bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Halo‐seq: An RNA Proximity Labeling Method for the Isolation and Analysis of Subcellular RNA Populations
Authors: Lo Hei‐Yong G. , Engel Krysta L. , Goering Raeann , Li Ying , Spitale Robert C. , Taliaferro J. Matthew
Published: May 2022

The subcellular localization of specific RNA molecules promotes localized cellular activity across a variety of species and cell types. The misregulation of this RNA targeting can result in developmental defects, and mutations in proteins that regulate this process are associated with multiple diseases. For the vast majority of localized RNAs, however, the mechanisms that underlie their subcellular targeting are unknown, partly due to the difficulty associated with profiling and quantifying subcellular RNA populations. To address this challenge, we developed Halo‐seq, a proximity labeling technique that can label and profile local RNA content at virtually any subcellular location. Halo‐seq relies on a HaloTag fusion protein localized to a subcellular space of interest. Through the use of a radical‐producing Halo ligand, RNAs that are near the HaloTag fusion are specifically labeled with spatial and temporal control. Labeled RNA is then specifically biotinylated in vitro via a click reaction, facilitating its purification from a bulk RNA sample using streptavidin beads. The content of the biotinylated RNA is then profiled using high‐throughput sequencing. In this article, we describe the experimental and computational procedures for Halo‐seq, including important benchmark and quality control steps. By allowing the flexible profiling of a variety of subcellular RNA populations, we envision Halo‐seq facilitating the discovery and further study of RNA localization regulatory mechanisms. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Visualization of HaloTag fusion protein localization

Basic Protocol 2: In situ copper‐catalyzed cycloaddition of fluorophore via click reaction

Basic Protocol 3: In vivo RNA alkynylation and extraction of total RNA

Basic Protocol 4: In vitro copper‐catalyzed cycloaddition of biotin via click reaction

Basic Protocol 5: Assessment of RNA biotinylation by RNA dot blot

Basic Protocol 6: Enrichment of biotinylated RNA using streptavidin beads and preparation of RNA‐seq library

Basic Protocol 7: Computational analysis of Halo‐seq data
Prevalence of diagnosed eating disorders in US transgender adults and youth in insurance claims
Authors: Ferrucci Katarina A. , Lapane Kate L. , Jesdale Bill M.
Published: May 2022

Objective

We estimated the prevalence of diagnosed eating disorders, overall and by select demographics, among commercially insured individuals identified as transgender in a national claims database.

Methods

From the 2018 IBM® MarketScan® Commercial Database, there were 10,415 people identifiable as transgender based on International Classification of Disease (ICD‐10) codes and procedure codes, specific to gender‐affirming care, from inpatient and outpatient claims. Eating disorders were identified from ICD‐10 codes and included anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, eating disorder not otherwise specified, avoidant restrictive feeding and intake disorder, and other specified feeding and eating disorders. We estimated the prevalence of specific eating disorders diagnoses by selecting patient characteristics.

Results

Of individuals receiving some form of gender‐affirming care, 2.43% (95% confidence interval: 2.14%–2.74%) were diagnosed with an eating disorder: 0.84% anorexia nervosa, 0.36% bulimia nervosa, 0.36% binge eating disorder, 0.15% avoidant restrictive feeding and intake disorder, 0.41% other specified feeding and eating disorders, and 1.37% with an unspecified eating disorder. Among transgender‐identifiable patients aged 12–15 years, 5.60% had an eating disorder diagnosis, whereas 0.52% had an eating disorder diagnosis in patients aged 45–64 years.

Discussion

In patients identifiable as transgender, with receipt of gender‐affirming care, the prevalence of diagnosed eating disorders was low compared to extant self‐reported data for eating disorder diagnosis in transgender individuals. Among this population, eating disorders were highest in adolescents and young adults. Clinically verified prevalence estimates for eating disorder diagnosis in transgender people with a history of gender‐affirming care warrant further investigation.

Public Significance

The present study aims to provide clinically validated, contemporary prevalence estimates for diagnosed eating disorders among a medically affirmed population of transgender adults and children in the United States. We report low prevalence of having any eating disorder relative to prevalence estimates reported in prior literature without clinical validation. These findings may be explained by access to affirming care and medical care generally.
Effects of Spartina alterniflora invasion on the community structure and diversity of wetland soil bacteria in the Yellow River Delta
Authors: Shang Shuai , Hu Shunxin , Liu Xiaoxue , Zang Yu , Chen Jun , Gao Ning , Li Liangyu , Wang Jun , Liu Longxiang , Xu Jikun , Zhang Yumiao , Wu Tao , Tang Xuexi
Published: May 2022

