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Our aim was to investigate relative contributions of central and peripheral mechanisms to knee osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosis and their independent causal association with knee OA. We performed longitudinal analysis using data from UK-Biobank participants. Knee OA was defined using International Classification of Diseases manual 10 codes from participants' hospital records. Central mechanisms were proxied using multisite chronic pain (MCP) and peripheral mechanisms using body mass index (BMI). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated, and proportional risk contribution (PRC) was estimated from receiveroperator-characteristic (ROC) analysis. To estimate the causal effects, we performed 2-sample multivariable Mendelian Randomisation (MR) analysis. We selected genetic instruments from the largest Genome Wide Association Study of BMI (N 5 806,834) and MCP (N 5 387,649) and estimated the instruments genetic associations with knee OA in the largest available dataset (62,497 cases and 333,557 control subjects). The multivariable MR was performed using modified inverse-variance weighting methods. Of the 203,410 participants, 6% developed knee OA. Both MCP (OR 1.23, 95% CI; 1.21-1.24) and BMI (1.10, 95% CI; 1.10-1.11) were associated with knee OA diagnosis. The PRC was 6.9% (95% CI; 6.7%-7.1%) forMCPand 21.9% (95% CI; 21.4%-22.5%) for BMI; the combined PRC was 38.8% (95% CI; 37.9%-39.8%). Body mass index andMCPhad independent causal effects on knee OA (OR 1.76 [95% CI, 1.64-1.88] and 1.83 [95% CI, 1.54-2.16] per unit change, respectively). In conclusion, peripheral risk factors (eg, BMI) contribute more to the development of knee OA than central risk factors (eg, MCP). Peripheral and central factors are independently causal on knee OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article proposes an adaptively bounded gradient descent (ABGD) algorithm for group elastic net penalized regression. Unlike previously proposed algorithms, the proposed algorithm adaptively bounds the Fisher information matrix, which results in a flexible and stable computational framework. In particular, the proposed algorithm (i) does not require orthogonalization of the predictors, and (ii) can be easily applied to any combination of exponential family response distribution and link function. The proposed algorithm is implemented in the grpnet R package (available from CRAN), which implements the approach for common response distributions (Gaussian, binomial, and Poisson), as well as several response distributions not previously considered in the group penalization literature (i.e., multinomial, negative binomial, gamma, and inverse Gaussian). Simulated and real data examples demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is as or more efficient than existing methods for Gaussian, binomial, and Poisson distributions. Furthermore, using two genomic examples, I demonstrate how the proposed algorithm can be applied to high-dimensional multinomial regression problems with grouped predictors. R code to reproduce the results is included as supplementary materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semicontinuous data are characterized by a mixture of a point probability mass at zero and a continuous distribution of positive values. This type of data is often modeled using a two-part model where the first part models the probability of dichotomous outcomes -zero or positive- and the second part models the distribution of positive values. Despite the two-part model’s popularity, variable selection in this model has not been fully addressed, especially, in high dimensional data. The objective of this study is to investigate variable selection and prediction performance of penalized regression methods in two-part models. The performance of the selected techniques in the two-part model is evaluated via simulation studies. Our findings show that LASSO and ENET tend to select more predictors in the model than SCAD and MCP. Consequently, MCP and SCAD outperform LASSO and ENET for β-specificity, and LASSO and ENET perform better than MCP and SCAD with respect to the mean squared error. We find similar results when applying the penalized regression methods to the prediction of crime incidents using community-based data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis, a multifaceted and persistent inflammatory condition, significantly contributes to the progression of cardiocerebrovascular disorders, such as myocardial infarctions and cerebrovascular accidents. It involves the accumulation of cholesterol, fatty deposits, calcium and cellular debris in the walls of arteries, leading to the formation of plaques. Our aim is to investigate the potential of sinomenine to counteract atherosclerosis in mice lacking Apolipoprotein E (ApoE−/−) Mice. We employed the high-fat diet-induced method to induce atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− mice, and the mice were treated with sinomenine (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg) and simvastatin (0.5 mg/kg) for 12 weeks. Body weight, water intake, and food intake were assessed. Lipid parameters, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, and mRNA levels were estimated. Sinomenine treatment remarkably (P < 0.001) suppressed body weight, along with food and water intake. Sinomenine altered the levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), which were modulated in the atherosclerosis group. Sinomenine treatment also altered the levels of oxidative stress parameters such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH). In addition, it modulated cardiac parameters like C-reactive protein (CRP), endothelin-1 (ET-1), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), nitric oxide (NO), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatinine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB). Inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 were also affected. Sinomenine further suppressed the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-17, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Il-1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), MCP-2, MCP-3, transforming Growth Factor-1β (TGF-1β), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). The results suggest that sinomenine remarkably suppressed the development of atherosclerosis in the early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local linear approximation algorithm is an effective algorithm for computing a global solution of the folded concave penalization problem. However, the effectiveness of this method is highly dependent on a reasonably good initial estimator. It will lose efficacy when the correlation among predictors is high. In this paper, we propose a new local linear approximation ridge algorithm designed to deal with highly correlated predictors. The ridge estimator is chosen as an initial estimator, the local linear approximation ridge algorithm is stable and effective. Simulation studies and a real data analysis show that the proposed algorithm has better performance than the local linear approximation algorithm in the presence of highly correlated predictors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacterium Phormidium lacuna filaments move from dark to illuminated areas by twitching motility. Time‐lapse recordings demonstrated that this photophobotaxis response was based on random movements with movement reversion at the light–dark border. The filaments in the illuminated area form a biofilm attached to the surface. The wild‐type and the pixJ and cphA mutants were investigated for photophobotaxis at diverse wavelengths and intensities. CphA is a cyanobacterial phytochrome; PixJ is a biliprotein with a methyl‐accepting chemotaxis domain and is regarded as a phototaxis photoreceptor in other species. The cphA mutant exhibited reduced biofilm surface binding. The pixJ mutant was characterized as a negative photophobotaxis regulator and not as a light direction sensor. 3‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl)1,1‐dimethylurea (DCMU) blocks electron transfer in PS II. At concentrations of 100 and 1000 μM DCMU, photophobotaxis was inhibited to a greater extent than motility, suggesting that PSII has a role in photophobotaxis. We argue that the intracellular concentrations of regular photoreceptors, including CphA or PixJ, are too small for a filament to sense rapid light intensity changes in very weak light. Three arguments, specific inhibition by DCMU, broad spectral sensitivity, and sensitivity against weak light, support photosynthesis pigments for use as photophobotaxis sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was designed to evaluate the effect of available phosphorus on growth performance, antioxidant capacity and non-specific immunity in hybrid grouper (♀ Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂ E. lanceolatus) fed with high-lipid diets. Juvenile fish (8.06 ± 0.02 g) were subjected to six different dietary treatments over a period of eight weeks. These treatments consisted of diets (16% lipid level and 45% protein level) containing 0.3%, 0.58%, 0.67%, 0.76%, 0.85% and 0.94% available phosphorus (MCP), designated P1 (control), P2, P3, P4, P5 and P6, respectively. The results showed that (1) P1 group had suppressed final weight, weight gain and specific growth rate, while the other phosphorus experimental groups had significantly higher growth performance than the P1 group (P

