bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A county-scale assessment of ecosystem health in the Three Gorges Reservoir area based on catastrophe theory
Authors: Xie Wangying , Li Yi , Zhao Yiqiu , Chen Ying , He Jia , Wen Chuanhao
Published: February 2023

The integrity and health of the ecosystem is the material basis for the common prosperity of different minority areas. Since the acceleration of social and economic growth in the 21st century, excessive social development has caused ecological imbalance, climate change and environmental pollution and other problems. The irrational use of natural resources gradually affects the balance between man and nature. In this paper, the characteristics of ecosystem health and four sub-systems of environment, economy, society and management in the Three Gorges Reservoir area are selected to study. The purpose of this paper is to construct an ecosystem health evaluation index system to describe the characteristics of the ecosystem in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. Firstly, a multi-criteria evaluation model was established based on catastrophe theory to evaluate the health of the ecosystem in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. Secondly, the Catastrophe progression method (CPM) was used to describe the overall change trend of the ecosystem in the Three Gorges Reservoir area from 2000 to 2016. The study shows that since 2000, with the development of economy and society and the further strengthening of environmental management, the health of the ecosystem in the Three Gorges Reservoir area has been improved year by year. At the same time, in order to further explore the factors affecting the ecosystem health of the reservoir, the climate factors were added to the control variables, and the model regression analysis was established through panel data. The final conclusion was that the average temperature, rainfall and sunshine time had significant effects on the ecosystem of the reservoir.
The layout and the spatio-temporal evolution of water-polluting enterprises in Zhejiang under regulation
Authors: Xu Xiaozhi , Zhang Yu , Wu Liou
Published: February 2023

Water pollution is closely related to the development of water pollution-intensive industries, but there is a lack of relevant research, and few studies to verify the existence of “pollution heaven.” This paper aims to study the layout and the spatio-temporal evolution of water-polluting enterprises. Taking Zhejiang Province, China as an example, this study visualized the spatial distribution of water pollution enterprises under the “Five Water Treatment” regulations during 2018–2022. At the same time, based on the Mann-Whitney U test, this paper verifies the hypothesis of pollution paradise in Zhejiang Province. The results show that the distribution of water pollution enterprises in Zhejiang is clustered, and water pollution control has been realized to a certain extent. However, water pollution enterprises still tend to be located in areas with lower environmental standards and weak environmental regulations. In view of this, the government should optimize the industry structure, strengthen the supervision of suburban water pollution enterprises.
Digital finance, environmental regulation, and green development efficiency of China
Authors: Han Yaqing , Li Yushui , Wang Qiangqiang
Published: February 2023

In the context of the increasingly prominent contradiction between economic development and ecological environment, how to promote green development has become the core of sustainable economic development. Digital finance is an innovative financial model with a high degree of integration of finance and digital technology and provides a new opportunity for achieving green development. Based on identifying the mechanisms of digital finance and environmental regulation on green development efficiency, this research uses the directional distance function and Malmquist-Luenberger index to measure the green development efficiency of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020 and then employs a dynamic panel GMM model to empirically analyze the relationships among digital finance, environmental regulation, and green development efficiency. The results of the study show the following. 1) Digital finance contributes to the efficiency improvement of green development. 2) Environmental regulation has not yet crossed the Porter’s inflection point and still has a dampening effect on green development efficiency. 3) The synergy between digital finance and environmental regulation has a positive impact on green development. 4) Digital finance alleviates the financing constraints arising from environmental regulation and to some extent weakens the negative effect of environmental regulation on the efficiency of green development. In view of this, the government should give full play to the active role of digital finance in eco-environmental governance, optimize the top-level design of environmental regulation, and promote industrial structure upgrading and optimal allocation of financial resources.
Spatio-temporal genetic structure of the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) populations inhabiting national parks in South Korea: Implications for conservation and management of protected areas
Authors: Kim Yu Rim , Kim Hye Ri , Kim Ji Young , Myeong Hyeon Ho , Kang Ji Hyoun , Kim Baek-Jun , Lee Hyuk Je
Published: February 2023

