bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Construction of SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles in plant
Authors: Moon Ki-Beom , Jeon Jae-Heung , Choi Hyukjun , Park Ji-Sun , Park Su-Jin , Lee Hyo-Jun , Park Jeong Mee , Cho Hye Sun , Moon Jae Sun , Oh Hyunwoo , Kang Sebyung , Mason Hugh S. , Kwon Suk-Yoon , Kim Hyun-Soon 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe pandemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a public health emergency, and research on the development of various types of vaccines is rapidly progressing at an unprecedented development speed internationally. Some vaccines have already been approved for emergency use and are being supplied to people around the world, but there are still many ongoing efforts to create new vaccines. Virus-like particles (VLPs) enable the construction of promising platforms in the field of vaccine development. Here, we demonstrate that non-infectious SARS-CoV-2 VLPs can be successfully assembled by co-expressing three important viral proteins membrane (M), envelop (E) and nucleocapsid (N) in plants. Plant-derived VLPs were purified by sedimentation through a sucrose cushion. The shape and size of plant-derived VLPs are similar to native SARS-CoV-2 VLPs without spike. Although the assembled VLPs do not have S protein spikes, they could be developed as formulations that can improve the immunogenicity of vaccines including S antigens, and further could be used as platforms that can carry S antigens of concern for various mutations.
Experimental inoculation trial to determine the effects of temperature and humidity on White-nose Syndrome in hibernating bats
Authors: Frick Winifred F. , Johnson Emily , Cheng Tina L. , Lankton Julia S. , Warne Robin , Dallas Jason , Parise Katy L. , Foster Jeffrey T. , Boyles Justin G. , McGuire Liam P. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractDisease results from interactions among the host, pathogen, and environment. Inoculation trials can quantify interactions among these players and explain aspects of disease ecology to inform management in variable and dynamic natural environments. White-nose Syndrome, a disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), has caused severe population declines of several bat species in North America. We conducted the first experimental infection trial on the tri-colored bat, Perimyotis subflavus, to test the effect of temperature and humidity on disease severity. We also tested the effects of temperature and humidity on fungal growth and persistence on substrates. Unexpectedly, only 37% (35/95) of bats experimentally inoculated with Pd at the start of the experiment showed any infection response or disease symptoms after 83 days of captive hibernation. There was no evidence that temperature or humidity influenced infection response. Temperature had a strong effect on fungal growth on media plates, but the influence of humidity was more variable and uncertain. Designing laboratory studies to maximize research outcomes would be beneficial given the high costs of such efforts and potential for unexpected outcomes. Understanding the influence of microclimates on host–pathogen interactions remains an important consideration for managing wildlife diseases, particularly in variable environments.
Hepatic galectin-3 is associated with lipid droplet area in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in a new swine model
Authors: Herrera-Marcos Luis V. , Martínez-Beamonte Roberto , Macías-Herranz Manuel , Arnal Carmen , Barranquero Cristina , Puente-Lanzarote Juan J. , Gascón Sonia , Herrero-Continente Tania , Gonzalo-Romeo Gonzalo , Alastrué-Vera Víctor , Gutiérrez-Blázquez Dolores , Lou-Bonafonte José M. , Surra Joaquín C. , Rodríguez-Yoldi María J. , García-Gil Agustín , Güemes Antonio , Osada Jesús 
Published: January 2022

AbstractNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently a growing epidemic disease that can lead to cirrhosis and hepatic cancer when it evolves into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a gap not well understood. To characterize this disease, pigs, considered to be one of the most similar to human experimental animal models, were used. To date, all swine-based settings have been carried out using rare predisposed breeds or long-term experiments. Herein, we fully describe a new experimental swine model for initial and reversible NASH using cross-bred animals fed on a high saturated fat, fructose, cholesterol, cholate, choline and methionine-deficient diet. To gain insight into the hepatic transcriptome that undergoes steatosis and steatohepatitis, we used RNA sequencing. This process significantly up-regulated 976 and down-regulated 209 genes mainly involved in cellular processes. Gene expression changes of 22 selected transcripts were verified by RT-qPCR. Lipid droplet area was positively associated with CD68, GPNMB, LGALS3, SLC51B and SPP1, and negatively with SQLE expressions. When these genes were tested in a second experiment of NASH reversion, LGALS3, SLC51B and SPP1 significantly decreased their expression. However, only LGALS3 was associated with lipid droplet areas. Our results suggest a role for LGALS3 in the transition of NAFLD to NASH.
