bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arterial Spin Labeling Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Acute Disorders of Consciousness in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Grønlund Elisabeth Waldemar , Lindberg Ulrich , Fisher Patrick M. , Othman Marwan H. , Amiri Moshgan , Sølling Christine , Nielsen Rune Damgaard , Capion Tenna , Ciochon Urszula Maria , Hauerberg John , Sigurdsson Sigurdur Thor , Thomsen Gerda , Knudsen Gitte Moos , Kjaergaard Jesper , Larsen Vibeke Andrée , Møller Kirsten , Hansen Adam Espe , Kondziella Daniel
Published: June 2024

Background

To investigate patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) for residual awareness, guidelines recommend quantifying glucose brain metabolism using positron emission tomography. However, this is not feasible in the intensive care unit (ICU). Cerebral blood flow (CBF) assessed by arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging (ASL-MRI) could serve as a proxy for brain metabolism and reflect consciousness levels in acute DoC. We hypothesized that ASL-MRI would show compromised CBF in coma and unresponsive wakefulness states (UWS) but relatively preserved CBF in minimally conscious states (MCS) or better.

Methods

We consecutively enrolled ICU patients with acute DoC and categorized them as being clinically unresponsive (i.e., coma or UWS [≤ UWS]) or low responsive (i.e., MCS or better [≥ MCS]). ASL-MRI was then acquired on 1.5 T or 3 T. Healthy controls were investigated with both 1.5 T and 3 T ASL-MRI.

Results

We obtained 84 ASL-MRI scans from 59 participants, comprising 36 scans from 35 patients (11 women [31.4%]; median age 56 years, range 18–82 years; 24 ≤ UWS patients, 12 ≥ MCS patients; 32 nontraumatic brain injuries) and 48 scans from 24 healthy controls (12 women [50%]; median age 50 years, range 21–77 years). In linear mixed-effects models of whole-brain cortical CBF, patients had 16.2 mL/100 g/min lower CBF than healthy controls (p = 0.0041). However, ASL-MRI was unable to discriminate between ≤ UWS and ≥ MCS patients (whole-brain cortical CBF: p = 0.33; best hemisphere cortical CBF: p = 0.41). Numerical differences of regional CBF in the thalamus, amygdala, and brainstem in the two patient groups were statistically nonsignificant.

Conclusions

CBF measurement in ICU patients using ASL-MRI is feasible but cannot distinguish between the lower and the upper ends of the acute DoC spectrum. We suggest that pilot testing of diagnostic interventions at the extremes of this spectrum is a time-efficient approach in the continued quest to develop DoC neuroimaging markers in the ICU.
Underneath the Sheets: a Cross-Cultural Cluster Analysis of Older Adults’ Patterns of Aging and Sexual Well-Being in Portugal and Mexico
Authors: von Humboldt Sofia , Ruvalcaba Neyda Ma. Mendoza , Low Gail , Leal Isabel
Published: June 2024

This study aims to assess the patterns of life satisfaction with life (SwL), sexual satisfaction, and adjustment to aging (AtA), of older adults in Mexico and Portugal. A sample of 658 older adults, aged 65 years-old and older, from Mexico and Portugal were recruited for this cross-cultural study. The following measures were applied: (a) Adjustment to Aging Scale (ATAS); (b) Satisfaction with Life Scale (SwLS); (c) New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS); (d) Mini-Mental State Exam; and (e) Sociodemographic, health and lifestyle questionnaire. Clusters were identified and characterized by using K-means cluster analysis, encompassing SwL, AtA, and sexual satisfaction. Sexual well-being differences among clusters were analyzed with One-way ANOVAs. Findings indicated three clusters, which explained 76.4% (R-sq = 0.764) of the total variance: Cluster #1: “Moderately adjusted older adults” (n = 355, 53.9%), Cluster #2: “Moderately fulfilled older adults” (n = 265, 40.3%), and Cluster 3: “Well adjusted and satisfied older adults” (n = 38, 5.8%). Participants in Cluster #1 were mostly Mexican, with moderate levels of AtA and reduced sexual satisfaction and SwL. Conversely, Cluster #2 predominantly consisted of Portuguese participants with moderate sexual satisfaction and SwL, and lower levels of AtA. Participants from Cluster #3 were mostly Portuguese with high levels of AtA, sexual satisfaction, and SwL. This innovative study explored the intricate relationship between sexual well-being, the ability to adjust to aging, and overall SwL, in two different cultural contexts. Findings contributed to the understanding of the relationship between these three variables and for developing tailored future interventions and service planning with older adults in different cultures.
Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Family Affluence Scale in Norwegian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Surveys: Implications for Time Trend Analysis
Authors: Brook Martika Irene , Bøe Tormod , Samdal Oddrun , Urke Helga Bjørnøy , Larsen Torill Marie Bogsnes , Torsheim Torbjørn
Published: June 2024

