bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sequential in vivo labeling of insulin secretory granule pools inINS-SNAPtransgenic pigs
Authors: Kemter Elisabeth , Müller Andreas , Neukam Martin , Ivanova Anna , Klymiuk Nikolai , Renner Simone , Yang Kaiyuan , Broichhagen Johannes , Kurome Mayuko , Zakhartchenko Valeri , Kessler Barbara , Knoch Klaus-Peter , Bickle Marc , Ludwig Barbara , Johnsson Kai , Lickert Heiko , Kurth Thomas , Wolf Eckhard , Solimena Michele
Published: September 2021

Significance

The failure of β cells to secrete sufficient amounts of insulin is a key feature of diabetes mellitus. Each β cell secretes only a small amount of insulin upon stimulation in a highly regulated fashion: young insulin is preferentially released, whereas old insulin is mainly degraded within the β cell. How this process is regulated in vivo and likely altered in diabetes is currently unknown. We present here a transgenic pig model that allows the in vivo fluorescent labeling of age-distinct insulin secretory granule pools, hence providing a close-to-life readout of insulin turnover. This will enable the study of alterations in β cell function in an animal model close to humans.
Probing solution structure of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel GLIC by small-angle neutron scattering
Authors: Lycksell Marie , Rovšnik Urška , Bergh Cathrine , Johansen Nicolai T. , Martel Anne , Porcar Lionel , Arleth Lise , Howard Rebecca J. , Lindahl Erik
Published: September 2021

Significance

Ligand-gated ion channels are membrane proteins that cycle rapidly between open and closed forms, a process called gating. The structural basis of gating is foundational to receptor biophysics, cellular physiology, and drug design; however, it remains unclear how experimental X-ray structures correspond to solution behavior. Here, we test the solution structure of a model ion channel, GLIC, based on small-angle neutron scattering and molecular simulations under conditions that favor closed or open states. We find that closed-state conditions correspond well to closed X-ray structures, while open-state conditions implicate intermediate or mixed open/closed structures. These results elucidate the states sampled during ion channel gating, and the utility of neutron scattering combined with simulations to distinguish subtle shifts in membrane protein structure.
COVID-19 and mental health of individuals with different personalities
Authors: Proto Eugenio , Zhang Anwen
Published: September 2021

Several studies have been devoted to establishing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health across gender, age, and ethnicity. However, much less attention has been paid to the differential effect of COVID-19 according to different personalities. We do this using the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), a large-scale panel survey representative of the UK population. The UKHLS allows us to assess the mental health of the same respondent before and during the COVID-19 period based on their “Big Five” personality traits and cognitive skills. We find that during the COVID-19 period, individuals who have more extravert and open personality traits report a higher mental health deterioration, while those scoring higher in agreeableness are less affected. The effect of openness is particularly strong: One more SD predicts up to 0.23 more symptoms of mental health deterioration in the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) test during the COVID-19 period. In particular, for females, cognitive skills and openness are strong predictors of mental health deterioration, while for non-British White respondents, these predictors are extraversion and openness. Neuroticism strongly predicts worse mental health cross-sectionally, but it does not lead to significantly stronger deterioration during the pandemic. The study’s results are robust to the inclusion of potential confounding variables such as changes in physical health, household income, and job status (like unemployed or furloughed).
Relative mobility of screw versus edge dislocations controls the ductile-to-brittle transition in metals
Authors: Lu Yan , Zhang Yu-Heng , Ma En , Han Wei-Zhong
Published: September 2021

Significance

This work uncovers the mystery of ductile-to-brittle transition (DBT) in body-centered cubic (BCC) metals. Temperature-dependent dislocation mobility and dislocation nucleation have been proposed as the potential factors responsible for the DBT. However, there is no compelling explanation as to why the smooth/gradual temperature-dependent kink-pair formation always gives rise to an abrupt DBT. We discover that the ratio of screw dislocation velocity to edge dislocation velocity is a controlling factor responsible for the DBT. A sufficiently high relative mobility is a prerequisite for the coordinated movement of screw and edge segments to sustain dislocation multiplication. The study offers fundamental insights into the deformation mechanism of BCC metals.
5′-Cap sequestration is an essential determinant of HIV-1 genome packaging
Authors: Ding Pengfei , Kharytonchyk Siarhei , Kuo Nansen , Cannistraci Emily , Flores Hana , Chaudhary Ridhi , Sarkar Mitali , Dong Xinmei , Telesnitsky Alice , Summers Michael F.
Published: September 2021

Significance

HIV-1 replication is critically dependent on the selective incorporation of viral RNA genomes into assembling virions. Although RNA elements that promote packaging have been identified, the determinants of authentic packaging fidelity and efficiency have until now remained unknown. The present studies show that genome selection is achieved by a bipartite mechanism that requires both dimerization-dependent exposure of packaging signals within the 5′ leader of the viral RNA and structural sequestration of the 5′ cap. Cap sequestration likely prevents capture by the cellular RNA processing and translation machinery, a mechanism that may help explain why some cellular RNA polymerase III transcripts that lack 5′ caps can parasitize virions. Cap sequestration may be commonly employed among RNA viruses that package 5′-capped genomes.
Vestibular rehabilitation in patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness
Authors: Tramontano Marco , Princi Alessandro Antonio , De Angelis Sara , Indovina Iole , Manzari Leonardo
Published: September 2021

Objective

In 2017, the Committee for Classification of Vestibular Disorders of the Bárány Society unified four dizziness disorders under the definition of persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD). Currently, the efficacy of vestibular training (VR) in treating patients with PPPD is still under debate. The aim of this scoping review is to evaluate the possible clinical application of VR alone or in combination with other therapy in patients with PPPD.

