bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First-in-human clinical series of a novel conformable large-lattice pulsed field ablation catheter for pulmonary vein isolation
Authors: Reddy Vivek Y , Anter Elad , Peichl Petr , Rackauskas Gediminas , Petru Jan , Funasako Moritoshi , Koruth Jacob S , Marinskis Germanas , Turagam Mohit , Aidietis Audrius , Kautzner Josef , Natale Andrea , Neuzil Petr
Published: April 2024

Aims

Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has significant advantages over conventional thermal ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). This first-in-human, single-arm trial to treat paroxysmal AF (PAF) assessed the efficiency, safety, pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) durability and one-year clinical effectiveness of an 8 Fr, large-lattice, conformable single-shot PFA catheter together with a dedicated electroanatomical mapping system.

Methods and results

After rendering the PV anatomy, the PFA catheter delivered monopolar, biphasic pulse trains (5–6 s per application; ∼4 applications per PV). Three waveforms were tested: PULSE1, PULSE2, and PULSE3. Follow-up included ECGs, Holters at 6 and 12 months, and symptomatic and scheduled transtelephonic monitoring. The primary and secondary efficacy endpoints were acute PVI and post-blanking atrial arrhythmia recurrence, respectively. Invasive remapping was conducted ∼75 days post-ablation. At three centres, PVI was performed by five operators in 85 patients using PULSE1 (n = 30), PULSE2 (n = 20), and PULSE3 (n = 35). Acute PVI was achieved in 100% of PVs using 3.9 ± 1.4 PFA applications per PV. Overall procedure, transpired ablation, PFA catheter dwell and fluoroscopy times were 56.5 ± 21.6, 10.0 ± 6.0, 19.1 ± 9.3, and 5.7 ± 3.9 min, respectively. No pre-defined primary safety events occurred. Upon remapping, PVI durability was 90% and 99% on a per-vein basis for the total and PULSE3 cohort, respectively. The Kaplan–Meier estimate of one-year freedom from atrial arrhythmias was 81.8% (95% CI 70.2–89.2%) for the total, and 100% (95% CI 80.6–100%) for the PULSE3 cohort.

Conclusion

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) utilizing a conformable single-shot PFA catheter to treat PAF was efficient, safe, and effective, with durable lesions demonstrated upon remapping.
Incidence of phrenic nerve injury during pulmonary vein isolation using different cryoballoons: data from a large prospective ablation registry
Authors: Tachibana Shinichi , Miyazaki Shinsuke , Nitta Junichi , Shirai Yasuhiro , Nagata Yasutoshi , Sagawa Yuichiro , Sekiguchi Yukio , Inamura Yukihiro , Sasaki Takeshi , Yamauchi Yasuteru , Inaba Osamu , Ono Yuichi , Suzuki Makoto , Suzuki Atsushi , Iwai Shinsuke , Okada Hiroyuki , Mizukami Akira , Azegami Koji , Hachiya Hitoshi , Handa Keita , Goto Kentaro , Nishimura Takuro , Hirao Kenzo , Takahashi Atsushi , Sasano Tetsuo
Published: April 2024

Aims

Phrenic nerve injury (PNI) is the most common complication during cryoballoon ablation. Currently, two cryoballoon systems are available, yet the difference is unclear. We sought to compare the acute procedural efficacy and safety of the two cryoballoons.

Methods

This prospective observational study consisted of 2,555 consecutive atrial fibrillation (AF) patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using either conventional (Arctic Front Advance) (AFA-CB) or novel cryoballoons (POLARx) (POLARx-CB) at 19 centers between January 2022 and October 2023.

Results

Among 2,555 patients (68.8 ± 10.9 years, 1,740 men, paroxysmal AF[PAF] 1,670 patients), PVIs were performed by the AFA-CB and POLARx-CB in 1,358 and 1,197 patients, respectively. Touch-up ablation was required in 299(11.7%) patients. The touch-up rate was significantly lower for POLARx-CB than AFA-CB (9.5% vs. 13.6%, p = 0.002), especially for right inferior PVs (RIPVs). The touch-up rate was significantly lower for PAF than non-PAF (8.8% vs. 17.2%, P < 0.001) and was similar between the two cryoballoons in non-PAF patients. Right PNI occurred in 64(2.5%) patients and 22(0.9%) were symptomatic. It occurred during the right superior PV (RSPV) ablation in 39(1.5%) patients. The incidence was significantly higher for POLARx-CB than AFA-CB (3.8% vs. 1.3%, P < 0.001) as was the incidence of symptomatic PNI (1.7% vs. 0.1%, P < 0.001). The difference was significant during RSPV (2.5% vs. 0.7%, P < 0.001) but not RIPV ablation. The PNI recovered more quickly for the AFA-CB than POLARx-CB.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated a significantly higher incidence of right PNI and lower touch-up rate for the POLARx-CB than AFA-CB in the real-world clinical practice.
Chromosome-scale Genome Assembly of the Rough Periwinkle Littorina saxatilis
Authors: De Jode Aurélien , Faria Rui , Formenti Giulio , Sims Ying , Smith Timothy P , Tracey Alan , Wood Jonathan M D , Zagrodzka Zuzanna B , Johannesson Kerstin , Butlin Roger K , Leder Erica H
Published: April 2024

