cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
FFORMA: Feature-based forecast model averaging
Creators: name: Montero-Manso, Pablo
name: Athanasopoulos, George
name: Hyndman, Rob J
name: Talagala, Thiyanga S
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2022
Subjects: Econometric and statistical methods
Econometrics not elsewhere classified

description: We propose an automated method for obtaining weighted forecast combinations using time series features. The proposed approach involves two phases. First, we use a collection of time series to train a meta-model to assign weights to various possible forecasting methods with the goal of minimizing the average forecasting loss obtained from a weighted forecast combination. The inputs to the meta-model are features extracted from each series. In the second phase, we forecast new series using a weighted forecast combination where the weights are obtained from our previously trained meta-model. Our method outperforms a simple forecast combination, and outperforms all of the most popular individual methods in the time series forecasting literature. The approach achieved second position in the M4 competition.
The Dependence of the Yersinia pestis Capsule on Pathogenesis Is Influenced by the Mouse Background
Creators: name: Cathelyn, Jason S.
name: Weening, Eric H.
name: Kaufman, Greer
name: Lawrenz, Matthew B.
name: Price, Paul
name: Goldman, William E.
name: Miller, Virginia L.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2011

description: ABSTRACT Yersinia pestis is a highly pathogenic Gram-negative organism and the causative agent of bubonic and pneumonic plague. Y . pestis is capable of causing major epidemics; thus, there is a need for vaccine targets and a greater understanding of the role of these targets in pathogenesis. Two prime Y . pestis vaccine candidates are the usher-chaperone fimbriae Psa and Caf. Herein we report that Y . pestis requires, in a nonredundant manner, both PsaA and Caf1 to achieve its full pathogenic ability in both pneumonic and bubonic plague in C57BL/6J mice. Deletion of psaA leads to a decrease in the organ bacterial burden and to a significant increase in the 50% lethal dose (LD 50 ) after subcutaneous infection. Deletion of caf1 also leads to a significant decrease in the organ bacterial burden but more importantly leads to a significantly greater increase in the LD 50 than was observed for the Δ psaA mutant strain after subcutaneous infection of C57BL/6J mice. Furthermore, the degree of attenuation of the Δ caf1 mutant strain is mouse background dependent, as the Δ caf1 mutant strain was attenuated to a lesser degree in BALB/cJ mice by the subcutaneous route than in C57BL/6J mice. This observation that the degree of requirement for Caf1 is dependent on the mouse background indicates that the virulence of Y . pestis is dependent on the genetic makeup of its host and provides further support for the hypothesis that PsaA and Caf1 have different targets.
title: Calibration and measurement of thermal properties using portable electronic divided-bar apparatus
Creators: name: Sutherland, Rupert
name: Seward, Anya M.
Publisher: name: GNS Science
Year: 2024

description: The divided bar apparatus provides a convenient, quick and accurate way to measure thermal resistance and heat capacity of rock samples that are sandwiched between internal standards. A temperature step is applied across the apparatus and temperatures at each interface are monitored. This report summarises protocols of measurement and recommends improvements in methodology. In particular, a new method of inference of thermal properties is presented: (1) a heat loss correction is made by extrapolation of temperature step values across the sample and internal standards at equilibrium to a median sample temperature at room temperature; (2) thermal resistances of internal (polycarbonate) standards and the average contact resistance (includes brass plates) is determined using measurements of external standards with known resistances; (3) a metric to infer thermal resistance of an unknown sample is constructed using Fourier’s law, corrected temperature steps, and the thermal resistances of internal standards and contacts. This semi-empirical approach is constructed to minimise the effects of heat loss, but uncertainty in the heat loss model is suggested to be the most important remaining source of error, with contact resistances being the second most important source of error. The heat loss model depends on sample geometry and thermal properties, and equipment setup, e.g. configuration of insulation, and equilibration temperature. The heat capacity of a sample is determined by integration of heat accumulation in the sample during a period of temperature increase and re-equilibration. An empirical correction is made to account for inaccuracies related to determination of thermal resistances within the apparatus or any other systematic (repeatable) aspects of assumptions or experimental apparatus or procedure. Our approach is repeatable and accurate. Remeasurement of some or all samples in a set would provide an independent way to estimate repeatability, i.e. uncertainty in thermal resistance, that is specific to the sample and insulation geometry used, but the fit to known external standards provides an adequate estimate of uncertainties. (auths)
Contribution of Bordetella Filamentous Hemagglutinin and Adenylate Cyclase Toxin to Suppression and Evasion of Interleukin-17-Mediated Inflammation
Creators: name: Gray, Mary C.
name: Inatsuka, Carol S.
name: Cotter, Peggy A.
name: Henderson, Michael W.
name: Benaron, David J.
name: Sheets, Amanda J.
name: Williams, Corinne L.
name: Donato, Gina M.
name: Hewlett, Erik L.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2012

