bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sickness absence among young employees in private and public sectors with a history of depression and anxiety
Authors: Narusyte Jurgita , Ropponen Annina , Wang Mo , Svedberg Pia
Published: November 2022

The aim was to investigate occurrence and duration of sickness absence (SA) among young employees with previous depression/anxiety in private and public sectors. This population-based prospective study included 11,519 Swedish twin individuals of age 19–29 years that were followed regarding SA during 2006–2016. Data on previous depression/anxiety came from two screening surveys in 2005. Data on SA and employment sector were received from national registries. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used, also controlling for familial factors. Proportion of employees with SA was significantly higher among those with, as compared to those without, previous depression/anxiety, regardless the employment sector. Individuals with previous depression/anxiety had increased risk for future SA, in both private (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.90–2.66) and public sectors (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.73–2.54). Familial factors played a role in the association among employees in the private sector. A higher proportion of long-term SA was observed among employees with previous depression/anxiety in the private as compared to the public sector. To conclude, previous depression/anxiety tends to increase risk for SA among young employees in both employment sectors, whereas long-term SA seemed to be more prevalent among those in the private as compared to the public sector.
Longitudinal analysis of the Five Sisters hot springs in Yellowstone National Park reveals a dynamic thermoalkaline environment
Authors: Peach Jesse T. , Mueller Rebecca C. , Skorupa Dana J. , Mesle Margaux M. , Kanta Sutton , Boltinghouse Eric , Sharon Bailey , Copié Valerie , Bothner Brian , Peyton Brent M.
Published: November 2022

Research focused on microbial populations of thermoalkaline springs has been driven in a large part by the lure of discovering functional enzymes with industrial applications in high-pH and high temperature environments. While several studies have focused on understanding the fundamental ecology of these springs, the small molecule profiles of thermoalkaline springs have largely been overlooked. To better understand how geochemistry, small molecule composition, and microbial communities are connected, we conducted a three-year study of the Five Sisters (FS) springs that included high-resolution geochemical measurements, 16S rRNA sequencing of the bacterial and archaeal community, and mass spectrometry-based metabolite and extracellular small molecule characterization. Integration of the four datasets facilitated a comprehensive analysis of the interwoven thermoalkaline spring system. Over the course of the study, the microbial population responded to changing environmental conditions, with archaeal populations decreasing in both relative abundance and diversity compared to bacterial populations. Decreases in the relative abundance of Archaea were associated with environmental changes that included decreased availability of specific nitrogen- and sulfur-containing extracellular small molecules and fluctuations in metabolic pathways associated with nitrogen cycling. This multi-factorial analysis demonstrates that the microbial community composition is more closely correlated with pools of extracellular small molecules than with the geochemistry of the thermal springs. This is a novel finding and suggests that a previously overlooked component of thermal springs may have a significant impact on microbial community composition.
The association between subjective–objective discrepancies in sleep duration and mortality in older men
Authors: Utsumi Tomohiro , Yoshiike Takuya , Kaneita Yoshitaka , Aritake-Okada Sayaka , Matsui Kentaro , Nagao Kentaro , Saitoh Kaori , Otsuki Rei , Shigeta Masahiro , Suzuki Masahiro , Kuriyama Kenichi
Published: November 2022

A discrepancy in subjective and objective estimations of sleep duration, which often diverge, could have long-term adverse effects on health outcomes in older adults. Using data from 2674 older adult men (≥ 65 years of age) of the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Sleep Study, we assessed the longitudinal association between misperception index (MI), calculated as MI = (objective sleep duration – subjective sleep duration)/objective sleep duration, and all-cause mortality. During the follow-up with a mean (standard deviation) of 10.8 (4.2) years, 1596 deaths were observed. As a continuous variable, MI showed a linear relationship with all-cause mortality after adjusting for multiple covariates, including polysomnography-measured objective sleep duration [fully adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56–0.84]. As a categorical variable, the lowest MI quartile (vs. the interquartile MI range) was associated with increased mortality (fully adjusted HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.12–1.46), whereas the highest MI quartile was not associated with mortality (fully adjusted HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.85–1.11). The subjective overestimation of sleep duration may be a risk factor for all-cause mortality in older men. Future studies should examine why subjective overestimation of sleep duration is associated with all-cause mortality from a physiological perspective.
iPSC-neural crest derived cells embedded in 3D printable bio-ink promote cranial bone defect repair
Authors: Glaeser Juliane D. , Bao Xianchao , Kaneda Giselle , Avalos Pablo , Behrens Phillip , Salehi Khosrowdad , Da Xiaoyu , Chen Angel , Castaneda Chloe , Nakielski Pawel , Jiang Wensen , Tawackoli Wafa , Sheyn Dmitriy
Published: November 2022