The intertidal gastropod Littorina saxatilis is a model system to study speciation and local adaptation. The repeated occurrence of distinct ecotypes showing different levels of genetic divergence makes L. saxatilis particularly suited to study different stages of the speciation continuum in the same lineage. A major finding is the presence of several large chromosomal inversions associated with the divergence of ecotypes and, specifically, the species offers a system to study the role of inversions in this divergence. The genome of L. saxatilis is 1.35 Gb and composed of 17 chromosomes. The first reference genome of the species was assembled using Illumina data, was highly fragmented (N50 of 44 kb), and was quite incomplete, with a BUSCO completeness of 80.1% on the Metazoan dataset. A linkage map of one full-sibling family enabled the placement of 587 Mbp of the genome into 17 linkage groups corresponding to the haploid number of chromosomes, but the fragmented nature of this reference genome limited the understanding of the interplay between divergent selection and gene flow during ecotype formation. Here, we present a newly generated reference genome that is highly contiguous, with a N50 of 67 Mb and 90.4% of the total assembly length placed in 17 super-scaffolds. It is also highly complete with a BUSCO completeness of 94.1% of the Metazoa dataset. This new reference will allow for investigations into the genomic regions implicated in ecotype formation as well as better characterization of the inversions and their role in speciation.
A fully scalable homogenization method to upscale 3-D elastic media
Authors: Cao J , Brossier R , Capdeville Y , Métivier L , Sambolian S
Published: April 2024

Modelling seismic wavefields in complex 3-D elastic media is the key in many fields of Earth Science: seismology, seismic imaging, seismic hazard assessment and earthquake source mechanism reconstruction. This modelling operation can incur significant computational cost, and its accuracy depends on the ability to take into account the scales of the subsurface heterogeneities varying. The theory of homogenization describes how the small-scale heterogeneities interact with the seismic waves and allows to upscale elastic media consistently with the wave equation. In this study, an efficient and scalable numerical homogenization tool is developed, relying on the similarity between the equations describing the propagation of elastic waves and the homogenization process. By exploiting the optimized implementation of an elastic modelling kernel based on a spectral-element discretization and domain decomposition, a fully scalable homogenization process, working directly on the spectral-element mesh, is presented. Numerical experiments on the entire SEAM II foothill model and a 3-D version of the Marmousi II model illustrate the efficiency and flexibility of this approach. A reduction of two orders of magnitude in terms of absolute computational cost is observed on the elastic wave modelling of the entire SEAM II model at a controlled accuracy.
Haplotype-resolved genome of Prunus zhengheensis provides insight into its evolution and low temperature adaptation in apricot
Authors: Tan Wei , Zhou Pengyu , Huang Xiao , Liao Ruyu , Wang Xiaoan , Wu Yaoyao , Ni Zhaojun , Shi Ting , Yu Xiaqing , Zhang Huiqin , Ma Chengdong , Gao Feng , Ma Yufan , Bai Yang , Hayat Faisal , Omondi Ouma Kenneth , Coulibaly Daouda , Gao Zhihong
Published: April 2024

Prunus zhengheensis, an extremely rare population of apricots, originated in warm South-East China and is an excellent material for genetic breeding. However, most apricots and two related species (P. sibirica, P. mandshurica) are found in the cold northern regions in China and the mechanism of their distribution is still unclear. In addition, the classification status of P. zhengheensis is controversial. Thus, we generated a high-quality haplotype-resolved genome for P. zhengheensis, exploring key genetic variations in its adaptation and the causes of phylogenetic incongruence. We found extensive phylogenetic discordances between the nuclear and organelle phylogenies of P. zhengheensis, which could be explained by incomplete lineage sorting. A 242.22-Mb pan-genome of the Armeniaca section was developed with 13 chromosomal genomes. Importantly, we identified a 566-bp insertion in the promoter of the HSFA1d gene in apricot and showed that the activity of the HSFA1d promoter increased under low temperatures. In addition, HSFA1d overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana indicated that HSFA1d positively regulated plant growth under chilling. Therefore, we hypothesized that the insertion in the promoter of HSFA1d in apricot improved its low-temperature adaptation, allowing it to thrive in relatively cold locations. The findings help explain the weather adaptability of Armeniaca plants.
Testing the Adaptive Sterilization Hypothesis in Mice Inoculated with Chlamydia muridarum
Authors: Place Ned J , Peck David T
Published: April 2024

