bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ligand exchange used as double-edged sword for the removal of ammonia and dyes from wastewater
Authors: El-Ghobashy Marwa , Khamis Mohamed , Elsherbiny Abeer , Salem Ibrahim
Published: July 2022

Cationic ligand exchange is one of the most predominant mechanisms for the removal of ammonia from wastewater through complex formation. The complexation technique occurs between the metal ions loaded on the surface of Amberlite IR-120 (R-H) and ammonia which is present in medium. Cu(II)-loaded Amberlite IR-120 (R-Cu2+) was prepared and described using FT-IR, TGA, XRD, SEM, EDX techniques. The prepared R-Cu2+ was applied for elimination of ammonia from aqueous solution. Different cations such as Co2+, Ni2+ were loaded onto Amberlite IR-120 to study the impact of counter cation on the removal efficiency of ammonia. The ammonia removal percentage followed the order; R-Cu2+ > R-Ni2+ > R-Co2+. The removal of ammonia using R-Cu2+ obeyed Freundlich isotherm model. Thermodynamic parameters characteristics of the adsorption of ammonia onto R-Cu2+ were determined. The time-adsorption data were followed the pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models. Moreover, the resulting product (R-Cu(II)-amine composite) from the adsorption process exhibited high catalytic activity and could be applicable as low cost catalyst for enhancement the elimination of dyes from wastewater.
Green bionanocomposites based on polyhydroxybutyrate and filled with cellulose nanocrystals: melting processing and characterization
Authors: Schmidt Anja , Bittmann-Hennes Birgit , Montero Belén , Wetzel Bernd , Barral Luis
Published: July 2022

This article contributes to the understanding of biobased and biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) bionanocomposites reinforced by weight contents of 1 wt.% and 3 wt.% of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), which are derived from waste streams of the paper industry. Samples were melt processed by extrusion and injection molding. Subsequently, the CNC dispersion analysis was completed by transmission electron microscopy. Their thermal properties and their crystallization behavior were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning analysis, X-ray diffraction and polarized optical microscopy. Investigations on the bending properties were made in conjunction with the analysis of their dynamic mechanical behavior. The fracture surface characterization was made by scanning electron microscopy. All these analyses provide a deep insight into their structure-property relationship. The applicability of the processed bionanocomposites in the packaging industry was studied through the analysis of their moisture absorption measurements and their gas barrier properties, which have given an insight of their behavior under environmental conditions. It was found that PHB bionanocomposites with a low content of 1 wt.% CNC, which showed a better dispersion quality of CNC and higher crystallinity, revealed the best performance with an increase in nearly all investigated thermal and mechanical properties, a minor less tendency to moisture absorption and better barrier properties against oxygen and water vapor. All these findings demonstrated that these bionanocomposites could be used for applications in the packaging industry.
Comprehensive analysis of Distal-Less homeobox family gene expression in colon cancer
Authors: Chen Yongcheng , Li Dongbing , Wang Dongliang , Peng Hui
Published: July 2022

Background. The Distal-Less homeobox (DLX) gene family plays an important role in several tumors. However, the expression pattern, prognostic and diagnostic value, possible regulatory mechanisms, and the relationship between DLX family and immune infiltration in colon cancer (COAD) have not been systematically reported.Methods. We used Wilcoxon rank sum test and t-test to assess DLX gene family expression between COAD tissues and unpaired normal colon tissues, cBioPortal to analyze DLX gene family variants, R (version 3.6.3) to analyze DLX gene expression in COAD and the relationship between DLX gene family expression and clinical features and correlation heat map, the survival package [version 3.2-10] and the Cox regression module to assess the prognostic value of the DLX gene family, the pROC package [version 1.17.0.1] to analyze the diagnostic value of the DLX gene family, the R ( version 3.6.3) to analyze the possible regulatory mechanisms of DLX gene family members and related genes, the GSVA package [version 1.34.0] to analyze the relationship between the DLX gene family and immune infiltration, and the ggplot2 [version 3.3.3], and survminer package [version 0.4.9] and clusterProfiler package [version 3.14.3] for visualization.Results. DLX 2/3/4/5/6 were significantly upregulated in COAD patients. The expression of DLX family was associated with M stage, pathologic stage, primary therapy outcome, residual tumor, lymphatic invasion, T stage, N stage, age, perineural invasion, and history of colon polyps. DLX2/5 were independently correlated with the prognosis of COAD in multivariate analysis. DLX1/2/3/4/5/6 were involved in the development and progression of COAD by participating in immune infiltration and pathways, including breast cancer, gastric cancer, Hippo signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells, basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and staphylococcus aureus infection. Conclusion. The DLX gene family can be used as potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for COAD.
MYBPC3 deficiency in cardiac fibroblasts drives their activation and contributes to fibrosis
Authors: Zou Xiaodong , ouyang hongsheng , Lin Feng , Zhang Huanyu , Yang Yang , Pang Daxin , Han Renzhi , Tang xiaochun
Published: July 2022

