bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case Report: Transient Increase of CMR T1 Mapping Indices in a Patient With COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Induced Acute Myocarditis
Authors: Ansari Uzair , Britsch Simone , Rogowski Sebastian , Duerschmied Daniel , Papavassiliu Theano
Published: April 2022

Background

Acute myocarditis is commonly associated with viral infections, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Myocarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination has also been reported, however this is rare and usually resolves within days or weeks. We present a case of acute myocarditis reported after vaccination with mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna) diagnosed using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). This report describes the utility of CMR in the diagnosis and follow-up of such patients using parameters which could suggest the clinical course of myocarditis.

Case Summary

A 23-year-old male presented in the emergency department with complaints of chest pain radiating to the left arm following vaccination with the second dose of COVID-19 mRNA-1273 vaccine (Moderna). Patient's history revealed an incidence of myocarditis in the past. CMR showed a mid-range left ventricular ejection fraction (38%) and subepicardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in the inferolateral and apical myocardial segments with diffuse elevation of native T1 mapping relaxation times in all myocardial segments. The patient was admitted briefly in the intensive care unit and after a favorable clinical course was discharged from the hospital in stable condition. A follow-up CMR after 3 months revealed normalization of LVEF (57%) and native T1- times in most segments. Scarred myocardium reflecting chronic myocarditis continued to show elevated T1 times.

Conclusions

Our patient presenting with acute myocarditis after recent COVID-19 mRNA vaccination reported a favorable clinical course. CMR revealed increased T1 mapping relaxation times diffusely spread across the myocardium and an impairment of the left ventricular function (LVEF) during the acute phase. However, the LVEF as well as the T1 times normalized at follow-up in all segments except for myocardium affected by chronic myocarditis.
Nomogram for Predicting In-hospital Mortality in Infective Endocarditis Based on Early Clinical Features and Treatment Options
Authors: Yu Zhao-Jun , Dou Zhi , Li Jing , Ni Zhi-Jie , Weng Guo-Xing
Published: April 2022

Aim

The aim of this study was to develop a nomogram based on early clinical features and treatment options for predicting in-hospital mortality in infective endocarditis (IE).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the data of 294 patients diagnosed with IE in our hospital from June 01, 2012 to November 24, 2021, determined independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and established a Nomogram prediction model based on these factors. Finally, the prediction performance of nomogram is evaluated by C-index, bootstrapped-concordance index, and calibration plots.

Results

Age, abnormal leukocyte count, left-sided IE, right-sided IE, and no surgical treatment were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with IE, and we used these independent risk factors to construct a nomogram prediction model to predict in-hospital mortality in IE. The C-index of the model was 0.878 (95% CI: 0.824–0.931), and the internal validation of the model by bootstrap validation method showed a prediction accuracy of 0.852 and a bootstrapped-concordance index of 0.53.

Conclusion

Our nomogram can accurately predict in-hospital mortality in IE patients and can be used for early identification of high-risk IE patients.
A Fast Quality Control of 0.5 Hz Temperature Data in China
Authors: Liao Rongwei , Zhao Ping , Liu Huaiyu , Fang Xiaoyi , Yu Fei , Cao Yujing , Zhang Dongbin , Song Lili
Published: April 2022

Fast quality control (FQC) is important to deal with high-frequency observation records at meteorological station networks in time, and may check whether the records fall within a range of acceptable values. Threshold tests in the previous quality control methods for monthly, daily, or hourly observation data do not work well for 0.5 Hz data at a single station. In this study, we develop an algorithm for the automatic determination of maximum and minimum minute thresholds for 0.5 Hz temperature data in the data collection phase of the newly built stations. The fast threshold test based on the percentile threshold (0.1–99.9%) and standard deviation scheme is able to efficiently identify the incorrect data in the current minute. A visual graph is generated every minute, and the time series of the data records and the thresholds are displayed by the automated graphical procedures. The observations falling outside the thresholds are flagged and then a manual check is performed. This algorithm has the higher efficiency and lower computational requirement in identifying out the obvious outliers of 0.5 Hz data in real or near-real time observation. Meanwhile, this algorithm can also find problems in observation instruments. This method is applied to the quality control of 0.5 Hz data at two Tianjin experiment stations and hourly data at one Shenyang experiment station. The results show that this fast threshold test may be a viable option in the data collection phase. The advantage of this method is that the computation requires less memory and the computational burden is reduced for real or near-real time observations, so it may be extended to test other meteorological variables measured by high-frequency measurement systems.
Sedimentary CaCO3 Accumulation in the Deep West Pacific Ocean
Authors: Zhang Handan , Che Hong , Xia Jinqi , Cheng Qi , Qi Di , Cao Junqian , Luo Yiming
Published: April 2022

