bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide/glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist on weight loss in subjects with obesity
Authors: Zaffina Isabella , Pelle Maria Chiara , Armentaro Giuseppe , Giofrè Federica , Cassano Velia , Sciacqua Angela , Arturi Franco
Published: February 2023

The occurrence of obesity is an increasing issue worldwide, especially in industrialized countries. Weight loss is important both to treat obesity and to prevent the development of complications. Currently, several drugs are used to treat obesity, but their efficacy is modest. Thus, new anti-obesity treatments are needed. Recently, there has been increased interest in the development of incretins that combine body-weight-lowering and glucose-lowering effects. Therefore, a new drug that simultaneously coactivates both the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor (GIPR) and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) has been developed. Tirzepatide, the first in this class, improves glycemic control by increasing insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism as well as by reducing body weight. Combining the activation of the two receptors, greater improvement of β-cell function offers more effective treatment of diabetes and obesity with fewer adverse effects than selective GLP-1R agonists. In the present review, we discuss the progress in the use of GIPR and GLP-1R coagonists and review literature from in vitro studies, animal studies, and human trials, highlighting the synergistic mechanisms of tirzepatide.
The nonlinear relationship between thyroid function parameters and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease
Authors: Hu Yingying , Zhou Fan , Lei Fang , Lin Lijin , Huang Xuewei , Sun Tao , Liu Weifang , Zhang Xingyuan , Cai Jingjing , She Zhi-Gang , Li Hongliang
Published: February 2023

Background

The relationship between thyroid function parameters and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) remains controversial. Additionally, little is known about the relationship between thyroid function parameters and MAFLD in the Chinese population.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study involving 177,540 individuals with thyroid function tests and MAFLD diagnosis from 2010-2018. The association between thyroid function parameters and MAFLD was evaluated on a continuous scale with restricted cubic spline (RCS) models and by the prior-defined centile categories with multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. Thyroid function parameters included free triiodothyronine (FT3), free tetra-iodothyronine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Additionally, fully adjusted RCS models stratified by sex, age, and location were studied.

Results

In the RCS models, the risk of MAFLD increased with higher levels of FT3 when FT3 <5.58pmol/L, while the risk of MAFLD decreased with higher levels of FT3 when FT3 ≥5.58pmol/L (P nonlinearity <0.05). While RCS analysis suggested that the FT4 levels had a negative association with MAFLD (P nonlinearity <0.05), indicating an increase in FT4 levels was associated with a decreased risk of MAFLD. RCS analysis suggested an overall positive association between the concentration of TSH and MAFLD risk (P nonlinearity <0.05). The rising slope was sharper when the TSH concentration was less than 1.79uIU/mL, which indicated the association between TSH and MAFLD risk was tightly interrelated within this range. The multivariable logistic regression showed that populations in the 81st-95th centile had the highest risk of MAFLD among all centiles of FT3/TSH, with the 1st-5th centile as the reference category.

Conclusions

Our study suggested nonlinear relationships between thyroid function parameters and MAFLD. Thyroid function parameters could be additional modifiable risk factors apart from the proven risk factors to steer new avenues regarding MAFLD prevention and treatment.
How to realize digital transformation in satellite communication industry? -- Configuration analysis based on the technology-organization-environment framework
Authors: Wang Liting , Zhang Huajian , Jin Liang , Wang Quan , Shi Lifeng , Duan Kun , Liu Peng , Han Jie , Dong Hao
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Digital transformation is the key link of the prosperity and development of digital economy, and the successful digital transformation is the result of the synergy of multi-level factors.

Methods: Based on the theoretical framework of technology-organization-environment, this paper takes 27 satellite communication enterprises as samples and uses fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method to explore the configuration effect of six antecedent conditions at the level of technology, organization and environment on digital transformation of satellite communication enterprises.

Results: The results show that a single antecedent condition does not constitute a necessary condition for digital transformation. There are four configuration paths for digital transformation of satellite communication industry, which are technology-organization-oriented, technology-organization-environment collaboration-oriented, technology-organization-oriented environment collaboration, and organization-environment-oriented. Under certain conditions, there is substitution effect between antecedents.

Discussion: The complex causes of the digital transformation of Chinese satellite communication enterprises, and can provide beneficial enlightenment for the digital transformation of satellite communication enterprises.
Highly effective sequestration of Cd(Ⅱ) from aqueous solution using marine diatom biomass: Adsorption performances and mechanism
Authors: Wang Xin , Wang Jingfeng , Zhang Shanfa , Li Junguo
Published: February 2023

