bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of dust pollutants and the impact of suspended particulate matter on the performance of photovoltaic systems
Authors: Tamoor Muhammad , Hussain Muhammad Imtiaz , Bhatti Abdul Rauf , Miran Sajjad , Arif Waseem , Kiren Tayybah , Lee Gwi Hyun
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of airborne particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and its impact on the performance of the photovoltaic (PV) system installed in the Sargodha region, being affected by the crushing activities in the hills. More than 100 stone crushers are operating in this region. Four stations within this region are selected for taking samples during the summer and winter seasons. Glass–fiber papers are used as a collection medium for particulate matter (PM) in a high-volume sampler. The concentration of PM is found above the permissible limit at all selected sites. The chemical composition, concentration, and the formation of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) layers on the surface of the photovoltaic module varies significantly depending on the site’s location and time. The accumulation of PM layers on the PV module surface is one of the operating environmental factors that cause significant reduction in PV system performance. Consequently, it leads to power loss, reduction of service life, and increase in module temperature. For the PV system’s performance analysis, two PV systems are installed at the site, having higher PM concentration. One system is cleaned regularly, while the other remains dusty. The data of both PV systems are measured and compared for 4 months (2 months for the summer season and 2 months for the winter season). It is found that when the level of suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) increases, the energy generation of the dusty PV system (compared to the cleaned one) is reduced by 7.48% in May, 7.342% in June, 10.68% in December, and 8.03% in January. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended that the negative impact of PM on the performance of the PV system should be considered carefully during the decision-making process of setting solar energy generation targets in the regions with a high level of particulate matter.
Extreme weather and residents’ pro-environmental behaviors
Authors: Wang Yuwei , Wu Yidong , Han Zhijie
Published: October 2022

Raising residents’ awareness of environmental protection and encouraging their pro-environmental behavior are essential components of promoting the development of green economic transformation. Based on the reality of frequent extreme weather worldwide, this paper establishes a regression model of extreme weather and residents’ pro-environmental behaviors using CGSS2013 data and weather data. The results show that extreme weather has a significant inhibitory effect on residents’ pro-environmental behaviors. Further analysis revealed that extreme weather reduced residents’ environmental perceptions and knowledge, thus reducing their motivation to engage in pro-environmental behaviors.
Spatial downscaling of surface ozone concentration calculation from remotely sensed data based on mutual information
Authors: Wang Xiangkai , Xue Yong , Jin Chunlin , Sun Yuxin , Li Na
Published: October 2022

Accurate near surface ozone concentration calculation with high spatial resolution data is very important to solve the problem of serious ozone pollution and health impact assessment. However, the existing remotely sensed ozone products cannot meet the requirements of high spatial resolution monitoring. In this study, surface O3 concentration (at 30 km spatial resolution) was extracted from the daily TROPOMI O3 profile products. Meanwhile, this study improved the downscaling algorithm based on the mutual information and applied it to the mapping of surface O3 concentration in China. Combined with the surface O3 concentration data (with 5 km spatial resolution) obtained by using the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) algorithm and AOD data (at 1 km resolution) from MODIS, the downscaling of TROPOMI ground O3 concentration data from 30 km to 1 km has been achieved in this study. The downscaled ground O3 concentration data were subsequently validated using an independent ground O3 concentration dataset. The main conclusion of this study is that the mutual information entropy between the bottom layer data of the TROPOMI ozone profile (at 30 km resolution), LightGBM surface O3 concentration data (at 5 km resolution), and MCD19A2 AOD data (at 1 km resolution) can accurately reduce the spatial resolution of ozone concentration in the ground layer. The downscaling procedure not only resulted in increase of the spatial resolution over the whole area but also significant improvements in precision with coefficient of determination (R2) increased from 0.733 to 0.823, mean biased error decreased from 7.905 μg/m3 to 3.887 μg/m3, and root-mean-square error decreased from 14.395 μg/m3 to 8.920 μg/m3 for ground O3 concentration.
Interactions between ecosystem services and land use in France: A spatial statistical analysis
Authors: Moindjié Issam-Ali , Pinsard Corentin , Accatino Francesco , Chakir Raja
Published: October 2022

The provision of ecosystem services (ESs) is driven by land use and biophysical conditions and is thus intrinsically linked to space. Large-scale ES models, developed to inform policy makers on ES drivers, do not usually consider spatial autocorrelation that could be inherent to the distribution of these ESs or to the modeling process. The objective of this study is to estimate the drivers of ecosystem services in France using statistical models and show how taking into account spatial autocorrelation improves the predictive quality of these models. We study six regulating ESs (habitat quality index, water retention index, topsoil organic matter, carbon storage, soil erosion control, and nitrogen oxide deposition velocity) and three provisioning ESs (crop production, grazing livestock density, and timber removal). For each of these ESs, we estimated and compared five spatial statistical models to investigate the best specification (using statistical tests and goodness-of-fit metrics). Our results show that (1) taking into account spatial autocorrelation improves the predictive accuracy of all ES models (ΔR2 ranging from 0.13 to 0.58); (2) land use and biophysical variables (weather and soil texture) are significant drivers of most ESs; (3) forest was the most balanced land use for provision of a diversity of ESs compared to other land uses (agriculture, pasture, urban, and others); (4) Urban area is the worst land use for provision of most ESs. Our findings imply that further studies need to consider spatial autocorrelation of ESs in land use change and optimization scenario simulations.
Influence of renewable energy and natural resources on climate change: The role of green innovation in China
Authors: Jiang Dayang , Shu Hansong , Fan Yifan , Dong Yuting , Li Haiwei
Published: October 2022

