and non‐neutral markers
Authors: Budrys Eduardas , Orlovskytė Svetlana , Lazauskaitė Miglė , Budrienė Anna
Published: May 2023

The aim of the study was to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among Northern EuropeanAncistrocerusand comparison of the applicability of evolutionarily neutral and non‐neutral markers for reconstruction of phylogeny. We used a 19,400 bp long dataset that included parts of mitochondrial DNA, nuclear rDNA operon, and 10 nuclear protein‐coding genes. Application of molecular barcoding and species delimitation algorithms unveiled a presence of cryptic species,A. balticussp. n., in the trap‐nesting wasp communities of the centre of Europe. We assessed the morphological, biological, and ecological differences of it from the siblingA. trifasciatusand updated the regional identification key. Phylogeny reconstruction using the neutral and the presumably non‐neutral markers resulted in different tree topologies. Evolutionary congruence of the rDNA operon with the other markers was relatively low. Evolutionary rate of the mitochondrial genes was 7–8 times as high as that of the exons of the nuclear genes, therefore, the mitochondrial markers overshadowed the nuclear ones in the phylogeny reconstructions. We assumed that at the speciation level, we might consider two different patterns of phylogeny: one based on evolutionary time and neutral changes, and the other based on adaptive evolutionary pathways under directional selection pressures. We assessed the effect of directional selection on the nuclear protein‐coding genes, applying the Spearman's rank correlation between pairwise phylogenetic distances among species, estimated using exons, and these distances, estimated using introns. One of these markers demonstrated a lack of positive correlation, implying a variable directional selection pressure on the coded protein. The publication has been registered on ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:13BD28D0‐736D‐4B2A‐B5CF‐4824BD4CDCFB.
Design of a Reconfigurable Mobile Collaborative Manipulator for Industrial Applications
Authors: Baldassarri Alberto , Bertelli Michele , Carricato Marco
Published: May 2023

This paper addresses the design of a reconfigurable mobile manipulator consisting of a mobile base and a collaborative serial robot. The robotic system is meant to work in an industrial environment and perform different logistic tasks. Unlike commercial solutions, the mobile base and the anthropomorphic arm are free to decouple and work separately as two different entities, thus optimizing working times and maximizing the hardware utilization ratio. The proposed mobile manipulator is equipped with an automatic braking system to ensure safety and stability during manipulation, a lifting system that allows the robotic arm to work at different heights, and a spatial referencing process to compensate for positioning error of the mobile base. An illustrative working cycle is implemented in an industrially relevant environment to test all features and show potentialities, in terms of flexibility and reconfigurability, of the presented solution.
Sarah Frances Whiting, pioneer of laboratory instruction in
astronomy
Authors: Behrman Joanna
Published: May 2023

Sarah Frances Whiting developed innovative and influential laboratory work in her introductory astronomy classes at Wellesley College in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Whiting was strongly influenced by Edward Pickering and the early physics laboratory education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This article explores the early development of laboratory work in astronomy education at Wellesley and Whiting's underlying philosophy of education. By laboratory work, Whiting meant day-time work, including work with astronomical photographs and spectroscopy. Her pedagogy was encapsulated in her phrase “to sharpen the pencil sharpens the mind,” which referenced the importance of a student's familiarity with tools as well as the role of drawing in astronomical work. Whiting further modeled her instruction after the work being conducted at the Harvard College Observatory in order to prepare her students for potential future employment as astronomers.
Neuropilin-1 interacts with VE-cadherin and TGFBR2 to stabilize adherens junctions and prevent activation of endothelium under flow
Authors: Bosseboeuf Emy , Chikh Anissa , Chaker Ahmed Bey , Mitchell Tom P. , Vignaraja Dhilakshani , Rajendrakumar Ridhi , Khambata Rayomand S. , Nightingale Thomas D. , Mason Justin C. , Randi Anna M. , Ahluwalia Amrita , Raimondi Claudio
Published: May 2023

