bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Head and dental injuries among farriers and hoof care practitioners: A nationwide survey in Switzerland
Authors: Fuhrer Yvonne , Eggmann Florin , Reichardt Elisabeth , Filippi Andreas
Published: October 2022

Background/Aim

There is a paucity of evidence on injuries sustained by farriers and hoof care practitioners, two professions exposed to unique occupational hazards. The aim of this study was to collect and examine data on occupational head/face and dental injuries among farriers and hoof care practitioners in a nationwide survey in Switzerland.

Materials and Methods

Data on occupational head/face and dental injuries were gathered in a questionnaire‐based, voluntary survey, which was mailed to all farriers and hoof care practitioners in Switzerland. The statistical analysis comprised multiple regressions with a nested design (α = 0.05).

Results

The survey included 278 respondents (response rate of 78.1%). Head/face injuries were more frequently reported by farriers than hoof care practitioners (60.6% and 20.7%, respectively). Among full‐time workers, farriers had a higher chance of an occupational head/face injury compared with hoof care practitioners (p = .007). The rate of dental injuries, mainly related to a horse kick, was 11.1% and 1.9% among farriers and hoof care practitioners, respectively. Negligence in wearing mandatory eye protection was reported by 37.5% of respondents.

Conclusions

Farriery and hoof care management entail a significant risk of occupational head/face and dental injuries. Preventive safety measures—eye protection in particular—and knowledge in dental first aid should be promoted among farriers and hoof care practitioners to decrease the frequency and severity of work‐related injuries.
Commentary: Investing in advance practice nurses is a global health system solution
Authors: Acorn Michelle
Published: October 2022

Investment and full utilization of advance practice nurses to maximize universal health coverage, optimize access to primary health care, and for building health workforce capacity and professional leadership is direly warranted globally. Funding advance practice nurse education programs, leadership opportunities, service delivery systems, and rewarding jobs regionally and nationally is a viable value‐added solution for our communities, countries, and the nursing profession.
The more‐than‐human production of material dis/advantage: A Russian case study
Authors: Fox Nick J , Gavrilyuk Tatiana
Published: October 2022

Applying a new materialist analysis, this paper reports findings from a qualitative study of young workers in contemporary Russia to address how more‐than‐human materialities can be materially affective in the workplace, producing and reproducing context‐specific capacities and incapacities. Social advantages and disadvantages derive from these disparities in capacities: what bodies can do economically, socially, physically, psychologically and politically. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 37 Russian workers aged 16–29 from the Ural Federal District of western Siberia: of these, 16 respondents worked in industry, while 21 were in retail and service sectors. The data revealed a wide range of non‐human matter that affected respondents’ capacities, producing opportunities and constraints on their work and development. Some of these everyday “tiny dis/advantages” may accrue over time into more lasting advantage or disadvantage. We conclude that – alongside economic resources and social support – the myriad interactions with non‐human matter in workplaces contribute to relative dis/advantage. We suggest that a focus on tiny dis/advantages both complements and refines conventional sociocultural analyses of material dis/advantage and social inequality.
Wako β‐D‐glucan assay can be used to measure serum β‐D‐glucan in Sudanese patients to aid with diagnosis of eumycetoma caused by Madurella mycetomatis
Authors: Nyuykonge Bertrand , Siddig Emmanuel , Mhmoud Najwa A. , Bakhiet Sahar , Zijlstra Eduard , Verbon Annelies , Fahal Ahmed H. , van de Sande Wendy W. J.
Published: October 2022

Background

Eumycetoma is a neglected tropical infection of the subcutaneous tissue commonly caused by the fungus Madurella mycetomatis. Previously, we demonstrated that β‐D‐glucan was present in the serum of eumycetoma patients.

Objective

To compare the performance of the recently approved easy‐to‐use Wako β‐D‐glucan assay to that of the Fungitell assay in eumycetoma patients.

Methods

Using sera obtained from 41 eumycetoma, 12 actinomycetoma and 29 healthy endemic controls, we measured the β‐glucan serum concentrations using the Wako assay and compared the performance to that of the Fungitell assay.

Results

With the Fungitell assay, median β‐glucan serum concentrations of 208, 70 and 27 pg/ml were obtained for the 41 eumycetoma patients, the 12 actinomycetoma patients and the 29 healthy endemic controls, respectively. With the Wako assay these concentrations were 14.45, 11.57 and 2.5 pg/ml, respectively. We demonstrated that when using the optimized cut‐off value (5.5 pg/ml) for the Wako assay, the Wako and Fungitell assays had comparable performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusion

The Wako assay is comparable to the Fungitell assay for measurement of serum β‐glucan in mycetoma patients and hence can be used in combination with current diagnostic tools. However, this test should be used in combination with other tests to differentiate actinomycetoma from eumycetoma.
Hedging to market‐wide shocks and competitive selection
Authors: Friberg Richard , Kupersmidt Isak Trygg
Published: October 2022

This paper examines hedging against a large market‐wide shock in a model with heterogeneous firms and sunk costs of entry. If hedging is voluntary only the most efficient firms hedge against this shock, a finding in line with empirical evidence but at odds with standard motivations for risk management. Hedging affects the critical level of the marginal cost needed to operate in the market. A setting with mandatory hedging is associated with stronger competition than when hedging is voluntary which, in turn, is associated with stronger competition than when hedging is unavailable.
Mass modeling of engineering properties and characterization of Kadamb fruit (Neolamarckia cadamba): An underutilized fruit
Authors: Panda Tarak Chandra , Thota Niranjan , Dwivedi Madhuresh , Pradhan Rama Chandra , Seth Dibyakanta
Published: October 2022

