bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Plant proteins: are they a good alternative to animal proteins in older people?
Authors: Toutirais Lina , Vaysse Carole , Gueugneau Marine , Walrand Stephane 
Published: March 2024

Purpose of review
This review provides the latest insight into the impact of consuming plant-based protein for older people.

Recent findings
According to the latest data, a healthy diet rich in plant-based-protein-rich-food could promote healthy aging. This health effect is partly because of the amino acid composition of proteins, as well as to the important constituents such as fiber and bioactive compounds found in the matrix. Furthermore, even though animal protein is more effective at stimulating muscle protein synthesis, a high consumption of plant protein (beyond 31 g/day) appears to enhance physical performance and reduce the risk of frailty in older individuals.

Summary
Recent literature highlights numerous health benefits for older people associated with a substantial intake of plant-based vs. animal-based protein, both in preventing and mitigating chronic age-related diseases and reducing the risk of all-cause mortality. However, a high intake of plant-based protein-rich products could pose risks of malnutrition and fiber-related intestinal intolerances. Further research is needed to assess the risk–benefit ratio of a high consumption of plant proteins in older individuals before we can make robust recommendations on how far animal proteins can be healthfully replaced with plant proteins.
The effect of 8-week combined balance and plyometric on the dynamic balance and agility of female adolescent taekwondo athletes
Authors: Shen Xiang 
Published: March 2024

Objectives:
To investigate the effect of combined balance and plyometric training (PT) on the agility and dynamic balance of adolescent taekwondo athletes.

Methods:
Thirty female adolescent taekwondo players volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to the combined balance training and PT (CT; n = 15) and PT (n = 15) groups. The CT group performed balance training combined with PT 3 times a week for 6 weeks (40 minutes of plyometrics and 20 minutes of balance training) while the PT group performed only PT for the same period (3 sets × 8–12 reps for each exercise). Both groups received the same routine technical taekwondo training.

Results:
Post-intervention assessments revealed that both groups significantly improved their dynamic posture stability index scores (DPSI; forward jump [F-DPSI] and lateral jump [L-DPSI]). However, participants in the CT group achieved notably superior outcomes in the F-DPSI and L-DPSI scores compared with those achieved by their PT counterparts. The center of pressure metrics exhibited improvements post-intervention, with scores of specific measures in the PT group surpassing those in the CT group. Additionally, the 5-0-5 test scores exhibited improvements post-intervention, with scores of specific measures in the PT group surpassing those in the CT group, and the TAST (Taekwondo Specific Agility Test) of the CT group and the PT changed significantly after the intervention.

Conclusion:
An 8-week regimen that integrates balance and plyometric training effectively augments knee function and proprioception in adolescent Taekwondo athletes. This study underscores the potential benefits of a combined training approach, providing coaches and athletes with valuable insights into Taekwondo training.
Uterine rupture in patients with a history of hysteroscopy procedures: Case series and review of literature
Authors: Shao Liping , Yang Zhilong , Yan Huifang , Xu Rong 
Published: March 2024

Rationale:
Uterine rupture during pregnancy poses significant risks to both the fetus and the mother, resulting in high mortality and morbidity rates. While awareness of uterine rupture prevention after a cesarean section has increased, insufficient attention has been given to cases caused by pregnancy following hysteroscopy surgery.

Patient concerns:
We report 2 cases here, both of whom had a history of hysteroscopy surgery and presented with severe abdominal pain during pregnancy.

Diagnoses:
Both patients had small uterine ruptures, with no significant abnormalities detected on ultrasonography. The diagnosis was confirmed by a CT scan, which showed hemoperitoneum.

Interventions:
We performed emergency surgeries for the 2 cases.

Outcomes:
We repaired the uterus in 2 patients during the operation. Both patients recovered well. The children survived. No abnormalities were detected during their follow-up visits.

