bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Description of five new species of American Acanthocinini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae)
Authors: VLASAK JOSEF , SANTOS-SILVA ANTONIO
Published: November 2021

Five new species of Acanthocinini are described: Onalcidion maculatum, from Costa Rica; Lethes x-notatus, from Costa Rica; Leptostylus indistinctus, from Costa Rica; Leptostylus guianensis, from French Guiana; and Trichotithonus thomasvlasaki, from Ecuador.
A new species of the genus Gaucha Mello-Leitão, 1924 from Minas Gerais, Brazil (Solifugae, Mummuciidae)
Authors: SOUZA MAYSA F.V.R. , FERREIRA RODRIGO L. , CARVALHO LEONARDO S.
Published: November 2021

A new sun-spider species of the ibirapemussu species-group of the genus Gaucha is described based on males and a female collected in Southeastern Brazil. The newly described species can be readily distinguished from its congeners by the reduction of the cheliceral fixed finger, distal tooth (FD), closely positioned and smaller than the medial tooth (FM); the presence of cheliceral fixed finger profondal subproximal (PFSP) and retrofondal submedial (RFSM) teeth; and by the cheliceral movable finger, medial tooth (MM) well developed, larger than submedial tooth (MSM) and smaller than proximal tooth (MP). This is the thirteenth described species in the genus Gaucha, all known from South America.
High-Definition Hurricanes: Improving Forecasts with Storm-Following Nests
Authors: Alaka Ghassan J. , Zhang Xuejin , Gopalakrishnan Sundararaman G.
Published: November 2021

To forecast tropical cyclone (TC) intensity and structure changes with fidelity, numerical weather prediction models must be “high definition,” i.e., horizontal grid spacing ≤ 3 km, so that they permit clouds and convection and resolve sharp gradients of momentum and moisture in the eyewall and rainbands. Storm-following nests are computationally efficient at fine resolutions, providing a practical approach to improve TC intensity forecasts. Under the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project, the operational Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) system was developed to include telescopic, storm-following nests for a single TC per model integration. Subsequently, HWRF evolved into a state-of-the-art tool for TC predictions around the globe, although its single-storm nesting approach does not adequately simulate TC–TC interactions as they are observed. Basin-scale HWRF (HWRF-B) was developed later with a multistorm nesting approach to improve the simulation of TC–TC interactions by producing high-resolution forecasts for multiple TCs simultaneously. In this study, the multistorm nesting approach in HWRF-B was compared with a single-storm nesting approach using an otherwise identical model configuration. The multistorm approach demonstrated TC intensity forecast improvements, including more realistic TC–TC interactions. Storm-following nests developed in HWRF and HWRF-B will be foundational to NOAA’s next-generation hurricane application in the Unified Forecast System.
Energetic constraints on the time-dependent response of the ITCZ to volcanic eruptions
Authors: Erez Moran , Adam Ori
Published: November 2021

Energetic constraints on the time-dependent response of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) to volcanic eruptions are analyzed using the Community Earth System Model Last Millennium Ensemble project. The energetic constraints are found to vary during the first few years, governed by conjoined variations of the energy budgets of the stratosphere, troposphere, and oceans. Specifically, following eruptions, sulfate aerosols heat the stratosphere by long-wave absorption and cool the surface by shortwave reflection, leading to contrasting energy transport anomalies in the stratosphere and troposphere, which are of comparable strength during the first year. Similar contrasting responses are also seen by the mean and eddy components of atmospheric energy transport (AET). Consequently, ocean energy transport (OET) dominates the anomalous total interhemispheric energy transport during the first year. However, wind-driven OET, generally assumed to constrain shifts of the ITCZ, has a negligible role in the transient ocean response. Consistent with theory, anomalous cross-equatorial tropospheric energy transport, dominated by the anomalous Hadley circulation, is strongly negatively correlated with ITCZ shifts. However, due to the strong anomalous stratospheric energy fluxes, the commonly used energy flux equator (derived from net AET) is a poor predictor of transient ITCZ shifts following eruptions. El Niño-like conditions typically appear during the second year after eruptions, and La Niña-like conditions after the third year. These variations modulate ITCZ shifts in a complex manner, via changes in surface conditions and in associated energy transport variations in the atmosphere and oceans.
The Impact of Snowfall on Crashes, Traffic Volume, and Revenue on the New York State Thruway
Authors: Call David A. , Flynt Guy A.
Published: November 2021

Snow has numerous effects on traffic, including reduced traffic volumes, greater crash risk, and increased travel times. This research examines how snow affects crash risk, traffic volume, and toll revenue on the New York State Thruway. Daily data from January for a 10-yr period (2010–19) were analyzed for the Thruway from the Pennsylvania state line in western New York to Syracuse. Anywhere from 35% to 50% of crashes are associated with inclement weather, with smaller impacts, proportionally, in areas with greater traffic volumes. As expected, snow was almost always involved when weather was a factor. “Unsafe speed” was the most common cause of crashes in inclement weather with all other factors (e.g., animals, drowsiness) much less likely to play a role. The percentage of crashes resulting in an injury did not change significantly with inclement conditions when compared with crashes occurring in fair conditions, and there were too few fatal crashes to make any inferences about them. Daily snowfall rates predicted about 30% of the variation in crash numbers, with every 5.1 cm of snowfall resulting in an additional crash, except in Buffalo where 5.1 cm of snow resulted in an additional 2.6 crashes. Confirming earlier results, daily snowfall had a large impact on passenger vehicle counts whereas commercial vehicle counts were less affected. Revenue data showed a similar pattern, with passenger revenue typically decreasing by 3%–5% per 2.5 cm of snow, whereas commercial revenue decreases were 1%–4% per 2.5 cm of snow.

