bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inequalities in large‐scale breastfeeding programmes in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Vietnam
Authors: Sanghvi Tina G. , Godha Deepali , Frongillo Edward A.
Published: July 2024

Inequalities in breastfeeding programmes and practices have slowed global progress in providing the life‐saving protection of breastfeeding for millions of infants despite well‐known life‐long impacts. As breastfeeding interventions are scaled up, inequalities in coverage and breastfeeding practices should be tracked, particularly in disadvantaged groups, who are likely to suffer the most serious health and developmental impacts of poor childhood nutrition. The literature provides evidence of inequalities in breastfeeding practices, but research is limited on socioeconomic disparities in the coverage of breastfeeding interventions. This paper (1) compares inequalities in breastfeeding practices in intervention and nonintervention areas and (2) documents inequalities in programme coverage by type of intervention. We disaggregated endline evaluation surveys in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Vietnam, where rigorous evaluations had documented significant overall improvements, and analysed whether inequalities in breastfeeding practices and programme coverage differed by treatment areas. We used Erreygers index to quantify inequalities and found that breastfeeding practices were largely pro‐poor; intervention coverage was not consistently pro‐poor. While counselling coverage often favoured women from the poorest quintile, public education/media coverage consistently favoured better‐off women. Inequalities favoured more educated mothers in the coverage of combined interventions. None of the programmes had explicit equality objectives. The results indicate the need for introducing specific actions to reduce inequalities in breastfeeding policies and programmes. This is a priority unfinished agenda for nutrition programming.
Regional differences in leaf evolution facilitate photosynthesis following severe drought
Authors: Branch Haley A. , Moxley Dylan R. , Angert Amy L.
Published: July 2024

Characterizing physiological and anatomical changes that underlie rapid evolution following climatic perturbation can broaden our understanding of how climate change is affecting biodiversity. It can also provide evidence of cryptic adaptation despite stasis at higher levels of biological organization.

Here, we compared evolutionary changes in populations of Mimulus cardinalis from historically different climates in the north and south of the species' range following an exceptional drought. We grew seeds produced from predrought ancestral plants alongside peak‐drought descendants in a common glasshouse and exposed them to wet and dry conditions.

Before the drought, northern ancestral populations expressed traits contributing to drought escape, while southern ancestral populations expressed drought avoidance. Following the drought, both regions evolved to reduce water loss and maintain photosynthesis in dry treatments (drought avoidance), but via different anatomical alterations in stomata, trichomes, and palisade mesophyll. Additionally, southern populations lost the ability to take advantage of wet conditions.

These results reveal rapid evolution towards drought avoidance at an anatomical level following an exceptional drought, but suggest that differences in the mechanisms between regions incur different trade‐offs. This sheds light on the importance of characterizing underlying mechanisms for downstream life‐history and macromorphological traits.
The contribution of milk substitutes to the nutritional status of children with cow's milk allergy
Authors: Parlak‐Hela Zeynep , Sahiner Umit Murat , Sekerel Bulent Enis , Soyer Ozge
Published: July 2024

Background

The impact of alternative milk substitutes on the nutritional status of children with cow's milk allergy (CMA), the prevailing cause of food allergies, is unresolved.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was performed in children older than 2 years with IgE‐mediated CMA. Patients' clinical characteristics, anthropometric measurements, dietary intake (by 3‐day food diary), and biochemical markers of nutritional status were assessed.

Results

One hundred two children with CMA (68.6% boys; median age, 3.7 years; 51% multiple food allergies) were evaluated. 44.1% of the children consumed plant‐based beverages (PBB), 19.6% therapeutic formula and 36.3% did not consume any milk substitutes. In all age groups, dietary calcium, riboflavin, and vitamin D intake of those who did not use milk substitutes were lower than those who consumed formula or PBB (p < .01). Also in the 2–3 years old age group, dietary zinc (p = .011) and iron intake (p = .004) of the formula‐fed group was higher. Formula‐fed patients had higher levels of 25‐OH vitamin D (μg/L) and serum vitamin B12 (ng/L) than PBB‐fed patients (respectively; p < .001, p = .005) and those who did not consume any milk substitute (p < .001). Patients of all ages who did not utilize a milk substitute failed to obtain an adequate amount of dietary calcium.

Conclusion

The use of milk substitutes positively affects dietary calcium, riboflavin, and vitamin D intake in CMA, but their contribution is variable. Those who do not use milk substitutes are at greater risk inadequate of dietary calcium intake. Personalized nutritional advice, given the clinical diversity and the impact of individual differences, is required.
Genetic variation in the aquaporin TONOPLAST INTRINSIC PROTEIN 4;3 modulates maize cold tolerance
Authors: Zeng Rong , Zhang Xiaoyan , Song Guangshu , Lv Qingxue , Li Minze , Fu Diyi , Zhang Zhuo , Gao Lei , Zhang Shuaisong , Yang Xiaohong , Tian Feng , Yang Shuhua , Shi Yiting
Published: July 2024

