bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural basis for expanded substrate specificities of human long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and related acyl-CoA dehydrogenases
Authors: Narayanan Beena , Xia Chuanwu , McAndrew Ryan , Shen Anna L. , Kim Jung-Ja P.
Published: June 2024

Crystal structures of human long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD) and the catalytically inactive Glu291Gln mutant, have been determined. These structures suggest that LCAD harbors functions beyond its historically defined role in mitochondrial β-oxidation of long and medium-chain fatty acids. LCAD is a homotetramer containing one FAD per 43 kDa subunit with Glu291 as the catalytic base. The substrate binding cavity of LCAD reveals key differences which makes it specific for longer and branched chain substrates. The presence of Pro132 near the start of the E helix leads to helix unwinding that, together with adjacent smaller residues, permits binding of bulky substrates such as 3α, 7α, l2α-trihydroxy-5β-cholestan-26-oyl-CoA. This structural element is also utilized by ACAD11, a eucaryotic ACAD of unknown function, as well as bacterial ACADs known to metabolize sterol substrates. Sequence comparison suggests that ACAD10, another ACAD of unknown function, may also share this substrate specificity. These results suggest that LCAD, ACAD10, ACAD11 constitute a distinct class of eucaryotic acyl CoA dehydrogenases.
Estimating individual trajectories of structural and cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment for early prediction of progression to dementia of the Alzheimer’s type
Authors: Rajagopal Shreya K. , Beltz Adriene M. , Hampstead Benjamin M. , Polk Thad A.
Published: June 2024

Only a third of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) progress to dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT). Identifying biomarkers that distinguish individuals with MCI who will progress to DAT (MCI-Converters) from those who will not (MCI-Non-Converters) remains a key challenge in the field. In our study, we evaluate whether the individual rates of loss of volumes of the Hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC) with age in the MCI stage can predict progression to DAT. Using data from 758 MCI patients in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Database, we employ Linear Mixed Effects (LME) models to estimate individual trajectories of regional brain volume loss over 12 years on average. Our approach involves three key analyses: (1) mapping age-related volume loss trajectories in MCI-Converters and Non-Converters, (2) using logistic regression to predict progression to DAT based on individual rates of hippocampal and EC volume loss, and (3) examining the relationship between individual estimates of these volumetric changes and cognitive decline across different cognitive functions—episodic memory, visuospatial processing, and executive function. We find that the loss of Hippocampal volume is significantly more rapid in MCI-Converters than Non-Converters, but find no such difference in EC volumes. We also find that the rate of hippocampal volume loss in the MCI stage is a significant predictor of conversion to DAT, while the rate of volume loss in the EC and other additional regions is not. Finally, individual estimates of rates of regional volume loss in both the Hippocampus and EC, and other additional regions, correlate strongly with individual rates of cognitive decline. Across all analyses, we find significant individual variation in the initial volumes and the rates of changes in volume with age in individuals with MCI. This study highlights the importance of personalized approaches in predicting AD progression, offering insights for future research and intervention strategies.
AMP-RNNpro: a two-stage approach for identification of antimicrobials using probabilistic features
Authors: Shaon Md. Shazzad Hossain , Karim Tasmin , Sultan Md. Fahim , Ali Md. Mamun , Ahmed Kawsar , Hasan Md. Zahid , Moustafa Ahmed , Bui Francis M. , Al-Zahrani Fahad Ahmed
Published: June 2024

Antimicrobials are molecules that prevent the formation of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. The necessity to detect antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) using machine learning and deep learning arises from the need for efficiency to accelerate the discovery of AMPs, and contribute to developing effective antimicrobial therapies, especially in the face of increasing antibiotic resistance. This study introduced AMP-RNNpro based on Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), an innovative model for detecting AMPs, which was designed with eight feature encoding methods that are selected according to four criteria: amino acid compositional, grouped amino acid compositional, autocorrelation, and pseudo-amino acid compositional to represent the protein sequences for efficient identification of AMPs. In our framework, two-stage predictions have been conducted. Initially, this study analyzed 33 models on these feature extractions. Then, we selected the best six models from these models using rigorous performance metrics. In the second stage, probabilistic features have been generated from the selected six models in each feature encoding and they are aggregated to be fed into our final meta-model called AMP-RNNpro. This study also introduced 20 features with SHAP, which are crucial in the drug development fields, where we discover AAC, ASDC, and CKSAAGP features are highly impactful for detection and drug discovery. Our proposed framework, AMP-RNNpro excels in the identification of novel Amps with 97.15% accuracy, 96.48% sensitivity, and 97.87% specificity. We built a user-friendly website for demonstrating the accurate prediction of AMPs based on the proposed approach which can be accessed at http://13.126.159.30/.
An integrated bioinformatic analysis of microarray datasets to identify biomarkers and miRNA-based regulatory networks in leishmaniasis
Authors: Savardashtaki Amir , Khalili Alashti Shayan , Vafadar Asma , Sadeghi Mahboubeh , Baneshi Maryam , Hashemi Kimia Sadat , Karami Jafar , Muro Antonio , Manzano-Roman Raúl , Rashidi Sajad
Published: June 2024

