bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical determination of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) by reformed carbon paste electrode with iron oxide nanoparticles
Authors: Moustafa Ayah , El-Kamel Renad S. , Abdelgawad S. , Fekry A. M. , Shehata M.
Published: July 2022

This work aims to introduce a simple high-performance sensitive electrochemical sensor of reformed carbon paste (CP) with iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs). It was developed to determine one of the most important drugs called vitamin B6in a medium of phosphate buffer (PBS) over pH ranging from 5.0 to 8.0. The electrochemical and surface characterization was achieved by different techniques comprising electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The studied effects were, pH, buffer, interference, scan rate, accumulation time, and calibration plot. The sensitive electrode produced a linear calibration curve in a concentration range from 8.88 up to 1000.0 µM, with limits of detection and qualification estimated at 9.06 and 30.2 µM, respectively Also, this method was established in human urine real samples and pharmaceutical drugs which have been shown a good result for vitamin B6detection.
Rhizosphere bacterial communities and soil nutrient conditions reveal sexual dimorphism of Populus deltoides
Authors: Zhu Qiliang , Yan Kun , Dong Yufeng , Wang Yanping
Published: July 2022

Sexual dimorphism of plants shapes the different morphology and physiology between males and females. However, it is still unclear whether it influences belowground ecological processes. In this study, rhizosphere soil of male and female Populus deltoides and bulk soil were collected from an 18-year plantation (male and female trees mix-planted) and grouped into three soil compartments. Soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels were determined, and soil bacterial communities were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. The results showed the less total carbon and total organic carbon, the more nutrients (available phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen) available in the rhizosphere soils of female poplars than soils of males. However, α-diversity indices of the rhizosphere bacterial communities under male plants were significantly higher. Principal component analysis showed that the bacterial communities were significantly different between the male and female soil compartments. Further, the bacterial co-occurrence network in soil under male trees had more nodes and edges than under females. BugBase analysis showed the more functional bacteria taxa related to biofilm formation and antioxidation under males. The results indicate that soils under male poplars had more diverse and more complex co-occurrence networks of the rhizosphere bacterial community than soils under female trees, implying that male poplars might have better environmental adaptability. The study provides insight into the different soil-microbe interactions of dioecious plants. More details about the influencing mechanism of sexual dimorphism on rhizosphere soil bacterial communities need to be further studied.
Unconstrained face mask and face-hand interaction datasets: building a computer vision system to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19
Authors: Eyiokur Fevziye Irem , Ekenel Hazım Kemal , Waibel Alexander
Published: July 2022

Health organizations advise social distancing, wearing face mask, and avoiding touching face to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Based on these protective measures, we developed a computer vision system to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Specifically, the developed system performs face mask detection, face-hand interaction detection, and measures social distance. To train and evaluate the developed system, we collected and annotated images that represent face mask usage and face-hand interaction in the real world. Besides assessing the performance of the developed system on our own datasets, we also tested it on existing datasets in the literature without performing any adaptation on them. In addition, we proposed a module to track social distance between people. Experimental results indicate that our datasets represent the real-world’s diversity well. The proposed system achieved very high performance and generalization capacity for face mask usage detection, face-hand interaction detection, and measuring social distance in a real-world scenario on unseen data. The datasets are available at https://github.com/iremeyiokur/COVID-19-Preventions-Control-System.
Intelligent tutoring systems for word problem solving in COVID-19 days: could they have been (part of) the solution?
Authors: del Olmo-Muñoz Javier , González-Calero José Antonio , Diago Pascual D. , Arnau David , Arevalillo-Herráez Miguel
Published: July 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the lockdown of schools in many countries, forcing teachers and students to carry out educational activities remotely. In the case of mathematics, developing remote instruction based on both synchronous and asynchronous technological solutions has proven to be an extremely complex challenge. Specifically, this was the case in topics such as word problem solving, as this domain requires intensive supervision and feedback from the teacher. In this piece of research, we present an evaluation of how technology is employed in the teaching of mathematics, with particular relevance to learning during the pandemic. For that purpose, we conducted a systematic review, revealing the almost complete absence of experiments in which the use of technology is not mediated by the teacher. These results reflect a pessimistic vision within the field of mathematics education about the possibilities of learning when the student uses technology autonomously. Bringing good outcomes out of a bad situation, the pandemic crisis may represent a turning point from which to start directing the research gaze towards technological environments such as those mediated by artificial intelligence. As an example, we provide a study illustrating to what extent intelligent tutoring systems can be cost-effective compared to one-to-one human tutoring and mathematic learning-oriented solutions for intensive supervision in the teaching of word problem solving, especially appropriate for remote settings. Despite the potential of these technologies, the experience also showed that student socioeconomic level was a determining factor in the participation rate with an intelligent tutoring system, regardless of whether or not the administration guaranteed students' access to technological resources during the COVID-19 situation.
Quantifying changes in ambient NOx, O3 and PM10 concentrations in Austria during the COVID-19 related lockdown in spring 2020
Authors: Staehle C. , Mayer M , Kirchsteiger B. , Klaus V. , Kult-Herdin J. , Schmidt C. , Schreier S. , Karlicky J. , Trimmel H. , Kasper-Giebl A. , Scherllin-Pirscher B. , Rieder H. E.
Published: July 2022