Synopsis

The “adaptive sterilization hypothesis” argues that the tendency of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to cause infertility likely reflects an evolutionary adaptation of these pathogens. For example, some STIs can lead to bilateral occlusions of the oviducts and sterile matings. Cycling females that do not spend time gestating and lactating are ready to mate sooner than fertile females, and therefore, likely to mate more frequently and possibly more promiscuously. These sexual activities are associated with enhanced transmissibility of STIs, and tubal occlusion is a proximate mechanism by which STIs can increase fitness. Our principal objectives were to determine whether female mice inoculated with Chlamydia muridarum mate more frequently than mice inoculated with sterile saline and to test the hypothesis that tubal occlusion following C. muridarum infection modulates mating behavior in a manner that might increase transmissibility of Chlamydia. Similar to C. trachomatis infections in human females, C. muridarum can ascend the reproductive tract of mice, damage and occlude the oviducts, and cause infertility. However, ovarian function and mating activity are maintained following tubal occlusion. A total of 20 C57Bl/6 mice with regular estrous cycles were given intravaginal inocula of C. muridarum and 32 days later paired with a male for 90 days. A total of nine saline-treated females served as controls. A total of three Chlamydia-inoculated females were rendered infertile due to bilateral oviductal damage and mated eight (±0.0) times. Control females mated on average 4.6 (±0.3) times, and 17 Chlamydia-inoculated fertile females, including six females with only a single oviduct occluded, mated on average 4.7 (±0.2) times. Chlamydia-inoculated fertile females with unilateral oviductal damage had significantly smaller average litter sizes as compared to females inoculated with saline. Females with unilateral tubal occlusion also tended to wean fewer pups than saline controls over the course of 90 days. Female mice with Chlamydia-induced tubal infertility mated more frequently (approximately every 11 d) than did fertile females (approximately every 20 days), which is consistent with the adaptive sterilization hypothesis. To determine whether Chlamydia-induced sterilization is truly adaptive, future studies will need to demonstrate increased sexual transmissibility, and possibly increased promiscuity, within populations of freely breeding mice.
Target strength measurements of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and acoustic discrimination of three tropical tuna species
Authors: Sobradillo Beatriz , Boyra Guillermo , Uranga Jon , Moreno Gala
Published: April 2024

Tropical tuna fisheries support some of the largest artisanal and industrial fisheries worldwide. Approximately 37% of the tropical tuna catch by industrial purse seiners is obtained from tuna associated with drifting fish aggregating devices (DFADs), where three tuna species coexist: skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), bigeye (Thunnus obesus), and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), with stocks subject to different health status. Purse seine fishers heavily rely on acoustic technology to detect and assess the quantity of tuna at DFADs. Yet, accurately distinguishing between species using solely acoustic methods is limited by insufficient knowledge about each species' acoustic response across frequencies. This study was carried out on six swimbladdered individuals belonging to two sets with mean lengths of 51.9 ± 9.5 and 52.9 ± 2 cm. It focuses on the frequency response obtained from ex situ measurements of yellowfin tuna recorded at 38, 70, 120, and 200 kHz, which revealed a flat response across frequencies, with b20 values of −72.4 ± 9, −73.2 ± 8, -72.3 ± 8, and −72.3 ± 9 dB, respectively. These results, contrast with previous findings on bigeye and skipjack, demonstrating the discrimination potential of acoustics in these three species. To harness this potential, a discrimination algorithm was developed.
Morphologic prognostic factor for thoracoabdominal aortic dilation after acute type A dissection repair
Authors: Kitada Yuichiro , Okamura Homare , Hasui Hidenari , Akiyoshi Kei , Nomura Yohei , Adachi Hideo
Published: April 2024

OBJECTIVES

Risk factors for late-term aortic dilation after acute type A aortic dissection repair have not been well examined. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between the abdominal aortic true lumen location and thoraco-abdominal aortic dilation after surgical repair for acute type A aortic dissection.

METHODS

Patients who were preoperatively diagnosed with acute type A aortic dissection between April 2014 and July 2022 were included in this study. We evaluated the renal artery-level dissected aortic morphology and classified the study population into 2 groups: the ventral (those with the true lumen located on the ventral side) and the dorsal (other patients not assigned to the ventral group) groups, based on the location of the true lumen. Aortic dilation was defined as thoraco-abdominal aortic expansion ≥5 mm on 1-year postoperative computed tomography images.

RESULTS

We examined 49 surgical patients who were assigned to the ventral (n = 22) and dorsal (n = 27) groups. The number of patients with ≥5 mm thoraco-abdominal aortic dilation after the operation was significantly higher in the ventral group than in the dorsal group (90.9% vs 51.9%, P = 0.009). The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the ventral type was an independent prognostic factor for thoraco-abdominal aortic dilation after the operation (odds ratio, 6.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.56–23.77; P = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

The location of the true lumen of the abdominal aorta in acute type A aortic dissection may be a prognostic factor for thoraco-abdominal aortic dilation after surgical repair.
On the stability and convergence of discontinuous Galerkin schemes for incompressible flows
Authors: Gazca–Orozco Pablo Alexei , Kaltenbach Alex
Published: April 2024

The property that the velocity $\textbf{u}$ belongs to $L^{\infty }(0,T;L^{2}(\varOmega )^{d})$ is an essential requirement in the definition of energy solutions of models for incompressible fluids. It is, therefore, highly desirable that the solutions produced by discretization methods are uniformly stable in the $L^{\infty }(0,T;L^{2}(\varOmega )^{d})$-norm. In this work, we establish that this is indeed the case for discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretizations (in time and space) of non-Newtonian models with $p$-structure, assuming that $p\geq \frac{3d+2}{d+2}$; the time discretization is equivalent to the RadauIIA Implicit Runge–Kutta method. We also prove (weak) convergence of the numerical scheme to the weak solution of the system; this type of convergence result for schemes based on quadrature seems to be new. As an auxiliary result, we also derive Gagliardo–Nirenberg-type inequalities on DG spaces, which might be of independent interest.
Vaccine-Elicited Antibodies Restrict Glucose Availability to Control Brucella Infection
Authors: Ponzilacqua-Silva Bárbara , Dadelahi Alexis S , Abushahba Mostafa F N , Moley Charles R , Skyberg Jerod A
Published: April 2024