Significance Statement

While it seems obvious that snowfall increases the number of crashes, decreases traffic volume, and reduces toll revenues, research is limited to support these assumptions, especially the latter two. This study involved an analysis of such items for the New York State Thruway. We found that increasing amounts of snow did cause more crashes. While traffic counts decreased, most of the decrease was in the number of passenger vehicles; commercial vehicle traffic was much less affected. Every 2.5 cm of snow costs the New York State Thruway approximately $1300 at each toll barrier and about $331 at each exit. These findings are helpful to law enforcement, emergency responders, and highway managers.
COMPERA 2.0: a refined four-stratum risk assessment model for pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Hoeper Marius M. , Pausch Christine , Olsson Karen M. , Huscher Doerte , Pittrow David , Grünig Ekkehard , Staehler Gerd , Vizza Carmine Dario , Gall Henning , Distler Oliver , Opitz Christian , Gibbs J. Simon R. , Delcroix Marion , Ghofrani H. Ardeschir , Park Da-Hee , Ewert Ralf , Kaemmerer Harald , Kabitz Hans-Joachim , Skowasch Dirk , Behr Juergen , Milger Katrin , Halank Michael , Wilkens Heinrike , Seyfarth Hans-Jürgen , Held Matthias , Dumitrescu Daniel , Tsangaris Iraklis , Vonk-Noordegraaf Anton , Ulrich Silvia , Klose Hans , Claussen Martin , Lange Tobias J. , Rosenkranz Stephan
Published: November 2021

Background

Risk stratification plays an essential role in the management of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The current European guidelines propose a three-stratum model to categorise risk as low, intermediate or high, based on the expected 1-year mortality. However, with this model, most patients are categorised as intermediate risk. We investigated a modified approach based on four risk categories, with intermediate risk subdivided into intermediate-low and intermediate-high risk.

Methods

We analysed data from the Comparative, Prospective Registry of Newly Initiated Therapies for Pulmonary Hypertension (COMPERA), a European pulmonary hypertension registry, and calculated risk at diagnosis and first follow-up based on World Health Organization functional class, 6-min walk distance (6MWD) and serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP), using refined cut-off values. Survival was assessed using Kaplan–Meier analyses, log-rank testing and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

Data from 1655 patients with PAH were analysed. Using the three-stratum model, most patients were classified as intermediate risk (76.0% at baseline and 63.9% at first follow-up). The refined four-stratum risk model yielded a more nuanced separation and predicted long-term survival, especially at follow-up assessment. Changes in risk from baseline to follow-up were observed in 31.1% of the patients with the three-stratum model and in 49.2% with the four-stratum model. These changes, including those between the intermediate-low and intermediate-high strata, were associated with changes in long-term mortality risk.

Conclusions

Modified risk stratification using a four-stratum model based on refined cut-off levels for functional class, 6MWD and BNP/NT-proBNP was more sensitive to prognostically relevant changes in risk than the original three-stratum model.
The physiological basis of pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Naeije Robert , Richter Manuel J. , Rubin Lewis J.
Published: November 2021

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare dyspnoea-fatigue syndrome caused by a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and eventual right ventricular (RV) failure. In spite of extensive pulmonary vascular remodelling, lung function in PAH is generally well preserved, with hyperventilation and increased physiological dead space, but minimal changes in lung mechanics and only mild to moderate hypoxaemia and hypocapnia. Hypoxaemia is mainly caused by a low mixed venous oxygen tension from a decreased cardiac output. Hypocapnia is mainly caused by an increased chemosensitivity. Exercise limitation in PAH is cardiovascular rather than ventilatory or muscular. The extent of pulmonary vascular disease in PAH is defined by multipoint pulmonary vascular pressure–flow relationships with a correction for haematocrit. Pulsatile pulmonary vascular pressure–flow relationships in PAH allow for the assessment of RV hydraulic load. This analysis is possible either in the frequency domain or in the time domain. The RV in PAH adapts to increased afterload by an increased contractility to preserve its coupling to the pulmonary circulation. When this homeometric mechanism is exhausted, the RV dilates to preserve flow output by an additional heterometric mechanism. Right heart failure is then diagnosed by imaging of increased right heart dimensions and clinical systemic congestion signs and symptoms. The coupling of the RV to the pulmonary circulation is assessed by the ratio of end-systolic to arterial elastances, but these measurements are difficult. Simplified estimates of RV–pulmonary artery coupling can be obtained by magnetic resonance or echocardiographic imaging of ejection fraction.
Nutritional assessment in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a prospective multicentre study
Authors: Faverio Paola , Fumagalli Alessia , Conti Sara , Madotto Fabiana , Bini Francesco , Harari Sergio , Mondoni Michele , Oggionni Tiberio , Barisione Emanuela , Ceruti Paolo , Papetti Maria Chiara , Bodini Bruno Dino , Caminati Antonella , Valentino Angela , Centanni Stefano , Noè Donatella , Della Zoppa Matteo , Crotti Silvia , Grosso Marco , Sukkar Samir Giuseppe , Modina Denise , Andreoli Marco , Nicali Roberta , Suigo Giulia , De Giacomi Federica , Busnelli Sara , Cattaneo Elena , Mantovani Lorenzo Giovanni , Cesana Giancarlo , Pesci Alberto , Luppi Fabrizio
Published: November 2021

