bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pediatric Consultation-Liaison: Relationship Between Time to Initial Consult and Length of Hospitalization
Authors: Bowling Amanda A. , Bearman Sarah Kate 
Published: July 2022

Objective: Consultation-liaison (CL) services are an integral part of many pediatric hospitals, yet limited research supports its use ( Becker et al., 2020 ; Shaw et al., 2016 ). The current study examines the relationship between time to initial consult (TTIC) and hospitalization length. Methods: Data were obtained through a retrospective chart review of all youth who received an initial consult visit by a CL service from October 8, 2016 through October 7, 2017 ( N = 302). Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between TTIC and hospitalization length. Results: There was a statistically significant large effect between TTIC and length of hospitalization ( F(1, 300) = 369.50, p < .001, R2 = .55; η2 p = .55; Cohen et al., 2003 ). Furthermore, results suggest that more than half of the differences between patient hospitalization lengths can be explained by TTIC. Conclusions: These results reveal an association between TTIC and hospitalization length. The influence of mental health diagnosis and hospital visit reason are explored. Results suggest that medical providers should refer patients to CL services early within their hospital stay. Limitations and future directions are discussed. Implications for Impact Statement The results of the current study indicate an association between the length of time from hospital admission to an initial consult visit with psychology (consultation-liaison or CL) staff in a pediatric hospital and overall hospitalization length. The results advocate for the use of CL services in the pediatric hospital setting and imply that medical providers should refer patients to CL services early within their hospital stay.
Berberine treats atherosclerosis via a vitamine-like effect down-regulating Choline-TMA-TMAO production pathway in gut microbiota
Authors: Ma Shu-Rong , Tong Qian , Lin Yuan , Pan Li-Bin , Fu Jie , Peng Ran , Zhang Xian-Feng , Zhao Zhen-Xiong , Li Yang , Yu Jin-Bo , Cong Lin , Han Pei , Zhang Zheng-Wei , Yu Hang , Wang Yan , Jiang Jian-Dong 
Published: July 2022

AbstractTrimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) derived from the gut microbiota is an atherogenic metabolite. This study investigates whether or not berberine (BBR) could reduce TMAO production in the gut microbiota and treat atherosclerosis. Effects of BBR on TMAO production in the gut microbiota, as well as on plaque development in atherosclerosis were investigated in the culture of animal intestinal bacterial, HFD-fed animals and atherosclerotic patients, respectively. We found that oral BBR in animals lowers TMAO biosynthesis in intestine through interacting with the enzyme/co-enzyme of choline-trimethylamine lyase (CutC) and flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) in the gut microbiota. This action was performed by BBR’s metabolite dihydroberberine (a reductive BBR by nitroreductase in the gut microbiota), via a vitamine-like effect down-regulating Choline-TMA-TMAO production pathway. Oral BBR decreased TMAO production in animal intestine, lowered blood TMAO and interrupted plaque formation in blood vessels in the HFD-fed hamsters. Moreover, 21 patients with atherosclerosis exhibited the average decrease of plaque score by 3.2% after oral BBR (0.5 g, bid) for 4 months (*P < 0.05, n = 21); whereas the plaque score in patients treated with rosuvastatin plus aspirin, or clopidogrel sulfate or ticagrelor (4 months, n = 12) increased by 1.9%. TMA and TMAO in patients decreased by 38 and 29% in faeces (*P < 0.05; *P < 0.05), and 37 and 35% in plasma (***P < 0.001; *P < 0.05), after 4 months on BBR. BBR might treat atherosclerotic plaque at least partially through decreasing TMAO in a mode of action similar to that of vitamins.
Hypoxia signaling in human health and diseases: implications and prospects for therapeutics
Authors: Luo Zhen , Tian Mingfu , Yang Ge , Tan Qiaoru , Chen Yubing , Li Geng , Zhang Qiwei , Li Yongkui , Wan Pin , Wu Jianguo 
Published: July 2022

