bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Successful second‐line treatment with cabozantinib for hepatocellular carcinoma harboring cytoplasmic mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor amplification
Authors: Yamamoto Makoto , Terashima Takeshi , Yamashita Tatsuya , Seki Akihiro , Nakagawa Hidetoshi , Nio Kouki , Shimakami Tetsuro , Takatori Hajime , Arai Kuniaki , Mizukoshi Eishiro , Honda Masao , Takeuchi Shinji , Yamashita Taro
Published: October 2023

A 72‐year‐old man with metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma previously received first‐line systemic therapy with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab. His disease was judged to be progressing 5 months after treatment initiation. Comprehensive genomic profiling revealed cytoplasmic mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor amplification. On the basis of an expert panel's recommendation, he received cabozantinib as second‐line therapy. The tumors shrank markedly and continued to shrink 6 months after treatment. Comprehensive genomic profiling could provide useful information for selecting effective second‐line treatments for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after first‐line immunotherapy.
An overview of the capabilities of ChatGPT for medical writing and its implications for academic integrity
Authors: Liu Huihui , Azam Mehreen , Bin Naeem Salman , Faiola Anthony
Published: October 2023

The artificial intelligence (AI) tool ChatGPT, which is based on a large language model (LLM), is gaining popularity in academic institutions, notably in the medical field. This article provides a brief overview of the capabilities of ChatGPT for medical writing and its implications for academic integrity. It provides a list of AI generative tools, common use of AI generative tools for medical writing, and provides a list of AI generative text detection tools. It also provides recommendations for policymakers, information professionals, and medical faculty for the constructive use of AI generative tools and related technology. It also highlights the role of health sciences librarians and educators in protecting students from generating text through ChatGPT in their academic work.
Control, exploitation and exclusion: Experiences of small farmer e‐tailers in agricultural e‐commerce in China
Authors: Feng Xiaojun
Published: October 2023

Digital technologies are reshaping the landscape of agriculture. In 2021, around 10% of agricultural products in China were distributed through the Internet. As small farmers are traditionally subsumed by commercial capital in the sphere of circulation, this article investigates what difference online marketing has made to this relationship. Using qualitative data collected from a county in China, we examine the experiences of small farmer e‐tailers. We find that agricultural e‐commerce provides them with an alternative marketing channel and a larger customer base, increases the efficiency of product distribution and allows them to retain a greater share of the value they produce. However, while extant literature suggests that agricultural e‐commerce has increased farmers' autonomy and income, we find that small farmers' vertical expansion into e‐commerce by becoming agricultural e‐tailers fails to alleviate their subsumption by commercial capital and subjects them to more oppressive forms of commercial capital in three ways. First, small farmer e‐tailers are controlled by agricultural e‐commerce platforms, as their transactions rely on these platforms that are quasi‐monopolies in China. Second, these e‐tailers are increasingly exploited by platforms and other cybermediaries whom they are forced to pay for Internet traffic. Finally, small farmers are being excluded from being e‐tailers as platforms are becoming e‐tailers and they cannot compete with corporate e‐tailers.
O‐GlcNAcylation of TLR4 inhibits osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells
Authors: Yu Bohan , Li Qin , Sun Xi , Yin Yue
Published: October 2023

Background

Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4)‐mediated inflammatory responses are associated with diabetes and periodontitis, which are dysregulated by O‐GlcNAcylation.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effects of O‐GlcNAc transferase (OGT)‐mediated TLR4 O‐GlcNAcylation on the osteogenesis of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLCs).

Methods

PDLCs were treated with high glucose (HG) to establish a cell model. Osteogenic differentiation was evaluated using western blotting, an alkaline phosphatase activity assay, and an alizarin red S staining assay. The regulation of OGT on the O‐GlcNAcylation of TLR4 was analyzed using co‐immunoprecipitation, immunoprecipitation, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining.

Results

The results showed that HG inhibited osteogenic differentiation and promoted inflammatory response. Knockdown of OGT promoted osteogenic differentiation of HG‐treated PDLCs. OGT interacted with TLR4 and increased the O‐GlcNAcylation and protein levels of TLR4 in the cytomembrane of PDLCs. Moreover, silenced TLR4 reversed the effects on osteogenic differentiation induced by OGT in HG‐treated PDLCs.

Conclusion

O‐GlcNAcylation of TLR4 induced by OGT suppresses osteogenic differentiation of PDLCs after HG stimulation. The findings suggest a promising strategy for treating DP.
The Impact of Gender, Accommodations, and Disability on the Academic Performance of Canadian University Students with LD and/or ADHD
Authors: Morris Janalee , Buchanan Tom , Arnold Janet , Czerkawski Tracie , Congram Brad
Published: October 2023

Academic accommodations for students experiencing disabilities are increasingly available at postsecondary institutions. More studies of the efficacy of accommodations for student success are warranted, however. Given the increased gender gap in university participation, more focus on the unique impact of gender is also needed. Using a sample of students registered with Access and Inclusion Services with learning disabilities (LD), attention–deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and combined LD/ADHD at a Canadian undergraduate university ( N = 661), we explored the impact of gender on academic performance and accommodation usage. Next, we examined how gender intersected with the impact of academic accommodations on academic performance. Women, on average, demonstrated better academic performance. Academic strategies and assistive technologies were not associated with higher academic performance. However, testing accommodations (extended time and environmental accommodations) were positively associated with academic performance for men with LD or ADHD, but not for the combined group LD/ADHD. For the former two, the more tests accommodated, the higher the academic performance. Furthermore, this gender association was most prominent for students experiencing ADHD. Interpretations and policy recommendations related to these findings are presented.
Typifications and a new synonym in the tribe Boehmerieae (Urticaceae)
Authors: Jeomol K. K. , Sunojkumar P.
Published: October 2023

