bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiation Environment and Doses on Mars at Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis: Support for Exploration at Sites With High Biosignature Preservation Potential
Authors: Da Pieve F. , Gronoff G. , Guo J. , Mertens C. J. , Neary L. , Gu B. , Koval N. E. , Kohanoff J. , Vandaele A. C. , Cleri F.
Published: November 2020

The first human missions on Mars will likely involve several astrobiology‐driven science operations, at sites with high biosignature preservation potential. Here, we present a study of the radiation environment induced by Galactic Cosmic Rays and Solar Energetic Particles at Oxia Planum, landing site of the European Space Agency ExoMars 2022 mission, and at two different locations in Mawrth Vallis, using the Monte Carlo GEometry ANd Tracking 4‐based code dMEREM (detailed Martian Energetic Radiation Environment Model). The radiation environment for solar minimum in 2009 and a period close to solar maximum during the declining phase of solar cycle 23 appears similar at the different sites, with the deepest Mawrth Vallis location having a slightly enhanced γ‐ray contribution, due to a higher modulation of fast neutrons by the more water‐rich regolith. The comparison with the Dose Equivalent from an updated extrapolation of 7+ years data from the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) onboard the Curiosity rover highlights the importance of input modulation conditions, some drawbacks of the galactic cosmic ray model used here, and the need to include heavy ions, the three aspects affecting differently the estimations for solar maximum and minimum. The dependence of doses on surface pressure highlights a possible influence of the different dust loading at the different sites. Estimated exposure levels for a 1‐year stay and for a short stay in Arabia Terra, the latter including a October 28, 2003 event with a fluence an order of magnitude higher than the relevant September 2017 event detected by RAD, leave reasonable to large safety margins.
Targeting nuclear acid-mediated immunity in cancer immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies
Authors: Chen Miaoqin , Hu Shiman , Li Yiling , Jiang Ting Ting , Jin Hongchuan , Feng Lifeng
Published: November 2020

Cancer immunotherapy especially immune checkpoint inhibition has achieved unprecedented successes in cancer treatment. However, there are many patients who failed to benefit from these therapies, highlighting the need for new combinations to increase the clinical efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this review, we summarized the latest discoveries on the combination of nucleic acid-sensing immunity and immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy. Given the critical role of nuclear acid-mediated immunity in maintaining the activation of T cell function, it seems that harnessing the nuclear acid-mediated immunity opens up new strategies to enhance the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors for tumor control.
Management of hyperkalemia during treatment with mineralocorticoid receptor blockers: findings from esaxerenone
Authors: Rakugi Hiromi , Yamakawa Satoru , Sugimoto Kotaro
Published: November 2020

The nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) blocker esaxerenone has demonstrated good antihypertensive activity in a variety of patients, including those with uncomplicated grade I–III hypertension, hypertension with moderate renal dysfunction, hypertension with type 2 diabetes mellitus with albuminuria, and hypertension associated with primary aldosteronism. Hyperkalemia has long been recognized as a potential side effect occurring during treatment with MR blockers, but there is a lack of understanding and guidance about the appropriate management of hyperkalemia during antihypertensive therapy with MR blockers, especially in regard to the newer agent esaxerenone. In this article, we first highlight risk factors for hyperkalemia, including advanced chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, age, and use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors. Next, we examine approaches to prevention and management, including potassium monitoring, diet, and the use of appropriate therapeutic techniques. Finally, we summarize the currently available data for esaxerenone and hyperkalemia. Proper management of serum potassium is required to ensure safe clinical use of MR blockers, including awareness of at-risk patient groups, choosing appropriate dosages for therapy initiation and dosage titration, and monitoring of serum potassium during therapy. It is critical that physicians take such factors into consideration to optimize MR blocker therapy in patients with hypertension.
An enhanced isothermal amplification assay for viral detection
Authors: Qian Jason , Boswell Sarah A. , Chidley Christopher , Lu Zhi-xiang , Pettit Mary E. , Gaudio Benjamin L. , Fajnzylber Jesse M. , Ingram Ryan T. , Ward Rebecca H. , Li Jonathan Z. , Springer Michael
Published: November 2020

Rapid, inexpensive, robust diagnostics are essential to control the spread of infectious diseases. Current state of the art diagnostics are highly sensitive and specific, but slow, and require expensive equipment. Here we report the development of a molecular diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2 based on an enhanced recombinase polymerase amplification (eRPA) reaction. eRPA has a detection limit on patient samples down to 5 viral copies, requires minimal instrumentation, and is highly scalable and inexpensive. eRPA does not cross-react with other common coronaviruses, does not require RNA purification, and takes ~45 min from sample collection to results. eRPA represents a first step toward at-home SARS-CoV-2 detection and can be adapted to future viruses within days of genomic sequence availability.
Distinct dynamics of social motivation drive differential social behavior in laboratory rat and mouse strains
Authors: Netser Shai , Meyer Ana , Magalnik Hen , Zylbertal Asaph , de la Zerda Shani Haskal , Briller Mayan , Bizer Alexander , Grinevich Valery , Wagner Shlomo
Published: November 2020

