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Background Mathematical transmission models are increasingly used to guide public health interventions for infectious diseases, particularly in the context of emerging pathogens; however, the contribution of modeling to the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains unclear. Here, we systematically evaluate publications on population-level transmission models of AMR over a recent period (2006–2016) to gauge the state of research and identify gaps warranting further work. Methods We performed a systematic literature search of relevant databases to identify transmission studies of AMR in viral, bacterial, and parasitic disease systems. We analyzed the temporal, geographic, and subject matter trends, described the predominant medical and behavioral interventions studied, and identified central findings relating to key pathogens. Results We identified 273 modeling studies; the majority of which (> 70%) focused on 5 infectious diseases (human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza virus, Plasmodium falciparum (malaria), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)). AMR studies of influenza and nosocomial pathogens were mainly set in industrialized nations, while HIV, TB, and malaria studies were heavily skewed towards developing countries. The majority of articles focused on AMR exclusively in humans (89%), either in community (58%) or healthcare (27%) settings. Model systems were largely compartmental (76%) and deterministic (66%). Only 43% of models were calibrated against epidemiological data, and few were validated against out-of-sample datasets (14%). The interventions considered were primarily the impact of different drug regimens, hygiene and infection control measures, screening, and diagnostics, while few studies addressed de novo resistance, vaccination strategies, economic, or behavioral changes to reduce antibiotic use in humans and animals. Conclusions The AMR modeling literature concentrates on disease systems where resistance has been long-established, while few studies pro-actively address recent rise in resistance in new pathogens or explore upstream strategies to reduce overall antibiotic consumption. Notable gaps include research on emerging resistance in Enterobacteriaceae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; AMR transmission at the animal-human interface, particularly in agricultural and veterinary settings; transmission between hospitals and the community; the role of environmental factors in AMR transmission; and the potential of vaccines to combat AMR.

The determinants of telomere attrition, a potential marker of cellular aging, are not well understood. Persistent herpesvirus infections including cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may be particularly important for telomere dynamics via mechanisms such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and their impact on peripheral blood lymphocyte composition. This study examined the association of 4 human herpesviruses (CMV, herpes simplex virus type 1, human herpesvirus type 6, and Epstein-Barr virus) with change in leukocyte telomere length (LTL) over 3 years in 400 healthy individuals (aged 53–76 years) from the Whitehall II cohort. CMV, herpes simplex virus type 1, and human herpesvirus 6 infection were independently associated with greater 3-year LTL attrition, with no association found for Epstein-Barr virus. The magnitudes of these associations were large, for example, the equivalent of almost 12 years of chronological age for those CMV seropositive. Seropositivity to more herpesviruses was additively associated with greater LTL attrition (3 herpesviruses vs none, β = −0.07 and P = .02; 4 infections vs none, β = −0.14 and P < .001). Higher immunoglobulin G antibody levels among those seropositive to CMV were also associated with shorter LTL at follow-up. These associations were robust to adjustment for age, sex, employment grade, body mass index, and smoking status. These results suggest that exposure to infectious agents should be an important consideration in future studies of telomere dynamics.

Malaria parasites encounter diverse conditions as they cycle between their vertebrate host and mosquito vector. Within these distinct environments, the parasite undergoes drastic transformations, changing both its morphology and metabolism. Plasmodium species that infect mammals must first take up residence in the liver before initiating red blood cell infection. Following penetration into hepatocytes, the parasite converts from an invasion-competent, motile, elongated sporozoite to a metabolically active, round trophozoite. Relatively little is known about the cellular events involved in sporozoite metamorphosis. Our data uncover the early cellular events associated with these transformations. We illustrate that the beginning of metamorphosis is marked by the disruption of the membrane cytoskeleton beneath the plasma membrane, which results in a protruding area around the nucleus. As this bulbous region expands, the two distal ends of the sporozoite gradually retract and disappear, leading to cell sphericalization. This shape change is associated with major interior renovations and clearance of superfluous organelles, e.g. micronemes involved in invasion. The membrane cytoskeleton is reorganized into dense lamellar arrays within the cytoplasm and is partially expulsed by converting parasites. Simultaneously, micronemes are compartmentalized into large exocytic vesicles and are then discharged into the environment. At the completion of metamorphosis, the parasites only retain organelles necessary for replication. These observations lay the groundwork for further investigations on the developmental pathways implicated in the metamorphosis of the malaria parasite.

