bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-line near-infrared analysis of milk coupled with machine learning methods for the daily prediction of blood metabolic profile in dairy cattle
Authors: Giannuzzi Diana , Mota Lucio Flavio Macedo , Pegolo Sara , Gallo Luigi , Schiavon Stefano , Tagliapietra Franco , Katz Gil , Fainboym David , Minuti Andrea , Trevisi Erminio , Cecchinato Alessio
Published: May 2022

Precision livestock farming technologies are used to monitor animal health and welfare parameters continuously and in real time in order to optimize nutrition and productivity and to detect health issues at an early stage. The possibility of predicting blood metabolites from milk samples obtained during routine milking by means of infrared spectroscopy has become increasingly attractive. We developed, for the first time, prediction equations for a set of blood metabolites using diverse machine learning methods and milk near-infrared spectra collected by the AfiLab instrument. Our dataset was obtained from 385 Holstein Friesian dairy cows. Stacking ensemble and multi-layer feedforward artificial neural network outperformed the other machine learning methods tested, with a reduction in the root mean square error of between 3 and 6% in most blood parameters. We obtained moderate correlations (r) between the observed and predicted phenotypes for γ-glutamyl transferase (r = 0.58), alkaline phosphatase (0.54), haptoglobin (0.66), globulins (0.61), total reactive oxygen metabolites (0.60) and thiol groups (0.57). The AfiLab instrument has strong potential but may not yet be ready to predict the metabolic stress of dairy cows in practice. Further research is needed to find out methods that allow an improvement in accuracy of prediction equations.
Evidence of carbon-supported porphyrins pyrolyzed for the oxygen reduction reaction keeping integrity
Authors: Orellana Walter , Loyola César Zúñiga , Marco José F. , Tasca Federico
Published: May 2022

Fe(III) 5,10,15,20-(tetraphenyl)porphyrin chloride (FeTPP) and Co(III) 5,10,15,20-(tetraphenyl)porphyrin chloride (CoTPP) were adsorbed on carbon Vulcan and studied as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) before and after pyrolysis. The pyrolysis process was also simulated through ab initio molecular dynamic simulations and the minimum energy path for the O2dissociation after the interaction with the metal center of the FeTPP and CoTPP were calculated. After the pyrolysis the FeTPP showed the best performances reducing O2completely to H2O with increased limiting current and lower overpotential. Tafel slops for the various catalysts did not change after the pyrolytic process suggesting that the mechanism for the ORR is not affected by the heat treatment. TEM images, X-ray diffraction, XPS spectroscopy,57Fe Mössbauer, and DFT simulations, suggest that there is no breakdown of the macrocyclic complex at elevated temperatures, and that the macro cyclic geometry is preserved. Small variations in the Metal-O2(M-O2) binding energies and the M–N bond length were observed which is attributed to the dispersive interaction between the macrocycles and the irregular surface of the Vulcan substrate induced by the heat treatment and causing better interaction with the O2molecule. The theoretical strategy herein applied well simulate and explain the nature of the M–N–C active sites and the performances towards the ORR.
Influence of thread design on anchorage of pedicle screws in cancellous bone: an experimental and analytical analysis
Authors: Weidling Martin , Heilemann Martin , Schoenfelder Stephan , Heyde Christoph E.
Published: May 2022

Threads of modern pedicle screws can vary greatly in design. It is difficult to assess which interplay of design features is particularly advantageous for screw anchorage. This study aims to increase the understanding of the anchorage behaviour between screw and cancellous bone. Pull-out tests of six pedicle screws in two sizes each were performed on three densities of biomechanical test material. More general screw characteristics were derived from the screw design and evaluated using the test data. Selected screws were tested on body donor material. Some screw characteristics, such as compacting, are well suited to compare the different thread designs of screws with tapered core. The combination of two characteristics, one representing bone compacting and one representing thread flank area, appears to be particularly advantageous for assessing anchorage behaviour. With an equation derived from these characteristics, the pull-out strength could be calculated very accurately (mean deviation 1%). Furthermore, findings are corroborated by tests on donor material. For screws with tapered core, the design demands for good anchorage against pull-out from cancellous bone change with material density. With sufficient bone quality, screws with a high compacting effect are advantageous, while with low bone density a high thread flank area also appears necessary for better screw anchorage.
A high resolution scanning electron microscopy analysis of intracranial thrombi embedded along the stent retrievers
Authors: Dumitriu LaGrange Daniela , Bernava Gianmarco , Reymond Philippe , Wanke Isabel , Vargas Maria Isabel , Machi Paolo , Lövblad Karl-Olof
Published: May 2022

Endovascular treatment with stent retriever thrombectomy is a major advancement in the standard of care in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The modalities through which thrombi embed along stent retriever following mechanical thrombectomy (MTB) have not yet been elucidated. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we analyzed the appearance of thrombi retrieved by MTB from AIS patients, when embedded into the stent retriever. We observed that the organization and structural compactness vary for compositionally different thrombi. The modalities of attachment onto the stent vary according to thrombus composition and organization.
Sustainable conversion of biomass to rationally designed lithium-ion battery graphite
Authors: Banek Nathan A. , McKenzie Kevin R. , Abele Dustin T. , Wagner Michael J.
Published: May 2022