The exotic plant Spartina alterniflora is expanding rapidly along China's coast regions, seriously threatening native ecosystems. Soil bacteria are important for biogeochemical cycles, including those of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, in wetland ecosystems. There is growing evidence that microorganisms are important in case of plant invasion. In the present study, we studied the interlacing area of S. alterniflora and Suaeda heteroptera, selected soil of invaded and non‐invaded regions and explored the effect of the composition and diversity of bacterial communities in coastal wetlands. The bacterial community composition of invasive and noninvasive areas was subjected to high‐throughput sequencing. In the five areas tested, the main bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, and Acidobacteria; the richness of the bacterial community in the soil increased after S. alterniflora invasion, most changes occurred at the genus level. The relative abundances of Desulfobulbus and Sulfurovum were higher in invasive areas than in noninvaded areas. PCA, RDA, and LEfSe analyses found that the S. alterniflora invasion significantly influenced the bacterial community and physicochemical properties of wetland soil. In conclusion, soil microbial community composition was tightly associated with S. alterniflora invasion. This study provide an important scientific basis for further research on the invasion mechanism of S. alterniflora.
Climate drove the fire cycle and humans influenced fire occurrence in the East European boreal forest
Authors: Ryzhkova N. , Kryshen A. , Niklasson M. , Pinto G. , Aleinikov A. , Kutyavin I. , Bergeron Y. , Ali Adam A. , Drobyshev I.
Published: May 2022

Understanding long‐term forest fire histories of boreal landscapes is instrumental for parameterizing climate–fire interactions and the role of humans affecting natural fire regimes. The eastern sections of the European boreal zone currently lack a network of annually resolved and centuries‐long forest fire histories. To fill in this knowledge gap, we dendrochronologically reconstructed the 600‐year fire history of a middle boreal pine‐dominated landscape of the southern part of the Republic of Komi, Russia. We combined the reconstruction of fire cycle (FC) and fire occurrence with the data on the village establishment and climate proxies and discussed the relative contribution of climate versus human land use in shaping historic fire regimes. Over the 1340–1610 ce period, the territory had a FC of 66 years (with the 90% confidence envelope of 56.8 and 78.6 years). Fire activity increased during the 1620–1730 ce period, with the FC reaching 32 years (31.0–34.7 years). Between 1740–1950, the FC increased to 47 years (41.9–52.0). The most recent period, 1960–2010, marks FC's historic maximum, with the mean of 153 years (102.5–270.3). Establishment of the villages, often as small harbors on the Pechora River, was associated with a non‐significant increase in fire occurrence in the sites nearest the villages (p = 0.07–0.20). We, however, observed a temporal association between village establishment and fire occurrence at the scale of the whole studied landscape. There was no positive association between the former and the FC. In fact, we documented a decline in the area burned, following the wave of village establishment during the second half of the 1600s and the first half of the 1700s. The lack of association between the dynamics of FC and the dates of village establishments, and the significant association between large fire years and the early and latewood pine chronologies, used as historic drought proxy, indirectly suggests that the climate was the primary control of the landscape‐level FCs in the studied forests. Pine‐dominated forests of the Komi Republic may hold a unique position as the ecosystem with the shortest history of human‐related shifts in fire cycles across the European boreal region.
High dimensionality of stoichiometric niches in soil fauna
Authors: Zhang Bing , Chen Haozhen , Deng Mingqin , Li Jingyi , González Angélica L. , Wang Shaopeng
Published: May 2022

The ecological niche is a fundamental concept to understand species’ coexistence in natural communities. The recently developed framework of the multidimensional stoichiometric niche (MSN) characterizes species’ niches using chemical elements in living organisms. Despite the fact that living organisms are composed of multiple elements, stoichiometric studies have so far mostly focused on carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), and therefore a quantitative analysis of the dimensionality of the MSN in living organisms is still lacking, particularly for animals. Here we quantified 10 elements composing the biomass of nine soil animal taxa (958 individuals) from three trophic groups. We found that all 10 elements exhibited large variation among taxa, which was partially explained by their phylogeny. Overlaps of MSNs among the nine soil animal taxa were relatively smaller based on 10 elements, compared with those based on only C, N, and P. Discriminant analysis using all 10 elements successfully differentiated among the nine taxa (accuracy: 90%), whereas that using only C, N, and P resulted in a lower accuracy (60%). Our findings provide new evidence for MSN differentiation in soil fauna and demonstrate the high dimensionality of organismal stoichiometric niches beyond C, N, and P.
Carbon Doping Triggered Efficient Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution of Cross‐Linked Porous Ru‐MoO2 Via Solid‐Phase Reaction Strategy
Authors: Cai Jialin , Yang Jianye , Xie Xin , Ding Jie , Liu Leyan , Tian Wanyu , Liu Yushan , Tang Zhiyong , Liu Baozhong , Lu Siyu
Published: May 2022

The defect‐free structure of Mo‐based materials is a “double‐edged sword”, which endows the material with excellent stability, but limits its chemical versatility and application in electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Carbon doping engineering is an attractive strategy to effectively improve the performance of Mo‐based catalyst and maintain their stability. Herein, we report a cross‐linked porous carbon‐doped MoO2 (C–MoO2)‐based catalyst Ru/C–MoO2 for electrochemical HER, which is prepared by the convenient redox solid‐phase reaction (SPR) of porous RuO2/Mo2C composite precursor. Theoretical studies reveal that due to the presence of carbon atoms, the electronic structure of C–MoO2 has been properly adjusted, and the loaded small Ru nanoparticles provide a fast water dissociation rate and moderate H adsorption strength. In electrochemical studies under a pH‐universal environment, Ru/C–MoO2 electrocatalyst exhibits a low overpotential at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and has a low Tafel slope. Meanwhile, Ru/C‐MoO2 has excellent stability for more than 100 h at an initial current density of 100 mA cm−2.
Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Carotenoids (Astaxanthin, Adonirubin, and Adonixanthin) from Paracoccus carotinifaciens: Improved Z‐Isomer Ratio and Recovery of Carotenoids via High‐Temperature Extraction
Authors: Honda Masaki , Murakami Kazuya , Osawa Yukiko , Kawashima Yuki , Wasai Masafumi , Hirasawa Kazuaki , Kuroda Ikuo
Published: May 2022

