bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bioaccumulation and potential human health risks of metals in commercially important fishes and shellfishes from Hangzhou Bay, China
Authors: Noman Md Abu , Feng Weihua , Zhu Genhai , Hossain M Belal , Chen Yue , Zhang Haifeng , Sun Jun 
Published: March 2022

AbstractHangzhou Bay is facing severe anthropogenic perturbation because of its geographic position. We studied species-specific bioaccumulation of metals in commercially important fishes and shellfishes, and calculated the potential human health hazards through their consumption, which has not been reported earlier from this area. The hierarchy of metal concentration in organisms was in the decreasing order of Zn (10.32 ± 7.13) > Cu (2.40 ± 2.66) > As (0.42 ± 0.26) > Cr (0.11 ± 0.08) > Cd (0.07 ± 0.07) > Pb (0.05 ± 0.02) > Hg (0.012 ± 0.009). Except for Cd and As concentrations in fishes, metal concentrations have not exceeded the national and international guideline values. P. laevis and P. trituberculatus were the most bioaccumulative of the species studied. According to the non-carcinogenic risk assessment, children were more susceptible to metal contamination than adults. The carcinogenic risk (CR) values indicated that children were likely to experience carcinogenic threats for taking cancer-causing agents As and Cd through fish consumption. In terms of organisms, intake of two crab species, P. trituberculatus and E. sinensis, as well as the oyster species P. laevis, could be detrimental to consumers.
A nasal visual field advantage in interocular competition
Authors: Sahakian A. , Paffen C. L. E. , Van der Stigchel S. , Gayet S. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWhen our eyes are confronted with discrepant images (yielding incompatible retinal inputs) interocular competition (IOC) is instigated. During IOC, one image temporarily dominates perception, while the other is suppressed. Many factors affecting IOC have been extensively examined. One factor that received surprisingly little attention, however, is the stimulus’ visual hemifield (VHF) of origin. This is remarkable, as the VHF location of stimuli is known to affect visual performance in various contexts. Prompted by exploratory analyses, we examined five independent datasets of breaking continuous flash suppression experiments, to establish the VHF’s role in IOC. We found that targets presented in nasal VHF locations broke through suppression much faster than targets in temporal VHF locations. Furthermore, we found that the magnitude of this nasal advantage depended on how strongly the targets were suppressed: the nasal advantage was larger for the recessive eye than for the dominant eye, and was larger in observers with a greater dominance imbalance between the eyes. Our findings suggest that the nasal advantage reported here originates in processing stages where IOC is resolved. Finally, we propose that a nasal advantage in IOC serves an adaptive role in human vision, as it can aid perception of partially occluded objects.
The effect of autistic traits on disembedding and mental rotation in neurotypical women and men
Authors: Conson Massimiliano , Senese Vincenzo Paolo , Zappullo Isa , Baiano Chiara , Warrier Varun ,   The LabNPEE Group, Barone Angelo , Cecere Roberta , Cisone Andrea , Cerrone Roberta , Crocetto Ylenia , Dell’Aversana Lea , Curti Alessia Delle , Fontana Alessandro , Fusotto Concetta , Mautone Giusi , Montuori Generosa , Positano Monica , Raimo Gennaro , Raiola Annamaria , Russo Maria , Sacco Federica , Sarno Maria , Sepe Angela , Troise Alessandro , Raimo Simona , Rauso Barbara , Salzano Sara , Baron-Cohen Simon 
Published: March 2022

