bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Workers’ Compensation Claims in Opioid-Using Truck Drivers
Authors: Scholl Lindsay S. , Thiese Matthew S. , Handy Rodney
Published: November 2021

Objective:

This study examines the relationship between opioid use prevalence and subsequent filing of workers’ compensation claims.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study design was utilized to examine data from drivers’ initial commercial driver medical exam, employment data, and workers’ compensation claims data.

Results:

Data from 57,733 over 7 years were analyzed. Drivers who reported opioid use at their initial medical exam visit filed subsequent workers’ compensation claims 1.81 times sooner (P = 0.0001; 95% CI 1.34, 2.44) than drivers who did not report opioid use at their CDME when controlling for age, gender, BMI, and diastolic blood pressure.

Conclusions:

These findings provide information that may aid in improving regulations to control for incidents, training programs to inform professional drivers of factors that increase accident risk and educating prescribers about increased risks of injury among opioid-using drivers.
Predictors of Prolonged Fluoroscopy Exposure in Pediatric Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography
Authors: Liu Quin Y. , Ruan Wenly , Fishman Douglas S. , Barth Bradley A. , Tsai Cynthia Man‐Wai , Giefer Matthew J. , Kim Kyung Mo , Martinez Mercedes , Dall'Oglio Luigi , De Angelis Paola , Torroni Filippo , Faraci Simona , Bitton Sam , Wilsey Michael , Khalaf Racha T. , Werlin Steven , Dua Kulwinder , Huang Clifton , Gugig Roberto , Mamula Petar , Fox Victor L. , Grover Amit S. , Quiros J. Antonio , Zheng Yuhua , Troendle David M.
Published: November 2021

Background and Aims:

Ionizing radiation exposure during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an important quality issue especially in children. We aim to identify factors associated with extended fluoroscopy time (FT) in children undergoing ERCP.

Methods:

ERCP on children <18 years from 15 centers were entered prospectively into a REDCap database from May 2014 until May 2018. Data were retrospectively evaluated for outcome and quality measures. A univariate and step‐wise linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with increased FT.

Results:

1073 ERCPs performed in 816 unique patients met inclusion criteria. Median age was 12.2 years (interquartile range [IQR] 9.3–15.8). 767 (71%) patients had native papillae. The median FT was 120 seconds (IQR 60–240). Factors associated with increased FT included procedures performed on patients with chronic pancreatitis, ERCPs with American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) difficulty grade >3, ERCPs performed by pediatric gastroenterologist (GI) with adult GI supervision, and ERCPs performed at non‐free standing children's hospitals. Hispanic ethnicity was the only factor associated with lower FT.

Conclusion:

Several factors were associated with prolonged FTs in pediatric ERCP that differed from adult studies. This underscores that adult quality indicators cannot always be translated to pediatric patients. This data can better identify children with higher risk for radiation exposure and improve quality outcomes during pediatric ERCP.
Mental Health Mediates the Association Between Gender-Based Violence and HIV Treatment Engagement in US Women
Authors: Conroy Amy A. , Jain Jennifer P. , Sheira Lila , Frongillo Edward A. , Neilands Torsten B. , Cohen Mardge H. , Wilson Tracey E. , Chandran Aruna , Adimora Adaora A. , Kassaye Seble , Sheth Anandi N. , Fischl Margaret A. , Adedimeji Adebola , Turan Janet M. , Tien Phyllis C. , Weiser Sheri D.
Published: November 2021

Background:

Gender-based violence (GBV) is associated with poorer engagement in HIV care and treatment. However, there is a dearth of research on the psychological (eg, mental health) and structural (eg, food insecurity) factors that mediate and moderate this association. GBV could lead to poor mental health, which in turn affects adherence, whereas food insecurity could worsen the effect of GBV on engagement in care. This study uses data from the Women's Interagency HIV Study to address these gaps.

Methods:

Women completed 6 assessments from 2013 to 2016 on GBV, mental health, food insecurity, adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and missed HIV care appointments in the past 6 months. Multilevel logistic regression models estimated associations between GBV and engagement in care and whether associations were mediated by depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moderated by food insecurity.

Results:

GBV was associated with higher odds of suboptimal adherence (adjusted odds ratio: 1.88; 95% confidence interval: 1.24 to 2.87) and missed appointments (adjusted odds ratio: 1.76; 95% confidence interval: 1.16 to 2.67). The association between GBV and adherence was mediated by depressive symptoms, GAD, and PTSD, accounting for 29.7%, 15.0%, and 16.5%, respectively, of the total association. The association between GBV and missed appointments was mediated by depression and GAD, but not PTSD, with corresponding figures of 25.2% and 19.7%. Associations did not differ by food insecurity.

