bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for hospital readmission following complicated urinary tract infection
Authors: Babich Tanya , Eliakim-Raz Noa , Turjeman Adi , Pujol Miquel , Carratalà Jordi , Shaw Evelyn , Gomila Grange Aina , Vuong Cuong , Addy Ibironke , Wiegand Irith , Grier Sally , MacGowan Alasdair , Vank Christiane , van den Heuvel Leo , Leibovici Leonard
Published: March 2021

Hospital readmissions following severe infections are a major economic burden on the health care system and have a negative influence on patients' quality of life. Understanding the risk factors for readmission, particularly the extent to which they could be prevented, is of a great importance. In this study we evaluated potentially preventable risk factors for 60-day readmission in patients surviving hospitalization for complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI). This was a multinational, multicentre retrospective cohort study conducted in Europe and the Middle East. Our cohort included survivors of hospitalization due to cUTI during the years 2013–2014. The primary outcome was 60-day readmission following index hospitalization. Patient characteristics that could have influenced readmission: demographics, infection presentation and management, microbiological and clinical data; were collected via computerized medical records from infection onset up to 60 days after hospital discharge. Overall, 742 patients were included. The cohort median age was 68 years (interquartile range, (IQR) 55–80) and 43.3% (321/742) of patients were males. The all-cause 60-day readmission rate was 20.1% (149/742) and more than half were readmitted for infection [57.1%, (80/140)]. Recurrent cUTI was the most frequent cause for readmission [46.4% (65/140)]. Statistically significant risk factors associated with 60-day readmission in multivariable analysis were: older age (odds ratio (OR) 1.02 for an one-year increment, confidence interval (CI) 1.005–1.03), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.04–2.55), cancer (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.05–2.77), previous urinary tract infection (UTI) in the last year (OR 1.8, 95% CI: 1.14–2.83), insertion of an indwelling bladder catheter (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.07–2.45) and insertion of percutaneous nephrostomy (OR 3.68, 95% CI 1.67–8.13). In conclusion, patients surviving hospitalization for cUTI are frequently re-hospitalized, mostly for recurrent urinary infections associated with a medical condition that necessitated urinary interventions. Interventions to avoid re-admissions should target these patients.
CPNE3 moderates the association between anxiety and working memory
Authors: Chen Chunhui , Wang Ziyi , Chen Chuansheng , Xue Gui , Lu Shuzhen , Liu Hejun , Dong Qi , Zhang Mingxia
Published: March 2021

Mutual influences between anxiety and working memory (WM) have been extensively studied, and their curvilinear relationship resembles the classic Yerkes-Dodson law of arousal and performance. Given the genetic bases of both anxiety and WM, it is likely that the individual differences in the Yerkes-Dodson law of anxiety and WM may have genetic correlates. The current genome wide association study (GWAS) enrolled 1115 healthy subjects to search for genes that are potential moderators of the association between anxiety and WM. Results showed that CPNE3 rs10102229 had the strongest effect, p = 3.38E−6 at SNP level and p = 2.68E−06 at gene level. Anxiety and WM had a significant negative correlation (i.e., more anxious individuals performed worse on the WM tasks) for the TT genotype of rs10102229 (resulting in lower expression of CPNE3), whereas the correlation was positive (i.e., more anxious individuals performed better on the WM tasks) for the CC carriers. The same pattern of results was found at the gene level using gene score analysis. These effects were replicated in an independent sample (N = 330). The current study is the first to report a gene that moderates the relation between anxiety and WM and potentially provides a genetic explanation for the classic Yerkes-Dodson law.
Construction and validation of a metabolic risk model predicting prognosis of colon cancer
Authors: Zuo Didi , Li Chao , Liu Tao , Yue Meng , Zhang Jiantao , Ning Guang
Published: March 2021

Metabolic genes have played a significant role in tumor development and prognosis. In this study, we constructed a metabolic risk model to predict the prognosis of colon cancer based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and validated the model by Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). We extracted 753 metabolic genes and identified 139 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from TCGA database. Then we conducted univariate cox regression analysis and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Cox regression analysis to identify prognosis-related genes and construct the metabolic risk model. An eleven-gene prognostic model was constructed after 1000 resamples. The gene signature has been proved to have an excellent ability to predict prognosis by Kaplan–Meier analysis, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic, risk score, univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis based on TCGA. Then we validated the model by Kaplan–Meier analysis and risk score based on GEO database. Finally, we performed a weighted gene co-expression network analysis and protein–protein interaction network on DEGs, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways and Gene Ontology enrichment analyses were conducted. The results of functional analyses showed that most significantly enriched pathways focused on metabolism, especially glucose and lipid metabolism pathways.
Association between chronotype and psychomotor performance of rotating shift workers
Authors: Rosa Dayane Eusenia , Marot Luisa Pereira , de Mello Marco Túlio , Marqueze Elaine Cristina , Narciso Fernanda Veruska , de Araújo Lúcio Borges , Crispim Cibele Aparecida
Published: March 2021