AbstractMolecular oxygen (O2) is essential for most biological reactions in mammalian cells. When the intracellular oxygen content decreases, it is called hypoxia. The process of hypoxia is linked to several biological processes, including pathogenic microbe infection, metabolic adaptation, cancer, acute and chronic diseases, and other stress responses. The mechanism underlying cells respond to oxygen changes to mediate subsequent signal response is the central question during hypoxia. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) sense hypoxia to regulate the expressions of a series of downstream genes expression, which participate in multiple processes including cell metabolism, cell growth/death, cell proliferation, glycolysis, immune response, microbe infection, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. Importantly, hypoxia signaling also interacts with other cellular pathways, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) signaling, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This paper systematically reviews the mechanisms of hypoxia signaling activation, the control of HIF signaling, and the function of HIF signaling in human health and diseases. In addition, the therapeutic targets involved in HIF signaling to balance health and diseases are summarized and highlighted, which would provide novel strategies for the design and development of therapeutic drugs.
Animal models for COVID-19: advances, gaps and perspectives
Authors: Fan Changfa , Wu Yong , Rui Xiong , Yang Yuansong , Ling Chen , Liu Susu , Liu Shunan , Wang Youchun 
Published: July 2022

AbstractCOVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is the most consequential pandemic of this century. Since the outbreak in late 2019, animal models have been playing crucial roles in aiding the rapid development of vaccines/drugs for prevention and therapy, as well as understanding the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and immune responses of hosts. However, the current animal models have some deficits and there is an urgent need for novel models to evaluate the virulence of variants of concerns (VOC), antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), and various comorbidities of COVID-19. This review summarizes the clinical features of COVID-19 in different populations, and the characteristics of the major animal models of SARS-CoV-2, including those naturally susceptible animals, such as non-human primates, Syrian hamster, ferret, minks, poultry, livestock, and mouse models sensitized by genetically modified, AAV/adenoviral transduced, mouse-adapted strain of SARS-CoV-2, and by engraftment of human tissues or cells. Since understanding the host receptors and proteases is essential for designing advanced genetically modified animal models, successful studies on receptors and proteases are also reviewed. Several improved alternatives for future mouse models are proposed, including the reselection of alternative receptor genes or multiple gene combinations, the use of transgenic or knock-in method, and different strains for establishing the next generation of genetically modified mice.
Cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene inactivation in oligodendrocyte precursors disrupts oligodendrogenesis and myelination in mice
Authors: Sánchez-de la Torre Aníbal , Aguado Tania , Huerga-Gómez Alba , Santamaría Silvia , Gentile Antonietta , Chara Juan Carlos , Matute Carlos , Monory Krisztina , Mato Susana , Guzmán Manuel , Lutz Beat , Galve-Roperh Ismael , Palazuelos Javier 
Published: July 2022

AbstractCannabinoids are known to modulate oligodendrogenesis and developmental CNS myelination. However, the cell-autonomous action of these compounds on oligodendroglial cells in vivo, and the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have not yet been studied. Here, by using oligodendroglial precursor cell (OPC)-targeted genetic mouse models, we show that cannabinoid CB1 receptors exert an essential role in modulating OPC differentiation at the critical periods of postnatal myelination. We found that selective genetic inactivation of CB1 receptors in OPCs in vivo perturbs oligodendrogenesis and postnatal myelination by altering the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway, leading to hypomyelination, and motor and cognitive alterations in young adult mice. Conversely, pharmacological CB1 receptor activation, by inducing E3 ubiquitin ligase-dependent RhoA proteasomal degradation, promotes oligodendrocyte development and CNS myelination in OPCs, an effect that was not evident in OPC-specific CB1 receptor-deficient mice. Moreover, pharmacological inactivation of ROCK in vivo overcomes the defects in oligodendrogenesis and CNS myelination, and behavioral alterations found in OPC-specific CB1 receptor-deficient mice. Overall, this study supports a cell-autonomous role for CB1 receptors in modulating oligodendrogenesis in vivo, which may have a profound impact on the scientific knowledge and therapeutic manipulation of CNS myelination by cannabinoids.
A plasmid system with tunable copy number
Authors: Rouches Miles V. , Xu Yasu , Cortes Louis Brian Georges , Lambert Guillaume 
Published: July 2022