Population or habitat connectivity is a key component in maintaining species and community-level regional biodiversity as well as intraspecific genetic diversity. Ongoing human activities cause habitat destruction and fragmentation, which exacerbate the connectivity due to restricted animal movements across local habitats, eventually resulting in the loss of biodiversity. The Baekdudaegan Mountain Range (BMR) on the Korean Peninsula represents “biodiversity hotspots” and eight of the 22 Korean national parks are located within the BMR. Given the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) is the most common and ecologically important small mammals in these protected areas, the population genetic assessment of this species will allow for identifying “genetic diversity hotspots” and also “genetic barriers” that may hinder gene flow, and will therefore inform on effective conservation and management efforts for the national park habitats. We collected samples from hair, tail, or buccal swabs for 252A. agrariusindividuals in 2015 and 2019. By using mitochondrial DNA cytochromeb(cyt b) sequences and nine microsatellite loci, we determined levels of genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, and gene flow among eight national park populations ofA. agrariusalong the BMR. We found high levels of genetic diversity but the occurrences of inbreeding for all the nine samples analyzed. Our results also indicated that there was detectable temporal genetic variation between the 2015 and 2019 populations in the Jirisan National Park, which is probably due to a short-term decline in genetic diversity caused by reduced population sizes. We also found a well-admixed shared gene pool among the national park populations. However, a significant positive correlation between geographic and genetic distances was detected only in mtDNA but not microsatellites, which might be attributed to different dispersal patterns between sexes. There was a genetic barrier to animal movements around the Woraksan National Park areas. The poor habitat connectivity surrounding these areas can be improved by establishing an ecological corridor. Our findings of the presence of genetic barriers in some protected areas provide insights into the conservation and management efforts to improve the population or habitat connectivity among the national parks.
Human activities dominant the distribution of Kobresia pygmaea community in alpine meadow grassland in the east source region of Yellow River, China
Authors: Lv Yanyan , Sun Yi , Yi Shuhua , Meng Baoping
Published: February 2023

Kobresia pygmaea is the endemic and one of the most important species in the alpine meadow in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is the key stage in the management of degraded grassland, and irreversible degradation will take place after the degradation succession phases of the Kobresia pygmaea community. However, knowledge about the spatial distribution and driving factors were still unknown. In this study, the potential distribution of the Kobresia pygmaea community was determined using the BIOMOD niche model. Combine with the reality distribution based on remote sensing classification, the driving factors of climate and human activities were identified. The findings revealed that: (1) among all environmental factors, the maximum radiation, monthly temperature difference, driest period precipitation were the main climate influencing factors for the Kobresia pygmaea community distribution, and random forest model achieved the highest prediction accuracy and best stability of any niche model. (2) The potential distribution area of Kobresia pygmaea community was 653.25 km2 (account for 3.28% of the study area), and mostly located in northern and central of Zeku County, northeast of Henan County, and northeast, central, and eastern parts of Maqu County. (3) Climate factors driven 21.12% of Kobresia pygmaea community reality distribution, while human activities driven for 79.98%. Our results revealed that human activities dominant the reality distribution of Kobresia pygmaea community in alpine meadow grassland in the east source region of Yellow River, China.
Differential expression profiling of tRNA-Derived small RNAs and their potential roles in methamphetamine self-administered rats
Authors: Zhou Yun , Hong Qingxiao , Xu Wenjin , Chen Weisheng , Xie Xiaohu , Zhuang Dingding , Lai Miaojun , Fu Dan , Xu Zemin , Wang Majie , Zhou Wenhua , Liu Huifen
Published: February 2023

Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are a novel class of short, non-coding RNAs that are closely associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated their critical functional roles as regulatory factors in gene expression regulation, protein translation regulation, regulation of various cellular activities, immune mediation, and response to stress. However, the underlying mechanisms by which tRFs & tiRNAs affect methamphetamine-induced pathophysiological processes are largely unknown. In this study, we used a combination of small RNA sequencing, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR), bioinformatics, and luciferase reporter assays to screen the expression profiles and identify the functional roles of tRFs and tiRNAs in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of methamphetamine self-administration rat models. A total of 461 tRFs & tiRNAs were identified in the NAc of rats after 14 days of methamphetamine self-administration training. Of those, 132 tRFs & tiRNAs were significantly differentially expressed: 59 were significantly upregulated, whereas 73 were significantly downregulated in the rats with methamphetamine self-administration. Decreased expression levels of tiRNA-1-34-Lys-CTT-1 and tRF-1-32-Gly-GCC-2-M2, as well as increased expression levels of tRF-1-16-Ala-TGC-4 in the METH group compared with the saline control were validated by using RT‒PCR. Then, bioinformatic analysis was performed to analyse the possible biological functions of tRFs & tiRNAs in methamphetamine-induced pathogenesis. Furthermore, tRF-1-32-Gly-GCC-2-M2 was identified to target BDNF using the luciferase reporter assay. An altered tsRNA expression pattern was proven, and tRF-1-32-Gly-GCC-2-M2 was shown to be involved in methamphetamine-induced pathophysiologic processes by targeting BDNF. The current study provides new insights for future investigations to explore the mechanisms and therapeutic methods for methamphetamine addiction.
Instrumental variable-based high-dimensional mediation analysis with unmeasured confounders for survival data in the observational epigenetic study
Authors: Chen Fangyao , Hu Weiwei , Cai Jiaxin , Chen Shiyu , Si Aima , Zhang Yuxiang , Liu Wei
Published: February 2023

Background: High dimensional mediation analysis is frequently conducted to explore the role of epigenetic modifiers between exposure and health outcome. However, the issue of high dimensional mediation analysis with unmeasured confounders for survival analysis in observational study has not been well solved.

Methods: In this study, we proposed an instrumental variable based approach for high dimensional mediation analysis with unmeasured confounders in survival analysis for epigenetic study. We used the Sobel‘s test, the Joint test, and the Bootstrap method to test the mediation effect. A comprehensive simulation study was conducted to decide the best test strategy. An empirical study based on DNA methylation data of lung cancer patients was conducted to illustrate the performance of the proposed method.

