bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cerebral oxygenation and cardiac output responses during short repeated-sprints exercise and modulatory effect of glucose ingestion
Authors: Armada-da-Silva Paulo A. S. , Mingzhu Hu , Zongze Wu , Linjian Wen , Ruisen Feng , Zeng Xinglin , Yuan Zhen , Kong Zhaowei 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIn this study we investigated changes in concentrations of cerebral oxyhaemoglobin (O2Hb), deoxyhaemoglobin (HHb), and total haemoglobin (tHb) during repeated sprints and their relationship with cardiac output. We also examined the effect of glucose ingestion and acute hyperglycaemia on cerebral haemoglobin responses. Ten young male participants ingested either a glucose drink (70 g) or a placebo before performing a set of 10 repeated 6-second sprints on a cycle ergometer. Heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output were measured continuously using impedance cardiography, while changes in O2Hb, HHb, and tHb in the frontal region of the cerebral cortex were measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The results showed that each sprint elicited a transient increase in O2Hb and to lesser extent HHb concentrations, which was enhanced with the number of sprint repetitions and correlated with cardiac output. After each sprint, O2Hb and HHb quickly returned to baseline, while cardiac output remained elevated. At the end of the repeated sprints, O2Hb was decreased to below pre-exercise levels, while HHb and tHb were elevated. After a recovery of 10-15 min, O2Hb returned to pre-exercise values in the placebo trial, but increased to above pre-exercise values (reactive hyperaemia) in the glucose trial. Our findings suggest that short sprint exercise increases O2Hb, HHb, and tHb levels during exertion in parallel with cardiac output. However, in addition to the transient increase in cerebral haemoglobin, a progressive decline in cerebral oxygen saturation occurs during repeated sprints. Glucose ingestion does not alter cerebral haemoglobin responses to sprint exercise but appears to be associated with faster recovery of O2Hb.
The global distribution of angiosperm genome size is shaped by climate
Authors: Bureš Petr , Elliott Tammy L. , Veselý Pavel , Šmarda Petr , Forest Félix , Leitch Ilia J. , Lughadha Eimear Nic , Gomez Marybel Soto , Pironon Samuel , Brown Matilda J. M. , Šmerda Jakub , Zedek František 
Published: December 2022

SummaryAngiosperms, which inhabit diverse environments across all continents, exhibit significant variation in genome sizes, making them an excellent model system for examining hypotheses about the global distribution of genome size. These include the previously proposed large-genome-constraint, mutational-hazard, polyploidy-mediated, and climate-mediated hypotheses.We compiled the largest genome size dataset to date, encompassing >5% of known angiosperm species, and analyzed genome size distribution using a comprehensive geographic distribution dataset for all angiosperms.We observed that angiosperms with large range sizes generally had small genomes, supporting the large-genome-constraint hypothesis. Climate was shown to exert a strong influence on genome size distribution along the global latitudinal gradient, while the frequency of polyploidy and the type of growth form had negligible effects. In contrast to the unimodal patterns along the global latitudinal gradient shown by plant size traits and polyploid proportions, the increase in angiosperm genome size from the equator to 40-50°N/S is probably mediated by different (mostly climatic) mechanisms than the decrease in genome sizes observed from 40–50°N northwards.Our analysis suggests that the global distribution of genome sizes in angiosperms is mainly shaped by climatically-mediated purifying selection, genetic drift, relaxed selection, and environmental filtering.
