bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intranasal delivery of inactivated PRRSV loaded cationic nanoparticles coupled with enterotoxin subunit B induces PRRSV-specific immune responses in pigs
Authors: Chaikhumwang Puwich , Madapong Adthakorn , Saeng-chuto Kepalee , Nilubol Dachrit , Tantituvanont Angkana 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThis study was conducted to evaluate the induction of systemic and mucosal immune responses and protective efficacy following the intranasal administration of inactivated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) loaded in polylactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles coupled with heat-labile enterotoxin subunit B (LTB) and dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDA). Here, 42- to 3-week-old PRRSV-free pigs were randomly allocated into 7 groups of 6 pigs each. Two groups represented the negative (nonvaccinated pigs/nonchallenged pigs, NoVacNoChal) and challenge (nonvaccinated/challenged, NoVacChal) controls. The pigs in the other 5 groups, namely, PLA nanoparticles/challenged (blank NPs), LTB-DDA coupled with PLA nanoparticles/challenged (adjuvant-blank NPs), PLA nanoparticles-encapsulating inactivated PRRSV/challenged (KNPs), LTB-DDA coupled with PLA nanoparticles loaded with inactivated PRRSV/challenged pigs (adjuvant-KNPs) and inactivated PRRSV/challenged pigs (inactivated PRRSV), were intranasally vaccinated with previously described vaccines at 0, 7 and 14 days post-vaccination (DPV). Serum and nasal swab samples were collected weekly and assayed by ELISA to detect the presence of IgG and IgA, respectively. Viral neutralizing titer (VNT) in sera, IFN-γ-producing cells and IL-10 secretion in stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were also measured. The pigs were intranasally challenged with PRRSV-2 at 28 DPV and necropsied at 35 DPV, and then macro- and microscopic lung lesions were evaluated. The results demonstrated that following vaccination, adjuvant-KNP-vaccinated pigs had significantly higher levels of IFN-γ-producing cells, VNT and IgG in sera, and IgA in nasal swab samples and significantly lower IL-10 levels than the other vaccinated groups. Following challenge, the adjuvant-KNP-vaccinated pigs had significantly lower PRRSV RNA and macro- and microscopic lung lesions than the other vaccinated groups. In conclusion, the results of the study demonstrated that adjuvant-KNPs are effective in eliciting immune responses against PRRSV and protecting against PRRSV infections over KNPs and inactivated PRRSV and can be used as an adjuvant for intranasal PRRSV vaccines.
Efficient prediction of a spatial transcriptomics profile better characterizes breast cancer tissue sections without costly experimentation
Authors: Monjo Taku , Koido Masaru , Nagasawa Satoi , Suzuki Yutaka , Kamatani Yoichiro 
Published: March 2022

AbstractSpatial transcriptomics is an emerging technology requiring costly reagents and considerable skills, limiting the identification of transcriptional markers related to histology. Here, we show that predicted spatial gene-expression in unmeasured regions and tissues can enhance biologists’ histological interpretations. We developed the Deep learning model for Spatial gene Clusters and Expression, DeepSpaCE, and confirmed its performance using the spatial-transcriptome profiles and immunohistochemistry images of consecutive human breast cancer tissue sections. For example, the predicted expression patterns of SPARC, an invasion marker, highlighted a small tumor-invasion region difficult to identify using raw spatial transcriptome data alone because of a lack of measurements. We further developed semi-supervised DeepSpaCE using unlabeled histology images and increased the imputation accuracy of consecutive sections, enhancing applicability for a small sample size. Our method enables users to derive hidden histological characters via spatial transcriptome and gene annotations, leading to accelerated biological discoveries without additional experiments.
Comparison of depressive symptoms and inflammation between sexual minorities and heterosexuals using NHANES study of 8538 participants
Authors: Mann Amandeep , Chan Ava , Rohatgi Atharva , Caesar Michelle Ann , Obedin-Maliver Juno , Kapp Daniel S. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe present study aims to compare the rate of depressive symptoms and inflammation levels between sexual minorities and heterosexuals. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2010. Depressive-related symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scoring system. C-reactive protein was analyzed with the Behring Nephelometer. Of 8538 participants, 95.8% self-reported as heterosexual and 4.2% as sexual minority. Depressive symptoms were reported in 7.1% of heterosexuals compared to 15.8% in sexual minorities (P = 0.001). In heterosexuals, C-reactive protein was higher in those with depressive symptoms compared to those without (P < 0.001). In sexual minorities, similar results were found, however, it was statistically insignificant. The intersection group of black sexual minority females reported the highest rate of depressive symptoms at 33.4%. We found that depressive symptoms were higher in sexual minorities compared to heterosexuals. Furthermore, systemic inflammation was highest in the intersection group of black sexual minority females.
