bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bioavailability of once‐daily tacrolimus formulations used in clinical practice in the management of De Novo kidney transplant recipients: the better study
Authors: Fernandez Rivera Constantino , Calvo Rodríguez María , Poveda José Luís , Pascual Julio , Crespo Marta , Gomez Gonzalo , Cabello Pelegrin Sheila , Paul Javier , Lauzurica Ricardo , Perez Mir Mònica , Moreso Francesc , Perelló Manel , Andres Amado , González Esther , Fernandez Ana , Mendiluce Alicia , Fernández Carbajo Beatriz , Sanchez Fructuoso Ana , Calvo Natividad , Suarez Alejandro , Bernal Blanco Gabriel , Osuna Antonio , Ruiz‐Fuentes M. Carmen , Melilli Edoardo , Montero Perez Nuria , Ramos Ana , Fernández Beatriz , López Verónica , Hernandez Domingo ,   the Better study
Published: December 2021

Multicenter, prospective, observational study to compare the relative bioavailability of once‐daily tacrolimus formulations in de novo kidney transplant recipients. De novo kidney transplant recipients who started a tacrolimus‐based regimen were included 14 days post‐transplant and followed up for 6 months. Data from 218 participants were evaluated: 129 in the LCPT group (Envarsus) and 89 in the PR‐Tac (Advagraf) group. Patients in the LCPT group exhibited higher relative bioavailability (Cmin /total daily dose [TDD]) vs. PR‐Tac (61% increase; P < .001) with similar Cmin and 30% lower TDD levels (P < .0001). The incidence of treatment failure was 3.9% in the LCPT group and 9.0% in the PR‐Tac group (P = .117). Study discontinuation rates were 6.2% in the LCPT group and 12.4% in the PR‐Tac group (P = .113). Adverse events, renal function and other complications were comparable between groups. The median accumulated dose of tacrolimus in the LCPT group from day 14 to month 6 was 889 mg. Compared to PR‐Tac, LCPT showed higher relative bioavailability, similar effectiveness at preventing allograft rejection, comparable effect on renal function, safety, adherence, treatment failure and premature discontinuation rates.
How should radiation exposure be handled in fluoroscopy‐guided endoscopic procedures in the field of gastroenterology?
Authors: Takenaka Mamoru , Hosono Makoto , Hayashi Shiro , Nishida Tsutomu , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: December 2021

Fluoroscopy‐guided endoscopic procedures (FGEPs) are rapidly gaining popularity in the field of gastroenterology. Radiation is a well‐known health hazard. Gastroenterologists who perform FGEPs are required to protect themselves, patients, as well as nurses and radiologists engaged in examinations from radiation exposure. To achieve this, all gastroenterologists must first understand and adhere to the International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication. In particular, it is necessary to understand the three principles of radiation protection (Justification, Optimization, and Dose Limits), the As Low As Reasonably Achievable principle, and the Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) according to them. This review will mainly explain the three principles of radiation exposure protection, DRLs, and occupational radiological protection in interventional procedures while introducing related findings. Gastroenterologists must gain knowledge of radiation exposure protection and keep it updated.
ALKBH5‐mediated m6A modification of lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 triggers the development of LSCC via upregulation of HOXA9
Authors: Li Yushan , Yan Bingrui , Wang Xin , Li Qiuying , Kan Xuan , Wang Jingting , Sun Yanan , Wang Peng , Tian Linli , Liu Ming
Published: December 2021

It has been shown that N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification is involved in the development of complex human diseases, especially in the development of cancer. Our research investigated the role and mechanism of the m6A modification of lncRNA KCNQ1 overlapping transcript 1 (KCNQ1OT1) in Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) progression. Microarray analysis was used to quantitatively detect the m6A apparent transcriptional modification level of lncRNA in LSCC tissue. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation‐qPCR (MeRIP‐qPCR), in situ hybridization (ISH) and quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) were used to examine the m6A modification and expression of KCNQ1OT1. In addition, in vivo and in vitro experiments have tested the effects of KCNQ1OT1 knockdown on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of LSCC. Mechanically, we found the N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase ALKBH5 mediates KCNQ1OT1 expression via an m6A‐YTHDF2‐dependent manner and KCNQ1OT1 could directly bind to HOXA9 to further regulate the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of LSCC cells. In general, our research indicates that ALKBH5‐mediated m6A modification of KCNQ1OT1 triggers the development of LSCC via upregulation of HOXA9.
Loneliness, sadness, and feelings of social disconnection in older adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Holaday Louisa W. , Oladele Carol R. , Miller Samuel M. , Dueñas Maria I. , Roy Brita , Ross Joseph S.
Published: December 2021

Background

Public health measures to control the COVID‐19 pandemic have led to feelings of loneliness among older adults, which, prior to COVID, has been associated with subsequent morbidity and mortality. We sought to identify differences in feelings of loneliness, sadness, and social disconnection early in the pandemic across racial groups, and possible mitigating factors.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional analysis using the weighted nationally‐representative Medicare Current Beneficiaries Survey COVID‐19 supplement, collected summer 2020. We included all Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older who did not respond by proxy. We examined changes in loneliness, sadness, or feelings of social disconnection. Multivariable logistic regression models accounted for sociodemographic variables, access to primary care and the internet, and history of depression or dementia.

