bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In Silico:Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity prediction of Sugar substitutes
Authors: Arulanandam Charli Deepak , Babu Venkatadri , Soorni Yugendhar , Prathiviraj R 
Published: January 2021

ABSTRACTSugar substitutes are mostly artificial, man-made industrial products used as additives in food and beverages. Most of these substances flow through the digestive tract and food chains to become emerging organic contaminants in various abiotic and biotic environmental media. Here, we predict the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of commonly used sugar substitutes using thein silicobased methods. The simplified molecular-input line-entry system (SMILES) of sugar substitutes were obtained from the PubChem database for the toxicity predictions. Here, sixteen sugar substitutes tested out of these four compounds Glucin (GLU), and 5-nitro-2-propoxyaniline (P-4000), SCL, Ace were predicted as mutagens by usingin silicotools such as LAZAR, pKCSM, and Toxtree. Based on the predicted results GLU and P-4000 were predicted as carcinogenic sugar substitutes.
Predicting multimodal MRI outcomes in children with neurodevelopmental conditions following MRI simulator training
Authors: Simhal Anish K. , Filho José O. A. , Segura Patricia , Cloud Jessica , Petkova Eva , Gallagher Richard , Castellanos F. Xavier , Colcombe Stan , Milham Michael P. , Di Martino Adriana 
Published: January 2021

AbstractPediatric brain imaging holds significant promise for understanding neurodevelopment. However, the requirement to remain still inside a noisy, enclosed scanner remains a challenge. Verbal or visual descriptions of the process, and/or practice in MRI simulators are the norm in preparing children. Yet, the factors predictive of successfully obtaining neuroimaging data remain unclear. We examined data from 250 children (6-12 years, 197 males) with autism and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Children completed systematic MRI simulator training aimed to habituate to the scanner environment and minimize head motion. An MRI session comprised multiple structural, resting-state, task and diffusion scans. Of the 201 children passing simulator training and attempting scanning, nearly all (94%) successfully completed the first structural scan in the sequence, and 88% also completed the following resting state fMRI scan. The number of successful scans decreased as the sequence progressed. Multivariate analyses revealed that age was the strongest predictor of successful scans in the session, with younger children having lower success rates. After age, sensorimotor atypicalities contributed most to prediction. Results provide insights on factors to consider in designing pediatric brain imaging protocols.
Successful reboot of high-performance sporting activities by Japanese national women’s handball team in Tokyo, 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic: An initiative by Japan Sports-Cyber Physical System (JS-CPS) of Sports Research Innovation Project (SRIP)
Authors: Ogasawara Issei , Hamaguchi Shigeto , Hasegawa Ryosuke , Akeda Yukihiro , Ota Naoki , Revankar Gajanan S. , Konda Shoji , Taguchi Takashi , Takanouchi Toshiya , Imoto Kojiro , Okimoto Nobukazu , Sakuma Katsuhiko , Uchiyama Akira , Yamasaki Keita , Higashino Teruo , Tomono Kazunori , Nakata Ken 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted sporting activities across the world. However, practical training strategies for athletes to reduce the risk of infection during the pandemic has not been definitively studied.ObjectiveThe purpose of this report was to provide an overview of our challenges encountered during the reboot of high-performance sporting activities of the Japanese national handball team during the 3rd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tokyo, Japan.MethodsTwenty-nine Japanese national women’s handball players and 24 staff participated in the study. To initiate the reboot of their first training camp after COVID-19 stay-home social policy, we conducted: web-based health-monitoring, SARS-CoV-2 screening with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, real-time automated quantitative monitoring of social distancing on-court using video-based artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, physical intensity evaluation with wearable heart rate (HR) and acceleration sensors, and self-reported online questionnaire.ResultsThe training camp was conducted successfully with no COVID-19 infections. The web-based health monitoring and the frequent PCR testing with short turnaround times contributed remarkably in early detection of athletes’ health problems and risk screening. During handball, the AI based on-court social-distancing monitoring revealed key time-dependent spatial metrics to define player-to-player proximity. This information facilitated positive team members’ on and off-game distancing behavior. Athletes regularly achieved around 80% of maximum HR during training, indicating anticipated improvements in achieving their physical intensities. Self-reported questionnaires related to the COVID management in the training camp revealed a sense of security among the athletes allowing them to focus singularly on their training.ConclusionThe current challenge provided us considerable know-how to create and manage a safe environment for high-performing athletes in the COVID-19 pandemic via the Japan Sports-Cyber Physical System (JS-CPS) of SRIP (Japan Sports Agency, Tokyo, Japan). This report is envisioned to provide informed decisions to coaches, trainers, policymakers from the sports federations in creating targeted, infection-free, sporting and training environments.
