bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of temperature assisted ultrasonication on the quality attributes of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) juice
Authors: Jat Kapil , Jayachandran Lakshmi E. , Rao Pavuluri Srinivasa
Published: March 2023

The present study assessed the impact of ultrasonication in combination with moderate temperature on the physicochemical (pH; total soluble solids, TSS; total color difference ΔE*), biochemical (total phenols, TPC; antioxidant activity, AOX; betalain and enzyme activity) and microbiological (aerobic mesophiles, AM; yeast and mold, YM) attributes of beetroot juice. The experimental design involved different levels of process parameters, viz., frequency (28 and 40 kHz), temperature (30–50°C) and treatment time (10–30 min). The increase in TPC, AOX capacity and betalain contents 38%, 14% and 26%, respectively, was observed during US processing at 40 kHz. The betacyanin and betaxanthin were also well retained under the treatment domain. At the intense treatment condition of 40 kHz/50°C/30 min, the PPO and POD were inactivated by 78 and 85%, respectively. The microbial load (yeast and mold; aerobic mesophiles) was reduced to below detectable (<1 log CFU/mL) levels under the corresponding treatment condition. The ultrasonication of beetroot juice was optimized at 40 kHz/50°C/19 min with a desirability level of 0.656. This study establishes the efficacy of ultrasonication in combination with moderate temperature in rendering microbial safety and superior nutrient profile of beetroot juice, targeting an extended shelf life.

Practical Applications

Beetroot juice is consumed in fresh form or used as an ingredient for product development. The juice is an ideal substrate for the extraction of natural colorants such as betalain and rich source of total phenolics. The juice is susceptible to enzymatic spoilage and microbial fermentation resulting in a loss of quality. Thermal processing retarded the enzyme activity and microbial proliferation but resulted in compromised juice quality. The nonthermal processing technologies such as ultrasonication impart a less intense effect on the juice matrix minimizing the effect of spoilage enzyme and microflora. The outcomes from this study emphasize the suitability of ultrasound processing in combination with moderate temperature in enhancing the shelf stability of beetroot juice with the retention of beneficial compounds.
Comfort First: Development and pilot testing of a web‐based video training to disseminate Comfort Matters dementia care
Authors: Hanson Laura C. , Meeks Natalie , Guo Janet , Alonzo Tena R. M. , Mitchell Karen M. , Gallagher Maribeth , Toles Mark , Harder Brianna , Zimmerman Sheryl
Published: March 2023

Background

Alzheimer's disease‐related dementias (ADRD) are a leading cause of disability and death. In late‐stage ADRD most people prioritize comfort, but care to achieve comfort is rare. Comfort Matters combines palliative and geriatric care practices for nursing home dementia care, but in‐person training reaches few sites. To facilitate dissemination, we developed Comfort First, a web‐based training toolkit with video demonstration of Comfort Matters practices.

Methods

We developed and pilot‐tested Comfort First (NIA Intervention Stage 1). Stakeholder advisors representing nursing home residents, caregiver, and clinical perspectives guided development. Professional videographers filmed Comfort Matters staff to illustrate comfort‐focused dementia care skills. Video training modules, supported by an implementation manual, address Understanding the Person with Dementia, Promoting Quality of Life and Comfort, Working as a Team, Responding When People with Dementia are Distressed, Addressing Pain, and Making Comfort First a Reality. We then delivered Comfort First to 3 nursing homes. Implementation and outcome evaluation assessed the number and clinically diverse roles of trained staff and post‐test knowledge.

Results

Nursing home staff roles (n = 146) were diverse: certified nursing assistants (40%), nurses (19%), administrators (11%), activities staff (6%), therapy staff (5%) and other roles. Individual participants' knowledge scores ranged from 50–100%; however average post‐test knowledge scores were high, ranging from 90% (Addressing Pain) to 99% (Promoting Quality of Life and Comfort, Making Comfort First a Reality).

Conclusions

The Comfort First web‐based training toolkit combines best practices in palliative care and geriatric care for ADRD, using video demonstrations to support broader dissemination of these skills. Initial evaluation demonstrates acceptability and knowledge uptake for staff in diverse clinical roles; future research should include evaluation of practice change. Consistent with the intent of its public funding, Comfort First will be widely disseminated at a minimal cost.
Patients' negative experiences with health care settings brought to light by formal complaints: A qualitative metasynthesis
Authors: Eriksen Alison Axisa , Fegran Liv , Fredwall Terje Emil , Larsen Inger Beate
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Narratives of negative patient experiences expressed in complaints can help health care professionals reflect on their practices.

Aims

To synthesise evidence from qualitative primary studies on patients' negative experiences with different health care settings and to obtain a detailed picture of what patients find problematic while receiving health care.

Design

Metasynthesis inspired by Sandelowski and Barroso.

Methods

A protocol was published in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). A systematic search was conducted in CINAHL (EBSCOhost), MEDLINE (EBSCOhost), PsycInfo (Ovid) and Scopus, on 20.04.2021. Backward and forward citations of included reports were searched for relevant studies and the search was completed in March 2022. Two researchers independently screened and appraised the included reports. A metasynthesis using reflexive thematic analysis and a metasummary were conducted.

