bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can Strategy Address the Climate Crisis Without Losing its Essence?
Authors: Davis Gerald F. , DeWitt Theodore
Published: May 2024

How should academic fields take on the existential risks created by the climate crisis? What can business schools do to accelerate the decarbonization of business required to save our species? In their Point, Bansal et al. argue that the field of strategic management is complicit in bringing about our current crisis, and they propose to reformulate the field's very foundations to help get us out. In our Counterpoint, we show why we agree with the diagnosis but argue why we are sceptical of the cure. Strategic management incubated in business schools devoted to creating shareholder value, and its central frameworks commit it to this mission, making it fundamentally impossible to reform. The adjustments suggested by Bansal et al. might nudge what is published in journals but will not solve the bigger challenge. If we are to turn back from the climate disaster and begin the process of mitigation and remediation, we need to equip firms to decarbonize their operations as quickly as possible, and to create new kinds of enterprise to bring about the clean energy transition. Given its history and methods, organization theory may be better equipped to take on this role.
The use of decodable texts in the teaching of reading in children without reading disabilities: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Murphy Odo Dennis
Published: May 2024

The purpose of this meta‐analysis is to synthesise the research evidence on the use of decodable texts in the teaching of word reading and pseudoword decoding to determine their effectiveness in facilitating the development of reading skills in children without reading disabilities. A total of 821 articles were identified in the initial search. The search resulted in 16 articles that met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta‐analyses. The results of the risk of bias assessment revealed that the majority of the studies had a moderate to serious bias. The average standardised mean difference for word reading was small g = 0.20 and moderate g = 0.30 for pseudoword decoding. This finding highlights how using decodable texts can facilitate word reading and decoding to some degree, but they need to be used in combination with other reading instructional materials.
A meta‐analysis of the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on tropical mammal functional diversity
Authors: Resende Paloma Silva , Viana‐Junior Arleu Barbosa , Bovendorp Ricardo S.
Published: May 2024

Understanding the processes that shape biological communities under a variety of perturbations is a central challenge in ecology and conservation. Mammals contribute to critical functional processes of an ecosystem, such as seed dispersal to maintain forest carbon stocks.

The analysis of functional diversity, which measures the range and value of the ecological traits of organisms, provides critical information to understanding the link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

A growing number of studies have investigated the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on mammalian functional diversity; however, their results are very heterogeneous.

Here, we conduct a comprehensive meta‐analysis of the effects of such anthropogenic disturbances on mammalian functional diversity in the tropics. We highlight major trends and analyse the influence of the type of anthropogenic disturbance, subgroups, and the functional diversity index used/applied.

Our results indicate a negative effect of anthropogenic disturbances on mammalian functional diversity, particularly on functional richness (FRic) and functional dispersion (FDis). Habitat isolation was the stressor with the strongest effect, while agriculture and urbanisation showed a positive link with functional diversity.

These results indicate that anthropogenic disturbances not only affect taxonomic diversity, but also reduce the functional diversity of mammals, which is likely to affect ecosystem functioning and possibly ecosystem service provision.
Effect of a preoperative evidence‐based care education on postoperative recovery of cardiac surgery patients: A quasi‐experimental study
Authors: Ongun Pinar , Oztekin Seher Deniz , Bugra Onursal , Dolapoglu Ahmet
Published: May 2024

Background

Preoperative nursing care affects many factors such as reducing the length of hospital stay of the patients in the perioperative period, the rate of postoperative complications, the duration of the operation, decrease of postoperative pain level and early mobilization.

Aim

We aimed to determine the effect of preoperative evidence‐based care education that given to cardiac surgery clinical nurses on the postoperative recovery of patients.

Study Design

The research was planned as quasi‐experimental. Eighty‐six patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery were divided into control and intervention groups. First, the ongoing preoperative care practices and patient recovery outcomes of the clinic were recorded for the control group data. Second, education was provided for the clinical nurses about the preoperative evidence‐based care list, and a pilot application was implemented. Finally, the evidence‐based care list was applied by the nurses to the intervention group, and its effects on patient outcomes were evaluated. The data were collected using the preoperative evidence‐based care list, descriptive information form, intraoperative information form and postoperative patient evaluation form.

Results

The evidence‐based care list was applied to the patients in the intervention group, with 100% adherence by the nurses. All pain level measurements in the intervention group were significantly lower in all measurements (p = .00). The body temperature measurements (two measurements) of the intervention group were higher (p = .00). The postoperative hospital stays of the control group and the intervention group were 11.21 ± 8.41 and 9.50 ± 3.61 days.