The impact of vaccine-induced immune responses on host metabolite availability has not been well studied. Here we show that prior vaccination alters the metabolic profile of mice challenged with Brucella melitensis. In particular, glucose levels were reduced in vaccinated mice in an antibody-dependent manner. We also found the glucose transporter gene gluP plays a lesser role in B melitensis virulence in vaccinated wild type mice relative to vaccinated mice unable to secrete antibodies. These data indicate that vaccine-elicited antibodies protect the host in part by restricting glucose availability. Moreover, Brucella and other pathogens may need to employ different metabolic strategies in vaccinated hosts.
Madonna versus “Mother Russia?” Visual Anthropology of Loneliness and Gendered Nationalism on Russian 2021–2023 Political Posters
Authors: Akopov Sergei
Published: April 2024

This article is aimed at transdisciplinary (critical International Relations, visual anthropology, and existential philosophy) analysis of Russian gendered nationalism and masculine ontological insecurities. It explores and re-imagines how visual representations of “Mother Russia” became signifiers of the phallocentric voice of the Russian gendered state. What can return the voice back to the “invisible women”? I claim that the political activism of the singer Madonna in the spheres of resistance to warfare and protection of gender minorities may shed new light on hidden manipulations with masculine anxieties in modern Russia. Besides original empirics, the article proposes theoretical avenues to integrate into gendered nationalism studies research on what I call masculine “politics of loneliness.” I also look at the role such politics plays in constituting Russia's domestic narcissistic master narratives of the collective self and its frontiers with transnational celebrity activism. Based on feminism and narrative IR, this article investigates the “sociological dimension” of Russian loneliness. It examines the alienation of femininity as reflected on Russian street posters photographed during 2021–2023 and represented in the form of five “dialectical collages.”
The Construction of Terrorist Threat in Mali: Agency and Narratives of Intervention
Authors: Gazeley Joe
Published: April 2024

Abstracts

Through a close textual analysis of US diplomatic cables and other relevant documents, this article provides new empirical data to trace the mutual construction of Mali as a site of terrorist threat. It argues that this mutual construction paradoxically enhanced the agency of Malian foreign policy elites in negotiations with their US interlocutors and highlights the effectiveness of Malian deployment of this discourse to shape the terms upon which intervention took place in the 2002–2012 period. It shifts the focus of the analysis of intervention in Mali both in space and in time through centering the US–Mali relationship pre-2012, displacing the dominant post-2013 France–Mali frame. This opens up a new dialectical and interimperial perspective on the agency of the Malian foreign policy elite in shaping the terms upon which intervention took place. This demonstrates the need for both a wider lens and a longer historical scope on investigations of intervention, particularly relevant as this discourse of terrorist threat has since 2013 spread beyond Mali to the wider Sahel region.
Recognizing feeding injury to corn ears in the United States
Authors: Hodgson Erin W , Dean Ashley N , Rice Marlin E
Published: April 2024

Corn is one of the major commodities in the United States, and is grown for fuel, feed, and food around the world. Much of the production is centered in the Midwest, but corn is grown throughout the country and has a national production value of $91.7 billion. Because of the substantial national economic impact of corn production, as well as the profitability of individual farming operations, crop protection from pests is critical. Corn is most vulnerable during ear and kernel formation, and pest infestations during this time can have a substantial impact on grain quality and yield. Detecting pests is one of the most important components of integrated pest management, and regular scouting can allow farmers to make timely management decisions for pests in corn. However, farmers and crop consultants sometimes do not notice ear-feeding pests of corn until the fall, or near harvest, when pests are nearly done feeding or have vacated the ear. When this happens, it can be difficult to diagnose the problem, which can be important for assessing management tactics that were used in the field during the current growing season or making decisions for the following growing season based on pest activity in the field. This article provides profiles of common ear-feeding pests, with written descriptions and photographs of typical injury to corn ears for those pests.
Decolonizing democratic aims of education in Botswana: Kagisano and outcome-based education
Authors: Major Thenjiwe , Fraser-Burgess Sheron
Published: April 2024

Botswana’s history is one of an unwavering exercise of self-determination and quest for self-rule. Post-independence, self-government prioritized an overarching philosophy of Kagisano or social harmony within which the aims of education were framed, in conjunction with a political commitment to Botho through democracy. For economic and social reasons the current educational policy of Botswana is driven by outcome-based education (OBE), with its metrics of quantifiable outcomes. This article argues that Olúfemi Táíwò’s analysis of decolonization provides a philosophical lens through which to interpret Botswana’s current educational pathway within the prevailing decolonization discourse. OBE clearly exhibits features of neocolonialism, as it pertains to the national value principles. We draw on Ndlovu-Gatsheni’s decolonial epistemic perspective to frame the discussions. Insofar as OBE can be integrated with Botswana’s ethnically inclusive, community-based view of democracy and associated virtues, this is a worthy goal for education, and it could lead to a particular form of indigenized democracy. Substantive distinctions among the concepts of decolonization, neocolonialism, and decoloniality underwrite this thesis. We see the project of envisaging a future of education in Botswana as having to do with disentangling colonialist–imperialist cultural reproduction from indigenous aspirations.
Exploring parental awareness and attitudes towards human papillomavirus infection and vaccination for 9–15-year-old adolescents in Jordan
Authors: Alyahya Linda A , Abu Farha Rana , Mukattash Tareq L , Mohamed Noor Dzul Azri
Published: April 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to analyze knowledge and beliefs regarding Human Papillomavirus (HPV) disease and its vaccine among the public, particularly parents of adolescents aged 9–15, who constitute the target group for the HPV vaccine, and to identify factors affecting their knowledge and beliefs.