Surface temperature controls the pattern of post-earthquake landslide activity
Authors: Loche Marco , Scaringi Gianvito , Yunus Ali P. , Catani Filippo , Tanyaş Hakan , Frodella William , Fan Xuanmei , Lombardo Luigi 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe patterns and controls of the transient enhanced landsliding that follows strong earthquakes remain elusive. Geostatistical models can provide clues on the underlying processes by identifying relationships with a number of physical variables. These models do not typically consider thermal information, even though temperature is known to affect the hydro-mechanical behavior of geomaterials, which, in turn, controls slope stability. Here, we develop a slope unit-based multitemporal susceptibility model for the epicentral region of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake to explore how land surface temperature (LST) relates to landslide patterns over time. We find that LST can explain post-earthquake landsliding while it has no visible effect on the coseismic scene, which is dominated by the strong shaking. Specifically, as the landscape progressively recovers and landslide rates decay to pre-earthquake levels, a positive relationship between LST and landslide persistence emerges. This seems consistent with the action of healing processes, capable of restoring the thermal sensitivity of the slope material after the seismic disturbance. Although analyses in other contexts (not necessarily seismic) are warranted, we advocate for the inclusion of thermal information in geostatistical modeling as it can help form a more physically consistent picture of slope stability controls.
Characterization of 3D-printed PLA parts with different raster orientations and printing speeds
Authors: Khosravani Mohammad Reza , Berto Filippo , Ayatollahi Majid R. , Reinicke Tamara 
Published: January 2022

AbstractFabrication based on additive manufacturing (AM) process from a three-dimensional (3D) model has received significant attention in the past few years. Although 3D printing was introduced for production of prototypes, it has been currently used for fabrication of end-use products. Therefore, the mechanical behavior and strength of additively manufactured parts has become of significant importance. 3D printing has been affected by different parameters during preparation, printing, and post-printing processes, which have influence on quality and behavior of the additively manufactured components. This paper discusses the effects of two printing parameters on the mechanical behavior of additively manufactured components. In detail, polylactic acid material was used to print test coupons based on fused deposition modeling process. The specimens with five different raster orientations were printed with different printing speeds. Later, a series of tensile tests was performed under static loading conditions. Based on the results, strength and stiffness of the examined specimens have been determined. Moreover, dependency of the strength and elastic modulus of 3D-printed parts on the raster orientation has been documented. In the current study, fractured specimens were visually investigated by a free-angle observation system. The experimental findings can be used for the development of computational models and next design of structural components.
Mental imagery can generate and regulate acquired differential fear conditioned reactivity
Authors: Greening Steven G. , Lee Tae-Ho , Burleigh Lauryn , Grégoire Laurent , Robinson Tyler , Jiang Xinrui , Mather Mara , Kaplan Jonas 
Published: January 2022

AbstractMental imagery is an important tool in the cognitive control of emotion. The present study tests the prediction that visual imagery can generate and regulate differential fear conditioning via the activation and prioritization of stimulus representations in early visual cortices. We combined differential fear conditioning with manipulations of viewing and imagining basic visual stimuli in humans. We discovered that mental imagery of a fear-conditioned stimulus compared to imagery of a safe conditioned stimulus generated a significantly greater conditioned response as measured by self-reported fear, the skin conductance response, and right anterior insula activity (experiment 1). Moreover, mental imagery effectively down- and up-regulated the fear conditioned responses (experiment 2). Multivariate classification using the functional magnetic resonance imaging data from retinotopically defined early visual regions revealed significant decoding of the imagined stimuli in V2 and V3 (experiment 1) but significantly reduced decoding in these regions during imagery-based regulation (experiment 2). Together, the present findings indicate that mental imagery can generate and regulate a differential fear conditioned response via mechanisms of the depictive theory of imagery and the biased-competition theory of attention. These findings also highlight the potential importance of mental imagery in the manifestation and treatment of psychological illnesses.
