bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Causes of death among international travellers in Peru, 2017 to 2021
Authors: Allel Kasim , Cabada Miguel M , Lau Collen , Mills Deborah , Franklin Richard C , Zhu Yan , Furuya-Kanamori Luis 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
The wellbeing and safety of international tourists is a paramount concern for governments and stakeholders. Mortality among travellers and the causes of death serve as a significant metric of destination safety. We describe the epidemiology and causes of death among international travellers in Peru.

Methods
Data retrieved from the Peruvian government’s deaths certificates registry included all non-residents who died between January 2017 and December 2021. We analysed the national incidence and causes of death among international travellers in Peru. Causes of death were classified into non-communicable diseases (NCD), communicable diseases and injuries. We classified fatalities according to the existence of preventive measures that could be provided during the travel medicine consultation to decrease the risk.

Results
We obtained records from 1514 deaths among international travellers (973 males, 64%). The incidence increased from 0.2 deaths per 10 000 travellers in 2017 to 9.9 in 2021. NCDs were the most common causes of death (n = 560, 37%), followed by communicable diseases (n = 487, 32%), and injuries (n = 321, 21%). Causes of death were unknown in 9.7% of the records. The leading causes of death in these categories were cancer, cardiovascular disease, COVID-19 and trauma. We found similar sex distribution of NCDs in travellers aged &gt;50 years and higher rates of communicable diseases among males across all ages. Injury-associated deaths were significantly higher among males aged 18–29 years (P &lt; 0.001) compared with other sex-age groups. We estimated that for 57.7% of deaths risk could have been decreased through pre-travel advice.

Conclusion
Rates of deaths among travellers to Peru increased over time. Most deaths were due to NCDs, followed by communicable diseases and injuries. Pre-travel medical optimization and effective advice focused on age-sex and destination specific risks could reduce risk among travellers. Increased awareness among travel medicine practitioners and improvement of emergency medical response systems in Peru could decrease mortality.
Carnivorous plant evolution: is a killer defense always the best option?
Authors: Procko Carl , Chory Joanne 
Published: December 2023

