bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CodY controls the SaeR/S two-component system by modulating branched-chain fatty acid synthesis in
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Alqahtani Shahad , DiMaggio, Jr. Dennis A. , Brinsmade Shaun R. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT

Staphylococcus aureus
is a Gram-positive, opportunistic human pathogen that is a leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections and invasive disease worldwide. Virulence in this bacterium is tightly controlled by a network of regulatory factors. One such factor is the global regulatory protein CodY. CodY links branched-chain amino acid sufficiency to the production of surface-associated and secreted factors that facilitate immune evasion and subversion. Our previous work revealed that CodY regulates virulence factor gene expression indirectly in part by controlling the activity of the SaeRS two-component system (TCS). While this is correlated with an increase in membrane anteiso-15:0 and −17:0 branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) derived from isoleucine, the true mechanism of control has remained elusive. Herein, we report that CodY-dependent regulation of SaeS sensor kinase activity requires BCFA synthesis. During periods of nutrient sufficiency, BCFA synthesis and Sae TCS activity are kept relatively low by CodY-dependent repression of the
ilv-leu
operon and the isoleucine-specific permease gene
brnQ2
. In a
codY
null mutant, which simulates extreme nutrient limitation, de-repression of
ilv-leu
and
brnQ2
directs the synthesis of enzymes in redundant
de novo
and import pathways to upregulate production of BCFA precursors. Overexpression of
brnQ2,
independent of CodY, is sufficient to increase membrane anteiso BCFAs, Sae-dependent promoter activity, and SaeR ~
P
levels. Our results further clarify the molecular mechanisms by which CodY controls virulence in
S. aureus
.

IMPORTANCE

Expression of bacterial virulence genes often correlates with the exhaustion of nutrients, but how the signaling of nutrient availability and the resulting physiological responses are coordinated is unclear. In
S. aureus,
CodY controls the activity of two major regulators of virulence—the Agr and Sae two-component systems (TCSs)—by unknown mechanisms. This work identifies a mechanism by which CodY controls the activity of the sensor kinase SaeS by modulating the levels of anteiso branched-chain amino acids that are incorporated into the membrane. Understanding the mechanism adds to our understanding of how bacterial physiology and metabolism are linked to virulence and underscores the role virulence in maintaining homeostasis. Understanding the mechanism also opens potential avenues for targeted therapeutic strategies against
S. aureus
infections.
Identification and characterization of a novel small viral peptide (VSP59) encoded by
Bombyx mori
cypovirus (BmCPV) that negatively regulates viral replication
Authors: Cao Manman , Qiu Qunnan , Zhang Xing , Zhang Wenxue , Shen Zeen , Ma Chang , Zhu Min , Pan Jun , Tong Xingyu , Cao Guangli , Gong Chengliang , Hu Xiaolong 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT

Bombyx mori
cypovirus (BmCPV), a member of the Reoviridae family, is a well-established research model for double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses with segmented genomes. Despite its small genome size, the coding potential of BmCPV remains largely unexplored. In this study, we identified a novel small open reading frame within the S10 dsRNA genome, encoding a small viral peptide (VSP59) with 59 amino acid residues. Functional characterization revealed that VSP59 acts as a negative regulator of viral replication. VSP59 predominantly localizes to the cytoplasm, where it interacts with prohibitin 2 (PHB2), an inner membrane mitophagy receptor. This interaction targets mitochondria and triggers caspase 3-dependent apoptosis. Transient expression of
vsp59
in BmN cells suppressed viral replication, an effect that was reversed by silencing PHB2 expression. Moreover, recombinant BmCPV with a mutated
vsp59
exhibited reduced replication. Our findings demonstrate that VSP59 interacts with PHB2 on mitochondria, inducing apoptosis and thereby diminishing viral replication. This study expands our understanding of the genetic information encoded by the BmCPV genome and highlights the role of novel small peptides in host-virus interactions.