The effects of high‐temperature supercritical CO2 (SC‐CO2) extraction on Z‐isomerization and recovery of carotenoids (astaxanthin, adonirubin, and adonixanthin) from Paracoccus carotinifaciens are investigated. The high‐temperature extraction, especially at >100 °C, not only increases the total Z‐isomer ratio of carotenoids in the resulting extracts but also improves carotenoid recovery. For example, when the SC‐CO2 extraction is performed at 60 °C and 30 MPa with an entrainer (ethanol), the total Z‐isomer ratio and the recovery of astaxanthin are 11.1% and 28.4%, respectively, whereas at 120 °C, the values increase to 54.2 and 56.4%, respectively. The significant improvement in the extraction efficiency of carotenoids at high temperatures can be attributed to the increase in the ratio of carotenoid Z‐isomers with high solubility in SC‐CO2. Moreover, the effects of extraction pressure and entrainer content on Z‐isomerization and recovery of carotenoids are also investigated. The results show that higher pressure and ethanol content resulted in lower Z‐isomer ratios and higher recoveries of carotenoids. As the Z‐isomers of carotenoids have greater bioavailability and potentially exhibit superior biological activities than the all‐E‐isomers, high value‐added carotenoids, and higher yield can be simultaneously achieved with high‐temperature extraction.

Practical applications: As carotenoid extraction is usually performed using toxic organic solvents, residual solvents are a serious concern. In addition, naturally occurring carotenoids (mainly the all‐E‐isomers) have low bioavailability. These are important issues that need to be overcome for the industrial use of carotenoids. The Z‐isomer‐rich carotenoids obtained by SC‐CO2 extraction under high‐temperature conditions have great potential to solve these issues simultaneously.
In vivo genotoxic effects of commercial grade cypermethrin on fish peripheral erythrocytes
Authors: Sharma Ritu , Jindal Rajinder
Published: May 2022

The study explicates the genotoxic effects of commercial grade cypermethrin on peripheral erythrocytes of Catla catla, chronically exposed to two environmentally relevant concentrations. The fish was treated with sub–lethal concentrations 0.12 μg/L and 0.41 μg/L (1/10th and /1/3rd of 96 h LC50) of cypermethrin for 45 days. DNA damage in the exposed fish was assessed using alkaline comet assay, presence of micronuclei (MN), erythrocyte nuclear and cytoplasmic abnormalities. Exposure to cypermethrin induced a dose‐dependent increase in percent DNA damage, micronucleus frequency and erythrocyte abnormalities. Nuclear anomalies such as notched nuclei, lobed nuclei, bridged nuclei, and deformed nuclei; and cytoplasmic anomalies like anisochromasia, vacuolated cytoplasm, lobed cells, and echinocytes were observed. The findings revealed the genotoxic potential of commercial formulations pyrethroid cypermethrin at concentrations found in the environment and their potential deleterious effects on nontarget aquatic organisms.
An effective data routing for dynamic area coverage using multidrone network
Authors: Swain Sipra , Mohan Khilar Pabitra , Ranjan Senapati Biswa
Published: May 2022

Drones equipped with visual sensors are extensively utilized in various area coverage applications such as area mapping, monitoring of crops and road traffic, rescue operations, and so on. To enhance the coverage process, a suitable mobility model and an effective way of data communication are required. In literature, many works have been performed by focusing on the above‐mentioned aspects individually. However, unwanted information processing and a less packet delivery ratio with high message flooding are some shortcomings that have been seen in existing works on mobility model and routing protocol respectively. The above‐mentioned issues motivate us to propose a three‐level working process of ground area coverage, which includes the design of a mobility model as well as a routing mechanism incorporating the above‐mentioned mobility pattern. A set of waypoints for the movement of a drone is generated by an optimized aerial decomposition process in order to maximize and minimize the actual and exterior ground area coverage respectively. The decomposition is performed by incorporating the position and orientation of the camera footprint. While moving through the waypoints, a drone finds a stable and energy‐enable path to transmit the collected information to other drones. To avoid the frequent link loss due to the high mobility and limited energy of drones, threshold values for the velocity and energy with an estimated link stability time are considered as three parametric for the proposed routing mechanism. The result shows that the proposed work outperforms the existing result in many folds, and is suitable for the area coverage applications.
Physiochemical, sensorial, and rheological characteristics of sauce developed from Kashmiri apples: Influence of cultivars and storage conditions
Authors: Bakshi Rayees Ahmad , Aslam Afra , Khan Zakir S. , Fayaz Shumaila , Dar B.N.
Published: May 2022

