bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Structure–function relationships underpin disulfide loop cleavage‐dependent activation of Legionella pneumophila lysophospholipase A PlaA
Authors: Hiller Miriam , Diwo Maurice , Wamp Sabrina , Gutsmann Thomas , Lang Christina , Blankenfeldt Wulf , Flieger Antje 
Published: December 2023

AbstractLegionella pneumophila, the causative agent of a life‐threatening pneumonia, intracellularly replicates in a specialized compartment in lung macrophages, the Legionella‐containing vacuole (LCV). Secreted proteins of the pathogen govern important steps in the intracellular life cycle including bacterial egress. Among these is the type II secreted PlaA which, together with PlaC and PlaD, belongs to the GDSL phospholipase family found in L. pneumophila. PlaA shows lysophospholipase A (LPLA) activity which increases after secretion and subsequent processing by the zinc metalloproteinase ProA within a disulfide loop. Activity of PlaA contributes to the destabilization of the LCV in the absence of the type IVB‐secreted effector SdhA. We here present the 3D structure of PlaA which shows a typical α/β‐hydrolase fold and reveals that the uncleaved disulfide loop forms a lid structure covering the catalytic triad S30/D278/H282. This leads to reduction of substrate access before activation; however, the catalytic site gets more accessible when the disulfide loop is processed. After structural modeling, a similar activation process is suggested for the GDSL hydrolase PlaC, but not for PlaD. Furthermore, the size of the PlaA substrate‐binding site indicated preference toward phospholipids comprising ~16 carbon fatty acid residues which was verified by lipid hydrolysis, suggesting a molecular ruler mechanism. Indeed, mutational analysis changed the substrate profile with respect to fatty acid chain length. In conclusion, our analysis revealed the structural basis for the regulated activation and substrate preference of PlaA.
Efficacy of biofilm disrupters against Candida auris and other Candida species in monomicrobial and polymicrobial biofilms
Authors: Cox Claudia A. , Manavathu Elias K. , Wakade Sushama , Myntti Matthew , Vazquez Jose A. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractCandida species are now considered global threats by the CDC and WHO. Candida auris specifically is on the critical pathogen threat list along with Candida albicans. In addition, it is not uncommon to find Candida spp. in a mixed culture with bacterial organisms, especially Staphylococcus aureus producing polymicrobial infections. To eradicate these organisms from the environment and from patient surfaces, surface agents such as chlorhexidine (CHD) and Puracyn are used. Biofilm disrupters (BDs) are novel agents with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and have been used in the management of chronic wounds and to sterilise environmental surfaces for the past several years. The goal of this study was to evaluate BDs (BlastX, Torrent, NSSD) and CHD against Candida spp. and S. aureus using zone of inhibition assays, biofilm and time‐kill assays. All BDs and CHD inhibited C. auris growth effectively in a concentration‐dependent manner. Additionally, CHD and the BDs showed excellent antimicrobial activity within polymicrobial biofilms. A comparative analysis of the BDs and CHD against C. auris and C. albicans using biofilm kill‐curves showed at least 99.999% killing. All three BDs and CHD have excellent activity against different Candida species, including C. auris. However, one isolate of C. auris in a polymicrobial biofilm assay showed resistance/tolerance to CHD, but not to the BDs. The fungicidal activity of these novel agents will be valuable in eradicating surface colonisation of Candida spp, especially C. auris from colonised environmental surfaces and from wounds in colonised patients.
A missed opportunity for health promotion? Perceptions of large‐scale housing developments in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Schindler Mirjam 
Published: December 2023

