bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laser-activable murine ferritin nanocage for chemo-photothermal therapy of colorectal cancer
Authors: Cheng Jinmei , Li Jiaxin , Yu Qilin , Li Peishan , Huang Junyi , Li Jinhui , Guan Leyang , Xu Zhiyong , Xiao Jisheng , Duan Xiaopin
Published: May 2024

Chemotherapy, as a conventional strategy for tumor therapy, often leads to unsatisfied therapeutic effect due to the multi-drug resistance and the serious side effects. Herein, we genetically engineered a thermal-responsive murine Ferritin (mHFn) to specifically deliver mitoxantrone (MTO, a chemotherapeutic and photothermal agent) to tumor tissue for the chemotherapy and photothermal combined therapy of colorectal cancer, thanks to the high affinity of mHFn to transferrin receptor that highly expressed on tumor cells. The thermal-sensitive channels on mHFn allowed the effective encapsulation of MTO in vitro and the laser-controlled release of MTO in vivo. Upon irradiation with a 660 nm laser, the raised temperature triggered the opening of the thermal-sensitive channel in mHFn nanocage, resulting in the controlled and rapid release of MTO. Consequently, a significant amount of reactive oxygen species was generated, causing mitochondrial collapse and tumor cell death. The photothermal-sensitive controlled release, low systemic cytotoxicity, and excellent synergistic tumor eradication ability in vivo made mHFn@MTO a promising candidate for chemo-photothermal combination therapy against colorectal cancer.

Graphical Abstract
The underbelly of E-cigarette advertising: regulating online markets on social media platforms
Authors: Lim Carmen C.W. , Sun Tianze , Vu Giang , Chan Gary C.K. , Leung Janni
Published: May 2024

Australia prohibits the sale of nicotine-vaping products unless prescribed by medical practitioners. Significant policy reforms were announced on the 28th of November 2023 including a ban on single-use disposable vapes with and without nicotine, and the removal of the personal importation scheme. Despite stringent regulations, loopholes exist such that e-cigarette vendors are getting around it, and online markets provide a route to do so. We discuss strategies used by vendors to covertly market e-cigarettes online through social media. In this perspective, we highlight three proposed policies to strengthen social media regulations that may be feasible to implement. Our proposed strategies to regulate e-cigarette product listings on social media involve implementing robust age verification measures, enhancing the system for flagging and reporting prohibited content, and developing a more effective system to identify and flag content related to e-cigarettes.
Ephs in cancer progression: complexity and context-dependent nature in signaling, angiogenesis and immunity
Authors: Guo Xiaoting , Yang Yanyi , Tang Jingqun , Xiang Juanjuan
Published: May 2024

Eph receptors constitute the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases, comprising 14 distinct members classified into two subgroups: EphAs and EphBs.. Despite their essential functions in normal physiological processes, accumulating evidence suggests that the involvement of the Eph family in cancer is characterized by a dual and often contradictory nature. Research indicates that Eph/ephrin bidirectional signaling influences cell–cell communication, subsequently regulating cell migration, adhesion, differentiation and proliferation. The contradictory functionalities may arise from the diversity of Eph signaling pathways and the heterogeneity of different cancer microenvironment. In this review, we aim to discuss the dual role of the Eph receptors in tumor development, attempting to elucidate the paradoxical functionality through an exploration of Eph receptor signaling pathways, angiogenesis, immune responses, and more. Our objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor development. Additionally, we will explore the evolving landscape of utilizing Eph receptors as potential targets for tumor therapy and diagnostic tools.
Deciphering the dual nature of nesfatin-1: a tale of zinc ion’s Janus-faced influence
Authors: Lenda Rafał , Zhukova Lilia , Ożyhar Andrzej , Bystranowska Dominika
Published: May 2024

Background

Nucleobindin-2 (Nucb2) and nesfatin-1 (N1) are widely distributed hormones that regulate numerous physiological processes, from energy homeostasis to carcinogenesis. However, the role of nesfatin-2 (N2), the second product of Nucb2 proteolytic processing, remains elusive. To elucidate the relationship between the structure and function of nesfatins, we investigated the properties of chicken and human homologs of N1, as well as a fragment of Nucb2 consisting of N1 and N2 conjoined in a head-to-tail manner (N1/2).

Results

Our findings indicate that Zn(II) sensing, in the case of N1, is conserved between chicken and human species. However, the data presented here reveal significant differences in the molecular features of the analyzed peptides, particularly in the presence of Zn(II). We demonstrated that Zn(II) has a Janus effect on the M30 region (a crucial anorexigenic core) of N1 and N1/2. In N1 homologs, Zn(II) binding results in the concealment of the M30 region driven by a disorder-to-order transition and adoption of the amyloid fold. In contrast, in N1/2 molecules, Zn(II) binding causes the exposure of the M30 region and its destabilization, resulting in strong exposure of the region recognized by prohormone convertases within the N1/2 molecule.

