bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dissociation and Sleep-Related Experiences among Young Adults: Predicting Role of Personality Traits and Stress
Authors: Altaf Usmana , Fatima Mishal
Published: July 2022

Personality traits of young adults play an important role in their stress tolerance, which may encounter their daily functioning. The present study investigated the relationship between personality traits, stress, dissociation, and sleep-related experiences. It was intended to find out the mediating role of stress between neuroticism personality trait and sleep-related experiences and the predicting role of dissociation on sleep-related experiences. A purposive and convenient sampling technique was used to collect as sample of 657 young adults including 312 male and 345 female within the age range of18-26. The Big Five Inventory (John et al.,1991), Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983), The Dissociative Experiences Scale–II (Carlson & Putnam, 1993), and Iowa Sleep Experiences Survey (Watson, 2001) were used to measure the study variables. Inter-Scale correlation showed significantly positive relationship between neuroticism stress whereas, significantly negative relationship between extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness personality traits. Regression analysis for mediation indicated that stress mediates the relationship between neuroticism personality trait and dissociation. While linear regression showed that dissociation significantly predicts sleep-related experiences among young adults. Thus, the present study helped in extending the research on the dimension of dissociation and sleep-related experiences among young adults.
Social Discrimination, Need to Belong, and Psychological Wellbeing Among Religious Minorities in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Fizza , Ahmad Gulzar
Published: July 2022

The basic objective of this study was to find out the relationship of social discrimination with psychological wellbeing in presence of the moderating role of need to belong among religious minorities in Pakistan. The sample consisted of 162 adult religious minorities participants. Online questionnaires which included demographics, Daily Life Discrimination Scale (Williams et al., 1997), Need to Belong Scale (Leary et al., 2013), and Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale (Kallay & Rus, 2014) comprising six subscales autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth and self-acceptance were used to collect the data. It was found that social discrimination has a negative relationship with the need to belong as well as psychological wellbeing. The need to belong played a moderating role in four sub variables of psychological wellbeing as autonomy, environmental mastery, self-acceptance and positive relations with others. Results also indicated that women face more social discrimination as compared to men and the Hindu and Sikh minorities face more social discrimination as compared to the Christian minority. This research may provide a stimulus for the policy makers and future researchers to learn more about the social discrimination, need to belong and psychological wellbeing of the religious minorities in Pakistan, and further, to alleviate their sufferings.
Engineering Human Beige Adipose Tissue
Authors: Gonzalez Porras Maria A. , Stojkova Katerina , Acosta Francisca M. , Rathbone Christopher R. , Brey Eric M.
Published: July 2022

In this study, we described a method for generating functional, beige (thermogenic) adipose microtissues from human microvascular fragments (MVFs). The MVFs were isolated from adipose tissue acquired from adults over 50 years of age. The tissues express thermogenic gene markers and reproduce functions essential for the potential therapeutic impact of beige adipose tissues such as enhanced lipid metabolism and increased mitochondrial respiration. MVFs serve as a potential single, autologous source of cells that can be isolated from adult patients, induced to recreate functional aspects of beige adipose tissue and enable rapid vascularization post-transplantation. This approach has the potential to be used as an autologous therapy for metabolic diseases or as a model for the development of a personalized approach to high-throughput drug development/screening for adipose tissue.
Hyaluronic Acid-Modified Nanoplatforms as a Vector for Targeted Delivery of Autophagy-Related Gene to the Endometriotic Lesions in Mice
Authors: Zhao Mengdan , Zhang Meng , Yu Qin , Fei Weidong , Li Tiantian , Zhu Libo , Yao Yao , Zheng Caihong , Zhang Xinmei
Published: July 2022

This investigation probed endometriosis treatment using targeted nanoparticles (NPs) to modulate autophagic activity. To that end, a novel form of polymer-based NP gene delivery platform consisting of polyethyleneimine (PEI) conjugated to stearic acid (SA) and nucleotides (DNA/siRNAs) and enclosed by hyaluronic acid (HA) was prepared. CD44 is highly upregulated in cystic lesions, and HA–CD44 binding in this specific nanoplatform was used to achieve targeted drug delivery to CD44-expression endometriotic tissues. The expression of autophagy-related genes was modulated to explore the importance of this process in the development of endometriosis. By inducing autophagic activity, we were able to reduce the size of endometriotic cysts and suppress the development of ectopic endometrium. To further confirm the relationship between autophagic activity and this disease in humans and animals, numbers of autophagic vesicles and autophagic protein expression were assessed in lesion tissue samples from patients, revealing there may be consistency between animal and human data. Overall, these data revealed the ability of this (PEI–SA/DNA) HA gene delivery system to regulate autophagic activity and, thereby, aid in the treatment of endometriosis.
Manipulating the Expression of Glycogen Phosphorylase in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 to Mobilize Glycogen Storage for Sucrose Synthesis
Authors: Dan Yu , Sun Jiahui , Zhang Shanshan , Wu Yannan , Mao Shaoming , Luan Guodong , Lu Xuefeng
Published: July 2022