Highly efficient, economic feasible and environmentally friendly adsorbents have been a research hotspot for Cd(Ⅱ) sequestration. In this study, various nonliving marine diatom biomass were prepared for Cd(Ⅱ) removal. The Cd(Ⅱ) adsorption properties of the diatom biomass was unveiled by adsorption kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic analysis, and the adsorption mechanism was revealed using spectrometric identification methods. Results suggested that nonliving marine diatom biomass (Chaetoceros, Nitzschia, and Thalassiosira sp.) could efficiently remove Cd(Ⅱ) from aqueous solution, with nonliving Nitzschia possessing the highest adsorption capacity. The adsorption capacity of nonliving Nitzschia was 289–430 mg g−1 (288–308 K) in the absence of ionic competition and under low turbidity conditions, which was much higher than that of most of adsorbents of great concern. The kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic analysis suggested the adsorption of Cd(Ⅱ) was a spontaneous, endothermic and chemisorption involved process. Moreover, inorganic salts and turbidity showed negative effects on Cd(Ⅱ) adsorption, whereas humic acid showed a positive effect. Adsorption mechanism analysis demonstrated that amine and pyrrolic nitrogen groups were responsible for Cd(Ⅱ) adsorption. It is also worth noting that organics leaching during adsorption would also affect chemical bonds distribution on the biomass, which should be taken into account when elucidating the heavy metal adsorption mechanism of bio-adsorbents.
Intelligent identification of pavement cracks based on PSA-Net
Authors: Lin Xuan , Zhang Jian , Wu Daifeng , Meng Enhong , Liu Maoyi , Li Meng , Gao Fuliu
Published: February 2023

The identification of pavement cracks is critical for ensuring road safety. Currently, manual crack detection is quite time-consuming. To address this issue, automated pavement crack-detecting technology is required. However, automatic pavement crack recognition remains challenging, owing to the intensity heterogeneity of cracks and the complexity of the backdrop, e.g., low contrast of damages and backdrop may have shadows with comparable intensity. Motivated by breakthroughs in deep learning, we present a new network architecture combining the feature pyramid with the attention mechanism (PSA-Net). In a feature pyramid, the network integrates spatial information and underlying features for crack detection. During the training process, it improves the accuracy of automatic road crack recognition by nested sample weighting to equalize the loss caused by simple and complex samples. To verify the effectiveness of the suggested technique, we used a dataset of real road cracks to test it with different crack detection methods.
New insights into the evaluation criteria for high-quality deep marine shale gas reservoirs in the Longmaxi formation: Evidence from organic matter pore development characteristics
Authors: Zhu Boyuan , Meng Jianghui , Pan Renfang , Hu Haiyan , Song Chen , Zhu Zhengping , Jin Jineng
Published: February 2023

Porosity, total organic carbon content, brittle mineral content, and gas content are now the primary references for classifying and evaluating marine shale gas reservoirs in China. Is there a more effective and appropriate reservoir classification scheme for deep marine shale? The Longmaxi Formation in Luzhou, southern Sichuan Basin, China, is the main object of study. Quantitative analysis and modeling using data from field emission scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and logging were used to characterize organic matter (OM) pore multi-scale development and reveal the relationship between OM pore and the high-quality reservoirs. Microscopic and macroscopic indications from OM pores show that a large number of OM pores were developed in high-quality reservoirs. OM surface porosity occupancy of the high-quality reservoir in the Luzhou area was more than 60%. OM porosity occupancy was more than 50%. The nitrogen adsorption–desorption hysteresis loops demonstrate the development of bottleneck and wedge-shaped OM pores. Characterization of multi-scale pore structure by box dimension, pore volume and specific surface area. It is found that the key to the formation of high-quality reservoirs was the massive development of OM mesopores in siliceous shale and the relatively homogeneity structure, which was conducive to the enrichment and migration of shale gas. Furthermore, the improved model decreased the relative error in predicting the OM porosity by about 32.5%. The use of OM porosity occupancy for high-quality reservoir classification was better, and the results were consistent with geological understanding. OM porosity occupancy showed that the area from Lunanxi to Luzhou to Rongchang to Jiangjin was the key exploration area for high-quality reservoirs in southern Sichuan. This study is expected to provide a new idea for OM pore modeling analysis and deep marine shale gas reservoir classification.
Recent advances in the functional explorations of nuclear microRNAs
Authors: Hu Xiaozhu , Yin Guoquan , Zhang Yuan , Zhu Liangyu , Huang Haoyu , Lv Kun
Published: February 2023

Approximately 22 nucleotide-long non-coding small RNAs (ncRNAs) play crucial roles in physiological and pathological activities, including microRNAs (miRNAs). Long ncRNAs often stay in the cytoplasm, modulating post-transcriptional gene expression. Briefly, miRNA binds with the target mRNA and builds a miRNA-induced silencing complex to silence the transcripts or prevent their translation. Interestingly, data from recent animal and plant studies suggested that mature miRNAs are present in the nucleus, where they regulate transcriptionally whether genes are activated or silenced. This significantly broadens the functional range of miRNAs. Here, we reviewed and summarized studies on the functions of nuclear miRNAs to better understand the modulatory networks associated with nuclear miRNAs.
Head and neck dermatitis is exacerbated by Malassezia furfur colonization, skin barrier disruption, and immune dysregulation
Authors: Chu Howard , Kim Su Min , Zhang KeLun , Wu Zhexue , Lee Hemin , Kim Ji Hye , Kim Hye Li , Kim Yu Ri , Kim Seo Hyeong , Kim Wan Jin , Lee Yang Won , Lee Kwang Hoon , Liu Kwang-Hyeon , Park Chang Ook
Published: February 2023