Cold stress is a major abiotic stress that threatens maize (Zea mays L.) production worldwide. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance is crucial for breeding resilient maize varieties. Tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs) are a subfamily of aquaporins in plants. Here, we report that TIP family proteins are involved in maize cold tolerance. The expression of most TIP genes was responsive to cold stress. Overexpressing TIP2;1, TIP3;2 or TIP4;3 reduced the cold tolerance of maize seedlings, while loss‐of‐function mutants of TIP4;3 exhibited enhanced cold tolerance. Candidate gene‐based association analysis revealed that a 328‐bp transposon insertion in the promoter region of TIP4;3 was strongly associated with maize cold tolerance. This transposon insertion conferred cold tolerance by repressing TIP4;3 expression through increased methylation of its promoter region. Moreover, TIP4;3 was found to suppress stomatal closure and facilitate reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation under cold stress, thereby inhibiting the expression of cold‐responsive genes, including DEHYDRATION‐RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING FACTOR 1 (DREB1) genes and a subset of peroxidase genes, ultimately attenuating maize cold tolerance. This study thus elucidates the mechanism underlying TIP‐mediated cold tolerance and identifies a favourable TIP4;3 allele as a potential genetic resource for breeding cold‐tolerant maize varieties.
Flow‐induced interfacial deformation structures (FIDS): Implications for the interpretation of palaeocurrents, flow dynamics and substrate rheology
Authors: Peakall Jeff , Best JAMES L. , Baas Jaco H. , Wignall Paul B. , Hodgson David M. , Łapcik Piotr
Published: July 2024

Sole structures on the base of turbidites, and other bed types, are typically classified into scour marks and tool marks, such as flutes, grooves, skim marks and prod marks. Yet, there are a range of other common sole marks that are unrelated to scouring or tools, and whose origin is poorly understood. Prominent among these sole structures are longitudinal ridges and furrows, and ‘dinosaur leather’ structures associated with mud ripples. Herein, these features are described and it is argued that they are the product of deformation of the substrate during a sediment gravity flow event. In these flow‐induced interfacial deformation structures (FIDS), a soft cohesive substrate undergoes deformation in response to a buoyant force induced by the denser basal component of an overriding flow, and the flow interacts with this buoyant deformation through shear to remould the substrate. Variations in the relative strength of these buoyant and shear‐induced forces explain the wide range of FIDS that can form. This FIDS model reinterprets the formation of longitudinal ridges and furrows, which have previously been classified as scour marks, and explains their distinctive spatial patterns. Furthermore, the new model builds on the seminal work of Dżułyński and colleagues in the 1960s and 1970s, who identified that these structures contain key palaeocurrent information, and it is argued that such information is largely under‐utilized. Importantly, alongside their utility as palaeocurrent indicators, FIDS provide insights into the rheology of the substrate at the time of their formation, and thus the nature of basal flow conditions in the formative flows.
Correlates of dangerous firearm storage among a representative sample of firearm owners across nine states
Authors: Moceri‐Brooks Jayna , Paruk Jennifer , Semenza Daniel , Anestis Michael D.
Published: July 2024

Objective

To identify demographic and behavioral correlates of dangerous firearm storage (i.e., unlocked and loaded) among firearm owners in nine states.

Methods

Online survey data from the probability‐based sample were collected using Ipsos Knowledge Panel. Participants were adults residing in nine states across the United States (n = 7785).

Results

Nearly one third of the firearm owners within the sample stored at least one of their firearms unlocked and loaded. Greater threat sensitivity was associated with dangerous firearm storage. Established firearm owners who purchased an additional firearm during the firearm purchasing surge (2020–2021) had increased odds of storing at least one firearm unlocked and loaded. Those who had direct exposure to firearm violence and those whose primary reason for having a firearm at home was protection also had increased odds of storing at least one firearm unlocked and loaded.

Conclusions

The results contribute to the literature on firearm storage tendencies, highlighting correlates of dangerous firearm storage within the home related to perceptions of threat and direct experiences with firearm violence. Implications include the need for broad public education on the value of secure storage targeted toward to those who have an elevated perception of danger and have been personally exposed to firearm violence.
Respiratory performance in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Clinical manifestations and lessons from animal models
Authors: Delaney Rebecca , O'Halloran Ken D.
Published: July 2024

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal genetic neuromuscular disease. Lack of dystrophin in skeletal muscles leads to intrinsic weakness, injury, subsequent degeneration and fibrosis, decreasing contractile function. Dystropathology eventually presents in all inspiratory and expiratory muscles of breathing, severely curtailing their critical function. In people with DMD, premature death is caused by respiratory or cardiac failure. There is an urgent need to develop therapies that improve quality of life and extend life expectancy in DMD. Surprisingly, there is a dearth of information on respiratory control in animal models of DMD, and respiratory outcome measures are often limited or absent in clinical trials. Characterization of respiratory performance in murine and canine models has revealed extensive remodelling of the diaphragm, the major muscle of inspiration. However, significant compensation by extradiaphragmatic muscles of breathing is evident in early disease, contributing to preservation of peak respiratory system performance. Loss of compensation afforded by accessory muscles in advanced disease is ultimately associated with compromised respiratory performance. A new and potentially more translatable murine model of DMD, the D2.mdx mouse, has recently been developed. Respiratory performance in D2.mdx mice is yet to be characterized fully. However, based on histopathological features, D2.mdx mice might serve as useful preclinical models, facilitating the testing of new therapeutics that rescue respiratory function. This review summarizes the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with DMD both in humans and in animal models, with a focus on breathing. We consider the translational value of each model to human DMD and highlight the urgent need for comprehensive characterization of breathing in representative preclinical models to better inform human trials.
Hydrodynamic Design and Pulsation Evolution in an Axial-Flow Pump Based on Control Mechanism of Flow-Induced Excitation
Authors: Pu Kexin , Liu Xiangsong , Li Qipeng , Lu Shangxiang , Huang Bin , Wu Dazhuan
Published: July 2024