Mice and rats are widely used to explore mechanisms of mammalian social behavior in health and disease, raising the question whether they actually differ in their social behavior. Here we address this question by directly comparing social investigation behavior between two mouse and rat strains used most frequently for behavioral studies and as models of neuropathological conditions: C57BL/6 J mice and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Employing novel experimental systems for behavioral analysis of both subjects and stimuli during the social preference test, we reveal marked differences in behavioral dynamics between the strains, suggesting stronger and faster induction of social motivation in SD rats. These different behavioral patterns, which correlate with distinctive c-Fos expression in social motivation-related brain areas, are modified by competition with non-social rewarding stimuli, in a strain-specific manner. Thus, these two strains differ in their social behavior, which should be taken into consideration when selecting an appropriate model organism.
Astrocytic pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-2 is involved in hypothalamic inflammation in mouse models of diabetes
Authors: Rahman Md Habibur , Bhusal Anup , Kim Jae-Hong , Jha Mithilesh Kumar , Song Gyun Jee , Go Younghoon , Jang Il-Sung , Lee In-Kyu , Suk Kyoungho
Published: November 2020

Hypothalamic inflammation plays an important role in disrupting feeding behavior and energy homeostasis as well as in the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes. Here, we show that pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK)-2 plays a role in hypothalamic inflammation and its sequelae in mouse models of diabetes. Cell type-specific genetic ablation and pharmacological inhibition of PDK2 in hypothalamic astrocytes suggest that hypothalamic astrocytes are involved in the diabetic phenotype. We also show that the PDK2-lactic acid axis plays a regulatory role in the observed metabolic imbalance and hypothalamic inflammation in mouse primary astrocyte and organotypic cultures, through the AMPK signaling pathway and neuropeptidergic circuitry governing feeding behavior. Our findings reveal that PDK2 ablation or inhibition in mouse astrocytes attenuates diabetes-induced hypothalamic inflammation and subsequent alterations in feeding behavior.
Decoding individual identity from brain activity elicited in imagining common experiences
Authors: Anderson Andrew James , McDermott Kelsey , Rooks Brian , Heffner Kathi L. , Dodell-Feder David , Lin Feng V.
Published: November 2020

Everyone experiences common events differently. This leads to personal memories that presumably provide neural signatures of individual identity when events are reimagined. We present initial evidence that these signatures can be read from brain activity. To do this, we progress beyond previous work that has deployed generic group-level computational semantic models to distinguish between neural representations of different events, but not revealed interpersonal differences in event representations. We scanned 26 participants’ brain activity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging as they vividly imagined themselves personally experiencing 20 common scenarios (e.g., dancing, shopping, wedding). Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to generically model scenarios, we constructed personal models from participants’ verbal descriptions and self-ratings of sensory/motor/cognitive/spatiotemporal and emotional characteristics of the imagined experiences. We demonstrate that participants’ neural representations are better predicted by their own models than other peoples’. This showcases how neuroimaging and personalized models can quantify individual-differences in imagined experiences.
Dinucleosome specificity and allosteric switch of the ISW1a ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler in transcription regulation
Authors: Bhardwaj Saurabh K. , Hailu Solomon G. , Olufemi Lola , Brahma Sandipan , Kundu Soumyadipta , Hota Swetansu K. , Persinger Jim , Bartholomew Blaine
Published: November 2020

Over the last 3 decades ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers have been thought to recognize chromatin at the level of single nucleosomes rather than higher-order organization of more than one nucleosome. We show the yeast ISW1a remodeler has such higher-order structural specificity, as manifested by large allosteric changes that activate the nucleosome remodeling and spacing activities of ISW1a when bound to dinucleosomes. Although the ATPase domain of Isw1 docks at the SHL2 position when ISW1a is bound to either mono- or di-nucleosomes, there are major differences in the interactions of the catalytic subunit Isw1 with the acidic pocket of nucleosomes and the accessory subunit Ioc3 with nucleosomal DNA. By mutational analysis and uncoupling of ISW1a’s dinucleosome specificity, we find that dinucleosome recognition is required by ISW1a for proper chromatin organization at promoters; as well as transcription regulation in combination with the histone acetyltransferase NuA4 and histone H2A.Z exchanger SWR1.
Author Correction: PQM-1 controls hypoxic survival via regulation of lipid metabolism
Authors: Heimbucher Thomas , Hog Julian , Gupta Piyush , Murphy Coleen T.
Published: November 2020

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19868-6
Publisher Correction: Clonal evolution of acute myeloid leukemia revealed by high-throughput single-cell genomics
Authors: Morita Kiyomi , Wang Feng , Jahn Katharina , Hu Tianyuan , Tanaka Tomoyuki , Sasaki Yuya , Kuipers Jack , Loghavi Sanam , Wang Sa A. , Yan Yuanqing , Furudate Ken , Matthews Jairo , Little Latasha , Gumbs Curtis , Zhang Jianhua , Song Xingzhi , Thompson Erika , Patel Keyur P. , Bueso-Ramos Carlos E. , DiNardo Courtney D. , Ravandi Farhad , Jabbour Elias , Andreeff Michael , Cortes Jorge , Bhalla Kapil , Garcia-Manero Guillermo , Kantarjian Hagop , Konopleva Marina , Nakada Daisuke , Navin Nicholas , Beerenwinkel Niko , Futreal P. Andrew , Takahashi Koichi
Published: November 2020

