bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Als Advanced Practice Nurse aktiv die Pflegepraxis mitgestalten
Authors: Werner Janne , Dimitriadou-Xanthopoulou Nikoletta , Knisch-Wesemann Alexandra , Meißner Kerstin
Published: October 2021

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Die Entwicklung von Advanced Practice Nurses (APN-Rollen) im akutstationären Setting in Deutschland ist stark von Kontextfaktoren abhängig. Diese Etablierung von APN-Rollen in der direkten Patientenversorgung stellt einen tiefgreifenden Organisationsentwicklungsprozess dar. Im Jahr 2010 begann im Florence-Nightingale-Krankenhaus in Düsseldorf die Implementierung von APN-Rollen. Ziel: Unsere Erfahrung in der Entwicklung von APN-Rollen und darüber hinaus die Identifikation von beeinflussenden Faktoren zu reflektieren. Die Erhebung fördernder und hemmender Faktoren soll zukünftige APN-Rollenentwicklungen und Interventionen unterstützen. Methoden: Mithilfe des Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) haben vier Pflegeexpertinnen APN einen teilstrukturierten Rückblick vorgenommen. Hierzu wurde der zyklische Prozess der kritischen Selbstreflexion nach Titchen (2009) verwendet. Ergebnisse: Die Einflussfaktoren wurden in Kategorien zusammengefasst. Differenziert dargestellt werden die Kategorien: Unterstützung durch die Managementebene, Erkennen von Veränderungsbedarf, Fachliche Expertise, Präsenz vor Ort, Selbstwirksamkeit und persönliche Eigenschaften sowie Rollenklarheit. Diskussion: Die Implementierung von APN-Rollen braucht Zeit und Ausdauer, sowohl von der Organisation als auch von den jeweiligen Pflegeexpert_innen APN. Die Erlangung von Rollenklarheit ist in diesem Prozess substanziell. Grenzen und Transfer: Dieser Reflexionsbericht stellt kontextbezogene Ergebnisse dar. Die identifizierten Einflussfaktoren können jedoch eine Hilfestellung für zukünftige Implementierungsprozesse und Entwicklungen von APN-Rollen darstellen.
Impact of Consumer Emotional Intelligence on Satisfaction With Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Tariq Muhammad Zubair , Ali Bhatti Ghulam , Khan Naseer Abbas , Qadir Moin
Published: October 2021

Abstract. This study investigates the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in consumers’ satisfaction with life (SWL), particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. It looks into the relationship between consumer EI, impulsive buying (IB), and SWL, particularly during the dreadful COVID-19 pandemic. It also reflects on the mediating role of IB in the indirect association between consumer EI and SWL. The data were collected from 483 public-sector university graduates in Islamabad, Pakistan. Findings reveal a significant association between consumer EI and IB as well as between consumer EI and SWL. In addition, consumer IB behavior played a significant mediating role in the indirect relationship between consumer EI and SWL: When consumers have a high level of EI, their involvement in IB is low, and they are more satisfied with their lives. This study helps consumers to understand how to effectively manage emotions ensuing during shopping experiences to control their buying behavior. The study also broadens our understanding of how EI can help consumers to remain satisfied during the COVID-19 crisis.
Modifiable predictors of suicidal ideation during psychotherapy for late-life major depression. A machine learning approach
Authors: Alexopoulos George S. , Raue Patrick J. , Banerjee Samprit , Mauer Elizabeth , Marino Patricia , Soliman Mohamed , Kanellopoulos Dora , Solomonov Nili , Adeagbo Adenike , Sirey Jo Anne , Hull Thomas D. , Kiosses Dimitris N. , Areán Patricia A.
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to identify subgroups of depressed older adults with distinct trajectories of suicidal ideation during brief psychotherapy and to detect modifiable predictors of membership to the trajectories of suicidal ideation. Latent growth mixed models were used to identify trajectories of the presence of suicidal ideation in participants to a randomized controlled trial comparing Problem Solving Therapy with “Engage” therapy in older adults with major depression over 9 weeks. Predictors of membership to trajectories of suicidal ideation were identified by the convergence of four machine learning models, i.e., least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression, random forest, gradient boosting machine, and classification tree. The course of suicidal ideation was best captured by two trajectories, a favorable and an unfavorable trajectory comprising 173 and 76 participants respectively. Members of the favorable trajectory had no suicidal ideation by week 8. In contrast, members of the unfavorable trajectory had a 60% probability of suicidal ideation by treatment end. Convergent findings of the four machine learning models identified hopelessness, neuroticism, and low general self-efficacy as the strongest predictors of membership to the unfavorable trajectory of suicidal ideation during psychotherapy. Assessment of suicide risk should include hopelessness, neuroticism, and general self-efficacy as they are predictors of an unfavorable course of suicidal ideation in depressed older adults receiving psychotherapy. Psychotherapeutic interventions exist for hopelessness, emotional reactivity related to neuroticism, and low self-efficacy, and if used during therapy, may improve the course of suicidal ideation.
Spontaneous traveling waves naturally emerge from horizontal fiber time delays and travel through locally asynchronous-irregular states
Authors: Davis Zachary W. , Benigno Gabriel B. , Fletterman Charlee , Desbordes Theo , Steward Christopher , Sejnowski Terrence J. , H. Reynolds John , Muller Lyle
Published: October 2021

