bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endothelial Dysfunction and Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Wang Moran , Li Yongsheng , Li Sheng , Lv Jiagao
Published: April 2022

The cardiovascular complications contribute to a majority of diabetes associated morbidity and mortality, accounting for 44% of death in those patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) and 52% of deaths in type 2 DM. Diabetes elicits cardiovascular dysfunction through 2 major mechanisms: ischemic and non-ischemic. Non-ischemic injury is usually under-recognized although common in DM patients, and also a pathogenic factor of heart failure in those diabetic individuals complicated with ischemic heart disease. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is defined as a heart disease in which the myocardium is structurally and functionally abnormal in the absence of coronary artery disease, hypertensive, valvular, or congenital heart disorders in diabetic patients, theoretically caused by non-ischemic injury solely. Current therapeutic strategies targeting DCM mainly address the increased blood glucose levels, however, the effects on heart function are disappointed. Accumulating data indicate endothelial dysfunction plays a critical role in the initiation and development of DCM. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance cause the damages of endothelial function, including barrier dysfunction, impaired nitric oxide (NO) activity, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidative stress, and inflammatory dysregulation. In turn, endothelial dysfunction promotes impaired myocardial metabolism, intracellular Ca2+ mishandling, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial defect, accumulation of advanced glycation end products, and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposit, leads to cardiac stiffness, fibrosis, and remodeling, eventually results in cardiac diastolic dysfunction, systolic dysfunction, and heart failure. While endothelial dysfunction is closely related to cardiac dysfunction and heart failure seen in DCM, clinical strategies for restoring endothelial function are still missing. This review summarizes the timely findings related to the effects of endothelial dysfunction on the disorder of myocardium as well as cardiac function, provides mechanical insights in pathogenesis and pathophysiology of DCM developing, and highlights potential therapeutic targets.
Chinese Proprietary Medicine Xianling Gubao Capsule for Osteoporosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Authors: Cheng Bai-Ru , Wu Rou-Yan , Gao Qin-Yang , Jiang Kai-Xin , Li Shuang-Sang , Qi Shi-Hao , Yuan Ming-Yi , Liu Jian-Ping
Published: April 2022

Objective

To assess the benefit and harm of Chinese medicine Xianling Gubao (XLGB) capsule compared to conventional medication or placebo to inform clinical practice.

Methods

We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with Jadad score ≥3 of XLGB capsule compared to pharmaceutical medication, placebo, or no treatment for primary osteoporosis. We conducted searches in EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (Sino-Med) from their inception till November 13th, 2021. Study selection and data extraction were done by two authors independently. The methodological quality of the RCTs was assessed using Cochrane’s risk of bias tool. The effect size was presented as risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) with their 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Our searches identified 2292 records and after exclusions, eight trials involving 846 participants were included. There was no statistically significant difference between conventional medications with or without XLGB on new fracture (RR: 0.50, 95% CI: [0.13, 1.87]). Quality of life by SF-36 questionnaire of XLGB plus calcium carbonate, vitamin D3, and calcitriol was improved than that of without XLGB (MD: 6.72 scores, 95% CI: [2.82, 10.62]). XLGB increased bone mineral density similarly as calcium carbonate plus vitamin D3 (MD: 0.21, 95% CI: [-0.16, 0.58]) or as alendronate sodium, calcium carbonate plus vitamin D3 (MD: 0.00, 95% CI: [-0.10, 0.10]), but it had no additional effect as an add-on treatment to conventional medications (MD: 0.13, 95% CI: [-0.12, 0.37]). XLGB relieved pain via visual analog scale more effectively when combined with medications (MD: -1.55 score, 95% CI: [-2.47, -0.63]). XLGB as monotherapy did not increase adverse events (RR: 0.63, 95% CI: [0.28, 1.41]), or as an add-on treatment (RR: 0.25, 95% CI: [0.03, 2.16]).

Conclusion

This systematic review shows that XLGB capsule appears to be safe and has a beneficial effect on the quality of life and pain relief when used alone or in combination with conventional medications in osteoporosis patients. Further large, rigorous trials are warranted to test its long-term benefit.
An Approach to Solar Radiation Prediction Using ARX and ARMAX Models
Authors: Silva Vinícius Leonardo Gadioli da , Oliveira Filho Delly , Carlo Joyce Correna , Vaz Patrícia Nogueira
Published: April 2022

In recent years, Brazilian meteorological networks have introduced numerous automatic stations to monitor global solar radiation at hourly intervals. Historically, large-scale climate data measurement has supported aviation and agricultural activities. The need for a good mathematical model to adequately describe a process is a great challenge, since the performance of control and simulation systems can significantly impact both system operation and/or automation and system planning. The design of control systems based on predictive models should allow for describing the dynamic behavior of the process or system under realistic conditions, as well as finding the simplest possible model to optimize the computational resources. The present work sought to predict solar radiation levels via ARX and ARMAX linear mathematical modeling. During the simulations, global horizontal radiation was defined as input, while the following parameters were outputs: extraterrestrial normal radiation, infrared horizontal radiation, extraterrestrial horizontal radiation, direct normal radiation, and diffuse horizontal radiation. It must be noted that a new simulation was performed for each variable. The use of linear modeling (ARX and ARMAX) to predict solar radiation data was efficient for extraterrestrial normal, infrared, and extraterrestrial horizontal radiation with the mean square error equal to 2.51, 1.40 and 7.15%, respectively.
Anomaly Detection of Hydropower Units Based on Recurrent Neural Network
Authors: Xiong Lei , Liu Jiajun , Yang Feng , Zhang Gang , Dang Jian
Published: April 2022