Distribution of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in marine sediment has been studied over the last century, and influence by multiple factors with regard to dissolution and dilution of sedimentary CaCO3 has long been established. There is still lack of quantification on the influence of those factors, so it remains elusive to determine which specific process is driving the down-core variation of CaCO3 content (wtCaCO3%) records. Here, based on a newly compiled CaCO3 data set and a carbonate model, depth-profiles of sedimentary wtCaCO3% from the West Pacific Ocean can be well illustrated, and influence from different factors on their distribution features can be quantified. The deep ocean circulation is found to largely shape the inter-basin disparity in sedimentary wtCaCO3% distribution between the equatorial regions (e.g., the Western Equatorial Pacific Ocean and the Central Pacific Ocean) and the north–west regions (the Philippine Sea and the Northwest Pacific Ocean) in our study region. Moreover, the slow carbonate dissolution rate in the deep Central Pacific Ocean guarantees better accumulation of CaCO3 at depth compared to that in other regions. However, enhanced dilution by non-carbonate materials of sedimentary CaCO3 on a topographic complex can potentially obstruct the dissolution profiles constituted by sedimentary wtCaCO3% in the pelagic ocean. The aforementioned assertion suggests that changes of wtCaCO3% accumulation in marine sediment in the West Pacific Ocean can be used to dictate past changes of the deep ocean circulation (2,500 to 3,000 m) in this area but constraint on the non-carbonate flux, especially on the topographic complex, should be necessary.
Quantifying Iron Oxide Mineral Contents in Miocene Oceanic Red Beds for the Deep-Sea Oxidation Evolution in the South China Sea
Authors: Lyu Xuan , Liu Zhifei , Wu Qiong , Colin Christophe , Yu Xun , Liu Chuanlian , Li Qianyu
Published: April 2022

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 349 recovered Miocene oceanic red beds overlying the basaltic basement in the South China Sea. The occurrence of oceanic red beds provides an opportunity to understand the deep-sea redox conditions when the South China Sea was open to the western Pacific during the Miocene. Here, we investigated iron oxide mineral contents along with major element compositions of the oceanic red beds at Site U1433 to reveal the Miocene deep-sea oxidation environment of the South China Sea and its interaction with the western Pacific. The results show that these samples contain 0.20–1.48% hematite (average 0.50%) and 0.30–2.98% goethite (average 1.20%). Their contents have good linear correlations with color reflectance a* (red) and b* (yellow), respectively, implying that the reddish-brown color of the Miocene oceanic red beds resulted from a mixture of hematite and goethite. Compared to other oceanic red beds worldwide, the occurrence of hematite and goethite in the South China Sea is considered to form under an oxic bottom water environment with an extremely low sedimentation rate. The (hematite + goethite)/(100%—Al2O3) ratio is adopted to reconstruct the evolution of bottom water oxidation during the Early–Middle Miocene. A continuously decreased oxidation trend from 18.4 to 11.6 Ma, along with two strengthened oxidation events occurring at around 15 Ma and 14 Ma, is observed to dominate the environment evolution of the abyssal South China Sea. We infer that this long-term decreased oxidation trend was caused by the gradual blocking of oxygen-rich bottom water from the western Pacific since the Early Miocene, while the two oxidation events were likely attributed to the rapid thermal subsidence of the South China Sea and the global cooling during the Middle Miocene climate transition, respectively.
Laboratory Hydraulic Fracturing of Large-Scale Granite Characterized by Acoustic Emission Under Different Confining Conditions
Authors: Wang Huang , Wang Guiling , Chen Yuedu , Liu Lu , Zhao Zhihong , Gan Haonan
Published: April 2022

Hydraulic fracturing (HF) technology is crucial to form connected fracture network within the low-permeability geothermal reservoir. However, the HF process and failure mechanism in this process are only partly understood. A series of true triaxial hydraulic fracturing tests on large-scale natural granite samples were conducted under different confining conditions, combining with acoustic emission monitoring to evaluate the initiation and propagation of hydraulic fractures. Results show that a main hydro-fracture was formed in three samples during the first fracturing process. Many AE events occurred during the first pump period. The proportion of tensile fractures during the hydraulic fracturing accounted for more than 85% of all fractures. The test results could provide a new understanding of the effect of HF under different stress conditions. And implied that field engineering should pay attention to the initial HF, which may determine the main fracture framework of the field at the first pump procedure.
Deformation and Failure Characteristics and Control Technology of Surrounding Rocks in Deep High-Horizontal Stress Rock Roadways in the Wanbei Mining Area
Authors: Chen Denghong , Yuan Yongqiang , Ma Li
Published: April 2022