Conclusions:

GBV is associated with suboptimal engagement in care, which may be explained by mental health. Interventions should address women's mental health needs, regardless of food insecurity, when improving engagement in HIV care.
Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact
Authors: Leongómez Juan David , Pisanski Katarzyna , Reby David , Sauter Disa , Lavan Nadine , Perlman Marcus , Varella Valentova Jaroslava
Published: November 2021

Research on within-individual modulation of vocal cues is surprisingly scarce outside of human speech. Yet, voice modulation serves diverse functions in human and nonhuman nonverbal communication, from dynamically signalling motivation and emotion, to exaggerating physical traits such as body size and masculinity, to enabling song and musicality. The diversity of anatomical, neural, cognitive and behavioural adaptations necessary for the production and perception of voice modulation make it a critical target for research on the origins and functions of acoustic communication. This diversity also implicates voice modulation in numerous disciplines and technological applications. In this two-part theme issue comprising 21 articles from leading and emerging international researchers, we highlight the multidisciplinary nature of the voice sciences. Every article addresses at least two, if not several, critical topics: (i) development and mechanisms driving vocal control and modulation; (ii) cultural and other environmental factors affecting voice modulation; (iii) evolutionary origins and adaptive functions of vocal control including cross-species comparisons; (iv) social functions and real-world consequences of voice modulation; and (v) state-of-the-art in multidisciplinary methodologies and technologies in voice modulation research. With this collection of works, we aim to facilitate cross-talk across disciplines to further stimulate the burgeoning field of voice modulation.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)’.
Voice modulatory cues to structure across languages and species
Authors: Matzinger Theresa , Fitch W. Tecumseh
Published: November 2021

Voice modulatory cues such as variations in fundamental frequency, duration and pauses are key factors for structuring vocal signals in human speech and vocal communication in other tetrapods. Voice modulation physiology is highly similar in humans and other tetrapods due to shared ancestry and shared functional pressures for efficient communication. This has led to similarly structured vocalizations across humans and other tetrapods. Nonetheless, in their details, structural characteristics may vary across species and languages. Because data concerning voice modulation in non-human tetrapod vocal production and especially perception are relatively scarce compared to human vocal production and perception, this review focuses on voice modulatory cues used for speech segmentation across human languages, highlighting comparative data where available. Cues that are used similarly across many languages may help indicate which cues may result from physiological or basic cognitive constraints, and which cues may be employed more flexibly and are shaped by cultural evolution. This suggests promising candidates for future investigation of cues to structure in non-human tetrapod vocalizations.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)’.
Across demographics and recent history, most parents sing to their infants and toddlers daily
Authors: Yan Ran , Jessani Ghazal , Spelke Elizabeth S. , de Villiers Peter , de Villiers Jill , Mehr Samuel A.
Published: November 2021

Music is universally prevalent in human society and is a salient component of the lives of young families. Here, we studied the frequency of singing and playing recorded music in the home using surveys of parents with infants (N= 945). We found that most parents sing to their infant on a daily basis and the frequency of infant-directed singing is unrelated to parents’ income or ethnicity. Two reliable individual differences emerged, however: (i) fathers sing less than mothers and (ii) as infants grow older, parents sing less. Moreover, the latter effect of child age was specific to singing and was not reflected in reports of the frequency of playing recorded music. Last, we meta-analysed reports of the frequency of infant-directed singing and found little change in its frequency over the past 30 years, despite substantial changes in the technological environment in the home. These findings, consistent with theories of the psychological functions of music, in general, and infant-directed singing, in particular, demonstrate the everyday nature of music in infancy.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)’.
Examining the Ensembles of Amyloid-β Monomer Variants and their Propensities to Form Fibers Using an Energy Landscape Visualization Method
Authors: Sanches Murilo N. , Knapp Kaitlin , Oliveira Antonio B. , Wolynes Peter G. , Onuchic José N. , Leite Vitor B. P.
Published: November 2021

The amyloid-β (Aβ) monomer, an intrinsically disordered peptide, is produced by the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein, leading to Aβ40 and Aβ42 as major products. These two isoforms generate pathological aggregates, whose accumulation correlates with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Experiments have shown that even though the natural abundance of Aβ42 is smaller than that for Aβ40, the Aβ42 is more aggregation-prone compared to Aβ40. Moreover, several single-point mutations are associated with early-onset forms of AD. This work analyzes coarse-grained AWSEM simulations of normal Aβ40 and Aβ42 monomers, along with six single-point mutations associated with early on set disease. We analyzed the simulations using the Energy Landscape Visualization Method (ELViM), a reaction coordinate-free approach suited to explore the frustrated energy landscapes of intrinsically disordered proteins. ELViM is shown to distinguish the monomer ensembles of variants that rapidly form fibers from those that do not form fibers as readily. It also delineates the amino-acid contacts characterizing each ensemble. The results shed light on the potential of ELViM to probe intrinsically disordered proteins.
The non-specific Lipid Transfer Protein (nsLTP) is involved at early and late stages of symbiosis between Alnus glutinosa and Frankia alni
Authors: Gasser Mélanie , Alloisio Nicole , Fournier Pascale , Balmand Severine , Kharrat Ons , Tulumello Joris , Heddi Abdelaziz , Silva Pedro Da , Normand Philippe , Boubakri Hasna , Pujic Petar
Published: November 2021

Alnus glutinosa response to Frankia alni is driven by several sequential physiological modifications that include calcium spiking, root hair deformation, penetration, induction of primordium, formation and growth of nodule. Here, we have conducted a transcriptomic study to analyse plant responses to Frankia alni at early stages of symbiosis establishment.

