bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relating monaural and binaural measures of modulation sensitivity in listeners with and without hearing loss
Authors: Best Virginia , Conroy Christopher
Published: September 2024

Listeners are sensitive to interaural time differences carried in the envelope of high-frequency sounds (ITDENV), but the salience of this cue depends on certain properties of the envelope and, in particular, on the presence/depth of amplitude modulation (AM) in the envelope. This study tested the hypothesis that individuals with sensorineural hearing loss, who show enhanced sensitivity to AM under certain conditions, would also show superior ITDENV sensitivity under those conditions. The second hypothesis was that variations in ITDENV sensitivity across individuals can be related to variations in sensitivity to AM. To enable a direct comparison, a standard adaptive AM detection task was used along with a modified version of it designed to measure ITDENV sensitivity. The stimulus was a 4-kHz tone modulated at rates of 32, 64, or 128 Hz and presented at a 30 dB sensation level. Both tasks were attempted by 16 listeners with normal hearing and 16 listeners with hearing loss. Consistent with the hypotheses, AM and ITDENV thresholds were correlated and tended to be better in listeners with hearing loss. A control experiment emphasized that absolute level may be a consideration when interpreting the group effects.
Machine-learning-based measurement of relaxation time via particle ordering
Authors: De Micco Maurizio , D’Avino Gaetano , Trofa Marco , Villone Massimiliano M. , Maffettone Pier Luca
Published: September 2024

The rheological characterization of complex liquids is of great importance in many applications. Among the properties that can be measured, the relaxation time has great relevance, as it provides a measure of fluid elasticity. In this work, we propose a novel method to estimate the longest relaxation time of viscoelastic fluids by applying machine learning to microfluidics. Specifically, we train a long-short term memory (LSTM) neural network to identify the Weissenberg number that characterizes the dynamics of trains of rigid particles suspended in a viscoelastic liquid flowing in a cylindrical microchannel. We first study the effect of the Weissenberg number on the evolution of the microstructure through numerical simulations. An in silico dataset consisting of the distributions of the interparticle distances at different channel sections is built and used to train the network. The performance of the LSTM model is tested on both classification and regression problems. The proposed method is nonintrusive, requires a simple setup, and can in principle be used to measure other properties of the fluid.
Buoyancy induced motion of a Newtonian drop in elastoviscoplastic materials
Authors: Esposito G. , Dimakopoulos Y. , Tsamopoulos J.
Published: September 2024

We investigate theoretically the buoyancy-driven motion of a viscous drop in a yield-stress material, incorporating elastic effects represented by the Saramito–Herschel–Bulkley constitutive equation. We solve the governing equations using an open-source finite volume solver and utilizing the volume of fluid technique to accurately capture the interface between the two fluids. To validate our numerical approach, we compare our results with data from previous experimental and numerical studies. We find quantitative agreement in terms of terminal velocities and drop shapes, affirming the accuracy of our model and its numerical solution. Notably, we observe that incorporating elastic effects into the modeling of the continuous phase is essential for predicting phenomena reported in experiments, such as the inversion of the flow field behind the sedimenting drop (i.e., the negative wake) or the formation of a teardrop shape. Due to the elastoviscoplastic nature of the continuous phase, we observe that small drops remain entrapped because the buoyancy force is insufficient to fluidize the surrounding material. We investigate entrapment conditions using two different protocols, which yield different outcomes due to the interplay between capillarity and elastoplasticity. Finally, we conduct an extensive parametric analysis to evaluate the impact of rheological parameters (yield stress, elastic modulus, and interfacial tension) on the dynamics of sedimentation.
Transplanted fibroblasts take the pressure
Authors: Watt Fiona M.
Published: September 2024

Weight-bearing skin cells show promising therapeutic potential
How young is volcanism on the Moon?
Authors: Amelin Yuri , Yin Qing-Zhu
Published: September 2024

Volcanic glass beads date lunar magmatism to 120 million years ago
Hail chasers plan largest ever field campaign
Authors: Richter Hannah
Published: September 2024

ICECHIP project aims to improve predictions of economically costly hailstorms
Russia sets 25% cut to research
Authors: Gerden Eugene
Published: September 2024

As spending on Ukraine war surges, other areas suffer
Differential effects of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH/GuaB) inhibition in
Acinetobacter baumannii
and
Escherichia coli
Authors: Peng Yutian , Moffat John G. , DuPai Cory , Kofoed Eric M. , Skippington Elizabeth , Modrusan Zora , Gloor Susan L. , Clark Kevin , Xu Yiming , Li Shuxuan , Chen Liuxi , Liu Xingrong , Wu Ping , Harris Seth F. , Wang Shumei , Crawford Terry D. , Li Chun Sing , Liu Zhiguo , Wai John , Tan Man-Wah
Published: September 2024

Inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), known as GuaB in bacteria, catalyzes the rate-limiting step in
de novo
guanine biosynthesis and is conserved from humans to bacteria. We developed a series of potent inhibitors that selectively target GuaB over its human homolog. Here, we show that these GuaB inhibitors are bactericidal, generate phenotypic signatures that are distinct from other antibiotics, and elicit different time-kill kinetics and regulatory responses in two important Gram-negative pathogens:
Acinetobacter baumannii
and
Escherichia coli
. Specifically, the GuaB inhibitor G6 rapidly kills
A. baumannii
but only kills
E. coli
after 24 h. After exposure to G6, the expression of genes involved in purine biosynthesis and stress responses change in opposite directions while siderophore biosynthesis is downregulated in both species. Our results suggest that different species respond to GuaB inhibition using distinct regulatory programs and possibly explain the different bactericidal kinetics upon GuaB inhibition. The comparison highlights opportunities for developing GuaB inhibitors as novel antibiotics.

IMPORTANCE

A. baumannii
is a priority bacterial pathogen for which development of new antibiotics is urgently needed due to the emergence of multidrug resistance. We recently developed a series of specific inhibitors against GuaB, a bacterial inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase, and achieved sub-micromolar minimum inhibitory concentrations against
A. baumannii
. GuaB catalyzes the rate-limiting step of
de novo
guanine biosynthesis and is highly conserved across bacterial pathogens. This study shows that inhibition of GuaB induced a bacterial morphological profile distinct from that of other classes of antibiotics, highlighting a novel mechanism of action. Moreover, our transcriptomic analysis showed that regulation of
de novo
purine biosynthesis and stress responses of
A. baumannii
upon GuaB inhibition differed significantly from that of
E. coli
.
Interspecies surfactants serve as public goods enabling surface motility in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Warrell Delayna L. , Zarrella Tiffany M. , Machalek Christopher , Khare Anupama
Published: September 2024

In most natural environments, bacteria live in polymicrobial communities where secreted molecules from neighboring species alter bacterial behaviors, including motility, but such interactions are understudied.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
is a motile opportunistic pathogen that exists in diverse multispecies environments, such as the soil, and is frequently found in human wound and respiratory tract co-infections with other bacteria, including
Staphylococcus aureus
. Here, we show that
P. aeruginosa
can co-opt secreted surfactants from other species for flagellar-based surface motility. We found that exogenous surfactants from
S. aureus
, other bacteria, and interkingdom species enabled
P. aeruginosa
to switch from swarming to an alternative surface spreading motility on semi-solid surfaces and allowed for the emergence of surface motility on hard agar where
P. aeruginosa
was otherwise unable to move. Although active flagellar function was required for surface spreading, known motility regulators were not essential, indicating that surface spreading may be regulated by an as yet unknown mechanism. This motility was distinct from the response of most other motile bacterial species in the presence of exogenous surfactants. Mutant analysis indicated that this
P. aeruginosa
motility was similar to a previously described mucin-based motility, “surfing,” albeit with divergent regulation. Thus, our study demonstrates that secreted surfactants from the host as well as neighboring bacterial and interkingdom species act as public goods facilitating
P. aeruginosa
flagella-mediated surfing-like surface motility, thereby allowing it to access different environmental niches.

IMPORTANCE

Bacterial motility is an important determinant of bacterial fitness and pathogenesis, allowing expansion and invasion to access nutrients and adapt to new environments. Here, we demonstrate that secreted surfactants from a variety of foreign species, including other bacterial species, infection hosts, fungi, and plants, facilitate surface spreading motility in the opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
that is distinct from established motility phenotypes. This response to foreign surfactants also occurs in
Pseudomonas putida
, but not in more distantly related bacterial species. Our systematic characterization of surfactant-based surface spreading shows that these interspecies surfactants serve as public goods to enable
P. aeruginosa
to move and explore environmental conditions when it would be otherwise immotile.
An immunoassay based on bioluminescent sensors for rapid detection of African swine fever virus antibodies
Authors: Zhang Zhonghui , Wang Jinming , Niu Qingli , Guan Guiquan , Yin Hong , Yang Jifei
Published: September 2024

Serological assays for antibody detection have contributed significantly to the diagnosis and control of infectious diseases. African swine fever is the most devastating infectious disease of domestic pigs and wild boars, severely threatening the global pig industry in recent years. Here, we developed a rapid, simple, and sensitive immunoassay based on the split-luciferase system to detect IgG antibodies against African swine fever virus (ASFV). In this assay, the p30 protein of ASFV was genetically coupled to the LgBiT and SmBiT subunits of nanoluciferase, which were used as fusion probes for specific antibodies. Target engagement of the probes results in the reconstitution of a functional nanoluciferase, which further catalyzes bioluminescent reactions. Different orientations of the LgBiT and SmBiT-p30 fusion sensors were designed and investigated, and N-LgBiT/p30 and N-SmBiT/p30 were identified as a promising sensor pair for reforming active nanoluciferase in the presence of specific antibodies. After optimization, this split-luciferase complementation assay showed high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of ASFV antibodies. The analytical sensitivity of the assay was 16 times greater than that of the blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by the detection of serial dilutions of serum, and no cross-reaction was observed with other swine pathogens. As demonstrated in clinical samples, its performance is highly consistent with that of a commercial ELISA kit, with a concordance rate of 98.19%. This assay is simple and easy to perform, providing a more flexible and efficient approach for the measurement of ASFV antibodies in clinical applications.