Refeeding-associated AMPKγ1complex activity is a hallmark of health and longevity
Authors: Ripa Roberto , Ballhysa Eugen , Steiner Joachim D. , Annibal Andrea , Hochhard Nadine , Latza Christian , Dolfi Luca , Calabrese Chiara , Meyer Anna M. , Polidori M. Cristina , Müller Roman-Ulrich , Antebi Adam 
Published: December 2022

AbstractLate-life-initiated dietary interventions negligibly extend longevity or reduce frailty, yet the reason remains unknown. We investigated the age-related changes associated with the fasting response in adipose tissue of the short-lived killifishN. furzeri. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the presence of a fasting-like transcriptional program (FLTP) in old animals that is irrespective of their nutritional status and characterized by widespread suppression of anabolic processes. FLTP is associated with reduced expression of the AMPK γ1 regulatory subunit. Accordingly, refeeding positively regulates γ1 expression in young but not in old animals. Fish having sustained AMPKγ1activation had no sign of FLTP in old age and exhibited metabolic health and longevity. In humans, we found that γ1 expression declines with age and is associated with multimorbidity and multidimensional frailty risk. Our study highlights the importance of the refeeding arm in promoting health and longevity and identifies the AMPKγ1complex as a potential target to prevent age-related diseases in humans.
Till evolution do us part: The diversity of symbiotic associations across populations ofPhilaenusspittlebugs
Authors: Kolasa Michał , Kajtoch Łukasz , Michalik Anna , Maryańska-Nadachowska Anna , Łukasik Piotr 
Published: December 2022

AbstractSymbiotic bacteria have played crucial roles in the evolution of sap-feeding insects and can strongly affect host function. However, their diversity and distribution within species are not well understood; we don’t know to what extent environmental factors or associations with other species may affect microbial community profiles. Here, we sequenced host and bacterial marker gene amplicons to survey the bacterial community composition across multiple populations ofPhilaenusspittlebugs.Host mitochondrial sequence data confirmed morphology-based identification of 6 species and revealed two divergent clades ofPhilaenus spumarius. All of them hosted the primary symbiontSulciathat was almost always accompanied bySodalis. Interestingly, populations and individuals often differed in the presence ofSodalissequence variants, suggestive of intra-genome 16S rRNA variant polymorphism combined with rapid genome evolution and/or recent additional infections or replacements of the co-primary symbiont. The prevalence of facultative endosymbionts, includingWolbachia, Rickettsia, andSpiroplasma, varied among populations.Notably, COI amplicon data also showed that nearly a quarter ofP. spumariuswere infected by parasitoid flies (Verralia aucta). One of theWolbachiaOTUs was exclusively present inVerralia-parasitized specimens, suggestive of parasitoids as their source and highlighting the utility of host gene amplicon sequencing in microbiome studies.
Engineered superinfective Pf phage prevents dissemination ofPseudomonas aeruginosain a mouse burn model
Authors: Prokopczuk Federico I , Im Hansol , Campos-Gomez Javier , Orihuela Carlos J. , Martinez Eriel 
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACTPf is a filamentous bacteriophage integrated in the chromosome of most clinical isolates ofPseudomonas aeruginosa. Under stress conditions, mutations occurring in the Pf genome result in the emergence of super-infective variants of Pf (SI-Pf) that are capable of circumventing phage immunity; therefore SI-Pf can even infect Pf-lysogenizedP. aeruginosa. Herein, we identified specific mutations located between the repressor and the excisionase genes that result in the emergence of SI-Pf. Based on these findings, we genetically engineered a SI-Pf (eSI-Pf) and tested it as a phage therapy tool for the treatment of life-threateningP. aeruginosainfection of burns caused by strain PAO1. eSI-Pf was able to infect PAO1 biofilms formed in vitro on polystyrene and inhibited their formation when at high concentration. eSI-Pf also infected PAO1 present in burned skin wounds on mice but was not capable of maintaining a sustained reduction in bacterial burden beyond 24 hours. Importantly, and despite not lowering CFU/g of burn skin tissue, eSI-Pf treatment completely abolished the capability ofP. aeruginosato disseminate from the burn site to internal organs. Over the course of 10 days, this resulted in bacterial clearance and survival of all treated mice. We determined that eSI-Pf induced a small colony variant ofP. aeruginosathat was unable to disseminate systemically in our burned mouse model during acute infection. Our results suggest that eSI-Pf has potential as a phage therapy against highly recalcitrant antimicrobial resistantP. aeruginosainfections of burn wounds.IMPORTANCEPseudomonas aeruginosais a major cause of burn related infections. It is also the most likely bacterial infection to advance to sepsis and result in burn-linked death. Frequently,P. aeruginosastrains isolated from burn patients display a multidrug resistant phenotype necessitating the development of new therapeutic strategies and prophylactic treatments. In this context, phage therapy using lytic phages has demonstrated exciting potential in the controlP. aeruginosainfection. However, lytic phages have a set of drawbacks during phage therapy including the induction of bacterial resistance and limited bacteria-phage interactions in vivo. Here we propose an alternative approach to interfere withP. aeruginosapathogenesis in a burn infection model, i.e., using an engineered super-infective filamentous phage. Our study demonstrates that treatment with the engineered Pf phage can prevent sepsis and death in a burn mouse model.
