bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acoustic detection of bottlenose dolphin depredation on nets and implications for conservation
Authors: La Manna G. , Arrostuto N. , Campisi S. S. , Manghi M. , Fois N. , Ceccherelli G. 
Published: December 2022

Abstract

Understanding the depredation process is pivotal to the management of conflicts between wildlife and human activities. Depredation by marine mammals on fisheries occurs when animals ‘steal’ fish from the fishing gear, causing catch loss and damage to gear and catches. The common bottlenose dolphin is a vulnerable species and is the main depredator of coastal static net fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea.
The nature and extent of the phenomenon is still poorly understood since evidence is often incomplete or inconsistent mostly due to the different methods used to measure depredation.
Here, passive acoustic monitoring devices were used to estimate the consistency between dolphin acoustic detection in proximity to the net and direct dolphin observations and catch measurements at different sites in Sardinia (north‐western Mediterranean Sea). Further, some factors influencing depredation (fishing duration and fishing net length) and changes in catch amount and composition were evaluated.
The frequency of dolphin detection based on direct dolphin observations was significantly lower than that based on acoustic monitoring; the latter was related to the amount of catch. Thus, the measurement of catch was more realistically related to depredation than direct dolphin observations. Further, dolphin depredation was related to the duration of the fishing operation.
The measure of depredation and catch loss provided here can be used to realistically estimate the damage suffered by fishers and provide preliminary insights to guide the development of an approach for sustainable coexistence between dolphins and fisheries.
NLRP3 Attenuates Intraocular Inflammation by Inhibiting AIM2‐Mediated Pyroptosis Through the Phosphorylated Salt‐Inducible Kinase 1/Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Transcription Factor 1 Pathway
Authors: Meng Jiayu , Li Na , Liu Xianyang , Qiao Shengjun , Zhou Qian , Tan Jun , Zhang Ting , Dong Zhifang , Qi Xiaopeng , Kijlstra Aize , Mao Liming , Yang Peizeng , Hou Shengping 
Published: December 2022

ObjectiveThe NLRP3 inflammasome has been shown to be involved in the development of uveitis, but the exact mechanism remains elusive. This study was undertaken to explore the role of NLRP3 in the development of uveitis.MethodsFirst, Nlrp3‐deficient mice were used to study the role of NLRP3 in experimental autoimmune diseases, such as experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Next, the gathering of ASC, activation of caspase 1 and gasdermin D, and secretion of lactate dehydrogenase and interleukin‐1β were detected to confirm macrophage pyroptosis and AIM2 activation in the Nlrp3−/− mice. Additionally, RNA sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation–polymerase chain reaction were used to investigate the phosphorylated salt‐inducible kinase 1 (p‐SIK1)/sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1) pathway, which regulates the transcription of Aim2. Finally, overexpression of Nlrp3 was applied to treat EAU.ResultsSurprisingly, our findings show that NLRP3 plays an antiinflammatory role in 2 models of EAU and EAE. Additionally, macrophages show an increased M1 activation and pyroptosis in Nlrp3−/− mice. Further experiments indicate that this pyroptosis of macrophages was mediated by the up‐regulated transcription of Aim2 as a result of Nlrp3 deficiency. In mechanistic studies, Nlrp3 deficiency was implicated in the down‐regulation of p‐SIK1 and subsequently the up‐regulation of SREBF1, which binds to Aim2 and then promotes the latter's transcription. Finally, Aim2 deficiency, RNA silencing of Aim2 or Srebf1, and overexpression of Nlrp3 resulted in attenuated inflammation of EAU.ConclusionOur data demonstrate that NLRP3 inhibits AIM2 inflammasome–mediated EAU by regulating the p‐SIK1/SREBF1 pathway, highlighting the therapeutic potential of targeting Nlrp3.image
Knee Alignment Correction by High Tibial Osteotomy Reduces Symptoms and Synovial Inflammation in Knee Osteoarthritis Accompanied by Macrophage Phenotypic Change From M1 to M2
Authors: Yoshida Shigeo , Nishitani Kohei , Yoshitomi Hiroyuki , Kuriyama Shinichi , Nakamura Shinichiro , Fujii Takayuki , Saito Motoo , Kobori Yu , Murakami Akinori , Murata Koichi , Ito Hiromu , Ueno Hideki , Matsuda Shuichi 
Published: December 2022

ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine whether alignment correction by high tibial osteotomy (HTO) can change the biologic intraarticular microenvironment of osteoarthritic (OA) knees.MethodsSynovial tissue (ST) and fluid (SF) were collected from the affected knees of 31 OA patients during initial HTO and plate removal surgeries. Changes in gene expression in ST were investigated by microarray and real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). ST specimens were also evaluated histologically using synovitis scores and immunofluorescence staining to determine macrophage polarity. Cytokines and chemokines in SF were analyzed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The mechanism of macrophage polarization was investigated in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell–derived macrophages and fibroblast‐like synoviocytes (FLS) stimulated with cartilage fragments. We also evaluated Spearman correlations between Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome scores (KOOS) and macrophage‐related gene expression.ResultsThe microarray results indicated down‐regulated inflammatory genes and pathways. Real‐time PCR determined that genes expressing proinflammatory IL1B and IL6 were down‐regulated and M2 macrophage–related IL1RA, IL10, CCL18, and CD206 were up‐regulated. Histologic findings revealed attenuated synovitis scores and a shift from M1 to M2 macrophages. Interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) concentrations in SF decreased after HTO. Cartilage fragments were responsible for M1 macrophage polarization and proinflammatory gene and protein expression in macrophages, whereas cartilage fragments up‐regulated only IL‐6 protein in FLS. Postoperative KOOS positively correlated with the expression of the M2‐related genes CCL18 and CD206.ConclusionCorrection of lower limb alignment with HTO attenuated synovial inflammation and changed macrophage polarization from M1 to M2, suggesting an improved intraarticular environment in knee OA.
The cap epitranscriptome: Early directions to a complex life as mRNA
Authors: Anreiter Ina , Tian Yuan W. , Soller Matthias 
Published: December 2022

AbstractAnimal, protist and viral messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are most prominently modified at the beginning by methylation of cap‐adjacent nucleotides at the 2′‐O‐position of the ribose (cOMe) by dedicated cap methyltransferases (CMTrs). If the first nucleotide of an mRNA is an adenosine, PCIF1 can methylate at the N6‐position (m6A), while internally the Mettl3/14 writer complex can methylate. These modifications are introduced co‐transcriptionally to affect many aspects of gene expression including localisation to synapses and local translation. Of particular interest, transcription start sites of many genes are heterogeneous leading to sequence diversity at the beginning of mRNAs, which together with cOMe and m6Am could constitute an extensive novel layer of gene expression control. Given the role of cOMe and m6A in local gene expression at synapses and higher brain functions including learning and memory, such code could be implemented at the transcriptional level for lasting memories through local gene expression at synapses.
Flexible cloglog links for binomial regression models as an alternative for imbalanced medical data
Authors: Alves Jessica S.B. , Bazán Jorge L. , Arellano‐Valle Reinaldo B. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThe complementary log‐log link was originally introduced in 1922 to R. A. Fisher, long before the logit and probit links. While the last two links are symmetric, the complementary log‐log link is an asymmetrical link without a parameter associated with it. Several asymmetrical links with an extra parameter were proposed in the literature over last few years to deal with imbalanced data in binomial regression (when one of the classes is much smaller than the other); however, these do not necessarily have the cloglog link as a special case, with the exception of the link based on the generalized extreme value distribution. In this paper, we introduce flexible cloglog links for modeling binomial regression models that include an extra parameter associated with the link that explains some unbalancing for binomial outcomes. For all cases, the cloglog is a special case or the reciprocal version loglog link is obtained. A Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo inference approach is developed. Simulations study to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm is conducted and prior sensitivity analysis for the extra parameter shows that a uniform prior is the most convenient for all models. Additionally, two applications in medical data (age at menarche and pulmonary infection) illustrate the advantages of the proposed models.
Synthesis of hollow fibroin using calcium carbonate as a template
Authors: Park Byeongho , Ramesh Siva Kumar , Rhee Seog Woo , Kim Jinkwon 
Published: December 2022