Differential location of NKT and MAIT cells within lymphoid tissue
Authors: Johnson Darryl N. , Ruan Zheng , Petley Emma V. , Devi Sapna , Holz Lauren E. , Uldrich Adam P. , Mak Jeffrey Y. W. , Hor Jyh Liang , Mueller Scott N. , McCluskey James , Fairlie David P. , Darcy Phillip K. , Beavis Paul A. , Heath William R. , Godfrey Dale I. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractNatural Killer T (NKT) cells and Mucosal-Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like T cells that express semi-invariant αβ T cell receptors (TCRs) through which they recognise CD1d and MR1 molecules, respectively, in complex with specific ligands. These cells play important roles in health and disease in many organs, but their precise intra-organ location is not well established. Here, using CD1d and MR1 tetramer staining techniques, we describe the precise location of NKT and MAIT cells in lymphoid and peripheral organs. Within the thymus, NKT cells were concentrated in the medullary side of the corticomedullary junction. In spleen and lymph nodes, NKT cells were mainly localised within T cell zones, although following in vivo activation with the potent NKT-cell ligand α-GalCer, they expanded throughout the spleen. MAIT cells were clearly detectable in Vα19 TCR transgenic mice and were rare but detectable in lymphoid tissue of non-transgenic mice. In contrast to NKT cells, MAIT cells were more closely associated with the B cell zone and red pulp of the spleen. Accordingly, we have provided an extensive analysis of the in situ localisation of NKT and MAIT cells and suggest differences between the intra-organ location of these two cell types.
Low dose DMSO treatment induces oligomerization and accelerates aggregation of α-synuclein
Authors: Reimer Lasse , Haikal Caroline , Gram Hjalte , Theologidis Vasileios , Kovacs Gergo , Ruesink Harm , Baun Andreas , Nielsen Janni , Otzen Daniel Erik , Li Jia-Yi , Jensen Poul Henning 
Published: March 2022

AbstractDimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a highly utilized small molecule that serves many purposes in scientific research. DMSO offers unique polar, aprotic and amphiphilic features, which makes it an ideal solvent for a wide variety of both polar and nonpolar molecules. Furthermore, DMSO is often used as a cryoprotectant in cell-based research. However, recent reports suggest that DMSO, even at low concentration, might interfere with important cellular processes, and cause macromolecular changes to proteins where a shift from α-helical to β-sheet structure can be observed. To investigate how DMSO might influence current research, we assessed biochemical and cellular impacts of DMSO treatment on the structure of the aggregation-prone protein α-synuclein, which plays a central role in the etiology of Parkinson’s disease, and other brain-related disorders, collectively termed the synucleinopathies. Here, we found that addition of DMSO increased the particle-size of α-synuclein, and accelerated the formation of seeding-potent fibrils in a dose-dependent manner. These fibrils made in the presence of DMSO were indistinguishable from fibrils made in pure PBS, when assessed by proteolytic digestion, cytotoxic profile and their ability to seed cellular aggregation of α-synuclein. Moreover, as evident through binding to the MJFR-14-6-4-2 antibody, which preferentially recognizes aggregated forms of α-synuclein, and a bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay, cells exposed to DMSO experienced increased aggregation of α-synuclein. However, no observable α-synuclein abnormalities nor differences in neuronal survival were detected after oral DMSO-treatment in either C57BL/6- or α-synuclein transgenic F28 mice. In summary, we demonstrate that low concentrations of DMSO makes α-synuclein susceptible to undergo aggregation both in vitro and in cells. This may affect experimental outcomes when studying α-synuclein in the presence of DMSO, and should call for careful consideration when such experiments are planned.
