bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploitation and Conservation Status of the Thornback Ray (Raja clavata) in the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean)
Authors: Ferragut-Perello Francesca , Ramírez-Amaro Sergio , Tsikliras Athanassios C. , Petit-Marty Natalia , Dimarchopoulou Donna , Massutí Enric , Serrat Alba , Ordines Francesc
Published: February 2023

Fisheries management requires the best scientific knowledge on the exploitation and conservation status of stocks. This is challenging for by-catch species, for which necessary data for their assessment is more limited than for target ones. That is the case for the thornback ray, Raja clavata, in the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean), whose exploitation and conservation status are addressed here for the first time, in an integrative approach, by using innovative assessment methods and genetic diversity analysis. The time series of fishing landings from 1964 and MEDITS trawl survey data from 2004 were used to apply CMSY++ and Bayesian state-space Schaefer production models. We also estimated the genetic diversity of the Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene from 31 individuals collected during MEDITS surveys. The species showed overexploitation with a current fishing mortality (F) below that producing maximum sustainable yield (FMSY), but with a current stock biomass (B) lower than BMSY. Despite the fact that the exploitation status is stable or even has improved in the last decades, the overexploitation period since the late 1970s seems to have reduced levels of genetic diversity, below those of related species and other populations of R. clavata. This low genetic diversity may entail the loss of adaptive potential, making the species more vulnerable to fishing and the current climate change.
The Use of Uncertainty Quantification and Numerical Optimization to Support the Design and Operation Management of Air-Staging Gas Recirculation Strategies in Glass Furnaces
Authors: Cravero Carlo , De Domenico Davide , Marsano Davide
Published: February 2023

The reduction in energy consumption and the increasingly demanding emissions regulations have become strategic challenges for every industrial sector. In this context, the glass industry would be one of the most affected sectors due to its high energy demand and emissions productions, especially in terms of NOx. For this reason, various emission abatement systems have been developed in this field and one of the most used is the air staging system. It consists in injecting air into the upper part of the regenerative chamber on the exhaust gases side in order to create the conditions for combustion that reduces NOx emissions. In this work, the combined use of CFD with data analysis techniques offers a tool for the design and management of a hybrid air staging system. Surrogate models of the bypass mass flow rate and uniformity index in the regenerative chamber have been obtained starting from DoE based on different simulations by varying the air mass flow rate of the two injectors located in a bypass duct that connects the two regenerative chambers. This model allows a UQ analysis to verify how the uncertainty of the air injectors can affect the bypass mass flow rate. Finally, an optimization procedure has identified the optimal condition for the best bypass mass flow rates and uniformity of the oxygen concentration in the chamber. High values of the mass flow rate of the pros injector and medium-low values for the cons injectors are identified as operating parameters for best conditions.
Grape, Pomegranate, Olive, and Tomato By-Products Fed to Dairy Ruminants Improve Milk Fatty Acid Profile without Depressing Milk Production
Authors: Correddu Fabio , Caratzu Maria Francesca , Lunesu Mondina Francesca , Carta Silvia , Pulina Giuseppe , Nudda Anna
Published: February 2023

The continuous increase in the cost of feeds and the need to improve the sustainability of animal production require the identification of alternative feeds, such as those derived from the agro-industrial sector, that can be effectively used for animal nutrition. Since these by-products (BP) are sources of bioactive substances, especially polyphenols, they may play an important role as a new resource for improving the nutritional value of animal-derived products, being effective in the modulation of the biohydrogenation process in the rumen, and, hence, in the composition of milk fatty acids (FA). The main objective of this work was to evaluate if the inclusion of BP in the diets of dairy ruminants, as a partial replacement of concentrates, could improve the nutritional quality of dairy products without having negative effects on animal production traits. To meet this goal, we summarized the effects of widespread agro-industrial by-products such as grape pomace or grape marc, pomegranate, olive cake, and tomato pomace on milk production, milk composition, and FA profile in dairy cows, sheep, and goats. The results evidenced that substitution of part of the ratio ingredients, mainly concentrates, in general, does not affect milk production and its main components, but at the highest tested doses, it can depress the yield within the range of 10–12%. However, the general positive effect on milk FA profile was evident by using almost all BP at different tested doses. The inclusion of these BP in the ration, from 5% up to 40% of dry matter (DM), did not depress milk yield, fat, or protein production, demonstrating positive features in terms of both economic and environmental sustainability and the reduction of human–animal competition for food. The general improvement of the nutritional quality of milk fat related to the inclusion of these BP in dairy ruminant diets is an important advantage for the commercial promotion of dairy products resulting from the recycling of agro-industrial by-products.
Mitigation of Salmonella on Food Contact Surfaces by Using Organic Acid Mixtures Containing 2-Hydroxy-4-(methylthio) Butanoic Acid (HMTBa)
Authors: Deliephan Aiswariya , Dhakal Janak , Subramanyam Bhadriraju , Aldrich Charles G.
Published: February 2023