IMPORTANCE

The study is about a homogeneous split-luciferase assay for antibody detection. Split nanoluciferase biosensors for the detection of ASFV antibodies were designed. This sensor platform enables the sensitive and specific detection of antibodies. The split-luciferase assay is simple, rapid, and easy to use.
Performance of MALDI-TOF MS, real-time PCR, antigen detection, and automated biochemical testing for the identification of
Burkholderia pseudomallei
Authors: Campbell Stuart , Taylor Brooke , Menouhos Dimitrios , Hennessy Jann , Mayo Mark , Baird Robert , Currie Bart J. , Meumann Ella M.
Published: September 2024

Burkholderia pseudomallei
is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease highly endemic to Southeast Asia and northern Australia, though the area of endemicity is expanding. Cases may occur in returning travelers or, rarely, from imported contaminated products. Identification of
B. pseudomallei
is challenging for laboratories that do not see this organism frequently, and misidentifications by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and automated biochemical testing have been reported. The
in vitro
diagnostic database for use with the Vitek MS has recently been updated to include
B. pseudomallei
and we aimed to validate the performance for identification in comparison to automated biochemical testing with the Vitek 2 GN card, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting the type III secretion system, and capsular polysaccharide antigen detection using a lateral flow immunoassay (LFA). We tested a “derivation” cohort including geographically diverse
B. pseudomallei
and a range of closely related
Burkholderia
species, and a prospective “validation” cohort of
B. pseudomallei
and
B. cepacia
complex clinical isolates. MALDI-TOF MS had a sensitivity of 1.0 and specificity of 1.0 for the identification and differentiation of
B. pseudomallei
from related
Burkholderia
species when a certainty cutoff of 99.9% was used. In contrast, automated biochemical testing for
B. pseudomallei
identification had a sensitivity of 0.83 and specificity of 0.88. Both qPCR and LFA correctly identified all
B. pseudomallei
isolates with no false positives. Due to the high level of accuracy, we have now incorporated MALDI-TOF MS into our laboratory’s
B. pseudomallei
identification workflow.

IMPORTANCE

Burkholderia pseudomallei
causes melioidosis, a disease associated with high morbidity and mortality that disproportionately affects rural areas in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. The known area of endemicity is expanding and now includes the continental United States. Laboratory identification can be challenging which may result in missed or delayed diagnoses and poor patient outcomes. In this study, we compared mass spectrometry using an updated spectral database with multiple other methods for
B. pseudomallei
identification and found mass spectrometry highly accurate. We have therefore incorporated this fast and cost-effective method into our laboratory’s workflow for
B. pseudomallei
identification.
Breast cancer colonization by
Malassezia globosa
accelerates tumor growth
Authors: Liu Miao-Miao , Zhu Hui-Hui , Bai Jie , Tian Zi-Ye , Zhao Yu-Jing , Boekhout Teun , Wang Qi-Ming
Published: September 2024

Malassezia globosa
is a lipophilic
basidiomycetous
yeast that occurs abundantly in breast tumors and that may contribute to a shortened overall survival of breast cancer (BRAC) patients, suggesting that the yeast may participate in the carcinogenesis of BRAC. However, the mechanisms involved in the
M. globosa
-based acceleration of BRAC are unknown. Here, we show that
M. globosa
can colonize mammary tissue in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene-induced mice. The abundance of
M. globosa
shortened the overall survival and increased the tumor incidence. Transcriptome data illustrated that IL-17A plays a key role in tumor growth due to
M. globosa
colonization, and tumor-associated macrophage infiltration was elevated during
M. globosa
colonization which triggers M2 polarization of macrophages via toll-like receptors 4/nuclear factor kappa-B (Nf-κB) signaling. Our results show that the expression of sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) is increased in breast tumors after inoculation with
M. globosa
. Moreover, we discovered that Sphk1-specific small interfering RNA blocked the formation of lipid droplets, which can effectively alleviate the expression of the signal transducer and activator of the transcription 3 (STAT3)/Nf-κB pathway. Taken together, our results demonstrate that
M. globosa
could be a possible factor for the progression of BRAC. The mechanisms by which
M. globosa
promotes BRAC development involve the IL-17A/macrophage axis. Meanwhile, Sphk1 overexpression was induced by
M. globosa
infection, which also promoted the proliferation of MCF-7 cells.

