bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theoretical framework and research prospect of the impact of China’s digital economic development on population
Authors: Zhou Chunshan , Zhang Dahao , Chen Yu
Published: September 2022

Against the background of social digitalization, networking, and intelligent development, the relationship between China’s digital economy and regional factors is increasingly close. This study systematically cards the relevant references of the digital economy, regional factors, and population based on the six perspectives of industry, residents’ income, urban human settlement environment, infrastructure, the real economy, and government management level to explore the influence of the digital economy on regional factors and regional factors on population. The results show that: 1) the digital economy has a bidirectional influence on the population. Digital economy can both attract population and lead to population outflow through relevant regional factors. 2) Digital economy can indirectly affect the spatial layout of population attributes by giving digital connotations to regional elements. We analyze the influence of China’s digital economic development on the population, build the influence of the digital economy on the population research framework, and put forward the research prospect of the impact of the digital economy on the population to provide a new research perspective on digital economic geography and population, as well as provide significant reference to guide the reasonable population flow and narrow the digital divide gap.
Improvement of oil recovery factor in tight reservoirs: A laboratory approach based on carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery methods
Authors: Zhang Chuanbao , Wu Gang , Huang Hao , Zhan Hongyang
Published: September 2022

Production from unconventional oil reservoirs has always been a critical issue for the oil industry. In this regard, we implemented a set of experimental scenarios containing CO2/N2 cyclic injection, the foams generated by nitrogen and carbon dioxide, cyclic carbon dioxide injection, and a combined effect of carbon dioxide and surfactant enhanced oil recovery methods. As water injection has reached a plateau around two pore volume injection, we continued the tests from two pore volume injection for different scenarios. It was observed that CO2/N2-foam has the highest oil recovery factor of 34.9%; however, CO2-foam, regarding more feasibility than N2, witnessed the highest oil recovery factor after CO2/N2-foam. On the other hand, the incremental oil recovery factor for surfactant flooding, carbonated water flooding, and carbonated water with surfactant flooding is measured at 4.9, 8.5, and 10.6%, respectively.
Static and dynamic environmental economic dispatch using tournament selection based ant lion optimization algorithm
Authors: Vennila H. , Giri Nimay Chandra , Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar , Sinha Pampa , Bajaj Mohit , Abou Houran Mohamad , Kamel Salah
Published: September 2022

The static and dynamic economic dispatch problems are solved by creating an enhanced version of ant lion optimisation (ALO), namely a tournament selection-based ant lion optimisation (TALO) method. The proposed algorithm is presented to solve the combined economic and emission dispatch (CEED) problem with considering the generator constraints such as ramp rate limits, valvepoint effects, prohibited operating zones and transmission loss. The proposed algorithm’s efficiency was tested using a 5-unit generating system in MATLAB R2021a during a 24-hour time span. When compared to previous optimization methods, the suggested TALO reduces the costs of fuel and pollution by 9.01 and 4.7 percent, respectively. Furthermore, statistical analysis supports the suggested TALO optimization superiority over other methods. It is observed that the renewable energy output can be stabilized in the future by combining a hybrid dynamic economic and emission dispatch model with thermal power units, wind turbines, solar and energy storage devices to achieve the balance between operational costs and pollutant emissions.
Snow surface properties derived from PRISMA satellite data over the Nansen Ice Shelf (East Antarctica)
Authors: Kokhanovsky Alexander , Di Mauro Biagio , Colombo Roberto
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we made use of PRISMA imaging spectroscopy data for retrieving surface snow properties in the Nansen Ice Shelf (East Antarctica). PRISMA satellite mission has been launched in 2019 and it features 239 spectral bands covering the 400-2500 nm interval. These data are promising for cryospheric applications, since several snow and ice parameters can be derived from reflectance in the Visible Near InfraRed - Short Wave InfraRed (VNIR-SWIR) wavelength interval. Here we analyze, for the first time, PRISMA data collected in Antarctica. Our scene was acquired on December 2020 over the Nansen Ice Shelf (NIS). Using PRISMA data we estimated various snow parameters (effective grain diameter, snow specific surface area, snow spectral and broadband albedo, bottom of atmosphere snow reflectance, type of impurities in snow and their concentration), and we compared them with data presented in the scientific literature.
Industrial community energy systems: Simulating the role of financial incentives and societal attributes
Authors: Eslamizadeh Sina , Ghorbani Amineh , Costa Rafael Castelo Branco Ferreira , Künneke Rolf , Weijnen Margot
Published: September 2022

