bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The contribution of DNA repair pathways to
Staphylococcus aureus
fitness and fidelity during nitric oxide stress
Authors: Hurley Kelly E. , Banerjee Srijon K. , Stephens Amelia C. , Scribner Michelle R. , Cooper Vaughn S. , Richardson Anthony R. 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT

Staphylococcus aureus
is a major human pathogen that causes a variety of illnesses, ranging from minor skin and soft tissue infections to more severe systemic infections. Although the primary host immune response can typically clear bacterial infections,
S. aureus
is uniquely resistant to inflammation. For instance, our laboratory has determined that
S. aureus
is highly resistant to nitric oxide (NO⋅), an important component of the innate immune response that plays a role in both immunomodulatory and antibacterial processes. Additionally, NO⋅ and its derivatives can cause damage to
S. aureus
DNA, more specifically, deamination and/or oxidation of DNA bases; however, regulation and repair mechanisms of DNA in
S. aureus
are understudied. Thus, we hypothesize that several DNA repair mechanisms may account for the replication fidelity of
S. aureus
and may contribute to fitness in the presence of NO⋅. Here, we show the role of several DNA repair mechanisms in
S. aureus
. More specifically, we found that recombinational repair genes
recJ
,
recG
, and
polA
may play a role in the repair of NO⋅-induced replication fork collapses. We also show the role of the base excision repair pathway protein, MutY, in reducing NO⋅-mediated mutagenesis. Overall, our results suggest that NO⋅ leads to DNA damage, which subsequently induces the activity of several DNA repair pathways, contributing to the replication fidelity and fitness of
S. aureus
.

IMPORTANCE

Pathogenic bacteria must evolve various mechanisms in order to evade the host immune response that they are infecting. One aspect of the primary host immune response to an infection is the production of an inflammatory effector component, nitric oxide (NO⋅).
Staphylococcus aureus
has uniquely evolved a diverse array of strategies to circumvent the inhibitory activity of nitric oxide. One such mechanism by which
S. aureus
has evolved allows the pathogen to survive and maintain its genomic integrity in this environment. For instance, here, our results suggest that
S. aureus
employs several DNA repair pathways to ensure replicative fitness and fidelity under NO⋅ stress. Thus, our study presents evidence of an additional strategy that allows
S. aureus
to evade the cytotoxic effects of host NO⋅.
BsR1, a broad-spectrum antibacterial peptide with potential for plant protection
Authors: Song Pei , Zhao Li , Zhu Li , Sha Gan , Dong Wubei 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT

The urgent need for new antibacterial drugs arises from the emergence of bacterial multidrug resistance due to antibiotic overuse. Antimicrobial peptides, crucial components of innate immunity in animals and plants, exhibit effectiveness against multidrug-resistant bacteria while minimizing the development of drug resistance. In this study, the antibacterial peptide BsR1, comprising 21 amino acids, was finalized by predicting the active site of an antifungal gene and sequence optimization. BsR1 displayed broad-spectrum antibacterial activities against diverse Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with a low minimum inhibitory concentration of 4.25–17 μM. Stability experiments demonstrated that BsR1 has high resistance to thermal, ultraviolet, and acid-base conditions, while revealing increased sensitivity to divalent ions Ca
2+
and Mg
2+
. The mode of action of BsR1 involved cell membrane damage, leading to bacterial cell structure disruption and subsequent death. Secondary structure prediction indicated a linear helical conformation with a positive charge of +7.5, facilitating its interaction with the target cell membrane. BsR1 exhibited excellent biological safety, as it did not induce necrosis in tobacco leaves, and the low observed hemolytic effect on mammalian cells with a value of 3.26%. Additionally, BsR1 demonstrated the ability to enhance disease resistance in rice and effectively curbed the spread of rice bacterial blight. This research presents BsR1 as a novel approach and potential medication in the development of antibacterial drugs, offering a valuable tool in combating pathogenic microorganisms, particularly in plants.

