bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Equivariant analytical mapping of first principles Hamiltonians to accurate and transferable materials models
Authors: Zhang Liwei , Onat Berk , Dusson Geneviève , McSloy Adam , Anand G. , Maurer Reinhard J. , Ortner Christoph , Kermode James R.
Published: July 2022

We propose a scheme to construct predictive models for Hamiltonian matrices in atomic orbital representation from ab initio data as a function of atomic and bond environments. The scheme goes beyond conventional tight binding descriptions as it represents the ab initio model to full order, rather than in two-centre or three-centre approximations. We achieve this by introducing an extension to the atomic cluster expansion (ACE) descriptor that represents Hamiltonian matrix blocks that transform equivariantly with respect to the full rotation group. The approach produces analytical linear models for the Hamiltonian and overlap matrices. Through an application to aluminium, we demonstrate that it is possible to train models from a handful of structures computed with density functional theory, and apply them to produce accurate predictions for the electronic structure. The model generalises well and is able to predict defects accurately from only bulk training data.
An update on global mining land use
Authors: Maus Victor , Giljum Stefan , da Silva Dieison M. , Gutschlhofer Jakob , da Rosa Robson P. , Luckeneder Sebastian , Gass Sidnei L. B. , Lieber Mirko , McCallum Ian
Published: July 2022

The growing demand for minerals has pushed mining activities into new areas increasingly affecting biodiversity-rich natural biomes. Mapping the land use of the global mining sector is, therefore, a prerequisite for quantifying, understanding and mitigating adverse impacts caused by mineral extraction. This paper updates our previous work mapping mining sites worldwide. Using visual interpretation of Sentinel-2 images for 2019, we inspected more than 34,000 mining locations across the globe. The result is a global-scale dataset containing 44,929 polygon features covering 101,583 km2 of large-scale as well as artisanal and small-scale mining. The increase in coverage is substantial compared to the first version of the dataset, which included 21,060 polygons extending over 57,277 km2. The polygons cover open cuts, tailings dams, waste rock dumps, water ponds, processing plants, and other ground features related to the mining activities. The dataset is available for download from https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.942325 and visualisation at www.fineprint.global/viewer.
Aflatoxin M1 exposure in a fermented millet-based milk beverage ‘brukina’ and its cancer risk characterization in Greater Accra, Ghana
Authors: Kortei Nii Korley , Annan Theophilus , Boakye Adjoa Agyemang , Essuman Edward Ken , Tettey Clement Okraku , Kyei-Baffour Vincent
Published: July 2022

Brukinais a millet based fermented milk product which is consumed as a beverage in Ghana. It is however prone to aflatoxin M1(AFM1) contamination, which is a serious health challenge for low and middle-income countries in subtropical regions. This study aimed at evaluating AFM1levels and cancer risks associated withbrukina(n = 150) sampled from different locations of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. AFM1were measured with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) connected to a Fluorescence Detector (FLD).Cancer risk assessments were also conducted using models prescribed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Additives (JECFA). Out of the 150 samples analyzed for AFM1, 80/150 (53%) tested positive between the range 0.00 ± 0.001–3.14 ± 0.77 µg/kg. Cancer risk assessments of AFM1produced outcomes which ranged between 0.64 and 1.88 ng/kg bw/day, 0.31–9.40, 0.0323, and 1.94 × 10–3–0.06 for cases/100,000 person/yr for Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Hazard Index (H.I), Average Potency, and Cancer Risks respectively for all age categories investigated. It was concluded that the consumption ofbrukinaposed adverse health effects on the majority of the age categories in the different locations of Greater Accra Region since the calculated H.Is were greater than one (> 1). Therefore, contamination ofbrukinawith AFM1should be considered a high priority in public health and Ghana’s cancer risk management actions.
Assessing the effect of urbanization on regional-scale surface water-groundwater interaction and nitrate transport
Authors: Yifru Bisrat Ayalew , Chung Il-Moon , Kim Min-Gyu , Chang Sun Woo
Published: July 2022

Identifying regional-scale surface water-groundwater interactions (SGI) is vital for predicting anthropogenic effects on surface water bodies and underlying aquifers. However, large-scale water and nutrient flux studies rely on surface water or groundwater-focused models. This study aims to model the effect of urbanization, which is usually accompanied by high groundwater abstraction and surface water pollution, particularly in the developing world, on a regional-scale SGI and nitrate loading. In the study area, the urban expansion increased by over 3% in the last decade. The integrated SWAT-MODFLOW model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Modular Finite-Difference Groundwater Flow (MODFLOW) coupling code, was used to assess SGI. By coupling SWAT-MODFLOW with Reactive Transport in 3-Dimensions, the nutrient loading to the river from point and non-point sources was also modeled. Basin average annual results show that groundwater discharge declined with increasing groundwater abstraction and increased with Land use/Land cover (LULC) changes. Groundwater recharge decreased significantly in the Belge season (February to May), and the river seepage and groundwater discharge decreased correspondingly. High spatiotemporal changes in SGI and nitrate loading were found under the combined LULC and groundwater abstraction scenarios. The water yield decreased by 15%. In a large part of the region, the nitrate loading increased by 17–250%. Seasonally controlled groundwater abstraction and water quality monitoring are essential in this region.
Establishment and characterization of human pluripotent stem cells-derived brain organoids to model cerebellar diseases
Authors: Brás João , Henriques Daniel , Moreira Ricardo , Santana Magda M. , Silva-Pedrosa Rita , Adão Diana , Braz Sandra , Álvaro Ana Rita , de Almeida Luís Pereira , Mendonça Liliana S.
Published: July 2022