Cranial bone loss presents a major clinical challenge and new regenerative approaches to address craniofacial reconstruction are in great demand. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) differentiation is a powerful tool to generate mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Prior research demonstrated the potential of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) and iPSC-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells via the neural crest (NCC-MPCs) or mesodermal lineages (iMSCs) to be promising cell source for bone regeneration. Overexpression of human recombinant bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)6 efficiently stimulates bone formation. The study aimed to evaluate the potential of iPSC-derived cells via neural crest or mesoderm overexpressing BMP6 and embedded in 3D printable bio-ink to generate viable bone graft alternatives for cranial reconstruction. Cell viability, osteogenic potential of cells, and bio-ink (Ink-Bone or GelXa) combinations were investigated in vitro using bioluminescent imaging. The osteogenic potential of bio-ink-cell constructs were evaluated in osteogenic media or nucleofected with BMP6 using qRT-PCR and in vitro μCT. For in vivo testing, two 2 mm circular defects were created in the frontal and parietal bones of NOD/SCID mice and treated with Ink-Bone, Ink-Bone + BM-MSC-BMP6, Ink-Bone + iMSC-BMP6, Ink-Bone + iNCC-MPC-BMP6, or left untreated. For follow-up, µCT was performed at weeks 0, 4, and 8 weeks. At the time of sacrifice (week 8), histological and immunofluorescent analyses were performed. Both bio-inks supported cell survival and promoted osteogenic differentiation of iNCC-MPCs and BM-MSCs in vitro. At 4 weeks, cell viability of both BM-MSCs and iNCC-MPCs were increased in Ink-Bone compared to GelXA. The combination of Ink-Bone with iNCC-MPC-BMP6 resulted in an increased bone volume in the frontal bone compared to the other groups at 4 weeks post-surgery. At 8 weeks, both iNCC-MPC-BMP6 and iMSC-MSC-BMP6 resulted in an increased bone volume and partial bone bridging between the implant and host bone compared to the other groups. The results of this study show the potential of NCC-MPC-incorporated bio-ink to regenerate frontal cranial defects. Therefore, this bio-ink-cell combination should be further investigated for its therapeutic potential in large animal models with larger cranial defects, allowing for 3D printing of the cell-incorporated material.
Pediatric delirium is associated with increased brain injury marker levels in cardiac surgery patients
Authors: Matsuishi Yujiro , Hoshino Haruhiko , Enomoto Yuki , Shimojo Nobutake , Matsubara Muneaki , Kato Hideyuki , Mathis Bryan J. , Morita Kojiro , Hiramatsu Yuji , Inoue Yoshiaki
Published: November 2022

Despite global consensus on the importance of screening pediatric delirium, correlations between pediatric delirium during acute brain injury and adult delirium are unclear. Therefore, we hypothesized that similar pediatric biomarkers reflect acute brain injury as in adult delirium. We observed pediatric cardiac surgery patients from neonatal age to 18 years, who were admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit after cardiovascular operations between October 2019 to June 2020, up to post-operative day 3 (4 days total). We recorded age, sex, risk score (Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery [RACHS-1]), midazolam/dexmedetomidine/fentanyl dosage, and pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA). Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD), Face, Leg, Activity, Consolability (FLACC) behavioral scale, and Withdrawal Assessment Tool (WAT-1) scales were used and serum sampling for neuron specific enolase (NSE) was conducted. Consciousness status was considered hierarchical (coma > delirium > normal) and associations between conscious status and NSE were conducted by hierarchical Bayesian modeling. We analyzed 134 data points from 40 patients (median age 12 months). In the multi-regression model, NSE was positively associated with coma [posterior odds ratio (OR) = 1.1, 95% credible interval (CrI) 1.01–1.19] while pSOFA [posterior OR = 1.63, 95% CrI 1.17–2.5], midazolam [posterior OR = 1.02, 95% CrI 1.01–1.04], and dexmedetomidine [posterior OR = 9.52, 95% CrI 1.02–108.85] were also associated. We also evaluated consciousness state probability at each NSE concentration and confirmed both that consciousness was hierarchically sorted and CAPD scores were also associated with NSE [posterior OR = 1.32, 95% CrI 1.09–1.58]. “Eye contact” (r = 0.55) was the most correlated component with NSE within the pain, withdrawal syndrome, and PD items. PD within the hierarchy of consciousness (coma, delirium, normal) and CAPD scores are associated with brain injury marker levels. Using pediatric delirium assessment tools for monitoring brain injury, especially eye contact, is a reliable method for observing PD.
Physics-informed machine learning with differentiable programming for heterogeneous underground reservoir pressure management
Authors: Pachalieva Aleksandra , O’Malley Daniel , Harp Dylan Robert , Viswanathan Hari
Published: November 2022

Avoiding over-pressurization in subsurface reservoirs is critical for applications like CO$$_2$$2sequestration and wastewater injection. Managing the pressures by controlling injection/extraction are challenging because of complex heterogeneity in the subsurface. The heterogeneity typically requires high-fidelity physics-based models to make predictions on CO$$_2$$2fate. Furthermore, characterizing the heterogeneity accurately is fraught with parametric uncertainty. Accounting for both, heterogeneity and uncertainty, makes this a computationally-intensive problem challenging for current reservoir simulators. To tackle this, we use differentiable programming with a full-physics model and machine learning to determine the fluid extraction rates that prevent over-pressurization at critical reservoir locations. We use DPFEHM framework, which has trustworthy physics based on the standard two-point flux finite volume discretization and is also automatically differentiable like machine learning models. Our physics-informed machine learning framework uses convolutional neural networks to learn an appropriate extraction rate based on the permeability field. We also perform a hyperparameter search to improve the model’s accuracy. Training and testing scenarios are executed to evaluate the feasibility of using physics-informed machine learning to manage reservoir pressures. We constructed and tested a sufficiently accurate simulator that is 400 000 times faster than the underlying physics-based simulator, allowing for near real-time analysis and robust uncertainty quantification.
Parametric optimization of the production of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from South African corncobs via an empirical modelling approach
Authors: Sadare Olawumi O. , Mabunda Nomthandazo , Ikegwu Ugochukwu M. , Keitemoge Molly K. , Daramola Michael O. , Moothi Kapil
Published: November 2022

