bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human-aided dispersal and population bottlenecks facilitate parasitism escape in the most invasive mosquito species
Authors: Girard Maxime , Martin Edwige , Vallon Laurent , Van Van Tran , Carvalho Camille Da Silva , Sack Justine , Bontemps Zélia , BaltenNeck Julie , Colin Florence , Duval Pénélope , Malassigné Simon , Hennessee Ian , Vizcaino Lucrecia , Romer Yamila , Dada Nsa , Kim Khan Ly Huynh , Thuy Trang Huynh Thi , Bellet Christophe , Lambert Gregory , Raharimalala Fara Nantenaina , Jupatanakul Natapong , Goubert Clement , Boulesteix Matthieu , Mavingui Patrick , Desouhant Emmanuel , Luis Patricia , Cazabet Rémy , Hay Anne-Emmanuelle , Moro Claire Valiente , Minard Guillaume
Published: February 2023

During biological invasion process, species encounter new environments and partially escape some ecological constraints they faced in their native range, while they face new ones. The Asian tiger mosquitoAedes albopictusis one of the most iconic invasive species introduced in every inhabited continent due to international trade. It has also been shown to be infected by a prevalent yet disregarded microbial entomoparasiteAscogregarina taiwanensis. In this study, we aimed at deciphering the factors that shape the global dynamics ofAs. taiwanensisinfection in naturalAe. albopictuspopulations. We showed thatAe. albopictuspopulations are highly colonized by several parasite genotypes but recently introduced ones are escaping it. We further performed experiments based on the invasion process to explain such pattern. To that end, we hypothesized that (i) mosquito passive dispersal (i.e.human-aided egg transportation) may affect the parasite infectiveness, (ii) founder effects (i.e.population establishment by a small number of mosquitoes) may influence the parasite dynamics and (iii) unparasitized mosquitoes are more prompt to found new populations through active flight dispersal. The two first hypotheses were supported as we showed that parasite infection decreases over time when dry eggs are stored and that experimental increase in mosquitoes’ density improves the parasite horizontal transmission to larvae. Surprisingly, parasitized mosquitoes tend to be more active than their unparasitized relatives. Finally, this study highlights the importance of global trade as a driver of biological invasion of the most invasive arthropod vector species.

Significance

Global trade expansion has facilitated the introduction of invasive species such as the Asian tiger mosquitoAedes albopictus. Eventually, invasive species might escape their natural enemies and this phenomenon exemplifies their invasion success. In this study, we combined field observations and laboratory experiments to decipher the ecological consequences of the invasion process on the interaction dynamics betweenAe. albopictusand its most prevalent natural parasiteAs. taiwanensis. We observed a decrease in parasitism in recently introduced populations and provide experimental evidence to explain how human-aided mosquito transportation and mosquito population bottlenecks were a burden for the parasite.
Pan-genotypic probe-based enrichment to improve efficiency of Hepatitis B virus sequencing
Authors: Lumley Sheila F , Jennings Daisy , Waddilove Elizabeth , Trebes Amy , Delphin Marion , Downs Louise O , MacIntyre-Cockett George , Wu Yanxia , Chaudron Sandra , de Lara Catherine , Chai Haiting , Maponga Tongai G , Martin Jacqueline , Collier Jane , Ip Camilla LC , Barnes Eleanor , Bonsall David , Piazza Paolo , Ansari M. Azim , Matthews Philippa C
Published: February 2023

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) genome sequencing can be used to provide more complete genetic information at the population and individual level to shed light on the limitations of current interventions, and inform new strategies for elimination. HBV sequencing is challenging due to the partially dsDNA genome, high diversity, low viral loads and presence of large amounts of host genetic material in clinical samples. Here we describe the design and use of a pan-genotypic panel of 74 HBV specific capture-probes and nuclease treatment in improving sequencing efficiency. We processed 20 plasma samples (viral loads 1.98 to 4.07 log10, genotypes A-E) and three positive controls (human total brain RNA and bacteriophage lambda DNA) in triplicate to compare DNAse vs. RNAse vs. no nuclease treatment. We prepared libraries using the Takara Bio SMARTer Stranded Total RNA-Seq Kit v3, split the library in two, enriching half with the custom-designed probe panel and xGen Hybridization and Wash Kit (IDT), the other half was not enriched. Both libraries were sequenced on the NovaSeq6000 platform with 2×150nt paired-end reads. Capture resulted in a 47,970 fold increase in the number of reads mapped to the HBV genome in the “no nuclease” arm (243 HBV reads per million reads sequenced in the capture pool vs. 5×10−3reads per million in the no-capture pool). Out of 20 samples, only 1 without capture generated HBV reads (viral load 3.89 log10IU/ml) vs. 19 samples with capture. HBV sequence yield was increased in the capture arm and resulted in 2.30 log10(95% confidence interval 1.99 - 2.48 log10) increase in HBV reads (per million reads sequenced) per log10increase in viral load. The proportion of HBV reads increased a median of 12 fold with RNAse treatment. We developed a targeted pan-genotypic sequencing method using a custom panel of biotinylated oligos that increases the sequencing efficacy of HBV. This method will allow us to gain a better insight into HBV diversity.
Synthetic cell armor made of DNA origami
Authors: Wang Weitao , Hayes Peter R. , Ren Xi , Taylor Rebecca E.
Published: February 2023