Results

Among 8125 beneficiaries, representative of 43.7 million Medicare beneficiaries, 22.6% reported loneliness or sadness, and 37.1% feeling socially disconnected. In fully‐adjusted models, Hispanic/Latinx beneficiaries were most likely to report loneliness or sadness (OR = 1.3, CI: 1.02–1.65; p = 0.02) and Black beneficiaries were least likely to report feeling socially disconnected (OR = 0.55; CI: 0.42–0.73; p < 0.001). Internet access was associated with increased odds of both (OR = 1.29, 95 CI: 1.07–1.56; p = 0.009; and OR = 1.42, 95 CI: 1.24–1.63; p < 0.001, respectively). Access to primary care was associated with lower odds of both (OR = 0.77, 95 CI: 0.61–0.96; p = 0.02; and OR = 0.72, 95 CI: 0.61–0.87; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Loneliness, sadness, and feelings of social disconnection were common among older Medicare beneficiaries early in the COVID‐19 pandemic. Differences by race/ethnicity may be driven by different living structures and social networks, and warrant further study. Policy makers and clinicians should consider facilitating connection by phone or in person, as internet access did not diminish feelings of loneliness, particularly for those living alone. Access to primary care, and tools for clinicians to address loneliness should be prioritized.
Bacterial decomposition of allochthonous organic matter in shallow subtropical lakes
Authors: Gayer Pâmela R. , Guimarães Pablo S. , Albertoni Edélti F. , Hepp Luiz U.
Published: December 2021

Shallow lakes favour the development of aquatic macrophytes that can influence the limnological characteristics of these environments. In addition to macrophytes, allochthonous organic matter contributes to the metabolism of lakes through the bed of decomposing detritus. Among the decomposing microorganisms, bacteria can be important in the processing of organic matter when the abundance of fungi and invertebrates is low. The present study evaluated the effects of macrophyte coverage on bacterial‐mediated leaf decomposition of allochthonous debris in shallow subtropical lakes. Litter bags were incubated with senescent leaves of Erythrina crista‐galli in six shallow lakes, three with high (HML) and three with low (LML) macrophyte coverage. After 2, 7, 15 and 35 days of incubation, a set of litter bags was removed from each lake for bacterial, environmental and mass‐loss analyses. Decomposition rates were higher in the LML (49% of remaining mass), compared to the HML (63% of remaining mass). The bacterial density and biomass were higher in the LML. Limnological variables influenced bacterial morphotypes, especially branched filament. Thus, the high coverage of aquatic macrophytes can be a main factor influencing the bacterial colonization in the debris, delaying the decomposition process in these ecosystems.
Atopic dermatitis and skin infections are a poorly documented crisis in Canada's Indigenous pediatric population: It's time to start the conversation
Authors: Asiniwasis Rachel Netahe , Heck Emma , Amir Ali Asma , Ogunyemi Bolu , Hardin Jori
Published: December 2021

Canadian Indigenous youth continue to face higher rates of health disparities than their non‐Indigenous counterparts. In dermatology, this includes a high burden of atopic dermatitis, as well as secondary skin and soft tissue infections. Unfortunately, numerous barriers to treatment exist, including systemic and institutional racism, poverty, crowded housing conditions on reserves, access and cost of basic skin care regimens, and clean water access. As per the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Canadian dermatologists have been called upon to train more First Nations, Metis, and Inuit physicians to ensure we are providing high‐quality, anti‐racist, culturally appropriate care to Indigenous peoples.
The first line of prevention: A public health nursing advocacy video
Authors: Schaer Janita M. , Campbell Lisa A. , Thomas Laura J.
Published: December 2021

Public health nurses (PHNs) serve as the first line of prevention in public health and safety threats such as the COVID‐19 pandemic. Although PHNs provide vital services to protect communities and populations’ health, a pervasive lack of knowledge exists regarding the PHN role among policymakers and the general public. Advocacy for investment in the public health nursing workforce remains a priority as staffing and financial constraints have created sizeable barriers for PHNs during the COVID‐19 response. Creating an advocacy video with personal stories from PHNs emerges as a powerful and cost‐effective strategy to increase the visibility of PHNs. For this project, interviews with PHNs from COVID‐19 hot spots were used to create a 3‐min advocacy video. PHNs featured in this video discussed the implications of rerouting resources to combat COVID‐19 for the populations they serve. The authors disseminated the video through popular social media venues, public health and nursing organizations and nurse influencers to reach nursing students, faculty, and the public. Over an 8‐week period, the video received 2732 views on social media with an average view duration of 2 min. This article includes strategies to maximize the impact of an advocacy video when shared with relevant stakeholders.
Effect of Productive Capacities on Economic Complexity: Do Aid for Trade Flows Matter?
Authors: Gnangnon Sèna Kimm
Published: December 2021

This is the first study to examine the effect of productive capacities on economic complexity and understand whether the Aid for Trade (AfT) flows is important for this effect in recipient countries. The analysis uses a sample of 126 developed and developing countries for 2002-2018 and adopts the two-step system Generalized Method of Moments approach. Results show that strengthening productive capacities enhances economic complexity. Furthermore, productive capacities and total AfT flows are strongly complementary in positively affecting economic complexity, and the degree of complementarity is higher for poor countries than for other AfT-recipient countries. Similarly, productive capacities are strongly complementary with total Non-AfT flows, as well as for total development aid. These findings highlight the need for scaling-up development aid flows, notably AfT flows, in favor of developing countries and poor countries having the lowest levels of productive capacities.
Many routes to ferroelectric HfO2: A review of current deposition methods
Authors: Hsain Hanan Alexandra , Lee Younghwan , Materano Monica , Mittmann Terence , Payne Alexis , Mikolajick Thomas , Schroeder Uwe , Parsons Gregory N. , Jones Jacob L.
Published: December 2021

