bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Disease Transmission by Patients With Subclinical Tuberculosis
Authors: Nguyen Hai Viet , Tiemersma Edine , Nguyen Nhung Viet , Nguyen Hoa Binh , Cobelens Frank 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Background
Subclinical tuberculosis has been increasingly recognized as a separate state in the spectrum of the disease. However, evidence on the transmissibility of subclinical tuberculosis is still inconclusive.

Methods
We re-analyzed the data from the 2007 combined tuberculosis prevalence and tuberculin surveys in Vietnam. Poisson regression with robust standard errors was conducted to assess the effect of clinical presentation of individuals with tuberculosis in the household on tuberculin skin test (TST) positivity among children aged 6–14 years who participated in the tuberculin survey, adjusting for child's age, smear status of the index patient, and other covariates.

Results
In the multivariate analysis, we found significantly increased risks for TST positivity in children living with patients with clinical, smear-positive tuberculosis, compared with those living with individuals without tuberculosis (adjusted risk ratio [aRR]: 3.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.00–4.63) and with those living with patients with subclinical tuberculosis, adjusting for index smear status (aRR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.03–4.96). Among children aged 6–10 years, those living with patients with clinical, smear-positive tuberculosis and those living with patients with subclinical, smear-positive tuberculosis had similarly increased risks of TST positivity compared with those living with individuals without tuberculosis (aRRs [95% CI] of 3.56 [1.91–6.62] and 3.11 [1.44–6.72], respectively).

Conclusions
Our findings support the hypothesis that smear-positive subclinical tuberculosis contributes to Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission. To eliminate tuberculosis in 2035, control strategies need to address subclinical presentations of the disease.
Pulmonary transit time of cardiovascular magnetic resonance perfusion scans for quantification of cardiopulmonary haemodynamics
Authors: Segeroth Martin , Winkel David Jean , Strebel Ivo , Yang Shan , van der Stouwe Jan Gerrit , Formambuh Jude , Badertscher Patrick , Cyriac Joshy , Wasserthal Jakob , Caobelli Federico , Madaffari Antonio , Lopez-Ayala Pedro , Zellweger Michael , Sauter Alexander , Mueller Christian , Bremerich Jens , Haaf Philip 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Aims
Pulmonary transit time (PTT) is the time blood takes to pass from the right ventricle to the left ventricle via pulmonary circulation. We aimed to quantify PTT in routine cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging perfusion sequences. PTT may help in the diagnostic assessment and characterization of patients with unclear dyspnoea or heart failure (HF).

Methods and results
We evaluated routine stress perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance scans in 352 patients, including an assessment of PTT. Eighty-six of these patients also had simultaneous quantification of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP). NT-proBNP is an established blood biomarker for quantifying ventricular filling pressure in patients with presumed HF. Manually assessed PTT demonstrated low inter-rater variability with a correlation between raters &gt;0.98. PTT was obtained automatically and correctly in 266 patients using artificial intelligence. The median PTT of 182 patients with both left and right ventricular ejection fraction &gt;50% amounted to 6.8 s (Pulmonary transit time: 5.9–7.9 s). PTT was significantly higher in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (&lt;40%; P &lt; 0.001) and right ventricular ejection fraction (&lt;40%; P &lt; 0.0001). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of PTT for exclusion of HF (NT-proBNP &lt;125 ng/L) was 0.73 (P &lt; 0.001) with a specificity of 77% and sensitivity of 70%. The AUC of PTT for the inclusion of HF (NT-proBNP &gt;600 ng/L) was 0.70 (P &lt; 0.001) with a specificity of 78% and sensitivity of 61%.

