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Córdova Bulens D, du Bois de Dunilac S, Delhaye BP, Lefèvre P, Redmond SJ. Open-Source Instrumented Object to Study Dexterous Object Manipulation. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0211-23.2023. [PMID: 38164548 PMCID: PMC10849037 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0211-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Humans use tactile feedback to perform skillful manipulation. When tactile sensory feedback is unavailable, for instance, if the fingers are anesthetized, dexterity is severely impaired. Imaging the deformation of the finger pad skin when in contact with a transparent plate provides information about the tactile feedback received by the central nervous system. Indeed, skin deformations are transduced into neural signals by the mechanoreceptors of the finger pad skin. Understanding how this feedback is used for active object manipulation would improve our understanding of human dexterity. In this paper, we present a new device for imaging the skin of the finger pad of one finger during manipulation performed with a precision grip. The device's mass (300 g) makes it easy to use during unconstrained dexterous manipulation. Using this device, we reproduced the experiment performed in Delhaye et al. (2021) We extracted the strains aligned with the object's movement, i.e., the vertical strains in the ulnar and radial parts of the fingerpad, to see how correlated they were with the grip force (GF) adaptation. Interestingly, parts of our results differed from those in Delhaye et al. (2021) due to weight and inertia differences between the devices, with average GF across participants differing significantly. Our results highlight a large variability in the behavior of the skin across participants, with generally low correlations between strain and GF adjustments, suggesting that skin deformations are not the primary driver of GF adaptation in this manipulation scenario.
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Wu J, McAuliffe O, O'Byrne CP. A novel RofA-family transcriptional regulator, GadR, controls the development of acid resistance in Listeria monocytogenes. mBio 2023; 14:e0171623. [PMID: 37882515 PMCID: PMC10746197 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01716-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The ability to survive the acidic conditions found in the stomach is crucial for the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes to gain access to the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. Little is currently known about how acid resistance is regulated in this pathogen and why this trait is highly variable between strains. Here, we used comparative genomics to identify a novel RofA-family transcriptional regulator, GadR, that controls the development of acid resistance. The RofA family of regulators was previously found only in a small group of bacterial pathogens, including streptococci, where they regulate virulence properties. We show that gadR encodes the dominant regulator of acid resistance in L. monocytogenes and that its sequence variability accounts for previously observed differences between strains in this trait. Together, these findings significantly advance our understanding of how this important pathogen copes with acid stress and suggest a potential molecular target to aid its control in the food chain.
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Das K, de Paula Oliveira T, Newell J. Comparison of markerless and marker-based motion capture systems using 95% functional limits of agreement in a linear mixed-effects modelling framework. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22880. [PMID: 38129434 PMCID: PMC10739832 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49360-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomechanics analysis of human movement has been proven useful for maintenance of health, injury prevention, and rehabilitation in both sports and clinical populations. A marker-based motion capture system is considered the gold standard method of measurement for three dimensional kinematics measurements. However, the application of markers to anatomical bony points is a time consuming process and constrained by inter-, intra-tester and session reliability issues. The emergence of novel markerless motion capture systems without the use of reflective markers is a rapidly growing field in motion analysis. However an assessment of the level of agreement of a markerless system with an established gold standard marker-based system is needed to ensure the applicability of a markerless system. An extra layer of complexity is involved as the kinematics measurements are functional responses. In this paper a new approach is proposed to generate 95% functional limits of agreement (fLoA) using the linear mixed-effects modelling framework for hierarchical study designs. This approach is attractive as it will allow practitioners to extend their use of linear mixed models to assess agreement in method comparison studies in all domains where functional responses are recorded.