Studies of sensory-evoked neuronal responses often focus on mean spike rates, with fluctuations treated as internally-generated noise. However, fluctuations of spontaneous activity, often organized as traveling waves, shape stimulus-evoked responses and perceptual sensitivity. The mechanisms underlying these waves are unknown. Further, it is unclear whether waves are consistent with the low rate and weakly correlated “asynchronous-irregular” dynamics observed in cortical recordings. Here, we describe a large-scale computational model with topographically-organized connectivity and conduction delays relevant to biological scales. We find that spontaneous traveling waves are a general property of these networks. The traveling waves that occur in the model are sparse, with only a small fraction of neurons participating in any individual wave. Consequently, they do not induce measurable spike correlations and remain consistent with locally asynchronous irregular states. Further, by modulating local network state, they can shape responses to incoming inputs as observed in vivo.
Data-driven simulation and characterisation of gold nanoparticle melting
Authors: Zeni Claudio , Rossi Kevin , Pavloudis Theodore , Kioseoglou Joseph , de Gironcoli Stefano , Palmer Richard E. , Baletto Francesca
Published: October 2021

The simulation and analysis of the thermal stability of nanoparticles, a stepping stone towards their application in technological devices, require fast and accurate force fields, in conjunction with effective characterisation methods. In this work, we develop efficient, transferable, and interpretable machine learning force fields for gold nanoparticles based on data gathered from Density Functional Theory calculations. We use them to investigate the thermodynamic stability of gold nanoparticles of different sizes (1 to 6 nm), containing up to 6266 atoms, concerning a solid-liquid phase change through molecular dynamics simulations. We predict nanoparticle melting temperatures in good agreement with available experimental data. Furthermore, we characterize the solid-liquid phase change mechanism employing an unsupervised learning scheme to categorize local atomic environments. We thus provide a data-driven definition of liquid atomic arrangements in the inner and surface regions of a nanoparticle and employ it to show that melting initiates at the outer layers.
Noradrenergic arousal after encoding reverses the course of systems consolidation in humans
Authors: Krenz Valentina , Sommer Tobias , Alink Arjen , Roozendaal Benno , Schwabe Lars
Published: October 2021

It is commonly assumed that episodic memories undergo a time-dependent systems consolidation process, during which hippocampus-dependent memories eventually become reliant on neocortical areas. Here we show that systems consolidation dynamics can be experimentally manipulated and even reversed. We combined a single pharmacological elevation of post-encoding noradrenergic activity through the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine with fMRI scanning both during encoding and recognition testing either 1 or 28 days later. We show that yohimbine administration, in contrast to placebo, leads to a time-dependent increase in hippocampal activity and multivariate encoding-retrieval pattern similarity, an indicator of episodic reinstatement, between 1 and 28 days. This is accompanied by a time-dependent decrease in neocortical activity. Behaviorally, these neural changes are linked to a reduced memory decline over time after yohimbine intake. These findings indicate that noradrenergic activity shortly after encoding may alter and even reverse systems consolidation in humans, thus maintaining vividness of memories over time.
A hierarchical cellular structural model to unravel the universal power-law rheological behavior of living cells
Authors: Hang Jiu-Tao , Kang Yu , Xu Guang-Kui , Gao Huajian
Published: October 2021

Living cells are a complex soft material with fascinating mechanical properties. A striking feature is that, regardless of their types or states, cells exhibit a universal power-law rheological behavior which to this date still has not been captured by a single theoretical model. Here, we propose a cellular structural model that accounts for the essential mechanical responses of cell membrane, cytoplasm and cytoskeleton. We demonstrate that this model can naturally reproduce the universal power-law characteristics of cell rheology, as well as how its power-law exponent is related to cellular stiffness. More importantly, the power-law exponent can be quantitatively tuned in the range of 0.1 ~ 0.5, as found in most types of cells, by varying the stiffness or architecture of the cytoskeleton. Based on the structural characteristics, we further develop a self-similar hierarchical model that can spontaneously capture the power-law characteristics of creep compliance over time and complex modulus over frequency. The present model suggests that mechanical responses of cells may depend primarily on their generic architectural mechanism, rather than specific molecular properties.
Phosphoproteome profiling uncovers a key role for CDKs in TNF signaling
Authors: Tanzer Maria C. , Bludau Isabell , Stafford Che A. , Hornung Veit , Mann Matthias
Published: October 2021

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is one of the few cytokines successfully targeted by therapies against inflammatory diseases. However, blocking this well studied and pleiotropic ligand can cause dramatic side-effects. Here, we reason that a systems-level proteomic analysis of TNF signaling could dissect its diverse functions and offer a base for developing more targeted therapies. Therefore, we combine phosphoproteomics time course experiments with subcellular localization and kinase inhibitor analysis to identify functional modules of protein phosphorylation. The majority of regulated phosphorylation events can be assigned to an upstream kinase by inhibiting master kinases. Spatial proteomics reveals phosphorylation-dependent translocations of hundreds of proteins upon TNF stimulation. Phosphoproteome analysis of TNF-induced apoptosis and necroptosis uncovers a key role for transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinase activity to promote cytokine production and prevent excessive cell death downstream of the TNF signaling receptor. This resource of TNF-induced pathways and sites can be explored at http://tnfviewer.biochem.mpg.de/.
Context value updating and multidimensional neuronal encoding in the retrosplenial cortex
Authors: Sun Weilun , Choi Ilseob , Stoyanov Stoyan , Senkov Oleg , Ponimaskin Evgeni , Winter York , Pakan Janelle M. P. , Dityatev Alexander
Published: October 2021

