bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
From the roots to the stem: unveiling pear root colonization and infection pathways by Erwinia amylovora
Authors: Santander Ricardo D , Català-Senent José F , Figàs-Segura Àngela , Biosca Elena G 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACT
Fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora affects pome fruit worldwide, generating serious economic losses. Despite the abundant literature on E. amylovora infection mechanisms of aerial plant organs, root infection routes remain virtually unexplored. Assessing these infection pathways is necessary for a full understanding of the pathogen's ecology. Using the pathosystem Pyrus communis–E. amylovora and different experimental approaches including a green fluorescent protein transformant (GFP1) and epifluorescence microscopy (EFM) and laser confocal scanning microscopy (LCSM), we demonstrated the pathogen's ability to infect, colonize and invade pear roots and cause characteristic fire blight symptoms both in the aerial part and in the root system. Plant infections after soil irrigation with E. amylovora-contaminated water were favored by root damage, which agreed with EFM and LCSM observations. E. amylovora GFP1 cells formed aggregates/biofilms on root surfaces and invaded the cortex through wounds and sites of lateral root emergence. Sugars, sugar-alcohols and amino acids typically secreted by roots, favored the in vitro biofilm development by E. amylovora. Migration of E. amylovora cells to aerial tissues mainly occurred after xylem penetration. Overall, our findings revealed, for the first time, common root infection patterns between E. amylovora and well-known soil borne plant pathogens and endophytes.
An ideal spacing is required for the control of Class II CRP-dependent promoters by the status of CRP K100
Authors: Écija-Conesa Ana , Gallego-Jara Julia , Lozano Terol Gema , Browning Douglas F , Busby Steve J W , Wolfe Alan J , Cánovas Díaz Manuel , de Diego Puente Teresa 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACT
Transcription activation by the Escherichia coli CRP at Class II promoters is dependent on direct interactions between RNA polymerase and CRP, therefore the spatial proximity between both proteins plays a significant role in the ability of CRP to activate transcription. Using both in vivo and in vitro techniques, here we demonstrate that the CRP K100 positive charge, adjacent to AR2, is required for full promoter activity when CRP is optimally positioned. Accordingly, K100 mediated activation is very position-dependent and our data confirm that the largest impact of the K100 status on transcription activation occurs when the spacing between the CRP binding site and the A2 of the −10 element is 22 bp. From the results of this study and the progress in the understanding about open complex DNA scrunching, we propose that CRP-dependent promoters should now be numbered by the distance from the center of the DNA site for CRP and the most highly conserved base at position 2 of the −10 hexamer in bacterial promoters.
Lanthanide rarity in natural waters: implications for microbial C1 metabolism
Authors: Glass Jennifer B , Cowan Elizabeth T , Johannesson Karen H 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACT
Research in the last decade has illuminated the important role that lanthanides play in microbial carbon metabolism, particularly methylotrophy. Environmental omics studies have revealed that lanthoenzymes are dominant in some environments, and laboratory studies have shown that lanthoenzymes are favored over their calcium-containing counterparts even when calcium is far more abundant. Lanthanide elements are common in rocks but occur at exceedingly low levels in most natural waters (picomolar to nanomolar range) with the exception of volcanic hot springs, which can reach micromolar concentrations. Calcium is orders of magnitude higher in abundance than lanthanide elements across natural settings. Bacteria that use lanthanides for growth on simple carbon compounds (e.g. methanol and ethanol) grow optimally at micromolar concentrations. It is highly likely that bacteria in the environment have evolved specialized lanthanide sequestration and high-affinity uptake systems to overcome lanthanide deprivation. Indeed, we identified genes in soil metagenomes encoding the lanthanide-binding protein lanmodulin, which may be important for cellular differentiation between calcium and lanthanides. More research is needed on microbial adaptations to lanthanide scarcity.
Assistant Nurses’ Positioned Accounts for Prioritizations in Residential Care for Older People
Authors: Lundin Anette , Bülow Pia H , Stier Jonas 
Published: October 2020

Abstract

Background and Objectives
Swedish eldercare is strained by an increased administrative workload, which draws time away from individual care of and interaction with older people. This study explores how eldercare staff, working closely with residents in Swedish special housing (nursing homes), make accounts for how they prioritize work tasks.

