bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Record of short-lived “orogen” on Eurasian continental margin by South China Sea obduction preserved in Taiwan collision
Authors: Lo Yun-Chieh , Chen Chih-Tung , Lo Ching-Hua , Chung Sun-Lin , Yeh Meng-Wan
Published: May 2023

The Taiwan mountain belt is the result of an arc-continent collision following the total subduction of the South China Sea and subsequent closure of the Luzon forearc, a process important in the accretionary growth of continents. Due to the oblique convergence, the southern tip of Taiwan Island is experiencing incipient collision, which is key to observing the oceanic-continental subduction transition. Within the monotonous turbidite extensively exposed on the Hengchun Peninsula as an uplifted Manila Trench accretionary wedge, the Shihmen Conglomerate, as a few intercalated lenses of coarse mafic pebbles, represents a dramatic change in sediment provenance and the causal tectonic event. New zircon U-Pb and amphibole 40Ar/39Ar ages are obtained from sediments, including sands and mafic pebbles that are either gabbro or foliated amphibolite. The 22–24 Ma zircon crystallization ages confirm the South China Sea origin of the mafic clasts, while the much younger 13 ± 2 Ma amphibole 40Ar/39Ar isochron ages from foliated amphibolites suggest a later thermal-tectonic event other than seafloor metamorphism. The amphibole 40Ar/39Ar ages overlap with the biostratigraphic age (∼11–14 Ma), indicating that the mafic source rocks were exhumed and eroded in a high-relief topography immediately after metamorphism. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages from a sandy layer within the conglomerate are also mostly identical to those from the mafic pebbles. Since the paleocurrent of the Shihmen Conglomerate was similar to that of the neighboring turbidites, which were derived from major rivers draining the southeastern Chinese continent, the provenance of the mafic pebbles and sands was best explained as an isolated subaerial mountain on the Eurasian continental margin with a very limited temporal and spatial extent, as the detrital products are poorly distributed. The most likely cause of the ephemeral mountain was the obduction of the South China Sea onto the Eurasian continental margin when the latter first impinged on the Philippine Sea Plate at the Manila Trench, where the gabbroic oceanic crust was uplifted and exhumed, followed by dynamic metamorphism along the basal thrust.
Triassic magmatism and tectonic setting of Eastern Tianshan, NW China: constraints from the geochemistry and zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopes of granitoids in the Yamansu area
Authors: Cai Hongming , Gong Xiangkuan , Liu Guiping , Guo Ruiqing , Wang Keyong
Published: May 2023

Introduction: To provide constraints on the Triassic tectonic setting of Eastern Tianshan, an integrated study was conducted on the geochronological and geochemical data for granodiorites, monzogranites, and two-mica granites from the Yamansu area on the northern margin of the Central Tianshan, NW China.

Geochronlogy Method and Results: Zircon U–Pb dating indicated the crystallization ages of ca. 250–241 Ma.

Geochemistry Results: The granodiorites (ca. 250 Ma) were medium-K calc-alkaline I-type granitoids, with crust-derived geochemical elements ratios (e.g., Ti/Zr, Ti/Y, and Nb/Ta), low Sr/Y ratios, and moderate negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.56–0.57), suggesting their derivation from the partial melting of crustal materials with plagioclase as a major residual phase at <12 kbar. The monzogranites (ca. 247 Ma) showed adakitic characteristics, with high SiO2 and low MgO, Cr, and Ni contents and low Nb/Ta ratios, indicating an origin from the melting of thickened mafic lower crusts at relatively high pressure (12–15 kbar). The ca. 244 Ma and ca. 241 Ma two-mica granites were high-K calc-alkaline and showed geochemical features of highly fractionated I-type granites. They were generated by melting medium-to-high-K mafic to intermediate crustal rocks at pressures <5 kbar, accompanied mainly by feldspar fractional crystallization. All granitoids had zircon εHf(t) values of +7.8 to +2.1, with corresponding TDM2 of 1132–773 Ma, suggesting juvenile crustal rocks as possible sources.

Discussion: Geochronological investigations of the studied granitoids, together with published data, suggest that the Triassic was an important period for granitic magmatism in Eastern Tianshan. Considering all the available geological data, we suggest that the Triassic granitoids were formed in an intracontinental environment possibly controlled mainly by far-field effects of the Paleo-Tethys system, with contemporaneous compression and extension at deep and shallower lithosphere depths, respectively, during the Triassic.
Episodic hydrothermal activities impact on organic matter enrichment in the post-collision rift basin of Permian Lucaogou Formation, southern Junggar Basin, NW China
Authors: Jiao Yue , Wu Chaodong , Zhou Tianqi , Wang Jialin
Published: May 2023

