bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microbial signature of plaque and gut in acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Pisano Eugenia , Bugli Francesca , Severino Anna , Pedicino Daniela , Paroni Sterbini Francesco , Martini Cecilia , De Maio Flavio , Vinci Ramona , Sacconi Andrea , Canonico Francesco , D’Aiello Alessia , Bonanni Alice , Proto Luca , Ciampi Pellegrino , Ponzo Myriana , Grimaldi Maria Chiara , Urbani Andrea , Primiano Aniello , Gervasoni Jacopo , Montone Rocco , Crea Filippo , Sanguinetti Maurizio , Liuzzo Giovanna 
Published: September 2023

AbstractGut microbiota is an emerging editable cardiovascular risk factor. We aim to investigate gut and coronary plaque microbiota, using fecal samples and angioplasty balloons from patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) and control subjects. We examined bacterial communities in gut and coronary plaques by 16S rRNA sequencing and we performed droplet digital PCR analysis to investigate the gut relative abundance of the bacterial genes CutC/CntA involved in trimethylamine N-oxide synthesis. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) at the genus and species levels displayed gut enrichment in Streptococcus, Granulicatella and P. distasonis in ACS compared with CCS and controls; Roseburia, C. aerofaciens and F. prausnitzii were more abundant in controls than in patients. Principal component analysis (PCA) of 41 differentially abundant gut taxa showed a clustering of the three groups. In coronary plaque, LEfSe at the genus level revealed an enrichment of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus in ACS, and Paracoccus in CCS, whereas PCA of 15 differentially abundant plaque taxa exhibited clustering of ACS and CCS patients. CutC and CntA genes were more abundant in ACS and CCS than in controls while no significant difference emerged between ACS and CCS. Our results indicate that ACS and CCS exhibit a different gut and plaque microbial signature, suggesting a possible role of these microbiotas in coronary plaque instability.
Examining the effects of pre-competition rapid weight loss on hydration status and competition performance in elite judo athletes
Authors: Bialowas Dawid , Laskowski Radoslaw , Franchini Emerson , Kujach Sylwester 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe prevalence of rapid weight loss (RWL) among martial arts athletes including judo is very high. Many applied RWL strategies could be dangerous to health and even lead to death. Therefore, the International Judo Federation (IJF) introduced changes in the weigh-in rules, changing the official weigh-in for the day before the competition. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the new IJF rules on hydration status and weight loss strategies among professional judo athletes. Seventeen elite judo athletes participated in the study. Body mass and hydration status, were analyzed before the competition. Moreover, competition result and practice of RWL survey were collected. All subjects reached their weight category limits for the competition. RWL resulted in body mass changes (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.79) and dehydration among participants (urine osmolality > 700 [mOsmol*kg]−1 and urine specific gravity > 1.020 [g*cm3]−1). However, urine osmolality (p > 0.05, ηp2 = 0.18), as well as urine specific gravity (p > 0.05, ηp2 = 0.16), at subsequent time points of measurement revealed no statistical differences. The prevalence of RWL was 100%, and only 17.6% of the athletes declared that they would compete in a different weight category if the competition would be conducted on the same day of the weigh-in. All judo athletes applied RWL procedures using traditional methods to achieve the required body mass (i.e., increased exercise, reduced fluid, and food intake). Dehydration state was not associated with competitive performance (p > 0.05).
Demographics and treatment of patients with primary nephrotic syndrome in Japan using a national registry of clinical personal records
Authors: Nakagawa Naoki , Kimura Tomonori , Sakate Ryuichi , Wada Takehiko , Furuichi Kengo , Okada Hirokazu , Isaka Yoshitaka , Narita Ichiei 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe nationwide clinical features of Japanese patients with primary nephrotic syndrome (NS), including minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), or membranous nephropathy (MN), have not yet been reported. We collected the clinical personal records of patients with primary NS between 2015 and 2018 from the national registry organized by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. Overall, the demographics, chronic kidney disease classification based on glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria, and treatment of 6036 patients were collected: 3394 (56.2%) with MCD, 677 (11.2%) with FSGS, 1455 (24.1%) with MN, and 510 (8.5%) with others. MN patients were older than MCD and FSGS patients (67 vs. 42 and 47 years, respectively). Steroid-dependent NS or frequently relapsing NS was found in 70.2%, 40.5%, and 24.6%, whereas steroid-resistant NS was found in 6.4%, 36.0%, and 37.9% of patients in the MCD, FSGS, and MN, respectively. The present oral prednisolone use (mean dose, mg/day) was 87.2% (21.2), 80.9% (20.0), and 77.5% (18.8) of patients in the MCD, FSGS, and MN, respectively. The national registry of clinical personal records of primary NS could provide an informative insight into the characteristics, clinical features, and treatment approaches for patients with primary NS in Japan.