Introduction & objectives

Head and neck dermatitis (HND) is a refractory phenotype of atopic dermatitis (AD) and can be a therapeutic challenge due to lack of responsiveness to conventional treatments. Previous studies have suggested that the microbiome and fungiome may play a role in inducing HND, but the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown. This study aimed to determine the link between HND and fungiome and to examine the contribution of Malassezia furfur.

Materials and methods

To identify the effect of the sensitization status of M. furfur on HND, 312 patients diagnosed with AD were enrolled. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the effects of M. furfur, human keratinocytes and dermal endothelial cells were cultured with M. furfur and treated with Th2 cytokines. The downstream effects of various cytokines, including inflammation and angiogenesis, were investigated by real-time quantitative PCR. To identify the association between changes in lipid composition and M. furfur sensitization status, D-squame tape stripping was performed. Lipid composition was evaluated by focusing on ceramide species using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

Increased sensitization to M. furfur was observed in patients with HND. Additionally, sensitization to M. furfur was associated with increased disease severity in these patients. IL-4 treated human keratinocytes cultured with M. furfur produced significantly more VEGF, VEGFR, IL-31, and IL-33. IL-4/M. furfur co-cultured dermal endothelial cells exhibited significantly elevated VEGFR, TGF-β, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels. Stratum corneum lipid analysis revealed decreased levels of esterified omega-hydroxyacyl-sphingosine, indicating skin barrier dysfunction in HND. Finally, M. furfur growth was inhibited by the addition of these ceramides to culture media, while the growth of other microbiota, including Cutibacterium acnes, were not inhibited.

Conclusions

Under decreased levels of ceramide in AD patients with HND, M. furfur would proliferate, which may enhance pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling. Thus, it plays a central role in the pathogenesis of HND in AD.
Extracellular vesicles as potential biomarkers and treatment options for liver failure: A systematic review up to March 2022
Authors: Lu Wang , Tang Huixin , Li Shanshan , Bai Li , Chen Yu
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carrying functional cargoes are emerging as biomarkers and treatment strategies in multiple liver diseases. Nevertheless, the potential of EVs in liver failure remains indistinct. In this systematic review, we comprehensively analyzed the potential of EVs as biomarkers of liver failure and the therapeutic effects and possible mechanisms of EVs for liver failure.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review by comprehensively searching the following electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to March 2022. The used text words (synonyms and word variations) and database-specific subject headings included “Extracellular Vesicles”, “Exosomes”, “Liver Failure”, “Liver Injury”, etc.

Results

A total of 1479 studies were identified. After removing 680 duplicate studies and 742 irrelevant studies, 57 studies were finally retained and analyzed. Fourteen studies revealed EVs with functional cargoes could be used to make the diagnosis of liver failure and provide clues for early warning and prognostic assessment of patients with liver failure. Forty-three studies confirmed the administration of EVs from different sources alleviated hepatic damage and improved survival through inhibiting inflammatory response, oxidative stress as well as apoptosis or promoting hepatocyte regeneration and autophagy.

Conclusions

EVs and their cargoes can be used not only as superior biomarkers of early warning, early diagnosis and prognostic assessments for liver failure, but also as potentially effective treatment options for liver failure. In the future, large-scale studies are urgently needed to verify the diagnostic, predictive and therapeutic value of EVs for liver failure.
Dietary factors and risk for asthma: A Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Yang Wenwen , Yang Yanjiang , He Li , Zhang Min , Sun Shuo , Wang Feng , Han Biao
Published: February 2023

Background

Previous research has found a link between dietary factors and asthma. However, few studies have analyzed the relationship between dietary factors and asthma using Mendelian randomization. Methods: The IEU Open GWAS project (https://gwas.mrcieu.ac.uk/) was the source of exposure and outcome datasets. The exposure datasets included Alcoholic drinks per week, Alcohol intake frequency, Processed meat intake, Poultry intake, Beef intake, Non-oily fish intake, Oily fish intake, Pork intake, Lamb/mutton intake, Bread intake, Cheese intake, Cooked vegetable intake, Tea intake, Fresh fruit intake, Cereal intake, Salad/raw vegetable intake, Coffee intake, and Dried fruit intake. The weighted median, MR-Egger, and Inverse Variance Weighted methods were used as the main methods of Mendelian randomization analysis. Heterogeneity and pleiotropic analysis were performed to ensure the accuracy of the results.