Linear and disturbed flow differentially regulate gene expression, with disturbed flow priming endothelial cells (ECs) for a proinflammatory, atheroprone expression profile and phenotype. Here, we investigated the role of the transmembrane protein neuropilin-1 (NRP1) in ECs exposed to flow using cultured ECs, mice with an endothelium-specific knockout of NRP1, and a mouse model of atherosclerosis. We demonstrated that NRP1 was a constituent of adherens junctions that interacted with VE-cadherin and promoted its association with p120 catenin, stabilizing adherens junctions and inducing cytoskeletal remodeling in alignment with the direction of flow. We also showed that NRP1 interacted with transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β) receptor II (TGFBR2) and reduced the plasma membrane localization of TGFBR2 and TGF-β signaling. NRP1 knockdown increased the abundance of proinflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules, resulting in increased leukocyte rolling and atherosclerotic plaque size. These findings describe a role for NRP1 in promoting endothelial function and reveal a mechanism by which NRP1 reduction in ECs may contribute to vascular disease by modulating adherens junction signaling and promoting TGF-β signaling and inflammation.
Evaluation of Three Automated Nontreponemal Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) Tests for the Laboratory Diagnosis of Syphilis
Authors: Shukla Mayur R. , Pereira Lara , Gaynor Anne M. , Sun Yongcheng , Edwards Daniel , Simmons Tamara , Andrews Curtis W. , Park Ina U. , Hong Jaeyoung , Cao Weiping , Kersh Ellen N. , Fakile Yetunde
Published: May 2023

Automated nontreponemal rapid plasma reagin (RPR) tests were recently introduced in the United States for syphilis testing and limited performance data are available. In collaboration with the Association of Public Health Laboratories, three public health laboratories (PHL) were chosen through a competitive selection process to evaluate the performance of three FDA-cleared automated RPR test systems: BioPlex 2200 Syphilis Total & RPR assay (Bio-Rad Laboratories), AIX 1000 (Gold Standard Diagnostics), and ASI Evolution (Arlington Scientific).
Targeted depletion of
pks
+ bacteria from a fecal microbiota using specific antibodies
Authors: Blanco-Míguez Aitor , Marcos-Fernández Raquel , Guadamuro-García Lucía , Fdez-Riverola Florentino , Cubiella Joaquín , Lourenço Anália , Margolles Abelardo , Sánchez Borja
Published: May 2023

The
pks
island is one of the most prevalent pathogenicity islands among the
Escherichia coli
strains that colonize the colon of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients. This pathogenic island encodes the production of a nonribosomal polyketide-peptide named colibactin, which induces double-strand breaks in DNA molecules. Detection or even depletion of this
pks
-producing bacteria could help to understand the role of these strains in the context of CRC. In this work, we performed a large-scale
in silico
screening of the
pks
cluster in more than 6,000 isolates of
E. coli
. The results obtained reveal that not all the
pks
-detected strains could produce a functional genotoxin and, using antibodies against
pks
-specific peptides from surface cell proteins, a methodology for detection and depletion of
pks
+ bacteria in gut microbiotas was proposed. With our method, we were able to deplete a human gut microbiota of this
pks
+ strains, opening the door to strain-directed microbiota modification and intervention studies that allow us to understand the relation between these genotoxic strains and some gastrointestinal diseases.

IMPORTANCE

The human gut microbiome has also been hypothesized to play a crucial role in the development and progression of colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Between the microorganisms of this community, the
Escherichia coli
strains carrying the
pks
genomic island were shown to be capable of promoting colon tumorigenesis in a colorectal cancer mouse model, and their presence seems to be directly related to a distinct mutational signature in patients suffering CRC. This work proposes a novel method for the detection and depletion of
pks
-carrying bacteria in human gut microbiotas. In contrast to methods based on probes, this methodology allows the depletion of low-abundance bacterial strains maintaining the viability of both targeted and non-targeted fractions of the microbiota, allowing the study of the contribution of these
pks
-carrying strains to different diseases, such as CRC, and their role in other physiological, metabolic or immune processes.
Supplemental Material: Early Neoproterozoic tectonics in the Marwar Crustal Block, NW India, the relevance of the Phulad Shear Zone, and implications for Rodinia reconstruction
Authors: Chatterjee Sadhana M , al. et
Published: May 2023

