bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the co-development of academic competencies and educational aspirations in German primary education
Authors: Bittmann Felix
Published: August 2022

Academic achievement and educational decisions, which are strongly related to primary and secondary effects, are the two main drivers behind the emergence of social inequality in education. To understand this process in more detail, even before final decisions have to be made, the reciprocal influence of achievement and aspirations is of greatest interest. By not simply looking at an ultimate outcome but investigating its antecedents in a longitudinal fashion over the course of multiple years more insight is gained. Using German large-scale NEPS panel data, it is possible to demonstrate this co-development quantitatively. Cross-lagged panel models are utilized to show that the achievement in mathematics (measured by comprehensive achievement tests) and parental realistic aspirations influence each other positively in a statistically significant way over the course of primary education from grade one to four, even under the control of various potential confounding variables. Further analyses reveal that this process is socially stratified and works differently for lowly and highly educated families. Lower educated parents pay more attention to the performance of the child when adjusting their aspirations than tertiary educated parents, who always hold high aspirations. The results are of interest to understand in more detail how social inequality emerges at a very early point in the highly tracked German educational system.
Prevalence and associated factors of metabolic body size phenotype in children and adolescents: A national cross-sectional analysis in China
Authors: Liu Jieyu , Ma Tao , Chen Manman , Ma Ying , Li Yanhui , Gao Di , Ma Qi , Wang Xinxin , Chen Li , Zhang Yi , Dong Yanhui , Song Yi , Ma Jun
Published: August 2022

Background

Metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) is a group of subjects with overweight/obesity who present a metabolically healthy profile; however, associated factors are complex and are far from completely understood. The aim of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of different metabolic body size phenotypes and investigate the associated factors in Chinese children and adolescents.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted of 12,346 children and adolescents aged 7–18 years from seven provinces in China in 2013. Anthropometric, blood pressure, and biochemical measurements were obtained. A multi-component questionnaire covering demographic, neonatal, and lifestyle characteristics was administered. The classification of metabolic body size phenotype based on three definitions was compared. With metabolically healthy with normal weight (MHNW) as a reference group, logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the potential effects of associated risk factors, with adjustment for age, sex, single-child status, and residence area.

Results

The prevalence of MHNW, MHO, metabolically unhealthy with normal weight (MUNW), and metabolically unhealthy overweight/obesity (MUO) phenotype was 68.6%, 2.0%, 26.4%, and 3.0%, respectively. There were 39.3% MHO and 60.7% MUO among obese participants and 72.2% MHNW and 27.8% MUNW among those with normal weight. Compared to cardiometabolic risk factor (CMRF) criteria and metabolic syndrome (MetS) component definition, the application of the 2018 consensus-based definition may identify more children with abnormal cardiovascular risks, independent of weight status. Compared to younger children, older-aged adolescents were positively associated with higher risks of MUNW (odds ratio (OR) = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.27–1.50) and MUO (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.04–1.60), while factors positively associated with MHO were younger age, single-child status, urban residence, high birth weight, prolonged breastfeeding duration, parental overweight/obesity status, long screen time, and less physical activity.

Conclusion

There were still a high proportion of children and adolescents at high cardiometabolic risk in China. Our findings reinforce the need for cardiometabolic risk prevention in children and adolescents irrespective of their weight statuses, such as parental educational programs and healthy lifestyle interventions.
A semiquantitative study of the optimal whole-body imaging time after 131I therapy for differentiated thyroid cancer
Authors: Liu Shuang , Zuo Rui , Yang Tianyu , Pang Hua , Wang Zhengjie
Published: August 2022

Objective

We compared the efficacy of post-therapy whole-body scintigraphy (Tx-WBS) in terms of detecting lesions in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) on days 3, 7, and 10 after 131I treatment, and we determined the optimal imaging time.

Methods

Clinical data from 161 DTC patients treated with 131I were collected. All patients underwent day 3 imaging, but only 98 patients underwent day 3 and day 7 imaging, and 63 patients underwent day 3 and day 10 imaging at the same time. And the thyroid bed uptake was visually graded. The radioactivity ratios of the thyroid bed, neck lymph nodes, lungs, and liver (to the background) were calculated to allow a semiquantitative analysis.

Results

Visual analysis showed that delayed imaging revealed more lymph node and lung radioactivity, early imaging showed more residual thyroid tissue, and significant differences in uptake were apparent at days 3, 7, and 10 (P < 0.001). Semiquantitative analysis revealed significant differences in the target-to-background ratios of the residual thyroid bed, lungs, and liver at days 3, 7, and 10. On these days, the imaging sensitivities in terms of detecting metastatic lymph nodes were 29.58%, 39.02%, and 19.35%, and the specificities were 75.56%, 75.86%, and 75% (P = 0.465, 0.154, and 0.763, respectively). In terms of lung metastasis detection, the sensitivities were 29.58%, 38.46%, and 13.33% respectively, and the specificities were 98.33%, 100%, and 95.83% (P < 0.001, < 0.001, and P=0.238).