AbstractSilk fibroin is a unique biomaterial and has gained much attention in biomedical applications. In this study, we have demonstrated the formation of hollow fibroin using the selective etching method. Initially, spherical CaCO3 was synthesized in the presence of polyelectrolyte, poly(4‐styrenesulfonate). CaCO3 particles were treated with aqueous silk fibroin solution, followed by methanol treatment. The sequential deposition of silk fibroin was achieved through a layer‐by‐layer (LbL) strategy to obtain fibroin‐encapsulated CaCO3. Finally, the fibroin‐ encapsulated CaCO3 was treated with an acid solution to form hollow fibroin. The crystalline phase of as‐prepared products was measured using powder X‐ray diffraction, and vibrational modes of products were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The hollow fibroin morphology was examined using electron microscopy. The resultant hollow fibroin has good stability and can be explored in various applications.
Raising the standards of patient‐centered outcomes research in myelodysplastic syndromes: Clinical utility and validation of the subscales of the QUALMS from the MDS‐RIGHT project
Authors: Efficace Fabio , Koinig Karin , Cottone Francesco , Bowen David , Mittelman Moshe , Sommer Kathrin , Langemeijer Saskia , Culligan Dominic , Filanovsky Kalman , Storck Michael , Smith Alexandra , van Marrewijk Corine , Dugas Martin , Stojkov Igor , Siebert Uwe , de Witte Theo , Stauder Reinhard 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundClinical decision‐making for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is challenging, and both disease and treatment effects heavily impact health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) of these patients. Therefore, disease‐specific HRQoL measures can be critical to harness the patient voice in MDS research.MethodsWe report a prospective international validation study of the Quality of Life in Myelodysplasia Scale (QUALMS) with a main focus on providing information on the psychometric characteristics of its three subscales: physical burden (QUALMS‐P), emotional burden (QUALMS‐E), and benefit finding (QUALMS‐BF). The analysis is based on patients enrolled from three European countries and Israel, participating to the MDS‐RIGHT Project. The scale structure and psychometric properties of the QUALMS were assessed.ResultsOverall, 270 patients with a median age of 74 years were analyzed and the majority of them (60.3%) had a low MDS‐Comorbidity Index score. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the underlying scale structure of the QUALMS, which, in addition to a total score, includes three subscales: QUALMS‐P, QUALMS‐E, and the QUALMS‐BF. The QUALMS‐P exhibited the highest Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Discriminant validity analysis indicated good results with the QUALMS‐P and QUALMS‐E distinguishing between patients with different performance status, comorbidity, anemia, and transfusion dependency status. No floor and ceiling effects were observed. Responsiveness to change analysis supported the validity of the measure. Patients with a hemoglobin (Hb) level of <11 g/dL at study entry, who subsequently showed an improvement in their Hb levels, also reported a mean score change of 9 and 8 points (scales ranging between 0 and 100) in the expected direction of the QUALMS‐E and QUALMS‐P, respectively.ConclusionsOur study provides additional validation data on the QUALMS from the international MDS‐RIGHT Project. The use of this disease‐specific HRQoL measure may contribute to raise quality standards of patient‐centered outcomes research in MDS.
Circular RNA hsa_circ_0004689 (circSWT1) promotes NSCLC progression via the miR‐370‐3p/SNAIL axis by inducing cell epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)
Authors: Long Xiang , Wang Ding‐Guo , Wu Zhi‐Bo , Liao Zhong‐Min , Xu Jian‐Jun 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundPrevious studies have reported the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the progression of non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SWT1‐derived circRNAs were confirmed to affect the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes; however, the biological functions of SWT1‐derived circRNAs in cancers are still unknown. Here, we investigated the potential role of SWT1‐derived circRNAs in NSCLC.MethodsWe used quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) to measure the expression of circSWT1 in NSCLC tissues and paired normal tissues. The potential functions of circSWT1 in tumor progression were assessed by CCK‐8, colony formation, wound healing, and matrigel transwell assays in vitro and by xenograft tumor models in vivo. Next, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) was evaluated by western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Moreover, circRIP, RNA pulldown assays, luciferase reporter gene assays, and FISH were conducted to illuminate the molecular mechanisms of circSWT1 via the miR‐370‐3p/SNAIL signal pathway. Then, we knocked out SNAIL in A549 and H1299 cells to identify the roles of circSWT1 in the progression and EMT of NSCLC through SNAIL. Finally, circSWT1 functions were confirmed in vivo using xenograft tumor models.ResultsCircSWT1 expression was significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues, and high expression of circSWT1 predicted poor prognosis in NSCLC via survival analysis. In addition, overexpression of circSWT1 promoted the invasion and migration of NSCLC cells. Subsequently, we found that overexpression of circSWT1 induced EMT and that knockdown of circSWT1 inhibited EMT in NSCLC cells. Mechanistically, circSWT1 relieved the inhibition of downstream SNAIL by sponging miR‐370‐3p. Moreover, we found that these effects could be reversed by knocking out SNAIL. Finally, we verified that circSWT1 promoted NSCLC progression and EMT in xenograft tumor models.ConclusionCircSWT1 promoted the invasion, migration, and EMT of NSCLC. CircSWT1 could serve as a potential biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.
Multidisciplinary Advances Address the Challenges in Developing Drugs against Transient Receptor Potential Channels to Treat Metabolic Disorders
Authors: Wang Yibing 
Published: December 2022