Forty-two genes were significantly activated by either with a Frankia culture supernatant or with living cells separated from the roots by a dialysis membrane permitted to identify plant genes which expression changes upon early contact with Frankia. Most of these genes encode biological processes, including oxidative stress and response to stimuli. The most upregulated gene is the non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP) encoding gene with a fold change of 141. Physiological experiments showed that nsLTP increases Frankia nitrogen fixation at sub-lethal concentration. Immunohistochemistry experiments conducted at an early infection stage indicated that nsLTP protein is localized at the deformed root hair region after Frankia inoculation and later in nodules, precisely around bacterial vesicles. Taken together, these results suggest that nsLTP acts at early and late stages of symbiosis, probably by increasing nitrogen uptake by Frankia.
Predictions and experimental tests of a new biophysical model of the mammalian respiratory oscillator
Authors: Phillips Ryan S. , Koizumi Hidehiko , Molkov Yaroslav I. , Rubin Jonathan E. , Smith Jeffrey C.
Published: November 2021

Previously our computational modeling studies (Phillips et al., 2019) proposed that neuronal persistent sodium current (INaP) and calcium-activated non-selective cation current (ICAN) are key biophysical factors that, respectively, generate inspiratory rhythm and burst pattern in the mammalian preBötzinger complex (preBötC) respiratory oscillator. Here, we experimentally tested and confirmed three predictions of the model from new simulations concerning the roles of INaP and ICAN: (1) INaP and ICAN blockade have opposite effects on the relationship between network excitability and preBötC rhythmic activity; (2) INaP is essential for preBötC rhythmogenesis; (3) ICAN is essential for generating the amplitude of rhythmic output but not rhythm generation. These predictions were confirmed via optogenetic manipulations of preBötC network excitability during graded INaP or ICAN blockade by pharmacological manipulations in neonatal mouse slices in vitro. Our results support and advance the hypothesis that INaP and ICAN mechanistically underlie rhythm and inspiratory burst pattern generation, respectively, in the isolated preBötC.
Acoustic censusing and individual identification of birds in the wild
Authors: Bedoya Carol L. , Molles Laura E.
Published: November 2021

Avian vocal individuality carries information that can be utilized as an alternative to physical tagging of individuals. However, it is rarely used in conservation tasks despite rapidly-expanding use of passive acoustic monitoring techniques. Reliable acoustic individual recognizers and accurate quantifiers of population size remain elusive, which discourages the use of vocal individuality for monitoring, wildlife management, and ecological research. We propose a neuro-fuzzy framework that allows discrimination of individuals by their calls, the discovery of unexpected individuals in a set of recordings, and estimation of population size using solely sound. Our method, tested using data collected in the wild, allows rapid individual identification and even acoustic censusing without prior information from the recorded individuals. We achieve this by integrating a fuzzy classification and clustering methodology (LAMDA) into a Convolutional Deep Clustering Neural Network (CDCN). Our approach will benefit monitoring for conservation, and paves the way towards robust individual acoustic identification in species whose handling is time-consuming, culturally or ethically problematic, or logistically difficult.
Finger representations in primary somatosensory cortex are modulated by a vibrotactile working memory task
Authors: Rabe Finn , Kikkert Sanne , Wenderoth Nicole
Published: November 2021

It is well-established that several cortical areas represent vibrotactile stimuli in somatotopic maps. However, whether such somatotopic representations remain active during the delay period of working memory (WM) tasks, i.e. in the absence of any tactile stimulation, is unknown. In our experiment, participants had to compare two tactile stimuli with different vibration frequencies that were separated by a delay period (memory condition) or they were exposed to identical stimuli but did not have to solve a WM task (no memory condition). Importantly, both vibrotactile stimuli were either applied to the right index or little finger. Analyzing the delay period, we identified a well-known fronto-parietal network of brain regions involved in WM but we did not find WM specific activity in S1. However, using multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) and representational similarity analysis (RSA), we found that S1 finger representations were more dissimilar during the delay period of the WM condition than during the control condition. These results indicate that WM processes modulate the representational geometry of S1 suggesting that some aspects of the tactile WM content are represented in a somatotopic fashion.

HIGHLIGHTS

Multivariate approaches were used to identify finger specific representational changes during vibrotactile frequency discrimination.

