bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural production, livelihoods, and food security in India: baseline results of a phone survey
Authors: Jaacks Lindsay M. , Veluguri Divya , Serupally Rajesh , Roy Aditi , Prabhakaran Poornima , Ramanjaneyulu GV
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on agricultural production, livelihoods, food security, and dietary diversity in India. Phone interview surveys were conducted by trained enumerators across 12 states and 200 districts in India from 3 to 15 May 2020. A total of 1437 farmers completed the survey (94% male; 28% 30–39 years old; 38% with secondary schooling). About one in ten farmers (11%) did not harvest in the past month with primary reasons cited being unfavorable weather (37%) and lockdown-related reasons (24%). A total of 63% of farmers harvested in the past month (primarily wheat and vegetables), but only 44% had sold their crop; 12% were still trying to sell their crop, and 39% had stored their crop, with more than half (55%) reporting lockdown-related issues as the reason for storing. Seventy-nine percent of households with wage-workers witnessed a decline in wages in the past month and 49% of households with incomes from livestock witnessed a decline. Landless farmers were about 10 times more likely to skip a meal as compared to large farmers (18% versus 2%), but a majority reported receiving extra food rations from the government. Nearly all farmers reported consuming staple grains daily in the past week (97%), 63% consumed dairy daily, 40% vegetables daily, 26% pulses daily, and 7% fruit daily. These values are much lower than reported previously for farmers in India around this time of year before COVID-19: 94–95% dairy daily, 57–58% pulses daily, 64–65% vegetables daily, and 42–43% fruit daily. In conclusion, we found that the COVID-19 lockdown in India has primarily impacted farmers’ ability to sell their crops and livestock products and decreased daily wages and dietary diversity.
Heavy Mineral Analysis of Jamuna River Sediments, Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Md Sakaouth , Aziz Md Tawhidul , Shahriar Md. Shams , Ritu Al Ahsan
Published: May 2021

The Jamuna is one of the world’s most heavily sediment-laden braided river. Despite a major host for heavy mineral resources, the sediments of the Jamuna river are sparsely studied. A mineralogical and SEM-EDS investigation has been carried out in the middle part (along Sirajganj and Jamalpur district of Bangladesh) of the Jamuna river to appraise the grain size parameter, texture, depositional environment, heavy mineral distribution, and elemental composition of the heavy minerals. The results show that sediment samples are very fine to fine sand, moderate to well sorted, near symmetrical to strongly fine skewed, and mesokurtic to very leptokurtic. Uniform to graded suspension mechanisms are the processes for sediment deposition. Heavy minerals accumulation ranges from 0.5% to 9.33%, and the assemblages are predominantly marked by epidote, amphibole, followed by opaque (magnetite and ilmenite), garnet, zircon, sillimanite, apatite, tourmaline, rutile, kyanite, staurolite, monazite, chlorite, and titanite. The percentage of amphibole, garnet, and zircon decreases downstream and epidote increases in the same direction. The calculated zircon-tourmaline-rutile index (ZTR) varied between 3 to 13%, average apatite-tourmaline index (ATi), garnet-zircon index (GZi), rutile-zircon index (RuZi) and staurolite-zircon index (SZi) values are 54.55%, 75%, 38.68%, and 30% respectively. The Brahmaputra-Jamuna river sediments are derived from mixed-source regions (e.g., Shillong Plateau, Indo-Burman Ranges, and the Himalayas). The abundance of subangular to angular, high relief heavy mineral grains with sharp edges on the surface, conchoidal fractures, deep troughs, and breakage blocks infer that the provenance is close to the depositional area. The presence of rounded to sub-rounded, smoother surface with adhering particles, arcuate steps, and low to medium relief indicate the long-distance transportation of heavy mineral grains through fluvial environment.
Evaluation of Groundwater Quality in Virudhunagar Taluk, Tamil Nadu, India by using Statistical Methods and GIS Technique
Authors: Lakshmi R. Venkada , Raja V. , Sekar C. Puthiya , Neelakantan M.A.
Published: May 2021

In the present study, twenty water samples were collected during pre-monsoon (June 2017) and post-monsoon (December 2017) seasons. The water samples were analyzed to determine various chemical parameters like chloride, fluoride, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate. During pre-monsoon (PRM) and post-monsoon (POM) the order of dominance of anion in the water samples are HCO3-> TDS > Cl-> SO42-> TH > NO3-> F-> PO4- and TDS >HCO3->SO42->Cl-> TH >NO3->F->PO4-, respectively. The order of dominance of cations are Na+> Ca2+> Mg2+> K+ in both the seasons. The irrigation water quality was determined using the parameters such as sodium absorption ratio (SAR), Kelly’s ratio (KR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), potential salinity (PS), permeability index (PI), sodium percentage (SP), magnesium hazard, calcium to magnesium molar ratio. The groundwater’s geochemical control and hydrogeochemistry were evaluated using the Piper, Chadha, scatter and Gibbs plots. This study reveals that groundwater quality is unfit for drinking purposes at a few places in the study area.
Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery in the Pediatric Population
Authors: Wu Tara , Chandy Zachariah , Ference Elisabeth , Lee Jivianne T.
Published: May 2021

Background

Surgery is often indicated for definitive biopsy or as the primary treatment modality for pediatric skull base lesions. Traditionally, open surgical approaches were utilized to address pediatric skull base pathology. However recently, expanded endoscopic sinus surgery has been utilized as a minimally invasive approach to addressing skull base pathology in the pediatric population.