This work discusses the nomenclature, synonymy and typification of two monotypic genera, Chamabainia and Neodistemon which belong to the tribe Boehmerieae and have a restricted range in tropical and subtropical Asia. Lectotypes are designated for names in both genera and their full synonymy is provided. Boehmeria meifenggensis is treated as a new synonym of Chamabainia cuspidata.
Deciphering the hidden complexity of early land plant reproduction
Authors: Niklas Karl J.
Published: October 2023

This article is a Commentary on D'Ario et al. (2024), 241: 937–949.
Pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis in Birt‐Hogg‐Dubé syndrome‐associated lung cysts: A new insight into the pathogenesis?
Authors: Kawachi Riken , Nakatani Yukio , Furuya Mitsuko , Nakamura Naoya , Kondo Yusuke , Nagashima Yoji , Nakayama Tomohiro , Okada Masahiro , Sakurai Hiroyuki , Masuda Shinobu
Published: October 2023

Multiple lung cysts are one of the major features of Birt‐Hogg‐Dubé syndrome (BHD), but little is known about their nature and pathogenesis. We report a case of a woman diagnosed with BHD lung cysts who exhibited pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis (PIG), a mesenchymal abnormality hitherto undescribed in this disease, in specimens resected at 14 and 29 years of age. Histopathologically, oval to spindle clear cells were seen in the subepithelial interstitial tissue of septal structures and the walls of the cysts. They had abundant periodic acid–Schiff‐positive cytoplasmic glycogen. Immunohistochemically, these cells were positive for a few markers of mesenchymal stem cell‐like lineage, including vimentin, CD44, and CD10, and negative for markers of epithelial or specific mesenchymal differentiation; these results were consistent with the reported immunophenotype of PIG cells. These PIG cells were more abundant in her specimen at age 14 years than in the second specimen from adulthood. The present case suggests that BHD lung cysts belong to a group of pulmonary developmental disorders characterized by combined PIG and alveolar simplification/cystic change. Disorders with PIG may persist until adulthood and may be of clinical and pathological significance.
Assimilation and extensive metasomatism of agpaitic rocks from the transitional layered kakortokite, Ilímaussaq Intrusion, South Greenland
Authors: Schønwandt Hans Kristian , Barnes Gregory B. , Ulrich Thomas
Published: October 2023

The peralkaline Ilímaussaq Intrusion of the Gardar Province in South Greenland consists of several intrusive phases that have been related to different magmatic pulses and igneous cumulate processes. The lowermost exposed part of the intrusion is kakortokite, a eudialyte‐nepheline syenite, with distinctive sub‐horizontal layering which passes upwards into lujavrite, a fine‐grained melanocratic eudialyte‐nepheline syenite. Along the contact between kakortokite and lujavrite lies a transitional layered kakortokite, which has been defined previously based on textural and mineralogical criteria. However, published literature presents conflicting descriptions of this sequence in terms of thickness, layering, contacts, and mode of origin. Our own and previous field and petrographic investigations suggest that parts of the eudialyte‐rich zones in the transitional layered kakortokite comprise metasomatized and partially assimilated naujaite autoliths, a sodalite‐rich eudialyte nepheline syenite, detached probably from the roof of the intrusion. Here, we focus on the nature of the transitional layered kakortokite and conclude, in contrast to the conventional model, that it was formed by metasomatic transformation and assimilation of naujaite autoliths. We propose that the breakdown and replacement of sodalite locally increased chlorine and sodium concentrations, which may have catalyzed the precipitation of eudialyte. In detail, we suggest that the uppermost four eudialyte‐rich horizons were strongly influenced by metasomatic processes caused by mineral‐melt reaction, and were not simply the result of conventional igneous magmatic cumulate formation, as has been inferred for the underlying kakortokite layered units. Recognition of a significant metasomatic process has important bearing on the distribution of minerals with specific elements, like REE in eudialyte, both from a petrological and an economic perspective.
Cultural influence on COVID‐19 cognitions and growth speed: The role of collectivism
Authors: Pei Rui , Cosme Danielle , Andrews Mary E. , Mattan Bradley D. , Carreras‐Tartak José , Falk Emily B.
Published: October 2023

Major challenges faced by humans often require large‐scale cooperation for communal benefits. We examined what motivates such cooperation in the context of social distancing and mask wearing to reduce the transmission intensity of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID‐19). We hypothesized that collectivism, a cultural variable characterizing the extent that individuals see themselves in relation to others, contributes to people's willingness to engage in these behaviors. Consistent with preregistered predictions, across three studies (n = 2864), including a U.S. nationally representative sample, collectivist orientation was positively associated with intentions, positive beliefs, norm perceptions, and policy support for the preventive behaviors. Further, at a country level, more collectivist countries showed lower growth rates in both COVID‐19 confirmed cases and deaths. Together, these studies demonstrate the role of collectivism in reducing COVID‐19 transmission, and highlight the value of considering culture in public health policies and communications.
Effect of geometric parameters of electrodes on skin heating for the design of non‐ablative radiofrequency device
Authors: Ma Yiyou , Wang Nianou , Li Ke , Liang Huan , Bai Jingfeng , Ji Xiang
Published: October 2023

Background

Non‐ablative radiofrequency (RF) has been widely used in clinical and at‐home cosmetics devices. RF electrode geometry can influence the heat distribution in the tissue. This study analyzes the influence of geometric parameters of the electrode on the heat distribution in the layered tissue.