IMPORTANCE

Literature has suggested that
Malassezia globosa
is associated with breast tumors; however, this association has not been confirmed. Here, we found that
M. globosa
colonizes in breast fat pads leading to tumor growth. As a lipophilic yeast, the expression of sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) was upregulated to promote tumor growth after
M. globosa
colonization. Moreover, the IL-17A/macrophages axis plays a key role in mechanisms involved in the
M. globosa
-induced breast cancer acceleration from the tumor immune microenvironment perspective.
Complete genome of
Streptococcus agalactiae
strain XM_1
Authors: Guo Yingzhu , Zhu Yao , Lin Xinzhu , Wang Dai
Published: September 2024

Streptococcus agalactiae
can cause a variety of human diseases, posing a deadly threat especially in the case of infections in newborns. A strain of
Streptococcus agalactiae
, designated as XM_1, was isolated from a newborn with severe clinical symptoms. Here, the genome sequence of
Streptococcus agalactiae
strain XM_1 is presented.
Targeted discovery of gut microbiome-remodeling compounds for the treatment of systemic inflammatory response syndrome
Authors: Liu Luyao , Ma Lin , Liu Huan , Zhao Fan , Li Pu , Zhang Junhua , Lü Xin , Zhao Xin , Yi Yanglei
Published: September 2024

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a severe inflammatory response that can lead to organ dysfunction and death. Modulating the gut microbiome is a promising therapeutic approach for managing SIRS. This study assesses the therapeutic potential of the Xuanfei Baidu (XFBD) formula in treating SIRS. The results showed that XFBD administration effectively reduced mortality rates and inflammation in SIRS mice. Using 16S rRNA sequencing and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), we substantiated that the therapeutic effects of XFBD are partly attributed to gut microbiota modulation. We conducted
in vitro
experiments to accurately assess the gut microbiome remodeling effects of 51 compounds isolated from XFBD. These compounds exhibited varying abilities to induce a microbial structure that closely resembles that of the healthy control group. By quantifying their impact on microbial structure and clustering their regulatory patterns, we devised multiple gut microbiome remodeling compound (GMRC) cocktails. GMRC cocktail C, comprising aucubin, gentiopicroside, syringic acid, gallic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, para-hydroxybenzoic acid, and isoimperatorin, demonstrated superior efficacy in treating SIRS compared to a single compound or to other cocktails. Finally,
in vitro
experiments showcased that GMRC cocktail C effectively rebalanced bacteria composition in SIRS patients. This study underscores XFBD’s therapeutic potential in SIRS and highlights the importance of innovative treatment approaches for this disease by targeting the gut microbiota.

IMPORTANCE

Developing effective treatment strategies for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is crucial due to its severe and often life-threatening nature. While traditional treatments like dexamethasone have shown efficacy, they also come with significant side effects and limitations. This study makes significant strides by demonstrating that the Xuanfei Baidu (XFBD) formula can substantially reduce mortality rates and inflammation in SIRS mice through effective modulation of the gut microbiota. By quantitatively assessing the impact of 51 compounds derived from XFBD on the gut microbiome, we developed a potent gut microbiome remodeling compound cocktail. This cocktail outperformed individual compounds and other mixtures in efficacy against SIRS. These findings highlight the potential of XFBD as a therapeutic solution for SIRS and underscore the critical role of innovative strategies targeting the gut microbiota in addressing this severe inflammatory condition.
TolRad, a model for predicting radiation tolerance using Pfam annotations, identifies novel radiosensitive bacterial species from reference genomes and MAGs
Authors: Sweet Philip , Burroughs Matthew , Jang Sungyeon , Contreras Lydia
Published: September 2024

The trait of ionizing radiation (IR) tolerance is variable between bacterium, with species succumbing to acute doses as low as 60 Gy and extremophiles able to survive doses exceeding 10,000 Gy. While survival screens have identified multiple highly radioresistant bacteria, such systemic searches have not been conducted for IR-sensitive bacteria. The taxonomy-level diversity of IR sensitivity is poorly understood, as are genetic elements that influence IR sensitivity. Using the protein domain (Pfam) frequencies from 61 bacterial species with experimentally determined
D
10
values (the dose at which only 10% of the population survives), we trained TolRad, a random forest binary classifier, to distinguish between radiosensitive (
D
10
< 200 Gy) and radiation-tolerant (
D
10
> 200 Gy) bacteria. On untrained species, TolRad had an accuracy of 0.900. We applied TolRad to 152 UniProt-hosted bacterial proteomes associated with the human microbiome, including 37 strains from the ATCC Human Microbiome Collection, and classified 34 species as radiosensitive. Whereas IR-sensitive species (
D
10
< 200 Gy) in the training data set had been confined to the phylum
Proteobacterium
, this initial TolRad screen identified radiosensitive bacteria in two additional phyla. We experimentally validated the predicted radiosensitivity of a
Bacteroidota
species from the human microbiome. To demonstrate that TolRad can be applied to metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), we tested the accuracy of TolRad on Egg-NOG assembled proteomes (0.965) and partial proteomes. Finally, three collections of MAGs were screened using TolRad, identifying further phyla with radiosensitive species and suggesting that environmental conditions influence the abundance of radiosensitive bacteria.

