bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In vivo characterization of the critical interaction between the RNA exosome and the essential RNA helicase Mtr4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Sterrett Maria C , Farchi Daniela , Strassler Sarah E , Boise Lawrence H , Fasken Milo B , Corbett Anita H 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
The RNA exosome is a conserved molecular machine that processes/degrades numerous coding and non-coding RNAs. The 10-subunit complex is composed of three S1/KH cap subunits (human EXOSC2/3/1; yeast Rrp4/40/Csl4), a lower ring of six PH-like subunits (human EXOSC4/7/8/9/5/6; yeast Rrp41/42/43/45/46/Mtr3), and a singular 3′-5′ exo/endonuclease DIS3/Rrp44. Recently, several disease-linked missense mutations have been identified in structural cap and core RNA exosome genes. In this study, we characterize a rare multiple myeloma patient missense mutation that was identified in the cap subunit gene EXOSC2. This missense mutation results in a single amino acid substitution, p.Met40Thr, in a highly conserved domain of EXOSC2. Structural studies suggest that this Met40 residue makes direct contact with the essential RNA helicase, MTR4, and may help stabilize the critical interaction between the RNA exosome complex and this cofactor. To assess this interaction in vivo, we utilized the Saccharomyces cerevisiae system and modeled the EXOSC2 patient mutation into the orthologous yeast gene RRP4, generating the variant rrp4-M68T. The rrp4-M68T cells show accumulation of certain RNA exosome target RNAs and show sensitivity to drugs that impact RNA processing. We also identified robust negative genetic interactions between rrp4-M68T and specific mtr4 mutants. A complementary biochemical approach revealed that Rrp4 M68T shows decreased interaction with Mtr4, consistent with these genetic results. This study suggests that the EXOSC2 mutation identified in a multiple myeloma patient impacts the function of the RNA exosome and provides functional insight into a critical interface between the RNA exosome and Mtr4.
Republicanismo y ciudadanía armada en la Constitución Nacional argentina
Authors: Tripolone Gerardo 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
In this work, we analyze the links between the theory of republicanism and armed citizenship in Argentinian debates in the nineteenth century. The theoretical and historical approach allows the interpretation of two articles of the National Constitution: Article 21, which establishes the obligation of all citizens “to bear arms in defense of the fatherland and of this Constitution”, and Article 22, which considers that “any armed force or meeting of persons assuming the rights of the people and petitioning in their name, commits the crime of sedition”. An analysis under the light of the republican conception of armed citizenship shows in these two clauses the paradox of popular sovereignty that, on the one hand, recognizes and maintains the constituent power in the people and, on the other hand, aims to restraints and subjects it by state authorities.
Repensando los préstamos constitucionales: un análisis crítico del uso de materiales foráneos desde la experiencia argentina
Authors: Toselli Matías 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
On regular basis, courts borrow foreign legal materials when deciding constitutional issues. In many countries, including Argentina, this practice is rarely contested. Within this framework, this paper is focused on studying legal borrowings in order to systematize them and highlight their potential risks. Considering Argentine jurisprudence, the article proposes a classification of the uses of foreign legal sources based on two variables: their authoritative nature and their weight in the judge’s final decision. After presenting the categorization, the article claims that any type of legal borrowing will imply certain risks, which will tend to increase progressively depending on how they are related to the aforementioned variables. Thus, based on the study of the impact of foreign materials on judicial decisions, this paper explores whether it should be discouraged the borrowing of comparative law.
Can fosfomycin be an alternative therapy for infections caused byE. coliharbouring dual resistance: NDM and four-amino acid insertion in PBP3?
Authors: Bakthavatchalam Yamuna Devi , Shankar Abirami , Manokaran Yuvasri , Walia Kamini , Veeraraghavan Balaji 
Published: March 2023