The establishment of robust human brain organoids to model cerebellar diseases is essential to study new therapeutic strategies for cerebellum-associated disorders. Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a cerebellar hereditary neurodegenerative disease, without therapeutic options able to prevent the disease progression. In the present work, control and MJD induced-pluripotent stem cells were used to establish human brain organoids. These organoids were characterized regarding brain development, cell type composition, and MJD-associated neuropathology markers, to evaluate their value for cerebellar diseases modeling. Our data indicate that the organoids recapitulated, to some extent, aspects of brain development, such as astroglia emerging after neurons and the presence of ventricular-like zones surrounded by glia and neurons that are found only in primate brains. Moreover, the brain organoids presented markers of neural progenitors proliferation, neuronal differentiation, inhibitory and excitatory synapses, and firing neurons. The established brain organoids also exhibited markers of cerebellar neurons progenitors and mature cerebellar neurons. Finally, MJD brain organoids showed higher ventricular-like zone numbers, an indication of lower maturation, and an increased number of ataxin-3-positive aggregates, compared with control organoids. Altogether, our data indicate that the established organoids recapitulate important characteristics of human brain development and exhibit cerebellar features, constituting a resourceful tool for testing therapeutic approaches for cerebellar diseases.
Thermal fluid fields reconstruction for nanofluids convection based on physics-informed deep learning
Authors: Li Yunzhu , Liu Tianyuan , Xie Yonghui
Published: July 2022

Based on physics-informed deep learning method, the deep learning model is proposed for thermal fluid fields reconstruction. This method applied fully-connected layers to establish the mapping function from design variables and space coordinates to physical fields of interest, and then the performance characteristics Nusselt number Nu and Fanning friction factor f can be calculated from the reconstructed fields. Compared with reconstruction model based on convolutional neural network, the improved model shows no constrains on mesh generation and it improves the physical interpretability by introducing conservation laws in loss functions. To validate this method, the forced convection of the water-Al2O3 nanofluids is utilized to construct training dataset. As shown in this paper, this deep neural network can reconstruct the physical fields and consequently the performance characteristics accurately. In the comparisons with other classical machine learning methods, our reconstruction model is superior for predicting performance characteristics. In addition to the effect of training size on prediction power, the extrapolation performance (an important but rarely investigated issue) for important design parameters are also explored on unseen testing datasets.
Heliotropium ramosissimum metabolic profiling, in silico and in vitro evaluation with potent selective cytotoxicity against colorectal carcinoma
Authors: Fayed Marwa A. A. , Abouelela Mohamed E. , Refaey Mohamed S.
Published: July 2022

Heliotropium is a genus of the Boraginaceae family. Its members are used in many traditional and folklore medicines to treat several ailments. Despite this widespread usage, only a few evidence-based scientific studies investigated and identified its phytoconstituents. Herein, we documented the chemical profile of the Heliotropium ramosissimum methanolic extract using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS) and assessed its antioxidant and cytotoxic effects. The methanolic extract exhibited high phenolic content (179.74 ± 0.58 µg/mL) and high flavonoid content (53.18 ± 0.60 µg/mL). The GC–MS analysis of the lipoidal matter allowed us to identify 41 compounds with high percentages of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-methoxyethyl) ester (23.91%), and 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one (18.74%). Thirty-two phytomolecules were tentatively identified from the methanolic extract of H. ramosissimum using LC–MS/MS. These compounds belonged to several phytochemical classes such as phenolic acids, alkaloids, coumarins, and flavonoids. Furthermore, we assessed the antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract by DPPH assay and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, which yielded IC50 values of 414.30 µg/mL and 170.03 ± 44.40 µM TE/equivalent, respectively. We also assessed the cytotoxicity of the methanolic extract on seven different cell lines; Colo-205, A-375, HeLa, HepG-2, H-460, and OEC showed that it selectively killed cancer cells with particularly potent cytotoxicity against Colo-205 without affecting normal cells. Further studies revealed that the extract induced apoptosis and/or necrosis on Colo-205 cell line at an IC50 of 18.60 µg/mL. Finally, we conducted molecular docking on the LC–ESI–MS/MS-identified compounds against colon cancer antigen 10 to find potentially cytotoxic compounds. Binding score energy analysis showed that isochlorogenic acid and orientin had the highest affinity for the colon cancer antigen 10 protein, with binding scores of (− 13.2001) and (− 13.5655) kcal/mol, respectively. These findings suggest that Heliotropium ramosissimum contains potent therapeutic candidates for colorectal cancer treatment.
Prediction performance and fairness heterogeneity in cardiovascular risk models
Authors: Kartoun Uri , Khurshid Shaan , Kwon Bum Chul , Patel Aniruddh P. , Batra Puneet , Philippakis Anthony , Khera Amit V. , Ellinor Patrick T. , Lubitz Steven A. , Ng Kenney
Published: July 2022

