bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Delivery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis epitopes by Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxoid expands HLA-E-restricted cytotoxic CD8+ T cells
Authors: Badami Giusto D. , La Manna Marco P. , Di Carlo Paola , Stanek Ondrej , Linhartova Irena , Caccamo Nadia , Sebo Peter , Dieli Francesco 
Published: December 2023

IntroductionTuberculosis (TB) remains the first cause of death from infection caused by a bacterial pathogen. Chemotherapy does not eradicate Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) from human lungs, and the pathogen causes a latent tuberculosis infection that cannot be prevented by the currently available Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine, which is ineffective in the prevention of pulmonary TB in adults. HLA-E-restricted CD8+ T lymphocytes are essential players in protective immune responses against Mtb. Hence, expanding this population in vivo or ex vivo may be crucial for vaccination or immunotherapy against TB.MethodsThe enzymatically inactive Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase (CyaA) toxoid is an effective tool for delivering peptide epitopes into the cytosol of antigen-presenting cells (APC) for presentation and stimulation of specific CD8+ T-cell responses. In this study, we have investigated the capacity of the CyaA toxoid to deliver Mtb epitopes known to bind HLA-E for the expansion of human CD8+ T cells in vitro.ResultsOur results show that the CyaA-toxoid containing five HLA-E-restricted Mtb epitopes causes significant expansion of HLA-E-restricted antigen-specific CD8+ T cells, which produce IFN-γ and exert significant cytotoxic activity towards peptide-pulsed macrophages.DiscussionHLA-E represents a promising platform for the development of new vaccines; our study indicates that the CyaA construct represents a suitable delivery system of the HLA-E-binding Mtb epitopes for ex vivo and in vitro expansion of HLA-E-restricted CD8+ T cells inducing a predominant Tc1 cytokine profile with a significant increase of IFN-γ production, for prophylactic and immunotherapeutic applications against Mtb.
Survey of attitudes toward performing and reflecting on required team service-learning (SASL): psychometric data and reliability/validity for healthcare professions students in preclinical courses
Authors: Van Winkle Lon J. , Rogers Shane L. , Thornock Bradley O. , Schwartz Brian D. , Horst Alexis , Fisher Jensen A. , Michels Nicole 
Published: November 2023

PurposePreviously we assessed healthcare professional students’ feelings about team-based learning, implicit bias, and service to the community using an in-house paper survey. In this study, we determined whether this survey is a reliable and valid measure of prospective medical students’ attitudes toward required service-learning in an Immunology course. To our knowledge, no published questionnaire has been shown to be dependable and useful for measuring such attitudes using only eight survey items.MethodsFifty-eight prospective medical students in Colorado (CO) and 15 in Utah (UT) completed the same Immunology course using remote technology. In addition to the usual course content, students were required to write critical reflections on required team service-learning. On the last day of class, they completed the survey of attitudes toward service-learning (SASL).ResultsData analyses found Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.84 and 0.85 for the surveys of UT and CO students, respectively. Factor analysis of CO student data revealed only one Eigenvalue greater than one (3.95) justifying retention of a single factor termed “attitudes toward required service-learning.” In addition, CO students’ attitudes toward community service were highly positive, while UT students’ attitudes were nearer neutral (p &lt; 0.0001).ConclusionOur factor analysis and good Cronbach’s alpha values support the conclusion that the SASL was a reliable measure of prospective medical students’ attitudes toward required team service-learning for an Immunology course. Moreover, we used the SASL to distinguish these attitudes in CO versus UT students, and, thus, the SASL appears to be a valid measure of this difference. Calculation of similarly good Cronbach’s alpha values – for a predecessor of the SASL among pharmacy, masters, and medical students at another institution – indicates that the SASL may be useful more widely. However, the reliability and validity of the SASL needs to be demonstrated more rigorously for other healthcare students at different universities.
Evaluation of multidetector CT Hounsfield unit measurements as a predictor of efficacy and complications in percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures
Authors: Yankov Dimo , Bussarsky Assen , Karakostov Vasil , Sirakov Alexander , Ferdinandov Dilyan 
Published: November 2023

