bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Persistence of pneumococcal carriage among older adults in the community despite COVID-19 mitigation measures
Authors: Wyllie Anne L. , Mbodj Sidiya , Thammavongsa Darani A. , Hislop Maikel S. , Yolda-Carr Devyn , Waghela Pari , Nakahata Maura , Watkins Anne E. , Vega Noel J. , York Anna , Allicock Orchid M. , Wilkins Geisa , Ouyang Andrea , Siqueiros Laura , Strong Yvette , Anastasio Kelly , Alexander-Parrish Ronika , Arguedas Adriano , Gessner Bradford D. , Weinberger Daniel M. 
Published: June 2022

ABSTRACTBackgroundReported rates of invasive pneumococcal disease were markedly lower than normal during the 2020/2021 winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the first year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about rates of carriage of pneumococcus among adults during this period.MethodsBetween October 2020-August 2021, couples living in the Greater New Haven Area were enrolled if both individuals were aged 60 years and above and did not have any individuals under the age of 60 years living in the household. Saliva samples and questionnaires regarding social activities and contacts and medical history were obtained every 2 weeks for a period of 10 weeks. Following culture-enrichment, extracted DNA was tested using qPCR for pneumococcus-specific sequences piaB and lytA. Individuals were considered positive for pneumococcal carriage when Ct-values for piaB were less than 40.ResultsWe collected 567 saliva samples from 95 individuals aged 60 years and above (47 household pairs and one singleton). Of those, 7.1% of samples tested positive for pneumococcus by either piaB only (n=6) or both piaB and lytA (n=34), representing 22/95 (23.2%) individuals and 16/48 (33.3%) households over the course of the 10-week study period. Study participants attended few social events during this period. However, many participants continued to have regular contact with children. Individuals who had regular contact with preschool and school aged children (i.e., 2-9 year olds) had a higher prevalence of carriage (15.9% vs 5.4%).ConclusionsDespite COVID-19-related disruptions, a large proportion of older adults carried pneumococcus at least once during the 10-week study period. Prevalence was particularly high among those who had contact with school-aged children, but carriage was not limited to this group.
Preventing diabetic foot ulcers in low resource settings using Pedal Elevated Temperature Risk Assessment (PETRA)
Authors: Huemer Kayla , Wei Qingyue , Nallan Srikar , Jebasingh Felix , Palaniappan Latha 
Published: June 2022

