bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in Liver Engineering With Decellularized Scaffold
Authors: Dai Qingqing , Jiang Wei , Huang Fan , Song Fei , Zhang Jiqian , Zhao Hongchuan
Published: February 2022

Liver transplantation is currently the only effective treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease; however, donor liver scarcity is a notable concern. As a result, extensive endeavors have been made to diversify the source of donor livers. For example, the use of a decellularized scaffold in liver engineering has gained considerable attention in recent years. The decellularized scaffold preserves the original orchestral structure and bioactive chemicals of the liver, and has the potential to create a de novo liver that is fit for transplantation after recellularization. The structure of the liver and hepatic extracellular matrix, decellularization, recellularization, and recent developments are discussed in this review. Additionally, the criteria for assessment and major obstacles in using a decellularized scaffold are covered in detail.
Three-Dimensional Modelling of Ovarian Cancer: From Cell Lines to Organoids for Discovery and Personalized Medicine
Authors: Yee Christine , Dickson Kristie-Ann , Muntasir Mohammed N. , Ma Yue , Marsh Deborah J.
Published: February 2022

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality of all of the gynecological malignancies. There are several distinct histotypes of this malignancy characterized by specific molecular events and clinical behavior. These histotypes have differing responses to platinum-based drugs that have been the mainstay of therapy for ovarian cancer for decades. For histotypes that initially respond to a chemotherapeutic regime of carboplatin and paclitaxel such as high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the development of chemoresistance is common and underpins incurable disease. Recent discoveries have led to the clinical use of PARP (poly ADP ribose polymerase) inhibitors for ovarian cancers defective in homologous recombination repair, as well as the anti-angiogenic bevacizumab. While predictive molecular testing involving identification of a genomic scar and/or the presence of germline or somatic BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation are in clinical use to inform the likely success of a PARP inhibitor, no similar tests are available to identify women likely to respond to bevacizumab. Functional tests to predict patient response to any drug are, in fact, essentially absent from clinical care. New drugs are needed to treat ovarian cancer. In this review, we discuss applications to address the currently unmet need of developing physiologically relevant in vitro and ex vivo models of ovarian cancer for fundamental discovery science, and personalized medicine approaches. Traditional two-dimensional (2D) in vitro cell culture of ovarian cancer lacks critical cell-to-cell interactions afforded by culture in three-dimensions. Additionally, modelling interactions with the tumor microenvironment, including the surface of organs in the peritoneal cavity that support metastatic growth of ovarian cancer, will improve the power of these models. Being able to reliably grow primary tumoroid cultures of ovarian cancer will improve the ability to recapitulate tumor heterogeneity. Three-dimensional (3D) modelling systems, from cell lines to organoid or tumoroid cultures, represent enhanced starting points from which improved translational outcomes for women with ovarian cancer will emerge.
Clinical Significance and Immune Landscape of a Pyroptosis-Derived LncRNA Signature for Glioblastoma
Authors: Xing Zhe , Liu Zaoqu , Fu Xudong , Zhou Shaolong , Liu Long , Dang Qin , Guo Chunguang , Ge Xiaoyong , Lu Taoyuan , Zheng Youyang , Dai Lirui , Han Xinwei , Wang Xinjun
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Pyroptosis was recently implicated in the initiation and progression of tumors, including glioblastoma (GBM). This study aimed to explore the clinical significance of pyroptosis-related lncRNAs (PRLs) in GBM.

Methods: Three independent cohorts were retrieved from the TCGA and CGGA databases. The consensus clustering and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) were applied to identify PRLs. The LASSO algorithm was employed to develop and validate a pyroptosis-related lncRNA signature (PRLS) in three independent cohorts. The molecular characteristics, clinical significances, tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoints profiles, and benefits of chemotherapy and immunotherapy regarding to PRLS were also explored.

Results: In the WGCNA framework, a key module that highly correlated with pyroptosis was extracted for identifying PRLs. Univariate Cox analysis further revealed the associations between PRLs and overall survival. Based on the expression profiles of PRLs, the PRLS was initially developed in TCGA cohort (n = 143) and then validated in two CGGA cohorts (n = 374). Multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that our PRLS model was an independent risk factor. More importantly, this signature displayed a stable and accurate performance in predicting prognosis at 1, 3, and 5 years, with all AUCs above 0.7. The decision curve analysis also indicated that our signature had promising clinical application. In addition, patients with high PRLS score suggested a more abundant immune infiltration, higher expression of immune checkpoint genes, and better response to immunotherapy but worse to chemotherapy.

