bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soil Microbial Distribution Depends on Different Types of Landscape Vegetation in Temperate Urban Forest Ecosystems
Authors: Fu Qiang , Shao Yizhen , Wang Senlin , Liu Fengqin , Tian Guohang , Chen Yun , Yuan Zhiliang , Ye Yongzhong
Published: May 2022

Although soil microbes play an important role in the functioning of the forest ecosystem, our understanding of the spatial distribution characteristics of soil microbes among different vegetation types in urban forest ecosystems is poor. In this study, with the help of high-throughput sequencing, we examined the vegetation type preferences of soil microbes (fungi and bacteria) and then analyzed the microbe–environment (plant community, light availability, soil properties) relations in a temperate urban forest in China. Our results showed that the soil microbial (bacterial and fungal) richness of deciduous forest was higher than that of evergreen, and mixed forests. The spatial distribution of fungi was more specialized than that of bacteria among different vegetation types. The driving forces of environmental factors on soil bacteria and fungi were different. Our findings suggest that different vegetation types favor the occurrence of different microbes, and the relationships between soil microbes and environmental factors depend on different vegetation types in this temperate urban forest. These findings shed new light on the biodiversity conservation of microbes in temperate urban forests and point to the potential importance of vegetation types for microbe formation.
“Let’s Just Wait Until She’s Born”: Temporal Factors That Shape Decision-Making for Prenatal Genomic Sequencing Amongst Families Underrepresented in Genomic Research
Authors: Brown Julia E. H. , Zamora Astrid N. , Outram Simon , Sparks Teresa N. , Lianoglou Billie R. , Norstad Matthew , Sahin Hodoglugil Nuriye N. , Norton Mary E. , Ackerman Sara L.
Published: May 2022

Genomic sequencing has been increasingly utilized for prenatal diagnosis in recent years and this trend is likely to continue. However, decision-making for parents in the prenatal period is particularly fraught, and prenatal sequencing would significantly expand the complexity of managing health risk information, reproductive options, and healthcare access. This qualitative study investigates decision-making processes amongst parents who enrolled or declined to enroll in the prenatal arm of the California-based Program in Prenatal and Pediatric Genome Sequencing (P3EGS), a study in the Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research (CSER) consortium that offered whole exome sequencing for fetal anomalies with a focus on underrepresented groups in genomic research. Drawing on the views of 18 prenatal families who agreed to be interviewed after enrolling (n = 15) or declining to enroll (n = 3) in P3EGS, we observed that the timing of sequencing, coupled with unique considerations around experiences of time during pregnancy and prenatal testing, intersect with structural supports beyond the clinic to produce preferences for and against prenatal sequencing and to contain the threat of unwelcome, uncertain knowledge. Particularly for those without structural supports, finding out consequential information may be more palatable after the birth, when the first stage of the uncertain future has been revealed. Future research should examine the role of temporality in decision-making around prenatal genomic sequencing across diverse population cohorts, in order to observe more precisely the role that structural barriers play in patient preferences.
Novel Immune Checkpoints in Esophageal Cancer: From Biomarkers to Therapeutic Targets
Authors: Zhou Xueyin , Ren Ting , Zan Hongyuan , Hua Chunyan , Guo Xufeng
Published: May 2022

Esophageal cancer ranks as the sixth most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Due to the limited efficacy of conventional therapeutic strategies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, treatments are still far from satisfactory in terms of survival, prompting the search for novel treatment methods. Immune checkpoints play crucial roles in immune evasion mediated by tumor cells, and successful clinical outcomes have been achieved via blocking these pathways. However, only a small fraction of patients can benefit from current immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4. Unfortunately, some patients show primary and/or acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Until now, novel immune checkpoint pathways have rarely been studied in esophageal cancer, and there is a great need for biomarkers to predict who will benefit from existing strategies. Herein, we primarily discuss the roles of new immune checkpoints as predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for esophageal cancer. In addition, we summarize the ongoing clinical trials and provide future research directions targeting these pathways.
Immunization with CSP and a RIG-I Agonist is Effective in Inducing a Functional and Protective Humoral Response Against Plasmodium
Authors: Teixeira Ana Rafaela , Pérez-Cabezas Begoña , Costa David M. , Sá Mónica , Golba Sylvain , Sefiane-Djemaoune Hélèna , Ribeiro Joana , Kaneko Izumi , Iwanaga Shiroh , Yuda Masao , Tsuji Moriya , Boscardin Silvia  Beatriz , Amino Rogerio , Cordeiro-da-Silva Anabela , Tavares Joana
Published: May 2022

