bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Analysis on Stainless Steel New Generation Passenger Coach using Multibody Dynamic System
Authors: Susanto Agus , Marga Redi Saka , Asngali Bi , Martin Michael , Muarief Ridho
Published: December 2022

Stainless-steel passenger coaches are the most operated passenger trains in Indonesia, which are manufactured by the Indonesian railway industry, (PT. INKA), from its first launch to the last generation of trains. PT. INKA still keeps innovating to improve the performance of these trains. Nowadays, this passenger coach is being developed to reach a speed of more than 120 km/hour, while keeping the stability, ride quality index, and ride comfort index during operation. This new train would be called a stainless-steel new generation (SS-NG) passenger coach. To reach the target, one of the methods is redesigning the old bogie structure of the stainless-steel passenger coach. The purpose of this research is to design a new bogie for the SS-NG passenger coach and analyze its dynamics during operation at high-speed using multibody simulation. The result was then compared to the existing passenger coach (SS-2018) which was structured by the old bogie one. Sperling’s method was utilized for evaluating the ride comfort index of all designed trains. As a result, the SS-NG with a new bogie design showed stable operation and gave an acceptable ride comfort index based on Sperling’s method even though travels at 240 Km/h in speed. The results will be important for improving the performance of any train, especially the SS-NG passenger coach which will be fabricated by PT. INKA.
The effect of Socioeconomic ranks on the rate of Infections and Complications in the Treatment of Children’s Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors:   Faculty of Medicine, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel., Ilan Karny , Niski Vagner Tamar ,   Social work services, Padiatric Hematology-Oncology Department, Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel., Knani Ariela ,   The Large Numbers company, Jerusalem, Israel, Kapelushnik Joseph ,   Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel.
Published: December 2022

Socioeconomic differences in survival among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have been reported widely.
Easily attainable and low immunogenic stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth enhanced the in vivo bone regeneration ability of gelatin/bioactive glass microsphere composite scaffolds
Authors: Xiong Huacui , Zhao Fujian , Peng Yuqi , Li Meimei , Qiu Huanhuan , Chen Ke
Published: December 2022

Repair of critical-size bone defects remains a considerable challenge in the clinic. The most critical cause for incomplete healing is that osteoprogenitors cannot migrate to the central portion of the defects. Herein, stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) with the properties of easy attainability and low immunogenicity were loaded into gelatin/bioactive glass (GEL/BGM) scaffolds to construct GEL/BGM + SHED engineering scaffolds. An in vitro study showed that BGM could augment the osteogenic differentiation of SHED by activating the AMPK signaling cascade, as confirmed by the elevated expression of osteogenic-related genes, and enhanced ALP activity and mineralization formation in SHED. After implantation in the critical bone defect model, GEL/BGM + SHED scaffolds exhibited low immunogenicity and significantly enhanced new bone formation in the center of the defect. These results indicated that GEL/BGM + SHED scaffolds present a new promising strategy for critical-size bone healing.
Hypoglycemia event prediction from CGM using ensemble learning
Authors: Fleischer Jesper , Hansen Troels Krarup , Cichosz Simon Lebech
Published: December 2022

This work sought to explore the potential of using standalone continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data for the prediction of hypoglycemia utilizing a large cohort of type 1 diabetes patients during free-living. We trained and tested an algorithm for the prediction of hypoglycemia within 40 minutes on 3.7 million CGM measurements from 225 patients using ensemble learning. The algorithm was also validated using 11.5 million synthetic CGM data. The results yielded a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROC AUC) of 0.988 and a precision-recall area under the curve (PR AUC) of 0.767. In an event-based analysis for predicting hypoglycemic events, the algorithm had a sensitivity of 90%, a lead-time of 17.5 minutes and a false-positive rate of 38%. In conclusion, this work demonstrates the potential of using ensemble learning to predict hypoglycemia, using only CGM data. This could help alarm patients of a future hypoglycemic event so countermeasures can be initiated.
Case report: Metastatic melanoma masquerading as apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Ashraf Muddasir , Jahangir Arshad , Jan M. Fuad , Muthukumar Lakshmi , Neitzel Gary , Tajik A. Jamil
Published: December 2022

Background

Cardiac tumors are usually metastatic. Melanoma is the tumor with the highest rate of cardiac metastasis. Clinicians need to be aware of the metastatic involvement of the left ventricular apex as a differential diagnosis of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Case summary

A 74-year-old woman presented for evaluation of fatigue. The initial electrocardiogram and echocardiogram showed features of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The patient reported a lesion on her right forearm that had been present for many years, leading to its biopsy, which showed melanoma. Further evaluation with a chest-computed tomography (CT) scan showed left lung nodules and nodular thickening of the left ventricular apex. Positron emission tomography showed an increased uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose in the left lung nodule and left ventricular apex, suggestive of metastatic spread of the melanoma. A CT-guided biopsy of the left lung nodule revealed melanoma. The patient was treated with ipilimumab initially, followed by paclitaxel with poor response to treatment, and later passed under hospice care.