AbstractPlasmids are one of the most commonly used platforms for genetic engineering and recombinant gene expression in bacteria. The range of available copy numbers for cloning vectors is largely restricted to the handful of Origins of Replication (ORIs) that have been isolated from plasmids found in nature. Here, we introduce two systems that allow for the continuous, finely-tuned control of plasmid copy number between 1 and 800 copies per cell: a plasmid with an anhydrotetracycline-controlled copy number, and a parallelized assay that is used to generate a continuous spectrum of 1194 ColE1-based copy number variants. Using these systems, we investigate the effects of plasmid copy number on cellular growth rates, gene expression, biosynthesis, and genetic circuit performance. We perform single-cell timelapse measurements to characterize plasmid loss, runaway plasmid replication, and quantify the impact of plasmid copy number on the variability of gene expression. Using our assay, we find that each plasmid imposes a 0.063% linear metabolic burden on their hosts, hinting at a simple relationship between metabolic burdens and plasmid DNA synthesis. Our systems enable the precise control of gene expression, and our results highlight the importance of tuning plasmid copy number as a powerful tool for the optimization of synthetic biological systems.
Low-cost anti-mycobacterial drug discovery using engineered E. coli
Authors: Bongaerts Nadine , Edoo Zainab , Abukar Ayan A. , Song Xiaohu , Sosa-Carrillo Sebastián , Haggenmueller Sarah , Savigny Juline , Gontier Sophie , Lindner Ariel B. , Wintermute Edwin H. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractWhole-cell screening for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) inhibitors is complicated by the pathogen’s slow growth and biocontainment requirements. Here we present a synthetic biology framework for assaying Mtb drug targets in engineered E. coli. We construct Target Essential Surrogate E. coli (TESEC) in which an essential metabolic enzyme is deleted and replaced with an Mtb-derived functional analog, linking bacterial growth to the activity of the target enzyme. High throughput screening of a TESEC model for Mtb alanine racemase (Alr) revealed benazepril as a targeted inhibitor, a result validated in whole-cell Mtb. In vitro biochemical assays indicated a noncompetitive mechanism unlike that of clinical Alr inhibitors. We establish the scalability of TESEC for drug discovery by characterizing TESEC strains for four additional targets.
Nucleotide mismatches prevent intrinsic self-silencing of hpRNA transgenes to enhance RNAi stability in plants
Authors: Zhang Daai , Zhong Chengcheng , Smith Neil A. , de Feyter Robert , Greaves Ian K. , Swain Steve M. , Zhang Ren , Wang Ming-Bo 
Published: July 2022

AbstractHairpin RNA (hpRNA) transgenes are the most successful RNA interference (RNAi) method in plants. Here, we show that hpRNA transgenes are invariably methylated in the inverted-repeat (IR) DNA and the adjacent promoter, causing transcriptional self-silencing. Nucleotide substitutions in the sense sequence, disrupting the IR structure, prevent the intrinsic DNA methylation resulting in more uniform and persistent RNAi. Substituting all cytosine with thymine nucleotides, in a G:U hpRNA design, prevents self-silencing but still allows for the formation of hpRNA due to G:U wobble base-pairing. The G:U design induces effective RNAi in 90–96% of transgenic lines, compared to 57–65% for the traditional hpRNA design. While a traditional hpRNA transgene shows increasing self-silencing from cotyledons to true leaves, its G:U counterpart avoids this and induce RNAi throughout plant growth. Furthermore, siRNAs from G:U and traditional hpRNA show different characteristics and appear to function via different pathways to induce target DNA methylation.
Biophysical impacts of northern vegetation changes on seasonal warming patterns
Authors: Lian Xu , Jeong Sujong , Park Chang-Eui , Xu Hao , Li Laurent Z. X. , Wang Tao , Gentine Pierre , Peñuelas Josep , Piao Shilong 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe seasonal greening of Northern Hemisphere (NH) ecosystems, due to extended growing periods and enhanced photosynthetic activity, could modify near-surface warming by perturbing land-atmosphere energy exchanges, yet this biophysical control on warming seasonality is underexplored. By performing experiments with a coupled land-atmosphere model, here we show that summer greening effectively dampens NH warming by −0.15 ± 0.03 °C for 1982–2014 due to enhanced evapotranspiration. However, greening generates weak temperature changes in spring (+0.02 ± 0.06 °C) and autumn (−0.05 ± 0.05 °C), because the evaporative cooling is counterbalanced by radiative warming from albedo and water vapor feedbacks. The dwindling evaporative cooling towards cool seasons is also supported by state-of-the-art Earth system models. Moreover, greening-triggered energy imbalance is propagated forward by atmospheric circulation to subsequent seasons and causes sizable time-lagged climate effects. Overall, greening makes winter warmer and summer cooler, attenuating the seasonal amplitude of NH temperature. These findings demonstrate complex tradeoffs and linkages of vegetation-climate feedbacks among seasons.
Identification of high-dielectric constant compounds from statistical design
Authors: Gopakumar Abhijith , Pal Koushik , Wolverton Chris 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe discovery of high-dielectric materials is crucial to increasing the efficiency of electronic devices and batteries. Here, we report three previously unexplored materials with very high dielectric constants (69 < ϵ < 101) and large band gaps (2.9 < Eg(eV) < 5.5) obtained by screening materials databases using statistical optimization algorithms aided by artificial neural networks (ANN). Two of these new dielectrics are mixed-anion compounds (Eu5SiCl6O4 and HoClO) and are shown to be thermodynamically stable against common semiconductors via phase diagram analysis. We also uncovered four other materials with relatively large dielectric constants (20 < ϵ < 40) and band gaps (2.3 < Eg(eV) < 2.7). While the ANN training-data are obtained from the Materials Project, the search-space consists of materials from the Open Quantum Materials Database (OQMD)—demonstrating a successful implementation of cross-database materials design. Overall, we report the dielectric properties of 17 materials calculated using ab initio calculations, that were selected in our design workflow. The dielectric materials with high-dielectric properties predicted in this work open up further experimental research opportunities.
Thermoplastic elastomer enhanced interface adhesion and bending durability for flexible organic solar cells
Authors: Xu Zihan , Han Yunfei , Bai Yuanyuan , Chen Xingze , Guo Jingbo , Zhang Lianping , Gong Chao , Luo Qun , Zhang Ting , Ma Chang-Qi 
Published: July 2022

