bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perfect and Poisonous Dependencies
Authors: Herold-Zanker Katharina
Published: March 2024

Drawing on postcolonial theories of cosmopolitanism and latest developments in decadence Studies, this chapter views Orientalism and decadence as intertwined discourses. It argues that the special relationship between European decadence and Orientalism became particularly visible at the turn of the century when cultural images from Middle Eastern and North African regions were abstracted into decadent images of hybridity—synthesizing Eastern and Western traits in a cosmopolitan yet universalist gesture. The East emerges as a plural and ahistorical concept dominated in the Western fin-de-siècle imaginations by contemporary archaeological finds, the fine arts, literature, and anthropological practices. The introduction provides a historical overview of the triangular relationship between English and German decadent writers communicating through ‘perfect and poisonous’ Eastern codes transmitted from Byzantinism to the Romantic Orient. It charts how English and German decadent writers, otherwise predominantly cherishing a cultural scepticism to the other nation, drew on shared sources such as the work of French decadent authors and the works of Friedrich Nietzsche to establish a sense of their respective cultural progression and definitions of decadence in each cultural context. In their engagement with the East it is revealed how Orientalism functioned as a focal point to bring these two decadent literatures in close proximity.
Evaluating the utility of procalcitonin and a clinical decision support tool to determine duration of antimicrobial therapy for respiratory tract infections
Authors: Pevehouse Rustin , Shah Punit J , Chou Nitha , Oolut Priya , Nair Suneesh , Ahmed Raziuddin
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Procalcitonin (PCT) levels may play a role in decreasing the duration of antimicrobial therapy in institutions that have long durations of therapy for management of community-acquired pneumonia. We assessed the impact of the combination of pharmacist stewardship interventions assisted by a clinical decision support (CDS) tool and PCT assessment on the antimicrobial days of therapy (DOT) prescribed for respiratory tract infections (RTIs).

Methods

We conducted a quasi-experimental study in which patients in the preintervention group were admitted between April and June 2021 and patients in the intervention group were admitted between April and June 2022. In the intervention phase, a CDS tool was utilized to alert clinical pharmacists when patients met specific criteria. This alert was programmed to activate for individual patients when a reported PCT level was less than 0.25 ng/mL and the patient was on antimicrobials prescribed for an RTI as indicated by providers in the electronic health record. Stewardship interventions were made by pharmacists via prospective audit and feedback. The primary endpoint was inpatient antimicrobial DOT for RTIs.

Results

There were 90 patients in the preintervention group and 104 patients in the intervention group. Although baseline characteristics were not well matched between the groups, favoring the preintervention group, the median DOT was lower in the intervention group, at 3 days (interquartile range [IQR], 2-4 days), compared to 4 days (IQR, 2.8-5 days) in the preintervention group (P = 0.001).

Conclusion

The results of our study demonstrate the utility of pharmacist interventions coupled with CDS and PCT in reducing antimicrobial DOT prescribed for RTIs. Antimicrobial stewardship programs may benefit from implementing a PCT bundle.
Group-level workplace interventions to improve mental health in low control, high-demand office-based jobs. A scoping review
Authors: Demou Evangelia , Blake Carolyn , Tan Llorin Charisse , Salanga Maria Guadalupe , Mateo Niño Jose , Lewis Ruth , Mitchell Kirstin R
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Workplace psychosocial risk factors, including low autonomy and high demands, have negative consequences for employee mental health and wellbeing. There is a need to support employees experiencing mental health and well-being problems in these jobs. This scoping review aims to describe group-level workplace interventions and their approaches to improving the mental health and well-being of employees in office-based, low autonomy, and high demands jobs.

Methods

Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a search was conducted across 4 databases (Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ASSIA). We explored studies presenting group-level interventions, mode of implementation, facilitators and barriers, and intervention effectiveness. The search was restricted to include office-based, low autonomy, and high-demands jobs. Primary outcome of interest was mental health and secondary outcomes were work-related and other well-being outcomes.

Results

Group-level workplace interventions include an array of organizational, relational, and individual components. Almost all included a training session or workshop for intervention delivery. Several had manuals but theories of change were rare. Most workplace interventions did not use participatory approaches to involve employees in intervention development, implementation and evaluation, and challenges and facilitators were not commonly reported. Key facilitators were shorter intervention duration, flexible delivery modes, and formalized processes (e.g. manuals). A key barrier was the changeable nature of workplace environments. All studies employing behavioural interventions reported significant improvements in mental health outcomes, while no clear pattern of effectiveness was observed for other outcomes or types of interventions employed.

