bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of social jetlag and sleep variability on sleepiness in a population‐based study: The mediating role of sleep debt
Authors: Fernandes Guilherme Luiz , da Silva Vallim Julia Ribeiro , D'Almeida Vânia , Tufik Sergio , Andersen Monica Levy
Published: September 2023

Sleepiness is a multicausal condition, and previous research has highlighted associations between this symptom and the circadian timing system, specifically concerning social jetlag and sleep variability. Recent inquiries have shown that the effects of social jetlag on sleepiness can be confounded with the consequences of sleep debt. In light of the current evidence, we aimed to assess the effects of social jetlag and sleep variability on sleepiness and the potential mediating role of sleep debt. We used data from the EPISONO study, a cross‐sectional population‐based study with a sample size of 1042 participants, representative of the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Participants completed the UNIFESP Sleep Questionnaire (self‐reported bedtime and get‐up time) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (subjective daytime sleepiness). Subsequently, sleep‐corrected mid‐sleep time (chronotype), total sleep time, social jetlag (absolute difference between the mid‐sleep time on workdays and mid‐sleep time on free days), sleep variability (standard deviation of mid‐sleep time), and sleep debt (difference between total sleep time on workdays and free days) were calculated. Generalised linear models were used to test whether social jetlag and sleep variability affected sleepiness. Mediation models were used to determine if any observed significant effects were mediated by sleep debt. The prevalence of social jetlag was 23% for >1 h and 12% for >2 h. The mean sleep variability was 41 ± 30 min. Social jetlag had a significant effect on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores. This association was no longer statistically significant after controlling for age, sex, body mass index, work schedule, and chronotype. A significant indirect effect of social jetlag on sleep debt and subsequently on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores was found. No effect of sleep variability on sleepiness could be identified. In conclusion, the association between social jetlag and sleepiness was mediated by sleep debt but was not independent of demographic, work, and chronotype variables. This study provides new evidence on the importance of circadian misalignment and sleep debt for sleep health on a population level.
Characterization of iron meteorites by scanning electron microscopy, x‐ray diffraction, magnetization measurements, and Mössbauer spectroscopy: Mundrabilla IAB‐ung
Authors: Goryunov M. V. , Varga G. , Dankházi Z. , Chukin A. V. , Felner I. , Kuzmann E. , Grokhovsky V. I. , Homonnay Z. , Oshtrakh M. I.
Published: September 2023

A fragment of Mundrabilla IAB‐ung iron meteorite was analyzed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), magnetization measurements, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The polished section of meteorite fragment characterization by optical microscopy and SEM shows the presence of the γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase lamellae, plessite structures and schreibersite inclusions in the α‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase. EDS indicates variations in the Ni concentrations in the following ranges: (i) ∼6.3–6.5 atom% in the α‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase and (ii) ∼22 to ∼45 atom% in the γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase lamellae including the range of ∼29–33 atom% of Ni leading to the paramagnetic state of the γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase. Schreibersite inclusions contain ∼23 atom% of P, ∼33 atom% of Fe, ∼43 atom% of Ni, and ∼0.7 atom% of Co. Plessite structure contains the average Ni concentration of ∼17 atom% while detailed EDS analysis shows: (i) the lowest Ni concentrations of ∼5 to ∼8 atom%, (ii) the intermediate Ni concentrations of ∼9 to ∼19 atom%, and (iii) the highest Ni concentration up ∼38 atom% (some individual micro‐grains demonstrate up to ∼47 and ∼59 atom% of Ni) that may indicate the presence of the (i) α‐Fe(Ni, Co), (ii) α2‐Fe(Ni, Co), and (iii) γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phases. These may be a result of the γ‐phase decomposition with mechanism γ → α + α2 + γ that indicates a slow cooling rate for Mundrabilla IAB‐ung iron meteorite. The presence of ∼98.6 wt% of the α‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase and ∼1.4 wt% of the γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase is found by XRD while schreibersite is not detected. Magnetization measurements show the saturation magnetization moment of Mundrabilla IAB‐ung of 188(2) emu g−1 indicating a low average Ni concentration in Fe‐Ni‐Co alloy. Mössbauer spectrum of the bulk Mundrabilla powder demonstrates five magnetic sextets related to the ferromagnetic α2‐Fe(Ni, Co), α‐Fe(Ni, Co), and γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phases and one singlet associated with the paramagnetic γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase, however, there are no spectral components corresponding to schreibersite. Basing on relatively larger and smaller values of the magnetic hyperfine field, two magnetic sextets associated with γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase can be related to the disordered and more ordered γ‐phases. The iron fractions in the detected phases can be roughly estimated as follows: (i) ∼17.6% in the α2‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase, (ii) ∼68.5% in the α‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase, (iii) ∼11.5% in the disordered γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase, (iv) ∼2.0% in the more ordered γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase, and (v) ∼0.4% in the paramagnetic γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phase.
The Trinity and the Arts: Toward a Christian Poetics
Authors: Betz John R.
Published: September 2023