Conclusion

More residual thyroid tissue can be detected by imaging on day 3; imaging on day 7 more effectively detects lung metastases than does imaging on day 3 or 10.
Possible roles of exercise and apelin against pregnancy complications
Authors: Alizadeh Pahlavani Hamed
Published: August 2022

The prevalence of maternal obesity during pregnancy is associated with the risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cardiomyopathy. Environmental factors such as active lifestyles and apelin may lead to beneficial changes. In rats, apelin and exercise (45 to 65% VO2max for 6 to 9 weeks) during pregnancy increase brown adipose tissue (BAT) proteins such as Cidea, Elovl3, UCP1, PRDM16, and PGC-1α in males and females fetuses, while white adipose tissue (WAT) is reduced. In humans and animals, apelin and exercise stimulate the expression of the glucose transporters (GLUT1/2/4) in the muscle and adipose tissue through the PI3K/Akt and AMPK pathways. Hence, exercise and apelin may are known as regulators of energy metabolism and be anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties. In mice, exercise also creates a short-term hypoxic environment in the pregnant mother, activating HIF-1, VEGF, and VEGFR, and increasing angiogenesis. Exercise and apelin also increase vasodilation, angiogenesis, and suppression of inflammation through the L-arginine/eNOS/NO pathway in humans. Exercise can stimulate the ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-Mas axis in parallel with inhibiting the ACE-Ang II-AT1 pathway. Exercise and apelin seem to prevent preeclampsia through these processes. In rats, moderate-intensity exercise (60 to 70% VO2max for 8 weeks) and apelin/APJ also may prevent pathological hypertrophy in pregnancy by activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway, PI3k-Akt-ERK1/2-p70S6K pathway, and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Since pre-clinical studies have been more on animal models, future research with scientific guidelines should pay more attention to human specimens. In future research, time factors such as the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy and the intensity and duration of exercise are important variables that should be considered to determine the optimal intensity and duration of exercise.
Mini-review: Mitochondrial DNA methylation in type 2 diabetes and obesity
Authors: Rautenberg Emma K. , Hamzaoui Yassin , Coletta Dawn K.
Published: August 2022

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity are two of the most challenging public health problems of our time. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms that contribute to these complex metabolic disorders is essential. An underlying pathophysiological condition of T2D and obesity is insulin resistance (IR), a reduced biological response to insulin in peripheral tissues such as the liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle. Many factors contribute to IR, including lifestyle variables such as a high-fat diet and physical inactivity, genetics, and impaired mitochondrial function. It is well established that impaired mitochondria structure and function occur in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle volunteers with T2D or obesity. Therefore, it could be hypothesized that the mitochondrial abnormalities are due to epigenetic regulation of mitochondrial and nuclear-encoded genes that code for mitochondrial structure and function. In this review, we describe the normal function and structure of mitochondria and highlight some of the key studies that demonstrate mitochondrial abnormalities in skeletal muscle of volunteers with T2D and obesity. Additionally, we describe epigenetic modifications in the context of IR and mitochondrial abnormalities, emphasizing mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) methylation, an emerging area of research.
Large herbivores on permafrost— a pilot study of grazing impacts on permafrost soil carbon storage in northeastern Siberia
Authors: Windirsch Torben , Grosse Guido , Ulrich Mathias , Forbes Bruce C. , Göckede Mathias , Wolter Juliane , Macias-Fauria Marc , Olofsson Johan , Zimov Nikita , Strauss Jens
Published: August 2022

The risk of carbon emissions from permafrost is linked to an increase in ground temperature and thus in particular to thermal insulation by vegetation, soil layers and snow cover. Ground insulation can be influenced by the presence of large herbivores browsing for food in both winter and summer. In this study, we examine the potential impact of large herbivore presence on the soil carbon storage in a thermokarst landscape in northeastern Siberia. Our aim in this pilot study is to conduct a first analysis on whether intensive large herbivore grazing may slow or even reverse permafrost thaw by affecting thermal insulation through modifying ground cover properties. As permafrost soil temperatures are important for organic matter decomposition, we hypothesize that herbivory disturbances lead to differences in ground-stored carbon. Therefore, we analyzed five sites with a total of three different herbivore grazing intensities on two landscape forms (drained thermokarst basin, Yedoma upland) in Pleistocene Park near Chersky. We measured maximum thaw depth, total organic carbon content, δ13C isotopes, carbon-nitrogen ratios, and sediment grain-size composition as well as ice and water content for each site. We found the thaw depth to be shallower and carbon storage to be higher in intensively grazed areas compared to extensively and non-grazed sites in the same thermokarst basin. First data show that intensive grazing leads to a more stable thermal ground regime and thus to increased carbon storage in the thermokarst deposits and active layer. However, the high carbon content found within the upper 20 cm on intensively grazed sites could also indicate higher carbon input rather than reduced decomposition, which requires further studies including investigations of the hydrology and general ground conditions existing prior to grazing introduction. We explain our findings by intensive animal trampling in winter and vegetation changes, which overcompensate summer ground warming. We conclude that grazing intensity—along with soil substrate and hydrologic conditions—might have a measurable influence on the carbon storage in permafrost soils. Hence the grazing effect should be further investigated for its potential as an actively manageable instrument to reduce net carbon emission from permafrost.
Linking shadow economy and CO2 emissions in Nigeria: Exploring the role of financial development and stock market performance. Fresh insight from the novel dynamic ARDL simulation and spectral causality approach
Authors: Yu Yang , Chukwuma Onwe Joshua , Jahanger Atif , Adebayo Tomiwa Sunday , Hossain Md. Emran , David Ali
Published: August 2022