Conclusion

The presented preoperative evidence‐based care list can be used safely in nursing practices for patients. It provides effective normothermia, reduces the level of pain, shortens the hospital stay and reduces the number of postoperative complications.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

By applying a preoperative evidence‐based care to patients undergoing cardiac surgery, pain levels, hospital stays and the number of complications decrease, and it is possible to maintain normothermia. An evidence‐based care can be used to ensure rapid postoperative recovery for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
How to be a perspectival pluralist
Authors: Solomyak Olla
Published: May 2024

The temporal, first‐personal, and modal domains in metaphysics involve a range of perspectives on reality: the perspective of the present as opposed to those of other times, the perspective of one's own self as opposed to those of other subjects, and the perspective of the actual world as opposed to those of other possible worlds. In each case, we can ask about the metaphysical standing of these various perspectives with respect to one another: Is one perspective privileged above the rest? There is a tension at the heart of our intuitive conception of the phenomena in these domains, motivating (at least in some of these cases) a pluralist conception of reality — a stance which attempts to take seriously the absoluteness of the present‐tensed, first‐personal, or actual‐worldly facts, while also embracing the equal standing in reality of all perspectives of the relevant kind. My purpose in this paper is, first, to present an overview of recently popular forms of pluralism — or, what Fine (2005) calls non‐standard realism — with a particular focus on fragmentalism. I'll then raise a worry for fragmentalist views, and finally, present an alternative form of pluralism about the perspectival. We'll see that, while in some ways more radical, the alternative form of pluralism I present has some conceptual advantages over more familiar non‐standard realist views, and — more generally — can help illuminate the space of possible pluralist views about the perspectival.
Co‐localization and analysis of miR477b with fiber length quantitative trait loci in cotton
Authors: Song Jikun , Liu Guoyuan , Jin Changyin , Pei Wenfeng , Zhang Bingbing , Jia Bing , Wu Man , Ma Jianjiang , Liu Ji , Zhang Jinfa , Yu Jiwen
Published: May 2024

Cotton is an important cash crop for the textile industry. However, the understanding of natural genetic variation of fiber elongation in relation to miRNA is lacking. A miRNA gene (miR477b) was found to co‐localize with a previously mapped fiber length (FL) quantitative trait locus (QTL). The miR477b was differentially expressed during fiber elongation between two backcross inbred lines (BILs) differing in FL and its precursor sequences. Bioinformatics and qRT‐PCR analysis were further used to analyse the miRNA genes, which could produce mature miR477b. Cotton plants with virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) constructs to over‐express the allele of miR477b from the BIL with longer fibers had significantly longer fibers as compared with negative control plants, while the VIGS plants with suppressed miRNA expression had significantly shorter fibers. The expression level of the target gene (DELLA) and related genes (RDL1 and EXPA1 for DELLA through HOX3 protein) in the two BILs and/or the VIGS plants were generally congruent, as expected. This report represents one of the first comprehensive studies to integrate QTL linkage mapping and physical mapping of small RNAs with both small and mRNA transcriptome analysis, followed by VIGS, to identify candidate small RNA genes affecting the natural variation of fiber elongation in cotton.
Effects of different extenders on epigenetic patterns and functional parameters of bull sperm during cryopreservation process
Authors: Fouladvandi Razieh , Masoudi Ali Akbar , Totonchi Mehdi , Hezavehei Maryam , Sharafi Mohsen
Published: May 2024

The cryopreservation process induces alterations in cellular parameters and epigenetic patterns in bull sperm, which can be prevented by adding cryoprotectants in the freezing extenders. The purpose of this study was to compare the protective effects of two extenders based on soybean lecithin (SLE) and egg yolk (EYE) on epigenetic patterns and quality parameters of sperm such as motility parameters, mitochondrial membrane integrity, DNA fragmentation, viability, and apoptotic‐like changes of bull sperm after cryopreservation. Results demonstrated that cryopreservation significantly (p < .05) reduced the level of DNA global methylation, H3K9 histone acetylation, and H3K4 histone methylation in both frozen groups compared to the fresh sperm. Also, the level of H3K9 acetylation was lower in the frozen SLE group (21.2 ± 1.86) compared to EYE group (15.2 ± 1.86). In addition, the SLE frozen group had a higher percentage of viability, progressive motility, and linearity (LIN) in SLE frozen group compared to EYE frozen group. However, no difference was observed in mitochondrial membrane integrity and DNA fragmentation between SLE and EYE frozen groups. While soybean‐lecithin‐based extender showed some initial positive impacts of epigenetics and semen parameters, further investigations can provide useful information for better freezing.
Effect of exogenous oestrogen treatment frequency on induction of artificial lactation in pseudopregnant sows
Authors: Noguchi Michiko , Suzuki Takehito , Sasaki Yosuke
Published: May 2024

In this study, we examined whether the frequency of exogenous oestrogen treatment affects the induction of artificial lactation and milk production. Furthermore, we analysed changes in milk components obtained from artificially lactating sows. Pseudopregnant induced by treatment with 30 mg of estradiol dipropionate (EDP) on Day 10 (Day 0 = the last day of estrus) were divided into three groups: those administered 5 mg of EDP once on Day 39 (n = 5), twice on Days 32 and 39 (n = 5) and three times on Days 25, 32 and 39 (n = 6). All animals were treated with prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) on Day 46 for induced lactation. Artificial lactation was induced in 66.7%–80.0% of sows, and the EDP treatment frequency before PGF2α administration had no significant effect on either the induction rate of artificial lactation or the milk yield during the experimental period. The milk composition (levels of crude protein, crude fat, crude ash, lactose and immunoglobulin) did not differ among the groups. In conclusion, the number of EDP treatments prior to PGF2α administration had no effect on either the efficiency of artificial lactation induction or milk production.
Potential role of oxidative stress in pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia in male dogs
Authors: Domosławska‐Wyderska Anna , Zduńczyk Sławomir , Rafalska Agata
Published: May 2024

The pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in dogs is still not fully understood. Some studies suggest that oxidative stress may have a potential role in the pathogenesis of BPH in dogs. Age‐related hormonal changes may activate a chronic inflammatory response in the prostate. This causes the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and results in oxidative stress. Excessive production of ROS results in DNA damage and hyperplastic transformation of prostatic cells. The use of antioxidants for improvement of treatment outcomes for canine PBH has been discussed. Further research is needed on the importance of oxidative stress in the development of BPH in dogs and the usefulness of antioxidants in the supportive treatment of this condition.
Touching the wounds of colonial duration: Fanon's anticolonial critical phenomenology
Authors: Al‐Saji Alia
Published: May 2024

I counter a tendency in critical phenomenology to read Frantz Fanon as derivative upon, indeed reducible to, other (European) phenomenologies, eliding the originality and contemporaneity of his method. I propose it is time to read phenomenology through Fanon, instead of centering analysis on his assumed debt to Maurice Merleau‐Ponty's body schema. Fanon reconfigures and ungrounds phenomenology in Peau noire, masques blancs (Black Skin, White Masks). I show how he creates his own method through an anticolonial phenomenology of touch and affect that breaks with the perceptual spectacle at the center of most phenomenologies before him. I read Fanon's “toucher du doigt”—in contrastive relation to Edmund Husserl's touch‐sensings—to define a phenomenology that dwells with colonial wounding and holds the memory of a “burning” colonial duration. This is to say that Fanon's phenomenology is not mere description; rather, Fanon invents a critical, distinctly temporal, and anticolonial method from the affective territory in which he has had to dwell. This method addresses the conditions of possibility for doing (critical) phenomenology. Fanonian phenomenology makes tangible the (de)structuring violence through which colonialism ontologizes itself, while providing tools to dwell with the wounding and critically mine it—to create possibilities for living otherwise than what colonialism makes of us.
Prevalence of anterior uveitis in cases of systemic inflammatory response syndrome in dogs and cats
Authors: Fortuny‐Clanchet Marc , Anaya Cristina , Cairó Martí , Fenollosa‐Romero Elena , González Alicia , Costa Daniel
Published: May 2024

Objective

To determine the prevalence of anterior uveitis in dogs and cats hospitalized with a diagnosis of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Animals studied

Dogs and cats hospitalized between May 2020 and January 2021 were prospectively included.

Procedures

Patients were categorized into two different groups: The first group included patients diagnosed with SIRS, and the second group included patients hospitalized without SIRS as a control group. Daily physical and ophthalmological examinations were conducted during hospitalization. Diagnosis of anterior uveitis was made based on the presence of aqueous flare, low intraocular pressure, and other associated ocular signs such as episcleral injection and miosis. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate factors associated with SIRS and anterior uveitis development.

Results

The study comprised 42 patients with SIRS and 26 patients without SIRS. Among those with SIRS, 38% developed anterior uveitis, whereas only 7.7% of patients without SIRS showed signs of anterior uveitis. The prevalence of uveitis was significantly higher in animals with SIRS compared to those without SIRS (p < .05).

Conclusion

Anterior uveitis is more prevalent in patients with SIRS than patients without SIRS. Therefore, complete ophthalmic examination is recommended in all patients presenting with this syndrome.
Unsupervised Anomaly Detection for Power Batteries: A Temporal Convolution Autoencoder Framework
Authors: Wang Juan , Ye Yonggang , Wu Minghu , Zhang Fan , Cao Ye , Zhang Zetao , Chen Ming , Tang Jing
Published: May 2024

To prevent potential abnormalities from escalating into critical faults, a rapid and precise algorithm should be employed for detecting power battery anomalies. An unsupervised model based on a temporal convolutional autoencoder was proposed. It can quickly and accurately identify abnormal power battery data. Its encoder utilized a temporal convolutional network (TCN) structure with residuals to parallelly process data while capturing time dependencies. A novel TCN structure with an effect–cause relationship was developed for the decoder. The same-timescale connection was established between the encoder and decoder to improve the model performance. The validity of the proposed model was confirmed using a real-world car dataset. Compared with the GRU-AE model, the proposed approach reduced the parameter count and mean square error by 19.5% and 71.9%, respectively. This study provides insights into the intelligent battery pack abnormality detection technology.
Surface Roughness Model of Ground 4H-SiC Considering Ductile and Brittle Removal
Authors: Xiang Hongyi , Wang Haoxiang , Kang Renke , Gao Shang
Published: May 2024

