bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
THE INFLUENCE OF PINHOLES IN WATERPROOFING MATERIALS ON THE VALUE OF THE RADON DIFFUSION COEFFICIENT
Authors: Dobrovolný T , Jiránek M , Krejsová J 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
This article focuses on an experimental study of the influence of imperfections on the value of the radon diffusion coefficient of various waterproofing materials. Microscopic holes were made by a thin tip or by a microdrill bit to imitate the real damage that can be incurred during construction. To determine the change in the radon diffusion coefficient, each waterproofing material was measured five times. The first measurement was performed on undamaged samples, while the following measurements were performed on samples with one, two, four and eight pinholes. The radon diffusion coefficient was measured under nonstationary conditions, because homemade radon sources with a slow rate of radon emanation were used. The radon diffusion coefficients identified in the study were compared according to the thickness of the material and the number and the size of the pinholes. The exact shape and size of the imperfections were documented by an electron microscope.
The prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in Australian and Iranian women at midlife
Authors: Fooladi Ensieh , Islam Rakibul M. , Bell Robin J. , Robinson Penelope J. , Masoumi Maryam , Davis Susan R. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Objective:
This study was undertaken to examine whether the prevalence of low sexual desire, sexually related personal distress, and epidemiological hypoactive sexual desire disorder (eHSDD) differed between midlife Australian and Iranian married women.

Methods:
Cross-sectional, community-based studies of women aged 40 to 65 years conducted in Australia (2013-2014, n = 2,020) and Iran (2016-2017, n = 1,520) included 60% and 89% married women, respectively. Participants completed the Female Sexual Function Index and the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised. eHSDD was defined as low desire with sexually related personal distress.

Results:
Restricting the analysis to married women, 76.5% of the 1,210 Australian women, mean age (SD) 52.4 (6.8) years, and 87.8% of the 1,348 Iranian women, mean age 48.5 (6.7) years who were recently sexually active. Low desire was more prevalent in Australian women than Iranian women (68.8%, 95% CI 66.1-71.3 vs 51.3%, 95% CI 48.6-53.9, P < 0.001) as were sexually related personal distress (47.6%, 95% CI 44.8-50.4 vs 17.2%, 95% CI 15.3-19.3, P < 0.001) and eHSDD (39.7%, 95% CI 36.9-42.5 vs 13.9%, 95% CI 12.2-15.9, P < 0.001). Being sexually inactive, versus sexually active, was associated with low desire, sexually related personal distress and eHSDD in Australian women (P < 0.001), but only with low desire in Iranian women (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:
The prevalence of eHSDD in married Australian women at midlife was threefold that of Iranian women, primarily due to the higher prevalence of sexually related personal distress. The results were only adjusted for age and sexual activity, and analyses did not account for other observed differences between the study populations. Hence, future studies are warranted to explore if the differences between the two populations are due to variations in demographics such as level of education or employment and/or due to expectations, experiences, or beliefs.
Ocular leprosy: from bench to bedside
Authors: Bala Murugan Sivaraman , Mahendradas Padmamalini , Dutta Majumder Parthopratim , Kamath Yogish 
Published: September 2020

Purpose of review
Ocular manifestations of leprosy do occur despite advances in the areas of leprosy research. Understanding the nuances in the domain shall guide the clinician for effective patient-centered care.

Recent findings
Despite the existence of microbiologic cure for leprosy, ocular manifestations of this disease do occur. Advances in genetic and genomic studies have better characterized the interaction that the bacteria has with the host. The ocular features vary with the spectrum of the disease. Its careful correlation can help to predict the bacillary load of the patient. Investigations are particularly relevant in multibacillary cases. The WHO suggests a treatment duration longer than the 2 years in ocular involvement.

