bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lebanese diaspora and the October 17 Uprising
Authors: Tabar Paul , El‐Zakka Yara
Published: April 2024

This article examines the Lebanese home‐diaspora relationship and its contribution to the dynamics of the political system in Lebanon. This relationship is explored in the context of the October 17 Uprising which was a transnational event whereby Lebanese at home and abroad were actively engaged in its awakening and repercussions. The authors argue that this relationship is a two‐way relationship in which both home and diasporic actors mutually contribute to the potential transformative process which was ignited by the Uprising. They also argue that both political actors are faced with limitations that hinder them from maximizing their efforts to challenge and transform the political rhetoric in Lebanon. These limitations are imposed by both local and diasporic actors in favour of traditional political parties, and they restrict the potential of diasporic actors to be proactive in their opposition, as well as the efforts of home actors to enhance the nature of the political engagement with the diaspora. However, the research suggests that recent political activities in Lebanon and abroad have demonstrated the ability of both actors to gradually break the sovereignty of the ruling parties in Lebanon if efforts are channelled properly in the political field generated by those actors.
Efficacy and safety of topical rosuvastatin & melatonin vs. placebo in patients with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis: A preliminary randomized double‐blinded clinical trial
Authors: Mohammadi Farhad , Harofteh Fatemeh Zare , Sahebnasagh Adeleh , Ghaneei Narges , Ardakani Mohammad Ebrahim Zadeh , Saghafi Fatemeh
Published: April 2024

Background

Considering the pathogenesis of psoriasis and also the anti‐oxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti‐inflammatory properties of rosuvastatin and melatonin, the current clinical trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical rosuvastatin and melatonin in patients with mild to moderate psoriasis.

Methods

The current randomized placebo‐controlled clinical trial was conducted using a 3‐arm parallel group included 77 adult patients (≥18 years old) with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis.

Patients were randomized into a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three groups to receive one of the three interventions: melatonin cream, 5.0% (w/w), rosuvastatin cream, 5.0% (w/w), or placebo cream with a similar transparent appearance twice a day for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was severity of the disease using Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). The secondary outcomes included the Dermatological Sum Score (DSS) to assess the erythema, scaling, and plaque elevation and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Photographs of the lesions were also taken at the baseline and at different periodic intervals thereafter.

Results

Among 77 randomized patients, 52 (mean (SD) age, 40.67 (10.85) years; 22 (42.30%) men) completed the study. A significant reduction of 45% (mean (SD) of 2.67 (0.98) to 1.74 (1.12)) and 70% (mean (SD) of 2.67 (0.98) to 1.31 (1.13)) in PASI score, and 46% (mean (SD) of 2.91(1.85) to 1.57 (1.11)) and 77% (mean (SD) of 2.91 (1.85) to 0.87 (0.67)) in DSS score on days 30 and 60 with rosuvastatin cream, 5% w/w (P < 0.001) compared with baseline was observed, respectively.

Also a significant decrease of 35% (mean (SD) of 2.67 (0.98) to 1.74 (1.12)) and 51% (mean (SD) of 2.67 (0.98) to 1.31 (1.13)) in PASI score, and 40% (mean (SD) of 5.00 (1.58) to 3.00 (1.76))and 61% (mean (SD) of 5.00 (1.58) to 1.92 (1.71)) in DSS score on days 30 and 60 with melatonin cream, 5% w/w (P < 0.001) compared with baseline were observed, respectively. In each of the melatonin or rosuvastatin groups, DLQI improved significantly on days 30 (P < 0.0001) and 60 (P < 0.001) while the changes in the control group were not significant.

Conclusion

The results of this clinical trial demonstrated that topical melatonin and rosuvastatin diminished the severity of mild to moderate plaque psoriasis with a satisfactory safety profile. Future clinical trials should assess both the long‐term efficacy and safety of melatonin and rosuvastatin creams in larger study populations.
Heavy menstrual bleeding in adolescence: who to investigate and how to manage it
Authors: Walter S L , Channing S , Crouch N S
Published: April 2024

Key content

Adolescent heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is commonly related to hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis immaturity, which improves with age. This article outlines when and how to investigate for underlying pathological causes.

Medical treatment for adolescent HMB consists predominantly of hormonal contraceptives. Preparation choice depends upon patient preference, comorbidities and co‐existing conditions.

Acute adolescent HMB is rare; a suggested framework for assessing and managing such cases is provided within this article.

Learning objectives

To understand how to clinically evaluate adolescent HMB.

To understand when and how to investigate adolescent HMB.

To understand the different medical treatment options for HMB, their efficacy, risks and alternatives.

To understand the management of acute adolescent HMB.

Ethical issues

Duties of confidentiality must be balanced against safeguarding concerns.
Digital geographies of miscarriage: A ‘sister‐ethnographic’ approach to pregnancy apps and loss
Authors: Bagelman Caroline (Carly) , Bagelman Jen
Published: April 2024

Pregnancy apps have become a popular healthcare tool with millions of users worldwide. While branded as inclusive, they nevertheless normalise a particular pregnancy journey: one culminating in birth. Knowing that pregnancies end for various reasons – with one in five resulting in miscarriage – we seek to challenge this narrow framing. Deviating from existing literature, our paper explores the emotional geographies of pregnancy apps when birth is not the outcome. Set through a series of ‘app annotations’ by two sisters navigating pregnancy loss, our paper explores how a leading app was intimately encountered. Drawing inspiration from graphics literature, we advance a new method and activist tool that centres the body – and particularly embodied loss – in digital debates. In so doing we hope to turn geography's ‘digital turn’ towards a more creative set of tools, heeding feminist calls to engage technological intimacies. Vitally, this work illuminates those lives (and losses) systematically excluded – often in the name of life itself.
Validation of the eyeTelemed IOPvet indentation tonometer for use in dogs
Authors: Kapeller Lydia E. , Cabble Ava G. , Buckman Phillip N. , Harman Christine D. , Jacobson Amanda L. , Lawrence Frank R. , Komáromy András M.
Published: April 2024

Objective

To assess the accuracy of canine intraocular pressure (IOP) estimates from the eyeTelemed IOPvet indentation tonometer.

