bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sevoflurane promotes premature differentiation of dopaminergic neurons in hiPSC-derived midbrain organoids
Authors: Shang Jia , Li Bin , Fan Han , Liu Peidi , Zhao Wen , Chen Tao , Chen Pu , Yang Longqiu 
Published: September 2022

Background: Conventional animal models used in corresponding basic studies are distinct from humans in terms of the brain’s development trajectory, tissue cytoarchitecture and cell types, making it difficult to accurately evaluate the potential adverse effects of anesthetic treatments on human fetal brain development. This study investigated the effects of sevoflurane on the midbrain’s development and cytopathology using human physiologically-relevant midbrain organoids.Methods: Monolayer human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-derived human floor plate cells and three-dimensional hiPSC-derived midbrain organoids (hMBOs) were exposed to 2% (v/v) sevoflurane for 2 or 6 h, followed by expansion or differentiation culture. Then, immunofluorescence, real-time PCR, EdU assay, Tunnel assay, and transcriptome sequencing were performed to examine the effects of sevoflurane on the midbrain’s development.Results: We found that 2% sevoflurane exposure inhibited hFPCs’ proliferation (differentiation culture: 7.2% ± 0.3% VS. 13.3% ± 0.7%, p = 0.0043; expansion culture: 48% ± 2.2% VS. 35.2% ± 1.4%, p = 0.0002) and increased their apoptosis, but did not affect their differentiation into human dopaminergic neurons After 6 h, 2% sevoflurane exposure inhibited cell proliferation (62.8% ± 5.6% VS. 100% ± 5.5%, p = 0.0065) and enhanced the premature differentiation of hMBOs (246% ± 5.2% VS. 100% ± 28%, p = 0.0065). The RNA-seq results showed long-term exposure to sevoflurane up regulates some transcription factors in the differentiation of dopaminergic neurons, while short-term exposure to sevoflurane has a weak up-regulation effect on these transcription factors.Conclusion: This study revealed that long-term exposure to sevoflurane could promote the premature differentiation of hMBOs, while short-term exposure had negligible effects, suggesting that long-term exposure to sevoflurane in pregnant women may lead to fetals’ midbrain development disorder.
Catalytic hydrogenolysis of lignin to phenolic monomers over Ru supported N,S-co-doped biochar: The importance of doping atmosphere
Authors: Gao Wenran , Wang Ke , Wu Yishuang , Zhu Xun , Wu Yinlong , Zhang Shoujun , Li Bin , Huang Yong , Zhang Shu , Zhang Hong 
Published: September 2022

Doping of heteroatoms into carbon materials is a popular method to modify their physicochemical structures and has been widely used in the fields of energy conversion and storage. This study aims to investigate the effect of doping atmosphere on the catalytic performance of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped biochar supported Ru in the production of phenolic monomers from lignin hydrogenolysis. The results showed that the catalyst prepared under CO2 atmosphere (Ru@CNS-CO2) was able to produce phenolic monomers from corncob lignin with a yield up to 36.41 wt%, which was significantly higher than that from the run over N2-prepared catalyst (Ru@CNS-N2). The characterization of the catalysts demonstrated that the CNS-CO2 support had a larger specific surface area, richer C=S and C-S groups, and higher oxygen content than CNS-N2, resulting in finer Ru particles and more Ru0 content on the CNS-CO2 support. The Ru@CNS-CO2 catalyst exhibited high activity in hydrogenation and fragmentation of β-O-4 linkages.