Conclusions

Group-based interventions in low-autonomy office settings can be effective but few studies used participatory approaches or conducted process evaluations limiting our knowledge of the determinants for successful group-based workplace interventions. Involving stakeholders in intervention development, implementation, and evaluation is recommended and can be beneficial for better articulation of the acceptability and barriers and facilitators for delivery and engagement.
metaProbiotics: a tool for mining probiotic from metagenomic binning data based on a language model
Authors: Wu Shufang , Feng Tao , Tang Waijiao , Qi Cancan , Gao Jie , He Xiaolong , Wang Jiaxuan , Zhou Hongwei , Fang Zhencheng
Published: March 2024

Beneficial bacteria remain largely unexplored. Lacking systematic methods, understanding probiotic community traits becomes challenging, leading to various conclusions about their probiotic effects among different publications. We developed language model–based metaProbiotics to rapidly detect probiotic bins from metagenomes, demonstrating superior performance in simulated benchmark datasets. Testing on gut metagenomes from probiotic-treated individuals, it revealed the probioticity of intervention strains–derived bins and other probiotic-associated bins beyond the training data, such as a plasmid-like bin. Analyses of these bins revealed various probiotic mechanisms and bai operon as probiotic Ruminococcaceae’s potential marker. In different health–disease cohorts, these bins were more common in healthy individuals, signifying their probiotic role, but relevant health predictions based on the abundance profiles of these bins faced cross-disease challenges. To better understand the heterogeneous nature of probiotics, we used metaProbiotics to construct a comprehensive probiotic genome set from global gut metagenomic data. Module analysis of this set shows that diseased individuals often lack certain probiotic gene modules, with significant variation of the missing modules across different diseases. Additionally, different gene modules on the same probiotic have heterogeneous effects on various diseases. We thus believe that gene function integrity of the probiotic community is more crucial in maintaining gut homeostasis than merely increasing specific gene abundance, and adding probiotics indiscriminately might not boost health. We expect that the innovative language model–based metaProbiotics tool will promote novel probiotic discovery using large-scale metagenomic data and facilitate systematic research on bacterial probiotic effects. The metaProbiotics program can be freely downloaded at https://github.com/zhenchengfang/metaProbiotics.
MHCpLogics: an interactive machine learning-based tool for unsupervised data visualization and cluster analysis of immunopeptidomes
Authors: Shahbazy Mohammad , Ramarathinam Sri H , Li Chen , Illing Patricia T , Faridi Pouya , Croft Nathan P , Purcell Anthony W
Published: March 2024

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) encodes a range of immune response genes, including the human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) in humans. These molecules bind peptide antigens and present them on the cell surface for T cell recognition. The repertoires of peptides presented by HLA molecules are termed immunopeptidomes. The highly polymorphic nature of the genres that encode the HLA molecules confers allotype-specific differences in the sequences of bound ligands. Allotype-specific ligand preferences are often defined by peptide-binding motifs. Individuals express up to six classical class I HLA allotypes, which likely present peptides displaying different binding motifs. Such complex datasets make the deconvolution of immunopeptidomic data into allotype-specific contributions and further dissection of binding-specificities challenging. Herein, we developed MHCpLogics as an interactive machine learning-based tool for mining peptide-binding sequence motifs and visualization of immunopeptidome data across complex datasets. We showcase the functionalities of MHCpLogics by analyzing both in-house and published mono- and multi-allelic immunopeptidomics data. The visualization modalities of MHCpLogics allow users to inspect clustered sequences down to individual peptide components and to examine broader sequence patterns within multiple immunopeptidome datasets. MHCpLogics can deconvolute large immunopeptidome datasets enabling the interrogation of clusters for the segregation of allotype-specific peptide sequence motifs, identification of sub-peptidome motifs, and the exportation of clustered peptide sequence lists. The tool facilitates rapid inspection of immunopeptidomes as a resource for the immunology and vaccine communities. MHCpLogics is a standalone application available via an executable installation at: https://github.com/PurcellLab/MHCpLogics.
ICELLNET v2: a versatile method for cell–cell communication analysis from human transcriptomic data
Authors: Massenet-Regad Lucile , Soumelis Vassili
Published: March 2024

Several methods have been developed in the past years to infer cell–cell communication networks from transcriptomic data based on ligand and receptor expression. Among them, ICELLNET is one of the few approaches to consider the multiple subunits of ligands and receptors complexes to infer and quantify cell communication. In here, we present a major update of ICELLNET. As compared to its original implementation, we (i) drastically expanded the ICELLNET ligand-receptor database from 380 to 1669 biologically curated interactions, (ii) integrated important families of communication molecules involved in immune crosstalk, cell adhesion, and Wnt pathway, (iii) optimized ICELLNET framework for single-cell RNA sequencing data analyses, (iv) provided new visualizations of cell–cell communication results to facilitate prioritization and biological interpretation. This update will broaden the use of ICELLNET by the scientific community in different biological fields.

Availability and implementation

ICELLNET package is implemented in R. Source code, documentation and tutorials are available on GitHub (https://github.com/soumelis-lab/ICELLNET).
vizAPA: visualizing dynamics of alternative polyadenylation from bulk and single-cell data
Authors: Bi Xingyu , Ye Wenbin , Cheng Xin , Yang Ning , Wu Xiaohui
Published: March 2024

Motivation

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a widespread post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism across all eukaryotes. With the accumulation of genome-wide APA sites, especially those with single-cell resolution, it is imperative to develop easy-to-use visualization tools to guide APA analysis.