This study assessed the applicability of the Family Affluence Scale II (FASII) for conducting time trend analysis within Norway's “Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study” (HBSC), spanning from 2002 to 2018. A dataset comprising 27,470 valid questionnaires was employed to assess the psychometric properties of the FASII with respect to validity and reliability for use at single- and multiple times points. The analytical approach encompassed a range of statistical techniques, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multi-group CFA, polychoric correlation testing between FASII scores and perceived family wealth, a subjective measure of socioeconomic position (SEP), and an assessment of perceived family wealth and FASII scores across time. The results of the study revealed an overall good model fit in CFA and a positive correlation between FASII scores and perceived family wealth. However, the analysis uncovered measurement non-invariance across survey years, sex, and age groups. Measurement non-invariance hampers direct time-to-time comparisons of FASII scores, impeding the assessment of affluence development over time. Despite this limitation, FASII maintains its utility for ranking affluence and measuring health outcomes at single time points. As such, this study offers valuable insight into the suitability of FASII for time trend analysis within the Norwegian HBSC data and broader research on social inequality.
The Gauss Images of Complete Minimal Surfaces of Genus Zero of Finite Total Curvature
Authors: Kawakami Yu , Watanabe Mototsugu
Published: June 2024

This paper aims to present a systematic study on the Gauss images of complete minimal surfaces of genus 0 of finite total curvature in Euclidean 3-space and Euclidean 4-space. We focus on the number of omitted values and the total weight of the totally ramified values of their Gauss maps. In particular, we construct new complete minimal surfaces of finite total curvature whose Gauss maps have 2 omitted values and 1 totally ramified value of order 2, that is, the total weight of the totally ramified values of their Gauss maps are $$5/2\,(=2.5)$$

5
/
2

(
=
2.5
)

in Euclidean 3-space and Euclidean 4-space, respectively. Moreover we discuss several outstanding problems in this study.
The box-Behnken experimental approach of emerging contaminant-Ciprofloxacin antibiotic removal from aqueous solution using Kigelia Africana peel-activated carbon: optimization, kinetics, and isotherm studies
Authors: Renita A. Annam , Magesh N. , Rathi B. Senthil
Published: June 2024

This study examined the use of Kigelia Africana peel-activated carbon (KAP-AC) to remove ciprofloxacin (CIP) from aqueous solutions. To investigate the adsorption capacity, isotherm, and kinetic parameters of the adsorption process, batch adsorption experiments were conducted to test the effects of adsorbent dosage, time, pH, initial concentration of CIP, and temperature. The binding mechanism among KAP-AC and CIP was investigated using FTIR, XRD, and SEM. Models of the Langmuir adsorption isotherm (LAI), Freundlich adsorption isotherm (FAI), and Temkin adsorption isotherm (TAI) helped to clarify the adsorption process. Adsorption experiments were carried out to explain kinetic studies, such as the pseudo-first-order kinetic model (PFO-KM), pseudo-second-order kinetic model (PSO-KM), and intraparticle diffusion kinetic model (IPD-KM). The experimental results may be more accurately described by the FAI and PFO-KM. Additionally, response surface methodology (RSM), which is based on Box–Behnken (BB) surface statistical design, was used to investigate the impact of variables on the adsorption of CIP. Higher coefficients of correlation and p-value values, by BB design, were in excellent adaption with the ideal combination of process variables, indicating the suitability of the selected model for assessing the experimental data.
Improved spectral dynamic features extracted from audio data for classification of marine vessels
Authors: de Brito Santos Murillo , de Moraes Calazan Rogério
Published: June 2024

Underwater sound classification presents a unique challenge due to the complex propagation characteristics of sound in water, including absorption, scattering, and refraction. These complexities can distort and alter spectral features, hindering the effectiveness of traditional feature extraction methods for vessel classification. To address this challenge, this study proposes a novel feature extraction method that combines Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) with a spectral dynamic feature (SDF) vector. MFCCs capture the spectral content of the audio signal, whereas SDF provides information on the temporal dynamics of spectral features. This combined approach aims to achieve a more comprehensive representation of underwater vessel sounds, potentially leading to improved classification accuracy. Validation with real-world underwater audio recordings demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results indicated an improvement of up to 94.68% in classification accuracy when combining SDF with several classical extractors evaluated. This finding highlights the potential of SDF in overcoming the challenges associated with underwater sound classification.
Alcohol Drinking and Psychological Health Outcome
Authors: Wu Ziting , Liu Gordon G. , Ye Xinchen , Hua Chengyuan , Li Shanshan
Published: June 2024

Abstract: Objective: This paper explores the relationship between alcohol consumption and psychological health outcome in an economically underdeveloped area of China. Methods: We conducted convenience sampling and recruited 439 participants at alcohol-related risk as identified by Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Well-being and mental health were the primary outcomes. We employed multiple regression analysis to determine the correlation between alcohol consumption and health outcome. Results: Participants with higher scores for alcohol dependence were more likely to obtain higher scores for stress (0.11 [95% CI: 0.03, 0.19]), anxiety (0.15 [95% CI: 0.07, 0.23]) and depression (0.11 [95% CI: 0.03, 0.19]). Similarly, increasing scores for harmful alcohol use items were associated with higher scores for anxiety (0.08 [95% CI: 0.01,0.16]) and stress (0.08 [95% CI: 0.01,0.15]) and lower scores for positiveness (0.07 [95% CI: –0.14, –0.01]). Participants with stable incomes and the ethnic minority reported more favorable psychological outcomes or fewer negative emotions. Conversely, individuals who drank passively were more prone to experiencing lower positive and higher negative psychological effects. Conclusions: Higher scores on measures of alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use indicate elevated psychological risks. Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and drinking motivations modified the associations.
Upholding the Social Hierarchy
Authors: Moreno-Bella Eva , Willis Guillermo B. , Moya Miguel
Published: June 2024

