bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New‐onset type 1 diabetes and Graves' disease after antiretroviral therapy in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection
Authors: Taguchi Maho , Ihana‐Sugiyama Noriko , Shiojiri Daisuke , Izumi Kazuo , Kobayashi Michi , Kodani Noriko , Bouchi Ryotaro , Ohsugi Mitsuru , Tanabe Akiyo , Ueki Kohjiro , Kajio Hiroshi
Published: January 2023

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection receiving antiretroviral therapy can develop autoimmune diseases, referred to as immune‐inflammatory reconstitution syndrome. Nevertheless, only a few reports on the onset of type 1 diabetes as immune‐inflammatory reconstitution syndrome are available. A 40‐year‐old Japanese man with HIV infection was initiated with antiretroviral therapy at the age of 29 years. He developed Graves' disease at 35 years and diabetes, with a hemoglobin A1c of 6.5%, and maintained insulin secretion at 38 years. His antiglutamic acid decarboxylase antibody level was >2,000 U/mL, and he was diagnosed with slowly progressive type 1 diabetes. At the age of 40 years, he was admitted to our hospital with diabetic ketosis. We retrospectively assayed his stored plasma samples for thyroid‐stimulating hormone receptor antibody and antiglutamic acid decarboxylase antibody, which showed positive conversion after initiating antiretroviral therapy, suggesting that Graves' disease and type 1 diabetes developed as a probable result of immune‐inflammatory reconstitution syndrome.
Ultrasound‐assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) stem: Quantitative process optimization and bioactives analysis
Authors: Kumar Nitin , Kumar Gaurav , Prabhakar Pramod K , Sahu Jatindra K , Naik Satyanarayan
Published: January 2023

Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), a medicinal herb, contains several bioactives having immunomodulatory properties and various health benefits. In this study, giloy stem extract was derived using ultrasound process followed by screening of secondary metabolites and bioactives. Box–Behnken design coupled with RSM was employed for the optimization of yield, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of GSE with respect to solvent‐to‐solid (SS) ratio, sonication time (ST), and ultrasound amplitude (UA). The UA, ST and their interaction effects had significantly influenced the green extract yield and quality. The optimum extractions conditions were found to be 30% (UA), 10:1 (SS ratio), and 30 min (ST). The optimum responses were obtained as follows: extract yield: 9.614 ± 0.015%, TPC: 100.04 ± 0.133 (mg GAE/100 g extract), and DPPH % inhibition: 78.8523 ± 0.399%. Screening of optimized extract through HR‐LCMS‐QTOF reported the presence of major polyphenols such as malic acid, catechin, and quercitrin with a match factor of 99.23%, 98.65%, and 90.58%, respectively.

Practical applications

Giloy (T. cordifolia) is a potential source of bioactive compounds with significant medicinal properties and chemical stability. Recent trends suggest paradigm shift toward research and development of active food from the herbal plant for special purposes such as supplements, functional food, nutraceuticals, or medicine. Thus, non‐thermal extraction and characterization of extract for screening along with higher retention of bioactive from herbal plants such as giloy and its utilization becomes a crucial part of any industry. In this regard, the present study on ultrasound extraction is the way ahead due to high bioactive retention and the cost implications of the process.
Experimental and modeling for catechin and epicatechin recovery from peanut skin using subcritical ethanol
Authors: Putra Nicky Rahmana , Rizkiyah Dwila Nur , Qomariyah Lailatul , Aziz Ahmad Hazim Abdul , Veza Ibham , Yunus Mohd Azizi Che
Published: January 2023

A study on the valorization of peanut (Arachis hypogea) skin as agricultural waste to recover bioactive compounds, including catechin and epicatechin, by subcritical ethanol extraction (SEE) is unexplored scientifically. Thus, this study aims to determine the parameter effects on peanut skin extract recovery by SEE, followed by identifying the semi‐empirical modeling. The best conditions were 6 MPa, 4.53 ml/min, 86.23°C with responses of catechin 188.66 μg/g and epicatechin 336.41 μg/g. High pressure and temperature conditions are conducive to catechin recovery, whereas high pressure with low‐temperature conditions is suitable for epicatechin enhancement. Del Valle Aguilera (DVA) fits the solubility of catechin and epicatechin in SEE effectively compared with the Chrastil model since it has the lowest average absolute relative deviation (AARD), which is 5.97% and 12.69%, respectively. As a result, this approach (SEE) may be used in place of the conventional method for extracting catechin and epicatechin for medicinal purposes.

Practical Application

Subcritical ethanol extraction (SEE) is more uncomplicated and capable of attaining high extraction rates in a relatively short time to extract catechin and epicatechin from peanut skin. This is because subcritical ethanol rather than subcritical water extraction (SWE) is used to extract catechin and epicatechin from peanut skin at temperatures below 110°C. SEE also employs the lower pressure condition (P < 30 MPa) than SFE. Therefore, SEE is more advantageous than SWE owing to its lower operating conditions, allowing less energy usage. Hopefully, this technology (SEE) may replace the usual technique for extracting catechin and epicatechin for therapeutic uses.
Human milk expression in the first year postpartum among persons with low incomes
Authors: Nakayama Jasmine Y. , Marks Kristin J. , McGowan Andrea , Li Ruowei , Hamner Heather C.
Published: January 2023

Background

Expressing milk (i.e., human milk) is common in the USA, but practices are unknown among families in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This study of a WIC population explores the practice of and reasons for expressing milk in the first year postpartum.

