bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A tendency to worse course of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children with obesity: MultiOrgan Inflammatory Syndromes COVID-19 related study
Authors: Gawlik Aneta Monika , Berdej-Szczot Elżbieta , Chmiel Iga , Lorek Miłosz , Antosz Aleksandra , Firek-Pędras Małgorzata , Szydłowski Lesław , Ludwikowska Kamila Maria , Okarska-Napierała Magdalena , Dudek Natalia , Piwoński Krzysztof , Afelt Aneta , Suski-Grabowski Catherine , Kursa Miron Bartosz , Kuchar Ernest , Szenborn Leszek , Jackowska Teresa , Peregud-Pogorzelski Jarosław , Mazur Artur
Published: September 2022

Background

A new disease entity called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare consequence of COVID-19 infection. The pathophysiology and risk factors of MIS-C are still unclear, and the clinical manifestation ranges from milder forms to cases needing intensive care unit treatment. Based on available data, obesity is linked to pro-inflammatory stimulation. Moreover, several studies showed that obesity could play a role in COVID-19 severity and its comorbidities among the adult and children’s populations. This study aimed to investigate the influence of overweightedness/obesity in childhood for the course of MIS-C in Poland.

Methods

This study presented data from the national MultiOrgan Inflammatory Syndromes COVID-19 Related Study (MOIS-CoR) collected between 4 March 2020 and 20 February 2021. Of the 371 patients that met the Polish MIS-C criteria, 306 were included for further analysis.

Results

Children who are obese (OB with body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile) and overweight (OV with BMI ≥85th percentile but <95th percentile) (28 and 49 patients, respectively) represented 25.1% (n=77) of all recruited patients. Complete recovery at the time of discharge presented in 93% of normal body weight (NW) participants and 90% of OV children (p>0.05). Among OB children, 76% recovered fully, which differed from the NW group (p=0.01). Calculated odds ratio (OR) of incomplete recovery for OB children was 4.2. Irrespective of body weight, there were no differences (p>0.05) in the length of hospitalization and the duration of symptoms (for OB, 13 and 16.5 days; for OV and NW, 10 and 14 days, respectively), as well as in the frequency of cardiovascular abnormalities, necessity of oxygen therapy (OB, 26.9%; OV, 23.9%; and NW, 20.7%), and intravenous immunoglobulin and glucocorticosteroid (GCS) treatment.

Conclusion

The higher risk of incomplete recovery and observed tendency toward a worsening course of MIS-C in patients with obesity suggest the need for further studies to confirm and understand our findings.
Development of grid-side converter-based FRT control and protection in a grid-connected solar photovoltaic park system under different control modes
Authors: Nithya C. , Roselyn J. Preetha
Published: September 2022

In a grid-connected solar photovoltaic system, voltage dips on the grid side, increased grid current, and overshoot in the inverter’s dc-link voltage are all noticed during grid disturbances. The grid code stipulates that in order to protect the cascaded power converter systems from high currents and overvoltages, the solar PV system disconnects from the grid anytime the voltage level at PCC falls below a particular standard nominal value. This study proposes combined GSC-based fault ride-through (FRT) and protection control strategies which can provide independent real and reactive power control for the inverter for effective FRT in photovoltaic parks interconnected with a large power system during grid faults. The proposed approach operates in three modes—voltage control, power factor control, and reactive power control modes. The developed protection modules in the PV system consist of over/undervoltage protection, voltage sag detection, and overcurrent detection. The inverter-fed real–reactive power control technique limits grid overcurrent by modifying active power injection into the grid and stabilizes grid voltage during faults by injecting reactive current. The performance of the proposed FRT and protection control strategy is studied through the simulation of 75 MW PV park in the EMTP platform and the experimental setup of a 5 kVA grid-connected inverter-fed solar PV system. The simulation results and hardware discussion presented in this study validate the performance of the proposed FRT scheme in comparison with conventional control schemes during grid faults.
A classification model of power operation inspection defect texts based on graph convolutional network
Authors: Hu Junhua , Guo Bingyan , Yan Weidan , Lin Jiaju , Li Chen , Yan Yunfeng
Published: September 2022

Aiming at the problems of diversification, complexity and islanding of power operation and inspection data and the high dependence of operation and inspection operations on expert experience and normative information, the key technology research of intelligent judgment of defect types of power operation inspection equipment is carried out. For the field of power operation and inspection, the defect text classification algorithm based on graph convolutional neural network is proposed. And the practical tests in a large defect text network diagram built by main transformer defect reports are performed. And the proposed model achieves better classification results than 7 benchmark models in the defect text classification task. Specifically, the Accuracy, Weighed-Precision, and Weighed-F1 indicators reach 73.39, 72.42, and 72.21 respectively, which improves the model’s ability to identify defect types to a greater extent and plays an important role in improving the intelligence and digitalization of power operation and inspection work.
Study of Solar Combined Air Energy Greenhouse Heating System Model
Authors: Hao Wang , Jintao Wei , Ruifeng Zhang , Zhenjun Xu
Published: September 2022

