bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
SUMOylation Regulates TDP-43 Splicing Activity and Nucleocytoplasmic Distribution
Authors: Maraschi AnnaMaria , Gumina Valentina , Dragotto Jessica , Colombrita Claudia , Mompeán Miguel , Buratti Emanuele , Silani Vincenzo , Feligioni Marco , Ratti Antonia 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe nuclear RNA-binding protein TDP-43 forms abnormal cytoplasmic aggregates in the brains of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients and several molecular mechanisms promoting TDP-43 cytoplasmic mislocalization and aggregation have been proposed, including defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport, stress granules (SG) disassembly and post-translational modifications (PTM). SUMOylation is a PTM which regulates a variety of cellular processes and, similarly to ubiquitination, targets lysine residues. To investigate the possible regulatory effects of SUMOylation on TDP-43 activity and trafficking, we first assessed that TDP-43 is SUMO-conjugated in the nuclear compartment both covalently and non-covalently in the RRM1 domain at the predicted lysine 136 and SUMO-interacting motif (SIM, 106–110 residues), respectively. By using the SUMO-mutant TDP-43 K136R protein, we demonstrated that SUMOylation modifies TDP-43 splicing activity, specifically exon skipping, and influences its sub-cellular localization and recruitment to SG after oxidative stress. When promoting deSUMOylation by SENP1 enzyme over-expression or by treatment with the cell-permeable SENP1 peptide TS-1, the cytoplasmic localization of TDP-43 increased, depending on its SUMOylation. Moreover, deSUMOylation by TS-1 peptide favoured the formation of small cytoplasmic aggregates of the C-terminal TDP-43 fragment p35, still containing the SUMO lysine target 136, but had no effect on the already formed p25 aggregates. Our data suggest that TDP-43 can be post-translationally modified by SUMOylation which may regulate its splicing function and trafficking, indicating a novel and druggable mechanism to explore as its dysregulation may lead to TDP-43 pathological aggregation in ALS and FTD.
Dolutegravir Inhibition of Matrix Metalloproteinases Affects Mouse Neurodevelopment
Authors: Bade Aditya N. , McMillan JoEllyn M. , Liu Yutong , Edagwa Benson J. , Gendelman Howard E. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractDolutegravir (DTG) is a first-line antiretroviral drug (ARV) used in combination therapy for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection. The drug is effective, safe, and well tolerated. Nonetheless, concerns have recently emerged for its usage in pregnant women or those of child-bearing age. Notably, DTG-based ARV regimens have been linked to birth defects seen as a consequence of periconceptional usages. To this end, uncovering an underlying mechanism for DTG-associated adverse fetal development outcomes has gained clinical and basic research interest. We now report that DTG inhibits matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activities that could affect fetal neurodevelopment. DTG is a broad-spectrum MMPs inhibitor and binds to Zn++ at the enzyme’s catalytic domain. Studies performed in pregnant mice show that DTG readily reaches the fetal central nervous system during gestation and inhibits MMP activity. Postnatal screenings of brain health in mice pups identified neuroinflammation and neuronal impairment. These abnormalities persist as a consequence of in utero DTG exposure. We conclude that DTG inhibition of MMPs activities during gestation has the potential to affect prenatal and postnatal neurodevelopment.
The Interregional Migration of Human Capital: The Case of “First-Class” University Graduates in China
Authors: Cui Can , Wang Yifan , Wang Qiang 
Published: August 2021

AbstractHuman capital has been acknowledged as a key driver for innovation, thereby promoting regional economic development in the knowledge era. University graduates from China’s “first-class” universities—the top 42 universities, included in the “double first-class” initiative, are considered highly educated human capital. Their migration patterns will exert profound impacts on regional development in China, however, little is known about the migration of these elite university graduates and its underlying driving forces. Using data from the 2018 Graduate Employment Reports, this study reveals that the uneven distribution of “first-class” universities and regional differentials largely shaped the migration of graduates from the university to work. Graduates were found aggregating in eastern first-tier cities, even though appealing talent-orientated policies aimed at attracting human capital had been launched in recent years by second-tier cities. Employing negative binomial models, this study investigates how the characteristics of the city of university and destinations affect the intensity of flows of graduates between them. The results showed that both jobs and urban amenities in the university city and destination city exert impacts on the inflow volume of graduates; whereas talent attraction policies introduced by many second-tier cities are found not to exert positive effects on attracting “first-class” university graduates presently. The trend of human capital migration worth a follow-up investigation, particularly given ongoing policy dynamics, and would shed light on the regional development disparities in China.