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19902-7
A continental-scale soil evaporation dataset derived from Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite drying rates
Authors: Abolafia-Rosenzweig Ronnie , Badger Andrew M. , Small Eric E. , Livneh Ben
Published: November 2020

This manuscript describes an observationally-based dataset of soil evaporation for the conterminous U.S. (CONUS), gridded to a 9 km resolution for the time-period of April 2015-March 2019. This product is termed E-SMAP (Evaporation-Soil Moisture Active Passive) in which soil evaporation is estimated from the surface layer, defined by the SMAP sensing depth of 50 mm, between SMAP overpass intervals that are screened on the basis of precipitation and SMAP quality control flags. Soil evaporation is estimated using a water balance of the surface soil that we show is largely dominated by SMAP-observed soil drying. E-SMAP soil evaporation is on average 0.72 mm day−1, which falls within the range of soil evaporation estimates (0.17–0.89 mm day−1) derived from operational land surface models and an alternative remote sensing product. E-SMAP is independent from existing soil evaporation estimates and therefore has the potential to improve understanding of evapotranspiration partitioning and model development.
Transcriptome dataset of human corneal endothelium based on ribosomal RNA-depleted RNA-Seq data
Authors: Tokuda Yuichi , Okumura Naoki , Komori Yuya , Hanada Naoya , Tashiro Kei , Koizumi Noriko , Nakano Masakazu
Published: November 2020

The corneal endothelium maintains corneal transparency; consequently, damage to this endothelium by a number of pathological conditions results in severe vision loss. Publicly available expression databases of human tissues are useful for investigating the pathogenesis of diseases and for developing new therapeutic modalities; however, databases for ocular tissues, and especially the corneal endothelium, are poor. Here, we have generated a transcriptome dataset from the ribosomal RNA-depleted total RNA from the corneal endothelium of eyes from seven Caucasians without ocular diseases. The results of principal component analysis and correlation coefficients (ranged from 0.87 to 0.96) suggested high homogeneity of our RNA-Seq dataset among the samples, as well as sufficient amount and quality. The expression profile of tissue-specific marker genes indicated only limited, if any, contamination by other layers of the cornea, while the Smirnov-Grubbs test confirmed the absence of outlier samples. The dataset presented here should be useful for investigating the function/dysfunction of the cornea, as well as for extended transcriptome analyses integrated with expression data for non-coding RNAs.
The SUSTech-SYSU dataset for automated exudate detection and diabetic retinopathy grading
Authors: Lin Li , Li Meng , Huang Yijin , Cheng Pujin , Xia Honghui , Wang Kai , Yuan Jin , Tang Xiaoying
Published: November 2020

Automated detection of exudates from fundus images plays an important role in diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening and evaluation, for which supervised or semi-supervised learning methods are typically preferred. However, a potential limitation of supervised and semi-supervised learning based detection algorithms is that they depend substantially on the sample size of training data and the quality of annotations, which is the fundamental motivation of this work. In this study, we construct a dataset containing 1219 fundus images (from DR patients and healthy controls) with annotations of exudate lesions. In addition to exudate annotations, we also provide four additional labels for each image: left-versus-right eye label, DR grade (severity scale) from three different grading protocols, the bounding box of the optic disc (OD), and fovea location. This dataset provides a great opportunity to analyze the accuracy and reliability of different exudate detection, OD detection, fovea localization, and DR classification algorithms. Moreover, it will facilitate the development of such algorithms in the realm of supervised and semi-supervised learning.
Author Correction: RNA-Seq reveals novel genes and pathways associated with hypoxia duration and tolerance in tomato root
Authors: Safavi-Rizi Vajiheh , Herde Marco , Stöhr Christine
Published: November 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Author Correction: Prior Experience Alters the Appearance of Blurry Object Borders
Authors: Perez Diana C. , Cook Sarah M. , Peterson Mary A.
Published: November 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Bowhead whales use two foraging strategies in response to fine-scale differences in zooplankton vertical distribution
Authors: Fortune Sarah M. E. , Ferguson Steven H. , Trites Andrew W. , Hudson Justine M. , Baumgartner Mark F.
Published: November 2020

As zooplanktivorous predators, bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) must routinely locate patches of prey that are energy-rich enough to meet their metabolic needs. However, little is known about how the quality and quantity of prey might influence their feeding behaviours. We addressed this question using a new approach that included: (1) multi-scale biologging and unmanned aerial system observations of bowhead whales in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut (Canada), and (2) an optical plankton counter (OPC) and net collections to identify and enumerate copepod prey species through the water column. The OPC data revealed two prey layers comprised almost exclusively of lipid-rich calanoid copepods. The deep layer contained fewer, but larger, particles (10% greater overall biomass) than the shallow prey layer. Dive data indicated that the whales conducted long deep Square-shaped dives (80% of dives; averaging depth of 260.4 m) and short shallow Square-shaped dives (16%; averaging depth of 22.5 m) to feed. The whales tended to dive proportionally more to the greater biomass of zooplankton that occurred at depth. Combining behavioural recordings with prey sampling showed a more complex feeding ecology than previously understood, and provides a means to evaluate the energetic balance of individuals under current environmental conditions.
Bulk and surface topological indices for a skyrmion string: current-driven dynamics of skyrmion string in stepped samples
Authors: Koshibae Wataru , Nagaosa Naoto
Published: November 2020

