bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of changes in lacrimal canaliculi width depending on temperature and viscosity of eye drops using spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography in dogs
Authors: Sung Hyeonu , Kang Seonmi , Lee Songhui , Jang Yeajin , Kim Giyeon , Kim Yujin , Seo Kangmoon 
Published: June 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the changes in the width of the lower lacrimal canaliculi (LC) upon instillation of artificial tears (AT) at different temperatures and viscosities using spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT).Animal StudiedEight eyes of four client‐owned adult dogs.ProceduresImaging of lower LC was performed under general anesthesia. AT at temperatures of 2°C, 20°C, and 38°C, and a high‐viscosity tear gel of 20°C, were topically instilled in 100 μL volumes. SD‐OCT tracked LC width changes following each instillation.ResultsThe average baseline width of the LC was 96.38 ± 30.18 μm. The 2°C AT expanded LC width to 183.50 ± 44.11 μm, returning to baseline in 5.00 ± 1.31 min. The 20°C AT resulted in a width of 155.25 ± 35.79 μm, with a 3.88 ± 1.25 min return. The 38°C AT expanded LC width to 131.75 ± 29.49 μm, with a 2.25 ± 0.89 min return. The high‐viscosity tear gel expanded LC width to 208.57 ± 56.31 μm, with remained expanded for 10 or more minutes. In temperature comparisons, the 2°C and 20°C AT significantly expanded the LC width more and had longer return times than the 38°C AT (p < .05). Viscosity comparisons showed higher viscosity eye drops significantly expanded LC width more than lower viscosity eye drops (p < .05).ConclusionsThis study found that lower temperature and higher viscosity of eye drops had tendency to result in a wider expansion of the LC width. Additionally, the return time to baseline for LC width tended to be longer with eye drops of lower temperature and higher viscosity. This finding could be helpful in advancing future research on tear dynamics.
Exponential Stability of Impulsive Switched Nonlinear Systems With Partial Unmeasurable States on Time Scales
Authors: Li Liangliang , Yang Chengfeng , Li Heng , Jiang Wenlin 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
This paper investigates the stability of a class of partially unmeasurable nonlinear impulsive switched dynamical systems on time scales. It provides sufficient conditions for ensuring exponential stability of impulsive switched systems in hybrid time domains using Gronwall's inequality, dimensionality reduction technique, and time scale theory. These conditions apply to systems where nonlinearities affect both continuous and discrete subsystems. Stable strategies involving partial unmeasurable states are obtained. Furthermore, the proposed results allow the switched system to have incomplete measurable states. The effectiveness of these results is demonstrated by several examples, which are accompanied by simulations for comparison.
A Preconditioner-Based Data-Driven Polynomial Expansion Method: Application to Compressor Blade With Leading Edge Uncertainty
Authors: Wang Haohao , Gao Limin , Yang Guang , Li Ruiyu , Wu Baohai 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
In engineering practice, the amount of measured data is often scarce and limited, posing a challenge in uncertainty quantification (UQ) and propagation. Data-driven polynomial chaos (DDPC) is an effective way to tackle this challenge. However, the DDPC method faces problems from the lack of robustness and convergence difficulty. In this paper, a preconditioner-based data-driven polynomial chaos (PDDPC) method is developed to deal with UQ problems with scarce measured data. Two numerical experiments are used to validate the computational robustness, convergence property, and application potential in case of scarce data. Then, the PDDPC is first applied to evaluate the uncertain impacts of real leading edge (LE) errors on the aerodynamic performance of a two-dimensional compressor blade. Results show that the overall performance of compressor blade is degraded and there is a large performance dispersion at off-design incidence conditions. The actual blade performance has a high probability of deviating from the nominal performance. Under the influence of uncertain LE geometry, the probability distributions of the total pressure loss coefficient and static pressure ratio have obvious skewness characteristics. Compared with the PDDPC method, the UQ results obtained by the fitted Gaussian and Beta probability distributions seriously underestimate the performance dispersion of compressor blade. The mechanism analysis illustrates that the large flow variation around the leading edge is the main reason for the overall performance degradation and the fluctuations of the entire flow field.
Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of HRS9432(A) injection in healthy Chinese subjects: a phase-I randomized, double-blind, dose escalation, placebo-controlled study
Authors: Yan Xin , Huang Yuanyuan , Xie Jinlian , Wu Qian , Yang Shuang , Yang Xiaoyan , Chen Honghui , Huang Jie , Yang Guoping 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT

HRS9432(A) is a long-acting echinocandin antifungal medication primarily used to treat invasive fungal infections, particularly invasive candidiasis. The safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic characteristics of HRS9432(A) injection were investigated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single- and multiple-ascending-dose Phase I study involving 56 healthy adult subjects. Doses ranging from 200 to 1200 mg were administered. Safety was continually monitored, including adverse events, clinical laboratory examinations, vital signs, 12-lead electrocardiograms, and physical examinations, while the pharmacokinetic profile within the body was evaluated. The results indicated that concentrations of HRS9432 peaked immediately after infusion, demonstrating essentially linear pharmacokinetic characteristics within the dosage range of 200–1,200 mg. It exhibited a low clearance rate and an extended half-life, with a clearance of approximately 0.2 L/h, a volume of distribution of around 40 L, and a half-life of approximately 140h following a single dose. The accumulation index for AUC0-τ after multiple doses ranged from 1.41 to 1.75. No severe adverse events occurred during the study, and the severity of all adverse events was mild or moderate. Therefore, the intravenous administration of HRS9432(A) in healthy Chinese adult subjects, either as multiple infusions of 200 to 600 mg (once a week, four doses) or as a single infusion of 900–1,200 mg, demonstrated overall good safety and tolerability. The pharmacokinetic exhibited essentially linear characteristics in the body, supporting a weekly dosing frequency for clinical applications and providing additional options for the treatment or prevention of invasive fungal infections.

CLINICAL TRIALS

This study is registered with the

International Clinical Trials Registry Platform
as
ChiCTR2300073525

.
Staphylococcus capitis
: insights into epidemiology, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance of a clinically relevant bacterial species
Authors: Crepin Deborah M. , Chavignon Marie , Verhoeven Paul O. , Laurent Frédéric , Josse Jérôme , Butin Marine 
Published: June 2024

SUMMARY

Staphylococcus capitis
is divided into two subspecies,
S. capitis
subsp.
ureolyticus
(renamed
urealyticus
in 1992; ATCC 49326) and
S. capitis
subsp.
capitis
(ATCC 27840), and fits with the archetype of clinically relevant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS).
S. capitis
is a commensal bacterium of the skin in humans, which must be considered an opportunistic pathogen of interest particularly as soon as it is identified in a clinically relevant specimen from an immunocompromised patient. Several studies have highlighted the potential determinants underlying
S. capitis
pathogenicity, resistance profiles, and virulence factors. In addition, mobile genetic element acquisitions and mutations contribute to
S. capitis
genome adaptation to its environment. Over the past decades, antibiotic resistance has been identified for
S. capitis
in almost all the families of the currently available antibiotics and is related to the emergence of multidrug-resistant clones of high clinical significance. The present review summarizes the current knowledge concerning the taxonomic position of
S. capitis
among staphylococci, the involvement of this species in human colonization and diseases, the virulence factors supporting its pathogenicity, and the phenotypic and genomic antimicrobial resistance profiles of this species.
An insight into the role of branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BKD) complex in branched-chain fatty acid biosynthesis and virulence of
Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Kader Chowdhury Q M Monzur , Islam Shamima , Narayanan Lakshmi , Ogunleye Seto C. , Wang Shangshang , Thu Dinh , Freitag Nancy E. , Lawrence Mark L. , Abdelhamed Hossam 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT

Listeria monocytogenes
is a foodborne bacterial pathogen that causes listeriosis. Positive regulatory factor A (PrfA) is a pleiotropic master activator of virulence genes of
L. monocytogenes
that becomes active upon the entry of the bacterium into the cytosol of infected cells.
L. monocytogenes
can survive and multiply at low temperatures; this is accomplished through the maintenance of appropriate membrane fluidity via branched-chain fatty acid (BCFA) synthesis. Branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BKD), which is composed of four polypeptides encoded by
lpd
,
bkdA1
,
bkdA2
, and
bkdB
, is known to play a vital role in BCFA biosynthesis. Here, we constructed BKD-deficient
Listeria
strains by in-frame deletion of
lpd
,
bkdA1
,
bkdA2
, and
bkdB
genes. To determine the role in
in vivo
and
in vitro
, mouse model challenges, plaque assay in murine L2 fibroblast, and intracellular replication in J744A.1 macrophage were conducted. BKD-deficient strains exhibited defects in BCFA composition, virulence, and PrfA-regulon function within the host cells. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that the transcript level of the PrfA-regulon was lower in Δ
bkdA1
strain than those in the wild-type. This study demonstrates that
L. monocytogenes
strains lacking BKD complex components were defective in PrfA-regulon function, and full activation of wild-type
prfA
may not occur within host cells in the absence of BKD. Further study will investigate the consequences of BKD deletion on PrfA function through altering BCFA catabolism.