Phaeoviruses (Phycodnaviridae) are large icosahedral viruses in the phylum Nucleocytoviricota with dsDNA genomes ranging from 160 to 560 kb, infecting multicellular brown algae (Phaeophyceae). The phaeoviral host range is broader than expected, not only infecting algae from the Ectocarpales but also from the Laminariales order. However, despite phaeoviral infections being reported globally, Norwegian kelp species have not been screened. A molecular analysis of cultured and wild samples of two economically important kelp species in Norway (Saccharina latissima and Laminaria hyperborea) revealed that phaeoviruses are recurrently present along the Norwegian coast. We found the viral prevalence in S. latissima to be significantly higher at the present time compared to four years ago. We also observed regional differences within older samples, in which infections were significantly lower in northern areas than in the south or the fjords. Moreover, up to three different viral sequences were found in the same algal individual, one of which does not belong to the Phaeovirus genus and has never been reported before. This master variant therefore represents a putative new member of an unclassified phycodnavirus genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the potential of digitalization to improve participants' skills in the agri-food market. The topic of improving technical mechanisms and software technologies aimed at the qualitative development of e-education in Russia is being updated. The problems of providing the agri-food market with skilled personnel are analyzed. The problems of terminological uncertainty concerning the concepts of digitalization and distance education in computer sciences (informatics), information sciences, and other related scientific fields that have a negative impact on the overall wide turnover of scientific research, are touched upon. The authors propose a single generalized nonhierarchical technological model of the organization of e-education, schematically describing a set of software technologies in the form of a cloud telecommunications system. Particularly, it is recommended to use multicasting technologies and adaptive network means of signal delivery to promote educational content in the form of internet television. The basic integrative network tools and protocols for the specific organization of electronic educational activities via internet television are technically annotated. The conclusions briefly and conceptually reflect the course of the research, as well as the logic of the material analyzed by the authors, summarizing the research work done and to provide some recommendations for the operation of multicasting technology in the form of internet television in Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine tetraflagellate Cymbomonas tetramitiformis has drawn attention as an early diverging green alga that uses a phago-mixotrophic mode of nutrition (i.e. the ability to derive nourishment from both photosynthesis and bacterial prey). The Cymbomonas nuclear genome was sequenced previously, but due to the exclusive use of short-read (Illumina) data, the assembly suffered from missing a large proportion of the genome's repeat regions. For this study, we generated Oxford Nanopore long-read and additional short-read Illumina data and performed a hybrid assembly that significantly improved the total assembly size and contiguity. Numerous endogenous viral elements were identified in the repeat regions of the new assembly. These include the complete genome of a giant Algavirales virus along with many genomes of integrated Polinton-like viruses (PLVs) from two groups: Gezel-like PLVs and a novel group of prasinophyte-specific PLVs. The integrated ∼400 kb genome of the giant Algavirales virus is the first account of the association of the uncultured viral family AG_03 with green algae. The complete PLV genomes from C. tetramitiformis ranged between 15 and 25 kb in length and showed a diverse gene content. In addition, heliorhodopsin gene-containing repeat elements of putative mirusvirus origin were identified. These results illustrate past (and possibly ongoing) multiple alga–virus interactions that accompanied the genome evolution of C. tetramitiformis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Understanding the home-range size and the ecological drivers that influence the spatial distribution of feral pigs is of paramount importance for exotic-disease modelling and the improvement of pest management programs. Aims. To investigate various factors affecting home- and core-range size and test selection of habitat, to better inform disease modelling and pest management programs. Methods. In this study, 59 GPS-collared feral pigs were tracked over four sites in eastern Australia between 2017 and 2021. Using minimum convex polygon (MCP) and the nearest-neighbour-local convex hull (k-LoCoH) as home-range estimators and foliage projective cover (FPC) as an estimator of landscape-scale shelter, we investigated the influence of sex, site, season, year and body weight on range size and tested selection of habitat by using chi-squared and Jacob's index tests. Key results. Home-range sizes were highly variable, with k-LoCoH90 (home) ranges between 0.08 and 54.97 km² and k-LoCoH50 (core) ranges between 0.01 and 7.02 km². MCP90 ranged between 0.15 and 242.30 km², with MCP50 being between 0.07 and 60.61 km². Sex and site both significantly (P < 0.001) influenced homerange size, but season and year did not. Home-range size was shown to increase with body mass for both sexes (P = 0.001). Importantly, the data indicated that feral pigs prefer habitat within 20-40% FPC (woodland), whereas open forests (51-80% FPC) and closed forests (>80% FPC) were actively avoided. Typically, use of open vegetation (1-10% FPC) was also avoided, but this behaviour varied and was dependent on site. Conclusion. Feral pig ranges are influenced by sex, site and body mass but not by season and year. Broad-scale selection for shelter indicated that feral pigs prefer habitat between 20% and 40% FPC. Implications. Targeting or avoiding such areas respectively for control or monitoring tool placement may result in improved, efficient outcomes to monitor or manage feral pig populations. Feral pig distribution modelling may also find benefit in the consideration and further study of the above factors and the influence of food and water sources on the activity ranges and behaviour of feral pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The partial correlation coefficient (Pcor) is a vital statistical tool employed across various scientific domains to decipher intricate relationships and reveal inherent mechanisms. However, existing methods for estimating Pcor often overlook its accurate calculation. In response, this paper introduces a minimum residual sum of squares Pcor estimation method (MRSS), a high-precision approach tailored for high-dimensional scenarios. Notably, the MRSS algorithm reduces the estimation bias encountered with positive Pcor. Through simulations on high-dimensional data, encompassing both sparse and non-sparse conditions, MRSS consistently mitigates the arithmetic bias for positive Pcors, surpassing other algorithms discussed. For instance, for large sample sizes ( n ≥ 100 ) with Pcor > 0, the MRSS algorithm reduces the MSE and RMSE by about 30–70% compared to other algorithms. The robustness and stability of the MRSS algorithm is demonstrated by the sensitivity analysis with variance and sparsity parameters. Stocks data in China's A-share market are employed to showcase the MRSS methodology's practicality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MCP is the coat protein of MS2 phage, and Csy4 is a small protein involved in crRNA generation of CRISPR 1-F system, which can recognize and bind RNA with high specificity. CRISPR/Cas and other genome editing technologies have some problems, such