Considering that the industrial sector consumes almost one-third of the energy demand globally, it is an urgent call to reduce the carbon footprints in this sector. Among different approaches to meet this goal, such as the employment of carbon capture technologies and increasing energy efficiency within industries, transitioning to renewable electricity (RE) would be another outlook to reduce the carbon footprints and increase the energy security of the industries. Collective power generation within communities has shown to be feasible and promising in the industrial sector, where groups of industries collaborate to generate energy and meet their energy demand. In this research, we investigated how the initiation and continuation of industrial community energy systems (InCES) among companies can take place and which financial incentives the government can introduce to support these initiatives. We built an agent-based model that incorporates cost-benefit analysis and cultural factors in the decision making process of industries, to assess the feasibility of initiating/joining an InCES by industries. This study shows that the FIT mechanism had the worst performance in incentivizing the establishment of an InCES among industries. In contrast, the TAX incentive showed the best performance in mobilizing the investments towards InCES. Similarly, the TAX incentive showed relatively superior performance in electricity generation, the number of established InCESs, and the number of companies joining each InCES. Despite the better performance of the TAX incentive, it was also the most expensive option for the governments as a significant share of the establishment costs of an InCES was put on the shoulders of the governments.
The nexus between e-commerce growth and solid-waste emissions in china: Open the pathway of green development of e-commerce
Authors: Caiyi Liang , Xiaoyong Li , Zhenyu Liu
Published: September 2022

The growth of the e-commerce industry brings considerable waste. The Chinese government has begun to pay attention to the development of green e-commerce. We first analyze the nexus between China’s e-commerce industry and solid waste and hope to provide some insights into the development of green e-commerce. Considering the cross-sectional dependence of panel data, we adopt the second-generation panel unit root and cointegration tests. Furthermore, the empirical results from the DOLS show that the EKC quadratic curve exists in Whole & Eastern & Central & Western China. In Whole & Central & Western China, FDI will increase solid-waste emissions. In Central China, the market can significantly increase solid-waste emissions, and trade openness can reduce solid-waste emissions. The proportion of Eastern China’s secondary industry will substantially increase solid-waste emissions. Most of the eight major economic zones conform to the quadratic EKC curve except for three economic zones. The situation is as follows, In the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River, the development of e-commerce brings monotonically increasing solid-waste discharge. The EKC relationship does not exist in the Yangtze River’s middle reaches and Northwest Economic Zones. Research findings provide a perspective and basis for China to make regional green regulations to reduce the discharge of solid waste from e-commerce and open the pathway of green development of e-commerce.
Spatial network structure characteristics of green total factor productivity in transportation and its influencing factors: Evidence from China
Authors: Wang Yiping , Wu Qunqi , Song Jingni
Published: September 2022

Improving green total factor productivity (GTFP) is an effective way to achieve efficient use of resources and low-carbon development in the transportation industry. Accurately grasping the spatial associated structure and its influencing factors of China’s transportation GTFP is of great significance for promoting coordinated regional development. This study used the DEA-Malmquist model to measure China’s provincial transportation GTFP from 2006 to 2019. The spatial associated matrix is constructed by the modified gravity model, and the social network analysis (SNA) method is used to analyze the structural characteristics and influencing factors of the GTFP spatial associated network. It is found that: 1) The tightness of the spatial associated network of China’s transportation GTFP increased year by year, and the hierarchical spatial structure was gradually broken. 2) There are significant differences in the status of various regions in the spatial network. Among them, Shanghai plays the role of “leader” and “core participant”, with the highest point centrality and eigenvector centrality; Jiangxi and Guangdong play the role of “intermediary” and “bridge”; However, Jilin, Qinghai, Ningxia, and other regions have a weak influence on the spatial correlation. 3) Spatial aggregation analysis shows that block I has a strong correlation with other regions, while the spatial correlation level of the other three plates is relatively poor. 4) QAP analysis shows that province adjacency, per capita GDP, and technological innovation have a significant positive impact on the spatial correlation. Therefore, the Chinese government should increase the level of informatization and create a regional coordinated development mechanism to optimize the overall development pattern of the transportation industry.
Genome-wide analysis of CNVs in three populations of Tibetan sheep using whole-genome resequencing
Authors: Hu Linyong , Zhang Liangzhi , Li Qi , Liu Hongjin , Xu Tianwei , Zhao Na , Han Xueping , Xu Shixiao , Zhao Xinquan , Zhang Cunfang
Published: September 2022

Copy number variation (CNV), an important source of genomic structural variation, can disturb genetic structure, dosage, regulation and expression, and is associated with phenotypic diversity and adaptation to local environments in mammals. In the present study, 24 resequencing datasets were used to characterize CNVs in three ecotypic populations of Tibetan sheep and assess CNVs related to domestication and adaptation in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. A total of 87,832 CNV events accounting for 0.3% of the sheep genome were detected. After merging the overlapping CNVs, 2777 CNV regions (CNVRs) were obtained, among which 1098 CNVRs were shared by the three populations. The average length of these CNVRs was more than 3 kb, and duplication events were more frequent than deletions. Functional analysis showed that the shared CNVRs were significantly enriched in 56 GO terms and 18 KEGG pathways that were mainly concerned with ABC transporters, olfactory transduction and oxygen transport. Moreover, 188 CNVRs overlapped with 97 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), such as growth and carcass QTLs, immunoglobulin QTLs, milk yield QTLs and fecal egg counts QTLs. PCDH15, APP and GRID2 overlapped with body weight QTLs. Furthermore, Vst analysis showed that RUNX1, LOC101104348, LOC105604082 and PAG11 were highly divergent between Highland-type Tibetan Sheep (HTS) and Valley-type Tibetan sheep (VTS), and RUNX1 and LOC101111988 were significantly differentiated between VTS and Oura-type Tibetan sheep (OTS). The duplication of RUNX1 may facilitate the hypoxia adaptation of OTS and HTS in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which deserves further research in detail. In conclusion, for the first time, we represented the genome-wide distribution characteristics of CNVs in Tibetan sheep by resequencing, and provided a valuable genetic variation resource, which will facilitate the elucidation of the genetic basis underlying the distinct phenotypic traits and local adaptation of Tibetan sheep.
A possible mechanism of Cry7Ab4 protein in delaying pupation of Plutella xylostella larvae
Authors: Lu Jing-Wen , Jin Liang , Li Meng-Ge , Yu Bryan Q. , Wen Yang-Fan , Gu Yu-Qing , Lin Yi , Yu Xiao-Qiang
Published: September 2022