Taking the engineering conditions of the Zhujixi coal mine and Hengyuan coal mine in the Wanbei mining area as the background, based on the investigation of the deformation and failure status of the surrounding rock of the two mines, the deformation and failure characteristics of the surrounding rock of the deep rock roadway in the Wanbei mining area are systematically studied by using the comprehensive research methods of the surrounding rock mechanical parameter test, in situ stress measurements, and numerical simulation. The results show that the measured value of the intermediate principal stress is slightly less than the theoretical value, which is obviously affected by the tectonic stress. The lateral pressure coefficients of the two mines calculated according to the theory are between 1.06 and 1.24 and 1.18 and 1.24, respectively. The simulation shows that when the lateral pressure is higher than 1.5, the arrangement of drilling holes with a depth of 5–10 m and a diameter of 200–300 mm can effectively transfer the stress concentration, proposed using Ф22 L = 2800 mm anchor rods, row spacing 800 × 800 mm, specification Ф 22. For the anchor cable with a length of L = 6,300 mm, the row spacing between anchor cables is 1,600 ± 100 mm, and the coordinated support technology of the reinforcement support and grouting is added. The technology can fully mobilize the deep stable rock stratum when it is applied from the slope change point of 11 coal belt roadways in the east wing of the Zhujixi coal mine to the machine head chamber of 11 coal belt roadways in the west wing, and the field application is good.
Sequence Stratigraphy, Depositional Environment and Associated Lithofacies of Lacustrine Shale: A Case From the Upper Fourth Member of Shahejie Formation, Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin
Authors: Li Guiang , Lin Chengyan , Dong Chunmei , Ma Pengjie , Du Xinyu , Jiang Long , Guo Feng
Published: April 2022

The lithofacies assemblages in the lacustrine shale of the Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Depression have different compositions due to the complex depositional climate, lake water conditions, and sediment supply. Hence, the lithofacies types and depositional conditions were analyzed based on parasequence division and lithofacies classification. According to gamma ray integrated prediction error filter analysis (INPEFA), handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements, mineral composition, total organic carbon (TOC) content, and sedimentary structures, six parasequences (P1–P6 from bottom to top) were identified, and seven lithofacies are recognized: (1) organic-poor thin-bedded calcareous mudstone, (2) organic-poor laminated calcareous mudstone, (3) intermediate-organic laminated calcareous mudstone, (4) organic-rich laminated calcareous mudstone, (5) organic-rich calcareous shale, (6) organic-rich laminated carbonate-bearing mudstone, and (7) laminated silty mudstone. When the climate became warm and wet, the water level of the lake increased with a decrease in salinity, and the corresponding lithofacies assemblages in the P1 to P2 parasequences gradually changed from organic-poor thin-bedded and laminated calcareous mudstone to intermediate-organic and organic-rich calcareous shale. When the climate became humid and warmer, resulting in an increasing water level and terrigenous input, the lithofacies assemblages in the P3–P4 parasequences changed from organic-rich calcareous shale and laminated carbonate-bearing mudstone to laminated silty mudstone and calcareous mudstone. At the end, the climate became slightly drier and cooler with a decrease in the water level, and the P5 and P6 parasequences were dominated by intermediate-organic and organic-poor laminated calcareous mudstones. Through elemental analysis and lithofacies observation, we found that the redox conditions of the water may have changed over time. Among the parasequences, the water column of the P2 parasequence was mainly stratified by salinity, that of the P4 parasequence was mainly stratified by temperature, and that of the P3 parasequence was in transition. The synergistic effect of various factors played a key role in the enrichment of organic matter. This study highlights the depositional processes of the lithofacies assemblages in a lacustrine shale and contributes to the understanding of shale oil accumulation in lacustrine shale.
The Use of Language in Solving Inverse Algebraic Functions Problems
Authors: Méndez-Balbuena Ignacio , Hermosillo-Abundis Ana Cristina , Ruge Diane , Trenado Carlos , Lemuz-López Rafael , López-Cortés Vicente Arturo , Bonilla-Sánchez María del Rosario , Pelayo-González Héctor Juan , García-Flores Marco Antonio
Published: April 2022

Objective

The aim of the present work was to investigate the use of verbal language applied to the solution of inverse function problems in comparison to the algebraic method in students of humanities.

Methods

We consider only algebraic functions in our study. Three precalculus problems were chosen and two solution methods used. A total of 120 students participated in this study, half of them used the verbal method and the other half the algebraic method.

Results

To determine if there was a relationship between the utilized method and the effectiveness of the solution, that is the number of exercises solved correctly related to the type of method used, we used Pearson’s chi-square test. We found a significant association between the type of method and the success of the solution χ2 (1) = 10.84, p < 0.001. Regarding the effect size, we found that the probability to get a correct solution was 3.75 times higher when solved with the verbal method in comparison to the algebraic method.

Discussion

We suggest that such efficacy in solving inverse function problems was due to the self-regulation of participant’s language. In this sense, it is necessary to investigate the effects of such self-regulation by means of our experimental paradigm in a future study.

Conclusion

The results of the present study showed that verbal language applied to the solution of inverse function problems is highly effective when compared to the algebraic method.
Type 1 Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptor Nuclear Localization in High-Grade Glioma Cells Enhances Motility, Metabolism, and In Vivo Tumorigenesis
Authors: Martin Ayelen , Fernandez María Celia , Cattaneo Elizabeth R. , Schuster Claudio D. , Venara Marcela , Clément Florencia , Berenstein Ariel , Lombardi Mercedes García , Bergadá Ignacio , Gutierrez Mariana , Martí Marcelo A. , Gonzalez-Baro María R. , Pennisi Patricia A.
Published: April 2022