Materials & methods

The finite element simulation of the electrothermal coupling field was performed to obtain the three‐dimensional (3D) temperature distribution of the four‐layer tissue. The electrode geometric parameters including the inter‐electrode spacing (5‐12 mm), width (1‐3 mm), length (3‐10 mm), shapes (bar, dot and circle), and the coupling gel's electrical conductivity (0.2‐1.5 S/m) were simulated. The maximum temperature at 2 mm depth (T‐2 mm) and the temperature difference (Tdiff) between the maximum skin surface temperature andT‐2 mmwere obtained to evaluate the effectiveness and safety.

Results

The effect of geometric parameters on the effectiveness and safety was mixed. The maximumT‐2 mmoccurred with the 5 mm inter‐electrode spacing, 3 mm width, 10 mm length, the circle‐shaped electrode, and the 1.5 S/m coupling gel's electrical conductivity. The ratio of inter‐electrode spacing to width at around four can achieve rapid temperature rise and skin surface temperature protection. The electrode shape influenced the area of temperature rise in the tissue's cross‐section. The coupling gel's electrical conductivity should be close to that of the skin to avoid energy accumulation on the skin surface.

Conclusion

The electrode's geometric parameters affect the effectiveness and safety of the RF product. This study has provided the simulation procedure for the electrode design.
Prevalence of hepatitis E virus genotype 4 of probable human origin in Tibetan pigs from the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau, China
Authors: Song Xin , Wu Jinbo , Zhou Kelei , Zhang Zhaohui , Tang Cheng , Zhang Bin
Published: October 2023

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide. In 2018–2022, we investigated the presence of HEV RNA in 1233 stool samples collected in the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau, including humans (16), Tibetan pigs (624), yaks (312), sheep (267), and dogs (14). HEV RNA was only detected in Tibetan pig faecal samples (18.27%, 114/624). To perform molecular characterization of HEV strains in Tibetan pigs, we obtained 21 complete HEV genome sequences between 2018 and 2022. Sequence comparisons showed that 21 HEV strains from Tibetan pigs shared the mean nucleotide identities with the reference HEV strains ranging between 82.9% and 94.9% and 89.3% and 92.1% similarities with human HEV strains. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that all HEV strains were genotype 4, closely related to human HEV strains. Sequence recombinant analysis showed five potential recombinant strains identified in this study, of which SWU/D18/2018 (GenBank No. MK410044) was recombinant with human and swine HEV strains, located 6509–6878 nt from the recombination point. Based on the Bayesian evolutionary trees, we found that most HEV strains diverged later than human HEV (16 Tibetan pig HEV strains diverged later than 1979, and seven human HEV strains diverged earlier than 1979). Therefore, we speculated that the prevalence of HEV 4 in Tibetan pigs possibly originated from humans in the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau.
Fluid Dynamic Loss Model With Wide Applicability for Aeroengine Transmission Gears
Authors: Arisawa Hidenori , Tanaka Mitsuaki , Hashimoto Hironori , Goi Tatsuhiko , Banno Takahiko , Akahori Hirofumi
Published: October 2023

In high-speed gear systems for aeroengines, it is important to reduce the fluid dynamic loss, which accounts for the majority of power loss, to improve fuel efficiency. For reasonable loss-reduction and the standardization of low-power-loss designs, a fluid dynamic loss model with wide applicability is needed. However, there are few reports of loss models considering the gear shroud effect on the oil dynamic loss. This study developed a loss model based on fluid dynamic loss phenomena. Specifically, fluid dynamic loss models were developed for the “air side-flow loss,” “air pumping loss,” “oil-jet acceleration loss,” and “oil re-acceleration loss” in the gear meshing part, and “air vortex loss” and “oil churning loss” in the gear peripheral part, with consideration to the shrouding effect. Moreover, an experimental method and a numerical method for loss classification are proposed. The fluid dynamic loss models were validated by experiments or experimentally validated numerical simulations. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the loss model for low-power-loss design, the influence of the design parameters was investigated, and the typical parameters were optimized.
Methodology to Monitor Early Warnings Before Gas Turbine Trip
Authors: Losi Enzo , Venturini Mauro , Manservigi Lucrezia , Bechini Giovanni
Published: October 2023