During spring 2020, unprecedented changes in local and regional emissions have occurred around the globe due to governmental restrictions associated with COVID-19. Many European countries including Austria issued partial curfews or stay-at-home order policies, which have impacted ambient air quality through reductions in non-essential transportation and energy consumption of industrial sites and work places. Here, we analyse the effect of these measures on ambient concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10) during the first nationwide lockdown in Austria (16.03.2020 to 14.04.2020). To ensure a robust analysis, the Austrian domain is divided into four individual subsectors contingent on regional climate. For air quality analysis a novel method is applied for filtering days with comparable weather conditions during the 2020 lockdown and spring 2017 to 2019. In general, our analysis shows decreasing pollutant concentrations, although in magnitude dependent on pollutant and regional subdomain. Largest reductions are found for NOx reaching up to −68% at traffic sites reflecting the substantial decrease in non-essential transport. Changes in the O3 concentrations at background sites show a rather weak response to NOx declines varying between roughly −18 to +8% for both the median and the upper tail of the distribution. Occasional site level increases in O3 concentrations can be attributed to comparably weak titration during night-time. PM10 concentrations show the smallest response among air pollutants, attributable to manifold precursor sources not affected by the lockdown measures. However, our analysis indicates also a shift of PM10 distributions at traffic sites closer to distributions observed at background sites.
DArTseq molecular markers associated with the piping leaf margin phenotype in pineapple (Ananas comosus L.)
Authors: Sanewski Garth M.
Published: July 2022

This study sought to understand the genetic basis of the piping leaf margin phenotype in pineapple. To achieve this aim, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using mixed linear regression and logistic regression analysis was conducted on three pineapple diversity panels including seedling populations segregating for spiny, spiny-tip and piping leaf margins. This study identified single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with the piping and spiny-tip leaf margin phenotypes. A broad quantitative trait locus (QTL) positioned on chromosome 23 between positions 240,475 and 2,369,197 bp was the most highly associated with piping leaf margin in all analyses. Major candidate genes proposed are a Zinc finger protein 2, a Zinc finger protein 3, a WUSCHEL-related homeobox 2, a WUSCHEL-related homeobox 1 and a Zinc finger protein CONSTANS-like. Some other genes of a lower association, linked or nearby genes of interest, are also considered potentially involved to varying degrees. All candidate genes are known to be involved in aspects of stem cell maintenance, cell proliferation, epidermal cell differentiation, organogenesis, leaf polarity, cell wall modification or hormone signalling. It is possible each plays a role in either differentiation or morphological aspects of the spiny-tip and piping leaf margin phenotypes. It is expected the relative role of each associated gene might vary with genetic background.
Motorcycle Taxis, Extended Lockdown and Inequality at Work in Kampala, Uganda
Authors: Mallett Richard , Asingura Lillian , Ndhogezi Geofrey , Byarugaba Disan , Sseviiri Hakimu
Published: July 2022

