bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Poor hygiene of housing conditions influences energy metabolism in a muscle type-dependent manner in growing pigs differing in feed efficiency
Authors: Vincent Annie , Dessauge Frédéric , Gondret Florence , Lebret Bénédicte , Le Floc’h Nathalie , Louveau Isabelle , Lefaucheur Louis 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe ability of pigs to cope with inflammatory challenges may by modified by selection for residual feed intake (RFI), a measure of feed efficiency. In the current study, we evaluated skeletal muscle metabolic responses to degraded hygiene conditions in pigs divergently selected for RFI. At 82 d of age, low RFI and high RFI pigs were housed in either poor or good hygiene conditions. After a 6-week challenge, the poor hygiene conditions induced a decrease in growth performance (P < 0.001) and in plasma IGF-I concentrations (P < 0.003) in both lines. In the slow-twitch oxidative semispinalis muscle, poor hygiene conditions induced a shift towards a more oxidative metabolism and an activation of the AMPK pathway in pigs of both RFI lines. In the fast-twitch glycolytic longississimus muscle, poor hygiene conditions were associated to a less glycolytic metabolism in the HRFI line only. Poor hygiene conditions also increased the protein level of lipidation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light-chain 3β (LC3-II) in both RFI lines, suggesting an activation of the autophagy pathway. Altogether, the data revealed muscle-type specific metabolic adaptations to poor hygiene conditions, which may be related to different strategies to fuel the activated immune system.
Musculoskeletal modelling and simulation of oil palm fresh fruit bunch harvesting
Authors: Chan Yon Sin , Teo Yu Xuan , Gouwanda Darwin , Nurzaman Surya Girinatha , Gopalai Alpha Agape , Thannirmalai Subbiah 
Published: May 2022

AbstractOil palm harvesting is a labor-intensive activity and yet it was rarely investigated. Studies showed that complementing human motion analysis with musculoskeletal modelling and simulation can provide valuable information about the dynamics of the joints and muscles. Therefore, this study aims to be the first to create and evaluate an upper extremity musculoskeletal model of the oil palm harvesting motion and to assess the associated Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risk. Tests were conducted at a Malaysia oil palm plantation. Six Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and Surface Electromyography (sEMG) were used to collect kinematics of the back, shoulder and elbow joints and to measure the muscle activations of longissimus, multifidus, biceps and triceps. The simulated joint angles and muscle activations were validated against the commercial motion capture tool and sEMG, respectively. The muscle forces, joint moments and activations of rectus abdominis, iliocostalis, external oblique, internal oblique and latissimus dorsi were investigated. Findings showed that the longissimus, iliocostalis and rectus abdominis were the primary muscles relied on during harvesting. The harvesters were exposed to a higher risk of MSD while performing back flexion and back rotation. These findings provide insights into the dynamical behavior of the upper extremity muscles and joints that can potentially be used to derive ways to improve the ergonomics of oil palm harvesting, minimize the MSD risk and to design and develop assistive engineering and technological devices or tools for this activity.
Exploring phylogenetic relationships within the subgenera of Bambusa based on DNA barcodes and morphological characteristics
Authors: Wang An Ke , Lu Qi Fan , Zhu Zhen Xian , Liu Sheng Hui , Zhong Hao , Xiao Zi Zhang , Zou Yue Guo , Gu Li Jian , Du Xu Hua , Cai Han Jiang , Bi Yu Fang 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe genus Bambusa belongs to the subtribe Bambusinae and the subfamily Bambusoideae. The subgenera of Bambusa has not been satisfactorily circumscribed, and this remains a major taxonomic issue. Simultaneously, genera such as Dendrocalamus and Gigantochloa have not been confidently assigned to Bambusa. Here, the phylogenetic relationships among subgenera were investigated using five chloroplast DNA markers (rpl32-trnL, rpl16, matK, rbcL, and trnH-psbA) for a sample of 50 ingroup and 16 outgroup species. A total of 186 key morphological descriptors were studied for the 50 ingroup species. The results indicated that five chloroplast DNA markers were possible to distinguish Bambusa species from other species and divide them into several clusters. Phylogenetic analyses conducted using morphological descriptors and a combined marker (rpl32-trnL+rpl16) revealed three and five distinct lineages, respectively, among the currently recognized Bambusa species. The branching pattern of the dendrogram was not completely consistent with the classical taxonomic classification of Bambusa. In addition, not all varieties and cultivars were clustered with McClure classifications. As the maximum parsimony topology and morphological analyses were inconsistent, some clustering results overlapped. Overall, the results obtained here do not support the current classification of the Bambusa subgenera.