Results

We developed an R package called vizAPA for visualizing APA dynamics from bulk and single-cell data. vizAPA implements unified data structures for APA data and genome annotations. vizAPA also enables identification of genes with differential APA usage across biological samples and/or cell types. vizAPA provides four unique modules for extensively visualizing APA dynamics across biological samples and at the single-cell level. vizAPA could serve as a plugin in many routine APA analysis pipelines to augment studies for APA dynamics.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/BMILAB/vizAPA.
Acute cement dust poisoning: Rigid bronchoscopy and mechanical insufflation–exsufflation as an effective and novel treatment for its management
Authors: Quiroga Nestor Ivan , Palliser Cristina , Caballeria Estrella , Bello Irene
Published: March 2024

This clinical case shows the repercussions of acute exposure to cement dust in the respiratory tract and other mucous membranes. Following a cement dust pipe explosion, the patient endured a severe inhalation of dust. A combination of rigid bronchoscopy and a mechanical insufflation–exsufflation system was employed to remove cement debris from the airways. Respiratory physiotherapy sessions were implemented for effective secretion clearance, contributing to a successful short-term recovery. While this remains an isolated case, the unconventional techniques employed provide valuable insights for potential similar scenarios in the future.
Phenotypic lags influence rapid evolution throughout a drought cycle
Authors: Branch Haley A , Anstett Daniel N , Angert Amy L
Published: March 2024

Climate anomalies are increasing and posing strong selection, which can lead to rapid evolution. This is occurring on a backdrop of interannual variability that might weaken or even reverse selection. However, the effect of interannual climatic variability on rapid evolution is rarely considered. We study the climatic differences that contribute to rapid evolution throughout a 7-year period, encompassing a severe drought across 12 populations of Mimulus cardinalis (scarlet monkeyflower). Plants were grown in a common greenhouse environment under wet and dry treatments, where specific leaf area and date of flowering were measured. We examine the association between trait values and different climate metrics at different time periods, including the collection year, prior years, and cumulative metrics across sequential years. Of the climatic variables we assessed, we find that anomalies in mean annual precipitation best describe trait differences over our study period. Past climates, of 1–2 years prior, are often related to trait values in a conflicting direction to collection-year climate. Uncovering these complex climatic impacts on evolution is critical to better predict and interpret the impacts of climate change.
Discrimination between icequakes and earthquakes in southern Alaska: an exploration of waveform features using Random Forest algorithm
Authors: Kharita Akash , Denolle Marine A , West Michael E
Published: March 2024

This study examines the feature space of seismic waveforms often used in machine learning applications for seismic event detection and classification problems. Our investigation centres on the southern Alaska region, where the seismic record captures diverse seismic activity, notably from the calving of marine-terminating glaciers and tectonic earthquakes along active plate boundaries. While the automated discrimination of earthquakes and glacier quakes is our nominal goal, this data set provides an outstanding opportunity to explore the general feature space of regional seismic phases. That objective has applicability beyond ice quakes and our geographic region of study. We make a noteworthy discovery that features rooted in the spectral content of seismic waveforms consistently outperform statistical and temporal features. Spectral features demonstrate robust performance, exhibiting resilience to class imbalance while being minimally impacted by factors such as epicentral distance and signal-to-noise ratio. We also conduct experiments on the transferability of the model and find that transferability primarily depends on the appearance of the waveforms. Finally, we analyse misclassified events and find examples that are identified incorrectly in the original regional catalogue.
Learning from the history of red shrimp fisheries in the Mediterranean to improve sustainability of deep-water bottom trawling
Authors: Fiorentino Fabio , Garofalo Germana , Bono Gioacchino , Vitale Sergio
Published: March 2024

As deep-water red shrimp (DWRS) trawl fisheries gain importance in the Mediterranean, their impact on fragile deep-sea ecosystems requires careful management. We reviewed the historical development of DWRS fisheries in the Mediterranean to propose a harvest strategy that would enhance fishery sustainability, while preserving habitat and community integrity. We considered two representative typologies of DWRS fisheries: a domestic fleet operating within the Italian territorial waters of the Ligurian Sea, and a distant fleet operating mostly in international waters of the central-eastern Mediterranean and sharing shrimp stocks with non-European countries. Our proposed management approach is based on three main harvesting measures: (i) preventing the uncontrolled growth in number of trawlers, (ii) adopting a catch control regime, and (iii) identifying a network of deep-water areas designated alternately for fishing and conservation purposes. As with fisheries in other regions, new fishing grounds should be explored using “encounter protocols” to avoid areas hosting species indicators of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. Additionally, empirical indicators such as catch rate thresholds derived from fishers’ experience, could be used to move from one fishing ground to another to avoid local depletion of DWRS abundance and a decrease in fishery profitability.
The Stieltjes–Fekete Problem and Degenerate Orthogonal Polynomials
Authors: Bertola Marco , Chavez-Heredia Eduardo , Grava Tamara
Published: March 2024

