bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Mouth Rinses Against SARS-CoV-2: A Scoping Review
Authors: Ather Amber , Parolia Abhishek , Ruparel Nikita B.
Published: March 2021

Introduction:The presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in saliva and nasopharyngeal secretions has challenged the routine practice of dentistry. Use of preprocedural mouth rinses has been recommended by several organizations to potentially reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. This scoping review aimed at evaluating the available evidence on the efficacy of mouth rinses against SARS-CoV-2.

Methods:A thorough literature search on electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar) was performed by two independent reviewers and data from articles addressing the aim of this article were extracted.

Results:After exclusion of articles not addressing the end point in question, 12 articles were included in this scoping review. Of the 12 articles, seven werein vitrostudies and five werein vivohuman clinical studies. Thein vitrostudies used a standardized methodology (endpoint dilution assay) to evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial mouth rinses against SARS-CoV-2. Thein vivostudies were done utilizing polymerase chain reaction assay of samples obtained from saliva or nasopharyngeal swab or a combination of both nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab. The reagents tested in these studies included povidone-iodine, chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), essential oils, and quaternary ammonium compounds and demonstrated varied efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion:Based on the available evidence fromin vitrostudies, it can be concluded that mouth rinses have a potential to reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral load; however, effectiveness inin vivoconditions is still inconclusive. Owing to the substantial heterogeneity in reporting of the anti–SARS-CoV-2 efficacy of mouth rinses, this review highlights the need to conduct future research with robust and standardized methodologies to confirm effectiveness of mouth rinses.
Critical Role of Soil Moisture Memory in Predicting the 2012 Central United States Flash Drought
Authors: Liang Miaoling , Yuan Xing
Published: March 2021

The unprecedented 2012 summer drought over the central United States was characterized by rapid intensification and severe impact and was known as a flash drought. Since then, flash drought has raised a wide concern, with considerable progresses on the definition, detection of anthropogenic footprints, and assessment of ecological impact. However, physical mechanisms related to the flash drought predictability remain unclear. Here, we show that the severity of the 2012 flash drought will be heavily underestimated without realistic initial soil moisture condition. The global Weather Research and Forecasting (GWRF) model was employed during the summers of 1979–2012, driven by observed sea surface temperature but without lateral boundary controls, which is similar to two-tier global seasonal prediction. The 2012 United States drought pattern was roughly captured by the GWRF ensemble global simulations, although with obvious underestimation of the severity. To further diagnose the role of soil moisture memory, dry and wet simulations that decrease and increase initial soil moisture by 10% were conducted. While the dry case does not significantly differ from the control case, the wet case totally missed the drought over the Central and Southern Great Plains by changing the anticyclonic circulation anomaly to a cyclonic anomaly and simulating a northward anomaly of meridional wind that brought anomalous moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and finally resulted in a failure to predict the drought. This study highlights the importance of soil moisture memory in predicting flash drought that often occurred without strong oceanic signal.
The Impact of Applying Individually Perturbed Parametrization Tendency Scheme on the Simulated El Niño-Southern Oscillation in the Community Earth System Model
Authors: Wu Tianjie , Zhang Shushi , Zhu Kefeng , Ma Hongyun
Published: March 2021

The ensemble technique is considered to be an effective approach in enhancing the model capacity of intra-seasonal climate change. Since El Niño-Southern Oscillation is one of the critical modes of interannual variability in the tropical Pacific, an appropriate ensemble technique may help minimize model bias in ENSO forecast. This research includes a modified stochastically perturbed parameterization tendencies scheme in the Community Earth System Model to investigate its impact on ENSO prediction. This revised scheme uses independent noise patterns to perturb the tendencies from different physical parameterizations. In the original scheme, only the same noise is employed. The result suggests that the altered approach is in a position to further reduce sea surface temperatures and gain more skill in uncertainty estimation compared to the original one. ENSO’s amplitude is improved especially of its warm phase El Niño, but there is a limited improvement in its spatial structure. The modified scheme also ameliorated the variability of ENSO by increasing the magnitude toward observation. The power spectrum exhibits an increased representation. Besides those findings, we notice that simple ensemble mean may not be able to represent the climate status as it smoothes out some useful signals.
A Propensity Score Matching Study Between Microwave Ablation and Radiofrequency Ablation in Terms of Safety and Efficacy for Benign Thyroid Nodules Treatment
Authors: Jin Hao , Fan Jinrui , Lu Ligong , Cui Min
Published: March 2021

Background

Large benign thyroid nodules often lead to cosmetic problems and compression on trachea. Thermal ablation is an effective method for benign thyroid nodules treatment. Among all the thermal ablation techniques, microwave and radiofrequency are frequently used energy sources. However, treatment outcomes of the two ablation types have not been compared in detail. Therefore, we conducted this study aiming for comparing the safety and efficacy of the two ablation techniques in benign thyroid nodules treatment.

