bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psoriatic disease is associated with systemic inflammation, endothelial activation, and altered haemostatic function
Authors: Visser Maria J. E. , Venter Chantelle , Roberts Timothy J. , Tarr Gareth , Pretorius Etheresia
Published: June 2021

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease, affecting approximately 2% of the general population, which can be accompanied by psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The condition has been associated with an increased cardiovascular burden. Hypercoagulability is a potential underlying mechanism that may contribute to the increased risk of major cardiovascular events in psoriatic individuals. Whole blood samples were collected from 20 PsA patients and 20 healthy individuals. The concentrations of inflammatory molecules (C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and soluble P-selectin) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In addition, clotting efficiency was evaluated by thromboelastography. The fibrin network architecture was also assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Elevated levels of circulating inflammatory molecules were significantly associated with the presence of psoriatic disease. Furthermore, an increased tendency towards thrombus formation was significantly predictive of disease presence. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that fibrin clots were denser in psoriatic individuals, compared to healthy controls, with an increased fibrin fibre diameter associated with psoriatic disease. Our results add to the accumulating evidence of the systemic nature of psoriasis and the subsequent risk of cardiovascular comorbidities, potentially due to an acquired hypercoagulability. We suggest that haemostatic function should be monitored carefully in psoriatic patients that present with severe disease, due to the pre-eminent risk of developing thrombotic complications.
DotMotif: an open-source tool for connectome subgraph isomorphism search and graph queries
Authors: Matelsky Jordan K. , Reilly Elizabeth P. , Johnson Erik C. , Stiso Jennifer , Bassett Danielle S. , Wester Brock A. , Gray-Roncal William
Published: June 2021

Recent advances in neuroscience have enabled the exploration of brain structure at the level of individual synaptic connections. These connectomics datasets continue to grow in size and complexity; methods to search for and identify interesting graph patterns offer a promising approach to quickly reduce data dimensionality and enable discovery. These graphs are often too large to be analyzed manually, presenting significant barriers to searching for structure and testing hypotheses. We combine graph database and analysis libraries with an easy-to-use neuroscience grammar suitable for rapidly constructing queries and searching for subgraphs and patterns of interest. Our approach abstracts many of the computer science and graph theory challenges associated with nanoscale brain network analysis and allows scientists to quickly conduct research at scale. We demonstrate the utility of these tools by searching for motifs on simulated data and real public connectomics datasets, and we share simple and complex structures relevant to the neuroscience community. We contextualize our findings and provide case studies and software to motivate future neuroscience exploration.
Impact of antibiotic usage on extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli prevalence
Authors: Kim Jeong Yeon , Yum Yunjin , Joo Hyung Joon , An Hyonggin , Yoon Young Kyung , Kim Jong Hun , Sohn Jang Wook
Published: June 2021

An increase in antibiotic usage is considered to contribute to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
Although experts are counting on the antimicrobial stewardship programs to reduce antibiotic usage, their effect remains uncertain. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of antibiotic usage and forecast the prevalence of hospital-acquired extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)—producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) using time-series analysis. Antimicrobial culture information of E. coli was obtained using a text processing technique that helped extract free-text electronic health records from standardized data. The antimicrobial use density (AUD) of antibiotics of interest was used to estimate the quarterly antibiotic usage. Transfer function model was applied to forecast relationship between antibiotic usage and ESBL-producing E. coli. Of the 1938 hospital-acquired isolates, 831 isolates (42.9%) were ESBL-producing E. coli. Both the proportion of ESBL-producing E. coli and AUD increased over time. The transfer model predicted that ciprofloxacin AUD is related to the proportion of ESBL-producing E. coli two quarters later. In conclusion, excessive use of antibiotics was shown to affect the prevalence of resistant organisms in the future. Therefore, the control of antibiotics with antimicrobial stewardship programs should be considered to restrict antimicrobial resistance.
Hippocampus-retrosplenial cortex interaction is increased during phasic REM and contributes to memory consolidation
Authors: de Almeida-Filho Daniel Gomes , Koike Bruna Del Vechio , Billwiller Francesca , Farias Kelly Soares , de Sales Igor Rafael Praxedes , Luppi Pierre-Hervé , Ribeiro Sidarta , Queiroz Claudio Marcos
Published: June 2021

Hippocampal (HPC) theta oscillation during post-training rapid eye movement (REM) sleep supports spatial learning. Theta also modulates neuronal and oscillatory activity in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) during REM sleep. To investigate the relevance of theta-driven interaction between these two regions to memory consolidation, we computed the Granger causality within theta range on electrophysiological data recorded in freely behaving rats during REM sleep, both before and after contextual fear conditioning. We found a training-induced modulation of causality between HPC and RSC that was correlated with memory retrieval 24 h later. Retrieval was proportional to the change in the relative influence RSC exerted upon HPC theta oscillation. Importantly, causality peaked during theta acceleration, in synchrony with phasic REM sleep. Altogether, these results support a role for phasic REM sleep in hippocampo-cortical memory consolidation and suggest that causality modulation between RSC and HPC during REM sleep plays a functional role in that phenomenon.
Autophagy of mucin granules contributes to resolution of airway mucous metaplasia
Authors: Sweeter J. M. , Kudrna K. , Hunt K. , Thomes P. , Dickey B. F. , Brody S. L. , Dickinson J. D.
Published: June 2021