The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) has diverse functional inputs and is engaged by various sensory, spatial, and associative learning tasks. We examine how multiple functional aspects are integrated on the single-cell level in the RSC and how the encoding of task-related parameters changes across learning. Using a visuospatial context discrimination paradigm and two-photon calcium imaging in behaving mice, a large proportion of dysgranular RSC neurons was found to encode multiple task-related dimensions while forming context-value associations across learning. During reversal learning requiring increased cognitive flexibility, we revealed an increased proportion of multidimensional encoding neurons that showed higher decoding accuracy for behaviorally relevant context-value associations. Chemogenetic inactivation of RSC led to decreased behavioral context discrimination during learning phases in which context-value associations were formed, while recall of previously formed associations remained intact. RSC inactivation resulted in a persistent positive behavioral bias in valuing contexts, indicating a role for the RSC in context-value updating.
A Ta-TaS2 monolith catalyst with robust and metallic interface for superior hydrogen evolution
Authors: Yu Qiangmin , Zhang Zhiyuan , Qiu Siyao , Luo Yuting , Liu Zhibo , Yang Fengning , Liu Heming , Ge Shiyu , Zou Xiaolong , Ding Baofu , Ren Wencai , Cheng Hui-Ming , Sun Chenghua , Liu Bilu
Published: October 2021

The use of highly-active and robust catalysts is crucial for producing green hydrogen by water electrolysis as we strive to achieve global carbon neutrality. Noble metals like platinum are currently used catalysts in industry for the hydrogen evolution, but suffer from scarcity, high price and unsatisfied performance and stability at large current density, restrict their large-scale implementations. Here we report the synthesis of a type of monolith catalyst consisting of a metal disulfide (e.g., tantalum sulfides) vertically bonded to a conductive substrate of the same metal tantalum by strong covalent bonds. These features give the monolith catalyst a mechanically-robust and electrically near-zero-resistance interface, leading to an excellent hydrogen evolution performance including rapid charge transfer and excellent durability, together with a low overpotential of 398 mV to achieve a current density of 2,000 mA cm−2 as required by industry. The monolith catalyst has a negligible performance decay after 200 h operation at large current densities. In light of its robust and metallic interface and the various choices of metals giving the same structure, such monolith materials would have broad uses besides catalysis.
Augmented CO2 tolerance by expressing a single H+-pump enables microalgal valorization of industrial flue gas
Authors: Choi Hong Il , Hwang Sung-Won , Kim Jongrae , Park Byeonghyeok , Jin EonSeon , Choi In-Geol , Sim Sang Jun
Published: October 2021

Microalgae can accumulate various carbon-neutral products, but their real-world applications are hindered by their CO2 susceptibility. Herein, the transcriptomic changes in a model microalga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, in a high-CO2 milieu (20%) are evaluated. The primary toxicity mechanism consists of aberrantly low expression of plasma membrane H+-ATPases (PMAs) accompanied by intracellular acidification. Our results demonstrate that the expression of a universally expressible PMA in wild-type strains makes them capable of not only thriving in acidity levels that they usually cannot survive but also exhibiting 3.2-fold increased photoautotrophic production against high CO2 via maintenance of a higher cytoplasmic pH. A proof-of-concept experiment involving cultivation with toxic flue gas (13 vol% CO2, 20 ppm NOX, and 32 ppm SOX) shows that the production of CO2-based bioproducts by the strain is doubled compared with that by the wild-type, implying that this strategy potentially enables the microalgal valorization of CO2 in industrial exhaust.
Self-reactivity controls functional diversity of naive CD8+ T cells by co-opting tonic type I interferon
Authors: Ju Young-Jun , Lee Sung-Woo , Kye Yoon-Chul , Lee Gil-Woo , Kim Hee-Ok , Yun Cheol-Heui , Cho Jae-Ho
Published: October 2021

The strength of the T cell receptor interaction with self-ligands affects antigen-specific immune responses. However, the precise function and underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that naive CD8+T cells with relatively high self-reactivity are phenotypically heterogeneous owing to varied responses to type I interferon, resulting in three distinct subsets, CD5loLy6C–, CD5hiLy6C–, and CD5hiLy6C+cells. CD5hiLy6C+cells differ from CD5loLy6C–and CD5hiLy6C–cells in terms of gene expression profiles and functional properties. Moreover, CD5hiLy6C+cells demonstrate more extensive antigen-specific expansion upon viral infection, with enhanced differentiation into terminal effector cells and reduced memory cell generation. Such features of CD5hiLy6C+cells are imprinted in a steady-state and type I interferon dependence is observed even for monoclonal CD8+T cell populations. These findings demonstrate that self-reactivity controls the functional diversity of naive CD8+T cells by co-opting tonic type I interferon signaling.
Rapid methicillin resistance diversification in Staphylococcus epidermidis colonizing human neonates
Authors: Datta Manoshi S. , Yelin Idan , Hochwald Ori , Kassis Imad , Borenstein-Levin Liron , Kugelman Amir , Kishony Roy
Published: October 2021