AbstractNDM-expressing Escherichia coli infections are challenging to treat, due to limited treatment options. E. coli with four-amino acid inserts (YRIN/YRIK) are also common in India and it has been reported to reduce the susceptibility to aztreonam/avibactam and the clinically used triple combination ceftazidime/avibactam with aztreonam. Thus, there is a severe dearth of antibiotics to treat infections of NDM + PBP3 insert E. coli. In this study, we determined the susceptibility of E. coli with NDM and PBP3 insert to fosfomycin as an alternative option to treat serious infections. Non-duplicate well-characterized NDM-expressing (without or with co-expression of OXA-48-like) E. coli isolates (n = 213) subsequently carrying four-amino acid inserts in PBP3 were included in this study. MICs of fosfomycin were determined by the agar dilution method with glucose-6-phosphate supplementation, while for other comparators the broth microdilution method was used. Collectively, 98% of NDM-expressing E. coli isolates with PBP3 insert were susceptible to fosfomycin at the MIC of ≤32 mg/L. Resistance to aztreonam was noticed in 38% of the tested isolates. Putting together fosfomycin’s in vitro activity, clinical efficacy and safety in randomized controlled trials, we conclude that fosfomycin could be considered as an alternative option to treat infections caused by E. coli harbouring NDM and PBP3 insert resistance mechanisms.
Increasing Tax Collection in African Countries: The Role of Information Technology
Authors: Okunogbe Oyebola , Santoro Fabrizio 
Published: March 2023

AbstractMany African countries struggle to collect an adequate amount of tax revenue to support needed investments in public services. This paper examines how African countries may take advantage of recent advances in technology to improve tax administration. It provides an overview of the potential and challenges of different tax categories in Africa: consumption taxes, real estate taxes, trade taxes and income taxes. It then describes the ways in which technology solutions may be deployed to address these challenges by helping to identify the tax base, monitor compliance and facilitate compliance. Lastly, it provides insights from interviews with senior tax administrators across the continent on their practical experiences in adopting technology for taxation.
The genetic basis of swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome and its genetic association with post-weaning skin damage and production traits
Authors: Leite Natália Galoro , Knol Egbert Frank , Nuphaus Stefanie , Vogelzang Roos , Tsuruta Shogo , Wittmann Margit , Lourenco Daniela 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome (SINS) is a syndrome visually characterized by the presence of inflamed and necrotic skin at extreme body parts, such as the teats, tail, ears, and claw coronary bands. This syndrome is associated with several environmental causes, but knowledge of the role of genetics is still limited. Moreover, piglets affected by SINS are believed to be phenotypically more susceptible to chewing and biting behaviors from pen mates, which could cause a chronic reduction in their welfare throughout the production process. Our objectives were to 1) investigate the genetic basis of SINS expressed on piglets’ different body parts and 2) estimate SINS genetic relationship with post-weaning skin damage and pre and post-weaning production traits. A total of 5,960 two to three-day-old piglets were scored for SINS on the teats, claws, tails, and ears as a binary phenotype. Later, those binary records were combined into a trait defined as TOTAL_SINS. For TOTAL_SINS, animals presenting no signs of SINS were scored as 1, whereas animals showing at least one affected part were scored as 2. Apart from SINS traits, piglets had their birth weight (BW) and weaning weight (WW) recorded, and up to 4,132 piglets were later evaluated for combined skin damage (CSD), carcass backfat (BF), and loin depth (LOD). In the first set of analyses, the heritability of SINS on different body parts was estimated with single-trait animal-maternal models, and pairwise genetic correlations between body parts were obtained from two-trait models. Later, we used four three-trait animal models with TOTAL_SINS, CSD, and an alternative production trait (i.e., BW, WW, LOD, BF) to access trait heritabilities and genetic correlations between SINS and production traits. The maternal effect was included in the BW, WW, and TOTAL_SINS models. The direct heritability of SINS on different body parts ranged from 0.08 to 0.34, indicating that reducing SINS incidence through genetic selection is feasible. The direct genetic correlation between TOTAL_SINS and pre-weaning growth traits (BW and WW) was favorable and negative (from −0.40 to −0.30), indicating that selection for animals genetically less prone to present signs of SINS will positively affect the piglet’s genetics for heavier weight at birth and weaning. The genetic correlations between TOTAL_SINS and BF and between TOTAL_SINS and LOD were weak or not significant (−0.16 to 0.05). However, the selection against SINS was shown to be genetically correlated with CSD, with estimates ranging from 0.19 to 0.50. That means that piglets genetically less likely to present SINS signs are also more unlikely to suffer CSD after weaning, having a long-term increase in their welfare throughout the production system.
Development and Immature Mortality of the Sawtoothed Grain Beetle (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), on Different Sorghum Fractions and Different Temperatures
Authors: Lampiri Evagelia , Scully Erin D , Arthur Frank H , Athanassiou Christos G 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Developmental ability of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) was examined on six different sorghum milling fractions: Bran, Shorts, Cgrits, Fgrits, Red dogs, Flour, and also on a standard diet of Oat Flakes. For this purpose, a 1-day-old egg was placed in a vial containing 1 g of one of the sorghum fractions and exposed to three temperatures: 25, 30, or 32°C. All vials were checked daily for pupal and adult emergence and mortality of immatures. The developmental time was significantly affected by the type of sorghum fraction. After two weeks, for most of the temperatures examined, the longest developmental times in most cases for both pupation and adult emergence were observed in Flour and Oat flakes. Increasing the temperature from 25 to 30 accelerated the development, while adult emergence time did not differ between 30 and 32°C for all fractions except Flour. Egg mortality ranged from 11 to 78%, while larval and pupal mortality ranged from 0 to 22 and 0 to 45%, respectively for all sorghum fractions and different temperatures tested. Moreover, the mean overall immature mortality occurred at 30°C was 49.2, 39.7, and 65.1% at 25, 30, and 32°C for all the diets examined. The findings of the present work show that O. surinamensis can develop and survive in sorghum milling fractions and that the optimal temperatures for growth enhancement are 30 and 32°C. The temperatures within sorghum milling facilities could support O. surinamensis development on milling fractions if they are not addressed through phytosanitary measures.
The effects of vaginal surgery and pelvic floor disorders on female sexual function
Authors: Li Shasha , Tan Cheng , Yang Xin 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Background
The effects of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) on sexual activity and female sexual dysfunction (FSD) remain unknown. How female sexual function is affected by surgery to treat SUI and/or POP remains controversial.