Anomaly detection for hydraulic turbine unit has an important role in hydropower system. In hydropower systems, different components will produce n-dimensional heterogeneous time series with different characteristics at all times. Due to the characteristic evolution and time dependence, vibration-based anomaly detection for hydraulic turbine unit is extremely challenging. In this paper, we propose a conditional quantile regression based recurrent neural network (QRNN), which models the time dependence and probability distribution between random variables. The proposed method aims to extract the actual representation patterns from the fitted models and it can effectively detect anomalies in the non-uniform time series of feature evolution. The experimental results show that the proposed method has better accuracy in anomaly detection (error reduction by 34%) than the traditional method, and saves at least 25.6% of execution time.
Anthropogenic Carrion Subsidy and Herbicide Glyphosate Depressed Leaf-Litter Breakdown: Effects on Environmental Health in Streams
Authors: Xiang Hongyong , Zhang Yixin , Atkinson David , Sekar Raju
Published: April 2022

Terrestrial leaf-litter (LL) inputs impose great bottom-up effects on freshwater ecosystems by fueling detritus-based food webs, affecting macroinvertebrate and microbial communities, and influencing ecosystem functioning. However, increasing intensive anthropogenic activities including the inputs of herbicide glyphosate disturb the breakdown of LL in streams. In this study, an anthropogenic carrion subsidy (chicken meat) and glyphosate (a stressor) were used to investigate their individual and combined effects on LL breakdown in urban streams and forest streams in China. We found that: 1) carrion subsidy decreased LL breakdown rate in both urban and forest streams and increased total and predator richness in forest streams, the reduced LL breakdown rates may be attributed to the foraging shift of macroinvertebrates from LL to carrion subsidy; 2) glyphosate depressed LL breakdown rate in forest but not in urban streams, the reduced LL breakdown rate may be caused by the negative effects on microbes; 3) forest streams showed significantly higher LL breakdown rates in both coarse and fine mesh bags than urban streams which were induced by the high dissolved oxygen (DO) and collector-gatherer richness. Our results provide evidence that LL breakdown in streams is sensitive to inputs of anthropogenic carrion subsidy and glyphosate through the impacts on macroinvertebrates and microbes, respectively. Furthermore, this study underscores the importance of local macroinvertebrate and microbial communities when assessing the responses of stream ecosystem functioning and macroinvertebrate communities to multiple stressors, as the individual and combined effects of stressors can be site-specific in streams with different physical characteristics and biological communities.
Progress of Genomics-Driven Approaches for Sustaining Underutilized Legume Crops in the Post-Genomic Era
Authors: Jha Uday Chand , Nayyar Harsh , Parida Swarup K , Bakır Melike , von Wettberg Eric J. B. , Siddique Kadambot H. M.
Published: April 2022

Legume crops, belonging to the Fabaceae family, are of immense importance for sustaining global food security. Many legumes are profitable crops for smallholder farmers due to their unique ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and their intrinsic ability to thrive on marginal land with minimum inputs and low cultivation costs. Recent progress in genomics shows promise for future genetic gains in major grain legumes. Still it remains limited in minor legumes/underutilized legumes, including adzuki bean, cluster bean, horse gram, lathyrus, red clover, urd bean, and winged bean. In the last decade, unprecedented progress in completing genome assemblies of various legume crops and resequencing efforts of large germplasm collections has helped to identify the underlying gene(s) for various traits of breeding importance for enhancing genetic gain and contributing to developing climate-resilient cultivars. This review discusses the progress of genomic resource development, including genome-wide molecular markers, key breakthroughs in genome sequencing, genetic linkage maps, and trait mapping for facilitating yield improvement in underutilized legumes. We focus on 1) the progress in genomic-assisted breeding, 2) the role of whole-genome resequencing, pangenomes for underpinning the novel genomic variants underlying trait gene(s), 3) how adaptive traits of wild underutilized legumes could be harnessed to develop climate-resilient cultivars, 4) the progress and status of functional genomics resources, deciphering the underlying trait candidate genes with putative function in underutilized legumes 5) and prospects of novel breeding technologies, such as speed breeding, genomic selection, and genome editing. We conclude the review by discussing the scope for genomic resources developed in underutilized legumes to enhance their production and play a critical role in achieving the “zero hunger” sustainable development goal by 2030 set by the United Nations.
RNA 2’-O-Methyltransferase Fibrillarin Facilitates Virus Entry Into Macrophages Through Inhibiting Type I Interferon Response
Authors: Li Panpan , Liu Yang , Song Renjie , Zhao Lu , Yang Jiang , Lu Fengjiao , Cao Xuetao
Published: April 2022

