bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The PrEP Cascade in a National Cohort of Adolescent Men Who Have Sex With Men
Authors: Moskowitz David A. , Moran Kevin O. , Matson Margaret , Alvarado-Avila Andrés , Mustanski Brian
Published: January 2021

Background:

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been an available biomedical intervention for at-risk adolescents for over 2 years; however, progression from awareness to uptake and adherence has been slow. In response, we map adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) onto the PrEP Motivation Cascade to identify stages for intervention.

Methods:

We analyzed PrEP-related attitudinal and behavioral data from a US national cohort of 1398 AMSM.

Results:

A majority of the sample (53.9%) were identified as appropriate PrEP candidates. Of those identified as appropriate candidates, 51.8% were precontemplative (stage 1; unwilling to take or believing they were inappropriate candidates for PrEP), and 48.2% reached contemplation (stage 2; willing and self-identified as appropriate candidates). Only 16.3% of candidates reached preparation (stage 3; seeing PrEP as accessible and planning to initiate PrEP), and 3.1% reached PrEP action (stage 4; prescribed PrEP). Although few of the AMSM identified as appropriate candidates were on PrEP, most users (87%) reported high adherence to 4+ doses per week (stage 5; PrEP maintenance). Factors associated with reaching later stages were being older, being out to parents, and engaging in previous HIV/sexually transmitted infection testing.

Conclusions:

AMSM PrEP use falls short of recommended levels. PrEP campaigns are needed to raise awareness by targeting key AMSM subgroups that underestimate the appropriateness of use. Equally important, parents and health providers of AMSM should serve educational roles to help facilitate potential PrEP uptake, by motivating adolescents and giving them the skills needed to request, fill, and adhere to a prescription.
Change in Circulating Undercarboxylated Osteocalcin (ucOCN) Is Associated With Fat Accumulation in HIV-Seropositive Women
Authors: Olali Arnold Z. , Sharma Anjali , Shi Qiuhu , Hoover Donald R. , Weber Kathleen M. , French Audrey L. , McKay Heather S. , Tien Phyllis C. , Al-Harthi Lena , Yin Michael T. , Ross Ryan D.
Published: January 2021

Background:

Bone mineral density loss and fat accumulation are common in people living with HIV. The bone-derived hormone, undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOCN) regulates fat metabolism. We investigated the relationship between ucOCN change and body fat change among perimenopausal/postmenopausal HIV-seronegative and HIV-seropositive women on long-term antiretrovirals.

Methods:

Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Interagency HIV Study MSK substudy underwent trunk and total fat assessment by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at study enrollment (index visit) and again 2 years later. Circulating ucOCN and cOCN were also measured at the index and 2-year visits. The correlation between the 2-year change in ucOCN and cOCN and change in trunk and total fat was assessed as a function of HIV serostatus using linear regression modeling. Multivariate linear regression assessed the association between ucOCN and cOCN change and total and trunk fat change after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Linear regression models restricted to HIV-seropositive women were performed to examine the contributions of HIV-specific factors (index CD4 count, viral load, and combined antiretroviral therapy use) on the associations.

Results:

Increased ucOCN over the 2-year follow-up was associated with less trunk and total fat accumulation in models adjusting for HIV serostatus and participants sociodemographics, whereas there was no association with cOCN and the fat parameters. None of the HIV-specific factors evaluated influenced the association between ucOCN and fat parameters.

Conclusion:

The current study suggests that increases in ucOCN are associated with decreased fat accumulation in HIV-seronegative and HIV-seropositive postmenopausal women on long-term antiretroviral therapy.
Efficient removal of pharmaceuticals from water using graphene nanoplatelets as adsorbent
Authors: Rosli Fatin Ahza , Ahmad Haslina , Jumbri Khairulazhar , Abdullah Abdul Halim , Kamaruzaman Sazlinda , Fathihah Abdullah Nor Ain
Published: January 2021

Recently, pharmaceutical pollutants in water have emerged as a global concern as they give threat to human health and the environment. In this study, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were used to efficiently remove antibiotics sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and analgesic acetaminophen (ACM) as pharmaceutical pollutants from water by an adsorption process. GNPs; C750, C300, M15 and M5 were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller. The effects of several parameters viz. solution pH, adsorbent amount, initial concentration and contact time were studied. The parameters were optimized by a batch adsorption process and the maximum removal efficiency for both pharmaceuticals was 99%. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms models were employed, and the experimental data were best analysed with pseudo-second kinetic and Langmuir isotherm with maximum adsorption capacity (Q
m
) of 210.08 mg g
−1
for SMX and 56.21 mg g
−1
for ACM. A regeneration study was applied using different eluents; 5% ethanol-deionized water 0.005 M NaOH and HCl. GNP C300 was able to remove most of both pollutants from environmental water samples. Molecular docking was used to simulate the adsorption mechanism of GNP C300 towards SMX and ACM with a free binding energy of −7.54 kcal mol
−1
and −5.29 kcal mol
−1
, respectively, which revealed adsorption occurred spontaneously.
Quantitative confocal microscopy and calibration for measuring differences in cyclic-di-GMP signalling by bacteria on biomedical hydrogels
Authors: Blacutt Jacob , Lan Ziyang , Cosgriff-Hernandez Elizabeth M. , Gordon Vernita D.
Published: January 2021

