bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the impact of pre-slaughter management factors on indicators of fed beef cattle welfare – a scoping review
Authors: Davis Melissa , Sullivan Paxton , Bretón Jimena , Dean Lauren , Edwards-Callaway Lily
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The impact of pre-slaughter management practices on fed beef cattle welfare is a multifaceted and well researched subject matter. Factors such as transportation, handling, lairage time and several animal characteristics can directly impact the cattle’s behavior, mobility, blood lactate and cortisol levels, likelihood of injury and ultimately overall cattle welfare. Animal welfare continues to grow as a critical component of slaughter in the fed beef industry, yet a formal review of related research does not exist.

Methods

A scoping review was performed in order to (1) catalog pre-slaughter management factors that impact fed beef cattle welfare at the time of slaughter, (2) identify indicators used to evaluate the impact of pre-slaughter management on fed beef cattle welfare at slaughter, and (3) gain further understanding of the relationship between pre-slaughter management factors and fed beef cattle welfare outcome indicators at slaughter. Three data bases were ultimately searched: PubMed, CAB Abstracts, and Web of Science. The concepts used in the database searches were the population of interest (i.e., fed beef cattle), the location in the supply chain, preslaughter management factors, and welfare outcomes.

Results

A total of 69 studies were included in final analysis for this review, including studies from six geographic regions around the globe. Studies involving alternative slaughter methods (e.g., religious stunning or mobile slaughter) were not included in the formal analysis of this review, but still merited an in-depth discussion within this paper. After reviewing the studies, a total of 37 pre-slaughter factors and 69 indicators of welfare were measured throughout. Pre-slaughter management factors were then categorized by: animal characteristics; environmental characteristics; handling; lairage; transportation; and water/feed. Outcomeindicators of welfare were categorized into: behaviors; health, injury and disease; physiological; and stunning and insensibility.

Discussion

Pre-slaughter factors relating to transportation and handling, and welfare outcomes measured by behaviors and physiology were of the most researched throughout the studies.The results of this review offer a catalogue of commonly researched factors and indicators of welfare measured during the pre-slaughter phase, as well ast he relationships between them. This review also offers further substantial evidence that a multitude of events in the pre-slaughter phase affect fed beef cattle welfare and a collection of highly applicable welfare indicators to expedite further research on the effects of pre-slaughter factors and the application of improved practices.
Cause analysis of the liner dissociation of a customized reverse shoulder prosthesis based on finite element analysis
Authors: Wan Qian , Zhang Aobo , Bai Haotian , Liu Yang , Chen Hao , Zhao Xin , Wang Xiaonan , Han Qing , Wang Jincheng
Published: December 2022

Background: Dissociation of the polyethylene liner after reverse shoulder arthroplasty could cause shoulder dislocation that could not achieve closed reduction. The cause of liner dissociation is currently unclear.

Method: Non-homogeneous model of the bone was constructed and dynamic finite element analysis was utilized to simulate the impingement of the polyethylene liner and scapula during humeral adduction. The stress distribution of the fixation claws, their degree of deformation (DOD), and the stress of the impingement sites in three initial humeral postures (neutral, 30° flexion, and 30° extension) were measured and analyzed. The influence of the liner material stiffness was also investigated.

Result: The impingement stress on the liner and scapula was 100–200 MPa, and different humeral postures caused different locations of impingement points. The fixation claws’ maximum principal stress (MPS) results were below 5 MPa. In the connection area between some fixation claws and the liner, compressive stresses on the inside and tensile stresses on the outside were observed, which showed that the fixation claws were prone to deform toward the center direction. The maximum DOD results of three initial humeral postures (neutral, 30° flexion, and 30° extension) were 3.6%, 2.8%, and 3.5%, respectively. The maximum DOD results of neutral initial humeral posture were 0.51% and 11.4% when the elastic modulus of the liner was increased and decreased by a factor of 10, respectively.

Conclusion: The humeral adduction impingement could lead to the deformation of the claw-shaped liner fixation structure, which might be one of the reasons for the liner dissociation. The increased stiffness of the liner material helped to reduce the deformation of the fixation structure.
Engineering the glyoxylate cycle for chemical bioproduction
Authors: Yang Peng , Liu Wenjing , Chen Yanan , Gong An-Dong
Published: December 2022

With growing concerns about environmental issues and sustainable economy, bioproduction of chemicals utilizing microbial cell factories provides an eco-friendly alternative to current petro-based processes. Creating high-performance strains (with high titer, yield, and productivity) through metabolic engineering strategies is critical for cost-competitive production. Commonly, it is inevitable to fine-tuning or rewire the endogenous or heterologous pathways in such processes. As an important pathway involved in the synthesis of many kinds of chemicals, the potential of the glyoxylate cycle in metabolic engineering has been studied extensively these years. Here, we review the metabolic regulation of the glyoxylate cycle and summarize recent achievements in microbial production of chemicals through tuning of the glyoxylate cycle, with a focus on studies implemented in model microorganisms. Also, future prospects for bioproduction of glyoxylate cycle-related chemicals are discussed.
Fully integrated wearable humidity sensor for respiration monitoring
Authors: Jin Xiaofeng , Zha Lin , Wang Fan , Wang Yongzhong , Zhang Xueji
Published: December 2022