In this study, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were obtained from South African corncobs using an acid hydrolysis process. The delignification of corncobs was carried out by using alkali and bleaching pretreatment. Furthermore, the Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was used as a design of experiment (DOE) for statistical experimentations that will result in logical data to develop a model that explains the effect of variables on the response (CNCs yield). The effects (main and interactive) of the treatment variables (time, temperature, and acid concentration) were investigated via the response methodology approach and the obtained model was used in optimizing the CNCs yield. Surface morphology, surface chemistry, and the crystallinity of the synthesized CNC were checked using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), and an X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively. The SEM image of the raw corncobs revealed a smooth and compact surface morphology. Results also revealed that CNCs have higher crystallinity (79.11%) than South African waste corncobs (57.67%). An optimum yield of 80.53% CNCs was obtained at a temperature of 30.18 °C, 30.13 min reaction time, and 46 wt% sulfuric acid concentration. These optimized conditions have been validated to confirm the precision. Hence, the synthesized CNCs may be suitable as filler in membranes for different applications.
Microbial community shifts induced by plastic and zinc as substitutes of tire abrasion
Authors: Sieber G. , Beisser D. , Rothenberger J. L. , Shah M. , Schumann M. , Sures B. , Boenigk J.
Published: November 2022

Aquatic environments serve as a sink for anthropogenic discharges. A significant part of the discharge is tire wear, which is increasingly being released into the environment, causing environmental disasters due to their longevity and the large number of pollutants they contain. Main components of tires are plastic and zinc, which therefore can be used as substitutes for tire abrasion to study the effect on microbial life. We investigate environmentally realistic concentrations of plastic and zinc on a freshwater microeukaryotic community using high-throughput sequencing of the 18S V9 region over a 14-day exposure period. Apart from a generally unchanged diversity upon exposure to zinc and nanoplastics, a change in community structure due to zinc is evident, but not due to nanoplastics. Evidently, nanoplastic particles hardly affect the community, but zinc exposure results in drastic functional abundance shifts concerning the trophic mode. Phototrophic microorganisms were almost completely diminished initially, but photosynthesis recovered. However, the dominant taxa performing photosynthesis changed from bacillariophytes to chlorophytes. While phototrophic organisms are decreasing in the presence of zinc, the mixotrophic fraction initially benefitted and the heterotrophic fraction were benefitting throughout the exposure period. In contrast to lasting changes in taxon composition, the functional community composition is initially strongly imbalanced after application of zinc but returns to the original state.
Impact of hormone therapy side effects on health-related quality of life, distress, and well-being of breast cancer survivors
Authors: Andreu Y. , Soto-Rubio A. , Ramos-Campos M. , Escriche-Saura A. , Martínez M. , Gavilá J.
Published: November 2022

To explore the modulatory role of Adjuvant Hormone Therapy (AHT) on health-related quality of life (QoL), subjective well-being and distress prevalence in Breast Cancer (BC) survivors, considering the survival phase. Cross-sectional study with control group. 616 BC survivors participated. Examination of interaction effect between AHT and time since end of primary treatment showed that many of the positive changes observed through the survival phases were experienced exclusively by survivors without AHT. When AHT was not prescribed, longer time elapsed was associated with a decrease in distress prevalence and an improvement in subjective well-being and QoL. It seems there is a turning point around the fifth year after finalization of primary treatment, from which the survivors without AHT significantly improve in several areas and those with AHT do so to a lesser extent. It is expected that the improvement in QoL throughout the different survival phases will have a significant impact on the adherence and maintenance of AHT and, consequently, the likelihood of survival. Thus, AHT side-effects should be routinely assessed by health care providers to gain accurate knowledge that allows improving the QoL of BC survivors.
Fabrication of an Au-doped Cu/Fe oxide-polymer core–shell nanoreactor with chemodynamic and photodynamic dual effects as potential cancer therapeutic agents
Authors: Sun Chun-Kai , Wang Yin-Hsu , Chen Yu-Liang , Lu Ting-Yu , Chen Hsi-Ying , Pan Shih-Chin , Chen Po-Chun , Liao Mei-Yi , Yu Jiashing
Published: November 2022

Nanoparticles are widely used in biomedical applications and cancer treatments due to their minute scale, multi-function, and long retention time. Among the various nanoparticles, the unique optical property derived from the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of metallic nanoparticles is a primary reason that metallic nanoparticles are researched and applied. Copper and Iron nanoparticles have the potential to generate hydroxyl radicals in excess H2O2 via Fenton or Fenton-like reactions. On the other hand, gold nanoparticles equipped with a photosensitizer can transfer the energy of photons to chemical energy and enhance the production of singlet oxygen, which is suitable for cancer treatment. With the actions of these two reactive oxygen species in the tumor microenvironment, cell apoptosis can further be induced. In this work, we first synthesized dual metal nanoparticles with poly[styrene-alt-(maleic acid, sodium salt)(Cu ferrite oxide-polymer) by a simple one-step hydrothermal reduction reaction. Then, gold(III) was reduced and doped into the structure, which formed a triple metal structure, Au-doped Cu ferrite nanoparticles (Au/Cu ferrite oxide-polymer NPs). The metal ratio of the product could be controlled by manipulating the Fe/Cu ratio of reactants and the sequence of addition of reactants. The core–shell structure was verified by transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen generation ability of Au/Cu ferrite oxide-polymer was proved. The chemodynamic and photodynamic effect was measured, and the in vitro ROS generation was observed. Furthermore, the behavior of endocytosis by cancer cells could be controlled by the magnetic field. The result indicated that Au/Cu ferrite oxide-polymer core–shell nanoreactor is a potential agent for chemodynamic/photodynamic synergetic therapy.
Enriched environments enhance the development of explicit memory in an incidental learning task
Authors: Jaap Carina , Maack Marike C. , Taesler Philipp , Steinicke Frank , Rose Michael
Published: November 2022