IMPORTANCE

A novel small open reading frame (sORF) from the viral genome was identified and characterized. The sORF could encode a small viral peptide (VSP59) that targeted mitochondria and induced prohibitin 2-related apoptosis, further attenuating
Bombyx mori
cypovirus replication.
Association of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors with prevalence of diabetes in rural southwest China: a structural equation modelling approach
Authors: Liu Lan , Wu Xia , Li Guo-Hui , Yu Zi-Zi , Liu Du-Li , Rabkin Golden Allison , Yin Xiang-Yang , Cai Le 
Published: October 2024

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the prevalence of diabetes using structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the pathways and associations of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors on diabetes in rural southwest China.DesignData were collected from a cross-sectional health interview and examination survey among individuals aged ≥35 years in rural southwest China. Fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, height, weight and waist circumference (WC) were measured for each participant. SEM was employed to assess the relationships between demographic characteristics (sex, age and ethnicity), socioeconomic position (SEP; annual household income, education level and access to medical services), lifestyle factors (obesity status (body mass index and WC) and physical inactivity), hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and family history of diabetes.SettingThis study was conducted in rural Yunnan Province of China.Participants7536 individuals aged ≥35 years consented to participate in the study.ResultsThe overall prevalence of diabetes in the present study was 8.3%. Prevalence did not differ by gender (prevalence for both men and women was 8.3% (p>0.05)). The results of SEM indicated that SEP, age, ethnicity, obesity status and physical inactivity had both significant direct and indirect effects on diabetes, with total effect size of 0.091, 0.149, –0.094, 0.212 and 0.089, respectively (p<0.01). Family history of diabetes (0.128, p<0.01), hypertension (0.135, p<0.01) and hyperlipidaemia (0.137, p<0.01) were directly associated with diabetes.ConclusionsSocioeconomic and lifestyle factors have both direct and indirect effects on prevalence of diabetes in rural southwest China. Future efforts to implement comprehensive interventions to promote the prevention and control of diabetes should in particular focus on obese individuals.
Ratio of emergency department visits to deaths for opioid overdose
Authors: Byregowda Himani , Susukida Ryoko , Amin-Esmaeili Masoumeh , Wilson Monique , Stratton Marie , Johnson Renee M 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundData on fatal and non-fatal overdose provide important information about the magnitude of the overdose crisis. We consider these metrics in tandem and estimated the ratio of opioid overdose-related emergency department (ED) visits to opioid overdose deaths. A lower ratio could indicate more fatal overdoses, fewer overdose reversals with naloxone or a combination of both.MethodsData are from the Maryland Vital Statistics Administration (opioid overdose deaths), the Health Services Cost Review Commission (non-fatal ED visits for opioid overdose). We generated 2020 annual rates of fatal and non-fatal opioid overdose deaths for the state of Maryland and its 24 jurisdictions and estimated the ratio of opioid overdose-related ED visits to deaths.ResultsThe 2020 visit-to-death ratio for Maryland was 1.7, and ranged from 0.9 to 3.8 across jurisdictions. We identified five counties that had above-median rates of opioid overdose-related ED visits and deaths, and low visit-to-death ratios.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that there were nearly two ED visits for each opioid overdose death in Maryland, and there was substantial variation across counties. The visit-to-death ratio enables a better understanding of the relationship between fatal and non-fatal opioid overdose and is essential to averting deaths and evaluating overdose prevention efforts.
Prioritising preventive measures for unintentional sport and recreation-related deaths in Québec, Canada, based on a 14-year review
Authors: Richard Philippe , Gagne Mathieu , Perron Paul-André , Sylvain-Morneau Jérémie 
Published: October 2024

