bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unraveling novel roles of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcription factor Rv0081 in regulation of the nucleoid‐associated proteins Lsr2 and EspR, cholesterol utilization, and subversion of lysosomal trafficking in macrophages
Authors: Lata Suruchi , Mahatha Amar Chandra , Mal Soumya , Gupta Umesh D. , Kundu Manikuntala , Basu Joyoti 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe transcriptional network of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is designed to enable the organism to withstand host‐associated stresses and to exploit the host milieu for its own survival and multiplication. Rv0081 (MT0088) is a transcriptional regulator whose interplay with other gene regulatory proteins and role in enabling M. tuberculosis to thrive within its host is incompletely understood. M. tuberculosis utilizes cholesterol within the granuloma. We show that deletion of Rv0081 compromises the ability of M. tuberculosis to utilize cholesterol as the sole carbon source, to subvert lysosomal trafficking, and to form granulomas in vitro. Rv0081 downregulates expression of the nucleoid‐associated repressor Lsr2, leading to increased expression of the cholesterol catabolism‐linked gene kshA and genes of the cholesterol importing operon, accounting for the requirement of Rv0081 in cholesterol utilization. Furthermore, Rv0081 activates EspR which is required for secretion of ESX‐1 substrates, which in turn are involved in subversion of lysosomal trafficking of M. tuberculosis and granuloma expansion. These results provide new insight into the role of Rv0081 under conditions which resemble the environment encountered by M. tuberculosis within its host. Rv0081 emerges as a central regulator of genes linked to various pathways which are crucial for the survival of the bacterium in vivo.
Physiological bases of secure base support provision in a longitudinal study of married older adult couples
Authors: Chin Brian , Feeney Brooke 
Published: March 2022

AbstractClose others often serve as a source of support for our pursuit of personal goals. Although social psychological research indicates that individuals and relationships benefit when couple members provide each other with secure base support for personal goals, few studies have investigated the physiological bases of these types of support interactions. This study of married older adults examinedsupport providers'cardiovascular challenge‐threat responses while they engaged in a laboratory social interaction about the most important goal that their partner (the target) wanted to make progress toward during the next year. Consistent with our hypothesis, support providers' cardiovascular challenge responses were positively associated with targets' ratings of their secure base support provision during the discussion. This study also used structural equation modeling to test a theoretical model of support providers' cardiovascular challenge responses as a physiological basis of secure base support provision that promotes targets' goal progress and thriving over time. Consistent with our theory, support providers' cardiovascular challenge responses were positively associated with targets' goal progress at Year 2 follow‐up. In turn, targets' goal progress at Year 2 predicted increases in targets' overall thriving from Year 1 to Year 3. This investigation provides novel evidence for attachment theory's assertion that biobehavioral caregiving system activation facilitates the provision of secure base support that promotes close others' goal progress and thriving over time. Results of this study also contribute to recent evidence that cardiovascular challenge responses are associated with social behaviors during dyadic interactions.
Awareness is required for autonomic performance monitoring in instrumental learning: Evidence from cardiac activity
Authors: Skora Lina I. , Livermore James J. A. , Nisini Federica , Scott Ryan B. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPerformance monitoring is a vital aspect of successful learning and decision‐making. Performance errors are reflected in the autonomic nervous system, indicating the need for behavioral adjustment. As part of this response, errors cause a pronounced deceleration in heart rate, compared to correct decisions, and precede explicit awareness of stimulus–response outcome contingencies. However, it is unknown whether those signals are present and able to inform instrumental learning without stimulus awareness, where explicit performance monitoring is disabled. With mixed evidence for unconscious instrumental learning, determining the presence or absence of autonomic signatures of performance monitoring can shed light on its feasibility. Here, we employed an unconscious instrumental conditioning task, where successful learning is evidenced by increased approach responses to visually masked rewarding stimuli, and avoidance of punishing stimuli. An electrocardiogram (ECG) assessed cardiac activity throughout the learning process. Natural fluctuations of awareness under masking permitted us to contrast learning and cardiac deceleration for trials with, versus without, conscious stimulus awareness. Our results demonstrate that on trials where participants did not consciously perceive the stimulus, there was no differentiation in cardiac response between rewarding and punishing feedback, indicating an absence of performance monitoring. In contrast, consciously perceived stimuli elicited the expected error‐related deceleration. This result suggests that, in unconscious instrumental learning, the brain might be unable to acquire knowledge of stimulus values to guide correct instrumental choices. This evidence provides support for the notion that consciousness might be required for flexible adaptive behavior, and that this may be mediated through bodily signals.
Moving towards improved surveillance and earlier diagnosis of aquatic pathogens: From traditional methods to emerging technologies
Authors: MacAulay Scott , Ellison Amy R. , Kille Peter , Cable Joanne 
Published: March 2022