Results: Simulation study suggested that the proposed method performed well in the identifying mediating factors. The estimation of the mediation effect by the proposed approach is also reliable with less bias compared with the classical approach. In the empirical study, we identified two DNA methylation signatures including cg21926276 and cg26387355 with a mediation effect of 0.226 (95%CI: 0.108-0.344) and 0.158 (95%CI: 0.065-0.251) between smoking and lung cancer using the proposed approach.

Conclusion: The proposed method obtained good performance in simulation and empirical studies, it could be an effective statistical tool for high dimensional mediation analysis.
Long-term high-dose immunoglobulin successfully treats Long COVID patients with pulmonary, neurologic, and cardiologic symptoms
Authors: Thompson John S. , Thornton Alice C. , Ainger Timothy , Garvy Beth A.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Long COVID is the overarching name for a wide variety of disorders that may follow the diagnosis of acute SARS-COVID-19 infection and persist for weeks to many months. Nearly every organ system may be affected.

Methods

We report nine patients suffering with Long COVID for 101 to 547 days. All exhibited significant perturbations of their immune systems, but only one was known to be immunodeficient prior to the studies directed at evaluating them for possible treatment. Neurological and cardiac symptoms were most common. Based on this data and other evidence suggesting autoimmune reactivity, we planned to treat them for 3 months with long-term high-dose immunoglobulin therapy. If there was evidence of benefit at 3 months, the regimen was continued.

Results

The patients’ ages ranged from 34 to 79 years—with five male and four female patients, respectively. All nine patients exhibited significant immune perturbations prior to treatment. One patient declined this treatment, and insurance support was not approved for two others. The other six have been treated, and all have had a significant to remarkable clinical benefit.

Conclusion

Long-term high-dose immunoglobulin therapy is an effective therapeutic option for treating patients with Long COVID.
The mechanism of microglia-mediated immune inflammation in ischemic stroke and the role of natural botanical components in regulating microglia: A review
Authors: Zeng Jinsong , Bao Tingting , Yang Kailin , Zhu Xiaofei , Wang Shanshan , Xiang Wang , Ge Anqi , Zeng Liuting , Ge Jinwen
Published: February 2023

Ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the most fatal diseases. Neuroimmunity, inflammation, and oxidative stress play important roles in various complex mechanisms of IS. In particular, the early proinflammatory response resulting from the overactivation of resident microglia and the infiltration of circulating monocytes and macrophages in the brain after cerebral ischemia leads to secondary brain injury. Microglia are innate immune cells in the brain that constantly monitor the brain microenvironment under normal conditions. Once ischemia occurs, microglia are activated to produce dual effects of neurotoxicity and neuroprotection, and the balance of the two effects determines the fate of damaged neurons. The activation of microglia is defined as the classical activation (M1 type) or alternative activation (M2 type). M1 type microglia secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines and neurotoxic mediators to exacerbate neuronal damage, while M2 type microglia promote a repairing anti-inflammatory response. Fine regulation of M1/M2 microglial activation to minimize damage and maximize protection has important therapeutic value. This review focuses on the interaction between M1/M2 microglia and other immune cells involved in the regulation of IS phenotypic characteristics, and the mechanism of natural plant components regulating microglia after IS, providing novel candidate drugs for regulating microglial balance and IS drug development.
Polymorphisms and gene expression of Notch4 in pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Fang Weijun , Liu Hua , Qin Lianhua , Wang Jie , Huang Xiaochen , Pan Sha , Zheng Ruijuan
Published: February 2023

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious public health problem to human health, but the pathogenesis of TB remains elusive.

Methods

To identify novel candidate genes associated with TB susceptibility, we performed a population-based case control study to genotype 41SNPs spanning 21 genes in 435 pulmonary TB patients and 375 health donors from China.

Results

We found Notch4 gene rs206018 and rs422951 polymorphisms were associated with susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis. The association was validated in another independent cohort including 790 TB patients and 1,190 healthy controls. Moreover, we identified that the rs206018 C allele was associated with higher level of Notch4 in PBMCs from pulmonary TB patients. Furthermore, Notch4 expression increased in TB patients and higher Notch4 expression correlated with the severer pulmonary TB. Finally, we explored the origin and signaling pathways involved in the regulation of Notch4 expression in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. We determine that Mtb induced Notch4 and its ligand Jagged1expression in macrophages, and Notch4 through TLR2/P38 signaling pathway and Jagged1 through TLR2/ERK signaling pathway.