Genetic mutations in the MYBPC3 gene encoding cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) are the most common cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Myocardial fibrosis (MF) plays a critical role in the development of HCM. However, the mechanism for mutant MYBPC3-induced MF is not well defined. In this study, we developed a R495Q mutant pig model using cytosine base editing and observed an early-onset MF in these mutant pigs shortly after birth. Unexpectedly, we found that the “cardiac-specific” MYBPC3 gene was actually expressed in cardiac fibroblasts from different species as well as NIH3T3 fibroblasts at the transcription and protein levels. CRISPR-mediated disruption of Mybpc3 in NIH3T3 fibroblasts activated nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, which increased the expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1) and other pro-inflammatory genes. The up-regulation of TGF-β1 promoted the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 subunit α (HIF-1α) and its downstream targets involved in glycolysis such as GLUT1, PFK and LDHA. Consequently, the enhanced aerobic glycolysis with higher rate of ATP biosynthesis accelerated the activation of cardiac fibroblasts, contributing to the development of HCM. This work reveals an intrinsic role of MYBPC3 in maintaining cardiac fibroblast homeostasis and disruption of MYBPC3 in these cells contributes to the disease pathogenesis of HCM.
Diagnostic approach to cerebellar disorders amongst Egyptian children
Authors: Megahed Hisham , Selim Ashraf , Galal Nadia , Hindawy Amina , Hamed Khaled
Published: July 2022

Our present study includes 72 Egyptian children diagnosed to suffer from cerebellar atrophy by brain MRI. All cases were subjected to detailed clinical examination, laboratory tests, neuro-physiological, neuro-radiological, and genetic studies using whole-exome sequencing (WES). Accordingly, we stratified our cases into initial groups. Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) is the most commonly identified disorder in the cohort. This is followed by metachromatic leukodystrophy, mitochondrial encephalopathy, adreno-leukodystrophy, Aicardi syndrome, and Joubert syndrome. Integration of proper clinical examination, laboratory investigations, neurophysiological, and neuro-radiological investigations are essential to prioritize the optimal further potential genetic assessment.
Meaningful co-production with clinicians: Establishing a practice-based research network with physiotherapists in regional Australia.
Authors: Gleadhill Connor Patrick , Williams Christopher Michael , Kamper Steven , Bolsewicz Katarzyna , Delbridge Andrew , Mahon Benjamin , Donald Bruce , Delore Caitlin , Boettcher Craig , Renfrew David , Manvell Joshua , Dooley Katherine , Byrne Michael , Manvell Nicole , Watson Toby , Makaroff Andrew , Gibbs Benedicta , Barnett Christopher , Corrigan Michael , Leyland Murray , Mullen Nicholas , Gallagher Ryan , Zelinski Samuel , Lamond Steven , Maude Travis , Davidson Simon , Robson Emma , Silva Priscilla Viana Da
Published: July 2022

Background: The disconnect between research and clinical practice leads to research evidence that is often not useful for clinical practice. Practice-based research networks are collaborations between researchers and clinicians aimed at co-producing more useful research. Such networks are rare in the physiotherapy field. We aimed to describe i) clinician’s motivations behind, and enablers to, participating in a network; ii) the process of network establishment; and iii) research priorities for a practice-based network of physiotherapists in the Hunter Region of New South Wales (NSW), Australia that supports research co-production. MethodsWe describe the methods and outcomes of three steps we used to establish the network. Step one involved consultation with local opinion leaders and a formative evaluation to understand clinician’s motivations behind, and enablers to, participating in a network. Step two involved establishment activities to generate a founding membership group and co-design a governance model. Step three involved mapping clinical problems through a workshop guided by systems thinking theory with local stakeholders and prioritising research areas.ResultsThrough formative evaluation focus groups, we generated five key motivating themes and three key enablers for physiotherapists’ involvement in the network. Establishment activities led to a founding membership group (n=29, 67% from private practice clinics), a network vision and mission statement, and a joint governance group (9/13 (70%) are private practice clinicians). Our problem mapping and prioritisation process led to three clinically relevant priority research areas with the potential for significant change in practice and patient outcomes. ConclusionsClinicians are motivated to collaborate with researchers to not only improve research relevance, but to solve a wide array of issues with the delivery of care. Research that follows from this collaboration should, therefore, be maximally useful to clinical practice by addressing issues that may not be possible to address when working in silos. More work is needed to explore the proposed benefits of practice-based research networks.
QTL analysis of drought tolerance traits in rice during vegetative growth period
Authors: chen li
Published: July 2022