Conclusion
PTT as an easily, even automatically obtainable and robust non-invasive biomarker of haemodynamics might help in the evaluation of patients with dyspnoea and HF.
Acute pulmonary embolism with coexisting right heart thrombi in transit—surgical treatment of 20 consecutive patients
Authors: Zieliński Dariusz , Zygier Marcin , Dyk Wojciech , Wojdyga Ryszard , Wróbel Krzysztof , Pirsztuk Ewelina , Szostakiewicz Katarzyna , Szatkowski Piotr , Darocha Szymon , Kurzyna Marcin , Ciurzyński Michał , Machowski Michał , Pruszczyk Piotr , Torbicki Adam , Biederman Andrzej 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The presence of right heart thrombi in transit (RHTiT) in the setting of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with high mortality. The optimal management in such cases is inconclusive. We present the results of surgical treatment of 20 consecutive patients diagnosed with high- or intermediate-high-risk PE with coexisting RHTiT.

METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed of all consecutive patients undergoing surgical treatment in the Medicover Hospital between 2013 and 2021 for acute PE with coexisting thrombi in-transit in right heart cavities. The diagnosis was based on echocardiography, computed tomography pulmonary angiography and laboratory tests. Eligibility criteria for surgical treatment were acute PE with RHTiT, right ventricular overload on imaging studies and significantly elevated levels of cardiac troponin and NTproBNP. All patients were operated on with extracorporeal circulation using deep hypothermia and total circulatory arrest. The primary end point was hospital all-cause mortality; secondary end points were perioperative complications and long-term mortality.

RESULTS
The analysis included 20 patients. There was no in-hospital death. Nearly one-third of patients required temporal hemofiltration for postoperative renal failure, but this did not involve the need for dialysis at discharge. No neurological complications occurred in any patient. The mean follow-up was 46 months (range 13–98). There was 1 death in the long-term follow-up, not related to PE.

CONCLUSIONS
Surgical treatment of patients with acute PE and coexisting RHTiT can provide favourable results.
Between the West and Russia: Explaining Individual Foreign Policy Preferences in the Small States
Authors: Abbasov Namig , Thies Cameron G 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis paper examines mass public opinion in three small states of the South Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, to understand why some individuals in these states prefer a pro-Western foreign policy orientation–pursuing membership in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU), while others do not. We draw on social identity theory to hypothesize the potential affinity some individuals feel toward the West. Using public data from the South Caucasus region where Russia has strongly attempted to block Western penetration, the paper demonstrates that the commitment to democratic values is central to the understanding of mass opinion over foreign alliances in small states: individuals who demonstrate pro-democracy attitudes and support democratic values are more likely to approve of pro-Western foreign policy orientation. These findings suggest that the study of foreign policy preferences in small states is important for our understanding of great power politics and alliance competition.
Middle Powers and Soft-Power Rivalry: Egyptian–Israeli Competition in Africa
Authors: Siniver Asaf , Tsourapas Gerasimos 
Published: January 2023