Type I interferons (IFN-I) play crucial roles in antiviral immune responses through inducing multiple antiviral interferon stimulated genes (ISGs). RNA modifications are emerging as critical post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression programs, which affect diverse biological processes. 2’-O-methylation (Nm) is one of the most common types of RNA modifications found in several kinds of RNA. However, the function and underlying mechanism of Nm modification in regulating viral infection and innate immunity are largely unknown. Here we found that 2’-O-methyladenosine (Am) on poly A+ RNA was increased in virus infected-macrophages. Functional screening identified RNA 2’-O-methyltransferase Fibrillarin (FBL) in facilitating viral infection. Down-regulation of FBL inhibited viral infection through blocking virus entry into macrophages. Furthermore, knockdown of FBL could reduce viral entry by increasing ISGs expression through IFN-I signaling. These results indicated that FBL-mediated Nm modifications of RNA may avoid the innate immune recognition, thereby maintain immune homeostasis. Once FBL is down-regulated, the decreased Nm modifications of RNA in macrophages may act as “non-self” RNA and be recognized by RNA sensor interferon induced with helicase C domain 1 (MDA5), leading to innate immune activation by inducing the expression of IFN-I and ISGs. Therefore, our finding reveals a new role of FBL and its mediated RNA Nm modifications in facilitating viral infection and inhibiting innate immune response, adding mechanistic insight to the RNA modifications in infection and immunity.
Checkpoint Inhibitor Pneumonitis Induced by Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Therapy in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Occurrence and Mechanism
Authors: Yin Jianqiong , Wu Yuanjun , Yang Xue , Gan Lu , Xue Jianxin
Published: April 2022

Immune checkpointty inhibitors (ICIs), particularly those targeting programmed death 1 (PD-1) and anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), enhance the antitumor effect by restoring the function of the inhibited effector T cells and produce durable responses in a large variety of metastatic and late patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. Although often well tolerated, the activation of the immune system results in side effects known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which can affect multiple organ systems, including the lungs. The occurrence of severe pulmonary irAEs, especially checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP), is rare but has extremely high mortality and often overlaps with the respiratory symptoms and imaging of primary tumors. The development of CIP may be accompanied by radiation pneumonia and infectious pneumonia, leading to the simultaneous occurrence of a mixture of several types of inflammation in the lungs. However, there is a lack of authoritative diagnosis, grading criteria and clarified mechanisms of CIP. In this article, we review the incidence and median time to onset of CIP in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in clinical studies. We also summarize the clinical features, potential mechanisms, management and predictive biomarkers of CIP caused by PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in non-small-cell lung cancer treatment.
Emerging Roles of Inflammasomes in Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Liao Yingnan , Liu Kui , Zhu Liyuan
Published: April 2022

Cardiovascular diseases are known as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. As an innate immune signaling complex, inflammasomes can be activated by various cardiovascular risk factors and regulate the activation of caspase-1 and the production and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18. Accumulating evidence supports that inflammasomes play a pivotal role in the progression of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. The best-known inflammasomes are NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2 inflammasomes, among which NLRP3 inflammasome is the most widely studied in the immune response and disease development. This review focuses on the activation and regulation mechanism of inflammasomes, the role of inflammasomes in cardiovascular diseases, and the research progress of targeting NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β for related disease intervention.
Identifying Small-Molecule Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase by Establishing a Fluorometric Assay
Authors: Bai Xiaoming , Sun Hongmin , Wu Shuo , Li Yuhuan , Wang Lifei , Hong Bin
Published: April 2022

SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2), a member of the coronavirus family, appeared in 2019 and has caused the largest global public health and economic emergency in recent history, affecting almost all sectors of society. SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus that relies on RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity in viral transcription and replication. Due to its high sequence and structural conservation in coronavirus and new SARS-CoV-2 variants, RdRp has been recognized as the key therapeutic target to design novel antiviral strategies. Nucleotide analogs (NAs), such as remdesivir, is the most promising class of RdRp inhibitors to be used in the treatment of COVID-19. However, the presence of exonucleases in SARS-CoV-2 caused a great challenge to NAs; the excision of incorporated NAs will lead to viral resistance to this group of inhibitors. Here, we expressed active RdRp protein in both a eukaryotic expression system of baculovirus-infected insect cells and a prokaryotic expression system of Escherichia coli cells. Nsp7 and nsp8 of the functional RdRp holoenzyme were generated in E. coli. An in vitro RdRp activity assay has been established with a reconstituted nsp12/nsp7/nsp8 complex and biotin-labeled self-priming RNAs, and the activity of the RdRp complex was determined by detecting binding and extension of RNAs. Moreover, to meet the needs of high-throughput drug screening, we developed a fluorometric approach based on dsRNA quantification to assess the catalytic activity of the RdRp complex, which is also suitable for testing in 96-well plates. We demonstrated that the active triphosphate form of remdesivir (RTP) and several reported non-nucleotide analog viral polymerase inhibitors blocked the RdRp in the in vitro RdRp activity assay and high-throughput screening model. This high-throughput screening model has been applied to a custom synthetic chemical and natural product library of thousands of compounds for screening SARS-CoV-2 RdRp inhibitors. Our efficient RdRp inhibitor discovery system provides a powerful platform for the screening, validation, and evaluation of novel antiviral molecules targeting SARS-CoV-2 RdRp, particularly for non-nucleotide antivirals drugs (NNAs).
The Role of MIF and IL-10 as Molecular Yin-Yang in the Modulation of the Host Immune Microenvironment During Infections: African Trypanosome Infections as a Paradigm
Authors: Stijlemans Benoit , Schoovaerts Maxime , De Baetselier Patrick , Magez Stefan , De Trez Carl
Published: April 2022