Respiration monitoring is a promising alternative to medical diagnosis of several diseases. However, current techniques of respiration monitoring often require expensive and cumbersome devices which greatly limit their medical applications. Here, we present a fully integrated wearable device consisting of a flexible LCP-copper interdigital electrode, a sensing layer and a wireless electrochemical analysis system. The developed humidity sensor exhibits a high sensitivity, a good repeatability and a rapid response/recover time. The long-term stability is over 30 days at different relative humidity. By integrating the flexible humidity sensor with miniaturized electrochemical analysis system (0.8 cm × 1.8 cm), response current concerning respiration can be wirelessly transmitted to App-assisted smartphone in real time. Furthermore, the fabricated humidity sensor can realize skin moisture monitoring in a touch-less way. The large-scale production of miniaturized flexible sensor (4 mm × 6 mm) has significantly contributed to commercial deployment.
Periodontal ligament stem cell-based bioactive constructs for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Zhao Zeqing , Liu Jin , Weir Michael D. , Schneider Abraham , Ma Tao , Oates Thomas W. , Xu Hockin H. K. , Zhang Ke , Bai Yuxing
Published: December 2022

Objectives: Stem cell-based tissue engineering approaches are promising for bone repair and regeneration. Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are a promising cell source for tissue engineering, especially for maxillofacial bone and periodontal regeneration. Many studies have shown potent results via PDLSCs in bone regeneration. In this review, we describe recent cutting-edge researches on PDLSC-based bone regeneration and periodontal tissue regeneration.

Data and sources: An extensive search of the literature for papers related to PDLSCs-based bioactive constructs for bone tissue engineering was made on the databases of PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar. The papers were selected by three independent calibrated reviewers.

Results: Multiple types of materials and scaffolds have been combined with PDLSCs, involving xeno genic bone graft, calcium phosphate materials and polymers. These PDLSC-based constructs exhibit the potential for bone and periodontal tissue regeneration. In addition, various osteo inductive agents and strategies have been applied with PDLSCs, including drugs, biologics, gene therapy, physical stimulation, scaffold modification, cell sheets and co-culture.

Conclusoin: This review article demonstrates the great potential of PDLSCs-based bioactive constructs as a promising approach for bone and periodontal tissue regeneration.
Effective fucoxanthin production in the flagellate alga Poterioochromonas malhamensis by coupling heterotrophic high-cell-density fermentation with illumination
Authors: Jin Hu , Guo Yufen , Li Yanhua , Chen Baofeng , Ma Haiyan , Wang Hongxia , Wang Lan , Yuan Danni
Published: December 2022

The unicellular flagellate algae Poterioochromonas malhamensis is a potential fucoxanthin-rich resource for sustainable and cost-effective fucoxanthin production. Light and nutrients are critical regulators for the accumulation of fucoxanthin in P. malhamensis. In this study, the maximum fucoxanthin yield of 50.5 mg L−1 and productivity of 6.31 mg L−1 d−1 were achieved by coupling high-cell-density fermentation with illumination. It was found that the combined use of organic and inorganic nitrogen (N) nutrition could improve the fucoxanthin yield as single inorganic or organic N had limitation to enhance cell growth and fucoxanthin accumulation. White light was the optimal light quality for fucoxanthin accumulation. Under white light and a moderate light intensity of 150 μmol m−2 s−1, the highest biomass concentration and fucoxanthin content reached 32.9 g L−1 and 1.56 mg g−1 of dry cell weight (DCW), respectively. This is the first study on effective fucoxanthin production in P. malhamensis by integrating illumination with high-cell-density fermentation, which paved the way for further development of P. malhamensis as a potential source for commercial fucoxanthin production.
Obesity and sudden cardiac death: Prevalence, pathogenesis, prevention and intervention
Authors: Yao Yan , Xue Jia , Li Bing
Published: December 2022

Obesity and sudden cardiac death (SCD) share common risk factors. Obesity, in and of itself, can result in the development of SCD. Numerous epidemiologic and clinical studies have demonstrated the close relationships between obesity and SCD, however, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Various evidences support the significance of excess adiposity in determining the risk of SCD, including anatomical remodeling, electrical remodeling, metabolic dysfunction, autonomic imbalance. Weight reduction has improved obesity related comorbidities, and reversed abnormal cardiac remodeling. Indeed, it is still unknown whether weight loss contributes to decreased risk of SCD. Further high-quality, prospective trials are needed to strengthen our understanding on weight management and SCD.
Azoxystrobin exposure impairs meiotic maturation by disturbing spindle formation in mouse oocytes
Authors: Gao Wen , Zhang Chen , Li Bichun , Oh Jeong Su
Published: December 2022