Exacerbations of muco-obstructive airway diseases such as COPD and asthma are associated with epithelial changes termed mucous metaplasia (MM). Many molecular pathways triggering MM have been identified; however, the factors that regulate resolution are less well understood. We hypothesized that the autophagy pathway is required for resolution of MM by eliminating excess non-secreted intracellular mucin granules. We found increased intracellular levels of mucins Muc5ac and Muc5b in mice deficient in autophagy regulatory protein, Atg16L1, and that this difference was not due to defects in the known baseline or stimulated mucin secretion pathways. Instead, we found that, in mucous secretory cells, Lc3/Lamp1 vesicles colocalized with mucin granules particularly adjacent to the nucleus, suggesting that some granules were being eliminated in the autophagy pathway rather than secreted. Using a mouse model of MM resolution, we found increased lysosomal proteolytic activity that peaked in the days after mucin production began to decline. In purified lysosomal fractions, Atg16L1-deficient mice had reduced proteolytic degradation of Lc3 and Sqstm1 and persistent accumulation of mucin granules associated with impaired resolution of mucous metaplasia. In normal and COPD derived human airway epithelial cells (AECs), activation of autophagy by mTOR inhibition led to a reduction of intracellular mucin granules in AECs. Our findings indicate that during peak and resolution phases of MM, autophagy activity rather than secretion is required for elimination of some remaining mucin granules. Manipulation of autophagy activation offers a therapeutic target to speed resolution of MM in airway disease exacerbations.
Validity and safety of ID-JPL934 in lower gastrointestinal symptom improvement
Authors: Shin Cheol Min , Choi Yoon Jin , Lee Dong Ho , Moon Jin Seok , Kim Tae-Yoon , Kim Yoon-Keun , Lee Won-Hee , Yoon Hyuk , Park Young Soo , Kim Nayoung
Published: June 2021

The study evaluated the efficacy of ID-JPL934, a probiotic preparation containing Lactobacillus johnsonii IDCC 9203, Lactobacillus plantarum IDCC 3501 and Bifidobacterium lactis IDCC 4301, in relieving lower gastrointestinal symptoms. A total of 112 subjects with lower gastrointestinal symptoms were consecutively enrolled. They were randomized into either ID-JPL934 administration group or placebo group. Bristol stool form, stool frequency, and abnormal bowel movement symptoms were recorded at baseline and week 2, 6, and 8. Primary endpoint was improvement in overall symptoms at week 8. Fecal samples were collected to measure the probiotic levels in feces using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and to perform metagenomic analysis of microbiome originating from bacteria-derived extracellular vesicles and bacterial cells via 16S rDNA sequencing. Of the 112 subjects, 104 (54 in ID-JPL934 group and 50 in placebo group) completed the entire study protocol. A higher relief of overall symptoms was found in ID-JPL934 group than in placebo group (p = 0.016). Among lower gastrointestinal symptoms, abdominal pain and bloating scores were more decreased in ID-JPL934 group than in placebo group (p < 0.05). The fecal microbiome profiles of the two groups did not differ. However, the qPCR analysis showed significant increase in the levels of Lactobacillus johnsonii and Bifidobacterium lactis in feces post-treatment in ID-JPL934 group than in placebo group (p < 0.05 by repeated measure ANOVA). In conclusion, ID-JPL934 is effective in relieving lower gastrointestinal symptoms. Exposure to ID-JPL934 may increase the abundance of Lactobacillus johnsonii and Bifidobacterium lactis in the gut.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03395626.
RNAseq reveals different transcriptomic responses to GA3 in early and midseason varieties before ripening initiation in sweet cherry fruits
Authors: Kuhn Nathalie , Maldonado Jonathan , Ponce Claudio , Arellano Macarena , Time Alson , Multari Salvatore , Martens Stefan , Carrera Esther , Donoso José Manuel , Sagredo Boris , Meisel Lee A.
Published: June 2021

Gibberellin (GA) negatively affects color evolution and other ripening-related processes in non-climacteric fruits. The bioactive GA, gibberellic acid (GA3), is commonly applied at the light green-to-straw yellow transition to increase firmness and delay ripening in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.), though causing different effects depending on the variety. Recently, we reported that GA3 delayed the IAD parameter (a ripening index) in a mid-season variety, whereas GA3 did not delay IAD but reduced it at ripeness in an early-season variety. To further explore this contrasting behavior between varieties, we analyzed the transcriptomic responses to GA3 applied on two sweet cherry varieties with different maturity time phenotypes. At harvest, GA3 produced fruits with less color in both varieties. Similar to our previous report, GA3 delayed fruit color initiation and IAD only in the mid-season variety and reduced IAD at harvest only in the early-season variety. RNA-seq analysis of control- and GA3-treated fruits revealed that ripening-related categories were overrepresented in the early-season variety, including ‘photosynthesis’ and ‘auxin response’. GA3 also changed the expression of carotenoid and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetic genes in this variety. In contrast, overrepresented categories in the mid-season variety were mainly related to metabolic processes. In this variety, some PP2Cs putative genes were positively regulated by GA3, which are negative regulators of ABA responses, and MYB44-like genes (putative repressors of PP2Cs expression) were downregulated. These results show that GA3 differentially modulates the transcriptome at the onset of ripening in a variety-dependent manner and suggest that GA3 impairs ripening through the modification of ripening associated gene expression only in the early-season variety; whereas in the mid-season variety, control of the ripening timing may occur through the PP2C gene expression regulation. This work contributes to the understanding of the role of GA in non-climacteric fruit ripening.
Mobility-based real-time economic monitoring amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Spelta Alessandro , Pagnottoni Paolo
Published: June 2021