The purpose of this essay is to explore the question of a Christian poetics, and to see what, if anything, the doctrine of the Trinity has to do with it. Our conclusion is that the doctrine of the Trinity, far from being accidental to Christian poiesis, is fundamental to any account of it—if indeed all phenomena are analogues of the eternal phenomenality of the Son vis‐à‐vis the Father, and if all that is made is made through the Son by the power of the Creator Spirit. To this end, however, it is argued that Christian poetics implies a particular kind of metaphysics as well, namely, an analogical metaphysics, which is able to do justice to the interplay of essence and existence in creatures, which is cognate with the aesthetic interplay of form and novelty. The result of these explorations is not only a proposed standard, comprising four theses, for Christian art, but also an ecumenical proposal for how to think about the Trinity (and the Filioque) anew—not by dispensing with Augustine's psychological analogy, but by supplementing it with an artistic analogy, specifically, with the help of the patristic trope of the Son as the Ars Patris in whom the Father eternally delights. The final result is a clearer picture of the role of the Holy Spirit, in God and in creation, and of the spiritual‐poetic vocation of the imago Dei.
Chloroplast clustering around the nucleus induced by OMP24 overexpression unexpectedly promoted PSTVd infection in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Han Kelei , Jia Zhaoxing , Zhang Yuhong , Zhou Huijie , Bu Shan , Chen Jianping , Yan Dankan , Qi Rende , Yan Fei , Wu Jian
Published: September 2023

Chloroplast clustering around the nucleus is a well‐known mechanism that occurs in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses and is believed to be a mechanism of defence against pathogens in plants. This phenomenon is accompanied by increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can help to destroy invading pathogens. However, the function of chloroplast clustering during viroid infection is unclear. Here, we report that, although the infection by potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) failed to induce chloroplast clustering, chloroplast clustering caused by the overexpression of the Nicotiana benthamiana chloroplast outer membrane protein 24 (NbOMP24) promoted the infection by PSTVd, a viroid pathogen, in N. benthamiana. Interestingly, H2O2 treatment, which caused increased ROS accumulation, showed no significant effects on PSTVd infection. Moreover, NbOMP24 protein showed no direct interaction with PSTVd. We propose that perinuclear chloroplast clustering induced by NbOMP24 provides a favourable environment for PSTVd infection. These findings highlight the complexity of chloroplast clustering‐mediated plant–pathogen interactions and the need for further research to fully understand these mechanisms.
Relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter in response to reduced volume distension during FLIP Panometry
Authors: Wakim El‐Khoury Jeanine , Pandolfino John E. , Kahrilas Peter J. , Godo Bidemi , Farina Domenico A. , Kou Wenjun , Carlson Dustin A.
Published: September 2023

Background

The esophageal response to stepwise distension during the functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) Panometry study often parallels high‐resolution manometry (HRM) motility diagnoses. This study aimed to describe the changes in FLIP metrics during FLIP emptying, that is, reduced volume distension.

Methods

Adult patients who completed FLIP and HRM for esophageal motility evaluation were included. Esophagogastric junction (EGJ) opening parameters were assessed during stepwise FLIP filling to volumes of 60 mL (“filling 60 mL”), then 70 mL, and then back to 60 mL (“emptying 60 mL”). HRM studies were analyzed per Chicago classification version 4.0 (CCv4.0).

Key Results

Among 265 patients included, HRM/CCv4.0 diagnoses included achalasia in 80 patients (30%), normal motility in 70 (26%), and ineffective esophageal motility (IEM) in 43 (16%). EGJ‐distensibility index (DI) and EGJ diameter were greater during emptying 60 mL than filling 60 mL in achalasia, normal motility, and IEM (p values <0.002). If applying the emptying 60 mL EGJ‐DI (vs. filling 60 mL EGJ‐DI), EGJ opening classification changed from reduced EGJ opening to borderline EGJ opening in 31% of achalasia patients and in 2% of patients with normal motility or IEM. EGJ opening classification was unchanged in 69% achalasia and 96% of normal motility/IEM.

Conclusions and Inferences

This study suggests that isotonic or auxotonic relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter occurs with reduced volume distension in patients with achalasia and normal motility. The study also supports the importance of utilizing a standardized FLIP motility study protocol (i.e., controlled, stepwise filling to 50 mL, 60 mL, then 70 mL) to provide reliable and generalizable FLIP metrics to facilitate diagnosis of esophageal motility disorders.
Angiosperms follow a convex trade‐off to optimize hydraulic safety and efficiency
Authors: Pereira Luciano , Kaack Lucian , Guan Xinyi , Silva Luciano de Melo , Miranda Marcela T. , Pires Gabriel S. , Ribeiro Rafael V. , Schenk H. Jochen , Jansen Steven
Published: September 2023

Intervessel pits are considered to function as valves that avoid embolism spreading and optimize efficient transport of xylem sap across neighbouring vessels. Hydraulic transport between vessels would therefore follow a safety‐efficiency trade‐off, which is directly related to the total intervessel pit area (Ap), inversely related to the pit membrane thickness (TPM) and driven by a pressure difference.

To test this hypothesis, we modelled the relative transport rate of gas (ka) and water (Q) at the intervessel pit level for 23 angiosperm species and correlated these parameters with the water potential at which 50% of embolism occurs (Ψ50). We also measured ka for 10 species using pneumatic measurements.

The pressure difference across adjacent vessels and estimated values of ka and Q were related to Ψ50, following a convex safety‐efficiency trade‐off based on modelled and experimental data. Minor changes in TPM and Ap exponentially affected the pressure difference and flow, respectively.

