bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular characterization and immune functional analysis of IRF2 in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.): different regulatory role in the IFN and NF-κB signalling pathway
Authors: Li Hua , Chen Xinping , Zhu Yaoyao , Liu Rongrong , Zheng Linlin , Shan Shijuan , Zhang Fumiao , An Liguo , Yang Guiwen
Published: September 2021

Background

Interferon regulatory factor 2 (IRF2) is an important transcription factor, which can regulate the IFN response and plays a role in antiviral innate immunity in teleost.

Results

In the present study, the full-length cDNA sequence of IRF2 (CcIRF2) was characterized in common carp (Cyprinus carpioL.), which encoded a protein containing a conserved DNA-binding domain (DBD) and an IRF-associated domain (IAD). Phylogenetic analysis showed thatCcIRF2 was most closely related with IRF2 ofCtenopharyngodon idella.CcIRF2 transcripts were detectable in all examined tissues, with higher expression in the gills, spleen and brain.CcIRF2 expression was upregulated in immune-related tissues of common carp upon polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly (I:C)) andAeromonas hydrophilastimulation and induced by poly (I:C), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan (PGN) and flagellin in the peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs) and head kidney leukocytes (HKLs). In addition, overexpression ofCcIRF2 decreased the expression of IFN and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), and a dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed thatCcIRF2 could increase the activation of NF-κB.

Conclusions

These results indicate thatCcIRF2 participates in antiviral and antibacterial immune response and negatively regulates the IFN response, which provide a new insight into the regulation of IFN system in common carp, and are helpful for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in carp farming.
Aspergillus caespitosus ASEF14, an oleaginous fungus as a potential candidate for biodiesel production using sago processing wastewater (SWW)
Authors: Srinivasan Naganandhini , Thangavelu Kiruthika , Sekar Ashika , Sanjeev B. , Uthandi Sivakumar
Published: September 2021

Background

Oleaginous microorganisms are sustainable alternatives for the production of biodiesel. Among them, oleaginous fungi are known for their rapid growth, short life cycles, no light requirement, easy scalability, and the ability to grow in cheap organic resources. Among all the sources used for biodiesel production, industrial wastewater streams have been least explored. We used oleaginous fungi to decontaminate sago processing wastewater and produce biodiesel.

Results

Among the 15 isolates screened for lipid production and starch utilization using the Nile red staining assay and amylase plate screening, three isolates accumulated > 20% (w/w) of their dry cell mass as lipids. The isolate ASEF14 exhibited the highest lipid accumulation (> 40%) and was identified as Aspergillus caespitosus based on the 28S rRNA gene sequencing. The maximum lipid content of 54.4% in synthetic medium (SM) and 37.2% in sago processing wastewater (SWW) was produced by the strain. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of the fungal oil revealed the presence of functional peaks corresponding to major lipids. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the FTIR data revealed major changes in the fatty acid composition during the transition from the growth phase (Days 1–3) to the lipid accumulation phase (Days 4–7). The fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) analysis of fungal oil from SWW contained 43.82% and 9.62% of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, respectively. The composition and percentage of individual FAME derived from SWW were different from SM, indicating the effect of nutrient and fermentation time. The fuel attributes of the SM- and SWW-grown fungal biodiesel (kinematic viscosity, iodine value, cetane number, cloud and pour point, linolenic acid content, FA > 4 double bonds) met international (ASTM D6751, EN 14214) and national (IS 15607) biodiesel standards. In addition to biodiesel production, the strain removed various contaminants such as total solids (TS), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and cyanide up to 58.6%, 53.0%, 35.2%, 94.5%, 89.3%, 91.3%, 74.0%, 47.0%, and 53.84%, respectively, from SWW.

Conclusion

These findings suggested that A. caespitosus ASEF14 is a potential candidate with high lipid accumulating ability (37.27%), capable of using SWW as the primary growth medium. The medium and incubation time alter the FAME profile of this fungus. The physical properties of fungal oil were in accordance with the biodiesel standards. Moreover, it decontaminated SWW by reducing several polluting nutrients and toxicants. The fungal biodiesel produced by this cost-effective method could serve as an alternate path to meet global energy demand.
Development of weight and age-based dosing of daily primaquine for radical cure of vivax malaria
Authors: Taylor Walter Robert , Hoglund Richard M. , Peerawaranun Pimnara , Nguyen Thuy Nhien , Hien Tran Tinh , Tarantola Arnaud , von Seidlein Lorenz , Tripura Rupam , Peto Thomas J. , Dondorp Arjen M. , Landier Jordi , H.Nosten Francois , Smithuis Frank , Phommasone Koukeo , Mayxay Mayfong , Kheang Soy Ty , Say Chy , Neeraj Kak , Rithea Leang , Dysoley Lek , Kheng Sim , Muth Sinoun , Roca-Feltrer Arantxa , Debackere Mark , Fairhurst Rick M. , Song Ngak , Buchy Philippe , Menard Didier , White Nicholas J. , Tarning Joel , Mukaka Mavuto
Published: September 2021

Background

In many endemic areas, Plasmodium vivax malaria is predominantly a disease of young adults and children. International recommendations for radical cure recommend fixed target doses of 0.25 or 0.5 mg/kg/day of primaquine for 14 days in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase normal patients of all ages. However, for many anti-malarial drugs, including primaquine, there is evidence that children have lower exposures than adults for the same weight-adjusted dose. The aim of the study was to develop 14-day weight-based and age-based primaquine regimens against high-frequency relapsing tropical P. vivax.