The present investigation was undertaken to develop sauce from different cultivars of apples. Apple sauce of 5 cultivars was developed and effect of the storage conditions on the pH, acidity, TSS, total sugar, color, sensory, and rheological behavior of different apple sauce cultivars was studied. Analytical determinations were made after 0, 15, 30, and 45 days at both refrigerated and ambient conditions. The observed range of TSS was 30 to 30.14˚brix for refrigerated and 27.4 to 30.7˚brix for sauces stored at ambient storage conditions.. The pH decreased during the overall storage period from 4.07 to 3.96 in refrigerated samples, while as pH decreased from 4.06 to 3.92 in ambient stored samples. Rheological properties of sauces were evaluated using a parallel plate rheometer that showed the storage modulus, Gʹ higher than the loss modulus, G″ for all the sauce samples indicating the dominance of the elastic behavior. The viscosity decreased with an increase in the shear rate for both, refrigerated and ambient stored sauce samples at the end of the storage period. Organoleptic characteristics (taste, color, aroma, and appearance) were examined by a semi‐trained panelist using 5 point hedonic scale. The sauce samples from Mollies Delicious and Chamure apple cultivars showed the highest acceptance.
Revealing the mechanism of formation and transformation of chlorinated by‐products during electrolyzing synthetic urine using Ti/RuOx‐IrOx and BDD electrodes
Authors: Wang Fei , Liu Junfeng , Li Da , Zhang Jie , Zhou Kanghan , Dong Hongjun , Feng Yujie
Published: May 2022

In this study, the mechanism of chlorinated by‐products (CBPs) formation and transformation during urine electrolysis was comparatively investigated with active and nonactive electrodes. It was found that nutrients removal and CBPs formation was dominated by the chlorine evolution on the active Ti/RuOx‐IrOx electrodes. CBPs formation was inhibited by the ammonia and urea chlorination and kept at a relatively low level before chlorination breakpoint. After the concentration of organic CBPs (OCBPs) increasingly reaching the maximum as a result of the peak concentration of free chlorine, most free chlorine transformed into inorganic chlorination by‐products (ICBPs) with the chlorate as the main species. In contrast, the formation of CBPs on boron‐doped diamond (BDD) electrodes was jointly dominated by the direct oxidation and chlorine mediated oxidation, which resulted in the complete degradation of OCBPs and the accumulation of ICBPs throughout the electrolysis. The organics with high molecular weight readily formed CBPs. Moreover, higher current density would accelerate the production of ICBPs on both electrodes, although it could mitigate OCBPs production at chlorination breakpoint for Ti/RuOx‐IrOx anodes. Separation of chloride ions and organics with high molecular weight from urine using nanofiltration was proposed to mitigate the production of CBPs.
Higher‐resolution quantification of white matter hypointensities by large‐scale transfer learning from 2D images on the JPSC‐AD cohort
Authors: Thyreau Benjamin , Tatewaki Yasuko , Chen Liying , Takano Yuji , Hirabayashi Naoki , Furuta Yoshihiko , Hata Jun , Nakaji Shigeyuki , Maeda Tetsuya , Noguchi‐Shinohara Moeko , Mimura Masaru , Nakashima Kenji , Mori Takaaki , Takebayashi Minoru , Ninomiya Toshiharu , Taki Yasuyuki ,   Japan Prospective Studies Collaboration for Aging and Dementia (JPSC‐AD) Study Group
Published: May 2022

White matter lesions (WML) commonly occur in older brains and are quantifiable on MRI, often used as a biomarker in Aging research. Although algorithms are regularly proposed that identify these lesions from T2‐fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences, none so far can estimate lesions directly from T1‐weighted images with acceptable accuracy. Since 3D T1 is a polyvalent and higher‐resolution sequence, it could be beneficial to obtain the distribution of WML directly from it. However a serious difficulty, both for algorithms and human, can be found in the ambiguities of brain signal intensity in T1 images. This manuscript shows that a cross‐domain ConvNet (Convolutional Neural Network) approach can help solve this problem. Still, this is non‐trivial, as it would appear to require a large and varied dataset (for robustness) labelled at the same high resolution (for spatial accuracy). Instead, our model was taught from two‐dimensional FLAIR images with a loss function designed to handle the super‐resolution need. And crucially, we leveraged a very large training set for this task, the recently assembled, multi‐sites Japan Prospective Studies Collaboration for Aging and Dementia (JPSC‐AD) cohort. We describe the two‐step procedure that we followed to handle such a large number of imperfectly labeled samples. A large‐scale accuracy evaluation conducted against FreeSurfer 7, and a further visual expert rating revealed that WML segmentation from our ConvNet was consistently better. Finally, we made a directly usable software program based on that trained ConvNet model, available at https://github.com/bthyreau/deep-T1-WMH.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease prevalence and severity in Asian Americans from the national health and nutrition examination surveys 2017–2018
Authors: Truong Emily , Yeo Yee Hui , Cook‐Wiens Galen , Muthiah Mark , Yang Ju Dong , Sundaram Vinay , Chang Devon , Todo Tsuyoshi , Kim Irene K. , Lu Shelly C. , Setiawan Veronica Wendy , Wong Vincent W. S. , Harrison Stephen A. , Alkhouri Naim , Noureddin Mazen
Published: May 2022

