bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geographic variation in offspring size: Long‐ and short‐term climate affect mean seed mass ofStreptanthuspopulations
Authors: Love Natalie L. R. , Mazer Susan J.
Published: March 2022

Offspring size is a key functional trait that can affect subsequent life history stages; in many species, it exhibits both local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. Variation among populations in offspring size may be explained by various factors, including local climatic conditions. However, geographic variation in climate may be partitioned into long‐term and interannual sources of variation, which may differ in their effects on population mean offspring size. To assess environmental correlates of offspring size, we evaluated geographic variation in seed mass among 88 populations representing 6 species ofStreptanthus(Brassicaceae) distributed across a broad climatic gradient in California. We examined the effects of temperature‐mediated growing season length and precipitation on population mean seed mass to determine whether it is best explained by (1) long‐term mean climatic conditions; (2) interannual climate anomalies (i.e., deviations in climate from long‐term means) during the year of seed development, or (3) interactions between climate variables. Both long‐term mean climate and climate anomalies in the year of collection were associated with population mean seed mass, but their effects differed in direction and magnitude. Relatively large seeds were produced at chronically wet sites but also during drier‐than‐average years. This contrast indicates that these associations may be generated by different mechanisms (i.e., adaptive evolution vs. phenotypic plasticity) and may be evidence of countergradient plasticity in seed mass. In addition, populations occurring in locations characterized by relatively long growing seasons produced comparatively large seeds, particularly among chronically dry sites. This study highlights the need to consider that the responses of seed mass to long‐term versus recent climatic conditions may differ and that climate variables may interact to predict seed mass. Such considerations are especially important when using these patterns to forecast the long‐ and short‐term responses of seed mass to climate change. The results presented here also contribute to our broader understanding of how climate drives long‐term (e.g., local adaptation) and short‐term (e.g., phenotypic plasticity) variation in functional traits, such as offspring size across landscapes.
Material identification of construction machinery based on multisource sensor information fusion
Authors: Cai Dengsheng , Lu Zhigang , Fan Xiangsuo , Yao Jiale , Li Bing
Published: March 2022

In order to improve the recognition accuracy of construction machinery and equipment and materials in low contrast scenes, a construction machinery material recognition algorithm based on multisource sensor information fusion is proposed. In the paper, the millimeter wave radar is fused with the camera considering its strong penetration ability in rainy and foggy days and dim environments. Firstly, the spatial coordinates of radar and camera are unified by establishing a spatial fusion model of millimeter wave and camera; then the target acquired by millimeter wave is projected onto the image and the detection frame intersection and ratio model is used to generate the region of interest of the camera; finally, the improved YOLOv2 algorithm is used to identify the region of interest, and in the improved idea, the low‐level information is first connected with the high‐level information in multilayer depth. At the same time, a multiscale feature pyramid network structure is used to achieve recognition of objects of different scales. This model effectively reduces interference from other feature categories while improving the recognition efficiency of the system. The algorithm can effectively improve the recognition accuracy of mechanical materials in low‐contrast scenes, as demonstrated by the validation of different scenes.
Influence of guar gum and chitosan enriched with lemon peel essential oil coatings on the quality of pears
Authors: Iftikhar Ayesha , Rehman Abdur , Usman Muhammad , Ali Ahmad , Ahmad Muhammad Mushtaq , Shehzad Qayyum , Fatim Hina , Mehmood Arshad , Moiz Abdul , Shabbir Muhammad Asim , Manzoor Muhammad Faisal , Siddeeg Azhari
Published: March 2022

Pear is a typically climacteric fruit and highly perishable with a low shelf life owing to extreme metabolic activity after harvesting. The present study aimed to reduce weight loss and improve the firmness of pear during storage. The lemon peel essential oil (LPEO) has gained considerable attention due to being the richest source of bioactive compounds that behaved as a natural antioxidant agent, being cost‐effective, and being generally recognized as safe. Edible coatings equipped with a natural antioxidant agent and renewable biopolymers have gained more research fame owing to their involvement in the direction of biodegradability and food safety. In this work, edible skin coating materials (ESCMs) embedded by chitosan (1%) and guar gum (2%) were fabricated, and afterward, five concentrations of LPEO (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3.0%) were incorporated individually into the ESCMs. Findings revealed that LPEO–ESCMs significantly reduced the weight loss and improved the firmness of pear up to 45 days of storage at 4 ± 2°C. Furthermore, the LPEO–ESCMs have enhanced the antioxidant capacity, antibacterial efficiency, and malondialdehyde level of pear during storage time. It was concluded that 3% of LPEO–ESCMs improved the overall acceptability of pear fruits. Taken together, the novel insights of guar gum and chitosan‐based ESCMs entrapped with LPEO will remain a subject of research interest for researchers in the future.
BRAF V600E and previously unidentified KRAS G12C mutations in odontogenic tumors may affect MAPK activation differently depending on tumor type
Authors: Oh Kyu‐Young , Kim Ji‐Hoon , Cho Sung‐Dae , Yoon Hye‐Jung , Lee Jae‐Il , Hong Seong‐Doo
Published: March 2022