Results

Twenty‐four reports were included, and four main themes were extracted from the metasynthesis: (1) problems with access to health care services; (2) failure to acquire information about diagnosis, treatment and the expected patient role; (3) experiencing inappropriate care and bad treatment; (4) problems with trusting health care service providers.

Conclusions

Negative patient experiences impact patients' physical and psychological health, leading to suffering and hampering patients from involving themselves in their health care.

Relevance to clinical practice

Narratives of negative patient experiences aggregated from the findings provide knowledge about what patients need and expect from health care providers. These narratives can help health care professionals reflect on the way they interact with patients and improve their practice. Health care organisations need to prioritise patient participation.

Reporting method

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed.

Patient or public contribution

Findings were presented and discussed in a meeting with a reference group representing patients, health care professionals and the public.
In situ oxygen, magnesium, and silicon isotopic compositions of the FUN inclusion Vigarano 1623‐5
Authors: Marin‐Carbonne Johanna , McKeegan Kevin D. , Davis Andrew M. , MacPherson Glenn J. , Mendybaev Ruslan A. , Richter Frank M.
Published: March 2023

Oxygen, magnesium, and silicon isotopic abundances in Vigarano 1623‐5 were studied using secondary ion mass spectrometry to investigate correlations between isotopic and petrologic properties of this unique forsterite‐bearing FUN inclusion. Vigarano 1623‐5 displays large, correlated mass‐dependent fractionation effects, tightly linked to mineralogy within distinct petrologic units of the inclusion. The pyroxene‐rich and melilite‐rich interior parts of the inclusion display highly mass‐fractionated isotopic compositions of oxygen, magnesium, and silicon, consistent with Rayleigh distillation during evaporation of a melt with initial oxygen composition close to a solar composition. However, the chemical composition, enriched in magnesium and silicon, suggests a precursor already fractionated by prior melt evaporation. A discontinuous igneous rim was produced by a flash‐melting event followed by isotopic exchange in the rim melilite with planetary‐like oxygen, mechanical fragmentation, and reassembly with an accretionary rim of heterogeneous materials. Al‐rich minerals in 1623‐5 show evidence for having crystallized with live 26Al but at less than the “canonical” level of most CV calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions. However, well‐defined 26Al‐26Mg isochrons are not found and temporal implications are ambiguous.
The nuclear effector MoHTR3 of Magnaporthe oryzae modulates host defence signalling in the biotrophic stage of rice infection
Authors: Lee Sehee , Völz Ronny , Lim You‐Jin , Harris William , Kim Seongbeom , Lee Yong‐Hwan
Published: March 2023

Fungal effectors play a pivotal role in suppressing the host defence system, and their evolution is highly dynamic. By comparative sequence analysis of plant‐pathogenic fungi and Magnaporthe oryzae, we identified the small secreted C2H2 zinc finger protein MoHTR3. MoHTR3 exhibited high conservation in M. oryzae strains but low conservation among other plant‐pathogenic fungi, suggesting an emerging evolutionary selection process. MoHTR3 is exclusively expressed in the biotrophic stage of fungal invasion, and the encoded protein localizes to the biotrophic interfacial complex (BIC) and the host cell nucleus. The signal peptide crucial for MoHTR3′ secretion to the BIC and the protein section required for its translocation to the nucleus were both identified by a functional protein domain study. The host‐nuclear localization of MoHTR3 suggests a function as a transcriptional modulator of host defence gene induction. After ΔMohtr3 infection, the expression of jasmonic acid‐ and ethylene‐associated genes was diminished in rice, in contrast to when the MoHTR3‐overexpressing strain (MoHTR3ox) was applied. The transcript levels of salicylic acid‐ and defence‐related genes were also affected after ΔMohtr3 and MoHTR3ox application. In pathogenicity assays, ΔMohtr3 was indistinguishable from the wild type. However, MoHTR3ox‐infected plants showed diminished lesion formation and hydrogen peroxide accumulation, accompanied by a decrease in susceptibility, suggesting that the MoHTR3‐induced manipulation of host cells affects host–pathogen interaction. MoHTR3 emphasizes the role of the host nucleus as a critical target for the pathogen‐driven manipulation of host defence mechanisms and underscores the ongoing evolution of rice blast's arms race.
Intra‐ and interbrain synchrony and hyperbrain network dynamics of a guitarist quartet and its audience during a concert
Authors: Müller Viktor , Lindenberger Ulman
Published: March 2023

Playing music in a concert represents a multilevel interaction between musicians and the audience, where interbrain synchronization might play an essential role. Here, we simultaneously recorded electroencephalographs (EEGs) from the brains of eight people during a concert: a quartet of professional guitarists and four participants in the audience. Using phase synchronization analyses between EEG signals within and between brains, we constructed hyperbrain networks, comprising synchronized brain activity across the eight brains, and analyzed them using a graph‐theoretical approach. We found that strengths within and between brains in the delta band were higher in the quartet than in the public. Within‐brain strengths were higher and between‐brain strengths were lower in the music than in the applause condition, both particularly in the quartet group. These changes in coupling strength were accompanied by corresponding changes in the hyperbrain network topology, which were also frequency‐specific. Moreover, the network topology and the dynamical structure of guitar sounds showed specific guitar–brain, guitar–guitar, and brain–brain directional associations, indicating multilevel dynamics with upward and downward causation. Finally, the hyperbrain networks exhibit modular structures that were more stable during music performance than during applause. Our findings illustrate complex hyperbrain network interactions in a quartet and its audience during a concert.
A recipe for success? The importance of perceptions of goal agreement in cross‐sector collaboration
Authors: AbouAssi Khaldoun , Prince William , Johnston Jocelyn M.
Published: March 2023

