bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Applying negative ions and an electric field to countermeasure droplets/aerosol transmission without hindering communication
Authors: Kanda Kaito , Nishimura Hisaaki , Koiso Takuya , Takemoto Kousuke , Nakagoe Kazuma , Yamada Tetsuya , Takahashi Masaharu , Hanafusa Mariko , Kawahara Tomoki , Yanagida Yasuko , Kuramochi Jin , Fujiwara Takeo 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIn the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown and acryl partitions were adopted as countermeasures against droplets/aerosol infections; however, these countermeasures restrict communication. In this study, a blocking device was developed using negative ions and an electric field. The device blocks mists simulating droplets/aerosol by a maximum of 89% but transmits light and sound, which is important for communication. The device demonstrated effective blocking performance for aerosol, including the COVID-19 virus spread from patients in a clinic. Our device can help prevent infections without disrupting communication.
Post-Covid condition and clinic characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a 2-year follow-up to Brazilian cases
Authors: da Silva Nayara Sousa , de Araújo Nathália Kelly , dos Santos Katiusse Alves , de Souza Karla Simone Costa , de Araújo Jéssica Nayara Góes , Cruz Marina Sampaio , Parra Esteban J. , Silbiger Vivian Nogueira , Luchessi André Ducati 
Published: August 2023

AbstractUntil January 2023, Brazil recorded 37 million COVID-19 cases despite the decrease in mortality due to mass vaccination efforts against COVID-19. The infection continues to challenge researchers and health professionals with the persistent symptoms and onset manifestations after the acute phase of the disease, namely Post-Covid Condition (PCC). Being one of the countries with the highest infection rate, Brazil must prepare for a growing number of patients with chronic health consequences of COVID-19. Longitudinal studies that follow patients over extended periods are crucial in understanding the long-term impacts of COVID-19, including potential health consequences and the effects on quality of life. We describe the clinical profile of a cohort of COVID-19 patients infected during the first year of the pandemic in Brazil and a follow-up after two years to investigate the health impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Brazil featured extensive drug misuse, notably the ineffective COVID kit comprised of ivermectin, antimalarials and azithromycin, and elevated in-hospital mortality. In the second phase of the study, Post-Covid Condition was reported by symptomatic COVID-19 subjects across different severity levels two years after infection. Long haulers are more likely to be women, previously hospitalized, and reported a range of symptoms from muscle pain to cognitive deficit. Our longitudinal study is essential to inform public health authorities to develop strategies and policies to control the spread of the virus and mitigate its impacts on society.
Retrospective study of COVID-19 experiences in elite multinational aquatic athletes
Authors: Juhász Vencel , Csulak Emese , Szabó Liliána , Ocsovszky Zsófia , Balla Dorottya , Nagy György , Zorzi Alessandro , Hoepelman Andy I. M. , Merkely Béla , Vágó Hajnalka , Sydó Nóra ,   World Aquatics, Sports Medicine Committee, van den Hoogenband Cees-Rein , Gerrard David , Boyd Kevin , Magnusson Christer , Merkely Béla , Miller Jim , Shahpar Farhad Moradi , Ortiz Edgar , Varvodic Josip , Wang Xinzhai , Cherif Mohamed Yahia ,   World Aquatics, COVID-19 Task Force, Diop Mohamed , Gerrard David , van den Hoogenband Cees-Rein 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis study assessed the experiences of elite aquatic athletes with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the first World Championship conducted without social distancing and an isolation “bubble”. An online questionnaire was completed by 812 athletes (22.7 ± 5.9 years, 467 females) to provide data on demographics, sports activity, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rates, symptoms, reinfection, vaccination status, and psychological aspects. The answers revealed that 49.4% of athletes had experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection. The infection rates varied significantly across different aquatic sports, with open water swimmers having the lowest (28%) and water polo players (67%) and artistic swimmers (61%) having the highest infection rates (p < 0.0001). The majority reported mild (51%) or moderate (27%) symptoms, while 16% remained asymptomatic. Reinfection occurred in 13%, and 10% of initial infections led to long COVID, with fatigue (65%) and shortness of breath (48%) being the most common long-term symptoms. Significantly, 92% of athletes received at least two vaccine doses and reported a positive vaccination experience (median score of 8 out of 10 for each shot). Mood changes and subjective performance drops significantly correlated with the overall experience scores (rho: 0.617, p < 0.0001, and rho: 0.466, p < 0.0001, respectively). In conclusion, most athletes experienced a benign disease course despite a relatively high infection rate. This study provides valuable insights into the COVID-19 experiences of elite aquatic athletes. The findings emphasize the importance of vaccination initiatives, monitoring psychological well-being and the need to fortify athletes’ resilience in the face of future health challenges.