Early in life, infants are colonized with multiple bacterial strains whose differences in gene content can have important health consequences. Metagenomics-based approaches have revealed gene content differences between different strains co-colonizing newborns, but less is known about the rate, mechanism, and phenotypic consequences of gene content diversification within strains. Here, focusing on Staphylococcus epidermidis, we whole-genome sequence and phenotype more than 600 isolates from newborns. Within days of birth, infants are co-colonized with a highly personalized repertoire of S. epidermidis strains, which are spread across the newborn body. Comparing the genomes of multiple isolates of each strain, we find very little evidence of adaptive evolution via single-nucleotide polymorphisms. By contrast, we observe gene content differences even between otherwise genetically identical cells, including variation of the clinically important methicillin resistance gene, mecA, suggesting rapid gene gain and loss events at rates higher than point mutations. Mapping the genomic architecture of structural variants by long-read Nanopore sequencing, we find that deleted regions were always flanked by direct repeats, consistent with site-specific recombination. However, we find that even within a single genetic background, recombination occurs at multiple, often non-canonical repeats, leading to the rapid evolution of patient-specific diverse structural variants in the SCCmec island and to differences in antibiotic resistance.
Extracellular calcium alters calcium-sensing receptor network integrating intracellular calcium-signaling and related key pathway
Authors: Gorkhali Rakshya , Tian Li , Dong Bin , Bagchi Pritha , Deng Xiaonan , Pawar Shrikant , Duong Duc , Fang Ning , Seyfried Nicholas , Yang Jenny
Published: October 2021

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a target for over 34% of current drugs. The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), a family C GPCR, regulates systemic calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis that is critical for many physiological, calciotropical, and noncalciotropical outcomes in multiple organs. However, the mechanisms by which extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+ex) and the CaSR mediate networks of intracellular Ca2+-signaling and players involved throughout the life cycle of CaSR are largely unknown. Here we report the first CaSR protein–protein interactome with 94 novel putative and 8 previously published interactors using proteomics. Ca2+ex promotes enrichment of 66% of the identified CaSR interactors, pertaining to Ca2+ dynamics, endocytosis, degradation, trafficking, and primarily to protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These enhanced ER-related processes are governed by Ca2+ex-activated CaSR which directly modulates ER-Ca2+ (Ca2+ER), as monitored by a novel ER targeted Ca2+-sensor. Moreover, we validated the Ca2+ex dependent colocalizations and interactions of CaSR with ER-protein processing chaperone, 78-kDa glucose regulated protein (GRP78), and with trafficking-related protein. Live cell imaging results indicated that CaSR and vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated A (VAPA) are inter-dependent during Ca2+ex induced enhancement of near-cell membrane expression. This study significantly extends the repertoire of the CaSR interactome and reveals likely novel players and pathways of CaSR participating in Ca2+ER dynamics, agonist mediated ER-protein processing and surface expression.
Relationship of sagittal spinal alignment with low back pain and physical performance in the general population
Authors: Hira Kazuhiro , Nagata Keiji , Hashizume Hiroshi , Asai Yoshiki , Oka Hiroyuki , Tsutsui Shunji , Takami Masanari , Iwasaki Hiroshi , Muraki Shigeyuki , Akune Toru , Iidaka Toshiko , Kawaguchi Hiroshi , Nakamura Kozo , Yoshida Munehito , Tanaka Sakae , Yoshimura Noriko , Yamada Hiroshi
Published: October 2021

Studies have suggested a relationship between sagittal spinal malalignment and low back pain (LBP). The current study investigated the relationship of spinal alignment with LBP and physical performance in 1491 individuals who attended the second follow-up visit of the Wakayama Spine Study. The sagittal vertical axis at C7 (C7 SVA) was measured by a spine surgeon. The occurrence of LBP within one month, pain intensity, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and physical performance (grip strength, 6-m walking time, chair stand test, one-leg standing test) were also evaluated. LBP in the previous month was determined using ODI, and indicators of physical performance were measured. The mean C7 SVA was 11.0 ± 42.7 mm and was significantly greater in older participants (p < 0.001). LBP was more prevalent in participants with a greater C7 SVA (< 40 mm, 35.7%; 40–95 mm, 47.3%; ≥ 95 mm, 59.4%; p < 0.001) and those with a higher ODI score (10.0%, 17.5%, and 29.4%, respectively; p < 0.001). Physical performance significantly decreased in participants with a greater C7 SVA (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that LBP and physical performance were significantly associated with C7 SVA (p < 0.001). Thus, sagittal spinal malalignment may lead to LBP and decreased physical performance.
Synthesis and release behavior of layered double hydroxides–carbamazepine composites
Authors: Peralta Ma. F. , Mendieta S. N. , Scolari I. R. , Granero G. E. , Crivello M. E.
Published: October 2021

Carbamazepine (CBZ) was incorporated into layered double hydroxides (LDH) to be used as a controlled drug system in solid tumors. CBZ has a formal charge of zero, so its incorporation in the anionic clay implies a challenge. Aiming to overcome this problem, CBZ was loaded into LDH with sodium cholate (SC), a surfactant with negative charge and, for comparison, without SC by the reconstruction method. Surprisingly, it was found that both resultant nanocomposites had similar CBZ encapsulation efficiency, around 75%, and the LDH-CBZ system without SC showed a better performance in relation to the release kinetics of CBZ in simulated body fluid (pH 7.4) and acetate buffer simulating the cellular cytoplasm (pH 4.8) than the system with SC. The CBZ dimensions were measured with Chem3D and, according to the basal spacing obtained from X-ray patterns, it can be arranged in the LDH-CBZ system as a monolayer with the long axis parallel to the LDH layers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and solid state NMR measurements confirmed the presence of the drug, and thermogravimetric analyses showed an enhanced thermal stability for CBZ. These results have interesting implications since they increase the spectrum of LDH application as a controlled drug system to a large number of nonionic drugs, without the addition of other components.
Analysis of remaining motion using one innovative upper airway opening cervical collar and two traditional cervical collars
Authors: Jung Matthias K. , von Ehrlich-Treuenstätt Gregor V. R. , Keil Holger , Grützner Paul A. , Schneider Niko R. E. , Kreinest Michael
Published: October 2021