Kadamb fruit (Neolamarckia cadamba) is considered as an underutilized fruit in the world despite its nutritional and therapeutic values. This research work emphasized on the determination of some engineering, structural, and thermal properties of Kadam fruit. Moreover, mass was predicted based on measured physical properties using linear, quadratic, and power models. This fruit has an arithmetic mean diameter of 49 mm and sphericity of 0.97 which is inferred as spherical in shape. The angle of repose was found to be 59.53° and the coefficient of friction on the galvanized steel surface was 0.18. Due to its higher moisture content (75%–80% wb), Kadamb fruit is perishable in nature. Linear, quadratic, and power models were used to fit the experimental data to predict mass of the fruit. Goodness of fit was judged based on higher correlation coefficient values (R2 > 0.85). The flakiness ratio best predicted the mass of the Kadamb fruit. The average values of hardness and hardness deformation for Kadamb fruit were observed to be 51.71 ± 3.26 N and 10.70% ± 1.21%, respectively. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the fruit was recorded as 58°C by a differential scanning calorimeter. Infrared spectrum analysis showed the presence of aliphatic amines, ketones, carboxylic acid, alcohol, ester, ether, and phenols. The crystallinity index of ripe fruit, raw fruit, and peel was found to be 0.35, 0.30, and 0.30, respectively. This experimental result on engineering, thermal, and structural properties, along with mass modeling on Kadamb fruit will be helpful in the design and development of post‐harvest machinery and value addition thereafter.

Practical Applications

The exponential growth of the world population has stood as the most significant challenge in front of food scientists to look for alternative food sources. Kadamb fruit could fill the food bowl of human beings because of its nutritional components, polyphenols, and other phytochemicals. Studies on engineering properties and mass modeling of Kadamb fruit could be the first step in adopting food processes for value addition. This study would be helpful in developing and designing post‐harvest handling equipment like graders, sorters, cleaners, and the development of novel products and utilization of its by‐products.
Valorization of grape by‐products as functional and nutritional ingredients for healthy pasta development
Authors: Oliveira Beatriz Ewert , Contini Luana , Garcia Vitor Augusto dos Santos , Cilli Lilian Pinheiro de Lima , Chagas Eduardo Galvão Leite , Andreo Marcio Adriano , Vanin Fernanda Maria , Carvalho Rosemary Aparecida , Sinnecker Patricia , Venturini Anna Cecilia , Yoshida Cristiana Maria Pedroso
Published: October 2022

The objective of this study was the utilization of Isabel grape (Vitis labrusca) by‐products for the development of grape pomace flour (GPF) as a new food ingredient to incorporate into a nutritional and functional pasta product adding different concentrations of GPF. The incorporation of GPF into the pasta formulation led to obtaining products with higher fiber content, lower firmness, and higher cooking loss of total solids. The antioxidant capacity of pasta samples was increased by incorporating polyphenols from GPF. The highest ORAC and FRAP results were observed in pasta containing GPF, comparing antioxidant activities. The pasta containing 50% GPF showed a good balance between high antioxidant activity and nutritional benefit with good consumer acceptability and potential to become a new functional food. Grape by‐product represents a functional ingredient with low cost and a source of dietary fiber and natural antioxidants.

Novelty impact statement

Food agro‐industrial by‐products such as grape pomace flour (GPF) can be a source of functional ingredients.

Fortification of pasta with GPF increased the antioxidant capacity of cooked pasta, and it was dose‐dependent.

The incorporation of GPF into the pasta formulation led to products with higher fiber content (up to 31%) and good consumer acceptability.
A randomized phase 1b trial of the active site polymerase inhibitor nucleotide ATI‐2173 in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Squires Katherine E. , Ogilvie Lauren , Jucov Alina , Anastasiy Igor , Ghicavii Nelli , Huguet Jade , Melara Rebeca , Constantineau Martin , De La Rosa Abel , Mayers Douglas L.
Published: October 2022

ATI‐2173 is an active site polymerase inhibitor nucleotide in development as part of a potentially curative regimen for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and antiviral activity of ATI‐2173. This was a phase 1b, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial in treatment‐naive adults with chronic HBV infection conducted in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04248426). Patients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen were randomized 6:2 to receive once‐daily oral doses of ATI‐2173 10, 25, or 50 mg (n = 6 per dose) or placebo (n = 7) for 28 days, with off‐treatment monitoring for 24 weeks. Endpoints included PK parameters of ATI‐2173 and its metabolite clevudine, maximum reduction from baseline in HBV DNA, and safety and tolerability. Treatment‐emergent adverse events occurred in eight patients (47%) receiving ATI‐2173 and five (71%) receiving placebo; headache was the most common (n = 4). ATI‐2173 PK was generally dose proportional. Systemic clevudine exposure with ATI‐2173 dosing was substantially reduced compared with historical values observed with clevudine administration. On Day 28, mean changes from baseline in HBV DNA were −2.72 to −2.78 log10 IU/ml with ATI‐2173 and +0.17 log10 IU/ml with placebo. Off‐treatment sustained viral suppression and decreases in covalently closed circular DNA biomarkers were observed in most patients; one maintained undetectable HBV DNA at 24 weeks off treatment. In this 28‐day monotherapy study, ATI‐2173 demonstrated safety and antiviral activity, with sustained off‐treatment effects and substantially reduced systemic clevudine exposure. These results support evaluation of ATI‐2173 with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in phase 2 studies.
Wolbachia causes cytoplasmic incompatibility but not male‐killing in a grain pest beetle
Authors: Kiefer Julian S. T. , Schmidt Gerrit , Krüsemer Ronja , Kaltenpoth Martin , Engl Tobias
Published: October 2022