AbstractLarge‐scale housing developments (LHD) are increasingly being used to accommodate population growth in (sub)urban Aotearoa, but their market‐oriented and delivery‐focused approach raises questions about whether resulting housing supplies meet residents' expectations for a healthy living environment. Based on a mixed‐methods survey with expert and non‐expert residents in the Wellington Region, this research critically examines LHD and underscores the pressing need for a stronger emphasis on health promotion in rapidly growing (sub)urban environments. The study reveals a strong desire among study participants for more social infrastructure in LHD and greater responsibility on the part of LHD developers towards communal values and community engagement.
Features, management, and outcomes of pediatric scalp melanomas
Authors: Mologousis Mia A. , Moustafa Danna , Hawryluk Elena B. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractPediatric melanoma of the scalp has the highest mortality of any anatomic location. We describe five pediatric patients with a diagnosis of scalp melanoma receiving care at Massachusetts General Hospital and/or Boston Children's Hospital from 2018 through 2022. Melanoma presented in diverse contexts: cellular blue nevus‐associated, compound nevus‐associated, spitzoid, nodular, and superficial spreading subtypes. This study describes a range of melanoma presentations and emphasizes the need for additional compilation of data on pediatric scalp melanomas to promote their recognition and improve patient care.
Divergent effects of warming on nonstructural carbohydrates in woody plants: a meta‐analysis
Authors: He Rui , Shi Hang , Hu Man , Zhou Quan , Zhang Quanfa , Dang Haishan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractNonstructural carbohydrates (NSC, including soluble sugars and starch) are essential for supporting growth and survival of woody plants, and play multifunctional roles in various ecophysiological processes that are being rapidly changed by climate warming. However, it still remains unclear whether there is a consistent response pattern of NSC dynamics in woody plants to climate warming across organ types and species taxa.Here, based on a compiled database of 52 woody plant species worldwide, we conducted a meta‐analysis to investigate the effects of experimental warming on NSC dynamics.Our results indicated that the responses of NSC dynamics to warming were primarily driven by the fluctuations of starch, while soluble sugars did not undergo significant changes. The effects of warming on NSC shifted from negative to positive with the extension of warming duration, while the negative warming effects on NSC became more pronounced as warming magnitude increased.Overall, our study showed the divergent responses of NSC and its components in different organs of woody plants to experimental warming, suggesting a potentially changed carbon (C) balance in woody plants in future global warming. Thus, our findings highlight that predicting future changes in plant functions and terrestrial C cycle requires a mechanism understanding of how NSC is linked to a specific global change driver.
A comparative transcranial magnetic stimulation study: Assessing cortical excitability and plasticity in Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and Frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Olğun Yeşim , Aksoy Poyraz Cana , Bozluolçay Melda , Gündüz Ayşegül , Poyraz Burç Çağrı 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundHere, we aimed to investigate the roles of long‐term potentiation‐like (LTP‐like) plasticity using intermittent theta burst (iTBS) protocol and resting motor threshold (rMT) in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), diffuse dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).MethodWe enrolled 21 subjects with AD, 28 subjects with DLB, 14 subjects with FTD, and 33 elderly subjects with normal cognitive functions into the study. We recorded rMT and percentage amplitude change of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) after the iTBS protocol in each group.ResultsIn patients with AD and DLB, the percentage amplitude change of MEPs, and rMTs were significantly lower than in healthy subjects. However, no significant difference was observed in individuals with FTD.ConclusionOur findings showed that transcranial magnetic stimulation measures, particularly rMTs and LTP‐like plasticity, may be potential biomarkers to distinguish between different dementia subtypes. Impaired motor cortical excitability and synaptic plasticity were more prominent in AD and DLB than in FTD. This aligns with the evidence that cortical motor networks are usually spared in FTDs in early‐to‐middle stages.
Quantifying the impact of different agroforestry systems on soil carbon fractions lability and long‐term carbon sequestration in Central Himalayas
Authors: Melkani Suraj , Singh Veer , Bhadha Jehangir H. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSoil Organic Carbon (SOC) is a key indicator for understanding the carbon dynamics in agroecosystems. Carbon fractions, on the other hand, can be more sensitive over short periods and can detect changes in the distribution and relationship patterns of SOC pools. To test this hypothesis nine, 16‐year‐old agroforestry systems (AFS) were tested and compared with control at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm soil depths for K2Cr2O7 oxidizable carbon (SOC), pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Microbial Biomass Carbon (MBC) and carbon fractions, viz. very labile (C1frac), labile (C2frac), less labile (C3frac), and non‐labile (C4frac). Carbon lability index (CLI) and Stratification Ratio (SR) were calculated to assess the lability and vertical distribution of SOC. The study found that from the time of plantation, SOC stocks significantly improved in the range 19.82%–46.33% under different AFS with SOC sequestration ranging from 0.111 ± 0.002 to 0.697 ± 0.017 MgC ha−1 yr−1. Among different AFS, Bambusa vulgaris showed significantly higher SOC sequestration than all other treatments at both soil depths. AFS also demonstrated a significant improvement in SOC lability, leading to an increase in CLI by 0.08%–4.48% at 0–15 cm depth and a more pronounced improvement of 2.08%–18.32% at 15–30 cm depth. Among different AFS the highest improvement in CLI was observed in Bambusa vulgaris and the lowest in fallow land. The vertical distribution of carbon fractions in the soil was also affected by AFS, with the labile carbon fraction mostly concentrated in the topsoil layer as indicated by high SR values (1.133–1.203) for C1frac. The highly significant positive correlation (p < .05) of labile carbon fractions with SOC (r = .872** for C1frac, r = .900** for C2frac and r = .915** for C3frac) indicated the high dependence of SOC on labile carbon. The study revealed that AFS have the potential to significantly enhance carbon sequestration, while also impacting the lability and vertical distribution of SOC.
Agrarian financial ecologies: Centring land and labour in geographies of debt
Authors: Green W. Nathan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThere is a growing interest in exploring contemporary financialisation in terms of the geographies of debt. Many economic geographers have adopted a financial ecologies approach to explain these geographies. While this approach provides analytical benefits, it nonetheless analyses debt almost exclusively in terms of consumer finance, thereby overlooking the relations of production in which many indebted households engage. To address this issue, I develop the agrarian financial ecologies concept, which both directs analysis towards the diversity of credit–debt relations in rural economies, and highlights the relationship between land, labour and debt in the process of agricultural production. I apply this concept to study farm household debt in Cambodia, where indebtedness has become a widespread problem among farmers facing rapid economic transformation in the countryside. By focusing on land and labour, I demonstrate how diverse credit–debt relations within Cambodia's agrarian financial ecology have produced uneven socio‐spatial outcomes, namely debt‐driven land dispossession. This paper advances geographic theory about the dynamics of value production, circulation and appropriation within geographies of debt. It also extends the empirical remit of existing financial ecologies scholarship by attending to the credit–debt relations that characterise many agrarian livelihoods today.
The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of hand crush injuries
Authors: Chang Dun‐Hao , Hsieh Chi‐Ying , Chang Che‐Wei , Wang Hsu‐Hui , Chang Hou‐Tai 
Published: December 2023

AbstractHyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been used as an adjuvant treatment for crush injury because it can improve tissue hypoxia and stimulate wound healing. However, the actual role of HBOT in crush hand injury is still unknown. This study is to assess the efficacy of HBOT for crush hand patients, as well as the impact of HBOT initiation timing. Between 2018 and 2021, 72 patients with crush hand injury were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into the HBOT and control group, and each group had 36 patients. The average session of HBOT was 18.2 (5–32 sessions) per patient, and no patient had a complication related to the treatment. The two groups had similar demographics, but HBOT group had larger injured area (73.6 ± 51.0 vs. 48.2 ± 45.5 cm2, p = 0.03). To better control the confounding factors, we performed the subgroup analysis with cut‐off injured area of 50 cm2. In the patients with smaller injured area (≦50 cm2), the HBOT group had shorter wound healing time (29.9 ± 12.9 vs. 41.0 ± 18.9 days, p = 0.03). The early HBOT group (first session ≤72 h post‐operatively) had shorter hospital stay (8.1 ± 6.4 vs. 15.5 ± 11.4 days, p = 0.04), faster wound healing (28.7 ± 17.8 vs. 41.1 ± 18.1 days, p = 0.08) and less operations (1.54 ± 0.78 vs. 2.41 ± 1.62, p = 0.06) although the latter two didn't achieve statistical significance. HBOT is safe and effective in improving wound healing of hand crush injury. Early intervention of HBOT may be more beneficial. Future research is required to provide more evidence.
Using evidence to identify teaching strategies to improve student competencies
Authors: Hartley Lou Ann 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundOrganizational assessment revealed opportunities to develop a critical mass of faculty educated about EBP and integrate competencies into practice. The faculty orientation online program did not include information about the EBP process, teaching strategies, or student competencies.PurposeThe purpose of this EBP project was to investigate the best teaching strategies that foster student competencies.Implementation PlanBased on the evidence, an online EBP module was developed including the best teaching strategies for instruction of EBP, the student competencies that must be mastered and teaching barriers that must be overcome. The results and implementation plan were presented to leaders and faculty Online Council for feedback, approval, and buy‐in.OutcomesTwenty‐five faculty completed the EBP online module over 1 year providing examples for teaching strategies that related EBP to clinical practice, teaching methods that engaged students and examples of assignments that promoted student competency.Implications for PracticeUsing evidence to develop an EBP module for faculty orientation to online teaching provided a cost‐effective way to develop a critical mass of faculty educated in EBP teaching strategies and methods that foster student competencies.
The spectrum of a twisted commutative algebra
Authors: Snowden Andrew 
Published: December 2023

AbstractA twisted commutative algebra is (for us) a commutative ‐algebra equipped with an action of the infinite general linear group. In such algebras, the “‐prime” ideals assume the duties fulfilled by prime ideals in ordinary commutative algebra, and so it is crucial to understand them. Unfortunately, distinct ‐primes can have the same radical, which obstructs one from studying them geometrically. We show that this problem can be eliminated by working with super vector spaces: doing so provides enough geometry to distinguish ‐primes. This yields an effective method for analyzing ‐primes.
Association of homelessness and diet on the gut microbiome: a United States-Veteran Microbiome Project (US-VMP) study
Authors: Hoisington Andrew J. , Stearns-Yoder Kelly A. , Stamper Christopher E. , Holliday Ryan , Brostow Diana P. , Penzenik Molly E. , Forster Jeri E. , Postolache Teodor T. , Lowry Christopher A. , Brenner Lisa A. 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT

Military veterans account for 8% of homeless individuals living in the United States. To highlight associations between history of homelessness and the gut microbiome, we compared the gut microbiome of veterans who reported having a previous experience of homelessness to those from individuals who reported never having experienced a period of homelessness. Moreover, we examined the impact of the cumulative exposure of prior and current homelessness to understand possible associations between these experiences and the gut microbiome. Microbiome samples underwent genomic sequencing and were analyzed based on alpha diversity, beta diversity, and taxonomic differences. Additionally, demographic information, dietary data, and mental health history were collected. A lifetime history of homelessness was found to be associated with alcohol use disorder, substance use disorder, and healthy eating index compared to those without such a history. In terms of differences in gut microbiota, beta diversity was significantly different between veterans who had experienced homelessness and veterans who had never been homeless (
P
= 0.047, weighted UniFrac), while alpha diversity was similar. The microbial community differences were, in part, driven by a lower relative abundance of
Akkermansia
in veterans who had experienced homelessness (mean; range [in percentages], 1.07; 0–33.9) compared to veterans who had never been homeless (2.02; 0–36.8) (
P
= 0.014, ancom-bc2). Additional research is required to facilitate understanding regarding the complex associations between homelessness, the gut microbiome, and mental and physical health conditions, with a focus on increasing understanding regarding the longitudinal impact of housing instability throughout the lifespan.

IMPORTANCE
Although there are known stressors related to homelessness as well as chronic health conditions experienced by those without stable housing, there has been limited work evaluating the associations between microbial community composition and homelessness. We analyzed, for the first time, bacterial gut microbiome associations among those with experiences of homelessness on alpha diversity, beta diversity, and taxonomic differences. Additionally, we characterized the influences of diet, demographic characteristics, military service history, and mental health conditions on the microbiome of veterans with and without any lifetime history of homelessness. Future longitudinal research to evaluate the complex relationships between homelessness, the gut microbiome, and mental health outcomes is recommended. Ultimately, differences in the gut microbiome of individuals experiencing and not experiencing homelessness could assist in identification of treatment targets to improve health outcomes.
Root-associated bacterial communities and root metabolite composition are linked to nitrogen use efficiency in sorghum
Authors: Chai Yen Ning , Qi Yunhui , Goren Emily , Chiniquy Dawn , Sheflin Amy M. , Tringe Susannah G. , Prenni Jessica E. , Liu Peng , Schachtman Daniel P. 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT

The development of cereal crops with high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is a priority for worldwide agriculture. In addition to conventional plant breeding and genetic engineering, the use of the plant microbiome offers another approach to improving crop NUE. To gain insight into the bacterial communities associated with sorghum lines that differ in NUE, a field experiment was designed comparing 24 diverse
Sorghum bicolor
lines under sufficient and deficient nitrogen (N). Amplicon sequencing and untargeted gas chromatography–mass spectrometry were used to characterize the bacterial communities and the root metabolome associated with sorghum genotypes varying in sensitivity to low N. We demonstrated that N stress and sorghum type (energy, sweet, and grain sorghum) significantly impacted the root-associated bacterial communities and root metabolite composition of sorghum. We found a positive correlation between sorghum NUE and bacterial richness and diversity in the rhizosphere. The greater alpha diversity in high NUE lines was associated with the decreased abundance of a dominant bacterial taxon,
Pseudomonas
. Multiple strong correlations were detected between root metabolites and rhizosphere bacterial communities in response to low N stress. This indicates that the shift in the sorghum microbiome due to low N is associated with the root metabolites of the host plant. Taken together, our findings suggest that host genetic regulation of root metabolites plays a role in defining the root-associated microbiome of sorghum genotypes differing in NUE and tolerance to low N stress.

IMPORTANCE
The development of crops that are more nitrogen use-efficient (NUE) is critical for the future of the enhanced sustainability of agriculture worldwide. This objective has been pursued mainly through plant breeding and plant molecular engineering, but these approaches have had only limited success. Therefore, a different strategy that leverages soil microbes needs to be fully explored because it is known that soil microbes improve plant growth through multiple mechanisms. To design approaches that use the soil microbiome to increase NUE, it will first be essential to understand the relationship among soil microbes, root metabolites, and crop productivity. Using this approach, we demonstrated that certain key metabolites and specific microbes are associated with high and low sorghum NUE in a field study. This important information provides a new path forward for developing crop genotypes that have increased NUE through the positive contribution of soil microbes.