Results

Alcohol intake frequency (after removing outliers OR: 1.217; 95% CI: 1.048-1.413; p=0.00993) was related to an increased risk of Asthma. Fresh fruit intake (OR: 0.489; 95% CI: 0.320-0.748; p=0.000954) and Dried fruit intake (after removing outliers OR: 0.482; 95% CI: 0.325-0.717; p= 0.000312) were discovered as protective factors. Other dietary intakes found no causal relationship with asthma.

Conclusion

This study found that dried fruit intake and fresh fruit intake were associated with a reduced risk of asthma, and alcohol intake frequency was associated with an increased risk of asthma. This study also found that other factors included in this study were not associated with asthma.
Genomic selection in algae with biphasic lifecycles: A Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp) case study
Authors: Huang Mao , Robbins Kelly R. , Li Yaoguang , Umanzor Schery , Marty-Rivera Michael , Bailey David , Aydlett Margaret , Schmutz Jeremy , Grimwood Jane , Yarish Charles , Lindell Scott , Jannink Jean-Luc
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) has a biphasic life cycle, allowing selection on both thediploid sporophytes (SPs) and haploid gametophytes (GPs).

Methods

We trained a genomic selection (GS) model from farm-tested SP phenotypic data and used a mixed-ploidy additive relationship matrix to predict GP breeding values. Topranked GPs were used to make crosses for further farm evaluation. The relationship matrix included 866 individuals: a) founder SPs sampled from the wild; b) progeny GPs from founders; c) Farm-tested SPs crossed from b); and d) progeny GPs from farm-tested SPs. The complete pedigree-based relationship matrix was estimated for all individuals. A subset of founder SPs (n = 58) and GPs (n = 276) were genotyped with Diversity Array Technology and whole genome sequencing, respectively. We evaluated GS prediction accuracy via cross validation for SPs tested on farm in 2019 and 2020 using a basic GBLUP model. We also estimated the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) variances of parental GPs. A total of 11 yield-related and morphology traits were evaluated.

Results

The cross validation accuracies for dry weight per meter (r ranged from 0.16 to 0.35) and wet weight per meter (r ranged 0.19 to 0.35) were comparable to GS accuracy for yield traits in terrestrial crops. For morphology traits, cross validation accuracy exceeded 0.18 in all scenarios except for blade thickness in the second year. Accuracy in a third validation year (2021) was 0.31 for dry weight per meter over a confirmation set of 87 individuals.

Discussion

Our findings indicate that progress can be made in sugar kelp breeding by using genomic selection.
Characteristics of groundwater microbial communities and the correlation with the environmental factors in a decommissioned acid in-situ uranium mine
Authors: Zhu Fangfang , Zhao Bei , Min Wenwen , Li Jiang
Published: February 2023

Microorganisms play an important role in the bioremediation process for the decommissioned acid in-situ leaching uranium mine. It is crucial to understand the original microbial community characteristics before the in-situ bioremediation. However, there are limited studies on the groundwater microbial characteristics in the decommissioned acid in-situ uranium mine. To this end, we collected groundwater samples, including the groundwater that originally residual in the borehole (RW) and the aquifer water (AW), from a decommissioned acid in-situ uranium mine in the southern margin of Ili Basin in Xinjiang, China. The occurrence characteristics of the groundwater microbial communities and their correlation with environmental factors were systematically studied based on the high throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing data and geochemical data. Results found that the AW samples had higher alpha- and beta- diversity than the RW samples. The relative abundance of Sporosarcina, Sulfobacillus, Pedobacter and Pseudomonas were significantly different in the AW and RW samples, which had significant correlation with pH, metals, and sulfate, etc. A series of reducing microorganisms were discovered, such as sulfate reduction (e.g., Desulfosporosinus) and metal reduction (e.g., Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Clostridium, Pseudomonas, and Rhodanobacter), which have the potential to attenuate sulfate and uranium in groundwater. In addition, we found that pH and redox potential (Eh) were the dominant environmental factors affecting the microbial composition. This study extends our knowledge of microbial community structure changes in the decommissioned acid in-situ uranium mine and has positive implications for assessing the potential of natural attenuation and bioremediation strategies.
The geographical and seasonal effects on the composition of marine microplastic and its microbial communities: The case study of Israel and Portugal
Authors: Marsay Katherine S. , Ambrosino Ana C. , Koucherov Yuri , Davidov Keren , Figueiredo Neusa , Yakovenko Iryna , Itzahri Sheli , Martins Marta , Sobral Paula , Oren Matan
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Floating microplastic debris are found in most marine environments around the world. Due to their low density and high durability, plastic polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene serve as stable floating substrates for the colonization of diverse communities of marine organisms. Despite the high abundance of microplastic debris in the oceans, it is not clear how the geographical location and season affect the composition of marine microplastic and its bacterial microbiome in the natural environment.