Methods

In Jordan, a cross-sectional study surveyed 386 parents of 9–15-year-olds. Data were collected through surveys to assess knowledge and attitudes about HPV and the HPV vaccine. Statistical analysis using SPSS provided insights.

Key findings

A total of 386 individuals participated in the survey. Approximately two-thirds were female (n = 245, 63.5%), and more than half of the participants were aged above 35 (n = 224, 58%). Concerning participants’ beliefs about HPV vaccines, around 19% believed that the efficacy of the HPV vaccine is unclear (n = 74, 19.2%), and only 35.5% trusted HPV vaccination (n = 137). Linear regression analysis revealed that female participants (mothers) and those with higher income (>1000 JD) tend to have better knowledge and belief scores compared to others (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In summary, this study highlights the pressing need for improved HPV education campaigns in Jordan. Heightening awareness of HPV and its associated health risks is paramount. The absence of the HPV vaccine in Arab national schedules exacerbates this awareness gap. Focusing on parents of adolescents is critical for vaccination efforts, and community pharmacies may aid in expanding vaccine coverage and awareness.
Madecassoside modulates lipid metabolism in visceral adipocytes: exploring the browning, lipolysis, and lipogenesis mechanisms for potential obesity treatment
Authors: Cho Wonjun , Hong Mineui , Mobarak Enas H , Birdal Oğuzhan , Lim Min Chan , Jung Min Seok , Hong Soon Auck , Jeong Ji Hoon , Jung Tae Woo
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Madecassoside (MA) is a triterpene derived from Centella asiatica that has been recognized for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in various disease models. However, its direct impact on cultured white adipocytes and the underlying mechanisms, mainly through gene knockdown, have not been thoroughly explored.

Methods

Western blot analysis was utilized to assess the expression levels of various proteins, while oil red O staining was used to measure lipid deposition. The adipocyte shapes were confirmed using H&E staining.

Key findings

MA treatment enhanced browning and lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and adipose tissue from experimental mice while suppressing lipogenesis. Furthermore, MA treatment increased the expression of PPARα and FGF21 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes as well as the secretion of FGF21 into the culture medium. Knockdown of PPARα or FGF21 using siRNA diminished the effects of MA on lipid metabolism in cultured adipocytes.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that MA promotes thermogenic browning and lipolysis while inhibiting adipocyte lipogenesis, thus showing the potential for attenuating obesity. The study suggested that MA could be a viable therapeutic approach for treating obesity.
Experimental approaches to studying translation in plant semi-autonomous organelles
Authors: Kwasniak-Owczarek Malgorzata , Janska Hanna
Published: April 2024

Plant mitochondria and chloroplasts are semi-autonomous organelles originated from free-living bacteria that have retained reduced genomes during evolution. As a consequence, relatively few of the mitochondrial and chloroplast proteins are encoded in the organellar genomes and synthesized by the organellar ribosomes. Since both organellar genomes encode mainly components of the energy transduction systems, oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria and photosynthetic apparatus in chloroplasts, understanding organellar translation is critical for a thorough comprehension of key aspects of mitochondrial and chloroplast activity affecting plant growth and development. Recent studies have clearly shown that translation is a key regulatory node in the expression of plant organellar genes, underscoring the need for an adequate methodology to study this unique stage of gene expression. The organellar translatome can be analysed by studying newly synthesized proteins or the mRNA pool recruited to the organellar ribosomes. In this review, we present experimental approaches used for studying translation in plant bioenergetic organelles. Their benefits and limitations, as well as the critical steps, are discussed. Additionally, we briefly mention several recently developed strategies to study organellar translation that have not yet been applied to plants.
Repurposing streptomycin and chloramphenicol against bacterial pathogens by combination with diminazene aceturate
Authors: Rios Thuanny Borba , Silva Osmar Nascimento , de Souza Camila Maurmann , Fensterseifer Isabel Cristina Marques , Mehta Angela , Franco Octávio Luiz
Published: April 2024