Micro RNAs (miRNAs, miRs) and relevant networks might exert crucial functions during differential host cell infection by the different Leishmania species. Thus, a bioinformatic analysis of microarray datasets was developed to identify pivotal shared biomarkers and miRNA-based regulatory networks for Leishmaniasis. A transcriptomic analysis by employing a comprehensive set of gene expression profiling microarrays was conducted to identify the key genes and miRNAs relevant for Leishmania spp. infections. Accordingly, the gene expression profiles of healthy human controls were compared with those of individuals infected with Leishmania mexicana, L. major, L. donovani, and L. braziliensis. The enrichment analysis for datasets was conducted by utilizing EnrichR database, and Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI) network to identify the hub genes. The prognostic value of hub genes was assessed by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Finally, the miRNAs that interact with the hub genes were identified using miRTarBase, miRWalk, TargetScan, and miRNet. Differentially expressed genes were identified between the groups compared in this study. These genes were significantly enriched in inflammatory responses, cytokine-mediated signaling pathways and granulocyte and neutrophil chemotaxis responses. The identification of hub genes of recruited datasets suggested that TNF, SOCS3, JUN, TNFAIP3, and CXCL9 may serve as potential infection biomarkers and could deserve value as prognostic biomarkers for leishmaniasis. Additionally, inferred data from miRWalk revealed a significant degree of interaction of a number of miRNAs (hsa-miR-8085, hsa-miR-4673, hsa-miR-4743-3p, hsa-miR-892c-3p, hsa-miR-4644, hsa-miR-671-5p, hsa-miR-7106-5p, hsa-miR-4267, hsa-miR-5196-5p, and hsa-miR-4252) with the majority of the hub genes, suggesting such miRNAs play a crucial role afterwards parasite infection. The hub genes and hub miRNAs identified in this study could be potentially suggested as therapeutic targets or biomarkers for the management of leishmaniasis.
Evolution of ferromagnetic cluster in perovskite La0.88Sr0.12MnO3 nanocrystalline detected by EPR spectrum
Authors: Li Shaozhen , Xu Lisha , Fu Chao , zheng Mengqiu , Tong Wei , Fan Jiyu
Published: June 2024

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies were performed on La0.88Sr0.12MnO3 (LSMO) nanocrystalline together with the measurement of its magnetization. Various spectrum parameters including line width, effective g-value and double-integrated intensities have been analyzed in detail. We found nonlinear behavior occurred in the inverse susceptibility far above the Curie temperature TC, indicating short-range ferromagnetic (FM) clusters and Griffiths-like phase behavior in the paramagnetic (PM) phase. Based on the variation of EPR spectra, except for a typical PM resonance peak, an extra resonance signal was observed in the lower field region and developed as temperature decreased from 320 K to 110 K, which gave a direct evidence of the existence of FM cluster in the PM region of LSMO nanocrystalline. We proposed that the appearance of the Griffiths phase was due to the short FM correlation in the PM regime enhanced by surface spin ordering.
Real-time predictive model of extrauterine growth retardation in preterm infants with gestational age less than 32 weeks
Authors: Gao Liang , Shen Wei , Wu Fan , Mao Jian , Liu Ling , Chang Yan-Mei , Zhang Rong , Ye Xiu-Zhen , Qiu Yin-Ping , Ma Li , Cheng Rui , Wu Hui , Chen Dong-Mei , Chen Ling , Xu Ping , Mei Hua , Wang San-Nan , Xu Fa-Lin , Ju Rong , Zheng Zhi , Lin Xin-Zhu , Tong Xiao-Mei ,   The Chinese Multicenter EUGR Collaborative Group, Lin Xinzhu , Tian Qianxin , Yuan Yuan , Shi Bizhen , Tong Xiao-Mei , Zhang Jinghui , Zhu Yan , Ye Xiuzhen , Zou Jingjing , Qiu Yinping , Li Yuhuai , Liu Shuhua , Xu Ying , Zhou Wenli , Chen Dongmei , Liu Zhiyong , Wang Sannan , Xu Falin , Wang Xiaokang , Liu Ye , Yi Juan , Wu Meigui , Chen Shifeng , Zhu Qiaomian , Wang Linlin , Liu Yongqiao , Deng Chun , Liu Xiaohong
Published: June 2024

The aim of this study was to develop a real-time risk prediction model for extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR). A total of 2514 very preterm infants were allocated into a training set and an external validation set. The most appropriate independent variables were screened using univariate analysis and Lasso regression with tenfold cross-validation, while the prediction model was designed using binary multivariate logistic regression. A visualization of the risk variables was created using a nomogram, while the calibration plot and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to calibrate the prediction model. Clinical efficacy was assessed using the decision curve analysis (DCA) curves. Eight optimal predictors that namely birth weight, small for gestation age (SGA), hypertensive disease complicating pregnancy (HDCP), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), multiple births, cumulative duration of fasting, growth velocity and postnatal corticosteroids were introduced into the logistic regression equation to construct the EUGR prediction model. The area under the ROC curve of the training set and the external verification set was 83.1% and 84.6%, respectively. The calibration curve indicate that the model fits well. The DCA curve shows that the risk threshold for clinical application is 0–95% in both set. Introducing Birth weight, SGA, HDCP, GDM, Multiple births, Cumulative duration of fasting, Growth velocity and Postnatal corticosteroids into the nomogram increased its usefulness for predicting EUGR risk in very preterm infants.
DC current–voltage and impedance spectroscopy characterization of nCdS/pZnTe HJ
Authors: Lungu I. , Patru R. E. , Galca A. C. , Pintilie L. , Potlog T.
Published: June 2024