Although several types of odontogenic tumors share the same mutations in MAPK pathway genes, their effects on MAPK activation remain unclarified. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between these mutations and ERK phosphorylation in ameloblastoma and mixed odontogenic tumors (MOTs) and to analyze the expression pattern of phosphorylated ERK (p‐ERK) for determining the involvement of MAPK activation in the development and progression of odontogenic tumors. Forty‐three odontogenic tumors consisting of 18 ameloblastomas and 25 MOTs were analyzed for BRAF, KRAS, and NRAS mutations by Sanger sequencing. The expressions of BRAFV600E protein and p‐ERK were detected by immunohistochemistry. The associations between mutation status and p‐ERK expression were statistically analyzed. The effect of BRAFV600E inhibition on MAPK activation was investigated in ameloblastoma cells. In benign MOTs, BRAFV600E mutations were neither expressed at the protein level nor associated with p‐ERK expression. In contrast, BRAFV600E‐mutant ameloblastic fibrosarcoma showed co‐expression of BRAF V600E protein and p‐ERK, especially in the sarcomatous component. In ameloblastoma, p‐ERK was predominantly expressed in the tumor periphery showing a significant correlation with BRAFV600E mutations, and in vitro BRAFV600E inhibition decreased ERK phosphorylation. KRASG12C mutations, previously unidentified in odontogenic tumors, were detected in one case each of benign MOT and ameloblastoma; only the latter was high‐p‐ERK. In conclusion, unlike in benign MOTs, BRAFV600E and KRASG12C mutations lead to MAPK activation in ameloblastoma, suggesting their role as therapeutic targets. p‐ERK intratumoral heterogeneity indicates that MAPK pathway activation may be associated with sarcomatous proliferation of ameloblastic fibrosarcoma and infiltrative behavior of ameloblastoma.
Endocannabinoid signaling in brain diseases: Emerging relevance of glial cells
Authors: Bernal‐Chico Ana , Tepavcevic Vanja , Manterola Andrea , Utrilla Carmen , Matute Carlos , Mato Susana
Published: March 2022

The discovery of cannabinoid receptors as the primary molecular targets of psychotropic cannabinoid Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9‐THC) in late 1980s paved the way for investigations on the effects of cannabis‐based therapeutics in brain pathology. Ever since, a wealth of results obtained from studies on human tissue samples and animal models have highlighted a promising therapeutic potential of cannabinoids and endocannabinoids in a variety of neurological disorders. However, clinical success has been limited and major questions concerning endocannabinoid signaling need to be satisfactorily addressed, particularly with regard to their role as modulators of glial cells in neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, recent studies have brought into the limelight diverse, often unexpected functions of astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia in brain injury and disease, thus providing scientific basis for targeting glial cells to treat brain disorders. This Review summarizes the current knowledge on the molecular and cellular hallmarks of endocannabinoid signaling in glial cells and its clinical relevance in neurodegenerative and chronic inflammatory disorders.
Polydimethylsiloxane/graphene oxide/β‐cyclodextrin sponge as a solid‐phase extraction sorbent coupled with gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry for rapid adsorption and sensitive determination of lavender essential oil
Authors: Wang Lili , Li Dandan , Jiang Xinxing , Fu Jihong
Published: March 2022

An adsorbent polydimethylsiloxane/graphene oxide/β‐cyclodextrin sponge, which possessed the merits of high surface area, chemical stability, environment friendly, and excellent extraction capacity, was successfully fabricated. Based on the advantages, a novel microwave‐assisted headspace solid‐phase extraction method for lavender essential oil using polydimethylsiloxane/graphene oxide/β‐cyclodextrin sponge as adsorbents was developed in this study. Various experimental parameters were studied. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: 1 mg/mL as dopamine solution concentration, graphene oxide dosages of 30 mg, microwave power of 700 W, microwave irradiation time of 10 min, and desorption solvent of n‐hexane. Under the optimal extraction condition, linearities ranging from 10 to 800 ng were achieved for six representative compounds with a correlation coefficients value of >0.99. The intra‐day and inter‐day precisions were in the ranges of 0.40–1.56 and 0.67–2.56%, respectively. Finally, the proposed technique was applied to analyze essential oil constituents in 14 samples of three lavender varieties, and 48 compounds were identified. Lavender varieties were distinguished using principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis. The results showed that the method developed in this study is a novel, simple, and sensitive method for the determination of essential oil in complex plant samples.
Ultrahigh‐speed, ultrahigh‐resolution preparative separation of protein biopharmaceuticals using membrane chromatography
Authors: Ghosh Raja
Published: March 2022