Fungicides are a type of pesticide used to protect plants and crops from pathogenic fungi. Azoxystrobin (AZO), a natural methoxyacrylate derived from strobilurin, is one of the most widely used fungicides in agriculture. AZO exerts its fungicidal activity by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration, but its cytotoxicity to mammalian oocytes has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the effect of AZO exposure on mouse oocyte maturation to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of its possible reproductive toxicity. We found that AZO exposure disturbed meiotic maturation by impairing spindle formation and chromosome alignment, which was associated with decreased microtubule organizing center (MTOC) integrity. Moreover, AZO exposure induced abnormal mitochondrial distribution and increased oxidative stress. The AZO-induced toxicity to oocytes was relieved by melatonin supplementation during meiotic maturation. Therefore, our results suggest that AZO exposure impairs oocyte maturation not only by increasing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, but also by decreasing MTOC integrity and subsequent spindle formation and chromosome alignment.
Utilisation of waste Cu-, Mn- and Fe-loaded zeolites generated after wastewater treatment as catalysts for air treatment
Authors: Stanković Mia , Popova Margarita , Mazaj Matjaž , Dražić Goran , Šuligoj Andraž , Van de Velde Nigel , Opresnik Mojca , Jaćimović Željko , Tušar Nataša Novak , Logar Nataša Zabukovec
Published: December 2022

Disposal of copper, manganese and iron is particularly problematic in wastewater of metallurgical and galvanization plants, the electronics industry and agriculture. On the other hand, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), emitted from industrial processes, transportation and consumer products are the main class of air pollutants. The study revealed the potential of waste metal-loaded zeolite, generated through wastewater treatment procedures, to be utilised as an effective VOC removal catalyst for air treatment. In the first step, we have evaluated the sorption performance of natural zeolite clinoptilolite (HEU type), and synthetic zeolite 4A (LTA type) for the simultaneous removal of Cu2+, Mn2+ and Fe3+ species from aqueous solution. By a detailed sorption study, we determined the optimum sorption conditions and maximum metal concentrations in wastewater that can be after treatment disposed of in rivers or municipal plants. The efficiency of both zeolites for metal immobilization was demonstrated for concentrations up to 5 mg metals/1 g zeolite. These waste Cu-, Mn- and Fe-loaded zeolites were thermally treated at 540 °C before the second step, where we evaluated their catalytic performance in removing VOC. The thermally treated waste Cu-, Mn- and Fe-loaded natural zeolite clinoptilolite showed good catalytic performance in total toluene oxidation as a model VOC (conversion rate up to 96% at 510°C) and cycling stability (less than 15% drop in conversion rate in 4 h). In contrast, this is not the case for thermally treated waste Cu-, Mn- and Fe-loaded synthetic zeolite 4A.
Recent advances in transition metal nitrides for hydrogen electrocatalysis in alkaline media: From catalyst design to application
Authors: Tang Siyuan , Zhang Zhipeng , Xiang Jun , Yang Xinchun , Shen Xiangqian , Song Fuzhan
Published: December 2022

Hydrogen (H2) has been considered an ideal alternative energy source for solving energy supply security and greenhouse gas reduction. Although platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts have excellent performance in hydrogen electrocatalysis, their scarcity and high cost limit their industrial application. Therefore, it is necessary to develop low-cost and efficient non-PGM catalysts. Transition metal nitrides (TMNs) have attracted much attention because of their excellent catalytic performance in hydrogen electrochemistry, including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)/hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). In this paper, we review and discuss the mechanism of HER/HOR in alkaline media. We compare and evaluate electrocatalytic performance for the HER/HOR TMN catalysts recently reported. Finally, we propose the prospects and research trends in sustainable alkaline hydrogen electrocatalysis.
Progress and prospects of nanozymes for enhanced antitumor therapy
Authors: Yu Yulong , Zhao Weiheng , Yuan Xianglin , Li Rui
Published: December 2022

Nanozymes are nanomaterials with mimicked enzymatic activity, whose catalytic activity can be designed by changing their physical parameters and chemical composition. With the development of biomedical and material science, artificially created nanozymes have high biocompatibility and can catalyze specific biochemical reactions under biological conditions, thus playing a vital role in regulating physiological activities. Under pathological conditions, natural enzymes are limited in their catalytic capacity by the varying reaction conditions. In contrast, compared to natural enzymes, nanozymes have advantages such as high stability, simplicity of modification, targeting ability, and versatility. As a result, the novel role of nanozymes in medicine, especially in tumor therapy, is gaining increasing attention. In this review, function and application of various nanozymes in the treatment of cancer are summarized. Future exploration paths of nanozymes in cancer therapies based on new insights arising from recent research are outlined.
Cucurbituril—assisted sensitive fluorescence detection and quantitation of naproxen drug in wastewater samples: Guest-host characterization and HPLC investigation
Authors: Meetani Mohammed A. , Alhalabi Ahmad , Al-Tabaji Mohammed K. , Al-Hemyari Abdulla , Saadeh Haythem A. , Saleh Na’il
Published: December 2022

