bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PROGRESSIVE RETINOPATHY IN A PATIENT WITH MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDOSIS TYPE II UNDERGOING ENZYME REPLACEMENT THERAPY: A CASE REPORT
Authors: Wouters Margot C. , Van Lint Michel
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to report the changing fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and ocular coherence tomographic (OCT) findings through time in a patient with mucopolysaccharidosis type II being treated with idursulfase, an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).

Methods:

This was a case report with clinical photography.

Results:

The authors report the case of a 27-year-old male patient with mucopolysaccharidosis type II whom they followed from 2019 to 2023. Throughout the follow-up, the authors noticed a slow increase of parafoveal outer retinal atrophy centripetally, which is reflected in a smaller hyperautofluorescent ring and increasing ring scotoma on visual field testing. The patient remains asymptomatic.

Conclusion:

Despite continuing long-term enzyme replacement treatment with idursulfase, the retinopathy associated with mucopolysaccharidosis type II progressed in the patient.
DISTINCTIVE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY AND INDOCYANINE GREEN ANGIOGRAPHY IMAGING PATTERNS IN TOPIRAMATE-INDUCED CHOROIDAL EFFUSION
Authors: Bijon Jacques , Flynn Erin , Freund K. Bailey
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to describe novel findings seen on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and indocyanine green angiography in a young male patient presenting with bilateral topiramate-induced choroidal effusion.

Methods:

This is a retrospective case report. A comprehensive ophthalmic examination was conducted and multimodal imaging techniques, including B-scan ultrasound, OCT, OCTA, and indocyanine green angiography were analyzed.

Results:

A male patient in his 30s presented with a myopic shift due to bilateral choroidal effusion induced by a medication containing topiramate prescribed for weight loss. Indocyanine green angiography showed multiple hypofluorescent spots within the choroid corresponding to areas of reduced OCTA flow signal in both the inner and deeper en face choroidal slabs. Symptoms and abnormal imaging findings resolved within 5 days of discontinuing the medication.

Conclusion:

Findings observed with OCTA and indocyanine green angiography together suggest multifocal reversible areas of reduced choroidal vascular flow occurring in a topiramate-induced choroidal effusion. The authors propose that this transient hypoperfusion is due to compression from deeper choroidal vessels with a congested choroid.
Subacromial Balloon Spacer: When to Use This?
Authors: Fares Mohamad Y. , Boufadel Peter , Abboud Joseph A.
Published: December 2023

The subacromial balloon spacer is a novel treatment option for the management of massive irreparable rotator cuff tears. This device is introduced into the glenohumeral joint and acts to alleviate the acromiohumeral impingement, caused by the massive irreparable rotator cuff tear. The device also redistributes the tension around the adjacent muscles in the joint, allowing them to compensate for the torn rotator cuff tendons. By doing so, the balloon can act as a “rehabilitation accelerator”, ultimately resulting in improved shoulder pain and function. Adherence to balloon indications when selecting the appropriate patient is necessary, and these include an irreparable posterosuperior rotator cuff tear, with preserved subscapularis function, minimal to no osteoarthritis, and the ability to forward flex to 90 degrees. Clinical studies have demonstrated promising potential regarding the benefit of the balloon, with numerous studies demonstrating great outcomes after its implantation. Nevertheless, future research remains necessary to render the evidence behind its utility unequivocal.
The financial burden after liver transplantation is significant among commercially insured adults: A large US National Cohort
Authors: Lieber Sarah R. , Jiang Yue , Jones Alex R. , Gowda Prajwal , Ufere Nneka N. , Patel Madhukar S. , Gurley Tami , Noriega Ramirez Alvaro , Ngo Van M. , Olumesi Mary C. , Trudeau Raelene E. , Marrero Jorge , Craddock Lee Simon J. , Mufti Arjmand , Singal Amit G. , VanWagner Lisa B.
Published: December 2023