A result of Stieltjes famously relates the zeroes of the classical orthogonal polynomials with the configurations of points on the line that minimize a suitable energy with logarithmic interactions under an external field. The optimal configuration satisfies an algebraic set of equations: we call this set of algebraic equations the Stieltjes–Fekete problem. In this work we consider the Stieltjes-Fekete problem when the derivative of the external field is an arbitrary rational complex function. We show that, under assumption of genericity, its solutions are in one-to-one correspondence with the zeroes of certain non-hermitian orthogonal polynomials that satisfy an excess of orthogonality conditions and are thus termed “degenerate”. When the differential of the external field on the Riemann sphere is of degree $3$ our result reproduces Stieltjes’ original result and provides its direct generalization for higher degree after more than a century since the original result.
Linkage and F-Regularity of Determinantal Rings
Authors: Pandey Vaibhav , Tarasova Yevgeniya
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we prove that the generic link of a generic determinantal ring defined by maximal minors is strongly $F$-regular. In the process, we strengthen a result of Chardin and Ulrich in the graded setting. They showed that the generic residual intersections of a complete intersection ring with rational singularities again have rational singularities. We show that if the said complete intersection is defined by homogeneous elements and is $F$-rational, then in fact, its generic residual intersections are strongly $F$-regular in positive prime characteristic. Hochster and Huneke showed that determinantal rings are strongly $F$-regular; however, their proof is quite involved. Our techniques allow us to give a new and simple proof of the strong $F$-regularity of determinantal rings defined by maximal minors.
Birational Transformations on Irreducible Compact Hermitian Symmetric Spaces
Authors: Ding Cong
Published: March 2024

We construct a sequence of explicit blow-ups and blow-downs on an irreducible compact Hermitian symmetric spaces $X$ which transforms it into a projective space of the same dimension. Moreover, this resolves a birational map given by Landsberg and Manivel. Centers of the blow-ups for $X$ are constructed by loci of chains of minimal rational curves and centers of the blow-ups for the projective space are constructed from the variety of minimal rational tangents of $X$ and its higher secant varieties. The result was known in the special case where $X$ is of rank 2 and could be found in Zak’s monograph “Tangents and secants of algebraic varieties.”
The Rise and Fall of Technological Leadership: General-Purpose Technology Diffusion and Economic Power Transitions
Authors: Ding Jeffrey
Published: March 2024

How do technological revolutions affect the rise and fall of great powers? Scholars have long observed that major technological breakthroughs disrupt economic power balances, yet they rarely investigate how this process occurs. Existing studies establish that a nation’s success in adapting to revolutionary technologies is determined by the fit between its institutions and the demands of these technologies. The standard explanation emphasizes institutions suited for monopolizing innovation in new, fast-growing industries (leading sectors). I outline an alternative pathway based on general-purpose technologies (GPTs), foundational advances that boost productivity only after an extended diffusion process across many sectors. Specifically, GPT diffusion demands institutional adaptations that widen the base of engineering skills associated with a GPT. To test this argument, I set the GPT mechanism against the leading-sector mechanism across three cases, which correspond to past industrial revolutions: Britain’s rise to preeminence in the early nineteenth century; the United States’s overtaking of Britain before World War I; Japan’s challenge to US technological dominance in the late twentieth century. The findings support a novel explanation for technology-driven power transitions, directly bearing on how emerging technologies like AI, which some regard as driving a fourth industrial revolution, could influence a possible US–China power transition.
VIM-type metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-encoding genomic islands in Pseudomonas spp. in Poland: predominance of clc-like integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs)
Authors: Urbanowicz P , Izdebski R , Biedrzycka M , Gniadkowski M
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To characterize VIM-type metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-encoding genomic islands (GIs) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. putida group isolates from Polish hospitals from 2001–2015/16.

Methods

Twelve P. aeruginosa and 20 P. putida group isolates producing VIM-like MBLs were selected from a large collection of these based on epidemiological and typing data. The organisms represented all major epidemic genotypes of these species spread in Poland with chromosomally located blaVIM gene-carrying integrons. The previously determined short-read sequences were complemented by long-read sequencing in this study. The comparative structural analysis of the GIs used a variety of bioinformatic tools.

Results

Thirty different GIs with blaVIM integrons were identified in the 32 isolates, of which 24 GIs from 26 isolates were integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) of the clc family. These in turn were dominated by 21 variants of the GI2/ICE6441 subfamily with a total of 19 VIM integrons, each inserted in the same position within the ICE’s Tn21-like transposon Tn4380. The three other ICEs formed a novel ICE6705 subfamily, lacking Tn4380 and having different VIM integrons located in another site of the elements. The remaining six non-ICE GIs represented miscellaneous structures. The presence of various integrons in the same ICE sublineage, and of the same integron in different GIs, indicated circulation and recombination of the integron-carrying genetic platforms across Pseudomonas species/genotypes.