Methods

The recommended adult target dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day (30 mg in a 60 kg patient) is highly efficacious against tropical P. vivax and was assumed to produce optimal drug exposure. Primaquine doses were calculated using allometric scaling to derive a weight-based primaquine regimen over a weight range from 5 to 100 kg. Growth curves were constructed from an anthropometric database of 53,467 individuals from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) to define weight-for-age relationships. The median age associated with each weight was used to derive an age-based dosing regimen from the weight-based regimen.

Results

The proposed weight-based regimen has 5 dosing bands: (i) 5–7 kg, 5 mg, resulting in 0.71–1.0 mg/kg/day; (ii) 8–16 kg, 7.5 mg, 0.47–0.94 mg/kg/day; (iii) 17–40 kg, 15 mg, 0.38–0.88 mg/kg/day; (iv) 41–80 kg, 30 mg, 0.37–0.73 mg/kg/day; and (v) 81–100 kg, 45 mg, 0.45–0.56 mg/kg/day. The corresponding age-based regimen had 4 dosing bands: 6–11 months, 5 mg, 0.43–1.0 mg/kg/day; (ii) 1–5 years, 7.5 mg, 0.35–1.25 mg/kg/day; (iii) 6–14 years, 15 mg, 0.30–1.36 mg/kg/day; and (iv) ≥ 15 years, 30 mg, 0.35–1.07 mg/kg/day.

Conclusion

The proposed weight-based regimen showed less variability around the primaquine dose within each dosing band compared to the age-based regimen and is preferred. Increased dose accuracy could be achieved by additional dosing bands for both regimens. The age-based regimen might not be applicable to regions outside the GMS, which must be based on local anthropometric data. Pharmacokinetic data in small children are needed urgently to inform the proposed regimens.
The short-term and long-term outcomes of indocyanine green tracer-guided laparoscopic radical gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer
Authors: Lu Xiaofeng , Liu Song , Xia Xuefeng , Sun Feng , Liu Zhijian , Wang Jiafeng , Li Xianghui , Yang Zhengyang , Kang Xing , Ai Shichao , Guan Wenxian
Published: September 2021

Background

The safety and efficacy of indocyanine green (ICG) imaging navigational laparoscopic gastrectomy remain controversial. This study is to evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes of ICG-guided laparoscopic radial gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer.

Methods

Consecutive patients with definitive diagnosis of gastric cancer that underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy were collected retrospectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) at 1:1 ratio was performed to compare the outcomes of two groups.

Results

A total of 122 qualified patients were divided into ICG group (n = 34) and non-ICG group (n = 88). PSM yielded 28 patients with comparable baseline characteristics into each group. The number of retrieved lymph node in ICG group was significantly higher than that in non-ICG group (P = 0.0196). There was no statistical difference of perioperative, short-term, and long-term complications between the two groups.

Conclusion

ICG-guided laparoscopic radical gastrectomy is safe and effective, and ICG-navigated lymphadenectomy improves the number of retrieved lymph nodes for patients with gastric cancer.
Mechanisms and functions of endocytosis in T cells
Authors: Charpentier John C. , King Philip D.
Published: September 2021

Once thought of primarily as a means to neutralize pathogens or to facilitate feeding, endocytosis is now known to regulate a wide range of eukaryotic cell processes. Among these are regulation of signal transduction, mitosis, lipid homeostasis, and directed migration, among others. Less well-appreciated are the roles various forms of endocytosis plays in regulating αβ and, especially, γδ T cell functions, such as T cell receptor signaling, antigen discovery by trogocytosis, and activated cell growth. Herein we examine the contribution of both clathrin-mediated and clathrin-independent mechanisms of endocytosis to T cell biology.
The timing for initiating estrogen stimulation in artificial cycle for frozen-thawed embryo transfer can be flexible
Authors: Ying Ying , Wu Yixuan , Liu Shuang , Huang Qing , Liu Haiying
Published: September 2021

Background

There remains a lack of evidence to demonstrate whether the initiation time of estrogen stimulation is flexible in the proliferative endometrial phase during the artificial cycle for frozen-thawed embryo transfer (AC-FET).

Methods

FET records were retrospectively reviewed from a large university-affiliated reproductive medicine center. Only the patients who were undergoing their first embryo transfer with a single blastocyst in the AC-FET cycles were included: thereby 660 cycles were recruited, and the patients were grouped according to their day of estrogen usage initiation as early initiation group (estrogen stimulation initiated during days 2–5 of menses, n = 128) and the late initiation group (estrogen stimulation initiated on or after the 6th day of menses, n = 532). The primary outcome was the ongoing pregnancy rates (OPR).