Bayesian Calibration of Using CO2Sensors to Assess Ventilation Conditions and Associated COVID-19 Airborne Aerosol Transmission Risk in Schools
Authors: Hou Danlin , Katal Ali , Wang Liangzhu (Leon) 
Published: February 2021

AbstractVentilation rate plays a significant role in preventing the airborne transmission of diseases in indoor spaces. Classrooms are a considerable challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic because of large occupancy density and mainly poor ventilation conditions. The indoor CO2level may be used as an index for estimating the ventilation rate and airborne infection risk. In this work, we analyzed a one-day measurement of CO2levels in three schools to estimate the ventilation rate and airborne infection risk. Sensitivity analysis and Bayesian calibration methods were applied to identify uncertainties and calibrate key parameters. The outdoor ventilation rate with a 95% confidence was 1.96 ± 0.31ACH for Room 1 with mechanical ventilation and fully open window, 0.40 ± 0.08 ACH for Rooms 2, and 0.79 ± 0.06 ACH for Room 3 with only windows open. A time-averaged CO2level < 450 ppm is equivalent to a ventilation rate > 10 ACH in all three rooms. We also defined the probability of the COVID-19 airborne infection risk associated with ventilation uncertainties. The outdoor ventilation threshold to prevent classroom COVID-19 aerosol spreading is between 3 – 8 ACH, and the CO2threshold is around 500 ppm of a school day (< 8 hr) for the three schools.Practical ImplicationsThe actual outdoor ventilation rate in a room cannot be easily measured, but it can be calculated by measuring the transient indoor CO2level. Uncertainty in input parameters can result in uncertainty in the calculated ventilation rate. Our three classrooms study shows that the estimated ventilation rate considering various input parameters’ uncertainties is between ± 8-20 %. As a result, the uncertainty of the ventilation rate contributes to the estimated COVID-19 airborne aerosol infection risk’s uncertainty up to ± 10 %. Other studies can apply the proposed Bayesian and MCMC method to estimating building ventilation rates and airborne aerosol infection risks based on actual measurement data such as CO2levels with uncertainties and sensitivity of input parameters identified. The outdoor ventilation rate and CO2threshold values as functions of exposure times could be used as the baseline models to develop correlations to be implemented by cheap/portable sensors to be applied in similar situations to monitor ventilation conditions and airborne risk levels.
Successful spermatogonial stem cells transplantation within Pleuronectiformes: first breakthrough at inter-family level in marine fish
Authors: Zhou Li , Wang Xueying , Liu Qinghua , Yang Jingkun , Xu Shihong , Wu Zhihao , Wang Yanfeng , You Feng , Song Zongcheng , Li Jun 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAs a promising biotechnology, fish germ cell transplantation shows potentials in conservation germplasm resource, propagation of elite species, and generation of transgenic individuals. In this study, we successfully transplanted the Japanese flounder (P. olivaceus), summer flounder (P. dentatus), and turbot (S. maximus) spermatogonia into triploid Japanese flounder larvae, and achieved high transplantation efficiency of 100%, 75-95% and 33-50% by fluorescence tracking and molecular analysis, respectively. Eventually, donor-derived spermatozoa produced offspring by artificial insemination. We only found male and intersex chimeras in inter-family transplantations, while male and female chimeras in both intra-species and intra-genus transplantations. Moreover, the intersex chimeras could mature and produce turbot functional spermatozoa. We firstly realized inter-family transplantation in marine fish species. These results demonstrated successful spermatogonial stem cells transplantation within Pleuronectiformes, suggesting the germ cells migration, incorporation and maturation within order were conserved across a wide range of teleost species.