Purpose

This review provides an overview of the current literature evaluating the unique anatomic challenges of the pediatric skull and the safety and efficacy of expanded skull base procedures in the pediatric population.

Findings

The pediatric skull base and sinus anatomy is small and continues to develop throughout childhood leading to unique surgical challenges. Sphenoid sinus pneumatization and intercarotid distance at the skull base are two significant anatomic challenges to pediatric skull base surgery. Despite the distinctive anatomy challenges, recent studies demonstrate that the safety and efficacy of expanded endoscopic sinus surgery appear to be equivalent to traditional open surgical approaches.

Conclusion

Expanded endoscopic sinus surgery in the pediatric population has similar efficacy and safety as the traditional open approaches.
Surgical Scrubbing and Attire in the Operating Room and ICU: A Multicultural Guide
Authors: Abdelwahab Rewan , Aden Aisha , Bearden Brenda , Sada Alaa , Bostwick Michael J
Published: May 2021

In response to the challenges faced as diverse students when first encountering the intricacies of scrubbing into the operating room (OR), we have prepared a rudimentary surgical skills guide to supplement the knowledge of students and educators alike. In keeping with the need to adapt standard protocols to accommodate religious and cultural practices, this guide focuses on hijab, natural hair, dastar, protective styles, and beard protocol in the OR. It addresses some of the personal protective equipment needs of Muslims, Orthodox Jews, Sikhs, and groups maintaining beards as a part of cultural or religious practices. We intend this guide to serve as a foundation on which the medical field can update its educational practices in line with the increased diversity of the medical professions, while also continuing to ensure the safety of OR and ICU patients. This guide also highlights COVID-19-specific changes in personal protective equipment and seeks to open up a conversation about the necessity of currently held surgical practices.
Assessment of Female Sexual Dysfunction and Erectile Dysfunction and Its Association with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Women and Men Over 18 Years Old: Results From the COBaLT Study
Authors: Bravo-Balado Alejandra , Trujillo Carlos Gustavo , Caicedo Juan Ignacio , García Sandra , Azuero Julián , Rondón Martín , Plata Mauricio
Published: May 2021

Background

Female sexual dysfunction and erectile dysfunction (FSD/ED) have been linked with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), from both epidemiological data and basic research studies, but few studies have been conducted in Latin America addressing these issues and most of them do not include the young population.

Aim

To determine the prevalence of FSD/ED and its association with LUTS in Colombia.

Methods

Sub-analysis of a cross-sectional, population-based study conducted in subjects ≥18 years old to evaluate LUTS/OAB. The estimated sample size was 1,054. ED was defined as ≤21 points in the SHIM and FSD as ≤19 in the FSFI-6. For LUTS/OAB, we used the 2002 ICS and 2010 IUGA/ICS definitions and validated questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed.

Outcomes

Prevalence of FSD/ED and association of FSD/ED and LUTS.

RESULTS

We included 1,060 participants; the median age was 40 (IQR 27–54) years. Fifty-seven (11.4%) men and 182 (32.7%) women were sexually inactive. The prevalence of FSD/ED in sexually active participants was 47% (men 52.9%, women 38.9%). The most common FSD/ED symptoms were diminished/absent lubrication in women (42%) and diminished erection maintenance after penetration in men (13%). Individuals with FSD/ED had higher rates of various LUTS. The multivariable logistic regression model found that the city of residence (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2–0.9), diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR = 8.4, 95% CI 1.4–48.7), menopause (OR=3.5, 95% CI 1.9–6.2), urge urinary incontinence (UUI) (OR=1.9, 95% CI 1.1–3.3) and nocturia ≥2 (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.2–4.2) were associated with FSD. In men, age 40–59 (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.4–3.7) and ≥60 (OR = 5.5, 95% CI 2.4–12.5), the city of residence (OR = 0.2, 95% CI 0.1–0.3), less than a high-school diploma vs higher education (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.2–3.2), depression (OR = 4.6, 95% CI 1.8–11.5), UUI (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.1–10.2) and feeling of incomplete bladder emptying (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.3–3.5) were associated with ED.

Clinical Implications

This study underlines the importance of assessing LUTS in women and men of all affected age groups who present with symptoms of FSD/ED and vice versa, which could help achieve a better approach for these patients.

Strengths & Limitations

This is the first study in Colombia and one of the few in Latin America that addresses both FSD/ED and LUTS in men and women aged 18 years and older. Limitations include being a sub-analysis of a study aiming to determine the prevalence of LUTS/OAB and not FSD/ED.