Conclusion

Metastatic tumors involving the left ventricular apex should be considered in the differential diagnosis of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, especially in patients with a history of melanoma, and advanced cardiac imaging, including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, CT, and/or positron emission tomography (PET) may help with narrowing down the differential diagnosis.
Linking supportive school leadership and teacher resilience: The mediating role of job resources
Authors: Bagdžiūnienė Dalia , Kazlauskienė Aušra , Nasvytienė Dalia , Sakadolskis Emilija
Published: December 2022

Employee resilience is commonly understood as a process that protects against distressing conditions and helps employees to cope with stress factors, to survive and adapt to changing work environments. Over the past few years Lithuanian teachers have had to deal with unexpectedforce majeuresituations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, a large influx of Ukrainian refugee pupils, ongoing school related issues, such as the introduction of new curricula, full inclusion of children with special needs, reorganizations, and increasing workloads. Our study based on the four-dimensional Teacher Resilience Framework and Job Demands-Resources theory aimed to examine relationships between supportive leadership, job resources and teacher resilience, and to reveal the mediating role of job resources in the relationships between supportive leadership and teacher resilience. A cross-sectional research sample included 455 Lithuanian teachers working in elementary and secondary schools. Data were collected using a self-administered online survey. The study identified that supportive leadership and job resources, i.e., feedback, autonomy, opportunities for development, and social support – were positively related with teacher resilience and its four dimensions. The mediation analysis established an indirect impact of supportive leadership on resilience typesviajob resources, however, the role of work resources as mediators differed depending on resilience type. The results complement studies analyzing the role of work environments in resilience, such as personal capability studies. They suggest that supportive school leadership and job characteristics as contextual resources available at the workplace should be considered when planning and implementing interventions aimed at strengthening teacher resilience.
Circulating levels of DLK1 and glucose homeostasis in girls with obesity: A pilot study
Authors: Palumbo Stefania , Umano Giuseppina Rosaria , Aiello Francesca , Cirillo Grazia , Miraglia del Giudice Emanuele , Grandone Anna
Published: December 2022

Introduction

DLK1 gene is considered a molecular gatekeeper of adipogenesis. DLK1 mutations have been reported as a cause of central precocious puberty associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome with undetectable DLK1 serum levels. We investigated the association between DLK1 circulating levels with clinical and biochemical parameters in obese adolescents and healthy controls.

Methods

Sixty-five obese adolescents and 40 controls were enrolled and underwent a complete clinical examination and biochemical assessment for glucose homeostasis and DLK1 plasma levels.

Results

We observed lower DLK1 levels in cases compared to controls. Moreover, we found a negative correlation between DLK1 and HOMA-IR and a direct correlation with insulin-sensitivity index.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that DLK1 might be involved in metabolic derangement in obese children.
Prenatal exposure to phenols and benzophenones in relation to markers of male reproductive function in adulthood
Authors: Holmboe Stine A. , Scheutz Henriksen Louise , Frederiksen Hanne , Andersson Anna-Maria , Priskorn Lærke , Jørgensen Niels , Juul Anders , Toppari Jorma , Skakkebæk Niels E. , Main Katharina M.
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Environmental exposure during fetal life may disrupt testicular development. In humans, a limited number of studies have investigated whether these adverse effects persist into adulthood. Using data from a prospective, population-based birth cohort study, The Copenhagen Mother-Child cohort, the objective was to assess if there is an association between fetal exposure to selected phenols and benzophenones and markers of testicular function in adult men.

Methods

Pregnant women were recruited in 1997–2001. Their sons were examined clinically at 18-20 years of age, with focus on adult markers of reproductive function (anogenital distance (AGD), semen quality and reproductive hormones). In total, 101 18–20-year-old men were included, whose mothers during pregnancy had a serum sample drawn and analyzed for bisphenol A (BPA) and seven other simple phenols, as well as six benzophenones. To investigate the association between chemical levels (in tertiles, T1-T3) in relation to markers of reproductive function, univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were performed.

Results

In fully adjusted analyses, increased levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) were observed with higher fetal exposure to BPA (percentage difference (95%CI)) (T2: 12% (-8%,36%) and T3: 33% (10%,62%), compared to T1) and benzophenone-3 (BP-3) (T2: 21% (-2%,49%), T3: 18% (-4%,45%)), while no clear association was seen to total testosterone (TT). Higher levels of BPA and BP-3 were associated with a lower TT/LH ratio, although only significant for BPA (p-trend=0.01). No associations were seen to AGD or markers of semen quality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, high exposure to BPA and BP-3 was associated with a compensated reduced Leydig cell function but no other changes in markers of reproductive health. As maternal levels of BPA and BP-3 were not correlated, separate effects may be at play. Larger studies on long-term reproductive consequences of prenatal exposures are warranted to validate our findings.
Soil carbon dynamics in the temperate Himalayas: Impact of land use management
Authors: Kumar Shamal Shasang , Wani Owais Ali , Mir Shakeel Ahmad , Babu Subhash , Sharma Vikas , Chesti Majeed Ul Hassan , Baba Zahoor Ahmad , Sofi Parvaze Ahmad , Wani Fehim Jeelani , Dar Shahnawaz Rasool , Singh Raghavendra , Yadav Devideen
Published: December 2022