description: ABSTRACT Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica establish respiratory infections with notorious efficiency. Our previous studies showed that the fhaB genes of B. pertussis and B. bronchiseptica , which encode filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), are functionally interchangeable and provided evidence that FHA-deficient B. bronchiseptica induces more inflammation in the lungs of mice than wild-type B. bronchiseptica . We show here that the robust inflammatory response to FHA-deficient B. bronchiseptica is characterized by the early and sustained influx of interleukin-17 (IL-17)-positive neutrophils and macrophages and, at 72 h postinoculation, IL-17-positive CD4 + T cells, suggesting that FHA allows the bacteria to suppress the development of an IL-17-mediated inflammatory response. We also show that the cyaA genes of B. pertussis and B. bronchiseptica , which encode adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT), are functionally interchangeable and that ACT, specifically its catalytic activity, is required for B. bronchiseptica to resist phagocytic clearance but is neither required for nor inhibitory of the induction of inflammation if bacteria are present in numbers sufficient to persist during the first 3 days postinoculation. Incubation of bone marrow-derived macrophages with a Δ cyaA strain caused decreased production of IL-1β and increased production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and IL-12, while incubation with a Δ cyaA Δ fhaB strain caused increased production of IL-23. These data suggest that FHA and ACT both contribute to suppress the recruitment of neutrophils and the development of an IL-17-mediated immune response. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a microbial pathogen suppressing IL-17-mediated inflammation in vivo as a strategy to evade innate immunity.
Evolution and Virulence Contributions of the Autotransporter Proteins YapJ and YapK of Yersinia pestis CO92 and Their Homologs in Y. pseudotuberculosis IP32953
Creators: name: Lenz, Jonathan D.
name: Miller, Virginia L.
name: Temple, Brenda R. S.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2012

description: ABSTRACT Yersinia pestis , the causative agent of plague, evolved from the gastrointestinal pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis . Both species have numerous type Va autotransporters, most of which appear to be highly conserved. In Y. pestis CO92, the autotransporter genes yapK and yapJ share a high level of sequence identity. By comparing yapK and yapJ to three homologous genes in Y. pseudotuberculosis IP32953 (YPTB0365, YPTB3285, and YPTB3286), we show that yapK is conserved in Y. pseudotuberculosis , while yapJ is unique to Y. pestis . All of these autotransporters exhibit >96% identity in the C terminus of the protein and identities ranging from 58 to 72% in their N termini. By extending this analysis to include homologous sequences from numerous Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis strains, we determined that these autotransporters cluster into a YapK (YPTB3285) class and a YapJ (YPTB3286) class. The YPTB3286-like gene of most Y. pestis strains appears to be inactivated, perhaps in favor of maintaining yapJ . Since autotransporters are important for virulence in many bacterial pathogens, including Y. pestis , any change in autotransporter content should be considered for its impact on virulence. Using established mouse models of Y. pestis infection, we demonstrated that despite the high level of sequence identity, yapK is distinct from yapJ in its contribution to disseminated Y. pestis infection. In addition, a mutant lacking both of these genes exhibits an additive attenuation, suggesting nonredundant roles for yapJ and yapK in systemic Y. pestis infection. However, the deletion of the homologous genes in Y. pseudotuberculosis does not seem to impact the virulence of this organism in orogastric or systemic infection models.
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis SecA2 System Subverts Phagosome Maturation To Promote Growth in Macrophages
Creators: name: Sullivan, J. T.
name: Young, E. F.
name: McCann, J. R.
name: Braunstein, M.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2012

description: The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to grow in macrophages is critical to the virulence of this important pathogen. One way M. tuberculosis is thought to maintain a hospitable niche in macrophages is by arresting the normal process of phagosomes maturing into acidified phagolysosomes. The process of phagosome maturation arrest by M. tuberculosis is not fully understood, and there has remained a need to firmly establish a requirement for phagosome maturation arrest for M. tuberculosis growth in macrophages. Other intracellular pathogens that control the phagosomal environment use specialized protein export systems to deliver effectors of phagosome trafficking to the host cell. In M. tuberculosis, the accessory SecA2 system is a specialized protein export system that is required for intracellular growth in macrophages. In studying the importance of the SecA2 system in macrophages, we discovered that SecA2 is required for phagosome maturation arrest. Shortly after infection, phagosomes containing a ΔsecA2 mutant of M. tuberculosis were more acidified and showed greater association with markers of late endosomes than phagosomes containing wild-type M. tuberculosis. We further showed that inhibitors of phagosome acidification rescued the intracellular growth defect of the ΔsecA2 mutant, which demonstrated that the phagosome maturation arrest defect of the ΔsecA2 mutant is responsible for the intracellular growth defect. This study demonstrates the importance of phagosome maturation arrest for M. tuberculosis growth in macrophages, and it suggests there are effectors of phagosome maturation that are exported into the host environment by the accessory SecA2 system.
Statistical Insights and Fraud Techniques for Telecommunications Sector in Egypt
Creators: name: A. Mawgoud, Ahmed
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Theoretical Computer Science
subject: 100503 Computer Communications Networks
subject: FOS: Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering
subject: 80303 Computer System Security
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: 160206 Private Policing and Security Services
subject: FOS: Law