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of age, LUTS were observed more frequently in patients with FSD/ED. Various LUTS were associated with FSD/ED.
Migrant Remittances and Violent Responses to Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: López García Ana Isabel , Maydom Barry
Published: May 2021

High levels of crime are a key driver of emigration from Latin America and the Caribbean. But can emigration change public opinion about how best to respond to crime? Focusing on the political economy of remittances—the money migrants send to their families and communities—this study argues that emigration can increase support for violent responses to crime. Migrants’ families often spend remittances on investment goods, which makes them more vulnerable to crime and more supportive of violence to protect themselves. An analysis of AmericasBarometer data finds that remittance recipients are more likely both to fear crime and to be victims of crime than nonrecipients. They are also more approving of vigilantism, more tolerant of police bending the law to apprehend criminals, and more supportive of deploying the military in crime fighting. These findings contribute to our knowledge of the consequences of international migration for political development in migrant-sending countries.
New Book Collection Presents Latest in Heliophysics Research
Authors: Zhang Yongliang , Paxton Larry
Published: May 2021

A new set of five books presents the latest science on the Sun and the solar wind, magnetospheres in the solar system, Earth’s ionosphere, Earth’s upper atmosphere, and the effects of space weather.
Bayesian Estimation of Surface Strain Rates From Global Navigation Satellite System Measurements: Application to the Southwestern United States
Authors: Pagani C. , Bodin T. , Métois M. , Lasserre C.
Published: May 2021

Seismic hazard assessment in active fault zones can benefit of strain rate measurements derived from geodetic data. Producing a continuous strain rate map from discrete data is an inverse problem traditionally tackled with standard interpolation schemes. Most algorithms require user‐defined regression parameters that determine the smoothness of the recovered velocity field and the amplitude of its spatial derivatives. This may lead to biases in the strain rates estimation which could eventually impact studies on earthquake hazard. Here we propose a transdimensional Bayesian method to estimate surface strain rates from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) velocities. We parameterize the velocity field with a variable number of Delaunay triangles and use a reversible‐jump Monte‐Carlo Markov Chain algorithm to sample the probability distribution of surface velocities and spatial derivatives. The solution is a complete probability distribution function for each component of the strain rate field. We conduct synthetic tests and compare our approach to a standard b‐spline interpolation scheme. Our method is more resilient to data errors and uneven data distribution, while providing uncertainties associated with recovered velocities and strain rates. We apply our method to the Southwestern United States, an extensively studied and monitored area and infer probabilistic strain rates along the main fault systems, including the San Andreas one, from the inversion of interseismic GNSS velocities. Our approach provides a full description of the strain rate tensor for zones where strain rates are highly contrasted, with no need to manually tune user‐defined parameters. We recover sharp velocity gradients, without systematic artifacts.
Extreme Low‐Latitude Total Electron Content Enhancement and Global Positioning System Scintillation at Dawn
Authors: Mrak Sebastijan , Semeter Joshua , Nishimura Yukitoshi , Coster Anthea J.
Published: May 2021

We report on an extreme ionospheric plasma density enhancement and Global Positioning System (GPS) scintillation at dawn, observed within the expanding equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). The total electron content (TEC) in central America reached 50 TECu at sunrise, the value almost twice as high as the normal afternoon peak. The enhanced EIA expanded poleward and westward from just below 20° magnetic latitude (MLAT) to beyond 30° MLAT at sunrise. The chief ramification of the enhanced EIA was strong GPS scintillation which was observed poleward of 30° northern MLAT and lasted until 8:00 local time. In total, the amplitude scintillation and phase fluctuations lasted for ∼5 h at latitudes north of 20°MLAT in central America.
Days out of role and somatic, anxious-depressive, hypo-manic, and psychotic-like symptom dimensions in a community sample of young adults
Authors: Crouse Jacob J. , Ho Nicholas , Scott Jan , Martin Nicholas G. , Couvy-Duchesne Baptiste , Hermens Daniel F. , Parker Richard , Gillespie Nathan A. , Medland Sarah E. , Hickie Ian B.
Published: May 2021

Improving our understanding of the causes of functional impairment in young people is a major global challenge. Here, we investigated the relationships between self-reported days out of role and the total quantity and different patterns of self-reported somatic, anxious-depressive, psychotic-like, and hypomanic symptoms in a community-based cohort of young adults. We examined self-ratings of 23 symptoms ranging across the four dimensions and days out of role in >1900 young adult twins and non-twin siblings participating in the “19Up” wave of the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study. Adjusted prevalence ratios (APR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) quantified associations between impairment and different symptom patterns. Three individual symptoms showed significant associations with days out of role, with the largest association for impaired concentration. When impairment was assessed according to each symptom dimension, there was a clear stepwise relationship between the total number of somatic symptoms and the likelihood of impairment, while individuals reporting ≥4 anxious-depressive symptoms or five hypomanic symptoms had greater likelihood of reporting days out of role. Furthermore, there was a stepwise relationship between the total number of undifferentiated symptoms and the likelihood of reporting days out of role. There was some suggestion of differences in the magnitude and significance of associations when the cohort was stratified according to sex, but not for age or twin status. Our findings reinforce the development of early intervention mental health frameworks and, if confirmed, support the need to consider interventions for subthreshold and/or undifferentiated syndromes for reducing disability among young people.
Diagnostic intervals in oropharyngeal cancers from a primary care perspective: a ten-year case note review
Authors: Wilcock Jane , Grafton-Clarke Ciaran
Published: May 2021

Background Rates of oropharyngeal (OP) cancer are increasing and mortality is related to stage at diagnosis. Early diagnosis is vital to improving patient outcomes.

Aim To describe current general practice pathways and time intervals in OP cancer and: a) compare to current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance to refer from general practitioners (GPs) to general medical dentists (dentists); and b) referral pathways for pharyngeal cancers.

Design and setting A ten-year retrospective study of patients diagnosed with OP cancer in one suburban general practice in England using GP notes, including secondary care correspondence.