Surface roughness is a critical indicator to evaluate the quality of 4H-SiC grinding surfaces. Determining surface roughness experimentally is a time-consuming and laborious process, and developing a reliable model for predicting surface roughness is a key challenge in 4H-SiC grinding. However, the existing models for surface roughness in wafer rotational grinding fail to yield reasonable results because they do not adequately consider the processing parameters and material characteristics. In this study, we proposed a new analytical model for predicting surface roughness in 4H-SiC wafer rotational grinding, which comprehensively incorporates the grinding conditions and material characteristics of brittle substrate. This model derives and calculates the material's elastic recovery coefficient based on contact mechanics and elastic contact theory. Subsequently, we modified the grain depth-of-cut model by incorporating elastic recovery coefficient. Additionally, we analyze the distribution of the failure mode (ductile or brittle) on the surface of a material when the depth at which the material is cut instead follows a random distribution known as the Rayleigh distribution. To validate the accuracy of the established model, a series of grinding experiments are conducted using various grain depth-of-cut to produce 4H-SiC wafers with different surface roughness values. These results are then compared with those predicted by both this model and the traditional model. The findings demonstrate that the calculated data obtained from the proposed model exhibit better agreement with the measured data. This research addresses the need for an improved surface roughness model in 4H-SiC wafer rotational grinding.
Numerical Study on the Local Aggregation of Helium Bubbles in Liquid Lithium and Its Thermal Analysis
Authors: Liu Yongfu , He Yi , Tan Peng
Published: May 2024

Liquid lithium is widely regarded as an optimal cooling medium for space nuclear reactors due to its exceptional heat transfer properties and low density. However, the helium bubbles generated by liquid lithium under space irradiation pose significant hazards to the safe and stable operation of nuclear reactions. This study employs the COMSOL finite element software to construct the level-set two-phase flow models and bubble stream model separately to investigate the local accumulation of helium bubbles and the overall flow of low-concentration gas–liquid mixtures. The main focus is on examining the different distributions of multiple helium bubbles randomly generated in local liquid lithium and the influence of boundary conditions on their accumulation morphology, as well as the impact of low-concentration bubble stream on their overall heat transfer performance. Agglomerated bubbles with radii between 5 μm and 150 μm are classified into three categories based on local concentrations: circular (≤20.37%), irregular elongated (up to 30.44%), and banded (up to 36.31%).The interconnected banded bubbles can be up to 8 times larger than irregularly elongated ones, and they have a positive effect on the distribution of physical quantities and wall temperature perturbations in the pipeline. The increase in inlet velocity triggers bubble impacts and fragmentation, further reducing thermal resistance and enhancing heat transfer performance. When the bubble diameter is less than 15 μm and the bubble concentration is within 1%, the influence of the mixed flow on overall heat transfer is not significant. This study provides insights for manipulating bubble structure and guiding localized and comprehensive thermal analyses.
Cooling Performance Improvement for Two Hot Elastic Plates by Using Double Channels With Rotating Cylinders
Authors: Selimefendigil Fatih , Öztop Hakan F.
Published: May 2024

Alternative cooling systems that can be used for thermal management in different technological applications such as in batteries, solar panels, electronic systems, and in diverse heat transfer equipments are needed. This study uses a hybrid channel system with rotating circular cylinders to explore the cooling of two heated elastic plates. The numerical analysis of a coupled fluid–structure–thermal system with rotating cylinders is done using the finite element technique with arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE). The study is carried out for different values of the Reynolds number (Re) in the upper channel flow (between 200 and 1000), the nondimensional rotational speeds of the cylinders (Ω in the range between −1000 and 1000), and the nondimensional location of the cylinders (between 0.4 and 1) taking into account the cooling of both the rigid and elastic plates. Rigid plates have better cooling performance than elastic ones. The cooling performance increases for both rigid and elastic plates, up to 26.1% and 31.7%, respectively, at the maximum upper channel flow Re. For elastic and rigid plates, counter-clockwise (CCW) rotation at maximum speed increases cooling performance by 18.5% and 19%, respectively, but clockwise (CW) rotation increments cooling performance by only 7%. The rigid plate’s cooling performance increases by 23.6% when rotation is activated at its maximum speed as opposed to a cooling system without cylinders. Thermal performance varies between 26% and 29% when the cylinder is positioned horizontally differently. By using optimization, the cooling performance increase with rotating cylinders at Re = 200, which is determined to be 73.6% more than that of the case without cylinders. Optimization results in an extra 11.2% increase in cooling performance at Re = 1000 when compared to the parametric computational fluid dynamics (CFD) scenario.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Methane/Air and Biogas/Air Coflow Flames in a Confined Coaxial Burner
Authors: Pattanashetti Arun , Santhosh R.
Published: May 2024

The present experimental-cum-numerical work reports three different types of transitions (Type I, Type II, and Type III) observed in the flame topology of non-premixed methane/air and biogas/air coflow flames as the co-annular air Reynolds number (Rea) is varied from zero to maximum limit or till flame blows off/blows out for a given range of fuel Reynolds number (Ref). Type I transition represents the transformation from burner lip-attached flame to lifted flame and then backward propagation towards the burner exit plane as Rea is increased. In Type II transition, the burner lip-attached flame lifts off from the burner exit, stabilizes at a new location, and then extinguishes as Rea is increased. In Type III transition, the burner lip-attached flame directly extinguishes as Rea is increased. RANS-Based 3D numerical simulations are performed to simulate these three types of transitions (Type I, Type II, and Type III) using GRI 2.11 detailed reaction mechanism. Flow turbulence is modeled by employing the standard k−ɛ turbulent model. Flamelet-Generated Manifold (FGM) approach is used as the turbulent-combustion model. To validate the numerical method/models, the numerical temperature profiles have been compared against the experimental temperature measurements as a part of the present work. The numerical results are employed to gain further insights to understand flame–flow interactions.
Evaluating Model Robustness for Defect Identification and Classification in a Composite Aerostructure Material
Authors: Yunker Austin , Lake Rami , Kettimuthu Rajkumar , Kral Zachary
Published: May 2024