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Gilligan LPJ, Cobelli M, Taufour V, Sanvito S. A rule-free workflow for the automated generation of databases from scientific literature. NPJ COMPUTATIONAL MATERIALS 2023; 9:222. [PMID: 38666056 PMCID: PMC11041762 DOI: 10.1038/s41524-023-01171-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
In recent times, transformer networks have achieved state-of-the-art performance in a wide range of natural language processing tasks. Here we present a workflow based on the fine-tuning of BERT models for different downstream tasks, which results in the automated extraction of structured information from unstructured natural language in scientific literature. Contrary to existing methods for the automated extraction of structured compound-property relations from similar sources, our workflow does not rely on the definition of intricate grammar rules. Hence, it can be adapted to a new task without requiring extensive implementation efforts and knowledge. We test our data-extraction workflow by automatically generating a database for Curie temperatures and one for band gaps. These are then compared with manually curated datasets and with those obtained with a state-of-the-art rule-based method. Furthermore, in order to showcase the practical utility of the automatically extracted data in a material-design workflow, we employ them to construct machine-learning models to predict Curie temperatures and band gaps. In general, we find that, although more noisy, automatically extracted datasets can grow fast in volume and that such volume partially compensates for the inaccuracy in downstream tasks.
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Ríos Colombo NS, Perez-Ibarreche M, Draper LA, O’Connor PM, Field D, Ross RP, Hill C. Impact of bacteriocin-producing strains on bacterial community composition in a simplified human intestinal microbiota. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1290697. [PMID: 38143858 PMCID: PMC10748383 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1290697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides that have been studied for decades as food bio-preservatives or as alternatives to antibiotics. They also have potential as modulators of the gut microbiome, which has been linked to human health. However, it is difficult to predict a priori how bacteriocins will impact complex microbial communities through direct and indirect effects. Here we assess the effect of different bacteriocin-producing strains on a Simplified Human Intestinal Microbiota (SIHUMI) model, using a set of bacteriocin-producing strains (Bac+) and otherwise isogenic non-producers (Bac-). Bacteriocins from different classes and with different activity spectra were selected, including lantibiotics such as lacticin 3147 and nisin A, and pediocin-like bacteriocins such as pediocin PA-1 among other peptides. SIHUMI is a bacterial consortium of seven diverse human gut species that assembles to a predictable final composition in a particular growth medium. Each member can be individually tracked by qPCR. Bac+ and Bac- strains were superimposed on the SIHUMI system, and samples were taken at intervals up to 48 h. The genome copy number of each SIHUMI member was evaluated using specific primers. We establish that the composition of the community changes in response to the presence of either broad- or narrow-spectrum bacteriocin producers and confirm that there are significant off-target effects. These effects were analyzed considering antagonistic inter-species interactions within the SIHUMI community, providing a comprehensive insight into the possible mechanisms by which complex communities can be shaped by bacteriocins.
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De Kegel B, Ryan CJ. Paralog dispensability shapes homozygous deletion patterns in tumor genomes. Mol Syst Biol 2023; 19:e11987. [PMID: 37963083 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202311987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic instability is a hallmark of cancer, resulting in tumor genomes having large numbers of genetic aberrations, including homozygous deletions of protein coding genes. That tumor cells remain viable in the presence of such gene loss suggests high robustness to genetic perturbation. In model organisms and cancer cell lines, paralogs have been shown to contribute substantially to genetic robustness-they are generally more dispensable for growth than singletons. Here, by analyzing copy number profiles of > 10,000 tumors, we test the hypothesis that the increased dispensability of paralogs shapes tumor genome evolution. We find that genes with paralogs are more likely to be homozygously deleted and that this cannot be explained by other factors known to influence copy number variation. Furthermore, features that influence paralog dispensability in cancer cell lines correlate with paralog deletion frequency in tumors. Finally, paralogs that are broadly essential in cancer cell lines are less frequently deleted in tumors than non-essential paralogs. Overall, our results suggest that homozygous deletions of paralogs are more frequently observed in tumor genomes because paralogs are more dispensable.