Studies have examined nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevalence and severity in Asians; however, this is not well understood in Asian Americans (both East and South Asian Americans) as few studies have analyzed this population. We aimed to describe characteristics, prevalence of NAFLD, and its severity in Asian Americans in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 2017 to 2018. Respondents 18 years and older with interview, laboratory testing, and transient elastography data were included. Other causes of liver disease were excluded. Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) cutoff ≥ 274 dB/m, as published in the literature, defined NAFLD. Sensitivity analysis for CAP cutoffs ≥ 248 and ≥302 dB/m were performed. We found that 450 out of 3639 respondents were Asian Americans, and prevalence using CAP ≥ 274 dB/m was 43.23%. Using sensitivity analysis cutoffs of CAP ≥ 248 dB/m and CAP ≥ 302 dB/m, the prevalence was 57.38% and 28.03%, respectively. Compared with non‐Asian Americans with NAFLD, Asian Americans with NAFLD had significantly lower body mass index (BMI) and less prevalent smoking history. Comorbidities, such as prediabetes, diabetes, and hypertension, were not significantly different between Asian and non‐Asian Americans with NAFLD. Compared to non‐Asian Americans with NAFLD, Asian Americans with NAFLD exhibited higher aminotransferases and triglycerides. Fibrosis assessed by transient elastography was not significantly different between Asian and non‐Asian Americans with NAFLD. Despite decreased prevalence of BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, Asian Americans experienced similar NAFLD prevalence with increased hepatocellular injury and triglyceridemia compared to non‐Asian Americans. Fibrosis stages were similar to non‐Asian Americans.
Integrating partitioned evapotranspiration data into hydrologic models: Vegetation parameterization and uncertainty quantification of simulated plant water use
Authors: Schreiner‐McGraw Adam P. , Ajami Hoori , Anderson Ray G. , Wang Dong
Published: May 2022

Accurate simulation of plant water use across agricultural ecosystems is essential for various applications, including precision agriculture, quantifying groundwater recharge, and optimizing irrigation rates. Previous approaches to integrating plant water use data into hydrologic models have relied on evapotranspiration (ET) observations. Recently, the flux variance similarity approach has been developed to partition ET to transpiration (T) and evaporation, providing an opportunity to use T data to parameterize models. To explore the value of T/ET data in improving hydrologic model performance, we examined multiple approaches to incorporate these observations for vegetation parameterization. We used ET observations from five eddy covariance towers located in the irrigated San Joaquin Valley, California, to parameterize orchard crops in an integrated land surface—groundwater model. By using ET, or both ET and T data, we examined the impact of multiple model parameterization approaches ranging from simple performance metrics to the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation method. We find that a simple approach of selecting the parameter sets based on ET and T performance metrics works best at these study sites. Selecting parameters based on performance relative to observed ET creates an uncertainty of 27% relative to the observed value. When parameters are selected using both T and ET data, this uncertainty drops to 24%. Similarly, the uncertainty in potential groundwater recharge drops from 63% to 58% when parameters are selected with ET or T and ET data, respectively. While these improvements are minor in an irrigated setting, the value of partitioning ET data may be more useful in non‐irrigated settings. Additionally, using crop type parameters results in similar levels of simulated ET as using site‐specific parameters. Different irrigation schemes create high amounts of uncertainty and highlight the need for accurate estimates of irrigation when performing water budget studies.
Diagnostic potential of nanoparticle aided assays for MUC16 and MUC1 glycovariants in ovarian cancer
Authors: Jain Shruti , Nadeem Nimrah , Ulfenborg Benjamin , Mäkelä Maria , Ruma Shamima Afrin , Terävä Joonas , Huhtinen Kaisa , Leivo Janne , Kristjansdottir Björg , Pettersson Kim , Sundfeldt Karin , Gidwani Kamlesh
Published: May 2022

Our study reports the discovery and evaluation of nanoparticle aided sensitive assays for glycovariants of MUC16 and MUC1 in a unique collection of paired ovarian cyst fluids and serum samples obtained at or prior to surgery for ovarian carcinoma suspicion. Selected glycovariants and the immunoassays for CA125, CA15‐3 and HE4 were compared and validated in 347 cyst fluid and serum samples. Whereas CA125 and CA15‐3 performed poorly in cyst fluid to separate carcinoma and controls, four glycovariants including MUC16MGL, MUC16STn, MUC1STn and MUC1Tn provided highly improved separations. In serum, the two STn glycovariants outperformed conventional CA125, CA15‐3 and HE4 assays in all subcategories analyzed with main benefits obtained at high specificities and at postmenopausal and early‐stage disease. Serum MUC16STn performed best at high specificity (90%‐99%), but sensitivity was also improved by the other glycovariants and CA15‐3. The highly improved specificity, excellent analytical sensitivity and robustness of the nanoparticle assisted glycovariant assays carry great promise for improved identification and early detection of ovarian carcinoma in routine differential diagnostics.
How is loneliness related to anxiety and depression: A population‐based network analysis in the early lockdown period
Authors: Owczarek Marcin , Nolan Emma , Shevlin Mark , Butter Sarah , Karatzias Thanos , McBride Orla , Murphy Jamie , Vallieres Frederique , Bentall Richard , Martinez Anton , Hyland Philip
Published: May 2022