A machine learning approach to predict resilience and sickness absence in the healthcare workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lieslehto Johannes , Rantanen Noora , Oksanen Lotta-Maria A. H. , Oksanen Sampo A. , Kivimäki Anne , Paju Susanna , Pietiäinen Milla , Lahdentausta Laura , Pussinen Pirkko , Anttila Veli-Jukka , Lehtonen Lasse , Lallukka Tea , Geneid Ahmed , Sanmark Enni 
Published: May 2022

AbstractDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have faced unprecedented workloads and personal health risks leading to mental disorders and surges in sickness absence. Previous work has shown that interindividual differences in psychological resilience might explain why only some individuals are vulnerable to these consequences. However, no prognostic tools to predict individual HCW resilience during the pandemic have been developed. We deployed machine learning (ML) to predict psychological resilience during the pandemic. The models were trained in HCWs of the largest Finnish hospital, Helsinki University Hospital (HUS, N = 487), with a six-month follow-up, and prognostic generalizability was evaluated in two independent HCW validation samples (Social and Health Services in Kymenlaakso: Kymsote, N = 77 and the City of Helsinki, N = 322) with similar follow-ups never used for training the models. Using the most predictive items to predict future psychological resilience resulted in a balanced accuracy (BAC) of 72.7–74.3% in the HUS sample. Similar performances (BAC = 67–77%) were observed in the two independent validation samples. The models' predictions translated to a high probability of sickness absence during the pandemic. Our results provide the first evidence that ML techniques could be harnessed for the early detection of COVID-19-related distress among HCWs, thereby providing an avenue for potential targeted interventions.
The effects of aqueous extract from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) peel on the growth and physiological characteristics of Dolichospermum flos-aquae
Authors: Yan Jin , Xu Peiyao , Zhang Fengrui , Huang Xinyue , Cao Yanmin , Zhang Shenghua 
Published: May 2022

AbstractNowadays, the increasing Dolichospermum (Anabaena) blooms pose a major threat to the aquatic environment and public health worldwide. The use of naturally derived chemicals from plants to control cyanobacteria blooms has recently received a tremendous amount of attention. This study investigates the possibility of transforming watermelon peel (WMP) into a biological resource to allelopathically inhibit Dolichospermum flos-aquae blooms. The results demonstrated that the growth of D. flos-aquae was efficiently restricted by the aqueous extract of watermelon peel (WMPAE) in a concentration-dependent manner. Cell viability decreased quickly, intracellular structural damage occurred, chlorophyll a in algal cells degraded, and photosynthesis was clearly inhibited. At the same time, the levels of reactive oxygen species in viable cells increased significantly, as did malondialdehyde levels, indicating that WMPAE elucidated strong oxidative stress and corresponding damage to D. flos-aquae. Capsular polysaccharide (CPS) levels increased in all treatment groups, which represents an adaptive response indicative of the development of resistance to WMPAE stress and oxidative damage. Despite this, WMPAE had clear inhibitory effects on D. flos-aquae. These findings provide fundamental information on an allelopathic system that could be a novel and attractive approach for suppressing D. flos-aquae blooms in small aquatic environments, especially aquaculture ponds.
