bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Attempts to use breeding approaches in Aedes aegypti to create lines with distinct and stable relative Wolbachia densities
Authors: Mejia A. J. , Jimenez L. , Dutra H. L. C. , Perera R. , McGraw E. A. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractWolbachiais an insect endosymbiont being used for biological control in the mosquitoAedes aegyptibecause it causes cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and limits viral replication of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. While the genetic mechanism of pathogen blocking (PB) is not fully understood, the strength of both CI and PB are positively correlated withWolbachiadensities in the host.Wolbachiadensities are determined by a combination ofWolbachiastrain and insect genotype, as well as interactions with the environment. We employed both artificial selection and inbreeding with the goal of creating lines ofAe. aegyptiwith heritable and distinctWolbachiadensities so that we might better dissect the mechanism underlying PB. We were unable to shift the mean relativeWolbachiadensity inAe. aegyptilines by either strategy, with relative densities instead tending to cycle over a narrow range. In lieu of this, we usedWolbachiadensities in mosquito legs as predictors of relative densities in the remaining individual’s carcass. Because we worked with outbred mosquitoes, our findings indicate either a lack of genetic variation in the mosquito for controlling relative density, natural selection against extreme densities, or a predominance of environmental factors affecting densities. Our study reveals that there are moderating forces acting on relativeWolbachiadensities that may help to stabilize density phenotypes post field release. We also show a means to accurately bin vector carcasses into high and low categories for non-DNA omics-based studies ofWolbachia-mediated traits.
Imaging topological and correlated insulating states in twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene
Authors: Li Si-yu , Wang Zhengwen , Xue Yucheng , Wang Yingbo , Zhang Shihao , Liu Jianpeng , Zhu Zheng , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Gao Hong-jun , Jiang Yuhang , Mao Jinhai 
Published: July 2022

AbstractFlat bands in Van der Waals heterostructure provide an ideal platform for unveiling emergent quantum electronic phases. One celebrated example is twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene, in which the effects of electronic correlation have been observed. Here, we report the observation via scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy of correlated insulating states in twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene, leading to the formation of an electron crystal phase. At integer fillings, the strong Coulomb interaction redistributes flat-band electrons within one moiré unit cell, producing an insulating state with vanishing density of states at the Fermi level. Moreover, our approach enables the direct visualization of an ordered lattice of topological torus-shaped states, generated by the interaction between the electron crystal and the non-trivial band topology of twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene. Our results illustrate an efficient strategy for entwining topological physics with strong electron correlation in twisted van der Waals structures.
Modulating co-translational protein folding by rational design and ribosome engineering
Authors: Ahn Minkoo , Włodarski Tomasz , Mitropoulou Alkistis , Chan Sammy H. S. , Sidhu Haneesh , Plessa Elena , Becker Thomas A. , Budisa Nediljko , Waudby Christopher A. , Beckmann Roland , Cassaignau Anaïs M. E. , Cabrita Lisa D. , Christodoulou John 
Published: July 2022

AbstractCo-translational folding is a fundamental process for the efficient biosynthesis of nascent polypeptides that emerge through the ribosome exit tunnel. To understand how this process is modulated by the shape and surface of the narrow tunnel, we have rationally engineered three exit tunnel protein loops (uL22, uL23 and uL24) of the 70S ribosome by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, and studied the co-translational folding of an immunoglobulin-like filamin domain (FLN5). Our thermodynamics measurements employing 19F/15N/methyl-TROSY NMR spectroscopy together with cryo-EM and molecular dynamics simulations reveal how the variations in the lengths of the loops present across species exert their distinct effects on the free energy of FLN5 folding. A concerted interplay of the uL23 and uL24 loops is sufficient to alter co-translational folding energetics, which we highlight by the opposite folding outcomes resulting from their extensions. These subtle modulations occur through a combination of the steric effects relating to the shape of the tunnel, the dynamic interactions between the ribosome surface and the unfolded nascent chain, and its altered exit pathway within the vestibule. These results illustrate the role of the exit tunnel structure in co-translational folding, and provide principles for how to remodel it to elicit a desired folding outcome.
Highly selective single and multiple deuteration of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds
Authors: Li Nian , Li Jinhang , Qin Mingzhe , Li Jiajun , Han Jie , Zhu Chengjian , Li Weipeng , Xie Jin 
Published: July 2022