Learning, rendered in an implicit (unconscious) or explicit (conscious) way, is a crucial part of our daily life. Different factors, like attention or motivation, influence the transformation from implicit to explicit memory. Via virtual reality a lively and engaging surrounding can be created, whereby motivational processes are assumed to be a vital part of the transition from implicit to explicit memory. In the present study, we tested the impact of an enriched virtual reality compared to two conventional, non-enriched 2D-computer-screen based tasks on implicit to explicit memory transformation, using an audio-visual sequential association task. We hypothesized, that the immersive nature of the VR surrounding enhances the transfer from implicit to explicit memory. Notably, the overall amount of learned sequence pairs were not significantly different between experimental groups, but the degree of awareness was affected by the different settings. However, we observed an increased level of explicitly remembered pairs within the VR group compared to two screen-based groups. This finding clearly demonstrates that a near-natural experimental setting affects the transformation process from implicit to explicit memory.
Estimation of genotoxicity, apoptosis and oxidative stress induction by TiO2 nanoparticles and acrylamide subacute oral coadministration in mice
Authors: Safwat Gehan , Mohamed Amira A. , Mohamed Hanan R. H.
Published: November 2022

Acrylamide is used in the industry and can be a by-product of high-temperature food processing which has toxic potential in various tissues, and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are widely used in toothpaste, sweets, food perseveration, chewing gum and medicines. Consequently, humans are daily exposed to large amounts of acrylamide and TiO2NPs mainly through food intake. However, limited studies are available on the effect of simultaneously intake of acrylamide and TiO2NPs on the integrity of genomic DNA and the induction of apoptosis in brain tissues. Therefore, this study estimated the influence of acrylamide coadministration on TiO2NPs induced genomic instability and oxidative stress in the brain tissues of mice. To achieve this, mice were orally administrated acrylamide (3 mg/kg b.w) or/and TiO2NPs (5 mg/kg b.w) for two successive weeks (5 days per week). The comet assay results showed that concurrent oral administration of acrylamide and TiO2NPs strongly induced single- and double stranded DNA breaks, and that the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also highly elevated within neural cells after simultaneous oral intake of acrylamide and TiO2NPs compared to those observed after administration of acrylamide or/TiO2NPs alone. Moreover, oral co-administration of acrylamide with TiO2NPs increased apoptotic DNA damage to neurons by upregulating the expression levels of P53, TNF-α, IL-6 and Presenillin-1 genes compared to groups administered TiO2NPs. Therefore, from these results, the present study concluded that coadministration of acrylamide renders TiO2NPs more genotoxic and motivates apoptotic DNA damage and oxidative stress induced by TiO2NPs in brain cells, and thus it is recommended to avoid concurrent oral acrylamide administration with TiO2NPs.
Low levels of hemoglobin associate with critical illness and predict disease course in patients with ANCA-associated renal vasculitis
Authors: Baier Eva , Tampe Desiree , Hakroush Samy , Tampe Björn
Published: November 2022

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a small vessel vasculitis often leading to critical illness by multi-organ failure. Data for patients with specifically ANCA-associated renal vasculitis requiring intensive care unit (ICU) supportive care are limited and have mainly focused on long-term renal and overall outcome. Particularly, data on critical illness during the initial course of disease are scarce and remain poorly determined. Therefore, the purpose of this retrospective study was to identify predictors of critical illness in a cohort of patients with ANCA-associated renal vasculitis. We retrospectively included a total number of 53 cases with confirmed ANCA-associated renal vasculitis between 2015 till 2020 in a single-center cohort study. We here identified an association between low hemoglobin levels and requirement of ICU supportive care in patients with ANCA-associated renal vasculitis. Furthermore, levels of hemoglobin below 9.8 g/dL at admission independently predicted prolonged requirement of ICU supportive care in critically ill patients with ANCA-associated renal vasculitis. These findings confirm that low levels of hemoglobin negatively affect short-term outcome and could further improve our current understanding for the role of anemia in ANCA-associated renal vasculitis.
Intrinsic host susceptibility among multiple species to intranasal SARS-CoV-2 identifies diverse virological, biodistribution and pathological outcomes
Authors: Berry Neil , Ferguson Deborah , Kempster Sarah , Hall Jo , Ham Claire , Jenkins Adrian , Rannow Vicky , Giles Elaine , Leahy Rose , Goulding Sara , Fernandez Arturo , Adedeji Yemisi , Vessillier Sandrine , Rajagopal Deepa , Prior Sandra , Le Duff Yann , Hurley Matthew , Gilbert Sarah , Fritzsche Martin , Mate Ryan , Rose Nicola , Francis Robert J. , MacLellan-Gibson Kirsty , Suarez-Bonnet Alejandro , Priestnall Simon , Almond Neil
Published: November 2022