This paper discusses ultrahigh‐speed, ultrahigh‐resolution preparative protein separation using an in‐house designed membrane chromatography device. The performance of the membrane chromatography device was systematically compared with an equivalent resin‐packed preparative column. Experiments carried out using model proteins showed that membrane chromatography gave more than four times greater resolution than the preparative column, while at the same time being more than 19 times faster. Membrane chromatography was therefore a better option, not only in terms of higher productivity but also in terms of higher product purity. Membrane chromatography was also superior in terms of resolving and presenting tracer impurity peaks in the chromatogram. Experiments carried out using monoclonal antibody samples showed that membrane chromatography was suitable for ultrahigh speed, and ultrahigh resolution fractionation of charge variants. This paper highlights and explains the need for proper device design for enabling the use of membrane chromatography for the efficient purification of protein biopharmaceuticals.
Dedicated Olfaction and Taste Items do not Improve Psychometric Performance of the SNOT‐22
Authors: Liu David T. , Phillips Katie M. , Houssein Firas A. , Speth Marlene M. , Besser Gerold , Mueller Christian A. , Sedaghat Ahmad R.
Published: March 2022

Objective

Previous work has shown the chemosensory dysfunction item of the 22‐item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22) that assesses problems with “taste/smell” has poor psychometric performance compared with other items on the SNOT‐22, which we have hypothesized is due to the simultaneous assessment of two different senses. Our aim was to determine whether distinct smell and taste items in the SNOT‐22 would improve psychometric performance.

Methods

One hundred and eighty‐one CRS patients were recruited and completed the SNOT‐22. Additional items querying problems with the senses of “smell” and “taste,” using the same response scale and recall period were given to study participants. Item response theory (IRT) was used to determine IRT parameters, including item discrimination, difficulty, and information provided by each SNOT‐22 item.

Results

Confirming previous studies, the chemosensory item of the SNOT‐22 (reflecting “taste/smell”) had poor psychometric performance. Use of a distinct smell or taste item instead of the combined “taste/smell” item did not improve psychometric performance. However, a dedicated smell question resulted in a left shift of threshold parameters, showing that the dedicated smell item better captures moderate CRS disease burden than the original taste/smell item of the SNOT‐22, which by virtue of near‐identical IRT parameters appears to more greatly reflect problems with taste.

Conclusions

A dedicated smell‐ or taste‐specific item, rather than the combined “taste/smell” item currently in the SNOT‐22 does not provide significantly greater psychometric performance. However, a dedicated smell item may better capture moderate CRS disease burden compared with the current chemosensory item on the SNOT‐22. Laryngoscope, 132:1644–1651, 2022
Evaluation of novel compound variants of CEP290 in prenatally suspected case of Meckel syndrome through whole exome sequencing
Authors: Peng Meilian , Han Shuai , Sun Juan , He Xiaodong , Lv Yaer , Yang Liwei
Published: March 2022

Background

Meckel syndrome (MKS) is a fatal disease characterized by multisystem fibrosis during the prenatal or perinatal period. It has an autosomal recessive genetic pattern and is characterized by meningo occipital encephalocele, polycystic kidney dysplasia, polydactyly, and hepatobiliary ductal plate malformation. Germline variations in CEP290 have been shown to cause MKS4.

Methods

In this study, a 23‐year‐old Chinese woman who was 18 weeks pregnant was examined. The pregnancy was terminated due to occipital meningocele and enlarged cystic dysplastic kidney revealed by ultrasonography. In addition, the patient had a history of adverse pregnancy whereby the fetus presented with double kidney enlargement. Karyotype analysis and chromosomal microarray examination (CMA) were carried out using amniotic fluid samples. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed using tissue specimens of the aborted fetus.

Results

Karyotype and CMA analyses showed normal results. However, compound heterozygous mutations of CEP290 c.3175dup and CEP290 c.1201dup were detected through WES. CEP290 c.1201dup is a novel heterozygous mutation of CEP290 that has not been reported previously.

Conclusions

The findings of this study provide information on the correlation between MKS phenotype and genotype in CEP290. In addition, these findings indicate that WES is an effective method for detecting genetic causes of multiple structural defects especially those showing normal karyotype and CMA results.
New abundant solitary wave structures for a variety of some nonlinear models of surface wave propagation with their geometric interpretations
Authors: El‐Ganaini Shoukry , Al‐Amr Mohammed O.
Published: March 2022

The propagation of waves of water on the surface is characterized by various mathematical models. In this work, we adopt the simplest equation method as well as the Kudryashov's new function method, to a variety of some nonlinear models of surface wave propagation to extract their abundant solitary wave structures. These nonlinear models include the Benjamin‐Bona‐Mahony (BBM) equation, the Ostrovsky (OS) equation, the Ostrovsky‐Benjamin‐Bona‐Mahony (OS‐BBM) equation, and the Boussinesq system of equations. Based on the solutions of two distinct auxiliary equations, various wave solutions are successfully obtained. In addition, the geometric interpretations of the obtained solutions are analyzed. To illuminate the physical nature of the obtained solutions of this paper, some graphical representations (numerical simulations) of the acquired solutions have been depicted in two‐dimensional density, two‐ and three‐dimensional graphs. Furthermore, a comparison between the obtained results of this paper and the solutions for the considered models obtained in the literature is also provided. It is shown that the used approaches are very effective and powerful strategies for a wider class of nonlinear partial differential equations in physical problems.
A near‐infrared CO2 detection system for greenhouse gas based on PCA‐DNN
Authors: Li Guolin , Li Jiarui , Liu Yajing , Song Yimeng , Jiao Yue , Zhao Hao , Zhang Xuena , Zhang Zecheng , Wu Yunhui , Ma Kun
Published: March 2022

Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is one of the main greenhouse gases. The detection of CO2 gas content is of great significance to the study of the greenhouse effect. The CO2 detection system based on the principle of tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) was demonstrated. A distributed feedback (DFB) laser with a central wavelength of 1580 nm was used as the laser source, multipass gas cell (MPGC) was used as gas cell, and indium gallium arsenic (IGA) photodetector was used to complete photoelectric conversion, and the original extracted second harmonic signal was smooth and denoised by wavelet transform. The signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of the wavelet‐filtered spectrum improved from 6.88 to 13.87 dB, an improvement of 2.02 times. Principal component analysis was used to reduce the complexity of the data by compressing the spectrum from 800 dimensions to 2 dimensions. For the concentration inversion, the back‐propagation deep neural network (BP‐DNN) model was used to perform standard gas concentration step experiments and compared with the back‐propagation neural network (BPNN). The experimental results show that the BP‐DNN inversion of CO2 concentration has improved computational accuracy and the root mean square error (RMSE) is 3.55 times lower than that of the traditional BPNN, showing favorable application prospects.
Effect of additional acupuncture to pelvic floor exercise on urinary incontinence: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wan Osanna Y. K. , Cheung Rachel Y. K. , Law Michelle P. M. , Lee Lai Loi , Wang Ronald Chi Chiu , Chan Symphorosa S. C.
Published: March 2022

Aims

To investigate the additional benefit of acupuncture to pelvic floor exercise (PFE) on the improvement of urinary incontinence (UI) and quality of life (QoL) in women.

Methods

This was a single‐blinded randomized controlled trial in a tertiary university hospital. Women with UI in various severity and types were randomized to receive either a weekly course of acupuncture with PFE or PFE alone for 6 weeks and then followed up for 24 weeks in every 6 weeks. Investigators were blinded to group allocation in pre‐ and postintervention assessments. Primary outcome was subjective changes of UI symptoms at 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes were episodes and severity of UI from bladder diary, severity by Visual Analogue Scale, and QoL scores by validated Chinese short‐form of Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI‐6) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ‐7).

Results

One hundred seventy‐nine women were screened while 137 were randomized. Significant subjective improvement in UI symptoms was demonstrated at all follow‐up, latest at 24 weeks (odds ratio [OR]: 2.29, 95% confidence Interval [CI]: 1.02–5.12, respectively), with reduced episodes and severity of UI after (p < 0.05), and a trend of improvement in IIQ‐7 score (p = 0.05). No major adverse events occurred. History of 2 years or longer duration of UI symptoms was associated with lower effectiveness of acupuncture (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01–0.68).
Why obesity and psychological stress matter in recovery of post‐acute sequelae of SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Carter Stephen J. , Baranauskas Marissa N.
Published: March 2022

Numerous elements of the COVID‐19 pandemic have proven challenging to overcome. We now recognize a perplexing characteristic of SARS‐CoV‐2 features mixed, unresolving symptoms that can last 4 weeks or longer after initial diagnosis, termed post‐acute sequelae of SARS‐CoV‐2 (PASC). Full recovery can thus become a protracted ordeal as conservative estimates indicate 20% of SARS‐CoV‐2 cases will develop PASC, with women at increased risk. Emerging evidence suggests latent virus reactivation including cytomegalovirus, Epstein‐Barr virus, and/or varicella zoster virus may perpetuate the burden of PASC. This is problematic because immune dysfunction is linked to obesity and psychological stress, both of which disproportionately affect socioeconomically disadvantaged people and racial/ethnic minorities. Applying a patient‐centered approach in which the principal factors guiding decision‐making are based on the needs and abilities of the individual is essential. Still, the independent and combined influence of obesity and psychological stress on immune function necessitates due consideration in the context of PASC recovery.
Metabolomics and chemometrics of seven aromatic plants: Carob, eucalyptus, laurel, mint, myrtle, rosemary and strawberry tree
Authors: de Falco Bruna , Grauso Laura , Fiore Alberto , Bonanomi Giuliano , Lanzotti Virginia
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree), Ceratonia siliqua L. (carob), Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. (eucalyptus), Laurus nobilis L. (laurel), Mentha aquatica L. (water mint), Myrtus communis L. (common myrtle), and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) are aromatic plants from the Mediterranean region whose parts and preparations are used for their nutritional properties and health benefits.

Objectives

To evaluate and compare the metabolites profile, total phenol content (TPC), and antioxidant activity of plant leaves for their future use. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used for metabolomics. Data comparison was performed by chemometrics.

