bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-time RT-PCR for Venezuelan equine encephalitis complex, Madariaga, and Eastern equine encephalitis viruses: application in human and mosquito public health surveillance in Panama
Authors: Carrera Jean-Paul , Araúz Dimelza , Rojas Alejandra , Cardozo Fátima , Stittleburg Victoria , Morales Claro Ingra , Galue Josefrancisco , Lezcano-Coba Carlos , Romero Rebello Moreira Filipe , -Rivera Luis Felipe , Chen-Germán Maria , Moreno Brechla , Capitan-Barrios Zeuz , López-Vergès Sandra , Pascale Juan Miguel , Sabino Ester C. , Valderrama Anayansi , Hanley Kathryn A. , Donnelly Christl A. , Vasilakis Nikos , Faria Nuno R. , Waggoner Jesse J.
Published: November 2023

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), Madariaga virus (MADV), and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus complex (VEEV) are New World alphaviruses transmitted by mosquitoes. They cause febrile and sometimes severe neurological diseases in human and equine hosts. Detecting them during the acute phase is hindered by non-specific symptoms and limited diagnostic tools. We designed and clinically assessed real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays (rRT-PCRs) for VEEV complex, MADV, and EEEV using whole-genome sequences. Validation involved 15 retrospective serum samples from 2015 to 2017 outbreaks, 150 mosquito pools from 2015, and 118 prospective samples from 2021 to 2022 surveillance in Panama. The rRT-PCRs detected VEEV complex RNA in 10 samples (66.7%) from outbreaks, with one having both VEEV complex and MADV RNAs. VEEV complex RNA was found in five suspected dengue cases from disease surveillance. The rRT-PCR assays identified VEEV complex RNA in three
Culex
(
Melanoconion
)
vomerifer
pools, leading to VEEV isolates in two. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the VEEV ID subtype in positive samples. Notably, 11.9% of dengue-like disease patients showed VEEV infections. Together, our rRT-PCR validation in human and mosquito samples suggests that this method can be incorporated into mosquito and human encephalitic alphavirus surveillance programs in endemic regions.
PspA-mediated aggregation protects
Streptococcus pneumoniae
against desiccation on fomites
Authors: Lane Jessica R. , Tata Muralidhar , Yasmin Rahena , Im Hansol , Briles David E. , Orihuela Carlos J.
Published: November 2023

Streptococcus pneumoniae
(
Spn
) resides in the nasopharynx, where it can disseminate to cause disease. One key
Spn
virulence factor is pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), which promotes survival by blocking the antimicrobial peptide lactoferricin. PspA has also been shown to mediate attachment to dying epithelial cells in the lower airway due to its binding of cell surface-bound mammalian (m)GAPDH. Importantly, the role of PspA during colonization is not well understood. Wild-type
Spn
was present in nasal lavage elutes collected from asymptomatically colonized mice at levels ~10-fold higher than its isogenic PspA-deficient mutant (∆
pspA
). Wild-type
Spn
also formed aggregates in mucosal secretions composed of sloughed epithelial cells and hundreds of pneumococci, whereas ∆
pspA
did not.
Spn
within the center of these aggregates better survived prolonged desiccation on fomites than individual pneumococci and were capable of infecting naïve mice, indicating PspA-mediated aggregation conferred a survival/transmission advantage. Incubation of
Spn
in saline containing mGAPDH also enhanced tolerance to desiccation, but only for wild-type
Spn
. mGAPDH was sufficient to cause low-level aggregation of wild-type
Spn
but not ∆
pspA
. In strain WU2, the subdomain of PspA responsible for binding GAPDH (aa230–281) is ensconced within the lactoferrin (LF)-binding domain (aa167-288). We observed that LF inhibited GAPDH-mediated aggregation and desiccation tolerance. Using surface plasmon resonance, we determined that
Spn
forms multimeric complexes of PspA-GAPDH-LF on its surface and that LF dislodges GAPDH. Our findings have important implications regarding pneumococcal colonization/transmission processes and ongoing PspA-focused immunization efforts for this deadly pathogen.

IMPORTANCE

Spn
is a dangerous human pathogen capable of causing pneumonia and invasive disease. The virulence factor PspA has been studied for nearly four decades with well-established roles in pneumococcal evasion of C-reactive protein and neutralization of lactoferricin. Herein, we show that mammalian (m)GAPDH in mucosal secretions promotes aggregation of pneumococci in a PspA-dependent fashion, whereas lactoferrin counters this effect. PspA-mediated GAPDH-dependent bacterial aggregation protected
Spn
in nasal lavage elutes and grown
in vitro
from desiccation on fomites. Furthermore, surviving pneumococci within these aggregates retained their ability to colonize naïve hosts after desiccation. We report that
Spn
binds to and forms protein complexes on its surface composed of PspA, mGAPDH, and lactoferrin. Changes in the levels of these proteins therefore most likely have critical implications on
Spn
colonization, survival on fomites, and transmission.
Complete genome sequence of
Bacillus subtilis
subsp.
natto
NARUSE using PacBio sequencing
Authors: Kubo Yukie , Tanizaki Yoshiyuki , Hira Daisuke , Nakayama Yasumune , Kadooka Chihiro , Oka Takuji
Published: November 2023