Although 10 years have passed since the initial report of ferroelectricity in hafnia (HfO2), researchers are still intensely fascinated by this material system and the promise it holds for future applications. A wide variety of deposition methods have been deployed to create ferroelectric HfO2 thin films such as atomic layer deposition, chemical solution deposition, and physical vapor deposition methods such as sputtering and pulsed laser deposition. Process and design parameters such as deposition temperature, precursor choice, target source, vacuum level, reactive gases, substrate strain, and many others are often integral in stabilizing the polar orthorhombic phase and ferroelectricity. We examine processing parameters across four main different deposition methods and their effect on film microstructure, phase evolution, defect concentration, and resultant electrical properties. The goal of this review is to integrate the process knowledge collected over the past 10 years in the field of ferroelectric HfO2 into a single comprehensive guide for the design of future HfO2-based ferroelectric materials and devices.
Reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy of the surface chemistry of furfural on Pd(111)
Authors: Bavisotto Robert , Roy Sree Pradipta , Tysoe Wilfred T.
Published: December 2021

The hydrolysis and subsequent acidic dehydration of biomass leads to the production of smaller oxygenates, including furfural, which can undergo subsequent reactions such as hydrogenation to produce value-added products. Palladium has been found to be an active catalyst for this process. As a result, the surface chemistry of furfural is investigated on a Pd(111) single-crystal surface using reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy as a basis for understanding the catalytic conversion of furfural to value-added products. Following adsorption at 90 K, furfural adopts a flat-lying geometry at low coverages, but converts to a tilted species as the coverage approaches saturation. Heating to ∼175 K forms a tilted η1(O) species that appears to deprotonate on heating to above 200 K to form an intermediate with a tilted furyl ring and a carbonyl group close to parallel to the surface. Further heating to ∼250 K and above caused this species to decarbonylate to form adsorbed carbon monoxide and an infrared invisible furyl intermediate. This can then undergo a ring-opening reaction to produce further CO and form a C3H3 intermediate that can hydrogenate to produce propylene. This reaction sequence is in good agreement with previous density functional theory calculations and with the products observed in temperature-programmed desorption.
Effect of heat treatment on the optical, structural, and morphological properties of Eu3+-doped CaTa4O11 thin films
Authors: Cho Shinho
Published: December 2021

Radio-frequency-sputtered CaTa4O11:Eu3+ thin films were obtained on sapphire substrates at 300 °C, with subsequent annealing at various temperatures. The CaTa4O11:Eu3+ thin films heat treated at 900 and 1000 °C exhibited a hexagonal phase with a dominant (111) peak, which is in contrast with the samples as-grown and annealed at 800 °C that exhibited an amorphous structure. The 280 nm-thick CaTa4O11:Eu3+ thin film heat treated at 900 °C exhibited numerous pebblelike particles, and the average grain size increased significantly at 1000 °C. Under 273 nm excitation, the CaTa4O11:Eu3+ thin films produced a dominant emission band at 614 nm, suggesting that the Eu3+ ions were located at sites without a center of inversion. The strongest emission intensity was observed for the thin film heat treated at 1000 °C, with a 4.48 eV bandgap. These results indicate that 1000 °C is the optimal temperature for annealing red light-emitting CaTa4O11:Eu3+ thin films.
Transcriptional control of mycobacterial DNA damage response by sigma adaptation
Authors: Müller Andreas U. , Kummer Eva , Schilling Charlotte M. , Ban Nenad , Weber-Ban Eilika
Published: December 2021

A unique mechanism of transcription activation termed sigma adaptation enables rapid reprogramming of the mycobacterial RNA polymerase.
Experimental observation of roton-like dispersion relations in metamaterials
Authors: Iglesias Martínez Julio Andrés , Groß Michael Fidelis , Chen Yi , Frenzel Tobias , Laude Vincent , Kadic Muamer , Wegener Martin
Published: December 2021

Artificial materials support elastic or acoustic waves whose travel direction continuously changes from backward to forward.
Quantification and Surface Localization of the Hemolysin A Type I Secretion System at the Endogenous Level and under Conditions of Overexpression
Authors: Beer Tobias , Hänsch Sebastian , Pfeffer Klaus , Smits Sander H. J. , Weidtkamp-Peters Stefanie , Schmitt Lutz
Published: December 2021

Uropathogenic
Escherichia coli
(UPEC) strains cause about 110 million urinary tract infections each year worldwide, representing a global burden to the health care system. UPEC strains secrete many virulence factors, among these, the TX toxin hemolysin A via a cognate T1SS into the extracellular space.
Maturation Process and Characterization of a Novel Thermostable and Halotolerant Subtilisin-Like Protease with High Collagenolytic Activity but Low Gelatinolytic Activity
Authors: Zhang Kui , Huang Qianqian , Li Yu , Liu Lanhua , Tang Xiao-Feng , Tang Bing
Published: December 2021

Proteolytic degradation of collagen at high temperatures has the advantages of increasing degradation efficiency and minimizing the risk of microbial contamination. Reports on thermostable collagenolytic proteases are limited, and their maturation and catalytic mechanisms remain to be elucidated.
Mooring Stone-Like Arg114Pulls Diverse Bulged Peptides: First Insight into African Swine Fever Virus-Derived T Cell Epitopes Presented by Swine Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I
Authors: Yue Can , Xiang Wangzhen , Huang Xiaowen , Sun Yuan , Xiao Jin , Liu Kefang , Sun Zeyu , Qiao Peiwen , Li Hongmei , Gan Jingxuan , Ba Limin , Chai Yan , Qi Jianxun , Liu Peipei , Qi Peng , Zhao Yingze , Li Yongfeng , Qiu Hua-Ji , Gao George F. , Gao Guolan , Liu William J.
Published: December 2021