This article comments on:Pavlovič A, Koller J, Vrobel O, Chamrád I, Lenobel R, and Tarkowski P. 2024. Is the co-option of jasmonate signalling for botanical carnivory a universal trait for all carnivorous plants? Journal of Experimental Botany 75, 334–349.
Evidence for a dynamic corona in the short-term time lags of black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070
Authors: Bollemeijer Niek , Uttley Phil , Basak Arkadip , Ingram Adam , van den Eijnden Jakob , Alabarta Kevin , Altamirano Diego , Arzoumanian Zaven , Buisson Douglas J K , Fabian Andrew C , Ferrara Elizabeth , Gendreau Keith , Homan Jeroen , Kara Erin , Markwardt Craig , Remillard Ronald A , Sanna Andrea , Steiner James F , Tombesi Francesco , Wang Jingyi , Wang Yanan , Zoghbi Abderahmen 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT
In X-ray observations of hard state black hole X-ray binaries (BHXRBs), rapid variations in accretion disc and coronal power-law emission are correlated and show Fourier-frequency-dependent time lags. On short ($\sim$0.1 s) time-scales, these lags are thought to be due to reverberation and therefore may depend strongly on the geometry of the corona. Low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are variations in X-ray flux that have been suggested to arise because of geometric changes in the corona, possibly due to general relativistic Lense–Thirring precession. Therefore, one might expect the short-term time lags to vary on the QPO time-scale. We performed novel spectral-timing analyses on Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR observations of the BHXRB MAXI J1820+070 during the hard state of its outburst in 2018 to investigate how the short-term time lags between a disc-dominated and a coronal power-law-dominated energy band vary on different time-scales. Our method can distinguish between variability due to the QPO and broad-band noise, and we find a linear correlation between the power-law flux and lag amplitude that is strongest at the QPO frequency. We also introduce a new method to resolve the QPO signal and determine the QPO phase dependence of the flux and lag variations, finding that both are very similar. Our results are consistent with a geometric origin of QPOs, but also provide evidence for a dynamic corona with a geometry varying in a similar way over a broad range of time-scales, not just the QPO time-scale.
On the Origin and Evolution of the Mosquito Male-determining Factor Nix
Authors: Biedler James K , Aryan Azadeh , Qi Yumin , Wang Aihua , Martinson Ellen O , Hartman Daniel A , Yang Fan , Sharma Atashi , Morton Katherine S , Potters Mark , Chen Chujia , Dobson Stephen L , Ebel Gregory D , Kading Rebekah C , Paulson Sally , Xue Rui-De , Strand Michael R , Tu Zhijian 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The mosquito family Culicidae is divided into 2 subfamilies named the Culicinae and Anophelinae. Nix, the dominant male-determining factor, has only been found in the culicines Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, 2 important arboviral vectors that belong to the subgenus Stegomyia. Here we performed sex-specific whole-genome sequencing and RNAseq of divergent mosquito species and explored additional male-inclusive datasets to investigate the distribution of Nix. Except for the Culex genus, Nix homologs were found in all species surveyed from the Culicinae subfamily, including 12 additional species from 3 highly divergent tribes comprising 4 genera, suggesting Nix originated at least 133 to 165 million years ago (MYA). Heterologous expression of 1 of 3 divergent Nix open reading frames (ORFs) in Ae. aegypti resulted in partial masculinization of genetic females as evidenced by morphology and doublesex splicing. Phylogenetic analysis suggests Nix is related to femaleless (fle), a recently described intermediate sex-determining factor found exclusively in anopheline mosquitoes. Nix from all species has a conserved structure, including 3 RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs), as does fle. However, Nix has evolved at a much faster rate than fle. The RRM3 of both Nix and fle are distantly related to the single RRM of a widely distributed and conserved splicing factor transformer-2 (tra2). The RRM3-based phylogenetic analysis suggests this domain in Nix and fle may have evolved from tra2 or a tra2-related gene in a common ancestor of mosquitoes. Our results provide insights into the evolution of sex determination in mosquitoes and will inform broad applications of mosquito-control strategies based on manipulating sex ratios toward nonbiting males.
Methods for Estimating Personal Disease Risk and Phylogenetic Diversity of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Authors: Craig Jack M , Gerhard Glenn S , Sharma Sudip , Yankovskiy Anastasia , Miura Sayaka , Kumar Sudhir 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
An individual's chronological age does not always correspond to the health of different tissues in their body, especially in cases of disease. Therefore, estimating and contrasting the physiological age of tissues with an individual's chronological age may be a useful tool to diagnose disease and its progression. In this study, we present novel metrics to quantify the loss of phylogenetic diversity in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are precursors to most blood cell types and are associated with many blood-related diseases. These metrics showed an excellent correspondence with an age-related increase in blood cancer incidence, enabling a model to estimate the phylogeny-derived age (phyloAge) of HSCs present in an individual. The HSC phyloAge was generally older than the chronological age of patients suffering from myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). We present a model that relates excess HSC aging with increased MPN risk. It predicted an over 200 times greater risk based on the HSC phylogenies of the youngest MPN patients analyzed. Our new metrics are designed to be robust to sampling biases and do not rely on prior knowledge of driver mutations or physiological assessments. Consequently, they complement conventional biomarker-based methods to estimate physiological age and disease risk.
Unilateral gluteal myositis as a unique presentation in mesenteric Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease
Authors: Watanabe Kazuhisa , Yamamoto Masaki , Matsubayashi Tadashi 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT
Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a self-limiting disease, characterised by fever and cervical lymphadenopathy. Lymphadenopathy without cervical lymph node involvement is rare and may mimic lymphoma. Although KFD can be associated with extranodal involvement, muscle involvement has not been reported. Herein, we report a novel case of unilateral gluteal myositis associated with mesenteric KFD in a patient who presented with persistent fever and right hip pain. Radiological imaging revealed an inflammatory lesion on the right gluteal muscle and multiple enlarged abdominal lymph nodes. No cervical lymphadenopathy was observed. A mesenteric lymph node biopsy was performed, and the histopathological findings led to a diagnosis of KFD. By day 29, the patient’s body temperature gradually returned to normal without any therapeutic intervention. Follow-up radiological imaging showed resolution of the gluteal lesion and a significant decrease in abdominal lymph node size. Considering the clinical course, the unilateral myositis may have developed as an extranodal involvement of KFD. Even if the clinical findings appear unrelated to those of KFD, a differential diagnosis that includes KFD should be considered in patients with unknown origin of fever.
Association Between Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in the General U.S. Adult Nonsmoker Population
Authors: Liu Enqian , Li Qiuping , Pan Tongtong , Chen Yongping 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Introduction
Smoking is a cause of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the dose–response relationship between secondhand smoke exposure (SHS) and NAFLD is unclear. This study sought to determine the relationship between SHS and NAFLD risk among adult nonsmokers in the United States.