Food security and environmental health are directly linked with soil carbon (C). Soil C plays a crucial role in securing food and livelihood security for the Himalayan population besides maintaining the ecological balance in the Indian Himalayas. However, soil C is being severely depleted due to anthropogenic activities. It is well known that land use management strongly impacted the soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and also regulates the atmospheric C chemistry. Different types of cultivation practices, i.e., forest, plantations, and crops in the Kashmir Himalayas, India, has different abilities to conserve SOC and emit C in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). Hence, five prominent land use systems (LUC) (e.g., natural forest, natural grassland, maize-field-converted from the forest, plantation, and paddy crop) of Kashmir Himalaya were evaluated to conserve SOC, reduce C emissions, improve soil properties and develop understanding SOC pools and its fractions variations under different land use management practices. The results revealed that at 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm profile, the soil under natural forest conserved the highest total organic carbon (TOC, 24.24 g kg−1 and 18.76 g kg−1), Walkley-black carbon (WBC, 18.23 g kg−1 and 14.10 g kg−1), very-labile-carbon (VLC, 8.65 g kg−1, and 6.30 g kg−1), labile-carbon (LC, 3.58 g kg−1 and 3.14 g kg−1), less-labile-carbon (VLC, 2.59 g kg−1, and 2.00 g kg−1), non-labile-carbon (NLC, 3.41 g kg−1 and 2.66 g kg-1), TOC stock (45.88 Mg ha−1 and 41.16 Mg ha−1), WBC stock (34.50 Mg ha−1 and 30.94 Mg ha−1), active carbon pools (AC, 23.14 Mg ha−1 and 20.66 Mg ha−1), passive carbon pools (PC, 11.40 Mg ha−1 and 10.26 Mg ha−1) and carbon management index (CMI, 100), followed by the natural grassland. However, the lowest C storage was reported in paddy cropland. The soils under natural forest and natural grassland systems had a greater amount of VLC, LC, LLC, and NLC fraction than other land uses at both depths. On the other hand, maize-field-converted-from-forest-land-use soils had a higher proportion of NLC fraction than paddy soils; nonetheless, the NLC pool was maximum in natural forest soil. LUS based on forest crops maintains more SOC, while agricultural crops, such as paddy and maize, tend to emit more C in the Himalayan region. Therefore, research findings suggest that SOC under the Kashmir Himalayas can be protected by adopting suitable LUS, namely forest soil protection, and by placing some areas under plantations. The areas under the rice and maize fields emit more CO2, hence, there is a need to adopt the conservation effective measure to conserve the SOC without compromising farm productivity.
The impact of agricultural intensification on carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption: A comparative study of developing and developed nations
Authors: Khan Rabnawaz , Zhuang Weiqing , Najumddin Omaid , Butt Rehan Sohail , Ahmad Ilyas , Al-Faryan Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh
Published: December 2022

Energy consumption has become a necessity in today’s world, and economies in developing nations cannot thrive without it. Countries with less developed economies face the same challenges of achieving sustained economic growth as those with more advanced economies. Herein, we examine the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis by looking at the interplay between GDP growth, energy use, agricultural output, and the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. From 1991 to 2016, we used panel and quantile regression analyses to compare emissions in nine developing countries with those in 13 developed countries. There is the beginning of a reverse U-shaped relationship between agricultural energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, the verified EKC hypothesis paves the way for a watershed moment in the progress of industrialized nations’ economies. The estimated results of agriculture have a favorable impact on CO2 emissions by 15.16 percent but a negative influence of 2.92 percent on CO2 emissions from using liquid fuels, leading to more severe environmental deterioration. Additionally, in developing countries, feed cropping, deforestation, biomass burning, and deep soil and cropping all have detrimental consequences on the ecosystem. There is a negative correlation between CO2 emissions and economic growth in developing countries and their energy consumption. Although the EKC hypothesis for CO2 emissions was rejected at lower quantiles, it was validated for Qatar, Canada, China, and other high-emitting economies according to the empirical estimation of quantile regression. The findings of this study have important policy implications for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, suggesting that policymakers account for the stage of economic growth currently being experienced when formulating measures to cut energy use and protect the environment. Possible solutions to mitigate environmental degradation include enactment of policies to reduce energy consumption.
Spatiotemporal variation characteristics of hourly soil temperature in different layers in the low-latitude plateau of China
Authors: Cheng Qingping , Zhang Mingda , Jin Hanyu , Ren Yitong
Published: December 2022

