bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bacteriophage S6 requires bacterial cellulose for Erwinia amylovora infection
Authors: Knecht Leandra E. , Heinrich Nadine , Born Yannick , Felder Katja , Pelludat Cosima , Loessner Martin J. , Fieseler Lars 
Published: March 2022

SummaryBacteriophages are highly selective in targeting bacteria. This selectivity relies on the specific adsorption of phages to the host cell surface. In this study, a Tn5 transposon mutant library of Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight, was screened to identify bacterial receptors required for infection by the podovirus S6. Phage S6 was unable to infect mutants with defects in the bacterial cellulose synthase operon (bcs). The Bcs complex produces and secretes bacterial cellulose, an extracellular polysaccharide associated with bacterial biofilms. Deletion of the bcs operon or associated genes (bcsA, bcsC and bcsZ) verified the crucial role of bacterial cellulose for S6 infection. Application of the cellulose binding dye Congo Red blocked infection by S6. We demonstrate that infective S6 virions degraded cellulose and that Gp95, a phage‐encoded cellulase, is involved to catalyse the reaction. In planta S6 did not significantly inhibit fire blight symptom development. Moreover, deletion of bcs genes in E. amylovora did not affect bacterial virulence in blossom infections, indicating that sole application of cellulose targeting phages is less appropriate to biologically control E. amylovora. The interplay between cellulose synthesis, host cell infection and maintenance of the host cell population is discussed.
Clathrin heavy chain is essential for the development and reproduction of Locusta migratoria
Authors: Shi Xuekai , Li Shuai , Yang Lin , Liu Xiaojian , Merzendorfer Hans , Zhu Kun Yan , Zhang Jianzhen 
Published: March 2022