Therapeutic and bioengineering applications of cells, such as cell printing and cell delivery, are directly limited by cell damage and death due to harsh mechanical conditions. Improved cellular robustness thus motivates investigations into cell encapsulation that provides essential protection. Here we target the cell-surface glycocalyx and crosslink two layers of DNA origami nanorods on the cellular plasma membrane to form a nanoscale protective shell. This modular and programmable approach enables fine control over the layering and composition of membrane-deposited nanorods. We show that the DNA origami nanoshell modulates the biophysical properties of cell membranes by enhancing membrane stiffness and lowering lipid fluidity. Moreover, the nanoshell serves as armor, protecting cells, limiting swelling and ultimately improving their viability against mechanical stress from osmotic imbalance and centrifugal forces. Our results demonstrate the potential of the nanoshell, not only as a cellular protection strategy, but also as a platform for manipulating and studying plasma membrane mechanics.
Integrating simultaneous motor imagery and spatial attention for EEG-BCI control
Authors: Forenzo Dylan , Liu Yixuan , Kim Jeehyun , Ding Yidan , Yoon Taehyung , He Bin
Published: February 2023

Objective: EEG-based brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are non-invasive approaches for replacing or restoring motor functions in impaired patients, and direct brain-to-device communication in the general population. Motor imagery (MI) is one of the most used BCI paradigms, but its performance varies across individuals and certain users require substantial training to develop control. In this study, we propose to integrate a MI paradigm simultaneously with a recently proposed Overt Spatial Attention (OSA) paradigm, to accomplish BCI control. Methods: We evaluated a cohort of 25 human subjects’ ability to control a virtual cursor in one- and two-dimensions over 5 BCI sessions. The subjects used 5 different BCI paradigms: MI alone, OSA alone, MI and OSA simultaneously towards the same target (MI+OSA), and MI for one axis while OSA controls the other (MI/OSA and OSA/MI). Results: Our results show that MI+OSA reached the highest average online performance in 2D tasks at 49% Percent Valid Correct (PVC), statistically outperforms MI alone (42%), and was higher, but not statistically significant, than OSA alone (45%). MI+OSA had a similar performance to each subject’s best individual method between MI alone and OSA alone (50%) and 9 subjects reached their highest average BCI performance using MI+OSA. Conclusion: Integrating MI and OSA leads to improved performance over MI alone at the group level and is the best BCI paradigm option for some subjects. Significance: This work proposes a new BCI control paradigm that integrates two existing paradigms and demonstrates its value by showing that it can improve users’ BCI performance.
Growth and characterization of large centimetre-size levoglucosan single crystals
Authors: Lu Guihua , Zhou Hengwei , Wei Lai , Zhao Xingyu , Li Zhipeng , Huang Yineng
Published: February 2023

Levoglucosan is a typical orientationally disordered crystalline material (the molecules are long-range positionally ordered but orientationally disordered). At present, experimental research on its glass transition is mainly focused on polycrystals, while the study of the corresponding single crystals is rarely reported. Centimetre-size (maximum dimensions of 2.1 × 0.9 × 0.4 cm) levoglucosan single crystals of high quality were grown by the solution method, laying a necessary foundation for experimental measurements of the glass transition mechanism in the material.
Crystal structures of 4-[(4-methylbenzyl)oxy]benzohydrazide and its N′-[(thiophen-2-yl)methylidene]- derivative
Authors: Banna Md. Hasan Al , Howlader Md. Belayet Hossain , Miyatake Ryuta , Sheikh Md. Chanmiya , Ansary Md. Rezaul Haque , Zangrando Ennio
Published: February 2023

The molecular and crystal structures of a benzoylhydrazine bearing an ether group, 4-[(4-methylbenzyl)oxy]benzohydrazide, C15H16N2O2, (I), and of the corresponding N′-[(thiophen-2-yl)methylidene]- derivative, 4-[(4-methylbenzyl)oxy]-N′-[(thiophen-2-yl)methylidene]benzohydrazide, C20H18N2O2S, (II), are described. The supramolecular structures of both compounds are governed by N—H...N and N—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions. The hydrazine compound (I) shows a crystal packing with a more complex hydrogen-bonding scheme because of the NH—NH2 entity, forming a di-periodic supramolecular structure extending parallel to (100). Hydrazone molecules in (II) are hydrogen-bonded through N—H...O interactions, giving rise to the formation of ribbons parallel to [010]. Molecules of (I) and (II) show a different orientation of the carbohydrazide moiety likely to favor the crystal packing and thus hydrogen-bonding interactions.
Establishing cordgrass plants cluster their shoots to avoid ecosystem engineering
Authors: van de Ven Clea N. , Reijers Valérie C. , Lammers Carlijn , van Belzen Jim , Chung Yeyeong , Bouma Tjeerd J. , van der Heide Tjisse
Published: February 2023

Vegetated coastal ecosystems such as salt marshes, dunes and seagrass meadows occur at the land–sea interface—a dynamic environment typified by harsh growing conditions. These ecosystems are known as biogeomorphic landscapes because their functioning depends on biophysical interactions by which organisms engineer landforms to their own benefit. The strength of such biogeomorphic feedbacks depends on plant traits, such as stem flexibility and shoot density.

