bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
No seroconversion in a retrospective study analyzing QuantiFERON TB‐gold testing in pediatric psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa patients taking biologic therapy at an academic center in New York City
Authors: Katsiaunis Apostolos , Conway Jade , Lipner Shari R. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractGuidelines are inconsistent regarding annual QuantiFERON® TB Gold (QFT) tests in children taking biologics for dermatological conditions, and there is limited research on seroconversion, especially in regions with high tuberculosis (TB) prevalence. A retrospective review of pediatric patients taking biologic treatment for psoriasis or hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) who had one baseline and at least one follow‐up QFT test was conducted to assess for seroconversion during treatment. Thirty‐two patients were included, with no instances of seroconversion. These findings suggest that routine annual TB rescreening for pediatric patients taking biologic therapy for dermatologic conditions may not be necessary without additional TB exposure risks or symptomatology.
Carbonate microbialites and chemotrophic microbes: Insights from caves from south‐east China
Authors: Ren Min , Jones Brian , Nie Xiaomin , Lin Xin , Meng Chuang 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTChemosynthetic microorganisms facilitate microbialite development in many caves throughout the world. In Youqin Cave and Tian'e Cave, located in the Carboniferous–Triassic carbonates on the South China Block, five Quaternary speleothems (stalagmite, stalactite and cave pearl) that are 2.3 to 11.0 cm long were examined for their petrographic, geochemical and microbiological features to reveal how chemotrophs contribute to microbialite growth. In the speleothems, millimetre‐sized stromatolites, thrombolites and calcified microbial mats are characterized by alternating light, calcitic microlaminae and dark, clay and organic‐rich calcite microlaminae. Filamentous (reticulate, smooth, nodular and helical), coccoid and bacilliform microbes, originally carried into the caves from surface soils, are more common in the dark microlaminae/clots than in the light microlaminae. 16S rRNA gene sequencing shows that the biotas in the microbialites are dominated by chemoorganotrophic heterotrophic bacteria, including primarily Sphingomonas, Crossiella and Acinetobacter, and rare Archaea. Diverse metabolic pathways of these prokaryotes, including ureolysis, denitrification and nitrite ammonification, contributed to increases in localized pH and/or dissolved inorganic carbon in these microenvironments, prompting carbonate precipitation. Development of the cave microbialites was probably controlled by the evolution of the cave microbial community as environmental conditions changed. Microbialite growth was probably mediated by the microorganisms that flourished on the speleothem surfaces during periods of low drip water rates and slow calcite precipitation. The change from microstromatolites to microthrombolites was probably linked to a decrease in cell populations in the microbial communities. These cave microbialites provide clear insights regarding the biogenicity and growth mechanisms of chemosynthetic microbialites. Given their association with chemolithotrophic activities that can date back to the Meso‐Archean, cave microbialites provide insights into the biogenicity and growth mechanisms of chemosynthesis‐based microbialites throughout geological history.
The Relationships between Drought Exposure, Fertility Preferences, and Contraceptive Behaviors: A Multicountry Study
Authors: Somefun Oluwaseyi , Banougnin Boladé Hamed , Smith‐Greenaway Emily 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe interplay between population dynamics and the environment has long interested demographers. Although studies have explored how climate patterns affect macrolevel population processes, such as mortality and migration, little is known about their impact on individual‐level demographic behaviors. This study fills this research gap by examining the linkages between exposure to drought and women's fertility preferences and contraceptive behaviors in sub‐Saharan Africa. We analyze data from the Demographic and Health Surveys Program, focusing on 17 countries in East, Southern, and West Africa. We investigate whether women's recent exposure to drought episodes in their community affects their fertility preferences and modern contraceptive use. Generally, the findings show that drought is relevant to understanding women's fertility preferences and behaviors in the vast majority of countries; however, drought exposure has variable impacts. Moreover, whereas in some countries, drought exposure encourages contraceptive behaviors that align with women's preferences, in select countries it is associated with behavior that is misaligned with women's stated preferences. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of examining climate events as complex forces that have localized meanings for demographic outcomes.
Parliamentary Status and Drivers of Sympathy for the Radical Right
Authors: Kleinert Manuel 
Published: February 2024