Our results provide clear evidence that a xylem safety‐efficiency trade‐off is not linear, but convex due to flow across intervessel pit membranes, which represent mesoporous media within microporous conduits. Moreover, the convex nature of long‐distance xylem transport may contribute to an adjustable fluid balance of plants, depending on environmental conditions.
Modified source–sink dynamics govern resource exchange in ectomycorrhizal symbiosis
Authors: Bogar Laura M.
Published: September 2023

Ectomycorrhizal symbiosis between roots and fungi is founded on the movement of carbon from plants to fungi, and of soil resources from fungi to plants. Framing this movement as a trade can facilitate an understanding of how this mutualism has developed over evolutionary time, but fails to explain experimental observations of carbon and nutrient movement. Here, I propose that source–sink dynamics are an essential basic model to explain the movement of plant and fungal resources, which may be modified by plant immune response, variability in fungal molecular repertoires, and competition in the soil. Source–sink dynamics provide testable hypotheses to illuminate mechanisms of ectomycorrhizal resource movement and its consequences for mutualism stability and forest function under climate change.
Responses of rhizosphere fungi to the root economics space in grassland monocultures of different age
Authors: Hennecke Justus , Bassi Leonardo , Mommer Liesje , Albracht Cynthia , Bergmann Joana , Eisenhauer Nico , Guerra Carlos A. , Heintz‐Buschart Anna , Kuyper Thomas W. , Lange Markus , Solbach Marcel Dominik , Weigelt Alexandra
Published: September 2023

Recent studies on root traits have shown that there are two axes explaining trait variation belowground: the collaboration axis with mycorrhizal partners and the conservation (‘fast – slow’) axis. However, it is yet unknown whether these trait axes affect the assembly of soilborne fungi. We expect saprotrophic fungi to link to the conservation axis of root traits, whereas pathogenic and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi link to the collaboration axis, but in opposite directions, as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi might provide pathogen protection.

To test these hypotheses, we sequenced rhizosphere fungal communities and measured root traits in monocultures of 25 grassland plant species, differing in age. Within the fungal guilds, we evaluated fungal species richness, relative abundance and community composition.

Contrary to our hypotheses, fungal diversity and relative abundance were not strongly related to the root trait axes. However, saprotrophic fungal community composition was affected by the conservation gradient and pathogenic community composition by the collaboration gradient. The rhizosphere AMF community composition did not change along the collaboration gradient, even though the root trait axis was in line with the root mycorrhizal colonization rate.

Overall, our results indicate that in the long term, the root trait axes are linked with fungal community composition.
The transcriptional changes underlying the flowering phenology shift of Arabidopsis halleri in response to climate warming
Authors: Komoto Hideyuki , Nagahama Ai , Miyawaki‐Kuwakado Atsuko , Hata Yuki , Kyozuka Junko , Kajita Yui , Toyama Hironori , Satake Akiko
Published: September 2023

Climate warming is causing shifts in key life‐history events, including flowering time. To assess the impacts of increasing temperature on flowering phenology, it is crucial to understand the transcriptional changes of genes underlying the phenological shifts. Here, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of genes contributing to the flowering phenology shifts in response to increasing temperature by monitoring the seasonal expression dynamics of 293 flowering‐time genes along latitudinal gradients in the perennial herb, Arabidopsis halleri. Through transplant experiments at northern, southern and subtropical study sites in Japan, we demonstrated that the flowering period was shortened as latitude decreased, ultimately resulting in the loss of flowering opportunity in subtropical climates. The key transcriptional changes underlying the shortening of the flowering period and the loss of flowering opportunity were the diminished expression of floral pathway integrator genes and genes in the gibberellin synthesis and aging pathways, all of which are suppressed by increased expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C, a central repressor of flowering. These results suggest that the upper‐temperature limit of reproduction is governed by a relatively small number of genes that suppress reproduction in the absence of winter cold.
Unpacking the nonlinear effect of self‐efficacy in entrepreneurship: Why and under which condition more is not better
Authors: Uy Marilyn A. , Sun Shuhua , Gielnik Michael M. , Jacob Gabriel Henry , Lagdameo John Luis D. , Miclat Armando G. , Osi Enrico C.
Published: September 2023

Self‐efficacy exerts a positive impact on several self‐regulatory functions to support goal accomplishment and performance. However, in contexts that are characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity, such as entrepreneurship, there might be a tipping point to this relationship, prompting calls for deeper investigations on the nonlinear effect. In particular, the underlying mechanisms explaining why and when the nonlinear effect occurs are unclear. Drawing on theories of self‐regulation, we examine the nonlinear effect of entrepreneurial self‐efficacy on venture goal progress through the entrepreneur's active feedback‐seeking and venture effort. We also propose that the entrepreneur's state error mastery orientation moderates the nonlinear effect. Conducting a six‐wave repeated measures study among 84 early‐stage entrepreneurs in a business accelerator in the Philippines, we use a within‐person approach to test our hypotheses and research model. Results suggest that self‐regulatory mechanisms in terms of feedback seeking, effort, and state error mastery orientation help to unpack why and when self‐efficacy exerts a nonlinear effect on performance outcomes.
Interaction between manufacturer's wholesale pricing and retailers' price‐matching guarantees
Authors: Nalca Arcan , Cai Gangshu (George)
Published: September 2023