The endosymbiotic Wolbachia is one of the most common intracellular bacteria known in arthropods and nematodes. Its ability for reproductive manipulation can cause unequal inheritance to male and female offspring, allowing the manipulator to spread, but potentially also impact the evolutionary dynamics of infected hosts. Estimated to be present in up to 66% of insect species, little is known about the phenotypic impact of Wolbachia within the order Coleoptera. Here, we describe the reproductive manipulation by the Wolbachia strain wSur harboured by the sawtoothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Coleoptera, Silvanidae), through a combination of genomics approaches and bioassays. The Wolbachia strain wSur belongs to supergroup B that contains well‐described reproductive manipulators of insects and encodes a pair of cytoplasmic incompatibility factor (cif) genes, as well as multiple homologues of the WO‐mediated killing (wmk) gene. A phylogenetic comparison with wmk homologues of wMel of Drosophila melanogaster identified 18 wmk copies in wSur, including one that is closely related to the wMel male‐killing homologue. However, further analysis of this particular wmk gene revealed an eight‐nucleotide deletion leading to a stop‐codon and subsequent reading frame shift midsequence, probably rendering it nonfunctional. Concordantly, utilizing a Wolbachia‐deprived O. surinamensis population and controlled mating pairs of wSur‐infected and noninfected partners, we found no experimental evidence for male‐killing. However, a significant ~50% reduction of hatching rates in hybrid crosses of uninfected females with infected males indicates that wSur is causing cytoplasmic incompatibility. Thus, Wolbachia also represents an important determinant of host fitness in Coleoptera.
Uncovering mechanisms of brain inflammation in Alzheimer's disease with APOE4: Application of single cell‐type lipidomics
Authors: Asante Isaac , Louie Stan , Yassine Hussein N.
Published: October 2022

A chronic state of unresolved inflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is intrinsically involved with the remodeling of brain lipids. This review highlights the effect of carrying the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE4) on various brain cell types in promoting an unresolved inflammatory state. Among its pleotropic effects on brain lipids, we focus on APOE4’s activation of Ca2+‐dependent phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and its effects on arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid signaling cascades in the brain. During the process of neurodegeneration, various brain cell types, such as astrocytes, microglia, and neurons, together with the neurovascular unit, develop distinct inflammatory phenotypes that impact their functions and have characteristic lipidomic fingerprints. We propose that lipidomic phenotyping of single cell‐types harvested from brains differing by age, sex, disease severity stage, and dietary and genetic backgrounds can be employed to probe mechanisms of neurodegeneration. A better understanding of the brain cellular inflammatory/lipidomic response promises to guide the development of nutritional and drug interventions for AD dementia.
Music‐based interventions in community settings: Navigating the tension between rigor and ecological validity
Authors: Habibi Assal , Kreutz Gunter , Russo Frank , Tervaniemi Mari
Published: October 2022

Empirical research of community‐based music interventions has advanced to investigate the individual, social, and educational implications of arts‐for‐wellbeing practices. Here, we present the motivations, aims, hypotheses, and implications of this complex field of inquiry. We describe examples of recent large‐scale investigations to reflect on the major methodological challenges. Community‐based music interventions strike a balance between the empirical rigor of clinical trials and the demands of ecological validity. We argue that this balance should be viewed as an asset rather than a mere pragmatic compromise. We also offer some perspectives on best‐practice models for effectively engaging in this type of work.
Polymorphism but not methylation status in the vitamin D receptor gene contributes to oral mucositis in children
Authors: Viana Filho José Maria Chagas , de Souza Beatriz Fernandes , Coêlho Marina de Castro , Valença Ana Maria Gondim , Persuhn Darlene Camati , de Oliveira Naila Francis Paulo
Published: October 2022

Objective

To investigate the relationship between the polymorphisms rs1544410 (BsmI), rs2228570 (FokI) and rs731236 (TaqI) and DNA methylation status in the VDR gene (vitamin D receptor) with oral mucositis (OM) in oncopaediatric patients treated with methotrexate (MTX®).

Methods

The population comprised healthy patients with haematological malignancies aged between 5 and 19 years. An evaluation of oral conditions was performed using the Oral Assessment Guide. Demographic, clinical, biochemical and haematological data were obtained from medical records. Genomic DNA from oral mucosal cells was used for the analysis of polymorphisms (n = 102) (PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism) and DNA methylation (n = 81) (methylation‐specific PCR).

