bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genomic epidemiology reveals multidrug resistant plasmid spread between Vibrio cholerae lineages in Yemen
Authors: Lassalle Florent , Al-Shalali Salah , Al-Hakimi Mukhtar , Njamkepo Elisabeth , Bashir Ismail Mahat , Dorman Matthew J. , Rauzier Jean , Blackwell Grace A. , Taylor-Brown Alyce , Beale Mathew A. , Cazares Adrián , Al-Somainy Ali Abdullah , Al-Mahbashi Anas , Almoayed Khaled , Aldawla Mohammed , Al-Harazi Abdulelah , Quilici Marie-Laure , Weill François-Xavier , Dhabaan Ghulam , Thomson Nicholas R. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSince 2016, Yemen has been experiencing the largest cholera outbreak in modern history. Multidrug resistance (MDR) emerged among Vibrio cholerae isolates from cholera patients in 2018. Here, to characterize circulating genotypes, we analysed 260 isolates sampled in Yemen between 2018 and 2019. Eighty-four percent of V. cholerae isolates were serogroup O1 belonging to the seventh pandemic El Tor (7PET) lineage, sub-lineage T13, whereas 16% were non-toxigenic, from divergent non-7PET lineages. Treatment of severe cholera with macrolides between 2016 and 2019 coincided with the emergence and dominance of T13 subclones carrying an incompatibility type C (IncC) plasmid harbouring an MDR pseudo-compound transposon. MDR plasmid detection also in endemic non-7PET V. cholerae lineages suggested genetic exchange with 7PET epidemic strains. Stable co-occurrence of the IncC plasmid with the SXT family of integrative and conjugative element in the 7PET background has major implications for cholera control, highlighting the importance of genomic epidemiological surveillance to limit MDR spread.
Directed evolution unlocks oxygen reactivity for a nicotine-degrading flavoenzyme
Authors: Dulchavsky Mark , Mitra Rishav , Wu Kevin , Li Joshua , Boer Karli , Liu Xiaomeng , Zhang Zhiyao , Vasquez Cristian , Clark Christopher T. , Funckes Kaitrin , Shankar Kokila , Bonnet-Zahedi Selene , Siddiq Mohammad , Sepulveda Yadira , Suhandynata Raymond T. , Momper Jeremiah D. , Calabrese Antonio N. , George Olivier , Stull Frederick , Bardwell James C. A. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe flavoenzyme nicotine oxidoreductase (NicA2) is a promising injectable treatment to aid in the cessation of smoking, a behavior responsible for one in ten deaths worldwide. NicA2 acts by degrading nicotine in the bloodstream before it reaches the brain. Clinical use of NicA2 is limited by its poor catalytic activity in the absence of its natural electron acceptor CycN. Without CycN, NicA2 is instead oxidized slowly by dioxygen (O2), necessitating unfeasibly large doses in a therapeutic setting. Here, we report a genetic selection strategy that directly links CycN-independent activity of NicA2 to growth of Pseudomonas putida S16. This selection enabled us to evolve NicA2 variants with substantial improvement in their rate of oxidation by O2. The encoded mutations cluster around a putative O2 tunnel, increasing flexibility and accessibility to O2 in this region. These mutations further confer desirable clinical properties. A variant form of NicA2 is tenfold more effective than the wild type at degrading nicotine in the bloodstream of rats.