Vibrotactile working memory modulates somatotopic finger representations in contralateral S1 during the delay period, i.e. in the absence of any tactile stimuli
Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury alterations of corticotropin-releasing factor neuronal activity in the mouse hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus
Authors: Langlois Ludovic D. , Simmons Sarah , Oyola Mario , Gouty Shawn , Wu T. John , Nugent Fereshteh S.
Published: November 2021

Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (mbTBI) is the most common cause of TBI in US service members and veterans. Those exposed to TBI are at greater risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders, and substance use disorders following TBI [1, 2]. Previously, we have demonstrated that mbTBI increases anxiety-like behaviors in mice and dysregulates the stress at the level of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). To expand on how mTBI may dysregulate the stress axis centrally, here PVN CRF neuronal activity was evaluated using whole cell-patch clamp recordings in hypothalamic slices from sham and mbTBI adult male CRF:tdTomato mice 7 days post-injury. We found that mbTBI generally did not affect the neuronal excitability and intrinsic membrane properties of PVN CRF neurons; this injury selectively increased the frequency of spontaneous neuronal firing of PVN CRF neurons localized to the dorsal PVN (dPVN) but not ventral PVN (vPVN). Consistently, mbTBI-induced dPVN CRF hyperactivity was associated with pre- and post-synaptic depression of spontaneous GABAergic transmission onto dPVN CRF neurons suggesting that mbTBI-induced GABAergic synaptic dysfunction may underlie dPVN CRF neuronal hyperactivity and increases in dPVN CRF signaling. The present results provide the first evidence for mbTBI-induced alterations in PVN CRF neuronal activity and GABAergic synaptic function that could mediate hypothalamic CRF dysregulation following mbTBI contributing to stress psychopathology associated with blast injury.
Post-mating Refractoriness in Drosophila melanogaster Depends Upon Ecdysis Triggering Hormone Signaling
Authors: Meiselman Matthew R. , Ganguly Anindya , Dahanukar Anupama , Adams Michael E.
Published: November 2021

An individual’s decision to engage in courtship depends on external cues from potential mates and internal cues related to maturation, health, and experience. Hormones allow such information to be conveyed to distal tissues in a coordinated fashion. Here, we show Ecdysis-Triggering Hormone (ETH) is a regulator of male courtship in Drosophila melanogaster, and critical for mate choice and courtship inhibition after the completion of copulation. Preventing ETH release increases male-male courtship and decreases post-copulation courtship inhibition (PCCI). Such aberrant male courtship behavior in ETH-deficient males appears to be the consequence of inabilityto integrate pheromone cues into decision making. Silencing of ETH receptor (ETHR) in GR32A-expressing neurons leads to reduced ligand sensitivity and elevated male-male courtship. We find OR67D is critical for suppression of courtship after mating, and ETHR silencing in OR67D-expressing neurons, and GR32A-expressing neurons to a lesser degree, elevates post-copulation courtship. Finally, ETHR silencing in the corpus allatum increases post-copulation courtship; treatment of with juvenile hormone analog partially restores normal post-mating behavior. ETH, a stress-sensitive reproductive hormone, appears to coordinate multiple sensory modalities to guide Drosophila male courtship behaviors, especially after mating.
Conserved and newly acquired roles of PIF1 homologs in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Authors: Simon-Moya Miguel , Barja M Victoria , Morelli Luca , Rosado Daniele , Qi Linlin , Diretto Gianfranco , Matus Tomás , Llorente Briardo , Martinez-Garcia Jaime F. , Goossens Alain , Rossi Magdalena , Rodriguez-Concepcion Manuel
Published: November 2021

PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORS (PIFs) are transcription factors that interact with the photoreceptors phytochromes and integrate multiple signaling pathways related to light, temperature, defense and hormone responses. PIFs have been extensively studied inArabidopsis thaliana, but less is known about their roles in other species. Here, we investigate the role of the two homologs of PIF1 found in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), namely PIF1a and PIF1b. Analysis of gene expression showed very different patterns, indicating a potential evolutionary divergence in their roles. At the protein level, light regulated the stability of PIF1a, but not PIF1b, further supporting a functional divergence. Phenotypic analyses of CRISPR-Cas9-generated tomato mutants defective in PIF1a or PIF1b or both revealed conserved and newly acquired roles compared to Arabidopsis PIF1. Both PIF1a or PIF1b were found to regulate seed germination, photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis and fruit production. However, only PIF1a-defective mutants showed defects on root hair elongation, flowering time and fruit growth and softening. We did not identify any process altered only in plants lacking PIF1b. Together, these data show that neofunctionalization has taken place in tomato, illustrating the potential of these transcription factors to acquiring new roles in different species.
Automated Interpretable Discovery of Heterogeneous Treatment Effectiveness: A Covid-19 Case Study
Authors: Lengerich Benjamin J. , Nunally Mark E. , Aphinyanaphongs Yin , Caruana Rich
Published: November 2021