The growth of bacterial biofilms on implanted medical devices causes harmful infections and device failure. Biofilm development initiates when bacteria attach to and sense a surface. For the common nosocomial pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and many others, the transition to the biofilm phenotype is controlled by the intracellular signal and second messenger cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP). It is not known how biomedical materials might be adjusted to impede c-di-GMP signalling, and there are few extant methods for conducting such studies. Here, we develop such a method. We allowed
P. aeruginosa
to attach to the surfaces of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels. These bacteria contained a plasmid for a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter for c-di-GMP. We used laser-scanning confocal microscopy to measure the dynamics of the GFP reporter for 3 h, beginning 1 h after introducing bacteria to the hydrogel. We controlled for the effects of changes in bacterial metabolism using a promoterless plasmid for GFP, and for the effects of light passing through different hydrogels being differently attenuated by using fluorescent plastic beads as ‘standard candles’ for calibration. We demonstrate that this method can measure statistically significant differences in c-di-GMP signalling associated with different PEGDA gel types and with the surface-exposed protein PilY1.
Escherichia ruysiae sp. nov., a novel Gram-stain-negative bacterium, isolated from a faecal sample of an international traveller
Authors: van der Putten Boas C. L. , Matamoros S. , Mende D. R. , Scholl E. R. , consortium† COMBAT , Schultsz C.
Published: January 2021

The genus

Escherichia

comprises five species and at least five lineages currently not assigned to any species, termed ‘

Escherichia

cryptic clades’. We isolated an

Escherichia

strain from an international traveller and resolved the complete DNA sequence of the chromosome and an IncI multidrug resistance plasmid using Illumina and Nanopore whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Strain OPT1704T can be differentiated from existing

Escherichia

species using biochemical (VITEK2) and genomic tests [average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH)]. Phylogenetic analysis based on alignment of 16S rRNA sequences and 682 concatenated core genes showed similar results. Our analysis further revealed that strain OPT1704T falls within

Escherichia

cryptic clade IV and is closely related to cryptic clade III. Combining our analyses with publicly available WGS data of cryptic clades III and IV from Enterobase confirmed the close relationship between clades III and IV (>96 % interclade ANI), warranting assignment of both clades to the same novel species. We propose Escherichia ruysiae sp. nov. as a novel species, encompassing

Escherichia

cryptic clades III and IV (type strain OPT1704T=NCCB 100732T=NCTC 14359T).
Roseomonas coralli sp. nov., a heavy metal resistant bacterium isolated from coral
Authors: Li Fei , Huang Yuanlin , Hu Wenjin , Li Zhe , Wang Qiaozhen , Huang Shushi , Jiang Fajun , Pan Xinli
Published: January 2021

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, mesophilic, non-motile bacterium, designated M0104T, was isolated from a gorgonian coral collected from Xieyang island, Guangxi Province, PR China. Colonies of the strain were non-motile cocci and pink. The strain grew at 15–34 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 4.5–8.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and with 0–4% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0–2 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain M0104T was closely related to

Roseomonas deserti

JCM 31275T (96.2 %),

Roseomonas vastitatis

KCTC 62043T (96.0 %),

Roseomonas aerofrigidensis

JCM 31878T (95.9 %) and

Roseomonas oryzae

KCTC 42542T (95.7 %). The strain had an assembly size of 5.0 Mb and a G+C content of 71.0mol%. Genes involved in copper, cadmium, lead, arsenic and zinc resistance were identified in the genome of strain M0104T. The digital DNA–DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between the genome sequence of strain M0104T and those of closely related type strains were 19.4–24.9 % and 74.3–81.8 %, respectively. Strain M0104T contained C18:1
ω7c, C18:3
ω3c, anteiso C11:0 and C16:0 as the major fatty acids (>7 %) and ubiquinone Q-10 as the sole isoprenoid quinone. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine were its major polar lipids. Based on its phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic properties, strain M0104T is proposed to represent a novel species within the genus

Roseomonas

, for which the name Roseomonas coralli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M0104T (=KCTC 62359T=MCCC 1K03632T).
Value of radiomics features from adrenal gland and periadrenal fat CT images predicting COVID-19 progression
Authors: Zhang Mudan , Yin Xuntao , Li Wuchao , Zha Yan , Zeng Xianchun , Zhang Xiaoyong , Cui Jingjing , Tian Jie , Wang Rongpin , Liu Chen
Published: January 2021

Background

Value of radiomics features from the adrenal gland and periadrenal fat CT images for predicting disease progression in patients with COVID-19 has not been studied.

Methods

A total of 1,245 patients (685 moderate and 560 severe patients) were enrolled in a retrospective study. We proposed 3D V-Net to segment adrenal glands in onset CT images automatically, and periadrenal fat was obtained using inflation operation around the adrenal gland. Next, we built a clinical model (CM), three radiomics models (adrenal gland model [AM], periadrenal fat model [PM], and fusion of adrenal gland and periadrenal fat model [FM]), and radiomics nomogram (RN) after radiomics features extracted to predict disease progression in patients with COVID-19.