Methods

Information was retrospectively collected from patients with benign thyroid nodules, who received radiofrequency ablation or microwave ablation between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, in a main hospital in South China. Patients were divided into microwave ablation group and radiofrequency ablation group according to the techniques applied. A propensity score matching was performed to balance the baseline indexes between the two groups. We also recorded and analyzed the operative variables including operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization time, and overall costs. Postoperative quality of life, volume reduction rates, and complication rates were routinely evaluated during the follow-up by asking patients to fulfil questionnaires at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, and 18th postoperative month.

Results

A total of 943 patients receiving microwave ablation or radiofrequency ablation in the years of 2018 and 2019 met our inclusion criteria. After 1:1 propensity score matching, 289 pairs of patients were matched. There was no significant difference between the two groups in operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization time, overall cost, quality of life scores, complication rates or volume reduction rates.

Conclusion

There was no significant difference between microwave and radiofrequency ablation in terms of safety and efficacy. Both of the two techniques` are ideal therapeutic methods in benign thyroid nodules treatment.

Registration number

ChiCTR2000034764.
In Vivo ZIMIR Imaging of Mouse Pancreatic Islet Cells Shows Oscillatory Insulin Secretion
Authors: Chen Shiuhwei , Huang ZhiJiang , Kidd Harrison , Kim Min , Suh Eul Hyun , Xie Shangkui , Ghazvini Zadeh Ebrahim H. , Xu Yan , Sherry A. Dean , Scherer Philipp E. , Li Wen-hong
Published: March 2021

Appropriate insulin secretion is essential for maintaining euglycemia, and impairment or loss of insulin release represents a causal event leading to diabetes. There have been extensive efforts of studying insulin secretion and its regulation using a variety of biological preparations, yet it remains challenging to monitor the dynamics of insulin secretion at the cellular level in the intact pancreas of living animals, where islet cells are supplied with physiological blood circulation and oxygenation, nerve innervation, and tissue support of surrounding exocrine cells. Herein we presented our pilot efforts of ZIMIR imaging in pancreatic islet cells in a living mouse. The imaging tracked insulin/Zn2+ release of individual islet β-cells in the intact pancreas with high spatiotemporal resolution, revealing a rhythmic secretion activity that appeared to be synchronized among islet β-cells. To facilitate probe delivery to islet cells, we also developed a chemogenetic approach by expressing the HaloTag protein on the cell surface. Finally, we demonstrated the application of a fluorescent granule zinc indicator, ZIGIR, as a selective and efficient islet cell marker in living animals through systemic delivery. We expect future optimization and integration of these approaches would enable longitudinal tracking of beta cell mass and function in vivo by optical imaging.
Research on the Application of SOP in Multi-Station Integrated System
Authors: Huo Qunhai , Wang Wenyong , Yang Yanhong , Ma Ming , Yin Jingyuan , Wei Tongzhen
Published: March 2021

The current large-scale access to distributed power and the rapid growth of electric vehicles are seriously affecting the reliability of distribution networks. The new multi-station fusion technology based on the flexible interconnection of the distribution network can effectively solve this problem. In this study, we design a multi-purpose station and a multi-function device using a soft normally open point (SOP). A new multi-station integration topology and a coordinated control strategy are developed using an active power signal (APS) and an energy management system (EMS). The coordinated control strategy involves sending out the corresponding operation mode command after the EMS receives the superior instruction or the APS of the local system and coordinating the operation mode of the SOP, energy storage DC/DC converter, and photovoltaic DC/DC converter, thereby ensuring stable and efficient operation of the multi-station fusion system. Finally, two typical cases are simulated to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed topology and control strategy.
Evaluating the Benefits of Bayesian Hierarchical Methods for Analyzing Heterogeneous Environmental Datasets: A Case Study of Marine Organic Carbon Fluxes
Authors: Britten Gregory L. , Mohajerani Yara , Primeau Louis , Aydin Murat , Garcia Catherine , Wang Wei-Lei , Pasquier Benoît , Cael B. B. , Primeau François W.
Published: March 2021