Results

The rates of biochemical and clinical pregnancies were significantly higher in the late initiation group relative to those in the early initiation group, however, no significant differences were noted between the two groups for OPR. Furthermore, after adjusting for the results of the potential confounders, no impact was observed in the initiation time of estrogen stimulation on the OPR.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence that initiating the estrogen stimulation on after days 2–5 of menses do not exert adverse effects on the OPR in AC-FETs. Thus, AC-FET can be scheduled in a flexible manner without compromising on the pregnancy outcomes.
Anxiety and depression in school-age patients with spinal muscular atrophy: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Yao Mei , Xia Yu , Feng Yijie , Ma Ying , Hong Yi , Zhang Yanyi , Chen Jie , Yuan Changzheng , Mao Shanshan
Published: September 2021

Background

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neurogenetic disease which involves multisystem dysfunctions such as respiratory, digestive, and motor disorders. Anxiety, depression and other psychological disorders often accompany severe chronic physical diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression along with their influencing factors among school-age patients with SMA.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study on school-age SMA patients in China. Patients aged 8–18 years with a genetic diagnosis of 5qSMA were invited to answer a questionnaire composed of sociodemographic and clinical questions, then to complete the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders and Depression Self-Rating Scale for depression and anxiety level evaluation. At the end of the questionnaire, further questions assessed the subjective anxiety and subjective depression of patients’ caregivers and their expectations for their child’s future.

Results

Complete data were available for 155 patients. The sample included 45.8% boys and 54.2% girls; 65.2% were type II, 27.1% were type III, and the remainder were type I SMA. Rates of anxiety and depression in these school-age SMA patients were 40.0% and 25.2%, respectively. Gender, age, and disease type were not associated with anxiety or depression, but respiratory system dysfunction, digestive system dysfunction, skeletal deformity, rehabilitation exercise, academic delay, specialized support from school, household income level, caregivers’ subjective anxiety, and caregivers’ expectations were significantly related to both anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

There was a high prevalence of anxiety and depression in school-age SMA patients in China. Professional psychological care maybe included in the standard of care. These results also call for possible targets for intervention such as reducing complications, improving drug accessibility, retaining normal schooling, strengthening school support, and enhancing the ability of the caregivers of SMA patients to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, so improving the mental health of SMA patients.
Co-production of randomized clinical trials with patients: a case study in autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant for patients with scleroderma
Authors: Aguiar Magda , Laba Tracey-Lea , Munro Sarah , Burch Tiasha , Beckett Jennifer , Kaal K. Julia , Bansback Nick , Hudson Marie , Harrison Mark
Published: September 2021

Background

Increasingly, it is argued that clinical trials struggle to recruit participants because they do not respond to key questions or study treatments that patients will be willing or able to use. This study explores how elicitation of patient-preferences can help designers of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) understand the impact of changing modifiable aspects of treatments or trial design on recruitment.

Methods

Focus groups and a discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey were used to elicit preferences of people with scleroderma for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) treatment interventions. Preferences for seven attributes of treatment (effectiveness, immediate and long-term risk, care team composition and experience, cost, travel distance) were estimated using a mixed-logit model and used to predict participation in RCTs.

Results

Two hundred seventy-eight people with scleroderma answered the survey. All AHSCT treatment attributes significantly influenced preferences. Treatment effectiveness and risk of late complications contributed the most to participants’ choices, but modifiable factors of distance to treatment center and cost also affected preferences. Predicted recruitment rates calibrated with participation in a recent trial (33%) and suggest offering a treatment closer to home, at lower patient cost, and with holistic, multidisciplinary care could increase participation to 51%.

Conclusions

Through a patient engaged approach to preference elicitation for different features of AHSCT treatment options, we were able to predict what drives the decisions of people with scleroderma to participate in RCTs. Knowledge regarding concerns and the trade-offs people are willing to make can inform clinical study design, improving recruitment rates and potential uptake of the treatment of interest.
Single-nuclei chromatin profiling of ventral midbrain reveals cell identity transcription factors and cell-type-specific gene regulatory variation
Authors: Gui Yujuan , Grzyb Kamil , Thomas Mélanie H. , Ohnmacht Jochen , Garcia Pierre , Buttini Manuel , Skupin Alexander , Sauter Thomas , Sinkkonen Lasse
Published: September 2021

Background

Cell types in ventral midbrain are involved in diseases with variable genetic susceptibility, such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. Many genetic variants affect regulatory regions and alter gene expression in a cell-type-specific manner depending on the chromatin structure and accessibility.

Results

We report 20,658 single-nuclei chromatin accessibility profiles of ventral midbrain from two genetically and phenotypically distinct mouse strains. We distinguish ten cell types based on chromatin profiles and analysis of accessible regions controlling cell identity genes highlights cell-type-specific key transcription factors. Regulatory variation segregating the mouse strains manifests more on transcriptome than chromatin level. However, cell-type-level data reveals changes not captured at tissue level. To discover the scope and cell-type specificity ofcis-acting variation in midbrain gene expression, we identify putative regulatory variants and show them to be enriched at differentially expressed loci. Finally, we find TCF7L2 to mediatetrans-acting variation selectively in midbrain neurons.

