bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nutrient enrichment increases virulence in an opportunistic environmental pathogen, with greater effect at low bacterial doses
Authors: Pulkkinen Katja , Taskinen Jouni 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems is associated with an increased risk of pathogen infection via increased pathogen growth and host exposure via increased pathogen doses. Here, we studied the effect of nutrients on the virulence of an opportunistic bacterial pathogen of fish, Flavobacterium columnare, in challenge experiments with rainbow trout fingerlings. We hypothesized that removing all nutrients by washing the bacteria would reduce virulence as compared to unwashed bacteria, but adding nutrients to the tank water would increase the virulence of the bacterium. Nutrient addition and increase in bacterial dose increased virulence for both unwashed and washed bacteria. For unwashed bacteria, the addition of nutrients reduced the survival probability of fish challenged with low bacterial doses more than for fish challenged with higher bacterial doses, suggesting activation of bacterial virulence factors. Washing and centrifugation reduced viable bacterial counts, and the addition of washed bacteria alone did not lead to fish mortality. However, a small addition of nutrient medium, 0.05% of the total water volume, added separately to the fish container, restored the virulence of the washed bacteria. Our results show that human-induced eutrophication could trigger epidemics of aquatic pathogens at the limits of their survival and affect their ecology and evolution by altering the dynamics between strains that differ in their growth characteristics.
Orofacial assessment as digital path for forensic and legal evidence record
Authors: Nunes Tiago , Ribeiro Rita , Almiro Pedro A , Fontes Rebeca , Machado Ricardo , Abreu João , Corte-Real Ana 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

In forensic scenarios, such as armed conflicts or mass disasters, the oral cavity can be a valuable source of identification information relevant to legal issues. In many European Union countries, it is mandatory to register dental records for identification purposes. A pilot and quasi-experimental study was performed. The study aims to analyze two methodologies, photography and wireless intraoral (IO) laser scanner, in the scope of the orofacial record in forensic pathology, highlighting their impact on human identification. The IO scanner i700 (Medit, Lusobionic, Portugal) and Canon 5D-Full Frame equipment were used to record the individual status, living patients (n = 5), and forensic cases (n = 5). IO and extraoral anatomical structures were recorded following six parameters: time, mineralized and soft detail, communication, extra devices, and distortion. The statistical analysis was performed in accordance with a scoring system and Mann–Whitney (P &lt; 0.05) analysis. The photography method recorded extraoral data for all samples (score range between 15 and 23). The time elapsed to complete an IO scan in forensic cases was shorter than with photography, without requiring additional sources of light or mirror devices. Living patients and corpses identified statistically significant differences. It can be concluded that laser scanners are a valuable tool in the field of forensic pathology and can be used to record and analyze anatomic-morphological data for identification purposes accurately.

Key points
The Impact of Old Age Pension Eligibility on Alcohol Consumption: Evidence From a Population-Based Study in Rural South Africa
Authors: Jock Janet , Beidelman Erika T , Kobayashi Lindsay C , Tollman Stephen , Phillips Meredith , Kabudula Chodziwadziwa Whiteson , Rosenberg Molly 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background and Objectives
Alcohol causes more than 3 million deaths a year globally and contributes to over 5% of global disease and injury. Heavy drinking and alcohol use disorders among older adults have increased in the last 10–15 years. For individuals living in low-income countries, where wages are low and unemployment is high, old age pensions may provide a significant increase in household income. In turn, the receipt of supplementary income may increase spending on alcohol. Earlier life factors and socioeconomic status may affect alcohol consumption, making it difficult to directly assess the impact of income on alcohol consumption. This study reduces the potential for endogeneity with other life factors by exploiting an exogenous increase in income from old age pensions to isolate the impact of extra income on alcohol consumption for older adults.

