bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nutritional Interventions: Dietary Protein Needs and Influences on Skeletal Muscle of Older Adults
Authors: Campbell Wayne W , Deutz Nicolaas E P , Volpi Elena , Apovian Caroline M
Published: June 2023

Background

This narrative review describes foundational and emerging evidence of how dietary protein intakes may influence muscle-related attributes of older adults.

Methods

PubMed was used to identify pertinent research.

Results

Among medically stable older adults, protein intakes below the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) (0.8 g/kg body weight [BW]/d) exacerbate age-related reductions in muscle size, quality, and function. Dietary patterns with total protein intakes at or moderately above the RDA, including one or preferably more meals containing sufficient dietary protein to maximize protein anabolism, promote muscle size and function. Some observational studies suggest protein intakes from 1.0 to 1.6 g/kg BW/d may promote greater muscle strength and function more so than muscle size. Experimental findings from randomized controlled feeding trials indicate protein intakes greater than the RDA (averaging ~1.3 g/kg BW/d) do not influence indices of lean body mass or muscle and physical functions with non-stressed conditions, but positively influence changes in lean body mass with purposeful catabolic (energy restriction) or anabolic (resistance exercise training) stressors. Among older adults with diagnosed medical conditions or acute illness, specialized protein or amino acid supplements that stimulate muscle protein synthesis and improve protein nutritional status may attenuate the loss of muscle mass and function and improve survival of malnourished patients. Observational studies favor animal versus plant protein sources for sarcopenia-related parameters.

Conclusions

Quantity, quality, and patterning of dietary protein consumed by older adults with varied metabolic states, and hormonal and health status influence the nutritional needs and therapeutic use of protein to support muscle size and function.
Novel Potential Targets for Function-Promoting Therapies: Orphan Nuclear Receptors, Anti-inflammatory Drugs, Troponin Activators, Mas Receptor Agonists, and Urolithin A
Authors: Dioh Waly , Narkar Vihang , Singh Anurag , Malik Fady , Ferrucci Luigi , Tourette Cendrine , Mariani Jean , van Maanen Rob , Fielding Roger A
Published: June 2023

In recent years, several new classes of therapies have been investigated with their potential for restoring or improving physical functioning in older adults. These have included Mas receptor agonists, regulators of mitophagy, skeletal muscle troponin activators, anti-inflammatory compounds, and targets of orphan nuclear receptors. The present article summarizes recent developments of the function-promoting effects of these exciting new compounds and shares relevant preclinical and clinical data related to their safety and efficacy. The development of novel compounds in this area is expanding and likely will need the advent of a new treatment paradigm for age-associated mobility loss and disability.
Event recognition in marine seismological data using Random Forest machine learning classifier
Authors: Domel Przemyslaw , Hibert Clément , Schlindwein Vera , Plaza-Faverola Andreia
Published: June 2023

Automatic detection of seismic events in ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) data is difficult due to elevated levels of noise compared to the recordings from land. Popular deep-learning approaches that work well with earthquakes recorded on land perform poorly in a marine setting. Their adaptation to OBS data requires catalogues containing hundreds of thousands of labelled event examples that currently do not exist, especially for signals different than earthquakes. Therefore, the usual routine involves standard amplitude-based detection methods and manual processing to obtain events of interest. We present here the first attempt to utilize a Random Forest supervised machine learning classifier on marine seismological data to automate catalogue screening and event recognition among different signals [i.e. earthquakes, short duration events (SDE) and marine noise sources]. The detection approach uses the short-term average/long-term average method, enhanced by a kurtosis-based picker for a more precise recognition of the onset of events. The subsequent machine learning method uses a previously published set of signal features (waveform-, frequency- and spectrum-based), applied successfully in recognition of different classes of events in land seismological data. Our workflow uses a small subset of manually selected signals for the initial training procedure and we then iteratively evaluate and refine the model using subsequent OBS stations within one single deployment in the eastern Fram Strait, between Greenland and Svalbard. We find that the used set of features is well suited for the discrimination of different classes of events during the training step. During the manual verification of the automatic detection results, we find that the produced catalogue of earthquakes contains a large number of noise examples, but almost all events of interest are properly captured. By providing increasingly larger sets of noise examples we see an improvement in the quality of the obtained catalogues. Our final model reaches an average accuracy of 87 per cent in recognition between the classes, comparable to classification results for data from land. We find that, from the used set of features, the most important in separating the different classes of events are related to the kurtosis of the envelope of the signal in different frequencies, the frequency with the highest energy and overall signal duration. We illustrate the implementation of the approach by using the temporal and spatial distribution of SDEs as a case study. We used recordings from six OBSs deployed between 2019 and 2020 off the west-Svalbard coast to investigate the potential link of SDEs to fluid dynamics and discuss the robustness of the approach by analysing SDE intensity, periodicity and distance to seepage sites in relation to other published studies on SDEs.
The lived experience of financial harm from gambling in Australia
Authors: Marko Sarah , Thomas Samantha L , Pitt Hannah , Daube Mike
Published: June 2023

