bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ecological roles and importance of sharks in the Anthropocene Ocean
Authors: Dedman Simon , Moxley Jerry H. , Papastamatiou Yannis P. , Braccini Matias , Caselle Jennifer E. , Chapman Demian D. , Cinner Joshua Eli , Dillon Erin M. , Dulvy Nicholas K. , Dunn Ruth Elizabeth , Espinoza Mario , Harborne Alastair R. , Harvey Euan S. , Heupel Michelle R. , Huveneers Charlie , Graham Nicholas A. J. , Ketchum James T. , Klinard Natalie V. , Kock Alison A. , Lowe Christopher G. , MacNeil M. Aaron , Madin Elizabeth M. P. , McCauley Douglas J. , Meekan Mark G. , Meier Amelia C. , Simpfendorfer Colin A. , Tinker M. Tim , Winton Megan , Wirsing Aaron J. , Heithaus Michael R.
Published: August 2024

In ecosystems, sharks can be predators, competitors, facilitators, nutrient transporters, and food. However, overfishing and other threats have greatly reduced shark populations, altering their roles and effects on ecosystems. We review these changes and implications for ecosystem function and management. Macropredatory sharks are often disproportionately affected by humans but can influence prey and coastal ecosystems, including facilitating carbon sequestration. Like terrestrial predators, sharks may be crucial to ecosystem functioning under climate change. However, large ecosystem effects of sharks are not ubiquitous. Increasing human uses of oceans are changing shark roles, necessitating management consideration. Rebuilding key populations and incorporating shark ecological roles, including less obvious ones, into management efforts are critical for retaining sharks’ functional value. Coupled social-ecological frameworks can facilitate these efforts.
Modeling late-onset Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology via direct neuronal reprogramming
Authors: Sun Zhao , Kwon Ji-Sun , Ren Yudong , Chen Shawei , Walker Courtney K. , Lu Xinguo , Cates Kitra , Karahan Hande , Sviben Sanja , Fitzpatrick James A. J. , Valdez Clarissa , Houlden Henry , Karch Celeste M. , Bateman Randall J. , Sato Chihiro , Mennerick Steven J. , Diamond Marc I. , Kim Jungsu , Tanzi Rudolph E. , Holtzman David M. , Yoo Andrew S.
Published: August 2024

Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) is the most common form of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, modeling sporadic LOAD that endogenously captures hallmark neuronal pathologies such as amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, tau tangles, and neuronal loss remains an unmet need. We demonstrate that neurons generated by microRNA (miRNA)–based direct reprogramming of fibroblasts from individuals affected by autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) and LOAD in a three-dimensional environment effectively recapitulate key neuropathological features of AD. Reprogrammed LOAD neurons exhibit Aβ-dependent neurodegeneration, and treatment with β- or γ-secretase inhibitors before (but not subsequent to) Aβ deposit formation mitigated neuronal death. Moreover inhibiting age-associated retrotransposable elements in LOAD neurons reduced both Aβ deposition and neurodegeneration. Our study underscores the efficacy of modeling late-onset neuropathology of LOAD through high-efficiency miRNA-based neuronal reprogramming.
Mainstreaming nature in US federal policy
Authors: Tallis Heather , Fenichel Eli P. , Petes Laura , Hsiang Solomon , Levin Phillip S. , Levy Hila , Lubchenco Jane
Published: August 2024

Integrated policy changes must be cross-sectoral, appropriate, strategic, and evidence-based
In Science Journals
Authors: Lavine Marc S. , Jiang Di , Suleymanov Yury , Vignieri Sacha , Szuromi Phil , Yashinski Melisa , Smith Jesse , Ferrarelli Leslie K. , Yeston Jake S. , Simonti Corinne N. , Maroso Mattia , Prestigiacomo Joseph C. , Olingy Claire , Ross Sarah H. , Norton Melissa L.
Published: August 2024

Highlights from the
Science
family of journals
Is it the humidity, or just the heat?
Authors: Wadman Meredith
Published: August 2024

Scientists debate the role of humidity in rising heat deaths
Age-dependent Powassan virus lethality is linked to glial cell activation and divergent neuroinflammatory cytokine responses in a murine model
Authors: Mladinich Megan C. , Himmler Grace E. , Conde Jonas N. , Gorbunova Elena E. , Schutt William R. , Sarkar Shayan , Tsirka Styliani-Anna E. , Kim Hwan Keun , Mackow Erich R.
Published: August 2024