Methodology

Polar and apolar extracts were analysed using untargeted GC–MS metabolomics followed by chemometrics (principal component analysis, heatmap correlation and dendrogram) to identify, quantify and compare the major organic compounds in the plants. Additionally, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used for the laurel polar extract to identify d‐gluco‐l‐glycero‐3‐octulose whose presence was unclear from the GC–MS data. TPC and antioxidant assays were performed using classical methods (Folin–Ciocalteu, 2,2′‐azinobis‐(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)) and correlated to the phytochemical profiles.

Results

Forty‐three metabolites were identified including amino acids, organic acids, carbohydrates, phenols, polyols, fatty acids, and alkanes. Eight metabolites (d‐fructose, d‐glucose, d‐mannose, gallic acid, quinic acid, myo‐inositol, palmitic and stearic acids) were in common between all species. d‐Gluco‐l‐glycero‐3‐octulose (37.29 ± 1.19%), d‐pinitol (31.33 ± 5.12%), and arbutin (1.30 ± 0.44%,) were characteristic compounds of laurel, carob, and strawberry tree, respectively. Carob showed the highest values of TPC and antioxidant activity.

Conclusion

GC–MS metabolomics and chemometrics analyses are fast and useful methods to determine and compare the metabolomics profiling of aromatic plants of food and industrial interest.
Absence of percolation in graphs based on stationary point processes with degrees bounded by two
Authors: Jahnel Benedikt , Tóbiás András
Published: March 2022

We consider undirected graphs that arise as deterministic functions of stationary point processes such that each point has degree bounded by two. For a large class of point processes and edge‐drawing rules, we show that the arising graph has no infinite connected component, almost surely. In particular, this extends our previous result for signal‐to‐interference ratio graphs based on stabilizing Cox point processes and verifies the conjecture of Balister and Bollobás that the bidirectional ‐nearest neighbor graph of a two‐dimensional homogeneous Poisson point process does not percolate for .
Effect of Caliber Rolling Temperatures on Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of High‐Mn Steels
Authors: Yu WenXing , Chen Hai Feng , Sun ZhiLin , Fang Wei , Feng JianHang , Zhang Xin , Liu BaoXi , He JiNing , Yin FuXing
Published: March 2022

Three kinds of high‐Mn steels are successfully fabricated by caliber rolling at different rolling temperatures, ranging from 773 to 1373 K. The effects of rolling temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of steels with different stacking fault energies (SFEs) are studied. With the increase in rolling temperature, the fibrous grains of the high‐Mn steels transform into equiaxed grains, and the microstructure evolution mechanism changes from discontinuous dynamic recrystallization to continuous dynamic recrystallization. The yield strength and microhardness of the experimental samples increase significantly with decreasing caliber rolling (CR) temperature, while the samples sacrifice various degrees of plasticity. Fe–30Mn–4Si–2Al steel with low SFE value fabricated by warm CR has the best microhardness (512 HV) and yield strength (1078.82 MPa), as well as a notable fracture elongation (11.10%) among three experimental steels. This is mainly attributed to the stability of dislocations and the dislocations and twin/ε‐martensite competitive mechanisms.
Machine learning solutions for predicting protein–protein interactions
Authors: Casadio Rita , Martelli Pier Luigi , Savojardo Castrense
Published: March 2022

Proteins are “social molecules.” Recent experimental evidence supports the notion that large protein aggregates, known as biomolecular condensates, affect structurally and functionally many biological processes. Condensate formation may be permanent and/or time dependent, suggesting that biological processes can occur locally, depending on the cell needs. The question then arises as to which extent we can monitor protein‐aggregate formation, both experimentally and theoretically and then predict/simulate functional aggregate formation. Available data are relative to mesoscopic interacting networks at a proteome level, to protein‐binding affinity data, and to interacting protein complexes, solved with atomic resolution. Powerful algorithms based on machine learning (ML) can extract information from data sets and infer properties of never‐seen‐before examples. ML tools address the problem of protein–protein interactions (PPIs) adopting different data sets, input features, and architectures. According to recent publications, deep learning is the most successful method. However, in ML‐computational biology, convincing evidence of a success story comes out by performing general benchmarks on blind data sets. Results indicate that the state‐of‐the‐art ML approaches, based on traditional and/or deep learning, can still be ameliorated, irrespectively of the power of the method and richness in input features. This being the case, it is quite evident that powerful methods still are not trained on the whole possible spectrum of PPIs and that more investigations are necessary to complete our knowledge of PPI‐functional interactions.