The current energy scenario requires that gas turbines (GTs) operate at their maximum efficiency and highest reliability. Trip is one of the most disrupting events that reduces GT availability and increases maintenance costs. To tackle the challenge of GT trip prediction, this paper presents a methodology that has the goal of monitoring the early warnings raised during GT operation and trigger an alert to avoid trip occurrence. The methodology makes use of an auto-encoder (prediction model) and a three-stage criterion (detection procedure). The auto-encoder is first trained to reconstruct safe operation data and subsequently tested on new data collected before trip occurrence. The trip detection criterion checks whether the individually tested data points should be classified as normal or anomalous (first stage), provides a warning if the anomaly score over a given time frame exceeds a threshold (second stage), and, finally, combines consecutive warnings to trigger a trip alert in advance (third stage). The methodology is applied to a real-world case study composed of a collection of trips, of which the causes may be different, gathered from various GTs in operation during several years. Historical observations of gas path measurements taken during three days of GT operation before trip occurrence are employed for the analysis. Once optimally tuned, the methodology provides a trip alert with a reliability equal to 75% at least 10 h in advance before trip occurrence.
Performance Analysis of a New ORC-VCC System With Mechanical Overheating and Correlation Fitting of Most Important System Parameter
Authors: Sun Dahan , Liu Zhongyan , Zhang Hao , Zhang Xin
Published: October 2023

This paper proposes a new organic Rankine cycle + vapor compression cycle (ORC-VCC) system (with mechanical overheating refrigeration cycle), and this system can not only reduce the heat absorption of the ORC evaporator, but also increase the refrigeration capacity of the system. Simulations were conducted to analyze the thermal efficiency and performance of the new system, and compare it with the system of ORC-VCC (with regenerator). The results show that the ηth, ηsys, and coefficient of performance (COPsys) of the new system are higher than the system of ORC-VCC (with regenerator), ηth, ηsys, and COPsys of new system increased by up to 31.6%, 6.48%, 10.63% respectively. The influence of superheat on both systems is stronger than other factors, the influence of superheat on the new system is obviously stronger than those of the system of ORC-VCC (with regenerator), and the influence of superheat on R245fa and butane is stronger than those of other working fluids. In addition, ηth, ηsys, COPsys, and ηex of system increase with the increase of Te-mech and decrease with the increase of Tg-mech. Finally, the correlation of ΔTmax with the change of ηexp and Te-ORC is fitted, the results will provide some reference for the development of the ORC-VCC system in the future.
Smart Control of Springback in Stretch Bending of a Rectangular Tube by an Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Ha Taekwang , Welo Torgeir , Ringen Geir , Wang Jyhwen
Published: October 2023

Springback is one of the factors that causes decreased product quality in tube bending; 2D and 3D stretch bending can be used to manufacture a complex geometry of a tube with springback reduction. For a nonlinear springback problem in tube bending, an artificial neural network (ANN) is an attractive data-driven approach to achieving springback prediction and control. The main objective of this paper is to control springback and improve geometrical quality with an ANN in 2D and 3D stretch bending of a rectangular tube. In general, an ANN is trained with collected data sets from a large number of experiments, causing expensive costs and time-consuming work. In the present work, the training data sets for the proposed ANN are obtained from both experiments and an analytical springback model. As the analytical model can adopt different bending angles, material properties, and geometries, supplementary data by the analytical model significantly reduced the number of experiments needed for ANN training. Contrary to the typical springback predictions, the proposed ANN synthesizes the machine settings based on the desired dimensions as the inputs. It is shown that springback can be controlled by specifying the bend angles provided by the ANN prediction. The proposed ANN method was validated in 2D and 3D stretch bending of a rectangular tube, and its prediction and control performance are favorably compared to an ANN trained with only experimental data sets.
Singing in different performance spaces: The effect of room acoustics on singers' perception
Authors: Redman Yvonne Gonzales , Glasner Joshua D. , D'Orazio Dario , Bottalico Pasquale
Published: October 2023

Classical singers' performances vary across different acoustic environments. The changes in the delivery are influenced by the singer's perception of the venue's acoustics. This study investigated these relationships using nine professional or semi-professional classical singers. Participants performed Giordani's “Caro mio ben” aria in five venues, and the acoustic parameters reverberance (T30 and EDT), clarity (C80), early vocal support (STv), and tonal color (EDTf) were measured. From a factor analysis of the subjective analysis three major factors emerged that, we propose, would represent three generalized percepts of Room Supportiveness, Room Noiselessness, and Room Timbre. These percepts correlated significantly with objective acoustic parameters traditionally linked to vocal support, reverberation, and timbre. Room Supportiveness and Room Noiselessness significantly contributed to the singers' likability of the acoustic environment, while Room Timbre did not. This indicates that singers' perceptual preference for a performance space may be influenced by factors affecting both auditory feedback and vocal function. These findings underscore the need for performing space designers to consider the unique needs of all stakeholders, including listeners and performers. The study contributes to the bridging of the gap between subjective perceptions and objective measurements, providing valuable insights for acoustic design considerations.
L’itinéraire biographique d’un promoteur de l’alpinisme performatif. L’engagement de Lionel Terray dans l’avènement d’un nouveau modèle en France (1921–1965)
Authors: Malé Arthur , Attali Michael
Published: October 2023

À partir des années cinquante, l’alpinisme connaît une évolution éthique et idéologique. Icône de cette période, Lionel Terray promeut un modèle performatif dont les soubassements se situent dans son parcours. Alors que les Premières constituaient un objectif majeur, désormais, le record devient légitime. Cette nouvelle conception va contribuer à ériger le style alpin en modèle de référence. Mobilisant des données issues des revues fédérales de l’univers montagnard, de la presse généraliste et des comptes-rendus d’expédition, cette étude saisit les fondements de l’évolution de l’alpinisme au regard du positionnement de Lionel Terray. Il amorce sa sportivisation par l’intermédiaire de la rationalisation de sa pratique comme de l’évolution des objectifs. L'émergence de cette conception sportive et performative repose sur des innovations matérielles et conceptuelles qui infléchissent les usages, et dont L. Terray a contribué à leur diffusion.
Dating the arrival of humans in the Americas
Authors: Philippsen Bente
Published: October 2023