Gliomas are the most frequent solid tumors in children. Among these, high-grade gliomas are less common in children than in adults, though they are similar in their aggressive clinical behavior. In adults, glioblastoma is the most lethal tumor of the central nervous system. Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) plays an important role in cancer biology, and its nuclear localization has been described as an adverse prognostic factor in different tumors. Previously, we have demonstrated that, in pediatric gliomas, IGF1R nuclear localization is significantly associated with high-grade tumors, worst clinical outcome, and increased risk of death. Herein we explore the role of IGF1R intracellular localization by comparing two glioblastoma cell lines that differ only in their IGF1R capacity to translocate to the nucleus. In vitro, IGF1R nuclear localization enhances glioblastoma cell motility and metabolism without affecting their proliferation. In vivo, IGF1R has the capacity to translocate to the nucleus and allows not only a higher proliferation rate and the earlier development of tumors but also renders the cells sensitive to OSI906 therapy. With this work, we provide evidence supporting the implications of the presence of IGF1R in the nucleus of glioma cells and a potential therapeutic opportunity for patients harboring gliomas with IGF1R nuclear localization.
Short-Term Prediction of Wind Power Considering the Fusion of Multiple Spatial and Temporal Correlation Features
Authors: Wu Fangze , Yang Mao , Shi Chaoyu
Published: April 2022

As the wind power penetration increases, the short-term prediction accuracy of wind power is of great importance for the safe and cost-effective operation of the power grid in which the wind power is integrated. Traditional wind farm power prediction uses numerical weather prediction (NWP) information as an important input but does not consider the correlation characteristics of NWP information from different wind farms. In this study, a convolutional neural network–long short-term memory based short-term prediction model for wind farm clusters is proposed. Additionally, a feature map is established for multiposition NWP information, the spatial correlation of NWP information from different wind farms is fully explored, and the feature map is trained using the spatiotemporal model to obtain the short-term prediction results of wind farm clusters. Finally, as a case study, the operational data of a wind farm cluster in China are analyzed, and the proposed model outperforms traditional short-term prediction methods in terms of prediction accuracy.
Pollution in the Press: Employing Text Analytics to Understand Regional Water Quality Narratives
Authors: Caballero Mariah D. , Gunda Thushara , McDonald Yolanda J.
Published: April 2022

Drinking water has and will continue to be at the foundation of our nation’s well-being and there is a growing interest in United States (US) drinking water quality. Nearly 30% of the United States population obtained their water from community water systems that did not meet federal regulations in 2019. Given the heavy interactions between society and drinking water quality, this study integrates social constructionism, environmental injustice, and sociohydrological systems to evaluate local awareness of drinking water quality issues. By employing text analytics, we explore potential drivers of regional water quality narratives within 25 local news sources across the United States. Specifically, we assess the relationship between printed local newspapers and water quality violations in communities as well as the influence of social, political, and economic factors on the coverage of drinking water quality issues. Results suggest that the volume and/or frequency of local drinking water violations is not directly reflected in local news coverage. Additionally, news coverage varied across sociodemographic features, with a negative relationship between Hispanic populations and news coverage of Lead and Copper Rule, and a positive relationship among non-Hispanic white populations. These findings extend current understanding of variations in local narratives to consider nuances of water quality issues and indicate opportunities for increasing equity in environmental risk communication.
Assessing Model Predictions of Carbon Dynamics in Global Drylands
Authors: Fawcett Dominic , Cunliffe Andrew M. , Sitch Stephen , O’Sullivan Michael , Anderson Karen , Brazier Richard E. , Hill Timothy C. , Anthoni Peter , Arneth Almut , Arora Vivek K. , Briggs Peter R. , Goll Daniel S. , Jain Atul K. , Li Xiaojun , Lombardozzi Danica , Nabel Julia E. M. S. , Poulter Benjamin , Séférian Roland , Tian Hanqin , Viovy Nicolas , Wigneron Jean-Pierre , Wiltshire Andy , Zaehle Soenke
Published: April 2022

Drylands cover ca. 40% of the land surface and are hypothesised to play a major role in the global carbon cycle, controlling both long-term trends and interannual variation. These insights originate from land surface models (LSMs) that have not been extensively calibrated and evaluated for water-limited ecosystems. We need to learn more about dryland carbon dynamics, particularly as the transitory response and rapid turnover rates of semi-arid systems may limit their function as a carbon sink over multi-decadal scales. We quantified aboveground biomass carbon (AGC; inferred from SMOS L-band vegetation optical depth) and gross primary productivity (GPP; from PML-v2 inferred from MODIS observations) and tested their spatial and temporal correspondence with estimates from the TRENDY ensemble of LSMs. We found strong correspondence in GPP between LSMs and PML-v2 both in spatial patterns (Pearson’s r = 0.9 for TRENDY-mean) and in inter-annual variability, but not in trends. Conversely, for AGC we found lesser correspondence in space (Pearson’s r = 0.75 for TRENDY-mean, strong biases for individual models) and in the magnitude of inter-annual variability compared to satellite retrievals. These disagreements likely arise from limited representation of ecosystem responses to plant water availability, fire, and photodegradation that drive dryland carbon dynamics. We assessed inter-model agreement and drivers of long-term change in carbon stocks over centennial timescales. This analysis suggested that the simulated trend of increasing carbon stocks in drylands is in soils and primarily driven by increased productivity due to CO2 enrichment. However, there is limited empirical evidence of this 50-year sink in dryland soils. Our findings highlight important uncertainties in simulations of dryland ecosystems by current LSMs, suggesting a need for continued model refinements and for greater caution when interpreting LSM estimates with regards to current and future carbon dynamics in drylands and by extension the global carbon cycle.
Flying Over Amazonian Waters: The Role of Rivers on the Distribution and Endemism Patterns of Neotropical Bats
Authors: Silva Daiana C. , Oliveira Hernani F. M. , Zangrandi Priscilla L. , Domingos Fabricius M. C. B.
Published: April 2022