Aircraft structures are required to have a high level of quality to satisfy their need for light weight, efficient flight, and withstanding high loads over their lifespan. These aerostructures are typically made from a composite material due to their good tensile strength and resistance to compression. To ensure their structural integrity, the composite material requires inspection for common flaws such as porosity, delaminations, voids, foreign object debris, and other defects. Ultrasonic testing (UT) is a popular non-destructive inspection (NDI) technique used for effectively evaluating the composite material. Current inspection methods rely heavily on human experience and are extremely time consuming. Therefore, there is a need for the development of techniques to reduce the manual inspection time. This work compares the performance of different deep learning-based methods in the identification and classification of defects. Deep learning has shown great promise in numerous fields, and we show its effectiveness in the evaluation of the composite aerostructure material. The methods developed here are both highly reliable with a top recall value of 98.64% as well as extremely efficient requiring an average of 4 s during the inferencing stage to evaluate new composites. Finally, we investigate model robustness to concept drift by measuring its performance over time.
A Phenomenological Evaluation of the Psychological Factors That Influence Motorsports Performance
Authors: Hill Christopher R. , Mellano Kathleen T. , Trujillo Haley B.P. , Ferguson David P.
Published: May 2024

Race car drivers not only face high-speed challenges but also need to manage complex team dynamics and sponsor relations and are exposed to unique fan access while competing. This study examines the unique psychological aspects of motorsports and how race car drivers currently train psychological skills to match these distinctive demands. Adopting a phenomenological approach, this study involved semistructured interviews with 11 professional race car drivers. The interviews focused on drivers’ psychological experiences during racing and their psychological preparation. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed key psychological factors impacting performance. These included concentration, confidence, anxiety, managing emotional states, unique social aspects, and motivation. Drivers also had an interest in psychological-skills training but reported a lack of resources and consistent application. This study highlights the unique psychological challenges presented in motorsports, and the findings underscore the need for targeted psychological-skills training and resources for race car drivers.
Proper network randomization is key to assessing social balance
Authors: Hao Bingjie , Kovács István A.
Published: May 2024

Social ties, either positive or negative, lead to signed network patterns, the subject of balance theory. For example, strong balance introduces cycles with even numbers of negative edges. The statistical significance of such patterns is routinely assessed by comparisons to null models. Yet, results in signed networks remain controversial. Here, we show that even if a network exhibits strong balance by construction, current null models can fail to identify it. Our results indicate that matching the signed degree preferences of the nodes is a critical step and so is the preservation of network topology in the null model. As a solution, we propose the STP null model, which integrates both constraints within a maximum entropy framework. STP randomization leads to qualitatively different results, with most social networks consistently demonstrating strong balance in three- and four-node patterns. On the basis our results, we present a potential wiring mechanism behind the observed signed patterns and outline further applications of STP randomization.
Early-life exposure to tobacco, genetic susceptibility, and accelerated biological aging in adulthood
Authors: Cui Feipeng , Tang Linxi , Li Dankang , Ma Yudiyang , Wang Jianing , Xie Junqing , Su Binbin , Tian Yaohua , Zheng Xiaoying
Published: May 2024

Early-life tobacco exposure serves as a non-negligible risk factor for aging-related diseases. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we explored the associations of early-life tobacco exposure with accelerated biological aging and further assessed the joint effects of tobacco exposure and genetic susceptibility. Compared with those without in utero exposure, participants with in utero tobacco exposure had an increase in Klemera-Doubal biological age (KDM-BA) and PhenoAge acceleration of 0.26 and 0.49 years, respectively, but a decrease in telomere length of 5.34% among 276,259 participants. We also found significant dose-response associations between the age of smoking initiation and accelerated biological aging. Furthermore, the joint effects revealed that high–polygenic risk score participants with in utero exposure and smoking initiation in childhood had the highest accelerated biological aging. There were interactions between early-life tobacco exposure and age, sex, deprivation, and diet on KDM-BA and PhenoAge acceleration. These findings highlight the importance of reducing early-life tobacco exposure to improve healthy aging.
Drosophila
TET acts with PRC1 to activate gene expression independently of its catalytic activity
Authors: Gilbert Guerric , Renaud Yoan , Teste Camille , Anglaret Nadège , Bertrand Romane , Hoehn Sven , Jurkowski Tomasz P. , Schuettengruber Bernd , Cavalli Giacomo , Waltzer Lucas , Vandel Laurence
Published: May 2024