A debate about the age of ancient footprints continues
A highly integrated bionic hand with neural control and feedback for use in daily life
Authors: Ortiz-Catalan Max , Zbinden Jan , Millenaar Jason , D’Accolti Daniele , Controzzi Marco , Clemente Francesco , Cappello Leonardo , Earley Eric J. , Mastinu Enzo , Kolankowska Justyna , Munoz-Novoa Maria , Jönsson Stewe , Cipriani Christian , Sassu Paolo , Brånemark Rickard
Published: October 2023

Restoration of sensorimotor function after amputation has remained challenging because of the lack of human-machine interfaces that provide reliable control, feedback, and attachment. Here, we present the clinical implementation of a transradial neuromusculoskeletal prosthesis—a bionic hand connected directly to the user’s nervous and skeletal systems. In one person with unilateral below-elbow amputation, titanium implants were placed intramedullary in the radius and ulna bones, and electromuscular constructs were created surgically by transferring the severed nerves to free muscle grafts. The native muscles, free muscle grafts, and ulnar nerve were implanted with electrodes. Percutaneous extensions from the titanium implants provided direct skeletal attachment and bidirectional communication between the implanted electrodes and a prosthetic hand. Operation of the bionic hand in daily life resulted in improved prosthetic function, reduced postamputation, and increased quality of life. Sensations elicited via direct neural stimulation were consistently perceived on the phantom hand throughout the study. To date, the patient continues using the prosthesis in daily life. The functionality of conventional artificial limbs is hindered by discomfort and limited and unreliable control. Neuromusculoskeletal interfaces can overcome these hurdles and provide the means for the everyday use of a prosthesis with reliable neural control fixated into the skeleton.
Toward self-contained bidirectional bionic limbs with high information throughput
Authors: Dosen Strahinja
Published: October 2023

Surgical neural engineering and human-machine interfacing enable bionic limbs with dexterous control and sensory feedback.
Lactate oxidase nanocapsules boost T cell immunity and efficacy of cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Cao Zheng , Xu Duo , Harding Jeffrey , Chen Wenting , Liu Xiangsheng , Wang Zi , Wang Lan , Qi Tong , Chen Shilin , Guo Xinheng , Chen Irvin S. Y. , Guo Jimin , Lu Yunfeng , Wen Jing
Published: October 2023

Cancer immunotherapy has reshaped the landscape of cancer treatment. However, its efficacy is still limited by tumor immunosuppression associated with the excessive production of lactate by cancer cells. Although extensive efforts have been made to reduce lactate concentrations through inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase, such inhibitors disrupt the metabolism of healthy cells, causing severe nonspecific toxicity. We report herein a nanocapsule enzyme therapeutic based on lactate oxidase, which reduces lactate concentrations and releases immunostimulatory hydrogen peroxide, averting tumor immunosuppression and improving the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade treatment. As demonstrated in a murine melanoma model and a humanized mouse model of triple-negative breast cancer, this enzyme therapeutic affords an effective tool toward more effective cancer immunotherapy.
A novel virulence plasmid encoding yersiniabactin, salmochelin, and RmpADC from hypervirulent
Klebsiella pneumoniae
of distinct genetic backgrounds
Authors: Huang Lili , Li Yunbing , Xu Chen , Zhou Mi , Wang Tianyi , Wang Tianyu , Wang Jingyu , Tang Jiayi , Li Yuanyuan , Dong Ning
Published: October 2023

Hypervirulent
Klebsiella pneumoniae
(hvKP) is increasingly reported worldwide as a major clinical and public health threat. The virulence of hvKP is attributed largely to the carriage of virulence plasmids (KpVPs). To date, two dominant types of KpVP have been identified, namely, KpVP-1 and KpVP-2. In this study, we reported two hvKP strains from bloodstream infections that carry highly identical virulence plasmids that exhibited <40% coverage compared with KpVP-1 and KpVP-2. This novel virulence plasmid was designated KpVP-3. The two hvKP have different genetic backgrounds, which belonged to ST29-K54 and ST111-K63, respectively. They were both positive for the string test, highly virulent on the
Galleria mellonella
infection model, and possess high-level macrophage-killing resistance
in vitro
. Apart from the intrinsic non-susceptibility to ampicillin, both strains were susceptible to commonly used antibiotics. The virulence plasmid carried virulence genes
rmpADC
,
iroBCDN
(
iro1
), and the
ybt
locus (
ybt4
) which was not present on either KpVP-1 or KpVP-2. It did not carry antimicrobial resistance genes but carried an incomplete conjugation machinery containing only the
traH
and
traF
genes. The KpVP-3 plasmid was stably maintained in both hvKP strains and could not be eliminated with SDS treatment or by serial passage on stress-free agar plates. KpVP-3 was non-self-transmissible under experimental conditions. Data mining suggested KpVP-3-type plasmids have emerged in different countries including China, Australia, and the USA. The emergence of this novel virulence plasmid might pose a potential threat to public health. Heightened efforts are required to study its dissemination mechanism.
Functional diversification despite structural congruence in the HipBST toxin-antitoxin system of
Legionella pneumophila
Authors: Lin Jordan D. , Stogios Peter J. , Abe Kento T. , Wang Avril , MacPherson John , Skarina Tatiana , Gingras Anne-Claude , Savchenko Alexei , Ensminger Alexander W.
Published: October 2023