Cry toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are well known for their insecticidal activities against Lepidopteran, Dipteran, and Coleopteran species. In our previous work, we showed that trypsin-digested full-length Cry7Ab4 protoxin did not have insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella larvae but strongly inhibited their growth. In this paper, we expressed and purified recombinant active Cry7Ab4 toxic core from Escherichia coli for bioassay and identified its binding proteins. Interestingly, Cry7Ab4 toxic core exhibited activity to delay the pupation of P. xylostella larvae. Using protein pull-down assay, several proteins, including basic juvenile hormone-suppressible protein 1-like (BJSP-1), were identified from the midgut juice of P. xylostella larvae as putative Cry7Ab4-binding proteins. We showed that feeding P. xylostella larval Cry7Ab4 toxic core upregulated the level of BJSP-1 mRNA in the hemocytes and fat body and decreased the free juvenile hormone (JH) level in larvae. BJSP-1 interacted with Cry7Ab4 and bound to free JH in vitro. A possible mechanism of Cry7Ab4 in delaying the pupation of P. xylostella larvae was proposed.
PSS-net: Parallel semantic segmentation network for detecting marine animals in underwater scene
Authors: Kim Yu Hwan , Park Kang Ryoung
Published: September 2022

Marine scene segmentation is a core technology in marine biology and autonomous underwater vehicle research. However, it is challenging from the perspective of having a different environment from that of the conventional traffic segmentation on roads. There are two major challenges. The first is the difficulty of searching for objects under seawater caused by the relatively low-light environment. The second problem is segmenting marine animals with protective colors. To solve such challenges, in previous research, a method of simultaneously segmenting the foreground and the background was proposed based on a simple modification of the conventional model; however, it has limitations in improving the segmentation accuracy. Therefore, we propose a parallel semantic segmentation network to solve the above issues in which a model and a loss are employed to locate the foreground and the background separately. The training task to locate the foreground and the background is reinforced in the proposed method by adding an attention technique in a parallel model. Furthermore, the final segmentation is performed by aggregating two feature maps obtained by separately locating the foreground and the background.The test results using an open dataset for marine animal segmentation reveal that the proposed method achieves performance of 87%, 97.3%, 88%, 95.2%, and 0.029 in the mean intersection of the union, structure similarities, weighted F-measure, enhanced-alignment measure, and mean absolute error, respectively. These findings confirm that the proposed method has higher accuracy than the state-of-the-art methods. The proposed model and code are publicly available via Github1.
eDNA metabarcoding of decapod crustaceans across Indonesian seas has implications for biodiversity conservation and fisheries sustainability
Authors: Madduppa Hawis , Sani Lalu M. Iqbal , Nugroho Kuncoro Catur , Bengen Dietriech G. , Muchlisin Zainal Abidin , Fadli Nur , Subhan Beginer , Arafat Dondy , Zamani Neviaty P. , Sunuddin Adriani , Ismet Meutia Samira , Srimariana Endang S. , Cakasana Nadya , Lestari Dea Fauzia , Santoso Prakas , Setyaningsih Wahyu Adi , Baksir Abdurrachman , Manurung Vindy Rilani , Damora Adrian , Ramadhaniaty Mutia , Sartimbul Aida , Oli Muh Yasin Umsini Putra , Tanod Wendy Alexander , Munira  , Dobo Johny , Setyobudi Eko , Nadiarti Nadiarti , Jompa Jamaluddin , Auliyah Nurul , Ndobe Samliok , Mahyudi Indra , Ninef Jotham S. R. , Rehatta Beatrix M. , Moore Abigail Mary
Published: September 2022

Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods are increasingly viewed as alternate or complementary approaches to conventional capture-based surveys for marine conservation and fisheries management purposes, especially at large spatial scales in mega-biodiversity regions such as Indonesia. Decapod crustacean distribution and diversity across Indonesia are still poorly known, even for economically important fisheries commodities. This study assessed coral reef associated decapod diversity and distribution by sampling 40 sites in three regions (West, Central, East), representing 17 provinces and 10 Fisheries Management Areas (FMAs) across Indonesia, with a special focus on the blue swimming crab Portunus pelagicus. DNA sequencing (Illumina iSeq100) data were analysed in mBRAVE (Multiplex Barcode Research And Visualization Environment) yielded 406 OTUs belonging to 32 families, with 47 genera and 51 species identified. The number of families identified was highest in the Central region (25), while the most genera (31) and species (36) were identified in the West region. Alpha diversity did not differ significantly between regions or provinces, while Beta diversity differed significantly between provinces but not between regions. Our results also showed 31 species are possibility native based on the distribution meanwhile 12 species do not appear to have been recorded based of SeaLifeBase or WorMS. While providing a reference for further exploration of Indonesian coastal and small island decapod biodiversity, the high proportion of unidentified taxa calls for concerted efforts to develop and maintain reference specimen and sequence repositories and expand species conservation status assessments. The economically important decapod crustaceans identified in this study included three crabs (Charybdis anisodon, Charybdis japonica, Portunus pelagicus), a freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense), a lobster (Panulirus stimpsoni) and two penaeid shrimps (Mierspenaeopsis hardwickii and Trachysalambria aspera). For most decapod taxa, observed patterns indicate management under existing provincial and/or FMA level management structures is appropriate. Furthermore, the data can inform science-based fisheries management strategies, in particular for P. pelagicus.
Water mass composition in Fram Strait determined from the combination of 129I and 236U: Changes between 2016, 2018, and 2019
Authors: Wefing A.-M. , Casacuberta N. , Christl M. , Dodd P. A.
Published: September 2022

Changes in the provenance and composition of waters exported from the Arctic Ocean have the potential to impact large-scale ocean circulation processes in the sub-polar North Atlantic. The main conveyor of waters from the Arctic Ocean to lower latitudes is the East Greenland Current (EGC), flowing southward through Fram Strait. It is therefore crucial to determine and monitor the composition of the EGC, a mixture of polar waters of different origins. Here we present a pilot study on the potential of the long-lived anthropogenic radionuclides 129I and 236U as tracers of the EGC water mass composition, based on a time series of 236U and 129I concentrations measured across Fram Strait in the years 2016, 2018, and 2019. The overall spatial distribution of 236U and 129I was similar among the three sampling years, but a decrease in concentration was observed in the upper water column of the EGC. The observed changes could only partly be attributed to the transient nature of the radionuclide signals, but instead pointed to changes in the EGC water mass composition. To investigate these changes, 236U and 129I were first combined in a mixing model featuring the endmembers expected in the upper EGC. We distinguished between Pacific Water (PAC), Atlantic Water advected from the Arctic Ocean (ATL), and Atlantic Water recirculating in Fram Strait (RAC). In 236U-129I tracer space, PAC and RAC showed similar tracer signatures, but were well distinguished from ATL. From 2016 to 2018/19, a decrease in the ATL fraction was evident for the upper EGC. Secondly, the respective combination of 236U and 129I with salinity showed differences in absolute water mass fractions, but similar temporal trends. Both suggested an increase in PAC of about 20% for the uppermost layer of the EGC (samples with potential densities below 26.5) and an increase in RAC of about 10−20 % for denser samples. 129I and 236U, in combination with salinity, were shown to be suitable tracers to investigate water mass composition in Fram Strait, with the advantage that they can distinguish Atlantic Water advected from the Arctic Ocean from that recirculating in Fram Strait.
Fabrication of hydrophilic and hydrophobic membranes inspired by the phenomenon of water absorption and storage of cactus
Authors: Shi Yana , Kim Kiwoong
Published: September 2022

Water shortage has become one of the most severe practical problems facing humans. Thus, an efficient and economic water-harvesting technology is urgent to develop. In this work, to prepare samples of hydrophilic and hydrophobic bilayer structures, three kinds of hydrophobic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers with different pore diameters were dip coated to fabricate hydrophobic surfaces, which showed different hydrophobic effects. TiO2 was then sprayed onto the hydrophobic surface to form irregular protrusions and to increase surface roughness and surface energy. The distribution amount of TiO2 was controlled by adjusting the spraying distance of TiO2. Finally, ultraviolet irradiation was performed. The light response made the protrusions super hydrophilic and improved the capture of mist and moisture by increasing the surface wettability and Laplace pressure. Water-collection test was performed for samples with different spraying distances irradiated by ultraviolet rays. The spraying distance with the best water-collection efficiency was achieved. The hydrophilic surface (particles) was attached to a hydrophobic membrane, which quickly and effectively captured the mist and converted it to water, thereby easily discharging a large amount of water. This study is expected to promote the development of fogging drainage and alleviate the problem of water shortage.
Barrier-free duct muffler for low-frequency sound absorption
Authors: Gao Cong , Hu Chuandeng , Mei Jun , Hou Bo , Zhang Xianli , Du Zhanhang , Wen Weijia
Published: September 2022