SARS-CoV-2 exhibits a diverse host species range with variable outcomes, enabling differential host susceptibility studies to assess suitability for pre-clinical countermeasure and pathogenesis studies. Baseline virological, molecular and pathological outcomes were determined among multiple species—one Old World non-human primate (NHP) species (cynomolgus macaques), two New World NHP species (red-bellied tamarins; common marmosets) and Syrian hamsters—following single-dose, atraumatic intranasal administration of SARS-CoV-2/Victoria-01. After serial sacrifice 2, 10 and 28-days post-infection (dpi), hamsters and cynomolgus macaques displayed differential virus biodistribution across respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems. Uniquely, New World tamarins, unlike marmosets, exhibited high levels of acute upper airway infection, infectious virus recovery associated with mild lung pathology representing a host previously unrecognized as susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Across all species, lung pathology was identified post-clearance of virus shedding (antigen/RNA), with an association of virus particles within replication organelles in lung sections analysed by electron microscopy. Disrupted cell ultrastructure and lung architecture, including abnormal morphology of mitochondria 10–28 dpi, represented on-going pathophysiological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 in predominantly asymptomatic hosts. Infection kinetics and host pathology comparators using standardized methodologies enables model selection to bridge differential outcomes within upper and lower respiratory tracts and elucidate longer-term consequences of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Ocular biometrics and uncorrected visual acuity for detecting myopia in Chinese school students
Authors: Zhao Ethan , Wang Xinyi , Zhang Huiyan , Zhao Eric , Wang Jianyong , Yang Ying , Gu Fang , Gu Lei , Huang Jianyao , Zhang Ronghua , Ying Gui-shuang , Cui Hongguang
Published: November 2022

The study is to evaluate the performance of ocular biometric measures and uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) for detecting myopia among Chinese students. Among 5- to 18-year-old Chinese students from two cities of China, trained eye-care professionals performed assessment of ocular biometrics (axial length (AL), corneal curvature radius (CR), anterior chamber depth) under noncycloplegic conditions using NIDEK Optical Biometer AL-Scan, distance visual acuity using retro-illuminated logMAR chart with tumbling-E optotypes, and cycloplegic refractive error using NIDEK autorefractor with administration of 0.5% tropicamide. Spherical equivalent (SER) in diopters (D) was calculated as sphere plus half cylinder, and myopia was defined as SER ≤ − 0.5 D. Performances of ocular biometrics and UCVA (individually and in combination) for detecting myopia were evaluated using sensitivity and specificity, predictive values, and area under ROC curve (AUC) in both development dataset and validation dataset. Among 3436 students (mean age 9.7 years, 51% female), the mean (SD) cycloplegic SER was − 0.20 (2.18) D, and 1269 (36.9%) had myopia. Cycloplegic SER was significantly correlated with AL (Pearson Correlation coefficient r = − 0.82), AL/CR ratio (r = − 0.90), and UCVA (r = 0.79), but was not correlated with CR (r = 0.02, p = 0.15). The AL/CR ratio detected myopia with AUC 0.963 (95% CI 0.957–0.969) and combination with UCVA improved the AUC to 0.976 (95% CI 0.971–0.981). Using age-specific AL/CR cutoff (> 3.00 for age < 10 years, > 3.06 for 10–14 years, > 3.08 for ≥ 15 years) as myopia positive, the sensitivity and specificity were 87.0% (95% CI 84.4–89.6%) and 87.8% (86.0–89.6%), respectively, in the development dataset and 86.4% (95% CI 83.7–89.1%) and 89.4% (95% CI 87.3–91.4%), respectively, in the validation dataset. Combining AL/CR and UCVA (worse than 20/32 for age < 10 years, and 20/25 for ≥ 10 years) provided 91.9% (95% CI 90.4–93.4%) sensitivity and 87.0% (95% CI 85.6–88.4%) specificity, positive value of 80.6% (95% CI 78.5–82.6%) and negative value of 94.8% (95% CI 93.8–95.8%). These results suggest that AL/CR ratio is highly correlated with cycloplegic refractive error and detects myopia with high sensitivity and specificity,  AL/CR ratio alone or in combination with UCVA can be used as a tool for myopia screening or for estimating myopia prevalence in large epidemiological studies with limited resources for cycloplegic refraction.
Chitosan-based films with cannabis oil as a base material for wound dressing application
Authors: Chelminiak-Dudkiewicz Dorota , Smolarkiewicz-Wyczachowski Aleksander , Mylkie Kinga , Wujak Magdalena , Mlynarczyk Dariusz T. , Nowak Pawel , Bocian Szymon , Goslinski Tomasz , Ziegler-Borowska Marta
Published: November 2022

This study focuses on obtaining and characterizing novel chitosan-based biomaterials containing cannabis oil to potentially promote wound healing. The primary active substance in cannabis oil is the non-psychoactive cannabidiol, which has many beneficial properties. In this study, three chitosan-based films containing different concentrations of cannabis oil were prepared. As the amount of oil increased, the obtained biomaterials became rougher as tested by atomic force microscopy. Such rough surfaces promote protein adsorption, confirmed by experiments assessing the interaction between human albumin with the obtained materials. Increased oil concentration also improved the films' mechanical parameters, swelling capacity, and hydrophilic properties, which were checked by the wetting angle measurement. On the other hand, higher oil content resulted in decreased water vapour permeability, which is essential in wound dressing. Furthermore, the prepared films were subjected to an acute toxicity test using a Microtox. Significantly, the film's increased cannabis oil content enhanced the antimicrobial effect against A. fischeri for films in direct contact with bacteria. More importantly, cell culture studies revealed that the obtained materials are biocompatible and, therefore, they might be potential candidates for application in wound dressing materials.
Cochlear motion across the reticular lamina implies that it is not a stiff plate
Authors: Cho Nam Hyun , Puria Sunil
Published: November 2022