Conclusions

In conclusion, we found that Zn(II) binding is conserved between chicken and human N1. However, despite the high homology of chicken and human N1, their interaction modes with Zn(II) appear to differ. Furthermore, Zn(II) binding might be essential for regulating the function of nesfatins by spatiotemporally hindering the N1 anorexigenic M30 core and concomitantly facilitating N1 release from Nucb2.
ABI3BP promotes renal aging through Klotho-mediated ferroptosis
Authors: Ji Ren , Wei Lin , Zan Yuxin , Li Xiao , Ma Shinan , Ma Liming , He Xiju , Wang Li , Ding Yan
Published: May 2024

The aging process of the kidneys is accompanied with several structural diseases. Abnormal fiber formation disrupts the balance of kidney structure and function, causing to end-stage renal disease and subsequent renal failure. Despite this, the precise mechanism underlying renal damage in aging remains elusive. In this study, ABI3BP gene knockout mice were used to investigate the role of ABI3BP in renal aging induced by irradiation. The results revealed a significant increase in ABI3BP expression in HK2 cells and kidney tissue of aging mice, with ABI3BP gene knockout demonstrating a mitigating effect on radiation-induced cell aging. Furthermore, the study observed a marked decrease in Klotho levels and an increase in ferroptosis in renal tissue and HK2 cells following irradiation. Notably, ABI3BP gene knockout not only elevated Klotho expression but also reduced ferroptosis levels. A significant negative correlation between ABI3BP and Klotho was established. Further experiments demonstrated that Klotho knockdown alleviated the aging inhibition caused by ABI3BP downregulation. This study identifies the upregulation of ABI3BP in aged renal tubular epithelial cells, indicating a role in promoting ferroptosis and inducing renal aging by inhibiting Klotho expression.
Metabolism gene expression in worker honey bees after exposure to 50Hz electric field - semi-field analysis
Authors: Murawska Agnieszka , Migdał Paweł , Mating Moritz , Bieńkowski Paweł , Berbeć Ewelina , Einspanier Ralf
Published: May 2024

The investigation of the effects of artificial 50 Hz electric field (E-field) frequency on Apis mellifera is a relatively new field of research. Since the current literature focuses mainly on short-term effects, it is unknown whether E-fields have permanent effects on bees or whether their effects can be neutralized. In this study we assessed gene expression immediately after exposure to the E-field, as well as 7 days after exposure. The aim of this work was to identify potentially dysregulated gene transcripts in honey bees that correlate with exposure time and duration to E-fields.

Newly emerged bees were marked daily with a permanent marker (one color for each group). Then bees were exposed to the 50 Hz E-field with an intensity of 5.0 kV/m or 10.0 kV/m for 1–3 h. After exposure, half of the bees were analyzed for gene expression changes. The other half were transferred to a colony kept in a mini-hive. After 7 days, marked bees were collected from the mini-hive for further analysis. Six regulated transcripts were selected of transcripts involved in oxidative phosphorylation (COX5a) and transcripts involved in endocrine functions (HBG-3, ILP-1), mitochondrial inner membrane transport (TIM10), and aging (mRPL18, mRPS30).

Our study showed that in Apis mellifera the expression of selected genes is altered in different ways after exposure to 50 Hz electric fields -. Most of those expression changes in Cox5a, mRPL18, mRPS30, and HGB3, were measurable 7 days after a 1–3 h exposure. These results indicate that some E-field effects may be long-term effects on honey bees due to E-field exposure, and they can be observed 7 days after exposure.
Uncertainty estimation- and attention-based semi-supervised models for automatically delineate clinical target volume in CBCT images of breast cancer
Authors: Wang Ziyi , Cao Nannan , Sun Jiawei , Zhang Heng , Zhang Sai , Ding Jiangyi , Xie Kai , Gao Liugang , Ni Xinye
Published: May 2024

Objectives

Accurate segmentation of the clinical target volume (CTV) of CBCT images can observe the changes of CTV during patients' radiotherapy, and lay a foundation for the subsequent implementation of adaptive radiotherapy (ART). However, segmentation is challenging due to the poor quality of CBCT images and difficulty in obtaining target volumes. An uncertainty estimation- and attention-based semi-supervised model called residual convolutional block attention-uncertainty aware mean teacher (RCBA-UAMT) was proposed to delineate the CTV in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of breast cancer automatically.

Methods

A total of 60 patients who undergone radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery were enrolled in this study, which involved 60 planning CTs and 380 CBCTs. RCBA-UAMT was proposed by integrating residual and attention modules in the backbone network 3D UNet. The attention module can adjust channel and spatial weights of the extracted image features. The proposed design can train the model and segment CBCT images with a small amount of labeled data (5%, 10%, and 20%) and a large amount of unlabeled data. Four types of evaluation metrics, namely, dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Jaccard, average surface distance (ASD), and 95% Hausdorff distance (95HD), are used to assess the model segmentation performance quantitatively.

Results

The proposed method achieved average DSC, Jaccard, 95HD, and ASD of 82%, 70%, 8.93, and 1.49 mm for CTV delineation on CBCT images of breast cancer, respectively. Compared with the three classical methods of mean teacher, uncertainty-aware mean-teacher and uncertainty rectified pyramid consistency, DSC and Jaccard increased by 7.89–9.33% and 14.75–16.67%, respectively, while 95HD and ASD decreased by 33.16–67.81% and 36.05–75.57%, respectively. The comparative experiment results of the labeled data with different proportions (5%, 10% and 20%) showed significant differences in the DSC, Jaccard, and 95HD evaluation indexes in the labeled data with 5% versus 10% and 5% versus 20%. Moreover, no significant differences were observed in the labeled data with 10% versus 20% among all evaluation indexes. Therefore, we can use only 10% labeled data to achieve the experimental objective.