We demonstrate a duct muffler design that operates in the low-frequency range (<2000 Hz). The device contained a pair of coupled annular Helmholtz resonators (HRs) and porous material stuffing. HRs were installed as side branches of a circular tube to avoid affecting the ventilation. Porous materials were employed to form an asymmetric intrinsic loss in the HR pair and enable the device to achieve perfect sound absorption. An analytical model based on the temporal coupled-mode theory was derived, and a numerical simulation technique for structural design was introduced and verified. The experimental study demonstrated the effectiveness of the design methodology and illustrated that the device can achieve near-perfect sound absorption in the desired frequency range. A symmetrical configuration of the HRs also experimentally proved to be able to conduct sound absorption for sound incident from both sides of the duct. This study provides a solid foundation for the application of the designed muffler and an analytical explanation of the corresponding sound absorption mechanisms.
Adaptive immunity in different CT patterns of active tuberculosis and possible variability according to patients' geographic provenience
Authors: Scioscia Giulia , Lacedonia Donato , Giuffreda Ernesto , Caccavo Incoronata , Quarato Carla Maria Irene , Soccio Piera , Tondo Pasquale , Sassani Ennio Vincenzo , Pescatore Dalila , Foschino Barbaro Maria Pia
Published: September 2022

Background

It is still unclear if low lymphocyte levels are directly related to immunological modifications induced by the TB infection or if they depend on the general pre-existing health impairment of affected patients. Our aim was to detect eventual differences in the immunological status of patients with pulmonary TB compared to an age and sex-matched group of hospitalized patients with other bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In addition, we tried to assess an association between alterations in the peripheral lymphocyte subsets and the development of different CT patterns of active TB and to discover differences in the immunological status and in the radiological patterns of TB presentation between patients of different geographic proveniences.

Methods

This observational study included 48 patients with TB and 48 sex- and age-matched patients affected by other bacterial CAP. The presence of HIV/AIDS, other immunocompromising conditions, and confounding chronic pulmonary comorbidities was excluded. Flow cytometry was performed on all the enrolled subjects at admission, before starting the appropriate antibiotic therapy. Patients with TB also underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan.

Results

Patients with TB showed a decrease in the absolute count of all the lymphocyte subsets compared to the CAP group. Only the reduction in the percentage of CD4+ T-lymphocytes was significant, while the percentage of CD8+ T-lymphocytes was significantly increased. Patients presenting exudative forms with atypical locations of TB showed a significant reduction in the absolute count and percentage of CD19+ B-lymphocytes compared to those affected by productive TB forms with the typical location. Despite being younger, our black Sub-Saharan Africans showed a significant reduction in the CD4+ T-lymphocytes compartment and a higher prevalence of atypical and exudative forms of TB compared with white Europeans.

Conclusion

Tuberculosis itself may alter peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets compared to other CAP. An impaired CD19+ B-lymphocyte compartment may result in an abnormal exudative response in atypical locations and a suboptimal bacterial control. Other constitutive or environmental causes may influence immunological differences found in patients with TB, particularly in case of different geographic origins. Anyhow, flow cytometry may be of great value in evaluating the immune function of these patients.
Global transcriptional regulator FNR regulates the pyruvate cycle and proton motive force to play a role in aminoglycosides resistance of Edwardsiella tarda
Authors: Mao Li-Chun , Li Shao-Hua , Peng Xuan-Xian , Li Hui
Published: September 2022

Bacterial metabolism is related to resistance and susceptibility to antibiotics. Fumarate and nitrate reduction regulatory protein (FNR) is a global transcriptional regulator that regulates metabolism. However, the role of FNR in antibiotic resistance is elusive. Here, fnr deletion mutant was constructed and used to test the role in Edwardsiella tarda EIB202 (EIB202). Δfnr exhibited elevated sensitivity to aminoglycosides. The mutant had a globally enhanced metabolome, with activated alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism and increased abundance of glutamic acid as the most impacted pathway and crucial biomarker, respectively. Glutamate provides a source for the pyruvate cycle (the P cycle) and thereby relationship between exogenous glutamate-activated P cycle and gentamicin-mediated killing was investigated. The activated P cycle elevated proton motive force (PMF). Consistently, exogenous glutamate potentiated gentamicin-mediated killing to EIB202 as the similarity as the loss of FNR did. These findings reveal a previously unknown regulation by which FNR downregulates glutamate and in turn inactivates the P cycle, which inhibits PMF and thereby exhibits the resistance to aminoglycosides.
Selective sweep sites and SNP dense regions differentiate Mycobacterium bovis isolates across scales
Authors: Legall Noah , Salvador Liliana C. M.
Published: September 2022