AbstractDemand‐side research on the Radical right‐wing populist parties (RRPPs) has highlighted anti‐immigration attitudes, political dissatisfaction and their interaction as drivers of sympathy for them. Supply‐side research studies the isolation that RRPPs often face in their respective parliaments. Linking these perspectives, we theorize and test whether cross‐country differences in parliamentary isolation of an RRPP can predict differences in attitudinal associations. Conducting OLS regression analyses on 15 country samples, we find that that, beyond direct association with sympathy for RRPPs, the moderating term of anti‐immigration attitudes and political dissatisfaction varies considerably across our samples. This variation is consistent with the parliamentary status of the RRPP in each country at the time of data collection. In predicting sympathy for RRPPs, these factors reinforce each other when the RRPPs is isolated in parliament; attenuate each other when the RRPP is in government; and are independent from one another when the RRPP has a history of government.
The proliferative effects of stem cells from apical papilla‐conditioned medium on rat corneal endothelial cells
Authors: Rahimiyan Kimia , Nasr Esfahani Mohammad Hossein , Karamali Fereshteh 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe cornea, positioned at the forefront of the eye, refracts the light for focusing images on the retina. Damage to this transparent structure can lead to various visual disorders. The corneal endothelial cells (CECs) are crucial for transparency and homeostasis, but lack the ability to reproduce. Significant damage results in structure destruction and vision impairment. While extensive research has aimed at the restoring the corneal endothelial layer, including endothelial proliferation for functional monolayers remains challenging. Our previous studies confirmed the proliferative activity of stem cells from apical papilla‐conditioned medium (SCAP‐CM) on the retinal pigmented epithelium as a single cell layer. This study investigates how SCAP‐CM influences the proliferation and migration of CECs. Our results introduced Matrigel, as a new matrix component for in vitro culture of CECs. Moreover, 60% of SCAP‐CM was able to stimulate CEC proliferation as well as migrate to repair wound healing during 24 h. Confluent CECs also expressed specific markers, ATP1a1, ZO‐1 and CD56, indicative of CEC characteristics, aligning with the recapitulation of differentiation when forming a homogenous monolayer at the same level of isolated CECs without in vitro culture. These findings suggested that SCAP‐CM administration could be useful for future preclinical and clinical applications.
An exploration of mechanisms underlying
Desemzia incerta
colonization resistance to methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
on the skin
Authors: Wei Monica , Knight Simon A. B. , Fazelinia Hossein , Spruce Lynn , Roof Jennifer , Chu Emily , Kim Daniel Y. , Bhanap Preeti , Walsh Jasmine , Flowers Laurice , Zhu Jun , Grice Elizabeth A. 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT

Colonization of human skin and nares by methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) leads to the community spread of MRSA. This spread is exacerbated by the transfer of MRSA between humans and livestock, particularly swine. Here, we capitalized on the shared features between human and porcine skin, including shared MRSA colonization, to study novel bacterial mediators of MRSA colonization resistance. We focused on the poorly studied bacterial species
Desemzia incerta
, which we found to exert antimicrobial activity through a secreted product and exhibited colonization resistance against MRSA in an
in vivo
murine skin model. Using parallel genomic and biochemical investigation, we discovered that
D. incerta
secretes an antimicrobial protein. Sequential protein purification and proteomics analysis identified 24 candidate inhibitory proteins, including a promising peptidoglycan hydrolase candidate. Aided by transcriptional analysis of
D. incerta
and MRSA cocultures, we found that exposure to
D. incerta
leads to decreased MRSA biofilm production. These results emphasize the value of exploring microbial communities across a spectrum of hosts, which can lead to novel therapeutic agents as well as an increased understanding of microbial competition.

