bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathological Deficit of Cystatin B Impairs Synaptic Plasticity in EPM1 Human Cerebral Organoids
Authors: Pizzella Amelia , Penna Eduardo , Abate Natalia , Frenna Elisa , Canafoglia Laura , Ragona Francesca , Russo Rosita , Chambery Angela , Perrone-Capano Carla , Cappello Silvia , Crispino Marianna , Di Giaimo Rossella
Published: December 2023

Cystatin B (CSTB) is a small protease inhibitor protein being involved in cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation. Loss-of-function mutations in CSTB gene cause progressive myoclonic epilepsy 1 (EPM1). We previously demonstrated that CSTB is locally synthesized in synaptic nerve terminals from rat brain and secreted into the media, indicating its role in synaptic plasticity. In this work, we have further investigated the involvement of CSTB in synaptic plasticity, using synaptosomes from human cerebral organoids (hCOs) as well as from rodents’ brain. Our data demonstrate that CSTB is released from synaptosomes in two ways: (i) as a soluble protein and (ii) in extracellular vesicles-mediated pathway. Synaptosomes isolated from hCOs are enriched in pre-synaptic proteins and contain CSTB at all developmental stages analyzed. CSTB presence in the synaptic territories was also confirmed by immunostaining on human neurons in vitro. To investigate if the depletion of CSTB affects synaptic plasticity, we characterized the synaptosomes from EPM1 hCOs. We found that the levels of presynaptic proteins and of an initiation factor linked to local protein synthesis were both reduced in EPM1 hCOs and that the extracellular vesicles trafficking pathway was impaired. Moreover, EPM1 neurons displayed anomalous morphology with longer and more branched neurites bearing higher number of intersections and nodes, suggesting connectivity alterations. In conclusion, our data strengthen the idea that CSTB plays a critical role in the synapse physiology and reveal that pathologically low levels of CSTB may affect synaptic plasticity, leading to synaptopathy and altered neuronal morphology.
Metabolic Evaluation in Children aged 3 months to 2 years with Global Developmental Delay
Authors: Gomes Rochelle Natasha , Bhat Y Ramesh , Kini Sandesh , Kini Pushpa G , Shrikiran A , Suneel CM
Published: December 2023

Objectives

To study the clinical profile and role of metabolic evaluation in children aged 3 mo to 2 y with global developmental delay (GDD) of unclear etiology.

Methods

In this prospective study, demographic and clinical data along with first line metabolic test results [blood glucose, arterial blood sample analysis, renal function tests, uric acid, serum electrolytes, liver function tests (LFTs), plasma ammonia, arterial blood lactate and pyruvate, urine ketone/ reducing substances] were documented and analyzed. Tandem Mass Spectroscopy (TMS) and Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) data were also analysed.

Results

Of 101 eligible children, 48 were excluded. Among 53 children included in the study, 32 (60.3%) were less than 1 y and 21 (39.7%) were more than 1 y. Four major developmental domains were almost equally affected in 16 (30.1%), three domains in 4 (7.5%) and two domains in 33 (62.4%) children. Fourteen (26.4%) children were found to have a probable metabolic disorder based on initial tests- 10 mitochondrial disorders, 3 organic-acidemias and 1 fatty-acid-oxidation defect. Further, on TMS and GC-MS tests, 11 (20.7%) had a metabolic disorder- 7 mitochondriopathies, 2 methylmalonic-aciduria, 1 each with glutaric-acidemia and ethylmalonic-aciduria.

Conclusions

Among children with GDD of unclear etiology, metabolic errors constitute a small proportion of etiology. In this group early metabolic tests could identify potentially treatable conditions.
Negotiating Social Protection and Care: A Study of First-Generation Older Turkish Community in London
Authors: Yazdanpanahi Melisa
Published: December 2023

Access to social protection in old age is crucial and yet contingent upon negotiations between the social structures of the welfare states and the personal networks within which individuals are embedded. International migration, changing family dynamics, and the transformation of care and other welfare policies in the global North make it challenging for older migrants to negotiate social protection. Drawing on 45 semi-structured interviews with first-generation older Turkish migrants in London and 13 semi-structured interviews with professional service providers for the community, the paper aims to investigate the assemblages of formal and informal social protection in the lives of older migrants. Findings indicate the complexity in accessing informal social protection and the navigation of formal care support in the UK for first generation older Turkish migrants and the contingency of access to formal care services on informal support networks for participants. It has been demonstrated that built infrastructure and policies aimed at older adults have great influence on assemblages of care, highlighting the need for more age-friendly and integrated policies to facilitate access to social protection for diverse groups of older adults.
A transdiagnostic approach to sexual distress and pleasure: The role of worry, rumination, and emotional regulation
Authors: Guerreiro Patrícia P. , Raposo Catarina F. , Salvador Ágata , Manão Andreia A. , Pascoal Patrícia M.
Published: December 2023