It is known that the chronotype potentially mediates the performance and tolerance to work in shifts and that shift rotation is associated with negative effects on psychomotor performance. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chronotype on psychomotor performance throughout a complete shift rotation schedule. Thirty males working in clockwise rotating shifts from a mining company were evaluated under a real-life condition over the following shift schedule: 2 days of day work, 2 days of evening work and 2 days of night work. The chronotype was determined using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire adapted for shift workers and the obtained scores were categorized by tertiles (early-type, intermediate-type and late-type). Work performance was evaluated by Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) daily just before shift starts and after shift ends. Sleep duration was evaluated by actigraphy over the whole shift. No isolated effect of the shift or interaction between shift and chronotype was found in the performance variables evaluated. A significant isolated effect of the chronotype showed that the early-type individuals had higher values of pre- and post-work Mean of Reaction Time (MRT) (308.77 ± 10.03 ms and 306.37 ± 8.53 ms, respectively) than the intermediate-type (257.61 ± 6.63 ms and 252.91 ± 5.97 ms, respectively, p < 0.001) and the late-type (273.35 ± 6.96 ms and 262.88 ± 6.05 ms, respectively, p < 0.001). In addition, late individuals presented a greater number of lapses of attention (5.00 ± 0.92; p < 0.05) than early (1.94 ± 0.50, p < 0.05) and intermediate (1.33 ± 0.30, p < 0.001) ones. We concluded that, compared with intermediates, late-type workers had a greater number of lapses of attention on the shift schedule as a whole, while early-type workers showed the highest pre- and post-work MRT. These findings show that the psychomotor performance of rotating shift workers seems to be influenced by the chronotype, but not by the shift rotation.
Hospitalisation for lower respiratory tract infection is associated with an increased incidence of acute myocardial infarction and stroke in tropical Northern Australia
Authors: Pak A. , Eisen D. P. , McBryde E. S. , Adegboye O. A.
Published: March 2021

Acute respiratory infections appear to precipitate vascular events. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke are the leading cause of death and disability globally. This study was based on a cohort of patients admitted to Townsville University Hospital between January 2006 and December 2016. Using a self-controlled case series design, we investigated the risk of AMI or ischaemic stroke after an episode of pneumonia. We defined the ‘risk interval’ as the first 14 days after hospitalisation for pneumonia and the ‘control interval’ as one year before and one year after the risk interval. Among a population (N = 4557) with a median age of over 70, a total of 128 AMI and 27 stroke cases were identified within 1 year of an episode of pneumonia in this study. Ten and two admissions occurred during the risk interval, while 118 and 25 admissions occurred during the control period. The relative incidence ratios (RIR) of AMI increased after an episode of pneumonia (RIR=4.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.44–9.67). The risk for stroke after the exposure period of 14 days was 4.94 (95% CI 1.12–21.78) considering only the first stroke incidence. The RIR results for AMI and stroke were not altered by adjusting for age, sex or Indigenous status. The risk of AMI and stroke were significantly higher two weeks after an episode of pneumonia.
Study on browning mechanism of fresh-cut eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) based on metabolomics, enzymatic assays and gene expression
Authors: Liu Xiaohui , Zhang Aidong , Shang Jing , Zhu Zongwen , Li Ye , Wu Xuexia , Zha Dingshi
Published: March 2021

Enzymatic browning is one of the crucial problems compromising the flavor and texture of fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. In this study, an untargeted metabolomics approach based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) was used to explore the browning mechanism in fresh-cut eggplant. Metabolomics studies showed that with the increase of fresh-cut time, the contents of 946 metabolites changed dynamically. The metabolites having the same trend share common metabolic pathways. As an important browning substrate, the content of chlorogenic acid increased significantly, suggesting that may be more important to fresh-cut eggplant browning; all 119 common differential metabolites in 5 min/CK and 3 min/CK contrastive groups were mapped onto 31 KEGG pathways including phenylpropanol metabolism, glutathione metabolism pathway, et al. In physiological experiments, results showed that the Phenylpropanoid-Metabolism-Related enzymes (PAL, C4H, 4CL) were changed after fresh-cut treatment, the activities of three enzymes increased first and then decreased, and reached the maximum value at 5 min, indicating the accumulation of phenolic substances. At the same time, ROS were accumulated when plant tissue damaged by cutting, the activities of related antioxidant enzymes (SOD, APX and CAT) changed dynamically after oxidative damage. SOD and APX content increased significantly and reached the maximum value at 10 min after cutting, and then showed a downward trend. However, CAT activity increased sharply and reached the maximum value within 3 min after cutting, then maintained the same activity, and showed a downward trend after 30 min. These data fully demonstrated that the activities of browning related enzymes and gene expression increased with the prolonging of fresh cutting time. We explained the browning mechanism of fresh-cut eggplant by combining metabolomics and physiology, which may lay the foundation for better understanding the mechanism of browning during the fruits and vegetables during processing.
Injury alters motivational trade-offs in calves during the healing period
Authors: Adcock Sarah J. J. , Tucker Cassandra B.
Published: March 2021