The financial consequences associated with harmful gambling create significant health and social stressors for individuals, their families, and communities. However, there has been limited research exploring how people impacted by gambling harm conceptualise and experience the financial impacts on their lives. To help fill this gap, this study used in-depth qualitative interviews with gamblers harmed by their own gambling and affected others harmed by someone else’s gambling. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. The study had three key findings. First, prior to experiencing harm, gamblers and affected others did not consider the financial risks associated with gambling and only recognised the risks once the financial losses negatively impacted other areas of their lives. Second, gamblers and affected others managed the day-to-day financial impacts of gambling by adjusting their financial priorities, reducing spending in other areas, or accruing debt. Finally, the financial impacts of gambling and the associated financial management strategies led to broader and long-term problems for gamblers and affected others. This study demonstrates that financial harms from gambling are complex and contribute to the stigmatisation of people who experience harm. Current educational messages and tools simplify this complex issue and may legitimise gambling as a leisure activity which can be managed by making ‘responsible’ financial decisions. Public health and health promotion initiatives must recognise this complexity, developing approaches that are independent from the gambling industry and informed by lived experience.
Predictive Links between Petal Color and Pigment Quantities in Natural Penstemon Hybrids
Authors: Stevens Joshua T E , Wheeler Lucas C , Williams Noah H , Norton Alice M , Wessinger Carolyn A
Published: June 2023

Synopsis

Flowers have evolved remarkable diversity in petal color, in large part due to pollinator-mediated selection. This diversity arises from specialized metabolic pathways that generate conspicuous pigments. Despite the clear link between flower color and floral pigment production, quantitative models inferring predictive relationships between pigmentation and reflectance spectra have not been reported. In this study, we analyze a dataset consisting of hundreds of natural Penstemon hybrids that exhibit variation in flower color, including blue, purple, pink, and red. For each individual hybrid, we measured anthocyanin pigment content and petal spectral reflectance. We found that floral pigment quantities are correlated with hue, chroma, and brightness as calculated from petal spectral reflectance data: hue is related to the relative amounts of delphinidin vs. pelargonidin pigmentation, whereas brightness and chroma are correlated with the total anthocyanin pigmentation. We used a partial least squares regression approach to identify predictive relationships between pigment production and petal reflectance. We find that pigment quantity data provide robust predictions of petal reflectance, confirming a pervasive assumption that differences in pigmentation should predictably influence flower color. Moreover, we find that reflectance data enables accurate inferences of pigment quantities, where the full reflectance spectra provide much more accurate inference of pigment quantities than spectral attributes (brightness, chroma, and hue). Our predictive framework provides readily interpretable model coefficients relating spectral attributes of petal reflectance to underlying pigment quantities. These relationships represent key links between genetic changes affecting anthocyanin production and the ecological functions of petal coloration.
Clinical impact of time to results from the microbiology laboratory in bloodstream infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (TIME-CPE STUDY)
Authors: De La Villa Sofía , Sánchez-Carrillo Carlos , Sánchez-Martínez Celia , Cercenado Emilia , Padilla Belén , Álvarez-Uría Ana , Aguilera-Alonso David , Bermejo Esther , Ramos Rafael , Alcalá Luis , Marín Mercedes , Valerio Maricela , Urbina Luciana , Muñoz Patricia
Published: June 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of time to results (TTR) on the outcome of patients with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales bloodstream infections (CPE-BSI).

Methods

Times-series study conducted from January 2014 to December 2021, selecting patients with first CPE-BSI episodes. Periods of intervention were defined according to implementation of diagnostic bundle tests in the microbiology laboratory: pre-intervention (January 2014–December 2017) and post-intervention (January 2018–December 2021). TTR was defined as time elapsed from positivity time of the blood culture bottles to physicians’ notification of CPE-BSI episodes, and was evaluated in patients who received inappropriate empirical and switched to appropriate targeted treatment (switch group). Analysis of a composite unfavourable outcome (mortality at Day 30 and/or persistent and/or recurrent bacteraemia) was performed for the total episodes and in the switch group.

Results

One hundred and nine episodes were analysed: 66 pre-intervention and 43 post-intervention. Compared with pre-intervention, patients in the post-intervention period were younger (68 versus 63 years, P = 0.04), had INCREMENT score > 7 (31.8% versus 53.5%, P = 0.02) and unfavourable outcome (37.9% versus 20.9%, P = 0.04). Proportion of TTR > 30 h was more frequent pre-intervention than post-intervention (61.7% versus 35.5%, P = 0.02). In multivariate analysis of the 109 episodes, source other than urinary or biliary (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.11–6.86) was associated with unfavourable outcome, while targeted appropriate treatment trended to being protective (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.03–1.00). Considering the switch group (n = 78), source other than urinary or biliary (OR 14.9, 95% CI 3.25–69.05) and TTR > 30 h (OR 4.72, 95% CI 1.29–17.22) were associated with unfavourable outcome.