Contaminated surfaces can transmit pathogens to food in industrial and domestic food-handling environments. Exposure to pathogens on food contact surfaces may take place via the cross-contamination of pathogens during postprocessing activities. Formaldehyde-based commercial sanitizers in recent years are less commonly being used within food manufacturing facilities due to consumer perception and labeling concerns. There is interest in investigating clean-label, food-safe components for use on food contact surfaces to mitigate contamination from pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella. In this study, the antimicrobial effects of two types of organic acid mixtures containing 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (HMTBa), Activate DA™ and Activate US WD-MAX™, against Salmonella when applied onto various food contact surfaces were evaluated. The efficacy of Activate DA (HMTBa + fumaric acid + benzoic acid) at 1% and 2% and Activate US WD-MAX (HMTBa + lactic acid + phosphoric acid) at 0.5% and 1% against Salmonella enterica (serovars Enteritidis, Heidelberg, and Typhimurium) were evaluated on six different material surfaces: plastic (bucket elevator and tote bag), rubber (bucket elevator belt and automobile tire), stainless steel, and concrete. There was a significant difference in the Salmonella log reduction on the material surfaces due to the organic acid treatments when compared to the untreated surfaces. The type of material surface also had an effect on the log reductions obtained. Stainless steel and plastic (tote) had the highest Salmonella log reductions (3–3.5 logs), while plastic (bucket elevator) and rubber (tire) had the lowest log reductions (1–1.7 logs) after treatment with Activate US WD-MAX. For Activate DA, the lowest log reductions (~1.6 logs) were observed for plastic (bucket elevator) and rubber (tire), and the highest reductions were observed for plastic (tote), stainless steel, and concrete (2.8–3.2 logs). Overall, the results suggested that Activate DA at 2% and Activate US WD-MAX at 1% are potentially effective at reducing Salmonella counts on food contact surfaces by 1.6–3.5 logs.
Enhancing the Techno-Functionality of Pea Flour by Air Injection-Assisted Extrusion at Different Temperatures and Flour Particle Sizes
Authors: Sinaki Nasibeh Y. , Paliwal Jitendra , Koksel Filiz
Published: February 2023

Industrial applications of pulses in various food products depend on pulse flour techno-functionality. To manipulate the techno-functional properties of yellow pea flour, the effects of flour particle size (small vs. large), extrusion temperature profile (120, 140 and 160 °C at the die) and air injection pressure (0, 150 and 300 kPa) during extrusion cooking were investigated. Extrusion cooking caused the denaturation of proteins and gelatinization of starch in the flour, which induced changes in the techno-functionality of the extruded flour (i.e., increased water solubility, water binding capacity and cold viscosity and decreased emulsion capacity, emulsion stability, and trough and final viscosities). In general, the large particle size flour required less energy input to be extruded and had higher emulsion stability and trough and final viscosities compared to the small particle size flour. Overall, among all of the treatments studied, extrudates produced with air injection at 140 and 160 °C had higher emulsion capacity and emulsion stability, making them relatively better suited food ingredients for emulsified foods (e.g., sausages). The results indicated air injection’s potential as a novel extrusion technique combined with modification of flour particle size distribution and extrusion processing conditions to effectively manipulate product techno-functionality and broaden the applications of pulse flours in the food industry.
Phenomenology of Neapolitan Pizza Baking in a Traditional Wood-Fired Oven
Authors: Falciano Aniello , Moresi Mauro , Masi Paolo
Published: February 2023

Despite Neapolitan pizza is a globally renowned Italian food, its obligatory baking in wood-fired ovens has so far received little attention in the scientific community. Since heat transfer during pizza baking is not at all uniform, the main aim of this work was to analyze the phenomenology of Neapolitan pizza baking in a pilot-scale wood-fired pizza oven operating in quasi steady-state conditions. The different upper area sections of pizza covered or not by the main topping ingredients (i.e., tomato puree, sunflower oil, or mozzarella cheese), as well the bottom of the pizza and the growth of its raised rim, were characterized by visual colorimetric analysis, while the time course of their corresponding temperatures was monitored using an infrared thermal scanning camera. The maximum temperature of the pizza bottom was equal to 100 ± 9 °C, while that of the upper pizza side ranged from 182 °C to 84 or 67 °C in the case of white pizza, tomato pizza, or margherita pizza, respectively, mainly because of their diverse moisture content and emissivity. The pizza weight loss was nonlinearly related to the average temperature of the upper pizza side. The formation of brown or black colored areas on the upper and lower sides of baked pizza was detected with the help of an electronic eye. The upper side exhibited greater degrees of browning and blackening than the lower one, their maximum values being about 26 and 8%, respectively, for white pizza. These results might help develop a specific modelling and monitoring strategy to reduce variability and maximize the quality attributes of Neapolitan pizza.
A Day-Ahead Photovoltaic Power Prediction via Transfer Learning and Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Miraftabzadeh Seyed Mahdi , Colombo Cristian Giovanni , Longo Michela , Foiadelli Federica
Published: February 2023