Soil temperature change has considerable impact on land surface energy and water balances, and hence on changes in weather/climate, surface/subsurface hydrology, and ecosystems. However, little is known regarding the spatiotemporal variations and influencing factors of changes in hourly soil temperature (depth: 5–320 cm) in low-latitude highland areas. This study analyzed the hourly soil temperature at each hour during 2004–2020 and at 08:00, 14:00, and 20:00 (Beijing Time) during 1961–2020. The results revealed the following. 1) As soil depth increased, average soil temperature increased in autumn and winter, and decreased annually and in spring and summer. It exhibited significant increase during 00:00–23:00 annually, seasonally, and monthly, especially at depths of 40–320 cm during 2004–2020. Average soil temperature increased at 08:00 and decreased at 14:00 and 20:00 with increasing soil depth, but the opposite trend was found annually, seasonally, and monthly at 08:00, 14:00, and 20:00 during 1961–2020. 2) With increasing elevation, average soil temperature decreased at 08:00, 14:00, and 20:00 at depths of 5–20 cm, and showed significant increase trend at 08:00 and 14:00 at depths of 10–20 cm (except at 14:00 at 10-cm depth). 3) At 5-cm depth, the critical accumulated soil temperature of ≥12°C and 14°C extended the potential growing season during 1961–2020. 5) Significant uptrend of hourly soil temperature annually, seasonally, and monthly potentially leads to additional release of carbon to the atmosphere and increased soil respiration, reinforcing climate warming. These findings contribute to better understanding of the variation of shallow soil temperatures and land–atmosphere interactions in low-latitude highland areas.
Constructing a signature based on the SIRT family to help the prognosis and treatment sensitivity in glioma patients
Authors: Xuan Feiyue , Zhang Zhiwei , Liu Kuili , Gong Haidong , Liang Shaodong , Zhao Youzhi , Li Hongzhe
Published: December 2022

Enzymes of the silent information regulator (SIRT) family exert crucial roles in basic cellular physiological processes including apoptosis, metabolism, ageing, and cell cycle progression. They critically contribute to promoting or inhibiting cancers such as glioma. In the present study, a new gene signature of this family was identified for use in risk assessment and stratification of glioma patients. To this end, the transcriptome and relevant clinical records of patients diagnosed with glioma were obtained from the Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). LASSO regression and multivariate Cox analyses were used to establish the signature. Using Kaplan–Meier analyses, overall survival (OS) was assessed and compared between a training and an external test datasets which showed lower OS in patients with high risk of glioma compared to those with low risk. Further, ROC curve analyses indicated that the SIRT-based signature had the desired accuracy and universality for evaluating the prognosis of glioma patients. Using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, the SIRT-based signature was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor applicable to subjects in the TCGA and CGGA databases. We also developed an OS nomogram including gender, age, risk score, pathological grade, and IDH status for clinical decision-making purposes. ssGSEA analysis showed a higher score for various immune subgroups (e.g., CD8+ T cells, DC, and TIL) in samples from high-risk patients, compared to those of low-risk ones. qPCR and western blotting confirmed the dysregulated expression of SIRTs in gliomas. Taken together, we developed a new signature on the basis of five SIRT family genes, which can help accurately predict OS of glioma patients. In addition, the findings of the present study suggest that this characteristic is associated with differences in immune status and infiltration levels of various immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
High expression of B4GALT1 is associated with poor prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Ren Zhihong , Huang Xiaoyu , Lv Qing , Lei Yiming , Shi Haiqiang , Wang Fanping , Wang Mingyong
Published: December 2022

Acute myeloid leukemia is the most prevalent type of leukemia in adults and is prone to relapse and chemoresistance, with a low long-term survival rate. Therefore, the identification of quality biomarkers constitutes an urgent unmet need. High expression of beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 (B4GALT1) has been observed in several cancer types; however, its function in acute myeloid leukemia has rarely been studied. Therefore, our study obtained gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to analyze the relationship between B4GALT1 and LAML. We compared the expression of B4GALT1 in LAML and healthy samples using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Furthermore, the association between B4GALT1 and survival rates was investigated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression. The nomogram obtained by Cox analysis predicts the effect of B4GALT1 on the prognosis. To assess B4GALT1-related genes’ enrichment pathway and function and the correlation between B4GALT1 and immune features, GO/KEGG, protein-protein interaction network, and single sample gene set enrichment analysis were used. In addition, B4GALT1-specific siRNAs were used to verify the effect of B4GALT1 on apoptosis. The results showed that B4GALT1 is overexpressed in LAML and has some reference value in the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of LAML. Moreover, functional enrichment showed that B4GALT1 and its 63 associated genes were closely associated with the negative regulation of the apoptotic signaling pathway. Silencing B4GALT1 significantly promoted apoptosis. In addition, B4GALT1 expression was positively correlated with the infiltration levels of macrophages, regulatory T-cell (Tregs), and Th17 cells; in contrast, B4GALT1 expression was negatively correlated with the infiltration levels of T helper cells, Mast cells, and NK cells. In conclusion, our study shows that B4GALT1 may play a vital role in the occurrence of LAML.
Studying C-reactive protein and D-dimer levels in blood may prevent severe complications: A study in Bangladeshi COVID-19 patients
Authors: Sultana Gazi Nurun Nahar , Srivastava Anshika , Akhtaar Khalida , Singh Prajjval Pratap , Islam Md. Anarul , Mishra Rahul Kumar , Chaubey Gyaneshwer
Published: December 2022