Powassan virus (POWV) is an emergent tick-borne flavivirus that causes fatal encephalitis in the elderly and long-term neurologic sequelae in survivors. How age contributes to severe POWV encephalitis remains an enigma, and no animal models have assessed age-dependent POWV neuropathology. Inoculating C57BL/6 mice with a POWV strain (LI9) currently circulating in
Ixodes
ticks resulted in age-dependent POWV lethality 10–20 dpi. POWV infection of 50-week-old mice was 82% fatal with lethality sequentially reduced by age to 7.1% in 10-week-old mice. POWV LI9 was neuroinvasive in mice of all ages, causing acute spongiform CNS pathology and reactive gliosis 5–15 dpi that persisted in survivors 30 dpi. High CNS viral loads were found in all mice 10 dpi. However, by 15 dpi, viral loads decreased by 2–4 logs in 10- to 40-week-old mice, while remaining at high levels in 50-week-old mice. Age-dependent differences in CNS viral loads 15 dpi occurred concomitantly with striking changes in CNS cytokine responses. In the CNS of 50-week-old mice, POWV induced Th1-type cytokines (IFNγ, IL-2, IL-12, IL-4, TNFα, IL-6), suggesting a neurodegenerative pro-inflammatory M1 microglial program. By contrast, in 10-week-old mice, POWV-induced Th2-type cytokines (IL-10, TGFβ, IL-4) were consistent with a neuroprotective M2 microglial phenotype. These findings correlate age-dependent CNS cytokine responses and viral loads with POWV lethality and suggest potential neuroinflammatory therapeutic targets. Our results establish the age-dependent lethality of POWV in a murine model that mirrors human POWV severity and long-term CNS pathology in the elderly.

IMPORTANCE

Powassan virus is an emerging tick-borne flavivirus causing lethal encephalitis in aged individuals. We reveal an age-dependent POWV murine model that mirrors human POWV encephalitis and long-term CNS damage in the elderly. We found that POWV is neuroinvasive and directs reactive gliosis in all age mice, but at acute stages selectively induces pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokine responses in 50-week-old mice and neuroprotective Th2 cytokine responses in 10-week-old mice. Our findings associate CNS viral loads and divergent cytokine responses with age-dependent POWV lethality and survival outcomes. Responses of young mice suggest potential therapeutic targets and approaches for preventing severe POWV encephalitis that may be broadly applicable to other neurodegenerative diseases. Our age-dependent murine POWV model permits analysis of vaccines that prevent POWV lethality, and therapeutics that resolve severe POWV encephalitis.
Cytosolic serpins act in a cytoprotective feedback loop that limits ESX-1-dependent death of
Mycobacterium marinum
-infected macrophages
Authors: Nobs Esther , Laschanzky Katie , Munke Kristina , Movert Elin , Valfridsson Christine , Carlsson Fredric
Published: August 2024

Serine protease inhibitors (serpins) constitute the largest family of protease inhibitors expressed in humans, but their role in infection remains largely unexplored. In infected macrophages, the mycobacterial ESX-1 type VII secretion system permeabilizes internal host membranes and causes leakage into the cytosol of host DNA, which induces type I interferon (IFN) production via the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and stimulator of IFN genes (STING) surveillance pathway, and promotes infection
in vivo
. Using the
Mycobacterium marinum
infection model, we show that ESX-1-mediated type I IFN signaling in macrophages selectively induces the expression of
serpina3f
and
serpina3g
, two cytosolic serpins of the clade A3. The membranolytic activity of ESX-1 also caused leakage of cathepsin B into the cytosol where it promoted cell death, suggesting that the induction of type I IFN comes at the cost of lysosomal rupture and toxicity. However, the production of cytosolic serpins suppressed the protease activity of cathepsin B in this compartment and thus limited cell death, a function that was associated with increased bacterial growth in infected mice. These results suggest that cytosolic serpins act in a type I IFN-dependent cytoprotective feedback loop to counteract the inevitable toxic effect of ESX-1-mediated host membrane rupture.

IMPORTANCE

The ESX-1 type VII secretion system is a key virulence determinant of pathogenic mycobacteria. The ability to permeabilize host cell membranes is critical for several ESX-1-dependent virulence traits, including phagosomal escape and induction of the type I interferon (IFN) response. We find that it comes at the cost of lysosomal leakage and subsequent host cell death. However, our results suggest that ESX-1-mediated type I IFN signaling selectively upregulates
serpina3f
and
serpina3g
and that these cytosolic serpins limit cell death caused by cathepsin B that has leaked into the cytosol, a function that is associated with increased bacterial growth
in vivo
. The ability to rupture host membranes is widespread among bacterial pathogens, and it will be of interest to evaluate the role of cytosolic serpins and this type I IFN-dependent cytoprotective feedback loop in the context of human infection.
Supplemental Material: Heterogeneous incorporation of trace elements at the microscale and nanoscale during episodic epitaxial growth of pyrite
Authors: Wang Yan-Yan , Long Tao , al. et
Published: August 2024

Figure S1-S4: The BSE images, EPMA mapping, the measured locations of APT and TEM, and APT mass spectra of the pyrite from Shangmanggang Au deposit. Video S1: APT 3-D reconstruction with Cu and isosurface (Pb-Sb-Hg-Tl). Table S1: The EMPA data.
Loss to follow-up and its predictors among children living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy, southern Oromia, Ethiopia: a 5-year retrospective cohort study
Authors: Bankere Assefa Washo , Daba Sintayehu Gabisa , Ami Bonso , Gedefa Lalisa Kebebe , Lencha Bikila
Published: August 2024

Background

Loss to follow-up (LTFU) among paediatric patients living with HIV presents a significant challenge to the global scale-up of life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Objectives

This study aims to estimate LTFU incidence and its determinants among children with HIV on ART in Shashemene town public health institutions, Oromia, Ethiopia.

Design

A retrospective cohort study from 1 January 2015 to 30 December 2020.

Setting

This study was conducted in Shashemene town, Oromia, Ethiopia.

