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Author Correction: Predictive model for abdominal liposuction volume in patients with obesity using machine learning in a longitudinal multi-center study in Korea
These are the 20 most-studied bacteria — the majority have been ignored
Constitutive expression of Cas9 and rapamycin-inducible Cre recombinase facilitates conditional genome editing in Plasmodium berghei
Abstract Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium and remains a global health concern. The parasite has a highly adaptable life cycle comprising successive rounds of asexual replication in a vertebrate host and sexual maturation in the mosquito vector Anopheles. Genetic manipulation of the parasite has been instrumental for deciphering the function of Plasmodium genes. Conventional reverse genetic tools cannot be used to study essential genes of the asexual blood stages, thereby necessitating the development of conditional strategies. Among various such strategies, the rapamycin-inducible dimerisable Cre (DiCre) recombinase system emerged as a powerful approach for conditional editing of essential genes in human-infecting P. falciparum and in the rodent malaria model parasite P. berghei. We previously generated a DiCre-expressing P. berghei line and validated it by conditionally deleting several essential asexual stage genes, revealing their important role also in sporozoites. Another potent tool is the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which has enabled targeted genome editing with higher accuracy and specificity and greatly advanced genome engineering in Plasmodium spp. Here, we developed new P. berghei parasite lines by integrating the DiCre cassette and a fluorescent marker in parasites constitutively expressing Cas9. Owing to the dual integration of CRISPR/Cas9 and DiCre, these new lines allow unparalleled levels of gene modification and conditional regulation simultaneously. To illustrate the versatility of this new tool, we conditionally knocked out the essential gene encoding the claudin-like apicomplexan micronemal protein (CLAMP) in P. berghei and confirmed the role of CLAMP during invasion of erythrocytes.
Earth breaches 1.5 °C climate limit for the first time: what does it mean?
Ex vivo detection of recreationally consumed nitrous oxide in exhaled breath
Voter turnout drives margins of victory ― if elections are fair
Comparative analysis of biodiversity, physiology, and anatomical adaptations in riparian flora exposed to industrial pollution stress
Jimmy Carter obituary: former US president who dedicated his life after office to peace, human rights and global health
A multi-spectral and hyperspectral image dataset for evaluating chemical traits and the water status of avocado, olive and grape through leaf dehydration under laboratory conditions
Author Correction: Progressive plasticity during colorectal cancer metastasis
De novo assembly of the complete mitochondrial genomes of two Camellia-oil tree species reveals their multibranch conformation and evolutionary relationships
Abstract Camellia-oil trees are economically valuable, oil-rich species within the genus Camellia, family Theaceae. Among these species, C. oleifera, a member of Section Oleifera in the genus, is the most extensively cultivated in China. In this study, we assembled the mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of two Camellia species, namely C. oleifera and C. lanceoleosa. These two species are closely related and belong to the same genus and section, with C. oleifera being hexaploid and C. lanceoleosa being diploid. The mitogenome of C. oleifera is comprised of 1,039,838 base pairs (bp), and C. lanceoleosa is comprised of 934,155 bp. Both genomes exhibit a multipartite genome structure, which is supported by our PCR experiments. We conducted codon usage and RNA editing site analysis on these two mitogenomes, which showed highly consistent results. However, analysis of repetitive sequences and mitochondrial plastid sequences (MTPTs) revealed differences between the two mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these two species clustered together, suggesting a close evolutionary relationship. The collinearity analysis results showed extensive genome rearrangements in the mitogenomes of Camellia species. We successfully assembled the mitogenomes of C. oleifera and C. lanceoleosa, marking a significant advancement in understanding camellia-oil tree mitogenomes. Unlike circular mitogenomes reported before, our research confirms multiple-branched configurations in these two species. This sheds light on mitogenome structural complexities and contributes to our understanding of evolutionary processes. Additionally, these results enrich Camellia genetic resources and expand our knowledge of mitogenome variation.
Novel relatives of Mecsek Mountains mammarenavirus (family Arenaviridae) in hedgehogs living in different sampling areas in Hungary
Abstract Mammarenaviruses (genus Mammarenavirus, family Arenaviridae) are rodent-borne zoonotic viruses consisting of 52 viral species, including ten that are pathogenic to humans. Currently, only two endemic mammarenavirus species are known in Europe: the human pathogenic Mammarenavirus choriomeningitidis (LCMV) and the recently discovered hedgehog-origin Mammarenavirus mecsekense (MEMV). In this study, 59 faecal specimens from Northern white-breasted hedgehogs (Erinaceus roumanicus) from different geographic regions in Hungary were investigated for mammarenavirus presence and complete genome characterization using newly designed screening primers by RT-semi-nested PCR and sequencing methods. Five (8.5%) of the 59 samples tested positive for mammarenavirus RNA (ER8, ER15, ER27, ER33, and ER39, GenBank accession numbers PQ441959-PQ441968). The L- and S-segments of these strains showed 66–93% and 73–92% nt identity to the closest known mammarenavirus, MEMV, respectively. The NP protein exhibited 86–97% aa sequence identity compared to the corresponding protein of MEMV. Notably, the S-segment intergenic region (S-IGR) of strains ER8, ER15, ER27 and ER33 exceeded the average nt length among known mammarenaviruses and contained two, highly similar stem-loop structures with conserved self-complementary nucleotide motifs. Based on the sequence- and phylogenetic analysis these strains (ER8, ER15, ER27 and ER33) potentially represent a novel mammarenavirus species, tentatively named Pannonia mammarenavirus (PANV).