Aim
The objectives of this study were to identify the prevalence of FSD and potential risk factors in women with POP and/or SUI and to assess whether pelvic floor surgery leads to alterations in female sexual function.

Methods
This investigation was prospective and observational. Informed consent was obtained from women who were scheduled to undergo pelvic floor surgery to manage POP and/or SUI at Peking University People’s Hospital, which is an urban medical center. Sexual function was assessed by an investigator preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively.

Outcomes
Sexual activity and sexual function before and after surgery were investigated with potential risk factors. Sexual function was measured by 2 validated questionnaires: the Female Sexual Function Index and the PISQ-12 (Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire Short Form).

Results
A total of 233 women were recruited, and all were ethnically Chinese. The average age was 63 years (range, 31-83), and 47.2% were sexually active. The lack of sexual activity before surgery was associated with increasing age (mean ± SD, 56.3 ± 9.5 vs 68.4 ± 8.1 years; P &lt; .001) and postmenopausal status (70.0% vs 97.6%, P &lt; .001). Among the sexually active women, 62.7% were diagnosed with FSD. Increasing age (58.6 ± 9.6 vs 52.3 ± 7.8 years, P &lt; .001) and postmenopausal status (82.6% vs 48.8%, P &lt; .001) were associated with the presence of FSD. Overall there was no significant difference between the PISQ-12 score before and 12 months after surgery (34.7 ± 6.7 vs 33.9 ± 6.6, P = .14). Lubrication of the vagina (P = .044) was an independent factor associated with the improvement in quality of sexual life after surgery. Menopause negatively affected the improvement in quality of sexual life after surgery (P = .024).

Clinical Implications
Menopause and lubrication of the vagina might affect the improvement in sexual function after surgery.