Liver transplantation (LT) is lifesaving for patients with cirrhosis; however, the resultant financial burden to patients has not been well characterized. We aimed to provide a nationally representative portrayal of patient financial burden after LT. Adult recipients of LT from 2006 to 2021 were identified using IQVIA PharMetrics® Plus for Academics—a large nationally representative claims database of commercially insured Americans. Patient financial liability (ie, what patients owe) was estimated using the difference between allowed and paid costs for adjudicated medical/pharmacy claims. Descriptive statistics were provided stratified by the financial liability group within 1 year after LT. Multivariable logistic regression modeling identified factors associated with high/extreme liability adjusting for covariates. Potential indirect costs of post-LT care were estimated based on hourly wages lost for care. Among 1412 recipients of LT, financial liability was heterogeneous—~3% had no liability and 21% had extreme liability > $10K for 1-year post-LT care; most (69%) paid between $1 and 10K, with 48% having liability >$5K. Factors associated with >$5K liability included older age, insurance/enrollment type, US region, history of HCC, and simultaneous liver-kidney transplant (for liability >$10K). Medication costs comprised ~30% of outpatient financial liability. Potential indirect costs from wages lost were $2,201–$6,073 per person, depending on an hourly wage. In a large national cohort of commercially insured recipients of LT, financial liability was highly variable across sociodemographic and clinical characteristics; nearly 1 out of 2 recipients of LT owed >$5K for 1 year of post-LT care. Transplant programs should help patients anticipate potential costs and identify vulnerable populations who would benefit from enhanced financial counseling.
Evaluating a Shared Reflective Practice to Develop Nursing Student Clinical Judgment
Authors: Maffucci Jennifer , Vanderzwan Kathryn , Burt Leah
Published: December 2023

Background:

Self-reflection is a valuable method that nurse educators can use to develop clinical judgment skills among prelicensure nursing students. Little research exists on improving clinical judgment in second-degree nursing students in the clinical setting.

Purpose:

To determine the implications of increasing clinical judgment skills in prelicensure nursing students using a shared structured reflection teaching innovation within a required baccalaureate clinical course.

Methods:

This educational innovation used qualitative descriptive methods to evaluate its effectiveness in the clinical setting among students in the final semester of an accelerated prelicensure nursing program.

Results:

Students reported increased accountability for their learning, a sense of intentionality with their nursing practice, and a deeper sense of community with their peers.

Conclusions:

Shared reflective practices in the clinical setting show promise for increasing clinical judgment and supporting a competency-based curriculum.
Sunitinib in Tandem With 177Lu-DOTATATE Therapy in Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor
Authors: Aggarwal Piyush , Gunasekaran Vinisha , Sood Ashwani , Gupta Kushal , Das Chandan Krushna , Mittal Bhagwant Rai
Published: December 2023

Various systemic treatment options are available for advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs); however, individual treatment may be suboptimally effective. Sunitinib inhibits multiple kinases and signaling pathways with delay in tumor growth, whereas peptide radioreceptor therapy (PRRT) delivers targeted radiation to the tumors in pancreatic NETs. There is a dearth of literature on the combined or tandem use of these systemic treatment modalities. We present a case of 40-year-old man with advanced pancreatic NET where PRRT or sunitinib as monotherapy had a suboptimal treatment response, but the use of sunitinib in tandem with 177Lu-PRRT reinforced the response to the treatment.
Sestrin2 attenuates depressive-like behaviors and neuroinflammation in CUMS mice through inhibiting ferroptosis
Authors: Ma Xinxin , Wang Jing , Quan Qiankun , Zhang Huan , Tian Yuan , Wang Lei , Liu Ling
Published: December 2023

Sestrin2 (SESN2) is a stress-inducible protein and acts as a neuroprotective regulator. The present study aimed to explore the antidepressant activity of SESN2 and its relevant mechanism. Depression mouse model was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for a successive 5 weeks. Behaviors tests were conducted to examine depressive-like behaviors including sugar preference test, tail suspension test and open field test. The expression of SESN2 and ferroptosis-related proteins was examined by western blot. The production of cytokines was measured by ELISA. Iron deposition was assessed using Prussian blue staining and Fe2+ content was measured using commercial kits. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay. BV-2 cells were treated with LPS to induce microglial activation, which was evaluated by the iba-1 level adopting immunofluorescence assay. The ferroptosis inducer Erastin was adopted for the pretreatment in BV-2 cells to conduct a rescue experiment. SESN2 was downregulated in CUMS-induced mice, and SESN2 overexpression dramatically ameliorated CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors. Meanwhile, SESN2 reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and iba-1 level in hippocampus of CUMS mice, as well as reducing iron deposition and lipid peroxidation, demonstrating that SESN2 reduced microglial activation, neuroinflammation and ferroptosis in CUMS mice. Similarly, SESN2 also restricted iba-1 level, pro-inflammatory cytokines production, and ferroptosis in LPS-induced BV-2 cells, which was partly reversed by additional treatment of Erastin. These findings suggest that SESN2 possesses potent antidepressant property through inhibiting ferroptosis and neuroinflammation.
Familial KCNQ2 mutation: a psychiatric perspective
Authors: Iftimovici Anton , Charmet Angeline , Desnous Béatrice , Ory Ana , Delorme Richard , Coutton Charles , Devillard Françoise , Milh Mathieu , Maruani Anna
Published: December 2023