The carbon net negative conversion of bio-char, the low value byproduct of pyrolysis bio-oil production from biomass, to high value, very high purity, highly crystalline flake graphite agglomerates with rationally designed shape and size tailored for lithium-ion battery energy storage material is reported. The process is highly efficient, 0.41 g/Wh; the energy content of its co-product of the process, bio-oil, exceeds that needed to power the process. It is shown that the shape of the starting material is retained during the transformation, allowing the ultimate morphology of the graphite agglomerates to be engineered from relatively malleable biomass. In contrast to commercial graphite production, the process can be performed at small scale with low equipment costs, enabling individual research laboratories to produce Li-ion grade graphite with customizable shape, size and porosity for Si/graphite composite and other graphite involved anodes. The mechanism of the graphitization of bio-char, a “non-graphitizable” carbon, is explored, suggesting the molten metal catalyst is absorbed into the pore structure, transported through and transforming the largely immobile biochar. Finally, the transformation of biomass to rationally designed graphite morphologies with Li-ion anode performance that closely mimic commercial shaped graphite is demonstrated.
Trophic and immunomodulatory effects of adipose tissue derived stem cells in a preclinical murine model of endometriosis
Authors: Hirakawa Toyofumi , Yotsumoto Fusanori , Shirasu Naoto , Kiyoshima Chihiro , Urushiyama Daichi , Yoshikawa Kenichi , Miyata Kohei , Kurakazu Masamitsu , Koga Kaori Azuma , Aoki Mikiko , Nabeshima Kazuki , Koga Kaori S. , Osuga Yutaka , Komatsu Hiroaki , Taniguchi Fuminori , Harada Tasuku , Yasunaga Shin’ichiro , Miyamoto Shingo
Published: May 2022

Endometriosis, which exhibits enigmatic pathological features such as stromal fibrosis and proliferation of ectopic epithelial cells, is known as a refractory disease. Mesenchymal stem cells modulate the fibrosis in stromal tissues through their trophic and immunomodulatory properties. To investigate the potential of stem cells in treating endometriosis, we examined the secondary morphology and molecular alterations in endometriosis-like lesions after the administration of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) to an experimental murine model of endometriosis. The infused ASCs were found integrated in the endometriosis-like lesions. Accompanied by the suppression of stromal fibrosis and proliferation of endometriotic epithelial cells, the infusion of ASCs with stemness potential (early passage of ASCs) suppressed the growth of endometriosis-like lesions and inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines, whereas no significant attenuation of endometriosis-like lesions occurred after the infusion of ASCs without stemness potential (late passage of ASCs). Accordingly, the trophic and immunomodulatory properties of ASCs may regulate fibrosis in endometriosis-like lesions, suggesting that regenerative medicine could be recognized as an innovative treatment for patients with endometriosis through the accumulation of evidence of preclinical efficacy.
Island biogeography and human practices drive ecological connectivity in mosquito species richness in the Lakshadweep Archipelago
Authors: P. Muhammad Nihad P. , D. Rohini P. , G. Sutharsan , K. Anagha Ajith P. , K. Sumitha M. , A. Shanmuga Priya , P. Rahul , V. Sasikumar , Dasgupta Shaibal , Krishnan Jayalakshmi , Ishtiaq Farah
Published: May 2022

Mosquitoes are globally distributed and adapted to a broad range of environmental conditions. As obligatory hosts of many infectious pathogens, mosquito abundance and distribution are primarily determined by the presence and quality of larval habitats. To understand the dynamics and productivity of larval habitats in changing island environments, we conducted a four-month mosquito survey across ten inhabited islands in the Lakshadweep archipelago. Using fine-resolution larval habitat mapping, we recorded 7890 mosquitoes representing 13 species and 7 genera. Of these, four species comprised 95% of the total collections—Aedes albopictus (Stegomyia) was the dominant species followed by Armigeres subalbatus, Culex quinquefasciatus and Malaya genurostris. We found larval species richness was positively associated with the island area and mosquito larval richness (Chao1 estimator) was higher in artificial habitats than in natural habitats. Furthermore, mosquito species composition did not deteriorate with distance between islands. Mosquito abundance by species was associated with microclimatic variables—pH and temperature. We detected co-existence of multiple species at a micro-habitat level with no evidence of interactions like competition or predation. Our study analyzed and identified the most productive larval habitats –discarded plastic container and plastic drums contributing to high larval indices predicting dengue epidemic across the Lakshadweep islands. Our data highlight the need to devise vector control strategies by removal of human-induced plastic pollution (household waste) which is a critical driver of disease risk.
Water clusters and density fluctuations in liquid water based on extended hierarchical clustering methods
Authors: Gao Yitian , Fang Hongwei , Ni Ke , Feng Yixuan
Published: May 2022