AbstractSelective deuteration of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds is a highly attractive but challenging subject of research in pharmaceutical chemistry, material science and synthetic chemistry. Reported herein is a practical, highly selective and economical efficient hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds by synergistic photocatalysis and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalysis. With the easily prepared PMP-substituted amides as nitrogen-centered radical precursors, a wide range of structurally diverse amides can undergo predictable radical H/D exchange smoothly with inexpensive D2O as the sole deuterium source, giving rise to the distal tertiary, secondary and primary C(sp3)-H bonds selectively deuterated products in yields of up to 99% and excellent D-incorporations. In addition to precise monodeuteration, this strategy can also achieve multideuteration of the substrates contain more than one remote C(sp3)-H bond, which opens a method to address multi-functionalization of distal unactivated C(sp3)–H bonds.
Modulating the strong metal-support interaction of single-atom catalysts via vicinal structure decoration
Authors: Yang Jingyi , Huang Yike , Qi Haifeng , Zeng Chaobin , Jiang Qike , Cui Yitao , Su Yang , Du Xiaorui , Pan Xiaoli , Liu Xiaoyan , Li Weizhen , Qiao Botao , Wang Aiqin , Zhang Tao 
Published: July 2022

AbstractMetal-support interaction predominately determines the electronic structure of metal atoms in single-atom catalysts (SACs), largely affecting their catalytic performance. However, directly tuning the metal-support interaction in oxide supported SACs remains challenging. Here, we report a new strategy to subtly regulate the strong covalent metal-support interaction (CMSI) of Pt/CoFe2O4 SACs by a simple water soaking treatment. Detailed studies reveal that the CMSI is weakened by the bonding of H+, generated from water dissociation, onto the interface of Pt-O-Fe, resulting in reduced charge transfer from metal to support and leading to an increase of C-H bond activation in CH4 combustion by more than 50 folds. This strategy is general and can be extended to other CMSI-existed metal-supported catalysts, providing a powerful tool to modulating the catalytic performance of SACs.
Bipolar charge collecting structure enables overall water splitting on ferroelectric photocatalysts
Authors: Liu Yong , Zhang Mingjian , Wang Zhuan , He Jiandong , Zhang Jie , Ye Sheng , Wang Xiuli , Li Dongfeng , Yin Heng , Zhu Qianhong , Jing Huanwang , Weng Yuxiang , Pan Feng , Chen Ruotian , Li Can , Fan Fengtao 
Published: July 2022