In practice, many retailers employ price‐matching guarantees (PMGs), committing to meet the price of an identical product at a competitor's outlet. Despite the profound linkage between retailers and manufacturers, existing literature has predominantly explored retailers' PMGs without contemplating the influence of manufacturers' wholesale pricing strategies. Employing a supply chain model comprising one manufacturer and two retailers, we scrutinize the implications of wholesale pricing—uniform or discriminatory—on supply chain members and consumers when retailers have the option to extend PMGs. Our analysis uncovers that retailers refrain from offering PMGs when the manufacturer is granted the discretion to set discriminatory wholesale prices—even if such offers align with the manufacturer's preferences. Conversely, under uniform wholesale pricing, PMGs thrive at equilibrium—even if the manufacturer opposes the practice—as long as the degree of demand or cost asymmetry between retailers and average hassle costs remains relatively modest. Although firms' preferences regarding PMGs vary, a Pareto zone exists where all entities prefer that either the efficient retailer under demand asymmetry or the inefficient retailer under cost asymmetry extends the PMG. Despite the potential advantages of PMGs for the more efficient retailer, the enforcement of uniform wholesale pricing diminishes supply chain profit, consumer welfare, and overall social welfare. The detrimental impacts on welfare owing to the imposition of uniform wholesale pricing persist, even amid the presence of hassle costs associated with price matching. Our findings thus instigate a dialogue for policymakers concerning the validity of regulating wholesale pricing when PMGs are in effect.
Pelopidarum secunda: a ‘site of memory’ in the history of Elizabethan revenge tragedy
Authors: Vedelago Angelica
Published: September 2023

Pelopidarum secunda is an understudied anonymous English adaptation of Seneca's Agamemnon and Sophocles' Electra. The play is preserved only in manuscript and was probably performed at Winchester College around 1590. Through a combination of Marvin Carlson's notions of ‘ghosting’ and of the ‘site of memory’ with a neo‐historicist approach, the article offers a close analysis of this neglected school play from an intertextual, performative, and extratextual perspective. The analysis shows that the play is haunted by memories of its classical sources and of other performance contexts, including the church, and contains potential allusions to contemporary royal figures. In so doing, I argue that Pelopidarum secunda showcases the role of classical models in the history of Elizabethan revenge tragedy. By conjuring up memorable sources—Sophocles and Seneca—and events—past performances and executions—the unknown playwright(s) had the ambition to make Pelopidarum secunda  equally memorable. Although this attempt has evidently failed given the obscurity into which the play has fallen so far, Pelopidarum secunda deserves a place in the archival memory of classical reception as well as further scholarly attention within early modern English drama studies.
Pimecrolimus protects neuron‐like SH‐SY5Y cells against anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidant effects of both microglial secretome and hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Kocanci Fatma Gonca , Erol Azize Yasemin Goksu , Yildiz Fatma , Eciroglu Hamiyet
Published: September 2023

Calcineurin inhibitors have been found to exhibit a preventive role against neuroinflammation, which represents a crucial underlying mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases (ND). Additionally, they possess suppressive effects on the activation of apoptotic pathways, which constitute another mechanism underlying such diseases. Given that pimecrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, impedes the synthesis of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)‐2, IL‐4, and IL‐10, and influences apoptotic processes, it is noteworthy to test its potential neuroprotective properties. Thus, the objective of this investigation was to assess the potential protective effects of pimecrolimus against the degenerative consequences of both microglial secretomes and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidant agent. The survival rates of HMC3 microglia cells, neuron‐like differentiated SH‐SY5Y (d‐SH‐SY5Y) cells, and their co‐culture were determined using the 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) method. Furthermore, the levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and IL‐6, and anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10 were measured using ELISA kits, besides total antioxidant and oxidant capacities in conditioned media of cells. Additionally, the effect of pimecrolimus on neurite length in these cell groups was evaluated through morphological observations. This study revealed, for the first time, that pimecrolimus exerts preventive effects on neurodegenerative processes by virtue of its anti‐inflammatory and ‐antioxidant activities. It holds promise as a potential treatment option for ND.
The rise of market‐based “choice” programs: 100 years of social sorting in social welfare services
Authors: Kline Zachary D.
Published: September 2023

Social service programs in the United States increasingly focus on giving individuals and families more “choices.” The approach is exemplified by “choice programs,” where people receive services through various forms of market participation. Examples of choice programs include defined contribution retirement plans, housing vouchers, charter schools, and health insurance marketplaces. Individuals across the socioeconomic spectrum have become accustomed to choice programs, and one's social status greatly affects the types, qualities, and prices of services people receive. The importance of the conversation around choice programs for providing access to resources is immense. Yet, despite contentious debate about their utility, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the institutionalization and widespread adoption of choice programs across a diverse range of social service domains. This article synthesizes stratification literature on retirement, healthcare, education, and housing to document the historical rise of choice programs. Particular attention is given to explaining how behavioral patterns and routines become second nature, altering who benefits, who is left out, and the overall effectiveness of the social welfare system.
Willingness to self‐disclose in romantic relationships only marginally predicts COVID stress but there are indirect effects of self‐esteem and relationship commitment
Authors: Ma Lijing , Clark Eddie M.
Published: September 2023