Drought affects the growth and development of rice from direct seeding or transplanting to maturity in north China. It is important to carry out QTL mapping for drought resistance to improve rice breeding. In this study, a rice RIL population consisting of 253 families was constructed by crossing Miyang 23 with Jileng 1, both of which exhibit strong drought resistance. The leaf rolling index (LRI), leaf withering degree (LWD) and leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD) were measured over three years, and QTLs for these traits were mapped. The results showed that LRI, LWD and SPAD were all quantitative traits controlled by multiple genes. A total of 28 QTLs related to three drought-resistant indices were detected; four loci controlling LRI and LWD were detected on Chromosome 1. qLRI1-1 and qLWD1-4 were located in the interval of AH01001843-RM302, explaining 10.30% and 4.90% of the phenotypic variation respectively; qLWD1-2B and qLRI-1JC were both located in RM315-S01167A, and qLWD1-2B was detected three times in different growth periods in 2018, and explained 4.04%-11.15% of the phenotypic variation. qLRI-1JC was detected four times in different growth periods in 2019, which explaining 4.45%-7.96% of the phenotypic variation. The three QTLs located on Chromosome 5, qLRI5-1, qLWD5-1B and qLRI5-2B, were all located in CMB0526.3486-RM87. qLWD5-1B and qLRI5-2B were detected three times in 2019 at different growth stages, and their contribution rates to phenotypic variation ranged from 6.81% to 6.93% and 5.46% to 9.13%, respectively. The four QTLs detected on Chromosome 12, qLWD12-1, qLWD12-3, qLRI12-1A and qLRI12-3A, were all located in the S12099-CMB1226.0 interval and were repeatedly detected in 2018-2019, explaining the 4.59%-7.25% of the phenotypic variation. The above QTLs, including qLWD1-2B, qLRI1-1JC, qLWD5-1B and qLRI5-2B, have been detected many times. In the future, it would be interesting to implement in-depth fine mapping of the QTLs and use the identified markers in the drought resistance molecular marker selection breeding of rice.
On resonances and transverse and longitudinal oscillations in a hoisting system due to boundary excitations
Authors: Wang Jing , Horssen Wim T. van
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we study transverse and longitudinal oscillations and resonances in a hoisting system induced by boundary disturbances. The dynamics can be described by an initial-boundary value problem for a coupled system of nonlinear wave-equations on a slowly time-varying spatial domain. It will be shown how the boundary excitations and the nonlinear terms influence transverse and longitudinal vibrations of the system. Firstly, due to the slow variation of the cable length, a singular perturbation problem arises. By using an interior layer analysis many resonance manifolds are detected. Secondly, it will be shown that resonances in the system are caused not only by boundary disturbances but also by nonlinear interactions. Based on these observations, a three time-scales perturbation method is used to approximate the solution of the initial-boundary value problem analytically. It turns out that for special frequencies in the boundary excitations and for certain parameter values of the longitudinal stiffness and the conveyance mass, many oscillation modes jump up from small to large amplitudes in the transverse and longitudinal directions. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to verify the obtained analytical results.
Comparison of the Safety and Immunogenicity of the BNT-162b2 Vaccine and the ChAdOx1 Vaccine for Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: A Prospective Study
Authors: Ajlan Aziza A. , Ali Tariq , Aleid Hassan , Almeshari Khalid , DeVol Edward , Alkaff Morad Ahmed , Fajji Layal , Alali Ali , Halabi Dani , Althuwaidi Sahar , Alghamdi Saad , Ullah Asad , Alrajhi Abdulrahman , Bzeizi Khalid , Almaghrabi Reem , Marquez Kris Ann Hervera , Elmikkaoui Bilal , Albogumi Eid , Aldakhil Haifa , Al-Awwami Moheeb , Broering Dieter C.
Published: July 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and its resulting disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has spread to millions of people worldwide. Preliminary data from organ transplant recipients have shown reduced seroconversion rates after the administration of different SARS-CoV-2 vaccination platforms. However, it is unknown whether different vaccination platforms provide different levels of protection against SARS-CoV-2. To answer this question, we prospectively studied 431 kidney and liver transplant recipients (kidney: n=230; liver: n=201) who received either the ChAdOx1 vaccine (n=148) or the BNT-162b2 vaccine (n=283) and underwent an assessment of immunoglobulin M/immunoglobulin G spike antibody levels. The primary objective of the study is to directly compare the efficacy of two different vaccine platforms in solid organ transplant recipients by measuring of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the RBD of the spike protein (anti-RBD) two weeks after first and second doses. Our secondary endpoints were solicited specific local or systemic adverse events within 7 days after the receipt of each dose of the vaccine. There was no difference in the primary outcome between the two vaccine platforms in patients who received two vaccine doses. Unresponsiveness was mainly linked to diabetes. The rate of response after the first dose among younger older patients was significantly larger; however, after the second dose this difference did not persist (p = 0.079). Side effects were similar to those that were observed during the pivotal trials.
Flow Forecasting and Measuring Environmental Flow Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Pal Swades , SAHA TAMAL KANTI
Published: July 2022