Abstract: Many societies are becoming more economically unequal, and some people tend to be in favor of higher levels of economic inequality than others do. Traditionally, agency has been associated with high-status and high-power groups. In this research, we examined whether participants’ agency led them to think there should be higher levels of economic inequality. In Study 1 ( N = 191), we used a correlational design and found that participants’ agency is associated with higher levels of ideal economic inequality. In Study 2 ( N = 204), using an experimental design, we revealed that priming agency (vs. communion) leads to higher levels of ideal economic inequality. These findings extend prior evidence on the psychological effects of agency and illustrate the connection between agency and the ideal levels of economic inequality.
Small Fires, Big Impact: Evaluating Fire Emission Estimates in Southern Africa Using New Satellite Imagery of Burned Area and Carbon Monoxide
Authors: van der Velde I. R. , van der Werf G. R. , van Wees D. , Schutgens N. A. J. , Vernooij R. , Houweling S. , Tonucci E. , Chuvieco E. , Randerson J. T. , Frey M. M. , Borsdorff T. , Aben I.
Published: June 2024

Various fire emission estimates for southern Africa during 2019, derived with multiple burned area data sets with resolutions ranging from 500 to 20 m, are evaluated using satellite carbon monoxide (CO) observations. Southern African emissions derived from burned area generated by 20 m Sentinel‐2 satellite imagery are up to 120% higher than other estimates because small fires are better detected with a higher‐resolution satellite instrument. A comprehensive comparison between simulated and observed atmospheric CO indicates that the Sentinel‐2 burned area data significantly improves emission estimates, with up to 15% reduction in CO concentration biases in comparison to emissions based on coarser resolution burned area data. We also found that the temporal lag between emissions and atmospheric CO concentrations during the peak fire month was related to atmospheric transport. These findings emphasize the importance of utilizing higher‐resolution satellite instruments in accurately estimating emissions and understanding the impact of small fires on global climate.
Plasma Sheet Counterparts for Auroral Beads and Vortices in Advance of Fast Flows: New Evidence for Near‐Earth Substorm Onset
Authors: Babu S. S. , Mann I. R. , Donovan E. F. , Smith A. W. , Dimitrakoudis S. , Sydora R. D. , Kale A.
Published: June 2024

The relationship between auroral, ground, and plasma sheet signatures in the late growth phase is crucial for understanding the sequence of events during a substorm expansion phase onset. Here we show conjugate ground‐auroral‐satellite observations of a substorm that occurred on 18 September 2021, between 04:45 and 05:00 UT, where four auroral activations were detected in the all‐sky imagers. An initial activation showed the brightening of an equatorward arc within the cutoff of the 630 nm emissions, indicating activity on closed field lines well inside the open‐closed field line boundary (OCFLB). During a second activation, auroral beads were observed on a brightening arc, equatorward and within the OCFLB, followed by the transformation from small‐scale to large‐scale vortices. The tail current sheet was highly disturbed during the auroral vortex evolution, including pressure and magnetic disturbances, an apparent broadening of a previously thin current sheet, and a breakdown of the frozen‐in condition. Our observations clearly show late growth phase dynamics, including arc brightenings, the formation of auroral beads, and auroral vortex development, can occur well in advance of fast Earthward flows in the tail. Indeed, it is only during that later activity that auroral breakup and strong Earthward flows, which we associate with magnetic reconnection further down the tail, are observed together with strong magnetic bays on the ground. The sequence of events is consistent with an inside‐to‐outside model at substorm expansion phase onset, most likely via a shear‐flow ballooning instability in the transition region from dipole to tail‐like fields in the near‐Earth plasma sheet.
A Statistical Study of Space Hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere
Authors: Lu Sheng , Xing Zan‐Yang , Zhang Qing‐He , Zhang Yong‐Liang , Yang Hui‐Gen , Oksavik Kjellmar , Lyons L. R. , Lockwood Michael , Ma Yu‐Zhang , Wang Xiang‐Yu , Deng Zhong‐Xin , Xu Tong , Li Guo‐Jun , Wang Yong , Zhang Duan
Published: June 2024

The space hurricane is a large‐scale three‐dimensional magnetic vortex structure that can cause massive local energy injections in the polar cap. By analyzing Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F16–F19 satellite observations from 2005 to 2016, we found that the Southern Hemisphere space hurricane mainly occurs in summer under negative By dominated northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. In particular, the space hurricanes are more likely to occur in the dayside polar cap at magnetic latitude greater than 80°. The characteristics for the Southern Hemisphere are basically consistent with the characteristics of space hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere. The different dependences of By component in different hemispheres supports the high‐latitude lobe reconnection as the formation mechanism. Plasma data from DMSP satellites in both hemispheres show that the appearance of the space hurricane greatly enhances the convection in the polar cap and the electron density on its dawn side. Within the space hurricane, electron temperatures typically increase significantly, accompanied by strong upward field‐aligned currents and electron precipitation. These results give us a better understanding of the solar wind‐magnetosphere‐polar ionosphere coupling process under northward IMF conditions.
Long-term climatic stability drives accumulation and maintenance of divergent freshwater fish lineages in a temperate biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Buckley Sean James , Brauer Chris J. , Unmack Peter J. , Hammer Michael P. , Adams Mark , Beatty Stephen J. , Morgan David L. , Beheregaray Luciano B.
Published: June 2024

