bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis Codes for Mold Infections and Mold Exposure Before and After Hurricane Harvey Among a Commercially Insured Population—Houston, Texas, 2016–2018
Authors: Benedict Kaitlin , Jackson Brendan R. , Toda Mitsuru
Published: March 2023

Objective:

Indoor mold after flooding poses health risks, including rare but serious invasive mold infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate use of International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis codes for mold infection and mold exposure in Houston, Texas, during the year before and the year after Hurricane Harvey.

Methods:

This study used data from MarketScan, a large health insurance claims database.

Results:

The incidence of invasive mold infections remained unchanged in the year after Hurricane Harvey; however, the incidence of diagnosis codes for mold exposure nearly doubled compared with the year before the hurricane (6.3 vs 11.0 per 100 000 enrollees, rate ratio: 1.7, 95% confidence interval 1.0–3.1).

Conclusions:

Diagnosis codes alone may not be sufficiently sensitive to detect changes in invasive mold infection rates within this population and time frame, demonstrating the need for more comprehensive studies.
Trailing-edge noise reduction through finlet-induced turbulence
Authors: Gstrein Felix , Zang Bin , Azarpeyvand Mahdi
Published: March 2023

Biologically inspired finlet treatments have been shown to effectively reduce the trailing-edge noise of a flat plate and hence are a viable noise-suppression technology for engineering applications. The present work performs a thorough experimental investigation on the near-field dynamics of finlet surface treatments applied to a flat plate. To examine the underlying noise-reduction mechanism, the manipulated flow field is analysed using data from detailed static, unsteady wall-pressure as well as velocity measurements and their correlations. Specifically, the densely populated dynamic transducers allow for the tracking of the turbulent boundary-layer development from upstream to the wake of the finlet-treated area (see supplementary movies), which elucidates the formation of ‘finlet-induced turbulence’ through flow–finlet interaction. Associated turbulence structures are found to further develop within the treated area and structures shed from the top of the finlets are observed to mix and merge with the turbulence being channelled through the space between the finlets in the finlet wake. While the mixing process increases the spanwise turbulence length scale, it significantly attenuates the unsteady wall-pressure fluctuation at the trailing edge and thus leads to broadband reduction of the trailing-edge noise. Moreover, it corroborates the findings of earlier studies suggesting that there exists an optimal distance between finlets and trailing-edge where the mixing effects are most beneficial.
Numerical study of viscoelastic upstream instability
Authors: Peng Sai , Tang Tingting , Li Jianhui , Zhang Mengqi , Yu Peng
Published: March 2023

In this work, we report numerical results on the flow instability and bifurcation of a viscoelastic fluid in the upstream region of a cylinder in a confined narrow channel. Two-dimensional direct numerical simulations based on the FENE-P model (the finite-extensible nonlinear elastic model with the Peterlin closure) are conducted with numerical stabilization techniques. Our results show that the macroscopic viscoelastic constitutive relation can capture the viscoelastic upstream instability reported in previous experiments for low-Reynolds-number flows. The numerical simulations reveal that the non-dimensional recirculation length (LD) is affected by the cylinder blockage ratio (BR), the Weissenberg number (Wi), the viscosity ratio (β) and the maximum polymer extension (L). Close to the onset of upstream recirculation, LD with Wi satisfy Landau-type quartic potential under certain parameter space. The bifurcation may exhibit subcritical behaviour depending on the values of L2 and β. The parameters β and L2 have nonlinear influence on the upstream recirculation length. This work contributes to our theoretical understanding of this new instability mechanism in viscoelastic wake flows.
Range of 21st century ice mass changes in the Filchner-Ronne region of Antarctica
Authors: Johnson Andrew , Aschwanden Andy , Albrecht Torsten , Hock Regine
Published: March 2023

Increases in ocean temperatures in the Filchner Ronne region of Antarctica are likely to result in increased ice mass loss and sea level rise. We constrain projections of the 21st century sea level contribution of this region using process-based ice-sheet modeling, with model parameters controlling ice dynamics calibrated using observed surface speeds and Markov-chain Monte Carlo sampling. We use climate forcing from Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios as well as a set of hypothetical scenarios of deep ocean warming to evaluate the sensitivity of this region to ocean temperatures. Projected changes in regional ice mass correspond to a decrease in global mean sea level of 24±7 mm over 2015–2100 under RCP 2.6 and 28±9 mm under RCP 8.5. Increased regional inland surface accumulation related to higher warming levels in RCP 8.5 leads to more ice above flotation, offsetting increased ice shelf basal melt. The tests involving step changes in ocean temperatures with constant surface forcing show that one degree of ocean warming from present results in an additional +11 mm contribution to sea level by 2100 and 1% of the ice-covered area in the domain becomes ungrounded (23 200 km2). The rate of mass loss with temperature increases at higher temperatures.
The duality of networks and groups: Models to generate two-mode networks from one-mode networks
Authors: Neal Zachary P.
Published: March 2023