Results There were 12 cases of OP cancer; six oral and six pharyngeal. There were marked differences in referral pathways and time intervals for people with visible, or palpable, oral cancers and those with non-visible, or impalpable, pharyngeal cancers. No one had GP to dentist referral. General practice 'safety-netting' or follow-up was not commonly recorded.

Conclusion GPs are pivotal in diagnosing symptomatic OP cancers. General practice and dental teams encountering symptoms of uncertain aetiology (for example, pharyngitis) should offer safety-netting to shorten patient intervals to re-attendance. Pathways for oral cancer referral were usually clear and linear. Pathways for pharyngeal cancer were usually complex, with much longer time intervals in primary and secondary care, and would benefit from a single national referral pathway to ENT.
A KLF4/PiHL/EZH2/HMGA2 regulatory axis and its function in promoting oxaliplatin-resistance of colorectal cancer
Authors: Deng Xuan , Kong Fanyang , Li Si , Jiang Haoqin , Dong Liu , Xu Xiao , Zhang Xinju , Yuan Hong , Xu Ying , Chu Yimin , Peng Haixia , Guan Ming
Published: May 2021

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as a new class of regulatory molecules implicated in therapeutic resistance, yet the mechanisms underlying lncRNA-mediated oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC) are poorly understood. In this study, lncRNA P53 inHibiting LncRNA (PiHL) was shown to be highly induced in oxaliplatin-resistant CRC cells and tumor tissues. In vitro and in vivo models clarified PiHL’s role in conferring resistance to oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis. PiHL antagonized chemosensitivity through binding with EZH2, repressing location of EZH2 to HMGA2 promoter, and downregulating methylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) level in HMGA2 promoter, thus activating HMGA2 expression. Furthermore, HMGA2 upregulation induced by PiHL promotes PI3K/Akt phosphorylation, which resulted in increased oxaliplatin resistance. We also found that transcription factor KLF4 was downregulated in oxaliplatin-resistant cells, and KLF4 negatively regulated PiHL expression by binding to PiHL promoter. In vivo models further demonstrated that treatment of oxaliplatin-resistant CRC with locked nucleic acids targeting PiHL restored oxaliplatin response. Collectively, this study established lncRNA PiHL as a chemoresistance promoter in CRC, and targeting PiHL/EZH2/HMGA2/PI3K/Akt signaling axis represents a novel choice in the investigation of drug resistance.
p27 controls autophagic vesicle trafficking in glucose-deprived cells via the regulation of ATAT1-mediated microtubule acetylation
Authors: Nowosad Ada , Creff Justine , Jeannot Pauline , Culerrier Raphael , Codogno Patrice , Manenti Stephane , Nguyen Laurent , Besson Arnaud
Published: May 2021

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1 (p27) has been involved in promoting autophagy and survival in conditions of metabolic stress. While the signaling cascade upstream of p27 leading to its cytoplasmic localization and autophagy induction has been extensively studied, how p27 stimulates the autophagic process remains unclear. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which p27 promotes autophagy upon glucose deprivation. Mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking p27 exhibit a decreased autophagy flux compared to wild-type cells and this is correlated with an abnormal distribution of autophagosomes. Indeed, while autophagosomes are mainly located in the perinuclear area in wild-type cells, they are distributed throughout the cytoplasm in p27-null MEFs. Autophagosome trafficking towards the perinuclear area, where most lysosomes reside, is critical for autophagosome–lysosome fusion and cargo degradation. Vesicle trafficking is mediated by motor proteins, themselves recruited preferentially to acetylated microtubules, and autophagy flux is directly correlated to microtubule acetylation levels. p27−/− MEFs exhibit a marked reduction in microtubule acetylation levels and restoring microtubule acetylation in these cells, either by re-expressing p27 or with deacetylase inhibitors, restores perinuclear positioning of autophagosomes and autophagy flux. Finally, we find that p27 promotes microtubule acetylation by binding to and stabilizing α-tubulin acetyltransferase (ATAT1) in glucose-deprived cells. ATAT1 knockdown results in random distribution of autophagosomes in p27+/+ MEFs and impaired autophagy flux, similar to that observed in p27−/− cells. Overall, in response to glucose starvation, p27 promotes autophagy by facilitating autophagosome trafficking along microtubule tracks by maintaining elevated microtubule acetylation via an ATAT1-dependent mechanism.
Circular RNA circACSL1 aggravated myocardial inflammation and myocardial injury by sponging miR-8055 and regulating MAPK14 expression
Authors: Zhang Li , Han Bo , Liu Huanlong , Wang Jing , Feng Xinxin , Sun Wei , Cai Dongxiao , Jia Hailin , Jiang Diandong
Published: May 2021