Results

The auto-segmentation framework yielded a dice value of 0.79 in the training set. CM, AM, PM, FM, and RN obtained AUCs of 0.712, 0.692, 0.763, 0.791, and 0.806, respectively in the training set. FM and RN had better predictive efficacy than CM (P < 0.0001) in the training set. RN showed that there was no significant difference in the validation set (mean absolute error [MAE] = 0.04) and test set (MAE = 0.075) between predictive and actual results. Decision curve analysis showed that if the threshold probability was more than 0.3 in the validation set or between 0.4 and 0.8 in the test set, it could gain more net benefits using RN than FM and CM.

Conclusion

Radiomics features extracted from the adrenal gland and periadrenal fat CT images may predict progression in patients with COVID-19.

Funding

This study was funded by Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province (QKHZC [2020]4Y002, QKHPTRC [2019]5803), the Guiyang Science and Technology Project (ZKXM [2020]4), Guizhou Science and Technology Department Key Lab. Project (QKF [2017]25), Beijing Medical and Health Foundation (YWJKJJHKYJJ-B20261CS) and the special fund for basic Research Operating Expenses of public welfare research institutes at the central level from Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019PT320003).
Implementing genomic screening in diverse populations
Authors: Abul-Husn Noura S. , Soper Emily R. , Braganza Giovanna T. , Rodriguez Jessica E. , Zeid Natasha , Cullina Sinead , Bobo Dean , Moscati Arden , Merkelson Amanda , Loos Ruth J.F. , Cho Judy H. , Belbin Gillian M. , Suckiel Sabrina A. , Kenny Eimear E.
Published: January 2021

Background

Population-based genomic screening has the predicted ability to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with medically actionable conditions. However, much research is needed to develop standards for genomic screening, and to understand the perspectives of people offered this new testing modality. This is particularly true for non-European ancestry populations who are vastly underrepresented in genomic medicine research. Therefore, we implemented a pilot genomic screening program in the BioMeBiobank in New York City, where the majority of participants are of non-European ancestry.

Methods

We initiated genomic screening for well-established genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC), Lynch syndrome (LS), and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We evaluated and included an additional gene (TTR) associated with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR), which has a common founder variant in African ancestry populations. We evaluated the characteristics of 74 participants who received results associated with these conditions. We also assessed the preferences of 7,461 newly enrolled BioMeparticipants to receive genomic results.

Results

In the pilot genomic screening program, 74 consented participants received results related to HBOC (N=26), LS (N=6), FH (N=8), and hATTR (N=34). Thirty-three of 34 (97.1%) participants who received a result related to hATTR were self-reported African/African American (AA) or Hispanic/Latinx (HL), compared to 14 of 40 (35.0%) participants who received a result related to HBOC, LS, or FH. Among 7,461 participants enrolled after the BioMeprotocol modification to allow the return of genomic results, 93.4% indicated that they would want to receive results. Younger participants, women, and HL participants were more likely to opt to receive results.

Conclusions

The addition ofTTRto a pilot genomic screening program meant that we returned results to a higher proportion of AA and HL participants, in comparison with genes traditionally included in genomic screening programs in the U.S. We found that the majority of participants in a multi-ethnic biobank are interested in receiving genomic results for medically actionable conditions. These findings increase knowledge about the perspectives of diverse research participants on receiving genomic results, and inform the broader implementation of genomic medicine in underrepresented patient populations.
Caffeine and Methylliberine: A Human Pharmacokinetic Interaction Study
Authors: Mondal Goutam , Wang Yan-Hong , Butawan Matthew , Bloomer Richard J , Yates Ryan
Published: January 2021

Methylliberine and theacrine are methylurates found in the leaves of various Coffea species and Camellia assamica var. kucha, respectively. We previously demonstrated that the methylxanthine caffeine increased theacrine oral bioavailability in humans. Consequently, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study pharmacokinetic study in humans administered methylliberine, theacrine, and caffeine to determine methylliberine pharmacokinetic interaction potential with either caffeine or theacrine. Subjects (n = 12) received an oral dose of either methylliberine (25 or 100 mg), caffeine (150 mg), methylliberine (100 mg) plus caffeine (150 mg), or methylliberine (100 mg) plus theacrine (50 mg) using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. Blood samples were collected over 24 hours and analyzed for methylliberine, theacrine, and caffeine using UPLC-MS/MS. Methylliberine exhibited linear pharmacokinetics that were unaffected by co-administration of either caffeine or theacrine. However, methylliberine co-administration resulted in decreased oral clearance (41.9 +/- 19.5 vs. 17.1 +/- 7.80 L/hr) and increased half-life (7.2 +/- 5.6 versus 15 +/- 5.8 hrs) of caffeine. Methylliberine had no impact on caffeine maximum concentration (440 +/- 140 vs. 458 +/- 93.5 ng/mL) or oral volume of distribution (351 +/- 148 vs. 316 +/- 76.4 L). We previously demonstrated theacrine bioavailability was enhanced by caffeine, however, caffeine pharmacokinetics were unaffected by theacrine. Herein, we found that methylliberine altered caffeine pharmacokinetics without a reciprocal interaction, which suggests caffeine may interact uniquely with different methylurates. Understanding the mechanism(s) of interaction between methylxanthines and methylurates is of critical importance in light of the recent advent of dietary supplements containing both purine alkaloid classes.
Viral Variants and Vaccinations: If We Can Change the COVID-19 Vaccine… Should We?
Authors: Bewick Sharon
Published: January 2021