This paper describes the electrical and dielectric behavior of the nCdS/pZnTe HJ by current–voltage, capacitance–voltage characteristics, and impedance spectroscopy in a temperature interval 220–350 K. A microcrystalline p-ZnTe layer and n-CdS were grown on glass/ZnO substrate by closed space sublimation method. As frontal contact to CdS, the transparent ZnO and as a back contact to ZnTe, silver conductive paste (Ag) treated at 50 °C in vacuum were used. The current–voltage results of nCdS/pZnTe HJ show a rectifying behavior. The junction ideality factor, barrier height, and series resistance values were extracted from the rectifying curves at different temperatures. The built-in voltage, carrier concentration and depletion width were obtained from the capacitance–voltage measurements. Analysis of the J–V–T and C–V–T characteristics shows that the thermionic emission and recombination current flow mechanisms dominate in the nCdS/pZnTe HJ. The dielectric study reveals that the experimental values of the AC conductivity, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, the imaginary part of the electric modulus are found to be very sensitive to frequency and temperature. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss are observed to be high at the low frequency region. The increase in the values of electric modulus with the frequency implies an increase in the interfacial polarization at the interface of nCdS/pZnTe HJ. Jonscher’s universal power law shows that with increasing frequency, AC conductivity increased. The results conductivity show that the ionic conductivity and interfacial polarization are the main parameters affecting the dielectric properties of the device when the temperature changes.
Utility of pneumonia severity assessment tools for mortality prediction in healthcare-associated pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Noguchi Shingo , Katsurada Masahiro , Yatera Kazuhiro , Nakagawa Natsuki , Xu Dongjie , Fukuda Yosuke , Shindo Yuichiro , Senda Kazuyoshi , Tsukada Hiroki , Miki Makoto , Mukae Hiroshi
Published: June 2024

Accurate prognostic tools for mortality in patients with healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) are needed to provide appropriate medical care, but the efficacy for mortality prediction of tools like PSI, A-DROP, I-ROAD, and CURB-65, widely used for predicting mortality in community-acquired and hospital-acquired pneumonia cases, remains controversial. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using PubMed, Cochrane Library (trials), and Ichushi web database (accessed on August 22, 2022). We identified articles evaluating either PSI, A-DROP, I-ROAD, or CURB-65 and the mortality outcome in patients with HCAP, and calculated the pooled sensitivities, specificities, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and the summary area under the curves (AUCs) for mortality prediction. Additionally, the differences in predicting prognosis among these four assessment tools were evaluated using overall AUCs pooled from AUC values reported in included studies. Eventually, 21 articles were included and these quality assessments were evaluated by QUADAS-2. Using a cut-off value of moderate in patients with HCAP, the range of pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were found to be 0.91–0.97, 0.15–0.44, 1.14–1.66, 0.18–0.33, and 3.86–9.32, respectively. Upon using a cut-off value of severe in those patients, the range of pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 0.63–0.70, 0.54–0.66, 1.50–2.03, 0.47–0.58, and 2.66–4.32, respectively. Overall AUCs were 0.70 (0.68–0.72), 0.70 (0.63–0.76), 0.68 (0.64–0.73), and 0.67 (0.63–0.71), respectively, for PSI, A-DROP, I-ROAD, and CURB-65 (p = 0.66). In conclusion, these severity assessment tools do not have enough ability to predict mortality in HCAP patients. Furthermore, there are no significant differences in predictive performance among these four severity assessment tools.
Altered thermal preferences of infected or immune-challenged Aedes aegypti and Aedes japonicus mosquitoes
Authors: Hug David O. H. , Gretener-Ziegler Raphaela , Stegmayer Raffael I. , Mathis Alexander , Verhulst Niels O.
Published: June 2024

Temperature is a critical factor shaping physiology, life cycle, and behaviour of ectothermic vector insects, as well as the development and multiplication of pathogens within them. However, the influence of pathogen infections on thermal preferences (behavioural thermoregulation) is not well-understood. The present study examined the thermal preferences of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Ae. japonicus) infected with either Sindbis virus (SINV) or Dirofilaria immitis over 12 days post exposure (p.e.) or injected with a non-pathogenic Sephadex bead over 24 h in a thermal gradient (15–30 °C). SINV-infected Ae. aegypti preferred 5 °C warmer temperatures than non-infected ones at day 6 p.e., probably the time of highest innate immune response. In contrast, D. immitis-infected Ae. japonicus preferred 4 °C cooler temperatures than non-infected ones at day 9 p.e., presumably a stress response during the migration of third instar larvae from their development site to the proboscis. Sephadex bead injection also induced a cold preference in the mosquitoes but to a level that did not differ from control-injections. The cold preference thus might be a strategy to escape the risk of desiccation caused by the wound created by piercing the thorax. Further research is needed to uncover the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying these behaviours.
Prognostic importance of modified geriatric nutritional risk index in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Tsai Yao-Te , Tsai Ming-Hsien , Chang Geng-He , Tsai Ming-Shao , Huang Ethan I. , Lu Chang-Hsien , Hsu Cheng-Ming , Lai Chia-Hsuan , Liao Chun-Ta , Kang Chung-Jan , Lee Yi-Chan , Tsai Yuan-Hsiung , Fang Ku-Hao
Published: June 2024

