bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of follicle-to-oocyte index and clinical pregnancy in IVF treatment: A retrospective study of 4,323 fresh embryo transfer cycles
Authors: Li Peiyi , Chen Zhiyun
Published: October 2022

Objective

The aim of this study is to investigate whether the follicle-to-oocyte index [FOI: (number of retrieved oocytes/antral follicle count) × 100] was associated with clinical pregnancy after fresh cleavage transfer.

Design

The framework used to organize this study is retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting

The study was performed in a single in vitro fertilization center in a public hospital.

Patients

In total, 4,323 fresh embryo transfer cycles from 1 August 2011 to 31 January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Data were designated into three groups according to FOI tertile values.

Interventions

There are no interventions in this study.

Main outcome measure

The primary outcome measure is the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR).

Results

A total of 4,323 patients were included in the study. According to their FOI, patients were divided into low (FOI ≤ 0.70, n = 1,434), medium (FOI = 0.71–0.95, n = 1,070), and high (FOI = 0.96–1.00, n = 1,819) tertile groups. A significant statistical increase in the CPR from the lowest to the highest tertile FOI group was detected (47.28%, 51.78%, and 51.57%; P =0.026). After adjusted for potential confounders, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a positive association between FOI and CPR [odds ratio (OR) = 1.57; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18–2.11]. Each standard deviation increments in FOI (SD = 0.24) corresponded to a 20% increase in the CPR. Trend analysis also showed that FOI tertile groups were positively associated with CPR (P for trend = 0.010). Smooth curve fitting indicated the existence of a linear relationship across the entire range of FOI. No optimal cutoff value of FOI for prognosing CPR was found in smooth curve fitting analysis. Moreover, subgroup analyses suggested that the association was significantly stronger in the single cleavage transfer cycle (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.14–3.65).

Conclusions

FOI is an independent variable in prediction for CPR in fresh embryo transfer cycle, especially in the single cleavage transfer cycle.
Best practices for incremental capacity analysis
Authors: Dubarry Matthieu , Anseán David
Published: October 2022

This publication will present best practices for incremental capacity analysis, a technique whose popularity is growing year by year because of its ability to identify battery degradation modes for diagnosis and prognosis. While not complicated in principles, the analysis can often feel overwhelming for newcomers because of contradictory information introduced by ill-analyzed datasets. This work aims to summarize and centralize good practices to provide a strong baseline to start a proper analysis. We will provide general comments on the technique and how to avoid the main pitfalls. We will also discuss the best starting points for the most common battery chemistries such as layered oxides, iron phosphate, spinel or blends for positive electrodes and graphite, silicon oxide, or lithium titanate for negative electrodes. Finally, a set of complete synthetic degradation maps for the most common commercially available chemistries will be provided and discussed to serve as guide for future studies.
Carbon dioxide flux in the drained drawdown areas of Three Gorges Reservoir
Authors: Yang Le , Lu Hao , Yu Xuefang , Li Hepeng
Published: October 2022

A huge amount of CO2 emissions from the drained drawdown areas of reservoirs overturns the previous results in carbon budget. Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) has a large drawdown area, which accounts for nearly one third of the total area of the TGR. However, the total CO2 emissions from the TGR drawdown area have seldom been estimated by far. To demonstrate the contribution of CO2 emissions from the TGR drawdown areas, the study measured CO2 emissions from the downstream part of the TGR drawdown areas by the chamber method, and synthesized CO2 emissions from the other parts of TGR drawdown areas. Both the diel and seasonal variation indicated that CO2 emission fluxes were significantly higher in the drained season than in the flooded season. The average CO2 emission flux in the drained season was about 1.7 times higher than that in the inundated season in our experiments, and the ratio increased to 4.8 times when other available data was added. CO2 emission flux in the drained season was positively correlated with air temperature, soil temperature at 5 cm depth, soil water content, organic carbon, and soil nitrate nitrogen, but negatively correlated with elevations. CO2 emission from the TGR drawdown area was estimated to be 342.67–495.96 Gg yr−1 in the drained season, and offset about 80% of carbon fixation by vegetation in the TGR drawdown area. Therefore, CO2 emission from the drained soils should be included in the carbon budget of reservoir systems, especially for these reservoirs with a large drawdown area.
Impact of airport operations and road traffic on the particle number concentration in the vicinity of a suburban airport
Authors: Fritz Sabine , Grusdat Felix , Sharkey Rowan , Schneider Christoph
Published: October 2022