Effects of ankle-brachial index and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity on all-cause mortality in a community-based elderly population
Authors: Zhang Anhang , Liu Yupeng , Ma Shouyuan , Bao Qiligeer , Sun Jin , Su Yongkang , Cai Shuang , Cheng Bokai , Li Man , Zhang Yan , Tao Tianqi , Qiu Jiaojiao , Dong Jing , Song Ge , Zhu Ping , Wang Shuxia 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundAnkle-brachial index (ABI) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) are both important indicators of arterial stiffness and vascular injury. At present, most studies on the relationship between ABI and baPWV and all-cause mortality in community-based elderly are analyzing ABI or baPWV alone, and will focus on a single special population such as diabetes and stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ABI and baPWV in a Chinese community-based elderly population, and to analyze their impact on all-cause mortality in a community-based population through a follow-up of nearly 10 years.MethodsParticipants were residents of the Wanshou Road community in Beijing, China. A total of 2,162 people in the community were included, with an average age of 71.48 years. During a mean follow-up period of 9.87 years, 1,826 subjects completed follow-up. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and different Cox regression models were used to verify the association of ABI and baPWV with all-cause mortality. The selected subjects were divided into two groups according to ABI and baPWV, and ABI was divided into two groups with 0.90 as the cut-off point (group 1: 0.9 &lt; ABI ≤ 1.3; group 2: ABI ≤ 0.9); according to the level of baPWV, they were divided into three groups (Tertile 1: baPWV &lt;1761.5 cm/s; Tertile 2: 1761.5 ≤ baPWV &lt;2121.5 cm/s; Tertile 3: baPWV ≥2121.5 cm/s).Results1,826 people were included in the statistical analysis, and the total mortality rate was 181.3/1000. The 10-year all-cause mortality rate of the abnormal ABI group (group 2) was 44.7%, and that of the normal ABI group (group 1) was 17.0%; The 10-year all-cause mortality rates from low to high in the baPWV tertile were 10.0%, 18.7%, and 26.4%. In the Cox proportional hazards model, after adjusting for possible confounders, the effect of baPWV on all-cause mortality was significant, with the 3rd tertile having a 1.647-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality than the 1st tertile (P = 0.014 ).ConclusionsABI and baPWV are risk factors affecting all-cause mortality in the elderly community population, and baPWV is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in the elderly community population.
Differential expression pattern, bioinformatics analysis, and validation of circRNA and mRNA in patients with arteriosclerosis
Authors: Liu Yunyun , Wang Kangjie , Li Guanhua , Chen Zhibo 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundLower limb arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) is the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in lower limb arteries, leading to vascular stenosis and occlusion, and is a major factor leading to lower limb amputation. The ASO seriously endangers the physical and mental health of patients. As living standards improve, the disease tends to occur in younger patients, and the incidence keeps increasing year by year. The circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to be tissue-specific, and they play an important role in a variety of diseases, but there are few studies on the pathogenic role and expression of circRNAs in ASOs.MethodThree diseased arteries from patients with ASO and three healthy arteries from healthy donors were collected for second-generation sequencing, and the pathogenic pathways and possible pathogenic circRNAs related to ASO were screened through bioinformatics analysis. PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to validate the sequencing results. The expression of circRNA-0008706 in human arterial smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) was knocked down using siRNA technology to explore its function.ResultWe identified 480 differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs and 2,997 DEmRNAs. Functional analysis revealed that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), lipid transport, regulation of extracellular matrix disassembly, regulation of cardiac muscle cell proliferation, branched-chain amino acid biosynthetic process, and positive regulation of cell growth and migration were enriched. Based on our previous microRNA array results, we constructed an ASO disease-specific competing endogenous (ceRNA) network. After validation, circRNA-0008706 was selected for functional analysis. Knockdown of circRNA-0008706 significantly suppressed the proliferation and migration phenotype of HASMCs and decreased the BCAT1 expression, which may be due to the specific binding of circRNA-0008706 to microRNA-125b-5p.ConclusionThis study is the first to compare the circRNA and mRNA expression profiles of ASOs and healthy arterial specimens and to construct a disease-specific ceRNA network for ASOs. This study may provide a new therapeutic target for ASO.