Methods

Electronic databases searched in May 2021 were PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and Physiotherapy Evidence Database and the data selection was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR extension for scoping reviews.

Results

Electronic searches identified 41 studies and after the selection process 7 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included. We reported a narrative summary of results and presented the overall clinical parameters and outcomes of all included studies in a tabular format.

Conclusion

An accurate instrumental assessment of the vestibular function is needed to guide the clinical reasoning in the management of patients with PPPD. Considering the lack of RCTs, a consensus is needed to develop a shared and robust framework to find the best rehabilitative treatment for individuals with PPPD.
Passive, remote and omnidirectional suppression of sound source radiation via an acoustic superscatterer
Authors: Bai Yue , Gu Limin , Wang Xiaole , Huang Zhenyu
Published: September 2021

Effective direct control of the sound source is the fundamental solution to the problem of noise. Herein, we propose a passive, non-closed and remote scheme for omnidirectional reduction of the sound power radiated from vibrating sources. The physical mechanism of this scheme is to design an acoustic superscatterer based upon the idea of transformation media so that the virtual boundary of the acoustic superscatterer can overlap with the radiation boundary of the sound source to construct drastic multiple scattering effects. Through theoretical analyses and numerical simulations, we confirm the effectiveness of adopting an acoustic superscatterer to significantly suppress the sound radiation power generated by some typical dipolar sources in air. Our study shows that by arranging no more than two acoustic superscatterers at designated positions away from a dipolar thin rod, about 90% of the sound radiation power, i.e. 10 dB, can be suppressed in all directions of the dipole axis. This preliminary work could aid research into the use of passive methods to achieve non-contact omnidirectional noise control of vibrating sources.
Modal dispositionalism and necessary perfect masks
Authors: Vetter Barbara , Busse Ralf
Published: September 2021

Modal dispositionalism is the view that possibilities are a matter of the dispositions of individual objects: it is possible that p if and only if something has a disposition for p to be the case. We raise a problem for modal dispositionalism: nothing within the theory rules out that there could be necessary, perfect masks, which make the manifestation of a disposition impossible. Unless such necessary perfect masks are ruled out, modal dispositionalism runs the risk of failing to provide a sufficient condition for possibility, and indeed of engendering contradictions. But to rule them out, modal dispositionalism would have to revise a crucial tenet of the view, its localism.
The Relationship between Health Literacy and Comfort with Teleneuropsychology in a Veteran Sample
Authors: Sullivan-Baca Erin , Babicz Michelle A , Choudhury Tabina K , Miller Brian I
Published: September 2021

Objective

Health literacy is a strong psychosocial determinant of health disparities and has been found to relate to various aspects of health-related technology use. With the increased implementation of neuropsychological services performed via telehealth during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the relationship between health literacy and comfort with teleneuropsychology warrants further investigation.

Method

The present study examined 77 Veterans participating in neuropsychological evaluations as a part of standard clinical care. The sample was diverse in terms of age ethnicity, and psychiatric and neurocognitive diagnoses. In addition to a fixed-flexible neuropsychological battery, the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool (BRIEF) was administered to evaluate health literacy. Self-reported comfort with the teleneuropsychological evaluation was assessed using an informal 10-point scale, and qualitative comfort responses were also recorded.

Results

Independent samples t-tests revealed older adults were more likely to participate in the evaluation via telephone than with VA Video Connect. Although health literacy was not related to telehealth modality, it was correlated with comfort with the teleneuropsychological evaluation (r = .34, p < .01), although it is notable that average comfort levels were high across modalities (M = 8.16, SD = 2.50).

Conclusions

Findings support the notion that teleneuropsychological services may feasibly be implemented with a diverse group of patients, although flexibility with modality may be necessary. Those performing these services should also be aware that patients with lower health literacy may feel less comfortable with teleneuropsychology as they seek to build rapport and optimize evaluation engagement.
RGS14414-Mediated Activation of the 14-3-3ζ in Rodent Perirhinal Cortex Induces Dendritic Arborization, an Increase in Spine Number, Long-Lasting Memory Enhancement, and the Prevention of Memory Deficits
Authors: Navarro-Lobato Irene , Masmudi-Martín Mariam , López-Aranda Manuel F , Quiros-Ortega María E , Carretero-Rey Marta , Garcia-Garrido María F , Gallardo-Martínez Carmen , Martín-Montañez Elisa , Gaona-Romero Celia , Delgado Gloria , Torres-Garcia Laura , Terrón-Melguizo Javier , Posadas Sinforiano , Muñoz Lourdes Rodríguez , Rios Carlos Vivar , Zoidakis Jerome , Vlahou Antonia , López Juan C , Khan Zafar U
Published: September 2021