AbstractTransient receptor potential (TRP) channels are cation channels that regulate key physiological and pathological processes in response to a broad range of stimuli. Moreover, they systemically regulate the release of hormones, metabolic homeostasis, and complications of diabetes, which positions them as promising therapeutic targets to combat metabolic disorders. Nevertheless, there are significant challenges in the design of TRP ligands with high potency and durability. Herein we summarize the four challenges as hydrophobicity, selectivity, mono‐target therapy, and interspecies discrepancy. We present 1134 TRP ligands with diversified modes of TRP‐ligand interaction and provide a detailed discussion of the latest strategies, especially cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo‐EM) and computational methods. We propose solutions to address the challenges with a critical analysis of advances in membrane partitioning, polypharmacology, biased agonism, and biochemical screening of transcriptional modulators. They are fueled by the breakthrough from cryo‐EM, chemoinformatics and bioinformatics. The discussion is aimed to shed new light on designing next‐generation drugs to treat obesity, diabetes and its complications, with optimal hydrophobicity, higher mode selectivity, multi‐targeting and consistent activities between human and rodents.
Robust, Conformal ZnO Coatings on Fabrics via Atmospheric‐Pressure Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition with In‐Situ Thickness Control**
Authors: Gurbandurdyyev Guvanch , Mistry Kissan , Delumeau Louis‐Vincent , Loke Jhi Yong , Teoh Chee Hau , Cheon James , Ye Fan , Tam Kam Chiu , Musselman Kevin P. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractZinc oxide (ZnO) is a promising material for functionalization of textiles. It can add a range of functionalities, including UV protection, antimicrobial activity, flame retardancy, hydrophobicity and electrical conductivity. Commercialization of ZnO – coated textiles is still limited due to the cost and challenges related to their manufacture. Moreover, making robust coatings on textiles and measuring their thickness is also challenging. In this work, atmospheric‐pressure spatial atomic layer deposition (AP‐SALD) systems are utilized for the first time to coat synthetic spun‐bond polypropylene (PP) and natural cotton fabrics with ZnO. The coatings are found to be conformal and uniform, forming complete shells around the fabric fibers. The growth rate is measured to be ∼0.24 nm/cycle using an in‐situ reflectance setup and Virtual Interface (VI) model, which enable precise control of the coating thickness. The coatings are shown to provide UV‐protection and render cotton fabric hydrophobic. No damage is observed after washing, linear abrasion, adhesion, twisting and bending tests, indicating that the coatings are robust. Aerosol‐penetration tests indicate the coatings do not impact the filtering efficiency of fabrics used in N95 respirators. The results are encouraging for industrialization of the AP‐SALD technique for functional textiles.
Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacologic Characterization of the Dihydrotetrabenazine Isomers of Deutetrabenazine and Valbenazine
Authors: Brar Satjit , Vijan Arjun , Scott Fiona L. , Jimenez Roland , Zhang Hui , Grigoriadis Dimitri E. , Loewen Gordon 
Published: December 2022