The factors controlling the organic matter accumulation in the organic-rich shale of the Lucaogou Formation in the southern Junggar Basin, remain controversial. To more explicitly reveal the hydrothermal events and its mechanism on the organic matter enrichment, we performed mineralogy and geochemistry methods on dolomite and black shale samples from Well FK-1 in Fukang Sag. The high (Fe + Mn)/Ti ratios, the enrichment of Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, and REY, and multiple hydrothermal minerals (e.g., ankerite, dolomite, zeolite, authigenic albite, and microcline) suggest five episodes of hydrothermal events. In addition, the low-to-high-varied Sr/Ba, V/(V + Ni) (Al + Fe)/(Ca + Mg), and Sr/Cu ratios, as well as the dolomite formation all well indicate a brackish-saline, suboxic-anoxic, shallow to deep water condition under a warm-humid to hot-arid climate with rhythmic sedimentation. The fluctuated total organic carbon content (up to 12.16 wt%) suggest the periodic organic matter accumulation. Three patterns of organic matter enrichment occurred during the rift-drift transition of the southern Junggar Basin, productivity and preservation played distinguishing roles in different intervals. Productivity periodically fluctuated because of the episodic hydrothermal events and warm-humid climate changes. Preservation was triggered by the saline, anoxic, and well-stratified water setting under the relatively hot-arid climate, which became progressively favorable in the gradually stabilized basin.
Executive functions in understanding certain disabilities within an African context
Authors: Masuku Mfundo Mandla , Sithole Mbongeni Shadrack , Mthembu Zinhle
Published: May 2023

Cognitive and social functioning are important aspects of the development of all children. In the transition from one stage of development to another, children are expected to master related skills. There is sufficient literature depicting that children with learning disabilities often experience challenges in a range of executive functions, which are necessary for the successful negotiation of their educational and life-related tasks. As a result, they may require appropriate intervention measures to enable them to address possible limitations. This paper examines the cognitive and social skills deficits that impact on the planning and decision-making outcomes of children with disabilities, using an Afrocentric approach. The Afrocentric paradigm is central in studying and understanding African experiences from an African perspective. Afrocentricity is used as an alternative knowledge system, which places the needs of Africans at the center of focus. In contrast to Eurocentric tendencies, the holistic being, in the African context, is understood and constituted as body, mind, and spirit. While there is sufficient Western literature acknowledging similar holistic views, and biopsychosocial and spiritual dimensions, this paper points out on the lack of emphasis on the latter dimension. The paper concludes that without providing relevant interventions on learner executive functions, the impairment of cognitive and social functioning is likely to continue.
An MPC based active and reactive power coordinated control strategy of PMSG wind turbines to enhance the support capability
Authors: Ma Xiyuan , Yu Jingyi , Yang Ping , Wang Pengyu , Zhang Peng
Published: May 2023

As wind turbines are constantly replacing traditional units, it is becoming a consensus that wind turbines should participate in the grid support that was only responsible by traditional units in the past. In order to enhance the grid support capabilities (including active power support and reactive power support) of permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) based wind turbines, this paper constructs an active and reactive power coordinated control strategy. Compared with the current active and reactive power coordinated control strategy of PMSG wind turbines, the method of the proposed one innovatively considers the climbing coordinated restriction between active and reactive power, flexible prioritization arrangement between active and reactive power, the accurate amplitude and climbing constraints of grid-side converters’ output voltage, and the model predictive control (MPC) technique. The simulation results verify that the proposed power control strategy can make PMSG wind turbines achieve excellent power output performance and thus better meet the requirements of power grid support.
Population trends of ground-nesting birds indicate increasing environmental impacts from Eastern to Western Europe: different patterns for open-habitat and woodland species
Authors: Reif Jiří , Koleček Jaroslav , Morelli Federico , Benedetti Yanina
Published: May 2023

Introduction:Bird populations reflect the influence of major environmental changes, and the analysis of their long-term population trends concerning species-specific ecological traits can provide insight into biologically relevant impacts of such changes. In this respect, nest site is a particularly informative trait because ground-nesting bird species are more prone, in contrast to species nesting above the ground, to the impacts of nest predation which can be linked to various environmental drivers including the intensification of agriculture or woodland management. Here we hypothesize that a) ground-nesting species present negative trends due to environmental pressures mentioned above, b) such declining trends should be more pronounced in Western than in Eastern Europe because, in Western countries, the environmental threats are likely greater, and c) the interaction between nest site and habitat association will point at the habitat types where the presumed drivers most likely operate.

Methods:We used population trends from 1980 to 2016 of 332 bird species in 16 European countries to test this hypothesis.

Results:We found that the long-term population trends of ground-nesting birds are more negative than the trends of species nesting above the ground indicating the effect of nest predation, and this difference increased from Eastern to Western European countries, probably due to steeply increasing populations of nest predators in the West. However, the effect of longitude interacted with the habitat association being strong in woodland species and weak in open-habitat species.

Discussion:This pattern suggests that the increased nest predation pressure in the West is linked to woodlands, probably due to higher abundances of mammalian herbivores that destroy forest ground and shrub layer, and thus leave the nests exposed to predators. In contrast, only a weak longitudinal pattern in open-habitat species indicates that the negative impacts of agricultural intensification are no longer confined to the Western part of the continent. Although nature conservation activities are generally successful in Europe, as indicated by benefits provided by the Natura 2000 network, our results uncovered substantial gaps in delivering such benefits.
Green total factor productivity of dairy cows in China: essential facts from the perspective of regional heterogeneity
Authors: Guo Jinguang , Fu Yu
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Enhancing the green total factor productivity of dairy cows (GPDC) is crucial for fostering the low-carbon sustainable development of the dairy industry.