The spread of African swine fever virus (ASFV) has caused enormous losses to the pork industry worldwide. Here, a series of ASFV-derived peptides were identified, which could bind to swine leukocyte antigen 1*0101 (SLA-1*0101), a prevalent SLA allele among Yorkshire pigs.
pmrCAB
Recombination Events among Colistin-Susceptible and -Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolates Belonging to International Clone 7
Authors: Nodari Carolina Silva , Fuchs Sebastian Alexander , Xanthopoulou Kyriaki , Cayô Rodrigo , Seifert Harald , Gales Ana Cristina , Dilthey Alexander , Higgins Paul G.
Published: December 2021

Colistin resistance rates among
Acinetobacter baumannii
clinical isolates have increased over the last 20 years. Despite reports of the spread of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance among
Enterobacterales
, the presence of
mcr
-type genes in
Acinetobacter
spp. remains rare, and reduced colistin susceptibility is mainly associated with the acquisition of nonsynonymous mutations in
pmrCAB
.
Implementation and Accuracy of BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Test in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Populations in a High-Volume Self-Referred Testing Site
Authors: Siddiqui Zishan K. , Chaudhary Mihir , Robinson Matthew L. , McCall Anna B. , Peralta Ria , Esteve Rogette , Callahan Charles W. , Manabe Yukari C. , Campbell James D. , Johnson J. Kristie , Elhabashy Maryam , Kantsiper Melinda ,   CONQUER COVID Consortium, Ficke James R.
Published: December 2021

The BinaxNOW rapid antigen COVID-19 test had a sensitivity of 87% in symptomatic and 71% asymptomatic individuals when performed by health care workers in a high-throughput setting. The performance may expedite isolation decisions or referrals for time-sensitive monoclonal antibody treatment in communities where timely COVID PCR tests are unavailable.
Contemporary and future dust sources and emission fluxes from gypsum- and quartz-dominated eolian systems, New Mexico and Texas, USA
Authors: Sweeney Mark R. , Forman Steven L. , McDonald Eric V.
Published: December 2021

Recent research on dust emissions from eolian dunes seeks to improve regional and global emissions estimates and knowledge of dust sources, particularly with a changing climate. Dust emissions from dune fields can be more accurately estimated when considering the whole eolian system composed of active to stabilized dunes, interdunes, sand sheets, and playas. Each landform can emit different concentrations of dust depending on the supply of silt and clay, soil surface characteristics, and the degree to which the landforms are dynamic and interact. We used the Portable In Situ Wind Erosion Laboratory (PI-SWERL) to measure PM10 (particulate matter <10 μm) dust emission potential from landforms in two end-member eolian systems: the White Sands dune field in New Mexico (USA), composed of gypsum, and the Monahans dune field in west Texas, composed of quartz. White Sands is a hotspot of dust emissions where dunes and the adjacent playa yield high dust fluxes up to 8.3 mg/m2/s. In contrast, the active Monahans dunes contain 100% sand and produce low dust fluxes up to 0.5 mg/m2/s, whereas adjacent stabilized sand sheets and dunes that contain silt and clay could produce up to 17.7 mg/m2/s if reactivated by climate change or anthropogenic disturbance. These findings have implications for present and future dust emission potential of eolian systems from the Great Plains to the southwestern United States, with unrealized emissions of >300 t/km2/yr.
Antimicrobial use and resistance data in human and animal sectors in the Lao PDR: evidence to inform policy
Authors: Chansamouth Vilada , Mayxay Mayfong , Dance David AB , Roberts Tamalee , Phetsouvanh Rattanaxay , Vannachone Bouakham , Vongsouvath Manivanh , Davong Viengmon , Inthavong Phout , Khounsy Syseng , Keohavong Bounxou , Keoluangkhot Valy , Choumlivong Khamla , Day Nicholas PJ , Turner Paul , Ashley Elizabeth A , van Doorn H. Rogier , Newton Paul N
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To review the scientific evidence base on antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in human and animal sectors in the Lao PDR (Laos).

Methods

We reviewed all publications from July 1994 (the first article describing AMR in Laos) to December 2020. Electronic searches were conducted using Google Scholar and PubMed with specific terms relating to AMR and AMU in Lao, French and English languages.

Findings

We screened 1,357 peer-reviewed and grey reports by title and abstract and then full articles/reports. Of 80 included, 66 (83%) related to human health, nine (11%) to animal health, four (5%) to both animal and human health and one (1%) to the environment. Sixty-two (78%) were on AMR and 18 (22%) on AMU. Extended spectrum beta lactamase-producingEscherichia coliwas the greatest concern identified; the proportion of isolates increased fivefold from 2004 to 2016 (2/28 (7%) to 27/78 (35%)) from blood cultures submitted to the Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane. Carbapenem resistantEscherichia coliwas first identified in 2015. Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) was uncommon, with 15 cases of MRSA from blood cultures between its first identification in 2017 and December 2020. AMR patterns of global antimicrobial resistance surveillance system (GLASS) target pathogens from livestock were less well documented. There were few data on AMU in human health and none on AMU in livestock. The first hospital AMU survey in Laos showed that 70% (1,386/1,981) of in-patients in five hospitals from 2017 to 2018 received antimicrobial(s). Antibiotic self-medication was common.