A neural marker of the human face identity familiarity effect
Authors: Yan Xiaoqian , Volfart Angélique , Rossion Bruno 
Published: September 2023

AbstractHuman adults associate different views of an identity much better for familiar than for unfamiliar faces. However, a robust and consistent neural index of this behavioral face identity familiarity effect (FIFE)—not found in non-human primate species—is lacking. Here we provide such a neural FIFE index, measured implicitly and with one fixation per face. Fourteen participants viewed 70 s stimulation sequences of a large set (n = 40) of widely variable natural images of a face identity at a rate of 6 images/second (6 Hz). Different face identities appeared every 5th image (1.2 Hz). In a sequence, face images were either familiar (i.e., famous) or unfamiliar, participants performing a non-periodic task unrelated to face recognition. The face identity recognition response identified at 1.2 Hz over occipital-temporal regions in the frequency-domain electroencephalogram was 3.4 times larger for familiar than unfamiliar faces. The neural response to familiar faces—which emerged at about 180 ms following face onset—was significant in each individual but a case of prosopdysgnosia. Besides potential clinical and forensic applications to implicitly measure one’s knowledge of a face identity, these findings open new perspectives to clarify the neurofunctional source of the FIFE and understand the nature of human face identity recognition.
Patient-reported perioperative anaesthesia-related anxiety is associated with impaired patient satisfaction: a secondary analysis from a prospective observational study in Switzerland
Authors: Bello Corina , Nuebling Matthias , Koster Kira-Lee , Heidegger Thomas 
Published: September 2023

AbstractPerioperative anxiety is common. The relationship between anxiety and patient satisfaction with anaesthesia is still under debate. We assessed the prevalence and different causes of anaesthesia-related fears leading to perioperative anxiety and its association with patient satisfaction. A multiple-time validated, psychometrically developed questionnaire assessing the presence of anxiety, causes of fear, and different dimensions of patient satisfaction was sent to patients after discharge. The clinical data were obtained from a previous study. The sample size was calculated to recruit a minimum of 300 completed questionnaires. Statistical analyses included multivariate logistic regression models. Complete data were available for 474 of the 600 patients recruited for the study (response rate: 79%). A total of 141 patients (30%) reported anxiety regarding anaesthesia before hospital admission. The prevalence of anxiety was significantly associated with patient age (< 54 years: n = 196, prevalence = 37%; > 54 years: n = 263, prevalence = 24%; p = 0.002), female sex (female: n = 242, prevalence 39%; male: n = 223, prevalence 20%; p < 0.001), and surgical speciality (gynaecology (n = 61, prevalence = 49%), otolaryngology (n = 56, prevalence = 46%); p < 0.001). Fear of not awakening from anaesthesia (n = 44, prevalence = 32%, SD 45.8) and developing postoperative nausea or vomiting (n = 42, prevalence = 30%, SD 46.0) were the most reported anaesthesia-related causes of fear. Anxiety was associated with impaired overall patient satisfaction (mean dissatisfaction score 15%, versus 23%, SD 16.3 in the anxious group, SD 16.3, p < 0.001), especially regarding the dimensions “information and involvement in decision-making” (14% of deficits stated in the non-anxious group compared to 23% in the anxious group, p < 0.001), “respect and trust” (2% vs 6.26%, p < 0.001) and “continuity of care” (50% vs 57%, p < 0.015). Patient-reported anaesthesia-related anxiety is common and may affect important outcome parameters such as patient satisfaction. Abstract presented in e-poster format at Euroanaesthesia 2023, June 3–5, Glasgow.
Production and characterization of intracellular invertase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (OL629078.1), using cassava-soybean as a cost-effective substrate
Authors: Osiebe Oghenesivwe , Adewale Isaac Olusanjo , Omafuvbe Bridget Okiemute 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe growing global market for industrial enzymes has led to a constant search for efficient, cost-effective methods for their production. This study reports the production of invertase using inexpensive and readily available agro-materials. Starch-digesting enzymes extracted from malted unkilned sorghum were used to hydrolyze cassava starch supplemented with 2% whole soybean. The production of intracellular invertase by Saccharomyces cerevisiae OL629078.1 in cassava-soybean and yeast sucrose broth was compared. The purification and characterization of invertase produced using the low-cost medium were also reported. The results showed that there was a 4.1-fold increase in the units of invertase produced in cassava-soybean medium (318.605 U/mg) compared to yeast sucrose broth medium (77.6 U/mg). The invertase produced was purified by chromatographic methods up to 5.53-fold with a recovery of 62.6%. Estimation of the molecular weight with gel filtration indicated a molecular weight of 118 kDa. The enzyme demonstrated its maximum activity at 50 °C and there was no decrease in its activity following a 1-h incubation at this temperature. At a pH of 5.0, the enzyme demonstrated optimal activity and it maintained over 60% of its activity in the acid range (pH 3–6). The Michalis-Menten constants Km and Vmax of intracellular invertase were 5.85 ± 1.715 mM and 6.472 ± 2.099 U/mg, respectively. These results suggest that Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on cassava-soybean is a viable, cost-effective alternative for commercial invertase production, which can be explored for biotechnological processes.