KCNQ2 mutations are a common cause of early-onset epileptic syndromes. They are associated with heterogeneous developmental profiles, from mild to severe cognitive and social impairments that need better characterization. We report a case of an inherited KCNQ2 mutation due to a deletion c.402delC in a heterozygous state, in the exon 3 of the KCNQ2 gene. A 5-year-old boy presented a cluster of sudden-onset generalized tonic-clonic seizures at three months of age, after an unremarkable postnatal period. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification identified a familial mutation after an investigation in the family revealed that this mutation was present on the father’s side. The patient was diagnosed with autism and intellectual deficiency in a context of KCNQ2-encephalopathy. We describe his clinical features in light of current literature. This report highlights the importance of appropriate genetic counseling and psychiatric assessment in planning the medical and social follow-up of a disorder with complex socio-behavioral features.
Modelling individual aesthetic judgements over time
Authors: Brielmann Aenne A. , Berentelg Max , Dayan Peter
Published: December 2023

Listening to music, watching a sunset—many sensory experiences are valuable to us, to a degree that differs significantly between individuals, and within an individual over time. We have theorized (Brielmann & Dayan 2022Psychol. Rev.129, 1319–1337 (doi:10.1037/rev0000337))) that these idiosyncratic values derive from the task of using experiences to tune the sensory-cognitive system to current and likely future input. We tested the theory using participants’ (n= 59) ratings of a set of dog images (n= 55) created using the NeuralCrossbreed morphing algorithm. A full realization of our model that uses feature representations extracted from image-recognizing deep neural nets (e.g. VGG-16) is able to capture liking judgements on a trial-by-trial basis (medianr= 0.65), outperforming predictions based on population averages (medianr= 0.01). Furthermore, the model’s learning component allows it to explain image sequence dependent rating changes, capturing on average 17% more variance in the ratings for the true trial order than for simulated random trial orders. This validation of our theory is the first step towards a comprehensive treatment of individual differences in evaluation.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
Cultivating creativity: predictive brains and the enlightened room problem
Authors: Constant Axel , Friston Karl John , Clark Andy
Published: December 2023

How can one conciliate the claim that humans are uncertainty minimizing systems that seek to navigate predictable and familiar environments with the claim that humans can be creative? We call this the Enlightened Room Problem (ERP). The solution, we suggest, lies not (or not only) in the error-minimizing brain but in the environment itself. Creativity emerges from various degrees of interplay between predictive brains and changing environments: ones that repeatedly move the goalposts for our own error-minimizing machinery. By (co)constructing these challenging worlds, we effectively alter and expand the space within which our own prediction engines operate, and that function as ‘exploration bubbles’ that enable information seeking, uncertainty minimizing minds to penetrate deeper and deeper into artistic, scientific and engineering space. In what follows, we offer a proof of principle for this kind of environmentally led cognitive expansion.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
A hole in a piece of cardboard and predictive brain: the incomprehension of modern art in the light of the predictive coding paradigm
Authors: Kesner Ladislav
Published: December 2023

Incomprehension of and resistance to contemporaneous art have been constant features in the development of modern art. The predictive coding framework can be used to analyse this response by outlining the difference between the misunderstanding of (i) contemporary conceptual/minimalist art and (ii) early modern avant-garde art and by elucidating their underlying cognitive mechanisms. In both of these cases, incomprehension and its behavioural consequences are tied to the failure of the optimal prediction error (PE) minimization that is involved in the perception of such art works. In the case of contemporary conceptual/minimalist art the failure stems from the fact that the encounter results in non-salient visual sensations and generates no PE. In early modern avant-garde art, the occasional inability of viewers to recognize pictorial content using new pictorial conventions reflected the absence of suitable priors to explain away ambiguous sensory data. The capacity to recognize pictorial content in modernist painting, as a prerequisite for a satisfying encounter with such works and ultimately a wider acceptance of new artistic styles, required an updating of a number of expectations in order to optimize the fit between priors and sensations, from low-level perceptual priors to the development of higher-level, culturally determined expectations.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
The impact of crossmodal predictions on the neural processing of aesthetic stimuli
Authors: Tiihonen Marianne , Haumann Niels Trusbak , Shtyrov Yury , Vuust Peter , Jacobsen Thomas , Brattico Elvira
Published: December 2023