Disclosing personal feelings could reduce stress during a difficult time, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic. The current study examined the linear and curvilinear relationships between willingness to self‐disclose to a romantic partner and COVID stress. Participants completed questionnaires online regarding willingness to self‐disclose, COVID stress, relationship factors, and self‐esteem. Results showed a marginally significant inverted U‐shaped curvilinear relationship between willingness to self‐disclose and COVID stress, suggesting the trend that individuals who were willing to self‐disclose at a low or high level had lower COVID stress compared to individuals who were willing to self‐disclose at a medium level. This relationship was mediated by commitment and self‐esteem. Future research could examine the impact of self‐disclosure on COVID stress using an experimental or longitudinal design.
Treatment of plane warts with long pulse ND – YAG laser 532 nm
Authors: Al‐Sabak Haider , Jaafar Amal Abduladheem
Published: September 2023

Background

Warts are one of the contagious viral diseases that may cause disturbing cosmetic problems. Plane warts represents a common self‐limiting viral infection of the skin caused by the Human Papilloma Virus, however, those that do not disappear by themselves can be very difficult to treat with no uniformly effective treatment modality.

Objective

To assess the efficacy of long pulsed 532 nm ND:YAG  laser in the treatment of plane warts.

Patients and Methods

In this therapeutic clinical trial study, 34 patients with plane warts were enrolled. Each patient was eligible for up to three treatment sessions administrated at 2 weeks intervals with long pulsed ND:YAG  laser at a spot size 3 mm; wavelength 532 nm; pulsed duration 20 ms; and fluence 30 J/cm2. The patients were assessed before each treatment session and at 3 months after the last treatment session.

The response to treatment was graded using four points scale:

Scale 1 = poor: <25%,

Scale 2 = fair: 25%–50%,

Scale 3 = good: 51%–75%,

Scale 4 = excellent: >75%.

Results

Twenty‐two patients only with a total of 478 lesions, completed the study; their ages ranged from (6–45) years with a mean ± SD 19.95 ± 13.142 years. Thirteen patients (59.09%) were female and nine (40.90%) were male. The results from this study showing that long pulsed ND:YAG laser 532 nm led to an excellent response in 19 patients (86.36%) in which 15 of 19 patients showed a complete response (78.94%); one patient showed a good response (4.545%), one showed a fair response (4.545%) and one showed a poor response (4.545%) at the end of three‐months follow up. The difference was statistically significant; the P value at the three months follow‐up was 0.002. The cumulative clearance rate after the first, second, and third treatment sessions was 58.4%, 77.7%, and 89.9% respectively. Recurrence was seen in only one patient (4.545%). Side effects were generally mild and didn't prevent normal activity.

Conclusion

Long pulsed ND:YAG laser 532 nm appears to be an effective method for treatment of plane warts.
The effect of fragmented cancer care and change in nurse staffing grade on cancer patient mortality
Authors: Han Kyu‐Tae , Kim Seungju
Published: September 2023

Background

Continuity of patient care ensures timely and appropriate care and is associated with better patient outcomes among cancer patients. However, the impact of nurse staffing grade changes on patient outcomes remains unknown.

Aims

This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the effect of fragmented care and changes in nurse staffing grade on the survival of colorectal cancer patients who underwent surgery.

Methods

This study included 2228 newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients. Fragmented care was defined as the receipt of treatment in multiple hospitals and was divided into three categories based on changes in nurse staffing grade. Five‐year survival rates were used to evaluate the effect of fragmented care and nurse staffing grade on outcomes of cancer patients. Survival analysis was performed by adjusting for covariates using the Cox proportional hazards model for 5‐year mortality.

Results

Approximately 18.5% of patients died within 5 years; the mortality rate during cancer treatment was higher in patients who received fragmented care, especially in those transferred to hospitals with fewer nurses. Patients who received fragmented care had shorter survival times, and those transferred to hospitals with fewer nurses had higher risks of 5‐year mortality (hazard ratio: 1.625; 95% CI: [1.095, 2.412]). Transfers to hospitals with fewer nurses were associated with increased mortality rates in low‐income patients, hospitals located in metropolitan and rural areas, and high‐severity groups.

Linking Evidence to Action

Receipt of fragmented care and change in nurse staffing grade due to patients' transfer to different hospitals were associated with increased mortality rates in cancer patients, thus underlining the importance of ensuring continuity and quality of care. Patients from rural areas, from low‐income families, and with high disease severity may have better outcomes if they receive treatment in well‐staffed hospitals.
Assessment of Reactor Physics Characteristics of Prismatic Fuel Concepts With a Hydrogen-Based Moderator for Use in a Fluoride Salt-Cooled Small Modular Reactor
Authors: Yan Huiping V. , Bromley Blair P.
Published: September 2023