Neural activity of the auditory cortex predicts speech recognition of patients with asymmetric hearing loss after cochlear implantation
Authors: Speck Iva , Arndt Susan , Thurow Johannes , Rau Alexander , Aschendorff Antje , Meyer Philipp T. , Frings Lars , Blazhenets Ganna 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPatients with asymmetric hearing loss show an asymmetry of glucose metabolism of the primary auditory cortex (PAC). We investigated whether this asymmetry could serve as an objective predictor for speech recognition with CI. Nine patients underwent 18FDG PET prior to CI surgery. Average normalized 18FDG uptake of 25% of voxels with highest uptake was calculated for the PAC employing a probabilistic atlas and cerebellar cortex as reference. Differences in glucose metabolism of the PAC were assessed by an asymmetry index (AI-PAC). We tested the correlation between outcome of CI surgery (6 months post implantation), AI-PAC and clinical predictors. Pre-operative AI-PAC showed a positive correlation with speech recognition with CI (significant for sentences and numbers; trend for monosyllabic words). With a pre-operative AI-PAC ≥ 4.2%, patients reached good CI outcome in sentence recognition of 59–90% and number recognition of 90–100% and less favorable CI outcome in monosyllabic word recognition of 25–45%. Age at symptom onset was significantly associated with all measures of speech recognition, while deafness duration was only associated with sentence recognition. AI-PAC allows for a reliable and quantitative pre-operative prediction of early improvement in speech recognition after CI. 18FDG PET may be a valuable addition to the objective pre-operative assessment of CI candidates. Further studies in larger cohorts and with longer follow-up times are needed.
RT-qPCR-based tests for SARS-CoV-2 detection in pooled saliva samples for massive population screening to monitor epidemics
Authors: Różański Michał , Walczak-Drzewiecka Aurelia , Witaszewska Jolanta , Wójcik Ewelina , Guziński Arkadiusz , Zimoń Bogumił , Matusiak Rafał , Kazimierczak Joanna , Borowiec Maciej , Kania Katarzyna , Paradowska Edyta , Pawełczyk Jakub , Dziadek Jarosław , Dastych Jarosław 
Published: May 2022

AbstractSwab, RT-qPCR tests remain the gold standard of diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 infections. These tests are costly and have limited throughput. We developed a 3-gene, seminested RT-qPCR test with SYBR green-based detection designed to be oversensitive rather than overspecific for high-throughput diagnostics of populations. This two-tier approach depends on decentralized self-collection of saliva samples, pooling, 1st-tier testing with highly sensitive screening test and subsequent 2nd-tier testing of individual samples from positive pools with the IVD test. The screening test was able to detect five copies of the viral genome in 10 µl of isolated RNA with 50% probability and 18.8 copies with 95% probability and reached Ct values that were highly linearly RNA concentration-dependent. In the side-by-side comparison, the screening test attained slightly better results than the commercially available IVD-certified RT-qPCR diagnostic test DiaPlexQ (100% specificity and 89.8% sensitivity vs. 100% and 73.5%, respectively). Testing of 1475 individual clinical samples pooled in 374 pools of four revealed 0.8% false positive pools and no false negative pools. In weekly prophylactic testing of 113 people within 6 months, a two-tier testing approach enabled the detection of 18 infected individuals, including several asymptomatic individuals, with substantially lower cost than individual RT-PCR testing.
Tracking COVID-19 urban activity changes in the Middle East from nighttime lights
Authors: Stokes Eleanor C. , Román Miguel O. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world have enacted widespread physical distancing measures to prevent and control virus transmission. Quantitative, spatially-disaggregated information about the population-scale shifts in activity that have resulted from these measures is extremely scarce, particularly for regions outside of Europe and the US. Public health institutions often must make decisions about control measures with limited region-specific data about how they will affect societal behavior, patterns of exposure, and infection outcomes. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Day/Night Band (VIIRS DNB), a new-generation space-borne low-light imager, has the potential to track changes in human activity, but the capability has not yet been applied to a cross-country analysis of COVID-19 responses. Here, we examine multi-year (2015–2020) daily time-series data derived from NASA’s Black Marble VIIRS nighttime lights product (VNP46A2) covering 584 urban areas, in 17 countries in the Middle East to understand how communities have adhered to COVID-19 measures in the first 4 months of the pandemic. Nighttime lights capture the onset of national curfews and lockdowns well, but also expose the inconsistent response to control measures both across and within countries. In conflict-afflicted countries, low adherence to lockdowns and curfews was observed, highlighting the compound health and security threats that fragile states face. Our findings show how satellite measurements can aid in assessing the public response to physical distancing policies and the socio-cultural factors that shape their success, especially in fragile and data-sparse regions.