Conclusion

Our work further strengthens that Notch4 underlay an increased risk of TB in humans and is involved in the occurrence and development of TB, which could serve as a novel target for the host-targeted therapy of TB.
GMP development and preclinical validation of CAR-T cells targeting a lytic EBV antigen for therapy of EBV-associated malignancies
Authors: Zhang Xi , Wang Tiaoxia , Zhu Xiaona , Lu Yong , Li Mingpeng , Huang Zhihong , Han Deping , Zhang Longzhen , Wu Yang , Li Liantao , Klawonn Frank , Stripecke Renata
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a widely spread pathogen associated with lymphoproliferative diseases, B/ T/ NK cell lymphomas, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and gastric carcinoma (GC). EBV lytic reactivations contribute to the genomic instability, inflammation and tumorigenesis of NPC, promoting cancer progression. Patients with NPC refractory to standard therapies show dismal survival. EBV gp350 is an envelope protein detectable in NPC specimens intracellularly and on the cell membrane of malignant cells, and is a potential viral antigen for T cell-directed immunotherapies. The potency of T cells engineered with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting gp350 against EBV+ lymphoproliferative disease was previously shown.

Methods

Here, we advanced towards preclinical and non-clinical developments of this virus-specific CAR-T cell immunotherapy against NPC. Different gp350CAR designs were inserted into a lentiviral vector (LV) backbone.

Results

A construct expressing the scFv 7A1-anti−gp350 incorporating the CD8 transmembrane and CD28.CD3ζ signaling domain (ZT002) was selected. High titer ZT002 (~1x108 TU/ml) was manufactured in HEK 293T/17 suspension cells in serum free media as large-scale production under good manufacturing practices (GMP). A LV multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1 resulted in high frequencies of functional gp350CAR+ T cells (>70%) at a low (<2) vector copy numbers in the genome. ZT002 was therefore used to establish gp350CAR-T batch run production methods. GMP upscaling and validation of T cell transduction and expansion in several runs resulted in average 3x109 gp350CAR-T cells per batch. >80% CD3+ gp350CAR-T cells bound to purified gp350 protein. In vitro cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion assays (IFN-γ and TNF-α) confirmed the specificity of gp350CAR-T cells against gp350+ NPC, GC and lymphoma cell targets. Immunocompromised B-NDG mice (NOD.CB17-PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1/Bcgen) were challenged s.c. with a EBV+ NPC C666.1 cell line expressing gp350 and then treated with escalating doses of gp350CAR-T cells or with non-transduced T cells. gp350CAR-T cells promoted antitumor responses, bio-distributed in several tissues, infiltrated in tumors and rejected gp350+ tumor cells.

Discussion

These results support the use of gp350CAR-T cells generated with ZT002 as an Innovative New Drug to treat patients with solid and liquid EBV-associated malignancies.
Identifying potential pharmacological targets and molecular pathways of Meliae cortex for COVID-19 therapy
Authors: Khan Shakeel Ahmad , Lee Terence Kin Wah
Published: February 2023

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, has contributed to a significant increase in mortality. Proinflammatory cytokine-mediated cytokine release syndrome (CRS) contributes significantly to COVID-19. Meliae cortex has been reported for its several ethnomedical applications in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In combination with other traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), the Meliae cortex suppresses coronavirus. Due to its phytoconstituents and anti-inflammatory capabilities, we postulated that the Meliae cortex could be a potential therapeutic for treating COVID-19. The active phytonutrients, molecular targets, and pathways of the Meliae cortex have not been explored yet for COVID-19 therapy. We performed network pharmacology analysis to determine the active phytoconstituents, molecular targets, and pathways of the Meliae cortex for COVID-19 treatment. 15 active phytonutrients of the Meliae cortex and 451 their potential gene targets were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) and SwissTargetPrediction website tool, respectively. 1745 COVID-19-related gene targets were recovered from the GeneCards. 104 intersection gene targets were determined by performing VENNY analysis. Using the DAVID tool, gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed on the intersection gene targets. Using the Cytoscape software, the PPI and MCODE analyses were carried out on the intersection gene targets, which resulted in 41 potential anti-COVID-19 core targets. Molecular docking was performed with AutoDock Vina. The 10 anti-COVID-19 core targets (AKT1, TNF, HSP90AA1, IL-6, mTOR, EGFR, CASP3, HIF1A, MAPK3, and MAPK1), three molecular pathways (the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, the HIF-1 signaling pathway, and the pathways in cancer) and three active phytonutrients (4,8-dimethoxy-1-vinyl-beta-carboline, Trichilinin D, and Nimbolin B) were identified as molecular targets, molecular pathways, and key active phytonutrients of the Meliae cortex, respectively that significantly contribute to alleviating COVID-19. Molecular docking analysis further corroborated that three Meliae cortex’s key active phytonutrients may ameliorate COVID-19 disease by modulating identified targets. Hence, this research offers a solid theoretic foundation for the future development of anti-COVID-19 therapeutics based on the phytonutrients of the Meliae cortex.
African institutions will lead on the road to end neglected tropical diseases
Authors: Makau-Barasa Louise K. , Onduma Nathan , Yotebieng Kelly , Karutu Carol
Published: February 2023