Conclusion: A novel pyroptosis-related lncRNA signature with a robust performance was constructed and validated in multiple cohorts. This signature provided new perspectives for clinical management and precise treatments of GBM.
A Characteristic Interval Modeling Method for Simultaneous Detection of Multiple Metal Ions
Authors: Zhou Feng-Bo , Li Chang-Geng , Zhu Hong-Qiu
Published: February 2022

Abstract Aiming at the problems of low accuracy and large prediction errors caused by the serious overlap of multi-metal spectral signals in zinc smelting industrial wastewater, a characteristic interval modeling method is proposed. First, according to the absorption spectra of mixed solution, the characteristic intervals of copper and nickel are preliminarily screened by using different partition lengths. Second, take the smallest root mean squares error of cross validation and the largest correlation coefficient as the evaluation indicators, compare the full-spectral model and each local model, and select the optimal feature sub-intervals of copper and nickel. Last, the partial least squares method is used to model the combined wavelengths of the optimal sub-intervals to realize the simultaneous detection of copper and nickel. The linear determination ranges are 0.3–3.0 mg/L for copper and nickel. the correlation coefficients of copper and nickel are 0.9974 and 0.9966, respectively. The results show that the method reduces the complexity of the wavelength variable screening process, improves the accuracy of the model, and lays the foundation for the accurate analysis of polymetallic ions in zinc smelting industrial wastewater.
Natural Killer Cell Receptors and Ligands Are Associated With Markers of HIV-1 Persistence in Chronically Infected ART Suppressed Patients
Authors: Ivison Geoffrey T. , Vendrame Elena , Martínez-Colón Giovanny J. , Ranganath Thanmayi , Vergara Rosemary , Zhao Nancy Q. , Martin Maureen P. , Bendall Sean C. , Carrington Mary , Cyktor Joshua C. , McMahon Deborah K. , Eron Joseph , Jones R. Brad , Mellors John W. , Bosch Ronald J. , Gandhi Rajesh T. , Holmes Susan , Blish Catherine A. ,   The ACTG 5321 Team
Published: February 2022

The latent HIV-1 reservoir represents a major barrier to achieving a long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART)-free remission or cure for HIV-1. Natural Killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells that play a critical role in controlling viral infections and have been shown to be involved in preventing HIV-1 infection and, in those who are infected, delaying time to progression to AIDS. However, their role in limiting HIV-1 persistence on long term ART is still uncharacterized. To identify associations between markers of HIV-1 persistence and the NK cell receptor-ligand repertoire, we used twin mass cytometry panels to characterize the peripheral blood NK receptor-ligand repertoire in individuals with long-term antiretroviral suppression enrolled in the AIDS Clinical Trial Group A5321 study. At the time of testing, participants had been on ART for a median of 7 years, with virological suppression <50 copies/mL since at most 48 weeks on ART. We found that the NK cell receptor and ligand repertoires did not change across three longitudinal samples over one year—a median of 25 weeks and 50 weeks after the initial sampling. To determine the features of the receptor-ligand repertoire that associate with markers of HIV-1 persistence, we performed a LASSO normalized regression. This analysis revealed that the NK cell ligands CD58, HLA-B, and CRACC, as well as the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) KIR2DL1, KIR2DL3, and KIR2DS4 were robustly predictive of markers of HIV-1 persistence, as measured by total HIV-1 cell-associated DNA, HIV-1 cell-associated RNA, and single copy HIV-RNA assays. To characterize the roles of cell populations defined by multiple markers, we augmented the LASSO analysis with FlowSOM clustering. This analysis found that a less mature NK cell phenotype (CD16+CD56dimCD57-LILRB1-NKG2C-) was associated with lower HIV-1 cell associated DNA. Finally, we found that surface expression of HLA-Bw6 measured by CyTOF was associated with lower HIV-1 persistence. Genetic analysis revealed that this was driven by lower HIV-1 persistence in HLA-Bw4/6 heterozygotes. These findings suggest that there may be a role for NK cells in controlling HIV-1 persistence in individuals on long-term ART, which must be corroborated by future studies.
Functional Analysis and Proteomics Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles From Swine Plasma Infected by African Swine Fever Virus
Authors: Xu Guowei , Shi Xijuan , Liu Huanan , Shen Chaochao , Yang Bo , Zhang Ting , Chen Xuehui , Zhao Dengshuai , Yang Jinke , Hao Yu , Cui Huimei , Yuan Xingguo , Liu Xiangtao , Zhang Keshan , Zheng Haixue
Published: February 2022

African swine fever (ASF) has brought excellent barriers to swine production in China and the world. Studies have shown that extracellular vesicles mediate the RNA and protein spread of pathogenic microorganisms and RNA and proteins. After infection by pathogenic microorganisms causes significant differences in the proteins contained within extracellular vesicles. Based on the above studies, the extracellular vesicles were extracted from ASF virus (ASFV)-infected swine plasma. And qPCR, western blot, and confocal experiment were carried out. The research shows that extracted extracellular vesicles significantly promote the replication of ASFV in susceptible and non-susceptible cells Proteomics analysis of the extracellular vesicle proteins revealed that ASFV infection could cause significant differences in the protein profile. This study demonstrates that extracellular vesicles play a critical role in ASFV replication and transmission and cause significant differences in the protein profile encapsulated in extracellular vesicles.
HPV and the Risk of HIV Acquisition in Women
Authors: Zayats Romaniya , Murooka Thomas T. , McKinnon Lyle R.
Published: February 2022