The economic progress of China cannot be denied; however, deteriorating environmental quality is the primary concern to be addressed. Since the last few years, China’s legislators have intended to facilitate green transformation by sustaining natural resources and ensuring renewable energy consumption. Therefore, this study explores the impact of renewable energy, natural resource green innovation, and economic growth on ecological footprints in China. The bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model has been deployed by taking the quarterly data ranging between 1990Q1 and 2020Q4. The results reveal that by enhancing green innovation, China can transform its economy into a clean environment. Similarly, the effective utilization of renewable energy consumption is indispensable to reducing the ecological footprint in the long run. Moreover, the Error Correction Term (ECT) is significantly negative, confirming a stable long-run equilibrium relationship between model variables. Similar results are found in the short run; however, the marginal impact of all variables is stronger in the long run. It implies that long-term planning is imperative in China for optimal benefits from renewable energy and green technologies.
Exploring the cooling effect of urban parks based on the ECOSTRESS land surface temperature
Authors: Liu Yihui , Xu Xinliang , Wang Fei , Qiao Zhi , An Hongmin , Han Dongrui , Luo Jie
Published: October 2022

Understanding the cooling effect (CE) of urban parks is vital to mitigate the urban heat islands. ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) land surface temperature data (LST) data were used to construct diurnal thermal variations to explore the CE of urban parks in the fifth ring regions of Beijing. Local climate zone (LCZ) classification was used to distinguish different parks for examining the internal CE of parks. New subclasses of LCZ (e.g., LCZAG, LCZBG, LCZCG) were created based on the basic subclasses, such as LCZA (mainly consist of dense trees), LCZB (scattered tress with dense bush), LCZC (scattered bush), and LCZG (water). The external CE of parks was evaluated in different directions, and the impacts of buildings around parks on the external CE were also analyzed. The results showed that urban parks tended to heat up slower than the whole urban regions during the daytime, and water releasing energy dominated the mean LST of parks at night. Large parks meeting the minimum area (40,000 m2) of LCZ had better CE inside each park during the daytime. Three hundred thirty four large parks were divided into six types of LCZ. The strength of the CE decrease with the increases of distance, and seemed to exist at a distance of up to 150–200 m. Such impacts of parks were insignificant at night. In addition, parks containing certain dense trees and water had better CE inside and out. The height and density of buildings had a relatively obvious impact on the CE of parks. This study can provide insight into the impacts of urban parks on the urban thermal environment and promote the CE of urban parks in future urban planning.
Mycovirus-encoded suppressors of RNA silencing: Possible allies or enemies in the use of RNAi to control fungal disease in crops
Authors: Rodriguez Coy Lorena , Plummer Kim M. , Khalifa Mahmoud E. , MacDiarmid Robin M.
Published: October 2022

Plants, fungi, and many other eukaryotes have evolved an RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism that is key for regulating gene expression and the control of pathogens. RNAi inhibits gene expression, in a sequence-specific manner, by recognizing and deploying cognate double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) either from endogenous sources (e.g. pre-micro RNAs) or exogenous origin (e.g. viruses, dsRNA, or small interfering RNAs, siRNAs). Recent studies have demonstrated that fungal pathogens can transfer siRNAs into plant cells to suppress host immunity and aid infection, in a mechanism termed cross-kingdom RNAi. New technologies, based on RNAi are being developed for crop protection against insect pests, viruses, and more recently against fungal pathogens. One example, is host-induced gene silencing (HIGS), which is a mechanism whereby transgenic plants are modified to produce siRNAs or dsRNAs targeting key transcripts of plants, or their pathogens or pests. An alternative gene regulation strategy that also co-opts the silencing machinery is spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), in which dsRNAs or single-stranded RNAs (ssRNAs) are applied to target genes within a pathogen or pest. Fungi also use their RNA silencing machinery against mycoviruses (fungal viruses) and mycoviruses can deploy virus-encoded suppressors of RNAi (myco-VSRs) as a counter-defence. We propose that myco-VSRs may impact new dsRNA-based management methods, resulting in unintended outcomes, including suppression of management by HIGS or SIGS. Despite a large diversity of mycoviruses being discovered using high throughput sequencing, their biology is poorly understood. In particular, the prevalence of mycoviruses and the cellular effect of their encoded VSRs are under-appreciated when considering the deployment of HIGS and SIGS strategies. This review focuses on mycoviruses, their VSR activities in fungi, and the implications for control of pathogenic fungi using RNAi.
Combined analysis of differentially expressed lncRNAs and miRNAs in liver tissues of high-fat fed rabbits by transcriptome sequencing
Authors: Wang Jie , Wang Meigui , Shao Jiahao , Liu Zheliang , Fu Chong , Chen Guanhe , Zhao Kaisen , Li Hong , Sun Wenqiang , Jia Xianbo , Chen Shiyi , Lai Songjia
Published: October 2022