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Di Liberto GM, Attaheri A, Cantisani G, Reilly RB, Ní Choisdealbha Á, Rocha S, Brusini P, Goswami U. Emergence of the cortical encoding of phonetic features in the first year of life. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7789. [PMID: 38040720 PMCID: PMC10692113 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43490-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Even prior to producing their first words, infants are developing a sophisticated speech processing system, with robust word recognition present by 4-6 months of age. These emergent linguistic skills, observed with behavioural investigations, are likely to rely on increasingly sophisticated neural underpinnings. The infant brain is known to robustly track the speech envelope, however previous cortical tracking studies were unable to demonstrate the presence of phonetic feature encoding. Here we utilise temporal response functions computed from electrophysiological responses to nursery rhymes to investigate the cortical encoding of phonetic features in a longitudinal cohort of infants when aged 4, 7 and 11 months, as well as adults. The analyses reveal an increasingly detailed and acoustically invariant phonetic encoding emerging over the first year of life, providing neurophysiological evidence that the pre-verbal human cortex learns phonetic categories. By contrast, we found no credible evidence for age-related increases in cortical tracking of the acoustic spectrogram.
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Bagnoli E, Trotier A, McMahon J, Quinlan LR, Biggs M, Pandit A, FitzGerald U. Prodromal Parkinson's disease and the catecholaldehyde hypothesis: Insight from olfactory bulb organotypic cultures. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23272. [PMID: 37997495 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301253r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder with an increasing incidence, unknown etiology, and is currently incurable. Advances in understanding the pathological mechanisms at a molecular level have been slow, with little attention focused on the early prodromal phase of the disease. Consequently, the development of early-acting disease-modifying therapies has been hindered. The olfactory bulb (OB), the brain region responsible for initial processing of olfactory information, is particularly affected early in PD at both functional and molecular levels but there is little information on how the cells in this region are affected by disease. Organotypic and primary OB cultures were developed and characterized. These platforms were then used to assess the effects of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetylaldehyde (DOPAL), a metabolite of dopamine present in increased levels in post-mortem PD tissue and which is thought to contribute to PD pathogenesis. Our findings showed that DOPAL exposure can recapitulate many aspects of PD pathology. Oxidative stress, depolarization of mitochondrial membranes, and neurodegeneration were all induced by DOPAL addition, as were measured transcriptomic changes consistent with those reported in PD clinical studies. These olfactory models of prodromal disease lend credence to the catecholaldehyde hypothesis of PD and provide insight into the mechanisms by which the OB may be involved in disease progression.
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Cao N, Björk J, Corral-Rascon E, Chen Z, Ruben M, Senge MO, Barth JV, Riss A. The role of aromaticity in the cyclization and polymerization of alkyne-substituted porphyrins on Au(111). Nat Chem 2023; 15:1765-1772. [PMID: 37723257 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01327-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Aromaticity is an established and widely used concept for the prediction of the reactivity of organic molecules. However, its role remains largely unexplored in on-surface chemistry, where the interaction with the substrate can alter the electronic and geometric structure of the adsorbates. Here we investigate how aromaticity affects the reactivity of alkyne-substituted porphyrin molecules in cyclization and coupling reactions on a Au(111) surface. We examine and quantify the regioselectivity in the reactions by scanning tunnelling microscopy and bond-resolved atomic force microscopy at the single-molecule level. Our experiments show a substantially lower reactivity of carbon atoms that are stabilized by the aromatic diaza[18]annulene pathway of free-base porphyrins. The results are corroborated by density functional theory calculations, which show a direct correlation between aromaticity and thermodynamic stability of the reaction products. These insights are helpful to understand, and in turn design, reactions with aromatic species in on-surface chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis.
