bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multiple recombination events between endogenous retroviral elements and feline leukemia virus
Authors: Ngo Minh Ha , AbuEed Loai , Kawasaki Junna , Oishi Naoki , Pramono Didik , Kimura Tohru , Sakurai Masashi , Watanabe Kenji , Mizukami Yoichi , Ochi Haruyo , Anai Yukari , Odahara Yuka , Umehara Daigo , Kawamura Maki , Watanabe Shinya , Miyake Ariko , Nishigaki Kazuo 
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is an exogenous retrovirus that causes malignant hematopoietic disorders in domestic cats, and its virulence may be closely associated with viral sequences. FeLV is classified into several subgroups, including A, B, C, D, E, and T, based on viral receptor interference properties or receptor usage. However, the transmission manner and disease specificity of the recombinant viruses FeLV-D and FeLV-B remain unclear. The aim of this study was to understand recombination events between exogenous and endogenous retroviruses within a host and elucidate the emergence and transmission of recombinant viruses. We observed multiple recombination events involving endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) in FeLV from a family of domestic cats kept in one house; two of these cats (ON-T and ON-C) presented with lymphoma and leukemia, respectively. Clonal integration of FeLV-D was observed in the ON-T case, suggesting an association with FeLV-D pathogenesis. Notably, the receptor usage of FeLV-B observed in ON-T was mediated by feline Pit1 and feline Pit2, whereas only feline Pit1 was used in ON-C. Furthermore, XR-FeLV, a recombinant FeLV containing an unrelated sequence referred to the X-region, which is homologous to a portion of the 5′-leader sequence of
Felis catus
endogenous gammaretrovirus 4 (FcERV-gamma4), was isolated. Genetic analysis suggested that most recombinant viruses occurred
de novo
; however, the possibility of FeLV-B transmission was also recognized in the family. This study demonstrated the occurrence of multiple recombination events between exogenous and endogenous retroviruses in domestic cats, highlighting the contribution of ERVs to pathogenic recombinant viruses.

IMPORTANCE
Feline leukemia virus subgroup A (FeLV-A) is primarily transmitted among cats. During viral transmission, genetic changes in the viral genome lead to the emergence of novel FeLV subgroups or variants with altered virulence. We isolated three FeLV subgroups (A, B, and D) and XR-FeLV from two cats and identified multiple recombination events in feline endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), such as enFeLV, ERV-DC, and FcERV-gamma4, which are present in the cat genome. This study highlights the pathogenic contribution of ERVs in the emergence of FeLV-B, FeLV-D, and XR-FeLV in a feline population.
VesiX cetylpyridinium chloride is rapidly bactericidal and reduces uropathogenic
Escherichia coli
bladder epithelial cell invasion
in vitro
Authors: Sawant Namrata V. , Chang Samuel S. , Pandit Krutika A. , Khekare Prachi , Warner W. Randolph , Zimmern Philippe E. , De Nisco Nicole J. 
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT

Management of urinary tract infection (UTI) in postmenopausal women can be challenging. The recent rise in resistance to most of the available oral antibiotic options together with high recurrence rate in postmenopausal women has further complicated treatment of UTI. As such, intravesical instillations of antibiotics like gentamicin are being investigated as an alternative to oral antibiotic therapies. This study evaluates the efficacy of the candidate intravesical therapeutic VesiX, a solution containing the cationic detergent Cetylpyridinium chloride, against a broad range of uropathogenic bacterial species clinically isolated from postmenopausal women with recurrent UTI (rUTI). We also evaluate the cytotoxicity of VesiX against cultured bladder epithelial cells and find that low concentrations of 0.0063% and 0.0125% provide significant bactericidal effect toward diverse bacterial species including uropathogenic
Escherichia coli
(UPEC),
Klebsiella pneumoniae
,
Enterococcus faecalis
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, and
Proteus mirabilis
while minimizing cytotoxic effects against cultured 5637 bladder epithelial cells. Lastly, to begin to evaluate the potential utility of using VesiX in combination therapy with existing intravesical therapies for rUTI, we investigate the combined effects of VesiX and the intravesical antibiotic gentamicin. We find that VesiX and gentamicin are not antagonistic and are able to reduce levels of intracellular UPEC in cultured bladder epithelial cells.