At present, it is difficult to bring centralized heating to rural areas owing to factors such as scattered distribution, distance from towns and cities, and difficulty in laying public pipes. According to research, most rural residents use inefficient household heating facilities, thereby resulting in serious environmental pollution and a decline in the quality of life of residents. In order to alleviate environmental pollution, the use of solar energy, air energy, and other renewable energy for rural heating of such decentralized buildings is of profound significance. This study analyzed the distribution characteristics of solar energy resources and solar combined air energy greenhouse heating system, established and solved a mathematical model of the solar combined air energy greenhouse heating system, calculated solar heat collection and solar heating energy consumption. From the data analysis, the relationship among heat gain power, heating power, and the water temperature of the water storage tank of the heat pump system was obtained. The mathematical model of the storage tank of the solar combined air energy greenhouse heating system was solved, and the operating conditions and volume of the storage tank of the solar combined air energy greenhouse heating system were determined. The study also analyzed the solar heat collection and solar heating energy consumption in Qingdao, thereby pointing out the advantages of the solar combined air energy greenhouse heating system, and finally obtained the best heating scheme.
Does intensive land use decoupled from carbon emissions? an empirical study from the three grand economic zones of China
Authors: Zhang Qingxi , Ge Jingfeng , Liang Yanqing , Zhang Man , Dong Li , Zhang Jiazhe
Published: September 2022

In the context of the increasingly severe global carbon emission crisis, smoothly reducing emissions without affecting economic development and the continuous improvement of people’s living standards has become an important problem facing China, the country with the largest carbon emissions in the world. From the perspective of intensive land use (ILU), this paper uses standard deviational ellipse, decoupling theory, and a logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) model to analyze the level of ILU and carbon emissions in 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China and explores ways to reduce emissions. The results show that: 1) The level of ILU in China’s 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) has shown steady progress and the overall carbon emissions from land use have shown a slow growth trend, but the carbon emissions of some provinces have shown a downward trend; 2) The ILU and the carbon emissions standard deviational ellipse have good spatial consistency, both of which have a north by east to south by west distribution pattern. The center of the carbon emission standard deviational ellipse moves to the northwest as a whole; 3) 63.33% of provinces are in the ideal decoupling stage of ILU and carbon emissions; 4) According to their contribution value, the influencing factors of China’s carbon emissions are, in descending order, energy intensity, economic scale, population scale, land use structure, energy carbon emission intensity, and land scale. Important directions for future efforts include actively adjusting the industrial structure and economic development mode, increasing the proportion of clean energy and energy utilization rate, controlling the speed of construction and land expansion, and promoting low-carbon emissions.
Decadal change of spring dust activity in western Iran and its mechanism
Authors: Kamal Alireza , Lin Zhaohui , Wu Chenglai
Published: September 2022

Western Iran is an important dust source region in Middle East, with strong dust activities occurring in springtime. Based on a three-hourly meteorological station data, remarkable decadal change of dust frequency in the spring season has been found in the west and southwest of Iran, with less dust activities during 1992–2005 (hereafter as “P1”) and more frequent dust activities occurring during 2006–2015 (hereafter as “P2”). The decadal change signal in dust activities is closely associated with the corresponding decadal difference in precipitation and atmospheric moisture transportation in the region. Compared with P1 period during 1992–2005, anomalous moisture divergence over the center of Middle East can be found in P2 period during 2006–2015, suggesting less moisture transport to the western Iran from the Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf, hence there is relatively less precipitation and dry soil moisture over the main dust source regions in the study region, which is favorable for more frequent dust emissions in P2 period. Meanwhile, westerly anomaly in P2 period can also be found in western Iran and upstream regions, such as Iraq and Syria, which is favorable for more dust transport to western Iran from upstream dust source region in Middle East. Furthermore, negative SST anomalies in central and western North Pacific and positive SST anomalies in the eastern North Pacific can be found in P1 period, which is corresponding to positive phase of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Conversely, a negative phase of PDO can be found during P2 period. This suggests that PDO is the key influential factor for the decadal change of spring dust activities in western Iran.
Self-employment, educational attainment, and hypertension among Black women and men
Authors: Bell Caryn N. , Tavares Carlos D. , Owens-Young Jessica L. , Thorpe Roland J.
Published: September 2022

Background

Self-employment is generally associated with better health outcomes and educational attainment can shape self-employment. Yet, Black Americans are less likely to be self-employed and analyses of self-employment and health among Black Americans are few. The aim of this study was to determine how educational attainment moderates the associations between self-employment and hypertension among Black adults.

Methods

Using data from the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, participants who self-identified as non-Hispanic Black (n = 2,855) were categorized as (1) employees with no self-employment income, (2) employees with self-employment income, or (3) having full-time self-employment. Modified Poisson regressions and multiplicative interaction terms were used to determine whether educational attainment moderated the associations between self-employment and measured hypertension (i.e., 140/90 mm Hg or anti-hypertensive medication).

