bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis oligopeptidase B and its role in macrophage infection
Authors: Barbosa Gustavo Rolim , Marana Sandro Roberto , Stolf Beatriz Simonsen 
Published: June 2022

AbstractLeishmania spp. are parasitic protozoa that cause leishmaniasis, a disease endemic in 98 countries. Leishmania promastigotes are transmitted by the vector and differentiate into amastigotes within phagocytic cells of the vertebrate host. To survive in multiple and hostile environments, the parasite has several virulence factors. Oligopeptidase B (OPB) is a serine peptidase present in prokaryotes, some eukaryotes and some higher plants. It has been considered a virulence factor in trypanosomatids, but only a few studies, performed with Old World species, analysed its role in Leishmania virulence or infectivity.L. (L.) amazonensis is an important agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil. The L. (L.) amazonensis OPB encoding gene has been sequenced and analysed in silico but has never been expressed. In this work, we produced recombinant L. (L.) amazonensis OPB and showed that its pH preferences, Km and inhibition patterns are similar to those reported for L. (L.) major and L. (L.) donovani OPBs. Since Leishmania is known to secrete OPB, we performed in vitro infection assays using the recombinant enzyme. Our results showed that active OPB increased in vitro infection by L. (L.) amazonensis when present before and throughout infection. Our findings suggest that OPB is relevant to L. (L.) amazonensis infection, and that potential drugs acting through OPB will probably be effective for Old and New World Leishmania species. OPB inhibitors may eventually be explored for leishmaniasis chemotherapy.
Personal Beliefs about Illness Questionnaire-Revised (PBIQ-R): Spanish adaptation in a clinical sample with psychotic disorders
Authors: Vázquez Morejón Antonio J. , Jackson Chris , Vázquez-Morejón Raquel , Leon-Perez Jose M. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBackground:The way people with psychosis psychologically adapt and manage the diagnosis of such a mental disorder has been considered a key factor that contributes to the emergence and aggravation of emotional problems. These beliefs about illness can be very important due to their possible association with stigma and its implications in terms of loss of roles and social status. Given the importance of these personal beliefs about the specific diagnosis of psychosis, the Personal Beliefs about Illness Questionnaire (PBIQ) and PBIQ-R have been developed.Aims:The present study aims to explore the psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of the PBIQ-R in a sample of patients with a diagnosis of psychosis-related disorders.Method:Participants were 155 patients (54.8% male) of the Public Health Service in Andalusia (Spain). Those who consented to participate filled in the PBIQ-R, the Social Comparison Scale, and the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 to measure emotional symptoms.Results:All dimensions showed adequate internal consistency values: Cronbach’s alpha extends between .81 and .88; and McDonald’s omega ranges between .87 and .92. The temporal reliability for an interval of 3–4 weeks was high. The correlations between the PBIQ-R dimensions and the other variables included in the study were significant and in the expected direction. The factor analysis of the principal components of the PBIQ-R dimensions revealed a single factor in each of the dimensions that explained 64–74%.Conclusions:The results support the reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the PBIQ-R.
Introducing grip force as a nonverbal measure of bilingual feelings
Authors: Thoma Dieter , Hüsam Julia , Wielscher Kimberley 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBilinguals’ emotions can vary in intensity with the language of a stimulus. Yet, extant research has somewhat surprisingly accepted inconsistent results from implicit nonverbal and explicit verbal emotion measures. To date, it is unclear if this inconsistency recurs to conceptual or methodological differences. We therefore investigated if squeezing a handheld dynamometer is a valid nonverbal, “visceral” alternative to self-reported language-dependent feelings by comparing explicit ratings to neuro-physiological emotional reactions. We replicated two pupillometry experiments inducing language-dependent emotions through sentence reading (Study 1) and listening to narrative video commercials (Study 2) of low and high emotionality in the first or second language. Pupillometry confirmed that bilinguals are more sensitive to the low-high emotionality contrast in their first than second language. Grip force (but not duration) mirrored these findings, whereas verbal ratings did not. We thus recommend grip force as a new attentional, nonverbal measure for bilingualism research.
Northeastward‐Moving Auroral Forms From Possible High‐Latitude Reconnection
Authors: Fasel G. J. , Mann J. , Lee L. C. , Lee S. H. , Sigernes F. , Robison A. , Tarditi S. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThis study presents a number of previously unreported auroral features that form shortly after the IMF –component turns sharply northward. The auroral images were captured by the Boreal Aurora Camera Constellation (BACC) All‐sky camera at the Kjell Henriksen Observatory, located in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. These observations are different from those previously reported. There are several differences: (a) The Eastward‐Moving Auroral Forms (EMAFs) do not originate from type 1 or type 2 aurora. The EMAFs originate from a diffuse vertical auroral form in the far west part of the ASC image. Vertical refers to the auroral form oriented in the north‐south direction in the frame of the ASC image. (b) The EMAFs form crescent shapes after they begin to drift eastward. (c) The EMAFs are discrete auroral forms; previously reported ionospheric signatures of high‐latitude reconnection are described as patches of brightness that form within a pre‐existing auroral band. (d) The EMAFs are observed to first move eastward and then slightly poleward during their journey. The movements of previously reported Ionospheric signatures of high‐latitude reconnection are described as expanding patches of brightness within a pre‐existing auroral band. (e) Some of the EMAFs brighten again after fading, during their northeastward drift across the field of view. (f) The EMAFs begin their eastward motion aligned in the north‐south direction. During their northeast drift, they begin to tilt toward the east. Some of the EMAFs keep tilting until they are aligned in the east‐west direction.
Distribution, Sources, and Dynamics of Particulate Matter Along Trans‐Arctic Sections
Authors: Gardner Wilford D. , Richardson Mary Jo , Mishonov Alexey V. , Lam Phoebe J. , Xiang Yang 
Published: June 2022