After two years of extended lockdown, Kampala’s vast workforce of motorcycle taxi riders today looks a little different. Though the sector has long constituted a vital source of labour and income for many thousands of urban residents cut off from more decent opportunities elsewhere in the economy, a recent combination of lockdown pressures and digital transitions has created new forms of dependency upon the sector whilst simultaneously stripping some old ones away. In this article, we draw on in-depth qualitative data from interviews with riders, carried out at different stages of the pandemic, to show how the composition of labour within the sector has been reworked by a series of ‘selective exits’ and ‘substitution effects’ over the past two years. In exploring the nature and nuances of these parallel movements, our analysis not only reveals considerable socio-economic unevenness within the city’s motorcycle taxi sector itself but also sheds light on a new, broader configuration of urban inequality in the making.
Dispersal distances and cultural effects in the spread of the Neolithic along the northern Mediterranean coast
Authors: Fort Joaquim
Published: July 2022

We estimate a spread rate of 7.5–10.6 km/year for the Neolithic expansion along the northern shore of the western Mediterranean. Comparing to theory and numerical simulations of demic-cultural waves of advance, we find that the length of coastal jumps was $$240\le \Delta \le 427$$

240
≤
Δ
≤
427

km. We also derive what we believe are the first analytical equations for spread rates of waves of advance along a coast, and they agree with the simulation results. We show that the importance of cultural diffusion in this Neolithic spread was less than 21%, so demic diffusion was responsible for at least 79% of the observed spread rate. We argue that these results suggest that the spread took place using boats, and also a limited interaction between the incoming farmers and the autochthonous hunter-gatherers.
Analyses of Methanogenic Population as Key Indicator for Anaerobic Digestion: A Case-Study in the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste Treatment
Authors: Negro V. , Mainero D. , Caredda C. , Anedda E. , Franchitti E. , Traversi D.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is a treatment biologically optimizable. The analysis of the microbial balance within the digester allows not only to describe and improve the efficiency of the system but also to foresee potential variations after biochemical interventions. This work aims to highlight methanogenic population variations in two similar parallel digesters to identify bio-indicators for digestion performance after the inclusion of an additive.

Methods

The analysed industrial case study involved the two parallel, pilot-scale, bio-digesters of ACEA Pinerolese Industriale. They had analogous design and fed by the same OFMSW except for an additive inclusion. The analyses by qRT-PCR, on both bio-digesters, have been performed to determine an impact of the additive on the growth and metabolic activity of total methanogens, Methanosarcina spp., Methanocorpuscolum spp., and Methanospirillus spp.

Results

Collected data showed that the addition of biopolymers extracted from compost produced both total methanogens and Methanosarcina decrease (7.67 vs. 7.48 and 6.05 vs. 5.69 Log gene copies/mL sludge respectively, T-test p < 0.01) affecting slightly the methane yield (-8%). Methanosarcina was the highest expressed methanogen; however, the results suggested the involvement of a highly complex and heterogeneous methanogen community.

Conclusions

Total methanogens and active Methanosarcina modulations are able to highlight major bio-methane production even if their shift is slight. Globally only 3–4% of the present and 12–13% of the active methanogens were described. However, biological approach can supply a proxy of production performance of the digester also concerning the feeding peculiarities.

Graphical abstract
Survival analysis for user disengagement prediction: question-and-answering communities’ case
Authors: Abedi Firouzjaei Hassan
Published: July 2022

We used survival analysis to model user disengagement in three distinct questions-and-answering communities in this work. We used the complete historical data from domains including Politics, Data Science, and Computer Science from Stack Exchange communities from their inception until May 2021, including information about all users who were members of one of these three communities. Furthermore, in formulating the user disengagement prediction as a survival analysis task, we employed two survival analysis techniques (Kaplan–Meier and random survival forests) to model and predicted the probabilities of members of each community becoming disengaged. Our main finding is that the likelihood of users with even a few contributions staying active is noticeably higher than those who were making no contributions; this distinction may widen as time passes. Moreover, the results of our experiments indicate that users with more favourable views toward the content shared on the platform may stay engaged longer. Finally, regardless of their themes, the observed pattern holds for all three communities.
Creation of SnxNb1−xO2 solid solution through heavy Nb-doping in SnO2 to boost its photocatalytic CO2 reduction to C2+ products under simulated solar illumination
Authors: Gao Shuang , Guan Haitao , Wang Hongyang , Yang Xinhe , Yang Weiyi , Li Qi
Published: July 2022