We report the complete genome sequence of
Bacillus subtilis
subsp.
natto
NARUSE, which has been traditionally employed for fermenting soybeans in Japan. The genome was sequenced using the PacBio system, yielding a sequence, yielding a sequence length of 4,148,793 nucleotides for the circular chromosome and 62,770 nucleotides for the plasmid.
Whole-genome sequence of
Bacillus pseudomycoides
strain I32, a nitrous oxide-producing bacterium isolated from a woodchip bioreactor
Authors: Jang Jeonghwan , Ishii Satoshi
Published: November 2023

We report here the draft whole-genome sequence of
Bacillus pseudomycoides
strain I32, a bacterium isolated from the denitrifying woodchip bioreactor and showing rhizoidal colony morphology with filamentous swirling pattern on the agar medium plate. The isolate produced nitrous oxide without known nitric oxide reductase genes on the genome.
The advocacy coalition of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes in Indonesia
Authors: Putri Rayssa Anggraeni , Alemmario Reyhan , Melinda Gea , Audwina Ardiani H , Espressivo Aufia , Herlinda Olivia , Meilissa Yurdhina , Saminarsih Diah S
Published: November 2023

The Ministry of Finance of Indonesia has put sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) taxation on its agenda since 2020 to address the need for health financing, as outlined in the National Medium-Term Development Plan for 2020–2024. However, the adoption process of this fiscal policy has been slow. This study aims to generate insights into the actors involved in the discourse of SSB tax adoption in Indonesia to inform their advocacy and communication efforts using the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Discourse Network Analysis. The analysis was conducted using data extracted from 1733 statements collected from 200 online web domains and subdomains, divided into three timeframes of the policy process. The analysis identified actors supporting and opposing the adoption of SSB tax. The discourse network also identified key advocacy coalitions and organisations in the discussion on SSB tax adoption in Indonesia. The results indicate that there are diverse network patterns in each timeframe and reveal the process and focus of the policy change. The Ministry of Finance had the most significant influence on the discourse, with actors from civil society organisations and universities involved in the process of policy change through evidence-based policy recommendations. Meanwhile, economic actors contributed to the debate on the potential harm of tax adoption to the industry. These findings can inform the policy process and ensure the successful adoption of the SSB tax in Indonesia.
Case study: 3D mobilized strength of compacted fill
Authors: Idries Abedalqader , Stark Timothy D. , Moya Lucia , Lin Jiale
Published: November 2023

Water infiltration can cause softening of compacted structural fill and a reduction of the shear strength from the peak compacted strength to the fully softened strength (FSS) with an accompanying reduction in drained factor of safety (FoS). This study presents two-dimensional (2D) and 3D stability analyses of a compacted fill slope failure that occurred 6 years after construction due to water leaking from a connection between the main and lateral water pipes in the water supply system. The compacted fill material primarily consists of high plasticity fine-grained soil. The 3D FoS at the end of construction is 2.44 using the peak compacted strength envelope. However, the 3D FoS is close to unity (1.0) when the FSS is assigned to the compacted fill material with the appropriate piezometric surface, which means the 2 H:1 V compacted fill slope softened to the FSS within 6 years. This is an interesting FSS case because the failure surface is 4 m deep and semi-circular, which differs from infiltration cases that exhibit a shallower and more planar surface.
Melting heat transfer of Maxwell–Sutterby fluid over a stretching sheet with stagnation region and induced magnetic field
Authors: Abbas Nadeem , Ul Huda Noor , Shatanawi Wasfi , Mustafa Zead
Published: November 2023

Steady flow of incompressible Maxwell–Sutterby fluid at stretching sheet is discussed in the presence of stagnation point region. The magnetic Reynolds number is considered very high and induced magnetic and electric fields are applied to the fluid flow. Temperature-dependent properties with radiation influence are considered in this analysis. The heat source or sink and melting impact are also debated in this analysis. A differential model of mathematics is developed by employing a governing constitutive equation. The differential equations’ model is condensed and becomes ordinary differential equations by implementing the appropriate transformations. Furthermore, these equations are elucidated by the numerical scheme. The physical influence of physical parameters is exhibited in the graphs and tabular form. The escalating values of M cause a shear thinning attitude in the fluid; as a result, devaluation in the velocity is detected in the case of [Formula: see text], while it depicted the counter behavior for [Formula: see text]. The skin friction is heightened with improving values of [Formula: see text] because [Formula: see text] boosted which improved the viscosity of liquid as well as heightened the friction at sheet. The enhancing values of [Formula: see text] cause a decrement in skin friction. The melting parameter is enriched which reduces the viscosity of fluid due to temperature boosting as well as friction reduction. The diminution in skin friction is found for enhancing the values of [Formula: see text].
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for rapid and accurate qualitative analysis of elemental composition in fertilizers
Authors: Nisar Sobia , Alsalme Ali , Zulfiqar Rimsha , Rizwan Muhammad , Kim Deok-Kee , Dastgeer Ghulam , Shazad Zafar Muhammad
Published: November 2023

