bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Performance effects from different shutdown methods of three electrode materials for the power-to-gas application with electromethanogenesis
Authors: Rohbohm Nils , Lang Maren , Erben Johannes , Gemeinhardt Kurt , Patel Nitant , Ilic Ivan K. , Hafenbradl Doris , Rodrigo Quejigo Jose , Angenent Largus T. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIndustrial applications of microbial electrochemical systems will require regular maintenance shutdowns, involving inspections and component replacements to extend the lifespan of the system. Here, we examined the impact of such shutdowns on the performance of three electrode materials (i.e., platinized titanium, graphite, and nickel) as cathodes in a microbial electrochemical system that would be used for electromethanogenesis in power-to-gas applications. We focused on methane (CH4) production from hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) usingMethanothermobacter thermautotrophicus. We showed that the platinized titanium cathode resulted in high volumetric CH4production rates and Coulombic efficiencies. Using a graphite cathode would be more cost-effective than using the platinized titanium cathode in microbial electrochemical systems but showed an inferior performance. The microbial electrochemical system with the nickel cathode showed improvements compared to the graphite cathode. Additionally, this system with a nickel cathode demonstrated the fastest recovery during a shutdown experiment compared to the other two cathodes. Fluctuations in pH and nickel concentrations in the catholyte during power interruptions affected CH4production recovery in the system with the nickel cathode. This research enhances understanding of the integration of biological and electrochemical processes in microbial electrochemical systems, providing insights into electrode selection and operating strategies for effective and sustainable CH4production.
GTP cyclohydrolase II(gch2) and axanthism in ball pythons: a new vertebrate model for pterin-based pigmentation
Authors: Garcia-Elfring Alan , Roffey Heather L. , Abergas Jaren M. , Hendry Andrew P. , Barrett Rowan D. H. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPterin pigments are responsible for many of the bright colours observed across the animal kingdom. However, unlike melanin, the genetics of pterin-based pigmentation has received relatively little attention in animal colouration studies. Here, we investigate a lineage of axanthic ball pythons (Python regius) found in captivity as a model system to study pterin pigmentation in vertebrates. By crowdsourcing shed skin samples from commercial breeders and applying a case-control study design, we utilized whole-genome pool sequencing (pool-seq) and variant annotation. We identified a premature stop codon in the geneGTP cyclohydrolase II(gch2), which is associated with the axanthic phenotype. GCH2 catalyzes the first rate-limiting step in riboflavin biosynthesis. This study provides the first identification of an axanthism-associated gene in vertebrates and highlights the utility of ball pythons as a model to study pterin-based pigmentation.
Effect of senolytic drugs in young female mice chemically induced to estropause
Authors: Ávila Bianca M , Zanini Bianka M , Luduvico Karina P , Oliveira Thais L , Hense Jéssica D , Garcia Driele N , Prosczek Juliane , Stefanello Francielle M , da Cruz Pedro H , Giongo Janice L , Vaucher Rodrigo A , Mason Jeffrey B , Masternak Michal M , Schneider Augusto 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAimsThis study aimed to assess metabolic responses and senescent cell burden in young female mice induced to estropause and treated with senolytic drugs.Main methodsEstropause was induced by 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) injection in two-month-old mice. The senolytics dasatinib and quercetin (D+Q) or fisetin were given by oral gavage once a month from five to 11 months of age.Key findingsVCD-induced estropause led to increased body mass and reduced albumin concentrations compared to untreated cyclic mice, without affecting insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, liver enzymes, or total proteins. Estropause decreased catalase activity in adipose tissue but had no significant effect on other redox parameters in adipose and hepatic tissues. Fisetin treatment reduced ROS levels in the hepatic tissue of estropause mice. Estropause did not influence senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity in adipose and hepatic tissues, but increased senescent cell markers and fibrosis in ovaries. Senolytic treatment did not decrease ovarian cellular senescence induced by estropause.SignificanceOverall, the findings suggest that estropause leads to minor metabolic changes in young females, and senolytics had no protective effects despite increased ovarian senescence.