Testing multiple treatments for heterogeneous (varying) effectiveness with respect to many underlying risk factors requires many pairwise tests; we would like to instead automatically discover and visualize patient archetypes and predictors of treatment effectiveness using multitask machine learning. In this paper, we present a method to estimate these heterogeneous treatment effects with an interpretable hierarchical framework that uses additive models to visualize expected treatment benefits as a function of patient factors (identifying personalized treatment benefits) and concurrent treatments (identifying combinatorial treatment benefits). This method achieves state-of-the-art predictive power for Covid-19 in-hospital mortality and interpretable identification of heterogeneous treatment benefits. We first validate this method on the large public MIMIC-IV dataset of ICU patients to test recovery of heterogeneous treatment effects. Next we apply this method to a proprietary dataset of over 3000 patients hospitalized for Covid-19, and find evidence of heterogeneous treatment effectiveness predicted largely by indicators of inflammation and throm-bosis risk: patients with few indicators of thrombosis risk benefit most from treatments against inflammation, while patients with few indicators of inflammation risk benefit most from treatments against thrombosis. This approach provides an automated methodology to discover heterogeneous and individualized effectiveness of treatments.
Longitudinal associations of behavioral problems and text reading skills in school-aged children born term and preterm
Authors: Hosoki Machiko , Borchers Lauren , Marchman Virginia A. , Travis Katherine E. , Feldman Heidi M.
Published: November 2021

A Summary

We assessed the contribution of total behavioral problems at 6 years to text reading skills at 8 years in children born term and preterm. Birth group moderated associations among total behavioral problems and reading skills; total behavioral problems predicted reading skills in the term but not preterm group.
Improving Power and Accuracy in Randomized Controlled Trials of Pain Treatments by Accounting for Concurrent Analgesic Use
Authors: Suri Pradeep , Heagerty Patrick J. , Korpak Anna , Jensen Mark P. , Gold Laura S. , Chan Kwun C. G. , Timmons Andrew , Friedly Janna , Jarvik Jeffrey G. , Baraff Aaron
Published: November 2021

The 0 to 10 numeric rating scale (NRS) of pain intensity is a standard outcome in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pain treatments. For individuals taking analgesics, there may be a disparity between “observed” pain intensity (the NRS, irrespective of concurrent analgesic use), and “underlying” pain intensity (what the NRS would be had concurrent analgesics not been taken). Using a contemporary causal inference framework, we compare analytic methods that can potentially account for concurrent analgesic use, first in statistical simulations, and second in analyses of real (non-simulated) data from an RCT of lumbar epidural steroid injections (LESI). The default analytic method was ignoring analgesic use, which is the most common approach in pain RCTs. Compared to ignoring analgesic use and other analytic methods, simulations showed that a quantitative pain and analgesia composite outcome based on adding 1.5 points to observed pain intensity for those who were taking an analgesic (the QPAC1.5) optimized power and minimized bias. Analyses of real RCT data supported the results of the simulations, showing greater power with analysis of the QPAC1.5 as compared to ignoring analgesic use and most other methods examined. We propose alternative methods that should be considered in the analysis of pain RCTs.
Coordinated regulation of gene expression and microRNA changes in adipose tissue and circulating extracellular vesicles in response to pioglitazone treatment in humans with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Lopez Yury O. Nunez , Casu Anna , Kovacova Zuzana , Petrilli Alejandra , Sideleva Olga , Tharp William G. , Pratley Richard E.
Published: November 2021

Pioglitazone, a PPARγ agonist, is used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D). PPARγ is highly expressed in adipose tissue (AT), however the effects of pioglitazone to improve insulin sensitivity are also evident in other tissues. We hypothesized that pioglitazone modifies the cargo of circulating AT-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) to alter interorgan crosstalk. We tested this in a 3-month trial in which 24 subjects with T2D who were well-controlled with diet/exercise or metformin were randomized to treatment with either pioglitazone 45 mg/day or placebo (NCT00656864). Levels of 42 adipocyte-derived EV-miRNAs were measured in plasma EVs. Levels of 5 miRNAs (i.e., miR-7-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-92a-3p, miR-195-5p, and miR-374b-5p) were significantly downregulated in EVs in response to pioglitazone treatment relative to placebo. However, the opposite occurred for miR-195-5p in subcutaneous AT from the same participants. Changes in miRNA expression in EVs and AT correlated with changes in suppression of lipolysis and improved insulin sensitivity, among others. DICER was downregulated and exosomal miRNA sorting-related genes YBX1 and hnRNPA2B1 displayed a trend toward downregulation in AT. Furthermore, analysis of EV-miRNA targeted genes identified a network of overtargeted transcripts that changed in a coordinated manner in AT. Collectively, our results suggest that some beneficial pharmacologic effects of PIO are mediated by adipose-specific miRNA regulation and exosomal/EV trafficking.