The lead time and geographical variations of Baidu Search Index in the early warning of COVID-19
Authors: Ruan Yuhua , Huang Tengda , Zhou Wanwan , Zhu Jinhui , Liang Qiuyu , Zhong Lixian , Tang Xiaofen , Liu Lu , Chen Shiwen , Xie Yihong 
Published: September 2023

AbstractInternet search data was a useful tool in the pre-warning of COVID-19. However, the lead time and indicators may change over time and space with the new variants appear and massive nucleic acid testing. Since Omicron appeared in late 2021, we collected the daily number of cases and Baidu Search Index (BSI) of seven search terms from 1 January to 30 April, 2022 in 12 provinces/prefectures to explore the variation in China. Two search peaks of “COVID-19 epidemic”, “Novel Coronavirus” and “COVID-19” can be observed. One in January, which showed 3 days lead time in Henan and Tianjin. Another on early March, which occurred 0–28 days ahead of the local epidemic but the lead time had spatial variation. It was 4 weeks in Shanghai, 2 weeks in Henan and 5–8 days in Jilin Province, Jilin and Changchun Prefecture. But it was only 1–3 days in Tianjin, Quanzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province and 0 day in Shenzhen, Shandong Province, Qingdao and Yanbian Prefecture. The BSI was high correlated (rs:0.70–0.93) to the number of cases with consistent epidemiological change trend. The lead time of BSI had spatial and temporal variation and was close related to the strength of nucleic acid testing. The case detection ability should be strengthened when perceiving BSI increase.
Evidence of intensification of pyrethroid resistance in the major malaria vectors in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Nguiffo-Nguete Daniel , Mugenzi Leon M. J. , Manzambi Emile Zola , Tchouakui Magellan , Wondji Murielle , Tekoh Theofelix , Watsenga Francis , Agossa Fiacre , Wondji Charles S. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAssessing patterns and evolution of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors is a prerequisite to design suitable control strategies. Here, we characterised resistance profile inAnopheles gambiaeandAnopheles funestusin Kinshasa and assess the level of aggravation by comparing to previous 2015 estimates. Bothspeciescollected in July 2021 were highly resistant to pyrethroids at 1×, 5× and 10× concentrations (mortality < 90%) and remain fully susceptible to bendiocarb and pirimiphos methyl. Compared to 2015, Partial recovery of susceptibility was observed inA. gambiaeafter PBO synergist assays for both permethrin and α-cypermethrin and total recovery of susceptibility was observed for deltamethrin in 2021. In addition, the efficacy of most bednets decreased significantly in 2021. Genotyping of resistance markers revealed a near fixation of the L1014-Kdrmutation (98.3%) inA. gambiaein 2021. The frequency of the 119F-GSTe2 resistant significantly increased between 2015 and 2021 (19.6% vs 33.3%;P = 0.02) inA. funestus. Transcriptomic analysis also revealed a significant increased expression (P < 0.001) of key cytochrome P450s inA. funestusnotablyCYP6P9a. The escalation of pyrethroid resistance observed inAnophelespopulations from Kinshasa coupled with increased frequency/expression level of resistance genes highlights an urgent need to implement tools to improve malaria vector control.