High-fat diet could lead to a series of metabolic diseases, including obesity, and its mechanism is not clear. In this study, the rabbit individuals were fed with high-fat diet, the liver tissues were collected, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to reveal the expression of lncRNA and miRNA difference, and the molecular regulation mechanism of lncRNA-miRNA. A total of 24,615 DE lncRNAs and 52 DE miRNAs were identified, including 15 novel discovered DE miRNAs (5 upregulated and 10 downregulated). Furthermore, five miRNAs and three mRNAs were verified by qRT-PCR, and the results showed that the expression of the DE miRNAs and DE lncRNAs in the two groups was consistent with our sequencing results. GO and KEGG analyzed 7,57,139 target genes respectively, enriching the pathways related to lipid metabolism, including mucin O-glycan biosynthesis pathway, insulin resistance and glucagon signaling pathway. Moreover, 65 targeting relationships were obtained. Among them, LOC103348122/miR-450a-5p, LOC103350359/miR-450a-3p and LOC103350429/miR-148a-5p were proposed the first time. Significantly, LOC103348122/miR-450a-5p and LOC103350429/miR-148a-5p were related to lipid metabolism in the liver. This study is of great significance to the CeRNA regulatory network related to lipid metabolism in the liver of rabbits, and provides a basis for understanding hepatic steatosis in rabbits.
Identification and analysis of DNA methylation-driven signatures for prognostic and immune microenvironments evaluation in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Shen Bingbing , Wen Zhen , Lv Gang , Wang Jianguo , Han Ruijie , Jiang Jianxin
Published: October 2022

Liver cancer is the main reason of cancer deaths globally, with an unfavorable prognosis. DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic modifications and maintains the right adjustment of gene expression and steady gene silencing. We aim to explore the novel signatures for prognosis by using DNA methylation-driven genes. To acquire the DNA methylation-driven genes, we perform the difference analysis from the gene expression data and DNA methylation data in TCGA or GEO databases. And we obtain the 31 DNA methylation-driven genes. Subsequently, consensus clustering analysis was utilized to identify the molecular subtypes based on the 31 DNA methylation-driven genes. So, two molecular subtypes were identified to perform those analyses: Survival, immune cell infiltration, and tumor mutation. Results showed that two subtypes were clustered with distinct prognoses, tumor-infiltrating immune cell and tumor mutation burden. Furthermore, the 31 DNA methylation-driven genes were applied to perform the survival analysis to select the 14 survival-related genes. Immediately, a five methylation-driven genes risk model was built, and the patients were divided into high and low-risk groups. The model was established with TCGA as the training cohort and GSE14520 as the validation cohort. According to the risk model, we perform the systematical analysis, including survival, clinical feature, immune cell infiltration, somatic mutation status, underlying mechanisms, and drug sensitivity. Results showed that the high and low groups possessed statistical significance. In addition, the ROC curve was utilized to measure the accuracy of the risk model. AUCs at 1-year, 3-years, and 5-years were respectively 0.770, 0.698, 0.676 in training cohort and 0.717, 0.649, 0.621 in validation cohort. Nomogram was used to provide a better prediction for patients’ survival. Risk score increase the accuracy of survival prediction in HCC patients. In conclusion, this study developed a novel risk model of five methylation-driven genes based on the comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, which accurately predicts the survival of HCC patients and reflects the immune and mutation features of HCC. This study provides novel insights for immunotherapy of HCC patients and promotes medical progress.
A preliminary investigation of amino acid and acylcarnitine levels in neonates from the Tibet autonomous
Authors: Zhang Chunyan , Dha Drun , Cheng Yuxuan , Ma Ya , Meng Yan , Tse Drun , Ngawang Dolma , Dekyi Pedrun , Jiang Tao , Shu Yang , Cui Jiayi , Li Jing , Tian Yaping
Published: October 2022

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate the levels of amino acids and acylcarnitines in newborns of the Tibet Autonomous Region for the first time and to provide an experimental basis for the diagnosis of genetic metabolic diseases.

Methods: We detected concentrations of 43 kinds of amino acids, acylcarnitines and succinylacetone in the dried blood spots of 18482 newborns using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and diagnose the case by gene sequencing. We compared the indexes between Tibet and our lab, where most data come from an inland area and Han Chinese people. Then we compared amino acid and acylcarnitine levels of seven regions in Tibet and explored their impact factors.

Results: We described the levels of amino acids and acylcarnitines in Tibet newborns using 95% confidence intervals. The distribution of amino acid and acylcarnitines were different in Tibet.

