bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Social-media based health education plus exercise programme (SHEEP) to improve muscle function among young-old adults with possible sarcopenia in the community: A feasibility study protocol
Authors: Shi Ya , Stanmore Emma , McGarrigle Lisa , Todd Chris 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundDespite the comparatively high prevalence of possible sarcopenia among young-old adults in the community, there is currently no available and effective social media-based intervention to increase the awareness and behaviour of the target population in order to prevent sarcopenia. Using co-design methodology, we developed a multicomponent intervention strategy of health education and exercise for sarcopenia prevention utilizing the TikTok platform.ObjectivesPrimary purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the social media-based intervention to enhance muscle function in community-dwelling young-old adults with possible sarcopenia.MethodsThis protocol outlines the entire research procedure for a prospective single-arm pre-post feasibility study employing a mixed-method design, which will be conducted between May 2024 and September 2024. 35 older adults aged 60-69 years with possible sarcopenia will be recruited from two communities in Changsha, China. Based on the TikTok platform, participants will be required to view a total of seven health education videos in the first week, and each video lasts four to six minutes. Then, participants will receive six-week multi-component exercise through TikTok, with at least three sessions/week, 30 minutes/session, and moderate intensity. Finally, six-week follow-up will be conducted. Data collection will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up period. The primary outcome will include evaluating recruitment capability, data collection procedure, outcome measurement, intervention procedures’ acceptability, researchers’ ability to manage and implement the study, etc. The secondary outcome is to compare standard measures for muscle function (e.g. handgrip strength, skeletal muscle mass, physical performance), body composition (e.g. body fat, body mass index, bone mineral), and other measures (e.g. perceived knowledge, personal motivation, behavioural skills). Finally, all participants will be offered a semi-structured interview to assess their in-depth experiences with the intervention and research process.DiscussionThis study will be the first social-media based multicomponent intervention program for community young-old adults with possible sarcopenia to improve their muscle function, awareness and behaviour of preventing sarcopenia. Findings will generate new evidence regarding to the use of social media in health education for impoving awareness of sarcopenia prevention, as well as the feasibility of using social media to influence participants’ behavioural changes through exercise. This may help researchers identify ways to optimise acceptability and efficacy of the SHEEP intervention for the targeted population.Trial registrationISRCTN registry,ISRCTN17269170, Registered 14 September 2023
Characterization of the mesendoderm progenitors in the gastrulating mouse embryo
Authors: Masamsetti V. Pragathi , Salehin Nazmus , Kim Hani Jieun , Santucci Nicole , Weatherstone Megan , Knowles Hilary , Sun Jane , McMahon Riley , Studdert Josh B. , Aryamanesh Nader , Wang Ran , Jing Naihe , Yang Pengyi , Osteil Pierre , Tam Patrick P.L 
Published: April 2024

SummaryA population of putative mesendoderm progenitor cells that can contribute cellular descendants to both mesoderm and endoderm lineages is identified. These progenitor cells are localized to the anterior primitive streak and the adjacent epiblast of E7.0-E7.5 mid-to late-gastrula stage embryos. Lineage tracing in vivo revealed that putative mesendoderm progenitors that are marked byMixl1andMesp1activity contribute descendants to the endoderm layer. Analysis of the role of Mixl1 transcription factor in endoderm differentiation of the mouse epiblast stem cells revealed the choice for endoderm or mesoderm cell fate depends on the timing of activation ofMixl1upon exit from pluripotency, suggesting Mixl1 function may underpin the divergence of the mesendoderm progenitor to mesoderm and endoderm lineages. The knowledge gained on the spatial, temporal, and lineage attribute of mesendoderm progenitors enriches our mechanistic understanding of germ layer allocation and endoderm differentiation of mesendoderm progenitor in embryonic development and lineage allocation of primed state pluripotent stem cells in vitro.