as large molecular weight of targeted nuclease, high off-target rate, and limited by PAM site. To solve these problems and construct new mini genome editing system based on Csy4 and MCP, AlphaFold2 was used to predict the structures of MCP-FokI, FokI-MCP, Csy4-FokI and FokI-Csy4 fusion proteins. The MCP-FokI and FokI-MCP editing vectors were transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana by the flower dip method, respectively, and the CLCrV-mediated Csy4-FokI and FokI-Csy4 editing systems were delivered using A. thaliana leaf injection. The A. thaliana genomic DNA was extracted and the editing ability of the novel mini-genome editing system was tested by HI-TOM high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that each domain of MCP, FokI and Csy4 maintained their original three-dimensional structures in the fusion proteins, suggesting that they all functioned properly. The plant expression vectors of MCP-FokI and MCP-FokI binding dual target sites with four different intermediate spacer regions were constructed to target the AtCLA1 genes. Sequencing results demonstrated that neither MCP-FokI nor FokI-MCP achieved the targeted editing of the target genes. Seven CLCrV-mediated Csy4-FokI and FokI-Csy4 editing vectors with different intermediate spacer regions were constructed to target the AtCLA1 genes. Among them the CLCrV-mediated Csy4-FokI editing system was able to achieve targeted editing of the target gene, but the mutation types were all base substitution types and the editing efficiency was low. No genome editing was detected in the FokI-Csy4 system. Taken together, a novel Csy4-FokI mini-genome editing system was successfully constructed, which may provide an innovative solution to overcome the problems of CRISPR/Cas genome editing technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare disease caused by a genetic dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway, characterized by thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and acute kidney injury, and included in the group of thrombotic microangiopathies. With the introduction of humanized monoclonal antibodies that inhibit C5 activation, the natural history of aHUS completely changed, with a better prognosis, a quick recovery of renal function, and a significant reduction of end-stage renal disease incidence. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the molecular and genetic bases of this severe disease. The aim of this narrative review is to provide readers with a practical guide about different possible involved genes, elucidating the specific role of each transcribed protein in the pathogenesis of aHUS. Moreover, we analyzed the main current evidence about the relationship among genetic mutations, outcomes, and the risk of recurrence of this manifold disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on graft reconstruction techniques for ruptured thumb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) ulnar collateral ligaments (UCL) do not consider the variety of MCP joint morphology. Optimal reconstruction method for flat MCP joints is therefore unclear. Twenty-four fresh-frozen, human thumbs were tested for flexion, extension and valgus stability of the MCP joint. After resection of the UCL, four reconstruction methods, differing in the metacarpal origin and phalangeal attachment, were performed on each specimen, which were then tested again in the same way. Specimens were grouped as 'round' or 'flat' depending on morphometric parameters and group differences were analysed. In flat joints, only the non-anatomical Glickel reconstruction and a modified Fairhurst reconstruction maintained normal mobility and stability. In round joints, only the Glickel reconstruction maintained normal mobility and stability. The original Fairhurst method and a modification with the origin palmar in the metacarpus were disadvantageous in both flat and round joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jammers emit strong intentional jamming signals aiming to limit or block legitimate communications. The distribution of jammers, whether in non-clustered or clustered form, significantly influences the performance of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. In addition, the fluctuations in the three-dimensional (3D) antenna beam width of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can exert a substantial impact on the network's overall performance. This paper introduces a model for UAV-V2X (U-V2X) communications in mm-Wave bands, considering non-clustered and clustered jammers, as well as the varying 3D antenna beam width. The roads are modeled using a Poisson line process, vehicular nodes (VNs) are modeled using a 1D Poisson point process (PPP), and UAVs are modeled using a 3D PPP. The jammers are distributed in two ways: non-clustered and clustered distributions. Moreover, the fluctuations in the 3D antenna beam width follow a normal distribution. To this end, a typical node's performance in U-V2X communications is evaluated for various network configurations, including the number of UAVs, VNs, roads, jammers, and jammer's transmission power. The analytical expressions for the outage probability (OP) of VN to VN connection (i.e., V2V), VN to UAV connection (i.e., V2U2V), and an overall connection (i.e., U-V2X), under non-clustered and clustered jamming, along with the fluctuating antenna beam width, are derived. The results revealed that the performance of the U-V2X communications utilizing mm-Waves is significantly degraded with the non-clustered jamming in comparison with the clustered jamming. The fluctuations in the 3D beam width of the UAV antennas further compromise the network's performance. Thus, accurate modeling of these fluctuations is crucial, particularly in the presence of non-clustered jammers. Furthermore, the system designers should focus on implementing additional anti-jamming countermeasures specifically targeting non-clustered jammers in U-V2X communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to introduce novel techniques for identifying the genes associated with developingchronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to prioritize COPD candidate genes using regression methods.Materials and Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the data from an experimental study. We used penalizedlogistic regressions with three different types of penalties included least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO), minimax concave penalty (MCP), and smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD). The models weretrained using genome-wide expression profiling to define gene networks relevant to the COPD stages. A 10-foldcross-validation scheme was used to evaluate the performance of the methods. In addition, we validate ourresults by the external validity approach. We reported the sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve (AUC) ofthe models.Results: There were 21, 22, and 18 significantly associated genes for LASSO, SCAD, and MCP models, respectively.The most statistically conservative method (detecting less significant features) was MCP detected 18 genes that wereall detected by the other two approaches. The most appropriate approach was a SCAD penalized logistic regression(AUC= 96.26, sensitivity= 94.2, specificity= 86.96). In this study, we have a common panel of 18 genes in all threemodels that show a significant positive and negative correlation with COPD, in which RNF130, STX6, PLCB1,CACNA1G, LARP4B, LOC100507634, SLC38A2, and STIM2 showed the odds ratio (OR) more than 1. However, therewas a slight difference between penalized methods.Conclusion: Regularization solves the serious dimensionality problem in using this kind of regression. More explorationof how these genes affect the outcome and mechanism is possible more quickly in this manner. The regression-basedapproaches we present could apply to overcoming this issue.