AbstractDiabetic foot ulcers develop for up to 1 in 3 patients with diabetes. While ulcers are costly to manage and often necessitate an amputation, they are preventable if intervention is initiated early. However, with current standard of care, it is difficult to know which patients are at highest risk of developing an ulcer. Recently, thermal monitoring has been shown to catch the development of complications around 35 days in advance of onset. We seek to use thermal scans of patients’ with diabetes feet to automatically detect and classify a patient’s risk for foot ulcer development so that intervention may be initiated. We began by comparing performance of various architectures (backbone: DFTnet, ResNet50, and Swin Transformer) trained on visual spectrum images for monofilament task. We moved forward with the highest accuracy model which used ResNet50 as backbone (DFTNet acc. 68.18%, ResNet50 acc. 81.81%, Transformers: acc. 72.72%) to train on thermal images for the risk prediction task and achieved 96.4% acc. To increase interpretability of the model, we then trained this same architecture to predict two standard of care risk scores: high vs low-risk monofilament scores (81.8% accuracy) and high vs low-risk biothesiometer score (77.4% accuracy). We then sought to improve performance by facilitating the model’s learning. By annotating feet bounding boxes, we trained our own YoloV4 detector to automatically detect feet in our images (mAp accuracy of 99.7% and IoU of 86.%). By using these bounding box predictions as input to the model, this improved performance of our two classification tasks: MF 84.1%, BT 83.9%. We then sought to further improve the accuracy of these classification tasks with two further experiments implementing visual images of the feet: 1) training the models only on visual images (Risk: 97.6%, MF: 86.3%, BT: 80.6%), 2) concatenating visual images alongside the thermal images either early (E) or late (L) fusion in the architecture (Risk, E: 99.4%, L: 98.8% ; MF, E: 86.4%, L: 90.9%; BT, E: 83.9%, L: 83.9%). Our results demonstrate promise for thermal and visible spectrum images to be capable of providing insight to doctors such that they know which patients to intervene for in order to prevent ulceration and ultimately save the patient’s limb.
Manufacturing Processes of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Allergen Powder-dnfp
Authors: Leonard Stephanie A. , Ogawa Yasushi , Jedrzejewski Paul T. , Maleki Soheila J. , Chapman Martin D. , Tilles Stephen A. , Toit George Du , Mustafa S. Shahzad , Vickery Brian P. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractImportant components of drug safety, efficacy, and acceptability involve manufacturing and testing of the drug substance and drug product. Peanut flour sourcing/processing and manufacturing processes may affect final drug product allergen potency and contamination level, possibly impacting drug safety, quality, and efficacy. We describe key steps in the manufacturing processes of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) allergen powder-dnfp (PTAH; Palforzia®), a drug used in oral immunotherapy (OIT) for the treatment of peanut allergy. Established criteria for source material must be met for manufacturing PTAH drug product. Degree of roasting was determined with a Hunter colorimeter. Protein/allergen content, identity, potency, safety, and quality of each batch of PTAH drug substance were assessed with a combustion analyzer, allergen-specific Western blot (immunoblotting), ELISA, and HPLC; contaminants (i.e., aflatoxin) were measured by UPLC. Roasting degree beyond “light roast” was associated with variable degrees of protein allergen degradation, or potentially aggregation, particularly for Ara h 1 and Ara h 3. Relative potency and amounts of protein allergens showed variability due in part to seasonal/manufacturing variability. Proportion of lots not meeting aflatoxin limits has increased in recent years. Up to 60% of peanut flour source material failed to meet screening selection acceptance criteria for proceeding to drug substance testing, mostly because of failure to meet potency acceptance criteria. Other lots were rejected due to safety and quality. Influence of potency variation, within specification parameters, on safety/tolerability observed in trials was considered low, in part due to stringent controls placed at each step of manufacture. Extensive variability in allergen potency is a critical issue during immunotherapy, particularly during OIT initial dose escalation and up-dosing, as it may result in lack of efficacy or avoidable adverse allergic reactions. Based on EU and US regulatory requirements, the production of PTAH includes manufacturing controls to ensure drug product safety, potency, and quality. For example, although PTAH contains all peanut allergens, each lot has met strict criteria ensuring consistent allergenic potency of Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 6. The rigor of PTAH’s manufacturing process ensures reliable dose consistency and stability throughout its shelf life.
Hybrid and vaccine-induced immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in MS patients on different disease-modifying therapies
Authors: Kister Ilya , Curtin Ryan , Pei Jinglan , Perdomo Katherine , Bacon Tamar E. , Voloshyna Iryna , Kim Joseph , Tardio Ethan , Velmurugu Yogambigai , Nyovanie Samantha , Calderon Andrea Valeria , Dibba Fatoumatta , Idga Stanzin , Samanovic Marie I. , Raut Pranil , Raposo Catarina , Priest Jessica , Cabatingan Mark , Winger Ryan C. , Mulligan Mark J. , Patskovsky Yury , Silverman Gregg J. , Krogsgaard Michelle 
Published: June 2022