Shared memberships, social statuses, beliefs, and places can facilitate the formation of social ties. Two-mode projections provide a method for transforming two-mode data on individuals’ memberships in such groups into a one-mode network of their possible social ties. In this paper, I explore the opposite process: how social ties can facilitate the formation of groups, and how a two-mode network can be generated from a one-mode network. Drawing on theories of team formation, club joining, and organization recruitment, I propose three models that describe how such groups might emerge from the relationships in a social network. I show that these models can be used to generate two-mode networks that have characteristics commonly observed in empirical two-mode social networks and that they encode features of the one-mode networks from which they were generated. I conclude by discussing these models’ limitations and future directions for theory and methods concerning group formation.
The effects of capsaicin intake on weight loss among overweight and obese subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Zhang Wensen , Zhang Qiang , Wang Lianke , Zhou Qianyu , Wang Panpan , Qing Ying , Sun Changqing
Published: March 2023

Animal studies have shown that capsaicin plays a positive role in weight management. However, the results in human research are controversial. Therefore, the present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of capsaicin on weight loss in adults. We searched PubMed, Embase, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Cochrane library and clinical registration centre, identifying all randomised controlled trials (RCT) published in English and Chinese to 3 May 2022. A random-effect model was used to calculate the weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95 % CI. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed by the Cochran Q statistic and I-squared tests (I2). Statistical analyses were performed using STATA version 15.1. P-values < 0·05 were considered as statistically significant. From 2377 retrieved studies, fifteen studies were finally included in the meta-analyses. Fifteen RCT with 762 individuals were included in our meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, the supplementation of capsaicin resulted in significant reduction on BMI (WMD: −0·25 kg/m2, 95 % CI = –0·35, –0·15 kg/m2, P < 0·05), body weight (BW) (WMD: −0·51 kg, 95 % CI = –0·86, –0·15 kg, P < 0·05) and waist circumference (WC) (WMD: −1·12 cm, 95 % CI = –2·00, –0·24 cm, P < 0·05). We found no detrimental effect of capsaicin on waist-to-hip ratio (WMD: −0·05, 95 % CI = –0·17, 0·06, P > 0·05). The current meta-analysis suggests that capsaicin supplementation may have rather modest effects in reducing BMI, BW and WC for overweight or obese individuals.
Two new species of Haliclona (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida: Chalinidae) from north-eastern Brazilian coastal waters and oceanic islands
Authors: Bispo André , Hajdu Eduardo
Published: March 2023

Two new species of Haliclona (Chalinidae, Haplosclerida) are described here from Brazilian oceanic islands and the coast of Ceará State. They derive from collections undertaken between 1999 and 2014, and materials are deposited in the Porifera collection of Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ). Haliclona (Halichoclona) insularis sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Haliclona spp. in the western Atlantic by the combination of surface with light to deep red colour intermixed with white to beige areas (occasionally completely beige), white to beige choanosome, small fistular outgrowths, fragile consistency and blunt oxeas (90–175 × 1–5 μm) with irregular tips. Haliclona (Soestella) moraesi sp. nov. is the only western Atlantic species of Haliclona with the combination of thickly encrusting to cushion-shaped habit, purple or light pink colour, and a dense (sub)isotropic skeleton with rounded meshes, and without microscleres. Several attempts to amplify COI mtDNA and 28S C2–D2 rRNA for both species were unsuccessful, in spite of the initial successful extraction of genomic DNA. The number of Haliclona spp. known from the Brazilian coast is now 17. The long gap between species collection and formal description supports the concept of the taxonomic impediment, which is particularly marked in speciose taxa with little morphological disparity, as observed in Haplosclerida.
Global prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in pigs: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Yuancai , Qin Huikai , Wu Yayun , Xu Huiyan , Huang Jianying , Li Junqiang , Zhang Longxian
Published: March 2023

Cryptosporidium spp. are significant opportunistic pathogens causing diarrhoea in humans and animals. Pigs are one of the most important potential hosts for Cryptosporidium. We evaluated the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs globally using published information and a random-effects model. In total, 131 datasets from 36 countries were included in the final quantitative analysis. The global prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs was 16.3% (8560/64 809; 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.0–17.6%). The highest prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs was 40.8% (478/1271) in Africa. Post-weaned pigs had a significantly higher prevalence (25.8%; 2739/11 824) than pre-weaned, fattening and adult pigs. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium was higher in pigs with no diarrhoea (12.2%; 371/3501) than in pigs that had diarrhoea (8.0%; 348/4874). Seven Cryptosporidium species (Cryptosporidium scrofarum, Cryptosporidium suis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium muris, Cryptosporidium tyzzeri, Cryptosporidium andersoni and Cryptosporidium struthioni) were detected in pigs globally. The proportion of C. scrofarum was 34.3% (1491/4351); the proportion of C. suis was 31.8% (1385/4351) and the proportion of C. parvum was 2.3% (98/4351). The influence of different geographic factors (latitude, longitude, mean yearly temperature, mean yearly relative humidity and mean yearly precipitation) on the infection rate of Cryptosporidium in pigs was also analysed. The results indicate that C. suis is the dominant species in pre-weaned pigs, while C. scrofarum is the dominant species in fattening and adult pigs. The findings highlight the role of pigs as possible potential hosts of zoonotic cryptosporidiosis and the need for additional studies on the prevalence, transmission and control of Cryptosporidium in pigs.
Characteristics associated with successful foodborne outbreak investigations involving United States retail food establishments (2014–2016)
Authors: Holst Meghan M. , Kramer Adam , Hoover Edward Rickamer , Dewey-Mattia Daniel , Mack James , Hawkins Tracy , Brown Laura G.
Published: March 2023