AbstractRecent data has revealed dissociations between social and non-social skills in both autistic and neurotypical populations. In the present study, we investigated whether specific visuospatial abilities, such as figure disembedding and mental rotation, are differently related to social and non-social autistic traits, in neurotypical women and men. University students (N = 426) completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), figure disembedding and mental rotation of two-dimensional figures tasks. AQ social skills (AQ-social) and attention-to-details (AQ-attention) subscales were used as measures of social and non-social autistic traits, respectively. Mental rotation was affected by a significant interaction between sex, social and non-social traits. When non-social traits were above the mean (+ 1 SD), no sex differences in mental rotation were found. Instead, below this value, sex differences depended on the social traits, with men on average outperforming women at middle-to-high social traits, and with a comparable performance, and with women on average outperforming men, at lower social traits. A small positive correlation between figure disembedding and social traits was observed in the overall sample. These results are interpreted in terms of the hyper-systemizing theory of autism and contribute to the evidence of individual differences in the cognitive style of autistic people and neurotypical people with autistic traits.
Impact of malathion toxicity on the oxidative stress parameters of the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)
Authors: Abdelfattah Eman Alaaeldin , El-Bassiony Ghada M. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) may serve as a promising tool in the animals feed production industry. The input organic wastes may be contaminated by insecticides that affect both the insect’s mass rearing, and the animals feed process. Therefore, in the current study the assessment of oxidative stress parameters of the black soldier fly (BSF) were investigated to quantify the deleterious effect of malathion-contaminated kitchen waste (1:1 vegetable: fruit waste) container on the insect. The different developmental stages of insect (adult and larva) were exposed to different concentrations (0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.015, and 0.02 mg/mL) of malathion. The results showed that the mean value of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), which included hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anion radicals (O2•-) concentrations were lower in larval stage than in adults, in all treated groups (0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.015, and 0.02 mg/mL malathion concentration). Also, the protein carbonyls amount and lipid peroxides levels were decreased in the 0.02 mg/mL Malathion compared to the control values. However, the cluster analysis revealed slight dissimilar patterns for control insects and the highest malathion concentration (0.02 mg/ml). These stage-related differences could occur from the different growth dynamic functions of larvae and adults. The larvae were distinguished by robust growth, and significant oxygen consumption. The results verified that oxidative stress parameters, especially protein carbonyls and α, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were promising, cheap, quick and cost-effective applications for determining the macromolecules damage, and antioxidant ability of H. illucens enclosed with malathion exposure. These findings described that malathion application induces macromolecules damage mediated through oxidative stress injury.
Nodulation competitiveness and diversification of symbiosis genes in common beans from the American centers of domestication
Authors: Aguilar O. Mario , Collavino Mónica M. , Mancini Ulises 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPhaseolus vulgaris (common bean), having a proposed Mexican origin within the Americas, comprises three centers of diversification: Mesoamerica, the southern Andes, and the Amotape-Huancabamba Depression in Peru-Ecuador. Rhizobium etli is the predominant rhizobium found symbiotically associated with beans in the Americasalthough closely related Rhizobium phylotypes have also been detected. To investigate if symbiosis between bean varieties and rhizobia evolved affinity, firstly nodulation competitiveness was studied after inoculation with a mixture of sympatric and allopatric rhizobial strains isolated from the respective geographical regions. Rhizobia strains harboring nodC types α and $$\upgamma$$