Large compilations of heterogeneous environmental observations are increasingly available as public databases, allowing researchers to test hypotheses across datasets. Statistical complexities arise when analyzing compiled data due to unbalanced spatial sampling, variable environmental context, mixed measurement techniques, and other reasons. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling is increasingly used in environmental science to describe these complexities, however few studies explicitly compare the utility of hierarchical Bayesian models to simpler and more commonly applied methods. Here we demonstrate the utility of the hierarchical Bayesian approach with application to a large compiled environmental dataset consisting of 5,741 marine vertical organic carbon flux observations from 407 sampling locations spanning eight biomes across the global ocean. We fit a global scale Bayesian hierarchical model that describes the vertical profile of organic carbon flux with depth. Profile parameters within a particular biome are assumed to share a common deviation from the global mean profile. Individual station-level parameters are then modeled as deviations from the common biome-level profile. The hierarchical approach is shown to have several benefits over simpler and more common data aggregation methods. First, the hierarchical approach avoids statistical complexities introduced due to unbalanced sampling and allows for flexible incorporation of spatial heterogeneitites in model parameters. Second, the hierarchical approach uses the whole dataset simultaneously to fit the model parameters which shares information across datasets and reduces the uncertainty up to 95% in individual profiles. Third, the Bayesian approach incorporates prior scientific information about model parameters; for example, the non-negativity of chemical concentrations or mass-balance, which we apply here. We explicitly quantify each of these properties in turn. We emphasize the generality of the hierarchical Bayesian approach for diverse environmental applications and its increasing feasibility for large datasets due to recent developments in Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms and easy-to-use high-level software implementations.
Invertebrates in Science Communication: Confronting Scientists’ Practices and the Public’s Expectations
Authors: Salvador Rodrigo B. , Tomotani Barbara M. , O’Donnell Katrin L. , Cavallari Daniel C. , Tomotani João V. , Salmon Rhian A. , Kasper Julia
Published: March 2021

Good science communication should give the public the tools to make informed decisions and take action, which can be particularly important for nature conservation. The crisis in invertebrate conservation might be rooted in public prejudices against invertebrate animals, which are perceived as the unpopular 97% of Earth’s animal biodiversity. As such, how we approach science communication regarding those animals might yet play a critical role in their conservation. Given how specialized a topic invertebrate biology is, a large part of its communication fall to scientists. Here, we surveyed both scientists and members of the public about the former’s approaches and assumptions and the latter’s interest and expectations regarding invertebrate science communication, confronting the results of each survey. Our findings show that scientists and the public are only tangentially aligned; there is plenty of ground scientists and communicators need to pay attention to and explore better in order to achieve more meaningful and balanced science communication. Among other findings, topics and approaches that could be used to greater effect include (depending on age groups of the audience) history, folklore, pop culture, and pathology. Our results have unveiled some issues in science communication of invertebrates and are thus a good first approach to start defining the way forward.
Long-Term Tree Regeneration of Fragmented Agroforestry Systems Under Varying Climatic Conditions
Authors: Díaz Mario , Sánchez-Mejía Teresa , Morán-López Teresa
Published: March 2021

Iberian dehesas and montados are agroforestry systems protected by the European Habitats Directive due to high levels of biological diversity associated to their savannah-like structure. Tree scattering in dehesas, montados and other agroforestry systems is, however, known to compromise tree regeneration, although recent work suggests that it may protect tree populations from climate warming by alleviating plant-plant competition. We analyze how climatic conditions, tree isolation and their interactions influence the outcomes of regeneration stages, from flower production to early seedling establishment, using data gathered during the long-term monitoring (2001–2018) of ca. 300 Holm oak Quercus ilex trees located in central Spain. Holm oak reproductive effort, predispersal seed losses, and early seedling recruitment were sensitive to climate change, especially to year-round drought. Effort and early seedling recruitment decreased, while abortion and predispersal seed predation increased, with higher drought intensity. Spring warming increases pollination effectiveness, but had no further effect on acorn crops. Forest clearing seemed to have little scope to ameliorate these negative effects, as shown by weak or no interactive effects between the spatial configuration of trees (cover or isolation) and climate variables (spring temperature or drought intensity). Forest opening aimed at decreasing adult tree mortality under climate change scenarios would then have little or no effects on tree recruitment. Landscape-scale rotations alternating shrub encroachment and thinning along periods adapted to changing climate are proposed as the main management option to preserve both oak forests and dehesas in the long term.
Eastern Black Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) Originating From Native Range Varies in Their Response to Inoculation With Geosmithia morbida
Authors: Sitz Rachael A. , Luna Emily K. , Ibarra Caballero Jorge , Tisserat Ned A. , Cranshaw Whitney S. , McKenna James R. , Stolz Joshua , Stewart Jane E.
Published: March 2021

Thousand cankers disease (TCD) is caused by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis) vectoring the fungal canker pathogen Geosmithia morbida, which can result in severe dieback and eventual death to species of walnut (Juglans spp.) and wingnut (Pterocarya spp.). This disease is most devastating to the highly valued species J. nigra (black walnut). This species is primarily grown and harvested for timber production in the Central Hardwood Region of the United States, which comprises part of its native range. Management options for TCD are limited; therefore, finding resistant genotypes is needed. Initial studies on black walnut susceptibility to G. morbida documented some genetic variation and suggested potential resistance. Furthermore, G. morbida is thought to be native to the United States, which may have allowed for co-evolution. To capture the representative genetic diversity and screen for resistance to G. morbida, J. nigra families were collected from across the native range. These wild trees, in conjunction with seedlings developed in a black walnut timber improvement program, were planted in a common garden in Fort Collins, Colorado and repeatedly inoculated with G. morbida over the course of four years and three growing seasons. Improved seedlings exhibited larger cankered areas than wild J. nigra of the same provenance. Cankers induced by G. morbida in wild germplasm were smaller on J. nigra collected from the western and central portions of the native range compared to those collected from the eastern portion. Although trees from the western and central part of the range still incurred cankers, our findings indicate that variation in genetic resistance to G. morbida is present in black walnut. This study was performed with G. morbida independent of the walnut twig beetle, but our results suggest the limited G. morbida resistance observed in J. nigra will prevent the full compromise of black walnut to TCD. Results from this study should be taken into consideration in future black walnut breeding programs.
Structural and Drug Screening Analysis of the Non-structural Proteins of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Virus Extracted From Indian Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients
Authors: Biswas Nupur , Kumar Krishna , Mallick Priyanka , Das Subhrangshu , Kamal Izaz Monir , Bose Sarpita , Choudhury Anindita , Chakrabarti Saikat
Published: March 2021