IMPORTANCE

Bacterial species have vast genetic diversity, allowing for life in extreme environments and the conduction of complex chemistry. The ability to harness the full potential of bacterial diversity is hampered by the lack of high-throughput experimental or bioinformatic methods for characterizing bacterial traits. Here, we present a computational model that uses
de novo
-generated genome annotations to classify a bacterium as tolerant of ionizing radiation (IR) or as radiosensitive. This model allows for rapid screening of bacterial communities for low-tolerance species that are of interest for both mechanistic studies into bacterial sensitivity to IR and biomarkers of IR exposure.
Supplemental Material: Mercury evidence of Emeishan volcanism driving the mid-Capitanian (Middle Permian) extinction
Authors: Huang Hu , Mingcai Hou , et al.
Published: September 2024

Size distributions of pyrite framboids and all geochemical data.
Effective community entry: reflections on community engagement in culturally sensitive research in southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Omobowale Olubukola , Koski Alissa , Olaniyan Halimat , Nelson Bidemi , Egbokhare Olayinka , Omigbodun Olayinka
Published: September 2024

Effective community entry processes influence community participation and acceptance of public health interventions. Though there is a growing body of literature on the importance of community partnerships, there is a lack of pragmatic and practical documentation of the experiences involved in the community entry process as it relates to culturally sensitive topics such as child marriage which can help to support researchers working in this field. This article highlights key themes related to knowledge of the community, effective communication, cultural sensitivity, coproduction and giving feedback which help to build trust between the community members and the research team. Institutional representation, not managing expectations, and lack of clarity, along with personal opinions of community gatekeepers can create challenges for the fostering of trustworthy relationships with the community. These realities must be actively addressed right at the onset of the process between the research team and community stakeholders. Researchers can develop trust, form connections and engage different communities by working with local groups and leaders, using culturally appropriate methods, and addressing community concerns. Future projects working with communities on child marriage in Nigeria and other countries would benefit from the reflections presented in this paper.
Target trial framework for determining the effect of changes in training load on injury risk using observational data: a methodological commentary
Authors: Wang Chinchin , Kaufman Jay S , Steele Russell J , Shrier Ian
Published: September 2024

In recent years, a large focus has been placed on managing training load for injury prevention. To minimise injuries, training recommendations should be based on research that examines causal relationships between load and injury risk. While observational studies can be used to estimate causal effects, conventional methods to study the relationship between load and injury are prone to bias. The target trial framework is a valuable tool that requires researchers to emulate a hypothetical randomised trial using observational data. This framework helps to explicitly define research questions and design studies in a way that estimates causal effects. This article provides an overview of the components of the target trial framework as applied to studies on load and injury and describes various considerations that should be made in study design and analyses to minimise bias.
Where are we with gastric cancer screening in Europe in 2024?
Authors: Leja Mārcis
Published: September 2024

The absolute number of annual cases of gastric cancer in Europe is rising. The Council of the European Union has recommended implementation of gastric cancer screening for countries or regions with a high gastric cancer incidence and death rates. However, as of 2024 no organised gastric cancer screening programme has been launched in Europe.

There are several ways to decrease gastric cancer burden, but thescreen and treat strategyforHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori) seems to be the most appropriate for Europe. It has to be noted that increased use of antibiotics would be associated with this strategy.

Only organised population-based cancer screening is recommended in the European Union, therefore gastric cancer screening also is expected to fulfil the criteria of an organised screening programme. In this respect, several aspects of screening organisation need to be considered before full implementation of gastric cancer prevention in Europe; the age range of the target group, test types,H. pylorieradication regimens and surveillance strategies are among them. Currently, ongoing projects (GISTAR, EUROHELICAN, TOGAS and EUCanScreen) are expected to provide the missing evidence. Feedback from the decision-makers and the potential target groups, including vulnerable populations, will be important to planning the programme.

This paper provides an overview of the recent decisions of the European authorities, the progress towards gastric cancer implementation in Europe and expected challenges. Finally, a potential algorithm for gastric cancer screening in Europe is proposed.
Agreement between patient-reported flares and clinically significant flare status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in sustained remission: data from the ARCTIC REWIND trials
Authors: Holten Karen , Paulshus Sundlisæter Nina , Sexton Joseph , Kjørholt Kaja E , Nordberg Lena Bugge , Moholt Ellen , Uhlig Till , van der Heijde Désirée , Solomon Daniel H , Haavardsholm Espen A , Lillegraven Siri , Aga Anna-Birgitte
Published: September 2024

Objectives

To explore the agreement between patient-reported flare status and clinically significant flare status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in sustained remission.