Increased flooded area and exposure in the White Volta river basin in Western Africa, identified from multi-source remote sensing data
Authors: Li Chengxiu , Dash Jadunandan , Asamoah Moses , Sheffield Justin , Dzodzomenyo Mawuli , Gebrechorkos Solomon Hailu , Anghileri Daniela , Wright Jim 
Published: March 2022

AbstractAccurate information on flood extent and exposure is critical for disaster management in data-scarce, vulnerable regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, uncertainties in flood extent affect flood exposure estimates. This study developed a framework to examine the spatiotemporal pattern of floods and to assess flood exposure through utilization of satellite images, ground-based participatory mapping of flood extent, and socio-economic data. Drawing on a case study in the White Volta basin in Western Africa, our results showed that synergetic use of multi-temporal radar and optical satellite data improved flood mapping accuracy (77% overall agreement compared with participatory mapping outputs), in comparison with existing global flood datasets (43% overall agreement for the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) Near Real-Time (NRT) Global Flood Product). Increases in flood extent were observed according to our classified product, as well as two existing global flood products. Similarly, increased flood exposure was also observed, however its estimation remains highly uncertain and sensitive to the input dataset used. Population exposure varied greatly depending on the population dataset used, while the greatest farmland and infrastructure exposure was estimated using a composite flood map derived from three products, with lower exposure estimated from each flood product individually. The study shows that there is considerable scope to develop an accurate flood mapping system in SSA and thereby improve flood exposure assessment and develop mitigation and intervention plans.
Effect of Lemna minor supplemented diets on growth, digestive physiology and expression of fatty acids biosynthesis genes of Cyprinus carpio
Authors: Goswami Ravi Kumar , Sharma JaiGopal , Shrivastav Avanish Kumar , Kumar Guddu , Glencross Brett D. , Tocher Douglas R. , Chakrabarti Rina 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe potential nutritional value of duckweed Lemna minor (Lemnaceae) was evaluated for common carp Cyprinus carpio fry. Fish were fed diets containing five graded levels of duckweed: 0% (LM0, control), 5% (LM5), 10% (LM10), 15% (LM15) and 20% (LM20). The final weight and specific growth rate were significantly higher in LM15 and LM20 diets fed fish compared to others. Feed conversion ratio was minimum in fish fed diet LM20. Amylase activity was significantly higher in LM0 treatment. Total protease, trypsin and chymotrypsin activities showed linear relationships with the increased level of duckweed in the diet. Protein and essential amino acids contents were significantly higher in carp fed diets LM15 and LM20 compared to others. Lipid content was significantly higher in fish fed duckweed-based diets compared to control. A direct relationship was found between the inclusion level of duckweed in the diet and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) content of carp. Contents of desaturated and elongated products of dietary linolenic acid (18:3n-3) including 20:4n-3, 20:5n-3, 22:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 increased in a graded manner with increasing dietary duckweed. The monounsaturated fatty acids and n-6 PUFA contents reduced significantly in fish fed duckweed. Expression of fads2d6, elovl2, elovl5 and fas were higher in carp fed diets LM10, LM15 and LM20 compared to control fish. The inclusion of L. minor in diet enhanced the nutritional value of carp by increasing protein, lipid, amino acids and n-3 PUFA contents.
Personalized wearable electrodermal sensing-based human skin hydration level detection for sports, health and wellbeing
Authors: Liaqat Sidrah , Dashtipour Kia , Rizwan Ali , Usman Muhammad , Shah Syed Aziz , Arshad Kamran , Assaleh Khaled , Ramzan Naeem 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPersonalized hydration level monitoring play vital role in sports, health, wellbeing and safety of a person while performing particular set of activities. Clinical staff must be mindful of numerous physiological symptoms that identify the optimum hydration specific to the person, event and environment. Hence, it becomes extremely critical to monitor the hydration levels in a human body to avoid potential complications and fatalities. Hydration tracking solutions available in the literature are either inefficient and invasive or require clinical trials. An efficient hydration monitoring system is very required, which can regularly track the hydration level, non-invasively. To this aim, this paper proposes a machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) enabled hydration tracking system, which can accurately estimate the hydration level in human skin using galvanic skin response (GSR) of human body. For this study, data is collected, in three different hydration states, namely hydrated, mild dehydration (8 hours of dehydration) and extreme mild dehydration (16 hours of dehydration), and three different body postures, such as sitting, standing and walking. Eight different ML algorithms and four different DL algorithms are trained on the collected GSR data. Their accuracies are compared and a hybrid (ML+DL) model is proposed to increase the estimation accuracy. It can be reported that hybrid Bi-LSTM algorithm can achieve an accuracy of 97.83%.