IMPORTANCE
When urinary tract infections (UTIs), which affect over 50% of women, become resistant to available antibiotic therapies dangerous complications like kidney infection and lethal sepsis can occur. New therapeutic paradigms are needed to expand our arsenal against these difficult to manage infections. Our study investigates VesiX, a Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC)-based therapeutic, as a candidate broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent for use in bladder instillation therapy for antibiotic-resistant UTI. CPC is a cationic surfactant that is FDA-approved for use in mouthwashes and is used as a food additive but has not been extensively evaluated as a UTI therapeutic. Our study is the first to investigate its rapid bactericidal kinetics against diverse uropathogenic bacterial species isolated from postmenopausal women with recurrent UTI and host cytotoxicity. We also report that together with the FDA-approved bladder-instillation agent gentamicin, VesiX was able to significantly reduce intracellular populations of uropathogenic bacteria in cultured bladder epithelial cells.
L-Serine enables reducing the virulence of
Acinetobacter baumannii
and modulating the SIRT1 pathway to eliminate the pathogen
Authors: Zhou Jianxia , Feng Dingyun , Li Xia , Chen Yuetao , Zhang Min , Wu Wenbin , Zhu Jiaxin , Li Hui , Peng Xuanxian , Zhang Tiantuo 
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT

The emergence of high-virulent
Acinetobacter baumannii
strains increases the mortality of patients and seriously affects their prognosis, which motivates us to explore novel ways to control such infections. In this study, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was adopted to explore the metabolic difference between high- and low-virulent
A. baumannii
strains, and the decreased L-serine levels were identified as the most crucial biomarker in low-virulent
A. baumannii
strains.
In vitro
, L-serine reduced the virulence of
A. baumannii
to Beas 2B cells and inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome via decreasing the generation of ROS and mtROS and the release of inflammatory cytokines (IL-18 and IL-1β) through upregulating SIRT1.
In vivo
, the
Galleria mellonella
model was adopted. L-serine downregulated the levels of virulence genes (
ompA
,
carO
, and
omp
33-36), reduced the mortality of
A. baumannii
to
G. mellonella
, and decreased the blacking speed as well as the degree of
G. mellonella
after infection. Taken together, we found that L-serine can reduce the virulence of
A. baumannii
and enhance the host’s defense against the pathogen, providing a novel strategy for the treatment of infections caused by
A. baumannii
.

IMPORTANCE

Acinetobacter baumannii
has become one of the most common and severe opportunistic pathogens in hospitals. The high-virulent
A. baumannii
strains pose a great threat to patients and increase the risk of nosocomial infection. However, the mechanism of virulence in
A. baumannii
is still not well understood. In the present study, we identified potential biomarkers in low-virulent
A. baumannii
strains. Our analysis revealed the effect of L-serine on reducing the virulence of
A.baumannii
. This discovery suggests that targeting L-serine could be a promising strategy for the treatment or adjunctive treatment of
A. baumannii
infections. The development of treatments targeting virulence may provide a substitute for the increasingly failed traditional antibacterial treatment.
Rare earth element transport and mineralization linked to fluids from carbonatite systems
Authors: Mororó E.A.A. , Berkesi M. , Zajacz Z. , Guzmics T. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Rare earth elements are critical constituents for modern technologies, and some of their largest natural resource deposits are related to carbonatite systems. However, the mechanisms leading to rare earth element mineralization and the role of magmatic fluids in carbonatite systems remain poorly understood. Here, we present the first in situ characterization of fluids and their trace-element compositions in natural carbonatite systems by studying secondary quartz-hosted fluid inclusions from Oldoinyo Lengai volcano. By comparing our data to other fluids and melts from various carbonatite systems, we constructed a model for fluid-mediated rare earth element transport and mineralization. We show that carbonatite-related fluids are rich in alkali-carbonate + sulfate + chloride and CO2, but poor in H2O, and they can be significant carriers of rare earth elements (&gt;1600 ppm). We argue that fluid CO2 contents are essential to preclude or slow down the interaction with wall rock during migration and that fluid-mediated rare earth element mineralization occurs when partial pressure of CO2 decreases in the fluid (i.e., during degassing).
Change in eating habits after 2 years of pandemic restrictions among adolescents living in a city in northern Italy: results of the COALESCENT Observational Study (Change amOng ItAlian adoLESCENTs)
Authors: Zanini Barbara , Covolo Loredana , Marconi Silvia , Marullo Monica , Viola Gaia Claudia Viviana , Gelatti Umberto , Maroldi Roberto , Latronico Nicola , Castellano Maurizio 
Published: January 2024