AbstractScholars of international relations have long recognized the importance of soft power in great powers’ hegemonic designs. In contrast, we know little of middle powers’ employment of noncoercive strategies of attraction and, in particular, how soft power operates in the context of middle-power antagonism. We suggest that, first, soft power enhances coalition-building strategies for middle powers. Contrary to expectations that states join forces against a shared threat, the use of soft power via development aid produces an “Us” versus “Them” distinction in target states that unites them in the absence of a common enemy. Second, middle states’ soft-power strategies are likely to support coalition maintenance so long as it does not challenge target states’ national interests. Utilizing extensive archival and interview-based data, we examine how soft power featured in Egyptian–Israeli competition across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 1957 to 1974. We demonstrate how soft power operates beyond the context of great power agenda setting, therefore providing novel evidence for the importance of soft power in the interplay between interstate antagonism and noncoercion in world politics.
Dynamic coalescence of yeast Heat Shock Protein genes bypasses the requirement for actin
Authors: Rubio Linda S , Gross David S 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Nuclear actin has been implicated in dynamic chromatin rearrangements in diverse eukaryotes. In mammalian cells, it is required to reposition double-strand DNA breaks to enable homologous recombination repair and to enhance transcription by facilitating RNA Pol II recruitment to gene promoters. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, nuclear actin modulates interphase chromosome dynamics and is required to reposition the induced INO1 gene to the nuclear periphery. Here, we have investigated the role of actin in driving intergenic interactions between Heat Shock Factor 1 (Hsf1)-regulated Heat Shock Protein (HSP) genes in budding yeast. These genes, dispersed on multiple chromosomes, dramatically reposition following exposure of cells to acute thermal stress, leading to their clustering within dynamic biomolecular condensates. Using an auxin-induced degradation strategy, we found that conditional depletion of nucleators of either linear or branched F-actin (Bni1/Bnr1 and Arp2, respectively) had little or no effect on heat shock-induced HSP gene coalescence or transcription. In addition, we found that pretreatment of cells with latrunculin A, an inhibitor of both filamentous and monomeric actin, failed to affect intergenic interactions between activated HSP genes and their heat shock-induced intragenic looping and folding. Moreover, latrunculin A pretreatment had little effect on HSP gene expression at either RNA or protein levels. In notable contrast, we confirmed that repositioning of activated INO1 to the nuclear periphery and its proper expression do require actin. Collectively, our work suggests that transcriptional activation and 3D genome restructuring of thermally induced, Hsf1-regulated genes can occur in the absence of actin.
Early Life Stress in Mice Leads to Impaired Colonic Corticosterone Production and Prolonged Inflammation Following Induction of Colitis
Authors: Muir Rachel Q , Klocke Barbara J , Jennings Melissa S , Molina Patrick A , Hsu Jung-Shan , Kellum Cailin E , Alexander Katie L , Lee Goo , Foote Jeremy B , Lorenz Robin G , Pollock Jennifer S , Maynard Craig L 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Background
Early life stress (ELS) is an environmental trigger believed to promote increased risk of IBD. Our goal was to identify mechanisms whereby ELS in mice affects susceptibility to and/or severity of gut inflammation.

Methods
We utilized 2 published animal models of ELS. In the first model, newborn mice were separated from the dam daily for 4 to 8 hours starting on postnatal day 2 and then weaned early on postnatal day 17. Control mice were left undisturbed with the dams until weaning on postnatal day 21. In the second model, dams were fed dexamethasone or vehicle ad libitum in drinking water on postpartum days 1 to 14. Plasma and colonic corticosterone were measured in juvenile and adult mice. Colitis was induced in 4-week-old mice via intraperitoneal injection of interleukin (IL)-10 receptor blocking antibody every 5 days for 15 days. Five or 15 days later, colitis scores and transcripts for Tnf, glucocorticoid receptors, and steroidogenic enzymes were measured.

Results
Mice exposed to ELS displayed reduced plasma and colonic corticosterone. Control animals showed improvements in indices of inflammation following cessation of interleukin-10 receptor blockade, whereas ELS-exposed animals maintained high levels of Tnf and histological signs of colitis. In colitic animals, prior exposure to ELS was associated with significantly lower expression of genes associated with corticosterone synthesis and responsiveness. Finally, TNF stimulation of colonic crypt cells from ELS mice led to increased inhibition of corticosterone synthesis.