Conclusion: This study has contributed to filling in the blanks of Tibet newborn screening, which should be considered in the newborn metabolic disease screening in this area.
Polygenic power calculator: Statistical power and polygenic prediction accuracy of genome-wide association studies of complex traits
Authors: Wu Tian , Liu Zipeng , Mak Timothy Shin Heng , Sham Pak Chung
Published: October 2022

Power calculation is a necessary step when planning genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to ensure meaningful findings. Statistical power of GWAS depends on the genetic architecture of phenotype, sample size, and study design. While several computer programs have been developed to perform power calculation for single SNP association testing, it might be more appropriate for GWAS power calculation to address the probability of detecting any number of associated SNPs. In this paper, we derive the statistical power distribution across causal SNPs under the assumption of a point-normal effect size distribution. We demonstrate how key outcome indices of GWAS are related to the genetic architecture (heritability and polygenicity) of the phenotype through the power distribution. We also provide a fast, flexible and interactive power calculation tool which generates predictions for key GWAS outcomes including the number of independent significant SNPs, the phenotypic variance explained by these SNPs, and the predictive accuracy of resulting polygenic scores. These results could also be used to explore the future behaviour of GWAS as sample sizes increase further. Moreover, we present results from simulation studies to validate our derivation and evaluate the agreement between our predictions and reported GWAS results.
Identification of Schistosoma mansoni miracidia attractant candidates in infected Biomphalaria glabrata using behaviour-guided comparative proteomics
Authors: Fogarty Conor E. , Phan Phong , Duke Mary G. , McManus Donald P. , Wyeth Russell C. , Cummins Scott F. , Wang Tianfang
Published: October 2022

Schistosomiasis, caused by infection with Schistosoma digenetic trematodes, is one of the deadliest neglected tropical diseases in the world. The Schistosoma lifecycle involves the miracidial infection of an intermediate freshwater snail host, such as Biomphalaria glabrata. Dispersing snail host-derived Schistosoma miracidia attractants has been considered a method of minimising intermediate host infections and, by extension, human schistosomiasis. The attractiveness of B. glabrata to miracidia is known to be reduced following infection; however, the relationship between duration of infection and attractiveness is unclear. Excretory-secretory proteins (ESPs) most abundant in attractive snail conditioned water (SCW) are key candidates to function as miracidia attractants. This study analysed SCW from B. glabrata that were naïve (uninfected) and at different time-points post-miracidia exposure (PME; 16h, 1-week, 2-weeks and 3-weeks PME) to identify candidate ESPs mediating Schistosoma mansoni miracidia behaviour change, including aggregation and chemoklinokinesis behaviour (random motion, including slowdown and increased turning rate and magnitude). Miracidia behaviour change was only observed post-addition of naïve and 3W-PME SCW, with other treatments inducing significantly weaker behaviour changes. Therefore, ESPs were considered attractant candidates if they were shared between naïve and 3W-PME SCW (or exclusive to the former), contained a predicted N-terminal signal peptide and displayed low identity (<50%) to known proteins outside of the Biomphalaria genus. Using these criteria, a total of 6 ESP attractant candidates were identified, including acetylcholine binding protein-like proteins and uncharacterised proteins. Tissue-specific RNA-seq analysis of the genes encoding these 6 ESPs indicated relatively high gene expression within various B. glabrata tissues, including the foot, mantle and kidney. Acetylcholine binding protein-like proteins were highly promising due to their high abundance in naïve and 3W-PME SCW, high specificity to B. glabrata and high expression in the ovotestis, from which attractants have been previously identified. In summary, this study used proteomics, guided by behavioural assays, to identify miracidia attractant candidates that should be further investigated as potential biocontrols to disrupt miracidia infection and minimise schistosomiasis.
Comparison of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A propensity score matching
Authors: Jing Shao-Wu , Zhai Chang , Zhang Wei , He Ming , Liu Qing-Yi , Yao Ji-Fang , Wang Rui , Tian Zi-Qiang , Wang Jun , Liu Jun-Feng
Published: October 2022

Objectives

Clinical studies on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) have been carried out for the resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). So far, few studies have compared the survival outcomes of nCT plus ICIs and nCT alone. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant ICIs combined with nCT versus nCT followed by esophagectomy for patients with resectable locally advanced ESCC.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of ESCC patients underwent nCT or nCT combined with ICIs followed by esophagectomy (from March 2013 to April 2021) was performed. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) with a caliper 0.01 was conducted to balance potential bias.

Results

A total of 47 comparable pairs of ESCC patients receiving nCT and nCT combined with ICIs were selected for the final analysis. The tumor regression grade (TRG) 0 and pathologic complete response (pCR) rates in the nCT+ICIs group were significantly higher than those of the nCT group (21.7% vs. 4.5%, P=0.016; and 17.0% vs. 2.1%, P=0.035, respectively). The rate of nerve invasion was 4.3% in the nCT+ICIs group, significantly lower than 23.4% of the nCT group (P=0.007). The incidences of adverse events in the nCT+ICIs group were similar compared with the nCT group and there was no grade 5 toxicity in either group. The 1-, 2-year disease-free survival rates (DFS) were 95.7%, 80.7% and 76.1%, 63.8% in the two groups (P=0.001, and P=0.046, respectively). The 1-year OS was improved in the nCT+ICIs group, which was close to a statistical difference (95.7% vs. 84.8%, P=0.074). Local recurrence rate in the nCT+ICIs group was 6.4%, significantly lower than 21.3% of the nCT group (P=0.036), while there was no significant difference in the distant metastasis.

