bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemically tuned intermediate band states in atomically thin Cu

x

GeSe/SnS quantum material for photovoltaic applications
Authors: Kastuar Srihari M. , Ekuma Chinedu E.
Published: April 2024

A new generation of quantum material derived from intercalating zerovalent atoms such as Cu into the intrinsic van der Waals gap at the interface of atomically thin two-dimensional GeSe/SnS heterostructure is designed, and their optoelectronic features are explored for next-generation photovoltaic applications. Advanced ab initio modeling reveals that many-body effects induce intermediate band (IB) states, with subband gaps (~0.78 and 1.26 electron volts) ideal for next-generation solar devices, which promise efficiency greater than the Shockley-Queisser limit of ~32%. The charge carriers across the heterojunction are both energetically and spontaneously spatially confined, reducing nonradiative recombination and boosting quantum efficiency. Using this IB material in a solar cell prototype enhances absorption and carrier generation in the near-infrared to visible light range. Tuning the active layer’s thickness increases optical activity at wavelengths greater than 600 nm, achieving ~190% external quantum efficiency over a broad solar wavelength range, underscoring its potential in advanced photovoltaic technology.
A mouse model of chronic primary pain that integrates clinically relevant genetic vulnerability, stress, and minor injury
Authors: Wang Yaomin , Kim Shin Hyung , Klein Marguerita E. , Chen Jiegen , Gu Elizabeth , Smith Shad , Bortsov Andrey , Slade Gary D. , Zhang Xin , Nackley Andrea G.
Published: April 2024

Chronic primary pain conditions (CPPCs) affect over 100 million Americans, predominantly women. They remain ineffectively treated, in large part because of a lack of valid animal models with translational relevance. Here, we characterized a CPPC mouse model that integrated clinically relevant genetic (catechol-O-methyltransferase; COMT knockdown) and environmental (stress and injury) factors. Compared with wild-type mice,
Comt
+/−
mice undergoing repeated swim stress and molar extraction surgery intervention exhibited pronounced multisite body pain and depressive-like behavior lasting >3 months.
Comt
+/−
mice undergoing the intervention also exhibited enhanced activity of primary afferent nociceptors innervating hindpaw and low back sites and increased plasma concentrations of norepinephrine and pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-17A. The pain and depressive-like behavior were of greater magnitude and longer duration (≥12 months) in females versus males. Furthermore, increases in anxiety-like behavior and IL-6 were female-specific. The effect of COMT genotype × stress interactions on pain, IL-6, and IL-17A was validated in a cohort of 549 patients with CPPCs, demonstrating clinical relevance. Last, we assessed the predictive validity of the model for analgesic screening and found that it successfully predicted the lack of efficacy of minocycline and the CB2 agonist GW842166X, which were effective in spared nerve injury and complete Freund’s adjuvant models, respectively, but failed in clinical trials. Yet, pain in the CPPC model was alleviated by the beta-3 adrenergic antagonist SR59230A. Thus, the CPPC mouse model reliably recapitulates clinically and biologically relevant features of CPPCs and may be implemented to test underlying mechanisms and find new therapeutics.
Where do the pathogens that cause surgical site infections come from?
Authors: Gilbert Jack A. , Alverdy John
Published: April 2024

A study from Long
et al.
shows that many pathogens that cause surgical site infections during spine surgery come from the patient’s own microbiome, suggesting a paradigm shift in the understanding of surgical site infections that questions the effectiveness of current enhanced sterility and antibiotic protocols.
Deciphering the gastrointestinal carriage of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Bray Andrew S. , Zafar M. Ammar
Published: April 2024

Bacterial infections pose a significant global health threat, accounting for an estimated 7.7 million deaths. Hospital outbreaks driven by multi-drug-resistant pathogens, notably
Klebsiella pneumoniae
(
K. pneumoniae
), are of grave concern. This opportunistic pathogen causes pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and bacteremia, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The rise of hypervirulent
K. pneumoniae
adds complexity, as it increasingly infects healthy individuals. Recent epidemiological data suggest that asymptomatic gastrointestinal carriage serves as a reservoir for infections in the same individual and allows for host-to-host transmission
via
the fecal-oral route. This review focuses on
K. pneumoniae
’s gastrointestinal colonization, delving into epidemiological evidence, current animal models, molecular colonization mechanisms, and the protective role of the resident gut microbiota. Moreover, the review sheds light on
in vivo
high-throughput approaches that have been crucial for identifying
K. pneumoniae
factors in gut colonization. This comprehensive exploration aims to enhance our understanding of
K. pneumoniae
gut pathogenesis, guiding future intervention and prevention strategies.
Performance of two modified two-tier algorithms for the serologic diagnosis of Lyme disease
Authors: Landry Marie L. , Hassan Sajjad , Rottmann Bruce G. , Pesak Stacey J. , Ordazzo Michael , Skrzyniarz Michael , Deponte Steven , Peaper David R.
Published: April 2024