The novel coronavirus 2 (nCoV2) outbreaks took place in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. It continued to spread worldwide in an unprecedented manner, bringing the whole world to a lockdown and causing severe loss of life and economic stability. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has also affected India, infecting more than 10 million till 31st December 2020 and resulting in more than a hundred thousand deaths. In the absence of an effective vaccine, it is imperative to understand the phenotypic outcome of the genetic variants and subsequently the mode of action of its proteins with respect to human proteins and other bio-molecules. Availability of a large number of genomic and mutational data extracted from the nCoV2 virus infecting Indian patients in a public repository provided an opportunity to understand and analyze the specific variations of the virus in India and their impact in broader perspectives. Non-structural proteins (NSPs) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) virus play a major role in its survival as well as virulence power. Here, we provide a detailed overview of the SARS-CoV2 NSPs including primary and secondary structural information, mutational frequency of the Indian and Wuhan variants, phylogenetic profiles, three-dimensional (3D) structural perspectives using homology modeling and molecular dynamics analyses for wild-type and selected variants, host-interactome analysis and viral–host protein complexes, and in silico drug screening with known antivirals and other drugs against the SARS-CoV2 NSPs isolated from the variants found within Indian patients across various regions of the country. All this information is categorized in the form of a database named, Database of NSPs of India specific Novel Coronavirus (DbNSP InC), which is freely available at http://www.hpppi.iicb.res.in/covid19/index.php.
Genome-Wide Identification of NAC Transcription Factors and Their Functional Prediction of Abiotic Stress Response in Peanut
Authors: Li Pengxiang , Peng Zhenying , Xu Pingli , Tang Guiying , Ma Changle , Zhu Jieqiong , Shan Lei , Wan Shubo
Published: March 2021

The NAC transcription factor (TF) is one of the most significant TFs in plants and is widely involved in plant growth, development, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. To date, there are no systematic studies on the NAC family in peanuts. Herein, 132 AhNACs were identified from the genome of cultivated peanut, and they were classified into eight subgroups (I–VIII) based on phylogenetic relationships with Arabidopsis NAC proteins and their conserved motifs. These genes were unevenly scattered on all 20 chromosomes, among which 116 pairs of fragment duplication events and 1 pair of tandem duplications existed. Transcriptome analysis showed that many AhNAC genes responded to drought and abscisic acid (ABA) stresses, especially most of the members in groups IV, VII, and VIII, which were expressed at larger differential levels under polyethylene glycol (PEG) and/or ABA treatment in roots or leaves. Furthermore, 20 of them selected in response to PEG and ABA treatment were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that these genes significantly responded to drought and ABA in roots and/or leaves. This study was helpful for guiding the functional characterization and improvement of drought-resistant germplasms in peanuts.
Complement and Chlamydia psittaci: Early Complement-Dependent Events Are Important for DC Migration and Protection During Mouse Lung Infection
Authors: Kohn Martin , Lanfermann Christian , Laudeley Robert , Glage Silke , Rheinheimer Claudia , Klos Andreas
Published: March 2021

The zoonotic intracellular bacterium Chlamydia psittaci causes life-threatening pneumonia in humans. During mouse lung infection, complement factor C3 and the anaphylatoxin C3a augment protection against C. psittaci by a so far unknown mechanism. To clarify how complement contributes to the early, innate and the late, specific immune response and resulting protection, this study addresses the amount of C3, the timing when its presence is required as well as the anaphylatoxin receptor(s) mediating its effects and the complement-dependent migration of dendritic cells. Challenge experiments with C. psittaci on various complement KO mice were combined with transient decomplementation by pharmacological treatment, as well as the analysis of in vivo dendritic cells migration. Our findings reveal that a plasma concentration of C3 close to wildtype levels was required to achieve full protection. The diminished levels of C3 of heterozygote C3+/− mice permitted already relative effective protection and improved survival as compared to C3−/− mice, but overall recovery of these animals was delayed. Complement was in particular required during the first days of infection. However, additionally, it seems to support protection at later stages. Migration of CD103+ dendritic cells from the infected lung to the draining lymph node—as prerequisite of antigen presentation—depended on C3 and C3aR and/or C5aR. Our results provide unique mechanistic insight in various aspects of complement-dependent immune responses under almost identical, rather physiological experimental conditions. Our study contributes to an improved understanding of the role of complement, and C3a in particular, in infections by intracellular bacteria.
Functions for Retinoic Acid-Related Orphan Receptor Alpha (RORα) in the Activation of Macrophages During Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Septic Shock
Authors: Hams Emily , Roberts Joseph , Bermingham Rachel , Fallon Padraic G.
Published: March 2021