AbstractEarly and accurate diagnosis is key to mitigating the impact of infectious diseases, along with efficient surveillance. This however is particularly challenging in aquatic environments due to hidden biodiversity and physical constraints. Traditional diagnostics, such as visual diagnosis and histopathology, are still widely used, but increasingly technological advances such as portable next generation sequencing (NGS) and artificial intelligence (AI) are being tested for early diagnosis. The most straightforward methodologies, based on visual diagnosis, rely on specialist knowledge and experience but provide a foundation for surveillance. Future computational remote sensing methods, such as AI image diagnosis and drone surveillance, will ultimately reduce labour costs whilst not compromising on sensitivity, but they require capital and infrastructural investment. Molecular techniques have advanced rapidly in the last 30 years, from standard PCR through loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to NGS approaches, providing a range of technologies that support the currently popular eDNA diagnosis. There is now vast potential for transformative change driven by developments in human diagnostics. Here we compare current surveillance and diagnostic technologies with those that could be used or developed for use in the aquatic environment, against three gold standard ideals of high sensitivity, specificity, rapid diagnosis, and cost‐effectiveness.
Immunophenotypic and functional analysis of lymphocyte subsets in common variable immunodeficiency patients without monogenic defects
Authors: Tofighi Zavareh Farzaneh , Mirshafiey Abbas , Yazdani Reza , Keshtkar Abbas Ali , Abolhassani Hassan , Mahdaviani Seyed Alireza , Habibi Sima , Sohani Mahsa , Rezaei Nima , Aghamohammadi Asghar 
Published: March 2022