This study examined relationships between foodborne outbreak investigation characteristics, such as the epidemiological methods used, and the success of the investigation, as determined by whether the investigation identified an outbreak agent (i.e. pathogen), food item and contributing factor. This study used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Outbreak Reporting System and National Environmental Assessment Reporting System to identify outbreak investigation characteristics associated with outbreak investigation success. We identified investigation characteristics that increase the probability of successful outbreak investigations: a rigorous epidemiology investigation method; a thorough environmental assessment, as measured by number of visits to complete the assessment; and the collection of clinical samples. This research highlights the importance of a comprehensive outbreak investigation, which includes epidemiology, environmental health and laboratory personnel working together to solve the outbreak.
Psychopathology as dynamic markers of alcohol initiation across development: A three-year longitudinal examination
Authors: Watts Ashley L. , Doss Mark I. , Bernard Donte L. , Sher Kenneth J.
Published: March 2023

Sipping, an early form of alcohol initiation, is associated with aspects of psychopathology and personality that reflect long-term risk for harmful alcohol use. In the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development cohort (N = 11,872), sipping by age 9–10 was concurrently associated with impulsivity, other aspects of externalizing, and prodromal schizophrenia symptoms. Still, these associations were cross-sectional in nature, leaving open the possibility that these features of psychopathology and personality might not reflect long-term risk for alcohol consumption and related harm across development. Here, we attempted to replicate baseline concurrent associations across three waves of data to extend concurrent associations to prospective ones. Most cross-sectional associations replicated across waves, such that impulsivity, other aspects of externalizing, reward sensitivity (e.g., surgency, sensation seeking), and prodromal schizophrenia symptoms were associated with increased odds of having sipped alcohol by the age of 12. Nevertheless, not all concurrent associations replicated prospectively; impulsigenic features did not reflect long-term risk for sipping. Thus, some psychopathology features appeared to reflect stable risk factors, whereas others appeared to reflect state-dependent risk factors. All told, sipping might not reflect long-term risk for harmful alcohol use, and the nature of sipping may change across development.
French and Spanishwh-interrogatives with and withoutwh
Authors: Rosemeyer Malte
Published: March 2023

This article describes the usage of partial interrogatives withoutwhsuch asAnd you went…?in French and Spanish, and analyses the variation between suchin-situ-Ø andin-situ-wh-interrogatives such asAnd you went where?On the basis of an analysis ofin-situ-Ø-interrogatives in a corpus of spoken French and Spanish, these interrogatives are described as a particularly efficient means of realizing an information request. Due to the fact that their use is bound to contexts in which the information request is highly expected by the hearer, they can be produced using a minimal syntactic format and simultaneously ensure that the addressee produces the desired response. In comparison, the use ofin-situ-whis less context-sensitive. The analysis also investigates the possibility of differences between French and Spanish as regards the productivity of these interrogatives. An acceptability study of these interrogatives finds no significant difference in terms of the productivity and acceptability ofin-situ-Ø in French and Spanish, whereasin-situ-whreaches a higher acceptability in French than in Spanish. I interpret these results as evidence for a description ofin-situ-Ø as anad-hocinteractional resource whose use does not depend on conventionalization processes, whereas information-requestingin-situ-whhas become conventional in French.
Marfan syndrome in a paediatric cohort: the importance of family history
Authors: Brunet-Garcia Laia , Lopez Sainz Angela , Carretero Bellon Juan Manuel
Published: March 2023

Marfan syndrome is a rare connective tissue disorder secondary to mutations in the FBN1 gene, characterised by skeletal, ocular, and cardiovascular manifestations. We present an extensive cohort of paediatric patients with Marfan syndrome highlighting the vital importance of promptly referring paediatric first-degree relatives of Marfan syndrome paediatric patients to a tertiary hospital as our results confirm that they are at higher risk of aortic dilatation.
Successful treatment of two cases of acute myocarditis with colchicine
Authors: Kavgacı Akif , Incedere Fatma , Terlemez Semiha , Kula Serdar
Published: March 2023

Colchicine is an FDA-approved medicine that has been used for many years to prevent and treat gout flares as well as familial mediterranean fever. It is also used off-label to treat pericarditis, calcium pyrophosphate illness, and Behçet’s syndrome. There are additional studies on the use of colchicine, which is accepted as the standard treatment for pericarditis in adults, post-pericardiotomy syndrome, post-operative and post-ablation atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disorders, prior to percutaneous coronary procedures, and myocarditis. Colchicine appears to be a promising oral cardiovascular treatment targeting the inflammatory axis, owing to its low cost and moderate side-effect profile. Our aim is to emphasise that colchicine treatment, which has a strong and effective anti-inflammatory effect profile, should be kept in mind in addition to conventional treatment in childhood myocarditis.
Tackling racism in sports psychiatry
Authors: Begel Dan
Published: March 2023

Abstract: Racism is embedded in society and, therefore, in sports. This paper summarizes the long history of racism directed at Black athletes in the United States, the various ways that racism is manifest in sports, and the psychological impact of racism on individual athletes. Suggestions for addressing racism in the clinical setting as well as in the athletic environment are presented, along with several clinical vignettes. Because racism affects everyone, it is suggested that clinicians advance their self-awareness and knowledge of the problem, and several avenues for doing so are presented. It is suggested, in addition, that the topic of race be included in the therapeutic agenda while keeping in mind that it is the patient’s prerogative to determine when race is relevant and when it is not.
Sources of PM2.5‐Associated Health Risks in Europe and Corresponding Emission‐Induced Changes During 2005–2015
Authors: Gu Yixuan , Henze Daven K. , Nawaz M. Omar , Cao Hansen , Wagner Ulrich J.
Published: March 2023