Summary
The isolation of lepra bacilli from the iris biopsy in negative skin smear patients and multidrug therapy completion highlights the potential role of bactericidal agents in the planned intraocular treatment. Lepra reactions need careful titration of oral steroids and appropriate antibacterial agents. Advances in phacoemulsification with in the bag implantation of intraocular lenses is a game changer in the management of the most common cause of blindness of leprosy. Advances in vaccine research in leprosy are promising.
Understanding Relations Between Intolerance of Uncertainty, Social Anxiety, and Body Dissatisfaction in Women
Authors: Bijsterbosch Jojanneke M. , van den Brink Femke , Vollmann Manja , Boelen Paul A. , Sternheim Lot C. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Body dissatisfaction (BD) is highly prevalent among young females and is associated with negative mental health outcomes. Social anxiety (SA) has been identified as an important determinant of BD; however, potential factors underlying SA-related BD remain unstudied. Research indicates that intolerance of uncertainty (IU), the tendency to respond negatively to uncertainty, may be critical for developing and maintaining SA. The current study investigated whether IU is associated with SA and whether SA, in turn, is related to BD. In a cross-sectional study, 139 women completed an online survey measuring IU, SA, and BD. Correlation analyses showed that IU, SA, and BD were strongly positively associated. A mediation analysis revealed that higher levels of IU were indirectly related to more BD through higher levels of SA. A direct effect of IU on BD was also found. These findings suggest that individuals with SA-related BD may benefit from interventions targeting IU.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism affects cortical thickness of rostral anterior cingulate in patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Shen Zonglin , Lu Yi , Jiang Hongyan , Ye Jing , Zhou Cong , He Mengxin , Li Na , Xu Xiufeng , Cheng Yuqi 
Published: September 2020

Objective
The neuro-anatomical substrates of major depressive disorder (MDD) remain poorly understood. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene polymorphism (Val66Met/rs6265) is associated with neuro-plasticity and development. In the present study, we explore the influence of BDNF gene polymorphism on cortical thickness in nonelderly, first episode, drug-naive patients with MDD.

Methods
Two hundred and sixteen participants (105 MDD patients and 111 healthy controls) were divided into subgroups based on the BDNF genotype. High-resolution MRI was obtained in all participants. A relationship of BDNF Val66Met gene polymorphism and cortical thickness was investigated.

Results
The significant main effect of diagnosis was identified in the left rostal anterior cingulate (rACC), right inferior temporal and right lateral orbitofrontal (lOFC). The main effect of the genotype was observed in the left posterior cingulate cortex. The diagnosis-by-genotype interaction effect was found located in the left rACC. MDD patients who were Met-carriers exhibited thinner cortical thickness in the left rACC than healthy controls Met-carriers. Neither the symptom severity nor the illness duration was correlated significantly with cortical thickness.

Conclusion
Our findings suggested that the BDNF gene polymorphism was associated with cortical thickness alterations of the left rACC in MDD patients, and genotype that carries Met may serve as a vulnerability factor in MDD regarding the cortical thickness loss in the left rACC. This finding can be considered as a supportive evidence for the neurotrophic factor hypothesis of depression.
Mediterranean Diet, Stress Resilience, and Aging in Nonhuman Primates
Authors: Shively Carol A. , Appt Susan E. , Chen Haiying , Day Stephen M. , Frye Brett M. , Shaltout Hossam A. , Silverstein-Metzler Marnie G. , Snyder-Mackler Noah , Uberseder Beth , Vitolins Mara Z. , Register Thomas C. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractPersistent psychological stress increases the risk of many chronic diseases of aging. Little progress has been made to effectively reduce stress responses or mitigate stress effects suggesting a need for better understanding of factors that influence stress responses. Limited evidence suggests that diet may be a factor in modifying the effects of stress. However, long-term studies of diet effects on stress reactive systems are not available, and controlled randomized clinical trials are difficult and costly. Here we report the outcomes of a controlled, randomized preclinical trial of the effects of long-term consumption (31 months, ∼ equivalent to 9 human years) of Western versus Mediterranean - like diets on behavioral and physiological responses to acute (brief social separation) and chronic (social subordination) psychosocial stress in 38 adult, socially-housed, female cynomolgus macaques. Compared to animals fed a Western diet, those fed the Mediterranean diet exhibited enhanced stress resilience as indicated by lower sympathetic activity, brisker and more overt heart rate responses to acute stress, more rapid recovery, and lower cortisol responses to acute psychological stress and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) challenge. Furthermore, age-related increases in sympathetic activity and cortisol responses to stress were delayed by the Mediterranean diet. Population level diet modification in humans has been shown to be feasible. Our findings suggest that population-wide adoption of a Mediterranean-like diet pattern may provide a cost-effective intervention on psychological stress and promote healthy aging with the potential for widespread efficacy.HighlightsThere is no population level treatment to reduce stress and associated disease.Mediterranean diet reduced sympathetic activity.Mediterranean diet reduced cortisol response to acute stress and to ACTH challenge.Mediterranean diet delayed age-related increases in sympathetic activity and cortisol responses to stress.These results suggest a dietary strategy to increase stress resilience.
Biomarker potential of real-world voice signals to predict abnormal blood glucose levels
Authors: Jeon Jouhyun , Palanica Adam , Sarabadani Sarah , Lieberman Michael , Fossat Yan 
Published: September 2020