Prediction models are commonly used to estimate risk for cardiovascular diseases, to inform diagnosis and management. However, performance may vary substantially across relevant subgroups of the population. Here we investigated heterogeneity of accuracy and fairness metrics across a variety of subgroups for risk prediction of two common diseases: atrial fibrillation (AF) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We calculated the Cohorts for Heart and Aging in Genomic Epidemiology Atrial Fibrillation (CHARGE-AF) score for AF and the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) score for ASCVD in three large datasets: Explorys Life Sciences Dataset (Explorys, n = 21,809,334), Mass General Brigham (MGB, n = 520,868), and the UK Biobank (UKBB, n = 502,521). Our results demonstrate important performance heterogeneity across subpopulations defined by age, sex, and presence of preexisting disease, with fairly consistent patterns across both scores. For example, using CHARGE-AF, discrimination declined with increasing age, with a concordance index of 0.72 [95% CI 0.72–0.73] for the youngest (45–54 years) subgroup to 0.57 [0.56–0.58] for the oldest (85–90 years) subgroup in Explorys. Even though sex is not included in CHARGE-AF, the statistical parity difference (i.e., likelihood of being classified as high risk) was considerable between males and females within the 65–74 years subgroup with a value of − 0.33 [95% CI − 0.33 to − 0.33]. We also observed weak discrimination (i.e., < 0.7) and suboptimal calibration (i.e., calibration slope outside of 0.7–1.3) in large subsets of the population; for example, all individuals aged 75 years or older in Explorys (17.4%). Our findings highlight the need to characterize and quantify the behavior of clinical risk models within specific subpopulations so they can be used appropriately to facilitate more accurate, consistent, and equitable assessment of disease risk.
T1 values and extracellular volume fraction in asymptomatic subjects: variations in left ventricular segments and correlation with cardiovascular risk factors
Authors: Kim Moon Young , Cho Soo Jin , Kim Hae Jin , Kim Sung Mok , Lee Sang-Chol , Paek MunYoung , Choe Yeon Hyeon
Published: July 2022

To evaluate variations in pre-contrast (preT1) and post-contrast (postT1) myocardial T1 values and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) according to left ventricular (LV) segments and to find correlations between them and cardiovascular risk factors. The 233 asymptomatic subjects (210 men, 23 women; aged 54.1 ± 6.0 years) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with preT1 and postT1 mapping on a 1.5-T scanner. T1 values and ECVs were evaluated according to LV segments, age, sex, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Based on the presence of hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM), subjects were subdivided into the control, HTN, DM, and HTN and DM (HTN-DM) groups. T1 values and ECV showed significant differences between septal and lateral segments at the mid-ventricular and basal levels (p ≤ 0.003). In subgroup analysis, the HTN-DM group showed a significantly higher ECV (0.260 ± 0.023) than the control (0.240 ± 0.021, p = 0.011) and HTN (0.241 ± 0.024, p = 0.041) groups. Overall postT1 and ECV of the LV had significant correlation with eGFR (r = 0.19, p = 0.038 for postT1; r =  − 0.23, p = 0.011 for ECV). Septal segments show higher preT1 and ECV but lower postT1 than lateral segments at the mid-ventricular and basal levels. ECV is significantly affected by HTN, DM, and eGFR, even in asymptomatic subjects.
Clinical features and incidence of visual improvement following systemic antibiotic treatment in patients with syphilitic uveitis
Authors: Sittivarakul Wantanee , Aramrungroj Sukrita , Seepongphun Usanee
Published: July 2022

To describe the clinical features, longitudinal pattern, and incidence rate of improvement of visual acuity (VA) following antibiotic therapy in patients with syphilitic uveitis. A total of 36 patients were included in this retrospective study from 2009 to 2020. The longitudinal patterns of mean VA values during follow-up were analyzed using a linear mixed model. Most patients were men with HIV coinfection (81%) and presented with panuveitis (49%). The mean VA at baseline improved from 0.97 to 0.39 logMAR at 6 months and remained stable thereafter. The cumulative incidence of VA ≥ 20/25 achieved by 2 years was 70%. Receiving antibiotic therapy within four weeks of the onset of ocular symptoms (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 3.4, P = 0.012), absence of HIV coinfection (aHR 8.2, P < 0.001), absence of neurosyphilis (aHR 6.5, P = 0.037), better presenting VA (aHR 5.0, P = 0.003), and intermediate uveitis as opposed to panuveitis (aHR 11.5, P = 0.013) were predictive of achieving VA ≥ 20/25. Men with HIV coinfection represented the majority of our patients. Visual outcomes, in response to antibiotics, were favorable. Delayed treatment, poor presenting VA, presence of HIV coinfection, and concomitant neurosyphilis decreased the likelihood of VA restoration.
A new chronology for tsunami deposits prior to the 1700 CE Cascadia earthquake from Vancouver Island, Canada
Authors: Tanigawa Koichiro , Sawai Yuki , Bobrowsky Peter , Huntley David , Goff James , Shinozaki Tetsuya , Ito Kazumi
Published: July 2022

Coastal deposits at Tofino, Ucluelet, and Port Alberni in Vancouver Island along the Cascadia subduction zone were re-examined to improve the earthquake history of the southwest coast of Canada. We found sand sheets interbedded within peat and mud, suggesting deposition by strong flows in a low-energy environment. Based on limiting maximum and minimum ages derived from plant macrofossils, the age of one of the sand sheets below the tsunami deposits of the great Cascadia earthquake in 1700 CE was estimated to be 1330–1430 CE. Onshore paleoseismic evidence has been documented in Vancouver Island, northern Washington, and northern Oregon during this period. However, the newly constrained age is between those of coseismic subsidence Y and W events in southern Washington, which have been recognized as the 1700 CE and the penultimate Cascadia earthquakes, respectively. Moreover, the new age partly overlaps with the age of offshore paleoseismic evidence for T2, interpreted to have originated from the penultimate Cascadia earthquake, based on offshore turbidite records. The new chronology prior to the 1700 CE Cascadia tsunami deposit from Vancouver Island contributes to a better understand of the timing of the penultimate Cascadia earthquake.
Reduced gluteofemoral (subcutaneous) fat mass in young Japanese women with family history of type 2 diabetes: an exploratory analysis
Authors: Honda Mari , Tsuboi Ayaka , Minato-Inokawa Satomi , Takeuchi Mika , Kurata Miki , Wu Bin , Kazumi Tsutomu , Fukuo Keisuke
Published: July 2022