The risk of HIV acquisition is low on a per-contact basis but increased by transmission co-factors such as other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a prevalent STI that most individuals will acquire HPV in their lifetime. Current HPV vaccines can prevent newly acquired infections, but are largely ineffective against established HPV, complicating worldwide eradication efforts. In addition to being the causative agent of cervical cancer, accumulating evidence suggests that HPV infection and/or accompanying cervical inflammation increase the risk of HIV infection in men and women. The fact that immunological features observed during HPV infection overlap with cellular and molecular pathways known to enhance HIV susceptibility underscore the potential interplay between these two viral infections that fuel their mutual spread. Here we review current insights into how HPV infection and the generation of anti-HPV immunity contribute to higher HIV transmission rates, and the impact of HPV on mucosal inflammation, immune cell trafficking, and epithelial barrier function.
Preclinical Animal Models for Q Fever Vaccine Development
Authors: Tesfamariam Mahelat , Binette Picabo , Long Carrie Mae
Published: February 2022

Coxiella burnetiiis a zoonotic pathogen responsible for the human disease Q fever. While an inactivated whole cell vaccine exists for this disease, its widespread use is precluded by a post vaccination hypersensitivity response. Efforts for the development of an improved Q fever vaccine are intricately connected to the availability of appropriate animal models of human disease. Accordingly, small mammals and non-human primates have been utilized for vaccine-challenge and post vaccination hypersensitivity modeling. Here, we review the animal models historically utilized in Q fever vaccine development, describe recent advances in this area, discuss the limitations and strengths of these models, and summarize the needs and criteria for future modeling efforts. In summary, while many useful models for Q fever vaccine development exist, there remains room for growth and expansion of these models which will in turn increase our understanding ofC. burnetiihost interactions.
Hyperhomocysteinemia Increases Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Death in an Elderly Chinese Community Population of a 7-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Liu Chang , Liu Liping , Wang Yinglu , Chen Xiaoli , Liu Jie , Peng Sheng , Pi Jingjiang , Zhang Qi , Tomlinson Brain , Chan Paul , Zhang Lin , Fan Huimin , Zheng Liang , Liu Zhongmin , Zhang Yuzhen
Published: February 2022

Background

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and abdominal obesity are risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and death from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent studies have shown a correlation between HHcy and abdominal obesity, suggesting that they may have a combined effect on the risk of MetS and CVD mortality. However, this suspicion remains to be confirmed, particularly in the elderly population. We explored their combined effects on the risk of MetS and CVD mortality among the community population aged 65 and above in China.

Methods and Results

This prospective study enrolled 3,675 Chinese community residents aged 65 and above in May 2013 with 7-year follow-up of all-cause and CVD mortality. HHcy was defined as the blood homocysteine (Hcy) level >15 μmol/L and abdominal obesity as waist circumference (WC) ≥90 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women (HWC). All participants were grouped into four categories by WC and the blood level of Hcy: NWC (normal WC) /HHcy(–), NWC/HHcy(+), HWC/HHcy(–), and HWC/HHcy(+). The relationship of combined HHcy and abdominal obesity with MetS and metabolic profile was evaluated by logistic regression analysis and the association of combined HHcy and abdominal obesity with CVD and all-cause mortality evaluated by Cox regression analysis. The prevalence of HHcy, abdominal obesity and MetS in elderly Chinese community residents was 40.1, 59.3, and 41.4%, respectively. Using group without HHcy and abdominal obesity [NWC/HHcy(–)] as reference, the participants of other three groups had significantly higher risk of MetS and its component abnormalities, with HWC/HHcy(+) group having the highest risk (OR = 13.52; 95% CI = 8.61–14.55). After a median of 6.94 (±1.48) years follow-up, 454 deaths occurred with 135 CVD deaths. Compared with NWC/HHcy(–) group, the risk of 7-year follow-up CVD mortality (HR = 1.75; 95% CI = 1.02–3.03) and all-cause mortality (HR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.04–2.18) of HWC/HHcy(+) group increased considerably after adjustment for major MetS and CVD risk factors.

Conclusions

There is high prevalence of HHcy, abdominal obesity, and MetS in the elderly Chinese community population. HHcy increases risk of MetS, CVD, and all-cause mortality, especially in the populations with abdominal obesity.
Monocyte and Macrophage Lipid Accumulation Results in Down-Regulated Type-I Interferon Responses
Authors: Willemsen Lisa , Chen Hung-Jen , van Roomen Cindy P. A. A. , Griffith Guillermo R. , Siebeler Ricky , Neele Annette E. , Kroon Jeffrey , Hoeksema Marten A. , de Winther Menno P. J.
Published: February 2022