Conclusions

Our data set provides an extensive resource to study gene regulation in mesencephalon and provides insights into control of cell identity in the midbrain and identifies cell-type-specific regulatory variation possibly underlying phenotypic and behavioural differences between mouse strains.
Being a Mentor in open source projects
Authors: Steinmacher Igor , Balali Sogol , Trinkenreich Bianca , Guizani Mariam , Izquierdo-Cortazar Daniel , Cuevas Zambrano Griselda G. , Gerosa Marco Aurelio , Sarma Anita
Published: September 2021

Mentoring is a well-known way to help newcomers to Open Source Software (OSS) projects overcome initial contribution barriers. Through mentoring, newcomers learn to acquire essential technical, social, and organizational skills. Despite the importance of OSS mentors, they are understudied in the literature. Understanding who OSS project mentors are, the challenges they face, and the strategies they use can help OSS projects better support mentors’ work. In this paper, we employ a two-stage study to comprehensively investigate mentors in OSS. First, we identify the characteristics of mentors in the Apache Software Foundation, a large OSS community, using an online survey. We found that less experienced volunteer contributors are less likely to take on the mentorship role. Second, through interviews with OSS mentors (n=18), we identify the challenges that mentors face and how they mitigate them. In total, we identified 25 general mentorship challenges and 7 sub-categories of challenges regarding task recommendation. We also identified 13 strategies to overcome the challenges related to task recommendation. Our results provide insights for OSS communities, formal mentorship programs, and tool builders who design automated support for task assignment and internship.
Platelet extracellular vesicles enhance the proangiogenic potential of adipose-derived stem cells in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Tang Yanan , Li Jiayan , Wang Weiyi , Chen Bingyi , Chen Jinxing , Shen Zekun , Hou Jiaxuan , Mei Yifan , Liu Shuang , Zhang Liwei , Li Zongjin , Lu Shaoying
Published: September 2021

Background

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC)-based therapy is an outstanding treatment strategy for ischaemic disease. However, the therapeutic efficacy of this strategy is not ideal due to the poor paracrine function and low survival rate of ADSCs in target regions. Platelet extracellular vesicles (PEVs) are nanoparticles derived from activated platelets that can participate in communication between cells. Accumulating evidence indicates that PEVs can regulate the biological functions of several cell lines. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether PEVs can modulate the proangiogenic potential of ADSCs in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

PEVs were identified using scanning electron microscope (SEM), flow cytometry (FCM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). The CCK8 assay was performed to detect proliferation of cells. Transwell and wound healing assays were performed to verify migration capacity of cells. AnnexinV-FITC/PI apoptosis kit and live/dead assay were performed to assess ADSCs apoptosis under Cocl2-induced hypoxia condition. The underlying mechanisms by which PEVs affected ADSCs were explored using real time-PCR(RT-PCR) and Western blot. In addition, matrigel plug assays were conducted and mouse hindlimb ischaemic models were established to investigate the proangiogenic potential of PEV-treated ADSCs in vivo.

Results

We demonstrated that ADSC could internalize PEVs, which lead to a series of biological reactions. In vitro, dose-dependent effects of PEVs on ADSC proliferation, migration and antiapoptotic capacity were observed. Western blotting results suggested that multiple proteins such as ERK, AKT, FAK, Src and PLCγ1 kinase may contribute to these changes. Furthermore, PEVs induced upregulation of several growth factors expression in ADSCs and amplified the proliferation, migration and tube formation of HUVECs induced by ADSC conditioned medium (CM). In in vivo experiments, compared with control ADSCs, the injection of PEV-treated ADSCs resulted in more vascularization in matrigel plugs, attenuated tissue degeneration and increased blood flow and capillary density in ischaemic hindlimb tissues.

Conclusion

Our data demonstrated that PEVs could enhance the proangiogenic potential of ADSCs in mouse hindlimb ischaemia. The major mechanisms of this effect included the promotion of ADSC proliferation, migration, anti-apoptosis ability and paracrine secretion.
Neural stem cells derived from primitive mesenchymal stem cells reversed disease symptoms and promoted neurogenesis in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Brown Christina , McKee Christina , Halassy Sophia , Kojan Suleiman , Feinstein Doug L. , Chaudhry G. Rasul
Published: September 2021

Background

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS affects millions of people and causes a great economic and societal burden. There is no cure for MS. We used a novel approach to investigate the therapeutic potential of neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from human primitive mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS.