Climate change and global warming drive many governments and scientists to investigate new renewable and green energy sources. Special attention is on solar panel technology, since solar energy is considered one of the primary renewable sources and solar panels can be installed in domestic neighborhoods. Photovoltaic (PV) power prediction is essential to match supply and demand and ensure grid stability. However, the PV system has assertive stochastic behavior, requiring advanced forecasting methods, such as machine learning and deep learning, to predict day-ahead PV power accurately. Machine learning models need a rich historical dataset that includes years of PV power outputs to capture hidden patterns between essential variables to predict day-ahead PV power production accurately. Therefore, this study presents a framework based on the transfer learning method to use reliable trained deep learning models of old PV plants in newly installed PV plants in the same neighborhoods. The numerical results show the effectiveness of transfer learning in day-ahead PV prediction in newly established PV plants where a sizable historical dataset of them is unavailable. Among all nine models presented in this study, the LSTM models have better performance in PV power prediction. The new LSTM model using the inadequate dataset has 0.55 mean square error (MSE) and 47.07% weighted mean absolute percentage error (wMAPE), while the transferred LSTM model improves prediction accuracy to 0.168 MSE and 32.04% wMAPE.
Intervention Time Series Analysis and Forecasting of Organ Donor Transplants in the US during the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Malladi Supraja , Lu Qiqi
Published: February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic effect on the healthcare system including organ transplants worldwide. The number of living donor transplants performed in the US was affected more significantly by the pandemic with a 22.6% decrease in counts from 2019 to 2020 due to concerns of unnecessarily exposing potential living donors and living donor recipients to possible COVID-19 infection. This paper examines donor transplant counts obtained from the United Network for Organ Sharing from January 2002 to August 2021 using an intervention time series model with March 2020 as the intervention event. Specifically, donor transplant counts are analyzed across the different organs, donor types, and some major individual sociocultural factors, which are potential conditions contributing to disparities in achieving donor transplant equity such as age, ethnicity, and gender. In addition, the kidney allocation policy implemented in March 2021 is introduced as a second intervention event for kidney donor transplants. Overall, forecasts generated by our methods are more accurate than those using seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average models without interventions and seasonal naive methods. The intervention time series model provides a forecast accuracy comparable to the exponential smoothing method.
Salivary Oxytocin Has Nonlinear Relationships with Trust and Reciprocity
Authors: Arai Sakura , Watabe Motoki , Kanari Kei , Shou Qiulu , Krueger Frank , Takagishi Haruto
Published: February 2023

Oxytocin has been proposed to regulate human trust. Previous experiments supported this claim by demonstrating that exogenous and endogenous oxytocin is associated with trust (how much trust people place in strangers) and reciprocity (how much people reciprocate when trusted). However, recent replication attempts have been unsuccessful in demonstrating the trust-enhancing effect of oxytocin, and there is limited evidence on whether oxytocin is associated with reciprocity. This study aimed to replicate the previously found nonlinear relationships between the endogenous oxytocin concentration and both trust and reciprocity by utilizing a monetarily incentivized trust game. In a college sample, we found that salivary oxytocin levels showed (i) an inverted U-shaped relationship with trust in men and (ii) a U-shaped relationship with reciprocity in women. The current results confirm the previous finding that endogenous oxytocin levels have nonlinear relationships with trust and reciprocity. Further research on the role of oxytocin secretion in trust and reciprocity is warranted.
Recent Progress in Finding Binary Systems with the B[e] Phenomenon
Authors: Miroshnichenko Anatoly S. , Zharikov Sergei V. , Manset Nadine , Khokhlov Serik A. , Nodyarov Atilkhan S. , Klochkova Valentina G. , Danford Stephen , Kuratova Aizhan K. , Mennickent Ronald , Chojnowski S. Drew , Raj Ashish , Bisht Devendra
Published: February 2023

This paper describes recent studies of the FS CMa-type objects, a group of stars showing the B[e] phenomenon defined in 2007. The objects exhibit strong emission-line spectra with both permitted and forbidden lines suggesting the presence of a B-type star as well as strong IR excesses due to radiation of circumstellar dust. These properties are hard to explain in the framework of the evolution of single stars with luminosities between ~300 and ~30,000 L⊙ typical of most B-type stars. We explore the hypothesis that the gaseous-and-dusty envelopes of FS CMa objects are due to either earlier or ongoing mass transfer between the binary system components. It is hard to detect the secondary components in these systems because of veiling and distortions by the circumstellar matter because of the relative faintness of the companions. Nevertheless, we detected regular radial velocity variations of the spectral lines in MWC 728, 3 Pup, and AS 386 and we found absorption lines typical of cool stars in the spectra of MWC 645, AS 174, and several other objects. The diversity of the secondary components in FS CMa objects is discussed in the context of non-conservative binary evolution.
Effect of 11-Deoxycorticosterone in the Transcriptomic Response to Stress in Rainbow Trout Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Zuloaga Rodrigo , Aravena-Canales Daniela , Aedo Jorge Eduardo , Osorio-Fuentealba Cesar , Molina Alfredo , Valdés Juan Antonio
Published: February 2023