Conclusions

Decreased TTR in the post-intervention period was associated with the outcome in patients with CPE-BSI episodes.
A targetable pathway to eliminate TRA-1-60+/TRA-1-81+ chemoresistant cancer cells
Authors: Tan Lei , Duan Xiaohua , Mutyala Pratyusha , Zhou Ting , Amin Sadaf , Zhang Tuo , Herbst Brian , Askan Gokce , Itkin Tomer , Xiang Zhaoying , Michelassi Fabrizio , Lieberman Michael D , Iacobuzio-Donahue Christine A , Leach Steven D , Evans Todd , Chen Shuibing
Published: June 2023

Chemoresistance is a primary cause of treatment failure in pancreatic cancer. Identifying cell surface markers specifically expressed in chemoresistant cancer cells (CCCs) could facilitate targeted therapies to overcome chemoresistance. We performed an antibody-based screen and found that TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81, two ‘stemness’ cell surface markers, are highly enriched in CCCs. Furthermore, TRA-1-60+/TRA-1-81+ cells are chemoresistant compared to TRA-1-60–/TRA-1-81– cells. Transcriptome profiling identified UGT1A10, shown to be both necessary and sufficient to maintain TRA-1-60/TRA-1-81 expression and chemoresistance. From a high-content chemical screen, we identified Cymarin, which downregulates UGT1A10, eliminates TRA-1-60/TRA-1-81 expression, and increases chemosensitivity both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, TRA-1-60/TRA-1-81 expression is highly specific in primary cancer tissue and positively correlated with chemoresistance and short survival, which highlights their potentiality for targeted therapy. Therefore, we discovered a novel CCC surface marker regulated by a pathway that promotes chemoresistance, as well as a leading drug candidate to target this pathway.
CK-7 negative primary lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tchienga Dimitri , Ascio Noelani-Mei , Qureshi Abid , Razia Sultana , Romulo Genato , Asarian Armand , Xiao Philip , Nouthe Brice , Belinga Dominique
Published: June 2023

Cytokeratin (CK) 7 is normally expressed in the vast majority of lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). However, on rare occasions, as reported in this paper, CK7 negativity can challenge the diagnosis of pulmonary ADC. Hence, the need to use a combination of ‘immunomarkers’ such as thyroid transcription factor 1, Napsin A, p40, p63 and CK20.
A dialectometric approach to inner Asia Minor Greek: Comparisons and associations between linguistic levels
Authors: Bompolas Stavros , Melissaropoulou Dimitra
Published: June 2023

Even though dialectometric approaches have significantly contributed to the development of dialectology in the last few decades, no relevant analyses have ever been performed on Modern Greek dialects. This article attempts to fill this gap by using dialectometric techniques to measure the degrees of association between aggregate morphological, phonological, and syntactic differences in nineteen varieties of inner Asia Minor Greek (i.e. of Cappadocian, Pharasiot, and Silliot). Our methods include correlations (between pairs of linguistic levels and between linguistic levels and geography) as well as multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis (of the whole dataset as well as of the linguistic levels), which allow us, on the one hand, to draw conclusions about the associations of linguistic levels and the distributions of dialects and, on the other hand, to directly compare our results to those coming from previous dialectometric studies and Greek dialectology. Results show that, although the complete dataset, phonology, and morphology yield—in some instances—similar patterns (i.e. high correlations between them as well as with geography, high agreement of dialect classifications), the level of syntax deviates the most, which is interpreted as a tendency to form larger dialect areas. Our findings are consistent with patterns found in earlier large-scale studies in dialectometry, but they only partially confirm the classifications of Greek dialectology.
New frontiers in linguistic research: Eliminating the challenges of understanding the genetics of language through bioinformatics
Authors: Vinoliya Annuncy , Ponniah Joseph
Published: June 2023

The contemporary research in linguistics aims to forge an understanding of consilience by evading the stereotypic semantic studies in linguistics. Modern linguistics calls for understanding language evolution, language production, and language disorders in association with neuro-genetic studies. To undertake genetic trials, language scholars from the humanities and social sciences disciplines have constraints like funding, inaccessibility to genetic labs, and ethical issues over biological bodies. To resolve the constraints and to enhance extensive knowledge on the genetic association with language, this article employs bioinformatics tools, namely the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and the Sorting Intolerant From Tolerant (SIFT). Through the BLAST tool, the article aids the language researcher to understand language evolution, and through the application of SIFT, the article highlights mutation points in the gene of a severe speech disorder. Finally, the article emphasizes the inclusion of bioinformatics in the field of humanities and social sciences with respect to language studies
Polyatomic logics and generalized Blok–Esakia theory
Authors: Nicolau Almeida Rodrigo
Published: June 2023