Disclosure summary

This study was funded by program funds granted to REP by the AdventHealth Translational Research Institute. The clinical trial was supported by an investigator initiated grant to REP from Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America. REP reports grants from Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co.; grants from Janssen; consulting fees from Merck; grants, speaker fees and consulting fees from Novo Nordisk; consulting fees from Pfizer; grants from Poxel SA; grants and consulting fees from Sanofi; consulting fees from Scohia Pharma Inc.; consulting fees from Sun Pharmaceutical Industries. AC reports consulting fees from GlaxoSmithKline. Honoraria and fees for REP’s and AC’s services were paid directly to AdventHealth, a nonprofit organization. No other potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.
Metabolic evidence for distinct pyruvate pools inside plant mitochondria
Authors: Le Xuyen H. , Lee Chun-Pong , Monachello Dario , Millar A. Harvey
Published: November 2021

The majority of the pyruvate inside plant mitochondria is either transported into the matrix from the cytosol via the mitochondria pyruvate carrier (MPC) or synthesised in the matrix by alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT) or NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME). Pyruvate from these origins could mix into a single pool in the matrix and contribute indistinguishably to respiration, or they could maintain a degree of independence in metabolic regulation. Here, we demonstrated that feeding isolated mitochondria with U-13C-pyruvate and unlabelled malate enables the assessment of pyruvate contribution from different sources to TCA cycle intermediate production. Imported pyruvate is the preferred source for citrate production even when the synthesis of NAD-ME-derived pyruvate was optimised. Genetic or pharmacological elimination of MPC activity removed this preference and allowed an equivalent amount of citrate to be generated from the pyruvate produced by NAD-ME. Increasing mitochondrial pyruvate pool size by exogenous addition only affected metabolites from pyruvate transported by MPC whereas depleting pyruvate pool size by transamination to alanine only affected metabolic products derived from NAD-ME. Together, these data reveal respiratory substrate supply in plants involves distinct pyruvate pools inside the matrix that can be flexibly mixed based on the rate of pyruvate transport from the cytosol. These pools are independently regulated and contribute differentially to organic acids export from plant mitochondria.

Significance statement

Pyruvate is the primary respiratory substrate for energy production to support plant growth and development. However, it is also the starting material of many other pathways. Prioritisation of respiratory use over other competing pathways would enable a level of control when pyruvate is delivered to mitochondria via the mitochondrial pyruvate transporter. We demonstrated the existence of two distinct pyruvate pools in plant mitochondria suggesting inner mitochondrial organisation allows metabolic heterogeneity, hence metabolic specialisation. This explains why NAD-ME flux into plant respiration is low and confirms the prominent link between imported pyruvate and energy production. This compartmentation also reveals how NAD-ME supplies substrate to the mitochondrial pyruvate exporter in plants, especially during C4 metabolism.
Interventions to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus: protocol for a living systematic review and prospective meta-analysis
Authors: Lee Vivian Yejee , Monjur Mohammad Riashad , Gupta Yashdeep , Goyal Alpesh , Di Tanna Gian Luca , Tandon Nikhil , Patel Anushka
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), once considered a transient condition during pregnancy, is now a firmly established risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Women whose blood glucose levels do not return to normal soon after giving birth are particularly at high risk of developing established diabetes and consequent heart and blood vessel disease. Lifestyle interventions are recommended for women with GDM to prevent or delay the subsequent development of T2DM. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses have suggested postpartum lifestyle interventions may be beneficial in reducing the risk of developing diabetes in women with GDM, however, included studies were generally small, many had a high risk of bias and subsequent data have become available with new trials likely to complete in the next couple of years. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, formal systematic review and meta-analysis of other approaches to preventing diabetes in this population (e.g. pharmacotherapy) has not been attempted. Therefore, an updated systematic review is needed and will be formulated as a living systematic review to ensure the inclusion of emerging studies.

Methods and analysis

A living systematic review and a prospective meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of postpartum interventions in reducing the risk of developing T2DM in women with recent GDM.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics committee approval is not required. The data included will be from published studies, and a continued living systematic review and prospective meta-analysis will occur once a year for the next five years. Results of the review will be disseminated at relevant meetings.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021279891

Strengths and limitations of this study

A living systematic review will allow continuous surveillance of emerging literature on different lifestyle interventions in women with a history of GDM and allow identification of effective strategies for diabetes prevention.

We estimate considerable heterogeneity of interventions which may limit our ability to make clear conclusions.
Serological Response to BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccines in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease on Biologic Therapies; A Multi-Center Prospective Study
Authors: Shehab Mohammad , Alrashed Fatema , Alfadhli Ahmad , AlOtaibi Khazna , AlSahli Abdulla , Mohammad Hussain , Cherian Preethi , Alkhair Irina , Thanaraj Thangavel Alphonse , Channanath Arshad , Ali Hamad , Abu-Farha Mohamed , Abubaker Jehad , Al-Mulla Fahd
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on biologics are not well studied. The goal of this study is to measure serological response to BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccines in patients with IBD receiving different biologic therapies.

Method

We performed a multi-center prospective study between August 1st, 2021, and September 15th, 2021. We measured seropositivity of SARS-CoV2 antibodies, SARS-CoV-2 IgG and neutralizing antibody concentrations, in patients with IBD receiving biologic therapies between 4–10 weeks after second dose or 3-6 weeks after first dose of vaccination with BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccines.