Thoughts on the Ageing Body
Authors: Ghillani Francesca 
Published: August 2021

AbstractRecent studies have taken into account the fact that the lives of older people have changed drastically in the past fifty years. Older people today engage more with society and are also expected to maintain an active role in their communities. In order to maintain a positive social status, todays older adults need both to challenge negative stereotypes and also to achieve the “unachievable” positive representations in the media. Society plays a complex game of bodily images: the artificial image of the human body in the media, the image that individuals try to project, and the image that society reflects back to the individual. When the three don’t coincide, the collision creates a distancing effect. To truly understand the lived experiences of older adults in contemporary society we must explore the changing perceptions of the body. This review will illustrate the arguments both classical and contemporary through an exploration of the ageing female body, which remains the focus of most of the literature.
Youth Encounters with Internet Pornography: A Survey of Youth, Caregiver, and Educator Perspectives
Authors: Healy-Cullen Siobhán , Taylor Joanne E. , Ross Kirsty , Morison Tracy 
Published: August 2021

AbstractDespite international inquiry regarding young people’s encounters with Internet pornography (IP), there is a lack of knowledge about how their caregivers (parents or guardians) and educators perceive these encounters in comparison to young people. Such knowledge is critical to understanding the synergies and discrepancies that might exist between these key stakeholder groups (youth, caregivers and educators) and across genders, to subsequently inform how to best support youth in navigating IP. To this end, the present study describes youth (16–18-year olds) encounters with IP, as well as caregiver and educator perceptions of these encounters. An online survey was completed by 256 youth and 217 caregivers and educators recruited from nine schools with an existing investment in sexuality education in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Similar to global trends, this group of young New Zealanders were familiar with IP and patterns of encounters were gendered. However, there were varied understandings between stakeholder groups and across genders as to why and how these encounters occur. Understanding the ways youth encounter IP—and exploring how caregivers and educators perceive these encounters—serves as a springboard for future research that considers the broader socio-cultural context within which these perspectives are constructed.
Identification of suitable sites for managed aquifer recharge under semi-arid conditions employing a combination of numerical and analytical techniques
Authors: Alkhatib Jafar , Engelhardt Irina , Sauter Martin 
Published: August 2021

AbstractOverpumping or overexploitation of groundwater is one of the major threats for aquifer systems in arid and semi-arid areas. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) has been suggested by many researchers as a sustainable and effective method to alleviate negative impacts of overpumping. Optimizing artificial recharge considers the selection of suitable MAR sites in terms of surface and subsurface characteristics. While surface characteristics at potential MAR sites could be modified (e.g. slope, soil texture, etc.), subsurface characteristics cannot be changed through engineering work. Characteristics of the aquifer, such as depth to groundwater, play an important role in determining the capability of an aquifer to store a specific volume of infiltrated water. Currently, only a limited number of quoted researches are available that consider factors related to aquifer characteristics and the range of these factors to identify optimal MAR sites. In this study, a new approach is presented, that employs numerical groundwater modeling to generate MAR suitability maps considering sub-surface characteristics, such as depth-to-groundwater, aquifer transmissivity and specific yield. Multiple model-runs are conducted to simulate groundwater table response with respect to the volume of infiltrated water. Simulation results are used to calibrate a groundwater mound empirical equation that calculates the groundwater level increase as a function of the transmissivity and infiltrated water volume for a given value of aquifer’ specific yield, range of vertical hydraulic conductivities and a specific design and operation conditions of the MAR system. The empirical equation is employed in GIS to spatially calculate the height of groundwater mound beneath a hypothetical MAR site and to generate, based on that, suitability maps for MAR implementation. Assuming that MAR structures capture the median of monthly surface runoff rates at the respective wadi (catchment area), suitability maps are generated for different configurations/scenarios of aquifer hydraulic conductivity in a parameter study. The results highlight the importance of integrating aquifer characteristics (geometry and hydraulic parameters) and expected magnitudes and fluxes of infiltration water in delineating suitable sites for MAR.
Using unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry for digital geological surveys: case study of Selmun promontory, northern of Malta
Authors: Colica Emanuele , D’Amico Sebastiano , Iannucci Roberto , Martino Salvatore , Gauci Adam , Galone Luciano , Galea Pauline , Paciello Antonella 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn recent years, we have been witnessing the widespread use of low-cost, increasingly high-performance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs, equipped with a large number of sensors capable of extracting detailed information on several scales and in an immediate manner. This study was motivated by the need to perform a geological survey in an area with difficult physical access, and to compare the results with those from conventional surveys. Here we used a Multirotor UAV equipped with a high definition RGB camera and the digital photogrammetry technique to reconstruct a three-dimensional model of the Selmun promontory, located in the northern part of the island of Malta (central Mediterranean Sea). In this area, the evident cliff retreat is linked to landslide processes involving the outcropping geological succession, characterized by the over position of stiff limestones on ductile clays. Such an instability process consists of a lateral spreading associated with toppling and fall of different-size rock blocks. Starting from the 3D model obtained from the UAV-photogrammetry, a digital geological-structural survey was performed in which we identified the spatial geometry of the fractures that characterize the area of the Selmun promontory by measuring strike, dip and dip direction of the fractures with semi-automatic digital tools. Furthermore, we were able to measure the size and volume of singularized rock masses as well as cracks, and their sizes were mapped in a GIS environment that contains a large number of digital structural measures. It is the first application of this type for the Maltese islands and the results obtained with this innovative digital methodology were then compared with those of the traditional field survey of the same area acquired during a previous campaign. This study demonstrated how the innovation of digital geological surveying lies in the possibility of mapping areas and geological features not detectable with traditional methods, mainly due to the high risk associated with the stability of the cliff or, more generally, the inaccessibility of some sites, therefore allowing the user to operate in safety and to detect in detail the most remote rocky outcrops.