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are abundant genetic modules in bacterial chromosomes and on mobile elements. They are often patchily distributed, as a consequence of horizontal exchange, and the breadth of their functionality in bacterial physiology remains unknown. Here, we characterize a TA system in
Legionella pneumophila
that is highly conserved across
Legionella
species. This system is distantly related to
Escherichia coli
HipBST, and we demonstrate that it is a functional tripartite TA system (denoted HipBST
Lp
). We identify HipBST
Lp
homologs in diverse taxa, yet in the Gammaproteobacteria, these are almost exclusively found in
Legionella
species. Notably, the toxin HipT
Lp
was previously reported to be a pathogenic effector protein that is translocated by
L. pneumophila
into its eukaryotic hosts. Contrary to this, we find no signal of HipT
Lp
translocation beyond untranslocated control levels and make several observations consistent with a canonical role as a bacterial toxin. We present structural and biochemical insights into the regulation and neutralization of HipBST
Lp
, and identify key variations between this system and HipBST
Ec
. Finally, we show that the target of HipT
Lp
is likely not conserved with any characterized HipA or HipT toxin. This work serves as a useful comparison of a TA system across bacterial species and illustrates the molecular diversity that exists within a single TA family.

IMPORTANCE

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are parasitic genetic elements found in almost all bacterial genomes. They are exchanged horizontally between cells and are typically poorly conserved across closely related strains and species. Here, we report the characterization of a tripartite TA system in the bacterial pathogen
Legionella pneumophila
that is highly conserved across
Legionella
species genomes. This system (denoted HipBST
Lp
) is a distant homolog of the recently discovered split-HipA system in
Escherichia coli
(HipBST
Ec
). We present bioinformatic, molecular, and structural analyses of the divergence between these two systems and the functionality of this newly described TA system family. Furthermore, we provide evidence to refute previous claims that the toxin in this system (HipT
Lp
) possesses bifunctionality as an
L. pneumophila
virulence protein. Overall, this work expands our understanding of the split-HipA system architecture and illustrates the potential for undiscovered biology in these abundant genetic elements.
T7 expression plasmids for producing a recombinant human G1P[8] rotavirus comprising RIX4414 sequences of the RV1 (Rotarix , GSK) vaccine strain
Authors: Philip Asha A. , Agbemabiese Chantal A. , Yi Guanghui , Patton John T.
Published: October 2023

The live oral rotavirus RV1 (Rotarix) vaccine is formulated from the human G1P[8] RIX4414 virus. Based on RIX4414 sequences, T7 expression plasmids were constructed that supported recovery of recombinant RIX4414-like viruses by reverse genetics. These plasmids will advance the study of the RV1 vaccine, possibly allowing improvements to its efficacy.
Supplemental Material: Intra-Neotethyan subduction initiation inferred from the Indawgyi mafic rocks in the Central Ophiolite Belt, Myanmar
Authors: zhang qinghua , Chen Yi , et al.
Published: October 2023

Analytical methods, Figs. S1–S5, and Tables S1–S6.
Hamstring stiffness and injury risk factors during the handball season in female players
Authors: Satkunskiene Danguole , Skarbalius Antanas , Kniubaite Audinga , Mickevicius Mantas , Snieckus Audrius , Rutkauskas Saulius , Kamandulis Sigitas
Published: October 2023

Monitoring the muscle mechanical properties and functions of female athletes throughout their training season is relevant to understand the relationships between these factors and to predict noncontact injuries, which are prevalent among female athletes. The first aim of this study was to determine whether female handball players’ passive stiffness of the hamstring muscles is associated with hamstring extensibility, strength of knee flexors and extensors, and lower limb stiffness. Additionally, the study monitored fluctuations in these factors over 25 weeks. The study utilized an isokinetic dynamometer to record hamstring passive stiffness, extensibility, and hamstring and quadriceps strength of 18 young handball players. Lower limb stiffness was determined from a countermovement vertical jump conducted on a force plate. The countermovement jump involved the calculation of the peak force during the eccentric phase and the mean force during the concentric phase. The results showed a positive correlation between hamstring passive stiffness and lower limb stiffness ( r = 0.660, p < 0.01), knee flexion and extension strength ( r = 0.592, p < 0.01 and r = 0.497, p < 0.05, respectively), and eccentric peak force ( r = 0.587, p < 0.01) during jumping. The strength of knee extensors increased significantly after 6 weeks, and hamstring stiffness after 12 weeks of training. In conclusion, the increased hamstring stiffness following training did not match other factors associated with injury risk. Therefore, preventing multifactorial injury risk requires a comprehensive approach, and monitoring one factor alone is insufficient to predict noncontact injuries in female handball players.
Females show less decline in contractile function than males after repeated all-out cycling
Authors: Yoon SangHoon , Cederbaum Lauren A. , Côté Julie N.
Published: October 2023