Conclusions

Using the proposed RCBA-UAMT, the CTV of breast cancer CBCT images can be delineated reliably with a small amount of labeled data. These delineated images can be used to observe the changes in CTV and lay the foundation for the follow-up implementation of ART.
Comparison of the biomechanical properties of grafts in three anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction techniques based on three-dimensional finite element analysis
Authors: Lou Jiawnag , Ma Qi , Zhao Xijiu , Wu Sha , Gao Hong , Zhang Wei , Zhao Baojing , Cai Xu
Published: May 2024

Objective

To evaluate the biomechanical characteristics of grafts from three different anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgeries and to determine which method is better at restoring knee joint stability.

Methods

A 31-year-old female volunteer was enrolled in the study. According to the magnetic resonance imaging of her left knee, a three-dimensional model consisting of the distal femur, proximal tibia and fibula, ACL, posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and lateral collateral ligament was established. Then, the ACL was removed from the original model to simulate the knee joint after ACL rupture. Based on the knee joint model without the ACL, single-bundle ACL reconstruction, double-bundle ACL reconstruction, and flat-tunnel ACL reconstruction were performed. The cross-sectional diameters of the grafts were equally set as 6 mm in the three groups. The bone tissues had a Young’s modulus of 17 GPa and a Poisson’s ratio of 0.36. The ligaments and grafts had a Young’s modulus of 390 MPa and a Poisson’s ratio of 0.4. Six probes were placed in an ACL or a graft to obtain the values of the equivalent stress, maximum principal stress, and maximum shear stress. After pulling the proximal tibia with a forward force of 134 N, the distance that the tibia moved and the stress distribution in the ACL or the graft, reflected by 30 mechanical values, were measured.

Results

The anterior tibial translation values were similar among the three groups, with the double-bundle ACL reconstruction group performing the best, followed closely by the patellar tendon ACL reconstruction group. In terms of stress distribution, 13 out of 30 mechanical values indicated that the grafts reconstructed by flat bone tunnels had better performance than the grafts in the other groups, while 12 out of 30 showed comparable outcomes, and 5 out of 30 had worse outcomes.

Conclusion

Compared with traditional single-bundle and double-bundle ACL reconstructions, flat-tunnel ACL reconstruction has advantages in terms of stress dispersion. Additionally, flat-tunnel ACL reconstruction falls between traditional double-bundle and single-bundle ACL reconstructions in terms of restoring knee joint stability and is superior to single-bundle ACL reconstruction.
Risk factors of chronic postoperative pain after total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review
Authors: Li Junfei , Guan Tingyu , Zhai Yue , Zhang Yuxia
Published: May 2024

Background

There is a lack of relevant studies to grade the evidence on the risk factors of chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and only quantitative methods are used for systematic evaluation. The review aimed to systematically identify risk factors of chronic postoperative pain following TKA and to evaluate the strength of the evidence underlying these correlations.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched from initiation to September 2023. Cohort studies, case-control studies, and cross-sectional studies involving patients undergoing total knee replacement were included. A semi-quantitative approach was used to grade the strength of the evidence-based on the number of investigations, the quality of the studies, and the consistency of the associations reported by the studies.

Results

Thirty-two articles involving 18,792 patients were included in the final systematic review. Ten variables were found to be strongly associated with postoperative pain, including Age, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities condition, preoperative pain, chronic widespread pain, preoperative adverse health beliefs, preoperative sleep disorders, central sensitization, preoperative anxiety, and preoperative function. Sixteen factors were identified as inconclusive evidence.

Conclusions

This systematic review clarifies which risk factors could be involved in future research on TKA pain management for surgeons and patients. It highlights those factors that have been controversial or weakly correlated, emphasizing the need for further high-quality studies to validate them. Most crucially, it can furnish clinicians with vital information regarding high-risk patients and their clinical attributes, thereby aiding in the development of preventive strategies to mitigate postoperative pain following TKA.

Trial registration

This systematic review has been registered on the PROSPERO platform (CRD42023444097).
mTOR mutation disrupts larval zebrafish tail fin regeneration via regulating proliferation of blastema cells and mitochondrial functions
Authors: Xiao Gongyi , Li Xiangwei , Yang Huiping , Zhang Ruobin , Huang Junlan , Tian Yu , Nie Mao , Sun Xianding
Published: May 2024

Background

The larval zebrafish tail fin can completely regenerate in 3 days post amputation. mTOR, the main regulator of cell growth and metabolism, plays an essential role in regeneration. Lots of studies have documented the role of mTOR in regeneration. However, the mechanisms involved are still not fully elucidated.