Methods

MSCs were differentiated into NSCs, labeled with PKH26, and injected into the tail vein of EAE mice. Neurobehavioral changes in the mice assessed the effect of transplanted cells on the disease process. The animals were sacrificed two weeks following cell transplantation to collect blood, lymphatic, and CNS tissues for analysis. Transplanted cells were tracked in various tissues by flow cytometry. Immune infiltrates were determined and characterized by H&E and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Levels of immune regulatory cells, Treg and Th17, were analyzed by flow cytometry. Myelination was determined by Luxol fast blue staining and immunostaining. In vivo fate of transplanted cells and expression of inflammation, astrogliosis, myelination, neural, neuroprotection, and neurogenesis markers were investigated by using immunohistochemical and qRT-PCR analysis.

Results

MSC-derived NSCs expressed specific neural markers, NESTIN, TUJ1, VIMENTIN, and PAX6. NSCs improved EAE symptoms more than MSCs when transplanted in EAE mice. Post-transplantation analyses also showed homing of MSCs and NSCs into the CNS with concomitant induction of an anti-inflammatory response, resulting in reducing immune infiltrates. NSCs also modulated Treg and Th17 cell levels in EAE mice comparable to healthy controls. Luxol fast blue staining showed significant improvement in myelination in treated mice. Further analysis showed that NSCs upregulated genes involved in myelination and neuroprotection but downregulated inflammatory and astrogliosis genes more significantly than MSCs. Importantly, NSCs differentiated into neural derivatives and promoted neurogenesis, possibly by modulating BDNF and FGF signaling pathways.

Conclusions

NSC transplantation reversed the disease process by inducing an anti-inflammatory response and promoting myelination, neuroprotection, and neurogenesis in EAE disease animals. These promising results provide a basis for clinical studies to treat MS using NSCs derived from primitive MSCs.
Payment mechanism for institutional births in Nepal
Authors: KC Ashish , Målqvist Mats , Bhandari Amit , Gurung Rejina , Basnet Omkar , Sunny Avinash K
Published: September 2021

Background

Since the Millennium Development Goal era, there have been several efforts to increase institutional births using demand side financing. Since 2005, Government of Nepal has implemented Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS) to reduce out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) for institutional birth. We aim to assess OOPE among women who had institutional births and coverage of MIS in Nepal.

Method

We conducted a prospective cohort study in 12 hospitals of Nepal for a period of 18 months. All women who were admitted in the hospital for delivery and consented were enrolled into the study. Research nurses conducted pre-discharge interviews with women on costs paid for medical services and non-medical services. We analysed the out of pocket expenditure by mode of delivery, duration of stay and hospitals. We also analysed the coverage of maternal incentive scheme in these hospitals.

Results

Among the women (n-21,697) reporting OOPE, the average expenditure per birth was 41.5 USD with 36 % attributing to transportation cost. The median OOPE was highest in Bheri hospital (60.3 USD) in comparison with other hospitals. The OOPE increased by 1.5 USD (1.2, 1.8) with each additional day stay in the hospital. There was a difference in the OOPE by mode of delivery, duration of hospital-stay and hospital of birth. The median OOPE was high among the caesarean birth with 43.3 USD in comparison with vaginal birth, 32.6 USD. The median OOPE was 44.7 USD, if the women stayed for 7 days and 33.5 USD if the women stayed for 24 h. The OOPE increased by 1.5 USD with each additional day of hospital stay after 24 h. The coverage of maternal incentive was 96.5 % among the women enrolled in the study.

Conclusions

Families still make out of pocket expenditure for institutional birth with a large proportion attributed to hospital care. OOPE for institutional births varied by duration of stay and mode of birth. Given the near universal coverage of incentive scheme, there is a need to review the amount of re-imbursement done to women based on duration of stay and mode of birth.
Gastrointestinal problems, mechanisms and possible therapeutic directions in Gulf war illness: a mini review
Authors: Kimono Diana A.
Published: September 2021

By its nature, Gulf war illness (GWI) is multisymptomatic and affects several organ systems in the body. Along with other symptoms, veterans who suffer from GWI commonly report chronic gastrointestinal issues such as constipation, pain, indigestion, etc. However, until recently, most attention has been focused on neurological disturbances such as cognitive impairments, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain among affected veterans. With such high prevalence of gastrointestinal problems among Gulf war (GW) veterans, it is surprising that there is little research to investigate the mechanisms behind these issues. This review summarizes all the available works on the mechanisms behind gastrointestinal problems in GWI that have been published to date in various databases. Generally, these studies, which were done in rodent models, in vitro and human cohorts propose that an altered microbiome, a reactive enteric nervous system or a leaky gut among other possible mechanisms are the major drivers of gastrointestinal problems reported in GWI. This review aims to draw attention to the gastrointestinal tract as an important player in GWI disease pathology and a potential therapeutic target.
Physiological, morphological and ecological traits drive desiccation resistance in north temperate dung beetles
Authors: Nervo Beatrice , Roggero Angela , Chamberlain Dan , Caprio Enrico , Rolando Antonio , Palestrini Claudia
Published: September 2021

Background

Increasing temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns threaten the existence of many organisms. It is therefore informative to identify the functional traits that underlie differences in desiccation resistance to understand the response of different species to changes in water availability resulting from climate change. We used adult dung beetles as model species due to their importance to ecosystem services. We investigated: (i) the effect of physiological (water loss rate, water loss tolerance, body water content), morphological (body mass) and ecological (nesting behaviour) traits on desiccation resistance; (ii) the role of phylogenetic relatedness in the above associations; and, (iii) whether relatively large or small individuals within a species have similar desiccation resistance and whether these responses are consistent across species.