Neuroaesthetic research has focused on neural predictive processes involved in the encounter with art stimuli or the related evaluative judgements, and it has been mainly conducted unimodally. Here, with electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography and an affective priming protocol, we investigated whether and how the neural responses to non-representational aesthetic stimuli are top-down modulated by affective representational (i.e. semantically meaningful) predictions between audition and vision. Also, the neural chronometry of affect processing of these aesthetic stimuli was investigated. We hypothesized that the early affective components of crossmodal aesthetic responses are dependent on the affective and representational predictions formed in another sensory modality resulting in differentiated brain responses, and that audition and vision indicate different processing latencies for affect. The target stimuli were aesthetic visual patterns and musical chords, and they were preceded by a prime from the opposing sensory modality. We found that early auditory-cortex responses to chords were more affected by valence than the corresponding visual-cortex ones. Furthermore, the assessments of visual targets were more facilitated by affective congruency of crossmodal primes than the acoustic targets. These results indicate, first, that the brain uses early affective information for predictively guiding aesthetic responses; second, that an affective transfer of information takes place crossmodally, mainly from audition to vision, impacting the aesthetic assessment.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
Cognitive and sensory expectations independently shape musical expectancy and pleasure
Authors: Cheung Vincent K. M. , Harrison Peter M. C. , Koelsch Stefan , Pearce Marcus T. , Friederici Angela D. , Meyer Lars
Published: December 2023

Expectation is crucial for our enjoyment of music, yet the underlying generative mechanisms remain unclear. While sensory models derive predictions based on local acoustic information in the auditory signal, cognitive models assume abstract knowledge of music structure acquired over the long term. To evaluate these two contrasting mechanisms, we compared simulations from four computational models of musical expectancy against subjective expectancy and pleasantness ratings of over 1000 chords sampled from 739 US Billboard pop songs. Bayesian model comparison revealed that listeners' expectancy and pleasantness ratings were predicted by the independent, non-overlapping, contributions of cognitive and sensory expectations. Furthermore, cognitive expectations explained over twice the variance in listeners’ perceived surprise compared to sensory expectations, suggesting a larger relative importance of long-term representations of music structure over short-term sensory–acoustic information in musical expectancy. Our results thus emphasize the distinct, albeit complementary, roles of cognitive and sensory expectations in shaping musical pleasure, and suggest that this expectancy-driven mechanism depends on musical information represented at different levels of abstraction along the neural hierarchy.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
A model of time-varying music engagement
Authors: Omigie Diana , Mencke Iris
Published: December 2023

The current paper offers a model of time-varying music engagement, defined as changes in curiosity, attention and positive valence, as music unfolds over time. First, we present research (including new data) showing that listeners tend to allocate attention to music in a manner that is guided by both features of the music and listeners' individual differences. Next, we review relevant predictive processing literature before using this body of work to inform our model. In brief, we propose that music engagement, over the course of an extended listening episode, may constitute several cycles of curiosity, attention and positive valence that are interspersed with moments of mind-wandering. Further, we suggest that refocusing on music after an episode of mind-wandering can be due to triggers in the music or, conversely, mental action that occurs when the listener realizes they are mind-wandering. Finally, we argue that factors that modulate both overall levels of music engagement and how it changes over time include music complexity, listener background and the listening context. Our paper highlights how music can be used to provide insights into the temporal dynamics of attention and into how curiosity might emerge in everyday contexts.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
Being alive to the world: an artist's perspective on predictive processing
Authors: Pepperell Robert
Published: December 2023

I consider predictive processing (PP) from the perspective of an artist who also conducts scientific research into art and perception. This paper presents artworks I have made and statements from other artists that exemplify some of PP's core principles. But it also raises questions about the extent to which current applications of PP theory provide a comprehensive account of art experience. Prediction error minimization, a key mechanism of PP, has been proposed as a cause of positive aesthetic affect because artworks offer opportunities for reward through disambiguation and learning. However, there are many cases where prediction errors proliferate in art experiences in a way that enhances aesthetic affect. Here I suggest the inability of our perceptual systems to minimize prediction errors when beholding certain artworks can evoke heightened states of fascination and exhilaration. Moreover, powerful artworks provide opportunities for maximizing prediction errors, within certain bounds, by evoking states of paradox, contradiction and illogicality. I conclude that beholding such artworks can intensify our sense of being by making us more alive to the world.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
Transforming Healthcare Education: Harnessing Large Language Models for Frontline Health Worker Capacity Building using Retrieval-Augmented Generation
Authors: Al Ghadban Yasmina , Lu Huiqi (Yvonne) , Adavi Uday , Sharma Ankita , Gara Sridevi , Das Neelanjana , Kumar Bhaskar , John Renu , Devarsetty Praveen , Hirst Jane E.
Published: December 2023