Materials and results

This study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of mTOR in the regeneration of larval zebrafish tail fins. Initially, the spatial and temporal expression of mTOR signaling in the larval fin was examined, revealing its activation following tail fin amputation. Subsequently, a mTOR knockout (mTOR-KO) zebrafish line was created using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. The investigation demonstrated that mTOR depletion diminished the proliferative capacity of epithelial and mesenchymal cells during fin regeneration, with no discernible impact on cell apoptosis. Insight from SMART-seq analysis uncovered alterations in the cell cycle, mitochondrial functions and metabolic pathways when mTOR signaling was suppressed during fin regeneration. Furthermore, mTOR was confirmed to enhance mitochondrial functions and Ca2 + activation following fin amputation. These findings suggest a potential role for mTOR in promoting mitochondrial fission to facilitate tail fin regeneration.

Conclusion

In summary, our results demonstrated that mTOR played a key role in larval zebrafish tail fin regeneration, via promoting mitochondrial fission and proliferation of blastema cells.
Unraveling the complex role of MAPT-containing H1 and H2 haplotypes in neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Pedicone Chiara , Weitzman Sarah A. , Renton Alan E. , Goate Alison M.
Published: May 2024

A ~ 1 Mb inversion polymorphism exists within the 17q21.31 locus of the human genome as direct (H1) and inverted (H2) haplotype clades. This inversion region demonstrates high linkage disequilibrium, but the frequency of each haplotype differs across ancestries. While the H1 haplotype exists in all populations and shows a normal pattern of genetic variability and recombination, the H2 haplotype is enriched in European ancestry populations, is less frequent in African ancestry populations, and nearly absent in East Asian ancestry populations. H1 is a known risk factor for several neurodegenerative diseases, and has been associated with many other traits, suggesting its importance in cellular phenotypes of the brain and entire body. Conversely, H2 is protective for these diseases, but is associated with predisposition to recurrent microdeletion syndromes and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Many single nucleotide variants and copy number variants define H1/H2 haplotypes and sub-haplotypes, but identifying the causal variant(s) for specific diseases and phenotypes is complex due to the extended linkage equilibrium. In this review, we assess the current knowledge of this inversion region regarding genomic structure, gene expression, cellular phenotypes, and disease association. We discuss recent discoveries and challenges, evaluate gaps in knowledge, and highlight the importance of understanding the effect of the 17q21.31 haplotypes to promote advances in precision medicine and drug discovery for several diseases.

Graphical Abstract
Prevalence of unhealthy behaviors and their associations with non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among Chinese adolescents
Authors: Lai Wenjian , Wu Herui , Yang Liwen , Chen Ruiying , Xin Zhiyao , Zhang Xiaojuan , Wang Wanxin , Guo Lan , Huang Guoliang , Lu Ciyong
Published: May 2024

Background

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors among adolescents have emerged as a significant public health concern worldwide, however, there is little investigation on the impact of unhealthy behaviors on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of seven unhealthy behaviors as well as their associations with NSSI, SI and SA, and to explore whether the aforementioned associations differ across sex.

Methods

A total of 74,152 adolescents were included in this study via a multi-stage, stratified cluster, random sampling method in 2021. Information about unhealthy behaviors (insufficient physical activity, current smoking, current drinking, excessive screen time, long homework time, insufficient sleep and unhealthy BMI), NSSI, SI, SA and other demographics was collected. Sampling weights were used to estimate the prevalence, and the weighted logistic regression models were performed. Stratified analyses by sex and sensitive analyses were conducted.

Results

Overview, the weighted prevalence of adolescents had more than five unhealthy behaviors were 5.2%, with boys showing a higher prevalence than girls (6.5% vs.3.8%). Current smoking, current drinking, excessive screen use, long homework time, insufficient sleep, and unhealthy BMI were significantly associated with NSSI, SI and SA. Moreover, adolescents with high lifestyle risk scores were associated with an increased risk of NSSI (5–7 vs. 0: OR 6.38, 95% CI 5.24–7.77), SI (5–7 vs. 0: OR 7.67, 95% CI 6.35–9.25), and SA (5–7 vs. 0: OR 9.57, 95% CI 6.95–13.17). Significant sex differences were found in the associations of unhealthy behaviors with NSSI, SI and SA.

Conclusion

Unhealthy behaviors are quite common among Chinese adolescents. Adolescents with multiple unhealthy behaviors are associated with increased risks of NSSI, SI, and SA. The implementation of school and family-based interventions to promote healthy lifestyles is recommended as a preventive measure against self-injurious behavior and suicidality in adolescents.
Biological basis of critical illness subclasses: from the bedside to the bench and back again
Authors: Stevens Joseph , Tezel Oğuzhan , Bonnefil Valentina , Hapstack Matthew , Atreya Mihir R.
Published: May 2024

Critical illness syndromes including sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and acute kidney injury (AKI) are associated with high in-hospital mortality and long-term adverse health outcomes among survivors. Despite advancements in care, clinical and biological heterogeneity among patients continues to hamper identification of efficacious therapies. Precision medicine offers hope by identifying patient subclasses based on clinical, laboratory, biomarker and ‘omic’ data and potentially facilitating better alignment of interventions. Within the previous two decades, numerous studies have made strides in identifying gene-expression based endotypes and clinico-biomarker based phenotypes among critically ill patients associated with differential outcomes and responses to treatment. In this state-of-the-art review, we summarize the biological similarities and differences across the various subclassification schemes among critically ill patients. In addition, we highlight current translational gaps, the need for advanced scientific tools, human-relevant disease models, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying critical illness subclasses.