AbstractValbenazine and deutetrabenazine are vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitors approved for tardive dyskinesia. The clinical activity of valbenazine is primarily attributed to its only dihydrotetrabenazine (HTBZ) metabolite, [+]‐α‐HTBZ. Deutetrabenazine is a deuterated form of tetrabenazine and is metabolized to four deuterated HTBZ metabolites: [+]‐α‐deuHTBZ, [+]‐β‐deuHTBZ, [−]‐α‐deuHTBZ, and [−]‐β‐deuHTBZ. An open‐label, crossover study characterized the pharmacokinetic profiles of the individual deuHBTZ metabolites, which have not been previously reported. VMAT2 inhibition and off‐target interactions of the deuHTBZ metabolites were evaluated using radioligand binding. The only valbenazine HTBZ metabolite, [+]‐α‐HTBZ, was a potent VMAT2 inhibitor, with negligible affinity for off‐target dopamine, serotonin, and adrenergic receptors. Following deutetrabenazine administration, [−]‐α‐deuHTBZ represented 66% of circulating deuHTBZ metabolites and was a relatively weak VMAT2 inhibitor with appreciable affinity for dopamine (D2S, D3) and serotonin (5‐HT1A, 5‐HT2B, 5‐HT7) receptors. [+]‐β‐deuHTBZ was the most abundant deuHTBZ metabolite that potently inhibited VMAT2, but it represented only 29% of total circulating deuHTBZ metabolites. The mean half‐life of [+]‐α‐HTBZ (22.2 hours) was ∼3× longer than that of [+]‐β‐deuHTBZ (7.7 hours). These findings are similar to studies with tetrabenazine, in that deutetrabenazine is metabolized to four deuHTBZ stereoisomers, the most abundant of which has negligible interaction with VMAT2 in vitro and appreciable affinity for several off‐target receptors. In contrast, valbenazine's single HTBZ metabolite is a potent VMAT2 inhibitor in vitro with no discernible off‐target activity. Determination of the effects of intrinsic/extrinsic variables on deutetrabenazine's safety/efficacy profile should incorporate assessment of the effects on all deuHTBZ metabolites.
Predicting consecutive spectrum opportunities with hidden Markov models
Authors: Bezerra Rodrigo F. , Bordim Jacir L. 
Published: December 2022

SummaryThe increasing demands for wireless channels to accommodate the surge of internet of things devices and the associated services exacerbated the need for flexible channel allocation strategies. Opportunistic spectrum sharing is expected to provide a more reasonable use of the limited radio frequencies by allowing the coexistence of licensed users and unlicensed users in the same frequency. This arrangement is called opportunistic channel allocation, where unlicensed users explore the channel when the licensed user is not transmitting. The challenge in opportunistic spectrum allocation is to find transmission opportunities. Statistical and machine learning techniques have been used to forecast spectrum opportunities on time slotted channels based on acquired transmission data from licensed users. However, opportunity forecast is usually limited to one slot ahead of time. This work explores the use of Hidden Markov Model (HMM) training and predicting procedures to forecast a consecutive sequence of idle slots that can be explored for opportunistic transmission. To improve prediction accuracy and speedup the training process, the proposed training procedures reduce the classification alphabet, which is achieved by balancing the number of training sequences to limit the influence of outliers and provide opportunity forecast even when the training process is executed over a limited number of observed sequences. While an aggressive predictor may explore more opportunities as compared to a conservative predictor, the former may incur in higher collision rates while the latter may explore fewer opportunities. Hence, this work proposes a metric to assist in the process of selecting the best predictor's parameters to balance collision and opportunity rates. The proposed HMM predictors are evaluated on both synthetic and real traffic traces. The results on synthetic traffic shows that, for channel load from up to , the proposed predictors identified over of channel opportunities with the collision rates below . On real traffic traces, where the licensed users' transmissions have deterministic inter‐packet delays, the HMM predictors identified over of the channel opportunities with collision rates below .