Article
Environmental Sciences
Roman Hoffmann, Raya Muttarak, Jonas Peisker, Piero Stanig
Summary: The study found that temperature anomalies, heatwaves, and droughts have a significant impact on environmental concerns and voting for Green parties in European regions. The climate effect varies substantially across regions, with cooler Continental or temperate Atlantic climates being more affected. The findings also suggest that experiences of climate change increase public support for climate action, but only under favorable economic conditions.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luis Alberto Torres-Cruz, Christopher O'Donovan
Summary: A tailings dam failure occurred in Jagersfontein, South Africa, raising global concerns about the safety of such structures. By analyzing public remotely sensed data, inconsistencies in the construction history of the dam were found, including asymmetric deposition, erosion gullies, large ponds, and absence of beaches. These observations underscore the importance of adhering to proper construction practices and the potential of public data for monitoring compliance. Additionally, high-resolution satellite images were used to illustrate the immediate consequences of the failure.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Maria Belen Sathicq, Raffaella Sabatino, Andrea Di Cesare, Ester M. Eckert, Diego Fontaneto, Michela Rogora, Gianluca Corno
Summary: This study investigated the impact of tyre wear microplastic particles (TWP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles on the microbial communities in water. The results showed that TWP acted as an additional carbon source, promoting the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, while PET provided a refuge for pathogens from wastewater effluent.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ivan Aranzales, Ho Fai Chan, Reiner Eichenberger, Rainer Hegselmann, David Stadelmann, Benno Torgler
Summary: Scientists generally view immunity certificates favorably, believing they can benefit public health and the economy, but also express concerns about fairness and inequality. There are differences in attitudes towards immunity certification among scientists from different fields, with scholars in the United States being more supportive. Female scholars are less in favor of immunity certificates, while those with more conservative political views are more positive.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dyani Lewis
Summary: The strategy is effective in reducing sexually transmitted infections but may lead to an increase in antimicrobial resistance.
Article
Ecology
Liam Whitmore, Mark McCauley, Jessica A. Farrell, Maximilian R. Stammnitz, Samantha A. Koda, Narges Mashkour, Victoria Summers, Todd Osborne, Jenny Whilde, David J. Duffy
Summary: The recovery of human genomic data from environmental DNA samples raises ethical questions regarding consent, privacy, surveillance, and data ownership, which will need to be addressed as the field of environmental DNA moves forward. The field of environmental DNA (eDNA) is advancing rapidly, yet human eDNA applications remain underutilized and underconsidered. Broader adoption of eDNA analysis will bring about many well-recognized benefits, but also raises ethical dilemmas.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandra M. Cheney, Stephanann M. Costello, Nicholas V. Pinkham, Annie Waldum, Susan C. Broadaway, Maria Cotrina-Vidal, Marc Mergy, Brian Tripet, Douglas J. Kominsky, Heather M. Grifka-Walk, Horacio Kaufmann, Lucy Norcliffe-Kaufmann, Jesse T. Peach, Brian Bothner, Frances Lefcort, Valerie Copie, Seth T. Walk
Summary: This study finds that the gut-metabolism axis is altered in patients with familial dysautonomia (FD) and transgenic mice. Controlling microbiome divergence can ameliorate the disease pathology. These findings suggest that the gut microbiome and metabolome are altered and dysfunctional in FD patients compared to healthy individuals.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, Katrina Sharples, David Barson, Simon Horsburgh, Rod Jackson, Billy Wu, Jack Dummer
Summary: Compared to current use of LAMA therapy, current use of LAMA and LABA dual therapy is associated with a significantly higher risk of ACS. This suggests that dual long-acting bronchodilator therapy could increase the risk of ACS by more than 50%, highlighting important implications for decisions about COPD treatment intensification.
JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Communication
Inge Stortenbeker, Wyke Stommel, Tim Olde Hartman, Sandra van Dulmen, Enny Das
Summary: In medical consultations, general practitioners use conversation to introduce psychosocial concerns as potential causes of patients' medically unexplained symptoms, enabling collaborative construction of symptom explanations.
