bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Escape performance in the cyclopoid copepod Oithona davisae
Authors: Uttieri Marco , Svetlichny Leonid 
Published: January 2024

AbstractEscaping a predator is one of the keys to success for any living creature. The performance of adults (males, females, and ovigerous females) of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona davisae exposed to an electrical stimulus is analysed as a function of temperature by measuring characteristic parameters associated with the escape movement (distance covered, duration of the appendage movement, mean and maximum escape speeds, Reynolds number). In addition, as a proxy for the efficiency of the motion, the Strouhal number was calculated. The escape performance showed temperature-dependent relationships within each adult state, as well as differences between sexes; additionally, changes owing to the presence of the egg sac were recorded in females. In a broader perspective, the results collected reveal the occurrence of different behavioural adaptations in males and females, adding to the comprehension of the mechanisms by which O. davisae interacts with its environment and shedding new light on the in situ population dynamics of this species.
Genome-wide identification of rubber tree pathogenesis-related 10 (PR-10) proteins with biological relevance to plant defense
Authors: Longsaward Rawit , Viboonjun Unchera 
Published: January 2024

AbstractPathogenesis-related 10 (PR-10) is a group of small intracellular proteins that is one of 17 subclasses of pathogenesis-related proteins in plants. The PR-10 proteins have been studied extensively and are well-recognized for their contribution to host defense against phytopathogens in several plant species. Interestingly, the accumulation of PR-10 proteins in the rubber tree, one of the most economically important crops worldwide, after being infected by pathogenic organisms has only recently been reported. In this study, the homologous proteins of the PR-10 family were systemically identified from the recently available rubber tree genomes in the NCBI database. The sequence compositions, structural characteristics, protein physical properties, and phylogenetic relationships of identified PR-10 proteins in rubber trees support their classification into subgroups, which mainly consist of Pru ar 1-like major allergens and major latex-like (MLP) proteins. The rubber tree PR10-encoding genes were majorly clustered on chromosome 15. The potential roles of rubber tree PR-10 proteins are discussed based on previous reports. The homologous proteins in the PR-10 family were identified in the recent genomes of rubber trees and were shown to be crucial in host responses to biotic challenges. The genome-wide identification conducted here will accelerate the future study of rubber tree PR-10 proteins. A better understanding of these defense-related proteins may contribute to alternative ways of developing rubber tree clones with desirable traits in the future.
An augmentation aided concise CNN based architecture for COVID-19 diagnosis in real time
Authors: Kaur Balraj Preet , Singh Harpreet , Hans Rahul , Sharma Sanjeev Kumar , Kaushal Chetna , Hassan Md. Mehedi , Shah Mohd Asif 
Published: January 2024

AbstractOver 6.5 million people around the world have lost their lives due to the highly contagious COVID 19 virus. The virus increases the danger of fatal health effects by damaging the lungs severely. The only method to reduce mortality and contain the spread of this disease is by promptly detecting it. Recently, deep learning has become one of the most prominent approaches to CAD, helping surgeons make more informed decisions. But deep learning models are computation hungry and devices with TPUs and GPUs are needed to run these models. The current focus of machine learning research is on developing models that can be deployed on mobile and edge devices. To this end, this research aims to develop a concise convolutional neural network-based computer-aided diagnostic system for detecting the COVID 19 virus in X-ray images, which may be deployed on devices with limited processing resources, such as mobile phones and tablets. The proposed architecture aspires to use the image enhancement in first phase and data augmentation in the second phase for image pre-processing, additionally hyperparameters are also optimized to obtain the optimal parameter settings in the third phase that provide the best results. The experimental analysis has provided empirical evidence of the impact of image enhancement, data augmentation, and hyperparameter tuning on the proposed convolutional neural network model, which increased accuracy from 94 to 98%. Results from the evaluation show that the suggested method gives an accuracy of 98%, which is better than popular transfer learning models like Xception, Resnet50, and Inception.
The potential of postharvest zinc treatment for preservation of pomegranate aril quality
Authors: Aminzade Reihaneh , Ramezanian Asghar , Eshghi Saeid , Hosseini Seyed Mohammad Hashem 
Published: January 2024