The frequency dependence of prestin-mediated fast electromotility for mammalian cochlear amplification
Authors: Takahashi Satoe , Zhou Yingjie , Cheatham Mary Ann , Homma Kazuaki 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACTPrestin’s voltage-driven motor activity confers sound-elicited somatic electromotility in auditory outer hair cells (OHCs) and is essential for the exquisite sensitivity and frequency selectivity of mammalian hearing. Lack of prestin results in hearing threshold shifts across frequency, supporting the causal association of variants in the prestin-coding gene,SLC26A5, with human hearing loss, DFNB61. However, cochlear function can tolerate reductions in prestin-mediated OHC electromotility. We found that two deafness-associated prestin variants, p.A100T and p.P119S, do not deprive prestin of its fast motor function but significantly reduce membrane expression, leading to large reductions in OHC electromotility that were only ∼30% of wildtype (WT). Mice harboring these missense variants suffered congenital hearing loss that was worse at high frequencies; however, they retained WT-like auditory brainstem response thresholds at 8 kHz, which is processed at the apex of the mouse cochlea. This observation suggests the increasing importance of prestin-driven cochlear amplification at higher frequencies relevant to mammalian hearing. The observation also suggests the promising clinical possibility that small enhancements of OHC electromotility could significantly ameliorate DFNB61 hearing loss in human patients.SIGNIFICANCEPrestin is abundantly expressed in the auditory outer hair cells and is essential for normal cochlear operation. Hence, reduction of prestin expression is often taken as indicative of reduced cochlear function in diseased or aged ears. However, this assumption overlooks the fact that cochlear function can tolerate large reductions in prestin motor activity. DFNB61 mouse models generated and characterized in this study provide an opportunity to gauge the amount of prestin motor activity needed to sustain normal hearing sensitivity. This knowledge is crucial not only for understanding the pathogenic roles of deafness-associated variants that impair OHC electromotility but also for unraveling how prestin contributes to cochlear amplification.
Cross-generational plasticity in Atlantic silversides (Menidia menidia) under the combined effects of hypoxia and acidification
Authors: Murray Christopher S. , Mays Ayanna , Long Matthew , Aluru Neelakanteswar 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWe investigated the potential for cross-generational plasticity to influence how offspring respond to hypoxia and ocean acidification (hereafter HypOA) in the coastal forage fish Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia). Mature wild silversides were treated with a control [dissolved oxygen (DO):100% air saturation (a.s.) /pCO2: 650 µatm] or HypOA conditions [DO: 40% a.s. /pCO2: 2300 µatm] for 10 days prior to spawning. Their offspring were reared under both treatments in factorial experimental design. Parental acclimation to HypOA altered several offspring traits, including increased embryo survival under HypOA and an overall reduction in post-hatch growth rate. Offspring from HypOA-treated parents that were reared under control conditions had larger eyes across the developmental period. When compared against the overall control group, larvae directly exposed to HypOA exhibited 2,416 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs). Although most of these DETs were specific to individual parental treatments, the most enriched Gene Ontology terms were conserved across parental treatments, including terms related to neurotransmitter secretion, nervous system development, axon pathfinding, calcium channel activity, proteolysis, and extracellular matrix organization. Larvae from HypOA-treated parents that were reared under control conditions exhibited a shift in constitutive gene expression similar to that seen in larvae directly exposed to HypOA. This highly consistent finding indicates that parental acclimation before fertilization promotes the transcriptional frontloading of genes in offspring. This effect may have primed regulatory functions in offspring that sense and respond to low DO and elevatedpCO2conditions. Though, our results suggest that this altered developmental phenotype may have some negative fitness consequences for offspring.
CosGeneGate Selects Multi-functional and Credible Biomarkers for Single-cell Analysis
Authors: Liu Tianyu , Long Wenxin , Cao Zhiyuan , Wang Yuge , He Chuan Hua , Zhang Le , Strittmatter Stephen M. , Zhao Hongyu 
Published: May 2024

AbstractSelecting representative genes or marker genes to distinguish cell types is an important task in single-cell sequencing analysis. Although many methods have been proposed to select marker genes, the genes selected may have redundancy and/or do not show cell-type-specific expression patterns to distinguish cell types. Here we present a novel model, named CosGeneGate, to select marker genes for more effective marker selections. CosGeneGate is inspired by combining the advantages of selecting marker genes based on both cell-type classification accuracy and marker gene specific expression patterns. We demonstrate the better performance of the marker genes selected by CosGeneGate for various downstream analyses than the existing methods with both public datasets and newly sequenced datasets. The non-redundant marker genes identified by CosGeneGate for major cell types and tissues in human can be found at the website as follows:https://github.com/VivLon/CosGeneGate/blob/main/markergene list.xlsx.
Causal network perturbation analysis identifies known and novel type-2 diabetes driver genes
Authors: Zhao Yue , Ansarullah  , Kumar Parveen , Mahoney J. Matthew , He Hao , Baker Candice , George Joshy , Li Sheng 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe molecular pathogenesis of diabetes is multifactorial, involving genetic predisposition and environmental factors that are not yet fully understood. However, pancreatic β-cell failure remains among the primary reasons underlying the progression of type-2 diabetes (T2D) making targeting β-cell dysfunction an attractive pathway for diabetes treatment. To identify genetic contributors to β-cell dysfunction, we investigated single-cell gene expression changes in β-cells from healthy (C57BL/6J) and diabetic (NZO/HlLtJ) mice fed with normal or high-fat, high-sugar diet (HFHS). Our study presents an innovative integration of the causal network perturbation assessment (ssNPA) framework with meta- cell transcriptome analysis to explore the genetic underpinnings of type-2 diabetes (T2D). By generating a reference causal network andin silicoperturbation, we identified novel genes implicated in T2D and validated our candidates using the Knockout Mouse Phenotyping (KOMP) Project database.