SiCEP3, a C-terminally encoded peptides fromSetaria italica, promotes ABA import and signaling pathway
Authors: Zhang Lei , Ren Yue , Wan Yiman , Xu Qian , Yang Guodong , Zhang Shizhong , Huang Jinguang , Yan Kang , Zheng Chengchao , Wu Changai 
Published: January 2021

AbstractC-terminally encoded peptides (CEPs) are small peptides, typically post-translationally modified, and highly conserved in many species. CEPs are known to play roles in inhibition of plant growth and regulation of development, but the mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we searched for CEP peptides in foxtail millet (Setaria italica). The 14 peptides we identified are divided into two subfamilies. The transcripts of mostSiCEPs were more abundant in roots than in other tissues.SiCEP3,SiCEP4,andSiCEP5were also expressed at high levels in panicles. Moreover, expression of allSiCEPswas induced by biotic stress and phytohormones.SiCEP3overexpression and application of biosynthetic SiCEP3 both inhibited the growth of seedlings. In the presence of ABA, growth inhibition and ABA content of seedlings increased with the concentration of SiCEP3. Transcripts encoding two ABA transporters and one ABA receptor were induced by SiCEP3, ABA, and the two in combination. Further analysis revealed that SiCEP3 promoted ABA transport via NRT1.2 and ABCG40. In addition, SiCEP3, ABA, or the combination inhibited the kinase activities of CEP receptors CEPR1/2. Taken together, our results indicated that the CEP–CEPR module mediates ABA signaling by regulating ABCG40, NRT1.2, and PYL4in planta.HighlightSiCEP3, a C-terminally encoded peptide, can promote ABA import and signaling pathway by inhibiting the kinase activity of its receptors under abiotic stress inSetaria italica.
Single Molecule Mass Photometry Reveals Dynamic Oligomerization of Plant and Human Peroxiredoxins for Functional Conservation and Diversification
Authors: Liebthal Michael , Kushwah Manish Singh , Kukura Philipp , Dietz Karl-Josef 
Published: January 2021

AbstractSingle molecule mass photometry was used to study the dynamic equilibria of the ubiquitous and highly abundant 2-Cysteine peroxiredoxins (2-CysPRX). 2-CysPRXs adopt distinct functions in all cells dependent on their oligomeric conformation ranging from dimers to decamers and high molecular weight aggregates (HMW). The oligomeric state depends on the redox state of their catalytic cysteinyl residues. To which degree they interconvert, how the interconversion is regulated, and how the oligomerisation propensity is organism specific remains, however, poorly understood. The dynamics differs between wild-type and single point mutants affecting the oligomerization interfaces, with concomitant changes to function. Titrating concentration and redox state ofArabidopsis thalianaand human 2-CysPRXs revealed features conserved among all 2-CysPRX and clear differences concerning oligomer transitions, the occurrence of transition states and the formation of HMW which are associated with chaperone activity or storage. The results indicate functional differentiation of human 2-CysPRXs. Our results point to a diversified functionality of oligomerization for 2-CysPRXs and illustrate the power of mass photometry to non-invasively quantify oligomer distributions in a redox environment. This knowledge is important to fully address and model PRX function in cell redox signaling e.g., in photosynthesis, cardiovascular and neurological diseases or carcinogenesis.
Who should be first in line for the COVID-19 vaccine? Surveys in 13 countries of the public’s preferences for prioritisation
Authors: Duch Raymond , Roope Laurence S J , Violato Mara , Becerra Matias Fuentes , Robinson Thomas , Bonnefon Jean-Francois , Friedman Jorge , Loewen Peter , Mamidi Pavan , Melegaro Alessia , Blanco Mariana , Vargas Juan , Seither Julia , Candio Paolo , Cruz Ana Gibertoni , Hua Xinyang , Barnett Adrian , Clarke Philip M 
Published: February 2021

ABSTRACTHow does the public want a COVID-19 vaccine to be allocated? We conducted a conjoint experiment asking 15,536 adults in 13 countries to evaluate 248,576 profiles of potential vaccine recipients that varied randomly on five attributes. Our sample includes diverse countries from all continents. The results suggest that in addition to giving priority to health workers and to those at high risk, the public favours giving priority to a broad range of key workers and to those on lower incomes. These preferences are similar across respondents of different education levels, incomes, and political ideologies, as well as across most surveyed countries. The public favoured COVID-19 vaccines being allocated solely via government programs, but were highly polarized in some developed countries on whether taking a vaccine should be mandatory. There is a consensus among the public on many aspects of COVID-19 vaccination which needs to be taken into account when developing and communicating roll-out strategies.