Sustained Vaccine Exposure Elicits More Rapid, Consistent, and Broad Humoral Immune Responses to Multivalent Influenza Vaccines
Authors: Saouaf Olivia M. , Ou Ben S. , Song Ye Eun , Carter Joshua J. , Yan Jerry , Jons Carolyn K. , Barnes Christopher O. , Appel Eric A. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWith the ever-present threat of pandemics, it is imperative we develop vaccine technologies eliciting broad and durable immunity to high-risk pathogens. Yet, current annual influenza vaccines, for example, fail to provide robust immunity against the 3-4 homologous strains they contain, let alone heterologous strains. Herein, we demonstrate that sustained delivery of multivalent influenza vaccines from an injectable polymer-nanoparticle (PNP) hydrogel technology induces more rapid, consistent, and potent humoral immune responses against multiple homologous viruses, as well as potent responses against heterologous viruses and potential pandemic subtypes H5N1, H7N9 and H9N2. Further, admixing PNP hydrogels with commercial influenza vaccines results in stronger hemagglutination inhibition against both heterologous and homologous viruses. We show this enhanced potency and breadth arises from higher affinity antibodies targeting both the hemagglutinin stem and head. Overall, this simple and effective sustained delivery platform for multivalent annual influenza vaccines generates durable, potent, and remarkably broad immunity to influenza.
Unifying community-wide whole-brain imaging datasets enables robust automated neuron identification and reveals determinants of neuron positioning inC. elegans
Authors: Sprague Daniel Y. , Rusch Kevin , Dunn Raymond L. , Borchardt Jackson M. , Ban Steven , Bubnis Greg , Chiu Grace C. , Wen Chentao , Suzuki Ryoga , Chaudhary Shivesh , Lee Hyun Jee , Yu Zikai , Dichter Benjamin , Ly Ryan , Onami Shuichi , Lu Hang , Kimura Koutarou D. , Yemini Eviatar , Kato Saul 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe develop a data harmonization approach forC. elegansvolumetric microscopy data, still or video, consisting of a standardized format, data pre-processing techniques, and a set of human-in-the-loop machine learning based analysis software tools. We unify a diverse collection of 118 whole-brain neural activity imaging datasets from 5 labs, storing these and accompanying tools in an online repository called WormID (wormid.org). We use this repository to train three existing automated cell identification algorithms to, for the first time, enable accuracy in neural identification that generalizes across labs, approaching human performance in some cases. We mine this repository to identify factors that influence the developmental positioning of neurons. To facilitate communal use of this repository, we created open-source software, code, web-based tools, and tutorials to explore and curate datasets for contribution to the scientific community. This repository provides a growing resource for experimentalists, theorists, and toolmakers to (a) study neuroanatomical organization and neural activity across diverse experimental paradigms, (b) develop and benchmark algorithms for automated neuron detection, segmentation, cell identification, tracking, and activity extraction, and (c) inform models of neurobiological development and function.
Evidence for multiple forms of heritable RNA silencing
Authors: Chey Mary S. , Raman Pravrutha , Ettefa Farida , Jose Antony M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractHeritable gene silencing has been proposed to rely on DNA methylation, histone modifications, and/or non-coding RNAs in different organisms. Here we demonstrate that multiple RNA-mediated mechanisms with distinct and easily detectable molecular signatures can underlie heritable silencing of the same open-reading frame in the nematodeC. elegans. Using two-gene operons, we reveal three cases of gene-selective silencing that provide support for the transmission of heritable epigenetic changes through different mechanisms of RNA silencing independent of changes in chromatin that would affect all genes of an operon equally. Different heritable epigenetic states of a gene were associated with distinct populations of stabilized mRNA fragments with untemplated poly-UG (pUG) tails, which are known intermediates of RNA silencing. These ‘pUG signatures’ provide a way to distinguish the multiple mechanisms that can drive heritable RNA silencing of a single gene.