Divergent responses of native and invasive macroalgae to submarine groundwater discharge
Authors: Richards Donà Angela , Smith Celia M. , Bremer Leah L. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractMarine macroalgae are important indicators of healthy nearshore groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs), which are emergent global conservation priorities. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) supports abundant native algal communities in GDEs via elevated but naturally derived nutrients. GDEs are threatened by anthropogenic nutrient inputs that pollute SGD above ambient levels, favoring invasive algae. Accordingly, this case study draws on the GDE conditions of Kona, Hawai‘i where we evaluated daily photosynthetic production and growth for two macroalgae; a culturally valued native (Ulva lactuca) and an invasive (Hypnea musciformis). Manipulative experiments—devised to address future land-use, climate change, and water-use scenarios for Kona—tested algal responses under a natural range of SGD nutrient and salinity levels. Our analyses demonstrate that photosynthesis and growth in U. lactuca are optimal in low-salinity, high-nutrient waters, whereas productivity for H. musciformis appears limited to higher salinities despite elevated nutrient subsidies. These findings suggest that reductions in SGD via climate change decreases in rainfall or increased water-use from the aquifer may relax physiological constraints on H. musciformis. Collectively, this study reveals divergent physiologies of a native and an invasive macroalga to SGD and highlights the importance of maintaining SGD quantity and quality to protect nearshore GDEs.
Mechanical stimuli activate gene expression via a cell envelope stress sensing pathway
Authors: Harper Christine E. , Zhang Wenyao , Lee Junsung , Shin Jung-Ho , Keller Megan R. , van Wijngaarden Ellen , Chou Emily , Wang Zhaohong , Dörr Tobias , Chen Peng , Hernandez Christopher J. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractMechanosensitive mechanisms are often used to sense damage to tissue structure, stimulating matrix synthesis and repair. While this kind of mechanoregulatory process is well recognized in eukaryotic systems, it is not known whether such a process occurs in bacteria. In Vibrio cholerae, antibiotic-induced damage to the load-bearing cell wall promotes increased signaling by the two-component system VxrAB, which stimulates cell wall synthesis. Here we show that changes in mechanical stress within the cell envelope are sufficient to stimulate VxrAB signaling in the absence of antibiotics. We applied mechanical forces to individual bacteria using three distinct loading modalities: extrusion loading within a microfluidic device, direct compression and hydrostatic pressure. In all cases, VxrAB signaling, as indicated by a fluorescent protein reporter, was increased in cells submitted to greater magnitudes of mechanical loading, hence diverse forms of mechanical stimuli activate VxrAB signaling. Reduction in cell envelope stiffness following removal of the endopeptidase ShyA led to large increases in cell envelope deformation and substantially increased VxrAB response, further supporting the responsiveness of VxrAB. Our findings demonstrate a mechanosensitive gene regulatory system in bacteria and suggest that mechanical signals may contribute to the regulation of cell wall homeostasis.
