bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of a plasma burn-through simulation with an ECH power absorption model in KSTAR
Authors: Lee Jeongwon , Kim Hyun-Tae , Kim Jayhyun , Hahn Sang-hee , Juhn June-Woo , Jang JuHyuk , Bak Jun-Gyo , Son SooHyun , Jung Mi , An YoungHwa , Na Yong-Su , Yoon Si-Woo
Published: April 2023

An electron cyclotron heating (ECH) power absorption model was integrated with a plasma burn-through simulator, DYON, and the new version, DYON-EC, was validated against KSTAR ECH-assist start-up experiments. The absorbed ECH power was calculated with an analytic formula which is a function of the electron density and electron temperature and ECH hardware settings, namely, the injected power, wave frequency, harmonic number, mode fraction, and beam injection angles. Wave parameter changes by wall reflection was also included to simulate multiple reflections. The absorbed ECH power was self-consistently included in the electron energy balance equation. The simulation settings of the plasma-wall interaction model and the electromagnetic scenario including the eddy current model were optimized to reproduce the plasma parameter evolution and line emission data in a pure ohmic start-up discharge. The study revealed that assumption of double-path EC beam absorption is required to reproduce a KSTAR ECH-assisted start-up discharge. Using the same optimized settings, DYON-EC modelling successfully reproduced multiple KSTAR EC-assisted discharges in a large range of operation parameters. The good statistical reproduction of measured plasma parameter evolution confirms the validity of the DYON burn-through modelling with ECH.
Tunable and giant spatial Goos–Hänchen shifts in a parity-time symmetric Cantor photonic crystals incorporated with a centered graphene layer
Authors: Barvestani Jamal , Mohammadpour Ali
Published: April 2023

In this study, we present the spectral features of a one-dimensional parity-time symmetric layered structure was composed of two quasi-photonic crystals which submit to the Cantor sequence and a graphene layer is embedded in the center of the quasi-crystals. Exceptional points, reflection and transmission spectra and the spatial Goos-Hänchen (GH) shifts are investigated at two distinct terahertz regions in the presence and absence of the graphene layer and compared them. The effect of the modification of imaginary part of refractive index of constituting gain and loss media are also examined. Our results show that, the proposed structure display giant enhanced GS shifts which are tunable with the chemical potential of embedded graphene layer, while GH shifts are weak in the absence of graphene layer. Results display different value and sign of GH shifts for the zero and nonzero chemical potentials. Very extreme GH shifts are obtained by judicious choice of chemical potential and imaginary value of the refractive index of constituting materials. Our results display that not only the photonic bandgap edge modes, but also bandgap modes can support giant GH shifts at Terahertz frequencies. Functionally, these types of structures are very desirable for designing optoelectronic devices that can be adjusted by the amount of chemical potential.
Multiphoton excitation and high harmonic generation in rectangular graphene quantum dot
Authors: Ghazaryan A G , Sedrakian Kh V , Musayelyan G A , Markosyan T M
Published: April 2023

The multiphoton excitation and high harmonic generation (HHG) processes are considered using the microscopic quantum theory of nonlinear interaction of strong coherent electromagnetic (EM) radiation with rectangular graphene quantum dot (RGQD). The dynamic Hartree–Fock approximation is developed for the consideration of the quantum dot-laser field nonlinear interaction at the nonadiabatic multiphoton excitation regime. The many-body Coulomb interaction is described in the extended Hubbard approximation. By numerical results, we show the significance of the RGQD lateral size, shape, and EM wavefield orientation in RGQD of the zigzag edge compear to the armchair edge in the HHG process allowing for increasing the cutoff photon energy and the quantum yield of higher harmonics. The differences via edge on the elongated side of the RGQD have been explained by the investigation of the dipole momentum in both cases. Numerical results have shown that the HHG spectra have a strong anisotropy depending on the orientation of the laser wave, and the cutoff photon energy shifts toward blue with an increase in the transverse size of the RGQD.
Bioprinting of pre-vascularized constructs for enhanced in vivo neo-vascularization
Authors: Son Jeonghyun , Mohamed Hanan Jamal , Ha Won , Naren Aruzhan , Choi Cham , Kwon Yoon Hee , Park Sooah , Joung Hong-Chan , Kang Hyun-Wook
Published: April 2023