We probed the associations of preoperative modified geriatric nutritional risk index (mGNRI) values with prognosis in patients receiving surgery for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of 333 patients with OCSCC and undergoing surgery between 2008 and 2017. The preoperative mGNRI was calculated using the following formula: (14.89/C-reactive protein level) + 41.7 × (actual body weight/ideal body weight). We executed receiver operating characteristic curve analyses to derive the optimal mGNRI cutoff and employed Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazard model to probe the associations of the mGNRI with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The optimal mGNRI cutoff was derived to be 73.3. We noted the 5-year OS and DFS rates to be significantly higher in the high-mGNRI group than in the low-mGNRI group (both p < 0.001). A preoperative mGNRI below 73.3 was independently associated with unfavorable DFS and OS. A mGNRI-based nomogram was constructed to provide accurate OS predictions (concordance index, 0.781). Hence, preoperative mGNRI is a valuable and cost-effective prognostic biomarker in patients with OCSCC. Our nomogram facilitates the practical use of mGNRI and offers individualized predictions of OS.
Calculating torque, back-EMF, inductance, and unbalanced magnetic force for a hybrid electrical vehicle by in-wheel drive application
Authors: Hosseinpour Alireza , Rahideh Akbar , Abbas Ahmed , Iqbal Atif , El-Bayeh Claude Ziad , Flah Aymen , Ali Enas , Ghaly Ramy N. R.
Published: June 2024

To use a Hybrid Excitation Synchronous Machine (HESM) in a hybrid electrical vehicle (HEV), its performance indicators such as back-EMF, inductance and unbalanced magnetic force should be computed preferably by an analytical method. First, the back-EMF is calculated by considering alternate-teeth and all-teeth non-overlapping and overlapping windings. The effects of three types of magnetization patterns including the radial, parallel and Halbach magnetizations on the back-EMF waveform have also been investigated. Then, the self-inductance of the stator and rotor windings, the mutual inductance between the stator and rotor windings, and the mutual inductance between the stator phases are computed. Next, the components of the unbalanced magnetic force (UMF) in the direction of the x and y axes and its amplitude are computed. Moreover, the effects of the magnetization patterns on those magnetic pulls are investigated. To minimize the UMFs, symmetry must be implemented in the excitation sources; therefore, first the stator winding then the permanent magnet and rotor winding are modified in such a way that the UMFs are reduced. Increasing the temperature leads to a weakening of the magnet’s residual flux density, which strongly affects the performance characteristics of the electric machine such as Back-EMF and UMF. Finally, the ratio of the permanent magnet flux to the rotor flux is determined in such a way that the average torque is maximized. In this section, the effects of three magnetization patterns will be investigated.
Improving the operational durability of tangential-rotary picks for rock cutting with central spraying and hydrodynamic rotation
Authors: Cheluszka Piotr , Mikuła Stanisław , Mikuła Jarosław , Fries Jiří
Published: June 2024

This article presents a proposal for a new solution of tangential-rotary picks intended for mining, especially hard rocks with roadheaders. The design of these picks is characterized by many innovative solutions aimed at significantly increasing their service life. The method to achieve this goal is to provide effective central spraying of the ring tip picks, crown picks, or similar types of picks while using the spray water to cause the picks to rotate as they contact the rock being mined. An important element of the work is to conduct extensive simulation studies using FEM to determine the stress distribution in the pick shank subjected to external load from cutting. The new design of the tangential-rotary pick is equipped with a reinforcing sleeve, in which a state of compressive stress is induced. This enables a significant improvement in the fatigue strength of the pick shanks. The conducted FEM comparative tests confirm the accuracy of the adopted design assumptions. They also determine the beneficial value of the tension nut torque, which tightens the reinforcing sleeve located on the pick shank.
Equivalent consumption minimization strategy based on global optimization of equivalent factor for hybrid tractor
Authors: Zhu Zhen , Zhang Yihan , Zhang Hongwei , Wang Dehai , Chen Long
Published: June 2024

Due to the increase in emission requirements for non-road vehicles in many countries and the reduction of agricultural personnel, tractors are developing towards high horsepower and electrification. According to the working conditions of high-horsepower tractors, a hydromechanical continuously variable transmission (HMCVT) is designed for hybrid tractors. Taking a tractor equipped with this transmission as the research object, an equivalent factor global optimization model was established and a genetic algorithm was used to optimize the equivalent factor S offline to obtain the optimal equivalent factor of the tractor under different operating mileage and the initial state of charge (SOC) of battery. By using the optimized equivalent factor, the tractor can be in the charge depleting (CD) mode for a longer time on the premise of making full use of the energy in the battery, so as to improve the auxiliary ability of the motor in the whole operation cycle to reduce the fuel consumption of the tractor. The effectiveness of the control strategy is verified by MATLAB/Simulink and hardware in the loop (HIL) tests, and the fuel economy of tractors is improved by 2.939% and 3.909% respectively in the two tests.
A reanalysis and integration of transcriptomics and proteomics datasets unveil novel drug targets for Mekong schistosomiasis
Authors: Thawornkuno Charin , Srisuksai Krittika , Simanon Nattapon , Adisakwattana Poom , Ampawong Sumate , Boonyuen Usa , Limpanont Yanin , Chusongsang Phiraphol , Chusongsang Yupa , Kiangkoo Nuttapohn , Reamtong Onrapak
Published: June 2024

Schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma trematodes, is a significant global health concern, particularly affecting millions in Africa and Southeast Asia. Despite efforts to combat it, the rise of praziquantel (PZQ) resistance underscores the need for new treatment options. Protein kinases (PKs) are vital in cellular signaling and offer potential as drug targets. This study focused on focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as a candidate for anti-schistosomal therapy. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of adult S. mekongi worms identified FAK as a promising target due to its upregulation and essential role in cellular processes. Molecular docking simulations assessed the binding energy of FAK inhibitors to Schistosoma FAK versus human FAK. FAK inhibitor 14 and PF-03814735 exhibited strong binding to Schistosoma FAK with minimal binding for human FAK. In vitro assays confirmed significant anti-parasitic activity against S. mekongi, S. mansoni, and S. japonicum, comparable to PZQ, with low toxicity in human cells, indicating potential safety. These findings highlight FAK as a promising target for novel anti-schistosomal therapies. However, further research, including in vivo studies, is necessary to validate efficacy and safety before clinical use. This study offers a hopeful strategy to combat schistosomiasis and reduce its global impact.
Different clinical course of BPPV according to the medical conditions
Authors: Lee Jeon Mi , Lee Hyun Jin
Published: June 2024

Dizziness is one of the most prevalent complaints in medicine, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) accounts for one-third of all cases. The present study was aimed at identifying differences in the course and prognosis of BPPV depending on the patient’s medical condition during hospitalization. Patients in group 1 were hospitalized due to trauma, those in group 2 for scheduled surgery, and those in group 3 for medical treatment. The intervals from admission to symptom onset, surgery to symptom onset, and symptom onset to ENT department referral were compared. The interval from admission to symptom onset was shortest in group 1 (3.1 ± 8.0 days) and differed significantly from that in group 3 (20.0 ± 35.0 days, p < 0.001). The interval from surgery to symptom onset for group 2 was 5.6 ± 5.8 days and was significantly shorter than that from admission to symptom onset for group 3 (p = 0.014). The interval from symptom onset to ENT referral in group 3 (2.0 ± 2.8 days) was significantly shorter than in groups 1 and 2 (4.1 ± 5.1 and 4.0 ± 3.6 days, p = 0.008 and p = 0.002, respectively). The findings imply that the course of BPPV differed according to the patients’ medical condition.
MARK4 aggravates cardiac dysfunction in mice with STZ-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy by regulating ACSL4-mediated myocardial lipid metabolism
Authors: Wu Yi , Zhang Jingqi , Wang Weiyi , Wu Dongdong , Kang Yang , Fu Lu
Published: June 2024

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a specific type of cardiomyopathy. In DCM, glucose uptake and utilization are impaired due to insulin deficiency or resistance, and the heart relies more heavily on fatty acid oxidation for energy, resulting in myocardial lipid toxicity-related injury. MARK4 is a member of the AMPK-related kinase family, and improves ischaemic heart failure through microtubule detyrosination. However, the role of MARK4 in cardiac regulation of metabolism is unclear. In this study, after successful establishment of a diabetic cardiomyopathy model induced by streptozotocin and a high-fat diet, MARK4 expression was found to be significantly increased in STZ-induced DCM mice. After AAV9-shMARK4 was administered through the tail vein, decreased expression of MARK4 alleviated diabetic myocardial damage, reduced oxidative stress and apoptosis, and facilitated cardiomyocyte mitochondrial fusion, and promoted myocardial lipid oxidation metabolism. In addition, through the RNA-seq analysis of differentially expressed genes, we found that MARK4 deficiency promoted lipid decomposition and oxidative metabolism by downregulating the expression of ACSL4, thus reducing myocardial lipid accumulation in the STZ-induced DCM model.
Evolutionary radiation strategy revealed in the Scarabaeidae with evidence of continuous spatiotemporal morphology and phylogenesis
Authors: Tong Yijie , Lu Yuanyuan , Tian Zhehao , Yang Xingke , Bai Ming
Published: June 2024

Evolutionary biology faces the important challenge of determining how to interpret the relationship between selection pressures and evolutionary radiation. The lack of morphological evidence on cross-species research adds to difficulty of this challenge. We proposed a new paradigm for evaluating the evolution of branches through changes in characters on continuous spatiotemporal scales, for better interpreting the impact of biotic/abiotic drivers on the evolutionary radiation. It reveals a causal link between morphological changes and selective pressures: consistent deformation signals for all tested characters on timeline, which provided strong support for the evolutionary hypothesis of relationship between scarabs and biotic/abiotic drivers; the evolutionary strategies under niche differentiation, which were manifested in the responsiveness degree of functional morphological characters with different selection pressure. This morphological information-driven integrative approach sheds light on the mechanism of macroevolution under different selection pressures and is applicable to more biodiversity research.
Juvenile Hormone as a contributing factor in establishing midgut microbiota for fecundity and fitness enhancement in adult female Aedes aegypti
Authors: Taracena-Agarwal Mabel L. , Walter-Nuno Ana Beatriz , Bottino-Rojas Vanessa , Mejia Alessandra Paola Girard , Xu Kelsey , Segal Steven , Dotson Ellen M. , Oliveira Pedro L. , Paiva-Silva Gabriela O.
Published: June 2024

Understanding the factors influencing mosquitoes’ fecundity and longevity is important for designing better and more sustainable vector control strategies, as these parameters can impact their vectorial capacity. Here, we address how mating affects midgut growth in Aedes aegypti, what role Juvenile Hormone (JH) plays in this process, and how it impacts the mosquito’s immune response and microbiota. Our findings reveal that mating and JH induce midgut growth. Additionally, the establishment of a native bacterial population in the midgut due to JH-dependent suppression of the immune response has important reproductive outcomes. Specific downregulation of AMPs with an increase in bacteria abundance in the gut results in increased egg counts and longer lifespans. Overall, these findings provide evidence of a cross-talk between JH response, gut epithelial tissue, cell cycle regulation, and the mechanisms governing the trade-offs between nutrition, immunity, and reproduction at the cellular level in the mosquito gut.
Normative modelling of molecular-based functional circuits captures clinical heterogeneity transdiagnostically in psychiatric patients
Authors: Lawn Timothy , Giacomel Alessio , Martins Daniel , Veronese Mattia , Howard Matthew , Turkheimer Federico E. , Dipasquale Ottavia
Published: June 2024