We present a newly developed approach to characterize the sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5)‐related premature deaths in Europe using the chemical transport model GEOS‐Chem and its adjoint. The contributions of emissions from each individual country, species, and sector are quantified and mapped out at km scale. In 2015, total PM2.5‐related premature death is estimated to be 449,813 (257,846–722,138) in Europe, 59.0% of which were contributed by domestic anthropogenic emissions. The anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen oxides, ammonia, and organic carbon contributed most to the PM2.5‐related health damages, making up 29.6%, 23.2%, and 16.8%, respectively of all domestic anthropogenic contributions. Residential, agricultural, and ground transport emissions are calculated to be the largest three sectoral sources of PM2.5‐related health risks, accounting for 23.5%, 23.0%, and 19.4%, respectively, of total anthropogenic contributions within Europe. After excluding the influence of extra‐regional sources, we find eastern European countries suffered from more premature deaths than their emissions caused; in contrast, the emissions from some central and western European regions contributed premature deaths exceeding three times the number of deaths that occurred locally. During 2005–2015, the first decade of PM2.5 regulation in Europe, emission controls reduced PM2.5‐related health damages in nearly all European countries, resulting in 63,538 (46,092–91,082) fewer PM2.5‐related premature deaths. However, our calculation suggests that efforts to reduce air pollution from key sectors in some countries can be offset by the lag in control of emissions in others. International cooperation is therefore vitally important for tackling air pollution and reducing corresponding detrimental effects on public health.
Circulating tumour cells in gastrointestinal cancers: food for thought?
Authors: Asawa Simran , Nüesch Manuel , Gvozdenovic Ana , Aceto Nicola
Published: March 2023

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers account for 35% of cancer-related deaths, predominantly due to their ability to spread and generate drug-tolerant metastases. Arising from different locations in the GI system, the majority of metastatic GI malignancies colonise the liver and the lungs. In this context, circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are playing a critical role in the formation of new metastases, and their presence in the blood of patients has been correlated with a poor outcome. In addition to their prognostic utility, prospective targeting of CTCs may represent a novel, yet ambitious strategy in the fight against metastasis. A better understanding of CTC biology, mechanistic underpinnings and weaknesses may facilitate the development of previously underappreciated anti-metastasis approaches. Here, along with related clinical studies, we outline a selection of the literature describing biological features of CTCs with an impact on their metastasis forming ability in different GI cancers.
Ribonuclease inhibitor 1 (RNH1) deficiency cause congenital cataracts and global developmental delay with infection-induced psychomotor regression and anemia
Authors: Hedberg-Oldfors Carola , Mitra Sanhita , Molinaro Angela , Visuttijai Kittichate , Fogelstrand Linda , Oldfors Anders , Sterky Fredrik H. , Darin Niklas
Published: March 2023

Ribonuclease inhibitor 1, also known as angiogenin inhibitor 1, encoded by RNH1, is a ubiquitously expressed leucine-rich repeat protein, which is highly conserved in mammalian species. Inactivation of rnh1 in mice causes an embryonically lethal anemia, but the exact biological function of RNH1 in humans remains unknown and no human genetic disease has so far been associated with RNH1. Here, we describe a family with two out of seven siblings affected by a disease characterized by congenital cataract, global developmental delay, myopathy and psychomotor deterioration, seizures and periodic anemia associated with upper respiratory tract infections. A homozygous splice-site variant (c.615-2A > C) in RNH1 segregated with the disease. Sequencing of RNA derived from patient fibroblasts and cDNA analysis of skeletal muscle mRNA showed aberrant splicing with skipping of exon 7. Western blot analysis revealed a total lack of the RNH1 protein. Functional analysis revealed that patient fibroblasts were more sensitive to RNase A exposure, and this phenotype was reversed by transduction with a lentivirus expressing RNH1 to complement patient cells. Our results demonstrate that loss-of-function of RNH1 in humans is associated with a multiorgan developmental disease with recessive inheritance. It may be speculated that the infection-induced deterioration resulted from an increased susceptibility toward extracellular RNases and/or other inflammatory responses normally kept in place by the RNase inhibitor RNH1.
Reshoring silicon photovoltaics manufacturing contributes to decarbonization and climate change mitigation
Authors: Liang Haoyue , You Fengqi
Published: March 2023

The globalized supply chain for crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) panels is increasingly fragile, as the now-mundane freight crisis and other geopolitical risks threaten to postpone major PV projects. Here, we study and report the results of climate change implications of reshoring solar panel manufacturing as a robust and resilient strategy to reduce reliance on foreign PV panel supplies. We project that if the U.S. could fully bring c-Si PV panel manufacturing back home by 2035, the estimated greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption would be 30% and 13% lower, respectively, than having relied on global imports in 2020, as solar power emerges as a major renewable energy source. If the reshored manufacturing target is achieved by 2050, the climate change and energy impacts would be further reduced by 33% and 17%, compared to the 2020 level. The reshored manufacturing demonstrates significant progress in domestic competitiveness and toward decarbonization goals, and the positive reductions in climate change impacts align with the climate target.
Amide-to-ester substitution as a stable alternative to N-methylation for increasing membrane permeability in cyclic peptides
Authors: Hosono Yuki , Uchida Satoshi , Shinkai Moe , Townsend Chad E. , Kelly Colin N. , Naylor Matthew R. , Lee Hsiau-Wei , Kanamitsu Kayoko , Ishii Mayumi , Ueki Ryosuke , Ueda Takumi , Takeuchi Koh , Sugita Masatake , Akiyama Yutaka , Lokey Scott R. , Morimoto Jumpei , Sando Shinsuke
Published: March 2023