Identification of putative essential protein domains from high-density transposon insertion sequencing
Authors: Rahman A. S. M. Zisanur , Timmerman Lukas , Gallardo Flyn , Cardona Silvia T. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractA first clue to gene function can be obtained by examining whether a gene is required for life in certain standard conditions, that is, whether a gene is essential. In bacteria, essential genes are usually identified by high-density transposon mutagenesis followed by sequencing of insertion sites (Tn-seq). These studies assign the term “essential” to whole genes rather than the protein domain sequences that encode the essential functions. However, genes can code for multiple protein domains that evolve their functions independently. Therefore, when essential genes code for more than one protein domain, only one of them could be essential. In this study, we defined this subset of genes as “essential domain-containing” (EDC) genes. Using a Tn-seq data set built-in Burkholderia cenocepacia K56-2, we developed an in silico pipeline to identify EDC genes and the essential protein domains they encode. We found forty candidate EDC genes and demonstrated growth defect phenotypes using CRISPR interference (CRISPRi). This analysis included two knockdowns of genes encoding the protein domains of unknown function DUF2213 and DUF4148. These putative essential domains are conserved in more than two hundred bacterial species, including human and plant pathogens. Together, our study suggests that essentiality should be assigned to individual protein domains rather than genes, contributing to a first functional characterization of protein domains of unknown function.
Upregulated WTAP expression appears to both promote breast cancer growth and inhibit lymph node metastasis
Authors: Wang Chao-Qun , Tang Chih-Hsin , Wang Yan , Huang Bi-Fei , Hu Gui-Nv , Wang Qian , Shao Jun-Kang 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIt is unclear as to whether Wilms’ tumor 1-associated protein (WTAP) promotes or suppresses breast cancer. This immunohistochemistry analysis explored levels of WTAP expression in 347 cases of breast cancer and analyzed the relationship between WTAP expression and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of breast cancer patients. The rate of high WTAP expression was significantly higher in breast cancer tissue than in adjacent normal breast tissue (37.5% vs 0.0%; P < 0.001). WTAP expression was positively associated with tumor size and grade, and negatively associated with axillary lymph node metastasis, estrogen and progesterone receptor status. Rates of high WTAP expression were 66.1% in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissue and 31.3% in non-TNBC tissue. In multiple logistic regression analysis, independent predictors of WTAP expression in breast cancer included larger tumor size (odds ratio = 1.907; 95% confidence interval: 1.185–3.067; P = 0.008), lymph node metastasis (0.597; 0.373–0.956; P = 0.032) and TNBC status (3.735; 2.056–6.784; P < 0.001). No clear relationship was observed between patient prognosis and WTAP expression. We suggest that WTAP expression is upregulated in breast cancer and appears to both promote tumor growth and inhibit lymph node metastasis.