Participants

Medical records of 269 children receiving ART at health facilities in Shashemene town were included.

Methods

Data from patients’ medical records were collected using a standardised checklist. EpiData V.3.1 was employed for data entry, while Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) V.25 facilitated analysis. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used for estimation of survival time. To measure association, adjusted HRs (AHRs) with 95% CIs were calculated. Both bivariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to identify predictors of LTFU.

Results

Of the 269 children living with HIV included in the final analysis, 43 (16%) were lost to follow-up. The overall incidence rate of LTFU was 3.3 (95% CI 2.4 to 4.4) per 100 child-years of observation. Age less than 5 years (AHR 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.36), non-orphan status of the child (AHR 0.13, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.34), < 30 min distance to health facility (AHR 0.24, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.73), disclosed HIV status (AHR 0. 32, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.80), history of opportunistic infection (AHR 3.54, 95% CI 1.15 to 10.87) and low CD4 count (AHR 5.17, 95% CI 2.08 to 12.85) were significant predictors of LTFU.

Conclusion

The incidence rate of LTFU was lower compared with other studies in Ethiopia. This result indicated that age less than 5 years, non-orphans, low CD4, disclosed HIV status and distance from health facility were predictors of LTFU.
Assessing economic investment required to scale up bariatric surgery capacity in England: a health economic modelling analysis
Authors: Baker-Knight James , Pournaras Dimitri J , Mahawar Kamal , Welbourn Richard , Li Yuxin , Sharma Yuvraj , Guerra Ines , Tahrani Abd
Published: August 2024

Objectives

To quantify the economic investment required to increase bariatric surgery (BaS) capacity in National Health Service (NHS) England considering the growing obesity prevalence and low provision of BaS in England despite its high clinical effectiveness.

Design

Data were included for the patients with obesity who were eligible for BaS. We used a decision-tree approach including four distinct steps of the patient pathway to capture all associated resource use. We estimated total costs according to the current capacity (current scenario) and three BaS scaling up strategies over a time horizon of 20 years (projected scenario): maximising NHS capacity (strategy 1), maximising NHS and private sector capacity (strategy 2) and adding infrastructure to NHS capacity to cover the entire prevalent and incident obesity populations (strategy 3).

Setting

BaS centres based in NHS and private sector hospitals in England.

Main outcome measures

Number of BaS procedures (including revision surgery), cost (GBP) and resource utilisation over 20 years.

Results

At current capacity, the number of BaS procedures and the total cost over 20 years were estimated to be 140 220 and £1.4 billion, respectively. For strategy 1, these values were projected to increase to 157 760 and £1.7 billion, respectively. For strategy 2, the values were projected to increase to 232 760 and £2.5 billion, respectively. Strategy 3 showed the highest increase to 564 784 and £6.4 billion, respectively, with an additional 4081 personnel and 49 facilities required over 20 years.

Conclusions

The expansion of BaS capacity in England beyond a small proportion of the eligible population will likely be challenging given the significant upfront economic investment and additional requirement of personnel and infrastructure.
Assessing the cataract surgical rate and gender equity in cataract services in south-east Nigeria
Authors: Onyia Onyinye , Aghaji Ada Ejealor , Ubaka Christiana , Achigbu Eberechukwu Ogbeanu , Ejiakor Ifeoma Lilian , Mbatuegwu Adaku I , Okeke Chiamaka J P , Okoli Barbara C , Ogborogu Emmanuel U , Dike Kenneth C , Nkwogu Florence U , Gilbert Clare
Published: August 2024

Background

In 2020, almost 100 million people were blind or visually impaired from cataract. Cataract surgery is a cost-effective treatment for cataracts. In Nigeria, twice as many women are cataract blind as men. Cataract surgical rate (CSR, the number of cataract operations per million population per year in a defined geographical location) is an output indicator of cataract surgical services. The recommended target CSR for sub-Saharan Africa is 1000/year. The aim of this study was to assess the CSR in men and women in Imo state, Nigeria.

Methods

A retrospective review of cataract surgery undertaken in all eye health facilities in Imo State in 2019. Data collected included the type and location of facilities, patient demographics and the number and type of cataract operations performed in each facility. The CSR was calculated overall, in men and women, and in younger and older women.

Results

The CSR overall was 330/million and was slightly higher in women (347/million) than in men (315/million) (p<0.001). More elderly women (≥65 years) accessed cataract surgery through outreach than men and younger women (OR 1.5 (95% CI 1.03 to 2.22, p=0.03) and 1.6 (95% CI 1.07 to 2.44, p=0.02)), respectively.

Conclusion

The overall CSR in Imo state was approximately one-third of that recommended for sub-Saharan Africa. Although the CSR was higher in women than in men, considerably higher CSRs are needed in women to address their higher burden of cataract blindness. Operational and intervention science research are needed, to identify and evaluate interventions which address demand and supply barriers to accessing cataract surgery, particularly for elderly women.
Mixed methods evaluation of a specialty-specific system to promote physician engagement in safety and quality reporting in a large academic health system
Authors: Lessios Anna Sophia , Vilendrer Stacie , Peterson Ashley , Brown-Johnson Cati , Kling Samantha M.R. , Veruttipong Darlene , Arteaga Michelle , Gessner Daniel , Gostic William John
Published: August 2024

Background

Incident reporting systems (IRS) can improve care quality and patient safety, yet their impact is limited by clinician engagement. Our objective was to assess barriers to reporting in a hospital-wide IRS and use data to inform ongoing improvement of a specialty-specific IRS embedded in the electronic health record targeting anaesthesiologists.