Multi-region Multiomic Random Forest Toxicity Modeling of Radiation Pneumonitis
Authors: Nair Saurabh S. , Salazar Ramon M. , Leone Alexandra O. , Xu Ting , Liao Zhongxing , Court Laurence E. , Niedzielski Joshua S. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPurposeRadiation pneumonitis (RP) is a major dose-limiting toxicity resulting from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) radiotherapy. Multiomic features (radiomics and dosiomics) could provide additional predictive information as compared to traditionally used clinical and dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters. We aimed to investigate the utility of multiomic features to improve RP toxicity models.MethodsOut of 329 NSCLC patients considered, 85 patients (25.84%) were found to have toxicity ≥ grade 2 RP per CTCAE v5.0. A total of 422 radiomic and dosiomic features were extracted. Four toxicity prediction model types were created using clinical factors together with respective features from one of the following groups: (a) DVH (base model), (b) whole lung radiomics and dosiomics (WL-RD), (c) multi-region radiomics and dosiomics (MR - RD) and (d) multi-region DVH, radiomics and dosiomics (MR-DVHRD). Toxicity models were created using a random forest classifier with a Monte Carlo cross-validation approach of 100 iterations, and a training/test split of 80%/20%, respectively. Model predictive performance was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC).ResultsThe AUC and AUPRC values (mean ± standard deviation) for the 4 model types were 0.81±0.04/0.70±0.06 (base model), 0.82±0.05/0.73±0.08 (WL-RD, p<0.05), 0.83±0.06/0.75±0.08 (MR–RD, p<0.05), and 0.82±0.05/0.72±0.08 (MR-DVHRD, p<0.05), respectively, wherein a paired test compared the performance metrics of omic models with the base model built on each iteration of cross0020validation.ConclusionsAll multiomic model types outperformed the base DVH model. MR-RD model had the best performance among all model types.
Integration of Electrochemical Sensing and Machine Learning to Detect Tuberculosis via Methyl Nicotinate in Patient Breath
Authors: Jeppson Mary A. , Rasmussen Zachary , Castro Robert , Nalugwa Talemwa , Kisakye Esther , Mangeni Wilson , Andama Alfred , Jaganath Devan , Cattamanchi Adithya , Mohanty Swomitra K. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractTuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health issue; making early, accurate, and inexpensive point-of-care detection critical for effective treatment. This paper presents a clinical demonstration of an electrochemical sensor that detects methyl-nicotinate (MN), a volatile organic biomarker associated with active pulmonary tuberculosis. The sensor was initially tested on a patient cohort comprised of 57 adults in Kampala, Uganda, of whom 42 were microbiologically confirmed TB-positive and 15 TB-negative. The sensor employed a copper(II) liquid metal salt solution with a square wave voltammetry method tailored for MN detection using commercially available screen-printed electrodes. An exploratory machine learning analysis was performed using XGBOOST. Utilizing this approach, the sensor was 78% accurate with 71% sensitivity and 100% specificity. These initial results suggest the sensing methodology is effective in identifying TB from complex breath samples, providing a promising tool for non-invasive and rapid TB detection in clinical settings.
Stem Cell Therapies for Cartilage Defects: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Sharma Siddhartha , Dadra Ankit , Kumar Prasoon , Ashima  , Gohil Riddhi , Patel Sandeep , Dhillon Mandeep S. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundCartilage defects, arising from trauma, degenerative conditions, or genetic factors, pose significant challenges in orthopedic practice due to the limited regenerative capacity of articular cartilage. Traditional treatments like physical therapy and pain management often fail to restore tissue effectively. Recently, stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising regenerative medicine approach, potentially enhancing cartilage repair and improving joint function. This review investigates the efficacy of stem cell therapy in treating cartilage defects, focusing on pain reduction, disability, safety, quality of life, and cartilage regeneration compared to conventional care.MethodsA PRISMA compliant systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted by searching the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases. Studies evaluating adult patients with cartilage defects of any etiology treated with various stem cell therapies will be included. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting these outcomes will be included, while non-randomized trials, non-comparative studies, non-human studies, and non-English publications will be excluded. Outcome measures will include validated functional outcome scores, rates of complications and adverse effects and healing of cartilage defects. Meta-analysis will be conducted for studies with similar interventions and outcomes, using fixed or random- effects models based on heterogeneity assessed by the I2 statistic. The quality of evidence will be assessed using GRADE criteria.