Sensitive spectrofluorometric and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection methods have been developed for detection and determination of naproxen drug in the presence of cucurbit7uril (CB7). Fluorescence signals have been improved with the addition of CB7 to the drug aqueous solution. Fluorescence spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, 1H-NMR, and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection were used to investigate the guest-host interaction of naproxen drug and cucurbiturils. Naproxen was found to form a supramolecular complex with CB7 that had a high formation constant. The optimal conditions for the interaction were discovered using spectroflurometry to be 0.2 mg/ml of CB7, 2.4 μg/ml of naproxen drug, and pH10. A 1:1 complex between naproxen and CB7 is revealed by proton NMR and tandem mass spectrometry. Using the standard addition calibration method, an HPLC with a fluorescence detector was used to detect naproxen in influent and effluent wastewater samples. Finally, it was discovered that the measured concentrations of naproxen in the influent and the effluent wastewater were 1.87 × 10−4 ppb and 2.1 × 10−5 ppb, respectively. This was done by sample enrichment, which reduced the 1000 mL into 1 ml.
Differential microbiota network in gingival tissues between periodontitis and periodontitis with diabetes
Authors: Yu Yeuni , Kim Hyun-Joo , Song Jae-Min , Kang Junho , Lee Hansong , Park Hae Ryoun , Kim Yun Hak
Published: December 2022

Periodontitis and diabetes mellitus (DM) have a bidirectional relationship. Periodontitis is initiated by dysbiosis of oral microorganisms, and in particular, the characteristics of the microorganisms that have penetrated the tissue are directly related to the disease; therefore, we investigated the effect of DM on intragingival microbial profiling of patients with periodontitis. A total of 39 subjects were recruited and divided into three groups in this case control study as follows: healthy (NA, 10), periodontitis only (PD, 18), and periodontitis with DM (PD_DM, 11). Gingival tissue was collected, DNA was extracted, and whole-genome sequencing was performed. PD and PD_DM showed different characteristics from NA in diversity and composition of the microbial community; however, no difference was found between the PD nad PD_DM. PD_DM showed discriminatory characteristics for PD in the network analysis. PD showed a network structure in which six species were connected, including three red complex species, and PD_DM’s network was more closely connected and expanded, with six additional species added to the PD network. Although DM did not significantly affect α- and β-diversity or abundance of phyla and genera of microbiota that invaded the gingival tissue of patients with periodontitis, DM will affect the progression of periodontitis by strengthening the bacterial network in the gingival tissue.
Literary translation and communication
Authors: Sun Yifeng
Published: December 2022

The translator's main role is that of a communicator—and a cross-cultural one at that. Literary translation communicates more than semantic meaning. A range of literary features is also expected to be reproduced. Reconstructing the literary value and aesthetic experience of the source text is significantly hampered by literary untranslatability. The fundamental purpose of translation is communication, but because it is subject to a multitude of constraints that seriously limit communicative possibilities, literary untranslatability constantly threatens to hinder successful communication. Since translation is often said to transfer the original message to the target reader, communication breaks down when this attempt fails—which occurs more often than not. Literary translation purports to capture, convey and communicate multi-layered and interconnected information and feelings about another situation and community. Any monolithic perception of this inherent irreducibility of all-round functionality is at odds with the nature of literary translation. From a communicative perspective, literary translation aims at developing sophisticated forms to better convey and communicate ideas and feelings, as well as to provide situational cues to elicit appropriate responses from the target reader in tandem with that of the source reader. In light of this, cross-cultural adjustment predicted by contextual conditioning is constantly required to competently communicate the transcultural dimension that is intrinsic to literary translation. Translation is often referred to as a means of cross-cultural or intercultural communication, but how exactly translational communication operates still warrants further investigation. This article aims to examine this relationship from several interrelated aspects and, in this respect, to make a distinction between communication and convey, the latter being a commonly used verb in translation studies.
The potential of remote XR experimentation: Defining benefits and limitations through expert survey and case study
Authors: Ratcliffe Jack , Tokarchuk Laurissa
Published: December 2022

Experimentation using extended reality (XR) technology is predominantly conducted in-lab with a co-present researcher. Remote XR experiments, without co-present researchers, have been less common, despite the success of remote approaches for non-XR investigations. In order to understand why remote XR experiments are atypical, this article outlines the perceived limitations, as well as potential benefits, of conducting remote XR experiments, through a thematic analysis of responses to a 30-item survey of 46 XR researchers. These are synthesized into five core research questions for the XR community, and concern types of participant, recruitment processes, potential impacts of remote setup and settings, the data-capture affordances of XR hardware and how remote XR experiment development can be optimized to reduce demands on the researcher. It then explores these questions by running two experiments in a fully “encapsulated” remote XR case study, in which the recruitment and experiment processes is distributed and conducted unsupervised. It discusses the design, experiment, and results from this case study in the context of these core questions.
Identification of key programmed cell death-related genes and immune infiltration in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment for acute myocardial infarction based on bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Yang Jingqi , Ouyang Xiaochao , Yang Ming , Xie Guobo , Cao Qianqiang
Published: December 2022

Background

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an important clinical treatment for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) combined with cardiogenic shock, but the role of programmed cell death (PCD)-related genes in prognostication has not yet been investigated. Therefore, we explored the key prognostic biomarkers and immune infiltration in ECMO treatment in AMI combined with cardiogenic shock.