AbstractA short shelf life usually limits the distribution and supply of pomegranate arils. Since zinc (Zn) has an indispensable role in the nutrient integrity of our diet and is effective in suppressing pathogens, this study was done as two separate experiments of pre-harvest spraying and postharvest dipping of arils with two zinc supplements, including nano zinc oxide (nZnO) and zinc sulfate (ZnSO4). The optimized concentration of both sources was used in the experiment. The pre-harvest treatment failed to extend the shelf life of arils, and, ultimately, the arils decayed after 15 days. However, the postharvest zinc treatment significantly (P < 0.01) affected all measured indices. Also, zinc sulfate was more effective than nZnO. Zn uptake was higher in postharvest treatments because exogenous Zn was in direct contact with the aril surface. After dissolving in water, Zn ions in sulfate bind to the membrane of microorganisms and thus delay cell division and microbial growth cycle. The solubility of zinc oxide nanoparticles in water is poor. Using the ZnSO4 treatment (0.8%W/V) effectively maintained the values of titratable acidity (TA), total phenolic content (TPC), total soluble solids (TSS), anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity. Also, this treatment significantly controlled weight loss in the arils.
Probiotic potential of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus VHProbi M15 on sucralfate-induced constipation in mice
Authors: Cheng Shumin , Cui Hongchang , Zhang Jingyan , Wang Qian , Duan Zhi 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe main objective of this study was to investigate the potential probiotic properties of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus VHProbi®M15 (M15). This study examined the effects of M15 on sucralfate-induced constipation in a mouse model. The BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups: the normal group (NOR) was without any treatment, while the constipation (CON), phenolphthalein (PHE), and probiotic (PRO) treatment groups were fed with sucralfate until the appearance of constipation symptoms. Afterward, the NOR and CON groups were given 1 ml saline orally every day until the end of the experiment; the PHE and PRO groups were given phenolphthalein or M15 suspension in 1 ml orally, respectively. Compared with the CON group, the fecal water content and intestinal peristalsis improved in the PRO group. Here, intake of M15 effectively attenuated sucralfate-induced constipation, recuperated colonic epithelial integrity, and increased serum levels of gastrointestinal excitatory neurotransmitters (motilin, gastrin, substance P). Analysis of the intestinal microbiota of mice by 16S rRNA metagenomic revealed an increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroides and a decrease in Sclerotinia, Verrucosa and Proteus in the PRO group. Compared with the CON group, the constipation-induced intestinal microecological changes were partially recovered in the PHE and PRO groups. These results demonstrate that M15 enhanced gastrointestinal transit and alleviated in mice with sucralfate-induced constipation.
Genetically determined circulating micronutrients and the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Liu Ke , Chen Ying , Chen Jiaxin , Chen Weiwei , Sun Xiaohui , Mao Yingying , Ye Ding 
Published: January 2024

AbstractEvidence from epidemiological literature on the association of circulating micronutrients with risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is inconsistent. We aimed to elucidate the causal relationships using Mendelian randomization (MR). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with 14 circulating micronutrients (β-carotene, calcium, copper, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin B6, B12, C, D, K1 and zinc) were employed as instrumental variables. Summary level data for NAFLD were obtained from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of 8434 cases and 770,180 controls (discovery stage) and another two datasets including 1483 NAFLD cases and 17,781 controls (replication stage 1) and 2134 NAFLD cases and 33,433 controls (replication stage 2). Inverse variance-weighted method (IVW) was used as primary analysis, supplemented with a series of sensitivity analysis. Genetically predicted higher β‑carotene levels were suggestively associated with reduced NAFLD risk [odds ratio (OR) 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66–0.99; P = 0.047], whereas the association did not survive the false discovery rates (FDR) correction (PFDR = 0.164). Genetically predicted circulating iron (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05–1.29; P = 0.006, PFDR = 0.028), selenium (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03–1.20; P = 0.005, PFDR = 0.028) and vitamin B12 (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03–1.13; P = 0.002, PFDR = 0.028) were significantly associated with increased risk of NAFLD. Moreover, the findings were consistent in individual datasets (Pheterogeneity > 0.05) and confirmed in sensitivity analysis. Our study provided evidence that circulating iron, selenium and vitamin B12 might be causally linked to the risk of NAFLD, which deserves further exploration of the potential biological mechanism.
Flexible thermoelectrics in crossed graphene/hBN composites
Authors: Bazrafshan M. Amir , Khoeini Farhad 
Published: January 2024