A Causal Role of the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Random Exploration
Authors: Toghi Armin , Chizari Mojtaba , Khosrowabadi Reza 
Published: April 2024

AbstractOur brain faces the dilemma of exploiting familiar options to gain immediate rewards or exploring new options to increase probable future rewards, in many real-life decisions, and solves it by direct and random exploration. Previous studies show that these two explorative strategies have dissociable neural correlates in the brain. Using the continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) and horizon task, we investigate the causal role of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) in direct and random exploration. Twenty-five healthy right-handed adult participants underwent cTBS, and vertex stimulation sessions, and then completed the horizon tasks. Both model-free and model-based analysis showed that cTBS over rDLPFC selectively reduced random exploration, but not direct exploration. This suggests a causal role for rDLPFC especially in random exploration, and further supports dissociable neural implementations for direct and random exploration. © 2024 The Author(s)
DNA damage and senescence in the aging and Alzheimer’s disease cortex are not uniformly distributed
Authors: Gutta Gnanesh , Mehta Jay , Kingston Rody , Xie Jiaan , Brenner Eliana , Ma Fulin , Herrup Karl 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative illness with a typical age of onset exceeding 65 years of age. The age-dependency of the condition led us to track the appearance of DNA damage in the frontal cortex of individuals who died with a diagnosis of AD. The focus on DNA damage was motivated by evidence that increasing levels of irreparable DNA damage are a major driver of the aging process. The connection between aging and the loss of genomic integrity is compelling because DNA damage has also been identified as a possible cause of cellular senescence. The number of senescent cells has been reported to increase with age, and their senescence-associated secreted products are likely contributing factors to age-related illnesses. We tracked DNA damage with 53BP1 and cellular senescence with p16 immunostaining of human post-mortem brain samples. We found that DNA damage is significantly increased in the BA9 region of the AD cortex when compared to the same region of unaXected controls (UC). In the AD but not UC cases, the density of cells with DNA damage increased with distance from the pia mater up to approximately layer V then decreased in deeper areas. This pattern of DNA damage was overlaid with the pattern of cellular senescence, which also increased with cortical depth. On a cell-by-cell basis, we found that the intensity of the two markers was tightly linked in the AD, but not the UC brain. To test whether DNA damage was a causal factor in the emergence of the senescence program, we used etoposide treatment to damage the DNA of cultured mouse primary neurons. While DNA damage increased after treatment, after 24 hours no change in the expression of senescence-associated markers was observed. Our work suggests that DNA damage and cellular senescence are both increased in the AD brain and increasingly coupled. We propose that in vivo the relationship between the two age-related processes is more complex than previously thought.
GLP-1R associates with VAPB and SPHKAP at ERMCSs to regulate β-cell mitochondrial remodelling and function
Authors: Austin Gregory , Oqua Affiong I. , Eid Liliane El , Zhu Mingli , Manchanda Yusman , Peres Priyanka , Coyle Helena , Poliakova Yelyzaveta , Bouzakri Karim , Montoya Alex , Withers Dominic J. , Solimena Michele , Jones Ben , Millership Steven J. , Burgold Steffen , Gaboriau David C.A. , Majorovits Endre , Prokopenko Inga , Nixon-Abell Jonathon , Müller Andreas , Tomas Alejandra 
Published: April 2024

AbstractGlucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists (GLP-1RAs) ameliorate mitochondrial health by increasing mitochondrial turnover in metabolically relevant tissues. Mitochondrial adaptation under metabolic stress is crucial to maintain pancreatic β-cell function and prevent type 2 diabetes (T2D) progression. While the GLP-1R is well known to stimulate cAMP production leading to Protein Kinase A (PKA) and Exchange Protein Activated by cyclic AMP 2 (Epac2) activation, there is a lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms that link GLP-1RA-induced signalling with mitochondrial remodelling and functional adaptation. Here, we present a comprehensive study in β-cells and primary mouse and human islets that demonstrates that, following GLP-1RA stimulation, GLP-1R-positive endosomes associate with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane contact site (MCS) tether VAPB at ER-mitochondria MCSs (ERMCSs), where active GLP-1R engages with SPHKAP, an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP) linked to T2D and adiposity risk in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The inter-organelle complex formed by endosomal GLP-1R, ER VAPB and SPHKAP triggers a pool of ERMCS-localised cAMP/PKA signalling which leads to the phosphorylation of the mitochondrial contact site and cristae organising system (MICOS) complex component MIC19 and is accompanied by mitochondrial remodelling and modulation of mitochondrial function, with important consequences for β-cell function and survival to oxidative stress.