Pre-vascularization has been receiving significant attention for developing implantable engineered 3D tissues. While various pre-vascularization techniques have been developed to improve graft vascularization, the effect of pre-vascularized patterns on in vivo neo-vessel formation has not been studied. In this study, we developed a functional pre-vascularized construct that significantly promotes graft vascularization and conducted in vivo evaluations of the micro-vascular patterns (μVPs) in various printed designs. μVP formation, composed of high-density capillaries, was induced by the co-printing of endothelial cells and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC). We implanted the printed constructs with various μVP designs into a murine femoral arteriovenous bundle model and evaluated graft vascularization via 3D visualization and immune-histological analysis of the neo-vessels. The μVP-distal group (μVP located away from the host vessel) showed approximately two-fold improved neo-vascularization compared to the μVP-proximal group (μVP located near the host vessel). Additionally, we confirmed that the μVP-distal group can generate the angiogenic factor gradient spatial environment for graft vascularization via computational simulations. Based on these results, the ADSC mono pattern (AMP), which secretes four times higher angiogenic factors than μVP, was added to the μVP + AMP group design. The μVP + AMP group showed approximately 1.5- and 1.9-fold higher total sprouted neo-vessel volume than the μVP only and AMP only groups, respectively. In immunohistochemical staining analysis, the μVP + AMP group showed two-fold improved density and diameter of the matured neo-vessels. To summarize, these findings demonstrate graft vascularization accelerated due to design optimization of our pre-vascularized constructs. We believe that the developed pre-vascularization printing technique will facilitate new possibilities for the upscaling of implantable engineered tissues/organs.
Ranks of 𝑅𝑂(𝐺)-graded stable homotopy groups of spheres for finite groups 𝐺
Authors: Greenlees J. , Quigley J.
Published: April 2023

We describe the distribution of infinite groups within the

R
O
(
G
)

RO(G)

-graded stable homotopy groups of spheres for a finite group

G
G

.
Enhancing Epidemiology’s Impact on Policy: Mediation by Expert Committees
Authors: Savitz David A
Published: April 2023

Epidemiologic evidence is often a key source of information used by expert committees to guide policy decisions, yet epidemiologists rarely consider this audience for their research. For a better understanding of the pipeline from epidemiologic research to expert committee assessment to policy, several reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine were reviewed and discussed with staff and committee members. The topics of these consensus committee assessments included health behaviors, medical care, and military exposures. The focus was often on emerging issues of immediate concern for which there was little relevant research available but a need for prompt action. Committees generally sought a comprehensive assessment of potential health effects of a given product or exposure, which often included social and behavioral health outcomes that are rarely addressed by epidemiologists. To enhance epidemiology’s contribution to societal decisions, the choice of research topics should expand to consider emerging societal concerns. Research funding agencies need to be engaged as mediators between committee needs and the research community to stimulate contributory research. Improved communication of research needs to the epidemiology community would be beneficial to researchers aspiring to have an impact and to those who use epidemiologic information to help guide policy decisions.
Use of Chemical Hair Straighteners and Fecundability in a North American Preconception Cohort
Authors: Wise Lauren A , Wang Tanran R , Ncube Collette N , Lovett Sharonda M , Abrams Jasmine , Boynton-Jarrett Renée , Koenig Martha R , Geller Ruth J , Wesselink Amelia K , Coleman Chad M , Hatch Elizabeth E , James-Todd Tamarra
Published: April 2023

Chemical hair straighteners (“relaxers”) are used by millions of North Americans, particularly women of color. Hair relaxers may contain endocrine-disrupting compounds, which can harm fertility. We evaluated the association between hair relaxer use and fecundability among 11,274 participants from Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), a North American preconception cohort study. During 2014–2022, participants completed a baseline questionnaire in which they reported their history of relaxer use and completed follow-up questionnaires every 8 weeks for 12 months or until pregnancy, whichever came first. We used multivariable-adjusted proportional probabilities regression models to estimate fecundability ratios (FRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Relative to never use, fecundability was lower among current (FR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.64, 1.03) and former (FR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81, 0.98) users of hair relaxers. FRs for first use of hair relaxers at ages <10, 10–19, and ≥20 years were 0.73 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.96), 0.93 (95% CI: 0.83, 1.04), and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.98), respectively. Fecundability was lowest among those with longer durations of use (≥10 years vs. never: FR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54, 0.91) and more frequent use (≥5 times/year vs. never: FR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.60, 1.11), but associations were nonmonotonic. In this preconception cohort study, use of chemical hair straighteners was associated with slightly reduced fecundability.
Demystifying interictal discharges and seizure initiation in focal epilepsy
Authors: Schevon Catherine , Michalak Andrew
Published: April 2023

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Interictal discharges in the human brain are travelling waves arising from an epileptogenic source’ by Diamond et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad015).
A matter of availability: sharper tuning for memorized than for perceived stimulus features
Authors: Chota Samson , Gayet Surya , Kenemans J Leon , Olivers Christian N L , Van der Stigchel Stefan
Published: April 2023