Background
Lockdown measures during the recent pandemic, due to the novel COVID-19, affected several other aspects of lifestyle, but little is known about their long-term impact, especially among adolescents. Our study aimed to assess the long-term consequences of changes in diet, exercise and screen activity levels, sleep quality, smoke, smartphone addiction and emotional distress among a sample of Italian adolescents, 2 years after the beginning of the pandemic.

Methods

We submitted an online survey to high-school students in the province of Brescia, a city in Northern Italy, investigating changes in food consumption and in physical and screen activities, cooking skills, sleep duration and quality, emotional distress, smartphone addiction and nutrition knowledge. We assigned an Eating Habit Index (EHI) score from 0 to 54, reflecting a current worsening (lower score) or improvement (higher score) in overall diet quality, compared with the pre-pandemic period. The χ
2
test or Fisher’s exact probability test and Mann-Whitney test were used as appropriate; a binary logistic regression model was carried out, with EHI score≥33 as the dependent variable.

Results
We collected 1686 questionnaires. Consumption of healthy foods increased, as it was for ultraprocessed foods (UPFs). EHI score>33 (75° percentile value) was associated with female gender (OR 1.81, p<0.0001), better nutrition knowledge (OR 1.54, p=0.001), better cooking skills (OR 1.43, p=0.01), lower consumption of UPFs before the pandemic (OR 2.19, p<0.0001), self-perception of healthier diet quality (OR: 4.05, p<0.0001) and no smartphone addiction (OR: 1.35, p=0.02).

Conclusions
Considering the profound impact of lifestyle on both physical and mental health, our results could be relevant to understand how to promote healthy eating practices among young people.
Inequity of healthcare access for patients with diabetic foot disease: a retrospective study in south-east Queensland
Authors: Soonarane Yudish Kumar , Pollard Gayle , Knack Brent , Hope Matthew , Clark Darren , Naidu Sanjeev , Anuradha Satyamurthy , Puri Gaurav 
Published: January 2024

ObjectivesLogan local government area (LGA) in Queensland has the highest diabetes prevalence (6.5%) within Metro South Health (MSH). The study aimed to determine the burden of, and equity of access to secondary healthcare, for diabetic foot disease (DFD) for Logan residents to better inform healthcare services planning.DesignA retrospective analysis of hospital admissions data between January 2018 and December 2021.Setting, participantsAll episodes of care for DFD provided by MSH hospitals to patients with a residential address in the three LGAs serving the region were included.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary outcome was number of episodes of care for DFD by LGA of residence and hospital of presentation. Secondary outcomes were DFD-related hospital occupied bed days and number of lower extremity amputations.ResultsAmong residents in the MSH region, almost half of all episodes of care (47%) and bed days (48%) for DFD were for patients residing in Logan LGA. 40% of episodes of care, 57% of bed days and 73% of lower extremity amputations for DFD for these patients occurred outside of Logan LGA. These findings led to the planning of an integrated model of care for DFD at Logan hospital to improve and make care available locally.ConclusionsOur study suggests that Logan residents with DFD had poor access to care despite the highest burden. Analysing epidemiology of care for DFD with an equity lens and highlighting gaps in service delivery is paramount to addressing the inequity paradigm.
Efficacy and safety of the modified Zhiwang decoction combined with methotrexate in early rheumatoid arthritis: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Zhang Nan , Zhang Liu-bo , Wang Zihan , Lan Tian-yi , Wang Jin-ping , Xiao Cheng , Tao Qing-Wen , Xu Yuan 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive inflammatory autoimmune disease characterised by chronic systemic inflammation, which can cause swelling, stiffening and destruction of articular cartilage and bone. Early diagnosis and treatment of RA can improve outcomes and slow the progression of joint damage. Preliminary exploratory research had hinted an expected effect of modified Zhiwang decoction (MZWD) in treating early RA. However, few randomised clinical trials have evaluated the effectiveness of MZWD in early RA. Therefore, a parallel-group randomised controlled trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MZWD combined with methotrexate (MTX) on early RA.Methods and analysisThis is a prospective, parallel-group, single-centre randomised controlled clinical study. A total of 150 patients will be randomly assigned to either the treatment (n=75) or control group (n=75). The treatment group will receive MZWD and MTX, and the control group will receive MTX for 12 weeks. The primary outcome of this study is Disease Activity Score-28, and the secondary outcomes are Fatigue Scale-14, Visual Analogue Scale pain scores and traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores. Safety outcomes, including adverse events and results of ECG and laboratory tests, will be monitored.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was obtained from the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital (no. 2022-KY-124) on 8 July 2022. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT05508815).
Effectiveness of an On-Field Rehabilitation framework for return to sports in injured male professional football players: a single-blinded, prospective, randomised controlled trial
Authors: Stathas Ioannis , Kalliakmanis Alkiviadis , Kekelekis Afxentios , Danassi Afentaki Despoina , Tsepis Elias , Fousekis Konstantinos 
Published: January 2024