Sex differences in elite track and field performances and inferences about steroid doping
Authors: Collantes Diana B. , Senefeld Jonathon W. , Larson Kathryn F. , Coleman Doriane Lambelet , Joyner Michael J. , Kipp Shalaya 
Published: May 2024

AbstractFemales likely experience larger performance benefits from androgenic-anabolic steroids than males. We set out to determine if there were temporal differences in select athletics (track and field) records between females and males. Exploratory aims included: 1) evaluating the improvements in female and male world records over time, and 2) investigating the influence of doping programs on male and female world records before and after 1990 when sport’s governing bodies began to implement random out-of-competition and systematic in-competition drug testing. We collected the top 500 performances of all time for both sexes from an online database (worldathletics.org) in four running events (100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m) and two throwing events (discus throw and shot put). Data were stratified into quintiles based on world record ranking (1stto 100th, 101stto 200th, etc.). The temporal distribution of top 100 female performers was significantly earlier than top 100 male performers (year: 2000±1 vs 2005±1, respectively; p<0.001). Within event, the top performances occurred significantly earlier for females in the 800m (year: 1995±15 vs 2003±12; p<0.001) and shot put (year: 1992±14 vs 2003±17; p<0.001). Among females, world records rapidly improved through the 1980s, however following the 1990, the world records ceased to improve. Geographically, there was a greater representation of countries with state-sponsored doping programs, specifically among female performances. We postulate these sex differences in the temporal distribution of top performances are likely associated with enhanced effectiveness of exogenous androgens (steroid doping) among female athletes with lower endogenous androgen hormones compared to males.HighlightsWhat is the central question of this study?Despite a longstanding notion that top performance in athletics occurred earlier for females compared to males, likely due to the larger performance benefits of androgenic-anabolic steroids, no study has compared this temporal relation. Thus, we examined the temporal distribution of select athletics events between females and males.What is the main finding and its importance?The top-100 female performances occurred earlier than the top-100 male performances. The sex-related temporal differences were particularly notable for the shot put and 800m. Furthermore, there was a greater representation of countries with known state-sponsored doping programs, specifically among females. Our analyses suggest anabolic-androgenic steroids played a greater role in the world’s best female athletics performances.
Prevalence and associated factors of premarital sexual behavior among undergraduate youths of management colleges of Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan city, Kailali, Nepal
Authors: Bhatta Princy , Kunwar Min Bahadur , Joshi Arun Kumar , Bhatta Dharma Dev , Acharya Ankit 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundAlthough sexuality remains a taboo in Nepali society, the prevalence of premarital sexual activities is increasing. Youth who begin early premarital sexual activity are more likely to be engaged in unsafe sex. This study aims to determine the prevalence and associated factors of premarital sex among college-going youths of Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, Kailali (DSMC).MethodologyThis descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in management colleges with Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS) programs in DSMC. The sample size for the study was 374. The probability proportionate to size sampling technique was adopted for sample estimation for the selected colleges. The data was entered, cleaned, and analyzed in SPSS26. Bivariate analysis was done using Pearson’s chi-square test was used to determine differences between groups. A simple logistic regression model was conducted to assess the association between several characteristics of the respondents and the outcome variable- premarital sex, followed by multiple logistic regression to evaluate the combined impacts of various predictors on premarital sex.ResultsThe prevalence of premarital sex among undergraduate college youths was 35.3%, of which 52.3% were males. Among those undergraduate youths, more than half (51.5%) had experienced their first intercourse before 18 years of age. At least 1 out of 10 respondents reported that their intercourse led to pregnancy. In model I, in simple logistic regression, predictors such as age, gender, relationship status, dating experience (p-value < 0.001), communication with parents (p-value = 0.002), family type (p-value = 0.020), and family income (p-value = 0.002) were significantly associated with premarital sex. Furthermore, not living with parents, parent’s education level, friends with sex partners, friends having dating experience, and awareness that friends have sex were also among the factors significantly associated with premarital sex. In the multiple logistic regression, in Model II, relationship status (aOR, 44.47; 95% CI: 7.88, 251.08), dating experience (aOR, 24.00; 95% CI: 5.36, 107.58), discussion about sexual health with parents (aOR, 8.16; 95% CI: 2.25, 29.62), and knowing friends who had premarital sex (aOR, 15.82; 95% CI: 2.92, 85.61) were significantly associated with premarital sex after controlling for potential confounding predictors.ConclusionSex education interventions within and beyond educational institutions are crucial to increase the level of awareness and protect the physical, mental, and social health of young unmarried partners in Nepal.