Conclusions

Compared with nCT alone, neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus nCT for patients with locally advanced ESCC has an advantage in pathological response, and could improve DFS with a good safety and feasibility, while long term survival validation is still needed further.
Non-coding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: Insights into regulatory mechanisms, clinical significance, and therapeutic potential
Authors: Han Qin , Wang Mengchen , Dong Xi , Wei Fei , Luo Yun , Sun Xiaobo
Published: October 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex and heterogeneous malignancy with high incidence and poor prognosis. In addition, owing to the lack of diagnostic and prognostic markers, current multimodal treatment options fail to achieve satisfactory outcomes. Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, metastasis, metabolism, and drug resistance are important factors influencing tumor development and therapy. The intercellular communication of these important processes is mediated by a variety of bioactive molecules to regulate pathophysiological processes in recipient cells. Among these bioactive molecules, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), account for a large part of the human transcriptome, and their dysregulation affects the progression of HCC. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the potential regulatory mechanisms of ncRNAs in HCC, summarize novel biomarkers from somatic fluids (plasma/serum/urine), and explore the potential of some small-molecule modulators as drugs. Thus, through this review, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms, early diagnosis, prognosis, and precise treatment of HCC.
Grain size controls on long-chain diol distributions and proxy signals in marine sediments
Authors: Lattaud Julie , Eglinton Timothy Ian , Tallon Marie , Bröder Lisa , Erdem Zeynep , Ausín Blanca
Published: October 2022

Long chain alkyl diols (LCDs) are lipid biomarkers that occur ubiquitously in sediments. Their abundance and distributions are increasingly used as the basis of molecular proxies for environmental parameters such as sea surface temperature (SST) via the Long chain Diol Index (LDI), and upwelling intensity and nutrient conditions (parametrized as diol indices, DI-2, and Nutrient Diol Index, NDI, respectively). Their marine producers remain the subject of debate, but in cultures, they can be found within the outer wall (algaenan) of eustigmatophytes or in Proboscia diatoms. LCDs appear to be well preserved in sediments, potentially as a result of their association with algaenan and/or minerals, but little is known of their pre-depositional histories, in particular transport dynamics. Here, 15 surface continental margin sediments as well as one high-deposition-rate sediment core (50 cm, spanning the last ~30 years) were analyzed in order to evaluate the impact of organo-mineral associations, lateral transport, and hydrodynamic sorting on sedimentary LCD signals. The abundance and distribution of LCDs in bulk sediments and corresponding grain-size fractions was determined. The highest proportion of all LCD isomers is found in the fine fraction (2 – 10 µm), which also holds the highest proportion of organic matter in relation to the other grain-size fractions. However, LCDs are also found in the other fractions (sand, coarse silt, and clay), and their concentrations are not correlated with bulk organic carbon content, indicating different preservation or transport mechanisms. LDI-SST in the bulk sediment is comparable to the mean annual SST at all sites except those influenced by upwelling and characterized by strong seasonal SST gradients. To the contrary of other biomarker-related proxies (e.g., alkenones), lateral transport does not appear to strongly affect LDI-SST in size fractions, suggesting that the intimate relationship of LCD with the algaenan may counteract the influence of hydrodynamic mineral sorting processes on related proxy signals. The difference between the fraction-weighted LCD concentration and bulk sedimentary LCD concentration indicates potential release of LCD during laboratory fractionation, suggesting degradation of algaenan or dissolution of opal frustules.
Sexual size dimorphism in golden pompano (Trachinotus blochii): Potential roles of changes in energy allocation and differences in muscle metabolism
Authors: Sun Jun Long , Song Fei Biao , Wang Lei , Zhang Wei Wei , Chen You Ming , Zhou Li , Gui Jian Fang , Luo Jian
Published: October 2022

Golden pompano (Trachinotus blochii) is becoming increasingly popular and produces high yields, but the growth differences between males and females are a concern. In this study, the differences between the growth of males and females were compared, and the transcriptome analysis of muscle tissues was performed. A significant difference between the growth of males and females was observed; females were found to be 17% larger than males after reaching 7 months of age. Gonadal histological analysis revealed that the ovaries were arrested in 7- to 9-month-old golden pompano, whereas the testes continued to develop. The AMPK and adipocytokine signaling pathways were also found to be involved in the regulation of muscle growth and metabolism. After reaching 7 months of age, the expression levels of glut1, glut4, ldh, gys, acsl and cpt2 in the muscle of females were lower than those in males, but the hk gene, which is involved in glycolysis, was found to remain highly expressed in females. Additionally, in females, the synthesis of arginine and ornithine and the production of carnosine were found to be inhibited, but the breakdown of glutamine was found to be enhanced and OXPHOS ability was found to be stronger in females after reaching 7 months of age. These results support a certain negative correlation between gonadal development and muscle metabolism depending on differences in energy distribution. Clearly, the faster growth in females after reaching 7 months of age was found to be associated with the more active metabolism of glucose, and amino acids, as well as stronger oxidative phosphorylation levels.
Megaherbivore exclusion led to more complex seagrass canopies and increased biomass and sediment Corg pools in a tropical meadow
Authors: Samper-Villarreal Jimena , Moya-Ramírez Jairo , Cortés Jorge
Published: October 2022