Naturally occurring peptides with high membrane permeability often have ester bonds on their backbones. However, the impact of amide-to-ester substitutions on the membrane permeability of peptides has not been directly evaluated. Here we report the effect of amide-to-ester substitutions on the membrane permeability and conformational ensemble of cyclic peptides related to membrane permeation. Amide-to-ester substitutions are shown to improve the membrane permeability of dipeptides and a model cyclic hexapeptide. NMR-based conformational analysis and enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the conformational transition of the cyclic hexapeptide upon membrane permeation is differently influenced by an amide-to-ester substitution and an amide N-methylation. The effect of amide-to-ester substitution on membrane permeability of other cyclic hexapeptides, cyclic octapeptides, and a cyclic nonapeptide is also investigated to examine the scope of the substitution. Appropriate utilization of amide-to-ester substitution based on our results will facilitate the development of membrane-permeable peptides.
Global Protected Areas as refuges for amphibians and reptiles under climate change
Authors: Mi Chunrong , Ma Liang , Yang Mengyuan , Li Xinhai , Meiri Shai , Roll Uri , Oskyrko Oleksandra , Pincheira-Donoso Daniel , Harvey Lilly P. , Jablonski Daniel , Safaei-Mahroo Barbod , Ghaffari Hanyeh , Smid Jiri , Jarvie Scott , Kimani Ronnie Mwangi , Masroor Rafaqat , Kazemi Seyed Mahdi , Nneji Lotanna Micah , Fokoua Arnaud Marius Tchassem , Tasse Taboue Geraud C. , Bauer Aaron , Nogueira Cristiano , Meirte Danny , Chapple David G. , Das Indraneil , Grismer Lee , Avila Luciano Javier , Ribeiro Júnior Marco Antônio , Tallowin Oliver J. S. , Torres-Carvajal Omar , Wagner Philipp , Ron Santiago R. , Wang Yuezhao , Itescu Yuval , Nagy Zoltán Tamás , Wilcove David S. , Liu Xuan , Du Weiguo
Published: March 2023

Protected Areas (PAs) are the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation. Here, we collated distributional data for >14,000 (~70% of) species of amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna) to perform a global assessment of the conservation effectiveness of PAs using species distribution models. Our analyses reveal that >91% of herpetofauna species are currently distributed in PAs, and that this proportion will remain unaltered under future climate change. Indeed, loss of species’ distributional ranges will be lower inside PAs than outside them. Therefore, the proportion of effectively protected species is predicted to increase. However, over 7.8% of species currently occur outside PAs, and large spatial conservation gaps remain, mainly across tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, and across non-high-income countries. We also predict that more than 300 amphibian and 500 reptile species may go extinct under climate change over the course of the ongoing century. Our study highlights the importance of PAs in providing herpetofauna with refuge from climate change, and suggests ways to optimize PAs to better conserve biodiversity worldwide.
The architecture of transmembrane and cytoplasmic juxtamembrane regions of Toll-like receptors
Authors: Kornilov F. D. , Shabalkina A. V. , Lin Cong , Volynsky P. E. , Kot E. F. , Kayushin A. L. , Lushpa V. A. , Goncharuk M. V. , Arseniev A. S. , Goncharuk S. A. , Wang Xiaohui , Mineev K. S.
Published: March 2023

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the important participants of the innate immune response. Their spatial organization is well studied for the ligand-binding domains, while a lot of questions remain unanswered for the membrane and cytoplasmic regions of the proteins. Here we use solution NMR spectroscopy and computer simulations to investigate the spatial structures of transmembrane and cytoplasmic juxtamembrane regions of TLR2, TLR3, TLR5, and TLR9. According to our data, all the proteins reveal the presence of a previously unreported structural element, the cytoplasmic hydrophobic juxtamembrane α-helix. As indicated by the functional tests in living cells and bioinformatic analysis, this helix is important for receptor activation and plays a role, more complicated than a linker, connecting the transmembrane and cytoplasmic parts of the proteins.
Spatial profiling of microbial communities by sequential FISH with error-robust encoding
Authors: Cao Zhaohui , Zuo Wenlong , Wang Lanxiang , Chen Junyu , Qu Zepeng , Jin Fan , Dai Lei
Published: March 2023