We compared the performance of a new modified two-tier testing (MTTT) platform, the Diasorin Liaison chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA), to the Zeus enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) MTTT and to Zeus ELISA/Viramed immunoblot standard two-tier testing (STTT) algorithm. Of 537 samples included in this study, 91 (16.9%) were positive or equivocal by one or more screening tests. Among these 91 samples, only 57 samples were concordant positive by first-tier screening tests, and only 19 of 57 were concordant by the three second-tier methods. For IgM results, positive percent agreement (PPA) was 68.1% for Diasorin versus 89.4% for Zeus compared to immunoblot. By contrast, the PPA for IgG for both Diasorin and Zeus was 100%. Using a 2-out-of-3 consensus reference standard, the PPAs for IgM were 75.6%, 97.8%, and 95.6% for Diasorin, Zeus, and immunoblot, respectively. The difference between Zeus MTTT and Diasorin MTTT for IgM detection was significant (
P
= 0.0094). PPA for both Diasorin and Zeus MTTT IgG assays was 100% but only 65.9% for immunoblot STTT (
P
= 0.0005). In total, second-tier positive IgM and/or IgG results were reported for 57 samples by Diasorin MTTT, 63 by Zeus MTTT, and 54 by Viramed STTT. While Diasorin CLIA MTTT had a much more rapid, automated, and efficient workflow, Diasorin MTTT was less sensitive for the detection of IgM than Zeus MTTT and STTT including in 5 early Lyme cases that were IgM negative but IgG positive.

IMPORTANCE

The laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease relies upon the detection of antibodies to Borrelia species. Standard two tier testing (STTT) methods rely upon immunoblots which have clinical and technical limitations. Modified two-tier testing (MTTT) methods have recently become available and are being widely adopted. There are limited independent data available assessing the performance of MTTT and STTT methods.
Pressure-temperature-time evolution of the Milin pelitic schists: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the eastern Indus-Yarlung suture zone, eastern Himalaya
Authors: Li Wangchao , Yin Changqing , Yakymchuk Chris , Ding Lin , Li Shun , Qian Jiahui , Gao Peng , Zhang Yanling
Published: April 2024

We report an integrated comprehensive dataset composed of petrography, pressure-temperature (P-T) calculations, monazite U-Th-Pb ages, and trace-element data from pelitic schists in the eastern Indus-Yarlung suture zone in the Milin area of the eastern Himalaya. These rocks represent the exposure of subduction-related rocks within the eastern Indus-Yarlung suture zone accretionary complex. The dominant mineral assemblages of the pelitic schists are garnet + kyanite + staurolite + biotite + quartz and garnet + kyanite + staurolite + biotite + paragonite + sillimanite with quartz, plagioclase, and ilmenite assemblages. Phase equilibrium modeling of sillimanite-bearing pelitic schists yielded peak P-T conditions of ~670–680 °C at ~8.6 kbar, similar to that of kyanite-bearing schists (~670 °C, ~8.8 kbar). Monazite grains with complex internal structures retained variable ages ranging from 28 Ma to 15 Ma, which correlate systematically with changes in the concentrations of Y, Th, U, and heavy rare earth elements and ratios of Th/U. Combined with petrologic analysis, we conclude that the pelitic schists experienced a long-lived prograde metamorphism from ca. 28 Ma to ca. 22 Ma. Peak metamorphism occurred in the period 22–21 Ma, followed by quasi-isothermal decompression until 15 Ma. The discrepancies among metamorphic P-T-t paths in the eastern Indus-Yarlung suture zone indicate the presence of not only collision-related regional metamorphism at medium P-T conditions, but also subduction-related high-pressure–low-temperature terranes in the Milin region. These two domains experienced different P-T evolution and tectonic histories and were juxtaposed in the early Neogene during the India-Asia continental collision.
Clinical guidelines for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria or incongruence: a systematic review of recommendations (part 2)
Authors: Taylor Jo , Hall Ruth , Heathcote Claire , Hewitt Catherine Elizabeth , Langton Trilby , Fraser Lorna
Published: April 2024

Background

Increasing numbers of children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria/incongruence are being referred to specialist gender services and there are various published guidelines outlining approaches to clinical care.

Aim

To examine the recommendations about the management of children and/or adolescents (age 0-18) experiencing gender dysphoria/incongruence in published guidelines or clinical guidance. A separate paper examines the quality and development of guidelines.

Methods

A systematic review and narrative synthesis. Databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science) were searched to April 2022 and web-based searches and contact with international experts continued to December 2022, with results assessed independently by two reviewers. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation tool was used to examine guideline quality.