This article addresses whether perceived goal agreement matters for cross‐sectoral collaboration outcomes. Using original survey data from Lebanon that compares the perceptions of local governcment and nonprofit leaders, the findings indicate perceived goal agreement is salient and linked to judgments that collaboration meets its objectives. The article also examines perceptions of goal agreement as it relates to social (trust) and process (power‐sharing) collaboration outcomes and find it to be associated with higher trust between collaborators. While this is the case for nonprofits more than local governments, we find no corresponding sector differences for the relationship between perceptions of goal agreement and effectiveness. In addition, agreeing on goals seems to be linked to perceptions of unequal decision‐making authority for local governments. The results highlight implications for the relationship between goal agreement and cross‐sector collaboration outcome, particularly in the context of developing countries.
Perinatal and neonatal characteristics of Prader–Willi syndrome in Japan
Authors: Oto Yuji , Murakami Nobuyuki , Imatani Kaishi , Inoue Takeshi , Itabashi Hisashi , Shiraishi Masahisa , Nitta Akihisa , Matsubara Keiko , Kobayashi Sayuki , Ihara Hiroshi , Nagai Toshiro , Matsubara Tomoyo
Published: March 2023

Background

Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is suspected at birth if extreme hypotonia, difficulty in feeding, hypogonadism, and failure to thrive are present. Genetic diagnosis of PWS can generally be made within the first few months of life; however, a delayed diagnosis of PWS is frequently reported. Although the clinical characteristics of perinatal and neonatal patients with PWS have been reported, there are no such reports on the clinical characteristics of these patients in Japan.

Methods

This retrospective, single‐center study involved 177 Japanese patients with PWS and their medical data regarding the perinatal and neonatal periods were evaluated.

Results

The median maternal age at birth was 34 years; 12.7% of the mothers had a history of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Of the mothers, 13.5% reported polyhydramnios and 4.3% had oligohydramnios. Decreased fetal movement during pregnancy was reported by 76% of the mothers. A total of 60.5% of patients were born by cesarean section. Genetic subtypes included deletions (66.1%), uniparental disomy (31.0%), imprinting defects (0.6%), and other or unknown subtypes (2.3%). The median birth length was 47.5 cm and the median birthweight was 2476 g. Of the 160 patients, 14 (8.8%) were classified as small for gestational age. Most patients had hypotonia (98.8%), and 89.3% required gavage feeding at birth. Breathing problems, congenital heart disease, and undescended testis were noted in 33.1%, 7.0%, and 93.5% of patients, respectively.

Conclusion

In our study, higher rates of ART, polyhydramnios, decreased fetal movements, cesarean section, hypotonia, feeding difficulties, and undescended testis were observed in PWS.
Anterior hepatic resection: A simple and safe technique for reducing the antero‐posterior diameter of the liver graft for small pediatric recipients
Authors: Seda Neto João , Magalhães Costa Carolina , Pereira Fabio Payão , Pugliese Renata , Travassos Nathalia P. , Oliveira Caio M. , Vincenzi Rodrigo , Benavides Marcel R. , Roda Karina , Kondo Mário , Fonseca Eduardo A.
Published: March 2023

Background

The techniques involved in neonatal and infantile transplantation require approaches that can sculpt a left lateral segment (LLS) to the right shape and size and avoid large‐for‐size syndrome. The aim of this article is to describe the anterior hepatic resection (AHR) of the LLS in pediatric LDLT.

Methods

A retrospective anatomical study of preoperative image studies, description of the technique for AHR, and short‐term results.

Results

The AHR was performed in eight cases. All donors were male, with average age, BW, and BMI of 28.3 ± 5.9 years, 74.2 ± 9.3 kg, and 24.3 ± 2.6 kg/m2, respectively. Donors were discharged at an average of 3.6 ± 0.8 days. The median recipient age and BW at transplantation were 6.9 (2.7 to 11) months and 5.9 (3.9 to 8) kg, respectively, and the recipient‐to‐donor body weight ratio (RDBW) was <0.1 in all but one case. The mean percentage reduction in graft weight and in the antero‐posterior diameter were 33.2% ± 5.5% and 38.3% ± 12.6%, respectively. The average (SD) GRWR was 4.8% ± 1.7% before all the resections and 3.5% ± 1.0% after the procedures. Seven patients were primarily closed.

Conclusion

After LLS resection, a nonanatomical anterior resection of the LLS was accomplished without hilar vascular dissection to segments II/III. The final liver graft allowed primary abdominal wall closure in all but one patient, with meaningful adjustments in GRWR. AHR proved to be simple, safe, reproducible, and effective in the presented case series.
Work group diversity in professional football: An individual‐level approach to the effects of diversity in organizations
Authors: Lago Ignacio , Lago‐Peñas Carlos , Lago‐Peñas Santiago
Published: March 2023

Objective

Although there is a huge literature examining how diversity affects group performance, an important limitation is the lack of evidence at the employee level. This article tries to fill this gap. We focus on professional football given the high ethnic diversity of football squads, the nonexistence of language barriers to hire players, and the granularity of data.