Returning to a normal life via COVID-19 vaccines in the USA: a large-scale agent-based simulation study
Authors: Li Junjiang , Giabbanelli Philippe J. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundIn 2020, COVID-19 has claimed more than 300,000 deaths in the US alone. While non-pharmaceutical interventions were implemented by federal and state governments in the USA, these efforts have failed to contain the virus. Following the FDA approval of two COVID-19 vaccines, however, the hope for the return to normalcy is renewed. This hope rests on an unprecedented nation-wide vaccine campaign, which faces many logistical challenges and is also contingent on several factors whose values are currently unknown.ObjectiveWe study the effectiveness of a nation-wide vaccine campaign in response to different vaccine efficacies, the willingness of the population to be vaccinated, and the daily vaccine capacity under two different federal plans. To characterize the possible outcomes most accurately, we also account for the interactions between non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccines, through six scenarios that capture a range of possible impact from non-pharmaceutical interventions.MethodsWe use large-scale cloud-based agent-based simulations by implementing the vaccination campaign using Covasim, an open-source ABM for COVID-19 that has been used in several peer-reviewed studies and accounts for individual heterogeneity as well as a multiplicity of contact networks. Several modifications to the parameters and simulation logic were made to better align the model with current evidence. We chose six non-pharmaceutical intervention scenarios and applied the vaccination intervention following both the plan proposed by Operation Warp Speed (former Trump administration) and the plan of one million vaccines per day, proposed by the Biden administration. We accounted for unknowns in vaccine efficacies and levels of population compliance by varying both parameters. For each experiment, the cumulative infection growth is fitted to a logistic growth model, and the carrying capacities and the growth rates are recorded.ResultsFor both vaccination plans and all non-pharmaceutical intervention scenarios, the presence of the vaccine intervention considerably lowers the total number of infections when life returns to normal, even when the population compliance to vaccines is as low at 20%. We noted an unintended consequence: given the vaccine availability estimates under both federal plans and the focus on vaccinating individuals by age categories, a significant reduction in non-pharmaceutical interventions results in a counterintuitive situation in which higher vaccine compliance then leads to more total infections.ConclusionsAlthough potent, vaccines alone cannot effectively end the pandemic given the current availability estimates and the adopted vaccination strategy. Non-pharmaceutical interventions need to continue and be enforced to ensure high compliance, so that the rate of immunity established by vaccination outpaces that induced by infections.
Multimodal sensorimotor integration of visual and kinaesthetic afferents modulates motor circuits in humans
Authors: Zschorlich Volker R. , Behrendt Frank , de Lussanet Marc H.E. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractOptimal motor control requires the effective integration of multi-modal information. Visual information of movement performed by others even enhances potentials in the upper motor neurons, through the mirror-neuron system. On the other hand, it is known that motor control is intimately associated with afferent proprioceptive information. Kinaesthetic information is also generated by passive, external-driven movements. In the context of sensory integration, its an important question, how such passive kinaesthetic information and visually perceived movements are integrated. We studied the effects of visual and kinaesthetic information in combination, as well as isolated, on sensorimotor-integration – compared to a control condition. For this, we measured the change in the excitability of motor cortex (M1) using low-intensity TMS. We hypothesised that both visual motoneurons and kinaesthetic motoneurons could enhance the excitability of motor responses. We found that passive wrist movements increase the motor excitability, suggesting that kinaesthetic motoneurons do exist. The kinaesthetic influence on the motor threshold was even stronger than the visual information. Moreover, the simultaneous visual and passive kinaesthetic information increased the cortical excitability more than each of them independently. Thus, for the first time, we found evidence for the integration of passive kinaesthetic- and visual-sensory stimuli.