In recent years, large language models (LLMs) have emerged as a transformative force in several domains, including medical education and healthcare. This paper presents a case study on the practical application of using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) based models for enhancing healthcare education in low- and middle-income countries. The model described in this paper, SMARThealthGPT, stems from the necessity for accessible and locally relevant medical information to aid community health workers in delivering high-quality maternal care. We describe the development process of the complete RAG pipeline, including the creation of a knowledge base of Indian pregnancy-related guidelines, knowledge embedding retrieval, parameter selection and optimization, and answer generation. This case study highlights the potential of LLMs in building frontline healthcare worker capacity and enhancing guideline-based health education; and offers insights for similar applications in resource-limited settings. It serves as a reference for machine learning scientists, educators, healthcare professionals, and policymakers aiming to harness the power of LLMs for substantial educational improvement.
A pilot study of the impact of smells on the behavior of level 3 autistic children and adolescents during an ongoing task
Authors: Dantec M , Cazalis F , Peyrical A , Luisier AC , Benabou C , Coeur-Bizot S , Mandairon N , Mantel M , Bensafi M
Published: December 2023

The present pilot study aims to perform a first evaluation of the effect of smells on the behavior of autistic children and adolescents (level 3) while they are performing a routine task and are going through a more or less intense crisis situation. To do this, we developed a protocol adapted for a field study in the familiar environment (specialized school) of 8 autistic children and adolescents, where the effect of odors on the behaviors of screaming, agitation, and aggression was assessed. First, it was possible to carry out this protocol on this level 3 autistic population. Second, the results acquired on subjective data collected by the experimenter suggest that odors may reduce certain behavioral traits such as agitation or screaming. These data should be considered as proof-of-concept, with results that need to be confirmed in a larger sample of autistic individuals.
Sources of Firearms Used by Children in K-12 School Shootings, 1999-2021
Authors: Studdert Vivian V. , Miller Matthew
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background

Shootings in US schools have become common and deadly events. Little is known about the sources of firearms used in these shootings.

Methods

We used the K-12 School Shooting Database (K-12 SSDB) to identify a sample of shootings on school campuses between 1999 and 2021 that were perpetrated by children (<18 years) and resulted in at least one death or injury. We searched news stories and public records to gather information on the sources of the firearms used in these shootings. Additional descriptive information on the shootings, shooters, and victims came from the K-12 SSDB.

Results

A total of 217 school shootings met our eligibility criteria, and we recovered information on the source of the firearms used in 65 (30%) of them. Most of the shootings occurred inside (68%) and involved one shooter (97%) who typically used a handgun (80%). A total of 71% of the shootings involved assault or homicide, 26% were accidental, and 3% involved an assault or homicide that ended in the shooter’s suicide. In 60% of the shootings, shooters obtained the firearm(s) from their home. The next most common sources were another person’s home (17%) or the street (17%). Among shootings for which the firearms were obtained from the shooter’s home, 77% belonged to a parent or guardian and 18% belonged to another relative.

Conclusions

Firearms used by child perpetrators of K-12 school shootings come predominantly from the shooter’s home, where they usually belong to the perpetrator’s parents. Stronger adherence to guidelines for safe firearm storage has the potential to reduce risks of these tragedies.
Strain-level characterization of health-associated bacterial consortia that colonize the human gut during infancy
Authors: Minot Samuel S. , Mayer-Blackwell Koshlan , Fiore-Gartland Andrew , Johnson Andrew , Self Steven , Bhatti Parveen , Yao Lena , Liu Lili , Sun Xin , Jinfa Yi , Kublin James
Published: December 2023

Background

The human gut microbiome develops rapidly during infancy, a key window of development coinciding with maturation of the adaptive immune system. However, little is known of the microbiome growth dynamics over the first few months of life and whether there are any generalizable patterns across human populations. We performed metagenomic sequencing on stool samples (n=94) from a cohort of infants (n=15) at monthly intervals in the first six months of life, augmenting our dataset with seven published studies for a total of 4,441 metagenomes from 1,162 infants.

Results

Strain-levelde novoanalysis was used to identify 592 of the most abundant organisms in the infant gut microbiome. Previously unrecognized consortia were identified which exhibited highly correlated abundances across samples and were composed of diverse species spanning multiple genera. Analysis of a cohort of infants with cystic fibrosis identified one such novel consortium of diverseEnterobacteraleswhich was positively correlated with weight gain. While all studies showed an increased community stability during the first year of life, microbial dynamics varied widely in the first few months of life, both by study and by individual.

Conclusion

By augmenting published metagenomic datasets with data from a newly established cohort we were able to identify novel groups of organisms that are correlated with measures of robust human development. We hypothesize that the presence of these groups may impact human health in aggregate in ways that individual species may not in isolation.
Rumen protozoa are a hub for diverse hydrogenotrophic functions
Authors: Toyber Ido , Kumar Raghawendra , Jami Elie
Published: December 2023