The microscopic structures of liquid water at ambient temperatures remain a hot debate, which relates with structural and density fluctuations in the hydrogen bond network. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations of liquid water to study the properties of three-dimensional cage-like water clusters, which we investigate using extended graph-based hierarchical clustering methods. The water clusters can cover over 95% of hydrogen bond network, among which some clusters maximally encompass thousands of molecules extending beyond 3.0 nm. The clusters imply fractal behaviors forming percolating networks and the morphologies of small and large clusters show different scaling rules. The local favored clusters and the preferred connections between adjacent clusters correspond to lower energy and conformational entropy depending on cluster topologies. Temperature can destroy large clusters into small ones. We show further that the interior of clusters favors high-density patches. The water molecules in the small clusters, inside which are the void regarded as hydrophobic objects, have a preference for being more tetrahedral. Our results highlight the properties and changes of water clusters as the fundamental building blocks of hydrogen bond networks. In addition, the water clusters can elucidate structural and density fluctuations on different length scales in liquid water.
SARS-CoV-2 in silico binding affinity to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Class II molecules predicts vaccine effectiveness across variants of concern (VOC)
Authors: Charonis Spyros A. , James Lisa M. , Georgopoulos Apostolos P.
Published: May 2022

There is widespread concern about the clinical effectiveness of current vaccines in preventing Covid-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (Williams in Lancet Respir Med 29:333–335, 2021; Hayawi in Vaccines 9:1305, 2021), including those identified at present (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron) and possibly new ones arising in the future. It would be valuable to be able to predict vaccine effectiveness for any variant. Here we offer such an estimate of predicted vaccine effectiveness for any SARS-CoV-2 variant based on the amount of overlap of in silico high binding affinity of the variant and Wildtype spike glycoproteins to a pool of frequent Human Leukocyte Antigen Class II molecules which are necessary for initiating antibody production (Blum et al. in Annu Rev Immunol 31:443–473, 2013). The predictive model was strong (r = 0.910) and statistically significant (P = 0.013).
Dual square split ring enclosed spiral shaped hybrid metamaterial resonator with size miniaturisation for microwave wireless applications
Authors: Siddiky Air Mohammad , Faruque Mohammad Rashed Iqbal , Abdullah Sabirin , Islam Mohammad Tariqul , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin , Al-Mugren K. S.
Published: May 2022

In this research work, the development of the metamaterial unit cell is used to investigate multifunctional characteristics, exhibit preferable and capable adjustability, reconfigurable by changing the phase response of applied electromagnetic wave. This proposed metamaterial unit cell is analysed by modifying the geometric design of the metallic structure which mitigates the design to reduce the cost for the commercialisation. The resonant frequencies are located from 1.87, 2.55, 4.32, 5.46 GHz. The interaction with the electric field and magnetic field exhibit the polarisation in both planes which enhances the left handed characteristics. The field distribution of electric, magnetic, and surface current is presented with vector fields in different planes to observe the polarisation state. Different thicknesses of dielectric material are utilised to observe the impact of time varying electric and magnetic fields through the proposed metamaterial. The different substrate materials are described the degree of freedom for the implementation in different fields within the functional microwave frequency range.
Doxorubicin impacts chromatin binding of HMGB1, Histone H1 and retinoic acid receptor
Authors: Bosire Rosevalentine , Fadel Lina , Mocsár Gábor , Nánási Péter , Sen Pialy , Sharma Anshu Kumar , Naseem Muhammad Umair , Kovács Attila , Kugel Jennifer , Kroemer Guido , Vámosi György , Szabó Gábor
Published: May 2022

Doxorubicin (Dox), a widely used anticancer DNA-binding drug, affects chromatin in multiple ways, and these effects contribute to both its efficacy and its dose-limiting side effects, especially cardiotoxicity. Here, we studied the effects of Dox on the chromatin binding of the architectural proteins high mobility group B1 (HMGB1) and the linker histone H1, and the transcription factor retinoic acid receptor (RARα) by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) in live cells. At lower doses, Dox increased the binding of HMGB1 to DNA while decreasing the binding of the linker histone H1. At higher doses that correspond to the peak plasma concentrations achieved during chemotherapy, Dox reduced the binding of HMGB1 as well. This biphasic effect is interpreted in terms of a hierarchy of competition between the ligands involved and Dox-induced local conformational changes of nucleosome-free DNA. Combined, FRAP and FCS mobility data suggest that Dox decreases the overall binding of RARα to DNA, an effect that was only partially overcome by agonist binding. The intertwined interactions described are likely to contribute to both the effects and side effects of Dox.
Language statistics as a window into mental representations
Authors: Günther Fritz , Rinaldi Luca
Published: May 2022

Large-scale linguistic data is nowadays available in abundance. Using this source of data, previous research has identified redundancies between the statistical structure of natural language and properties of the (physical) world we live in. For example, it has been shown that we can gauge city sizes by analyzing their respective word frequencies in corpora. However, since natural language is always produced by human speakers, we point out that such redundancies can only come about indirectly and should necessarily be restricted cases where human representations largely retain characteristics of the physical world. To demonstrate this, we examine the statistical occurrence of words referring to body parts in very different languages, covering nearly 4 billions of native speakers. This is because the convergence between language and physical properties of the stimuli clearly breaks down for the human body (i.e., more relevant and functional body parts are not necessarily larger in size). Our findings indicate that the human body as extracted from language does not retain its actual physical proportions; instead, it resembles the distorted human-like figure known as the sensory homunculus, whose form depicts the amount of cortical area dedicated to sensorimotor functions of each body part (and, thus, their relative functional relevance). This demonstrates that the surface-level statistical structure of language opens a window into how humans represent the world they live in, rather than into the world itself.
Conceptual knowledge shapes visual working memory for complex visual information
Authors: Sims Chris R. , Lerch Rachel A. , Tarduno John A. , Jacobs Robert A.
Published: May 2022