Within the cochlea, the basilar membrane (BM) is coupled to the reticular lamina (RL) through three rows of piezo-like outer hair cells (OHCs) and supporting cells that endow mammals with sensitive hearing. Anatomical differences across OHC rows suggest differences in their motion. Using optical coherence tomography, we measured in vivo and postmortem displacements through the gerbil round-window membrane from approximately the 40–47 kHz best-frequency (BF) regions. Our high spatial resolution allowed measurements across the RL surface at the tops of the three rows of individual OHCs and their bottoms, and across the BM. RL motion varied radially; the third-row gain was more than 3 times greater than that of the first row near BF, whereas the OHC-bottom motions remained similar. This implies that the RL mosaic, comprised of OHC and phalangeal-process tops joined together by adhesion molecules, is much more flexible than the Deiters’ cells connected to the OHCs at their bottom surfaces. Postmortem, the measured points moved together approximately in phase. These imply that in vivo, the RL does not move as a stiff plate hinging around the pillar-cell heads near the first row as has been assumed, but that its mosaic-like structure may instead bend and/or stretch.
Conditioned medium from BV2 microglial cells having polyleucine specifically alters startle response in mice
Authors: Owada Ryuji , Kakuta Yohei , Yoshida Kosuke , Mitsui Shinichi , Nakamura Kazuhiro
Published: November 2022

Repeat-associated non-AUG translation (RAN translation) is observed in transcripts that are causative for polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases and generates proteins with mono amino acid tracts such as polyalanine (polyA), polyleucine (polyL) and polyserine (polyS) in neurons, astrocytes and microglia. We have previously shown that microglia with aggregated polyQ led to defective differentiation and degeneration of neuron-like cells. However, it has not been determined whether only microglia containing a specific RAN product, but not other RAN products, is harmful in vitro and in vivo. Here we show that polyL-incorporating microglia specifically led to altered startle response in mice. Aggregated polyA, polyS and polyL induced aberrant differentiation of microglia-like BV2 cells. Differentiated PC12 cells treated with conditioned medium (CM) of polyS- and polyL- but not polyA-incorporating microglia-like BV2 cells showed retraction of neurites and loss of branch of neurites. Injection of the polyL-CM, but not polyA-CM and polyS-CM, into the lateral ventricle lowered startle response in mice. Consistently, polyL induced the highest expression of CD68 in BV2 cells. The lowered startle response was replicated in mice given the polyL-CM in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC), the key region of startle response. Thus, endogenous RAN proteins having polyL derived from polyQ diseases-causative genes in microglia might specifically impair startle response.
Cardiac MR fingerprinting with a short acquisition window in consecutive patients referred for clinical CMR and healthy volunteers
Authors: Rumac Simone , Pavon Anna Giulia , Hamilton Jesse I. , Rodrigues David , Seiberlich Nicole , Schwitter Juerg , van Heeswijk Ruud B.
Published: November 2022

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (cMRF) has been demonstrated to enable robust and accurate T1and T2mapping for the detection of myocardial fibrosis and edema. However, the relatively long acquisition window (250 ms) used in previous cMRF studies might leave it vulnerable to motion artifacts in patients with high heart rates. The goal of this study was therefore to compare cMRF with a short acquisition window (154 ms) and low-rank reconstruction to routine cardiac T1and T2mapping at 1.5 T. Phantom studies showed that the proposed cMRF had a high T1and T2accuracy over a wider range than routine mapping techniques. In 9 healthy volunteers, the proposed cMRF showed small but significant myocardial T1and T2differences compared to routine mapping (ΔT1 = 1.5%, P = 0.031 and ΔT2 = − 7.1%, P < 0.001). In 61 consecutive patients referred for CMR, the native T1values were slightly lower (ΔT1 = 1.6%; P = 0.02), while T2values did not show statistical difference (ΔT2 = 4.3%; P = 0.11). However, the difference was higher in post-contrast myocardial T1values (ΔT1 = 12.3%; P < 0.001), which was reflected in the extracellular volume (ΔECV = 2.4%; P < 0.001). Across all subjects, the proposed cMRF had a lower precision when compared to routine techniques, although its higher spatial resolution enabled the visualization of smaller details.
Automated imaging-based abdominal organ segmentation and quality control in 20,000 participants of the UK Biobank and German National Cohort Studies
Authors: Kart Turkay , Fischer Marc , Winzeck Stefan , Glocker Ben , Bai Wenjia , Bülow Robin , Emmel Carina , Friedrich Lena , Kauczor Hans-Ulrich , Keil Thomas , Kröncke Thomas , Mayer Philipp , Niendorf Thoralf , Peters Annette , Pischon Tobias , Schaarschmidt Benedikt M. , Schmidt Börge , Schulze Matthias B. , Umutle Lale , Völzke Henry , Küstner Thomas , Bamberg Fabian , Schölkopf Bernhard , Rueckert Daniel , Gatidis Sergios
Published: November 2022