Natural killer cell educating KIR/HLA combinations impact survival in anti-PD-L1 treated cancer patients
Authors: Roe David , Rosoff Howard , Ruan Dan Fu , Khan Zia , Dogra Pranay , Carroll Jonathan , Hunkapiller Julie , Mohindra Rajat , Srivastava Minu K. , Nabet Barzin Y. , Chandler G. Scott , Albert Matthew L. , McCarthy Mark I. , Mellman Ira , Horowitz Amir , Hammer Christian 
Published: December 2022

AbstractNatural killer (NK) cells are educated through the binding of killer immunoglobulin like receptors (KIR) to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins, but it is unknown whether the presence of these highly diverse KIR/HLA interactions influence responses to immunotherapy in solid tumors. We report herein two observations that shed light on NK cell function and abundance in anti-tumor immune responses. In patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with anti-PD-L1 therapy, we found that individuals carrying HLA-C1 and HLA-Bw4 alleles and the genes coding for their receptors KIR2DL3 and KIR3DL1 showed improved overall survival (OS). Combined with our second finding that NK cell infiltration was independently associated with improved OS, our findings have important implications for precision medicine approaches and the development of NK cell-based therapies.
Quantitative differentiation of minimal-fat angiomyolipomas from renal cell carcinomas using grating-based x-ray phase-contrast computed tomography: an ex vivo study
Authors: Birnbacher Lorenz , Braunagel Margarita , Willner Marian , Marschner Mathias , De Marco Fabio , Viermetz Manuel , Auweter Sigrid , Notohamiprodjo Susan , Hellbach Katharina , Notohamiprodjo Mike , Staehler Michael , Pfeiffer Daniela , Reiser Maximilian F. , Pfeiffer Franz , Herzen Julia 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe differentiation of minimal-fat—or low-fat—angiomyolipomas from other renal lesions is clinically challenging in conventional computed tomography. In this work, we have assessed the potential of grating-based x-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (GBPC-CT) for visualization and quantitative differentiation of minimal-fat angiomyolipomas (mfAMLs) and oncocytomas from renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) on ex vivo renal samples.Materials and methodsLaboratory GBPC-CT was performed at 40 kVp on 28 ex vivo kidney specimens including five angiomyolipomas with three minimal-fat (mfAMLs) and two high-fat (hfAMLs) subtypes as well as three oncocytomas and 20 RCCs with eight clear cell (ccRCCs), seven papillary (pRCCs) and five chromophobe RCC (chrRCC) subtypes. Quantitative values of conventional Hounsfield units (HU) and phase-contrast Hounsfield units (HUp) were determined and histogram analysis was performed on GBPC-CT and grating-based attenuation-contrast computed tomography (GBAC-CT) slices for each specimen. For comparison, the same specimens were imaged at a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.ResultsWe have successfully matched GBPC-CT images with clinical MRI and histology, as GBPC-CT presented with increased soft tissue contrast compared to absorption-based images. GBPC-CT images revealed a significant (p<0.05) difference between mfAML samples (58±4 HUp), hfAML (−58±17 HUp) and RCCs (ccRCCs: 40±12 HUp; pRCCs: 43±9 HUp; chrRCCs: 40±7 HUp) in contrast to corresponding laboratory attenuation-contrast CT and clinical MRI. Due to the heterogeneity and lower signal of oncocytomas (44±10 HUp), quantitative differentiation of the samples based on HUp or in combination with HUs was not possible.ConclusionsGBPC-CT allows quantitative differentiation of minimal-fat angiomyolipomas from oncocytomas and RCCs in contrast to absorption-based imaging and clinical MRI.