AbstractNanostructures exhibit unusual properties due to the dominance of quantum mechanical effects. In addition, the geometry of a nanostructure can have a strong influence on its physical properties. Using the tight-binding and force-constant approaches with the help of the non-equilibrium Green’s function method, the transport and thermoelectric properties of cross-shaped (X-shaped) composite heterostructures are studied in two cases: Mixed graphene and h-BN (HETX-CBN) and all graphene (HETX-C) cross-shaped structures. Our numerical results show that an X-shaped structure helps to manipulate its electronic and phononic properties. The transport energy gap can be tuned in the range of ~ 0.8 eV by changing one arm width. Due to the drastic decrease in the electronic conductance of HETX-CBN and the dominance of the phononic thermal conductance, the ZT performance is degraded despite the high Seebeck coefficient value (in the order of meV). However, HETX-C has better ZT performance due to better electronic conductance and lower phononic/electronic thermal ratio, it can enhance the ZT ~ 2.5 times compared to that of zigzag graphene nanoribbon. The thermoelectric properties of the system can be tuned by controlling the size of the arms of the device and the type of its atoms.
Semen microbiota are dramatically altered in men with abnormal sperm parameters
Authors: Osadchiy Vadim , Belarmino Andre , Kianian Reza , Sigalos John T. , Ancira Jacob S. , Kanie Trisha , Mangum Sarah F. , Tipton Craig D. , Hsieh Tung-Chin M. , Mills Jesse N. , Eleswarapu Sriram V. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThere has recently been an explosion of studies implicating the human microbiome in playing a critical role in many disease and wellness states. The etiology of abnormal semen analysis (SA) parameters is not identified in 30% of cases; investigations involving the semen microbiome may bridge this gap. Here, we explore the relationship between the semen microbiome and alterations of sperm parameters. We recruited men presenting for fertility evaluation or vasectomy consultation with proven biological paternity. SA and next generation sequencing was performed. Differential abundance testing using Analysis of composition of Microbiota with Bias Correction (ANCOM-BC) was performed along with canonical correlational analysis for microbial community profiling. Men with abnormal (N = 27) sperm motility showed a higher abundance of Lactobacillus iners compared to those with normal (N = 46) sperm motility (mean proportion 9.4% versus 2.6%, p = 0.046). This relationship persisted on canonical correlational analysis (r = 0.392, p = 0.011). Men with abnormal sperm concentration (N = 20) showed a higher abundance of Pseudomonas stutzeri (2.1% versus 1.0%, p = 0.024) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (0.9% versus 0.7%, p = 0.010), but a lower abundance of Pseudomonas putida (0.5% versus 0.8%, p = 0.020), compared to those with normal sperm concentration (N = 53). Major limitations are related to study design (cross-sectional, observational). Our results suggest that a small group of microorganisms may play a critical role in observed perturbations of SA parameters. Some of these microbes, most notably Lactobacillus iners, have been described extensively within other, fertility-related, contexts, whereas for others, this is the first report where they have potentially been implicated. Advances in our understanding of the semen microbiome may contribute to potentially new therapeutic avenues for correcting impairments in sperm parameters and improving male fertility.
Multimodal digital phenotyping of diet, physical activity, and glycemia in Hispanic/Latino adults with or at risk of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Pai Amruta , Santiago Rony , Glantz Namino , Bevier Wendy , Barua Souptik , Sabharwal Ashutosh , Kerr David 
Published: January 2024

AbstractDigital phenotyping refers to characterizing human bio-behavior through wearables, personal devices, and digital health technologies. Digital phenotyping in populations facing a disproportionate burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and health disparities continues to lag compared to other populations. Here, we report our study demonstrating the application of multimodal digital phenotyping, i.e., the simultaneous use of CGM, physical activity monitors, and meal tracking in Hispanic/Latino individuals with or at risk of T2D. For 14 days, 36 Hispanic/Latino adults (28 female, 14 with non-insulin treated T2D) wore a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and a physical activity monitor (Actigraph) while simultaneously logging meals using the MyFitnessPal app. We model meal events and daily digital biomarkers representing diet, physical activity choices, and corresponding glycemic response. We develop a digital biomarker for meal events that differentiates meal events into normal and elevated categories. We examine the contribution of daily digital biomarkers of elevated meal event count and step count on daily time-in-range 54-140 mg/dL (TIR54–140) and average glucose. After adjusting for step count, a change in elevated meal event count from zero to two decreases TIR54–140 by 4.0% (p = 0.003). An increase in 1000 steps in post-meal step count also reduces the meal event glucose response by 641 min mg/dL (p = 0.0006) and reduces the odds of an elevated meal event by 55% (p < 0.0001). The proposed meal event digital biomarkers may provide an opportunity for non-pharmacologic interventions for Hispanic/Latino adults facing a disproportionate burden of T2D.
Topological high-harmonic spectroscopy
Authors: García-Cabrera Ana , Boyero-García Roberto , Zurrón-Cifuentes Óscar , Serrano Javier , Román Julio San , Plaja Luis , Hernández-García Carlos 
Published: January 2024