Background

Nutritional status impacts quality of life and prognosis of patients with respiratory diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, there is a lack of studies performing an extensive nutritional assessment of IPF patients. This study aimed to investigate the nutritional status and to identify nutritional phenotypes in a cohort of IPF patients at diagnosis.

Methods

Patients underwent a thorough pulmonary and nutritional evaluation including questionnaires on nutritional status, and physical activity, anthropometry, body impedance, dynamometry, 4-m gait speed and blood tests.

Results

90 IPF patients (78.9% males, mean age 72.7 years) were enrolled. The majority of patients were classified as Gender-Age-Physiology Index stage 2 (47, 52.2%) with an inactive lifestyle according to International Physical Activity Questionnaire score (39, 43.3%), and had mean forced vital capacity and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide 86.5% and 54.2%, respectively. In regards to nutritional phenotypes, the majority of patients were normally nourished (67.8%, 95% CI 58.6–77.7%), followed by non-sarcopenic obese (25.3%, 95% CI 16.1–35.2%), sarcopenic (4.6%, 95% CI 0.0–14.5%) and sarcopenic obese (2.3%, 95% CI 0.0–12.2%). Among the normally nourished, 49.2% showed early signs of nutritional and physical performance alterations, including body mass index ≥30 kg·m−2in 4.3%, history of weight loss ≥5% in 11.9%, and reduction of gait speed and hand grip strength in 11.9% and 35.6%, respectively. Low vitamin D values were observed in 56.3% of cases.

Conclusions

IPF patients at diagnosis are mainly normally nourished and obese, but early signs of nutritional and physical performance impairment can already be identified at this stage.
Emergency department point-of-care ultrasound for upper extremity deep venous thrombosis ED POCUS for upper extremity DVT
Authors: Tan Gregory , Ng Mingwei
Published: November 2021

Background

Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) is an uncommon disease but has to be carefully considered in patients with isolated unilateral upper limb swelling due to its potential to cause devastating complications and sequelae such as pulmonary embolism and septic thrombophlebitis. Given the extreme rarity of this condition, it is not surprising that point-of-care ultrasonographic evaluation of the upper limb for deep venous thrombosis is hardly ever performed in the emergency department. This case report serves to highlight how point-of-care ultrasonographic evaluation of the upper extremity venous system could be incorporated as a tool in the diagnostic armamentarium of the emergency physician.

Case presentation

A 51-year-old Chinese gentleman presented to the emergency department with a 1-day duration of progressive right upper extremity swelling and pain. On examination, his hemodynamic parameters were stable with no tachycardia. He was noted to have a hyperaemic and grossly swollen but non-tender right upper limb. Distal pulses remained strong. Point-of-care ultrasonography of his right upper limb venous system with Doppler colour flow and single-point augmentation with the arm squeeze manoeuvre immediately confirmed the diagnosis of right upper extremity deep venous thrombosis, which in turn permitted anticoagulation to be instituted promptly whilst in the emergency department.

Conclusion

The use of point-of-care ultrasonography of the upper limb venous system can prove invaluable as a rapid, non-invasive technique to facilitate expedient diagnosis of and early intervention for UEDVT in the emergency department.
Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorders and associated factors one month after the outbreak of the COVID-19 among the public in southwestern China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lei Lei , Zhu Hongyi , Li Yi , Dai Tao , Zhao Shouju , Zhang Xiaochao , Muchu Xiaoluzi , Su Shaoyu
Published: November 2021

Background

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has rapidly spread across the whole world and brought strong psychological impact. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) in the general people of southwestern China and associated factors 1 month after the outbreak of the COVID-19.

Methods

This study was started on 4–10 Feb 2020 based on online survey. The present work was carried out in the provinces of southeastern China, including Sichuan Province, Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province, and Chongqing City.1593 respondents aged 18 years and above administered to this study. Data on whether they have experienced confirmed or suspected COVID-19 of themselves/family members/acquaintances were also collected, and based on ‘yes’ answers, the number of affected individuals (via COVID-19) were categorized into four exposure levels i.e., non-affected, less, moderately, or significantly affected. The civilian version of the PTSD checklist and the self-reported information about COVID-19 were used.