The physical mechanism, evolution process, and control method on pulsation caused by flow-induced excitation vortex in an axial flow pump are elaborated by numerical calculation and experiment. The mechanism formulation of flow-induced excitation vibration and the unique hydrodynamic design method of airfoil are proposed with three contrast models. According to the action law of inertial centrifugal force in the rotor–stator interaction (RSI) region and guide vane airfoil, the evaluation method between vortex transport, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and flow structure under transient and steady-state of internal flow field is established, which navigates the instability of energy intensity determined by the uneven gradient distribution. The distribution characteristics of flow-induced excitation pulsation in the RSI region and the static region are quantitatively verified by experiment. Along the streamwise direction, the excitation loss changes from impact loss to flow loss, with the RSI vortex affected by wake-jet flow vortices transforming into intervane vortex in the guide vane. In pulsation evaluation, the excitation pulsation form changes from blade frequency fBPF to low frequency band. Overall, the generation analysis of the excitation pulsation is realized based on the hydrodynamic optimal design with the comparison of models, which provides guidance for the optimization design of the axial flow pump to reduce vibration and energy consumption of the cooling system.
Local Surrogate Modeling for Spatial Emulation of Gas-Turbine Combustion Via Similarity-Based Sample Processing
Authors: Geng Junjie , Qi Haiying , Li Jialu , Wang Xingjian
Published: July 2024

This work proposes an accurate and efficient surrogate modeling method for predicting combustion field in a gas-turbine combustor. The method integrates proper orthogonal decomposition-based dimensional reduction, and Gaussian process regression, in conjunction with the similarity-based sample processing technique. The design parameters of concern include fuel mass flowrate and swirler vane angle. Global surrogate models (GSMs) based on proper orthogonal decomposition and kriging produce significant errors for spatial emulation of methane concentration and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), which is found to be largely attributed to the feature disparity of sample data at different design points. The Tanimoto coefficient is introduced to identify the similarity relation of the sample design points. The similarity-based sample processing method leverages the techniques of radial partitioning, azimuthal rotation, and sample similarity clustering to enhance the similarity among samples. The radial partitioning divides the physical fields into subzones according to the peak and trough characteristics along the radial direction. Local surrogate models (LSMs) are then adaptively constructed in the subzones, through azimuthal rotation for the methane concentration field and sample similarity clustering for the TKE field. The results show that the LSMs reduce the average prediction error of the CH4 concentration field from 19.56% to 8.16% and the TKE field from 93.75% to 9.12% compared to the GSMs. The present method can effectively support the surrogate modeling of combustors with complex variations of geometric structures and flow physics.
Spatial Temperature Measurements in a Swirl-Stabilized Hydrogen–Air Diffusion Flame at Elevated Pressure Using Laser-Induced Grating Spectroscopy
Authors: Chaib Oussama , Weller Lee , Giles Anthony , Morris Steve , Williams Benjamin A. O. , Hochgreb Simone
Published: July 2024

Laser-induced grating spectroscopy (LIGS) is applied, for the first time, to a swirling nonpremixed hydrogen–air flame in a high-pressure combustion facility. A portable LIGS unit is used to probe 35 different axial and radial locations in the flame, and a new conditioned processing approach based on laminar flame simulation is introduced to infer temperatures from instantaneous LIGS spectra. Thermal and electrostrictive frequencies are used to produce a spatial map of temperatures in the combustor. Temperatures up to 2500 K are measured in this work, which constitute the highest temperatures ever measured using LIGS. Challenges associated with the deployment of the technique in turbulent stratified hydrogen flames are discussed, as are potential measures to overcome them, including the use of data-driven clustering techniques.
Determination of optimal chain coupling made by embedding in D-wave quantum annealer
Authors: Park Hayun , Lee Hunpyo
Published: July 2024

The qubits in a D-wave quantum annealer (D-wave QA) are designed on a Pegasus graph that is different from the structure of a combinatorial optimization problem. This situation requires embedding with the chains connected by ferromagnetic coupling Jc between the qubits. Weak and strong Jc values induce chain breaking and enforcement of chain energy, which reduce the accuracy of quantum annealing (QA) measurements, respectively. In addition, we confirmed that even though the D-wave Ocean package provides a default coupling Jcdefault, it is not an optimal coupling Jcoptimal that maximizes the possible correct rate of QA measurements. In this paper, we present an algorithm how Jcoptimal with the maximum probability p for observing the possible lowest energy is determined. Finally, we confirm that the extracted Jcoptimal shows much better p than Jcdefault in QA measurements of various parameters of frustrated and fully connected combinatorial optimization problems. The open code is available in https://github.com/HunpyoLee/OptimizeChainStrength.
Host control of the microbiome: Mechanisms, evolution, and disease
Authors: Wilde Jacob , Slack Emma , Foster Kevin R.
Published: July 2024