Enzymes of the ten-eleven translocation (TET) family play a key role in the regulation of gene expression by oxidizing 5-methylcytosine (5mC), a prominent epigenetic mark in many species. Yet, TET proteins also have less characterized noncanonical modes of action, notably in
Drosophila
, whose genome is devoid of 5mC. Here, we show that
Drosophila
TET activates the expression of genes required for larval central nervous system (CNS) development mainly in a catalytic-independent manner. Genome-wide profiling shows that TET is recruited to enhancer and promoter regions bound by Polycomb group complex (PcG) proteins. We found that TET interacts and colocalizes on chromatin preferentially with Polycomb repressor complex 1 (PRC1) rather than PRC2. Furthermore, PRC1 but not PRC2 is required for the activation of TET target genes. Last, our results suggest that TET and PRC1 binding to activated genes is interdependent. These data highlight the importance of TET noncatalytic function and the role of PRC1 for gene activation in the
Drosophila
larval CNS.
Draft genome sequencing of
Enterococcus avium
strains isolated from bovine mastitis
Authors: Rahaman Monira , Sultana Taniya , Rahman Md. Morshedur , Siddique Naim , Faisal Golam Mahbub , Hasan Mehedi Mahmudul , Das Ziban Chandra , Aminoor Rahman A. N. M. , Islam Tofazzal , Hoque M. Nazmul
Published: May 2024

We performed whole-genome sequencing of four multidrug-resistant
Enterococcus avium
strains isolated from milk (4M1), feces (4F1 and 4F2), and farm soil (4S1) of mastitic dairy cows. The draft genomes of
E. avium
strains 4M1, 4F1, 4F2, and 4S1 were approximately 4.2 Mbp, with 39.1% GC content and 66.5× coverage.
Complete genome sequence of
Paraburkholderia terrae
strain KU-46, a 2,4-dinitrophenol-degrading bacterium
Authors: Tanaka Tomoki , Okano Kenji , Iwaki Hiroaki
Published: May 2024

Paraburkholderia terrae
strain KU-46 has been studied for its capability to degrade 2,4-dinitrophenol. Here, we present the complete 10,833,180bp genome of this microorganism, comprising five circular chromosomes housing 9,797 protein-coding sequences. The genes responsible for 2,4-dinitrophenol and 4-nitrophenol degradation are located on chromosome 2.
Genome analysis of
Salmonella enterica
serovar enteritis strains isolated from poultry and humans in Burkina Faso
Authors: Kagambèga Assèta , Ramadan Hazem , Dione Michel , Bouda Soutongnooma C. , Hiott Lari M. , McMillan Elizabeth A. , Sharma Poonam , Gupta Sushim K. , Barro Nicolas , Jackson Charlene R. , Frye Jonathan G.
Published: May 2024

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to characterize four
Salmonella enterica
Enteritidis isolates from poultry (
n=2
) and human (
n=2
) from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Antimicrobial resistance genes, chromosomal mutations, and mobile genetic elements were identified by analysis of WGS data using sequence homology.
Escherichia coli
cells evade inducible parE toxin expression by reducing plasmid copy number
Authors: Ruan Shengfeng , Bourne Christina R.
Published: May 2024

Plasmids play important roles in microbial ecosystems, serving as carriers of antibiotic resistance and virulence. In the laboratory, they are essential tools for genetic manipulation and recombinant protein expression. We uncovered an intriguing survival phenotype in a fraction of the bacterial population while using plasmid-mediated arabinose-inducible gene expression to monitor the production of toxic ParE proteins. This phenotype was not correlated with changes to the plasmid sequence and could not be rescued by increasing arabinose uptake. Instead, survival correlates with a marked reduction in plasmid copy number (PCN). Reduced PCN is reproducible, not a function of the pre-existing population, and can be sequentially enriched by continual passage with induction. The reduction in PCN appears to allow mitigation of toxicity from the expression of ParE proteins while balancing the need to maintain a threshold PCN to withstand selection conditions. This indicates an adaptive cellular response to stressful conditions, likely by altering the regulation of plasmid replication. Furthermore, this survival mechanism appears to not be limited to a specific bacterial strain of
Escherichia coli
or ParE toxin family member, suggesting a generalized response. Finally, bacterial whole genome sequencing indicated an N845S residue substitution in DNA polymerase I, which correlates with the observed reduction in PCN and has been previously reported to impact plasmid replication. Further understanding this molecular mechanism has broader implications for this adaptive response of the dynamics of plasmid-mediated gene expression, microbial adaptation, and genetic engineering methodologies.

IMPORTANCE

This research has increased our understanding of how bacteria respond to the pressure from plasmid-borne toxic genes, such as those found in toxin-antitoxin systems. Surprisingly, we found that bacteria survived toxic ParE protein expression by reducing the number of these plasmids in the cells. This discovery reveals another way in which bacteria can balance toxin expression with antibiotic selection to attenuate the effects of deleterious genes. This insight is not only valuable for understanding bacterial survival strategies but may also influence the development of better tools in biotechnology, where plasmids are often used to study the functional roles of genes.
First report of KPC variants conferring ceftazidime-avibactam resistance in Colombia: introducing KPC-197
Authors: De la Cadena Elsa , Mojica María Fernanda , Rojas Laura J. , Castro Betsy E. , García-Betancur Juan Carlos , Marshall Steven H. , Restrepo Natalia , Castro-Caro Nancy Patricia , Fonseca-Carrillo Magalis , Pallares Christian , Bonomo Robert A. , Villegas María Virginia
Published: May 2024

Resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) due to
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemase (KPC) variants is increasing worldwide. We characterized two CZA-resistant clinical
Klebsiella pneumoniae
strains by antimicrobial susceptibility test, conjugation assays, and WGS. Isolates belonged to ST258 and ST45, and produced a KPC-31 and a novel variant KPC-197, respectively. The novel KPC variant presents a deletion of two amino acids on the Ω-loop (del_168–169_EL) and an insertion of two amino acids in position 274 (Ins_274_DS). Continued surveillance of KPC variants conferring CZA resistance in Colombia is warranted.

