bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selecting biomaterials in the reconstructive therapy of peri‐implantitis
Authors: Monje Alberto , Pons Ramón , Nart José , Miron Richard J. , Schwarz Frank , Sculean Anton
Published: September 2023

Peri‐implantitis is a pathogenic inflammatory condition characterized by progressive bone loss and clinical inflammation that may compromise the stability of dental implants. Therapeutic modalities have been advocated to arrest the disorder and to establish peri‐implant health. Reconstructive therapy is indicated for bone defects exhibiting contained/angular components. This therapeutic modality is based upon the application of the biological and technical principles of periodontal regeneration. Nonetheless, the comparative efficacy of reconstructive therapy and nonreconstructive modalities remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this narrative review is to address major clinical concerns regarding the efficacy, effectiveness, and feasibility of using biomaterials in peri‐implantitis therapy. In particular, the use of bone grafting materials, barrier membranes, and biologics is comprehensively explored.
PEP reward reactivity moderates the effects of RSA reactivity on antisocial behavior and substance use
Authors: Chen Frances R. , French Katherine
Published: September 2023

Integrating Polyvagal Theory and Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST), we examined pre‐ejection period (PEP) reward reactivity, which was suggested to index trait impulsivity, as a moderator between respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity and antisocial behavior (ASB), and substance use in an urban male, adult sample. To understand the inconsistent findings between RSA reactivity and externalizing problems, we proposed to study both negatively and positively valenced tasks for RSA reactivity and to include PEP reward reactivity as a moderator for the RSA‐behavior link. Data were collected from an urban sample of 131 male adults (active offenders, demographic controls, and college students). ICG (impedance cardiography) and ECG (electrocardiogram) were recorded, computing PEP (sympathetic nervous system activity marker) and RSA (parasympathetic nervous system activity marker), while participants completed the modified Trier Social Stress Test and a simple reward task. Reactivity was calculated by subtracting the baseline from the task activity. Consistent with prior studies, more RSA withdrawal to stress and less PEP shortening to reward predicted the most ASB and substance use. Less RSA withdrawal to reward and more PEP shortening to reward predicted the most ASB and substance use. We incorporated autonomic space, RST, and Polyvagal Theory to discuss our findings, and specifically highlight how clarifying what each reactivity captures based on the task demand (e.g., presence of social threat, need for vagal‐mediated social affiliative behavior) can illuminate our understanding of the result patterns.
Metacognition and polyregulation in daily self‐control conflicts
Authors: Bürgler Sebastian , Hennecke Marie
Published: September 2023

Metacognition is important for self‐regulated learning, and it has recently been argued that it may play an important role in self‐control more generally. We studied multiple aspects of metacognition in self‐control, namely metacognitive knowledge including a person's repertoire (“toolbox”) of different self‐regulatory strategies, metacognitive regulation (planning, monitoring, and evaluation), and polyregulation (using more self‐regulatory strategies in a single self‐control conflict) as predictors of people's self‐control success in daily life. In a preregistered experience sampling study, N = 503 participants reported their self‐control conflicts up to eight times per day for 10 days, yielding 9,639 reports of daily self‐control conflicts. Analyses showed that higher levels of metacognitive knowledge, planning, monitoring, evaluation, and polyregulation as well as a larger strategy repertoire were associated with higher levels of success in resolving daily self‐control conflicts. Additionally, higher levels of trait self‐control were associated with higher levels of metacognitive knowledge, planning, and monitoring. These findings highlight the importance of metacognition and polyregulation for successful self‐control.
Spillover and spillback: Linking daily job insecurity to next‐day counterproductive work behavior
Authors: Zhao Chaoyue , Zhu Yao , Zhuang Jin‐Ying
Published: September 2023

Spillover effect theory posits that work stressors can have spillover effects into workers' home lives. Although job insecurity spillover into the home domain has been explored extensively, potential spillback effects into the work domain have not. We posit that daily job insecurity represents a negative subjective perception that can spillover into the home domain and lead to insomnia, which will damage the recovery of self‐regulatory resources and make employees unable to regulate their own behavior, ultimately resulting in next‐day counterproductive work behavior. We hypothesized that self‐compassion, as an individual trait, weakens the spillover effect of job insecurity and moderates the indirect effect of job insecurity on next‐day counterproductive work behavior via insomnia. Our analyses of data collected from 132 full‐time employees across 10 consecutive working days showed that insomnia mediates the relationship between daily job insecurity and next‐day counterproductive work behavior, and further showed that this relationship was moderated by self‐compassion. Overall, our research captures the cascading effects of daily job insecurity and contributes to a more complete understanding of the spillover effect of job insecurity.
Predicting speech-in-speech recognition: Short-term audibility and spatial separation
Authors: Wasiuk Peter A. , Calandruccio Lauren , Oleson Jacob J. , Buss Emily
Published: September 2023