Injury can produce long-lasting motivational changes that may alter decisions made under risk. Our objective was to determine whether a routine painful husbandry procedure, hot-iron disbudding, affects how calves trade off risk avoidance against a competing motivation (i.e., feeding), and whether this response depends on time since injury. We used a startle test to evaluate this trade-off in calves disbudded 0 or 21 days previously and non-injured control calves. For 3 days, calves were individually habituated to the testing arena in which they received a 0.5 L milk meal via a rubber teat. On the 4th day, upon approaching the milk reward, the calf was startled by a sudden noise. We assessed the duration and magnitude of the calf’s startle response, their latency to return to the milk bottle, and duration spent suckling after startling. No treatment differences were observed in the duration and magnitude of the startle response or in the probability of returning to the bottle after startling. However, among those who did return, disbudded calves spent longer suckling, indicating they accepted more risk in order to feed compared to controls. In addition, calves with 21-day-old injuries tended to return to the bottle faster compared to newly disbudded calves and controls. We suggest that hot-iron disbudding increases calves’ motivation to suckle, as they were more likely to prioritize this behaviour over risk avoidance compared to control calves. This effect was most evident 21 days after disbudding, indicating that injury can produce long-term changes in motivational state.
IL-1β mediated nanoscale surface clustering of integrin α5β1 regulates the adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Maynard Stephanie A. , Pchelintseva Ekaterina , Zwi-Dantsis Limor , Nagelkerke Anika , Gopal Sahana , Korchev Yuri E. , Shevchuk Andrew , Stevens Molly M.
Published: March 2021

Clinical use of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) is limited due to their rapid clearance, reducing their therapeutic efficacy. The inflammatory cytokine IL-1β activates hMSCs and is known to enhance their engraftment. Consequently, understanding the molecular mechanism of this inflammation-triggered adhesion is of great clinical interest to improving hMSC retention at sites of tissue damage. Integrins are cell–matrix adhesion receptors, and clustering of integrins at the nanoscale underlies cell adhesion. Here, we found that IL-1β enhances adhesion of hMSCs via increased focal adhesion contacts in an α5β1 integrin-specific manner. Further, through quantitative super-resolution imaging we elucidated that IL-1β specifically increases nanoscale integrin α5β1 availability and clustering at the plasma membrane, whilst conserving cluster area. Taken together, these results demonstrate that hMSC adhesion via IL-1β stimulation is partly regulated through integrin α5β1 spatial organization at the cell surface. These results provide new insight into integrin clustering in inflammation and provide a rational basis for design of therapies directed at improving hMSC engraftment.
Machine learning analysis of pregnancy data enables early identification of a subpopulation of newborns with ASD
Authors: Caly Hugues , Rabiei Hamed , Coste-Mazeau Perrine , Hantz Sebastien , Alain Sophie , Eyraud Jean-Luc , Chianea Thierry , Caly Catherine , Makowski David , Hadjikhani Nouchine , Lemonnier Eric , Ben-Ari Yehezkel
Published: March 2021

To identify newborns at risk of developing ASD and to detect ASD biomarkers early after birth, we compared retrospectively ultrasound and biological measurements of babies diagnosed later with ASD or neurotypical (NT) that are collected routinely during pregnancy and birth. We used a supervised machine learning algorithm with a cross-validation technique to classify NT and ASD babies and performed various statistical tests. With a minimization of the false positive rate, 96% of NT and 41% of ASD babies were identified with a positive predictive value of 77%. We identified the following biomarkers related to ASD: sex, maternal familial history of auto-immune diseases, maternal immunization to CMV, IgG CMV level, timing of fetal rotation on head, femur length in the 3rd trimester, white blood cell count in the 3rd trimester, fetal heart rate during labor, newborn feeding and temperature difference between birth and one day after. Furthermore, statistical models revealed that a subpopulation of 38% of babies at risk of ASD had significantly larger fetal head circumference than age-matched NT ones, suggesting an in utero origin of the reported bigger brains of toddlers with ASD. Our results suggest that pregnancy follow-up measurements might provide an early prognosis of ASD enabling pre-symptomatic behavioral interventions to attenuate efficiently ASD developmental sequels.
High frequency SD-OCT follow-up leading to up to biweekly intravitreal ranibizumab treatment in neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Tuerksever Cengiz , Pruente Christian , Hatz Katja
Published: March 2021

A remarkable proportion of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) patients respond rather poorly to ranibizumab treatment, in spite of the minimum 4-week follow-up and treatment interval. Usually, retreatments are based on nAMD activity as evaluated by Spectral-domain Optical coherence Tomography (SD-OCT), biomicroscopic fundus examination and visual acuity changes. In this prospective pilot study, we aimed to study SD-OCT changes in a high-frequent follow-up manner (weekly (month 0–6), biweekly (month 7–12)) throughout the first year, which consequently led to intravitreal ranibizumab being administered up to biweekly. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was already significantly improved at week 2. Central retinal thickness (CRT), intraretinal and subretinal fluid (SRF) were significantly improved from week 1 onwards. Half of the patients showed nAMD activity at week 2 or 3 and received the first retreatment earlier than 4 weeks after baseline injection. In total, 46% of retreatments were already applied 2 or 3 weeks after the previous treatment. Greater range of CRT and SRF fluctuation during follow-up was associated with lower final BCVA. Lower baseline BCVA and better SRF improvement at week 2 was associated with greater BCVA improvement. In conclusion, high-frequency SD-OCT follow-up provided a good option for adapting treatment in nAMD individually.
Genotoxic and oxidative effect of duloxetine on mouse brain and liver tissues
Authors: Álvarez-González Isela , Camacho-Cantera Scarlett , Gómez-González Patricia , Barrón Michael J. Rendón , Morales-González José A. , Madrigal-Santillán Eduardo O. , Paniagua-Pérez Rogelio , Madrigal-Bujaidar Eduardo
Published: March 2021

