bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Origin of mysterious geothermal gas emissions in the middle of the Western Desert, stable shelf area, Dakhla Oasis, Egypt
Authors: Abdel Zaher Mohamed , El-Hadidy Mahmoud , El-Qady Gad , Rabeh Taha , Atya Magdy , El-hady Sherif , Tantawy Abdel Aziz , El-Hemaly Ibrahim , Al Deep Mohamed , Awad Ahmed , Salama Hamada , Khalifa Mohamed Mostafa , Leila Mahmoud 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis work responds to what was reported in various audio-visual media channels and to queries and explanations from individuals and local residents on the causes of gaseous and thermal emissions from the Earth near the vicinity of the village of Al-Hindaw in Dakhla city, New Valley Governorate, Egypt. At the location of the fume exit area, magnetic, seismic, and electromagnetic geophysical investigations were carried out to identify the factor(s) responsible for the event in question. Rock samples were collected and studied geochemically and radiographically to assess their chemical compositions, as well as the quantity of organic chemicals that may have contributed to the burning and temperature increase. In light of the results of the geochemical and geophysical research, it is believed that the self-ignitions are the result of near-surface reactions and oxidation instead of volcanic activity, such as the presence of magma or other comparable phenomena.
Ecological effect life cycle assessment of house buildings based on emergy footprint model
Authors: He Mengyang , Wang Yang , Ma Haotian 
Published: September 2023

AbstractConstruction is an important sector for climate action. The construction, operation and maintenance, demolition and disposal stages of house buildings consume many resources and have a significant impact on society, the economy and the environment. To assess such efforts, we propose the emergy footprint model of house buildings, which can quantitatively analyse the ecological effect in the house buildings life cycle. The research shows the following. China’s ecological efficiency of the housing sector is characterized by improvement. In the house building fifty-year life cycle, the emergy footprint of the operation and maintenance stage is the largest (75.92%), followed by the construction stage (21.95%), but the emergy footprint intensity of the latter is 4.82 times that of the former. Reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in the operation and maintenance stage is the key to reducing the life cycle emergy footprint of house buildings. The ecological impact coefficient of house buildings is negatively exponentially correlated with their service life. It reaches ecological break-even when the service period of the house building is equal to 36.73 years. If the house building is demolished after less than nine years of service, the impact is extremely unfavourable.
Fuzzy interactions between the auto-phosphorylated C-terminus and the kinase domain of CK1δ inhibits activation of TAp63α
Authors: Lambert Mahil , Gebel Jakob , Trejtnar Charlotte , Wesch Nicole , Bozkurt Süleyman , Adrian-Allgood Martin , Löhr Frank , Münch Christian , Dötsch Volker 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe p53 family member TAp63α plays an important role in maintaining the genetic integrity in oocytes. DNA damage, in particular DNA double strand breaks, lead to the transformation of the inhibited, only dimeric conformation into the active tetrameric one that results in the initiation of an apoptotic program. Activation requires phosphorylation by the kinase CK1 which phosphorylates TAp63α at four positions. The third phosphorylation event is the decisive step that transforms TAp63α into the active state. This third phosphorylation, however, is ~ 20 times slower than the first two phosphorylation events. This difference in the phosphorylation kinetics constitutes a safety mechanism that allows oocytes with a low degree of DNA damage to survive. So far these kinetic investigations of the phosphorylation steps have been performed with the isolated CK1 kinase domain. However, all CK1 enzymes contain C-terminal extensions that become auto-phosphorylated and inhibit the activity of the kinase. Here we have investigated the effect of auto-phosphorylation of the C-terminus in the kinase CK1δ and show that it slows down phosphorylation of the first two sites in TAp63α but basically inhibits the phosphorylation of the third site. We have identified up to ten auto-phosphorylation sites in the CK1δ C-terminal domain and show that all of them interact with the kinase domain in a “fuzzy” way in which not a single site is particularly important. Through mutation analysis we further show that hydrophobic amino acids following the phosphorylation site are important for a substrate to be able to successfully compete with the auto-inhibitory effect of the C-terminal domain. This auto-phosphorylation adds a new layer to the regulation of apoptosis in oocytes.