Methods

Relying on data from 1528 professional footballers joining a new club in the 2021–2022 season in five European countries, we run ordinary least squares cross‐sectional regressions with standard errors clustered by club.

Results

We find that ethnic backgrounds do not make a difference in the performance of professional football players in their new clubs. However, newcomer players with a different ethnic background than natives in their new clubs do better the younger they are and when subgroup imbalance in the squad is high.

Conclusion

Our results support the approach integrating the social categorization and the information/decision‐making perspectives. From the players’ recruitment or renovation perspective, our results can help managers and coaches to make correct recruitment decisions.
Surfing to the political extremes: Digital media, social media, and policy attitude polarization
Authors: Gainous Jason , Wagner Kevin M.
Published: March 2023

Background

Cable news makes it possible for consumers to avoid information that challenges their predispositions, and the Internet makes it even easier. Cable news consumption is related to attitude extremity, but the extant literature is absent empirical examination of how the two may work together.

Objectives

This study aims to contribute to our understanding of the relationship between media consumption and policy attitude extremity. In particular,, it asks how digital media consumption may combine with cable or traditional mass media to drive higher levels of polarization and attitude extremity.

Methods

We use American National Election Studies and data reduction methods to model and measure the gathering of political information to compare the relationship between different forms of media consumption and policy attitude extremity.

Results

Our results indicate that, independently, the consumption of both “partisan” cable news and “non‐partisan” political digital information have the same positive relationship to attitude extremity across four major issue domains (economy, federal spending, social issues, and foreign affairs) and that when combined into a single index, the relationship is stronger than their independent relationships. Finally, the results suggest that the combined effect is strongest among those who consume more liberal cable news.

Conclusion

Our high choice media environment contributes to the polarized climate in the United States today.
Differential modulation of Target of Rapamycin activity under single and combined iron and sulfur deficiency in tomato plants
Authors: Coppa Eleonora , Vigani Gianpiero , Aref Rasha , Savatin Daniel , Bigini Valentina , Hell Ruediger , Astolfi Stefania
Published: March 2023

Over the past few decades, a close relationship between sulfur (S) and iron (Fe) in terms of functionality and nutrition was demonstrated in the tomato. However, very little is known about the regulatory mechanisms underlying S/Fe interactions. Recently, the potential role of citrate in plant adaptation to Fe deficiency and combined S and Fe deficiency has been described. It is known that an impaired organic acid metabolism may stimulate a retrograde signal, which has been proven to be linked to the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) signaling in yeast and animal cells. Recent reports provided evidence of TOR involvement in S nutrient sensing in plants. This suggestion prompted us to investigate whether TOR may play a role in the cross‐talk of signaling pathway occurring during plant adaptation to combined nutrient deficiency of Fe and S. Our results revealed that Fe deficiency elicited an increase of TOR activity associated with enhanced accumulation of citrate. In contrast, S deficiency resulted in decreased TOR activity and citrate accumulation. Interestingly, citrate accumulated in shoots of plants exposed to combined S/Fe deficiency to values between those found in Fe‐ and S‐deficient plants, again correlated with TOR activity level. Our results suggest that citrate might be involved in establishing a link between plant response to combined S/Fe deficiency and the TOR network.
Manual para la serotipificación de cepas de Salmonella spp. obtenidas en la cadena porcícola en Colombia
Authors: Hernández Toro Ivonne Yulieth , Carrascal-Camacho Ana Karina , Pulido-Villamarín, Adriana del Pilar
Published: March 2023

Este manual, es producto de la experiencia de un grupo de profesionales con gran trayectoria en diagnóstico veterinario e inocuidad alimentaria, que luego de un trabajo conjunto y con el deseo de aportar al conocimiento en el tema, ofrecen un documento que facilitará a los laboratorios obtener datos específicos para la serotipificación de Salmonella spp., especialmente porque este es uno de los principales agentes bacterianos causantes de problemas en salud pública tanto en humanos como en otros animales.
Data-Driven Model Predictive Control for Roll-to-Roll Process Register Error
Authors: Shah Karan , He Anqi , Wang Zifeng , Du Xian , Jin Xiaoning
Published: March 2023

Roll-to-Roll (R2R) printing techniques are promising for high-volume continuous production of substrate-based products, as opposed to sheet-to-sheet (S2S) approach suited for low-volume work. However, meeting the tight alignment tolerance requirements of additive multi-layer printed electronics specified by device resolution that is usually at micrometer scale has become a major challenge in R2R flexible electronics printing, preventing the fabrication technology from being transferred from conventional S2S to high-speed R2R production. Print registration in a R2R process is to align successive print patterns on the flexible substrate and to ensure quality printed devices through effective control of various process variables. Conventional model-based control methods require an accurate web-handling dynamic model and real-time tension measurements to ensure control laws can be faithfully derived. For complex multistage R2R systems, physics-based state-space models are difficult to derive, and real-time tension measurements are not always acquirable. In this paper, we present a novel data-driven model predictive control (DD-MPC) method to minimize the multistage register errors effectively. We show that the DD-MPC can handle multi-input and multi-output systems and obtain the plant model from sensor data via an Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA) and Observer Kalman filter identification (OKID) system identification method. In addition, the proposed control scheme works for systems with partially measurable system states.
Small Direct Current Electric Motors
Authors: Greenslade Thomas B.
Published: March 2023