Methods

We analysed data from a longitudinal study to examine milk expression at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 months postpartum among breastfeeding persons enrolled in WIC with term singletons. We cross‐sectionally analysed the weighted prevalence of milk expression at each survey month and report reasons for milk expression in the first 7 months.

Results

Among the study participants who reported feeding human milk at Month 1, 70.4% expressed milk in the first 13 months postpartum. The prevalence of milk expression was 56.8% at Month 1 and decreased to 13.9% at Month 13 among those feeding any human milk that month. Reasons for expressing milk changed over time; in the first month, increasing milk supply, relieving engorgement, and having an emergency supply of milk were common. In later months, having a supply of milk available so that someone else could feed their infant was common.

Conclusions

Clinicians, health educators, WIC staff, and others working with WIC families can promote optimal expressed milk feeding and storage practices. Extra attention and support may be especially important in the first months postpartum when milk expression is common. Support for persons who are expressing milk can be tailored for reasons of milk expression.
Progressive politics and populism: Classes of labour and rural–urban political sociology—An introduction to the special issue
Authors: Pattenden Jonathan
Published: January 2023

This special issue analyses the prospects for a progressive politics against right‐wing populism and capitalism. Taken as a whole, its articles underline the need to understand progressive movements as encompassing agrarian, rural, and urban settings and as socially rooted among labourers and petty commodity producers that do not accumulate (classes of labour), which includes the majority of farmers. Most of the world's rural population now reproduce themselves to some degree in towns and cities, which necessitates further development of a rural–urban political sociology. Articles in the special issue discuss existing and potential organizations and networks of classes of labour. They point to the politicalpotentialof migrant populations to erode the social divisions of race, ethnicity, and nationality that capitalism and right‐wing populism construct to defend their interests. They contribute to understanding of why some members of classes of labour support racist nationalist populisms that pit them against fellow members of classes of labour. And they show why national contexts matter. Forms of capitalist government, including varieties of populism, are linked to world‐historical dynamics of accumulation and reproduction, as well as racialized class relations, and constrain routes to progressive politics in different ways. Analysis of them can inform counter‐strategies.
Community Inclusion under Systemic Inequality: How For‐Profit Businesses Pursue Social Purpose
Authors: Lashitew Addisu A. , Branzei Oana , van Tulder Rob
Published: January 2023

In countries where systemic inequality is pervasive, purposeful businesses that assume wider societal responsibilities try to counteract its effects by including marginalized social groups in their value creation processes. While current research documents a variety of business approaches for community inclusion, the nature, drivers and effectiveness of these inclusionary practices are not fully understood. We develop and empirically validate a framework of community inclusion that explicates the mechanisms through which purposeful businesses generate civic wealth – or economic and social benefits – to disadvantaged community groups. We differentiate between commercial practices that recast existent firm‐centric processes towards creating value for marginalized groups and collaborative practices that aim to devise novel, participatory processes for engaging marginalized groups. Analysis of primary data from a sample of 430 small businesses in seven African countries confirms that the effect of social purpose on civic wealth is partially mediated by the two inclusionary practices. Businesses are more likely to extend the scope of their inclusion through collaborative practices when they receive favourable external validation and when institutional voids are low. We contribute to the literature by documenting the role of social purpose in motivating the pursuit of community‐level goals and by unpacking the specific inclusionary practices used to achieve them.
Factors affecting the accuracy of anti‐BRAF V600E immunohistochemistry results in ameloblastomas
Authors: Chang Julia Yu Fong , Lu Pei Hsuan , Tseng Chih‐Huang , Wang Yi‐Ping , Lee Jang‐Jaer , Chiang Chun‐Pin
Published: January 2023

Background

There are still some controversies about the results of anti‐BRAF V600E‐specific antibody immunohistochemistry in ameloblastomas. This study aimed to examine the accuracy of V600E‐specific antibody immunohistochemistry in detection of BRAF V600E mutation in ameloblastoma tissue sections of different ages.

Methods

The BRAF V600E status of 64 ameloblastoma specimens was assessed using both Sanger sequencing and V600E‐specific antibody immunohistochemistry, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated. The difference in V600E‐specific antibody immunohistochemistry staining intensity among the three groups of ameloblastoma tissue blocks of different ages was evaluated by chi‐square test. The consistency between V600E‐specific antibody immunohistochemistry and DNA sequencing results and the V600E‐specific antibody immunohistochemistry staining intensity of 15 paired newly‐cut and 3‐month storage sections of the same 15 ameloblastomas were also compared.

Results

For detection of BRAF V600E mutation, the V600E‐specific antibody immunohistochemistry had high sensitivity (98.21% 55/56), specificity (87.5% 7/8), positive predictive value (98.21% 55/56), and negative predictive value (87.5% 7/8). Heterogeneity of the staining intensity was observed in the same tissue section, but all or none expression pattern was noticed in the solid tumor nests. The storage time of paraffin tissue blocks ranging from 2 to 14 years did not affect the V600E‐specific antibody‐positive staining intensity. However, the three‐month storage sections showed a significant diminishment of V600E‐specific antibody‐positive staining signals.