Spatial analysis of microbiomes at single cell resolution with high multiplexity and accuracy has remained challenging. Here we present spatial profiling of a microbiome using sequential error-robust fluorescence in situ hybridization (SEER-FISH), a highly multiplexed and accurate imaging method that allows mapping of microbial communities at micron-scale. We show that multiplexity of RNA profiling in microbiomes can be increased significantly by sequential rounds of probe hybridization and dissociation. Combined with error-correction strategies, we demonstrate that SEER-FISH enables accurate taxonomic identification in complex microbial communities. Using microbial communities composed of diverse bacterial taxa isolated from plant rhizospheres, we apply SEER-FISH to quantify the abundance of each taxon and map microbial biogeography on roots. At micron-scale, we identify clustering of microbial cells from multiple species on the rhizoplane. Under treatment of plant metabolites, we find spatial re-organization of microbial colonization along the root and alterations in spatial association among microbial taxa. Taken together, SEER-FISH provides a useful method for profiling the spatial ecology of complex microbial communities in situ.
Subsurface nickel boosts the low-temperature performance of a boron oxide overlayer in propane oxidative dehydrogenation
Authors: Gao Xiaofeng , Zhu Ling , Yang Feng , Zhang Lei , Xu Wenhao , Zhou Xian , Huang Yongkang , Song Houhong , Lin Lili , Wen Xiaodong , Ma Ding , Yao Siyu
Published: March 2023

Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane is a promising technology for the preparation of propene. Boron-based nonmetal catalysts exhibit remarkable selectivity toward propene and limit the generation of COx byproducts due to unique radical-mediated C–H activation. However, due to the high barrier of O-H bond cleavage in the presence of O2, the radical initialization of the B-based materials requires a high temperature to proceed, which decreases the thermodynamic advantages of the oxidative dehydrogenation reaction. Here, we report that the boron oxide overlayer formed in situ over metallic Ni nanoparticles exhibits extraordinarily low-temperature activity and selectivity for the ODHP reaction. With the assistance of subsurface Ni, the surface specific activity of the BOx overlayer reaches 93 times higher than that of bare boron nitride. A mechanistic study reveals that the strong affinity of the subsurface Ni to the oxygen atoms reduces the barrier of radical initiation and thereby balances the rates of the BO-H cleavage and the regeneration of boron hydroxyl groups, accounting for the excellent low-temperature performance of Ni@BOx/BN catalysts.
Diagnostic classification of childhood cancer using multiscale transcriptomics
Authors: Comitani Federico , Nash Joshua O. , Cohen-Gogo Sarah , Chang Astra I. , Wen Timmy T. , Maheshwari Anant , Goyal Bipasha , Tio Earvin S. , Tabatabaei Kevin , Mayoh Chelsea , Zhao Regis , Ho Ben , Brunga Ledia , Lawrence John E. G. , Balogh Petra , Flanagan Adrienne M. , Teichmann Sarah , Huang Annie , Ramaswamy Vijay , Hitzler Johann , Wasserman Jonathan D. , Gladdy Rebecca A. , Dickson Brendan C. , Tabori Uri , Cowley Mark J. , Behjati Sam , Malkin David , Villani Anita , Irwin Meredith S. , Shlien Adam
Published: March 2023

The causes of pediatric cancers’ distinctiveness compared to adult-onset tumors of the same type are not completely clear and not fully explained by their genomes. In this study, we used an optimized multilevel RNA clustering approach to derive molecular definitions for most childhood cancers. Applying this method to 13,313 transcriptomes, we constructed a pediatric cancer atlas to explore age-associated changes. Tumor entities were sometimes unexpectedly grouped due to common lineages, drivers or stemness profiles. Some established entities were divided into subgroups that predicted outcome better than current diagnostic approaches. These definitions account for inter-tumoral and intra-tumoral heterogeneity and have the potential of enabling reproducible, quantifiable diagnostics. As a whole, childhood tumors had more transcriptional diversity than adult tumors, maintaining greater expression flexibility. To apply these insights, we designed an ensemble convolutional neural network classifier. We show that this tool was able to match or clarify the diagnosis for 85% of childhood tumors in a prospective cohort. If further validated, this framework could be extended to derive molecular definitions for all cancer types.
Maximizing biodiesel production from waste cooking oil with lime-based zinc-doped CaO using response surface methodology
Authors: Weldeslase Mebrhit Gebreyohanes , Benti Natei Ermias , Desta Mekonnen Abebayehu , Mekonnen Yedilfana Setarge
Published: March 2023

Biodiesel is one of the alternative fuels, commonly produced chemically from oil and methanol using a catalyst. This study aims to maximize biodiesel production from cheap and readily available sources of waste cooking oil (WCO) and lime-based Zinc-doped calcium oxide (Zn-CaO) catalyst prepared with a wet impregnation process. The Zn-CaO nanocatalyst was produced by adding 5% Zn into the calcinated limestone. The morphology, crystal size, and vibrational energies of CaO and Zn-CaO nanocatalysts were determined using SEM, XRD, and FT-IR spectroscopy techniques, respectively. The response surface methodology (RSM), which is based on the box-Behnken design, was used to optimize the key variables of the transesterification reaction. Results showed that when Zn was doped to lime-based CaO, the average crystalline size reduced from 21.14 to 12.51 nm, consequently, structural irregularity and surface area increased. The experimental parameters of methanol to oil molar ratio (14:1), catalyst loading (5% wt.), temperature (57.5 °C), and reaction time (120 min) led to the highest biodiesel conversion of 96.5%. The fuel characteristics of the generated biodiesel fulfilled the American (ASTM D6571) fuel standards. The study suggests the potential use of WCO and lime-based catalyst as efficient and low-cost raw materials for large-scale biodiesel production intended for versatile applications.
The development and evaluation of an in-vitro shoulder simulator with active muscle simulation
Authors: Guo Ruipeng , Ferle Manuel , Nebel Dennis , Hurschler Christof
Published: March 2023