The Amazon comprises many of the largest rivers in the planet and also houses some of the richest bat communities in the world. Rivers are important geographic barriers for the dispersal and distribution of different taxa worldwide and, particularly in the Amazon region, they form the conceptual and empirical bases for the recognition of the so-called Areas of Endemism of terrestrial vertebrates. Despite the vast literature on the role of rivers on vertebrate community structure in the Amazon Forest, this process has never been investigated using a comprehensive dataset of Neotropical bat communities in the region. In this study, we aimed at: (1) evaluating the patterns of bat endemism across the Amazon Forest; (2) testing for the relationship between the distribution of bat species in the Amazon and the interfluve Areas of Endemism as currently recognized, and; (3) analyzing the importance of major Amazonian rivers in bat beta-diversity (turnover and nestedness) in the Amazon. Our results indicate that rivers are not major barriers for the current distribution of most bat species, and bat community composition breaks were divided into two clusters separating the east and west regions, and a third cluster in northern Amazon. In addition, there was no significant overlap among species distribution limits and the interfluve Areas of Endemism. Interestingly, the geographic patterns that we found for bat communities composition breaks highly resembles the one recovered using bird communities, suggesting that similar ecological and historical drivers might be acting to determine the distribution of flying vertebrates in the Amazon. Moreover, Amazonian bat distribution and endemism patterns were likely shaped by factors other than rivers, such as species interactions and the current environmental conditions. In conclusion, our results highlight the importance of modern analytical approaches to investigate large scale ecological patterns in the Neotropical region, and also challenge the widely recognized role of rivers on the determination of community structure and endemism patterns in the Amazon Forest, at least for bats.
Temperature-Dependent Genetics of Thermotolerance Between Yeast Species
Authors: Abrams Melanie B. , Brem Rachel B.
Published: April 2022

Many traits of industrial and basic biological interest arose long ago, and manifest now as fixed differences between a focal species and its reproductively isolated relatives. In these systems, extant individuals can hold clues to the mechanisms by which phenotypes evolved in their ancestors. We harnessed yeast thermotolerance as a test case for such molecular-genetic inferences. In viability experiments, we showed that extant Saccharomyces cerevisiae survived at temperatures where cultures of its sister species S. paradoxus died out. Then, focusing on loci that contribute to this difference, we found that the genetic mechanisms of high-temperature growth changed with temperature. We also uncovered an enrichment of low-frequency variants at thermotolerance loci in S. cerevisiae population sequences, suggestive of a history of non-neutral selective forces acting at these genes. We interpret these results in light of models of the evolutionary mechanisms by which the thermotolerance trait arose in the S. cerevisiae lineage. Together, our results and interpretation underscore the power of genetic approaches to explore how an ancient trait came to be.
Soil and Climate Drive Floristic Composition in Tropical Forests: A Literature Review
Authors: Bañares-de-Dios Guillermo , Macía Manuel J. , de Carvalho Gabriel Martins , Arellano Gabriel , Cayuela Luis
Published: April 2022

A vast literature indicates that environment plays a paramount role in determining floristic composition in tropical forests. However, it remains unclear which are the most important environmental factors and their relative effect across different spatial scales, plant life forms or forest types. This study reviews the state of knowledge on the effect of soil and climate on floristic composition in tropical forests. From 137 publications, we collated information regarding: (1) spatial scale, continent, country, life form, and forest type; (2) proportion of variance in floristic composition explained by soil and climatic variables and how it varies across spatial scales; and (3) which soil and climate variables had a significant relationship on community composition for each life form and forest type. Most studies were conducted at landscape spatial scales (67%) and mainly in South America (74%), particularly in Brazil (40%). Studies majorly focused on trees (82%) and on lowland evergreen tropical forests (74%). Both soil and climate variables explained in average the same amount (14% each) of the variation observed in plant species composition, although soils appear to exert a stronger influence at smaller spatial scales while climate effect increases toward larger ones. Temperature, precipitation, seasonality, soil moisture, soil texture, aluminum, and base cations—calcium and magnesium–and their related variables (e.g., cation exchange capacity, or base saturation) were frequently reported as important variables in structuring plant communities. Yet there was variability when comparing different life forms or forest types, which renders clues about certain ecological peculiarities. We recommend the use of standardized protocols for collecting environmental and floristic information in as much as possible, and to fill knowledge gaps in certain geographic regions. These actions will be especially beneficial to share uniform data between researchers, conduct analysis at large spatial scales and get a better understanding of the link between soils and climate gradients and plant strategies, which is key to propose better conservation policies under the light of global change.
Anticancer Peptide Prediction via Multi-Kernel CNN and Attention Model
Authors: Wu Xiujin , Zeng Wenhua , Lin Fan , Xu Peng , Li Xinzhu
Published: April 2022

Background: Modern lifestyles mean that people are more likely to suffer from some form of cancer. As anticancer peptides can effectively kill cancer cells and play an important role in fighting cancer, they have been a subject of increasing research interest.