Through elemental analysis, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), a quick and effective analytical method, has enormous potential to advance agriculture. In this context, our study intends to better the fertilizer sector by utilizing LIBS’s capabilities. The main objective is to make it possible to rapidly and accurately analyze the elements in frequently used fertilizers such as nitrophos (NP), diammonium phosphate (DAP), and single super phosphate (SSP). We identify all elements contained in the fertilizers using qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis utilizing a single LIBS shot by noting their matching spectral lines and peak positions. This identification is validated more thoroughly by matching peak positions to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) database. Phosphorus (P), potassium (K), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), nickel (Ni), and aluminum (Al) are effectively recognized due to their distinct spectral fingerprints. Our findings highlight the vital need to precisely characterize fertilizer content in order to maximize agricultural yield. Furthermore, our approach presents an efficient means for rapid and precise analysis of fertilizers, offering the advantage of minimal sample requirements.
CNN-LandCoverNet: An Effective Framework of Land Cover Classification Using Hybrid Metaheuristic-Aided Ensemble-Based Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Jyothula Samrajam , Chandrasekhar S.
Published: November 2023

Land cover (LC) categorization is considered a necessary task of intelligent interpretation technology for remote sensing imagery that is intended to categorize every pixel to perform the predefined LC classification. Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) information has the ability to provide various insights in order to overcome environmental and socioeconomic impacts such as disaster risk, climate change, poverty, and food insecurity. Therefore, image categorization tasks are involved in conventional works, where the classical visual interpretation techniques completely depend upon professional knowledge as well as a professional’s classification experience, which is more susceptible to subjective awareness, inefficient, and time consuming. By overcoming this issue, the latest deep-structured approach is suggested to perform the LC image classification. Initially, the land images are gathered. Further, the collected images are employed for patch splitting, where the images are split into multiple patches. After splitting, the patches are fed to the Ensemble-based Convolutional Neural Network (ECNN), which is constructed with a Fully Convolutional Network (FCN), U-Net, DeepLabv3, and Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN) for performing segmentation. Here, the hyperparameters are optimally tuned with the Hybrid Billiards-inspired Water Wave Algorithm (HB-WWA) by integrating the Billiards-inspired Optimization Algorithm (BOA) and Water Wave Algorithm (WWA). Finally, the classification is carried out with a fuzzy classifier. Thus, the performance is validated and measured through diverse metrics. Consequently, the developed work has demonstrated enhanced classification accuracy when tested on other existing algorithms.
DLMDish: Using Applied Deep Learning and Computer Vision to Automatically Classify Mauritian Dishes
Authors: Toofanee Mohammud Shaad Ally , Boudraa Omar , Tamine Karim
Published: November 2023

The benefits of using an automatic dietary assessment system for accompanying diabetes patients and prediabetic persons to control the risk factor also referred to as the obesity “pandemic” are now widely proven and accepted. However, there is no universal solution as eating habits of people are dependent on context and culture. This project is the cornerstone for future works of researchers and health professionals in the field of automatic dietary assessment of Mauritian dishes. We propose a process to produce a food dataset for Mauritian dishes using the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) and a fine Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model for identifying Mauritian food dishes. The outputs and findings of this research can be used in the process of automatic calorie calculation and food recommendation, primarily using ubiquitous devices like mobile phones via mobile applications. Using the Adam optimizer with carefully fixed hyper-parameters, we achieved an Accuracy of 95.66% and Loss of 3.5% as concerns the recognition task.
Mechanosensitivity and mechanotransductive properties of osteoclasts
Authors: Dsouza Chrisanne , Komarova Svetlana V.
Published: November 2023

Osteoclasts are rarely considered as cells that participate in mechanical signaling in bone. We show that osteoclasts are capable of sensing and transmitting mechanical signals to neighboring cells. Mechanical stimulation commonly induces minor repairable membrane injury in osteoclasts. ATP and especially ADP were found to play important roles in the mechanoresponsiveness of osteoclasts. This study highlights the importance of osteoclast mechanobiology especially in conditions of altered mechanical loading associated with bone loss, such as in microgravity.
Obesogenic diet disrupts tissue-specific mitochondrial gene signatures in the artery and capillary endothelium
Authors: Dunaway Luke S. , Luse Melissa A. , Nyshadham Shruthi , Bulut Gamze , Alencar Gabriel F. , Chavkin Nicholas W. , Cortese-Krott Miriam , Hirschi Karen K. , Isakson Brant E.
Published: November 2023

Using bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing on endothelial cells from adipose and mesentery, we found that an obesogenic diet induces a reduction in adipose endothelial oxidative phosphorylation gene expression, resulting in a phenotypic convergence of mesenteric and adipose endothelial cells. Furthermore, we found evidence that PPAR-γ drives this phenotypic shift. Mining of human data sets segregated based on body mass index supported these findings. These data point to novel mechanisms by which obesity induces endothelial dysfunction.
Modelling the Survival of Acid-Adapted and Nonadapted Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Burkina: A Western African Traditional Fermented Milk Product
Authors: Donkor Leticia , Affrifah Nicole Sharon , Kunadu Angela Parry-Hanson , Kwofie Samuel , Yeboah Stephen , Kuditchar Bernard
Published: November 2023