This paper presents a novel concept of a polyatomic logic and initiates its systematic study. This approach, inspired by inquisitive semantics, is obtained by taking a variant of a given logic, obtained by looking at the fragment covered by a selector term. We introduce an algebraic semantics for these logics and prove algebraic completeness. These logics are then related to translations, through the introduction of a number of classes of translations involving selector terms, which are noted to be ubiquitous in algebraic logic. In this setting, we also introduce a generalized Blok–Esakia theory, which can be developed for special classes of translations. We conclude by showing some systematic connections between the theory of polyatomic logics and the general Blok–Esakia theory for a wide class of interesting translations.
Spectral variability of photospheric radiation due to faculae – II. Facular contrasts for cool main-sequence stars
Authors: Norris Charlotte M , Unruh Yvonne C , Witzke Veronika , Solanki Sami K , Krivova Natalie A , Shapiro Alexander I , Yeo Kok Leng , Cameron Robert , Beeck Benjamin
Published: June 2023

Magnetic features on the surface of stars, such as spots and faculae, cause stellar spectral variability on time-scales of days and longer. For stars other than the Sun, the spectral signatures of faculae are poorly understood, limiting our ability to account for stellar pollution in exoplanet transit observations. Here we present the first facular contrasts derived from magnetoconvection simulations for K0, M0, and M2 main-sequence stars and compare them to previous calculations for G2 main-sequence stars. We simulate photospheres and immediate subsurface layers of main-sequence spectral types between K0 and M2, with different injected vertical magnetic fields (0 G, 100 G, 300 G, and 500 G) using MURaM, a 3D radiation-magnetohydrodynamics code. We show synthetic spectra and contrasts from the UV (300 nm) to the IR (10 000 nm) calculated using the ATLAS9 radiative transfer code. The calculations are performed for nine viewing angles to characterize the facular radiation across the disc. The brightness contrasts of magnetic regions are found to change significantly across spectral type, wavelength, and magnetic field strength, leading to the conclusion that accurate contrasts cannot be found by scaling solar values. This is due to features of different size, apparent structure and spectral brightness emerging in the presence of a given magnetic field for different spectral types.
The temporally evolving energy and waiting time statistics of two repeating fast radio bursts
Authors: Sang Yu , Lin Hai-Nan
Published: June 2023

Based on two very large samples of repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs), i.e. FRB 20121102A and FRB 20201124A observed by the FAST telescope, we study the statistical properties of energy and waiting time. The bent power-law (BPL) model, thresholded power-law (TPL) model, and Band function are used to fit the distribution of energy, and the BPL model and exponential (EXP) model are used to fit the distribution of waiting time. It is found that no single model can fit the distribution of energy or waiting time well in the full range. To investigate the possible temporal evolution, we divide the full samples into several subsamples according to the observing sessions. We find that the distribution of energy for all subsamples can be well fitted by both BPL model and TPL model, while the distribution of waiting time for all subsamples can be well fitted by both BPL model and EXP model. Importantly, for the distribution of energy, the BPL index β of all the subsamples is almost invariant, but the median value parameter xb varies significantly. Similar situation happens in the distribution of waiting time. Furthermore, for the distribution of waiting time, the occurrence rate parameter λ in EXP model varies significantly. These features show that there may be a common emission mechanism for repeating FRBs, but the burst energy and occurrence rate are temporally evolving.
Systematic performance of the ASKAP fast radio burst search algorithm
Authors: Qiu Hao , Keane Evan F , Bannister Keith W , James Clancy W , Shannon Ryan M
Published: June 2023

Detecting fast radio bursts (FRBs) requires software pipelines to search for dispersed single pulses of emission in radio telescope data. In order to enable an unbiased estimation of the underlying FRB population, it is important to understand the algorithm efficiency with respect to the search parameter space and thus the survey completeness. The Fast Real-time Engine for Dedispersing Amplitudes (fredda) search pipeline is a single pulse detection pipeline designed to identify radio pulses over a large range of dispersion measures (DM) with low latency. It is used on the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) for the Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transients (CRAFT) project. We utilize simulated single pulses in the low- and high-frequency observation bands of ASKAP to analyse the performance of the pipeline and infer the underlying FRB population. The simulation explores the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) recovery as a function of DM and the temporal duration of FRB pulses in comparison to injected values. The effects of intrachannel broadening caused by dispersion are also carefully studied in this work using control data sets. Our results show that for Gaussian-like single pulses, >85 per cent of the injected signal is recovered by pipelines such as fredda at DM <3000 pc cm−3 using standard boxcar filters compared to an ideal incoherent dedispersion match filter. Further calculations with sensitivity implies at least ∼10 per cent of FRBs in a Euclidean universe at target sensitivity will be missed by fredda and heimdall, another common pipeline, in ideal radio environments at 1.1 GHz.
Interferometric apodization by homothety – I. Optimization of the device parameters
Authors: Chafi J , El Azhari Y , Azagrouze O , Jabiri A , Benkhaldoun Z , Habib A , Errazzouki Y
Published: June 2023