Methods: This research utilizes the Minimum distance to weak efficient frontier–Meta frontier–Malmquist–Luenberger (MinDW-MML) index to examine the GPDC using the unbalanced panel data on dairy cows in 26 provinces of China from 2004 to 2020, taking into account regional heterogeneity and unexpected output.

Results: The findings revealed that 1) from 2004 to 2020, China’s GPDC displayed a fluctuating and declining trend, with the steepest decrease occurring from 2007 to 2010 (2.26% at the common frontier and 1.81% at the group frontier). The fundamental cause of the low GPDC, as seen from the standpoint of efficiency decomposition, is technical advancement (technological change, or TC); 2) the GPDC exhibits a declining trend from east to west to central China for the two-level frontier. The eastern region benefits clearly from technological advancement (TC) and improved technical performance (EC), while the middle and western regions are mostly constrained by TC; and 3) the GPDC displayed regional heterogeneity at several scales. Although the efficiency values of medium- and small-scale aquaculture were low and large-scale aquaculture GPDC in the eastern and western regions was greater than 1, the GPDC did not reach the effective state in the central region.

Discussion: Based on these findings, we propose policy recommendations such as promoting technological innovation and low-carbon technology in dairy farming, improving the technical system of dairy farming, and optimizing the industrial layout of dairy farming, which will serve as a model for future high-quality and sustainable dairy farming development in China, and provide an experience for green dairy farming development in other countries.
Increased prevalence of fungemia in Medina, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Khateb Aiah M. , Alofi Fadwa S. , Almutairi Abdullah Z.
Published: May 2023

Background

The prevalence of fungal infection is increasing globally due to an increase in the immunocompromised and aging population. We investigated epidemiological changes in fungemia in one of the major centers in Medina over seven years period with 87,447 admissions.

Methods

Retrospective search of records for causative agents of fungemia in inpatients at King Fahad Hospital (KFH) in 2013–2019. Fungal-positive blood cultures, demographic, and treatment data were extracted.

Results

A total of 331 fungemia episodes proven by blood culture were identified in 46 patients. The annual prevalence of fungemia increased from 0.072 in 2013 to 1.546 patients per 1,000 in 2019. The mean age of fungemia episodes was 56 years, and 62% of episodes occurred in females. Samples from central blood incubated aerobically yielded the highest fungemia rate, accounting for 55% (n = 182). Among yeast species, Candida parapsilosis was responsible for the highest number of episodes 37% (n = 122), followed by Candida glabrata (32%; n = 107), Candid albicans (29%; n = 94), and Cryptococcus neoformans (1%; n = 4). Among molds, Lichtheimia (Absidia) species was the most common (1%; n = 3). Yeast-like fungi Trichosporion mucoides accounted for (0.003% n = 1). The use of antifungal treatment has increased (96%) over the years (2013–2019). An increase in resistance rate of 2% was found in C. albicans and C. glabrata. The most prevalent comorbidity was renal disease (24.2%).

Conclusions

C. parapsilosis was the leading cause of fungemia. The association of renal disease with increased candidemia was alarming. This study is a fundamental resource to establish management policies for fungal infection in the region.
Should more individuals be sampled when measuring functional traits of tree species in habitat-heterogeneous karst forests?
Authors: Wang Chenling , Lu Xiaoling , Yang Tingting , Zheng Yawen , Chen Linhao , Liu Libin , Ni Jian
Published: May 2023

When measuring plant functional traits across geomorphologies, 5–10 healthy individuals of a plant species are commonly sampled. However, whether more individuals should be sampled in habitat-heterogeneous karst vegetation remains unknown. In this study, two dominant tree species (Clausena dunniana and Platycarya strobilacea) in karst evergreen and broadleaved mixed forests in Southwestern China were selected. On the basis of a large quantity of individuals of the two species grown in different peak clumps and slope positions, variations of 10 morphological traits in the two species were statistically analyzed. The suggested sampling number of individuals, which could mostly represent the common trait characteristics, was further explored. All traits showed significant differences between the two species (p < 0.05). The traits of P. strobilacea displayed larger intraspecific variations than those of C. dunniana, except for twig dry matter content. The bark thickness (BT), leaf area (LA), and specific leaf area (SLA) of C. dunniana and the BT, SLA, LA, leaf tissue density, and bark tissue density of P. strobilacea presented large intraspecific variations. Most traits exhibited significant differences between peak clumps and/or among slope positions (p < 0.05). Random sampling analysis indicated that the suggested sampling numbers of individuals for the 10 traits are 6–23 in C. dunniana and 9–29 in P. strobilacea. The common accepted sample size in normal geomorphologies is not sufficiently large in most cases. Larger sample sizes are recommended for traits, such as SLA, BT, and LA, with larger intraspecific variations. Therefore, under sufficient labor, material, and time, more individuals should be sampled when measuring plant functional traits in habitat-heterogeneous karst vegetation.
Impact of Brahman genetics on skin histology characteristics with implications for heat tolerance in cattle
Authors: Mateescu Raluca G. , Sarlo Davila Kaitlyn M. , Hernandez Aakilah S. , Andrade Andrea Nunez , Zayas Gabriel A. , Rodriguez Eduardo E. , Dikmen Serdal , Oltenacu Pascal A.
Published: May 2023