description: National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has investigated the telecommunication performance of the service providers in Egypt between the periods of February 2018 and February 2019. Fraud is a multibillion pound problem around the world. The problem is the huge financial loss of revenue that can affect the trustworthiness and performance of the telecommunication corporation. Egypt is one of the developing countries that is witnessing rapid growth in its telecommunications infrastructure. As a result of the increasing number of corporate and internet users, fraudsters are exploiting the vulnerabilities to gain illegal revenue through the subscribers. The telecommunications sector in Egypt has suffered in the last two decades from different types of telecom fraud cases which have damaged the financial sector on both the telecommunications and governmental side. In this paper, we present:
 a) Statistical insights on users, mobile operators, and Internet companies for the telecommunications sector in Egypt in 2018/2019.
 b) An example of a common fraudulent methodology used against both users and telecom operators in Egypt. c) A discussion of the consequences of fraud cases, as well as a proposed framework as a proactive methodology to combat the growing threat of telecom fraud.
The Vibrio cholerae Pst2 Phosphate Transport System Is Upregulated in Biofilms and Contributes to Biofilm-Induced Hyperinfectivity
Creators: name: Tamayo, Rita
name: Mudrak, Benjamin
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2012

description: ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of the deadly diarrheal disease cholera. As part of its life cycle, V. cholerae persists in marine environments, where it forms surface-attached communities commonly described as biofilms. Evidence indicates that these biofilms constitute the infectious form of the pathogen during outbreaks. Previous work has shown that biofilm-derived V. cholerae cells, even when fully dispersed from the biofilm matrix, are vastly more infectious than planktonic (free-living) cells. Here, we sought to identify factors that contribute to biofilm-induced hyperinfectivity in V. cholerae , and we present evidence for one aspect of the molecular basis of this phenotype. We identified proteins upregulated during growth in biofilms and determined their contributions to the hyperinfectivity phenotype. We found that PstS2, the periplasmic component of the Pst2 phosphate uptake system, was enriched in biofilms. Another gene in the pst2 locus was transcriptionally upregulated in biofilms. Using the infant mouse model, we found that mutation of two pst2 components resulted in impaired colonization. Importantly, deletion of the Pst2 inner membrane complex caused a greater colonization defect after growth in a biofilm compared to shaking culture. Based on these data, we propose that V. cholerae cells in biofilms upregulate the Pst2 system and therefore gain an advantage upon entry into the host. Further characterization of factors contributing to biofilm-induced hyperinfectivity in V. cholerae will improve our understanding of the transmission of the bacteria from natural aquatic habitats to the human host.
See the Forest for the Trees: Human-Environmental Entanglement in the Sacred Cypress Groves of Ancient Greece
Creators: name: Rummery, Eva G.
Publisher: name: Macquarie University
Year: 2022
Subjects: Other education not elsewhere classified

description: Significant features of the ancient Greek landscape were its open-air cult sites, one of which was the ἄλσος, translated in modern English to 'sacred grove'. Sacred groves were areas of natural forest, or trees that were planted as spaces of worship. In these spaces, religion was interwoven with the landscape; wherein human-nature interactions formed a foundation for cultural practice. Yet, despite the connection between landscape and religion in these spaces, research in the field of sacred groves has focused primarily upon their religious qualities: scholarship has rarely delved into sacred groves as natural ecosystems, and their roles as ecosystems in ancient Greek religion. This approach has overlooked the inherent entanglement between nature and culture in ancient Greece, as well as the agency of sacred groves as natural ecosystems in the ancient Greek world. Accordingly, this thesis asks: what is the nature of entanglement between humans and ancient Greece's sacred groves? To examine this question, it compiles 21 sacred cypress groves attested in the ancient Greek textual and archaeological record, and analyses these groves through the methodology of Environmental History. Using the sacred cypress grove at Nemea as a case study, it is demonstrated that sacred cypress groves are spaces which do not exclusively exist either in nature or culture, but rather in both – formed through an intimate process of entanglement with their local culture. The mythologies and histories of ancient Greece were influential in the creation of sacred cypress groves, but these landscapes were equally complicit in the shaping of these mythologies and histories. Moreover, this thesis illustrates that these landscapes were significant ecological agents, valuable in their environments for the prevention of soil erosion, and the retention of water in their environment. The combined archaeological and ecological approaches used within this project are essential in opening a line of historical inquiry which illuminates the dynamic connections of ancient humans with their larger ecosystem.
Titan Cell Production Enhances the Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans
Creators: name: Okagaki, Laura H.
name: Nielsen, Kirsten
name: Wiesner, Darin L.
name: Nielsen, Judith N.
name: Strain, Anna K.
name: Crabtree, Juliet N.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2012