When I was about 10 years old, I was given an electric motor kit for Christmas. I had to wind a length of insulated copper wire on the rotor, put together the commutator, and install a small U magnet. I enjoyed the construction experience and with some parental assistance figured out how it worked. Ever since then, I have been curious about these simple artifacts of technology, and this article discusses some of them that I have met in my scientific travels. The small electric motor is a simple piece of technology that is based on mechanics, electricity, and magnetism and is a good mechanism for drawing students into physics.
A Simulation Experiment Using Algodoo: What Force Makes a Car Accelerate, and What Does the Acceleration Depend On?
Authors: Radnai Tamás , Juhász Tünde Tóthné , Juhász András , Jenei Péter
Published: March 2023

In a physics lesson when you ask the question “What force makes a car accelerate?” the most frequent answer you get from your students is “The force of the engine.” Obviously, the role of the engine is important, but the acceleration is dependent on external factors, since an object cannot exert a force on itself to change its own momentum. Even a car with a very powerful engine will be unable to start on ice or in deep mud or sand. On the other hand, a weak engine is unable to make a heavy car move. In this paper, we present a simulation-backed approach supporting the teaching of this topic in secondary school. The simulations were created in the free program Algodoo.
Arch and Cable Suspended Bridges
Authors: Lagos Miguel , Elgueta Milton , Molina Mario I.
Published: March 2023

An arch bridge is a mainly horizontal deck with an arch as its load-carrying structure. The arch works by transferring the weight and other external vertical loads into a horizontal thrust on the abutments placed at both sides. When the main load on the arch is the homogeneously distributed deck weight, and the arch is properly shaped, the arch rib is subjected to pure compression along its whole extension. Both tensile forces along the arch rib and shear forces transversal to it are absent. Bending moments vanish as well. This has made possible the use of masonry for arch bridges, which uses materials such as stone, brick, and concrete that are strong in compression but very weak to tension and shearing. In the following sections, we determine mathematically this optimal arch shape, which turns out to be a parabola. The novelty is that these well-known results are obtained using just basic algebra and trigonometry, without any mention of infinitesimal calculus, including in the demonstration of the absence of shearing forces. Subsequently, the method is extended to cable suspended bridges.
A Useful Experiment for Teaching Resistance of a Wire as a Function of
Temperature
Authors: Kovacevic Milan , Milosevic Marko , Kuzmanovic Ljubica
Published: March 2023

We have developed a new simple experiment for the students where they can get a quantitative measure of how the resistance of a wire depends on the temperature of the wire. The only materials required are a copper wire coil, a DC voltage source, a digital ohmmeter, and a calorimeter with an analog thermometer. The students discover a linear relationship between temperature and resistance. The temperature coefficient is easily calculated from the slope of the graph and compared with the standard values. The experiment, although simple to perform and feasible with minimal equipment, does provide reasonable results and is appropriate for either high school students or an undergraduate physics laboratory. Also, the work would be of interest to teachers in an introductory-level physics course.
Using Cosmic Rays to See the Unseeable
Authors: Lincoln Don
Published: March 2023

The discovery of x-rays in 1895 by Wilhelm Roentgen changed medicine. Where, before that time, doctors treating patients had to guess what was going on inside bodies or do invasive surgery, they were now able to peer through the skin, imaging bones and some soft tissues. Military surgeons were quick to embrace the technology, using x-rays to find bullets and shrapnel that needed removing.
Do We Need Esports Ecology? Comparisons of Environmental Impacts Between Traditional Sport and Esports
Authors: Ross Walker J. , Fisackerly Wil
Published: March 2023

The impact of climate change will require a closer examination of esports’ environmental impact and how the environment will impact esports. This paper presents a conceptual examination of this bidirectional relationship between esports and the environment by utilizing the framework of sport ecology. Aspects of the Sport Event Environmental Performance Measurement tool and the Climate Vulnerability of Sport Organizations framework may be applicable to esports in future research to better understand this environmental relationship. There are similarities in how live esports events are hosted when compared to traditional sports, but the potential for remote competition does change the dynamic of this environmental relationship. While remote competition can limit environmental exposure and impact, it does potentially create two environmental points of exposure and impact compared with one at an in-person event. More development is required in this space to better understand the role of esports organizations and the nature of esports itself.
Interspecies Interactions within the Host: the Social Network of Group BStreptococcus
Authors: Mejia Marlyd E. , Robertson Clare M. , Patras Kathryn A.
Published: March 2023