Flow alteration study in rivers persuaded by damming is well studied and reported significant flow failure. But how far the existing flow is ecologically ambient, in near future and what will be such situation are less addressed. Particularly, no such work is available in Atreyee river, a transboundary river between India and Bangladesh, the present area of interest. But it is essential from socio-ecological and ecosystem standpoints. Considering this, the present study has tried to predict river flow and assess its ecological relevance using soft computing advanced machine learning techniques like ANN, SVM and RF. Eco-deficit and surplus were assessed using a flow duration curve (FDC). The results indicate all the months' recorded eco-deficit conditions. Estimated environmental flow is moderately modified at present as per Environmental Management Class (EMC). The observed flow is 37.8m3/sec which is less than FDC estimated environmental flow (42.3m3/sec). Predicted flow in 2028, as per the best suited ANN, would be 56% lesser than present indicating the further departure of flow from the required environmental flow. It will perhaps pose an excessive burden to the ecosystem and socio-ecological fabrics.
scAEQN: A Batch Correction Joint Dimension Reduction Method on scRNA- seq Data
Authors: Song Si-Ning , Liu De-Min , Wang Hai-Yun , Zhao Jian-Ping , Zheng Chun-Hou , Su Yan-Sen
Published: July 2022

Background
With the continuous progress of single-cell RNA sequencing technology, the scale of single-cell RNA sequence(scRNA-seq) dataset is increasing, which produces batch effects and affects the downstream analysis of scRNA-seq datasets, such as cluster analysis, gene differential expression analysis, and so on.
Results
Based on the background, we propose a novel batch correction joint dimensionality reduction method named scAEQN, which utilizes the QuantNorm to obtain coefficient matrix and constructs autoencoder to approximate the coefficient matrix, and eventually obtains the low-dimensional representation and the reconstruct of the data. We compared different batch correction methods on six real single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, and scAEQN outperforms benchmark batch-effect correction methods in downstream analyses.
Conclusion
scAEQN can remove batch effects effectively and retain cell type cluster pattern greatly, which provides strong support for downstream analysis. scAEQN improves the performance of clustering and selects more representative differential expression genes in the analysis of gene differential expression.
Association between thyroid cysts and chronic kidney disease (CKD) by systolic hypertension status among the general Japanese population: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Shimizu Yuji , Kawashiri Shin-Ya , Noguchi Yuko , Matsuzaka Yusuke , Nakamichi Seiko , Nagata Yasuhiro , Maeda Takahiro , Hayashida Naomi
Published: July 2022

Our previous study revealed that thyroid cysts might have a beneficial effect on thyroid hormone activation. Subclinical hypothyroidism is reportedly associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Since systolic hypertension is associated with hyperthyroidism and thyroid cysts are associated with systolic hypertension, the presence of thyroid cysts could be inversely associated with CKD, especially in patients with systolic hypertension. Such an association could indicate that thyroid cysts have a beneficial effect on thyroid hormone activation. To investigate systolic hypertension status-specific associations between thyroid cysts and CKD, a cross-sectional study with 1,750 individuals aged 40–74 years who participated in annual health check-ups was conducted. Independent of thyroid hormone levels (free triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)), the presence of thyroid cysts was significantly inversely associated with CKD in subjects with systolic hypertension, but not in subjects without systolic hypertension. The adjusted odd ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 0.52 (0.28, 0.98) for subjects with systolic hypertension and 1.11 (0.82, 1.50) for subjects without systolic hypertension. Thyroid cysts might affect CKD in a beneficial manner. Systolic hypertension could act as an effect modifier on the association between thyroid cysts and CKD. These findings could help clarify thyroid-related mechanisms of CKD development.
Local Anesthesia vs. General Anesthesia for Percutaneous Microwave Ablation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma, an Efficacy, Safety, and Cost Analysis
Authors: Zhan Jing-Yin , Tang Zhen-Lei , Leng Hao-Qun
Published: July 2022

Purpose: To compare the efficacy, safety, and cost between local anesthesia and general anesthesia modality for percutaneous microwave ablation in hepatocellular carcinoma patients who received combination therapy for curative treatment purposes.Methods: This comparative, retrospective analysis analyzed 175 patients treated for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from July 2015 to September 2020. Patients were divided into two cohorts according to the anesthesia modality applied during the percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) procedure. To investigate the differences in efficacy between the two groups, overall survival (OS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed using a caliper width of 0.2 between two groups. Cost and safety between the two groups were also compared accordingly.Results: There was 105 patients with 128 HCC lesions in the local anesthesia (LA) group while 70 patients with 107 lesions in the general anesthesia (GA) group. No significant differences in OS (P=0.798) and LRFS (P=0.406) between the two groups. 51 pairs of patients were matched with 78 lesions in the GA group and 68 lesions in the LA group after PSM. There were no significant differences in the OS (P=0.522) and LRFS (P=0.410) between the two groups as well. Compared to the LA group, there was more MWA procedure time spent, medical resources consumption, and financial stress undertaken in the GA group. However, no statistical differences were observed in post-ablation pain, adverse events, and complications between the two groups. Conclusion: Due to the higher cost of general anesthesia, local anesthesia may be more adaptive during ablation procedure for HCC patients within Milan criteria.
Lessons from Earthquake-affected Structures: The Necessity of Structural Health Monitoring and Instrumentation
Authors: Rabiepour Mohammad , Chase James Geoffrey , Zhou Cong
Published: July 2022

This paper studies two highly earthquake-affected structures in New Zealand, where visual inspection outcomes missed damage, resulting in incorrect and delayed decisions, which cost lives and wasted resources. Specifically: 1) the un-instrumented Canterbury Television (CTV) building; and 2) the instrumented Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) building. This study uses these known outcomes to highlight the importance of reliable structural health monitoring (SHM) methods and SHM instrumentation in earthquake-prone areas, where each damaging earthquake and subsequent further-damaging aftershocks demand continuous monitoring to continuously assess damage and risk to safety.