AbstractCommon variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is accompanied by various lymphocyte abnormalities believed to be mostly responsible for disease features in patients with no diagnosed monogenic defects. Here, we evaluated the association of B and T lymphocyte abnormalities with the incidence of CVID. Twenty‐six genetically unsolved CVID patients were examined for B and T lymphocyte subsets by flow cytometry and CD4+ T‐cell proliferation by carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) test. We detected a reduction in total, naive, memory B cells and plasmablasts, and also total, naive, central memory and regulatory CD4+ T cells, besides naive CD8+ T cells. There was an increase in CD21low and transitional B cells, effector memory (EM) and terminally differentiated effector memory (TEMRA) CD4+ T‐cell subsets as well as total, EM, TEMRA, activated and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells among non‐monogenic CVID patients. CD4+ T‐cell proliferation response was reduced regarding both division index and percent divided. In conclusion, regarding the similarity of lymphocyte abnormalities between patients without genetic defects and those with monogenic defects, genetic mutations are not responsible for these specific lymphocyte changes. However, the novel correlations observed between lymphocyte alterations among genetically unsolved CVID patients may serve as a guide to predict the potential of future CVID development for hypogammaglobulinemia children.
The unresolved phylogenomic tree of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera): Assessing the potential causes and consequences
Authors: Rota Jadranka , Twort Victoria , Chiocchio Andrea , Peña Carlos , Wheat Christopher W. , Kaila Lauri , Wahlberg Niklas 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe field of molecular phylogenetics is being revolutionized with next‐generation sequencing technologies making it possible to sequence large numbers of genomes for non‐model organisms ushering us into the era of phylogenomics. The current challenge is no longer how to get enough data, but rather how to analyse the data and how to assess the support for the inferred phylogeny. Here, we focus on one of the largest animal groups on the planet – butterflies and moths (order Lepidoptera), whose phylogeny remains unresolved despite several recent phylogenomic studies. In this study, we assess the potential causes and consequences of the conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses. With a dataset consisting of 331 protein‐coding genes and the alignment length over 290,000 base pairs, including 200 taxa representing 83% of lepidopteran superfamilies, we compare phylogenetic hypotheses inferred from amino acid and nucleotide alignments. The resulting two phylogenies are discordant, especially with respect to the placement of the superfamily Gelechioidea, which is likely due to compositional bias and possible other model violations. Furthermore, we employed a series of analyses to dissect our dataset and demonstrate that there is sufficient phylogenetic signal to resolve much – but not all – of the lepidopteran tree of life. The relationships among superfamilies within Ditrysia, the most species rich lepidopteran clade containing 98% of the extant species, remain poorly resolved. We conclude that taxon sampling remains an issue even in phylogenomic analyses and recommend that poorly sampled highly diverse groups, such as Gelechioidea in Lepidoptera, should receive extra attention in the future.
Retrospective analysis to describe trends in first-ever prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for primary healthcare facilities in the Gauteng Province, South Africa, between 2006 and 2016
Authors: Cassim Naseem , Rebbeck Timothy R , Glencross Deborah K , George Jaya A 
Published: March 2022

ObjectivesThe objective of our study was to use laboratory data to describe prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing trends for primary healthcare (PHC) services from a single province. PHC is a basic package of services offered to local communities, serving as the first point of contact within the health system. These services are offered at clinics and community health centres (CHC), the latter providing additional maternity, accident and emergency services.DesignThe retrospective descriptive study design was used.MethodsWe analysed national laboratory data between 2006 and 2016 for men ≥30 years in the Gauteng Province. We used the probabilistic matching algorithm to create first-ever PSA cohort. We used the hot-deck imputation to assign missing race group values and the district health information system facility descriptors to identify PHC testing. We reported patient numbers by calendar year, age category and race group as well as descriptive statistics. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess any association for race group and age with a PSA ≥4 µg/L.ResultsBetween 2006 and 2016, numbers of men tested increased from 1782 to 67 025, respectively, with 186 984/239 506 (78.1%) tests were from clinics. The majority of testing was for men in the 50–59 age category (31.5%) and Black Africans (86.4%). We reported a median of 0.9 µg/L that increased with age. A PSA ≥4 µg/L was reported for 11.7% of men, increasing to 35.5% for the ≥70 age category. The logistic regression reported that the adjusted odds of having a PSA ≥4 µg/L was significantly lower for Indian/Asians, multiracials and whites than for Black Africans (p value<0.0001).ConclusionsOur study has shown a marked increase in PSA testing from clinics and CHC suggestive of screening for prostate cancer. The approaches reported in this study can be extended for national data.
Prevalence and risk factors associated with chronic kidney disease in Nepal: evidence from a nationally representative population-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Poudyal Anil , Karki Khem Bahadur , Shrestha Namuna , Aryal Krishna Kumar , Mahato Namra Kumar , Bista Bihungum , Ghimire Laxmi , KC Dirghayu , Gyanwali Pradip , Jha Anjani Kumar , Garcia-Larsen Vanessa , Kuch Ulrich , Groneberg David A , Sharma Sanjib Kumar , Dhimal Meghnath 
Published: March 2022

ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine population-based prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its associated factors in Nepal.Study designThe study was a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study.Setting and participantsCross-sectional survey conducted in a nationally representative sample of 12 109 Nepalese adult from 2016 to 2018 on selected chronic non-communicable diseases was examined. Multistage cluster sampling with a mix of probability proportionate to size and systematic random sampling was used for the selection of individuals aged 20 years and above.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary outcome in this study was population-based prevalence of CKD in Nepal. A participant was considered to have CKD if the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio was greater than or equal to 30 mg/g and/or estimated glomerular filtration rate is less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 at baseline and in follow-up using modification of diet in renal disease study equations. The secondary outcome measure was factors associated with CKD in Nepal. The covariate adjusted association of risk factors and CKD was calculated using multivariable binary logistic regression.ResultsThe overall prevalence of CKD in Nepal was 6.0% (95% CI 5.5 to 6.6). Factors independently associated with CKD included older age (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.6, 95% CI 1.9 to 3.6), Dalit caste (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.3), hypertension (AOR 2.4, 95% CI 2.0 to 3.0), diabetes mellitus (AOR 3.2, 95% CI 2.5 to 4.1), raised total cholesterol (AOR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.6) and increased waist-to-hip ratio (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.3).ConclusionThis nationally representative study shows that the prevalence of CKD in the adult population of Nepal is substantial, and it is independently associated with several cardiometabolic traits. These findings warrant longitudinal studies to identify the causes of CKD in Nepal and effective strategies to prevent it.
Stopping power of plasma free and bound electrons using dielectric formalism
Authors: Barriga-Carrasco Manuel D. , Chacón-Rubio Francisco , Montanari Claudia C. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIn this work, a method is proposed that accounts for the stopping power of free and bound electrons of a partially ionized plasma. To formulate this method, the well-known dielectric formalism is used, combining a dielectric function of quantum plasmas, which includes temperature, for free electrons, and the shellwise local plasma approximation (SLPA) for bound electrons. Since few experimental data are available for plasmas, our method calculations at $$T=0$$

T
=
0

for solids are compared with SRIM code. The agreement with experimental data is excellent. Also, a cold gas target is considered at different ionization states; results show the expected behavior, but with a little overestimation of the stopping peak and underestimation in the low energy region. Finally our results for plasmas at diverse conditions of temperature are compared with other methods from the literature that contemplate bound electrons explicitly: Mehlhorn, Zimmerman and Unified Wave Packet models. Differences observed between our method, and Mehlhorn and Zimmerman models can be explained by the limited range of application of these old models. In contrast better agreement is obtained when our method is compared with Unified Wave Packet model. These comparisons also serve to prove the validity of our method in different elements.
Improving Heat Resistance of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by Dietary Zinc Supplementation
Authors: Yang Yuanting , Wu Zhiqian , Ren Yanli , Zhou Zhiqing , Wang Wen-Xiong , Huang Yunmao , Shu Xugang 
Published: March 2022

In this study, we investigated the effects of zinc threonine supplementation on growth, immunity-related genes, antioxidative stress, and resistance to heat stress (HS) in Nile tilapia. A total of 300 Nile tilapia (

76.69
±
0.11

g) were randomly allocated into five zinc treatments, with three replicates of 20 fish in each treatment. Based on the control group with zinc-free feeds, dietary zinc levels of 20 or 40 mg/kg diet were added in the form of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) and zinc threonine (Thr-Zn). After 45 days of feeding, part of the fish was exposed to HS. The highest performance of growth and feed intake was found in fish fed with zinc (ZnSO4 or Thr-Zn) at 40 mg/kg, which also significantly elevated the villus length and absorption area. Additionally, significantly higher values of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activity but lower value of malondialdehyde both before and after the heat stress were documented in fish fed with zinc at 40 mg/kg in diets. After HS, dietary supplementation with zinc threonine significantly reduced the expression of HSP 70 in the liver but increased the expression of IL-10 and TNF-α. Our study demonstrated that zinc threonine supplementation at 40 mg/kg facilitated the coping of tilapia with HS by improving the growth, intestinal morphology, antioxidative resistance, and immune responses.
The Relationship between Human Embryo Parameters and De Novo Chromosomal Abnormalities in Preimplantation Genetic Testing Cycles
Authors: Liu Yanli , Shen Junhan , Yang Rujing , Zhang Yuchao , Jia Liting , Guan Yichun 
Published: March 2022