The remedy of memory deficits has been inadequate, as all potential candidates studied thus far have shown limited to no effects and a search for an effective strategy is ongoing. Here, we show that an expression of RGS14414 in rat perirhinal cortex (PRh) produced long-lasting object recognition memory (ORM) enhancement and that this effect was mediated through the upregulation of 14-3-3ζ, which caused a boost in BDNF protein levels and increase in pyramidal neuron dendritic arborization and dendritic spine number. A knockdown of the 14-3-3ζ gene in rat or the deletion of the BDNF gene in mice caused complete loss in ORM enhancement and increase in BDNF protein levels and neuronal plasticity, indicating that 14-3-3ζ-BDNF pathway-mediated structural plasticity is an essential step in RGS14414-induced memory enhancement. We further observed that RGS14414 treatment was able to prevent deficits in recognition, spatial, and temporal memory, which are types of memory that are particularly affected in patients with memory dysfunctions, in rodent models of aging and Alzheimer’s disease. These results suggest that 14-3-3ζ-BDNF pathway might play an important role in the maintenance of the synaptic structures in PRh that support memory functions and that RGS14414-mediated activation of this pathway could serve as a remedy to treat memory deficits.
Reversible Fronto-occipitotemporal Signaling Complements Task Encoding and Switching under Ambiguous Cues
Authors: Tsumura Kaho , Kosugi Keita , Hattori Yoshiki , Aoki Ryuta , Takeda Masaki , Chikazoe Junichi , Nakahara Kiyoshi , Jimura Koji
Published: September 2021

Adaptation to changing environments involves the appropriate extraction of environmental information to achieve a behavioral goal. It remains unclear how behavioral flexibility is guided under situations where the relevant behavior is ambiguous. Using functional brain mapping of machine learning decoders and directional functional connectivity, we show that brain-wide reversible neural signaling underpins task encoding and behavioral flexibility in ambiguously changing environments. When relevant behavior is cued ambiguously during behavioral shifting, neural coding is attenuated in distributed cortical regions, but top-down signals from the prefrontal cortex complement the coding. When behavioral shifting is cued more explicitly, modality-specialized occipitotemporal regions implement distinct neural coding about relevant behavior, and bottom-up signals from the occipitotemporal region to the prefrontal cortex supplement the behavioral shift. These results suggest that our adaptation to an ever-changing world is orchestrated by the alternation of top-down and bottom-up signaling in the fronto-occipitotemporal circuit depending on the availability of environmental information.
Functional Organization of Frontoparietal Cortex in the Marmoset Investigated with Awake Resting-State fMRI
Authors: Hori Yuki , Cléry Justine C , Schaeffer David J , Menon Ravi S , Everling Stefan
Published: September 2021

Frontoparietal networks contribute to complex cognitive functions in humans and macaques, such as working memory, attention, task-switching, response suppression, grasping, reaching, and eye movement control. However, there has been no comprehensive examination of the functional organization of frontoparietal networks using functional magnetic resonance imaging in the New World common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus), which is now widely recognized as a powerful nonhuman primate experimental animal. In this study, we employed hierarchical clustering of interareal blood oxygen level–dependent signals to investigate the hypothesis that the organization of the frontoparietal cortex in the marmoset follows the organizational principles of the macaque frontoparietal system. We found that the posterior part of the lateral frontal cortex (premotor regions) was functionally connected to the anterior parietal areas, while more anterior frontal regions (frontal eye field [FEF]) were connected to more posterior parietal areas (the region around the lateral intraparietal area [LIP]). These overarching patterns of interareal organization are consistent with a recent macaque study. These findings demonstrate parallel frontoparietal processing streams in marmosets and support the functional similarities of FEF–LIP and premotor–anterior parietal pathways between marmoset and macaque.
Intra-Areal Visual Topography in Primate Brains Mapped with Probabilistic Tractography of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging
Authors: Tang-Wright K , Smith J E T , Bridge H , Miller K L , Dyrby T B , Ahmed B , Reislev N L , Sallet J , Parker A J , Krug K
Published: September 2021