Burkina, a traditional fermented dairy product, is consumed in most parts of West Africa, including Ghana. Studies on the microflora of Burkina have indicated the presence of Escherichia coli and other pathogenic organisms. Thus, predicting the survival of E. coli in the product will inform the best manufacturing and handling practices. This study investigated the combined effect of storage temperature and time on the survival of acid-adapted and acid-non-adapted E. coli O157:H7 in Burkina. Samples were pasteurised and inoculated with acid-adapted or acid-non-adapted E. coli O157:H7. They were stored at 5, 15, and 30°C for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 18, and 48 h, and the bacteria colonies were enumerated. Growth rate (survival versus time) models were developed using MATLAB software. Observed data were fitted to the Baranyi model using the DMFit curve fitting software. The E. coli O157:H7 strain appeared inherently tolerant to acid, with storage time having the most significant effect on the response parameter, survival (log CFU/mL). A negative correlation was observed for the primary models (survival versus time), which accounted for 79-97% of the relationship (

p
<
0.05

). Although E. coli survived, its growth was inhibited over time regardless of acid adaptation.
Examining the Influence of Website Quality on Citizen’s E-Loyalty in Domestic Tourism in Jordan: The Role of E-Trust and E-Satisfaction
Authors: Qatawneh Nour , Alkhasawneh Raghed , Althonayan Abraham , Altarawneh Abeer
Published: November 2023

The fast development of the Internet has raised the number of government-related websites and the variety of e-services available. Despite tourism’s critical significance in supporting the national economy, relatively few researches have been conducted on the influence of tourism website quality dimensions on electronic loyalty among citizens (e-loyalty), particularly in the Jordanian domestic tourism context. The objective of this research is to identify the factors that impact the e-loyalty of citizens toward the e-government services offered by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Jordan, considering the mediating influence of citizens’ e-satisfaction and e-trust, primarily following Oliver’s (1999) e-loyalty model. The survey questionnaire was adopted as a main strategy to collect and analyze primary data and to investigate the relationships between variables. Statistical processing was applied using IBM SPSS version 22 package and Amos version 25 for path analysis as the main statistical software package. The results indicated that citizens’ e-loyalty toward the governmental tourism-related website in Jordan is moderate, demonstrating that citizens are generally comfortable with the e-services provided. Furthermore, the results suggest that e-satisfaction and e-trust both play a mediating role in the connection between dimensions of website quality (specifically, information quality and personalization) and the e-loyalty of citizens. This study contributes to the theory by combining the relationships among website quality dimensions, citizen e-trust, e-satisfaction, and e-loyalty, particularly in the unique setting of Jordan’s domestic tourism sector. The results provide valuable insights for policymakers and tourism sector managers, aiding them in the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) strategies that facilitate citizens’ transactions and encourage them to participate effectively in e-government activities, thereby boosting the kingdom’s economy and gross domestic product (GDP). The government also recommended enhancing awareness programs and employee training in order to enhance the e-services offered to citizens.
Regenerative Endodontic Procedures of Immature Permanent Premolars with Periapical Lesions: A Report of Two Cases Using Two Different Materials, 18-Month Follow-Up
Authors: Van Le Hong , Nguyen Tuan Anh , Vu Thai Son
Published: November 2023

Regenerative endodontic procedure is an emerging alternative to traditional therapies for immature teeth with necrotic pulp with or without periapical lesions. This innovative approach, also known as revitalization procedures, is aimed at enhancing canal wall thickness, stimulating root lengthening, and promoting apical closure. The regenerative endodontic procedures involve minimally invasive cleaning to preserve stem cells, stimulation of bleeding and clot formation within the canal, and the use of biomaterials to stimulate differentiation. This method is the first choice in biologically based treatments for immature permanent teeth. We present two successful clinical cases in which regenerative endodontic procedures were performed on permanent premolars with necrotic pulp with symptomatic apical periodontitis and chronic apical abscess due to dens evaginatus. The same procedure was employed for both cases, utilizing two differential materials: ProRoot MTA (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialities, USA) and Biodentine™ (Septodont, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France). Both cases exhibited positive clinical and radiographic outcomes after an 18-month follow-up period including periapical healing, increased dentin thickness, root lengthening, and apical closure.
Estimation of Impact Strength of Kevlar/Basalt and Kevlar/Glass Interwoven Composite Laminate after High-Velocity Bullet Impact
Authors: Jensin Joshua J. , Singh Dalbir , Murali Krishna Y. , Sivaprakasam P. , Raja Joseph D. , Venkatanarayanan P. S.
Published: November 2023