The magnetic skyrmion is a topological magnetic vortex, and its topological nature is characterized by an index called skyrmion number which is a mapping of the magnetic moments defined on a two-dimensional space to a unit sphere. In three-dimensions, a skyrmion, i.e., a vortex penetrating though the magnet naturally forms a string, which terminates at the surfaces of the magnet or in the bulk. For such a string, the topological indices, which control its topological stability are less trivial. Here, we study theoretically, in terms of numerical simulation, the dynamics of current-driven motion of a skyrmion string in a film sample with the step edges on the surface. In particular, skyrmion–antiskyrmion pair is generated by driving a skyrmion string through the side step with an enough height. We find that the topological indices relevant to the stability are the followings; (1) skyrmion number along the developed surface, and (2) the monopole charge in the bulk defined as the integral over the surface enclosing a singular magnetic configuration. As long as the magnetic configuration is slowly varying, the former is conserved while its changes is associated with nonzero monopole charge. The skyrmion number and the monoplole charge offer a coherent understanding of the stability of the topological magnetic texture and the nontrivial dynamics of skyrmion strings.
Modular affinity-labeling of the cytosine demethylation base elements in DNA
Authors: Wang Fanny , Zahid Osama K. , Ghanty Uday , Kohli Rahul M. , Hall Adam R.
Published: November 2020

5-methylcytosine is the most studied DNA epigenetic modification, having been linked to diverse biological processes and disease states. The elucidation of cytosine demethylation has drawn added attention the three additional intermediate modifications involved in that pathway—5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-formylcytosine, and 5-carboxylcytosine—each of which may have distinct biological roles. Here, we extend a modular method for labeling base modifications in DNA to recognize all four bases involved in demethylation. We demonstrate both differential insertion of a single affinity tag (biotin) at the precise position of target elements and subsequent repair of the nicked phosphate backbone that remains following the procedure. The approach enables affinity isolation and downstream analyses without inducing widespread damage to the DNA.
CMT-3 targets different α-synuclein aggregates mitigating their toxic and inflammogenic effects
Authors: González-Lizárraga Florencia , Ploper Diego , Ávila César L. , Socías Sergio B. , dos-Santos-Pereira Mauricio , Machín Belén , Del-Bel Elaine , Michel Patrick Pierre , Pietrasanta Lía I. , Raisman-Vozari Rita , Chehín Rosana
Published: November 2020

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder for which only symptomatic treatments are available. Repurposing drugs that target α-synuclein aggregation, considered one of the main drivers of PD progression, could accelerate the development of disease-modifying therapies. In this work, we focused on chemically modified tetracycline 3 (CMT-3), a derivative with reduced antibiotic activity that crosses the blood–brain barrier and is pharmacologically safe. We found that CMT-3 inhibited α-synuclein amyloid aggregation and led to the formation of non-toxic molecular species, unlike minocycline. Furthermore, CMT-3 disassembled preformed α-synuclein amyloid fibrils into smaller fragments that were unable to seed in subsequent aggregation reactions. Most interestingly, disaggregated species were non-toxic and less inflammogenic on brain microglial cells. Finally, we modelled the interactions between CMT-3 and α-synuclein aggregates by molecular simulations. In this way, we propose a mechanism for fibril disassembly. Our results place CMT-3 as a potential disease modifier for PD and possibly other synucleinopathies.
Positron annihilation localization by nanoscale magnetization
Authors: Gholami Yaser H. , Yuan Hushan , Wilks Moses Q. , Josephson Lee , El Fakhri Georges , Normandin Marc D. , Kuncic Zdenka
Published: November 2020

In positron emission tomography (PET), the finite range over which positrons travel before annihilating with an electron places a fundamental physical limit on the spatial resolution of PET images. After annihilation, the photon pair detected by the PET instrumentation is emitted from a location that is different from the positron-emitting source, resulting in image blurring. Here, we report on the localization of positron range, and hence annihilation quanta, by strong nanoscale magnetization of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in PET-MRI. We found that positron annihilations localize within a region of interest by up to 60% more when SPIONs are present (with [Fe] = 3 mM) compared to when they are not. The resulting full width at half maximum of the PET scans showed the spatial resolution improved by up to $$\approx$$
≈
 30%. We also found evidence suggesting that the radiolabeled SPIONs produced up to a six-fold increase in ortho-positronium. These results may also have implications for emerging cancer theranostic strategies, where charged particles are used as therapeutic as well as diagnostic agents and improved dose localization within a tumor is a determinant of better treatment outcomes.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi favor invasive Echinops sphaerocephalus when grown in competition with native Inula conyzae
Authors: Řezáčová Veronika , Řezáč Milan , Gryndlerová Hana , Wilson Gail W. T. , Michalová Tereza
Published: November 2020