γ
, which were found predominant in Mexico and Ecuador, were comparable in nodule occupancy at 50% of each in beans from the Mesoamerican and Andean gene pools, but it is one of those two nodC types which clearly predominated in Ecuadorian-Peruvian beans as well as in Andean beans nodC type $$\upgamma$$
γ
predominated the sympatric nodC type δ. The results indicated that those beans from Ecuador-Peru and Andean region, respectively exhibited no affinity for nodulation by the sympatric rhizobial lineages that were found to be predominant in bean nodules formed in those respective areas. Unlike the strains isolated from Ecuador, Rhizobium etli isolated from Mexico as well from the southern Andes was highly competitive for nodulation in beans from Ecuador-Peru, and quite similarly competitive in Mesoamerican and Andean beans. Finally, five gene products associated with symbiosis were examined to analyze variations that could be correlated with nodulation competitiveness. A small GTPase RabA2, transcriptional factors NIN and ASTRAY, and nodulation factor receptors NFR1 and NFR5- indicated high conservation but NIN, NFR1 and NFR5 of beans representative of the Ecuador-Peru genetic pool clustered separated from the Mesoamerican and Andean showing diversification and possible different interaction. These results indicated that both host and bacterial genetics are important for mutual affinity, and that symbiosis is another trait of legumes that could be sensitive to evolutionary influences and local adaptation.
Antifungals influence the immune-related transcriptomic landscape of human monocytes after Aspergillus fumigatus infection
Authors: Henry Benoît , Klement William , Gohir Wajiha , Aguilar Claire , Husain Shahid 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe heterogeneity of clinical responses to antifungals in aspergillosis is partially understood. We hypothesized that besides direct antifungal effects, these discrepancies may be related to different immunomodulatory profiles. Human THP-1 monocytes were coincubated in vitro with Aspergillus fumigatus and variable concentrations of voriconazole (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/l), caspofungin (1 and 2 mg/l), amphotericin B deoxycholate (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/l) and liposomal amphotericin B (1, 2 and 3 mg/l). After 6 h of coincubation, total cellular RNA was extracted, converted into cDNA, and transcription of 84 genes involved in antifungal immunity was measured through RT-qPCR. The presence of A. fumigatus was the main driver of the global immune-related transcriptomic response. After Aspergillus infection, thirty genes were upregulated, while 19 genes were downregulated. Discrepancies across antifungals were also evident; voriconazole-containing conditions showed similar reaction to natural infection, while the use of liposomal Amphotericin B significantly decreased the inflammatory response. Chemokines (notably CCL20 and CXCL2) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1A, IL1B, IL23, G-CSF) exhibited the most pronounced differences across antifungals. Pattern recognition receptors and adaptor protein transcription were minimally affected. Protein–protein-interaction network analysis showed that IL23A played a dominant role in upregulated genes. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that cytokine-cytokine receptor integration, TNF signaling pathways and Toll-like receptor pathways were highly involved. This exploratory study confirms the heterogeneous immunomodulatory role of antifungals. Overall, voriconazole appears to maintain an early pro-inflammatory response seen in natural infection. Assessment of immunomodulatory response with clinical response may provide a better rationale for differences observed across antifungals.
Robust all-electrical topological valley filtering using monolayer 2D-Xenes
Authors: Jana Koustav , Muralidharan Bhaskaran 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe propose a realizable device design for an all-electrical robust valley filter that utilizes spin protected topological interface states hosted on monolayer 2D-Xene materials with large intrinsic spin–orbit coupling. In contrast with conventional quantum spin-Hall edge states localized around the X-points, the interface states appearing at the domain wall between topologically distinct phases are either from the K or $$K^{\prime}$$