Ciliate protozoa are an integral part of the rumen microbial community involved in a variety of metabolic processes. These processes are thought to be in part the outcome of interactions with their associated prokaryotic community. For example, methane production is facilitated by interspecies hydrogen transfer between protozoa and archaea. We hypothesize that ciliate protozoa are host to a stable prokaryotic community dictated by specific functions they carry. Here we modify the microbial community by varying the forage to concentrate ratios and show that, despite major changes in the prokaryotic community, several taxa remain stably associated with ciliate protozoa. By quantifying genes belonging to various known reduction pathways in the rumen, we find that the bacterial community associated with protozoa is enriched in genes belonging to hydrogen utilization pathways and that these genes correspond to the same taxonomic affiliations seen enriched in protozoa. Our results show that ciliate protozoa in the rumen may serve as a hub for various hydrogenotrophic functions and a better understanding of the processes driven by different protozoa may unveil potential role of ciliates in shaping rumen metabolism.
Actin dynamics switches two distinct modes of endosomal fusion in yolk sac visceral endoderm cells
Authors: Koike Seiichi , Tachikawa Masashi , Tsutsumi Motosuke , Okada Takuya , Nemoto Tomomi , Keino-Masu Kazuko , Masu Masayuki
Published: December 2023

Membranes undergo various patterns of deformation during vesicle fusion, but how this membrane deformation is regulated and contributes to fusion remains unknown. In this study, we developed a new method of observing the fusion of individual late endosomes and lysosomes by using yolk sac visceral endoderm cells that have huge endocytic vesicles. We found that there were two distinct fusion modes that were differently regulated. In homotypic fusion, two late endosomes fused quickly, whereas in heterotypic fusion they fused to lysosomes slowly. Mathematical modeling showed that vesicle size is a critical determinant of these fusion types and that membrane fluctuation forces can overcome the vesicle size effects. We found that actin filaments were bound to late endosomes and forces derived from dynamic actin remodeling were necessary for quick fusion during homotypic fusion. Furthermore, cofilin played a role in endocytic fusion by regulating actin turnover. These data suggest that actin promotes vesicle fusion for efficient membrane trafficking in visceral endoderm cells.
Identification of the mode of evolution in incomplete carbonate successions
Authors: Hohmann Niklas , Koelewijn Joël R , Burgess Peter , Jarochowska Emilia
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background

The fossil record provides the unique opportunity to observe evolution over millions of years, but is known to be incomplete. While incompleteness varies spatially and is hard to estimate for empirical sections, computer simulations of geological processes can be used to examine the effects of the incompletenessin silico. We combine simulations of different modes of evolution (stasis, (un)biased random walks) with deposition of carbonate platforms strata to examine how well the mode of evolution can be recovered from fossil time series, and how test results vary between different positions in the carbonate platform and multiple stratigraphic architectures generated by different sea level curves.

Results

Stratigraphic architecture and position along an onshore-offshore gradient has only a small influence on the mode of evolution recovered by statistical tests. For simulations of random walks, support for the correct mode decreases with time series length. Visual examination of trait evolution in lineages shows that rather than stratigraphic incompleteness, maximum hiatus duration determines how much fossil time series differ from the original evolutionary process. Gradual directional evolution is more susceptible to stratigraphic effects, turning it into punctuated evolution. In contrast, stasis remains unaffected.

Conclusions

Fossil time series favor the recognition of both stasis and complex, punctuated modes of evolution.

Not stratigraphic incompleteness, but the presence of rare, prolonged gaps has the largest effect on trait evolution. This suggests that incomplete sections with regular hiatus frequency and durations can potentially preserve evolutionary history without major biases. Understanding external controls on stratigraphic architectures such as sea level fluctuations is crucial for distinguishing between stratigraphic effects and genuine evolutionary process.
Persistent enrichment of multidrug resistantKlebsiellain oral and nasal communities during long-term starvation
Authors: Liu Jett , Spencer Nell , Utter Daniel R. , Grossman Alex , Santos Nídia C.D. , Shi Wenyuan , Baker Jonathon L. , Hasturk Hatice , He Xuesong , Bor Batbileg
Published: December 2023