Results

The prevalence of PTSD was approximately 25.2%(n = 401/1593). The chances of developing PTSD were 6.053(OR = 6.053, 95% CI 1.394 to 26.280) or 3.673(OR = 3.673, 95% CI 1.738 to 7.765) times higher among respondents who had been significantly and moderately affected than those who had not been affected, accordingly. Male (OR = 1.484, 95% CI 1.147 to 1.920),younger age individuals (40 ~ 49 age group/<30 age group, OR = 0.395, 95% CI 0.258 to 0.606) and health care workers (OR = 1.788, 95% CI 1.155 to 2.277) were at higher risk of developing PTSD.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight that a positive correlation between the pandemic and PTSD. It is urgent to establish a screening and prevention systems for the population who are significantly exposed to COVID-19,and provide different psychological intervention strategies for different groups.
CircADARB1 serves as a new biomarker in natural killer T-cell lymphoma and a potential regulator of p-Stat3
Authors: Mei Mei , Wang Yingjun , Song Wenting , Li Zhaoming , Wang Qilong , Li Jiayin , Zhang Mingzhi
Published: November 2021

Background

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a rare and aggressive subtype of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. CircRNA has shown great potential to become a biomarker in plasma. In this study, we aimed to determine circRNA for its diagnostic and prognostic value and biological function in NKTCL.

Method

The circRNA microarray of plasma from NKTCL patients and healthy donors were conducted. The relative expressions of target circRNA were verified by qRT-PCR. We conducted function experiments in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics predicted the target miRNA of the target circRNA and the binding site was detected by the dual luciferase report assay. Downstream target protein was predicted and detected by western blot in vitro and immunohistochemistry in vivo.

Result

By analyzing the plasma circRNA microarrays in NKTCL, 6137 circRNAs were up-regulated and 6190 circRNAs were down-regulated. The relative expressions of circADARB1 were significantly higher in NKTCL patients. The knockdown of circADARB1 inhibited proliferation of NKTCL cells in vitro and in vivo. CircADARB1 could bind to miR-214-3p in the downstream and regulate the expression of p-Stat3. In nude mice tumor tissue, p-Stat3 was under-expressed in the circADARB1 knockdown group.

Conclusion

CircADARB1 was highly expressed in NKTCL plasma and circADARB1 was a potential biomarker to assist diagnosis and predict the response in NKTCL. CircADARB1 bound up to miR-214-3p and regulated p-Stat3.
Poor quality for the poor? A study of inequalities in service readiness and provider knowledge in Indonesian primary health care facilities
Authors: Haemmerli Manon , Powell-Jackson Timothy , Goodman Catherine , Thabrany Hasbullah , Wiseman Virginia
Published: November 2021

Background

For many low and middle-income countries poor quality health care is now responsible for a greater number of deaths than insufficient access to care. This has in turn raised concerns around the distribution of quality of care in LMICs: do the poor have access to lower quality health care compared to the rich? The aim of this study is to investigate the extent of inequalities in the availability of quality health services across the Indonesian health system with a particular focus on differences between care delivered in the public and private sectors.

Methods

Using the Indonesian Family Life Survey (wave 5, 2015), 15,877 households in 312 communities were linked with a representative sample of both public and private health facilities available in the same communities. Quality of health facilities was assessed using both a facility service readiness score and a knowledge score constructed using clinical vignettes. Ordinary least squares regression models were used to investigate the determinants of quality in public and private health facilities.

Results

In both sectors, inequalities in both quality scores existed between major islands. In public facilities, inequalities in readiness scores persisted between rural and urban areas, and to a lesser extent between rich and poor communities.

Conclusion

In order to reach the ambitious stated goal of reaching Universal Health Coverage in Indonesia, priority should be given to redressing current inequalities in the quality of care.
Known but not called by name: recreational fishers’ ecological knowledge of freshwater plants in Hungary
Authors: Löki Viktor , Nagy Jenő , Nagy András , Babai Dániel , Molnár Zsolt , Lukács Balázs András
Published: November 2021

Background

Documenting local ecological knowledge (LEK) has recently become a topic of considerable interest. LEK can contribute to various areas of ecology, including habitat management and conservation biology. It has been recently revealed that recreational fishers’ ecological knowledge (FEK) can also provide valuable information about different organisms and habitats, while recreational fishers’ ecological knowledge is understudied in many aspects and regions of the world.

Methods

We aimed to record Hungarian recreational FEK on plant species related to freshwater habitats. Our research was conducted in three regularly fished water bodies in Hungary, namely Lake Velence, Keleti Main Canal, and Lake Látóképi, where a total of 72 interviews were conducted with recreational anglers. During interviews, 24 plant species occurring at freshwater habitats with common or sporadic distribution were shown to anglers as single species or in congeneric pairs. Miscellaneous plant-related knowledge of anglers was also collected.

Results

Anglers identified a total of 16 plant species. They used 45 botanical or folk names. An angler knew the name of 4.6 plants on average and recognized 7.4 other species without naming it. According to our detailed analysis, anglers were able to name or at least recognize those plant species which are somehow related to fishing activities, are salient, and/or common. Moreover, anglers at Lake Velence recognized less plant species; however, they also had less years of fishing experience compared to anglers of the other two locations.