Many species, including humans, host communities of symbiotic microbes. There is a vast literature on the ways these microbiomes affect hosts, but here we argue for an increased focus on how hosts affect their microbiomes. Hosts exert control over their symbionts through diverse mechanisms, including immunity, barrier function, physiological homeostasis, and transit. These mechanisms enable hosts to shape the ecology and evolution of microbiomes and generate natural selection for microbial traits that benefit the host. Our microbiomes result from a perpetual tension between host control and symbiont evolution, and we can leverage the host’s evolved abilities to regulate the microbiota to prevent and treat disease. The study of host control will be central to our ability to both understand and manipulate microbiotas for better health.
High-temperature quantum valley Hall effect with quantized resistance and a topological switch
Authors: Huang Ke , Fu Hailong , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Zhu Jun
Published: July 2024

Edge states of a topological insulator can be used to explore fundamental science emerging at the interface of low dimensionality and topology. Achieving a robust conductance quantization, however, has proven challenging for helical edge states. In this work, we show wide resistance plateaus in kink states—a manifestation of the quantum valley Hall effect in Bernal bilayer graphene—quantized to the predicted value at zero magnetic field. The plateau resistance has a very weak temperature dependence up to 50 kelvin and is flat within a dc bias window of tens of millivolts. We demonstrate the electrical operation of a topology-controlled switch with an on/off ratio of 200. These results demonstrate the robustness and tunability of the kink states and its promise in constructing electron quantum optics devices.
Binding and sensing diverse small molecules using shape-complementary pseudocycles
Authors: An Linna , Said Meerit , Tran Long , Majumder Sagardip , Goreshnik Inna , Lee Gyu Rie , Juergens David , Dauparas Justas , Anishchenko Ivan , Coventry Brian , Bera Asim K. , Kang Alex , Levine Paul M. , Alvarez Valentina , Pillai Arvind , Norn Christoffer , Feldman David , Zorine Dmitri , Hicks Derrick R. , Li Xinting , Sanchez Mariana Garcia , Vafeados Dionne K. , Salveson Patrick J. , Vorobieva Anastassia A. , Baker David
Published: July 2024

We describe an approach for designing high-affinity small molecule–binding proteins poised for downstream sensing. We use deep learning–generated pseudocycles with repeating structural units surrounding central binding pockets with widely varying shapes that depend on the geometry and number of the repeat units. We dock small molecules of interest into the most shape complementary of these pseudocycles, design the interaction surfaces for high binding affinity, and experimentally screen to identify designs with the highest affinity. We obtain binders to four diverse molecules, including the polar and flexible methotrexate and thyroxine. Taking advantage of the modular repeat structure and central binding pockets, we construct chemically induced dimerization systems and low-noise nanopore sensors by splitting designs into domains that reassemble upon ligand addition.
Ph
3
PCN
2
: A stable reagent for carbon-atom transfer
Authors: Koike Taichi , Yu Jhen-Kuei , Hansmann Max M.
Published: July 2024

Precise modification of a chemical site in a molecule at the single-atom level is one of the most elegant yet difficult transformations in chemistry. A reagent specifically designed for chemoselective introduction of monoatomic carbon is a particularly formidable challenge. Here, we report a straightforward, azide-free synthesis of a crystalline and isolable diazophosphorus ylide, Ph
3
PCN
2
, a stable compound with a carbon atom bonded to two chemically labile groups, triphenylphosphine (PPh
3
) and dinitrogen (N
2
). Without any additives, the diazophosphorus ylide serves as a highly selective transfer reagent for fragments, including Ph
3
PC, to deliver phosphorus ylide–terminated heterocumulenes and CN
2
to produce multisubstituted pyrazoles. Ultimately, even exclusive carbon-atom transfer is possible. In reactions with aldehydes and acyclic and cyclic ketones (R
2
C=O), the carbon-atom substitution forms a vinylidene (R
2
C=C:) en route to alkynes or butatrienes.
Artemisinin-resistant malaria in Africa demands urgent action
Authors: Dhorda Mehul , Kaneko Akira , Komatsu Ryuichi , KC Achyut , Mshamu Salum , Gesase Samwel , Kapologwe Ntuli , Assefa Ashenafi , Opigo Jimmy , Adoke Yeka , Ebong Chris , Karema Corine , Uwimana Aline , Mangara Jean-Louis Ndikumana , Amaratunga Chanaki , Peto Thomas J. , Tripura Rupam , Callery James J. , Adhikari Bipin , Mukaka Mavuto , Cheah Phaik Yeong , Mutesa Leon , Day Nicholas P. J. , Barnes Karen I. , Dondorp Arjen , Rosenthal Philip J. , White Nicholas J. , von Seidlein Lorenz
Published: July 2024

Investment in community health workers is essential
We need better and more PopSci by scientists
Authors: Fuentes Agustín
Published: July 2024

Any scientist knows that to be a good scientist, they must conduct thoughtful research; generate high-quality, verifiable results and analyses; and get them into circulation in the scientific community. However, what often goes underappreciated is that this good science will likely remain ignored by most of the world if one doesn’t find a way to get it out beyond the scientific community. Unfortunately, when it comes to making our science accessible, we scientists all too often fall short. And that’s when the nonscientist public turn to other nonscientists they can understand. Hence, we find ourselves in a world shaped by a lot of misguided, and often erroneous, information about science.
Element of surprise
Marie Curie: The Musical
Byungwon Kang and LIVE corp., producers
Charing Cross Theatre, London, UK. Through 28 July 2024.
Authors: Thorp H. Holden
Published: July 2024