Quantitative acetylated proteomics on left atrial appendage tissues revealed atrial energy metabolism and contraction status in patients with valvular heart disease with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Tu Tao , Qin Fen , Bai Fan , Xiao Yichao , Ma Yingxu , Li Biao , Liu Na , Zhang Baojian , Sun Chao , Liao Xiaobo , Zhou Shenghua , Liu Qiming 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundNumerous basic studies have demonstrated critical roles of metabolic and contractile remodeling in pathophysiological changes of atrial fibrillation (AF), but acetylation changes underlying atrial remodeling have not been fully elucidated. Quantitative acetylated proteomics enables researchers to identify a comprehensive map of protein alterations responsible for pathological development and progression of AF in the heart of patients.Materials and methodsIn this study, 18 samples (9 with chronic AF and 9 with sinus rhythm) of left atrial appendage (LAA) tissues were obtained during mitral valve replacement surgery. Changes in the quantitative acetylated proteome between the AF and sinus rhythm (SR) groups were studied by dimethyl labeling, acetylation affinity enrichment, and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis.ResultsWe identified a total of 5,007 acetylated sites on 1,330 acetylated proteins, among which 352 acetylated sites on 193 acetylated proteins were differentially expressed between the AF and SR groups by setting a quantification ratio of 1.3 for threshold value and P &lt; 0.05 for significant statistical difference. The bioinformatics analysis showed that the differentially expressed acetylated proteins were mainly involved in energy metabolism and cellular contraction and structure function-related biological processes and pathways. Among 87 differentially expressed energy metabolism acetylated proteins related to the processes of fatty acid, carbohydrate, ketone body metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation, nearly 87.1% Kac sites were upregulated (148 Kac sites among 170) in the AF group. Besides, generally declining acetylation of cardiac muscle contraction-related proteins (88.9% Kac sites of myosin) was found in the LAA of patients with AF. Immune coprecipitation combined with Western blotting was conducted to validate the differential expression of acetylated proteins.ConclusionMany differentially expressed energy metabolism and cellular contraction acetylated proteins were found in the LAA tissues of patients with chronic AF, and may reflect the impaired ATP production capacity and decreased atrial muscle contractility in the atrium during AF. Thus, acetylation may play an important regulatory role in metabolic and contractile remodeling of the atrium during AF. Moreover, the identified new acetylated sites and proteins may become promising targets for prevention and treatment of AF.
Case Report: One alternative surgical treatment for retrograde peri-implantitis
Authors: Hoffman Matthew J , Hale Demetria D , Hale Kenneth L 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundRetrograde peri-implantitis is an infection at the apex of an implant, leading to progressive bone loss. We present a surgical technique that is an alternative to implant removal or “implantoplasty.”CaseA 47-year-old patient developed retrograde peri-implantitis 18 months after implant placement. As the infection was localized to the apex of the implant, an apicoectomy was performed on the implant. Post-operative serial periapical radiographs showed reparative tissue within 4 months, and a follow-up radiograph showed complete bone restoration 2 years later.Practical ImplicationsThe findings of this case suggest a viable alternative to condemnation and removal of an implant with a periapical infection. It may be viable to resect the contaminated portion of the implant, graft the defect, and gain long-term retention and service of the implant.
Out of the blue: Volcanic SO2 emissions during the 2021–2022 eruptions of Hunga Tonga—Hunga Ha’apai (Tonga)
Authors: Carn S. A. , Krotkov N. A. , Fisher B. L. , Li C. 