AbstractObjectiveTo compare ‘hybrid immunity’ (prior COVID-19 infection plus vaccination) and post-vaccination immunity to SARS CoV-2 in MS patients on different disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and to assess the impact of vaccine product and race/ethnicity on post-vaccination immune responses.MethodsConsecutive MS patients from NYU MS Care Center (New York, NY), aged 18-60, who completed COVID-19 vaccination series ≥6 weeks previously were evaluated for SARS CoV-2-specific antibody responses with electro-chemiluminescence and multiepitope bead-based immunoassays and, in a subset, live virus immunofluorescence-based microneutralization assay. SARS CoV-2-specific cellular responses were assessed with cellular stimulation TruCulture IFNγ and IL-2 assay and, in a subset, with IFNγ and IL-2 ELISpot assays. Multivariate analyses examined associations between immunologic responses and prior COVID-19 infection while controlling for age, sex, DMT at vaccination, time-to-vaccine, and vaccine product.ResultsBetween 6/01/2021-11/11/2021, 370 MS patients were recruited (mean age 40.6 years; 76% female; 53% non-White; 22% with prior infection; common DMT classes: ocrelizumab 40%; natalizumab 15%, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators 13%; and no DMT 8%). Vaccine-to-collection time was 18.7 (±7.7) weeks and 95% of patients received mRNA vaccines. In multivariate analyses, patients with laboratory-confirmed prior COVID-19 infection had significantly increased antibody and cellular post-vaccination responses compared to those without prior infection. Vaccine product and DMT class were independent predictors of antibody and cellular responses, while race/ethnicity was not.InterpretationPrior COVID-19 infection is associated with enhanced antibody and cellular post-vaccine responses independent of DMT class and vaccine type. There were no differences in immune responses across race/ethnic groups.
Fibroblastic cells are a site of mouse cytomegalovirusin vivolytic replication and latent persistence oppositely regulated byStat1
Authors: Sitnik Katarzyna M. , Krstanović Fran , Gödecke Natascha , Rand Ulfert , Kubsch Tobias , Maaß Henrike , Kim Yeonsu , Brizić Ilija , Čičin-Šain Luka 
Published: June 2022

AbstractTo date, no herpesvirus has been shown to latently persist in fibroblastic cells. Here, we demonstrate that mouse CMV (MCMV), a β-herpesvirus, persists for the long term and across organs in PDGFRα+fibroblastic cells, with similar or higher genome loads than in the previously known sites of MCMV latency. Whereas MCMV gene transcription in PDGFRα+fibroblastic cells was almost completely silenced at 5 months post-infection, these cells gave rise to reactivated virusex vivo, arguing that they supported latent MCMV infection. Notably, PDGFRα+fibroblastic cells also supported productive virus replication during primary MCMV infection. Mechanistically,Stat1-deficiency resulted in increased lytic but abolished latent infection of fibroblastic cellsin vivo. In sum, fibroblastic cells have a dual role as a site of lytic MCMV replication and a reservoir of latent MCMVin vivoandStat1is critically involved in the regulation of MCMV latency.
RootSlice– a novel functional-structural model for root anatomical phenotypes
Authors: Sidhu Jagdeep Singh , Ajmera Ishan , Arya Sankalp , Lynch Jonathan P. 
Published: June 2022