Advanced methods such as REACT have allowed the integration of fMRI with the brain’s receptor landscape, providing novel insights transcending the multiscale organisation of the brain. Similarly, normative modelling has allowed translational neuroscience to move beyond group-average differences and characterise deviations from health at an individual level. Here, we bring these methods together for the first time. We used REACT to create functional networks enriched with the main modulatory, inhibitory, and excitatory neurotransmitter systems and generated normative models of these networks to capture functional connectivity deviations in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BPD), and ADHD. Substantial overlap was seen in symptomatology and deviations from normality across groups, but these could be mapped into a common space linking constellations of symptoms through to underlying neurobiology transdiagnostically. This work provides impetus for developing novel biomarkers that characterise molecular- and systems-level dysfunction at the individual level, facilitating the transition towards mechanistically targeted treatments.
Magnetic Dirac semimetal state of (Mn,Ge)Bi2Te4
Authors: Frolov Alexander S. , Usachov Dmitry Yu. , Tarasov Artem V. , Fedorov Alexander V. , Bokai Kirill A. , Klimovskikh Ilya , Stolyarov Vasily S. , Sergeev Anton I. , Lavrov Alexander N. , Golyashov Vladimir A. , Tereshchenko Oleg E. , Di Santo Giovanni , Petacсia Luca , Clark Oliver J. , Sanchez-Barriga Jaime , Yashina Lada V.
Published: June 2024

The ability to finely tune the properties of magnetic topological insulators (TIs) is crucial for quantum electronics. We studied solid solutions with a general formula GexMn1-xBi2Te4 between two isostructural Z2 TIs, magnetic MnBi2Te4 and nonmagnetic GeBi2Te4 with Z2 invariants of 1;000 and 1;001, respectively. We observed linear x-dependent magnetic properties, composition-independent pairwise exchange interactions, and topological phase transitions (TPTs) between topologically nontrivial phases and the semimetal state. The TPTs are driven purely by the variation of orbital contributions. By tracing the x-dependent Bi 6p contribution to the states near the fundamental gap, the effective spin-orbit coupling variation is extracted. The gapless state observed at x = 0.42 closely resembles a Dirac semimetal above the Néel temperature and shows a magnetic gap below, which is clearly visible in raw photoemission data. The observed behavior demonstrates an ability to precisely control topological and magnetic properties of TIs.
Less than 4% of dryland areas are projected to desertify despite increased aridity under climate change
Authors: Zhang Xinyue , Evans Jason P. , Burrell Arden L.
Published: June 2024

Drylands have low biological productivity compared to non-drylands, making many human activities within them sensitive to long-term trends. Trends in the Aridity Index over several decades indicate increasing aridity in the drylands, which has been linked to increasing occurrence of desertification. Future projections show continued increases in aridity due to climate change, suggesting that drylands will expand. In contrast, satellite observations indicate an increase in vegetation productivity. Given the past inconsistency between the Aridity Index changes and observed vegetation changes, the future evolution of vegetation productivity within the drylands remains an open question. Here we used a data driven approach to show that increasing aridity in drylands won’t lead to a general loss of vegetation productivity. Most of the global drylands are projected to see an increase in vegetation productivity due to climate change through 2050. The aridity index will not be a good indicator of drylands in future climates. We found a broad boost to dryland vegetation productivity due to the carbon dioxide (CO2) fertilization effect that is negated by climate changes in at most 4% of global drylands to produce desertification. These regions include parts of north-east Brazil, Namibia, western Sahel, Horn of Africa and central Asia.
No evidence for niche competition in the extinction of the South American saber-tooth species
Authors: Freitas-Oliveira Roniel , Lima-Ribeiro Matheus S. , Terribile Levi Carina
Published: June 2024

The end of South American isolation during the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI) promoted the contact between South and North American saber-tooth forms that evolved in isolation. This contact may have driven saber-tooth species to a competitive interaction, resulting in the extinction of the South American saber-tooth form. Here, we used paleoclimatic data to compare the climatic niche of the saber-tooth forms Thylacosmilus atrox (from South America), Smilodon fatalis, and Smilodon populator (both originally from North America). We evaluated niche width, overlap, and similarity to infer potential geographic distribution overlap and competition between these North and South American predators. To do so, we obtained the climatic variables from sites where occurrence fossil records were available. Our results suggest that T. atrox had a narrower climatic niche compared to Smilodon species. Although we found a significant climatic niche overlap and similarity between S. fatalis and T. atrox, it seems unlikely that both species have co-occurred. Low niche overlap and similarity between T. atrox and S. populator dismiss competitive interaction between them. Moreover, climatic niche and low tolerance for environmental changes may have been the cause of the South American saber-tooth extinction.
Research needs on the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationship in drylands
Authors: Maestre Fernando T. , Biancari Lucio , Chen Ning , Corrochano-Monsalve Mario , Jenerette G. Darrel , Nelson Corey , Shilula Kaarina N. , Shpilkina Yelyzaveta
Published: June 2024