Malaria is a major public health concern, as a highly effective human vaccine remains elusive. The efficacy of a subunit vaccine targeting the most abundant protein of the sporozoite surface, the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) has been hindered by difficulties in generating an effective humoral response in both quantity and quality. Using the rodent Plasmodium yoelii model we report here that immunization with CSP adjuvanted with 5’ppp-dsRNA, a RIG-I agonist, confers early and long-lasting sterile protection in mice against stringent sporozoite and mosquito bite challenges. The immunization induced high levels of antibodies, which were functional in targeting and killing the sporozoites and were sustained over time through the accumulation of long-lived plasma cells in the bone marrow. Moreover, 5’ppp-dsRNA-adjuvanted immunization with the CSP of P. falciparum was also significantly protective against challenges using a transgenic PfCSP-expressing P. yoelii parasite. Conversely, using the TLR3 agonist poly(A:U) as adjuvant resulted in a formulation that despite inducing high antibody levels was unable to generate equally functional antibodies and was, consequently, less protective. In conclusion, we demonstrate that using 5’ppp-dsRNA as an adjuvant to vaccines targeting CSP induces effective anti-Plasmodium humoral immunity.
An Update on Protective Effectiveness of Immune Responses After Recovery From COVID-19
Authors: Soleimanian Saeede , Alyasin Soheila , Sepahi Najmeh , Ghahramani Zahra , Kanannejad Zahra , Yaghobi Ramin , Karimi Mohammad Hossein
Published: May 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exhibits variable immunity responses among hosts based on symptom severity. Whether immunity in recovered individuals is effective for avoiding reinfection is poorly understood. Determination of immune memory status against SARS-CoV-2 helps identify reinfection risk and vaccine efficacy. Hence, after recovery from COVID-19, evaluation of protective effectiveness and durable immunity of prior disease could be significant. Recent reports described the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 -specific humoral and cellular responses for more than six months in convalescent SARS-CoV-2 individuals. Given the current evidence, NK cell subpopulations, especially the memory-like NK cell subset, indicate a significant role in determining COVID-19 severity. Still, the information on the long-term NK cell immunity conferred by SARS-CoV-2 infection is scant. The evidence from vaccine clinical trials and observational studies indicates that hybrid natural/vaccine immunity to SARS-CoV-2 seems to be notably potent protection. We suggested the combination of plasma therapy from recovered donors and vaccination could be effective. This focused review aims to update the current information regarding immune correlates of COVID-19 recovery to understand better the probability of reinfection in COVID-19 infected cases that may serve as guides for ongoing vaccine strategy improvement.
The Dynamic Role of NK Cells in Liver Cancers: Role in HCC and HBV Associated HCC and Its Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Sajid Muhammad , Liu Lianxin , Sun Cheng
Published: May 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains an important complication of chronic liver disease, especially when cirrhosis occurs. Existing treatment strategies include surgery, loco-regional techniques, and chemotherapy. Natural killer cells are distinctive cytotoxic lymphocytes that play a vital role in fighting tumors and infections. As an important constituent of the innate immune system against cancer, phenotypic and functional deviations of NK cells have been demonstrated in HCC patients who also exhibit perturbation of the NK-activating receptor/ligand axis. The rate of recurrence of tumor-infiltrating and circulating NK cells are positively associated with survival benefits in HCC and have prognostic significance, suggesting that NK cell dysfunction is closely related to HCC progression. NK cells are the first-line effector cells of viral hepatitis and play a significant role by directly clearing virus-infected cells or by activating antigen-specific T cells by producing IFN-γ. In addition, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered NK cells suggest an exclusive opportunity to produce CAR-NKs with several specificities with fewer side effects. In the present review, we comprehensively discuss the innate immune landscape of the liver, particularly NK cells, and the impact of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) on the function of NK cells and the biological function of HCC. Furthermore, the role of NK cells in HCC and HBV-induced HCC has also been comprehensively elaborated. We also elaborate on available NK cell-based immunotherapeutic approaches in HCC treatment and summarize current advancements in the treatment of HCC. This review will facilitate researchers to understand the importance of the innate immune landscape of NK cells and lead to devising innovative immunotherapeutic strategies for the systematic treatment of HCC.
Hydrological and Biogeochemical Patterns in the Sicily Channel: New Insights From the Last Decade (2010-2020)
Authors: Placenti Francesco , Torri Marco , Pessini Federica , Patti Bernardo , Tancredi Vincenzo , Cuttitta Angela , Giaramita Luigi , Tranchida Giorgio , Sorgente Roberto
Published: May 2022

The hydrological and biogeochemical time series from 2010 to 2020 have highlighted specific relationships and trends in oceanographic processes and nutrient patterns in the Sicily Channel. Specifically, temperature and salinity time series in the intermediate waters showed a sharp annual increase of about 0.06°C and 0.09 within the period 2010-2020, at rates that are about 50% higher than what observed within the previous decade. Similar trends were also present in deep waters, although with lower variations of both temperature and salinity. The time series in the intermediate water, also highlighted the presence of quasi cyclic fluctuations that can be associated with the alternation of the circulation modes (cyclonic and anticyclonic) of the Northern Ionian Gyre. Moreover, an opposite trend emerged by comparing the nutrients and salinity time series in intermediate waters, while similar patterns has been evidenced between nutrients and chlorophyll-a concentration. This latter finding is not consistently present in the Mediterranean area, suggesting the need of further studies on a wider scale.
Growth and Reproduction of the Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas Cultured on Tidal Flat in Hebei Spirit Oil Spill Area on the West Coast of Korea Four Years After the Accident
Authors: Hong Hyun-Ki , Park Heung-Sik , Choi Kwang-Sik
Published: May 2022