Animals Studied

Part 1 included 54 eyes from 28 Beagle dogs—23 ADAMTS10‐mutants with open‐angle glaucoma and 5 normals. Part 2 involved five normal canine ex vivo globes.

Procedure

Part 1 (in vivo) compared IOPvet estimates in normal and glaucomatous dogs to Reichert Tono‐Vera® Vet rebound tonometry. The three IOPvet estimates were green (normal; <20 mmHg, according to the manufacturer), yellow (elevated; 20–30 mmHg), and red (high; >30 mmHg). In Part 2 (ex vivo), the pressure inside freshly enucleated normal canine eyes was progressively increased from 5 to 80 mmHg and compared to IOPvet estimates. Descriptive statistics compared IOPvet estimates to rebound tonometry and direct manometry, with the threshold from normal to glaucoma set at 30 mmHg.

Results

In Part 1 (in vivo), normal pressures (≤30 mmHg) were mainly identified correctly as green or yellow—110 of 111 estimates, corresponding to a specificity of 99%. Only 16 of 125 affected estimates were correctly displayed in the >30‐mmHg range; the remaining 109 showed ≤30 mmHg, corresponding to a sensitivity of 13%. In Part 2 (ex vivo), all normal pressures were correctly estimated with green, but 64 of 88 manometric IOPs >30 mmHg were falsely estimated as 20–30 mmHg.

Conclusions

The IOPvet is inaccurate in estimating canine IOP with a low sensitivity at identifying dogs with IOP > 30 mmHg. Canine‐specific instrument revision is required to correctly identify elevated (yellow = 20–30 mmHg) and high (red >30 mmHg) IOPs.
Complications and outcomes of total hip arthroplasty in dogs with luxoid hip dysplasia: 18 cases (2010–2022)
Authors: Horwood Carma , Carvajal Jose Luis , Pozzi Antonio , Kim Stanley Eunwoo
Published: April 2024

Objective

To describe the complications and outcomes in dogs with luxoid hip dysplasia (LH) undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) and compare complication rates with THA in non‐LH dogs.

Study design

Retrospective study.

Sample population

Client‐owned dogs (n = 217) undergoing primary THA (n = 238).

Methods

Medical records (2010–2022) of dogs undergoing THA were reviewed, and LH was defined as complete dorsal displacement of the femoral head from the acetabulum on lateral projection radiographs. Major or catastrophic complications, revisions, and outcomes were recorded for all dogs and they were compared between LH and non‐LH groups.

Results

Eighteen cases met the subcriterion for the LH group and 220 cases met the subcriterion for inclusion in the non‐LH group. There were 14 complications in 13/18 dogs with LH; seven were intraoperative (femoral fissure/fracture) and seven were postoperative (dorsal luxation, n = 5; femoral fracture, n = 1; acetabular cup septic loosening, n = 1). Revisions were performed for all LH dogs that encountered complications; satisfactory outcomes were achieved in 12/13 dogs. Overall, LH dogs had a higher risk of developing complications (p < .001), including intraoperative fracture (p < .001) and postoperative dorsal luxation (p = .019) when compared with non‐LH dogs.

Conclusion

Luxoid hip dysplasia was associated with a higher risk of major complications following THA in dogs, specifically intraoperative fissure/fracture and postoperative dorsal luxation. Despite the increased risk, revisions typically yielded satisfactory outcomes.

Clinical significance

Luxoid hip dysplasia is an important risk factor for the development of major complications in dogs undergoing THA.
A note on quadratic forms
Authors: Hebestreit Fabian , Krause Achim , Ramzi Maxime
Published: April 2024

For a field extension we consider maps that are quadratic over but whose polarisation is only bilinear over . Our main result is that all such are automatically quadratic forms over in the usual sense if and only if is formally unramified. In particular, this shows that over finite and number fields, one of the axioms in the standard definition of quadratic forms is superfluous.
Ramsey numbers and the Zarankiewicz problem
Authors: Conlon David , Mattheus Sam , Mubayi Dhruv , Verstraëte Jacques
Published: April 2024

Building on recent work of Mattheus and Verstraëte, we establish a general connection between Ramsey numbers of the form for a fixed graph and a variant of the Zarankiewicz problem asking for the maximum number of 1s in an by ‐matrix that does not have any matrix from a fixed finite family derived from as a submatrix. As an application, we give new lower bounds for the Ramsey numbers and , namely, and . We also show how the truth of a plausible conjecture about Zarankiewicz numbers would allow an approximate determination of for any fixed integer .
Asymptotic behavior of the first Dirichlet eigenvalue of AHE manifolds
Authors: Jin Xiaoshang
Published: April 2024