Globally, more than one billion people suffer from one or more neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). These diseases create enormous suffering, rob individuals of social and economic opportunities, and set-back countries’ development efforts. It is now clear that transmission and elimination of many NTDs is attainable in our lifetime. The elimination of NTDs will not happen without a concerted effort and plan to ensure that the most affected countries have a robust clinical, public health, laboratory, pharmaceutical, and research capacity to ensure that the last mile towards reaching elimination is not only reached, but sustained. This means increasing strategic investments to develop and strengthen the NTD health workforce, develop and integrate innovative diagnostic approaches, effective treatments, and responsive surveillance systems. Equally important is ensuring that people living with lifelong disabilities resulting from NTDs receive the care and support they need to live healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives. African-based national non-governmental organizations, the private sector, research institutions, and governments play a vital role as they work to attain ambitious NTD elimination and control goals put forward by the global health community. The recent elimination of onchocerciasis in Niger, trachoma in Burundi and Malawi as well as ongoing progress to eliminate lymphatic filiariasis in Kenya and other sub-Saharan Africa countries demonstrate the capacity of African leadership in NTD control and elimination efforts.
Phonaesthetics and personality—Why we do not only prefer Romance languages
Authors: Winkler Anna , Kogan Vita V. , Reiterer Susanne Maria
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Previous aesthetic research has set its main focus on visual and auditory, primarily music, stimuli with only a handful of studies exploring the aesthetic potential of linguistic stimuli. In the present study, we investigate for the first time the effects of personality traits on phonaesthetic language ratings.

Methods

Twenty-three under-researched, “rarer” (less learned and therefore less known as a foreign language or L2) and minority languages were evaluated by 145 participants in terms of eroticism, beauty, status, and orderliness, subjectively perceived based on language sound.

Results

Overall, Romance languages (Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian) were still among the top six erotic languages of the experiment together with “Romance-sounding,” but less known languages like Breton and Basque. Catalan and Portuguese were also placed among the top six most beautiful languages. The Germanic languages (Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic) were perceived as more prestigious/higher in terms of status, however to some degree conditioned by their recognition/familiarity. Thus, we partly replicated the results of our earlier studies on the Romance language preferences (the so-called Latin Lover effect) and the perceived higher status of the Germanic languages and scrutinized again the effects of familiarity/language recognition, thereby calling into question the above mentioned concepts of the Latin Lover effect and the status of Germanic languages. We also found significant effects of personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness) on phonaesthetic ratings. Different personality types appreciated different aspects of languages: e.g., whereas neurotics had strong opinions about languages' eroticism, more conscientious participants gave significantly different ratings for status. Introverts were more generous in their ratings overall in comparison to extroverts. We did not find strong connections between personality types and specific languages or linguistic features (sonority, speech rate). Overall, personality traits were largely overridden by other individual differences: familiarity with languages (socio-cultural construals, the Romanization effect—perceiving a particular language as a Romance language) and participants' native language/L1.

Discussion

For language education in the global context, our results mean that introducing greater linguistic diversity in school and universities might result in greater appreciation and motivation to learn lesser-known and minority languages. Even though we generally prefer Romance languages to listen to and to study, different personality types are attracted to different language families and thus make potentially successful learners of these languages.
Dietary replacement of Undaria pinnatifida by Sargassum horneri in feed formulation for abalone Haliotis discus hannai: Effect on growth, gut microbiota, and taste sensory profile
Authors: Hur Sang-Woo , Cadangin Josel , Lee Seunghan , Lee Ji-Hye , Park Su-Jin , Jang Won-Je , Choi Youn-Hee
Published: February 2023

The necessity for additional macroalgal biomass is warranted amid the ongoing expansion of abalone aquaculture. In the current study, an in-depth investigation of the food value of Sargassum horneri as a replacement for Undaria pinnatifida on growth, body composition, body histology, gut microbiota, and the taste sensory profile of abalone Haliotis discus hannai was carried out. After a 12-week feeding trial, the results indicated that 25% replacement (SH25) induced the highest shell-growth performance and best feed utilization values, although there was no significant difference in weight-related growth parameters with the basal (no inclusion of S. horneri) and 50% replacement (SH50) diets. Interestingly, the highest protein content was detected in abalone fed the basal diet followed by SH25 and SH50. The high replacement of S. horneri in the diet showed signs of structural integrity loss in the digestive gland. The results from the pyrosequencing of the genomic DNA from the gut of the abalone indicated an insignificant difference in α-diversity parameters and only a clear boundary was observed between SH0 and SH100 diets based on principal coordinate analysis. The bacterial genera Psychrilobacter, Vibrio, and Mycoplasma predominantly occupied the gut of the abalone, although there is a difference in their relative abundance. The taste screening experiment through the use of an electronic tongue showed a comparable taste profile of the abalone and is independent of the diets given. The findings of the present study showed that S. horneri, up to 50% replacement of macroalgal ingredients, can be utilized in feed formulation for H. discus hannai. These, in turn, contribute to the expanding knowledge on the utilization of biofouling and non-traditional macroalgae for sustainable abalone aquaculture practices.
Surface cross-equatorial pathways of seawater from the Bay of Bengal
Authors: Zhang Zhengbei , Wang Jing , Hao Jiajia , Yuan Dongliang , Wang Kunxiang
Published: February 2023