Methods

To address this question, microplastic debris were collected from the sea surface near estuaries in the Mediterranean Sea (Israel) and in the Atlantic Ocean (Portugal) during summer and winter of 2021. The microplastic physical characteristics, including shape, color, and polymer composition, were analyzed and the taxonomic structure of the microplastic bacterial microbiome was characterized using a high-resolution metabarcoding pipeline.

Results

Our results, supported by previously published data, suggest that the plastisphere is a highly diverse ecosystem which is strongly shaped by spatial and temporal environmental factors. The geographical location had the highest impact on the plastisphere physical characteristics and its microbiome composition, followed by the season. Our metabarcoding analysis showed great variability between the different marine environments with a very limited microbiome “core.”

Discussion

This notion further emphasizes the importance of plastisphere studies in different geographical locations and/or seasons for the characterization of the plastisphere and the identification of plastic-associated species.
Best practice for wildlife gut microbiome research: A comprehensive review of methodology for 16S rRNA gene investigations
Authors: Combrink Leigh , Humphreys Ian R. , Washburn Quinn , Arnold Holly K. , Stagaman Keaton , Kasschau Kristin D. , Jolles Anna E. , Beechler Brianna R. , Sharpton Thomas J.
Published: February 2023

Extensive research in well-studied animal models underscores the importance of commensal gastrointestinal (gut) microbes to animal physiology. Gut microbes have been shown to impact dietary digestion, mediate infection, and even modify behavior and cognition. Given the large physiological and pathophysiological contribution microbes provide their host, it is reasonable to assume that the vertebrate gut microbiome may also impact the fitness, health and ecology of wildlife. In accordance with this expectation, an increasing number of investigations have considered the role of the gut microbiome in wildlife ecology, health, and conservation. To help promote the development of this nascent field, we need to dissolve the technical barriers prohibitive to performing wildlife microbiome research. The present review discusses the 16S rRNA gene microbiome research landscape, clarifying best practices in microbiome data generation and analysis, with particular emphasis on unique situations that arise during wildlife investigations. Special consideration is given to topics relevant for microbiome wildlife research from sample collection to molecular techniques for data generation, to data analysis strategies. Our hope is that this article not only calls for greater integration of microbiome analyses into wildlife ecology and health studies but provides researchers with the technical framework needed to successfully conduct such investigations.
Changes in the gut microbiome of patients with type a aortic dissection
Authors: Jiang Fei , Cai Meiling , Peng Yanchun , Li Sailan , Liang Bing , Ni Hong , Lin Yanjuan
Published: February 2023

Objective

To investigate the characteristic changes in the gut microbiota of patients with type A aortic dissection (AAD) and provide a theoretical basis for future microbiome-oriented interventional studies.

Methods

High-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing was performed on the stool samples of patients with and without (healthy control subjects) AAD. Using alpha and beta diversity analysis, we compared the gut microbiota composition of 20 patients with AAD and 20 healthy controls matched for gender, age, BMI, and geographical region. The accuracy of AAD prediction by differential microbiome was calculated using the random forest machine learning model. Targeted measurement of the plasma concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are the main metabolites of the gut microbiome, was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Spearman’s correlation analysis was conducted to determine the relationships of gut microbiome and SCFAs with the clinical characteristics of subjects.

Results

The differences in gut microbiota alpha diversity between patients with AAD and the healthy controls were not statistically significant (Shannon index: p = 0.19; Chao1: p = 0.4); however, the microbiota composition (beta diversity) was significantly different between the two groups (Anosim, p = 0.001). Bacteroidota was enriched at the phylum level, and the SCFA-producing genera Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcus and inflammation-related genera Fenollaria and Sutterella were enriched at the genus level in the AAD group compared with those in the control group. The random forest model could predict AAD from gut microbiota composition with an accuracy of 87.5% and the area-under-curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.833. The SCFA content of patients with AAD was higher than that of the control group, with the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.05). The different microflora and SCFAs were positively correlated with inflammatory cytokines.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the presence of significant differences in the gut microbiome of patients with AAD and healthy controls. The differential microbiome exhibited high predictive potential toward AAD and was positively correlated with inflammatory cytokines. Our results will assist in the development of preventive and therapeutic treatment methods for patients with AAD.
Comparative mutational analysis of the Zika virus genome from different geographical locations and its effect on the efficacy of Zika virus-specific neutralizing antibodies
Authors: Aziz Abdul , Suleman Muhammad , Shah Abdullah , Ullah Ata , Rashid Farooq , Khan Sikandar , Iqbal Arshad , Luo Sisi , Xie Liji , Xie Zhixun
Published: February 2023