Human visual working memory (VWM) is a memory store people use to maintain the visual features of objects and scenes. Although it is obvious that bottom-up information influences VWM, the extent to which top-down conceptual information influences VWM is largely unknown. We report an experiment in which groups of participants were trained in one of two different categories of geologic faults (left/right lateral, or normal/reverse faults), or received no category training. Following training, participants performed a visual change detection task in which category knowledge was irrelevant to the task. Participants were more likely to detect a change in geologic scenes when the changes crossed a trained categorical distinction (e.g., the left/right lateral fault boundary), compared to within-category changes. In addition, participants trained to distinguish left/right lateral faults were more likely to detect changes when the scenes were mirror images along the left/right dimension. Similarly, participants trained to distinguish normal/reverse faults were more likely to detect changes when scenes were mirror images along the normal/reverse dimension. Our results provide direct empirical evidence that conceptual knowledge influences VWM performance for complex visual information. An implication of our results is that cognitive scientists may need to reconceptualize VWM so that it is closer to “conceptual short-term memory”.
Zebrafish caudal fin as a model to investigate the role of probiotics in bone regeneration
Authors: Sojan Jerry Maria , Gioacchini Giorgia , Giorgini Elisabetta , Orlando Patrick , Tiano Luca , Maradonna Francesca , Carnevali Oliana
Published: May 2022

Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer several beneficial effects to the host, including enhancement of bone mineralization. However, probiotic action on bone regeneration is not well studied and therefore we analysed various effects of probiotic treatment on the caudal fin regeneration of zebrafish. Morphological analysis revealed an increased regenerated area with shorter and thicker lepidotrichia segments after probiotic treatment. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy imaging analysis highlighted the distribution of phosphate groups in the regenerated fins and probiotic group showed higher amounts of well-crystallized hydroxyapatite. At the midpoint (5 days post amputation) of regeneration, probiotics were able to modulate various stages of osteoblast differentiation as confirmed by the upregulation of some key marker genes such as runx2b, sp7, col10a1a, spp1 and bglap, besides suppressing osteoclast activity as evidenced from the downregulation of ctsk. Probiotics also caused an enhanced cell cycle by regulating the expression of genes involved in Retinoic acid (rarga, cyp26b1) and Wnt/β-catenin (ctnnb1, ccnd1, axin2, sost) signaling pathways, and also modulated phosphate homeostasis by increasing the entpd5a levels. These findings provide new outlooks for the use of probiotics as a prophylactic treatment in accelerating bone regeneration and improving skeletal health in both aquaculture and biomedical fields.
Complex tools and motor-to-mechanical transformations
Authors: Ras M. , Wyrwa M. , Stachowiak J. , Buchwald M. , Nowik A. M. , Kroliczak G.
Published: May 2022

The ability to use complex tools is thought to depend on multifaceted motor-to-mechanical transformations within the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), linked to cognitive control over compound actions. Here we show using neuroimaging that demanding transformations of finger movements into proper mechanical movements of functional parts of complex tools invoke significantly the right rather than left rostral IPL, and bilateral posterior-to-mid and left anterior intraparietal sulci. These findings emerged during the functional grasp and tool-use programming phase. The expected engagement of left IPL was partly revealed by traditional region-of-interest analyses, and further modeling/estimations at the hand-independent level. Thus, our results point to a special role of right IPL in supporting sensory-motor spatial mechanisms which enable an effective control of fingers in skillful handling of complex tools. The resulting motor-to-mechanical transformations involve dynamic hand-centered to target-centered reference frame conversions indispensable for efficient interactions with the environment.
A retrospective study of environmental predictors of dengue in Delhi from 2015 to 2018 using the generalized linear model
Authors: Singh Poornima Suryanath , Chaturvedi Himanshu K.
Published: May 2022

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne infection with a rising trend, expected to increase further with the rise in global temperature. The study aimed to use the environmental and dengue data 2015–2018 to examine the seasonal variation and establish a probabilistic model of environmental predictors of dengue using the generalized linear model (GLM). In Delhi, dengue cases started emerging in the monsoon season, peaked in the post-monsoon, and thereafter, declined in early winter. The annual trend of dengue cases declined, but the seasonal pattern remained alike (2015–18). The Spearman correlation coefficient of dengue was significantly high with the maximum and minimum temperature at 2 months lag, but it was negatively correlated with the difference of average minimum and maximum temperature at lag 1 and 2. The GLM estimated β coefficients of environmental predictors such as temperature difference, cumulative rainfall, relative humidity and maximum temperature were significant (p < 0.01) at different lag (0 to 2), and maximum temperature at lag 2 was having the highest effect (IRR 1.198). The increasing temperature of two previous months and cumulative rainfall are the best predictors of dengue incidence. The vector control should be implemented at least 2 months ahead of disease transmission (August–November).
Tracing the mobility of a Late Epigravettian (~ 13 ka) male infant from Grotte di Pradis (Northeastern Italian Prealps) at high-temporal resolution
Authors: Lugli Federico , Nava Alessia , Sorrentino Rita , Vazzana Antonino , Bortolini Eugenio , Oxilia Gregorio , Silvestrini Sara , Nannini Nicola , Bondioli Luca , Fewlass Helen , Talamo Sahra , Bard Edouard , Mancini Lucia , Müller Wolfgang , Romandini Matteo , Benazzi Stefano
Published: May 2022