Conclusions

Despite the general diversity of the blaVIM-carrying GIs in Pseudomonas spp. in Poland, a clear predominance of broadly spread and rapidly evolving clc-type ICEs was documented, confirming their significant role in antimicrobial resistance epidemiology.
Enhancing a multi-purpose artificial urine for culture and gene expression studies of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains
Authors: Rimbi Patricia T , O'Boyle Nicky , Douce Gillian R , Pizza Mariagrazia , Rosini Roberto , Roe Andrew J
Published: March 2024

Aims

The main objective of this study was to modify a recently reported multi-purpose artificial urine (MP-AU) for culture and gene expression studies of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains.

Methods and results

We used liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify and adjust the metabolic profile of MP-AU closer to that of pooled human urine (PHU). Modification in this way facilitated growth of UPEC strains with growth rates similar to those obtained in PHU. Transcriptomic analysis of UPEC strains cultured in enhanced artificial urine (enhanced AU) and PHU showed that the gene expression profiles are similar, with <7% of genes differentially expressed between the two conditions.

Conclusions

Enhancing an MP-AU with metabolites identified in PHU allows the enhanced AU to be used as a substitute for the culture and in vitro gene expression studies of UPEC strains.
Purity Assessment of Honey Based on Compound Specific Stable Carbon Isotope Ratios Obtained by LC-IRMS
Authors: Ulberth Franz , Aries Eric , De Rudder Oliver , Kaklamanos Georgios , Maquet Alain
Published: March 2024

Background

The use of stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of sugar fractions of honey is a powerful tool to detect adulteration with sugar syrups. This is accomplished by calculating differences of the δ13C values between individual honey saccharides and comparing them to published purity criteria. A liquid chromatography–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC-IRMS) method for the determination of δ13C values of sugars in honey was previously validated by an interlaboratory comparison, but no further guidance was given how to include the obtained precision figures of the compound-specific δ13C values in the purity assessment of honey.

Objective

To use existing data to estimate the standard deviation of the repeatability (sr) and reproducibility (sR) of differences (Δ δ13C) between the δ13C values of individual honey saccharides.

Methods

Previously published δ13C values were used to calculate differences (Δ δ13C values) between δ13C fructose—δ13C glucose, δ13C glucose—δ13C disaccharides, etc. in a honey sample; sr and sR of Δ δ13C values were calculated according to ISO 5725–2:2019.

Results

The Δ δ13C sr and sR values were essentially of the same magnitude as the sr and sR values of δ13C values of the sugar fractions. The precision of the Δ δ13C values was used to estimate the critical difference for comparing a test result with a reference value according to ISO 5725–6:1994. This varied between 0.26 and 1.10‰.

Conclusion

The estimated critical differences can be used to determine whether a honey test result complies with published Δ δ13C purity criteria.

Highlight

The proposed procedure will increase confidence in decisions based on compound-specific δ13C values regarding the conformity of honey with published purity criteria.
Development of an opportunistic diagnostic prediction algorithm for osteoporosis and fragility fracture risk estimates from forearm radiographs (The OFFER1 Study)
Authors: Meertens Robert , Lopez Ben , Crone Ben , Gundry Mike , Metcalfe-Smith Emma , Gibbard Warren , Jubb Thomas , Manning Fay , Scott Paul , McWilliam Richard
Published: March 2024

Osteoporosis and associated fractures are an increasingly prevalent concern with an ageing population. This study reports testing of IBEX Bone Health (IBEX BH) software, applied following acquisition of forearm radiographs. IBEX Bone Health analyses the radiograph to measure areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at the examination site. A non-randomized cross-sectional study design was performed involving 261 (254 after exclusions) participants (112/142 m/f; mean age 70.8 years (SD+/–9.0); 53 with osteoporosis). They underwent posterior–anterior distal forearm radiographs; dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the wrists, hips, and lumbar spine; and questionnaires exploring clinical risk factors. IBEX Bone Health automatically identifies regions of interest (ROI) at the ultra-distal (UD) and distal third (TD) regions of the radius. Analysis investigated area under the receiver operating characteristics curve performance of IBEX BH for prediction of (i) osteoporosis (based on clinical reporting of the hip and spine DXA) and (ii) treatment recommendations by Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) inclusive of neck of femur (NoF) areal bone mineral density (aBMD) results following National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) guidelines. Area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for osteoporosis prediction at the UD and TD ROIs were 0.86 (99% confidence interval (CI) [0.80, 0.91]) and 0.81 (99% CI [0.75, 0.88]), respectively. Area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for treatment recommendation using FRAX inclusive of NoF aBMD at the UD and TD ROIs were 0.95 (99% CI [0.91, 1.00]) and 0.97 (99% CI [0.93,1.00]), respectively. With a matched sensitivity to FRAX (without NoF aBMD) 0.93 (99% CI [0.78, 0.99]), IBEX BH predicted at the UD and TD ROIs recommended treatment outcomes by NOGG guidelines using FRAX (with NoF aBMD) with specificity 0.89 (99% CI 0.83, 0.94]) and 0.93 (99% CI [0.87, 0.97]), respectively. This is compared with 0.60 (99% CI [0.51, 0.69]) for FRAX (without NoF aBMD). Results demonstrate the potential clinical utility of IBEX BH as an opportunistic screening tool.
Catastrophic complications of a robot-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy with a barbed suture: ischaemic bowel
Authors: Pajtak Renata , Ibraheem Christian , Mori Krinal
Published: March 2024