Investigation of bacterial diversity using 16S rRNA sequencing and prediction of its functionalities in Moroccan phosphate mine ecosystem
Authors: Azaroual Salah Eddine , Kasmi Yassine , Aasfar Abderrahim , El Arroussi Hicham , Zeroual Youssef , El Kadiri Youssef , Zrhidri Abdelali , Elfahime Elmostafa , Sefiani Abdelaziz , Meftah Kadmiri Issam 
Published: March 2022

AbstractNative plants in extreme environments may harbor some unique microbial communities with particular functions to sustain their growth and tolerance to harsh conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the bacterial communities profiles in some native plants and samples of the Moroccan phosphate mine ecosystem by assessing the percentages of taxonomic identification using six hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA. The rhizosphere of the three wild plants in the Moroccan phosphate mine is characterized by interesting bacterial diversity including Proteobacteria (62.24%, 71.15% and 65.61%), Actinobacteria (22.53%, 15.24%, 22.30%), Bacteroidetes (7.57%; 4.23%; 7.63%), and Firmicutes (5.82%; 1.17%; 2.83%). The bulk phosphate mine samples were dominated by Actinobacteria with average relative abundance of 97.73% that are different from those inferred in the rhizosphere samples of the native plants. The regions V3, V4 and V67 performed better in the taxonomic profiling at different taxonomic levels. Results indicated that both plant genotype and mainly soil conditions may be involved in the shaping of bacterial diversity. Such indication was also confirmed by the prediction of functional profiles that showed enrichment of many functions related to biological nitrogen fixation in the rhizosphere of native plants and the stress related functions in the bulk phosphate mine in comparison with the wheat rhizosphere samples.
Predicting subjective refraction with dynamic retinal image quality analysis
Authors: Gil Andrea , Hernández Carlos S. , Nam Ahhyun Stephanie , Varadaraj Varshini , Durr Nicholas J. , Lim Daryl , Dave Shivang R. , Lage Eduardo 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of a novel algorithm that combines dynamic wavefront aberrometry data and descriptors of the retinal image quality from objective autorefractor measurements to predict subjective refraction. We conducted a retrospective study of the prediction accuracy and precision of the novel algorithm compared to standard search-based retinal image quality optimization algorithms. Dynamic measurements from 34 adult patients were taken with a handheld wavefront autorefractor and static data was obtained with a high-end desktop wavefront aberrometer. The search-based algorithms did not significantly improve the results of the desktop system, while the dynamic approach was able to simultaneously reduce the standard deviation (up to a 15% for reduction of spherical equivalent power) and the mean bias error of the predictions (up to 80% reduction of spherical equivalent power) for the handheld aberrometer. These results suggest that dynamic retinal image analysis can substantially improve the accuracy and precision of the portable wavefront autorefractor relative to subjective refraction.
Neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern elicited by the comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine in nursing home residents
Authors: Sánchez-Sendra Beatriz , Albert Eliseo , Zulaica Joao , Torres Ignacio , Giménez Estela , Botija Pilar , Beltrán María José , Rodado Celia , Geller Ron , Navarro David 
Published: March 2022

AbstractImmunosenescence may impact the functionality and breadth of vaccine-elicited humoral immune responses. The ability of sera to neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S) from Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon variants of concern (VOCs) relative to the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 strain was compared in Comirnaty COVID-19-vaccinated elderly nursing home residents, either SARS-CoV-2 naïve (n = 22) or experienced (n = 8), or SARS-CoV-2 naïve younger individuals (n = 18) and non-vaccinated individuals who recovered from severe COVID-19 (n = 19). In all groups, except that including SARS-CoV-2-experienced nursing home residents, some participants lacked NtAb against one or more VOCs, mainly the Beta variant (15–20%). Serum NtAb titers were lowest against the Beta variant followed by Gamma, Delta and Epsilon variants. Overall, fold change reduction in NtAb titers relative to the ancestral strain was greatest for the Beta variant (6.7–19.4) followed by Gamma (4.8–16.0), Epsilon (2.9–13.4), and Delta (3.5–6.5) variants, although subtle differences were observed for Beta, Epsilon and Delta variants across comparison groups. In summary, older age, frailty, and concurrence of co-morbidities had no major impact on the serum NtAb activity profile against SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.