Socioecology shapes child and adolescent time allocation in twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies
Authors: Lew-Levy Sheina , Reckin Rachel , Kissler Stephen M. , Pretelli Ilaria , Boyette Adam H. , Crittenden Alyssa N. , Hagen Renée V. , Haas Randall , Kramer Karen L. , Koster Jeremy , O’Brien Matthew J. , Sonoda Koji , Surovell Todd A. , Stieglitz Jonathan , Tucker Bram , Lavi Noa , Ellis-Davies Kate , Davis Helen E. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractA key issue distinguishing prominent evolutionary models of human life history is whether prolonged childhood evolved to facilitate learning in a skill- and strength-intensive foraging niche requiring high levels of cooperation. Considering the diversity of environments humans inhabit, children’s activities should also reflect local social and ecological opportunities and constraints. To better understand our species’ developmental plasticity, the present paper compiled a time allocation dataset for children and adolescents from twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies (n = 690; 3–18 years; 52% girls). We investigated how environmental factors, local ecological risk, and men and women’s relative energetic contributions were associated with cross-cultural variation in child and adolescent time allocation to childcare, food production, domestic work, and play. Annual precipitation, annual mean temperature, and net primary productivity were not strongly associated with child and adolescent activity budgets. Increased risk of encounters with dangerous animals and dehydration negatively predicted time allocation to childcare and domestic work, but not food production. Gender differences in child and adolescent activity budgets were stronger in societies where men made greater direct contributions to food production than women. We interpret these findings as suggesting that children and their caregivers adjust their activities to facilitate the early acquisition of knowledge which helps children safely cooperate with adults in a range of social and ecological environments. These findings compel us to consider how childhood may have also evolved to facilitate flexible participation in productive activities in early life.
Anti-nucleocapsid antibodies enhance the production of IL-6 induced by SARS-CoV-2 N protein
Authors: Nakayama Emi E. , Kubota-Koketsu Ritsuko , Sasaki Tadahiro , Suzuki Keita , Uno Kazuko , Shimizu Jun , Okamoto Toru , Matsumoto Hisatake , Matsuura Hiroshi , Hashimoto Shoji , Tanaka Toshio , Harada Hiromasa , Tomita Masafumi , Kaneko Mitsunori , Yoshizaki Kazuyuki , Shioda Tatsuo 
Published: May 2022

AbstractA cytokine storm induces acute respiratory distress syndrome, the main cause of death in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. However, the detailed mechanisms of cytokine induction due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remain unclear. To examine the cytokine production in COVID-19, we mimicked the disease in SARS-CoV-2-infected alveoli by adding the lysate of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells to cultured macrophages or induced pluripotent stem cell-derived myeloid cells. The cells secreted interleukin (IL)-6 after the addition of SARS-CoV-2-infected cell lysate. Screening of 25 SARS-CoV-2 protein-expressing plasmids revealed that the N protein-coding plasmid alone induced IL-6 production. The addition of anti-N antibody further enhanced IL-6 production, but the F(ab’)2 fragment did not. Sera from COVID-19 patients also enhanced IL-6 production, and sera from patients with severer disease induced higher levels of IL-6. These results suggest that anti-N antibody promotes IL-6 production in SARS-CoV-2-infected alveoli, leading to the cytokine storm of COVID-19.
The 2D:4D index is associated with the development of excess body weight in adults, but not with the rate of weight loss following bariatric surgery
Authors: Iljin Aleksandra , Antoszewski Bogusław , Szewczyk Tomasz , Sitek Aneta 
Published: May 2022

Abstract2D:4D finger length ratio is a proxy of prenatal sex hormone exposure. Prenatal testosterone decreases and prenatal estrogens increase this index. In the current study we investigated whether the 2D:4D index, as a marker of the prenatal hormonal environment, is associated with the development of overweight and obesity in adults, and whether is it correlated with the rate of weight loss in patients after bariatric surgery. We tested 125 adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2), 125 adults with overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2) and 153 persons with normal body weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2) of both sexes. We have found that the development of excessive body weight in men and women, and fat accumulation in the upper arms, thighs and lower legs in women with obesity (but not men) are associated with increased prenatal estrogen exposure. This relationship indicates a new area of activity in the field of obesity prevention. Moreover, it seems that the 2D:4D index (especially of the right hand) may be a useful factor in early prediction of the risk of developing excessive body weight in humans. The rate of weight loss after bariatric surgery is independent of prenatal exposure to sex hormones.