The Hebei Spirit oil spill (HSOS) accident in December 2007 on the west coast of Korea devastated the intertidal oyster farms along the Taean coast, resulting in the shut-down of the farming for three years. In 2010, two years after the accident, the level of residual oil in the water, sediment, and oyster tissue in the spilled area became similar to the level before the accident, although the fitness of the oysters in the spilled area remained unknown. In an attempt to resume the oyster culture in the spilled area, we monitored the growth and reproduction of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in an area the most heavily impacted. The oyster spats used in this study were harvested from the oil-damaged area in September 2011 and hardened for 9 months before being transplanted into the grow-out facilities in May 2012. The transplanted oysters demonstrated a fast shell growth for the first 5 months, reaching 53.9 mm in shell length (SL) in October 2011. At the end of the survey in November 2013, the oyster became 65 mm, suggesting an additional year of cultivation to reach the market size. Histology indicated that the annual gametogenesis was synchronous, as the males and females initiated the gametogenesis in January when the water temperature was 5.2°C. The female oysters spawned from July to September, as the water temperature ranged from 21.2 to 24.8°C. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) applied in the reproductive effort measurement indicated that the fully ripe female oysters produced 20-23% of their body weight as eggs prior to spawning, which was comparable to the reproductive effort of oysters in oil-spill-free areas. The data suggested that off-bottom rack cultured Pacific oysters at the Euhangri beach successfully recovered from HSOS stresses 4 years after the accident.
Myxoinflammatory Fibroblastic Sarcoma of the Parotid Gland: First Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Wei Changhong , Yang Xuejia , Guo Pingping , Chen Xiaoyu , Li Chunjun , Chen Jun , Zhou Sufang
Published: May 2022

Myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma (MIFS) is a rare, low-grade malignant soft tissue tumor. Most of the previously reported cases about this tumor were diagnosed within the soft tissues. Here, we report a unique case of MIFS of the right parotid gland in a 39-year-old Chinese male. The tumor primarily consisted of an inflammatory area and a mucus-like area in a migratory distribution. A number of lymphocytes, neutrophils, viral-like cells with large nucleoli, and eosinophilic cytoplasm or Reed-Sternberg-like cells, as well as spindle cells and epithelial-like aberrant cells, were observed within the tumor. They were found to express Vimentin and CD10 protein and no other specific immunohistochemical markers. The various cytomorphology and immunohistochemical features of this tumor were highly consistent with MIFS found in other sites. Therefore, several leading pathologists ultimately confirmed the final diagnosis of MIFS in the right parotid gland after repeated deliberation. To our knowledge, this is the first case of MIFS occurring in the parotid gland. Thus, our study provides a novel basis for identifying the biological behavior of the tumor in MIFS and also allows us to better understand the pathology of this rare tumor.
Motivational Interviewing to Improve the Uptake of Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Long Novia Niannian , Lau Michele Petrova Xin Ling , Lee Ainsley Ryan Yan Bin , Yam Natalie Elizabeth , Koh Nicholas Ye Kai , Ho Cyrus Su Hui
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Colorectal cancer screening when done early can significantly reduce mortality. However, screening compliance is still lower than expected even in countries with established screening programs. Motivational interviewing is an approach that has been explored to promote behavioral change including screening compliance. This review synthesizes the efficacy of motivational interviewing in promoting uptake of colorectal screening modalities and is the only review so far that examines motivational interviewing for colorectal cancer screening alone.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effects of motivational interviewing for colorectal cancer screening. PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched to identify eligible studies from inception to June 2021 and selection criteria was defined. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. The DerSimonian and Laird random effects model was used in the statistical analysis for studies included in the meta-analysis.

Results

Fourteen studies from 14 randomized-controlled trials with a low to moderate risk of bias were analyzed. 8 studies in the systematic review showed that motivational interviewing is superior to a control group. Meta-analysis was conducted on 11 studies and showed that motivational interviewing is statistically significant in increasing colorectal cancer screening rates in both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis. Timing of data collection of colorectal cancer screening rates did not make a significant difference to the efficacy of motivational interviewing. Studies that offered and accepted a mixture of colorectal screening modalities such as colonoscopy and fecal immunochemical tests were significantly more likely to have favorable colorectal screening outcomes. Heterogeneity in intervention was noted between studies, specifically differences in the training of interventionists, intervention delivery and comparator components.

Conclusion

Motivational interviewing is a tailored intervention demonstrating mixed evidence in improving colorectal cancer screening attendance amongst individuals. More research is needed to rigorously compare the effect of motivational interviewing alone vs. in combination with other screening promotion strategies to enhance colorectal cancer screening compliance.
Effects of Sugammadex and Neostigmine on Post-operative Nausea and Vomiting in ENT Surgery
Authors: Mat Nik Izyan Syaizana Nik , Yeoh Chih Nie , Maaya Muhammad , Zain Jaafar Md , Ooi Joanna Su Min
Published: May 2022