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Kelley SW, Fisher AJ, Lee CT, Gallagher E, Hanlon AK, Robertson IH, Gillan CM. Elevated emotion network connectivity is associated with fluctuations in depression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216499120. [PMID: 37903279 PMCID: PMC10636367 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216499120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Elevated emotion network connectivity is thought to leave people vulnerable to become and stay depressed. The mechanism through which this arises is however unclear. Here, we test the idea that the connectivity of emotion networks is associated with more extreme fluctuations in depression over time, rather than necessarily more severe depression. We gathered data from two independent samples of N = 155 paid students and N = 194 citizen scientists who rated their positive and negative emotions on a smartphone app twice a day and completed a weekly depression questionnaire for 8 wk. We constructed thousands of personalized emotion networks for each participant and tested whether connectivity was associated with severity of depression or its variance over 8 wk. Network connectivity was positively associated with baseline depression severity in citizen scientists, but not paid students. In contrast, 8-wk variance of depression was correlated with network connectivity in both samples. When controlling for depression variance, the association between connectivity and baseline depression severity in citizen scientists was no longer significant. We replicated these findings in an independent community sample (N = 519). We conclude that elevated network connectivity is associated with greater variability in depression symptoms. This variability only translates into increased severity in samples where depression is on average low and positively skewed, causing mean and variance to be more strongly correlated. These findings, although correlational, suggest that while emotional network connectivity could predispose individuals to severe depression, it could also be leveraged to bring about therapeutic improvements.
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Schwarzl T, Keogh A, Shaw G, Krstic A, Clayton E, Higgins DG, Kolch W, Barry F. Transcriptional profiling of early differentiation of primary human mesenchymal stem cells into chondrocytes. Sci Data 2023; 10:758. [PMID: 37923731 PMCID: PMC10624874 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02686-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Articular cartilage has only very limited regenerative capacities in humans. Tissue engineering techniques for cartilage damage repair are limited in the production of hyaline cartilage. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells and can be differentiated into mature cartilage cells, chondrocytes, which could be used for repairing damaged cartilage. Chondrogenesis is a highly complex, relatively inefficient process lasting over 3 weeks in vitro. Methods: In order to better understand chondrogenic differentiation, especially the commitment phase, we have performed transcriptional profiling of MSC differentiation into chondrocytes from early timepoints starting 15 minutes after induction to 16 hours and fully differentiated chondrocytes at 21 days in triplicates.
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Mills KHG. How immunology can help reverse the pertussis vaccine failure. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:1779-1780. [PMID: 37783797 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01625-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
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Smyth JS, Truong JK, Rao A, Lin R, Foulke-Abel J, Adorini L, Donowitz M, Dawson PA, Keely SJ. Farnesoid X receptor enhances epithelial ACE2 expression and inhibits virally induced IL-6 secretion: implications for intestinal symptoms of SARS-CoV-2. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2023; 325:G446-G452. [PMID: 37697930 PMCID: PMC10887846 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00099.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Intestinal inflammation and diarrhea are often associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor plays a key role in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, facilitating entry of the virus into epithelial cells, while also regulating mucosal inflammatory responses. Here, we investigated roles for the nuclear bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in regulating ACE2 expression and virally mediated inflammatory responses in intestinal epithelia. Human colonic or ileal enteroids and cultured T84 and Caco-2 monolayers were treated with the FXR agonists, obeticholic acid (OCA) or GW4064, or infected with live SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV/USA_WA1/2020). Changes in mRNA, protein, or secreted cytokines were measured by qPCR, Western blotting, and ELISA. Treatment of undifferentiated colonic or ileal enteroids with OCA increased ACE2 mRNA by 2.1 ± 0.4-fold (n = 3; P = 0.08) and 2.3 ± 0.2-fold (n = 3; P < 0.05), respectively. In contrast, ACE2 expression in differentiated enteroids was not significantly altered. FXR activation in cultured epithelial monolayers also upregulated ACE2 mRNA, accompanied by increases in ACE2 expression and secretion. Further experiments revealed FXR activation to inhibit IL-6 release from both Caco-2 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 and T84 cells treated with the viral mimic, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, by 46 ± 12% (n = 3, P < 0.05) and 35 ± 6% (n = 8; P < 0.01), respectively. By virtue of its ability to modulate epithelial ACE2 expression and inhibit virus-mediated proinflammatory cytokine release, FXR represents a promising target for the development of new approaches to prevent intestinal manifestations of SARS-CoV-2.