In aquaculture, many stressors can negatively affect growth in teleosts. It is believed that cortisol performs glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid functions because teleosts do not synthesize aldosterone. However, recent data suggest that 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) released during stress events may be relevant to modulate the compensatory response. To understand how DOC modifies the skeletal muscle molecular response, we carried out a transcriptomic analysis. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were intraperitoneally treated with physiological doses of DOC in individuals pretreated with mifepristone (glucocorticoid receptor antagonist) or eplerenone (mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist). RNA was extracted from the skeletal muscles, and cDNA libraries were constructed from vehicle, DOC, mifepristone, mifepristone plus DOC, eplerenone, and eplerenone plus DOC groups. The RNA-seq analysis revealed 131 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) induced by DOC with respect to the vehicle group, mainly associated with muscle contraction, sarcomere organization, and cell adhesion. In addition, a DOC versus mifepristone plus DOC analysis revealed 122 DETs related to muscle contraction, sarcomere organization, and skeletal muscle cell differentiation. In a DOC versus eplerenone plus DOC analysis, 133 DETs were associated with autophagosome assembly, circadian regulation of gene expression, and regulation of transcription from RNA pol II promoter. These analyses indicate that DOC has a relevant function in the stress response of skeletal muscles, whose action is differentially modulated by GR and MR and is complementary to cortisol.
Association of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Rs2779249 (chr17:26128581 C>A) and Rs rs2297518 (chr17: chr17:27769571 G>A) of the NOS2 Gene with Tension-Type Headache and Arterial Hypertension Overlap Syndrome in Eastern Siberia
Authors: Alyabyeva Polina V. , Petrova Marina M. , Dmitrenko Diana V. , Garganeeva Natalia P. , Chumakova Galina A. , Al-Zamil Mustafa , Trefilova Vera V. , Nasyrova Regina F. , Shnayder Natalia A.
Published: February 2023

Inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS), encoded by the NOS2 gene, promotes the generation of high levels of NO to combat harmful environmental influences in a wide range of cells. iNOS can cause adverse effects, such as falling blood pressure, if overexpressed. Thus, according to some data, this enzyme is an important precursor of arterial hypertension (AH) and tension-type headache (TTH), which are the most common multifactorial diseases in adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of rs2779249 (chr17:26128581 C>A) and rs2297518 (chr17: chr17:27769571 G>A) of the NOS2 gene with TTH and AH overlap syndrome (OS) in Caucasians in Eastern Siberia. The sample size was 91 participants: the first group—30 patients with OS; the second group—30 patients AH; and the third group—31 healthy volunteers. RT-PCR was used for the determination of alleles and genotypes of the SNPs rs2779249 and rs2297518 of the NOS2 gene in all groups of participants. We showed that the frequency of allele A was significantly higher among patients with AH compared with healthy volunteers (p-value < 0.05). The frequency of the heterozygous genotype CA of rs2779249 was higher in the first group vs. the control (p-value = 0.03), and in the second group vs. the control (p-value = 0.045). The frequency of the heterozygous genotype GA of rs2297518 was higher in the first group vs. the control (p-value = 0.035), and in the second group vs. the control (p-value = 0.001). The allele A of rs2779249 was associated with OS (OR = 3.17 [95% CI: 1.31–7.67], p-value = 0.009) and AH (OR = 2.94 [95% CI: 1.21–7.15], p-value = 0.015) risks compared with the control. The minor allele A of rs2297518 was associated with OS (OR = 4.0 [95% CI: 0.96–16.61], p-value = 0.035) and AH (OR = 8.17 [95% CI: 2.03–32.79], p-value = 0.001) risks compared with the control. Therefore, our pilot study demonstrated that the SNPs rs2779249 and rs229718 of the NOS2 gene could be promising genetic biomarkers for this OS risk in Caucasians from Eastern Siberia.
Genetic Interaction of tRNA-Dependent Mistranslation with Fused in Sarcoma Protein Aggregates
Authors: Lant Jeremy T. , Hasan Farah , Briggs Julia , Heinemann Ilka U. , O’Donoghue Patrick
Published: February 2023

High-fidelity protein synthesis requires properly aminoacylated transfer RNAs (tRNAs), yet diverse cell types, from bacteria to humans, show a surprising ability to tolerate errors in translation resulting from mutations in tRNAs, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and other components of protein synthesis. Recently, we characterized a tRNASerAGA G35A mutant (tRNASerAAA) that occurs in 2% of the human population. The mutant tRNA decodes phenylalanine codons with serine, inhibits protein synthesis, and is defective in protein and aggregate degradation. Here, we used cell culture models to test our hypothesis that tRNA-dependent mistranslation will exacerbate toxicity caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-associated protein aggregation. Relative to wild-type tRNA, we found cells expressing tRNASerAAA showed slower but effective aggregation of the fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein. Despite reduced levels in mistranslating cells, wild-type FUS aggregates showed similar toxicity in mistranslating cells and normal cells. The aggregation kinetics of the ALS-causative FUS R521C variant were distinct and more toxic in mistranslating cells, where rapid FUS aggregation caused cells to rupture. We observed synthetic toxicity in neuroblastoma cells co-expressing the mistranslating tRNA mutant and the ALS-causative FUS R521C variant. Our data demonstrate that a naturally occurring human tRNA variant enhances cellular toxicity associated with a known causative allele for neurodegenerative disease.
Clinical and Genetic Features of Korean Patients with Achromatopsia
Authors: Choi Yong , Joo Kwangsic , Lim Hyun , Kim Sung , Han Jinu , Woo Se
Published: February 2023