Research carried out in drylands over the last decade has provided major insights on the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationship (BEFr) and about how biodiversity interacts with other important factors, such as climate and soil properties, to determine ecosystem functioning and services. Despite this, there are important gaps in our understanding of the BEFr in drylands that should be addressed by future research. In this perspective we highlight some of these gaps, which include: 1) the need to study the BEFr in bare soils devoid of perennial vascular vegetation and biocrusts, a major feature of dryland ecosystems, 2) evaluating how intra-specific trait variability, a key but understudied facet of functional diversity, modulate the BEFr, 3) addressing the influence of biotic interactions on the BEFr, including plant–animal interactions and those between microorganisms associated to biocrusts, 4) studying how differences in species–area relationships and beta diversity are associated with ecosystem functioning, and 5) considering the role of temporal variability and human activities, both present and past, particularly those linked to land use (e.g., grazing) and urbanization. Tackling these gaps will not only advance our comprehension of the BEFr but will also bolster the effectiveness of management and ecological restoration strategies, crucial for safeguarding dryland ecosystems and the livelihoods of their inhabitants.
Positive affect modulates memory by regulating the influence of reward prediction errors
Authors: Qasim Salman E. , Deswal Aarushi , Saez Ignacio , Gu Xiaosi
Published: June 2024

How our decisions impact our memories is not well understood. Reward prediction errors (RPEs), the difference between expected and obtained reward, help us learn to make optimal decisions-providing a signal that may influence subsequent memory. To measure this influence and how it might go awry in mood disorders, we recruited a large cohort of human participants to perform a decision-making task in which perceptually memorable stimuli were associated with probabilistic rewards, followed by a recognition test for those stimuli. Computational modeling revealed that positive RPEs enhanced both the accuracy of memory and the temporal efficiency of memory search, beyond the contribution of perceptual information. Critically, positive affect upregulated the beneficial effect of RPEs on memory. These findings demonstrate how affect selectively regulates the impact of RPEs on memory, providing a computational mechanism for biased memory in mood disorders.
Functional diversity among cardiolipin binding sites on the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier
Authors: Senoo Nanami , Chinthapalli Dinesh K , Baile Matthew G , Golla Vinaya K , Saha Bodhisattwa , Oluwole Abraham O , Ogunbona Oluwaseun B , Saba James A , Munteanu Teona , Valdez Yllka , Whited Kevin , Sheridan Macie S , Chorev Dror , Alder Nathan N , May Eric R , Robinson Carol V , Claypool Steven M
Published: June 2024

Lipid-protein interactions play a multitude of essential roles in membrane homeostasis. Mitochondrial membranes have a unique lipid-protein environment that ensures bioenergetic efficiency. Cardiolipin (CL), the signature mitochondrial lipid, plays multiple roles in promoting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). In the inner mitochondrial membrane, the ADP/ATP carrier (AAC in yeast; adenine nucleotide translocator, ANT in mammals) exchanges ADP and ATP, enabling OXPHOS. AAC/ANT contains three tightly bound CLs, and these interactions are evolutionarily conserved. Here, we investigated the role of these buried CLs in AAC/ANT using a combination of biochemical approaches, native mass spectrometry, and molecular dynamics simulations. We introduced negatively charged mutations into each CL-binding site of yeast Aac2 and established experimentally that the mutations disrupted the CL interactions. While all mutations destabilized Aac2 tertiary structure, transport activity was impaired in a binding site-specific manner. Additionally, we determined that a disease-associated missense mutation in one CL-binding site in human ANT1 compromised its structure and transport activity, resulting in OXPHOS defects. Our findings highlight the conserved significance of CL in AAC/ANT structure and function, directly tied to specific lipid-protein interactions.
Whole-body replacement of larval myofibers generates permanent adult myofibers in zebrafish
Authors: Kumar Uday , Fang Chun-Yi , Roan Hsiao-Yuh , Hsu Shao-Chun , Wang Chung-Han , Chen Chen-Hui
Published: June 2024

Drastic increases in myofiber number and size are essential to support vertebrate post-embryonic growth. However, the collective cellular behaviors that enable these increases have remained elusive. Here, we created the palmuscle myofiber tagging and tracking system for in toto monitoring of the growth and fates of ~5000 fast myofibers in developing zebrafish larvae. Through live tracking of individual myofibers within the same individuals over extended periods, we found that many larval myofibers readily dissolved during development, enabling the on-site addition of new and more myofibers. Remarkably, whole-body surveillance of multicolor-barcoded myofibers further unveiled a gradual yet extensive elimination of larval myofiber populations, resulting in near-total replacement by late juvenile stages. The subsequently emerging adult myofibers are not only long-lasting, but also morphologically and functionally distinct from the larval populations. Furthermore, we determined that the elimination-replacement process is dependent on and driven by the autophagy pathway. Altogether, we propose that the whole-body replacement of larval myofibers is an inherent yet previously unnoticed process driving organismic muscle growth during vertebrate post-embryonic development.
Correction: Development of a novel X-ray fluorescence instrument equipped with a noble gas filter
Authors: Matsuyama Tsugufumi , Miyahara Tomoya , Yoshii Hiroshi , Lim Lee Wah , Tsuji Kouichi
Published: June 2024

Correction for ‘Development of a novel X-ray fluorescence instrument equipped with a noble gas filter’ by Tsugufumi Matsuyama et al., Analyst, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1039/d4an00122b.
Polyoxometalates tailoring of frustrated Lewis pairs on Ce-doped Bi2O3 for boosting photocatalytic CO2 reduction
Authors: Zhu Jiayu , Zhou Hongshan , Liang Xiaojing , Feng Pengfei , Zhao Shijiao , Sun Yuhe , Ma Baochun , Ding Yong , Han Xinbao
Published: June 2024