Graphical abstract
Recent advances in bio-based production of top platform chemical, succinic acid: an alternative to conventional chemistry
Authors: Kumar Vinod , Kumar Pankaj , Maity Sunil K. , Agrawal Deepti , Narisetty Vivek , Jacob Samuel , Kumar Gopalakrishnan , Bhatia Shashi Kant , Kumar Dinesh , Vivekanand Vivekanand
Published: May 2024

Succinic acid (SA) is one of the top platform chemicals with huge applications in diverse sectors. The presence of two carboxylic acid groups on the terminal carbon atoms makes SA a highly functional molecule that can be derivatized into a wide range of products. The biological route for SA production is a cleaner, greener, and promising technological option with huge potential to sequester the potent greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. The recycling of renewable carbon of biomass (an indirect form of CO2), along with fixing CO2 in the form of SA, offers a carbon-negative SA manufacturing route to reduce atmospheric CO2 load. These attractive attributes compel a paradigm shift from fossil-based to microbial SA manufacturing, as evidenced by several commercial-scale bio-SA production in the last decade. The current review article scrutinizes the existing knowledge and covers SA production by the most efficient SA producers, including several bacteria and yeast strains. The review starts with the biochemistry of the major pathways accumulating SA as an end product. It discusses the SA production from a variety of pure and crude renewable sources by native as well as engineered strains with details of pathway/metabolic, evolutionary, and process engineering approaches for enhancing TYP (titer, yield, and productivity) metrics. The review is then extended to recent progress on separation technologies to recover SA from fermentation broth. Thereafter, SA derivatization opportunities via chemo-catalysis are discussed for various high-value products, which are only a few steps away. The last two sections are devoted to the current scenario of industrial production of bio-SA and associated challenges, along with the author's perspective.
Characterization of novel extracellular proteases produced by Acanthamoeba castellanii after contact with human corneal epithelial cells and their relevance to pathogenesis
Authors: Loufouma-Mbouaka Alvie , Martín-Pérez Tania , Köhsler Martina , Danisman Zeynep , Schwarz Maya , Mazumdar Rounik , Samba-Louaka Ascel , Walochnik Julia
Published: May 2024

Background

Proteases produced by Acanthamoeba spp. play an important role in their virulence and may be the key to understanding Acanthamoeba pathogenesis; thus, increasing attention has been directed towards these proteins. The present study aimed to investigate the lytic factors produced by Acanthamoeba castellanii during the first hours of in vitro co-culture with human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs).

Methods

We used one old and one recent Acanthamoeba isolate, both from patients with severe keratitis, and subsets of these strains with enhanced pathogenic potential induced by sequential passaging over HCEC monolayers. The proteolytic profiles of all strains and substrains were examined using 1D in-gel zymography.

Results

We observed the activity of additional proteases (ranging from 33 to 50 kDa) during the early interaction phase between amoebae and HCECs, which were only expressed for a short time. Based on their susceptibilities to protease inhibitors, these proteases were characterized as serine proteases. Protease activities showed a sharp decline after 4 h of co-incubation. Interestingly, the expression of Acanthamoeba mannose-binding protein did not differ between amoebae in monoculture and those in co-culture. Moreover, we observed the activation of matrix metalloproteinases in HCECs after contact with Acanthamoeba.

Conclusions

This study revealed the involvement of two novel serine proteases in Acanthamoeba pathogenesis and suggests a pivotal role of serine proteases during Acanthamoeba-host cell interaction, contributing to cell adhesion and lysis.

Graphical Abstract
Effects of HIIT training and HIIT combined with circuit resistance training on measures of physical fitness, miRNA expression, and metabolic risk factors in overweight/obese middle-aged women
Authors: Pashaei Zhaleh , Malandish Abbas , Alipour Shahriar , Jafari Afshar , Laher Ismail , Hackney Anthony C. , Suzuki Katsuhiko , Granacher Urs , Saeidi Ayoub , Zouhal Hassane
Published: May 2024

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 10 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and HIIT combined with circuit resistance training (HCRT) on selected measures of physical fitness, the expression of miR-9, -15a, -34a, -145, and − 155 as well as metabolic risk factors including lipid profiles and insulin resistance in middle-aged overweight/obese women.

Methods

Twenty-seven overweight/obese women aged 35–50 yrs. were randomized to HIIT (n = 14) or HCRT (n = 13) groups. The HIIT group performed running exercises (5 reps x 4 min per session) with active recovery between repetitions for 10 weeks with 5 weekly sessions. The HCRT group performed 10 weeks of HIIT and resistance training with 3 weekly HIIT sessions and 2 weekly HCRT sessions. Anthropometric measures (e.g., body mass), selected components of physical fitness (cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength), levels of miRNAs (miR-9, -15a, -34a, -145, and − 155), lipid profiles (total cholesterol; TC, Triglycerides; TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL-C), and insulin resistance; HOMA-IR index, were measured at baseline and week 10.