The application of composite materials has increased so drastically in the aerospace industry. The Impact strength signifies the importance of composite materials when exposed to suddenly applied loads. This paper is focused on describing the behavior of interwoven kevlar/glass-epoxy and kevlar/basalt-epoxy composite laminate under high-velocity bullet impact. The composite lamina of kevlar/glass and that of kevlar/basalt are prepared using three different weaving techniques. The composite laminates are prepared using the compression moulding technique. The laminates have been subjected to high-velocity bullet impact. The velocity range is from 220 m/s to 260 m/s. The impact damage area in the laminate has been assessed through ultrasonic pulse echo submerged nondestructive technique. The impact strength has been calculated using the damaged area derived using the impact energy absorbed by the laminate. The results have shown that the maximum impact which found out to be kevlar/basalt (KB 1 × 1) is 28.24 J/cm2.
Analysis of ADORA2A, MTA1, PTGDS, PTGS2, NSF, and HNMT Gene Expression Levels in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Early Stages of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Semenova Ekaterina I. , Partevian Suzanna A. , Shulskaya Marina V. , Rudenok Margarita M. , Lukashevich Maria V. , Baranova Nina M. , Doronina Olga B. , Doronina Kseniya S. , Rosinskaya Anna V. , Fedotova Ekaterina Y. , Illarioshkin Sergey N. , Slominsky Petr A. , Shadrina Maria I. , Alieva Anelya Kh.
Published: November 2023

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common chronic, age‐related neurodegenerative disease. This disease is characterized by a long prodromal period. In this context, it is important to search for the genes and mechanisms that are involved in the development of the pathological process in the earliest stages of the disease. Published data suggest that blood cells, particularly lymphocytes, may be a model for studying the processes that occur in the brain in PD. Thus, in the present work, we performed an analysis of changes in the expression of the genes ADORA2A, MTA1, PTGDS, PTGS2, NSF, and HNMT in the peripheral blood of patients with early stages of PD (stages 1 and 2 of the Hoehn–Yahr scale). We found significant and PD‐specific expression changes of four genes, i.e., MTA1, PTGS2, NSF, and HNMT, in the peripheral blood of patients with early stages of PD. These genes may be associated with PD pathogenesis in the early clinical stages and can be considered as potential candidate genes for this disease. Altered expression of the ADORA2A gene in treated PD patients may indicate that this gene is involved in processes affected by antiparkinsonian therapy.
Data from Associations between MICA and MICB Genetic Variants, Protein Levels, and Colorectal Cancer: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC)
Authors: Wang Shuo , Onyeaghala Guillaume C. , Pankratz Nathan , Nelson Heather H. , Thyagarajan Bharat , Tang Weihong , Norby Faye L. , Ugoji Chinenye , Joshu Corinne E. , Gomez Christian R. , Couper David J. , Coresh Josef , Platz Elizabeth A. , Prizment Anna E.
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackground:
The MHC class I chain-related protein A (MICA) and protein B (MICB) participate in tumor immunosurveillance and may be important in colorectal cancer, but have not been examined in colorectal cancer development.
Methods:
sMICA and sMICB blood levels were measured by SomaScan in Visit 2 (1990–92, baseline) and Visit 3 (1993–95) samples in cancer-free participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. We selected rs1051792, rs1063635, rs2516448, rs3763288, rs1131896, rs2596542, and rs2395029 that were located in or in the vicinity of MICA or MICB and were associated with cancer or autoimmune diseases in published studies. SNPs were genotyped by the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP Array. We applied linear and Cox proportional hazards regressions to examine the associations of preselected SNPs with sMICA and sMICB levels and colorectal cancer risk (236 colorectal cancers, 8,609 participants) and of sMICA and sMICB levels with colorectal cancer risk (312 colorectal cancers, 10,834 participants). In genetic analyses, estimates adjusted for ancestry markers were meta-analyzed.
Results:
Rs1051792-A, rs1063635-A, rs2516448-C, rs3763288-A, rs2596542-T, and rs2395029-G were significantly associated with decreased sMICA levels. Rs2395029-G, in the vicinity of MICA and MICB, was also associated with increased sMICB levels. Rs2596542-T was significantly associated with decreased colorectal cancer risk. Lower sMICA levels were associated with lower colorectal cancer risk in males (HR = 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.49–0.96) but not in females (Pinteraction = 0.08).
Conclusions:
Rs2596542-T associated with lower sMICA levels was associated with decreased colorectal cancer risk. Lower sMICA levels were associated with lower colorectal cancer risk in males.
Impact:
These findings support an importance of immunosurveillance in colorectal cancer.
Phase I Study of Elraglusib (9-ING-41), a Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β Inhibitor, as Monotherapy or Combined with Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Malignancies
Authors: Carneiro Benedito A. , Cavalcante Ludimila , Mahalingam Devalingam , Saeed Anwaar , Safran Howard , Ma Wen Wee , Coveler Andrew L. , Powell Steven , Bastos Bruno , Davis Elizabeth , Sahai Vaibhav , Mikrut William , Longstreth James , Smith Sheri , Weisskittel Taylor , Li Hu , Borden Brittany A. , Harvey R. Donald , Sahebjam Solmaz , Cervantes Andrés , Koukol Austin , Mazar Andrew P. , Steeghs Neeltje , Kurzrock Razelle , Giles Francis J. , Munster Pamela
Published: November 2023

Purpose:

The safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of elraglusib, a glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) small-molecule inhibitor, as monotherapy or combined with chemotherapy, in patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors or hematologic malignancies was studied.