Methods

This quality improvement (QI) evaluation used mixed methods, including qualitative interviews, faculty surveys and user data from the specialty-specific IRS. We conducted 24 semi-structured interviews from January to May 2023 in a large academic health system in Northern California. Participants included adult and paediatric anaesthesiologists, operating room nurses, surgeons and QI operators, recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. We identified key themes and factors influencing engagement, which were classified using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety framework. We surveyed hospital anaesthesiologists in January and May 2023, and characterised the quantity and type of reports submitted to the new system.

Results

Participants shared organisation and technology-related barriers to engagement in traditional system-wide IRSs, many of which the specialty-specific IRS addressed-specifically those related to technological access to the system. Barriers related to building psychological safety for those who report remain. Survey results showed that most barriers to reporting improved following the specialty-specific IRS launch, but limited time remained an ongoing barrier (25 respondents out of 44, 56.8%). A total of 964 reports with quality/safety concerns were submitted over the first 8 months of implementation; 47–76 unique anaesthesiologists engaged per month. The top safety quality categories of concern were equipment and technology (25.9%), clinical complications (25.3%) and communication and scheduling (19.9%).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that a specialty-specific IRS can facilitate increased physician engagement in quality and safety reporting and complement existing system-wide IRSs.
Prevalence and progression of chronic kidney disease among adults undergoing creatinine testing in South African public healthcare facilities: a study leveraging data from South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS)
Authors: Brennan Alana T , Kileel Emma M , Khoza Siyabonga , Crowther Nigel J , Bor Jacob , Fox Matthew P , Rosen Sydney , Hibberd Patricia , Raal Frederick , Chetty Kamy , Mlisana Koleka , George Jaya A
Published: August 2024

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as a substantial global health challenge, with a marked rise in associated mortality. However, it often goes undetected until advanced stages, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries such as South Africa. We investigated the prevalence and progression of CKD in South Africa, utilising a subset of data from the National Health Laboratory Services Multi-morbidity Cohort.

Methods

This study was a retrospective analysis of adults aged 18–85 years who underwent initial creatinine laboratory testing at government hospitals and clinics from January 2012 to January 2016. CKD was assessed using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation, excluding the race factor, with a cut-off of CKD-EPI<60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Lab-diagnosed CKD was defined as two estimated glomerular filtration rate measurements <60 mL/min/1.73 m2at least 90 days apart. Cox regression and survival curves were used to estimate HRs and rates of progression.

Results

Among 6 106 521 adults tested between 2012 and 2016, 1.5% (95% CI 1.4% to 1.5%) were diagnosed with CKD, with the majority in stage 3. Over follow-up (median: 2 years, IQR: 0.8–3.6 years), 28.2% (95% CI 27.7% to 28.6%) of patients diagnosed as stage 3a progressed to a more severe disease state. Among patients who were in stage 3b at diagnosis, 29.6% (95% CI 29.0% to 30.1%) progressed and 33.3% (95% CI 32.5% to 34.1%) of stage 4 patients progressed. We estimated a 48% higher adjusted hazard of CKD progression for individuals with diabetes (adjusted HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.41 to 1.57) compared with those without. Advancing age also increased the risk, particularly for those aged >50 years.

Conclusions

This study underscores the urgency for early detection and management of CKD in South Africa, particularly for high-risk individuals. Strengthening primary healthcare systems and raising CKD awareness are vital for improved patient outcomes and to alleviate the burden on healthcare resources. Early intervention can delay CKD progression, thus reducing the need for costly treatments like dialysis and transplantation.
Health data management practice and associated factors among health professionals working in public health facilities in Oromia Special Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Molla Abdu , Hayelom Mulugeta , Adamu Kidist , Mihiretu Mengistu Mera , Adem Yonas Fissha
Published: August 2024

Objective

Data and information are vital to the decision-making process surrounding health sector reform. In spite of the vast amounts of capital invested in the development of health information systems, health professionals continue to fight with a lack of basic data management skills in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess health data management practices and associated factors among health professionals in public facilities in the Oromia Special Zone, northeast Ethiopia.

Method

A facility-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 442 health professionals working in Oromia Special Zone from 8 March 2023 to 28 March 2023. Data were entered into Epi-Data V.4.6, and then it was exported to SPSS V.26 statistical software for processing and analysis. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were computed to see the association between health data management practice and selected independent variables. The bi-variable logistic regression analysis model was used to identify candidate variables for multivariable regression, with a p value <0.2 fitted into the multivariable logistic regression analysis model; a p value less than 0.05 and an adjusted OR (AOR) with a 95% CI were used to declare statistical significance associated with the dependent variable.

Results

The prevalence of good health data management practices among health professionals was found to be 51.1%, with a 95% CI (45.9 to 55.7). In this study, received training on health data management (AOR=1.82, 95% CI (1.06 to 3.13)), used appropriate technology (AOR=1.78, 95% CI (1.09 to 2.91)) and competency (AOR=6.62, 95% CI (4.06 to 10.80)) were positively associated with health data management practice among health professionals.