In a globalized world, plant invasions are common challenges for native ecosystems. Although a considerable number of invasive plants form arbuscular mycorrhizae, interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and invasive and native plants are not well understood. In this study, we conducted a greenhouse experiment examining how AM fungi affect interactions of co-occurring plant species in the family Asteracea, invasive Echinops sphaerocephalus and native forb of central Europe Inula conyzae. The effects of initial soil disturbance, including the effect of intact or disturbed arbuscular mycorrhizal networks (CMNs), were examined. AM fungi supported the success of invasive E. sphaerocephalus in competition with native I. conyzae, regardless of the initial disturbance of CMNs. The presence of invasive E. sphaerocephalus decreased mycorrhizal colonization in I. conyzae, with a concomitant loss in mycorrhizal benefits. Our results confirm AM fungi represent one important mechanism of plant invasion for E. sphaerocephalus in semi-natural European grasslands.
Age-related dissociation of N400 effect and lexical priming
Authors: Tiedt Hannes O. , Ehlen Felicitas , Klostermann Fabian
Published: November 2020

The use of contextual information is an important capability to facilitate language comprehension. This can be shown by studying behavioral and neurophysiological measures of accelerated word recognition when semantically or phonemically related information is provided in advance, resulting in accompanying attenuation of the respective event-related potential, i.e. the N400 effect. Against the background of age-dependent changes in a broad variety of lexical capacities, we aimed to study whether word priming is accomplished differently in elderly compared to young persons. 19 young (29.9 ± 5.6 years) and 15 older (69.0 ± 7.2 years) healthy adults participated in a primed lexical decision task that required the classification of target stimuli (words or pseudo-words) following related or unrelated prime words. We assessed reaction time, task accuracy and N400 responses. Acceleration of word recognition by semantic and phonemic priming was significant in both groups, but resulted in overall larger priming effects in the older participants. Compared with young adults, the older participants were slower and less accurate in responding to unrelated word-pairs. The expected N400 effect was smaller in older than young adults, particularly during phonemic word and pseudo-word priming, with a rather similar N400 amplitude reduction by semantic relatedness. The observed pattern of results is consistent with preserved or even enhanced lexical context sensitivity in older compared to young adults. This, however, appears to involve compensatory cognitive strategies with higher lexical processing costs during phonological processing in particular, suggested by a reduced N400 effect in the elderly.
A simple score derived from bone marrow immunophenotyping is important for prognostic evaluation in myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Vido-Marques J. R. , Reis-Alves S. C. , Saad S. T. O. , Metze K. , Lorand-Metze I.
Published: November 2020

Immunophenotyping of bone marrow (BM) precursors has been used as an ancillary diagnostic tool in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), but there is no general agreement about which variables are the most relevant for prognosis. We developed a parsimonious prognostic model based on BM cell populations well-defined by phenotype. We analyzed 95 consecutive patients with primary MDS diagnosed at our Institution between 2005 and 2012 where BM immunophenotyping had been performed at diagnosis. Median follow-up: 42 months (4–199). Median age: 67 years (33–79). According to IPSS-R, 71 cases were low or intermediate risk. Flow variables significant in the univariate Cox analysis: “%monocytes/TNCs”, “% CD16+monocytes/TNCs”, “total alterations in monocytes”, “% myeloid CD34+cells”, “number of abnormal expressions in myeloblasts” and “% of B-cell progenitors”. In the multivariate model remained independent: “% myeloid CD34+cells”, B-cell progenitors” and “% CD16+monocytes/TNCs”. These variables were categorized by the extreme quartile risk ratio strategy in order to build the score: % myeloid CD34+cells” (≥ 2.0% = 1 point), B-cell progenitors” (< 0.05% 1 point) and “CD16+monocytes/TNCs” (≥ 1.0% 1 point). This score could separate patients with a different survival. There was a weak correlation between the score and IPSS-R. Both had independent prognostic values and so, the flow score adds value for the prognostic evaluation in MDS.
Association between obesity and education level among the elderly in Taipei, Taiwan between 2013 and 2015: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Hsieh Tsai-Hao , Lee Jason Jiunshiou , Yu Ernest Wen-Ruey , Hu Hsiao-Yun , Lin Shu-Yi , Ho Chin-Yu
Published: November 2020

The inverse association between obesity and education level has been demonstrated in many developed countries; however, few studies have investigated obesity in geriatric populations. This cross-sectional analysis explored the association between geriatric obesity and education level, along with other demographic characteristics in Taipei, Taiwan between 2013 and 2015. Taipei citizens ≥ 65 years (aborigines ≥ 55 years) were recruited to participate in the elderly health examination programme. Logistic regression was applied to analyse the relationship between obesity (defined as body mass index ≥ 27 kg/m2 in Taiwan) and education level among men and women after controlling for age, race, income status, and smoking status. A total of 28,092 men and 31,835 women were included in the final analysis. Compared to those with education years ≥ 16, older men and women with education years ≤ 12 had higher odds of being obese. The odds ratios increase as years of education decrease, and the trend is more pronounced among women. Aborigines had much higher chances of being obese among men and women, while there were no differences by income status. The results clarified the factors related to obesity in the elderly, and will be useful for authorities working to improve health outcomes among this population.
Novel viruses detected in bats in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Lee Sook-Young , Chung Chul-Un , Park Jun Soo , Oem Jae-Ku
Published: November 2020