First and foremost, the present study seeks to traverse the informal sector characterized by a shadow economy in the presence of financial development, economic growth, and stock market performance on environmental pollution in Nigeria from 1981 to 2019. The dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (DARDL) approach was used to measure the short- and long-run elasticities, while spectral causality is applied to categorize the causal directions. Findings from the study revealed that the structural break unit root test revealed that all variables are stationary at first difference. The ARDL bound test confirmed the existence of long-run association among the used variables. The ARDL long-run results reveal that economic growth, financial development, and stock market performance are significantly responsible for carbon emission in Nigeria, while the shadow economy significantly improves environmental quality in Nigeria. Findings from the spectral causality results show a unidirectional causal relationship between financial development, economic growth, trade, stock market performance, and shadow economy to carbon emission in Nigeria. The empirical findings of this study provide some perceptive policy recommendations to overcome the adverse effect of carbon emissions in the environment.
How do ecological vulnerability and disaster shocks affect livelihood resilience building of farmers and herdsmen: An empirical study based on CNMASS data
Authors: Dongdong Yan , Xi Yang , Weihong Sun
Published: August 2022

Based on the survey data on animal husbandry from 1,689 households in semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral counties in Inner Mongolia, this paper applied the “buffer capacity–organizational capacity-learning capacity” framework to analyze the current livelihood resilience of farmers and herdsmen, as well as the impact of ecological vulnerability and disaster shocks on this resilience. The results show that, first, due to the vicious ecological environment and natural disasters, livelihood resilience among farmers and herdsmen is generally low in the region, but that of herdsmen is significantly higher than that of farmers. There are clear differences between the dimensions of livelihood resilience in different households. Second, natural disasters, of which drought is the most obvious, have a great impact on livelihood resilience. However, there is a significant positive correlation between ecological vulnerability and the livelihood resilience of farmers and herdsmen; thus, we should reflect on the past development model of the region. Third, In addition to the impact of ecological vulnerability and disaster shocks, per capita income, human capital, policy support, social networks, and information access are the main obstacles to livelihood resilience. Combined with these research findings, this paper seeks to improve livelihood resilience through the strategies of avoiding disaster risk, changing the development mode, reducing path dependence, and identifying obstacles.
Assisted restoration interventions drive functional recovery of tropical wet forest tree communities
Authors: Werden Leland K. , Zarges Sebastian , Holl Karen D. , Oliver Chad L. , Oviedo-Brenes Federico , Rosales Juan Abel , Zahawi Rakan A.
Published: August 2022

Choosing appropriate forest restoration interventions is challenging. Natural regeneration can rapidly facilitate forest recovery in many situations. However, barriers such as dispersal limitation and competition with non-native species can require assisted restoration approaches to facilitate plant community recovery. We used a study that has directly compared the outcomes of tropical wet forest restoration interventions across 11 replicate sites in southern Costa Rica. Within this framework, we examined the functional recovery trajectories of recruiting tree sapling communities across a gradient of restoration interventions including low (natural regeneration), intermediate (applied nucleation), and high (plantation) initial resource-investment, which we compared to remnant reference forest. We collated leaf and stem functional traits for tree species that comprised the bulk of recruiting saplings, then determined how community-weighted trait means and functional diversity metrics changed over a decade across treatments. Results show that assisted restoration approaches (applied nucleation, plantation) sped the development of more functionally diverse tree communities, more than tripling the functional richness (FRic) of recruiting communities when compared to natural regeneration. However, functional dispersion (i.e., the trait range of dominant species) was equivalent across interventions, and between 28 and 44% lower than remnant forest, indicating that increases in FRic under assisted restoration were driven by species recruiting in low abundances (<10 individuals across treatments). Recruits in assisted restoration treatments also had 10–15% tougher, less-palatable leaves, and leaves were even tougher in reference forest, which could be driven by increasing herbivory pressure along the gradient of interventions. Results show that tracking simple metrics such as species richness can mask a more mechanistic understanding of ecosystem recovery that is elucidated by taking a functional trait-driven approach toward evaluating outcomes. For example, our work identified a paucity of dense-wooded species recruiting across restoration interventions, wood density was 11–13% lower in restoration treatments than reference forests, underscoring such species as prime targets for enrichment planting. Overall, findings suggest that assisted restoration can catalyze the functional recovery of naturally recruiting tree communities in landscapes that are slow to recover naturally and highlight the importance of evaluating how different components of functional diversity shift over time to fully understand restoration outcomes.
The De Novo Genome Assembly of Olea europaea subsp. cuspidate, a Widely Distributed Olive Close Relative
Authors: Wu Tao , Ma Ting , Xu Tian , Pan Li , Zhang Yanli , Li Yongjie , Ning Delu
Published: August 2022