Limited expandability of subcutaneous adipose tissue may be characteristics of first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetes. We tested the hypothesis that family history of type 2 diabetes (FHD) may be associated with reduced peripheral fat mass. Body composition and metabolic variables were compared between 18 and 111 Japanese female collegiate athletes, and between 55 and 148 nonathletes with positive (FHD +) and negative FHD (FHD-), respectively. We had multivariate logistic regression analyses for FHD + as dependent variable in a total population.BMI averaged < 21 kg/m2 and did not differ between FHD + and FHD- nonathletes. Despite comparable BMI, body fat percentage and serum leptin were lower in FHD + nonathletes. This was due to lower arm and gluteofemoral fat percentage (both p = 0.02) whereas the difference in trunk fat percentage was not significant (p = 0.08). These differences were not found between two groups of athletes. FHD + women had lower HDL cholesterol despite lower BMI in a total population. Fasting insulin, serum adiponectin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein did not differ between FHD + and FHD- athletes or nonathletes. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed independent associations of FHD + with BMI (odds ratio, 0.869; 95% confidential interval, 0.768–0.984; p = 0.02) and HDL cholesterol (odds ratio, 0.977; 95% confidential interval, 0.957–0.997, p = 0.02). In conclusion, FHD may be associated with reduced subcutaneous fat mass in young Japanese women, suggesting impaired adipose tissue expandability.
Limited generalizability of single deep neural network for surgical instrument segmentation in different surgical environments
Authors: Kitaguchi Daichi , Fujino Toru , Takeshita Nobuyoshi , Hasegawa Hiro , Mori Kensaku , Ito Masaaki
Published: July 2022

Clarifying the generalizability of deep-learning-based surgical-instrument segmentation networks in diverse surgical environments is important in recognizing the challenges of overfitting in surgical-device development. This study comprehensively evaluated deep neural network generalizability for surgical instrument segmentation using 5238 images randomly extracted from 128 intraoperative videos. The video dataset contained 112 laparoscopic colorectal resection, 5 laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, 5 laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and 6 laparoscopic partial hepatectomy cases. Deep-learning-based surgical-instrument segmentation was performed for test sets with (1) the same conditions as the training set; (2) the same recognition target surgical instrument and surgery type but different laparoscopic recording systems; (3) the same laparoscopic recording system and surgery type but slightly different recognition target laparoscopic surgical forceps; (4) the same laparoscopic recording system and recognition target surgical instrument but different surgery types. The mean average precision and mean intersection over union for test sets 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 0.941 and 0.887, 0.866 and 0.671, 0.772 and 0.676, and 0.588 and 0.395, respectively. Therefore, the recognition accuracy decreased even under slightly different conditions. The results of this study reveal the limited generalizability of deep neural networks in the field of surgical artificial intelligence and caution against deep-learning-based biased datasets and models.

Trial Registration Number: 2020-315, date of registration: October 5, 2020.
Impact of systemic dexamethasone administration on oral mucositis induced by anthracycline-containing regimens in breast cancer treatment
Authors: Saito Yoshitaka , Takekuma Yoh , Takeshita Takashi , Oshino Tomohiro , Sugawara Mitsuru
Published: July 2022

Oral mucositis (OM) is one of the most common complications associated with chemotherapy. Here, we evaluated whether systemic dexamethasone (DEX) dosage in prophylactic antiemetics affected the incidence of OM in anthracycline-containing regimens. Patients receiving anthracycline-containing regimens for breast cancer were divided into high- and low-DEX dose groups and retrospectively evaluated. The incidence of all-grade OM in the first cycle in the high- and low-dose groups was 27.3% and 53.5%, respectively, and was significantly lowered by increasing the DEX dose (P < 0.01); thus, the study met its primary endpoint. The result in all treatment cycles was also significant (P = 0.02). In contrast, the incidence of dysgeusia was similar between the high- and low-dose groups in the first and all cycles (13.6% and 16.3% in the first cycle [P = 0.79] and 27.3% and 34.9% in all cycles [P = 0.42], respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that low DEX dosage was an independent risk factor for all-grade OM development. In conclusion, our study suggests that DEX attenuates OM in anthracycline-containing regimens for breast cancer treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Further evaluation of OM prophylaxis, including DEX administration, is required for better control.
mTOR contributes to endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation by promoting eNOS expression and preventing eNOS uncoupling
Authors: Wang Yiying , Li Qiannan , Zhang Zhiyang , Peng Kai , Zhang Dai-Min , Yang Qianlu , Passerini Anthony G. , Simon Scott I. , Sun ChongXiu
Published: July 2022