Scaling Palaeolithic tar production processes exponentially increases behavioural complexity
Authors: Kozowyk Paul R. B. , Fajardo Sebastian , Langejans Geeske H. J. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractTechnological processes, reconstructed from the archaeological record, are used to study the evolution of behaviour and cognition of Neanderthals and early modern humans. In comparisons, technologies that are more complex infer more complex behaviour and cognition. The manufacture of birch bark tar adhesives is regarded as particularly telling and often features in debates about Neanderthal cognition. One method of tar production, the ‘condensation technique’, demonstrates a pathway for Neanderthals to have discovered birch bark tar. However, to improve on the relatively low yield, and to turn tar into a perennial innovation, this method likely needed to be scaled up. Yet, it is currently unknown how scaling Palaeolithic technological processes influences their complexity. We used Petri net models and the Extended Cyclomatic Metric to measure system complexity of birch tar production with a single and three concurrent condensation assemblies. Our results show that changing the number of concurrent tar production assemblies substantially increases the measured complexity. This has potential implications on the behavioural and cognitive capacities required by Neanderthals, such as an increase in cooperation or inhibition control.
A facile route for concurrent fabrication and surface selective functionalization of cellulose nanofibers by lactic acid mediated catalysis
Authors: Rafi Abdolrahim A. , Alimohammadzadeh Rana , Avella Angelica , Mõistlik Tanel , Jűrisoo Martin , Kaaver Andreas , Tai Cheuk-Wai , Lo Re Giada , Cordova Armando 
Published: September 2023

AbstractCelulose nanofibers are lightweight, recycable, biodegradable, and renewable. Hence, there is a great interest of using them instead of fossil-based components in new materials and biocomposites. In this study, we disclose an environmentally benign (green) one-step reaction approach to fabricate lactic acid ester functionalized cellulose nanofibrils from wood-derived pulp fibers in high yields. This was accomplished by converting wood-derived pulp fibers to nanofibrillated “cellulose lactate” under mild conditions using lactic acid as both the reaction media and catalyst. Thus, in parallel to the cellulose nanofibril production, concurrent lactic acid-catalyzed esterification of lactic acid to the cellulose nanofibers surface occured. The direct lactic acid esterification, which is a surface selective functionalization and reversible (de-attaching the ester groups by cleavage of the ester bonds), of the cellulose nanofibrils was confirmed by low numbers of degree of substitution, and FT-IR analyses. Thus, autocatalytic esterification and cellulose hydrolysis occurred without the need of metal based or a harsh mineral acid catalysts, which has disadvantages such as acid corrosiveness and high recovery cost of acid. Moreover, adding a mineral acid as a co-catalyst significantly decreased the yield of the nanocellulose. The lactic acid media is successfully recycled in multiple reaction cycles producing the corresponding nanocellulose fibers in high yields. The disclosed green cellulose nanofibril production route is industrial relevant and gives direct access to nanocellulose for use in variety of applications such as sustainable filaments, composites, packaging and strengthening of recycled fibers.
Development and comparative analysis of initiation ability in large-scale Heuchera propagation using tissue culture versus cuttings
Authors: Xu Chan , Guo Hang , Wang Zhijing , Chen Yuan 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe Heuchera genus, a member of the Saxifragaceae family, encompasses a wide array of varieties and hybrids, serving both traditional medicinal and ornamental purposes. However, a significant knowledge gap persists in achieving efficient mass propagation of diverse Heuchera cultivars creating a substantial market void. To address this, our study focuses on expedited seedling regeneration by investigating leaf cutting and tissue culture techniques to offer novel insights to cultivators. Herein, we successfully rooted thirteen distinct cultivars from the Heuchera and Heucherella (Heuchera × Tiarella) genera through cutting. Moreover, in vitro culture experiments led to the successful induction of calli and shoots from petiole samples. Notably, variations in measured parameters were observed across cultivars in both cutting and tissue culture methodologies. When petiole explants were exposed to cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/L along with auxin α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at 0.5 mg/L, shoots were produced either directly or indirectly during the primary culture. Exposure to darkness and the application of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) did not promote shoot formation but were beneficial for callus stimulation. Interestingly, a negative correlation was observed between the ease of initiating cutting recovery and inducting tissue culture regeneration, suggesting that cultivars that easily regenerate through cutting might encounter difficulties during induction by tissue culture. In light of these findings, we devised a streamlined and effective protocol for rapid Heuchera propagation. This protocol involves micropropagation, directly acquiring adventitious shoots from primary cultures supplemented by cutting-based propagation methods.