Recent work demonstrated that dune grasses with similar morphological traits can build contrasting landscapes due to differences in their spatial shoot organization. However, in contrast to dune grasses that trap and stabilize sand particles in aeolian landscapes, flow attenuation in aquatic environments can generate scouring around plant stems and cause uprooting, leading to establishment thresholds for young plants.

Yet, it remains unknown how findings from aeolian landscapes translate to aquatic systems and how young clonally expanding plants in hydrodynamically exposed conditions overcome these establishment thresholds by optimizing shoot placement.

Here, we measured shoot patterns of 90 establishing cordgrass patches Spartina anglica at 18 European field sites that cover a broad range of hydrodynamic conditions. Next, we carried out a field experiment to investigate how observed spatial shoot patterns affect plant–sediment feedbacks.

Surprisingly, field survey analyses reveal highly consistent clustered shoot patterns, regardless of environmental conditions. Experimental results demonstrate that this clustered pattern minimizes scouring compared to densely clumped organizations typically observed in established patches.

Synthesis. In contrast to earlier findings highlighting that establishing dune grasses optimize their landscape engineering capacity via a flexible shoot placement strategy, we find that cordgrass instead follows a fixed strategy that minimizes engineering effects in its early life stages. We suggest that marsh grasses avoid physical stress and associated establishment thresholds in their early life stage, and switch to an ecosystem engineering strategy once established. These findings shed new light on how plant traits interact with their environment to shape the landscape and pave the way for improved restoration designs by mimicking the natural shoot organization of establishing vegetation.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Impacts of the Ukraine–Russia Conflict on the Global Food Supply Chain and Building Future Resilience
Authors: Dyson Ellen , Helbig Rachel , Avermaete Tessa , Halliwell Kate , Calder Philip C. , Brown Lynn R. , Ingram John , Popping Bert , Verhagen Hans , Boobis Alan R. , Guelinckx Isabelle , Dye Louise , Boyle Neil
Published: February 2023

The reverberations of the Ukraine–Russia conflict have been keenly felt in 2022 as the impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine quickly cascaded across the globe, significantly exacerbating existing pressures on global systems. The vulnerabilities of the global food system have been particularly laid bare with significant disruptions to food and fertiliser supply chains instigating profound shocks on global food supply – disproportionately affecting poorer and vulnerable populations of the Global South. The immediate concerns and potential solutions to the global impacts of the Ukraine–Russia conflict were recently discussed by a panel of industry, academic and civil society experts convened by the European branch of the International Life Sciences Institute, all of whom are authors of this manuscript. The key concerns: the reduced affordability of food – focussing on those most vulnerable to its effects; the socio‐political implications of reduced food security; food safety; and nutrition security are all discussed in this Point de Vue. The authors voice the need for improved resilience to future shocks and stress on the food system.
Dasatinib, a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, prevents joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis animal model
Authors: Min Hong Ki , Kim Se Hee , Won Ji‐Yeon , Kim Kyoung‐Woon , Lee Ji‐Yeon , Lee Sang‐Heon , Kim Hae‐Rim
Published: February 2023

Aim

We aimed to evaluate the preventive role of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib in an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

DBA/1J mice were injected with bovine type II collagen to induce arthritis (collagen‐induced arthritis [CIA]). There were four experimental groups of mice, namely negative control (non‐CIA), vehicle‐treated CIA, dasatinib‐pretreated CIA, and dasatinib‐treated CIA. After collagen immunization, arthritis progression in the mice was clinically scored twice weekly for 5 weeks. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate in vitro CD4+T‐cell differentiation and ex vivo mast cell/CD4+T‐cell differentiation. Osteoclast formation was evaluated using tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and by estimating the resorption pit area.

Results

We found that the clinical arthritis histological scores were lower in the dasatinib pretreatment group than in the vehicle and dasatinib post‐treatment groups. Flow cytometry showed that FcεR1+cells were downregulated and regulatory T cells were upregulated in splenocytes of the dasatinib pretreatment group compared with those in the vehicle group. Additionally, there was a decline in IL‐17+ CD4+T‐cell differentiation and an increase in CD4+ CD24high Foxp3+T‐cell differentiation with in vitro dasatinib treatment of human CD4+T cells. The number of TRAP+osteoclasts and the area of the resorption were decreased in the bone marrow cells derived from dasatinib‐pretreated mice compared with those derived from vehicle group.

Conclusion

Dasatinib protected against arthritis in an animal model of RA by regulating the differentiation of regulatory T cells and IL‐17+ CD4+T cells and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis, indicating the therapeutic potential of dasatinib in the treatment of early RA.
Correlating variables with different scale types: A new framework based on matrix comparisons
Authors: Podani János , Schmera Dénes , Bagella Simonetta
Published: February 2023

Ecological variables may be expressed on four basic measurement scales (nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio), whereas circular variables and those combining a nominal state with other scale types are also common. However, existing methods are not suited to calculate correlations between all pairwise combinations of such variables, preventing the application of standard multivariate techniques.