Excessive laxity of connective tissue in constipated children
Authors: Załęski Andrzej , Gawrońska Agnieszka , Albrecht Piotr , Banasiuk Marcin 
Published: January 2022

AbstractExcessive laxity of the connective tissue refers to a group of inherited abnormalities manifested by disturbances in the functioning of internal organs, including the gastrointestinal tract. Increased susceptibility to stretching of the distal part of the large intestine and abnormal colonic motor function could explain the predisposition to the development of functional constipation in some children. Our aim was to determine whether patients with functional constipation are more likely to be characterized by congenital laxity of connective tissue compared to the population of healthy children. Children diagnosed with functional constipation according to the Rome III criteria were prospectively enrolled in the study (study group, S) and compared to otherwise healthy children (control group, C). Excessive laxity of the connective tissue was evaluated using the Beighton Score (BS) and expressed as median and interquartile range (IQR). The study included 411 patients (median age 7.8 years, min 3 years, max 18 years; 49% male), comprising 211 patients in the S group and 200 children in the C group. The median BS in the S group was significantly higher than in the C group (median: 5 points [IQR: 1–4.5] vs 2 points [IQR: 3–7], respectively; p = 0.000).Furthermore, increased connective tissue laxity was observed more frequently in females (p < 0.05). Increased connective tissue laxity was more frequent in children with functional constipation, especially in girls. Excessive laxity of the connective tissue may be one of the etiological factors of functional constipation in children.
Synthesis of polyantimony ligand complexes starting from Cp*4Sb4
Authors: Heinl Veronika , Balázs Gábor , Seidl Michael , Scheer Manfred 
Published: January 2022

Cp*4Sb4 as Sb source for the formation of poly-Sb ligand complexes was examined. Whole or partial degradation of the Sb4 unit can be observed as well as a substitution of Cp* by Fe or Mo fragments. As a result, e.g. [{CpRFe(CO)2}4(μ4-Sb4)] (CpR = Cp′′, Cp′′′) are formed.
Enhancement in the active site exposure in a porphyrin-based PIL/graphene composite catalyst for the highly efficient conversion of CO2
Authors: Guo Xiao-Xuan , Zhang Feng-Lei , Muhammad Yaseen , Hu Dong-Liang , Cai Zhao-Tian , Xiao Guo-Min 
Published: January 2022

This work synthesized a PIL composite catalyst based on anin-situsurface construction strategy. This strategy promoted the stable loading of PIL in a small-size state, ensuring that the catalyst provided sufficient active sites for CO2 conversion.
Influence of geometry and operation conditions on the surface charge characteristics of DC‐GIL spacer
Authors: Li Xiaolong , Zhang Guangkuo , Lin Xin 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe surface charge characteristics of a ±200 kV gas‐insulated transmission lines spacer are studied to understand the influence of geometry, ion transportation, applied voltage, and gas pressure on the surface charge distribution. The simulation result indicates that the geometry simplification would affect the surface charge distribution. A millimeter‐level protrusion on the spacer causes an increase of 20 μC m−2 in charge density. A difference of 10 μC m−2 is found between the simulations based on the measured and calculated ion mobility. Moreover, it is found that the identical surface charge distribution cannot be achieved with the downsized model based on the identity of field strength, since ion transportation is affected by the scaling of geometry. The influence of gas pressure on the ion migration results in an initial excitation to the field variation, which further promotes the variation of surface charge via the dominative bulk conduction. Thus, with increasing pressure from 0.3 to 0.6 MPa, an increase of 8.4 μC m−2 is found on the convex surface, while a decrease of 5.5 μC m−2 is found on the concave surface. This investigation would be helpful for the simulation and experiment concerning the surface charge characteristics of spacers.
Model predictive duty cycle control for three‐phase Vienna rectifiers
Authors: Xu Bo , Liu Kaipei , Ran Xiaohong , Huai Qing 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe Vienna rectifiers are widely used in industrial applications. The computationally efficient optimal switching sequence model predictive control directly optimizes the switching sequences. Thus, it requires to store the switching states of 25 voltage vectors, which increases the memory usage. Moreover, the neutral‐point (NP) voltage is regulated by redundant vector preselection. As only one redundant vector is applied during the whole sampling period, the NP voltage ripple is relatively large, and the grid current performance is still not satisfactory. To overcome these drawbacks, this paper proposes a model predictive duty cycle control strategy for three‐phase Vienna rectifiers, which directly optimizes three‐phase duty cycles. The three‐phase duty cycles are first obtained by predicting the effects of three‐phase duty cycles on instantaneous current variations and minimizing a cost function. To guarantee the grid current performance, a novel three‐phase duty cycles modification method is proposed by considering the structural characteristics of the Vienna rectifier. To suppress the NP voltage ripple, the obtained three‐phase duty cycles are further optimized. With the proposed method, low memory usage, low harmonic distortion in the grid current, and low NP voltage ripple are achieved simultaneously. Experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
The Diagnostic Utility of Growth Ultrasound for the Indication of Maternal Overweight or Obesity
Authors: Sakowicz Allie , Grobman William A. , Miller Emily S. 
