bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Meteorological Drivers of North American Monsoon Extreme Precipitation Events
Authors: Duan Shiheng , Ullrich Paul , Boos William R. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn this paper the meteorological drivers of North American Monsoon (NAM) extreme precipitation events (EPEs) are identified and analyzed. First, the NAM area and its subregions are distinguished using self‐organizing maps applied to the Climate Prediction Center global precipitation data set. This reveals distinct subregions, shaped by the inhomogeneous geographic features of the NAM area, with distinct extreme precipitation character and drivers. Next, defining EPEs as days when subregion‐mean precipitation exceeds the 95th percentile of rainy days, five synoptic features and one mesoscale feature are investigated as potential drivers of EPEs. Essentially all EPEs can be associated with at least one selected driver, with only one event remaining unclassified. This analysis shows the dominant role of Gulf of California moisture surges, mesoscale convective systems and frontal systems in generating NAM extreme precipitation. Finally, a frequency and probability analysis is conducted to contrast precipitation distributions conditioned on the associated meteorological drivers. The findings demonstrate that the co‐occurrence of multiple features does not necessarily enhance the EPE probability.
Efficacy of a yeast postbiotic on cold/flu symptoms in healthy children: A randomized-controlled trial
Authors: Singh Ruma G. , Garcia-Campayo Vicenta , Green Justin B. , Paton Neil , Saunders Julissa D. , Al-Wahsh Huda , Crowley David C. , Lewis Erin D. , Evans Malkanthi , Moulin Marc 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
Children attending school/daycare are at high risk of acute respiratory tract infections. EpiCorTM postbiotic, derived from yeast fermentate, has been demonstrated to improve immune function in adults, reducing the incidence of cold/flu-like or allergy symptoms. As such, studies are warranted in children as available pharmaceutical options have unwanted side effects.

Methods
Two-hundred and fifty-six children aged 4–12 years attending school/daycare were randomized to either EpiCor or Placebo for 84 days during the 2022–2023 flu season in Ontario, Canada. The Canadian Acute Respiratory Illness and Flu Scale (CARIFS) and study diary assessed the incidence and severity of cold/flu symptoms and the use of cold/flu medications. Adverse events were recorded.

Results
Total CARIFS severity scores, ‘sore throat’ and ‘muscle aches or pains’ symptom scores in the EpiCor group were significantly lower compared to Placebo during incidences of cold/flu (P ≤ 0.05). Participants taking Placebo were 1.73 times more likely to use cold/flu medication compared to those receiving EpiCor (P = 0.04). The incidence of cold/flu symptoms was not significantly different between groups. EpiCor was found to be safe and well-tolerated.

Conclusions
EpiCor supplementation resulted in significantly lower cold/flu symptom severity and less cold/flu medication usage than Placebo demonstrating a beneficial effect on immune function in children.

Impact

Children are at high risk of acquiring cold/flu infections and safe and efficacious mitigating regimens are lacking.

Children supplemented daily with 500 mg EpiCorTM postbiotic derived from yeast fermentate had significantly lower overall cold/flu symptom severity, and severity of sore throat and muscle aches or pains over the 84-day supplementation period.

EpiCor supplementation resulted in decreased use of traditional cold/flu medication.

Daily supplementation with 500 mg of EpiCor for 84 days was safe and well tolerated by healthy children aged 4–12 years attending school or daycare.
A broad neutralizing nanobody against SARS-CoV-2 engineered from an approved drug
Authors: Liu Qianyun , Lu Yuchi , Cai Chenguang , Huang Yanyan , Zhou Li , Guan Yanbin , Fu Shiying , Lin Youyou , Yan Huan , Zhang Zhen , Li Xiang , Yang Xiuna , Yang Haitao , Guo Hangtian , Lan Ke , Chen Yu , Hou Shin-Chen , Xiong Yi 
Published: June 2024