We evaluated the duloxetine DNA damaging capacity utilizing the comet assay applied to mouse brain and liver cells, as well as its DNA, lipid, protein, and nitric oxide oxidative potential in the same cells. A kinetic time/dose strategy showed the effect of 2, 20, and 200 mg/kg of the drug administered intraperitoneally once in comparison with a control and a methyl methanesulfonate group. Each parameter was evaluated at 3, 9, 15, and 21 h postadministration in five mice per group, except for the DNA oxidation that was examined only at 9 h postadministration. Results showed a significant DNA damage mainly at 9 h postexposure in both organs. In the brain, with 20 and 200 mg/kg we found 50 and 80% increase over the control group (p ≤ 0.05), in the liver, the increase of 2, 20, and 200 mg/kg of duloxetine was 50, 80, and 135% in comparison with the control level (p ≤ 0.05). DNA, lipid, protein and nitric oxide oxidation increase was also observed in both organs. Our data established the DNA damaging capacity of duloxetine even with a dose from the therapeutic range (2 mg/kg), and suggest that this effect can be related with its oxidative potential.
Population genetics of 30 insertion/deletion polymorphisms in the Bahraini population
Authors: Al-Snan Noora R. , Shabbir Sabah , Baksh Sahar S. , AlQerainees Mashael , Haidar Mahdi , Messaoudi Safia A. , Bakhiet Moiz
Published: March 2021

This paper evaluates the forensic utility of 30 insertion-deletion polymorphism (indel) markers in a sample from the Bahraini population using the Qiagen Investigator DIPplex Kit. Allele frequencies and forensic stats of the 30 indels were investigated in 293 unrelated individuals from different governorates of the Kingdom of Bahrain. None of the markers showed significant deviation from Hardy Weinberg equilibrium except for HLD88 locus and no linkage disequilibrium were detected between all possible pair of the indel loci, assuming that these markers are independent and their allele frequencies can be used to calculate the match probabilities in the Bahraini population. The high power of discrimination (CPD = 0.9999999999998110) and the low combined match probability (CPM = 1.89 × 10−13) indicate that these markers are informative and can be successfully used for human identification in terms of forensics and paternity. Genetic distances and relatedness were displayed through multidimensional plotting and phylogenetic tree using various populations in the region. Our study showed that the Bahraini population was clustered with neighboring countries such as Kuwait and Emirates which indicates that these closely geographical regions share similar allele frequencies and are more genetically related than other reference population studied.
Genome-wide association study and Mendelian randomization analysis provide insights for improving rice yield potential
Authors: Su Jing , Xu Kai , Li Zirong , Hu Yuan , Hu Zhongli , Zheng Xingfei , Song Shufeng , Tang Zhonghai , Li Lanzhi
Published: March 2021

Rice yield per plant has a complex genetic architecture, which is mainly determined by its three component traits: the number of grains per panicle (GPP), kilo-grain weight (KGW), and tillers per plant (TP). Exploring ideotype breeding based on selection for genetically less complex component traits is an alternative route for further improving rice production. To understand the genetic basis of the relationship between rice yield and component traits, we investigated the four traits of two rice hybrid populations (575 + 1495 F1) in different environments and conducted meta-analyses of genome-wide association study (meta-GWAS). In total, 3589 significant loci for three components traits were detected, while only 3 loci for yield were detected. It indicated that rice yield is mainly controlled by minor-effect loci and hardly to be identified. Selecting quantitative trait locus/gene affected component traits to further enhance yield is recommended. Mendelian randomization design is adopted to investigate the genetic effects of loci on yield through component traits and estimate the genetic relationship between rice yield and its component traits by these loci. The loci for GPP or TP mainly had a positive genetic effect on yield, but the loci for KGW with different direction effects (positive effect or negative effect). Additionally, TP (Beta = 1.865) has a greater effect on yield than KGW (Beta = 1.016) and GPP (Beta = 0.086). Five significant loci for component traits that had an indirect effect on yield were identified. Pyramiding superior alleles of the five loci revealed improved yield. A combination of direct and indirect effects may better contribute to the yield potential of rice. Our findings provided a rationale for using component traits as indirect indices to enhanced rice yield, which will be helpful for further understanding the genetic basis of yield and provide valuable information for improving rice yield potential.
The enrichment of neutrophil extracellular traps impair the placentas of systemic lupus erythematosus through accumulating decidual NK cells
Authors: Jiang Meng , Shen Nan , Zhou Haibo , Wang You , Lin Sihan , Wu Jiayue , Di Wen
Published: March 2021

Despite the advances made in the management of pregnancies in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes is still higher than that in the general population. In the last few years, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were proven to be detrimental in both autoimmune diseases and placental injury. We investigated whether NETs could be detected in the placentas of pregnant individuals with SLE and explored the relationship between NETs and decidual natural killer cells (dNKs), which comprise the majority of immune cells at the maternal–fetal interface, using clinical samples and animal models. In this study, we found that the infiltration of NETs and dNKs, especially CD56+CD16+ NK cells, was significantly increased in pregnant individuals with SLE with placental insufficiency. In the murine models of SLE, the number of dNKs was significantly decreased due to the decreased formation of NETs affected by Ly6G. Moreover, the histopathological placental injury was reduced, with a remarkable increase in fetal birth weight. This study shows that NETs may contribute to immunological disorder in the placenta and the pathological changes in pregnancies with SLE, which provides a research basis for further explorations of the mechanism of SLE in placental impairment.
Mercury content in the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica Temminck, 1844) from the coastal and inland areas of the Russia
Authors: Poddubnaya N. Ya. , Salkina G. P. , Eltsova L. S. , Ivanova E. S. , Oleynikov A. Yu. , Pavlov D. D. , Kryukov V. Kh. , Rumyantseva O. Yu.
Published: March 2021