Lessons:
Attention should be paid to the cases of pregnancy after hysteroscopy.
Compound heterozygosity for Southeast Asian hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin and β0-thalassemia results in thalassemia intermedia: Pedigree analysis and genetic research in a family from South China. A case report
Authors: Wang Guangli , Deng Huiping , Peng Peng , Zheng Haiqing , Tian Baodong , Zhu Chunjiang 
Published: March 2024

Rationale:
Compound heterozygotes for deletional β-thalassemia can be difficult to diagnose due to its diverse clinical presentations and no routine screenings. This can lead to disease progression and delay in treatment.

Patient concerns:
We reported pedigree analysis and genetic research in a family with rare β-thalassemia.

Diagnosis:
Pedigree analysis and genetic research demonstrated that the patient was a compound heterozygote for β-thalassemia CD17/Southeast Asian hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin deletion, inherited from the parents. Magnetic resonance imaging T2* examination revealed severe iron deposition in the liver. Echocardiography revealed endocardial cushion defect.

Interventions:
The patient was treated with Deferasirox after receiving the final molecular genetic diagnosis. The initial once-daily dose of Deferasirox was 20 mg/kg/d.

Outcomes:
The patient discontinued the medication three months after the first visit. Two years later, the patient visited the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases. He was recommended to undergo splenectomy after surgical repair of the congenital heart disease. However, the patient refused surgical treatment because of the economic burden.

Lessons:
We report that fetal hemoglobin is a sensitive indicator for screening large deletions of the β-globin gene, which can be effectively confirmed by the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay. In non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients, iron status assessment should be regularly performed, and iron chelation treatment should be initiated early. This case will provide insights for the diagnosis of rare genotypes of β-thalassemia and has important implications for genetic counseling.
A multidimensional investigation of sleep and biopsychosocial profiles with associated neural signatures
Authors: Perrault Aurore A. , Kebets Valeria , Kuek Nicole M. Y. , Cross Nathan E. , Tesfaye Rackeb , Pomares Florence B. , Li Jingwei , Chee Michael W.L. , Dang-Vu Thien Thanh , Yeo B.T. Thomas 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACTSleep is essential for optimal functioning and health. Interconnected to multiple biological, psychological and socio-environmental factors (i.e., biopsychosocial factors), the multidimensional nature of sleep is rarely capitalized on in research. Here, we deployed a data-driven approach to identify sleep-biopsychosocial profiles that linked self-reported sleep patterns to inter-individual variability in health, cognition, and lifestyle factors in 770 healthy young adults. We uncovered five profiles, including two profiles reflecting general psychopathology associated with either reports of general poor sleep or an absence of sleep complaints (i.e., sleep resilience) respectively. The three other profiles were driven by the use of sleep aids and social satisfaction, sleep duration and cognitive performance, and sleep disturbance linked to cognition and mental health. Furthermore, identified sleep-biopsychosocial profiles displayed unique patterns of brain network organization. In particular, somatomotor network connectivity alterations were involved in the relationships between sleep and biopsychosocial factors. These profiles can potentially untangle the interplay between individuals’ variability in sleep, health, cognition and lifestyle — equipping research and clinical settings to better support individual’s well-being.
Dating ammonia-oxidizing bacteria with abundant eukaryotic fossils
Authors: Liao Tianhua , Wang Sishuo , Zhang Hao , Stüeken Eva E. , Luo Haiwei 
Published: March 2024