As we close in on one year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, hope has been placed on bringing the virus under control through mass administration of recently developed vaccines. Unfortunately, newly emerged, fast-spreading strains of COVID-19 threaten to undermine progress by interfering with vaccine efficacy. While a long-term solution to this challenge would be to develop vaccines that simultaneously target multiple different COVID-19 variants, this approach faces both developmental and regulatory hurdles. A simpler option would be to switch the target of the current vaccine to better match the newest viral variant. I use a stochastic simulation to determine when it is better to target a newly emerged viral variant and when it is better to target the dominant but potentially less transmissible strain. My simulation results suggest that it is almost always better to target the faster spreading strain, even when the initial prevalence of this variant is much lower. In scenarios where targeting the slower spreading variant is best, all vaccination strategies perform relatively well, meaning that the choice of vaccination strategy has a small effect on public health outcomes. In scenarios where targeting the faster spreading variant is best, use of vaccines against the faster spreading viral variant can save many lives. My results provide ‘rule of thumb’ guidance for those making critical decisions about vaccine formulation over the coming months.
Glucocorticoid receptor activation induces gene-specific transcriptional memory and universally reversible changes in chromatin accessibility
Authors: Bothe Melissa , Buschow René , Meijsing Sebastiaan H.
Published: January 2021

Glucocorticoids are stress hormones that elicit cellular responses by binding to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ligand-activated transcription factor. The exposure of cells to this hormone induces wide-spread changes in the chromatin landscape and gene expression. Previous studies have suggested that some of these changes are reversible whereas others persist even when the hormone is no longer around. However, when we examined chromatin accessibility in human airway epithelial cells after hormone washout, we found that the hormone-induced changes were universally reversed after one day. Reversibility of hormone-induced changes are found for GR-occupied opening sites and also for closing sites that typically lack GR occupancy. These closing sites are enriched near repressed genes, suggesting that transcriptional repression by GR does not require nearby GR binding. Mirroring what we say in terms of chromatin accessibility, we found that transcriptional responses to hormone are universally reversable. Moreover, priming of cells by a previous exposure to hormone, in general, did not alter the transcriptional response to a subsequent encounter of the same cue. Interestingly, despite the short-lived nature of hormone-induced changes in the chromatin landscape, we identified a single gene,ZBTB16, that displays transcriptional memory manifesting itself as a more robust transcriptional response upon repeated hormone stimulation. Single-cell analysis revealed that the more robust response is driven by a higher probability of primed cells to activateZBTB16and by a subset of cells that express the gene at levels that are higher than the induction levels observed for naïve cells. Although our study shows that hormone-induced changes are typically reversable, exposure to hormone can induce gene-specific changes in the response to subsequent exposures which may play a role in habituation to stressors and changes in glucocorticoid sensitivity.
Distribution and diversity of dimetal-carboxylate halogenases in cyanobacteria
Authors: Eusebio Nadia , Rego Adriana , Glasser Nathaniel R. , Castelo-Branco Raquel , Balskus Emily P. , Leão Pedro N.
Published: January 2021

Halogenation is a recurring feature in natural products, especially those from marine organisms. The selectivity with which halogenating enzymes act on their substrates renders halogenases interesting targets for biocatalyst development. Recently, CylC – the first predicted dimetal-carboxylate halogenase to be characterized – was shown to regio- and stereoselectively install a chlorine atom onto an unactivated carbon center during cylindrocyclophane biosynthesis. Homologs of CylC are also found in other characterized cyanobacterial secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. Due to its novelty in biological catalysis, selectivity and ability to perform C-H activation, this halogenase class is of considerable fundamental and applied interest. However, little is known regarding the diversity and distribution of these enzymes in bacteria. In this study, we used both genome mining and PCR-based screening to explore the genetic diversity and distribution of CylC homologs. While we found non-cyanobacterial homologs of these enzymes to be rare, we identified a large number of genes encoding CylC-like enzymes in publicly available cyanobacterial genomes and in our in-house culture collection of cyanobacteria. Genes encoding CylC homologs are widely distributed throughout the cyanobacterial tree of life, within biosynthetic gene clusters of distinct architectures. Their genomic contexts feature a variety of biosynthetic partners, including fatty-acid activation enzymes, type I or type III polyketide synthases, dialkylresorcinol-generating enzymes, monooxygenases or Rieske proteins. Our study also reveals that dimetal-carboxylate halogenases are among the most abundant types of halogenating enzymes in the phylum Cyanobacteria. This work will help to guide the search for new halogenating biocatalysts and natural product scaffolds.