Conclusion

We found that recreational FEK exists even in the case of freshwater plants which are not the main focus of anglers. It is highly presumable that recreational fishers would be able to provide reliable ecologically related data for scientific research establishing future citizen science projects of nature conservation.
Emergency angiography for trauma patients and potential association with acute kidney injury
Authors: Yamamoto Ryo , Cestero Ramon F. , Yoshizawa Jo , Maeshima Katsuya , Sasaki Junichi
Published: November 2021

Background

Angiography has been conducted as a hemostatic procedure for trauma patients. While several complications, such as tissue necrosis after embolization, have been reported, little is known regarding subsequent acute kidney injury (AKI) due to contrast media. To elucidate whether emergency angiography would introduce kidney dysfunction in trauma victims, we compared the incidence of AKI between patients who underwent emergency angiography and those who did not.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a nationwide trauma database (2004–2019), and adult trauma patients were included. The indication of emergency angiography was determined by both trauma surgeons and radiologists, and AKI was diagnosed by treating physicians based on a rise in serum creatinine and/or fall in urine output according to any published standard criteria. Incidence of AKI was compared between patients who underwent emergency angiography and those who did not. Propensity score matching was conducted to adjust baseline characteristics including age, comorbidities, mechanism of injury, vital signs on admission, Injury Severity Scale (ISS), degree of traumatic kidney injury, surgical procedures, and surgery on the kidney, such as nephrectomy and nephrorrhaphy.

Results

Among 230,776 patients eligible for the study, 14,180 underwent emergency angiography. The abdomen/pelvis was major site for angiography (10,624 [83.5%]). Embolization was performed in 5,541 (43.5%). Propensity score matching selected 12,724 pairs of severely injured patients (median age, 59; median ISS, 25). While the incidence of AKI was rare, it was higher among patients who underwent emergency angiography than in those who did not (140 [1.1%] vs. 67 [0.5%]; odds ratio = 2.10 [1.57–2.82]; p < 0.01). The association between emergency angiography and subsequent AKI was observed regardless of vasopressor usage or injury severity in subgroup analyses.

Conclusions

Emergency angiography in trauma patients was probably associated with increased incidence of AKI. The results should be validated in future studies.
Si-Wu-Tang ameliorates fibrotic liver injury via modulating intestinal microbiota and bile acid homeostasis
Authors: Xue Xiaoyong , Wu Jianzhi , Ding Mingning , Gao Feng , Zhou Fei , Xu Bing , Lu Mingjun , Li Jun , Li Xiaojiaoyang
Published: November 2021

Background

Fibrotic liver injury is a progressive scarring event, which may permanently affect liver function and progress into devastating end-stage liver diseases due to the absence of effective therapies. Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), a traditional Chinese medicine formula used in clinic to treat gynecological disorders for centuries, has been investigated in recent preliminary findings for its role in alleviating chronic liver diseases. Here we aim to elucidate the therapeutic effects and possible mechanisms of SWT against fibrotic liver injury.

Methods

UHPLC-MS/MS was performed to investigate the chemical characterization of SWT. After intragastrically administered with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) every 3 days for 1-week, C57BL/6 mice were orally administered with SWT (5.2, 10.4 and 20.8 g/kg) once daily for 3 weeks along with CCl4challenge. Liver function was determined by the measurement of serum biomarkers, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson’s trichrome staining. Intestinal inflammatory infiltration and the disruption of intestinal barrier were examined by H&E and E-cadherin immunohistochemical staining. The microbial composition of intestinal content was determined by 16S rRNA sequencing. Serum bile acids (BAs) profiling was analyzed by LC–MS/MS. Simultaneously, the expression of genes of interest was determined by qPCR and western blot.

Results

SWT exhibited remarkable therapeutic effects on CCl4-induced liver fibrosis, as indicated by improved collagen accumulation in livers, intestinal barrier injury and hepatic and intestinal inflammatory response. Results of 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that SWT treatment strikingly restructured intestinal microbiota in fibrotic mice by increasing the relative abundances ofBacteroidesandLachnoclostridiumand decreasing the relative abundances ofAlistipesandRikenellaceae. UHPLC-MS/MS data suggested that SWT altered the composition of BAs in circulation as evidenced by increased unconjugated BAs like cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid but decreased conjugated BAs including taurocholic acid and taurodeoxycholic acid, compared to that in CCl4mice. Notably, SWT efficiently improved the imbalance of BA homeostasis in livers caused by CCl4via activating farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-fibroblast growth factor 15 enterohepatic and FXR-small heterodimer partner hepatic pathways.

Conclusion

SWT decreased inflammatory response, reconstructed gut microbiota-mediated BA homeostasis as well as activated FXR pathways, which eventually protected against CCl4-induced fibrotic liver injury.
Synthetic biology toolkit for engineering Cupriviadus necator H16 as a platform for CO2 valorization
Authors: Pan Haojie , Wang Jia , Wu Haoliang , Li Zhongjian , Lian Jiazhang
Published: November 2021

Background

CO2valorization is one of the effective methods to solve current environmental and energy problems, in which microbial electrosynthesis (MES) system has proved feasible and efficient.Cupriviadus necator(Ralstonia eutropha) H16, a model chemolithoautotroph, is a microbe of choice for CO2conversion, especially with the ability to be employed in MES due to the presence of genes encoding [NiFe]-hydrogenases and all the Calvin–Benson–Basham cycle enzymes. The CO2valorization strategy will make sense because the required hydrogen can be produced from renewable electricity independently of fossil fuels.