Cyanobacteria are a promising photosynthetic chassis to produce biofuels, biochemicals, and pharmaceuticals at the expense of CO2 and light energy. Glycogen accumulation represents a universal carbon sink mechanism among cyanobacteria, storing excess carbon and energy from photosynthesis and may compete with product synthesis. Therefore, the glycogen synthesis pathway is often targeted to increase cyanobacterial production of desired carbon-based products. However, these manipulations caused severe physiological and metabolic impairments and often failed to optimize the overall performance of photosynthetic production. Here, in this work, we explored to mobilize the glycogen storage by strengthening glycogen degradation activities. In Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, we manipulated the abundances of glycogen phosphorylase (GlgP) with a theophylline dose-responsive riboswitch approach, which holds control over the cyanobacterial glycogen degradation process and successfully regulated the glycogen contents in the recombinant strain. Taking sucrose synthesis as a model, we explored the effects of enhanced glycogen degradation on sucrose production and glycogen storage. It is confirmed that under non-hypersaline conditions, the overexpressed glgP facilitated the effective mobilization of glycogen storage and resulted in increased secretory sucrose production. The findings in this work provided fresh insights into the area of cyanobacteria glycogen metabolism engineering and would inspire the development of novel metabolic engineering approaches for efficient photosynthetic biosynthesis.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 Modulates Hypoxia-Mediated Endothelial Senescence and Cellular Membrane Stiffness via YAP-1 Pathways
Authors: Angom Ramcharan Singh , Kulkarni Tanmay , Wang Enfeng , Kumar Dutta Shamit , Bhattacharya Santanu , Das Pritam , Mukhopadhyay Debabrata
Published: July 2022

Hypoxia-induced endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction has been implicated as potential initiators of different pathogenesis, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. However, in-depth structural, mechanical, and molecular mechanisms leading to EC dysfunction and pathology need to be revealed. Here, we show that ECs exposed to hypoxic conditions readily enter a senescence phenotype. As expected, hypoxia upregulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFs) and its receptors (VEGFRs) in the ECs. Interestingly, Knockdown of VEGFR-1 expression prior to hypoxia exposure prevented EC senescence, suggesting an important role of VEGFR-1 expression in the induction of EC senescence. Using atomic force microscopy, we showed that senescent ECs had a flattened cell morphology, decreased membrane ruffling, and increased membrane stiffness, demonstrating unique morphological and nanomechanical signatures. Furthermore, we show that hypoxia inhibited the Hippo pathway Yes-associated protein (YAP-1) expression and knockdown of YAP-1 induced senescence in the ECs, supporting a key role of YAP-1 expression in the induction of EC senescence. And importantly, VEGFR-1 Knockdown in the ECs modulated YAP-1 expression, suggesting a novel VEGFR-1-YAP-1 axis in the induction of hypoxia-mediated EC senescence. In conclusion, VEGFR-1 is overexpressed in ECs undergoing hypoxia-mediated senescence, and the knockdown of VEGFR-1 restores cellular structural and nanomechanical integrity by recovering YAP-1 expression.
Advances in Lithium–Oxygen Batteries Based on Lithium Hydroxide Formation and Decomposition
Authors: Zhang Xiahui , Dong Panpan , Song Min-Kyu
Published: July 2022

The rechargeable lithium-oxygen (Li–O2) batteries have been considered one of the promising energy storage systems owing to their high theoretical energy density. As an alternative to Li−O2 batteries based on lithium peroxide (Li2O2) cathode, cycling Li−O2 batteries via the formation and decomposition of lithium hydroxide (LiOH) has demonstrated great potential for the development of practical Li−O2 batteries. However, the reversibility of LiOH-based cathode chemistry remains unclear at the fundamental level. Here, we review the recent advances made in Li−O2 batteries based on LiOH formation and decomposition, focusing on the reaction mechanisms occurring at the cathode, as well as the stability of Li anode and cathode binder. We also provide our perspectives on future research directions for high-performance, reversible Li−O2 batteries.
Catalytic Oxidative Cleavage of C(OH)-C Bonds in Lignin Model Compounds to Carboxylic Acids by Fe(NO3)3.9H2O/NaI/DMSO
Authors: Wang Xuerong , Sun Huilin , Li Caicui , Niu Shuijiao , Gao Yu , Chen Ying , Xu Tianwei , Wang Jinhui , Xu Huanjun
Published: July 2022

The secondary C(OH)-C bonds are abundant in biomass such as lignin and cellulose. Thus, selective cleavage of the C(OH)-C bonds into value chemicals attracted much attention. Molecular iodine has received considerable attention as an inexpensive and readily available catalyst to yield the corresponding products in excellent yields with high selectivity, but it is highly corrosive and toxic, making its use somewhat unattractive. In this study, I2 was generated in situ from Fe(NO3)3.9H2O/NaI, which was further combined with Fe(NO3)3.9H2O to catalyze the oxidation process. In the reaction, the H2O molecule from the reaction and Fe(NO3)3.9H2O attacked the phenylglyoxal to form benzaldehyde, which was further oxidized to benzoic acid. Aryl primary and secondary benzylic alcohols from lignin were successfully transformed into aryl carboxylic acids by Fe(NO3)3.9H2O/NaI/DMSO. The catalytic system was green and efficient, avoiding the usage of toxic and corrosive molecular I2. From the experiments, it was clear that the yield of the product from the substrates with an electron-donating group was higher than that of electron-withdrawing substituted substrates, which was similar to the aryl secondary alcohols. Aryl alkyl ketones were also successfully conducted by the Fe(NO3)3.9H2O/NaI/DMSO catalytic system.
A Review on the Role of Affective Stimuli in Event-Related Frontal Alpha Asymmetry
Authors: Sabu Priya , Stuldreher Ivo V. , Kaneko Daisuke , Brouwer Anne-Marie
Published: July 2022