Results

Most participants were employees with no self-employment income (81.9%), but 11.8% were employees reporting some self-employment income and 6.3% were self-employed full-time. About two in five (40.9%) had hypertension. Having full-time self-employment was associated with lower risk of hypertension compared to those who were employees (risk ratio = 0.82, 95% confidence interval = 0.67–0.98), and educational attainment moderated the associations among Black men such that part-time self-employment was associated with high rates of hypertension among Black men who had not completed high school.

Conclusions

These results suggest that full-time self-employment is associated with lower risk of hypertension among Black adults, but that being an employee with some self-employment income may elevate rates of hypertension among Black men depending on educational attainment. Future studies should assess pathways between self-employment and hypertension by educational attainment among Black women and men.
Cases of tetrasomy 9p and trisomy 9p in prenatal diagnosis—Analysis of noninvasive and invasive test results
Authors: Moczulska Hanna , Pietrusinski Michal , Zezawska Karolina , Serafin Marcin , Skoczylas Beata , Jachymski Tomasz , Wojda Katarzyna , Sieroszewski Piotr , Borowiec Maciej
Published: September 2022

Objective: Tetrasomy 9p and trisomy 9p are rare chromosomal aberrations. The phenotypes of tetrasomy 9p and trisomy 9p are variable. Most cases are diagnosed in the postnatal period. The study aims to analyze the prenatal phenotype of tetrasomy 9p and trisomy 9p in terms of ultrasound and screening tests.

Methods: A set of 1573 prenatal tests performed from 2016 to 2021 was reviewed to identify all cases with trisomy 9p and tetrasomy 9p. In four cases with 9p gain, non-invasive and invasive test results were analyzed.

Results: Four cases with the 9p gain were diagnosed in the prenatal period: two cases with tetrasomy 9p and two cases with trisomy 9p. Nasal bone hypoplasia and ventriculomegaly are common features of 9p gain. In two out of four cases with the 9p gain, an increased risk of trisomy 21 was found in the combined first-trimester screening test.

Conclusion: Trisomy 9p and tetrasomy 9p are characterized by a variable phenotype in the prenatal period, manifesting in genetically abnormal fetuses. The tetrasomy 9p and trisomy 9p may suggest trisomy 21 in the first trimester.
The potential risk factors of early-onset post-stroke depression from immuno-inflammatory perspective
Authors: Chen Hengshu , Liu Fan , Sun Dongren , Zhang Jingyuan , Luo Shihang , Liao Qiao , Tian Fafa
Published: September 2022

Background

Mounting evidence strongly uncovered that peripheral immuno-inflammatory response induced by acute stroke is associated with the appearance of post-stroke depression (PSD), but the mechanism remains unclear.

Methods

103 stroke patients were assessed at 2 weeks after onset using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition and then divided into PSD and non-PSD groups. Polymorphisms of inflammatory molecules (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interferon-γ [IFN-γ] and C-reactive protein [CRP]), complete blood count parameters, splenic attenuation (SA) and splenic volume (SV) on unenhanced chest computed tomography, demographic and other clinical characteristics were obtained. Binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the associations between inflammation-related factors and the occurrence of PSD at 2 weeks after stroke.

Results

49 patients were diagnosed with PSD at 2 weeks after onset (early-onset PSD). The C/T genotypes of CRP rs2794520 and rs1205 were less in PSD group than non-PSD group (both adjusted odds ratio = 3.364; 95%CI: 1.039-10.898; p = 0.043). For CRP rs3091244, the frequency of G allele was higher (80.61% vs. 13.89%) while the frequency of A allele was lower (6.12% vs. 71.30%) in PSD patients than non-PSD patients (χ2 = 104.380; p<0.001). SA of PSD patients was lower than that of non-PSD patients in the presence of CRP rs2794520 C/T genotype and rs1205 C/T genotype (both t = 2.122; p = 0.039). Peripheral monocyte count was less in PSD group than non-PSD group (adjusted odds ratio = 0.057; 95%CI: 0.005-0.686; p = 0.024).

Conclusions

CRP polymorphisms, SA based on CRP genotype, and peripheral monocytes are associated with the risk of early-onset PSD, suggesting peripheral immuno-inflammatory activities elicited by stroke in its aetiology.
CAR-T manufactured from frozen PBMC yield efficient function with prolonged in vitro production
Authors: Abraham-Miranda Julieta , Menges Meghan , Atkins Reginald , Mattie Mike , Kanska Justyna , Turner Joel , Hidalgo-Vargas Melanie J. , Locke Frederick L.
Published: September 2022