IntroductionMore than 30 years after the initial experience of Galibert and Deramond with percutaneous vertebroplasty, the procedure has gone through countless refinements and clinical evaluations. Predictors for the success and failure of the procedure in the literature vary and are focused on the duration of complaints, type of fracture, presence of edema on MRI scans, etc. We propose using a quantitative method based on a standard CT examination of the thoracic or lumbar spine to assess the risks and potential success of performing vertebroplasty.Materials and methodsThis is a single-center prospective observational study on 139 patients treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty (pVPL) for a single symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). We measured the levels of disability and pain preoperatively and again at the 3-, 6- and 12-month marks using the standardized VAS and ODI questionnaires. Every patient in the study was evaluated with postoperative multidetector CT (MDCT) to determine the presence, extent, and localization of vertebral cement leakage and to measure the adjacent vertebrae’s minimal and mean density in Hounsfield units (HUmin and HUmean, respectively).ResultsWe determined that a slight (r = −0.201) but statistically significant (p = 0.018) correlation existed between HU measurements taken from radiologically intact adjacent vertebrae and the procedure’s effect concerning the pain levels at the 3-month follow-up. This correlation failed to reach statistical significance at 12 months (p = 0.072). We found no statistically significant relationship between low vertebral cancellous bone density and cement leakage on postoperative scans (p = 0.6 for HUmin and p = 0.74 for HUmean).ConclusionWe have moderately strong data that show a negative correlation between the mean values of vertebral cancellous bone density in patients with OVCF and the effect of pVPL in reducing pain. Lower bone densities, measured this way, showed no increased risk of cement leakage.
Identification of a HIV-1 circulating BF1 recombinant form (CRF75_BF1) of Brazilian origin that also circulates in Southwestern Europe
Authors: Bacqué Joan , Delgado Elena , Gil Horacio , Ibarra Sofía , Benito Sonia , García-Arata Isabel , Moreno-Lorenzo María , de Adana Ester Sáez , Gómez-González Carmen , Sánchez Mónica , Montero Vanessa , Thomson Michael M. 
Published: December 2023

IntroductionThe high recombinogenic potential of HIV-1 has resulted in the generation of countless unique recombinant forms (URFs) and around 120 reported circulating recombinant forms (CRFs). Here we identify through analyses of near full-length genomes (NFLG) a new HIV-1 CRF derived from subtypes B and F1.MethodsHIV-1 protease-reverse transcriptase (Pr-RT) sequences were obtained by RT-PCR amplification from plasma RNA. Near full-length genome sequences were obtained after amplification by RT-PCR in 5 overlapping fragments. Phylogenetic sequence analyses were performed via maximum likelihood. Mosaic structures were analyzed by bootscanning and phylogenetic analyses of genome segments. Temporal and geographical estimations of clade emergence were performed with a Bayesian coalescent method.ResultsThrough phylogenetic analyses of HIV-1 Pr-RT sequences obtained by us from samples collected in Spain and downloaded from databases, we identified a BF1 recombinant cluster segregating from previously reported CRFs comprising 52 viruses, most from Brazil (n = 26), Spain (n = 11), and Italy (n = 9). The analyses of NFLG genomes of 4 viruses of the cluster, 2 from Spain and 2 from Italy, allowed to identify a new CRF, designated CRF75_BF1, which exhibits a complex mosaic structure with 20 breakpoints. All 4 patients harboring CRF75_BF1 viruses studied by us had CD4+ T-cell lymphocyte counts below 220/mm3 less than one year after diagnosis, a proportion significantly higher (p = 0.0074) than the 29% found in other patients studied in Spain by us during the same period. The origin of the clade comprising CRF75_BF1 and related viruses was estimated around 1984 in Brazil, with subsequent introduction of CRF75_BF1 in Italy around 1992, and migration from Italy to Spain around 1999.ConclusionA new HIV-1 CRF, designated CRF75_BF1, has been identified. CRF75_BF1 is the 6th CRF of South American origin initially identified in Western Europe, reflecting the increasing relationship of South American and European HIV-1 epidemics. The finding of low CD4+ T-cell lymphocyte counts early after diagnosis in patients harboring CRF75_BF1 viruses warrants further investigation on the virulence of this variant.
Enhancing the nutritional value of sweet pepper through sustainable fertilization management
Authors: Stoleru Vasile , Mangalagiu Ionel , Amăriucăi-Mantu Dorina , Teliban Gabriel-Ciprian , Cojocaru Alexandru , Rusu Oana-Raluca , Burducea Marian , Mihalache Gabriela , Rosca Mihaela , Caruso Gianluca , Sekara Agnieszka , Jităreanu Gerard 
Published: November 2023