Methods

The GSE93101 dataset was analyzed from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the expression levels of PCD-related genes in AMI under ECMO were identified. Differentially expressed PCD-related genes between successful and failed treatment samples were analyzed, and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression and random forest were used to screen PCD-related molecular markers for ECMO treatment in AMI combined with cardiogenic shock. Co-expressed regulatory network and enrichment functions of the hub PCD-related genes were performed. In addition, the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm was used to calculate the immune cell infiltration of the ECMO treatment samples.

Results

A total of 115 differentially expressed genes were identified from the GSE93101 dataset, and 76 genes were associated with PCD. Then, two hub PCD-related genes, Cell division cycle associated 7 (CDCA7), ankyrin repeat and SOCS box containing 13 (ASB13) were identified as prognostic markers of ECMO treatment in AMI combined with cardiogenic shock. The most significant Gene Ontology (GO) enriched terms of the co-expressed protein of ASB13 are related to post-translational protein modification, cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase complex, and cullin family protein binding, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that ubiquitin mediated proteolysis is the most enriched pathway. The results of GO and KEGG analysis in CDCA7 were mainly involved in DNA and cell cycle related activities and pathways. Moreover, we found that the successful treatment samples contained a lower proportion of nature killer T cells using immune infiltration analysis. Immune cell infiltration analysis revealed that ASB13 was positively correlated with natural killer cell (r = 0.591, p = 0.026), monocyte (r = 0.586, p = 0.028), and gamma delta T cell (r = 0.562, p = 0.036).

Conclusion

The results of this study showed that ASB13 and CDCA7 may contribute to the occurrence and progression of AMI with cardiogenic shock under ECMO.
MRI-quantified left atrial epicardial adipose tissue predicts atrial fibrillation recurrence following catheter ablation
Authors: Chahine Yaacoub , Macheret Fima , Ordovas Karen , Kim Joonseok , Boyle Patrick M. , Akoum Nazem
Published: December 2022

Background

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) plays a significant role in promoting atrial fibrillation (AF) due to its proinflammatory properties and anatomic proximity to the myocardium. We sought to assess whether left atrial (LA) EAT volume is associated with AF recurrence following catheter ablation.

Methods

EAT was assessed via the 3D MRI Dixon sequence in 101 patients undergoing AF ablation. Patients were followed for arrhythmia recurrence.

Results

During an average follow-up period of 1 year, post-ablation AF recurrence occurred in 31 (30.7%) patients. LA EAT index was higher in those with compared to without recurrence (20.7 [16.9, 30.4] vs. 13.7 [10.5, 20.1] mL/m2, p < 0.001), and so was LA volume index (66 [52.6, 77.5] vs. 49.9 [37.7, 61.8] mL/m2, p = 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed LA EAT (HR = 1.089; 95% CI: [1.049–1.131], p < 0.001) to be an independent predictor of post-ablation AF recurrence. The ROC curve for LA EAT index in the prediction of AF recurrence had an AUC of 0.77 (95% CI 0.68–0.86, p < 0.001) and showed an optimal cutoff value of 14.29 mL/m2 to identify patients at risk of post-ablation AF recurrence. Integrating LA EAT with clinical risk factors improved prediction of AF recurrence (AUC increased from 0.65 to 0.79, DeLong test p = 0.044). Kaplan-Meier analysis for recurrence-free survival showed a significant difference between two groups of patients identified by the optimal LA EAT index cutoff of 14.29 mL/m2 (log rank = 14.79; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

EAT quantified using cardiac MRI, a reproducible and widely accessible imaging parameter, is a strong and independent predictor of post-ablation AF recurrence.
Clinical benefit of sodium-glucose transport protein-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure: An updated meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis
Authors: Chen Xiehui , Wang Lili , Li Huijun , Huang Weichao , Huang Siquan , Zhao Lingyue , Guo Wenqin
Published: December 2022

To assess whether the current body of accumulated data can give convincing evidence in favor of sodium-glucose transport protein-2 inhibitor (SGLT-2i) in all types of heart failure (HF). We searched for randomized controlled trials contrasting the effectiveness of SGLT-2i to placebo or other hypoglycemic medications on clinicaltrials.gov, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library database. To gauge effect size, hazard ratios (HR) were employed as measurements. The composite outcome of cardiovascular death or hospitalization owing to HF was the primary endpoint. Eleven studies were included. In comparison to the control group, the data demonstrated that SGLT-2i is related with a decreased incidence of composite outcome (HR: 0.77, 95% CIs: 0.73–0.81, I2 = 0%, P < 0.01), CV death (HR: 0.87, 95% CIs: 0.81–0.94, I2 = 3%, P < 0.01), all-cause mortality (HR: 0.90, 95% CIs: 0.84–0.96, I2 = 10%, P < 0.01), and hospitalization due to HF (HHF) (HR: 0.70, 95% CIs: 0.66–0.75, I2 = 0%, P < 0.01). The trial sequential analysis found strong evidence of a decrease in the incidence of all clinical outcomes with SGLT-2i when compared to the control group. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the association between SGLT-2i and clinical outcome was independent of population characteristics. We confirm that the present evidence supports the use of SGLT-2i in a wide range of HF patients.