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 infection is initiated by Spike glycoprotein binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor via its receptor binding domain. Blocking this interaction has been proven to be an effective approach to inhibit virus infection. Here we report the discovery of a neutralizing nanobody named VHH60, which was directly produced from an engineering nanobody library based on a commercialized nanobody within a very short period. VHH60 competes with human ACE2 to bind the receptor binding domain of the Spike protein at S351, S470-471and S493-494 as determined by structural analysis, with an affinity of 2.56 nM. It inhibits infections of both ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain and pseudotyped viruses harboring SARS-CoV-2 wildtype, key mutations or variants at the nanomolar level. Furthermore, VHH60 suppressed SARS-CoV-2 infection and propagation 50-fold better and protected mice from death for twice as long as the control group after SARS-CoV-2 nasal infections in vivo. Therefore, VHH60 is not only a powerful nanobody with a promising profile for disease control but also provides evidence for a highly effective and rapid approach to generating therapeutic nanobodies.
PAM-flexible Engineered FnCas9 variants for robust and ultra-precise genome editing and diagnostics
Authors: Acharya Sundaram , Ansari Asgar Hussain , Kumar Das Prosad , Hirano Seiichi , Aich Meghali , Rauthan Riya , Mahato Sudipta , Maddileti Savitri , Sarkar Sajal , Kumar Manoj , Phutela Rhythm , Gulati Sneha , Rahman Abdul , Goel Arushi , Afzal C. , Paul Deepanjan , Agrawal Trupti , Pulimamidi Vinay Kumar , Jalali Subhadra , Nishimasu Hiroshi , Mariappan Indumathi , Nureki Osamu , Maiti Souvik , Chakraborty Debojyoti 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe clinical success of CRISPR therapies hinges on the safety and efficacy of Cas proteins. The Cas9 from Francisella novicida (FnCas9) is highly precise, with a negligible affinity for mismatched substrates, but its low cellular targeting efficiency limits therapeutic use. Here, we rationally engineer the protein to develop enhanced FnCas9 (enFnCas9) variants and broaden their accessibility across human genomic sites by ~3.5-fold. The enFnCas9 proteins with single mismatch specificity expanded the target range of FnCas9-based CRISPR diagnostics to detect the pathogenic DNA signatures. They outperform Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) and its engineered derivatives in on-target editing efficiency, knock-in rates, and off-target specificity. enFnCas9 can be combined with extended gRNAs for robust base editing at sites which are inaccessible to PAM-constrained canonical base editors. Finally, we demonstrate an RPE65 mutation correction in a Leber congenital amaurosis 2 (LCA2) patient-specific iPSC line using enFnCas9 adenine base editor, highlighting its therapeutic utility.
Facet-selective growth of halide perovskite/2D semiconductor van der Waals heterostructures for improved optical gain and lasing
Authors: Zhang Liqiang , Wang Yiliu , Chu Anshi , Zhang Zhengwei , Liu Miaomiao , Shen Xiaohua , Li Bailing , Li Xu , Yi Chen , Song Rong , Liu Yingying , Zhuang Xiujuan , Duan Xidong 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe tunable properties of halide perovskite/two dimensional (2D) semiconductor mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures offer high flexibility for innovating optoelectronic and photonic devices. However, the general and robust growth of high-quality monocrystalline halide perovskite/2D semiconductor heterostructures with attractive optical properties has remained challenging. Here, we demonstrate a universal van der Waals heteroepitaxy strategy to synthesize a library of facet-specific single-crystalline halide perovskite/2D semiconductor (multi)heterostructures. The obtained heterostructures can be broadly tailored by selecting the coupling layer of interest, and can include perovskites varying from all-inorganic to organic-inorganic hybrid counterparts, individual transition metal dichalcogenides or 2D heterojunctions. The CsPbI2Br/WSe2 heterostructures demonstrate ultrahigh optical gain coefficient, reduced gain threshold and prolonged gain lifetime, which are attributed to the reduced energetic disorder. Accordingly, the self-organized halide perovskite/2D semiconductor heterostructure lasers show highly reproducible single-mode lasing with largely reduced lasing threshold and improved stability. Our findings provide a high-quality and versatile material platform for probing unique optoelectronic and photonic physics and developing further electrically driven on-chip lasers, nanophotonic devices and electronic-photonic integrated systems.
Structural basis for differential inhibition of eukaryotic ribosomes by tigecycline
Authors: Li Xiang , Wang Mengjiao , Denk Timo , Buschauer Robert , Li Yi , Beckmann Roland , Cheng Jingdong 
Published: June 2024