Our visual environment is relatively stable over time. An optimized visual system could capitalize on this by devoting less representational resources to objects that are physically present. The vividness of subjective experience, however, suggests that externally available (perceived) information is more strongly represented in neural signals than memorized information. To distinguish between these opposing predictions, we use EEG multivariate pattern analysis to quantify the representational strength of task-relevant features in anticipation of a change-detection task. Perceptual availability was manipulated between experimental blocks by either keeping the stimulus available on the screen during a 2-s delay period (perception) or removing it shortly after its initial presentation (memory). We find that task-relevant (attended) memorized features are more strongly represented than irrelevant (unattended) features. More importantly, we find that task-relevant features evoke significantly weaker representations when they are perceptually available compared with when they are unavailable. These findings demonstrate that, contrary to what subjective experience suggests, vividly perceived stimuli elicit weaker neural representations (in terms of detectable multivariate information) than the same stimuli maintained in visual working memory. We hypothesize that an efficient visual system spends little of its limited resources on the internal representation of information that is externally available anyway.
Normal connectivity of thalamorecipient networks in barrel equivalents of the reeler cortex
Authors: Meeuwissen Anouk J M , Möck Martin , Staiger Jochen F , Guy Julien
Published: April 2023

The reeler mouse mutant has long served as a primary model to study the development of cortical layers, which is governed by the extracellular glycoprotein reelin secreted by Cajal–Retzius cells. Because layers organize local and long-range circuits for sensory processing, we investigated whether intracortical connectivity is compromised by reelin deficiency in this model. We generated a transgenic reeler mutant (we used both sexes), in which layer 4-fated spiny stellate neurons are labeled with tdTomato and applied slice electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry with synaptotagmin-2 to study the circuitry between the major thalamorecipient cell types, namely excitatory spiny stellate and inhibitory fast-spiking (putative basket) cells. In the reeler mouse, spiny stellate cells are clustered into barrel equivalents. In these clusters, we found that intrinsic physiology, connectivity, and morphology of spiny stellate and fast-spiking, putative basket cells does not significantly differ between reeler and controls. Properties of unitary connections, including connection probability, were very comparable in excitatory cell pairs and spiny stellate/fast-spiking cell pairs, suggesting an intact excitation-inhibition balance at the first stage of cortical sensory information processing. Together with previous findings, this suggests that thalamorecipient circuitry in the barrel cortex develops and functions independently of proper cortical lamination and postnatal reelin signaling.
The human language system, including its inferior frontal component in “Broca’s area,” does not support music perception
Authors: Chen Xuanyi , Affourtit Josef , Ryskin Rachel , Regev Tamar I , Norman-Haignere Samuel , Jouravlev Olessia , Malik-Moraleda Saima , Kean Hope , Varley Rosemary , Fedorenko Evelina
Published: April 2023

Language and music are two human-unique capacities whose relationship remains debated. Some have argued for overlap in processing mechanisms, especially for structure processing. Such claims often concern the inferior frontal component of the language system located within “Broca’s area.” However, others have failed to find overlap. Using a robust individual-subject fMRI approach, we examined the responses of language brain regions to music stimuli, and probed the musical abilities of individuals with severe aphasia. Across 4 experiments, we obtained a clear answer: music perception does not engage the language system, and judgments about music structure are possible even in the presence of severe damage to the language network. In particular, the language regions’ responses to music are generally low, often below the fixation baseline, and never exceed responses elicited by nonmusic auditory conditions, like animal sounds. Furthermore, the language regions are not sensitive to music structure: they show low responses to both intact and structure-scrambled music, and to melodies with vs. without structural violations. Finally, in line with past patient investigations, individuals with aphasia, who cannot judge sentence grammaticality, perform well on melody well-formedness judgments. Thus, the mechanisms that process structure in language do not appear to process music, including music syntax.
Longitudinal associations between resting-state, interregional theta-beta phase-amplitude coupling, psychological distress, and wellbeing in 12–15-year-old adolescents
Authors: Sacks Dashiell D , Schwenn Paul E , Boyes Amanda , Mills Lia , Driver Christina , Gatt Justine M , Lagopoulos Jim , Hermens Daniel F
Published: April 2023

Cross-frequency coupling between the phase of slower oscillatory activity and the amplitude of faster oscillatory activity in the brain (phase-amplitude coupling; PAC), is a promising new biological marker for mental health. Prior research has demonstrated that PAC is associated with mental health. However, most research has focused on within-region theta-gamma PAC in adults. Our recent preliminary study found increased theta-beta PAC was associated with increased psychological distress in 12 year olds. It is important to investigate how PAC biomarkers relate to mental health and wellbeing in youth. Thus, in this study, we investigated longitudinal associations between interregional (posterior–anterior cortex) resting-state theta-beta PAC (Modulation Index [MI]), psychological distress and wellbeing in N = 99 adolescents (aged 12–15 years). In the right hemisphere, there was a significant relationship, whereby increased psychological distress was associated with decreased theta-beta PAC and psychological distress increased with increased age. In the left hemisphere, there was a significant relationship, whereby decreased wellbeing was associated with decreased theta-beta PAC and wellbeing scores decreased with increased age. This study presents novel findings demonstrating longitudinal relationships between interregional, resting-state theta-beta PAC and mental health and wellbeing in early adolescents. This EEG marker may facilitate improved early identification of emerging psychopathology.
Dynamic network reorganization underlying neuroplasticity: the deficits-severity-related language network dynamics in patients with left hemispheric gliomas involving language network
Authors: Yuan Binke , Xie Hui , Gong Fangyuan , Zhang Nan , Xu Yangwen , Zhang Hanqing , Liu Jiaxuan , Chen Lifeng , Li Chaoqun , Tan Shiyao , Lin Zonghui , Hu Xin , Gu Tianyi , Cheng Jingliang , Lu Junfeng , Liu Dongqiang , Wu Jinsong , Yan Jing
Published: April 2023