Frontal alpha asymmetry refers to the difference between the right and left alpha activity over the frontal brain region. Increased activity in the left hemisphere has been linked to approach motivation and increased activity in the right hemisphere has been linked to avoidance or withdrawal. However, research on alpha asymmetry is diverse and has shown mixed results, which may partly be explained by the potency of the used stimuli to emotionally and motivationally engage participants. This review gives an overview of the types of affective stimuli utilized with the aim to identify which stimuli elicit a strong approach-avoidance effect in an affective context. We hope this contributes to better understanding of what is reflected by alpha asymmetry, and in what circumstances it may be an informative marker of emotional state. We systematically searched the literature for studies exploring event-related frontal alpha asymmetry in affective contexts. The search resulted in 61 papers, which were categorized in five stimulus categories that were expected to differ in their potency to engage participants: images & sounds, videos, real cues, games and other tasks. Studies were viewed with respect to the potency of the stimuli to evoke significant approach-avoidance effects on their own and in interaction with participant characteristics or condition. As expected, passively perceived stimuli that are multimodal or realistic, seem more potent to elicit alpha asymmetry than unimodal stimuli. Games, and other stimuli with a strong task-based component were expected to be relatively engaging but approach-avoidance effects did not seem to be much clearer than the studies using perception of videos and real cues. While multiple factors besides stimulus characteristics determine alpha asymmetry, and we did not identify a type of affective stimulus that induces alpha asymmetry highly consistently, our results indicate that strongly engaging, salient and/or personally relevant stimuli are important to induce an approach-avoidance effect.
Prognostic Value of Left Atrial Strain in Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Jia Fuwei , Chen Antian , Zhang Dingding , Fang Ligang , Chen Wei
Published: July 2022

Background

Heart failure (HF) is a global health problem with high morbidity and mortality. Recently, the association between peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and clinical outcomes of HF has gained increasing attention. Our aim was to systematically assess the prognostic value of PALS for adverse events in HF.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were systematically searched from inception to 30 April 2022. Studies in which PALS was assessed to predict adverse outcomes in adult patients with HF were included. Study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction were performed independently by two authors. The primary endpoints were all-cause death and cardiac hospitalization.

Results

Among 7,787 patients in 17 included studies, 3,029 (38.9%) experienced the primary endpoint. Patients with events had lower PALS than those without events [weighted mean difference (WMD) 6.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.09–9.26, p < 0.001]. Each unit increment of PALS was independently associated with decreased risk for the primary endpoint [hazard ratio (HR) 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.98, p < 0.001]. The addition of PALS significantly improved the predictive power of conventional risk models [net reclassification index (NRI) 0.22, 95% CI 0.06–0.39, p = 0.008].

Conclusion

Peak atrial longitudinal strain was an independent predictor for all-cause mortality and cardiac hospitalization in patients with HF, highlighting the clinical importance of left atrial (LA) deformation in the prognosis of HF.

Systematic Review Registration

[www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/], identifier [CRD42020185034].
Metamorphic P–T Evolution and In Situ Biotite Rb–Sr Geochronology of Garnet–Staurolite Schist From the Ramba Gneiss Dome in the Northern Himalaya
Authors: Gou Long-Long , Long Xiao-Ping , Yan Hao-Yu , Shu Tian-Chu , Wang Jing-Yu , Xu Xiao-Fei , Zhou Feng , Tian Zhi-Bo
Published: July 2022

The North Himalayan gneiss domes provide a window for looking into the deeper crust and record abundant clues of continent collisional orogenesis. This study carried out detailed petrology, in situ LA–ICP–MS biotite Rb–Sr dating, and phase equilibrium modeling on garnet–staurolite–two-mica schist in the Ramba gneiss dome in order to constrain metamorphic P–T evolution and the timing of metamorphism. A clock-wise P–T path, involving an early prograde process that evolves from ∼540°C at ∼4.4 kbar to ∼630°C at ∼6.0 kbar, was constructed for garnet–staurolite–two-mica schist in the Ramba gneiss dome. In situ LA–ICP–MS biotite Rb–Sr analysis yielded two metamorphic ages of 37.17 ± 5.66 and 5.27 ± 3.10 Ma, corresponding to the timing of retrograde cooling and the cooling age of the dome following the thermal resetting by the emplacement of ca. 8 Ma leucogranite pluton in the core of the dome, respectively. The peak metamorphism is inferred to be older than ca. 37 Ma. Based on these results and the data previously published, the garnet–staurolite–two-mica schist recorded the Eocene crustal thickening, following the India–Asia collision and later the exhumation process.
Blood Lead Level Is Negatively Associated With Bone Mineral Density in U.S. Children and Adolescents Aged 8-19 Years
Authors: Cui Aiyong , Xiao Peilun , Hu Baoliang , Ma Yuzhuo , Fan Zhiqiang , Wang Hu , Zhou Fengjin , Zhuang Yan
Published: July 2022

Context

The relationship of lead (Pb) exposure with bone health in children and adolescents remains controversial.