Cattle lose heat predominantly through cutaneous evaporation at the skin-hair coat interface when experiencing heat stress. Sweating ability, sweat gland properties, and hair coat properties are a few of the many variables determining the efficacy of evaporative cooling. Sweating is a significant heat dissipation mechanism responsible for 85% of body heat loss when temperatures rise above 86⁰F. The purpose of this study was to characterize skin morphological parameters in Angus, Brahman, and their crossbred cattle. Skin samples were taken during the summer of 2017 and 2018 from a total of 319 heifers from six breed groups ranging from 100% Angus to 100% Brahman. Epidermis thickness decreased as the percentage of Brahman genetics increased where the 100% Angus group had a significantly thicker epidermis compared to the 100% Brahman animals. A more extended epidermis layer was identified in Brahman animals due to more pronounced undulations in this skin layer. Breed groups with 75% and 100% Brahman genes were similar and had the largest sweat gland area, indicative of superior resilience to heat stress, compared to breed groups with 50% or lower Brahman genetics. There was a significant linear breed group effect on sweat gland area indicating an increase of 862.0 µm2 for every 25% increase in Brahman genetics. Sweat gland length increased as the Brahman percentage increased, while the sweat gland depth showed an opposite trend, decreasing from 100% Angus to 100% Brahman. The number of sebaceous glands was highest in 100% Brahman animals which had about 1.77 more sebaceous glands (p < 0.05) per 4.6 mm2area. Conversely, the sebaceous gland area was greatest in the 100% Angus group. This study identified significant differences in skin properties related to heat exchange ability between Brahman and Angus cattle. Equally important, these differences are also accompanied by significant levels of variation within each breed, which is indicative that selection for these skin traits would improve the heat exchange ability in beef cattle. Further, selecting beef cattle for these skin traits would lead to increased resilience to heat stress without disrupting production traits.
A new perspective on Alzheimer’s disease: m6A modification
Authors: Xia Lei , Zhang Fan , Li Yulu , Mo Yuemi , Zhang Lingqiu , Li Qianhua , Luo Minghuang , Hou Xiaotao , Du Zhengcai , Deng Jiagang , Hao Erwei
Published: May 2023

As a neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by synaptic loss, extracellular plaques of amyloid accumulation, hyperphosphorylation of tau, and neuroinflammation. Various biological processes are affected by epitranscriptomic modifications, which regulate the metabolism of mRNA in cells and regulate the expression of genes. In response to changes in m6A modification levels, the nervous system becomes dysfunctional and plays a significant role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. As a result of recent research, this paper reviews advances in the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of m6A modification in the occurrence and development of AD. In addition, the article discusses recent research techniques related to animal models of m6A and AD. Furthermore, it discusses the possibility of studying the pathogenesis of AD at the level of the epitranscriptome, identifying early diagnostic markers, and screening for effective treatment options.
LM-DTI: a tool of predicting drug-target interactions using the node2vec and network path score methods
Authors: Li Jianwei , Wang Yinfei , Li Zhiguang , Lin Hongxin , Wu Baoqin
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Drug-target interaction (DTI) prediction is a key step in drug function discovery and repositioning. The emergence of large-scale heterogeneous biological networks provides an opportunity to identify drug-related target genes, which led to the development of several computational methods for DTI prediction.

Methods: Considering the limitations of conventional computational methods, a novel tool named LM-DTI based on integrated information related to lncRNAs and miRNAs was proposed, which adopted the graph embedding (node2vec) and the network path score methods. First, LM-DTI innovatively constructed a heterogeneous information network containing eight networks composed of four types of nodes (drug, target, lncRNA, and miRNA). Next, the node2vec method was used to obtain feature vectors of drug as well as target nodes, and the path score vector of each drug-target pair was calculated using the DASPfind method. Finally, the feature vectors and path score vectors were merged and input into the XGBoost classifier to predict potential drug-target interactions.

Results and Discussion: The 10-fold cross validations evaluate the classification accuracies of the LM-DTI. The prediction performance of LM-DTI in AUPR reached 0.96, which showed a significant improvement compared with those of conventional tools. The validity of LM-DTI has also been verified by manually searching literature and various databases. LM-DTI is scalable and computing efficient; thus representing a powerful drug relocation tool that can be accessed for free at http://www.lirmed.com:5038/lm_dti.
Ulcerative colitis complicated by primary sclerosing cholangitis and autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome: a case report and literature review
Authors: Zhang Xinhe , Lin Xuyong , Li Xuedan , Guan Lin , Li Yiling , Wang Ningning
Published: May 2023