A lively musical shines a stylized spotlight on Marie Curie’s extraordinary life
Medieval wine tasting records fill in gaps about Europe’s climate
Authors: Voosen Paul
Published: July 2024

Sweetness data help chart temperatures back to the 1400s
Bering Strait hit by unprecedented algal bloom
Authors: Gannon Megan
Published: July 2024

The toxic organisms, which cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, are moving northward with climate change
Impact of mineral and non-mineral sources of iron and sulfur on the metalloproteome of
Methanosarcina barkeri
Authors: Larson James , Tokmina-Lukaszewska Monika , Payne Devon , Spietz Rachel L. , Fausset Hunter , Alam Md Gahangir , Brekke Brooklyn K. , Pauley Jordan , Hasenoehrl Ethan J. , Shepard Eric M. , Boyd Eric S. , Bothner Brian
Published: July 2024

Methanogens often inhabit sulfidic environments that favor the precipitation of transition metals such as iron (Fe) as metal sulfides, including mackinawite (FeS) and pyrite (FeS
2
). These metal sulfides have historically been considered biologically unavailable. Nonetheless, methanogens are commonly cultivated with sulfide (HS
-
) as a sulfur source, a condition that would be expected to favor metal precipitation and thus limit metal availability. Recent studies have shown that methanogens can access Fe and sulfur (S) from FeS and FeS
2
to sustain growth. As such, medium supplied with FeS
2
should lead to higher availability of transition metals when compared to medium supplied with HS
-
. Here, we examined how transition metal availability under sulfidic (i.e., cells provided with HS
-
as sole S source) versus non-sulfidic (cells provided with FeS
2
as sole S source) conditions impact the metalloproteome of
Methanosarcina barkeri
Fusaro. To achieve this, we employed size exclusion chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and shotgun proteomics. Significant changes were observed in the composition and abundance of iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, and molybdenum proteins. Among the differences were alterations in the stoichiometry and abundance of multisubunit protein complexes involved in methanogenesis and electron transport chains. Our data suggest that
M. barkeri
utilizes the minimal iron-sulfur cluster complex and canonical cysteine biosynthesis proteins when grown on FeS
2
but uses the canonical Suf pathway in conjunction with the tRNA-Sep cysteine pathway for iron-sulfur cluster and cysteine biosynthesis under sulfidic growth conditions.

IMPORTANCE

Proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions often require transition metals that can have a high affinity for sulfur, another required element for life. Thus, the availability of metals and sulfur are intertwined and can have large impacts on an organismismal biochemistry. Methanogens often occupy anoxic, sulfide-rich (euxinic) environments that favor the precipitation of transition metals as metal sulfides, thereby creating presumed metal limitation. Recently, several methanogens have been shown to acquire iron and sulfur from pyrite, an abundant iron-sulfide mineral that was traditionally considered to be unavailable to biology. The work presented here provides new insights into the distribution of metalloproteins, and metal uptake of
Methanosarcina barkeri
Fusaro grown under euxinic or pyritic growth conditions. Thorough characterizations of this methanogen under different metal and sulfur conditions increase our understanding of the influence of metal availability on methanogens, and presumably other anaerobes, that inhabit euxinic environments.
Nondestructive and three-dimensional visualization by identifying elements using synchrotron radiation microscale X-ray CT reveals microbial and cavity distributions in anaerobic granular sludge
Authors: Urasaki Kampachiro , Morono Yuki , Uramoto Go-Ichiro , Uesugi Kentaro , Yasutake Masahiro , Akishiba Manato , Guo Guangze , Li Yu-You , Kubota Kengo
Published: July 2024

We developed a nondestructive three-dimensional microbial visualization method utilizing synchrotron radiation X-ray microscale computed tomography to better understand the relationship between microorganisms and their surrounding habitats. The method was tested and optimized using a mixture of axenic
Escherichia coli
and
Comamonas testosteroni
. The osmium-thiocarbohydrazide-osmium method was used to stain all the microbial cells, and gold
in situ
hybridization was used to detect specific phylogenetic microbial groups. The stained samples were embedded in epoxy resin for microtomographic analysis. Differences in X-ray absorbances were calculated by subtracting the pre-L
3
-edge images from the post-L
3
-edge images to visualize the osmium and gold signals. Although we successfully detected cells stained with osmium, those labeled with gold were not detected, probably because of the insufficient density of gold atoms in the microbial cells. We then applied the developed technique to anaerobic granules and visualized the distribution of microbial cells and extracellular polymeric substances. Empty spaces were highlighted to determine the cavity distribution in granules. Numerous independent cavities of different sizes were identified in the granules. The developed method can be applied to various environmental samples for deeper insights into microbial life in their habitats.