Fluoride-salt-cooled high temperature reactor (FHR) effectively combines the solid fuel and moderator design of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology with the fluoride salt coolant (LiF-BeF2, FLiBe) of molten salt reactor (MSR) technology, enabling low-pressure (∼1 atm, 101.325 kPa), and high-temperature (∼700 °C) operations. The design and operational features of the FHR make it a potentially attractive option for a small modular reactor (SMR), provided that it can be modified and made physically small and operate at a low-enough power level (<350 MWth/<150 MWel). Most FHR-SMR designs use high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel in the form of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles, combined with the use of a graphite moderator. However, there are alternative design concepts for an FHR-SMR that may offer superior performance characteristics, while utilizing an alternative fissile fuel supply option. In this exploratory study, lattice physics calculations were performed with Serpent to evaluate an alternative FHR-SMR prismatic fuel block design concept using coated annular fuel pellets instead of TRISO-particle fuel compacts, along with the use of hydrogen-based solid moderator rods made of 7LiH. In initial studies, it was found that fuel blocks with 120 moderator rods made of 7LiH tended to have large positive temperature reactivity coefficients (TRCs), which is undesirable for safety reasons. However, reducing the number of moderator rods to 90 or 54, while increasing the number of fuel rods and coolant holes led to low or negative temperature coefficients. For a prismatic fuel block design with 54-7LiH moderator rods, the isothermal temperature coefficient of reactivity (Isothermal TRC), with simultaneous changes in the fuel (F), graphite (G), hydrogen (H), and coolant (C) temperatures, ranges between −0.159 mk/K and −0.054 mk/K, depending on the operating temperature and fuel burnup. Such alternative FHR-SMR fuels could achieve a single-batch core life of ∼10 years with low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel, and ∼45 years with HALEU, in a 350-MWth reactor core.
Preliminary Assessment of a Laparoscopic Training System Using Magneto-Rheological Clutches and Virtual Reality
Authors: Busque Bruno-Pier , Lebel Louis-Philippe , Collin Yves , Plante Jean-Sébastien
Published: September 2023

Although laparoscopy has revolutionized modern medicine, its training remains long and complex due to reduced haptic feedback and loss of depth perception. Training also poses an ethical challenge when performed on living patients, and access to cadavers is becoming rare and difficult. In the early 2000s, medical simulators began to appear to help mitigate these problems: virtual reality simulators (VRS) and physical reality simulators (PRS). Current VRS can provide guidance and performance evaluation with fewer instructors but are expensive and bulky. PRS, on the other hand, are less expensive, compact and offer haptic feedback through real physical interactions with mockup objects. However, they require guidance from an instructor, and cannot provide objective assessment or complex and realistic surgical scenarios. This paper assesses the potential of a VRS based on magneto-rheological (MR) actuators that could offer the haptic capabilities of current VRS with the size envelopes of PRS. Technical specifications for a laparoscopic VRS are extracted from the literature, a prototype is built and evaluated experimentally. In addition, three simulation scenarios are built and presented to surgeons to confirm simulation capabilities. In its current form, the MR-powered prototype is shown to meet targeted functional specifications but future work is needed to reduce friction, reduce size, and optimize packaging.
Diffraction of acoustic waves by multiple semi-infinite arrays
Authors: Nethercote M. A. , Kisil A. V. , Assier R. C.
Published: September 2023

Analytical methods are fundamental in studying acoustics problems. One of the important tools is the Wiener-Hopf method, which can be used to solve many canonical problems with sharp transitions in boundary conditions on a plane/plate. However, there are some strict limitations to its use, usually the boundary conditions need to be imposed on parallel lines (after a suitable mapping). Such mappings exist for wedges with continuous boundaries, but for discrete boundaries, they have not yet been constructed. In our previous article, we have overcome this limitation and studied the diffraction of acoustic waves by a wedge consisting of point scatterers. Here, the problem is generalised to an arbitrary number of periodic semi-infinite arrays with arbitrary orientations. This is done by constructing several coupled systems of equations (one for every semi-infinite array) which are treated independently. The derived systems of equations are solved using the discrete Wiener-Hopf technique and the resulting matrix equation is inverted using elementary matrix arithmetic. Of course, numerically this matrix needs to be truncated, but we are able to do so such that thousands of scatterers on every array are included in the numerical results. Comparisons with other numerical methods are considered, and their strengths/weaknesses are highlighted.
Visualizing dynamic competence pili and DNA capture throughout the long axis of
Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Zuke Jason D. , Erickson Rachel , Hummels Katherine R. , Burton Briana M.
Published: September 2023

The first step in the process of bacterial natural transformation is DNA capture. Although long hypothesized based on genetics and functional experiments, the pilus structure responsible for initial DNA binding had not yet been visualized for
Bacillus subtilis
. Here, we visualize functional competence pili in
Bacillus subtilis
using fluorophore-conjugated maleimide labeling in conjunction with epifluorescence microscopy. In strains that produce pilin monomers within tenfold of wild-type levels, the median length of detectable pili is 300 nm. These pili are retractile and associate with DNA. The analysis of pilus distribution at the cell surface reveals that they are predominantly located along the long axis of the cell. The distribution is consistent with localization of proteins associated with subsequent transformation steps, DNA binding, and DNA translocation in the cytosol. These data suggest a distributed model for
B. subtilis
transformation machinery, in which initial steps of DNA capture occur throughout the long axis of the cell and subsequent steps may also occur away from the cell poles.