The transcription factor Related Orphan Receptor Alpha (RORα) plays an important role in regulating circadian rhythm, inflammation, metabolism and cellular development. Herein we show that in the absence of functional RORα in mice there is reduced susceptibility to LPS-induced endotoxic shock, with selective decreases in release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Treatment of mice with a RORα selective synthetic inhibitor also reduced the severity of LPS-induced endotoxemia. The reduction in responses in Rora deficient mice was associated with an alterations in metabolic and pro-inflammatory functions of macrophages, both in vivo peritoneal macrophages and in vitro generated bone marrow derived macrophages. Using LysMCreRorafl/sg mice the reduced susceptibility to LPS was shown to be specific to Rora expression in the macrophages. This study identifies that Rora-mediated regulation of macrophages impacts on the pro-inflammatory responses elicited by LPS.
Case Report: Pansclerotic Morphea-Clinical Features, Differential Diagnoses and Modern Treatment Concepts
Authors: Ventéjou Sarah , Schwieger-Briel Agnes , Nicolai Rebecca , Christen-Zaech Stephanie , Schnider Caroline , Hofer Michael , Bogiatzi Sofia , Hohl Daniel , De Benedetti Fabrizio , Morren Marie-Anne
Published: March 2021

Pansclerotic morphea (PSM) is a rare skin disease characterized by progressive stiffening of the skin with or without the typical superficial skin changes usually seen in morphea (localized scleroderma). Standard therapy, consisting of a combination of systemic glucocorticoids and methotrexate or mycophenolate mofetil, does rarely stop disease progression, which may lead to severe cutaneous sclerosis and secondary contractures. Little is known about the efficacy of newer biologicals such as abatacept, a fusion protein antibody against CTLA-4, or tocilizumab, a fully humanized IL-6R antibody, in the treatment of this pathology. We present the case of an 8 years old girl with an unusual, progressive stiffening of the skin, which was eventually diagnosed as pansclerotic morphea. A treatment with systemic glucocorticoids and methotrexate combined with tocilizumab led to a good clinical response within 2 months after initiation. In this paper, we discuss differential diagnoses to be considered and this new promising treatment option based on a case review of the literature.
Comparative Modeling of Cod-Capelin Dynamics in the Newfoundland-Labrador Shelves and Barents Sea Ecosystems
Authors: Koen-Alonso Mariano , Lindstrøm Ulf , Cuff Andrew
Published: March 2021

The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stocks in the Newfoundland-Labrador Shelves (NL) and Barents Sea (BS) ecosystems have shown divergent trajectories over the last 40 years. Both stocks experienced either an important decline (BS) or a collapse (NL) in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, respectively. After these population reductions, the BS stock quickly rebounded and it is currently at record high levels, while the NL stock, despite showing some improvement since the mid-2000s, remains at low levels. Fishing and environmental conditions are known to be important drivers of cod dynamics in both ecosystems, especially the availability of high energy prey like capelin (Mallotus villosus), however, the question of how different or similar these two stocks truly are remains. Could, for example, the NL cod stock rebuild if presented to conditions like the ones experienced by BS cod? To explore such questions, we developed a simple biomass dynamic model for cod using a bioenergetic-allometric approach. This model includes fisheries catches and capelin availability as external drivers and was implemented for both ecosystems. Despite the contrasting trends, the model produced very good fits, and showed some remarkably similar estimated parameters in both systems. We explored these similarities by (a) performing the thought experiment of transferring cod stocks between ecosystems by switching estimated key parameters between models and comparing the output, and (b) implementing an integrated model architecture which allowed fitting common parameters for both stocks to evaluate the similarity of key vital rates. Our results indicate that cod trajectories in NL and BS can be reliably described using simple bioenergetic-allometric arguments, fishery catches, and capelin availability. Model parameters that encapsulate intrinsic vital rates were not significantly different between stocks. This indicates that NL and BS cod stocks are biologically similar, and that the differences in their trajectories are driven by the ecosystem context in which these stocks are embedded, and suggests that the NL stock would be expected to rebuild if enough capelin were available. This also indicates that capelin status and trend should be an important consideration for effective management of these cod stocks.
Effectiveness of Fluorescent Viability Assays in Studies of Arctic Cold Seep Foraminifera
Authors: Melaniuk Katarzyna
Published: March 2021