Results

23 guidelines/clinical guidance publications (1998–2022) were identified (4 international, 3 regional, 16 national). Guidelines describe a similar care pathway starting with psychosocial care for prepubertal children, puberty suppressants followed by hormones for eligible adolescents and surgical interventions as these adolescents enter adulthood. In general, there is consensus that adolescents should receive a multidisciplinary assessment, although clear guidance about the purpose or approach is lacking. There are differing recommendations about when and on what basis psychological and medical interventions should be offered. There is limited guidance about what psychological care should be provided, about the management of prepubertal children or those with a non-binary gender identity, nor about pathways between specialist gender services and other providers.

Conclusions

Published guidance describes a similar care pathway; however, there is no current consensus about the purpose and process of assessment for children or adolescents with gender dysphoria/incongruence, or about when psychological or hormonal interventions should be offered and on what basis.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021289659.
The 11+ injury prevention programme decreases rate of hamstring strain injuries in male collegiate soccer players
Authors: Silvers-Granelli Holly , Silverman Richard , Bizzini Mario , Thorborg Kristian , Brophy Robert H
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To investigate if the 11+ injury prevention programme decreases the risk of hamstring injury and improves recovery time and determine whether compliance with the 11+ affects hamstring injury risk.

Methods

This study is a secondary analysis from a prospective cluster randomised controlled trial that included 65 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division I and II men’s soccer teams over the fall 2012 season. Thirty-one teams were randomised to the intervention group that were using the 11+ as their warm-up and 35 teams to the control group that continued to use their traditional warm-up. Each certified athletic trainer (ATC) collected data on demographics, hamstring injury (HSI), mechanism of injury, position, playing surface, time lost due to injury and compliance to the 11+ programme.

Results

The 11+ decreased the risk of HSI by 63% compared with the control group (RR=0.37, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.63). Difference in return to play after HSI between the control (9.4±11.2 days) and intervention groups (10.2±11.3 days) was not significant (p=0.8). High compliance (>2 or more doses on average per week) reduced the risk of HSI by 78% (RR=0.22, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.87) compared with low compliance (<1 dose on average per week), and moderate compliance (1 to <2 doses on average per week) decreased the risk of HSI by 67% (RR=0.33, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.97) compared with low compliance. There was no significant difference between high and moderate compliance.

Conclusion

The 11+ decreased the risk of HSI by 63% but did not improve recovery time. High to moderate compliance is essential and makes the programme more effective at reducing HSI.
Adherence to pharmacological therapy in patients with hypertension: protocol of a qualitative study by focus groups
Authors: Rosendo-Silva Beatriz , Prazeres Filipe , Santiago Luiz Miguel , Rosendo Inês
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Non-adherence to antihypertensive medication significantly contributes to inadequate blood pressure control. Regarding non-pharmacological interventions to improve medication adherence, the question remains of which interventions yield the highest efficacy.

Understanding the complementary perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals can be valuable for designing strategies to enhance medication adherence. Few studies explored the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals regarding medication adherence. None of them focused specifically on adherence to pharmacological therapy for hypertension in Portugal.

Considering the high prevalence of non-adherence and its location-specific aspects, the priority should be identifying its barriers and developing tactics to address them.

This study aims to gather the perspectives of patients with hypertension and healthcare professionals such as family doctors, nurses and community pharmacists from Portugal, regarding the most effective strategies to enhance antihypertensive medication adherence and to understand the factors contributing to non-adherence.

Methods and analyses

We will conduct qualitative research through synchronous online focus groups of 6–10 participants. Some groups will involve patients with hypertension, while others will include family doctors, nurses and community pharmacists. The number of focus groups will depend on the achievement of theoretical saturation. A purposive sample will be used. Healthcare participants will be recruited via email, while patients will be recruited through their family doctors.

The moderator will maintain neutrality while ensuring interactive contributions from every participant. Participants will be encouraged to express their opinions on the meeting summary. Meetings will be recorded and transcribed.

Two researchers will perform content analyses usingMAXQDA V.12through comparative analyses and subsequent consensus. A third researcher will review the analyses. The results will be presented narratively.

Ethics and dissemination

The Ethics Committee of the University of Coimbra has approved this study with the number: CE-026/2021. The results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and national and international conferences.
Shanghai Community-Based Schizophrenia Cohort (SCS): a protocol for establishing a longitudinal cohort and research database of patients with schizophrenia receiving community-based mental health treatment
Authors: Zhu Youwei , He Siyuan , Liu Yanli , Chen Chunmei , Ge Xiaolei , Zhang Weibo , Zhu Yi , Zhou Qing , Jiang Yihua , Zhang Yanping , Xu Weiyun , Wang Na , Cai Jun , Xie Bin
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Drivers for remission, relapse and violence-related behaviour among patients with schizophrenia are the most complicated issue.