Clinically used inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) negatively impacts endothelial-dependent vasodilatation (EDD) through unidentified mechanisms. Here we show that either the endothelium-specific deletion of Mtor to inhibit both mTOR complexes, or depletion of Raptor or Rictor to disrupt mTORC1 or mTORC2, causes impaired EDD, accompanied by reduced NO in the serum of mice. Consistently, inhibition of mTOR decreases NO production by human and mouse EC. Specifically, inhibition of mTORC1 suppresses eNOS gene expression, due to impairment in p70S6K-mediated posttranscriptional regulation of the transcription factor KLF2 expression. In contrast to mTORC1 inhibition, a positive-feedback between MAPK (p38 and JNK) activation and Nox2 upregulation contributes to the excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which causes eNOS uncoupling and decreased NO bioavailability in mTORC2-inhibited EC. Adeno-associated virus-mediated EC-specific overexpression of KLF2 or suppression of Nox2 restores EDD function in endothelial mTORC1- or mTORC2-inhibited mice.
Dengue virus co-opts innate type 2 pathways to escape early control of viral replication
Authors: Fonseka Chathuranga L. , Hardman Clare S. , Woo Jeongmin. , Singh Randeep , Nahler Janina , Yang Jiahe , Chen Yi-Ling , Kamaladasa Achala , Silva Tehani , Salimi Maryam , Gray Nicki , Dong Tao , Malavige Gathsaurie N. , Ogg Graham S.
Published: July 2022

Mast cell products and high levels of type 2 cytokines are associated with severe dengue disease. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are type-2 cytokine-producing cells that are activated by epithelial cytokines and mast cell-derived lipid mediators. Through ex vivo RNAseq analysis, we observed that ILC2 are activated during acute dengue viral infection, and show an impaired type I-IFN signature in severe disease. We observed that circulating ILC2 are permissive for dengue virus infection in vivo and in vitro, particularly when activated through prostaglandin D2(PGD2). ILC2 underwent productive dengue virus infection, which was inhibited through CRTH2 antagonism. Furthermore, exogenous IFN-β induced expression of type I-IFN responsive anti-viral genes by ILC2. PGD2downregulated type I-IFN responsive gene and protein expression; and urinary prostaglandin D2metabolite levels were elevated in severe dengue. Moreover, supernatants from activated ILC2 enhanced monocyte infection in a GM-CSF and mannan-dependent manner. Our results indicate that dengue virus co-opts an innate type 2 environment to escape early type I-IFN control and facilitate viral dissemination. PGD2downregulates type I-IFN induced anti-viral responses in ILC2. CRTH2 antagonism may be a therapeutic strategy for dengue-associated disease.
Recruitment of a splicing factor to the nuclear lamina for its inactivation
Authors: Vester Karen , Preußner Marco , Holton Nicole , Feng Suihan , Schultz Carsten , Heyd Florian , Wahl Markus C.
Published: July 2022

Precursor messenger RNA splicing is a highly regulated process, mediated by a complex RNA-protein machinery, the spliceosome, that encompasses several hundred proteins and five small nuclear RNAs in humans. Emerging evidence suggests that the spatial organization of splicing factors and their spatio-temporal dynamics participate in the regulation of splicing. So far, methods to manipulate the spatial distribution of splicing factors in a temporally defined manner in living cells are missing. Here, we describe such an approach that takes advantage of a reversible chemical dimerizer, and outline the requirements for efficient, reversible re-localization of splicing factors to selected sub-nuclear compartments. In a proof-of-principle study, the partial re-localization of the PRPF38A protein to the nuclear lamina in HEK293T cells induced a moderate increase in intron retention. Our approach allows fast and reversible re-localization of splicing factors, has few side effects and can be applied to many splicing factors by fusion of a protein tag through genome engineering. Apart from the systematic analysis of the spatio-temporal aspects of splicing regulation, the approach has a large potential for the fast induction and reversal of splicing switches and can reveal mechanisms of splicing regulation in native nuclear environments.
A diagnostic classifier for gene expression-based identification of early Lyme disease
Authors: Servellita Venice , Bouquet Jerome , Rebman Alison , Yang Ting , Samayoa Erik , Miller Steve , Stone Mars , Lanteri Marion , Busch Michael , Tang Patrick , Morshed Muhammad , Soloski Mark J. , Aucott John , Chiu Charles Y.
Published: July 2022

Background

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that causes an estimated 476,000 infections annually in the United States. New diagnostic tests are urgently needed, as existing antibody-based assays lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity.

Methods

Here we perform transcriptome profiling by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), targeted RNA-Seq, and/or machine learning-based classification of 263 peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from 218 subjects, including 94 early Lyme disease patients, 48 uninfected control subjects, and 57 patients with other infections (influenza, bacteremia, or tuberculosis). Differentially expressed genes among the 25,278 in the reference database are selected based on ≥1.5-fold change, ≤0.05 p value, and ≤0.001 false-discovery rate cutoffs. After gene selection using a k-nearest neighbor algorithm, the comparative performance of ten different classifier models is evaluated using machine learning.

Results

We identify a 31-gene Lyme disease classifier (LDC) panel that can discriminate between early Lyme patients and controls, with 23 genes (74.2%) that have previously been described in association with clinical investigations of Lyme disease patients or in vitro cell culture and rodent studies of Borrelia burgdorferi infection. Evaluation of the LDC using an independent test set of samples from 63 subjects yields an overall sensitivity of 90.0%, specificity of 100%, and accuracy of 95.2%. The LDC test is positive in 85.7% of seronegative patients and found to persist for ≥3 weeks in 9 of 12 (75%) patients.