IMPORTANCE

Listeria monocytogenes
is the causative agent of listeriosis, a disease with a high mortality rate. In this study, we have shown that the deletion of BKD can impact the function of PrfA and the PrfA-regulon. The production of virulence proteins within host cells is necessary for
L. monocytogenes
to promote its intracellular survival and is likely dependent on membrane integrity. We thus report a link between
L. monocytogenes
membrane integrity and the function of PrfA. This knowledge will increase our understanding of
L. monocytogenes
pathogenesis, which may provide insight into the development of antimicrobial agents.
Involvement of ribosomal protein L17 and Y-box binding protein 1 in the assembly of hepatitis C virus potentially via their interaction with the 3′ untranslated region of the viral genome
Authors: Liu Jie , Ito Masahiko , Liu Liang , Nakashima Kenji , Satoh Shinya , Konno Alu , Suzuki Tetsuro 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT

The 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA genome, which contains a highly conserved 3′ region named the 3′X-tail, plays an essential role in RNA replication and promotes viral IRES-dependent translation. Although our previous work has found a cis-acting element for genome encapsidation within 3′X, there is limited information on the involvement of the 3′UTR in particle formation. In this study, proteomic analyses identified host cell proteins that bind to the 3′UTR containing the 3′X region but not to the sequence lacking the 3′X. Further characterization showed that RNA-binding proteins, ribosomal protein L17 (RPL17), and Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) facilitate the efficient production of infectious HCV particles in the virus infection cells. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing in four assays that distinguish between the various stages of the HCV life cycle, RPL17 and YBX1 were found to be most important for particle assembly in the trans-packaging assay with replication-defective subgenomic RNA.
In vitro
assays showed that RPL17 and YBX1 bind to the 3′UTR RNA and deletion of the 3′X region attenuates their interaction. Knockdown of RPL17 or YBX1 resulted in reducing the amount of HCV RNA co-precipitating with the viral Core protein by RNA immunoprecipitation and increasing the relative distance in space between Core and double-stranded RNA by confocal imaging, suggesting that RPL17 and YBX1 potentially affect HCV RNA-Core interaction, leading to efficient nucleocapsid assembly. These host factors provide new clues to understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate HCV particle formation.

IMPORTANCE
Although basic research on the HCV life cycle has progressed significantly over the past two decades, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the process of particle formation, in particular encapsidation of the genome or nucleocapsid assembly, has been limited. We present here, for the first time, that two RNA-binding proteins, RPL17 and YBX1, bind to the 3′X in the 3′UTR of the HCV genome, which potentially acts as a packaging signal, and facilitates the viral particle assembly. Our study revealed that RPL17 and YBX1 exert a positive effect on the interaction between HCV RNA and Core protein, suggesting that the presence of both host factors modulate an RNA structure or conformation suitable for packaging the viral genome. These findings help us to elucidate not only the regulatory mechanism of the particle assembly of HCV but also the function of host RNA-binding proteins during viral infection.
ANCA negative pulmonary vasculitis: a challenging diagnosis
Authors: Zhang Yimeng , Mayor Kara , Mahdi Amar 
Published: June 2024