The aim of this study was to compare the remaining motion of an immobilized cervical spine using an innovative cervical collar as well as two traditional cervical collars. The study was performed on eight fresh human cadavers. The cervical spine was immobilized with one innovative (Lubo Airway Collar) and two traditional cervical collars (Stifneck and Perfit ACE). The flexion and lateral bending of the cervical spine were measured using a wireless motion tracker (Xsens). With the Weinman Lubo Airway Collar attached, the mean remaining flexion was 20.0 ± 9.0°. The mean remaining flexion was lowest with the Laerdal Stifneck (13.1 ± 6.6°) or Ambu Perfit ACE (10.8 ± 5.8°) applied. Compared to that of the innovative Weinmann Lubo Airway Collar, the remaining cervical spine flexion was significantly decreased with the Ambu Perfit ACE. There was no significant difference in lateral bending between the three examined collars. The most effective immobilization of the cervical spine was achieved when traditional cervical collars were implemented. However, all tested cervical collars showed remaining motion of the cervical spine. Thus, alternative immobilization techniques should be considered.
Innate immune responses at the asymptomatic stage of influenza A viral infections of Streptococcus pneumoniae colonized and non-colonized mice
Authors: Cuypers Fabian , Schäfer Alexander , Skorka Sebastian B. , Surabhi Surabhi , Tölken Lea A. , Paulikat Antje D. , Kohler Thomas P. , Otto Saskia A. , Mettenleiter Thomas C. , Hammerschmidt Sven , Blohm Ulrike , Siemens Nikolai
Published: October 2021

Seasonal Influenza A virus (IAV) infections can promote dissemination of upper respiratory tract commensals such asStreptococcus pneumoniaeto the lower respiratory tract resulting in severe life-threatening pneumonia. Here, we aimed to compare innate immune responses in the lungs of healthy colonized and non-colonized mice after IAV challenge at the initial asymptomatic stage of infection. Responses during a severe bacterial pneumonia were profiled for comparison. Cytokine and innate immune cell imprints of the lungs were analyzed. Irrespective of the colonization status, mild H1N1 IAV infection was characterized by a bi-phasic disease progression resulting in full recovery of the animals. Already at the asymptomatic stage of viral infection, the pro-inflammatory cytokine response was as high as in pneumococcal pneumonia. Flow cytometry analyses revealed an early influx of inflammatory monocytes into the lungs. Neutrophil influx was mostly limited to bacterial infections. The majority of cells, except monocytes, displayed an activated phenotype characterized by elevated CCR2 and MHCII expression. In conclusion, we show that IAV challenge of colonized healthy mice does not automatically result in severe co-infection. However, a general local inflammatory response was noted at the asymptomatic stage of infection irrespective of the infection type.
Building HMM and molecular docking analysis for the sensitive detection of anti-viral pneumonia antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)
Authors: Bakare Olalekan Olanrewaju , Keyster Marshall , Pretorius Ashley
Published: October 2021

Pneumonia is the main reason for mortality among children under five years, causing 1.6 million deaths every year; late research has exhibited that mortality is increasing in the elderly. A few biomarkers used for its diagnosis need specificity and precision, as they are related to different infections, for example, pulmonary tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus. There is a quest for new biomarkers worldwide to diagnose the disease to defeat these previously mentioned constraints. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising indicative specialists against infection. This research work used AMPs as biomarkers to detect viral pneumonia pathogens, for example, Respiratory syncytial virus, Influenza A and B viruses utilizing in silico technologies, such as Hidden Markov Model (HMMER). HMMER was used to distinguish putative anti-viral pneumonia AMPs against the recognized receptor proteins of Respiratory syncytial virus, Influenza A, and B viruses. The physicochemical parameters of these putative AMPs were analyzed, and their 3-D structures were determined utilizing I-TASSER. Molecular docking interaction of these AMPs against the recognized viral pneumonia proteins was carried out using the PATCHDOCK and HDock servers. The results demonstrated 27 anti-viral AMPs ranked based on their E values with significant physicochemical parameters in similarity with known experimentally approved AMPs. The AMPs additionally had a high anticipated binding potential to the pneumonia receptors of these microorganisms sensitively. The tendency of the putative anti-viral AMPs to bind pneumonia proteins showed that they would be promising applicant biomarkers to identify these viral microorganisms in the point-of-care (POC) pneumonia diagnostics. The high precision observed for the AMPs legitimizes HMM’s utilization in the disease diagnostics’ discovery process.
Aberrantly higher functional connectivity in the salience network is associated with transient global amnesia
Authors: Kim Geon Ha , Kim Bori R. , Chun Min Young , Park Kee Duk , Lim Soo Mee , Jeong Jee Hyang
Published: October 2021