IMPORTANCE
This study addresses the critical need for new antibacterial drugs in the face of bacterial multidrug resistance resulting from antibiotic overuse. It highlights the significance of antimicrobial peptides as essential components of innate immunity in animals and plants, which have been proven effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria and are difficult to develop resistance against. This study successfully synthesizes a broad-spectrum antibacterial peptide, BsR1, with strong inhibitory activities against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. BsR1 demonstrates favorable stability and a mode of action that damages bacterial cell membranes, leading to cell death. It also exhibits biological safety and shows potential in enhancing disease resistance in rice. This research offers a novel approach and potential medication for antibacterial drug development, presenting a valuable tool in combating pathogenic microorganisms, particularly in plants.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Disability Index is a valid and reliable measure of disability in an English-speaking hospital practice and predicts long-term requirement for treatment escalation
Authors: Storan Darragh , McDermott Edel , Moloney Jenny , Keenan Lisa , Stack Roisin , Sheridan Juliette , Doherty Glen , Cullen Garret , McHugh Louise , Mulcahy Hugh E 
Published: November 2023

ObjectiveThe Inflammatory Bowel Disease Disability Index (IBD-DI) was developed according to WHO standards and has been validated in population-based cohorts. However, there are limited data on its relationship to various psychosocial and economic variables or its relevance to hospital clinical practice. The study aims were to determine the validity and reliability of the IBD-DI in an English-speaking hospital out-patient population and to evaluate its association with short and long-term disease activity.Design/Methods329 subjects were enrolled in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study assessing the IBD-DI and a range of quality of life, work impairment, depression, anxiety, body image, interpersonal, self-esteem, disease activity, symptom scoring scales in addition to long-term outcome.ResultsThe IBD-DI had adequate structure, was internally consistent and demonstrated convergent and predictive validity and was reliable in test–retest study. Disability was related to female sex (p=0.002), antidepressant use (p<0.001), steroid use (p<0.001) and disease activity (p<0.001). Higher IBD-DI scores were associated with long-term disease activity and need for treatment escalation in univariate (p<0.001) and multivariate (p=0.002) analyses.ConclusionThe IBD-DI is a valid and reliable measure of disability in English-speaking hospital populations and predicts long-term requirement for treatment escalation.
The Cretaceous carbonate platforms of the Americas and their rudist bivalves
Authors: Mitchell Simon F. 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Following the break-up of Pangaea, many rifted margins of the Americas became carbonate platforms. During the Cretaceous, these platforms, as well as those associated with volcanic arcs, were populated by rudist bivalves that underwent a major radiation from the Early to Late Cretaceous. Carbonate platform development was episodic with major platforms represented by the Hauterivian to early Aptian, the early to late Albian and the Campanian to Maastrichtian. Different rudist bivalves characterized different phases of platform development. The Hauterivian to Aptian saw the rise of the Rethinae and Caprinidae, and was terminated by Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a). The Albian saw the rise of the Caprinuloideina and Youngicaprininae together with the first radiolitids. The Cenomanian is poorly understood in term of rudist bivalve development and the effects of the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary event (CTBE or OAE2) are not well documented in the Americas. The Turonian to Maastrichtian saw a major radiation at the genus level of the rudists – hippuritids were initially represented by cosmopolitan genera, but through the late Santonian to early Campanian these were replaced by endemic genera. The radiolitids and antillocaprinids also underwent major radiations at this time, and numerous new endemic taxa characterized the carbonate platforms of the Americas. The Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary event decimated the carbonate platforms of the Americas and wiped out the rudist bivalves. Two new radiolitid genera are described:
Vermuntia
and
Thiadensia
.
Microfossils and biostratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous Coon Creek Formation Lagerstätte, Mississippi Embayment, USA
Authors: Self-Trail Jean M. , Gardner Kristina F. , O'Keefe Jennifer , Mason Patricia H. , Puckett Mark , Gibson Michael A. , McCarty M. Maeve 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The Upper Cretaceous Coon Creek Formation type-locality in McNairy County, Tennessee, is an exceptional marine invertebrate Lagerstätte that was deposited in a nearshore reentrant into the ancestral continent of Appalachia. Extensive taxonomic analysis of the macrofauna has been done for over 100 years. However, documentation of the microfossil component at the type-locality has largely been ignored. This paper provides analysis of calcareous microfossils (benthic and planktonic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils and ostracods) and palynomorphs (pollen, spores, algal remains and dinoflagellates) for detailed age control and information regarding environment of deposition. The Coon Creek type-locality is late Campanian (76.8–76.0 Ma) in age and was deposited in 35–60 m water depths. Calcareous nannofossil assemblages suggest that there was an influence of colder water through time, possibly by a connection to the northern Western Interior Seaway. The complex interplay between currents of the Gulf of Mexico and the Western Interior Seaway, upwelling and runoff influenced the palaeoenvironment. Increased influx of freshwater palynomorphs near the top of the section suggests placement proximal to the palaeoshoreline and that weathering increased through time. Changes in the dinoflagellate assemblage may be linked to a mosasaur mass mortality event and the presence of a harmful algal bloom.
Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Treated With Non–Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants Across Varying Body Mass Index
Authors: Fritz Hansson Astrid , Jensevik Eriksson Karin , Christersson Christina , Held Claes , Batra Gorav 
Published: November 2023

Background
There are conflicting data on outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with non–vitamin K oral anticoagulants across varying body mass index (BMI). We investigated cardiovascular and bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation with varying BMI.