In this article, we investigate the rate at which the first Dirichlet eigenvalue of geodesic balls decreases as the radius approaches infinity. We prove that if the conformal infinity of an asymptotically hyperbolic Einstein manifold is of nonnegative Yamabe type, then the two‐term asymptotic of the eigenvalues is the same as that in hyperbolic space.
The addition of blood flow restriction during resistance exercise does not increase prolonged low‐frequency force depression
Authors: Pignanelli Christopher , Robertson Alexa A. , Hirsch Steven M. , Power Geoffrey A. , Burr Jamie F.
Published: April 2024

At a given exercise intensity, blood flow restriction (BFR) reduces the volume of exercise required to impair post‐exercise neuromuscular function. Compared to traditional exercise, the time course of recovery is less clear. After strenuous exercise, force output assessed with electrical muscle stimulation is impaired to a greater extent at low versus high stimulation frequencies, a condition known as prolonged low‐frequency force depression (PLFFD). It is unclear if BFR increases PLFFD after exercise. This study tested if BFR during exercise increases PLFFD and slows recovery of neuromuscular function compared to regular exercise. Fifteen physically active participants performed six low‐load sets of knee‐extensions across four conditions: resistance exercise to task failure (RETF), resistance exercise to task failure with BFR applied continuously (BFRCONT) or intermittently (BFRINT), and resistance exercise matched to the lowest exercise volume condition (REVM). Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force output, voluntary activation and a force–frequency (1–100 Hz) curve were measured before and 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 24 h after exercise. Exercise to task failure caused similar reductions at 0 h for voluntary activation (RETF = 81.0 ± 14.2%, BFRINT = 80.9 ± 12.4% and BFRCONT = 78.6 ± 10.7%) and MVC force output (RETF = 482 ± 168 N, BFRINT = 432 ± 174 N, and BFRCONT = 443 ± 196 N), which recovered to baseline values between 4 and 24 h. PLFFD occurred only after RETF at 1 h supported by a higher frequency to evoke 50% of the force production at 100 Hz (1 h: 17.5 ± 4.4 vs. baseline: 15 ± 4.1 Hz, P = 0.0023), BFRINT (15.5 ± 4.0 Hz; P = 0.03), and REVM (14.9 ± 3.1 Hz; P = 0.002), with a trend versus BFRCONT (15.7 ± 3.5 Hz; P = 0.063). These findings indicate that, in physically active individuals, using BFR during exercise does not impair the recovery of neuromuscular function by 24 h post‐exercise.
Conceptual Configuration Analysis of Tetrahedral-Octahedral Heterogeneous Unit and Topological Design of Shape Morphing Mechanism
Authors: Guo Weiming , Xiao Hong , Guo Hongwei , Tao Jianguo , Deng Zongquan , Li Chuanyang
Published: April 2024

The truss static structure system has excellent large load and lightweight characteristics. It is easy to embed actuators by substituting specific members in the structure and has the potential for multidimensional space deformation. Inspired by uniform tessellation structures, this article proposes a novel shape morphing mechanism (SMM) based on the combined design of tetrahedral-octahedral heterogeneous units (TOHUs). The relationship between the motion properties and driving configuration of the tetrahedral-octahedral units is analyzed to determine their conceptual configuration based on graph theory. Then, the weighted graph, adjacency matrix, and connection rules are evaluated to synthesize the conceptual structure for the truss mechanism. The results show that this configuration can allow multidimensional continuous deformations, including span, bend, sweep, and twist. A prototype is built to verify its deformability. Finally, the stiffness performance is analyzed based on the matrix displacement method. This research provides a comprehensive design method for constructing SMM, expands the range of combinable units and connection methods, and offers theoretical guidance for the innovative design of multidimensional deformation SMM in aerospace.
An Improved Body Force Model to Simulate Blade Loading Variation Under Various Operating Conditions in Transonic Axial Flow Compressor
Authors: Liu Shijie , Pan Tianyu , Li Qiushi
Published: April 2024

In order to analyze the unsteady aerodynamic response of compressors with limited computational resources, the development of the body force (BF) model has been pursued for decades. This model can simulate the effects of the compressor blade on the flow by applying a three-dimensional (3D) force field. Indeed, the accuracy of the BF model simulation highly depends on the construction strategy of BF field. However, for a transonic compressor, the influence of shock waves on the spatial distribution of blade loading is significant, which makes the construction of an appropriate BF field challenging. To solve this issue, an accurate BF model is proposed to describe the effects of the blade on the flow with high spatial fidelity in transonic compressors. For verification, a typical transonic fan rotor, NASA-Rotor 67, is selected. The numerical results calculated by the new BF model are compared with those obtained by the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solver. According to the results, the new model can accurately capture the distribution of blade loading in the transonic blade channel at various operating conditions, eventually leading to a good prediction of compressor performance and the radial distribution of flow parameters downstream of the rotor. Moreover, this study discusses the causes of modeling errors and presents the application of the model in inlet distortion simulation at the end.
Investigating the Wear Mechanism of TiAlN/TiN PVD-Coated WC Inserts in End Milling of Incoloy 925 Under Synergy of Bio-Degradable Fatty Acids and Nano-Metallic Solid Lubricant
Authors: Yadav Shravan Kumar , Ghosh Sudarsan , Sivanandam Aravindan
Published: April 2024