The impact of airports on ambient air pollution is a major concern due to its impact on public health. This study analyzes the sub-micron total particle number concentration (PNC) as a proxy for ultrafine particles in the immediate vicinity of Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL) based on a mobile measurement campaign in summer 2019. With predominantly westerly winds, 45 measurement runs took place along a 20–30 km route to the east of the airport. The highlights of the study are as follows: 1. Berlin-Tegel Airport had a distinct but a spatially limited impact on the residential areas to the east of the airport. 2. Particle number concentrations in the lee of the airport are significantly higher than the mean of the entire area. 3. Locations along the eastward extension of the runways are significantly more affected than those outside the approach corridor. 4. The impact of airport operations on PNC in the adjacent neighborhood is comparable to the combined impact of busy roads in the area. The closure of Berlin-Tegel Airport at the end of 2020 should have considerably improved the air quality in the residential areas in the close vicinity of the airport.
Seasonal variability of CO2, CH4, and N2O content and fluxes in small agricultural reservoirs of the northern Great Plains
Authors: Jensen Sydney A. , Webb Jackie R. , Simpson Gavin L. , Baulch Helen M. , Leavitt Peter R. , Finlay Kerri
Published: October 2022

Inland waters are important global sources, and occasional sinks, of CO2, CH4, and N2O to the atmosphere, but relatively little is known about the contribution of GHGs of constructed waterbodies, particularly small sites in agricultural regions that receive large amounts of nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus). Here, we quantify the magnitude and controls of diffusive CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes from 20 agricultural reservoirs on seasonal and diel timescales. All gases exhibited consistent seasonal trends, with CO2 concentrations highest in spring and fall and lowest in mid-summer, CH4 highest in mid-summer, and N2O elevated in spring following ice-off. No discernible diel trends were observed for GHG content. Analyses of GHG covariance with potential regulatory factors were conducted using generalized additive models (GAMs) that revealed CO2 concentrations were affected primarily by factors related to benthic respiration, including dissolved oxygen (DO), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), stratification strength, and water source (as δ18Owater). In contrast, variation in CH4 content was correlated positively with factors that favoured methanogenesis, and so varied inversely with DO, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and conductivity (a proxy for sulfate content), and positively with DIN, DOC, and temperature. Finally, N2O concentrations were driven mainly by variation in reservoir mixing (as buoyancy frequency), and were correlated positively with DO, SRP, and DIN levels and negatively with pH and stratification strength. Estimates of mean CO2-eq flux during the open-water period ranged from 5,520 mmol m−2 year1 (using GAM-predictions) to 10,445 mmol m−2 year−1 (using interpolations of seasonal data) reflecting how extreme values were extrapolated, with true annual flux rates likely falling between these two estimates.
Effect of kinetics on the photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen and the distribution of major intermediate with anatase-Ag synthesized by sol gel under visible irradiation
Authors: Aguilar Claudia A. , de la Cruz Alberto , Montalvo Carlos , Ruiz-Marín Alejandro , Oros-Ruiz Socorro , Figueroa-Ramírez Sandra J. , Abatal Mohamed , Anguebes Francisco , Córdova-Quiroz Victor
Published: October 2022

The degradation of acetaminophen (ACET) was studied with TiO2-Ag catalysts, whose predominant crystalline phase was anatase, synthesized by the sol–gel method and doped by photo-deposition under UV radiation with silver particles. The catalyst was characterized by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and X-ray diffraction (DRX). The acetaminophen degradation was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and total organic carbon (TOC). The reaction behavior was studied under the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH-HW) equation and in a TOC-based model. With the experimental data, mass balances were performed to introduce the constants (reaction and adsorption kinetics) to the LH-HW equation. With the analysis of the generation and consumption behavior of the organic intermediate compounds (OI), coupled differential equations were generated, which express the degradation and formation-consumption behavior. The kinetic constants were obtained by nonlinear regression using the Levenberg–Marquardt equation. The results show high removal percentages, and the behavior of the experimental data is assumed to fit the LH-HW equation. The analysis of the organic intermediates by solid phase micro-extraction (SPE), HPLC and gas chromatography (CG-MS), shows that the transformation is feasible under the formation of nitro-aromatic derivatives and hydroxylated species.
Climate change and management of biofilms within drinking water distribution systems
Authors: Calero Preciado C. , Soria-Carrasco V. , Boxall J. , Douterelo I.
Published: October 2022

Climate change will increase the temperature of water in our drinking-water distribution systems, impacting the biofilms that grow in these vast infrastructure systems and hence the quality and safety of drinking water at the tap. Using a full-scale laboratory-controlled facility, we studied the impact of such temperature increase and the impacts of different control strategies. Our results show that increasing the temperature from 16 to 24°C changed the biofilm community structure and increased the potential for discoloration. Interventions of flushing only or flushing supplemented with hyperchlorination showed a similar reduction in discoloration potential and reduced the abundance of microorganisms that can compromise water quality and safety such as the bacteria Flavobacterium or Sphingobium and the fungi Fusarium and Cladosporium. However, there was no difference between the interventions, suggesting no benefit from adding hyperchlorination. This study provides useful understanding to inform strategies for managing biofilms within chlorinated HDPE DWDS, understanding and mitigating the impact of increasing temperature due to climate change.
Combining catastrophe technique and regression analysis to deduce leading landscape patterns for regional flood vulnerability: A case study of Nanjing, China
Authors: Xue Jiefu , Yan Jun , Chen Chen
Published: October 2022