ObjectivesThis study analysed sport and recreation-related fatalities in Québec, Canada, from January 2006 to December 2019, focusing on the six activities with the highest mortality frequencies. It aimed to identify activity-specific risk factors to inform prevention priorities.MethodsIn this descriptive retrospective study, data extracted from the database of the Bureau du coroner du Québec were analysed. The characteristics and mechanisms of fatalities in all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, cycling, swimming, motorised navigation and non-motorised navigation activities were presented. Incidence rates were calculated using Canadian census data.ResultsMale fatalities predominated, ranging from 83% to 91%, in the six activities. Traumatic brain injuries or cranial traumas were reported in 55.7% of land-based activities-related deaths, particularly in 70.1% of cycling fatalities. In 44.2% of cycling-related cases, victims were not wearing a helmet, while in 44.1% of cases involving all-terrain vehicles, victims either wore a helmet improperly or did not wear one at all. Cycling deaths mainly occurred on roads (82.9%), with 63.9% involving collisions with motor vehicles. Alcohol-impaired driving was observed in 29.8% of victims involved in all-terrain vehicle and snowmobile activities combined. Natural water accounted for 67.1% of swimming fatalities. Alcohol consumption was documented in 28.8% of deaths related to water-based activities. Personal flotation devices were not worn in 61.5% of navigation-related fatalities.ConclusionActivity-specific prevention priorities have been highlighted. A thorough examination of coroners’ recommendations is now necessary to understand their characteristics, as this information can guide both the identification and implementation of preventive measures.
Phase I/II study of BMS-986156 with ipilimumab or nivolumab with or without stereotactic ablative radiotherapy in patients with advanced solid malignancies
Authors: Chang Joe Y , Xu Xinyan , Shroff Girish S , Comeaux Nathan I , Li Wei , Rodon Ahnert Jordi , Karp Daniel D , Dumbrava Ecaterina E , Verma Vivek , Chen Aileen , Welsh James , Hong David S 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundBMS-986156 is an agonist of the glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-related protein (GITR) and promotes increased effector T-cell activation. Combined anti-GITR, anti-programmed death-1, anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 antibodies and radiotherapy improve tumor control in preclinical studies. Herein we describe the results of the safety and efficacy of BMS-986156+ipilimumab or nivolumab with/without stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) in patients with advanced solid cancers (NCT04021043).MethodsThis open-label, multigroup, single-center phase I/II study enrolled patients with histologically-confirmed stage IV solid cancers resistant to standard treatments. Group 1 (G1, n=20) received four cycles of ipilimumab (3 mg/kg) plus BMS-986156 (30 mg as dose level 1 (L1) or 100 mg as dose level 2 (L2)), every 3 weeks (Q3W). Group 2 (G2, n=10) received four cycles of ipilimumab (3 mg/kg) plus BMS-986156 (dose as determined in G1, Q3W) with SABR (50 Gy/4 fx or 60–70 Gy/10 fx to liver/lung lesions. Group 3 (G3, n=20) received four cycles of nivolumab (480 mg) plus BMS-986156 (30 mg), every 4 weeks with SABR. Maintenance nivolumab could be given up to 2 years. Tumor responses were assessed every 1–3 months until progression, using immune-related response criteria.Results50 patients were enrolled between 10/2019 and 12/2021. Patients received a median of 3 (IQR 2–4.25) initial treatment cycles. 100 mg BMS-986156 with ipilimumab was tolerated well. Five discontinued BMS-986156 with ipilimumab due to treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), with three in G1/L1, one in G1/L2 and one in G2, respectively. 22 patients (44%) experienced Grade 1–3 TRAEs (6, 4, 5, 7 patients for G1/L1, G1/L2, G2, G3). Six (12%) had Grade 3 TRAEs (2, 2, 1, 1 for G1/L1, G1/L2, G2, G3), with elevated alanine aminotransferase (n=3, in G1/L2, G2 and G3) and aspartate aminotransferase (n=2, in G2 and G3) being the most common. There was no Grade 4–5 TRAEs. Overall, 19/39 (48.7%) patients eligible for efficacy analysis had stable disease and 3 (7.7%) achieved a partial response. Out-of-field (abscopal) disease control rate (ACR) and out-of-field (abscopal) response rate (ARR) were 38.5% and 7.7%, respectively, with the highest ACR (50%, 9/18) and ARR (11.1%, 2/18) in G3.ConclusionsBMS-986156 was well-tolerated with ipilimumab, nivolumab, with or without SABR. Outcomes were encouraging in this population, as more than half of patients had stable disease/partial response.
Acupuncture for cancer-related insomnia: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Liu Ping , Li Linxuan , Xu Dazhao , Xin Siyuan , Hu Nijuan , Li Chunhua 
Published: October 2024

Background
Acupuncture has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective treatment for insomnia in patients without cancer. A lack of evidence, however, supports its application in the treatment of cancer-related insomnia (CRI).