Anthropogenic climate change is forecast to drive regional climate disruption and instability across the globe. These impacts are likely to be exacerbated within biodiversity hotspots, both due to the greater potential for species loss but also to the possibility that endemic lineages might not have experienced significant climatic variation in the past, limiting their evolutionary potential to respond to rapid climate change. We assessed the role of climatic stability on the accumulation and persistence of lineages in an obligate freshwater fish group endemic to the southwest Western Australia (SWWA) biodiversity hotspot. Using 19,426 genomic (ddRAD-seq) markers and species distribution modelling, we explored the phylogeographic history of western (Nannoperca vittata) and little (Nannoperca pygmaea) pygmy perches, assessing population divergence and phylogenetic relationships, delimiting species and estimating changes in species distributions from the Pliocene to 2100. We identified two deep phylogroups comprising three divergent clusters, which showed no historical connectivity since the Pliocene. We conservatively suggest these represent three isolated species with additional intraspecific structure within one widespread species. All lineages showed long-term patterns of isolation and persistence owing to climatic stability but with significant range contractions likely under future climate change. Our results highlighted the role of climatic stability in allowing the persistence of isolated lineages in the SWWA. This biodiversity hotspot is under compounding threat from ongoing climate change and habitat modification, which may further threaten previously undetected cryptic diversity across the region.
An efficient point cloud semantic segmentation network with multiscale super-patch transformer
Authors: Miao Yongwei , Sun Yuliang , Zhang Yimin , Wang Jinrong , Zhang Xudong
Published: June 2024

Efficient semantic segmentation of large-scale point cloud scenes is a fundamental and essential task for perception or understanding the surrounding 3d environments. However, due to the vast amount of point cloud data, it is always a challenging to train deep neural networks efficiently and also difficult to establish a unified model to represent different shapes effectively due to their variety and occlusions of scene objects. Taking scene super-patch as data representation and guided by its contextual information, we propose a novel multiscale super-patch transformer network (MSSPTNet) for point cloud segmentation, which consists of a multiscale super-patch local aggregation (MSSPLA) module and a super-patch transformer (SPT) module. Given large-scale point cloud data as input, a dynamic region-growing algorithm is first adopted to extract scene super-patches from the sampling points with consistent geometric features. Then, the MSSPLA module aggregates local features and their contextual information of adjacent super-patches at different scales. Owing to the self-attention mechanism, the SPT module exploits the similarity among scene super-patches in high-level feature space. By combining these two modules, our MSSPTNet can effectively learn both local and global features from the input point clouds. Finally, the interpolating upsampling and multi-layer perceptrons are exploited to generate semantic labels for the original point cloud data. Experimental results on the public S3DIS dataset demonstrate its efficiency of the proposed network for segmenting large-scale point cloud scenes, especially for those indoor scenes with a large number of repetitive structures, i.e., the network training of our MSSPTNet is much faster than other segmentation networks by a factor of tens to hundreds.
Hodgkin lymphoma: hypodense lesions in mediastinal masses
Authors: Damek Adrian , Kurch Lars , Franke Friedrich Christian , Attarbaschi Andishe , Beishuizen Auke , Cepelova Michaela , Ceppi Francesco , Daw Stephen , Dieckmann Karin , Fernández-Teijeiro Ana , Feuchtinger Tobias , Flerlage Jamie E. , Fosså Alexander , Georgi Thomas W. , Hasenclever Dirk , Hraskova Andrea , Karlen Jonas , Klekawka Tomasz , Kluge Regine , Körholz Dieter , Landman-Parker Judith , Leblanc Thierry , Mauz-Körholz Christine , Metzler Markus , Pears Jane , Steglich Jonas , Uyttebroeck Anne , Vordermark Dirk , Wallace William Hamish , Wohlgemuth Walter Alexander , Stoevesandt Dietrich
Published: June 2024

Hypodense volumes (HDV) in mediastinal masses can be visualized in a computed tomography scan in Hodgkin lymphoma. We analyzed staging CT scans of 1178 patients with mediastinal involvement from the EuroNet-PHL-C1 trial and explored correlations of HDV with patient characteristics, mediastinal tumor volume and progression-free survival. HDV occurred in 350 of 1178 patients (29.7%), typically in larger mediastinal volumes. There were different patterns in appearance with single lesions found in 243 patients (69.4%), multiple lesions in 107 patients (30.6%). Well delineated lesions were found in 248 cases (70.1%), diffuse lesions were seen in 102 cases (29.1%). Clinically, B symptoms occurred more often in patients with HDV (47.7% compared to 35.0% without HDV (p = 0.039)) and patients with HDV tended to be in higher risk groups. Inadequate overall early-18F-FDG-PET-response was strongly correlated with the occurrence of hypodense lesions (p < 0.001). Patients with total HDV > 40 ml (n = 80) had a 5 year PFS of 79.6% compared to 89.7% (p = 0.01) in patients with HDV < 40 ml or no HDV. This difference in PFS is not caused by treatment group alone. HDV is a common phenomenon in HL with mediastinal involvement.
An entropy based spatial–temporal cube with its application to assess stress of overburden due to mining
Authors: Yang Changde , Chen Yang , Yang Binbin , Huang Chunshui
Published: June 2024