Rapid tool wear in machining difficult-to-cut material is a significant challenge since it is related to tool cost, surface integrity of machined components, and power consumption. The reduction in tool wear may be accomplished by cutting fluids, especially in modern biodegradable fatty acids. Because of its high lubricity, coconut oil is the best choice for lubricating fatty acids. However, this oil has poor heat transfer properties. Hence, to further improve its properties, copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs), which have a high thermal conductivity to cost ratio compared to other nanoparticles in addition to anti-frictional and anti-wear properties (due to self-repairing properties caused by their low shear strength and easy deposition on contacting surfaces), have been dispersed in coconut oil, thus creating a nano-lubricant (nanofluid). It is found that synthesized nano-lubricants perform better in thermo-physics and tribology than pure coconut oil. Further, research has been carried out on the combined effects of coconut oil and 0.3 vol% Cu-NPs on Incoloy 925's end milling performance and tool wear mechanism (viz., coating delamination, adhesion, abrasion, and oxidation). It is found that tool wear-rate is reduced, which in turn increases tool life, due to effective cooling and lubrication when nanofluid-based minimum quantity lubrication (NMQL)-assisted machining is performed rather than dry and pure oil-based minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) conditions. Consequently, energy consumption in machining and surface quality of machined components are improved.
Zr0.1Fe0.9V1.1Mo0.9O7 as Cathode for Lithium-Ion Battery
Authors: Yuan Baohe , An Zheng , Qi Heng , Chen Jianming , Xu Qi
Published: April 2024

With the development of lithium-ion batteries, high capacity and high cycle stability have been the two main goals being pursued. Recent studies have shown that ZrV2O7 does not perform well in energy storage due to its low electrical conductivity and poor cycling stability. Elemental doping has proven to be an effective strategy for improving electrochemical performance. In this paper, we prepared Zr0.1Fe0.9V1.1Mo0.9O7(ZFVMO) and Zr0.1Fe0.9V1.1Mo0.9O7@c (ZFVMO@c) materials using a simple solid-phase sintering method and a fast microwave sintering method. Double ionic heterovalent substitution of Zr4+/V5+ in ZrV2O7 using Fe3+/Mo6+, Fe3+/Mo6+ gives it near-zero thermal expansion characteristics and excellent conductive properties. In electrochemical tests, the first discharge capacities of ZFVMO and ZFVMO@C are 2261 mA h g−1 and 727 mA h g−1, respectively, and the batteries were finally stabilized for 475 and 500 cycles. Compared to ZrV2O7, the electrochemical properties of ZFVMO are greatly improved.
The heavy subunit of ferritin stimulates NLRP3 inflammasomes in hepatic stellate cells through ICAM-1 to drive hepatic inflammation
Authors: Fernandez-Rojo Manuel A. , Pearen Michael A. , Burgess Anita G. , Ikonomopoulou Maria P. , Hoang-Le Diem , Genz Berit , Saggiomo Silvia L. , Nawaratna Sujeevi S. K. , Poli Maura , Reissmann Regina , Gobert Geoffrey N. , Deutsch Urban , Engelhardt Britta , Brooks Andrew J. , Jones Alun , Arosio Paolo , Ramm Grant A.
Published: April 2024

Serum ferritin concentrations increase during hepatic inflammation and correlate with the severity of chronic liver disease. Here, we report a molecular mechanism whereby the heavy subunit of ferritin (FTH) contributes to hepatic inflammation. We found that FTH induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in primary rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) through intercellular adhesion molecule–1 (ICAM-1). FTH–ICAM-1 stimulated the expression of
Il1b
, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and the processing and secretion of IL-1β in a manner that depended on plasma membrane remodeling, clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and lysosomal destabilization. FTH–ICAM-1 signaling at early endosomes stimulated
Il1b
expression, implying that this endosomal signaling primed inflammasome activation in HSCs. In contrast, lysosomal destabilization was required for FTH-induced IL-1β secretion, suggesting that lysosomal damage activated inflammasomes. FTH induced IL-1β production in liver slices from wild-type mice but not in those from

Icam1
−/−

or

Nlrp3
−/−

mice. Thus, FTH signals through its receptor ICAM-1 on HSCs to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. We speculate that this pathway contributes to hepatic inflammation, a key process that stimulates hepatic fibrogenesis associated with chronic liver disease.
Nationwide genome surveillance of carbapenem-resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
in Japan
Authors: Yano Hirokazu , Hayashi Wataru , Kawakami Sayoko , Aoki Sadao , Anzai Eiko , Zuo Hui , Kitamura Norikazu , Hirabayashi Aki , Kajihara Toshiki , Kayama Shizuo , Sugawara Yo , Yahara Koji , Sugai Motoyuki
Published: April 2024

Japan is a country with an approximate 10% prevalence rate of carbapenem-resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(CRPA). Currently, a comprehensive overview of the genotype and phenotype patterns of CRPA in Japan is lacking. Herein, we conducted genome sequencing and quantitative antimicrobial susceptibility testing for 382 meropenem-resistant CRPA isolates that were collected from 78 hospitals across Japan from 2019 to 2020. CRPA exhibited susceptibility rates of 52.9%, 26.4%, and 88.0% against piperacillin–tazobactam, ciprofloxacin, and amikacin, respectively, whereas 27.7% of CRPA isolates was classified as difficult-to-treat resistance
P. aeruginosa
. Of the 148 sequence types detected, ST274 (9.7%) was predominant, followed by ST235 (7.6%). The proportion of urine isolates in ST235 was higher than that in other STs (
P
= 0.0056, χ
2
test). Only 4.1% of CRPA isolates carried the carbapenemase genes:
bla
GES
(2) and
bla
IMP
(13). One ST235 isolate carried the novel
bla
IMP
variant
bla
IMP-98
in the chromosome. Regarding chromosomal mutations, 87.1% of CRPA isolates possessed inactivating or other resistance mutations in
oprD
, and 28.8% showed mutations in the regulatory genes (
mexR
,
nalC
, and
nalD
) for the MexAB-OprM efflux pump. Additionally, 4.7% of CRPA isolates carried a resistance mutation in the PBP3-encoding gene
ftsI
. The findings from this study and other surveillance studies collectively demonstrate that CRPA exhibits marked genetic diversity and that its multidrug resistance in Japan is less prevailed than in other regions. This study contributes a valuable data set that addresses a gap in genotype/phenotype information regarding CRPA in the Asia–Pacific region, where the epidemiological background markedly differs between regions.
Genomic context as well as sequence of both
psr
and penicillin-binding protein 5 contributes to β-lactam resistance in
Enterococcus faecium
Authors: Singh Kavindra V. , Galloway-Peña Jessica , Montealegre Maria Camila , Dong Xingxing , Murray Barbara E.
Published: April 2024