Elastic spectral analyses are carried out for the CTV building using the earthquake acceleration records at a station near the CTV building. For the BNZ building, inter-story drift ratio (IDR) analyses are conducted based on the building's instrumentation data. These simple, low-cost analyses indicate the damage and deterioration in both structures, and thus the importance of sensor networks and SHM instrumentation so quantitative analysis can rapidly examine subjective visual inspection results or better target and augment these inspections. Finally, this study introduces the hysteresis loop analysis (HLA) in the context of the instrumented BNZ building, showing the ability to provide necessary monitoring to assess damage and risk.

This paper does not aim to criticize post-earthquake inspections or inspectors. However, it does aim to draw attention to the fact visual inspections are inherently unreliable, and current post-earthquake evaluation policies should be upgraded considering advances in instrumentation technologies and SHM methods. The paper ends discussing how the combined actions of all stakeholders are essential for successful, effective post-earthquake evaluations.
A new method for background noise cancellation using Least Mean Square Filter and Discrete Wavelet Transform for medical applications
Authors: Manickam Chitra , Govindasamy Murugesan , Muthusamy Suresh , Panchal Hitesh
Published: July 2022

Crowd noise, fan noise, exhibition noise, vehicular traffic, and certain other noises in our environment impede with the clear speech signal, making speech creepier and clumsier at the receiver end. As a direct consequence, the information will be incomprehensible to the receiver. Noise cancellation was developed in order to overcome these obstacles. Adaptive filters are often used to cancel disturbances caused by non-stationary signals. In this project, cancellation of noises in Electrocardiogram (ECG) and the analysis is performed. For responsive noise cancellation, the Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm is used in this project. First, we have used ECG signal as a speech signal and the Power line interference (PLI) signal as a noise signal, which is a 50Hz-generated combination of sine and cosine signals. Simulink architectures for Four tap, eight tap, and Sixteen tap structures are constructed and investigated for their performance by establishing SNR structure and comparing corresponding SNR values. This is the systematic approach of noise cancellation via adaptive filters. For processing a random noise, conventional noise cancellation methods require an external noise as a reference signal. A method towards synthesizing reference input from raw speech signals is proposed and this is achieved by the Discrete Wavelet Transform. Using the wavelet decomposition methodology, this DWT is employed to generate the reference noise. Other applications of adaptive filtering encompass noise cancellation, line enhancements, frequency tracking, standard of practice, so on and so forth. Variable parameters such as convergence, tracking, computational complexity, steady state error, and stability govern the adaptive filter's transfer function in a system with a linear filter, and therefore a methodology to tweak those parameters according to the adaptive algorithm. Signal to Noise Ratio for ECG signals is compared and tabulated. When signal denoising, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is regarded as an essential metric. It varies depending on the signal, and it will be strong only if the noise proportion is decreased.
Movement predictability of individual barn owls facilitates home range size and survival estimation
Authors: Cain Shlomo , Solomon Tovale , Leshem Yossi , Toledo Sivan , Arnon Eitam , Roulin Alexandre , Spiegel Orr
Published: July 2022

Background.
There is growing attention to individuality in movement, its causes and consequences. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that conspecifics differ repeatably in their spatial behaviors, forming behavioral types (“spatial-BTs”), similarly to other well-established personality traits (e.g., boldness or sociability). Spatial-BTs are typically described as the difference in the mean level among individuals, while the intra-individual variation (IIV, i.e., predictability) is only rarely considered. Studies identifying the factors that determine predictability or its ecological consequences for broader space use patterns are even more sparse, in part because it was mostly tested in captivity (e.g., with repeated boldness assays). Here we test if [i] individuals differ in their movement and specifically in their predictability. We then investigate [ii] the consequences of this variation for home range size and survival estimates, and [iii] the factors that affect individual predictability.
Methods.
We tracked 92 barn owls (Tyto alba) at very high resolution (every few seconds) using an ATLAS system, and monitored their survival. We calculated movement and space-use indices (e.g., max-displacement and home-range size, respectively) from the trajectories (115.2 ± 112.1 nights; X̅±SD) and then used double-hierarchical and general mix models to assess spatial-BTs, individual predictability in nightly max-displacement, and its consistency across time. Finally, we explored if predictability levels were associated with home-range estimates and survival, as well as the seasonal and demographic factors (age, sex) that affect it.
Results.
Our dataset revealed clear patterns of individualism in owls’ movement. Individuals differed consistently both in their mean movement (e.g., max-displacement) and their IIV around it (i.e., predictability). Further, more predictable individuals had smaller home-ranges and lower survival rates, on top and beyond the expected effects of their spatial-BT (max-displacement), sex, and age. Juveniles were less predictable than adults, but sexes did not differ in their predictability.
Conclusion.
These results demonstrate that individual predictability may act as an overlooked axis of spatial-BT with potential implications for relevant ecological processes at the population level and individual fitness. Considering how individuals differ in their IIV of movement beyond the mean-effect can facilitate understanding the intraspecific diversity, predicting their responses to changing ecological conditions and their population management.
Cas9-Mediated Knockout of Ndrg2 Enhances the Regenerative Potential of Dendritic Cells for Wound Healing
Authors: Henn Dominic , Zhao Dehua , Chen Kellen , Trotsyuk Artem , Bonham Clark-Andrew , Fischer Katharina , Kehl Tim , Fehlmann Tobias , Sivaraj Dharshan , Greco Autumn , Illouz Sylvia Moortgat , Padmanabhan Jagannath , Barrera Janos , Kneser Ulrich , Lenhof Hans-Peter , Januszyk Michael , Levi Benjamin , Keller Andreas , Longaker Michael , Qi Lei , Gurtner Geoffrey
Published: July 2022