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells are engineered to identify and eliminate cells expressing a target antigen. Current manufacturing protocols vary between commercial CAR-T cell products warranting an assessment of these methods to determine which approach optimally balances successful manufacturing capacity and product efficacy. One difference between commercial product manufacturing methods is whether T cell engineering begins with fresh (unfrozen) patient cells or cells that have been cryopreserved prior to manufacture. Starting with frozen PBMC material allows for greater manufacturing flexibility, and the possibility of collecting and storing blood from patients prior to multiple lines of therapy. We prospectively analyzed if second generation anti-CD19 CAR-T cells with either CD28 or 4-1BB co-stimulatory domains have different phenotype or function when prepared side-by-side using fresh or cryopreserved PBMCs. We found that cryopreserved PBMC starting material is associated with slower CAR-T cell expansion during manufacture but does not affect phenotype. We also demonstrate that CAR-T cell activation, cytokine production and in vitro anti-tumor cytotoxicity were not different when CAR-T cells were manufactured from fresh or cryopreserved PBMC. As CAR-T cell therapy expands globally, the need for greater flexibility around the timing of manufacture will continue to grow. This study helps support the concept that cryopreservation of PBMCs could be the solution to these issues without compromising the quality of the final CAR-T product.
Severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with high numbers of alveolar mast cells and their degranulation
Authors: Krysko Olga , Bourne Joshua H. , Kondakova Elena , Galova Elena A. , Whitworth Katharine , Newby Maddy L. , Bachert Claus , Hill Harriet , Crispin Max , Stamataki Zania , Cunningham Adam F. , Pugh Matthew , Khan Abdullah O. , Rayes Julie , Vedunova Maria , Krysko Dmitri V. , Brill Alexander
Published: September 2022

Background

The systemic inflammatory response post-SARS-CoV-2 infection increases pro-inflammatory cytokine production, multi-organ damage, and mortality rates. Mast cells (MC) modulate thrombo-inflammatory disease progression (e.g., deep vein thrombosis) and the inflammatory response post-infection.

Objective

To enhance our understanding of the contribution of MC and their proteases in SARS-CoV-2 infection and the pathogenesis of the disease, which might help to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Methods

MC proteases chymase (CMA1), carboxypeptidase A3 (CPA3), and tryptase beta 2 (TPSB2), as well as cytokine levels, were measured in the serum of 60 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (30 moderate and 30 severe; severity of the disease assessed by chest CT) and 17 healthy controls by ELISA. MC number and degranulation were quantified by immunofluorescent staining for tryptase in lung autopsies of patients deceased from either SARS-CoV-2 infection or unrelated reasons (control). Immortalized human FcεR1+c-Kit+ LUVA MC were infected with SARS-CoV-2, or treated with its viral proteins, to assess direct MC activation by flow cytometry.

Results

The levels of all three proteases were increased in the serum of patients with COVID-19, and strongly correlated with clinical severity. The density of degranulated MC in COVID-19 lung autopsies was increased compared to control lungs. The total number of released granules and the number of granules per each MC were elevated and positively correlated with von Willebrand factor levels in the lung. SARS-CoV-2 or its viral proteins spike and nucleocapsid did not induce activation or degranulation of LUVA MC in vitro.

Conclusion

In this study, we demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 is strongly associated with activation of MC, which likely occurs indirectly, driven by the inflammatory response. The results suggest that plasma MC protease levels could predict the disease course, and that severe COVID-19 patients might benefit from including MC-stabilizing drugs in the treatment scheme.
Single-cell sequencing of PBMC characterizes the altered transcriptomic landscape of classical monocytes in BNT162b2-induced myocarditis
Authors: Hwang Nahee , Huh Yune , Bu Seonghyeon , Seo Kyung Jin , Kwon Se Hwan , Kim Jae-woo , Yoon Bo Kyung , Ahn Hyo-Suk , Fang Sungsoon
Published: September 2022

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been the most dangerous threat to public health worldwide for the last few years, which led to the development of the novel mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2). However, BNT162b2 vaccination is known to be associated with myocarditis. Here, as an attempt to determine the pathogenesis of the disease and to develop biomarkers to determine whether subjects likely proceed to myocarditis after vaccination, we conducted a time series analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a patient with BNT162b2-induced myocarditis. Single-cell RNA sequence analysis identified monocytes as the cell clusters with the most dynamic changes. To identify distinct gene expression signatures, we compared monocytes of BNT162b2-induced myocarditis with monocytes under various conditions, including SARS-CoV-2 infection, BNT162b2 vaccination, and Kawasaki disease, a disease similar to myocarditis. Representative changes in the transcriptomic profile of classical monocytes include the upregulation of genes related to fatty acid metabolism and downregulation of transcription factor AP-1 activity. This study provides, for the first time, the importance of classical monocytes in the pathogenesis of myocarditis following BNT162b2 vaccination and presents the possibility that vaccination affects monocytes, further inducing their differentiation and infiltration into the heart.
Using fish behavior to design a fish pot: Black seabream (Spondyliosoma cantharus) case study
Authors: Méhault Sonia , Morandeau Fabien , Simon Julien , Faillettaz Robin , Abangan Alexa , Cortay Aurore , Kopp Dorothée
Published: September 2022