Objection

We aimed to investigate the association of blood lead levels (BLL) with bone mineral density (BMD) in American children and adolescents using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2005-2010.

Methods

We analyzed 5,583 subjects aged 8-19 years (mean age, 13.49 ± 3.35 years) from the NHANES 2005-2010. BLL was tested using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the lumbar spine, total femur, and femur neck. Multivariate linear regression models were used to explore the association between BLL and BMD, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, poverty income ratio (PIR), body mass index (BMI), serum calcium, and serum phosphorus.

Results

BLL was negatively correlated with BMD at different sites of interest in children and adolescents. For every 1mg/dl increase in BLL, the BMD of the total spine, total hip, and femoral neck decreased by 0.011 g/cm2, 0.008 g/cm2, and 0.006 g/cm2. In addition, Pb affected the lumbar spine more than the femur. The effect estimates were stronger in girls than boys at the lumbar spine (P for interaction= 0.006). This negative association remained significant in American children and adolescents after excluding individuals with BLL more than 3.5 ug/dl.

Conclusion

Our study indicates that BLL is negatively correlated with BMD at different sites of interest in children and adolescents aged 8-19 years, even in the reference range. More research is needed to elucidate the relationships between Pb and bone health in children and adolescents, including specific mechanisms and confounding factors like race/ethnicity, gender, and age.
High-Precision Control for Switched Reluctance Motor With Current Information
Authors: Tao Zean , Li Mengqiu , Xu Mingyi , Liu Jianlin , Luo Jianguo
Published: July 2022

Magnetic characteristics of the SRM can be monitored directly in the detection of commutation instants. However, the mutual inductance effect between the adjacent phases is prominent for the switched reluctance motor when the adjacent phases are energized simultaneously. Consequently, mutual coupling will distort the response current profile of the injection voltage phase, thereby affecting position estimation precision. In order to acquire a precise estimation and accommodate it for the SRM drive system, it is necessary to take into consideration the modifications for the sensor-less scheme. This study presents a unique rotor position estimation approach to eliminate the mutual inductance effect by using the phase current slope difference method. The sensor-less scheme is achieved by setting a low and a high threshold, and a series of voltage pulses are injected in the idle phase alternately, synchronizing with the chopping current control. Without prior knowledge of mutual inductance and any additional position sensor, a precisely estimated rotor position is achieved. A dynamic model of a 12/8 SRM model is established to evaluate its validity, and both simulation results and experimental evaluation indicate that the proposed sensor-less control can be accomplished with an adequate precision used in a variety of applications.
Triple Extraction Technique for Power Transformer Fault Information Disposal Based on a Residual Dilate Gated Convolution and Self-Attention Mechanism
Authors: He HongYing , Yin XiHao , Luo DianSheng , Xi RuiYao , Fang Jie , Fu FangYu , Luo GuangWei
Published: July 2022

This article presents a triple extraction technique for a power transformer fault information process based on a residual dilate gated convolution and self-attention mechanism. An optimized word input sequence is designed to improve the effectiveness of triple extraction. A residual dilate gated convolution is used to capture the middle-long distance information in the literature. A self-attention mechanism is applied to learn the internal information and capture the internal structure of input sequences. An improved binary tagging method with position information is presented to mark the start and the end of an entity, which improves the extraction accuracy. An object entity is obtained by a specific relationship r for a given subject. The nearest start-end pair matching the principle and probability estimation is applied to acquire the optimal solution of the set of triples. Testing results showed that the F1 score of the presented method is 91.98%, and the triple extraction accuracy is much better than the methods of BERT and Bi-LSTM-CRF.
Systematic Selection of Age-Associated mRNA Markers and the Development of Predicted Models for Forensic Age Inference by Three Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Jin Xiaoye , Ren Zheng , Zhang Hongling , Wang Qiyan , Liu Yubo , Ji Jingyan , Huang Jiang
Published: July 2022

Aging is usually accompanied by the decline of physiological function and dysfunction of cellular processes. Genetic markers related to aging not only reveal the biological mechanism of aging but also provide age information in forensic research. In this study, we aimed to screen age-associated mRNAs based on the previously reported genome-wide expression data. In addition, predicted models for age estimations were built by three machine learning methods. We identified 283 differentially expressed mRNAs between two groups with different age ranges. Nine mRNAs out of 283 mRNAs showed different expression patterns between smokers and non-smokers and were eliminated from the following analysis. Age-associated mRNAs were further screened from the remaining mRNAs by the cross-validation error analysis of random forest. Finally, 14 mRNAs were chosen to build the model for age predictions. These 14 mRNAs showed relatively high correlations with age. Furthermore, we found that random forest showed the optimal performance for age prediction in comparison to the generalized linear model and support vector machine. To sum up, the 14 age-associated mRNAs identified in this study could be viewed as valuable markers for age estimations and studying the aging process.
Synergies of Extracellular Vesicles and Microchimerism in Promoting Immunotolerance During Pregnancy
Authors: Murrieta-Coxca José M. , Fuentes-Zacarias Paulina , Ospina-Prieto Stephanie , Markert Udo R. , Morales-Prieto Diana M.
Published: July 2022