Methods: This study presents a useful tool to identify the anticancer peptides based on a multi-kernel CNN and attention model, called ACP-MCAM. This model can automatically learn adaptive embedding and the context sequence features of ACP. In addition, to obtain better interpretability and integrity, we visualized the model.

Results: Benchmarking comparison shows that ACP-MCAM significantly outperforms several state-of-the-art models. Different encoding schemes have different impacts on the performance of the model. We also studied tmethod parameter optimization.

Conclusion: The ACP-MCAM can integrate multi-kernel CNN and self-attention mechanism, which outperforms the previous model in identifying anticancer peptides. It is expected that the work will provide new research ideas for anticancer peptide prediction in the future. In addition, this work will promote the development of the interdisciplinary field of artificial intelligence and biomedicine.
Underlying Co-Morbidity Reveals Unique Immune Signatures in Type II Diabetes Patients Infected With SARS-CoV2
Authors: Sengupta Soumya , Bhattacharya Gargee , Chatterjee Sanchari , Datey Ankita , Shaw Shubham K. , Suranjika Sandhya , Nath Paritosh , Barik Prakash K. , Prasad Punit , Chattopadhyay Soma , Swain Rajeeb K. , Parida Ajay , Devadas Satish
Published: April 2022

Background

SARS-CoV2 infection in patients with comorbidities, particularly T2DM, has been a major challenge globally and has been shown to be associated with high morbidity and mortality. Here, we did whole blood immunophenotyping along with plasma cytokine, chemokine, antibody isotyping, and viral load from oropharyngeal swab to understand the immune pathology in the T2DM patients infected with SARS-CoV2.

Methods

Blood samples from 25 Covid-19 positive patients having T2DM, 10 Covid-19 positive patients not having T2DM, and 10 Covid-19 negative, non-diabetic healthy controls were assessed for various immune cells by analyzing for their signature surface proteins in mass cytometry. Circulating cytokines, chemokines, and antibody isotypes were determined from plasma while viral copy number was determined from oropharyngeal swabs. All our representative data corroborated with laboratory findings.

Results

Our observations encompass T2DM patients having elevated levels of both type I and type II cytokines and higher levels of circulating IgA, IgM, IgG1, and IgG2 as compared to NDM and healthy volunteers. They also displayed higher percentages of granulocytes, mDCs, plasmablasts, Th2-like cells, CD4+ EM cells, and CD8+ TE cells as compared to healthy volunteers. T2DM patients also displayed lower percentages of pDCs, lymphocytes, CD8+ TE cells, CD4+, and CD8+ EM.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that patients with T2DM displayed higher inflammatory markers and a dysregulated anti-viral and anti-inflammatory response when compared to NDM and healthy controls and the dysregulated immune response may be attributed to meta inflammation.
Learning to Be Elite: Lessons From HIV-1 Controllers and Animal Models on Trained Innate Immunity and Virus Suppression
Authors: Sugawara Sho , Reeves R. Keith , Jost Stephanie
Published: April 2022

Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has drastically changed the lives of people living with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), long-term treatment has been associated with a vast array of comorbidities. Therefore, a cure for HIV-1 remains the best option to globally eradicate HIV-1/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, development of strategies to achieve complete eradication of HIV-1 has been extremely challenging. Thus, the control of HIV-1 replication by the host immune system, namely functional cure, has long been studied as an alternative approach for HIV-1 cure. HIV-1 elite controllers (ECs) are rare individuals who naturally maintain undetectable HIV-1 replication levels in the absence of ART and whose immune repertoire might be a desirable blueprint for a functional cure. While the role(s) played by distinct human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression and CD8+ T cell responses expressing cognate ligands in controlling HIV-1 has been widely characterized in ECs, the innate immune phenotype has been decidedly understudied. Comparably, in animal models such as HIV-1-infected humanized mice and simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)-infected non-human primates (NHP), viremic control is known to be associated with specific major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles and CD8+ T cell activity, but the innate immune response remains incompletely characterized. Notably, recent work demonstrating the existence of trained innate immunity may provide new complementary approaches to achieve an HIV-1 cure. Herein, we review the known characteristics of innate immune responses in ECs and available animal models, identify gaps of knowledge regarding responses by adaptive or trained innate immune cells, and speculate on potential strategies to induce EC-like responses in HIV-1 non-controllers.
Formation of Blood Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Increases the Mastitis Risk of Dairy Cows During the Transition Period
Authors: Jiang Lu-Yi , Sun Hui-Zeng , Guan Ruo-Wei , Shi Fushan , Zhao Feng-Qi , Liu Jian-Xin
Published: April 2022