The French fishing industry is becoming increasingly environmentally aware and likely to adopt more sustainable fishing gears. As a result, fishers are showing a growing interest in sustainable fish pots. This experiment aimed to develop a fish pot concept specifically based on target species behavior in French coastal waters. First, the consultation led with fishers indicated the black seabream as the main species of interest. Then, the pot’s characteristics were defined to comply with fishing regulations. The conception process of the pot was led step-by-step by gradually testing a pot design appropriated to black seabream’s natural behavior. The approach and feeding behaviors of black seabream were described using underwater video combined to an ethogram. The experiment led to a prototype of fish pot, which provide fishers with an innovative fishing gear.
Rapid reconstruction of temperature and salinity fields based on machine learning and the assimilation application
Authors: Chen Zhihui , Wang Pinqiang , Bao Senliang , Zhang Weimin
Published: September 2022

Satellite observations play important roles in ocean operational forecasting systems, however, the direct assimilation of satellite observations cannot provide sufficient constraints on the model underwater structure. This study adopted the indirect assimilation method. First, we created a 3D temperature and salinity reconstruction model that took into account the advantage of the nonlinear regression of the generalized regression neural network with the fruit fly optimization (abbreviated as FOAGRNN). Compared with the reanalysis product and the WOA13 climatology data, the synthetic T/S (temperature and salinity) profiles had sufficient accuracy and could better describe the characteristics of mesoscale eddies. Then, the synthetic T/S profiles were assimilated into the Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) using the Incremental Strong constraint 4D Variational (I4D-Var) data assimilation algorithm. The quantitative and qualitative analysis results indicated that compared with the direct assimilation of satellite observations, the root mean square errors (RMSEs) of temperature and salinity were reduced by 26.0% and 23.1% respectively by assimilating the synthetic T/S profiles. Furthermore, this method significantly improved the simulation effect of the model underwater structure, especially in the 300 m to 500 m water layer. Compared with the National Marine Data Center’s real-time analysis data, the machine learning-based assimilation system demonstrated a significant advantage in the simulation of underwater salinity structure, while showing a similar performance in the simulation of underwater temperature structure.
Antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity assessment of various Gardnerella sp. strains in local China
Authors: Zhang Kundi , Lu Mengyao , Zhu Xiaoxuan , Wang Kun , Jie Xuemei , Li Tan , Dong Hongjie , Li Rongguo , Zhang Fengyu , Gu Lichuan
Published: September 2022

Gardnerella overgrowth is the primary cause of bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common vaginal infection with incidences as high as 23–29% worldwide. Here, we studied the pathogenicity, drug resistance, and prevalence of varying Gardnerella spp. We isolated 20 Gardnerella strains from vaginal samples of 31 women in local China. Ten strains were then selected via phylogenetic analysis of cpn60 and vly gene sequences to carry out genome sequencing and comparative genomic analysis. Biofilm-formation, sialidase, and antibiotic resistance activities of the strains were characterized. All strains showed striking heterogeneity in genomic structure, biofilm formation and drug resistance. Two of the ten strains, JNFY3 and JNFY15, were classified as Gardnerella swidsinskii and Gardnerella piotii, respectively, according to their phenotypic characteristics and genome sequences. In particular, seven out of the ten strains exhibited super resistance (≥ 128 μg/mL) to metronidazole, which is the first line of treatment for BV in China. Based on the biochemical and genomic results of the strains, we proposed a treatment protocol of prevalent Gardnerella strains in local China, which provides the basis for accurate diagnosis and therapy.
Novel exopolysaccharide derived from probiotic Lactobacillus pantheris TCP102 strain with immune-enhancing and anticancer activities
Authors: Sheng Shouxin , Fu Yubing , Pan Na , Zhang Haochi , Xiu Lei , Liang Yanchen , Liu Yang , Liu Bohui , Ma Cheng , Du Ruiping , Wang Xiao
Published: September 2022

Probiotics are gaining attention due to their functions of regulating the intestinal barrier and promoting human health. The production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) is one of the important factors for probiotics to exert beneficial properties. This study aimed to screen exopolysaccharides-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and evaluate the probiotic potential. we obtained three exopolysaccharide fractions (EPS1, EPS2, and EPS3) from Lactobacillus pantheris TCP102 and purified by a combination of ion-exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. The structures of the fractions were characterized by FT-IR, UV, HPLC, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The Mw of EPS1, EPS2, and EPS3 were approximately 20.3, 23.0, and 19.3 kDa, and were mainly composed of galactose, glucose, and mannose, with approximate molar ratios of 2.86:1:1.48, 1.26:1:1, 1.58:1.80:1, respectively. Furthermore, SEM analysis demonstrated that the three polysaccharide fractions differ in microstructure and surface morphology. Additionally, preliminary results for immune-enhancing and anticancer activities reveal that these EPSs significantly induced the production of nitric oxide (NO), TNF-α, and IL-6 in Ana-1 cells and peritoneal macrophage cells. Meanwhile, the EPSs also significantly suppressed the proliferation of HCT-116, BCG-803, and particularly A-2780 cells. The results suggest that the three novel EPSs isolated from Lactobacillus pantheris TCP102 can be regarded as potential application value in functional food and natural antitumor drugs.
Proteomic and bioinformatic analyses of proteins in the outer membrane and extracellular compartments and outer membrane vesicles of Candidatus Liberibacter species
Authors: Huang Yixiao , Zhu Fanchao , Koh Jin , Stanton Daniel , Chen Sixue , Wang Nian
Published: September 2022