Differential roles of highly expressed PFKFB4 in colon adenocarcinoma patients
Authors: Gu Xiaojing , Dai Xingchen , Huang Yongli , Zhang Yuhuan , Dong Lintao , Gao Chanchan , Wang Fang 
Published: September 2023

AbstractColon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a common malignant tumor, and the role of the protein PFKFB4 in glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways is crucial. Researchers investigated the clinical significance of PFKFB4 in COAD by studying its expression in 79 tissue samples using immunohistochemistry. We found that PFKFB4 expression was significantly higher in COAD patients, particularly in the sigmoid colon. Interestingly, high PFKFB4 expression was associated with both improved overall survival (OS) and post-progression survival (PPS) in COAD patients. Further analysis revealed that genes associated with PFKFB4 were linked to various metabolic pathways, including amino acid biosynthesis, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glucose metabolism, and inflammatory response. PFKFB4 expression also showed correlations with the infiltration of different immune cell types in COAD patients, such as CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, active mast cells, and resting NK cells. Overall, the relationship between PFKFB4 expression and the prognosis of COAD is complex and diverse, possibly playing different roles at different stages of the disease. Moreover, its mechanism might involve interactions with various metabolic pathways and immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential role of PFKFB4 as a biomarker or therapeutic target in COAD.
Magnesium inhibits peritoneal calcification as a late-stage characteristic of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis
Authors: Aihara Seishi , Yamada Shunsuke , Matsueda Shumei , Nagashima Akinori , Torisu Kumiko , Kitazono Takanari , Nakano Toshiaki 
Published: September 2023

AbstractPeritoneal calcification is a prominent feature of the later stage of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) in patients undergoing long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD). However, the pathogenesis and preventive strategy for peritoneal calcification remain unclear. Peritoneum samples from EPS patients were examined histologically. Peritoneal calcification was induced in mice by feeding with an adenine-containing diet combined with intraperitoneal administration of lipopolysaccharide and a calcifying solution containing high calcium and phosphate. Excised mouse peritoneum, human mesothelial cells (MeT5A), and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were cultured in calcifying medium. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the appearance of osteoblastic differentiation-marker-positive cells in the visceral peritoneum from EPS patients. Intraperitoneal administration of magnesium suppressed peritoneal fibrosis and calcification in mice. Calcifying medium increased the calcification of cultured mouse peritoneum, which was prevented by magnesium. Calcification of the extracellular matrix was accelerated in Met5A cells and MEFs treated with calcification medium. Calcifying medium also upregulated osteoblastic differentiation markers in MeT5A cells and induced apoptosis in MEFs. Conversely, magnesium supplementation mitigated extracellular matrix calcification and phenotypic transdifferentiation and apoptosis caused by calcifying conditions in cultured MeT5A cells and MEFs. Phosphate loading contributes to the progression of EPS through peritoneal calcification and fibrosis, which can be prevented by magnesium supplementation.