The purpose of the present study was to develop a novel active in-vitro shoulder simulator to emulate all forms of planar and non-planar glenohumeral motions with active muscle simulation on cadaver specimens or shoulder models and to critically evaluate its performance. A physiologic shoulder simulator, driven using simulated muscle force, was developed to dynamically realize accurate kinematic control in all three rotational degrees of freedom (DOF) under physiological kinetic boundaries. The control algorithm of the simulator was implemented using three parallel running independent control loops, which regulate the forces of individual muscles in the respect DOF and work asynchronously in disparate sequences adapted to specific motions (abduction, flexion/extension and rotation). Three cadaveric specimens were used to evaluate the kinematic and kinetic performance of the simulator during simulated motions. High kinematic accuracy (maximum mean deviation ≤ 2.35° and RMSE 1.13°) and repeatability (maximum and average SD of ≤ 1.21° and 0.67°) were observed in all three rotational DOF investigated. The reliabilities of all individual muscle forces actuated in the simulator during planar and non-planar motions were generally excellent, with the 95% CIs of ICC estimates of > 0.90 for most instances (30/36). A novel shoulder simulator with active muscle simulation was developed and evaluated. Its capability to reproduce kinematics and kinetics in a physiological range for all DOF was systematically evaluated for multiple kinetic and kinematic outcome variables. The presented simulator is a powerful tool for investigating the biomechanics of physiological and pathological shoulder joints and to evaluate various surgical interventions. Acquisition of reliable data in joint kinetics and translational kinematics during active motions is critical to assess shoulder pathologies and appropriate treatments. We provide a unique muscle activated physiologic shoulder simulator, which allows the comprehensive acquisition of joint kinematic and kinetic data during repeated realistic planar and non-planar motions.
Increased cardiac involvement in Fabry disease using blood-corrected native T1 mapping
Authors: Nickander Jannike , Cole Ben , Nordin Sabrina , Vijapurapu Ravi , Steeds Richard P. , Moon James C. , Kellman Peter , Ugander Martin , Kozor Rebecca
Published: March 2023

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder resulting in myocardial sphingolipid accumulation which is detectable by cardiovascular magnetic resonance as low native T1. However, myocardial T1 contains signal from intramyocardial blood which affects variability and consequently measurement precision and accuracy. Correction of myocardial T1 by blood T1 increases precision. We therefore deployed a multicenter study of FD patients (n = 218) and healthy controls (n = 117) to investigate if blood-correction of myocardial native T1 increases the number of FD patients with low T1, and thus reclassifies FD patients as having cardiac involvement. Cardiac involvement was defined as a native T1 value 2 standard deviations below site-specific means in healthy controls for both corrected and uncorrected measures. Overall low T1 was 135/218 (62%) uncorrected vs. 145/218 (67%) corrected (p = 0.02). With blood-correction, 13/83 previously normal patients were reclassified to low T1. This reclassification appears clinically relevant as 6/13 (46%) of reclassified had focal late gadolinium enhancement or left ventricular hypertrophy as signs of cardiac involvement. Blood-correction of myocardial native T1 increases the proportion of FD subjects with low myocardial T1, with blood-corrected results tracking other markers of cardiac involvement. Blood-correction may potentially offer earlier detection and therapy initiation, but merits further prospective studies.
Lithium and brine geochemistry in the Qianjiang Formation of the Jianghan Basin, central China
Authors: Yu Xiaocan , Wang Chunlian , Huang Hua , Wang Jiuyi , Yan Kai
Published: March 2023

The Li-enriched oilfield brine is a very important lithium resource. It has gained much attention and become the target of active Li surveys with the growing global demand for Li. However, only little is known about their feature and nature. In the study, hydrochemical data from 155 oil wells tapping the Eocene to Lower Oligocene Qianjiang Formation of the Jianghan Basin, central China indicate that the brines are of the Na–Cl or Na–Ca–Cl type and are characterized by highly variable Li contents of 7.56 to 150 mg/L, with Mg/Li ratios less than 11.65. High Na/Cl and Cl/Br molar ratios indicate distinct contributions from halite dissolution. The Ca excess, Na deficit and Ca/Mg and Ca/Sr molar ratios in the brines imply multiple diagenetic processes, including halite dissolution, dolomitization, albitization and calcite or anhydrite cementation. The lithium contents of these brines have a weak relationship with the salinity and a negative correlation with Cl/Br ratios, possibly indicating that these Qianjiang oilfield brines have been diluted by secondary brines derived from halite dissolution. The spatial distribution patterns for Li and B concentrations of the brines are different from those for salinity and Br contents and show a geographic pattern, indicating that Li enrichment in the Qianjiang brines is likely connected with geothermal sources associated with volcanic activity.
Air-conditioning adoption and electricity demand highlight climate change mitigation–adaptation tradeoffs
Authors: Colelli Francesco Pietro , Wing Ian Sue , Cian Enrica De
Published: March 2023