Robot-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy with barbed sutures has become increasingly utilized due to known benefits of minimally invasive surgery. It is equally as important to recognize the unusual life-threatening complications which may arise in patients presenting with an acute abdomen up to several weeks post-robotic surgery. A 54-year-old woman presented with acute, sudden onset abdominal pain and underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy for suspected small bowel ischemia. The procedure progressed to an open laparotomy where it was found that a V-Loc suture placed during robot-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy several weeks prior was causing strangulation of the small bowel. Following resection and side-to-side anastomosis the patient spent several days in the intensive care unit and developed a post-operative ileus, however, was eventually discharged home. When evaluating the acute abdomen in the context of recent robotic surgery, ischaemic bowel must be considered as a complication.
Pseudoaneurysm of cystic artery stump after laparoscopic cholecystectomy managed successfully with branch hepatic artery embolization using jail technique
Authors: Anns Khizer Masroor , Khan Faheemullah , Aman Muhammad , Shahid Jehanzeb , Haq Tanveer U I , Memon Wasim Ahmad , Saeed Muhammad Arif , Khalid Amna , Abbasher Hussien Mohamed Ahmed Khabab , Akram Saba
Published: March 2024

An unusual manifestation caused by cholecystitis, infection, or iatrogenic damage after cholecystectomy is a pseudoaneurysm of the cystic artery. We report this rare illness in a 64-year-old man who visited the emergency room with hematemesis and anemia. The patient initially experienced acute cholecystitis and then underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy following which he developed a cystic artery pseudoaneurysm, secondary to infected fluid collection. Based on the patient’s history and contrast-enhanced computer tomography abdomen, a diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm of the cystic artery was made. Angioembolization of the hepatic artery branch was performed to occlude the pseudoaneurysm.
Correction of a congenital kyphoscoliosis associated with diastematomyelia
Authors: Abdaliyev Seidali , Yestay Daniyar , Baitov Daulet
Published: March 2024

Congenital scoliosis is one of the most common deformities of the spine in children. Intraspinal anomalies are always accompanied with congenital scoliosis. Diastematomyelia is one of the most common intraspinal pathologies in congenital scoliosis. To date, there is no standard method for correcting the congenital spinal deformity associated with diastematomyelia. We present a clinical case of simultaneous correction of congenital scoliosis by an internal corrector with excision of diastematomyelia. The patient tolerated the surgery well without any complications. She was discharged home with improved symptoms without need for additional therapy. The patient’s guardians consented to the procedure and to the publication of her image.
Survival throughout the annual cycle of first year Canada Jays in the context of sibling competition, expulsion, and adoption
Authors: Fuirst Matthew , Strickland Dan , Freeman Nikole E , Sutton Alex O , Graham Brendan A , Burg Theresa , Norris D Ryan
Published: March 2024

For most birds that exhibit delayed dispersal (remaining on the natal territory rather than dispersing to seek a breeding opportunity), siblings appear free to stay or leave the natal area. However, in rare cases, delaying dispersal is determined via conflict among siblings, with the dominant individual remaining on the natal territory. We used radio-tracking to examine brood reduction, and subsequent juvenile survival, of first-year Canada Jays (Perisoreus canadensis) in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Soon after juveniles become nutritionally independent, intra-brood struggles lead to one “dominant juvenile” remaining on the natal territory after permanently expelling the subordinate siblings (“ejectees”). Males in above-average condition when nestlings were the most likely to become the dominant juveniles and females did so only when broods were all-female at the time of the expulsion. Dominant juveniles were much more likely to survive their first summer compared to ejectees (survival probabilities = 0.84 and 0.45, respectively), suggesting that ejectees are especially vulnerable to mortality risk in the critical interval between their expulsion from the natal territory and their settlement on a new territory. However, if ejectees lived to autumn, they had only a slightly lower probability of first-winter survival (0.73) than dominant juveniles (0.85). These results suggest that the survival advantage gained by dominant juveniles is greatest during the first summer after hatching, with a much smaller difference over the first winter after ejectees have settled on non-natal territories. Our work provides insight into potential evolutionary and ecological mechanisms driving social dominance hierarchies in wild birds.
The OsEIL1–OsWOX11 transcription factor module controls rice crown root development in response to soil compaction
Authors: Li Yuxiang , Wang Juan , Gao Yadi , Pandey Bipin K , Peralta Ogorek Lucas León , Zhao Yu , Quan Ruidang , Zhao Zihan , Jiang Lei , Huang Rongfeng , Qin Hua
Published: March 2024