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and ulcerative colitis (UC) are immune diseases of the digestive system. Some patients develop overlap syndrome, the presentation of two or more of the clinical, biochemical, immunological, and histological features of these conditions simultaneously or sequentially. The incidence of UC in PSC-AIH overlap syndrome is as high as 50%. In contrast, PSC-AIH overlap syndrome is rare in UC patients. However, because it has a low prevalence and has been studied in less detail, PSC is often misdiagnosed as primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) in its early stage. Herein, we reported a case of a 38-year-old male patient who presented to a clinician in 2014 with irregular bowel habits. A colonoscopy suggested UC. In 2016, the patient was found to have abnormal liver function and was diagnosed with PBC by pathology. He was treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) but this had no effect on his liver function. Additional liver biopsies in 2018 indicated PBC-AIH overlap syndrome. The patient refused hormone therapy for personal reasons. Following UDCA monotherapy, his liver function remained abnormal. The patient was reexamined after repeated abnormal liver function tests and bowel symptoms. Systematic laboratory testing, imaging diagnosis, colonoscopy, liver biopsy, and various pathological examinations conducted in 2021 were used to diagnose the patient with PSC-AIH-UC overlap syndrome. He was treated with various drugs, including UDCA, methylprednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil, and mesalazine. His liver function improved significantly after treatment and follow-up is ongoing. Our case report highlights the need to raise awareness about rare and difficult-to-diagnose clinical disorders.
Dynamic response of water flow and sediment transport off the Yellow River mouth to tides and waves in winter
Authors: Cheng Xinyue , Zhu Jianrong , Chen Shenliang
Published: May 2023

Freshwater and sediments are transported from the Yellow River mouth downstream along the coast into Laizhou Bay under the northeasterly wind in winter. Numerical experiments indicate that sediment transport shows the tendency of convergence in the river mouth, divergence in the downstream area, and convergence in the north of Laizhou Bay. Tides and waves are the two main forcings affecting the transport of water and sediments off river mouths. For the high-turbidity Yellow River mouth and the adjacent sea, tidal forcing enhances the subtidal downstream transport of water and sediments off the river mouth into Laizhou Bay, whereas wave forcing has little effect on the advection of water and sediments. Sediment resuspension is controlled by the bottom shear stress induced by tides and waves. The tide-induced bottom shear stress is higher in the north of Laizhou Bay and south of Bohai Bay due to the stronger bottom tidal current. The wave-induced bottom shear stress plays a more important role in sediment resuspension, which is higher in the nearshore region along the Yellow River Delta away from the coast to some extent on account of the maximum near-bottom wave orbital velocity. Tidal mixing strengthens the upward diffusion of the bottom suspended sediments. Without tidal forcing, there is an interesting phenomenon along the Yellow River Delta. In the nearshore region, the decreased bottom shear stress suspends less sediment above the bed. However, in the offshore region, the enhanced stratification hinders the upward diffusion of the bottom sediment due to the lack of tidal mixing, resulting in higher suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the bottom layer.
How about the evidence assessment tools used in education and management systematic reviews?
Authors: Lan Hui , Yu Xuan , Wang Zhe , Wang Ping , Sun Yajia , Wang Zijun , Su Renfeng , Wang Ling , Zhao Junxian , Hu Yue , Wu Shouyuan , Ren Mengjuan , Yang Kehu , Liu Xingrong , Chen Yaolong
Published: May 2023

Objectives

To systematically analyze the use of evidence assessment tools in systematic reviews of management and education.

Study design and setting

We systematically searched selected literature databases and websites to identify systematic reviews on management and education. We extracted general information of the included studies and information about the evidence assessment tool they applied, including whether it was used for methodological quality assessment, reporting quality assessment or evidence grading, as well as the name, reference, publication year, version and original intended use of the tool, the role of the tool in the systematic review, and whether the quality determination criteria were given.

Results

A total of 299 systematic reviews were included, of which only 34.8% used evidence assessment tools. A total of 66 different evidence assessment tools were used, of which Risk of Bias (ROB) and its updated version (n = 16, 15.4%) were the most frequent. The specific roles of the evidence assessment tools were reported clearly in 57 reviews, and 27 reviews used two tools.

Conclusion

Evidence assessment tools were seldom used in systematic reviews in social sciences. The understanding and reporting of evidence assessment tools among the researchers and users still needs improvement.
Effects of dietary N-carbamylglutamate on rumen fermentation parameters, and bacterial community diversity of Holstein dairy cows in Tibet
Authors: Zhu Jinjia , Wu Yicheng , Jiang Aoyu , Li Bin , Ran Tao , Zhou Chuanshe , Xiao Dingfu , Tan Zhiliang
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The Tibetan Plateau is characterized by low temperature and hypoxia. N-carbamylglutamic acid (NCG) can increase blood oxygen saturation, and have the potential to be used to prevent the high-altitude hypoxia stress state of cows. However, its beneficial effect on the rumen microbiota of Holstein dairy cows remains unclear.

Methods

Hence, the experiments 12 multiparous (parity ranged from 2 to 7) Holstein dairy cows (413.0 ± 42 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 treatments with 6 replicates in each treatment: basal diet (CON, control group) and basal diet plus 20 g/d/cow of NCG (NCG, experiment group), respectively. To study the effects of dietary NCG supplementation on rumen microbiota of Holstein dairy cows in Tibet. The experiment lasted for 45 days, with 15 days of pre-feeding and 30 days of formal trail period.