IMPORTANCE

This work provides novel visual evidence for DNA translocation across the cell wall during
Bacillus subtilis
natural competence, an essential step in the natural transformation process. Our data demonstrate the existence of natural competence-associated retractile pili that can bind exogenous DNA. Furthermore, we show that pilus biogenesis occurs throughout the cell long axis. These data strongly support DNA translocation occurring all along the lateral cell wall during natural competence, wherein pili are produced, bind to free DNA in the extracellular space, and finally retract to pull the bound DNA through the gap in the cell wall created during pilus biogenesis.
Replication mechanisms of circular ssDNA plant viruses and their potential implication in viral gene expression regulation
Authors: Bonnamy Mélia , Blanc Stéphane , Michalakis Yannis
Published: September 2023

The replication of members of the two circular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) virus families
Geminiviridae
and
Nanoviridae
, the only ssDNA viruses infecting plants, is believed to be processed by rolling-circle replication (RCR) and recombination-dependent replication (RDR) mechanisms. RCR is a ubiquitous replication mode for circular ssDNA viruses and involves a virus-encoded Replication-associated protein (Rep) which fulfills multiple functions in the replication mechanism. Two key genomic elements have been identified for RCR in
Geminiviridae
and
Nanoviridae
: (i) short iterative sequences called iterons which determine the specific recognition of the viral DNA by the Rep and (ii) a sequence enabling the formation of a stem-loop structure which contains a conserved motif and constitutes the origin of replication. In addition, studies in
Geminiviridae
provided evidence for a second replication mode, RDR, which has also been documented in some double-stranded DNA viruses. Here, we provide a synthesis of the current understanding of the two presumed replication modes of
Geminiviridae
and
Nanoviridae
, and we identify knowledge gaps and discuss the possibility that these replication mechanisms could regulate viral gene expression through modulation of gene copy number.
Novel mechanism of hydrogen peroxide for promoting efficient natamycin synthesis in
Streptomyces
Authors: Zong Gongli , Cao Guangxiang , Fu Jiafang , Zhang Peipei , Chen Xi , Yan Wenxiu , Xin Lulu , Wang Zhongxue , Xu Yan , Zhang Rongzhen
Published: September 2023

The mechanism of regulation of natamycin biosynthesis by Streptomyces in response to oxidative stress is unclear. Here, we first show cholesterol oxidase SgnE, which catalyzes the formation of H
2
O
2
from sterols, triggered a series of redox-dependent interactions to stimulate natamycin production in
S. gilvosporeus
. In response to reactive oxygen species, residues Cys212 and Cys221 of the H
2
O
2
-sensing consensus sequence of OxyR were oxidized, resulting in conformational changes in the protein: OxyR extended its DNA-binding domain to interact with four motifs of promoter p

sgnM

. This acted as a redox-dependent switch to turn on/off gene transcription of
sgnM
, which encodes a cluster-situated regulator, by controlling the affinity between OxyR and p

sgnM

, thus regulating the expression of 12 genes in the natamycin biosynthesis gene cluster. OxyR cooperates with SgnR, another cluster-situated regulator and an upstream regulatory factor of SgnM, synergistically modulated natamycin biosynthesis by masking/unmasking the −35 region of p

sgnM

depending on the redox state of OxyR in response to the intracellular H
2
O
2
concentration.

IMPORTANCE

Cholesterol oxidase SgnE is an indispensable factor, with an unclear mechanism, for natamycin biosynthesis in
Streptomyces
. Oxidative stress has been attributed to the natamycin biosynthesis. Here, we show that SgnE catalyzes the formation of H
2
O
2
from sterols and triggers a series of redox-dependent interactions to stimulate natamycin production in
S. gilvosporeus
. OxyR, which cooperates with SgnR, acted as a redox-dependent switch to turn on/off gene transcription of
sgnM
, which encodes a cluster-situated regulator, by masking/unmasking its −35 region, to control the natamycin biosynthesis gene cluster. This work provides a novel perspective on the crosstalk between intracellular ROS homeostasis and natamycin biosynthesis. Application of these findings will improve antibiotic yields via control of the intracellular redox pressure in
Streptomyces
.
The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy-based method as a new typing tool for
Candida parapsilosis
clinical isolates
Authors: De Carolis Elena , Posteraro Brunella , Falasca Benedetta , Spruijtenburg Bram , Meis Jacques F. , Sanguinetti Maurizio
Published: September 2023

The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy-based IR Biotyper is a straightforward typing tool for bacterial species, but its use with
Candida
species is limited. We applied IR Biotyper to
Candida parapsilosis
, a common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI), which is aggravated by the intra-hospital spread of fluconazole-resistant isolates. Of 59
C
.
parapsilosis
isolates studied,
n
= 56 (48 fluconazole-resistant and 8 fluconazole-susceptible) and
n
= 3 (2 fluconazole-resistant and 1 fluconazole-susceptible) isolates, respectively, had been recovered from BSI episodes in 2 spatially distant Italian hospitals. The latter isolates served as an outgroup. Of fluconazole-resistant isolates,
n
= 40 (including one outgroup) harbored the Y132F mutation alone and
n
= 10 (including one outgroup) harbored both Y132F and R398I mutations in the
ERG11
-encoded azole-target enzyme. Using a microsatellite typing method, which relies on the amplification of genomic short tandem repeats (STR), two major clusters were obtained based on the mutation(s) (Y132F or Y132F/R398I) present in the isolates. Regarding IR Biotyper, each isolate was analyzed in quintuplicate using an automatic (i.e., proposed by the manufacturer’s software) or tentative (i.e., proposed by us) cutoff value. In the first case, four clusters were identified, with clusters I and II formed by Y132F or Y132F/R398I isolates, respectively. In the second case, six subclusters (derived by the split of clusters I and II) were identified. This allowed to separate the outgroup isolates from other isolates and to increase the IR Biotyper typeability. The agreement of IR Biotyper with STR ranged from 47% to 74%, depending on type of cutoff value used in the analysis.