Urbanization leads to changes in land use, and the expansion of impervious surfaces leads to an increase in flood vulnerability. Predicting and analyzing these landscape pattern changes are important in the early stages of urban planning. In practice, the threshold for obtaining comprehensive and detailed hydrological and meteorological data is high, which makes it difficult for landscape and urban planners to quickly evaluate urban floods. To compensate for these trends, we took Nanjing, China, as the study site and discussed the leading flood vulnerability landscape patterns based on quantitative assessments. We introduced catastrophe theory to integrate three indicators and seven subfactors for flood vulnerability assessment: exposure, including precipitation; sensitivity, including elevation, slope, soil and drainage density; and adaptability, including land use and forest coverage. Then, we calculated the landscape pattern metrics (shape index, fractal dimension index, related circumscribing circle, contiguity index and landscape division index) at the class level. Finally, we divided the city into four subregions, established regression models for the subregions and the whole city, and deduced the leading flood vulnerability landscape patterns in each region and the whole city. We found that the leading landscape patterns varied among different regions. According to the research results, the landscape pattern indexes identified in this paper can be interpreted intuitively, which can provide a reference for modifying the planning layout of regional green infrastructure, optimizing the vulnerability of urban floods, and providing a basis for further improving Nanjing urban planning and alleviating the urban flood vulnerability. The methods proposed herein also will benefit land use and green infrastructure management in other regions lacking meteorological and hydrological data.
Karst tiankeng create a unique habitat for the survival of soil microbes: Evidence from ecoenzymatic stoichiometry
Authors: Jiang Cong , Li Hui , Zeng Hui
Published: October 2022

Clarifying the soil microbial metabolism and resource limitations could help to understand the functions and processes of aboveground ecosystems, as well as to predict ecosystem stability under global climate change. Karst tiankeng is a kind of large-scale negative surface terrain on the surface which is similar to an oasis in degraded karst landscapes, but their soil microbial resource limitations still unclear. In this study, we evaluated and compared the soil microbial resource limitation in non-degraded tiankeng (NDT), moderately degraded tiankeng (MDT), heavily degraded tiankeng (HDT), and outside tiankeng (OT) by calculating soil ecoenzymatic stoichiometry. Overall, soil microbial communities were more limited by C and P in karst tiankeng ecosystem. The soil microbial C and P limitations significantly differed with the karst tiankeng degradation increased, and the lowest C and P limitations were observed in NDT. The higher microbial C and P limitations were observed in OT. Linear regression and redundancy analysis indicated that soil microbial C and P limitations were significantly influenced by soil nutrients. Karst tiankeng degradation influence the biogeochemical cycle and function of karst tiankeng systems. Our results highlight that karst tiankeng (especially the NDT) can provide a stable habitat for the survival of microorganisms in karst areas. Karst tiankeng is essential for regional ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation.
Identification and validation of a hypoxia-immune signature for overall survival prediction in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Yong , Huang Huiqin , Jiang Meichen , Yu Nanding , Ye Xiangli , Huang Zhenghui , Chen Limin
Published: October 2022

Objective: The interaction between immunity and hypoxia in tumor microenvironment (TME) has clinical significance, and this study aims to explore immune-hypoxia related biomarkers in LUAD to guide accurate prognosis of patients.

Methods: The LUAD gene expression dataset was downloaded from GEO and TCGA databases. The immune-related genes and hypoxia-related genes were acquired from ImmPort and MSigDB databases, respectively. Genes related to immune and hypoxia in LUAD were obtained by intersection. The significantly prognostic genes in LUAD were obtained by LASSO and Cox regression analyses and a prognostic model was constructed. Kaplan-Meier and receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to evaluate and validate model reliability. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were employed to analyze immune cell infiltration and pathway differences between high- and low-risk groups. Nomogram and calibration curves for survival curve and clinical features were drawn to measure prognostic value of the model.

Results: The prognosis model of LUAD was constructed based on seven immune-hypoxia related genes: S100P, S100A16, PGK1, TNFSF11, ARRB1, NCR3, and TSLP. Survival analysis revealed a poor prognosis in high-risk group. ssGSEA result suggested that activities of immune cells in high-risk group was remarkably lower than in low-risk group, and GSVA result showed that immune-related pathway was notably activated in low-risk group.