Mobility restrictions have been identified as key non-pharmaceutical interventions to limit the spread of the SARS-COV-2 epidemics. However, these interventions present significant drawbacks to the social fabric and negative outcomes for the real economy. In this paper we propose a real-time monitoring framework for tracking the economic consequences of various forms of mobility reductions involving European countries. We adopt a granular representation of mobility patterns during both the first and second waves of SARS-COV-2 in Italy, Germany, France and Spain to provide an analytical characterization of the rate of losses of industrial production by means of a nowcasting methodology. Our approach exploits the information encoded in massive datasets of human mobility provided by Facebook and Google, which are published at higher frequencies than the target economic variables, in order to obtain an early estimate before the official data becomes available. Our results show, in first place, the ability of mobility-related policies to induce a contraction of mobility patterns across jurisdictions. Besides this contraction, we observe a substitution effect which increases mobility within jurisdictions. Secondly, we show how industrial production strictly follows the dynamics of population commuting patterns and of human mobility trends, which thus provide information on the day-by-day variations in countries’ economic activities. Our work, besides shedding light on how policy interventions targeted to induce a mobility contraction impact the real economy, constitutes a practical toolbox for helping governments to design appropriate and balanced policy actions aimed at containing the SARS-COV-2 spread, while mitigating the detrimental effect on the economy. Our study reveals how complex mobility patterns can have unequal consequences to economic losses across countries and call for a more tailored implementation of restrictions to balance the containment of contagion with the need to sustain economic activities.
Heterotrophic euglenid Rhabdomonas costata resembles its phototrophic relatives in many aspects of molecular and cell biology
Authors: Soukal Petr , Hrdá Štěpánka , Karnkowska Anna , Milanowski Rafał , Szabová Jana , Hradilová Miluše , Strnad Hynek , Vlček Čestmír , Čepička Ivan , Hampl Vladimír
Published: June 2021

Euglenids represent a group of protists with diverse modes of feeding. To date, only a partial genomic sequence of Euglena gracilis and transcriptomes of several phototrophic and secondarily osmotrophic species are available, while primarily heterotrophic euglenids are seriously undersampled. In this work, we begin to fill this gap by presenting genomic and transcriptomic drafts of a primary osmotroph, Rhabdomonas costata. The current genomic assembly length of 100 Mbp is 14× smaller than that of E. gracilis. Despite being too fragmented for comprehensive gene prediction it provided fragments of the mitochondrial genome and comparison of the transcriptomic and genomic data revealed features of its introns, including several candidates for nonconventional types. A set of 39,456 putative R. costata proteins was predicted from the transcriptome. Annotation of the mitochondrial core metabolism provides the first data on the facultatively anaerobic mitochondrion of R. costata, which in most respects resembles the mitochondrion of E. gracilis with a certain level of streamlining. R. costata can synthetise thiamine by enzymes of heterogenous provenances and haem by a mitochondrial-cytoplasmic C4 pathway with enzymes orthologous to those found in E. gracilis. The low percentage of green algae-affiliated genes supports the ancestrally osmotrophic status of this species.
Directivity enhancement of a cylindrical wire antenna by a graded index dielectric shell designed using strictly conformal transformation optics
Authors: Eskandari Hossein , Saviz Soorena , Tyc Tomáš
Published: June 2021

A transformation-optical method is presented to enhance the directivity of a cylindrical wire antenna by using an all-dielectric graded index medium. The strictly conformal mapping between two doubly connected virtual and physical domains is established numerically. Multiple directive beams are produced, providing directive emission. The state-of-the-art optical path rescaling method is employed to mitigate the superluminal regions. The resulting transformation medium is all-dielectric and nondispersive, which can provide broadband functionality and facilitate the realization of the device using available fabrication technologies. The realization of the device is demonstrated by dielectric perforation based on the effective medium theory. The device’s functionality is verified by carrying out both ray-tracing and full-wave simulations using finite-element-based software COMSOL Multiphysics.
Life cycle assessment and energy comparison of aseptic ohmic heating and appertization of chopped tomatoes with juice
Authors: Ghnimi Sami , Nikkhah Amin , Dewulf Jo , Van Haute Sam
Published: June 2021