Published: September 2022

Most volcanism on Earth is submarine, but volcanic gas emissions by submarine eruptions are rarely observed and hence largely unquantified. On 15 January 2022 a submarine eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcano (Tonga) generated an explosion of historic magnitude, and was preceded by ∼1 month of Surtseyan eruptive activity and two precursory explosive eruptions. We present an analysis of ultraviolet (UV) satellite measurements of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) between December 2021 and the climactic 15 January 2022 eruption, comprising an unprecedented record of Surtseyan eruptive emissions. UV measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite, the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) on Suomi-NPP, the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on ESA’s Sentinel-5P, and the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) are combined to yield a consistent multi-sensor record of eruptive degassing. We estimate SO2 emissions during the eruption’s key phases: the initial 19 December 2021 eruption (∼0.01 Tg SO2); continuous SO2 emissions from 20 December 2021—early January 2022 (∼0.12 Tg SO2); the 13 January 2022 stratospheric eruption (0.06 Tg SO2); and the paroxysmal 15 January 2022 eruption (∼0.4–0.5 Tg SO2); yielding a total SO2 emission of ∼0.6–0.7 Tg SO2 for the eruptive episode. We interpret the vigorous SO2 emissions observed prior to the January 2022 eruptions, which were significantly higher than measured in the 2009 and 2014 HTHH eruptions, as strong evidence for a rejuvenated magmatic system. High cadence DSCOVR/EPIC SO2 imagery permits the first UV-based analysis of umbrella cloud spreading and volume flux in the 13 January 2022 eruption, and also tracks early dispersion of the stratospheric SO2 cloud injected on January 15. The ∼0.4–0.5 Tg SO2 discharged by the paroxysmal 15 January 2022 HTHH eruption is low relative to other eruptions of similar magnitude, and a review of other submarine eruptions in the satellite era indicates that modest SO2 yields may be characteristic of submarine volcanism, with the emissions and atmospheric impacts likely dominated by water vapor. The origin of the low SO2 loading awaits further investigation but scrubbing of SO2 in the water-rich eruption plumes and rapid conversion to sulfate aerosol are plausible, given the exceptional water emission by the 15 January 2022 HTHH eruption.
Qualitative–quantitative multiscale pore characteristics of black shale from the Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian black shale in the Southern Sichuan Basin, China
Authors: Han Chao , Zhang Yuetong , Wang Guorui , Li Hua , Zhang Zhihui , Li Qiang 
Published: September 2022

Accurate investigation of shale pores is critical to the assessment of shale-gas reservoir properties. Qualitative and quantitative methods have been commonly conducted in shale pore studies. In this study, we take the black shale from the Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian black shale in the Southern Sichuan Basin as an example. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to study the pores at multiple scales, and we discuss the effectiveness of shale pore detection by multiple methods. The following results were obtained: 1) The black shale is composed of quartz, feldsaper, calcite, dolomite and clay minerals in the study area, and its average TOC and porosity are 2.19 and 2.12%, respectively. 2) The CT results show that the pore size of macropores (pore size &gt;0.5 μm) mainly ranges from 2 to 16 μm. Nitrogen adsorption analysis shows that organic-rich shale has abundant organic matter pores with narrow necks and wide bodies. The pores of organic-poor shale are mainly composed of mineral-associated pores with narrow slit shapes. The NMR results show that with increasing TOC, the left peak T2 relaxation times move leftwards, meaning that organic matter pores have a larger pore size than matrix pores at the mesopore scale. 3) CT data identify lamellation fractures and bed-cutting fractures, and their development is controlled by mineral type and content, TOC and laminae density. 4) The determination of segmentation thresholds in CT and transverse surface relaxivity in NMR seriously affects the accuracy of the results.
Nationwide changes in physical activity, nutrient intake, and obesity in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic era
Authors: Yang Hong Jun , Park Saengryeol , Yoon Tai-Young , Ryoo Jae-Hong , Park Sung Keun , Jung Ju Young , Lee Ju-Hyung , Oh Chang-Mo 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundThis study aimed to examine changes in obesity rates and obesity-related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a previous period.MethodsAn ecological time-series study was designed using the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES) database from 2014 to 2020. The expected values of obesity rate, physical activity rate, and nutrient intake for 2020 were estimated. The differences between the predicted and actual values for 2020 were also examined. In addition, a multiple logistic regression model was used to examine the changes in obesity and physical activity rates in 2020 compared to 2019.ResultsThe actual obesity rates in 2020 were higher, and the walking and aerobic physical activity rates were lower than the predicted values for the same year. However, the actual resistance training rates in 2020 were higher and the total energy intake was lower than the predicted values for 2020. In the multiple logistic regression model, the odds ratios for obesity, aerobic physical activity, and walking among men in 2020 were 1.29 (95% CI: 1.08 to 1.55), 0.86 (0.74 to 1.01), and 0.84 (0.73 to 0.97), respectively, compared to those in 2019. However, there were no significant differences between the values for women in 2020 and 2019.ConclusionsThis study suggests that the male obesity rate in Korea has significantly increased during the COVID-19 epidemic, mainly due to a decrease in physical activity.