Results

Males predominated (57.8%), and the mean age was 10.3 years (±4.7). OM affected 84.3% of patients, of which 53.1% developed severe oral mucositis (SOM). Patients with OM had lower platelet and leukocyte counts (p < 0.05). The G allele of rs1544410 (p = 0.040) and the CT genotype of rs2228570 polymorphisms were associated with SOM (p = 0.038). A partially methylated status in the VDR promoter was found in all patients.

Conclusion

OM is associated with lower leukocyte and platelet counts. SOM is associated with the rs1544410 and rs2228570 polymorphisms. The methylation status of the VDR is not associated with inflammation or exposure to MTX®.
COVID‐19 Alpha Variant (B.1.1.7): Humoral, memory B and T cells in COVID‐19 pediatric convalescents
Authors: Gurevich Michael , Zilkha‐Falb Rina , Sonis Polina , Magalashvili David , Dolev Mark , Mandel Mathilda , Menascu Shay , Achiron Anat
Published: October 2022

Background

Studies of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 humoral and adaptive response in COVID‐19 non‐vaccinated pediatric convalescents are controversial and further evidence from the pediatric population are needed.

Objectives

To elucidate SARS‐CoV‐2 humoral and memory B‐ and T‐cells responses in pediatric convalescents as compared with the adult.

Methods

Blood samples were obtained from 80 non‐vaccinated, IgG‐positive, COVID‐19 convalescents (age 8.0–61.0 years), 4.0 months from onset. Frequency of responders and magnitudes of SARS‐COV‐2 IgG, memory B‐cells (MBC) and IFNg‐ and IL2‐secreting memory T‐cells (MTC) in response to immuno‐dominant peptide pools in pediatric, young adults and middle‐aged adults with onset age 8–18 years (N = 20), 19–39 years (N = 30) and 40–61 years (N = 30), respectively, were analyzed. SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG were detected by ELISA (Euroimmun, Germany). MBC, IFNg‐, IL2‐ and IFNg+IL2‐secreting MTC (IFNg‐MTC, IL2‐MTC and IFNg+IL2‐MTC) were detected using FluoroSpot (Mabtech, Sweden).

Results

MBC level was lower in pediatric as compared with the middle‐aged adults (median 12.75 interquartile range [IQR] 4.27–33.7 and 32.0 IQR 6.0–124.2, respectively, p = .003). MBC level in young adults was lower than in middle‐aged adults (median 18.5 IQR 1.7–43.8 and 32.0 IQR 6.0–124.2, respectively, p = .006). The level of IL2‐MTC was lower in the pediatric group as compared with middle aged‐adults (median 2.1 IQR 0–16.9 and 28.6 IQR 11–49.6, respectively, p < .03) and in young adults lower than in middle‐aged adults (median 1.45 IQR 0–18.6 and 28.6 IQR 11–49.6, respectively, p = .02). In addition, the level of IFNg‐MTC was lower in pediatric as compared with young adults (median 4.25 IQR 0.0–15.0 and 20.9 IQR 0–75.2, respectively, p = .05). The level of IgG was comparable between pediatric and both young and middle‐aged adult groups (4.82 ± 2.95, 3.70 ± 2.65 and 4.9 ± 2.94, respectively, p > .34).

Conclusion

Non‐vaccinated COVID‐19 pediatric convalescents have lower adaptive immune responses than adults sustaining the recommendation for vaccination of the pediatric population.
A cross‐scale analysis to understand and quantify the effects of photosynthetic enhancement on crop growth and yield across environments
Authors: Wu Alex , Brider Jason , Busch Florian A. , Chen Min , Chenu Karine , Clarke Victoria C. , Collins Brian , Ermakova Maria , Evans John R. , Farquhar Graham D. , Forster Britta , Furbank Robert T. , Groszmann Michael , Hernandez‐Prieto Miguel A. , Long Benedict M. , Mclean Greg , Potgieter Andries , Price G. Dean , Sharwood Robert E. , Stower Michael , van Oosterom Erik , von Caemmerer Susanne , Whitney Spencer M. , Hammer Graeme L.
Published: October 2022

Photosynthetic manipulation provides new opportunities for enhancing crop yield. However, understanding and quantifying the importance of individual and multiple manipulations on the seasonal biomass growth and yield performance of target crops across variable production environments is limited. Using a state‐of‐the‐art cross‐scale model in the APSIM platform we predicted the impact of altering photosynthesis on the enzyme‐limited (Ac) and electron transport‐limited (Aj) rates, seasonal dynamics in canopy photosynthesis, biomass growth, and yield formation via large multiyear‐by‐location crop growth simulations. A broad list of promising strategies to improve photosynthesis for C3 wheat and C4 sorghum were simulated. In the top decile of seasonal outcomes, yield gains were predicted to be modest, ranging between 0% and 8%, depending on the manipulation and crop type. We report how photosynthetic enhancement can affect the timing and severity of water and nitrogen stress on the growing crop, resulting in nonintuitive seasonal crop dynamics and yield outcomes. We predicted that strategies enhancing Ac alone generate more consistent but smaller yield gains across all water and nitrogen environments, Aj enhancement alone generates larger gains but is undesirable in more marginal environments. Large increases in both Ac and Aj generate the highest gains across all environments. Yield outcomes of the tested manipulation strategies were predicted and compared for realistic Australian wheat and sorghum production. This study uniquely unpacks complex cross‐scale interactions between photosynthesis and seasonal crop dynamics and improves understanding and quantification of the potential impact of photosynthesis traits (or lack of it) for crop improvement research.
Acute periapical abscesses in patients using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Authors: Rotstein Ilan , Katz Joseph
Published: October 2022

Aims

Depression and anxiety are severe health problems affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Consequently, the use of antidepressants has constantly been on a rise. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressant are now commonly used due to fewer side effects as compared to other types of antidepressants. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of periapical abscesses (PAs)in patients using SSRIs.