IMPORTANCE

Microorganisms inhabit diverse environments and often form biofilms. One factor that affects their community structure is the surrounding physical environment. The arrangement of residential space within the formed biofilm plays a crucial role in the supply and transportation of substances, as well as the discharge of metabolites. Conventional approaches, such as scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy combined with fluorescence in
situ
hybridization, have limitations as they provide information primarily from the biofilm surface and cross-sections. In this study, we developed a method for detecting microorganisms in biofilms using synchrotron radiation X-ray microscale computer tomography. The developed method allows nondestructive three-dimensional observation of biofilms at a single-cell resolution (voxel size of approximately 200 nm), facilitating an understanding of the relationship between microorganisms and their physical habitats.
Virus-like particles displaying the mature C-terminal domain of filamentous hemagglutinin are immunogenic and protective against
Bordetella pertussis
respiratory infection in mice
Authors: Pyles Gage M. , Huckaby Annalisa B. , Gutierrez Maria de la Paz , Witt William T. , Mateu-Borrás Margalida , Dublin Spencer R. , Rocuskie-Marker Carleena , Sesti Bethany N. , Peasak Kerrington , Bitzer Graham J. , Rader Nathaniel , Weaver Kelly L. , Boehm Dylan T. , Fitzgerald Nicholas , Chapman Joshua , Ulicny Samuel , Damron F. Heath , Barbier Mariette
Published: July 2024

Bordetella pertussis,
the bacterium responsible for whooping cough, remains a significant public health challenge despite the existing licensed pertussis vaccines. Current acellular pertussis vaccines, though having favorable reactogenicity and efficacy profiles, involve complex and costly production processes. In addition, acellular vaccines have functional challenges such as short-lasting duration of immunity and limited antigen coverage. Filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) is an adhesin of
B. pertussis
that is included in all multivalent pertussis vaccine formulations. Antibodies to FHA have been shown to prevent bacterial attachment to respiratory epithelial cells, and T cell responses to FHA facilitate cell-mediated immunity. In this study, FHA’s mature C-terminal domain (MCD) was evaluated as a novel vaccine antigen. MCD was conjugated to virus-like particles via SpyTag-SpyCatcher technology. Prime-boost vaccine studies were performed in mice to characterize immunogenicity and protection against the intranasal
B. pertussis
challenge. MCD-SpyVLP was more immunogenic than SpyTag-MCD antigen alone, and in Tohama I strain challenge studies, improved protection against challenge was observed in the lungs at day 3 and in the trachea and nasal wash at day 7 post-challenge. Furthermore, a
B. pertussis
strain encoding genetically inactivated pertussis toxin was used to evaluate MCD-SpyVLP vaccine immunity. Mice vaccinated with MCD-SpyVLP had significantly lower respiratory bacterial burden at both days 3 and 7 post-challenge compared to mock-vaccinated animals. Overall, these data support the use of SpyTag-SpyCatcher VLPs as a platform for use in vaccine development against
B. pertussis
and other pathogens.
Draft genome sequencing of
Pediococcus acidilactici
strains isolated from cow’s milk: unlocking insights into functional traits and applications
Authors: Siddique Naim , Rahman Md. Morshedur , Akter Salma , Hasan Mehedi Mahmudul , Das Ziban Chandra , Hoque M. Nazmul
Published: July 2024

Pediococcus acidilactici
is a potential probiotic bacteria isolated from diverse sources. However, strains isolated from milk, especially from raw milk of healthy cows, have not been thoroughly studied. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
P. acidilactici
strains MBBL5 and MBBL7, isolated from milk samples of healthy cows.
Integrative
in vivo
analysis of the ethanolamine utilization bacterial microcompartment in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Jallet Denis , Soldan Vanessa , Shayan Ramteen , Stella Alexandre , Ismail Nour , Zenati Rania , Cahoreau Edern , Burlet-Schiltz Odile , Balor Stéphanie , Millard Pierre , Heux Stéphanie
Published: July 2024

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are self-assembling protein megacomplexes that encapsulate metabolic pathways. Although approximately 20% of sequenced bacterial genomes contain operons encoding putative BMCs, few have been thoroughly characterized, nor any in the most studied
Escherichia coli
strains. We used an interdisciplinary approach to gain deep molecular and functional insights into the ethanolamine utilization (Eut) BMC system encoded by the
eut
operon in
E. coli
K-12. The
eut
genotype was linked with the ethanolamine utilization phenotype using deletion and overexpression mutants. The subcellular dynamics and morphology of the
E. coli
Eut BMCs were characterized
in cellula
by fluorescence microscopy and electron (cryo)microscopy. The minimal proteome reorganization required for ethanolamine utilization and the
in vivo
stoichiometric composition of the Eut BMC were determined by quantitative proteomics. Finally, the first flux map connecting the Eut BMC with central metabolism
in cellula
was obtained by genome-scale modeling and
13
C-fluxomics. Our results reveal that contrary to previous suggestions, ethanolamine serves both as a nitrogen and a carbon source in
E. coli
K-12, while also contributing to significant metabolic overflow. Overall, this study provides a quantitative molecular and functional understanding of the BMCs involved in ethanolamine assimilation by
E. coli
.

IMPORTANCE

The properties of bacterial microcompartments make them an ideal tool for building orthogonal network structures with minimal interactions with native metabolic and regulatory networks. However, this requires an understanding of how BMCs work natively. In this study, we combined genetic manipulation, multi-omics, modeling, and microscopy to address this issue for Eut BMCs. We show that the Eut BMC in
Escherichia coli
turns ethanolamine into usable carbon and nitrogen substrates to sustain growth. These results improve our understanding of compartmentalization in a widely used bacterial chassis.
Covid-19 infection and vaccination during first trimester and risk of congenital anomalies: Nordic registry based study
Authors: Magnus Maria C , Söderling Jonas , Örtqvist Anne K , Andersen Anne-Marie Nybo , Stephansson Olof , Håberg Siri E , Urhoj Stine Kjaer
Published: July 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the risk of major congenital anomalies according to infection with or vaccination against covid-19 during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Design

Prospective Nordic registry based study.