Myocarditis (MC) is a common, potentially life-threatening inflammatory disease of the myocardium. A growing body of evidence has shown that mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (MAPK14) participates in the pathogenesis of MC. However, the upstream regulators of MAPK14 remain enigmatic. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified to play vital roles in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, the clinical significance, biological function, and regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs in MC remain ﻿poorly understood. In this study, we determined a novel circRNA, circACSL1 (ID: hsa_circ_0071542), which was significantly upregulated in the acute phase of MC, and its dynamic change in expression was related to the progression of MC. We used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce the inflammatory responses in the human cardiomyocytes (HCM) line for in vitro and in cellulo experiments﻿. The pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), myocardial injury markers (cTnT, CKMB, and BNP), cell viability, and cell apoptosis were measured to evaluate the extent of myocardial inflammation and myocardial injury level. Functional experiments, including gain-of-function and loss-of-function, were then performed to investigate the pro-inflammatory roles of circACSL1. The results revealed that circACSL1 could aggravate inflammation, myocardial injury, and apoptosis in HCM. ﻿Mechanistically, circACSL1 acted as a sponge for miR-8055-binding sites to regulate the downstream target MAPK14 expression. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-8055 rescued the pro-inflammatory effects of circACSL1 on HCM, and the upregulation of MAPK14 induced by circACSL1 was attenuated by miR-8055 overexpression. Knockdown of circACSL1 or overexpression of miR-8055 reduced myocardial inflammation and myocardial injury level and these effects were rescued by overexpression of MAPK14. In summary, our study demonstrated that circACSL1 could aggravate myocardial inflammation and myocardial injury through competitive absorption of miR-8055, thereby upregulating MAPK14 expression. Moreover, circACSL1 may represent a potential novel biomarker for the precise diagnosis of MC and offer a promising therapeutic target for MC treatment.
Vitamin D status in Armenian women: a stratified cross-sectional cluster analysis
Authors: Hutchings Nicholas , Babalyan Varta , Heijboer Annemieke C. , Baghdasaryan Sisak , Qefoyan Mushegh , Ivanyan Arus , Ackermans Mariëtte T. , Formenti Anna Maria , Lesnyak Olga , Giustina Andrea , Bilezikian John P.
Published: May 2021

Background

Vitamin D plays a critical role in skeletal development and maintenance, thus sufficiency is an important goal for public health programs. Given the absence of foods fortified in vitamin D in Armenia, we hypothesized that vitamin D insufficiency would be widespread.

Methods

We conducted a random modified cluster model survey of vitamin D status of women in the country. We measured 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry in dried blood spot samples and utilized a questionnaire to assess lifestyle factors.

Results

In summer, we sampled 1206 participants from 40 communities in Armenia. Mean 25-OH D level among women aged 18–24 was 20 ± 8 ng/mL; aged 25–64 was 21 ± 7 ng/mL; and >65 was 18 ± 8 ng/mL. The country-wide mean of the entire female population was 20 ± 8 ng/mL. A majority (>54%) had 25-OH D levels <20 ng/mL with nearly 13% having 25-OH D levels <12 ng/mL. Participants who reported calcium, vitamin D, or multivitamin supplementation had higher levels of 25-OH D (p values 0.004, 0.0002, and 0.03 respectively) as did pre- vs. postmenopausal women (p = 0.01), pregnant vs. nonpregnant women (p = <0.0001), and women who had experienced a sunburn in the past year (p = 0.004).

Conclusion

In Armenia, there is a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency. This information provides data that can be used to inform public health directives to address this pervasive threat to optimal health.
Analysis of Zika virus capsid-Aedes aegypti mosquito interactome reveals pro-viral host factors critical for establishing infection
Authors: Gestuveo Rommel J. , Royle Jamie , Donald Claire L. , Lamont Douglas J. , Hutchinson Edward C. , Merits Andres , Kohl Alain , Varjak Margus
Published: May 2021

The escalating global prevalence of arboviral diseases emphasizes the need to improve our understanding of their biology. Research in this area has been hindered by the lack of molecular tools for studying virus-mosquito interactions. Here, we develop anAedes aegypticell line which stably expresses Zika virus (ZIKV) capsid proteins in order to study virus-vector protein-protein interactions through quantitative label-free proteomics. We identify 157 interactors and show that eight have potentially pro-viral activity during ZIKV infection in mosquito cells. Notably, silencing of transitional endoplasmic reticulum protein TER94 prevents ZIKV capsid degradation and significantly reduces viral replication. Similar results are observed if the TER94 ortholog (VCP) functioning is blocked with inhibitors in human cells. In addition, we show that an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, UBR5, mediates the interaction between TER94 and ZIKV capsid. Our study demonstrates a pro-viral function for TER94/VCP during ZIKV infection that is conserved between human and mosquito cells.
Unusual layer-by-layer growth of epitaxial oxide islands during Cu oxidation
Authors: Li Meng , Curnan Matthew T. , Gresh-Sill Michael A. , House Stephen D. , Saidi Wissam A. , Yang Judith C.
Published: May 2021

Elucidating metal oxide growth mechanisms is essential for precisely designing and fabricating nanostructured oxides with broad applications in energy and electronics. However, current epitaxial oxide growth methods are based on macroscopic empirical knowledge, lacking fundamental guidance at the nanoscale. Using correlated in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy, statistically-validated quantitative analysis, and density functional theory calculations, we show epitaxial Cu2O nano-island growth on Cu is layer-by-layer along Cu2O(110) planes, regardless of substrate orientation, contradicting classical models that predict multi-layer growth parallel to substrate surfaces. Growth kinetics show cubic relationships with time, indicating individual oxide monolayers follow Frank-van der Merwe growth whereas oxide islands follow Stranski-Krastanov growth. Cu sources for island growth transition from step edges to bulk substrates during oxidation, contrasting with classical corrosion theories which assume subsurface sources predominate. Our results resolve alternative epitaxial island growth mechanisms, improving the understanding of oxidation dynamics critical for advanced manufacturing at the nanoscale.
CryoEM structure of the antibacterial target PBP1b at 3.3 Å resolution
Authors: Caveney Nathanael A. , Workman Sean D. , Yan Rui , Atkinson Claire E. , Yu Zhiheng , Strynadka Natalie C. J.
Published: May 2021