Triple intrinsic brain networks including the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), and central executive network (CEN), are known to be important in human cognition. Therefore, investigating those intrinsic brain networks in transient global amnesia (TGA) may offer novel insight useful for the pathophysiology of TGA. Fifty TGA patients underwent the resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) within 24 h, at 72 h, and 3 months after TGA onset. Twenty-five age, gender matched controls also underwent rsfMRI. Within 24 h of TGA onset, TGA patients showed greater functional connectivity in the SN and lower functional connectivity in the DMN, while relatively preserved functional connectivity was observed in the CEN. Interestingly, TGA patients continued to show decreased connectivity in the DMN, while no alterations were shown in the SN 72 h after illness onset. Three months after TGA onset, alterations of functional connectivity in the SN or the DMN were normalized. Our findings suggest that TGA is associated with transient greater functional connectivity in the SN and lower connectivity in the DMN.
Effect of chitosan on blood profile, inflammatory cytokines by activating TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in intestine of heat stressed mice
Authors: Mohyuddin Sahar Ghulam , Qamar Aftab , Hu Can-ying , Chen Sheng-Wei , Wen Jia-ying , Liu Xiao-xi , Ma Xing-bin , Yu Zhi-chao , Yong Yan-hong , Wu Lian-Yun , Bao Ming-Long , Ju Xiang Hong
Published: October 2021

Heat stress can significantly affect the immune function of the animal body. Heat stress stimulates oxidative stress in intestinal tissue and suppresses the immune responses of mice. The protecting effects of chitosan on heat stress induced colitis have not been reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of chitosan on immune function in heat stressed mice. Mice were exposed to heat stress (40 °C per day for 4 h) for 14 consecutive days. The mice (C57BL/6J), were randomly divided into three groups including: control group, heat stress, Chitosan group (LD: group 300 mg/kg/day, MD: 600 mg/kg/day, HD: 1000 mg/kg/day). The results showed that tissue histology was improved in chitosan groups than heat stress group. The current study showed that the mice with oral administration of chitosan groups had improved body performance as compared with the heat stress group. The results also showed that in chitosan treated groups the production of HSP70, TLR4, p65, TNF-α, and IL-10 was suppressed on day 1, 7, and 14 as compared to the heat stress group. In addition Claudin-2, and Occludin mRNA levels were upregulated in mice receiving chitosan on day 1, 7, and 14 of heat stress. Furthermore, the IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α plasma levels were down-regulated on day 1, 7, and 14 of heat stress in mice receiving the oral administration of chitosan. In conclusion, the results showed that chitosan has an anti-inflammatory ability to tolerate hot environmental conditions.
Integrative transcriptomic and gene co-expression network analysis of host responses upon Verticillium dahliae infection in Gossypium hirsutum
Authors: Zhang Guoli , Zhao Zengqiang , Ma Panpan , Qu Yanying , Sun Guoqing , Chen Quanjia
Published: October 2021

Worldwide, Verticillium wilt is among the major harmful diseases in cotton production, causing substantial reduction in yields. While this disease has been extensively researched at the molecular level of the pathogen, the molecular basis ofV. dahliaehost response association is yet to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, RNA-seq analysis was carried out onV. dahliaeinfected twoGossypium hirsutumL. cultivars, Xinluzao-36 (susceptible) and Zhongzhimian-2 (disease resistant) for 0 h, 24 h, 72 h and 120 h time intervals. Statistical analysis revealed thatV. dahliaeinfection elicited differentially expressed gene responses in the two cotton varieties, but more intensely in the susceptible cultivar than in the resistant cultivars. Data analysis revealed 4241 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the LT variety across the three treatment timepoints whereas 7657 in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the Vd592 variety across the three treatment timepoints. Six genes were randomly selected for qPCR validation of the RNA-Seq data. Numerous genes encompassed in disease resistance and defense mechanisms were identified. Further, RNA-Seq dataset was utilized in construction of the weighted gene co-expression network and 11 hub genes were identified, that encode for different proteins associated with lignin and immune response, Auxin response factor, cell wall and vascular development, microtubule, Ascorbate transporter, Serine/threonine kinase and Immunity and drought were identified. This significant research will aid in advancing crucial knowledge on virus-host interactions and identify key genes intricate inG. hirsutumL. resistance toV. dahliaeinfection.
Brain age estimation at tract group level and its association with daily life measures, cardiac risk factors and genetic variants
Authors: Salih Ahmed , Boscolo Galazzo Ilaria , Raisi-Estabragh Zahra , Rauseo Elisa , Gkontra Polyxeni , Petersen Steffen E. , Lekadir Karim , Altmann André , Radeva Petia , Menegaz Gloria
Published: October 2021

Brain age can be estimated using different Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) modalities including diffusion MRI. Recent studies demonstrated that white matter (WM) tracts that share the same function might experience similar alterations. Therefore, in this work, we sought to investigate such issue focusing on five WM bundles holding that feature that is Association, Brainstem, Commissural, Limbic and Projection fibers, respectively. For each tract group, we estimated brain age for 15,335 healthy participants from United Kingdom Biobank relying on diffusion MRI data derived endophenotypes, Bayesian ridge regression modeling and 10 fold-cross validation. Furthermore, we estimated brain age for an Ensemble model that gathers all the considered WM bundles. Association analysis was subsequently performed between the estimated brain age delta as resulting from the six models, that is for each tract group as well as for the Ensemble model, and 38 daily life style measures, 14 cardiac risk factors and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging features and genetic variants. The Ensemble model that used all tracts from all fiber groups (FG) performed better than other models to estimate brain age. Limbic tracts based model reached the highest accuracy with a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 5.08, followed by the Commissural ($$\hbox {MAE}=5.23$$