Being a global pollutant, mercury can originate from both natural as well as anthropogenic sources. Coastal marine atmospheric fog is considered a potential source of ocean-derived monomethylmercury (MMHg) to coastal terrestrial ecosystems. However, the ratio between mercury appearing through natural processes and that from the results of human activity is unclear. We assumed that the total mercury content in the fur of tigers would differ depending on the distance from the sea. Here we show that the average mercury content in tigers from the coast (0.435 ± 0.062 mg kg−1) is significantly different from tigers from the inland area (0.239 ± 0.075 mg kg−1), (p = 0.02). We found that the content of mercury in the fur of tigers is largely dependent of natural processes rather than human activity. We assume that the levels of mercury in coastal ecosystems in the south of the Russian Far East reflect the position of the region relative to the deep faults of the East Pacific Platform. Obtained data indicate that environmental risks associated with mercury pollution currently exist, but do not pose a serious threat to Siberian tigers.
Optimal treatment recommendations for diabetes patients using the Markov decision process along with the South Korean electronic health records
Authors: Oh Sang-Ho , Lee Su Jin , Noh Juhwan , Mo Jeonghoon
Published: March 2021

The extensive utilization of electronic health records (EHRs) and the growth of enormous open biomedical datasets has readied the area for applications of computational and machine learning techniques to reveal fundamental patterns. This study’s goal is to develop a medical treatment recommendation system using Korean EHRs along with the Markov decision process (MDP). The sharing of EHRs by the National Health Insurance Sharing Service (NHISS) of Korea has made it possible to analyze Koreans’ medical data which include treatments, prescriptions, and medical check-up. After considering the merits and effectiveness of such data, we analyzed patients’ medical information and recommended optimal pharmaceutical prescriptions for diabetes, which is known to be the most burdensome disease for Koreans. We also proposed an MDP-based treatment recommendation system for diabetic patients to help doctors when prescribing diabetes medications. To build the model, we used the 11-year Korean NHISS database. To overcome the challenge of designing an MDP model, we carefully designed the states, actions, reward functions, and transition probability matrices, which were chosen to balance the tradeoffs between reality and the curse of dimensionality issues.
Deep viral blood metagenomics reveals extensive anellovirus diversity in healthy humans
Authors: Cebriá-Mendoza María , Arbona Cristina , Larrea Luís , Díaz Wladimiro , Arnau Vicente , Peña Carlos , Bou Juan Vicente , Sanjuán Rafael , Cuevas José M.
Published: March 2021

Human blood metagenomics has revealed the presence of different types of viruses in apparently healthy subjects. By far, anelloviruses constitute the viral family that is more frequently found in human blood, although amplification biases and contaminations pose a major challenge in this field. To investigate this further, we subjected pooled plasma samples from 120 healthy donors in Spain to high-speed centrifugation, RNA and DNA extraction, random amplification, and massive parallel sequencing. Our results confirm the extensive presence of anelloviruses in such samples, which represented nearly 97% of the total viral sequence reads obtained. We assembled 114 different viral genomes belonging to this family, revealing remarkable diversity. Phylogenetic analysis of ORF1 suggested 28 potentially novel anellovirus species, 24 of which were validated by Sanger sequencing to discard artifacts. These findings underscore the importance of implementing more efficient purification procedures that enrich the viral fraction as an essential step in virome studies and question the suggested pathological role of anelloviruses.
Relationship between post-traumatic amnesia and white matter integrity in traumatic brain injury using tract-based spatial statistics
Authors: Cho Min Jye , Jang Sung Ho
Published: March 2021

This study used tract-based spatial statistics to examine the relationship between post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) and white matter integrity in patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Forty-seven patients with TBI in the chronic stage and 47 age- and sex-matched normal control subjects were recruited to the study. Correlation coefficients were calculated to observe the relationships among the PTA duration, white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) values, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) results in the patient group. Both before and after Benjamini–Hochberg (BH) corrections, FA values of 46 of the 48 regions of interests of the patient group were lower than those of the control group. The FA values of column and body of fornix, left crus of fornix, left uncinate fasciculus, right hippocampus part of cingulum, left medial lemniscus, right superior cerebellar peduncle, left superior cerebellar peduncle, and left posterior thalamic radiation (after BH correction: the uncinate fasciculus and right hippocampus part of cingulum) in the patient group were negatively correlated with PTA duration. PTA duration was related to the injury severity of eight neural structures, each of which is involved in the cognitive functioning of patients with TBI. Therefore, PTA duration can indicate injury severity of the above neural structures in TBI patients.
Projecting changes in extreme rainfall from three tropical cyclones using the design-rainfall approach
Authors: Jalowska Anna M. , Spero Tanya L. , Bowden Jared H.
Published: March 2021