The Zika virus (ZIKV), which originated in Africa, has become a significant global health threat. It is an RNA virus that continues to mutate and accumulate multiple mutations in its genome. These genetic changes can impact the virus’s ability to infect, cause disease, spread, evade the immune system, and drug resistance. In this study genome-wide analysis of 175 ZIKV isolates deposited at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), was carried out. The comprehensive mutational analysis of these isolates was carried out by DNASTAR and Clustal W software, which revealed 257 different substitutions at the proteome level in different proteins when compared to the reference sequence (KX369547.1). The substitutions were capsid (17/257), preM (17/257), envelope (44/257), NS1 (34/257), NS2A (30/257), NS2B (11/257), NS3 (37/257), NS4A (6/257), 2K (1/257), NS4B (15/257), and NS5 (56/257). Based on the coexisting mutational analysis, the MN025403.1 isolate from Guinea was identified as having 111 substitutions in proteins and 6 deletions. The effect of coexisting/reoccurring mutations on the structural stability of each protein was also determined by I-mutant and MUpro online servers. Furthermore, molecular docking and simulation results showed that the coexisting mutations (I317V and E393D) in Domain III (DIII) of the envelope protein enhanced the bonding network with ZIKV-specific neutralizing antibodies. This study, therefore, highlighted the rapid accumulation of different substitutions in various ZIKV proteins circulating in different geographical regions of the world. Surveillance of such mutations in the respective proteins will be helpful in the development of effective ZIKV vaccines and neutralizing antibody engineering.
Reviews of fungi and mycotoxins in Chinese dark tea
Authors: Xu Wei , Zhao Yi-qiao , Jia Wen-bao , Liao Si-yu , Bouphun Tunyaluk , Zou Yao
Published: February 2023

The fermentation is the main process to form the unique flavor and health benefits of dark tea. Numerous studies have indicated that the microorganisms play a significant part in the fermentation process of dark tea. Dark tea has the quality of “The unique flavor grows over time,” but unscientific storage of dark tea might cause infestation of harmful microorganisms, thereby resulting in the remaining of fungi toxins. Mycotoxins are regarded as the main contributor to the quality of dark tea, and its potential mycotoxin risk has attracted people’s attention. This study reviews common and potential mycotoxins in dark tea and discusses the possible types of masked mycotoxins in dark tea. A summary of the potential risks of mycotoxins and masked mycotoxins in dark tea is presented, intending to provide a reference for the prevention and risk assessment of harmful fungi in dark tea.
Drosophila hedgehog signaling range and robustness depend on direct and sustained heparan sulfate interactions
Authors: Manikowski Dominique , Steffes Georg , Froese Jurij , Exner Sebastian , Ehring Kristina , Gude Fabian , Di Iorio Daniele , Wegner Seraphine V. , Grobe Kay
Published: February 2023

Morphogens determine cellular differentiation in many developing tissues in a concentration dependent manner. As a central model for gradient formation during animal development, Hedgehog (Hh) morphogens spread away from their source to direct growth and pattern formation in the Drosophila wing disc. Although heparan sulfate (HS) expression in the disc is essential for this process, it is not known whether HS regulates Hh signaling and spread in a direct or in an indirect manner. To answer this question, we systematically screened two composite Hh binding areas for HS in vitro and expressed mutated proteins in the Drosophila wing disc. We found that selectively impaired HS binding of the second site reduced Hh signaling close to the source and caused striking wing mispatterning phenotypes more distant from the source. These observations suggest that HS constrains Hh to the wing disc epithelium in a direct manner, and that interfering with this constriction converts Hh into freely diffusing forms with altered signaling ranges and impaired gradient robustness.
Associations between polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations and Parkinson’s disease: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhu Xue , Huang Sijia , Kang Wenyan , Chen Peizhan , Liu Jun
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Observational studies demonstrated controversial effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on Parkinson’s disease (PD) with limited causality evidence. Randomized control trials showed possible improvement in PD symptoms with PUFA supplement but had small study population and limited intervention time.

Methods

A two-sample Mendelian randomization was designed to evaluate the causal relevance between PUFAs and PD, using genetic variants of PUFAs as instrumental variables and PD data from the largest genome-wide association study as outcome. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was applied to obtain the primary outcome. Mendelian randomization Egger regression, weighted median and weighted mode methods were exploited to assist result analyses. Strict Mendelian randomization and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) were used to estimate direct effects of PUFAs on PD, eliminating pleiotropic effect. Debiased inverse variance weighted estimator was implemented when weak instrument bias was introduced into the analysis. A variety of sensitivity analyses were utilized to assess validity of the results.

Results

Our study included 33,674 PD cases and 449,056 controls. Higher plasma level of arachidonic acid (AA) was associated with a 3% increase of PD risk per 1-standard deviation (SD) increase of AA (IVW; Odds ratio (OR)=1.03 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.04], P = 2.24E-04). After MVMR (IVW; OR=1.03 [95% CI 1.02-1.04], P =6.15E-08) and deletion of pleiotropic single-nucleotide polymorphisms overlapping with other lipids (IVW; OR=1.03 [95% CI 1.01-1.05], P =5.88E-04), result was still significant. Increased level of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) showed possible relevance with increased PD risk after adjustment of pleiotropy (MVMR; OR=1.05 [95% CI 1.01-1.08], P =5.40E-03). Linoleic acid (LA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) were found not causally relevant to PD risk. Various sensitivity analyses verified the validity of our results. In conclusion, our findings from Mendelian randomization suggested that elevated levels of AA and possibly EPA might be linked to a higher risk of PD. No association between PD risk and LA, DHA, DPA, or ALA was found.