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction driven by green solar energy could be a promising approach for the carbon neutral practice. In this work, a novel defect engineering approach was developed to form the SnxNb1−xO2 solid solution by the heavy substitutional Nb-doping of SnO2 through a robust hydrothermal process. The detailed analysis demonstrated that the heavy substitution of Sn4+ by a higher valence Nb5+ created a more suitable band structure, a better photogenerated charge carrier separation and transfer, and stronger CO2 adsorption due to the presence of abundant acid centers and excess electrons on its surface. Thus, the SnxNb1−xO2 solid solution sample demonstrated a much better photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance compared to the pristine SnO2 sample without the need for sacrificial agent. Its photocatalytic CO2 reduction efficiency reached ∼292.47 µmol/(g·h), which was 19 times that of the pristine SnO2 sample. Furthermore, its main photocatalytic CO2 reduction product was a more preferred multi-carbon (C2+) compound of C2H5OH, while that of the pristine SnO2 sample was a one-carbon (C1) compound of CH3OH. This work demonstrated that, the heavy doping of high valence cations in metal oxides to form solid solution may enhance the photocatalytic CO2 reduction and modulate its reduction process, to produce more C2+ products. This material design strategy could be readily applied to various material systems for the exploration of high-performance photocatalysts for the solar-driven CO2 reduction.
Il linfonodo sentinella nel carcinoma differenziato della tiroide
Authors: Urso Luca , Panareo Stefano
Published: July 2022

Sommario

La ricerca del linfonodo sentinella con iniezione di radiocolloidi nel carcinoma differenziato della tiroide (DTC) è ancora oggi una tecnica dibattuta e non comunemente impiegata nella pratica clinica, in quanto attualmente non contemplata dalle linee guida ATA. Obiettivo di questa rassegna è, pertanto, quello di raccogliere attuali luci e ombre della tecnica linfoscintigrafica nel DTC, per stimolare la futura raccolta di nuove evidenze scientifiche che contribuiscano a trovare una standardizzazione procedurale della metodica e una sua più precisa collocazione nel percorso diagnostico-terapeutico dei pazienti con DTC.
The Dynamics of the Gender Gap at Retirement in Italy: Evidence from SHARE
Authors: Abatemarco Antonio , Russolillo Maria
Published: July 2022

We investigate the dynamics of the gender gap at retirement in Italy—by cohort and by year of retirement—for individuals retiring from 1980 to 2027 using data from SHARELIFE (wave 3 and wave 7). Most importantly, we disentangle the opposite effects on the gender gap originating respectively from (i) improving labor market conditions for women, and (ii) increasing actuarial fairness of the pension plan due to the progressive transition from a defined-benefit to a notional defined-contribution scheme. To capture the impact of these two driving forces, we implement a counterfactual analysis by which the gender gap at retirement is measured both in the actual and in the virtual distribution of pension benefits, with the latter being obtained under the hypothesis of an actuarially fair pension scheme. We observe a U-shaped pattern since the actual gender gap at retirement is found to be decreasing up to 2016 but increasing after this date. Specifically, the increasing pattern for the gender gap at retirement after 2016 is shown to be driven by (i) decreasing redistributive impact of the pension scheme, and (ii) women’s penalization in the pro-rata mechanism due to lower contributions paid in the early working life.
Anisotropic hemp-stem-derived biochar supported phase change materials with efficient solar-thermal energy conversion and storage
Authors: Yang Ruiying , Guo Xiran , Wu Haotian , Kang Weizhi , Song Kun , Li Yaqiong , Huang Xiubing , Wang Ge
Published: July 2022

As cheap and renewable sources, the exploitation of biomass resources was of great value in phase change energy storage. In this study, hemp stems were converted into biochars with three-dimensional multi-level anisotropic pores through a temperature-controlled charring process, which were used as supports for polyethylene glycol (PEG6000) to form shape-stable composite phase change materials (ss-CPCMs). It is shown that the ss-CPCMs using anisotropic hemp-stem-derived biochar obtained at a carbonization temperature of 900 °C  as a support has high PEG6000 loading rate (88.62wt%), large latent heat (170.44 J/g) and favorable thermal stability owning to its high surface area and hierarchical pores. The biochar-based ss-CPCM also has good light absorption ability with a maximum solar-thermal conversion efficiency of 97.70%. In addition, the different thermal conductivities in the transverse and longitudinal directions of ss-CPCMs reflect the unique anisotropic structure. This work can not only improve the high-value utilization of biochars, but also provide the ss-CPCMs with excellent performance for solar-thermal conversion and storage systems.