High risk of mental health problems is associated with loneliness resulting from social distancing measures and “lockdowns” that have been imposed globally due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study explores the interconnectedness of loneliness, anxiety and depression on a symptom level using network analysis. A representative sample of participants (N = 1041), who were of at least 18 years of age, was recruited from the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Loneliness, anxiety and depression were assessed using validated instruments. Network analysis was used to identify the network structure of loneliness, anxiety and depression. Loneliness was found to be largely isolated from anxiety and depression nodes in the network. Anxiety and depression were largely interconnected. “Trouble relaxing,” “feeling bad about oneself” and “not being able to stop or control worrying” were suggested as the most influential nodes of the network. Despite the expectation that loneliness would be implicated more robustly in the anxiety and depression network of symptoms, the results suggest loneliness as a distinct construct that is not interwoven with anxiety and depression.
To what extent could the acetabular liner thickness be reduced yet remaining tribologically acceptable in metal‐on‐vitamin E‐diffused crosslinked polyethylene hip arthroplasty?
Authors: Tateiwa Toshiyuki , Affatato Saverio , Takahashi Yasuhito , Shishido Takaaki , Pezzotti Giuseppe , Yamamoto Kengo
Published: May 2022

The aim of the present study was to evaluate how much reduction in acetabular liner thickness could be tribologically acceptable in metal‐on‐vitamin‐E diffused highly crosslinked ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (Vit‐E XLPE) bearings for total hip arthroplasty. We tested thick‐ (10.3 mm), moderate‐ (6.3 mm), and thin‐ (4.3 mm) Vit‐E XLPE liners coupled with 28‐mm cobalt‐chromium femoral heads on a hip simulator to 5 million cycles, and peak contact stress was predicted based on mathematical modeling. Wear damage was also evaluated in terms of surface topology and morphology. Wear simulation demonstrated that the 2–4 mm thickness reduction (6.3 → 4.3 mm and 10.3 → 6.3 mm) did not significantly affect the wear rate for Vit‐E XLPE liner, whereas 6‐mm reduction (10.3 → 4.3 mm) significantly increased liner wear (by 309%) and head roughness (by 415%). This effect was attributed to a contact stress increase (by 24–41%). However, the wear rates for all thicknesses tested were much lower than those previously reported for thicker non‐crosslinked materials. The original crystalline morphology was maintained in all liners after wear. Our results suggest that the 2–4 mm thickness reduction may be tribologically acceptable in Vit‐E XLPE liners. However, more severe and longer term simulations are necessary to determine a minimum acceptable thickness.
The use of avocado seed self‐assembly monolayer films for the catalysis of methanol electrooxidation reaction
Authors: Altunbaş Şahin Ece
Published: May 2022

Catalysts are important equipment that limits the performance of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). With the use of appropriate electrocatalysts, the efficiency of DMFC can be increased. Although the platinum‐based catalysts have high efficiency for this process high cost and its limited sources on the earth are the main drawbacks. On the other hand, platinum affectivity may be alternative material due to its high resistance against CO‐poisoning on the electrode/solution interface. They have also a low cost. In this study, the extracts of avocado seed (AS) are prepared in ethanol solvent and their self‐assembly monolayer (SAM) films were prepared on the copper specimens (Cu/AS‐SAM). The AS‐SAM film modified catalyst was used as anode material for electrooxidation of methanol in an alkaline solution. To increase catalytic efficiency, the surface of Cu/AS‐SAM was modified by electrodeposition of Ni. The surfaces of the bare copper, the AS‐SAM film, and the Ni‐modified were described by SEM, AFM, and EDX‐mapping measurements. Their electrocatalytic activity and stability were evaluated with 1.0 M methanol containing alkaline solution by cyclic voltammetry (CV), Tafel curves and chronoamperometry (CA) tests. The results showed that a durable and homogeneous AS‐SAM film forms on the copper surface from the extracts of AS in ethanol solvent. The AS‐SAM film is electroactive for the methanol electrooxidation reaction. Moreover, modification of the film by depositing with Ni enhances its activity. The AS, agriculture waste can be utilized for fabricating anode materials for methanol electrooxidation reactions.
Dioscin ameliorates inflammatory bowel disease by up‐regulating miR‐125a‐5p to regulate macrophage polarization
Authors: Shi Lingyan , Zhang Peichen , Jin Ruifang , Chen Xiaowei , Dong Lemei , Chen Weichang
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Dioscin has been proven to have anti‐cancer, anti‐inflammatory, and anti‐infection roles. However, the role of Dioscin in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its related mechanisms is unclear and needs further study.

Methods

The colitis model in mice was established. After Dioscin (20, 40, or 80 mg/kg) treatment, the colon length was measured by a ruler. Histopathology, inflammatory cytokines, gut permeability, tight junction proteins, macrophage infiltration, macrophage polarization, and miR‐125a‐5p level were detected by hematoxylin–eosin staining, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), FITC‐dextran, Western blot, and flow cytometry. In vitro experiments, after RAW264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), were treated with Dioscin and miR‐125a‐5p inhibitor, miR‐125a‐5p level, cell vitality, inflammatory cytokines, and M1/M2 marker genes were measured by qRT‐PCR and MTT assay.