Penicillin-binding protein 5 (PBP5) of
Enterococcus faecium
(
Efm
) is vital for ampicillin resistance (AMP-R). We previously designated three forms of PBP5, namely, PBP5-S in
Efm
clade B strains [ampicillin susceptible (AMP-S)], PBP5-S/R (AMP-S or R), and PBP5-R (AMP-R) in clade A strains. Here,
pbp5
deletion resulted in a marked reduction in AMP minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to 0.01–0.09 µg/mL for clade B and 0.12–0.19 µg/mL for clade A strains;
in situ
complementation restored parental AMP MICs. Using D344SRF (lacking
ftsW/psr/pbp5
), constructs with
ftsW
A
/psr
A
(from a clade A1 strain) cloned upstream of
pbp5-S
and
pbp5-S/R
alleles resulted in modest increases in MICs to 3–8 µg/mL, while high MICs (
>
64 µg/mL) were seen using
pbp5
from A1 strains. Next, using
ftsW ± psr
from clade B and clade A/B and B/A hybrid constructs, the presence of
psr
B
, even alone or in
trans
, resulted in much lower AMP MICs (3–8 µg/mL) than when
psr
A
was present (MICs
>
64 µg/mL). qRT PCR showed relatively greater
pbp5
expression (
P
= 0.007) with
pbp5
cloned downstream of clade A1
ftsW/psr
(MIC
>
128 µg/mL) vs when cloned downstream of clade B
ftsW/psr
(MIC 4–16 µg/mL), consistent with results in western blots. In conclusion, we report the effect of clade A vs B
psr
on AMP MICs as well as the impact of
pbp5
alleles from different clades. While previously, Psr was not thought to contribute to AMP MICs in
Efm,
our results showed that the presence of

psr
B

resulted in a major decrease in
Efm
AMP MICs.

IMPORTANCE

The findings of this study shed light on ampicillin resistance in
Enterococcus faecium
clade A strains. They underscore the significance of alterations in the amino acid sequence of penicillin-binding protein 5 (PBP5) and the pivotal role of the psr region in PBP5 expression and ampicillin resistance. Notably, the presence of a full-length psrB leads to reduced PBP5 expression and lower minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ampicillin compared to the presence of a shorter psrA, regardless of the pbp5 allele involved. Additionally, clade B
E. faecium
strains exhibit lower AMP MICs when both
psr
alleles from clades A and B are present, although it is important to consider other distinctions between clade A and B strains that may contribute to this effect. It is intriguing to note that the divergence between clade A and clade B
E. faecium
and the subsequent evolution of heightened AMP MICs in hospital-associated strains appear to coincide with changes in
Pbp5
and
psr
. These changes in
psr
may have resulted in an inactive Psr, facilitating increased PBP5 expression and greater ampicillin resistance. These results raise the possibility that a mimicker of PsrB, if one could be designed, might be able to lower MICs of ampicillin-resistant
E. faecium
, thus potentially resorting ampicillin to our therapeutic armamentarium for this species.
PfCAP-H is essential for assembly of condensin I complex and karyokinesis during asexual proliferation of
Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Gurung Pratima , McGee James P. , Dvorin Jeffrey D.
Published: April 2024

Condensin I is a pentameric complex that regulates the mitotic chromosome assembly in eukaryotes. The kleisin subunit CAP-H of the condensin I complex acts as a linchpin to maintain the structural integrity and loading of this complex on mitotic chromosomes. This complex is present in all eukaryotes and has recently been identified in
Plasmodium
spp. However, how this complex is assembled and whether the kleisin subunit is critical for this complex in these parasites are yet to be explored. To examine the role of PfCAP-H during cell division within erythrocytes, we generated an inducible PfCAP-H knockout parasite. We find that PfCAP-H is dynamically expressed during mitosis with the peak expression at the metaphase plate. PfCAP-H interacts with PfCAP-G and is a non-SMC member of the condensin I complex. Notably, the absence of PfCAP-H does not alter the expression of PfCAP-G but affects its localization at the mitotic chromosomes. While mitotic spindle assembly is intact in PfCAP-H-deficient parasites, duplicated centrosomes remain clustered over the mass of unsegmented nuclei with failed karyokinesis. This failure leads to the formation of an abnormal nuclear mass, while cytokinesis occurs normally. Altogether, our data suggest that PfCAP-H plays a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity of the condensin I complex on the mitotic chromosomes and is essential for the asexual development of malarial parasites.