We aim to compare the effects of sugammadex on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) with those of neostigmine–atropine mixture. A total of 136 American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) I or II patients, aged 18 to 65 years who underwent ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery under general anesthesia, were recruited in this prospective, randomized, double-blind study to receive either sugammadex 2 mg/kg or neostigmine 2.5 mg with atropine 1 mg for reversal of neuromuscular blockade. PONV scores and the need for the rescue of anti-emetic were assessed upon arrival in the post-anesthesia recovery unit and at 1-, 6-, 12-, and 24-h post-reversal. The incidence of PONV was significantly lower in patients who received sugammadex (3%) compared to patients who received neostigmine–atropine mixture (20%) at 6 h postoperative (p = 0.013). The incidence of PONV was comparable at other time intervals. None of the sugammadex recipients require rescue antiemetic whereas two patients from the neostigmine–atropine group required rescue antiemetic at 1 and 6 h post-reversal, respectively. The need for the rescue antiemetic was not statistically significant. We concluded that reversal of neuromuscular blockade with sugammadex showed lower incidence of PONV compared to neostigmine–atropine combination in the first 6 h post-reversal.
Changes in the Metagenome-Encoded CAZymes of the Rumen Microbiome Are Linked to Feed-Induced Reductions in Methane Emission From Holstein Cows
Authors: Barrett Kristian , Lange Lene , Børsting Christian F. , Olijhoek Dana W. , Lund Peter , Meyer Anne S.
Published: May 2022

Enteric methane (CH4) emission from cattle is strongly linked to the feeding regime and the rumen microbial community structure. Here, we report that feed-induced CH4-reducing effects correlate with specific alterations in the profile of the microbiome-encoded carbohydrate-active enzymes predicted from the rumen fluid metagenome. Rumen microbiome samples were obtained by mouth-tube sampling from 12 lactating Holstein cows after 3–4 weeks of feeding with three different concentrate-to-forage-ratio diets, i.e., standard, high, and extremely high levels of concentrate (4 cows per group; constant dry matter intake in the three groups). Increased inclusion of concentrate involved increased starch levels in the diet at the expense of fiber. The extreme diet resulted in 48% reduction of the CH4emission per kg dry matter intake compared to the standard diet. From metagenome sequencing of the rumen fluid samples from each cow, 561 different microbial strains (bins) could be derived from analysis of 260 billion DNA base pairs. In the cows fed, the extreme diet, the relative abundance of the majority of the bins, was significantly altered compared to the other groups. Fibrobacterota and Verrucomicrobiota were less abundant in the Extreme group. Surprisingly, no significant abundance changes were observed among Archaea and Bacteroidota, although abundance changes of individual bins of these phyla were found. For each of the 561 bins, the functions of the metagenome-encoded carbohydrate-active enzymes were predicted by bioinformatics using conserved unique peptide pattern (CUPP) analysis. By linking each of the predicted molecular functions of the enzymes to their substrates, changes were found in the predicted abundance of the different enzyme types. Notably, the decreased CH4emission of the extreme diet group was concurrent with a profound decrease in the xylan-active enzymes, targeting the xylan backbone β-1,4-linkages, acetyl-, feruloyl-, and methyl-glucuronoyl substitutions in xylan. This work provides a first enzyme-conversion-based characterization of how extreme feeding, i.e., lowered forage, can drive rumen microbiome changes that support decreased CH4emissionviaa changed carbohydrate-active enzyme profile. The data, furthermore, provide a metagenome-wide catalog of enzymes, underpinning the microbial conversion of different feed fibers (the enzymes attacking specific carbohydrate linkages) in the rumen of Holstein cows.
Pseudomonas oligotrophica sp. nov., a Novel Denitrifying Bacterium Possessing Nitrogen Removal Capability Under Low Carbon–Nitrogen Ratio Condition
Authors: Zhang Mingxia , Li Anzhang , Yao Qing , Xiao Botao , Zhu Honghui
Published: May 2022

Pseudomonas is a large and diverse genus within the Gammaproteobacteria known for its important ecological role in the environment. These bacteria exhibit versatile features of which the ability of heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification can be applied for nitrogen removal from the wastewater. A novel denitrifying bacterium, designated JM10B5aT, was isolated from the pond water for juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei. The phylogenetic, genomic, physiological, and biochemical analyses illustrated that strain JM10B5aT represented a novel species of the genus Pseudomonas, for which the name Pseudomonas oligotrophica sp. nov. was proposed. The effects of carbon sources and C/N ratios on denitrification performance of strain JM10B5aT were investigated. In addition, the results revealed that sodium acetate was selected as the optimum carbon source for denitrification of this strain. Besides, strain JM10B5aT could exhibit complete nitrate removal at the low C/N ratio of 3. Genomic analyses revealed that JM10B5aT possessed the functional genes including napA, narG, nirS, norB, and nosZ, which might participate in the complete denitrification process. Comparative genomic analyses indicated that many genes related to aggregation, utilization of alkylphosphonate and tricarballylate, biosynthesis of cofactors, and vitamins were contained in the genome of strain JM10B5aT. These genomic features were indicative of its adaption to various niches. Moreover, strain JM10B5aT harbored the complete operons required for the biosynthesis of vibrioferrin, a siderophore, which might be conducive to the high denitrification efficiency of denitrifying bacterium at low C/N ratio. Our findings demonstrated that the strain JM10B5aT could be a promising candidate for treating wastewater with a low C/N ratio.
Volatile Organic Compounds of Streptomyces sp. TOR3209 Stimulated Tobacco Growth by Up-Regulating the Expression of Genes Related to Plant Growth and Development
Authors: He Yuxi , Guo Wenyu , Peng Jieli , Guo Jinying , Ma Jia , Wang Xu , Zhang Cuimian , Jia Nan , Wang Entao , Hu Dong , Wang Zhanwu
Published: May 2022