Conclusions

The BRAF V600E‐specific antibody immunohistochemistry is suitable for routine detection of BRAF V600E mutation in ameloblastomas. The all or none expression pattern suggests the BRAF V600E mutation may be an early event in the pathogenesis of ameloblastoma.
Peers influence the tobacco and alcohol use of Chinese adolescents
Authors: DeLay Dawn , Shen Mengqian , Cook Rachel E. , Zhao Siman , Logis Handrea , French Doran C.
Published: January 2023

This two‐wave longitudinal study examined peer selection and influence pertaining to tobacco and alcohol use by adolescents and their friends in a sample of 854 Chinese adolescents (384 girls: mean age = 13.33 years). Participants nominated friends and self‐reported their tobacco and alcohol use at seventh and again at eighth grade. Longitudinal social network analyses revealed evidence of friend influence but not selection over smoking and drinking. Boys increased their levels of smoking at rates greater than that of girls, but no sex moderation of either selection or influence was found. In interpreting these results, it is important to understand the gender norms for Chinese boys and girls and the cultural context of tobacco and alcohol use.
Unusual local epidemic of paediatric respiratory syncytial virus during a time of global pandemic
Authors: Nguyen Edward , Saw Chia , Morkos Michael , Abass Fuad , Foley David , Bulsara Max
Published: January 2023

Background

Western Australia (WA) public health measures to eradicate SARS‐CoV‐2 resulted in a secondary reduction in paediatric respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) admissions. Following an absent expected 2020 winter peak, RSV‐positive admissions surged during the summer of 2020.

Aim

This report examines the number of RSV‐positive admissions and severities across 36 months to better understand this out‐of‐season epidemic.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was performed assessing the number and severity of RSV‐related respiratory hospitalisations at a peripheral paediatric centre from March 2018 to February 2021. Data were extracted from the hospital clinical database.

Results

The total number of included participants was n = 294. The total number of RSV hospitalisations in SY (study year) 2018 (March 2018 to February 2019), SY 2019 (March 2019 to February 2020) and SY 2020 (March 2020 to February 2021) was 67, 98 and 129, respectively. Prior to SARS‐CoV‐2, RSV hospitalisations were highest during the winter months. In SY 2020, there were 0 RSV hospitalisations during winter, while 101 admissions in the following summer season. The proportion of admissions requiring respiratory support was significantly reduced in SY 2020 (34.1%) compared to SY 2018 (46.9%, P = 0.050) and SY 2019 (55.2%, P = 0.004). The median length of stay (LOS) in 2020 was 2.0 which was significantly reduced from 2018 and 2019 which was 3.0, P = 0.001; and 3.0, P < 0.001, respectively.

Conclusion

Following a period of RSV absence, there was an unprecedented surge in admission, however, with lower severity and shorter LOS.
Can television reduce xenophobia? The case of East Germany
Authors: Hornuf Lars , Rieger Marc Oliver , Hartmann Sven A.
Published: January 2023

Can television have a mitigating effect on xenophobia? To explore this question, we investigate a natural experiment in which individuals in some regions of East Germany could not—due to their geographic location—consume West German television until 1989. By analyzing survey data from the periods before and after German reunification, we provide evidence that individuals who received West German television during the GDR period and were thus more frequently exposed to foreign media have developed less xenophobia. We document that West German television programs positively affected individuals' attitudes towards foreigners and led to a higher likelihood of supporting refugees, for example by donating money to refugee aid. In addition to the survey evidence, we show that regions that could receive West German television before reunification were less likely to vote for extreme right‐wing parties during the national elections from 1990 to 2017, and experienced fewer criminal offenses against refugees.
Hepatitis delta infection among persons living with HIV in Europe
Authors: Béguelin Charles , Atkinson Andrew , Boyd Anders , Falconer Karolin , Kirkby Nikolai , Suter‐Riniker Franziska , Günthard Huldrych F. , Rockstroh Jürgen K. , Mocroft Amanda , Rauch Andri , Peters Lars , Wandeler Gilles ,   for EuroSIDA and SHCS
Published: January 2023

Background and Aims

A high prevalence of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection, the most severe form of viral hepatitis, has been reported among persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Europe. We analysed data from a large HIV cohort collaboration to characterize HDV epidemiological trends across Europe, as well as its impact on clinical outcomes.

Methods

All PLWH with a positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study and EuroSIDA between 1988 and 2019 were tested for anti‐HDV antibodies and, if positive, for HDV RNA. Demographic and clinical characteristics at initiation of antiretroviral therapy were compared between HDV‐positive and HDV‐negative individuals using descriptive statistics. The associations between HDV infection and overall mortality, liver‐related mortality as well as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were assessed using cumulative incidence plots and cause‐specific multivariable Cox regression.