Low temperature preparation of diopside nanoparticles: in-vitro bioactivity and drug loading evaluation
Authors: sobhani Ava , Salimi Esmaeil 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBioactive diopside (CaMgSi2O6) nanoparticles have recently gained potential usefulness as bone replacement materials and nano vehicles for delivering therapeutics. The structural characteristics of this ceramic have found to be a key factor in bone bonding ability. To attain the desired product for 100% clinical success, it is important to realize the relationship between structure and biological activity. Synthesis of these nanoparticles via the solid-state method has been regarded as a low-cost and easy process in large-scale, but time consuming reactions and high temperature (≈ 1400 °C) are required. On the other side, the wet chemistry can overcome these drawbacks, whereas the presence of byproducts in the final powder has limited this method in large-scale production. The present document has represented a simple, fast and one-pot sol–gel approach for the synthesis of highly pure diopside nano-powders (< 20 nm) by using not-expensive precursors. Calcination of the obtained powder has been conducted at various temperatures (700, 1000 and 1200 °C). The physicochemical and microstructural properties of the products have been characterized by XRD, FTIR, FESEM and TEM. Moreover, the impact of the crystallinity on the bioactivity, drug loading capacity and drug release behavior of the synthesized nanoparticles have been investigated here for the first time. The in-vitro bioactivity results of the prepared diopside samples in a simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 °C revealed the higher capability of the sintered sample to deposit calcium phosphate, compared with the amorphous one. High quantity of gentamicin (around 10 µg) could attach to the surface of 1 miligram of the sintered diopside during the early stages of contact (3 h), suggesting the potential use of diopside as a new class of nano-vehicles for antibiotics. The release behavior indicated a sustained release of gentamicin (80%) after 24 h. In conclusion, diopside nanoparticles can be a promising candidate as a drug-vehicle for bone filling, implant coating or bone cement applications.
Projection of temperature-related mortality among the elderly under advanced aging and climate change scenario
Authors: Huang Yi , Li Chen , Liu De Li , Yang Jun 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAdvanced aging is expected to become a major social problem in China during the second half of the 21st century. Current projections of temperature-related mortality in the context of advanced aging are inadequate, and may underestimate the risks posed by global warming on people aged 90+ years. The present study addresses this issue in Nantong City, which was the city in China with the highest aging and advanced aging rates in the 2000, 2010, and 2020 population censuses. Based on 27 global climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 and statistical downscaling methods, the impacts of climate change and advanced aging on future temperature-related elderly mortality were explored. Our results indicate that global warming will continue to increase the proportion of people who die from non-optimal temperatures even without considering the impact of advanced aging. Moreover, a higher warming range led to a more significant increase in net-temperature-related mortality and advanced aging is likely to increase heat-related mortality and offset the decline in cold-related mortality. Our study demonstrates a “1 + 1 > 2” effect between advanced aging and climate change, under the four shared socioeconomic pathway climate change scenarios considered here. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact of climate change on elderly health and facilitate the development of more effective adaptive strategies for advanced aging societies.
iPSC-derived type IV collagen α5-expressing kidney organoids model Alport syndrome
Authors: Hirayama Ryuichiro , Toyohara Kosuke , Watanabe Kei , Otsuki Takeya , Araoka Toshikazu , Mae Shin-Ichi , Horinouchi Tomoko , Yamamura Tomohiko , Okita Keisuke , Hotta Akitsu , Iijima Kazumoto , Nozu Kandai , Osafune Kenji 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAlport syndrome (AS) is a hereditary glomerulonephritis caused by COL4A3, COL4A4 or COL4A5 gene mutations and characterized by abnormalities of glomerular basement membranes (GBMs). Due to a lack of curative treatments, the condition proceeds to end-stage renal disease even in adolescents. Hampering drug discovery is the absence of effective in vitro methods for testing the restoration of normal GBMs. Here, we aimed to develop kidney organoid models from AS patient iPSCs for this purpose. We established iPSC-derived collagen α5(IV)-expressing kidney organoids and confirmed that kidney organoids from COL4A5 mutation-corrected iPSCs restore collagen α5(IV) protein expression. Importantly, our model recapitulates the differences in collagen composition between iPSC-derived kidney organoids from mild and severe AS cases. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a chemical chaperone, 4-phenyl butyric acid, has the potential to correct GBM abnormalities in kidney organoids showing mild AS phenotypes. This iPSC-derived kidney organoid model will contribute to drug discovery for AS.