Acute kidney injury is associated with increased risk of heart failure and mortality. This study demonstrates that acute kidney injury induces remote cardiac dysfunction, damage, injury, and fibrosis via a galectin-3 (Gal-3) dependent pathway. Gal-3 originates from bone marrow-derived immune cells. Cardiac damage could be prevented by blocking this pathway.

Acute kidney injury is associated with increased risk of heart failure and mortality. This study demonstrates that acute kidney injury induces remote cardiac dysfunction, damage, injury, and fibrosis via a galectin-3 (Gal-3) dependent pathway. Gal-3 originates from bone marrow-derived immune cells. Cardiac damage could be prevented by blocking this pathway.

The paper shows the occurrence of pressure waves and their propagation in the equipment of the first circuit of the WWER-1000 reactor plant in emergency situations associated with an instantaneous stop of the Main circulation pump or a two-way flow with an instantaneous two-way break in the cold thread of the main circulation pipeline. The influence of the time of initialization of the accident (pump stop, pipeline rupture) on the intensity of the process-amplitude, frequency of pressure changes is investigated. Pressure drops during an emergency on the main elements of the circuit are considered. It is shown that the maximum changes in the amplitude and frequency of both the pressure and the pressure drops on the circuit elements belong to the initial stage of the accident. The main attention is focused on the pressure drops on the equipment, because this parameter determines the dynamic loads on the equipment, which can lead to its failure.

In the face of the new reform of China's "unified electricity market", the frequency regulation ancillary service market in each region of China is still divided between using the MCP and PAB pricing mechanisms. The purpose of this paper is to explore the different impact the laws of the above two pricing mechanisms have on the frequency regulation market and to provide relevant suggestions for this electricity market reform. This paper simulates the competitive activities of the frequency regulation market based on the multi-agent simulation model, conducts a comparative experiment by changing the pricing mechanism to a single variable based on the rules of the Sichuan frequency regulation market in China, and concludes that MCP can make the market fast and stable, and that its market settlement price is low, which is suitable for the "unified electricity market". Although PAB makes the market settlement price high, it can ensure the retention of high-performance units in the market, and the stable settlement price makes this model able to accurately reflect the "price signal", making it suitable for late adoption in the "unified electricity market". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to introduce novel techniques for identifying the genes associated with developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to prioritize COPD candidate genes using regression methods. Materials and Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the data from an experimental study. We used penalized logistic regressions with three different types of penalties included least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), minimax concave penalty (MCP), and smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD). The models were trained using genome-wide expression profiling to define gene networks relevant to the COPD stages. A 10-fold cross-validation scheme was used to evaluate the performance of the methods. In addition, we validate our results by the external validity approach. We reported the sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve (AUC) of the models. Results: There were 21, 22, and 18 significantly associated genes for LASSO, SCAD, and MCP models, respectively. The most statistically conservative method (detecting less significant features) was MCP detected 18 genes that were all detected by the other two approaches. The most appropriate approach was a SCAD penalized logistic regression (AUC= 96.26, sensitivity= 94.2, specificity= 86.96). In this study, we have a common panel of 18 genes in all three models that show a significant positive and negative correlation with COPD, in which RNF130, STX6, PLCB1, CACNA1G, LARP4B, LOC100507634, SLC38A2, and STIM2 showed the odds ratio (OR) more than 1. However, there was a slight difference between penalized methods. Conclusion: Regularization solves the serious dimensionality problem in using this kind of regression. More exploration of how these genes affect the outcome and mechanism is possible more quickly in this manner. The regression-based approaches we present could apply to overcoming this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Boxer's knuckle is a common injury that occurs due to repetitive trauma to the hand, often seen in those who engage in boxing or other similar combat sports. It is a painful condition that can cause swelling, tenderness, and limited movement in the affected area. In some cases, boxer's knuckle can be severe enough to require medical attention and even surgery. This injury can have a significant impact on an athlete's training and overall performance, and it is important to take preventative measures to avoid its occurrence. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for boxer's knuckle is essential for any athlete who regularly engages in combat sports or any activity that involves repeated hand trauma. Objective of the study: The objective of this review study is to analyze and summarize the literature related to boxer's knuckle, including its epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and management. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the condition, its causes, risk factors, and treatments, and to identify the gaps and limitations in the existing literature. Furthermore, this review intends to provide evidence-based recommendations and guidelines for the prevention, assessment, and treatment of boxer's knuckle in athletes and other individuals who are at risk of developing the condition. Ultimately, the study seeks to contribute to the development of a more precise and effective approach to managing this common hand injury. Material and methods: Review of PubMed articles using the following keywords: “mcp joint rupture boxing”, “boxer's knuckle”, “metacarpophalangeal joint boxing”, “extensor hood injuries”. Additionally, related articles proposed by the PubMed website were checked. Single citations that were not in the PubMed database but, in the opinion of the authors, contained valuable knowledge worthy of inclusion in the article were also reviewed.