Results

Of 2793 HBsAg‐positive participants, 1556 (56%) had stored serum available and were included. The prevalence of HDV coinfection was 15.2% (237/1556, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.5%–17.1%) and 66% (132/200) of HDV‐positive individuals had active HDV replication. Among persons who inject drugs (PWID), the prevalence of HDV coinfection was 50.5% (182/360, 95% CI: 45.3%–55.7%), with similar estimates across Europe, compared to 4.7% (52/1109, 95% CI: 3.5%–5.9%) among other participants. During a median follow‐up of 10.8 years (interquartile range 5.6–17.8), 82 (34.6%) HDV‐positive and 265 (20.1%) HDV‐negative individuals died. 41.5% (34/82) of deaths were liver‐related in HDV‐positive individuals compared to 17.7% (47/265) in HDV‐negative individuals. HDV infection was associated with overall mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.6; 95% CI 1.2–2.1), liver‐related death (2.9, 1.6–5.0) and HCC (6.3, 2.5–16.0).

Conclusion

We found a very high prevalence of hepatitis delta among PWID across Europe. Among PLWH who do not inject drugs, the prevalence was similar to that reported from populations without HIV. HDV coinfection was associated with liver‐related mortality and HCC incidence.
Understanding stochastic and deterministic assembly processes in microbial communities along temporal, spatial and environmental scales
Authors: Menéndez‐Serra Mateu , Ontiveros Vicente J. , Cáliz Joan , Alonso David , Casamayor Emilio O.
Published: January 2023

Identifying the main drivers of community assembly remains an open fundamental question in ecology. Dispersal processes introduce randomness in community composition while selection for particular environments creates predictable assemblages. However, the interaction between selection and dispersal processes is still poorly understood. Here, we address this question in bacterial and microeukaryotic communities inhabiting a highly dynamic system of ephemeral (hyper)saline lakes. We show that the combination of beta‐diversity decomposition methods and a temporal approach based on colonization and extinction dynamics yields new insights into the relative effect of selection and dispersal along environmental gradients. Selective pressure and dispersal‐related processes simultaneously shape each local community with variable strength and effect. The dominance of selection vs. dispersal shifted from stochastic to deterministic assembly as salinity increased along the gradient. This transition also had an impact on the temporal dynamics of the lakes as community turnover decreased at high salinities because both colonization and extinction rates slowed down. Only microeukaryotic richness decreased along the gradient due to lower effective colonization at higher salinities, suggesting that the net effect of selection and dispersal is determined by both environmental conditions and the idiosyncrasy of the different microbial ecologies. Our results emphasize the use of temporal approaches in combination with standard statistical methods for a better understanding of the dynamic processes underlying community assembly.
Is the uptake, engagement, and effectiveness of exclusively mobile interventions for the promotion of weight‐related behaviors equal for all? A systematic review
Authors: Szinay Dorothy , Forbes Cynthia C. , Busse Heide , DeSmet Ann , Smit Eline S. , König Laura M.
Published: January 2023

Mobile health interventions are promising behavior change tools. However, there is a concern that they may benefit some populations less than others and thus widen inequalities in health. This systematic review investigated differences in uptake of, engagement with, and effectiveness of mobile interventions for weight‐related behaviors (i.e., diet, physical activity, and sedentary behavior) based on a range of inequality indicators including age, gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020192473). Six databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Pubmed, and Web of Science) were searched from inception to July 2021. Publications were eligible for inclusion if they reported the results of an exclusively mobile intervention and examined outcomes by at least one inequality indicator. Sixteen publications reporting on 13 studies were included with most reporting on multiple behaviors and inequality indicators. Uptake was investigated in one study with no differences reported by the inequality indicators studied. Studies investigating engagement (n = 7) reported differences by age (n = 1), gender (n = 3), ethnicity (n = 2), and education (n = 2), while those investigating effectiveness (n = 9) reported differences by age (n = 3), gender (n = 5), education (n = 2), occupation (n = 1), and geographical location (n = 1). Given the limited number of studies and their inconsistent findings, evidence of the presence of a digital divide in mobile interventions targeting weight‐related behaviors is inconclusive. Therefore, we recommend that inequality indicators are specifically addressed, analyzed, and reported when evaluating mobile interventions.
Risk factors, cutoff points, and definition of metabolically healthy/unhealthy obesity in children and adolescents: A scoping review of the literature
Authors: Abiri Behnaz , Valizadeh Majid , Amini Shirin , Kelishadi Roya , Hosseinpanah Farhad
Published: January 2023

Diagnosis of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and its definition do not have universal criteria in the pediatric age group. Hence, this scoping review aims to identify the components, the cutoff points, and the definition of MHO in children and adolescents. A comprehensive, systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases. A consensus‐based definition of MHO was developed through a Delphi process involving an international panel of 23 experts. This review included a total of 63 non‐randomized studies, published between 2007 and 2022. According to our consensus (≥80% agreement), the proposed definition for MHO included the following components: high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol >40 mg/dl (or >1.03 mmol/l), triglycerides ≤150 mg/dl (or ≤1.7 mmol/l), fasting plasma glucose <100 mg/dl (or <5.6 mmol/l), a measure of insulin, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure ≤90th percentile. Therefore, MHO was defined as the absence of the above metabolic risk factors; and those children and adolescents with one or more criteria were considered as metabolically unhealthy. A universal definition of MHO will allow comparisons between studies in the field of childhood obesity and can be useful in clinical practice.
A ubiquitin‐specific protease functions in regulating cell death and immune responses in rice
Authors: Zou Ting , Li Gongwen , Liu Miaomiao , Liu Rui , Yang Shangyu , Wang Kang , Lu Liuhui , Ye Qiuyu , Liu Jiaxu , Liang Jing , Deng Qiming , Wang Shiquan , Zhu Jun , Liang Yueyang , Liu Huainian , Yu Xiumei , Sun Changhui , Li Ping , Li Shuangcheng
Published: January 2023