This article is categorized under:

Software > Molecular Modeling

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics

Data Science > Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning

Molecular and Statistical Mechanics > Molecular Interactions
Medaka embryos as a model for metabolism of anabolic steroids
Authors: Liu Lingyu , Hobohm Leonie , Bredendiek Felix , Froschauer Alexander , Zierau Oliver , Parr Maria Kristina , Keiler Annekathrin M.
Published: March 2022

In anti-doping science, the knowledge of drug metabolism is a prerequisite to identify analytical targets for the detection of misused prohibited substances. As the most obvious way to study xenobiotic metabolism, the administration to human volunteers, faces ethical concerns, there is a need for model systems. In the present study, we investigated whether Oryzias latipes (medaka) embryos might be an alternative, non-animal test model to study human-like metabolism. In the present study, we exposed medaka embryos at the morula stage to the anabolic steroid metandienone (10 µM or 50 µM) for a period of 2 or 8 days. According to the fish embryo toxicity test (OECD test), we assessed the developmental status of the embryos. We further investigated metandienone metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography- and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Medaka embryos produced three mono-hydroxylated and one reduced metabolite known from human biotransformation. Developmental malformations were observed for the exposition to 50 µM metandienone, while a significant elevation of the heart beat was also present in those individuals exposed to the lower dose for 8 days. The present study demonstrates that the medaka embryo represents a promising model to study human-like metabolism. Moreover, the judgement of developmental parameters of the fish embryos enables for the simultaneous assessment of toxicity.
Correction to: Traumatic Abdominal Wall Hernia–A Series of 12 Patients and a Review of the Literature
Authors: Alhadeedi Omar , Gruner Laurent , Lasseur Antoinette , Monneuse Olivier
Published: March 2022

The traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is strongly.
Emerging cross-talks between chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder (CKD–MBD) and malnutrition–inflammation complex syndrome (MICS) in patients receiving dialysis
Authors: Yamada Shunsuke , Tsuruya Kazuhiko , Kitazono Takanari , Nakano Toshiaki
Published: March 2022

Chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder (CKD–MBD) is a systemic disorder that affects multiple organs and systems and increases the risk of morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD, especially those receiving dialysis therapy. CKD–MBD is highly prevalent in CKD patients, and its treatment is gaining attention from healthcare providers who manage these patients. Additional important pathologies often observed in CKD patients are chronic inflammation and malnutrition/protein-energy wasting (PEW). These two pathologies coexist to form a vicious cycle that accelerates the progression of various other pathologies in CKD patients. This concept is integrated into the term “malnutrition–inflammation–atherosclerosis syndrome” or “malnutrition–inflammation complex syndrome (MICS)”. Recent basic and clinical studies have shown that CKD–MBD directly induces inflammation as well as malnutrition/PEW. Indeed, higher circulating levels of inorganic phosphate, fibroblast growth factor 23, parathyroid hormone, and calciprotein particles, as markers for critical components and effectors of CKD–MBD, were shown to directly induce inflammatory responses, thereby leading to malnutrition/PEW, cardiovascular diseases, and clinically relevant complications. In this short review, we discuss the close interplay between CKD–MBD and MICS and emphasize the significance of simultaneous control of these two seemingly distinct pathologies in patients with CKD, especially those receiving dialysis therapy, for better management of the CKD/hemodialysis population.
A Generalized Conditional Gradient Method for Dynamic Inverse Problems with Optimal Transport Regularization
Authors: Bredies Kristian , Carioni Marcello , Fanzon Silvio , Romero Francisco
Published: March 2022

We develop a dynamic generalized conditional gradient method (DGCG) for dynamic inverse problems with optimal transport regularization. We consider the framework introduced in Bredies and Fanzon (ESAIM: M2AN 54:2351–2382, 2020), where the objective functional is comprised of a fidelity term, penalizing the pointwise in time discrepancy between the observation and the unknown in time-varying Hilbert spaces, and a regularizer keeping track of the dynamics, given by the Benamou–Brenier energy constrained via the homogeneous continuity equation. Employing the characterization of the extremal points of the Benamou–Brenier energy (Bredies et al. in Bull Lond Math Soc 53(5):1436–1452, 2021), we define theatomsof the problem as measures concentrated on absolutely continuous curves in the domain. We propose a dynamic generalization of a conditional gradient method that consists of iteratively adding suitably chosenatomsto the current sparse iterate, and subsequently optimizing the coefficients in the resulting linear combination. We prove that the method converges with a sublinear rate to a minimizer of the objective functional. Additionally, we propose heuristic strategies and acceleration steps that allow to implement the algorithm efficiently. Finally, we provide numerical examples that demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm and model in reconstructing heavily undersampled dynamic data, together with the presence of noise.
Distance Education among Italian Teachers: Differences and Experiences
Authors: Menabò Laura , Skrzypiec Grace , Sansavini Alessandra , Brighi Antonella , Guarini Annalisa
Published: March 2022