Results

The results showed that ruminal NH3-N concentration in NCG group was lower (p < 0.05) than that in the CON group, while molar proportion of acetic acid and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration were increased (p < 0.05) with the addition of NCG. Microbial diversity increased (p < 0.05) in NCG group, with Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Patescibacteria as the most abundant phyla. The KEGG pathway analysis showed that the potential function of ruminal bacteria was mainly enriched in metabolism (carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, energy, and nucleotides) and genetic information processing (replication, repair, and translation).

Conclusion

In conclusion, NCG can improve rumen nitrogen utilization, total VFA and acetic acid production, and increase rumen microbial diversity, all of which could make the introduced Holstein dairy cows to better adapt to the harsh environment in Tibet and improve their production performance.
Enteric nervous system damage caused by abnormal intestinal butyrate metabolism may lead to functional constipation
Authors: Wang Le , Lv Wan-Qiang , Yang Jun-Ting , Lin Xu , Liu Hui-Min , Tan Hang-Jing , Quan Ru-Ping , Long Pan-Pan , Shen Hui , Shen Jie , Deng Hong-Wen , Xiao Hong-Mei
Published: May 2023

Functional constipation (FC) is a high morbidity gastrointestinal disease for which dysfunction in the enteric nervous system is a major pathogenesis mechanism. To enhance our understanding of the involvement of intestinal microbiota and its metabolites in the pathogenesis of FC, we conducted a shotgun metagenomic sequencing analysis of gut microbiota and serum short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) analysis in 460 Chinese women with different defecation frequencies. We observed that the abundance ofFusobacterium_varium, a butyric acid-producing bacterium, was positively correlated (P = 0.0096) with the frequency of defecation; however, the concentrations of serum butyric acid was negatively correlated (P = 3.51E-05) with defecation frequency. These results were verified in an independent cohort (6 patients with FC and 6 controls). To further study the effects of butyric acid on intestinal nerve cells, we treated mouse intestinal neurons in vitro with various concentrations of butyrate (0.1, 0.5, 1, and 2.5 mM). We found that intestinal neurons treated with 0.5 mM butyrate proliferated better than those in the other treatment groups, with significant differences in cell cycle and oxidative phosphorylation signal pathways. We suggest that the decreased butyrate production resulting from the reduced abundance of Fusobacterium in gut microbiota affects the proliferation of intestinal neurons and the energy supply of intestinal cells. However, with FC disease advancing, the consumption and excretion of butyric acid reduce, leading to its accumulation in the intestine. Moreover, the accumulation of an excessively high amount of butyric acid inhibits the proliferation of nerve cells and subsequently exacerbates the disease.
Clostridioides difficile infection: microbe-microbe interactions and live biotherapeutics
Authors: Wang Ruojun
Published: May 2023

Clostridioides difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming, obligate anaerobe that infects the colon. C. difficile is estimated to cause nearly half a million cases in the United States annually, with about 29,000 associated deaths. Unfortunately, the current antibiotic treatment is not ideal. While antibiotics can treat the infections, they also disrupt the gut microbiota that mediates colonization resistance against enteric pathogens, including C. difficile; disrupted gut microbiota provides a window of opportunity for recurrent infections. Therefore, therapeutics that restore the gut microbiota and suppress C. difficile are being evaluated for safety and efficacy. This review will start with mechanisms by which gut bacteria affect C. difficile pathogenesis, followed by a discussion on biotherapeutics for recurrent C. difficile infections.
Guiding protein design choices by per-residue energy breakdown analysis with an interactive web application
Authors: Engelberger Felipe , Zakary Jonathan D. , Künze Georg
Published: May 2023

Recent developments in machine learning have greatly facilitated the design of proteins with improved properties. However, accurately assessing the contributions of an individual or multiple amino acid mutations to overall protein stability to select the most promising mutants remains a challenge. Knowing the specific types of amino acid interactions that improve energetic stability is crucial for finding favorable combinations of mutations and deciding which mutants to test experimentally. In this work, we present an interactive workflow for assessing the energetic contributions of single and multi-mutant designs of proteins. The energy breakdown guided protein design (ENDURE) workflow includes several key algorithms, including per-residue energy analysis and the sum of interaction energies calculations, which are performed using the Rosetta energy function, as well as a residue depth analysis, which enables tracking the energetic contributions of mutations occurring in different spatial layers of the protein structure. ENDURE is available as a web application that integrates easy-to-read summary reports and interactive visualizations of the automated energy calculations and helps users selecting protein mutants for further experimental characterization. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the tool in identifying the mutations in a designed polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-degrading enzyme that add up to an improved thermodynamic stability. We expect that ENDURE can be a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners working in the field of protein design and optimization. ENDURE is freely available for academic use at: http://endure.kuenzelab.org.
Recent advancements in multimodal human–robot interaction
Authors: Su Hang , Qi Wen , Chen Jiahao , Yang Chenguang , Sandoval Juan , Laribi Med Amine
Published: May 2023