AbstractStable interface adhesion and bending durability of flexible organic solar cells (FOSCs) is a basic requirement for its real application in wearable electronics. Unfortunately, the device performance always degraded during continuous bending. Here, we revealed the weak interface adhesion force between MoO3 hole transporting layer (HTL) and the organic photoactive layer was the main reason of poor bending durability. The insertion of an interface bonding layer with a thermoplastic elastomer, polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-block-polystyrene (SEBS) effectively improved the interface adhesion force of MoO3 HTL and the active layer and decreased the modulus, which ensured higher than 90% of the initial efficiency remaining after 10000 bending. Meanwhile, the FOSCs gave an efficiency of 14.18% and 16.15% for the PM6:Y6 and PM6:L8-BO devices, which was among the highest performance of FOSCs. These results demonstrated the potential of improving the mechanical durability of FOSCs through thermoplastic elastomer interface modification.
Bound state in a giant atom-modulated resonators system
Authors: Xiao Han , Wang Luojia , Li Zheng-Hong , Chen Xianfeng , Yuan Luqi 
Published: July 2022

AbstractIt is of fundamental interest in controlling the light–matter interaction for a long time in the field of quantum information processing. Here, we explore a model by coupling a giant atom with the dynamically-modulated coupled-resonator waveguide and find the bound state, where the light shows the localization effect and the atomic decay into resonator modes is inhibited, excited by a propagating photon. An analytical treatment based on the separation of the propagating states and localized states of light has been proposed and provides inspiring explanation of our finding, i.e., there supports a quantum channel where the propagating photon can be converted to the localized state through the quantum interference from light–atom interactions in three resonators at different frequency detunings. Our work therefore shows the potential for actively localizing the photon in a modulated coupled-resonator waveguide system interacting with the giant atom, and also points out a way to study the light–atom interaction in a synthetic frequency dimension that holds the similar Hamiltonian.
A nationwide Chinese consumer study of public interest on agriculture
Authors: Liao Danfeng , Cui Kai , Ke Lijing 
Published: July 2022