Research Design and Methods
Openly structured, thematic interviews were conducted with 12 permanently employed, female assistant nurses, including a group interview with 3 of them. Positioned accounts (small stories) concerning prioritizations due to insufficient resources were analyzed, using Bamberg’s three-level positioning analysis.

Results
The analysis shows that the staff take a favorable position toward the older people by distinguishing between care and “the other things.” They also justify prioritizations at odds with their care values. The assistant nurses present themselves as doing the best they can in organizationally restricted situations. Organizational demands limit the space for care, giving rise to an idealization of “icing on the cake.” Morale is complex in residential care. A narration of “the torn carer” was found as a co-constructed storyline explaining why the staff did not perform eldercare consistent their care values.

Discussion and Implications
When ideals and practice differ, interaction in the peer group becomes important in order to maintain a positive professional identity. “The torn carer” is a way for the staff to escape blame for not living up to care values, but it also victimizes them. Staff could be empowered by a working environment characterized by a reflective practice.
Priority-setting and the Right to Health: Synergies and Tensions on the Path to Universal Health Coverage
Authors: Wang Daniel Wei Liang 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
There is a growing consensus that fair priority-setting and the right to health contribute to achieving universal health coverage. The right to health creates legal entitlements to receive care and fair priority-setting promotes efficient and just health systems. However, there can be tension between them, particularly when the right to health is judicially protected. This article analyses three approaches to understanding this tension: the first minimises the conflicts between them to emphasise their synergies; the second admits the tension and considers it positive as rights create and protect substantive entitlements against priority-setting decisions; the third also recognises that this tension exists, but sees these substantive entitlements as obstacles for fair priority-setting. Building on the analysis of these approaches, this article argues that the involvement of courts in allocative decisions can be more comprehensively evaluated by assessing whether they promote or impair fair priority-setting rather than by focusing on the direct beneficiaries of judicial decisions. If this argument is correct, then courts using the right to health to create and enforce substantive entitlements to health treatments becomes very questionable.
Using Quasispecies Patterns of Hepatitis B Virus to Predict Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Deep Sequencing and Machine Learning
Authors: Chen Shipeng , Zhang Zihan , Wang Ying , Fang Meng , Zhou Jun , Li Ya , Dai Erhei , Feng Zhaolei , Wang Hao , Yang Zaixing , Li Yongwei , Huang Xianzhang , Jia Jian’an , Li Shuang , Huang Chenjun , Tong Lin , Xiao Xiao , He Yutong , Duan Yong , Zhu Shanfeng , Gao Chunfang 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the main leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. However, it remains uncertain how the reverse-transcriptase (rt) gene contributes to HCC progression.MethodsWe enrolled a total of 307 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 237 with HBV-related HCC from 13 medical centers. Sequence features comprised multidimensional attributes of rt nucleic acid and rt/s amino acid sequences. Machine-learning models were used to establish HCC predictive algorithms. Model performances were tested in the training and independent validation cohorts using receiver operating characteristic curves and calibration plots.ResultsA random forest (RF) model based on combined metrics (10 features) demonstrated the best predictive performances in both cross and independent validation (AUC, 0.96; accuracy, 0.90), irrespective of HBV genotypes and sequencing depth. Moreover, HCC risk scores for individuals obtained from the RF model (AUC, 0.966; 95% confidence interval, .922–.989) outperformed α-fetoprotein (0.713; .632–.784) in distinguishing between patients with HCC and those with CHB.ConclusionsOur study provides evidence for the first time that HBV rt sequences contain vital HBV quasispecies features in predicting HCC. Integrating deep sequencing with feature extraction and machine-learning models benefits the longitudinal surveillance of CHB and HCC risk assessment.
Post-Transcriptional Mechanisms Respond Rapidly to Ecologically Relevant Thermal Fluctuations During Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination
Authors: Bock Samantha L , Hale Matthew D , Leri Faith M , Wilkinson Philip M , Rainwater Thomas R , Parrott Benjamin B 
Published: October 2020