AbstractEvolution of a complete nitrogen cycle relies on the onset of ammonia oxidation, which aerobically converts ammonia to nitrogen oxides. However, accurate estimation of the antiquity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) remains challenging because AOB-specific fossils are absent and bacterial fossils amenable to calibrate bacterial molecular clocks are rare. Leveraging the ancient endosymbiosis of mitochondria and plastid, as well as using state-of-the-art techniques such as the Bayesian sequential dating approach, we obtained a robust timeline of AOB evolution calibrated by fossil-rich eukaryotic lineages. We show that the first AOB evolved in marine Gammaproteobacteria (Gamma-AOB) and emerged between 2.1 and 1.9 billion years ago (Ga), thus postdating the Great Oxidation Event (GOE; 2.4-2.32 Ga). To reconcile the sedimentary nitrogen isotopic signatures of ammonia oxidation occurring near the GOE, we propose that ammonia oxidation likely occurred at the common ancestor of Gamma-AOB and Gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs, or the actinobacterial/verrucomicrobial methanotrophs, which are known to have ammonia oxidation activities. We also do not rule out another possibility that nitrite was transported from the terrestrial habitats where ammonia oxidation by archaea likely took place. Further, we show that the Gamma-AOB predates the anaerobic ammonia oxidizing (anammox) bacteria which also emerged in marine environments, implying that the origin of ammonia oxidation constrained the origin of anammox as nitrite produced by the former fuels the latter. Our robustly calibrated molecular clocks support a new hypothesis that nitrogen redox cycle involving nitrogen oxides evolved rather late in the ocean.
Unbiased estimation of the coefficient of determination in linear models: an application to fMRI encoding model comparison
Authors: Castellanos Agustin Lage , De Martino Federico , Valente Giancarlo 
Published: March 2024

AbstractNeuroscientific investigation has greatly benefited from the combination of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) with linearized encoding, which allows to validate and compare computational models of neural activity based on neuroimaging data. In linearized encoding, a multidimensional feature space, usually obtained from a computational model applied to the stimuli, is related to the measured brain activity. This is often done by mapping such space to a dataset (training data, orin-sample), and validating the mapping on a separate dataset (test data, orout-of-sample), to avoid overfitting. When comparing models, the one with the highest explained variance on the test data, as indicated by the coefficient of determination (R2), is the one that better reflects the neural computations performed by the brain. An implicit assumption underlying this procedure is that theout-of-sample R2is an unbiased estimator of the explanatory power of a computational model in the population of stimuli, and can therefore be safely used to compare models. In this work, we show that this is not the case, as theout-of-sample R2has a negative bias, related to the amount of overfitting in the training data. This phenomenon has dramatic implications for model comparison when models of different dimensionalities are compared. To this aim, we develop an analytical framework that allows us to evaluate and correct biases in bothin-andout-of-sample R2, with and without L2 regularization. Our proposed approach yields unbiased estimators of the populationR2, thus enabling a valid model comparison. We validate it through illustrative simulations and with an application to a large public fMRI dataset.
Long distance calls: negligible information loss of seabird social vocalisations over propagation down to the hearing threshold
Authors: Osiecka Anna N. , Bryndza Przemysław , Briefer Elodie F. , Wojczulanis-Jakubas Katarzyna 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACTHow well does the information contained in vocal signals travel through the environment? To assess the efficiency of information transfer in little auk (Alle alle,an Arctic seabird) calls over distance, we selected two of the social call types with the highest potential for individuality coding. Using available recordings of known individuals, we calculated the apparent source levels, with apparent maximum peak sound pressure level (ASPL) of 63 dB re 20 µPa at 1 m for both call types. Further, we created a sound propagation model using meteorological data collected in the vicinity of the little auk colony in Hornsund, Spitsbergen. Using this model, we simulated call propagation up to the putative hearing threshold of the species, calculated to equal ASPL of signals propagated to roughly one kilometre. Those propagated calls were then used in a permuted discriminant function analysis, support vector machine models, and linear models of Beecher’s information statistic, to investigate whether transmission loss will affect the retention of individual information of the signal. Calls could be correctly classified to individuals above chance level independently of the distance, down to and over the putative physiological hearing threshold. Interestingly, the information capacity of the signal did not decrease with propagation. While this study touches on signal properties purely and cannot provide evidence of the actual use by the animals, it shows that little auk signals can travel long distances with negligible information loss. For the animals, this could mean that they can recognize calls of the members of their social networks as far as those calls are actually audible, and support the hypothesis that vocalisations could facilitate long-distance communication in the species.
SMOC2, OGN, FCN3, and SERPINA3 could be biomarkers for the evaluation of acute decompensated heart failure caused by venous congestion
Authors: Yu Yiding , Yuan Huajing , Han Quancheng , Shi Jingle , Liu Xiujuan , Xue Yitao , Li Yan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundVenous congestion (VC) sets in weeks before visible clinical decompensation, progressively increasing cardiac strain and leading to acute heart failure (HF) decompensation. Currently, the field lacks a universally acknowledged gold standard and early detection methods for VC.MethodsUsing data from the GEO database, we identified VC’s impact on HF through key genes using Limma and STRING databases. The potential mechanisms of HF exacerbation were explored via GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Diagnostic genes for acute decompensated HF were discovered using LASSO, RF, and SVM-REF machine learning algorithms, complemented by single-gene GSEA analysis. A nomogram tool was developed for the diagnostic model’s evaluation and application, with validation conducted on external datasets.ResultsOur findings reveal that VC influences 37 genes impacting HF via 8 genes, primarily affecting oxygen transport, binding, and extracellular matrix stability. Four diagnostic genes for HF’s pre-decompensation phase were identified: SMOC2, OGN, FCN3, and SERPINA3. These genes showed high diagnostic potential, with AUCs for each gene exceeding 0.9 and a genomic AUC of 0.942.ConclusionsOur study identifies four critical diagnostic genes for HF’s pre-decompensated phase using bioinformatics and machine learning, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms through which VC worsens HF. It offers a novel approach for clinical evaluation of acute decompensated HF patient congestion status, presenting fresh insights into its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment.
Food web context modifies predator foraging and weakens trophic interaction strength
Authors: Lemmen Kimberley D. , Pennekamp Frank 
Published: March 2024