In the past quarter-century, Eastern North Carolina (ENC) experienced several devastating tropical cyclones that led to widespread flooding and damage. Historical climate records reflect an increasing trend in the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events across the eastern U.S., which is projected to continue to increase throughout the twenty-first century. Potential changes to extreme rainfall across ENC are explored and quantified for 2025–2100 for three tropical cyclones using an approach based on relative changes in future extreme rainfall frequencies (return periods) from dynamically downscaled projections. Maximum rainfall intensities at ‘2100’ could increase locally by 168%, with widespread regional increases in total rainfall up to 44%. Although these magnitudes exceed the consensus in the literature, the values here are comparable to the most extreme rainfall events observed in the U.S. during the early twenty-first century, which suggests that the intensity of projected future events is already a present-day reality.
Structure analysis suggests Ess1 isomerizes the carboxy-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II via a bivalent anchoring mechanism
Authors: Namitz Kevin E. W. , Zheng Tongyin , Canning Ashley J. , Alicea-Velazquez Nilda L. , Castañeda Carlos A. , Cosgrove Michael S. , Hanes Steven D.
Published: March 2021

Accurate gene transcription in eukaryotes depends on isomerization of serine-proline bonds within the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II. Isomerization is part of the “CTD code” that regulates recruitment of proteins required for transcription and co-transcriptional RNA processing.Saccharomyces cerevisiaeEss1 and its human ortholog, Pin1, are prolyl isomerases that engage the long heptad repeat (YSPTSPS)26of the CTD by an unknown mechanism. Here, we used an integrative structural approach to decipher Ess1 interactions with the CTD. Ess1 has a rigid linker between its WW and catalytic domains that enforces a distance constraint for bivalent interaction with the ends of long CTD substrates (≥4–5 heptad repeats). Our binding results suggest that the Ess1 WW domain anchors the proximal end of the CTD substrate during isomerization, and that linker divergence may underlie evolution of substrate specificity.
Structure of the p53/RNA polymerase II assembly
Authors: Liou Shu-Hao , Singh Sameer K. , Singer Robert H. , Coleman Robert A. , Liu Wei-Li
Published: March 2021

The tumor suppressor p53 protein activates expression of a vast gene network in response to stress stimuli for cellular integrity. The molecular mechanism underlying how p53 targets RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to regulate transcription remains unclear. To elucidate the p53/Pol II interaction, we have determined a 4.6 Å resolution structure of the human p53/Pol II assembly via single particle cryo-electron microscopy. Our structure reveals that p53’s DNA binding domain targets the upstream DNA binding site within Pol II. This association introduces conformational changes of the Pol II clamp into a further-closed state. A cavity was identified between p53 and Pol II that could possibly host DNA. The transactivation domain of p53 binds the surface of Pol II’s jaw that contacts downstream DNA. These findings suggest that p53’s functional domains directly regulate DNA binding activity of Pol II to mediate transcription, thereby providing insights into p53-regulated gene expression.
Bacteria-specific pro-photosensitizer kills multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Lu Min , Li Yongli , Wu Mei X.
Published: March 2021

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria has become a real threat and we are fast running out of treatment options. A combinatory strategy is explored here to eradicate multidrug-resistant Staphlococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa including planktonic cells, established biofilms, and persisters as high as 7.5 log bacteria in less than 30 min. Blue-laser and thymol together rapidly sterilized acute infected or biofilm-associated wounds and successfully prevented systematic dissemination in mice. Mechanistically, blue-laser and thymol instigated oxidative bursts exclusively in bacteria owing to abundant proporphyrin-like compounds produced in bacteria over mammalian cells, which transformed harmless thymol into blue-laser sensitizers, thymoquinone and thymohydroquinone. Photo-excitations of thymoquinone and thymohydroquinone augmented reactive oxygen species production and initiated a torrent of cytotoxic events in bacteria while completely sparing the host tissue. The investigation unravels a previously unappreciated property of thymol as a pro-photosensitizer analogous to a prodrug that is activated only in bacteria.
Water scarcity will constrain the formation of a world-class megalopolis in North China
Authors: Zhang Zhuoying , Shi Minjun , Chen Kevin Z. , Yang Hong , Wang Shouyang
Published: March 2021

The formation of world-class megalopolises has been a goal of urban development agencies around the world owing to their economic advantages. On their bids of becoming a world-class megalopolis, water availability is a factor that requires consideration. China has set an ambitious goal of developing a world-class megalopolis in the water-scarce Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region. This study investigates the water challenge the BTH region faces and the effects of main water conservation measures in the region towards the goal. An inter-city input–output model was constructed for identifying the water gap in the region and analyzing the effectiveness of main water conservation measures under various scenarios. The results indicate a significant gap between the water required to achieve the goal of becoming a world-class megalopolis and the region’s available water resources. Although proposed water conservation measures of improving water use efficiency and reducing agricultural water use provide a modest improvement, the amount of water required for urban development still exceeds the availability. The study emphasizes the significance of agricultural water use reduction in Hebei through crop system replacement from water-intensive winter wheat to water-saving crops. The study also proposes an alternative option of adjusting the development plan through redefining the boundary of the BTH megalopolis by excluding part of cities in Hebei. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the effect of water scarcity on urban development and thus provide references for other water-scarce regions with ambitious urban development goals.
Residential housing segregation and urban tree canopy in 37 US Cities
Authors: Locke Dexter H. , Hall Billy , Grove J. Morgan , Pickett Steward T. A. , Ogden Laura A. , Aoki Carissa , Boone Christopher G. , O’Neil-Dunne Jarlath P. M.
Published: March 2021