Conclusion

AMR in Laos is occurring at relatively low proportions for some GLASS pathogens, giving the country a window of opportunity to act quickly to implement strategies to protect the population from a worsening situation. Urgent interventions to roll out new guidelines with enhanced one-health antibiotic stewardship, reduce antibiotic use without prescriptions, enhance surveillance and improve understanding of AMU and AMR are needed.
Tumour-infiltrating bystander CD8+T cells activated by IL-15 contribute to tumour control in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Leem Galam , Jeon Minwoo , Kim Kun Woo , Jeong Seongju , Choi Seong Jin , Lee Yong Joon , Kim Eui-Soon , Lee Jae-Ik , Ha Seung Yeon , Park Su-Hyung , Shim Hyo Sup , Lee Jin Gu , Kang Shin Myung , Shin Eui-Cheol
Published: December 2021

Background

Tumour-unrelated, virus-specific bystander CD8+T cells were recently shown to be abundant among tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). However, their roles in tumour immunity have not been elucidated yet.

Methods

We studied the characteristics of bystander CD8+TILs from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues (N=66) and their activation by interleukin (IL)-15 to repurpose them for tumour immunotherapy.

Results

We show that bystander CD8+TILs specific to various viruses are present in human NSCLC tissues. We stimulated CD8+TILs ex vivo using IL-15 without cognate antigens and found that IL-15 treatment upregulated NKG2D expression on CD8+TILs, resulting in NKG2D-dependent production of interferon (IFN)-γ (p=0.0006). Finally, we tested whether IL-15 treatment can control tumour growth in a murine NSCLC model with or without a history of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection. IL-15 treatment reduced the number of tumour nodules in the lung only in mice with MCMV infection (p=0.0037). We confirmed that MCMV-specific bystander CD8+TILs produced interferon (IFN)-γ after IL-15 treatment, and that IL-15 treatment in MCMV-infected mice upregulated tumour necrosis factor-α and IFN-γ responsive genes in tumour microenvironment.

Conclusion

Thus, the study demonstrates that bystander CD8+TILs can be repurposed by IL-15 for tumour immunotherapy.
Dietary nitrate supplementation to enhance exercise capacity in hypoxic COPD: EDEN-OX, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised cross-over study
Authors: Pavitt Matthew J , Lewis Adam , Buttery Sara C , Fernandez Bernadette O , Mikus-Lelinska Monika , Banya Winston A S , Feelisch Martin , Polkey Michael I , Hopkinson Nicholas S
Published: December 2021

Rationale

Dietary nitrate supplementation improves skeletal muscle oxygen utilisation and vascular endothelial function. We hypothesised that these effects might be sufficient to improve exercise performance in patients with COPD and hypoxia severe enough to require supplemental oxygen.

Methods

We conducted a single-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, enrolling adults with COPD who were established users of long-term oxygen therapy. Participants performed an endurance shuttle walk test, using their prescribed oxygen, 3 hours after consuming either 140 mL of nitrate-rich beetroot juice (BRJ) (12.9 mmol nitrate) or placebo (nitrate-depleted BRJ). Treatment order was allocated (1:1) by computer-generated block randomisation.

Measurements

The primary outcome was endurance shuttle walk test time. The secondary outcomes included area under the curve to isotime for fingertip oxygen saturation and heart rate parameters during the test, blood pressure, and endothelial function assessed using flow-mediated dilatation. Plasma nitrate and nitrite levels as well as FENOwere also measured.

Main results

20 participants were recruited and all completed the study. Nitrate-rich BRJ supplementation prolonged exercise endurance time in all participants as compared with placebo: median (IQR) 194.6 (147.5–411.7) s vs 159.1 (121.9–298.5) s, estimated treatment effect 62 (33–106) s (p<0.0001). Supplementation also improved endothelial function: NR-BRJ group +4.1% (−1.1% to 14.8%) vs placebo BRJ group −5.0% (−10.6% to –0.6%) (p=0.0003).

Conclusion

Acute dietary nitrate supplementation increases exercise endurance in patients with COPD who require supplemental oxygen.

Trial registration numberISRCTN14888729.
Risk factors for developing COVID-19: a population-based longitudinal study (COVIDENCE UK)
Authors: Holt Hayley , Talaei Mohammad , Greenig Matthew , Zenner Dominik , Symons Jane , Relton Clare , Young Katherine S , Davies Molly R , Thompson Katherine N , Ashman Jed , Rajpoot Sultan Saeed , Kayyale Ahmed Ali , El Rifai Sarah , Lloyd Philippa J , Jolliffe David , Timmis Olivia , Finer Sarah , Iliodromiti Stamatina , Miners Alec , Hopkinson Nicholas S , Alam Bodrul , Lloyd-Jones Graham , Dietrich Thomas , Chapple Iain , Pfeffer Paul E , McCoy David , Davies Gwyneth , Lyons Ronan A , Griffiths Christopher , Kee Frank , Sheikh Aziz , Breen Gerome , Shaheen Seif O , Martineau Adrian R
Published: December 2021

Background

Risk factors for severe COVID-19 include older age, male sex, obesity, black or Asian ethnicity and underlying medical conditions. Whether these factors also influence susceptibility to developing COVID-19 is uncertain.