The essence of the new approach is to derive a so‐called difference semimatrix for all pairs of observations for each variable, and then to calculate the matrix correlation based on two such semimatrices. The advantage of this function, termedd‐correlation, is that comparisons are made on the same logical basis regardless of the measurement scale, allowing for the use of principal components analysis to visualize interrelationships among many variables simultaneously. Further advantages are that missing values in the data are tolerated and that the Gower index of dissimilarity between objects may also be computed.

The use of the method is demonstrated on a small toy matrix, an artificial plant trait matrix and a large dataset summarizing ecological features of all vascular plant species of Sardinia, Italy. The source code in R and FORTRAN, and applications for three different operation systems, are provided for computations with results serving as input for other statistical software.

The new computational framework will allow the comparison of any types of ecological traits in a mathematically meaningful manner. This option was not available earlier in the field of multivariate statistics, and the method is expected to receive applications in other subject areas as well in which many objects are described in terms of variables expressed on different measurement scales.
End‐tidal carbon dioxide measured at emergency department triage outperforms standard triage vital signs in predicting in‐hospital mortality and intensive care unit admission
Authors: Ladde Jay G. , Miller Stacie , Chin Kevin , Feffer Cole , Gulenay George , Kepple Kirsten , Hunter Christopher , Thundiyil Josef G. , Papa Linda
Published: February 2023

Objectives

This study assessed the ability of end‐tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) in predicting in‐hospital mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission compared to standard vital signs at ED triage as well as comparing to measures of metabolic acidosis.

Methods

This prospective study enrolled adult patients presenting to the ED of a tertiary care Level I trauma center over 30 months. Patients had standard vital signs measured along with exhaled ETCO2 at triage. Outcome measures included in‐hospital mortality; ICU admission; and correlations with lactate, sodium bicarbonate (HCO3), and anion gap.

Results

There were 1136 patients enrolled and 1091 patients with outcome data available. There were 26 (2.4%) patients who did not survive to hospital discharge. Mean ETCO2 levels were 34 (33–34) in survivors and 22 (18–26) nonsurvivors (p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for predicting in‐hospital mortality for ETCO2 was 0.82 (0.72–0.91). In comparison the AUC for temperature was 0.55 (0.42–0.68), respiratory rate (RR) 0.59 (0.46–0.73), systolic blood pressure (SBP) 0.77 (0.67–0.86), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 0.70 (0.59–0.81), heart rate (HR) 0.76 (0.66–0.85), and oxygen saturation (SpO2) 0.53 (0.40–0.67). There were 64 (6%) patients admitted to the ICU, and the ETCO2 AUC for predicting ICU admission was 0.75 (0.67–0.80). In comparison the AUC for temperature was 0.51, RR 0.56, SBP 0.64, DBP 0.63, HR 0.66, and SpO2 0.53. Correlations between expired ETCO2 and serum lactate, anion gap, and HCO3 were rho = −0.25 (p < 0.001), rho = −0.20 (p < 0.001), and rho = 0.330 (p < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusions

ETCO2 was a better predictor of in‐hospital mortality and ICU admission than the standard vital signs at ED triage. ETCO2 correlated significantly with measures of metabolic acidosis.
A randomized controlled clinical trial of prazosin for alcohol use disorder in active duty soldiers: Predictive effects of elevated cardiovascular parameters
Authors: Raskind Murray A. , Williams Tammy , Holmes Hollie , Hart Kim , Crews Laura , Poupore Eileen L. , Thomas Ronald G. , Darnell Jolee , Daniels Colin , Goke Kevin , Hendrickson Rebecca , Terry Garth , Mayer Cynthia , Simpson Tracy , Saxon Andrew , Rasmussen Dennis , Peskind Elaine R.
Published: February 2023

Background

Excessive noradrenergic signaling contributes to aversive symptoms of alcohol withdrawal that interfere with abstinence or reductions in harmful use.

Methods

To address this aspect of alcohol use disorder, 102 active‐duty soldiers participating in command‐mandated Army outpatient alcohol treatment were randomized to also receive the brain‐penetrant alpha‐1 adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin or placebo for 13 weeks. Primary outcomes were scores on the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), standard drink units (SDUs) per day averaged over each week, % days of any drinking per week, and % days of heavy drinking per week.

Results

PACS declines did not differ significantly between the prazosin and placebo groups in the overall sample. In the subgroup with comorbid PTSD (n = 48), PACS declines were significantly greater in the prazosin than in the placebo condition (p < 0.05). Baseline alcohol consumption was markedly reduced by the pre‐randomization outpatient alcohol treatment program, but the addition of prazosin treatment produced a greater slope of decline in SDUs per day compared to placebo (p = 0.01). Preplanned subgroup analyses were performed in soldiers with elevated baseline cardiovascular measures consistent with increased noradrenergic signaling. In soldiers with elevated standing heart rate (n = 15), prazosin reduced SDUs per day (p = 0.01), % days drinking (p = 0.03), and % days heavy drinking (p = 0.001) relative to placebo. In soldiers with elevated standing systolic blood pressure (n = 27), prazosin reduced SDUs per day (p = 0.04) and tended to reduce % days drinking (p = 0.056). Prazosin also reduced depressive symptoms and the incidence of emergent depressed mood more than placebo (p = 0.05 and p = 0.01, respectively). During the final 4 weeks of prazosin vs. placebo treatment that followed completion of Army outpatient AUD treatment, alcohol consumption in soldiers with elevated baseline cardiovascular measures increased in those receiving placebo but remained suppressed in those receiving prazosin.