The pathway for the biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall is one of the most prolific antibiotic targets, exemplified by the widespread use of β-lactam antibiotics. Despite this, our structural understanding of class A penicillin binding proteins, which perform the last two steps in this pathway, is incomplete due to the inherent difficulty in their crystallization and the complexity of their substrates. Here, we determine the near atomic resolution structure of the 83 kDa class A PBP from Escherichia coli, PBP1b, using cryogenic electron microscopy and a styrene maleic acid anhydride membrane mimetic. PBP1b, in its apo form, is seen to exhibit a distinct conformation in comparison to Moenomycin-bound crystal structures. The work herein paves the way for the use of cryoEM in structure-guided antibiotic development for this notoriously difficult to crystalize class of proteins and their complex substrates.
Sub-5 nm single crystalline organic p–n heterojunctions
Authors: Xiao Mingchao , Liu Jie , Liu Chuan , Han Guangchao , Shi Yanjun , Li Chunlei , Zhang Xi , Hu Yuanyuan , Liu Zitong , Gao Xike , Cai Zhengxu , Liu Ji , Yi Yuanping , Wang Shuai , Wang Dong , Hu Wenping , Liu Yunqi , Sirringhaus Henning , Jiang Lang
Published: May 2021

The cornerstones of emerging high-performance organic photovoltaic devices are bulk heterojunctions, which usually contain both structure disorders and bicontinuous interpenetrating grain boundaries with interfacial defects. This feature complicates fundamental understanding of their working mechanism. Highly-ordered crystalline organic p–n heterojunctions with well-defined interface and tailored layer thickness, are highly desirable to understand the nature of organic heterojunctions. However, direct growth of such a crystalline organic p–n heterojunction remains a huge challenge. In this work, we report a design rationale to fabricate monolayer molecular crystals based p–n heterojunctions. In an organic field-effect transistor configuration, we achieved a well-balanced ambipolar charge transport, comparable to single component monolayer molecular crystals devices, demonstrating the high-quality interface in the heterojunctions. In an organic solar cell device based on the p–n junction, we show the device exhibits gate-tunable open-circuit voltage up to 1.04 V, a record-high value in organic single crystalline photovoltaics.
Pairing a high-resolution statistical potential with a nucleobase-centric sampling algorithm for improving RNA model refinement
Authors: Xiong Peng , Wu Ruibo , Zhan Jian , Zhou Yaoqi
Published: May 2021

Refining modelled structures to approach experimental accuracy is one of the most challenging problems in molecular biology. Despite many years’ efforts, the progress in protein or RNA structure refinement has been slow because the global minimum given by the energy scores is not at the experimentally determined “native” structure. Here, we propose a fully knowledge-based energy function that captures the full orientation dependence of base–base, base–oxygen and oxygen–oxygen interactions with the RNA backbone modelled by rotameric states and internal energies. A total of 4000 quantum-mechanical calculations were performed to reweight base–base statistical potentials for minimizing possible effects of indirect interactions. The resulting BRiQ knowledge-based potential, equipped with a nucleobase-centric sampling algorithm, provides a robust improvement in refining near-native RNA models generated by a wide variety of modelling techniques.
High-isolation antenna array using SIW and realized with a graphene layer for sub-terahertz wireless applications
Authors: Alibakhshikenari Mohammad , Virdee Bal S. , Salekzamankhani Shahram , Aïssa Sonia , See Chan H. , Soin Navneet , Fishlock Sam J. , Althuwayb Ayman A. , Abd-Alhameed Raed , Huynen Isabelle , McLaughlin James A. , Falcone Francisco , Limiti Ernesto
Published: May 2021

This paper presents the results of a study on developing an effective technique to increase the performance characteristics of antenna arrays for sub-THz integrated circuit applications. This is essential to compensate the limited power available from sub-THz sources. Although conventional array structures can provide a solution to enhance the radiation-gain performance however in the case of small-sized array structures the radiation properties can be adversely affected by mutual coupling that exists between the radiating elements. It is demonstrated here the effectiveness of using SIW technology to suppress surface wave propagations and near field mutual coupling effects. Prototype of 2 × 3 antenna arrays were designed and constructed on a polyimide dielectric substrate with thickness of 125 μm for operation across 0.19–0.20 THz. The dimensions of the array were 20 × 13.5 × 0.125 mm3. Metallization of the antenna was coated with 500 nm layer of Graphene. With the proposed technique the isolation between the radiating elements was improved on average by 22.5 dB compared to a reference array antenna with no SIW isolation. The performance of the array was enhanced by transforming the patch to exhibit metamaterial characteristics. This was achieved by embedding the patch antennas in the array with sub-wavelength slots. Compared to the reference array the metamaterial inspired structure exhibits improvement in isolation, radiation gain and efficiency on average by 28 dB, 6.3 dBi, and 34%, respectively. These results show the viability of proposed approach in developing antenna arrays for application in sub-THz integrated circuits.
Serum alanine aminotransferase as an early marker of outcomes in patients receiving anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA-4 antibody
Authors: Azuma Takeshi , Takeuchi Takumi , Matayoshi Yukihide , Namiki Shin , Obara Tetsuya , Imamura Kazuhiro , Takamori Mikio
Published: May 2021