Conclusions

These results highlight the potential clinical utility of a gene expression classifier for diagnosis of early Lyme disease, including in patients negative by conventional serologic testing.
A new twist for Stork-Danheiser products enabled by visible light mediated trans-cyclohexene formation; access to acyclic distal enones
Authors: Lantz Erik , El Mokadem Roukaya , Schoch Tim , Fleske Tyler , Weaver Jimmie D.
Published: July 2022

In this work, visible light drives a contrathermodynamic isomerization of the classic Stork-Danheiser products through an energy transfer process to yield acyclic distal enone(al) isomers. This is possible because the photochemical energy is transiently captured as ring strain as a trans-, or twisted, cyclohexene.
Preparation of an rGO and iron oxide nanoparticle-incorporated polyvinyl acetate based membrane for the removal of Pb2+ from anticorrosive paint industrial wastewater
Authors: Yaseen Muhammad , Ahmad Waqas , Maria  , Farooq Muhammad Usman , Shakir Muhammad , Naeem Abdul
Published: July 2022

rGO–Fe2O3 NPs incorporated PVAc based mixed matrix membrane for efficient removal of Pb2+ from anti-corrosive paint industrial wastewater.
Postbiotics derived from Lactobacillus plantarum 1.0386 ameliorate lipopolysaccharide-induced tight junction injury via MicroRNA-200c-3p mediated activation of the MLCK-MLC pathway in Caco-2 cells
Authors: Zhang Xin , Li Ying , Zhang Chao , Chi Houyu , Liu Chuan , Li Aili , Yu Wei
Published: July 2022

Postbiotics derived from Lactobacillus plantarum 1.0386 ameliorate lipopolysaccharide-induced tight junction injury via MicroRNA-200c-3p mediated activation of the MLCK-MLC pathway in Caco-2 cells.
Lithium stabilizes square-two-dimensional metal sheets: a computational exploration
Authors: Li Jie , Liu Yu , Yu Linke , Meng Haihong , Gu Jinxing , Li Fengyu
Published: July 2022

Comprehensive computations reveal that lithium can stabilize the square metal monolayers, and the stable square binary metal sheets exhibit diverse mechanical and electrochemical properties.
Pd-Catalyzed regio- and stereoselective allylic substitution of vinylethylene carbonates with 1,2,4-triazoles
Authors: Khan Sardaraz , Shah Babar Hussain , Zhao Can , Zhang Yong Jian
Published: July 2022

Pd-Catalyzed allylic substitution of vinylethylene carbonates with 1,2,4-triazoles has been developed to produceN1-allylated 1,2,4-triazoles in high yields with excellent regio- and stereoselectivities.
Repurposing a peptide antibiotic as a catalyst: a multicopper–daptomycin complex as a cooperative O–O bond formation and activation catalyst
Authors: Lee Yen Jea , Kim Haesol , Kim Yujeong , Cho Kang Hee , Hong Sugyeong , Nam Ki Tae , Kim Sun Hee , Choi Chang Hyuck , Seo Jiwon
Published: July 2022

A peptide antibiotic, daptomycin, was repurposed to a multicopper catalyst presenting cooperative rate enhancement in O–O bond formation and activation reactions.
Achieving efficient oxygen reduction on ultra-low metal-loaded electrocatalysts by constructing well-dispersed bimetallic sites and interconnected porous channels
Authors: Deng Chen , Tan Jingjin , Toe Cui Ying , Li Xuan , Li Guodong , Jiang Xingxing , Wei Shaomin , Yang Hengpan , Hu Qi , He Chuanxin
Published: July 2022

Hierarchically porous N-doped carbon nanofibers anchored with low-loaded FeCo sites (FeCo@PCNFs) were fabricated via the facile electrospinning method followed by carbonization, showing excellent performance for the ORR and primary zinc–air battery.
Pediatric Amplification: A Proposed Protocol for In-Person Hearing Aid Fittings and Virtual Follow-Ups
Authors: Petrarca Kirsten A. , Worthington Megan
Published: July 2022

Background:

Children with hearing loss and their families face many financial and logistical barriers to accessing audiological care. At Rush University's Student Community Outreach Program of Excellence (SCOPE), a pediatric hearing loss outreach program is under development to address and overcome those barriers through in-person hearing aid fittings and virtual follow-up appointments.

Objectives:

The goal of this clinical focus article was to develop a proposed protocol for SCOPE's pediatric hearing loss outreach program that would detail the use of a bimodal model of service delivery for pediatric amplification services. This clinical focus article provides a general description of the proposed protocol.

Method:

The proposed protocol was developed as a guideline for future service delivery within SCOPE's pediatric hearing loss outreach program. Categories and details within the protocol were derived from previously published protocols and clinically relevant research.

Results:

The final protocol is composed of six sections, which detail the rationale and target population, necessary equipment, procedures for in-person hearing aid fittings, procedures for virtual follow-ups, outcome measures, and schedule of appointments.

Discussion:

On the national level, access to audiological care for pediatric patients and their families is restricted by both financial and logistical barriers. A telehealth model of service delivery has been shown to be effective in providing high-quality patient care while addressing these barriers. A clinical program using a bimodal model of service delivery will be implemented to address these barriers in Chicago, Illinois. Future investigation is required to monitor the efficacy of the program and develop program-specific materials.
The Impact of Daily Hours of Sound Therapy on Tinnitus Relief for People With Chronic Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Jin In-Ki , Choi Soon-Je , Ku Minseung , Sim YeonWoo , Lee TaeRim
Published: July 2022

Purpose:

Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sounds in the absence of extrinsic sound stimuli. Sound therapy is an option for tinnitus rehabilitation, which aims to mitigate the functional and emotional effects of tinnitus. Several studies have reported that a longer duration of sound therapy may result in a greater tinnitus relief effect. However, the relationship between the daily hours of sound therapy and the tinnitus relief effect remains unclear. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the tinnitus relief effect according to the time spent in daily performing sound therapy.