K

′

points, making them suitable prospects for serving as valley-polarized channels. We show that the presence of a large band-gap quantum spin-Hall effect enables the spatial separation of the spin–valley locked helical interface states with the valley states being protected by spin conservation, leading to robustness against short-range nonmagnetic disorder. By adopting the scattering matrix formalism on a suitably designed device structure, valley-resolved transport in the presence of nonmagnetic short-range disorder for different 2D-Xene materials is also analyzed in detail. Our numerical simulations confirm the role of spin–orbit coupling in achieving an improved valley filter performance with a perfect quantum of conductance attributed to the topologically protected interface states. Our analysis further elaborates clearly the right choice of material, device geometry and other factors that need to be considered while designing an optimized valleytronic filter device.
Clathrin-nanoparticles deliver BDNF to hippocampus and enhance neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and cognition in HIV/neuroAIDS mouse model
Authors: Vitaliano Gordana D. , Kim Jae K. , Kaufman Marc J. , Adam Christopher W. , Zeballos Gonzalo , Shanmugavadivu Abinaya , Subburaju Sivan , McLaughlin Jay P. , Lukas Scott E. , Vitaliano Franco 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBrain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes the growth, differentiation, maintenance and survival of neurons. These attributes make BDNF a potentially powerful therapeutic agent. However, its charge, instability in blood, and poor blood brain barrier (BBB) penetrability have impeded its development. Here, we show that engineered clathrin triskelia (CT) conjugated to BDNF (BDNF-CT) and delivered intranasally increased hippocampal BDNF concentrations 400-fold above that achieved previously with intranasal BDNF alone. We also show that BDNF-CT targeted Tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) and increased TrkB expression and downstream signaling in iTat mouse brains. Mice were induced to conditionally express neurotoxic HIV Transactivator-of-Transcription (Tat) protein that decreases BDNF. Down-regulation of BDNF is correlated with increased severity of HIV/neuroAIDS. BDNF-CT enhanced neurorestorative effects in the hippocampus including newborn cell proliferation and survival, granule cell neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and increased dendritic integrity. BDNF-CT exerted cognitive-enhancing effects by reducing Tat-induced learning and memory deficits. These results show that CT bionanoparticles efficiently deliver BDNF to the brain, making them potentially powerful tools in regenerative medicine.
Characterisation of PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling pathways in human brain pericytes: evidence of disruption in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Smyth Leon C. D. , Highet Blake , Jansson Deidre , Wu Jane , Rustenhoven Justin , Aalderink Miranda , Tan Adelie , Li Susan , Johnson Rebecca , Coppieters Natacha , Handley Renee , Narayan Pritika , Singh-Bains Malvindar K. , Schweder Patrick , Turner Clinton , Mee Edward W. , Heppner Peter , Correia Jason , Park Thomas I.-H. , Curtis Maurice A. , Faull Richard L. M. , Dragunow Mike 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPlatelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB):PDGF receptor-β (PDGFRβ) signalling in brain pericytes is critical to the development, maintenance and function of a healthy blood-brain barrier (BBB). Furthermore, BBB impairment and pericyte loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is well documented. We found that PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling components were altered in human AD brains, with a marked reduction in vascularPDGFB. We hypothesised that reduced PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling in pericytes may impact on the BBB. We therefore tested the effects of PDGF-BB on primary human brain pericytes in vitro to define pathways related to BBB function. Using pharmacological inhibitors, we dissected distinct aspects of the PDGF-BB response that are controlled by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt pathways. PDGF-BB promotes the proliferation of pericytes and protection from apoptosis through ERK signalling. In contrast, PDGF-BB:PDGFRβ signalling through Akt augments pericyte-derived inflammatory secretions. It may therefore be possible to supplement PDGF-BB signalling to stabilise the cerebrovasculature in AD.
KPT330 improves Cas9 precision genome- and base-editing by selectively regulating mRNA nuclear export
Authors: Cui Yan-ru , Wang Shao-jie , Ma Tiancheng , Yu Peihong , Chen Jun , Guo Taijie , Meng Genyi , Jiang Biao , Dong Jiajia , Liu Jia 
Published: March 2022

AbstractCRISPR-based genome engineering tools are associated with off-target effects that constitutively active Cas9 protein may instigate. Previous studies have revealed the feasibility of modulating Cas9-based genome- and base-editing tools using protein or small-molecule CRISPR inhibitors. Here we screened a set of small molecule compounds with irreversible warhead, aiming to identifying small-molecule modulators of CRISPR-Cas9. It was found that selective inhibitors of nuclear export (SINEs) could efficiently inhibit the cellular activity of Cas9 in the form of genome-, base- and prime-editing tools. Interestingly, SINEs did not function as direct inhibitors to Cas9, but modulated Cas9 activities by interfering with the nuclear export process of Cas9 mRNA. Thus, to the best of our knowledge, SINEs represent the first reported indirect, irreversible inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas9. Most importantly, an FDA-approved anticancer drug KPT330, along with other examined SINEs, could improve the specificities of CRISPR-Cas9-based genome- and base editing tools in human cells. Our study expands the toolbox of CRISPR modulating elements and provides a feasible approach to improving the specificity of CRISPR-Cas9-based genome engineering tools.
Active optomechanics
Authors: Yu Deshui , Vollmer Frank 
Published: March 2022

AbstractCavity optomechanics explores the coupling between optical and mechanical modes mediated by the radiation pressure force. Unlike the passive scheme, the active optomechanics with optical gain directly imposes the mechanical motion upon the lasing dynamics, unveiling the intrinsic properties determined by the system itself. Here we numerically explore the general characteristics of the active optomechanics. The effects of the mechanical oscillation on the macroscopic laser include introducing multiple unstable regimes in the lasing phase, shifting the laser central frequency, broadening the laser spectrum, and degrading the laser frequency stability. Reducing the optical gain down to one active atom highlights the quantum nature of atom–cavity and photon–phonon interactions. The one-atom optomechanical microlaser does not only emit nonclassical photons but also generate nonclassical photon–phonon pairs. Our work extends the cavity optomechanics to the active fashion, paving the way towards optomechanical light sources for photonic integrated circuits, on-chip quantum communication, and biosensing.
Realization of ultrathin waveguides by elastic metagratings
Authors: Hu Yabin , Zhang Yunhao , Su Guangyuan , Zhao Meiying , Li Bing , Liu Yongquan , Li Zheng 
Published: March 2022