ABSTRACTRoot anatomy is an important determinant of root metabolic costs, soil exploration, and soil resource capture. Root anatomy varies substantially within and among plant species.RootSliceis a multicellular functional-structural model of root anatomy developed to facilitate the analysis and understanding of root anatomical phenotypes.RootSlicecan capture phenotypically accurate root anatomy in three dimensions of different root classes and developmental zones, of both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species. Several case studies are presented illustrating the capabilities of the model. For maize nodal roots, the model illustrated the role of vacuole expansion in cell elongation; and confirmed the individual and synergistic role of increasing root cortical aerenchyma and reducing the number of cortical cell files in reducing root metabolic costs. Integration ofRootSlicefor different root zones as the temporal properties of the nodal roots in the whole-plant and soil modelOpenSimRoot/maizeenabled the multiscale evaluation of root anatomical phenotypes, highlighting the role of aerenchyma formation in enhancing the utility of cortical cell files for improving plant performance over varying soil nitrogen supply. Such integrativein silicoapproaches present avenues for exploring the fitness landscape of root anatomical phenotypes.Summary statementRoot anatomy remains an underutilized target for crop breeding.RootSlice, a multicellular functional-structural model of root anatomy, simulates the costs and benefits of diverse root anatomical phenotypes to estimate their utility for plant fitness in unfavorable soil environments.
Vitamin D and the ability to produce 1,25(OH)2D are critical for protection from viral infection of the lungs
Authors: Arora Juhi , Patel Devanshi , Nicol McKayla J. , Field Cassandra J , Restori Katherine H. , Wang Jinpeng , Froelich Nicole E. , Katkere Bhuvana , Terwilliger Josey A. , Weaver Veronika , Luley Erin , Kelly Kathleen , Kirimanjeswara Girish S. , Sutton Troy C. , Cantorna Margherita T. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractVitamin D supplementation has been linked to improved outcomes from respiratory virus infection, and the COVID19 pandemic has renewed interest in understanding the potential role of vitamin D in protecting the lung from viral infections. Therefore, we evaluated the role of Vitamin D using animal models of pandemic H1N1 influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection. In mice, dietary induced vitamin D deficiency resulted in lung inflammation that was present prior to infection. Vitamin D sufficient (D+) and deficient (D-) wildtype (WT) and D+ and D-Cyp27B1 (Cyp) knockout (KO, cannot produce 1,25(OH)2D) mice were infected with pandemic H1N1. D- WT, D+ Cyp KO, and D- Cyp KO mice all exhibited significantly reduced survival compared to D+ WT mice. Importantly, survival was not the result of reduced viral replication as influenza M gene expression in the lungs was similar for all animals. Based on these findings, additional experiments were performed using the mouse and hamster models of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In these studies, high dose vitamin D supplementation reduced lung inflammation in mice but not hamsters. A trend to faster weight recovery was observed in 1,25(OH)2D treated mice that survived SARS-CoV-2 infection. There was no effect of vitamin D on SARS-CoV-2 N gene expression in the lung of either mice or hamsters. Therefore, vitamin D deficiency enhanced disease severity, while vitamin D sufficient/supplementation reduced inflammation following infections with H1N1 influenza and SARS-CoV-2.
A point mutation in Chl biosynthesis gene Mg-chelatase I subunit influences on leaf color and metabolism in strawberry
Authors: Ma Yang-Yang , Shi Jian-Cheng , Wang Dan-Juan , Liang Xia , Wei Feng , Gong Chun-mei , Qiu Li-juan , Wen Ying-Qiang , Feng Jia-Yue 
Published: June 2022

AbstractMagnesium chelatase catalysis the insertion of magnesium into protoporphyrin IX is a vital step in chlorophyll biogenesis. It consists of three subunits, CHLI, CHLD and CHLH. The CHLI subunit is an ATPase and hydrolysis ATP in the catalysis. However, its key point on influencing flavonoid biosynthesis and chlorophyll accumulation under different light density was still unknown. In this study, we identified an N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutant, p240 from strawberry Fragaria pentaphylla that has yellow-green leaves and lower chlorophyll level. We verified the mutation occurs in the 186th amino acid of CHLI subunit, which is conserved in most photosynthetic organism. Mutants generated from RNAi and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing confirmed this phenotype. In addition, we found that FpCHLI was localized in chloroplast and its subcellular location have not been changed by mutation. Further study showed that the interaction between FpCHLI and FpCHLD were not affected by mutagenesis. In contrast, all types of mutants showed reduced ATPase and magnesium chelatase activity indicating mutagenesis decreased enzymatic activities. Furthermore, mutagenesis suppressed the biosynthesis of Mg-proto IX. Metabolites analysis of gene knock-out mutant and WT revealed that CHLI may help to keep stabilizing the flavonoid level in leaves. Furthermore, both p240 and chli mutants are light sensitive, which has yellow leaves under high light but pale green leaves under poor light. The photosynthesis ability of mutants was also increased under shade. Moreover, stomatal apertures of mutants were wider than WT. Taken together, these results suggest that CHLI plays an important role in both leaf coloration and metabolism.
The antecedents of m-banking usage under capital controls in Greece – a mixed methods approach
Authors: Patsiotis Athanasios , Krasonikolakis Ioannis , Lyu Jing 
Published: June 2022