Immune-oncology (IO) drug therapy is effective against various types of cancer. Although several, potential, clinical predictive markers have been identified, none so far have proven reliable. Herein we evaluated changes in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), which is upregulated by the accumulation of activated CD8+T cells in the liver, as a potentially reliable predictive marker. We retrospectively analyzed 265 patients with advanced malignancies at three institutions between 2016 and 2019. The patients received IO drug therapy. We defined the ALT ratio (ALR) as the serum ALT value at baseline / the highest serum ALT during IO drug therapy, then determined whether the ALR correlated with the objective response rate or progression-free survival. The median follow-up was 3.1 months. We observed objective responses in 65 patients. The ALR ranged from 0.19 to 32.2 (median 1.5), and a significant ALR increase was observed in responders (p < 0.001). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, ALR = 1.55 had the highest sensitivity and specificity. The patients with ALR < 1.55 had a significantly poorer PFS than those with ALR ≥ 1.55. A high ALR was associated with a tumor response and good PFS in patients with advanced malignancies. The ALR based on activated cytotoxic T lymphocyte dynamics is therefore a reliable predictive marker.
The effects of beta-cell mass and function, intercellular coupling, and islet synchrony on $${\text {Ca}}^{2+}$$ dynamics
Authors: Saadati Maryam , Jamali Yousef
Published: May 2021

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a challenging metabolic disorder characterized by a substantial loss of $$\beta $$
β
-cell mass and alteration of $$\beta $$
β
-cell function in the islets of Langerhans, disrupting insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. The mechanisms for deficiency in $$\beta $$
β
-cell mass and function during the hyperglycemia development and T2D pathogenesis are complex. To study the relative contribution of $$\beta $$
β
-cell mass to $$\beta $$
β
-cell function in T2D, we make use of a comprehensive electrophysiological model of human $$\beta $$
β
-cell clusters. We find that defect in $$\beta $$
β
-cell mass causes a functional decline in single $$\beta $$
β
-cell, impairment in intra-islet synchrony, and changes in the form of oscillatory patterns of membrane potential and intracellular $${\text {Ca}}^{2+}$$

Ca

2
+

concentration, which can lead to changes in insulin secretion dynamics and in insulin levels. The model demonstrates a good correspondence between suppression of synchronizing electrical activity and published experimental measurements. We then compare the role of gap junction-mediated electrical coupling with both $$\beta $$
β
-cell synchronization and metabolic coupling in the behavior of $${\text {Ca}}^{2+}$$

Ca

2
+

concentration dynamics within human islets. Our results indicate that inter-$$\beta $$
β
-cellular electrical coupling depicts a more important factor in shaping the physiological regulation of islet function and in human T2D. We further predict that varying the whole-cell conductance of delayed rectifier $$\text {K}^{+}$$

K
+

channels modifies oscillatory activity patterns of $$\beta $$
β
-cell population lacking intercellular coupling, which significantly affect $${\text {Ca}}^{2+}$$

Ca

2
+

concentration and insulin secretion.
Gender differences in health-related quality of life measured by the Sarcoidosis Health Questionnaire
Authors: Gwadera Łukasz , Białas Adam J. , Górski Witold , Iwański Mikołaj A. , Miłkowska-Dymanowska Joanna , Górski Paweł , Piotrowski Wojciech J.
Published: May 2021

Sarcoidosis is granulomatous disease, which complex etiology is yet to be fully discovered. In the majority of cases its course is self-limiting. However it can have different clinical manifestations and can be debilitating condition with great impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of our study was to assess if there are any differences in HRQL dependent to gender. We examined a group of 33 males and 42 females (with no differences in mean age, disease activity, TLCO, FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC) with a use of Sarcoidosis Health Questionnaire. We revealed lower total and daily functioning score in female group. Further analyses stratified by sex and activity of the disease presented many significant differences between the groups, revealing important issues for the discussion about gender specific differences in the HRQL of patients with sarcoidosis. In spite of clinical presentation may be similar, expectations and main concerns of sarcoidosis patient can vary between females and males. Therefore, it appears that in terms of education and symptomatic treatment accents should be put differently depending on the gender of the patient. Our results may also point to a need for more gender-oriented patient-physician communication which could enable better understanding, potentially improve adherence to therapy and decrease the risk of possible complications.
Simultaneous quantitative profiling of clinically relevant immune markers in neonatal stool swabs to reveal inflammation
Authors: Vidova Veronika , Benesova Eliska , Klanova Jana , Thon Vojtech , Spacil Zdenek
Published: May 2021