Chronic wounds impose a significant healthcare burden to a broad patient population. Cell based therapies, while having shown benefits for the treatment of chronic wounds, have not achieved widespread adoption into clinical practice. Here, we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9 approach to precisely edit dendritic cells (DCs) to enhance their therapeutic potential for healing chronic wounds. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of tolerogenic DCs, we discover N-myc downregulated gene 2 (Ndrg2), which marks a specific population of DC progenitors, as a promising target for CRISPR knockout (KO). Ndrg2-KO alters the transcriptomic profile of DCs and preserves an immature cell state with a strong, pro-angiogenic and regenerative capacity. We then incorporated our CRISPR-based cell engineering within a hydrogel technology for in vivo cell delivery and developed a highly effective translational approach for DC based immunotherapy that accelerated healing of full-thickness wounds in both non-diabetic and diabetic mouse models. These findings could open the door to future clinical trials using safe gene editing in DCs for treating various types of chronic wounds.
Candidate disease genes identification in patients with congenital neutropenia and a new PID condition
Authors: Shinwari Khyber , Khan Muhammad Ajmal , Ivanovna Demicheva Ekaterina , Bolkov Mikhail A. , Tuzankina Irina A. , Chereshnev Valery. A.
Published: July 2022

Background: Congenital neutropenia (CN) is a primary immunodeficiency disease (PID), which is associated with recurrent bacterial infections, autoimmunity, hematological malignancies, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Understanding the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of CN genes and finding candidate CN genes is crucial for early CN diagnosis. The purpose of current study was to investigate the PPI network of CN genes and use computational techniques to identify candidate CN genes.Methods: PPI data for CN and PID genes provided from the STRING database were examined using network density and biological distance. Gene expression data of patients with CN were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus, and then Pearson’s correlation coefficient, a PPI database, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were used to identify candidate CN genes. We then assessed our hypotheses and discovered CN genes that were differently expressed. Results: Characterization of the majority of CN genes were done by high network density and low biological distance whereas low network density and large biological distance were used to characterize most PID genes. The CN genes are functionally relative to each other compared to PID genes. It showed that they are similar and closely related. Next, we found 15 candidate CN genes with biological functions comparable to known CN genes, and other genes have subsequently been identified as CN-related genes. The SRC gene reported in our study may be a good candidate gene for Heneekem syndrome. The candidate gene “STAT3” was downregulated in peripheral blood neutrophils and B cells in CN patients compared to healthy controls (HC), whereas in blood sample the level was up regulated in CN patients relative to HC. Conclusion: Our findings will contribute in the early diagnosis of CN by providing a better understanding of the CN gene complexity.
Signature of Sinking Streams on Calcarenite Rock Study Using Geophysical and Geochemical Investigation in Ayankulam Area, South Tamilnadu, India
Authors: A Antony Ravindran , A Antony Alosanai Promilton , J Vinoth Kingston , S Richard Abishek , S.K Aswin , R Abinaya
Published: July 2022

Ayankulam is the trending one recently during the 2021 monsoon of India. The legendary well in the village failed to fill despite five days of strong water inflow from the Nambiar canal. District collector arrived and inspected with IIT team and surveyed the village stating that the wells nature was geographically termed to be Karst formation (as per e-news sited in The New Indian Express dated 03/12/2021). There might be some sinking stream that might link this well. Karst topography of calcarenite rocks is the reason for groundwater movement beneath the subsurface for not filling the well. Groundwater is a very important component of water resources in nature. Since the demand for groundwater increases with population growth, it is necessary to explore groundwater more intensively. To determine the existence of usable groundwater for irrigation purposes in the study area Geophysical (Azimuthal square array method and Magnetotelluric method) and Geochemical investigations were done. The Azimuthal Square array method covers 360º coverage of subsurface resulting in fracture orientation of rock to determine the weak/strong zones in different rock types. The Magnetotelluric method scans the subsurface rock and provides information about Geological formation, Weak zone where water oozes out, depth and movement of groundwater. Water samples were collected in and around the “Sinking Stream” origin well and its associated open and tube wells from the study area. The combination of Square Array, MT, Water quality, and quantity study focuses on the Trapped Aquifer system of sinking streams in all water bodies and wells. The movement of groundwater seems to be increasing in Seashore areas such as Uvari and Karikovil are identified relating its water samples from deep bore wells quality and sinking stream water quality. The heavy rainfall and hydrostatic pressure of predominant rock on eroded Calcarenite lime formation create water “Dry fall out” resulting in Sinking streams in the Ayankulam area.
Prevalence and Factors Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Control in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Lubaki Jean-Pierre Fina , Omole Olufemi Babatunde , Francis Joel Msafiri
Published: July 2022