Methods and Results

Integrated data of hospital patients was used. Data from the corresponding diagnosis codes for SSRIs and acute PAs was retrieved by searching the appropriate query in the database. The different diagnoses were coded using the international coding systems ICD 10. Diagnosis was made by calibrated dentists in a hospital setting based on clinical examination and imaging data. The odds ratio (OR) for the prevalence of acute PAs and its association with the use of SSRIs were calculated and analyzed statistically. It was found that the prevalence of acute PAs was significantly higher in patients using SSRIs as compared to the other hospital patient population. The OR was 2.8 and the difference between patients using SSRIs and patients who do not was statistically significant (p < .0001).

Conclusion

Under the conditions of this study, it appears that the prevalence of acute PAs is higher in patients using SSRIs.
Public Servants’ Perception Towards Publishing Quality and Impactful Open Data to Support Open Science Initiatives in Malaysia
Authors: Ariffin Aini Suzana , Bin Abd Aziz Mohd Azreey Shah
Published: October 2022

Open Data Portal is the key intervention of e-Government initiative for information management. The Government of Malaysia has introduced the initiatives since 2015 to facilitate open data portal and strengthen transparency governance. This Open Data is crucial because it provides significant benefits to government in term of political, social, economic, operational, and technical. However, World Bank’s Open Data Readiness Assessment (ODRA) for Malaysia stated that despite the clear evidence of readiness and the country’s data-rich environment, it was significantly difficult to access high- quality data from Malaysia. As a result, lower scores on impact criterion in three consecutive years has landed Malaysia on 53rd of the ranking of the Global Open Data Barometer. Therefore, the objectives of this research re to determine the general perception of public servants toward open data initiatives and to identify determinants that impede the publication of open government data by the existing government entity. This research adopted qualitative method through semi-structured interview. There are six common themes of perception identified and ten common themes emerged as determinants. The result indicated that that Malaysian public servant demonstrates highly positive perception toward the initiative. It is very useful in enhancing public policy towards effective data publishing and sharing management. Subsequently may serve as input to to devise strategies to improve perceptions by addressing the perceptual biases or translating it into actionable policy to promote the success factors onto the non-providing agencies which would escalate the number of providing agencies, and consequently boost the number of data set, and eventually enhance the availability of impactful dataset to support Malaysia Government Data Sharing and Open Science initiatives.
Why nations lead or lag in energy transitions
Authors: Meckling Jonas , Lipscy Phillip Y. , Finnegan Jared J. , Metz Florence
Published: October 2022

Policy-driven change hinges on institutions that support insulation or compensation
A perturbed network in neurodegeneration
Authors: Gallo Jean-Marc , Edbauer Dieter
Published: October 2022

Three proteins act in concert to cause neuronal pathology
This lagoon is effectively a person, new Spanish law says
Authors: Stokstad Erik
Published: October 2022

In a first for Europe, country borrows concept from Indigenous science to protect endangered body of water
Bootleg Biology: a Semester-Long CURE Using Wild Yeast to Brew Beer
Authors: DeHaven Brian , Sato Brian , Mello Jeff , Hill Thomas , Syed Jennah , Patel Rayna
Published: October 2022

Laboratory exercises for undergraduates that involve authentic discovery and research have been shown to increase student learning and engagement. To bring these advantages into the microbiology curriculum, we developed a semester-long course-based undergraduate research experience for a laboratory based on brewing beer with wild yeast.
Draft Genome Sequence of Cold-Tolerant Pseudomonas sp. Strain NKUCC02_KPG, Isolated from Old Alexandria Reservoir in Northern Kentucky, USA
Authors: Boone Gillian , Griffey Kylie , Cooper Joshua T.
Published: October 2022

We report the draft genome of cold-tolerant
Pseudomonas
sp. strain NKUCC02_KPG, which was isolated from a lake in Kentucky, namely, Old Alexandria Reservoir. This strain contains several genes associated with cold adaptation and is characterized by a G+C content of 58.21% and a total length of 5,187,984 bp.
The Stability of Phyto-Zooplanktonic Networks Varied with Zooplanktonic Sizes in Chinese Coastal Ecosystem
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Li Hongjun , Shen Wenli , Feng Kai , Li Shuzhen , Gu Songsong , Zhou Yuqi , Peng Xi , Du Xiongfeng , He Qing , Wang Linlin , Zhang Zhaojing , Wang Danrui , Wang Zhujun , Deng Ye
Published: October 2022