African trypanosomes are extracellular flagellated unicellular protozoan parasites transmitted by tsetse flies and causing Sleeping Sickness disease in humans andNaganadisease in cattle and other livestock. These diseases are usually characterized by the development of a fatal chronic inflammatory disease if left untreated. During African trypanosome infection and many other infectious diseases, the immune response is mediating a see-saw balance between effective/protective immunity and excessive infection-induced inflammation that can cause collateral tissue damage. African trypanosomes are known to trigger a strong type I pro-inflammatory response, which contributes to peak parasitaemia control, but this can culminate into the development of immunopathologies, such as anaemia and liver injury, if not tightly controlled. In this context, the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and the interleukin-10 (IL-10) cytokines may operate as a molecular “Yin-Yang” in the modulation of the host immune microenvironment during African trypanosome infection, and possibly other infectious diseases. MIF is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine and critical upstream mediator of immune and inflammatory responses, associated with exaggerated inflammation and immunopathology. For example, it plays a crucial role in the pro-inflammatory response against African trypanosomes and other pathogens, thereby promoting the development of immunopathologies. On the other hand, IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine, acting as a master regulator of inflammation during both African trypanosomiasis and other diseases. IL-10 is crucial to counteract the strong MIF-induced pro-inflammatory response, leading to pathology control. Hence, novel strategies capable of blocking MIF and/or promoting IL-10 receptor signaling pathways, could potentially be used as therapy to counteract immunopathology development during African trypanosome infection, as well as during other infectious conditions. Together, this review aims at summarizing the current knowledge on the opposite immunopathological molecular “Yin-Yang” switch roles of MIF and IL-10 in the modulation of the host immune microenvironment during infection, and more particularly during African trypanosomiasis as a paradigm.
The Prognostic Value of Natural Killer Cells and Their Receptors/Ligands in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Xue Jun-Shuai , Ding Zi-Niu , Meng Guang-Xiao , Yan Lun-Jie , Liu Hui , Li Hai-Chao , Yao Sheng-Yu , Tian Bao-Wen , Dong Zhao-Ru , Chen Zhi-Qiang , Hong Jian-Guo , Wang Dong-Xu , Li Tao
Published: April 2022

Background

Natural killer (NK) cells play major roles in eliminating tumor cells. Preliminary studies have shown that NK cells and their receptors/ligands have prognostic value in malignant tumors. However, the relevance of NK cells and their receptors/ligands level to the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.

Methods

Several electronic databases were searched from database inception to November 8, 2021. Random effects were introduced to this meta-analysis. The relevance of NK cells and their receptors/ligands level to the prognosis of HCC was evaluated using hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI).

Results

26 studies were included in the analysis. The pooled results showed that high NK cells levels were associated with better overall survival (HR=0.70, 95%CI 0.57–0.86, P=0.001) and disease-free survival (HR=0.61, 95%CI 0.40-0.93, P=0.022) of HCC patients. In subgroup analysis for overall survival, CD57+ NK cells (HR=0.70, 95%CI 0.55-0.89, P=0.004) had better prognostic value over CD56+ NK cells (HR=0.69, 95%CI 0.38-1.25, P=0.224), and intratumor NK cells had better prognostic value (HR=0.71, 95%CI 0.55-0.90, P=0.005) over peripheral NK cells (HR=0.66, 95%CI 0.41-1.06, P=0.088). In addition, high level of NK cell inhibitory receptors predicted increased recurrence of HCC, while the prognostic role of NK cell activating receptors remained unclear.

Conclusion

NK cells and their inhibitory receptors have prognostic value for HCC. The prognostic role of NK cell activating receptors is unclear and more high-quality prospective studies are essential to evaluate the prognostic value of NK cells and their receptors/ligands for HCC.
Regulation of Proinflammatory Molecules and Tissue Factor by SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in Human Placental Cells: Implications for SARS-CoV-2 Pathogenesis in Pregnant Women
Authors: Guo Xiaofang , Semerci Nihan , De Assis Viviana , Kayisli Umit A. , Schatz Frederick , Steffensen Thora S. , Guzeloglu-Kayisli Ozlem , Lockwood Charles J.
Published: April 2022