Comparative analysis of extensive form zero sum game algorithms for Poker like games
Synthesis and performance analysis of novel SiO2 Janus nanoparticles for enhancing gas foam injection in oil reservoirs
A de novo, mosaic and complex chromosome 21 rearrangement causes APP triplication and familial autosomal dominant early onset Alzheimer disease
Abstract Copy number variation (CNV) of the amyloid-β precursor protein gene (APP) is a known cause of autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD), but de novo genetic variants causing ADAD are rare. We report a mother and daughter with neuropathologically confirmed definite Alzheimer disease (AD) and extensive cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Copy number analysis identified an increased number of APP copies and genome sequencing (GS) revealed the underlying complex genomic rearrangement (CGR) including a triplication of APP with two unique breakpoint junctions (BPJs). The mosaic state in the mother had likely occurred de novo. Digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) on 42 different tissues, including 17 different brain regions, showed the derivative chromosome at varying mosaic levels (20–96%) in the mother who had symptom onset at age 58 years. In contrast, the derivative chromosome was present in all analyzed cells in the daughter whose symptom onset was at 34 years. This study reveals the architecture of a de novo CGR causing APP triplication and ADAD with a striking difference in age at onset between the fully heterozygous daughter compared to the mosaic mother. The GS analysis identified the complexity of the CGR illustrating its usefulness in identifying structural variants (SVs) in neurodegenerative disorders.
Sex-specific association between maternal childhood adversities and offspring’s weight gain in a Brazilian cohort
Abstract Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to negative health and developmental outcomes in offspring. However, whether maternal ACEs influence infant weight gain in the first months of life, and if this effect differs by infant sex, remains unclear. This study included 352 full-term newborns from low-risk pregnancies and their mothers in low-income settings in Brazil. Anthropometric data (weight, length, head circumference) and other information (feeding type, offspring sex, family income) were collected at delivery (W0), discharge (W1), and up to 8 weeks postpartum (W2). ACEs were assessed using the CDC-Kaiser Questionnaire, and weight gain was calculated as the difference between W2 and W1, divided by the number of days between measurements. The association between maternal ACEs and offspring weight gain was positive only in male offspring (unstandardized coefficient (male) = 1.82, SE = 0.438, p < 0.001); for each 1-point increase in the ACEs score (e.g., from 0 to 1), weight gain increased by 1.8 g/day. These findings indicate that maternal ACEs are associated with increased weight gain in male infants during the first two months of life, potentially increasing the risk of future obesity. Further research is required to investigate the underlying biological mechanisms and their neurodevelopmental implications.
Intelligent control algorithms for posture and height control of four-leg hydraulic supports
AI learns from chromatin data to uncover gene interactions
Comparison of outcomes with and without intrastent placement during PMS surgery
Abstract To assess the efficacy of using a nylon suture as a stent in the PreserFlo MicroShunt (PMS) lumen to prevent postoperative hypotony, 59 eyes that underwent PMS implantation with follow-up for > 6 months were analyzed. Patients were divided into no intrastenting (NST) and intrastenting (ST) groups, with the ST group subdivided into 9 − 0 nylon suture fully placed (9 F), 9 − 0 nylon suture placement in only half of the lumen (9 H), 10 − 0 nylon suture fully placed (10 F), and 10 − 0 nylon suture placement in only half of the lumen (10 H). The distribution was as follows: 23 eyes in the NST group, 10 in the 9 F group, 9 in the 9 H group, 11 in the 10 F group, and 6 in the 10 H group. No significant differences were observed in preoperative and 6-month postoperative intraocular pressure, number of glaucoma medications, or cumulative survival rate between groups. Postoperative hypotony occurred in 13 eyes (56.5%) in the NST group, one (2.78%) in the ST group (p = 0.00014). Post-intrastent removal, hypotony occurred in 6 eyes (16.7%) in the ST group. These findings suggest that intrastent placement effectively prevents postoperative hypotony, regardless of nylon suture diameter or insertion length; however, timing is crucial as hypotony may occur after removal.