Setting

Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

Participants

343 066 liveborn singleton infants in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, with an estimated start of pregnancy between 1 March 2020 and 14 February 2022, identified using national health registries.

Main outcome measure

Major congenital anomalies were categorised using EUROCAT (European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies) definitions. The risk after covid-19 infection or vaccination during the first trimester was assessed by logistic regression, adjusting for maternal age, parity, education, income, country of origin, smoking, body mass index, chronic conditions, and estimated date of start of pregnancy.

Results

17 704 (5.2%) infants had a major congenital anomaly. When evaluating risk associated with covid-19 infection during the first trimester, the adjusted odds ratio ranged from 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.51 to 1.40) for eye anomalies to 1.12 (0.68 to 1.84) for oro-facial clefts. Similarly, the risk associated with covid-19 vaccination during the first trimester ranged from 0.84 (0.31 to 2.31) for nervous system anomalies to 1.69 (0.76 to 3.78) for abdominal wall defects. Estimates for 10 of 11 subgroups of anomalies were less than 1.04, indicating no notable increased risk.

Conclusions

Covid-19 infection and vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy were not associated with risk of congenital anomalies.
A BACTERIA FORAGING ALGORITHM-BASED HYBRID A-LAW AND PTS PAPR REDUCTION METHOD FOR BEYOND 5G WAVEFORM
Authors: KUMAR ARUN , GAUR NISHANT , NANTHAAMORNPHONG AZIZ , ALZABEN NADA , YAHYA ABDULSAMAD EBRAHIM , HASSINE SIWAR BEN HAJ , ALBALAWEE NASIR , ZANIN SAMAH AL
Published: July 2024

One of the most advanced waveforms available in the beyond-fifth-generation radio (B5GR) framework is nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA). The power amplifier (PA) of the NOMA structure performs less efficiently when the signal is strong and the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) is high. This study applies a hybrid algorithm to the NOMA structure, combining fractal partial transmit sequence (PTS), A-law companding, and the bacterial foraging algorithm (BFA). Fractals are known for their self-repeating structures at different scales, allowing for efficient coverage and exploration of space. Fractals enhance the bacteria foraging algorithm (BFA) by improving search efficiency, enabling better exploration of complex, multi-dimensional optimization landscapes. Similarly, BFA balances exploring the search in promising areas. We utilized BFA to achieve optimal phase factors for the PTS algorithm and applied A-Law companding to the NOMA symbols to further enhance the structure’s performance. The intermediate computational complexity in the Rician and Rayleigh channels improves PAPR, bit error rate (BER), and power spectral density performance. Simulation results reveal that the performance of the proposed hybrid method is superior to that of existing PAPR reduction algorithms and substantially enhances the efficiency of NOMA.
UTILIZING CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS TO COMPREHEND SIGN LANGUAGE AND RECOGNIZE EMOTIONS
Authors: SINGLA CHINU , SUBAIT WALA BIN , MAHGOUB HANY , YAHYA ABDULSAMAD EBRAHIM , ALZAIDI MUHAMMAD S. A. , MUNJAL MUSKAAN , ALMUKADI WAFA SULAIMAN , ALJAWARN NADER MOHAMMAD
Published: July 2024

The inability to communicate verbally is widely acknowledged as a significant disability. The primary objective of this research is to create a practical system aimed at individuals with hearing impairments, particularly those who depend on sign language as their primary means of communication. This system aims to enable deaf individuals to express themselves, communicate effectively and facilitate understanding of their language which would otherwise be challenging since most people are unfamiliar with sign language. By employing human gesture interpretation and motion capture, this technology can facilitate the translation of sign language into spoken language and vice versa. Despite the existence of various methods to convert sign language into voice, none of them currently provide an entirely intuitive user interface. Our objective is to create a system that not only translates sign language but also integrates a natural user interface, thus enhancing accessibility for individuals who are blind or have visual impairments. This system will achieve this by recognizing facial expressions and effectively conveying emotions behind words assisting visually impaired individuals in expressing themselves more effectively. Hence, in this project, we tentatively aim to build a system that can ease the lives of blind, deaf and dumb people to some extent. Normal communication like normal people do might never be possible for differently abled people but through our project, we try to provide them with a tool that can help them experience normalcy while communicating with normal people.
EFFECT OF EXTREMELY LOW-FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS ON PROMOTING MYOGENESIS IN THE EARLY PROCESS OF DENERVATED MUSCLEATROPHY
Authors: HAN FUJUN , YIN SHUANG , ZHOU CHENLIANG , ZHAO YONGHOU
Published: July 2024