IMPORTANCE

Mitosis is a fundamental process for
Plasmodium
parasites, which plays a vital role in their survival within two distinct hosts—human and
Anopheles
mosquitoes. Despite its great significance, our comprehension of mitosis and its regulation remains limited. In eukaryotes, mitosis is regulated by one of the pivotal complexes known as condensin complexes. The condensin complexes are responsible for chromosome condensation, ensuring the faithful distribution of genetic material to daughter cells. While condensin complexes have recently been identified in
Plasmodium
spp., our understanding of how this complex is assembled and its precise functions during the blood stage development of
Plasmodium falciparum
remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigate the role of a central protein, PfCAP-H, during the blood stage development of
P. falciparum
. Our findings reveal that PfCAP-H is essential and plays a pivotal role in upholding the structure of condensin I and facilitating karyokinesis.
Uncovering the roles of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis melH
in redox and bioenergetic homeostasis: implications for antitubercular therapy
Authors: Chen Yu-Ching , Yang Xinxin , Wang Nan , Sampson Nicole S.
Published: April 2024

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(
Mtb
), the pathogenic bacterium that causes tuberculosis, has evolved sophisticated defense mechanisms to counteract the cytotoxicity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated within host macrophages during infection. The
melH
gene in
Mtb
and
Mycobacterium marinum
(
Mm
) plays a crucial role in defense mechanisms against ROS generated during infection. We demonstrate that
melH
encodes an epoxide hydrolase and contributes to ROS detoxification. Deletion of
melH
in
Mm
resulted in a mutant with increased sensitivity to oxidative stress, increased accumulation of aldehyde species, and decreased production of mycothiol and ergothioneine. This heightened vulnerability is attributed to the increased expression of
whiB3
, a universal stress sensor. The absence of
melH
also resulted in reduced intracellular levels of NAD
+
, NADH, and ATP. Bacterial growth was impaired, even in the absence of external stressors, and the impairment was carbon source dependent. Initial MelH substrate specificity studies demonstrate a preference for epoxides with a single aromatic substituent. Taken together, these results highlight the role of
melH
in mycobacterial bioenergetic metabolism and provide new insights into the complex interplay between redox homeostasis and generation of reactive aldehyde species in mycobacteria.

IMPORTANCE

This study unveils the pivotal role played by the
melH
gene in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
and in
Mycobacterium marinum
in combatting the detrimental impact of oxidative conditions during infection. This investigation revealed notable alterations in the level of cytokinin-associated aldehyde,
para
-hydroxybenzaldehyde, as well as the redox buffer ergothioneine, upon deletion of
melH
. Moreover, changes in crucial cofactors responsible for electron transfer highlighted
melH
’s crucial function in maintaining a delicate equilibrium of redox and bioenergetic processes. MelH prefers epoxide small substrates with a phenyl substituted substrate. These findings collectively emphasize the potential of
melH
as an attractive target for the development of novel antitubercular therapies that sensitize mycobacteria to host stress, offering new avenues for combating tuberculosis.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
HN001 facilitates the efficacy of dual PI3K/mTOR inhibition prolonging cardiac transplant survival and enhancing antitumor effect
Authors: Miao Xiaolong , Jiang Peng , Zhang Xiaotong , Li Xinqiang , Wu Zelai , Jiang Yuancong , Liu Han , Xie Weixun , Li Xinwei , Shi Bingfeng , Cai Jinzhen , Gong Weihua
Published: April 2024

Solid organ transplantation is a crucial treatment for patients who have reached the end stage of heart, lung, kidney, or liver failure. However, the likelihood of developing cancer post-transplantation increases. Additionally, primary malignant tumors remain a major obstacle to the long-term survival of transplanted organs. Therefore, it is essential to investigate effective therapies that can boost the immune system’s ability to combat cancer and prevent allograft rejection. We established a mouse orthotopic liver tumor model and conducted allogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation. Various treatments were administered, and survival curves were generated using the Kaplan–Meier method. We also collected graft samples and measured inflammatory cytokine levels in the serum using an inflammatory array. The specificity of the histochemical techniques was tested by staining sections. We administered a combination therapy of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/mTOR) dual inhibitor BEZ235 and
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
HN001 to primary liver cancer model mice with cardiac allografts. Consistent with our prior findings,
L. rhamnosus
HN001 alleviated the intestinal flora imbalance caused by BEZ235. Our previous research confirmed that the combination of BEZ235 and
L. rhamnosus
HN001 significantly prolonged cardiac transplant survival.

IMPORTANCE

We observed that the combination of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/mTOR) dual inhibitor BEZ235 and
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
HN001 notably prolonged cardiac transplant survival while also inhibiting the progression of primary liver cancer. The combination therapy was efficacious in treating antitumor immunity and allograft rejection, as demonstrated by the efficacy results. We also found that this phenomenon was accompanied by the regulation of inflammatory IL-6 expression. Our study presents a novel and effective therapeutic approach to address antitumor immunity and prevent allograft rejection.
More than an idea: why ectogestation should become a concrete option
Authors: Bidoli Andrea
Published: April 2024

This paper calls for the development of a method of ectogestation as an emancipatory intervention for women. I argue that ectogestation would have a dual social benefit: first, by providing a gestational alternative to pregnancy, it would create unique conditions to reevaluate one’s reproductive preferences—which, for women, always include gestational considerations—and to satisfy a potential preference not to gestate. Enabling the satisfaction of such a preference is particularly valuable due to the pressures women face to embrace pregnancy as central to their identity, while at the same time being penalised by it. Second, ectogestation would address certain specific negative social implications of gestation and childbirth, which cannot be avoided through social measures as they are caused by the corporeal nature of these phenomena. Finally, I argue that it is unfair to hold ectogestation to a higher standard than other innovations such as modern contraceptives and non-medical egg freezing.
Death rattle: palliative nursing practices Delphi study
Authors: Oda Sumika , Kawakami Aki , Ashida Kaoru , Tanaka Makoto
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Interventions for patients with death rattle remain under consideration, and their families strongly acknowledge the need for improved care. However, few reports exist concerning specific and comprehensive nursing practices for them. This study aimed to clarify nursing practices for patients with death rattle and their families in hospital wards and examine each practice’s importance.