Highly negative δ13C values in fossil foraminifera from methane cold seeps have been proposed to reflect episodes of methane release from gas hydrate dissociation or free gas reservoirs triggered by climatic changes in the past. Because most studies on live foraminifera are based on the presence of Rose Bengal staining, that colors the cytoplasm of both live and recently dead individuals it remains unclear if, and to what extent live foraminifera incorporate methane-derived carbon during biomineralization, or whether the isotopic signature is mostly affected by authigenic overgrowth. In this paper, modern foraminiferal assemblages from a gas hydrate province Vestnesa Ridge (∼1,200 m water depth, northeastern Fram Strait) and from Storfjordrenna (∼400 m water depth in the western Barents Sea) is presented. By using the fluorescent viability assays CellTrackerTM Green (CTG) CMFDA and CellHunt Green (CHG) together with conventional Rose Bengal, it was possible to examine live and recently dead foraminifera separately. Metabolically active foraminifera were shown to inhabit methane-enriched sediments at both investigated locations. The benthic foraminiferal faunas were dominated by common Arctic species such as Melonis barleeanus, Cassidulina neoteretis, and Nonionellina labradorica. The combined usage of the fluorescence probe and Rose Bengal revealed only minor shifts in species compositions and differences in ratios between live and recently dead foraminifera from Storfjordrenna. There was no clear evidence that methane significantly affected the δ13C signature of the calcite of living specimens.
Clinical, Serological, Whole Genome Sequence Analyses to Confirm SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection in Patients From Mumbai, India
Authors: Shastri Jayanthi , Parikh Swapneil , Agrawal Sachee , Chatterjee Nirjhar , Pathak Manish , Chaudhary Sakshi , Sharma Chetan , Kanakan Akshay , A Vivekanand , Srinivasa Vasudevan Janani , Maurya Ranjeet , Fatihi Saman , Thukral Lipi , Agrawal Anurag , Pinto Lancelot , Pandey Rajesh , Sunil Sujatha
Published: March 2021

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection may not provide long lasting post-infection immunity. While hundreds of reinfections have reported only a few have been confirmed. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the viral isolates from the different episodes is mandatory to establish reinfection.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal (NP), oropharyngeal (OP) and whole blood (WB) samples were collected from paired samples of four individuals who were suspected of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection based on distinct clinical episodes and RT-PCR tests. Details from their case record files and investigations were documented. RNA was extracted from the NP and OP samples and subjected to WGS, and the nucleotide and amino acid sequences were subjected to genome and protein-based functional annotation analyses. Serial serology was performed for Anti-N IgG, Anti- S1 RBD IgG, and sVNT (surrogate virus neutralizing test).

Findings: Three patients were more symptomatic with lower Ct values and longer duration of illness. Seroconversion was detected soon after the second episode in three patients. WGS generated a genome coverage ranging from 80.07 to 99.7%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed sequences belonged to G, GR and “Other” clades. A total of 42mutations were identified in all the samples, consisting of 22 non-synonymous, 17 synonymous, two in upstream, and one in downstream regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Comparative genomic and protein-based annotation analyses revealed differences in the presence and absence of specific mutations in the virus sequences from the two episodes in all four paired samples.

Interpretation: Based on the criteria of genome variations identified by whole genome sequencing and supported by clinical presentation, molecular and serological tests, we were able to confirm reinfections in two patients, provide weak evidence of reinfection in the third patient and unable to rule out a prolonged infection in the fourth. This study emphasizes the importance of detailed analyses of clinical and serological information as well as the virus's genomic variations while assessing cases of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection.
Case Report: Enhanced Diazepam Elimination With the Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System (MARS) in Severe Autointoxication: A Survival Case Report
Authors: Dobisova Anna , Vavrinec Peter , Vavrincova-Yaghi Diana , Gebhardtova Andrea , Henning Robert H. , Yaghi Aktham
Published: March 2021

Objective: Due to the extensive use of diazepam worldwide, self-induced intoxication is very common, yet rarely fatal. Nevertheless, the management of intoxication caused by extremely high doses of diazepam is not known, as well as the effectiveness of flumazenil, a specific benzodiazepine (BDZ) antagonist. Here we present the first report on the enhanced elimination (clearance) of diazepam using the Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System (MARS) following autointoxication with an extremely high dose as part of a suicide attempt.

Case: A 44-year-old male patient was admitted to the ICU because of impaired consciousness following the ingestion of 20 g of diazepam. Blood and urine samples revealed high benzodiazepine levels. Repeated doses of flumazenil were without effect on consciousness. Following deterioration of the patient's clinical condition, including unconsciousness, hypoventilation, and decreased SpO2 (88%), the patient was intubated and mechanically ventilated. On the fourth day after admission, the patient was unresponsive, with no attempt to breath spontaneously. The plasma level of benzodiazepines was 1,772 μg/l. The elimination of benzodiazepines by MARS was attempted, continuing for 5 days, with one session per day. Five sessions of MARS effectively enhanced benzodiazepine elimination. After the first MARS treatment, the plasma level of benzodiazepines dropped from 1,772 to 780 μg/l. After the final MARS treatment on the eighth day, the patient was weaned from mechanical ventilation and extubated. Two days later, the patient was discharged to the internal medicine department and subsequently to the psychiatry department.

Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reporting successful treatment of diazepam intoxication using MARS. In severe cases of diazepam intoxication, with prolonged unconsciousness and the necessity of mechanical ventilation, we suggest considering the use of MARS elimination therapy together with the monitoring of the BDZ plasma level.
Molecular Characteristics, Antigenicity, Pathogenicity, and Zoonotic Potential of a H3N2 Canine Influenza Virus Currently Circulating in South China
Authors: Wu Meihua , Su Rongsheng , Gu Yongxia , Yu Yanan , Li Shuo , Sun Huapeng , Pan Liangqi , Cui Xinxin , Zhu Xuhui , Yang Qingzhou , Liu Yanwei , Xu Fengxiang , Li Mingliang , Liu Yang , Qu Xiaoyun , Wu Jie , Liao Ming , Sun Hailiang
Published: March 2021

Canine influenza viruses (CIVs) could be a source of influenza viruses which infect humans because canine are important companion pets. To assess the potential risk of H3N2 CIVs currently circulating in southern China to public health, biological characteristics of A/canine/Guangdong/DY1/2019 (CADY1/2019) were detected. CADY1/2019 bound to both avian-type and human-type receptors. CADY1/2019 had a similar pH value for HA protein fusion to human viruses, but its antigenicity was obviously different from those of current human H3N2 influenza viruses (IVs) or the vaccine strains recommended in the North hemisphere. CADY1/2019 effectively replicated in the respiratory tract and was transmitted by physical contact among guinea pigs. Compared to human H3N2 IV, CADY1/2019 exhibited higher replication in MDCK, A549, 3D4/21, ST, and PK15 cells. Sequence analysis indicated that CADY1/2019 is an avian-origin virus, and belongs to the novel clade and has acquired many adaptation mutations to infect other mammals, including human. Taken together, currently circulating H3N2 CIVs have a zoonotic potential, and there is a need for strengthening surveillance and monitoring of their pathogenicity.
The Cheese Production Facility Microbiome Exhibits Temporal and Spatial Variability
Authors: Johnson Jared , Curtin Chris , Waite-Cusic Joy
Published: March 2021

A primary goal of modern cheese manufacturing is consistent product quality. One aspect of product quality that remains poorly understood is the variability of microbial subpopulations due to temporal or facility changes within cheese production environments. Therefore, our aim was to quantify this variability by measuring day-day and facility-facility changes in the cheese facility microbiome. In-process product (i.e., milk and cheese) and food-contact surfaces were sampled over the course of three production days at three cheese manufacturing facilities. Microbial communities were characterized using 16S rRNA metabarcoding and by plating on selective growth media. Each facility produced near-identical Cheddar cheese recipes on near-identical processing equipment during the time of sampling. Each facility also used a common pool ofLactococcusstarter cultures which were rotated daily as groups of 4–5 strains and selected independently at each facility. Diversity analysis revealed significant facility-facility and day-day differences at each sample location. Facility differences were greatest on the food contact surfaces (i.e., draining-matting conveyor belts), explaining between 25 and 41% of the variance. Conversely, daily differences within each facility explained a greater proportion of the variance in the milk (20% vs. 12%) and cheese (29% vs. 20%). Further investigation into the sources of these differences revealed the involvement of several industrially relevant bacteria, including lactobacilli, which play a central role in flavor and texture development during Cheddar cheese ripening. Additionally,Streptococcuswas found to contribute notably to differences observed in milk samples, whereasAcinetobacter,Streptococcus,Lactococcus,Exiguobacterium, and Enterobacteriaceae contributed notably to differences on the food contact surfaces. Facility differences in the cheese were overwhelmingly attributed to the rotation ofLactococcusstarter cultures, thus highlighting circumstances where daily microbial shifts could be misinterpreted and emphasizing the importance of repeated sampling over time. The outcomes of this work highlight the complexity of the cheese facility microbiome and demonstrate daily and facility-facility microbial variations which might impact cheese product quality.
FRET-Based Detection and Quantification of HIV-1 Virion Maturation
Authors: Sarca Anamaria D. , Sardo Luca , Fukuda Hirofumi , Matsui Hiroyuki , Shirakawa Kotaro , Horikawa Kazuki , Takaori-Kondo Akifumi , Izumi Taisuke
Published: March 2021