Method:

Fifty-eight chronic tinnitus participants were randomly assigned to three groups according to their daily hours of sound therapy (1-hr, 3-hr, and 5-hr groups), and mixing point-based sound therapy, which adjusts the volume of the external stimulus to blend with the participant's tinnitus sound, was administered for 3 months. The effectiveness of sound therapy was determined based on changes in the tinnitus loudness level, visual analog scale for loudness score, and the Korean version of the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire (K-TPFQ) score between the baseline and 3-month time points.

Results:

Longer daily sound therapy hours were associated to a greater effect of sound therapy in the tinnitus loudness level and the total K-TPFQ scores, including the emotion and hearing subcategories. Particularly, the 3-hr and 5-hr groups showed a greater tinnitus relief than the 1-hr group.

Conclusion:

An increase in the daily sound therapy hours may increase the possibility of improving tinnitus relief effects.
Event‐based motion segmentation of small objects in the wild
Authors: Sun Zhezheng , Hou Chuantong , Wang Longguang , Deng Xinpu , Li Miao
Published: July 2022

Event‐based cameras are sensitive to brightness changes and can capture rich temporal information with very high temporal resolution, which has great potential for motion segmentation of moving objects. Under static background, events are only triggered by motion of objects, thereby moving objects can be easily segmented. However, in many real‐world applications, events are also triggered by the motion of camera or background and submerge the ones corresponding to moving objects. In this letter, an event‐based motion segmentation method to segment moving small objects in events obtained from the wild is proposed. First, motion estimation is performed to align the events triggered by the background. Then, candidate events corresponding to moving objects or moving backgrounds are detected. Finally, motion information is adopted to segment the events of moving small objects from the ones triggered by the background. In addition, the first dataset for event‐based motion segmentation of small objects is developed. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of this method and show that this method can achieve robust motion segmentation of small moving objects in the wild.
Physical properties and mini-outburst of 64P/Swift-Gehrels
Authors: Xu R. Q. , Shi J. C. , Ma Y. H. , Li F. , Yuan Y.
Published: July 2022

Aims. We present secular multiwavelength broadband photometry, spanning over 93 days, performed at the Yaoan High Precision Telescope on comet 64P/Swift-Gehrels in its 2018–2019 apparition. Our aim is to study its dust activity, coma properties, and the accidentally discovered mini-outburst.

Methods. We used aperture photometry to measure the Afρ value and correct the back-scattering effect based on phase angle. We deployed azimuthally averaged image enhancement methods to identify the coma morphology and the outburst. Secular color measurement was also conducted on the comet.

Results. We identified a −0.5 mag mini-outburst around January 3, 2019, with coma morphology study showing an obvious dust jet feature strengthened during the outburst. The maximum A(0)fρ value of 64P/Swift-Gehrels recorded is 313 cm at the top of the fitted curve and 334 cm at the outburst event. Both volatile-driven pressure mechanisms and nonvolatile-driven mechanisms could be the major explanation for the outburst. We obtain a mean color B − V = 0.68 ± 0.03 and V − R = 0.08 ± 0.01. The B − V color is similar to the mean value for Jupiter Family comets, but the V − R color turns out to be bluest among all the recorded short-period comets. The cause of this anomaly remains unknown.
Modeling of nonlinear and hysteretic behaviors in the ferroelectric materials under strong electrical and mechanical driving levels
Authors: Rjafallah Abdelkader , Tabbai Yassine , Hajjaji Abdelowahed , Ennawaoui Chouaib
Published: July 2022

The ferroelectric materials have been used in several piezoelectric sensors and actuators applications. Under strong mechanical and electrical driving levels, the nonlinear behavior of these ferroelectric materials can be described by the second order piezoelectric constitutive equations. However, their hysteretic behavior cannot be modeled by these equations. In this paper, a novel phenomenological model was developed to describe the nonlinear and hysteretic behaviors of the ferroelectrics subjected to strong electrical and mechanical strengths. The model, based on the theory of Landau-Devonshire, can simulate the polarization/electric field hysteretic cycles of the ferroelectrics under mechanical compressive stress. It can also describe the evolutions of relative permittivity/electric field and piezoelectric coefficient/electric field of the ferroelectric materials under compressive stress. Simulated behaviors are finally compared with experimental data obtained for a soft PZT and good agreements were found.
Wie wurden Thuja & Co. zu Arzneien für Impffolgen?
– Ein historischer Überblick bis in die
Gegenwart
Authors: Zauner Bernhard
Published: July 2022

Impfungen werden in Medizin, Gesellschaft und Politik schon immer kontrovers
diskutiert und sind ein Thema, das die Gemüter erhitzt. Auch innerhalb
der homöopathisch arbeitenden Ärzteschaft gab es in den letzten
200 Jahren verschiedene Strömungen und Entwicklungen.

90% der Impfungen werden von niedergelassenen Ärzten
durchgeführt, diese sind daher zur Aufklärung und Beratung der
Patienten verpflichtet. Als Leitlinien und zur Orientierung bei Impffragen
stehen aktuelle Empfehlungen der jeweiligen Gesundheitsministerien zur
Verfügung.