Methods

We undertook a prospective, population-based cohort study (COVIDENCE UK) from 1 May 2020 to 5 February 2021. Baseline information on potential risk factors was captured by an online questionnaire. Monthly follow-up questionnaires captured incident COVID-19. We used logistic regression models to estimate multivariable-adjusted ORs (aORs) for associations between potential risk factors and odds of COVID-19.

Results

We recorded 446 incident cases of COVID-19 in 15 227 participants (2.9%). Increased odds of developing COVID-19 were independently associated with Asian/Asian British versus white ethnicity (aOR 2.28, 95% CI 1.33 to 3.91), household overcrowding (aOR per additional 0.5 people/bedroom 1.26, 1.11 to 1.43), any versus no visits to/from other households in previous week (aOR 1.31, 1.06 to 1.62), number of visits to indoor public places (aOR per extra visit per week 1.05, 1.02 to 1.09), frontline occupation excluding health/social care versus no frontline occupation (aOR 1.49, 1.12 to 1.98) and raised body mass index (BMI) (aOR 1.50 (1.19 to 1.89) for BMI 25.0–30.0 kg/m2and 1.39 (1.06 to 1.84) for BMI >30.0 kg/m2versus BMI <25.0 kg/m2). Atopic disease was independently associated with decreased odds (aOR 0.75, 0.59 to 0.97). No independent associations were seen for age, sex, other medical conditions, diet or micronutrient supplement use.

Conclusions

After rigorous adjustment for factors influencing exposure to SARS-CoV-2, Asian/Asian British ethnicity and raised BMI were associated with increased odds of developing COVID-19, while atopic disease was associated with decreased odds.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04330599).
Investigation of the lightest hybrid meson candidate with a coupled-channel analysis of $${{\bar{p}}p}$$-, $$\pi ^- p$$- and $${\pi \pi }$$-Data
Authors: Kopf B. , Albrecht M. , Koch H. , Küßner M. , Pychy J. , Qin X. , Wiedner U.
Published: December 2021

A sophisticated coupled-channel analysis is presented that combines different processes: the channels $${\pi ^0\pi ^0\eta }$$

π
0

π
0

η

, $${\pi ^0\eta \eta }$$

π
0

η
η

and $${K^+K^-\pi ^0}$$

K
+

K
-

π
0

from $${{\bar{p}}p}$$

p

¯

p

annihilations, the P- and D-wave amplitudes of the $$\pi \eta $$

π
η

and $$\pi \eta ^\prime $$

π

η
′

systems produced in $$\pi ^-p$$

π
-

p

scattering, and data from $${\pi \pi }$$

π
π

-scattering reactions. Hence our analysis combines the data sets used in two independent previous analyses published by the Crystal Barrel experiment and by the JPAC group. Based on the new insights from these studies, this paper aims at a better understanding of the spin-exotic $$\pi _1$$

π
1

resonances in the light-meson sector. By utilizing the K-matrix approach and realizing the analyticity via Chew-Mandelstam functions the amplitude of the spin-exotic wave can be well described by a single $$\pi _1$$

π
1

pole for both systems, $$\pi \eta $$

π
η

and $$\pi \eta ^\prime $$

π

η
′

. The mass and the width of the $$\pi _1$$

π
1

-pole are measured to be $$(1623 \, \pm \, 47 \, ^{+24}_{-75})\, \mathrm {MeV/}c^2$$

(
1623

±

47

-
75

+
24

)

MeV
/

c
2

and $$(455 \, \pm 88 \, ^{+144}_{-175})\, \mathrm {MeV}$$

(
455

±
88

-
175

+
144

)

MeV

.
Learning Text-image Joint Embedding for Efficient Cross-modal Retrieval with Deep Feature Engineering
Authors: Xie Zhongwei , Liu Ling , Wu Yanzhao , Zhong Luo , Li Lin
Published: December 2021

This article introduces a two-phase deep feature engineering framework for efficient learning of semantics enhanced joint embedding, which clearly separates the deep feature engineering in data preprocessing from training the text-image joint embedding model. We use the Recipe1M dataset for the technical description and empirical validation. In preprocessing, we perform deep feature engineering by combining deep feature engineering with semantic context features derived from raw text-image input data. We leverage LSTM to identify key terms, deep NLP models from the BERT family, TextRank, or TF-IDF to produce ranking scores for key terms before generating the vector representation for each key term by using Word2vec. We leverage Wide ResNet50 and Word2vec to extract and encode the image category semantics of food images to help semantic alignment of the learned recipe and image embeddings in the joint latent space. In joint embedding learning, we perform deep feature engineering by optimizing the batch-hard triplet loss function with soft-margin and double negative sampling, taking into account also the category-based alignment loss and discriminator-based alignment loss. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our SEJE approach with deep feature engineering significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches.
NMDA receptor expression during cell transformation process at early stages of liver cancer in rodent models
Authors: Stepanov Yurii V. , Golovynska Iuliia , Dziubenko Nataliia V. , Kuznietsova Halyna M. , Petriv Nataliia , Skrypkina Inessa , Golovynskyi Sergii , Stepanova Liudmyla I. , Stohnii Yevhenii , Garmanchuk Liudmyla V. , Ostapchenko Liudmyla I. , Yevsa Tetyana , Qu Junle , Ohulchanskyy Tymish Y.
Published: December 2021