Brain network dynamics not only endow the brain with flexible coordination for various cognitive processes but also with a huge potential of neuroplasticity for development, skill learning, and after cerebral injury. Diffusive and progressive glioma infiltration triggers the neuroplasticity for functional compensation, which is an outstanding pathophysiological model for the investigation of network reorganization underlying neuroplasticity. In this study, we employed dynamic conditional correlation to construct framewise language networks and investigated dynamic reorganizations in 83 patients with left hemispheric gliomas involving language networks (40 patients without aphasia and 43 patients with aphasia). We found that, in healthy controls (HCs) and patients, the language network dynamics in resting state clustered into 4 temporal-reoccurring states. Language deficits-severity-dependent topological abnormalities of dFCs were observed. Compared with HCs, suboptimal language network dynamics were observed for those patients without aphasia, while more severe network disruptions were observed for those patients with aphasia. Machine learning-based dFC-linguistics prediction analyses showed that dFCs of the 4 states significantly predicted individual patients’ language scores. These findings shed light on our understanding of metaplasticity in glioma.

Glioma-induced language network reorganizations were investigated under a dynamic “meta-networking” (network of networks) framework. In healthy controls and patients with glioma, the framewise language network dynamics in resting-state robustly clustered into 4 temporal-reoccurring states. The spatial but not temporal language deficits-severity-dependent abnormalities of dFCs were observed in patients with left hemispheric gliomas involving language network. Language network dynamics significantly predicted individual patients’ language scores.
Separation and Purification of Bamboo Leaf Flavones by Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone Adsorption
Authors: Qian Junqing , Zhu Hanxiao , Zhang Jiangliu , Zhao Changyan , Li Xinchen , Guo Hui
Published: April 2023

In view of the adsorption performance of polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) to flavones, the adsorption and purification of bamboo leaf flavones (BLFs) by PVPP were studied. The flavones solution was adsorbed by PVPP column chromatography, and then establish a relatively effective method for elution and purification of flavones from bamboo leaf. The optimal separation conditions of column chromatography were determined as the following: the feed concentration of 10 mg/mL, the ratio of diameter to height of 1:1.9, eluents of deionized water (21 mL) and 70% ethanol (800 mL) with a flow rate of 0.33 mL/min. The purity of flavones obtained from ethanol eluents (80–480 mL) was 96.2%. This showed that the PVPP had an ideal adsorption and purification effect on BLFs.
Intravenous to Oral Antibiotic Switch Therapy Among Patients Hospitalized With Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Authors: Deshpande Abhishek , Klompas Michael , Guo Ning , Imrey Peter B , Pallotta Andrea M , Higgins Thomas , Haessler Sarah , Zilberberg Marya D , Lindenauer Peter K , Rothberg Michael B
Published: April 2023

Background

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of hospital admissions and antimicrobial use. Clinical practice guidelines recommend switching from intravenous (IV) to oral antibiotics once patients are clinically stable.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults admitted with CAP and initially treated with IV antibiotics at 642 US hospitals from 2010 through 2015. Switching was defined as discontinuation of IV and initiation of oral antibiotics without interrupting therapy. Patients switched by hospital day 3 were considered early switchers. We compared length of stay (LOS), in-hospital 14-day mortality, late deterioration (intensive care unit [ICU] transfer), and hospital costs between early switchers and others, controlling for hospital characteristics, patient demographics, comorbidities, initial treatments, and predicted mortality.

Results

Of 378 041 CAP patients, 21 784 (6%) were switched early, most frequently to fluoroquinolones. Patients switched early had fewer days on IV antibiotics, shorter duration of inpatient antibiotic treatment, shorter LOS, and lower hospitalization costs, but no significant excesses in 14-day in-hospital mortality or late ICU admission. Patients at a higher mortality risk were less likely to be switched. However, even in hospitals with relatively high switch rates, <15% of very low–risk patients were switched early.