Background There is an increased burden of diabetes globally including in sub-Saharan Africa. The literature shows that the control of type-2 diabetes is generally poor in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Gaining an understanding of the factors influencing glycaemic control in this region is therefore important to develop interventions to optimize glycaemic control. We carried out a systematic review to determine the prevalence and factors associated with glycaemic control in sub-Saharan Africa to inform the development of a glycaemic control framework in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. MethodsWe searched five databases (African Index Medicus, Africa-Wide Information, Global Health, PubMed, and Web of Science) using the following search terms: type-2 diabetes, glycaemic control, and sub-Saharan Africa. Only peer-reviewed articles from January 2012 to May 2022 were eligible for this review. Two reviewers, independently, selected articles, assessed their methodological quality using Joanna Briggs checklists, and extracted data. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate the prevalence of glycaemic control. Factors associated with glycaemic control were presented as a narrative synthesis due to heterogeneity as assessed by the I2. ResultsA total of 74 studies, involving 21,133 participants were included in the review. The pooled prevalence of glycaemic control was 30%. The highest glycaemic control reported was 60%. The factors significantly associated with glycaemic control were categorized into six groups: sociodemographic (younger and older age, gender, lower income, absence of health insurance, low level of education, place of residence, family support, coping strategies), lifestyle (dietary adherence, practice of exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption), clinical (family history of diabetes, longer duration of diabetes, presence of comorbidities/complications), adherence (attendance to follow-up, medication adherence), treatment modalities (pill burden, treatment regimen, use of statins or anti-hypertensives, education about diabetes, definition of glycaemic goals), and glycaemic control optimization interventions.ConclusionSub-optimal glycaemic control is pervasive among patients with type-2 diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa and poses a significant public health challenge. While urgent interventions are required to optimize glycaemic control in this region, these should be taken account of sociodemographic, lifestyle, clinical and treatment-related factors. This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol is registered in PROSPERO under CRD 42021237941.
Food-grade Secretory Expression of β-mannanase Mutant in Bacillus subtilis and Its Application for Manoligosaccharides Preparation
Authors: Chen Yun , Gao Weiqiang , Liang Qi , Zhou Xiaolei , Yang Xu , Wu Tianning , Wang Lili , Yang Xiaorui , Zhang Chunxiao
Published: July 2022

Background: β-mannanase, an enzyme can randomly hydrolyze mannan, has been applied in different fields such as agriculture, food, and paper industries. Although various β-mannanase with different properties have been characterized, few of them meet the high demand in the biorefinery industry.Results: A β-mannanase mutant with higher activity was achieved and applied to prepare manoligosaccharides. To improve β-mannanase activity, the directed evolution of β-mannanase gene from Bacillus licheniformis KD-1 was carried out by error-prone PCR and expressed in Bacillus subtilis. Two loci (I91N and L211I) located at outside of the β-mannanase catalytic center influence the enzyme activity at great degree. For the biosafety of β -mannanase application, the B. subtilis food-grade expression system was constructed. Firstly, the d-alanine racemase (dal) gene of the bacteria was deleted by CRISPR/Cpf1 genome editing without scars. Secondly, the corresponding expression vector was constructed by deleting the antibiotics marker genes replaced with dal gene to realize auxotrophic complementation screening. The results showed that the β-mannanase mutant, ManBl (I91N/L211I) had the enzyme activity of 17601.3 U/mL and its specific activity was 15554.7 U/mg, which was 4.2 times of the wild-type ManBl. The food-grade expressed β-mannanase was applied to degrade konjac glucomannan for preparing manoligosaccharides and the results showed that the formed manoligosaccharides accounted for 85% of the hydrolysate. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence of two loci located at outside the β-mannanase ManBl catalytic center influence the enzyme activity at great degree. The food-grade expressed β-mannanase (I91N/L211I) mutant with higher activity can be used to prepare manoligosaccharides, which lays the basis for transforming the low-value materials to high-value products.
Global trends of Helicobacter pylori biofilm research in the past two decades: A bibliometric study
Authors: Wang Jin-yun , Xie Yong
Published: July 2022