AbstractTigecycline is widely used for treating complicated bacterial infections for which there are no effective drugs. It inhibits bacterial protein translation by blocking the ribosomal A-site. However, even though it is also cytotoxic for human cells, the molecular mechanism of its inhibition remains unclear. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of tigecycline-bound human mitochondrial 55S, 39S, cytoplasmic 80S and yeast cytoplasmic 80S ribosomes. We find that at clinically relevant concentrations, tigecycline effectively targets human 55S mitoribosomes, potentially, by hindering A-site tRNA accommodation and by blocking the peptidyl transfer center. In contrast, tigecycline does not bind to human 80S ribosomes under physiological concentrations. However, at high tigecycline concentrations, in addition to blocking the A-site, both human and yeast 80S ribosomes bind tigecycline at another conserved binding site restricting the movement of the L1 stalk. In conclusion, the observed distinct binding properties of tigecycline may guide new pathways for drug design and therapy.
Energy and environmental impacts of air-to-air heat pumps in a mid-latitude city
Authors: Meyer David , Schoetter Robert , van Reeuwijk Maarten 
Published: June 2024

AbstractHeat pumps (HPs) have emerged as a key technology for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. This study evaluates the potential switch to air-to-air HPs (AAHPs) in Toulouse, France, where conventional space heating is split between electric and gas sources. In this context, we find that AAHPs reduce heating energy consumption by 57% to 76%, with electric heating energy consumption decreasing by 6% to 47%, resulting in virtually no local heating-related CO2 emissions. We observe a slight reduction in near-surface air temperature of up to 0.5 °C during cold spells, attributable to a reduction in sensible heat flux, which is unlikely to compromise AAHPs operational efficiency. While Toulouse’s heating energy mix facilitates large energy savings, electric energy consumption may increase in cities where gas or other fossil fuel sources prevail. Furthermore, as AAHPs efficiency varies with internal and external conditions, their impact on the electrical grid is more complex than conventional heating systems. The results underscore the importance of matching heating system transitions with sustainable electricity generation to maximize environmental benefits. The study highlights the intricate balance between technological advancements in heating and their broader environmental and policy implications, offering key insights for urban energy policy and sustainability efforts.
The genome assembly and annotation of the cricket Gryllus longicercus
Authors: Szrajer Szymon , Gray David , Ylla Guillem 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe order Orthoptera includes insects such as grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets, among which there are important species for ecosystem stability and pollination, as well as research organisms in different fields such as neurobiology, ecology, and evolution. Crickets, with more than 2,400 described species, are emerging as novel model research organisms, for their diversity, worldwide distribution, regeneration capacity, and their characteristic acoustic communication. Here we report the assembly and annotation of the first New World cricket, that of Gryllus longicercus Weissman & Gray 2019. The genome assembly, generated by combining 44.54 Gb of long reads from PacBio and 120.44 Gb of short Illumina reads, has a length of 1.85 Gb. The genome annotation yielded 19,715 transcripts from 14,789 gene models.
Optimizing microbial strain selection for pyrethroid biodegradation in contaminated environments through a TOPSIS-based decision-making system
Authors: Gangola Saurabh , Chaube Shshank , Bayram Abdullah , Joshi Samiksha , Bhandari Geeta , Malik Sumira , Khan Azmat Ali 
Published: June 2024

AbstractImproved and contemporary agriculture relies heavily on pesticides, yet some can be quite persistent and have a stable chemical composition, posing a significant threat to the ecology. Removing harmful effects is upon their degradability. Biodegradation must be emphasized to lower pesticide degradation costs, especially in the soil. Here, a decision-making system was used to determine the best microbial strain for the biodegradation of the pyrethroid-contaminated soil. In this system, the criteria chosen as: pH (C1), Temp (C2), RPM (C3), Conc. (C4), Degradation (%) (C5) and Time required for degradation(hrs) (C6); and five alternatives were Bacillus (A1), Acinetobacter (A2), Escherichia (A3), Pseudomonas (A4), and Fusarium (A5). The best alternative was selected by applying the TOPSIS (technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution) method, which evaluates based on their closeness to the ideal solution and how well they meet specific requirements. Among all the specified criteria, Acinetobacter (A2) was the best and optimal based on the relative closeness value (($${R}_{i}^{*}$$