Main body

In this review, synthetic biology toolkit forC. necatorH16, including genetic engineering vectors, heterologous gene expression elements, platform strain and genome engineering, and transformation strategies, is firstly summarized. Then, the review discusses how to apply these tools to makeC. necatorH16 an efficient cell factory for converting CO2to value-added products, with the examples of alcohols, fatty acids, and terpenoids. The review is concluded with the limitation of current genetic tools and perspectives on the development of more efficient and convenient methods as well as the extensive applications ofC. necatorH16.

Conclusions

Great progress has been made on genetic engineering toolkit and synthetic biology applications ofC. necatorH16. Nevertheless, more efforts are expected in the near future to engineerC. necatorH16 as efficient cell factories for the conversion of CO2to value-added products.
Associations between locomotive and non-locomotive physical activity and physical performance in older community-dwelling females with and without locomotive syndrome: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Nishimura Tomohiro , Hagio Atsushi , Hamaguchi Kanako , Kurihara Toshiyuki , Iemitsu Motoyuki , Sanada Kiyoshi
Published: November 2021

Background

Locomotive syndrome (LS) is a condition of reduced mobility due to a disorder of the locomotive system. Increasing moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has been recommended to prevent LS. However, to increase daily MVPA is difficult for older people with LS. The MVPA consists of not only locomotive activities such as walking but also non-locomotive activities such as household activities. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between locomotive/non-locomotive MVPA and physical performance in older females with and without LS.

Methods

Participants of this cross-sectional study were 143 older community-dwelling Japanese females. The participants were divided into two groups based on the results of the stand-up test: the normal group (NL) (n = 86) and the LS group (n = 57). Both the locomotive and non-locomotive PA seperately measured with its intensity. The intensity of physical activity (PA) was calculated as METs and classified as sedentary behavior (SB 1–1.5 metabolic equivalent tasks (METs)), low-intensity physical activity (LPA 1.6–2.9 METs), and MVPA (≥ 3 METs). For example, locomotive LPA is slow walking speed of 54 m/min, and locomotive MVPA is walking speed of 67 m/min. While non-locomotive LPA is office work and cooking, non-locomotive MVPA is housecleaning. Physical function was evaluated by handgrip strength, walking speed, and 2-step test.

Results

Walking speed, hand-grip strength, 2-step test, daily step counts, and all PA measurements were not significantly different between two groups. In the LS, locomotive MVPA (r = 0.293, p < 0.05) and total MVPA (r = 0.299, p < 0.05) was significantly correlated with walking speed, but not in the NL.

Conclusions

Walking speed was positively correlated with locomotive MVPA and total MVPA in the LS group, but not in NL group. This result suggests that slow walking speed in older people with LS occur in connection with lower locomotive MVPA and total MVPA.
A simplified synthetic community rescues Astragalus mongholicus from root rot disease by activating plant-induced systemic resistance
Authors: Li Zhefei , Bai Xiaoli , Jiao Shuo , Li Yanmei , Li Peirong , Yang Yan , Zhang Hui , Wei Gehong
Published: November 2021

Background

Plant health and growth are negatively affected by pathogen invasion; however, plants can dynamically modulate their rhizosphere microbiome and adapt to such biotic stresses. Although plant-recruited protective microbes can be assembled into synthetic communities for application in the control of plant disease, rhizosphere microbial communities commonly contain some taxa at low abundance. The roles of low-abundance microbes in synthetic communities remain unclear; it is also unclear whether all the microbes enriched by plants can enhance host adaptation to the environment. Here, we assembled a synthetic community with a disease resistance function based on differential analysis of root-associated bacterial community composition. We further simplified the synthetic community and investigated the roles of low-abundance bacteria in the control of Astragalus mongholicus root rot disease by a simple synthetic community.

Results

Fusarium oxysporum infection reduced bacterial Shannon diversity and significantly affected the bacterial community composition in the rhizosphere and roots of Astragalus mongholicus. Under fungal pathogen challenge, Astragalus mongholicus recruited some beneficial bacteria such as Stenotrophomonas, Achromobacter, Pseudomonas, and Flavobacterium to the rhizosphere and roots. We constructed a disease-resistant bacterial community containing 10 high- and three low-abundance bacteria enriched in diseased roots. After the joint selection of plants and pathogens, the complex synthetic community was further simplified into a four-species community composed of three high-abundance bacteria (Stenotrophomonas sp., Rhizobium sp., Ochrobactrum sp.) and one low-abundance bacterium (Advenella sp.). Notably, a simple community containing these four strains and a thirteen-species community had similar effects on the control root rot disease. Furthermore, the simple community protected plants via a synergistic effect of highly abundant bacteria inhibiting fungal pathogen growth and less abundant bacteria activating plant-induced systemic resistance.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that bacteria with low abundance play an important role in synthetic communities and that only a few bacterial taxa enriched in diseased roots are associated with disease resistance. Therefore, the construction and simplification of synthetic communities found in the present study could be a strategy employed by plants to adapt to environmental stress.
The course of bipolar disorder in pregnant versus non-pregnant women
Authors: Stevens Anja W. M. M. , Draisma Stasja , Goossens Peter J. J. , Broekman Birit F. P. , Honig Adriaan , der Klein Elise A. M. Knoppert-van , Nolen Willem A. , Post Robert M. , Kupka R. W.
Published: November 2021