Adsorption of chromium (Cr6+) on dead biomass of Salvinia molesta (Kariba weed) and Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail): isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic study
Authors: Singh Asha , Kumar Sunil , Panghal Vishal 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThis study evaluated the adsorption of Cr6+ from aqueous solution using dead biomass of aquatic plants Salvinia molesta (Kariba weed) and Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail). The batch experiments were carried out to study the effects of pH, adsorbent dose, initial metal concentration, contact time, agitation speed in rotation per minute (rpm), and temperature. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the adsorbent and analyze the functional groups and morphology of the adsorbent, respectively. The hydroxyl and amine groups were the main functional groups involved in the adsorption. Both adsorbents showed good results at pH 1, metal concentration of 20 mg/L for Cr6+ removal, and adsorption equilibrium was attained within 60 min with 150 rpm at 25 °C. The adsorption rate obtained was above 95% for both the adsorbents at a dose of 0.150 g for S. molesta and 0.8 g for T. latifolia. Isotherm and kinetic models were applied on the adsorption data. The monolayer adsorption capacity (qm) was found to be 33.33 mg/g for S. molesta and 10.30 mg/g for T. latifolia. The Langmuir isotherm was better fitted to S. molesta, while the Freundlich isotherm was better fitted to T. latifolia. It was reported that the pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.999) was better fitted to the adsorption data for both the adsorbents. The thermodynamic study was also conducted and found the adsorption process was exothermic and spontaneous. Results revealed the good adsorption potential of S. molesta and T. latifolia, and they can be used for the removal of hexavalent chromium.
In-silico and in-vivo evaluation of sesamol and its derivatives for benign prostatic hypertrophy
Authors: Shah Abhishek , Shah Aarti Abhishek , Nandakumar Krishnadas , Kumar Avinash , Pai Aravinda , Lobo Richard 
Published: August 2021

AbstractPharmacological treatment for BPH includes 5-α reductase inhibitors as Finasteride and Dutasteride as a monotherapy or in combination with antimuscarinic drugs, alpha-blockers, 5-phosphodiesterase inhibitor drugs. Androgen receptor inhibitors revealed several adverse events as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, and gynecomastia. Hence, the emergence of complementary and alternative medications having safety profile—preferably, edible natural products—would be highly desirable. In-silico studies based on Maestro Molecular Modelling platform (version 10.5) by Schrӧdinger, LLC was used to identify the lead molecules. The in-vivo activity studied on rats gave the positive results. The findings based on experiments as antioxidant parameters showed the potential to quench the free radicals. The significant results were also seen in prostatic index and histopathological studies supported the above findings. Based on these data, sesamol and derivative have proven efficacy in protecting against testosterone induced BPH.
Keypoint detectors and texture analysis based comprehensive comparison in different color spaces for automatic detection of the optic disc in retinal fundus images
Authors: Akyol Kemal , Şen Baha 
Published: August 2021

AbstractDetection of the optic disc which has similar brightness with the hard and soft exudate lesions seen in the early stage of diabetic retinopathy is very difficult due to different light conditions and contrast values. Automatic detection of these lesions by expert systems in the medical field is very important. In this context, we propose a new approach based on the analysis of color spaces, keypoint detectors, and texture for retinal fundus images. If the keypoint information is contained within the actual optic disc region, this is an important consideration for the automated detection of the optic disc. This study can be divided into five sections, respectively, image preprocessing, image processing, keypoint detection, texture analysis, and performance evaluation. The analyses of patch images compatible with the keypoints obtained from the Red–Green–Blue (RGB) image and its color channels were carried out. The performance of the study was validated on the Digital Retinal Images for Vessel Extraction public dataset. According to the results, Local Binary Pattern texture analysis performed in region of interest around keypoints detected by different keypoint detectors presented good performance in RGB and green channel images.