Underground coal seam mining significantly alters the stress and energy distribution within the overlying rock, leading to eventual structural degradation. Therefore, it is imperative to quantitatively identify the temporal and spatial characteristics of stress evolution of overlying rock caused by mining. This paper introduces a novel rock stress model integrating entropy and a spatial–temporal cube. Similar material model tests are used to identify the abrupt entropy changes within the mining rock, and the trend analysis is carried out to describe the spatial–temporal evolution law of stress during mining. Experimental findings indicate elevated stress levels in the unmined rock preceding and following the panel, as well as within specific rock strata above it. Definitively, dynamic stress arches within the surrounding rock of the stope predominantly bear and distribute the load and pressure from the overlying rock, and each stress mutation is accompanied by a sudden stress entropy change. Over time, z-score shows that the noticeable reduction in mining-induced overburden stress becomes increasingly pronounced, especially in the water-conducting fracture zone. The model's bifurcation set serves as the comprehensive criterion for the entropy-induced sudden changes in the rock system, signifying overall failure.
Does immunohistochemical marker conversion affect the prognosis in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy?
Authors: Uzun Mehmet , Atag Elif , Caliskan Yildirim Eda , Keser Murat , Semiz Huseyin Salih , Unal Olcun Umit
Published: June 2024

Biomarkers such as hormone receptors (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor2 (HER2) may change after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the rates of receptor change after NAC and to evaluate the prognostic impact of change. Patients with breast cancer who received NAC were included in the study. Changes in pathological findings (ER, PR, HER-2, Ki-67, grade) before and after NAC were examined. In addition, the effect of receptor exchange on prognosis was evaluated. Kaplan Meier analysis was used for survival analyses. Study was approved by Ethics Board of Tepecik Training and Research Hospital (Decision number 2021/10-02). We confirm that all methods were performed in accordance with relevant named guidelines and regulations. The study included 203 female patients. When pathological findings before and after NAC were compared, significant regression was found in grade and Ki-67 values (p = 0.003, p < 0.001). ER change rate was 11.8%, PR change rate was 24.6% and HER-2 change rate was 12.5%. No significant correlation was found between ER, PR and HER-2 changes and prognosis. The pathological T stage after NAC being 1 or 2, no lymph nodes detected, and the tumor grade being 1 or 2 were independent variables related to survival (p: 0.002, p: 0.014, p < 0.001). In patients with breast cancer, it would be appropriate to re-evaluate the HER-2 and HR status of the surgical specimen following NAC, especially in initially negative patients. The correlation of receptor discordance with prognosis is not clear and more extensive studies are needed.
Acute Ascaris infection impairs the effector functions of natural killer cells in single and Salmonella co-infected pigs
Authors: Mugo Robert M. , Oser Larissa , Midha Ankur , Adjah Joshua , Kundik Arkadi , Laubschat Alexandra , Höfler Philipp , Musimbi Zaneta D. , Hayani Rima , Schlosser-Brandenburg Josephine , Hartmann Susanne , Rausch Sebastian
Published: June 2024

Natural killer (NK) cells play a key role in defense against Salmonella infections during the early phase of infection. Our previous work showed that the excretory/secretory products of Ascaris suum repressed NK activity in vitro. Here, we asked if NK cell functionality was influenced in domestic pigs during coinfection with Ascaris and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. Ascaris coinfection completely abolished the IL-12 and IL-18 driven elevation of IFN-γ production seen in CD16 + CD8α + perforin + NK cells of Salmonella single-infected pigs. Furthermore, Ascaris coinfection prohibited the Salmonella-driven rise in NK perforin levels and CD107a surface expression. In line with impaired effector functions, NK cells from Ascaris-single and coinfected pigs displayed elevated expression of the inhibitory KLRA1 and NKG2A receptors genes, contrasting with the higher expression of the activating NKp46 and NKp30 receptors in NK cells during Salmonella single infection. These differences were accompanied by the highly significant upregulation of T-bet protein expression in NK cells from Ascaris-single and Ascaris/Salmonella coinfected pigs. Together, our data strongly indicate a profound repression of NK functionality by an Ascaris infection which may hinder infected individuals from adequately responding to a concurrent bacterial infection.
Manufacturing and preclinical toxicity of GLP grade gene deleted attenuated Leishmania donovani parasite vaccine
Authors: Avishek Kumar , Beg Mirza A. , Vats Kavita , Singh Avinash Kumar , Dey Ranadhir , Singh Kamaleshwar P. , Singh Rajesh Kumar , Gannavaram Sreenivas , Ramesh V. , Mulla Mohmad Sadik A. , Bhatnagar Upendra , Singh Sanjay , Nakhasi Hira L. , Salotra Poonam , Selvapandiyan Angamuthu
Published: June 2024