Poverty shapes the transcriptome of immune cells
Authors: Arnold Nicole S. , Resztak Justyna , Witonsky David , Alazizi Adnan , Hooten Nicole Noren , Evans Michele K. , Odero-Marah Valerie , Dluzen Douglas F. , Pique-Regi Roger , Luca Francesca 
Published: December 2022

AbstractSocial factors influence health outcomes and life expectancy. Individuals living in poverty often have adverse health outcomes related to chronic inflammation that affect the cardiovascular, renal, and pulmonary systems. Negative psychosocial experiences are associated with transcriptional changes in genes associated with complex traits. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which poverty increases the risk of disease and health disparities are still not fully understood. To bridge the gap in our understanding of the link between living in poverty and adverse health outcomes, we performed RNA sequencing of blood immune cells from 204 participants of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study in Baltimore, Maryland. We identified 138 genes differentially expressed in association with poverty. Genes differentially expressed were enriched in wound healing and coagulation processes. Of the genes differentially expressed in individuals living in poverty,EEF1DP7andVIL1are also associated with hypertension in transcriptome-wide association studies. Our results suggest that living in poverty influences inflammation and the risk for cardiovascular disease through gene expression changes in immune cells.
Identifying the most probable mammal reservoir hosts for Monkeypox virus based on ecological niche comparisons
Authors: Curaudeau Manon , Besombes Camille , Nakouné Emmanuel , Fontanet Arnaud , Gessain Antoine , Hassanin Alexandre 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundPrevious human cases or epidemics have suggested that Monkeypox virus (MPXV) can be transmitted through contacts with animals of African rainforests. Although MPXV has been identified in many mammal species, most are likely secondary hosts and the reservoir host has yet to be discovered.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn this study, we provide the full list of African mammal genera (and species) in which MPXV was previously detected and predict the geographic distributions of all species of these genera based on museum specimens and an ecological niche modelling (ENM) method. Then, we reconstruct the ecological niche of MPXV using georeferenced data on animal MPXV sequences and human index cases, and conduct overlap analyses with the ecological niches inferred for 99 mammal species in order to identify the most probable animal reservoir.Conclusions/SignificanceOur results show that the MPXV niche covers three African rainforests, the Congo Basin and Upper and Lower Guinean forests. The four mammal species showing the best niche overlap with MPXV are all arboreal rodents, including three squirrels,Funisciurus anerythrus, Funisciurus pyrropus, andHeliosciurus rufobrachium, andGraphiurus lorraineus. We conclude that the most probable MPXV reservoir isF. anerythrusbased on two niche overlap metrics, the areas of higher probabilities of occurrence, and available data on MPXV detection.SummaryMonkeypox (MPX) is an emerging zoonotic disease, endemic to rainforests of West and Central Africa, which manifests as a fever, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue, followed by a rash with macular lesions progressing from papules to vesicles, pustules and scabs, usually on the face, hands, and feet for two to four weeks. The case fatality rate ranges from 1-3% in West Africa to 5-10% in Central Africa. The disease has been reported in 10 African countries between 1970 and today, with an increasing number of cases over the last decades and several exportations outside the continent, the last one in 2022 resulting in an epidemic involving mostly men who have sex with men, with more than 80,000 cases detected worldwide.Although MPX virus has been identified in many mammal species, most are likely secondary hosts and the reservoir host has yet to be discovered. In this study, we compare the predicted geographic distribution (ecological niche) of the MPX virus with that of 99 mammal species, and conclude that the most probable MPX reservoir is Thomas’s rope squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus), followed by three other arboreal rodents, including two squirrels (Funisciurus pyrropusandHeliosciurus rufobrachium) and the Lorrain dormouse (Graphiurus lorraineus).