Results

Desiccation resistance decreased with increasing water loss rate and increased with increasing water loss tolerance (i.e. proportion of initial water content lost at the time of death). A lack of consistent correlation between these traits due to phylogenetic relatedness suggests that the relationship is not determined by a shared evolutionary history. The advantage of a large body size in favouring desiccation resistance depended on the nesting behaviour of the dung beetles. In rollers (one species), large body sizes increased desiccation resistance, while in tunnelers and dwellers, desiccation resistance seemed not to be dependent on body mass. The phylogenetic correlation between desiccation resistance and nesting strategies was significant. Within each species, large individuals showed greater resistance to desiccation, and these responses were consistent across species.

Conclusions

Resistance to desiccation was explained mainly by the dung beetles’ ability to reduce water loss rate (avoidance) and to tolerate water loss (tolerance). A reduction in water availability may impose a selection pressure on body size that varies based on nesting strategies, even though these responses may be phylogenetically constrained. Changes in water availability are more likely to affect dweller species, and hence the ecosystem services they provide.
The effect of aging on the repeated-dose liver micronucleus assay
Authors: Shigano Miyuki , Takasawa Hironao , Hamada Shuichi
Published: September 2021

Background

The liver micronucleus (MN) assay is an effective and important in vivo test for detecting genotoxic compounds. In particular, the repeated-dose liver MN (RDLMN) assay which greatly facilitates incorporation of the liver MN assay into the general toxicity study has been developed. Usefulness of the RDLMN assay was appraised highly in the 7th International Workshops on Genotoxicity Testing (2017 in Tokyo) in that sufficient numbers and types of chemicals were studied and easy integration into the general toxicity study is preferred from the 3R’s point of view. However, it was pointed out that it is necessary to evaluate the effect of age at the start of 4-week repeated administration, since there are limited data, where only those of rats of 6 week of age at the start of administration are available.

In this study, we conducted the 4-week RDLMN assay using rats of 6 and 8 weeks of age (at the start of administration) to investigate the effect of age on the liver MN inducibility. Clofibrate, a weak inducer of liver MN, was used in this study to detect the slight difference in the liver MN induction.

Results

The liver MN induced by clofibrate was detected in both rats of 6 and 8 weeks of age at the start of administration. However, the liver MN induction was lower in rats of 8 weeks of age compared to rats of 6 weeks of age at the start of administration.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the liver MN inducibility decreases with age. Therefore, we recommend the use of rats of 6 weeks of age at start of administration to reliably detect the liver MN induction in the RDLMN assay.
Autocompensating measurement-device-independent quantum cryptography in space division multiplexing optical fibers
Authors: Liñares J. , Carral G. M. , Prieto-Blanco X. , Balado D.
Published: September 2021

Single photon or biphoton states propagating in optical fibers or in free space are affected by random perturbations and imperfections that disturb the information encoded in such states and accordingly quantum key distribution is prevented. We propose three different systems for autocompensating such random perturbations and imperfections when a measurement-device-independent protocol is used. These systems correspond to different optical fibers intended for space division multiplexing and supporting collinear modes, polarization modes or codirectional modes such as few-mode optical fibers and multicore optical fibers. Accordingly, we propose different Bell-states measurement devices located at Charlie system and present simulations that confirm the importance of autocompensation. Moreover, these types of optical fibers allow the use of several transmission channels, which compensates the reduction of the bit rate due to losses.
Phytopathogenic fungi with potential as biocontrol agents for weeds of importance in crops of Antioquia, Colombia
Authors: Mira Yerly , Castañeda Darío , Morales Juan , Patiño Luis
Published: September 2021

Background

Use of phytopathogenic fungi for the biocontrol of weeds represents a promising path in the search for new management alternatives that allow reducing negative effects on the environment and the generation of biotypes having resistance to herbicides. The first step in developing weed biological control programs is to determine the plants and their natural enemies with the highest affinity and potential to achieve effective biocontrol. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the phytopathogenic potential of fungal isolates on four economically important weeds including: Rumex crispus L., Digitaria horizontalis Willd, Persicaria nepalensis (Meisn.) Miyabe, and Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims, as a possible biocontrol agent.

Results

Morphological and molecular identification of nine phytopathogenic isolates of weeds was achieved, according to the sequencing of the ITS, β-Tub2, and TEF1-α regions. Pathogenicity of the following species on original hosts was confirmed: Colletotrichum cigarro, Epicoccum draconis, and Didymella rumicicola on R. crispus; Bipolaris sp., on D. horizontalis; Bipolaris zeicola, Phialemoniopsis curvata, and Stemphylium beticola on P. nepalensis and, Alternaria thunbergiae and Nigrospora sphaerica on T. alata. These could be, fairly, considered the first worldwide reports of such interactions, except for A. thunbergiae and Bipolaris sp. The most virulent interactions according to the AUDPC value corresponded to (R. crispus × D. rumicicola), (D. horizontalis × Bipolaris sp.), (P. nepalensis × S. beticola) and (T. alata × A. thunbergiae), with an incidence of 100%.