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been a scientific, medical and social challenge. Since clinical course of this disease is largely unpredictable and can develop rapidly causing severe complications, it is important to identify laboratory biomarkers, which may help to classify patient’s severity during initial stage. Previous studies have suggested C—reactive protein (inflammatory) and D-dimer (biochemical) as an effective biomarker. The differential severity in patients across the world and our limited understanding in the progression of the disease calls for a multi-country analysis for biomarkers. Therefore, we have analyzed these biomarkers among 228 Bangladeshi COVID-19 patients. We observed significant association of COVID-19 severity with these two biomarkers. Thus, we suggest to use these biomarkers for Bangladeshi COVID-19 patients for better disease monitoring. Such validated preventive measures may decrease the case fatality ratio substantially.
Bidirectional associations between eosinophils, basophils, and lymphocytes with atopic dermatitis: A multivariable Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zeng-Yun-Ou Zhang , Zhong-Yu Jian , Wei Li
Published: December 2022

Background

Despite being prone to reverse causation and having unmeasured confounding factors, many clinical observational studies have highlighted the critical association between basophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes and atopic dermatitis (AD). Whether these cells play a causal role in AD development remains uncertain.

Methods

Data were obtained from the UK Biobank and the Blood Cell Consortium, from a large publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) with more than 500,000 subjects of European ancestry and for AD from three independent cohorts with more than 700,000 subjects of European ancestry. We performed single-variable Mendelian randomization (SVMR), followed by multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) to assess the total and direct effects of immune cell counts on AD risk.

Results

SVMR estimates showed that genetically predicted higher eosinophil [odds ratio (OR): 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17–1.29, p = 5.85E−16] and basophil counts (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03–1.19, p = 0.004) had an adverse effect on the risk of AD, while a higher lymphocyte count (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.89–0.98, p = 0.006) decreased the risk. Reverse MR analysis showed higher basophil (beta: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.01–0.07, p = 0.014) and lower lymphocyte counts (beta: −0.05, 95% CI: −0.09 to −0.01, p = 0.021) in patients with AD. In MVMR, the effects of eosinophils (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.09–1.29, p = 8.98E−05), basophils (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.14–1.24, p = 3.72E−15), and lymphocytes (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.89–0.98, p = 0.006) were still significant.

Discussion

Mendelian randomization (MR) findings suggest that an increase in the eosinophil and basophil counts and a decrease in the lymphocyte counts are potential causal risk factors for AD. These risk factors are independent of each other.
Drivers of adaptive capacity in wild populations: Implications for genetic interventions
Authors: Torda Gergely , Quigley Kate M.
Published: December 2022

The unprecedented rate of environmental change in the Anthropocene poses evolutionary challenges for wild populations globally. Active human-mediated interventions are being increasingly considered to accelerate natural adaptive processes. Where experimentation is challenging, evolutionary models can evaluate how species may fare under future climate, elucidate which evolutionary processes are critical to rapid adaptation, and how active interventions may influence fitness trajectories of organisms. Here we use polygenic metapopulation adaptation models to quantify the relative importance (effect sizes) of different eco-evolutionary parameters on the rates of adaptation in wild populations i) without active interventions, and ii) under a subset of active interventions. We demonstrate that genetic diversity (heterozygosity, He), population connectivity and the effect size of additive genetic variance are the primary drivers of natural adaptation rates. We quantify the effect sizes of these parameters on population fitness across three proposed assisted evolution scenarios and identify critical thresholds for intervention effectiveness and implementation. Specifically, the interventions tested here were most effective at low levels of genetic diversity in target populations (He < 0.2) and when timed during a cold-to-warm phase of an ENSO-like oscillation. Beneficial levels of connectivity were highly dependent on desired outcomes for the meta-population. We also present a global meta-analysis of genetic diversity in tropical reef-building corals as a case study of how thresholds derived from evolutionary models can be used to guide decision making by managers. We find genetic diversity to be highly variable by coral taxon and region, highlighting how thresholds from evolutionary models can be used in conjunction with empirical data to assess intervention needs and priorities. Quantitatively characterizing these key thresholds should provide managers, conservationists, and practitioners with a starting point for evaluating the necessity, risks and benefits of genetic interventions of wild species with large populations sizes. Finally, we highlight the critical knowledge and data gaps to produce the next suite of applied models for conservation management decision-support.
Recent progress in biobased synthetic textile fibers
Authors: Tian Wei , Huang Kunzhen , Zhu Chengyan , Sun Zeyu , Shao Lingda , Hu Manyu , Feng Xuhuang
Published: December 2022