Research Design and Methods
We used a regression discontinuity design to assess changes in drinking patterns among rural, low-income adults who were 3 years below and 3 years above South Africa’s Old Age Pension Grant eligibility threshold (age 60). We assessed this relationship separately by gender and for employed and unemployed individuals.

Results
We observed a significantly increased alcohol use associated with the Old Age Pension Grant eligibility for employed men (β = 4.57, 95% confidence interval: 1.72–12.14). We did not observe this same trend for unemployed men or for women.

Discussion and Implications
The analysis in this study indicates that increased income from reaching the pension eligibility age may contribute to an increase in alcohol consumption for employed men. Interventions, such as informational campaigns on the risks of alcohol consumption for older adults or age-appropriate health interventions to help individuals reduce alcohol consumption, targeted around the time of pension eligibility age for employed men may help to reduce alcohol-related harms in low-income, rural sub-Saharan African settings.
Elusive boundaries: using an attribute framework to describe systems for population physical activity promotion
Authors: Baugh Littlejohns Lori , Rasali Drona , McKee Geoffrey , Naiman Daniel , Faulkner Guy 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The cost of physical inactivity is alarming, and calls for whole-of-system approaches to population physical activity promotion (PPAP) are increasing. One innovative approach to PPAP is to use a framework of interdependent attributes and associated dimensions of effective systems for chronic disease prevention. Describing system boundaries can be an elusive task, and this article reports on using an attribute framework as a first step in describing and then assessing and strengthening a provincial system for PPAP in British Columbia, Canada. Interviews were conducted with provincial stakeholders to gather perspectives regarding attributes of the system. Following this, two workshops were facilitated to document important stories about the current system for PPAP and link story themes with attributes. Results from interviews and workshops were summarized into key findings and a set of descriptive statements. One hundred and twenty-one statements provide depth, breadth and scope to descriptions of the system through the lens of an adapted framework including four attributes: (i) implementation of desired actions, (ii) resources, (iii) leadership and (iv) collaborative capacity. The attribute framework was a useful tool to guide a whole-of-system approach and turn elusive boundaries into rich descriptors of a provincial system for PPAP. Immediate implications for our research are to translate descriptive statements into variables, then assess the system through group model building and identify leverage points from a causal loop diagram to strengthen the system. Future application of this approach in other contexts, settings and health promotion and disease prevention topics is recommended.
Impact of educational intervention on mothers of infants with iron-deficiency anemia
Authors: Abu Alhaija Rania , Hasab Ali Abdel Halim , Ahmed El-Nimr Nessrin , Tayel Dalia Ibrahim 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
This intervention study aimed to assess mothers’ knowledge of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). It also measured the impact of a health education program on their level of knowledge and their infants’ IDA rates in rural areas of Nablus Governorate. Using a randomized pretest–posttest control group design, the efficacy of 3 months’ education program was examined against control group. Assessments were made at baseline and after 3 months of conducting the intervention. A structured interviewing questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge about IDA, and blood samples were collected from infants in both groups. Only 1.9% of mothers in the intervention group and 3.5% of mothers in the control group had good level of knowledge at baseline. After the educational intervention, a significant statistical difference was observed in the mean total knowledge score between the intervention and control groups (33.68 + 5.366 versus 26.12 + 5.243), and the intervention group was seven times more likely to have good knowledge (relative risk = 7.332). Regarding IDA rate, there was a decrease in the infants with IDA in the intervention group (relative risk = 0.671) compared to infants in the control group. The planned health education program was effective in improving mothers’ knowledge and reducing the risk of IDA among their infants.