Aims and Methods
Data from 7412 adult nonsmokers aged ≥20 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2007 and 2016 were used in this study. SHS was defined as a nonsmoker with a serum cotinine concentration of 0.05–10.00 ng/mL. NAFLD was identified using the U.S. fatty liver index (USFLI), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), and fatty liver index (FLI). Weighted multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were applied to evaluate the relationship between SHS and NAFLD risk.

Results
The participants had a weighted mean age of 49.2 years, and 55.5% were female. SHS was associated with NAFLD (odds ratio [OR] 1.22; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.05 to 1.42), showing a linear dose–response relationship (natural log of cotinine level: OR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.17). Sensitivity analyses using different NAFLD definitions (HSI: OR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.46; FLI: OR 1.26, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.49), excluding participants taking hepatotoxic drugs, and propensity score-adjusted analysis yielded similar results. The association between SHS and NAFLD was consistent in analyses stratified by age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

Conclusions
Among this nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, SHS had a linear dose–response relationship with the risk of NAFLD, suggesting that measures to lower SHS might lower NAFLD risk.

Implications
This study assessed the association between secondhand smoke exposure and the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using data from 7412 adult nonsmokers aged 20 years or older who participated in the United States NHANES between 2007 and 2016. Secondhand smoke exposure was measured using serum cotinine levels. Three different noninvasive indexes were used to measure NAFLD. Secondhand smoke exposure was associated with an increased risk of NAFLD, with a linear dose–response relationship. The results of sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were consistent.
Probiotics for adults with major depressive disorder compared with antidepressants: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Zhao Shilin , Liang Suisha , Tao Jun , Peng Ye , Chen Siqi , Wai Hogan K F , Chung Feng-Ying , Sin Zhen Y , Wong Matthew K L , Haqq Andrea M , Chang Wing C , Ni Michael Y , Chan Francis K L , Ng Siew C , Tun Hein M 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Context
Despite recent advances in antidepressants in treating major depression (MDD), their usage is marred by adverse effects and social stigmas. Probiotics may be an efficacious adjunct or standalone treatment, potentially circumventing the aforementioned issues with antidepressants. However, there is a lack of head-to-head clinical trials between these 2 interventions.

Objective
A systematic review and network meta-analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy and acceptability of these 2 interventions in treating MDD.

Data Sources
Six databases and registry platforms for the clinical trial were systematically searched to identify the eligible double-blinded, randomized controlled trials published between 2015 and 2022.

Data Exaction
Two authors selected independently the placebo-controlled trials of antidepressants and microbiota-targeted interventions (prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics) used for the treatment of MDD in adults (≥18 years old). Standardized mean differences (SMDs) of depressive symptom scores from individual trials were pooled for network meta-analysis (PROSPERO no. CRD42020222305).