Noninvasive diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) can be used to map the neural connectivity between distinct areas in the intact brain, but the standard resolution achieved fundamentally limits the sensitivity of such maps. We investigated the sensitivity and specificity of high-resolution postmortem dMRI and probabilistic tractography in rhesus macaque brains to produce retinotopic maps of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and extrastriate cortical visual area V5/MT based on their topographic connections with the previously established functional retinotopic map of primary visual cortex (V1). We also replicated the differential connectivity of magnocellular and parvocellular LGN compartments with V1 across visual field positions. Predicted topographic maps based on dMRI data largely matched the established retinotopy of both LGN and V5/MT. Furthermore, tractography based on in vivo dMRI data from the same macaque brains acquired at standard field strength (3T) yielded comparable topographic maps in many cases. We conclude that tractography based on dMRI is sensitive enough to reveal the intrinsic organization of ordered connections between topographically organized neural structures and their resultant functional organization.
Genome Sequencing Identifies Previously Unrecognized Klebsiella pneumoniae Outbreaks in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the Philippines
Authors: Carlos Celia C , Masim Melissa Ana L , Lagrada Marietta L , Gayeta June M , Macaranas Polle Krystle V , Sia Sonia B , Facun Maria Adelina M , Palarca Janziel Fiel C , Olorosa Agnettah M , Cueno Gicell Anne C , Abrudan Monica , Abudahab Khalil , Argimón Silvia , Kekre Mihir , Underwood Anthony , Stelling John , Aanensen David M ,   NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Genomic Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance, Harste Harry , Muddyman Dawn , Taylor Ben , Wheeler Nicole , David Sophia , Donado-Godoy Pilar , Bernal Johan Fabian , Arevalo Alejandra , Valencia Maria Fernanda , Osma Castro Erik C D , Ravikumar K L , Nagaraj Geetha , Shamanna Varun , Govindan Vandana , Prabhu Akshata , Sravani D , Shincy M R , Rose Steffimole , Ravishankar K N , Okeke Iruka N , Oaikhena Anderson O , Afolayan Ayorinde O , Ajiboye Jolaade J , Ewomazino Odih Erkison , Molloy Ali , Vegvari Carolin
Published: September 2021

Background

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a critically important pathogen in the Philippines. Isolates are commonly resistant to at least 2 classes of antibiotics, yet mechanisms and spread of its resistance are not well studied.

Methods

A retrospective sequencing survey was performed on carbapenem-, extended spectrum beta-lactam-, and cephalosporin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated at 20 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance sentinel sites from 2015 through 2017. We characterized 259 isolates using biochemical methods, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Known AMR mechanisms were identified. Potential outbreaks were investigated by detecting clusters from epidemiologic, phenotypic, and genome-derived data.

Results

Prevalent AMR mechanisms detected include blaCTX-M-15 (76.8%) and blaNDM-1 (37.5%). An epidemic IncFII(Yp) plasmid carrying blaNDM-1 was also detected in 46 isolates from 6 sentinel sites and 14 different sequence types (STs). This plasmid was also identified as the main vehicle of carbapenem resistance in 2 previously unrecognized local outbreaks of ST348 and ST283 at 2 different sentinel sites. A third local outbreak of ST397 was also identified but without the IncFII(Yp) plasmid. Isolates in each outbreak site showed identical STs and K- and O-loci, and similar resistance profiles and AMR genes. All outbreak isolates were collected from blood of children aged < 1 year.

Conclusion

WGS provided a better understanding of the epidemiology of multidrug resistant Klebsiella in the Philippines, which was not possible with only phenotypic and epidemiologic data. The identification of 3 previously unrecognized Klebsiella outbreaks highlights the utility of WGS in outbreak detection, as well as its importance in public health and in implementing infection control programs.
Norovirus Outbreaks in Long-term Care Facilities in the United States, 2009–2018: A Decade of Surveillance
Authors: Calderwood Laura E , Wikswo Mary E , Mattison Claire P , Kambhampati Anita K , Balachandran Neha , Vinjé Jan , Barclay Leslie , Hall Aron J , Parashar Umesh , Mirza Sara A
Published: September 2021

Background

In the United States, norovirus is the leading cause of healthcare-associated gastroenteritis outbreaks. To inform prevention efforts, we describe the epidemiology of norovirus outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCFs).

Methods

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collect epidemiologic and laboratory data on norovirus outbreaks from US health departments through the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) and CaliciNet. Reports from both systems were merged, and norovirus outbreaks in nursing homes, assisted living, and other LTCFs occurring in 2009–2018 were analyzed. Data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Center for Health Statistics were used to estimate state LTCF counts.

Results

During 2009–2018, 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico reported 13 092 norovirus outbreaks and 416 284 outbreak-associated cases in LTCFs. Participation in NORS and CaliciNet increased from 2009 to 2014 and median reporting of LTCF norovirus outbreaks stabilized at 4.1 outbreaks per 100 LTCFs (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.0–7.1) annually since 2014. Most outbreaks were spread via person-to-person transmission (90.4%), and 75% occurred during December–March. Genogroup was reported for 7292 outbreaks with 862 (11.8%) positive for GI and 6370 (87.3%) for GII. Among 4425 GII outbreaks with typing data, 3618 (81.8%) were GII.4. LTCF residents had higher attack rates than staff (median 29.0% vs 10.9%; P < .001). For every 1000 cases, there were 21.6 hospitalizations and 2.3 deaths.