Bestimmte homöopathische Arzneien genießen den Status, als
besonders für Impffolgen geeignet zu sein.
The Physiological and Cardiologic Effects of Long Video Gaming
Sessions in Adult Males
Authors: Krarup Kasper Bygum , Rantanen Jesper Mosgaard , Mørk Morten , Pedersen Inge Søkilde , Christensen Jeppe Hagstrup , Kristensen Søren Risom , Handberg Aase , Krarup Henrik Bygum
Published: July 2022

The effect of long gaming sessions on energy intake, caffeine intake, blood
pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, and biochemical cardiac injury
markers is unknown. The objective of this exploratory study was to investigate
the changes in healthy male adults during two consecutive 18-hour sedentary
video gaming sessions. Nine participants were enrolled in the study. Energy
intake was noted in food diaries. Heart rate variability was monitored
continuously; blood pressure and cardiac injury markers were measured every
three to six hours. During the 42-hour study, the participants had an energy and
caffeine intake of 8004.9 kcal and 1354.4 mg, respectively. The
participants had a significant decrease in energy intake in the second session
(p=0.01). A strong, negative correlation was found between body mass
index and total energy intake (R=–0.84, p=0.005) and
waist circumference and total energy intake (R=–0.70,
p=0.036) in the first session. No nightly dip in blood pressure or heart
rate was observed. Based on this study, long-term adverse effects of gaming
cannot be ruled out. The non-dip of HR and BP suggests that long gaming sessions
could be detrimental to cardiovascular health long term.
Pleiotropic Benefits of Statins in Cardiovascular
Diseases
Authors: Wasim Rufaida , Ansari Tarique Mahmood , Ahsan Farogh , Siddiqui Mohammad Haris , Singh Aditya , Shariq Mohammad , Parveen Saba
Published: July 2022

In 1976, Japanese microbiologist Akira Endo discovered the first statin as a
product of the fungus Penicillium citrinum that inhibited the activity of
3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase. Their primary mode of action is
to lower the blood cholesterol by decreasing hepatic cholesterol production,
which upregulates hepatic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors and increases
LDL-cholesterol clearance. In addition to cholesterol lowering, statins inhibit
other downstream products of the mevalonate pathway, causing the so-called
pleiotropic effects. As a result of their pleiotropic effects statins modulate
virtually all known processes of atherosclerosis and have beneficial effects
outside the cardiovascular system Statins inhibit the post-translational
prenylation of small GTP-binding proteins such as Rho, Rac, as well as their
downstream effectors such as Rho kinase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
phosphate oxidases since they suppress the synthesis of isoprenoid intermediates
in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway altering the expression of endothelial
nitric oxide synthase, the stability of atherosclerotic plaques, production of
proinflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species, platelet reactivity,
development of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in cell culture and animal
experiments. Inhibition of Rho and Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein
kinase (ROCK), has emerged as the principle mechanisms underlying the
pleiotropic effects of statins. However, the relative contributions of statin
pleiotropy to clinical outcomes are debatable and difficult to measure because
the amount of isoprenoid inhibition by statins corresponds to some extent with
the amount of LDL-cholesterol decrease. This article examines some of the
existing molecular explanations underlying statin pleiotropy and discusses if
they have clinical relevance in cardiovascular diseases.
Biocomponentes à base de hidroxiapatita: Influência da esterilização na resistência mecânica
Authors: Tagliari Ivânio , Lerner Alan Menegaz , Severo Antônio Lourenço , Israel Charles Leonardo
Published: July 2022

Objetivo O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência da esterilização na resistência mecânica à compressão e flexão de biocomponentes à base de hidroxiapatita obtida a partir de osso bovino liofilizado e sua associação com quitosana.

Métodos O osso bovino liofilizado foi processado em partículas de 100 μm e misturado à quitosana em proporção de 50% de seu peso. A mistura foi acondicionada em moldes metálicos para preparo dos espécimes e esterilizada a 127°C em autoclave para posterior experimentação. Os espécimes foram submetidos a ensaios de compressão e flexão seguindo a norma 5833 da International Organization for Standardization (ISO); os espécimes eram blocos cilíndricos de 6 × 12 mm (para ensaios de compressão) e placas de 75 × 10 × 3,3 mm (para ensaios de flexão). As amostras foram divididas em quatro grupos de 20 espécimes cada, sendo 10 para ensaios de compressão e 10 para ensaios de flexão. Três grupos foram esterilizados (por autoclavagem, raios gama e óxido de etileno), enquanto o quarto grupo (controle) não foi. Os testes mecânicos obtidos nos diferentes processos de esterilização foram comparados por análise de variância (ANOVA, p < 0,05) seguido pelo teste de comparação múltipla de médias de Tukey, com intervalo de confiança de 95%.

Resultados Os espécimes apresentaram resistências médias à compressão de 10,25 MPa para o grupo de controle e 3,67 MPa, 9,65 MPa e 9,16 MPa após esterilização com óxido de etileno, raios gama e autoclavagem, respectivamente. Os resultados do teste de flexão mostraram uma resistência média de 0,40 MPa no grupo de controle, e 0,15 MPa, 0,17 MPa e 0,30 MPa após esterilização com óxido de etileno, raios gama e autoclavagem, respectivamente. A compressão máxima observada no grupo esterilizado com óxido de etileno foi estatisticamente diferente à obtida no grupo de controle (p = 0,0002), esterilizado com raios gama (p = 0,0003) e autoclavado (p = 0,0006). A flexão máxima dos espécimes esterilizados com raios gama foi estatisticamente diferente à observada no grupo de controle (p = 0,0245). No entanto, a resistência à flexão foi baixa em todos os espécimes.

Conclusão A esterilização em autoclave não foi associada a diferenças estatisticamente significativas nos testes de compressão ou flexão. Assim, a autoclave foi a melhor opção de esterilização para os biocomponentes à base de hidroxiapatita neste estudo.