Conclusion and recommendations

Nearly half of health professionals had poor health data management practices. The Zonal Health Department should plan capacity-building training for healthcare professionals, so as to improve their competency. All healthcare facilities should have appropriate and functional health data management technology.
A prospective study of injuries and illnesses among 910 amateur golfers during one season
Authors: Robinson Patrick Gordon , Clarsen Benjamin , Murray Andrew , Junge Astrid , Mountjoy Margo Lynn , Drobny Tomas , Gill Lance , Gazzano Francois , Voight Mike , Dvorak Jiri
Published: August 2024

Objectives

Our aims were (a) to describe the prevalence and incidence of self-reported injuries and illnesses of amateur golfers over a 5-month period and (b) to investigate potential risk factors for injury.

Methods

We recruited 910 amateur golfers (733 males [81%] and 177 females [19%]) from golf clubs in the USA and Switzerland. The median age was 60 (IQR: 47–67) and the median golfing handicap was 12 (IQR: 6–18). Participants’ health was monitored weekly for 5 months using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems. Players also completed a baseline questionnaire on personal and golf-specific characteristics and their medical history.

Results

We distributed 19 406 questionnaires and received 11 180 responses (57.6%). The prevalence of injuries was 11.3% (95% CI: 9.8 to 12.8) and of illnesses was 2% (95% CI 1.7 to 2.2). The incidence of injuries and illnesses was 3.79 (95% CI 3.54 to 4.06) and 0.94 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.07) per golfer per year, respectively. The injury regions with the highest burden of injury (time-loss days per player per year) were lumbosacral spine (5.93), shoulder (3.47) and knee (2.08). Injury risk was higher with increased age, osteoarthritis and previous injury.

Conclusion

The prevalence and incidence of injury and illness in amateur golf were low compared with many other sports. To further reduce the burden of injury, future research attention should be directed towards the lumbosacral spine, knee and shoulder.
Profile of Sport and Exercise Physician trainee’s clinical practice within Australasia in 2019: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lim Christopher , Vaughan Brett , Fitzgerald Kylie , Fitzpatrick Jane
Published: August 2024

Objective

To identify the patient population profile and the spectrum of training activities and influencing factors of Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physician (ACSEP) trainees.

Design

Retrospective cross-sectional design.

Setting

Training settings for ACSEP trainees.

Participants

Twenty ACSEP trainees undertaking full-time training in training period 2 of the 2019 training year (1 August 2019–31 January 2020). Exclusion criteria were trainees undertaking part time study and new fellows who completed their fellowship exams in 2019.

Independent variables

Patient and practitioner demographics

Method

Retrospective cross-sectional design.

Main outcome measurements

Patient data recorded in ACSEP trainees’ logbook. Short questionnaire capturing pertinent trainee demographics.

Results

Most ACSEP trainee patients are adults aged 18–65 years of age (78.2%), presenting with knee (18.7%), ankle (17%) and spinal complaints (13.1%) in clinical practice or sporting team environments. Youths 10–17 make up 13.1% of presentations and older adults 66 years and older make up 8%. Only Australian trainees are engaging in additional training activities, such as surgical assisting outside of the clinic or sporting team environment.

Conclusion

Australasian Sport and Exercise Physician trainees appear to consult primarily musculoskeletal complaints, including providing broader care to paediatric and older populations, and work with sporting teams. There are differences between Australia and New Zealand trainee employment conditions, which appear to be affecting training experiences. These differences warrant consideration to ensure equitable training experiences and financial stability for trainees.
Prevalence of
Mycoplasma genitalium
and macrolide resistance in rectal and urine samples among men who have sex with men in Sweden
Authors: Bjartling Carina , Kertes Rebecca , Kristiansen Sinja , Johnsson Annika , Forslund Ola
Published: August 2024

Objectives

While
Mycoplasma genitalium
is reported as a common rectal infection among men who have sex with men (MSM), published data refer predominantly to urethral infections. Currently, most guidelines recommend
M. genitalium
testing from urine in men with symptomatic, non-gonococcal urethritis. Macrolide resistance-associated mutations (MRMs) among
M. genitalium
have increased during the last decade especially among MSM. We aim to demonstrate the prevalence and anatomical distribution of
M. genitalium
infection and MRM in urine and rectal specimens among MSM in Sweden.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study in 2019, paired urine and rectal samples from symptomatic and asymptomatic MSM attending a sexually transmitted infection clinic in the south of Sweden were screened for
M. genitalium
, presence of MRM,
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
,
Chlamydia trachomatis
, HIV and syphilis.

Results

The overall prevalence of
M. genitalium
was 10.5% (64 of 609), rectal samples 7.6% (46 of 609) and urine samples 3.9% (24 of 609) (p=0.007). Among
M. genitalium
-positive cases, single rectal and single urethral infection was detected in 62.5% (40 of 64) and 28.1% (18 of 64), respectively (p<0.0001). Infection at both sites was seen in 9.4% (6 of 64). The prevalence of MRM was 67.9% (19 of 28).
M. genitalium
was significantly associated with HIV (OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.14 to 5.88, p=0.02). Among the MSM, 7.4% (45 of 609) were infected with
N. gonorrhoeae,
6.7% (41 of 609) with
C. trachomatis
, 7.1% (43 of 609) with HIV and 0.7% (4 of 609) with syphilis.