HEALTH COMMUNICATION
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Fuwen Hu, Wei Wang, Jinghua Zhou
Summary: The concept of digital twin (DT) has changed how we approach the design and operation of cyber-physical systems (CPS), providing a holistic view for dealing with complexity and uncertainty. This study surveyed various DT modelling frameworks and presented a Petri nets-based DT framework for a robotic dual-arm cooperative system. The proposed framework embodied a hybrid DT environment that accurately represented the cooperative operation process, leading to improved capabilities for existing CPS. The integration of operational and information technologies with DT through the industrial internet of things demonstrated game-changing potential.
COMPUTERS IN INDUSTRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Charlotte M. de Winde, Samantha L. George, Eva Crosas-Molist, Yukti Hari-Gupta, Abbey B. Arp, Agnesska C. Benjamin, Lindsey J. Millward, Spyridon Makris, Alexander Carver, Valerio Imperatore, Victor G. Martinez, Victoria Sanz-Moreno, Sophie E. Acton
Summary: Melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer, utilizes amoeboid migration for invasion. The glycoprotein podoplanin has been identified as a potential biomarker in melanoma, enhancing invasion capabilities in the tumor cells.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Gergely Imre, Bertalan Takacs, Erik Czipa, Andrea Bakne Drubi, Gabor Jaksa, Dora Latinovics, Andrea Nagy, Reka Karkas, Liza Hudoba, Balint Mark Vasarhelyi, Gabriella Pankotai-Bodo, Andras Blastyak, Zoltan Hegedus, Peter German, Balazs Balint, Khaldoon Sadiq Ahmed Abdullah, Anna Georgina Kopasz, Anita Kovacs, Laszlo G. Nagy, Farkas Sukosd, Lajos Pinter, Thomas Rulicke, Endre Barta, Istvan Nagy, Lajos Haracska, Lajos Mates
Summary: DNA transposon-based gene delivery vectors are a promising new branch of gene therapy. By comparing piggyBac and Sleeping Beauty systems, the two transposons currently used in clinical trials, we treated a mouse model of tyrosinemia type I with liver-targeted gene delivery using both vectors. Using a new sequencing method, we identified approximately one million transposon insertion sites and found that piggyBac integrations are mainly clustered in hot regions, while Sleeping Beauty integrations are closer to random distribution.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Transportation Science & Technology
Behram Wali
Summary: Driven by emerging collaborative consumption trends, this study analyzes the factors related to consumers' use of ride-hailing and carsharing services. The results reveal complex stochastic dependence patterns between the two shared mobility options. Current users of these services tend to be more aware, own plug-in electric vehicles, use public transit frequently, have longer commutes, and lack free parking at their residences.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART C-EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
M. W. Klunzinger, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Andre Gomes-dos-Santos, Elsa Froufe, A. J. Lymbery, L. Kirkendale
Summary: The freshwater mussel Westralunio carteri in southwestern Australia is a vulnerable species with complex taxonomic and population genetic history. The study identified three evolutionarily significant units and supported the idea of dividing it into two distinct species based on different geographic ranges. The phylogeographic patterns confirm the historical separation of Western and Southern paleo-basins, as well as the isolation of the south-western extremity of the region.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francois Beaufay, Haley M. Amemiya, Jian Guan, Joseph Basalla, Ben A. Meinen, Ziyuan Chen, Rishav Mitral, James C. A. Bardwell, Julie S. Biteen, Anthony G. Vecchiarelli, Peter L. Freddolino, Ursula Jakob
Summary: The study identified poly-phosphate (polyP) as a newly identified driver of heterochromatin formation in bacteria, essential for the site-specific DNA binding properties of the nucleoid-associated silencing factor Hfq. The interaction between Hfq and polyP with AT-rich DNA sequences leads to phase-separated condensates, affecting gene expression and DNA damage in bacteria.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
David Gurwitz
DRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
(2020)
Letter
Infectious Diseases
Irena Voinsky, Gabriele Baristaite, David Gurwitz
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Irena Voinsky, David Gurwitz
DRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
(2020)
Editorial Material
Immunology
David Gurwitz
Article
Psychiatry
Shaked Belaish, Ifat Israel-Elgali, Guy Shapira, Israel Krieger, Aviv Segev, Uri Nitzan, Michael Majer, Yuval Bloch, Abraham Weizman, David Gurwitz, Noam Shomron, Libi Hertzberg
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Gabriele Baristaite, David Gurwitz
Summary: Epidemiological studies have found a slightly higher risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms and fatalities in men compared to women of similar age following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This difference may be attributed to variations in immune system regulation between males and females, driven by different levels of sex hormones, especially higher plasma estradiol in women. In vitro treatment of A549 human lung epithelial cells with 17-beta-estradiol was found to reduce the mRNA levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2, which are proteins involved in the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into lung cells. This suggests that 17-beta-estradiol may decrease the infection of lung epithelial cells by SARS-CoV-2, providing a possible explanation for the lower incidence of severe Covid-19 and fatalities among women compared to men of similar age.
DRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Gabriele Baristaite, David Gurwitz
Summary: Several comorbidities, including diabetes, immune deficiency, and chronic respiratory disorders, increase the risk of severe Covid-19 and fatalities among SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. Our findings suggest that chronic diabetic-like conditions may facilitate SARS-CoV-2 infection of lung epithelial cells by dysregulating the transcription of key genes involved in viral entry and immune response. Developing special treatment protocols for diabetic patients is crucial in addressing the higher risk of severe Covid-19 in this population.
DRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Adva Hadar, Irena Voinsky, Olga Parkhomenko, Monika Puzianowska-Kuznicka, Jacek Kuznicki, Illana Gozes, David Gurwitz
Summary: With increased life expectancies, cancer rates are rising among the elderly. However, some centenarians are able to reach exceptionally old age without experiencing cancer. This study found higher ATM mRNA expression in LCLs from female centenarians and lower hsa-miR-181a-5p levels targeting ATM. These findings suggest a potential role for ATM in protecting against age-related diseases.
DRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Barak Pertzov, Guy Shapira, Simon Abushkara, Sharon Cohen, Adi Turjeman, Mordechai R. Kramer, David Gurwitz, Noam Shomron
Summary: This study found that patients admitted due to severe COVID-19 had lower levels of A1AT compared to patients admitted due to non-COVID pneumonia. Multivariate analysis showed that diabetes, older age, and high A1AT levels were all associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 patients.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Eden Avnat, Guy Shapira, David Gurwitz, Noam Shomron
Summary: Anosmia, a common symptom in COVID-19 patients, may be caused by downregulation of olfactory receptors and upregulation of RGS2, a key regulator of odorant receptors. Increased expression of RGS2 is also associated with inflammation markers, suggesting its role in driving neurological symptoms of COVID-19.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irena Voinsky, Oleg Y. Fridland, Adi Aran, Richard E. Frye, David Gurwitz
Summary: Early diagnosis of ASD is crucial, but the current process is lengthy due to the lack of reliable biomarkers. In this study, we used RNA-sequencing to identify dysregulated genes in ASD children and developed machine learning models for ASD diagnosis. Our models achieved an accuracy of 82% in distinguishing ASD children from NT children, but further validation is needed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Noa Katz Shroitman, Assif Yitzhaky, Dorit Ben Shachar, David Gurwitz, Libi Hertzberg
Summary: Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating mental disorder with unknown causes. This study investigated the expression of ATP synthase encoding genes in postmortem brain samples of individuals with schizophrenia. The results showed down-regulation of ATP synthase genes in schizophrenia, supporting the hypothesis that reduced ATP synthesis is associated with this disorder. The findings highlight the importance of abnormal cellular energy metabolism in schizophrenia.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Irena Voinsky, Elad Shapira, David Gurwitz
Summary: Biobanks play a crucial role in biomedical research by providing human cell lines for drug development projects. RNA-sequencing of large panels of cell lines from individuals with certain disorders and healthy controls, or with different drug response phenotypes, is commonly performed. In this study, we demonstrate that extracting RNAs directly from long-term frozen human cell lines yields high-quality RNA samples suitable for optimal RNA-sequencing, comparable to those obtained from growing cell lines.
DRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Medicinal
David Gurwitz, Noam Shomron
DRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liron Mizrahi, Ashwani Choudhary, Polina Ofer, Gabriela Goldberg, Elena Milanesi, John R. Kelsoe, David Gurwitz, Martin Alda, Fred H. Gage, Shani Stern
Summary: Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. Many patients do not respond to the first-line treatment drug lithium, making clinical management challenging. By analyzing gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines, we identified potential biomarkers for diagnosing and treating bipolar disorder. We also developed machine learning algorithms that accurately predicted lithium response in different patient cohorts. This methodology shows promise for guiding therapeutic interventions.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