Conclusions

LTCFs have a high burden of norovirus outbreaks. Most LTCF norovirus outbreaks occurred during winter months and were spread person-to-person. Outbreak surveillance can inform development of interventions for this vulnerable population, such as vaccines targeting GII.4 norovirus strains.
Toward Understanding Death
Authors: Dolan Samantha B , Mahon Barbara E , Dowell Scott F , Zaidi Anita
Published: September 2021

Evidence-based approaches to preventing child death require evidence; without data on common causes of child mortality, taking effective action to prevent these deaths is difficult at best. Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) is a potentially powerful, but nascent, technique to obtain gold standard information on causes of death. The Gates Foundation committed to further establishing the methodology and obtain the highest quality information on the major causes of death for children under 5 years. In 2018, the MITS Surveillance Alliance was launched to implement, refine, and enhance the use of MITS across high mortality settings. The Alliance and its members have contributed to some remarkable opportunities to improve mortality surveillance, and we have only just begun to understand the possibilities on larger scales. This supplement showcases studies conducted by MITS Surveillance Alliance members and represents a significant contribution to the cause-of-death literature from high mortality settings.
Face Identification System Based on Synthesizing Realistic Image using Edge-Aided GANs
Authors: Majidpour Jafar , Kais Jameel Samer , Anwar Qadir Jihad
Published: September 2021

Presently, facial image recognition via a thermal camera is a critical phase in numerous fields. Systems using thermal facial images suffer from numerous problems in face identification. In this paper, a model Edge-Aided Generative Adversarial Network (EA-GAN) is introduced to overcome the difficulties of thermal face identification by synthesizing a visible faces image from the thermal version. To enhance the performance of the Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (CGAN) model for the create realistic face images, the edge information extracted from the thermal image has been used as input, thus lead to improving overall the system's achievement. Moreover, a new model is presented in the present work for face identification by integrating two Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to achieve high and rapid accuracy rates. Based on the experiments on the Carl dataset for faces, it is indicated that EA-GAN can synthesize visually comfortable and identity-preserving faces; thus, better performance is achieved in comparison with the state-of-the-art approaches for thermal facial identification.
Early warning indicators of COVID-19 burden for a prosilient European pandemic response
Authors: Beatrice Farrugia , Calleja Neville
Published: September 2021

Background

The European Union has been criticized for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in a reactive, rather than prosilient manner. For the EU bloc to be prosilient, it needs to have the right early warning indicators to allow short-term healthcare system preparedness and agile planning of the public health response.

Method

The association of COVID-19 disease burden, as measured by mortality (COVID-19 and all-cause), hospital and ICU occupancy, with incidence rate (IR), total positivity rate (TPR) and adjusted TPR as proposed by Vong and Kakkar, was investigated using Poisson regression analysis. This was carried out using both real-time data and time lags of up to 8 weeks to identify potential for early warning of spikes in disease burden. ECDC weekly figures for these indicators were used, and the analysis was repeated for the subset of data after Week 42  of 2020, when the EU Council introduced minimum COVID-19 testing rates.

Results

TPR and IR were noted to be the most predictive of COVID-19 disease burden whilst adjusted TPR applied on weekly data was not associated. TPR behaved better at predicting all-cause mortality in both analyses. The TPR and IR were both best associated with hospital and ICU occupancy and COVID-19 mortality with a short time lag (2–3 weeks in the case of TPR with hospital occupancy and COVID-19 mortality).

Conclusions

Monitoring TPR can provide a 2–3-week warning of a spike in hospital occupancy and COVID-19 mortality. This time, if well utilized, could help health systems save countless lives by mobilising resources.
CDC26 is a key factor in human oocyte aging
Authors: Li Li , Xia Ye , Yang Yang , Zhang Wuwen , Yan Hua , Yin Ping , Li Kai , Chen Yuanyuan , Lu Lu , Tong Guoqing
Published: September 2021

STUDY QUESTION

Is CDC26 a key factor in human oocyte aging?

SUMMARY ANSWER

The lack of CDC26 disrupts the oocytes maturation process, leading to oocyte aging, but these defects could be partially rescued by overexpression of the CDC26 protein.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Age-related oocyte aging is the main cause of female fertility decline. In mammalian oocytes, aberrant meiosis can cause chromosomal abnormalities that might lead to infertility and developmental disorders. CDC26 participates in the meiosis process.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

Differential gene expression in young and old women oocytes were screened by single-cell RNA-seq technology, and the functions of differentially genes were verified on mouse oocytes. Finally, transfection technology was used to evaluate the effect of a differentially expressed gene in rescuing human oocyte from aging.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Discarded human oocytes were collected for single-cell RNA-seq, q-PCR and immunocytochemical analyses to screen for and identify differential gene expression. Female KM mice oocytes were collected for IVM of oocytes, q-PCR and immunocytochemical analyses to delineate the relationships between oocyte aging and differential gene expression. Additionally, recombinant lentiviral vectors encoding CDC26 were transfected into the germinal vesicle oocytes of older women, to investigate the effects of the CDC26 gene expression on oocyte development.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Many genes were found to be differentially expressed in the oocytes of young versus old patients via RNA-seq technology. CDC26 mRNA and protein levels in aged oocytes were severely decreased, when compared with the levels observed in young oocytes. Moreover, aged oocytes lacking CDC26 were more prone to aneuploidy. These defects in aged oocytes could be partially rescued by overexpression of the CDC26 protein.