IMPORTANCE

Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) causes a significant healthcare burden and can be spread to the human population via livestock transmission. Members of the skin microbiome can prevent MRSA colonization via a poorly understood phenomenon known as colonization resistance. Here, we studied the colonization resistance of
S. aureus
by bacterial inhibitors previously identified from a porcine skin model. We identify a pig skin commensal,
Desemzia incerta
, that reduced MRSA colonization in a murine model. We employ a combination of genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic analyses to explore the mechanisms of inhibition between
D. incerta
and
S. aureus
. We identify 24 candidate antimicrobial proteins secreted by
D. incerta
that could be responsible for its antimicrobial activity. We also find that exposure to
D. incerta
leads to decreased
S. aureus
biofilm formation. These findings show that the livestock transmission of MRSA can be exploited to uncover novel mechanisms of MRSA colonization resistance.
Improving gut health and growth in early life: a protocol for an individually randomised, two-arm, open-label, controlled trial of a synbiotic in infants in Kaffrine District, Senegal
Authors: Momo Kadia Benjamin , Khouma Marietou , Sow Doudou , Faye Babacar , Ramsteijn Anouschka S , Calvo-Urbano Beatriz , Jobarteh Modou L , Ferguson Elaine , Haggarty Paul , Webster Joanne P , Walker Alan W , Heffernan Claire , Allen Stephen J 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionInfants exposed to enteropathogens through poor sanitation and hygiene can develop a subclinical disorder of the gut called environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), characterised by abnormal intestinal histology and permeability. EED can contribute to stunting through reduced digestion and absorption of nutrients, increased susceptibility to infections, increased systemic inflammation and inhibition of growth hormones. EED can be apparent by age 12 weeks, highlighting the need for early intervention. Modulating the early life gut microbiota using synbiotics may improve resistance against colonisation of the gut by enteropathogens, reduce EED and improve linear growth.Methods and analysisAn individually randomised, two-arm, open-label, controlled trial will be conducted in Kaffrine District, Senegal. Infants will be recruited at birth and randomised to either receive a synbiotic containing twoBifidobacteriumstrains and oneLactobacillusstrain, or no intervention, during the first 6 months of life. The impact of the intervention will be evaluated primarily by comparing length-for-age z-score at 12 months of age in infants in the intervention and control arms of the trial. Secondary outcome variables include biomarkers of intestinal inflammation, intestinal integrity and permeability, gut microbiota profiles, presence of enteropathogens, systemic inflammation, growth hormones, epigenetic status and episodes of illness during follow-up to age 24 months.DiscussionThis trial will contribute to the evidence base on the use of a synbiotic to improve linear growth by preventing or ameliorating EED in a low-resource setting.Trial registration numberPACTR202102689928613.
Eggs for Improving Nutrition, cognitive development and reducing linear growth retardation among Infants and young Children (ENRICH): protocol of an egg supplementation trial among children aged 9–18 months in Hyderabad, India
Authors: Banjara Santosh Kumar , Challa Sai Ram , Augustine Little Flower , Dasi Teena , Madhari Radhika , Fernandez Rao Sylvia , Palika Ravindranadh , Pullakhandam Raghu , Kalashikam Rajender Rao , Kumar Ramachandrappa Naveen , Palepu Dharani Pratyusha , Chilumula Monica , Selvaraj Kiruthika , Gopinath Preethi , Davies-Kershaw Hilary , Jobarteh Modou Lamin , Haggarty Paul , Heffernan Claire , Ferguson Elaine , Kulkarni Bharati 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionEvidence on the impact of nutrient-rich animal source foods such as eggs for improving child growth and cognition is inconsistent. This study aims to examine the impact of an egg intervention in children, along with behaviour change communication (BCC) to the mother, on linear growth and cognition, and nutritional status in children aged 9–18 months.Methods and analysisA 9-month open-labelled randomised controlled trial will be conducted in three urban slums in Hyderabad, India, as a substudy of an observational cohort study (n=350) following pregnant women and their children until 18 months of age in a population at risk of stunting. The children born to women enrolled during the third trimester of pregnancy will be block randomised in a 1:4 ratio into the intervention (n=70) and control (n=280) groups. Children in the intervention group will be supplemented with one egg per day starting from 9 months until 18 months of age. BCC designed to enhance adherence to the intervention will be used. The control group will be a part of the observational cohort and will not receive any intervention from the study team. The primary outcome will be length-for-age z-scores, and the secondary outcomes will include cognition, blood biomarkers of nutritional status including fatty acid profile and epigenetic signatures linked with linear growth and cognition. Multivariate intention-to-treat analyses will be conducted to assess the effect of the intervention.Ethics and disseminationThe study is approved by the Institutional ethics committees of ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated to policy-makers. Findings will also be shared with study participants and community leaders.Trial registration numberCTRI/2021/11/038208
Two New Estimators for the Autocorrelation Function Through Singular Spectrum Analysis
Authors: Mahmoudvand Rahim 
Published: February 2024

It is around a century that sample autocorrelation function has been introduced and used as a standard tool in time series analysis. A vast literature can be found on the statistical properties of the sample autocorrelation function. However, it has been highlighted recently that the sum of the sample autocorrelation function over the lags 1 to [Formula: see text] is −0.5 for all time series of length T. This property produces a big concern for the cases in which all available sample autocorrelations are used in the inference. This paper provides two new alternative for estimating the autocorrelation function. These estimators come from the idea of singular spectrum analysis which is a non-parametric technique for time series analysis. The paper utilizes a simulation study to illustrate the performance of the new approach. The results suggest that further improvement to the sample autocorrelation is possible and the new methods provide an attractive alternative to the classical approach.
Olive oil Ameliorates renal Ischemia-reperfusion-mediated hepatic and renal changes in stressed rats
Authors: Sobhy Noha S. , Ahmed Mona A. , Lasheen Noha N. , Baher Walaa , ElSayed Mohamed H. 
Published: February 2024