In some regions of the Caribbean Sea, seagrasses have been negatively affected by sea turtle overgrazing. Seagrass canopy complexity has declined at a long-term monitoring site in Costa Rica. We deployed megaherbivore exclosures for 13 months and found an increase over time in seagrass cover and maximum canopy height to ~ 75% and 20 cm respectively in the exclosures; while they remained steady in controls at < 25% and ~ 5 cm. Following exclusion, above ground biomass was higher in exclosures (320 ± 58 g DW m-2) compared to controls (171 ± 60 g DW m-2). Leaves were longer and wider in the exclosures (8 ± 5 cm and 0.8 ± 0.2 cm) compared to controls (2 ± 2 cm and 0.5 ± 0.1 cm). Above ground biomass Corg pools in exclosures (1.2 ± 0.2 Mg ha-1) were two-times higher than in controls (0.6 ± 0.2 Mg ha-1). Meanwhile, there was no variation between treatments in seagrass shoot density (1,692 ± 803 shoots m-2), below ground biomass (246 ± 103 g DW m-2) and its Corg pool (0.8 ± 0.4 Mg ha-1). Relative sediment level increased up to 4.4 cm within exclosures revealing a net increase in sediment Corg, while surficial sediment Corg percentage was similar between exclosures and controls. Releasing these meadows from megaherbivore grazing therefore led to a clear increase within exclosures of seagrass cover, canopy complexity, above ground biomass, and Corg pools in above ground biomass and sediment. Our study reveals that the decline in canopy complexity over time at this meadow is linked to megaherbivore grazing and has most likely led to a decrease in blue carbon pools. Excessive megaherbivore grazing at this site could lead to a continued decline or potential loss of the meadow, and seagrass conservation and restoration initiatives should include consideration of trophic dynamics.
Dearth of influenza among older adults admitted with respiratory symptoms in Malaysia during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in 2021
Authors: Tan Maw Pin , Leong Chee Loon , Pang Yong Kek , Razali Rizah Mazzuin , Ismail Ahmad Izuanuddin , Sam I-Ching , Abdul Rani Rosilawati , Chong Jennifer , Mohd Zim Mohd Arif , Musa Aisya Natasya , Leong Jia Hui , Idris Salmah , Khor Jean , Cheong Adelina , El Guerche-Séblain Clotilde , Hasmukharay Kejal , Arumugam Minalosani , Khalid Khairil Erwan , Ismail Ismaliza , Cheah Wee Kooi
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Influenza is a common respiratory virus which leads to over 400,000 annual deaths globally. Mortality from influenza is highest among those aged 75 years and over living in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Objective

To determine the burden of influenza among older adults presenting to public hospitals with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods

This multi-center, prospective, observational study recruited individuals aged 65 years and over who presented to four Malaysian hospitals with SARI from 1 January to 31 December 2021. Those with prior confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection were excluded. SARS-CoV-2 was detected through real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with routine diagnostic kits. Influenza A, influenza B and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) viruses were detected with Xpress Flu/RSV kits using the GeneXpert rapid real-time PCR system (Cepheid, USA).

Results

Samples were obtained from 512 participants, comprising 296 (57.8%) men and 216 (42.2%) women, with a mean age (SD) of 74.0 (7.1) years. Inpatient death occurred in 48 (9.6%) individuals. Significant differences existed in age, ethnicity, and comorbidities across study sites. One (0.2%) case of influenza A, two (0.4%) cases of RSV and 63 (12.5%) cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were detected over the 1-year period. Cases of COVID-19 mirrored national trends derived from open source data, while the dearth of influenza cases mirrored national and global Flunet figures.

Conclusion

Our observational study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic detected only one case of influenza, alongside a high SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate. The poor uptake of influenza vaccination nationally, worsened by the recent pandemic restrictions, could lead to waning immunity from the absence of seasonal exposure. Potentially deadly outbreaks may then occur when lockdown and infection control measures are eventually removed.
Intraperitoneal alpha therapy with 224Ra-labeled microparticles combined with chemotherapy in an ovarian cancer mouse model
Authors: Wouters Roxanne , Westrøm Sara , Berckmans Yani , Riva Matteo , Ceusters Jolien , Bønsdorff Tina B. , Vergote Ignace , Coosemans An
Published: October 2022