Conclusions

These results extend reports that higher pretreatment cardiovascular measures predict beneficial effects of prazosin, which may be useful for relapse prevention in patients with AUD.
A geospatial approach to assess habitat diversity and inform conservation efforts using a case study from North Africa
Authors: Elbahi Abderrafea , Dugon Michel , Oubrou Widade , El Bekkay Mohammed , Hermas Jamila , Lawton Colin
Published: February 2023

Geographic Information System (GIS) combined with remote sensing and field data was used to identify and map Souss‐Massa National Park (SMNP) habitats, an exceptionally biodiverse coastal area located in Morocco. Habitats in fenced and unfenced areas were compared to assess the fencing effectiveness for conserving semi‐arid/arid environments. Sentinel‐2A level‐2A data acquired on March 25, 2021, were analysed using the Semi‐Automatic Classification Plugin in QGIS software. The supervised classification technique and the maximum likelihood classifier were used. Ground truthing consisted of training data used for the supervised classification and reference data (850 validation points) used for accuracy assessment based on the confusion matrix method. SMNP composed of 11 natural habitat classes (70.91%) and 6 disturbed habitat classes (29.09%). The overall accuracy (>96%) and kappa coefficient (0.95) showed a high classification accuracy. Fenced areas were dominated by natural habitats (>88%), whereas unfenced areas contained more disturbed habitats (>51%), indicating that fencing was an effective conservation tool. Natural habitats in unfenced areas are largely being modified and degraded, and therefore, monitoring and conservation actions should be further strengthened. The presented methodology shows a promising application potential in future and related ecological studies conducted in other regions, notably developing countries.
The immune‐supportive diet in allergy management: A narrative review and proposal
Authors: Vlieg‐Boerstra Berber , Groetch Marion , Vassilopoulou Emilia , Meyer Rosan , Laitinen Kirsi , Swain Anne , Durban Raquel , Benjamin Olga , Bottse Rachelle , Grimshaw Kate , Netting Merryn , O'Mahony Liam , de Jong Nicolette , Skypala Isabel J.
Published: February 2023

The role of nutrition is increasingly recognized in the management of chronic immune diseases. However, the role of an immune‐supportive diet as adjuvant therapy in the management of allergic disease has not been similarly explored. This review assesses the existing evidence for a relationship between nutrition, immune function, and allergic disease from a clinical perspective. In addition, the authors propose an immune‐supportive diet to enhance dietary interventions and complementing other therapeutic options for allergic disease from early life to adulthood. A narrative review of the literature was conducted, to determine the evidence of the relationship between nutrition and immune function, overall health, epithelial barrier function, and gut microbiome, particularly in relation to allergy. Studies on food supplements were excluded. The evidence was assessed and utilized to develop a sustainable immune‐supportive diet to complement other therapies in allergic disease. The proposed diet consists of a highly diverse range of fresh, whole, and minimally processed plant‐based and fermented foods supplemented with moderate amounts of nuts, omega‐3‐rich foods and animal‐based products in proportional amounts of the EAT‐Lancet diet, such as (fatty) fish, (fermented) milk products which may be full‐fat and eggs, lean meat or poultry, which may be free‐range or organic.
Metabolic reprogramming in response to cell mechanics
Authors: Splitt Rebecca L. , DeMali Kris A.
Published: February 2023

Much attention has been dedicated to understanding how cells sense and respond to mechanical forces. The types of forces cells experience as well as the repertoire of cell surface receptors that sense these forces have been identified. Key mechanisms for transmitting that force to the cell interior have also emerged. Yet, how cells process mechanical information and integrate it with other cellular events remains largely unexplored. Here we review the mechanisms underlying mechanotransduction at cell‐cell and cell‐matrix adhesions, and we summarize the current understanding of how cells integrate information from the distinct adhesion complexes with cell metabolism.
Clonal hematopoiesis with DNMT3A mutation is associated with lower white matter hyperintensity volume
Authors: Lee Woo‐Jin , Jung Keun‐Hwa , Song Han , Lee Heesun , Park Hyo Eun , Koh Youngil , Choi Su‐Yeon , Park Kyung‐Il
Published: February 2023

Background

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) increases the risk of cerebrovascular events, while its association with cerebral white matter hyperintensity (WMH) is undemonstrated. We evaluated the effect of CHIP and its major driving mutations on cerebral WMH severity.

Methods

From an institutional cohort of a routine health check‐up program with a DNA repository database, subjects who were ≥50 years of age, with one or more cardiovascular risk factors but no central nervous system disorder, and performed brain MRI were included. Along with the presence of CHIP and its major driving mutations, clinical and laboratory data were obtained. WMH volume was measured in total, periventricular, and subcortical regions.