Patients and Methods:

Elraglusib (intravenously twice weekly in 3-week cycles) monotherapy dose escalation was followed by dose escalation with eight chemotherapy regimens (gemcitabine, doxorubicin, lomustine, carboplatin, irinotecan, gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel, paclitaxel/carboplatin, and pemetrexed/carboplatin) in patients previously exposed to the same chemotherapy.

Results:

Patients received monotherapy (n = 67) or combination therapy (n = 171) elraglusib doses 1 to 15 mg/kg twice weekly. The initial recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of elraglusib was 15 mg/kg twice weekly and was defined, without dose-limiting toxicity observation, due to fluid volumes necessary for drug administration. The RP2D was subsequently reduced to 9.3 mg/kg once weekly to reduce elraglusib-associated central/peripheral vascular access catheter blockages. Other common elraglusib-related adverse events (AE) included transient visual changes and fatigue. Grade ≥3 treatment-emergent AEs occurred in 55.2% and 71.3% of patients on monotherapy and combination therapy, respectively. Part 1 monotherapy (n = 62) and part 2 combination (n = 138) patients were evaluable for response. In part 1, a patient with melanoma had a complete response, and a patient with acute T-cell leukemia/lymphoma had a partial response (PR). In part 2, seven PRs were observed, and the median progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.1 [95% confidence interval (CI), 2–2.6] and 6.9 (95% CI, 5.7–8.4) months, respectively.

Conclusions:

Elraglusib had a favorable toxicity profile as monotherapy and combined with chemotherapy and was associated with clinical benefit supporting further clinical evaluation in combination with chemotherapy.
Formulary Drug Reviews: Nirsevimab
Authors: Levien Terri L. , Baker Danial E.
Published: November 2023

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are available online to subscribers. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service, contact Wolters Kluwer customer service at 866-397-3433.
ACO intelligent task scheduling algorithm based on Q-learning optimization in a multilayer cognitive radio platform
Authors: Xie Zongfu , Liu Jinjin , Ji Yawei , Li Wanwan , Dong Chunxiao , Yang Bin
Published: November 2023

With the rapid development of cognitive radio technology, multilayer heterogeneous cognitive radio computing platforms with large computing, high-throughput, ultralarge bandwidth and ultralow latency have become a research hotspot. Aiming at the core scheduling problems of multilayer heterogeneous computing platforms, this paper abstracts the bidirectional interconnection topology, node computing capacity, and internode communication capability of the heterogeneous computing platform into an undirected graph model and abstracts the nodes with dependencies, nodes’ computing requirements, and internode communication requirements in streaming tasks into a directed acyclic graph (DAG) model so as to transform the task-scheduling problem into a deployment-scheduling problem from DAG to undirected graph. To efficiently solve this graph model, this paper calculates and forms a component scheduling sequence based on the dependencies of functional components in streaming domain tasks. Then, according to the scheduling sequence, ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms, such as ant colonies and Q-learning select functional components, deploy components to different computing nodes, calculate the scheduling cost, guide the solution space search of agents, and complete the scenario migration adaptation of the scheduling algorithms to intelligent scheduling of domain tasks. So, this paper proposes the ACO field task intelligent scheduling algorithm based on Q-learning optimization (QACO). QACO uses the Q-table matrix of Q-learning as the initial pheromone of the ant colony algorithm, which not only solves the dimensional disaster of the Q-learning algorithm but also accelerates the convergence speed of the ant colony intelligent scheduling algorithm, reduces the task scheduling length, and further enhances the search ability of the existing scheduling algorithm to solve the spatial set. Based on the randomly generated DAG domain task map, three experimental test scenarios are designed to verify the algorithm performance. The experimental results show that compared with the Q-learning, ACO, and genetic algorithms (GA) algorithms, the proposed algorithm improves the convergence speed of the solution by 72.3%, 63.4%, and 64% on average, reduces the scheduling length by 2.8%, 2.2%, and 0.9% on average, and increases the parallel acceleration ratio by 2.8%, 2.1%, and 0.9% on average, respectively. The practical application value of the algorithm is analyzed through typical radar task simulation, but the load balancing of the algorithm needs to be further improved.
Anticorruption and Imperialist Blind Spots: The Role of the United States in Brazil’s Long Coup
Authors: Mier Brian , Pitts Bryan , Swart Kathy , Ioris Rafael R. , Mitchell Sean T.
Published: November 2023

A comprehensive examination of the evidence available, contained in U.S. government statements, English-language media accounts, and hacked Telegram chats among Brazilian prosecutors, indicates that the United States was closely involved in the "long coup" that removed the left from power in Brazil in 2016 and secured the election of the far-right in 2018. Just as after Brazil’s U.S.-backed 1964 coup, this evidence has largely been ignored by U.S. scholars. Latin Americanists would do well to return to the anti-imperialist tradition that established our field as a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy.