AbstractIn order to better understand the sources, sinks, and hydrodynamic influences on particulate matter distribution and variability in Arctic basins, we combined transmissometer data from two 2015 fall expeditions: one from Bering Strait (USCGC Healy) and the other from Barents Sea (R/V Polarstern) meeting at the North Pole. These first trans‐Arctic sections of beam attenuation were overlain by salinity, temperature, and chlorophyll‐a fluorescence (Chl‐a) contours. Chl‐a sections were overlain by nitrate contours. Particle composition analyzed from filtered samples throughout the full water column aided significantly in discerning sources, distribution, and dynamics of particles. Dense Pacific water moving swiftly through Bering Strait erodes and carries sediment‐laden waters onto the Chukchi Shelf and into the Canada Basin. This nutrient‐rich Pacific water sinks below a low‐salinity, nutrient‐poor polar mixed layer, forming a thick lens of high salinity water known as Pacific halocline water (salinity 31–33). Ice and the nutrient‐poor mixed layer inhibit photosynthesis in surface waters of Canada and Makarov Basins, but subsurface chlorophyll‐a maxima are observed if nutrients and light are available. Surface‐water biomass is greater in the Barents Sea than in the Beaufort Gyre because nutrient‐rich Atlantic water entering Barents Sea is not isolated from surface waters by ice or strong stratification. Surface water cools, creating high‐density water that cascades into ∼400 m basins in Barents Sea and into deep Nansen Basin, eroding sediment that creates patches of nepheloid layers in the shallow basins. Intense nepheloid layers in the deep basins are rare, suggesting weak bottom currents.
Spectral Indices of Vegetation Condition and Soil Water Content Reflect Controls on CH4 and CO2 Exchange in Sphagnum‐Dominated Northern Peatlands
Authors: Tucker Colin , O’Neill Ally , Meingast Karl , Bourgeau‐Chavez Laura , Lilleskov Erik , Kane Evan S. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractNorthern peatlands play an important role in the global C cycle due to their large C stocks and high potential methane (CH4) emissions. The CH4 and CO2 cycles of these systems are closely linked to hydrology, with water table level regulating the balance of oxic and anoxic conditions and the water content of Sphagnum mosses that dominate primary production. Previous work has demonstrated that hyperspectral indices well‐suited to the detection of altered hydrology in Sphagnum peatlands are also highly correlated with GPP. However, little work has been done to extend these findings to CH4 effluxes. In this study, we evaluate the utility of four hyperspectral indices, two reflecting vegetation photosynthetic function (chlorophyll index (CI); normalized difference vegetation index) and two reflecting water content (wetness index (WI); floating water band index), for detecting effects of altered water table, precipitation, and vegetation community on CH4 and CO2 exchange in two peatland mesocosm studies. We found that CI is a good predictor of net CO2 exchange, and that it captured both drought and vegetation effects consistently across a broad range of vegetation treatments. Further, we demonstrate for the first time that WI combined with CI explained a significant percentage of CH4 efflux (R2 = 0.32–0.57). Our results indicate that CI and WI together may be effective tools for detecting effects of altered hydrology and vegetation on northern Sphagnum‐peatland CH4 and CO2 emissions, with implications for detecting and modeling changes in emissions of greenhouse gases at scales ranging from the ecosystem to the Earth system.
Influence of the Amazon‐Orinoco Discharge Interannual Variability on the Western Tropical Atlantic Salinity and Temperature
Authors: Gévaudan M. , Durand F. , Jouanno J. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractOver the last three decades, extreme floods have become increasingly frequent in the Amazon basin, affecting strongly the population and ecosystems of the area. However, the impact of these extreme events on the tropical Atlantic Ocean is still poorly known. In this study, we use a 1/4° coupled ocean‐atmosphere model to assess the impact of the runoff interannual variability on the sea surface salinity and sea surface temperature of the area. Twin sensitivity experiments are performed, forced alternatively with interannually‐varying and climatological river runoff. Composite fields for the highest floods and lowest floods are also compared. This combination of sensitivity tests and composite extremes allows to separate the effect of runoff interannual variability from the rest of the variability (typically driven by mixing, advection and precipitation). We show that the runoff interannual variability modulates the sea surface salinity of the Amazon plume with the same order of magnitude as the salinity variability driven by ocean dynamics and atmospheric forcing. However, due to vertical mixing, this oceanic imprint of the extreme floods is limited to a few months and a few hundred kilometers from the mouth. Years of extreme floods generally coincide with anomalous phases of the Atlantic Meridional Mode, which are associated with large‐scale sea surface temperature anomalies over the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Our results did not reveal any significant modulation of these temperature anomalies by the runoff interannual variability, at any time of the year, questioning the relevance of a hydrological feedback on the tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature.
XNOR-Nets with SETs: Proposal for a binarised convolution processing elements with Single-Electron Transistors
Authors: Bheemireddy Varun 
Published: June 2022