Zebrafish spinal cord oligodendrocyte formation requiresbocfunction
Authors: Kearns Christina A. , Walker Macie , Ravanelli Andrew M. , Scott Kayt , Arzbecker Madeline R. , Appel Bruce 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe axis of the vertebrate neural tube is patterned, in part, by a ventral to dorsal gradient of Shh signaling. In the ventral spinal cord, Shh induces concentration-dependent expression of transcription factors, subdividing neural progenitors into distinct domains that subsequently produce distinct neuronal and glial subtypes. In particular, progenitors of the pMN domain express the bHLH transcription factor Olig2 and produce motor neurons followed by oligodendrocytes, the myelinating glial cell type of the central nervous system. In addition to its role in patterning ventral progenitors, Shh signaling must be maintained through development to specify pMN progenitors for oligodendrocyte fate. Using a forward genetic screen in zebrafish for mutations that disrupt development of oligodendrocytes, we identified a new mutant allele ofboc, which encodes a type I transmembrane protein that functions as a coreceptor for Shh. Embryos homozygous for thebocco25allele, which creates a missense mutation in a Fibronectin type III domain that binds Shh, have normally patterned spinal cords but fail to maintain pMN progenitors, resulting in a deficit of oligodendrocytes. Using a sensitive fluorescent detection method for in situ RNA hybridization, we found that spinal cord cells expressbocin a graded fashion that is inverse to the gradient of Shh signaling activity and thatbocfunction is necessary to maintain pMN progenitors by shaping the Shh signaling gradient.
Increased circulating levels of angiotensin-(1-7) in severely ill COVID-19 patients
Authors: Martins Ana Luiza Valle , da Silva Filipe Alex , Bolais-Ramos Lucas , de Oliveira Gisele Capanema , Ribeiro Renata Cunha , Pereira Danilo Augusto Alves , Annoni Filippo , Diniz Mirella Monique Lana , Silva Thuanny Granato Fonseca , Zivianni Bruna , Cardoso Alexandre Carvalho , Martins Juliana Carvalho , Motta-Santos Daisy , José Campagnole-Santos Maria , Taccone Fabio Silvio , Verano-Braga Thiago , Santos Robson Augusto Souza 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe mono-carboxypeptidase Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an important “player” of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). ACE2 is also the receptor for SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. It has been hypothesized that following SARS-CoV-2/ACE2 internalization Ang II level would increase in parallel to a decrease of Ang-(1-7) in COVID-19 patients. In this preliminary report, we analyzed the plasma levels of angiotensin peptides in 19 severe COVID-19 patients and 19 non-COVID-19 volunteers, to assess potential outcome associations. Unexpectedly, a significant increase in circulating Ang-(1-7) and lower Ang II plasma level were found in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Accordingly, an increased Ang-(1-7)/ Ang II ratio was observed in COVID-19 suggesting a RAS dysregulation toward an increased formation of Ang-(1-7) in these patients.
Towards a COVID-19 symptom triad: The importance of symptom constellations in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
Authors: Melms Leander , Falk Evelyn , Schieffer Bernhard , Jerrentrup Andreas , Wagner Uwe , Matrood Sami , Schaefer Jürgen R. , Müller Tobias , Hirsch Martin 
Published: February 2021

AbstractPandemic scenarios like SARS-Cov-2 require rapid information aggregation. In the age of eHealth and data-driven medicine, publicly available symptom tracking tools offer efficient and scalable means of collecting and analyzing large amounts of data. As a result, information gains can be communicated to front-line providers. We have developed such an application in less than a month and reached more than 500 thousand users within 48 hours. The dataset contains information on basic epidemiological parameters, symptoms, risk factors and details on previous exposure to a COVID-19 patient. Exploratory Data Analysis revealed different symptoms reported by users with confirmed contacts vs. no confirmed contacts. The symptom combination of anosmia, cough and fatigue was the most important feature to differentiate the groups, while single symptoms such as anosmia, cough or fatigue alone were not sufficient. A linear regression model from the literature using the same symptom combination as features was applied on all data. Predictions matched the regional distribution of confirmed cases closely across Germany, while also indicating that the number of cases in northern federal states might be higher than officially reported. In conclusion, we report that symptom combinations anosmia, fatigue and cough are most likely to indicate an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.