Results

An ANOVA analysis indicated no significant group by time interactions (p > 0.05) for all anthropometric measures, and maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max). A significant group by time interaction, however, was found for the one-repetition maximum (IRM; p < 0.001, ES= 0.751 , moderate). A post-hoc test indicated an increase in the pre-to-post mean 1RM for HCRT (p = 0.001, ES = 1.83, large). There was a significant group by time interaction for miR-155 (p = 0.05, ES = 0.014, trivial). Levels for miR-155 underwent pre-to-post HIIT increases (p = 0.045, ES = 1.232, large). Moreover, there were also significant group by time interactions for TC (p = 0.035, ES = 0.187, trivial), TG (p < 0.001, ES = 0.586, small), LDL-C (p = 0.029, ES = 0.200, small) and HDL-C (p = 0.009, ES = 0.273, small). Post-hoc tests indicated pre-post HCRT decreases for TC (p = 0.001, ES = 1.44, large) and HDL-C (p = 0.001, ES = 1.407, large). HIIT caused pre-to-post decreases in TG (p = 0.001, ES = 0.599, small), and LDL-C (p = 0.001, ES = 0.926, moderate).

Conclusions

Both training regimes did not improve cardiovascular fitness. But, HCRT improved lower/upper limb muscle strength, and HIIT resulted in an increase in miR-155 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Furthermore, HIIT and HCRT each improved selected metabolic risk factors including lipid profiles and glucose and insulin metabolism in overweight/obese middle-aged women.

Trial registration

OSF, October, 4th 2023. Registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/UZ92E. osf.io/tc5ky. “Retrospectively registered”.
Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are associated with a reduced mortality in nursing home residents with dementia: a longitudinal observational study
Authors: Havreng-Théry Charlotte , Oquendo Bruno , Zolnowski-Kolp Victoria , Krolak-Salmon Pierre , Bertin-Hugault François , Lafuente-Lafuente Carmelo , Belmin Joël
Published: May 2024

Background

A large proportion of nursing home (NH) residents suffer from dementia and effects of conventional anti-dementia drugs on their health is poorly known. We aimed to investigate the associations between exposure to anti-dementia drugs and mortality among NH residents.

Methods

This retrospective longitudinal observational study involved 229 French NH and the residents admitted in these facilities since 2014 and having major neurocognitive disorder. From their electronic health records, we obtained their age, sex, level of dependency, Charlson comorbidity index, and Mini mental examination score at admission. Exposure to anti-dementia drugs was determined using their prescription into 4 categories: none, exposure to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) alone, exposure to memantine alone, exposure to AChEI and memantine. Survival until the end of 2019 was studied in the entire cohort by Cox proportional hazards. To alleviate bias related to prescription of anti-dementia drugs, we formed propensity-score matched cohorts for each type of anti-dementia drug exposure, and studied survival by the same method.

Results

We studied 25,358 NH residents with major neurocognitive disorder. Their age at admission was 87.1 + 7.1 years and 69.8% of them were women. Exposure to anti-dementia drugs occurred in 2,550 (10.1%) for AChEI alone, in 2,055 (8.1%) for memantine alone, in 460 (0.2%) for AChEI plus memantine, whereas 20,293 (80.0%) had no exposure to anti-dementia drugs. Adjusted hazard ratios for mortality were significantly reduced for these three groups exposed to anti-dementia drugs, as compared to reference group: HR: 0.826, 95%CI 0.769 to 0.888 for AChEI; 0.857, 95%CI 0.795 to 0.923 for memantine; 0.742, 95%CI 0.640 to 0.861 for AChEI plus memantine. Results were consistent in propensity-score matched cohorts.

Conclusion

The use of conventional anti-dementia drugs is associated with a lower mortality in nursing home residents with dementia and should be widely used in this population.
Improving power efficiency in 6G wireless communication networks through reconfigurable intelligent surfaces for different phase information
Authors: Rad Amin Mahmoudi , Pourrostam Jafar , Tinati Mohammad Ali
Published: May 2024

With increasing needs for high-bitrate, ultra-reliability, spectral efficiency, power efficiency, and reducing latency in the wireless network, global studies on the sixth generation of this network began in 2020. In this paper, we will look at intelligent reconfigurable surface structure and its application in new promising physical layer technologies, such as terahertz communications and UM-MIMO systems, to support very high-bitrate and superior network capacity in the 6G wireless communications. However, terahertz communications and UM-MIMO systems are the primary research points and confront many challenges for practical implementation. They require many RF chains and create problems in terms of cost and hardware complexity which RIS can simplify hardware and reduce cost. Therefore, we will present different modeling of wireless communication systems based on RIS for different phase information. Simulation results obtained by examining SNR performance and the error probability that shows the improvement of the received signal quality. According to results, RIS-based wireless communications can become an optimized model for future wireless communication systems.
Can commodity prices predict stock market returns? The case of dry bulk shipping companies
Authors: Melas Konstantinos D. , Michail Nektarios A.
Published: May 2024