Objective
To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy as well as safety of acupuncture for alleviating insomnia in patients with cancer.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted using four electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library) to select publications published in peer-reviewed journals written in English. The OR was calculated, along with their 95% CIs. We assessed heterogeneity using Cochrane Q, I
2
statistics and the appropriate p value. The analysis used RevMan V.5.3.

Findings
The present meta-analysis comprised 561 individuals from 10 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) across age cohorts. Acupuncture intervention improves Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores and CRI more than control, with a pooled OR of 1.66 (95% CI 1.12 to 2.46), OR of 5.90 (95% CI 2.64 to 13.23) for electroacupuncture, OR of 2.30 (95% CI 1.48 to 3.58) for auricular-acupuncture and 2.72. Acupuncture improved the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and CRI more than control approaches, with ORs of 1.31 (95% CI 0.69 to 2.48), 5.29 (95% CI 2.18 to 12.84), 3.17 (95% CI 1.35 to 7.44) and 1.64 (95% CI 1.00 to 2.68).

Conclusion
The change in PSQI and ISI scores showed that acupuncture moderately improved insomnia in patients with cancer. Acupuncture is safe and effective, enabling subsequent clinical treatments.
The African cigarette price data landscape: an overview of gaps and opportunities
Authors: Filby Samantha 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionAfrica has the lowest cigarette taxes of any region. Price data are needed to produce evidence that informs tax policy change.ObjectiveTo locate and describe datasets that provide information on cigarette prices in African countries and to identify opportunities for expanding the region’s cigarette price information base.MethodsThree data repositories and relevant literature were searched to locate free datasets that provide cigarette prices for African countries. 13 categories of information were extracted from each dataset, including the type of data collected (self-reported vs observational). The number of outliers and summary statistics, for the price of 20 cigarette sticks, was calculated using the most recent data available from each data collection project identified in a country. T-tests were conducted to compare these statistics for the 14 countries with both self-reported and observational price data available.ResultsA total of 131 datasets, covering 39/47 African countries, contain information on cigarette prices. Most datasets (N=111/131) provide self-reported information. Only 11 countries have used the three large-scale surveys that repeatedly collect information on smoking behaviour across Africa (Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, Demographic and Health Survey and STEPwise) to collect information on cigarette prices. No active projects that collect self-reported price data sample from the youth (aged<15). Prices collected through retail observations exhibit fewer outliers than self-reported prices (p<0.05).ConclusionThe tobacco-control community should lead the process of using existing data collection efforts to enhance Africa’s cigarette price information base. Increasing observational data collection efforts at retailers could improve our understanding of the prices paid for cigarettes in the region.
Gravitational wave asteroseismology of charged strange stars in the Cowling approximation: the fluid pulsation modes
Authors: Arbañil José D. V. , Lenzi César H. , Pretel Juan M. Z. , Flores César O. V. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIn this work we study, within the framework of Cowling approximation, the effect of the electric charge on the gravitational wave frequency of fluid oscillation modes of strange quark stars. For this purpose, the dense matter of the stellar fluid is described by the MIT bag model equation of state (EoS), while for the electric charge profile, we consider that the electric charge density is proportional to the energy density. We find that the gravitational wave frequencies change with the increment of electric charge; these effects are more noticeable at higher total mass values. We obtain that the f-mode is very sensitive to the change in the electric charge of the star. Furthermore, in the case of the $$p_1$$