“Regulation of Obesity and Fatty Liver by Moringa oleifera: Insights into Inflammatory Pathways”
Authors: Ibrahim Nihal A. , Buabeid Manal A. , Arafa El-Shaimaa A. , Murtaza Ghulam 
Published: April 2024

AbstractObesity and fatty liver are relatively benign states but continued inflammatory stress and its metabolic implications turn them into one of the most devastating diseases of humankind. Generally, obesity and fatty liver precede diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular problems and malignant growths. The present research aimed to explore the efficacy of methanolic extract ofMoringa Olifera(Me.MO) for the management of obesity and fatty liver and related inflammatory state that prime the body for devastating effects. A series ofin-vitroandin-vivostudies were employed. Data from HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Rats were fed on either normal diet (ND) or high fat diet (HFD and streptozocin (STZ) in the presence or absence ofMe.Mo(250 mg/kg & 500 mg/kg) or metformin (70 mg/kg). Findings showed that rats received 500 mg/kgMe.MOshowed a significant (p> 0.01) decrease in body weights, liver weights, and plasma glucose level. Laboratory data exhibited a significant (p< 0.05) inhibitory effect onMe.MOon pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-1B and TNF) and caused a sharp increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines levels (IL-10, IL-6 and COX-2) in all treatment groups. Histopathological analysis exhibited no structural and functional alteration in the liver and adipose tissues. Altogether,Me.MOameliorates experimentally induced obesity accompanying fatty liver and inflammatory stress. However, further investigations are still needed to confirm the safety and efficacy ofMoringaβ olifera(MO) for clinical application.
Autonomous multicolor bioluminescence imaging in bacteria, mammalian, and plant hosts
Authors: Kusuma Subhan Hadi , Hattori Mitsuru , Nagai Takeharu 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBioluminescence imaging has become a valuable tool in biological research, offering several advantages over fluorescence-based techniques, including the absence of phototoxicity and photobleaching, along with a higher signal-to-noise ratio. Common bioluminescence imaging methods often require the addition of an external chemical substrate (luciferin), which can result in a decrease in luminescence intensity over time and limit prolonged observations. Since the bacterial bioluminescence system is genetically encoded for luciferase-luciferin production, it enables autonomous bioluminescence (auto-bioluminescence) imaging. However, its application to multiple reporters is restricted due to a limited range of color variants. Here, we report five colors auto-bioluminescence system named Nano-lanternX (NLX), which can be expressed in bacterial, mammalian, and plant hosts, thereby enabling auto-bioluminescence in various living organisms. We have also expanded the applications of the NLX system, such as multiplexed auto-bioluminescence imaging for gene expression, protein localization, and dynamics of biomolecules within living mammalian cells.
Comparative investigations of cellular dynamics in the development of medusae (Cnidaria: Medusozoa)
Authors: Travert Matthew , Winata Kent , Cartwright Paulyn 
Published: April 2024

AbstractMedusozoans are characterized by the presence of a medusa (jellyfish) stage as part of the life cycle. Despite being a prominent trait in medusozoan evolution, the mechanisms underlying the emergence of this life cycle stage are poorly understood. Characterizing cell proliferation, cell migration and programmed cell death in several disparate species, we found that the development of the medusa displays distinct cellular mechanisms between the scyphozoan and hydrozoan lineages. Using Edu labeling, hydroxyurea treatments and cell tracing we found that in hydrozoans, the development of the medusa relies on extensive cell migration and a distinct pattern of cell proliferation. Using TUNEL assays and pan-caspase inhibitor treatments, we found that in all surveyed hydrozoans apoptosis does not play a role in the development or release of medusa. By contrast, the surveyed scyphozoan medusae undergo extensive apoptosis, and subsequent cell proliferation is required for the formation of the medusa and many of their adult structures. Our results suggest that the difference in medusa developmental trajectories between scyphozoans and hydrozoans stems from distinct cellular mechanisms. Characterization of the medusa stage at different levels of biological organization is thus required to investigate the origin of this complex life cycle stage.