Method

Patients with RA in remission for ≥12 months on stable treatment were included in the ARCTIC REWIND tapering trials and pooled 12-month data used in current analyses. Patient-reported flare status was assessed according to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology flare questionnaire; ‘Are you having a flare of your RA at this time?’ (yes/no). A clinically significant flare was defined as a combination of Disease Activity Score (DAS) >1.6, increase in DAS of ≥0.6 and 2 swollen joints, or the rheumatologist and patient agreed that a clinically significant flare had occurred. Agreement coefficient, sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of patient-reported flare status with regard to clinically significant flare status were determined.

Results

Of 248 patients, 64% were women, age 56.1 (11.8) years, disease duration 4.1 (2.8–7.4) years, DAS 0.8 (0.3). 35% of patients reported a flare at least once, clinically significant flares were recorded in 21%. 48/53 clinically significant flares (91%) led to an intensification of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugss. In 621/682 (91%) visits, patient-reported and clinically significant flare status were in agreement, agreement coefficient 0.89. Sensitivity and specificity were both 91%, positive predictive value of patient-reported flare status 46% and negative predictive value 99%.

Conclusion

Among patients in sustained remission, patient-reported flare status was accurate in ruling out a clinically significant flare. About half of the patient-reported flares were assessed to be clinically significant. These findings support a potential for using patient-reported flare status in remote monitoring of patients with RA in sustained remission.
Use of a five-category partner-type classification within a chlamydia and gonorrhoea service evaluation highlights opportunities for targeted partner notification to improve STI control
Authors: McMahon Beth Louise , Buitendam Erna , Symonds Merle , Estcourt Claudia S , Saunders John
Published: September 2024

Objectives

Partner notification (PN) is a key component of sexually transmitted infection control. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV guidelines now recommend partner-centred PN outcomes using a five-category partner classification (established, new, occasional, one-off, sex worker). We evaluated the reporting of partner-centred PN outcomes in two contrasting UK sexual health services.

Methods

Using the electronic patient records of 40 patients with a positive gonorrhoea test and 180 patients with a positive chlamydia test, we extracted PN outcomes for the five most recent sexual contacts within the appropriate lookback period.

Results

180 patients with chlamydia reported 262 partners: 220 were contactable (103 established, 9 new, 43 occasional, 52 one-off, 13 unknown/unrecorded). 40 patients with gonorrhoea reported 88 partners: 53 were contactable (7 established, 1 new, 14 occasional, 10 one-off and 21 unknown/not recorded). No sex worker partners were reported. Most established partners of people with chlamydia (96/103) or gonorrhoea (7/7) were notified but fewer (60/103 and 6/7, respectively) attended for testing. Of those, 39 had a positive chlamydia test and two had a positive gonorrhoea test. For both chlamydia and gonorrhoea, most occasional and new partners were reported to be notified but there was a sharper decline in those tested. For both infections, one-off partners had the lowest rates of accessing services and testing. For chlamydia, 81% were notified (42/52), 23% accessed services (12/52) and 21% tested (11/52). However, 91% of those tested were positive (10/11). The number of contactable one-off gonorrhoea contacts was small and few attended.

Conclusions

Measuring partner-centred PN outcomes was feasible. There were differences in partner engagement with PN between the different infections and partner types. If these findings are replicated in larger samples, it suggests that interventions to target one-off partners who have low rates of PN engagement yet high levels of positivity could play a key role in reducing infection at population level.
Micro-mesoscale swelling correlations in compacted bentonite upon hydration
Authors: Dai Wen-jie , Chen Yong-gui , Li Yu-cheng , Ye Wei-min , Wang Qiong
Published: September 2024

Compacted bentonite, a crucial component of engineered barrier systems, displays complicated swelling deformability owing to its unique multiscale structure. This study disentangles the multiscale structure of GMZ bentonite at both micro and meso scales and comprehensively investigates their volumetric responses during hydration processes. An innovative ex-situ X-ray diffraction protocol and a rigorous computational method for cross-scale swelling are developed to capture the volumetric deformation of those decoupled structural units under controlled relative humidity conditions. Moreover, the evolution of fabric structure and water retention during swelling process is meticulously characterized. Upon these findings, a conceptual framework is proposed to integrate the volumetric deformation across scales: larger-scale structure affects smaller-scale behavior via water exchange, while smaller-scale behavior influences larger-scale structure through deformation compatibility. Furthermore, this framework is applied to address the boundary issues in crystalline swelling model by introducing a novel energy balance relationship. These insights shed significant light on the intricate relationship between microscopic and mesoscopic swelling behaviors in bentonite systems.
Specific amino acid changes correlate with pathogenic flavobacteria
Authors: Gélinas Vincent , Paquet Valérie E. , Paquet Maude F. , Charette Steve J. , Vincent Antony T.
Published: September 2024