This study is focused on the very high dynamic imaging field, specifically the direct observation of exoplanetary systems. The coronagraph is an essential technique for suppressing the star’s light, making it possible to detect an exoplanet with a very weak luminosity compared to its host star. Apodization improves the rejection of the coronagraph, thereby increasing its sensitivity. This work presents the apodization method by interferometry using homothety, with either a rectangular or circular aperture. We discuss the principle method, the proposed experimental set-up, and present the obtained results by optimizing the free parameters of the system while concentrating the maximum of the light energy in the central diffraction lobe, with a concentration rate of 93.6 per cent for the circular aperture and 91.5 per cent for the rectangular geometry. The obtained results enabled scaling the various elements of the experiment in accordance with practical constraints. Simulation results are presented for both circular and rectangular apertures. We performed simulations on a hexagonal aperture, both with and without a central obstruction, as well as a segmented aperture similar to the one used in the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). This approach enables the attainment of a contrast of approximately 10−4 at small angular separations, specifically around 1.8λ/D. When integrated with a coronagraph, this technique exhibits great promise. These findings confirm that our proposed technique can effectively enhance the performance of a coronagraph.
The ionizing photon production efficiency at z ∼ 6 for Lyman-alpha emitters using JEMS and MUSE
Authors: Simmonds C , Tacchella S , Maseda M , Williams C C , Baker W M , Witten C E C , Johnson B D , Robertson B , Saxena A , Sun F , Witstok J , Bhatawdekar R , Boyett K , Bunker A J , Charlot S , Curtis-Lake E , Egami E , Eisenstein D J , Ji Z , Maiolino R , Sandles L , Smit R , Übler H , Willott C J
Published: June 2023

We study the ionizing photon production efficiency at the end of the Epoch of Reionization (z ∼ 5.4 − 6.6) for a sample of 30 Ly α emitters. This is a crucial quantity to infer the ionizing photon budget of the universe. These objects were selected to have reliable spectroscopic redshifts, assigned based on the profile of their Ly α emission line, detected in the MUSE deep fields. We exploit medium-band observations from the JWST Extragalactic Medium-band Survey (JEMS) to find the flux excess corresponding to the redshifted Hα emission line. We estimate the ultraviolet (UV) luminosity by fitting the full JEMS photometry, along with several HST photometric points, with Prospector. We find a median UV continuum slope of $\beta = -2.09^{+0.23}_{-0.21}$, indicating young stellar populations with little-to-no dust attenuation. Supported by this, we derive ξion,0 with no dust attenuation and find a median value of log$\frac{\xi _{ion,0}}{\text{Hz erg}^{-1}} = 25.44^{+0.21}_{-0.15}$. If we perform dust attenuation corrections and assume a Calzetti attenuation law, our values are lowered by ∼0.1 dex. Our results suggest Ly α emitters at the Epoch of Reionization have slightly enhanced ξion,0 compared to previous estimations from literature, in particular, when compared to the non-Ly α emitting population. This initial study provides a promising outlook on the characterization of ionizing photon production in the early universe. In the future, a more extensive study will be performed on the entire data set provided by the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES). Thus, for the first time, allowing us to place constraints on the wider galaxy populations driving reionization.
The variational slope of quasar light curves is not a distance indicator
Authors: Burke Colin J
Published: June 2023

When the time difference quotients, or variational slopes, of quasar light curves are plotted against their absolute magnitudes, there is a tight positive correlation of ∼0.16 dex in the variational slope direction or ∼0.5 dex in the absolute magnitude direction. This finding resulted in suggestions that a variational slope–luminosity relation could be used as a distance indicator. However, I show that this relation can be explained almost entirely from self-correlation with luminosity. After properly accounting for the self-correlation component, the relation has a true scatter of ∼1.5 dex in luminosity, consistent with established correlations for quasar variability amplitudes. Given this large scatter, correlation with variational slope or variability amplitude and luminosity is not by itself a suitable distance indicator for quasars.
A Description of Harmful Events Reported by Music Therapists in Their Everyday Clinical Practice
Authors: Jackson Valerie , Meadows Anthony
Published: June 2023

Twelve music therapists working in a range of settings throughout the United States were interviewed and asked to recall harmful events they experienced during music therapy sessions. In total, 61 harmful or potentially harmful events were described and subsequently analyzed using procedures consistent with qualitative content analysis. Four categories emerged that characterized these harmful events: (1) emotional harm, (2) physiological harm, (3) physical harm, and (4) relationship harm. Within each of these categories, therapist self-awareness, clinical decision-making, and clinical competence are discussed. The findings suggest a need for increased awareness of the potential for harm in music therapy clinical practice, increased education for students and new professionals entering clinical training/practice, as well as additional research exploring the ways music therapists may define, navigate, and prevent harm.
A ribozyme that uses lanthanides as cofactor
Authors: Sweeney Kevin J , Han Xu , Müller Ulrich F
Published: June 2023