Optimizing the root architecture of crops is an effective strategy for improving crop yields. Soil compaction is a serious global problem that limits crop productivity by restricting root growth, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. Here, we show that ethylene stimulates rice (Oryza sativa) crown root development in response to soil compaction. First, we demonstrate that compacted soil promotes ethylene production and the accumulation of ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3-LIKE 1 (OsEIL1) in rice roots, stimulating crown root primordia initiation and development, thereby increasing crown root number in lower stem nodes. Through transcriptome profiling and molecular analyses, we reveal that OsEIL1 directly activates the expression of WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 11 (OsWOX11), an activator of crown root emergence and growth, and that OsWOX11 mutations delay crown root development, thus impairing the plant's response to ethylene and soil compaction. Genetic analysis demonstrates that OsWOX11 functions downstream of OsEIL1. In summary, our results demonstrate that the OsEIL1–OsWOX11 module regulates ethylene action during crown root development in response to soil compaction, providing a strategy for the genetic modification of crop root architecture and grain agronomic traits.
JASMONATE ZIM-domain protein 3 regulates photomorphogenesis and thermomorphogenesis through inhibiting PIF4 in Arabidopsis
Authors: Huai Junling , Gao Nan , Yao Yuanyuan , Du Yanxin , Guo Qiang , Lin Rongcheng
Published: March 2024

Light and temperature are 2 major environmental factors that affect the growth and development of plants during their life cycle. Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to adapt to varying external environments. Here, we show that JASMONATE ZIM-domain protein 3 (JAZ3), a jasmonic acid signaling component, acts as a factor to integrate light and temperature in regulating seedling morphogenesis. JAZ3 overexpression transgenic lines display short hypocotyls under red, far-red, and blue light and warm temperature (28 °C) conditions compared to the wild type in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We show that JAZ3 interacts with the transcription factor PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR4 (PIF4). Interestingly, JAZ3 spontaneously undergoes liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in vitro and in vivo and promotes LLPS formation of PIF4. Moreover, transcriptomic analyses indicate that JAZ3 regulates the expression of genes involved in many biological processes, such as response to auxin, auxin-activated signaling pathway, regulation of growth, and response to red light. Finally, JAZ3 inhibits the transcriptional activation activity and binding ability of PIF4. Collectively, our study reveals a function and molecular mechanism of JAZ3 in regulating plant growth in response to environmental factors such as light and temperature.
The Effects of Violence against U.S. Officeholders
Authors: Herrick Rebekah , Thomas Sue
Published: March 2024

Using an original 2021 survey of mayors in U.S. mayors in cities of 10,000 in population and above, we explore the individual costs of psychological and physical violence. These costs include emotional distress, diverted attention from the job, and considerations about leaving the job. Overall, we find that 95 percent of mayors faced violence in office. Among those who did, the more violence reported, the more likely they were to have faced such costs. Further, those mayors (mostly women) who faced sexualized violence were more likely to have reported those effects. All told, violence against officeholders has individual effects as well as systemic ones. If violence keeps mayors from being able to do their job fully or causes them to leave it, the political costs may be quite grave in terms of losing experienced representatives—and it may also have disparate effects on particular groups of officeholders, such as women.
16s RNA-based metagenomics reveal previously unreported gut microbiota associated with reactive arthritis and undifferentiated peripheral spondyloarthritis
Authors: Ahmed Sakir , Mahapatra Soumendu , Mishra Rasmita , Murmu Krushna Chandra , Padhan Prasanta , Prasad Punit , Misra Ramnath
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Reactive arthritis (ReA) provides a unique opportunity to comprehend how a mucosal infection leads to inflammatory arthritis at a distant site without the apparent invasion of the pathogen. Unfortunately, conventional stool cultures after ReA provide limited information, and there is a dearth of metagenomic studies in ReA. The objective of this study was to identify gut microbiota associated with the development of ReA.

Methods

Patients with ReA or undifferentiated peripheral spondyloarthritis (UpSpA) were included if they presented within 4 weeks of the onset of the current episode of arthritis. Metagenomic DNA was extracted from the stools of these patients and of 36 age- and sex-similar controls. Sequencing and analysis were done using a standard 16S ribosomal pipeline.