This multicenter study aimed to characterize Korean patients with achromatopsia. The patients’ genotypes and phenotypes were retrospectively evaluated. Twenty-one patients (with a mean age at the baseline of 10.9 years) were enrolled and followed up for a mean of 7.3 years. A targeted gene panel or exome sequencing was performed. The pathogenic variants of the four genes and their frequencies were identified. CNGA3 and PDE6C were equally the most prevalent genes: CNGA3 (N = 8, 38.1%), PDE6C (N = 8, 38.1%), CNGB3 (N = 3, 14.3%), and GNAT2 (N = 2, 9.5%). The degree of functional and structural defects varied among the patients. The patients’ age exhibited no significant correlation with structural defects. During the follow-up, the visual acuity and retinal thickness did not change significantly. In CNGA3-achromatopsia patients, a proportion of patients with a normal foveal ellipsoid zone on the OCT was significantly higher than that of patients with other causative genes (62.5% vs. 16.7%; p = 0.023). In PDE6C-achromatopsia patients, the same proportion was significantly lower than that of patients with other causative genes (0% vs. 58.3%; p = 0.003). Korean patients with achromatopsia showed similar clinical features but a higher prevalence of PDE6C variants than those of other ethnic groups. The retinal phenotypes of the PDE6C variants were more likely to be worse than those of other genes.
The Telomeric Repeats of HHV-6A Do Not Determine the Chromosome into Which the Virus Is Integrated
Authors: Kusakin Aleksey V. , Goleva Olga V. , Danilov Lavrentii G. , Krylov Andrey V. , Tsay Victoria V. , Kalinin Roman S. , Tian Natalia S. , Eismont Yuri A. , Mukomolova Anna L. , Chukhlovin Alexei B. , Komissarov Aleksey S. , Glotov Oleg S.
Published: February 2023

Human herpes virus 6A (HHV-6A) is able to integrate into the telomeric and subtelomeric regions of human chromosomes representing chromosomally integrated HHV-6A (ciHHV-6A). The integration starts from the right direct repeat (DRR) region. It has been shown experimentally that perfect telomeric repeats (pTMR) in the DRR region are required for the integration, while the absence of the imperfect telomeric repeats (impTMR) only slightly reduces the frequency of HHV-6 integration cases. The aim of this study was to determine whether telomeric repeats within DRR may define the chromosome into which the HHV-6A integrates. We analysed 66 HHV-6A genomes obtained from public databases. Insertion and deletion patterns of DRR regions were examined. We also compared TMR within the herpes virus DRR and human chromosome sequences retrieved from the Telomere-to-Telomere consortium. Our results show that telomeric repeats in DRR in circulating and ciHHV-6A have an affinity for all human chromosomes studied and thus do not define a chromosome for integration.
Genome-Wide Association Analysis Identified Variants Associated with Body Measurement and Reproduction Traits in Shaziling Pigs
Authors: Lan Qun , Deng Qiuchun , Qi Shijin , Zhang Yuebo , Li Zhi , Yin Shishu , Li Yulian , Tan Hong , Wu Maisheng , Yin Yulong , He Jun , Liu Mei
Published: February 2023

With the increasing popularity of genomic sequencing, breeders pay more attention to identifying the crucial molecular markers and quantitative trait loci for improving the body size and reproduction traits that could affect the production efficiency of pig-breeding enterprises. Nevertheless, for the Shaziling pig, a well-known indigenous breed in China, the relationship between phenotypes and their corresponding genetic architecture remains largely unknown. Herein, in the Shaziling population, a total of 190 samples were genotyped using the Geneseek Porcine 50K SNP Chip, obtaining 41857 SNPs for further analysis. For phenotypes, two body measurement traits and four reproduction traits in the first parity from the 190 Shaziling sows were measured and recorded, respectively. Subsequently, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) between the SNPs and the six phenotypes was performed. The correlation between body size and reproduction phenotypes was not statistically significant. A total of 31 SNPs were found to be associated with body length (BL), chest circumference (CC), number of healthy births (NHB), and number of stillborns (NSB). Gene annotation for those candidate SNPs identified 18 functional genes, such as GLP1R, NFYA, NANOG, COX7A2, BMPR1B, FOXP1, SLC29A1, CNTNAP4, and KIT, which exert important roles in skeletal morphogenesis, chondrogenesis, obesity, and embryonic and fetal development. These findings are helpful to better understand the genetic mechanism for body size and reproduction phenotypes, while the phenotype-associated SNPs could be used as the molecular markers for the pig breeding programs.
Phylogenetic Relationships among TnpB-Containing Mobile Elements in Six Bacterial Species
Authors: Wang Yali , Guo Mengke , Yang Naisu , Guan Zhongxia , Wu Han , Ullah Numan , Asare Emmanuel , Shi Shasha , Gao Bo , Song Chengyi
Published: February 2023