The energy balance and life cycle assessment (LCA) of ohmic heating and appertization systems for processing of chopped tomatoes with juice (CTwJ) were evaluated. The data included in the study, such as processing conditions, energy consumption, and water use, were experimentally collected. The functional unit was considered to be 1 kg of packaged CTwJ. Six LCA impact assessment methodologies were evaluated for uncertainty analysis of selection of the impact assessment methodology. The energy requirement evaluation showed the highest energy consumption for appertization (156 kWh/t of product). The energy saving of the ohmic heating line compared to the appertization line is 102 kWh/t of the product (or 65% energy saving). The energy efficiencies of the appertization and ohmic heating lines are 25% and 77%, respectively. Regarding the environmental impact, CTwJ processing and packaging by appertization were higher than those of ohmic heating systems. In other words, CTwJ production by the ohmic heating system was more environmentally efficient. The tin production phase was the environmental hotspot in packaged CTwJ production by the appertization system; however, the agricultural phase of production was the hotspot in ohmic heating processing. The uncertainty analysis results indicated that the global warming potential for appertization of 1 kg of packaged CTwJ ranges from 4.13 to 4.44 kg CO2eq. In addition, the global warming potential of the ohmic heating system ranges from 2.50 to 2.54 kg CO2eq. This study highlights that ohmic heating presents a great alternative to conventional sterilization methods due to its low environmental impact and high energy efficiency.
A randomized controlled trial on a self-guided Internet-based intervention for gambling problems
Authors: Bücker Lara , Gehlenborg Josefine , Moritz Steffen , Westermann Stefan
Published: June 2021

The majority of individuals with problematic and pathological gambling remain untreated, and treatment barriers are high. Internet-based interventions can help to address existing barriers, and first studies suggest their potential for this target group. Within a randomized controlled trial (N = 150) with two assessment times (baseline and post-intervention), we aimed to investigate the feasibility, acceptance, and effectiveness of a self-guided Internet-based intervention targeted at gambling problems. We expected a significant reduction in gambling symptoms (primary outcome) and depressive symptoms as well gambling-specific dysfunctional thoughts (secondary outcomes) in the intervention group (IG) compared to a wait-list control group with access to treatment-as-usual (control group, CG) after the intervention period of 8 weeks. Results of the complete cases, per protocol, intention-to-treat (ITT), and frequent user analyses showed significant improvements in both groups for primary and secondary outcomes but no significant between-group differences (ITT primary outcome, F(1,147) = .11, p = .739, ηp2 < .001). Moderation analyses indicated that individuals in the IG with higher gambling and depressive symptoms, older age, and comorbid anxiety symptoms showed significant improvement relative to the CG. The intervention was positively evaluated (e.g., 96.5% rated the program as useful). Possible reasons for the nonsignificant between-group differences are discussed. Future studies should include follow-up assessments and larger samples to address limitations of the present study.

Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03372226), http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03372226, date of registration (13/12/2017).
Human brain dynamics in active spatial navigation
Authors: Do Tien-Thong Nguyen , Lin Chin-Teng , Gramann Klaus
Published: June 2021

Spatial navigation is a complex cognitive process based on multiple senses that are integrated and processed by a wide network of brain areas. Previous studies have revealed the retrosplenial complex (RSC) to be modulated in a task-related manner during navigation. However, these studies restricted participants’ movement to stationary setups, which might have impacted heading computations due to the absence of vestibular and proprioceptive inputs. Here, we present evidence of human RSC theta oscillation (4–8 Hz) in an active spatial navigation task where participants actively ambulated from one location to several other points while the position of a landmark and the starting location were updated. The results revealed theta power in the RSC to be pronounced during heading changes but not during translational movements, indicating that physical rotations induce human RSC theta activity. This finding provides a potential evidence of head-direction computation in RSC in healthy humans during active spatial navigation.
Effect of expansion media and fibronectin coating on growth and chondrogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells
Authors: Basoli Valentina , Della Bella Elena , Kubosch Eva Johanna , Alini Mauro , Stoddart Martin J.
Published: June 2021

In the field of regenerative medicine, considerable advances have been made from the technological and biological point of view. However, there are still large gaps to be filled regarding translation and application of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based therapies into clinical practice. Indeed, variables such as cell type, unpredictable donor variation, and expansion/differentiation methods lead to inconsistencies. Most protocols use bovine serum (FBS) derivatives during MSC expansion. However, the xenogeneic risks associated with FBS limits the use of MSC-based products in clinical practice. Herein we compare a chemically defined, xenogeneic-free commercial growth medium with a conventional medium containing 10% FBS and 5 ng/ml FGF2. Furthermore, the effect of a fibronectin-coated growth surface was investigated. The effect of the different culture conditions on chondrogenic commitment was assessed by analyzing matrix deposition and gene expression of common chondrogenic markers. Chondrogenic differentiation potential was similar between the FBS-containing αMEM and the chemically defined medium with fibronectin coating. On the contrary, the use of fibronectin coating with FBS-containing medium appeared to reduce the differentiation potential of MSCs. Moreover, cells that were poorly responsive to in vitro chondrogenic stimuli were shown to improve their differentiation potential after expansion in a TGF-β1 containing medium. In conclusion, the use of a xenogeneic-free medium provides a suitable alternative for human bone marrow MSC expansion, due the capability to maintain cell characteristic and potency. To further improve chondrogenic potential of BMSCs, priming the cells with TGF-β1 during expansion is a promising strategy.
Dynamic characteristics and fractal representations of crack propagation of rock with different fissures under multiple impact loadings
Authors: Sun Bing , Liu Shun , Zeng Sheng , Wang Shanyong , Wang Shaoping
Published: June 2021