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most devastating citrus disease in the world. Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las) is the prevalent HLB pathogen, which is yet to be cultivated. A recent study demonstrates that Las does not contain pathogenicity factors that are directly responsible for HLB symptoms. Instead, Las triggers systemic and chronic immune responses, representing a pathogen-triggered immune disease. Importantly, overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes systemic cell death of phloem tissues, thus causing HLB symptoms. Because Las resides in the phloem tissues, it is expected that phloem cell might recognize outer membrane proteins, outer membrane vesicle (OMV) proteins and extracellular proteins of Las to contribute to the immune responses. Because Las has not been cultivated, we used Liberibacter crescens (Lcr) as a surrogate to identify proteins in the OM fraction, OMV proteins and extracellular proteins by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). We observed OMVs of Lcr under scanning electron microscope, representing the first experimental evidence that Liberibacter can deliver proteins to the extracellular compartment. In addition, we also further analyzed LC–MS/MS data using bioinformatic tools. Our study provides valuable information regarding the biology of Ca. Liberibacter species and identifies many putative proteins that may interact with host proteins in the phloem tissues.
Functional interplay between antagonistic bacteria and Rhizoctonia solani in the tomato plant rhizosphere
Authors: Solanki Manoj Kumar , Solanki Anjali Chandrol , Rai Shalini , Srivastava Supriya , Kashyap Brijendra Kumar , Divvela Praveen Kumar , Kumar Sudheer , Yandigeri Mahesh S. , Kashyap Prem Lal , Shrivastava Alok Kumar , Ali Baber , Khan Shahid , Jaremko Mariusz , Qureshi Kamal Ahmad
Published: September 2022

Microbial interactions with plant roots play an imperial role in tomato plant growth and defense against the Rhizoctonia solani. This study performed a field experiment with two antagonistic bacteria (Pseudomonas and Bacillus) inoculated in healthy and Rhizoctonia solani treated soil in tomato rhizosphere to understand the metabolic pattern and microbial function during plant disease suppression. In the present study, we assessed soil and microbial enzymes, bacterial and fungal cell forming unit (CFU), and carbon utilization profiling through Bio-Eco plates of rhizoplane samples. Antagonist bacteria and pathogen interaction significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the bacterial count, soil enzymes (chitinase and glucanase), and bacterial function (siderophore and chitinase production). These results indicated that these variables had an imperial role in disease suppression during plant development. Furthermore, the metabolic profiling showed that carbon source utilization enhanced under fruit development and ripening stages. These results suggested that carbon sources were essential in plant/pathogen/antagonist interaction. Substrates like β-methyl-D-glucoside, D-mannitol, D-galacturonic acid, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and phenylethylamine strongly connect with the suppuration of root rot disease. These carbon sources may help to propagate a healthy microbial community to reduce the pathogen invasion in the plant root system, and these carbon sources can be stimulators of antagonists against pathogens in the future.
Dynamic changes in the endophytic bacterial community during maturation of Amorphophallus muelleri seeds
Authors: Yang Min , Qi Ying , Liu Jiani , Wu Zhixing , Gao Penghua , Chen Zebin , Huang Feiyan , Yu Lei
Published: September 2022

The seed microbiota is considered to be the starting point of the accumulation of plant microbiota, which is conducive to the preservation and germination of seeds and the establishment and development of seedlings. Our understanding of the colonization and migration dynamics of microbial taxa during seed development and maturation is still limited. This study used 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing to investigate the dynamic changes in the composition and diversity of the endophytic bacterial community during maturation of Amorphophallus muelleri seeds. The results showed that as seeds matured (green to red), the Shannon index of their endophytic bacterial community first decreased and then increased, and the ACE and Chao1 indices of the endophytic bacterial community decreased gradually. The Shannon, ACE, and Chao1 indices of the endophytic bacterial community in the seed coat first decreased and then increased. Principal coordinate analysis of the bacterial communities revealed that the seed coat at different maturity stages showed significantly distinct bacterial communities and formed different clusters according to maturity stage. The bacterial communities of green and red seeds showed a clear separation, but they both overlapped with those of yellow seeds, indicating that some core taxa were present throughout seed maturation, but their relative abundance was dynamically changing. As the seeds grew more mature, the relative abundance of some bacterial communities with plant growth-promoting traits and others correlated with plant resistance (e.g., Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Bradyrhizobium, Streptomyces) tended to increase and peaked in fully mature seeds and seed coats. The endophytic bacterial community of A. muelleri seeds seems to be driven by the seed maturation state, which can provide a theoretical basis for a comprehensive understanding of the assembly process of the microbial community during A. muelleri seed maturation.
Human gut microbiota in health and disease: Unveiling the relationship
Authors: Afzaal Muhammad , Saeed Farhan , Shah Yasir Abbas , Hussain Muzzamal , Rabail Roshina , Socol Claudia Terezia , Hassoun Abdo , Pateiro Mirian , Lorenzo José M. , Rusu Alexandru Vasile , Aadil Rana Muhammad
Published: September 2022