Some families of mobile elements in bacterial genomes encode not only a transposase but also an accessory TnpB gene. This gene has been shown to encode an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease, co-evolving with Y1 transposase and serine recombinase in mobile elements IS605 and IS607. In this paper, we reveal the evolutionary relationships among TnpB-containing mobile elements (TCMEs) in well-assembled genomes of six bacterial species: Bacillus cereus, Clostridioides difficile, Deinococcus radiodurans, Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori and Salmonella enterica. In total, 9996 TCMEs were identified in 4594 genomes. They belonged to 39 different insertion sequences (ISs). Based on their genetic structures and sequence identities, the 39 TCMEs were classified into three main groups and six subgroups. According to our phylogenetic analysis, TnpBs include two main branches (TnpB-A and TnpB-B) and two minor branches (TnpB-C and TnpB-D). The key TnpB motifs and the associated Y1 and serine recombinases were highly conserved across species, even though their overall sequence identities were low. Substantial variation was observed for the rate of invasion across bacterial species and strains. Over 80% of the genomes of B. cereus, C. difficile, D. radiodurans and E. coli contained TCMEs; however, only 64% of the genomes of H. pylori and 44% of S. enterica genomes contained TCMEs. IS605 showed the largest rate of invasion in these species, while IS607 and IS1341 had a relatively narrow distribution. Co-invasions of IS605, IS607 and IS1341 elements were observed in various genomes. The largest average copy number was observed for IS605b elements in C. difficile. The average copy numbers of most other TCMEs were smaller than four. Our findings have important implications for understanding the co-evolution of TnpB-containing mobile elements and their biological roles in host genome evolution.
Influence of the Osteogenomic Profile in Response to Alendronate Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Villagómez Vega Alejandra , Gámez Nava Jorge Iván , Ruiz González Francisco , Pérez Romero Misael , Trujillo Rangel Walter Ángel , Nuño Arana Ismael
Published: February 2023

Background: Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a multifactorial disease. Genetic factors play an essential role in contributing to bone mineral density (BMD) variability, which ranges from 60 to 85%. Alendronate is used as the first line of pharmacological treatment for osteoporosis; however, some patients do not respond adequately to therapy with alendronate. Aim: The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of combinations of potential risk alleles (genetic profiles) associated with response to anti-osteoporotic treatment in postmenopausal women with primary osteoporosis. Methods: A total of 82 postmenopausal women with primary osteoporosis receiving alendronate (70 mg administered orally per week) for one year were observed. The bone mineral density (BMD; g/cm2) of the femoral neck and lumbar spine was measured. According to BMD change, patients were divided into two groups: responders and non-responders to alendronate therapy. Polymorphic variants in CYP19, ESR1, IL-6, PTHR1, TGFβ, OPG and RANKL genes were determined and profiles were generated from the combination of risk alleles. Results: A total of 56 subjects were responders to alendronate and 26 subjects were non-responders. Carriers of the G-C-G-C profile (constructed from rs700518, rs1800795, rs2073618 and rs3102735) were predisposed to response to alendronate treatment (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of the identified profiles for the pharmacogenetics of alendronate therapy in osteoporosis.
De Novo Assembly and Comparative Analysis of the Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai Revealed the Existence of Two Structural Isomers
Authors: Cao Pei , Huang Yuan , Zong Mei , Xu Zilong
Published: February 2023

As a valuable Chinese traditional medicinal species, Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai (C. speciosa) is a natural resource with significant economic and ornamental value. However, its genetic information is not well understood. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of C. speciosa was assembled and characterized to explore the repeat sequences, recombination events, rearrangements, and IGT, to predict RNA editing sites, and to clarify the phylogenetic and evolutionary relationship. The C. speciosa mitochondrial genome was found to have two circular chromosomes as its major conformation, with a total length of 436,464 bp and 45.2% GC content. The mitochondrial genome contained 54 genes, including 33 unique protein-coding genes, 18 tRNAs, and 3 rRNA genes. Seven pairs of repeat sequences involving recombination events were analyzed. Both the repeat pairs, R1 and R2, played significant roles in mediating the major and minor conformations. In total, 18 MTPTs were identified, 6 of which were complete tRNA genes. There were 454 RNA editing sites in the 33 protein-coding sequences predicted by the PREPACT3 program. A phylogenetic analysis based on 22 species of mitochondrial genomes was constructed and indicated highly conserved PCG sequences. Synteny analyses showed extensive genomic rearrangements in the mitochondrial genome of C. speciosa and closely related species. This work is the first to report the C. speciosa mitochondrial genome, which is of great significance for conducting additional genetic studies on this organism.
Genetic Ethnic Differences in Human 2′-5′-Oligoadenylate Synthetase and Disease Associations: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gokul Anmol , Arumugam Thilona , Ramsuran Veron
Published: February 2023