Bacterial resistance is a threat to health worldwide, mainly due to reduced effective treatment. In this context, the search for strategies to control such infections and suppress antimicrobial resistance is necessary. One of the strategies that has been used is combination therapy. In the present work, we investigated the in vitro efficacy of the antimicrobials diminazene aceturate (DA), chloramphenicol (CHL), and streptomycin (STP) alone and in combination against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates. DA was capable of inhibiting all strains with MIC of 25–400 μg mL−1, while STP and CHL showed antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) of ≤3.12–400 μg mL−1. The combination of aceturate with STP showed synergism toward almost all Gram-negative bacteria, with fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICIs) of 0.09–0.37. In addition, for CHL and aceturate, synergisms for Gram-negative and -positive strains were observed. A time-kill assay against E. coli revealed that the aceturate and STP combination can inhibit bacterial growth in a shorter time when compared with single antibiotics. In addition, antimicrobials did not show hemolytic activity even at the highest concentrations used. Therefore, the antimicrobial combinations presented in this work showed important results, demonstrating that combined therapy can be used as an alternative strategy for pathogen control.
Bacterial and yeast communities in raw milk from three dairy animal species in Nigeria
Authors: Akinyemi Muiz O , Ezeokoli Obinna T , Mthiyane Doctor M N , Adeleke Rasheed A , Ezekiel Chibundu N
Published: April 2024

The present study aimed to reveal the microbial (bacteria and yeast) composition of raw milk from dairy camel (n = 10), cow (n = 10) and goat (n = 10) in North-western Nigeria. High-throughput DNA metabarcoding was used to compare microbial compositions in raw milk among the three species. Although the three species had similar dominant bacterial (Firmicutes and Proteobacteria) and yeast (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota) phyla, their microbial compositions at the genus level were noticeably different. The top differentially abundant bacterial and yeast genera (percentage abundance) were Lactobacillus (36%), Streptococcus (34%), Enterococcus (12%), Kluyveromyces (28%), Saccharomyces (24%), and Candida (18%), respectively. Principal coordinate analysis based on unweighted UniFrac values revealed significant differences in the structure of bacterial communities and no differences in yeast communities in milk samples from the three species. This study provides insight into the rich and diverse bacterial and yeast communities in raw animal milk consumed in Nigeria, which could play beneficial roles or pose health threats to consumers. However, further research on the economic significance of the microbial community in animal milk consumed in Nigeria is required.
Multifunctional potentials of lactic acid bacterial isolates from Turkish traditional fermented foods
Authors: Sağiroğlu Ayşen , Özdemir Nilgün , Çon Ahmet Hilmi
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to isolate LAB strains with antimicrobial activity that can be used as bio-protective agents, from yogurt, pickle, and cheese samples, which are Turkish traditional fermented foods, and to reveal the potential probiotic properties of these isolates with antimicrobial activity. In addition, it was aimed for the first time to examine the potential and uniqueness of these domestic and local traditional fermented foods. In the study, a total of 682 LAB isolates from Turkish traditional fermented samples were isolated. Thirteen isolates with both high and antifungal activities were selected; four Lactiplantibacillus pentosus strains, six Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains, and one each Enterococcus lactis, Enterococcus durans, and Enterococcus faecalis strains. Ten isolates of them were suggested as potential probiotics (excluding 1Y2-1, 1Y7-3, and 3Y12-4). It was thought that the L. pentosus 2Y7-1, which was slow to produce acid, could be used as a co-culture in fermented products with a long ripening stage, supported by enriching the product of its milk coagulation, β-galactosidase, proteolytic, and cholesterol assimilation abilities in terms of bioactive peptide and prebiotics. Another strain, E. faecalis 3Y4-3, which was high proteolytic activity, was suggested as a co-culture in fermented products to improve both organoleptic properties and increase bioactive peptides. On the other hand, among non-probiotics, L. plantarum 3Y12-4 can be used as a starter culture in fermented milk products in order to evaluate its milk coagulation, cholesterol assimilation, and proteolytic abilities. As a result, these three strains can be used in many areas, such as fermented and/or functional food production and enzyme production. In addition, this has been the first study to examine the potential and uniqueness of Turkish domestic and local traditional fermented foods in Samsun, Turkey, together, in terms of both antimicrobial and probiotic LAB isolate (multifunctional) potential and diversity.
Effect of seed biopriming with selected endophytes on the growth and chilling tolerance of rice plants
Authors: Lai Wei-An , Shen Fo-Ting , Ho Tuan-Hua David , Yu Su-May , Young Chiu-Chung
Published: April 2024

The aim of this study was to develop an efficient bioinoculant for amelioration of adverse effects from chilling stress (10°C), which are frequently occurred during rice seedling stage. Seed germination bioassay under chilling condition with rice (Oryza sativa L.) cv. Tainan 11 was performed to screen for plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria among 41 chilling-tolerant rice endophytes. And several agronomic traits were used to evaluate the effects of bacterial inoculation on rice seedling, which were experienced for 7-d chilling stress in walk-in growth chamber. The field trials were further used to verify the performance of potential PGP endophytes on rice growth. A total of three endophytes with multiple PGP traits were obtained. It was demonstrated that Pseudomonas sp. CC-LS37 inoculation led to 18% increase of maximal efficiency of Photosystem II (PSII) after 7-d chilling stress and 7% increase of chlorophyll a content, and 64% decline of malondialdehyde content in shoot after 10-d recovery at normal temperature in walk-in growth chamber. In field trial, biopriming of seeds with strain CC-LS37 caused rice plants to increase shoot chlorophyll soil plant analysis development values (by 2.9% and 2.5%, respectively) and tiller number (both by 61%) under natural climate and chilling stress during the end of tillering stage, afterward 30% more grain yield was achieved. In conclusion, strain CC-LS37 exerted its function in increase of tiller number of chilling stress-treated rice seedlings via improvement of photosynthetic characteristics, which in turn increases the rice grain yield. This study also proposed multiple indices used in the screening of potential endophytes for conferring chilling tolerance of rice plants.
Exposure to enrofloxacin affects the early development and metabolic system of juvenile American shad, as indicated by host metabolism and the environmental microbiome
Authors: Du Jia , Liu Qinghua , Zhang Ke-Qin
Published: April 2024