Large epidemiological studies such as the UK Biobank (UKBB) or German National Cohort (NAKO) provide unprecedented health-related data of the general population aiming to better understand determinants of health and disease. As part of these studies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is performed in a subset of participants allowing for phenotypical and functional characterization of different organ systems. Due to the large amount of imaging data, automated image analysis is required, which can be performed using deep learning methods, e. g. for automated organ segmentation. In this paper we describe a computational pipeline for automated segmentation of abdominal organs on MRI data from 20,000 participants of UKBB and NAKO and provide results of the quality control process. We found that approx. 90% of data sets showed no relevant segmentation errors while relevant errors occurred in a varying proportion of data sets depending on the organ of interest. Image-derived features based on automated organ segmentations showed relevant deviations of varying degree in the presence of segmentation errors. These results show that large-scale, deep learning-based abdominal organ segmentation on MRI data is feasible with overall high accuracy, but visual quality control remains an important step ensuring the validity of down-stream analyses in large epidemiological imaging studies.
Anisotropic magnetic property, magnetostriction, and giant magnetocaloric effect with plateau behavior in TbMn2Ge2 single crystal
Authors: Huang Shuai , Bai Yuming , Wan Kaiqi , Zhu Changming , Huo Dexuan , Tian Zhaoming
Published: November 2022

The ternary RMn2Ge2 (R = rare earth) intermetallic compounds have attracted great attention due to their interesting magnetic behaviors and magnetotransport responses. Here, we reported our observation of anisotropic magnetic property, magnetostriction, and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in TbMn2Ge2 single crystal. Below the transition temperature of Tb magnetic sublattices ($$T_{{\text{C}}}^{{{\text{Tb}}}}$$

T

C

Tb

 ~ 95 K), strong Ising-like magnetocrystalline anisotropy is observed with an out-of-plane ferromagnetic moments 5.98 μB/f.u. along the easy c axis, which is two orders of magnitude larger than that of field along a axis. Above $$T_{{\text{C}}}^{{{\text{Tb}}}}$$

T

C

Tb

, a field-induced metamagnetic transition is observed from the spin-flip of Mn sublattices. During this transition, remarkable magnetostriction effect is observed, indicating of strong spin–lattice coupling. The responses of Tb and Mn sublattices to the magnetic field generate a giant magnetic entropy change ($$- \Delta S_{M}$$

-
Δ

S
M

) and large values of relative cooling power (RCP) and temperature-averaged entropy change (TEC). The calculated maximum magnetic entropy change ($$- \Delta S_{M}^{\max }$$

-
Δ

S

M

max

), RCP, and TEC(10) with magnetic field change of 7 T along c axis reach 24.02 J kg−1 K−1, 378.4 J kg−1, and 21.39 J kg−1 K−1 near $$T_{{\text{C}}}^{{{\text{Tb}}}}$$

T

C

Tb

, which is the largest among RMn2Ge2 families. More importantly, this giant MCE shows plateau behavior with wide window temperatures from 93 to 108 K, making it be an attractive candidate for magnetic refrigeration applications.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm monitoring via arterial waveform analysis: towards a convenient point-of-care device
Authors: Yavarimanesh Mohammad , Cheng Hao-Min , Chen Chen-Huan , Sung Shih-Hsien , Mahajan Aman , Chaer Rabih A. , Shroff Sanjeev G. , Hahn Jin-Oh , Mukkamala Ramakrishna
Published: November 2022

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are lethal but treatable yet substantially under-diagnosed and under-monitored. Hence, new AAA monitoring devices that are convenient in use and cost are needed. Our hypothesis is that analysis of arterial waveforms, which could be obtained with such a device, can provide information about AAA size. We aim to initially test this hypothesis via tonometric waveforms. We study noninvasive carotid and femoral blood pressure (BP) waveforms and reference image-based maximal aortic diameter measurements from 50 AAA patients as well as the two noninvasive BP waveforms from these patients after endovascular repair (EVAR) and from 50 comparable control patients. We develop linear regression models for predicting the maximal aortic diameter from waveform or non-waveform features. We evaluate the models in out-of-training data in terms of predicting the maximal aortic diameter value and changes induced by EVAR. The best model includes the carotid area ratio (diastolic area divided by systolic area) and normalized carotid-femoral pulse transit time ((age·diastolic BP)/(height/PTT)) as input features with positive model coefficients. This model is explainable based on the early, negative wave reflection in AAA and the Moens-Korteweg equation for relating PTT to vessel diameter. The predicted maximal aortic diameters yield receiver operating characteristic area under the curves of 0.83 ± 0.04 in classifying AAA versus control patients and 0.72 ± 0.04 in classifying AAA patients before versus after EVAR. These results are significantly better than a baseline model excluding waveform features as input. Our findings could potentially translate to convenient devices that serve as an adjunct to imaging.
Reprogramming of pancreatic adenocarcinoma immunosurveillance by a microbial probiotic siderophore
Authors: Chaib Mehdi , Hafeez Bilal B. , Mandil Hassan , Daria Deidre , Pingili Ajeeth K. , Kumari Sonam , Sikander Mohammed , Kashyap Vivek K. , Chen Guo-Yun , Anning Emmanuel , Tripathi Manish K. , Khan Sheema , Behrman Stephen , Yallapu Murali M. , Jaggi Meena , Makowski Liza , Chauhan Subhash C.
Published: November 2022