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Activation of the nuclear bile acid receptor, farnesoid X receptor (FXR), specifically upregulates ACE2 expression in undifferentiated colonic epithelial cells and inhibits virus-induced proinflammatory cytokine release. By virtue of these actions FXR represents a promising target for the development of new approaches to prevent intestinal manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Byrne JF, Mongan D, Murphy J, Healy C, Fӧcking M, Cannon M, Cotter DR. Prognostic models predicting transition to psychotic disorder using blood-based biomarkers: a systematic review and critical appraisal. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:333. [PMID: 37898606 PMCID: PMC10613280 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02623-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests individuals with psychotic disorder show abnormalities in metabolic and inflammatory processes. Recently, several studies have employed blood-based predictors in models predicting transition to psychotic disorder in risk-enriched populations. A systematic review of the performance and methodology of prognostic models using blood-based biomarkers in the prediction of psychotic disorder from risk-enriched populations is warranted. Databases (PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO) were searched for eligible texts from 1998 to 15/05/2023, which detailed model development or validation studies. The checklist for Critical Appraisal and Data Extraction for Systematic Reviews of Prediction Modelling Studies (CHARMS) was used to guide data extraction from eligible texts and the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) was used to assess the risk of bias and applicability of the studies. A narrative synthesis of the included studies was performed. Seventeen eligible studies were identified: 16 eligible model development studies and one eligible model validation study. A wide range of biomarkers were assessed, including nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, and lipids. The range of C-index (area under the curve) estimates reported for the models was 0.67-1.00. No studies assessed model calibration. According to PROBAST criteria, all studies were at high risk of bias in the analysis domain. While a wide range of potentially predictive biomarkers were identified in the included studies, most studies did not account for overfitting in model performance estimates, no studies assessed calibration, and all models were at high risk of bias according to PROBAST criteria. External validation of the models is needed to provide more accurate estimates of their performance. Future studies which follow the latest available methodological and reporting guidelines and adopt strategies to accommodate required sample sizes for model development or validation will clarify the value of including blood-based biomarkers in models predicting psychosis.
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O’Callaghan E, Navarrete-Lopez P, Štiavnická M, Sánchez JM, Maroto M, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, O’Meara C, Eivers B, Kelleher MM, Evans RD, Mapel XM, Lloret-Villas A, Pausch H, Balastegui-Alarcón M, Avilés M, Sanchez-Rodriguez A, Roldan ERS, McDonald M, Kenny DA, Fair S, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Lonergan P. Adenylate kinase 9 is essential for sperm function and male fertility in mammals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305712120. [PMID: 37812723 PMCID: PMC10589668 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305712120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite passing routine laboratory tests for semen quality, bulls used in artificial insemination exhibit significant variation in fertility. Routine analysis of fertility data identified a dairy bull with extreme subfertility (10% pregnancy rate). To characterize the subfertility phenotype, a range of in vitro, in vivo, and molecular assays were carried out. Sperm from the subfertile bull exhibited reduced motility and severely reduced caffeine-induced hyperactivation compared to controls. Ability to penetrate the zona pellucida, cleavage rate, cleavage kinetics, and blastocyst yield after IVF or AI were significantly lower than in control bulls. Whole-genome sequencing from semen and RNA sequencing of testis tissue revealed a critical mutation in adenylate kinase 9 (AK9) that impaired splicing, leading to a premature termination codon and a severely truncated protein. Mice deficient in AK9 were generated to further investigate the function of the gene; knockout males were phenotypically indistinguishable from their wild-type littermates but produced immotile sperm that were incapable of normal fertilization. These sperm exhibited numerous abnormalities, including a low ATP concentration and reduced motility. RNA-seq analysis of their testis revealed differential gene expression of components of the axoneme and sperm flagellum as well as steroid metabolic processes. Sperm ultrastructural analysis showed a high percentage of sperm with abnormal flagella. Combined bovine and murine data indicate the essential metabolic role of AK9 in sperm motility and/or hyperactivation, which in turn affects sperm binding and penetration of the zona pellucida. Thus, AK9 has been found to be directly implicated in impaired male fertility in mammals.