Discovery of a cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) selective inhibitor targeting active-site pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) via Schiff base formation
Authors: Echizen Honami , Hanaoka Kenjiro , Shimamoto Kazuhito , Hibi Ryota , Toma-Fukai Sachiko , Ohno Hisashi , Sasaki Eita , Komatsu Toru , Ueno Tasuku , Tsuchiya Yukihiro , Watanabe Yasuo , Otsuka Takao , Saito Hiroaki , Nagatoishi Satoru , Tsumoto Kouhei , Kojima Hirotatsu , Okabe Takayoshi , Shimizu Toshiyuki , Urano Yasuteru 
Published: September 2023

AbstractD,L-Propargylglycine (PAG) has been widely used as a selective inhibitor to investigate the biological functions of cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), which catalyzes the formation of reactive sulfur species (RSS). However, PAG also inhibits other PLP (pyridoxal-5′-phosphate)-dependent enzymes such as methionine γ-lyase (MGL) and L-alanine transaminase (ALT), so highly selective CSE inhibitors are still required. Here, we performed high-throughput screening (HTS) of a large chemical library and identified oxamic hydrazide 1 as a potent inhibitor of CSE (IC50 = 13 ± 1 μM (mean ± S.E.)) with high selectivity over other PLP-dependent enzymes and RSS-generating enzymes. Inhibitor 1 inhibited the enzymatic activity of human CSE in living cells, indicating that it is sufficiently membrane-permeable. X-Ray crystal structure analysis of the complex of rat CSE (rCSE) with 1 revealed that 1 forms a Schiff base linkage with the cofactor PLP in the active site of rCSE. PLP in the active site may be a promising target for development of selective inhibitors of PLP-dependent enzymes, including RSS-generating enzymes such as cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase 2 (CARS2), which have unique substrate binding pocket structures.
Concomitant dual-site tDCS and dark chocolate improve cognitive and endurance performance following cognitive effort under hypoxia: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Banaei Parisa , Tadibi Vahid , Amiri Ehsan , Machado Daniel Gomes da Silva 
Published: September 2023

AbstractTen male cyclists were randomized into four experimental conditions in this randomized, cross-over, double-blind, and sham-controlled study to test the combined effect of acute dark chocolate (DC) ingestion and anodal concurrent dual-site transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) targeting M1 and left DLPFC on cognitive and whole-body endurance performance in hypoxia after performing a cognitive task. Two hours before the sessions, chocolate was consumed. After arriving at the lab, participants completed an incongruent Stroop task for 30 min in hypoxia (O2 = 13%) to induce mental fatigue, followed by 20 min of tDCS (2 mA) in hypoxia. Then, in hypoxia, they performed a time-to-exhaustion task (TTE) while measuring physiological and psychophysiological responses. Cognitive performance was measured at baseline, after the Stroop task, and during and after TTE. TTE in ‘DC + a-tDCS’ was significantly longer than in ‘white chocolate (WC) + a-tDCS’ and WC + sham-tDCS’. The vastus medialis muscle electromyography amplitude was significantly higher in ‘DC + a-tDCS’ and ‘DC + sham-tDCS’ than in ‘WC + sh-tDCS’. During and after the TTE, choice reaction time was significantly lower in ‘DC + a-tDCS’ compared to ‘WC + sh-tDCS’. Other physiological or psychophysiological variables showed no significant differences. The concurrent use of acute DC consumption and dual-site a-tDCS might improve cognitive and endurance performance in hypoxia.
Morphological analysis of descending tracts in mouse spinal cord using tissue clearing, tissue expansion and tiling light sheet microscopy techniques
Authors: Xie Jiongfang , Feng Ruili , Chen Yanlu , Gao Liang 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDescending tracts carry motor signals from the brain to spinal cord. However, few previous studies show the full view of the long tracts from a 3D perspective. In this study, we have followed five less well-known tracts that project from midbrain, hindbrain, and cerebellum to the mouse spinal cord, using the tissue clearing method in combination with tiling light sheet microscopy. By tracing axons in spinal cord, we found several notable features: among the five tracts the collateral "sister" branches occurred only in the axons originating from the cerebellospinal tracts; the axons from the spinal trigeminal nucleus crossed the midline of spinal cord to the contralateral side; those arising in the medullary reticular formation ventral part gave many branches in both cervical and lumbar segments; the axons from superior colliculus terminated only at upper cervical but with abundant branches in the hindbrain. Furthermore, we investigated the monosynaptic connections between the tracts and motor neurons in the spinal cord through hydrogel-based tissue expansion, and found several monosynaptic connections between the medullary reticular formation ventral part axons and spinal motor neurons. We believe that this is the first study to show the full 3D scope of the projection patterns and axonal morphologies of these five descending tracts to the mouse spinal cord. In addition, we have developed a new method for future study of descending tracts by three-dimensional imaging.