Robotics have advanced significantly over the years, and human–robot interaction (HRI) is now playing an important role in delivering the best user experience, cutting down on laborious tasks, and raising public acceptance of robots. New HRI approaches are necessary to promote the evolution of robots, with a more natural and flexible interaction manner clearly the most crucial. As a newly emerging approach to HRI, multimodal HRI is a method for individuals to communicate with a robot using various modalities, including voice, image, text, eye movement, and touch, as well as bio-signals like EEG and ECG. It is a broad field closely related to cognitive science, ergonomics, multimedia technology, and virtual reality, with numerous applications springing up each year. However, little research has been done to summarize the current development and future trend of HRI. To this end, this paper systematically reviews the state of the art of multimodal HRI on its applications by summing up the latest research articles relevant to this field. Moreover, the research development in terms of the input signal and the output signal is also covered in this manuscript.
Demographic reporting and phenotypic exclusion in fNIRS
Authors: Kwasa Jasmine , Peterson Hannah M. , Karrobi Kavon , Jones Lietsel , Parker Termara , Nickerson Nia , Wood Sossena
Published: May 2023

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) promises to be a leading non-invasive neuroimaging method due to its portability and low cost. However, concerns are rising over its inclusivity of all skin tones and hair types (Parker and Ricard, 2022, Webb et al., 2022). Functional NIRS relies on direct contact of light-emitting optodes to the scalp, which can be blocked more by longer, darker, and especially curlier hair. Additionally, NIR light can be attenuated by melanin, which is accounted for in neither fNIRS hardware nor analysis methods. Recent work has shown that overlooking these considerations in other modalities like EEG leads to the disproportionate exclusion of individuals with these phenotypes—especially Black people—in both clinical and research literature (Choy, 2020; Bradford et al., 2022; Louis et al., 2023). In this article, we sought to determine if (Jöbsis, 1977) biomedical optics developers and researchers report fNIRS performance variability between skin tones and hair textures, (2a) fNIRS neuroscience practitioners report phenotypic and demographic details in their articles, and thus, (2b) is a similar pattern of participant exclusion found in EEG also present in the fNIRS literature. We present a literature review of top Biomedical Optics and Human Neuroscience journals, showing that demographic and phenotypic reporting is unpopular in both fNIRS development and neuroscience applications. We conclude with a list of recommendations to the fNIRS community including examples of Black researchers addressing these issues head-on, inclusive best practices for fNIRS researchers, and recommendations to funding and regulatory bodies to achieve an inclusive neuroscience enterprise in fNIRS and beyond.
Altered hemispheric asymmetry of attentional networks in patients with pituitary adenoma: an event-related potential study
Authors: Wang Shuochen , Fu Zhenghao , Sun Yuanyi , Zhang Meng , Chen Aobo , Cao Chenglong , Song Jian
Published: May 2023

Background

Emerging evidence has been reported of attentional dysfunction in pituitary adenoma patients. However, the effect of pituitary adenomas on lateralized attention network efficiency remained to be clear. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the impairment of lateralized attention networks in patients with pituitary adenoma.

Methods

Eighteen pituitary adenoma patients (PA group) and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. Both behavioral results and event-related potentials (ERPs) were acquired while subjects performed the Lateralized Attention Network Test (LANT).

Results

Behavioral performances indicated the PA group had a slower reaction time and a similar error rate relative to the HCs group. Meanwhile, significantly increased executive control network efficiency suggested the dysfunction of inhibition control in PA patients. Regarding ERP results, there were no group differences in the alerting and orienting networks. The target-related P3 was significantly reduced in the PA group, suggesting an impairment of executive control function and attentional resources allocation. Moreover, the mean amplitude of P3 was significantly lateralized to the right hemisphere, and interacted with the visual field, exhibiting that the right hemisphere dominated the bilateral visual field, whereas the left hemisphere dominated the left visual field. In the specific high-conflict condition, the pattern of hemispheric asymmetry in the PA group was altered due to a mixed effect resulting from the compensatory recruitment of attentional resources in the left central parietal area and the destructive effects of hyperprolactinemia.

Conclusion

These findings suggested that, in the lateralized condition, the decreased P3 in the right central parietal area and the diminished hemispheric asymmetry under high conflict load, may serve as the potential biomarkers of attentional dysfunction in patients with pituitary adenoma.
Latest updates on the serotonergic system in depression and anxiety
Authors: Lin Jianwen , Liu Wenxin , Guan Jing , Cui Jianing , Shi Ruolin , Wang Lu , Chen Dong , Liu Yi
Published: May 2023

Psychiatric disorders are among the leading causes of global health burden, with depression and anxiety being the most disabling subtypes. The two common disorders, depression and anxiety, usually coexist and are pathologically polygenic with complicated etiologies. Current drug-based therapies include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and 5-hydroxytryptamine partial agonists. However, these modalities share common limitations, such as slow onset and low efficacy, which is why potential mechanistic insights for new drug targets are needed. In this review, we summarize recent advances in brain localization, pathology, and therapeutic mechanisms of the serotonergic system in depression and anxiety.
Adipose tissue-derived exosomes contribute to obesity-associated liver diseases in long-term high-fat diet-fed mice, but not in short-term
Authors: Son Taesang , Jeong Inae , Park Jeongjin , Jun Woojin , Kim Andre , Kim Ok-Kyung
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Our study aimed to investigate the changes in hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, inflammation, insulin signaling, and lipid metabolism during the administration of a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice in order to identify correlations between obesity and metabolic disease development in the liver.