AbstractGuiding classical waves has inspired a wealth of nontrivial physics and significant applications. To date, a robust and compact way to guide energy flux traveling along an arbitrary, prescheduled trajectory in a uniform medium is still a fundamental challenge. Here we propose and experimentally realize a generic framework of ultrathin waveguides for omnidirectional wave trapping and efficient routing. The metagrating-based waveguide can totally suppress all high-order parasitic diffractions to route guided elastic waves without leakage. The proposed waveguide protype works in a broad frequency range under a full-angle radiated source. An analytical slab-waveguide model is presented to predict and tailor the diffracted patterns. Compared with existing methods based on topological edge states or defected metamaterials, our meta-waveguide strategy exhibits absolute advantages in compact size, robust performance, and easy fabrication, which may provide a design paradigm for vibration and noise control, energy harvesting, microfluidics, wave steering in acoustics and other waves.
Overexpression of prothymosin-α in glioma is associated with tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis
Authors: Kumar Anurag , Kumar Vikas , Arora Mohit , Kumar Manish , Ammalli Prajwal , Thakur Bhaskar , Prasad Jitender , Kumari Sarita , Sharma Mehar Chand , Kale Shashank Sharad , Chauhan Shyam S. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Prothymosin-α (PTMA), a nuclear protein, is strikingly associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes in many cancers. However, no information about its clinical relevance in glioma was available. Therefore in the present study, we evaluated the prognostic utility of this protein in a cohort of 81 glioma patients. The PTMA expression was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis, quantitative PCR, and Western blotting. Furthermore, the association of PTMA with clinicopathological features and molecular alterations were assessed in the patient cohort and validated in multiomics datasets, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA; n=667) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA; n=1013). We observed an increase in PTMA expression with increasing histological grades of this malignancy. PTMA immunostaining also displayed a strong positive association with the MIB-1 index. Univariate analysis revealed a superior prognostic value of PTMA to predict overall survival (OS) as compared with the routinely used markers (p53, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1 (IDH1), α-thalassemia/intellectual disability syndrome X-linked (ATRX), and Ki-67). Interestingly, in Cox regression analysis it emerged as an independent predictor of OS (hazard ratio (HR) = 13.71, 95% CI = 5.96–31.52, P&lt;0.0001). Thus, our results demonstrate the potential prognostic utility of PTMA in glioma which may prove useful in the management of this deadly malignancy.
Chronische oder schwere Darmerkrankung und Immundefekt: Manchmal ist es doch ein Kolibri
Authors: Weber Katrin , Zeißig Yvonne , Haag Cornelie , Schmelz Renate , Pazmandi Julia , Kalinichenko Artem , Boztug Kaan , Zeißig Sebastian , Aust Daniela , Laass Martin W. , Schuetz Catharina 
Published: March 2022

ZusammenfassungBei der Abklärung chronischer Darmerkrankungen sollte in bestimmten Fällen auch an einen primären (=angeborenen) Immundefekt (PID) gedacht werden. PIDs sind selten, aber mindestens 10 % der Betroffenen entwickeln eine Darmentzündung. Patienten mit einer chronisch-entzündlichen Darmentzündung (CED) aufgrund eines PID haben oft extraintestinale Manifestationen und sprechen auf die konventionelle Therapie oft nicht oder nur ungenügend an. Die frühkindliche Manifestation einer CED und bestimmte intestinale und extraintestinale Manifestationen können wegweisend für einen PID sein. Für einen kleinen Teil der monogenetisch verursachten Immundefekte wurde gezeigt, dass sie gezielt medikamentös behandelt oder durch eine allogene Stammzelltransplantation sogar geheilt werden können. Dafür ist eine frühzeitige und gezielte Diagnostik notwendig. Dieser Beitrag soll exemplarisch zeigen, wann klinische – sowohl gastrointestinale als auch extraintestinale – Zeichen und Befunde eine
immunologische und gegebenenfalls genetische Diagnostik erfordern.