A man in his 40s with end-stage kidney disease due to IgA nephropathy and receiving peritoneal dialysis presented with a 1-week history of breathlessness, cough and nosebleeds. CT scan of the chest revealed ground glass changes while blood tests indicated elevated inflammatory markers and a negative vasculitis screen. This included negative ANCA and anti-GBM antibodies. Initial treatment for suspected atypical pneumonia with antibiotics yielded no clinical improvement.Over the course of the admission, his symptoms progressively worsened, leading to oxygen dependency with a FiO2 of 40% and episodes of haemoptysis. Suspicions of pulmonary vasculitis arose due to clinical deterioration, prompting consultation with a tertiary vasculitis centre. It was subsequently concluded that the clinical and radiological findings correlated with ANCA-negative pulmonary vasculitis or a rare case of IgA-associated pulmonary capillaritis. Treatment with methylprednisolone and rituximab led to significant improvement, allowing rapid oxygen withdrawal. The patient was discharged with a tapering prednisolone regimen.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation purulence status and its association with pulmonary embolism: protocol for a systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Mai Vicky , Girardi Laura , de Wit Kerstin , Castellucci Lana , Aaron Shawn , Couturaud Francis , Fergusson Dean A , Le Gal Grégoire 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionAcute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) increases the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE). AECOPD and PE have similar symptoms which results in a high proportion of patients with AECOPD undergoing imaging to rule out PE. Finding predictors and explanatory factors of PE in AECOPD, such as purulence status, could help reduce the need for imaging. This systematic review with meta-analysis aims to evaluate if there is an association between purulence status in AECOPD and PE diagnosis.Methods and analysisMEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL will be searched from database inception to April 2024. Randomised trials, cohort studies and cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of PE in patients with AECOPD will be included if the prevalence of PE based on the AECOPD purulence status is available. There will be no restriction on language. The primary outcome will be PE at the initial assessment and secondary outcomes will be all venous thromboembolism (deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and PE) and DVT, respectively, diagnosed at the initial assessment. Relative risks with their 95% CI will be calculated by using a Mantel-Haenszel random-effect model to compare the association between the risk of PE and the AECOPD purulence status (purulent vs non-purulent/unknown). Subgroup analyses will be performed based on the type of study, systematic search of PE versus no systematic search of PE and localisation of PE. Risk of bias will be evaluated by the ROBINS-E tool, publication bias will be evaluated with the funnel plot. The manuscript will be drafted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statement.Ethics and disseminationThis study does not require ethics approval. This work will be submitted for presentation at an international conference and for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42023459429.
Antibiotic dispensing practices among informal healthcare providers in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Tandan Meera , Thapa Poshan , Bhandari Buna , Gandra Sumanth , Timalsina Diwash , Bohora Shweta , Thapaliya Swostika , Bhusal Anupama , Gore Genevieve C , Sheokand Surbhi , Shukla Prachi , Joshi Chandrashekhar , Mudgal Nitin , Pai Madhukar , Sulis Giorgia 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionThe rise of antimicrobial resistance represents a critical threat to global health, exacerbated by the excessive and inappropriate dispensing and use of antimicrobial drugs, notably antibiotics, which specifically target bacterial infections. The surge in antibiotic consumption globally is particularly concerning in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where informal healthcare providers (IPs) play a vital role in the healthcare landscape. Often the initial point of contact for healthcare-seeking individuals, IPs play a crucial role in delivering primary care services in these regions. Despite the prevalent dispensing of antibiotics by IPs in many LMICs, as highlighted by existing research, there remains a gap in the comprehensive synthesis of antibiotic dispensing practices and the influencing factors among IPs. Hence, this scoping review seeks to map and consolidate the literature regarding antibiotic dispensing and its drivers among IPs in LMICs.Methods and analysisThis review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guideline for scoping review. A comprehensive search across nine electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Global Health, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, AJOL and IMSEAR) will be performed, supplemented by manual searches of reference lists of eligible publications. The search strategy will impose no constraints on study design, methodology, publication date or language. The study selection process will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. The findings on antibiotic dispensing and its patterns will be synthesised and reported descriptively using tables, visuals and a narrative summary. Additionally, factors influencing antibiotic dispensing will be elucidated through both inductive and deductive content analysis methods.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for scoping reviews. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at relevant conferences.
Understanding the enablers and barriers to implementing a patient-led escalation system: a qualitative study
Authors: Sutton Elizabeth , Ibrahim Mudathir , Plath William , Booth Lesley , Sujan Mark , McCulloch Peter , Mackintosh Nicola 
Published: June 2024

BackgroundThe management of acute deterioration following surgery remains highly variable. Patients and families can play an important role in identifying early signs of deterioration but effective contribution to escalation of care can be practically difficult to achieve. This paper reports the enablers and barriers to the implementation of patient-led escalation systems found during a process evaluation of a quality improvement programme Rescue for Emergency Surgery Patients Observed to uNdergo acute Deterioration (RESPOND).MethodsThe research used ethnographic methods, including over 100 hours of observations on surgical units in three English hospitals in order to understand the everyday context of care. Observations focused on the coordination of activities such as handovers and how rescue featured as part of this. We also conducted 27 interviews with a range of clinical and managerial staff and patients. We employed a thematic analysis approach, combined with a theoretically focused implementation coding framework, based on Normalisation Process Theory.ResultsWe found that organisational infrastructural support in the form of a leadership support and clinical care outreach teams with capacity were enablers in implementing the patient-led escalation system. Barriers to implementation included making changes to professional practice without discussing the value and legitimacy of operationalising patient concerns, and ensuring equity of use. We found that organisational work is needed to overcome patient fears about disrupting social and cultural norms.ConclusionsThis paper reveals the need for infrastructural support to facilitate the implementation of a patient-led escalation system, and leadership support to normalise the everyday process of involving patients and families in escalation. This type of system may not achieve its goals without properly understanding and addressing the concerns of both nurses and patients.