Quantifying the factors that predict variability in speech-in-speech recognition represents a fundamental challenge in auditory science. Stimulus factors associated with energetic and informational masking (IM) modulate variability in speech-in-speech recognition, but energetic effects can be difficult to estimate in spectro-temporally dynamic speech maskers. The current experiment characterized the effects of short-term audibility and differences in target and masker location (or perceived location) on the horizontal plane for sentence recognition in two-talker speech. Thirty young adults with normal hearing (NH) participated. Speech reception thresholds and keyword recognition at a fixed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were measured in each spatial condition. Short-term audibility for each keyword was quantified using a glimpsing model. Results revealed that speech-in-speech recognition depended on the proportion of audible glimpses available in the target + masker keyword stimulus in each spatial condition, even across stimuli presented at a fixed global SNR. Short-term audibility requirements were greater for colocated than spatially separated speech-in-speech recognition, and keyword recognition improved more rapidly as a function of increases in target audibility with spatial separation. Results indicate that spatial cues enhance glimpsing efficiency in competing speech for young adults with NH and provide a quantitative framework for estimating IM for speech-in-speech recognition in different spatial configurations.
Transitioning Out of Esports: Exploring the Experiences of Professional Esports Players in South Korea
Authors: Hong Hee Jung , Hong Seung Han
Published: September 2023

This study explored the experiences of retired esports players, focusing particularly on their transition out of esports. Utilizing a qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with four retired professional esports players in South Korea. A thematic analysis revealed four recurring themes: career pressure and uncertainty, lack of preretirement planning, demand for mentorship support, and necessity for a realistic perspective on talent. The findings indicated that significant pressure and financial insecurity during their careers often catalyzed the players’ decisions to retire. Players were unprepared for postesports life due to inadequate preretirement planning. This study highlights the crucial roles of mentorship and realistic talent assessments in facilitating smoother career transitions. The main contribution of this research lies in its empirical evidence, which stresses the need for structured support systems for esports players transitioning out of professional gaming. Stakeholders within the esports industry can utilize these findings to formulate policies and programs aimed at providing financial assistance, career planning, mentorship, and guidance to players during their careers and upon retirement. The outcomes of this study can serve as a foundation for future research by clarifying the necessity for broader investigations into the experiences of esports players and the development of practical strategies to mitigate their transition challenges.
NOAA Open Data Dissemination: Petabyte-scale Earth system data in the cloud
Authors: Willett Denis S. , Brannock Jonathan , Dissen Jenny , Keown Patrick , Szura Katelyn , Brown Otis B. , Simonson Adrienne
Published: September 2023

NOAA Open Data Dissemination (NODD) makes NOAA environmental data publicly and freely available on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure (Azure), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). These data can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection and span key datasets across the Earth system including satellite imagery, radar, weather models and observations, ocean databases, and climate data records. Since its inception, NODD has grown to provide public access to more than 24 PB of NOAA data and can support billions of requests and petabytes of access daily. Stakeholders routinely access more than 5 PB of NODD data every month. NODD continues to grow to support open petabyte-scale Earth system data science in the cloud by onboarding additional NOAA data and exploring performant data formats. Here, we document how this program works with a focus on provenance, key datasets, and use. We also highlight how to access these data with the goal of accelerating use of NOAA resources in the cloud.
Calcium channel β3 subunit regulates ATP-dependent migration of dendritic cells
Authors: Woo Marcel S. , Ufer Friederike , Sonner Jana K. , Belkacemi Anouar , Tintelnot Joseph , Sáez Pablo J. , Krieg Paula F. , Mayer Christina , Binkle-Ladisch Lars , Engler Jan Broder , Bauer Simone , Kursawe Nina , Vieira Vanessa , Mannebach Stefanie , Freichel Marc , Flockerzi Veit , Vargas Pablo , Friese Manuel A.
Published: September 2023

Migratory dendritic cells (migDCs) continuously patrol tissues and are activated by injury and inflammation. Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is released by damaged cells or actively secreted during inflammation and increases migDC motility. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which ATP accelerates migDC migration is not understood. Here, we show that migDCs can be distinguished from other DC subsets and immune cells by their expression of the voltage-gated calcium channel subunit β3 (Cavβ3; CACNB3), which exclusively facilitates ATP-dependent migration in vitro and during tissue damage in vivo. By contrast, CACNB3 does not regulate lipopolysaccharide-dependent migration. Mechanistically, CACNB3 regulates ATP-dependent inositol 1,4,5-trisphophate receptor–controlled calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum. This, in turn, is required for ATP-mediated suppression of adhesion molecules, their detachment, and initiation of migDC migration. Thus,
Cacnb3
-deficient migDCs have an impaired migration after ATP exposure. In summary, we identified CACNB3 as a master regulator of ATP-dependent migDC migration that controls tissue-specific immunological responses during injury and inflammation.
Association between frailty and depression: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Deng Ming-Gang , Liu Fang , Liang Yuehui , Wang Kai , Nie Jia-Qi , Liu Jiewei
Published: September 2023