Conclusions

In this study, among MSM, most infections with
M. genitalium
were detected as rectal mono infections. The prevalence of
M. genitalium
among MSM was almost twofold higher in rectal samples (7.6%) compared with urine samples (3.9%). The prevalence of macrolide resistance was high with no difference between urine and rectal samples.
Efficiency and resilience: key drivers of distribution network growth
Authors: Amico Ambra , Vaccario Giacomo , Schweitzer Frank
Published: August 2024

Networks to distribute goods, from raw materials to food and medicines, are the backbone of a functioning economy. They are shaped by several supply relations connecting manufacturers, distributors, and final buyers worldwide. We present a network-based model to describe the mechanisms underlying the emergence and growth of distribution networks. In our model, firms consider two practices when establishing new supply relations: centralization, the tendency to choose highly connected partners, and multi-sourcing, the preference for multiple suppliers. Centralization enhances network efficiency by leveraging short distribution paths; multi-sourcing fosters resilience by providing multiple distribution paths connecting final buyers to the manufacturer. We validate the proposed model using data on drug shipments in the US. Drawing on these data, we reconstruct 22 nationwide pharmaceutical distribution networks. We demonstrate that the proposed model successfully replicates several structural features of the empirical networks, including their out-degree and path length distributions as well as their resilience and efficiency properties. These findings suggest that the proposed firm-level practices effectively capture the network growth process that leads to the observed structures.
A study of the competitive growth model due to random deposition mixed with a small fraction of ballistic deposition
Authors: Ghose Indrajit , Ghose Debabrata
Published: August 2024

We study the scaling properties of a hybrid deposition model that considers random deposition (RD) and ballistic deposition (BD) with next-nearest-neighbor aggregation. The BD occurs with probability p and competes with RD with probability [Formula: see text]. It is found that the dynamics of the growing interface follows the same universality class as that of the correlated BD and obeys the generalized scaling ansatz of Family–Vicsek, as proposed by Horowitz and Albano. The deposition process leads to porous structure in the bulk. We have shown that the saturated porosity scales as a power law with the probability of mixing p, which can be described well by extending the scaling arguments as that for the surface.
HPNet: Text Detection Network with Hybrid Attention and Pixel Aggregation for Irregularly-Shaped Nearby Texts
Authors: Pei Guojin , Wang Zekun , Chu Jian , Yang Genke
Published: August 2024

Scene text detection is a challenging topic in computer vision, characterized by complex illumination, irregular shape, and arbitrary size. While recent advancements have been made in scene text detection, it remains difficult to simultaneously distinguish nearby text and accommodate irregularly shaped text. Therefore, this paper introduces HPNet, an enhanced text detector, based on the segmentation method that predicts two-scale results. To improve the shape robustness, the Hybrid Attentional Feature Fusion (HAFF) module is integrated into Feature Pyramid Networks (FPN) to dynamically perform feature fusion. Additionally, to distinguish nearby text, the model predicts the text region covering text instances and the text kernel covering the central region of the text. The improved Pixel Aggregation (PA) algorithm is then utilized to guide the expansion from the text kernel to the text region. Experiments on IC15, Total-Text, and CTW1500 validate the effectiveness of these improvements and the superiority of HPNet. Compared with the previous method PSENet for nearby texts, the proposed HPNet has improved inference speed by 63.6% and F-measure metric by 2.6%, 3.7%, and 2.5% on three datasets, respectively.
Lightweight-Shaped Object Grasping Detection Network Based on Feature Fusion
Authors: Zhang Peng , Xing Yupei , Li Shuang , Shan Dongri
Published: August 2024

Robotic grasping techniques for regular targets with known shapes are now well established. However, unknown shaped objects have complex features such as texture, shape, and appearance, which leads to inaccurate recognition and localization of shaped objects during grasp detection. To improve the generalization ability of the grasping detection network for unfamiliar shaped objects, we propose a lightweight shaped object grasping detection network (LSOGD) based on feature fusion, which solves the problem that the network repeatedly extracts features from images and ultimately improves the accuracy of model detection by combining different features. The effectiveness of LSOGD is confirmed by performance evaluation on the Cornell dataset and Jacquard dataset, where the detection accuracy reaches 97.9% and 96.7% for unknown objects, respectively. In addition, due to the small proportion of shaped objects in the current publicly available dataset, we added a portion of industrial-shaped pieces based on the selection of some shaped objects in the Cornell grasping dataset to build a shaped object dataset named X-Cornell on which the accuracy of our proposed model for grasping and detecting the unknown shaped objects is 94.6%. Finally, an actual robot grasping experiment was conducted using a Realsense d435i camera and a Kinova robotic arm, and the success rate of grasping shaped objects was 94%.
Enhanced Energy Dissipation of Tuned Negative Stiffness Viscous Mass Damper (TNSVMD) for the Base-Isolated Structure (BIS)
Authors: Lyu Qing , Fu Bo , Tian Siming , Zhu Baijie , Liu Liangkun , Zhang Zhaoyang , Ye Jinxun
Published: August 2024