description: ABSTRACT Infection with Cryptococcus neoformans begins when desiccated yeast cells or spores are inhaled and lodge in the alveoli of the lungs. A subset of cryptococcal cells in the lungs differentiate into enlarged cells, referred to as titan cells. Titan cells can be as large as 50 to 100 μm in diameter and exhibit a number of features that may affect interactions with host immune defenses. To characterize the effect of titan cell formation on the host-pathogen interaction, we utilized a previously described C. neoformans mutant, the gpr4 Δ gpr5 Δ mutant, which has minimal titan cell production in vivo . The gpr4 Δ gpr5 Δ mutant strain had attenuated virulence, a lower CFU, and reduced dissemination compared to the wild-type strain. Titan cell production by the wild-type strain also resulted in increased eosinophil accumulation and decreased phagocytosis in the lungs compared to those with the gpr4 Δ gpr5 Δ mutant strain. Phagocytosed cryptococcal cells exhibited less viability than nonphagocytosed cells, which potentially explains the reduced cell survival and overall attenuation of virulence in the absence of titan cells. These data show that titan cell formation is a novel virulence factor in C. neoformans that promotes establishment of the initial pulmonary infection and plays a key role in disease progression.
Tailoring Requirements Engineering for Responsible AI
Creators: name: Maalej, Walid
name: Pham, Yen Dieu
name: Chazette, Larissa
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI)
subject: Software Engineering (cs.SE)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Requirements Engineering (RE) is the discipline for identifying, analyzing, as well as ensuring the implementation and delivery of user, technical, and societal requirements. Recently reported issues concerning the acceptance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions after deployment, e.g. in the medical, automotive, or scientific domains, stress the importance of RE for designing and delivering Responsible AI systems. In this paper, we argue that RE should not only be carefully conducted but also tailored for Responsible AI. We outline related challenges for research and practice.
description: To appear in IEEE Computer, Special Issue on Software Engineering for Responsible AI
ТИЖОРАТ БАНКЛАРИДА КАПИТАЛ МОНАНДЛИГИГА ҚЎЙИЛГАН ТАЛАБЛАР ВА УНИ ТАЪМИНЛАШДА РИСКЛИ АКТИВЛАР АҲАМИЯТИ
Creators: name: Равшанов, Миршод
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023

description: Ушбу мақолада банклари капитали таркиби, унинг монандлиги бўйича талаблари, рискли активлар хакида маълумотлар келтирилган. Шунингдек базел талабларини Ўзбекистон тижорат банкларида қўлланилиши, хатарли ва хатарсиз активлри салмоғи орқали банкларнинг даромадини ошириш кабилар ёритиб ўтилган.
ANALYZING THE STRATEGIC IMPACT OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT (CXM) ON SMES IN DERBY, UK
Creators: name: Dr. Daniel James, Edwards
Publisher: name: keith journal
Year: 2025
Subjects: Customer experience, management, strategy, marketing, SMES, Restaurants, Derby

description: The study was aimed at analysing the impact of social media advertisement on consumer buying behaviour. The survey research was used in this study to sample the opinion of respondents. This method involved random selection of respondent who were administered with questionnaires. The target population of the study comprised of students of selected departments in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University. The questionnaire administered was one hundred and ten (110) copies and one hundred copies retrieved which constitute the sample size. The descriptive and analytical approach was adopted using Chi-square to test and analyze the hypotheses earlier stated. The findings revealed that there is a significant influence of social media advertising on consumers buying behaviour of Oral B and MyMy toothpaste products and that there is a significant relationship between social media advertising and consumers buying behaviour of Oral B and MyMy toothpaste products.  It was therefore concluded from the findings that social media reach allows consumers to create content in line with the firm’s products and services. This study concludes that social media mix allows the firm to use a combination of various communication channels in targeting different market segments and its main objective is to help the businesses in meeting up with the various marketing objectives. It was recommended that Oral B and MyMy toothpaste industries should embrace the use of social media reach in targeting different market segments to effectively influence consumer buying behaviour.
A Phenotype at Last: Essential Role for the Yersinia enterocolitica Ysa Type III Secretion System in a Drosophila melanogaster S2 Cell Model
Creators: name: Hall, Joshua D.
name: Maltez, Vivien I.
name: Walker, Kimberly A.
name: Vitko, Nicholas P.
name: Miller, Virginia L.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: ABSTRACT The highly pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains have a chromosomally encoded type III secretion system (T3SS) that is expressed and functional in vitro only when the bacteria are cultured at 26°C. Mutations that render this system nonfunctional are slightly attenuated in the mouse model of infection only following an oral inoculation and only at early time points postinfection. The discrepancy between the temperature required for the Ysa gene expression and the physiological temperature required for mammalian model systems has made defining the role of this T3SS challenging. Therefore, we explored the use of Drosophila S2 cells as a model system for studying Ysa function. We show here that Y. enterocolitica is capable of infecting S2 cells and replicating intracellularly to high levels, an unusual feature of this pathogen. Importantly, we show that the Ysa T3SS is required for robust intracellular replication. A secretion-deficient mutant lacking the secretin gene, ysaC , is defective in replication within S2 cells, marking the first demonstration of a pronounced Ysa-dependent virulence phenotype. Establishment of S2 cells as a model for Y. enterocolitica infection provides a versatile tool to elucidate the role of the Ysa T3SS in the life cycle of this gastrointestinal pathogen.
Additional file 1 of Perspectives on Telehealth for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic using the quadruple aim: interviews with 48 physicians
Creators: name: Goldberg, Elizabeth M.
name: Lin, Michelle P.
name: Burke, Laura G.
name: Jiménez, Frances N.
name: Davoodi, Natalie M.
name: Merchant, Roland C.
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: Science Policy