To explore how an early, RNA-based life form could have functioned, in vitro selection experiments have been used to develop catalytic RNAs (ribozymes) with relevant functions. We previously identified ribozymes that use the prebiotically plausible energy source cyclic trimetaphosphate (cTmp) to convert their 5′-hydroxyl group to a 5′-triphosphate. While these ribozymes were developed in the presence of Mg2+, we tested here whether lanthanides could also serve as catalytic cofactors because lanthanides are ideal catalytic cations for this reaction. After an in vitro selection in the presence of Yb3+, several active sequences were isolated, and the most active RNA was analyzed in more detail. This ribozyme required lanthanides for activity, with highest activity at a 10:1 molar ratio of cTmp : Yb3+. Only the four heaviest lanthanides gave detectable signals, indicating a high sensitivity of ribozyme catalysis to the lanthanide ion radius. Potassium and Magnesium did not facilitate catalysis alone but they increased the lanthanide-mediated kOBS by at least 100-fold, with both K+ and Mg2+ modulating the ribozyme's secondary structure. Together, these findings show that RNA is able to use the unique properties of lanthanides as catalytic cofactor. The results are discussed in the context of early life forms.
Achieving pan-microbiome biological insights via the dbBact knowledge base
Authors: Amir Amnon , Ozel Eitan , Haberman Yael , Shental Noam
Published: June 2023

16S rRNA amplicon sequencing provides a relatively inexpensive culture-independent method for studying microbial communities. Although thousands of such studies have examined diverse habitats, it is difficult for researchers to use this vast trove of experiments when interpreting their own findings in a broader context. To bridge this gap, we introduce dbBact – a novel pan-microbiome resource. dbBact combines manually curated information from studies across diverse habitats, creating a collaborative central repository of 16S rRNA amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), which are assigned multiple ontology-based terms. To date dbBact contains information from more than 1000 studies, which include 1500000 associations between 360000 ASVs and 6500 ontology terms. Importantly, dbBact offers a set of computational tools allowing users to easily query their own datasets against the database. To demonstrate how dbBact augments standard microbiome analysis we selected 16 published papers, and reanalyzed their data via dbBact. We uncovered novel inter-host similarities, potential intra-host sources of bacteria, commonalities across different diseases and lower host-specificity in disease-associated bacteria. We also demonstrate the ability to detect environmental sources, reagent-borne contaminants, and identify potential cross-sample contaminations. These analyses demonstrate how combining information across multiple studies and over diverse habitats leads to better understanding of underlying biological processes.
Combined heat and water stress leads to local xylem failure and tissue damage in pyrethrum flowers
Authors: Carins-Murphy Madeline R , Cochard Hervé , Deans Ross M , Gracie Alistair J , Brodribb Timothy J
Published: June 2023

Flowers are critical for angiosperm reproduction and the production of food, fiber, and pharmaceuticals, yet for unknown reasons, they appear particularly sensitive to combined heat and drought stress. A possible explanation for this may be the co-occurrence of leaky cuticles in flower petals and a vascular system that has a low capacity to supply water and is prone to failure under water stress. These characteristics may render reproductive structures more susceptible than leaves to runaway cavitation—an uncontrolled feedback cycle between rising water stress and declining water transport efficiency that can rapidly lead to lethal tissue desiccation. We provide modeling and empirical evidence to demonstrate that flower damage in the perennial crop pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium), in the form of irreversible desiccation, corresponds with runaway cavitation in the flowering stem after a combination of heat and water stress. We show that tissue damage is linked to greater evaporative demand during high temperatures rather than direct thermal stress. High floral transpiration dramatically reduced the soil water deficit at which runaway cavitation was triggered in pyrethrum flowering stems. Identifying runaway cavitation as a mechanism leading to heat damage and reproductive losses in pyrethrum provides different avenues for process-based modeling to understand the impact of climate change on cultivated and natural plant systems. This framework allows future investigation of the relative susceptibility of diverse plant species to reproductive failure under hot and dry conditions.
Exogenous gibberellin delays maturation in persimmon fruit through transcriptional activators and repressors
Authors: Wu Wei , Sun Ning-jing , Xu Yang , Chen Yu-tong , Liu Xiao-fen , Shi Li-yu , Chen Wei , Zhu Qing-gang , Gong Bang-chu , Yin Xue-ren , Yang Zhen-feng
Published: June 2023

As the harvest season of most fruit is concentrated, fruit maturation manipulation is essential for the fresh fruit industry to prolong sales time. Gibberellin (GA), an important phytohormone necessary for plant growth and development, has also shown a substantial regulatory effect on fruit maturation; however, its regulatory mechanisms remain inconclusive. In this research, preharvest GA3 treatment effectively delayed fruit maturation in several persimmon (Diospyros kaki) cultivars. Among the proteins encoded by differentially expressed genes, 2 transcriptional activators (NAC TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR DkNAC24 and ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR DkERF38) and a repressor (MYB-LIKE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR DkMYB22) were direct regulators of GERANYLGERANYL DIPHOSPHATE SYNTHASE DkGGPS1, LYSINE HISTIDINE TRANSPORTER DkLHT1, and FRUCTOSE-BISPHOSPHATE ALDOLASE DkFBA1, respectively, resulting in the inhibition of carotenoid synthesis, outward transport of an ethylene precursor, and consumption of fructose and glucose. Thus, the present study not only provides a practical method to prolong the persimmon fruit maturation period in various cultivars but also provides insights into the regulatory mechanisms of GA on multiple aspects of fruit quality formation at the transcriptional regulation level.
Antimicrobial Traits of Beauveria bassiana Against Rhizoctonia solani, the Causal Agent of Sheath Blight of Rice Under Field Conditions
Authors: Deb Lipa , Dutta Pranab , Mandal Mihir Kumar , Singh Soibam Basanta
Published: June 2023

Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus, has recently drawn attention worldwide not only as a potential biocontrol agent against insect pests but also for its other beneficial roles as plant disease antagonist, endophyte, plant growth promoter, and beneficial rhizosphere colonizer. In the present study, 53 native isolates of B. bassiana were screened for antifungal ability against Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of sheath blight of rice. Also, the mechanisms underlying such interaction and the responsible antimicrobial traits involved were studied. Following this, potential B. bassiana isolates were assayed against the reduction of sheath blight of rice under field conditions. The results showed that B. bassiana exhibited antagonistic behavior against R. solani with a percent mycelial inhibition recorded maximum of up to 71.15%. Mechanisms behind antagonism were the production of cell-wall-degrading enzymes, mycoparasitism, and the release of secondary metabolites. The study also deciphered several antimicrobial traits and the presence of virulent genes in B. bassiana as a determinant of potential plant disease antagonists. Under field conditions, combined application of the B. bassiana microbial consortium as a seed treatment, seedling root dip, and foliar sprays showed reduced sheath blight disease incidence and severity up to 69.26 and 60.50%, respectively, along with enhanced plant-growth-promoting attributes. This is one of the few studies investigating the antagonistic abilities of the entomopathogenic fungus B. bassiana against phytopathogen R. solani and the underlying mechanisms involved.
Update on pharmacotherapy for dry eye
Authors: Manohar Divya , Shtein Roni M.
Published: June 2023

Purpose of review

This review provides an overview of pharmacologic treatments for dry eye disease (DED), with a focus on newer developments.

Recent findings

Along with the existing treatments, there are several new pharmacologic treatments available and being developed for DED.

There are many currently available options for treatment of DED, and ongoing research and development to expand potential treatments for patients with DED.
Role of physician extenders: more regulation is necessary before full integration into practice
Authors: Khanna Saira , Emerson Geoffrey G. , Shah Gaurav K.
Published: June 2023

Purpose of review

To discuss the drawbacks and propose recommendations for integrating physician extenders in ophthalmologic practice.

Recent findings

In this article, the role of utilizing physician extenders in ophthalmology is discussed. A role for physician extenders has been suggested as more and more patients will require ophthalmologic care.

Guidance is needed on how to best integrate physician extenders into eye care. However, quality of care is of the highest importance, and unless there is reliable and consistent training of extenders, using physician extenders to administer invasive procedures (e.g., intravitreal injection) should be avoided due to safety concerns.
Use of physician extenders in ophthalmology: pros
Authors: Ehlers Justis P. , Baraona Julianne
Published: June 2023

Purpose of review

The goal of this review is to provide a description of the potential role of physician extenders within ophthalmology with a specific focus on the retina field.

Recent findings

In this editorial, the evolving role of physician extenders (e.g. physician assistants, nurse practitioners) in medicine and ophthalmology is discussed. Within ophthalmology, an experiential discussion is provided regarding the opportunities to utilize physician extenders to expand the bandwidth of subspecialists and increase access for patient care.

Physician extenders, such as physician assistants, provide a unique opportunity for ophthalmology to innovate next-generation care delivery models. The roles for physician extenders throughout highly specialized fields in medicine have become a critical component for team-based patient care. Within retina and other ophthalmic subspecialties, physician extenders can enable top-of-license practice for physicians, while directly expanding the umbrella of care the specialist can provide through the physician extender's role in chronic disease medical management. The deployment of a physician assistants within the retina care team provided greater access for patients requiring ongoing medical monitoring and triage for acute issues, while expanding the retina specialist's ability to see a higher volume of higher acuity patients and those patients requiring procedural/surgical interventions. Importantly, the physician assistant's role is focused exclusively on medical management of retinal diseases with all procedures being performed by the retina specialist.
Patient Comments on the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician and Group (CG-CAHPS) Survey Reflect Improvements in Provider Behaviors From Coaching
Authors: Quigley Denise D. , Predmore Zachary , Martino Steven , Qureshi Nabeel , Hays Ron D.
Published: June 2023

Goal:

Patient experience survey data are used to examine the patient-centeredness of care, identify areas for improvement, and monitor interventions aimed to enhance the patient experience. Most healthcare organizations measure patient experience using Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys. Studies have documented the use of CAHPS closed-ended survey responses for completing public reports, monitoring internal feedback and performance, identifying areas of improvement, and evaluating interventions to improve care. However, limited evidence exists on the utility of patients' comments on CAHPS surveys for evaluating provider-level interventions. To explore this potential, we examined comments on the CAHPS Clinician and Group (CG-CAHPS) 2.0 visit survey before and after a provider intervention. The “shadow coaching” intervention had been shown to improve provider performance and patient experience scores on the CG-CAHPS overall provider rating and provider communication composite.