The olive complex, comprising six subspecies, is a valuable plant for global trade, human health, and food safety. However, only one subspecies (Olea europaea subsp. europaea, OE) and its wild relative (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris, OS) have genomic references, hindering our understanding of the evolution of this species. Using a hybrid approach by incorporating Illumina, MGI, Nanopore, and Hi-C technologies, we obtained a 1.20-Gb genome assembly for the olive subspecies, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidate (OC), with contig and scaffold N50 values of 5.33 and 50.46 Mb, respectively. A total of 43,511 protein-coding genes were predicted from the genome. Interestingly, we observed a large region (37.5 Mb) of “gene-desert” also called “LTR-hotspot” on chromosome 17. The gene origination analyses revealed a substantial outburst (19.5%) of gene transposition events in the common ancestor of olive subspecies, suggesting the importance of olive speciation in shaping the new gene evolution of OC subspecies. The divergence time between OC and the last common ancestor of OE and OS was estimated to be 4.39 Mya (95% CI: 2.58–6.23 Mya). The pathways of positively selected genes of OC are related to the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, indicating the potential medical and economic values of OC for further research and utilization. In summary, we constructed the de novo genome assembly and protein-coding gene pool for Olea europaea subsp. cuspidate (OC) in this study, which may facilitate breeding applications of improved olive varieties from this widely distributed olive close relative.
m5C Regulator-mediated methylation modification clusters contribute to the immune microenvironment regulation of multiple myeloma
Authors: Ren Hefei , Liu Chang , Wu Hongkun , Wang Zhenhua , Chen Sai , Zhang Xiaomin , Ren Jigang , Qiu Huiying , Zhou Lin
Published: August 2022

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy in which plasma cells proliferate abnormally. 5-methylcytosine (m5C) methylation modification is the primary epigenetic modification and is involved in regulating the occurrence, development, invasion, and metastasis of various tumors; however, its immunological functions have not been systematically described in MM. Thus, this study aimed to clarify the significance of m5C modifications and how the immune microenvironment is linked to m5C methylation in MM.

Method: A total of 483 samples (60 healthy samples, 423 MM samples) from the Gene Expression Omnibus dataset were acquired to assess the expression of m5C regulators. A nomogram model was established to predict the occurrence of MM. We investigated the impact of m5C modification on immune microenvironment characteristics, such as the infiltration of immunocytes and immune response reactions. We then systematically evaluated three different m5C expression patterns to assess immune characteristics and metabolic functional pathways and established m5C-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In addition, biological process analysis was performed and an m5C score was constructed to identify potentially significant immunological functions in MM.

Result: Differential expressions of m5C regulators were identified between healthy and MM samples. The nomogram revealed that m5C regulators could predict higher disease occurrence of MM. We identified three distinct m5C clusters with unique immunological and metabolic characteristics. Among the three different m5C clusters, cluster C had more immune characteristics and more metabolism-related pathways than clusters A and B. We analyzed 256 m5C-related DEGs and classified the samples into three different m5C gene clusters. Based on the m5C and m5C gene clusters, we calculated m5C scores and classified each patient into high- and low-m5C score groups.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that m5C modification is involved in and contributes to the diversity and complexity of the immune microenvironment, which offers promise for the development of accurate therapeutic strategies.
Anti-CD40 predominates over anti-CTLA-4 to provide enhanced antitumor response of DC-CIK cells in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Ying , Wu Xiaolong , Sharma Amit , Weiher Hans , Schmid Matthias , Kristiansen Glen , Schmidt-Wolf Ingo G. H.
Published: August 2022

Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) in combination with dendritic cells (DCs) have shown favorable outcomes in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), yet some patients exhibit recurrence or no response to this therapy. In a broader perspective, enhancing the antitumor response of DC-CIK cells may help to address this issue. Considering this, herein, we investigated the effect of anti-CD40 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies on the antitumor response of DC-CIK cells against RCC cell lines. Our analysis showed that, a) anti-CD40 antibody (G28.5) increased the CD3+CD56+ effector cells of CIK cells by promoting the maturation and activation of DCs, b) G28.5 also increased CTLA-4 expression in CIK cells via DCs, but the increase could be hindered by the CTLA-4 inhibitor (ipilimumab), c) adding ipilimumab was also able to significantly increase the proportion of CD3+CD56+ cells in DC-CIK cells, d) anti-CD40 antibodies predominated over anti-CTLA-4 antibodies for cytotoxicity, apoptotic effect and IFN-γ secretion of DC-CIK cells against RCC cells, e) after ipilimumab treatment, the population of Tregs in CIK cells remained unaffected, but ipilimumab combined with G28.5 significantly reduced the expression of CD28 in CIK cells. Taken together, we suggest that the agonistic anti-CD40 antibody rather than CTLA-4 inhibitor may improve the antitumor response of DC-CIK cells, particularly in RCC. In addition, we pointed towards the yet to be known contribution of CD28 in the crosstalk between anti-CTLA-4 and CIK cells.
Multi-omics analysis reveals the metabolic regulators of duodenal low-grade inflammation in a functional dyspepsia model
Authors: Ji Shuai , You Yanting , Peng Baizhao , Zhong Tianyu , Kuang Yuxiang , Li Shasha , Du Lijing , Chen Liqian , Sun Xiaomin , Dai Jiaojiao , Huang Suiping , Wu Yuyao , Liu Yanyan
Published: August 2022