Methods

We used short-, medium-, and long-term HFD periods, corresponding to 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively, and isolated exosomes from adipose tissue. We confirmed the effect of adipose tissue-derived exosomes on metabolic disorders in obesity in alpha mouse liver 12 (AML12) hepatocytes.

Results

Adipose tissue-derived exosomes from HFD mice did not affect the AML12 cells after 4 weeks, but ER stress, inflammatory response, insulin resistance, and lipid synthesis were observed after 8 and 12 weeks. Furthermore, we confirmed that an HFD increases the amount of adipose tissue-derived exosomes in mice. Consequently, we can infer that adipose tissue-derived exosomes from HFD-fed mice significantly increase ER stress, inflammatory response, insulin resistance, and lipid synthesis in AML12 cells.

Discussion

Our results demonstrate that obesity alters the effects of adipose tissue-derived exosomes in the liver, potentially becoming a risk factor in the development of obesity-induced liver diseases.
A longitudinal study of fatty acid profiles, macronutrient levels, and plasmin activity in human milk
Authors: Meng Fanyu , Uniacke-Lowe Therese , Lanfranchi Elisa , Meehan Grainne , O'Shea Carol-Anne , Dennehy Theresa , Ryan Anthony C. , Stanton Catherine , Kelly Alan L.
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Human milk provides nutrients essential for infant growth and health, levels of which are dynamic during lactation.

Methods

In this study, changes in macronutrients, fatty acids, and plasmin activities over the first six months of lactation in term milk were studied.

Results

There was a significant influence of lactation stage on levels of protein and plasmin activities, but not on levels of fat and carbohydrate in term milk. Concerning fatty acids in term milk, levels of caproic acid and α-linolenic acid increased significantly (p < 0.05), whereas those of arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid decreased, in the six months after birth. Significant impacts of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and infant gender on fatty acid profiles were also found. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that protein level, plasmin activity, and several fatty acids (α-linolenic acid, lignoceric acid, and docasadienoic acid) contributed strongly to discrimination of milk from different lactational stages.

Discussion

The study demonstrates that not all but some fatty acids were influenced by lactation, whereas protein and protease levels showed clear decreasing trends during lactation, which may help in understanding the nutritional requirements of infants.
Establishment, characterization, and drug screening of low-passage patient individual non-small cell lung cancer in vitro models including the rare pleomorphic subentity
Authors: Andus Ingo , Prall Friedrich , Linnebacher Michael , Linnebacher Christina S.
Published: May 2023

Introduction

For pre-clinical drug development and precision oncology research, robust cancer cell models are essential. Patient-derived models in low passages retain more genetic and phenotypic characteristics of their original tumors than conventional cancer cell lines. Subentity, individual genetics, and heterogeneity greatly influence drug sensitivity and clinical outcome.

Materials and methods

Here, we report on the establishment and characterization of three patient-derived cell lines (PDCs) of different subentities of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): adeno-, squamous cell, and pleomorphic carcinoma. The in-depth characterization of our PDCs included phenotype, proliferation, surface protein expression, invasion, and migration behavior as well as whole-exome and RNA sequencing. Additionally, in vitro drug sensitivity towards standard-of-care chemotherapeutic regimens was evaluated.

Results

The pathological and molecular properties of the patients’ tumors were preserved in the PDC models HROLu22, HROLu55, and HROBML01. All cell lines expressed HLA I, while none were positive for HLA II. The epithelial cell marker CD326 and the lung tumor markers CCDC59, LYPD3, and DSG3 were also detected. The most frequently mutated genes included TP53, MXRA5, MUC16, and MUC19. Among the most overexpressed genes in tumor cells compared to normal tissue were the transcription factors HOXB9, SIM2, ZIC5, SP8, TFAP2A, FOXE1, HOXB13, and SALL4; the cancer testis antigen CT83; and the cytokine IL23A. The most downregulated genes on the RNA level encode the long non-coding RNA LANCL1-AS1, LINC00670, BANCR, and LOC100652999; the regulator of angiogenesis ANGPT4; the signaling molecules PLA2G1B and RS1; and the immune modulator SFTPD. Furthermore, neither pre-existing therapy resistances nor drug antagonistic effects could be observed.

Conclusion

In summary, we successfully established three novel NSCLC PDC models from an adeno-, a squamous cell, and a pleomorphic carcinoma. Of note, NSCLC cell models of the pleomorphic subentity are very rare. The detailed characterization including molecular, morphological, and drug-sensitivity profiling makes these models valuable pre-clinical tools for drug development applications and research on precision cancer therapy. The pleomorphic model additionally enables research on a functional and cell-based level of this rare NCSLC subentity.