There is increasing evidence suggesting the role of microbiome alterations in relation to pancreatic adenocarcinoma and tumor immune functionality. However, molecular mechanisms of the interplay between microbiome signatures and/or their metabolites in pancreatic tumor immunosurveillance are not well understood. We have identified that a probiotic strain (Lactobacillus casei) derived siderophore (ferrichrome) efficiently reprograms tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and increases CD8 + T cell infiltration into tumors that paralleled a marked reduction in tumor burden in a syngeneic mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Interestingly, this altered immune response improved anti-PD-L1 therapy that suggests promise of a novel combination (ferrichrome and immune checkpoint inhibitors) therapy for pancreatic cancer treatment. Mechanistically, ferrichrome induced TAMs polarization via activation of the TLR4 pathway that represses the expression of iron export protein ferroportin (FPN1) in macrophages. This study describes a novel probiotic based molecular mechanism that can effectively induce anti-tumor immunosurveillance and improve immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy response in pancreatic cancer.
Melanesia holds the world’s most diverse and intact insular amphibian fauna
Authors: Oliver Paul M. , Bower Deborah S. , McDonald Peter J. , Kraus Fred , Luedtke Jennifer , Neam Kelsey , Hobin Louise , Chauvenet Alienor L. M. , Allison Allen , Arida Evy , Clulow Simon , Günther Rainer , Nagombi Elizah , Tjaturadi Burhan , Travers Scott L. , Richards Stephen J.
Published: November 2022

Identifying hotspots of biological diversity is a key step in conservation prioritisation. Melanesia—centred on the vast island of New Guinea—is increasingly recognised for its exceptionally species-rich and endemic biota. Here we show that Melanesia has the world’s most diverse insular amphibian fauna, with over 7% of recognised global frog species in less than 0.7% of the world’s land area, and over 97% of species endemic. We further estimate that nearly 200 additional candidate species have been discovered but remain unnamed, pointing to a total fauna in excess of 700 species. Nearly 60% of the Melanesian frog fauna is in a lineage of direct-developing microhylids characterised by smaller distributions than co-occurring frog families, suggesting lineage-specific high beta diversity is a key driver of Melanesian anuran megadiversity. A comprehensive conservation status assessment further highlights geographic concentrations of recently described range-restricted threatened taxa that warrant urgent conservation actions. Nonetheless, by world standards, the Melanesian frog fauna is relatively intact, with 6% of assessed species listed as threatened and no documented extinctions; and thus it provides an unparalleled opportunity to understand and conserve a megadiverse and relatively intact insular biota.
Impact of physio-chemical spinning conditions on the mechanical properties of biomimetic spider silk fibers
Authors: Schmuck Benjamin , Greco Gabriele , Bäcklund Fredrik G. , Pugno Nicola M. , Johansson Jan , Rising Anna
Published: November 2022

Artificial spider silk has emerged as a biobased fiber that could replace some petroleum-based materials that are on the market today. Recent progress made it possible to produce the recombinant spider silk protein NT2RepCT at levels that would make the commercialization of fibers spun from this protein economically feasible. However, for most applications, the mechanical properties of the artificial silk fibers need to be improved. This could potentially be achieved by redesigning the spidroin, and/or by changing spinning conditions. Here, we show that several spinning parameters have a significant impact on the fibers’ mechanical properties by tensile testing more than 1000 fibers produced under 92 different conditions. The most important factors that contribute to increasing the tensile strength are fast reeling speeds and/or employing post-spin stretching. Stretching in combination with optimized spinning conditions results in fibers with a strength of >250 MPa, which is the highest reported value for fibers spun using natively folded recombinant spidroins that polymerize in response to  shear forces and lowered pH.
Chemical weathering over hundreds of millions of years of greenhouse conditions on Mars
Authors: Ye Binlong , Michalski Joseph R.
Published: November 2022

Chemical weathering profiles on Mars which consist of an upper Al clay-rich, Fe-poor layer and lower Fe/Mg clay-rich layer are believed to have formed due to precipitation-driven top down leaching process in an ancient, reducing greenhouse climate. Here we use remote sensing imagery and spectroscopy coupled with topographic data and crater chronology to explore the geological characteristics, stratigraphy and relative age of >200 weathering profiles across the southern highlands of Mars. We find that nearly all exposures show a similar, single stratigraphic relationship of Al/Si materials over Fe/Mg clays rather than multiple, interbedded mineralogical transitions. This suggests either one single climate warming event or, perhaps more likely, chemical resetting of weathering horizons during multiple events. While the time required to form a typical martian weathering profile may have been only ∼106−107years, the profiles occur in deposits dating from the Early Noachian into the Hesperian and suggest that chemical weathering may have occurred over a large range of geologic time, with a peak around 3.7–3.8 billion years ago.
Micro-tapered aperture nebulization ionization for versatile mass spectrometry analysis
Authors: Teng Keguo , Shi Jianbo , Zhu Yanping , Yu Quan
Published: November 2022

We introduce a new (high) voltage-free ionization method, termed micro-tapered aperture nebulization ionization, which exhibits high ion yields and satisfactory quantitative performance and enables versatile mass spectrometry analysis.
Oxygen self-supplied upconversion nanoplatform loading cerium oxide for amplified photodynamic therapy of hypoxic tumors
Authors: Xu Yunjian , Wang Kexin , Chen Zhenjiang , Hu Rui , Zhao Yihua , Li Xiang , Qu Junle , Liu Liwei
Published: November 2022

A NIR light-triggered O2 self-supplied phototherapeutic platform showed amplified PDT performance against solid tumors by alleviating tumor hypoxia.