Recently, several studies have highlighted a skewed prevalence of infectious diseases within the African continent. Furthermore, a growing number of studies have demonstrated unique genetic variants found within the African genome are one of the contributing factors to the disease severity of infectious diseases within Africa. Understanding the host genetic mechanisms that offer protection against infectious diseases provides an opportunity to develop unique therapeutic interventions. Over the past two decades, several studies have linked the 2′-5′-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) family with a range of infectious diseases. More recently, the OAS-1 gene has also been associated with disease severity caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which led to a global pandemic. The OAS family serves as an antiviral factor through the interaction with Ribonuclease-Latent (RNase-L). This review explores the genetic variants observed within the OAS genes and the associations with various viral infections and how previously reported ethnic-specific polymorphisms drive clinical significance. This review provides an overview of OAS genetic association studies with a particular focus on viral diseases affecting individuals of African descent.
Predictors of Health Satisfaction in Spanish Physically Active Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study
Authors: Agustí Ana Isabel , Guillem-Saiz Javier , González-Moreno Jesús , Cantero-García María , Cigarroa Igor , Parra-Rizo María Antonia
Published: February 2023

Studies that analyze the predictors of satisfaction with the health of the elderly are scarce. That is the reason why the objective of this study is to analyze whether the physical-psychological state, sports practice, and the use of socio-health resources are factors that predict satisfaction with health status in physically active elderly people. The Physical Activity and Quality of Life questionnaires were applied to a sample of 397 elderly people in this cross-sectional observational study. The data have been analyzed using Student’s t-test chi-square test, Cohen’s d, Phi Coefficient and Cramer’s V. The results have shown that the lack of physical illnesses (OR = 3.920; p < 0.001) and psychological problems (OR = 1.940; p = 0.032), practicing a high level of physical activity (OR = 2.049; p = 0.001), having high scores in functional skills (OR = 8.059; p < 0.001) and using little social and health services (OR = 2.595; p < 0.001) are all predictors of being highly satisfied with one’s health. In conclusion, predictors associated with high health satisfaction of active older people have been found, such as functional abilities, the existence of physical illness, psychological problems, level of physical activity, frequency of use of health and social services and satisfaction with health and social services; but it is not associated with gender or age of participants.
The Potential of the Remote Monitoring Digital Solutions to Sustain the Mental and Emotional Health of the Elderly during and Post COVID-19 Crisis in Romania
Authors: Ianculescu Marilena , Alexandru Adriana , Paraschiv Elena-Anca
Published: February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the elderly’s aging-related dysfunctionalities and vulnerabilities. Research surveys, aimed at evaluating the socio–physical–emotional state of the elderly and obtaining data on their access to medical services and information media services during the pandemic, were carried out on Romanian respondents aged 65+. Identification and mitigation of the risk of emotional and mental long-term decline of the elderly after SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on the implementation of a specific procedure, can be performed through Remote Monitoring Digital Solutions (RMDSs). The aim of this paper is to propose a procedure for the identification and mitigation of the risk of emotional and mental long-term decline of the elderly after SARS-CoV-2 infection that comprises RMDS. The importance of using the knowledge obtained by COVID-19-related surveys corroborating the necessity of including personalized RMDS in the procedure is highlighted. The Non-invasive Monitoring System and Health Assessment of the Elderly in a Smart Environment (RO-SmartAgeing) is an RMDS designed to address the improved preventative and proactive support for diminishing this risk and to provide suitable assistance for the elderly through a safe and efficient smart environment. Its comprehensive functionalities targeted supporting primary healthcare assistance, specific medical conditions—as the mental and emotional disorders post-SARS-CoV-2 infection—and enlarged access to aging-related information, together with customizable features, illustrated the match with the requirements included in the proposed procedure.
Strategies Used in Canadian Nursing Programs to Prepare Students for NCLEX-RN® Licensure Exam
Authors: Gibbons Caroline , Shamputa Isdore Chola , Le Michelle , McCloskey Rose
Published: February 2023

Nursing educators need strategies for preparing students to be successful in the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN®). Understanding the educational practices used is an important step in informing curricular decisions and helping regulatory agencies evaluate nursing programs’ efforts to prepare students for practice. This study described strategies used in Canadian nursing programs to prepare students for the NCLEX-RN®. A cross-sectional descriptive national survey was completed by the program’s director, chair, dean, or another faculty member involved in the program’s NCLEX-RN® preparatory strategies using the LimeSurvey platform. Most participating programs (n = 24; 85.7%) use one to three strategies to prepare students for the NCLEX-RN®. Strategies include the requirement to purchase a commercial product, the administration of computer-based exams, NCLEX-RN® preparation courses or workshops, and time dedicated to NCLEX-RN® preparation in one or more courses. There is variation among Canadian nursing programs in how students are prepared for the NCLEX-RN®. Some programs invest considerable effort in preparation activities, while others have limited ones.
Gender Awareness in Healthcare: Contextualization of an Arabic Version of the Nijmegen Gender Awareness in Medicine Scale (N-GAMS)
Authors: Shamasneh Bayan , Nemer Maysaa , Abu-Rmeileh Niveen M. E.
Published: February 2023