Females demonstrate greater fatigue resistance during a range of exercise modalities; however, this may be confounded by the lower mechanical work completed. Accordingly, this study examined the sex-specific peripheral and central fatigue mechanisms during repeated all-out cycling and whether they are affected by total mechanical work performed. A total of 26 healthy young adults (12 females) performed 10 × 10 s all-out cycling interspersed by 30 s passive recovery. Metabolic responses, peripheral and central fatigue, were quantified via changes in pre- to post-exercise blood lactate, potentiated quadriceps twitch force (and contractile properties) evoked via supramaximal electrical stimulation of the femoral nerve, and voluntary activation of the knee extensors, respectively. During exercise, mechanical work, vastus lateralis muscle activation (via surface electromyography), and deoxygenation (via near-infrared spectroscopy) were recorded. Sex comparison analyses were performed before and after statistically controlling for total mechanical work (via ANCOVA). Mechanical work and muscle activation plateaued at similar sprint repetition (sprint 5) and voluntary activation change (pre vs. post) was similar between the sexes. Females, however, showed lower %work decrement (i.e., fatigability; P = 0.037) and peripheral responses as evident by lower reductions in quadriceps twitch force ( P < 0.001) and muscle deoxygenation ( P = 0.001). Adjusting for total mechanical work did not change these sex comparison results. We show that females’ greater fatigue resistance during repeated all-out cycling may not be attributed to the greater total mechanical work performed but could be mediated by lower peripheral fatigue in the knee extensor muscles.
Social determinants of long-term reported changes in physical activity and healthy eating during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: multiple cross-sectional surveys analysis from the iCARE study
Authors: O'Connor Sarah , Bélanger-Gravel Ariane ,   for the iCARE study team
Published: October 2023

The long-term consequences of COVID-19 on healthy behaviours (physical activity practice and healthy eating) among Canadians remain largely unexplored. The objectives were (i) to describe the proportion of Canadians who reported a change in healthy behaviours, 9 and 20 months since the beginning of COVID-19; and (ii) to identify the social determinants associated with healthy behaviour changes. Using two representative Canadian surveys from the International COVID-19 Awareness and Responses Evaluation study (January 2021, n = 3000; November 2021, n = 3002), reported changes in healthy behaviours were assessed as follows: “In general, how have the following behaviours changed since the start of COVID-19?”: (1) Increase; (2) No change; and (3) Decrease. The association between individual determinants and changes in healthy behaviours was analyzed using weighted univariate polytomous logistic regression models. In January 2021, 41% and 22% of respondents reported a decline in physical activity and healthy eating, respectively, while in November 2021, 34% and 20% of respondents reported a decline in physical activity and healthy eating, respectively. The main determinants associated with changes in healthy behaviours were younger age (18–25 years), area of residency, student status, changes in bodyweight, financial concerns/insecurity, anxiety/depression, and ethnicity. Changes in healthy behaviours were also associated with household composition, presence of chronic diseases, and occupation. In sum, this study depicted long-term changes in healthy behaviours during COVID-19, with differential changes according to social determinants of health. This study highlighted the presence of health inequalities in Canada during COVID-19 and supports the implementation of personalized programs in prevention of healthy behaviour degradation.
Yang-Baxter deformations of the $$GL(2,{\mathbb {R}})$$ WZW model and non-Abelian T-duality
Authors: Eghbali Ali , Parvizi Tayebe , Rezaei-Aghdam Adel
Published: October 2023

By calculating inequivalent classical r-matrices for the $$gl(2,{\mathbb {R}})$$

g
l
(
2
,
R
)

Lie algebra as solutions of (modified) classical Yang-Baxter equation ((m)CYBE), we classify the YB deformations of Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) model on the $$GL(2,{\mathbb {R}})$$

G
L
(
2
,
R
)

Lie group in twelve inequivalent families. Most importantly, it is shown that each of these models can be obtained from a Poisson-Lie T-dual $$\sigma $$
σ
-model in the presence of the spectator fields when the dual Lie group is considered to be Abelian, i.e. all deformed models have Poisson-Lie symmetry just as undeformed WZW model on the $$GL(2,{\mathbb {R}})$$

G
L
(
2
,
R
)

. In this way, all deformed models are specified via spectator-dependent background matrices. For one case, the dual background is clearly found.
Quintessence reconstruction through new Tsallis holographic dark energy model
Authors: Sharma Umesh Kumar , Pandey Bramha Dutta , Suresh Kumar P. , Pankaj
Published: October 2023