Conclusion: Immune-hypoxia related genes were found to be prognostic biomarkers for LUAD patients, based on which a 7-immune-hypoxia related gene-signature was constructed. This model can assess immune status of LUAD patients, and provide clinical reference for individualized prognosis, treatment and follow-up of LUAD patients.
Detection of anti-desmoglein antibodies in oral lichen planus: What do we know so far
Authors: Didona Dario , Hertl Michael
Published: October 2022

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa. Clinically, two main subsets are described, namely non-erosive and erosive OLP. While non-erosive OLP is usually responsive to local therapies, erosive OLP is often refractory also to systemic therapies and extremely reduces the quality of life of the patients. Furthermore, in some erosive OLP cases different autoantibodies have been detected, including anti-desmoglein 1 and 3 autoantibodies, and anti-bullous pemphigoid 180 and 230 autoantibodies. However, their potential role is still not clear. In this paper, we reviewed the literature about the detection of autoantibodies against desmoglein 1 and 3, the main target antigens of pemphigus vulgaris, in patient with OLP, summarizing the more recent insights on this topic.
Impact of natural killer cells on outcomes after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mushtaq Muhammad Umair , Shahzad Moazzam , Shah Amna Y. , Chaudhary Sibgha Gull , Zafar Muhammad U. , Anwar Iqra , Neupane Karun , Khalid Ayesha , Ahmed Nausheen , Bansal Rajat , Balusu Ramesh , Singh Anurag K. , Abhyankar Sunil H. , Callander Natalie S. , Hematti Peiman , McGuirk Joseph P.
Published: October 2022

Background

Natural killer (NK) cells play a vital role in early immune reconstitution following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Methods

A literature search was performed on PubMed, Cochrane, and Clinical trials.gov through April 20, 2022. We included 21 studies reporting data on the impact of NK cells on outcomes after HSCT. Data was extracted following the PRISMA guidelines. Pooled analysis was done using the meta-package (Schwarzer et al.). Proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed.

Results

We included 1785 patients from 21 studies investigating the impact of NK cell reconstitution post-HSCT (8 studies/1455 patients), stem cell graft NK cell content (4 studies/185 patients), therapeutic NK cell infusions post-HSCT (5 studies/74 patients), and pre-emptive/prophylactic NK cell infusions post-HSCT (4 studies/77 patients). Higher NK cell reconstitution was associated with a better 2-year overall survival (OS) (high: 77%, 95%CI 0.73-0.82 vs low: 55%, 95%CI 0.37-0.72; n=899), however, pooled analysis for relapse rate (RR) or graft versus host disease (GVHD) could not be performed due to insufficient data. Higher graft NK cell content demonstrated a trend towards a better pooled OS (high: 65.2%, 95%CI 0.47-0.81 vs low: 46.5%, 95%CI 0.24-0.70; n=157), lower RR (high: 16.9%, 95%CI 0.10-0.25 vs low: 33%, 95%CI 0.04-0.72; n=157), and lower acute GVHD incidence (high: 27.6%, 95%CI 0.20-0.36 vs low: 49.7%, 95%CI 0.26-0.74; n=157). Therapeutic NK or cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell infusions for hematologic relapse post-HSCT reported an overall response rate (ORR) and complete response (CR) of 48.9% and 11% with CIK cell infusions and 82.8% and 44.8% with NK cell infusions, respectively. RR, acute GVHD, and chronic GVHD were observed in 55.6% and 51.7%, 34.5% and 20%, and 20.7% and 11.1% of patients with CIK and NK cell infusions, respectively. Pre-emptive donor-derived NK cell infusions to prevent relapse post-HSCT had promising outcomes with 1-year OS of 69%, CR rate of 42%, ORR of 77%, RR of 28%, and acute and chronic GVHD rates of 24.9% and 3.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

NK cells have a favorable impact on outcomes after HSCT. The optimal use of NK cell infusions post-HSCT may be in a pre-emptive fashion to prevent disease relapse.
Genome-wide association study of SNP- and gene-based approaches to identify susceptibility candidates for lupus nephritis in the Han Chinese population
Authors: Song Kangkang , Zheng Xiaodong , Liu Xiaomin , Sheng Yujun , Liu Lu , Wen Leilei , Shang Shunlai , Deng Yiyao , Ouyang Qing , Sun Xuefeng , Li Qinggang , Chen Pu , Cai Guangyan , Chen Mengyun , Zhang Yuanjing , Liang Bo , Zhang Jianglin , Zhang Xuejun , Chen Xiangmei
Published: October 2022

Background

Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most common and serious complications of systemic lupus erythaematosus (SLE). Genetic factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of LN and could be used to predict who might develop LN. The purpose of this study was to screen for susceptible candidates of LN across the whole genome in the Han Chinese population.

Methods

592 LN patients and 453 SLE patients without renal damage were genotyped at 492,970 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genome-wide association study (GWAS). Fifty-six SNPs were selected for replication in an independent cohort of 188 LN and 171 SLE without LN patients. Further quantitative real-time (qRT) PCR was carried out in 6 LN patients and 6 healthy controls. Gene-based analysis was conducted using the versatile gene-based test for GWAS. Subsequently, enrichment and pathway analyses were performed in the DAVID database.

Results

The GWAS analysis and the following replication research identified 9 SNPs showing suggestive correlation with LN (P<10-4). The most significant SNP was rs12606116 (18p11.32), at P=8.72×10−6. The qRT-PCR results verified the mRNA levels of LINC00470 and ADCYAP1, the closest genes to rs12606116, were significantly lower in LN patients. From the gene-based analysis, 690 genes had suggestive evidence of association (P<0.05), including LINC00470. The enrichment analysis identified the involvement of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signalings in the development of LN. Lower plasma level of TGF-β1 (P<0.05) in LN patients and lower expression of transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 in lupus mice kidney (P<0.05) futher indicate the involvement of TGF-β in LN.