AbstractDeep neural network (DNN) and Convolution neural network (CNN) algorithms have significantly increased the accuracies in cutting-edge large-scale image recognition and natural-language processing tasks. Generally, such neural nets are implemented on power-hungry GPUs, beyond the reach of low-power edge-devices. The binary neural nets have been proposed recently, where both the input activations and weights are constrained to $$+$$
+
1 and − 1 to address this challenge. Here in the present proof-of-concept study, we propose a simple class of mixed-signal circuits composed of single-electron devices and exploit the nonlinear Coulomb staircase phenomena to alleviate the challenges of binarised deep learning hardware accelerators. In particular, through SPICE modeling, we demonstrate the realisation of space-time-energy efficient XNOR-Accumulation (XAC) operation, reconfigurabilty of XAC circuit to perform 1D convolution and a busbar design to augment a contemporary accelerator. These nanoscale circuits could be readily fabricated and may potentially be deployed in low-power deep-learning systems.
Caecal microbiota composition of experimental inbred MHC-B lines infected with IBV differs according to genetics and vaccination
Authors: Borey Marion , Bed’Hom Bertrand , Bruneau Nicolas , Estellé Jordi , Larsen Frederik , Blanc Fany , der Laan Marie-Hélène Pinard-van , Dalgaard Tina , Calenge Fanny 
Published: June 2022