Ubiquitin‐specific proteases (UBPs) process deubiquitination in eukaryotic organisms and are widely involved in plant development and responses to environmental stress. However, their role in cell death and plant immunity remains largely unknown. Here, we identified a rice lesion mimic mutant (LMM) and cloned its causative gene, LMM22. Both dysfunction and overexpression of LMM22 gave rise to the hypersensitive response‐like cell death, reactive oxygen species bursts, and activated defence responses. LMM22 encodes an active UBP that is localised to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and displays a constitutive expression pattern in rice. LMM22 interacts with SPOTTED LEAF 35 (SPL35), a coupling of ubiquitin conjugation to ER degradation domain‐containing protein that is known to participate in ubiquitination and the regulation of cell death and disease response in rice. Additional analyses suggest that LMM22 can positively regulate and stabilise the abundance of SPL35 protein likely through its deubiquitination activity. These data therefore improve our understanding of the function of UBP in rice innate immune responses by demonstrating that LMM22 functions as a critical regulator of SPL35 in cell death and disease resistance.
Pascal's birds: Signs and significance in nature*
Authors: Avnur Yuval
Published: January 2023

I address a puzzle in Pascal's Pensées. While Pascal emphasized that God is hidden, he also seemed to think that signs of God are everywhere in nature. How does he reconcile these two claims? I offer a novel solution which emphasizes the role of love and what I call “second‐personal” significance, and which results in a distinctively Pascalian account of religious experience of nature. By distinguishing implication from various senses of ‘proof’, I explain why, though deeply significant, such experiences cannot play the role of proving God's existence, and how they are compatible with God's hiddenness. Neither theism nor atheism is assumed by this account.
Recycling in entrepreneurial ecosystems: the phenomenon of boomeranging
Authors: Walsh Kevin , Nelles Jen , Stephens Simon
Published: January 2023

The ‘recycling’ of people, capital and ideas is a key process that can support activity in an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Previous research has shown that knowledge recycled from prior employment is important for the entrepreneurial ecosystem and we expand upon this to understand which types of knowledge, as well as individual motivations for transferring this knowledge. We have created a novel dataset to track employee career trajectories within an ecosystem, showing the extent to which employees derive experience from within the ecosystem as well as the extent to which they recycle their entrepreneurial experience by returning to employment. A sample from this dataset participated in semi‐structured interviews. The interviews provide early empirical evidence on entrepreneurial recycling through career mobility and development within entrepreneurial ecosystems. In contrast to prior findings of a low prevalence of direct entrepreneurial activity through entrepreneurial recycling, we show a high prevalence of entrepreneurs who have previously worked in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and that these entrepreneurs often recycle back to employment within the ecosystem. In this process the individuals develop and transfer tangible skills developed in entrepreneurship. This is motivated by a need for regrouping and further developing the tacit knowledge to put them back in a position to seek self‐realisation through entrepreneurship. In the process this exposes them to new activities that enable the development of tangible skills and the motivation to regroup once again, and complete the loop of entrepreneurial recycling.
Disruption of BG14 results in enhanced callose deposition in developing seeds and decreases seed longevity and seed dormancy in Arabidopsis
Authors: Wang Chengliang , Lyu Yuanyuan , Zhang Qi , Guo Hongye , Chen Defu , Chen Xiwen
Published: January 2023

Seed longevity is an important trait for agriculture and the conservation of genetic resources. β‐1,3‐Glucanases were first recognized as pathogenesis‐related proteins involved in plant defense, but their roles in seeds are largely unknown. Here, we report a glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐anchored β‐1,3‐glucanase, BG14, that degrades callose in seed embryos and functions in seed longevity and dormancy in Arabidopsis. The loss of function of BG14 significantly decreased seed longevity, whereas functional reversion (RE) and overexpression (OE) lines reversed and increased the impaired phenotype, respectively. The loss of function of BG14 enhanced callose deposition in the embryos of mature seeds, confirmed by quantitative determination and the decreased callose degrading ability in bg14. The drop‐and‐see (DANS) assay revealed that the fluorescence signal in bg14 was significantly lower than that observed in the other three genotypes. BG14 is located on the periphery of the cell wall and can completely merge with callose at the plasmodesmata of epidermal cells. BG14 was highly expressed in developing seeds and was induced by aging and abscisic acid (ABA). The loss of function of BG14 led to a variety of phenotypes related to ABA, including reduced seed dormancy and reduced responses to treatment with ABA or pacolblltrazol, whereas OE lines showed the opposite phenotype. The reduced ABA response is because of the decreased level of ABA and the lowered expression of ABA synthesis genes in bg14. Taken together, this study demonstrated that BG14 is a bona fide BG that mediates callose degradation in the plasmodesmata of embryo cells, transcriptionally influences ABA synthesis genes in developing seeds, and positively affects seed longevity and dormancy in Arabidopsis.
Monodromy and period map of the Winger pencil
Authors: Looijenga Eduard , Zi Yunpeng
Published: January 2023