IMPORTANCE

Latin America and the Caribbean is an endemic region for carbapenemases. Increasingly high rates of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemase (KPC) have established ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) as an essential antimicrobial for the treatment of infections due to MDR Gram-negative pathogens. Although other countries in the region have reported the emergence of CZA-resistant KPC variants, this is the first description of such enzymes in Colombia. This finding warrants active surveillance, as dissemination of these variants could have devastating public health consequences.
Neonatal sepsis with meningitis, ventriculitis and brain abscess caused byEdwardsiella tarda
Authors: Geibel Elyse Marie , Pearce Mikell Robertson , Zabrocki Luke , Thompson Cecilia
Published: May 2024

A case of neonatal sepsis caused byEdwardsiella tarda, an uncommon pathogen typically associated with aquatic lifeforms, is described. The infant presented in septic shock with seizures and respiratory failure and was found to have meningitis, ventriculitis and a brain abscess requiring drainage. Only a small number of case reports of neonatalE. tardainfection, several with sepsis with poor auditory or neurodevelopmental outcomes or meningitis, have been described in the literature. This case report suggests thatE. tarda, while uncommon, can be a cause of serious central nervous system disease in the neonatal population and that an aggressive approach to pursuing and treating complications may lead to improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Impacts on paediatricians testifying in cases of child maltreatment: protocol for a systematic review
Authors: Horstman Alyce , Smith J Anne S , Bassed Richard B , Bugeja Lyndal
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Paediatricians perform medical assessments for children in cases of suspected child maltreatment. Due to their role with statutory child protection agencies and police, paediatricians may be asked to testify in court about child protection and criminal justice matters. To the authors’ knowledge, there has been no previous systematic review of the literature synthesising the evidence on the impacts on paediatricians testifying in cases of child maltreatment.

Methods and analysis

A search strategy comprising indexed and key terms will be applied to six electronic reference databases from inception to May 2023: Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Criminal Justice Abstracts and Cochrane Library. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts and full-text articles against predefined eligibility criteria to identify studies of interest. Conflicts will be independently adjudicated by a third reviewer.

Ethics and dissemination

Since the systematic review methodology aims at synthesising information from available publications, this study does not require ethical approval. An article reporting the results of the systematic review will be submitted for publication in a scientific journal, presented at relevant conferences and used in subsequent stakeholder consultations.
Unveiling molecular insights: in silico exploration of TLR4 antagonist for management of dry eye syndrome
Authors: Sudhakar Kothandan , Dugar Neeru , Jupudi Srikanth , Ashwin Ravichandran , Gowthamarajan Kuppusamy
Published: May 2024

Background

Dry eye disease is the most commonplace multifractional ocular complication, which has already affected millions of people in the world. It is identified by the excessive buildup of reactive oxygen species, leading to substantial corneal epithelial cell demise and ocular surface inflammation attributed to TLR4. In this study, we aimed to identify potential compounds to treat of dry eye syndrome by exploring in silico methods.

Methods

In this research, molecular docking and dynamics simulation tests were used to examine the effects of selected compounds on TLR4 receptor. Compounds were extracted from different databases and were prepared and docked against TLR4 receptor via Autodock Vina. Celastrol, lumacaftor and nilotinib were selected for further molecular dynamics studies for a deeper understanding of molecular systems consisting of protein and ligands by using the Desmond module of the Schrodinger Suite.

Results

The docking results revealed that the compounds are having binding affinity in the range of −5.1 to −8.78 based on the binding affinity and three-dimensional interactions celastrol, lumacaftor and nilotinib were further studied for their activity by molecular dynamics. Among the three compounds, celastrol was the most stable based on molecular dynamics trajectory analysis from 100 ns in the catalytic pockets of 2Z63.pdb.pdb. Root mean square deviation of celastrol/2Z63 was in the range of 1.8–4.8 Å.