Bats are natural reservoirs for potential zoonotic viruses. In this study, next-generation sequencing was performed to obtain entire genome sequences of picornavirus from a picornavirus-positive bat feces sample (16BF77) and to explore novel viruses in a pooled bat sample (16BP) from samples collected in South Korea, 2016. Fourteen mammalian viral sequences were identified from 16BF77 and 29 from 16BP, and verified by RT-PCR. The most abundant virus in 16BF77 was picornavirus. Highly variable picornavirus sequences encoding 3Dpol were classified into genera Kobuvirus, Shanbavirus, and an unassigned group within the family Picornaviridae. Amino acid differences between these partial 3Dpol sequences were ≥ 65.7%. Results showed that one bat was co-infected by picornaviruses of more than two genera. Retrovirus, coronavirus, and rotavirus A sequences also were found in the BP sample. The retrovirus and coronavirus genomes were identified in nine and eight bats, respectively. Korean bat retroviruses and coronavirus demonstrated strong genetic relationships with a Chinese bat retrovirus (RfRV) and coronavirus (HKU5-1), respectively. A co-infection was identified in one bat with a retrovirus and a coronavirus. Our results indicate that Korean bats were multiply infected by several mammal viruses.
Biceps brachii muscle hardness assessed by a push-in meter in comparison to ultrasound strain elastography
Authors: Murayama Mitsuyoshi , Nosaka Kazunori , Inami Takayuki , Shima Norihiro , Yoneda Tsugutake
Published: November 2020

This study investigated the relationship between push-in meter (PM) and ultrasound strain elastography (USE) for biceps brachii (BB) muscle hardness. BB hardness of 21 young men was assessed by PM and USE during rest and isometric contractions of six different intensities (15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90% of maximal voluntary contraction: MVC) at 30°, 60° and 90° elbow flexion. Muscle hardness (E) was calculated from the force–displacement relationship in PM, and strain ratio (SR) between an acoustic coupler (elastic modulus: 22.6 kPa) and different regions of interest (ROIs) in BB was calculated and converted to Young’s modulus (YM) in USE. In resting muscle, E was 26.1 ± 6.4 kPa, and SR and YM for the whole BB was 0.88 ± 0.4 and 30.8 ± 12.8 kPa, respectively. A significant (p < 0.01) correlation was evident between E and logarithmical transformed SR (LTSR) for the ROI of whole BB (r = − 0.626), and E and converted YM (r = 0.615). E increased approximately ninefold from resting to 90% MVC, and E and LTSR (r = − 0.732 to − 0.880), and E and converted YM for the SR above 0.1 were correlated (r = 0.599–0.768, p < 0.01). These results suggest that muscle hardness values obtained by PM and USE are comparable.
Four-month operational heat acclimatization positively affects the level of heat tolerance 6 months later
Authors: Malgoyre Alexandra , Siracusa Julien , Tardo-Dino Pierre-Emmanuel , Garcia-Vicencio Sebastian , Koulmann Nathalie , Epstein Yoram , Charlot Keyne
Published: November 2020

Benefits obtained after heat acclimation/acclimatization should be completely lost after an estimated period of 6 weeks. However, this estimate is still hypothetical. We evaluate the long-term effects of heat acclimatization on the level of heat tolerance. Physiological and subjective markers of heat tolerance were assessed during a heat stress test (HST: 3 × 8-min runs outdoors [~ 40 °C and 20% RH] at 50% of their estimated speed at VO2max) performed on the 2nd day upon arrival to the desert military base in the United Arab Emirates after a first day of mostly passive exposure to heat. Among the 50 male French soldiers, 25 partook in a 4-month military mission in countries characterized by a hot environment ~ 6 months prior to the study (HA). The other 25 participants were never heat acclimatized (CT). Rectal temperature (p = 0.023), heart rate (p = 0.033), and perceived exertion (p = 0.043) were lower in the HA than CT group at the end of HST. Soldiers who experienced a former 4-month period of natural heat acclimatization very likely had a higher level of heat tolerance during exercise in the heat, even 6 months after returning from the previous desert mission, than that of their non-acclimatized counterparts.
Toward a better multi-model ensemble prediction of East Asian and Australasian precipitation during non-mature ENSO seasons
Authors: Sohn Soo-Jin , Kim WonMoo
Published: November 2020

An effective and reliable way for better predicting the seasonal Australasian and East Asian precipitation variability in a multi-model ensemble (MME) prediction system is newly designed, in relation to the performance of predicting El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its impact. While ENSO is a major predictability source of global and regional precipitation variation, the prediction skill of precipitation is not solely due to typical ENSO alone, of which variability and predictability exhibit strong seasonality. The first mode of ENSO variability has large variance with high prediction skill for boreal winter and small variance with low skill for spring and summer, while the second mode shows the opposite phase. The regional prediction skills for Australasian and East Asian precipitation also show such seasonal dependence, with low skill and large spread of individual models’ skills during the boreal spring to summer and high skill and small spread during winter. Using the individual models’ reproducibility of the association between ENSO and regional precipitation, the prediction skills of the MME with selected models can improve at regional levels, compared to those for all-inclusive MME, during boreal spring to summer. While typical ENSO as a predictability source may still dominate during boreal winter, consideration of complex ENSO structure and its diverse impact can lead to a better prediction of regional precipitation variability during non-mature phase of ENSO seasons.
Synthesis of epitaxial monolayer Janus SPtSe
Authors: Sant Roberto , Gay Maxime , Marty Alain , Lisi Simone , Harrabi Rania , Vergnaud Céline , Dau Minh Tuan , Weng Xiaorong , Coraux Johann , Gauthier Nicolas , Renault Olivier , Renaud Gilles , Jamet Matthieu
Published: November 2020