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) challenge the global community to build a world where no one is left behind. Recognizing that research plays a fundamental part in supporting these goals, attempts have been made to classify research publications according to their relevance in supporting each of the UN’s SDGs. In this paper, we outline the methodology that we followed when mapping research articles to SDGs and which is adopted by Times Higher Education in its Social Impact rankings. We compare our solution with other existing queries and models mapping research papers to SDGs. We also discuss various aspects in which the methodology can be improved and generalized to other types of content apart from research articles. The results presented in this paper are the outcome of the SDG Research Mapping Initiative, which was established as a partnership between the University of Southern Denmark, the Aurora European Universities Alliance (represented by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), the University of Auckland, and Elsevier to bring together broad expertise and share best practices on identifying research contributions to UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Importance In peer-reviewed medical journals, authoring an invited commentary on an original article is a recognition of expertise. It has been documented that women author fewer invited publications than men do. However, it is unknown whether this disparity is due to gender differences in characteristics that are associated with invitations, such as field of expertise, seniority, and scientific output. Objective To estimate the odds ratio (OR) of authoring an invited commentary for women compared with men who had similar expertise, seniority, and publication metrics. Design, Setting, and Participants This matched case-control study included all medical invited commentaries published from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2017, in English-language medical journals and multidisciplinary journals. Invited commentaries were defined as publications that cite another publication within the same journal volume and issue. Bibliometric data were obtained from Scopus. Cases were defined as corresponding authors of invited commentaries in a given journal during the study period. Controls were matched to cases based on scientific expertise by calculating a similarity index for abstracts published during the same period using natural language processing. Data analyses were conducted from March 13, 2019, through May 3, 2019. Exposure Corresponding or sole author gender was predicted from author first name and country of origin using genderize.io. Main Outcomes and Measures The OR for gender was estimated after adjusting for field of expertise, publication output, citation impact, and years active (ie, years since first publication), with an interaction between gender and years active. Results The final data set included 43 235 cases across 2549 journals; there were 34 047 unique intraciting commentary authors, among whom 9072 (26.6%) were women. For researchers who had been active for the median of 19 years, the odds of invited commentary authorship were 21% lower for women (OR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.77-0.81];P < .001) compared with men who had similar scientific expertise, number of publications, and citation impact. For every decile increase in years active, the OR decreased by a factor of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96-0.98;P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance In this case-control study, women had lower odds of authoring invited commentaries than their male peers. This disparity was larger for senior researchers. Journal editors could use natural language processing of published research to widen and diversify the pool of experts considered for commentary invitations.

As Plasmodium parasites cycle between their vertebrate host and mosquito vector, they encounter highly different conditions. Adaptation to these diverse environments requires the malaria parasite to drastically change its morphology and metabolism. In the hepatocyte the motile sporozoite must convert into the trophozoite form, which prepares the parasite for the generation of thousands of infective merozoites. The metamorphosis of the sporozoite into a trophozoite is associated with a spectacular shape change and major interior remodeling, including the elimination of organelles unnecessary for the liver stage. We hypothesize that the phenotypic changes associated with sporozoite metamorphosis must be the result of multiple processes. In this dissertation, we provide a global view of the remodeling that occurs at the onset of the Plasmodium liver form development cascade. We discovered that during differentiation, the parasite compartmentalizes organelles before their expulsion into the environment. Converting parasites also trigger an autophagic process to selectively sequester cytosolic constituents destined for degradation. Genome analysis reveals the presence of a rudimentary set of autophagy machinery components in Plasmodium that include the ubiquitin-like protein conjugation system of Atg8. We characterized this system and present evidence that it may play a role in parasite conversion. Interference with the degradative machinery involved in parasite metamorphosis would likely be detrimental to progeny development in the liver and prevent the massive production of erythrocyte-invasive forms responsible for the clinical symptoms of malaria.

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) challenge the global community to build a world where no one is left behind. Recognizing that research plays a fundamental part in supporting these goals, attempts have been made to classify research publications according to their relevance in supporting each of the UN's SDGs. In this paper, we outline the methodology that we followed when mapping research articles to SDGs and which is adopted by Times Higher Education in their Social Impact rankings. We compare our solution with other existing queries and models mapping research papers to SDGs. We also discuss various aspects in which the methodology can be improved and generalized to other types of content apart from research articles. The results presented in this paper are the outcome of the SDG Research Mapping Initiative that was established as a partnership between the University of Southern Denmark, the Aurora European Universities Alliance (represented by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), the University of Auckland, and Elsevier to bring together broad expertise and share best practices on identifying research contributions to UN's Sustainable Development Goals.