Results

Of 55 patients, there was no difference between the gut microbiota of postdiarrheal ReA (n = 20) and of upSpA (n = 35). Comparing the gut microbiota of patients vs healthy controls, the patients had significantly higher alpha and beta diversity measures. After stringency filters, Proteobacteria had high abundance while Firmicutes had lesser as compared with the controls. Six families were overexpressed in patients, while another five were overexpressed in controls. Sixteen genera and 18 species were significantly different between patients and controls. At the species level there was strong association of Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium septicum Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Empedobacter brevis, Roseburia hominis, Bacillus velezensis and Crassaminicella with ReA.

Conclusion

The microbiota of classical gut-associated ReA and upSpA is similar. Patients have higher diversities in their gut microbiota compared with healthy controls. Both known and previously unreported species associated with ReA/upSpA were identified.
Effect of creep feeding pelleted starter diet, liquid milk replacer and a liquid mixture of starter diet and milk replacer to suckling pigs on their growth and medication usage
Authors: Arnaud Elisa A , Gardiner Gillian  E , Chombart Matthieu , O’ Doherty John V , Sweeney Torres  , Lawlor Peadar G
Published: March 2024

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of creep-feeding solid starter diet, liquid milk replacer, and a liquid mixture of starter diet and milk replacer to suckling pigs on their growth and medication usage up to target slaughter weight (approximately 120 kg). Ninety-one sows and their litters were randomly assigned to one of four post-farrowing treatments at day 107 of gestation; (1) no creep feed provided to weaning at day 28 of age (CONTROL; n = 20), (2) dry pelleted starter diet provided as creep feed from day 10 of age to weaning (DPS; n = 25), (3) liquid milk replacer provided as creep feed from day 3 of age to weaning (LMR; n = 23), and (4) liquid milk replacer provided from days 3 to 6 of age followed by a mixture of liquid milk replacer with an increasing proportion of liquid starter diet to weaning provided as creep feed (LMR + S; n = 23). Pig weight and dry matter disappearance (DMd) were recorded during lactation and postweaning until pigs reached target slaughter weight (approximately 120 kg). At target slaughter weight, carcass weight and quality were recorded. Medication (antibiotic and anti-inflammatory) usage per pig on a litter basis, and number of injections and clinical cases of disease per litter were recorded from birth to slaughter. At day 5 postweaning, a subset of pigs (n = 40) were sacrificed and intestinal samples were collected for histological analysis. Piglets supplemented with DPS had higher DMd of creep feed than those supplemented with LMR or LMR + S (P < 0.001). Providing LMR + S to suckling piglets reduced the coefficient of variation (CV) for within-litter piglet weaning weight (P < 0.01) compared to DPS and LMR, but the CV of LMR + S was similar to that of CONTROL. Providing DPS or LMR to suckling piglets increased piglet weaning weight compared to CONTROL (P < 0.001) but pig weight was not significantly different from CONTROL at time points thereafter. Gain to feed ratio from weaning to day 6 postweaning was less for LMR pigs compared to all other treatments (P < 0.001). Providing DPS or LMR + S to suckling piglets tended to increase postweaning ileal villus height (P = 0.07). Diarrhea incidence, as well as the number of clinical cases of disease and injections per litter and volume of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory administered per pig pre- and postweaning, were not affected by treatment (P > 0.05). In conclusion, supplementing suckling pigs with liquid milk replacer or dry pelleted starter diet improved growth at weaning, but the benefit did not persist to slaughter.
Influence of Propiconazole and Metconazole Formulations on Bacillus subtilis Vegetative Cell Growth and Disease Control of Fruit Crops
Authors: Wesche Johanna , Schnabel Guido
Published: March 2024

Biological control agent Bacillus subtilis formulated as Theia is registered for control of fungal and bacterial diseases of fruit crops. Combinations of Theia and strategic concentrations of two demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides were investigated to explore potential synergisms. Bacteria were cultured in nutrient broth and combined with technical grades and two formulations of propiconazole (emulsifiable concentrate [EC] and wettable powder) and metconazole (EC and water-dispersible granule) at 0, 10, 50, 100, and 150 µg/ml of active ingredient. After cocultivation, the optical density (OD600) and colony forming units (CFU/ml) were evaluated. In contrast to EC formulations, the wettable powder or water-dispersible granule formulations at 10 or 50 µg/ml of both DMIs did not affect vegetative cell growth. The mixture of Theia and each formulated DMI at 50 µg/ml of active ingredient resulted in a significant reduction of Monilinia fructicola lesion development on apple, Colletotrichum siamense lesion development on cherry, and Botrytis cinerea lesion development on cherry. The combination of Theia with EC formulations showed weaker disease reduction due to antagonism. Only Theia plus non-EC formulated propiconazole and metconazole significantly reduced brown rot disease incidence of apple compared with the respective solo treatments and anthracnose disease incidence of cherry compared with the untreated control. Our results indicated that at least some DMI fungicides possess bactericidal effects depending on the formulation and concentration. The combination of Theia with a lower-than-label-rate concentration (50 µg/ml) of the DMI fungicides propiconazole and metconazole showed potential for synergistic effects, especially when non-EC formulations were used.