LARGE SCALE DATA

N/A.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

Our study delineated key steps in the oocyte aging process by identifying the key role of CDC26 in the progression of oocyte maturation. Future studies are required to address whether other signaling pathways play a role in regulating oocyte maturation via CDC26 and which genes are the direct molecular targets of CDC26.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Our results using in vitro systems for both mouse and human oocyte maturation provide a proof of principle that CDC26 may represent a novel therapeutic approach against maternal aging-related spindle and chromosomal abnormalities.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81571442 and 81170571), the outstanding Talent Project of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health (XBR2011067) and Clinical Research and Cultivation Project in Shanghai Municipal Hospitals (SHDC12019X32). The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Application of Homogeneous Liquid–Liquid Microextraction With Switchable Hydrophilicity Solvents to the Determination of MDMA, MDA and NBOMes in Postmortem Blood Samples
Authors: Scheid Camila , Eller Sarah , Oenning Anderson Luiz , Carasek Eduardo , Merib Josias , de Oliveira Tiago Franco
Published: September 2021

Synthetic drugs for recreational purposes are in constant evolution, and their consumption promotes a significant increase in intoxication cases, resulting in damaging public health. The development of analytical methodologies to confirm the consumption of illicit drugs in biological matrices is required for the control of these substances. This work exploited the development of an extraction method based on homogenous liquid–liquid microextraction with switchable hydrophilicity solvent (SHS) as extraction phase for the determination of the synthetic drugs 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine and N-methoxybenzyl-methoxyphenylethylamine derivates (25B, 25C and 25I) in postmortem blood, followed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in tandem. The optimized sample preparation conditions consisted of using 250 µL of ZnSO4 10% and 50 µL of NaOH 1 mol/L in the protein precipitation step; N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine was used as SHS, 650 μL of a mixture of SHS:HCl 6 mol/L (1:1 v/v), 500 μL of whole blood, 500 μL of NaOH 10 mol/L and 1 min of extraction time. The proposed method was validated, providing determination coefficients higher than 0.99 for all analytes; limit of detection and limit of quantitation ranged from 0.1 to 10 ng/mL; intra-run precision from 2.16% to 9.19%; inter-run precision from 2.39% to 9.59%; bias from 93.57% to 115.71% and matrix effects from 28.94% to 51.54%. The developed method was successfully applied to four authentic postmortem blood samples from synthetic drugs users, and it was found to be reliable with good selectivity.
Interference Efficiency and Effects of Bacterium-mediated RNAi in the Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Wan Xiao-Shuang , Shi Min-Rui , Xu Jin , Liu Jian-Hong , Ye Hui
Published: September 2021

RNAi is an effective tool for gene function analysis and a promising strategy to provide environmentally friendly control approaches for pathogens and pests. Recent studies support the utility of bacterium-mediated RNAi as a cost-effective method for gene function study and a suitable externally applied delivery mechanism for pest control. Here, we developed a bacterium-mediated RNAi system in Spodoptera frugiperda based on four target genes, specifically, Chitinase (Sf-CHI), Chitin synthase B (Sf-CHSB), Sugar transporter SWEET1 (Sf-ST), and Hemolin (Sf-HEM). RNAi conducted by feeding larvae with bacteria expressing dsRNAs of target genes or injecting pupae and adults with bacterially synthesized dsRNA induced silencing of target genes and resulted in significant negative effects on growth and survival of S. frugiperda. However, RNAi efficiency and effects were variable among different target genes and dsRNA delivery methods. Injection of pupae with dsCHI and dsCHSB induced a significant increase in wing malformation in adults, suggesting that precise regulation of chitin digestion and synthesis is crucial during wing formation. Injection of female moths with dsHEM resulted in lower mating, fecundity, and egg hatching, signifying a critical role of Sf-HEM in the process of egg production and/or embryo development. Our collective results demonstrate that bacterium-mediated RNAi presents an alternative technique for gene function study in S. frugiperda and a potentially effective strategy for control of this pest, and that Sf-CHI, Sf-CHSB, Sf-ST, and Sf-HEM encoding genes can be potent targets.
Arabidopsis annexin 5 is involved in maintenance of pollen membrane integrity and permeability
Authors: Lichocka Małgorzata , Krzymowska Magdalena , Górecka Magdalena , Hennig Jacek
Published: September 2021

In Arabidopsis, a dry stigma surface enables a gradual hydration of pollen grains by a controlled release of water. Occasionally the grains may be exposed to extreme precipitations that cause rapid water influx and swelling, eventually leading to pollen membrane rupture. In metazoans, calcium- and phospholipid-binding proteins, referred to as annexins, participate in the repair of plasma membrane damages. It remains unclear, however, how this process is conducted in plants. Here, we examined whether plant annexin 5 (ANN5), the most abundant member of the annexin family in pollen, is involved in the restoration of pollen membrane integrity. We analyzed the cellular dynamics of ANN5 in pollen grains undergoing hydration in favorable or stress conditions. We observed a transient association of ANN5 with the pollen membrane during in vitro hydration that did not occur in the pollen grains being hydrated on the stigma. To simulate a rainfall, we performed spraying of the pollinated stigma with deionized water that induced ANN5 accumulation at the pollen membrane. Interestingly, calcium or magnesium application affected pollen membrane properties differently, causing rupture or shrinkage of pollen membrane, respectively. Both treatments, however, induced ANN5 recruitment to the pollen membrane. Our data suggest a model in which ANN5 is involved in the maintenance of membrane integrity in pollen grains exposed to osmotic or ionic imbalances.
Infrastructuring digital humanities: On relational infrastructure and global reconfiguration of the field
Authors: Pawlicka-Deger Urszula
Published: September 2021