Methods:

We examined how patient comments on the CG-CAHPS survey differed before and after shadow coaching of 74 providers. We described the valence (tone), content, and actionability of 1,935 comments—1,051 collected before coaching and 884 collected after coaching—to see how these aspects changed before and after providers were coached.

Principal Findings:

Patient comments reflected improved CG-CAHPS scores after shadow coaching. The proportion of positive comments increased, and comments about doctors were more positive. Comments about time spent in the examination room decreased, apparently reflecting the decreased proportion of negative comments after coaching. Comments regarding three of the four aspects of provider communication asked on the CG-CAHPS survey were more positive after coaching (provider listens carefully, shows respect, spends enough time); the valence of comments about the fourth aspect (provider explains things in a way that is easy to understand) did not change. Also, comments describing an overall positive evaluation of the practice increased. Comments were generally less actionable after coaching, perhaps reflecting the increased positivity of the comments.

Practical Applications:

Patient comments collected before the provider intervention reflected overall improvements in provider behavior, as indicated by medium-to-large statistically significant improvements in CG-CAHPS composite scores. These results suggest that patient comments from the CG-CAHPS survey can be used as input for quality improvement or an evaluation of provider-level interventions. Tracking the valence and content of comments about providers before and after an intervention to improve care is a practical method to learn how provider behavior changes.
Global research hotspots and frontiers of myasthenia gravis from 2002 to 2021: A bibliometric study
Authors: Yang Jiali , Wu Jiaojiao , Han Tingliang , Lu Hua , Li Fangcun , Li Leilei , Su Shaoting , Jiang Ping , Hou Zhaomeng
Published: June 2023

The objective of this study is to utilize bibliometric and visual analysis techniques to identify hotspots and frontiers of research in myasthenia gravis (MG) and provide valuable references for future research. The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was used to retrieve literature data related to MG research, which was then analyzed using VOSviewer 1.6.18, CiteSpace 6.1.R3, and the Online Platform for Bibliometric Analysis. The analysis revealed 6734 publications distributed across 1612 journals and contributed by as many as 24,024 authors affiliated with 4708 institutions across 107 countries/regions. The number of annual publications and citations for MG research has steadily increased over the past 2 decades, with the last 2 years alone witnessing a remarkable increase in annual publications and citations to over 600 and 17,000, respectively. In terms of productivity, the United States emerged as the top producing country, while the University of Oxford ranked first in terms of research institutions. Vincent A was identified as the top contributor in terms of publications and citations. Muscle & Nerve and Neurology ranked first in publications and citations respectively, with clinical neurology and neurosciences among the main subject categories explored. The study also identified pathogenesis, eculizumab, thymic epithelial cells, immune checkpoint inhibitors, thymectomy, MuSK antibodies, risk, diagnosis, and management as the current hot research topics in MG, while burst keywords like quality of life, immune-related adverse events (irAEs), rituximab, safety, nivolumab, cancer, and classification indicated the frontiers of MG research. This study effectively identifies the hotspots and frontiers of MG research, and offers valuable references for researchers interested in this area.
Advances in the beneficial effects of nutrition on stroke-related Sarcopenia: A narrative review
Authors: Gao Zhiqiang , Chen Hongxia
Published: June 2023

Stroke is one of the most common causes of disability in adults. Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive systemic muscle loss and functional decline. The decrease in skeletal muscle mass and muscle function throughout the body after stroke cannot be explained by neurological motor disorders due to brain injury alone, it is considered to be a secondary sarcopenia known as stroke-related sarcopenia. Mounting evidences showed that stroke-related sarcopenia might promote the occurrence and development of sarcopenia through various pathogenesis such as muscle atrophy, dysphagia, inflammation, and malnutrition, etc. At present, the main indicators used to assess malnutrition in patients with stroke-related sarcopenia include temporalis muscle thickness, calf circumference, phase angle, geriatric nutritional risk index and mini-nutritional assessment short-form, etc. Currently, there is no particularly effective method to curb its progression, but supplementation with essential amino acids, whey protein combined with vitamin D, high energy diet, avoiding Polypharmacy, as well as increasing physical activity level and reducing sedentary lifestyle may improve the malnutrition status of stroke patients, and increase the muscle mass and skeletal muscle index, further delay or even prevent the development of stroke-related sarcopenia. This article reviews the latest research progress on the characteristics, epidemiology, pathogenesis and the role of nutrition in stroke-related sarcopenia, so as to provide reference for the clinical treatment and rehabilitation of stroke-related sarcopenia.