AbstractFerroelectrics are considered excellent photocatalytic candidates for solar fuel production because of the unidirectional charge separation and above-gap photovoltage. Nevertheless, the performance of ferroelectric photocatalysts is often moderate. A few studies showed that these types of photocatalysts could achieve overall water splitting. This paper proposes an approach to fabricating interfacial charge-collecting nanostructures on positive and negative domains of ferroelectric, enabling water splitting in ferroelectric photocatalysts. The present study observes efficient accumulations of photogenerated electrons and holes within their thermalization length (~50 nm) around Au nanoparticles located in the positive and negative domains of a BaTiO3 single crystal. Photocatalytic overall water splitting is observed on a ferroelectric BaTiO3 single crystal after assembling oxidation and reduction cocatalysts on the positively and negatively charged Au nanoparticles, respectively. The fabrication of bipolar charge-collecting structures on ferroelectrics to achieve overall water splitting offers a way to utilize the energetic photogenerated charges in solar energy conversion.
Tumor immune microenvironment of self-identified African American and non-African American triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Marczyk Michal , Qing Tao , O’Meara Tess , Yagahoobi Vesal , Pelekanou Vasiliki , Bai Yalai , Reisenbichler Emily , Cole Kimberly S. , Li Xiaotong , Gunasekharan Vignesh , Ibrahim Eiman , Fanucci Kristina , Wei Wei , Rimm David L. , Pusztai Lajos , Blenman Kim R. M. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractDifferences in the tumor immune microenvironment may result in differences in prognosis and response to treatment in cancer patients. We hypothesized that differences in the tumor immune microenvironment may exist between African American (AA) and NonAA patients, due to ancestry-related or socioeconomic factors, that may partially explain differences in clinical outcomes. We analyzed clinically matched triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues from self-identified AA and NonAA patients and found that stromal TILs, PD-L1 IHC-positivity, mRNA expression of immune-related pathways, and immunotherapy response predictive signatures were significantly higher in AA samples (p < 0.05; Fisher’s Exact Test, Mann–Whitney Test, Permutation Test). Cancer biology and metabolism pathways, TAM-M2, and Immune Exclusion were significantly higher in NonAA samples (p < 0.05; Permutation Test, Mann–Whitney Test). There were no differences in somatic tumor mutation burden. Overall, there is greater immune infiltration and inflammation in AA TNBC and these differences may impact response to immune checkpoint inhibitors and other therapeutic agents that modulate the immune microenvironment.
Research on PBFT consensus algorithm for grouping based on feature trust
Authors: Wang Yong , Zhong Meiling , Cheng Tong 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe consensus mechanism is the core of the blockchain system, which plays an important role in the performance and security of the blockchain system . The Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) algorithm is a widely used consensus algorithm, but the PBFT algorithm also suffers from high consensus latency, low throughput and performance. In this paper, we propose a grouped PBFT consensus algorithm (GPBFT) based on feature trust. First, the algorithm evaluates the trust degree of nodes in the transaction process through the EigenTrust trust model, and uses the trust degree of nodes as the basis for electing master nodes and proxy nodes. Then, the algorithm divides the nodes in the blockchain system into multiple groups, and the consensus within each independent group does not affect the other groups, which greatly reduces the communication overhead of the consensus process when the number of nodes in the system is large. Finally, we demonstrate through theoretical and experimental analysis that the GPBFT algorithm has a significant improvement in security and performance.
Prediction of COVID-19 diagnosis based on openEHR artefacts
Authors: Oliveira Daniela , Ferreira Diana , Abreu Nuno , Leuschner Pedro , Abelha António , Machado José 
Published: July 2022