Genetic contributions to brain serotonin transporter levels in healthy adults
Authors: Bruzzone Silvia Elisabetta Portis , Nasser Arafat , Aripaka Sagar Sanjay , Spies Marie , Ozenne Brice , Jensen Peter Steen , Knudsen Gitte Moos , Frokjaer Vibe Gedsoe , Fisher Patrick MacDonald 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe serotonin transporter (5-HTT) critically shapes serotonin neurotransmission by regulating extracellular brain serotonin levels; it remains unclear to what extent 5-HTT levels in the human brain are genetically determined. Here we applied [11C]DASB positron emission tomography to image brain 5-HTT levels and evaluated associations with five common serotonin-related genetic variants that might indirectly regulate 5-HTT levels (BDNF rs6265, SLC6A4 5-HTTLPR, HTR1A rs6295, HTR2A rs7333412, and MAOA rs1137070) in 140 healthy volunteers. In addition, we explored whether these variants could predict in vivo 5-HTT levels using a five-fold cross-validation random forest framework. MAOA rs1137070 T-carriers showed significantly higher brain 5-HTT levels compared to C-homozygotes (2–11% across caudate, putamen, midbrain, thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala and neocortex). We did not observe significant associations for the HTR1A rs6295 and HTR2A rs7333412 genotypes. Our previously observed lower subcortical 5-HTT availability for rs6265 met-carriers remained in the presence of these additional variants. Despite this significant association, our prediction models showed that genotype moderately improved prediction of 5-HTT in caudate, but effects were not statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Our observations provide additional evidence that serotonin-related genetic variants modulate adult human brain serotonin neurotransmission.
Feasibility and safety of uniportal thoracoscopy for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Wang Bing , Yao Li , Sheng Jian , Liu Xiaoyu , Jiang Yuhui , Shen Lei , Xu Feng , Liu Qibin , Gao Chao , Dai Xiyong 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSurgery plays a crucial role in the treatment of patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA). However, there is currently limited information available regarding the use of uniportal thoracoscopy (Uni-VATS) in CPA patients. To address this gap, we conducted a retrospective analysis of surgical procedures performed at a single center, aiming to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of Uni-VATS for patients with CPA. We collected basic information and surgical data from patients who underwent surgery for CPA at our hospital between January 2018 and June 2022. All patients received voriconazole antifungal medication for 3–6 months post-surgery and were monitored for a minimum of 6 months. A total of 110 patients, comprising 59 cases in the traditional open chest incision group and 51 cases in the Uni-VATS group, met the inclusion criteria. Among those who underwent surgery, 70% were male (77/110). The median age (IQR) of all enrolled patients was 55 (46–62) years. There were no statistically significant differences in general information, such as age, sex, comorbidities, BMI, FEV1, FVC, clinical symptoms, location of the disease, and duration of voriconazole antifungal medication, between the OS group and the Uni-VATS group (p > 0.05). The postoperative complication rates were 40.7% (24/59) for the traditional open chest incision group and 17.6% (9/51) for the Uni-VATS group. Through univariate analysis, we identified sex and operative approach as risk factors for postoperative complications. Multivariate logistic analysis confirmed that male and OS procedures were the independent risk factors for postoperative complications. There were statistically significant differences in operative time, intraoperative blood loss volume, postoperative drainage volume, pain scores, postoperative drainage tube removal time, postoperative hospital stay time between the OS group and the Uni-VATS group (p < 0.05). Uni-VATS is a feasible and safe surgical procedure for patients with CPA, and we recommend it as a preferred option for selected patients with CPA.