Methods

We used a modified Delphi method with expert nurses with extensive experience in end-of-life care. Participants were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. First, we developed a list of nursing practices through a literature review and individual interviews. Second, we conducted the Delphi survey. Two rounds of judging were performed. Items were rated on a 9-point Likert scale (1=not important at all to 9=very important). An item was considered ‘important’ if at least 80% of the participants rated it ≥7.

Results

The list comprised 40 items across 8 domains: assessment of death rattle and the distress felt by the patients, oral care, repositioning, adjustment of parenteral hydration, suctioning, administration of alleviating medications, communication with and assessment of family members who witness death rattle, and nurse’s attitude towards death rattle and the relevant interventions. Of the 46 recruited experts, 42 participated in both rounds. Participants regarded 37 of the 40 items as important.

Conclusions

This study specifically and comprehensively identified nursing practices for patients with death rattle and their families using a modified Delphi method to support clinical nursing practice and improve the quality of care.
Recent advances in characterizing the crustal stress field and future applications of stress data: perspectives from North America
Authors: Lundstern Jens-Erik
Published: April 2024

The stress field controls patterns of crustal deformation, including which faults are likeliest to cause earthquakes or transmit fluids. Since the 1950s, maps of maximum horizontal stress (
S
Hmax
) orientations have advanced dramatically, and the style of faulting (relative principal stress magnitudes) has recently been mapped in some regions as well. This perspectives paper summarizes developments in characterizing stress orientations and (relative) magnitudes, including new seismic and borehole methods, as well as progress in identifying the causes of stress variations. Despite these advances, adding far more spatiotemporal detail would allow geoscientists to address many of today's key challenges regarding natural hazards, energy development, and geodynamics. In particular, it is critically important to characterize stress heterogeneity at multiple scales while also recognizing the coherent variability of the stress field. The second part of the paper considers how more detailed stress datasets could prove essential to addressing some of the grand questions in geoscience, including deciphering the poorly understood feedbacks between crustal dynamics and surface processes, improving earthquake and eruption forecasts, and determining the origins and shared properties of plate boundaries.
Computational Politeness in Natural Language Processing: A Survey
Authors: Priya Priyanshu , Firdaus Mauajama , Ekbal Asif
Published: April 2024

Computational approach to politeness is the task of automatically predicting and/or generating politeness in text. This is a pivotal task for conversational analysis, given the ubiquity and challenges of politeness in interactions. The computational approach to politeness has witnessed great interest from the conversational analysis community. This article is a compilation of past works in computational politeness in natural language processing. We view four milestones in the research so far,
viz.
supervised and weakly supervised feature extraction to identify and induce politeness in a given text, incorporation of context beyond the target text, study of politeness across different social factors, and study the relationship between politeness and various socio-linguistic cues. In this article, we describe the datasets, approaches, trends, and issues in computational politeness research. We also discuss representative performance values and provide pointers to future works, as given in the prior works. In terms of resources to understand the state of the art, this survey presents several valuable illustrations—most prominently, a table summarizing the past papers along different dimensions, such as the types of features, annotation techniques, and datasets used.
Toward Bias-Agnostic Recommender Systems: A Universal Generative Framework
Authors: Wang Zhidan , Zou Lixin , Li Chenliang , Wang Shuaiqiang , Chen Xu , Yin Dawei , Liu Weidong
Published: April 2024

User behavior data, such as ratings and clicks, has been widely used to build personalizing models for recommender systems. However, many unflattering factors (e.g., popularity, ranking position, users’ selection) significantly affect the performance of the learned recommendation model. Most existing work on unbiased recommendation addressed these biases from sample granularity (e.g., sample reweighting, data augmentation) or from the perspective of representation learning (e.g., bias-modeling). However, these methods are usually designed for a specific bias, lacking the universal capability to handle complex situations where multiple biases co-exist. Besides, rare work frees itself from laborious and sophisticated debiasing configurations (e.g., propensity scores, imputed values, or user behavior-generating process).

Towards this research gap, in this article, we propose a universal
G
enerative framework for
B
ias
D
isentanglement termed as
GBD
, constantly generating calibration perturbations for the intermediate representations during training to keep them from being affected by the bias. Specifically, a bias-identifier that tries to retrieve the bias-related information from the representations is first introduced. Subsequently, the calibration perturbations are generated to significantly deteriorate the bias-identifier’s performance, making the bias gradually disentangled from the calibrated representations. Therefore, without relying on notorious debiasing configurations, a bias-agnostic model is obtained under the guidance of the bias identifier. We further present its universality by subsuming the representative biases and their mixture under the proposed framework. Finally, extensive experiments on the real-world, synthetic, and semi-synthetic datasets have demonstrated the superiority of the proposed approach against a wide range of recommendation debiasing methods. The code is available at
https://github.com/Zhidan-Wang/GBD
.
Microwave Ablation versus Surgical Resection for US-detected Multifocal T1N0M0 Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A 10-Center Study
Authors: Zhao Zhen-Long , Wang Shu-Rong , Dong Gang , Liu Ying , He Jun-Feng , Shi Li-Li , Guo Jian-Qin , Wang Zhong-Hua , Cong Zhi-Bin , Liu Li-Hong , Yang Bei-Bei , Qu Chun-Ping , Niu Wen-Quan , Wei Ying , Peng Li-Li , Li Yan , Lu Nai-Cong , Wu Jie , Yu Ming-An
Published: April 2024