Published: January 2022

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of serial growth ultrasounds for the indication of maternal overweight or obesity.
Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of all women with a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 who underwent at least one growth ultrasound at ≥24 weeks gestation and delivered at a single tertiary care institution between January 2010 and December 2013. Women were excluded if they had other medical indications for growth ultrasounds. Ultrasounds were divided into three gestational age epochs: 24 to 316/7 weeks, 32 to 356/7 weeks, and ≥36 weeks. Outcomes examined included the accuracy of sonographic detection of fetal growth restriction (FGR) and fetal overgrowth compared with diagnoses of small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) based on the birth weight. The test characteristics of ultrasound and the number needed to screen (NNS) to detect growth abnormalities at the time of birth were estimated for each condition and gestational age epoch. The NNS for the detection of fluid abnormalities was also assessed.
Results During the study period, 3,945 eligible sonograms were performed in 2,928 women. FGR was identified on ultrasound in 42 (1.4%) women, fetal overgrowth in 94 (3.2%) women, oligohydramnios in 35 (1.2%) women, and hydramnios in 41 (1.4%) women. The NNS for the diagnoses of SGA, LGA, oligohydramnios, and hydramnios at delivery was at least 137 prior to 32 weeks of gestation and decreased (i.e., at least 45 and 16, for 32 to 356/7 weeks and ≥36 weeks, respectively) with advancing gestational age epochs.
Conclusion If growth ultrasounds are to be performed for the sole indication of maternal overweight or obesity, consideration should be given to delaying initiation until at least 32 weeks of gestation given the infrequency of growth and fluid abnormalities identified earlier.
Key Points
Impact of Fibrinogen Infusion on Thrombin Generation and Fibrin Clot Structure in Patients with Inherited Afibrinogenemia
Authors: Khayat Claudia , Marchi Rita , Durual Stéphane , Lecompte Thomas , Neerman-Arbez Marguerite , Casini Alessandro 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Introduction Inherited afibrinogenemia is a very rare disease characterized by complete absence of fibrinogen in the circulation and an increased risk in both thrombosis and bleeding. Infusion of fibrinogen concentrate (FC) is the main approach for prevention and management of bleeding; however, it has been reported to carry a thrombotic risk.
Methods We investigated the impact of a standard dose (40–100 mg/kg) of FC infusion on the thrombin generation (TG) parameters and the fibrin clot structure formed in plasma samples of patients with afibrinogenemia. Blood samples were collected from 20 patients before (T0) and 1 hour after infusion of FC (T1). TG was studied with calibrated automated thrombography. Fibrin clot structure was assessed with turbidimetry and scanning electron microscopy.
Results FC infusions (mean Clauss fibrinogen plasma level: 1.21 g/L at T1) led to a statistically significant increase in endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) (p < 0.0001) and thrombin peaks (p = 0.02). Nevertheless, when compared with healthy controls, patients' T1 lag times were longer (p = 0.002), ETP values were lower (p = 0.0003), and thrombin peaks were lower (p < 00001). All fibrin polymerization parameters (turbidimetry) obtained at T1 were comparable to those of patients with inherited hypofibrinogenemia matched for fibrinogen plasma levels.
Conclusion In summary, fibrinogen infusion with a standard dose of FC increased but did not correct TG and led to formation of fibrin clots similar to those of patients with hypofibrinogenemia. All in all, our results do not support the biological evidence of hypercoagulability induced by FC in patients with afibrinogenemia.