The concept of biological identity has been traditionally a central issue in immunology. The assumption that entities foreign to a specific organism should be rejected by its immune system, while self-entities do not trigger an immune response is challenged by the expanded immunotolerance observed in pregnancy. To explain this “immunological paradox”, as it was first called by Sir Peter Medawar, several mechanisms have been described in the last decades. Among them, the intentional transfer and retention of small amounts of cells between a mother and her child have gained back attention. These microchimeric cells contribute to expanding allotolerance in both organisms and enhancing genetic fitness, but they could also provoke aberrant alloimmune activation. Understanding the mechanisms used by microchimeric cells to exert their function in pregnancy has proven to be challenging as per definition they are extremely rare. Profiting from studies in the field of transplantation and cancer research, a synergistic effect of microchimerism and cellular communication based on the secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) has begun to be unveiled. EVs are already known to play a pivotal role in feto-maternal tolerance by transferring cargo from fetal to maternal immune cells to reshape their function. A further aspect of EVs is their function in antigen presentation either directly or on the surface of recipient cells. Here, we review the current understanding of microchimerism in the feto-maternal tolerance during human pregnancy and the potential role of EVs in mediating the allorecognition and tropism of microchimeric cells.
Double Negative T Regulatory Cells: An Emerging Paradigm Shift in Reproductive Immune Tolerance?
Authors: Bafor Enitome E. , Valencia Julio C. , Young Howard A.
Published: July 2022

Immune regulation of female reproductive function plays a crucial role in fertility, as alterations in the relationship between immune and reproductive processes result in autoimmune subfertility or infertility. The breakdown of immune tolerance leads to ovulation dysfunction, implantation failure, and pregnancy loss. In this regard, immune cells with regulatory activities are essential to restore self-tolerance. Apart from regulatory T cells, double negative T regulatory cells (DNTregs) characterized by TCRαβ+/γδ+CD3+CD4–CD8–(and negative for natural killer cell markers) are emerging as effector cells capable of mediating immune tolerance in the female reproductive system. DNTregs are present in the female reproductive tract of humans and murine models. However, their full potential as immune regulators is evolving, and studies so far indicate that DNTregs exhibit features that can also maintain tolerance in the female reproductive microenvironment. This review describes recent progress on the presence, role and mechanisms of DNTregs in the female reproductive system immune regulation and tolerance. In addition, we address how DNTregs can potentially provide a paradigm shift from the known roles of conventional regulatory T cells and immune tolerance by maintaining and restoring balance in the reproductive microenvironment of female fertility.
T Cells With Activated STAT4 Drive the High-Risk Rejection State to Renal Allograft Failure After Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Chen Yihan , Zhang Bao , Liu Tianliang , Chen Xiaoping , Wang Yaning , Zhang Hongbo
Published: July 2022

In kidney transplantation, deteriorated progression of rejection is considered to be a leading course of postoperative mortality. However, the conventional histologic diagnosis is limited in reading the rejection status at the molecular level, thereby triggering mismatched pathogenesis with clinical phenotypes. Here, by applying uniform manifold approximation and projection and Leiden algorithms to 2,611 publicly available microarray datasets of renal transplantation, we uncovered six rejection states with corresponding signature genes and revealed a high-risk (HR) state that was essential in promoting allograft loss. By identifying cell populations from single-cell RNA sequencing data that were associated with the six rejection states, we identified a T-cell population to be the pathogenesis-triggering cells associated with the HR rejection state. Additionally, by constructing gene regulatory networks, we identified that activated STAT4, as a core transcription factor that was regulated by PTPN6 in T cells, was closely linked to poor allograft function and prognosis. Taken together, our study provides a novel strategy to help with the precise diagnosis of kidney allograft rejection progression, which is powerful in investigating the underlying molecular pathogenesis, and therefore, for further clinical intervention.
An Overview of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Lung Injury
Authors: Dias Ápio Ricardo Nazareth , Falcão Luiz Fábio Magno , Quaresma Juarez Antônio Simões
Published: July 2022

Previous studies have demonstrated the development of pulmonary impairment in individuals infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). Complications, such as alveolitis and bronchiectasis, were found in individuals who developed tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (TSP-HAM) due to chronic inflammation. These patients exhibited increased levels of lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD25+), cytokines (IL-2, IL-12, and IFN-γ), inflammatory chemokines (MIP-1α and IP-10), and cell adhesion molecules (ICAM-1) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, with the result of chronic inflammation and lung injury. The main lesions observed at Chest high-resolution computed tomography were centrilobular nodules, parenchymal bands, lung cysts, bronchiectasis, ground-glass opacity, mosaic attenuation, and pleural thickening. It can lead to progressive changes in pulmonary function with the development of restrictive and obstructive diseases. Recent studies suggest a causal relationship between HTLV-1 and pulmonary diseases, with intensification of lesions and progressive decrease in pulmonary function. This summary updates a previous publication and addresses the general lack of knowledge regarding the relationship between TSP-HAM and pulmonary disease, providing direction for future work and the management of these individuals.
Insights on the cGAS-STING Signaling Pathway During Herpesvirus Infections
Authors: Deng Lishuang , Xu Zhiwen , Li Fengqin , Zhao Jun , Jian Zhijie , Deng Huidan , Lai Siyuan , Sun Xiangang , Geng Yi , Zhu Ling
Published: July 2022