Mitochondrial dysfunction-induced high hCG associated with development of fetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia with fetal growth restriction
Authors: Kiyokoba Ryo , Uchiumi Takeshi , Yagi Mikako , Toshima Takahiro , Tsukahara Shigehiro , Fujita Yasuyuki , Kato Kiyoko , Kang Dongchon 
Published: March 2022

AbstractFetal growth restriction (FGR) and pre-eclampsia with fetal growth restriction (PE/FGR) are high-risk perinatal diseases that may involve high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, little is known about how these factors affect placental function. We investigated how mitochondrial dysfunction and high hCG expression affected placental function in unexplained FGR and PE/FGR. We observed elevated expression of hCGβ and growth differentiation factor 15 mRNA and protein levels in the placenta with both diseases. Likewise, antiangiogenic factors, such as Ang2, IP10, sFlt1, IL8, IL1B, and TNFα, were also upregulated at the mRNA level. In addition, the expression of COXI and COXII which encoded by mitochondrial DNA were significantly decreased in both diseases, suggesting that mitochondrial translation was impaired. Treatment with hCG increased Ang2, IP10, IL8, and TNFα mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner via the p38 and JNK pathways. Mitochondrial translation inhibitors increased hCGβ expression through stabilization of HIF1α, and increased IL8 and TNFα mRNA expression. These results revealed that high expression of hCG due to mitochondrial translational dysfunction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of FGR and PE/FGR.
Time pressure changes how people explore and respond to uncertainty
Authors: Wu Charley M. , Schulz Eric , Pleskac Timothy J. , Speekenbrink Maarten 
Published: March 2022

AbstractHow does time pressure influence exploration and decision-making? We investigated this question with several four-armed bandit tasks manipulating (within subjects) expected reward, uncertainty, and time pressure (limited vs. unlimited). With limited time, people have less opportunity to perform costly computations, thus shifting the cost-benefit balance of different exploration strategies. Through behavioral, reinforcement learning (RL), reaction time (RT), and evidence accumulation analyses, we show that time pressure changes how people explore and respond to uncertainty. Specifically, participants reduced their uncertainty-directed exploration under time pressure, were less value-directed, and repeated choices more often. Since our analyses relate uncertainty to slower responses and dampened evidence accumulation (i.e., drift rates), this demonstrates a resource-rational shift towards simpler, lower-cost strategies under time pressure. These results shed light on how people adapt their exploration and decision-making strategies to externally imposed cognitive constraints.
AI-enabled photonic smart garment for movement analysis
Authors: Avellar Leticia , Stefano Filho Carlos , Delgado Gabriel , Frizera Anselmo , Rocon Eduardo , Leal-Junior Arnaldo 
Published: March 2022

AbstractSmart textiles are novel solutions for remote healthcare monitoring which involve non-invasive sensors-integrated clothing. Polymer optical fiber (POF) sensors have attractive features for smart textile technology, and combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms increase the potential of intelligent decision-making. This paper presents the development of a fully portable photonic smart garment with 30 multiplexed POF sensors combined with AI algorithms to evaluate the system ability on the activity classification of multiple subjects. Six daily activities are evaluated: standing, sitting, squatting, up-and-down arms, walking and running. A k-nearest neighbors classifier is employed and results from 10 trials of all volunteers presented an accuracy of 94.00 (0.14)%. To achieve an optimal amount of sensors, the principal component analysis is used for one volunteer and results showed an accuracy of 98.14 (0.31)% using 10 sensors, 1.82% lower than using 30 sensors. Cadence and breathing rate were estimated and compared to the data from an inertial measurement unit located on the garment back and the highest error was 2.22%. Shoulder flexion/extension was also evaluated. The proposed approach presented feasibility for activity recognition and movement-related parameters extraction, leading to a system fully optimized, including the number of sensors and wireless communication, for Healthcare 4.0.