Results

Among the total 964 subjects, 160 subjects were classified as CHIP positive group. CHIP was most frequently associated with DNMT3A mutation (48.8%), followed by TET2 (11.9%) and ASXL1 (8.1%) mutations. Linear regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, and conventional cerebrovascular risk factors suggested that CHIP with DNMT3A mutation was associated with the lower log‐transformed total WMH volume, unlike other CHIP mutations. When classified according to variant allele fraction (VAF) value of DNMT3A mutation, higher VAF classes were associated with the lower log‐transformed total WMH and the lower log‐transformed periventricular WMH volume, but not with the log‐transformed subcortical WMH volumes.

Conclusions

Clonal hematopoiesis with DNMT3A mutation is quantitatively associated with a lower volume of cerebral WMH, especially in the periventricular region. CHIP with DNMT3A mutation might have a protective role in the endothelial pathomechanism of WMH.
Deep‐CoV: An integrated deep learning model to detectCOVID‐19 using chest X‐ray andCTimages
Authors: Roy Sanjib , Das Ayan Kumar
Published: February 2023

The COVID‐19 virus has fatal effect on lung function and due to its rapidity the early detection is necessary at the moment. The radiographic images have already been used by the researchers for the early diagnosis of COVID‐19. Though several existing research exhibited very good performance with either x‐ray or computer tomography (CT) images, to the best of our knowledge no such work has reported the assembled performance of both x‐ray and CT images. Thus increase in accuracy with higher scalability is the main concern of the recent research. In this article, an integrated deep learning model has been developed for detection of COVID‐19 at an early stage using both chest x‐ray and CT images. The lack of publicly available data about COVID‐19 disease motivates the authors to combine three benchmark datasets into a single dataset of large size. The proposed model has applied various transfer learning techniques for feature extraction and to find out the best suite. Finally the capsule network is used to categorize the sub‐dataset into COVID positive and normal patients. The experimental results show that, the best performance exhibits by the ResNet50 with capsule network as an extractor‐classifier pair with the combined dataset, which is composed of 575 numbers of x‐ray images and 930 numbers of CT images. The proposed model achieves accuracy of 98.2% and 97.8% with x‐ray and CT images, respectively, and an average of 98%.
International humanitarian narratives of disasters, crises, and Indigeneity
Authors: Mosurska Anuszka , Clark‐Ginsberg Aaron , Ford James , Sallu Susannah M. , Davis Katy
Published: February 2023

Narratives are a means of making sense of disasters and crises. The humanitarian sector communicates stories widely, encompassing representations of peoples and events. Such communications have been critiqued for misrepresenting and/or silencing the root causes of disasters and crises, depoliticising them. What has not been researched is how such communications represent disasters and crises in Indigenous settings. This is important because processes such as colonisation are often at the origin but are typically masked in communications. A narrative analysis of humanitarian communications is employed here to identify and characterise narratives in humanitarian communications involving Indigenous Peoples. Narratives differ based upon how the humanitarians who produce them think that disasters and crises should be governed. The paper concludes that humanitarian communications reflect more about the relationship between the international humanitarian community and its audience than reality, and underlines that narratives mask global processes that link audiences of humanitarian communications with Indigenous Peoples.
Effect of celecoxib plus standard chemotherapy on cancer prognosis: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Liangyu , Zhang Yingrui , Qin Lizheng
Published: February 2023

Background

Inflammation is closely related to cancer prognosis. The effect of celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug, on the prognosis of patients with cancer remains uncertain. To assess the association between celecoxib plus standard chemotherapy and cancer prognosis, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of published studies.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception until July 2022 for randomized controlled trials reporting the prognosis of patients with cancer treated with celecoxib plus standard chemotherapy. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). Meta‐analysis was performed using Review Manager software version 5.4. The following search terms were used in the databases: ((((celecoxib)) AND ((((((((cancer) OR (carcinoma)) OR (sarcoma)) OR (neoplasms)) OR (tumor)) OR (tumour)) OR (tumors)) OR (tumours))) AND ((survival) OR (mortality))) AND (((Clinical Trials, Randomized) OR (Trials, Randomized Clinical)) OR (Controlled Clinical Trials, Randomized)).

Results

Overall, 13 randomized controlled trials, including 8957 patients with cancer, were included in the analysis. Compared to conventional chemotherapy alone, 1‐year OS and 1‐year PFS rates were not significantly improved with celecoxib adjuvant therapy (OS: p = .38; PFS: p = .65). In addition, no differences were observed between the celecoxib and placebo groups in 3‐year overall (p = .98), 3‐year progression‐free (p = .40), 5‐year overall (p = .59), or 5‐year progression‐free (p = .56) survival rates. An increase in the risk ratio of leukopenia (p = .02) and thrombocytopenia (p = .05) was also observed, suggesting that celecoxib promotes hematologic toxicity. No increased risk of cardiovascular (p = .96) and gastrointestinal (p = .10–.91) events was observed.