To investigate the influence of the fissure morphology on the dynamic mechanical properties of the rock and the crack propagation, a drop hammer impact test device was used to conduct impact failure tests on sandstones with different fissure numbers and fissure dips, simultaneously recorded the crack growth after each impact. The box fractal dimension is used to quantitatively analyze the dynamic change in the sandstone cracks and a fractal model of crack growth over time is established based on fractal theory. The results demonstrate that under impact test conditions of the same mass and different heights, the energy absorbed by sandstone accounts for about 26.7% of the gravitational potential energy. But at the same height and different mass, the energy absorbed by the sandstone accounts for about 68.6% of the total energy. As the fissure dip increases and the number of fissures increases, the dynamic peak stress and dynamic elastic modulus of the fractured sandstone gradually decrease. The fractal dimensions of crack evolution tend to increase with time as a whole and assume as a parabolic. Except for one fissure, 60° and 90° specimens, with the extension of time, the increase rate of fractal dimension is decreasing correspondingly.
Rainbow Archimedean spiral emission from optical fibres
Authors: Mangini F. , Ferraro M. , Zitelli M. , Kalashnikov V. , Niang A. , Mansuryan T. , Frezza F. , Tonello A. , Couderc V. , Aceves A. B. , Wabnitz S.
Published: June 2021

We demonstrate a new practical approach for generating multicolour spiral-shaped beams. It makes use of a standard silica optical fibre, combined with a tilted input laser beam. The resulting breaking of the fibre axial symmetry leads to the propagation of a helical beam. The associated output far-field has a spiral shape, independently of the input laser power value. Whereas, with a high-power near-infrared femtosecond laser, a visible supercontinuum spiral emission is generated. With appropriate control of the input laser coupling conditions, the colours of the spiral spatially self-organize in a rainbow distribution. Our method is independent of the laser source wavelength and polarization. Therefore, standard optical fibres may be used for generating spiral beams in many applications, ranging from communications to optical tweezers and quantum optics.
Second to fourth (2D:4D) digit ratio and their relationships among a mother and child population in Ghana
Authors: Banyeh Moses , Amidu Nafiu , Quaye Lawrence
Published: June 2021

The study aimed to determine the relationship between digit ratios among a mother–child population in Ghana. This was a cross-sectional study from December 2020 to April 2021 involving 272 mothers, their daughters (n = 132) and their sons (n = 140). The right (2D:4DR) and the left (2D:4DL) digit ratios were measured using computer-assisted analysis. The data were analysed in SPSS (v23) and GraphPad Prism (v8) at an alpha value of 0.05. The mean ± SD age of the mothers was 23.9 ± 3.67 years while the median (IQR) age of daughters was 116(54–240) days and sons, 134(54–240) days. The mean ± SD 2D:4DR were 0.94 ± 0.04, 0.91 ± 0.04 and 0.90 ± 0.04 respectively for mothers, daughters and sons. The mean ± SD 2D:4DL was 0.93 ± 0.04, for mothers, 0.92 ± 0.05 for daughters and 0.92 ± 0.05 for sons. The daughters and sons showed leftward asymmetry while the mothers showed rightward asymmetry in digit ratios. The 2D:4DR of sons was significantly lower than daughters (P = 0.031). There were negative correlations between the 2D:4DL and age of daughters (r = −0.182, P = 0.043) and sons (r = −0.221, P = 0.012). The 2D:4DR of mothers was positively correlated with that of daughters (r = 0.332, P = 0.000) and that of sons (r = 0.233, P = 0.008). There are significant relationships between digit ratios in a mother–child population.
ACSAuto-semi-automatic assessment of human vastus lateralis and rectus femoris cross-sectional area in ultrasound images
Authors: Ritsche Paul , Wirth Philipp , Franchi Martino V. , Faude Oliver
Published: June 2021