The human gut possesses millions of microbes that define a complex microbial community. The gut microbiota has been characterized as a vital organ forming its multidirectional connecting axis with other organs. This gut microbiota axis is responsible for host-microbe interactions and works by communicating with the neural, endocrinal, humoral, immunological, and metabolic pathways. The human gut microorganisms (mostly non-pathogenic) have symbiotic host relationships and are usually associated with the host’s immunity to defend against pathogenic invasion. The dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is therefore linked to various human diseases, such as anxiety, depression, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. The mechanism leading to the disease development has a crucial correlation with gut microbiota, metabolic products, and host immune response in humans. The understanding of mechanisms over gut microbiota exerts its positive or harmful impacts remains largely undefined. However, many recent clinical studies conducted worldwide are demonstrating the relation of specific microbial species and eubiosis in health and disease. A comprehensive understanding of gut microbiota interactions, its role in health and disease, and recent updates on the subject are the striking topics of the current review. We have also addressed the daunting challenges that must be brought under control to maintain health and treat diseases.
The association of diet carbohydrates consumption with cognitive function among US older adults modification by daily fasting duration
Authors: Zhao Shengnan , Han Tianshu , Pei Xinyi , Song Yuhua , Zhang Yuntao , Liu Lin , Wang Xuanyang , Hou Wanying , Sun Changhao
Published: September 2022

Dietary carbohydrate consumption was related to cognitive function. Whereas, there was no study investigate the association of dietary carbohydrate consumption with cognitive function modification by daily fasting duration. This study aims to examine the association between dietary carbohydrate consumption and cognitive function among participants with different daily fasting duration. In this cross-sectional study, 2485 adults aged over 60 years from the nationally representative data of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2011–2014) were enrolled. Percentage energy from carbohydrates was present in both quartiles and continuous forms. Daily fasting duration = 24 – (timing for dinner – breakfast). Cognitive function was assessed by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Word List Learning (CERAD-WL), CERAD Word List Delayed Recall (CERAD-DR), Animal Fluency (AF), and Digit Symbol Substitution (DSST) Test. Multiple logistic regression and linear regression models were developed to examine the association of dietary carbohydrates with cognitive function among participants with different daily fasting duration. Restricted cubic spline models were also applied. Compared with the lowest quartile of percentage energy from carbohydrates, the highest quartile had higher ORs of poor cognitive performance among total participants [(ORCERAD-WL 1.84 95% CI 1.25–2.71); (ORCERAD-DR 1.45 95% CI 1.10–1.91)] and participants with daily fasting duration fewer than 16 h [(ORCERAD-WL 2.14 95% CI 1.29–3.55); (ORCERAD-DR 1.51 95% CI 1.05–2.17)] but not in participants with daily fasting duration of more than 16 h. Further, the negative associations between percentage energy from carbohydrates and CERAD-WL score were still significant in addition to participants whose daily fasting duration was more than 16 h. Additionally, dose-response associations were detected between dietary carbohydrates and cognitive decline, while “U” curves were observed among participants whose daily fasting duration was more than 16 h. This study indicated that dietary carbohydrates consumption was associated with poor cognitive performance, but not in participants whose daily fasting duration was more than 16 h among US older adults. The current analysis provides evidence that a longer daily fasting duration may improve the harmful effect of dietary carbohydrates on cognitive function.
Chronic N-acetylcysteine treatment improves anhedonia and cognition in a mouse model of the schizophrenia prodrome
Authors: Bühner Lukas Marius , Kapanaiah Sampath K. T. , Kätzel Dennis
Published: September 2022