We elucidate mid-century climate change impacts on electricity demand accounting for endogenous adoption of residential air-conditioning (AC) in affluent, cooler countries in Europe, and in poorer, hotter states in India. By 2050, in a high-warming scenario (SSP585) AC prevalence grows twofold in Europe and fourfold in India, reaching around 40% in both regions. We document a mitigation-adaptation tradeoff: AC expansion reduces daily heat exposures by 150 million and 3.8 billion person degree-days (PDDs), but increases annual electricity demand by 34 TWh and 168 TWh in Europe and India, respectively (corresponding to 2% and 15% of today’s consumption). The increase in adoption and use of AC would result in an additional 130 MMTCO2, of which 120 MMTCO2 in India alone, if the additional electricity generated were produced with today’s power mix. The tradeoff varies geographically and across income groups: a one PDD reduction in heat exposure in Europe versus India necessitates five times more electricity (0.53 kWh vs 0.1 kWh) and two times more emissions (0.16 kgCO$$_2$$

2

vs 0.09 kgCO$$_2$$

2

), on average. The decomposition of demand drivers offers important insights on how such tradeoff can be moderated through policies promoting technology-based and behavioral-based adaptation strategies.
Pulmonary vessel volume in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis compared with healthy controls aged > 50 years
Authors: John Joyce , Clark Alys R. , Kumar Haribalan , Vandal Alain C. , Burrowes Kelly S. , Wilsher Margaret L. , Milne David G. , Bartholmai Brian , Levin David L. , Karwoski Ronald , Tawhai Merryn H.
Published: March 2023

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterised by progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia with an associated irreversible decline in lung function and quality of life. IPF prevalence increases with age, appearing most frequently in patients aged > 50 years. Pulmonary vessel-like volume (PVV) has been found to be an independent predictor of mortality in IPF and other interstitial lung diseases, however its estimation can be impacted by artefacts associated with image segmentation methods and can be confounded by adjacent fibrosis. This study compares PVV in IPF patients (N = 21) with PVV from a healthy cohort aged > 50 years (N = 59). The analysis includes a connected graph-based approach that aims to minimise artefacts contributing to calculation of PVV. We show that despite a relatively low extent of fibrosis in the IPF cohort (20% of the lung volume), PVV is 2–3 times higher than in controls. This suggests that a standardised method to calculate PVV that accounts for tree connectivity could provide a promising tool to provide early diagnostic or prognostic information in IPF patients and other interstitial lung disease.
High-performance surface plasmon resonance fiber sensor based on cylindrical vector modes
Authors: Sharif Vahid , Pakarzadeh Hassan
Published: March 2023

Cylindrical vector modes with azimuthal polarization and low transmission loss are proposed for the first time to be utilized in a novel design of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on a circular photonic crystal fiber (C-PCF). A C-PCF with a ring of air holes in the cladding is designed where a gold layer with a thickness of 44 nm is coated on the outer cladding surface. The optimal geometric parameters are determined using the finite-element method (FEM) for a high-quality TE01 mode and high sensitivity of the sensor. The proposed SPR sensor shows high sensitivity for analyte refractive index (RI) ranging from na = 1.29 to 1.34 over the wavelength range of 1400–2000 nm. It is expected that the proposed sensor can sense low concentrations of hemoglobin, lymphocytes and monocytes of red and white blood cells which are effective in diagnosing the progress of cancer tumors. The maximum sensitivity of 13,800 nm/RIU is obtained in the refractive index environment of 1.33–1.34. The sensor resolution is of the order of 10−6 and the amplitude sensitivity reaches its maximum of 2380 RIU−1 at na = 1.30 which is the highest value ever reported. Our proposed sensor shows high sensitivity and simultaneously simple design with high performance.
Safety and effect of pipeline flex embolization device for complex unruptured intracranial aneurysms
Authors: Chen Shun-Qiang , Li Li , Gao Bu-Lang , Wu Qiao-Wei , Shao Qiu-Ji , Wang Zi-Liang , Zhang Kun , Li Tian-Xiao
Published: March 2023

To investigate the safety and short-term effect of Pipeline Flex devices in the treatment of complex unruptured intracranial aneurysms, a retrospective study was performed for patients with complex unruptured intracranial aneurysms who were treated with the Pipeline Flex embolization device (PED Flex device) combined with or without coiling. The clinical, endovascular, and follow-up data were analyzed. One hundred and thirty-one patients with 159 complex unruptured cerebral aneurysms were treated with the PED Flex device, with 144 Flex devices deployed. Periprocedural complications occurred in four patients, resulting in the complication rate of 3.1%, including ischemic complications in three patients (2.3%) and hemorrhagic complication in one (0.8%). At discharge, the mRS was 0 in 101 (77.1%) patients, 1 in 25 (19.1%), 2 in four (3.1%), and 4 in one (0.8%), with the good prognosis rate (mRS 0–2) of 99.2%. Clinical follow-up was carried out in 87 (66.4%) patients 3–42 months after the procedure, with the mRS of 0 in 78 (89.7%), 1 in five (5.7%), 2 in three (3.4%), and 4 in one (1.1%). No significant (P = 0.16) difference existed in the mRS at discharge compared with that at clinical follow-up. Angiographic follow-up was performed in 61 (46.7%) patients with 80 (50.3%) aneurysms at 3–40 months, with the OKM grade of D in 57 (71.3%) aneurysms, C in eight (10%), and B in 15 (18.8%). Asymptomatic instent stenosis occurred in four patients (6.6%). In conclusion: The treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms with the Pipeline Flex embolization device may be safe and effective, with a high complete occlusion rate, a decreased complication rate, and a good prognosis rate at medium follow-up.