Methods and analysis

This study aims to recruit a longitudinal cohort of patients with schizophrenia. Two suburban districts and two urban districts were randomly selected according to health service facilities, population, geographical region and socioeconomic status. Individuals (>18 years old) who received a diagnosis of schizophrenia following the International Classification of Diseases (10th edition) criteria within the past 3 years will be invited as participants. Assessments will be carried out in local community health centres. Data will be used to (1) establish a community-based schizophrenia cohort and biobank, (2) prospectively determine the course of multidimensional functional outcomes of patients with schizophrenia who are receiving community-based mental health treatment, and (3) map the trajectories of patients with schizophrenia and prospectively determine the course of multidimensional outcomes based on the differential impact of potentially modifiable moderators.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been reviewed and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Shanghai Mental Health Center (2021-67). Results of the study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals. If effective, related educational materials will be released to the public.
Association of maternal weight gain in early pregnancy with congenital heart disease in offspring: a China birth cohort study
Authors: Wang Jingjing , Zhang Simin , Li Xiaofei , Han Jijing , Sun Lijuan , Wang Li , Wu Qingqing
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Little study has reported the association of maternal weight gain in early pregnancy with fetal congenital heart disease (CHD). We aimed to explore the potential relationship based on a China birth cohort while adjusting by multiple factors.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

China birth cohort study conducted from 2017 to 2021.

Participants

The study finally included 114 672 singleton pregnancies in the 6–14 weeks of gestation, without missing data or outliers, loss to follow-up or abnormal conditions other than CHD. The proportion of CHD was 0.65% (749 cases).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Association between maternal pre-pregnancy weight gain and CHD in the offspring were analysed by multivariate logistic regression, with the unadjusted, minimally adjusted and maximally adjusted methods, respectively.

Results

The first-trimester weight gain showed similar discrimination of fetal CHD to that period of maternal body mass index (BMI) change (DeLong tests: p=0.091). Compared with weight gain in the lowest quartile (the weight gain less than 0.0 kg), the highest quartile (over 2.0 kg) was associated with a higher risk of fetal CHD in unadjusted (OR 1.36, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.72), minimally adjusted (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.29, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.62) and maximally adjusted (aOR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.63) models. The association remains robust in pregnant women with morning sickness, normal pre-pregnancy BMI, moderate physical activity, college/university level, natural conception or with folic acid (FA) and/or multivitamin supplementation.

Conclusions and relevance

Although the association of maternal pre-pregnancy weight gain on fetal CHD is weak, the excessive weight gain may be a potential predictor of CHD in the offspring, especially in those with morning sickness and other conditions that are routine in the cohort, such as normal pre-pregnancy BMI, moderate physical activity, college/university level, natural conception or with FA and/or multivitamin supplementation.
Multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions in secondary care settings between countries of various income levels: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Tharmalinga Sharma Jegath Janani , McMillan Sara S , Samaranayake Nithushi R , Waas Dulshika A , Coombes Ian D , Wheeler Amanda J
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Clinical pharmacy services often involve multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions. However, current pharmacy practice models vary across different countries. Despite the documented benefits of clinical pharmacy services, the characteristics of pharmacist-led interventions in different countries have not yet been adequately explored and described. Therefore, this protocol outlines the methodology for a proposed scoping review aiming to investigate various types of multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions and the outcomes used to evaluate their effectiveness within secondary care settings. Additionally, the scoping review will map the current evidence surrounding the characteristics of interventions and outcomes reported across various countries of socioeconomic status.

Methods and analysis

The scoping review will be conducted according to the JBI Methodology for Scoping Reviews and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews. We will systematically search the following electronic databases: MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EbscoHost), Embase (embase.com), Scopus (scopus.com), Cochrane Library (cochranelibrary.com) and APA PsycInfo (Ovid). Additionally, the reference lists of identified reviews and included full texts will be searched for relevant papers. Grey literature sources, such as International Pharmaceutical Abstracts and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) website, will be searched. We will include primary studies published in the English language from January 2013 to December 2023, involving secondary care multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions. Two independent reviewers will screen studies against eligibility criteria and use a piloted data extraction form to extract relevant information. We will extract relevant data, complete a tabular summary from each included publication and analyse it.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required as we will be using data from publicly available literature sources. Findings will be disseminated in publications and presentations with relevant stakeholders. We aim to map available evidence across the breadth of studies that have reported multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions and their outcomes.
Rationality of the FIGO2023 staging for early-stage endometrial cancer, compared with the FIGO2009 staging
Authors: Zhu Aoxuan , Dong Yangyang , Li Xingchen , Wang Yiqin , Wang Jianliu
Published: April 2024

Objective

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) released a new staging for endometrial cancer (EC), which revised the FIGO2009 staging to include histopathological and molecular features. The purpose of this study was to validate the prognostic accuracy of the new staging and discuss its clinical applicability.

Methods

In this single-centre retrospective study, 540 patients with primary surgically treated early-stage EC were enrolled and staged according to FIGO2009/2023. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare for prognostic differentiation. Cox regression was used to identify potential prognostic indicators.