Body size is a key life trait of aquatic plankton that affects organisms’ metabolic rates and ecological functions; however, its specific effects on interactions between phytoplankton and zooplankton are poorly understood. We collected planktonic species and their body size data along more than 13,000 kilometers of coastline to explore the role of zooplanktonic body size in maintaining the stability of phyto-zooplanktonic networks (PZNs).
Bacterial Outer Membrane Polysaccharide Export (OPX) Proteins Occupy Three Structural Classes with Selective β-Barrel Porin Requirements for Polymer Secretion
Authors: Saïdi Fares , Mahanta Utkarsha , Panda Adyasha , Kezzo Ahmad A. , Jolivet Nicolas Y. , Bitazar Razieh , John Gavin , Martinez Matthew , Mellouk Abdelkader , Calmettes Charles , Chang Yi-Wei , Sharma Gaurav , Islam Salim T.
Published: October 2022

Diverse bacteria assemble and secrete polysaccharides that alter their physiologies through modulation of motility, biofilm formation, and host immune system evasion. Most such pathways require outer membrane (OM) polysaccharide export (OPX) proteins for sugar-polymer transport to the cell surface.
Risk factors for corneal ulcers: a population-based matched case–control study in Nepal
Authors: Byanju Raghunandan , Kandel Ram Prasad , Poudyal Bimal , Bhandari Sadhan , Ligal Anju , Pradhan Sangita , Gautam Maria , Shrestha Puspa , Sah Ranjeet Kumar , Gonzales John A , Porco Travis C , Whitcher John P , Srinivasan Muthiah , Upadhyay Madan Prasad , Lietman Thomas M , Keenan Jeremy David , O'Brien Kieran S
Published: October 2022

Background/aims

We aimed to examine risk factors for corneal ulcer in a rural and peri-urban setting in Nepal.

Methods

This population-based matched case–control study was nested in a cluster randomised trial in 24 village development committees in Nepal. Incidence density sampling was used to match incident corneal opacity cases to controls, matching on time of opacity, age, sex and location. Cases and controls were invited to participate in a survey of risk factors for corneal ulcer. Risk factors were evaluated using conditional logistic regression to account for matching.

Results

Of the 540 participants with incident opacities identified in the trial, 433 were willing to participate in this substudy and matched to a control. Compared with controls, cases had lower odds of having any education vs no education (adjusted OR, aOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.94), working in non-manual labour occupations vs manual labour occupations (aOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.95) and preferring medical shops for ocular trauma versus eye care system centres (aOR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.92). Cases had higher odds of protective goggle use versus no protection (aOR 3.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 11.0) and having an ocular injury vs none (aOR 7.7, 95% CI 4.3 to 13.6) compared with controls.

Conclusion

We found ocular injury, manual labour and lower education to be strongly associated with the development of corneal ulcer. Given the persistent burden of corneal blindness in this area, prevention efforts could target efforts to increase access to care in areas where these factors are common.
British Thoracic Society Quality Standard for Clinically Significant Bronchiectasis in Adults 2022
Authors: Hill Adam T , Grillo Lizzie , Gruffydd-Jones Kevin , Payne Karen , Souto Miguel , Sullivan Anita , Wildgoose James , Loebinger Michael R
Published: October 2022

This British Thoracic Society Quality Standard for Clinically Significant Bronchiectasis in Adults 2022 aims to encourage good practice by setting standards of high-quality respiratory care that services should follow.
Stenting versus medical treatment for idiopathic intracranial hypertension: a matched-control study
Authors: Raynald  , Yang Hongchao , Tong Xu , Huo Xiaochuan , Li Xiaoqing , Liu Lian , Sui Binbin , Qu Hui , Dong Kehui , Wang Yilong , Wang Shuran , Miao Zhongrong , Mo Dapeng
Published: October 2022

Background

This prospective cohort study compared the outcomes of stenting and medical treatment for patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and venous sinus stenosis (VSS).

Methods

In this single-center cohort study, patients with IIH and VSS were evaluated between January 2014 and December 2019 with follow-up periods of 1, 3, and 6 months. The patients received either stenting or medical treatment. The two groups underwent 1:1 matching using propensity score analysis, and the clinical outcomes were compared.

Results

Following 1:1 matching, 36 patients who underwent stenting and 36 who underwent medical treatment were matched. The median improvements in the papilledema Frisén grade were greater in the stenting group at 1 month (−2 vs 0), 3 months (−3 vs −1), and 6 months (−3 vs −1) than in the medical treatment group. Patients who received stenting treatment had a significantly higher prevalence of complete resolution of their respective symptoms (headache, tinnitus, or visual disturbances) at 3 months (58.3% vs 13.9%, OR 8.68, 95% CI 2.74 to 27.52) and 6 months (80.6% vs 22.2%, OR 14.50, 95% CI 4.64 to 45.32) than those receiving medical treatment.

Conclusions

This matched-control study shows that stenting has a greater efficacy rate and rapid resolution of papilledema and its respective symptoms compared with medical treatment.
Leadership practices and behaviours that enable and inhibit a continuous improvement culture in an NHS trust
Authors: Benjamin Claire , Chung Daisy
Published: October 2022

Background

Healthcare providers and systems globally are increasingly recognising the benefits of adopting continuous improvement methods to transform hospital services. Creating a continuous improvement culture relies on giving frontline staff the support and freedom to identify opportunities for positive, sustainable, change and the skills to enable action. This paper analyses the leadership behaviours and practices that support or inhibit the adoption of a continuous improvement culture, drawing on a qualitative evaluation within the outpatient directorate at one National Health Service (NHS) trust.

Objective

Identify key leadership behaviours and practices that enable and inhibit a continuous improvement culture in healthcare settings.