Open-access scripts to perform muscle anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) evaluation in ultrasound images are currently unavailable. This study presents a novel semi-automatic ImageJ script (named “ACSAuto”) for quantifying the ACSA of lower limb muscles. We compared manual ACSA measurements from 180 ultrasound scans of vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles to measurements assessed by the ACSAuto script. We investigated inter- and intra-investigator reliability of the script. Consecutive-pairwise intra-class correlations (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) with 95% compatibility interval were calculated. Bland–Altman analyses were employed to test the agreement between measurements. Comparing manual and ACSAuto measurements, ICCs and SEMs ranged from 0.96 to 0.999 and 0.12 to 0.96 cm2 (1.2–5.9%) and mean bias was smaller than 0.5 cm2 (4.3%). Inter-investigator comparison revealed ICCs, SEMs and mean bias ranging from 0.85 to 0.999, 0.07 to 1.16 cm2 (0.9–7.6%) and − 0.16 to 0.66 cm2 (− 0.6 to 3.2%). Intra-investigator comparison revealed ICCs, SEMs and mean bias between 0.883–0.998, 0.07–0.93 cm2 (1.1–7.6%) and − 0.80 to 0.15 cm2 (− 3.4 to 1.8%). Image quality needs to be high for efficient and accurate ACSAuto analyses. Taken together, the ACSAuto script represents a reliable tool to measure RF and VL ACSA, is comparable to manual analysis and can reduce time needed to evaluate ultrasound images.
Targeted SPION siderophore conjugate loaded with doxorubicin as a theranostic agent for imaging and treatment of colon carcinoma
Authors: Nosrati Rahim , Abnous Khalil , Alibolandi Mona , Mosafer Jafar , Dehghani Sadegh , Taghdisi Seyed Mohammad , Ramezani Mohammad
Published: June 2021

Recently, the siderophores have opened new horizons in nanomedicine. The current study aimed to design a theranostic platform based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles-pyoverdine (SPION/PVD) conjugates bound to MUC1 aptamer (MUC1Apt) and loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) as an anti-cancer agent. The SPION/PVD complex was covalently conjugated to MUC1Apt and loaded with DOX to prepare a targeted drug delivery system (SPION/PVD/MUC1Apt/DOX). The investigation of cellular cytotoxicity and uptake of formulations by MTT and flow cytometry in both MUC1 positive (C26) and MUC1 negative (CHO) cell lines revealed that MUC1Apt could improve both cellular uptake and toxicity in the C26 cell line. The evaluation of tumor-targeting activity by in vivo bio-distribution showed that the targeted formulation could enhance tumor inhibitory growth effect and survival rate in C26 tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, the potential of synthesized SPION/PVD/MUC1Apt/DOX complex as diagnostic agents was investigated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which improved the contrast of tumor site in MRI. Our findings confirm that aptamer-targeted PVD chelated the SPION as a diagnostic agent and loaded with DOX as a chemotherapeutic drug, would be beneficial as a novel theranostic platform.
Predication of oxygen requirement in COVID-19 patients using dynamic change of inflammatory markers: CRP, hypertension, age, neutrophil and lymphocyte (CHANeL)
Authors: Lee Eunyoung Emily , Hwang Woochang , Song Kyoung-Ho , Jung Jongtak , Kang Chang Kyung , Kim Jeong-Han , Oh Hong Sang , Kang Yu Min , Lee Eun Bong , Chin Bum Sik , Song Woojeung , Kim Nam Joong , Park Jin Kyun
Published: June 2021

The objective of the study was to develop and validate a prediction model that identifies COVID-19 patients at risk of requiring oxygen support based on five parameters: C-reactive protein (CRP), hypertension, age, and neutrophil and lymphocyte counts (CHANeL). This retrospective cohort study included 221 consecutive COVID-19 patients and the patients were randomly assigned randomly to a training set and a test set in a ratio of 1:1. Logistic regression, logistic LASSO regression, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and XGBoost analyses were performed based on age, hypertension status, serial CRP, and neutrophil and lymphocyte counts during the first 3 days of hospitalization. The ability of the model to predict oxygen requirement during hospitalization was tested. During hospitalization, 45 (41.8%) patients in the training set (n = 110) and 41 (36.9%) in the test set (n = 111) required supplementary oxygen support. The logistic LASSO regression model exhibited the highest AUC for the test set, with a sensitivity of 0.927 and a specificity of 0.814. An online risk calculator for oxygen requirement using CHANeL predictors was developed. “CHANeL” prediction models based on serial CRP, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts during the first 3 days of hospitalization, along with age and hypertension status, provide a reliable estimate of the risk of supplement oxygen requirement among patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Effects of thinning and understory removal on the soil water-holding capacity in Pinus massoniana plantations
Authors: Wang Ting , Xu Qing , Gao Deqiang , Zhang Beibei , Zuo Haijun , Jiang Jing
Published: June 2021

Forest management practices play an important role in regulating the soil water-holding capacity of plantation. However, most studies focus on soil water dynamics present during large-scale forest loss and afforestation events, while little is known about how soil water under different forest management practices responds to rainfall events and which factors mainly regulate soil water-holding capacity. In this study, a stable hydrogen isotope was used to explore the contribution of three natural rainfall events (8.9, 13.3 and 67.7 mm) to soil water (CRSW) in aPinus massonianaplantation under four forest management practices (no thinning (NTN), understory removal (USR), light-intensity thinning (LIT) and heavy-intensity thinning (HIT)) in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of the Yangtze River Basin in China. Furthermore, a structural equation model was employed to determine the effects of vegetation biomass and soil properties on the CRSW. The results showed that plantation soil under different forest management practices exhibited different water-holding capacities. Following light (8.9 mm) and moderate (13.3 mm) rainfall events, the CRSW in the HIT stand was slightly higher than that in the other stands. Following heavy (66.7 mm) rainfall event, the CRSW of most layers in USR stand was not different from the other three stands, while the CRSW in the LIT and NTN stands was significantly higher than that in the HIT stand in the 0–100 cm soil layers, suggesting that soil in the LIT and NTN stands had a greater water-holding capacity than that in the HIT stand. In addition, soil properties were the main factors directly affecting the CRSW, explaining 60% and 37% of the variation in the CRSW on the first and seventh days after heavy rainfall, respectively. Overall, compared to the HIT stand, the LIT and NTN stands showed greater capacity in retaining rainwater. Therefore, under expected global changes with frequent occurrences of extreme precipitation events, methods involving light-intensity and no thinning should be employed to build up soil and water conservation functions, which will be critical for keeping water-holding capacity and moderating floods.
Mobile element insertions and associated structural variants in longitudinal breast cancer samples
Authors: Steely Cody J. , Russell Kristi L. , Feusier Julie E. , Qiao Yi , Tavtigian Sean V. , Marth Gabor , Jorde Lynn B.
Published: June 2021