ObjectivesIn football, on-field rehabilitation (OFR) is critical during injury recovery for a player’s safe return to sports (RTS). The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an OFR framework for RTS in injured male professional football players.Trial designA prospective block-randomised controlled-parallel trial was conducted (level of evidence 1b).MethodsMale professional football players (mean age, 26.3±3.6 years) from Greece diagnosed with an acute, lower limb musculoskeletal (MSK) injury (confirmed clinically and through imaging) participated in the study. During rehabilitation, the participants’ OFR was guided by either the On-Field Rehabilitation (On FI.RE.) accelerated framework (experimental group) or a traditional OFR framework for a late injury recovery phase (comparison group). Between July 2021 and January 2022, 76 players were randomly allocated to the experimental group (n=38) and the comparison group (n=38). Participants were blinded during the study regarding intervention therapeutic protocols. The primary outcome measure was the effect of On FI.RE. framework on the time needed to return to team training (RTT) participation. The correlation between the time needed to return to on-field activity and RTT was calculated. Subsequent injuries were registered for a 12-month follow-up period.ResultsThe intervention protocol, On FI.RE. framework, had a statistically significant effect on the time needed to RTT (F(1) = 49 626, p<0.001) with a large effect size (ES; η2=0.422) and fewer days (mean=23.8±9.1 days) needed than the comparison group (mean=30.3±9.8 days). There was a strong correlation between return to on-field activity and the time needed to RTT (r(76)= 0.901, p<0001) with a large ES (r>0.5). Six subsequent injuries were registered in the traditional OFR framework group, and one subsequent injury in the On FI.RE. framework group after a follow-up period of 12 months.ConclusionThe On FI.RE., an accelerated OFR framework during injury recovery, is more effective than a traditional OFR framework, reducing the time a player needs to RTS. It entails a very low risk of reinjury.Trial registration numberNCT05163470.
Racial and ethnic trends in mental health service utilisation and perceived unmet need in the USA
Authors: Sheehan Ana , Walsh Rachel , Liu Richard 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundTwo decades ago, the Surgeon General issued a report highlighting concerning disparities in mental healthcare among racial and ethnic minority populations. The present study characterised national trends in mental health treatment utilisation by race and ethnicity across a 13-year period.MethodsNationally representative data were drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2008 through 2020 (unweighted n=4 41 993). Trends in mental health treatment utilisation and perceived unmet treatment need among individuals with and without psychiatric illness were stratified by race and ethnicity.ResultsLogistic regression analyses revealed most racial/ethnic minority groups were less likely to receive treatment than white individuals, regardless of mental health status. Treatment utilisation increased among those with (annual per cent change (APC)=0.83, 95% CI=0.41 to 1.26) and without psychiatric illness (APC=1.39, 95% CI=0.53 to 2.26). Among individuals with psychiatric illness, treatment use increased among white (APC=0.88, 95% CI=0.51 to 1.24), Hispanic (APC=2.12, 95% CI=0.70 to 3.57) and black adults (APC=1.07, 95% CI=0.11 to 2.04). White (APC=1.88, 95% CI=0.86 to 2.91) and Hispanic (APC=2.45, 95% CI=0.02 to 4.93) individuals without psychiatric illness also saw increased treatment use. Although increases in perceived unmet treatment need were observed for all racial and ethnic groups except blacks and Native Americans with psychiatric illness, rates remained low across all groups.ConclusionsAlthough national rates of mental health treatment utilisation have risen, this was almost entirely observed among white and Hispanic individuals with and without psychiatric illness, highlighting the limited progress made towards eliminating disparities in care.
Functional parcellation of the cingulate gyrus by electrical cortical stimulation: a synthetic literature review and future directions