We present the results of a multi-disciplinary investigation on a deciduous human tooth (Pradis 1), recently recovered from the Epigravettian layers of the Grotte di Pradis archaeological site (Northeastern Italian Prealps). Pradis 1 is an exfoliated deciduous molar (Rdm2), lost during life by an 11–12-year-old child. A direct radiocarbon date provided an age of 13,088–12,897 cal BP (95% probability, IntCal20). Amelogenin peptides extracted from tooth enamel and analysed through LC–MS/MS indicate that Pradis 1 likely belonged to a male. Time-resolved 87Sr/86Sr analyses by laser ablation mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICPMS), combined with dental histology, were able to resolve his movements during the first year of life (i.e. the enamel mineralization interval). Specifically, the Sr isotope ratio of the tooth enamel differs from the local baseline value, suggesting that the child likely spent his first year of life far from Grotte di Pradis. Sr isotopes are also suggestive of a cyclical/seasonal mobility pattern exploited by the Epigravettian human group. The exploitation of Grotte di Pradis on a seasonal, i.e. summer, basis is also indicated by the faunal spectra. Indeed, the nearly 100% occurrence of marmot remains in the entire archaeozoological collection indicates the use of Pradis as a specialized marmot hunting or butchering site. This work represents the first direct assessment of sub-annual movements observed in an Epigravettian hunter-gatherer group from Northern Italy.
Associations of sleep problems with asthma and allergic rhinitis among Chinese preschoolers
Authors: Ma Ying , Tang Jie , Wen Yuqi , Hu Yan , Liang Jingjing , Jiang Lin , Xing Yanfei , Song Yanyan
Published: May 2022

The aim of this study was to examine the associations of sleep problems with asthma and allergic rhinitis among Chinese preschoolers. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Guangzhou, China. Children aged 3–6 years were recruited from 32 kindergartens in 7 administrative districts. Asthma, allergic rhinitis and sleep problems were evaluated using a valid questionnaire. Binary logistic regression models were employed to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations of asthma and allergic rhinitis with short sleep duration, late bedtime and frequent nocturnal awakening. We included 4876 preschool children in the current analysis. Of these, 182 (3.7%) diagnosed as asthma, and 511 (10.5%) diagnosed as allergic rhinitis. Frequent nocturnal awakening was associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis, with adjusted OR were 1.49 (95% CI 1.05–2.13) and 1.59 (95% CI 1.27–1.99), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed the OR for frequent nocturnal awakening with asthma was higher in girls (1.68; 95% CI 1.02–2.78) than in boys (1.35; 95% CI 0.81–2.24), but the OR for frequent nocturnal awakening with allergic rhinitis were similar in girls (1.73; 95% CI 1.15–2.30) and boys (1.57; 95% CI 1.17–2.12). No significant associations of short sleep duration and late bedtime with asthma or allergic rhinitis were identified. Our data suggested that frequent nocturnal awakening was associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis among preschoolers, and the association of frequent nocturnal awakening with asthma differed by gender. Further studies are warranted to address the causal relationship between nocturnal awakening and asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Long-term body weight change assessed by non-contact load cells under the bed in older people with and without eating assistance: a preliminary study
Authors: Ishikawa Takahiro , Sakai Ikuko , Amemiya Ayumi , Komatsu Ryou , Sakuraba Shoko , Isono Shiroh
Published: May 2022

Utilizing automatic daily body weight (BW) measurements may be helpful for assessing nutritional status and detecting underlying diseases particularly in older people who require nursing care. This preliminary study aimed to verify effectiveness of eating assistance for maintaining BW in older people using a contact-free load cells under the bed (Bed Sensor System: BSS). BW was measured every night for 3 months in eight nursing home older people with severe cognitive and physical dysfunctions. Body composition of the subject's trunk and each limb was measured using a segmented multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA). A monthly BW loss was estimated as a slope of linear regression of the daily BW plot. BSS successfully measured daily BW for the study period in all participants. The 4 residents with eating assistance gained slightly more weight, while the 4 residents without eating assistance lost weight. There was a significant difference between the two groups in the monthly BW change (− 0.79 ± 0.51 kg/month versus 0.20 ± 0.49 kg/month, P = 0.030). None of the BIA-derived parameters was associated with the monthly BW change. BSS revealed effectiveness of eating assistance to maintain BW in nursing home residents with severe cognitive and physical dysfunctions.
Intolerant baboons avoid observer proximity, creating biased inter-individual association patterns
Authors: Allan Andrew T. L. , White Amy F. , Hill Russell A.
Published: May 2022