IMPORTANCE

Establishing relatedness between clinical isolates of
Candida parapsilosis
is important for implementing rapid measures to control and prevent nosocomial transmission of this
Candida
species. We evaluated the FTIR-based IR Biotyper, a new typing method in the
Candida
field, using a collection of fluconazole-resistant
C. parapsilosis
isolates supposed to be genetically related due to the presence of the Y132F mutation. We showed that IR Biotyper was discriminatory but not as much as the STR method, which is still considered the method of choice. Further studies on larger series of
C. parapsilosis
isolates or closely related
Candida
species will be necessary to confirm and/or extend the results from this study.
Investigation of machine learning algorithms for taxonomic classification of marine metagenomes
Authors: Park Helen , Lim Shen Jean , Cosme Jonathan , O'Connell Kyle , Sandeep Jilla , Gayanilo Felimon , Cutter Jr. George R. , Montes Enrique , Nitikitpaiboon Chotinan , Fisher Sam , Moustahfid Hassan , Thompson Luke R.
Published: September 2023

Microbial communities play key roles in ocean ecosystems through regulation of biogeochemical processes such as carbon and nutrient cycling, food web dynamics, and gut microbiomes of invertebrates, fish, reptiles, and mammals. Assessments of marine microbial diversity are therefore critical to understanding spatiotemporal variations in microbial community structure and function in ocean ecosystems. With recent advances in DNA shotgun sequencing for metagenome samples and computational analysis, it is now possible to access the taxonomic and genomic content of ocean microbial communities to study their structural patterns, diversity, and functional potential. However, existing taxonomic classification tools depend upon manually curated phylogenetic trees, which can create inaccuracies in metagenomes from less well-characterized communities, such as from ocean water. Herein, we explore the utility of deep learning tools—DeepMicrobes and a novel Residual Network architecture—that leverage natural language processing and convolutional neural network architectures to map input sequence data (k-mers) to output labels (taxonomic groups) without reliance on a curated taxonomic tree. We trained both models using metagenomic reads simulated from marine microbial genomes in the MarRef database. The performance of both models (accuracy, precision, and percent microbe predicted) was compared with the standard taxonomic classification tool Kraken2 using 10 complex metagenomic data sets simulated from MarRef. Our results demonstrate that time, compute power, and microbial genomic diversity still pose challenges for machine learning (ML). Moreover, our results suggest that high genome coverage and rectification of class imbalance are prerequisites for a well-trained model, and therefore should be a major consideration in future ML work.

IMPORTANCE

Taxonomic profiling of microbial communities is essential to model microbial interactions and inform habitat conservation. This work develops approaches in constructing training/testing data sets from publicly available marine metagenomes and evaluates the performance of machine learning (ML) approaches in read-based taxonomic classification of marine metagenomes. Predictions from two models are used to test accuracy in metagenomic classification and to guide improvements in ML approaches. Our study provides insights on the methods, results, and challenges of deep learning on marine microbial metagenomic data sets. Future machine learning approaches can be improved by rectifying genome coverage and class imbalance in the training data sets, developing alternative models, and increasing the accessibility of computational resources for model training and refinement.
Estimates of Absolute Branching Fractions for the f0(1710) Decays and Radiative Transitions ψ(2S) → γf0(1710) and ϒ(1S) → γf0(1710)
Authors: Achasov N. N. , Shestakov G. N.
Published: September 2023

Using the result of the VES Collaboration for $$Br(J{\text{/}}\psi \to \gamma {\kern 1pt} {{f}_{0}}(1710))$$, we estimate the absolute branching fractions for the $${{f}_{0}}(1710)$$ decays into $$\pi \pi $$, $$K\bar {K}$$, $$\eta \eta $$ and for the first time into $$\omega \omega $$ and $$\omega \phi $$. In addition, we estimate for the first time $$Br(\psi (2S) \to \gamma {\kern 1pt} {{f}_{0}}(1710))$$ ≈ 3.5 × 10–5 and $$Br(\Upsilon (1S) \to \gamma {\kern 1pt} {{f}_{0}}(1710))$$ ≈ 1 × 10–5.
Ribociclib may potentiate rosuvastatin effect in causing late onset rhabdomyolysis
Authors: Teo Siaw Wee , Hayes Theresa , Gome James
Published: September 2023

A woman in her 50s with metastatic hormone receptor positive breast cancer developed rhabdomyolysis and subsequent acute kidney injury while on a combination of ribociclib and rosuvastatin therapy. She had been taking both medications long term and had recently recommenced her ribociclib at her usual dose after a routine 1 week break. Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors have been implicated in causing rhabdomyolysis by potentiating statin effect by way of inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymatic action and decreasing hepatic membrane transporter function. This is the first case in which the combination of ribociclib and rosuvastatin has been shown to cause this adverse effect. It is also one of the first to demonstrate this effect occurring years after commencement of therapy. Continued vigilance for this side effect should be maintained long term.