Results
Forty-two eligible trials covering 22 interventions were identified, of which 16 were found to be effective in MDD treatment and the certainty of evidence was moderate to very low. When all trials were considered, compared with placebo, SMDs of interventions ranged from −0.16 (95% credible interval: −0.30, −0.04) for venlafaxine to −0.81 (−1.06, −0.52) for escitalopram. Probiotics were superior to brexpiprazole (SMD [95% credible interval]: −0.42 [−0.68, −0.17]), cariprazine (−0.44 [−0.69, −0.24]), citalopram (−0.37 [−0.66, −0.07]), duloxetine (−0.26, [−0.51, −0.04]), desvenlafaxine (−0.38 [−0.63, −0.14]), ketamine (−0.32 [−0.66, −0.01]), venlafaxine (−0.47 [−0.73, −0.23]), vilazodone (−0.37 [−0.61, −0.12]), vortioxetine (−0.39 [−0.63, −0.15]), and placebo (−0.62 [−0.86, −0.42]), and were noninferior to other antidepressants. In addition, probiotics ranked the second highest in the treatment hierarchy after escitalopram. Long-term treatment (≥8 weeks) using probiotics showed the same tolerability as antidepressants.

Conclusion
Probiotics, compared with antidepressants and placebo, may be efficacious as an adjunct or standalone therapy for treating MDD.