How do the power dynamics of actors in digital knowledge production define the contours of global science and humanities? Where are scholars now in their efforts to improve a networked, global academic system based on the values of equal access to resources, inclusive participation, and the diversity of epistemologies? This article intervenes in these questions by discussing social dimensions of global knowledge infrastructure—connection, standardization, and access—to understand the specification and materialization of global digital humanities (DH). As digital practices expand across the world, the DH community struggles to ensure inclusive participation and equal opportunities in developing the field. This article shows that discrepancies in global DH lie at the root of existing infrastructure inequalities. Drawing on science and technology studies, it then argues that in order to overcome these imbalances, the academic community can seek the ‘infrastructuring’ of DH. Infrastructuring is an analytical concept that shifts attention from ‘structure’ to ‘process’ of co-creation in the vein of participatory design that foregrounds public engagement, shared interest, and long-term relationships with stakeholders to create networks from which equal opportunities and new forms of connections can emerge. This would involve building an inclusive network of unique nodes of local communities on top of the global knowledge infrastructure.
Embedding creativity into digital resources: Improving information discovery for art history
Authors: Kamposiori Christina , Warwick Claire , Mahony Simon
Published: September 2021

Over the past decades, technological advancement and the mass digitization of information resources have led to the development of a range of digital resources for academic scholarship. Understanding the needs of scholars when employing digital resources for their work can lead to the building of digital infrastructure that not only enables access to the required information but also has the potential to transform scholarship through having a positive effect on the whole scholarly workflow. Through this article, we show how the design of digital libraries and resources can be improved to enhance information discovery and use in art history, while also benefiting other key areas of the research process. By employing an ethnographic approach to the study of scholarly practices, we developed a sound understanding of art historians’ behaviour when interacting with information at different stages of the scholarly workflow. Our results show that scholars exhibited highly creative behaviour when conducting core scholarly activities, such as information seeking and use. Yet, the challenges they often encountered showed that there is still more work to be done to improve digital infrastructure and tools for scholarship in the field. Part of this article will focus on the user requirements for designing systems that facilitate discovery, encourage creative use of information, and trigger inspiration.
Non-pharmacological Home Therapies for Subacute Low Back Pain in Active Duty Military Personnel: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Talbot Laura A , Webb Lee , Ramirez Vanessa J , Morrell Christopher , Bryndziar Martina , Enochs Kayla , Metter e.jeffrey
Published: September 2021

Introduction

Low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of visits to ambulatory care, missed duty time, and disability discharge. The subacute phase of LBP presents an opportune time to prevent chronicity and lessen recurrence. The goal of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to determine the relative effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) training and a progressive exercise program (PEP) on improving physical performance, pain, and torso strength in U.S. service members with subacute LBP, compared to standard primary care management (PCM) alone.

Methods

This is an Institutional Review Board–approved protocol for an RCT conducted with active duty military personnel (n = 128) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, between April 2018 and March 2020. Participants were randomized to receive NMES (n = 43), PEP (n = 42), or PCM (n = 43) for 9 weeks. Outcome measures of physical performance (sit-ups, push-ups, walking, and torso endurance), torso muscle strength (flexion and extension), and pain were assessed at baseline and after 3, 6, and 9 weeks. Analysis was intent-to-treat using linear mixed effects models. A sensitivity analysis was performed to address the protocol deviations that occurred in response to coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, which required rescheduling 17 in-person study visits to home assessments at 9-week testing.

Results

Evidence was found for group differences in physical performance for sit-ups and push-ups, with NMES showing greater improvement than PCM. The two groups showed similar improvements in torso muscle strength, although the NMES groups may show better improvement during early treatment. No group differences in pain levels were observed during the intervention, and all groups improved during the course of the study period. The amount of NMES muscle stimulation was directly related to the level of improvement, which was not the case for the hours reported for PEP exercise.

Conclusion

In an active duty population with subacute LBP, integrating NMES strength training into the rehabilitation therapy may offer a modest benefit for increasing sit-ups and push-ups and improving torso strength.
Cooling and instabilities in colliding flows
Authors: Markwick R N , Frank A , Carroll-Nellenback J , Liu B , Blackman E G , Lebedev S V , Hartigan P M
Published: September 2021