In statistical theory, the Tsallis entropy is an extended form of the Boltzmann–Gibbs entropy. The dimensionless parameter [Formula: see text] is employed to state the quantitative difference from the standard scenario. The concepts of Tsallis entropy and the future event horizon are employed in formulating the present new Tsallis holographic dark energy (NTHDE) model. The model attempts to explain the properties of dark energy using the foundation of quantum gravity. The differential equation characterizing the evolution of the NTHDE density parameter is obtained. Expressions stating the dynamic behavior such as equation of state (EoS), deceleration and jerk parameters are obtained in terms of the NTHDE density parameter. For [Formula: see text], the quintessence nature of scalar field could completely characterize the NTHDE. A reconstruction of the scalar field’s dynamics and quintessence potential is attempted. We demonstrate that the diagnosis made by statefinder is adaptive enough to distinguish between quintessence and cosmological constant-based dark energy models. Additionally, observational data obtained from CC[Formula: see text] SNIa [Formula: see text] union 2.1 sources are used to evaluate the model’s effectiveness.
Criteria sensitive analysis of transport critical current density in BZO mixed YBCO
Authors: Mandal Probhu , Ghosh Ajay Kumar
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we have extracted transport critical current density ([Formula: see text]) of BaZrO3 (BZO) added YBa2Cu3O[Formula: see text] (YBCO) by using several low electric field (E)-based criteria. By varying E-based criteria in order of magnitude, we have extracted [Formula: see text](T) and granular critical current density, [Formula: see text](T) by using JE (IV) characteristics. The temperature (T) dependence of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is found to be affected strongly as a result of the choice of E as criterion. The sensitiveness of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] becomes prominent with the lowering of T. The Ambegaokar–Baratoff (AB) and the Ginzburg–Landau (GL) descriptions of [Formula: see text](T) and [Formula: see text](T) have been studied to understand how varying criteria may change the extraction of several associated coefficients. Extrapolated [Formula: see text]([Formula: see text]) and [Formula: see text]([Formula: see text]) is also highly sensitive to criteria used.
Classifying Hindi News Using Various Machine Learning and Deep Learning Techniques
Authors: Chhabra Anusha , Arora Monika , Sharma Arpit , Singh Harsh , Verma Saurabh , Jain Rachna , Acharya Biswaranjan , Gerogiannis Vassilis C. , Tzimos Dimitrios , Kanavos Andreas
Published: October 2023

Text classification involves organizing textual information into predefined classes, a task which is particularly useful in domains like sentiment analysis, spam detection, and content labeling. In India, where a massive amount of information is generated daily through newspapers and social media, Hindi is one of the most widely used and spoken languages. However, there is limited research on Hindi text classification and, particularly, regarding Hindi news classification. This paper presents a research study to classify Hindi news articles published in Hindi-language newspapers in India by using and comparing various Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) algorithms. To prepare the textual news data for classification, pre-processing and feature engineering techniques, such as count vectorizer, Tf-Idf vectorizer and Doc2Vec, were used and applied to convert texts into vectors. This pre-processing step on the textual data was very challenging due to the presence of multimodal words, conjunctions, punctuation, and special characters in Hindi texts. The study considered Hindi news headlines from predetermined categories (Science, Sports, Entertainment and Business) and, among the different ML and DL models tested and evaluated, Linear Regression with Doc2Vec vectorizer and SGD classifier with Tf-Idf vectorizer produced best accuracies of 97.04% and 96.59%, respectively. The best performing DL model was found to be the Bi-LSTM with an accuracy of approximately 97% on the testing data.
Acahualinca, Nicaragua, a scientifically significant site of ancient human footprints in the New World
Authors: Lucas Spencer G. , Espinoza Edgar , Alvarado Guillermo E.
Published: October 2023

Ancient human footprints have been known from Managua, Nicaragua, since the 1880s. The main footprint site, long preserved in the Acahualinca Tracks Museum (
Huellas de Acahualinca
), reveals hundreds of human footprints that represent a minimum of 12 clearly defined trackways and a trampled trail or path. Deer, opossum and bird tracks are also present at Acahualinca, and bison and tapir tracks have been documented from the nearby and stratigraphically equivalent El Recreo site. The age of the Acahualinca footprints is controversial, but the best current estimate is about 2–2.2 ka BP. The Acahualinca site is one of the most scientifically important human footprint sites known from the Holocene. It exhibits footprints that are very abundant, well-preserved, accessible for study and part of a large sample that demonstrates variation within a single population. The Acahualinca site has historical, cultural and archaeological importance in preserving at least two intervals of human occupation, that of the footprints and of the ceramics in much younger layers. Its significance to anthropology and palaeontology as a sub-fossil footprint locality is clear and the volcanological history of the area is intimately related to determining the age and the circumstances of footprint registration at Acahualinca. The Acahualinca footprints merit geoheritage status.
Cluster Editing Parameterized above Modification-disjoint
P
3
-packings
Authors: Li Shaohua , Pilipczuk Marcin , Sorge Manuel
Published: October 2023

Given a graph
G
=(
V,E
) and an integer
k
, the
Cluster Editing
problem asks whether we can transform 
G
into a union of vertex-disjoint cliques by at most
k
modifications (edge deletions or insertions). In this paper, we study the following variant of
Cluster Editing
. We are given a graph
G
= (
V,E
), a packing ℋ of modification-disjoint induced
P
3
s (no pair of
P
3
s in ℋ share an edge or non-edge) and an integer ℓ. The task is to decide whether
G
can be transformed into a union of vertex-disjoint cliques by at most ℓ +|ℋ| modifications (edge deletions or insertions). We show that this problem is NP-hard even when ℓ = 0 (in which case the problem asks to turn
G
into a disjoint union of cliques by performing exactly one edge deletion or insertion per element of ℋ) and when each vertex is in at most 23
P
3
s of the packing. This answers negatively a question of van Bevern, Froese, and Komusiewicz (CSR 2016, ToCS 2018), repeated by C. Komusiewicz at Shonan meeting no. 144 in March 2019. We then initiate the study to find the largest integer
c
such that the problem remains tractable when restricting to packings such that each vertex is in at most
c
packed
P
3
s. Here packed
P
3
s are those belonging to the packing ℋ. Van Bevern et al. showed that the case
c
= 1 is fixed-parameter tractable with respect to ℓ and we show that the case
c
= 2 is solvable in |
V
|

2ℓ +
O
(1)

 time.