The sextic plane curves that are invariant under the standard action of the icosahedral group on the projective plane make up a pencil of genus ten curves (spanned by a sum of six lines and three times a conic). This pencil was first considered in a note by R. M. Winger in 1925 and is nowadays named after him. The second author recently gave this a modern treatment and proved among other things that it contains essentially every smooth genus ten curve with icosahedral symmetry. We here show that the Jacobian of such a curve contains the tensor product of an elliptic curve with a certain integral representation of the icosahedral group. We find that the elliptic curve comes with a distinguished point of order 3, which proves that the monodromy on this part of the homology is the full congruence subgroup and subsequently identify the base of the pencil with the associated modular curve. We also observe that the Winger pencil “accounts” for the deformation of the Jacobian of Bring's curve as a principal abelian fourfold with an action of the icosahedral group.
Physicochemical Properties of N,N-Diethylethanolammonium Chloride/Ethylene Glycol-Based Deep Eutectic Solvent for Replacement of Ionic Liquid
Authors: Fauzi Roslinda , Daik Rusli , Fauzi Basirah , Mamauod Siti Nur Liyana
Published: January 2023

Ionic liquids (ILs) that are used in the market nowadays have high complexity of processing, high viscosity, and high toxicity in comparison to deep eutectic solvent (DES). Deep eutectic solvent is typically used in thermal energy storage, separation and extraction process or electrochemistry field. This study focuses on determining the physicochemical properties of DES, which are thermal conductivity, viscosity, and surface tension. DES was prepared by mixing hydrogen-bond donor (HBD) compounds (ethylene glycol) and hydrogen-bond acceptor (HBA) compounds (N,N-diethylethanolammonium chloride) at different molar compositions. The data show that the molar ratio HBA:HBD of 1:2 resulted in optimized values of thermal conductivity (0.218 W/mK), low viscosity (38.1 cP), and high surface tension (54 mN/m). Most notably, DES is capable of sustaining in a liquid phase at ambient condition (25 °C) for more than 30 days. Fourier transform infrared spectrum did not indicate any presence of a new peak. This established that only delocalization of ions occurred, and hence, chemical transformations did not take place during mixing. The data obtained showed that the newly synthesized solvent (DES) possess better result than the ILs. Therefore, DES can be proposed to replace the dependency on ILs.
Assessment of the Hydrodynamic Performance of an Oscillating Water Column Device in Front of a V-Shaped Vertical Wall
Authors: Konispoliatis Dimitrios N.
Published: January 2023

In this work, an oscillating water column (OWC) device is considered placed in front of a V-shaped vertical breakwater. The idea conceived, is based on the amplified wave power absorption due to the wave interactions originating from the presence of the breakwater. A theoretical analysis is presented in the realm of linear potential theory, based on the solution of proper diffraction, and radiation problems in the frequency domain, using the eigenfunction expansion method, the method of images, and the multiple scattering approach. Optimum absorption efficiency is examined taking into consideration the characteristics of the power take off (PTO) system and the air compressibility. Numerical results are presented and discussed in terms of the expected power absorption. The effect of the distance between the OWC and the vertical walls, the breakwater’s forming angle, and the wave heading angle, is examined to demonstrate the enhanced absorption ability of the device. It is concluded that the device’s efficiency is strongly dependent on the position of the OWC in front of the walls, as well as the angle of the wave impact, and should be taken into account when determining the optimum device parameters for maximization of its performance.
Parametric Analysis of the Nonlinear Dynamics of a Cracked Cantilever Beam
Authors: Hsu Chia-Ling , Tien Meng-Hsuan
Published: January 2023

Structural damage occurs in a variety of civil, mechanical, and aerospace engineering systems, and it is critical to effectively identify such damage in order to prevent catastrophic failures. When cracks are present in a structure, the breathing phenomenon that occurs between crack surfaces typically triggers nonlinearity in the dynamic response. In this work, in order to thoroughly understand the nonlinear effect of cracks on structural dynamics, two modeling approaches are integrated to investigate the crack-induced nonlinear dynamics of cantilever beams. First, a modeling method referred to as the discrete element (DE) method is employed to construct a model of a cracked beam. The DE model is able to characterize the breathing phenomenon of cracks. Next, a simulation technique referred to as the hybrid symbolic-numeric computational (HSNC) method is used to analyze the nonlinear response of the cracked beam. The HSNC method provides an efficient way to evaluate both stationary and nonstationary dynamics of cracked systems since it combines efficient linear techniques with an optimization tool to capture the system’s nonlinear response. The proposed computational platform thus enables efficient multiparametric analysis of cracked structures. The effects of crack location, crack depth, and excitation frequency on the cantilever beam are parametrically investigated using the proposed method. Nonlinear features such as subharmonic resonance, nonstationary motion, multistability, and frequency shift are also discussed in this paper.
Observation of ground loop signals in GaN monolithically integrated devices
Authors: Ma Xiao , Choi Hoi Wai
Published: January 2023