The successful integration of technology in teaching is a key component of education. Although prior research highlighted factors fostering the use of technology by teachers, few studies focused on whether these factors vary among teachers of different grade levels and subjects. Moreover, no studies have investigated personal experiences related to distance education among a large sample of teachers. To address these gaps, the present mixed-method study sought to examine whether factors promoting distance education varied among Italian teachers of different grade levels and subjects. A further aim was to explore experiences of teachers using distance education. The sample involved 357 Italian teachers and preservice teachers who completed an online questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic that also contained open-ended questions. Findings indicated that teaching self-efficacy was greater in pre-service and primary teachers, while facilitating conditions were greater in humanities and science secondary teachers. The perceived ease of use of technology and technology for pedagogy skills were more pronounced among science secondary teachers. Advanced technology skills were lower in humanities secondary teachers while the behavioural intention to use technology was greatest among pre-service teachers. Four themes emerged from the qualitative study of teachers’ insights. These included positive and negative aspects of using technology, the relationship with students, the versatility of distance education, and the quality of lessons. This study underscores the need to address training based on different teachers’ grade levels and subjects, and to focus on the emerging themes to better integrate the use of technology in schools.
Archaeology and Kastom: Island Historicities and Transforming Religious Traditions in Southern Vanuatu
Authors: Flexner James L.
Published: March 2022

Recent expansion of alternative frameworks for archaeological interpretation, particularly non-Western ones, provides an opportunity to revisit and challenge orthodox narratives in the discipline. The Melanesian concept ofkastomprovides a framework to understand contradictions arising from the selective nature of colonial-era culture change. One facet of these transitions is the widespread adoption and integration of Christian beliefs and practices within Indigenous communities. From the 1600 s onwards, European missionaries sought to “convert” Pacific Islanders to Christianity. Much of what is written about religious change in the past is coloured by a Western missionary lens, with active proselytisers transforming existing beliefs and practices amongst the converted. This story is not sufficient, as changes to religion include elements of syncretism and creative adaptation of new beliefs while maintaining the old ways. Inkastom, non-linear temporalities and histories experienced in place undermine orthodox accounts of change through time.Kastomprovides a stable reference point for malleable histories, while also offering possibilities to craft different kinds of archaeological narratives.
Exploring the Existence of Distinct Subclasses of Intimate Partner Violence Experience and Associations with Mental Health
Authors: Lagdon Susan , Ross Jana , Waterhouse-Bradley Bethany , Armour Cherie
Published: March 2022

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a worldwide societal concern. Adversities such as IPV are known to impinge upon mental health and socio-economic development. However, much of the existing literature addresses single or dual constructs of IPV abuse rather than capturing the more common polyvictimisation experience and how they impact on mental health. Using a Northern Irish university student sample (n = 753), latent class analysis was employed to examine distinct patterns of IPV experience stratified by gender (n = 184 males (24.44%);n = 569 females (75.56%)). Regressions were then employed to assess whether there were differential associations between the latent classes of IPV and a range of mental health outcomes. While a greater number of females reported experiencing IPV, patterns of IPV victimisation across gender were found to be similar. Results indicated that three latent classes were optimal across both genders; one characterised by Low or no IPV (males: 48.37%; females: 56.24%), another characterised by predominantly physical and emotional denigration (males: 34.24%; females: 27.42%), and a third characterised by multiple endorsements of different types of IPV (males: 17.39%; females: 16.34%). Differences in mental health outcomes across gender are noted. Classes characterised by multiple forms of abuse report an increased risk of mental health outcomes including posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression but not alcohol use. The study extends the existing literature which highlights the importance of acknowledging psychological and emotional abuse (PEA) as a significant abuse type in the IPV experience. The study also reaffirms the need for definitional clarity and development of standardised measurement tools of PEA within the research context and beyond.
Interactions Between High Load of a Bio-based and Biodegradable Plastic and Nitrogen Fertilizer Affect Plant Biomass and Health: A Case Study with Fusarium solani and Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.)
Authors: Scheid Sarah-Maria , Juncheed Kantida , Tanunchai Benjawan , Wahdan Sara Fareed Mohamed , Buscot François , Noll Matthias , Purahong Witoon
Published: March 2022

Bio-based and biodegradable plastics such as mulching films are widely used in agricultural field sites. However, there are limited studies of their impact on plant development and health even though an important soil-borne plant pathogen F. solani has been reported to associate with various types of bio-based and biodegradable plastics, especially polybutylene succinate-co-adipate (PBSA). To evaluate the influence of PBSA amendment in soils on plant development and health, F. solani and mung bean (V. radiata) were used as models in a modified petri-dish test using soil suspensions. Mung bean seeds were incubated in suspensions with two dilutions (high vs. low dilution with low vs. high PBSA amendment) of soils pre-incubated 1 year with PBSA under different treatments (combinations of N fertilizer (ammonium sulfate) and PBSA load) in the modified petri dish test. Plant development and disease incidence were recorded with both microscopic and molecular techniques (specific PCR and Illumina amplicon sequencing). Treatment with PBSA and N fertilizer in non-sterile soil suspensions strongly increased the disease caused by F. solani on V. radiata at both low and high soil dilution. At high soil dilution, the F. solani disease incident was 67.5% while at the low dilution the disease incidence reached 92.5%. In contrast, in treatments PBSA but without N fertilizer, non F. solani disease was observed. Apart from F. solani infection, other soil fungi can also infect the mung bean seedlings, especially at low soil dilution levels. Nevertheless, based on this short-term study, we found no evidence that PBSA alone can significantly increase the overall disease incidence.
On Indefinite Quadratic Optimization over the Intersection of Balls and Linear Constraints
Authors: Almaadeed Temadher A. , Ansary Karbasy Saeid , Salahi Maziar , Hamdi Abdelouahed
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we study the minimization of an indefinite quadratic function over the intersection of balls and linear inequality constraints (QOBL). Using the hyperplanes induced by the intersection of each pair of balls, we show that the optimal solution of QOBL can be found by solving several extended trust-region subproblems (e-TRS). To solve e-TRS, we use the alternating direction method of multipliers approach and a branch and bound algorithm. Numerical experiments show the efficiency of the proposed approach compared to the CVX and the extended adaptive ellipsoid-based algorithm.
Humanoid and android robots in the imaginary of adolescents, young adults and seniors
Authors: Esposito Anna , Cuciniello Marialucia , Amorese Terry , Vinciarelli Alessandro , Cordasco Gennaro
Published: March 2022