While mobile elements are largely inactive in healthy somatic tissues, increased activity has been found in cancer tissues, with significant variation among different cancer types. In addition to insertion events, mobile elements have also been found to mediate many structural variation events in the genome. Here, to better understand the timing and impact of mobile element insertions and associated structural variants in cancer, we examined their activity in longitudinal samples of four metastatic breast cancer patients. We identified 11 mobile element insertions or associated structural variants and found that the majority of these occurred early in tumor progression. Most of the variants impact intergenic regions; however, we identified a translocation interrupting MAP2K4 involving Alu elements and a deletion in YTHDF2 involving mobile elements that likely inactivate reported tumor suppressor genes. The high variant allele fraction of the translocation, the loss of the other copy of MAP2K4, the recurrent loss-of-function mutations found in this gene in other cancers, and the important function of MAP2K4 indicate that this translocation is potentially a driver mutation. Overall, using a unique longitudinal dataset, we find that most variants are likely passenger mutations in the four patients we examined, but some variants impact tumor progression.
Impact of boron and indium doping on the structural, electronic and optical properties of SnO2
Authors: Filippatos Petros-Panagis , Kelaidis Nikolaos , Vasilopoulou Maria , Davazoglou Dimitris , Chroneos Alexander
Published: June 2021

Tin dioxide (SnO2), due to its non-toxicity, high stability and electron transport capability represents one of the most utilized metal oxides for many optoelectronic devices such as photocatalytic devices, photovoltaics (PVs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Nevertheless, its wide bandgap reduces its charge carrier mobility and its photocatalytic activity. Doping with various elements is an efficient and low-cost way to decrease SnO2 band gap and maximize the potential for photocatalytic applications. Here, we apply density functional theory (DFT) calculations to examine the effect of p-type doping of SnO2 with boron (B) and indium (In) on its electronic and optical properties. DFT calculations predict the creation of available energy states near the conduction band, when the dopant (B or In) is in interstitial position. In the case of substitutional doping, a significant decrease of the band gap is calculated. We also investigate the effect of doping on the surface sites of SnO2. We find that B incorporation in the (110) does not alter the gap while In causes a considerable decrease. The present work highlights the significance of B and In doping in SnO2 both for solar cells and photocatalytic applications.
Applying EFDC Explorer model in the Gallinas River, Mexico to estimate its assimilation capacity for water quality protection
Authors: Villota-López Claudia , Rodríguez-Cuevas Clemente , Torres-Bejarano Franklin , Cisneros-Pérez Rodolfo , Cisneros-Almazán Rodolfo , Couder-Castañeda Carlos
Published: June 2021

Sanitary and industrial wastewater discharged into rivers, is a general problem that occurs in most of the world and Mexico is not the exception, the main goal of this research is to determine based on simulations of pollutants concentrations, the assimilation capacity of the Gallinas River against discharges of agricultural and industrial wastewater from the cultivation and processing of sugar cane under two different hypothetical simulation scenarios, based on reproducing two well know scenarios. In sugarcane cultivation, large quantities of fertilizers are used whose main active components are based on nitrogen or phosphorus compounds, therefore, the wastewater resulting from sugarcane processing contains a high organic content from 20 to 40% of inorganic compounds, such as nitrogenous substances, organic acids, and phosphorous sulfates. For this reason, the physical–chemical variables of interest analyzed in this work are the PO$$_4$$

4

(phosphate), NO$$_3$$

3

(nitrate), and DO (dissolved oxygen). With the simulation results according to each scenery, it can be determined, that despite the continuous discharge of polluting elements, the Gallinas River has a good assimilation capacity thanks to reaeration processes that permit efficient recovery of the dissolved oxygen in the water column. Gallinas River is located in the region known as the Huasteca Potosina, this investigation is relevant for the region due to the River is of vital importance being the main tributary that allows socioeconomic development activities in this zone. To carry out the simulations, was used the Explorer Modeling System 8.4 (EFCD) model and was performed two samplings campaign along 15 km in the water body to calibrate the numerical model to represent the dry and wet seasons during May and September respectively named as calibration scenarios.
Determination and stability of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in saliva samples for monitoring heart failure
Authors: Bellagambi Francesca G. , Petersen Christina , Salvo Pietro , Ghimenti Silvia , Franzini Maria , Biagini Denise , Hangouët Marie , Trivella Maria Giovanna , Di Francesco Fabio , Paolicchi Aldo , Errachid Abdelhamid , Fuoco Roger , Lomonaco Tommaso
Published: June 2021