SummaryBackgroundVoice signal analysis is an emerging non-invasive technique to examine health conditions, and is implemented in various real-life applications and devices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of voice signals with blood glucose levels in healthy individuals. The study aimed to investigate the longitudinal stabilities of voice signals and identify voice biomarkers to predict abnormal blood glucose levels.MethodsWe created voice profiles composed of 17,552,688 voice signals from 44 participants and their 1,454 voice recordings. From each voice recording, 12,082 voice-features were extracted. Longitudinal stabilities of voice-features were quantified using linear mixed-effect modelling. Voice-features that showed significant difference between different blood glucose levels, strong intra-stability and the ability to make distinct choice in decision trees were selected as voice biomarker. Voice biomarkers were fed into a multi-class random forest classifier to predict high, normal, and low blood glucose levels.FindingsIn total, 196 voice biomarkers were characterized. Results showed a predictive model with an overall accuracy of 78.66%, overall AUC of 0.83 (95% confidence interval is 0.80 – 0.85), and 0.41 of Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) to discriminate three different blood glucose levels in an independent test set.InterpretationOur voice biomarkers could serve as a noninvasive and conventional surrogate of blood glucose monitoring in daily life as well as a screening tool to estimate potential risk of poor glycemic control.FundingThis research was internally funded and received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Gut microbiome dysbiosis is associated with elevated toxic bile acids in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Li Peipei , Killinger Bryan A. , Beddows Ian , Ensink Elizabeth , Yilmaz Ali , Lubben Noah , Lamp Jared , Schilthuis Meghan , Vega Irving E. , Britschgi Markus , Pospisilik J. Andrew , Brundin Patrik , Brundin Lena , Graham Stewart , Labrie Viviane 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe gut microbiome can impact brain health and is altered in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Here, we investigate changes in the functional microbiome in the appendix of PD patients relative to controls by metatranscriptomic analysis. We find microbial dysbiosis affecting lipid metabolism, particularly an upregulation of bacteria responsible for secondary bile acid synthesis. Proteomic and transcript analysis corroborates a disruption in cholesterol homeostasis and lipid catabolism. Bile acid analysis reveals an increase in microbially-derived, toxic secondary bile acids. Synucleinopathy in mice induces similar microbiome alterations to those of PD patients. The mouse model of synucleinopathy has elevated DCA and LCA. An analysis of blood markers shows evidence of biliary abnormalities early in PD, including elevated alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. Increased bilirubin levels are also evident before PD diagnosis. In sum, microbially-derived toxic bile acids are heightened in PD and biliary changes may even precede the onset of overt motor symptoms.
No evidence that plasmablasts transdifferentiate into developing neutrophils in severe COVID-19 disease
Authors: Alquicira-Hernandez José , Powell Joseph E , Phan Tri Giang 
Published: September 2020