Results

There were 126 patients enrolled (mean age, 31 years; 60% male; 71% Crohn’s disease, 29% ulcerative colitis). 92 patients were vaccinated with BNT162b2 vaccine (73%) and 34 patients with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (27%). The proportion of patients who achieved positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels after receiving 2 doses of the vaccine in patients treated with infliximab and adalimumab were 44 out of 59 patients (74.5%) and 13 out of 16 patients (81.2%), respectively. Whereas the proportion of patients who achieved positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels after receiving two doses of the vaccine in patients treated with ustekinumab and vedolizumab were 100% and 92.8%, respectively. In patients receiving infliximab and adalimumab, the proportion of patients who had positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody levels after two-dose vaccination was 40 out of 59 patients (67.7%) and 14 out 16 patients (87.5%), respectively. Whereas the proportions of patients who had positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody levels were 12 out of 13 patients (92.3%) and 13 out of 14 patients (92.8%) in patients receiving ustekinumab and vedolizumab.

Conclusion

The majority of patients with IBD on infliximab, adalimumab, and vedolizumab seroconverted after two doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. All patients on ustekinumab seroconverted after two doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 SARS-CoV-2 are both likely to be effective after two doses in patients with IBD on biologics. A follow up larger studies are needed to evaluate if decay of antibodies occurs over time.
A simple tool extends TIMSTOF compatibility with historic data processing tools and enables ion mobility-enhanced spectral libraries
Authors: Orsburn Benjamin C.
Published: November 2021

Trapped ion mobility mass spectrometry is proving to be a disruptive technology in LCMS based proteomics. One primary drawback of this hardware is the lack of compatibility with the hundreds of data processing pipelines historically in use. This study describes a simple data conversion tool that “folds” the TIMSTOF ion mobility data into the MS2 fragmentation spectra allowing simple downstream processing. Little to no detriment in the assignment of peptide spectral matches is observed when “folding” the 1/k0 value into the low mass region. To demonstrate one utility of TIMS Folding, spectral libraries are provided in multiple common formats that were constructed from the same files both with and without folded ion mobility data. When new data is acquired and folded using the same parameters prior to data processing the folded ion mobility data can be used as an additional metric for peptide match confidence against folded spectral libraries.
One-Step Preparation of Competent E. coli: Transformation and Storage of Bacterial Cells in the Same Solution
Authors: Green Michael R. , Sambrook Joseph
Published: November 2021

This protocol describes a convenient method for the preparation, use, and storage of competent Escherichia coli. The reported transformation efficiency of this method is ∼5 × 107 transformants/µg of plasmid DNA.
Hybridoma Screening by Antibody Capture: A High-Throughput Western Blot Assay
Authors: Greenfield Edward A.
Published: November 2021

Antibody capture assays are often the easiest and most convenient of the hybridoma screening methods. In this procedure, proteins in solution or in a cell lysate are separated according to size by gel electrophoresis and then transferred by blotting to a nitrocellulose sheet. Antigen bound to the solid substrate is incubated with the primary antibody, and the resultant antibody–antigen complexes are detected by a horseradish peroxidase (HRP)–conjugated secondary antibody and a chemiluminescent substrate for HRP.
First experiments with a water-jet plasma X-ray source driven by the novel high-power–high-repetition rate L1 Allegra laser at ELI Beamlines
Authors: Zymaková Anna , Albrecht Martin , Antipenkov Roman , Špaček Alexandr , Karatodorov Stefan , Hort Ondřej , Andreasson Jakob , Uhlig Jens
Published: November 2021

ELI Beamlines is a rapidly progressing pillar of the pan-European Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) project focusing on the development and deployment of science driven by high-power lasers for user operations. This work reports the results of a commissioning run of a water-jet plasma X-ray source driven by the L1 Allegra laser, outlining the current capabilities and future potential of the system. The L1 Allegra is one of the lasers developed in-house at ELI Beamlines, designed to be able to reach a pulse energy of 100 mJ at a 1 kHz repetition rate with excellent beam properties. The water-jet plasma X-ray source driven by this laser opens opportunities for new pump–probe experiments with sub-picosecond temporal resolution and inherent synchronization between pump and probe pulses.
Thorium(IV) adsorption onto multilayered Ti3C2Tx MXene: a batch, X-ray diffraction and EXAFS combined study
Authors: Wang Lin , Tao Wuqing , Ma Enzhao , Li Zijie , Ren Peng , Zhang Yujuan , Liu Zhirong , Yuan Liyong , Shi Weiqun
Published: November 2021