Background and rationale

Although it has been suggested that pregnancy may influence the course of bipolar disorder (BD), studies show contradictory results. Until now, no studies included a finegrained validated method to report mood symptoms on a daily basis, such as the lifechart method (LCM). The aim of the present study is to investigate the course of BD during pregnancy by comparing LCM scores of pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Methods

Study design: Comparison of LCM scores of two prospective observational BD cohort studies, a cohort of pregnant women (n = 34) and a cohort of non-pregnant women of childbearing age (n = 52). Main study parameters are: (1) proportions of symptomatic and non-symptomatic days; (2) symptom severity, frequency, and duration of episodes; (3) state sequences, longitudinal variation of symptom severity scores.

Results

No differences in clinical course variables (symptomatic days, average severity scores, frequency, and duration of episodes in BD were found between pregnant and non-pregnant women. With a combination of State Sequence Analysis (SSA) and cluster analysis on the sequences of daily mood scores three comparable clusters were found in both samples: euthymic, moderately ill and severely ill. The distribution differences between pregnant and non-pregnant women were significant, with a majority of the pregnant women (68%) belonging to the moderately ill cluster and a majority of the non-pregnant women (46%) to the euthymic cluster. In pregnant women the average daily variation in mood symptoms as assessed with Shannon’s entropy was less than in non-pregnant women (respectively 0.43 versus 0.56).

Conclusions

Although the use of daily mood scores revealed no difference in overall course of BD in pregnant versus non-pregnant women, more pregnant than non-pregnant women belonged to the moderately ill cluster, and during pregnancy the variation in mood state was less than in non-pregnant women. Further research is necessary to clarify these findings.
A comparative analysis of determinants of low birth weight and stunting among under five children of adolescent and non-adolescent mothers using 2015/16 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS)
Authors: Mtongwa Ramadhani H. , Festo Charles , Elisaria Ester
Published: November 2021

Background

Tanzania is one of the Sub-Saharan African country with nearly 12 out of 60 million people being adolescent. The prevalence of child marriage is higher with one out of every three girls being married before reaching their 18th birthday, 5 % being married by the age of 15, and 31% by the age of 18 years. Literature shows early pregnancy is associated with Low Birth Weight (LBW) and stunting among children under 5 years. This paper explores variation and factors associated with low birth weight and stunting among children born by adolescent and non-adolescent mothers.

Methods

Data from 13,266 women with children under 5 years collected as part of the 2015/2016 TDHS was re-analyzed using STATA version 14 software while accounting for survey design. A total of 6385 women (of which 7.2% were adolescent) and 8852 women (of which 6.7% were adolescent) were involved in the analysis of child birth weight and stunting respectively. Descriptive statistics stratified by maternal age was conducted with LBW and stunting as outcome variables followed by logistic regressions models controlling for confounding variables.

Results

The proportion of obese or overweight adolescent and non-adolescent mothers was 11.8 and 36.5% respectively. Antenatal care (ANC) attendance, areas of residence and social economic status were very similar in the two maternal age groups. Non- adolescent mothers had reduced odds of giving birth to LBW babies compared to adolescent mothers (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.22–0.50). Maternal undernutrition (AOR = 2.29; 95% CI: 1.43–3.67), being divorced, separated or widowed (AOR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.24–2.50) and having at least four ANC visits (AOR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.49–0.83) were significantly associated with reduced odds of having a LBW. Child stunting was not associated with maternal age. Maternal high socioeconomic status (AOR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.57–0.84) and maternal obesity or overweight (AOR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.64–0.92) were negatively associated with stunting. Child birth weight, sex, and age were significantly associated with stunting.

Conclusion

Maternal age was a predictor of LBW but not stunting. ANC attendance and not living with a spouse increase the risk of LBW babies. Stunting was associated with low maternal body mass index (BMI), low socioeconomic status, child birth weight, gender, and age. A multi-sectoral approach is needed to address child nutrition problems with teenagers ‘specific intervention that offer emotional support, and health education during pregnancies for improving immediate and later life child birth outcomes.
Moving beyond informal action: sustainable energy and the humanitarian response system
Authors: Thomas Peter James Matthew , Rosenberg-Jansen Sarah , Jenks Aimee
Published: November 2021