We have shown NMDAR expression in cell transformation process at early stages of cancer, specifically HCC. The aim of our study was to define the disease stages from precancerous liver disease towards liver cancer progression when NMDAR subunits were expressed/detected. A fibrosis/HCC rat model, immunohistochemistry combined with epifluorescence microscopy imaging, Western blotting was used. The dynamics of appearance of NMDAR subunits, their expression and methylation status during the development of HCC were shown and discussed.
Tissue-specific mechanisms of bile acid homeostasis and activation of FXR-FGF19 signaling in preterm and term neonatal pigs
Authors: Vonderohe Caitlin , Guthrie Greg , Stoll Barbara , Chacko Shaji , Dawson Harry , Burrin Douglas G.
Published: December 2021

Our results show that the lower hepatic bile acid synthesis and ileum FXR-FGF19 pathway responsiveness to bile acids contribute to low-circulating FGF19 in preterm compared with term neonatal pigs. The molecular mechanism explaining immature or low-ileum FXR-FGF19 signaling may be linked to developmental patterning effects of GATA-4.
BMP4 and Wnt signaling interact to promote mouse tracheal mesenchyme morphogenesis
Authors: Bottasso-Arias Natalia , Leesman Lauren , Burra Kaulini , Snowball John , Shah Ronak , Mohanakrishnan Megha , Xu Yan , Sinner Debora
Published: December 2021

Tracheobronchomalacia and complete tracheal rings are congenital malformations of the trachea associated with morbidity and mortality for which the etiology remains poorly understood. Epithelial expression of Wls (a cargo receptor mediating Wnt ligand secretion) by tracheal cells is essential for patterning the embryonic mouse trachea’s cartilage and muscle. RNA sequencing indicated that Wls differentially modulated the expression of BMP signaling molecules. We tested whether BMP signaling, induced by epithelial Wnt ligands, mediates cartilage formation. Deletion of Bmp4 from respiratory tract mesenchyme impaired tracheal cartilage formation that was replaced by ectopic smooth muscle, recapitulating the phenotype observed after epithelial deletion of Wls in the embryonic trachea. Ectopic muscle was caused in part by anomalous differentiation and proliferation of smooth muscle progenitors rather than tracheal cartilage progenitors. Mesenchymal deletion of Bmp4 impaired expression of Wnt/β-catenin target genes, including targets of WNT signaling: Notum and Axin2. In vitro, recombinant (r)BMP4 rescued the expression of Notum in Bmp4-deficient tracheal mesenchymal cells and induced Notum promoter activity via SMAD1/5. RNA sequencing of Bmp4-deficient tracheas identified genes essential for chondrogenesis and muscle development coregulated by BMP and WNT signaling. During tracheal morphogenesis, WNT signaling induces Bmp4 in mesenchymal progenitors to promote cartilage differentiation and restrict trachealis muscle. In turn, Bmp4 differentially regulates the expression of Wnt/β-catenin targets to attenuate mesenchymal WNT signaling and to further support chondrogenesis.
Mouse lung organoid responses to reduced, increased, and cyclic stretch
Authors: Joshi Rashika , Batie Matthew R. , Fan Qiang , Varisco Brian M.
Published: December 2021

Most lung development occurs in the context of cyclic stretch. Alteration of the mechanical microenvironment is a common feature of many pulmonary diseases, with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and fetal tracheal occlusion (FETO, a therapy for CDH) being extreme examples with changes in lung structure, cell differentiation, and function. To address limitations in cell culture and in vivo mechanotransductive models, we developed two mouse lung organoid (mLO) mechanotransductive models using postnatal day 5 (PND5) mouse lung CD326-positive cells and fibroblasts subjected to increased, decreased, and cyclic strain. In the first model, mLOs were exposed to forskolin (FSK) and/or disrupted (DIS) and evaluated at 20 h. mLO cross-sectional area changed by +59%, +24%, and −68% in FSK, control, and DIS mLOs, respectively. FSK-treated organoids had twice as many proliferating cells as other organoids. In the second model, 20 h of 10.25% biaxial cyclic strain increased the mRNAs of lung mesenchymal cell lineages compared with static stretch and no stretch. Cyclic stretch increased TGF-β and integrin-mediated signaling, with upstream analysis indicating roles for histone deacetylases, microRNAs, and long noncoding RNAs. Cyclic stretch mLOs increased αSMA-positive and αSMA-PDGFRα-double-positive cells compared with no stretch and static stretch mLOs. In this PND5 mLO mechanotransductive model, cell proliferation is increased by static stretch, and cyclic stretch induces mesenchymal gene expression changes important in postnatal lung development.
Sodium dichloroacetate stimulates cardiac mitochondrial metabolism and improves cardiac conduction in the ovine fetus during labor
Authors: Joseph Serene , Li Mengchen , Zhang Sicong , Horne Lloyd , Stacpoole Peter. W. , Wohlgemuth Stephanie E. , Edison Arthur S. , Wood Charles , Keller-Wood Maureen
Published: December 2021