AbstractClathrin heavy chain (Chc) is a constituent of clathrin‐coated vesicles and serves important functions in endocytosis and intracellular membrane trafficking but appears to have physiological roles also at the organismal level. Most of what we know about Chc functions originates from studies performed in fungal or vertebrate cells. However, the physiological functions of Chc in insects remain poorly understood. Here, we identified a Chc ortholog from a Locusta migratoria transcriptome database. RT‐qPCR revealed that LmChc was constitutively expressed in fifth‐instar nymphs. In this developmental stage, LmChc showed the highest expression in the ovary followed by hemolymph, testis, hindgut, midgut, and foregut. In isolated hemocytes, we detected the Chc protein in patches at the plasma membrane. To examine the role of LmChc in L. migratoria during development, RNA interference was performed by injecting dsRNA into the early fifth‐instar nymphs. Silencing of LmChc caused a lethal phenotype with molting defect from nymph to adult. In addition, silencing of LmChc resulted in abnormal development of the ovaries, the size of which was significantly smaller than that in controls. Taken together, our results suggest that LmChc is a vital gene in L. migratoria that plays an important role in growth, development, and reproduction. LmChc may be used as an efficient RNAi target gene for developing dsRNA‐based biological insecticides to manage insect pests.
Testing the systematic status of Homalictus and Rostrohalictus with weakened cross‐vein groups within Halictini (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) using low‐coverage whole‐genome sequencing
Authors: Zhang Dan , Niu Ze‐Qing , Luo A‐Rong , Orr Michael C. , Ferrari Rafael R. , Jin Jian‐Feng , Wu Qing‐Tao , Zhang Feng , Zhu Chao‐Dong 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe halictid genus Lasioglossum, as one of the most species‐rich bee groups with persistently contentious subgeneric boundaries, is one of the most challenging bee groups from a systematic standpoint. An enduring question is the relationship of Lasioglossum and Homalictus, whether all halictine bees with weakened distal wing venation comprise one or multiple genera. Here, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationships among the subgroups within Lasioglossum s.l. based on thousands of single‐copy orthologs and ultraconserved elements, which were extracted from 23 newly sequenced low‐coverage whole genomes alongside a published genome (22 ingroups plus 2 outgroups). Both marker sets provided consistent results across maximum likelihood and coalescent‐based species tree approaches. The phylogenetic and topology test results show that the Lasioglossum and Hemihalictus series are reciprocally monophyletic and Homalictus and Rostrohalictus are valid subgenera of Lasioglossum. Consequently, we lower Homalictus to subgenus status within Lasioglossum again, and we also raise Rostrohalictus to subgenus status from its prior synonymy with subgenus Hemihalictus. Lasioglossum przewalskyi is also transferred to the subgenus Hemihalictus. Ultimately, we redefine Lasioglossum to include all halictine bees with weakened distal wing venation.
Germinated chickpea–maize extrudates with high protein content and reduced starch digestibility
Authors: Serrano‐Sandoval Sayra N. , Guardado‐Félix Daniela , De la Rosa‐Millán Julián , Heredia‐Olea Erick , Gutiérrez‐Uribe Janet A. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe objective of this study was to produce maize extrudates supplemented with germinated chickpea flour to increase the contents of resistant starch (RS) and protein. Six extrudates were formulated using maize grits (ME), germinated chickpea flour (GCE) and different blends of maize and 10%, 20%, 30%, or 40% of germinated chickpea flour (MGCE‐10, MGCE‐20, MGCE‐30, or MGCE‐40). Increase of RS was observed in the defatted samples due to germinated chickpea flour addition. In the nondefatted samples, the highest content of RS was observed in GCE followed by ME and the different MGCE. Interaction between fat, starch, and protein by improved intramolecular association was assessed by Fourier transform‐ infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Amylose–lipid complexes in nondefatted samples increased the content of RS in comparison to defatted samples. The highest expansion index was obtained in MGCE‐30 and MGCE‐40. ME had the highest hardness and crispiness. Germinated chickpea flour increased the water absorption index (WAI), but reduced water solubility index (WSI) when it was combined with maize grits to produce extrudates. The in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) was higher in the GCE and MGCE with more than 20% of germinated chickpea flour compared to ME. MGCE‐20 and MGCE‐30 showed the highest acceptability of the supplemented extrudates with 50% more protein than ME, a similar IVPD to that of GCE, and good functional characteristics.Practical ApplicationCombining maize and germinated chickpea flour is a good strategy to have a controlled digestibility of starch and increase the plant based protein content in healthier snacks.
Characterization of a novel squalene‐rich oil: Pachira macrocarpa seed oil
Authors: Zhang Wenhui , Chen Mingshun , Liu Chengmei , Liang Ruihong , Shuai Xixiang , Chen Jun 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPachira macrocarpa is a woody oil crop with high economic and ornamental value. Although P. macrocarpa seeds are rich in oil, little information has been reported about its characterization. In this study, the fatty acids, minor components (tocopherols, squalene, phytosterols, and total phenols), antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, thermal, and rheological behavior of the P. macrocarpa seed oil (PSO) were investigated for the first time. The results showed that the seeds contained 43.34% lipid, which was mainly composed of palmitic acid (49.96%), linoleic acid (31.22%), and oleic acid (13.48%). The contents of tocopherols, squalene, phytosterols, and total phenols in PSO were 42.01 mg/100 g, 96.78 mg/100 g, 119.67 mg/100 g, and 3.79 mg GAE/100 g, respectively. PSO showed relatively strong DPPH radical scavenging capacity (93.47 µmol TE/100 g) and high melting point (20.8°C). In addition, the oil exhibited Newtonian flow behavior and was not toxic to normal L929 cells at concentrations of 500–8000 µg/ml. As a whole, PSO may be considered as a valuable source for new multipurpose products for industrial utilization.Practical ApplicationPachira macrocarpa is a woody oil crop and its seeds are rich in oil. Our study has investigated the physicochemical properties and chemical composition of the P. macrocarpa seed oil (PSO). The present study revealed PSO had potential as an edible oil, and it may be considered as a valuable source for new multipurpose products for food industrial utilization.
Gluten–starch interface characteristics and wheat dough rheology—Insights from hybrid artificial systems
Authors: Brandner Silvia , Becker Thomas , Jekle Mario 
Published: March 2022