AbstractNowadays, we are facing the worldwide pandemic caused by COVID-19. The complexity and momentum of monitoring patients infected with this virus calls for the usage of agile and scalable data structure methodologies. OpenEHR is a healthcare standard that is attracting a lot of attention in recent years due to its comprehensive and robust architecture. The importance of an open, standardized and adaptable approach to clinical data lies in extracting value to generate useful knowledge that really can help healthcare professionals make an assertive decision. This importance is even more accentuated when facing a pandemic context. Thus, in this study, a system for tracking symptoms and health conditions of suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 patients from a Portuguese hospital was developed using openEHR. All data on the evolutionary status of patients in home care as well as the results of their COVID-19 test were used to train different ML algorithms, with the aim of developing a predictive model capable of identifying COVID-19 infections according to the severity of symptoms identified by patients. The CRISP-DM methodology was used to conduct this research. The results obtained were promising, with the best model achieving an accuracy of 96.25%, a precision of 99.91%, a sensitivity of 92.58%, a specificity of 99.92%, and an AUC of 0.963, using the Decision Tree algorithm and the Split Validation method. Hence, in the future, after further testing, the predictive model could be implemented in clinical decision support systems.
The alcohol flushing response is associated with the risk of depression
Authors: Jeon Seonghee , Kang Heewon , Cho Inhyung , Cho Sung-il 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe alcohol flushing response is experienced by 36–45% of East Asians after they consume a small amount of alcohol. Because individuals with this response are unable to metabolize the toxic acetaldehyde derived from alcohol effectively, the response offers a potential indicator of the health risks associated with alcohol intake. Depression is a major health problem linked to alcohol consumption; it might also be associated with the alcohol flushing response. Therefore, we examined the association between the alcohol flushing response and the risk of depression in the general population of South Korea. Our analysis included 139,380 participants and used data from the 2019 Korean Community Health Survey. Only current drinkers were considered in the analysis. The relationship between the alcohol flushing response and depression was evaluated by logistic regression analysis using SAS 9.4. Of the participants, more than one-third were current flushers; compared to never flushers, current flushers had a significantly greater risk of depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–1.34, P < 0.001). Former flushers did not exhibit a risk of depression. The risk of depression was significantly greater among alcohol flushers who drank < 15 g alcohol/day (< 5 g alcohol/day: AOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.07–1.35, P = 0.002; 5–14.9 g alcohol/day: AOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.13–1.70, P = 0.002). In conclusion, a large number of South Koreans experience the alcohol flushing response; compared with never flushers, current flushers are more likely to develop depression with a small dose of alcohol (< 15 g alcohol/day).
Engineered chimeric insecticidal crystalline protein improves resistance to lepidopteran insects in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Liu Yang , Han Siping , Yang Shuo , Chen Ziqi , Yin Yuejia , Xi Jinghui , Liu Qing , Yan Weiyu , Song Xinyuan , Zhao Fangfang , Guo Jia , Liu Xiangguo , Hao Dongyun 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe insecticidal crystalline proteins (Crys) are a family of insect endotoxin functioning in crop protection. As insects keep evolving into tolerance to the existing Crys, it is necessary to discover new Cry proteins to overcome potential threatens. Crys possess three functional domains at their N-termini, and the most active region throughout evolution was found at the domain-III. We swapped domain-IIIs from various Cry proteins and generated seven chimeric proteins. All recombinants were expressed in Escherichia coli and their toxicity was assessed by dietary exposure assays. Three of the seven Crys exhibited a high toxicity to Asian corn borer over the controls. One of them, Cry1Ab-Gc, a chimeric Cry1Ab being replaced with the domain-III of Cry1Gc, showed the highest toxicity to rice stem borer when it was over-expressed in Oryza sativa. Furthermore, it was also transformed into maize, backcrossed into commercial maize inbred lines and then produced hybrid to evaluate their commercial value. Transgenic maize performed significant resistance to the Asian corn borer without affecting the yield. We further showed that this new protein did not have adverse effects on the environment. Our results indicated that domain III swapped of Crys could be used as an efficient method for developing new engineered insecticidal protein.
Binocular fusion disorders impair basic visual processing
Authors: Benhaim-Sitbon Laura , Lev Maria , Polat Uri 
Published: July 2022

AbstractIn an era of increasing screen consumption, the requirement for binocular vision is demanding, leading to the emergence of syndromes such as the computer vision syndrome (CVS) or visual discomfort reported by virtual reality (VR) users. Heterophoria (phoria) is a latent eye misalignment (with a prevalence up to 35%) that appears in conditions that disrupt binocular vision and may affect the quality of binocular fusion. Collinear facilitation (CF), the mechanism for grouping contour elements, is a process that reveals lateral interactions by improving the visibility of a target by flankers placed collinearly. An abnormal pattern of CF has been observed in strabismic amblyopia. We hypothesize that phoria may affect CF in the horizontal meridian (HM) due to latent eye misalignment and its impact on binocular fusion. Fully corrected participants (phoria group and controls) completed a standard CF experiment for horizontal and vertical meridians during binocular and monocular viewing. Phoric observers exhibited (1) an asymmetry and an abnormal pattern of CF only for the HM, during both monocular and binocular viewing, (2) poor binocular summation between the monocular inputs, and (3) no binocular advantage of the CF. Phoria affects the CF in a way that is reminiscent of meridional amblyopia without being attributed to abnormal refraction. The abnormal pattern of CF in monocular viewing suggests that phoria could be a binocular developmental disorder that affects monocular spatial interactions. We suggest that the results could contribute to explain the visual discomfort experienced with VR users or symptoms when presenting CVS.
Transgenic expression of IL-7 regulates CAR-T cell metabolism and enhances in vivo persistence against tumor cells
Authors: Li Li , Li Qing , Yan Zi-Xun , Sheng Ling-Shuang , Fu Di , Xu Pengpeng , Wang Li , Zhao Wei-Li 
Published: July 2022

AbstractChimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has emerged as a promising novel therapeutic approach. However, primary and secondary resistance to CAR-T cell therapy is commonly encountered in various clinical trials. Despite the comprehensive studies to elucidate the mechanisms of resistance, effective resolution in clinical practice is still elusive. Inadequate persistence and subsequent loss of infused CAR-T cells are proposed major resistance mechanism associated with CAR-T cell treatment failure. Thus, we generated CAR-T cells armored with IL-7 to prolong the persistence of infused T-cells, particularly CD4 + T cells, and enhanced anti-tumor response. IL-7 increased CAR-T-cell persistence in vivo and contributed to the distinct T-cell cytotoxicity profile. Using mass cytometry (CyTOF), we further assessed the phenotypic and metabolic profiles of IL-7-secreting CAR-T cells, along with conventional CAR-T cells at the single-cell level. With in-depth analysis, we found that IL-7 maintained CAR-T cells in a less differentiated T-cell state, regulated distinct metabolic activity, and prevented CAR-T-cell exhaustion, which could be essential for CAR-T cells to maintain their metabolic fitness and anti-tumor response. Our findings thus provided clinical rationale to exploit IL-7 signaling for modulation and metabolic reprogramming of T-cell function to enhance CAR-T cell persistence and induce durable remission upon CAR-T cell therapy.
Optimal control for a SIR epidemic model with limited quarantine
Authors: Balderrama Rocío , Peressutti Javier , Pinasco Juan Pablo , Vazquez Federico , Vega Constanza Sánchez de la 
Published: July 2022

AbstractSocial distance, quarantines and total lock-downs are non-pharmaceutical interventions that policymakers have used to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. However, these measures could be harmful to societies in terms of social and economic costs, and they can be maintained only for a short period of time. Here we investigate the optimal strategies that minimize the impact of an epidemic, by studying the conditions for an optimal control of a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered model with a limitation on the total duration of the quarantine. The control is done by means of the reproduction number $$\sigma (t)$$

σ
(
t
)

, i.e., the number of secondary infections produced by a primary infection, which can be arbitrarily varied in time over a quarantine period T to account for external interventions. We also assume that the most strict quarantine (lower bound of $$\sigma $$
σ
) cannot last for a period longer than a value $$\tau $$
τ
. The aim is to minimize the cumulative number of ever-infected individuals (recovered) and the socioeconomic cost of interventions in the long term, by finding the optimal way to vary $$\sigma (t)$$

σ
(
t
)

. We show that the optimal solution is a single bang-bang, i.e., the strict quarantine is turned on only once, and is turned off after the maximum allowed time $$\tau $$
τ
. Besides, we calculate the optimal time to begin and end the strict quarantine, which depends on T, $$\tau $$
τ
and the initial conditions. We provide rigorous proofs of these results and check that are in perfect agreement with numerical computations.
Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: a population study
Authors: Martínez-Garcia Marina , Sansano-Sansano Emilio , Castillo-Hornero Andrea , Femenia Ruben , Roomp Kristof , Oliver Nuria 
Published: July 2022

AbstractSince March of 2020, billions of people worldwide have been asked to limit their social contacts in an effort to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, little research has been carried out to date on the impact of such social distancing measures on the social isolation levels of the population. In this paper, we study the impact of the pandemic on the social isolation of the Spanish population, by means of 32,359 answers to a citizen survey collected over a period of 7 months. We uncover (1) a significant increase in the prevalence of social isolation in the population, reaching almost 26%; (2) gender and age differences, with the largest prevalence of isolation among middle-aged individuals; (3) a strong relationship between economic impact and social isolation; and (4) differences in social isolation, depending on the number of COVID-19 protection measures and on the perception of coronavirus infection risk by our participants. Our research sheds quantitative light on the sociological impact of the pandemic, and enables us to identify key factors in the interplay between the deployment of non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain the spread of an infectious disease and a population’s levels of social isolation.