To investigate the mechanism underlying the plant growth-promoting (PGP) effects of strain Streptomyces sp. TOR3209, PGP traits responsible for indoleacetic acid production, siderophore production, and phosphate solubilization were tested by culturing the strain TOR3209 in the corresponding media. The effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by the strain TOR3209 on plant growth were observed by co-culturing this strain with tobacco seedlings in I-plates. Meanwhile, the effects of VOCs on tobacco gene expression were estimated by performing a transcriptome analysis, and VOCs were identified by the solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) method. The results showed positive reactions for the three tested PGP traits in the culture of strain TOR3209, while the tobacco seedlings co-cultured with strain TOR3209 revealed an increase in the fresh weight by up to 100% when compared to that of the control plants, demonstrating that the production VOCs was also a PGP trait. In transcriptome analysis, plants co-cultured with strain TOR3209 presented the highest up-regulated expression of the genes involved in plant growth and development processes, implying that the bacterial VOCs played a role as a regulator of plant gene expression. Among the VOCs produced by the strain TOR3209, two antifungal molecules, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-phenol and hexanedioic acid dibutyl ester, were found as the main compounds. Conclusively, up-regulation in the expression of growth- and development-related genes via VOCs production is an important PGP mechanism in strain TOR3209. Further efforts to explore the effective VOCs and investigate the effects of the two main VOCs in the future are recommended.
The Gut Microbiota Composition of Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Their Predicted Contribution to Larval Nutrition
Authors: Li Chuanming , Han Guangjie , Sun Jun , Huang Lixin , Lu Yurong , Xia Yang , Liu Qin , Xu Jian
Published: May 2022

Intestinal bacterial flora plays an important role in the nutrition, physiology, and behavior of herbivorous insects. The composition of gut microbiota may also be affected by the food consumed. Cnaphalocrocis medinalis is an oligophagous pest, feeds on rice leaves almost exclusively and causes serious damage to rice in Asian countries. Using antibiotic treatment and metagenome sequencing, we investigated the influence of the food sources (rice and maize seedlings) on the structure and functions of intestinal bacteria of C. medinalis. Firstly, food utilization indices, relative growth rate (RGR), relative consumption rate (RCR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), and efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD), were all significantly adversely affected in the antibiotic treatment eliminating gut bacteria, showing that the microbiota loading in the gut were essential for the larva growth and development of C. medinalis. Further, metagenome sequencing revealed that different diets caused a variation in gut microbiota composition of C. medinalis, indicating that the gut microbiota were in part driven by the diet provided. However, the larvae of C. medinalis hosted a core microbial community in the gut, which was independent from the diets changing. The dominant bacteria in the two feeding groups were highly consistent in the gut of C. medinalis larvae, with the gut bacterial community dominated by Firmicutes at the phylum level, Enterococcus at the genus level, Enterococcus sp. FDAARGOS-375, E. casseliflavus, E. gallinarum, and E. sp. CR-Ec1 accounted for more than 96% of the gut microbiota. Functional prediction analysis demonstrated that gut bacteria encoded a series of metabolism-related enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid synthesis. Carbohydrate metabolism was the most enriched function in both groups and was more abundant in rice feeding group than in maize feeding group. The core dominant Enterococcus species possessed complete pathways of 14 carbohydrates metabolism, 11 amino acids biosynthesis, and two vitamins synthesize, implied to contribute an essential role to the nutrition intake and development of C. medinalis. Finally, the study may provide an in-depth analysis of the symbiont-host co-adaptation and new insights into the management of C. medinalis.
Shape Complementarity Optimization of Antibody–Antigen Interfaces: The Application to SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein
Authors: De Lauro Alfredo , Di Rienzo Lorenzo , Miotto Mattia , Olimpieri Pier Paolo , Milanetti Edoardo , Ruocco Giancarlo
Published: May 2022

Many factors influence biomolecule binding, and its assessment constitutes an elusive challenge in computational structural biology. In this aspect, the evaluation of shape complementarity at molecular interfaces is one of the main factors to be considered. We focus on the particular case of antibody–antigen complexes to quantify the complementarities occurring at molecular interfaces. We relied on a method we recently developed, which employs the 2D Zernike descriptors, to characterize the investigated regions with an ordered set of numbers summarizing the local shape properties. Collecting a structural dataset of antibody–antigen complexes, we applied this method and we statistically distinguished, in terms of shape complementarity, pairs of the interacting regions from the non-interacting ones. Thus, we set up a novel computational strategy based on in silico mutagenesis of antibody-binding site residues. We developed a Monte Carlo procedure to increase the shape complementarity between the antibody paratope and a given epitope on a target protein surface. We applied our protocol against several molecular targets in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, known to be indispensable for viral cell invasion. We, therefore, optimized the shape of template antibodies for the interaction with such regions. As the last step of our procedure, we performed an independent molecular docking validation of the results of our Monte Carlo simulations.
Cognitive Neural Mechanism of Backward Inhibition and Deinhibition: A Review
Authors: Chen Jiwen , Wu Shujie , Li Fuhong
Published: May 2022