The stem region of group A transferase is crucial for its specificity, and its alteration promotes heterologous Forssman synthase activity
Authors: Cid Emili , Yamamoto Miyako , Barrero Laura , Yamamoto Fumiichiro 
Published: August 2023

AbstractSome stem region mutants of human blood group A transferase (hAT) possess Forssman synthase (FS) activity, but very little is known about the mechanisms responsible for this enzymatic crosstalk. We performed confocal microscopy and image analysis to determine whether different intra-Golgi localization was accountable for this acquired activity. We also performed structural modeling and mutational and normal mode analyses. We introduced new mutations in the stem region and tested its FS and AT activities. No differences in subcellular localization were found between hAT and FS-positive mutants. AlphaFold models of hAT and mFS (mouse Forssman synthase) showed that the hAT stem region has a tether-like stem region, while in mFS, it encircles its catalytic domain. In silico analysis of FS-positive mutants indicated that stem region mutations induced structural changes, decreasing interatomic interactions and mobility of hAT that correlated with FS activity. Several additional mutations introduced in that region also bestowed FS activity without altering the AT activity: hAT 37–55 aa substitution by mFS 34–52, 37–55 aa deletion, and missense mutations: S46P, Q278Y, and Q286M. Stem region structure, mobility, and interactions are crucial for hAT specificity. Moreover, stem region mutations can lead to heterologous Forssman activity without changes in the catalytic machinery.
Predicting elastic and plastic properties of small iron polycrystals by machine learning
Authors: Mińkowski Marcin , Laurson Lasse 
Published: August 2023

AbstractDeformation of crystalline materials is an interesting example of complex system behaviour. Small samples typically exhibit a stochastic-like, irregular response to externally applied stresses, manifested as significant sample-to-sample variation in their mechanical properties. In this work we study the predictability of the sample-dependent shear moduli and yield stresses of a large set of small cube-shaped iron polycrystals generated by Voronoi tessellation, by combining molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning. Training a convolutional neural network to infer the mapping between the initial polycrystalline structure of the samples and features of the ensuing stress-strain curves reveals that the shear modulus can be predicted better than the yield stress. We discuss our results in the context of the sensitivity of the system’s response to small perturbations of its initial state.
Prophylactic influences of prebiotics on gut microbiome and immune response of heat-stressed broiler chickens
Authors: Sayed Yara , Hassan Mariam , Salem Heba M. , Al-Amry Khaled , Eid Gamal E. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractClimatic changes and elevated ambient temperature are significant environmental stressors with a negative impact on birds’ physiological, immunological, and behavioral status, increasing their susceptibility to stressors and immunosuppression and consequently increasing intestinal permeability (leaky gut). Prebiotics have been utilized to stop or diminish the harmful effects of stress in chickens. We aimed to evaluate the role of mannan-oligosaccharides, and beta-d-glucan prebiotics supplements in drinking water against experimentally induced heat stress (HS) on broiler chickens and study their impact on birds’ performance, gut microbiome, and immune response. A total of 120 1-day-old Ross broiler chicks were allocated into four groups (30 birds/group), and each group was subdivided into triplicates (10 birds each). The experimental groups were classified as follows; the 1st (G1) control birds, the 2nd (G2) birds exposed experimentally to HS, the 3rd (G3) birds administered prebiotics in drinking water without exposure to HS, and the 4th (G4) birds exposed to HS and administered prebiotics in drinking water. After each vaccination, blood samples and serum samples were collected to evaluate the birds’ immune status. Fecal samples were also collected for the molecular evaluation of the gut microbiome based on the genetic analyses and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that HS has reduced the birds’ performance and badly affected the birds’ immune response and gut microbiome. However, the addition of prebiotics to drinking water, with or without stress, enhanced the growth rate, maintained a normal gut microbiome, and improved immune parameters. Moreover, the usage of prebiotics improved the chicken gut microbiome and alleviated the negative effect of heat stress. Administering prebiotics significantly (p < 0.05) increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria and eradicated pathogenic ones in the birds’ gut microbiome. Prebiotics showed a positive effect on the gut microbiome and the immune status of chickens under HS in addition to their efficacy as a growth promoter.