Herpesviruses belong to large double-stranded DNA viruses. They are under a wide range of hosts and establish lifelong infection, which creates a burden on human health and animal health. Innate immunity is the host’s innate defense ability. Activating the innate immune signaling pathway and producing type I interferon is the host’s first line of defense against infectious pathogens. Emerging evidence indicates that the cGAS-STING signaling pathway plays an important role in the innate immunity in response to herpesvirus infections. In parallel, because of the constant selective pressure imposed by host immunity, herpesvirus also evolves to target the cGAS-STING signaling pathway to inhibit or escape the innate immune responses. In the current review, we insight on the classical cGAS-STING signaling pathway. We describe the activation of cGAS-STING signaling pathway during herpesvirus infections and strategies of herpesvirus targeting this pathway to evade host antiviral response. Furthermore, we outline the immunotherapy boosting cGAS-STING signaling pathway.
DCBLD1 Overexpression Is Associated With a Poor Prognosis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Fu Ling-ling , Yan Ming , Ma Min-Xian , Luo Yi , Shao Min , Gosau Martin , Friedrich Reinhard E. , Vollkommer Tobias , Feng Hong-chao , Smeets Ralf
Published: July 2022

Background

DCBLD1 is highly expressed in several kinds of cancer and plays a potential prognostic factor. However, the prognostic value and immune infiltration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma remain unclear and need further research.

Materials and Methods

DCBLD1 expression and clinical information were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The mRNA level in cell lines (SCC25 and CAL27) and gingival fibroblasts were detected using quantitative PCR. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic values of DCBLD1 and clinical data in HNSCC. A nomogram was also established to predict the impact of DCBLD1 on prognosis based on Cox multivariate results. The methylation level of DCBLD1 in HNSC and its prognosis were analyzed in UALACN and MethSurv. Finally, the potential biological functions of DCBLD1 were investigated using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA).

Results

The mRNA and protein expression levels of DCBLD1 were highly expressed in HNSCC tissue and cell lines. The Cox analyses demonstrate that highly expressed DCBLD1 is an independent prognosis marker (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed the performance of DCBLD1 (area under the ROC curve: 0.948, sensitivity: 93.2%, specificity: 84.7%). The methylation was increased in HNSCC patients compared with normal subjects (p < 0.05) and was associated with poor prognosis at sites cg27642470 and cg21104965. Additionally, DCBLD1 expression is poorly associated with immune cell infiltration and immunological checkpoints PD-L1 and TIM-3.

Conclusion

In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, DCBLD1 is overexpressed, associated with poor patient prognosis. The detailed underlying mechanism merits further research.
Detection of the Largest Deep-Sea-Endemic Teleost Fish at Depths of Over 2,000 m Through a Combination of eDNA Metabarcoding and Baited Camera Observations
Authors: Fujiwara Yoshihiro , Tsuchida Shinji , Kawato Masaru , Masuda Kotohiro , Sakaguchi Sakiko Orui , Sado Tetsuya , Miya Masaki , Yoshida Takao
Published: July 2022

The Yokozuna Slickhead Narcetes shonanmaruae is a recently described deep-sea fish species and an active-swimming, relatively large top predator in Suruga Bay, Japan. Its only known habitat is the deepest part of the bay (>2,000 m); six individuals have been collected thus far (up to 138 cm in total length). During our monitoring survey of faunal diversity on seamounts within marine protected areas in Japanese waters, environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding revealed the Yokozuna Slickhead 12S ribosomal RNA gene sequence on/around three seamounts belonging to the Nishi-Shichito Ridge (at depths of around 2,000 m) located 400–600 km south of the known locality. A baited camera system deployed at the foot of one of the three seamounts at a depth of 2,091 m captured a Yokozuna Slickhead individual that was over 250 cm in total length, threatening Pacific Grenadiers Coryphaenoides acrolepis around the bait and attacking the bait cage. A combination of eDNA metabarcoding and baited camera observation represents a powerful tool for the detection of rare predatory fish species and the study of their ecology even in the deep sea, thus helping to better understand vulnerable marine ecosystems and reveal the impact of the rapidly changing global ocean.
Thermal Conductivity of Ti-6Al-4V in Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Bartsch Katharina , Bossen Bastian , Chaudhary Waqar , Landry Michael , Herzog Dirk
Published: July 2022