Discussion

The odds ratio for plasma AA and PD risk was weak. It is important to approach our results with caution in clinical practice and to conduct additional studies on the relationship between PUFAs and PD risk.
Sexually dimorphic development of the mesolimbic dopamine system is associated with nuanced sensitivity to adolescent alcohol use
Authors: Asarch Ari M. , Kruse Lauren C. , Schindler Abigail G. , Phillips Paul E. M. , Clark Jeremy J.
Published: February 2023

Alcohol use remains a major public health concern and is especially prevalent during adolescence. Adolescent alcohol use has been linked to several behavioral abnormalities in later life, including increased risk taking and impulsivity. Accordingly, when modeled in animals, male rats that had moderate alcohol consumption during adolescence exhibit multiple effects in adulthood, including increased risk taking, altered incentive learning, and greater release of dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway. It has been proposed that alcohol arrests neural development, “locking in” adolescent physiological, and consequent behavioral, phenotypes. Here we examined the feasibility that the elevated dopamine levels following adolescent alcohol exposure are a “locked in” phenotype by testing mesolimbic dopamine release across adolescent development. We found that in male rats, dopamine release peaks in late adolescence, returning to lower levels in adulthood, consistent with the notion that high dopamine levels in adolescence-alcohol-exposed adults were due to arrested development. Surprisingly, dopamine release in females was stable across the tested developmental window. This result raised a quandary that arrested dopamine levels would not differ from normal development in females and, therefore, may not contribute to pathological behavior. However, the aforementioned findings related to risk-based decision-making have only been performed in male subjects. When we tested females that had undergone adolescent alcohol use, we found that neither risk attitude during probabilistic decision-making nor mesolimbic dopamine release was altered. These findings suggest that different developmental profiles of the mesolimbic dopamine system across sexes result in dimorphic susceptibility to alcohol-induced cognitive and motivational anomalies exposure.
Case report: Backward gait training combined with gait-synchronized cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation in progressive supranuclear palsy
Authors: Shima Atsushi , Tanaka Kazuki , Ogawa Akari , Omae Erika , Miyake Tomoaki , Nagamori Yui , Miyata Yusuke , Ohata Koji , Ono Yumie , Mima Tatsuya , Takahashi Ryosuke , Koganemaru Satoko
Published: February 2023

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is characterized by recurrent falls caused by postural instability, and a backward gait is considered beneficial for postural instability. Furthermore, a recent approach for rehabilitation combined with gait-oriented synchronized stimulation using non-invasive transcranial patterned stimulation could be promising for balance function. Here, we present a case of PSP with backward gait training combined with gait-synchronized transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). A 70-year-old woman with PSP-Richardson’s syndrome underwent backward gait training combined with synchronized cerebellar tACS. Initially, she underwent short-term intervention with combined training of backward gait with synchronized cerebellar tACS, asynchronized, or sham stimulation according to the N-of-1 study design. Synchronized tACS training demonstrated a decrease in postural instability, whereas asynchronized or sham stimulation did not. The additional long-term interventions of combined backward gait training with synchronized cerebellar tACS demonstrated further decrease in postural instability with improvements in gait speed, balance function, and fall-related self-efficacy in daily life. The present case describes a novel approach for motor symptoms in a patient with PSP. Backward gait training with synchronized cerebellar tACS may be a promising therapeutic approach.
Clinical features and FLAIR radiomics nomogram for predicting functional outcomes after thrombolysis in ischaemic stroke
Authors: Xu Qingqing , Zhu Yan , Zhang Xi , Kong Dan , Duan Shaofeng , Guo Lili , Yin Xindao , Jiang Liang , Liu Zaiyi , Yang Wanqun
Published: February 2023

Objective

We explored whether radiomics features extracted from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images can predict the clinical outcome of patients with acute ischaemic stroke. This study was conducted to investigate and validate a radiomics nomogram for predicting acute ischaemic stroke prognosis.

Methods

A total of 257 patients with acute ischaemic stroke from three clinical centres were retrospectively assessed from February 2019 to July 2022. According to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 3 months, the patients were divided into a favourable outcome group (mRS of 0–2) and an unfavourable outcome group (mRS of 3−6). The high-throughput features from the regions of interest (ROIs) within the radiologist-drawn contour by AK software were extracted. We used two feature selection methods, minimum redundancy and maximum (mRMR) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm (LASSO), to select the features. Three radiomics models (DWI, FLAIR, and DWI-FLAIR) were established. A radiomics nomogram with patient characteristics and radiomics signature was built using a multivariate logistic regression model. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated in the test and validation sets. Ultimately, decision curve analysis was implemented to assess the clinical value of the nomogram.