Systematic Review Registration
PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020222305.
Fine-scale forest structure, not management regime, drives occupancy of a declining songbird, the Olive-sided Flycatcher, in the core of its range
Authors: Hack Benjamin , Cansler C Alina , Peery M Zachariah , Wood Connor M 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Climate change, management legacies, pest outbreaks, and fire regimes are combining to pose a growing risk of broad-scale loss of forest cover throughout western North America. Already, habitat changes have been linked with declines in numerous bird species; understanding the relative importance of management regimes and habitat structure may be critical to conserving at-risk species. The Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) is a declining songbird associated with tall, open forests in California’s Sierra Nevada, the core of its breeding range, where the management regimes of the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have led to divergent forest conditions over the past century. We combined a landscape-scale passive acoustic monitoring program, the BirdNET animal sound identification algorithm, and single-season occupancy models to explore the relationships between Olive-sided Flycatchers in the Sierra Nevada and both management regimes and fine-scale forest structure. Olive-sided Flycatcher site occupancy increased as canopy cover decreased relative to mean tree diameter, which is consistent with their preference for mature, open forests. These “open forest” conditions were most prevalent on NPS-managed lands, which is consistent with the assumption that the NPS management regime is more faithful to the historical conditions that had supported a larger Olive-sided Flycatcher population than at present. Thus, the support we found for a positive association with USFS-managed lands after controlling for “open forest” suggests that other habitat features are also important. Our results suggest that conservation strategies for Olive-sided Flycatcher breeding habitat should prioritize the protection and generation of open canopies in areas with large trees, as well as the identification of other important habitat features. Prescribed fire, mechanical thinning, and a return of Indigenous forest management practices could help to restore historical forest and fire conditions beneficial to this and other species with similar habitat requirements. Fine-scale alterations to forest structure can be implemented much more rapidly and at much broader scales than the imposition of strict protected status, suggesting that there may be multiple pathways to conservation when species respond to habitat at fine spatial scales.
Tocopherol and phylloquinone biosynthesis in chloroplasts requires the phytol kinase VITAMIN E PATHWAY GENE5 (VTE5) and the farnesol kinase (FOLK)
Authors: Romer Jill , Gutbrod Katharina , Schuppener Antonia , Melzer Michael , Müller-Schüssele Stefanie J , Meyer Andreas J , Dörmann Peter 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Chlorophyll degradation causes the release of phytol, which is converted into phytyl diphosphate (phytyl-PP) by phytol kinase (VITAMIN E PATHWAY GENE5 [VTE5]) and phytyl phosphate (phytyl-P) kinase (VTE6). The kinase pathway is important for tocopherol synthesis, as the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) vte5 mutant contains reduced levels of tocopherol. Arabidopsis harbors one paralog of VTE5, farnesol kinase (FOLK) involved in farnesol phosphorylation. Here, we demonstrate that VTE5 and FOLK harbor kinase activities for phytol, geranylgeraniol, and farnesol with different specificities. While the tocopherol content of the folk mutant is unchanged, vte5-2 folk plants completely lack tocopherol. Tocopherol deficiency in vte5-2 plants can be complemented by overexpression of FOLK, indicating that FOLK is an authentic gene of tocopherol synthesis. The vte5-2 folk plants contain only ∼40% of wild-type amounts of phylloquinone, demonstrating that VTE5 and FOLK both contribute in part to phylloquinone synthesis. Tocotrienol and menaquinone-4 were produced in vte5-2 folk plants after supplementation with homogentisate or 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, respectively, indicating that their synthesis is independent of the VTE5/FOLK pathway. These results show that phytyl moieties for tocopherol synthesis are completely but, for phylloquinone production, only partially derived from geranylgeranyl-chlorophyll and phytol phosphorylation by VTE5 and FOLK.
SVALKA-POLYCOMB REPRESSIVE COMPLEX2 module controls C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR3 induction during cold acclimation
Authors: Gómez-Martínez Diego , Barrero-Gil Javier , Tranque Eduardo , Ruiz María Fernanda , Catalá Rafael , Salinas Julio 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
C-REPEAT BINDING FACTORS (CBFs) are highly conserved plant transcription factors that promote cold tolerance. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), three CBFs (CBF1 to CBF3) play a critical role in cold acclimation, and the expression of their corresponding genes is rapidly and transiently induced during this adaptive response. Cold induction of CBFs has been extensively studied and shown to be tightly controlled, yet the molecular mechanisms that restrict the expression of each CBF after their induction during cold acclimation are poorly understood. Here, we present genetic and molecular evidence that the decline in the induction of CBF3 during cold acclimation is epigenetically regulated through the Polycomb Repressive Complex (PRC) 2. We show that this complex promotes the deposition of the repressive mark H3K27me3 at the coding region of CBF3, silencing its expression. Our results indicate that the cold-inducible long noncoding RNA SVALKA is essential for this regulation by recruiting PRC2 to CBF3. These findings unveil a SVALKA-PRC2 regulatory module that ensures the precise timing of CBF3 induction during cold acclimation and the correct development of this adaptive response.
More scrutiny, less vigour? How depolicing manifests differently following local rather than nationally prominent fatal use of force incidents
Authors: Heinzeroth Robert Drew , Ratcliffe Jerry H 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIncreased scrutiny of police departments and police officers can occur after high-profile events such as police use of force incidents. A Ferguson Effect is often hypothesized regarding claims of subsequent depolicing following such incidents. This study examines whether the proximity of the incident affects the behaviour of police officers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The effects of scrutiny upon officer proactivity—measured in pedestrian and vehicle stops—are examined, differentiating between scrutiny derived from highly publicized fatal police use of force incidents that occurred within the local jurisdiction and scrutiny subsequent to similar incidents that occurred elsewhere in the nation. The results show that officer behaviour differs in terms of their vigour depending on whether the incident has national prominence or just local impact. The study also reveals temporal variation in the impact of incidents across subsequent months.
Spatial analysis of radionuclide concentration in the high background radiation regions of Kerala, India
Authors: Nagathil Neeraja , Vadakkemattathil Vineethkumar , Kundu Parambil Shimod , Vamanan Prakash 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Every creature on earth undergoes continuous exposure to natural background radiation. Hence, it is crucial to monitor systematically, the degree of radioactivity in the ecosystem and possible radiological health hazards. The present study attempt to investigate the dynamics of prominent radionuclides and various radiological parameters associated with terrestrial gamma radiations along the littoral regions of the Kollam district, a well-reported high background radiation area in India. The gamma radiation exposure rate along the coastal belt of Kollam was measured using a portable Micro-R-survey meter and associated radiological parameters have been calculated and compared with the global average values. The result indicates that the radiological parameters cross the safe limits recommended by the UNSCEAR 2000. A high value is found in the shoreline of Chavara, with a maximum absorbed dose rate of 11 945.1nGyh−1. The monazite-enriched black sand widely distributed all along the coast, which contains natural radioisotopes such as 40K, 226Ra and 232Th, has greatly contributed to the increase in radiation levels in the regions.