Systematic review registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#recordDetails], identifier [CRD42022333279].
Coronary artery calcium score on standard of care oncologic CT scans for the prediction of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Koutroumpakis Efstratios , Xu Ting , Lopez-Mattei Juan , Pan Tinsu , Lu Yang , Irizarry-Caro Jorge A. , Mohan Radhe , Zhang Xiaodong , Meng Qing H. , Lin Ruitao , Xu Tianlin , Deswal Anita , Liao Zhongxing
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has been associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular (CV) adverse events (CVAE). Coronary artery calcium scoring (CAC) has shown to predict coronary events beyond the traditional CV risk factors. This study examines whether CAC, measured on standard of care, non-contrast chest CT (NCCT) imaging, predicts the development of CVAE in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with CRT.

Methods

Patients with NSCLC treated with CRT at MD Anderson Cancer Center from 7/2009 until 4/2014 and who had at least one NCCT scan within 6 months from their first CRT were identified. CAC scoring was performed on NCCT scans by an expert cardiologist and a cardiac radiologist following the 2016 SCCT/STR guidelines. CVAE were graded based on the most recent Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0. CVAE were also grouped into (i) coronary/vascular events, (ii) arrhythmias, or (iii) heart failure. All CVAE were adjudicated by a board-certified cardiologist.

Results

Out of a total of 193 patients, 45% were female and 91% Caucasian. Mean age was 64 ± 9 years and mean BMI 28 ± 6 kg/m2. Of 193 patients, 74% had CAC >0 Agatston units (AU), 49% CAC ≥100 AU and 36% CAC ≥300 AU. Twenty-nine patients (15%) developed a grade ≥2 CVAE during a median follow-up of 24.3 months (IQR: 10.9–51.7). Of those, 11 (38%) were coronary/vascular events. In the multivariate cox regression analysis, controlling for mean heart dose and pre-existing CV disease, higher CAC score was independently associated with development of a grade ≥2 CVAE [HR: 1.04 (per 100 AU), 95% CI: 1.01–1.08, p = 0.022] and with worse overall survival (OS; CAC ≥100 vs. <100 AU, HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.11–2.44, p = 0.013). In a sub-analysis evaluating the type of the CVAE, it was the coronary/vascular events that were significantly associated with higher baseline CAC (median: 676 AU vs. 73 AU, p = 0.035).

Discussion

Cardiovascular adverse events are frequent in patients with NSCLC treated with CRT. CAC calculated on “standard of care” NCCT can predict the development of CVAEs and specifically coronary/vascular events, as well as OS, independently from other traditional risk factors and radiation mean heart dose.

Clinical trial registration

[https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00915005], identifier [NCT00915005].
Thirty-year trends and outcome of isolated versus combined group 2 pulmonary hypertension after cardiac transplantation
Authors: Nasri Amine , Dupuis Jocelyn , Carrier Michel , Racine Normand , Parent Marie-Claude , Ducharme Anique , Fortier Annik , Hausermann Leslie , White Michel , Tremblay-Gravel Maxime
Published: December 2022

Aim

To investigate the effect of the new definition of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and new pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) thresholds on the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and events following cardiac transplantation (CTx) over 30 years.

Methods

Patients who underwent CTx between 1983 and 2014 for whom invasive hemodynamic data was available were analyzed (n = 342). Patients transplanted between 1983 and 1998 were classified as early era and those transplanted between 1999 and 2014 were classified as recent era. Group 2 PH was diagnosed in the presence of a mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) > 20 mmHg and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) > 15 mmHg. Isolated post capillary PH (Ipc-PH) was defined as PVR ≤ 2 wood units and combined pre and post capillary PH (Cpc-PH) was defined PVR > 2 wood units. Moderate to severe PH was defined as mPAP ≥ 35 mmHg. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality and long-term mortality according to type and severity of PH. Proportions were analyzed using the chi-square test, and survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared using the logrank test.

Results

The prevalence of PH in patients transplanted in the early era was 89.1%, whilst 84.2% of patients transplanted in the recent era had PH (p = 0.3914). There was no difference in the prevalence of a pre-capillary component according to era (p = 0.4001), but severe PH was more common in the early era (51.1% [early] vs 38.0% [recent] p = 0.0151). Thirty-day and long-term  mortality  were  not  significantly  associated  with severity or type of PH. There was a trend toward increased 30-day mortality in mild PH (10.1%), compared to no PH (4.4%) and moderate to severe PH (6.6%; p = 0.0653). Long-term mortality did not differ according to the severity of PH (p = 0.1480). There were no significant differences in 30-day or long-term mortality in IpcPH compared to CpcPH (p = 0.3974 vs p = 0.5767, respectively).