Background: Helicobacter pylori biofilm formation is a key factor of refractory helicobacter pylori infection. This study aimed to access the research trends of helicobacter pylori biofilm.Methods: Publications from 1998 to 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Different kinds of software, EXCEL, VOSviewer, and the online bibliometric analysis platform were used to evaluate and visualize the bibliometric data.Results: A total of 154 publications were finally identified, and the annual number of publications showed a rising trend. The China made the greatest contributions to this research field, while the journal of Helicobacter was the most productive journal. Grande rossella published the most papers, and the most productive institution was G dannunzio University. Co-occurrence network maps revealed that the keyword of “Helicobacter pylori” ranked first in research field, and the keyword of “biofilm formation” and “in vitro” began to appear in the past 3 to 5 years.Conclusion: The annual number of publications on helicobacter pylori biofilm have grown steadily in the past two decades and will continue to grow. Future research hot spots will domain in the establishment of helicobacter pylori biofilm in vitro model and mechanism of helicobacter pylori biofilm formation.
METTL3 stabilization by PIN1 promotes breast tumorigenesis via enhanced m6A-dependent translation
Authors: Choi Hong Seok , Bhattarai Poshan Yugal , Kim Garam , Poudel Muna , Lim Sung Chul , Mariappan Ramesh , Ohn Takbum
Published: July 2022

Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) is the catalytic subunit of the N6-adenosine methyltransferase complex responsible for N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of mRNA in mammalian cells. Although METTL3 expression is increased in several cancers, the regulatory mechanisms are unclear. We explored the regulatory roles of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (PIN1) in METTL3 stability and m6A modification of mRNA. PIN1 interacted with METTL3 and prevented its ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal and lysosomal degradation. It stabilized METTL3, which increased the m6A modification of transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA, resulting in their efficient translation. PIN1 knockout reduced polysome assembly and TAZ and EGFR mRNA in polysome fractions. Inhibition of MEK1/2 kinases and PIN1 destabilized METTL3, which impeded breast cancer cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phases. METTL3 knockout reduced PIN1 overexpression-induced colony formation in MCF7 cells and enhanced tumor growth in 4T1 cells in an orthotopic mouse model. In clinical settings, METTL3 expression significantly increased with tumor progression and was positively correlated with PIN1 expression in breast cancer tissues. Thus, PIN1 plays a regulatory role in mRNA translation, and the PIN1/METTL3 axis may be an alternative therapeutic target in breast cancer.
Learning outcomes of an International Health Elective: defining learning outcomes for a unique experience
Authors: Versluis M. A.C. , Jöbsis N. C. , Tuinsma R. , Jaarsma A.D.C. , Duvivier R.
Published: July 2022

Background: An International Health Elective (IHE) can be a unique learning experience for students. However, it has proven difficult to clearly define learning outcomes that capture the complexity of an IHE and are aligned with future professional performance. This study aimed to further define learning outcomes for IHEs in low- to middle-income countries (LMIC) from a student perspective.Methods: We conducted a deductive analysis of pre-departure and post-elective reflective reports of fifth-year medical students who participated in an IHE as part of their program. This provided possible learning objectives that were further explored in semi-structured individual interviews with medical students who had recently returned from an IHE.Results: We analyzed 33 reports of students participating in an IHE from 2017-2019 and held 19 interviews. Thematic analysis revealed 9 themes: developing intercultural competence, developing appreciation for differences in health care delivery systems, understanding international health, understanding the global burden of disease, developing a career perspective, developing clinical skills in resource low settings, becoming cost conscious, developing social responsibility and self-actualization.Conclusions: We identified 9 learning outcomes that are directly and indirectly related to clinical practice. They add to the on-going discourse on the benefits of IHEs. These outcomes can be further developed by investigating the perspectives of home and host supervisors and educationalists, while taking the local context into account. Follow-up studies can evaluate to what extend these outcomes are achieve during an IHE.
A new image encryption method based on a 6D hyperchaotic map and genetic operators
Authors: Demirtaş Mehmet
Published: July 2022

This paper presents a novel and secure image encryption method. The plain image’s pixels are confused using the N-point crossover operation of genetic algorithms. Randomly paired rows and columns are determined by the two state variables of a six-dimensional hyperchaotic map. The number of crossover points, which are calculated by the two other state variables of the hyperchaotic map, differ from each other for each row or column pair. The crossover positions are specified according to the number of crossover points with the help of the last two state variables. The proposed algorithm generates the diffusion stage’s encryption key using the SHA-256 hash value of the plain image. Mutation and crossover operators are implemented into the 16-bit subblocks of the 256-bit hash value. Thus, a total of 16 subblocks with the size of 16 bits are employed as the encryption key after the implementation of the genetic operations. The scrambled image’s pixels are altered with the generated encryption key and previously encrypted pixels. Key space and sensitivity, histogram, correlation, information entropy, differential, data loss, noise attack, and computational time analyzes are performed to test the safety and effectiveness of the encryption method. The experiments and simulation results show that the proposed encryption technique is highly secure and efficient since it can resist various attacks. The comparisons with recent works show that this method outperforms many state-of-the-art algorithms in several performance metrics.