The use of synthetic fibers in our daily life is growing continuously; however, the excessive dependence of these chemical fibers on petroleum-based chemicals will lead to large consumption of non-renewable resources. The scarcity of oil resources, economic and environmental problems, reliance on a few oil-rich countries, and predicted depletion of these resources. Therefore, research and development of biobased materials to reduce the use of fossil fuels have become increasingly important. Biobased synthetic fiber has a low carbon footprint in the synthesis process because its raw materials are derived from biomass. In addition, most biobased synthetic fibers have excellent biodegradability, which can be composted and degraded in natural environments or by microorganisms with or without specific conditions. However, all biobased fibers cannot be proven to be biodegradable, so the development of biodegradability is an important driving force for the progress of research on biobased fibers. In the past, biobased fiber was obtained, extracted, or synthesized from food crops, which was soon replaced by non-food crops. With environmental protection, sustainability, and resource conservation, it has become necessary to make non-food crops and food residues biobased raw materials to obtain biobased textile fibers and even to develop ideal biobased raw materials that are carbon negatives, such as moss and CO2. Besides, there is huge potential for these biobased textile fibers to be used for sustainable clothing and medical textiles due to their non-toxicity, skin friendliness, and antibacterial properties. This review paper introduces biobased synthetic textile fibers, summarizes the recent development, and clarifies key concepts in this domain.
Occurrence of mcr-1 and mcr-2 colistin resistance genes in porcine Escherichia coli isolates (2010–2020) and genomic characterization of mcr-2-positive E. coli
Authors: Ewers Christa , Göpel Lisa , Prenger-Berninghoff Ellen , Semmler Torsten , Kerner Katharina , Bauerfeind Rolf
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The global emergence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance is threatening the efficacy of colistin as one of the last treatment options against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. To date, ten mcr-genes (mcr-1 to mcr-10) were reported. While mcr-1 has disseminated globally, the occurrence of mcr-2 was reported scarcely.

Methods and results

We determined the occurrence of mcr-1 and mcr-2 genes among Escherichia coli isolates from swine and performed detailed genomic characterization of mcr-2-positive strains. In the years 2010-2017, 7,614 porcine E. coli isolates were obtained from fecal swine samples in Europe and isolates carrying at least one of the virulence associated genes predicting Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) or enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) were stored. 793 (10.4%) of these isolates carried the mcr-1 gene. Of 1,477 additional E. coli isolates obtained from sheep blood agar containing 4 mg/L colistin between 2018 and 2020, 36 (2.4%) isolates were mcr-1-positive. In contrast to mcr-1, the mcr-2 gene occurred at a very low frequency (0.13%) among the overall 9,091 isolates. Most mcr-2-positive isolates originated from Belgium (n = 9), one from Spain and two from Germany. They were obtained from six different farms and revealed multilocus sequence types ST10, ST29, ST93, ST100, ST3057 and ST5786. While the originally described mcr-2.1 was predominant, we also detected a new mcr-2 variant in two isolates from Belgium, which was termed mcr-2.8. MCR-2 isolates were mostly classified as ETEC or ETEC-like, while one isolate from Spain represented an atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC; eae+). The ST29-aEPEC isolate carried mcr-2 on the chromosome. Another eight isolates carried their mcr-2 gene on IncX4 plasmids that resembled the pKP37-BE MCR-2 plasmid originally described in Belgium in 2015. Three ST100 E. coli isolates from a single farm in Belgium carried the mcr-2.1 gene on a 47-kb self-transmissible IncP type plasmid of a new IncP-1 clade.

Discussion

This is the first report of mcr-2 genes in E. coli isolates from Germany. The detection of a new mcr-2 allele and a novel plasmid backbone suggests the presence of so far undetected mcr-2 variants and mobilizable vehicles.
Differential impact of body mass index and leptin on baseline and longitudinal positron emission tomography measurements of the cerebral metabolic rate for glucose in amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Weise Christopher M. , Chen Kewei , Chen Yinghua , Devadas Vivek , Su Yi , Reiman Eric M.
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Several studies have suggested that greater adiposity in older adults is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) related cognitive decline, some investigators have postulated that this association may be due to the protective effects of the adipose tissue-derived hormone leptin. In this study we sought to demonstrate that higher body mass indices (BMIs) are associated with greater baseline FDG PET measurements of the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (rCMRgl), a marker of local neuronal activity, slower rCMRgl declines in research participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). We then sought to clarify the extent to which those relationships are attributable to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or plasma leptin concentrations.

Materials and methods

We used baseline PET images from 716 73 ± 8 years-old aMCI participants from the AD Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) of whom 453 had follow up images (≥6 months; mean follow up time 3.3 years). For the leptin analyses, we used baseline CSF samples from 81 of the participants and plasma samples from 212 of the participants.

Results

As predicted, higher baseline BMI was associated with greater baseline CMRgl measurements and slower declines within brain regions preferentially affected by AD. In contrast and independently of BMI, CSF, and plasma leptin concentrations were mainly related to less baseline CMRgl within mesocorticolimbic brain regions implicated in energy homeostasis.