Conclusions

The addition of celecoxib to standard chemotherapy did not improve OS or PFS rates of patients with cancer. Additionally, celecoxib can increase hematologic toxicity without increasing the risk of gastrointestinal or cardiovascular reactions. Further randomized controlled trials are necessary to clarify its effects and applications.
Anti‐oxidative and anti‐neuroinflammatory role of Necrostatin‐1s and docosahexaenoic acid in RIP‐1‐mediated neurotoxicity in MPTP‐induced Parkinson's disease model
Authors: Kartik Shipra , Pal Rishi , Chaudhary Manju J. , Tiwari Prafulla Chandra , Nath Rajendra , Kumar Madhu
Published: February 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neuromuscular ailment that affects people in their later years and causes both motor and non‐motor deficits. Receptor‐interacting protein‐1 (RIP‐1) is a critical participant in necroptotic cell death, possibly through an oxidant–antioxidant imbalance and cytokine cascade activation in PD pathogenesis. The present study examined the role of RIP‐1‐mediated necroptosis and neuroinflammation in the MPTP‐induced PD mouse model, as well as their protection by Necrostatin‐1s (an RIP signalling inhibitor), antioxidant DHA and their functional interaction. BALB/c mice were given acute MPTP therapy (4 injections of 15 mg/kg i.p. at 2‐h intervals) on day 1. After MPTP intoxication, Necrostatin‐1s (Nec‐1s; 8 mg/kg/day, i.p.) and DHA (300 mg/kg/day, p.o.) treatments were given once daily for 7 days. The Nec‐1s treatment prevented MPTP‐induced behavioural, biochemical and neurochemical alterations, and the addition of DHA increases Nec‐1s' neuroprotective impact. In addition, Nec‐1s and DHA significantly improve the survival of TH‐positive dopaminergic neurons and lower expression levels of the inflammatory cytokines, IL‐1β and TNF‐α. Furthermore, Nec‐1s dramatically reduced RIP‐1 expression, whereas DHA had little effect. Our research raises the possibility that neuroinflammatory signalling and acute MPTP‐induced necroptosis are both mediated by TNFR1‐driven RIP‐1 activity. In this study, RIP‐1 ablation through Nec‐1s and the addition of DHA showed a reduction in the levels of pro‐inflammatory and oxidative markers, as well as protection from MPTP‐driven dopaminergic degeneration and neurobehavioural changes, suggesting potential therapeutic applications. For a better understanding, additional research about the mechanism(s) behind Nec‐1s and DHA is required.
Potential effects of future climate change on global reptile distributions and diversity
Authors: Biber Matthias F. , Voskamp Alke , Hof Christian
Published: February 2023

Aim

Until recently, complete information on global reptile distributions has not been widely available. Here, we provide the first comprehensive climate impact assessment for reptiles on a global scale.

Location

Global, excluding Antarctica.

Time period

1995, 2050 and 2080.

Major taxa studied

Reptiles.

Methods

We modelled the distribution of 6296 reptile species and assessed potential global and realm‐specific changes in species richness, the change in global species richness across climate space, and species‐specific changes in range extent, overlap and position under future climate change. To assess the future climatic impact on 3768 range‐restricted species, which could not be modelled, we compared the future change in climatic conditions between both modelled and non‐modelled species.

Results

Reptile richness was projected to decline significantly over time, globally but also for most zoogeographical realms, with the greatest decreases in Brazil, Australia and South Africa. Species richness was highest in warm and moist regions, with these regions being projected to shift further towards climate extremes in the future. Range extents were projected to decline considerably in the future, with a low overlap between current and future ranges. Shifts in range centroids differed among realms and taxa, with a dominant global poleward shift. Non‐modelled species were significantly stronger affected by projected climatic changes than modelled species.

Main conclusions

With ongoing future climate change, reptile richness is likely to decrease significantly across most parts of the world. This effect, in addition to considerable impacts on species range extent, overlap and position, was visible across lizards, snakes and turtles alike. Together with other anthropogenic impacts, such as habitat loss and harvesting of species, this is a cause for concern. Given the historical lack of global reptile distributions, this calls for a re‐assessment of global reptile conservation efforts, with a specific focus on anticipated future climate change.
Power in consensus: Legitimacy, global value chains and inequality in telecommunications standard‐setting
Authors: Dallas Mark P. , Shiu Jing‐Ming
Published: February 2023

Power is central to GVC research, but the concept is usually restricted to ‘direct’ market power that generates rents. This paper examines ‘diffuse’ conceptualizations of power in GVCs that focus on social construction, arguing that they exist along a continuum from ‘fractured’ to ‘encompassing’. Then, empirically, it shows how different types of power intermix in telecommunications standard‐setting from 1999 to 2021, using a comprehensive dataset of every finalized work item in 3GPP. Given powerful network effects in telecommunications, the industry is ripe for monopolistic rents and unequal value capture on a global scale. However, these are attenuated by a layering of power relations, and particularly, an intermediary form of social construction – legitimacy – which is the primary driver of telecommunications standard‐setting, and a new type of constitutive power in GVCs, alongside governmentality and hegemony. This is illustrated by focusing on two major shifts in legitimacy in 3GPP – the rise of Huawei and network operators. The paper shows how power becomes layered with collective forms of power partially neutralizing inter‐firm forms of dyadic power, which attenuates monopolistic value capture.
Production and features of antioxidative hydrolysate from wild almond protein isolate using ficin immobilised on the layered double hydroxide
Authors: Tahsiri Zahra , Niakousari Mehrdad
Published: February 2023