description: Additional file 1: Appendix 1. Interview Protocol. Appendix 2: Table 2. Themes and Representative Quotations from Interviews in the Study of Geriatricians, Primary and Emergency Care Physicians on Telehealth, 2020 (Domain: Care Experience). Appendix 3: Table 3. Themes and Representative Quotations from Interviews in the Study of Geriatricians, Primary and Emergency Care Physicians on Telehealth, 2020 (Domain: Older Individuals’ Health). Appendix 4: Table 4. Themes and Representative Quotations from Interviews in the Study of Geriatricians, Primary and Emergency Care Physicians on Telehealth, 2020 (Domain: Cost). Appendix 5: Table 5. Themes and Representative Quotations from Interviews in the Study of Geriatricians, Primary and Emergency Care Physicians on Telehealth, 2020 (Domain: Workforce Engagement).
An Improved Recombination-Based In Vivo Expression Technology-Like Reporter System Reveals Differential cyaA Gene Activation in Bordetella Species
Creators: name: Henderson, Michael W.
name: Mason, Eliza
name: Byrd, Matthew S.
name: Cotter, Peggy A.
name: Scheller, Erich V.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: ABSTRACT Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica rely on the global two-component regulatory system BvgAS to control expression of distinct phenotypic phases. In the Bvg − phase, expression of vrg genes, including those required for motility in B. bronchiseptica , is activated and genes encoding virulence factors are not expressed. Conversely, in the Bvg + phase, genes encoding virulence factors are highly expressed while genes necessary for motility are repressed. Although several genetic analyses have demonstrated the importance of the Bvg + phase during respiratory infection, Bvg-regulated gene activation in B. bronchiseptica has not been investigated in vivo . To address this, we developed a plasmid, pGFLIP, that encodes a sensitive Flp recombinase-based fluorescent reporter system able to document gene activation both in vitro and in vivo . Using pGFLIP, we demonstrated that cyaA , considered to be a “late” Bvg + phase gene, is activated substantially earlier in B. bronchiseptica than B. pertussis following a switch from Bvg − to Bvg + phase conditions. We show that the altered activation of cyaA is not due to differences in the cyaA promoter or in the bvgAS alleles of B. bronchiseptica compared to B. pertussis , but appears to be species specific. Finally, we used pGFLIP to show that flaA remains repressed during infection, confirming that B. bronchiseptica does not modulate to the Bvg − phase in vivo .
Characterization of BcaA, a Putative Classical Autotransporter Protein in Burkholderia pseudomallei
Creators: name: Borst, Luke
name: Campos, Cristine G.
name: Cotter, Peggy A.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: ABSTRACT Burkholderia pseudomallei is a tier 1 select agent, and the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease with effects ranging from chronic abscesses to fulminant pneumonia and septic shock, which can be rapidly fatal. Autotransporters (ATs) are outer membrane proteins belonging to the type V secretion system family, and many have been shown to play crucial roles in pathogenesis. The open reading frame Bp1026b_II1054 ( bcaA ) in B. pseudomallei strain 1026b is predicted to encode a classical autotransporter protein with an approximately 80-kDa passenger domain that contains a subtilisin-related domain. Immediately 3′ to bcaA is Bp11026_II1055 ( bcaB ), which encodes a putative prolyl 4-hydroxylase. To investigate the role of these genes in pathogenesis, large in-frame deletion mutations of bcaA and bcaB were constructed in strain Bp340, an efflux pump mutant derivative of the melioidosis clinical isolate 1026b. Comparison of Bp340Δ bcaA and Bp340Δ bcaB mutants to wild-type B. pseudomallei in vitro demonstrated similar levels of adherence to A549 lung epithelial cells, but the mutant strains were defective in their ability to invade these cells and to form plaques. In a BALB/c mouse model of intranasal infection, similar bacterial burdens were observed after 48 h in the lungs and liver of mice infected with Bp340Δ bcaA , Bp340Δ bcaB , and wild-type bacteria. However, significantly fewer bacteria were recovered from the spleen of Bp340Δ bcaA -infected mice, supporting the idea of a role for this AT in dissemination or in survival in the passage from the site of infection to the spleen.
Implant Removal Landscape Assessment Tools
Creators: name: Haws, Rachel
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 321599
subject: Reproductive medicine not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 420605
subject: Preventative health care
classificationCode: 420699
subject: Public health not elsewhere classified