This paper investigates effects of participants’ gender and age (adolescents, young adults, and seniors), robots’ gender (male and female robots) and appearance (humanoid vs android) on robots’ acceptance dimensions. The study involved 6 differently aged groups of participants (two adolescents, two young adults and two seniors’ groups, for a total of 240 participants) requested to express their willingness to interact and their perception of robots’ usefulness, pleasantness, appeal, and engagement for two different sets of females (Pepper, Erica, and Sophia) and male (Romeo, Albert, and Yuri) humanoid and android robots. Participants were also requested to express their preferred and attributed age ranges and occupations they entrusted to robots among healthcare, housework, protection and security and front office. Results show that neither the age nor participants and robots’ gender, nor robots’ human likeness univocally affected robots’ acceptance by these differently aged users. Robots’ acceptance appeared to be a nonlinear combination of all these factors.
Synergistic effects of length of stay and prior MDRO carriage on the colonization and co-colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales across healthcare settings
Authors: Htun Htet Lin , Hon Pei-Yun , Tan Rei , Ang Brenda , Chow Angela
Published: March 2022

Objective:

To characterize the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) co-colonization and to compare risk factors between healthcare facility types.

Design, setting, and participants:

We conducted a 3-year cross-sectional study among patients admitted to an acute-care hospital (ACH) and its 6 closely affiliated intermediate- and long-term care facilities (ILTCFs) in Singapore in June and July of 2014–2016.

Methods:

Specimens were concurrently collected from nares, axillae, and groins for MRSA detection, and from rectum or stool for VRE and CPE detection. Co-colonization was defined as having >1 positive culture of MRSA/VRE/CPE. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of co-colonization.

Results:

Of 5,456 patients recruited, 176 (3.2%) were co-colonized, with higher prevalence among patients in ITCFs (53 of 1,255, 4.2%) and the ACH (120 of 3,044, 3.9%) than LTCFs (3 of 1,157, 0.3%). MRSA/VRE was the most common type of co-colonization (162 of 5,456, 3.0%). Independent risk factors for co-colonization included male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37–2.80), prior antibiotic therapy of 1–3 days (OR, 10.39; 95% CI, 2.08–51.96), 4–7 days (OR, 4.89; 95% CI, 1.01–23.68), >7 days (OR, 11.72; 95% CI, 2.81–48.85), and having an open wound (OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.66–3.29). Additionally, we detected the synergistic interaction of length of stay >14 days and prior multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) carriage on co-colonization. Having an emergency surgery was a significant predictor of co-colonization in ACH patients, and we detected a dose–response association between duration of antibiotic therapy and co-colonization in ILTCF patients.

Conclusions:

We observed common and differential risk factors for MDRO co-colonization across healthcare settings. This study has identified at-risk groups that merit intensive interventions, particularly patients with prior MDRO carriage and longer length of stay.
Immersed body motion: near-bottom added mass effects
Authors: Maleki Shayan , Fiorotto Virgilio
Published: March 2022

The presence of a solid boundary can cause a substantial increase in added mass due to a solid body movement in the fluid. If the body is very close to the boundary, the added mass increases at an even greater rate. The added mass can be of considerable importance in many dams and hydropower, water/ocean, civil and mechanical engineering problems; furthermore, it has an important effect on the dynamics of the vibrating body in the fluid. The principal aim of this paper is to define a novel model to properly evaluate the near-bottom effects of the added mass and to investigate the instantaneous pressure field due to a body movement that changes the thickness of a compressible thin fluid film close to a solid boundary. The body movement can be due to the application of an external force according to Newton's law. This phenomenon is studied theoretically in this paper, and a hydrodynamic model able to compute the instantaneous pressure field in the thin fluid film is drawn out. The fluid film thickness variation, producing compression and decompression waves, tends to reduce the mean body displacement due to external forces, but it generates both high-frequency fluctuations in body force and in body displacements. For the first time, this novel study provides the near-bottom added mass and justifies the strong body accelerations measured in the laboratory experiments that have not been evidenced in the theoretical studies in the known literature.