Sexual distress, as well as sexual pleasure, are essential components of sexual health. Recently, associations between transdiagnostic factors such as worry and rumination and sexual distress and pleasure have been found. However, considering the adequacy of the transdiagnostic approach to explain and intervene in psychopathology and well-being, there is a need to address further sexual distress and pleasure and their relation to specific transdiagnostic factors. This paper aimed to explore a theory-driven model of sexual distress and sexual pleasure using multiple regression analysis with specific dimensions of repetitive negative thinking such as worry, rumination (brooding and reflection), and emotional regulation (emotion suppression and cognitive reappraisal) as predictors while controlling for emotional factors (anxiety and depression). The sample comprised 412 individuals in a monogamous relationship for at least a year. Results showed significant, positive, and moderate correlations between sexual distress and all emotional and transdiagnostic factors. For sexual pleasure, negative associations were found with depression and anxiety, worry, and brooding. Reflection was a significant predictor of sexual distress when emotional factors were controlled in the regression model. Depression was a significant predictor for both sexual distress and sexual pleasure. This study significantly contributes to our understanding of the complex relationship between transdiagnostic factors and sexual distress and pleasure, offering valuable insights that expand upon previous studies in this field and further advance our knowledge about sexual well-being.
Physicochemical characterization of açaí seeds (Euterpe oleracea) from Colombian pacific and their potential of mannan-oligosaccharides and sugar production via enzymatic hydrolysis
Authors: Murillo-Franco Sarha Lucia , Galvis-Nieto Juan D. , Orrego Carlos E.
Published: December 2023

The study aimed to characterize açaí seeds and explore their potential for producing mannooligosaccharides (MOS) through enzymatic hydrolysis. According to characterization tests by XRD, FTIR, and chemical analysis, acai seeds, a waste material from acai fruit processing, contain significant hemicellulose content, with a main content based on mannan. The study utilized Rohalase®GMP enzyme for hydrolysis and monitored reducing sugars and MOS production (8–10 g MOS/L) hydrolysate with varying lengths, including di-, tri-, tetra-, and pentasaccharide over time. Results showed a concentration plateau of reducing sugars at 13 h and increased MOS until hour nineteen. Mannobiose (M2) was the predominant MOS produced. Comparative analysis with prior research indicated that the açaí seed hydrolysate’s MOS content aligns with that from other sources. Importantly, the study achieved % hydrolysis and MOS yield of 10.79 ± 0.05% and 51.39 ± 0.11 g M2-M5/g mannan, respectively. Açaí seed is a promising source to produce enzymes, biofuels, or thermal energy, as well as highly valued chemical compounds in the industry. This work additionally demonstrates its potential as a sustainable source of valuable MOS, suggesting applications as prebiotics and functional food additives, with implications for various industries seeking eco-friendly alternatives.
Establishment of gestational diabetes risk prediction model and clinical verification
Authors: Niu Z.-R. , Bai L.-W. , Lu Q.
Published: December 2023

Objective

The present study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and build and validate an early risk prediction model of GDM by comparing the differences in the indicators of the first trimester of pregnancy between pregnant women with GDM and non-gestational diabetes mellitus (NGDM). Thus, this study provided a theoretical basis for early intervention of GDM.

Methods

A total of 6000 pregnant women who underwent a routine prenatal examination in Qinhuangdao Maternal and Child Health Hospital (Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China) from January 2016–2022 were retrospectively selected and randomly divided into a modeling cohort (4200 cases) and validation cohort (1800 cases) at a ratio of 3:7. According to the results of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), they were divided into NGDM and GDM groups. The modeling cohort consisted of 2975 NGDM and 1225 GDM cases, while the validation cohort consisted of 1281 NGDM and 519 GDM cases. The differences in general conditions and laboratory indicators between different groups were compared, and logistic regression analysis was further used to establish a risk prediction model for GDM in the first trimester. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and Hosmer–Lemeshow (HL) tests were used to evaluate the prediction of the model efficacy.

Results

Age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood uric acid (UA), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the first trimester were independent risk factors for GDM (P < 0.05). The model equation was Y = 1/{1 + exp[− (− 18.373 + age × 0.065 + BMI × 0.030 + first-trimester HbA1c × 2.519 + UA × 0.014 + TG × 0.224-HDL-C × 0.635)]}. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the model cohort was 0.803 (0.788–0.817), the sensitivity was 72.0%, and the specificity was 73.5%. The AUC of the validation cohort was 0.782 (0.759–0.806), the sensitivity was 68.6%, and the specificity was 73.8%. The P values of the HL test in both the training and validation sets were > 0.05, indicating a satisfactory model fit.