File S1: Concordant zircon data (<±5% degree of discordance) of previous works from the Marwar Crustal Block and the South Delhi Fold Belt. File S2: Analytical protocol of monazite analysis.
Zircon-Based Comparative Geothermometry of the Adzh-Bogd Granitoid Pluton, Southern Mongolia
Authors: Andreeva O. A. , Aranovich L. Ya. , Kozlovsky A. M. , Golunova M. A. , Kaplanskaya D. D. , Borisovsky S. E.
Published: May 2023

The Adzh-Bogd pluton, that is located in the Transaltai Gobi area within the Hercynides of the Central Asian fold belt, is composed of rocks of two main intrusive phases: the early two feldspar granites are intruded by late alkali-feldspar granites. Zircon was chosen as the indicator mineral for interpretation of the thermal evolution of these granitoids. Two main approaches were proposed for using this mineral as a geothermometer: the zircon-saturated temperature and the Zr–Hf geothermometer. Both approaches show a similar pattern of the formation of granitoids. The early two feldspar and late alkali-feldspar granites crystallized at temperatures of 700–770 and 810–850°C, respectively. The thermobarogeochemical studies of melt inclusions in zircon from the late alkali-feldspar granites show similar temperatures of their formation (825–850°C). Our estimations of the crystallization temperature of granites of two phases of the Adzh-Bogd pluton indicate a significantly higher (by 100–120°C) temperature of the formation of alkali-feldspar granites in comparison with earlier two feldspar granites. The much higher temperature requires an additional heat source, which could be related to mantle melts. Their involvement in the formation of the Adzh-Bogd pluton is evident from the presence of mafic dikes, which divide the rocks of two granite intrusive phases. The contrasting temperature regime of nearly synchronous calc-alkaline and alkaline intrusive phases is shown for the first time in our work.
Magma Composition and Formation Conditions of Alkaline-Salic Rocks of the Early Mesozoic Adaatsag Bimodal Association of the Kharkhorin Rift Zone, Central Asia: Data from the Study of Melt Inclusions in Minerals
Authors: Andreeva I. A. , Yarmolyuk V. V. , Borisovsky S. E.
Published: May 2023

The composition and formation conditions of magmas of comendites of the Early Mesozoic Adaatsag volcanic association are determined using electron and ion microprobe analysis of melt inclusions, and mechanisms favorable for the accumulation of trace and rare earth elements are identified. The melt and fluid inclusions are found in quartz of comendites sampled in various parts of the section of a volcanic sequence. The melt inclusions consist of glass, a gas bubble, and daughter minerals (fluorite, polylithionite, and K-feldspar). The composition of a gas phase in melt inclusions was studied using Raman spectroscopy. The dominant gas phase components include water and hydrogen. The fluid inclusions are aqueous fluids probably corresponding to KF. The thermometric studies of melt inclusions and the analysis of glasses of homogenized melt inclusions in quartz phenocrysts of comendites showed that magmas crystallized from water-saturated rare metal melts with high Li, Zr, F, Rb, Nb, Y, and Th contents at a temperature of 880–930°C and a pressure of 1000 bar at a depth of ~3.5 km accompanied by degassing. The comparison of our data of the study of melt inclusions in phenocrysts of alkaline salic rocks of the coeval Adaatsag, Dzarta-Khuduk, and Sant volcanic associations, which occur within the Kharkhorin Rift Zone, revealed common principles of magma evolution. This allowed us to propose a similar mechanism of their formation, involving the accumulation of many rare and rare-earth elements, as well as volatile components (F, H2O) in the process of crystallization differentiation. Subsequently, a salt melt rich in Li, F and water could be separated from such comendite magmas. The detection of fluoride aqueous inclusions in quartz allows us to suppose the further evolution of the salt melt leading to the appearance of a concentrated aqueous fluid and the possible participation of the latter in metasomatic processes.