Centrin1 gene deleted Leishmania donovani parasite (LdCen1−/−) was developed and extensively tested experimentally as an intracellular stage-specific attenuated and immunoprotective live parasite vaccine candidate ex vivo using human PBMCs and in vivo in animals. Here we report manufacturing and pre-clinical evaluation of current Good-Laboratory Practice (cGLP) grade LdCen1−/− parasites, as a prerequisite before proceeding with clinical trials. We screened three batches of LdCen1−/− parasites manufactured in bioreactors under cGLP conditions, for their consistency in genetic stability, attenuation, and safety. One such batch was preclinically tested using human PBMCs and animals (hamsters and dogs) for its safety and protective immunogenicity. The immunogenicity of the CGLP grade LdCen1−/− parasites was similar to one grown under laboratory conditions. The cGLP grade LdCen1−/− parasites were found to be safe and non-toxic in hamsters and dogs even at 3 times the anticipated vaccine dose. When PBMCs from healed visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases were infected with cGLP LdCen1−/−, there was a significant increase in the stimulation of cytokines that contribute to protective responses against VL. This effect, measured by multiplex ELISA, was greater than that observed in PBMCs from healthy individuals. These results suggest that cGLP grade LdCen1−/− manufactured under cGMP complaint conditions can be suitable for future clinical trials.
MXene-based novel nanocomposites doped SnO2 for boosting the performance of perovskite solar cells
Authors: Alhamada T. F. , Hanim M. A. Azmah , Jung D. W. , Saidur R. , Nuraini A. A. , Hasan W. Z. Wan , Tan K. H. , Noh M. Mohamad , Teridi M. A. M.
Published: June 2024

Since being first published in 2018, the use of two-dimensional MXene in solar cells has attracted significant interest. This study presents, for the first time, the synthesis of an efficient hybrid electrocatalyst in the form of a nanocomposite (MXene/CoS)-SnO2 designed to function as a high-performance electron transfer layer (ETL). The study can be divided into three distinct parts. The first part involves the synthesis of single-layer Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets, followed by the preparation of a CoS solution. Subsequently, in the second part, the fabrication of MXene/CoS heterostructure nanocomposites is carried out, and a comprehensive characterization is conducted to evaluate the physical, structural, and optical properties. In the third part, the attention is on the crucial characterizations of the novel nanocomposite-electron transport layer (ETL) solution, significantly contributing to the evolution of perovskite solar cells. Upon optimising the composition, an exceptional power conversion efficiency of more than 17.69% is attained from 13.81% of the control devices with fill factor (FF), short-circuit current density (Jsc), and open-circuit voltage (Voc) were 66.51%, 20.74 mA/cm2, and 1.282 V. Therefore, this PCE is 21.93% higher than the control device. The groundbreaking MXene/CoS (2 mg mL−1) strategy reported in this research represents a promising and innovative avenue for the realization of highly efficient perovskite solar cells.
Screening of sugarcane germplasm against Sporisorium scitamineum and its effects on setts germination and tillering
Authors: Rajput Muhammad Aslam , Iqbal Owais , Syed Rehana Naz , Elsalahy Heba H. , Rajput Nasir Ahmed , Ahmad Sagheer , Khan Rizwan , Khanzada Muhammad Ali , Younas Muhammad Usama , Qasim Muhammad , Rizwana Humaira , Almaary Khalid S. , Iqbal Rashid , Lodhi Abdul Mubeen
Published: June 2024

Sugarcane smut is the most damaging disease that is present almost across the globe, causing mild to severe yield losses depending upon the cultivar types, pathogen races and climatic conditions. Cultivation of smut-resistant cultivars is the most feasible and economical option to mitigate its damages. Previous investigations revealed that there is a scarcity of information on early detection and effective strategies to suppress etiological agents of smut disease due to the characteristics overlapping within species complexes. In this study, 104 sugarcane cultivars were screened by artificial inoculation with homogenate of all possible pathogen races of Sporisorium scitamineum during two consecutive growing seasons. The logistic smut growth pattern and the disease intrinsic rate were recorded by disease growth curve. Variable levels of disease incidence i.e., ranging from 0 to 54.10% were observed among these sugarcane cultivars. Besides, pathogen DNA in plant shoots of all the cultivars was successfully amplified by PCR method using smut-specific primers except 26 cultivars which showed an immune reaction in the field trial. Furthermore, the plant germination and tillering of susceptible sugarcane cultivars were greatly influenced by pathogen inoculation. In susceptible cultivars, S. scitamineum caused a significant reduction in setts germination, coupled with profuse tillering, resulting in fewer millable canes. Correlation analysis demonstrated that there was a positive relationship between reduction in setts germination and increase in the number of tillers. The present study would be helpful for the evaluation of smut resistance in a wide range of sugarcane germplasm, especially from the aspects of setts germination and tillers formation, and it also screened out several excellent germplasm for potential application in sugarcane breeding.
Discernible interindividual patterns of global efficiency decline during theoretical brain surgery
Authors: Yueh-Hsin Lin , Dadario Nicholas B. , Tang Si Jie , Crawford Lewis , Tanglay Onur , Dow Hsu-Kang , Young Isabella , Ahsan Syed Ali , Doyen Stephane , Sughrue Michael E.
Published: June 2024

The concept of functional localization within the brain and the associated risk of resecting these areas during removal of infiltrating tumors, such as diffuse gliomas, are well established in neurosurgery. Global efficiency (GE) is a graph theory concept that can be used to simulate connectome disruption following tumor resection. Structural connectivity graphs were created from diffusion tractography obtained from the brains of 80 healthy adults. These graphs were then used to simulate parcellation resection in every gross anatomical region of the cerebrum by identifying every possible combination of adjacent nodes in a graph and then measuring the drop in GE following nodal deletion. Progressive removal of brain parcellations led to patterns of GE decline that were reasonably predictable but had inter-subject differences. Additionally, as expected, there were deletion of some nodes that were worse than others. However, in each lobe examined in every subject, some deletion combinations were worse for GE than removing a greater number of nodes in a different region of the brain. Among certain patients, patterns of common nodes which exhibited worst GE upon removal were identified as “connectotypes”. Given some evidence in the literature linking GE to certain aspects of neuro-cognitive abilities, investigating these connectotypes could potentially mitigate the impact of brain surgery on cognition.
A novel insight into neurological disorders through HDAC6 protein–protein interactions
Authors: Bahram Sangani Nasim , Koetsier Jarno , Mélius Jonathan , Kutmon Martina , Ehrhart Friederike , Evelo Chris T. , Curfs Leopold M. G. , Reutelingsperger Chris P. , Eijssen Lars M. T.
Published: June 2024