Estimating residual undifferentiated cells in human chemically induced pluripotent stem cell derived islets using lncRNA as biomarkers
Authors: Wu Yandan , Zhang Zhenzhen , Wu Shuangshuang , Chen Zhaolong , Pu Yue 
Published: September 2023

AbstractHuman pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can generate insulin-producing beta cells for diabetes treatment, but residual undifferentiated cells may cause tumors. We developed a highly sensitive assay to detect these cells in islet cells derived from human chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (hCiPSCs), which are transgene-free and safer. We used RNA-seq data to find protein-coding and non-coding RNAs that were only expressed in hCiPSCs, not in islet cells. We confirmed these biomarkers by RT-qPCR and ddPCR. We chose long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) markers, which performed better than protein-coding RNA markers. We found that LNCPRESS2, LINC00678 and LOC105370482 could detect 1, 1 and 3 hCiPSCs in 106 islet cells by ddPCR, respectively. We tested our method on several hCiPSC lines, which could quantify 0.0001% undifferentiated cell in 106 islet cells by targeting hCiPSCs-specific lncRNA transcripts, ensuring the safety and quality of hCiPSC-derived islet cells for clinical use.
Highly efficient visible light active ZnO/Cu-DPA composite photocatalysts for the treatment of wastewater contaminated with organic dye
Authors: Berehe Biniyam Abdu , Assen Ayalew H. , Kumar A. Santhana Krishna , Ulla Hidayath , Duma Alemayehu Dubale , Chang Jia-Yaw , Gedda Gangaraju , Girma Wubshet Mekonnen 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIndustrial effluents are a leading major threat for water contamination, subsequently which results in severe health associated risks. Hence, purifying wastewater before releasing into the water resources is essential to avoid contamination. In this study, ZnO/Cu-DPA nano-composites were prepared by altering the percentage of Cu-DPA (20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% which are denoted to be ZnO/20%Cu-DPA, ZnO/30%Cu-DPA, ZnO/40%Cu-DPA and ZnO/50%Cu-DPA) using a simple mechanical grinding process. Several spectroscopic studies were employed such as electron paramagnetic analysis (EPR), powdered X-ray diffractometer (PXRD), UV–Vis absorbance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope to characterize these nano-composites. The photo-catalytic activities of the prepared nano-composites were studied by degrading MB under visible light irradiation. ZnO, ZnO/20%Cu-DPA, ZnO/30%Cu-DPA, ZnO/40%Cu-DPA and ZnO/50%Cu-DPA degradation efficiencies were determined to be 71.8, 78.5, 77.1, and 66.1%, respectively. Among the composite catalysts, the ZnO/20%Cu-DPA coupled system are demonstrated the best efficiency (87%) for photo-degradation of MB within 80 min when exposed to visible light. The ZnO/Cu-DPA nano-composites had a greater MB photodegradation efficiency than pristine ZnO owing to p-n heterojunction in the linked system. Under visible light irradiation, the ZnO/20%Cu-DPA catalysed the conversion of dissolved O2 to hydroxyl radicals (OH·), triggering the reduction of MB. This suggests that ·OH is the primary specific active radical involved in the photo-catalytic decomposition of MB. Furthermore, EPR analysis indicates the existence of ·OH in the photo-catalytic system. The proposed nano-composites (ZnO/20%Cu-DPA) reusability was investigated across three cycles as the most efficient photo-catalyst. The results show that, the ZnO/Cu-DPA nano-catalyst is a potential candidate for the remediation of dirty water.
A possible role for proinflammatory activation via cGAS-STING pathway in atherosclerosis induced by accumulation of DNA double-strand breaks
Authors: Sakai Chiemi , Ueda Keitaro , Goda Kohei , Fujita Rikuto , Maeda Junji , Nakayama Shinya , Sotomaru Yusuke , Tashiro Satoshi , Yoshizumi Masao , Ishida Takafumi , Ishida Mari 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDNA damage contributes to atherosclerosis. However, causative links between DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and atherosclerosis have yet to be established. Here, we investigated the role of DSBs in atherosclerosis using mice and vascular cells deficient in Ku80, a DSB repair protein. After 4 weeks of a high-fat diet, Ku80-deficient apolipoprotein E knockout mice (Ku80+/−ApoE−/−) displayed increased plaque size and DSBs in the aorta compared to those of ApoE−/− control. In the preatherosclerotic stages (two-week high-fat diet), the plaque size was similar in both the Ku80+/−ApoE−/− and ApoE−/− control mice, but the number of DSBs and mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and MCP-1 were significantly increased in the Ku80+/−ApoE−/− aortas. We further investigated molecular links between DSBs and inflammatory responses using vascular smooth muscle cells isolated from Ku80 wild-type and Ku80+/− mice. The Ku80+/− cells displayed senescent features and elevated levels of inflammatory cytokine mRNAs. Moreover, the cytosolic DNA-sensing cGAS-STING pathway was activated in the Ku80+/− cells. Inhibiting the cGAS-STING pathway reduced IL-6 mRNA level. Notably, interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), a downstream effector of the cGAS-STING pathway, was activated, and the depletion of IRF3 also reduced IL-6 mRNA levels in the Ku80+/− cells. Finally, DSBs accumulation in normal cells also activated the cGAS-STING-IRF3 pathway. In addition, cGAS inhibition attenuated DNA damage-induced IL-6 expression and cellular senescence in these cells. These results suggest that DSBs accumulation promoted atherosclerosis by upregulating proinflammatory responses and cellular senescence via the cGAS-STING (-IRF3) pathway.