Methods

Results from the 2020 NHS staff engagement survey informed the development of an original survey and interview protocol aimed at uncovering factors that enable or inhibit a continuous improvement culture in this directorate. All staff within the outpatient directorate at all NHS banding levels were invited to take part.

Results

44 members of staff took part: 13 members of staff were interviewed, and 31 members of staff completed a survey. Of the factors that are perceived to inhibit a continuous improvement culture, ‘Not feeling listened to or supported to find the right solution’ was the most frequently occurring theme. Conversely, the most common enabling factors were ‘leaders and staff solving problems together’ and ‘leaders making time to understand the challenges of their staff’. The findings suggest that the most important behavioural changes leaders can make are: proactively taking the time to listen to and understand the challenges staff face; and supporting them to find the root cause of problems.

Conclusion

Continuous improvement cultures depend on high staff engagement; leaders who show curiosity, invest time in listening, and act as partners in problem solving are more likely to elicit engagement and thereby enable a continuous improvement culture.
Semantic and Context Understanding for Sentiment Analysis in Hindi Handwritten Character Recognition Using a Multiresolution Technique
Authors: Kumar Ankit , Bhatia Surbhi , Khosravi Mohammad R. , Mashat Arwa , Agarwal Parul
Published: October 2022

The rapid growth of Web 2.0, which enables people to generate, communicate, and share information, has resulted in an increase in the total number of users. In developing countries, online users’ sentiment influences decision-making, social views, individual consumption decisions, and entity quality monitoring. As a result, more accurate sentiment analysis, particularly in their native language such as Hindi, is preferred over crude binary categorization. This is because of the abundance of web-based data in Indian languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, and so on. Analyzing this data and recovering valuable and relevant information from handwritten text has become extremely important. Despite years of research and development, no
optical writing recognition (OCR)
system has ever been certified as completely reliable. The first step in any pattern recognition system is feature selection. In many fields, feature selection is studied as a combinatorial optimization problem. The primary goal of feature selection is to reduce the number of redundant and ineffective traits in the recognition system. This feature selection is used to maintain or improve the performance of the classifier used by the recognition system: A
support vector machine (SVM)
technique could be used to solve this character recognition problem. The Hindi character recognition system recognizes Hindi characters by employing morphological operations, edge detection, HOG feature extraction, and an SVM-based classifier. The proposed model outperformed the current state-of-the-art method, achieving an accuracy of 96.77%.
Stingless Bee (Apidae: Apinae: Meliponini) Ecology
Authors: Roubik David W.
Published: October 2022

Stingless bees form perennial colonies of honey-making insects. The >600 species of stingless bees, mainly Neotropical, live throughout tropical latitudes. Foragers influence floral biology, plant reproduction, microbe dispersal, and diverse ecosystem functions. As tropical forest residents since the upper Cretaceous, they have had a long evolutionary history without competition from honey bees. Most stingless bees are smaller than any Apis species and recruit nest mates to resources, while their defense strategies exclude stinging behavior but incorporate biting. Stingless bees have diversified ecologically; excel in nesting site selection and mutualisms with plants, arthropods, and microbes; and display opportunism, including co-opting plant defenses. As their biology becomes better known, applications to human endeavors are imposing selective pressures from exploitation and approaches to conservation that entail colony extraction from wildlands. Although some meliponines can adjust to new conditions, their populations shall require tropical diversity for survival and reproduction.
Forest Insect Biosecurity: Processes, Patterns, Predictions, Pitfalls
Authors: Nahrung Helen F. , Liebhold Andrew M. , Brockerhoff Eckehard G. , Rassati Davide
Published: October 2022

The economic and environmental threats posed by non-native forest insects are ever increasing with the continuing globalization of trade and travel; thus, the need for mitigation through effective biosecurity is greater than ever. However, despite decades of research and implementation of preborder, border, and postborder preventative measures, insect invasions continue to occur, with no evidence of saturation, and are even predicted to accelerate. In this article, we review biosecurity measures used to mitigate the arrival, establishment, spread, and impacts of non-native forest insects and possible impediments to the successful implementation of these measures. Biosecurity successes are likely under-recognized because they are difficult to detect and quantify, whereas failures are more evident in the continued establishment of additional non-native species. There are limitations in existing biosecurity systems at global and country scales (for example, inspecting all imports is impossible, no phytosanitary measures are perfect, knownunknowns cannot be regulated against, and noncompliance is an ongoing problem). Biosecurity should be a shared responsibility across countries, governments, stakeholders, and individuals.
Historical and Contemporary Control Options Against Bed Bugs,Cimexspp.
Authors: Doggett Stephen L. , Lee Chow-Yang
Published: October 2022

Bed bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) are an important group of obligate hematophagous urban insect pests. The global resurgence of bed bugs, involving the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., and the tropical bed bug, Cimex hemipterus (F.), over the past two decades is believed to be primarily due to the development of insecticide resistance, along with global travel and poor pest management, which have contributed to their spread. This review examines and synthesizes the literature on bed bug origins and their global spread and the literature on historical and contemporary control options. This includes bed bug prevention, detection and monitoring, nonchemical and chemical control methodologies (and their limitations), and potential future control options. Future research needs are highlighted, especially the factors behind the modern resurgence, the necessity of identifying differences between the two bed bug species relevant to control, and the need to improve insecticide test protocols and management strategies.
Diapause in Univoltine and Semivoltine Life Cycles
Authors: Numata Hideharu , Shintani Yoshinori
Published: October 2022