Conclusion

Age, pre-pregnancy BMI, HbA1C in early pregnancy, blood UA, TG, and HDL-C are independent risk factors for GDM. The risk prediction model established by combining age, pre-pregnancy BMI, and laboratory indicators in the first trimester can provide a theoretical basis for early screening, monitoring, and intervention of GDM high-risk pregnant women.
Ssleepnet: a structured sleep network for sleep staging based on sleep apnea severity
Authors: Lv Xingfeng , Ma Jun , Li Jinbao , Ren Qianqian
Published: December 2023

Sleep stage classification is essential in evaluating sleep quality. Sleep disorders disrupt the periodicity of sleep stages, especially the common obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Many methods only consider how to effectively extract features from physiological signals to classify sleep stages, ignoring the impact of OSA on sleep staging. We propose a structured sleep staging network (SSleepNet) based on OSA to solve the above problem. This research focused on the effect of sleep apnea patients with different severity on sleep staging performance and how to reduce this effect. Considering that the transfer relationship between sleep stages of OSA subjects is different, SSleepNet learns comprehensive features and transfer relationships to improve the sleep staging performance. First, the network uses the multi-scale feature extraction (MSFE) module to learn rich features. Second, the network uses a structured learning module (SLM) to understand the transfer relationship between sleep stages, reducing the impact of OSA on sleep stages and making the network more universal. We validate the model on two datasets. The experimental results show that the detection accuracy can reach 84.6% on the Sleep-EDF-2013 dataset. The detection accuracy decreased slightly with the increase of OSA severity on the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) dataset. The accuracy of healthy subjects to severe OSA subjects ranged from 79.8 to 78.4%, with a difference of only 1.4%. It shows that the SSleepNet can perform better sleep staging for healthy and OSA subjects.
Implantable Electrochemical Microsensors for In Vivo Monitoring of Animal Physiological Information
Authors: Zhou Jin , Zhou Shenghan , Fan Peidi , Li Xunjia , Ying Yibin , Ping Jianfeng , Pan Yuxiang
Published: December 2023

In vivo monitoring of animal physiological information plays a crucial role in promptly alerting humans to potential diseases in animals and aiding in the exploration of mechanisms underlying human diseases. Currently, implantable electrochemical microsensors have emerged as a prominent area of research. These microsensors not only fulfill the technical requirements for monitoring animal physiological information but also offer an ideal platform for integration. They have been extensively studied for their ability to monitor animal physiological information in a minimally invasive manner, characterized by their bloodless, painless features, and exceptional performance. The development of implantable electrochemical microsensors for in vivo monitoring of animal physiological information has witnessed significant scientific and technological advancements through dedicated efforts. This review commenced with a comprehensive discussion of the construction of microsensors, including the materials utilized and the methods employed for fabrication. Following this, we proceeded to explore the various implantation technologies employed for electrochemical microsensors. In addition, a comprehensive overview was provided of the various applications of implantable electrochemical microsensors, specifically in the monitoring of diseases and the investigation of disease mechanisms. Lastly, a concise conclusion was conducted on the recent advancements and significant obstacles pertaining to the practical implementation of implantable electrochemical microsensors.
Arithmetic and topology of classical structures associated with plane quartics
Authors: Bergvall Olof
Published: December 2023

We consider moduli spaces of plane quartics marked with various structures such as Cayley octads, Aronhold heptads, Steiner complexes and Göpel subsets and determine their cohomology. This answers a series of questions of Jesse Wolfson. We also count points of these moduli spaces over finite fields of odd characteristic.
Early detection of bacterial wilt in bananas caused by Ralstonia solanacearum using reflectance spectroscopy
Authors: Marín-Ortiz Juan Carlos , Botero-Fernández Verónica , Zapata-Henao Sebastián , Hoyos-Carvajal Lilliana María
Published: December 2023

Bacterial wilt is one of the most important vascular diseases that generate high worldwide losses. The main strategy to control it involves early detection of infected plants that mitigate its spread in the field. This research characterized the spectral response of healthy plants, infected with Ralstonia solanacearum E.F. Smith race 2 and subjected to water stress, in two banana cultivars by spectroscopy reflectance. The spectral data were used to detect vascular wilt during the incubation period of the disease in Gros Michel and Cavendish banana cultivars. The reflectance data were collected from the leaves using a portable spectrometer. Both varieties of healthy plants showed a typical low reflectance in the visible range, with a peak of green of around 12% in Williams and 5% in Gros Michel. In the measured infrared range, the two varieties presented values between 60 and 70% in the latest days post-infection measurements, decreasing to ~ 50% after 12 dpi. The results obtained indicate that plants infected with R. solanacearum have no initial increase in reflectance in the visible (Vis) range, whereas decrease rapidly after 6 dpi in the 700–1000 nm range. This methodology identifies three wavelengths (710, 770, and 965 nm) that allow differentiation between ill and healthy plants after 6 days post-inoculation, with a percentage of correct classification that ranges from 96 to 100%. The spectral response characterization in healthy plants and those subjected to various types of stress is a fundamental input for the development of early disease detection systems based on spectroscopy techniques.
Establishing counterpoints in the sonic framing of AI narratives
Authors: Chubb Jennifer , Beer David
Published: December 2023