Results

A total of 81 patients underwent staging shifts, all stage elevation. The prognosis difference between new stages I and II was more significant. The new staging was more predictive of death postoperatively. Lesion maximum diameter (LMD) was one of the independent risk factors associated with prognosis. Taking LMD=5.70 cm as the cut-off value could further differentiate patients with divergent prognoses within FIGO2023 stage IIC.

Conclusion

FIGO2023 staging demonstrated greater prognostic accuracy. In addition, LMD may be another critical factor affecting prognosis.
Intertwined depressive and cognitive trajectories and the risk of dementia and death in older adults: a competing risk analysis
Authors: Ren Ziyang , Nie Lirong , Du Yushan , Liu Jufen
Published: April 2024

Background

Depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment often interact, rendering their associations controversial. To date, their joint trajectories and associations with dementia and death remain underexplored.

Aims

To explore the interactions between depressive symptoms and cognitive function, their developmental trajectories and the associations with all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and all-cause death in older adults.

Methods

Data were from the Health and Retirement Study. Depressive symptoms and cognitive function were measured using the 8-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status, respectively. All-cause dementia and AD were defined by self-reported or proxy-reported physician diagnoses. All-cause death was determined by interviews. The restricted cubic spline, group-based trajectory modelling and subdistribution hazard regression were used.

Results

Significant interactions between depressive symptoms and cognitive function in 2010 in their association with new-onset all-cause dementia and AD from 2010 to 2020 were found, especially in women (p for interaction <0.05). Independent trajectory analysis showed that emerging or high (vs no) depressive trajectories and poor or rapidly decreased cognitive trajectories (vs very good) from 1996 to 2010 were at significantly higher risk of subsequent all-cause dementia, AD and all-cause death. 15 joint trajectories of depressive symptoms and cognitive function from 1996 to 2010 were determined, where rapidly decreased cognitive function was more common in those with no depressive symptoms. Compared with older adults with the trajectory of no depressive symptoms and very good cognitive function, those with the trajectory of no depressive symptoms but rapidly decreased cognitive function were much more likely to develop new-onset all-cause dementia and death, with subdistribution hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 4.47 (2.99 to 6.67) and 1.84 (1.43 to 2.36), especially in women.

Conclusions

To effectively mitigate the risk of dementia and death, it is crucial to acknowledge the importance of preventing cognitive decline in older adults without depressive symptoms, particularly in women.
Associations between life course longitudinal growth and hip shapes at ages 60–64 years: evidence from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development
Authors: Staines Katherine Ann , Saunders Fiona R , Ireland Alex , Aspden Richard M , Gregory Jennifer S , Hardy Rebecca J , Cooper Rachel
Published: April 2024

Objective

We sought to examine associations between height gain across childhood and adolescence with hip shape in individuals aged 60–64 years from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development, a nationally representative British birth cohort.

Methods

Height was measured at ages 2, 4, 6, 7, 11 and 15 years, and self-reported at age 20 years. 10 modes of variation in hip shape (HM1–10), described by statistical shape models, were previously ascertained from DXA images taken at ages 60–64 years. Associations between (1) height at each age; (2) Super-Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) growth curve variables of height size, tempo and velocity; and (3) height gain during specific periods of childhood and adolescence, and HM1–10 were tested.

Results

Faster growth velocity was associated with a wider, flatter femoral head and neck, as described by positive scores for HM6 (regression coefficient 0.014; 95% CI 0.08 to 0.019; p<0.001) and HM7 (regression coefficient 0.07; 95% CI 0.002 to 0.013; p=0.009), and negative scores for HM10 (regression coefficient −0.006; 95% CI −0.011 to 0.00, p=0.04) and HM2 (males only, regression coefficient −0.017; 95% CI −0.026 to −0.09; p<0.001). Similar associations were observed with greater height size and later height tempo. Examination of height gains during specific periods of childhood and adolescence identified those during the adolescence period as being most consistently associated.

Conclusion

Our analyses suggest that individual growth patterns, particularly in the adolescent period, are associated with modest variations in hip shape at 60–64 years, which are consistent with features seen in osteoarthritis.
Utility of testing for third-generation anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP3) antibodies in individuals who present with new musculoskeletal symptoms but have a negative second-generation anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP2) antibody test
Authors: Di Matteo Andrea , Mankia Kulveer , Garcia-Montoya Leticia , Sharrack Sana , Duquenne Laurence , Nam Jacqueline L , Mahler Michael , Emery Paul
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To investigate the role of third-generation anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP3) antibodies in predicting progression to inflammatory arthritis (IA) in individuals with new musculoskeletal (MSK) symptoms and a negative second-generation anti-CCP antibody test (anti-CCP2−).