description: Tools used in the Landscape Assessment for contraceptive implant removal in Burkina Faso. Originals in French, translated to English
Tool 1: Observation checklist: clinical competencies in contraceptive implant removalTool 2: Interview guide for interviews with providers of contraceptive implant removal servicesTool 3: Contraceptive implant removal facility readiness survey Tool 4: Interview guide for health facility managers on contraceptive implant services
Functional Characterization of Burkholderia pseudomallei Trimeric Autotransporters
Creators: name: Cotter, Peggy A.
name: Byrd, Matthew S.
name: Campos, Cristine G.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: ABSTRACT Burkholderia pseudomallei is a tier 1 select agent and the causative agent of melioidosis, a severe and often fatal disease with symptoms ranging from acute pneumonia and septic shock to a chronic infection characterized by abscess formation in the lungs, liver, and spleen. Autotransporters (ATs) are exoproteins belonging to the type V secretion system family, with many playing roles in pathogenesis. The genome of B. pseudomallei strain 1026b encodes nine putative trimeric AT proteins, of which only four have been described. Using a bioinformatic approach, we annotated putative domains within each trimeric AT protein, excluding the well-studied BimA protein, and found short repeated sequences unique to Burkholderia species, as well as an unexpectedly large proportion of ATs with extended signal peptide regions (ESPRs). To characterize the role of trimeric ATs in pathogenesis, we constructed disruption or deletion mutations in each of eight AT-encoding genes and evaluated the resulting strains for adherence to, invasion of, and plaque formation in A549 cells. The majority of the ATs (and/or the proteins encoded downstream) contributed to adherence to and efficient invasion of A549 cells. Using a BALB/c mouse model of infection, we determined the contributions of each AT to bacterial burdens in the lungs, liver, and spleen. At 48 h postinoculation, only one strain, Bp340::pD bpaC , demonstrated a defect in dissemination and/or survival in the liver, indicating that BpaC is required for wild-type virulence in this model.
Infection with Francisella tularensis LVS clpB Leads to an Altered yet Protective Immune Response
Creators: name: Frelinger, Jeffrey A.
name: Sempowski, Gregory D.
name: Chen, Ching-ju
name: Woolard, Matthew D.
name: Barrigan, Lydia M.
name: Saini, Divey
name: Frothingham, Richard
name: Brunton, Jason C.
name: Kawula, Thomas H.
name: Tuladhar, Shraddha
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: ABSTRACT Bacterial attenuation is typically thought of as reduced bacterial growth in the presence of constant immune pressure. Infection with Francisella tularensis elicits innate and adaptive immune responses. Several in vivo screens have identified F. tularensis genes necessary for virulence. Many of these mutations render F. tularensis defective for intracellular growth. However, some mutations have no impact on intracellular growth, leading us to hypothesize that these F. tularensis mutants are attenuated because they induce an altered host immune response. We were particularly interested in the F. tularensis LVS (live vaccine strain) clpB (FTL_0094) mutant because this strain was attenuated in pneumonic tularemia yet induced a protective immune response. The attenuation of LVS clpB was not due to an intracellular growth defect, as LVS clpB grew similarly to LVS in primary bone marrow-derived macrophages and a variety of cell lines. We therefore determined whether LVS clpB induced an altered immune response compared to that induced by LVS in vivo . We found that LVS clpB induced proinflammatory cytokine production in the lung early after infection, a process not observed during LVS infection. LVS clpB provoked a robust adaptive immune response similar in magnitude to that provoked by LVS but with increased gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) production, as measured by mean fluorescence intensity. Altogether, our results indicate that LVS clpB is attenuated due to altered host immunity and not an intrinsic growth defect. These results also indicate that disruption of a nonessential gene(s) that is involved in bacterial immune evasion, like F. tularensis clpB , can serve as a model for the rational design of attenuated vaccines.
Io's Optical Aurorae in Jupiter's Shadow
Creators: name: Schmidt, Carl
name: Sharov, Mikhail
name: de Kleer, Katherine
name: Schneider, Nick
name: de Pater, Imke
name: Phipps, Phillip H.
name: Conrad, Albert
name: Moore, Luke
name: Withers, Paul
name: Spencer, John
name: Morgenthaler, Jeff
name: Ilyin, Ilya
name: Strassmeier, Klaus
name: Veillet, Christian
name: Hill, John
name: Brown, Mike
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