The partial correlation coefficient (Pcor) is a vital statistical tool employed across various scientific domains to decipher intricate relationships and reveal inherent mechanisms. However, existing methods for estimating Pcor often overlook its accurate calculation. In response, this paper introduces a minimum residual sum of squares Pcor estimation method (MRSS), a high-precision approach tailored for high-dimensional scenarios. Notably, the MRSS algorithm reduces the estimation bias encountered with positive Pcor. Through simulations on high-dimensional data, encompassing both sparse and non-sparse conditions, MRSS consistently mitigates the arithmetic bias for positive Pcors, surpassing other algorithms discussed. For instance, for large sample sizes (n≥100) with Pcor > 0, the MRSS algorithm reduces the MSE and RMSE by about 30–70% compared to other algorithms. The robustness and stability of the MRSS algorithm is demonstrated by the sensitivity analysis with variance and sparsity parameters. Stocks data in China’s A-share market are employed to showcase the MRSS methodology’s practicality.

BackgroundAn efficient signal transduction system allows a bacterium to sense environmental cues and then to respond positively or negatively to those signals; this process is referred to as taxis. In addition to external cues, the internal metabolic state of any bacterium plays a major role in determining its ability to reside and thrive in its current environment. Similar to external signaling molecules, cytoplasmic signals are also sensed by methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) via diverse ligand binding domains. Myxobacteria are complex soil-dwelling social microbes that can perform a variety of physiologic and metabolic activities ranging from gliding motility, sporulation, biofilm formation, carotenoid and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, predation, and slime secretion. To live such complex lifestyles, they have evolved efficient signal transduction systems with numerous one- and two-component regulatory system along with a large array of chemosensory systems to perceive and integrate both external and internal cues.ResultsHere we report the in silico characterization of a putative energy taxis cluster, Cc-5, which is present in only one amongst 34 known and sequenced myxobacterial genomes, Corallococcus coralloides. In addition, we propose that this energy taxis cluster is involved in oxygen sensing, suggesting that C. coralloides can sense (either directly or indirectly) and then respond to changing concentrations of molecular oxygen.ConclusionsThis hypothesis is based on the presence of a unique MCP encoded in this gene cluster that contains two different oxygen-binding sensor domains, PAS and globin. In addition, the two monooxygenases encoded in this cluster may contribute to aerobic respiration via ubiquinone biosynthesis, which is part of the cytochrome bc1 complex. Finally, we suggest that this cluster was acquired from Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria or Cyanobacteria. Overall, this in silico study has identified a potentially innovative and evolved mechanism of energy taxis in only one of the myxobacteria, C. coralloides.