The current study was conducted to analyze the functions of blood neutrophils in transition cows and their association with postpartum mastitis risk as indicated by somatic cell counts (SCCs) in milk. Seventy-six healthy Holstein dairy cows were monitored from Week 4 prepartum to Week 4 postpartum. Five dairy cows with low SCCs (38 ± 6.0 × 103/mL) and five with high SCCs (3,753 ± 570.0 × 103/mL) were selected based on milk SCCs during the first three weeks of lactation. At Week 1 pre- and postpartum, serum samples were obtained from each cow to measure neutrophil extracellular trap (NET)-related variables, and blood neutrophils were collected for transcriptome analysis by RNA sequencing. The serum concentration of NETs was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in cows with high SCCs than in cows with low SCCs (36.5 ± 2.92 vs. 18.4 ± 1.73 ng/mL). The transcriptomic analysis revealed that the transcriptome differences in neutrophils between high- and low-SCC cows were mainly in cell cycle-related pathways (42.6%), including the cell cycle, DNA damage, and chromosomal conformation, at Week 1 prepartum. The hub genes of these pathways were mainly involved in both the cell cycle and NETosis. These results indicated that the formation of NETs in the blood of transition dairy cows was different between cows with low and high SCCs, which may be used as a potential indicator for the prognosis of postpartum mastitis risk and management strategies of perinatal dairy cows.
Developing a Real-Time Trophic State Index of a Seawater Lagoon: A Case Study From Dapeng Bay, Southern Taiwan
Authors: Chen Chung-Chi , Wang Jih-Terng , Huang Chih-Yen , Hsieh Hung-Yen , Tew Kwee Siong , Meng Pei-Jie
Published: April 2022

Algal blooms over the past years have caused considerable worldwide impacts on marine ecology, aquaculture, recreational activities, and human health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop indices for evaluating the nutritional status of seawater as a means of predicting algal blooms. A long-term water quality monitoring dataset from Dapeng Bay, Southern Taiwan, indicated that seawater dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and pH were significantly correlated with algal abundance. Using this dataset, we then developed a real-time trophic state index (RTSI) by (1) referring to the seawater nutrient grading system defined by Carlson’s index and (2) incorporating an algorithm based on the relationship between DO, pH, and eutrophication status. The RTSI was superior to contemporary indices in its simplicity, as no complicated nutrient or chlorophylla(Chla) measurements were required, and real-time data were displayed on a personal computer. The index is sensitive to changes in seawater quality that will be of aid to managers.
Comparative Lipidome and Transcriptome Provide Novel Insight Into Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Metabolism of the Sea Urchin
Authors: Wang Heng , Zhao Wenfei , Liu Xiaoyu , Gang Debao , Zuo Rantao , Han Lingshu , Chang Yaqing , Ding Jun
Published: April 2022

The sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius is one of the most economically important echinoids harvested from northeast Pacific Ocean coastal waters. The gonads of sea urchins have high nutritional value and are primarily a candidate source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). PUFAs are essential for human health, and the biological synthesis and industry production of PUFA have attracted more and more attention from the scientific community. Moreover, PUFAs are important necessary nutrients that determine not only the nutritional value of sea urchins but guarantee their normal growth and reproduction. In this study, we divided 178 sea urchins into three groups (high, medium, and low concentration PUFA groups) according to the concentration of PUFAs, and conducted integrative lipidomics and transcriptomics analyses of different PUFA abundances of S. intermedius to determine the critical genes related to PUFA metabolism in sea urchin gonads. Illumina sequencing generated 894,295,712 clean reads (133.28 Gb) in 18 cDNA libraries. Among all of the unigenes, nine up- and seven down-regulated unigenes were found in a comparison of the “high vs low” concentration PUFA groups of gonads. Interestingly, we found that tudor domain-containing protein 3 (TDRD3) was up-regulated in the high concentration PUFA group, and this gene was significantly related to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in the correlation analysis (p<0.05), and may be used as a candidate marker for EPA biosynthesis and metabolism in the sea urchin. The lipidome and transcriptome information will provide a basic resource for further studies designed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of PUFA metabolism in marine invertebrates, and act as a valuable resource for the practical applications and regulation of the sea urchin aquaculture industry in the future.
Two Hidden mtDNA-Clades of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish in the Pacific Ocean
Authors: Yasuda Nina , Inoue Jun , Hall Michael R. , Nair Manoj R. , Adjeroud Mehdi , Fortes Miguel D. , Nishida Mutsumi , Tuivavalagi Nat , Ravago-Gotanco Rachel , Forsman Zac H. , Soliman Taha , Koyanagi Ryo , Hisata Kanako , Motti Cherie A. , Satoh Noriyuki
Published: April 2022