Methods

469 anti-CCP2− individuals underwent baseline anti-CCP3 testing (QUANTA Lite CCP3; Inova Diagnostics) and received a post enrolment 12-month questionnaire. A rheumatologist confirmed or excluded diagnosis of IA. Univariable/multivariable analyses were performed to assess the value of anti-CCP3 in predicting IA development in these anti-CCP2− individuals.

Results

Only 16/469 (3.4%) anti-CCP2− individuals had a positive anti-CCP3 test. Of these 16 individuals, 4 developed IA. In addition, 61/469 (13.0%) anti-CCP2− individuals self-reported, to have developed, IA. Progression was confirmed in 43/61 of them (70.5%); of whom 30/43 (69.8%) and 13/43 (30.2%) were given a diagnosis of IA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), respectively. In qualitative univariable analysis, anti-CCP3 positivity was associated with self-reported progression (p<0.01) and IA (p=0.03), but not with RA. Anti-CCP3 levels differed significantly between progressors and non-progressors (p<0.01) for all three categories. At the manufacturer’s cut-off, OR for progression ranged from 2.4 (95% CI 0.5 to 18.6; RA) to 7.5 (95% CI 2.3 to 24.0; self-reported progression). Interestingly, when cut-offs for anti-CCP3 were optimised, lower values (≥5 units) significantly increased the OR for progression in all three categories. In multivariable analysis, anti-CCP3 positivity at the manufacturer’s cut-off did not remain associated with IA progression, while this lower cut-off value (≥5 units) was associated with diagnosis of RA (p=0.02).

Conclusions

Anti-CCP3 testing could improve the prediction of IA development in anti-CCP2− individuals with new MSK symptoms.
Pharmacist-only supply of nicotine vaping products: proposing an alternative regulatory model for Australia
Authors: Brookfield Samuel , Steadman Kathryn J , Nissen Lisa , Gartner Coral E
Published: April 2024

Regulation of nicotine vaping products (NVPs) is an ongoing challenge across the world. Australia currently has a globally unique NVP regulatory model that requires a medical prescription to purchase and use NVPs, with further restrictions in progress in response to evidence of widespread illicit NVP sales. Against this background, we examine the new measures and consider a modification of the model to pharmacist-only supply as an option for increasing access to NVPs for smoking cessation, while retaining health practitioner oversight of supply. We describe the strengths and challenges of implementing a pharmacist-only NVP supply option in Australia. Compared with the current prescription-only model, pharmacist-only supply could increase access to a lower exposure nicotine product in a highly regulated therapeutic context while addressing youth access and purchasing for non-therapeutic use, reduce demand for illicit products for smoking cessation purposes and avoid overburdening medical services with consultations to obtain NVP prescriptions. This approach can also accommodate current government goals such as eliminating NVP advertising, youth-focused branding and supply from grocery and convenience stores.
Accounting for dominance genetic variation in carcass quality traits of Canadian crossbred beef cattle
Authors: Alipanah M. , Valente T.S. , Abo-Ismail M.K. , Plastow G.S. , Basarab J.A. , Crowley J.J. , Akanno E.C.
Published: April 2024

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the contribution of additive and dominance genetic effects to the phenotypic variation of carcass quality traits and to identify the underlying genetic variants associated with these traits. A total of 3958 Canadian crossbred beef cattle with phenotype and genotype data were used in two models: (1) additive and (2) joint additive and dominance genomic models that included fixed contemporary group, and covariates of slaughter age, and the eigenvectors of five principal components to account for population structure. Variance components and genome-wide association analyses were performed, and a 10% genome-wide false discovery rate (FDR) was applied to declare associations as significant. Genomic heritability ranged from 0.31 ± 0.03 for ultrasound rib eye area to 0.46 ± 0.05 for marbling score. Up to 10% dominance genetic variation was observed for ultrasound rib eye area and marbling score, indicating the contribution of dominance genetic effects to these trait variations. Eleven overlapping significant single-nucleotide polymorphism associations were identified across the studied traits and models. The identified candidate genes (e.g., BTC, SPP1, and SEPSECS) have biological functions related to tissue growth and skeletal muscle development and can be further validated in other cattle populations to determine their usefulness for beef cattle genetic improvement.
Canadian seismic design coefficients for coupled composite plate shear wall/concrete filled (CC-PSW/CF)
Authors: Koirala Ashim , Kizilarslan Emre , Bruneau Michel , Tremblay Robert
Published: April 2024