Key to ENSO phase-locking simulation: effects of sea surface temperature diurnal amplitude
Authors: Yang Xiaodan , Bao Ying , Song Zhenya , Shu Qi , Song Yajuan , Wang Xin , Qiao Fangli 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe tendency of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events to peak during boreal winter is known as ENSO phase-locking, whose accurate simulation is essential for ENSO prediction. However, the simulated peaks of ENSO events usually occur outside boreal winter in state-of-the-art climate models. Based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models, the model with a more reasonable diurnal amplitude (DA) in the sea surface temperature (SST) had a better simulation ability for ENSO phase-locking compared with other models. Further experiments based on the earth system model revealed that the DA is vital for ENSO phase-locking simulation primarily due to the spatial inhomogeneities in seasonal DA anomaly variations in ENSO years with positive/negative DA anomalies in the central equatorial Pacific and negative/positive in the western or eastern Pacific during El Niño/La Niña. Our findings indicate that DA simulation in climate models is crucial for resolving the long-standing failure associated with the ENSO phase-locking simulation accuracy.
Downscaling and bias-correction contribute considerable uncertainty to local climate projections in CMIP6
Authors: Lafferty David C. , Sriver Ryan L. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractEfforts to diagnose the risks of a changing climate often rely on downscaled and bias-corrected climate information, making it important to understand the uncertainties and potential biases of this approach. Here, we perform a variance decomposition to partition uncertainty in global climate projections and quantify the relative importance of downscaling and bias-correction. We analyze simple climate metrics such as annual temperature and precipitation averages, as well as several indices of climate extremes. We find that downscaling and bias-correction often contribute substantial uncertainty to local decision-relevant climate outcomes, though our results are strongly heterogeneous across space, time, and climate metrics. Our results can provide guidance to impact modelers and decision-makers regarding the uncertainties associated with downscaling and bias-correction when performing local-scale analyses, as neglecting to account for these uncertainties may risk overconfidence relative to the full range of possible climate futures.
ChatGPT and the rise of semi-humans
Authors: Al Lily Abdulrahman Essa , Ismail Abdelrahim Fathy , Abunaser Fathi M. , Al-Lami Firass , Abdullatif Ali Khalifa Atwa 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis article explores the research question: ‘What are ChatGPT’s human-like traits as perceived by society?’ Thematic analyses of insights from 452 individuals worldwide yielded two categories of traits. Category 1 entails social traits, where ChatGPT embodies the social roles of ‘author’ (imitating human phrasing and paraphrasing practices) and ‘interactor’ (simulating human collaboration and emotion). Category 2 encompasses political traits, with ChatGPT assuming the political roles of ‘agent’ (emulating human cognition and identity) and ‘influencer’ (mimicking human diplomacy and consultation). When asked, ChatGPT confirmed the possession of these human-like traits (except for one trait). Thus, ChatGPT displays human-like qualities, humanising itself through the ‘game of algorithms’. It transcends its inherent technical essence and machine-based origins to manifest as a ‘semi-human’ living actor within human society, showcasing the emergence of semi-humans. Therefore, researchers should redirect their attention towards the ‘sociology of semi-humans’ (studying their socio-political traits) beyond the ‘biology of semi-humans’ (examining their technical traits). While medieval society was captivated by mythical semi-human beings (e.g. mermaids), modern society finds itself increasingly captivated by computational semi-human beings like ChatGPT. Ethical concerns arise as semi-humans impersonate human traits without consent or genuine human existence, blurring the boundaries between what is authentically and artificially ‘human’.