Results

Dioscin (20, 40, or 80 mg/kg) relieved DSS‐triggered colitis and restrained the serum and colon of pro‐inflammatory cytokines expression. Meanwhile, different concentrations' Dioscin weakened M1 macrophage polarization but facilitated tight junction protein expressions, M2 macrophage polarization, and miR‐125a‐5p level in colitic mice. Moreover, miR‐125a‐5p inhibitor reversed the modulation of Dioscin on miR‐125a‐5p expression, cell vitality, and inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced RAW264.7 cells. We further discovered that Dioscin restrained M1 marker gene (CD16) expression while intensifying M2 marker genes (CD206 and Arginase‐1) expressions in vitro, which was reversed by miR‐125a‐5p inhibitor.

Conclusion

Dioscin modulated macrophage polarization by increasing miR‐125a‐5p, thereby improving the intestinal epithelial barrier function and reducing IBD.
MicroRNA‐203a‐3p may prevent the development of thyroid papillary carcinoma via repressing MAP3K1 and activating autophagy
Authors: Dai Lei , Zhang Weidong , Wu Xianjiang , Zhou Shuihong
Published: May 2022

Background

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) grows slowly but has a great risk of metastasis. MicroRNAs are well known as vital tumor‐related gene regulators. In PTC, the role of miR‐203a‐3p and the underlying mechanisms remain not completely understood.

Methods

We conducted CCK8 assay, wound healing assay, transwell experiment and flow cytometry analyses to investigate the function of miRNA‐203a‐3p. The interaction of miRNA‐203a‐3p with its gene MAP3K1 was characterized by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and luciferase assay.

Results

We found that the levels of miRNA‐203a‐3p were statistically decreased in PTC tissues. When mimics were delivered to TPC‐1 and KTC‐1 cells to upregulate miR‐203a‐3p, it was observed that cell proliferation, metastatic abilities and cell cycle process were prevented but cell apoptosis was enhanced. Furthermore, we proved the interaction between MAP3K1 and miR‐203a‐3p. Intriguingly, similar to miR‐203a‐3p mimics, siMAP3K1 showed a tumor‐suppressive effect, and this effect could be reversed when miR‐203a‐3p was simultaneously inhibited. Finally, selected autophagy‐linked proteins such as LC3 Beclin‐1 were detected and found to be increased when miR‐203a‐3p was upregulated or MAP3K1 was inhibited.

Conclusion

Overall, miR‐203a‐3p inhibits the oncogenic characteristics of TPC‐1 and KTC‐1 cells via suppressing MAP3K1 and activating autophagy. Our findings might enrich the understanding and the therapeutic strategies of PTC.
A U‐shaped association between serum albumin with total triiodothyronine in adults
Authors: Zhang Ya , Xie Ruijie , Ou Jun
Published: May 2022

Background

Thyroid dysfunction is a common thyroid disorder in our life and its symptoms are non‐specific, therefore the diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction is important for patients. Albumin (ALB) can carry thyroid hormones to their sites of action as a way to achieve rapid delivery of thyroid hormones to the tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum ALB levels and total triiodothyronine (TT3) in adults.

Methods

Data from the 2007–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to examine the association between ALB and TT3 using multivariate logistic regression models. Fitting smoothed curves and generalized weighted models were also used.

Results

The analysis included a total of 7933 participants that we found an independent positive relationship between ALB and TT3 among participants [0.006 (0.003, 0.009)]. In men, there was a significant positive correlation between ALB and TT3, whereas in women ALB and TT3 suggested a significant negative correlation. Moreover, our study revealed that the independent association between the levels of ALB and TT3 was significant in Non‐Hispanic White, but not in Non‐Hispanic Black. Notably, we found a U‐shaped association between ALB and serum TT3 in total participants (inflection point for ALB: 41 g/L) and females after adjusted covariates (inflection point for ALB: 46 g/L).

Conclusions

We found a U‐shaped relationship between serum ALB and TT3 with infection point at 41 g/L for ALB, which may provide a reference for future screening in adults with thyroid dysfunction.
A comparison of telehealth versus in‐person group therapy: Results from a DBT‐based dual diagnosis IOP
Authors: Bean Christian A. L. , Aurora Pallavi , Maddox Corey J. , Mekota Ryan , Updegraff Alanna
Published: May 2022

Objective

The effectiveness of remotely delivered group interventions and treatments for individuals with more complex psychiatric presentations is understudied. Nevertheless, the emergence of the COVID‐19 pandemic shifted such treatments from in‐person to remote service delivery without the establishment of comparable effectiveness between in‐person and remote delivery. The current study presents the results of a private practice's transition from in‐person treatment delivery to a videoconference‐delivered Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)‐based intensive outpatient program (IOP) for individuals with comorbid mental health and substance use disorder diagnoses in response to the pandemic.

Methods

Change in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress following completion of the IOP was compared between the in‐person and videoconference groups.

Results

Large reductions in symptoms were found following completion of the IOP for both the in‐person and videoconference groups. Furthermore, no significant differences in symptom reduction were found between the groups.