We explore the relationship between the returns of 45 dry bulk shipping company stock prices and the main 15 commodities that bulk carriers transport. Using a principal component analysis to reduce the dimensionality of the commodities dataset and a panel methodology, we find that a change in the commodity price principal component would result in a 0.6% change in the returns of the shipping stock prices. Minerals appear to have a stronger impact, as a 1% change in the minerals principal component results in a 1.1% change in the returns. This is mainly due to the fact that minerals account for larger trade volumes in the dry bulk market and they employ mostly bigger vessels, while the price of Brent oil is also an important factor affecting shipping stock prices.
Insect live larvae as a new nutritional model in duck: effects on gut health
Authors: Colombino Elena , Gariglio Marta , Biasato Ilaria , Ferrocino Ilario , Pozzo Sara , Fragola Emma , Battisti Elena , Zanet Stefania , Ferroglio Ezio , Capucchio Maria Teresa , Schiavone Achille
Published: May 2024

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the effects ofHermetia illucens(Black soldier fly-BSF) andTenebrio molitor(Yellow mealworm-YMW) live larvae as a new nutritional model on duck’s gut health, considering gut histomorphometry, mucin composition, cytokines transcription levels, and microbiota. A total of 126, 3-days-old, females Muscovy ducks were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments (6 replicates/treatment, 7 birds/pen): (i) C: basal diet; (ii) BSF: C + BSF live larvae; (iii) YMW: C + YMW live larvae. BSF and YMW live larvae were administered on top of the basal diet, based on the 5% of the expected daily feed intake. The live weight, average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio were evaluated for the whole experimental period. On day 52, 12 ducks/treatment (2 birds/replicate) were slaughtered and samples of duodenum, jejunum, ileum, spleen, liver, thymus and bursa of Fabricius were collected for histomorphometry. Mucin composition was evaluated in the small intestine through histochemical staining while jejunal MUC-2 and cytokines transcription levels were evaluated by rt-qPCR. Cecal microbiota was also analyzed by means of 16 S rRNA gene sequencing.

Results

Birds’ growth performance and histomorphometry were not influenced by diet, with a proximo-distal decreasing gradient from duodenum to ileum (p < 0.001), respecting the physiological gut development. Mucin staining intensity and MUC-2 gene expression did not vary among dietary treatments, even though mucin intensity increased from duodenum to ileum, according to normal gut mucus physiology (p < 0.001). Regarding local immune response, IL-6 was higher in YMW group when compared to the other groups (p = 0.009). Insect live larvae did not affect cecal microbiota diversity, but BSF and YMW groups showed a higher presence ofHelicobacter,Elusimicrobium, andSuccinatimonasand a lower abundance of Coriobacteriaceae andPhascolarctobacteriumcompared to C birds (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The use of BSF and YMW live larvae as new nutritional model did not impair gut development and mucin composition of Muscovy ducks, but slightly improved the intestinal immune status and the microbiota composition by enhancing regulatory cytokine IL-6 and by increasing minor Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) involved in short-chain fatty acids production.
A high-quality haplotype genome of Michelia alba DC reveals differences in methylation patterns and flower characteristics
Authors: Jiang Sirong , Zou Meiling , Zhang Chenji , Ma wanfeng , Xia Chengcai , Li Zixuan , Zhao Long , Liu Qi , Yu Fen , Huang Dongyi , Xia Zhiqiang
Published: May 2024

Michelia alba DC is a highly valuable ornamental plant of the Magnoliaceae family. This evergreen tropical tree commonly grows in Southeast Asia and is adored for its delightful fragrance. Our study assembled the M. alba haplotype genome MC and MM by utilizing Nanopore ultralong reads, Pacbio Hifi long reads and parental second-generation data. Moreover, the first methylation map of Magnoliaceae was constructed based on the methylation site data obtained using Nanopore data. Metabolomic datasets were generated from the flowers of three different species to assess variations in pigment and volatile compound accumulation. Finally, transcriptome data were generated to link genomic, methylation, and morphological patterns to reveal the reasons underlying the differences between M. alba and its parental lines in petal color, flower shape, and fragrance. We found that the AP1 and AP2 genes are crucial in M. alba petal formation, while the 4CL, PAL, and C4H genes control petal color. The data generated in this study serve as a foundation for future physiological and biochemical research on M. alba, facilitate the targeted improvement of M. alba varieties, and offer a theoretical basis for molecular research on Michelia L.
SelfMixed: Self-supervised mixed noise attenuation for distributed acoustic sensing data
Authors: Xu Zitai , Wu Bangyu , Luo Yisi , Yang Liuqing , Chen Yangkang
Published: May 2024

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is an emerging data acquisition technique known for its high sensing density, cost effectiveness, and environmental friendliness, making it a technology with significant future application potential in many fields. However, DAS signals are often contaminated by various types of noise, such as high-frequency, high-amplitude erratic, and horizontal noise, making their processing challenging. Therefore, it is crucial to leverage the physical characteristics of these diverse types of noise in DAS data and effectively attenuate them. In this work, we develop SelfMixed, a novel self-supervised learning method for mixed noise suppression of DAS data. We fully exploit the physical characteristics of different types of noise in DAS data and introduce a physical characteristic-based training strategy. Specifically, we use the [Formula: see text] norm to characterize random noise, the [Formula: see text] norm for erratic noise, and horizontal smoothness and vertical nonsmoothness for horizontal noise. In addition, we use a blind-spot-based training strategy for DAS denoising, relying solely on observed noisy data. To more effectively attenuate horizontal noise, we also introduce a Fourier transform-based parameterization method. By combining self-supervised deep priors with the physical characteristics of mixed DAS noise, our method effectively attenuates complex mixed noise in field DAS data. Extensive experiments on synthetic and field data from various geographic scenarios validate the superiority of SelfMixed over seven state-of-the-art DAS denoising approaches.
Polarization analysis and filtering of undersampled 3C seismic data in the frequency-slowness domain
Authors: Sánchez-Galvis Ivan J. , Agudelo William , Trad Daniel O. , Sierra Daniel
Published: May 2024