Results

The FLAIR, DWI, and DWI-FLAIR radiomics model exhibited good prediction performance, with area under the curve (AUCs) of 0.922 (95% CI: 0.876−0.968), 0.875 (95% CI: 0.815−0.935), and 0.895 (95% CI: 0.840−0.950). The radiomics nomogram with clinical characteristics including the overall cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) burden score, hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) score and the FLAIR Radscore presented good discriminatory potential in the training set (AUC = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.90−0.98) and test set (AUC = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.87−1), which was validated in the validation set 1 (AUC = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.88−1) and validation set 2 (AUC = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.768−1). In addition, it demonstrated good calibration, and decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical value of this nomogram.

Conclusion

This non-invasive clinical-FLIAR radiomics nomogram shows good performance in predicting ischaemic stroke prognosis after thrombolysis.
Alternations of neuromagnetic activity across neurocognitive core networks among benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes: A multi-frequency MEG study
Authors: Wang Siyi , Wang Yingfan , Li Yihan , Sun Jintao , Wang Pengfei , Niu Kai , Xu Yue , Li Yanzhang , Sun Fangling , Chen Qiqi , Wang Xiaoshan
Published: February 2023

Objective

We aimed to investigate the alternations of neuromagnetic activity across neurocognitive core networks among early untreated children having benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS).

Methods

We recorded the Magnetoencephalography (MEG) resting-state data from 48 untreated children having BECTS and 24 healthy children. The fourth edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) was utilized to divide the children with BECTS into two groups: the cognitive impairment (CI) group with a full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) of < 90 and the cognitive non-impairment (CNI) group with an FSIQ of > 90. We selected 26 bilateral cognitive-related regions of interest based on the triple network model. The neurocognitive core network spectral power was estimated using a minimum norm estimate (MNE).

Results

In the CNI group, the spectral power inside the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the bilateral caudal middle frontal cortex (CMF) enhanced within the delta band and reduced within the alpha band. Both the CI and the CNI group demonstrated enhanced spectral power inside the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), bilateral precuneus (PCu) region, bilateral superior and middle temporal cortex, bilateral inferior parietal lobe (IPL), and bilateral supramarginal cortex (SM) region in the delta band. Moreover, there was decreased spectral power in the alpha band. In addition, there were consistent changes in the high-frequency spectrum (> 90 Hz). The spectral power density within the insula cortex (IC), superior temporal cortex (ST), middle temporal cortex (MT), and parahippocampal cortex (PaH) also decreased. Therefore, studying high-frequency activity could lead to a new understanding of the pathogenesis of BECTS.

Conclusion

The alternations of spectral power among neurocognitive core networks could account for CI among early untreated children having BECTS. The dynamic properties of spectral power in different frequency bands could behave as biomarkers for diagnosing new BECTS.
Functional and structural alterations as diagnostic imaging markers for depression in de novo Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Wang Hui , Xu Jianxia , Yu Miao , Zhou Gaiyan , Ren Jingru , Wang Yajie , Zheng Huifen , Sun Yu , Wu Jun , Liu Weiguo
Published: February 2023

Background

Depression in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is identified and diagnosed with behavioral observations and neuropsychological measurements. Due to the large overlaps of depression and PD symptoms in clinical manifestations, it is challenging for neurologists to distinguish and diagnose depression in PD (DPD) in the early clinical stage of PD. The advancement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology provides potential clinical utility in the diagnosis of DPD. This study aimed to explore the alterations of functional and structural MRI in DPD to produce neuroimaging markers in discriminating DPD from non-depressed PD (NDPD) and healthy controls (HC).

Methods

We recruited 20 DPD, 37 NDPD, and 41 HC matched in age, gender, and education years. The patients’ diagnosis with PD was de novo. The differences in regional homogeneity (ReHo), voxel-wise degree centrality (DC), cortical thickness, cortical gray matter (GM) volumes, and subcortical GM volumes among these groups were detected, and the relationship between altered indicators and depression was analyzed. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic efficacy of altered indicators for DPD.

Results

Compared to NDPD and HC, DPD showed significantly increased ReHo in left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus (DSFG) and DC in left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), and decreased GM volumes in left temporal lobe and right Amygdala. Among these altered indicators, ReHo value in left DSFG and DC values in left ITG and left DSFG were significantly correlated with the severity of depression in PD patients. Comparing DPD and NDPD, the ROC analysis revealed a better area under the curve value for the combination of ReHo value in left DSFG and DC value in left ITG, followed by each independent indicator. However, the difference is not statistically significant.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that both functional and structural impairments are present in DPD. Among them, ReHo value of left DSFG and DC value of left ITG are equally well suited for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of DPD, with a combination of them being slightly preferable. The multimodal MRI technique represents a promising approach for the classification of subjects with PD.