Flavobacterium is a genus of microorganisms living in a variety of hosts and habitats across the globe. Some species are found in fish organs, and only a few, such as Flavobacterium psychrophilum and Flavobacterium columnare, cause severe disease and losses in fish farms. The evolution of flavobacteria that are pathogenic to fish is unknown, and the protein changes accountable for the selection of their colonization to fish have yet to be determined. A phylogenetic tree was constructed with the complete genomic sequences of 208 species of the Flavobacterium genus using 861 softcore genes. This phylogenetic analysis revealed clade CII comprising nine species, including five pathogenic species, and containing the most species that colonize fish. Thirteen specific amino acid changes were found to be conserved across 11 proteins within the CII clade compared with other clades, and these proteins were enriched in functions related to replication, recombination, and repair. Several of these proteins are known to be involved in pathogenicity and fitness adaptation in other bacteria. Some of the observed amino acid changes can be explained by preferential selection for certain codons and tRNA frequency. These results could help explain how species belonging to the CII clade adapt to fish environments.
Structure and astrophysical role of the neutron-rich $$55 \le Z \le 92$$ isotopes: status and perspectives
Authors: Kiss Gábor Gyula , Podolyák Zsolt
Published: September 2024

Heavy neutron-rich nuclei are of great interest. Phenomena like shell evolution ($$N\sim 126$$

N
∼
126

, $$Z\sim 82$$

Z
∼
82

), prolate–triaxial–oblate–spherical shape evolution ($$Z=$$

Z
=

70–80), possible deformed shell closures or structure change in the rare-earth region are under intense scrutiny. This latter is closely linked to the rare-earth r-process peak, while the $$N \sim 126$$

N
∼
126

nuclei are connected to the third r-process peak at $$A \sim 195$$

A
∼
195

. Recent technical developments (e.g. increasing beam intensities at fragmentation facilities, new detection systems) provided huge amount of new experimental data, published in the last decade, allowing to probe structure and astrophysical models. Experimental methods and recent results are reviewed and future opportunities discussed.
Derived equivalence and homological projective duality in GLSM
Authors: Guo Jirui
Published: September 2024

Brane transport provides a way to realize functors between the categories of B-branes of different phases in gauged linear sigma model (GLSM). When appropriately designed, these functors induce derived equivalence between Calabi–Yau manifolds. In some cases, brane transport can also be used to extract the homological projective dual (HPD) of certain projective embeddings. We describe the GLSMs realizing derived equivalence between different geometries via brane transport with emphasis on the nonabelian models, and how to construct the GLSMs where brane transport gives rise to the embedding of HPD category into the derived category of universal hyperplane section. The latter gives rise to an explanation of the relationship between GLSM and HPD, and also a noncommutative geometric interpretation to HPD.
2d (0, 2) gauge theories from branes: Recent progress in brane brick models
Authors: Franco Sebastián
Published: September 2024

We discuss the realization of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] gauge theories in terms of branes focusing on Brane Brick Models, which are T-dual to D1-branes probing toric Calabi–Yau 4-folds. These brane setups fully encode the infinite class of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] quiver gauge theories on the worldvolume of the D1-branes and substantially streamline their connection to the probed geometries. We review various methods for efficiently generating Brane Brick Models. These algorithms are then used to construct [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] gauge theories for the cones over all the smooth Fano 3-folds and two infinite families of Sasaki–Einstein 7-manifolds with known metrics.
Marketplace or Distributor Model? KiranaKart’s Choice in Identifying the Right Fit Between the Business Idea and the Business Model
Authors: Chakraborty Kamalika , Kare Suhas Ashok , Biswal Shraddha , Kole Maitreyi , Muricken Alex S , Raj Poornima , Kumar Aman
Published: September 2024

Amit, the founder of Kirana Kart, a startup, was attracted by the opportunity to alleviate the pain points of smaller Kirana stores with smaller order volumes. Small kirana stores were not on the list of key distributors because they had their own issues, such as low order quantities, lack of storage space, limited exposure to a wide variety of products, etc. Frequent stockouts, constraints on the frequency of orders, and delivery delays resulted in the loss of business for these stores. Kirana Kart attempted to provide a solution by establishing a B2B portal via which small kirana retailers could order supplies. In the execution of the B2B platform, Amit and his team faces a critical issue regarding whether the platform should operate in distributor or marketplace mode. Amit and his team faced the dilemma of choosing between the two options.
A Machine Learning-Based Algorithm for the Prediction of Eigenfrequencies of Railway Bridges
Authors: Grunert Günther , Grunert Damian , Behnke Ronny , Schäfer Sarah , Liu Xiaohan , Challagonda Sandeep Reddy
Published: September 2024