A 10-center study found no evidence of a significant difference in progression-free survival rate between microwave ablation (MWA) and surgical resection for US-detected multifocal T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma, with MWA resulting in fewer complications.
Left Ventricular Trabeculations at Cardiac MRI: Reference Ranges and Association with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in UK Biobank
Authors: Aung Nay , Bartoli Axel , Rauseo Elisa , Cortaredona Sebastien , Sanghvi Mihir M. , Fournel Joris , Ghattas Badih , Khanji Mohammed Y. , Petersen Steffen E. , Jacquier Alexis
Published: April 2024

In an analysis applying automated segmentation to UK Biobank MRI scans, hypertension, higher body mass index, and higher physical activity level were associated with increased left ventricular trabeculations in healthy middle-aged White adults.
Visible Light as a Promising Signal Amplification Tool for the Efficient Electrochemical Detection of Azithromycin Antibiotic by Using Photoactive Spinel Nickel Ferrite Nanoflakes
Authors: Nguyen Tuan Anh , Tien Van Manh , Pham Thi Ngoc Mai , Pham Duc Thang , Nguyen Quang Hoa , Ong Van Hoang , Ngo Xuan Dinh , Le Anh-Tuan
Published: April 2024

An efficient photoactive spinel NiFe2O4 nanoflakes (NFO NFs) was successfully prepared and integrated into an electrochemical sensor for the sensitive determination of Azithromycin (AZM) under visible light illumination. With the introduction of 532 nm laser illumination, NFO NFs could be easily excited and induce the charge-separation state with electrons in the conduction band and holes in the valence band. Upon illumination, the low band gap value in combination with edge-to-flat-surface/edge-to-edge conjunctions of NFO NFs could form the electron transfer pathway for transferring photogenerated electron-hole pairs to the AZM analyte-NFO electrode interface. Hence, the fabricated visible light-assisted NFO-based electrochemical sensor shows remarkable enhanced analytical performance, with calculated values of electron transfer rate constant, adsorption capacity, diffusion coefficient, and catalytic rate constant under visible light illumination of 1.29, 1.27, 2.08, and 3.40 times higher than in the dark condition, respectively. As a result, the NFO-based electrochemical sensing platform in the presence of visible light illumination possessed a high electrochemical sensitivity of 0.070 μA μM−1 in a wide linear dynamic range of 2.5–150 μM and a detection limit of 1.67 μM and also exhibited excellent anti-interference ability, repeatability, storage stability, reproducibility, and practical feasibility for AZM detection in pharmaceutical tablets.
Date Leaves-Derived Submicron/Nano Carbon-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for Highly Sensitive and Simultaneous Detection of 1-Naphthol and 2-Naphthol
Authors: Mahfoz Wael , Shah Syed Shaheen , Al-Betar Abdul-Rahman , Aziz Md. Abdul
Published: April 2024

This study introduces a novel approach for synthesizing biomass derived carbon from date leaves waste, employing a straightforward combination of pyrolysis and ball milling processes. This process yields active carbon in submicron and nanometer sizes, characterized by detailed surface, structural, and compositional analyses, confirming suitability of the materials for electrochemical applications. Utilizing this synthesized carbon, we have developed a modified glassy carbon electrode (DLSNC/GCE) for the highly-sensitive and simultaneous detection of phenolic contaminants, specifically 1-naphthol (1-NP) and 2-naphthol (2-NP), which are crucial for environmental monitoring. The study describes two innovative fabrication methods for electrochemical sensors. The first method controls the direct oxidation of 1-NP and 2-NP, while the second method exploits redox peaks associated with quinone formation from dihydroxy naphthalene, revealing superior analytical performance for the simultaneous detection of the analytes. The electrochemical sensor demonstrated exceptional sensitivity and selectivity towards 1-NP and 2-NP. This revolution emphasizes the potential of using date leaves-derived carbon materials in constructing low-cost, efficient electrochemical sensors for environmental monitoring and electrochemical applications.
Effect of Surface Structure on the Sensitivity of Fluorescence-Enhanced Si Photodiodes for Ultraviolet C Light Measurement
Authors: Hitomi Ami , Aizawa Hiroaki , Katsumata Toru
Published: April 2024

This study aims to significantly enhance the sensitivity of a fluorescence-enhanced Si photodiode (FE-PD) to ultraviolet C-ray (UVC) light by optimizing the three-dimensional surface shape of the phosphor attached to the Si-PD, thereby increasing the UVC detection sensitivity. In the sensitivity-enhanced FE-PD, the surface of the red fluorescent acrylic resin phosphor affixed to the Si-PD was carved with a stripe and grid at varying depths, and triangular roofs and square pyramids at various angles. The effects of roughening the phosphor surfaces with diamond abrasives of varying mesh sizes—ranging from #180 to #3000—were comparatively evaluated against those with flat, mirror-like surfaces. As observed, the UVC light sensitivity of the FE-PD using a surface-carved triangular roofs and square pyramids at angle of 70° exhibited significant improvements compared to the Si-PD with both non-modified and mirror-polished phosphors. Thus, the FE-PD with a surface-modified phosphor is a promising candidate for UVC light sensor.