Stochastic modelling of Karlotoxin influence on prey
Authors: Pei Hansen , Fok Pak-Wing , Rossi Louis 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Karlodinium veneficum is type of dinoflagellate plankton present in coastal regions. Harmful algae blooms resulting from uncontrolled growth of K. veneficum often leads to fish kills. They release a toxin named Karlotoxin that is known to affect their prey’s bio-locomotion by stunning and slowing them down. We investigate whether the toxin plays a role in aggregating the prey around the a predator, thereby leading to a local increase in prey density. To achieve this, we closely examine the toxin’s influence on the prey’s probability density distribution with different assumptions on their relative speed in 1D, with either the predator being stationary or swimming at a constant speed. When the predator is stationary, we fully solve the prey’s density distribution for all times, and verify the result by a Monte-Carlo simulation. For a swimming predator, we find the steady-state density distribution of prey analytically. When the predator’s speed $s$ is strictly greater (or less) than the prey ($s-1&gt;0$ or $s-1&lt;0$), the results are verified by Monte-Carlo simulations; when their relative speed $s-1$ has roots, we use the Frobenius method to perform a local analysis for the prey’s density at steady state near the roots, and use the result to derive a scheme for finding the analytical solution. This solution is then verified numerically using a finite difference method. When the roots $x_{1}$ and $x_{3}$ satisfy $s^{\prime}(x_{1})&lt;0$ and $s^{\prime}(x_{3})&gt;0$, we show that the probability density for the prey has a form $|x-x_{1}|^{-s^{\prime}(x_{1})^{-1} -1}$ near the root $x_{1}$, leading to either an integrable singularity or a local maximum. Near the root $x_{3}$, the prey’s density can be represented as a Taylor series and is smooth. In most of the cases mentioned above, toxin leads to the aggregation of prey, however the maximum density does not always occur where the toxin has the highest concentration.
Commensal protistTritrichomonas musculusexhibits a dynamic life cycle that induces extensive remodeling of the gut microbiota
Authors: Popovic Ana , Cao Eric Y , Han Joanna , Nursimulu Nirvana , Alves-Ferreira Eliza V C , Burrows Kyle , Kennard Andrea , Alsmadi Noor , Grigg Michael E , Mortha Arthur , Parkinson John 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCommensal protists and gut bacterial communities exhibit complex relationships, mediated at least in part through host immunity. To improve our understanding of this tripartite interplay, we investigated community and functional dynamics between the murine protist Tritrichomonas musculus and intestinal bacteria in healthy and B-cell-deficient mice. We identified dramatic, protist-driven remodeling of resident microbiome growth and activities, in parallel with Tritrichomonas musculus functional changes, which were accelerated in the absence of B cells. Metatranscriptomic data revealed nutrient-based competition between bacteria and the protist. Single-cell transcriptomics identified distinct Tritrichomonas musculus life stages, providing new evidence for trichomonad sexual replication and the formation of pseudocysts. Unique cell states were validated in situ through microscopy and flow cytometry. Our results reveal complex microbial dynamics during the establishment of a commensal protist in the gut, and provide valuable data sets to drive future mechanistic studies.
Implications of two-component systems EnvZ/OmpR and BaeS/BaeR in in vitro temocillin resistance in Escherichia coli
Authors: Pérez-Palacios Patricia , Rodríguez-Ochoa José Luis , Velázquez-Escudero Ana , Rodríguez-Baño Jesús , Rodríguez-Martínez José Manuel , Pascual Álvaro , Docobo-Pérez Fernando 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
BaeS/BaeR is a two-component system of Escherichia coli that controls the expression of porins and efflux pumps. Its role in beta-lactam resistance is limited.