Conclusions
Our study identifies impaired local glucocorticoid production and responsiveness as a potential mechanism whereby ELS predisposes to chronic colitis in susceptible hosts.
Populism, Competitive Authoritarianism, and Foreign Policy: The Case of Uganda's 2021 Election
Authors: Lacatus Corina 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Despite populism being a fast-growing field of inquiry, populist discourse in an African setting is understudied. This paper expands our knowledge of populist communication and foreign policy in a competitive authoritarian context, proposing an analysis of two Ugandan politicians—Bobi Wine and Yoweri Museveni—and their communication on Twitter before the January 2021 election. Counter to expectations, I find that thick ideology has a limited effect on the electoral discourses of both candidates in a competitive autocracy such as Uganda, and this applies also to their communication about foreign policy. When it comes to their position on foreign policy, strategic electoral communication is focused on positioning themselves in relation to the West, signaling a commitment to a strong future linkage with the West and democratization in the event of electoral victory. The content analysis of Twitter-based communication finds that the long-standing incumbent, Museveni, uses tried-and-tested populist tropes to reinforce his regime, emphasizing his government's allegedly strong capacity to maintain a linkage to Western donors and to conduct a successful foreign policy focused on receiving foreign aid and advancing its investment in economic development. In his turn, counter-candidate Wine is a contemporary populist who contests the long-standing regime and promises a truthful commitment to democratization and an authentic and corruption-free linkage with the West if successfully elected. This paper aims to broaden our understanding of how political leaders in competitive autocratic countries of the Global South make strategic use of populist communication about foreign policy to advance their political agendas.
Blood and adipose-resident eosinophils are defined by distinct transcriptional profiles
Authors: Shah Manan , Knights Alexander J , Vohralik Emily J , Psaila Annalise M , Quinlan Kate G R 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Eosinophils are granular leukocytes of the innate immune system that play important functions in host defense. Inappropriate activation of eosinophils can occur in pathologies such as asthma and esophagitis. However, eosinophils also reside within adipose tissue, where they play homeostatic roles and are important in the activation of thermogenic beige fat. Here we performed bulk RNA sequencing in mouse adipose tissue-resident eosinophils isolated from both subcutaneous and gonadal depots, for the first time, and compared gene expression to blood eosinophils. We found a predominantly conserved transcriptional landscape in eosinophils between adipose depots that is distinct from blood eosinophils in circulation. Through exploration of differentially expressed transcription factors and transcription factors with binding sites enriched in adipose-resident eosinophil genes, we identified KLF, CEBP, and Fos/Jun family members that may drive functional specialization of eosinophils in adipose tissue. These findings increase our understanding of tissue-specific eosinophil heterogeneity, with implications for targeting eosinophil function to treat metabolic disorders such as obesity.
Mechanical bacterial lysate enhances antimicrobial barrier mechanisms in human airway epithelial cells
Authors: Sidoti Migliore Giacomo , Campana Stefania , Barberi Chiara , De Pasquale Claudia , Pezzino Gaetana , Cavaliere Riccardo , Orecchia Paola , Ginestra Giovanna , Mandalari Giuseppina , Del Zotto Genny , Bonaccorsi Irene , Carrega Paolo , Mingari Maria Cristina , Ferlazzo Guido 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Polyvalent mechanical bacterial lysate is effective in the prevention of respiratory tract infections, although its mechanism of action is not entirely elucidated. Because epithelial cells constitute the frontline defense against infections, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of innate response exerted by bronchial epithelial cells in the presence of polyvalent mechanical bacterial lysate. By using primary human bronchial epithelial cells, we observed that polyvalent mechanical bacterial lysate was able to increase the expression of cellular adhesion molecules such as ICAM-1 and E-cadherin, as well as the expression of amphiregulin, a growth factor able to support human bronchial epithelial cell proliferation. Remarkably, polyvalent mechanical bacterial lysate promoted in human bronchial epithelial cells the de novo expression of human β-defensin-2, a major antimicrobial peptide, conferring them a direct antimicrobial activity. Moreover, polyvalent mechanical bacterial lysate–stimulated human bronchial epithelial cells provided signals for increased IL-22 production by innate lymphoid cells via IL-23, which could further contribute to the release of antimicrobial peptides by epithelial cells. In agreement with these in vitro data, the concentration of both IL-23 and antimicrobial peptides (human β-defensin-2 and LL-37) increased in the saliva of healthy volunteers after sublingual administration of polyvalent mechanical bacterial lysate. Altogether, these results indicate that polyvalent mechanical bacterial lysate administration might support mucosal barrier integrity and promote mechanisms of antimicrobial activity in airway epithelial cells.
Atom Probe Tomography for the Observation of Hydrogen in Materials: A Review