Negative stiffness dampers (NSDs) have garnered significant attention in the research of base-isolated structures (BIS). This study proposes a tuned negative stiffness viscous mass damper (TNSVMD), which includes a tuning spring in series with the NSD and an inerter, to enhance the seismic control effect of the BIS. An analytical model of a BIS with the TNSVMD is initially established, followed by an investigation into frequency response analysis. The analytical expressions for the stochastic responses of the BIS with TNSVMD are derived, and further exploration is conducted on the influences of the negative stiffness ratio, dashpot damping ratio, and inerter mass ratio on the stochastic responses of the BIS. The mechanisms responsible for the damping enhancement and energy dissipation enhancement of the BIS with the TNSVMD are elucidated through the derivation of the analytical solution for the effective damping ratio and dissipated energy of the BIS with the TNSVMD. Two principles are utilized to determine the optimal parameters of the TNSVMD. These principles involve minimizing the earthquake input energy ratio of the BIS and minimizing the stochastic displacement response of the BIS. Finally, the effectiveness of the TNSVMD is validated through a design example using 100 ground motions. The results indicate that the displacement and acceleration responses of the BIS can be simultaneously controlled due to the weakening of stiffness and enhancement of the effective damping ratio, leading to higher energy dissipation efficiency of the TNSVMD. The increase in the inertial mass ratio enhances the seismic mitigation effect and reduces the optimal negative stiffness ratio and optimal dashpot damping ratio. Therefore, it raises the possibility of implementing the TNSVMD. The inherent damping ratio of the BIS has a significant impact on the control efficiency of the TNSVMD. For BIS systems with relatively small inherent damping ratios, the TNSVMD can achieve better control effectiveness.
Seismic Stability Assessment of Single-Layer Reticulated Dome Structures by the Development of Deep Learning Action Recognition Network
Authors: Zheng Tianhong , Long Wei , Shen Bo , Zhang Yongjun , Lu Yujie , Ma Kejian
Published: August 2024

Structural seismic stability is an important content of research in the field of structural engineering safety. Current methods of seismic stability assessment of single-layer reticulated dome structures, supporting engineering decisions regarding the strengthening, repair, or demolition of structures, are complex and do not facilitate engineering applications, so the deep learning action recognition networks to analyze the structural deformation are employed and assessment of the seismic stability. In order to tackle the problem of an insufficient receptive field of structural global change during the dynamic response process within networks, a Dual-Branch Attention Module (DBAM) is innovatively proposed, which enables the effective perception of the global deformation of reticulated dome structures. The DBAM consists of the Maxpooling Channel Attentional (MCA) branch and the Large Kernel Pyramid Attentional (LKPA) branch, which can provide the network with multi-scale global perceptual information, thus enhancing the recognition ability of the model. In addition, the ReticDomeSeismic dataset is created by the mapping relations from the displacement intervals to RGB colors proposed, which contains a large amount of video data on the seismic analysis of single-layer reticulated dome structures under different parameters. The dataset was employed to verify the proposed DBAM method, and the experimental results show that the DBAM improves the Mean Accuracy of base action recognition methods by 4.37% on average, the highest Top-1 Accuracy of 93.48%. Therefore, the method proposed for structural deformation recognition can quickly and accurately assess the seismic stability of single-layer reticulated dome structures, and also provides significant insights and guidance for engineering practice.
Nanoemulsions of Bioactive Lipids Isolated from Cladophora Green Algae Declined NO and IL-6 Production in LPS-simulated RAW264.7 Murine Macrophage Cells
Authors: Foroghi Sanaz , Sarafbidabad Mohsen , Nasiri Rozita
Published: August 2024

Inflammation is part of the host’s normal response to various harmful stimuli, including chemical exposure, tissue damage, infection, or contact with bacterial components, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS); however, excessive inflammation leads to various acute and chronic human diseases. Macrophages contribute to the inflammatory process by secreting inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO), as well as proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1[Formula: see text], TNF-[Formula: see text] and IL-6 and the excess of these mediators can be harmful to tissues and organisms. The RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line treated with LPS is a commonly used in vitro model for assessing anti-inflammatory efficacy. The base of conventional inflammation therapy is the use of steroidal and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, both of which have significant adverse effects. Therefore, finding new sources of less hazardous treatments is imperative. The anti-inflammatory qualities of bioactive lipids from crude extracts of the green alga Cladophora were investigated using ethanol and hexane-ether as two distinct solvents. As a result, the total lipid concentration of the hexane-ether extraction was higher, so the unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) were extracted from this sample by the methanol-solvent crystallization technique at low temperatures. The presence of various fatty acids and their percentage purity were determined by gas chromatography (GC). After the elimination of 49.11% of the saturated fatty acids, the spontaneous nanoemulsification approach was applied to improve the stability and functionalization of the fatty acids. The nanoemulsion particles’ size, distribution, and stability were evaluated using a Zetasizer system. The mean particle size and zeta potential value were 194.3 nm and −25.8 mV, respectively. Finally, the MTT (thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide) assay was used to determine the toxicity of the extracted bioactive lipids in the macrophage cell line RAW264.7 for 24 h, and the results showed an increase in the viability of cells treated with UFAs after encapsulation. The IC[Formula: see text] values calculated from the MTT assay results for each formulation and the anti-inflammatory effects of each formulation (at 1/3 IC[Formula: see text] value) were determined in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages by performing nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Nanoemulsions of polyunsaturated fatty acids inhibited the production of NO and interleukin 6, which may be promising candidates for biological and medical applications to combat inflammation.
The Suicide of Multivac: From Asimov’s Science Fiction to Consciousness Testing
Authors: Gagliardi Francesco
Published: August 2024