Authors: Mahgoub Rawan , Bayram Ayse Kacar , Spencer Dennis D , Alkawadri Rafeed 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundThe cingulate gyrus (CG), a brain structure above the corpus callosum, is recognised as part of the limbic system and plays numerous vital roles. However, its full functional capacity is yet to be understood. In recent years, emerging evidence from imaging modalities, supported by electrical cortical stimulation (ECS) findings, has improved our understanding. To our knowledge, there is a limited number of systematic reviews of the cingulate function studied by ECS. We aim to parcellate the CG by reviewing ECS studies.Design/methodsWe searched PubMed and Embase for studies investigating CG using ECS. A total of 30 studies met the inclusion criteria. We evaluated the ECS responses across the cingulate subregions and summarised the reported findings.ResultsWe included 30 studies (totalling 887 patients, with a mean age of 31.8±9.8 years). The total number of electrodes implanted within the cingulate was 3028 electrode contacts; positive responses were obtained in 941 (31.1%, median percentages, 32.3%, IQR 22.2%–64.3%). The responses elicited from the CG were as follows. Simple motor (8 studies, 26.7 %), complex motor (10 studies, 33.3%), gelastic with and without mirth (7 studies, 23.3%), somatosensory (9 studies, 30%), autonomic (11 studies, 36.7 %), psychic (8 studies, 26.7%) and vestibular (3 studies, 10%). Visual and speech responses were also reported. Despite some overlap, the results indicate that the anterior cingulate cortex is responsible for most emotional, laughter and autonomic responses, while the middle cingulate cortex controls most complex motor behaviours, and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) regulates visual, among various other responses. Consistent null responses have been observed across different regions, emphasising PCC.ConclusionsOur results provide a segmental mapping of the functional properties of CG, helping to improve precision in the surgical planning of epilepsy.
Increased prevalence of hearing loss, tinnitus and sudden deafness among patients with Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Yang Tzong-Hann , Xirasagar Sudha , Cheng Yen-Fu , Chen Chin-Shyan , Lin Herng-Ching 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundThis study aimed to provide an updated prevalence of hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and sudden deafness on patients with Sjögren’s syndrome and matched comparison patients.MethodsData for this study were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database and Taiwan’s registered catastrophic illness dataset. This study included 20 266 patients with Sjögren’s syndrome as the study group and 60 798 propensity score-matched comparison patients as the comparison group. We used multivariable logistic regressions to estimate the ORs and 95% CI for tinnitus, hearing loss, vertigo and sudden deafness among Sjögren’s syndrome patients versus comparison patients.Resultsχ2tests showed there were statistically significant differences between the study group and comparison group in the prevalence of tinnitus (10.1% vs 6.3%, p<0.001), hearing loss (5.6% vs 3.3%, p<0.001), vertigo (4.6% vs 3.2%, p<0.001) and sudden deafness (0.8% vs 0.6%, p<0.001). Multiple logistic regression revealed that patients with Sjögren’s syndrome had a greater tendency to have tinnitus (OR=1.690, 95% CI 1.596–1.788), sudden deafness (OR=1.368, 95% CI 1.137–1.647), hearing loss (OR=1.724, 95% CI 1.598–1.859) and vertigo (OR=1.473, 95% CI 1.360–1.597) relative to comparison patients after adjusting for age, income, geographic location, residential urbanisation level, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and rheumatoid arthritis.ConclusionsWe found higher prevalence of hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus and sudden deafness among patients with Sjögren’s syndrome relative to comparison patients. Findings may provide guidance to physicians in counselling patients with Sjögren’s syndrome regarding a higher risk of hearing loss, tinnitus, sudden deafness and vertigo.