Conclusions

Although early switching was not associated with worse outcomes and was associated with shorter LOS and fewer days on antibiotics, it occurred infrequently. Even in hospitals with high switch rates, <15% of very low–risk patients were switched early. Our findings suggest that many more patients could be switched early without compromising outcomes.
PurificationDB: database of purification conditions for proteins
Authors: Garland Olivia , Radaeva Mariia , Pandey Mohit , Cherkasov Artem , Lallous Nada
Published: April 2023

The isolation of proteins of interest from cell lysates is an integral step to study protein structure and function. Liquid chromatography is a technique commonly used for protein purification, where the separation is performed by exploiting the differences in physical and chemical characteristics of proteins. The complex nature of proteins requires researchers to carefully choose buffers that maintain stability and activity of the protein while also allowing for appropriate interaction with chromatography columns. To choose the proper buffer, biochemists often search for reports of successful purification in the literature; however, they often encounter roadblocks such as lack of accessibility to journals, non-exhaustive specification of components and unfamiliar naming conventions. To overcome such issues, we present PurificationDB (https://purificationdatabase.herokuapp.com/), an open-access and user-friendly knowledge base that contains 4732 curated and standardized entries of protein purification conditions. Buffer specifications were derived from the literature using named-entity recognition techniques developed using common nomenclature provided by protein biochemists. PurificationDB also incorporates information associated with well-known protein databases: Protein Data Bank and UniProt. PurificationDB facilitates easy access to data on protein purification techniques and contributes to the growing effort of creating open resources that organize experimental conditions and data for improved access and analysis.

Database URL https://purificationdatabase.herokuapp.com/
Exercise benefits in cardiovascular diseases: from mechanisms to clinical implementation
Authors: Valenzuela Pedro L , Ruilope Luis M , Santos-Lozano Alejandro , Wilhelm Matthias , Kränkel Nicolle , Fiuza-Luces Carmen , Lucia Alejandro
Published: April 2023

There is a pandemic of physical inactivity that appears to parallel the widespread prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet, regular physical activity (PA) and exercise can play an important role not only in primary cardiovascular prevention but also in secondary prevention. This review discusses some of the main cardiovascular effects of PA/exercise and the mechanisms involved, including a healthier metabolic milieu with attenuation of systemic chronic inflammation, as well as adaptations at the vascular (antiatherogenic effects) and heart tissue (myocardial regeneration and cardioprotection) levels. The current evidence for safe implementation of PA and exercise in patients with CVD is also summarized.
Analysis of exome data in a UK cohort of 603 patients with syndromic orofacial clefting identifies causal molecular pathways
Authors: Wilson Kate , Newbury Dianne F , Kini Usha
Published: April 2023

Orofacial cleft (OC) is a common congenital anomaly in humans, which has lifelong implications for affected individuals. This disorder can be classified as syndromic or non-syndromic depending on the presence or absence of additional physical or neurodevelopmental abnormalities, respectively. Non-syndromic cleft is often non-familial in nature and has a complex aetiology, whereas syndromic forms tend to be monogenic. Although individual OC-related syndromes have been frequently described in the medical literature, there has not been a comprehensive review across syndromes, thereby leaving a gap in our knowledge, which this paper aims to address. Six hundred and three patients with cleft-related human phenotype ontology terms were identified within the Deciphering Developmental Disorders study. Genes carrying pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants were identified and reviewed enabling a diagnostic yield of 36.5%. In total, 124 candidate genes for syndromic OC were identified, including 34 new genes that should be considered for inclusion in clinical clefting panels. Functional enrichment and gene expression analyses identified three key processes that were significantly overrepresented in syndromic OC gene lists: embryonic morphogenesis, protein stability and chromatin organization. Comparison with non-syndromic OC gene networks led us to propose that chromatin remodelling specifically contributes to the aetiology of syndromic OC. Disease-driven gene discovery is a valid approach to gene identification and curation of gene panels. Through this approach, we have started to unravel common molecular pathways contributing to syndromic orofacial clefting.
Cancer cell contamination and decontamination methods for ovaries and testes: special focus on prepubertal gonads with a view to safe fertility restoration
Authors: Kourta Dhoha , Kanbar Marc , Amorim Christiani A , Wyns Christine
Published: April 2023

Fertility restoration in patients that survived a hematological cancer during childhood is a core part of their care pathway. Nonetheless, there might be a risk of contamination of the gonads by cancer cells, especially in patients presenting with leukemia and lymphoma. When only a few cancer cells have reached the gonad, they may not be detected by routine histological examination, and therefore more sensitive techniques are required before being confident of the safety of transplanting cryostored testicular and ovarian tissues or cells back to the patient after recovery. Furthermore, if neoplastic cells are identified in the gonadal tissue, methods to eliminate such cells are urgently awaited as the presence of only a few cancer cells may induce disease relapse in these patients. In this review, contamination rates of human gonadal tissue in the case of leukemia or lymphoma as well as decontamination methods applied to both adult and prepubertal testicular and ovarian tissues are presented. Prepubertal gonads will be the main focus as we aim to show how far we have come in establishing safe approaches to fertility restoration. Advances have been made using animal tissue that is usually artificially contaminated by the addition of cancer cell lines to the gonadal cells or tissue, but these techniques need to be improved and still await development in the case of in vivo cancer cell invasion of tissue.
The health impact of long COVID during the 2021–2022 Omicron wave in Australia: a quantitative burden of disease study
Authors: Howe Samantha , Szanyi Joshua , Blakely Tony
Published: April 2023

Background

Long COVID symptoms occur for a proportion of acute COVID-19 survivors, with reduced risk among the vaccinated and for Omicron compared with Delta variant infections. The health loss attributed to pre-Omicron long COVID has previously been estimated using only a few major symptoms.