MAE
=
5.23

), Association ($$\hbox {MAE}=5.24$$

MAE
=
5.24

), and Projection ($$\hbox {MAE}=5.28$$

MAE
=
5.28

) ones. The Brainstem tracts based model was the less accurate achieving a MAE of 5.86. Accordingly, our study suggests that the Limbic tracts experience less brain aging or allows for more accurate estimates compared to other tract groups. Moreover, the results suggest that Limbic tract leads to the largest number of significant associations with daily lifestyle factors than the other tract groups. Lastly, two SNPs were significantly (p value $$< 5\hbox {E}{-}8$$

<
5
E
-
8

) associated with brain age delta in the Projection fibers. Those SNPs are mapped to HIST1H1A and SLC17A3 genes.
Rosmarinic acid inhibits DNA glycation and modulates the expression of Akt1 and Akt3 partially in the hippocampus of diabetic rats
Authors: Alrubaye Ameer , Motovali-Bashi Majid , Miroliaei Mehran
Published: October 2021

Non-enzymatic glycation of DNA and the associated effects are among pathogenic factors in diabetes mellitus. Natural polyphenols have anti-diabetic activity. Herein, the protective role of one of the phytochemicals, rosmarinic acid (RA), was evaluated in glycation (with fructose) of human DNA and expression of Akt genes in the hippocampus of diabetic rats. In-vitro studies using fluorescence, agarose gel electrophoresis, fluorescence microscopy, and thermal denaturation analyses revealed that glycation causes DNA damage and that RA inhibits it. In-vivo studies were performed by induction of diabetes in rats using streptozotocin. The diabetic rats were given RA daily through gavage feeding. The expression of Akt genes (inhibitors of apoptosis) in the hippocampus was evaluated using RT-qPCR. In diabetic rats, Akt1 and Akt3 were significantly down-regulated compared to the control group. Treating the diabetic rats with RA returned the expression of Akt1 and Akt3 relatively to the normal condition. Past studies have shown that diabetes induces apoptosis in the hippocampal neurons. Given that glycation changes the genes expression and causes cell death, apoptosis of the hippocampal neurons can be due to the glycation of DNA. The results also suggest that RA has reliable potency against the gross modification of DNA under hyperglycemic conditions.
A histidine kinase and a response regulator provide phage resistance to Marinomonas mediterranea via CRISPR-Cas regulation
Authors: Lucas-Elío Patricia , Molina-Quintero Luisa Raquel , Xu Hengyi , Sánchez-Amat Antonio
Published: October 2021

CRISPR-Cas systems are used by many prokaryotes to defend against invading genetic elements. In many cases, more than one CRISPR-Cas system co-exist in the same cell. Marinomonas mediterranea MMB-1 possesses two CRISPR-Cas systems, of type I–F and III-B respectively, which collaborate in phage resistance raising questions on how their expression is regulated. This study shows that the expression of both systems is controlled by the histidine kinase PpoS and a response regulator, PpoR, identified and cloned in this study. These proteins show similarity to the global regulators BarA/UvrY. In addition, homologues to the sRNAs CsrB and CsrC and the gene coding for the post-transcriptional repressor CsrA have been also identified indicating the conservation of the elements of the BarA/UvrY regulatory cascade in M. mediterranea. RNA-Seq analyses have revealed that all these genetics elements are regulated by PpoS/R supporting their participation in the regulatory cascade. The regulation by PpoS and PpoR of the CRISPR-Cas systems plays a role in phage defense since mutants in these proteins show an increase in phage sensitivity.
Negative enrichment of circulating tumor cells from unmanipulated whole blood with a 3D printed device
Authors: Chu Chia-Heng , Liu Ruxiu , Ozkaya-Ahmadov Tevhide , Swain Brandi E. , Boya Mert , El-Rayes Bassel , Akce Mehmet , Bilen Mehmet Asim , Kucuk Omer , Sarioglu A. Fatih
Published: October 2021

Reliable and routine isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood would allow effective monitoring of the disease and guide the development of personalized treatments. Negative enrichment of CTCs by depleting normal blood cells ensures against a biased selection of a subpopulation and allows the assay to be applied on different tumor types. Here, we report an additively manufactured microfluidic device that can negatively enrich viable CTCs from clinically-relevant volumes of unmanipulated whole blood samples. Our device depletes nucleated blood cells based on their surface antigens and the smaller anucleated cells based on their size. Enriched CTCs are made available off the device in suspension making our technique compatible with standard immunocytochemical, molecular and functional assays. Our device could achieve a ~ 2.34-log depletion by capturing > 99.5% of white blood cells from 10 mL of whole blood while recovering > 90% of spiked tumor cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated the capability of the device to isolate CTCs from blood samples collected from patients (n = 15) with prostate and pancreatic cancers in a pilot study. A universal CTC assay that can differentiate tumor cells from normal blood cells with the specificity of clinically established membrane antigens yet require no label has the potential to enable routine blood-based tumor biopsies at the point-of-care.
Photoluminescence enhancement by deterministically site-controlled, vertically stacked SiGe quantum dots
Authors: Schuster Jeffrey , Aberl Johannes , Vukušić Lada , Spindlberger Lukas , Groiss Heiko , Fromherz Thomas , Brehm Moritz , Schäffler Friedrich
Published: October 2021