Mycobacterium bovis, a bacterial zoonotic pathogen responsible for the economically and agriculturally important livestock disease bovine tuberculosis (bTB), infects a broad mammalian host range worldwide. This characteristic has led to bidirectional transmission events between livestock and wildlife species as well as the formation of wildlife reservoirs, impacting the success of bTB control measures. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has transformed our ability to understand disease transmission events by tracking variant sites, however the genomic signatures related to host adaptation following spillover, alongside the role of other genomic factors in the M. bovis transmission process are understudied problems. We analyzed publicly available M. bovis datasets collected from 700 hosts across three countries with bTB endemic regions (United Kingdom, United States, and New Zealand) to investigate if genomic regions with high SNP density and/or selective sweep sites play a role in Mycobacterium bovis adaptation to new environments (e.g., at the host-species, geographical, and/or sub-population levels). A simulated M. bovis alignment was created to generate null distributions for defining genomic regions with high SNP counts and regions with selective sweeps evidence. Random Forest (RF) models were used to investigate evolutionary metrics within the genomic regions of interest to determine which genomic processes were the best for classifying M. bovis across ecological scales. We identified in the M. bovis genomes 14 and 132 high SNP density and selective sweep regions, respectively. Selective sweep regions were ranked as the most important in classifying M. bovis across the different scales in all RF models. SNP dense regions were found to have high importance in the badger and cattle specific RF models in classifying badger derived isolates from livestock derived ones. Additionally, the genes detected within these genomic regions harbor various pathogenic functions such as virulence and immunogenicity, membrane structure, host survival, and mycobactin production. The results of this study demonstrate how comparative genomics alongside machine learning approaches are useful to investigate further the nature of M. bovis host-pathogen interactions.
Epsilon poly-L-lysine as a novel antifungal agent for sustainable wood protection
Authors: Cai Lili , Kuo Chi-Jui
Published: September 2022

There has been a growing interest in seeking natural and biobased preservatives to prevent the wood from deteriorating during its service life, thereby prolonging carbon storage in buildings. This study aims to assess the in vitro and in vivo antifungal properties of epsilon poly-L-lysine (EPL), a secondary metabolite from Actinomyces, against four common wood-inhabiting fungi, including two brown-rot fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum (GT) and Rhodonia placenta (RP), and two white-rot fungi, Trametes versicolor (TV) and Irpex lacteus (IL), which has rarely been reported. Our results indicate that these fungi responded differently due to EPL treatment. From the in vitro study, the minimal inhibitory concentration of EPL against GT, TV, and IL was determined to be 3 mg/ml, while that of RP was 5 mg/ml. EPL treatment also affects the morphology of fungal hyphae, changing from a smooth surface with a tubular structure to twisted and deformed shapes. Upon EPL treatment with wood samples (in vivo), it was found that EPL could possibly form hydrogen bonds with the hydroxy groups in wood and was uniformly distributed across the transverse section of the wood samples, as indicated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy analyses, respectively. Compared with control wood samples with a mass loss of over 15% across different fungi, wood samples treated with 1% EPL showed negligible or very low (<8%) mass loss. In addition, the thermal stability of EPL-treated wood was also improved by 50%. This study suggests that EPL could be a promising alternative to traditional metallic-based wood preservatives.
Factors structuring microbial communities in highly impacted coastal marine sediments (Mar Menor lagoon, SE Spain)
Authors: Aldeguer-Riquelme Borja , Rubio-Portillo Esther , Álvarez-Rogel José , Giménez-Casalduero Francisca , Otero Xose Luis , Belando María-Dolores , Bernardeau-Esteller Jaime , García-Muñoz Rocío , Forcada Aitor , Ruiz Juan M. , Santos Fernando , Antón Josefa
Published: September 2022

Coastal marine lagoons are environments highly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures such as agriculture nutrient loading or runoff from metalliferous mining. Sediment microorganisms, which are key components in the biogeochemical cycles, can help attenuate these impacts by accumulating nutrients and pollutants. The Mar Menor, located in the southeast of Spain, is an example of a coastal lagoon strongly altered by anthropic pressures, but the microbial community inhabiting its sediments remains unknown. Here, we describe the sediment prokaryotic communities along a wide range of environmental conditions in the lagoon, revealing that microbial communities were highly heterogeneous among stations, although a core microbiome was detected. The microbiota was dominated by Delta- and Gammaproteobacteria and members of the Bacteroidia class. Additionally, several uncultured groups such as Asgardarchaeota were detected in relatively high proportions. Sediment texture, the presence of Caulerpa or Cymodocea, depth, and geographic location were among the most important factors structuring microbial assemblages. Furthermore, microbial communities in the stations with the highest concentrations of potentially toxic elements (Fe, Pb, As, Zn, and Cd) were less stable than those in the non-contaminated stations. This finding suggests that bacteria colonizing heavily contaminated stations are specialists sensitive to change.
The response of sugar beet rhizosphere micro-ecological environment to continuous cropping
Authors: Cui Rufei , Geng Gui , Wang Gang , Stevanato Piergiorgio , Dong Yinzhuang , Li Tai , Yu Lihua , Wang Yuguang
Published: September 2022