subject: Space Physics (physics.space-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Decline and recovery timescales surrounding eclipse are indicative of the controlling physical processes in Io's atmosphere. Recent studies have established that the majority of Io's molecular atmosphere, SO2 and SO, condenses during its passage through Jupiter's shadow. The eclipse response of Io's atomic atmosphere is less certain, having been characterized solely by ultraviolet aurorae. Here we explore the response of optical aurorae for the first time. We find oxygen to be indifferent to the changing illumination, with [O I] brightness merely tracking the plasma density at Io's position in the torus. In shadow, line ratios confirm sparse SO2 coverage relative to O, since their collisions would otherwise quench the emission. Io's sodium aurora mostly disappears in eclipse and e-folding timescales, for decline and recovery differ sharply: ~10 minutes at ingress and nearly 2 hr at egress. Only ion chemistry can produce such a disparity; Io's molecular ionosphere is weaker at egress due to rapid recombination. Interruption of a NaCl+ photochemical pathway best explains Na behavior surrounding eclipse, implying that the role of electron impact ionization is minor relative to photons. Auroral emission is also evident from potassium, confirming K as the major source of far red emissions seen with spacecraft imaging at Jupiter. In all cases, direct electron impact on atomic gas is sufficient to explain the brightness without invoking significant dissociative excitation of molecules. Surprisingly, the nonresponse of O and rapid depletion of Na is opposite the temporal behavior of their SO2 and NaCl parent molecules during Io's eclipse phase.
Epitaxial growth and scanning tunneling microscopy of LiV$_2$O$_4$ thin films on SrTiO$_3$(111)
Creators: name: Schweizer, T. F.
name: Niemann, U.
name: Que, X.
name: He, Q.
name: Zhou, L.
name: Kim, M.
name: Takagi, H.
name: Huang, D.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
subject: Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: LiV$_2$O$_4$ is a mixed-valent spinel oxide and one of a few transition-metal compounds to host a heavy fermion phase at low temperatures. While numerous experimental studies have attempted to elucidate how its 3$d$ electrons undergo giant mass renormalization, spectroscopic probes that may provide crucial hints, such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), remain to be applied. A prerequisite is atomically flat and pristine surfaces, which, in the case of LiV$_2$O$_4$, are difficult to obtain by cleavage of small, three-dimensional crystals. We report the epitaxial growth of LiV$_2$O$_4$ thin films with bulklike properties on SrTiO$_3$(111) via pulsed laser deposition and stable STM imaging of the LiV$_2$O$_4$(111) surface. The as-grown films were transferred $ex$ $situ$ to a room-temperature STM, where subsequent annealing with optional sputtering in ultrahigh vacuum enabled compact islands with smooth surfaces and a hexagonal 1$\times$1 atomic lattice to be resolved. Our STM measurements provide insights into growth mechanisms of LiV$_2$O$_4$ on SrTiO$_3$(111), as well as demonstrate the feasibility of performing surface-sensitive measurements of this heavy fermion compound.
description: 6 pages, 4 figures + SM
Inflammation-Induced Acid Tolerance Genes gadAB in Luminal Commensal Escherichia coli Attenuate Experimental Colitis
Creators: name: Gulati, Ajay S.
name: Tchaptchet, Sandrine
name: Schoenborn, Alexi
name: Hansen, Jonathan J.
name: Goeser, Laura
name: Sartor, R. Balfour
name: Fan, Ting-Jia
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: ABSTRACT Dysregulated immune responses to commensal intestinal bacteria, including Escherichia coli , contribute to the development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and experimental colitis. Reciprocally, E. coli responds to chronic intestinal inflammation by upregulating expression of stress response genes, including gadA and gadB . GadAB encode glutamate decarboxylase and protect E. coli from the toxic effects of low pH and fermentation acids, factors present in the intestinal lumen in patients with active IBDs. We hypothesized that E. coli upregulates gadAB during inflammation to enhance its survival and virulence. Using real-time PCR, we determined gadAB expression in luminal E. coli from ex-germfree wild-type (WT) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) knockout (KO) (IL-10 −/− ) mice selectively colonized with a commensal E. coli isolate (NC101) that causes colitis in KO mice in isolation or in combination with 7 other commensal intestinal bacterial strains. E. coli survival and host inflammatory responses were measured in WT and KO mice colonized with NC101 or a mutant lacking the gadAB genes (NC101Δ gadAB ). The susceptibility of NC101 and NC101Δ gadAB to killing by host antimicrobial peptides and their translocation across intestinal epithelial cells were evaluated using bacterial killing assays and transwell experiments, respectively. We show that expression of gadAB in luminal E. coli increases proportionately with intestinal inflammation in KO mice and enhances the susceptibility of NC101 to killing by the host antimicrobial peptide cryptdin-4 but decreases bacterial transmigration across intestinal epithelial cells, colonic inflammation, and mucosal immune responses. Chronic intestinal inflammation upregulates acid tolerance pathways in commensal E. coli isolates, which, contrary to our original hypothesis, limits their survival and colitogenic potential. Further investigation of microbial adaptation to immune-mediated inflammation may provide novel insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of IBDs.
Going beyond "shut-up and calculate" performance metrics: a low-cost story on pollution sensors
Creators: name: Diez, Sebastian
name: Lacy, Stuart
name: Edwards, Pete
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Low-Cost Sensors; Air Pollution; Information Content