R

i

∗

) = 0.740 (A2) > 0.544 (A5) > 0.480 (A1) > 0.403 (A4) > 0.296 (A3)). However, the ranking of the other alternatives is also obtained in the order Fusarium (A5), Bacillus (A1), Pseudomonas (A4), Escherichia (A3). Hence this study suggests Acinetobacter is the best microbial strain for biodegradation of pyrethroids; while least preference should be given to Escherichia. Acinetobacter, versatile metabolic nature with various xenobiotic compounds' degradation ability, is gram-negative, aerobic, coccobacilli, nonmotile, and nonspore forming bacteria. Due to less study about Acinetobacter it is not in that much frame as the other microorganisms. Hence, considering the Acinetobacter strain for the biodegradation study will give more optimal results than the other microbial strains. Novelty of this study, the TOPSIS method is applied first time in selecting the best microbial strain for the biodegradation of pyrethroid-contaminated soil, considering this selection process as multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem.
Experimental investigation of radiation shielding competence of B2O3-Na2O-Al2O3-BaO-CaO glass system
Authors: Abdel-Gawad Esraa H. , Sayyed M. I. , Hanafy Taha. A. , Elsafi Mohamed 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAiming to extend the scope of utilizing glass in radiation shielding, this work investigates the radiation interaction response of a borate-based glass system. Four borate-glass samples of different substituting concentrations of calcium oxide ($$70-x$$