AbstractLinearly polarized vector beams are structured lasers whose topology is characterized by a well-defined Poincaré index, which is a topological invariant during high-order harmonic generation. As such, harmonics are produced as extreme-ultraviolet vector beams that inherit the topology of the driver. This holds for isotropic targets such as noble gases, but analogous behaviour in crystalline solids is still open to discussion. Here, we demonstrate that this conservation rule breaks in crystalline solids, in virtue of their anisotropic non-linear susceptibility. We identify the topological properties of the harmonic field as unique probes, sensitive to both the microscopic and macroscopic features of the target’s complex non-linear response. Our simulations, performed in single-layer graphene, show that the harmonic field is split into a multi-beam structure whose topology encodes information about laser-driven electronic dynamics. Our work promotes the topological analysis of the high-order harmonic field as a spectroscopic tool to reveal the nonlinearities in the coupling of light and target symmetries.
Fluorescence-based multifunctional light sheet imaging flow cytometry for high-throughput optical interrogation of live cells
Authors: Joshi Prakash , Kumar Prashant , S Aravinth , Varghese Jiby Mary , Mondal Partha Pratim 
Published: January 2024

AbstractMultifunctional light sheet imaging flow cytometry of a large population of live cells at high throughput is challenging and requires new technological advancement. Existing cytometry techniques are limited due to point-based illumination that does not allow volume interrogation and biophysical parameter estimation on the go. Here, we propose a multifunctional (multichannel, multisheet and multicolor) imaging cytometry (M3IC) system that employs vertically-aligned multi-sheet array (VAMSA) illumination for interrogating cells flowing simultaneously through multiple microfluidic channels. We studied cancer cells (volume interrogation with organelle-level resolution and high signal-to-background-ratio(SBR)) at high throughput (~2500 nl/min). M3IC system demonstrates organelle-level resolution with a SBR comparable to that of confocal, especially at low flow rates. In addition, the multicolor imaging capability of the system facilitates multi-organelle investigation, determination of critical biophysical parameters, and drug (Paclitaxel) treatment studies on cancer cells. M3IC system is expected to advance the field of fluorescence microscopy, cell biophysics, disease biology and optical physics.
A digital twin approach for experimental acoustic hologram optimization
Authors: Fushimi Tatsuki , Tagami Daichi , Yamamoto Kenta , Ochiai Yoichi 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe need for the accurate generation of acoustic holograms has increased with the prevalence of the use of acoustophoresis methods such as ultrasonic haptic sensation, acoustic levitation, and displays. However, experimental results have shown that the actual acoustic field may differ from the simulated field owing to uncertainties in the transducer position, power and phase, or from nonlinearity and inhomogeneity in the field. Traditional methods for experimentally optimizing acoustic holograms require prior calibration and do not scale with the number of variables. Here, we propose a digital twin approach that combines feedback from experimental measurements (such as a microphone and an optical camera) in the physical setup with numerically obtained derivatives of the loss function, using automatic differentiation, to optimize the loss function. This approach is number of transducers times faster and more efficient than the classical finite difference approach, making it beneficial for various applications such as acoustophoretic volumetric displays, ultrasonic haptic sensations, and focused ultrasound therapy.
First to finish, what comes next? Putting Capacity Building and the Transfer of Marine Technology under the BBNJ Agreement into practice
Authors: Harden-Davies Harriet , Lopes Vanessa Ferreira , Coelho Luciana Fernandes , Nelson Gemma , Veiga Julia Schutz , Talma Sheena , Vierros Marjo 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe completion of negotiations on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology (CBTMT) was a critical milestone that paved the way for the adoption of a historic new UN ocean treaty that was twenty years in the making. The CBTMT part is crucial to enable the effective and equitable implementation of this treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the two-thirds of the ocean that lies beyond national jurisdiction. We present key advances made by the treaty concerning the “what”, “how” and “why” of CBTMT, from including key definitions, a common vision, and mechanisms for diverse voices to drive action - to institutionalizing processes for funding and measuring of outcomes. We identify five key remaining questions and efforts needed to support the ratification of the treaty in the short term, and to prepare for implementation in the long term: (i) country-driven needs assessments and action plans; (ii) measures to monitor and review the quality of capacity building; (iii) support for key people and processes, including in relation to the Committee; (iv) information sharing and cooperation; (v) funding. We argue that preparations for the implementation of the CBTMT provisions of the Agreement are needed now. We propose that governments, research organizations, non- and inter- governmental organizations and funding bodies engage in a coordinated effort to address the remaining questions, strengthen confidence towards the ratification of the treaty, and ensure that the advances made by the treaty on paper are put into practice.
Kinetic modelling of glycolytic oscillations
Authors: van Niekerk David D. , van Wyk Morne , Kouril Theresa , Snoep Jacky L. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Glycolytic oscillations have been studied for well over 60 years, but aspects of their function, and mechanisms of regulation and synchronisation remain unclear. Glycolysis is amenable to mechanistic mathematical modelling, as its components have been well characterised, and the system can be studied at many organisational levels: in vitro reconstituted enzymes, cell free extracts, individual cells, and cell populations. In recent years, the emergence of individual cell analysis has opened new ways of studying this intriguing system.