Redlining was a racially discriminatory housing policy established by the federal government’s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) during the 1930s. For decades, redlining limited access to homeownership and wealth creation among racial minorities, contributing to a host of adverse social outcomes, including high unemployment, poverty, and residential vacancy, that persist today. While the multigenerational socioeconomic impacts of redlining are increasingly understood, the impacts on urban environments and ecosystems remain unclear. To begin to address this gap, we investigated how the HOLC policy administered 80 years ago may relate to present-day tree canopy at the neighborhood level. Urban trees provide many ecosystem services, mitigate the urban heat island effect, and may improve quality of life in cities. In our prior research in Baltimore, MD, we discovered that redlining policy influenced the location and allocation of trees and parks. Our analysis of 37 metropolitan areas here shows that areas formerly graded D, which were mostly inhabited by racial and ethnic minorities, have on average ~23% tree canopy cover today. Areas formerly graded A, characterized by U.S.-born white populations living in newer housing stock, had nearly twice as much tree canopy (~43%). Results are consistent across small and large metropolitan regions. The ranking system used by Home Owners’ Loan Corporation to assess loan risk in the 1930s parallels the rank order of average percent tree canopy cover today.
Transcriptional activity differentiates families of Marine Group II Euryarchaeota in the coastal ocean
Authors: Damashek Julian , Okotie-Oyekan Aimee Oyinlade , Gifford Scott Michael , Vorobev Alexey , Moran Mary Ann , Hollibaugh James Timothy
Published: March 2021

Marine Group II Euryarchaeota (Candidatus Poseidoniales), abundant but yet-uncultivated members of marine microbial communities, are thought to be (photo)heterotrophs that metabolize dissolved organic matter (DOM), such as lipids and peptides. However, little is known about their transcriptional activity. We mapped reads from a metatranscriptomic time series collected at Sapelo Island (GA, USA) to metagenome-assembled genomes to determine the diversity of transcriptionally active Ca. Poseidoniales. Summer metatranscriptomes had the highest abundance of Ca. Poseidoniales transcripts, mostly from the O1 and O3 genera within Ca. Thalassarchaeaceae (MGIIb). In contrast, transcripts from fall and winter samples were predominantly from Ca. Poseidoniaceae (MGIIa). Genes encoding proteorhodopsin, membrane-bound pyrophosphatase, peptidase/proteases, and part of the ß-oxidation pathway were highly transcribed across abundant genera. Highly transcribed genes specific to Ca. Thalassarchaeaceae included xanthine/uracil permease and receptors for amino acid transporters. Enrichment of Ca. Thalassarchaeaceae transcript reads related to protein/peptide, nucleic acid, and amino acid transport and metabolism, as well as transcript depletion during dark incubations, provided further evidence of heterotrophic metabolism. Quantitative PCR analysis of South Atlantic Bight samples indicated consistently abundant Ca. Poseidoniales in nearshore and inshore waters. Together, our data suggest that Ca. Thalassarchaeaceae are important photoheterotrophs potentially linking DOM and nitrogen cycling in coastal waters.
Insect herbivory facilitates the establishment of an invasive plant pathogen
Authors: Gossner Martin M , Beenken Ludwig , Arend Kirstin , Begerow Dominik , Peršoh Derek
Published: March 2021

Plants can be severely affected by insect herbivores and phytopathogenic fungi, but interactions between these plant antagonists are poorly understood. We analysed the impact of feeding damage by the abundant herbivore Orchestes fagi on infection rates of beech (Fagus sylvatica) leaves with Petrakia liobae, an invasive plant pathogenic fungus. The fungus was not detected in hibernating beetles, indicating that O. fagi does not serve as vector for P. liobae, at least not between growing seasons. Abundance of the fungus in beech leaves increased with feeding damage of the beetle and this relationship was stronger for sun-exposed than for shaded leaves. A laboratory experiment revealed sun-exposed leaves to have thicker cell walls and to be more resistant to pathogen infection than shaded leaves. Mechanical damage significantly increased frequency and size of necroses in the sun, but not in shade leaves. Our findings indicate that feeding damage of adult beetles provides entry ports for fungal colonization by removal of physical barriers and thus promotes infection success by pathogenic fungi. Feeding activity by larvae probably provides additional nutrient sources or eases access to substrates for the necrotrophic fungus. Our study exemplifies that invasive pathogens may benefit from herbivore activity, which may challenge forest health in light of climate change.
Gold nanoparticles synthesized using melatonin suppress cadmium uptake and alleviate its toxicity in rice
Authors: Jiang Meng , Dai Shang , Wang Binqiang , Xie Zhenming , Li Jiulong , Wang Liangyan , Li Shan , Tan Yuanyuan , Tian Bing , Shu Qingyao , Huang Jianzhong
Published: March 2021

Schematic diagram showing how Mel-AuNPs alleviate Cd-induced toxicity in rice.
Pinus koraiensis polyphenols: structural identification, in vitro antioxidant activity, immune function and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation
Authors: Huang Yuyang , Zhu Xiuqing , Zhu Ying , Wang Zhenyu
Published: March 2021