Data statement

All supporting data and methods have been provided within the article or through a Supplementary Material file, which includes 14 supplementary figures and 4 supplementary tables.
Animal linguistics: Exploring referentiality and compositionality in bird calls
Authors: Suzuki Toshitaka N.
Published: January 2021

Establishing the theory of language evolution is an ongoing challenge in science. One profitable approach in this regard is to seek the origins of linguistic capabilities by comparing language with the vocal communication systems of closely related relatives (i.e., the great apes). However, several key capabilities of language appear to be absent in non‐human primates, which limits the range of studies, such as direct phylogenetic comparison. A further informative approach lies in identifying convergent features in phylogenetically distant animals and conducting comparative studies. This approach is particularly useful with respect to establishing general rules for the evolution of linguistic capabilities. In this article, I review recent findings on linguistic capabilities in a passerine bird species, the Japanese tit (Parus minor). Field experiments have revealed that Japanese tits produce unique alarm calls when encountering predatory snakes, which serve to enhance the visual attention of call receivers with respect to snake‐like objects. Moreover, tits often combine discrete types of meaningful calls into fixed‐ordered sequences according to an ordering rule, conveying a compositional message to receivers. These findings indicate that two core capabilities of language, namely, referentiality and compositionality, have independently evolved in the avian lineage. I describe how these linguistic capabilities can be examined under field conditions and discuss how such research may contribute to exploring the origins and evolution of language.
Teaching early numeracy to students with autism using a school staff delivery model
Authors: Apanasionok Magdalena M. , Alallawi Barah , Grindle Corinna F. , Hastings Richard P. , Watkins Richard C. , Nicholls Gemma , Maguire Leanne , Staunton Darragh
Published: January 2021

Mathematics is one of the core school subjects in the UK and an emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ mathematical competencies throughout all key stages. Despite that, the attainment of students with disabilities in mathematics remains low. The current study explored ways in which the Teaching Early Numeracy to children with Developmental Disabilities (TEN‐DD) programme could be implemented by teaching staff in a special school in the UK to improve the numeracy skills of students with autism. Adaptations to the delivery of the programme were made during the study as a result of continued collaboration with the participating school. The findings suggest that it may be feasible to implement the TEN‐DD programme using a school staff delivery model and it may help learners improve their early numeracy skills. Practical aspects of TEN‐DD’s implementation highlighted the need to incorporate more systematic adaptations for minimally verbal students, as well as for learners who might need additional training with prerequisite skills.
Genome‐wide identification and analysis of sulfatase and sulfatase modifying factor genes in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)
Authors: Ren Jun , Peng Zheng‐Ke , Yang Ze‐Zhong , Tian Li‐Xia , Liu Shao‐Nan , Wang Shao‐Li , Wu Qing‐Jun , Xie Wen , Zhang You‐Jun
Published: January 2021

The invasive pest whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is a complex species, of which Middle East‐Minor Asia 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) are the two most damaging members. Previous research showed that cabbage is frequently infested with MEAM1 but seldomly with MED, and this difference in performance is associated with glucosinolate (GS) content. Some insects can modify GS using glucosinolate sulfatase (SULF), the activity of which is regulated by sulfatase modifying factor 1 (SUMF1); therefore, to increase our understanding of different performances of MEAM1 and MED on cabbage plants, we identified and compared nine putative SULFs and one SUMF in MEAM1 and MED. We found that the lengths of two genes, BtSulf2 and BtSulf4, differed between MEAM1 and MED. The messenger RNA levels of BtSulf4 increased more than 20‐fold after MEAM1 and MED adults were exposed to GS, but BtSulf2 expression was only induced by GS in MEAM1. Knockdown of BtSulf2 and BtSulf4 in MEAM1 resulted in a substantial increase in the mortality of GS‐treated adults but not in MED. These results indicate that differences in BtSulf2 and BtSulf4 sequences and/or expression may explain why MEAM1 performs better than MED on cabbage. Our results provide a basis for future functional research on SULF and SUMF in B. tabaci.
Collapsed
Authors: Pardue Derek
Published: January 2021

As part of a larger ethnographic project that approaches urban migration to São Paulo, Brazil as modes of racialized presence, I offer a fictionalized account of the tragic collapse of the Wilton Paes de Almeida Building (Fig. 1), an occupied, squatter settlement, on May 1, 2018. The narrative point of view represents the tension between the omniscient narrator and local actors, using an imaginative opening to examine migrant aspirations and fears. However, it is inescapably partial, its own kind of collapse. After the event, I was unable to locate the “real” people on which the characters were based. I did, however, revisit the area of destruction repeatedly and sat with the ruins (Fig. 2), the built environment playing its own role in memory and migrant experiences. The story follows Sembene, a Senegalese trader, his wife, Grace, and Flávio, a low‐level mafia operator, for twenty‐four hours leading up to and immediately following the collapse of building. We also glimpse their memories and longings as we move between their precarious residence in the building and a Senegalese commercial presence nearby. Ultimately, multiple collapses show the entangled forces of (il)legality, the urban, fortune, and belief in an understudied destination of contemporary African migration.
Early Constraints on the Imagination: The Realism of Young Children
Authors: Harris Paul L.
Published: January 2021