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder whose neurodevelopmental pathogenesis includes a prodromal phase before its diagnostically decisive—namely psychotic—symptoms are present. This prodrome is characterized by cognitive and affective deficits, and it may constitute a critical time period for an early therapeutic intervention to improve or even prevent further disease development. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an easily repurposable compound that has recently shown promise in improving non-psychotic symptoms in patients with established schizophrenia. Its therapeutic mechanism may involve the amelioration of circuit abnormalities like a hyper-glutamatergic state and oxidative stress in cortex which have been proposed to drive the pathogenesis of this disease. However, it is currently unknown to what extent NAC can actually improve prodromal aberrations. To investigate this preclinically, we deployed the cyclin-D2 knockout mouse model (CD2-KO) that shares physiological and behavioral abnormalities with the schizophrenia prodrome, including a hyperactive CA1 region, and cognitive and affective deficits. Applying NAC chronically in drinking water (0.9 g/l) during development (∼P22–P70), we found that excessive novelty-induced hyperlocomotion was neither ameliorated during (∼P68) nor after (∼P75) treatment; similarly, T-maze working memory (tested after treatment; ∼P84) was unaffected. However, once chronic NAC treatment was resumed (at approximately P134) in those mice that had received it before, working memory, cognitive flexibility (tested under NAC), and anhedonia (sucrose-preference, tested 1 day after NAC-treatment stopped) were improved in CD2-KO mice. This suggests that chronic NAC treatment may be a therapeutic strategy to improve some cognitive and affective dysfunctions in the schizophrenia prodrome.
Research on the dynamic viseme of the lip shape based on facial motion capture technology
Authors: Zhu Shengyin
Published: September 2022

In the study of articulatory phonetics, lip shape and tongue position is the focus of linguists. In order to reveal the physiological characteristics of the lip shape during pronunciation, the author takes the Tibetan Xiahe dialect as the research object and defines the facial parameter feature points of the speaker according to the MPEG-4 international standard. Most importantly, the author uses the facial motion capture technology to obtain the dynamic lip viseme feature data, during the stop's forming-block, continuing-block, removing-block, and co-articulation with vowels in the CV structure. Through research and analysis, it is found that the distribution of lip shape change the characteristics of different parts' pronunciation is different during the stop's forming block. In the co-articulation with [a], the reverse effect is greater than the forward effect, which is consistent with the relevant conclusions in many languages obtained by many scholars through other experimental methods. The study also found that in the process of pronunciation, the movement of the lip physiological characteristics of each speaker is random to a certain extent, but when different speakers pronounce the same sound, they can always maintain the consistency of the changing trend of the lip shape characteristics.
Project, toolkit, and database of neuroinformatics ecosystem: A summary of previous studies on “Frontiers in Neuroinformatics”
Authors: Li Xin , Liang Huadong
Published: September 2022

In the field of neuroscience, the core of the cohort study project consists of collection, analysis, and sharing of multi-modal data. Recent years have witnessed a host of efficient and high-quality toolkits published and employed to improve the quality of multi-modal data in the cohort study. In turn, gleaning answers to relevant questions from such a conglomeration of studies is a time-consuming task for cohort researchers. As part of our efforts to tackle this problem, we propose a hierarchical neuroscience knowledge base that consists of projects/organizations, multi-modal databases, and toolkits, so as to facilitate researchers' answer searching process. We first classified studies conducted for the topic “Frontiers in Neuroinformatics” according to the multi-modal data life cycle, and from these studies, information objects as projects/organizations, multi-modal databases, and toolkits have been extracted. Then, we map these information objects into our proposed knowledge base framework. A Python-based query tool has also been developed in tandem for quicker access to the knowledge base, (accessible at https://github.com/Romantic-Pumpkin/PDT_fninf). Finally, based on the constructed knowledge base, we discussed some key research issues and underlying trends in different stages of the multi-modal data life cycle.
Comprehensive analysis of immune-related biomarkers and pathways in intracerebral hemorrhage using weighted gene co-expression network analysis and competing endogenous ribonucleic acid
Authors: Hao Yuehan , Xu Xiaoxue , Wang Yuye , Jin Feng , Tang Ling , Zheng Wenxu , Zhang Heyu , He Zhiyi
Published: September 2022

The immune response is an important part of secondary brain injury following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and is related to neurological deficits and prognosis. The mechanisms underlying the immune response and inflammation are of great significance for brain injury and potential functional restoration; however, the immune-related biomarkers and competing endogenous ribonucleic acid (RNA) (ceRNA) networks in the peripheral blood of ICH patients have not yet been constructed. We collected the peripheral blood from ICH patients and controls to assess their ceRNA profiles using LCHuman ceRNA microarray, and to verify their expression with qRT-PCR. Two-hundred-eleven DElncRNAs and one-hundred-one DEmRNAs were detected in the ceRNA microarray of ICH patients. The results of functional enrichment analysis showed that the immune response was an important part of the pathological process of ICH. Twelve lncRNAs, ten miRNAs, and seven mRNAs were present in our constructed immune-related ceRNA network, combining weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Our study was the first to establish the network of the immune-related ceRNAs derived from WGCNA, and to identify leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and B cell lymphoma 2-like 13 (BCL2L13) as pivotal immune-related biomarkers in the peripheral blood of ICH patients, which are likely associated with PI3K-Akt, the MAPK signaling pathway, and oxidative phosphorylation. The MOXD2P-miR-211-3p -LIF and LINC00299-miR-198-BCL2L13 axes were indicated to participate in the immune regulatory mechanism of ICH. The goal of our study was to offer innovative insights into the underlying immune regulatory mechanism and to identify possible immune intervention targets for ICH.