Cross-equatorial pathways of heat and salt in the Eastern Indian Ocean are analyzed using Lagrangian trajectories based on the ECCO2 model simulation and drifter-derived currents combined with Argo data. The results show that most of the particles released in the Bay of Bengal move across the equator near the eastern boundary of the upper Indian Ocean (< 50m) during the southwest monsoon season and join the South Equatorial Current of the wind-driven circulation. Meridional salt and heat transports associated with the cross-equatorial currents feature significant seasonal variations, with stronger southward transports during the southwest monsoon than northward transports during the northeast monsoon, which are correlated significantly with the surface Ekman transports. The estimated annual mean salt and heat transports, based on the model (observational) data, are -0.06×109 (-0.11×109) kg·s-1 and -0.20 (-0.38) PW (1PW = 1015 W), respectively, southward across the equator.
Contribution of the TGFβ signaling pathway to pigmentation in sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus)
Authors: Yao Linlin , Zhao Bin , Wang Qi , Jiang Xuyang , Han Sha , Hu Wei , Li Chenglin
Published: February 2023

Pigmentation mediated by the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway is a key trait for understanding environmental adaptability and species stability. In this study, TGFβ signaling pathway members and their expression patterns in different color morphs of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus were evaluated. Using a bioinformatics approach, 22 protein sequences of TGFβ signaling pathway members in A. japonicus were classified, including 14 that were identified for the first time in the species, including 7 ligands, 6 receptors, and 1 R-Smad. We further evaluated mRNA expression data for different color morphs and pigmentation periods. These results support the hypothesis that both subfamilies of the TGFβ superfamily, i.e., the TGFβ/activin/Nodal and BMP/GDF/AMH subfamilies, are involved in the regulation of pigmentation in A. japonicus. The former subfamily was complete and contributes to the different color morphs. The BMP/GDF/AMH subfamily was incomplete. BMP2/4-induced differentiation of white adipocytes was regulated by the BMP2/4–ACVR2A–Smad1 signaling pathway. These findings provide insight into the TGFβ family in early chordate evolution as well as the molecular basis of color variation in an economically valuable species.
Investigation of the running-in process in photoinduced superlubricity
Authors: Han Ke , Ma Pingsu , Ma Liran , Tian Yu , Luo Jianbin
Published: February 2023

Photoinduced superlubricity on TiO2 surfaces is a newfound phenomenon which draws researchers’ attention. This study provides a new method to achieve superlubricity (COF<0.01) with an external light field. However, photoinduced superlubricity can only be realized under specific conditions. Improper running-in conditions, such as speed, load, and pH value, will lead to superlubricity failure even after ultraviolet illumination on the TiO2 surface. In this paper, different running-in loads, speeds, or pH values were used in the experiment of photoinduced superlubricity, and the worn surfaces after running-in and testing in 70% v/v glycerol aqueous solution were investigated thoroughly. Results reveal that the morphology of worn scars differs under different running-in conditions. While the running-in speeds and loads are too low (<0.03 m/s and <2 N) or too large (>0.1 m/s and >9 N), the photoinduced superlubricity will fail because of wrong lubrication state. When the pH value of running-in solution is less than 4.5, photoinduced superlubricity is easier to achieve. In discuss, mixed lubrication is believed to be the key to success of photoinduced superlubricity, because the elastohydrodynamic effect, doublelayer effect and adsorption of glycerol molecules works at the same time. In addition, due to the formation of the SiO2 layer on the Si3N4 ball and better attraction to lubricant molecules with hydroxyl radicals on the TiO2 surface, running-in in solutions with low pH values contributes to the success of photoinduced superlubricity. In any event, the ultraviolet illumination can reduce the friction coefficient of the TiO2/Si3N4 tribological system and can realize photoinduced superlubricity under appropriate running-in conditions.
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: Searching for potential biomarkers
Authors: Revilla-López Eva , Ruiz de Miguel Victoria , López-Meseguer Manuel , Berastegui Cristina , Boada-Pérez Meritxell , Mendoza-Valderrey Alberto , Arjona-Peris Marta , Zapata-Ortega Marta , Monforte Victor , Bravo Carlos , Roman Antonio , Gómez-Ollés Susana , Sáez-Giménez Berta
Published: February 2023

Background

Vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D) is the most commonly used biomarker for diagnosing lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). However, lung biopsy is often necessary as well; therefore, defining new biomarkers for LAM is crucial. The aim of this study was to describe the diagnostic accuracy of a variety of biomarkers.

Methods

We assessed 13 analytes in serum related to extracellular matrix remodeling, lymphatic involvement and angiogenesis in a cohort of patients with LAM, comparing them with patients with other cystic lung diseases (OCLD) and healthy women. A scoring method based on the cut-point of each VEGF-D and metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the marker combination.