Macrophages are critical components of atherosclerotic lesions and their pro- and anti-inflammatory responses influence atherogenesis. Type-I interferons (IFNs) are cytokines that play an essential role in antiviral responses and inflammatory activation and have been shown to promote atherosclerosis. Although the impact of type-I IFNs on macrophage foam cell formation is well-documented, the effect of lipid accumulation in monocytes and macrophages on type-I IFN responses remains unknown. Here we examined IFN stimulated (ISG) and non-ISG inflammatory gene expression in mouse and human macrophages that were loaded with acetylated LDL (acLDL), as a model for foam cell formation. We found that acLDL loading in mouse and human macrophages specifically suppressed expression of ISGs and IFN-β secretion, but not other pro-inflammatory genes. The down regulation of ISGs could be rescued by exogenous IFN-β supplementation. Activation of the cholesterol-sensing nuclear liver X receptor (LXR) recapitulated the cholesterol-initiated type-I IFN suppression. Additional analyses of murine in vitro and in vivo generated foam cells confirmed the suppressed IFN signaling pathways and suggest that this phenotype is mediated via down regulation of interferon regulatory factor binding at gene promoters. Finally, RNA-seq analysis of monocytes of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients also showed type-I IFN suppression which was restored by lipid-lowering therapy and not present in monocytes of healthy donors. Taken together, we define type-I IFN suppression as an athero-protective characteristic of foamy macrophages. These data provide new insights into the mechanisms that control inflammatory responses in hyperlipidaemic settings and can support future therapeutic approaches focusing on reprogramming of macrophages to reduce atherosclerotic plaque progression and improve stability.
Pediatric Otoscopy Video Screening With Shift Contrastive Anomaly Detection
Authors: Wang Weiyao , Tamhane Aniruddha , Santos Christine , Rzasa John R. , Clark James H. , Canares Therese L. , Unberath Mathias
Published: February 2022

Ear related concerns and symptoms represent the leading indication for seeking pediatric healthcare attention. Despite the high incidence of such encounters, the diagnostic process of commonly encountered diseases of the middle and external presents a significant challenge. Much of this challenge stems from the lack of cost effective diagnostic testing, which necessitates the presence or absence of ear pathology to be determined clinically. Research has, however, demonstrated considerable variation among clinicians in their ability to accurately diagnose and consequently manage ear pathology. With recent advances in computer vision and machine learning, there is an increasing interest in helping clinicians to accurately diagnose middle and external ear pathology with computer-aided systems. It has been shown that AI has the capacity to analyze a single clinical image captured during the examination of the ear canal and eardrum from which it can determine the likelihood of a pathognomonic pattern for a specific diagnosis being present. The capture of such an image can, however, be challenging especially to inexperienced clinicians. To help mitigate this technical challenge, we have developed and tested a method using video sequences. The videos were collected using a commercially available otoscope smartphone attachment in an urban, tertiary-care pediatric emergency department. We present a two stage method that first, identifies valid frames by detecting and extracting ear drum patches from the video sequence, and second, performs the proposed shift contrastive anomaly detection (SCAD) to flag the otoscopy video sequences as normal or abnormal. Our method achieves an AUROC of 88.0% on the patient level and also outperforms the average of a group of 25 clinicians in a comparative study, which is the largest of such published to date. We conclude that the presented method achieves a promising first step toward the automated analysis of otoscopy video.
Structural Properties of Syngenetic Ice-Rich Permafrost, as Revealed by Archaeological Investigation of the Yana Site Complex (Arctic East Siberia, Russia): Implications for Quaternary Science
Authors: Pitulko Vladimir V. , Pavlova Elena Y.
Published: February 2022

Ice-rich syncryogenic (termed “Ice Complex”) deposits are common in northern East Siberia and constitute the most important feature of the Quaternary geology of the region. The Ice Complex formed throughout the Late Pleistocene and not only contains an archive of paleoenvironmental proxies such as Pleistocene faunal remains, but also comprises a record of human habitation spanning ∼50,000 years, beginning with early MIS3. The development of syngenetic permafrost is an important variable in the formation of archaeological contexts in this depositional setting. Excavations of the Yana site complex in the lower Yana River area provide a unique opportunity to study archaeological finds preserved in Ice Complex deposits. Based on long-term field observations and dating results, we present important conclusions concerning the geology of the Yana sites. Taphonomic biases with potential to obscure the archaeological record are discussed. The thawing of frozen primary deposits has distorted depositional sequences, leading to the formation of secondary features and contexts, e.g., ice-wedge casts. Collapsed blocks of frozen sediment with undisturbed fragments of frozen layers containing artifacts and/or paleobiotic remains may become incorporated and refrozen into another depositional sequence and a source of misinterpretation and chronometric error. Furthermore, severe cryoturbation within the polygonal mounds warps the sediment in contact with the ice wedges; as a result, the contents of the sediment is uplifted with important consequences: 1) the hypsometric provenience of datable material is altered, creating chronometry problems; 2) in archaeology, there is an increased potential for misinterpretations with respect to dating, cultural classification, and human behavior; 3) transported material may form secondary concentrations at different hypsometric levels and thus bring further complications for its understanding; 4) in geology, the transportation of geochemical signatures may lead to erroneous interpretation of the geological potential of the area; 5) uplifted deposits contribute to increased Ice Complex thickness, which is thus not a direct function of sedimentation, but a combined result of sedimentation and redistribution of the deposits within an existing polygon deposit. Thus, the analysis of Ice Complex deposits during archaeological excavations at the Yana site complex has wider implications for Quaternary science.
Reduction of Blasting Induced Ground Vibrations Using High-Precision Digital Electronic Detonators
Authors: Lin Fei , Liu Rong , Zhang Zhigang , Jiang Deyi , Chen Jinhua , Li Yong
Published: February 2022