The Si/SiGe heterosystem would be ideally suited for the realization of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible integrated light sources, but the indirect band gap, exacerbated by a type-II band offset, makes it challenging to achieve efficient light emission. We address this problem by strain engineering in ordered arrays of vertically close-stacked SiGe quantum dot (QD) pairs. The strain induced by the respective lower QD creates a preferential nucleation site for the upper one and strains the upper QD as well as the Si cap above it. Electrons are confined in the strain pockets in the Si cap, which leads to an enhanced wave function overlap with the heavy holes near the upper QD’s apex. With a thickness of the Si spacer between the stacked QDs below 5 nm, we separated the functions of the two QDs: The role of the lower one is that of a pure stressor, whereas only the upper QD facilitates radiative recombination of QD-bound excitons. We report on the design and strain engineering of the QD pairs via strain-dependent Schrödinger-Poisson simulations, their implementation by molecular beam epitaxy, and a comprehensive study of their structural and optical properties in comparison with those of single-layer SiGe QD arrays. We find that the double QD arrangement shifts the thermal quenching of the photoluminescence signal at higher temperatures. Moreover, detrimental light emission from the QD-related wetting layers is suppressed in the double-QD configuration.
A systematic review of smartphone-based human activity recognition methods for health research
Authors: Straczkiewicz Marcin , James Peter , Onnela Jukka-Pekka
Published: October 2021

Smartphones are now nearly ubiquitous; their numerous built-in sensors enable continuous measurement of activities of daily living, making them especially well-suited for health research. Researchers have proposed various human activity recognition (HAR) systems aimed at translating measurements from smartphones into various types of physical activity. In this review, we summarized the existing approaches to smartphone-based HAR. For this purpose, we systematically searched Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed articles published up to December 2020 on the use of smartphones for HAR. We extracted information on smartphone body location, sensors, and physical activity types studied and the data transformation techniques and classification schemes used for activity recognition. Consequently, we identified 108 articles and described the various approaches used for data acquisition, data preprocessing, feature extraction, and activity classification, identifying the most common practices, and their alternatives. We conclude that smartphones are well-suited for HAR research in the health sciences. For population-level impact, future studies should focus on improving the quality of collected data, address missing data, incorporate more diverse participants and activities, relax requirements about phone placement, provide more complete documentation on study participants, and share the source code of the implemented methods and algorithms.
Connecting MHC-I-binding motifs with HLA alleles via deep learning
Authors: Lee Ko-Han , Chang Yu-Chuan , Chen Ting-Fu , Juan Hsueh-Fen , Tsai Huai-Kuang , Chen Chien-Yu
Published: October 2021

The selection of peptides presented by MHC molecules is crucial for antigen discovery. Previously, several predictors have shown impressive performance on binding affinity. However, the decisive MHC residues and their relation to the selection of binding peptides are still unrevealed. Here, we connected HLA alleles with binding motifs via our deep learning-based framework, MHCfovea. MHCfovea expanded the knowledge of MHC-I-binding motifs from 150 to 13,008 alleles. After clustering N-terminal and C-terminal sub-motifs on both observed and unobserved alleles, MHCfovea calculated the hyper-motifs and the corresponding allele signatures on the important positions to disclose the relation between binding motifs and MHC-I sequences. MHCfovea delivered 32 pairs of hyper-motifs and allele signatures (HLA-A: 13, HLA-B: 12, and HLA-C: 7). The paired hyper-motifs and allele signatures disclosed the critical polymorphic residues that determine the binding preference, which are believed to be valuable for antigen discovery and vaccine design when allele specificity is concerned.
Probiotic consumption influences universal adaptive mutations in indigenous human and mouse gut microbiota
Authors: Ma Chenchen , Zhang Chengcheng , Chen Denghui , Jiang Shuaiming , Shen Siyuan , Huo Dongxue , Huang Shi , Zhai Qixiao , Zhang Jiachao
Published: October 2021

The adaptive evolution in indigenous intestinal microbes derived from probiotics is critical to safety and efficacy evaluation of probiotics, yet it is still largely underexplored. Here, through 11 publicly accessible datasets, we demonstrated that probiotic consumption can lead to widespread single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the native microbiota. Interestingly, the same probiotic strains introduced far more SNVs in mouse gut than humans. Furthermore, the pattern of probiotics-induced SNVs was highly probiotic-strain specific, and 17 common SNVs in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii genome were identified cross studies, which might lead to changes in bacterial protein structure. Further, nearly 50% of F. prausnitzii SNVs can be inherited for six months in an independent human cohort, whereas the other half only transiently occurred. Collectively, our study substantially extended our understanding of co-evolution of the probiotics and the indigenous gut microbiota, highlighting the importance of assessment of probiotics efficacy and safety in an integrated manner.
Recent advances in ultra-low temperature (sub-zero to 100 °C) synthesis, mechanism and applications of titania (TiO2) nanoparticles
Authors: Shejale Kiran P. , Krishnapriya R. , Patil Harshala , Laishram Devika , Rawal Pratyush , Sharma Rakesh K.
Published: October 2021

The development of titania (TiO2) nanomaterials for next-generation photonic, optoelectronic, and catalytic applications necessitates a facile and cost-effective synthetic methodology for precisely tuning the composition, phase, and morphology at nanometer scales.