AbstractInteractions between the gut microbiota and the immune system may be involved in vaccine and infection responses. In the present study, we studied the interactions between caecal microbiota composition and parameters describing the immune response in six experimental inbred chicken lines harboring different MHC haplotypes. Animals were challenge-infected with the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), and half of them were previously vaccinated against this pathogen. We explored to what extent the gut microbiota composition and the genetic line could be related to the immune response, evaluated through flow cytometry. To do so, we characterized the caecal bacterial communities with a 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing approach performed one week after the IBV infectious challenge. We observed significant effects of both the vaccination and the genetic line on the microbiota after the challenge infection with IBV, with a lower bacterial richness in vaccinated chickens. We also observed dissimilar caecal community profiles among the different lines, and between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated animals. The effect of vaccination was similar in all the lines, with a reduced abundance of OTU from the Ruminococcacea UCG-014 and Faecalibacterium genera, and an increased abundance of OTU from the Eisenbergiella genus. The main association between the caecal microbiota and the immune phenotypes involved TCRϒδ expression on TCRϒδ+ T cells. This phenotype was negatively associated with OTU from the Escherichia-Shigella genus that were also less abundant in the lines with the highest responses to the vaccine. We proved that the caecal microbiota composition is associated with the IBV vaccine response level in inbred chicken lines, and that the TCRϒδ+ T cells (judged by TCRϒδ expression) may be an important component involved in this interaction, especially with bacteria from the Escherichia-Shigella genus. We hypothesized that bacteria from the Escherichia-Shigella genus increased the systemic level of bacterial lipid antigens, which subsequently mitigated poultry γδ T cells.
Trends and patterns of life satisfaction and its relationship with social support in Canada, 2009 to 2018
Authors: Su Yingying , D’Arcy Carl , Li Muzi , Meng Xiangfei 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThe present study aims to explore the trends and patterns of life satisfaction in Canada from 2009 to 2018 and to examine changes in the associations between social support and life satisfaction over time. Data were from ten annual Canadian Community Health Surveys (CCHS). Each survey represents 97% of the Canadian population. Point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of life satisfaction were calculated at the population level. Generalized linear regression was used to explore the relationship between life satisfaction and social support both nationally and in different population subgroups. The annual life satisfaction score gradually increased both at national and provincial levels from 2009 to 2018. Individuals who were women, aged between 12 and 19 years, living in rural areas, were most satisfied with their lives. There was a positive correlation between social support and life satisfaction for the provinces and the study years for which information on social support was available. Our findings suggest strengthening social support could be a public health target for promoting greater life satisfaction. Timely availability and analysis of life satisfaction and social support data could better inform policy and promote wellbeing at a population level.
Long-lasting reflexive and nonreflexive pain responses in two mouse models of fibromyalgia-like condition
Authors: Álvarez-Pérez Beltrán , Deulofeu Meritxell , Homs Judit , Merlos Manuel , Vela José Miguel , Verdú Enrique , Boadas-Vaello Pere 
Published: June 2022