Methods

The years lived with disability (YLDs) due to long COVID in Australia during the 2021–22 Omicron BA.1/BA.2 wave were calculated using inputs from previously published case-control, cross-sectional or cohort studies examining the prevalence and duration of individual long COVID symptoms. This estimated health loss was compared with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection YLDs and years of life lost (YLLs) from SARS-CoV-2. The sum of these three components equals COVID-19 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs); this was compared with DALYs from other diseases.

Results

A total of 5200 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 2200–8300] YLDs were attributable to long COVID and 1800 (95% UI 1100-2600) to acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting long COVID caused 74% of the overall YLDs from SARS-CoV-2 infections in the BA.1/BA.2 wave. Total DALYs attributable to SARS-CoV-2 were 50 900 (95% UI 21 000-80 900), 2.4% of expected DALYs for all diseases in the same period.

Conclusion

This study provides a comprehensive approach to estimating the morbidity due to long COVID. Improved data on long COVID symptoms will improve the accuracy of these estimates. As data accumulate on SARS-CoV-2 infection sequelae (e.g. increased cardiovascular disease rates), total health loss is likely to be higher than estimated in this study. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates that long COVID requires consideration in pandemic policy planning, given it is responsible for the majority of direct SARS-CoV-2 morbidity, including during an Omicron wave in a highly vaccinated population.
Positivity and Web Bases for Specht Modules of Hecke Algebras
Authors: Heard Samuel David , Kujawa Jonathan R
Published: April 2023

We show that the transition matrix from the standard basis to the web basis for a Specht module of the Hecke algebra is unitriangular and satisfies a strong positivity property whenever the Specht module is labeled by a partition with at most two parts. This generalizes results of Russell–Tymoczko and Rhoades.
When Is the Variance of One Observable Less Than or Equal to That of Another With Respect to All Quantum States?
Authors: Gehér György Pál , Miheisi Nazar
Published: April 2023

In quantum mechanics, the well-known Loewner order expresses that one observable’s expectation value is less than or equal than that of another with respect to all quantum states. In this paper, we propose and study a similar order relation in terms of the variance, and we prove two theorems. Our first result states that one observable’s variance is less than or equal than that of another with respect to all quantum states if and only if the former is a $1$-Lipschitz function of the latter. The other main result we prove characterizes the order automorphisms with respect to this proposed order relation. It turns out that in some sense, these automorphisms have a more rigid form than in the case of the Loewner order.
Civilizationism and the Ideological Contestation of the Liberal International Order
Authors: Bettiza Gregorio , Bolton Derek , Lewis David
Published: April 2023

Discourses and practices reproducing a world where a plurality of distinct civilizations clash or dialogue, rise or fall, color multiple facets of global politics today. How should we interpret this unexpected surge in civilizational politics, especially notable in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, China, and Russia? This paper argues that the growing turn to civilizations or, better, civilizationism should be understood as a counter-hegemonic ideological reaction to the globalization of the liberal international order. It theorizes the deepening and widening of the liberal international order in the aftermath of the Cold War as enabled by powerful constitutive ideological forces, which congeal into a distinctively modern, informal, universal standard of civilization. This liberal civilizational standard can be experienced by a particular category of non (fully) liberal actors within and beyond the West as ideologically entrapping them—through processes of socialization or stigmatization—in a state of symbolic disempowerment. The paper shows how civilizationism provides an ideological path for resisting and contesting the liberal standard of civilization by articulating a distinct and valued (essentialized) sense of collective belonging, and an alternative (generally illiberal) normative system and (broadly multipolar) vision of international order. Along with theorizing and exploring in original ways the drivers of civilizational politics in the current historical juncture, the paper makes two further contributions. It highlights and unpacks the key role of ideological dynamics in the making and contestation of international orders in general and the liberal one in particular. It suggests and shows why civilizations are best approached as ideological constructs rather than cultures, identities, or discourses.
Effect of restricting electronic health records on clinician efficiency: substudy of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Kneifati-Hayek Jerard Z , Applebaum Jo R , Schechter Clyde B , Dal Col Alexis , Salmasian Hojjat , Southern William N , Adelman Jason S
Published: April 2023