Gender is one of the important social determinants of health known to be highly associated with health status. Despite the importance of gender awareness, it has not been addressed and researched in the Arab region, including Palestine. This study aimed to contextualize an Arabic version of the Nijmegen Gender Awareness in Medicine Scale (N-GAMS) and to assess the level of gender awareness and its associated factors among primary health care providers. The N-GAMS tool was translated and adapted through a gender expert consultation and a focus group discussion. Then, it was administered online to a sample of primary health care general physicians and nurses of all health care providing actors in Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate. The reliability of the N-GAMS subscales using Cronbach’s alpha (α) was 0.681 for the gender sensitivity (GS) scale (9 items), 0.658 for the gender role ideology towards co-workers (GRIC) scale (6 items), and α = 0.848 for the gender role ideology towards patients (GRIP) scale (11 items). The results showed that participants had scored near the midpoint of the gender sensitivity subscale (M = 2.84, SD = 0.486). They also expressed moderate gender stereotypes towards patients (M = 3.11, SD = 0.624), where females held lower stereotypical thinking. Participants also expressed low to moderate stereotypes towards co-workers (M = 2.72, SD = 0.660) and females expressed less stereotypical thinking compared to males. Furthermore, the participant’s age had some effect on the outcome, specifically on the GRIP subscale, while gender was associated with both GRIP and GRID subscales. The rest of the social and other variables showed no association with the gender awareness subscales. This study adds to our understanding of gender awareness. Further tests are required to confirm the psychometric qualities of the instrument.
The Ribadeo I Shipwreck, Galleon “San Giacomo di Galizia”—From Excavation to Interpretation
Authors: Castro Filipe , San Claudio Santa Cruz Miguel , Nayling Nigel , Martins Adolfo Miguel
Published: February 2023

The Ribadeo shipwreck, identified as the San Giacomo di Galizia, lost in 1597 at Ribadeo, Galicia, Spain, is a unique example of a late 16th century Spanish warship. Brought to Ribadeo in the winter of 1597, this ship was salvaged, all the crew saved, and its remains abandoned. It was found in November 2011 during dredging operations, and it has been studied since. Excavated slowly at the pace allowed by the conservation budget, this site is revealing its secrets as the excavation progresses. This paper is an introduction to the ship’s history and a first report on the archaeological excavation of its hull remains.
Ballasting a Mid-19th Century Chilean Navy Armed Transport: Archaeometallurgical Insights into Cast Iron Ingots Recovered from the Barque Infatigable (1855)
Authors: Carabias Diego , Ciarlo Nicolás C. , Araya Carolina , Morales Carla , Gutiérrez Felipe
Published: February 2023

Ballast is essential for vessels to lower their centre of gravity, improve stability, and ease their motion during sailing. During the modern period, heavy materials used for ballasting ships were an issue of particular concern for both authorities and ship owners, subjected to increasing control, regulation, and standardisation. These items represent a very common find in wreck sites and deserve special attention, as their characteristics, distribution, and provenance can deliver critical information for assessing where the vessel was ballasted, sailing routes, ship tonnage, and site formation processes. This article is centred on pig iron ingots, introduced in the early 18th century in sailing warships and shortly thereafter in sizeable merchant vessels, a type of ballast which is frequently overlooked in archaeological research. In particular, specimens retrieved from the Chilean Navy armed transport Infatigable (1855) were analysed through macroscopic and physicochemical characterisation using LM, SEM-EDS, WD-XRF, and IGF. The results obtained indicate the ingots were manufactured with cast iron of different quality, suggesting they may have come from different production centres. The investigation resulted in a better understanding of ballasting practices on a South American navy ship in the early post-independence period and provided new data for discussions of off-site and non-nautical technological issues, such as the materials, knowledge, and techniques associated with the production of pig iron in the mid-19th century.
Large-Scale In Vitro Propagation and Ex Vitro Adaptation of the Endangered Medicinal Plant Eryngium maritimum L.
Authors: Mežaka Ieva , Kļaviņa Dace , Kaļāne Laura , Kronberga Arta
Published: February 2023

The endangered medicinal plant Eryngium maritimum L. faces significant natural and anthropogenic threats. Therefore, in vitro propagation is recommended for both conservation and commercial purposes. The aim of the study was to develop a series of protocols for seed disinfection, in vitro multiplication and rooting, and ex vitro and field adaptation. For explant disinfection, the length and temperature of three consecutive disinfectants were investigated. Macrosalt modifications of MS medium and plant growth regulator addition to media effect on axillary bud propagation rate and rooting was studied. Survival and leaf growth during ex vitro and field adaptation in response to potting media, pot cell diameter, and light spectrum were tested. Seeds treated with diluted detergent at 40 °C for 180 min, followed by 0.01% KMnO4 for 3 h and commercial bleach for 11 min, achieved a lower rate of contamination and high germination rate. Axillary bud proliferation and rooting were enhanced by reducing nitrogen content in media and adding plant growth regulators. Potting media and pot size affect survival and growth ex vitro. Timely transplantation to field conditions before overwintering increases plantlet survival. In the present work, a suitable foundation is laid to scaleup the production of E. maritimum by micropropagation.