Development of two mouse strains conditionally expressing bright luciferases with distinct emission spectra as new tools for in vivo imaging
Authors: Nakashiba Toshiaki , Ogoh Katsunori , Iwano Satoshi , Sugiyama Takashi , Mizuno-Iijima Saori , Nakashima Kenichi , Mizuno Seiya , Sugiyama Fumihiro , Yoshiki Atsushi , Miyawaki Atsushi , Abe Kuniya 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIn vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) has been an invaluable noninvasive method to visualize molecular and cellular behaviors in laboratory animals. Bioluminescent reporter mice harboring luciferases for general use have been limited to a classical luciferase, Luc2, from Photinus pyralis, and have been extremely powerful for various in vivo studies. However, applicability of reporter mice for in vivo BLI could be further accelerated by increasing light intensity through the use of other luciferases and/or by improving the biodistribution of their substrates in the animal body. Here we created two Cre-dependent reporter mice incorporating luciferases oFluc derived from Pyrocoeli matsumurai and Akaluc, both of which had been reported previously to be brighter than Luc2 when using appropriate substrates; we then tested their bioluminescence in neural tissues and other organs in living mice. When expressed throughout the body, both luciferases emitted an intense yellow (oFluc) or far-red (Akaluc) light easily visible to the naked eye. oFluc and Akaluc were similarly bright in the pancreas for in vivo BLI; however, Akaluc was superior to oFluc for brain imaging, because its substrate, AkaLumine-HCl, was distributed to the brain more efficiently than the oFluc substrate, d-luciferin. We also demonstrated that the lights produced by oFluc and Akaluc were sufficiently spectrally distinct from each other for dual-color imaging in a single living mouse. Taken together, these novel bioluminescent reporter mice are an ideal source of cells with bright bioluminescence and may facilitate in vivo BLI of various tissues/organs for preclinical and biomedical research in combination with a wide variety of Cre-driver mice.
MC1R signaling through the cAMP-CREB/ATF-1 and ERK-NFκB pathways accelerates G1/S transition promoting breast cancer progression
Authors: Chelakkot Vipin Shankar , Thomas Kiara , Romigh Todd , Fong Andrew , Li Lin , Ronen Shira , Chen Shuyang , Funchain Pauline , Ni Ying , Arbesman Joshua 
Published: September 2023

AbstractMC1R, a G-protein coupled receptor, triggers ultraviolet light-induced melanin synthesis and DNA repair in melanocytes and is implicated in the pathogenesis of melanoma. Although widely expressed in different tissue types, its function in non-cutaneous tissue is relatively unknown. Herein, we demonstrate that disruptive MC1R variants associated with melanomagenesis are less frequently found in patients with several cancers. Further exploration revealed that breast cancer tissue shows a significantly higher MC1R expression than normal breast tissue, and knocking down MC1R significantly reduced cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, MC1R signaling through the MC1R-cAMP-CREB/ATF-1 and MC1R-ERK-NFκB axes accelerated the G1-S transition in breast cancer cells. Our results revealed a new association between MC1R and breast cancer, which could be potentially targeted therapeutically. Moreover, our results suggest that MC1R-enhancing/activating therapies should be used cautiously, as they might be pro-tumorigenic in certain contexts.
Selective dye sorption and metal ion sensing behaviours of a new Cd-based MOF
Authors: Manna Priyanka , Hasija Avantika , Chopra Deepak , Mahata Partha 
Published: September 2023

A Cd(ii)-based MOF shows selective and efficient sorption of remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR) dye and photoluminescence based sensing behaviors towards Fe3+, Cr3+ and Al3+ ions in aqueous medium with LOD values 75, 257 and 107 ppb, respectively.
Dynamic directed graph convolution network based ultra‐short‐term forecasting method of distributed photovoltaic power to enhance the resilience and flexibility of distribution network
Authors: Wang Yuqing , Fu Wenjie , Zhang Xudong , Zhen Zhao , Wang Fei 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAccurately forecasting regional distributed photovoltaic (DPV) power is crucial in mitigating the negative impact of high DPV penetration on the reliability and resilience of the distribution network. However, most of the current photovoltaic power forecasting methods suffer from two key problems: (1) ignoring the asymmetric influence relationship among DPV sites; (2) lack of consideration of dynamic spatiotemporal correlation among DPV sites. As a result, these methods are unable to fully adapt to the characteristics of DPV, making it challenging to directly apply the existing forecasting methods to improve the accuracy of DPV power forecasting. To conquer this limitation, a dynamic directed Graph Convolution Neural Network (DDGCN) is applied to regional DPV ultra‐short‐term power forecasting. Unlike the conventional Graph Convolution Neural Network (GCN) based forecasting methods, the proposed method improves GCN to process the directed graph. On this basis, to capture the dynamic and directed adjacency relationship among graph nodes, a temporal attention mechanism is proposed and combined with the directed GCN model. In this way, the dynamic and asymmetric/directed relationships among DPV sites can be taken into account. It is worth noting that the DPVs’ adjacency relationship can be constructed without any prior knowledge by end‐to‐end model training. The simulation experiment proves that the prediction accuracy can be further improved by taking into account the dynamic directed relationship among the sites via a real DPV power dataset.