SARS-CoV-2 infects cells via binding to ACE2 and TMPRSS2, which allows the virus to fuse with host cells. The viral RNA is detected in the placenta of SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnant women and infection is associated with adverse pregnancy complications. Therefore, we hypothesize that SARS-CoV-2 infection of placental cells induces pro-inflammatory cytokine release to contribute to placental dysfunction and impaired pregnancy outcomes. First, expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 was measured by qPCR in human primary cultured term cytotrophoblasts (CTBs), syncytiotrophoblast (STBs), term and first trimester decidual cells (TDCs and FTDCs, respectively), endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) as well as trophoblast cell lines HTR8, JEG3, placental microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) and endometrial endothelial cells (HEECs). Later, cultured HTR8, JEG3, PMVECs and HEECs were treated with 10, 100, 1000 ng/ml of recombinant (rh-) SARS-CoV-2 S-protein ± 10 ng/ml rh-IFNγ. Pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, 6 and 8, chemokines CCL2, CCL5, CXCL9 and CXCL10 as well as tissue factor (F3), the primary initiator of the extrinsic coagulation cascade, were measured by qPCR as well as secreted IL-6 and IL-8 levels were measured by ELISA. Immunohistochemical staining for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was performed in placental specimens from SARS-CoV-2–positive and normal pregnancies. ACE2 levels were significantly higher in CTBs and STBs vs. TDCs, FTDCs and HESCs, while TMPRSS2 levels were not detected in TDCs, FTDCs and HESCs. HTR8 and JEG3 express ACE2 and TMPRSS2, while PMVECs and HEECs express only ACE2, but not TMPRSS2. rh-S-protein increased proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines levels in both trophoblast and endothelial cells, whereas rh-S-protein only elevated F3 levels in endothelial cells. rh-IFNγ ± rh-S-protein augments expression of cytokines and chemokines in trophoblast and endothelial cells. Elevated F3 expression by rh-IFNγ ± S-protein was observed only in PMVECs. In placental specimens from SARS-CoV-2-infected mothers, endothelial cells displayed higher immunoreactivity against spike protein. These findings indicated that SARS-CoV-2 infection in placental cells: 1) induces pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine release, which may contribute to the cytokine storm observed in severely infected pregnant women and related placental dysfunction; and 2) elevates F3 expression that may trigger systemic or placental thrombosis.
Comparison of Phenolic and Flavonoid Content and Antioxidant and Chelating Activities of Rhizophora mangle in Different Anthropogenically-Polluted Coastal Lagoons
Authors: González-Ocampo Héctor Abelardo , Martínez-Álvarez Iván Guadalupe , Jaramillo-Flores María Eugenia , Luna-González Antonio
Published: April 2022

The production of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant (AA), and copper chelating (CACu+) activities of Rhizophora mangle from three coastal lagoons under different grades of anthropogenic pollution and pollutant presence were analyzed. R. mangle is a mangrove plant that inhabits tropical coastal lagoons and shows the ability to accumulate pollutants in their tissues and respond to environmental stressors via the production of secondary metabolites AA and CACu+ activities. In total, 108 samples (June 2010 to August 2011) of leaves, barks, and the roots of R. mangle from Magdalena Bay (MBAY), Navachiste Lagoon (NLAG), and Terminos Lagoon (TLAG) (Mexico) were collected. Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric, aluminum chloride colorimetric, ABTS∙+ discoloration, and pyrocatechol-violet methods calculated TPC, TFC, AA, and, CACu+, respectively. Atomic absorption spectrometry, gas chromatography, and Walkley–Black methods were used to calculate the metal content, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and organic matter (OM) in sediments. One-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey’s, Scheffé’s, and Bonferroni and Holm multiple comparisons were used to determine significance, and Pearson’s test was applied to determine the coefficient of correlations. Significant differences among the lagoons of TPC, TFC, AA, and Cu+CA activities of Rhizophora mangle are explained by their different grades and type of anthropogenic pollution. A significant increase in the TPC and TFC in bark implies a response to the metal and OCPs pollution in surrounding sediments. Significant AA and Cu+CA activities responded to combat environmental stress conditions caused by the OCP and trace metal concentrations in surrounding sediments. Strong and positive correlations among OCP and trace metal were found and related to the constant pesticide residues input. However, OCP concentrations in the surrounding sediments of R. mangle trees did not influence the phenolic production of AA or the Cu+ CA. R. mangle is affected by the type of anthropogenic pollutants and was reflected in the bio-compounds production, antioxidant, and chelating activities related to the concentration of the metals in sediments.
Assessing the Image Concept Drift at the OBSEA Coastal Underwater Cabled Observatory
Authors: Ottaviani Ennio , Francescangeli Marco , Gjeci Nikolla , del Rio Fernandez Joaquin , Aguzzi Jacopo , Marini Simone
Published: April 2022