PurposeCapital controls restrict cash withdrawals and international transfers, among other restrictions. The purpose of the study is to explore how capital controls have influenced m-banking usage and disclose the underlying factors that explain m-banking usage intentions.Design/methodology/approachGrounded on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study assumes that usage behavior may be different from intentions to adopt. In-depth interviews (study 1) were employed with both consumers and bank employees to explore the factors of m-banking adoption under capital controls, followed by an online survey (study 2) pertaining to examine the relationships between underlying factors.FindingsStudy 1 reveals that the growth of m-banking usage is strongly associated with capital controls that perceived ease of use, usefulness, risk, technology anxiety and decision comfort are significant attributes in influencing usage intention. Study 2 verifies that most underlying factors are important predictors of m-banking usage intention, except technology anxiety does not impact m-banking usage.Research limitations/implicationsThe respective effects on usage intentions may be different in the absence of capital controls. A similar study could examine the importance of the respective constructs in conditions of no forced use. The case of forcing consumers to adopt a technological innovation could be further explored.Practical implicationsRetail banking consumers have changed their banking and financing behaviors because of capital controls. Forced usage may cause customers to cultivate positive attitudes towards the technology and consider it for continuous usage.Originality/valueCapital controls were found to impact positively customer behavior towards m-banking. It is revealed that capital controls have forced bank customers to adopt and use m-banking for their financial needs.
The impact of fossil fuel subsidies on income inequality: accounting for the interactive roles of corruption and economic uncertainty
Authors: Solarin Sakiru Adebola 
Published: June 2022

PurposeThe aim of this empirical study is to examine the determinants of income inequality with particular concentration on the impact of fossil fuel subsidies, while controlling for corruption, economic uncertainty and democratisation in developing nations.Design/methodology/approachGeneralised method of moments (GMM) is the principal method used in this study due to time and cross-sectional dimensions of the series under observation. Augmented mean group (AMG) method has been used as an alternative estimator.FindingsThe results revealed that increase in fossil fuel subsidies causes greater income inequality. The results indicate that corruption and uncertainty aggravate the impact of fossil fuel subsidies on inequality. The results are not materially different when an alternative estimation technique is used to estimate the regressions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study uses data for 31 developing countries. So, with availability of more datasets in the future, further studies can include more countries in their analyses.Practical implicationsPrice reforms resulting in a major decrease in the fossil fuel subsidies is needed in these developing countries. The authorities must ensure that fiscal savings, structural adjustment and enhanced efficiency in production resulting from energy price reforms serve as catalyst to promote income distribution in these countries.Originality/valueThe author’s first addition to the literature is that the study has concentrated on the fossil fuel subsidies and income inequality relationship, which has not been sufficiently treated in the existing literature. Without adequately knowing the key factors determining income inequality, it may be difficult to use appropriate programmes that will safeguard appropriate income distribution.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2021-0675
Does media exposure moderate the relationship between ownership structure and environmental disclosure quality: evidence from Jordan
Authors: Ananzeh Husam , Bugshan Abdullah , Amayreh Ibrahim 
Published: June 2022

PurposeGiven the increasing emphasis on environmental issues, this study attempts to offer concrete evidence on the relationship between ownership structure and environmental disclosure quality and whether media exposure moderates this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe sample adopted in this study includes a group of 94 Jordanian companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange from 2010 to 2016. Data about companies' environmental disclosure were manually collected using the content analysis method.FindingsOur findings reveal that increasing the levels of ownership concentration and management ownership can negatively impact the quality of environmental reporting among companies in Jordan. This type of reporting, however, is likely to be benefited from the presence of a high level of foreign ownership. In terms of the role played by media, media coverage may act as a buffer against the negative relationship between environmental reporting and ownership concentration and management ownership. On the other hand, the relationship between foreign ownership and environmental reporting remains positive and significant no matter the amount of media attention the company is receiving.Originality/valueThis study is crucial because it contributes to the existing environmental debate studies in two crucial ways. It first offers the first evidence on how media exposure can moderate the relationship between ownership structure and environmental disclosure. Second, this study's findings provide important implications for regulators and policymakers in Jordan.