Although it is generally more adaptive for insects to produce additional generations than to have longer life cycles, some insects produce one or fewer generations per year (univoltine or semivoltine life cycles, respectively). Some insects with the potential to produce multiple generations per year produce a univoltine life cycle in response to environmental conditions. Obligatory univoltine insects have a single long diapause or multiple diapauses in different seasons. Semivoltine insects have multiple diapauses in different years, a prolonged diapause for more than a year, or diapause controlled by a circannual rhythm. Diapause in these insects greatly varies among species both in the physiological mechanism and in the evolutionary background, and there is no general rule defining it. In this review, we survey the physiological control of univoltine and semivoltine insects’ diapause and discuss the adaptive significance of the long life cycles. Although constraints such as slow development are sometimes responsible for these life cycles, the benefits of these life cycles can be explained by bet-hedging in many cases. We also discuss the effect of climate warming on these life cycles as a future area of research.
Motion in Stratified Fluids
Authors: More Rishabh V. , Ardekani Arezoo M.
Published: October 2022

Density stratification due to temperature or salinity variations greatly influences the flow around and the sedimentation of objects such as particles, drops, bubbles, and small organisms in the atmosphere, oceans, and lakes. Density stratification hampers the vertical flow and substantially affects the sedimentation of an isolated object, the hydrodynamic interactions between a pair of objects, and the collective behavior of suspensions in various ways, depending on the relative magnitude of stratification, inertia (advection), and viscous (diffusion) effects. This review discusses these effects and their hydrodynamic mechanisms in some commonly observed fluid–particle transport phenomena in oceans and the atmosphere. Physical understanding of these mechanisms can help us better model these phenomena and, hence, predict their geophysical, engineering, ecological, and environmental implications.
Metastatic or xenograft colorectal cancer models induce divergent anabolic deficits and expression of pro-inflammatory effectors of muscle wasting in a tumor-type-dependent manner
Authors: Kim Hyo-Gun , Huot Joshua R. , Pin Fabrizio , Belcher Daniel J. , Bonetto Andrea , Nader Gustavo A.
Published: October 2022

We provide evidence demonstrating that colorectal tumor burden plays a role in determining anabolic deficits and the expression of proinflammatory effectors of muscle wasting in a tumor-type-dependent manner.
The Application of Immersive Interactive Technology in Animation Teaching
Authors: Sun Zhiying , Liu Jing
Published: October 2022

In order to improve the interactive and immersive effect of animation teaching, this paper applies immersive interactive technology to animation teaching. In the light processing of animation teaching, this paper uses four-step phase shift and PCA algorithm to process the interference fringes with vibration effects collected by the CCD camera. The influence of white light background noise in the environment on the laser speckle measurement can be effectively filtered by adding a filter device to the imaging optical path. In order to explore the antivibration ability of different phase extraction algorithms of laser speckle interferometry in the presence of vibration in the measurement environment, this paper constructs an application model of immersive interactive technology in animation teaching. From the test results, it can be seen that the application effect of the immersive interactive technology proposed in this paper in animation teaching is relatively obvious.
Generic Stability of the Weakly Pareto-Nash Equilibrium with Strategy Transformational Barriers
Authors: Liu Luping , Jia Wensheng , Zhou Li
Published: October 2022

The object of this paper is to establish a new model with strategy transformational barriers for a class of generalized multileader multifollower multiple objective games (GMLMFMOG) and further deduce some new results of the weakly Pareto-Nash equilibrium (WPNE) with strategy transformational barriers for the GMLMFMOG. First, we investigate the existence of the WPNE with strategy transformational barriers for the GMLMFMOG by using the Kakutani-Fan-Glicksberg fixed point theory. Next, we study the generic stability of the GMLMFMOG with strategy transformational barriers in Hausdorff space. Finally, we obtain that the majority of the WPNE with strategy transformational barriers for the GMLMFMOG are essential on the meaning of Baire’s category. In addition, we demonstrate that there is at least an essential component for the GMLMFMOG with strategy transformational barriers.
Metrics Space and Norm: Taxonomy to Distance Metrics
Authors: Subramanian Barathi , Paul Anand , Kim Jeonghong , Chee K.-W.-A.
Published: October 2022

A lot of machine learning algorithms, including clustering methods such as K-nearest neighbor (KNN), highly depend on the distance metrics to understand the data pattern well and to make the right decision based on the data. In recent years, studies show that distance metrics can significantly improve the performance of the machine learning or deep learning model in clustering, classification, data recovery tasks, etc. In this article, we provide a survey on widely used distance metrics and the challenges associated with this field. The most current studies conducted in this area are commonly influenced by Siamese and triplet networks utilized to make associations between samples while employing mutual weights in deep metric learning (DML). They are successful because of their ability to recognize the relationships among samples that show a similarity. Furthermore, the sampling strategy, suitable distance metric, and network structure are complex and difficult factors for researchers to improve network model performance. So, this article is significant because it is the most recent detailed survey in which these components are comprehensively examined and valued as a whole, evidenced by assessing the numerical findings of the techniques.