The observation of ground loop signals in nonelectrically isolated GaN monolithic systems has prompted an investigation on its origins. The study is carried out with devices comprising monolithic light-emitting diodes (LED) and photodetectors (PD) that are either electrically isolated by completely etching through the GaN epitaxial layers, or nonelectrically isolated devices where the etch terminates at the n-GaN layer, through TCAD simulations and experiments. While the devices behave identically to DC input signals, a signal can be observed across the PD of the nonelectrically isolated devices when an AC signal is fed to the LED, even at voltages below the LED’s turn-on voltage. The ∼180° phase difference of the output PD potential with respect to the input LED potential indicates that the signal, regarded as a ground loop signal, couples through the junction capacitance of the LED and PD. The ground loop signal increases with increasing frequency due to the frequency-dependence of the junction impedance. The insertion of a grounded metal line between the LED and PD reduces the ground loop signal, but not to a sufficient extent not to affect the photovoltage. The findings illustrate the necessity of electrical isolation among devices for GaN monolithic systems, especially those operating at higher frequencies, such as photonic integrated systems.
Dysarthria detection based on a deep learning model with a clinically-interpretable layer
Authors: Xu Lingfeng , Liss Julie , Berisha Visar
Published: January 2023

Studies have shown deep neural networks (DNN) as a potential tool for classifying dysarthric speakers and controls. However, representations used to train DNNs are largely not clinically interpretable, which limits clinical value. Here, a model with a bottleneck layer is trained to jointly learn a classification label and four clinically-interpretable features. Evaluation of two dysarthria subtypes shows that the proposed method can flexibly trade-off between improved classification accuracy and discovery of clinically-interpretable deficit patterns. The analysis using Shapley additive explanation shows the model learns a representation consistent with the disturbances that define the two dysarthria subtypes considered in this work.
Understanding the Stringent Response: Experimental Context Matters
Authors: Dworkin Jonathan
Published: January 2023

As rapidly growing bacteria begin to exhaust essential nutrients, they enter a state of reduced growth, ultimately leading to stasis or quiescence. Investigation of the response to nutrient limitation has focused largely on the consequences of amino acid starvation, known as the “stringent response.” Here, an uncharged tRNA in the A-site of the ribosome stimulates the ribosome-associated protein RelA to synthesize the hyperphosphorylated guanosine nucleotides (p)ppGpp that mediate a global slowdown of growth and biosynthesis.
Carbon Amendments Shape the Bacterial Community Structure in Salinized Farmland Soil
Authors: Han Qisheng , Fu Yuanyuan , Qiu Rangjian , Ning Huifeng , Liu Hao , Li Caixia , Gao Yang
Published: January 2023

Farmland application of soil amendments is a usual method to mitigate soil salinization. Most studies have concluded that soil properties can be improved by soil amendment, which indirectly affects the soil microbial community structures.
Bacteroides vulgatus Ameliorates Lipid Metabolic Disorders and Modulates Gut Microbial Composition in Hyperlipidemic Rats
Authors: Xu Mingchao , Lan Ruiting , Qiao Lei , Lin Xiaoying , Hu Dalong , Zhang Suping , Yang Jing , Zhou Juan , Ren Zhihong , Li Xianping , Liu Guoxing , Liu Liyun , Xu Jianguo
Published: January 2023

As a core microbe of the human gut ecosystem,
Bacteroides vulgatus
has been linked to multiple aspects of metabolic disorders in a collection of associative studies, which, while indicative, warrants more direct experimental evidence to verify. In this study, we experimentally demonstrated that oral administration of
B. vulgatus
Bv46 ameliorated the serum lipid profile and systemic inflammation of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats in a microbiome-regulated manner, which appears to be associated with changes of bile acid metabolism, short-chain fatty acid biosynthesis, and serum metabolomic profile.
Extent of Oral–Gut Transmission of Bacterial and Fungal Microbiota in Healthy Chinese Adults
Authors: Cheung Man Kit , Tong Sylvia L. Y. , Wong Martin C. S. , Chan Jason Y. K. , Ip Margaret , Hui Mamie , Lai Christopher K. C. , Ng Rita W. Y. , Ho Wendy C. S. , Yeung Apple C. M. , Chan Paul K. S. , Chen Zigui
Published: January 2023

The oral–gut microbiota axis in health is a fundamentally important and clinically relevant topic; however, our current understanding of it remains biased and incomplete. By characterizing the bacterial and fungal microbiomes in paired oral rinse and stool samples from a large cohort of healthy Chinese adults, here we provided new evidence that oral–gut microbiota transmission is limited in non-Western population and across biological domains.
Improvement of the Pour Plate Method by Separate Sterilization of Agar and Other Medium Components and Reduction of the Agar Concentration
Authors: Terrones-Fernandez I. , Casino P. , López A. , Peiró S. , Ríos S. , Nardi-Ricart A. , García-Montoya E. , Asensio D. , Marqués A. M. , Castilla R. , Gamez-Montero P. J. , Piqué N.
Published: January 2023