Several gastrointestinal phenotypes and impairment of duodenal mucosal barrier have been reported in clinical studies in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). Due to the preferential colonization of the mucosa, intestinal microbes and their metabolites are commonly involved in host metabolism and immune responses. However, there are no studies on the intertwined correlation among multi-level data. For more comprehensive illustrating, a multi-omics analysis focusing on the duodenum was performed in the FD rat model. We found that differential microbiomes in the duodenum were significantly correlated with the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan. The innate immune response-related genes, which were upregulated in the duodenum, were associated with the TLR2/TLR4-NFκB signaling pathway. More importantly, arachidonyl ethanolamide (anandamide, AEA) and endocannabinoid analogues showed linear relationships with the FD phenotypes. Taken together, multi-level data from microbiome, transcriptome and metabolome reveal that AEA may regulate duodenal low-grade inflammation in FD. These results suggest an important cue of gut microbiome–endocannabinoid system axis in the pathogenesis of FD.
Evasion of interferon-mediated immune response by arteriviruses
Authors: Jian Zhijie , Ma Rui , Zhu Ling , Deng Huidan , Li Fengqin , Zhao Jun , Deng Lishuang , Lai Siyuan , Sun Xiangang , Tang Huaqiao , Xu Zhiwen
Published: August 2022

IFN is the most potent antiviral cytokine required for the innate and adaptive immune responses, and its expression can help the host defend against viral infection. Arteriviruses have evolved strategies to antagonize the host cell’s innate immune responses, interfering with IFN expression by interfering with RIG, blocking PRR, obstructing IRF-3/7, NF-κB, and degrading STAT1 signaling pathways, thereby assisting viral immune evasion. Arteriviruses infect immune cells and may result in persistence in infected hosts. In this article, we reviewed the strategies used by Arteriviruses to antagonize IFN production and thwart IFN-activated antiviral signaling, mainly including structural and nonstructural proteins of Arteriviruses encoding IFN antagonists directly or indirectly to disrupt innate immunity. This review will certainly provide a better insight into the pathogenesis of the arthritis virus and provide a theoretical basis for developing more efficient vaccines.
The antimicrobial peptides secreted by the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla link the neuroendocrine and immune systems: From basic to clinical studies
Authors: Scavello Francesco , Kharouf Naji , Lavalle Philippe , Haikel Youssef , Schneider Francis , Metz-Boutigue Marie-Hélène
Published: August 2022

The increasing resistance to antibiotic treatments highlights the need for the development of new antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been studied to be used in clinical settings for the treatment of infections. Endogenous AMPs represent the first line defense of the innate immune system against pathogens; they also positively interfere with infection-associated inflammation. Interestingly, AMPs influence numerous biological processes, such as the regulation of the microbiota, wound healing, the induction of adaptive immunity, the regulation of inflammation, and finally express anti-cancer and cytotoxic properties. Numerous peptides identified in chromaffin secretory granules from the adrenal medulla possess antimicrobial activity: they are released by chromaffin cells during stress situations by exocytosis via the activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis. The objective of the present review is to develop complete informations including (i) the biological characteristics of the AMPs produced after the natural processing of chromogranins A and B, proenkephalin-A and free ubiquitin, (ii) the design of innovative materials and (iii) the involvement of these AMPs in human diseases. Some peptides are elective biomarkers for critical care medicine, may play an important role in the protection of infections (alone, or in combination with others or antibiotics), in the prevention of nosocomial infections, in the regulation of intestinal mucosal dynamics and of inflammation. They could play an important role for medical implant functionalization, such as catheters, tracheal tubes or oral surgical devices, in order to prevent infections after implantation and to promote the healing of tissues.
Multi-epitope chimeric vaccine design against emerging Monkeypox virus via reverse vaccinology techniques- a bioinformatics and immunoinformatics approach
Authors: Aiman Sara , Alhamhoom Yahya , Ali Fawad , Rahman Noor , Rastrelli Luca , Khan Asifullah , Farooq Qurat ul Ain , Ahmed Abbas , Khan Asif , Li Chunhua
Published: August 2022