Heart failure (HF) is the main cause of mortality worldwide, particularly in the elderly. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is the gold standard biomarker for HF diagnosis and therapy monitoring. It is determined in blood samples by the immunochemical methods generally adopted by most laboratories. Saliva analysis is a powerful tool for clinical applications, mainly due to its non-invasive and less risky sampling. This study describes a validated analytical procedure for NT-proBNP determination in saliva samples using a commercial Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay. Linearity, matrix effect, sensitivity, recovery and assay-precision were evaluated. The analytical approach showed a linear behaviour of the signal throughout the concentrations tested, with a minimum detectable dose of 1 pg/mL, a satisfactory NT-proBNP recovery (95–110%), and acceptable precision (coefficient of variation ≤ 10%). Short-term (3 weeks) and long-term (5 months) stability of NT-proBNP in saliva samples under the storage conditions most frequently used in clinical laboratories (4, − 20, and − 80 °C) was also investigated and showed that the optimal storage conditions were at − 20 °C for up to 2.5 months. Finally, the method was tested for the determination of NT-proBNP in saliva samples collected from ten hospitalized acute HF patients. Preliminary results indicate a decrease in NT-proBNP in saliva from admission to discharge, thus suggesting that this procedure is an effective saliva-based point-of-care device for HF monitoring.
The in-utero experience of piglets born from sows with lameness shapes their life trajectory
Authors: Parada Sarmiento Marisol , Bernardino Thiago , Tatemoto Patricia , Polo Gina , Zanella Adroaldo José
Published: June 2021

Experiences during gestation can alter the mother’s behavior and physiology, thereby potentially affecting the behavioral and physiological development of the offspring. In livestock, one common challenge for pregnant animals is lameness: a multifactorial condition that causes pain, stress, resulting in poor welfare outcomes. Since maternal pain can affect offspring development, we aimed to quantify the behavioral response in 142 piglets born from sows with different degrees of lameness during pregnancy. Gait scores of 22 pregnant group-housed sows were assessed six times at 2-week intervals. Lameness scores varied from 0 (no lameness) to 5 (most severe lameness score). Saliva samples and behavior were assessed in the sows throughout pregnancy. Sows were moved to individual farrowing pens and placental tissue was collected for glucocorticoid assessment. At 28 days of age, piglets were weaned, weighed, and regrouped by body size and sex. Skin lesions were counted for each piglet on days 28, 29, and 30 after birth. During open field and novel object tests on day 30, the vocalization and activity levels were evaluated. Piglet data were grouped by the lameness score of the sows as G1 (without lameness), G2 (moderate lameness), and G3 (severe lameness). Data analysis included ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis tests and pairwise comparisons which were performed using Tukey and Kramer (Nemenyi) test with Tukey-Dist approximation for independent samples. G2 piglets were heavier than G3 at weaning. G1 piglets had fewer skin lesions at days 28 and 29 than G2 piglets. Moreover, G1 piglets vocalized more than G2 when they were subjected to the combined open field and novel object test. We did not identify differences among sows showing different lameness scores in the concentration of placental or salivary glucocorticoids. Lameness in pregnant sows altered the offspring’s weight gain, number of skin lesions and vocalizations, together showing evidence that lameness in sows affect offspring performance and behavior.
Impact of a bacterial consortium on the soil bacterial community structure and maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation
Authors: Afanador-Barajas Laura N. , Navarro-Noya Yendi E. , Luna-Guido Marco L. , Dendooven Luc
Published: June 2021

Microorganisms are often applied as biofertilizer to crops to stimulate plant growth, increase yields and reduce inorganic N application. The survival and proliferation of these allochthonous microorganisms in soil is a necessary requisite for them to promote plant growth. We applied a sterilized or unsterilized not commercialized bacterial consortium mixed with cow manure leachate used by a farmer as biofertilizer to maize (Zea mays L.) in a greenhouse experiment, while maize development and the bacterial community structure was determined just before the biofertilizer was applied a first time (day 44), after three applications (day 89) and after six application at the end of the experiment (day 130). Application of sterilized or unsterilized biofertilizer with pH 4.3 and 864 mg NH4+-N kg−1 had no significant effect on maize growth. The application of the biofertilizer dominated by Lactobacillus (relative abundance 11.90%) or the sterilized biofertilizer changed the relative abundance of a limited number of bacterial groups, i.e. Delftia, Halomonas, Lactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas, without altering significantly the bacterial community structure. Cultivation of maize, however, affected significantly the bacterial community structure, which showed large significant variations over time in the cultivated and uncultivated soil. It was concluded that the bacteria applied as a biofertilizer had only a limited effect on the relative abundance of these groups in uncultivated or soil cultivated with maize.