Continuous cropping can lead to increased soil-borne diseases of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), resulting in a reduction in its yield quality. However, our understanding of the influence of continuous cropping on sugar beet-associated microbial community is limited and their interactions remain unclear. Here, we described and analyzed microbial diversity (N = 30) from three sugar beet belowground compartments (bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, and beetroot) using 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing. The continuous cropping showed lower bacterial alpha diversity in three belowground compartments and higher fungal alpha diversity in roots compared to the non-continuous cropping. There were significant differences in fungal community composition between the two groups. Compared with non-continuous cropping, continuous cropping increased the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic fungi such as Tausonia, Gilbellulopsis, and Fusarium, but decreased the relative abundance of Olpidium. The fungal flora in the three compartments displayed different keystone taxa. Fungi were more closely related to environmental factors than bacteria. Overall, changes in microbial diversity and composition under continuous cropping were more pronounced in the fungal communities, and the results of the study could guide development strategies to mitigate continuous crop adversity.
Aspergillus-bees: A dynamic symbiotic association
Authors: Becchimanzi Andrea , Nicoletti Rosario
Published: September 2022

Besides representing one of the most relevant threats of fungal origin to human and animal health, the genus Aspergillus includes opportunistic pathogens which may infect bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in all developmental stages. At least 30 different species of Aspergillus have been isolated from managed and wild bees. Some efficient behavioral responses (e.g., diseased brood removal) exerted by bees negatively affect the chance to diagnose the pathology, and may contribute to the underestimation of aspergillosis importance in beekeeping. On the other hand, bee immune responses may be affected by biotic and abiotic stresses and suffer from the loose co-evolutionary relationships with Aspergillus pathogenic strains. However, if not pathogenic, these hive mycobiota components can prove to be beneficial to bees, by affecting the interaction with other pathogens and parasites and by detoxifying xenobiotics. The pathogenic aptitude of Aspergillus spp. likely derives from the combined action of toxins and hydrolytic enzymes, whose effects on bees have been largely overlooked until recently. Variation in the production of these virulence factors has been observed among strains, even belonging to the same species. Toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains/species may co-exist in a homeostatic equilibrium which is susceptible to be perturbed by several external factors, leading to mutualistic/antagonistic switch in the relationships between Aspergillus and bees.
Significant differences in intestinal fungal community of hooded cranes along the wintering periods
Authors: Wu Yuannuo , Li Zihan , Zhao Jingru , Chen Zhong , Xiang Xingjia
Published: September 2022

The intestinal microbiota play vital roles for health of wild birds in many ways. Migratory birds with unique life history might increase the risk of pathogenic transmission across the regions. However, few studies have clarified the fungal community structure and inferred the potential pathogens in guts of migratory birds. The high-throughput sequencing method was applied to analyze the fungal community structure and detect the potential fungal pathogens in guts of hooded cranes among different wintering stages. Significant differences were found in gut fungal community composition of hooded cranes among three wintering stages, with the lowest fungal diversity in the late wintering stage. In the late stage, hooded cranes harbored higher relative abundance of plant saprotroph, contributing to food digestion for hosts. Hooded cranes were associated with the lowest diversity and relative abundance of animal pathogens in the late wintering stage. There was an increasing trend of deterministic process for gut fungal community assembly, suggesting that hosts interaction with their fungal communities changed by enhanced gut selection/filtering along wintering periods. Hooded crane was associated with the strongest gut selection/filtering to obtain defined gut fungal community with retaining probiotics (i.e., plant saprotroph) and exclusion of certain pathogens in the late wintering stage. Overall, these results demonstrated that hooded cranes might regulate their gut microbiota to enhance digestion and decrease gut pathogens in preparation for long-term migration.
A pseudokinase version of the histidine kinase ChrS promotes high heme tolerance of Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Krüger Aileen , Frunzke Julia
Published: September 2022

Heme is an essential cofactor for almost all living cells by acting as prosthetic group for various proteins or serving as alternative iron source. However, elevated levels are highly toxic for cells. Several corynebacterial species employ two paralogous, heme-responsive two-component systems (TCS), ChrSA and HrrSA, to cope with heme stress and to maintain intracellular heme homeostasis. Significant cross-talk at the level of phosphorylation between these systems was previously demonstrated. In this study, we have performed a laboratory evolution experiment to adapt Corynebacterium glutamicum to increasing heme levels. Isolated strains showed a highly increased tolerance to heme growing at concentrations of up to 100 μM. The strain featuring the highest heme tolerance harbored a frameshift mutation in the catalytical and ATPase-domain (CA-domain) of the chrS gene, converting it into a catalytically-inactive pseudokinase (ChrS_CA-fs). Reintroduction of the respective mutation in the parental C. glutamicum strain confirmed high heme tolerance and showed a drastic upregulation of hrtBA encoding a heme export system, conserved in Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. The strain encoding the ChrS pseudokinase variant showed significantly higher heme tolerance than a strain lacking chrS. Mutational analysis revealed that induction of hrtBA in the evolved strain is solely mediated via the cross-phosphorylation of the response regulator (RR) ChrA by the kinase HrrS and BACTH assays revealed the formation of heterodimers between HrrS and ChrS. Overall, our results emphasize an important role of the ChrS pseudokinase in high heme tolerance of the evolved C. glutamicum and demonstrate the promiscuity in heme-dependent signaling of the paralogous two-component systems facilitating fast adaptation to changing environmental conditions.
Pitx3 deficiency promotes age-dependent alterations in striatal medium spiny neurons
Authors: Chen Xi , Yang Zhaofei , Shao Yaping , Kim Kunhyok , Wang Yuanyuan , Wang Ying , Wu Haifeng , Xu Xiaolan , Le Weidong
Published: September 2022

Background

The classical motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are tightly linked to the gradual loss of dopamine within the striatum. Concomitantly, medium spiny neurons (MSNs) also experience morphological changes, such as reduced dendritic complexity and spine density, which may be potentially associated with motor dysfunction as well. Thus, MSNs may serve as the emerging targets for PD therapy besides the midbrain dopaminergic neurons.