Conclusions

Our analyses identified several promising susceptibility candidates involved in LN, and further verification of these candidates was necessary.
Maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women receiving COVID-19 vaccination: The preg-co-vax study
Authors: Mascolo Annamaria , di Mauro Gabriella , Fraenza Federica , Gaio Mario , Zinzi Alessia , Pentella Ciro , Rossi Francesco , Capuano Annalisa , Sportiello Liberata
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Although the European Medicines Agency (EMA) encourage coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in pregnant women, the scientific evidence supporting the use of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy is still limited.

Aim

We aimed to investigate adverse events following immunization (AEFI) with COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy.

Methods

We retrieved Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) related to the use of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy from the EudraVigilance database for the year 2021. We analyzed AEFI related to the mother and fetus/newborn. The reporting odds ratio (ROR) was computed to compare the reporting probability of spontaneous abortion between COVID-19 vaccines.

Results

During the study period, among 1,315,315 ICSRs related to COVID-19 vaccines, we retrieved 3,252 (0.25%) reports related to the use in pregnancy. More than half (58.24%) of ICSRs were submitted by non-healthcare professionals. Although the majority (87.82%) of ICSRs concerned serious AEFI, their outcomes were mostly favorable. In this study, 85.0% of total ICSRs referred to pregnant women (n = 2,764), while 7.9% referred to fetuses/newborns (n = 258). We identified 16,569 AEFI. Moreover, 55.16% were AEFI not related to pregnancy (mostly headache, pyrexia, and fatigue), while 17.92% were pregnancy-, newborn-, or fetus-related AEFI. Among pregnancy-related AEFI, the most reported was spontaneous abortion. Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines had a lower reporting probability of spontaneous abortion than viral vector-based vaccines (ROR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69–0.93). Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines had a higher reporting probability of spontaneous abortion (ROR 1.2, 95% CI 1.05–1.38 and ROR 1.26, 95% CI 1.08–1.47, respectively), while a lower reporting probability was found for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine compared with all other COVID-19 vaccines (ROR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64–0.84). In addition, 5.8% of ICSRs reported a fatal outcome.

Conclusions

No strong insight of unknown AEFI associated with COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women was observed. Considering the high risk associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, our analysis suggests that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy outweigh the possible risks. However, it is important to continue monitoring the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines in this subpopulation.
Vaccine models predict rules for updating vaccines against evolving pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza in the context of pre-existing immunity
Authors: Desikan Rajat , Linderman Susanne L. , Davis Carl , Zarnitsyna Veronika I. , Ahmed Hasan , Antia Rustom
Published: October 2022

Currently, vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses are updated if the new vaccine induces higher antibody-titers to circulating variants than current vaccines. This approach does not account for complex dynamics of how prior immunity skews recall responses to the updated vaccine. We: (i) use computational models to mechanistically dissect how prior immunity influences recall responses; (ii) explore how this affects the rules for evaluating and deploying updated vaccines; and (iii) apply this to SARS-CoV-2. Our analysis of existing data suggests that there is a strong benefit to updating the current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to match the currently circulating variants. We propose a general two-dose strategy for determining if vaccines need updating as well as for vaccinating high-risk individuals. Finally, we directly validate our model by reanalysis of earlier human H5N1 influenza vaccine studies.
Dynamic changes in metabolites of the kynurenine pathway in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease: A systematic Review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fathi Mobina , Vakili Kimia , Yaghoobpoor Shirin , Tavasol Arian , Jazi Kimia , Hajibeygi Ramtin , Shool Sina , Sodeifian Fatemeh , Klegeris Andis , McElhinney Alyssa , Tavirani Mostafa Rezaei , Sayehmiri Fatemeh
Published: October 2022

Background

Tryptophan (TRP) is an essential amino acid that must be provided in the diet. The kynurenine pathway (KP) is the main route of TRP catabolism into nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide (NAD+), and metabolites of this pathway may have protective or degenerative effects on the nervous system. Thus, the KP may be involved in neurodegenerative diseases.

Objectives

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the changes in KP metabolites such as TRP, kynurenine (KYN), kynurenic acid (KYNA), Anthranilic acid (AA), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and 3-Hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HANA) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD) patients compared to the control group.

Methods

We conducted a literature search using PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and EMBASE electronic databases to find articles published up to 2022. Studies measuring TRP, KYN, KYNA, AA, 3-HK, 5-HIAA, 3-HANA in AD, PD, or HD patients and controls were identified. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were used to determine the differences in the levels of the KP metabolites between the two groups.