Recurring outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) severely damage healthy corals, especially in the Western Pacific Ocean. To obtain a better understanding of population genetics of COTS and historical colonization across the Pacific Ocean, complete mitochondrial genomes were sequenced from 243 individuals collected in 11 reef regions. Our results indicate that Pacific COTS (Acanthaster cf. solaris) comprise two major clades, an East-Central Pacific (ECP) clade and a Pan-Pacific (PP) clade, separation of which was supported by high bootstrap value. The ECP clade consists of COTS from French Polynesia, Fiji, Vanuatu and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The Hawaii population is unique within this clade, while California COTS are included in EPC clade. On the other hand, the PP clade comprises multiple lineages that contain COTS from Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, GBR, Vanuatu, Fiji and French Polynesia. For example, a lineage of the PP clade, which has the largest geographic distribution, includes COTS from all of these locations. These results suggest two alternative histories of current geographic distributions of COTS in the Pacific Ocean, an ECP clade ancestry or Western Pacific clade ancestry. Although further questions remain to be explored, this discovery provides an evolutionary context for the interpretation of COTS population structure which will aid future coral reef research in the Pacific Ocean, and ultimately improve reef management of COTS.
Trends in Research Related to Ophthalmic OCT Imaging From 2011 to 2020: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Yu Ziyan , Ye Jie , Lu Fan , Shen Meixiao
Published: April 2022

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore hotspots and global research trends on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the ophthalmic imaging field using the bibliometric technique.

Methods

Documents related to OCT in the ophthalmic imaging field between 2011 and 2020 were extracted from the Science Citation Index (SCI) Expanded database. Downloaded raw data were analyzed using the VOSviewer and CiteSpace software. Bibliometric networks, including publication number per year, countries, authors, journals, international collaborations, and keywords were constructed.

Results

A total of 4,270 peer-reviewed documents were retrieved, and annual research output in the past 10 years has increased significantly. The largest publishing country was the United States, and the most productive journal was Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (IOVS). The most active academic institution was the University of California, Los Angeles, and the top rank publishing author was Duker JS. The most co-cited references mainly focused on new emerging OCT techniques such as spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Conclusion

The bibliometric analysis of development trends on OCT in the ophthalmic imaging field on various aspects could provide developers or researchers with valuable information to propose future research directions and to pursue further cooperation.
Facial Skin Aging Stages in Chinese Females
Authors: Yang Xiao-xiao , Zhao Meng-meng , He Yi-fan , Meng Hong , Meng Qing-yang , Shi Qiao-yin , Yi Fan
Published: April 2022

Background

Facial skin is exposed to the environment, which marks it with obvious signs of aging. Based on multi-dimensional non-invasive evaluation data, female facial skin can be characterized in detail. However, there are few studies on the general aging rules of facial skin. Most skin aging studies divide the ages into 5–10-year intervals, so they have lacked dynamic matching with facial skin aging.

Aim

To explore facial skin aging rules, discuss the main parameters of facial skin aging, propose an unequal-distance aging division method based on the main skin parameters, and study the skin characteristics of Chinese women of different aging stages.

Methods

We comprehensively described the skin status as 24 non-invasive skin parameters belonging to five dimensions: skin wrinkles, texture, stain, color and barrier function. We performed polynomial fitting on the 21 skin parameters that were significantly correlated with age and derived the rules of aging in the different dimensions. Based on the wrinkle dimension, the facial skin aging process was divided into four stages, and the skin characteristics of the different stages were compared.

Results

Skin wrinkles increased, texture deteriorated, acne decreased, pigment spots increased, skin tone darkened, and sebum secretion decreased with age, according to the polynomial fitting. The aging stage was divided into an incubation period (18–30 years old), an aging occurrence period (31–42 years old), a rapid aging period (43–47 years old), and a stable aging period (48–60 years old), according to the wrinkles. Different aging stages had different skin characteristics.

Conclusion

The incubation period is the critical period for the appearance of skin stains; the skin texture gradually deteriorates during the aging occurrence period; the rapid aging period is a critical period for the aging of skin parameters; skin status during the stable aging period is the worst.
Studying Metabolism by NMR-Based Metabolomics
Authors: Moco Sofia
Published: April 2022

During the past few decades, the direct analysis of metabolic intermediates in biological samples has greatly improved the understanding of metabolic processes. The most used technologies for these advances have been mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. NMR is traditionally used to elucidate molecular structures and has now been extended to the analysis of complex mixtures, as biological samples: NMR-based metabolomics. There are however other areas of small molecule biochemistry for which NMR is equally powerful. These include the quantification of metabolites (qNMR); the use of stable isotope tracers to determine the metabolic fate of drugs or nutrients, unravelling of new metabolic pathways, and flux through pathways; and metabolite-protein interactions for understanding metabolic regulation and pharmacological effects. Computational tools and resources for automating analysis of spectra and extracting meaningful biochemical information has developed in tandem and contributes to a more detailed understanding of systems biochemistry. In this review, we highlight the contribution of NMR in small molecule biochemistry, specifically in metabolic studies by reviewing the state-of-the-art methodologies of NMR spectroscopy and future directions.