Conclusion

In particular, Glu376 of TLR4 receptor is crucial for the identification and binding of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are part of Gram-negative bacteria’s outer membrane. In our investigation, celastrol binds to Glu376, suggesting that celastrol may prevent the dry eye syndrome by inhibiting LPS’s binding to TLR4.
CHMP2A regulates broad immune cell-mediated antitumor activity in an immunocompetent in vivo head and neck squamous cell carcinoma model
Authors: Yun Jiyoung , Saddawi-Konefka Robert , Goldenson Benjamin , Al-Msari Riyam , Bernareggi Davide , Thangaraj Jaya L , Tang Shiqi , Patel Sonam H , Luna Sarah M , Gutkind J Silvio , Kaufman Dan
Published: May 2024

Background

Natural killer (NK) cells are key effector cells of antitumor immunity. However, tumors can acquire resistance programs to escape NK cell-mediated immunosurveillance. Identifying mechanisms that mediate this resistance enables us to define approaches to improve immune-mediate antitumor activity. In previous studies from our group, a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen identified Charged Multivesicular Body Protein 2A (CHMP2A) as a novel mechanism that mediates tumor intrinsic resistance to NK cell activity.

Methods

Here, we use an immunocompetent mouse model to demonstrate that CHMP2A serves as a targetable regulator of not only NK cell-mediated immunity but also other immune cell populations. Using the recently characterized murine 4MOSC model system, a syngeneic, tobacco-signature murine head and neck squamous cell carcinoma model, we deleted mCHMP2A using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-out (KO), following orthotopic transplantation into immunocompetent hosts.

Results

We found that mCHMP2A KO in 4MOSC1 cells leads to more potent NK-mediated tumor cell killing in vitro in these tumor cells. Moreover, following orthotopic transplantation, KO of mCHMP2A in 4MOSC1 cells, but not the more immune-resistant 4MOSC2 cells enables both T cells and NK cells to better mediate antitumor activity compared with wild type (WT) tumors. However, there was no difference in tumor development between WT and mCHMP2A KO 4MOSC1 or 4MOSC2 tumors when implanted in immunodeficient mice. Mechanistically, we find that mCHMP2A KO 4MOSC1 tumors transplanted into the immunocompetent mice had significantly increased CD4+T cells, CD8+T cells. NK cell, as well as fewer myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC).

Conclusions

Together, these studies demonstrate that CHMP2A is a targetable inhibitor of cellular antitumor immunity.
Phase 1 first-in-human dose-escalation study of ANV419 in patients with relapsed/refractory advanced solid tumors
Authors: Mathiot Laurent , Combarel David , Cagnat Justin , Delahousse Julia , Ouali Kaissa , Marabelle Aurelien , Loriot Yohann , Ponce Santiago , Champiat Stephane , Broutin Sophie , Danlos Francois-Xavier
Published: May 2024

Patients with advanced cancer, previously treated with immune checkpoint blockade therapy, may retain residual treatment when undergoing the initial infusion of experimental monotherapy in phase 1 clinical trials. ANV419, an antibody-cytokine fusion protein, combines interleukin-2 (IL-2) with an anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibody, aiming to stimulate the expansion of CD8 T and natural killer lymphocytes while restricting regulatory T lymphocytes. In the recent publication of the phase 1 dose escalation study of ANV419, a notable gap exists in detailed information regarding patients’ prior antitumoral treatments, specifically programmed death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) targeted monoclonal antibodies. Some patients likely retained residual anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies, potentially influencing the outcomes of ANV419. In a separate clinical cohort, we retrospectively measured the residual concentration of nivolumab and pembrolizumab, revealing persistent serum concentrations of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies even months after treatment cessation. This underscores the importance of comprehensively documenting prior immunotherapy details in clinical trials. Such information is crucial for understanding potential interactions that may impact both immunological and clinical effects.
Heterogeneity of right ventricular echocardiographic parameters in systemic lupus erythematosus among four clinical subgroups, as stratified by clinical organ involvement in observational cohort
Authors: Bourg Corentin , Le Tallec Erwan , Curtis Elizabeth , Lee Charlotte , Bouzille Guillaume , Oger Emmanuel , Lescort Alain , Donal Erwan
Published: May 2024

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease. Cardiac involvement in SLE is rare but plays an important prognostic role. The degree of cardiac involvement according to SLE subsets defined by non-cardiac manifestations is unknown. The objective of this study was to identify differences in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) parameters associated with different SLE subgroups.

Methods

One hundred eighty-one patients who fulfilled the 2019 American College of Rheumatology/EULAR classification criteria for SLE and underwent baseline TTE were included in this cross-sectional study. We defined four subsets of SLE based on the predominant clinical manifestations. A multivariate multinomial regression analysis was performed to determine whether TTE parameters differed between groups.

Results

Four clinical subsets were defined according to non-cardiac clinical manifestations: group A (n=37 patients) showed features of mixed connective tissue disease, group B (n=76 patients) had primarily cutaneous involvement, group C (n=18) exhibited prominent serositis and group D (n=50) had severe, multi-organ involvement, including notable renal disease. Forty TTE parameters were assessed between groups. Per multivariate multinomial regression analysis, there were statistically significant differences in early diastolic tricuspid annular velocity (RV-Ea, p<0.0001), RV S’ wave (p=0.0031) and RV end-diastolic diameter (p=0.0419) between the groups. Group B (primarily cutaneous involvement) had the lowest degree of RV dysfunction.

Conclusion

When defining clinical phenotypes of SLE based on organ involvement, we found four distinct subgroups which showed notable differences in RV function on TTE. Risk-stratifying patients by clinical phenotype could help better tailor cardiac follow-up in this population.