Social network analysis is an increasingly popular tool for behavioural ecologists exploring the social organisation of animal populations. Such analyses require data on inter-individual association patterns, which in wild populations are often collected using direct observations of habituated animals. This assumes observers have no influence on animal behaviour; however, our previous work showed that individuals in a habituated group of chacma baboons (Papio ursinus griseipes) displayed consistent and individually distinct responses to observer approaches. We explored the implications of our previous findings by measuring the inter-individual association patterns of the same group of chacma baboons at different observer distances. We found a strong positive association between individual tolerance levels (towards observers) and how often an animal appeared as a neighbour to focal animals when observers were nearer, and a neutral relationship between the same variables when the observer was further away. Additionally, association matrices constructed from different observation distances were not comparable within any proximity buffer, and neither were the individual network metrics generated from these matrices. This appears to be the first empirical evidence that observer presence and behaviour can influence the association patterns of habituated animals and thus have potentially significant impacts on measured social networks.
In vivo imaging with a fast large-area multiphoton exoscope (FLAME) captures the melanin distribution heterogeneity in human skin
Authors: Vicente Juvinch R. , Durkin Amanda , Shrestha Kristina , Balu Mihaela
Published: May 2022

Melanin plays a significant role in the regulation of epidermal homeostasis and photoprotection of human skin. The assessment of its epidermal distribution and overall content is of great interest due to its involvement in a wide range of physiological and pathological skin processes. Among several spectroscopic and optical imaging methods that have been reported for non-invasive quantification of melanin in human skin, the approach based on the detection of two-photon excited fluorescence lifetime distinguishes itself by enabling selective detection of melanin with sub-cellular resolution, thus facilitating its quantification while also resolving its depth-profile. A key limitation of prior studies on the melanin assessment based on this approach is their inability to account for the skin heterogeneity due to the reduced field of view of the images, which results in high dispersion of the measurement values. Pigmentation in both normal and pathological human skin is highly heterogeneous and its macroscopic quantification is critical for reliable measurements of the epidermal melanin distribution and for capturing melanin-related sensitive dynamic changes as a response to treatment. In this work, we employ a fast large-area multiphoton exoscope (FLAME), recently developed by our group for clinical skin imaging, that has the ability to evaluate the 3D distribution of epidermal melanin content in vivo macroscopically (millimeter scale) with microscopic resolution (sub-micron) and rapid acquisition rates (minutes). We demonstrate significant enhancement in the reliability of the melanin density and distribution measurements across Fitzpatrick skin types I to V by capturing the intra-subject pigmentation heterogeneity enabled by the large volumetric sampling. We also demonstrate the potential of this approach to provide consistent measurement results when imaging the same skin area at different times. These advances are critical for clinical and research applications related to monitoring pigment modulation as a response to therapies against pigmentary skin disorders, skin aging, as well as skin cancers.
Use of natural deep eutectic systems as new cryoprotectant agents in the vitrification of mammalian cells
Authors: Jesus Ana Rita , Duarte Ana Rita C. , Paiva Alexandre
Published: May 2022

In this work we present the potential of Natural Deep Eutectic Systems (NADES) as new vitrification media for the cryopreservation of mammalian cells. Several NADES composed of natural metabolites were prepared and tested as CPAs in two cell lines, L929 and HacaT cells. After the harvesting, cells were mixed with the eutectic systems, and frozen directly into liquid nitrogen to achieve a vitreous state. Then, the cells were thawed and it was observed that NADES were able to exert a significant cryoprotective effect in L929 cells, when compared with DMSO or in the absence of a CPA. For HacaT cells, only a eutectic system showed a slightly improvement in cell survival, while DMSO caused complete cell death. Moreover, the thermal behaviour of the best systems was studied for further understanding the protective properties of NADES as CPAs, and have shown a significant difference in terms of Tm and Tc when compared with DMSO and water. Additionally, the results obtained showed that NADES can be maintained in the growth media after the thawing step, without compromising cell viability. In summary, we have shown the great potential of NADES to be used as CPAs for the cryopreservation of different cell types, using the vitrification method.
Integrative structure determination reveals functional global flexibility for an ultra-multimodular arabinanase
Authors: Lansky Shifra , Salama Rachel , Biarnés Xevi , Shwartstein Omer , Schneidman-Duhovny Dina , Planas Antoni , Shoham Yuval , Shoham Gil
Published: May 2022

AbnA is an extracellular GH43 α-L-arabinanase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus, a key bacterial enzyme in the degradation and utilization of arabinan. We present herein its full-length crystal structure, revealing the only ultra-multimodular architecture and the largest structure to be reported so far within the GH43 family. Additionally, the structure of AbnA appears to contain two domains belonging to new uncharacterized carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) families. Three crystallographic conformational states are determined for AbnA, and this conformational flexibility is thoroughly investigated further using the “integrative structure determination” approach, integrating molecular dynamics, metadynamics, normal mode analysis, small angle X-ray scattering, dynamic light scattering, cross-linking, and kinetic experiments to reveal large functional conformational changes for AbnA, involving up to ~100 Å movement in the relative positions of its domains. The integrative structure determination approach demonstrated here may apply also to the conformational study of other ultra-multimodular proteins of diverse functions and structures.
Computational methods for the characterization of Apis mellifera comb architecture
Authors: Bader Christoph , Costa João , Lee Nic , Smith Rachel , Ri Ren , Weaver James C. , Oxman Neri
Published: May 2022