Background: Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) does not only affect kidneys, but also affects remote organs especially the liver. Stress may lead to further progression of renal and hepatic insults. This study was planned to explore the efficacy of olive oil (OO) on the assumed renal and hepatic changes of immobilization stress following renal IRI. Methods: Seventy-seven adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into the following five groups; Sham-Operated Control group, Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion group, Stressed Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion group, OO-Supplemented Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion group) and OO-Supplemented Stressed Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Group (OO+Stressed+IR). All animals were subjected to determination of renal and hepatic biochemical functions and histopathological examination. Results: Renal IR significantly increased plasma creatinine and urea levels. This was associated with significant rise in serum levels of both ALT and AST, total bilirubin together with plasma level of TNF-[Formula: see text], whereas the plasma level of albumin (ALB) was significantly reduced. In addition, histological disruptions of kidneys and livers were observed. Chronic immobilization stress aggravated the effects of renal IR. Also, renal and hepatic morphological changes were more worsened. Whilst, OO supplementation resulted in significant amelioration of renal and hepatic functions. Also, the kidney and liver morphologic lesions were attenuated. Conclusion: Renal IR not only affected the renal functional and structural integrity but also the remote organ, the liver. Chronic immobilization stress rendered the kidney and liver more prone to injury. OO improved renal and hepatic dysfunction and morphological damage mediated by renal IRI, in control rats and in those exposed to chronic stress which can be exerted partially via its antioxidant, anti- inflammatory and nitric oxide (NO) reducing activities.
Zhoukoudian: the birthplace of palaeoanthropology and the stimulus for Paleolithic archaeology in China
Authors: Sun Chengsheng 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The Zhoukoudian (Choukoutien) site, which was excavated in 1921, is one of the most important ancient human sites in China and in the world as well. From the perspective of the history of transnational science, this paper summarizes the history of the excavation of Zhoukoudian and the research that has been done into related fossil and human remains. It argues that Zhoukoudian was the birthplace of palaeoanthropology and the stimulus for the establishment of Paleolithic archaeology as a field in China. The Zhoukoudian site preserves traces of prehistoric human activities that date from 700 000 to 10 000 years ago, including human fossils, stone artefacts, ornaments and mammalian fossils. Thus, it still remains the most abundant, systematic and valuable site of its kind in the world, as well as being a very important geoheritage site.
Queuing Network Models of Multiservice RANs
Authors: Marin Andrea , Meo Michela , Sereno Matteo , Marsan Marco Ajmone 
Published: February 2024

In this article, we present a new queuing network model for the analysis of a portion of a radio access network (RAN) comprising macro cell base stations (BSs) and small cell BSs offering “streaming” and “elastic” services. Streaming services require a certain data rate for a random time. The required data rates depend on the type of service (e.g., audio and video). Elastic services require the transfer of random data volumes, and their data rate adjusts dynamically based on the capacity not utilized by the streaming services. To derive performance measures for the proposed model, we develop a computationally efficient framework that exploits a new product form result for streaming services, relying on a well-known blocking policy, and an approximate product form for elastic services. Insensitivity to the distribution of service requirements holds in the case of negligible end user mobility.
We show the high accuracy of our model in predicting the performance of practical system configurations by conducting a thorough comparison between the model’s results and those obtained from a detailed discrete-event simulator. Through this analysis, we uncover significant counter-intuitive behaviors that arise from the competition between streaming services with diverse demands, and that are effectively captured and predicted by our modeling approach.
Our computationally efficient queuing model is a useful new tool to support design and planning of multiservice RANs whose complex structures result from the coexistence of BSs of different generations in dense areas.
Bile Acid Metabolism Mediates Cholesterol Homeostasis and Promotes Tumorigenesis in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Riscal Romain , Gardner Sarah M. , Coffey Nathan J. , Carens Madeleine , Mesaros Clementina , Xu Jimmy P. , Xue Yizheng , Davis Leah , Demczyszyn Sara , Vogt Austin , Olia Adam , Finan Jennifer M. , Godfrey Jason , Schultz David C. , Blair Ian A. , Keith Brian , Marmorstein Ronen , Skuli Nicolas , Simon M. Celeste 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) incidence has risen steadily over the last decade. Elevated lipid uptake and storage is required for ccRCC cell viability. As stored cholesterol is the most abundant component in ccRCC intracellular lipid droplets, it may also play an important role in ccRCC cellular homeostasis. In support of this hypothesis, ccRCC cells acquire exogenous cholesterol through the high-density lipoprotein receptor SCARB1, inhibition or suppression of which induces apoptosis. Here, we showed that elevated expression of 3 beta-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase type 7 (HSD3B7), which metabolizes cholesterol-derived oxysterols in the bile acid biosynthetic pathway, is also essential for ccRCC cell survival. Development of an HSD3B7 enzymatic assay and screening for small-molecule inhibitors uncovered the compound celastrol as a potent HSD3B7 inhibitor with low micromolar activity. Repressing HSD3B7 expression genetically or treating ccRCC cells with celastrol resulted in toxic oxysterol accumulation, impaired proliferation, and increased apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. These data demonstrate that bile acid synthesis regulates cholesterol homeostasis in ccRCC and identifies HSD3B7 as a plausible therapeutic target.

Significance:
The bile acid biosynthetic enzyme HSD3B7 is essential for ccRCC cell survival and can be targeted to induce accumulation of cholesterol-derived oxysterols and apoptotic cell death.