This study aims to effectively control the effects of blast vibrations and improve the safety factor for personnel and facilities in blasting engineering. Using high-precision digital electronic detonators according to the propagation and superposition principle of blasting vibration signals, a superposition prediction method based on single-hole blasting vibration waveform is proposed to determine the group-hole blasting vibration waveform. Experimental results show that the variation law of the predicted blasting vibration wave is consistent with that of the measured blasting vibration wave, and the error rate is less than 16%. Based on the proposed superposition prediction method, the variation law of particle vibration velocity peak with micro-differences in time is studied. Consequently, an optimal differential time interval (delay time) is obtained with regard to the blasting vibration reduction. The results are applied in a site leveling project, and the results show that the slight time difference between zones has an evident effect on vibration reduction. The maximum reduction achieved with the proposed method is superior (69.7%) to that obtained via other controlled blasting delay methods. This result has been successfully applied in a flat project in China.
A Prediction Method of Coal Burst Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation
Authors: Zhu Zhijie , Wu Yunlong , Han Jun
Published: February 2022

Coal burst has become a worldwide problem that needs to be solved urgently for the sake of coal mine safety production due to its complicated triggering mechanisms and numerous influencing factors. The risk assessment of coal burst disasters is particularly critical. In this work, 15 factors affecting coal burst occurrence are selected from the perspectives of geodynamic environment and geological and mining conditions, and the influence mechanism of each factor on coal bursts is analyzed. An evaluation index system of coal burst risk is put forward. A hierarchical model of coal burst prediction is established, and the weight of each influencing factor to coal burst risk is calculated. Based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, a coal burst prediction model is established, which can scientifically decompose and simplify the complicated problem and make coal burst prediction and prevention more pertinent and effective. The model is applied to assess the coal burst risk level of a coal mine in Shanxi Province, and the evaluation result is consistent with practical situations. This method considers the influencing factors comprehensively and determines the weight of each factor scientifically compared with other forecasting methods.
Long-term Performance Evaluation and Economic Analysis for Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger Heating System in Weihe Basin
Authors: Cai Wanlong , Wang Fenghao , Jiang Jinghua , Wang Zeyuan , Liu Jun , Chen Chaofan
Published: February 2022

To reduce carbon emission and achieve carbon neutrality, deep geothermal energy has been widely extracted for building heating purpose. In recent years, deep borehole heat exchanger (DBHE) heating system has gained more attention, especially in densely populated urban areas in Weihe Basin, northern China. The long-term performance and the economic feasibility are essential for the system application. In this work, the DBHE model implemented in OpenGeoSys software is verified against an analytical solution and a comprehensive economic analysis approach is further proposed. Then the short-term thermal performance tests are conducted to obtain the tentative heat extraction capacity for long-term simulation. The long-term simulations are further performed with the heat pump unit under the adjusted tentative heat extraction rate imposed on the DBHE. Finally, a comprehensive economic analysis is applied to the DBHE heating system over 15 heating seasons. Results show that the minimum coefficient of performance value of the heat pump is 4.74 over the operation of 15 heating seasons. With the increase of depth for the DBHE, the total electricity consumption of heat pumps and circulation pumps has a prominent promotion. With the comprehensive approach of economic analysis, the depth of 2,600 m has the lowest levelized cost of total heating amount, which is the best system design for the application in Weihe Basin. The present results are specific to the conditions in Weihe Basin, but the proposed economic analysis approach is generic.
Tectonic Deformation of the Western Qilian Shan in Response to the North–South Crustal Shortening and Sinistral Strike-Slip of the Altyn Tagh Fault Inferred From Geomorphologic Data
Authors: Chen Zhidan , Xu Wenbin , Liu Rui , Li An , Koronovsky N. V.
Published: February 2022

The tectonic deformation of a series of NWW-trending compressional band-shaped mountains and fault zones in the Qilian Shan, northeastern Tibet, plays an important role in absorbing the north–south crustal shortening of the Tibetan Plateau and accommodating the sinistral strike-slip of the Altyn Tagh fault. However, the deformation pattern of these mountains and fault zones in response to crustal shortening and sinistral strike-slip remains to be investigated. In this study, we present the slope map and swath profiles of the western Qilian Shan extracted from high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) data and the fluvial geomorphologic characteristics of the Baiyang river in the northwestern Qilian Shan. Our data indicate that the crustal uplift of the northern Qilian Shan is stronger than that of the central and southern ranges of the Qilian Shan because of the high-terrain relief and stronger erosion. In addition, the deformed terraces of the Baiyang river documented the activity of NWW-trending faults in the western Qilian Shan. Based on the longitudinal profiles and ages of the deformed river terraces, the vertical slip rates of the Changma, Yumen, and Bainan faults in the western Qilian Shan since ∼60 ka were constrained to be 0.31 ± 0.06, 0.33 ± 0.02, and 0.24 ± 0.02 mm/a, respectively. Based on the comparison with previous studies, we noticed that the rate of the vertical slip since the Late Quaternary of the northern Qilian fault of 1.5–2 mm/a is significantly higher than that of the Changma fault of 0.3–0.6 mm/a, which matches the terrain relief in the Qilian Shan and demonstrates that the northern Qilian Shan has been rising faster than its southern ranges. From the slip rates of the NWW-trending faults in the western Qilian Shan, we suggest that the crustal shortening is widely distributed in the NWW-trending compressional orogenic belts and fault zones across the Qilian Shan, among which the northern Qilian Shan and its frontal thrust system absorb the greatest shortening amount, whereas strike-slip faults within the Qilian Shan accommodate most of the sinistral strike-slip of the Altyn Tagh fault.
Numerical Study on the Effect of Jet Cross Section Shape on the Corium Jet Breakup Behavior With Lattice Boltzmann Method
Authors: Cheng Hui , Cheng Songbai , Wang Jun
Published: February 2022