Graphical Abstract
Principles of Statistical Analysis
Authors: Arias-Castro Ery
Published: July 2022

This compact course is written for the mathematically literate reader who wants to learn to analyze data in a principled fashion. The language of mathematics enables clear exposition that can go quite deep, quite quickly, and naturally supports an axiomatic and inductive approach to data analysis. Starting with a good grounding in probability, the reader moves to statistical inference via topics of great practical importance – simulation and sampling, as well as experimental design and data collection – that are typically displaced from introductory accounts. The core of the book then covers both standard methods and such advanced topics as multiple testing, meta-analysis, and causal inference.
Mental health in young adults born extremely preterm or extremely low birthweight with contemporary neonatal intensive care
Authors: Burnett Alice C. , Mainzer Rheanna M. , Doyle Lex W. , Lee Katherine J. , Anderson Peter J. , Zannino Diana , Duff Julianne , Patton George C. , Cheong Jeanie L. Y. ,   for the Victorian Infant Collaborative Study Group
Published: July 2022

Background

For infants born in the contemporary era of neonatal care, little is known about adult mental health outcomes of extremely preterm birth (EP; <28 weeks' gestation) or extremely low birthweight (ELBW; <1000 g). This study aimed to compare attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, mood, and substance use disorder prevalence in young adults born EP/ELBW and normal birthweight (NBW; >2499 g) controls, and to compare change in prevalence of mental health symptoms and disorders from 18 to 25 years.

Methods

Participants were a prospective geographical cohort of 297 consecutive survivors born EP/ELBW during 1991–1992 and 260 NBW controls. At age 25 years, 174 EP/ELBW and 139 NBW participants completed the Adult ADHD Rating Scale, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised. Data from follow-up at 18 years were also utilized. Multiple imputation was used to account for attrition.

Results

Mental health outcomes at 25 years were similar between groups: prevalence rates were ADHD 7% v. 5%; anxiety 32% v. 27%; mood 38% v. 35%; substance use 12% v. 14% in the EP/ELBW and NBW groups, respectively. In both groups, ADHD declined between 18 and 25 years [odds ratio (OR) per year = 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79–0.95], and generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive episode became more common (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.10–1.35 per year; OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10–1.30 respectively).

Conclusions

This contemporary EP/ELBW cohort has comparable young adult mental health outcomes to controls, and similar patterns of change in mental health from late adolescence.
The Sceptical Muslim
Authors: Aijaz Imran
Published: July 2022

Many Muslims take the position that religious doubts constitute a serious problem for anyone who regards himself or herself as a Muslim, arguing that such a predicament may even result in apostasy. According to this position, the main problem with a Muslim who harbours religious doubts, a ‘Sceptical Muslim’, is that he or she is culpable for failing to respond appropriately to epistemic certainty about fundamental Islamic doctrine, primarily the existence of God and the Prophethood of Muhammad. I shall argue that, contrary to what many Muslims have asserted, the position of the ‘Sceptical Muslim’ is a viable one in an Islamic context.
Fault diagnosis of robot joint based on BP neural network
Authors: Hu Ming , Wu Jianguo , Yang Jing , Zhang Lijian , Yang Fan
Published: July 2022

Aiming at the problem of low accuracy of robot joint fault diagnosis, a fault diagnosis method of robot joint based on BP neural network is designed. In this paper, the UR10 robot is taken as the research object, and the end pose data of the robot are collected in real time. By injecting different joint errors and changing the sampling frequency, the joint fault database is collected and established, and the BP neural network is used for training to obtain the robot neural network fault diagnosis model. The fault diagnosis model can output the joint fault of the input end pose data. And we analyzed the influence of different joint angle errors and different training sets on the accuracy of joint fault diagnosis of the robot. The results show that when the sampling frequency is 250 Hz, the simulation result of joint fault diagnosis accuracy with the fault degree of 0.5° is 99.17%, and the experimental result is 97.87%. Compared with traditional data-driven methods, it has higher accuracy and diagnostic efficiency, and compared with existing machine learning methods, it also achieves a high accuracy while reducing the network complexity. The effectiveness of the BP neural network robot joint fault diagnosis method is verified by experiments.
A brief report informing the adaptation of a behavioural activation intervention for delivery by non-mental health specialists for the treatment of perinatal depression
Authors: Pinar Semra , Ersser Steven , McMillan Dean , Bedford Helen
Published: July 2022