70
-
x

)B2O3:$$10$$

10

Na2O $$:5$$

:
5

Al2O3$$:15$$

:
15

BaO:$$x$$
x
CaO were prepared. To assess the shielding performance of the prepared glass samples, a high-purity germanium detector and different radioactive sources (different energies) were used. Via the narrow beam method, the linear attenuation coefficients (LACs) were experimentally measured. So, the transmission factor (TF), the half-value layer (HVL), the tenth value layer (TVL), the mean free path (MFP), and the radiation protection efficiency (RPE) were calculated for all prepared samples. It was observed that the increase of the concentration of calcium oxide in the proposed borate-based glass samples leads to improve their performance in shielding against radiation. At low energy, the RPE of the samples is almost 100%. However, it was observed that as energy of the radiation source increases, the shielding performance of the samples will decrease. High energy dependence was found when calculating TF, HVL, TVL, and MFP. They were increased with the increase of the energy of the incident photons. At 0.662 MeV, the TF values are equal to 79.26, 79.00, 79.72, and 78.43% for BNABC-1, BNABC-2, BNABC-3, and BNABC-4 in the same oder, respectively. The application of the proposed composition of borate-based glass as a transparent shield against low-energy ionizing radiation was highlighted.
Insect pests and natural enemies associated with lettuce Lactuca sativa L. (Asteraceae) in an aquaponics system
Authors: da Silva Tamara Machado , Cividanes Francisco Jorge , Salles Fernando André , Pacífico Manfrim Perticarrari Amanda Liz , Zambon da Cunha Suzan Beatriz , Monteiro dos Santos-Cividanes Terezinha 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAlthough food is produced in aquaponics systems worldwide, no information is available on the occurrence of insect pests and natural enemies in aquaponic lettuce, Lactuca sativa L. In this study, a survey was carried out in an aquaponic system combining lettuce with lambari, Astyanax altiparanae (Garutti & Briski), aiming to determine the insect pests and natural enemies associated with this system. We also determined the predominant insect species and the effect of meteorological factors on their populations. Insect abundance was estimated by visual sampling during 13 cultivation cycles, totaling 27 sampling dates. The meteorological factors considered were air temperature and relative humidity, and their effects were determined using the Pearson correlation. The thrips Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom) and Caliothrips phaseoli (Hood) and the aphid Aphis spiraecola (Patch) predominated. Ambient temperature and relative humidity were essential factors affecting C. phaseoli and F. schultzei. The natural enemies found on the lettuce plants were the thrips Franklinothrips vespiformis (Crawford) and Stomatothrips angustipennis (Hood) and the ladybugs Cycloneda sanguinea L., Eriopis connexa (Germar), and Hippodamia convergens (Guérin-Méneville). These results constitute the first step for a lettuce-integrated pest-management program in aquaponics systems.
Increase in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. colonization among pregnant individuals during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Rio-Tinto A. , Costa N. S. , Alvim D. C. S. S. , Oliveira L. M. A. , De Oliveira T. L. R. , Dos Santos K. R. N. , Fracalanzza S. E. L. , Teixeira L. M. , Marinho P. , Taylor S. , Thomas S. , Pinto T. C. A. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRS) has been associated with neonatal infections, with colonization of the anovaginal tract being the main source of vertical transmission. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the frequency of antibiotic usage, potentially contributing to changes in the dynamics of bacterial agents colonizing humans. Here we determined MRS colonization rates among pregnant individuals attending a single maternity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before (January 2019–March 2020) and during (May 2020–March 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic. Anovaginal samples (n = 806 [521 samples before and 285 during the pandemic]) were streaked onto chromogenic media. Colonies were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Detection of mecA gene and SCCmec typing were assessed by PCR and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done according to CLSI guidelines. After the onset of the pandemic, MRS colonization rates increased significantly (p < 0.05) from 8.6% (45) to 54.7% (156). Overall, 215 (26.6%) MRS isolates were detected, of which S. haemolyticus was the most prevalent species (MRSH, 84.2%; 181 isolates). SCCmec type V was the most frequent among MRS (63.3%; 136), and 31.6% (68) of MRS strains had a non-typeable SCCmec, due to new combinations of ccr and mecA complexes. Among MRS strains, 41.9% (90) were resistant to at least 3 different classes of antimicrobial agents, and 60% (54) of them were S. haemolyticus harboring SCCmec V. MRS colonization rates and the emergence of multidrug-resistant variants detected in this study indicate the need for continuing surveillance of this important pathogen within maternal and child populations.
Reliable, rapid, and remote measurement of metacognitive bias
Authors: Fox Celine A. , McDonogh Abbie , Donegan Kelly R. , Teckentrup Vanessa , Crossen Robert J. , Hanlon Anna K. , Gallagher Eoghan , Rouault Marion , Gillan Claire M. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractMetacognitive biases have been repeatedly associated with transdiagnostic psychiatric dimensions of ‘anxious-depression’ and ‘compulsivity and intrusive thought’, cross-sectionally. To progress our understanding of the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms, new methods are required to measure metacognition remotely, within individuals over time. We developed a gamified smartphone task designed to measure visuo-perceptual metacognitive (confidence) bias and investigated its psychometric properties across two studies (N = 3410 unpaid citizen scientists, N = 52 paid participants). We assessed convergent validity, split-half and test–retest reliability, and identified the minimum number of trials required to capture its clinical correlates. Convergent validity of metacognitive bias was moderate (r(50) = 0.64, p < 0.001) and it demonstrated excellent split-half reliability (r(50) = 0.91, p < 0.001). Anxious-depression was associated with decreased confidence (β =  − 0.23, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001), while compulsivity and intrusive thought was associated with greater confidence (β = 0.07, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001). The associations between metacognitive biases and transdiagnostic psychiatry dimensions are evident in as few as 40 trials. Metacognitive biases in decision-making are stable within and across sessions, exhibiting very high test–retest reliability for the 100-trial (ICC = 0.86, N = 110) and 40-trial (ICC = 0.86, N = 120) versions of Meta Mind. Hybrid ‘self-report cognition’ tasks may be one way to bridge the recently discussed reliability gap in computational psychiatry.
Hyaluronidase inhibitor delphinidin inhibits cancer metastasis
Authors: McGuire Jeremy , Taguchi Taketo , Tombline Gregory , Paige Victoria , Janelsins Michelle , Gilmore Nikesha , Seluanov Andrei , Gorbunova Vera 
Published: June 2024

AbstractCancer remains a formidable global health challenge, with metastasis being a key contributor to its lethality. Abundant high molecular mass hyaluronic acid, a major non-protein component of extracellular matrix, protects naked mole rats from cancer and reduces cancer incidence in mice. Hyaluronidase plays a critical role in degrading hyaluronic acid and is frequently overexpressed in metastatic cancer. Here we investigated the potential of targeting hyaluronidases to reduce metastasis. A high throughput screen identified delphinidin, a natural plant compound found in fruits and vegetables, as a potent hyaluronidase inhibitor. Delphinidin-mediated inhibition of hyaluronidase activity led to an increase in high molecular weight hyaluronic acid in cell culture and in mouse tissues, and reduced migration and invasion behavior of breast, prostate, and melanoma cancer cells. Moreover, delphinidin treatment suppressed melanoma metastasis in mice. Our study provides a proof of principle that inhibition of hyaluronidase activity suppresses cancer cell migration, invasion and metastasis. Furthermore, we identified a natural compound delphinidin as a potential anticancer therapeutic. Thus, we have identified a path for clinical translation of the cancer resistance mechanism identified in the naked mole rat.