p
1

mode, the effect of the electric charge is not very significant. Our results reveal that the study of the fundamental pulsation mode of an electrically charged compact star is very important in distinguishing whether compact stars could contain electric charge. We also employ another electric charge distribution profile that follows a power law, and it is found that the f-mode change is more noticeable than the $$p_1$$

p
1

-mode when the electric charge is incremented.
Derivative four-fermion model, effective action and bumblebee generation
Authors: Araújo R. , Mariz T. , Nascimento J. R. , Petrov A. Yu. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIn this paper, we study the one-loop effective potential of a derivative four-fermion model. As a result, an exact bumblebee-like potential is radiatively generated. Afterwards, we generalize our study for a finite temperature case and explicitly demonstrate the possibility of phase transitions allowing for the restoration of the Lorentz symmetry. We also investigate the low-energy effective action, from which we obtain the usual kinetic term and the corresponding bumblebee potential.
Geometrically thick equilibrium tori around a Schwarzschild black hole in swirling universes
Authors: Chen Chengjia , Pan Qiyuan , Jing Jiliang 
Published: October 2024

AbstractWe study geometrically thick non-self gravitating equilibrium tori orbiting a Schwarzschild black hole immersed in swirling universes. This solution is axially symmetric and non-asymptotically flat, and its north and south hemispheres spin in opposite directions. Due to repulsive effects arising from the swirl of the background spacetime, the equilibrium torus exists only in the small swirling case. With the increase of the swirling parameter, the disk structure becomes small and the excretion of matter near the black hole becomes strong. Moreover, the odd $$Z_2$$

Z
2

symmetry of spacetimes originating from the swirling parameter yields that the orientation of closed equipotential surfaces deviates away from the horizontal axis and the corresponding disk does not longer possess the symmetry with respect to the equatorial plane. These significant features could help to further understand the equilibrium tori and geometrically thick accretion disks around black holes in swirling universes.
Optimizing Fetal Health Status Detection Using Quantum Intelligent Deep-Learning Methods on Cardiotocographic Data
Authors: Al-Razgan Muna , Ali Yasser A. , Neira-Molina Harold , Ma Hauwei , Du Wencai , Ul Ain Qurat 
Published: October 2024

This work compares the performance of different algorithms — quantum Fourier transform, Gaussian–Newton method, hyperfast, metropolis-adjusted Langevin algorithm, and nonparametric classification and regression trees — for the classification of fetal health states from FHR signals. In the conducted research, the effectiveness of each algorithm was measured using confusion matrices, which gave information about class precision, recall, and total accuracy in three classes: Normal, Suspect, and Pathological. The QFT algorithm gives an overall accuracy of 90%, where it is highly reliable in recognizing Normal (94% F1-score) and Pathological states (91% F1-score), but performs poorly regarding the Suspect cases, at 58% F1-score. On the other hand, using the GNM method gives an accuracy of 88%, whereby it performed well on Normal cases, at 93% F1-score, and poor performance with Suspect, at 50% F1-score, and Pathological classifications, at 82% F1-score. The hyperfast algorithm yielded an accuracy of 89%, thus performing well on Normal classifications with an F1-score of 93%, but less well on the Suspect states with an F1-score of 56%. The MALA algorithm outperformed all other algorithms tested in this study, giving an overall accuracy of 91% and adequately classifying Normal, Suspect, and Pathological states with corresponding F1-scores of 94%, 63%, and 90%, respectively; therefore, the algorithm is quite robust and reliable for fetal health monitoring. The NCART algorithm achieved an accuracy of 89%, thus showing great capability for classification in Normal cases with 94% F1-score and in Pathological cases with 88% F1-score; this is moderate for Suspect cases with 53% F1-score. Overall, while all algorithms exhibit potential for fetal health classification, MALA stands out as the most effective, offering reliable classification across all health states. These findings highlight the need for further refinement, particularly in enhancing the detection of Suspect conditions, to ensure comprehensive and accurate fetal health monitoring.