A prior randomized controlled trial (RCT) showed no significant difference in wrong-patient errors between clinicians assigned to a restricted electronic health record (EHR) configuration (limiting to 1 record open at a time) versus an unrestricted EHR configuration (allowing up to 4 records open concurrently). However, it is unknown whether an unrestricted EHR configuration is more efficient. This substudy of the RCT compared clinician efficiency between EHR configurations using objective measures. All clinicians who logged onto the EHR during the substudy period were included. The primary outcome measure of efficiency was total active minutes per day. Counts were extracted from audit log data, and mixed-effects negative binomial regression was performed to determine differences between randomized groups. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Among a total of 2556 clinicians, there was no significant difference between unrestricted and restricted groups in total active minutes per day (115.1 vs 113.3 min, respectively; IRR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.93–1.06), overall or by clinician type and practice area.
Between Cultural Appreciation and Cultural Appropriation: Self-Authorizing the Consumption of Cultural Difference
Authors: Cruz Angela Gracia B , Seo Yuri , Scaraboto Daiane
Published: April 2023

Countervailing discourses of cultural appreciation versus cultural appropriation are fueling a tension between the ethnic consumer subject, who views the consumption of cultural difference as a valorized identity project, and the responsibilized consumer subject, who is tasked with considering the societal impacts of such consumption. Drawing on an extended qualitative investigation of international K-pop consumers, this study illustrates that this tension spurs consumers to pursue self-authorization—the reflexive reconfiguration of the self in relation to the social world—through which consumers grant themselves permission to continue consuming cultural difference. Four consumer self-authorization strategies are identified: reforming, restraining, recontextualizing, and rationalizing. Each strategy relies upon an amalgam of countervailing moral interpretations about acts of consuming difference, informing ideologies about the power relationships between cultures, and emergent subject positions that situate the consuming self in relation to others whose differences are packaged for consumption. Findings show notable conditions under which each self-authorization strategy is deployed, alongside consumers’ capacity to adjust and recombine different strategies as they navigate changing sociocultural and idiographic conditions. Overall, this study advances understanding of how consumers navigate the resurgent politics of marketized cultural diversity in an era of woke capitalism.
Knock out of amino acid transporter gene OsLHT1 accelerates leaf senescence and enhances resistance to rice blast fungus
Authors: Guo Nan , Qu Hongye , Zhi Yue , Zhang Yuyi , Cheng Shujing , Chu Jinfang , Zhang Zhengguang , Xu Guohua
Published: April 2023

Plant amino acid transporters regulate not only long-distance transport and reallocation of nitrogen (N) from source to sink organs, but also the amount of amino acids in leaves hijacked by invading pathogens. However, the function of amino acid transporters in plant defense responses to pathogen infection remains unknown. In this study, we found that the rice amino acid transporter gene OsLHT1 was expressed in leaves and up-regulated by maturation, N starvation, and inoculation of the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Knock out of OsLHT1 resulted in development stage- and N supply-dependent premature senescence of leaves at the vegetative growth stage. In comparison with the wild type, Oslht1 mutant lines showed sustained rusty red spots on fully mature leaf blades irrespective of N supply levels. Notably, no relationship between the severity of leaf rusty red spots and concentration of total N or amino acids was found in Oslht1 mutants at different developmental stages. Disruption of OsLHT1 altered transport and metabolism of amino acids and biosynthesis of flavones and flavonoids, enhanced expression of jasmonic acid- and salicylic acid-related defense genes, production of jasmonic acid and salicylic acid, and accumulation of reactive oxygen species. OsLHT1 inactivation dramatically prevented the leaf invasion by M. oryzae, a hemi-biotrophic ascomycete fungus. Overall, these results establish a link connecting the activity of an amino acid transporter with leaf metabolism and defense against rice blast fungus.
Novel exotic alleles of EARLY FLOWERING 3 determine plant development in barley
Authors: Zahn Tanja , Zhu Zihao , Ritoff Niklas , Krapf Jonathan , Junker Astrid , Altmann Thomas , Schmutzer Thomas , Tüting Christian , Kastritis Panagiotis L , Babben Steve , Quint Marcel , Pillen Klaus , Maurer Andreas
Published: April 2023

EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) is an important regulator of various physiological and developmental processes and hence may serve to improve plant adaptation which will be essential for future plant breeding. To expand the limited knowledge on barley ELF3 in determining agronomic traits, we conducted field studies with heterogeneous inbred families (HIFs) derived from selected lines of the wild barley nested association mapping population HEB-25. During two growing seasons, phenotypes of nearly isogenic HIF sister lines, segregating for exotic and cultivated alleles at the ELF3 locus, were compared for 10 developmental and yield-related traits. We determine novel exotic ELF3 alleles and show that HIF lines, carrying the exotic ELF3 allele, accelerated plant development compared with the cultivated ELF3 allele, depending on the genetic background. Remarkably, the most extreme effects on phenology could be attributed to one exotic ELF3 allele differing from the cultivated Barke ELF3 allele in only one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). This SNP causes an amino acid substitution (W669G), which as predicted has an impact on the protein structure of ELF3. Consequently, it may affect phase separation behaviour and nano-compartment formation of ELF3 and, potentially, also its local cellular interactions causing significant trait differences between HIF sister lines.
A Phase I Study of a Combination of Liposomal Irinotecan and Veliparib in Solid Tumors
Authors: LaRose Meredith , Connolly Roisin M , O’Sullivan Ciara C , Velcheti Vamsidhar , Vilimas Rasa , Gano Katherine , Bates Susan E , Pommier Yves , Thomas Anish
Published: April 2023