In a core meltdown accident in light water reactors, molten corium may drop into the lower plenum of the pressure vessel and interact with water, which is called fuel–coolant interaction (FCI). The behavior of the corium jet breakup in water during FCIs is important for the in-vessel retention strategy and has been extensively studied. While in previous studies, the jet cross-section shapes are naturally assumed to be circular, which is actually not always the case, in this study, the breakup processes of the corium jets with four different elliptical cross-section shapes and three different penetration velocities are simulated with color-gradient lattice Boltzmann method. The effect of the cross-section shape on the hydrodynamic breakup behavior of the corium jet is analyzed in detail. It is found that the effect of the cross-section shape on the jet penetration depth is very limited. With the increase in the aspect ratio under the same penetration velocity, the jet breakup length decreases gradually. In general, the dimensionless corium surface area increases with the increase in the aspect ratio for the jets under the same penetration velocity.
Improving Forest Above-Ground Biomass Retrieval Using Multi-Sensor L- and C- Band SAR Data and Multi-Temporal Spaceborne LiDAR Data
Authors: Musthafa Mohamed , Singh Gulab
Published: February 2022

Due to the great structural and species diversity of tropical forests and limitations of the methods used to estimate aboveground biomass, there is uncertainty in quantifying its carbon sequestration potential. Measuring carbon sequestered in the terrestrial ecosystem and monitoring its dynamics is one of the key objectives in sustainable development goals. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has evolved as a key satellite technology in measuring and monitoring terrestrial carbon sink stored as biomass in plants. This study attempts to model forest above-ground biomass (AGB) using a random forest machine-learning approach where the predictor variables are from C-band (Radarsat-2), L-band (ALOS-2/PALSAR-2), and multi-temporal spaceborne LiDAR data from the GEDI platform. Training and validation data for the machine learning approach are obtained from the field measured inventory campaigns to evaluate the modeled forest biomass accuracies. The results show that variables from L-band (HH, HV), C-band (HV), and canopy height from the GEDI LiDAR platform performed effectively to model forest AGB with the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.81 and root mean squared error (rmse) of 19.35 Mg/ha (%rmse – 17.17). In the case of single frequency SAR data, the analysis shows that the model derived from the L-band SAR data and LiDAR performed comparably better than the combination of C-band SAR and LiDAR data with an R2 of 0.78 and rmse of 21.36 Mg/ha (%rmse – 18.94). The results, thus, demonstrate the potential of SAR data (both single frequency and multiple frequencies) in combination with GEDI LiDAR data in effectively modeling AGB over highly biodiverse tropical forest regions.
Precision Vaccine Development: Cues From Natural Immunity
Authors: Barman Soumik , Soni Dheeraj , Brook Byron , Nanishi Etsuro , Dowling David J.
Published: February 2022

Traditional vaccine development against infectious diseases has been guided by the overarching aim to generate efficacious vaccines normally indicated by an antibody and/or cellular response that correlates with protection. However, this approach has been shown to be only a partially effective measure, since vaccine- and pathogen-specific immunity may not perfectly overlap. Thus, some vaccine development strategies, normally focused on targeted generation of both antigen specific antibody and T cell responses, resulting in a long-lived heterogenous and stable pool of memory lymphocytes, may benefit from better mimicking the immune response of a natural infection. However, challenges to achieving this goal remain unattended, due to gaps in our understanding of human immunity and full elucidation of infectious pathogenesis. In this review, we describe recent advances in the development of effective vaccines, focusing on how understanding the differences in the immunizing and non-immunizing immune responses to natural infections and corresponding shifts in immune ontogeny are crucial to inform the next generation of infectious disease vaccines.
Abnormal Shift in B Memory Cell Profile Is Associated With the Expansion of Circulating T Follicular Helper Cells via ICOS Signaling During Acute HIV-1 Infection
Authors: Lu Xiaofan , Zhang Xin , Cheung Allen Ka Loon , Moog Christiane , Xia Huan , Li Zhen , Wang Rui , Ji Yunxia , Xia Wei , Liu Zhiying , Yuan Lin , Wang Xiuwen , Wu Hao , Zhang Tong , Su Bin
Published: February 2022