AbstractReferring to the total surface existing in wheat dough, gluten–starch interfaces are a major component. However, their impact on dough rheology is largely unclear. Common viewpoints, based on starch surface modifications or reconstitution experiments, failed to show unambiguous relations of interface characteristics and dough rheology. Observing hybrid artificial dough systems with defined particle surface functionalization gives a new perspective. Since surface functionalization standardizes particle–polymer interfaces, the impact on rheology becomes clearly transferable and thus, contributes to a better understanding of gluten–starch interfaces. Based on this perspective, the effect of particle/starch surface functionality is discussed in relation to the rheological properties of natural wheat dough and modified gluten–starch systems. A competitive relation of starch and gluten for intermolecular interactions with the network‐forming polymer becomes apparent during network development by adsorption phenomena. This gluten–starch adhesiveness delays the beginning of non‐linearity under large deformations, thus contributing to a high deformability of dough. Consequently, starch surface functionality affects the mechanical properties, starting from network formation and ending with the thermal fixation of structure.
You’re Fired! International Courts, Re‐contracting, and the WTO Appellate Body during the Trump Presidency
Authors: Zaccaria Giuseppe 
Published: March 2022

AbstractA long‐standing debate amongst international relations scholars has surrounded the question of whether international institutions with judicial authority enjoy more autonomy and discretion than other global institutions. This is mainly because international courts are established as impartial third‐party actors tasked with performing adjudicative functions for conflicting parties. As such, the delegation contracts of international institutions with judicial authority are expected to minimize control by states, even in cases where the members of a court engage in judicial overreach. This article contributes to that debate by examining the case of the crisis of the WTO Appellate Body. The article analyzes the Trump administration's successful efforts at rendering dysfunctional one of the most powerful courts in the international system. The findings showcase how powerful states are capable and willing to take advantage of the available control mechanisms and the institutional opportunity structures inherent in the design of international courts. The article speaks to the scholarship on the contestation of international institutions. The analysis relies on original data obtained through 22 interviews with WTO officials, state representatives, and experts.
CAR‐T cell therapy for lung cancer: Potential and perspective
Authors: Chen Long , Chen Fukun , Li Jindan , Pu Yongzhu , Yang Conghui , Wang Yue , Lei Yujie , Huang Yunchao 
Published: March 2022

AbstractLung cancer is the highest incidence and mortality of all cancers around the world. In the present immunotherapy era, an increasing number of immunotherapeutic agents including monoclonal antibody‐targeted drugs have been used in the clinical treatment of malignancy, but it still has many limitations. Chimeric antigen receptor‐modified T (CAR‐T) cells, a novel adoptive immunotherapy strategy, have not only been used successfully against hematological tumors, but have also opened up new avenues for immunotherapy of solid tumors, including lung cancer. However, targeting lung cancer‐specific antigens using engineered CAR‐T cells is complicated by the lack of proper tumor‐specific antigens, an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, a low level of CAR‐T cell infiltration into tumor tissues, along with off‐target effect, etc. Simultaneously, the clinical application of CAR‐T cells remains limited because of many challenges such as tumor lysis syndrome, neurotoxicity syndrome, and cytokine release syndrome. In this review, we outline the basic structure and generation characteristic of CAR‐T cells and summarize the common tumor‐associated antigens in clinical trials of CAR‐T cell therapy for lung cancer, and point out the current challenges and new strategies, aiming to provide new ideas and approaches for the pre‐clinical experiments and clinical trials of CAR‐T cell therapy in lung cancer.
Laparoscopic dome resection for pediatric nonparasitic huge splenic cyst safely performed using indocyanine green fluorescence and percutaneous needle grasper
Authors: Masuya Ryuta , Nakame Kazuhiko , Tahira Kosei , Kai Kengo , Hamada Takeomi , Yano Koichi , Imamura Naoya , Hiyoshi Masahide , Nanashima Atsushi , Ieiri Satoshi 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIntroductionIn recent years, dome resection, which preserves the splenic immunological function, has been the primary technique used to treat splenic cysts. We herein report a surgical technique using a needle grasper and indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence to perform dome resection of a huge nonparasitic splenic cyst in a pediatric patient.Patient and Surgical TechniqueA 13‐year‐old girl was incidentally diagnosed with a splenic cyst during follow‐up for scoliosis. Abdominal enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a 17 × 14 × 14 cm unifocal cyst. Laparoscopic dome resection was planned. The intraoperative findings showed that the spleen was distended, but there was no apparent prominence of the thin cyst wall on the surface of the spleen. An ICG fluorescence camera overlay revealed poor coloration in the thinning area. We punctured the area and aspirated the cyst contents. We grasped the cyst wall with a percutaneous needle grasper and dissected the cyst wall with a vessel sealing system. We placed anti‐adhesion agent at the dissection line to prevent recurrence.DiscussionICG fluorescence was useful for identifying the thinning area of a splenic cyst. The use of a percutaneous needle grasper facilitated the performance of dome resection of a huge splenic cyst in a pediatric patient with minimal invasiveness and an improved cosmetic outcome.
Environmentally sustainable development and use of artificial intelligence in health care
Authors: Richie Cristina 
Published: March 2022

AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) can transform health care by delivering medical services to underserved areas, while also filling gaps in health care provider availability. However, AI may also lead to patient harm due to fatal glitches in robotic surgery, bias in diagnosis, or dangerous recommendations. Despite concerns ethicists have identified in the use of AI in health care, the most significant consideration ought not be vulnerabilities in the software, but the environmental impact of AI. Health care emits a significant amount of carbon in many countries. As AI becomes an essential part of health care, ethical reflection must include the potential to negatively impact the environment. As such, this article will first overview the carbon emissions in health care. It will, second, offer five reasons why carbon calculations are insufficient to address sustainability in health care. Third, the article will derive normative concepts from the goals of medicine, the principles of biomedical ethics, and green bioethics—the very locus in which AI in health care sits—to propose health, justice, and resource conservation as criteria for sustainable AI in health care. In the fourth and final part of the article, examples of sustainable and unsustainable development and use of AI in health care will be evaluated through the three‐fold lens of health, justice, and resource conservation. With various ethical approaches to AI in health care, the imperative for environmental sustainability must be underscored, lest carbon emissions continue to increase, harming people and planet alike.
Discussion on “Adaptive enrichment designs with a continuous biomarker” by Nigel Stallard
Authors: Flournoy Nancy , Tarima Sergey 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe congratulate Dr. Nigel Stallard on his stimulating paper on adaptive enrichment designs with a continuous biomarker. Dr. Stallard details a framework for a large and interesting class of enrichment procedures. His work has motivated us to offer some thoughts in response. Dr. Stallard's strategy is to use the maximum of a test statistic over a set of possible threshold values to define the enriched population to be sampled in a second stage. This reminds us of procedures for identifying a change point, a biomarker value beyond which the effect of treatment is increased. For simplicity we focus our comments on Dr. Stallard's Rule 1 for selecting the second‐stage sampling threshold. Using this rule, we present the likelihood ratio approach for adaptive testing and compare it to Dr. Stallard's approach for a few scenarios.
Continuous Time-Interaction Processes for Population Size Estimation, with an Application to Drug Dealing in Italy
Authors: Altieri Linda , Farcomeni Alessio , Alunni Fegatelli Danilo 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
We introduce a time-interaction point process where the occurrence of an event can increase (self-excitement) or reduce (self-correction) the probability of future events. Self-excitement and self-correction are allowed to be triggered by the same event, at different timescales; other effects such as those of covariates, unobserved heterogeneity, and temporal dependence are also allowed in the model. We focus on capture-recapture data, as our work is motivated by an original example about the estimation of the total number of drug dealers in Italy. To do so, we derive a conditional likelihood formulation where only subjects with at least one capture are involved in the inference process. The result is a novel and flexible continuous-time population size estimator. A simulation study and the analysis of our motivating example illustrate the validity of our approach in several scenarios.
Association of metformin treatment and outcome in adult patients with ITP and pre‐existing T2DM
Authors: Li Chaoyang , Sun Meng , Li Ranran , Wang Shuwen , Shao Linlin , Xu Miao , Yao Meiyue , Wang Lin , Hou Ming , Feng Qi , Peng Jun 
Published: March 2022