ECG-derived global longitudinal strain using artificial intelligence: A comparative study with transthoracic echocardiography
Authors: Choi Hong-Mi , Kim Joonghee , Park Jiesuck , Park Jun-Bean , Kim Hyung-Kwan , Choi Hye Jung , Yoon Yeonyee E. , Cho Goo-Yeong , Cho Youngjin , Hwang In-Chang 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundDespite the versatility of the left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), its complex measurement and interpretation make it difficult to use. An artificial intelligence (AI)-generated electrocardiography (ECG) score for LVGLS estimation (ECG-GLS score) may offer a cost-effective alternative.ObjectivesWe evaluated the potential of an AI-generated ECG-GLS score to diagnose LV systolic dysfunction and predict the prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF).MethodsA convolutional neural network-based deep-learning algorithm was trained to estimate the echocardiography-derived GLS (LVGLS) using retrospective ECG data from a tertiary hospital (n=2,882). ECG-GLS score performance was evaluated using data from an acute HF registry at another tertiary hospital (n=1,186).ResultsIn the validation cohort, the ECG-GLS score could identify patients with impaired LVGLS (≤12%) (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve [AUROC], 0.82; sensitivity, 85%; specificity, 59%). ECG-GLS performance in identifying patients with an LV ejection fraction (LVEF) of <40% (AUROC, 0.85) was comparable to that for LVGLS (AUROC, 0.83) (p=0.08). Five-year outcomes (all-cause death; composite of all-cause death and hospitalization for HF) occurred significantly more frequently in patients with low ECG-GLS scores. Low ECG-GLS score was a significant risk factor for these outcomes after adjustment for other clinical risk factors and LVEF. The prognostic performance of the ECG-GLS score was comparable to that of the LVGLS.ConclusionsThe ECG-GLS score demonstrates a strong correlation with the LVGLS and is effective in risk stratification for the long-term prognosis after acute HF, suggesting its potential role as a practical alternative to the LVGLS.Condensed abstractThis study is the first to attempt to estimate the left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) from electrocardiography (ECG) data using an artificial intelligence-based algorithm (ECG-GLS score). The ECG-GLS score was correlated with the LVGLS and performed as well as the LVGLS in predicting the long-term prognosis of patients with heart failure. Thus, the ECG-GLS score has potential as practical alternative to the LVGLS on echocardiography, with reductions in time and effort.Graphical Abstract
EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL PERIOD FOR UK WOMEN
Authors: Nye Gareth A , Deb George Abou , Dunne Seóna 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONPregnancy is a crucial period which ultimately directly impacts two individuals health and wellbeing. Within the UK, a standardised pattern of care is established with collaborations across disciplines to the benefit of women and babies. During the COVID19 pandemic, this pattern of care was disrupted to align with protective protocols which until now, has not been formally reported.METHODSA retrospective, mixed methods study of UK based women pregnant between the years 2012 and 2022 inclusive with no known complications was conducted to collate opinions and experiences of pregnancy with and without the impact of COVID19 restrictions. Quantitative results were analysed using the statistical package GraphPad Prism 9.2.0 and presented as mean values +/- standard deviation were appropriate. In addition, we used a phased approach to open ended questions.RESULTSOur results showed no significant difference in either the number of appointments or the time of first appointment however an increased percentage of women reported the use of private services during the COVID pandemic. There was no change in the number of midwife appointments during the postnatal period during COVID but there was a significant reduction in the number of health visitor appointments. Overall, the COVID pandemic led to women feeling less satisfied with their care both during their pregnancy and postnatally, but they reported that they continued to be listened to and remained feeling in control of their pregnancy.DISCUSSIONGenerally, the changes implemented during the COVID pandemic did not impact women’s pregnancy journey substantially although we have no evidence of the long-term impact on child health and development. Clear themes have been established which can be used to further improve services in maternity and there are key elements to focus on for the future of UK maternity services.