SynopsisAn organism’s ability to integrate transient environmental cues experienced during development into molecular and physiological responses forms the basis for adaptive shifts in phenotypic trajectories. During temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), thermal cues during discrete periods in development coordinate molecular changes that ultimately dictate sexual fate and contribute to patterns of inter- and intra-sexual variation. How these mechanisms interface with dynamic thermal environments in nature remain largely unknown. By deploying thermal loggers in wild nests of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) over two consecutive breeding seasons, we observed that 80% of nests exhibit both male- and female-promoting thermal cues during the thermosensitive period, and of these nests, all exhibited both male- and female-promoting temperatures within the span of a single day. These observations raise a critical question—how are opposing environmental cues integrated into sexually dimorphic transcriptional programs across short temporal scales? To address this question, alligator embryos were exposed to fluctuating temperatures based on nest thermal profiles and sampled over the course of a daily thermal fluctuation. We examined the expression dynamics of upstream genes in the temperature-sensing pathway and find that post-transcriptional alternative splicing and transcript abundance of epigenetic modifier genes JARID2 and KDM6B respond rapidly to thermal fluctuations while transcriptional changes of downstream effector genes, SOX9 and DMRT1, occur on a delayed timescale. Our findings reveal how the basic mechanisms of TSD operate in an ecologically relevant context. We present a hypothetical hierarchical model based on our findings as well as previous studies, in which temperature-sensitive alternative splicing incrementally influences the epigenetic landscape to affect the transcriptional activity of key sex-determining genes.
Music as an Emancipatory Pedagogical Tool in International Relations Classes in the Global South
Authors: de Oliveira Vinícius Tavares , Silveira Mariana Balau , Bittencourt Rodrigues Lopes Rafael 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to present considerations about the use of music as a critical and radical pedagogy in an International Relations class in the Global South. How can music help students understand the processes of marginalization, resistance, and struggle? Can it be understood as a tool to be used in the classroom to transcend traditional and marginalizing pedagogies? The contribution of our proposal derives from the possibility of a symbiosis between the teaching of critical, decolonial, and postcolonial perspectives and the language used to communicate these concepts and ideas to a young audience with different backgrounds. In this sense, we bring perceptions of the engagement with music as a pedagogical tool in an undergraduate course entitled “Decolonizing International Relations: epistemic violence and emancipation in Global South.” By playing songs, not only the learning process became deeper and more meaningful to students, but it also opened margins to a dialogical interaction. We share our experience hoping to contribute to a meaningful debate among scholars, inspiring teachers to engage with decolonial/critical pedagogies.
Effect of RecA inactivation on quinolone susceptibility and the evolution of resistance in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli
Authors: Machuca J , Recacha E , Gallego-Mesa B , Diaz-Diaz S , Rojas-Granado G , García-Duque A , Docobo-Pérez F , Blázquez J , Rodríguez-Rojas A , Pascual A , Rodríguez-Martínez J M 
Published: October 2020

Abstract

Background
SOS response suppression (by RecA inactivation) has been postulated as a therapeutic strategy for potentiating antimicrobials against Enterobacterales.

Objectives
To evaluate the impact of RecA inactivation on the reversion and evolution of quinolone resistance using a collection of Escherichia coli clinical isolates.

Methods
Twenty-three E. coli clinical isolates, including isolates belonging to the high-risk clone ST131, were included. SOS response was suppressed by recA inactivation. Susceptibility to fluoroquinolones was determined by broth microdilution, growth curves and killing curves. Evolution of quinolone resistance was evaluated by mutant frequency and mutant prevention concentration (MPC).

Results
RecA inactivation resulted in 2–16-fold reductions in fluoroquinolone MICs and modified EUCAST clinical category for several isolates, including ST131 clone isolates. Growth curves and time–kill curves showed a clear disadvantage (up to 10 log10 cfu/mL after 24 h) for survival in strains with an inactivated SOS system. For recA-deficient mutants, MPC values decreased 4–8-fold, with values below the maximum serum concentration of ciprofloxacin. RecA inactivation led to a decrease in mutant frequency (≥103-fold) compared with isolates with unmodified SOS responses at ciprofloxacin concentrations of 4×MIC and 1 mg/L. These effects were also observed in ST131 clone isolates.