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Lacey A, Whyte E, O’Keeffe S, O’Connor S, Burke A, Moran K. The Running Injury Continuum: A qualitative examination of recreational runners' description and management of injury. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292369. [PMID: 37792711 PMCID: PMC10550191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A critical step in understanding and preventing running-related injuries (RRIs) is appropriately defining RRIs. Current definitions of RRIs may not represent the full process of injury development, failing to capture lower levels of injury that many athletes continue to train through. Understanding runners' description and management of the injury development process may allow for a more appropriate examination of all levels of injury. This study aimed to examine recreational runners' description and management of the injury development process. METHODS A qualitative focus group study was undertaken. Seven semi-structured focus groups with male (n = 13) and female (n = 18) recreational runners took place. Focus groups were audio and video recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were reflexively thematically analysed. A critical friend approach was taken to data coding. Multiple methods of trustworthiness were executed. RESULTS Runners describe injury on a nine-level continuum, ranging from injury-free to career-ending injury. There are lower and higher levels of injury. Each level of injury is described across four categories of descriptors; physical description, outcome (effect on running and daily life), psychological description, and management. CONCLUSION The Running Injury Continuum is a tool that can be used for injury surveillance (for healthcare professionals and researchers) and for research investigating RRI risk factors. Healthcare professionals, researchers and coaches must ensure they monitor the development of all levels of RRIs, across all categories of descriptors. Runners need to be educated regarding appropriate self-management strategies for lower level injuries, with access to evidence-based information being a critical management tool.
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Healy D, Wang S, Grimaud G, Warda AK, Ross P, Stanton C, Dempsey EM. Longitudinal observational study protocol - Preterm Infants: Microbiome Establishment, Neuro-CrossTalk and Origins (PIMENTO). BMJ Open 2023; 13:e075060. [PMID: 37748849 PMCID: PMC10533688 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Very preterm infants are at risk of abnormal microbiome colonisation in the first weeks to months of life. Several important associated factors have been identified including gestational age, mode of delivery, antibiotic exposure and feeding. Preterm infants are at risk of a number of pathologies for which the microbiome may play a central role, including necrotising enterocolitis and sepsis. The objective of this study is to determine detailed microbiome changes that occur around implementation of different management practices including empiric antibiotic use, advancement of feeds and administration of probiotics during admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. METHODS AND ANALYSIS A single-site, longitudinal observational study of infants born less than 32 weeks gestation, including collection of maternal samples around delivery and breastmilk and infant samples from admission through discharge from the neonatal unit. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The protocol was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Cork Teaching Hospitals.The findings from this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, during scientific conferences, and directly to the study participants. Sequencing data will be deposited in public databases. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05803577.
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Moran B, Smith CM, Zaborowski A, Ryan M, Karman J, Dunstan RW, Smith KM, Hambly R, Musilova J, Petrasca A, Fabre A, O'Donnell M, Hokamp K, Mills KHG, Housley WJ, Winter DC, Kirby B, Fletcher JM. Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome reduces inflammation in hidradenitis suppurativa skin. Br J Dermatol 2023; 189:447-458. [PMID: 37243544 DOI: 10.1093/bjd/ljad184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment for the debilitating disease hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is inadequate in many patients. Despite an incidence of approximately 1%, HS is often under-recognized and underdiagnosed, and is associated with a high morbidity and poor quality of life. OBJECTIVES To gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis of HS, in order to design new therapeutic strategies. METHODS We employed single-cell RNA sequencing to analyse gene expression in immune cells isolated from involved HS skin vs. healthy skin. Flow cytometry was used to quantify the absolute numbers of the main immune populations. The secretion of inflammatory mediators from skin explant cultures was measured using multiplex and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis identified a significant enrichment in the frequency of plasma cells, T helper (Th) 17 cells and dendritic cell subsets in HS skin, and the immune transcriptome was distinct and more heterogeneous than healthy skin. Flow cytometry revealed significantly increased numbers of T cells, B cells, neutrophils, dermal macrophages and dendritic cells in HS skin. Genes and pathways associated with Th17 cells, interleukin (IL)-17, IL-1β and the NLRP3 inflammasome were enhanced in HS skin, particularly in samples with a high inflammatory load. Inflammasome constituent genes principally mapped to Langerhans cells and a subpopulation of dendritic cells. The secretome of HS skin explants contained significantly increased concentrations of inflammatory mediators, including IL-1β and IL-17A, and culture with an NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor significantly reduced the secretion of these, as well as other, key mediators of inflammation. CONCLUSIONS These data provide a rationale for targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome in HS using small-molecule inhibitors that are currently being tested for other indications.