Frailty and depression were linked in observational studies, but the causality remains ambiguous. We intended to explore it using Mendelian randomization (MR). We obtained frailty genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from UK Biobank and TwinGen meta-analysis, and depression GWAS data from Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) and FinnGen (respectively recorded as PD and FD). We performed univariable and multivariable-adjusted MR with adjustments for body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA). Frailty was significantly associated with elevated risks of PD (OR, 1.860; 95% CI, 1.439 to 2.405;
P
< 0.001) and FD (OR, 1.745; 95% CI, 1.193 to 2.552;
P
= 0.004), and depression was meanwhile a susceptible factor for frailty (PD: β, 0.146; 95% CI, 0.086 to 0.201;
P
< 0.001; and FD: β, 0.112; 95% CI, 0.051 to 0.174;
P
< 0.001). This association was robust after adjustments for BMI or PA. Our study provides evidence of the bidirectional causal association between frailty and depression from genetic perspectives.
Plastic degradation by insect hexamerins: Near-atomic resolution structures of the polyethylene-degrading proteins from the wax worm saliva
Authors: Spínola-Amilibia Mercedes , Illanes-Vicioso Ramiro , Ruiz-López Elena , Colomer-Vidal Pere , Rodriguez-Ventura Francisco , Peces Pérez Rosa , Arias Clemente F. , Torroba Tomas , Solà Maria , Arias-Palomo Ernesto , Bertocchini Federica
Published: September 2023

Plastic waste management is a pressing ecological, social, and economic challenge. The saliva of the lepidopteran
Galleria mellonella
larvae is capable of oxidizing and depolymerizing polyethylene in hours at room temperature. Here, we analyze by cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM)
G. mellonella
’s saliva directly from the native source. The three-dimensional reconstructions reveal that the buccal secretion is mainly composed of four hexamerins belonging to the hemocyanin/phenoloxidase family, renamed Demetra, Cibeles, Ceres, and a previously unidentified factor termed Cora. Functional assays show that this factor, as its counterparts Demetra and Ceres, is also able to oxidize and degrade polyethylene. The cryo-EM data and the x-ray analysis from purified fractions show that they self-assemble primarily into three macromolecular complexes with striking structural differences that likely modulate their activity. Overall, these results establish the ground to further explore the hexamerins’ functionalities, their role in vivo, and their eventual biotechnological application.
Impurity contribution to ultraviolet absorption of saturated fatty acids
Authors: Saito Shota , Numadate Naoki , Teraoka Hidemasa , Enami Shinichi , Kobayashi Hirokazu , Hama Tetsuya
Published: September 2023

Saturated fatty acids are abundant organic compounds in oceans and sea sprays. Their photochemical reactions induced by solar radiation have recently been found as an abiotic source of volatile organic compounds, which serve as precursors of secondary organic aerosols. However, photoabsorption of wavelengths longer than 250 nanometers in liquid saturated fatty acids remains unexplained, despite being first reported in 1931. Here, we demonstrate that the previously reported absorption of wavelengths longer than 250 nanometers by liquid nonanoic acid [CH
3
(CH
2
)
7
COOH)] originates from traces of impurities (0.1% at most) intrinsically contained in nonanoic acid reagents. Absorption cross sections of nonanoic acid newly obtained here indicate that the upper limit of its photolysis rate is three to five orders of magnitude smaller than those for atmospherically relevant carbonyl compounds.
Surgical robots in movies may not be science fiction
Authors: Murphy Robin R.
Published: September 2023

RoboDoc
, a 2009 comedy, offers a surprisingly accurate assessment of robot surgery.
The D2D3 form of uPAR acts as an immunotoxin and may cause diabetes and kidney disease
Authors: Zhu Ke , Mukherjee Kamalika , Wei Changli , Hayek Salim S. , Collins Agnieszka , Gu Changkyu , Corapi Kristin , Altintas Mehmet M. , Wang Yong , Waikar Sushrut S. , Bianco Antonio C. , Koch Alexander , Tacke Frank , Reiser Jochen , Sever Sanja
Published: September 2023

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a risk factor for kidney diseases. In addition to suPAR, proteolysis of membrane-bound uPAR results in circulating D1 and D2D3 proteins. We showed that when exposed to a high-fat diet, transgenic mice expressing D2D3 protein developed progressive kidney disease marked by microalbuminuria, elevated serum creatinine, and glomerular hypertrophy. D2D3 transgenic mice also exhibited insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus evidenced by decreased levels of insulin and C-peptide, impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, decreased pancreatic β cell mass, and high fasting blood glucose. Injection of anti-uPAR antibody restored β cell mass and function in D2D3 transgenic mice. At the cellular level, the D2D3 protein impaired β cell proliferation and inhibited the bioenergetics of β cells, leading to dysregulated cytoskeletal dynamics and subsequent impairment in the maturation and trafficking of insulin granules. D2D3 protein was predominantly detected in the sera of patients with nephropathy and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. These sera inhibited glucose-stimulated insulin release from human islets in a D2D3-dependent manner. Our study showed that D2D3 injures the kidney and pancreas and suggests that targeting this protein could provide a therapy for kidney diseases and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
A US-based national surveillance study for the susceptibility and epidemiology of
Clostridioides difficile
isolates with special reference to ridinilazole: 2020–2021
Authors: Snydman D. R. , McDermott L. A. , Thorpe C. M. , Goldstein E. J. C. , Schuetz A. N. , Johnson S. , Gerding D. N. , Gluck L. , Bourdas D. , Carroll K. C. , Lancaster C. K. , Garey K. W. , Wang Q. , Walk S. T. , Duperchy E.
Published: September 2023