A novel alpha-therapy consisting of 224Ra-labeled calcium carbonate microparticles (224Ra-CaCO3-MP) has been designed to treat micrometastatic peritoneal disease via intraperitoneal (IP) administration. This preclinical study aimed to evaluate its efficacy and tolerability when given as a single treatment or in combination with standard of care chemotherapy regimens, in a syngeneic model of ovarian cancer in immune competent mice. Female C57BL/6 mice bearing ID8-fLuc ovarian cancer were treated with 224Ra-CaCO3-MP 1 day after IP tumor cell inoculation. The activity dosages of 224Ra ranged from 14 to 39 kBq/mouse. Additionally, 224Ra-CaCO3-MP treatment was followed by either carboplatin (80 mg/kg)-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD, 1.6 mg/kg) or carboplatin (60 mg/kg)-paclitaxel (10 mg/kg) on day 14 post tumor cell inoculation. All treatments were administered via IP injections. Readouts included survival, clinical signs, and body weight development over time. There was a slight therapeutic benefit after single treatment with 224Ra-CaCO3-MP compared to the vehicle control, with median survival ratios (MSRs) ranging between 1.1 and 1.3. The sequential administration of 224Ra-CaCO3-MP with either carboplatin-paclitaxel or carboplatin-PLD indicated a synergistic effect on overall survival at certain 224Ra activities. Moreover, the combinations tested appeared well tolerated in terms of weight assessment in the first 4 weeks after treatment. Overall, this research supports the further evaluation of 224Ra-CaCO3-MP in patients with ovarian cancer. However, the most optimal chemotherapy regimen to combine with 224Ra-CaCO3-MP should be identified to fully exploit its therapeutic potential.
One-step synthesized antimicrobial peptide-functionalized gold nanoclusters for selective imaging and killing of pathogenic bacteria
Authors: Shen Yunqiu , Zheng Chaochuan , Wu Qiaoli , Wu Qilong , Jin Ming , Jiang Yayun , Huang Fuyuan , Lou Yongliang , Zheng Laibao
Published: October 2022

The development of multifunctional nanomaterials with bacterial imaging and killing activities is of great importance for the rapid diagnosis and timely treatment of bacterial infections. Herein, peptide-functionalized gold nanoclusters (CWR11-AuNCs) with high-intensity red fluorescence were successfully synthesized via a one-step method using CWR11 as a template and by optimizing the ratio of CWR11 to HAuCl4, reaction time, pH, and temperature. The CWR11-AuNCs bound to bacteria and exhibited selective fluorescence microscopy imaging properties, which is expected to provide a feasible method for locating and imaging bacteria in complex in vivo environments. In addition, CWR11-AuNCs not only retained the antibacterial and bactericidal activities of CWR11 but also exhibited certain inhibitory or killing effects on gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and biofilms. The MICs of CWR11-AuNCs against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 178 and 89 μg/ml, respectively. Surprisingly, cell viability in the CWR11-AuNC-treated group was greater than that in the CWR11-treated group, and the low cytotoxicity exhibited by the CWR11-AuNCs make them more promising for clinical applications.
Beneficial bacterial-Auricularia cornea interactions fostering growth enhancement identified from microbiota present in spent mushroom substrate
Authors: Phithakrotchanakoon Chitwadee , Mayteeworakoon Sermsiri , Siriarchawatana Paopit , Kitikhun Supattra , Harnpicharnchai Piyanun , Wansom Supaporn , Eurwilaichitr Lily , Ingsriswang Supawadee
Published: October 2022

Complex dynamic bacterial-fungal interactions play key roles during mushroom growth, ranging from mutualism to antagonism. These interactions convey a large influence on mushroom’s mycelial and fruiting body formation during mushroom cultivation. In this study, high-throughput amplicon sequencing was conducted to investigate the structure of bacterial communities in spent mushroom substrates obtained from cultivation of two different groups of Auricularia cornea with (A) high yield and (B) low yield of fruiting body production. It was found that species richness and diversity of microbiota in group (A) samples were significantly higher than in group (B) samples. Among the identified 765 bacterial OTUs, 5 bacterial species found to exhibit high differential abundance between group (A) and group (B) were Pseudonocardia mangrovi, Luteimonas composti, Paracoccus pantotrophus, Sphingobium jiangsuense, and Microvirga massiliensis. The co-cultivation with selected bacterial strains showed that A. cornea TBRC 12900 co-cultivated with P. mangrovi TBRC-BCC 42794 promoted a high level of mycelial growth. Proteomics analysis was performed to elucidate the biological activities involved in the mutualistic association between A. cornea TBRC 12900 and P. mangrovi TBRC-BCC 42794. After co-cultivation of A. cornea TBRC 12900 and P. mangrovi TBRC-BCC 42794, 1,616 proteins were detected including 578 proteins of A. cornea origin and 1,038 proteins of P. mangrovi origin. Functional analysis and PPI network construction revealed that the high level of mycelial growth in the co-culture condition most likely resulted from concerted actions of (a) carbohydrate-active enzymes including hydrolases, glycosyltransferases, and carbohydrate esterases important for carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall generation/remodeling, (b) peptidases including cysteine-, metallo-, and serine-peptidases, (c) transporters including the ABC-type transporter superfamily, the FAT transporter family, and the VGP family, and (d) proteins with proposed roles in formation of metabolites that can act as growth-promoting molecules or those normally contain antimicrobial activity (e.g., indoles, terpenes, β-lactones, lanthipeptides, iturins, and ectoines). The findings will provide novel insights into bacterial-fungal interactions during mycelial growth and fruiting body formation. Our results can be utilized for the selection of growth-promoting bacteria to improve the cultivation process of A. cornea with a high production yield, thus conveying potentially high socio-economic impact to mushroom agriculture.
Antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of essential oil components, EDTA and HLE disinfectant solution on Enterococcus, Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus sp. multiresistant strains isolated along the meat production chain
Authors: Caballero Gómez Natacha , Manetsberger Julia , Benomar Nabil , Castillo Gutiérrez Sonia , Abriouel Hikmate
Published: October 2022