The emerging monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a zoonotic orthopoxvirus that causes infections in humans similar to smallpox. Since May 2022, cases of monkeypox (MPX) have been increasingly reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) worldwide. Currently, there are no clinically validated treatments for MPX infections. In this study, an immunoinformatics approach was used to identify potential vaccine targets against MPXV. A total of 190 MPXV-2022 proteins were retrieved from the ViPR database and subjected to various analyses including antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, solubility, IFN-γ, and virulence. Three outer membrane and extracellular proteins were selected based on their respective parameters to predict B-cell and T-cell epitopes. The epitopes are conserved among different strains of MPXV and the population coverage is 100% worldwide, which will provide broader protection against various strains of the virus globally. Nine overlapping MHC-I, MHC-II, and B-cell epitopes were selected to design multi-epitope vaccine constructs linked with suitable linkers in combination with different adjuvants to enhance the immune responses of the vaccine constructs. Molecular modeling and structural validation ensured high-quality 3D structures of vaccine constructs. Based on various immunological and physiochemical properties and docking scores, MPXV-V2 was selected for further investigation. In silico cloning revealed a high level of gene expression for the MPXV-V2 vaccine within the bacterial expression system. Immune and MD simulations confirmed the molecular stability of the MPXV-V2 construct, with high immune responses within the host cell. These results may aid in the development of experimental vaccines against MPXV with increased potency and improved safety.
Utility of a Mycobacterium leprae molecular viability assay for clinical leprosy: An analysis of cases from the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Nepal
Authors: Lenz Shannon M. , Ray Nashone A. , Lema Tsehaynesh , Collins J. Hunter , Thapa Ruby , Girma Selfu , Balagon Marivic , Bobosha Kidist , Hagge Deanna A. , Williams Diana L. , Scollard David M. , Lahiri Ramanuj , Adams Linda B.
Published: August 2022

Mycobacterium lepraeis a slow-growing species of mycobacteria that cannot be cultured in axenic media. This presents a number of challenges for monitoring treatment efficacy and advancing new drugs and regimens for treating leprosy. We previously developed a molecular viability assay (MVA) which measures expression ofhsp18andesxAtranscripts to determine viability ofM. lepraedirectly from infected tissue. The objective of the current study was to determine the utility of the MVA for practical use on clinical specimens. Leprosy cases from the Philippines (N = 199), Ethiopia (N = 40), and Nepal (N = 200) were diagnosed by clinical examination, slit-skin smears (SSS) from index sites, and/or histopathology. Biopsy specimens for MVA were collected from an active lesion and stored in 70% ethanol. DNA and RNA were extracted from the tissue, andM. lepraewere enumerated on the DNA fractionviaRLEP qPCR. Based on this count, DNased RNA was normalized to the equivalent of 3x103M. lepraeper reverse transcription reaction, andhsp18andesxAtranscripts were amplified by PCR on the resulting cDNA. There was a strong correlation between RLEP enumeration on the specific biopsy specimen for MVA and the average SSS bacterial index (BI) in all three cohorts (p< 0.001). The MVA could be performed on most biopsies with an average SSS BI ≥ 2 and showed a decrease inM. lepraeviability with increasing duration of leprosy multidrug therapy (R2= 0.81,p< 0.001). The MVA also detected viableM. lepraein relapse patients where it showed significant correlation with the mouse footpad assay (p= 0.018). The MVA is aM. leprae-specific, sensitive, and relatively quick test. Clinically, the MVA would likely be most useful to monitor treatment, confirm suspected relapse cases, and determine efficacy of new leprosy drugs in clinical trials.
The diverse benefits of biodiversity conservation in global ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction
Authors: Santos Bianca S. , Devereaux Sabrina G. , Gjerde Kristina , Chand Kevin , Martinez Janet , Crowder Larry B.
Published: August 2022

The end of the long and winding road towards a milestone new treaty focused on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) is near. The BBNJ treaty has the potential to dramatically transform environmental stewardship in the high seas, making it essential that vigorous support towards a strong treaty continues, without weakening the agreement’s full potential. Historically, the dialogue surrounding the BBNJ negotiations has focused on the agreement’s environmental and conservation-related impacts. Here, we begin to highlight the many diplomatic, economic, and social benefits of a vigorous and equitable BBNJ treaty. We found that strong support for the BBNJ treaty could strengthen multilateral institutions and bolster international cooperation towards common environmental goals. It could also enhance the health of shared marine ecosystems and resources and drive truly sustainable ocean-based economic growth. Finally, the treaty provides an opportunity to engage equity as a key principle, to begin tackling global ocean inequalities in a meaningful way. Together, we find that the new treaty has the potential for widespread and diverse benefits for all member nations. It is past time for the international community to address the global governance gap in the high seas in an ambitious and equitable manner.
The impacts of long-term changes in weather on small-scale fishers’ available fishing hours in Nosy Barren, Madagascar
Authors: Farquhar Samantha , Nirindrainy Avisoa Francis , Heck Nadine , Saldarriaga Maria Gomez , Xu Yicheng
Published: August 2022

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) are highly susceptible to changes in weather patterns. For example, in Nosy Barren, Madagascar, SSF use traditional pirogues with handcrafted sails that rely on seasonal wind and sea conditions. As climate change is expected to increase the intensity and frequency of severe weather, it is important to understand how changes in weather affect SSF fishing efforts. Yet, a gap exists in the understanding of how changes in meteorological conditions affect small scale fishers. This study combines fishers’ meteorological knowledge of weather conditions that allow for small-scale fishing with long-term remotely sensed meteorological data to quantify how fishing effort, defined as available fishing hours, of SSF in coastal Madagascar has changed between 1979-2020 in response to long-term weather trends. Results show a significant decrease in available fishing hours over the examined time period. Particularly, we found that a decrease in available fishing hours between 1979-2020 with a loss of 21.7 available fishing hours per year. Increased adverse weather conditions, likely associated with climate change, could decrease fishers access to crucial resources needed for the food and livelihood security. Climate change adaptation strategies will need to account for changing weather impacts on fishing availability.
Habitat suitability evaluation of Harpadon nehereus in nearshore of Zhejiang province, China
Authors: Jiang Rijin , Sun Haoqi , Li Xiafang , Zhou Yongdong , Chen Feng , Xu Kaida , Li Pengfei , Zhang Hongliang
Published: August 2022