Results

A total of 30 studies compromising 689 patients and 774 controls were included in our meta-analysis. Our results showed that the blood levels of TRP was significantly lower in the AD (SMD=-0.68, 95% CI=-0.97 to -0.40, p=0.000, I2 = 41.8%, k=8, n=382), PD (SMD=-0.77, 95% CI=-1.24 to -0.30, p=0.001, I2 = 74.9%, k=4, n=352), and HD (SMD=-0.90, 95% CI=-1.71 to -0.10, p=0.028, I2 = 91.0%, k=5, n=369) patients compared to the controls. Moreover, the CSF levels of 3-HK in AD patients (p=0.020) and the blood levels of KYN in HD patients (p=0.020) were lower compared with controls.

Conclusion

Overall, the findings of this meta-analysis support the hypothesis that the alterations in the KP may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD, PD, and HD. However, additional research is needed to show whether other KP metabolites also vary in AD, PD, and HD patients. So, the metabolites of KP can be used for better diagnosing these diseases.
Connectivity and divergence of symbiotic bacteria of deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussels in relation to the structure and dynamics of mid-ocean ridges
Authors: Jang Sook-Jin , Chung Yujin , Jun Siyeong , Won Yong-Jin
Published: October 2022

The population divergence process of deep-sea vent invertebrates is driven by both biotic (e.g., dispersal during the larval stage) and abiotic factors such as deep-ocean currents, depth, and the geological setting of vents. However, little is known regarding the divergence of hydrothermal vent microorganisms. Therefore, our study sought to investigate the influence of geological and geographic factors on the divergence of symbiotic bacteria of Bathymodiolus vent mussels. The genetic differentiation patterns of symbionts were examined using next-generation sequencing DNA data in two ocean basins with distinct geological features: the slow-spreading Central Indian Ridge (CIR) and the fast- or superfast-spreading eastern Pacific Ridges. Our findings showed that the degree of differentiation of symbiont populations was geographically hierarchical: the highest between ocean basins, followed by inter-ridge sites between the East Pacific Rise and the Pacific Antarctic Ridge. The Easter Microplate intervening these two ridges acted as a biogeographic physical barrier for both symbionts and their host mussels. On a scale of intra-ridge, symbionts showed isolation by distance in the CIR but not in the eastern Pacific ridges. These contrasting genetic patterns relate to different ridge spreading rates determining most of the geological characteristics of mid-ocean ridges that affect the connectivity of vent habitats in space and time. At the intra-ridge geographic scale of the CIR, population divergence processes of both symbionts and hosts from separate three ridge segments were analyzed in detail using a genetic model of isolation with migration (IM). The phylogenetic topology of symbiont populations was congruent with the host populations, indicating the influence of common historical and physical constraints for habitats and dispersal between vents in the Central Indian Ridge. Collectively, our findings provide key insights into the dynamics of microbial population divergence in deep-sea vents.
Potential SST drivers for Chlorophyll-a variability in the Alboran Sea: A source for seasonal predictability?
Authors: López-Parages Jorge , Gómara Iñigo , Rodríguez-Fonseca Belén , García-Lafuente Jesús
Published: October 2022

This study investigates the link between large-scale variability modes of the sea surface temperature (SST) and the surface chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration in spring along the northern flank of the Alboran Sea. To this aim, surface satellite-derived products of SST and Chl-a, together with atmospheric satellite variables, are used. Our results indicate that both the tropical North Atlantic and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) could trigger the development of anomalous distribution patterns of Chl-a in spring in northern Alboran. This anomalous feature of Chl-a is, in turn, associated with the alteration of the usual upwelling taking place in northern Alboran at that time of the year. The skill of the related SST signals, over the tropical North Atlantic and the tropical Pacific, as predictors of the aforementioned Chl-a response in Alboran, has also been assessed through a statistical prediction model with leave-one-out cross-validation. Our results confirm the predictive skill of ENSO to realistically estimate the coastal Chl-a concentration in spring in northern Alboran. In particular, during the El Niño/La Niña years, this Chl-a response can be robustly predicted with 4 months in advance. On the other hand, the tropical North Atlantic SSTs allow to significantly predict, up to 7 months in advance, the Chl-a concentration in spring offshore, in particular by the north of the Western and the Eastern Alboran gyres. The results presented here could contribute to develop a future seasonal forecasting tool of upwelling variability and living marine resources in northern Alboran.
The nudibranch Berghia stephanieae (Valdés, 2005) is not able to initiate a functional symbiosome-like environment to maintain Breviolum minutum (J.E.Parkinson & LaJeunesse 2018)
Authors: Clavijo Jenny Melo , Sickinger Corinna , Bleidißel Sabrina , Gasparoni Gilles , Tierling Sascha , Preisfeld Angelika , Christa Gregor
Published: October 2022