Um exame abrangente das evidências disponíveis, contidas em declarações do governo dos EUA, relatos da mídia em inglês e bate-papos hackeados no Telegram entre promotores da justiça no Brasil, indica que os Estados Unidos estiveram intimamente envolvidos no "longo golpe" que removeu a esquerda do poder no Brasil em 2016 e garantiu a eleição da extrema-direita em 2018. Tal como depois do golpe de Estado de 1964 apoiado pelos EUA, esta evidência tem sido amplamente ignorada pelos académicos norte-americanos. Os latino-americanistas fariam bem em regressar à tradição anti-imperialista que estabeleceu o nosso campo como um dos principais críticos da política externa dos EUA.
A Contingency Framework for the Performance Consequences of Team Boundary Management: A Meta-Analysis of 30 Years of Research
Authors: Leicht-Deobald Ulrich , Backmann Julia , de Vries Thomas A. , Weiss Matthias , Hohmann Sebastian , Walter Frank , van der Vegt Gerben S. , Hoegl Martin
Published: November 2023

Research suggests that teams can greatly enhance their performance through boundary management, which comprises activities that establish, maintain, and regulate linkages with the surrounding environment. However, such performance gains do not materialize equally in all instances, and some teams struggle to benefit from boundary management. Integrating insights from social network and team-level resource allocation theories, we develop a contingency framework that considers the internal organization of a team's boundary management (i.e., the carrier, target, and type of such activities) as a key moderating factor that accounts for the varying effects. To test this framework, we use a meta-analytic approach that synthesizes >30 years of empirical research (i.e., 85 primary studies covering 10,848 teams). Our results show a positive main effect of team boundary management on team performance. Crucially, these performance benefits are more pronounced when the target of boundary management is extraorganizational rather than inside the home organization and when the type of boundary management activities is boundary spanning (e.g., coordination, representation, or information search) rather than boundary strengthening (e.g., buffering, guarding, or sentry activities). Moreover, boundary management is more effective when executed by formal team leaders rather than team members, and our results tentatively suggest that this may reflect differences in effectiveness between leaders and members in boundary strengthening, rather than boundary spanning. Overall, our findings advance theory on team boundary management by clarifying previously ambiguous findings and illustrating how teams can design their boundary management activities to be most effective.
Political Partisanship and Union Representation Elections
Authors: Nelson Ryan H.
Published: November 2023

Voting behavior in union representation elections is influenced by rational and non-rational choices alike. This study shows a correlation between one nonrational choice, political partisanship, and such voting behavior. Comparing general election support for Democratic U.S. Presidential nominees where union representation elections occurred—a proxy for political partisanship—with support for a union in those representation elections shows positive, highly statistically significant correlations between Democratic support and union support in every consecutive twelve-month period between the 2008 and 2020 general elections. Furthermore, between 2008 and 2020, the magnitude of this correlation increased to a statistically significant degree.
The public sphere and democracy in transformation: Continuing the debate – An introduction
Authors: Brunkhorst Hauke , Seeliger Martin , Sevignani Sebastian
Published: November 2023

All the aspects and dimensions that can be rightfully identified as playing essential parts within the current tragedy of democracy do share a common reference point: the public sphere. In the absence of a public sphere, no political change can take place democratically. This introduction to the special issue, which continues the debate about the public sphere from a broadly understood critical theory perspective, tries to substantiate the two initial claims and briefly presents the line of argument inherent to this special issue and its contributions. The collected contributions intervene or elaborate on the following conceptional or practical problems within the nexus of democracy and the public sphere, such as the critical relations between cultural industry and post-truth democracy; the contested relationship between the public sphere and labour; epistemological challenges predating normative questions; the relevance and transformation of concrete constellations between speakers and listeners, fragmentation and polarization within the public sphere; communicative pathologies; the digitalization of communication; altered and threatened media system services to functioning democracies; displacement and commodification of communication; the need for new forms of techno-politics; problems and challenges of Open Access; and the potential transnationalization of the public sphere.
Hepatic Bile Acid Transporters and Drug-induced Hepatotoxicity
Authors: Saran Chitra , Brouwer Kim L. R.
Published: November 2023

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) remains a major concern in drug development from a patient safety perspective because it is the leading cause of acute liver failure. One mechanism of DILI is altered bile acid homeostasis and involves several hepatic bile acid transporters. Functional impairment of some hepatic bile acid transporters by drugs, disease, or genetic mutations may lead to toxic accumulation of bile acids within hepatocytes and increase DILI susceptibility. This review focuses on the role of hepatic bile acid transporters in DILI. Model systems, primarily in vitro and modeling tools, such as DILIsym, used in assessing transporter-mediated DILI are discussed. Due to species differences in bile acid homeostasis and drug-transporter interactions, key aspects and challenges associated with the use of preclinical animal models for DILI assessment are emphasized. Learnings are highlighted from three case studies of hepatotoxic drugs: troglitazone, tolvaptan, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (dasatinib, pazopanib, and sorafenib). The development of advanced in vitro models and novel biomarkers that can reliably predict DILI is critical and remains an important focus of ongoing investigations to minimize patient risk for liver-related adverse reactions associated with medication use.
Failure of the dual orexin receptor antagonist suvorexant to engender drug discrimination in rats
Authors: Steiner Michel A , Toeroek-Schafroth Michael , Dacome Lisa , Tessari Michela
Published: November 2023