In order to challenge dominant representations and conceptions of artificial intelligence (AI), this article explores how AI is sonically represented in documentaries. Using a corpus of documentaries alongside expert interviews with sound designers, we explore the ways in which music and sound may influence perception about AI. The notion of ‘counterpoint’ in music theory is developed as a concept to capture and explain how the integrated dynamics of human/machines are represented within these sonic framings. The concept of the counterpoint allows us to reflect on how the relations between AI and the human and how they are sonically framed in ways that separate and blend without recourse to reductive or binary futures, which potentially misrepresent AI capabilities and performance. The article identifies and develops four types of counterpoint in what we refer to as AI sonic narratives. This article provides a framework from which AI could be sonically framed responsibly, which is critical when misinformation and hype impede the public understanding of science.
Effects of temperature and water activity on 25 de novo strains of pathogenic plant fungi in Al-Baha and Baljurashi cities in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Almiman Bandar
Published: December 2023

Fungi inflict a great deal of damage to crops in fields and in storage facilities, causing issues such as leaf spot, wilt, rust, dieback and rot, as well as releasing mycotoxins that taint vegetation. In the current study, 25 de novo fungal isolates were taken from infected plant tissue (leaf, root and fruit), at pre- and post-harvest stages. Isolates were identified using molecular markers; 8 genera and 15 species were determined. The most common species was Penicillium spp. (40%), Aspergillus spp. (20%), Fusarium spp. (16%) and Alternaria alternata species (8%). The remaining 16% was comprised of various types of fungi, including Geotrichum candidum, Neofusicoccum parvum, Rhizopus stolonifera and Mucor fragilis. Many of these genera are known to cause significant crop damage and are notorious mycotoxin producers. An evaluation of the optimal growth temperature revealed the ideal temperatures were 30 °C for 56% of isolates, 25 °C for 28% of isolates and 20 °C for 16% of isolates. An assessment of water activity showed that 60% of isolates belonged to Penicillium and Aspergillus spp. and were mesophilic and xerophilic. Another 28% of isolates were Fusarium spp., Geotrichum candidum, Neofusicoccum parvum and Mucor fragilis, and hydrophilic. The remaining 12%, representing Alternaria alternata and Rhizopus stolonifera, were mesophilic. The current study provides accurate eco-physiological response data and molecular information for each isolate. The findings can assist the development of novel approaches to control the expansion of invasive fungal infections and minimise their deleterious consequences.
Role of signaling pathways in the interaction between microbial, inflammation and cancer
Authors: Nwabo Kamdje Armel Hervé , Tagne Simo Richard , Fogang Dongmo Hetvet Paulain , Bidias Amel Renaud , Masumbe Netongo Palmer
Published: December 2023

Microbial-induced inflammation serves a dual role, safeguarding against pathogens but also posing a risk of secondary harm to host tissues, potentially leading to fibrosis and cancer. Beyond traditional pathogens, gut microbiota, the mutualistic microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract, crucial for digestion, immunity, and cancer prevention, can incite inflammation-related cancer when their microenvironment undergoes changes. Recent research reveals that microbiota members like Escherichia coli and other genotoxic pathogens can induce DNA damage across various cell types. Chronic infections involving microbiota members like Helicobacter spp., linked to liver, colorectal, cervical cancers, and lymphoma, can activate carcinogenic processes. Inflammatory responses, driven by immune cells releasing inflammatory molecules like macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MMIF), superoxide peroxynitrite, pro-inflammatory cytokines, adhesion molecules, and growth factors, contribute to DNA damage and oncogenic mutations accumulation. This microenvironment further supports neoplastic cell survival and proliferation. This summary discusses the involvement of inflammatory pathways in microbial-triggered carcinogenesis and the potential role of microbiota modulation in cancer prevention.
Effect of conservation tillage on soil and water conservation, yield and yield components of Maize (Zea mays L.) in South Ari District, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Handiso Mitiku Ayele , Hemacho Abebe Hegano , Bongido Belayneh Lemage , Anjulo Merdikios Malla
Published: December 2023

Reduced tillage is one of the options to combat land degradation problems. The study aims to examine the impacts of tillage practices on selected soil physicochemical properties, soil loss, and maize yield and yield components. Four treatments—zero, twice, and strip tillage—as well as farmers' practices, were set up in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Then, soil moisture, soil loss, and yield and yield components of maize data were collected. The findings show that, when compared to conventional tillage, conservation tillage improves soil moisture and decreases soil loss during and after crop development. The study found that implementing reduced, or zero tillage practices resulted in higher maize yields and long-term economic benefits for farmers compared to conventional and strip tillage practices. In addition, the current research demonstrated that, in comparison to strip tillage and conventional tillage, adopting reduced tillage and zero tillage increased maize yield and yield components with greater long-term economic benefits to farmers. The current findings also showed that adopting reduced tillage and zero tillage boosted maize yield and yield components, with higher economic benefits to farmers in the long run as compared to strip tillage and conventional tillage. Although zero tillage attributed to less grain yield, it resulted in higher economic benefits to farmers and saved 44.84% of soil loss relative to conventional tillage. The outcome of the economic evaluation unequivocally demonstrated that reduced tillage is the best approach, but zero tillage, strip tillage, and reduced tillage are all superior and advised for farmers. Hence, farmers can use either zero tillage or reduced tillage, depending on their investment capital. But to get considerable changes in soil and water balances, other soil physicochemical properties, and crop yield. Similar studies must be carried out on permanent field plots for longer than 2 years in the future.
Thermal proteome profiling unveils protein targets of deoxycholic acid in living neuronal cells
Authors: Luan Hemi , Li Xuan , Zhang Wenyong , Luan Tiangang
Published: December 2023