Enrofloxacin as a special fish medicine is widely used in aquaculture fishes in China. But the effect of enrofloxacin exposure to the gut of aquatic animals is still unclear. In our investigation, enrofloxacin (300 mg/kg feed) was experimentally exposed to the juvenile American shad for 7 days and monitored for alterations in metabolomic and transcriptomic responses. The results showed the similar subset of affected pathways (P-value < 0.05), but there were still many differences in the number of identified biomarkers (520 differentially expressed genes genes and 230 metabolites). Most gut metabolic profiles were related to oxidative stress, inflammation, and lipid metabolism. These multiomic results reveal the specific metabolic disruption by enrofloxacin altering many signaling pathways (P-value < 0.05), such as arginine and proline metabolism pathways, pyrimidine metabolism, the FoxO signaling pathway, and purine metabolism. In addition, the predicted functions of proteins analysis showed that enrofloxacin exposure in an aquaculture environment could prevent the occurrence of organic diseases, including Vibrio cholerae infection and bacterial toxins, in aquatic systems. This is the first research indicating that enrofloxacin affects the relationship between environmental microorganisms and intestinal metabolism, and a study of the ecotoxicity of enrofloxacin occurrences in the aquatic system is warranted.
Chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of six commercial essential oils
Authors: Coimbra Alexandra , Miguel Sónia , Ribeiro Maximiano , Coutinho Paula , Silva Lúcia A , Ferreira Susana , Duarte Ana Paula
Published: April 2024

Essential oils (EOs) and their components extracted from medicinal and aromatic plants are used in several areas, such as perfumery and chemical, cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Considering the different applications of EOs, this work aimed to screen the composition and the bioactivities properties of the EOs of Foeniculum vulgare, Helichrysum stoechas, Mentha pulegium, Pinus pinaster, Ruta graveolens, and Thymus mastichina. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed the presence of different compounds in EOs F. vulgare (12), H. stoechas (27), M. pulegium (8), P. pinaster (24), R. graveolens (8), and T. mastichina (16). All the EOs showed antioxidant activity acting through inhibition of lipid peroxidation, while only two EOs (H. stoechas and M. pulegium) scavenged the free radicals of DPPH. Mentha pulegium and T. mastichina EOs showed the strongest antimicrobial activity. Also, the effect on the fibroblast’s viability was directly proportional to the EOs concentration, and the highest cytotoxic effect was registered with R. graveolens EO. The present study revealed significant bioactive properties of different EOs, highlighting M. pulegium and T. mastichina EOs to be considered in further studies for potential use in the food and pharmaceutical industries, due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
Study of dependence of ram pressure stripping on the orbital parameters of the galaxies
Authors: Singh Ankit , Davessar Shreya , Gulati Mamta , Bagla Jasjeet Singh , Prajapati Meenu
Published: April 2024

Comprehensive observations of galaxy clusters suggest that gas deficiency in the galaxies could be due to ram pressure stripping due to the high-pressure intra-cluster medium acting on the galactic discs. The presence of gas in galaxies is essential for star formation. The net force due to ram pressure is dependent on the ambient medium and the orbit followed by the galaxy as it moves past the cluster medium. This work deals with the effect of non-radial orbits of galaxies and the inclination of the disc plane of galaxies with the orbital plane on the mass of gas removed due to ram pressure. This gives a realistic approach to understanding the process of ram pressure stripping. The orbital parameters are extracted from eagle simulation data set along with the mass distribution of the galaxies. The analytical model proposed by Singh et. al. is modified appropriately to include the effect of the inclination angle. The non-radial orbits and infalling galaxies not being face-on decrease the amount of gas removed. Moreover, the inclination angle has a pronounced effect on the stripping of gas in low-mass galaxies as compared to high-mass galaxies with similar inclinations. The results show that the efficiency of the ram pressure stripping can be much lower in some cases, and hence gas in infalling galaxies can survive for much longer than expected from a simple analysis.
A model-independent precision test of general relativity using bright standard sirens from ongoing and upcoming detectors
Authors: Afroz Samsuzzaman , Mukherjee Suvodip
Published: April 2024

Gravitational waves (GWs) provide a new avenue to test Einstein’s General Relativity (GR) using the ongoing and upcoming GW detectors by measuring the redshift evolution of the effective Planck mass proposed by several modified theories of gravity. We propose a model-independent, data-driven approach to measure any deviation from GR in the GW propagation effect by combining multimessenger observations of GW sources accompanied by EM counterparts, commonly known as bright sirens [Binary Neutron Star (BNS) and Neutron Star Black Hole systems (NSBH)]. We show that by combining the GW luminosity distance measurements from bright sirens with the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) measurements derived from galaxy clustering, and the sound horizon measurements from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), we can make a data-driven reconstruction of deviation of the variation of the effective Planck mass (jointly with the Hubble constant) as a function of cosmic redshift. Using this technique, we achieve a precise measurement of GR with redshift (z) with a precision of approximately 7.9 per cent for BNSs at redshift z = 0.075 and 10 per cent for NSBHs at redshift z = 0.225 with 5 yr of observation from LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA network of detectors. Employing Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope for just 1 yr yields the best precision of about 1.62 per cent for BNSs and 2 per cent for NSBHs at redshift z = 0.5 on the evolution of the frictional term, and a similar precision up to z = 1. This measurement can discover potential deviation from any kind of model that impacts GW propagation with ongoing and upcoming observations.
EC 19529−4430: SALT identifies the most carbon- and metal-poor extreme helium star
Authors: Jeffery C S , Scott L J A , Philip Monai A , Miszalski B , Woolf V M
Published: April 2024