Concrete-filled coupled composite plate shear walls (also known as as SpeedCore walls) are gaining acceptance for construction in seismic region throughout North America. Design provisions for this lateral load-resisting system have already been added to ASCE 7-22 and to the American Institute of Steel Construction Seismic Design Provisions. Adequacy of the seismic design parameters used for this structural purpose has been validated in the USA using the FEMA P695 methodology. An interest was expressed by the practicing engineering community to use these walls in Canada, which requires demonstration of satisfactory seismic performance within the Canadian context. As such, new analyses are needed using Canadian-specific sets of ground motions to confirm the adequacy of the seismic design parameters proposed for implementation of these composite walls in the National Building Code of Canada. This paper presents the results of these analyses, showing that the proposed seismic performance factors are appropriate for this structural system in Canada.
Estimating whisker growth rates and foraging profiles for northern fur seal pups and adult females using stable isotope analysis
Authors: Howard Tanner J. , Orr Anthony J. , Narel Kimberly , Kurle Carolyn M.
Published: April 2024

Changing ratios of stable carbon ( δ13C) and nitrogen ( δ15N) isotopes in consumer tissues reflect foraging patterns over time and can be used to inform studies on historically vulnerable populations. Northern fur seals (NFS; Callorhinus ursinus) at San Miguel Island (SMI), California, have been severely impacted by climate events such as El Niño and remain susceptible to future environmental disturbances, necessitating the need to further understand their foraging ecology. We analyzed sequential δ13C and δ15N values along single NFS whiskers sampled from five pups and five unrelated post-parturient females at SMI and reconstructed temporally aligned stable isotope profiles for each whisker. Pup profiles consistently showed increases in postnatal δ13C and δ15N values that likely stem from pup consumption of maternal milk and changes in maternal foraging locations after parturition. Adult female profiles indicated predominantly heterogeneous foraging strategies and minimal foraging outside the Southern California Bight. These findings provide initial characterizations of longitudinal, stable isotope-derived foraging data for NFS from SMI and offer insight into the inference of otariid foraging ecology with sequential δ13C and δ15N values.
Personalized Explainable Recommendations for Self-Attention Collaboration
Authors: Zha Yongfu , Che Xuanxuan , Sun Lina , Dong Yumin
Published: April 2024

In recommender systems, providing reasonable explanations can enhance users’ comprehension of recommended results. Template-based explainable recommendation heavily relies on pre-defined templates, constraining the expressiveness of generated sentences and resulting in low-quality explanations. Recently, a novel approach was introduced, utilizing embedding representations of items and comments to address the issue of user IDs and item IDs not residing in the same semantic space as words, thus attributing linguistic meaning to IDs. However, these models often fail to fully exploit collaborative information within the data. In personalized recommendation and explanation processes, understanding the user’s emotional feedback and feature preferences is paramount. To address this, we propose a personalized explainable recommendation model based on self-attention collaboration. Initially, the model employs an attention network to amalgamate the user’s historical interaction feature preferences with their user ID information, while simultaneously integrating all feature information of the item with its item ID to enhance semantic ID representation. Subsequently, the model incorporates the user’s comment feature rhetoric and sentiment feedback to generate more personalized recommendation explanations utilizing a self-attention network. Experimental evaluations conducted on two datasets of varying scales demonstrate the superiority of our model over current state-of-the-art approaches, validating its effectiveness.
An Electrochemical Perspective on Reaction Acceleration in Microdroplets
Authors: Vannoy Kathryn J. , Edwards Myles Quinn , Renault Christophe , Dick Jeffrey E.
Published: April 2024

Analytical techniques operating at the nanoscale introduce confinement as a tool at our disposal. This review delves into the phenomenon of accelerated reactivity within micro- and nanodroplets. A decade of accelerated reactivity observations was succeeded by several years of fundamental studies aimed at mechanistic enlightenment. Herein, we provide a brief historical context for rate enhancement in and around micro- and nanodroplets and summarize the mechanisms that have been proposed to contribute to such extraordinary reactivity. We highlight recent electrochemical reports that make use of restricted mass transfer to enhance electrochemical reactions and/or quantitatively measure reaction rates within droplet-confined electrochemical cells. A comprehensive approach to nanodroplet reactivity is paramount to understanding how nature takes advantage of these systems to provide life on Earth and, in turn, how to harness the full potential of such systems.
Analysis of RNA and Its Modifications
Authors: Herbert Cassandra , Valesyan Satenik , Kist Jennifer , Limbach Patrick A.
Published: April 2024

Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are key biomolecules responsible for the transmission of genetic information, the synthesis of proteins, and modulation of many biochemical processes. They are also often the key components of viruses. Synthetic RNAs or oligoribonucleotides are becoming more widely used as therapeutics. In many cases, RNAs will be chemically modified, either naturally via enzymatic systems within a cell or intentionally during their synthesis. Analytical methods to detect, sequence, identify, and quantify RNA and its modifications have demands that far exceed requirements found in the DNA realm. Two complementary platforms have demonstrated their value and utility for the characterization of RNA and its modifications: mass spectrometry and next-generation sequencing. This review highlights recent advances in both platforms, examines their relative strengths and weaknesses, and explores some alternative approaches that lie at the horizon.
Conserving Evolutionary Potential: Combining Landscape Genomics with Established Methods to Inform Plant Conservation
Authors: Aitken Sally N. , Jordan Rebecca , Tumas Hayley R.
Published: April 2024