We have previously reported on the susceptibility and epidemiology of
Clostridioides difficile
isolates from six geographically dispersed medical centers in the United States. This current survey was conducted with isolates collected in 2020–2021 from six geographically dispersed medical centers in the United States, with specific attention to susceptibility to ridinilazole as well as nine comparators.
C. difficile
isolates or stools from patients with
C. difficile
antibiotic-associated diarrhea were collected and referred to a central laboratory. After species confirmation of 300 isolates at the central laboratory, antibiotic susceptibilities were determined by the agar dilution method [M11-A9, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)] against the 10 agents. Ribotyping was performed by PCR capillary gel electrophoresis on all isolates. Ridinilazole had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 90 of 0.25 mcg/mL, and no isolate had an MIC greater than 0.5 mcg/mL. In comparison, fidaxomicin had an MIC 90 of 0.5 mcg/mL. The vancomycin MIC 90 was 2 mcg/mL with a 0.7% resistance rate [both CLSI and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) criteria]. The metronidazole MIC 90 was 1 mcg/mL, with none resistant by CLSI criteria, and a 0.3% resistance rate by EUCAST criteria. Among the 50 different ribotypes isolated in the survey, the most common ribotype was 014–020 (14.0%) followed by 106 (10.3%), 027 (10%), 002 (8%), and 078–126 (4.3%). Ridinilazole maintained activity against all ribotypes and all strains resistant to any other agent tested. Ridinilazole showed excellent
in vitro
activity against
C. difficile
isolates collected between 2020 and 2021 in the United States, independent of ribotype.
Diethylcarbamazine elicits Ca
2+
signals through TRP-2 channels that are potentiated by emodepside in
Brugia malayi
muscles
Authors: Williams Paul D. E. , Kashyap Sudhanva S. , Robertson Alan P. , Martin Richard J.
Published: September 2023

Filarial nematode infections are a major health concern in several countries. Lymphatic filariasis is caused by
Wuchereria bancrofti
and
Brugia
spp. affecting over 120 million people. Heavy infections can lead to elephantiasis, which has serious effects on individuals’ lives. Although current anthelmintics are effective at killing microfilariae in the bloodstream, they have little to no effect against adult parasites found in the lymphatic system. The anthelmintic diethylcarbamazine is one of the central pillars of lymphatic filariasis control. Recent studies have reported that diethylcarbamazine can open transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in the muscles of adult female
Brugia malayi,
leading to contraction and paralysis. Diethylcarbamazine has synergistic effects in combination with emodepside on
Brugia,
inhibiting motility: emodepside is an anthelmintic that has effects on filarial nematodes and is under trial for the treatment of river blindness. Here, we have studied the effects of diethylcarbamazine on single
Brugia
muscle cells by measuring the change in Ca
2+
fluorescence in the muscle using Ca
2+
-imaging techniques. Diethylcarbamazine interacts with the transient receptor potential channel, C classification (TRPC) ortholog receptor TRP-2 to promote Ca
2+
entry into the
Brugia
muscle cells, which can activate Slopoke (SLO-1) Ca
2+
-activated K
+
channels, the putative target of emodepside. A combination of diethylcarbamazine and emodepside leads to a bigger Ca
2+
signal than when either compound is applied alone. Our study shows that diethylcarbamazine targets TRP channels to promote Ca
2+
entry that is increased by emodepside activation of SLO-1 K
+
channels.
Sensitivity of rapid antigen tests against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants
Authors: Rao Anuradha , Westbrook Adrianna , Bassit Leda , Parsons Richard , Fitts Eric , Greenleaf Morgan , McLendon Kaleb , Sullivan Julie A. , O’Sick William , Baugh Tyler , Bowers Heather B. , Frank Filipp , Wang Ethan , Le Mimi , Frediani Jennifer , Roychoudhury Pavitra , Greninger Alexander L. , Jerris Robert , Pollock Nira R. , Ortlund Eric A. , Roback John D. , Lam Wilbur A. , Piantadosi Anne
Published: September 2023

Rapid antigen tests (RATs) have become an invaluable tool for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. However, concerns have been raised regarding the ability of existing RATs to effectively detect emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. We compared the performance of 10 commercially available, emergency use authorized RATs against the Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants using both individual patient and serially diluted pooled clinical samples. The RATs exhibited lower sensitivity for Omicron samples when using PCR cycle threshold (C
T
) value (a rough proxy for RNA concentration) as the comparator. Interestingly, however, they exhibited similar sensitivity for Omicron and Delta samples when using quantitative antigen concentration as the comparator. We further found that the Omicron samples had lower ratios of antigen to RNA, which offers a potential explanation for the apparent lower sensitivity of RATs for that variant when using
C

T

value as a reference. Our findings underscore the complexity in assessing RAT performance against emerging variants and highlight the need for ongoing evaluation in the face of changing population immunity and virus evolution.
Assessment and validation of enrichment and target capture approaches to improve
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
WGS from direct patient samples
Authors: Mann B. C. , Jacobson K. R. , Ghebrekristos Y. , Warren R. M. , Farhat M. R.
Published: September 2023