With increasing maturity of the laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) process, the related products are becoming more complex. The more conventional parts are integrated into one design, the more requirements regarding local material properties arise. This concerns for instance products with high demands regarding temperature management. Here, different thermal conductivities within the part enable the control of the temperature distribution as well as the direction of heat flows. The realization of those local properties poses a challenge, though, as the use of multiple materials in PBF-LB/M is not broadly available. However, the different states of material in PBF-LB/M, i.e. bulk and powder material, provide the opportunity to create thermal metamaterials with locally varied thermal conductivities. To enable part design utilizing the bulk material as well as enclosed powder, this study investigates the respective thermal conductivities of Ti-6Al-4V. Powder and printed samples were measured at RT by the Modified Transient Plane Source method, resulting in an effective thermal conductivity of 0.13 W/mK for powder and 5.4 W/mK for bulk material (compared to 6.5 W/mK in prior experiments). For complete assessment of the powder material, because of the many uncertainties due to the particle size distribution and powder application, a computational model following the network modeling approach is created. The model is used to create a data set of 60 different powder bed configurations, which is then statistically evaluated to provide a description independent from powder packing. Finally, the application of the investigations to achieve thermal metamaterials capable of local temperature management with a single material is presented in a numerical study. Here, the use cases of thermal shielding as well as the concentration of heat flow is demonstrated.
Electric Vehicle Modelling for Future Technology and Market Penetration Analysis
Authors: Bin Ahmad Muhammad Salman , Pesyridis Apostolos , Sphicas Panos , Mahmoudzadeh Andwari Amin , Gharehghani Ayat , Vaglieco Bianca Maria
Published: July 2022

The transportation sector is generally thought to be contributing up to 25% of all greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions globally. Hence, reducing the usage of fossil fuels by the introduction of electrified powertrain technologies such as hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), battery electric vehicle (BEV) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) is perceived as a way towards a more sustainable future. With a seemingly more significant shift towards BEV development and roll-out, the research and development of BEV technologies has taken on increasing importance in improving BEV performance and ensuring its competitiveness. Numerical simulation, using MATLAB, is performed as a tool to investigate and to improve the overall performance of BEVs. This study provides an overview of the possible technology outcome and market consequences for future compact BEVs along with HEVs, FCEVs and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV). The techno-economics of BEVs, market projection and cost analysis up to 2050 are investigated, as are important BEV characteristics alongside those of other types of vehicles. Well-to-wheel analysis of BEVs is also studied and compared with HEV, FCEV and ICE.
Take-Home Video Shortens the Time to First Ambulation in Patients With Inguinal Hernia Repair Under General Anesthesia: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Ma Guozhen , Jiang Pengjun , Mo Beirong , Luo Yijun , Zhao Yongling , Wang Xingguang , Shi Chunmiao , Huang Yanhui
Published: July 2022

Background

Data on the relationship between take-home video and the time to first ambulation remains scant. Here, we aimed to investigate whether viewed take-home video during pre-hospitalization is independently associated with the time to first ambulation in postoperative patients with inguinal hernia repair under general anesthesia.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the relationship between viewed take-home video and the time to first ambulation between September 2020 and October 2021.The independent t-tests or Mann-Whitney U-tests was used to compare the means of two groups (viewed take-home video and non-viewed take-home video). Chi-square test was used to compare the rates between the two groups. We used a linear regression model to see if there was a difference between exposure and outcome variable. Both models were used to observe the effect size of the exposed variable. Subgroup analysis was employed to assess the impact of various factors.

Results

This study included a total of 120 patients with inguinal hernia repair under general anesthesia following day surgery. The average age of the participants in the two groups was 43.16 and 44.83 years, respectively, and about 82.5% of the patients were male. Our fully adjusted linear regression results showed that individuals in the viewed video group were associated with a decreased time to first ambulation (h) after adjusting for confounders (β = −0.50, 95%CI: −0.83, −0.17; P = 0.004). In addition, the linear regression analysis of the relationship between viewed video and length of stay showed that β = −2.10 (95%CI:CI: −3.85, −0.34; P = 0.021). Similarly, subgroup analysis yielded similar results for the viewed video group patients compared to those in the non-viewed video group.

Conclusion

Taken together, our findings demonstrated that viewed video could shorten the time to first ambulation, which in turn reduce the length of stay in postoperative patients under general anesthesia.
What, Where, When and How of COVID-19 Patents Landscape: A Bibliometrics Review
Authors: Liu Kunmeng , Zhang Xiaoming , Hu Yuanjia , Chen Weijie , Kong Xiangjun , Yao Peifen , Cong Jinyu , Zuo Huali , Wang Jian , Li Xiang , Wei Benzheng
Published: July 2022