Biodiversity conservation requires conserving evolutionary potential—the capacity for wild populations to adapt. Understanding genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics is critical for informing conservation decisions that enhance adaptability and persistence under environmental change. We review how emerging landscape genomic methods provide plant conservation programs with insights into evolutionary dynamics, including local adaptation and its environmental drivers. Landscape genomic approaches that explore relationships between genomic variation and environments complement rather than replace established population genomic and common garden approaches for assessing adaptive phenotypic variation, population structure, gene flow, and demography. Collectively, these approaches inform conservation actions, including genetic rescue, maladaptation prediction, and assisted gene flow. The greatest on-the-ground impacts from such studies will be realized when conservation practitioners are actively engaged in research and monitoring. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics shaping the genetic diversity of wild plant populations will inform plant conservation decisions that enhance the adaptability and persistence of species in an uncertain future.
Replication–Transcription Conflicts: A Perpetual War on the Chromosome
Authors: Browning Kaitlyn R. , Merrikh Houra
Published: April 2024

DNA replication and transcription occur in all living cells across all domains of life. Both essential processes occur simultaneously on the same template, leading to conflicts between the macromolecular machines that perform these functions. Numerous studies over the past few decades demonstrate that this is an inevitable problem in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. We have learned that conflicts lead to replication fork reversal, breaks in the DNA, R-loop formation, topological stress, and mutagenesis and can ultimately impact evolution. Recent studies have also provided insight into the various mechanisms that mitigate, resolve, and allow tolerance of conflicts and how conflicts result in pathological consequences across divergent species. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge regarding the outcomes of the encounters between replication and transcription machineries and explore how these clashes are dealt with across species.
The Story of RNA Unfolded: The Molecular Function of DEAD- and DExH-Box ATPases and Their Complex Relationship with Membraneless Organelles
Authors: Dörner Kerstin , Hondele Maria
Published: April 2024

DEAD- and DExH-box ATPases (DDX/DHXs) are abundant and highly conserved cellular enzymes ubiquitously involved in RNA processing. By remodeling RNA–RNA and RNA–protein interactions, they often function as gatekeepers that control the progression of diverse RNA maturation steps. Intriguingly, most DDX/DHXs localize to membraneless organelles (MLOs) such as nucleoli, nuclear speckles, stress granules, or processing bodies. Recent findings suggest not only that localization to MLOs can promote interaction between DDX/DHXs and their targets but also that DDX/DHXs are key regulators of MLO formation and turnover through their condensation and ATPase activity.In this review, we describe the molecular function of DDX/DHXs in ribosome biogenesis, messenger RNA splicing, export, translation, and storage or decay as well as their association with prominent MLOs. We discuss how the enzymatic function of DDX/DHXs in RNA processing is linked to DDX/DHX condensation, the accumulation of ribonucleoprotein particles and MLO dynamics. Future research will reveal how these processes orchestrate the RNA life cycle in MLO space and DDX/DHX time.
Deep Learning Sequence Models for Transcriptional Regulation
Authors: Sokolova Ksenia , Chen Kathleen M. , Hao Yun , Zhou Jian , Troyanskaya Olga G.
Published: April 2024

Deciphering the regulatory code of gene expression and interpreting the transcriptional effects of genome variation are critical challenges in human genetics. Modern experimental technologies have resulted in an abundance of data, enabling the development of sequence-based deep learning models that link patterns embedded in DNA to the biochemical and regulatory properties contributing to transcriptional regulation, including modeling epigenetic marks, 3D genome organization, and gene expression, with tissue and cell-type specificity. Such methods can predict the functional consequences of any noncoding variant in the human genome, even rare or never-before-observed variants, and systematically characterize their consequences beyond what is tractable from experiments or quantitative genetics studies alone. Recently, the development and application of interpretability approaches have led to the identification of key sequence patterns contributing to the predicted tasks, providing insights into the underlying biological mechanisms learned and revealing opportunities for improvement in future models.
The New Education Politics in the United States
Authors: Collins Jonathan , Reckhow Sarah
Published: April 2024

During the COVID-19 pandemic, school district politics rose to prominence on the nation's political agenda, as school boards grappled with controversial decisions about reopening schools and implementing mask mandates. A growing number of political scientists are using newly available data and innovative research strategies to examine policy responsiveness, elections, segregation and inequality, state takeovers, interest groups, democratic deliberation, and public opinion—all while focusing on the unique context of education politics. We illuminate the distinctive institutional and policy context of US education politics and review new research in the field, including growing evidence of partisan polarization and the continuing significance of race for influencing power and decision making about schools in the United States. The field has made great strides in the last decade; we highlight the emerging themes from that already rapidly growing literature, while pointing out areas for future research.