Bile acids, synthesized in the liver and modified by the gut microbiota, play vital roles in various physiological processes. The dysregulation of bile acids has been extensively documented in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. However, limited attention has been given to the protein targets associated with microbiota-derived bile acids in neurological diseases. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted comprehensive thermal proteomic analyses to elucidate and comprehend the protein targets affected by microbiota-derived bile acids. Our investigation identified sixty-five unique proteins in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells as potential targets of deoxycholic acid (DCA), a primary component of the bile acid pool originating from the gut microbiota. Notably, Nicastrin and Casein kinase 1 epsilon stood out among these proteins. We found that DCA, through its interaction with the Nicastrin subunit of γ-secretase, significantly contributed to the formation of amyloid beta, a key hallmark in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. In summary, our findings provide crucial insights into the intricate interplay between microbiota-derived bile acids and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, thereby shedding light on potential therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.
Long-Distance Exchange and Inter-Regional Economies
Authors: Murray Sarah C.
Published: December 2023

An undulating flow of multi-scalar exchanges pulsed across the surface of Aegean from the beginnings of the Bronze Age in the third millennium to the transition into the Iron Age nearly two thousand years later. Such exchanges were variable in nature. Most probably occurred within a rather circumscribed environment, involving neighboring communities operating across the many real but traversable geographical boundaries that characterize the Aegean landscape – ridges separating mountain plateaus, rocky coastal stretches between bays, or narrow straits amidst archipelagos. This Element is focused on the less-frequent but important long-distance exchanges that connected people in the Aegean with the wider Mediterranean and European world, especially focusing on interactions that may be classified as 'economic'. After reviewing basic definitions and discussing some methods and materials available for studying long-distance exchange, this Element presents a diachronic assessment of the geospatial, scalar, and structural characteristics of long-distance exchange and inter-regional economies.
Liability Beyond Law: Conceptions of Fairness in Chinese Tort Cases
Authors: Stern Rachel E. , Liebman Benjamin L. , Gao Wenwa , Wu Xiaohan
Published: December 2023

Empirical work consistently finds that Chinese courts resolve civil cases by finding a compromise solution. But beyond this split-it-down-the-middle tendency, when and how do Chinese courts arrive at decisions that feel “fair and just” in cases in which they invoke those ideas? Drawing on a data set of 9,485 tort cases, we find that Chinese courts impose liability on two types of parties with ethical, but not legal, obligation to victims: (1) participants in a shared activity and (2) those who control a physical space. In these cases, Chinese courts stretch the law to spread losses through communities and to acknowledge traumatic harm. Considering fairness, then, returns Chinese courts to their long-standing role as managers of communities who respond to misfortune by assigning legal responsibility to relationships that range from intimate to surprisingly tenuous.
Treatment effectiveness of antibiotic therapy in Veterans with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter spp. bacteremia
Authors: Vivo Amanda , Fitzpatrick Margaret A. , Suda Katie J. , Wilson Geneva M. , Jones Makoto M. , Evans Martin E. , Evans Charlesnika T.
Published: December 2023

Objective:

To describe antimicrobial therapy used for multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter spp. bacteremia in Veterans and impacts on mortality.

Methods:

This was a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized Veterans Affairs patients from 2012 to 2018 with a positive MDR Acinetobacter spp. blood culture who received antimicrobial treatment 2 days prior to through 5 days after the culture date. Only the first culture per patient was used. The association between treatment and patient characteristics was assessed using bivariate analyses. Multivariable logistic regression models examined the relationship between antibiotic regimen and in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality. Generalized linear models were used to assess cost outcomes.

Results:

MDR Acinetobacter spp. was identified in 184 patients. Most cultures identified were Acinetobacter baumannii (90%), 3% were Acinetobacter lwoffii, and 7% were other Acinetobacter species. Penicillins—β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (51.1%) and carbapenems (51.6%)—were the most prescribed antibiotics. In unadjusted analysis, extended spectrum cephalosporins and penicillins—β-lactamase inhibitor combinations—were associated with a decreased odds of 30-day mortality but were insignificant after adjustment (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.47, 95% CI, 0.21–1.05, aOR = 0.75, 95% CI, 0.37–1.53). There was no association between combination therapy vs monotherapy and 30-day mortality (aOR = 1.55, 95% CI, 0.72–3.32).