In the era of rapid microbiological methods, there is a need to improve long-established culture techniques. Drawbacks of the pour plate method include having to melt each medium separately before seeding.
Rapid and Flexible RT-qPCR Surveillance Platforms To Detect SARS-CoV-2 Mutations
Authors: Spiess Katja , Gunalan Vithiagaran , Marving Ellinor , Nielsen Sofie Holdflod , Jørgensen Michelle G. P. , Fomsgaard Anna S. , Nielsen Line , Alfaro-Núñez Alonzo , Karst Søren M. ,   The Danish COVID-19 Genome Consortium (DCGC), Mortensen Shila , Rasmussen Morten , Lassaunière Ria , Rosenstierne Maiken Worsøe , Polacek Charlotta , Fonager Jannik , Cohen Arieh S. , Nielsen Claus , Fomsgaard Anders
Published: January 2023

Denmark weathered the SARS-CoV-2 crisis with relatively low rates of infection and death. Intensive testing strategies with the aim of detecting SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic and nonsymptomatic individuals were available by establishing a national test system called TestCenter Denmark.
Dysbiosis of Oral Microbiota and Metabolite Profiles Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Li Yujiao , Qian Fei , Cheng Xiaogang , Wang Dan , Wang Yirong , Pan Yating , Chen Liyuan , Wang Wei , Tian Yu
Published: January 2023

The incidence of oral diseases in type 2 diabetic patients might increase, and the severity might also be more serious. At present, the relationship between oral microorganisms and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a hot topic in systemic health research.
Estimated Impact of Low Isolate Numbers on the Reliability of Cumulative Antibiogram Data
Authors: Tran Christian , Hargy John , Hess Bryan , Pettengill Matthew A.
Published: January 2023

Antibiograms are reports of local antimicrobial susceptibility patterns for common bacteria and yeast that are used to make empirical decisions for patient therapy and also to inform institution therapy guidelines. This study evaluates the impact of low isolate counts on the reliability of antibiograms, and suggests that more institutions should utilize multiple years of data to overcome this issue.
Streptococcus pyogenes Φ1207.3 Is a Temperate Bacteriophage Carrying the Macrolide Resistance Gene Pair
mef
(A)-
msr
(D) and Capable of Lysogenizing Different Streptococci
Authors: Santoro Francesco , Pastore Gabiria , Fox Valeria , Petit Marie-Agnes , Iannelli Francesco , Pozzi Gianni
Published: January 2023

Bacteriophages play an important role in bacterial physiology and genome evolution. The widespread use of genome sequencing revealed that bacterial genomes can contain several different integrated temperate bacteriophages, which can constitute up to 20% of the genome.
Sixteen syndrome: a rare presentation of central demyelination
Authors: Bridge Francesca , Bennett Tim , Buzzard Katherine
Published: January 2023

This case illustrates two diagnostic challenges for clinicians: the rarely described sixteen syndrome and the relationship between tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors and central demyelination. Sixteen syndrome affects horizontal eye movements and the facial nerve bilaterally reflecting a lesion in the posterior pontine tegmentum, adjacent to the fourth ventricle. Given its rarity and complexity of clinical signs, this syndrome risks misdiagnosis and mismanagement. The relationship between TNF-alpha inhibitors and demyelination is a complex issue in which causality is yet to be established. This diagnostic challenge poses a management dilemma for clinicians.
Insulinoma as a cause of seizure-like activity and spontaneous hypoglycaemia
Authors: Fayyaz Fahd , Reardon Michael Francis , Byrne Luke
Published: January 2023

A woman in her 60s presented to our hospital with recurrent episodes of confusion and double vision with spontaneous recovery to baseline within 10 min. Her initial workup was unremarkable, and she was diagnosed with complex partial seizures and commenced on levetiracetam. The following week, she re-presented with a recurrence of her symptoms, associated with spontaneous hypoglycaemia, with blood glucose levels of 1.9 mmol/L. She was found to have endogenously elevated serum insulin and C peptide levels, which were concomitantly associated with hypoglycaemia. An initial diagnosis of insulinoma was made and she was commenced on diazoxide. MRI and endoscopic ultrasound revealed 16 mm insulinoma in her uncinate process. She underwent surgical resection and remained symptom free at follow-up. This case highlights the importance of blood glucose measurements in patients presenting with neuroglycopenic symptoms and outlines the workup and management of insulinoma.
Myocardial oedema in the setting of immersion pulmonary oedema - Cause or effect?
Authors: Oldman James , Morwood Sarah , Willis James , Augustine Daniel Xavier
Published: January 2023

Immersion pulmonary oedema (IPE) is an under-reported and poorly understood phenomenon thought to be related to exercise-induced haemodynamic changes while submersed in water. Previous work has demonstrated reversible myocardial dysfunction during acute episodes. We present a case of IPE with concomitant, transient, left ventricular myocardial oedema characterised via MRI. This is a novel finding and may be evidence of left ventricular strain due to pressure overload or secondary to a subclinical myocarditis.
Delirium secondary to anticholinergics
Authors: Bellizzi Annalise , Mercieca Elyse , Dimech Catherine
Published: January 2023

We present a case of a young man who developed sudden deterioration in his physical and mental state whilst being treated as an inpatient for substance-induced psychosis. This deterioration was manifested by sudden disorientation, change in behaviour and visual hallucinations. It was only after excluding other potential causes that this presentation was attributed to the regular administration of procyclidine that was being used to counteract the extrapyramidal side effects from antipsychotics. The patient showed a dramatic improvement on stopping procyclidine. This case highlights the importance of awareness of rare adverse drug reactions and the resultant distressing effect for the patient himself.