Photosymbiosis is found in different animal lineages and is best understood in cnidarians. A successful initiation and maintenance of the symbiosis between the animal hosts and the photosymbiotic partners is based on a recognition by specific host receptors. This triggers signaling cascades that promote the photobiont tolerance by the host, including an interpartner nutrient exchange and the ability of the host to cope with increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the photobiont. Key to the successful symbiosis is the inhibition of the phagosomal maturation resulting in the formation of the symbiosome. In animals other than cnidarians, little is known about the photosymbiosis initiation and maintenance, for instance in sea slugs belonging to the Nudibranchia. Here, we investigated the gene expression profile of Berghia stephanieae, which is able to incorporate Breviolum minutum from its cnidarian prey Exaiptasia diaphana (Rapp, 1829) but is not able to maintain the algae for more than a couple of days during starvation. We show that the recognition of the algae is based on similar mechanisms present in cnidarians, and we identified some additional candidate genes that might be molluscan specific for photobiont recognition. Downstream, B. stephanieae responds to increased levels of ROS but is not able to stop the phagosomal maturation or decrease the immune response against B. minutum, which seem to be the key factors missing in B. stephanieae that accounts for the unstable symbiosis in this slug. Hence, B. stephanieae can be considered a transitional state toward a stable photosymbiosis and can help to elucidate general aspects of the evolutionary processes involved in establishing photosymbioses in animals.
Thermal preconditioning in a reef-building coral alleviates oxidative damage through a BI-1-mediated antioxidant response
Authors: Majerová Eva , Drury Crawford
Published: October 2022

Global coral reef decline is largely driven by the breakdown of the coral-algal symbiosis during temperature stress. Corals can acclimatize to higher temperatures, but the cellular processes underlying this ability are poorly understood. We show that preconditioning-based improvements in thermal tolerance in Pocillopora acuta are accompanied by increases in host glutathione reductase (GR) activity and gene expression, which prevents DNA damage. A strong correlation between GR and BI-1 expressions in heat-stressed preconditioned corals and the presence of an antioxidant response element (ARE) in the GR promoter suggest BI-1 could regulate GR expression through Nrf2/ARE pathway. To fortify this link, we developed and GFP-validated an siRNA-mediated gene knockdown protocol and targeted the coral BI-1 gene. BI-1 knock-down specifically decreased GR expression and activity and increased oxidative DNA damage in heat-stressed preconditioned corals, showing that a BI-1-mediated, enhanced antioxidant response during acute heat stress is a key mechanism that prevents oxidative DNA damage after preconditioning.
Highly variable basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) diving behavior in the lower Bay of Fundy, Canada
Authors: Siders Zachary A. , Westgate Andrew J. , Bell Kathryn R. , Koopman Heather N.
Published: October 2022

Diving behavior in basking sharks, the largest obligate ram filter feeding planktivore, is highly dependent on their location. In the Bay of Fundy, where basking sharks congregate in the boreal summer and autumn, the sharks’ copepod prey are located deep in the water column, below 100 m, in dense but scattered patches. We used time-depth recorders to examine how the vertical movements of basking sharks adapt to such a prey field and captured 4,138 hours of diving behavior from 42 sharks in the boreal summer from 2008 to 2020. Using finite mixture models, we split the time series into surface and subsurface movement blocks and used dynamic time-warping to cluster subsurface movements into seven modes based on their shapes and lengths, with mostly V-shaped subsurface movements (85%) and a minority that were U-shaped (14%). Across sharks, five overall strategies of vertical movement behavior were identified. The strategies split broadly by the ratio of V-shaped movements to U-shaped movements in a deployment and whether the majority of subsurface movements were above or below 100 m. A majority of basking sharks (64%) were reverse diel vertical migrators but none altered their time-allocation across tidal periods. During more thermal stratification, sharks dove deeper, longer, and less frequently while during less thermal stratification sharks dove shallower, shorter, and more frequently. Overall, we show that basking sharks exhibit considerable inter- and intra-individual variability in their diving behavior, and therefore presumably also in foraging modes. Some of this variability relates to time of year and tidal phase, unsurprising in this highly tidally-driven system; however, the majority of the variability remains unexplained without more information on the distribution, composition, and abundance of the copepod prey field. The technique presented is extendable to other species and, unlike many dive classification techniques, requires few subjective delineations of diving behavior.
Physics-based manifold learning in scaffolds for tissue engineering: Application to inverse problems
Authors: Muixí Alba , Zlotnik Sergio , García-González Alberto , Díez Pedro
Published: October 2022