Methods and Results

Observational cohort study from the Swedish oral anticoagulation registry between August 2, 2011, and December 31, 2018. Primary outcomes were mortality, ischemic stroke/systemic embolism, and major bleeding. Baseline BMI (kg/m
2
) was analyzed continuously and categorized: underweight (<18.5 kg/m
2
), normal weight (18.5 to <25 kg/m
2
), preobesity (25 to <30 kg/m
2
), and obesity class I to III (30 to <35, 35 to <40, and ≥40 kg/m
2
). Adjusted Cox models and nonlinear relationships of BMI were modeled using restricted cubic splines. Non–vitamin K oral anticoagulant–treated patients with atrial fibrillation were included (n=26 047). At baseline, 602 (2.3%) were underweight, 9101 (34.9%) were normal weight, 9970 (38.3%) were preobese, 4280 (16.4%) were obese class I, 1486 (5.7%) were obese class II, and 608 (2.3%) were obese class III. Underweight and obesity class III were in adjusted continuous analysis associated with increased mortality and major bleeding, with lowest risk observed among preobese patients with BMI 28.2 and 26.2 kg/m
2
, respectively. In adjusted categorical analysis, underweight was associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.77 [95% CI, 1.57–1.99]) and nonsignificant higher risk of major bleeding (HR, 1.23 [95% CI, 0.95–1.58]). Similarly, obesity class III was associated with increased mortality (HR, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.40–1.99]) and major bleeding (HR, 1.68 [95% CI, 1.29–2.17]). No significant association was observed between higher BMI and ischemic stroke/systemic embolism.

Conclusions
In non–vitamin K oral anticoagulant–treated patients with atrial fibrillation, there appears to be a U‐shaped relationship between BMI and mortality and major bleeding.
Tracing Women’s Lives
Authors: Candlin Kit 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
This article explores the levels of choice and constraint that structured women’s lives during the Fedon Rebellion, a highly destructive conflict which broke out in the British-held Caribbean colony of Grenada in 1795. The article explores the continuities and contrasts between the lives of free and enslaved women in the colony during the eighteen-month struggle and the differences between those who were revolutionary and those women more conservative. The article also underscores more broadly the power dynamics between those who were mixed race and free and those formally from enslaved community. The variety of archival sources that were created during the rebellion allow us to examine the role of women in this important colony at this critical time with more detail than might be expected. Even though the record was created largely by and for white men in a deeply divided colony, women appear surprisingly often and in all manner of guises. Considering this contested terrain this article highlights the options exercised by free black, mixed race and enslaved women in Grenada at the end of the eighteenth century. I argue that women exercised these options in ways that were both distinctive and particular to the colony at this time.
‘Made in Taiwan’: Global Storytelling, Childhood Memories, and Undergraduate Research in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Werth Silke , Frühstück Sabine 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
‘Made in Taiwan’ is a platform and archive of life-course interviews of people who grew up in Taiwan, designed to teach about Taiwan, one childhood memory at a time. We hope that it will spark conversations about childhood memories around the world and inspire similar projects elsewhere that bring together university instructors, undergraduate students, and local communities in an effort to learn from one another, experience knowledge production as a collective project, encounter the university as an active player in and a resource for the community, and empower undergraduate students to conduct their own investigations into other people’s lives.
Nationalism, Economic Liberalism, and Populism in the Bolsonaro Government
Authors: de Paula Luiz Fernando , Machado Pedro Lange , Cannone Helio 
Published: November 2023

Given the neoliberal agenda implemented by Paulo Guedes’s Ministry of the Economy, the Bolsonaro government’s nationalist stance has prompted academic debates over its rationales. Once the populist and conservative foundations of that nationalism are understood, however, there is no contradiction between it and Bolsonaro’s economic policy. La agenda neoliberal implementada por el Ministerio de Economía de Paulo Guedes aparentemente cuestiona la postura nacionalista del gobierno de Bolsonaro y ha provocado debates académicos en torno a sus razones fundamentales. Sin embargo, una vez que se entienden las razones populistas y el conservatismo detrás de dicho nacionalismo, no hay contradicción entre estas y la política económica de Bolsonaro.
Financial Strain, Covid-19 Anxiety and Suicidal Ideation Among Wage Workers During the Pandemic Crisis 2019
Authors: Khan Shagufta Tariq , Bhat Mohd Abass , Saeed Wizra 
Published: November 2023