Within-host
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(Mtb) diversity may detect antibiotic resistance or predict tuberculosis treatment failure and is best captured through sequencing directly from sputum. Here, we compared three sample pre-processing steps for DNA decontamination and studied the yield of a new target enrichment protocol for optimal whole-genome sequencing (WGS) from direct patient samples. Mtb-positive NALC-NaOH-treated patient sputum sediments were pooled, and heat inactivated, split in replicates, and treated by either a wash, DNase I, or benzonase digestion. Levels of contaminating host DNA and target Mtb DNA were assessed by quantitative PCR (qPCR), followed by WGS with and without custom dsDNA target enrichment. The pre-treatment sample has a high host-to-target ratio of DNA (6,168 ± 1,638 host copies/ng to 212.3 ± 59.4 Mtb copies/ng) that significantly decreased with all three treatments. Benzonase treatment resulted in the highest enrichment of Mtb DNA at 100-fold compared with control (3,422 ± 2,162 host copies/ng to 11,721 ± 7,096 Mtb copies/ng). The custom dsDNA probe panel successfully enriched libraries from as little as 0.45 pg of Mtb DNA (100 genome copies). Applied to direct sputum the dsDNA target enrichment panel increased the percent of sequencing reads mapping to the Mtb target for all three pre-processing methods. Comparing the results of the benzonase sample sequenced both with and without enrichment, the percent of sequencing reads mapping to the Mtb increased to 90.95% from 1.18%. We demonstrate a low limit of detection for a new custom dsDNA Mtb target enrichment panel that has a favorable cost profile. The results also demonstrate that pre-processing to remove contaminating extracellular DNA prior to cell lysis and DNA extraction improves the host-to-Mtb DNA ratio but is not adequate to support average coverage WGS without target capture.
L. pneumophila
resists its self-harming metabolite HGA via secreted factors and collective peroxide scavenging
Authors: Holland Mische , Farinella Danielle N. , Cruz-Lorenzo Emily , Laubscher Madelyn I. , Doakes Darian A. , Ramos Maria A. , Kubota Nanami , Levin Tera C.
Published: September 2023

Many pathogenic bacteria, including
Legionella pneumophila
, infect humans from environmental reservoirs. To survive in these reservoirs, bacteria must withstand microbe-on-microbe competition. We previously discovered that
L. pneumophila
can compete with neighboring bacteria via an antimicrobial metabolite called homogentisic acid (HGA). Curiously,
L. pneumophila
strains that secrete HGA are not wholly immune to its effects: low-density bacteria are strongly inhibited by HGA, whereas high-density cells are tolerant. How do these bacteria tolerate HGA and avoid self-harm during interbacterial competition? Here, we find that HGA toxicity occurs via the production of toxic hydroperoxides, and multiple factors facilitate high-density tolerance. First, HGA becomes fully toxic only after >1 h of oxidation. While this manifests as a delay in killing within well-mixed liquid cultures, in a biofilm environment, this could provide time for HGA to diffuse away before becoming toxic. Second, HGA generates quantities of hydroperoxides that can be collectively scavenged by high-density, but not low-density, cells. Third, high-density cells produce one or more secreted factors that are transiently protective from HGA. In combination, we propose that the bacteria are able to deploy HGA to generate a pool of reactive oxygen species surrounding their own biofilms while maintaining non-toxic conditions within them. Overall, these findings help to explain how broadly toxic molecules can be used as inter-bacterial weapons. They also provide insights about why some of our current decontamination methods to control
L. pneumophila
are ineffective, leading to recurrent disease outbreaks.

IMPORTANCE

Before environmental opportunistic pathogens can infect humans, they must first successfully grow and compete with other microbes in nature, often via secreted antimicrobials. We previously discovered that the bacterium
Legionella pneumophila
, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, can compete with other microbes via a secreted molecule called HGA. Curiously,
L. pneumophila
strains that produce HGA is not wholly immune to its toxicity, making it a mystery how these bacteria can withstand the “friendly fire” of potentially self-targeting antimicrobials during inter-bacterial battles. Here, we identify several strategies that allow the high-density bacterial populations that secrete HGA to tolerate its effects. Our study clarifies how HGA works. It also points to some explanations of why it is difficult to disinfect
L. pneumophila
from the built environment and prevent disease outbreaks.
Gene duplication, gene loss, and recombination events with variola virus shaped the complex evolutionary path of historical American horsepox-based smallpox vaccines
Authors: Souza Aline R. V. , Brinkmann Annika , Esparza José , Nitsche Andreas , Damaso Clarissa R.
Published: September 2023

Vaccinia virus is the active component of all modern smallpox vaccines after the mid-20th century, but it is uncertain to what extent cowpox, vaccinia, and horsepox viruses were used to produce vaccines before then. Genome sequences of six smallpox vaccines used in the United States between 1850 and 1902, namely VK01, VK02, VK05, VK08, VK12, and Mulford_1902 vaccines, revealed >99.5% similarity with a 1976 strain of horsepox in the genome core. However, how these historical vaccines relate to horsepox and vaccinia viruses is still unknown. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the gene content and genomic structure of these historical smallpox vaccines. Except for VK05, all historical vaccines differ from horsepox in the genomic architecture of the flanking variable regions showing complex patterns of gene duplication/transposition, gene fragmentation, and gene loss. The Mulford_1902 vaccine is the closest virus to contemporary vaccinia viruses and the VK02 vaccine is the most different, with several stretches of variola virus genes recombined in its genome. Our data suggest that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, different horsepox-based vaccines and probably related unsampled progenitors of modern vaccinia virus coexisted. A better understanding of the evolutionary path of the now extinct horsepox-based vaccines will increase our knowledge of the origins of contemporary vaccinia viruses and the pathways that led to the consolidation of current smallpox vaccines. This is particularly important now that the resumption of production of smallpox vaccines for use against mpox is widely discussed, as is the improvement of available vaccines.