Group BStreptococcus(GBS) is a pervasive neonatal pathogen accounting for a combined half a million deaths and stillbirths annually. The most common source of fetal or neonatal GBS exposure is the maternal microbiota.
Effect of Passive Administration of Monoclonal Antibodies Recognizing Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) V2 in CH59-Like Coil/Helical or β-Sheet Conformations on Time of SIV
mac251
Acquisition
Authors: Stamos James D. , Rahman Mohammad Arif , Gorini Giacomo , Silva de Castro Isabela , Becerra-Flores Manuel , Van Wazer David J. , N’Guessan Kombo F. , Clark Natasha M. , Bissa Massimiliano , Gutowska Anna , Mason Rosemarie D. , Kim Jiae , Rao Mangala , Roederer Mario , Paquin-Proulx Dominic , Evans David T. , Cicala Claudia , Arthos James , Kwong Peter D. , Zhou Tongqing , Cardozo Timothy , Franchini Genoveffa
Published: March 2023

Studies suggest that the protection against SIV/simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) acquisition afforded by the SIV/HIV V1 deletion-containing envelope immunogens, delivered by the DNA/ALVAC vaccine platform, requires multiple innate and adaptive host responses. Anti-inflammatory macrophages and tolerogenic dendritic cells (DC-10), together with CD14
+
efferocytes, are consistently found to correlate with a vaccine-induced decrease in the risk of SIV/SHIV acquisition.
The Phospholipase A1 Activity of Glycerol Ester Hydrolase (Geh) Is Responsible for Extracellular 2-12(
S
)-Methyltetradecanoyl-Lysophosphatidylglycerol Production in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Subramanian Chitra , Frank Matthew W. , Yun My-Kyung , Rock Charles O.
Published: March 2023

Glycerol ester hydrolase, Geh, is an abundant secreted lipase whose expression is controlled by the accessory gene regulator (Agr) quorum-sensing signal transduction pathway. Geh is thought to have a role in virulence based on its ability to hydrolyze host lipids at the infection site to provide fatty acids for membrane biogenesis and substrates for oleate hydratase, and Geh inhibits immune cell activation by hydrolyzing lipoprotein glycerol esters.
Conjugation-Mediated Plasmid Transfer Enables Genetic Modification of Diverse
Bacillus
Species
Authors: Phillips Elise K. , Cannon Jordan A. , Zhou Yue , Bonifer Kyle S. , Reynolds Todd B.
Published: March 2023

Bacillus
species are widely used to produce proteins and to understand microbial differentiation. Unfortunately, outside a few lab strains, genetic manipulation is difficult and can prevent thorough dissection of useful phenotypes. We developed a protocol that utilizes conjugation (plasmids that initiate their own transfer) to introduce plasmids into a diverse range of
Bacillus
spp. This will facilitate a deeper study of wild isolates for both industrial and pure research uses.
A Rapid Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostic Platform for Staphylococcus aureus Using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification
Authors: Lin Chuangxing , Zeng Yongmei , Zhu Zhihong , Liao Jiayu , Yang Tiandan , Liu Yaqun , Wei Huagui , Li Jiamin , Ma Jibin , Wu Xiaoqing , Lin Guangyu , Lin Liyun , Chen Liying , Huang Huiying , Chen Weizhong , Wang Junli , Wen Feiqiu , Lin Min
Published: March 2023

Staphylococcus aureus
is a species of
Staphylococcus
and belongs to Gram-positive. Meanwhile,
S. aureus
remains one of the most common nosocomial and community-acquired infections, causing blood flow, skin, soft tissue, and lower respiratory tract infections.
Lung Mycobiota α-Diversity Is Linked to Severity in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Enaud Raphaël , Sioniac Pierre , Imbert Sebastien , Janvier Pierre-Laurent , Camino Adrian , Bui Hoang-Nam , Pillet Odile , Orieux Arthur , Boyer Alexandre , Berger Patrick , Gruson Didier , Delhaes Laurence , Prevel Renaud
Published: March 2023

In AECOPD with acidemia, more severe patients—
i.e.
, nonsurvivors and patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation—have lower lung mycobiota α-diversity than survivors and patients receiving only noninvasive ventilation, respectively. This study encourages a large multicenter cohort study investigating the role of lung microbiota in severe AECOPD and urges investigation of the role of the fungal kingdom in severe AECOPD.
Omental infarction mimicking acute appendicitis with negative radiological findings
Authors: Miu Kelvin , Yousef Mohammad , Siddika Arifa
Published: March 2023

A male in his 30s presented to the emergency department with a 1-day history of supra-umbilical pain migrating to the right iliac fossa. On examination, his abdomen was soft but tender with localised guarding in the right iliac fossa and a positive Rovsing’s sign. The patient was admitted under a presumptive diagnosis of acute appendicitis. A CT scan and ultrasound scan of the abdomen and pelvis showed no acute intra-abdominal pathology. He stayed in hospital for 2 days for observation without improvement of symptoms. A diagnostic laparoscopy was therefore performed that revealed an infarcted omentum adherent to the abdominal wall and ascending colon causing congestion of the appendix. The infarcted omentum was resected, and the appendix was removed. The CT images were reviewed by multiple consultant radiologists, but no positive findings were appreciated. This case report demonstrates the potential difficulty in diagnosing omental infarction clinically and radiologically.
Global, regional and national burden of inflammatory bowel disease in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Wang Rui , Li Zhaoqi , Liu Shaojun , Zhang Decai
Published: March 2023

Objectives

We aimed to provide the most updated estimates on the global burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to improve management strategies.

Design

We extracted data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 database to evaluate IBD burden with different measures in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.

Setting

Studies from the GBD 2019 database generated by population-representative data sources identified through a literature review and research collaborations were included.