The human oral and nasal cavities can act as reservoirs for opportunistic pathogens capable of causing acute infection. These microbes asymptomatically colonize the human oral and nasal cavities which facilitates transmission within human populations via the environment, and they routinely possess a clinically-significant antibiotic-resistance genes. Among these opportunistic pathogens, theKlebsiellagenus stands out as a notable example, with its members frequently linked to nosocomial infections and multidrug resistance. As with many colonizing opportunistic pathogens, howKlebsiellatransitions from an asymptomatic colonizer to a pathogen remains unclear. Here, we explored a possible explanation by investigating the ability of oral and nasalKlebsiellato outcompete their native microbial community members underin vitrostarvation conditions, which could be analogous to external hospital environments. WhenKlebsiellawas present within a healthy human oral or nasal sample, the bacterial community composition shifted dramatically under starvation conditions and typically became dominated byKlebsiella. Furthermore, introducingK. pneumoniaeexogenously into a native microbial community lackingK. pneumoniae, even at low inoculum, led to repeated dominance under starvation.K.pneumoniaestrains isolated from healthy individuals’ oral and nasal cavities also exhibited resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics and were genetically similar to clinical and gut isolates. In addition, we found that in the absence ofKlebsiella, other understudied opportunistic pathogens, such asPeptostreptococcus, dominate under starvation conditions. Our findings establish an environmental circumstance that allows for the outgrowth ofKlebsiellaand other opportunistic pathogens. The ability to outcompete other commensal bacteria and to persist under harsh environmental conditions may contribute to the colonization-to-infection transition of these opportunistic pathogens.
Integrated Hfq-interacting RNAome and transcriptomic analysis reveals complex regulatory networks of nitrogen fixation in root-associatedPseudomonas stutzeriA1501
Authors: Lv Fanyang , Zhan Yuhua , Feng Haicao , Sun Wenyue , Yin Changyan , Han Yueyue , Shao Yahui , Xue Wei , Jiang Shanshan , Ma Yiyuan , Hu Haonan , Jinfeng Wei , Yan Yongliang , Lin Min
Published: December 2023

The RNA chaperone Hfq acts as a global regulator of numerous biological processes, such as carbon/nitrogen metabolism and environmental adaptation in plant-associated diazotrophs; however, its target RNAs and the mechanisms underlying nitrogen fixation remain largely unknown. Here, we used enhanced UV cross-linking immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (eCLIP-seq) to identify hundreds of Hfq-binding RNAs probably involved in nitrogen fixation, carbon substrate utilization, biofilm formation, and other functions. Collectively, these processes endow strain A1501 with the requisite capabilities to thrive in the highly competitive rhizosphere. Our findings revealed a previously uncharted landscape of Hfq target genes. Notable among these isnifM, encoding an isomerase necessary for nitrogenase reductase solubility;amtB,encoding an ammonium transporter;oprB,encoding a carbohydrate porin; andcheZ,encoding a chemotaxis protein. Furthermore, we identified more than one hundred genes of unknown function, which expands the potential direct regulatory targets of Hfq in diazotrophs. Our data showed that Hfq directly interacts with regulatory proteins (RsmA, AlgU, NifA), regulatory ncRNA RsmY, and other potential targets, thus revealing the mechanistic links in nitrogen fixation and other metabolic pathways.

IMPORTANCE

Numerous experimental approaches often face challenges in distinguishing between direct and indirect effects of Hfq-mediated regulation. New technologies based on high-throughput sequencing are increasingly providing insight into the global regulation of Hfq in gene expression. Here, enhanced UV cross-linking immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (eCLIP-seq) was employed to identify the Hfq-binding sites and potential targets in the root-associatedP. stutzeriA1501, and identify hundreds of novel Hfq-binding RNAs that are predicted to be involved in metabolism, environmental adaptation, and nitrogen fixation. In particular, we have shown that Hfq interactions with various regulatory proteins and their potential targets at both the protein and RNA levels. This study not only enhances our understanding of Hfq regulation but, importantly, also provides a framework for addressing integrated regulatory network underlying root-associated nitrogen fixation.
Moving wall effect on normal shock wave–turbulent boundary layer interaction on an airfoil
Authors: Szulc Oskar , Doerffer Piotr , Flaszynski Pawel , Braza Marianna
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to describe a proposal for an innovative method of normal shock wave–turbulent boundary layer interaction (SBLI) and shock-induced separation control.

Design/methodology/approach

The concept is based on the introduction of a tangentially moving wall upstream of the shock wave and in the interaction region. The SBLI control mechanism may be implemented as a closed belt floating on an air cushion, sliding over two cylinders and forming the outer skin of the suction side of the airfoil. The presented exploratory numerical study is conducted with SPARC solver (steady 2D RANS). The effect of the moving wall is presented for the NACA 0012 airfoil operating in transonic conditions.

Findings

To assess the accuracy of obtained solutions, validation of the computational model is demonstrated against the experimental data of Harris, Ladson & Hill and Mineck & Hartwich (NASA Langley). The comparison is conducted not only for the reference (impermeable) but also for the perforated (permeable) surface NACA 0012 airfoils. Subsequent numerical analysis of SBLI control by moving wall confirms that for the selected velocity ratios, the method is able to improve the shock-upstream boundary layer and counteract flow separation, significantly increasing the airfoil aerodynamic performance.