Results

A total of 97 subjects were recruited: 59 (61%) LAM patients, 18 (19%) OCLD patients, and 20 (20%) healthy female controls. MMP-2 was the only extracellular matrix remodeling biomarker able to differentiate LAM patients from OCLD and healthy patients. Serum MMP-2 was higher in LAM patients [median 578 (465–832) ng/ml] than in patients with OCLD and healthy controls [medians 360 (314–546) and 427 (365–513) ng/ml, respectively (p < 0.0001)]. The area under ROC curve (AUC) of MMP-2 was 0.785 and that of VEGF-D 0.815 (p = 0.6214). The sensitivity/specificity profiles of each biomarker (54/92% for MMP-2, 59/95% for VEGF-D) yielded a composite score (−6.36 + 0.0059 × VEGF-D + 0.0069 × MMP-2) with higher accuracy than each component alone (AUC 0.88 and sensitivity/specificity 79/87%).

Conclusion

Combining MMP-2 and VEGF-D may increase diagnostic accuracy for LAM.
Efficacy of different intensities of percutaneous electrolysis for musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Sánchez-González Juan Luis , Navarro-López Víctor , Cañada-Sánchez Pablo , Juárez-Vela Raúl , Viñaspre-Hernández Regina Ruiz de , Varela-Rodríguez Sergio
Published: February 2023

Objective

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to determine the effect of ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis (PE) alone or as an adjunct to other interventions on pain intensity generated by musculoskeletal disorders, depending on the intensity of the technique.

Data sources

PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Health Medical Collection, and CINALH from inception to September 2022 were searched to identify documents.

Study selection

Publications investigating the effect of ultrasound-guided PE in musculoskeletal pain.

Data extraction

Data were extracted into predesigned data extraction and tables. Risk of bias was evaluated with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (Rob 2.0). Thirteen articles met inclusion criteria.

Data analysis

Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to quantify the difference in pain between the PE and control groups.

Data synthesis

A significant reduction in pain was found in favor of low- (−1.89; 95% CI: −2.69; −1.10; p < 0.001) and high-intensity PE (−0.74; 95% CI: −1.36; −0.11; p: 0.02) compared to control group. Low-intensity PE showed significant reduction in pain in the short (−1.73; 95% CI: −3.13; −0.34; p < 0.02) and long term (−2.10; 95% CI: −2.93; −1.28; p = 0.005), with large effect sizes compared to control group. High-intensity PE only showed significant lower pain than control group in the long term (−0.92; 95% CI: −1.78; −0.07; p < 0.03), with a small effect size, but not in the short term.

Conclusion

We found small evidence suggesting that low-intensity PE could be more effective for musculoskeletal pain reduction than high-intensity PE. Nevertheless, scientific evidence on this subject is still scarce and studies comparing the two modalities are warranted.

Systematic review registration

www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42022366935.
Development of LXR inverse agonists to treat MAFLD, NASH, and other metabolic diseases
Authors: Griffett Kristine , Burris Thomas P.
Published: February 2023

Activation of LXR activity by synthetic agonists has been the focus of many drug discovery efforts with a focus on treatment of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis. Many agonists have been developed, but all have been hindered due to their ability to efficaciously stimulate de novo lipogenesis. Here, we review the development of LXR inverse agonists that were originally optimized for their ability to enable recruitment of corepressors leading to silencing of genes that drive de novo lipogenesis. Such compounds have efficacy in animal models of MAFLD, dyslipidemia, and cancer. Several classes of LXR inverse agonists have been identified and one is now in clinical trials for treatment of severe dyslipidemia.
The role of short-chain fatty acids in inflammatory skin diseases
Authors: Xiao Xianjun , Hu Xiaoshen , Yao Junpeng , Cao Wei , Zou Zihao , Wang Lu , Qin Haiyan , Zhong Dongling , Li Yuxi , Xue Peiwen , Jin Rongjiang , Li Ying , Shi Yunzhou , Li Juan
Published: February 2023

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are metabolites of gut microbes that can modulate the host inflammatory response, and contribute to health and homeostasis. Since the introduction of the gut-skin axis concept, the link between SCFAs and inflammatory skin diseases has attracted considerable attention. In this review, we have summarized the literature on the role of SCFAs in skin inflammation, and the correlation between SCFAs and inflammatory skin diseases, especially atopic dermatitis, urticaria, and psoriasis. Studies show that SCFAs are signaling factors in the gut-skin axis and can alleviate skin inflammation. The information presented in this review provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms driving gut-skin axis regulation, along with possible pathways that can be targeted for the treatment and prevention of inflammatory skin diseases.
Vitamin D alleviates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via restoring gut microbiota and metabolism
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Lei , Chen Lei , Yang Jiang , Zhao Shan-Shan , Jin Shi , Ao Na , Yang Jing , Liu Hui-Xin , Du Jian
Published: February 2023

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a severe public health problem. Dysbiosis of gut microbiome has been identified as one of the key environmental factors contributing to NAFLD. As an essential nutrition, Vitamin D (VD) plays an important role in regulating gut microbiota based on its receptor (Vitamin D Receptor, VDR) which is highly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract.