The marine science community is engaged in the exploration and monitoring of biodiversity dynamics, with a special interest for understanding the ecosystem functioning and for tracking the growing anthropogenic impacts. The accurate monitoring of marine ecosystems requires the development of innovative and effective technological solutions to allow a remote and continuous collection of data. Cabled fixed observatories, equipped with camera systems and multiparametric sensors, allow for a non-invasive acquisition of valuable datasets, at a high-frequency rate and for periods extended in time. When large collections of visual data are acquired, the implementation of automated intelligent services is mandatory to automatically extract the relevant biological information from the gathered data. Nevertheless, the automated detection and classification of streamed visual data suffer from the “concept drift” phenomenon, consisting of a drop of performance over the time, mainly caused by the dynamic variation of the acquisition conditions. This work quantifies the degradation of the fish detection and classification performance on an image dataset acquired at the OBSEA cabled video-observatory over a one-year period and finally discusses the methodological solutions needed to implement an effective automated classification service operating in real time.
Two New Species of Cyphocaris (Amphipoda, Amphilochidea, Cyphocarididae) From Water Columns Above a Methane Seep in the South China Sea
Authors: Wang Yanrong , Sha Zhongli , Ren Xianqiu
Published: April 2022

The Formosa Ridge methane seep is one of three known active methane seepage areas discovered on the northern slope of the South China Sea.Cyphocarisis a genus of pelagic amphipods. Two new species ofCyphocariscollected from water columns above the Formosa Ridge methane seep are reported in the present study.Cyphocaris lubricasp. nov. collected at a depth of 1,118 m is characterized by pereonite 1 dorsal projection not extending beyond head, and the pereopod 5 having a spur beyond pereonite 7.Cyphocaris formosasp. nov. collected at a depth of 500–800 m is characterized by well-developed pereonite 1 dorsal projection extending beyond head and pereopod 5 without spur. The present work describes these two new species and compares them with closely related species, and provides a modified key of world Cyphocarididae species.
Rise of the Machines: Best Practices and Experimental Evaluation of Computer-Assisted Dorsal Fin Image Matching Systems for Bottlenose Dolphins
Authors: Tyson Moore Reny B. , Urian Kim W. , Allen Jason B. , Cush Carolyn , Parham Jason R. , Blount Drew , Holmberg Jason , Thompson Jamie W. , Wells Randall S.
Published: April 2022

Photographic-identification (photo-ID) of bottlenose dolphins using individually distinctive features on the dorsal fin is a well-established and useful tool for tracking individuals; however, this method can be labor-intensive, especially when dealing with large catalogs and/or infrequently surveyed populations. Computer vision algorithms have been developed that can find a fin in an image, characterize the features of the fin, and compare the fin to a catalog of known individuals to generate a ranking of potential matches based on dorsal fin similarity. We examined if and how researchers use computer vision systems in their photo-ID process and developed an experiment to evaluate the performance of the most commonly used, recently developed, systems to date using a long-term photo-ID database of known individuals curated by the Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. Survey results obtained for the “Rise of the machines – Application of automated systems for matching dolphin dorsal fins: current status and future directions” workshop held at the 2019 World Marine Mammal Conference indicated that most researchers still rely on manual methods for comparing unknown dorsal fin images to reference catalogs of known individuals. Experimental evaluation of the finFindR R application, as well as the CurvRank, CurvRank v2, and finFindR implementations in Flukebook suggest that high match rates can be achieved with these systems, with the highest match rates found when only good to excellent quality images of fins with average to high distinctiveness are included in the matching process: for the finFindR R application and the CurvRank and CurvRank v2 algorithms within Flukebook more than 98.92% of correct matches were in the top 50-ranked positions, and more than 91.94% of correct matches were returned in the first ranked position. Our results offer the first comprehensive examination into the performance and accuracy of computer vision algorithms designed to assist with the photo-ID process of bottlenose dolphins and can be used to build trust by researchers hesitant to use these systems. Based on our findings and discussions from the “Rise of the Machines” workshop we provide recommendations for best practices for using computer vision systems for dorsal fin photo-ID.
Brewer’s Spent Dry Yeast Modulates Immunity in Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata)
Authors: Konstantinidis Ioannis , Firmino Joana P. , Ruiz Alberto , Iñarra Bruno , San Martin David , Estévez Alicia , Fernandes Jorge M. O. , Gisbert Enric
Published: April 2022

In this study, we evaluated the replacement of dietary protein sources like fishmeal (FM) and plant proteins (PP) by Brewer’s spent dry yeast (SDY) on the transcriptomic response (RNA-seq, NextSeq500 platform Illumina) in the liver, anterior-mid intestine, and head kidney in juveniles of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). The inclusion of SDY at 30% in the experimental diet (40% crude protein, 16% crude lipid) resulted in a reduction in FM (10%) and PP (31.4%) contents. Using RNA-seq, a total of 19.4 million raw reads per library were obtained, from whose 99.8% of the sequenced data were retained. The alignment efficiency of uniquely mapped reads was 90.3, 89.5, and 89.8% for head kidney, liver, and anterior-mid intestine, respectively. In total, 218 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified among all tissues, out of which, 141 were up- and 77 down-regluated. The enrichment analysis of DEGs revealed that SDY had a modulatory effect on several processes related to host’s immunity, oxygen’s carrier capacity, steroidogenesis, metabolism, and digestion. It is of special relevance the immunomodulatory effects of the tested ingredient as data from RNA-seq showed from the three target tissues analyzed. These results indicated that this ingredient in addition to being considered as a sustainable raw material for replacing conventional protein sources in aquafeeds may also be considered as a functional ingredient due to its content in β-glucans. The overall results of this study coupled with previous nutritional studies on this ingredient indicated the suitability of brewery’s by-products like SDY in aquafeeds for carnivorous species like gilthead seabream, as well as supporting a circular bioeconomy model that reuses, recovers, and recycles resources instead of producing wastes.
Vertically Exported Phytoplankton (< 20 µm) and Their Correlation Network With Bacterioplankton Along a Deep-Sea Seamount
Authors: Zhao Hanshuang , Zhang Zenghu , Nair Shailesh , Zhao Jiulong , Mou Shanli , Xu Kuidong , Zhang Yongyu
Published: April 2022