IMPORTANCE

Modern smallpox vaccines, such as those used against mpox, are made from vaccinia viruses, but it is still unknown whether cowpox, horsepox, or vaccinia viruses were used in the early 20th century or earlier. The mystery began to be solved when the genomes of six historical smallpox vaccines used in the United States from 1850 to 1902 were determined. Our work analyzed in detail the genomes of these six historical vaccines, revealing a complex genomic structure. Historical vaccines are highly similar to horsepox in the core of their genomes, but some are closer to the structure of vaccinia virus at the ends of the genome. One of the vaccines is a recombinant virus with parts of variola virus recombined into its genome. Our data add valuable information for understanding the evolutionary path of current smallpox vaccines and the genetic makeup of the potentially extinct group of horsepox viruses.
Metabolic proteins with crucial roles in
Edwardsiella tarda
antioxidative adaptation and intracellular proliferation
Authors: Wang Xinhui , Sun Boguang
Published: September 2023

Edwardsiella tarda
is a severe fish pathogen, featured by its capacity to live inside host phagocytes. For intracellular survival, it is crucial for
E. tarda
to neutralize the deleterious effect of host reactive oxygen species (ROS). Accumulating evidence suggests that bacterial metabolism is closely connected to oxidative resistance. However, the roles of
E. tarda
metabolic proteins in antioxidative adaptation and intracellular proliferation remain elusive. In this study, we performed a proteomic analysis on
E. tarda
and identified 111 proteins responsive to H
2
O
2
-mediated oxidative stress. Based on this data, we further obtained eight crucial proteins, including seven metabolic proteins, for
E. tarda
antioxidation and intracellular infection. Among them, two C4-dicarboxylate transporters were found necessary for
E. tarda
to disseminate in fish tissues. Furthermore, the substrate of the two transporters was identified as L-aspartate, which was proven to be essential for the full antioxidative capacity of
E. tarda
. Our results indicate that reprogramming the metabolic flux to the production of pyruvate, a ketoacid capable of neutralizing ROS, was likely a pivotal strategy of
E. tarda
to survive the oxidative environments inside host cells. Together, the findings of this study highlight the significance of metabolic reprogramming for bacterial redox homeostasis and intracellular infection.

Importance

Edwardsiella tarda
is a significant fish pathogen that can live in challenging environments of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as inside the phagocytes. Metabolic reconfiguration has been increasingly associated with bacterial oxidative tolerance and virulence. However, the metabolic proteins of
E. tarda
involved in such processes remain elusive. By proteomic analysis and functional characterization of protein null mutants, the present study identified eight crucial proteins for bacterial oxidative resistance and intracellular infection. Seven of them are metabolic proteins dictating the metabolic flux toward the generation of pyruvate, a key metabolite capable of scavenging ROS molecules. Furthermore, L-aspartate uptake, which can fuel the pyruvate generation, was found essential for the full antioxidative capacity of
E. tarda
. These findings identified seven metabolic proteins involved in bacterial oxidative adaptation and indicate that metabolic reprogramming toward pyruvate was likely a pivotal strategy of bacteria for antioxidative adaptation and intracellular survival.
Erratum to: Synthesis and Properties of Polyurea Greases Based on Silicone Fluids and Poly-α-olefin Oils
Authors: Lyadov A. S. , Kochubeev A. A. , Parenago O. P.
Published: September 2023

Erratum
Severe unprovoked hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: anaesthetic concerns in patient undergoing parathyroidectomy
Authors: Tyagi Asha , Nigam Chanchal , Pangtey Richa , Agrawal Vinayak
Published: September 2023

This case highlights the role of an anaesthetist as a perioperative physician involved in diagnosing and optimising asymptomatic but severe hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. The modifications in anaesthetic technique for safe conduct of general anaesthesia during parathyroidectomy in a patient are also presented. These include those due to an extremely high left ventricular outflow tract obstruction with echocardiographic Doppler-derived maximum pressure gradient of 105 mm Hg at rest.
Parathyroid carcinoma in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism mimicking parathyroid adenoma
Authors: Anand Nidhi , Sachan Ruchita , Dhanda Mallika , Husain Nuzhat
Published: September 2023

Primary hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid carcinoma is extremely rare. Clinically, it is very challenging to differentiate between parathyroid carcinoma and adenoma. The correct diagnosis is made based on the histopathology of the resection specimen. This case report presents a woman in her 40s with body aches, knee joint pain, and fatigue, along with chronic kidney disease. Ultrasonography revealed a large hyperechoic lesion in the left parathyroid gland. Serum calcium, parathyroid hormone, urea, and creatinine levels were increased. The inferior parathyroid gland was surgically removed, and histopathological evaluation confirmed a diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma. Unfortunately, many patients do not undergo complete resection due to a lack of a correct diagnosis during the initial surgery.
Chondrosarcoma of the petrous apex with nerve abducens involvement in a woman with pre-existing contralateral amblyopia
Authors: Meier Letizia , Rajan Gunesh
Published: September 2023