Conclusion:

In hospitalized Veterans with MDR Acinetobacter spp., none of the treatments were shown to be associated with in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality. Combination therapy was not associated with decreased mortality for MDR Acinetobacter spp. bacteremia.
Identifying invariant solutions of wall-bounded three-dimensional shear flows using robust adjoint-based variational techniques
Authors: Ashtari Omid , Schneider Tobias M.
Published: December 2023

Invariant solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations play an important role in the spatiotemporally chaotic dynamics of turbulent shear flows. Despite the significance of these solutions, their identification remains a computational challenge, rendering many solutions inaccessible and thus hindering progress towards a dynamical description of turbulence in terms of invariant solutions. We compute equilibria of three-dimensional wall-bounded shear flows using an adjoint-based matrix-free variational approach. To address the challenge of computing pressure in the presence of solid walls, we develop a formulation that circumvents the explicit construction of pressure and instead employs the influence matrix method. Together with a data-driven convergence acceleration technique based on dynamic mode decomposition, this yields a practically feasible alternative to state-of-the-art Newton methods for converging equilibrium solutions. We compute multiple equilibria of plane Couette flow starting from inaccurate guesses extracted from a turbulent time series. The variational method outperforms Newton(-hookstep) iterations in converging successfully from poor initial guesses, suggesting a larger convergence radius.
Radar internal reflection horizons from multisystem data reflect ice dynamic and surface accumulation history along the Princess Ragnhild Coast, Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica
Authors: Koch Inka , Drews Reinhard , Franke Steven , Jansen Daniela , Oraschewski Falk Marius , Muhle Leah Sophie , Višnjević Vjeran , Matsuoka Kenichi , Pattyn Frank , Eisen Olaf
Published: December 2023

Ice shelves, which regulate ice flow from the Antarctic ice sheet towards the ocean, are shaped by spatiotemporal patterns of surface accumulation, surface/basal melt and ice dynamics. Therefore, an ice dynamic and accumulation history are imprinted in the internal ice stratigraphy, which can be imaged by radar in the form of internal reflection horizons (IRHs). Here, IRHs were derived from radar data combined across radar platforms (airborne and ground-based) in coastal eastern Dronning Maud Land (East Antarctica), comprising three ice rises and adjacent two ice shelves. To facilitate interpretation of dominant spatiotemporal patterns of processes shaping the local IRH geometry, traced IRHs are classified into three different types (laterally continuous, discontinuous or absent/IRH-free). Near-surface laterally continuous IRHs reveal local accumulation patterns, reflecting the mean easterly wind direction, and correlate with surface slopes. Areas of current and past increased ice flow and internal deformation are marked by discontinuous or IRH-free zones, and can inform about paleo ice-stream dynamics. The established IRH datasets extend continent-wide mapping efforts of IRHs to an important and climatically sensitive ice marginal region of Antarctica and are ready for integration into ice-flow models to improve predictions of Antarctic ice drainage.
THE DATING OF DOLOMITIC MORTARS WITH UNCERTAIN CHRONOLOGY FROM MÜSTAIR MONASTERY: SAMPLE CHARACTERIZATION AND COMBINED INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
Authors: Caroselli Marta , Hajdas Irka , Cassitti Patrick
Published: December 2023

To obtain scientific data regarding the chronology of archaeological structures, lime mortar radiocarbon dating has often demonstrated to be a decisive method. However, knowing the specific chemical-mineralogical characteristics of mortars can help when preparing samples or interpreting results. Among other issues, the dating of magnesian mortars can be particularly difficult because of the combined slaking, setting and hardening reactions of the calcium and magnesium phases, typical of these mortars. The formation of numerous mineralogical phases depending on reaction conditions adds further complexity to the dating method, which deserves to be studied with further detail. During the project “Mortar technology and construction history at Müstair Monastery” the first experiments in this regard had yielded encouraging results. An additional 4 samples from buildings with controversial chronology, thought to belong approximately to the 9th, 12th, and 15th centuries, were selected, prepared and radiocarbon dated. The data obtained were discussed by integrating preliminary petrographic characterization analyses of the mortars with archaeological information and excavation records. The results opened up new questions about the chronology of the Monastery, clarified the dating of some buildings and provided a better understanding of the potential and limitations of dating dolomitic mortars coming from archaeological context.
Deciphering the physical basis of the intermediate-scale instability
Authors: Shalaby Mohamad , Thomas Timon , Pfrommer Christoph , Lemmerz Rouven , Bresci Virginia
Published: December 2023