An aberrant immune response developed early in life may trigger inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and food allergies (e.g., celiac disease). Fecal levels of immune markers categorize an inflammatory response (e.g., food allergy, autoimmune) paralleled with the initial microbial colonization. The immunoaffinity assays are routinely applied to quantify circulating immune protein markers in blood/serum. However, a reliable, multiplex assay to quantify fecal levels of immune proteins is unavailable. We developed mass spectrometry assays to simultaneously quantify fecal calprotectin, myeloperoxidase, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, eosinophil cationic protein, alpha-1-antitrypsin 1, and adaptive immunity effectors in 134 neonatal stool swabs. We optimized extraction and proteolytic protocol and validated the multiplex assay in terms of linearity of response (> 100; typically 0.04 to 14.77 µg/mg of total protein), coefficient of determination (R2; > 0.99), the limit of detection (LOD; 0.003 to 0.04 µg/mg of total protein), the limit of quantification (LOQ; 0.009 to 0.122 µg/mg of total protein) and robustness. The median CV of intra- and interday precision was 9.8% and 14.1%, respectively. We quantified breast milk-derived IGHA2 to differentiate meconium from feces samples and to detect the first food intake. An early life profiling of immune markers reflects disrupted intestinal homeostasis, and it is perhaps suitable for pre-symptomatic interception of IBD and food allergies.
Cement bridging phenomenon in percutaneous vertebroplasty for adjacent vertebral compression fracture
Authors: Li Yun-Da , Tsai Tsung-Ting , Niu Chi-Chien , Lai Po-Liang
Published: May 2021

In some cases of vertebroplasty for adjacent fractures, we observed a cement bridging phenomenon, in which the injected cement flowed from the newly fractured vertebra to the previously cement-augmented vertebra through the space between the abutting anterior longitudinal ligament and the vertebral column. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate this phenomenon. From January 2012 to December 2014, patients who sustained new-onset adjacent vertebral compression fracture and who were again treated with vertebroplasty were enrolled. We divided the patients into two groups, the bridging group and the nonbridging group, to analyze the difference between them. Results showed that the cement bridging phenomenon occurred in 18 (22.8%) of the 79 patients. Significant differences between the bridging and nonbridging groups were identified in the following 3 imaging features: severe loss of the anterior vertebral body height at the new-onset adjacent vertebra on plain film (odds ratio [OR] = 4.46, p = 0.014), fluid accumulation (OR = 36.27, p < 0.001) and hypointense signaling (OR = 15.67, p < 0.001) around the space anterior to the abutting vertebral bodies and the corresponding intervertebral disc on MRI. After a 2-year follow-up, both the mean value of the focal kyphotic angle and anterior body height ratio were significantly better in the cement bridging group than in the nonbridging group. The cement bridging phenomenon, which has never been reported in the literature, is not rare in clinical practice. This phenomenon was associated with better maintenance of focal kyphotic angle and anterior body height ratio during the 2-year follow-up.
Effects of positive end-expiratory pressure on the predictability of fluid responsiveness in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients
Authors: Chen Yen-Huey , Lai Ying-Ju , Huang Ching-Ying , Lin Hui-Ling , Huang Chung-Chi
Published: May 2021

The prediction accuracy of pulse pressure variation (PPV) for fluid responsiveness was suggested to be unreliable in low tidal volume (VT) ventilation. However, high PEEP can cause ARDS patients relatively hypovolemic and more fluid responsive. We hypothesized that high PEEP 15 cmH2O can offset the disadvantage of low VT and improve the predictive performance of PPV. We prospectively enrolled 27 hypovolemic ARDS patients ventilated with low VT 6 ml/kg and three levels of PEEP (5, 10, 15 cmH2O) randomly. Each stage lasted for at least 5 min to allow for equilibration of hemodynamics and pulmonary mechanics. Then, fluid expansion was given with 500 ml hydroxyethyl starch (Voluven 130/70). The hemodynamics and PPV were automatically measured with a PiCCO2 monitor. The PPV values were significantly higher during PEEP15 than those during PEEP5 and PEEP10. PPV during PEEP15 precisely predicts fluid responsiveness with a cutoff value 8.8% and AUC (area under the ROC curve) of ROC (receiver operating characteristic curve) 0.847, higher than the AUC during PEEP5 (0.81) and PEEP10 (0.668). Normalizing PPV with driving pressure (PPV/Driving-P) increased the AUC of PPV to 0.875 during PEEP15. In conclusions, high PEEP 15 cmH2O can counteract the drawback of low VT and preserve the predicting accuracy of PPV in ARDS patients.
Thymic transcriptome analysis after Newcastle disease virus inoculation in chickens and the influence of host small RNAs on NDV replication
Authors: Guo Liangxing , Mu Zhaokun , Nie Furong , Chang Xuanniu , Duan Haitao , Li Haoyan , Zhang Jingfeng , Zhou Jia , Ji Yudan , Li Mengyun
Published: May 2021

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV), is a contagious viral disease affecting various birds and poultry worldwide. In this project, differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were identified by high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) in chicken thymus at 24, 48, 72 or 96 h post LaSota NDV vaccine injection versus pre-inoculation group. The vital terms or pathways enriched by vaccine-influenced genes were tested through KEGG and GO analysis. DE genes implicated in innate immunity were preliminarily screened out through GO, InnateDB and Reactome Pathway databases. The interaction networks of DE innate immune genes were established by STRING website. Considering the high expression of gga-miR-6631-5p across all the four time points, DE circRNAs or mRNAs with the possibility to bind to gga-miR-6631-5p were screened out. Among DE genes that had the probability to interact with gga-miR-6631-5p, 7 genes were found to be related to innate immunity. Furthermore, gga-miR-6631-5p promoted LaSota NDV replication by targeting insulin induced gene 1 (INSIG1) in DF-1 chicken fibroblast cells. Taken together, our data provided the comprehensive information about molecular responses to NDV LaSota vaccine in Chinese Partridge Shank Chickens and elucidated the vital roles of gga-miR-6631-5p/INSIG1 axis in LaSota NDV replication.