Participants

Patients with an IBD diagnosis.

Outcomes

Total numbers, age-standardised rates of prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and their estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were the main outcomes.

Results

In 2019, there were approximately 4.9 million cases of IBD worldwide, with China and the USA having the highest number of cases (911 405 and 762 890 (66.9 and 245.3 cases per 100 000 people, respectively)). Between 1990 and 2019, the global age-standardised rates of prevalence, deaths and DALYs decreased (EAPCs=−0.66,–0.69 and −1.04, respectively). However, the age-standardised prevalence rate increased in 13 out of 21 GBD regions. A total of 147 out of 204 countries or territories experienced an increase in the age-standardised prevalence rate. From 1990 to 2019, IBD prevalent cases, deaths and DALYs were higher among females than among males. A higher Socio-demographic Index was associated with higher age-standardised prevalence rates.

Conclusions

IBD will continue to be a major public health burden due to increasing numbers of prevalent cases, deaths and DALYs. The epidemiological trends and disease burden of IBD have changed dramatically at the regional and national levels, so understanding these changes would be beneficial for policy makers to tackle IBD.
Fundamental nursing care focusing on older people’s needs and continuity of long-term care: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Nordaunet Ole Martin , Gjevjon Edith Roth , Olsson Cecilia , Aagaard Hanne , Borglin Gunilla
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Knowledge about long-term care services ability, regardless of if the service is home-based or facility-based, to provide an optimal and comprehensive fundamental nursing care (understood as focusing on physical, relational and psychosocial needs) consistently over time is sparse. Research into nursing indicates the presence of a discontinuous and fragmented healthcare service, and that fundamental nursing care such as mobilisation, nutrition and hygiene among older people (65 years and above) seems to be, regardless of reasons, systematically rationed by nursing staff. Thus, our scoping review aims to explore the published scientific literature on fundamental nursing care and continuity of care targeting older people’s needs while also describing identified nursing interventions with the same foci in a long-term care context.

Methods and analysis

The upcoming scoping review will be conducted in accordance with Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework for scoping studies. Search strategies will be developed and adjusted to each database, for example, PubMed, CINAHL and PsychINFO. Searches will be limited to the years 2002–2023. Studies focusing our aim, regardless of study design, will be eligible for inclusion. Included studies will be quality assessed and data will be charted using an extraction form. Textual data will be presented through a thematic analysis and numerical data by a descriptive numerical analysis. This protocol adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol checklist.

Ethics and dissemination

The upcoming scoping review will take into consideration ethical reporting in primary research as part of the quality assessment. The findings will be submitted to an open-access peer-reviewed journal. Under the Norwegian Act on Medical and Health-related Research, this study does not need ethical clearance by a regional ethical review authority as it will not generate any primary data or obtain sensitive data or biological samples.
FAK suppresses antigen processing and presentation to promote immune evasion in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Canel Marta , Sławińska Aleksandra Dominika , Lonergan David W , Kallor Ashwin Adrian , Upstill-Goddard Rosie , Davidson Catherine , von Kriegsheim Alex , Biankin Andrew V , Byron Adam , Alfaro Javier , Serrels Alan
Published: March 2023

Objective

Immunotherapy for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has shown limited efficacy. Poor CD8 T-cell infiltration, low neoantigen load and a highly immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment contribute to this lack of response. Here, we aimed to further investigate the immunoregulatory function of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in PDAC, with specific emphasis on regulation of the type-II interferon response that is critical in promoting T-cell tumour recognition and effective immunosurveillance.

Design

We combined CRISPR, proteogenomics and transcriptomics with mechanistic experiments using a KrasG12Dp53R172Hmouse model of pancreatic cancer and validated findings using proteomic analysis of human patient-derived PDAC cell lines and analysis of publicly available human PDAC transcriptomics datasets.

Results

Loss of PDAC cell-intrinsic FAK signalling promotes expression of the immunoproteasome and Major Histocompatibility Complex class-I (MHC-I), resulting in increased antigen diversity and antigen presentation by FAK-/- PDAC cells. Regulation of the immunoproteasome by FAK is a critical determinant of this response, optimising the physicochemical properties of the peptide repertoire for high affinity binding to MHC-I. Expression of these pathways can be further amplified in a STAT1-dependent manner via co-depletion of FAK and STAT3, resulting in extensive infiltration of tumour-reactive CD8 T-cells and further restraint of tumour growth. FAK-dependent regulation of antigen processing and presentation is conserved between mouse and human PDAC, but is lost in cells/tumours with an extreme squamous phenotype.