Task switching is one of the typical paradigms to study cognitive control. When switching back to a recently inhibited task (e.g., “A” in an ABA sequence), the performance is often worse compared to a task without N-2 task repetitions (e.g., CBA). This difference is called the backward inhibitory effect (BI effect), which reflects the process of overcoming residual inhibition from a recently performed task (i.e., deinhibition). The neural mechanism of backward inhibition and deinhibition has received a lot of attention in the past decade. Multiple brain regions, including the frontal lobe, parietal, basal ganglia, and cerebellum, are activated during deinhibition. The event-related potentials (ERP) studies have shown that deinhibition process is reflected in the P1/N1 and P3 components, which might be related to early attention control, context updating, and response selection, respectively. Future research can use a variety of new paradigms to separate the neural mechanisms of BI and deinhibition.
Applying Deep Learning-Based Human Motion Recognition System in Sports Competition
Authors: Zhang Liangliang
Published: May 2022

The exploration here intends to compensate for the traditional human motion recognition (HMR) systems' poor performance on large-scale datasets and micromotions. To this end, improvement is designed for the HMR in sports competition based on the deep learning (DL) algorithm. First, the background and research status of HMR are introduced. Then, a new HMR algorithm is proposed based on kernel extreme learning machine (KELM) multidimensional feature fusion (MFF). Afterward, a simulation experiment is designed to evaluate the performance of the proposed KELM-MFF-based HMR algorithm. The results showed that the recognition rate of the proposed KELM-MFF-based HMR is higher than other algorithms. The recognition rate at 10 video frame sampling points is ranked from high to low: the proposed KELM-MFF-based HMR, support vector machine (SVM)-MFF-based HMR, convolutional neural network (CNN) + optical flow (CNN-T)-based HMR, improved dense trajectory (IDT)-based HMR, converse3D (C3D)-based HMR, and CNN-based HMR. Meanwhile, the feature recognition rate of the proposed KELM-MFF-based HMR for the color dimension is higher than the time dimension, by up to 24%. Besides, the proposed KELM-MFF-based HMR algorithm's recognition rate is 92.4% under early feature fusion and 92.1% under late feature fusion, higher than 91.8 and 90.5% of the SVM-MFF-based HMR. Finally, the proposed KELM-MFF-based HMR algorithm takes 30 and 15 s for training and testing. Therefore, the algorithm designed here can be used to deal with large-scale datasets and capture and recognize micromotions. The research content provides a reference for applying extreme learning machine algorithms in sports competitions.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Treatment of Neurological Diseases
Authors: Somaa Fahad A. , de Graaf Tom A. , Sack Alexander T.
Published: May 2022

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has widespread use in research and clinical application. For psychiatric applications, such as depression or OCD, repetitive TMS protocols (rTMS) are an established and globally applied treatment option. While promising, rTMS is not yet as common in treating neurological diseases, except for neurorehabilitation after (motor) stroke and neuropathic pain treatment. This may soon change. New clinical studies testing the potential of rTMS in various other neurological conditions appear at a rapid pace. This can prove challenging for both practitioners and clinical researchers. Although most of these neurological applications have not yet received the same level of scientific/empirical scrutiny as motor stroke and neuropathic pain, the results are encouraging, opening new doors for TMS in neurology. We here review the latest clinical evidence for rTMS in pioneering neurological applications including movement disorders, Alzheimer's disease/mild cognitive impairment, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and disorders of consciousness.
Is There an “Acquired Idiopathic Head-Shaking Nystagmus”?—A Discussion of Mechanisms and Clinical Implications Based on a Case Report
Authors: Filippopulos Filipp M. , Zwergal Andreas , Huppert Doreen
Published: May 2022

Background

Head-shaking nystagmus (HSN) occurs in both peripheral and central vestibular disorders. In most cases, HSN can be attributed to an asymmetric peripheral vestibular input or a structural lesion mostly in the cerebellum affecting the central velocity storage mechanism. An isolated HSN is very rare.

Case Presentation

We report on a young female patient with the clinical picture of recurrent episodes of vertigo, which were induced by fast head movements and were accompanied by a severe right-beating HSN with a long time constant of 60 s. There was no other clinical and instrument-based evidence of peripheral vestibular dysfunction (including video head impulse test, caloric test, vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials) or indication of a structural lesion in the nodulus, uvula or pontomedullary brainstem on fine-slice magnetic resonance imaging. She had no previous history of migraine, hearing deficits, or other focal neurological symptoms. Diagnostic criteria for vestibular paroxysmia, vestibular migraine, benign peripheral paroxysmal vertigo, or any other known vestibular disorders were not fulfilled. Chart review in the database of the German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders indicated eight additional patients with a similar clinical phenotype between 2018 and 2022.