Previous studies in our laboratory have suggested that the increase in stillbirth in pregnancies complicated by chronic maternal stress or hypercortisolemia is associated with cardiac dysfunction in late stages of labor and delivery. Transcriptomics analysis of the overly represented differentially expressed genes in the fetal heart of hypercortisolemic ewes indicated involvement of mitochondrial function. Sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) has been used to improve mitochondrial function in several disease states. We hypothesized that administration of DCA to laboring ewes would improve both cardiac mitochondrial activity and cardiac function in their fetuses. Four groups of ewes and their fetuses were studied: control, cortisol-infused (1 g/kg/day from 115 to term; CORT), DCA-treated (over 24 h), and DCA + CORT-treated; oxytocin was delivered starting 48 h before the DCA treatment. DCA significantly decreased cardiac lactate, alanine, and glucose/glucose-6-phosphate and increased acetylcarnitine/isobutyryl-carnitine. DCA increased mitochondrial activity, increasing oxidative phosphorylation ( PCI, PCI + II) per tissue weight or per unit of citrate synthase. DCA also decreased the duration of the QRS, attenuating the prolongation of the QRS observed in CORT fetuses. The effect to reduce QRS duration with DCA treatment correlated with increased glycerophosphocholine and serine and decreased phosphorylcholine after DCA treatment. There were negative correlations of acetylcarnitine/isobutyryl-carnitine to both heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). These results suggest that improvements in mitochondrial respiration with DCA produced changes in the cardiac lipid metabolism that favor improved conduction in the heart. DCA may therefore be an effective treatment of fetal cardiac metabolic disturbances in labor that can contribute to impairments of fetal cardiac conduction.
Diagnosis of Melanoma Using Deep Learning
Authors: Alazzam Malik Bader , Alassery Fawaz , Almulihi Ahmed
Published: December 2021

When compared to other types of skin cancer, melanoma is the deadliest. However, those who are diagnosed early on have a better prognosis for the purpose of providing a supplementary opinion to experts; various methods of spontaneous melanoma recognition and diagnosis have been investigated by different researchers. Because of the imbalance between classes, building models from existing information has proven difficult. Machine learning algorithms paired with imbalanced basis training approaches are being evaluated for their performance on the melanoma diagnosis challenge in this study. There were 200 dermoscopic photos in which patterns of skin lesions could be extracted using the VGG16, VGG19, Inception, and ResNet convolutional neural network architectures with the ABCD rule. After employing attribute selection with GS and training data balance using Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique and Edited Nearest Neighbor rule, the random forest classifier had a sensitivity of nearly 93% and a kappa index (

k
−
index

) of 78%.
Study on a New Method of Link-Based Link Prediction in the Context of Big Data
Authors: Jicheng Chen , Hongchang Chen , Hanchao Li
Published: December 2021

Link prediction is a concept of network theory that intends to find a link between two separate network entities. In the present world of social media, this concept has taken root, and its application is seen through numerous social networks. A typical example is 2004, 4 February “TheFeacebook,” currently known as just Facebook. It uses this concept to recommend friends by checking their links using various algorithms. The same goes for shopping and e-commerce sites. Notwithstanding all the merits link prediction presents, they are only enjoyed by large networks. For sparse networks, there is a wide disparity between the links that are likely to form and the ones that include. A barrage of literature has been written to approach this problem; however, they mostly come from the angle of unsupervised learning (UL). While it may seem appropriate based on a dataset’s nature, it does not provide accurate information for sparse networks. Supervised learning could seem reasonable in such cases. This research is aimed at finding the most appropriate link-based link prediction methods in the context of big data based on supervised learning. There is a tone of books written on the same; nonetheless, they are core issues that are not always addressed in these studies, which are critical in understanding the concept of link prediction. This research explicitly looks at the new problems and uses the supervised approach in analyzing them to devise a full-fledge holistic link-based link prediction method. Specifically, the network issues that we will be delving into the lack of specificity in the existing techniques, observational periods, variance reduction, sampling approaches, and topological causes of imbalances. In the subsequent sections of the paper, we explain the theory prediction algorithms, precisely the flow-based process. We specifically address the problems on sparse networks that are never discussed with other prediction methods. The resolutions made by addressing the above techniques place our framework above the previous literature’s unsupervised approaches.
[Retracted] Learning Recommendation Algorithm Based on Improved BP Neural Network in Music Marketing Strategy
Authors: Li Lei
Published: December 2021

The growth and popularity of streaming music have changed the way people consume music, and users can listen to online music anytime and anywhere. By integrating various recommendation algorithms/strategies (user profiling, collaborative filtering, content filtering, etc.), we capture users’ interests and preferences and recommend the content of interest to them. To address the sparsity of behavioral data in digital music marketing, which leads to inadequate mining of user music preference features, a metric ranking learning recommendation algorithm with fused content representation is proposed. Relative partial order relations are constructed using observed and unobserved behavioral data to enable the model to be fully trained, while audio feature extraction submodels related to the recommendation task are constructed to further alleviate the data sparsity problem, and finally, the preference relationships between users and songs are mined through metric learning. Convolutional neural networks are used to extract the high‐level semantic features of songs, and then the high‐level semantic features of songs extracted from the previous layer are reformed into a session time sequence list according to the time sequence of user listening in order to build a bidirectional recurrent neural network model based on the attention mechanism so that it can reduce the influence of noisy data and learn the strong dependencies between songs.
3D Model Classification Based on Bayesian Classifier with AdaBoost
Authors: Gao Xue-Yao , Li Kai-Peng , Zhang Chun-Xiang , Yu Bo
Published: December 2021

With the exponential increasement of 3D models, 3D model classification is crucial to the effective management and retrieval of model database. Feature descriptor has important influence on 3D model classification. Voxel descriptor expresses surface and internal information of 3D model. However, it does not contain topological structure information. Shape distribution descriptor expresses geometry relationship of random points on model surface and has rotation invariance. They can all be used to classify 3D models, but accuracy is low due to insufficient description of 3D model. This paper proposes a 3D model classification algorithm that fuses voxel descriptor and shape distribution descriptor. 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to extract voxel features, and 1D CNN is adopted to extract shape distribution features. AdaBoost algorithm is applied to combine several Bayesian classifiers to get a strong classifier for classifying 3D models. Experiments are conducted on ModelNet10, and results show that accuracy of the proposed method is improved.