A macroevolutionary common-garden experiment reveals differentially evolvable bone organization levels in slow arboreal mammals
Authors: Alfieri Fabio , Botton-Divet Léo , Wölfer Jan , Nyakatura John A. , Amson Eli 
Published: September 2023

AbstractEco-morphological convergence, i.e., similar phenotypes evolved in ecologically convergent taxa, naturally reproduces a common-garden experiment since it allows researchers to keep ecological factors constant, studying intrinsic evolutionary drivers. The latter may result in differential evolvability that, among individual anatomical parts, causes mosaic evolution. Reconstructing the evolutionary morphology of the humerus and femur of slow arboreal mammals, we addressed mosaicism at different bone anatomical spatial scales. We compared convergence strength, using it as indicator of evolvability, between bone external shape and inner structure, with the former expected to be less evolvable and less involved in convergent evolution, due to anatomical constraints. We identify several convergent inner structural traits, while external shape only loosely follows this trend, and we find confirmation for our assumption in measures of convergence magnitude. We suggest that future macroevolutionary reconstructions based on bone morphology should include structural traits to better detect ecological effects on vertebrate diversification.
SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers pro-atherogenic inflammatory responses in human coronary vessels
Authors: Eberhardt Natalia , Noval Maria Gabriela , Kaur Ravneet , Amadori Letizia , Gildea Michael , Sajja Swathy , Das Dayasagar , Cilhoroz Burak , Stewart O’ Jay , Fernandez Dawn M. , Shamailova Roza , Vasquez Guillen Andrea , Jangra Sonia , Schotsaert Michael , Newman Jonathan D. , Faries Peter , Maldonado Thomas , Rockman Caron , Rapkiewicz Amy , Stapleford Kenneth A. , Narula Navneet , Moore Kathryn J. , Giannarelli Chiara 
Published: September 2023

AbstractPatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) present increased risk for ischemic cardiovascular complications up to 1 year after infection. Although the systemic inflammatory response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection likely contributes to this increased cardiovascular risk, whether SARS-CoV-2 directly infects the coronary vasculature and attendant atherosclerotic plaques remains unknown. Here we report that SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA is detectable and replicates in coronary lesions taken at autopsy from severe COVID-19 cases. SARS-CoV-2 targeted plaque macrophages and exhibited a stronger tropism for arterial lesions than adjacent perivascular fat, correlating with macrophage infiltration levels. SARS-CoV-2 entry was increased in cholesterol-loaded primary macrophages and dependent, in part, on neuropilin-1. SARS-CoV-2 induced a robust inflammatory response in cultured macrophages and human atherosclerotic vascular explants with secretion of cytokines known to trigger cardiovascular events. Our data establish that SARS-CoV-2 infects coronary vessels, inducing plaque inflammation that could trigger acute cardiovascular complications and increase the long-term cardiovascular risk.
A lightweight bus passenger detection model based on YOLOv5
Authors: Li Xiaosong , Wu Yanxia , Fu Yan , Zhang Lidan , Hong Ruize 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe bus passenger detection algorithm is a key component of a public transportation bus management system. The detection techniques based on the convolutional neural network have been widely used in bus passenger detection. However, they require high memory and computational requirements, which hinder the deployment of bus passenger detectors in the bus system. In this paper, a lightweight bus passenger detection model based on YOLOv5 is introduced. To make the model more lightweight, the inner and outer cross‐stage bottleneck modules, called ICB and OCB, respectively, are proposed. The proposed module reduces the quantity of parameter and floating point operations and increases the detection speed. In addition, the neighbour feature attention pooling is adopted to improve detection accuracy. The performance of the lightweight model on the bus passenger dataset is empirically demonstrated. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed model is lightweight and efficient. Compared lightweight YOLOv5n with the original algorithm, the model weight is reduced by 31% to 2.6M, and the detection speed is increased by 6% to 40FPS without an accuracy drop.