Preoperative compression of middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) is often observed in vestibular schwannomas. Its re-expansion is expected after tumour resection, however, frequently its thickness remains unchanged or undergoes further atrophy. Similarly, increased MCP FLAIR signal is often observed and thought to be associated with intraoperative MCP injury. This study investigates the dynamics of MCP FLAIR signal changes over time and their implications in long-term MCP atrophy. Retrospective analysis of patients operated between 2011 and 2019 was performed. Measurements of FLAIR signals and MCP thickness were performed preoperatively, postoperatively and at follow-up. 28 patients (15 females, mean age 51.94 years) were included. The mean follow-up was 23.98 months. The mean tumour size was 2.99 cm. The MCP FLAIR signal was elevated preoperatively in 10 (35.7%) patients and further increased postoperatively in 22 (78.6%), followed by its decrease at follow up (7 patients, 25%). An immediate postoperative re-expansion of middle cerebellar peduncle was observed in 24 (85.7%) patients. No association between tumour size and preoperative FLAIR was established, however tumour size was negatively associated with the MCP thickness. A significant negative association between a postoperative FLAIR and follow-up thickness (p < 0.001) was noted, even if controlling for tumour size and both tumour size and preoperative MCP thickness. In patients with vestibular schwannomas undergoing surgical resection, the middle cerebellar peduncle FLAIR signal seems to associated with long term thickness of MCP, regardless of its initial size, however does not seem to correlate with the clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to propose modified semiparametric estimators based on six different penalty and shrinkage strategies for the estimation of a right-censored semiparametric regression model. In this context, the methods used to obtain the estimators are ridge, lasso, adaptive lasso, SCAD, MCP, and elasticnet penalty functions. The most important contribution that distinguishes this article from its peers is that it uses the local polynomial method as a smoothing method. The theoretical estimation procedures for the obtained estimators are explained. In addition, a simulation study is performed to see the behavior of the estimators and make a detailed comparison, and hepatocellular carcinoma data are estimated as a real data example. As a result of the study, the estimators based on adaptive lasso and SCAD were more resistant to censorship and outperformed the other four estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between Obesity and Hypertension is among the most popular topics which have been explored in medical research in recent decades. However, it is challenging to establish the relationship comprehensively and accurately because the distribution of BMI and blood pressure is usually fat tailed and severely tied. In this paper, we propose a data-driven copulas selection approach via penalized likelihood which can deal with tied data by interval censoring estimation. Minimax Concave Penalty is involved to perform the unbiased selection of mixed copula model for its convergence property to get un-penalized solution. Interval censoring and maximizing pseudo-likelihood, inspired from survival analysis, is introduced by considering ranks as intervals with upper and lower limits. This paper describes the model and corresponding iterative algorithm. Simulations to compare the proposed approach versus existing methods in different scenarios are presented. Additionally, the proposed method is also applied to the association modeling on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data. Both numerical studies and real data analysis reveal good performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present the fabrication and characterization of solution-processable red Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (PhOLEDs). The proposed approach is based on Ir(III) complex, namely Bis(2-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)quinoline-C,N)(acetylacetonato)Iridium(III), also known as Ir(dmpq)2(acac), which was doped in four different host materials: (a) 4,4′-Bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1′-biphenyl (CBP), (b) 1,3-Bis(N-carbazolyl)benzene (mCP), (c) 1,1-Bis[(di-4-tolylamino) phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC), and (d) tris(4-carbazoyl-9-ylphenyl)amine (TCTA). The metal–organic complex offers unique optical and electronic properties arising from the interplay between the inorganic metal and the organic material. The optical and photophysical properties of the produced thin films are investigated in detail using spectroscopic ellipsometry and photoluminescence, whereas the structural characteristics are examined by atomic force microscopy. This comparative study of the four different Host:Ir-complex systems provides valuable information to evaluate the emission characteristics in order to achieve pure red light. Finally, these materials were applied as a single-emissive layer in PhOLED devices, and the electroluminescence characteristics were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-dimensional mediation analysis has been developed to study whether epigenetic phenotype in a high-dimensional data form would mediate the causal pathway of exposure to disease. However, most existing models are designed based on the assumption that there are no confounders between the exposure, the mediators, and the outcome. In practice, this assumption may not be feasible since high-dimensional mediation analysis (HIMA) tends to be observational where a randomized controlled trial (RCT) cannot be conducted for some economic or ethical reasons. Thus, to deal with the confounders in HIMA cases, we proposed three propensity score-related approaches named PSR (propensity score regression), PSW (propensity score weighting), and PSU (propensity score union) to adjust for the confounder bias in HIMA, and compared them with the traditional covariate regression method. The procedures mainly include four parts: calculating the propensity score, sure independence screening, MCP (minimax concave penalty) variable selection, and joint-significance testing. Simulation results show that the PSU model is the most recommended. Applying our models to the TCGA lung cancer dataset, we find that smoking may lead to lung disease through the mediation effect of some specific DNA-methylation sites, including site Cg24480765 in gene RP11-347H15.2 and site Cg22051776 in gene KLF3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lin Sun,1– 3,&ast; Bo Peng,1– 3,&ast; Jun Zhou,1– 3 Ping Wang,1 Yuqing Mo,4 Guofang Xu,1 Yi Tao,1 Hejie Song,1– 3 Wei Tang,1– 3 Meiling Jin4 1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Wei Tang, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, Email tina_tangwei@163.com Meiling Jin, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, Email mljin118@163.comPurpose: Allergic asthma is a heterogeneous disease with complex underlying mechanisms. Cytokines are key mediators in immune system and potential indicators of disease status. The aim of this study is to compare the difference of serum cytokine profile in allergic asthma patients with different disease severity and explore candidate biomarkers for disease monitoring and targeting therapeutic agents.Patients and Methods: A total of 40 allergic asthmatics (mild, n=22; moderate-to-severe, n=18) were included in this study. Serum samples, lung function and exhaled nitric oxide data were collected from each subject. A Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) electrochemiluminescence platform was applied to access serum levels of 33 cytokines. Serum cytokine profile was compared between mild and moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics, and the correlation between serum cytokine levels, lung function and exhaled nitric oxide were analyzed.Results: Moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics displayed higher levels of eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, YKL-40 and lower IL-23, IL-31 and TRAIL in serum in comparison with mild allergic asthmatics. Serum YKL-40, eotaxin-1 and MCP-1 had the best ability to discriminate mild and moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics, with an AUC of 0.833, 0.811 and 0.760. Serum IP-10 was positively correlated with FeNO levels, while FnNO displayed a strong positive correlation with serum IL-25.Conclusion: Compared with mild allergic asthmatics, significant increase in serum eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, YKL-40 and decrease in serum IL-23, IL-31 and TRAIL was noted in moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics. YKL-40, eotaxin-1 and MCP-1 might be candidate biomarkers in reflecting severity in allergic asthma patients.Keywords: allergic asthma, cytokine, YKL-40, eotaxin, MCP

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare disease caused by a genetic dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway, characterized by thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and acute kidney injury, and included in the group of thrombotic microangiopathies. With the introduction of humanized monoclonal antibodies that inhibit C5 activation, the natural history of aHUS completely changed, with a better prognosis, a quick recovery of renal function, and a significant reduction of end-stage renal disease incidence. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the molecular and genetic bases of this severe disease. The aim of this narrative review is to provide readers with a practical guide about different possible involved genes, elucidating the specific role of each transcribed protein in the pathogenesis of aHUS. Moreover, we analyzed the main current evidence about the relationship among genetic mutations, outcomes, and the risk of recurrence of this manifold disease.

Jammers emit strong intentional jamming signals aiming to limit or block legitimate communications. The distribution of jammers, whether in non-clustered or clustered form, significantly influences the performance of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. In addition, the fluctuations in the three-dimensional (3D) antenna beam width of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can exert a substantial impact on the network’s overall performance. This paper introduces a model for UAV-V2X (U-V2X) communications in mm-Wave bands, considering non-clustered and clustered jammers, as well as the varying 3D antenna beam width. The roads are modeled using a Poisson line process, vehicular nodes (VNs) are modeled using a 1D Poisson point process (PPP), and UAVs are modeled using a 3D PPP. The jammers are distributed in two ways: non-clustered and clustered distributions. Moreover, the fluctuations in the 3D antenna beam width follow a normal distribution. To this end, a typical node’s performance in U-V2X communications is evaluated for various network configurations, including the number of UAVs, VNs, roads, jammers, and jammer’s transmission power. The analytical expressions for the outage probability (OP) of VN to VN connection (i.e., V2V), VN to UAV connection (i.e., V2U2V), and an overall connection (i.e., U-V2X), under non-clustered and clustered jamming, along with the fluctuating antenna beam width, are derived. The results revealed that the performance of the U-V2X communications utilizing mm-Waves is significantly degraded with the non-clustered jamming in comparison with the clustered jamming. The fluctuations in the 3D beam width of the UAV antennas further compromise the network’s performance. Thus, accurate modeling of these fluctuations is crucial, particularly in the presence of non-clustered jammers. Furthermore, the system designers should focus on implementing additional anti-jamming countermeasures specifically targeting non-clustered jammers in U-V2X communications.