Energy and humanitarian action have long been uneasy bedfellows. In the field, many humanitarian practitioners lack the time or remit to engage with a complex issue such as energy, and the topic to date has received relatively little attention from the private, development and academic sectors. This paper hopes to provide more clarity on energy in forced displacement settings by analysing how energy is interwoven with the humanitarian cluster system. This paper has two aims: (1) to assess existing evidence in the sector and explain the links between energy and each of the humanitarian clusters and (2) to provide recommendations on how humanitarian response efforts can transition from informal action to a comprehensive response on sustainable energy provision. This paper is the first to investigate the role of energy using the cluster system as a framework and contributes to a rapidly evolving field of research and practice on energy in humanitarian contexts. Our analysis demonstrates that energy is not fully integrated within humanitarian programme planning. Further, it highlights pathways for improving humanitarian outcomes enabled by improved energy practices. We identify ten ways clusters can integrate action on energy to support crisis-affected communities.
Memory for diverse faces in a racially attentive context
Authors: Marsh Benjamin Uel , Revenaugh Deborah , Weeks Taylor , Lee Hyun Seo
Published: November 2021

Two experiments assessed how racial ambiguity and racial salience moderates the cross-race effect (CRE). In experiment 1, White and Black participants studied and identified the race of Asian, Black, Latino, and White faces that varied in ethnic typicality (high or low ET). For White participants, the CRE was larger when comparing high-ET White faces to high-ET other-race faces than low-ET other-race faces. Black participants showed a similar CRE reduction by ethnic typicality, but also showed a less prevalent CRE than White participants. Experiment 2 replicated experiment 1 procedures, but without the race identification task and only with White participants. Experiment 2 findings were comparable to experiment 1. Furthermore, experiment 2 showed a noticeably smaller CRE on Black faces than experiment 1, eliciting questions about increased racial salience amplifying the CRE. Results’ general implications and the conceptual roots that indirectly link the CRE and racism will be discussed.
Computational analyses of amino acid molecules of heat shock protein-70 for elucidating its evolutionary diversity and protein interactions in selected farm animals
Authors: Sikiru A. B. , Makinde O. J. , Opoola E. , Omotugba S. K. , Musa A. R.
Published: November 2021

Background

The heat shock protein-70 (HSP70) is a protein associated with response and adaptation to stress, as well as protection of the cells against thermal and oxidative stress in animals. It is an evolutionarily conserved protein, but its expression has been reportedly varied. Therefore, this study implemented computational analyses of the amino acid sequences of this gene for a better understanding of the evolutionary and protein interactions variations associated with the gene to facilitate its exploitation for the breeding of animals with increasing adaptation to heat stress.

Results

The result showed that there is a wide evolutionary distance between humans and the selected farm animals studied but elegans shared a common evolutionary relationship with the farm animals. The sequence identity analysis returned exact matches among the sequences as minimum = 8.09%, maximum = 98.58%, and mean ± SD = 71.03 ± 26.3% across all the species, while the sequence similarities resemblance among the sequences were minimum = 16.49%, maximum = 100%, and mean ± SD = 78.99 ± 24.39%. The global block substitution matrix (BLOSUM62) analysis returned minimum = 0.18, maximum = 0.98, and mean ± SD = 0.62 ± 0.34. The analysis of the molecular weight of the protein sequences returned minimum = 5.70 kDa, maximum = 6.41 kDa, mean = 6.28 kDa, and standard deviation 0.17 kDa, and the isoelectric point of the protein sequences was minimum = 4.55, maximum = 7.17, mean = 5.56, and standard deviation = 0.65 while the hydrophobicity of the protein sequences were minimum = 45.20 kcal/mol, maximum = 53.02 kcal/mol, mean = 47.81 kcal/mol, and standard deviation = 1.85 kcal/mol.

Conclusion

The outcomes of the computational analyses led to the conclusion that variations exist in the conservations of amino acid residues of the gene in the studied farm and non-farm animals, and this is responsible for the differences and similarities in the expression of the HSP70 gene in different animals. It was also concluded that elegans are suitable model that could be exploited for a better understanding of response and adaptation to heat stress in duck, chicken, cattle, sheep, and goat when focusing on regulation and expression of heat shock protein gene 70 (HSP70).
Three-point iterative algorithm in the absence of the derivative for solving nonlinear equations and their basins of attraction
Authors: Bahgat Mohamed S. M.
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we suggested and analyzed a new higher-order iterative algorithm for solving nonlinear equation $$g(x)=0$$

g
(
x
)
=
0

, $$g:{\mathbb {R}}\longrightarrow {\mathbb {R}}$$

g
:
R
⟶
R

, which is free from derivative by using the approximate version of the first derivative, and we studied the basins of attraction for the proposed iterative algorithm to find complex roots of complex functions $$g:{\mathbb {C}}\longrightarrow {\mathbb {C}}$$

g
:
C
⟶
C

. To show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for the real and the complex domains, the numerical results for the considered examples are given and graphically clarified. The basins of attraction of the existing methods and our algorithm are offered and compared to clarify their performance. The proposed algorithm satisfied the condition such that $$|x_{m}-\alpha |<1.0 \times 10^{-15}$$

|

x
m

-
α
|
<
1.0
×

10

-
15

, as well as the maximum number of iterations is less than or equal to 3, so the proposed algorithm can be applied to efficiently solve numerous type non-linear equations.