We study the underlying physics of cosmic ray (CR)-driven instabilities that play a crucial role for CR transport across a wide range of scales, from interstellar to galaxy cluster environments. By examining the linear dispersion relation of CR-driven instabilities in a magnetised electron–ion background plasma, we establish that both the intermediate and gyroscale instabilities have a resonant origin, and show that these resonances can be understood via a simple graphical interpretation. These instabilities destabilise wave modes parallel to the large-scale background magnetic field at significantly distinct scales and with very different phase speeds. Furthermore, we show that approximating the electron–ion background plasma with either magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) or Hall-MHD fails to capture the fastest-growing instability in the linear regime, namely the intermediate-scale instability. This finding highlights the importance of accurately characterising the background plasma for resolving the most unstable wave modes. Finally, we discuss the implications of the different phase speeds of unstable modes on particle–wave scattering. Further work is needed to investigate the relative importance of these two instabilities in the nonlinear, saturated regime and to develop a physical understanding of the effective CR transport coefficients in large-scale CR hydrodynamics theories.
Brain functional changes across mood states in bipolar disorder: from a large-scale network perspective
Authors: Wu Yan-Kun , Su Yun-Ai , Li Le , Zhu Lin-Lin , Li Ke , Li Ji-Tao , Mitchell Philip B. , Yan Chao-Gan , Si Tian-Mei
Published: December 2023

Background

Exploring the neural basis related to different mood states is a critical issue for understanding the pathophysiology underlying mood switching in bipolar disorder (BD), but research has been scarce and inconsistent.

Methods

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 162 patients with BD: 33 (hypo)manic, 64 euthymic, and 65 depressive, and 80 healthy controls (HCs). The differences of large-scale brain network functional connectivity (FC) between the four groups were compared and correlated with clinical characteristics. To validate the generalizability of our findings, we recruited a small longitudinal independent sample of BD patients (n = 11). In addition, we examined topological nodal properties across four groups as exploratory analysis.

Results

A specific strengthened pattern of network FC, predominantly involving the default mode network (DMN), was observed in (hypo)manic patients when compared with HCs and bipolar patients in other mood states. Longitudinal observation revealed an increase in several network FCs in patients during (hypo)manic episode. Both samples evidenced an increase in the FC between the DMN and ventral attention network, and between the DMN and limbic network (LN) related to (hypo)mania. The altered network connections were correlated with mania severity and positive affect. Bipolar depressive patients exhibited decreased FC within the LN compared with HCs. The exploratory analysis also revealed an increase in degree in (hypo)manic patients.

Conclusions

Our findings identify a distributed pattern of large-scale network disturbances in the unique context of (hypo)mania and thus provide new evidence for our understanding of the neural mechanism of BD.
Dynamic structure–function coupling across three major psychiatric disorders
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Wei Wei , Wang Sujie , Li Mingli , Li Xiaojing , Li Xiaoyu , Wang Qiang , Yu Hua , Zhang Yamin , Guo Wanjun , Ma Xiaohong , Zhao Liansheng , Deng Wei , Sham Pak C , Sun Yu , Li Tao
Published: December 2023

Background

Convergent evidence has suggested atypical relationships between brain structure and function in major psychiatric disorders, yet how the abnormal patterns coincide and/or differ across different disorders remains largely unknown. Here, we aim to investigate the common and/or unique dynamic structure–function coupling patterns across major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SZ).

Methods

We quantified the dynamic structure–function coupling in 452 patients with psychiatric disorders (MDD/BD/SZ = 166/168/118) and 205 unaffected controls at three distinct brain network levels, such as global, meso-, and local levels. We also correlated dynamic structure–function coupling with the topological features of functional networks to examine how the structure–function relationship facilitates brain information communication over time.

Results

The dynamic structure–function coupling is preserved for the three disorders at the global network level. Similar abnormalities in the rich-club organization are found in two distinct functional configuration states at the meso-level and are associated with the disease severity of MDD, BD, and SZ. At the local level, shared and unique alterations are observed in the brain regions involving the visual, cognitive control, and default mode networks. In addition, the relationships between structure–function coupling and the topological features of functional networks are altered in a manner indicative of state specificity.

Conclusions

These findings suggest both transdiagnostic and illness-specific alterations in the dynamic structure–function relationship of large-scale brain networks across MDD, BD, and SZ, providing new insights and potential biomarkers into the neurodevelopmental basis underlying the behavioral and cognitive deficits observed in these disorders.
Innovation and Experimentation in Late Seventh-Century Law: the Case of Theodore, Hlothhere, Wihtræd and Ine
Authors: Ivarsen Ingrid
Published: December 2023

The late seventh century was a particularly active period of legal writing in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms: three royal decrees, two church council decrees and a number of royal diplomas have survived. This article aims to show that this unusual period was characterised by innovation and experimentation. A key part of the argument is that the form of Anglo-Saxon royal laws changed from the early to the late seventh century due to influence from the form of church council decrees. Other external influences on royal law are also detected. The article introduces the closely connected group of kings and ecclesiastics who were involved in law-making and it places Anglo-Saxon legal production in a wider context of legal learning, by looking at the kinds of legal texts that were known, studied and used in Anglo-Saxon England and especially by this period’s many travellers and expats.
Certified, total serialisers with an application to Huffman encoding
Authors: HINZE RALF
Published: December 2023