The global lockdowns owing to the Covid-19 pandemic have sparked attention in the relationship between financial strain, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among wage workers in India, the worst hit. This study was inspired by the lack of data on wage labourers’ financial strain, Covid-19 anxiety and suicidal ideation during the pandemic. This study is supported by the General Strain Theory, which states that economic or financial stress causes dissatisfaction, sadness and anxiety, which can lead to suicide ideation ( Agnew, 1992 ). Wage labourers from Jammu and Kashmir (India) in the informal sector were studied. However, the sample frame was unavailable. Thus, the researchers used convenience sampling to choose respondents from all Kashmir valley districts. Questionnaire item count determined sample size. According to Hair et al. (1998) , the sample size should be 10 times the questionnaire items. A sample of 395 wage workers was selected. Path analysis showed that financial strain causes suicidal ideation and anxiety (Covid-19), while wage workers’ worry leads to suicidal ideation. Financial stress and suicidal ideation are partially mediated by anxiety (Covid-19). These findings imply wage workers take specific steps to improve themselves and prepare for future crises like Covid-19. The survey found wage employees were hardest harmed by the pandemic. This experience shows that government, non-government organizations and religious communities are necessary and supportive. The government should provide food security and health insurance to wage earners in emergencies. For schemes, compensation and other benefits, the government should help workers to register with labour and employment organizations. Future studies would seek to identify other pandemic-related factors that drive wage workers to suicide. In a crisis, revealing additional factors might help create wage-earning programmes. Further investigations in diverse situations are needed to derive context-specific findings to validate this study.
The value of nurse bioethicists
Authors: Ulrich Connie M , Grady Christine 
Published: November 2023

Background The field of nursing has long been concerned with ethical issues. The history of the nursing profession has a rich legacy of attention to social justice and to societal questions regarding issues of fairness, access, equity, and equality. Some nurses have found that their clinical experiences spur an interest in ethical patient care, and many are now nurse bioethicists, having pursued additional training in bioethics and related fields (e.g., psychology, sociology). Purpose The authors describe how the clinical and research experiences of nurses give them a unique voice in the field of bioethics. Results Authors present reasons for the relative invisibility of nurse bioethicists, compared with physician, theologian, or philosopher bioethicists, as well as current efforts to increase the visibility of nurse bioethicists. They also describe four specific areas where nurse bioethicists have made and continue to make important contributions: as ethics consultants to colleagues in hospitals and other settings; as bioethics researchers or as advisers to researchers conducting trials with human subjects; as educators of trainees, patients and families, healthcare providers, and the public; and in helping to draft humane and ethical policies for the care of vulnerable patients and underserved populations. Conclusion Nurse bioethicists are central to the future goals of healthcare bringing a unique perspective to the day-to-day ethical challenges of both clinical care and research, as well as to the education of health professionals and the public.
Computed Tomography–Based Humeral Templating for Uncemented Elbow Arthroplasty
Authors: Kohls Morgan R. , Robertson Emerald D. , Beckwitt Colin H. , Ghodadra Anish A. , Kaufmann Robert A. 
Published: November 2023

Background: Intramedullary (IM) screw insertion into the distal humerus provides fixation for a novel, uncemented elbow arthroplasty. A multitude of screw sizes is required to accommodate variable humeral morphology. The goal of this study was to use computed tomography (CT) for IM screw sizing and to validate this templating by inserting screws into three-dimensionally (3D) printed models. Methods: Computed tomography humerus scans for 30 patients were reformatted in the plane of the distal IM canal. Screw size was templated by measuring the canal diameter at 3 locations corresponding to the lengths of the screws being tested. Interrater and intrarater reliabilities of the measurements were assessed. Three-dimensional models of 5 humeri were printed, and IM screws were placed to achieve a secure endosteal fit. Results: We identified combinations of body components and IM screw length and diameter for all patients to seat this uncemented elbow arthroplasty. The measurements and screw width determinations were reliable. Canal diameter correlated with age but was unrelated to sex. Screws were inserted into five 3D-printed models which matched the templates and demonstrated mechanical and radiographic evidence of secure fit. Conclusions: This study characterizes distal humerus anatomy in the context of IM screw fixation. Humerus CT scans of 30 patients were able to be templated, and validation via implantation of IM screws into 3D models was successful. Computed tomography templating will allow surgeons to predict the optimal screw size prior to implantation. A broad range of screw lengths and diameters is critical for implantation of this novel elbow arthroplasty.