Phytoplankton have been observed to be widely distributed in the oceanic vertical water columns and have an important contribution to carbon sequestrationviabiological pump mechanism. However, in seamount areas with strong hydrodynamics, their vertical export is still unclear. Moreover, considering phyto- and bacterioplankton are inseparable in the ocean, their correlation in the water columns is also an important scientific issue to be understood, which is related to the microbial ecological process in the aphotic zone. Here, we revealed that there were various phytoplankton (< 20 µm) along a deep-sea seamount (M5 seamount) in the Western Pacific Ocean, and their molecular community structures had no significant difference in different water layers, which were all dominated by Dinophyceae, Syndiniales, and Baciilariophyta. In contrast, the vertical distribution of bacterioplankton community structure showed great variation. Notably, distinct species-specific algae-bacteria relationships occurred in different water layers, and relatively more prominent algae-bacteria relationships occurred in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones than the euphotic zone. In laboratory experiments, after co-cultivating the significantly different bacterial communities from different water layers withSynechococcussp. PCC7002 andPhaeodactylum tricornutumCCMP2561, respectively, the distinct bacterial community structures from different water layers turned similar, reflecting the strong reshaping effect of phytoplankton on the structure of bacterial communities. However, the reshaping effects on bacterial communities by the two algae differed significantly. Overall, the vertically transported phytoplankton in the seamount area not only contribute importantly to carbon sequestrationviabiological pump, but also may have an important reshaping effect on the bacterioplankton community structure in different water layers.
Species Specific Responses to Grazer Cues and Acidification in Phytoplankton- Winners and Losers in a Changing World
Authors: Rigby Kristie , Kinnby Alexandra , Grønning Josephine , Ryderheim Fredrik , Cervin Gunnar , Berdan Emma L. , Selander Erik
Published: April 2022

Phytoplankton induce defensive traits in response to chemical alarm signals from grazing zooplankton. However, these signals are potentially vulnerable to changes in pH and it is not yet known how predator recognition may be affected by ocean acidification. We exposed four species of diatoms and one toxic dinoflagellate to futurepCO2levels, projected by the turn of the century, in factorial combinations with predatory cues from copepods (copepodamides). We measured the change in growth, chain length, silica content, and toxin content. Effects of increasedpCO2were highly species specific. The induction of defensive traits was accompanied by a significant reduction in growth rate in three out of five species. The reduction averaged 39% and we interpret this as an allocation cost associated with defensive traits. Copepodamides induced significant chain length reduction in three of the four diatom species. Under elevatedpCO2Skeletonema marinoireduced silica content by 30% and inAlexandrium minutumthe toxin content was reduced by 30%. Using copepodamides to induce defensive traits in the absence of direct grazing provides a straightforward methodology to assess costs of defense in microplankton. We conclude that copepodamide signalling system is likely robust to ocean acidification. Moreover, the variable responses of different taxa to ocean acidification suggest that there will be winners and losers in a highpCO2world, and that ocean acidification may have structuring effects on phytoplankton communities.
Theoretical Analysis on the Stability of Single Bulk Nanobubble
Authors: Wang Yao , Zhou Limin , Hu Jun , Zhang Lijuan
Published: April 2022

As predicted by classical macroscopic theory, the lifetime for nanoscale gas bubbles is extremely short, which causes conflict when detecting stable bulk nanobubbles experimentally in recent years. In fact, the stability of bulk nanobubbles depends on the surrounding liquid environment. Also, the dynamic process of gas in water involves the dissolution, diffusion, release, and transportation of gas as well as the properties of nanobubbles inside. Here, based on previous reports, we introduce the gas transport parameter ℓ in the classical diffusion equation by considering the gas diffusion near the bulk nanobubble at different locations in a container and consider the MacLeod-Sugden relationship between the surface tension and densities of liquid and gas for computing the lifetime of single bulk nanobubbles in an open system. The results show that the single nanobubble lifetime depends on the inner density and gas transport length. It could reach the order of 10–100 s for a single nanobubble with an initial radius of 200 nm, and provides a new idea to prolong the lifetime of the single bulk nanobubble. Meanwhile, compared with the continuous influence of the inner density on the gas diffusion flux near the nanobubble, the range of the gas transport near the nanobubble on the gas diffusion flux is limited, which is affected by the dissolution time of the nanobubble. Our findings would be helpful to explore the storage conditions of nanobubbles and the mechanism of mass transfer at the gas-liquid interface at the micro-scale.
Oxybutynin-Nanoemulgel Formulation as a Successful Skin Permeation Strategy: In-vitro and ex-vivo Evaluation
Authors: Mohammadi-Samani Soliman , Masoumzadeh Pedram , Ghasemiyeh Parisa , Alipour Shohreh
Published: April 2022