Conclusion

We propose a clinical entity called acquired idiopathic head shaking nystagmus (aiHSN) as a rare cause of episodic vertigo induced by fast head movements. Nystagmus characteristics suggest a subtle functional pathology of the central velocity storage mechanism in the nodulus and uvula, which is exacerbated during symptomatic episodes.
Validation of Functional Connectivity of Engineered Neuromuscular Junction With Recombinant Monosynaptic Pseudotyped ΔG-Rabies Virus Tracing
Authors: Bauer Ulrich Stefan , Fiskum Vegard , Nair Rajeevkumar Raveendran , van de Wijdeven Rosanne , Kentros Clifford , Sandvig Ioanna , Sandvig Axel
Published: May 2022

Current preclinical models of neurodegenerative disease, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), can significantly benefit from in vitro neuroengineering approaches that enable the selective study and manipulation of neurons, networks, and functional units of interest. Custom-designed compartmentalized microfluidic culture systems enable the co-culture of different relevant cell types in interconnected but fluidically isolated microenvironments. Such systems can thus be applied for ALS disease modeling, as they enable the recapitulation and study of neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) through co-culturing of motor neurons and muscle cells in separate, but interconnected compartments. These in vitro systems are particularly relevant for investigations of mechanistic aspects of the ALS pathological cascade in engineered NMJ, as progressive loss of NMJ functionality may constitute one of the hallmarks of disease related pathology at early onset, in line with the dying back hypothesis. In such models, ability to test whether motor neuron degeneration in ALS starts at the nerve terminal or at the NMJ and retrogradely progresses to the motor neuron cell body largely relies on robust methods for verification of engineered NMJ functionality. In this study, we demonstrate the functionality of engineered NMJs within a microfluidic chip with a differentially perturbable microenvironment using a designer pseudotyped ΔG-rabies virus for retrograde monosynaptic tracing.
Sexual Dimorphism of Dexamethasone as a Prophylactic Treatment in Pathologies Associated With Acute Hypobaric Hypoxia Exposure
Authors: Chanana Neha , Palmo Tsering , Sharma Kavita , Kumar Rahul , Shah Bhushan , Mahajan Sudhanshu , Palleda Girish M. , Gupta Mohit D. , Kukreti Ritushree , Faruq Mohammad , Thinlas Tashi , Graham Brian B. , Pasha Qadar
Published: May 2022

Dexamethasone can be taken prophylactically to prevent hypobaric hypoxia-associated disorders of high-altitude. While dexamethasone-mediated protection against high-altitude disorders has been clinically evaluated, detailed sex-based mechanistic insights have not been explored. As part of our India-Leh-Dexamethasone-expedition-2020 (INDEX 2020) programme, we examined the phenotype of control (n= 14) and dexamethasone (n= 13) groups, which were airlifted from Delhi (∼225 m elevation) to Leh, Ladakh (∼3,500 m), India, for 3 days. Dexamethasone 4 mg twice daily significantly attenuated the rise in blood pressure, heart rate, pulmonary pressure, and drop in SaO2resulting from high-altitude exposure compared to control-treated subjects. Of note, the effect of dexamethasone was substantially greater in women than in men, in whom the drug had relatively little effect. Thus, for the first time, this study shows a sex-biased regulation by dexamethasone of physiologic parameters resulting from the hypoxic environment of high-altitude, which impacts the development of high-altitude pulmonary hypertension and acute mountain sickness. Future studies of cellular contributions toward sex-specific regulation may provide further insights and preventive measures in managing sex-specific, high-altitude–related disorders.
Pilot Study on the Effect of a Single Topical Application of Trichloroacetic Acid 85% on Normal Cervical Tissue
Authors: Nuranna Laila , Lubis Dolly N. , Arozal Wawaimuli , Purbadi Sigit , Barinda Agian Jeffilano , Purwoto Gatot , Rustamadji Primariadewi , Putra Andi D. , Utami Tofan W. , Kekalih Aria
Published: May 2022

Background: Early detection and treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) through a “see and treat” approach is a pillar of cervical cancer prevention programs in developing countries such as Indonesia. One of the major challenges faced is the limited N2O or CO2 gas supply for cryotherapy. Thus, an alternative therapeutic method such as trichloroacetic acid (TCA) topical application is needed as an alternative solution. The effectiveness of this therapy will depend on its destructive effect on eliminating the whole lesion in CIN.

Objective: To estimate the extent of damage in the normal cervical tissue after a single topical application of 85% TCA solution.

Design and Methods: This research was an intervention study carried out by applying ±5 ml of 85% TCA solution into the cervix of 40 patients scheduled for total hysterectomy for indications other than cervical pathology 24 h before surgery. The extent of tissue destruction was determined microscopically using histopathological specimens. The study protocol is registered at www.clinicaltrial.gov (ID NCT04911075).

Results: In the final analysis, 39 subjects were included. The necrotic area was detected at the superficial layer, accompanied by the full epithelial erosion thickness. In addition, there were also fibrotic areas resembling burned tissue in the stroma. The mean depth of destruction was 1.16 ± 0.01 mm in the anterior lip and 1.01 ± 0.06 mm in the posterior lip. There was no significant depth difference between the anterior and posterior lips (p ≥0.05). Moreover, the 85% TCA topical application was tolerable, as represented by the fact that the vast majority (82.1%) of participants experienced pain with a visual analog scale score of <4.