Conclusion

Although large‐scale replication is needed, these results suggest that IOPs and other intensive group therapies delivered via videoconference may be as effective as in‐person therapies, even among individuals with more complex psychiatric presentations. Providers who have transitioned group therapies to videoconference formats or are considering creating remote groups can be more confident that they are not sacrificing treatment efficacy.
Bi2O4 decorated with SnO2 nanoparticles as direct Z‐scheme heterojunction for enhanced degradation of tetracycline under visible light irradiation
Authors: Zhao Sheng‐geng , Chen Fang‐yan , Hao Chen‐chen , Tang Yu‐bin , Shi Wei‐long
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

Bismuth tetraoxide (Bi2O4) has attracted increasing interest as a novel visible‐light‐driven photocatalyst. It suffers from some drawbacks, such as quick recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, small specific surface area and few active sites due to submicron rod structure.

RESULTS

A novel and efficient binary heterojunction photocatalyst, in which zero‐dimensional (0D) SnO2 nanoparticles was anchored on the surface of one‐dimensional (1D) Bi2O4 micrometer rods, was successfully synthesized. The as‐prepared samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized photocatalysts was evaluated by photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible‐light irradiation. The prepared 30‐SB composite (30 wt% SnO2/Bi2O4) exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity toward TC degradation. The removal efficiency of TC was up to 84.3% within 120 min. The rate constant k for the reaction of 30‐SB composite is 0.029017 min−1, which is 13.4 and 1.8 times as high as that of SnO2 and Bi2O4, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The significantly boosted photocatalytic activity is attributed to the formation of Z‐scheme heterojunctions between SnO2 and Bi2O4. Z‐scheme charge transfer promoted the effective separation of photogenerated carriers and ensured that the holes with higher oxidative activity and electrons with stronger reducibility participate in the production of •OH and •O2− as well as direct degradation of TC. This work will provide a new modification strategy for the potentially excellent photocatalyst Bi2O4. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
2,4,6‐Trichlorophenol degradation mechanism and microbial community analysis in an intimately coupled visible‐light photocatalysis and biodegradation system
Authors: Liang Yinna , Zhao Tianyu , Xiao Bing , Xiong Jianhua , Wang Shuangfei , Zhu Hongxiang , Chen Guoning , Song Hainong , Huang Shaobin
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

Intimately coupled photocatalysis and biodegradation (ICPB) is a novel wastewater treatment technology with potential applications in the degradation of bio‐recalcitrant compounds. Although visible light has some advantages over UV light in the ICPB technology, it has never been used to treat 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol (2,4,6‐TCP)‐contaminated wastewater with this approach.

RESULTS

TiO2/sponge composites with good photocatalytic activity under visible light were prepared and used as biofilm supports to develop a novel ICPB system. The latter showed highly efficient degradation properties and could mineralize 2,4,6‐TCP, with performances superior to those of the individual biological and photocatalytic systems. The removal of 2,4,6‐TCP using the ICPB system reached almost 100% after 4 h, whereas the mineralization rate approached 83% after 12 h. The key feature of the presented ICPB method is that photocatalytic reactions can occur after detachment of biofilms from the outer surface of the composite, and the resulting photocatalytic products are biodegraded by the protected biofilms inside the composites. The interior of the composites exhibited a marked enrichment in Acinetobacter, Methylophilus, Pseudomonas, Acidovorax and Flavobacterium species, which played an important role in the ICPB system.

CONCLUSIONS

This study introduces a new bio‐photocatalytic degradation system and provides insight into the mechanism of chlorophenol‐contaminated wastewater treatment using ICPB. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Light and scanning electron microscopic characterization of aflatoxins producing Aspergillus flavus in the maize crop
Authors: Seerat Wajiha , Akram Abida , Qureshi Rahmatullah , Yaseen Ghulam , Mukhtar Tariq , Hanif Nafeesa Qudsia
Published: May 2022

Maize (Zea mays L.) is considered as one of the main cereals, used as a source of food, forage, and processed products. The loss of maize productivity is reported due to effect on roots, stalks, ears, and kernels mainly caused by many fungi. Among these fungal pathogens of maize, Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) are the most prevalent that produces highly toxigenic aflatoxins that are highly carcinogenic to the consumers. The present study is confined to isolate and characterize the A. flavus from maize seeds for accurate identification that can be helpful for determination and management of aflatoxins in maize crop. Eighty stored seed samples of maize were collected from warehouses where seeds are stored for food and feeding purposes. For the isolation of A. flavus, Potato Dextrose Agar was used. Isolated fungi were identified macro and microscopically using light microscope and scanning electron microscope. A total of 212 Aspergillus isolates were identified based on macro‐morphological and micro‐morphological characteristics. The results showed that A. flavus colonies were granular, flat with yellow‐green to deep yellow‐green colony color having a white border and compact, spherical spore heads. Rapid rate of growth was observed maturing in about 3–5 days. In microscopic features, A. flavus have apically swollen conidiophores with various conidia bearing cells in long and dry chains. Spherical conidial heads were split into several columns ranging 300–400 μm in diameter. This will be helpful for farmers, researchers and traders in future for correct identification of sources of aflatoxins.

Research Highlights

Maize seed samples were collected from Pothohar region of Pakistan.

The fungi were isolated on PDA.

Aspergillus flavus was identified macro‐morphologically by observing growth rate, colony color and texture.

Furthermore, these fungi were identified micro‐morphologically by using light and scanning electron microscope.

The 212 Aspergillus flavus strains were isolated and identified.