The architecture of honey bee combs embodies a range of expressions associated with swarm intelligence, emergent behaviors, and social organization, which has drawn scientists to study them as a model of collective construction processes. Until recently, however, the development of models to characterize comb-building behavior has relied heavily on laborious manual observations and measurements. The use of high-throughput multi-scale analyses to investigate the geometric features of Apis mellifera comb therefore has the potential to vastly expand our understanding of comb-building processes. Inspired by this potential, here we explore connections between geometry and behavior by utilizing computational methods for the detailed examination of hives constructed within environments designed to observe how natural building rule sets respond to environmental perturbations. Using combs reconstructed from X-ray micro-computed tomography source data, we introduce a set of tools to analyze geometry and material distributions from these scans, spanning from individual cells to whole-hive-level length scales. Our results reveal relationships between cell geometry and comb morphology, enable the generalization of prior research on build direction, demonstrate the viability of our methods for isolating specific features of comb architecture, and illustrate how these results may be employed to investigate hive-level behaviors related to build-order and material distributions.
Chimpanzees produce diverse vocal sequences with ordered and recombinatorial properties
Authors: Girard-Buttoz Cédric , Zaccarella Emiliano , Bortolato Tatiana , Friederici Angela D. , Wittig Roman M. , Crockford Catherine
Published: May 2022

The origins of human language remains a major question in evolutionary science. Unique to human language is the capacity to flexibly recombine a limited sound set into words and hierarchical sequences, generating endlessly new sentences. In contrast, sequence production of other animals appears limited, stunting meaning generation potential. However, studies have rarely quantified flexibility and structure of vocal sequence production across the whole repertoire. Here, we used such an approach to examine the structure of vocal sequences in chimpanzees, known to combine calls used singly into longer sequences. Focusing on the structure of vocal sequences, we analysed 4826 recordings of 46 wild adult chimpanzees from Taï National Park. Chimpanzees produced 390 unique vocal sequences. Most vocal units emitted singly were also emitted in two-unit sequences (bigrams), which in turn were embedded into three-unit sequences (trigrams). Bigrams showed positional and transitional regularities within trigrams with certain bigrams predictably occurring in either head or tail positions in trigrams, and predictably co-occurring with specific other units. From a purely structural perspective, the capacity to organize single units into structured sequences offers a versatile system potentially suitable for expansive meaning generation. Further research must show to what extent these structural sequences signal predictable meanings.
Impacts of larval host plant species on dispersal traits and free-flight energetics of adult butterflies
Authors: Pocius Victoria M. , Cibotti Staci , Ray Swayamjit , Ankoma-Darko Obenewa , McCartney Nathaniel B. , Schilder Rudolf J. , Ali Jared G.
Published: May 2022

Animals derive resources from their diet and allocate them to organismal functions such as growth, maintenance, reproduction, and dispersal. How variation in diet quality can affect resource allocation to life-history traits, in particular those important to locomotion and dispersal, is poorly understood. We hypothesize that, particularly for specialist herbivore insects that are in co-evolutionary arms races with host plants, changes in host plant will impact performance. From their coevolutionary arms-race with plants, to a complex migratory life history, Monarch butterflies are among the most iconic insect species worldwide. Population declines initiated international conservation efforts involving the replanting of a variety of milkweed species. However, this practice was implemented with little regard for how diverse defensive chemistry of milkweeds experienced by monarch larvae may affect adult fitness traits. We report that adult flight muscle investment, flight energetics, and maintenance costs depend on the host plant species of larvae, and correlate with concentration of milkweed-derived cardenolides sequestered by adults. Our findings indicate host plant species can impact monarchs by affecting fuel requirements for flight.
TECRL deficiency results in aberrant mitochondrial function in cardiomyocytes
Authors: Hou Cuilan , Jiang Xunwei , Zhang Han , Zheng Junmin , Qiu Qingzhu , Zhang Yongwei , Sun Xiaomin , Xu Meng , Chang Alex Chia Yu , Xie Lijian , Xiao Tingting
Published: May 2022