Strengths and Limitations
Strengths include the prospective design, validated questionnaires, and adequate follow-up time. As a limitation, this study is a single-center study that included only Chinese patients with advanced POP/SUI, so it may not be generalizable to other populations.

Conclusion
Nearly half of women with symptomatic POP and/or SUI are still sexually active. Increasing age and menopause are associated with a lack of sexual activity. Premenopausal status and better lubrication of the vagina before surgery might lead to an improvement in sexual function after pelvic floor surgery.
Oscillations and tidal deformations of crystallized white dwarfs
Authors: Tang Yat-To , Lin Lap-Ming 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACTLong predicted more than 50 years ago, strong evidence for the existence of crystalline cores inside white dwarfs has recently been obtained by the Gaia space telescope. It is thus important to investigate how a crystalline core may affect the properties and dynamics of white dwarfs. In this paper, we first study the dependence of the frequencies of the fundamental (f), interfacial (i), and shear (s) oscillation modes on the size of the crystalline core. We find that the frequencies of the i and s modes depend sensitively on the size of the core, while the frequency of the f mode is affected only slightly by at most a few percent for our chosen white dwarf models. We next consider the tidal deformability of crystallized white dwarfs and find that the effect of crystallization becomes significant only when the radius of the core is larger than about 70 per cent of the stellar radius. The tidal deformability can change by a few to about 10 per cent when a white dwarf becomes fully crystallized. We also show that there exist approximate equation-of-state insensitive relations connecting the mass, moment of inertia, tidal deformability, and f-mode frequency for pure fluid white dwarfs. Depending on the stellar mass and composition, however, these relations can be affected by a few percent when the white dwarf is crystallized. These changes could leave an imprint on the gravitational waves emitted from the late inspiral or merger of white dwarf binaries, which may be detectable by future space-borne gravitational wave detectors.
The Local Cluster Survey II: disc-dominated cluster galaxies with suppressed star formation
Authors: Finn Rose A , Vulcani Benedetta , Rudnick Gregory , Balogh Michael L , Desai Vandana , Jablonka Pascale , Zaritsky Dennis 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT
We investigate the role of dense environments in suppressing star formation by studying $\rm \log _{10}(M_\star /M_\odot) \gt 9.7$ star-forming galaxies in nine clusters from the Local Cluster Survey (0.0137 &lt; z &lt; 0.0433) and a large comparison field sample drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We compare the star formation rate (SFR) with stellar mass relation as a function of environment and morphology. After carefully controlling for mass, we find that in all environments, the degree of SFR suppression increases with increasing bulge-to-total (B/T) ratio. In addition, the SFRs of cluster and infall galaxies at a fixed mass are more suppressed than their field counterparts at all values of B/T. These results suggest a quenching mechanism that is linked to bulge growth that operates in all environments and an additional mechanism that further reduces the SFRs of galaxies in dense environments. We limit the sample to B/T ≤ 0.3 galaxies to control for the trends with morphology and find that the excess population of cluster galaxies with suppressed SFRs persists. We model the time-scale associated with the decline of SFRs in dense environments and find that the observed SFRs of the cluster core galaxies are consistent with a range of models including a mechanism that acts slowly and continuously over a long (2–5 Gyr) time-scale, and a more rapid (&lt;1 Gyr) quenching event that occurs after a delay period of 1–6 Gyr. Quenching may therefore start immediately after galaxies enter clusters.
Ultrasound-guided genicular nerve radiofrequency treatment: prospective randomized comparative trial of a 3-nerve protocol versus a 5-nerve protocol
Authors: Guven Kose Selin , Kirac Unal Zeynep , Kose Halil Cihan , Celikel Feyza , Akkaya Omer Taylan 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Objectives
Genicular nerve radiofrequency procedures increasingly are being performed to treat chronic pain due to knee osteoarthritis. Targeting additional sensory nerves and improving target identification by using ultrasound guidance could improve treatment success. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of targeting only the traditional genicular nerves versus targeting the traditional genicular nerves plus 2 additional sensory nerves in ultrasound-guided genicular nerve radiofrequency procedures in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.