Due to its involvement in physiological and pathological processes, histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is considered a promising pharmaceutical target for several neurological manifestations. However, the exact regulatory role of HDAC6 in the central nervous system (CNS) is still not fully understood. Hence, using a semi-automated literature screening technique, we systematically collected HDAC6-protein interactions that are experimentally validated and reported in the CNS. The resulting HDAC6 network encompassed 115 HDAC6-protein interactions divided over five subnetworks: (de)acetylation, phosphorylation, protein complexes, regulatory, and aggresome-autophagy subnetworks. In addition, 132 indirect interactions identified through HDAC6 inhibition were collected and categorized. Finally, to display the application of our HDAC6 network, we mapped transcriptomics data of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis on the network and highlighted that in the case of Alzheimer’s disease, alterations predominantly affect the HDAC6 phosphorylation subnetwork, whereas differential expression within the deacetylation subnetwork is observed across all three neurological disorders. In conclusion, the HDAC6 network created in the present study is a novel and valuable resource for the understanding of the HDAC6 regulatory mechanisms, thereby providing a framework for the integration and interpretation of omics data from neurological disorders and pharmacodynamic assessments.
Production and comparison of structural, thermal and physical characteristics of chitin nanoparticles obtained by different methods
Authors: Farokhi Neda Moshtaghi , Milani Jafar Mohammadzadeh , Amiri Zeinab Raftani
Published: June 2024

This study examined the impact of acid hydrolysis, tempo oxidation, and mechanical grinding on the physical, thermal, and structural properties of α-chitin nanocrystals and nanofibers. The manufacturing methods could influence the diameter, functional groups, and crystal patterns of the resulting nanoparticles. Analysis of the DLS results revealed that the size of acidic nanocrystals were smaller and showed improved dispersibility. The XRD patterns indicated that the chemical and mechanical treatments did not alter the crystalline arrangement of the α-chitin. FT-IR spectra analysis revealed that the chemical and mechanical methods did not affect the functional groups of the nanoparticles. DSC results showed that the nanoparticles had good thermal stability up to 400 °C, and it was found that the nanofibers had better thermal resistance due to their longer length. In the FE-SEM images, the nanoparticles were observed as fiber mats with a length of more than 100 nm. It was also found that the diameter of the nanoparticles was less than 100 nm.
Investigation of the antimycobacterial activity of African medicinal plants combined with chemometric analysis to identify potential leads
Authors: Moyo Phanankosi , Ofori Michael , Bodede Olusola S. , Wooding Madelien , Khorommbi Ndivhuwo Kevin , McGaw Lyndy J. , Danquah Cynthia A. , Maharaj Vinesh J.
Published: June 2024

The emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains is a threat to global health necessitating the discovery of novel chemotherapeutic agents. Natural products drug discovery, which previously led to the discovery of rifamycins, is a valuable approach in this endeavor. Against this backdrop, we set out to investigate the in vitro antimycobacterial properties of medicinal plants from Ghana and South Africa, evaluating 36 extracts and their 252 corresponding solid phase extraction (SPE) generated fractions primarily against the non-pathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium aurum species. The most potent fraction was further evaluated in vitro against infectious M. tuberculosis strain. Crinum asiaticum (bulb) (Amaryllidaceae) emerged as the most potent plant species with specific fractions showing exceptional, near equipotent activity against the non-pathogenic Mycobacterium species (0.39 µg/ml ≤ MIC ≤ 25 µg/ml) with one fraction being moderately active (MIC = 32.6 µg/ml) against M. tuberculosis. Metabolomic analysis led to the identification of eight compounds predicted to be active against M. smegmatis and M. aurum. In conclusion, from our comprehensive study, we generated data which provided an insight into the antimycobacterial properties of Ghanaian and South African plants. Future work will be focused on the isolation and evaluation of the compounds predicted to be active.
Fetal cord plasma herpesviruses and preeclampsia: an observational cohort study
Authors: Häkkinen Inka , Yazgeldi Gunaydin Gamze , Pyöriä Lari , Kojima Shohei , Parrish Nicholas , Perdomo Maria F. , Wedenoja Juho , Hedman Klaus , Heinonen Seppo , Kajantie Eero , Laivuori Hannele , Kere Juha , Katayama Shintaro , Wedenoja Satu
Published: June 2024