Background:

Behavioural activation (BA) is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for the treatment of perinatal depression; however, there is limited evidence about whether it is effective when delivered by non-mental health specialists (NMHS) in a perinatal setting in the UK.

Aims:

This study aimed to adapt a BA intervention manual and guided self-help booklet intended for delivery by NMHSs for the treatment of perinatal depression.

Method:

Interviews were conducted with 15 women and 19 healthcare professionals (HCP) within the first study element. Four experience-based co-design (EBCD) workshops were held, with the involvement of 14 women and three HCPs, to modify the BA documents for the specific needs of perinatal women. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Findings:

The findings from the study elements were presented with themes. The co-designers (women and HCPs) pointed out that having sleeping problems, changes in appetite, feeling exhausted and feeling emotional, may be experienced by non-depressed mothers as well during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, especially around the fourth day after giving birth. Therefore, it was important to differentiate these feelings from depression. The women also wanted to see an example for each activity before being asked to do it. Having examples would help them to see the possibilities before creating their own diary sheets or tables of activities.

Conclusions:

Aside of the tool adaptation, the findings of this study provide a foundation to assess the effectiveness of the adapted intervention in a subsequent feasibility trial.
Strategies to improve enrollment in The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): examining high coverage states and leveraging successful COVID-19 pandemic adjustments
Authors: Kuhn Amanda G , Ganacias Karen G , Rethy Janine A
Published: July 2022

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is an essential program in the USA providing food benefits and nutritional and breast-feeding support to low-income pregnant or postpartum women, infants and children at nutritional risk. Despite similarities amongst federal regulations shared across WIC programs at the state level, important differences in the operations, policies and technologies between states exist. Nationally, nearly half of women, infants and children who were eligible to receive WIC benefits in 2018 were not participating in the program. In this paper, we evaluate common practices exhibited by states with the highest and lowest WIC coverage rates to identify strategies that may improve enrollment and retention rates in regions with low WIC coverage rates. We use WIC as a case study for identifying strategies that can be broadly applied to improve utilisation of similar food assistance programs globally, particularly those benefiting low-income women and children. The four strategies discussed here include utilising data to check adjunctive eligibility and reach eligible non-participants, increasing public awareness of WIC through outreach and referral efforts, implementing a centralised smartphone app and linking personal electronic benefits and streamlining the use of technologies for online applications, participant portals and remote communication. In most states, the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal waivers issued in response have offered the opportunity to promptly implement some of these strategies, particularly with regard to remote communication capabilities. With proper resources and implementation, these strategies can improve utilisation of WIC and similar programs globally.
Beyond Content
Authors: Huang Jialing , Grizzard Matthew
Published: July 2022

Abstract. Narratologists have argued that playing with narrative structure is a means to bring about esthetic or psychological effects among audiences. The present study tested empirically whether a film narrative told chronologically or achronologically influences audiences’ psychological perceptions and appreciation. It was found that achronological narratives are more enjoyed and appreciated than their chronological counterparts. Furthermore, achronological versions of a narrative were perceived to be more suspenseful and transporting than a chronological version. Interestingly, narrative structure also affected perceived likability and importance of characters. This study thus contributes to the social scientific literature on narratives by showing that the structure of a narrative, apart from its content, is an important determinant of entertainment experiences.
Gene regulation by histone-modifying enzymes under hypoxic conditions: a focus on histone methylation and acetylation
Authors: Kim Junil , Lee Hyerim , Yi Sun-Ju , Kim Kyunghwan
Published: July 2022