The interlayer regulation of layered environmental adsorption materials such as two-dimensional early transition metal carbides and carbonitrides (MXenes) plays an important role in their purification performance for specific pollutants. Here the enhanced uptake of ThIV by multilayered titanium carbides (Ti3C2Tx) through a hydrated intercalation strategy is reported. ThIV adsorption behaviors of three Ti3C2Tx samples with different c lattice parameters were studied as a function of contact time, pH, initial concentration, temperature and ion strength in batch experiments. The results indicated that the ThIV uptake was pH and ionic strength dependent, and the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics and the heterogeneous isotherm (Freundlich) model. Thermodynamic data suggested that the adsorption process of all MXene samples was a spontaneous endothermic reaction. The dimethyl sulfoxide intercalated hydrated Ti3C2Tx featured the largest interlayer space and exhibited the highest ThIV adsorption capacity (162 mg g−1 at pH 3.4 or 112 mg g−1 at pH 3.0), reflecting the significant increase in available adsorption sites from Ti3C2Tx interlayers. The adsorption mechanism has been clarified based on adsorption experiments and spectroscopic characterizations. An ion exchange process was proposed for the interaction between hydrated MXenes and ThIV, where H+ from surface [Ti−O]−H+ groups were the primary active sites on Ti3C2Tx. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) fitting results, in combination with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, clearly indicated that ThIV mainly formed the outer-sphere complexes on Ti3C2Tx surface through electrostatic interaction under strong acid conditions, while at pH > 3.0 the adsorption mechanism was determined by inner-sphere coordination and electrostatic interaction together.
The effect of role model teachers on students' entrepreneurial competencies and intentions
Authors: San-Martín Paula , Pérez Andrea , Fernández-Laviada Ana , Palazuelos Estefanía
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The paper aims to provide empirical evidence on whether the identification of the teacher as a role model is truly a key factor in improving students' entrepreneurial competencies and intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from a survey of 387 university students enrolled in an entrepreneurship course, who were asked to respond to the same questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the semester. To test the proposed hypotheses, comparison of means tests for independent samples were carried out.

Findings

The results obtained confirm that students with a role model teacher perceive that entrepreneurial competencies and perceived behavioural control increase largely during the course, whilst students with a non-role model teacher perceive that their attitude towards intention decrease.

Originality/value

The “Who should teach?” question has been disregarded in previous entrepreneurship education (EE) literature. The current paper is a first step towards a better comprehension of the teacher of entrepreneurship as a role model.
Introducing a contextual lens to assessment and intervention for young people who engage in harmful sexual behaviour: an Australian case study
Authors: Rayment-McHugh Susan , Adams Dimity , McKillop Nadine
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Intervention for young people engaging in harmful sexual behaviour has been largely based on individual-level conceptualisations and assessment. Prevention efforts reflect this individual-focus, relying primarily on offender management and justice responses. Risk of sexual abuse, however, is often situated outside the individual, within the broader social and physical systems in which young people are embedded. Lack of recognition for how contextual factors contribute to sexual abuse narrows the focus of prevention and intervention, overlooking the very contexts and circumstances in which this behaviour occurs. This paper aims to demonstrate the utility of contextual practice with young people who sexually harm, and implications for prevention.

Design/methodology/approach

An Australian case study is used to showcase the “why”, “what” and “how” of a contextual approach to assessment and treatment of young people who sexually harm.

Findings

Contextual approaches extend the focus of clinical practice beyond the individual to include the physical and social contexts that may contribute to risk. Adding a contextual lens broadens the approach to assessment, affording new opportunities to tailor the intervention to local contextual dynamics, and identifying new targets for primary and secondary prevention.

Originality/value

This is the first known attempt to extend understanding of contextual approaches to clinical assessment and intervention for young people who sexually harm, using a case study method. The case study showcases contextual assessment and intervention processes that challenge traditional thinking and practice in this field. Importantly, the case study also reveals new opportunities for primary and secondary prevention that emerge through this contextual clinical practice.
Prioritizing motivators influencing intentions to visit spiritual destinations in India: an application of analytical hierarchical process (AHP) approach
Authors: Garg Aashish , Misra Pankaj , Gupta Sanjay , Goel Pooja , Saleem Mohd
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Spiritual tourism is becoming a significant growth area of the Indian travel market, with more Indians opting to go on pilgrimage to popular religious cities. There are many spiritual destinations where some of this life's essences can be sought to enjoy harmony and peace. The study aims to prioritize motivators driving the intentions of the tourists to visit the spiritual destination.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study applied the analytical hierarchical process, a multi-criteria decision-making technique, on the sample of visitors from all the six spiritual destinations to rank the motivational factors that drive the intentions of the tourist to visit a spiritual destination.

Findings

The study's results postulated that spiritual fulfillment motives and destination atmosphere are the top prioritized motivations, while destination attributes and secular motives emerged as the least prioritized.

Practical implications

The research study provides valuable insights to the spiritual tourism industry stakeholders to target the tourists' highly prioritized motivations to augment the visits to a particular spiritual destination.

Originality/value

Previous research has explored the motivations and modeled their relationships with tourists' satisfaction and intentions. But, the present study has applied a multi-criteria decision-making technique to add value to the existing knowledge base.