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Diskin C, Day EA, Henry ÓC, Toller-Kawahisa JE, O’Neill LAJ. 4-Octyl Itaconate and Dimethyl Fumarate Induce Secretion of the Anti-Inflammatory Protein Annexin A1 via NRF2. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:1032-1041. [PMID: 37578391 PMCID: PMC10476164 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Annexin A1 is a key anti-inflammatory effector protein that is involved in the anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids. 4-Octyl itaconate (4-OI), a derivative of the endogenous metabolite itaconate, which is abundantly produced by LPS-activated macrophages, has recently been identified as a potent anti-inflammatory agent. The anti-inflammatory effects of 4-OI share a significant overlap with those of dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a derivate of another Krebs cycle metabolite fumarate, which is already in use clinically for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In this study we show that both 4-OI and DMF induce secretion of the 33-kDa form of annexin A1 from murine bone marrow-derived macrophages, an effect that is much more pronounced in LPS-stimulated cells. We also show that this 4-OI- and DMF-driven annexin A1 secretion is NRF2-dependent and that other means of activating NRF2 give rise to the same response. Lastly, we demonstrate that the cholesterol transporter ABCA1, which has previously been implicated in annexin A1 secretion, is required for this process in macrophages. Our findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the anti-inflammatory effects of the Krebs cycle metabolite derivatives 4-OI and DMF.
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Yang Z, Cazade PA, Lin JL, Cao Z, Chen N, Zhang D, Duan L, Nijhuis CA, Thompson D, Li Y. High performance mechano-optoelectronic molecular switch. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5639. [PMID: 37704605 PMCID: PMC10499996 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41433-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Highly-efficient molecular photoswitching occurs ex-situ but not to-date inside electronic devices due to quenching of excited states by background interactions. Here we achieve fully reversible in-situ mechano-optoelectronic switching in self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of tetraphenylethylene molecules by bending their supporting electrodes to maximize aggregation-induced emission (AIE). We obtain stable, reversible switching across >1600 on/off cycles with large on/off ratio of (3.8 ± 0.1) × 103 and 140 ± 10 ms switching time which is 10-100× faster than other approaches. Multimodal characterization shows mechanically-controlled emission with UV-light enhancing the Coulomb interaction between the electrons and holes resulting in giant enhancement of molecular conductance. The best mechano-optoelectronic switching occurs in the most concave architecture that reduces ambient single-molecule conformational entropy creating artificially-tightened supramolecular assemblies. The performance can be further improved to achieve ultra-high switching ratio on the order of 105 using tetraphenylethylene derivatives with more AIE-active sites. Our results promise new applications from optimized interplay between mechanical force and optics in soft electronics.
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71
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Zhang R, He Y, Chen K, Yang S, Sen S, Coey JMD. Influence of topology on the phase transition of a ferromagnetic metal. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2302466120. [PMID: 37639599 PMCID: PMC10483617 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2302466120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The topological ferromagnet CoS2 exhibits an anhysteretic, weakly first-order transition at the Curie temperature of 119.8 K with a tricritical point µ0Htcp at 0.034 T. Magnetic symmetry and the mixing of majority and minority spin eg bands at a subband crossing just above the Fermi level produce a topological component of the magnetization that leads to a negative M3 term in the Landau free energy. The position of the Fermi level relative to the subband crossing is critical for controlling the order of the transition. Hole doping in Co0.89Fe0.11S2 drains the minority-spin eg pocket and results in a normal second-order phase transition. Electron doping in Co0.94Ni0.06S2 raises the Fermi level toward the subband gap, producing a strongly first-order transition with 15 K hysteresis. Our results demonstrate a relation between topological electronic structure and thermal hysteresis at the Curie point, which may help in the search for magnetocaloric materials.