Effect of coconut oil on growth performance, carcass criteria, liver and kidney functions, antioxidants and immunity, and lipid profile of broilers
Authors: Elewa Mohamed S. , Abou-Kassem Diaa E. , El-Hindawy Mohamed M. , Madkour Mahmoud , Elsharkawy Mohamed S. , Afifi Mohamed , Alagawany Mahmoud 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe aim of this study is to evaluate the beneficial effects of coconut essential oil on growth performance, carcass criteria, antioxidant status, and immune response of broiler chicks. A total of 192 un-sexed 7-days broiler chicks were divided into six treatment sets with four copies of 8 chicks per set. The groups were as follows: (1) basal diet (without additive), (2) basal diet plus 0.5 ml coconut essential oil/kg, (3) basal diet plus 1 ml coconut essential oil/kg, (4) basal diet plus 1.5 ml coconut essential oil/kg, (5) basal diet plus 2 ml coconut essential oil/kg and (6) basal diet plus 2.5 ml coconut essential oil/kg. The results showed that the most prevalent compound in coconut oil is 6-Octadecenoic acid (oleic acid) representing 46.44% followed 2(3H)-Furanone, dihydro-5-pentyl- (CAS) (11.36%), Hexadecanoic acid (CAS) (4.71%), and vanillin (2.53%). Dietary 1 and 1.5 ml of coconut oil improved significantly the body weight and gain of broiler chickens. Dietary supplementation of 1 ml of coconut oil improved significantly liver function compared to control and other treatment groups. The supplementation with 1 ml coconut oil significantly reduced TG and VLDL compared to control and other treatment groups, while no significant differences in TC, HDL, and LDL due to dietary coconut oil. The present findings showed that dietary coconut oil with 1 and 1.5 ml/kg feed improved significantly antioxidants status through increased antioxidant enzymes like SOD and GSH while decreasing significantly MDA levels compared to control and other treatment groups. Therefore, it was concluded that the diets of broiler chickens could be fortified with coconut oil with 1 or 1.5 ml to improve the growth, feed utilization, and antioxidant status of broiler chickens.
Unraveling the key drivers of community composition in the agri-food trade network
Authors: Clemente Gian Paolo , Cornaro Alessandra , Della Corte Francesco 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIn the complex global food system, the dynamics associated with international food trade have become crucial determinants of food security. In this paper, we employ a community detection approach along with a supervised learning technique to explore the evolution of communities in the agri-food trade network and to identify key factors influencing their composition. By leveraging a large dataset that includes both volume and monetary value of trades, we identify similarities between countries and uncover the primary drivers that shape trade dynamics over time. The analysis also takes into account the impact of evolving climate conditions on food production and trading. The results highlight how the network’s topological structure is continuously evolving, influencing the composition of communities over time. Alongside geographical proximity and geo-political relations, our analysis identifies sustainability, climate and food nutrition aspects as emerging factors that contribute to explaining trade relationships. These findings shed light on the intricate interactions within the global food trade system and provide valuable insights into the factors affecting its stability.
Early electrophysiological study variants and their relationship with clinical presentation and outcomes of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome
Authors: Khedr Eman M. , Shehab Mohamed M. , Mohamed Mohamed Z. , Mohamed Khaled O. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis study compared the clinical outcomes of the two main neurophysiological types of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Sixty-two GBS patients were examined clinically at onset using Medical Research Council (MRC), Hughes disability scales (HDS), and nerve conduction studies were evaluated in four limbs. The Modified Erasmus GBS outcome score (MEGOS) was assessed 2 weeks after onset. Outcomes were measured after 3 months using MRC and HDS scores. According to electrophysiological data two main groups identified acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP = 31 cases) or acute axonal GBS including inexcitable forms (26 cases). The number of days between onset of weakness and admission was significantly shorter, and gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly higher among the axonal type than AIDP. MRC sum scores at onset and at nadir were significantly worse in the axonal type than in AIDP. Neck muscle weakness, impaired cough reflex, the need for mechanical ventilation, hypoalbuminemia, and hypernatremia were more common in the axonal type. At outcome, 74% of the AIDP were healthy/minor symptoms versus 38.46% of the axonal type. There was a high prevalence of the axonal variant (41.9%) compared with European and North American populations. The axonal type had a significantly worse outcome than AIDP type.