Interactions between T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and germinal center B cells are essential for the differentiation of B cells and specific antibody responses against HIV-1 infection. However, the extent to which HIV-1 infection affects the dynamic interplay between these two cell populations in the bloodstream remains unclear. In this study, the dynamics of circulating Tfh (cTfh) and B cells and their relationship in individuals with acute and chronic HIV-1 infection were investigated. Twenty-five study subjects were enrolled from the Beijing PRIMO clinical cohort, a prospective cohort of HIV-1-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) for the identification of cases of acute HIV-1 infection (AHI) at Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University. Individuals with AHI were selected at random. Matched samples were also collected and analyzed from the same patients with chronic HIV-1 infection. None of the study subjects received antiretroviral therapy during acute or chronic infection. Multicolor flow cytometry was used for the immunophenotypic and functional characterization of cTfh cell and B cell subsets. AHI resulted in increased proportions in bulk cTfh, ICOS+cTfh or IL-21+ICOS+cTfh cells. In both acute and chronic infections, activated memory (AM), tissue-like memory (TLM), and plasmablast (PB) B cell levels were increased whilst resting memory (RM) and naïve mature (NM) B cell levels were decreased. Classical memory (CM) B cells were unaffected during infection. Association analyses showed that the levels of ICOS+cTfh and IL-21+ICOS+cTfh cells were negatively correlated with those of AM, CM, RM cells, and positively correlated with those of NM cells in AHI but not chronic HIV-1 infection stage (CHI). Moreover, the frequency of IL-21+ICOS+cTfh cells was also positively correlated with plasma HIV-1 viral load, and had an opposite association trend with CD4+T cell count in AHI. Our data suggests that HIV-1 infection drives the expansion of cTfh cells, which in turn leads to perturbations of B cell differentiation through ICOS signaling during acute infection stage. These findings provide insight on the role of ICOS in the regulation of cTfh/B cell interaction during AHI and may potentially guide the design of effective strategies for restoring anti-HIV-1 immunity in the infected patients.
How Turbidity Mediates the Combined Effects of Nutrient Enrichment and Herbivory on Seagrass Ecosystems
Authors: Wang Xinyan , Bai Junhong , Yan Jiaguo , Cui Baoshan , Shao Dongdong
Published: February 2022

While nutrient enrichment and herbivory have been well recognized as the main driving factors of seagrass meadow fragmentation and degradation, there is limited understanding of how their relative importance shifts across large spatial scales where environmental factors such as turbidity can vary. In this study, a field control experiment was conducted in two Zostera japonica meadows distributed on the two banks of the Yellow River Estuary with different turbidity, to investigate the combined effects of nutrient enrichment and herbivory on seagrass and macroalgae. Our results showed that turbidity had the mediating force of shifting the relative importance of nutrient enrichment and herbivory to seagrass and macroalgae. While herbivory played a vital role in maintaining the balance between the two primary producers in a turbid environment, nutrient enrichment tended to offset herbivory-induced biomass loss by promoting seagrass growth in a less turbid system. Additionally, two potential mechanisms that might regulate the responses of seagrasses and macroalgae to nutrient enrichment and herbivory under different turbidity are proposed. On the one hand, turbidity might mediate the feeding preference of herbivores. On the other hand, nutrient enrichment favors the growth of opportunistic macroalgae over seagrass in turbid systems. Our study emphasizes the mediating force of turbidity on seagrass ecosystems, and provides references for the protection and restoration of seagrass meadows under multiple environmental stressors, and prompts further studies on the feedback between sediment dynamics and seagrass meadows in the context of ecogeomorphology.
Long-Term Variability of the Kuroshio Shelf Intrusion and Its Relationship to Upper-Ocean Current and Temperature Variability in the East China Sea
Authors: Kang Jiwon , Na Hanna
Published: February 2022

The strong variability of the Kuroshio northeast of Taiwan is associated with changes in the strength of the Kuroshio shelf intrusion (KSI) in the East China Sea (ECS), which is a westward shift in the Kuroshio toward the shelf region. The KSI contributes to the exchange of different water masses between the shelf and the western boundary current regions, and plays a key role in ecosystem and climate regulation in the ECS and the downstream East Asian Marginal Seas. This study investigates the long-term variability of the KSI northeast of Taiwan during 1993–2018 and examines its relationship to the current and temperature variability in the ECS using a high-resolution ocean reanalysis dataset. The KSI was notably strengthened in 2000–2001, 2005, and 2009. It showed stronger interannual variability during the 2000s, whereas it was relatively stable in the 1990s and the 2010s. The strengthening of the KSI is accompanied by a westward shift of the Kuroshio axis, extending along its downstream path in the ECS. The associated warming is significant at depths >∼50 m but not near the surface. The resultant weakening of the vertical stratification in the shelf region would have important implications for ecosystem variability in the ECS.
Transcriptomic Analysis of Gill and Hepatopancreas in Razor Clam (Sinonovacula constricta) Exposed to Acute Ammonia
Authors: Lv Liyuan , Ren Jianfeng , Zhang Huan , Sun Changsen , Dong Yinghui , Lin Zhihua
Published: February 2022