We report about a case of a woman in her 50s with a chondrosarcoma of the petrous apex. She has a strabism due to a right-sided amblyopia since childhood and noticed a slowly progressive squint angle in the last months. Her general practitioner (GP) referred her to an ophthalmologist who diagnosed a left abducens paresis and initiated an MRI demonstrating a mass in the left petrous apex. A transnasal endoscopic transsphenoidal biopsy revealed a grade I chondrosarcoma. The patient underwent an endoscopic transsphenoidal anterior petrosectomy approach with complete removal of the tumour. After surgery the squint angle gradually improved to previous levels, so that the patient was able to resume her work. This report demonstrates that even slight changes of a squint angle without diplopia, in this case because of pre-existing amblyopia, could be a hallmark of an intracranial process.
Transparent reporting of adaptive clinical trials using concurrently randomised cohorts
Authors: Marschner Ian C , Jones Mark , Totterdell James A , Mahar Robert K , Snelling Thomas L , Tong Steven Y C
Published: September 2023

Adaptive clinical trials have designs that evolve over time because of changes to treatments or changes to the chance that participants will receive these treatments. These changes might introduce confounding that biases crude comparisons of the treatment arms and makes the results from standard reporting methods difficult to interpret for adaptive trials. To deal with this shortcoming, a reporting framework for adaptive trials was developed based on concurrently randomised cohort reporting. A concurrently randomised cohort is a subgroup of participants who all had the same treatments available and the same chance of receiving these treatments. The reporting of pre-randomisation characteristics and post-randomisation outcomes for each concurrently randomised cohort in the study is recommended. This approach provides a transparent and unbiased display of the degree of baseline balance and the randomised treatment comparisons for adaptive trials. The key concepts, terminology, and recommendations underlying concurrently randomised cohort reporting are presented, and its routine use in adaptive trial reporting is advocated.
Thoracic sympathetic ganglion blocks: real-world outcomes in 207 chronic pain patients
Authors: Kim Jeongsoo , Yun Minsu , Han Andrew Hogyu , Pauzi Mohd Faeiz , Jeong Jae Hoon , Yoo Yongjae , Moon Jee Youn
Published: September 2023

Background

Thoracic sympathetic ganglion block (TSGB) is a procedure to manage sympathetically maintained upper extremity pain (sympathetically maintained pain). To date, only a few studies have evaluated the clinical effectiveness of TSGB in pain medicine. This study investigated (1) the relationship between technical success of TSGB and pain reduction in patients with chronic upper extremity pain and (2) relevant clinical factors for a positive TSGB outcome.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed medical data in 232 patients who received TSGB from 2004 to 2020. Technical success and a positive outcome of TSGB were defined as a temperature increase of ≥1.5°C at 20 min and a pain reduction with ≥2 points on the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale at 2 weeks post-TSGB, respectively. Correlations were assessed using correlation coefficients (R), and multivariable regression model was used to identify factors relevant to TSGB outcomes.

Results

207 patients were ultimately analyzed; among them, 115 (55.5%) patients positively responded to TSGB, and 139 (67.1%) achieved technical success after TSGB. No significant relationship existed between the pain reduction and the temperature increase after TSGB (R=0.013, p=0.855). Comorbid diabetes (OR 4.200) and adjuvant intake (OR 3.451) were positively associated, and psychiatric comorbidity (OR 0.327) and pain duration (OR 0.973) were negatively associated with TSGB outcome.

Conclusions

We found no significant association between the temperature increase and pain reduction after TSGB. Further studies are warranted to identify significant factors associated with TSGB outcomes in patients with complex regional pain syndrome and neuropathic pain diseases.
Synthesis of bisindolyl diphenylene from its ketone derivatives by infrared irradiation supported on a natural clay
Authors: Mora Ricardo Alfredo Luna , Barrera-Téllez Francisco , Martínez-Mayorga Karina , Rosas-Jiménez José Guadalupe , Martínez-Zaldívar Alejandro , Hipólito-Nájera Adrián Ricardo , Pérez-Flores Javier , Ríos-Guerra Hulme
Published: September 2023

We examined the near-infrared (NIR) light-induced assembly efficiency to obtain light-sensitive 3,3′-(9H-fluorene-9,9-diyl) bis(1H-indole) derivatives using natural clay as metal-free Brønsted–Löwry catalyst (bentonitic Tonsil–Actisil FF (TAFF) clay) and an adduct of aluminum (III) chloride with 9-fluorenone. Their mixtures in solventless and aprotic solvent conditions were also explored. Among all the modified reactions tested, the combined effects of TAFF natural clay with NIR light, specifically in the λ1.1 µm spectral region, result especially efficient to achieve the formation of C–Cπ bonds between π-excessive azaheteroaromatic reagents and functionalized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon to give the title compound in good yields within reasonable reaction times. The reaction coordinate was obtained using quantum chemical calculations. All the reactants, products, intermediates, and transition states were obtained for four systems. Natural orbital analysis allowed us to rationalize the transformations. Overall, this approach represents a greener and equally efficient alternative for conducting C–Cπ bond construction reactions in organic chemistry, and it is especially useful for protecting photosensitive compounds from abrupt decomposition.
Sugar maple sap, soil, and foliar chemistry in response to non-industrial wood ash fertilizer in Muskoka, Ontario
Authors: Conquer Shelby M. , Yan Norman D. , Watmough Shaun A.
Published: September 2023