AbstractTrophic interaction modifications (TIM) are widespread in natural systems and occur when a third species indirectly alters the strength of a trophic interaction. Past studies have focused on documenting the existence and relative magnitude of TIMs, however the underlying processes and long-term consequences often remain elusive. To address this gap, we experimentally quantified the density-dependent effect of a third species on a predator’s functional response to identify the processes impacted by, and consequences of TIMs. To do so we conducted short-term experiments with two ciliate communities each composed of a predator, prey, and non-consumable ‘modifier’ species. In both communities, increasing modifier density weakened the trophic interaction strength, due to a negative effect on the predator’s search clearance rate, however the magnitude of the effect differed with prey species identity. Using parameters estimated from our experimental observation we simulated long-term dynamics and observed quantitative differences between models that account for TIMs or include only pairwise interactions. Our study is a clear demonstration that TIMs are important to understand and predict community dynamics and highlights the need to extend past pairs of focal species to understand the consequences of species interactions in communities.
Role of Hepatocyte RIPK1 in Maintaining Liver Homeostasis during Metabolic Challenges
Authors: Zhang Weigao , Liu Hu , Zhang Danyang , Yi Yuguo , Tao Liang , Huang Shuxian , Zhao Xunan , Shao Qianchao , Li Peiqi , Zhang Jianfa , Pan Yan , Lu Wei , Zhang Haibing , Chen Yuxin , Weng Dan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAs a central hub for metabolism, the liver exhibits strong adaptability to maintain homeostasis in response to food fluctuations throughout evolution. However, the mechanisms governing this resilience remain incompletely understood. In this study, we identified Receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) in hepatocytes as a critical regulator in preserving hepatic homeostasis during metabolic challenges, such as short-term fasting or high-fat dieting. Our results demonstrated that hepatocyte-specific deficiency of RIPK1 sensitized the liver to short-term fasting-induced liver injury and hepatocyte apoptosis in both male and female mice. Despite being a common physiological stressor that typically does not induce liver inflammation, short-term fasting triggered hepatic inflammation and compensatory proliferation in hepatocyte-specific RIPK1-deficient (Ripk1Δhep) mice. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that short-term fasting oriented the hepatic microenvironment into an inflammatory state inRipk1Δhepmice, with upregulated expression of inflammation and immune cell recruitment-associated genes. Single-cell RNA sequencing further confirmed the altered cellular composition in the liver ofRipk1Δhepmice during fasting, highlighting the increased recruitment of macrophages to the liver. Mechanically, our results indicated that ER stress was involved in fasting-induced liver injury inRipk1Δhepmice. Overall, our findings revealed the role of RIPK1 in maintaining liver homeostasis during metabolic fluctuations and shed light on the intricate interplay between cell death, inflammation, and metabolism.
Foundations of visual form selectivity in macaque areas V1 and V2
Authors: Oleskiw Timothy D. , Lieber Justin D. , Simoncelli Eero P. , Movshon J. Anthony 
Published: March 2024