Non-Canonical Functions of a Mutant TSC2 Protein in Mitotic Division
Authors: Chalkley Mary-Bronwen L. , Mersfelder Rachel B. , Sundberg Maria , Armstrong Laura , Sahin Mustafa , Ihrie Rebecca A. , Ess Kevin C. 
Published: December 2022

SUMMARYTuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations including epilepsy, autism, and intellectual disability. TSC is caused by mutations in theTSC1orTSC2genes, which encode the hamartin/tuberin proteins respectively. These proteins function as a heterodimer that negatively regulates mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1). TSC research has focused on the effects of mTORC1, a critical signaling hub, on regulation of diverse cell processes including metabolism, cell growth, translation, and neurogenesis. However, non-canonical functions of TSC2 are not well studied, and the potential disease-relevant biological mechanisms are not well understood. We observed aberrant multipolar mitotic division, a novel phenotype, inTSC2mutant iPSCs. The multipolar phenotype is not meaningfully affected by treatment with mTORC1 inhibition, suggesting that multipolar division is an mTORC1-independent phenotype. We further observed dominant negative activity of the mutant form of TSC2 in producing the multipolar division phenotype. These data expand the knowledge of TSC2 function and pathophysiology which will be highly relevant to future treatments for patients with TSC.HighlightsNovel multipolar division in patient-derived iPSCs with mutant form of tuberin, TSC2 encoded proteinMutant tuberin may act in a dominant negative, mTORC1-independent mannereTOCTuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a disorder caused by mutations inTSC1orTSC2genes leading to mTORC1 hyperactivity. Chalkley and colleagues found that a mutant microdeletion allele of TSC2 causes multipolar division in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Chalkley and colleagues also found that the multipolar division from mutant TSC2 may have a dominant negative mechanism and be mTOR1-independent.
Attention weights accurately predict language representations in the brain
Authors: Lamarre Mathis , Chen Catherine , Deniz Fatma 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIn Transformer-based language models (LMs) the attention mechanism converts token embeddings into contextual embeddings that incorporate information from neighboring words. The resulting contextual hidden state embeddings have enabled highly accurate models of brain responses, suggesting that the attention mechanism constructs contextual embeddings that carry information reflected in language-related brain representations. However, it is unclear whether the attention weights that are used to integrate information across words are themselves related to language representations in the brain. To address this question we analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recordings of participants reading English language narratives. We provided the narrative text as input to two LMs (BERT and GPT-2) and extracted their corresponding attention weights. We then used encoding models to determine how well attention weights can predict recorded brain responses. We find that attention weights accurately predict brain responses in much of the frontal and temporal cortices. Our results suggest that the attention mechanism itself carries information that is reflected in brain representations. Moreover, these results indicate cortical areas in which context integration may occur.
The role of preventive education on the effectiveness of responsible drinking campaigns: a qualitative study of university students
Authors: Farace Biasino , Tarabella Angela 
Published: December 2022

PurposeThe purpose of the research is to evaluate the visibility and effectiveness of responsible drinking campaigns used for the sale of the product “beer” (on labels and commercials) on a sample of university students at the University of Pisa to verify whether a preventive “education” on the issue of the effects of alcohol consumption is suitable to improve the perception of responsible communication.Design/methodology/approachA focus group methodology was used. Three interviews were conducted with 21 university students. The interview protocol was divided into three sections and ten guiding questions were prepared to conduct the focus groups.FindingsThe study shows the weak effectiveness of responsible communication promoted by brewers, even though the sample knew aspects related to responsible communication and the adverse health effects of alcohol. Most respondents failed to remember the existence of responsibility messages placed on beverage labels, except as a result of visual stimuli, a sign that preventive education can play a role in message recognition. Commercials seem to have a more significant impact when associated with the dangers of drunk driving. However, promoting consumer awareness campaigns continues to be perceived as contradictory.Originality/valueThis study presents the results of qualitative research that focuses on university students' perceptions of the effectiveness of the most recent responsible communication campaigns conducted by brewers. The research is significant in assessing the effectiveness of communication tools, providing theoretical and industrial implications for improving the understanding of the phenomenon and the effectiveness of responsible messages.