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Heinken A, Hertel J, Acharya G, Ravcheev DA, Nyga M, Okpala OE, Hogan M, Magnúsdóttir S, Martinelli F, Nap B, Preciat G, Edirisinghe JN, Henry CS, Fleming RMT, Thiele I. Genome-scale metabolic reconstruction of 7,302 human microorganisms for personalized medicine. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:1320-1331. [PMID: 36658342 PMCID: PMC10497413 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01628-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The human microbiome influences the efficacy and safety of a wide variety of commonly prescribed drugs. Designing precision medicine approaches that incorporate microbial metabolism would require strain- and molecule-resolved, scalable computational modeling. Here, we extend our previous resource of genome-scale metabolic reconstructions of human gut microorganisms with a greatly expanded version. AGORA2 (assembly of gut organisms through reconstruction and analysis, version 2) accounts for 7,302 strains, includes strain-resolved drug degradation and biotransformation capabilities for 98 drugs, and was extensively curated based on comparative genomics and literature searches. The microbial reconstructions performed very well against three independently assembled experimental datasets with an accuracy of 0.72 to 0.84, surpassing other reconstruction resources and predicted known microbial drug transformations with an accuracy of 0.81. We demonstrate that AGORA2 enables personalized, strain-resolved modeling by predicting the drug conversion potential of the gut microbiomes from 616 patients with colorectal cancer and controls, which greatly varied between individuals and correlated with age, sex, body mass index and disease stages. AGORA2 serves as a knowledge base for the human microbiome and paves the way to personalized, predictive analysis of host-microbiome metabolic interactions.
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Goswami S, Rath SP, Thompson D, Hedström S, Annamalai M, Pramanick R, Ilic BR, Sarkar S, Hooda S, Nijhuis CA, Martin J, Williams RS, Goswami S, Venkatesan T. Author Correction: Charge disproportionate molecular redox for discrete memristive and memcapacitive switching. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 18:1116. [PMID: 37369797 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01461-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
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Peters JJP, Mullarkey T, Hedley E, Müller KH, Porter A, Mostaed A, Jones L. Electron counting detectors in scanning transmission electron microscopy via hardware signal processing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5184. [PMID: 37626044 PMCID: PMC10457289 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40875-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmission electron microscopy is a pivotal instrument in materials and biological sciences due to its ability to provide local structural and spectroscopic information on a wide range of materials. However, the electron detectors used in scanning transmission electron microscopy are often unable to provide quantified information, that is the number of electrons impacting the detector, without exhaustive calibration and processing. This results in arbitrary signal values with slow response times that cannot be used for quantification or comparison to simulations. Here we demonstrate and optimise a hardware signal processing approach to augment electron detectors to perform single electron counting.
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Ntagia E, Lens P. Pyrite-based denitrification combined with electrochemical disinfection to remove nitrate and microbial contamination from groundwater. NPJ CLEAN WATER 2023; 6:59. [PMID: 38665805 PMCID: PMC11041687 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-023-00269-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Nitrate and microbial contamination of groundwater can occur in countries that face intense urbanization and inadequate sanitation. When groundwater is the main drinking water source, as is often the case in such countries, the need to remove these contaminants becomes acute. The combination of two technologies is proposed here, a biological step to denitrify and an electrochemical step to disinfect the groundwater, thereby aiming to reduce the chemical input and the footprint of groundwater treatment. As such, a pyrite-based fluidized bed reactor (P-FBR) was constructed to autotrophically denitrify polluted groundwater. The P-FBR effluent was disinfected in an electrochemical cell with electrogenerated Cl2. Nitrate was removed with 79% efficiency from an initial 178 mg NO3- L-1 at an average denitrification rate of 171 mg NO3- L-1 d-1, with 18 h hydraulic retention time (HRT). The electrochemical unit achieved a 3.8-log reduction in total coliforms with a 41.7 A h m-3 charge density.
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