Isaac Asimov, the well-known author of novels that featured positronic robots, also penned tales featuring Multivac, an immense electronic brain that grappled with the weighty and intricate decisions impacting all of humankind. In his 1958 short story All the Troubles of the World, Asimov introduced us to a Multivac tormented by the consciousness of its own thought processes to the extent that it desired its own demise. Through this narrative, Asimov delved into the existential dimensions of artificial consciousness: he depicted the Multivac’s adeptness in planning, reflexivity, and intentionality aimed at self-terminating — qualities that, in a tragic parallel, are also observed in certain cases of human suicidal behavior. Starting from these suggestions, we propose an existentialist and self-reflection criterion for consciousness, intertwining phenomenal consciousness with an entity’s capability to conceive thoughts about its own mortality. We argue that, according to certain psychological literature and the existentialist essays of Emil M. Cioran, artificial systems might be deemed conscious if they possess death-thought accessibility— the capacity, akin to that of humans, to conceive thoughts about their own mortality and intentionally conceive self-termination. Naturally, this criterion shares the inherent challenges associated with defining intentionality, reflexivity, and, ultimately, the very concept of consciousness as it pertains to humans.
Repurposing FDA-Approved Drugs as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro: A Comprehensive Computational Study
Authors: Metwaly Ahmed M. , Elkaeed Eslam B. , Alsfouk Aisha A. , Ibrahim Ibrahim M. , Soliman Omar A. , Elkady Hazem , Eissa Ibrahim H.
Published: August 2024

This study explores the repurposing of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro), a critical enzyme for viral replication. Initially, 3009 FDA approved drugs were screened to identify candidates structurally similar to the co-crystallized ligand XT7 in the SARS-CoV-2 PLpro complex (PDB ID: 7LBR). A fingerprint analysis narrowed the selection to the top 5% )150 drugs) most structurally akin to XT7, followed by a more refined structural similarity test that identified the top 1% (30 drugs). Molecular docking studies highlighted several compounds with strong binding affinities to the SARS-CoV-2 PLpro. Notably, Fedratinib exhibited a particularly robust binding energy of [Formula: see text]kcal/mol and was chosen for further investigation. Subsequent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations over 100 ns confirmed the stability and efficacy of Fedratinib’s binding, as evidenced by favorable energetic and dynamic profiles. The molecular mechanics-generalized born surface area (MM-GBSA) calculations corroborated these findings, revealing a binding energy of [Formula: see text]kcal/mol. Additionally, PLIP, ProLIF, and PCAT analyses further validated the stability and interactions of the PLpro-Fedratinib complex observed during the MD simulations. Overall, our results indicate that Fedratinib, an FDA-approved drug, demonstrates promising potential as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro, warranting further in vitro and in vivo experimental validation as well as potential clinical evaluation.
Molecular Modeling Studies to Mimic the Binding Hypothesis of NEU3 Sialidase and EGFR in Nonsmall Cell Lung Carcinoma
Authors: Khalid Aqsa , Hafeez Salma , Jabeen Ishrat
Published: August 2024

The activation of the Neuraminidase 3 (NEU3) enzyme has been associated with the hyperphosphoryla-tion of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in Nonsmall Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC). Existing EGFR inhibitors (such as gefitinib, erlotinib, lapatinib, icotinib, afatinib and osimertinib) reduce the hyperactivation of downstream signaling pathways (Akt, Mapk, Jak-Stat, Plc) but fail to completely abolish EGFR hyperphosphorylation. Therefore, co-targeting NEU3 and EGFR presents a greater potential to be used as a combinatorial therapy for NSCLC. This study employs structure guided approaches to elucidate the binding hypothesis of NEU3 and EGFR inhibitors. Toward this, important 3D features associated with high inhibitory potency of NEU3, and EGFR modulators were identified through SAR. The triazole substitution in acetamide dihydropyran carboxylic acid derivatives is mainly responsible for improved inhibitory potency against NEU3. Therefore, the hydrophobic ([Formula: see text]-H) interaction with the benzene ring and hydrogen bonding with the hydroxyl group of triazole are critical for designing new NEU3 modulators. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation studies demonstrate the stability of hydrogen bonding interactions of highly active NEU3 inhibitors with Pro66, Gly199 and Glu410 residues. Similarly, pyrimidine ring of EGFR inhibitors forms stable hydrogen bonds with Lys721 and Asp831 residues, contributing to their inhibitory potency. Our findings suggest that incorporating these identified 3D features associated with triazole and pyrimidine substitutions into a suitable scaffold could be a valuable strategy for developing a new generation of NEU3 and EGFR modulators. This approach offers a potential multi-targeted therapy for NSCLC patients.