Exploring Male Multiple Orgasm in a Large Online Sample: Refining Our Understanding
Authors: Griffin-Mathieu Gabrielle , Berry Michael , Shtarkshall Ronny A. , Amsel Rhonda , Binik Yitzchak M. , Gérard Marina 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe scientific literature on multiple orgasm in males is small. There is little consensus on a definition, and significant controversy about whether multiple orgasm is a unitary experience.AimsThis study has 2 goals: (i) describing the experience of male multiple orgasm; (ii) investigating whether there are different profiles of multiple orgasm in men.MethodsData from a culturally diverse online convenience sample of 122 men reporting multiple orgasm were collected. Data reduction analyses were conducted using principal components analysis (PCA) on 13 variables of interest derived from theory and the existing literature. A K-means cluster analysis followed, from which a 4-cluster solution was retained.RESULTSWhile the range of reported orgasms varied from 2 to 30, the majority (79.5%, N = 97) of participants experienced between 2 and 4 orgasms separated by a specific time interval during which further stimulation was required to achieve another orgasm. Most participants reported maintaining their erections throughout and ejaculating with every orgasm. Age was not a significant correlate of the multiple orgasm experience which occurred more frequently in a dyadic context. Four different profiles of multiorgasmic men were described.Strengths & LimitationsThis study constitutes a rare attempt to collect systematic self-report data concerning the experience of multiple orgasm in a relatively large sample. Limitations include the lack of validated measures, memory bias associated with self-reported data and retrospective designs, the lack of a control group and of physiological measurement.CONCLUSIONOur study suggests that multiple orgasm in men is not a unitary phenomenon and sets the stage for future self-report and laboratory study.
Exploratory Factor Analysis of Unusual Sexual Interests
Authors: Schippers Eveline E. , Smid Wineke J. , Huckelba Anna Laura , Hoogsteder Larissa M. , Beekman Aartjan T.F. , Smit Jan H. 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTBackgroundUnusual sexual interests are largely intercorrelated, yet not much is known about underlying patterns of clusters between various sexual interests.AimTo identify underlying clusters of unusual sexual interests using exploratory factor analysis.MethodsWe conducted exploratory factor analysis with self-reported interest in a wide variety of unusual sexual acts for an online, international sample (N = 669; 61% female), and for women and men separately. Factor regression weights were correlated to self-reported sex life satisfaction, sexual outlet, and psychiatric symptoms.OutcomesParticipants rated the attractiveness of 50 unusual sexual activities, and reported on their sex life satisfaction (Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale), sexual outlet, and symptoms regarding ADHD (Adult ADHD Self-Report Screening Scale for DSM-5), depression, anxiety, and stress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale).RESULTSWe identified 5 factors of unusual sexual interests that were largely comparable for women and men: submission/masochism, forbidden sexual activities, dominance/sadism, mysophilia (attraction to dirtiness or soiled things), and fetishism. For women, unusual sexual interests related to more psychiatric symptoms and higher sexual outlet, whereas this relation was less explicit for men.Clinical ImplicationsDifferent factors of unusual sexual interests may serve different underlying functions or motivations, for instance related to sexual, and emotional regulation. A better understanding of the nature of unusual sexual interests is important to be able to influence sexual interests that are unwanted or cause damage to others.Strengths & LimitationsStrength of this study include its anonymity, the avoidance of sexual orientation effects, and the possibility to indicate only a slight endorsement toward sexual items. Limitations include the sample’s generalizability and the truthfulness of online responding.CONCLUSIONUnusual sexual interests could be clustered into 5 factors that were largely comparable for women and men: submission/masochism, forbidden sexual activities, dominance/sadism, mysophilia, and fetishism.
A Benchmark to Test Generalization Capabilities of Deep Learning Methods to Classify Severe Convective Storms in a Changing Climate
Authors: Molina Maria J. , Gagne David John , Prein Andreas F. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThis is a test case study assessing the ability of deep learning methods to generalize to a future climate (end of 21st century) when trained to classify thunderstorms in model output representative of the present‐day climate. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained to classify strongly rotating thunderstorms from a current climate created using the Weather Research and Forecasting model at high‐resolution, then evaluated against thunderstorms from a future climate and found to perform with skill and comparatively in both climates. Despite training with labels derived from a threshold value of a severe thunderstorm diagnostic (updraft helicity), which was not used as an input attribute, the CNN learned physical characteristics of organized convection and environments that are not captured by the diagnostic heuristic. Physical features were not prescribed but rather learned from the data, such as the importance of dry air at mid‐levels for intense thunderstorm development when low‐level moisture is present (i.e., convective available potential energy). Explanation techniques also revealed that thunderstorms classified as strongly rotating are associated with learned rotation signatures. Results show that the creation of synthetic data with ground truth is a viable alternative to human‐labeled data and that a CNN is able to generalize a target using learned features that would be difficult to encode due to spatial complexity. Most importantly, results from this study show that deep learning is capable of generalizing to future climate extremes and can exhibit out‐of‐sample robustness with hyperparameter tuning in certain applications.