description: Air pollution and climate change are fully entangled and a large proportion of the world's population is unaware of the planet's greatest environmental threats. In order to tackle them, we need to know in as much detail what and how much is emitted, what secondary pollution formation mechanisms are dominant, as well as the spatial distribution of pollutants. Low-cost sensors (LCS) could help in this challenge by offering information on spatial and temporal scales never seen before. When a potential user is given the task of finding an instrument capable of answering questions such as “Are people in this area exposed to safe levels of X?”; “What is the maximum concentration in site Y?”; “Did intervention "Z" work?), they often find themselves with many available alternatives and a flood of information that will not always be as transparent as we’d like it to be. In an ideal world each instrument would have been thoroughly assessed in a relevant environment, and typical performance metrics -R2, RMSE, MAE- would be available to describe which instrument would fit our purpose. However, LCS suffer from hardware and software related issues, but also single metrics have limited validity as they synthesise lots of information into one single number. In this study, we evaluate the performance of 13 different commercial LCS devices in UK roadside and urban background locations (in London, Manchester & York), under a range of conditions (4 seasons, ~3 years), using visual methods such as Bland-Altman and Relative Expanded Uncertainty plots, for a more complete panorama of the LCS capabilities in real life applications. The tools generated for the analysis are open-source (R and Python code, via GitHub), hoping to contribute to the information interpretation by interested parties, beyond what a dimensionless numerical index can offer.
On the gravitational collapse in 4-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity
Creators: name: Hassannejad, R.
name: Sadeghi, A.
name: Shojai, F.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In this paper, we treat 4-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity as general relativity with an effective stress-energy tensor. We will study the modified Oppenheimer-Snyder-Datt model of the gravitational collapse of a star in a 4-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet black hole. The inside geometry of the star is described by the spatially flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric and the matter is distributed uniformly without any pre-assumption about its equation of state. The exterior Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet black hole is smoothly matched to the interior geometry without the requirement of any thin shell. This gives the energy density, pressure, and the equation of state of collapsing matter. At the end, we study the time evolution of event and apparent horizons.
description: 9 pages, 2 figures
Mutation of the Conserved Calcium-Binding Motif in Neisseria gonorrhoeae PilC1 Impacts Adhesion but Not Piliation
Creators: name: Thomas, Christopher E.
name: Cheng, Yuan
name: Redinbo, Matthew R.
name: Mocny, Jeffrey C.
name: Garrett, Christopher K.
name: Anderson, James E.
name: Burillo-Kirch, Christine
name: Johnson, Michael D. L.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: ABSTRACT Neisseria gonorrhoeae PilC1 is a member of the PilC family of type IV pilus-associated adhesins found in Neisseria species and other type IV pilus-producing genera. Previously, a calcium-binding domain was described in the C-terminal domains of PilY1 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and in PilC1 and PilC2 of Kingella kingae . Genetic analysis of N. gonorrhoeae revealed a similar calcium-binding motif in PilC1. To evaluate the potential significance of this calcium-binding region in N. gonorrhoeae , we produced recombinant full-length PilC1 and a PilC1 C-terminal domain fragment. We show that, while alterations of the calcium-binding motif disrupted the ability of PilC1 to bind calcium, they did not grossly affect the secondary structure of the protein. Furthermore, we demonstrate that both full-length wild-type PilC1 and full-length calcium-binding-deficient PilC1 inhibited gonococcal adherence to cultured human cervical epithelial cells, unlike the truncated PilC1 C-terminal domain. Similar to PilC1 in K. kingae , but in contrast to the calcium-binding mutant of P. aeruginosa PilY1, an equivalent mutation in N. gonorrhoeae PilC1 produced normal amounts of pili. However, the N. gonorrhoeae PilC1 calcium-binding mutant still had partial defects in gonococcal adhesion to ME180 cells and genetic transformation, which are both essential virulence factors in this human pathogen. Thus, we conclude that calcium binding to PilC1 plays a critical role in pilus function in N. gonorrhoeae .
Nanogel-Based PspA Intranasal Vaccine Prevents Invasive Disease and Nasal Colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae
Creators: name: Mejima, Mio
name: Kong, Il Gyu
name: Yamamoto, Masafumi
name: Sato, Ayuko
name: Yuki, Yoshikazu
name: Inoue, Yusuke
name: Kiyono, Hiroshi
name: Kunisawa, Jun
name: Kurokawa, Shiho
name: Akiyoshi, Kazunari
name: Nochi, Tomonori
name: Okada, Kazunari
name: Sato, Shintaro
name: Takahashi, Haruko
name: Sawada, Shinichi
name: Briles, David E.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: ABSTRACT To establish a safer and more effective vaccine against pneumococcal respiratory infections, current knowledge regarding the antigens common among pneumococcal strains and improvements to the system for delivering these antigens across the mucosal barrier must be integrated. We developed a pneumococcal vaccine that combines the advantages of pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) with a nontoxic intranasal vaccine delivery system based on a nanometer-sized hydrogel (nanogel) consisting of a cationic cholesteryl group-bearing pullulan (cCHP). The efficacy of the nanogel-based PspA nasal vaccine (cCHP-PspA) was tested in murine pneumococcal airway infection models. Intranasal vaccination with cCHP-PspA provided protective immunity against lethal challenge with Streptococcus pneumoniae Xen10, reduced colonization and invasion by bacteria in the upper and lower respiratory tracts, and induced systemic and nasal mucosal Th17 responses, high levels of PspA-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), and nasal and bronchial IgA antibody responses. Moreover, there was no sign of PspA delivery by nanogel to either the olfactory bulbs or the central nervous system after intranasal administration. These results demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of the nanogel-based PspA nasal vaccine system as a universal mucosal vaccine against pneumococcal respiratory infection.