Conclusion

These strains were proposed for future research as potential biocontrol agents, which represented a great resource for the possible generation of new bio-herbicides.
Experimental investigation of the aerodynamics of a large industrial building with parapet
Authors: Aly Aly Mousaad , Thomas Matthew , Gol-Zaroudi Hamzeh
Published: September 2021

The aerodynamic performance of a roof depends significantly on its shape and size, among other factors. For instance, large roofs of industrial low-rise buildings may behave differently compared to those of residential homes. The main objective of this study is to experimentally investigate how perimeter solid parapets can alter the flow pattern around a low-rise building with a large aspect ratio of width/height of about 7.6, the case of industrial buildings/shopping centers. Solid parapets of varied sizes are added to the roof and tested in an open-jet simulator in a comparative study to understand their impact on roof pressure coefficients. Roof pressures were measured in the laboratory for cases with and without parapets under different wind direction angles (representative of straight-line winds under open terrain conditions). The results show that using a parapet can alter wind pressures on large roofs. Parapets can modify the flow pattern around buildings and change the mean and peak pressures. The mean pressure pattern shows a reduction in the length of the separation bubble due to the parapet. The parapet of 14% of the building’s roof height is the most efficient at reducing mean and peak pressures compared to other parapet heights.
A Useful MRI Classification for Symptomatic Discoid Lateral Meniscus
Authors: Jung Eui Yub , Jeong Seongmin , Kim Sun-Kyu , Lee Sung-Sahn , Ryu Dong Jin , Wang Joon Ho
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to classify the discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) according to the signal and shape in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to provide information not only in diagnosis but also in treatment.

Materials and Methods

We reviewed 162 cases who diagnosed with DLM by MRI and underwent arthroscopic procedures from April 2010 to March 2018. Three observers reviewed MRI findings of all cases and predicted arthroscopic tear using three MRI criteria (criterion 1,2 and 3). Among three criteria, the criterion that most accurately predicts arthroscopic tear was selected. Using this criterion, the cases of predicted tear were named group 1. In addition, group 1 was divided into three subgroups (group 1a, 1b and 1c) by deformation or displacement on MRI and arthroscopic type of tear and procedures were analyzed according to these subgroups.

Results

The intra-meniscal signal change itself (criterion 3) on MRI showed the highest agreement with the arthroscopic tear. No meniscal deformation and displacement on MRI (group 1a) showed no specific type of tear and more cases of meniscal saucerization. The meniscal deformation on MRI (group 1b) showed more simple horizontal tears and more cases of meniscal saucerization. The meniscal displacement on MRI (group 1c) showed more peripheral tears and more cases of meniscal repair and subtotal meniscectomy. Comparing arthroscopic type of tear and type of arthroscopic procedure between three subgroups, there were significant differences in three groups (P < .05).

Conclusions

Intra-meniscal signal change itself on MRI is the most accurate finding to predict arthroscopic tear in symptomatic DLM. In addition, subgroup analysis by deformation or displacement on MRI is helpful to predict the type of arthroscopic tear and procedures.
Oriented NMO correction of VTI data in the absence of near-offset traces
Authors: Raeisdana Ali , Khoshnavaz M. Javad , Siahkoohi Hamid Reza
Published: September 2021

Calculating an accurate seismic velocity model serves an important role in many seismic imaging techniques. The process of velocity model building is often time-consuming, specifically for anisotropic areas, where more than a single parameter is involved in the process. In the past few years, more time-efficient approaches have been considered to estimate seismic velocity as well as anellipticity parameter or heterogeneity factor using local event slopes. Nevertheless, some of these techniques are not practical due to curvature-dependency, or due to the lack of near-offset data. To address such limitations, we have used a curvature-independent approach for normal-moveout correction as well as parameter estimation in vertical transverse isotropic media, which is based on local estimation of vertical traveltime using a shifted-hyperbola approximation in the absence of near-offset data. The performance of our approach is tested on synthetic and field common-midpoint gathers. It is also assessed in different signal-to-noise ratios and different missing-near-offset situations. Our findings are consistent with the results achieved by the previous methods that were not developed for sparse data.
Estimating subsurface properties using a semisupervised neural network approach
Authors: Di Haibin , Abubakar Aria
Published: September 2021