Objective: To investigate the effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) on myogenesis during the early stage of denervated muscle atrophy in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Methods: a total of 36 female SD rats were fed in cages and divided into three groups: the normal control group, the muscle atrophy group and the 10[Formula: see text]Hz/1.5[Formula: see text]mT magnetic field group. The rats in the 10[Formula: see text]Hz/1.5[Formula: see text]mT magnetic field group received a magnetic field intervention for 2[Formula: see text]h per day. The posterior muscle groups of the lower limbs of rats were sampled on the first, second, third and fourth weeks for evaluating the underlying changes. The harvested tissues were stained with hematoxylin–eosin (HE) dye to observe the morphology of the muscle atrophy and to measure the muscle fiber cross-sectional area ratio. A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of Myf5 mRNA in each group. The myogenesis-related proteins in the harvested muscle tissue were detected by western blot assay. Results: (1) HE staining showed that with the extension of denervation time, the structural disorder of muscle fibers was aggravated, and in the second week of the denervated muscle atrophy, muscle fiber cross-sectional area tended to increase in the 10[Formula: see text]Hz/1.5[Formula: see text]mT magnetic field group. Overall muscle atrophy was inevitable. (2) Results of RT-PCR showed that the expression of Myf5 mRNA in the 10[Formula: see text]Hz/1.5[Formula: see text]mT magnetic field group was significantly high in the second week of denervation, and the difference was statistically significant compared with the muscle atrophy group (*[Formula: see text]). (3) Western blot analysis showed that the expression of MYF5 proteins in the 10[Formula: see text]Hz/1.5[Formula: see text]mT magnetic field group was significantly higher than that in the muscle atrophy group (**[Formula: see text]) in the second week of denervation. Further, the expression of MYOG protein in the 10[Formula: see text]Hz/1.5[Formula: see text]mT magnetic field group was significantly higher than that in the muscle atrophy group (****[Formula: see text]). Conclusions: 10[Formula: see text]Hz/1.5[Formula: see text]mT ELF-EMF can significantly promote myogenesis during early denervated muscle atrophy in SD rats.
TAKAGI–SUGENO–KANG FUZZY SYSTEM MODELING BASED ON LOW-RANK SPARSE SUBSPACE LEARNING FOR MOTOR IMAGERY ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM SIGNAL CLASSIFICATION
Authors: WANG CHENXU , ZHOU GUOHUA , GU YI
Published: July 2024

The classification of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals derived from motor imagery (MI) has always been a hot topic in the field of brain–computer interfaces. Due to its ability to handle the nonstationary and uncertain information contained in EEG signals, the Takagi–Sugeno–Kang fuzzy system (TSK-FS) has become an advantageous classification algorithm. To train a fuzzy system with strong discrimination capabilities from EEG data interspersed with redundant information, this paper proposes a TSK-FS modeling method based on low-rank sparse subspace learning (TSK-LSSL). This method focuses on consequent parameter learning, which transforms the traditional consequent parameter learning strategy into low-rank subspace and sparse subspace learning processes. Low-rank subspace learning is used to mine the global structural information of data and effectively reduce the number of fuzzy rules. During sparse subspace learning, [Formula: see text]-norm regularization is used to constrain the consequent parameters and causes the number of redundant consequent parameters to be zero, thereby simplifying the fuzzy rules. In addition, a local boundary term based on graph matrices is embedded into the objective function to mine the local structural information of the given data. TSK-LSSL simplifies the number of rules and the consequent part of the fuzzy rules. It exhibits good classification performance on two BCI Competition databases.
RESEARCH ON RETINEX ENHANCEMENT METHOD FOR VASCULAR MEDICAL IMAGES
Authors: WANG RUI , LI CHONGJI , ZOU JIAKUN , YOU YAXIONG , YANG YANLONG , HE JIBIAO
Published: July 2024

To improve the feature extraction performance in vascular medical images, a multi-scale Retinex medical image enhancement algorithm based on a four-step method is proposed. This method is based on the multi-scale Retinex enhancement method, which divides the entire enhancement process into four steps: The first step is to reduce the overall complexity of the enhancement process through block processing; second, perform Retinex enhancement in each sub-block image; the third step is to optimize the connection area of each sub-block; and the fourth step is to highlight detailed features through gradient filtering. During the experiment, three different images were enhanced. The experimental results show that the proposed method can be used in enhancing the vascular features in medical images and be extended to other application fields. This method can effectively suppress the blurring and halo of the original image, while achieving enhancement effects and better protecting detailed features. From the four sets of indicators, the proposed method has shown more significant improvement than both reference methods. Regarding information entropy, the doubles have increased by a maximum of 96.2% and a minimum of 30.3%.
IMPACT OF FOOTWEAR BENDING STIFFNESS ON LOWER-LIMB WORK REDISTRIBUTION AND RUNNING ECONOMY
Authors: LIU ZUOLIANG , YANG FAN , MA RUIYA , DING LI
Published: July 2024

The bending stiffness of footwear impacts running efficiency and lower-limb work redistribution. However, studies integrating both aspects are scarce. This study aimed to examine the impact of footwear stiffness on lower-limb biomechanics, joint work, and overall metabolic efficiency. This study was performed on 12 male recreational runners to complete an experimental protocol while wearing two different running shoes with varying degrees of longitudinal bending stiffness. Paired-sample t tests were applied in this research. The stiffer footwear decreased the range of motion (ROM), angular velocity, negative and positive work of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, and ROM of the ankle joint. The running economy significantly improved with the stiffer footwear. However, no significant difference was observed in the joint work of other lower limbs. Shoes with increased bending stiffness significantly reduced the MTP joint ROM and angular velocity, thereby reducing negative power and work at the MTP joint and improving running economy for runners. This study provided relevant information for shoe designers, developers, and scientists conducting research on footwear midsole structures and designs.