Originality/value

The moving wall concept as a means of normal shock wave–turbulent boundary layer interaction and shock-induced separation control has been investigated in detail for the first time. The study quantified the necessary operational requirements of such a system and practicable aerodynamic efficiency gains and simultaneously revealed the considerable potential of this promising idea, stimulating a new direction for future investigations regarding SBLI control.
Influence of human capital and social capital on MSME access to finance: assessing the mediating role of financial literacy
Authors: Hj Talip Siti Nor Suriana , Wasiuzzaman Shaista
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The authors investigate the role of financial literacy in influencing the relationship between human capital and social capital, with access to finance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered from 337 MSMEs in Brunei Darussalam, and analysis on the data was carried out using a number of statistical methods. The relationships between human capital, social capital, financial literacy and access to finance were analyzed using PLS-SEM.

Findings

The results show that human capital does influence access to finance but contrary to previous studies, the influence is negative. Financial literacy is an important element in the relationship between human capital, social capital and access to finance, although it plays a greater role in the relationship between social capital and access to finance. Further analysis shows that financial knowledge is significant in moderating the relationships between human and social capital with access to finance. Financial skills is found to only moderate the relationship between social capital and access to finance.

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first that integrates the human capital, social capital, financial literacy and access to finance in a single model. The authors also highlight the importance of enhancing the financial literacy of MSMEs so that the problem of access to finance can be alleviated, especially in developing countries.
Gender bias in university student mobility: a cohort analysis in Italy
Authors: Sulis Isabella , Barbieri Barbara , Salaris Luisa , Melis Gabriella , Porcu Mariano
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to assess gender bias in Italian university student mobility controlling for the field of study. It uses data from the Italian National Student Archive (Anagrafe Nazionale degli Studenti – ANS) for the cohort of freshmen enrolled in the 2017 academic year. The macro-regional comparison unfolds across the following areas: North and Centre, Southern Italy and main Islands (Sicily and Sardinia).

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is firstly carried out at the national level, and secondly, it focusses on macro-geographical areas. University mobility choices are thus investigated from a gender perspective, conditioning upon other theoretically relevant characteristics collected for the prospective first-year university student population enrolled in 2017. The authors analyse data in a regression setting (logit models) within the multilevel framework, which considers students at level 1 and the field of study at level 2. Gender differences in the propensity to be a mover – conditional upon the choice of the field of study – were captured by introducing random intercepts to account for clustering of students in fields of study and random slopes to allow the gender effect to differ among them.

Findings

Findings show that university student mobility in Italy leads evidence of gender bias. This has been detected using a multilevel random slope approach that allowed the authors to jointly estimate a slope parameter for gender within each field of study. Moreover, using a regression setting allowed the authors to control for heterogeneity in geographical, educational and socio-demographic characteristics across students. In line with previous empirical findings, the authors' data highlight the presence of a relevant mobility flow of university students from the South toward the North-Centre of Italy and lower mobility of female students compared to male students from the South and Islands.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, there are no studies in Italy, which investigate if families' investment in higher education in terms of selection of no-local universities are affected by gender bias and if geographical differences in this behaviour between macro-areas are in place. Thus, investigating students' choices in tertiary education allows the authors to shed light on the presence of gender bias in families' education strategies addressed to increase the endowment of students' assets for future job opportunities.
Sustainable lean manufacturing as long-term strategy: performance framework development and prioritization
Authors: Gama Mariana da Silva Barbosa , Bonamigo Andrei
Published: December 2023

Purpose

In response to mounting global concerns about climate change and scarcity of natural resources, manufacturers have been pressured to develop strategies and enhance their sustainability performance. The integration of sustainable lean manufacturing (SLM) during value chain processes could balance environmental, social and economic concerns into their decision-making, which not only ensures responsible practices but also drives efficiency and success. This paper aims to identify, measure and prioritize metrics to develop a performance measurement system that assesses the multi-dimensional performance of SLM.

Design/methodology/approach

Strategic decision-making has some conflicting criteria and objectives to be considered simultaneously. The Multi-Criteria Decision Making provides a foundation for selecting, sorting and prioritizing these strategies with the determination of drivers and indicator weight.

Findings

The performance model enables the decision-makers to consistently evaluate the level of sustainability through a multidimensional framework, which could support the assessment of the existing sustainability of a manufacturing process and analyze opportunities for improvement. This study divided the performance into five drivers: Quality, Operational, Finance, Environment, Safety and People and selected 17 KPIs for assessing the multi-dimensional performance of SLM organizations. The research results revealed an organization's perspective transition from strategies focused on operational and economic performance to a more sustainable ideal with greater importance for social and environmental directions.

Originality/value

This framework will be facilitated by the selection of the most significant drivers and the development of strategic plans for the successful adoption of sustainable manufacturing. The practices support implementation, pursue competitive advantages and sustain manufacturing, meeting strategic requirements of suitable and lean performance. With the limited resources of the organizations, the framework proposed will guide the priorities and actions to be taken toward the SLM.