Development and verification of a new nuclear data processing code AXSP
Authors: Hu Kui , Ma Xubo , Ma Xuan , Huang Yuqin , Zhang Chen , Chen Yixue 
Published: September 2022

The advanced reactor design needs an accurate cross-section generation code. In this study, a new nuclear data processing code AXSP is developed, and the method and performance of which are described. Compared with the NJOY program, the precision of the unresolved resonance processing module UnresXS has been significantly improved due to the adoption of a more accurate solution method and the consideration of in-sequence overlap integrals. The time consumption of PUnresXS has been decreased significantly due to an optimized sorting algorithm. At the same time, other modules of AXSP are relatively comprehensive. The function of resolved resonance cross-section reconstruction and linearization is the ReconXS module. The Doppler broadening module is BroadXS by using Gauss–Hermite quadrature and Gauss–Legendre quadrature from 0 K temperature pointwise cross section to any temperature which is defined by the user. The shielding factor in the unresolved resonance energy region is calculated by the UnresXS or the PUnresXS module, which are developed based on the Bondarenko method and the probability table method, respectively. The ACE formatted cross sections for the Monte Carlo code is processed by the ACEXS module, and the multigroup cross sections are generated by the GroupXS module. The cross sections processed by different modules were verified by the NJOY2016 code, and the multigroup cross sections were also verified by using the critical benchmarks. The multiplication factor difference between AXSP and NJOY2016 is less than 20 pcm. In addition to this, the ZPR6/7 fast reactor is used for ACE format library verification. The results show that the criticality calculated by AXSP has a good agreement with that of NJOY2016.
Modeling drift and fate of microplastics in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Murawski Jens , She Jun , Frishfelds Vilnis 
Published: September 2022

Marine plastic litter has been recognized as a growing problem and a threat to the marine environment and ecosystems, although its impacts on the marine life are still largely unknown. Marine protection and conservation actions require a detailed knowledge of the marine pathways, sources, and sinks of land-emitted plastic pollution. Model-based assessments provide a systematic way to map the occurrence of microplastics in the marine environment and to link the coastal sources to the accumulation zones in the sea. New modeling capacities have been developed, which include relevant key processes, i.e., current- and wave-induced horizontal and vertical transport, biofilm growth on the particle surface, sinking, and sedimentation. The core engine is the HIROMB-BOOS ocean circulation model, which has been set up for the Baltic Sea in a high, eddy-permitting resolution of approximately 900 m. We introduce the three-dimensional modeling tool for microplastics and demonstrate its ability to reproduce the drift pattern of microplastics in the Baltic Sea. The results of a multiyear run 2014–2019 provide the basis for an extensive validation study, which allows the evaluation of the model quality. The assessments focus on three types of microplastics, from car tires and household products, with different densities and particle sizes, which cover a broad range of land-emitted microplastic pollution. We show that the model is applicable to the task of identifying high concentration zones in the Baltic Sea and that it can be a useful tool to support the study of the environmental impacts of microplastics in the Baltic Sea. Our results suggest that microplastic concentrations in coastal regions close to major sources reach values above 0.0001 g/m3 near the surface, dependent on the buoyancy of the plastic material and the amount of discharge. The comparison with observations shows that the model is able to reproduce the average concentrations of measured microplastics in the size class of 300 μm with statistical significance, but it underestimates the very high concentrations associated either with flooding or high river-runoff events or generated by sub-mesoscale transport. The model is able to reproduce the seasonal dynamic in Latvian and Estonian waters, except for October, when the increase of modelled microplastics in the ocean is too slow. But the general spatial patterns are sufficiently well reproduced, which makes the developed model a tool sufficient for the assessment of microplastic transport and accumulation pattern.