IntroductionThe need for healthy foods has become a major concern in our modern world, as the global population continues to grow and environmental challenges intensify. In response to these challenges, researchers have started to explore a range of sustainable solutions, including organic farming practices, precision agriculture, and the development and testing of innovative biofertilizers. Consistent with these ideas come the aim of this study, which sets out to give new insights into the cultivation of two sweet pepper cultivars with economic and nutritional importance in Romania.MethodsTwo sweet pepper cultivars (Blancina and Brillant), chemically (Nutrifine®), organically (Orgevit®) and biologically (Micoseed®) fertilized were cultivated over the course of two years (2019 and 2020), between April and October, in high-tunnel, by following a split-plot design with three replications. Production parameters (number of fruits, fruit weight, yield), proximate composition (water content, dry matter, total soluble solids, acidity, ash), the content of phytonutrients (polyphenols, lycopene, β-carotene, antioxidant activity), phytochemical composition (phenolic compounds) and minerals (macro- and micro-elements) were analyzed in order to determine the impact of fertilization on the quality of sweet peppers.ResultsThe results showed that the biological and organic fertilizations had a significant positive impact on most of the parameters analyzed, starting with yield and continuing with acidity, phytonutrient content (total phenolic content, lycopene, β-carotene), antioxidant activity and phytochemical composition (chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, quercetin and isoquercetin). Only in the case of mineral content, the chemical treatment gave better results compared with the organic and biological fertilizers.ConclusionOverall, this study provides valuable information on the potential of organic and biological fertilizers to enhance the nutritional value of sweet peppers from Blancina F1 and Brillant F1 cultivars, paving the way for subsequent research aimed at achieving superior quality and increased yields.
Is the association between sleep and socio-emotional development mediated by weight in toddlers aged 12 to 36 months?
Authors: Duarte Ana , Martins Silvana , Lopes Luís , Silva Maria José , Augusto Cláudia , Santos Rute , Rosário Rafaela 
Published: December 2023

IntroductionChildhood is an important stage for socio-emotional development. Understanding the associations of lifestyle habits with the healthy development of social and emotional skills is crucial for better interventions early in life. This study aims to analyze the association between sleep and socio-emotional development in toddlers aged 12 to 36 months and examine whether weight mediated these associations.MethodsThis study is part of a cluster randomized controlled trial developed in Portuguese childcare centers. A sample of 344 children (176 females) enrolled in the study. Participants’ anthropometrics were measured while at childcare centers using standardized procedures. Body mass index (BMI) was computed as the body weight/height2 (kg/m2) ratio. Sleep quality was collected with the Tayside Children’s Sleep Questionnaire, a 10-item scale that evaluates the child’s ability to initiate and maintain sleep. Two additional questions regarding sleep duration were added. Parental questionnaires assessed the child’s sex and date of birth, socioeconomic status, and total energy intake (TEI). Motor (fine and gross) was assessed using Bayley-III scales and socio-emotional (SE) by the Greenspan Social–Emotional Growth Chart questionnaire. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations between sleep (duration and quality) and SE with adjustments for sex, age, BMI, mothers’ education, motor development, and TEI. Mediation analysis was conducted using path analysis.ResultsSE development was significantly associated with nighttime sleep duration even when adjusted for confounders (β = 0.223; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.004 and β = 0.168; 0.0003, 0.003; respectively). Sleep quality was not significantly associated with SE development, and the weight did not explain the associations between sleep and SE development.ConclusionThis study supports that sleep duration is directly associated with SE development in toddlers. From a public health perspective, sleep duration should be prioritized in intervention programs to improve socio-emotional development early in life.
Metacognitive training in the acute psychiatric care setting: feasibility, acceptability, and safety
Authors: Fischer Rabea , Nagel Matthias , Schöttle Daniel , Lüdecke Daniel , Lassay Franziska , Moritz Steffen , Scheunemann Jakob 
Published: November 2023