Mass‐based omni‐directional risk indicator (MORI) for multi‐participant traffic
Authors: Ma Haozhan , Li Linheng , An Bocheng , Yi Ziwei , Qu Xu , Ran Bin 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis study focuses on the potential of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) to enhance road traffic safety through the provision of rich physical motion state information. Real‐time risk indicators are crucial for improving driving safety and must be tailored to the specific characteristics of the CAV environment. To this end, this paper introduces the concept of “risk pair” to decompose the joint actions of multiple traffic participants into pairwise interactions. An omnidirectional risk indicator (ORI) is developed to describe the effect of “risk pairs”, and the superposition of ORI based on quality is proposed as the mass‐based ORI (MORI). A comparison between MORI and existing risk indicators shows that MORI has good performance in quantifying one‐dimensional scenarios. In two‐dimensional scenarios involving multiple participating entities, MORI provides two quantitative results: vector summation and scalar summation. The trajectory data from the next generation simulation database is used to validate the MORI model. The results show that both vector summation and scalar summation of MORI demonstrate strong risk quantification capabilities with different directions. Although some limitations of MORI still exist, this approach will provide a scientifically effective means of risk quantification for two‐dimensional complex scenarios.
A near‐DC measurement and modelling of low‐frequency noise in electronic components
Authors: Shamaee Zeinab , Mivehchy Mohsen , Kazemi Iraj 
Published: September 2023

AbstractLow‐frequency noise, generated inherently by the number or mobility fluctuation of carriers, is a crucial concern for the design of analog and digital circuits. Unified modelling based on experimental validation of near‐DC noise in amplifiers is a long‐standing open problem. This article develops a model for low‐frequency noise by deriving new bounds for carrier capturing and releasing. According to the proposed model, a measurement system is suggested that operates in a wide frequency range and even at very low frequencies. The system is noise‐tolerant, since the amplifier is selected based on acceptable noise levels. Among the advantages are the independence from specialized structural noise models for each component and the low cost of the measurement system. The evaluation results show that the proposed method leads to a promising improvement in the low‐frequency noise measuring and is superior to conventional models in the normalized root mean square error indicator. Findings reveal that the proposed measurement method can estimate the flicker noise around the DC frequency, and the proposed model agrees reasonably with the proposed measurement circuit.
Ionized regions in the central arcsecond of NGC 1068
Authors: Vermot P. , Barna B. , Ehlerová S. , Morris M. R. , Palouš J. , Wünsch R. 
Published: September 2023

Context. Several bright emission line regions have been observed in the central 100 parsecs of the active galaxy NGC 1068.
Aims. We aim to determine the properties and ionization mechanism of three regions of NGC 1068: the nucleus (B) and two clouds located at 0.3″ and 0.7″ north of it (C and D).
Methods. We combined SPHERE (0.95–1.65 μm) and SINFONI (1.5–2.45 μm) spectra for the three regions B, C, and D. We compared these spectra to several CLOUDY photoionization models and to the MAPPINGS III Library of Fast Radiative Shock Models.
Results. The emission line spectra of the three regions are almost identical to each other and contribute to most of the emission line flux in the nuclear region. The emitting media contain multiple phases, the most luminous of which have temperatures ranging from 104.8 K to 106 K. Central photoionization models can reproduce some features of the spectra, but the fast radiative shock model provides the best fit to the data.
Conclusions. The similarity between the three regions indicates that they belong to the same class of objects. Based on our comparisons, we conclude that they are shock regions located where the jet of the active galactic nucleus impacts massive molecular clouds.