A previous study suggested that fetal inheritance of chromosomally integrated human herpesvirus 6 (ici-HHV6) is associated with the hypertensive pregnancy disorder preeclampsia (PE). We aimed to study this question utilizing cord plasma samples (n = 1276) of the Finnish Genetics of Preeclampsia Consortium (FINNPEC) cohort: 539 from a pregnancy with PE and 737 without. We studied these samples and 30 placentas from PE pregnancies by a multiplex qPCR for the DNAs of all nine human herpesviruses. To assess the population prevalence of iciHHV-6, we studied whole-genome sequencing data from blood-derived DNA of 3421 biobank subjects. Any herpes viral DNA was detected in only two (0.37%) PE and one (0.14%) control sample (OR 2.74, 95% CI 0.25–30.4). One PE sample contained iciHHV-6B and another HHV-7 DNA. The control’s DNA was of iciHHV-6B; the fetus having growth restriction and preterm birth without PE diagnosis. Placentas showed no herpesviruses. In the biobank data, 3 of 3421 subjects (0.08%) had low level HHV-6B but no iciHHV-6. While iciHHV-6 proved extremely rare, both fetuses with iciHHV-6B were growth-restricted, preterm, and from a pregnancy with maternal hypertension. Our findings suggest that human herpesviruses are not a significant cause of PE, whereas iciHHV-6 may pose some fetal risk.
Exposure to an insecticide formulation alters chemosensory orientation, but not floral scent detection, in buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)
Authors: Kárpáti Zsolt , Szelényi Magdolna Olívia , Tóth Zoltán
Published: June 2024

Although pesticide-free techniques have been developed in agriculture, pesticides are still routinely used against weeds, pests, and pathogens worldwide. These agrochemicals pollute the environment and can negatively impact human health, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Acetamiprid, an approved neonicotinoid pesticide in the EU, may exert sub-lethal effects on pollinators and other organisms. However, our knowledge on the scope and severity of such effects is still incomplete. Our experiments focused on the effects of the insecticide formulation Mospilan (active ingredient: 20% acetamiprid) on the peripheral olfactory detection of a synthetic floral blend and foraging behaviour of buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) workers. We found that the applied treatment did not affect the antennal detection of the floral blend; however, it induced alterations in their foraging behaviour. Pesticide-treated individuals started foraging later, and the probability of finding the floral blend was lower than that of the control bumblebees. However, exposed bumblebees found the scent source faster than the controls. These results suggest that acetamiprid-containing Mospilan may disrupt the activity and orientation of foraging bumblebees. We hypothesize that the observed effects of pesticide exposure on foraging behaviour could be mediated through neurophysiological and endocrine mechanisms. We propose that future investigations should clarify whether such sub-lethal effects can affect pollinators’ population dynamics and their ecosystem services.
The association of regional cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism in normative ageing and insulin resistance
Authors: Deery Hamish A. , Liang Emma , Di Paolo Robert , Voigt Katharina , Murray Gerard , Siddiqui M. Navyaan , Egan Gary F. , Moran Chris , Jamadar Sharna D.
Published: June 2024

Rising rates of insulin resistance and an ageing population are set to exact an increasing toll on individuals and society. Here we examine the contribution of age and insulin resistance to the association of cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism; both critical process in the supply of energy for the brain. Thirty-four younger (20–42 years) and 41 older (66–86 years) healthy adults underwent a simultaneous resting state MR/PET scan, including arterial spin labelling. Rates of cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism were derived using a functional atlas of 100 brain regions. Older adults had lower cerebral blood flow than younger adults in 95 regions, reducing to 36 regions after controlling for cortical atrophy and blood pressure. Lower cerebral blood flow was also associated with worse working memory and slower reaction time in tasks requiring cognitive flexibility and response inhibition. Younger and older insulin sensitive adults showed small, negative correlations between relatively high rates of regional cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism. This pattern was inverted in insulin resistant older adults, who showed hypoperfusion and hypometabolism across the cortex, and a positive correlation. In insulin resistant younger adults, the association showed inversion to positive correlations, although not to the extent seen in older adults. Our findings suggest that the normal course of ageing and insulin resistance alter the rates of and associations between cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism. They underscore the criticality of insulin sensitivity to brain health across the adult lifespan.
Extraction of water bodies from high-resolution remote sensing imagery based on a deep semantic segmentation network
Authors: Sun Dechao , Gao Guang , Huang Lijun , Liu Yunpeng , Liu Dongquan
Published: June 2024

The precise delineation of urban aquatic features is of paramount importance in scrutinizing water resources, monitoring floods, and devising water management strategies. Addressing the challenge of indistinct boundaries and the erroneous classification of shadowed regions as water in high-resolution remote sensing imagery, we introduce WaterDeep, which is a novel deep learning framework inspired by the DeepLabV3 + architecture and an innovative fusion mechanism for high- and low-level features. This methodology first creates a comprehensive dataset of high-resolution remote sensing images, then progresses through the Xception baseline network for low-level feature extraction, and harnesses densely connected Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (ASPP) modules to assimilate multi-scale data into sophisticated high-level features. Subsequently, the network decoder amalgamates the elemental and intricate features and applies dual-line interpolation to the amalgamated dataset to extract aqueous formations from the remote images. Experimental evidence substantiates that WaterDeep outperforms its existing deep learning counterparts, achieving a stellar overall accuracy of 99.284%, FWIoU of 95.58%, precision of 97.562%, recall of 95.486%, and F1 score of 96.513%. It also excels in the precise demarcation of edges and the discernment of shadows cast by urban infrastructure. The superior efficacy of the proposed method in differentiating water bodies in complex urban environments has significant practical applications in real-world contexts.