SummaryPrimary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune haemorrhagic disease that could manifest with comorbid type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the exact impact of T2DM in patients with ITP remains uncertain. In this study, we performed a retrospective cohort study of 458 participants with ITP. The prevalence of T2DM was 7.6% in this population (35 patients), which was slightly lower than the Chinese nationwide prevalence of T2DM, calculated to be approximately 10.9%. The participants with pre‐existing T2DM displayed a significantly higher response to therapy than those without T2DM (71% vs. 53%). Furthermore, in the T2DM cohort, the response rate reached 88% when metformin was included in the treatment regimen. This clinical evidence suggests that metformin therapy might improve the clinical outcomes of ITP.
Siliciclastic sediment volumes and rates of the North Pyrenean retro‐foreland basin
Authors: Ortiz Alexandre , Guillocheau François , Robin Cécile , Lasseur Eric , Briais Justine , Fillon Charlotte 
Published: March 2022

AbstractSediment accumulation rates in foreland basins result from a complex interplay between surface and deep processes in both the exhumed relief domain and sedimentary basins. The growth and decay of a mountain belt during orogenic and post‐orogenic phases have been largely studied, thanks to thermochronological and structural studies. The sedimentary response of the orogenic phases in the preserved sediments of the surrounding basins is well known in terms of sedimentary filling patterns and architecture, but much less better quantified. Here, we performed a measurement of the siliciclastic sediment volumes of the Pyrenean retro‐foreland basin—the Aquitaine Basin and the Bay of Biscay during Cenozoic times—for a better understanding of the erosion and the sediment transfer and deposition during the convergence (syn‐orogenic) to post‐convergence (post‐orogenic) periods of the Pyrenees Mountain. The measurement of the compacted siliciclastic sediment is based on sediment thickness (isopach) maps of known lithologies, derived from the interpretation of 40,000 kms of seismic profiles. Thanks to the siliciclastic sediment volumes quantification and a well‐known retro‐foreland basin tectono‐sedimentary evolution, we bring quantitative results as:

The amount of preserved sediments is of 51,500 ± 16,800 km3 for the Cenozoic.

The siliciclastic sediment rate curve during Cenozoic shows two major increases around 26.0 and 2.5 Ma. The 26.0 Ma increase is clearly related to the erosion of the Pyrenees of tectonic origin. The major 2.5 Ma one would be mainly related to a climatic forcing.

The mass balance between the Aquitaine Platform and the deepest domains changes through time in favour of the deep domain. This might be explained by the ratio between subsidence that created accommodation space and the sediments feed by the mountain belt and stored in the Aquitaine Platform.
Tumor endothelial cell‐induced CD8+ T‐cell exhaustion via GPNMB in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Sakano Yoshihiro , Noda Takehiro , Kobayashi Shogo , Sasaki Kazuki , Iwagami Yoshifumi , Yamada Daisaku , Tomimaru Yoshito , Akita Hirofumi , Gotoh Kunihito , Takahashi Hidenori , Asaoka Tadafumi , Tanemura Masahiro , Wada Hisashi , Doki Yuichiro , Eguchi Hidetoshi 
Published: March 2022

AbstractTumor endothelial cells (TECs) promote tumor angiogenesis and regulate cytotoxic T cells in the tumor microenvironment. However, the roles of TECs for tumor‐infiltrating T‐cell in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate how TECs influenced tumor growth and immune responses of HCC focusing on CD8+ T‐cell infiltration and exhaustion. First, TECs were isolated from subcutaneous HCC tumors with murine HCC cell lines (BNL‐T) with magnetic selection of CD31+ cells, and normal endothelial cells (NECs) were isolated from normal liver. Second, immunocompetent mice were injected with BNL‐T alone, BNL‐T + NECs, or BNL‐T + TECs for tumor formation, and the functions and exhaustion of tumor‐infiltrating CD8+ T cells were evaluated. The mice injected with BNL‐T + TEC showed rapid tumorigenesis and a decrease in the number of infiltrating CD8+ T cells. In addition, the percentage of CD8+ T‐cell exhaustion was significantly higher in tumors from the administration of BNL‐T + TEC. Third, the next‐generation sequencing on TECs was performed to identify mRNAs that might be a novel treatment target. The molecule of glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) was identified and the functions of GPNMB was analyzed by silencing of GPNMB expression using small interfering RNAs. The silencing of GPNMB expression in TECs induced the suppression of tumor growth and T‐cell exhaustion. In conclusion, TECs induced tumor‐infiltrating T‐cell exhaustion via GPNMB expression and GPNMB might be a novel therapeutic target in HCC.