Non-industrial wood ash may be an effective forest soil nutrient supplement but its use in Canada is largely restricted because of unknown concentrations of trace metal contaminants. Sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marshall) is particularly sensitive to low soil calcium (Ca) levels, and though maple syrup is of great economic importance in Canada, it is unknown how wood ash could affect sap chemistry. Non-industrial wood ash (NIWA; 6 Mg·ha−1) applied to experimental plots in Muskoka, Ontario was rich in Ca (27%), while metal concentrations were well below provincial regulatory limits. One-year post-application, significant increases were observed in the treated plots in the soil pH and base cations (Ca, K, and Mg) in the surface soil horizons, and metal concentrations in the litter. Sap yield in the control plots was significantly lower in the first-year post-application than in the second year, but no other differences were found. In both tapping years, sap sweetness remained similar and differences in nutrient and metal concentrations between treatments were generally small and inconsistent. Foliar chemistry remained largely unchanged 1 year following application, except for K that was twice as high in the treated plots. Ultimately, NIWA is unlikely to significantly alter sugar maple sap chemistry, indicating that it is a viable nutrient supplement that can enhance soil fertility in sugar bushes with no impact on sap sweetness.
Neutron lifetime anomaly and Big Bang nucleosynthesis
Authors: Chowdhury Tammi , Ipek Seyda
Published: September 2023

We calculate the Big Bang nucleosynthesis abundances for helium-4 and deuterium for a range of neutron lifetimes, τn = 840–1050 s, using the state-of-the-art Python package PRyMordial. We show the results for two different nuclear reaction rates, calculated by NACRE II and the PRIMAT collaborations.
Mathematical modeling of viscoelastic fluid flow across a nonlinear stretching surface in porous media with varying magnetic field
Authors: Sowmiya C. , Rushi Kumar B.
Published: September 2023

We investigate the cross-diffusion on MHD mixed convective thermo-solutal transport in viscoelastic fluid from a nonlinear stretching sheet. The novelty of the work is the analytical evaluation of the nonlinear stretching sheet in a porous medium with a variable magnetic parameter and radiative flux. Also, thermo-solutal transport of a mixed convective flow is analyzed with Dufour and Soret effects in the presence of the chemical reaction, heat source/sink. The governing PDEs are reduced into ODEs by similarity variables. ODEs were tackled analytically using the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The analysis is carried out up to the 15th order of approximation. HAM contains an h-curve, allowing a flexible method of controlling the series solution convergence area. Graphs and tables are plotted to analyze the influence of different parameters on the fluid. Rates of heat and mass flux are depicted using tables. Our results indicate that the increasing viscoelastic flow enhances the boundary layer, and the thermal boundary layer reduces as radiation enhances. The numerical demonstrations of the wall drag coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number have been tabulated. The growing parameters are taken as [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]
Dual-channel high sensitivity photonic crystal fiber sensor based on rectangular air holes
Authors: Bing Pibin , Yi Xiaohu , Zhao Jiangfei , Zhang Hongtao , Li Zhongyang , Chen Zhiliang , Xu Juan , Yao Jianquan
Published: September 2023

This paper proposes a dual-channel high sensitivity photonic crystal fiber sensor with rectangular air holes, which can detect the refractive index of a single sample or detect the refractive index of two samples simultaneously, to increase the detection efficiency and wavelength sensitivity of the sample refractive index. The sensor can reduce the times of filling, emptying and cleaning of the sample to be tested and save labor and time costs. The finite element method is used to thoroughly analyze the proposed structure’s sensing properties. The results show that when the sensor detects a single sample, the maximum wavelength sensitivity is 67,300[Formula: see text]nm/RIU, and the highest figure of merit (FOM) is 547 RIU[Formula: see text]. When the sensor detects two samples synchronously, the maximum wavelength sensitivity is 64,100[Formula: see text]nm/RIU, which is the highest level among the known sensors of the same kind. It has good application prospect in the field of high sensitivity refractive index detection.
Forced Symmetry-Breaking Bifurcations in Networks with Disordered Parameters
Authors: Palacios Antonio , Sorrentino Francesco , Nazerian Amirhossein , In Visarath
Published: September 2023

Emergent behavior in complex networks can be predicted and analyzed via the mechanism of spontaneous symmetry-breaking bifurcation, in which solutions of related bifurcation problems lose symmetry as some parameters are varied, even though the equations that such solutions satisfy retain the full symmetry of the system. A less common mechanism is that of forced symmetry-breaking, in which either a bifurcation problem has symmetry on both the state variables and the parameters, or one where the equations have less symmetry when a certain parameter is varied. In this manuscript, it is shown that in certain networks with parameter mismatches the governing equations remain unchanged when the group of symmetries acts on both the state variables and the parameter space. Based on this observation we study the existence and stability of collective patterns in symmetric networks with parameters mismatches from the point of view of forced symmetry-breaking bifurcations. Treating the parameters as state variables, we perform center manifold reductions, which allow us to understand how the disorder in parameters affects the bifurcation points as well as the stability properties of the ensuing patterns. Theoretical results are validated with numerical simulations.