Conclusions
While RecA inactivation does not reverse existing resistance, it is a promising strategy for increasing the effectiveness of fluoroquinolones against susceptible clinical isolates, including high-risk clone isolates.
Physicians’ strategies for using family history data: having the data is not the same as using the data
Authors: Taber Peter , Ghani Parveen , Schiffman Joshua D , Kohlmann Wendy , Hess Rachel , Chidambaram Valli , Kawamoto Kensaku , Waller Rosalie G , Borbolla Damian , Del Fiol Guilherme , Weir Charlene 
Published: October 2020

Abstract

Objective
To identify needs in a clinical decision support tool development by exploring how primary care providers currently collect and use family health history (FHH).

Design
Survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were administered to a mix of primary and specialty care clinicians within the University of Utah Health system (40 surveys, 12 interviews).

Results
Three key themes emerged regarding providers’ collection and use of FHH: (1) Strategies for collecting FHH vary by level of effort; (2) Documentation practices extend beyond the electronic health record’s dedicated FHH module; and (3) Providers desire feedback from genetic services consultation and are uncertain how to refer patients to genetic services.

Conclusion
Study findings highlight the varying degrees of engagement that providers have with collecting FHH. Improving the integration of FHH into workflow, and providing decision support, as well as links and tools to help providers better utilize genetic counseling may improve patient care.
The Evolution of Amitraz and Its Metabolic Degradation Products in Human Blood over 90 Days for Use in Forensic Determination
Authors: Chen Yanmin , Zhao Qingbiao , Guo Hao 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Amitraz is a pesticide that is often involved in poisoning cases. In determination process of poisoning cases, a problem often encountered is that when the evidence samples were examined, the poison had already decomposed, thus posing significant difficulty for obtaining evidences. In this study, we qualitatively and quantitatively tracked the metabolic degradation products of amitraz and ascertained that the metabolic degradation products were N,N'-bisdimethylphenylformamidine, N'-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-N-methylformamidine (DMPF), 2,4-dimethylformamidine (DMF) and 2,4-dimethylaniline (DMA). It was found that although amitraz decomposed rather rapidly, the metabolic degradation products of amitraz persisted for quite a long time. This study demonstrates that forensic evidence in poisoning cases of amitraz can be obtained by the determination of DMPF, DMF and DMA. This study can provide insights on obtaining forensic evidences in poisoning cases.
Development of an Analytical Method for Quantitation of 2,2ʹ-Dimorpholinodiethyl Ether (DMDEE) in Rat Plasma, Amniotic Fluid and Fetal Homogenate by UPLC–MS-MS for Determination of Gestational and Lactational Transfer in Rats
Authors: Silinski Melanie A Rehder , Uenoyama Teruyo , Fernando Reshan A , Robinson Veronica G , Roberts Georgia , Cunny Helen , Hubbard Troy , Waidyanatha Suramya 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
2,2ʹ-Dimorpholinodiethyl ether (DMDEE) is a specialty amine catalyst used in the production of flexible foams, adhesives and coatings. The potential for occupational exposure to DMDEE is high, but toxicity data are very limited. The objective of this work was to develop a method to quantitate DMDEE in biological matrices to assess gestational and lactational transfer of DMDEE in rats following exposure of dams The method used protein precipitation, followed by removal of phospholipids and analysis of supernatant by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Rat fetuses were homogenized in water prior to protein precipitation and delipidation procedures. The method was evaluated in male Sprague Dawley rat plasma over the concentration range 5 to 1000 ng/mL. The method was linear (r ≥ 0.99), accurate (mean relative error (RE) ≤ ±11.9%) and precise (relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤ 2.7%). The mean absolute recovery was 106%. The limit of detection was 0.262 ng/mL. Standards as high as ∼100,000 ng/mL could be successfully diluted into the calibration range (mean %RE = −14.9; %RSD = 0.5). The method was evaluated in Sprague Dawley rat dam plasma, post-natal day 4 pup plasma, gestational day (GD) 18 amniotic fluid and fetal homogenate (mean %RE ≤ ±11.9; %RSD ≤ 2.3). Concentrations of DMDEE in rat dam plasma, amniotic fluid and fetal homogenate stored for at least 29 days and in pup plasma for at least 18 days at −80°C