Results

To comprehensively examine pathological alterations of MSNs longitudinally, we established aTHCre/Pitx3fl/fl(Pitx3cKO) mouse model that developed canonical PD features, including a significant loss of SNc DAergic neurons and motor deficits. During aging, the targeted neurotransmitter, MSNs morphology and DNA methylation profile were significantly altered uponPitx3deficiency. Specifically, dopamine, GABA and glutamate decreased in the model at the early stage. While nuclear, soma and dendritic atrophy, as well as nuclear invaginations increased in the aged MSNs ofPitx3ckomice. Furthermore, more nuclear DNA damages were characterized in MSNs during aging, andPitx3deficiency aggravated this phenomenon, together with alterations of DNA methylation profiling associated with lipoprotein and nucleus pathway at the late stage.

Conclusion

The early perturbations of the neurotransmitters within MSNs may potentially contribute to the alterations of metabolism, morphology and epigenetics within the striatum at the late stage, which may provide new perspectives on the diagnosis and pathogenesis of PD.
Effects of simultaneous use of m-NMES and language training on brain functional connectivity in stroke patients with aphasia: A randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Xie Hui , Jing Jing , Ma Yanping , Song Ying , Yin Jiahui , Xu Gongcheng , Li Xinglou , Li Zengyong , Wang Yonghui
Published: September 2022

Introduction

The m-NMES had been demonstrated to redistribute brain resources and induce plastic changes in the stroke patients. However, the physiological mechanism and clinical efficacy of m-NMES combination with existing clinical rehabilitation programs remains unclear in patients with aphasia after stroke. This study aimed to investigate the effects of simultaneous use of m-NMES and language training (m-NMES-LT) with on cerebral oscillations and brain connection, as well as the effect on clinical efficacy.

Materials and methods

Total 21 right–handed adult patients with aphasia were randomly assigned to language training (LT) group and m-NMES-LT group, and tissue concentration of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin oscillations were measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy in resting and treatment state during three consecutive weeks. Five characteristic frequency signals (I, 0.6–2 Hz; II, 0.145–0.6 Hz; III, 0.052–0.145 Hz; IV, 0.021–0.052 Hz; and V, 0.0095–0.021 Hz) were identified using the wavelet method. The wavelet amplitude (WA) and wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) were calculated to describe the frequency-specific cortical activities.

Results

The m-NMES-LT induced significantly higher WA values in contralesional PFC in intervals I, II, and V, and ipsilesional MC in intervals I-V than the resting state. The WPCO values between ipsilesional PFC-MC in interval III-IV, and between bilateral MC in interval III-IV were significantly higher than resting state. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between WPCO and Western Aphasia Battery in m-NMES-LT group.

Conclusion

The language training combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation on median nerve could improve and achieve higher clinical efficacy for aphasia. This is attributed to the m-NMES-LT could enhance cortical activation and brain functional connectivity in patients with aphasia, which was derived from myogenic, neurogenic, and endothelial cell metabolic activities.
Oolonghomobisflavans exert neuroprotective activities in cultured neuronal cells and anti-aging effects in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Zhang Shaoxiong , Duangjan Chatrawee , Tencomnao Tewin , Wu Liangyu , Wink Michael , Lin Jinke
Published: September 2022

Potential health benefits of tea has attracted significant scientific and public attention worldwide. Tea polyphenols are considered as natural promising complementary therapeutical agents for neurodegenerative diseases. However, the anti-neurodegeneration or anti-aging activities of oolong tea polyphenols have not been investigated. The current study aims to document beneficial effects of oolong tea polyphenols [dimers of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), oolonghomobisflavan A (OFA), and oolonghomobisflavan B (OFB)] with neuroprotective and neuritogenesis properties in cultured neuronal (Neuro-2a and HT22) cells and Caenorhabditis elegans models. In vitro, we found that the compounds (EGCG, OFA, and OFB) protect against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity via scavenging radical activity, suppression intracellular ROS and up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, the compounds induce neurite outgrowth via up-regulate Ten-4 gene expression. Interestingly, OFA and OFB exert stronger neuroprotective and neurite outgrowth properties than EGCG known as an excellent antioxidant agent in tea. In vivo, we found that the compounds protect against C. elegans Aβ-induced paralysis, chemotaxis deficiency and α-synuclein aggregation. Moreover, the compounds are capable of extending the lifespan of C. elegans. OFA and OFB possess both anti-neurodegeneration and anti-aging activities, supporting its therapeutic potential for the treatment of age-related neurodegenerative diseases which need to be studied in more detail in intervention studies.