Methods
A total of 80 patients were randomized into 2 groups. Patients in the 3-nerve-targeted group received a genicular radiofrequency procedure in which the traditional genicular nerves were targeted: the superior lateral, superior medial, and inferior medial nerves. The 5-nerve-targeted group received a genicular radiofrequency procedure in which the recurrent fibular and infrapatellar branches of the saphenous nerve were targeted in addition to the traditional genicular nerves. The numeric rating scale, Short Form-36, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index, Quantitative Analgesic Questionnaire, and patient satisfaction were evaluated before treatment, at week 1 after treatment, and at months 1, 3, and 6 after treatment.

Results
Both techniques provided significant pain reduction and functional improvement up to 6 months after the procedure (P &lt; .05). The 5-nerve-targeted group showed significant improvement with regard to the numeric rating scale, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index total, and Short Form-36 score compared with the 3-nerve-targeted group at each follow-up point. No differences in the Quantitative Analgesic Questionnaire or patient satisfaction scores were observed between the groups.

Conclusions
The ultrasound-guided 5-nerve-targeted technique is a safe method and a more effective therapeutic procedure than the traditional 3-nerve-targeted technique for chronic knee osteoarthritis.

Trial registration
www.ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05073887.
Breathlessness in hospitalised adult patients
Authors: Rao A B , Gray D 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Dyspnoea is defined as a sensation of difficult breathing. It is common in hospitalised patients and is often a harbinger of serious and potentially fatal pathology. The pathophysiology of dyspnoea involves complex interactions between peripheral and central receptors and cognition. Given the myriad causes of dyspnoea, a systematic approach to diagnosis is important. A good history and systemic examination are necessary as it is important to quickly identify the cause and treat it promptly. Investigations are numerous but chest radiography and electrocardiography are among the commonest and most useful. It is important to understand the mechanisms underlying dyspnoea to treat breathless patients successfully.
Image guided navigation system—a new technology for complex endoscopic endonasal surgery
Authors: Eliashar R , Sichel J-Y , Gross M , Hocwald E , Dano I , Biron A , Ben-Yaacov A , Goldfarb A , Elidan J 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Purpose
Endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) has become the standard practice in sinonasal and anterior skull base surgery. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe experience using a new technology—the image guided navigation system (IGNS)—in complex cases undergoing EES. The advantages and disadvantages of computer aided surgery are discussed.

Patients and methods
A total of 165 endoscopic endonasal procedures were performed between April 2001 and January 2003. IGNS was used in 34 patients in whom it was assumed that the ability to identify surgical sites accurately could be compromised by previous surgery, massive recurrent polyposis, or abnormal anatomy, or when biopsies had to be taken from specific anatomic locations (for example, clivus, wall of sphenoid sinus, orbital apex). The precision of the navigation system, total operating room time, surgeon’s satisfaction and confidence, and intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded.

Results
In 33 out of 34 patients the surgical procedure was uneventful. One patient with an atelectatic maxillary sinus developed a minor complication of preseptal orbital haematoma. In 94% the IGNS provided accurate anatomical localisation with less than 2 mm localisation error (1.1–2.0 mm, mean 1.6 mm). In all cases the surgical team felt that the system increased the intraoperative safety factor for the patient. The overall operating room time at the end of the study was 15 minutes longer than when regular EES was used.

Conclusions
IGNS enables a new level of efficiency and safety in EES. Nevertheless, it is not advised for surgeons who are not familiar with regular EES. For the experienced endoscopist, however, IGNS is a valuable new tool in complex procedures.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumour in an inguinal hernial sac: an unusual presentation
Authors: Goyal A , Mansel R E , Goyal S 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Malignancy involving hernial sacs is rare. A 72 year old man is reported who had a right inguinal irreducible mass as an initial presentation of gastrointestinal stromal tumour mimicking irreducible inguinal hernia. The diagnosis was missed at the time of surgery and was revealed only by the histology results of the excised sac.