Patients on acute psychiatric wards desire more psychosocial treatment than they receive, according to recent studies, but evidence-based interventions tailored to this setting are currently lacking. Metacognitive Training for psychosis (MCT) is a flexible, easy-to-administer group therapy that has been adapted to meet this demand (MCT-Acute). Thirty-seven patients with severe mental illness took part in MCT-Acute twice a week during their stay on a locked acute ward and were interviewed before, during, and after the intervention period regarding subjective utility, subjective adverse events, and symptom severity; attendance rates and reasons for absence were recorded. In addition, staff rated adverse events, symptom severity, and functioning (German Clinical Trial Register ID: DRKS00020551). Overall, most patients evaluated MCT-Acute positively and reported symptom stabilization. Staff also reported improvement in functioning. No clinician-rated adverse events related to participation in MCT-Acute were reported. Conducting MCT-Acute is feasible and safe and may contribute to meeting patients’, practitioners’, and researchers’ demands for more evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions for the acute psychiatric care setting.Clinical Trial RegistrationID: DRKS00020551, https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00020551
The effect of mild to moderate COVID-19 infection on the cardiorespiratory fitness of firefighters
Authors: D'Isabel Susanne , Berny Lauren M. , Frost Alex , Thongphok Chanhtel , Jack Kepra , Chaudhry Sundeep , Arena Ross , Smith Denise L. 
Published: December 2023

IntroductionAn adequate level of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is critical for firefighters to perform the strenuous and physiologically demanding work of firefighting safely and effectively. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been shown to negatively impact CRF in both the acute phase and longer-term following infection. This study aimed to determine changes to the CRF of firefighters pre- to post-mild to moderate COVID-19 infection and to investigate the impact of days past COVID-19 infection on change in CRF.MethodsCRF measures from cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) at annual occupational health exams that occurred pre-COVID-19 infection in 2019 were obtained for firefighters from seven Arizona fire departments. Measures were compared to CPET evaluations from annual health exams the following year in a cohort of firefighters who self-reported mild to moderate illness following COVID-19 infection between exams.ResultsAmong a cohort of 103 firefighters, mean age 40 ± 9 years, CRF [as measured by peak oxygen consumption (VO2)] declined by an average of 2.55 ml·kg−1·min−1 or 7.3% (d = −0.38, p &lt; 0.001) following COVID-19 infection (mean time from COVID-19 infection to CPET was 110 ± 78 days). The number of days past COVID-19 infection showed a small, yet significant, relationship to peak VO2 (r = 0.250, p = 0.011). Estimated marginal effects indicated that when biological sex, age, and BMI are controlled for, predicted peak VO2 returned to pre-COVID-19 values ~300 days after COVID-19 infection.ConclusionPeak VO2 (ml·kg−1·min−1) declined 7.3% among firefighters an average of 110 days past reporting mild to moderate COVID-19 infection. This decrease has implications for the operational readiness and safety of firefighters.
A Family Affair: Diagnosing and Delimiting Prostygnidae (Opiliones: Gonyleptoidea)
Authors: Villarreal Osvaldo , Kury Adriano B. 
Published: December 2023

The former subfamily Prostygninae was recently elevated to family rank, and its phylogenetic relationships were investigated based on molecular data. In this study, we provide a revised morphological diagnosis for the family, focusing on characters from the exomorphology and male genital morphology. Morphological data supporting their inclusion in the MECO clade are provided. Additionally, a key to the genera is presented, and Prostygnus stellatussp. nov., a new Ecuadorian species, is described. The geographic distribution of prostygnid species is mapped. An overview of the inclusion and exclusion of genera formerly within Prostygninae, but currently in Gonyleptoidea incertae sedis, is presented, and the following new familial assignments are proposed: Binamballeus Roewer, 1952 and Puna metatarsalis (Kury, 1994) comb. nov. (transferred to Cranaidae), Sclerostygnellus Roewer, 1943 (transferred to Manaosbiidae) and Globitarsus Roewer, 1913, Lisarea Roewer, 1943, Meridanatus Roewer, 1943, Micropachylus Roewer, 1913, Prostygnidius Roewer, 1915, and Troya Roewer, 1914 (all transferred to Nomoclastidae). Three subjective synonyms of Troya are proposed: Peladoius Roewer, 1914 syn. nov., Prostygnellus Roewer, 1914 syn. nov., and Minyssus Roewer, 1943 syn. nov., combining their species with Troya and, finally, Prostygnellus riveti Roewer, 1914 is considered as a junior secondary homonym of Troya riveti Roewer, 1914 syn. nov.
Insights into the Dynamic Succession of Microbial Community and Related Factors of Vanillin Content Change Based by High-Throughput Sequencing and Daqu Quality Drivers
Authors: Tong Wenhua , Wang Shuqin , Yang Ying , Huang Zhijiu , Li Yiyun , Huang Dan , Luo Huibo , Zhao Liming 
Published: November 2023