For abuse potential assessment, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requests that new, brain-penetrating drugs are ideally compared with approved drugs that share the mechanism of action and are judged to have abuse liability by the Drug Enforcement Agency. For development of the dual orexin receptor antagonist (DORA) daridorexant, the FDA recommended conducting a rat drug discrimination paradigm against the approved, schedule IV, DORA suvorexant. Surprisingly, at suvorexant plasma levels up to three-fold the maximum concentration at the highest approved human dose, rats did not learn to discriminate the suvorexant stimulus from vehicle.
Mediating Effect of Social Self-Efficacy and Self-Blame on the Longitudinal Relationship Between Perceived Parent-Child Trust and Youth Mental Health
Authors: Ross Taylor , Ma Xiaoqi , Doty Jennifer L.
Published: November 2023

Guided by social cognitive theory and past empirical findings, the study’s conceptual model posited that parent-child trust promotes positive youth mental health through the pathways of social self-efficacy and self-blame. Using longitudinal data from 129 children aged 10–14 who participated over three waves of data collection in fall 2019, spring 2020, and spring 2021, this study extends current knowledge by examining potential mediators of the relationship between child-reported parent-child trust and youth mental health. Significant indirect pathways indicated that social self-efficacy fully mediated the association between perceived parent-child trust and youth mental health, and self-blame did not. Results of the study aligned with the social cognitive theory perspective that youth outcomes can be influenced by the acquisition of social skills through observational learning of healthy models, such as parents. Findings suggest that a tiered intervention model that utilizes social emotional learning and parent-based prevention could improve adolescent mental health.
Effects of an Art Intervention Program Using Ambiguous Image-Text Interactions on Creative Thinking
Authors: Heruti Vered , Mashal Nira
Published: November 2023

This study examined whether creative thinking improves by utilizing an intervention program based on three types of ambiguous image-text interactions within artwork: (1) ambiguous text, (2) negation, and (3) semantically unrelated image-text. Participants (79) were divided into three groups: “ambiguous-negation-unrelated” group exposed to stimuli 1 + 2 + 3, “ambiguous-unrelated” group exposed to stimuli 1 + 3, and the control group unexposed to any intervention. The metaphor generation test (MGT) and Tel-Aviv creative test (TACT) were given pre- and post-intervention. The results showed the “ambiguous-negation-unrelated” intervention group scored higher on the TACT post-intervention, as compared to pre-intervention, a finding not observed among the “ambiguous-unrelated” and control groups. Furthermore, both art intervention groups generated more utterances overall (literal, conventional, and novel metaphors) in the MGT post-intervention, as compared to pre-intervention. These outcomes suggest this artwork intervention that utilized ambiguous image-text interactions and included theoretical discussion and reflective analysis can enhance divergent thinking.
The Abrahamic Ideology: Patrilineal Kinship and the Politics of Peacemaking in the Contemporary Middle East
Authors: Kaminer Matan
Published: November 2023

This article examines the geopolitical landscape organised by the Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain under US sponsorship, by exploring their namesake’s status as the common ancestor of Jews/Israelis and Muslims/Arabs through his sons Isaac and Ishmael. I begin by presenting the background and significance of the Accords, and show how despite its US-Christian origins, their nomenclature was enthusiastically received by Israeli and Emirati signatories thanks to its appeal to genealogy. Utilising anthropological theory, I then trace the legend of Abraham and his progeny from Genesis, through ancient and medieval debates between monotheists, arriving finally at the modern discourse of patrilineal cousinage and ‘Abrahamism’ as semi-official ideology. Other Abrahamisms may be possible, but in the form embedded in the Accords, I argue that this ideology promotes not sustainable peace but patriarchy, territorial homogeneity and violent marginalisation of those deemed ‘not to belong’ to the family.

L’idéologie abrahamique : La parenté patrilinéaire et la politique de pacification dans le Moyen-Orient contemporain
Comparison of different 3D printers in terms of dimensional stability by image data of a dry human mandible obtained from CBCT and CT
Authors: Peker Ozturk Hilal , Ayyıldız Simel
Published: November 2023

Objectives:

To manage the mandibular traumas, for the expression of the complex anatomy or pathology in education of health sciences related branches, a model of the traumatized mandible is indispensable. For these, different 3D-print-technologies can be used. The aim of this study is, to measure how close these 3D-printed-models are to human-mandible (trueness) and the effectiveness of CT and CBCT at this point.

Study design:

One-dry-human-mandible and 10-models manufactured by five different 3D-printers in four different-kinds of additive-manufacturing technology (Fused-Deposition-Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA), Binder-jetting (BJ), Polyjet (PJ)) were used, five-anatomic-landmarks and eight-distances were measured and evaluated. Mandible’s data were constructed based on DICOM-3.0 data from CBCT and CT scans. Images were opened in MIMICS (software-program).

Results:

Study compared the devices that produced models with the same dry human-mandible. It was seen that the model with the highest margin of error (132.5 mm) was manufactured by Fused-deposition-modeling device using CT-data. In terms of distance to real-data, the model with the lowest error was generated by Binder-Jetting (ZCorp) with CBCT-data. Models produced with CBCT-data are closer to dry-human-mandible than models with CT-data.

Conclusion:

The current study shows that CBCT generates significantly better data than CT in producing mandibular models. The first choice for manufacturing of human mandible is BJ and the second choice is the technology of SLA.