Objectives
To study the role of baeS/baeR two-component system in temocillin resistance in E. coli.

Methods
E. coli strain BW25113 and single-gene deletion mutants related to two-component systems were collected from the KEIO collection. Double-gen deletion mutants were generated. Temocillin-resistant mutant frequencies were determined at 32 mg/L. E. coli BW25113 mutants were selected by selective pressure from serial passages. Biological costs were analysed by growth curves. Genomes of the generated mutants were sequenced. The expression level of the mdtA, mdtB, mdtC, acrD and tolC in the ΔbaeS mutant was determined by RT–PCR (with/without temocillin exposure).

Results
The frequency of temocillin mutants ranged from 2.12 × 10−8 to 4.51 × 10−8 in single-porin mutants. No mutants were recovered from E. coli BW25113 (&gt;10−9). Selection of temocillin-resistant variants by serial passage yielded mutants up to 128 mg/L. Mutations were found in the baeS gene. Temocillin MICs ranged from 4 to 32 mg/L (highest MICs for ΔbaeS and ΔompR). The efflux pumps mdtA, mdtB, mdtC and acrD pumps were overexpressed 3–10-fold in the presence of temocillin in ΔbaeS compared to control.

Conclusions
Mutations in the sensor histidine kinase, baeS, may be involved in temocillin resistance through the expression of the efflux pumps mdtABC and acrD. In addition, the low mutation rate may be a good predictor of temocillin activity.
CHD7 regulates craniofacial cartilage development via controlling HTR2B expression
Authors: Breuer Maximilian , Rummler Maximilian , Singh Jaskaran , Maher Sabrina , Zaouter Charlotte , Jamadagni Priyanka , Pilon Nicolas , Willie Bettina M , Patten Shunmoogum A 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Mutations in the Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 7 – coding gene (CHD7) cause CHARGE syndrome (CS). Although craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities are major features of CS patients, the role of CHD7 in bone and cartilage development remain largely unexplored. Here, using a zebrafish (Danio rerio) CS model, we show that chd7-/- larvae display abnormal craniofacial cartilage development and spinal deformities. The craniofacial and spine defects are accompanied by a marked reduction of bone mineralization. At the molecular level, we show that these phenotypes are associated with significant reduction in the expression levels of osteoblast differentiation markers. Additionally, we detected a marked depletion of collagen 2α1 in the cartilage of craniofacial regions and vertebrae, along with significantly reduced number of chondrocytes. Chondrogenesis defects are at least in part due to downregulation of htr2b, which we found to be also dysregulated in human cells derived from an individual with CHD7 mutation-positive CS. Overall, this study thus unveils an essential role for CHD7 in cartilage and bone development, with potential clinical relevance for the craniofacial defects associated with CS.
The comparative analysis of the Ex and Hz fields sensitivity generated by electric dipole sources
Authors: Wang Xianxiang , Li Jiaqi , Lei Songda 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
In the controlled source audio-frequency magnetotelluric method, orthogonal electric and magnetic fields are commonly measured to determine the Cagniard apparent resistivity. However, in the near-field zone, the Cagniard resistivity is severely distorted, which is unrelated to underground structures. The Ex and Hz amplitudes in a homogeneous half-space monotonically vary in resistivity, and a numerical algorithm could achieve high-precision apparent resistivity without distortion for all frequencies. On this basis, the main focus of this investigation is on the comparative analysis of the sensitivity for the Exfield, Hzfield, and Cagniard apparent resistivity to conductive and resistivity targets via synthetic models. The achieved results confirm that the Ex field could exhibit a more enhanced sensitivity for the resistive objects, whereas the Hz field could more effectively identify the conductive target. Besides, the static effect often distorts the electromagnetic data, which rigorously influences their application. The influence of the static effect on both the Exand Hzfields is also examined in detail. The apparent resistivity based on the Exfield and Cagniard apparent resistivity is significantly affected by the static effect, which can mask deep anomalous blocks. However, the apparent resistivity based on the Hz field is almost unaffected by the static effect. Finally, a more efficient observation approach is provided for both the insulating and conductive targets.
The First Folio and the transatlantic trade in early drama c.1900–1929
Authors: Cleaver Laura , Magnusson Danielle 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