Decoration of green synthesized S, N-GQDs and CoFe2O4 on halloysite nanoclay as natural substrate for electrochemical hydrogen storage application
Authors: Ghiyasiyan-Arani Maryam , Salavati-Niasari Masoud 
Published: May 2022

AbstractHalloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with high active sites are used as natural layered mineral supports. Sulfur- and nitrogen-co doped graphene quantum dots (S, N-GQDs) as conductive additive and CoFe2O4 as the electrocatalyst was decorated on a HNT support to design an effective and environmentally friendly active material. Herein, an eco-friendly CoFe2O4/S, N-GQDs/HNTs nanocomposite is fabricated via a green hydrothermal method to equip developed hydrogen storage sites and to allow for quick charge transportation for hydrogen storage utilization. The hydrogen storage capacity of pure HNTs was 300 mAhg−1 at a current density of 1 mA after 20 cycles, while that of S, N-GQD-coated HNTs (S, N-GQDs/HNTs) was 466 mAhg−1 under identical conditions. It was also conceivable to increase the hydrogen sorption ability through the spillover procedure by interlinking CoFe2O4 in the halloysite nanoclay. The hydrogen storage capacity of the CoFe2O4/HNTs was 450 mAhg−1, while that of the representative designed nanocomposites of CoFe2O4/S, N-GQDs/HNTs was 600 mAhg−1. The halloysite nano clay and treated halloysite show potential as electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage in alkaline media; in particular, ternary CoFe2O4/S, N-GQD/HNT nanocomposites prove developed hydrogen sorption performance in terms of presence of conductive additive, physisorption, and spillover mechanisms.
Mitochondrial TrxR2 regulates metabolism and protects from metabolic disease through enhanced TCA and ETC function
Authors: Chocron E. Sandra , Mdaki Kennedy , Jiang Nisi , Cropper Jodie , Pickering Andrew M. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractMitochondrial dysfunction is a key driver of diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Mitochondrial redox state is highly impactful to metabolic function but the mechanism driving this is unclear. We generated a transgenic mouse which overexpressed the redox enzyme Thioredoxin Reductase 2 (TrxR2), the rate limiting enzyme in the mitochondrial thioredoxin system. We found augmentation of TrxR2 to enhance metabolism in mice under a normal diet and to increase resistance to high-fat diet induced metabolic dysfunction by both increasing glucose tolerance and decreasing fat deposition. We show this to be caused by increased mitochondrial function which is driven at least in part by enhancements to the tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport chain function. Our findings demonstrate a role for TrxR2 and mitochondrial thioredoxin as metabolic regulators and show a critical role for redox enzymes in controlling functionality of key mitochondrial metabolic systems.
Defoliation-induced changes in foliage quality may trigger broad-scale insect outbreaks
Authors: De Grandpré Louis , Marchand Maryse , Kneeshaw Daniel D. , Paré David , Boucher Dominique , Bourassa Stéphane , Gervais David , Simard Martin , Griffin Jacob M. , Pureswaran Deepa S. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractTop-down effects, like predation, are drivers of insect outbreaks, but bottom-up effects, like host nutritional quality, also influence outbreaks and could in turn be altered by insect-caused defoliation. We evaluated the prediction that herbivory leads to a positive feedback on outbreak severity as nutrient concentration in plant tissues increases through improved soil nutrient availability from frass and litter deposition. Over seven years of a spruce budworm outbreak, we quantified litter nutrient fluxes, soil nitrogen availability, and host tree foliar nutrient status along a forest susceptibility gradient. As the outbreak progressed, both soil nutrient fluxes and availability increased which, in turn, improved foliage quality in surviving host trees. This is consistent with boosted insect fitness and increased population density and defoliation as outbreaks grow. Our results suggest that a positive bottom-up feedback to forest ecosystems from defoliation may result in conditions favorable to self-amplifying population dynamics in insect herbivores that can contribute to driving broad-scale outbreaks.