Methods

Rats were fed with HFD (high-fat diet) for 12 weeks. And the rats were treated with VD two times a week by intraperitoneal injection for 12 weeks. H&E staining combined with plasma biochemical index was performed to characterize pathological changes and function of the liver. Fecal microbiota 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolomics were taken to reveal the altered gut microbiota and metabolites.

Result

The VD alleviates the HFD-induced lipid accumulation in the liver as well as decreases the levels of amlodipine besylate (ALT) and amlodipine aspartate (AST). VD supplement decreased the ratio of phylum Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) but increased alpha diversity. In addition, the VD treatment improved the HFD-induced gut microbiota by increasing the Prevotella and Porphyromonadaceae and decreasing Mucispirillum, Acetatifactor, Desulfovibrio, and Oscillospira abundance. Furthermore, the capability of tyrosine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and sphingolipid metabolism was enhanced after VD treatment. Consistently, Prevotella positively correlated with tryptophan metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism. Importantly, the Prevotella abundance was positively associated with serotonin, melatonin, tryptamine, L-arginine, and 3-dehydrosphinganine which synthesize from tryptophan, tyrosine, arginosuccinate, and serine, respectively.

Conclusion

VD treatment inhibited HFD-induced NAFLD accompany by dysbiosis gut microbiota and metabolites, suggesting that VD supplement could be a potential intervention used for NAFLD treatment by targeting the specific microbiota.
Feasibility and potential cognitive impact of a cognitive-motor dual-task training program using a custom exergame in older adults: A pilot study
Authors: Gallou-Guyot Matthieu , Mandigout Stephane , Marie Romain , Robin Louise , Daviet Jean-Christophe , Perrochon Anaick
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Dual-task training may be relevant and efficient in the context of active aging. An issue in training programs lies in enhancing the adherence of participants. This can potentially be improved using games as support. We designed and developed a custom interactive exergame in this way. The objective of this pilot study was to explore the potential use of this exergame and the feasibility of our intervention, including the level of safety and adherence. The result’s trends on cognitive and motor capacities, as well as on the level of motivation for physical activity, fear of falling, and quality of life of participants, were also explored.

Methods

Older adults aged 65 years or older were recruited and realized 30 min of supervised training in groups of 4, 2–3 times a week for 12 weeks. Exercises consisted of incorporated cognitive and motor dual tasks, with an increased difficulty over the weeks. Our program’s safety, engagement, attendance, and completion levels were evaluated. Participants’ postural control in single-task and dual-task conditions, as well as their performances in mental inhibition, flexibility, working memory, mobility, and postural control, and their levels of motivation for physical activity, fear of falling, and quality of life were also assessed. We realized a per protocol statistical analysis with a p-value set at 0.05.

Results

Thirty-nine participants (aged 84.6 ± 8.5 years) were recruited. No adverse events, and 89% adherence, 88% attendance, and 87% completion rates were observed. A potentially significant effect of our exergame on working memory in single-task conditions and on the cognitive aspect of dual-task conditions was also observed. We observed no differences in other parameters.

Discussion

Our exergame seemed feasible and safe and was enjoyed by participants, mainly due to the gamification of our training program. Moreover, our exergame may be efficient for cognitive training in older adults, as well as for the maintenance of motor functions, motivation for physical activity, fear of falling, and quality of life levels. This constitutes the first step for our solution with interesting results that need to be further studied.
Development of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in the postnatal human hippocampal formation
Authors: Ábrahám Hajnalka , Kojima Hisae , Götzer Katalin , Molnár Abigél , Tornóczky Tamás , Seress László
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Parvalbumin (PV) is a calcium-binding protein present in fast-spiking GABAergic neurons, such as basket and axo-axonic cells. Previous studies in non-human primates reported prenatal expression of PV in the temporal archicortex including entorhinal cortex and hippocampal formation. In contrast, PV-immunoreactivity was observed only postnatally in the human entorhinal cortex. Regarding PV expression in the human hippocampal formation, no information is available.

Methods: In this study, the neurochemical maturation of PV-immunoreactive interneurons was studied in the postnatal developing human hippocampal formation.

Results: Before birth, no PV-immunoreactive neurons could be detected in the human hippocampus. At birth, only a few PV-immunoreactive neurons were visible in Ammon’s horn. The first PV-immunoreactive cells in the hilus of the dentate gyrus appeared at the age of 1 month. Even at the age of 5 months, only a few PV-immunopositive cells were present in the dentate hilus. The number of cells and their dendritic and axonal arborization in Ammon’s horn and in the dentate gyrus gradually increased with age. Even at the age of 2 years, dendritic tree and axons of PV-immunoreactive neurons were less complex than can be seen in 8 and 11 years old children.

Discussion: Our results showed that long-lasting maturation of PV-immunoreactive interneurons follows the developmental sequence of the subfields of the human hippocampal formation and provides further morphological evidence for the long-lasting functional maturation of the human cortex.