Estimating static rock properties (e.g., density and porosity) from seismic and well logs is one of the essential but challenging tasks in subsurface interpretation and characterization. To compensate for the sparsity of well logs and the limited bandwidth of seismic data, a semisupervised learning workflow is used for efficiently integrating seismic and logs and simultaneously estimating multiple subsurface properties. It consists of two components: (1) unsupervised seismic feature engineering and (2) supervised seismic-well integration, each of which is implemented as a convolutional neural network. Compared to most existing methods, it is advanced in three aspects. First, it allows the use of local 3D seismic patterns for building an optimal nonlinear mapping function with 1D logs, which is more noise robust and significantly improves the lateral consistency of machine prediction throughout the entire seismic survey. Second, it is capable of automatically bridging the gap of vertical resolution between seismic and well logs, which simplifies the workflow of data preparation, such as log upscaling. In addition, it enables Monte Carlo dropout-based epistemic uncertainty analysis. The performance of our solution is evaluated through two examples: relative acoustic impedance and porosity estimation in a synthetic PreSDM data set of 36 pseudowells and sonic and density estimation in the Groningen data set of 375 wells. The good match between the machine predictions and the actual measurements demonstrates the capability of our semisupervised learning method in providing reliable seismic and well integration and delivering robust estimation of subsurface properties, including those of a relatively weak physical link with seismic, such as density and porosity.
Household Finance
Authors: Gomes Francisco , Haliassos Michael , Ramadorai Tarun
Published: September 2021

Household financial decisions are complex, interdependent, and heterogeneous, and central to the functioning of the financial system. We present an overview of the rapidly expanding literature on household finance (with some important exceptions) and suggest directions for future research. We begin with the theory and empirics of asset market participation and asset allocation over the life cycle. We then discuss household choices in insurance markets, trading behavior, decisions on retirement saving, and financial choices by retirees. We survey research on liabilities, including mortgage choice, refinancing, and default, and household behavior in unsecured credit markets, including credit cards and payday lending. We then connect the household to its social environment, including peer effects, cultural and hereditary factors, intra-household financial decision-making, financial literacy, cognition, and educational interventions. We also discuss literature on the provision and consumption of financial advice. (JEL D15, G41, G50, J26, Z13)
Rates and predictors of data and code sharing in the medical and health sciences: Protocol for a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.
Authors: Hamilton Daniel G. , Fraser Hannah , Fidler Fiona , McDonald Steve , Rowhani-Farid Anisa , Hong Kyungwan , Page Matthew J.
Published: September 2021

Numerous studies have demonstrated low but increasing rates of data and code sharing within medical and health research disciplines. However, it remains unclear how commonly data and code are shared across all fields of medical and health research, as well as whether sharing rates are positively associated with implementation of progressive policies by publishers and funders, or growing expectations from the medical and health research community at large. Therefore this systematic review aims to synthesise the findings of medical and health science studies that have empirically investigated the prevalence of data or code sharing, or both. Objectives include the investigation of: (i) the prevalence of public sharing of research data and code alongside published articles (including preprints), (ii) the prevalence of private sharing of research data and code in response to reasonable requests, and (iii) factors associated with the sharing of either research output (e.g., the year published, the publisher’s policy on sharing, the presence of a data or code availability statement). It is hoped that the results will provide some insight into how often research data and code are shared publicly and privately, how this has changed over time, and how effective some measures such as the institution of data sharing policies and data availability statements have been in motivating researchers to share their underlying data and code.
Meta Dynamic Pricing: Transfer Learning Across Experiments
Authors: Bastani Hamsa , Simchi-Levi David , Zhu Ruihao
Published: September 2021

We study the problem of learning shared structure across a sequence of dynamic pricing experiments for related products. We consider a practical formulation in which the unknown demand parameters for each product come from an unknown distribution (prior) that is shared across products. We then propose a meta dynamic pricing algorithm that learns this prior online while solving a sequence of Thompson sampling pricing experiments (each with horizon T) for N different products. Our algorithm addresses two challenges: (i) balancing the need to learn the prior (meta-exploration) with the need to leverage the estimated prior to achieve good performance (meta-exploitation) and (ii) accounting for uncertainty in the estimated prior by appropriately “widening” the estimated prior as a function of its estimation error. We introduce a novel prior alignment technique to analyze the regret of Thompson sampling with a misspecified prior, which may be of independent interest. Unlike prior-independent approaches, our algorithm’s meta regret grows sublinearly in N, demonstrating that the price of an unknown prior in Thompson sampling can be negligible in experiment-rich environments (large N). Numerical experiments on synthetic and real auto loan data demonstrate that our algorithm significantly speeds up learning compared with prior-independent algorithms.

This paper was accepted by George J. Shanthikumar, Management Science Special Section on Data-Driven Prescriptive Analytics.
Compact multilayer thin-film color filters and direct integration on white-light-emitting diodes for color conversion
Authors: Yigen Serap , Ekmekcioglu Merve , Ozdemir Mehtap , Aygun Gulnur , Ozyuzer Lutfi
Published: September 2021

We present highly efficient green, yellow, and red filters based on a metal–dielectric structure. The filters encompass only five layers of alternating zinc tin oxide and silver thin films that are grown on soda lime glass and white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using direct current magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The designed filters provide efficient color filtering in the visible spectrum. High purity colored light is obtained by direct application of filters on LEDs as color converters. The presented method offers an easy way for realizing different colors by tuning the thicknesses of layers in the structure.