Conclusion

Over 30 years, PH has remained very prevalent before CTx. The presence, severity, and type (pre- vs post-capillary) of PH is not significantly associated with short- or long-term mortality.
Natural and Artificial Dynamics in Graphs: Concept, Progress, and Future
Authors: Fu Dongqi , He Jingrui
Published: December 2022

Graph structures have attracted much research attention for carrying complex relational information. Based on graphs, many algorithms and tools are proposed and developed for dealing with real-world tasks such as recommendation, fraud detection, molecule design, etc. In this paper, we first discuss three topics of graph research, i.e., graph mining, graph representations, and graph neural networks (GNNs). Then, we introduce the definitions of natural dynamics and artificial dynamics in graphs, and the related works of natural and artificial dynamics about how they boost the aforementioned graph research topics, where we also discuss the current limitation and future opportunities.
The relationship between hair metabolites, air pollution exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus: A longitudinal study from pre-conception to third trimester
Authors: Chen Xuyang , Zhao Xue , Jones Mary Beatrix , Harper Alexander , de Seymour Jamie V. , Yang Yang , Xia Yinyin , Zhang Ting , Qi Hongbo , Gulliver John , Cannon Richard D. , Saffery Richard , Zhang Hua , Han Ting-Li , Baker Philip N.
Published: December 2022

Background

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a metabolic condition defined as glucose intolerance with first presentation during pregnancy. Many studies suggest that environmental exposures, including air pollution, contribute to the pathogenesis of GDM. Although hair metabolite profiles have been shown to reflect pollution exposure, few studies have examined the link between environmental exposures, the maternal hair metabolome and GDM. The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal relationship (from pre-conception through to the third trimester) between air pollution exposure, the hair metabolome and GDM in a Chinese cohort.

Methods

A total of 1020 women enrolled in the Complex Lipids in Mothers and Babies (CLIMB) birth cohort were included in our study. Metabolites from maternal hair segments collected pre-conception, and in the first, second, and third trimesters were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Maternal exposure to air pollution was estimated by two methods, namely proximal and land use regression (LUR) models, using air quality data from the air quality monitoring station nearest to the participant’s home. Logistic regression and mixed models were applied to investigate associations between the air pollution exposure data and the GDM associated metabolites.

Results

Of the 276 hair metabolites identified, the concentrations of fourteen were significantly different between GDM cases and non-GDM controls, including some amino acids and their derivatives, fatty acids, organic acids, and exogenous compounds. Three of the metabolites found in significantly lower concentrations in the hair of women with GDM (2-hydroxybutyric acid, citramalic acid, and myristic acid) were also negatively associated with daily average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and the exposure estimates of PM2.5 and NO2, and positively associated with O3.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that the maternal hair metabolome reflects the longitudinal metabolic changes that occur in response to environmental exposures and the development of GDM.
Emotional and autonomic response to visual erotic stimulation in patients with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea
Authors: Maiorana Natale , Brugnera Agostino , Galiano Valentina , Ferrara Rosanna , Poletti Barbara , Marconi Anna Maria , Garzia Emanuele , Ticozzi Nicola , Silani Vincenzo , Priori Alberto , Ferrucci Roberta
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) is a clinical condition associated with high levels of physiological and psychological stress ranging from weight loss to maladaptive behavior and coping skills. A reliable measure of the psychophysiological response to stress and the ability to cope with stimuli is heart rate variability (HRV). Through the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), the autonomic nervous system (ANS) promotes various changes in HRV that reflect the individual’s psychophysiological response to stress. FHA patients are characterized by high levels of PNS activation during psychological load, suggesting that parasympathetic hyperactivation could be a pathology marker.

Methods

In the present study, we examine changes in HRV during observation of erotic, neutral, and disgusting images in 10 patients with FHA [(mean ± S.D.) age: 26.8 ± 5.9] and in 9 controls (age: 25.4 ± 6.4; BMI: 22.47 ± 2.97) to assess the differential activation of PNS and SNS between FHA patients and controls matched for age and without other clinical conditions.

Results

Our results showed that FHA patients had significantly higher HRV activation while observing high emotional value images and not during the observation of neutral images confirming a parasympathetic hyperactivation.

Discussion

HRV and cognitive and psychological testing, could provide new insights into understanding such a clinically understudied condition and provide further tools for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Determining the Microbial Source of Methane Production in Anaerobic Digestion Systems Through High-Throughput Sequencing Technology
Authors: Yang Bin , Wang Changmei , Zhao Xingling , Liu Jianfeng , Yin Fang , Zhang Wudi
Published: December 2022

Anaerobic digestion is widely used to simultaneously generate biogas while treating different organic wastes. It is difficult to determine the source of CH4 from the complex microbial community structure using traditional microbiological pure culture techniques. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the microbial source of CH4 in low-temperature anaerobic digestion systems using the recently developed high-throughput sequencing technology. Herein, anaerobic digestion microbes were domesticated at 15°C and then inoculated into pig manure-containing raw materials in a batch anaerobic digester to form a low-temperature anaerobic digestion system with fermentation controlled at 15°C. Several analytical approaches including abiotic factor analysis and biotic factor analysis (high-throughput sequencing) were applied to investigate the abiotic factors, bacterial communities, and archaeal communities in the low-temperature anaerobic digestion system. The results showed that: 1) The anaerobic digestion lasted for 120 days, with 68.65 L total gas production and 31.19 L CH4 production. 2) The relative abundances of the primary and secondary dominant bacterial operational taxonomic units ranged from 8.02 to 22.84% and 5.62–17.09%, respectively, with 99% similarities to Clostridium cellulovorans (a typical cellulose- and hemicellulose-degrading bacterium) and Terrisporobacter petrolearius (a representative fermentation bacterium), respectively. Moreover, the relative abundance of the primary dominant methanogenic archaeal operational taxonomic unit ranged from 1.03 to 16.85%, with 98% similarity to Methanobacterium beijingense, which is a typical hydrogenotropic methanogen. Based on the low-temperature CH4-producing metabolic pathways of bacterial and methanogenic operational taxonomic units, Methanobacterium beijingense was found to be the primary functional microbe for CH4 production in the 15°C anaerobic digestion system.
Examining the links between livelihood sustainability and environmental protection in the anti-poverty relocation and settlement program areas: An empirical analysis of Shaanxi, China
Authors: Guo Manman , Li Cong , Wang Guangyu , Innes John L.
Published: December 2022