As part of the development of advanced, data-driven methods for predictive maintenance of railway infrastructure, this paper analyzes and evaluates more realistic predictions of eigenfrequencies of railway bridges, also referred to as natural frequencies, based on a population of already assessed, measured existing bridges using regression techniques. For this purpose, Machine Learning (ML) techniques such as Polynomial Regression (PR), ANN and XGBoost are consistently evaluated and the application of the XGBoost algorithm is identified as the most suitable prediction model for these eigenfrequencies, usable for dynamic train-bridge interactions. The results of the post-processing are incorporated into the safety architecture for bridge verification (risk management). The presented data-based techniques are a steppingstone towards digitalization of structural health monitoring and offer safety and longevity of the railway bridges. Furthermore, the use of these methods can save costs that would be incurred by physical in-situ measurements. The types of bridges analyzed with ML are Filler Beam Bridges (FBE), which outnumber other construction types of bridges in Germany (DB InfraGO AG). This methodology is applicable to any bridge type as long as sufficient data are gathered for training, validation and testing.
Dynamic Forces and Vibrations of the Planetary Gear-Set Radial Bearings with the Roller Dimension Deviation
Authors: Li Xinbin , Liu Jing , Xu Yajun , Zhang Yu , Liu Jianyu , Pan Guang
Published: September 2024

Double planetary gear trains (DPGTs) have high loading capacity and transmission, making them indispensable in various heavy rotating machinery applications. However, the presence of planetary gear-set radial bearing roller dimension deviation (PBRDD) from real-world manufacturing discrepancies poses a significant challenge to the dynamics of the DPGTs. Previous dynamic models often overlooked the internal excitations of the planetary gear-set radial bearing, focusing only on the single planetary gear train dynamics, rendering them inadequate for studying the impact of the PBRDD on DPGTs. Therefore, this paper proposes a coupling method integrating the PBRDD model with the DPGT dynamic model, taking into consideration the planetary gear-set radial bearing’s internal excitations, to reveal the impact of PBRDD on DPGTs’ dynamics. Specifically, the changes in roller–ring contact force and roller–cage collision force induced by PBRDD are considered. Through comprehensive simulation and experimental analyses, the accuracy of the dynamic model is assessed and its efficacy in capturing the effects of PBRDD on DPGTs’ dynamics is validated. The results show that the DPGTs’ dynamics increment with the increment of PBRDD.
Effect of a Damping Layer Addition on the Transient Response of a Bolted Joint Under Shear Impact Load
Authors: Chakhari Jamel , Nasraoui Mohamed Tahar , Mrad Charfeddine , Saidane Ahmed Ben
Published: September 2024

In this paper, a bolted joint of two prismatic parts subjected to a shear impact force applied in the structure’s longitudinal direction is studied. The base part is made from steel and the connected one is from aluminum alloy. An elastomeric layer is inserted between the assembled parts in order to reduce vibration resulting from external excitation. An equivalent dynamic model is developed to analyze the behavior of bolted structure. The formulation of the problem gives a system of nonlinear equations. Solving differential equations is based on Euler’s method. Dynamic responses which correspond to the two degrees of freedom of the model are shown. The joint nonlinear behavior strongly depends on the interface properties. A cubic stiffness and damping factor are considered for the layer in the model, which gives it more realistic responses. Experimental tests are done for a case study of bolted joint under transient hummer impact. Model results are agreed with those issued from experiments. The damping layer (DL) effect is experimentally observed as well as in the model results.
ON THE INITIAL VALUE OF PAGERANK
Authors: DEYASI KRISHANU
Published: September 2024

Google employs PageRank to rank web pages, determining the order in which search results are presented to users based on their queries. PageRank is primarily utilized for directed networks, although there are instances where it is also applied to undirected networks. In this paper, we have applied PageRank to undirected networks, showing that a vertex’s PageRank relies on its initial value, often referred to as an intrinsic, non-network contribution. We have analytically proved that when the initial value of vertices is either proportional to their degrees or set to zero, the PageRank values of the vertices become directly proportional to their degrees. Simulated and empirical data are employed to bolster our research findings. Additionally, we have investigated the impact of initial values on PageRank localization.
Enumeration of matrices with single unit-entry rows over finite commutative rings
Authors: Sirisuk Siripong
Published: September 2024

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite commutative ring with identity. In this paper, formal expressions of the number of [Formula: see text] matrices over [Formula: see text] of rank [Formula: see text] and the number of invertible matrices over [Formula: see text] are presented. The number of matrices over [Formula: see text] with a given rank and a given number of single unit-entry rows, rows in which a single entry is a unit and all other entries are zero, is finally determined.
Weighted PI index of edge corona product of some classes of graphs
Authors: Hemalatha Rangasamy , Geetha J. , Somasundaram K.
Published: September 2024

The investigation of a graph’s topology using numerical quantities known as “Topological indices” is a developing topic in graph theory. The primary goal is to estimate the Weighted PI Index of Edge Corona Product, one of the topological indices, for a variety of simple graphs. The study of the molecular structure of chemical compounds is one of the most recent areas of interest in graph theory, along with the visualization of graphs in Google maps, nanochemistry, network design in electrical and electronic engineering, and computer science. Topological indices are estimated to analyze chemical substances and their physio-chemical characteristics. Some exceptional instances of WPI of those graphs are assessed based on the computed results.