The other day, I was assembling lecture material for a course on Agda. Pursuing an application-driven approach, I was looking for correctness proofs of popular algorithms. One of my all-time favourites is Huffman data compression (Huffman, 1952). Even though it is probably safe to assume that you are familiar with this algorithmic gem, a brief reminder of the essential idea may not be amiss.
Mineralogical Characterization From Geophysical Well Logs Using a Machine Learning Approach: Case Study for the Horn River Basin, Canada
Authors: Hu Kezhen , Liu Xiaojun , Chen Zhuoheng , Grasby Stephen E.
Published: December 2023

Accurate estimation of mineral composition is essential for refined reservoir characterization, thermal conductivity and mechanical determinations of sedimentary rocks, but is extremely challenging in shale units due to the mineralogical complexity, low porosity and ultra‐low permeability. Direct mineral measurements derived from laboratory X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis on core samples and borehole geochemical logging tool (GLT), and conventional geophysical logs from vertical wells penetrating sediments are widely available in some basins, which enables detailed mineralogical characterization of a well. A hybrid machine learning (ML) architecture that improves model training and validation by combining convolutional neural network (CNN) with XGBoost allows accurate description of the mineralogical compositions across a basin. We applied this ML approach to predict the mineral compositions using conventional well logs from the Horn River Basin, northeast British Columbia, Canada, where extensive drilling for shale‐gas and conventional hydrocarbon resources, complemented by high temperature geothermal energy potential is ideal for case testing. The predicted mineral compositions from the ML approach are consistent with the mineralogical readings from the GLT and are confirmed by the XRD mineral measurements. This allows basin‐wide mineral compositions mapping that reveals spatial trends of major mineral compositions and their relationship with the previously recognized geomechanical and geological features, which have important implications for thermal conductivity modeling, reservoir evaluation and extensive geological studies.
The Day the Solar Wind Disappeared at Mars
Authors: Halekas J. S. , Shaver S. , Azari A. R. , Fowler C. M. , Ma Y. , Xu S. , Andersson L. , Bertucci C. , Curry S. M. , Dong C. , Dong Y. , Fang X. , Garnier P. , Hanley K. G. , Hara T. , Howard S. K. , Hughes A. , Lillis R. J. , Lee C. O. , Luhmann J. G. , Madanian H. , Marquette M. , Mazelle C. , McFadden J. P. , Meziane K. , Mitchell D. L. , Rahmati A. , Reed W. , Romanelli N. , Schnepf N. R.
Published: December 2023

In December 2022, an extremely low‐density solar wind stream encountered first the Earth and then Mars, shortly after the radial alignment of the two planets (i.e., Mars opposition). As the low‐density stream passed Mars, the properties of the Mars‐solar wind interaction changed dramatically in response to the low solar wind Alfvénic Mach number and dynamic pressure. The Martian magnetosphere and its boundaries expanded by thousands of kilometers, extending outside of the nominal average bow shock location. The low upstream Mach number resulted in a low ratio of plasma to magnetic field pressure in the magnetosheath, allowing the formation of a very high but stable ion temperature anisotropy, together with a very low level of electromagnetic instabilities. Meanwhile, the decrease in solar wind dynamic pressure caused the Martian upper ionosphere at the terminator to transition from a magnetized state to an unmagnetized state. This event provides an opportunity to study a unique end‐member state of the Mars‐solar wind interaction.
Full‐Field Numerical Simulation of Halite Dynamic Recrystallization From Subgrain Rotation to Grain Boundary Migration
Authors: Hao B. , Llorens M.‐G. , Griera A. , Bons P. D. , Lebensohn R. A. , Yu Y. , Gomez‐Rivas E.
Published: December 2023

Full‐field numerical modeling is a useful method to gain understanding of rock salt deformation at multiple scales, but it is quite challenging due to the anisotropic and complex plastic behavior of halite, together with dynamic recrystallization processes. This contribution presents novel results of full‐field numerical simulations of coupled dislocation glide and dynamic recrystallization of halite polycrystalline aggregates during simple shear deformation, including both subgrain rotation and grain boundary migration (GBM) recrystallization. The results demonstrate that the numerical approach successfully replicates the evolution of pure halite microstructures from laboratory torsion deformation experiments at 100–300°C. Temperature determines the competition between (a) grain size reduction controlled by dislocation glide and subgrain rotation recrystallization (at low temperature) and (b) grain growth associated with GBM (at higher temperature), while the resulting crystallographic preferred orientations are similar for all cases. The relationship between subgrain misorientation and strain follows a power law relationship with a universal exponent of 2/3 at low strain. However, dynamic recrystallization causes a progressive deviation from this relationship when strain increases, as revealed by the skewness of the subgrain misorientation distribution. A systematic investigation of the subgrain misorientation evolution shows that strain or temperature prediction from microstructures requires careful calibration.