were within 87.7 to 99.5% of Day 0 concentrations, demonstrating that DMDEE is stable in these matrices. The method was used to quantitate DMDEE in rat plasma, amniotic fluid and fetus samples from a dose range finding toxicology study in which dams were dosed via gavage with DMDEE from GD 6 at doses of 0 (control), 62.5 and 250 mg/kg/day. DMDEE concentration increased with the dose in all matrices examined. The concentration in GD 18 fetuses was almost 2-fold higher than GD 18 dams demonstrating gestational transfer of DMDEE. However, the concentration in post-natal day 4 pup plasma was more than an order of magnitude lower than corresponding dam plasma suggesting less potential for transfer of DMDEE from dams to pups via lactation. There was no significant difference in concentration for male and female pup plasma.
Shocked Though the Heart and YouTube Is to Blame—The Rising Incidence of Accidental Trans-cardiac Electrocution From Do-It-Yourself Fractal Wood Art, and a Call to Action
Authors: Russo Rachel , Pumiglia Luke , Bettencourt Amanda P , Roman Jordan , Vercruysse Gary A 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
In the past year, we have become aware of a new mechanism of severe electrical injury ascribed to fractal wood art. This type of art has become increasingly popular and deadly due to exponential popularity in the use of Youtube type video teaching. This manuscript is one of the initial descriptions of the injury mode, presentation, treatment, and outcomes from four such cases treated at our institution. Additionally, we elicit a call for action in preventing further similar unnecessary injuries and deaths.
The Larvicidal and Adulticidal Effects of Selected Plant Essential Oil Constituents on Greater Wax Moths
Authors: Sohail Mubasshir , Aqueel Muhammad Anjum , Dai Pingli , Ellis James D 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSome plant essential oil constituents, such as monoterpenoids and phenylpropanoids, are promising insecticides in some situations and for certain insect pests. They vary in their toxicity, depending on the target insect. Moths (Lepidoptera) appear susceptible to these compounds, making them of promise for use against greater wax moths (Galleria mellonella Fabricius, (Lepidoptera: Pyrallidae), GWM), an important pest of western honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) colonies. We determined the LC50 for GWM larvae or LD50 for GWM adults of select compounds (thymol, carvacrol, (S)-(+)-carvone, estragole, citral, linalool, (S)-(−)-limonene, and γ-terpinene). Concentrations between 8 and 2,266 µg/cm3 were mixed into the diets of GWM larvae and doses ranging between 0.08 and 70.3 mg per adult were applied topically to the abdomens of GWM adults. Lethal concentrations and doses were calculated after of 72 h of exposure. All eight compounds showed insecticidal activity against all tested stages of GWMs. Thymol (LC50 µg/cm3 (95% CI) = 21 [9–56], carvacrol = 46 [26–79], citral = 63 [30–134], and carvone = 76 [33–201]) had the highest toxicity toward GWM larvae. The hydrocarbons limonene (296 [231–377]), estragole (466 [354–611]), and γ-terpinene (729 [630–857]) had the lowest toxicity toward GWM larvae. Thymol had the highest toxicity towards GWM adults (LD50 (CI) = 0.5 [0.4–0.8] mg/adult). However, carvacrol (11.6 [10.1–13.6]), linalool (12.9 [9.3–17.8]), and limonene (15.8 [13.1–19.2]) were less toxic to GWM larvae. Our data show that select plant essential oil constituents are promising controls of GWM.
Modeling Time-Varying Tail Dependence, with Application to Systemic Risk Forecasting
Authors: Hoga Yannick 
Published: October 2020

AbstractEmpirical evidence for multivariate stock suggests that there are changes from asymptotic independence to asymptotic dependence and vice versa. Under asymptotic independence, the probability of joint extremes vanishes, whereas under asymptotic dependence, this probability remains positive. In this paper, we propose a dynamic model for bivariate extremes that allows for smooth transitions between regimes of asymptotic independence and asymptotic dependence. In doing so, we ignore the bulk of the distribution and only model the joint tail of interest. We propose a maximum-likelihood estimator for the model parameters and demonstrate its accuracy in simulations. An empirical application to losses on the CAC 40 and DAX 30 illustrates that our model provides a detailed description of changes in the extremal dependence structure. Furthermore, we show that our model issues adequate forecasts of systemic risk, as measured by CoVaR. Finally, we find some evidence that our CoVaR forecasts outperform those of a benchmark dynamic t-copula model.returns