Discussion

While higher BMIs are associated with greater baseline CMRgl and slower declines in persons with aMCI, these associations appear not to be primarily attributable to leptin concentrations.
High spatial resolution artificial vision inferred from the spiking output of retinal ganglion cells stimulated by optogenetic and electrical means
Authors: Cojocaru Andreea Elena , Corna Andrea , Reh Miriam , Zeck Günther
Published: December 2022

With vision impairment affecting millions of people world-wide, various strategies aiming at vision restoration are being undertaken. Thanks to decades of extensive research, electrical stimulation approaches to vision restoration began to undergo clinical trials. Quite recently, another technique employing optogenetic therapy emerged as a possible alternative. Both artificial vision restoration strategies reported poor spatial resolution so far. In this article, we compared the spatial resolution inferred ex vivo under ideal conditions using a computational model analysis of the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) spiking activity. The RGC spiking was stimulated in epiretinal configuration by either optogenetic or electrical means. RGCs activity was recorded from the ex vivo retina of transgenic late-stage photoreceptor-degenerated mice (rd10) using a high-density Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) based microelectrode array. The majority of retinal samples were stimulated by both, optogenetic and electrical stimuli using a spatial grating stimulus. A population-level analysis of the spiking activity of identified RGCs was performed and the spatial resolution achieved through electrical and optogenetic photo-stimulation was inferred using a support vector machine classifier. The best f1 score of the classifier for the electrical stimulation in epiretinal configuration was 86% for 32 micron wide gratings and increased to 100% for 128 microns. For optogenetically activated cells, we obtained high f1 scores of 82% for 10 microns grid width for a photo-stimulation frequency of 2.5 Hz and 73% for a photo-stimulation frequency of 10 Hz. A subsequent analysis, considering only the RGCs modulated in both electrical and optogenetic stimulation protocols revealed no significant difference in the prediction accuracy between the two stimulation modalities. The results presented here indicate that a high spatial resolution can be achieved for electrical or optogenetic artificial stimulation using the activated retinal ganglion cell output.
Relationship between motor dysfunction and chewing movement in patients with Parkinson's disease: A transversal study
Authors: Sano Taisei , Umemoto George , Fujioka Shinsuke , Iwashita Yuki , Dotsu Yuriko , Wada Naohisa , Tsuboi Yoshio
Published: December 2022

Objective

To assess the impact of chewing movement in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), we examined the relation between chewing movement and motor dysfunction in association with PD progression.

Methods

Thirty patients with PD (mean age, 68.9 ± 9.0 years; mean Hoehn and Yahr stage, 3.0 ± 0.7) were recruited. The PD condition was assessed in each patient by using the score of Movement Disorder Society Unified PD Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) part III score, body mass index (BMI), serum albumin (Alb), and tongue pressure, number of chews, mealtime, and chewing speed were collected. The patients were divided into two groups (mild and moderate PD groups) based on an MDS-UPDRS part III cut-off value of 32.

Results

The chewing speed positively correlated with tongue pressure (rho = 0.69, p < 0.01) in the mild group, and with BMI (rho = 0.54, p = 0.03), serum Alb (rho = 0.63, p = 0.02), and number of chews (rho = 0.69, p < 0.01) in the moderate group. The MDS-UPDRS part III scores for all participants correlated negatively with chewing speed (rho = −0.48, p < 0.01), serum Alb (rho = −0.49, p < 0.01), and positively with mealtime (rho = 0.43, p = 0.01). Tongue pressure and serum Alb were identified to be as factors affecting the chewing speed (β= 0.560, p < 0.01; β= 0.457, p < 0.01, respectively).

Conclusions

These results indicated that the progression of motor dysfunction in patients with PD is likely to affect chewing speed and the nutritional status decline may be linked to the impairment of chewing movement in these patients.
UQCRC1 variants in early-onset and familial Parkinson's disease in a Taiwanese cohort
Authors: Liao Ting-Wei , Chao Chih-Ying , Wu Yih-Ru
Published: December 2022

Background

A recent Taiwanese study reported variants of the ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 1 (UQCRC1) gene linked to autosomal dominant parkinsonism with polyneuropathy. This study investigated the pathogenicity of UQCRC1 in a Taiwanese cohort of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Method

This study involved 107 participants (98 with early-onset PD and nine with familial PD). All UQCRC1 coding exons and exon–intron boundaries were sequenced. The rarity and pathogenicity of the identified variants were analyzed. The carrier frequencies of our cohort and the Taiwan Biobank were compared through a Pearson's χ2 or Fisher's exact test along with Bonferroni corrections.

Results

Three missense variants (c.643G > C, p.D215H; c.800C > G, p.P267R, and c.923A > G, p.N308S) and seven rare variants were identified. No significant differences in the missense-variant carrier frequency were noted between our cohort and individuals in the Taiwan Biobank. Furthermore, no significant associations were noted between the variants and the risk of PD.