Research Question. What is the incidence of de novo chromosome abnormalities (>4 Mb), and are they related to embryo parameters in preimplantation genetic testing for chromosome structural rearrangement (PGT-SR) cycles and preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) cycles? Design. In total, 456 PGT cycles, including 283 PGT-SR cycles and 173 PGT-A cycles, were assessed through comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS) from January 2017 to June 2020 at the Department of Reproductive Medicine of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Trophectoderm (TE) biopsies were sequenced using next-generation sequencing (NGS). The incidence of de novo chromosome abnormalities was calculated, and the relationships between de novo chromosome abnormality rates and maternal age, number of oocytes retrieved, and parameters of cleavage-stage embryos and blastocyst-stage embryos were investigated. Results. The incidence of de novo chromosome abnormalities was 28.0% (318/1,135) in the PGT-SR cycles and 36.3% (214/590) in the PGT-A cycles, which increased with maternal age in both PGT-SR cycles (

P

= 0.018) and PGT-A cycles (

P

< 0.001). The incidence of de novo chromosome abnormalities was related to TE grade (

P

< 0.001), internal cell mass grade (

P

= 0.002), and development speed (day 5 vs. day 7:

P

< 0.001) of blastocyst-stage embryos. The incidence of de novo chromosomal abnormalities was irrelevant to the number of oocytes retrieved and the parameters of the embryo at the cleavage stage. Conclusion. Blastocysts with higher morphology scores and faster progression had a lower incidence of de novo chromosome abnormalities, especially complex chromosome abnormalities. De novo chromosome abnormalities may negatively affect the morphological grading of blastocysts. Our findings will provide valuable information to the fertility doctor for embryo selection in non-PGT cycles.
Abstract 185: The Impact of Cyclic Strain on Focal Adhesion Signaling and miRNA Profile in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Mac Donnell Brian F 
Published: March 2022

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSCM) are major contributors to the regulation of vascular tone through their contractile flexibility. Along with other stimulus, they are exposed to mechanical cyclic strain. This is induced by changes in arterial blood pressure waveforms, generated from the left ventricle. It is thought such stimulus can be a major regulator of phenotypic modulation in smooth muscle cells. These altered states of VSMC fate can have a direct influence on cell function, including proliferation, apoptosis, migration and adhesion. This is considered to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.
We have shown that cyclic strain, an important physiological stimulus, has a compounding influence on smooth muscle cell function via mechanotransduction. Increased strain has shown to increase SMC adhesion, proliferation and migration.
We hypothesise that the effect of mechanical cyclic strain is transduced through the cell via integrin rich focal adhesions, which can alter the miRNA signature of vascular smooth muscle cells and ultimately play a pivotal role in cell function. The Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) protein and its endogenous negative regulator FAK Related Non Kinase (FRNK) are known to play a commanding role in integrin signaling. We propose that down regulation of FAK by either siRNA technology or over expression of FRNK will negate the effect of pathological mechanical strain on cell function. We also predict regulation of expression on individual miRNA, through use of Pre-Mir and Anti-Mir technology could yield a similar effect.

In the current study we exposed primary derived human aortic smooth muscle cells, in an
in vitro
model, to cyclic strain to assess its influence on focal adhesions, integrin and miRNA expression. We have concluded thus far that increased cyclic strain shows increased cell migration, adhesion and proliferation. It also alters the miRNA signature as we have shown with a panel of mechano-sensitive miRNA. Coinciding with this we have also demonstrated the impact on cellular function from knockdown of miRNA biogenesis molecules such as Drosha, Dicer, Exportin 5 and Argonaute2 through use of siRNA.