Machine learning models for efficient characterization of Schottky barrier photodiode internal parameters
Authors: Ocaya Richard O. , Akinyelu Andronicus A. , Al-Sehemi Abdullah G. , Dere Ayşegul , Al-Ghamdi Ahmed A. , Yakuphanoğlu Fahrettin 
Published: August 2023

AbstractWe propose ANN-based models to analyze and extract the internal parameters of a Schottky photodiode (SPD) without presenting them with any knowledge of the highly nonlinear thermionic emission (TE) expression of the device current. We train, evaluate and demonstrate the ML models on thirty-six private datasets from three previously published devices, which denote current responses under illumination and ambient temperature of graphene oxide (GO) doped p-Si Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs). The GO doping levels are 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%. The illumination ranged from dark (0 mW/cm2) to 30 mW/cm2. The predictions are then made completely at the intensity of 60 mW/cm2. For each diode, some values of the barrier height ($$\phi $$
ϕ
), ideality factor (n), and series resistance ($$R_s$$

R
s

) independently calculated using the Cheung–Cheung method were included in the training dataset. The predictions are done at unspecified intensities on the model development data at 80 and 100 mW/cm2, and on external data at 5% and 20% GO doping which were not part of the development dataset. The ANN achieved a mean square error and mean absolute error score below 0.003 across all datasets. This demonstrates the effective learning capabilities of the ANN models in accurately capturing the photo responses of the photodiodes and accurately predicting the internal parameters of the Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs), all without relying on an inherent understanding of the thermionic emission (TE) equation for SBDs. The ANN models achieved high accuracy in this process. The proposed ML models can significantly reduce analysis time in device development cycles and can be applied to other datasets in various fields.
Mutational landscape of intestinal crypt cells after long-term in vivo exposure to high fat diet
Authors: Meyenberg Mathilde , Hakobyan Anna , Papac-Milicevic Nikolina , Göderle Laura , Langner Franziska L. , Markovic Mateo , Lee Ji-Hyun , Koo Bon-Kyoung , Busslinger Georg A. , da Silva Israel Tojal , Binder Christoph J. , Menche Jörg , Loizou Joanna I. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractObesity is a modifiable risk factor in cancer development, especially for gastrointestinal cancer. While the etiology of colorectal cancer is well characterized by the adenoma-carcinoma sequence, it remains unclear how obesity influences colorectal cancer development. Dietary components of a high fat diet along with obesity have been shown to modulate the cancer risk by perturbing the homeostasis of intestinal stem cells, yet how adiposity impacts the development of genomic instability has not been studied. Mutational signatures are a powerful way to understand how a complex biological response impacts genomic stability. We utilized a mouse model of diet-induced obesity to study the mutational landscape of intestinal crypt cells after a 48-week exposure to an experimental high fat diet in vivo. By clonally enriching single crypt derived cells in organoid culture and obtaining whole genome sequences, we analyzed and compared the mutational landscape of intestinal epithelial cells from normal diet and high fat diet mice. Single nucleotide substitution signatures and indel signatures present in our cohort are found equally active in both diet groups and reflect biological processes of normal aging, cellular replication, and oxidative stress induced during organoid culturing. Thus, we demonstrate that in the absence of activating mutations or chemical exposure, high fat diet alone is not sufficient to increase genomic instability.
Public speaking training in front of a supportive audience in Virtual Reality improves performance in real-life
Authors: Kroczek Leon O. H. , Mühlberger Andreas 
Published: August 2023

AbstractPublic speaking is a challenging task that requires practice. Virtual Reality allows to present realistic public speaking scenarios in this regard, however, the role of the virtual audience during practice remains unknown. In the present study, 73 participants completed a Virtual Reality practice session while audience was manipulated to be supportive or unsupportive or presentations were practiced without audience. Importantly, following the virtual practice, participants held the presentation during a real university course via Zoom. We measured emotional experience, self-efficacy, and the subjective evaluation of performance at baseline, after VR practice, and after the real presentation. Additionally, participants’ performance in the real presentation was evaluated by instructors (blinded to condition). Supportive in contrast to unsupportive audiences led to more positive believes about one’s own performance, while there were no changes in beliefs in the group without audience. Importantly, practice in front of a supportive compared to unsupportive audience resulted in a more positive evaluation of speaker confidence in real-life public speaking as rated by the instructors. These results demonstrate an impact of virtual social feedback during public speaking on subsequent subjective performance evaluation. This may increase self-confidence resulting in actual improved public speaking performance in real-life.