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) caused by ventricular arrhythmias is the leading cause of mortality of cardiovascular disease. Mutation in TECRL, an endoplasmic reticulum protein, was first reported in catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia during which a patient succumbed to SCD. Using loss- and gain-of-function approaches, we investigated the role of TECRL in murine and human cardiomyocytes. Tecrl (knockout, KO) mouse shows significantly aggravated cardiac dysfunction, evidenced by the decrease of ejection fraction and fractional shortening. Mechanistically, TECRL deficiency impairs mitochondrial respiration, which is characterized by reduced adenosine triphosphate production, increased fatty acid synthase (FAS) and reactive oxygen species production, along with decreased MFN2, p-AKT (Ser473), and NRF2 expressions. Overexpression of TECRL induces mitochondrial respiration, in PI3K/AKT dependent manner. TECRL regulates mitochondrial function mainly through PI3K/AKT signaling and the mitochondrial fusion protein MFN2. Apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) and cytochrome C (Cyc) is released from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm after siTECRL infection, as demonstrated by immunofluorescent staining and western blotting. Herein, we propose a previously unrecognized TECRL mechanism in regulating CPVT and may provide possible support for therapeutic target in CPVT.
Drug repositioning of polaprezinc for bone fracture healing
Authors: Ko Eun Ae , Park Yoo Jung , Yoon Dong Suk , Lee Kyoung-Mi , Kim Jihyun , Jung Sujin , Lee Jin Woo , Park Kwang Hwan
Published: May 2022

Fractures and related complications are a common challenge in the field of skeletal tissue engineering. Vitamin D and calcium are the only broadly available medications for fracture healing, while zinc has been recognized as a nutritional supplement for healthy bones. Here, we aimed to use polaprezinc, an anti-ulcer drug and a chelate form of zinc and L-carnosine, as a supplement for fracture healing. Polaprezinc induced upregulation of osteogenesis-related genes and enhanced the osteogenic potential of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and osteoclast differentiation potential of mouse bone marrow-derived monocytes. In mouse experimental models with bone fractures, oral administration of polaprezinc accelerated fracture healing and maintained a high number of both osteoblasts and osteoclasts in the fracture areas. Collectively, polaprezinc promotes the fracture healing process efficiently by enhancing the activity of both osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Therefore, we suggest that drug repositioning of polaprezinc would be helpful for patients with fractures.
Strategy to extract Kitaev interaction using symmetry in honeycomb Mott insulators
Authors: Cen Jiefu , Kee Hae-Young
Published: May 2022

The Kitaev spin liquid, a ground state of the bond-dependent Kitaev model in a honeycomb lattice has been a center of attraction, since a microscopic theory to realize such an interaction in solid-state materials was discovered. A challenge in real materials though is the presence of the Heisenberg and another bond-dependent Gamma interactions detrimental to the Kitaev spin liquid, and there have been many debates on their relative strengths. Here we offer a strategy to extract the Kitaev interaction out of a full microscopic model by utilizing the symmetries of the Hamiltonian. Two tilted magnetic field directions related by a two-fold rotational symmetry generate distinct spin excitations originated from a specific combination of the Kitaev and Gamma interactions. Together with the in- and out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy, one can determine the Kitaev and Gamma interactions separately. Dynamic spin structure factors are presented to motivate future experiments. The proposed setups will advance the search for Kitaev materials.
Fe3O4 nanoparticles affect paddy soil microbial-driven carbon and nitrogen processes: roles of surface coating and soil types
Authors: Xu Jiangbing , Chen Yaqian , Luo Jingyi , Xu Jiatong , Zhou Guoyi , Yu Yingliang , Xue Lihong , Yang Linzhang , He Shiying
Published: May 2022

nFe3O4@DMSA, rather than nFe3O4, greatly influenced the microbial-driven element cycling, and the effect varied with soil types.
Three-dimensional porous reduced graphene oxide modified electrode for highly sensitive detection of trace rifampicin in milk
Authors: Zhang Keying , Wang Yan , Wang Hongyan , Li Fajun , Zhang Yu , Zhang Na
Published: May 2022

Three-dimensional porous reduced graphene oxide modified electrode for highly sensitive detection of trace rifampicin in milk.
Phenotypic profiling of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma plasma-derived small extracellular vesicles for cancer diagnosis and cancer stage prediction: a proof-of-concept study
Authors: Zhang Wei , Wang Ling , Li Dan , Campbell Douglas H. , Walsh Bradley J. , Packer Nicolle H. , Dong Qing , Wang Erkang , Wang Yuling
Published: May 2022

Phenotype profiling of plasma-derived sEVs using SERS based assay for PDAC diagnosis and cancer stage prediction.
Molecular behavior of fluid gels – the crucial role of edges and particle surface in macroscopic properties
Authors: Ghebremedhin Marta , Seiffert Sebastian , Vilgis Thomas A.
Published: May 2022

In this study, we investigated the underlying microscopic network structure of agarose fluid gels, which defines the basic length scale for their bulk elastic response, resulting in unique textural properties.
Rosmarinic acid ameliorated psoriatic skin inflammation in mice through the novel inhibition of the interleukin-17A/interleukin-17A receptor interaction
Authors: Ho Tin-Yun , Lo Hsin-Yi , Liu I-Chen , Huang Shang-Lin , Hsiang Chien-Yun
Published: May 2022

Rosmarinic acid was an IL-17A-targeting agent that ameliorated psoriatic skin inflammation in mice.
Synthesis and characterisation of polyamides based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid as a sustainable building block for engineering plastics
Authors: Kamran Muhammad , Davidson Matthew G. , de Vos Sicco , Tsanaktsis Vasilios , Yeniad Bahar
Published: May 2022

This paper reports the synthesis of high molecular weight semi-aromatic polyamides containing renewable furanic monomer by a scalable melt polycondensation method using eco-friendly titanium-based catalysts.