Among different topical drug delivery systems, nanoemulsions (NEs) are attractive due to enhanced skin permeation potential and minimum toxicity. Topical nanoemulgels (NEMGELs) contain both gelling agents and NEs and thus can enhance skin permeation with sustained effects at the site of application. Oxybutynin (OXB) is an anti-muscarinic agent that is administered orally to treat hyperhidrosis but its systemic side effects may decrease patient compliance. Therefore, it assumes that oxybutynin-nanoemulgel (OXB-NEMGEL) with sustained release properties and skin permeation ability may be a suitable alternative. Using Design Expert software®, 17 OXB-NE formulations were prepared and optimized based on particle size, zeta potential and physical stability. Three polymers were used to prepare and optimized OXB-NEMGEL based on spreadability and viscosity. In-vitro drug release and ex-vivo skin permeation were investigated for optimized formulation. The model suggested by Design-Expert was quadratic and there was significant association between response variables including particle size and zeta potential and independent variables (Oil:Surfactant ratio, Oil:Water ratio, and surfactants HLB) with P-values of 0.0334 and 0.0173, respectively. Also, the lack of fit was not significant (P-values 0.057 and 0.569, respectively) which confirms the fitness of this model. Average size and zeta potential of optimized nanoemulsions were 99 ± 0.1 nm and -57.3 ± 0.5 mv, respectively. Carboxymethyl cellulose-based nanoemulgels (CMC-NEMGEL) showed acceptable viscosity with a shear thinning rheological pattern and good spreadability which released OXB within 8 h. Ex-vivo OXB skin permeation revealed OXB flux of 1.5 ± 0.3 and 3.6 ± 0.2 μg/cm2/h after 12 and 24 h, respectively, which was equal to 5.3 ± 1.1% and 11.9 ± 0.7% of drug, while simple OXB gel did not permeate through skin layers. Thus, OXB-NEMGEL with effective skin permeation potential would be a novel promising drug delivery system for hyperhidrosis management which may lower systemic side effects.
Bending Performance of Epoxy Adhesive Joints of Prefabricated Concrete Elements
Authors: Peng Hongbo , Zhang Zhongya , Zou Yang , Guo Jincen , Zhang Xiaoyan , Zeng Xingqi
Published: April 2022

The assembly construction of prefabricated UHPC elements can well balance quality reliability and construction convenience, thus it has excellent application prospects in bridge engineering. The joints between prefabricated elements are the key to ensuring the overall force performance of the structure, which directly determine the load-bearing capacity and the life of structure. To clarify the bending behavior of epoxy adhesive joints between prefabricated UHPC elements, four groups of 12 bending tests were carried out with different interface treatment forms as parameters. The failure modes, load-deflection curves, and ultimate bending strength of the interface were investigated. The results reveal that the interfacial failure modes mainly include the interfacial stripping failure of epoxy-UHPC surface, steel fibers and fine aggregates into UHPC surface by pulling out, and tensile damage of UHPC at the root of key teeth on the side of the keyway interface. The load-deflection curves of all specimens exhibit the two-fold lines form. The load tends to rise linearly during the loading phase, and there is no yielding phase before the failure. The load-carrying capacity of the specimen is lost immediately after the failure, and no reliable residual strength is available except for the keyway interface. In addition, the bending strength of rough interface, groove interface, and keyway interface are respectively improved by −24.02, 2.34, and 4.64%, compared with the natural interface. So it is recommended that the joint between prefabricated UHPC elements take the form of keyway interface. Finally, a simplified force model of the keytooth adhesive joint is proposed, and a calculation formula for the flexural bearing capacity is established based on the principal of Mohr’s circle, based on the experimental results and theoretical analysis. The mean ratio of the proposed adhesive joint calculation equation to the experimental results was 0.925 with a standard deviation of 0.065.
Adaptive Real-Time Characterisation of Composite Precursors in Manufacturing
Authors: Koptelov Anatoly , Belnoue Jonathan P-H. , Georgilas Ioannis , Hallett Stephen R. , Ivanov Dmitry S.
Published: April 2022

This paper explores the application of a novel adaptive consolidation sensor framework for the characterisation of composite precursors. The designed framework develops material-driven test programmes in real-time and defines robust material models for the studied composite precursor. The proposed approach allows to remove any subjective judgement about the material behaviour and to reduce human involvement at the experimentation stage. The proposed framework along with the developed data transfer/acquisition hardware setup was put to the test within several characterisation exercises. Two different material systems were tested. The output of the proposed testing method—model and properties for the tested materials—is compared with the results of the conventional deterministic characterisation tests.