AbstractA nationwide study was undertaken in China to understand why public interest has shifted away from agriculture and to discuss approaches that may help restore interest and support for agriculture. The study collected 2586 questionnaires from 242 cities in 31 provinces in mainland China. The results suggest that agriculture is still of public interest, but interest has shifted from traditional farming to the consumer perspective in food safety, nutrition and health, food security and agricultural history. Two groups in this study, the younger generation and those with college degrees, show less interest in production agriculture. The accelerating shift in population from rural China to urban areas explains why these two groups are less connected with agricultural issues. The authors contend that it is critically important to keep the urban population knowledgeable of the importance of agriculture and suggest ways to improve communication and support from this educated, city-dweller point of view in order to ensure a stable and secure future. The approach of science appreciation (ways to effectively communicate science to general publics) is proposed to effectively gain renewed interest and engagement with the public in the science of agriculture in order to optimize the needs and benefits from agriculture to society.
Vaccine-induced time- and age-dependent mucosal immunity to gastrointestinal parasite infection
Authors: Liu Wei , McNeilly Tom N. , Mitchell Mairi , Burgess Stewart T. G. , Nisbet Alasdair J. , Matthews Jacqueline B. , Babayan Simon A. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractIndividuals vary broadly in their response to vaccination and subsequent challenge infection, with poor vaccine responders causing persistence of both infection and transmission in populations. Yet despite having substantial economic and societal impact, the immune mechanisms that underlie such variability, especially in infected tissues, remain poorly understood. Here, to characterise how antihelminthic immunity at the mucosal site of infection developed in vaccinated lambs, we inserted gastric cannulae into the abomasa of three-month- and six-month-old lambs and longitudinally analysed their local immune response during subsequent challenge infection. The vaccine induced broad changes in pre-challenge abomasal immune profiles and reduced parasite burden and egg output post-challenge, regardless of age. However, age affected how vaccinated lambs responded to infection across multiple immune pathways: adaptive immune pathways were typically age-dependent. Identification of age-dependent and age-independent protective immune pathways may help refine the formulation of vaccines, and indicate specificities of pathogen-specific immunity more generally.
Suppression of surface ozone by an aerosol-inhibited photochemical ozone regime
Authors: Ivatt Peter D. , Evans Mathew J. , Lewis Alastair C. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractAtmospheric ozone (O3) is a pollutant produced through chemical chain reactions where volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide and methane are oxidized in the presence of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). For decades, the controlling chain termination step has been used to separate regions into either ‘NOx limited’ (peroxyl-radical self-reactions dominate) or ‘VOC limited’ (hydroxyl radical (OH) + nitrogen dioxide (NO2) reaction dominates). The controlling regime would then guide policies for reducing emissions and so O3 concentrations. Using a chemical transport model, we show that a third ‘aerosol inhibited’ regime exists, where reactive uptake of hydroperoxyl radicals (HO2) onto aerosol particles dominates. In 1970, 2% of the Northern Hemisphere population lived in an aerosol-inhibited regime, but by 2014 this had increased to 21%; 60% more than lived in a VOC-limited regime. Aerosol-inhibited chemistry suppressed surface O3 concentrations in North America and Europe in the 1970s and is currently suppressing surface O3 over Asia. This third photochemical O3 regime leads to potential trade-off tensions between reducing particle pollution in Asia (a key current health policy and priority) and increasing surface O3, should O3 precursors emissions not be reduced in tandem.
Fisheries dataset on moulting patterns and shell quality of American lobsters H. americanus in Atlantic Canada
Authors: Koepper Svenja , Scott-Tibbetts Shannon , Lavallée Jean , Revie Crawford W. , Thakur Krishna K. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractMonitoring the moulting phenology of American lobsters (Homarus americanus) is important for maintaining sustainable lobster stocks. Changes in lobster landings can affect reproduction and disease susceptibility. Data on lobster moult indicators and on life-history traits (sex, size) were collated from a twelve-year monitoring program (2004–2015) in six lobster fishing areas in Atlantic Canada. A total of 141,659 lobsters were sampled over 1,195 sampling events using a standardized protocol and commercial lobster fishing traps. The dataset contains pleopod stages, estimated hemolymph protein levels (°Brix values) and shell hardness as well as lobster sex and size. Evaluation of sex ratio dynamics is also possible but existing biases in sampling males and females needs to be noted. This dataset is valuable in terms of inferring spatio-temporal trends in the life history of lobsters, as well as in the analysis of their moult cycle, and hence more generally for fisheries science and marine ecology.