Authors: Chen Yi-Sheng , Liu Pang-Yu , Niu Ranming , Devaraj Arun , Yen Hung-Wei , Marceau Ross K W , Cairney Julie M 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Atom probe tomography (APT) is an emerging microscopy technique that has high sensitivity for hydrogen with sub-nanometre-scale spatial resolution, which makes it a unique method to investigate the atomic-scale distribution of hydrogen at interfaces and defects in materials. This article introduces the basics of APT-based hydrogen analysis, particularly the challenge of distinguishing a hydrogen background signal in APT by using hydrogen isotopes, along with strategies to yield high-quality analysis. This article also reviews several important findings on hydrogen distribution in a range of materials, including both structural alloys and functional materials, enabled by using APT. Limitations and future opportunities for hydrogen analysis by APT are also discussed.
Sample Preparation Biases in Automated Quantitative Mineralogical Analysis of Mine Wastes
Authors: Saberi Nima , Vriens Bas 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Mineralogical information is becoming increasingly important for the interpretation and prediction of the long-term leaching behavior of mine waste rock and tailings, yet the collection of quantitative mineralogical data for these materials is complicated by biases introduced during sample preparation. Here, we present experiments with synthetic reference materials, soluble mineral (gypsum) and pulverized weathered waste rock samples to investigate potential artifacts that can be introduced during the preparation of granular sample specimen for quantitative mineralogical analysis. Our results show that, during epoxy-molding, particle segregation due to size is more important than that due to density, both of which can be effectively circumvented by cutting molds perpendicular to the orientation of settling. We also determine that sacrificing sample polish to avoid phase alteration need not impede phase attribution as long as surface roughness and slope are calibrated with sample-internal contrast references. Finally, bootstrapping analysis shows that variability in geometric and mineralogical particle parameters due to unresolved sample heterogeneity is small compared with other biases, even at particle numbers &lt;25,000 at sizes &gt;150 µm. Our results demonstrate the importance of quantifying potential sources of error during sample preparation in quantitative mineralogical studies on mine wastes.
A Modular and Automated Serial Section Collection System for Ultramicrotomy and Subsequent Imaging
Authors: Böhm Thomas , Felfer Peter , Thiele Simon 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Ultramicrotomy with automated section collection enables a reliable collection of sequential sections for 3D imaging. Here, we introduce a system for collecting several hundred ultra-thin sections on tape as a flexible polymeric substrate. The tape is stored within a portable cassette, which can be used as a modular platform for different applications. The motorized cassette with its retractable section collection cantilever is installed in front of an ultramicrotome for section collection. Section collection and imaging of the sections can be conducted without requiring any manual handling of the tape, which reduces the risk of specimen contamination and offers various options for automatization and cross-compatibility. For instance, processing steps such as a plasma glow-discharge of the substrate can be performed on the tape while it is enclosed in the cassette. As a proof of concept, more than 300 sequential sections at a thickness of 150 nm were cut from a polymer blend sample and collected on a metal-coated tape. Finally, a subset of 15 × 15 × 15 µm³ of the original sample volume was successfully imaged by confocal Raman microscopy and reconstructed at submicron resolution. The serial section cassette harbors the potential to standardize, simplify, and automate sample library collection, imaging, and storage.
Integration of an Event-driven Timepix3 Hybrid Pixel Detector into a Cryo-EM Workflow
Authors: van Schayck J Paul , Zhang Yue , Knoops Kèvin , Peters Peter J , Ravelli Raimond B G 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The development of direct electron detectors has played a key role in low-dose electron microscopy imaging applications. Monolithic active-pixel sensor detectors are currently widely applied for cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM); however, they have best performance at 300 kV, have relatively low read-out speed and only work in imaging mode. Hybrid pixel detectors can operate at any energy, have a higher detective quantum efficiency (DQE) at lower voltage, have unprecedented high time resolution, and can operate in both imaging and diffraction modes. This could make them well-suited for novel low-dose life-science applications, such as cryo-ptychography, iDPC, and liquid cell imaging. Timepix3 is not frame-based, but truly event-based, and can record individual hits with 1.56 ns time resolution. Here, we present the integration of such a detector into a cryo-EM workflow and demonstrate that it can be used for automated data collection on biological specimens. The performance of the detector in terms of modulation transfer function and DQE has been investigated at 200 kV and we studied the effect of deterministic blur. We describe a single-particle analysis structure of 3 Å resolution and compare it with Falcon3 data collected using the same microscope. These studies could pave the way towards more dose-efficient single-particle techniques.