In the field of bone regeneration, insertion of scaffolds favours bone formation by triggering the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts. The presence of Calcium ions (Ca2+) in the interstitial fluid across scaffolds is thought to play a relevant role in the process. In particular, the Ca2+ patterns can be used as an indicator of where to expect bone formation. In this work, we analyse the inverse problem for these distribution patterns, using an advection-diffusion nonlinear model for the concentration of Ca2+. That is, given a set of observables which are related to the amount of expected bone formation, we aim at determining the values of the parameters that best fit the data. The problem is solved in a realistic 3D-printed structured scaffold for two uncertain parameters: the amplitude of the velocity of the interstitial fluid and the ionic release rate from the scaffold. The minimization in the inverse problem requires multiple evaluations of the nonlinear model. The computational cost is alleviated by the combination of standard Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD), to reduce the number of degrees of freedom, with an adhoc hyper-reduction strategy, which avoids the assembly of a full-order system at every iteration of the Newton’s method. The proposed hyper-reduction method is formulated using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) decomposition of suitable training sets, devised from the weak form of the problem. In the numerical tests, the hyper-reduced formulation leads to accurate results with a significant reduction of the computational demands with respect to standard POD.
Atmospheric plasma treatments of cashmere: The role of nanoscale sizing in the spray coating processing
Authors: Barni R. , Roman H. E. , Citterio A. , Leonardi G. , Riccardi C.
Published: October 2022

We discuss the effects of air atmospheric plasma interaction with the surface of a textile. We studied how plasma can promote changes in its texture and roughness at nano- and micro-meter scales, having an impact on the improvement of such macroscopic properties as hydro/oleo-repellency and pilling, without altering the hand assessment quality of the textile. These results are obtained by analyzing images taken using electron microscopy. We studied both the fluctuations of the image intensity at the fiber surfaces and their Fourier transforms at the sub-micrometer scales. As a case study, we have analyzed the modifications of a cashmere fabric and the improvement of finishing using resin spray coating. We observe a better efficiency when resin is applied to a plasma-treated sample. This result has been traced to the modifications that plasma induces on the surface at the nanoscale. This opens up wide perspectives to the use of plasma technology for the whole textile industrial sector.
Machine learning for early prediction of sepsis-associated acute brain injury
Authors: Ge Chenglong , Deng Fuxing , Chen Wei , Ye Zhiwen , Zhang Lina , Ai Yuhang , Zou Yu , Peng Qianyi
Published: October 2022

Background

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is defined as diffuse brain dysfunction associated with sepsis and leads to a high mortality rate. We aimed to develop and validate an optimal machine-learning model based on clinical features for early predicting sepsis-associated acute brain injury.

Methods

We analyzed adult patients with sepsis from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC III) clinical database. Candidate models were trained using random forest, support vector machine (SVM), decision tree classifier, gradients boosting machine (GBM), multiple layer perception (MLP), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), light gradients boosting machine (LGBM) and a conventional logistic regression model. These methods were applied to develop and validate the optimal model based on its accuracy and area under curve (AUC).

Results

In total, 12,460 patients with sepsis met inclusion criteria, and 6,284 (50.4%) patients suffered from sepsis-associated acute brain injury. Compared other models, the LGBM model achieved the best performance. The AUC for both train set and test set indicated excellent validity (Trainset AUC 0.91, Testset AUC 0.87). Feature importance analysis showed that glucose, age, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin, and length of ICU stay were the top 6 important clinical factors to predict occurrence of sepsis-associated acute brain injury.

Conclusion

Almost half of patients admitted to ICU with sepsis had sepsis-associated acute brain injury. The LGBM model better identify patients with sepsis-associated acute brain injury than did other machine-learning models. Glucose, age, and mean arterial pressure were the three most important clinical factors to predict occurrence of sepsis-associated acute brain injury.
Evolution of ultrasound in giant cell arteritis
Authors: Kirby Colm , Flood Rachael , Mullan Ronan , Murphy Grainne , Kane David
Published: October 2022

Ultrasound (US) is being increasingly used to diagnose Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). The traditional diagnostic Gold Standard has been temporal artery biopsy (TAB), but this is expensive, invasive, has a false-negative rate as high as 60% and has little impact on clinical decision-making. A non-compressible halo with a thickened intima-media complex (IMC) is the sonographic hallmark of GCA. The superficial temporal arteries (STA) and axillary arteries (AA) are the most consistently inflamed arteries sonographically and imaging protocols for evaluating suspected GCA should include at least these two arterial territories. Studies evaluating temporal artery ultrasound (TAUS) have varied considerably in size and methodology with results showing wide discrepancies in sensitivity (9–100%), specificity (66–100%), positive predictive value (36–100%) and negative predictive value (33–100%). Bilateral halos increase sensitivity as does the incorporation of pre-test probability, while prior corticosteroid use decreases sensitivity. Quantifying sonographic vasculitis using Halo Counts and Halo Scores can predict disease extent/severity, risk of specific complications and likelihood of treatment response. Regression of the Halo sign has been observed from as little as 2 days to as late as 7 months after initiation of immunosuppressive treatment and occurs at different rates in STAs than AAs. US is more sensitive than TAB and has comparable sensitivity to MRI and PET/CT. It is time-efficient, cost-effective and allows for the implementation of fast-track GCA clinics which substantially mitigate the risk of irreversible blindness. Algorithms incorporating combinations of imaging modalities can achieve a 100% sensitivity and specificity for a diagnosis of GCA. US should be a standard first line investigation in routine clinical care of patients with suspected GCA with TAB reserved only for those having had a normal US in the context of a high pre-test probability.