Conclusions

Our study is not supporting a role of UQCRC1 variants in PD.
Multi illumination color constancy based on multi-scale supervision and single-scale estimation cascade convolution neural network
Authors: Wang Fei , Wang Wei , Wu Dan , Gao Guowang , Wang Zetian
Published: December 2022

Color constancy methods are generally based on a simplifying assumption that the spectral distribution of a light source is uniform across scenes. However, in reality, this assumption is often violated because of the presence of multiple light sources, that is, more than two illuminations. In this paper, we propose a unique cascade network of deep multi-scale supervision and single-scale estimation (CN-DMS4) to estimate multi-illumination. The network parameters are supervised and learned from coarse to fine in the training process and estimate only the final thinnest level illumination map in the illumination estimation process. Furthermore, to reduce the influence of the color channel on the Euclidean distance or the pixel-level angle error, a new loss function with a channel penalty term is designed to optimize the network parameters. Extensive experiments are conducted on single and multi-illumination benchmark datasets. In comparison with previous multi-illumination estimation methods, our proposed method displays a partial improvement in terms of quantitative data and visual effect, which provides the future research direction in end-to-end multi-illumination estimation.
Optimization of respiratory-gated auricular vagus afferent nerve stimulation for the modulation of blood pressure in hypertension
Authors: Garcia Ronald G. , Staley Rachel , Aroner Sarah , Stowell Jessica , Sclocco Roberta , Napadow Vitaly , Barbieri Riccardo , Goldstein Jill M.
Published: December 2022

Background

The objective of this pilot study was to identify frequency-dependent effects of respiratory-gated auricular vagus afferent nerve stimulation (RAVANS) on the regulation of blood pressure and heart rate variability in hypertensive subjects and examine potential differential effects by sex/gender or race.

Methods

Twenty hypertensive subjects (54.55 ± 6.23 years of age; 12 females and 8 males) were included in a within-person experimental design and underwent five stimulation sessions where they received RAVANS at different frequencies (i.e., 2 Hz, 10 Hz, 25 Hz, 100 Hz, or sham stimulation) in a randomized order. EKG and continuous blood pressure signals were collected during a 10-min baseline, 30-min stimulation, and 10-min post-stimulation periods. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) adjusted for baseline measures were used to evaluate frequency-dependent effects of RAVANS on heart rate, high frequency power, and blood pressure measures, including analyses stratified by sex and race.

Results

Administration of RAVANS at 100 Hz had significant overall effects on the reduction of heart rate (β = −2.03, p = 0.002). It was also associated with a significant reduction of diastolic (β = −1.90, p = 0.01) and mean arterial blood pressure (β = −2.23, p = 0.002) in Black hypertensive participants and heart rate in female subjects (β = −2.83, p = 0.01) during the post-stimulation period when compared to sham.

Conclusion

Respiratory-gated auricular vagus afferent nerve stimulation exhibits frequency-dependent rapid effects on the modulation of heart rate and blood pressure in hypertensive patients that may further differ by race and sex. Our findings highlight the need for the development of optimized stimulation protocols that achieve the greatest effects on the modulation of physiological and clinical outcomes in this population.
Luminance white noise electroretinograms (wnERGs) in mice
Authors: Stallwitz Nina , Joachimsthaler Anneka , Kremers Jan
Published: December 2022

Purpose

To record and analyse electroretinograms (ERGs) to luminance stimuli with white noise temporal profiles in mice. White noise stimuli are expected to keep the retina in a physiologically more natural state than, e.g., flashes. The influence of mean luminance (ML) was studied.

Methods

Electroretinograms to luminance temporal white noise (TWN) modulation (wnERGs) were measured. The white noise stimuli contained all frequencies up to 20 Hz with equal amplitudes and random phases. Responses were recorded at 7 MLs between −0.7 and 1.2 log cd/m2. Impulse response functions (IRFs) were calculated by cross correlating the averaged white noise electroretinogram (wnERG) responses with the stimulus. Amplitudes and latencies of the initial trough and subsequent peak in the IRFs were measured at each ML. Fourier transforms of the IRFs resulted in modulation transfer functions (MTFs). wnERGs were averaged across different animals. They were measured twice and the responses at identical instances in the 1st and 2nd recordings were plotted against each other. The correlation coefficient (r2repr) of the linear regression quantified the reproducibility. The results of the first and second measurement were further averaged. To study the underlying ERG mechanisms, the ERG potentials at the different MLs were plotted against those at the lowest and highest ML. The correlation coefficients (r2ML) were used to quantify their similarities.

Results

The amplitudes of the initial (a-wave-like) trough of the IRFs increased with increasing ML. The following positive (b-wave-like) peak showed a minimum at −0.4 log cd/m2above which there was a positive correlation between amplitude and ML. Their latencies decreased monotonously with increasing ML. In none of the IRFs, oscillatory potential (OP)-like components were observed.r2reprvalues were minimal at a ML of −0.1 log cd/m2, where the MTFs changed from low-pass to band-pass.r2MLvalues increased and decreased with increasing ML when correlated with responses obtained at the highest or the lowest ML, respectively.

Conclusion

White noise electroretinograms can be reliably recorded in mice with luminance stimuli. IRFs resemble flash ERGs superficially, but they offer a novel procedure to study retinal physiology. New components can be described in the IRFs. The wnERGs are either rod- or cone-driven with little overlap.