Janus single-layer transition metal dichalcogenides, in which the two chalcogen layers have a different chemical nature, push chemical composition control beyond what is usually achievable with van der Waals heterostructures. Here, we report such a Janus compound, SPtSe, which is predicted to exhibit strong Rashba spin–orbit coupling. We synthetized it by conversion of a single-layer of PtSe2 on Pt(111) via sulfurization under H2S atmosphere. Our in situ and operando structural analysis with grazing incidence synchrotron X-ray diffraction reveals the process by which the Janus alloy forms. The crystalline long-range order of the as-grown PtSe2 monolayer is first lost due to thermal annealing. A subsequent recrystallization in presence of a source of sulfur yields a highly ordered SPtSe alloy, which is isostructural to the pristine PtSe2. The chemical composition is resolved, layer-by-layer, using angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, demonstrating that Se-by-S substitution occurs selectively in the topmost chalcogen layer.
New insights in the coordinated amidase and glucosaminidase activity of the major autolysin (Atl) in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Nega Mulugeta , Tribelli Paula Maria , Hipp Katharina , Stahl Mark , Götz Friedrich
Published: November 2020

After bacterial cell division, the daughter cells are still covalently interlinked by the peptidoglycan network which is resolved by specific hydrolases (autolysins) to release the daughter cells. In staphylococci, the major autolysin (Atl) with its two domain enzymes, N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase (AmiA) and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcA), resolves the peptidoglycan to release the daughter cells. Internal deletions in each of the enzyme domains revealed defined morphological alterations such as cell cluster formation in ΔamiA, ΔglcA and Δatl, and asymmetric cell division in the ΔglcA. A most important finding was that GlcA activity requires the prior removal of the stem peptide by AmiA for its activity thus the naked glycan strand is its substrate. Furthermore, GlcA is not an endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase but an exo-enzyme that cuts the glycan backbone to disaccharides independent of its O-acetylation modification. Our results shed new light into the sequential peptidoglycan hydrolysis by AmiA and GlcA during cell division in staphylococci.
History and Current Status of Droplet Microfluidics
Authors: Ren C. , Lee A.
Published: November 2020

This chapter discusses the evolution of droplet microfluidics as a research field and the challenges it is facing today, which has driven the initiation of this book. It starts with a brief introduction of single-phase microfluidics with a focus on its successes in both fundamentals and applications and the challenges it faced in the early 2000s that facilitated the emergence of two-phase droplet microfluidics. Then it introduces two-phase droplet microfluidics followed by a brief summary of its success in both fundamentals and applications. Finally, the challenges that two-phase droplet microfluidics is facing in terms of its slow adoption by prospective industries are introduced, which is also the major motivation leading to this book.
Technological Development – Droplet as a Tool
Authors: Teo Adrian J. T. , Tan Say Hwa , Nguyen Nam-Trung
Published: November 2020

The high uptake of droplet microfluidics in multidisciplinary research is mainly due to its capability of being a micro-scale laboratory with high versatility in controlling each microreactor. Through the implementation of three main manipulation methods, multiple reactions can be produced and subsequently used for different applications. Droplets of a predetermined medium are first generated. Subsequently, the coalescence of different droplets can also take place to mix different reagents. Finally, sorting of droplets according to pre-set variables is carried out, facilitating the analysis of results. Each manipulation method, however, can be carried out using a variety of active control methods. These can be categorized into electrical, magnetic, thermal, pneumatic, and occasionally acoustic and optical means. Further elaboration is provided in this chapter to illustrate these methods with the repertoire of mechanisms developed for these purposes. The advancement of such techniques enables high selectivity with minimal waste of resources, reducing the carbon footprint of laboratories while concurrently pursuing science.
Droplet Gene Analysis – Digital PCR
Authors: Gegevicius Emilis , Goda Karolis , Mazutis Linas
Published: November 2020

Until recently, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was considered a golden standard for the analysis of nucleic acids, yet the technological advances in microfluidics gave birth to a digital PCR (dPCR) technique that has shaken the analytical landscape. In the dPCR approach, the biological sample is partitioned into a limited but known number of compartments (e.g. wells, droplets, chambers) such that individual (single) target nucleic acid molecules, randomly distributed among compartments, are present either at 0 or 1 copy per single compartment. After the end-point PCR and digital visualization, the partitions containing the DNA molecules will emerge as fluorescent, while negative partitions (containing no DNA) will remain blank. By digitally counting the number of positive partitions, one can precisely estimate the absolute number of target molecules in the sample. In this chapter we focus on a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) technique that, in contrast to other microfluidics-based systems, provides unmatched scalability and throughput. We discuss various experimental factors that should be considered before conducting ddPCR assays such as fluorophores, surfactants, molecular adsorption and leakage phenomena, template preparation and multiplexing amongst others. We compare three commercial ddPCR systems available to date and present a literature overview of the most important ddPCR applications.
Microfluidic Applications in Single-cell Genomic, Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis
Authors: Dhingra Dalia , Ooi Aik , Mendez Pedro , Wang Shu , Gulati Saurabh , Sciambi Adam , Ruff David
Published: November 2020