Accumulation of excessive ammonia is a big threat to aquatic animals, which causes adverse effects on the health, production reduction, and even high mortality. The razor clam Sinonovacula constricta, a bivalve living in intertidal mudflat with a deep-burrowing lifestyle, often faces a high concentration of ambient ammonia. However, there is less available information concerning the toxic effects of ammonia on razor clam and its molecular mechanisms of adaptation to ammonia stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ammonia exposure on the gill and hepatopancreas of razor clam by transcriptome sequencing. The results showed that the median lethal concentration of ammonia was 244.55 mg/L for 96 h. A total of 1,415 and 306 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the gill and hepatopancreas, respectively. The functional annotation showed that DEGs of the gill were mainly involved in the regulation of nitrogen compound metabolic process, nitrogen compound transport, and amide transport. The DEGs of the hepatopancreas were mostly enriched in oxidation-reduction process, response to stress, and amine metabolic process. The expression levels of NH3/NH4+ transporting channels and H+ excreting-related genes, including Rhesus glycoproteins (Rh), Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA), Na+/H+ exchanger, V-ATPase (VHA), and carbonic anhydrase (CA), were upregulated significantly in the gill (p < 0.05). In addition, the expression levels of glutamine and urea synthesis-related genes that played vital roles in ammonia detoxification, such as glutamine synthetase (GS), arginase (ARG), and argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS), were also increased obviously in the hepatopancreas (p < 0.05). Taken together, our results indicate that the synergistic action of ammonia excretion in the gill and ammonia metabolism in the hepatopancreas might be the mechanism through which the clams tolerate to environmental ammonia. This study provides a molecular basis for the better evaluation of the responding mechanism of ammonia tolerance.
Switch of Bacteria Community Under Oxygen Depletion in Sediment of Bohai Sea
Authors: Guo Xiaoxiao , Song Guisheng , Li Yanying , Zhao Liang , Wang Jing
Published: February 2022

Regular oxygen depletion is occurring every summer in the depression area of the Bohai Sea. The community structure and potential functions of microbes in expanding marine hypoxic area are of great importance due to their roles in biogeochemical cycling. In this study, the diversity and distribution of bacteria based on 16S rRNA gene in sediment along an inshore-offshore transect across the oxygen-depletion area in the Bohai Sea was investigated in June, July and August of 2018 by employing high-throughput sequencing. Results revealed that the bacteria community was dominated by Proteobacteria (42.67%), Actinobacteria (14.13%), Chloroflexi (13.02%), Acidobacteria (8.01%), and Bacteroidetes (6.30%). During oxygen depletion, the bacteria community from inshore site A3 subjected to dramatic variation from June to August, but the composition tended to be stable in sites from the depression area along the transect. Distinct switch of bacteria from aerobic to anaerobic group was observed when the DO concentration <4.2 mg/L, typically represented by dominance of Anaerolineaceae in August sample. Further, KEGG prediction by PICRUSt confirmed the variations by showing significant difference in functional pathways, especially the nitrogen metabolisms, before and after DO depletion (p < 0.05). These variations could be influenced by depth, NO2– concentration and DO availability based on RDA analysis. The details in diversity and composition of bacteria under continually observation provide insights into both instant and long-term response of bacteria community to oxygen depletion, and the distinct functional switch under this process expands our knowledge on the metabolic character of bacteria in worldwide hypoxia areas.
Cox-LASSO Analysis for Hospital Mortality in Patients With Sepsis Received Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy: A MIMIC-III Database Study
Authors: Wang Chunxia , Zheng Jianli , Wang Jinxia , Zou Lin , Zhang Yucai
Published: February 2022

Background

Sepsis remains the leading cause of mortality in-hospital in the intensive care unit (ICU). Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is recommended as an adjuvant therapy for hemodynamics management in patients with sepsis. The aim of this study was to develop an adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) for the Cox regression model to predict the hospital mortality in patients with Sepsis-3.0 undergoing CRRT using Medical Information Martin Intensive Care (MIMIC)-III v1.4.

Methods

Patients who met the Sepsis-3.0 definition were identified using the MIMIC-III v1.4. Among them, patients who received CRRT during ICU hospitalization were included in this study. According to the survival status, patients were split into death or survival group. Adaptive LASSO for the Cox regression model was constructed by STATA software. At last, nomogram and Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn to validate the model.

Results

A total of 181 patients who met Sepsis 3.0 criteria received CRRT were included in the study, in which, there were 31 deaths and 150 survivals during hospitalization, respectively. The overall in-hospital mortality was 17.1%. According to the results of multivariate Cox-LASSO regression analysis, use of vasopressor, international normalized ratio (INR) ≥1.5, and quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score were associated with hospital mortality in patients with sepsis who underwent CRRT, but lactate level, mechanical ventilation (MV) support, PaO2/FiO2, platelet count, and indicators of acute kidney injury (AKI), such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, were not independently associated with hospital mortality after adjusted by qSOFA. The risk nomogram and Kaplan-Meier curves verified that the use of vasopressor and INR ≥1.5 possess significant predictive value.

Conclusions

Using the Cox-LASSO regression model, use of vasopressor, INR ≥1.5, and qSOFA score are found to be associated with hospital mortality in patients with Sepsis-3.0 who received CRRT. This finding may assist clinicians in tailoring precise management and therapy for these patients who underwent CRRT.