EC 19529−4430 was identified as a helium-rich star in the Edinburgh–Cape (EC) Survey of faint-blue objects and subsequently resolved as a metal-poor extreme helium (EHe) star in the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) survey of chemically peculiar hot subdwarfs. This paper presents a fine analysis of the SALT high-resolution spectrum. EC 19529−4430 has $T_{\rm eff} = 20\, 700 \pm 250$ K, $\log g /{\rm cm\, s^{-2}} = 3.49\pm 0.03$, and an overall metallicity some 1.3 dex below solar; surface hydrogen is $\approx 0.5~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ by number. The surface CNO ratio 1:100:8 implies that the surface consists principally of CNO-processed helium and makes EC 19529−4430 the coolest known carbon-poor and nitrogen-rich EHe star. Metal-rich analogues include V652 Her and GALEX J184559.8−413827. Kinematically, its retrograde orbit indicates membership of the Galactic halo. No pulsations were detected in TESS photometry and there is no evidence for a binary companion. EC 19529−4430 most likely formed from the merging of two helium white dwarfs, which themselves formed as a binary system some 11 Gyr ago.
Cloud-by-cloud multiphase investigation of the circumgalactic medium of low-redshift galaxies
Authors: Sameer  , Charlton Jane C , Wakker Bart P , Kacprzak Glenn G , Nielsen Nikole M , Churchill Christopher W , Richter Philipp , Muzahid Sowgat , Ho Stephanie H , Nateghi Hasti , Rosenwasser Benjamin , Narayanan Anand , Ganguly Rajib
Published: April 2024

The pervasive presence of warm gas in galaxy haloes suggests that the circumgalactic medium (CGM) is multiphase in its ionization structure and complex in its kinematics. Some recent state-of-the-art cosmological galaxy simulations predict an azimuthal dependence of CGM metallicities. We investigate the presence of such a trend by analysing the distribution of gas properties in the CGM around 47 z < 0.7 galaxies from the Multiphase Galaxy Halos Survey determined using a cloud-by-cloud, multiphase, ionization modelling approach. We identify three distinct populations of absorbers: cool clouds (T ∼ 104.1 K) in photoionization equilibrium, warm–hot collisionally ionized clouds (T ∼ 104.5–105 K) affected by time-dependent photoionization, and hotter clouds (T ∼ 105.4–106 K) with broad O vi and Ly α absorption consistent with collisional ionization. We find that fragmentation can play a role in the origin of cool clouds, that warm–hot clouds are out of equilibrium due to rapid cooling, and that hotter clouds are representative of virialized halo gas in all but the lowest mass galaxies. The metallicities of clouds do not depend on the azimuthal angle or other galaxy properties for any of these populations. At face value, this disagrees with the simplistic model of the CGM with bipolar outflows and cold-mode planar accretion. However, the number of clouds per sightline is significantly larger close to the minor and major axes. This implies that the processes of outflows and accretion are contributing to these CGM cloud populations, and our sightlines are probing gas of mixed origins at all azimuthal angles in these low-redshift galaxies.
ORBIT for E. coli: kilobase-scale oligonucleotide recombineering at high throughput and high efficiency
Authors: Saunders Scott H , Ahmed Ayesha M
Published: April 2024

Microbiology and synthetic biology depend on reverse genetic approaches to manipulate bacterial genomes; however, existing methods require molecular biology to generate genomic homology, suffer from low efficiency, and are not easily scaled to high throughput. To overcome these limitations, we developed a system for creating kilobase-scale genomic modifications that uses DNA oligonucleotides to direct the integration of a non-replicating plasmid. This method, Oligonucleotide Recombineering followed by Bxb-1 Integrase Targeting (ORBIT) was pioneered in Mycobacteria, and here we adapt and expand it for Escherichia coli. Our redesigned plasmid toolkit for oligonucleotide recombineering achieved significantly higher efficiency than λ Red double-stranded DNA recombineering and enabled precise, stable knockouts (≤134 kb) and integrations (≤11 kb) of various sizes. Additionally, we constructed multi-mutants in a single transformation, using orthogonal attachment sites. At high throughput, we used pools of targeting oligonucleotides to knock out nearly all known transcription factor and small RNA genes, yielding accurate, genome-wide, single mutant libraries. By counting genomic barcodes, we also show ORBIT libraries can scale to thousands of unique members (>30k). This work demonstrates that ORBIT for E. coli is a flexible reverse genetic system that facilitates rapid construction of complex strains and readily scales to create sophisticated mutant libraries.