Background

Multiple preclinical studies have shown cytotoxic synergy involving combinations of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) inhibitors, but such combinations have proven too toxic in clinical trials. Liposomal irinotecan (nal-IRI) achieved similar intratumoral exposure with better antitumor activity than the conventional TOP1 inhibitor irinotecan in preclinical models. Tumor targeted delivery of TOP1 inhibitor using nal-IRI and an intermittent schedule of administration of PARP inhibitor may provide a tolerable combination.

Methods

A phase I study was performed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of escalating doses of nal-IRI and the PARP inhibitor veliparib in patients with solid tumors resistant to standard treatments. Nal-IRI was administered on days 1 and 15 and veliparib on days 5-12 and 19-25 in 28-day cycles.

Results

Eighteen patients were enrolled across 3 dose levels. Five patients encountered dose–limiting toxicities, including grade 3 diarrhea lasting more than 72 h in 3 patients and 1 patient each with grade 4 diarrhea and grade 3 hyponatremia. The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicities included diarrhea (50% of patients), nausea (16.6%), anorexia, and vomiting (11.1% each) (Table 1). There was no difference in frequencies of adverse events based on UGT1A1*28 status or prior opioid use (Table 1).

Conclusion

The clinical trial was terminated due to high frequency of unacceptable gastrointestinal toxicities, which precluded dose escalation of veliparib in combination with nal-IRI (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02631733).
The transcription factor PbrMYB24 regulates lignin and cellulose biosynthesis in stone cells of pear fruits
Authors: Xue Yongsong , Shan Yanfei , Yao Jia-Long , Wang Runze , Xu Shaozhuo , Liu Dongliang , Ye Zhicheng , Lin Jing , Li Xiaogang , Xue Cheng , Wu Jun
Published: April 2023

Lignified stone cell content is a key factor used to evaluate fruit quality, influencing the economic value of pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) fruits. However, our understanding of the regulatory networks of stone cell formation is limited due to the complex secondary metabolic pathway. In this study, we used a combination of co-expression network analysis, gene expression profiles, and transcriptome analysis in different pear cultivars with varied stone cell content to identify a hub MYB gene, PbrMYB24. The relative expression of PbrMYB24 in fruit flesh was significantly correlated with the contents of stone cells, lignin, and cellulose. We then verified the function of PbrMYB24 in regulating lignin and cellulose formation via genetic transformation in homologous and heterologous systems. We constructed a high-efficiency verification system for lignin and cellulose biosynthesis genes in pear callus. PbrMYB24 transcriptionally activated multiple target genes involved in stone cell formation. On the one hand, PbrMYB24 activated the transcription of lignin and cellulose biosynthesis genes by binding to different cis-elements [AC-I (ACCTACC) element, AC-II (ACCAACC) element and MYB-binding sites (MBS)]. On the other hand, PbrMYB24 bound directly to the promoters of PbrMYB169 and NAC STONE CELL PROMOTING FACTOR (PbrNSC), activating the gene expression. Moreover, both PbrMYB169 and PbrNSC activated the promoter of PbrMYB24, enhancing gene expression. This study improves our understanding of lignin and cellulose synthesis regulation in pear fruits through identifying a regulator and establishing a regulatory network. This knowledge will be useful for reducing the stone cell content in pears via molecular breeding.
Public Opinion and Cyberterrorism
Authors: Shandler Ryan , Kostyuk Nadiya , Oppenheimer Harry
Published: April 2023

Research into cyber-conflict, public opinion, and international security is burgeoning, yet the field suffers from an absence of conceptual agreement about key terms. For instance, every time a cyberattack takes place, a public debate erupts as to whether it constitutes cyberterrorism. This debate bears significant consequences, seeing as the ascription of a “terrorism” label enables the application of heavy-handed counterterrorism powers and heightens the level of perceived threat among the public. In light of widespread conceptual disagreement in cyberspace, we assert that public opinion plays a heightened role in understanding the nature of cyber threats. We construct a typological framework to illuminate the attributes that drive the public classification of an attack as cyberterrorism, which we test through a ratings-based conjoint experiment in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel (N = 21,238 observations). We find that the public (1) refrains from labeling attacks by unknown actors or hacker collectives as cyberterrorism; and (2) classifies attacks that disseminate sensitive data as terrorism to a greater extent even than physically explosive attacks. Importantly, the uniform public perspectives across the three countries challenge a foundational tenet of public opinion and international relations scholarship that divided views among elites on foreign policy matters will be reflected by a divided public. This study concludes by providing a definitive conceptual baseline to support future research on the topic.