Daqu is an important saccharifying starter in the fermentation of Nongxiangxing Baijiu in China. Vanillin is a health and flavor factor in Baijiu. However, only a few research studies on the vanillin content of Daqu are currently not systematic. In order to investigate the metabolic mechanism of vanillin in the fermentation process of Daqu, we analyzed the changes in microorganisms, influencing factors, and enzymes related to vanillin in Daqu. This research found that there were differences between bacterial and fungal genera in each sample, and the abundance of bacteria was greater than that of fungi. Among the microbial genera, Klebsiella, Escherichia, Acinetobacter, Saccharopolyspora, Aerococcus, and Puccinia were positively correlated with vanillin. Meanwhile, we also found that moisture and reducing sugar were the main physicochemical factors affecting the formation of vanillin. The functional annotation results indicate that carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism were important microbial metabolic pathways that impacted vanillin production in solid-state fermentation. The feruloyl-CoA hydratase/lyase (EC 4.1.2.61) and acylamidase (EC 3.5.1.4) were positively correlated with vanillin content (p ≤ 0.05) and promote the increase in vanillin content. These findings contribute to furthering our understanding of the functional microorganisms, physicochemical factors, and enzymes related to the change in vanillin content during the fermentation of Daqu and can help to further explore the flavor substances in Baijiu fermentation in the future.
Effect of Porosity and Injection Ratio on the Performance of Transpiration Cooling through Gyroids
Authors: Brimacombe Benjamin J. , Scobie James A. , Flynn Joseph M. , Sangan Carl M. , Pountney Oliver J. 
Published: December 2023

This paper presents experimental measurements of adiabatic effectiveness for three transpiration cooling porosities (ϕ= 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) constructed from gyroid lattice structures. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first use of a Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) function to produce transpiration test coupons of varying porosity. Polymer gyroid lattice structures were successfully printed using Stereolithography (SLA) down to ϕ= 0.3 for a print resolution of 25 microns and unit cell size of 2 mm. Cooling performance was measured in a small-scale wind tunnel. High-resolution Infrared Thermography was used to determine wall temperatures downstream of the porous section. When tested at both common blowing ratios (M = 0.029, 0.048, and 0.062) and common injection ratios (F = 0.010, 0.017, and 0.022) the cooling performance was found to be dependent on porosity for constant M but not for constant F. Having determined F as the more important parameter for comparison, results are presented alongside transpiration and effusion data from literature.
The Mite Steatonyssus periblepharus Is a Novel Potential Vector of the Bat Parasite Trypanosoma dionisii
Authors: Malysheva Marina N. , Ganyukova Anna I. , Frolov Alexander O. , Chistyakov Dmitriy V. , Kostygov Alexei Yu. 
Published: December 2023

Trypanosoma dionisii, for which only bat bugs (Cimicidae) had previously been demonstrated as vectors, was, for the first time, detected in the gamasine mite Steatonyssus periblepharus in Russia. The molecular phylogenetic analysis indicated that trypanosomes found in these mites belong to the “clade A” of T. dionisii, which, based on genetic distances, can be considered as a species separate from the sister clade B, and according to available data also has a distinct geographic distribution. The presence of developmental forms of T. dionisii resembling those previously described during the development of this trypanosome in cimicids suggests that S. periblepharus is a novel vector of the studied trypanosome.