Consistent with the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, China has initiated a large-scale anti-poverty relocation and settlement program (the ARSP), aiming to restore ecosystems and lift impoverished populations out of the poverty trap and into sustainable livelihoods. Unlike previous studies that focus on the population issues of the ARSP, we examine the links between livelihood sustainability and environmental protection (“livelihoods–environment”) in the ARSP areas. We found that the links are generally weak, with low levels of both livelihood sustainability and environmental protection. The disorder category is the most common in both the overall and the regional samples, with the mild and borderline disorder categories being the most common subcategories. The results varied regionally, and indicated that environmental problems can be more prominent in regions with fragile environments. Household-level distribution shows significant differences in the strengths of the links among different demographic groups, and regression results show that higher levels of average education, loan amount, and asset holdings, as well as lower proportions of the elderly and non-agricultural activities were associated with stronger links. These household factors influenced the links through different mechanisms.
Predicting potential transmission risk of Everglades virus in Florida using mosquito blood meal identifications
Authors: Sloyer Kristin E. , Barve Narayani , Kim Dongmin , Stenn Tanise , Campbell Lindsay P. , Burkett-Cadena Nathan D.
Published: December 2022

The overlap between arbovirus host, arthropod vectors, and pathogen distributions in environmentally suitable habitats represents a nidus where risk for pathogen transmission may occur. Everglades virus (EVEV), subtype II Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), is endemic to southern Florida where it is transmitted by the endemic vectorCulex cedeceibetween muroid rodent hosts. We developed an ecological niche model (ENM) to predict areas in Florida suitable for EVEV transmission based upon georeferenced vector-host interactions from PCR-based blood meal analysis from blood-engorged femaleCx. cedeceifemales. Thirteen environmental variables were used for model calibration, including bioclimatic variables derived from Daymet 1 km daily temperature and precipitation values, and land use and land cover data representing percent land cover derived within a 2.5 km buffer from 2019 National Land Cover Database (NLCD) program. Maximum temperature of the warmest month, minimum temperature of the coldest month, and precipitation of the driest month contributed 31.6%, 28.5% and 19.9% to ENM performance. The land cover types contributing the greatest to the model performance were percent landcover of emergent herbaceous and woody wetlands which contributed 5.2% and 4.3% to model performance, respectively. Results of the model output showed high suitability forCx. cedeceifeeding on rodents throughout the southwestern portion of the state and pockets of high suitability along the northern east coast of Florida, while areas with low suitability included the Miami-Dade metropolitan area and most of northern Florida and the Panhandle. Comparing predicted distributions ofCx. cedeceifeeding upon rodent hosts in the present study to historical human cases of EVEV disease, as well as antibodies in wildlife show substantial overlap with areas predicted moderate to highly suitable for these vector/host associations. As such, the findings of this study likely predict the most accurate distribution of the nidus of EVEV to date, indicating that this method allows for better inference of potential transmission areas than models which only consider the vector or vertebrate host species individually. A similar approach using host blood meals of other arboviruses can be used to predict potential areas of virus transmission for other vector-borne diseases.
Dissecting the role of CSF2RB expression in human regulatory T cells
Authors: Côrte-Real Beatriz F. , Arroyo Hornero Rebeca , Dyczko Aleksandra , Hamad Ibrahim , Kleinewietfeld Markus
Published: December 2022

Colony stimulating factor 2 receptor subunit beta (CSF2RB; CD131) is the common subunit of the type I cytokine receptors for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin (IL)-3 and IL-5. Interestingly, FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), which play a pivotal role in prevention of autoimmunity have been demonstrated to highly overexpress CSF2RB and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified CSF2RB as being linked to autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the exact biological role of CD131 in human Tregs has not been defined yet. Here we investigated CD131 importance on Treg phenotype and function in a broad range of in vitro studies. Although we could not recognize a specific function of CSF2RB; CD131 in human Tregs, our data show that CD131 expression is vastly restricted to Tregs even under stimulatory conditions, indicating that CD131 could aid as a potential marker to identify Treg subpopulations from pools of activated CD4+ T cells. Importantly, our analysis further demonstrate the overexpression of CSF2RB in Tregs of patients with autoimmune diseases like MS and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in comparison to healthy controls, thereby indicating that CSF2RB expression in Tregs could serve as a potential novel biomarker for disease.