Coastal waters provide an important spawning and nursery ground for offshore marine organisms. To understand the suitable habitat and distribution of Harpadon nehereus, a key nearshore species, this study assessed the survey data of fishery resources and environment in Zhejiang’s nearshore fishery in Spring of 2017 to 2020. We used the generalized additive model (GAM) and random forests model (RF) to analyze the environmental factors affecting the selection of spawning habitats by H. nehereus and analyzed the suitable habitat characteristics of H. nehereus in nearshore fisheries. Our results indicate that H. nehereus is widely distributed in Zhejiang’s nearshore and that its density is higher in waters near islands and reefs. Among the relative importance scores of predictors calculated based on RF, seawater salinity is an important environmental factor affecting the distribution of H. nehereus in April (surface seawater salinity was 38.67% and bottom seawater salinity was 34.5%), followed by depth (34.19%), whereas the change in water temperature had no obvious effect on H. nehereus distribution. The suitable habitat characteristics of H. nehereus mainly include high salinity near a water depth of 40 m and a water area with sea bottom dissolved oxygen levels < 6 mg/L. The prediction results of the model indicate that the suitable habitat of H. nehereus is mainly located in the region near Zhoushan Islands in the north of the fishing grounds. Overall, these results may serve as a basis for determining the protection strategies of key nearshore species and enhancing fishery management units.
A lens-shaped, cold-core anticyclonic surface eddy in the northern South China Sea
Authors: Qi Yongfeng , Mao Huabin , Du Yan , Li Xianpeng , Yang Zhou , Xu Ke , Yang Ying , Zhong Wanxuan , Zhong Fuchang , Yu Linghui , Xing Huanlin
Published: August 2022

Typically, compared with the normal ocean, an anticyclonic eddy has higher sea surface temperature (SST), greater surface mixed-layer depth (MLD), and a bowl-shaped structure under the action of geostrophy. This study is the first to report an abnormal anticyclonic eddy characterized by a lens-shaped structure, cold core, and shallower MLD, which were observed in situ in the northern South China Sea (SCS) in September 2021. The SST at core of the anticyclonic eddy was 0.4°C lower than that in its peripheral region. The MLD at the center of the eddy was about half of that outside the eddy. Below the surface mixed layer, a lens-shaped structure containing relatively well-mixed water was observed between the two high-gradient layers. Within this lens-shaped structure, the isothermal layers were stretched, but accompanied by water mixing that was about one third of that at the upper and lower bounds of the structure. This eddy originated from a Kuroshio Current intrusion in late October 2020 and died in November 2021, such that its lifespan exceeded 1 year. The shedding of the Kuroshio Loop into the SCS under strong air–sea interactions under continuous sea surface cooling in winter was considered a key mechanism for the generation of the cold core of the eddy. The lens-shaped structure formed below the surface mixed layer and was maintained through geostrophic balance by the subsurface maximum speeds of the Kuroshio Current intrusion (50–100 m), thereby forming a shallower MLD in the eddy center. The subsurface speed maximum within the eddy was also observed by a shipborne acoustic Doppler current profiler at 10 months after its formation, confirming the hypothesized mechanism. This type of abnormal anticyclonic may be a common phenomenon in the northern SCS and has potential implications for the local biogeochemistry, local heat budget, and regional oceanic models.
Fine-scale foraging segregation in a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) feeding ground in the Bijagós archipelago, Guinea Bissau
Authors: Madeira Fernando Miguel , Rebelo Rui , Catry Paulo , Neiva João , Barbosa Castro , Regalla Aissa , Patrício Ana Rita
Published: August 2022

Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are highly dependent on neritic foraging areas throughout much of their life. Still, knowledge of recruitment dynamics, foraging habits, and habitat use in these areas is limited. Here, we evaluated how the distribution and food preferences of green sea turtles from different life stages varied within a foraging aggregation. We focused on two islands in Guinea-Bissau, Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho, using water captures and survey dives to record habitat use and characteristics, and stable isotopes to infer diet. Additionally, we used stable isotopes to infer their diet. Two habitat types were sampled: deeper (2.26 ± 0.4 m) rocky sites fringed by mangrove with macroalgae, and sandy shallows (1.37 ± 0.12 m) surrounded by rocky reefs with macroalgae and seagrass. The two benthic communities were similar isotopically and in terms of species composition, except for the presence or absence of seagrass, which had unique signatures. We captured 89 turtles ranging from 35 cm to 97 cm in curved carapace length (i.e., juvenile to adult stages). Size distribution was habitat-dependent, with most smaller turtles present in sandy shallows and larger turtles favoring slightly deeper rocky sites. Turtle isotopic signatures differed between the habitat of capture, regardless of size, revealing a marked dichotomy in foraging preference. All turtles fed primarily on macroalgae, mostly rhodophytes. However, individuals captured in sandy habitats had evident seagrass skewed isotopic signatures. Larger turtles may be unable to use the more diverse shallower foraging sites due to increased vulnerability to predation. Despite the proximity of the sampled foraging sites (2.7 km apart), the two foraging subgroups seem to maintain consistently different feeding habits. Our study highlights how heterogeneous green turtle foraging habits can be within populations, even at small geographic scales.
Stiffness enhancement of magnetorheological foam by structural modification using silica nanoparticles additive
Authors: Khaidir Rahayu Emilia Mohamed , Nordin Nur Azmah , Mazlan Saiful Amri , Abd Rahman Hamimah , Ubaidillah  , Abdul Aziz Siti Aishah , Nazmi Nurhazimah
Published: August 2022

Magnetorheological (MR) foam is a newly developed porous smart material that is able to change its properties continuously, actively, and reversibly in response to controllable external magnetic stimuli. Unfortunately, the stiffness or also known as storage modulus of MR foam is still rather low and insufficient, in the range of below 100 kPa only, due to weak interparticle interaction between CIPs and the foam matrix, which consequently restricts the potential of MR foam to be used in future sensor applications or in other semi-active devices. Therefore, the aim of this research is to enhance the structural and storage modulus of MR foam by adding silica nanoparticles as an additive. Consequently, MR foam samples with different compositions of silica nanoparticles in the range of 0–5 wt% were prepared via an in situ method. The rheological properties were tested under an oscillatory shear mode with the absence and presence of magnetic fields using a rheometer, with the input parameters of strains between 0.001% and 10% and range of magnetic flux density between 0 and 0.73 T for a magnetic field sweep test. The rheological findings show that with the addition of silica nanoparticles, particularly at 4 wt%, have enhanced the storage modulus of MR foam by 260%, which attributed to the highest stiffness from 45 to 162 kPa. Meanwhile, the change of storage modulus under the influence of magnetic fields (0 T–0.73 T) somehow showed small increment, about ∆1 kPa for each concentration of silica nanoparticles in MR foams, due to non-magnetic behavior of silica. The morphological characteristics of MR foams were described by an elemental analysis carried out by a using variable pressure scanning electron microscope (VPSEM) equipped with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The micrographs demonstrated large open-cell pores for MR foam, while MR foam with silica nanoparticles exhibited more closed-cell pores, associated with the enhancement of its storage modulus. It indicates that the silica nanoparticles have encouraged well dispersion of the particles in the foam matrix, which improved and strengthened the microstructure of MR foams through formation of silane coupling bonds of silica in the filler-matrix structure. Overall, incorporation of silica nanoparticles as an additive in the MR foam could provide advantage in enhancing the structure and mechanical properties of MR foam, for various future smart devices.
New, potent, small molecule agonists of tyrosine kinase receptors attenuate dry eye disease
Authors: Yu Zhiyuan , Joy Shaon , Mi Tianxiong , Yazdanpanah Ghasem , Burgess Kevin , de Paiva Cintia S.
Published: August 2022

Nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neurotrophin3 (NT-3) bind to tyrosine kinase (Trk) receptors, TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC, respectively. This study investigated the efficacy of novel molecule agonists of Trk receptors in an in vivo model of dry eye disease (DED). Small molecule TrkC agonist (C1) and a pan-Trk agonist (pan) were synthesized for this. C57BL/6J mice were subjected to desiccating stress (DS) and received bilateral eye drops of C1, pan, or vehicle (2x/day). Dry eye signs, inflammation and expression of corneal barrier function, and conjunctival goblet cell (GC) densities were measured as part of the DED phenotype. Corneal epithelial lysates were collected for either western blot or RNA extraction. Extracted total RNAs were used for NanoString analyses. Immunofluorescent staining was performed on whole-mount corneas using anti-TNFAIP3 and anti-EP4 antibodies. Compared to vehicle, mice subjected to desiccating stress and treated with agonists pan and C1 showed improved corneal barrier function, while C1 also increased GC density. NanoString analyses revealed upregulation of specific mRNA transcripts (Ptger4, Tnfaip3, Il1a and Ptger4, Tlr3, Osal1) in pan- and C1-treated corneas compared to vehicle-treated corneas. Western blots showed that pan and C1 decreased vehicle-induced NFkB nuclear translocation after DS for one day and increased EP4 and TNFAIP3 protein levels after 5 days of DS in corneal epithelium lysates. We conclude that small-molecule agonists of Trk receptors improve DED by decreasing NFkB activation and increasing protein expression of anti-inflammatory molecules TNFAIP3 and EP4. Surprisingly, the most efficacious small molecule agonists were not TrkA selective but TrkC and panTrk, suggesting that wider exploration of TrkB and C and pan Trk agonists are warranted in efforts to treat DED.