HIV-1 infectivity is achieved through virion maturation. Virus particles undergo structural changes via cleavage of the Gag polyprotein mediated by the viral protease, causing the transition from an uninfectious to an infectious status. The majority of proviruses in people living with HIV-1 treated with combination antiretroviral therapy are defective with large internal deletions. Defective proviral DNA frequently preserves intact sequences capable of expressing viral structural proteins to form virus-like particles whose maturation status is an important factor for chronic antigen-mediated immune stimulation and inflammation. Thus, novel methods to study the maturation capability of defective virus particles are needed to characterize their immunogenicity. To build a quantitative tool to study virion maturation in vitro, we developed a novel single virion visualization technique based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). We inserted an optimized intramolecular CFP-YPF FRET donor-acceptor pair bridged with an HIV-1 protease cleavage sequence between the Gag MA-CA domains. This system allowed us to microscopically distinguish mature and immature virions via their FRET signal when the FRET donor and acceptor proteins were separated by the viral protease during maturation. We found that approximately 80% of the FRET labeled virus particles were mature with equivalent infectivity to wild type. The proportion of immature virions was increased by treatment of virus producer cells with a protease inhibitor in a dose-dependent manner, which corresponded to a relative decrease in infectivity. Potential areas of application for this tool are assessing maturation efficiency in different cell type settings of intact or deficient proviral DNA integrated cells. We believe that this FRET-based single-virion imaging platform will facilitate estimating the impact on the immune system of both extracellular intact and defective viruses by quantifying the Gag maturation status.
Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Chemoresistance in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Law Zhu-Jun , Khoo Xin Hui , Lim Pei Tee , Goh Bey Hing , Ming Long Chiau , Lee Wai-Leng , Goh Hui Poh
Published: March 2021

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) remains a cancer with poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. Even with multimodal treatment options available for OSCC, tumor drug resistance is still a persistent problem, leading to increased tumor invasiveness among OSCC patients. An emerging trend of thought proposes that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a role in facilitating tumor progression and chemoresistance via signaling between tumor cells. In particular, exosomes and microvesicles are heavily implicated in this process by various studies. Where primary studies into a particular EV-mediated chemoresistance mechanism in OSCC are limited, similar studies on other cancer cell types will be used in the discussion below to provide ideas for a new line of investigation into OSCC chemoresistance. By understanding how EVs are or may be involved in OSCC chemoresistance, novel targeted therapies such as EV inhibition may be an effective alternative to current treatment options in the near future. In this review, the current understandings on OSCC drug mechanisms under the novel context of exosomes and microvesicles were reviewed, including shuttling of miRNA content, drug efflux, alteration of vesicular pH, anti-apoptotic signaling, modulation of DNA damage repair, immunomodulation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and maintenance of tumor by cancer stem cells.
Higher Right Hemisphere Gamma Band Lateralization and Suggestion of a Sensitive Period for Vocal Auditory Emotional Stimuli Recognition in Unilateral Cochlear Implant Children: An EEG Study
Authors: Cartocci Giulia , Giorgi Andrea , Inguscio Bianca M. S. , Scorpecci Alessandro , Giannantonio Sara , De Lucia Antonietta , Garofalo Sabina , Grassia Rosa , Leone Carlo Antonio , Longo Patrizia , Freni Francesco , Malerba Paolo , Babiloni Fabio
Published: March 2021

In deaf children, huge emphasis was given to language; however, emotional cues decoding and production appear of pivotal importance for communication capabilities. Concerning neurophysiological correlates of emotional processing, the gamma band activity appears a useful tool adopted for emotion classification and related to the conscious elaboration of emotions. Starting from these considerations, the following items have been investigated: (i) whether emotional auditory stimuli processing differs between normal-hearing (NH) children and children using a cochlear implant (CI), given the non-physiological development of the auditory system in the latter group; (ii) whether the age at CI surgery influences emotion recognition capabilities; and (iii) in light of the right hemisphere hypothesis for emotional processing, whether the CI side influences the processing of emotional cues in unilateral CI (UCI) children. To answer these matters, 9 UCI (9.47 ± 2.33 years old) and 10 NH (10.95 ± 2.11 years old) children were asked to recognize nonverbal vocalizations belonging to three emotional states: positive (achievement, amusement, contentment, relief), negative (anger, disgust, fear, sadness), and neutral (neutral, surprise). Results showed better performances in NH than UCI children in emotional states recognition. The UCI group showed increased gamma activity lateralization index (LI) (relative higher right hemisphere activity) in comparison to the NH group in response to emotional auditory cues. Moreover, LI gamma values were negatively correlated with the percentage of correct responses in emotion recognition. Such observations could be explained by a deficit in UCI children in engaging the left hemisphere for more demanding emotional task, or alternatively by a higher conscious elaboration in UCI than NH children. Additionally, for the UCI group, there was no difference between the CI side and the contralateral side in gamma activity, but a higher gamma activity in the right in comparison to the left hemisphere was found. Therefore, the CI side did not appear to influence the physiologic hemispheric lateralization of emotional processing. Finally, a negative correlation was shown between the age at the CI surgery and the percentage of correct responses in emotion recognition and then suggesting the occurrence of a sensitive period for CI surgery for best emotion recognition skills development.