The spread of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria and resistance genes along the food chain and the environment has become a global, but silent pandemic. To face this challenge, it is of outmost importance to develop efficient strategies to reduce potential contamination by these agents. In the present study, 30 strains of Enterococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. isolated from various surfaces throughout the meat production chain in a goat and lamb slaughterhouse were characterized as MDR bacteria harboring several antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The antimicrobial efficacy of natural essential oil components “EOCs” (carvacrol “CA,” cinnamaldehyde “CIN,” eugenol “EU,” geraniol “GE,” limonene “LI” and thymol “TH”), HLE disinfectant solution (3–6% H2O2; 2.2–4.4% lactic acid and 12.5–25 mM EDTA in water) and EDTA was tested against these MDR bacteria. Results showed that Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) were compound and strain dependent. In addition, the synergistic effect of these antimicrobials was evaluated at 1/2 MIC. Here our study showed particularly promising results regarding the inhibitory effect at sub-inhibitory concentrations, which were confirmed by the analysis of bacterial growth dynamics over 72 h. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of EOCs, HLE disinfectant solution and EDTA or their combinations was studied in developing and established biofilms of MDR bacteria obtaining variable results depending on the morphological structure of the tested strain and the phenolic character of the EOCs. Importantly, the combination of EOCs with HLE or EDTA showed particularly positive results given the effective inhibition of biofilm formation. Moreover, the synergistic combinations of EU and HLE/EDTA, TH, CA, GE, LI or CIN + EDTA/HLE caused log reductions in established biofilms of several strains (1–6 log10 CFU) depending on the species and the combination used, with Pseudomonas sp. strains being the most susceptible. Given these results, we propose novel antimicrobial formulations based on the combination of sub-inhibitory concentrations of EOCs and HLE or EDTA as a highly promising alternative to currently used approaches. This novel strategy notably shows great potential to efficiently decrease the emergence and spread of MDR bacteria and ARGs in the food chain and the environment, thus supporting the decrease of resistomes and pathogenesis in clinical and industrial areas while preserving the antibiotic therapeutic action.
Enhancing microalgal lipid accumulation for biofuel production
Authors: Zhu Zhi , Sun Jing , Fa Yun , Liu Xufeng , Lindblad Peter
Published: October 2022

Microalgae have high lipid accumulation capacity, high growth rate and high photosynthetic efficiency which are considered as one of the most promising alternative sustainable feedstocks for producing lipid-based biofuels. However, commercialization feasibility of microalgal biofuel production is still conditioned to the high production cost. Enhancement of lipid accumulation in microalgae play a significant role in boosting the economics of biofuel production based on microalgal lipid. The major challenge of enhancing microalgal lipid accumulation lies in overcoming the trade-off between microalgal cell growth and lipid accumulation. Substantial approaches including genetic modifications of microalgal strains by metabolic engineering and process regulations of microalgae cultivation by integrating multiple optimization strategies widely applied in industrial microbiology have been investigated. In the present review, we critically discuss recent trends in the application of multiple molecular strategies to construct high performance microalgal strains by metabolic engineering and synergistic strategies of process optimization and stress operation to enhance microalgal lipid accumulation for biofuel production. Additionally, this review aims to emphasize the opportunities and challenges regarding scaled application of the strategic integration and its viability to make microalgal biofuel production a commercial reality in the near future.
The two-component system CpxA/CpxR is critical for full virulence in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
Authors: Liu Feng , Yao Qing , Huang Jing , Wan Jiajia , Xie Tingting , Gao Xuejun , Sun Diangang , Zhang Fuxian , Bei Weicheng , Lei Liancheng
Published: October 2022

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, a major bacterial porcine respiratory tract pathogen causing pig pleuropneumonia, has resulted in high economic losses worldwide. The mutation of the two-component system CpxAR strongly impacted the virulence of A. pleuropneumoniae, but the underlying regulatory mechanism remained unclear. Here, we found that CpxAR positively regulated the cpxDCBA gene cluster involved in polysaccharide capsule export. A capsular layer was confirmed in wild-type cells by transmission electron microscopy, whereas cpxAR and cpxD mutants were non-capsulated. The mutants for polysaccharide capsule export gene cpxD exhibited non-capsulated and were strongly impaired in virulence for mice, indicating a major role of CPS export system in virulence. We then demonstrated that CpxR directly regulated the transcription of the CPS export gene cluster cpxDCBA. Taken together, our data suggested that CpxAR is a key modulator of capsule export that facilitates A. pleuropneumoniae survival in the host.