Protein hydrolysates from wild almond protein isolate (WAPI) with different degrees of hydrolysis (DH) were synthesised using free and immobilised ficin on the magnetic layered double hydroxide and characterised. The highest DH values after 3 h of achieving 11.69 ± 0.15 and 11.37 ± 0.12, respectively, and gained hydrolysate were collected for further analysis. The zeta potential for the hydrolysis of free and immobilised ficin over hydrolysing time due to differences in molecular mass distribution decreased. By increasing the hydrolysing time in the case of free and immobilised ficin, the emulsion activity index gradually decreased, whereas the amount of emulsion stability index did not. The immobilised form of ficin‐treated hydrolysate showed a suitable level of DPPH radical scavenging and appeared to be effective in enhancing the oxidative stability of linoleic acid, sunflower oil and O/W emulsion. Thus WAPI hydrolysates that were treated with immobilised ficin could serve as an alternative antioxidant for food applications.
Comparative study illustrating the efficacy of novel ultrasonication‐assisted heat treatment over conventional heat treatment in functional smoothie
Authors: Kumar Shubham , Chawla Rekha , Sivakumar S. , Khatkar Sunil Kumar , Kumar Narender , Goel Nitika
Published: February 2023

In the prevailing era of focused health, consumers are looking for wholesome and nutritious deals wherein smoothies are wonderful options to provide high‐density nutrient content. Owing to its high nutritional compactness, the processing parameters play an important role in product development. In this present study, the functional smoothie was developed. Further to enhance the life of the product, processing conditions like conventional heat treatment (82 °C for 15 min) and ultrasonication (60 amplitude/10 min) assisted heat treatment were assessed. The individual heat treatment, and treatment with combined duos in assisted effect, helped to draw some significant highlights revealing the intricacies of the processes and their effect. The smoothie with the ultrasonicated treatment showed more stable properties like viscosity, serum separation, sensory profile and microbiological aspects also it helped to homogenise the product by reducing its particle size, whereas the smoothie with only pasteurisation treatment showed the higher antioxidant and phenol content. FTIR spectra revealed changes in spectral peaks, wave numbers and corresponding absorbance exhibiting velvety smoothie due to reduced particle size (D90). The other physico‐chemical parameters illustrated non‐significant differences between both treatments. However, the duos in combination manifested a significant reduction in microbes compared with raw samples.
Mechanistic understanding of geopolymerization at the initial stage: Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Yang Hualong , Ma Siqi , Zhao Shengjian , Wang Qikun , Liu Xuehui , He Peigang , Jia Dechang , Colombo Paolo , Zhou Yu
Published: February 2023

Geopolymers with a zeolite‐like structure are attractive inorganic binder materials for addressing the critical challenge of reducing the carbon footprint of the cement industry. Despite many efforts, the exact geopolymerization mechanism remains a topic of investigation. In the present work, we determined the dimerization processes between Si/Al‐bearing monomers through metadynamics. The free energy profiles were obtained using ab initio constrained molecular dynamics simulations. The results reveal that metastable pentacoordinate states formed after exposure to the alkaline medium, followed by the release of the hydroxyl on the rotational axis. The presence of Al(OH)4− monomers would significantly reduce the reaction barriers of dimerization, implying that Al(OH)4− monomers promote the crosslinking degree of the geopolymer gel. Increasing the pH value of the alkali‐activated solution would facilitate the reaction between Si‐bearing monomers and Al(OH)4− monomers. However, the reaction between anionic Si‐bearing monomers presents a much higher barrier because of intensive electrostatic repulsion. Therefore, increasing the pH value decreases the Si/Al ratio of the geopolymer gel at the initial stage, which is consistent with the experimental results. This study refines the understanding of the oligomerization process of aluminosilicates by ab initio molecular simulations.
NextGenerationEU and the Future of the European Monetary Union: Shifting Interests and New Fractures in the German Power Bloc
Authors: Schneider Etienne
Published: February 2023

Based on joint borrowing and a significant transfer component, NextGenerationEU stands in contrast to Germany's longstanding rejection of a ‘debt’ and ‘transfer union’. This article probes into the determinants of this shift in Germany's European policy approach. Focusing on the conflicts in Germany over the ‘deepening’ of the Monetary Union through fiscal capacity building between 2015 and 2020, it investigates which actors, interests and strategies instigated this shift. The analysis is based on trade and exchange rate data, a qualitative document analysis of position papers as well as expert interviews with interest group representatives, parliamentarians and civil servants. Theoretically, the study draws on concepts from regulation theory, materialist state theory and neo‐Gramscianism. It argues that even though not a fundamental paradigm shift, Germany's push for NextGenerationEU indicates a strategic re‐orientation of parts of the German power bloc towards European fiscal integration, amplified by recent geopolitical dynamics and crisis tendencies.
Protecting nursing home residents in disasters: The urgent need for a new approach amid mounting climate warnings
Authors: Peterson Lindsay J.
Published: February 2023

This editorial comments on the articles by Festa et al. and Hua et al. in this issue.