The imagination of young children has notable constraints. The outcomes and possibilities that they imagine rarely deviate from the everyday regularities they have observed and remembered. Their reality‐based imagination is evident in a variety of contexts: early pretend play, envisioning the future, judgments about what is possible, the instructive role of thought experiments, tool making, and figurative drawing. Overall, the evidence shows that children’s imagination helps them to anticipate reality and its close alternatives. This perspective invites future research on the scope of children's thinking about counterfactual possibilities, their ability to make discoveries about reality on the basis of thought experiments, and the ways in which cultural input can expand the scope of the possibilities that they entertain.
NGOs as Social Movements: Policy Narratives, Networks and the Performance of Dalit Rights in South India
Authors: Mosse David , Nagappan Sundara Babu
Published: January 2021

Donor‐funded development NGOs are sometimes portrayed as co‐opting, privatizing or depoliticizing citizen action or social movements. This much is implied by the term ‘NGOization’. Alternatively, NGOs can be seen as bearers of rights‐based work increasingly threatened by tighter regulation or substitution by corporate social responsibility models of development. This article engages critically with both perspectives. It traces the role of NGOs and their funders in agenda setting, specifically in bringing the previously excluded issue of caste discrimination into development policy discourse in the form of a Dalit‐rights approach in Tamil Nadu, south India. The authors explore the institutional processes of policy making and NGO networking involved, the alliances, entanglements of NGOs and social movements, and the performativity of NGO Dalit rights. But at the same time, the article illustrates how NGO institutional systems have constrained or failed to sustain such identity‐based claims to entitlement. In Nancy Fraser's terms, the article explores success and failure in addressing ‘first‐order’ issues of justice, that is rights to resources (in this case, land), and in tackling ‘second‐order’ injustices concerning the framing of who counts (who can make a claim as a rights holder) and how (by what procedures are claims and contests staged and resolved). This draws attention to the important but fragile achievements of NGOs’ discursive framings that give Dalits the ‘right to have rights’.
Point prevalence and motor function of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy in Scandinavia and Scotland: a CP‐North study
Authors: Hollung Sandra Julsen , Hägglund Gunnar , Gaston Mark S , Seid Abdu Kedir , Lydersen Stian , Alriksson‐Schmidt Ann I , Andersen Guro L
Published: January 2021

Aim

To describe the point prevalence of cerebral palsy (CP) and distribution of gross and fine motor function in individuals registered in a CP‐North surveillance programme.

Method

Aggregate data of individuals with CP aged 6 to 19 years, sex, CP subtype, and gross and fine motor function levels were collected from each programme. Overall and age‐specific point prevalence of CP was calculated for each programme using 95% confidence intervals. Logistic regression was used to estimate prevalence and CP subtypes with age as the covariate variable. Pearson χ2 tests were used to compare the distributions of CP subtypes, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels, and Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) levels by age and between programmes.

Results

Among 3 759 138 individuals residing in Scandinavia and Scotland, 8278 had a diagnosis of CP (57–59% were males). The overall point prevalence of CP ranged from 2.13 to 2.32 per 1000 residents. Age‐specific prevalence in each programme varied with the exception of Denmark. While the proportions of bilateral spastic CP were similar between programmes, there were variations in all other CP subtypes and in GMFCS and MACS levels.

Interpretation

While the results of this study may reflect real differences in CP populations between countries, they may not be clinically relevant. The variations may be attributable to differences in the year when each programme was first established, different data collection methods, and country‐specific governmental policies.
Overview of antiviral drug candidates targeting coronaviral 3C‐like main proteases
Authors: Chen Chun‐Chi , Yu Xuejing , Kuo Chih‐Jung , Min Jian , Chen Sizhuo , Ma Lixin , Liu Ke , Guo Rey‐Ting
Published: January 2021

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are positive single‐stranded RNA viruses that cause severe respiratory syndromes in humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS‐CoV‐2) at the end of 2019 became a global pandemic. The 3C‐like cysteine protease (3CLpro) processes viral polyproteins to yield mature non‐structural proteins, thus playing an important role in the CoV life cycle, and therefore is considered as a prominent target for antiviral drugs. To date, many 3CLpro inhibitors have been reported, and their molecular mechanisms have been illustrated. Here, we briefly introduce the structural features of 3CLpro of the human‐related SARS‐CoV, MERS‐CoV and SARS‐CoV‐2, and explore the potency and mechanism of their cognate inhibitors. This information will shed light on the development and optimization of CoV 3CLpro inhibitors, which may benefit the further designation of therapeutic strategies for treating CoV diseases.
Psychometric properties of the Urdu version of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and oral health‐related quality of life in the elder Pakistani population
Authors: Chaudhary Farooq Ahmad , Siddiqui Yasir Dilshad , Yaqoob Muhammad Azeem , Khalid Muhammad Danial , Butt Danial Qasim , Hameed Shoaib
Published: January 2021

Objective

The study aimed to translate the English version of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index, assess its reliability and validity, and demonstrate its psychometric properties with regard to OHRQoL in the elder Pakistani population.