AbstractA recent study by Wilk et al. of the transcriptome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in seven patients hospitalized with COVID-19 described a population of “developing neutrophils” that were “phenotypically related by dimensionality reduction” to plasmablasts, and that these two cell populations represent a “linear continuum of cellular phenotype”1. The authors suggest that, in the setting of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to severe COVID-19, a “differentiation bridge from plasmablasts to developing neutrophils” connected these distantly related cell types. This conclusion is controversial as it appears to violate several basic principles in cell biology relating to cell lineage identity and fidelity. Correctly classifying cells and their developmental history is an important issue in cell biology and we suggest that this conclusion is not supported by the data as we show here that: (1) regressing out covariates such as unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) can lead to overfitting; and (2) that UMAP embeddings may reflect the expression of similar genes but not necessarily direct cell lineage relationships.
Synthetic auxotrophy remains stable after continuous evolution and in co-culture with mammalian cells
Authors: Kunjapur Aditya M. , Napolitano Michael G. , Hysolli Eriona , Noguera Karen , Appleton Evan M. , Schubert Max G. , Jones Michaela A. , Iyer Siddharth , Mandell Daniel J. , Church George M. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractUnderstanding the evolutionary stability and possible context-dependence of biological containment techniques is critical as engineered microbes are increasingly under consideration for applications beyond biomanufacturing. While batch cultures of synthetic auxotrophicEscherichia colipreviously exhibited undetectable escape throughout 14 days of monitoring, the long-term effectiveness of synthetic auxotrophy is unknown. Here, we report automated continuous evolution of a synthetic auxotroph using custom chemostats that supply a decreasing concentration of essential biphenylalanine (BipA). After 100 days of evolution in three separate trials, populations exhibit no observable escape and are capable of normal growth rates at 10-fold lower BipA concentration than the ancestral synthetic auxotroph. Allelic reconstruction of three proteins implicated in small molecule transport reveals their contribution to increased fitness at low BipA concentrations. Mutations do not appear in orthogonal translation machinery nor in synthetic auxotrophic markers. Based on its evolutionary stability, we introduce the progenitor synthetic auxotroph directly to mammalian cell culture. We observe containment of bacteria without detrimental effects on HEK293T cells. Overall, our findings reveal that synthetic auxotrophy is effective on timescales and in contexts that enable diverse applications.One Sentence SummaryTo ascertain whether life inevitably finds a way, we continuously evolve anEscherichia colistrain that was not able to escape from engineered biocontainment before, and we find that it does not escape even after 100 days of evolution, nor does it escape when added to mammalian cell culture.
Hydroxychloroquine increased psychiatric-like behaviors and disrupted the expression of related genes in the mouse brain
Authors: Xu H , Zhang XY , Wang WW , Wang JS 
Published: September 2020

AbstractHydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which has been proposed as a therapeutic or prophylactic drug for SARS-COV-2, has been administered to thousands of individuals with varying efficacy; however, our understanding of its adverse effects is insufficient. It was reported that HCQ induced psychiatric symptoms in a few patients with autoimmune diseases, but it is still uncertain whether HCQ poses a risk to mental health. Therefore, in this study, we treated healthy mice with two different doses of HCQ that are comparable to clinically administered doses for 7 days. Psychiatric-like behaviors and the expression of related molecules in the brain were evaluated at two time points, i.e., 24 h and 10 days after drug administration. We found that HCQ increased anxiety behavior at both 24 h and 10 days and enhanced depressive behavior at 24 h. Furthermore, HCQ decreased the mRNA expression of interleukin-1beta and corticotropin-releasing hormone (Crh) in the hippocampus and decreased the mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) in both the hippocampus and amygdala. Most of these behavioral and molecular changes were sustained beyond 10 days after drug administration, and some of them were dose-dependent. Although this animal study does not prove that HCQ has a similar effect in humans, it indicates that HCQ poses a significant risk to mental health and suggests that further clinical investigation is essential. According to our data, we recommend that HCQ be carefully used as a prophylactic drug in people who are susceptible to mental disorders.
Biocontrol potential of grapevine endophytes against grapevine trunk pathogens
Authors: Silva-Valderrama Isidora , Toapanta Diana , Miccono Maria de los Angeles , Lolas Mauricio , Díaz Gonzalo A. , Cantu Dario , Castro Alvaro 
Published: September 2020

AbstractGrapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs) are a major challenge to the grape industry worldwide. GTDs are responsible for considerable loss of quality, production, and vineyard longevity. Seventy five percent of Chilean vineyards are estimated to be affected by GTDs. GTDs are complex diseases caused by several species of fungi, includingNeofusicoccum parvum, Diplodia seriata, andPhaeomoniella chlamydospora. In this study, we report the isolation of 169 endophytic and 209 epiphytic fungi from grapevines grown under organic and conventional farming in Chile. Multiple isolates ofClonostachys rosea, Trichodermasp.,Purpureocillium lilacium, Epiccocum nigrum, Cladosporiumsp., andChaetomiumsp. were evaluated for their potential of biocontrol activity against fungal trunk pathogens. Tests were carried out using two dual-culture-plate methods with multiple media types, including agar containing grapevine wood extract to simulate in planta nutrient conditions. Significant pathogen growth inhibition was observed by all isolates tested.C. roseashowed 98.2% inhibition of all pathogens in presence of grapevine wood extract. We observed 100% pathogen growth inhibition when autoclaved lignified grapevine shoots were pre-inoculated with eitherC. roseastrains orTrichodermasp.. Overall these results show thatC. roseastrains isolated from grapevines are promising biocontrol agents against GTDs.
Meta-analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation and integrative OMICs in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Voisin S , Jacques M , Landen S , Harvey NR , Haupt LM , Griffiths LR , Gancheva S , Ouni M , Jähnert M , Ashton KJ , Coffey VG , Thompson JM , Doering TM , Gabory A , Junien C , Caiazzo R , Verkindt H , Raverdy V , Pattou F , Froguel P , Craig JM , Blocquiaux S , Thomis M , Sharples AP , Schürmann A , Roden M , Horvath S , Eynon N 
Published: September 2020

AbstractKnowledge of age-related DNA methylation changes in skeletal muscle is limited, yet this tissue is severely affected by aging in humans. Using a large-scale epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) meta-analysis of age in human skeletal muscle from 10 studies (total n = 908 human muscle methylomes), we identified 9,986 differentially methylated regions at a stringent false discovery rate < 0.005, spanning 8,748 unique genes, many of which related to skeletal muscle structure and development. We then integrated the DNA methylation results with known transcriptomic and proteomic age-related changes in skeletal muscle, and found that even though most differentially methylated genes are not altered at the mRNA or protein level, they are nonetheless strongly enriched for genes showing age-related differential expression. We provide here the most comprehensive picture of DNA methylation aging in human skeletal muscle, and have made our results available as an open-access, user-friendly, web-based tool calledMetaMeth(https://sarah-voisin.shinyapps.io/MetaMeth/).
Identification of TMEM106B as proviral host factor for SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Baggen Jim , Persoons Leentje , Jansen Sander , Vanstreels Els , Jacquemyn Maarten , Jochmans Dirk , Neyts Johan , Dallmeier Kai , Maes Piet , Daelemans Dirk 
Published: September 2020

SUMMARYThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for worldwide economic damage and nearly one million deaths. Potent drugs for the treatment of severe SARS-CoV-2 infections are not yet available. To identify host factors that support coronavirus infection, we performed genome-wide functional genetic screens with SARS-CoV-2 and the common cold virus HCoV-229E in non-transgenic human cells. These screens identified PI3K type 3 as a potential drug target against multiple coronaviruses. We discovered that the lysosomal protein TMEM106B is an important host factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, we show that TMEM106B is required for replication in multiple human cell lines derived from liver and lung and is expressed in relevant cell types in the human airways. Our results identify new coronavirus host factors that may potentially serve as drug targets against SARS-CoV-2 or to quickly combat future zoonotic coronavirus outbreaks.