AbstractNeurons early in the primate visual cortical pathway generate responses by combining signals from other neurons: some from downstream areas, some from within the same area, and others from areas upstream. Here we develop a model that selectively combines afferents derived from a population model of V1 cells. We use this model to account for responses we recorded of both V1 and V2 neurons in awake fixating macaque monkeys to stimuli composed of a sparse collection of locally oriented features (“droplets”) designed to drive subsets of V1 neurons. The first stage computes the rectified responses of a fixed population of oriented filters at different scales that cover the visual field. The second stage computes a weighted combination of these first-stage responses, followed by a final nonlinearity, with parameters optimized to fit data from physiological recordings and constrained to encourage sparsity and locality. The fitted model accounts for the responses of both V1 and V2 neurons, capturing an average of 43% of the explainable variance for V1 and 38% for V2. The models fitted to droplet recordings predict responses to classical stimuli, such as gratings of different orientations and spatial frequencies, as well as to textures of different spectral content, which are known to be especially effective in driving V2. The models are less effective, however, at capturing the selectivity of responses to textures that include naturalistic image statistics. The pattern of afferents — defined by their weights over the 4 dimensions of spatial position, orientation, and spatial frequency — provides a common and interpretable characterization of the origin of many neuronal response properties in the early visual cortex.
Exploring the molecular structure of lipids in the design of artificial lipidated antifungal proteins
Authors: Saputra Hendra , Safaat Muhammad , Santoso Pugoh , Wakabayashi Rie , Goto Masahiro , Taira Toki , Kamiya Noriho 
Published: March 2024

AbstractFungal infections have been a concern for decades, yet effective and approved antifungal agents are limited. We recently developed a potential method to enhance the antifungal activity of a small chitin-binding domain (LysM) from Pteris ryukyuensis chitinase A (PrChiA) by the site-specific introduction of a palmitoyl (C16) group catalyzed by microbial transglutaminase (MTG). Herein, we attempted the conjugation of a series of lipid-peptide substrates with LysM genetically fused with a C-terminal MTG-reactive Q-tag (LysM-Q) to yield LysM-lipid conjugates (LysM-lipids) with different lengths (LysM-C12, -C14, and -C16) and different numbers of alkyl chains [LysM-(C12)2, - (C14)2, and -(C16)2]. The enzymatic conjugation proceeded smoothly for all LysM-lipids, except for LysM-(C16)2because of the low aqueous dispersibility of the hydrophobic (C16)2lipid-peptide substrate. The combination of amphotericin B (AmB) with LysM-C14 or LysM-C16 exhibited the highest antifungal performance against Trichoderma viride whereas alterations in the number of alkyl chains were not effective in enhancing the antifungal activity of the LysM-lipids. Fluorescent microscopic analysis showed that the fungal cell wall was stained with C14- and C16-modified LysM-muGFP fusion proteins when combined with AmB, suggesting a synergistic action of AmB and LysM-lipids with a suitable lipid length. All LysM-lipids showed minimum cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells, suggesting that LysM-lipids could be a safe additive in the development of new antifungal formulations.