Two years after COVID-19 came into being, many technologies have been developed to bring highly promising bedside methods to help fight this epidemic disease. However, owing to viral mutation, how far the promise can be realized remains unclear. Patents might act as an additional source of information for informing research and policy and anticipating important future technology developments. A comprehensive study of 3741 COVID-19-related patents (3,543 patent families) worldwide was conducted using the Derwent Innovation database. Descriptive statistics and social network analysis were used in the patent landscape. The number of COVID-19 applications, especially those related to treatment and prevention, continued to rise, accompanied by increases in governmental and academic patent assignees. Although China dominated COVID-19 technologies, this position is worth discussing, especially in terms of the outstanding role of India and the US in the assignee collaboration network as well as the outstanding invention portfolio in Italy. Intellectual property barriers and racist treatment were reduced, as reflected by individual partnerships, transparent commercial licensing and diversified portfolios. Critical technological issues are personalized immunity, traditional Chinese medicine, epidemic prediction, artificial intelligence tools, and nucleic acid detection. Notable challenges include balancing commercial competition and humanitarian interests. The results provide a significant reference for decision-making by researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and investors with an interest in COVID-19 control.
Biomineralization in Cave Bacteria—Popcorn and Soda Straw Crystal Formations, Morphologies, and Potential Metabolic Pathways
Authors: Koning Keegan , McFarlane Richenda , Gosse Jessica T. , Lawrence Sara , Carr Lynnea , Horne Derrick , Van Wagoner Nancy , Boddy Christopher N. , Cheeptham Naowarat
Published: July 2022

Caves are extreme, often oligotrophic, environments that house diverse groups of microorganisms. Many of these microbes can perform microbiologically induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) to form crystalline secondary cave deposits known as speleothems. The urease family is a group of enzymes involved in MICP that catalyze the breakdown of urea, which is a source of energy, into ammonia and carbonate. Carbonate anions are effluxed to the extracellular surface of the bacterium where it then binds to environmental calcium to form calcium carbonate which then continues to grow in crystal form. Here, we studied bacterial communities from speleothems collected from the Iron Curtain Cave (ICC) in Chilliwack, B.C., Canada, to characterize these organisms and determine whether urease-positive (U+) bacteria were present in the cave and their potential impact on speleothem formation. The ICC is a carbonate cave located on the northside of Chipmunk Ridge, presenting a unique environment with high iron content sediment and limestone structures throughout. With six pools of water throughout the cave, the environment is highly humid, with temperatures ranging between 4 and 12°C depending on the time of year. Ninety-nine bacterial strains were isolated from popcorn (PCS) and soda straw (SSS) speleothems. These isolates were screened for urease enzymatic activity, with 11 candidates found to be urease-positive. After incubation, species-specific crystal morphologies were observed. Popcorn speleothem provided more bacterial diversity overall when compared to soda straw speleothem when examined under a culture-based method. Nearly twice as many U+ isolates were isolated from popcorn speleothems compared to soda straw speleothems. The U+ candidates were identified to the genus level by 16S rRNA analysis, and two isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing. Two novel species were identified as Sphingobacterium sp. PCS056 and Pseudarthrobacter sp. SSS035. Both isolates demonstrated the most crystal production as well as the most morphologically dissimilar crystal shapes in broth culture and were found to produce crystals as previously observed in both agar and broth media. The results from this study are consistent with the involvement of urease-positive bacteria isolated from the ICC in the formation of cave speleothems. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed a diverse set of microbes inhabiting the speleothems that have urease activity. Whole-genome sequencing of the two chosen isolates confirmed the presence of urease pathways, while revealing differences in urease pathway structure and number. This research contributes to understanding microbial-associated cave formation and degradation, with applications to cave conservation, microbiota composition, and their role in shaping the cave environment.
Reliance of Host-Encoded Regulators of Retromobility on Ty1 Promoter Activity or Architecture
Authors: Salinero Alicia C. , Emerson Simey , Cormier Tayla C. , Yin John , Morse Randall H. , Curcio M. Joan
Published: July 2022

The Ty1 retrotransposon family is maintained in a functional but dormant state by its host, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several hundred RHF and RTT genes encoding co-factors and restrictors of Ty1 retromobility, respectively, have been identified. Well-characterized examples include MED3 and MED15, encoding subunits of the Mediator transcriptional co-activator complex; control of retromobility by Med3 and Med15 requires the Ty1 promoter in the U3 region of the long terminal repeat. To characterize the U3-dependence of other Ty1 regulators, we screened a library of 188 known rhf and rtt mutants for altered retromobility of Ty1his3AI expressed from the strong, TATA-less TEF1 promoter or the weak, TATA-containing U3 promoter. Two classes of genes, each including both RHFs and RTTs, were identified. The first class comprising 82 genes that regulated Ty1his3AI retromobility independently of U3 is enriched for RHF genes that restrict the G1 phase of the cell cycle and those involved in transcriptional elongation and mRNA catabolism. The second class of 51 genes regulated retromobility of Ty1his3AI driven only from the U3 promoter. Nineteen U3-dependent regulators (U3DRs) also controlled retromobility of Ty1his3AI driven by the weak, TATA-less PSP2 promoter, suggesting reliance on the low activity of U3. Thirty-one U3DRs failed to modulate PPSP2-Ty1his3AI retromobility, suggesting dependence on the architecture of U3. To further investigate the U3-dependency of Ty1 regulators, we developed a novel fluorescence-based assay to monitor expression of p22-Gag, a restriction factor expressed from the internal Ty1i promoter. Many U3DRs had minimal effects on levels of Ty1 RNA, Ty1i RNA or p22-Gag. These findings uncover a role for the Ty1 promoter in integrating signals from diverse host factors to modulate Ty1 RNA biogenesis or fate.