Material and methods

In this cross‐sectional study, 408 elder people were randomly recruited from three day‐care centres. In the translation process, the translated Urdu version was reviewed by a committee of experts, followed by back‐translation into English and re‐reviewed by the same committee of experts. The questionnaire sought information about socio‐demographic characteristics information and self‐perception of oral, general health and treatment needs. OHRQoL was examined using GOHAI‐U, and intraoral examination recorded the decayed, missing, and filled teeth. Reliability, internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity of GOHAI‐U were examined.

Results

The mean GOHAI‐U score was 40.2 (SD = 5.7, range = 20‐55). The Cronbach's alpha for GOHAI score was 0.71, item‐scale correlation coefficients ranged from 0.63 to 0.76, and test–retest correlation ranged from 0.59 to 0.74. Three factors supported the theoretical construction in the component factor analysis of the index. For convergent validity, there was a significant relationship between the GOHAI score and self‐perceived oral, general health and treatment needs (P < .05). For discriminant validity, a significant correlation was found between the GOHAI score and clinical measures of dental health status except with the carious teeth.

Conclusion

The GOHAI‐U has sufficient reliability and constructs validity to be used as an efficient measure of oral health‐related quality of life in the Pakistani elder population.
Efficacy of eradication therapy in Helicobacter pylori‐negative gastric mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Jung Kyoungwon , Kim Do Hoon , Seo Hyun Il , Gong Eun Jeong , Bang Chang Seok
Published: January 2021

Background and Aims

The role of eradication therapy in Helicobacter pylori‐negative gastric mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of H. pylori eradication therapy as a first‐line treatment for H. pylori‐negative gastric MALT lymphoma.

Methods

A literature search of studies published until October 2019 was performed using electronic databases. Studies that reported treatment response to eradication therapy as an initial treatment for patients with H. pylori‐negative gastric MALT lymphoma were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome was the complete remission rate after eradication therapy.

Results

Twenty‐five studies were included in the analyses. The overall pooled complete remission rate was 29.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.2%–37.4%, I2 = 41.5%). There was no publication bias, and the sensitivity analyses showed consistent results. The pooled complete remission rates were lower in the subgroups of studies that had a higher incidence of translocation t(11;18)(q21;q21) (19.9%, 95% CI, 11.6%–32.0%), studies that used serological tests to exclude H. pylori infection (27.5%, 95% CI, 20.1%–36.4%), and studies where non‐response to eradication therapy was determined at <12 months after treatment (27.0%, 95% CI, 15.5%–42.7%). Meta‐regression analysis revealed that the pooled estimate was not significantly different in terms of the characteristics of individual studies.

Conclusions

Although the complete remission rate after eradication therapy is not high, it can be used as an initial treatment option in a subset of patients with H. pylori‐negative gastric MALT lymphoma. Further studies to identify subgroups of patients who may benefit from eradication therapy are needed.
AI‐2 represses CagA expression and bacterial adhesion, attenuating the Helicobacter pylori‐induced inflammatory response of gastric epithelial cells
Authors: Wen Yancheng , Huang Hongming , Tang Tiechen , Yang Huang , Wang Xi , Huang Xi , Gong Yingying , Zhang Xiaoyan , She Feifei
Published: January 2021

Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection of gastric epithelial cells induces inflammatory response. Outer membrane proteins (OMPs), Type 4 secretion system (T4SS) encoded by cagPAI, and the effector protein CagA are involved in the pathogenesis of H. pylori. H. pylori possesses a gene encoding LuxS which synthesizes AI‐2, a quorum sensing signal molecule. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of AI‐2 in the expression of virulence factors and the inflammatory response of gastric epithelial (AGS) cells induced by H. pylori.

Materials and Methods

H. pylori ΔluxS mutant was constructed, and AI‐2 activity was measured with Vibrio harveyi BB170. NF‐κB activation, IL‐8 production, expression of OMPs (outer membrane proteins), CagA, and T4SS encoded by cagPAI were investigated in H. pylori wild type, and ΔluxS with or without supplementation of AI‐2.

Results

H. pylori produced approximately 7 μM of AI‐2 in the medium. AI‐2 inhibited expression and translocation of CagA after infection of AGS cells. AI‐2 upregulated the expression of CagM, CagE, and CagX, while had no effect to the interaction between T4SS and α5β1 integrin. AI‐2 also reduced expression of adhesins and bacterial adhesion to AGS cells. Finally, AI‐2 reduced the activation of NF‐κB and expression of IL‐8 in H. pylori‐infected AGS.

Conclusions

AI‐2 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori. AI‐2 inhibits the bacterial adhesion, expression, and translocation of CagA, and attenuates the inflammatory response of AGS cells induced by H. pylori.
Fruit softening correlates with enzymatic activities and compositional changes in fruit cell wall during growing in Lycium barbarum L.
Authors: Liu Jun , Zhao Yuhui , Xu Hao , Zhao Xiaolu , Tan Yutian , Li Peipei , Li Dongdong , Tao Yingmei , Liu Dunhua
Published: January 2021