Advances in microfluidic droplet technologies have greatly facilitated breakthroughs in cellular and biomedical sciences, particularly in the arena of single-cell genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic analysis applications. Microfluidic devices enable the high-throughput preparation of biological samples that are readily partitioned into nanoliter-scale droplets containing isolated individual cells or nuclei. Aqueous droplets are suspended and isolated in a hydrophobic carrier liquid. Typical microfluidic workflows offer the magnitude of multiple thousands upward to millions of encapsulated droplets per experimental run. Biochemical reactions provide for the ready interrogation of cellular components such as genomic DNA, RNA transcripts and protein markers. Innovative tagging and nucleic acid amplification workflows generate droplet-specific barcode identifiers compatible with next-generation sequencing platforms. After barcoding, thousands of droplets are combined together, amplified offline, size purified and sequenced in massive parallel protocols. One such enabling platform is the Mission Bio Tapestri® system. This unique system offers a novel two-stage droplet workflow that provides multiple sequential cascades of enzymatic and chemistry processes, and opens opportunities for multimodal investigations of single cells. We describe Tapestri applications including workflows, reaction overviews and data examples. These microfluidic applications have propelled the frontiers of cellular analysis to further multidimensional analysis of cell velocities in dynamic biological systems.
The Drop-screen for Biological Functional Assay
Authors: Wei Shih-Chung , Hsu Myat Noe , Chen Chia-Hung
Published: November 2020

The droplet-screen has emerged as an important tool that provides new experimental possibilities for high-throughput biological functional analysis. The continuous generation of large amounts of monodispersed droplets containing a single cell enables effective single-cell isolation for molecule secretion analysis. Based on the advantages of single-cell screening, droplet-based approaches have been conducted for a range of applications in quantitative biology, metabolic engineering and precision medicine. Herein, the recent drop-screen systems are introduced for single-cell functional profiling and sorting. For example, cell-secreted enzymes have been investigated by inserting fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based sensors within droplets for screening. A range of engineering enzymes produced by single cells for biological fabrications in the pharmaceutical industry were explored. The capability of biomarker indications allows one to isolate target clonal/mutants, contributing towards engineering biology and clinical treatment strategy.
Challenges and Opportunities – Future Directions
Authors: Gilligan M. , Lee A. , Ren C.
Published: November 2020

The promise of wide adoption of droplet microfluidics as an enabling tool for many applications has not yet been realized. The Dolomite Bio division of Blacktrace Holdings Ltd is one of the few industrial companies that has successfully translated droplet microfluidic innovations into enabling tools for high throughput experimentation used in single-cell genomics. This chapter aims to discuss the contributing factors that slow down the adoption of droplet microfluidics as an enabling tool and its future directions. It is compiled based on an interview with Mark Gilligan, CEO of Blacktrace.
Responsive hyaluronic acid-gold cluster hybrid nanogel theranostic systems
Authors: Lin Ying , Li Chen , Liu An , Zhen Xu , Gao Jiangang , Wu Wei , Cai Weibo , Jiang Xiqun
Published: November 2020

Tumor microenvironment responsive and self-monitored multimodal synergistic theranostic strategies can significantly improve therapeutic efficacy by overcoming biological barriers.
Assessment of the effect of lactic acid fermentation on the gastroduodenal digestibility and immunoglobulin E binding capacity of soy proteins via an in vitro dynamic gastrointestinal digestion model
Authors: Huang Jin , Liu Zhen , Rui Xin , L'Hocine Lamia , Zhang Qiuqin , Li Wei , Dong Mingsheng
Published: November 2020

The effect of lactic acid fermentation on the gastroduodenal digestibility and immunoglobulin E-binding capacity of soy proteins was assessed using an in vitro dynamic gastrointestinal digestion model.
Polyphenol from millet bran increases the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to oxaliplatin by blocking the ganglioside GM3 catabolism
Authors: Zhang Xiaoli , Shan Shuhua , Shi Jiangying , Li Hanqing , Li Zhuoyu
Published: November 2020

The study implies that bound polyphenol from millet bran dramatically prevents ganglioside GM3 catabolism followed by the suppression of P-gp, which eventually reverse drug-resistance in colorectal cancer cells to oxaliplatin.
Effect of Auricularia auricula fermentation broth on the liver and stomach of mice with acute alcoholism
Authors: Yu Xiaoting , Wang Ruiying , Lai Bin , Tan Mingqian
Published: November 2020

Auricularia auricula fermentation broth showed radical scavenging capability and protective effects on the liver and stomach of mice with acute alcoholism.
Implications of laser shot dosage on image quality in LA-ICP-QMS imaging
Authors: Šala Martin , Šelih Vid Simon , Stremtan Ciprian C. , Tămaş Tudor , van Elteren Johannes T.
Published: November 2020

Higher dosages in LA-ICP-QMS imaging increases image quality; especially noticeable for low elemental concentrations, and generally dominates the slight loss in spatial resolution.