The interface between humans, domestic animals, and wildlife has been implicated in the emergence of infectious diseases and the persistence of endemic human and animal diseases. For individuals who reside at this interface, particularly those in low-resource settings, the development of disease risk assessment and mitigation skills must be prioritized. Using a community engagement-One Health approach, we implemented a training program aimed at advancing these skills among agro-pastoralists living adjacent to conservation areas in South Africa. The program included professional development of local facilitators who then conducted workshops with community members. Workshops used a series of experiential, inquiry-based activities to teach participants the concepts of pathogen transmission and disease risk assessment and mitigation. The program was implemented over four weeks with 10 facilitators and 78 workshop participants. We conducted a within-subjects experimental study using a mixed methods design to evaluate the program in terms of facilitator and participant One Health knowledge and practices. Quantitative data included pre/post written assessments; qualitative data included focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and pre/post photographs. Mean post-test scores of facilitators increased by 17% (p = 0.0078). For workshop participants, improvements in knowledge were more likely for females than males (OR = 7.315, 95% CI = 2.258-23.705, p = 0.0009) and participants with a higher versus lower education level, albeit borderline non-significant (OR = 4.781, 95% CI = 0.942-24.264, p = 0.0590). Qualitative analysis revealed the implementation of risk mitigation strategies by 98% (60/61) of workshop participants during the three-month follow-up and included improved personal and domestic hygiene practices and enhanced animal housing. Although further evaluation is recommended, this program may be appropriate for consideration as a scalable approach by which to mitigate human and animal infectious disease risk in high-risk/low-resource communities.

The epithelial layer of the gastrointestinal tract contains invaginations, called glands or crypts, which are colonized by symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms and may function as designated niches for certain species. Factors that control gland colonization are poorly understood, but bacterial chemotaxis aids occupation of these sites. We report here that a Helicobacter pylori cytoplasmic chemoreceptor, TlpD, is required for gland colonization in the stomach. tlpD mutants demonstrate gland colonization defects characterized by a reduction in the percentage of glands colonized but not in the number of bacteria per gland. Consistent with TlpD's reported role in reactive oxygen species (ROS) avoidance, tlpD mutants showed hallmarks of exposure to high ROS. To assess the role of host-generated ROS in TlpD-dependent gland colonization, we utilized mice that lack either the ability to generate epithelial hydrogen peroxide or immune cell superoxide. tlpD gland colonization defects were rescued to wild-type H. pylori levels in both of these mutants. These results suggest that multiple types of innate immune-generated ROS production limit gland colonization and that bacteria have evolved specific mechanisms to sense and direct their motility in response to this signal and thus spread throughout tissue.

A principle diagram of a high-voltage low-power power supply for devices comprising a microchannel plate (MCP) has been developed. A mathematical model was built according to the developed scheme for a detailed study of the operation of the power supply and the selection of the optimal parameters of its components and obtaining the best output voltages. The power supply circuit comprises a control circuit, a pulse transformer, a voltage multiplier circuit, a feedback circuit, and an input stabilizer. The input stabilizer provides the maintenance of the voltage switched in the primary winding of the transformer at a given level regardless of the voltage drop of the power supply primary source. Moreover the stabilizer provides constant voltage maintenance when the load resistance changes. (with Rload changing from 100 to 200 MΩ, Uout did not exceed 3 V).

Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a complex disease with intricate underlying pathogenic mechanisms. The possible role of underlying complement dysregulation is not fully elucidated in some GN subsets, especially in the setting of autoimmunity or infection. In the current study, diagnosed cases of lupus nephritis (LN) and post-infectious GN (PIGN) were recruited for molecular genetic analysis and targeted next-generation DNA sequencing was performed for two main complement regulating genes: in the fluid phase; CFH, and on tissue surfaces; MCP. Three heterozygous pathogenic variants in CFH (Q172*, W701*, and W1096*) and one likely pathogenic heterozygous variant in MCP (C223R) have been identified in four of the studied LN cases. Additionally, among the several detected variants of uncertain significance, one novel variant (CFH:F614S) was identified in 74% of the studied LN cases and in 65% of the studied PIGN cases. This variant was detected for the first time in the Egyptian population. These findings suggest that subtle mutations may be present in complement regulating genes in patients with immune-complex mediated category of GN that may add to the disease pathogenesis. These findings also call for further studies to delineate the impact of these gene variants on the protein function, the disease course, and outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes novel single-stranded DNA phages isolated from common bean agriculture soils by infection of the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria Rhizobium etli and R. phaseoli. A total of 29 phages analyzed have 4.3-6 kb genomes in size and GC 59-60%. They belong to different clades unrelated to other Microviridae subfamilies. Three-dimensional models of the major capsid protein (MCP) showed a conserved β-barrel structural "jellyroll" fold. A variable-length loop in the MCPs distinguished three Rhizobium microvirus groups. Microviridae subfamilies were consistent with viral clusters determined by the protein-sharing network. All viral clusters, except for Bullavirinae, included mostly microviruses identified in metagenomes from distinct ecosystems. Two Rhizobium microvirus clusters, chaparroviruses, and chicoviruses, were included within large viral unknown clusters with microvirus genomes identified in diverse metagenomes. A third Rhizobium microvirus cluster belonged to the subfamily Amoyvirinae. Phylogenetic analysis of the MCP confirms the divergence of the Rhizobium microviruses into separate clades. The phylogeny of the bacterial hosts matches the microvirus MCP phylogeny, suggesting a coevolutionary history between the phages and their bacterial host. This study provided essential biological information on cultivated microvirus for understanding the evolution and ecological diversification of the Microviridae family in diverse microbial ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A member of the Iridoviridae family has been detected as the erythrocytic necrosis virus (ENV), which causes viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) in 20 marine and anadromous fishes. The major capsid protein (MCP) is the main structural protein of iridoviruses and is responsible for causing disease in various fishes. It has been found that the VEN utilizes major capsid protein (MCP) to enter the host cell and blocking the virus entry by targeting the protein can reduce the economic losses caused by the pathogen. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the inhibitory potentiality of 48 compounds Allium sativum is one of the medicinal plants which has been reported to show potential antiviral activity against various pathogens, but activity against the capsid protein promoted pathogens has not yet been reported. The MCP was retrieved, modeled, refined, and validated in this experiment. The binding affinity of 48 compounds was calculated against the MCP with the docking, ADMET, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation approaches which predict PubChem CID 12303662 inhibitory compound that binds strongly with the major capsid protein with a binding affinity of -9.7 after optimization. For theoretical calculation, the HOMO-LUMO gap score was also calculated. The best ADMET compounds were selected for the optimization analysis and re-docking. As a result of the research, it is possible to deduce that these Allium sativum phytochemicals might act as significant inhibitors of the MCP. More in-vitro testing is needed to establish their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a significant global health concern with a high morbidity rate. Accumulating evidence reveals that Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, is a biomarker in kidney diseases. Our study aimed to assess the advantageous impacts of modified citrus pectin (MCP) as an alternative therapeutic strategy for the initial and ongoing progression of DN in mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The animal model has been split into four groups: control group, T2DM group (mice received intraperitoneal injections of nicotinamide (NA) and streptozotocin (STZ), T2DM+MCP group (mice received 100 mg/kg/day MCP following T2DM induction), and MCP group (mice received 100 mg/kg/day). After 4 weeks, kidney weight, blood glucose level, serum kidney function tests, histopathological structure alterations, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis parameters were determined in renal tissues. Our findings demonstrated that MCP treatment reduced blood glucose levels, renal histological damage, and restored kidney weight and kidney function tests. Additionally, MCP reduced malondialdehyde level and restored glutathione level, and catalase activity. MCP demonstrated a notable reduction in inflammatory and apoptosis mediators TNF-α, iNOS, TGF-βRII and caspase-3. Overall, MCP could alleviate renal injury in an experimental model of DN by suppressing renal oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, and apoptosis mediators., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a complex disease with intricate underlying pathogenic mechanisms. The possible role of underlying complement dysregulation is not fully elucidated in some GN subsets, especially in the setting of autoimmunity or infection. In the current study, diagnosed cases of lupus nephritis (LN) and post-infectious GN (PIGN) were recruited for molecular genetic analysis and targeted next-generation DNA sequencing was performed for two main complement regulating genes: in the fluid phase; CFH, and on tissue surfaces; MCP. Three heterozygous pathogenic variants in CFH (Q172*, W701*, and W1096*) and one likely pathogenic heterozygous variant in MCP (C223R) have been identified in four of the studied LN cases. Additionally, among the several detected variants of uncertain significance, one novel variant (CFH:F614S) was identified in 74% of the studied LN cases and in 65% of the studied PIGN cases. This variant was detected for the first time in the Egyptian population. These findings suggest that subtle mutations may be present in complement regulating genes in patients with immune-complex mediated category of GN that may add to the disease pathogenesis. These findings also call for further studies to delineate the impact of these gene variants on the protein function, the disease course, and outcome.

This study describes novel single-stranded DNA phages isolated from common bean agriculture soils by infection of the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria Rhizobium etli and R. phaseoli. A total of 29 phages analyzed have 4.3–6 kb genomes in size and GC 59–60%. They belong to different clades unrelated to other Microviridae subfamilies. Three-dimensional models of the major capsid protein (MCP) showed a conserved β-barrel structural “jelly-roll” fold. A variable-length loop in the MCPs distinguished three Rhizobium microvirus groups. Microviridae subfamilies were consistent with viral clusters determined by the protein-sharing network. All viral clusters, except for Bullavirinae, included mostly microviruses identified in metagenomes from distinct ecosystems. Two Rhizobium microvirus clusters, chaparroviruses, and chicoviruses, were included within large viral unknown clusters with microvirus genomes identified in diverse metagenomes. A third Rhizobium microvirus cluster belonged to the subfamily Amoyvirinae. Phylogenetic analysis of the MCP confirms the divergence of the Rhizobium microviruses into separate clades. The phylogeny of the bacterial hosts matches the microvirus MCP phylogeny, suggesting a coevolutionary history between the phages and their bacterial host. This study provided essential biological information on cultivated microvirus for understanding the evolution and ecological diversification of the Microviridae family in diverse microbial ecosystems.

High quality pH measurements are required in estuarine and coastal waters to assess the impacts of anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 emissions on the marine carbonate system, including the resulting decrease in pH. In addition, pH measurements are needed to determine impacts on carbonate chemistry of phytoplankton blooms and their breakdown, following enhanced anthropogenic nutrient inputs. The spectrophotometric pH technique provides high quality pH data in seawater, and is advantageous for long-term deployments as it is not prone to drift and does not require in situ calibration. In this study, a field application of a fully automated submersible spectrophotometric analyzer for high-resolution in situ pH measurements in dynamic estuarine and coastal waters is presented. A Lab-on-Chip (LOC) pH sensor was deployed from a pontoon in the inner Kiel Fjord, southwestern Baltic Sea, for a total period of 6 weeks. We present a time-series of in situ pHT (total pH scale) and ancillary data, with sensor validation using discretely collected samples for pHT and laboratory analysis. The difference between the sensor and laboratory analyses of discrete samples was within ±0.015 pHT unit, with a mean difference of 0.001 (n=65), demonstrating that the LOC sensor can provide stable and accurate pHT measurements over several weeks.

This study aimed to create a Malaysian wind map of greater accuracy. Compared to a previous wind map, spatial modeling input was increased. The Genetic Algorithm-optimized Artificial Neural Network Measure–Correlate–Predict method was used to impute missing data, and managed to control over- or under-prediction issues. The established wind map was made more reliable by including surface roughness to simulate wind flow over complex terrain. Validation revealed that the current wind map is 33.833% more accurate than the previous wind map. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient between wind map-simulated data and observed data was high as 0.835. In conclusion, the new and improved wind map for Malaysia simulates data with acceptable accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]