Conclusion: Single dose of TCA 85% in topical solution was able to destroy the normal cervical tissue with a deeper mean depth than the mean depth of CIN III in squamous epithelium.
A Chaos-Based Image Encryption Scheme Using the Hamming Distance and DNA Sequence Operation
Authors: Sha Yuwen , Bu Fanling , Jahanshahi Hadi , Wang Linian
Published: May 2022

In this study, we introduced a new memristive chaotic system with the rich dynamic behavior, and then we proposed a chaotic-based image encryption scheme which is based on the permutation–confusion–substitution structure. In our scheme, the Hamming distance is used to design a plain-related chaotic system initial condition, and the generated chaotic sequences are assigned to permutation, diffusion, and substitution stages. In the permutation stage, an effect pixel confusion is implemented through a new permutation approach, which is a double-ended select-swap scrambling strategy. In the diffusion stage, DNA XOR operation is implemented followed by DNA triploid mutation which is introduced to enhance the strength of our encryption system. A number of experiments and extensive safety analysis have been carried out and the results fully justify that our scheme not only ensures desirable security but also has superior efficiency.
An Overview of the Isoprenoid Emissions From Tropical Plant Species
Authors: Mu Zhaobin , Llusià Joan , Zeng Jianqiang , Zhang Yanli , Asensio Dolores , Yang Kaijun , Yi Zhigang , Wang Xinming , Peñuelas Josep
Published: May 2022

Terrestrial vegetation is the largest contributor of isoprenoids (a group of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs)) to the atmosphere. BVOC emission data comes mostly from temperate regions, and less is known about BVOC emissions from tropical vegetation, even though it is estimated to be responsible for >70% of BVOC emissions. This review summarizes the available data and our current understanding of isoprenoid emissions from tropical plant species and the spatial and temporal variation in emissions, which are strongly species-specific and regionally variable. Emission models lacking foliar level data for tropical species need to revise their parameters to account for seasonal and diurnal variation due to differences in dependencies on temperature and light of emissions from plants in other ecosystems. More experimental information and determining how emission capacity varies during foliar development are warranted to account for seasonal variations more explicitly.
Enhanced Adaptability to Limited Water Supply Regulated by Diethyl Aminoethyl Hexanoate (DA-6) Associated With Lipidomic Reprogramming in Two White Clover Genotypes
Authors: Hassan Muhammad Jawad , Qi Hongyin , Cheng Bizhen , Hussain Shafiq , Peng Yan , Liu Wei , Feng Guangyan , Zhao Junming , Li Zhou
Published: May 2022

Membrane lipid reprogramming is one of the most important adaptive strategies in plant species under unfavorable environmental circumstances. Therefore, the present experiment was conducted to elucidate the effect of diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6), a novel synthetic plant growth regulator, on oxidative damage, photosynthetic performance, changes in lipidomic profile, and unsaturation index of lipids in two white clover (Trifolium repens) cultivars (drought-sensitive “Ladino” and drought-resistant “Riverdel”) under PEG-6000-induced water-deficit stress. Results revealed that water-deficit stress significantly enhanced oxidative damage and decreased photosynthetic functions in both cultivars. However, the damage was less in Riverdel. In addition, water-deficit stress significantly decreased the relative content of monogalactocyl-diacylglycerols (MGDG), sulfoquinovosyl-diacylglycerols (SQDG), phosphatidic acisd (PA), phosphatidyl-ethanolamines (PE), phosphatidyl-glycerols (PG), phosphatidyl-serines (PS), ceramides (Cer), hexosylmonoceramides (Hex1Cer), sphingomyelins (SM), and sphingosines (Sph) in both cultivars, but a more pronounced decline was observed in Ladino. Exogenous application of DA-6 significantly increased the relative content of digalactocyl-diacylglycerols (DGDG), monogalactocyl-diacylglycerolsabstra (MGDG), sulfoquinovosyl-diacylglycerols (SQDG), phosphatidic acids (PA), phosphatidyl-ethanolamines (PE), phosphatidyl-glycerols (PG), phosphatidyl-inositols (PI), phosphatidyl-serines (PS), ceramides (Cer), hexosylmonoceramides (Hex1Cer), neutral glycosphingolipids (CerG2GNAc1), and sphingosines (Sph) in the two cultivars under water-deficit stress. DA-6-treated Riverdel exhibited a significantly higher DGDG:MGDG ratio and relative content of sphingomyelins (SM) than untreated plants in response to water deficiency. Furthermore, the DA-6-pretreated plants increased the unsaturation index of phosphatidic acids (PA) and phosphatidylinositols (PI) in Ladino, ceramides (Cer) and hexosylmonoceramides (Hex1Cer) in Riverdel, and sulfoquinovosyl-diacylglycerols (SQDG) in both cultivars under water stress. These results suggested that DA-6 regulated drought resistance in white clover could be associated with increased lipid content and reprogramming, higher DGDG:MGDG ratio, and improved unsaturation index of lipids, contributing to enhanced membrane stability, integrity, fluidity, and downstream signaling transduction.