The present study aims to examine fruit cell wall‐associated fruit softening in Lycium barbarum L. by the microstructure of the fruit cells and the changes in the contents of cell wall components, molecular weights of cell wall polysaccharides and the activities of related cell wall degrading enzymes at different development stages of L. barbarum L. fruit. Fruit firmness significantly declined during ripening, with the greatest reduction between the 28 and 35 days stages. The decrease in firmness correlated with an extensively deformed microstructure in the parenchyma tissues and positively correlated with reductions in the contents of fruit cell wall materials and molecular weight in cell wall polysaccharide. Cellulase, α‐galactosidase, polygalactosidase and pectin methylesterase showed higher activities during 28 days; whereas, the activities of β‐galactosidase were higher during 35 days. These results indicate that cell wall‐related processes are a key feature of early softening in L. barbarum L.
Shared Standards versus Competitive Pressures in Journalism
Authors: Herzog Lisa
Published: January 2021

Democratic societies need media that uphold journalistic standards of truthfulness and objectivity. But sensationalism has always been a temptation for journalists, and given the intense competition between news outlets, especially in the online world, there is pressure on them to ‘chase the clicks’. The article analyzes the incentive structures for journalists – focusing on the harmfulness of sensationalist framing as an example – and the challenges of establishing shared standards in a highly competitive online environment. Drawing on concepts and arguments from business ethics, it argues that the structure of this problem points to the need for an ‘ethics of sportsmanship’ that upholds journalistic standards despite competitive pressures. But the specific role and nature of the media imply that there can be no once‐and‐for‐all solution. Instead, there is a need for reflexivity, that is, for an ongoing dialogue about journalistic standards and the role of media in democratic societies.
Racial Differences and Temporal Obesity Trends in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Caughey Melissa C. , Vaduganathan Muthiah , Arora Sameer , Qamar Arman , Mentz Robert J. , Chang Patricia P. , Yancy Clyde W. , Russell Stuart D. , Shah Sanjiv J. , Rosamond Wayne D. , Pandey Ambarish
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Obesity increases with age, is disproportionately prevalent in black populations, and is associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). An “obesity paradox,” or improved survival with obesity, has been reported in patients with HFpEF. The aim of this study was to examine whether racial differences exist in the temporal trends and outcomes associated with obesity among older patients with HFpEF.

DESIGN

Community surveillance of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) hospitalizations, sampled by stratified design from 2005 to 2014.

SETTING

Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (NC, MS, MD, MN).

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 10,147 weighted hospitalizations for ADHF (64% female, 74% white, mean age 77 years), with ejection fraction ≥50%.

MEASUREMENTS

ADHF classified by physician review, HFpEF defined by ejection fraction ≥50%. Body mass index (BMI) calculated from weight at hospital discharge. Obesity defined by BMI ≥30 kg/m2, class III obesity by BMI ≥40 kg/m2.

RESULTS

When aggregated across 2005–2014, the mean BMI was higher for black compared to white patients (34 vs 30 kg/m2; P < .0001), as was prevalence of obesity (56% vs 43%; P < .0001) and class III obesity (24% vs 13%; P < .0001). Over time, the annual mean BMI and prevalence of class III obesity remained stable for black patients, but steadily increased for white patients, with annual rates statistically differing by race (P‐interaction = .04 and P = .03, respectively). For both races, a U‐shaped adjusted mortality risk was observed across BMI categories, with the highest risk among patients with a BMI ≥40 kg/m2.

CONCLUSION

Black patients were disproportionately burdened by obesity in this decade‐long community surveillance of older hospitalized patients with HFpEF. However, temporal increases in mean BMI and class III obesity prevalence among white patients narrowed the racial difference in recent years. For both races, the worst survival was observed with class III obesity. Effective strategies are needed to manage obesity in patients with HFpEF.
Low placental growth factor levels and high soluble endoglin levels at 26–31 weeks of gestation precede light placenta with and without relatively heavy infant, respectively: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Hirashima Chikako , Ohkuchi Akihide , Sasaki Kemal , Takahashi Kayo , Suzuki Hirotada , Matsubara Shigeki , Matsuda Yoshio
Published: January 2021

Aim

Our aim was to examine whether serum levels of placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble endoglin (sEng) at 19–25 and 26–31 weeks of gestation were associated with the occurrence of the 9‐block categorization of placenta weight (PW) and fetal/placenta ratio (F/P ratio).

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study in 1391 women with singleton pregnancy. Serum levels of PlGF and sEng were measured by enzyme immunosorbent assay. A light placenta was defined as PW ZS < −1.28 SD. Based on the PW (light, normal, and heavy) and F/P ratio (relatively heavy, balanced growth, and relatively small), 9‐block categorization were performed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results

Low PlGF at 26–31 weeks was an independent risk factor for the birth of infants belonging to Block A (light placenta and relatively heavy infant), after adjusting for prepregnancy body mass index and serum levels of sEng. High sEng at 26–31 weeks was an independent risk factor for the birth of infants belonging to Block D (light placenta and balanced growth of infant), after adjusting for past history of either preeclampsia or gestational hypertension, high pulsatility index of uterine artery flow velocity waveforms in the second trimester, and serum level of PlGF.

Conclusions

Low PlGF levels at 26–31 weeks of gestation may precede a light placenta and relatively heavy infant (Block A), and high sEng levels at 26–31 weeks of gestation may precede a light placenta and balanced growth of infant (Block D).