AbstractNociplastic pain arises from altered nociception despite no clear evidence of tissue or somatosensory system damage, and fibromyalgia syndrome can be highlighted as a prototype of this chronic pain subtype. Currently, there is a lack of effective treatments to alleviate both reflexive and nonreflexive pain responses associated with fibromyalgia condition, and suitable preclinical models are needed to assess new pharmacological strategies. In this context, although in recent years some remarkable animal models have been developed to mimic the main characteristics of human fibromyalgia, most of them show pain responses in the short term. Considering the chronicity of this condition, the present work aimed to develop two mouse models showing long-lasting reflexive and nonreflexive pain responses after several reserpine (RIM) or intramuscular acid saline solution (ASI) injections. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that RIM6 and ASI mouse models show reflexive and nonreflexive responses up to 5–6 weeks, accompanied by either astro- or microgliosis in the spinal cord as pivotal physiopathology processes related to such condition development. In addition, acute treatment with pregabalin resulted in reflexive pain response alleviation in both the RIM6 and ASI models. Consequently, both may be considered suitable experimental models of fibromyalgia-like condition, especially RIM6.
Drivers of parasite communities in three sympatric benthic sharks in the Gulf of Naples (central Mediterranean Sea)
Authors: Santoro Mario , Bellisario Bruno , Tanduo Valentina , Crocetta Fabio , Palomba Marialetizia 
Published: June 2022

AbstractSharks play a key role in the functioning of marine ecosystems and maintenance of trophic web balance, including life cycles of parasites co-occurring in their habitats. We investigated the structure of parasite communities of three sympatric shark species (Etmopterus spinax, Galeus melastomus, and Scyliorhinus canicula) and explored both the influence of host features in shaping the communities and their role as biological indicators of environment stability in the Gulf of Naples (central Mediterranean Sea), a geographical area characterized by strong anthropic pressure. Parasites found were all trophic transmitted helminths with a complex life cycle, except Lernaeopoda galei, that is a ecto-parasite copepod. Communities were all similarly impoverished with 4–5 component species and low values of species richness and diversity. Higher abundance of cestode larvae of the genus Grillotia was found in G. melastomus, although their dominance in all host species suggests that the three sharks have a similar role as intermediate/paratenic hosts in local food webs. Similarly, high abundance of Grillotia larvae could also suggest the occurrence of high abundance of largest top predators in the area. Host morphological (fork length in S. canicula and G. melastomus and body condition index in G. melastomus) and physiological (sex and gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices in S. canicula) variables were differently correlated to parasite community structures depending by host species. Potential reasons for the present impoverished parasite communities are discussed.
Prediction of SARS-CoV-2-positivity from million-scale complete blood counts using machine learning
Authors: Zuin Gianlucca , Araujo Daniella , Ribeiro Vinicius , Seiler Maria Gabriella , Prieto Wesley Heleno , Pintão Maria Carolina , dos Santos Lazari Carolina , Granato Celso Francisco Hernandes , Veloso Adriano 
Published: June 2022

Abstract
Background
The Complete Blood Count (CBC) is a commonly used low-cost test that measures white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in a person’s blood. It is a useful tool to support medical decisions, as intrinsic variations of each analyte bring relevant insights regarding potential diseases. In this study, we aimed at developing machine learning models for COVID-19 diagnosis through CBCs, unlocking the predictive power of non-linear relationships between multiple blood analytes.

Methods
We collected 809,254 CBCs and 1,088,385 RT-PCR tests for SARS-Cov-2, of which 21% (234,466) were positive, from 900,220 unique individuals. To properly screen COVID-19, we also collected 120,807 CBCs of 16,940 individuals who tested positive for other respiratory viruses. We proposed an ensemble procedure that combines machine learning models for different respiratory infections and analyzed the results in both the first and second waves of COVID-19 cases in Brazil.

Results
We obtain a high-performance AUROC of 90 + % for validations in both scenarios. We show that models built solely of SARS-Cov-2 data are biased, performing poorly in the presence of infections due to other RNA respiratory viruses.

Conclusions
We demonstrate the potential of a novel machine learning approach for COVID-19 diagnosis based on a CBC and show that aggregating information about other respiratory diseases was essential to guarantee robustness in the results. Given its versatile nature, low cost, and speed, we believe that our tool can be particularly useful in a variety of scenarios—both during the pandemic and after.