Conclusion

Therapies aimed at FAK degradation may unlock additional therapeutic benefit for the treatment of PDAC through increasing antigen diversity and promoting antigen presentation.
Early neurological deterioration in patients with minor stroke due to isolated M2 occlusion undergoing medical management: a retrospective multicenter study
Authors: Broccolini Aldobrando , Brunetti Valerio , Colò Francesca , Alexandre Andrea M , Valente Iacopo , Falcou Anne , Frisullo Giovanni , Pedicelli Alessandro , Scarcia Luca , Scala Irene , Rizzo Pier Andrea , Bellavia Simone , Camilli Arianna , Milonia Luca , Piano Mariangela , Macera Antonio , Commodaro Christian , Ruggiero Maria , Da Ros Valerio , Bellini Luigi , Lazzarotti Guido A , Cosottini Mirco , Caragliano Armando A , Vinci Sergio L , Gabrieli Joseph D , Causin Francesco , Panni Pietro , Roveri Luisa , Limbucci Nicola , Arba Francesco , Pileggi Marco , Bianco Giovanni , Romano Daniele G , Frauenfelder Giulia , Semeraro Vittorio , Ganimede Maria P , Lozupone Emilio , Fasano Antonio , Lafe Elvis , Cavallini Anna , Russo Riccardo , Bergui Mauro , Calabresi Paolo , Della Marca Giacomo
Published: March 2023

Background

Patients with minor stroke and M2 occlusion undergoing best medical management (BMM) may face early neurological deterioration (END) that can lead to poor long-term outcome. In case of END, rescue mechanical thrombectomy (rMT) seems beneficial. Our study aimed to define factors relevant to clinical outcome in patients undergoing BMM with the possibility of rMT on END, and find predictors of END.

Methods

Patients with M2 occlusion and a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score≤5 that received either BMM only or rMT on END after BMM were extracted from the databases of 16 comprehensive stroke centers. Clinical outcome measures were a 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0–1 or 0–2, and occurrence of END.

Results

Among 10 169 consecutive patients with large vessel occlusion admitted between 2016 and 2021, 208 patients were available for analysis. END was reported in 87 patients that were therefore all subjected to rMT. In a logistic regression model, END (OR 3.386, 95% CI 1.428 to 8.032), baseline NIHSS score (OR 1.362, 95% CI 1.004 to 1.848) and a pre-event mRS score=1 (OR 3.226, 95% CI 1.229 to 8.465) were associated with unfavorable outcome. In patients with END, successful rMT was associated with favorable outcome (OR 4.549, 95% CI 1.098 to 18.851). Among baseline clinical and neuroradiological features, presence of atrial fibrillation was a predictor of END (OR 3.547, 95% CI 1.014 to 12.406).

Conclusion

Patients with minor stroke due to M2 occlusion and atrial fibrillation should be closely monitored for possible worsening during BMM and, in this case, promptly considered for rMT.
Performing HeLa: theatrical bodies and living remains
Authors: Cox Emma
Published: March 2023

As a biomedical entity that has been the subject of a plethora of artistic and cultural projects, HeLa, the first immortal human cell line, calls for investigations into the human. Extracted and cultured from the cervical tumour of African-American woman, Henrietta Lacks, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1950s’ Baltimore, HeLa’s robust capacity to grow has ensured its role in numerous medical advances. The first part of this essay synthesises scientific, sociocultural, familial and philosophical perspectives on HeLa, while the second half applies these perspectives to a reading of a theatrical production,HeLa(2013), written and performed internationally by black British artist Adura Onashile. The discussion considers ways in which prevailing cultural narratives that situate Lacks as a victim, dispossessed of bodily agency in life and after death, might delimit productive possibilities for thinking about Lacks as a contributor to biotechnological progress, and about HeLa as a living remain. Lacks’ labour in the creation of HeLa may have been unwitting, but her role in biotechnological progress is profound in that it is constitutive. Onashile’s solo performance—its deft choreography moving across the subjectivities of patient, physician and family—presents the political fact of black female corporeality as part of its exploration of scientific innovation. The theatrical registers of Onashile’sHeLaopen up and nuance imaginings of Lacks/HeLa, moving beyond monolithic conceptions of medical research by creatively investigating Lacks’ scientific contribution in the midst (and in the wake) of medical exploitation.
Searching for doubly charmed tetraquark candidates $$T_{cc}$$ and $$T_{cc\bar{s}}$$ in $$B_c$$ decays
Authors: Li Yuan , He Ying-Bo , Liu Xiao-Hai , Chen Baoyi , Ke Hong-Wei
Published: March 2023

In this work, we propose to search for the exotic doubly charmed meson $$T_{cc}^+$$

T

cc

+

and its analog $$T_{cc\bar{s}}^+$$

T

c
c

s

¯

+

in $$B_c^+$$

B
c
+

decays, which provide a good environment for the formation of the exotic state containing double charm quarks. Within the molecular scheme, the production of $$T_{cc}^+$$

T

cc

+

and $$T_{cc\bar{s}}^+$$

T

c
c

s

¯

+

through various rescattering processes with different intermediate states are investigated. For the moderate values of model parameters, the branching ratios of $$B_c^+$$

B
c
+

decaying into $$T_{cc}^+ \bar{D}^{0}$$

T

cc

+

D

¯

0

, $$T_{cc}^+ \bar{D}^{*0}$$

T

cc

+

D

¯

∗
0

, $$T_{cc\bar{s}}^+ \bar{D}^{0}$$

T

c
c

s

¯

+

D

¯

0

and $$T_{cc\bar{s}}^+ \bar{D}^{*0}$$

T

c
c

s

¯

+

D

¯

∗
0

are estimated to be of the order of $$10^{-7}$$

10

-
7

, $$10^{-5}$$

10

-
5

, $$10^{-6}$$

10

-
6

and $$10^{-4}$$

10

-
4

, respectively, which may be tested by future experiments.