A Ce-doped Bi2O3 with frustrated Lewis pairs was designed by loading [(α-SbW9O33)2Cu3(H2O)3]12−via electrostatic interactions to create oxygen vacancies for activating CO2 and boosting photocatalytic CO2 reduction.
The synthesis and modification of LiFePO4 lithium-ion battery cathodes: a mini review
Authors: Yang Junjie , Guan Nianhua , Xu Chenxuan , Si Linjun , Wen Binbin , Yuan Jianping , Yang Huachao , Zhong Hua , Lin Xiaoming , Wu Yongbo
Published: June 2024

This review systematically investigates the lithium storage mechanism of LiFePO4 as well as its synthesis and modification strategies.
Welcome from the new co-Editors-in-Chief of CrystEngComm
Authors: Doonan Christian J. , Reddy C. Malla
Published: June 2024

Christian J. Doonan (The University of Adelaide, Australia) and C. Malla Reddy (Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, India) introduce themselves as the new co-Editors-in-Chief.
Observing C–N bond formation in plasma: a case study of benzene and dinitrogen coupling via an arylnitrenium ion intermediate
Authors: Liu Wen , Tian Yonghui
Published: June 2024

Arylnitrenium ions generated by plasma discharge play a key role in the selectivity of the process of C–N coupling directly with N2, which may have profound implications for the direct conversion of N2 into value-added organics.
Conversion of diverse post-consumer PVC waste materials to PE via dual catalytic tandem dehydrochlorination–hydrogenation
Authors: O’Rourke Galahad , Skorynina Alina , Beckers Igor , Van Minnebruggen Sam , Colemonts Christel , Gabriels Philippe , Van der Veken Peter , De Vos Dirk
Published: June 2024

Chemical recycling of PVC waste materials using ZnCl2 as a benign catalyst for solvent-based tandem dehydrochlorination–hydrogenation.
Synthesis of highly dispersed carbon-encapsulated Ru–FeNi nanocatalysts by a lignin–metal supramolecular framework strategy for durable water-splitting electrocatalysis
Authors: Liu Jianglin , Qiu Xueqing , Sun Shirong , Liu Bowen , Tian Yuhui , Qin Yanlin , Lin Xuliang
Published: June 2024

The construction strategy of designable metal–polyphenol coordination polymers has the potential to be generally applicable to produce a range of interesting metal/carbon composite catalysts.
Ab initio insight into furan conversion to levulinate ester in reaction with methylal and methanol
Authors: Kim Yun-Sim , Ham Ryong-Wan , Pak Yong-Chol , O Man-Sok , Yu Chol-Jun
Published: June 2024

Ab initio calculations of reaction energies and activation energies for furan conversion into methyl levulinate in reaction with methylal and methanol were performed with consideration of methanol solvent effect eight explicitly or implicitly.
Alkali metal-assisted nucleation and growth of stable 1T/2H MoS2 for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Ramesh Avala , Goswami Manoj , Kumar Surender , Behera Sukanti
Published: June 2024

Hydrogen evolution reaction for the mixed phase 1T/2H MoS2 formation using the same precursor solution maintained in an alkaline medium for 0 to 8 days.
New pyrazole–pyridazine hybrids as selective COX-2 inhibitors: design, synthesis, molecular docking, in silico studies and investigation of their anti-inflammatory potential by evaluation of TNF-α, IL-6, PGE-2 and NO in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages
Authors: Osman Eman O. , Khalil Nadia A. , Magdy Alaa , El-Dash Yara
Published: June 2024

Trimethoxy derivatives 5f (IC50 = 1.50 μM) and 6f (IC50 = 1.15 μM) demonstrated higher COX-2 inhibitory activity than celecoxib. Also, they showed the highest inhibition of NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and PGE-2 production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages.
Rhodanine derived enethiols react to give 1,3-dithiolanes and mixed disulfides
Authors: Kamps Jos J. A. G. , Zhang Dong , Claridge Timothy D. W. , Schofield Christopher J.
Published: June 2024

Unexpected reaction of enethiols to form 1,3-dithiolanes and mixed disulfides in DMSO occur through a common thioketone intermediate.
Application of quantum dots in brain diseases and their neurotoxic mechanism
Authors: Hu Yuanyuan , Wang Xiaoli , Niu Yiru , He Keyu , Tang Meng
Published: June 2024

The primary objective of this paper is to introduce the neurotoxic effects and mechanisms attributable to quantum dots.
Syntheses of a series of BaCu2−xAgxSe2 (x = 0 – 1.0) selenides and evaluation of their thermoelectric properties
Authors: Swati  , Yadav Sweta , Shahid Omair , Prakash Jai
Published: June 2024

Single crystals and phase pure polycrystalline BaCu2−xAgxSe2 samples have been synthesized to study the effect of Ag substitution on their structural parameters and physical properties.
[(Ph3P)2Ag(μ-SeCH2Ph)2In(SeCH2Ph)2]: a new heterobimetallic single source precursor as a springboard to bulk, nano and thin film ternary AgInSe2 materials
Authors: Karmakar Gourab , Tyagi Adish , Tyagi Deepak , Shah Alpa Y. , Wadawale A. P. , Donthula Harish , Singh Vishal
Published: June 2024

A new heterobimetallic complex [(Ph3P)2Ag(μ-SeCH2Ph)2In(SeCH2Ph)2] was structurally characterized and utilized as an air and moisture stable versatile single source precursor for AgInSe2 materials.