Collisional self-interactions occurring in protostellar jets give rise to strong shocks, the structure of which can be affected by radiative cooling within the flow. To study such colliding flows, we use the AstroBEAR AMR code to conduct hydrodynamic simulations in both one and three dimensions with a power-law cooling function. The characteristic length and time-scales for cooling are temperature dependent and thus may vary as shocked gas cools. When the cooling length decreases sufficiently and rapidly, the system becomes unstable to the radiative shock instability, which produces oscillations in the position of the shock front; these oscillations can be seen in both the one- and three-dimensional cases. Our simulations show no evidence of the density clumping characteristic of a thermal instability, even when the cooling function meets the expected criteria. In the three-dimensional case, the nonlinear thin shell instability (NTSI) is found to dominate when the cooling length is sufficiently small. When the flows are subjected to the radiative shock instability, oscillations in the size of the cooling region allow NTSI to occur at larger cooling lengths, though larger cooling lengths delay the onset of NTSI by increasing the oscillation period.
20 Orbits of binaries based on soar speckle observations
Authors: Gómez Jorge , Docobo José A , Campo Pedro P , Andrade Manuel , Mendez. Rene A , Costa Edgardo
Published: September 2021

New observational data obtained during the 2018, 2019, and 2020 speckle runs with the 4.1-m Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope located at Cerro Pachón (Chile) allowed us to recalculate the orbits of the visual binaries: WDS 00277-1625 (YR 1 Aa,Ab), WDS 00462-2214 (RST4155), WDS 03124-4425 (JC 8), WDS 07427-3510 (HDS 1091), WDS 10093+2020 (A2145), WDS 10116+1321 (HU 874 AB), WDS 10217-0946 (BU 25), WDS 11585-2350 (RST 3767 AB), WDS 13117-2633 (FIN 305), WDS 13305+0729 (A 1789), and WDS 16458-0046 (A1141). In addition, we present the first orbits calculated for the following binaries: WDS 07303-5657 (FIN 105), WDS 09110-1929 (I 824), WDS 12111-5302 (HU 1604), WDS 14592-4206 (HDS 2116 Aa,Ab), WDS 15157-2736 (BU 350), WDS 15493+0503 (A 1126), WDS 16402-2800 (VOU 44 AB), and WDS 18126+1224 (HDS 2570). All of them are placed below Dec. + 21° and the majority are main-sequence stars. Except in cases with giant components or close triple systems, the ANAPAR method was used in order to obtain precise dynamical parallaxes and individual masses. These parallaxes were compared with those obtained by Gaia and/or Hipparcos satellites. In the case of FIN 305, we present two different orbital solutions. Also, using the dynamical parallaxes given by these orbits, we have been able to calculate the luminosity of these systems. Said luminosities allow us to indicate an approximate age for the components of these systems, situating them within the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram. In addition, a commentary for each binary about the physical and dynamical properties of the studied binaries has been included.
Detection of a parsec-scale jet in a radio-quiet narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy with highly accreting supermassive black hole
Authors: Yao Su , Yang Xiaolong , Gu Minfeng , An Tao , Yang Jun , Ho Luis C , Liu Xiang , Wang Ran , Wu Xue-Bing , Yuan Weimin
Published: September 2021

The jet in active galactic nuclei (AGN) is a key ingredient in understanding the co-evolution of galaxies and their central supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Unfortunately, the mechanism of jet launching and collimation is still elusive. The observational evidence of decreasing radio loudness with increasing Eddington ratio implies that the jet should be coupled with the accretion process. To further explore the relationship between the jet and accretion, it is necessary to extend our knowledge of the jet to an extreme end of the Eddington ratio distribution of AGN. Using Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), we report the detection of the parsec-scale radio structure in Mrk 335, a radio-quiet narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy with an Eddington ratio close to/above unity. The VLBA image at 1.5 GHz reveals an elongated structure extending ∼20 pc in north–south direction with a peak flux density of 1.98 ± 0.05 mJy beam−1 and radio brightness temperatures as high as 6 × 107 K. This feature provides a strong evidence of a parsec-scale (bipolar) jet launched from a highly accreting SMBH. We discuss the result by comparing Mrk 335 with other highly accreting systems, e.g. Galactic black holes and tidal disruption events, and recall the discovery of collimated corona in the vicinity of SMBH in Mrk 335 by previous X-ray observations, whose relation to the parsec-scale radio jet should be explored by future simultaneous X-ray spectroscopy and high resolution radio observations.
Planet-driven density waves in protoplanetary discs: Numerical verification of non-linear evolution theory
Authors: Cimerman Nicolas P , Rafikov Roman R
Published: September 2021

Gravitational coupling between protoplanetary discs and planets embedded in them leads to the emergence of spiral density waves, which evolve into shocks as they propagate through the disc. We explore the performance of a semi-analytical framework for describing the non-linear evolution of the global planet-driven density waves, focusing on the low planet mass regime (below the so-called thermal mass). We show that this framework accurately captures the (quasi-)self-similar evolution of the wave properties expressed in terms of properly rescaled variables, provided that certain theoretical inputs are calibrated using numerical simulations (an approximate, first principles calculation of the wave evolution based on the inviscid Burgers equation is in qualitative agreement with simulations but overpredicts wave damping at the quantitative level). We provide fitting formulae for such inputs, in particular, the strength and global shape of the planet-driven shock accounting for non-linear effects. We use this non-linear framework to theoretically compute vortensity production in the disc by the global spiral shock and numerically verify the accuracy of this calculation. Our results can be used for interpreting observations of spiral features in discs, kinematic signatures of embedded planets in CO line emission (‘kinks’), and for understanding the emergence of planet-driven vortices in protoplanetary discs.