Polarization filters have emerged as a useful tool for coherent noise denoising in multicomponent seismic data. By exploiting the polarization properties of seismic waves, these filters can significantly improve wave-type separation, which is a crucial step in seismic data processing. However, their effectiveness in land seismic data in complex areas can be impacted by the presence of scattering noise, and their applicability is limited by irregular spatial sampling, which hinders velocity information for wave-type discrimination. To address these limitations, we introduce a novel two-step method for distinguishing and separating polarized wave types in shot gathers captured from a spatially undersampled linear array of 3C vector sensors. The first step involves conducting a polarization analysis in the frequency-slowness domain using elliptical elements derived from the linear Radon transform of the seismic data. The second step isolates specific polarized waves using the 3C frequency-slowness polarization filter (3C-FSPF), a technique that uses tailored taper functions based on polarization analysis. Our method stands out from single-station filters that cannot use velocity information for wave-type discrimination and existing multistation filters that require regularly sampled data. To evaluate our method, comprehensive tests are conducted on synthetic and real data. The results consistently demonstrate the effectiveness of 3C-FSPF in separating diverse polarized wave types under conditions of irregular and sparse spatial sampling and noise. Our findings underscore the potential of this method for advancing exploration geophysics by enhancing the quality of seismic data, particularly in land regions with complex near-surface structures.
Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) vs chemotherapy (CT) in previously treated inoperable or metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR+/HER2–) breast cancer (BC): Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from the TROPION-Breast01 study.
Authors: Pernas Sonia , Im Seock-Ah , Hattori Masaya , Xu Binghe , Wang Shusen , Lu Yen-Shen , Borges Giuliano , Tsurutani Junji , Jhaveri Komal L. , Zhang Qingyuan , De Laurentiis Michelino , Martinez-Jañez Noelia , Hamilton Erika P. , Rugo Hope S. , Kalinsky Kevin , Tolaney Sara M. , Shi Lei , Khan Sabrina Sharmin , Zhu Yanyan , Bardia Aditya
Published: May 2024

1006

Background: In the primary analysis of the Phase 3 TROPION-Breast01 study (NCT05104866), Dato-DXd showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival vs investigator’s choice of CT (ICC) (HR 0.63 [95% CI 0.52‒0.76]; p<0.0001) (Bardia et al, ESMO 2023). Here we report PROs from TROPION-Breast01. Methods: Patients with inoperable or metastatic HR+/HER2‒ BC, with disease progression on endocrine therapy and for whom endocrine therapy was unsuitable and who had received 1‒2 prior lines of systemic CT, were randomized 1:1 to Dato-DXd (6 mg/kg Q3W, n=365) or ICC (eribulin/vinorelbine/capecitabine/gemcitabine, n=367). PROs were measured at prespecified timepoints, including secondary PRO endpoints of time to deterioration (TTD) in global health status (GHS)/QoL, physical functioning, and pain based on EORTC QLQ-C30, and exploratory PRO endpoints based on additional questionnaires. Results: PRO questionnaire compliance was 82.5% at baseline in both arms and remained similar across arms over time. TTD was delayed in Dato-DXd vs ICC arms for all secondary endpoints. In an analysis of time to first deterioration (primary analysis), median TTD (HR [95% CI]) in GHS/QoL was 3.4 vs 2.1 months (0.85 [0.68–1.06]), physical functioning was 5.6 vs 3.5 months (0.77 [0.61–0.99]), and pain was 3.5 vs 2.8 months (0.85 [0.68–1.07]); in an analysis of time to confirmed deterioration (sensitivity analysis), median TTD in GHS/QoL was 9.0 vs 4.8 months (0.76 [0.58–0.98]), physical functioning was 12.5 vs 6.2 months (0.77 [0.59–1.01]), and pain was 9.0 vs 5.5 months (0.72 [0.55–0.94]). The Table shows TTD in other selected functioning and symptom scales from EORTC. Patient-reported symptomatic AEs (measured by PRO-CTCAE and EORTC) were generally consistent with clinician-reported safety data, and patient-reported treatment tolerability (measured by PGI-TT) was comparable between arms. Conclusions: In TROPION-Breast01, TTD was delayed in the Dato-DXd vs ICC arms for GHS/QoL, physical functioning, pain, and most other symptoms and functioning scales. PRO data complement the improvement in efficacy and manageable safety profile demonstrated with Dato-DXd vs ICC in the primary analysis, supporting Dato-DXd as a potential new, well tolerated therapeutic option in this setting. Clinical trial information: NCT05104866 . [Table: see text]