Herein, polyphenols were extracted from Pinus koraiensis bark and characterized.
PET waste as organic linker source for the sustainable preparation of MOF-derived methane dry reforming catalysts
Authors: Karam Leila , Miglio Arianna , Specchia Stefania , El Hassan Nissrine , Massiani Pascale , Reboul Julien
Published: March 2021

An active and stable catalyst for dry reforming of methane composed of Ni0 nanoparticles highly dispersed on a lamellar alumina was prepared by employing a sacrificial metal–organic framework derived from PET wastes.
New insight on the simultaneous H2and HNO2production in concentrated HNO3aqueous solutions under alpha radiation
Authors: Musat Raluca M. , Roujou Jean-Luc , Dauvois Vincent , Ferry Muriel , Marchand Carole , Baldacchino Gérard
Published: March 2021

For the first time ever, a specially designed set-up, coupled to the CEMHTI cyclotron allowedin situmonitoring of HNO2and precise determination of H2production in the external α radiolysis of HNO3solution, while ensuring no perturbation of the investigated system.
Stacking effects in van der Waals heterostructures of blueP and Janus XYO (X = Ti, Zr, Hf: Y = S, Se) monolayers
Authors: Alam Qaisar , Idrees M. , Muhammad S. , Nguyen Chuong V. , Shafiq M. , Saeed Y. , Din H. U. , Amin B.
Published: March 2021

Using first-principles calculations, the geometry, electronic structure, optical and photocatalytic performance of blueP and XYO (X = Ti, Zr, Hf; Y = S, Se) monolayers and their corresponding van der Waal heterostructures in three possible stacking patterns, are investigated.
Stretchable dual cross-linked silicon elastomer with a superhydrophobic surface and fast triple self-healing ability at room temperature
Authors: Shan Yuxing , Liang Shuai , Mao Xiangkai , Lu Jie , Liu Lili , Huang Yawen , Yang Junxiao
Published: March 2021

Stretchable elastomers with superhydrophobic surfaces have potential applications in wearable electronics.
Ligand control of low-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance linewidth in Cr(iii) complexes
Authors: Campanella Anthony J. , Nguyen Manh-Thuong , Zhang Jun , Ngendahimana Thacien , Antholine William E. , Eaton Gareth R. , Eaton Sandra S. , Glezakou Vassiliki-Alexandra , Zadrozny Joseph M.
Published: March 2021

This study reveals, for the first time, the extent to which ligand design strategies can modulate L-band EPR linewidths for an S > 1/2 metal complex.
Synthesis and luminescence properties of a broadband near-infrared emitting non-gallate persistent luminescence Mg1.4Zn0.6SnO4:Cr3+ phosphor
Authors: Wang Sen , Cai Jize , Pang Ran , Wu Haiyan , Luo Yanqing , Tan Tao , Yuan Weihong , Jiang Lihong , Li Chengyu , Zhang Hongjie
Published: March 2021

The Mg1.4Zn0.6SnO4:0.03Cr3+ phosphor shows the 2.87 times and 3.09 times that of Mg2SnO4:0.03Cr3+ and Zn2SnO4:0.03Cr3+, respectively. The Mg1.4Zn0.6SnO4:0.005Cr3+ phosphorescence can still be observed 18 h after removing the 365 nm UV light source.
Electrolytic synthesis of porphyrinic Zr-metal–organic frameworks with selective crystal topologies
Authors: Okada Keito , Tanaka Yoko , Inose Tomoko , Ujii Hiroshi , Yoshikawa Hirofumi , Tanaka Daisuke
Published: March 2021

The thermodynamic (PCN-222) and kinetic (PCN-224) products of porphyrinic Zr-metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized via an anodic dissolution approach for the first time.
Controlling the fractal dimension in self-assembly of terpyridine modified insulin by Fe2+ and Eu3+ to direct in vivo effects
Authors: Mishra Narendra Kumar , Østergaard Mads , Midtgaard Søren Roi , Strindberg Sophie S. , Winkler Stefan , Wu Shunliang , Sørensen Thomas Just , Hassenkam Tue , Poulsen Jens-Christian N. , Lo Leggio Leila , Nielsen Hanne Mørck , Arleth Lise , Christensen Niels Johan , Thulstrup Peter W. , Jensen Knud J.
Published: March 2021

The fractal dimensionality in the self-assembly of insulin-terpyridine conjugates was directed by complexation with metal ions, Fe2+vs. Eu3+.
From 0-dimension to 1-dimensions: Au nanocrystals as versatile plasmonic photocatalyst for broadband light induced RAFT polymerization
Authors: Zhang Junle , Li Mengya , He Yanjie , Zhang Xiaomeng , Cui Zhe , Fu Peng , Liu Minying , Qiao Xiaoguang , Zhao Qingxiang , Pang Xinchang
Published: March 2021

Gold nanoparticles and nanorods were utilized as the catalyst for photo-induced RAFT polymerization, because of their strong LSPR performance.
Sequential single-crystal-to-single-crystal vapochromic inclusion in a nonporous coordination polymer: unravelling dynamic rearrangement for selective pyridine sensing
Authors: Fernandez-Bartolome Estefania , Resines-Urien Esther , Murillo-Vidal María , Piñeiro-Lopez Lucía , Sánchez Costa José
Published: March 2021

Unprecedent selective and reversible pyridine solid–vapor sequential inclusion in a nonporous Fe(ii) coordination polymer accompanied by a color change is presented. Although the internal reorganization is significant, the process remains SCSC.