In early twentieth-century America, ownership of all four Shakespeare folios was a benchmark for rare-book collectors, showcasing a dedication to assembling an exceptional library. The First Folio (1623) typically commanded the highest prices. Dealers sought to capitalize on the popularity of Shakespeare’s works by labelling a wide range of material as ‘Shakespeareana’, and the 1920s saw a boom in the market for early English plays. For some American collectors, notably Henry Folger, one copy of an edition was not enough, but others, including Henry Huntington, released duplicates back into the market, helping to keep interest high and facilitating the use of books as investments in the 1920s. This article examines the transatlantic trade in early English drama from c.1900 to 1929, to situate sales of First Folios in their economic and cultural context and to explore why large numbers of sixteenth-century English plays are now held in a handful of American libraries.
The genome assembly of Island Oak (Quercus tomentella), a relictual island tree species
Authors: Mead Alayna , Fitz-Gibbon Sorel T , Escalona Merly , Beraut Eric , Sacco Samuel , Marimuthu Mohan P A , Nguyen Oanh , Sork Victoria L 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Island oak (Quercus tomentella) is a rare relictual island tree species that exists only on six islands off the coast of California and Mexico, but was once widespread throughout mainland California. Currently, this species is endangered by threats such as non-native plants, grazing animals, and human removal. Efforts for conservation and restoration of island oak currently underway could benefit from information about its range-wide genetic structure and evolutionary history. Here we present a high-quality genome assembly for Q. tomentella, assembled using PacBio HiFi and Omni-C sequencing, developed as part of the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP). The resulting assembly has a length of 781 Mb, with a contig N50 of 22.0 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 63.4 Mb. This genome assembly will provide a resource for genomics-informed conservation of this rare oak species. Additionally, this reference genome will be the first one available for a species in Quercus section Protobalanus, a unique oak clade present only in western North America.
Determination of enzalutamide long-term safety and efficacy for castration-resistant prostate cancer patients after combined anti-androgen blockade followed by alternative anti-androgen therapy: a multicenter prospective DELC study
Authors: Nagahara Akira , Uemura Motohide , Sato Mototaka , Nakata Wataru , Tsujihata Masao , Takao Tetsuya , Matsumura Soichi , Nishimura Kensaku , Takada Shingo , Iwanishi Toshichika , Kobayashi Yasuyuki , Ishizuya Yu , Takada Tsuyoshi , Okada Koichi , Inoue Hitoshi , Kato Taigo , Hatano Koji , Kawashima Atsunari , Ujike Takeshi , Fujita Kazutoshi , Nonomura Norio 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
Alternative anti-androgen therapy has been widely used as a first-line treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer, and it may affect treatment outcome of subsequent agents targeting the androgen receptor axis. We conducted the prospective observational DELC (Determination of Enzalutamide Long-term safety and efficacy for Castration-resistant prostate cancer patients after combined anti-androgen blockade followed by alternative anti-androgen therapy) study to evaluate the efficacy of enzalutamide in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer who underwent prior combined androgen blockade with bicalutamide and then alternative anti-androgen therapy with flutamide.

Methods
The DELC study enrolled 163 Japanese patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer who underwent alternative anti-androgen therapy with flutamide following failure of initial combined androgen blockade with bicalutamide in multiple institutions between January 2016 and March 2019. Primary endpoint was overall survival. Administration of enzalutamide was started at 160 mg orally once daily in all patients.

Results
The rate of decline of prostate-specific antigen by 50% or more was 72.2%, and median overall survival was 42.05 months. Multivariate analysis revealed that higher pretreatment serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (≥11.3 ng/mL; P = 0.004), neuron-specific enolase (P = 0.014) and interleukin-6 (≥2.15 pg/mL; P = 0.004) were independent risk factors for overall survival. Fatigue (30.0%), constipation (19.6%) and appetite loss (17.8%) were the most common clinically relevant adverse events. The enzalutamide dose was not reduced in any patient under the age of 70, but adherence was decreased in those over 70.

Conclusions
In the DELC study, the safety of enzalutamide was comparable to that in previous reports. Serum levels of neuron-specific enolase and interleukin-6 were suggested as prognostic factors for castration-resistant prostate cancer with potential clinical utility.