Oxygen, which is necessary for sustaining energy metabolism, is consumed in many biochemical reactions in eukaryotes. When the oxygen supply is insufficient for maintaining multiple homeostatic states at the cellular level, cells are subjected to hypoxic stress. Hypoxia induces adaptive cellular responses mainly through hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which are stabilized and modulate the transcription of various hypoxia-related genes. In addition, many epigenetic regulators, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, histone variants, and adenosine triphosphate-dependent chromatin remodeling factors, play key roles in gene expression. In particular, hypoxic stress influences the activity and gene expression of histone-modifying enzymes, which controls the posttranslational modification of HIFs and histones. This review covers how histone methylation and histone acetylation enzymes modify histone and nonhistone proteins under hypoxic conditions and surveys the impact of epigenetic modifications on gene expression. In addition, future directions in this area are discussed.
Single-cell sorting based on secreted products for functionally defined cell therapies
Authors: Miwa Hiromi , Dimatteo Robert , de Rutte Joseph , Ghosh Rajesh , Di Carlo Dino
Published: July 2022

Cell therapies have emerged as a promising new class of “living” therapeutics over the last decade and have been particularly successful for treating hematological malignancies. Increasingly, cellular therapeutics are being developed with the aim of treating almost any disease, from solid tumors and autoimmune disorders to fibrosis, neurodegenerative disorders and even aging itself. However, their therapeutic potential has remained limited due to the fundamental differences in how molecular and cellular therapies function. While the structure of a molecular therapeutic is directly linked to biological function, cells with the same genetic blueprint can have vastly different functional properties (e.g., secretion, proliferation, cell killing, migration). Although there exists a vast array of analytical and preparative separation approaches for molecules, the functional differences among cells are exacerbated by a lack of functional potency-based sorting approaches. In this context, we describe the need for next-generation single-cell profiling microtechnologies that allow the direct evaluation and sorting of single cells based on functional properties, with a focus on secreted molecules, which are critical for the in vivo efficacy of current cell therapies. We first define three critical processes for single-cell secretion-based profiling technology: (1) partitioning individual cells into uniform compartments; (2) accumulating secretions and labeling via reporter molecules; and (3) measuring the signal associated with the reporter and, if sorting, triggering a sorting event based on these reporter signals. We summarize recent academic and commercial technologies for functional single-cell analysis in addition to sorting and industrial applications of these technologies. These approaches fall into three categories: microchamber, microfluidic droplet, and lab-on-a-particle technologies. Finally, we outline a number of unmet needs in terms of the discovery, design and manufacturing of cellular therapeutics and how the next generation of single-cell functional screening technologies could allow the realization of robust cellular therapeutics for all patients.
Mechanochromic and thermally reprocessable thermosets for autonomic damage reporting and self-healing coatings
Authors: Yoon Subin , Choi Jong Ho , Sung Bong June , Bang Joona , Kim Tae Ann
Published: July 2022

Autonomous polymers that report damage prior to loss of function and simultaneously self-heal are highly relevant for preventing catastrophic failures and extending the lifetimes of materials. Here, we demonstrate mechanochromic and thermally reprocessable thermosets that can be used for autonomic damage reporting and self-healing coatings. A mechanochromic molecule, spiropyran (SP), is covalently incorporated into thermoreversible Diels–Alder (DA) cross-linking networks. Mechanical activation of SPs in DA networks is confirmed by computational simulations and mechanical testing. The damaged areas of the polymers change colour, emit fluorescence signals, and completely recover after heat treatment. Because of the thermoreversible covalent networks, these polymers can be recycled up to fifteen times without degrading their mechanical, damage-reporting, or self-healing properties. Our autonomic material systems provide a new way to enhance the lifespans and reliabilities of thermosetting coatings, which also expands the range for practical applications of force-induced chemical reactions in polymers.
A macroscopic link between interhemispheric tract myelination and cortico-cortical interactions during action reprogramming
Authors: Lazari Alberto , Salvan Piergiorgio , Verhagen Lennart , Cottaar Michiel , Papp Daniel , van der Werf Olof Jens , Gavine Bronwyn , Kolasinski James , Webster Matthew , Stagg Charlotte J. , Rushworth Matthew F. S. , Johansen-Berg Heidi
Published: July 2022

Myelination has been increasingly implicated in the function and dysfunction of the adult human brain. Although it is known that axon myelination shapes axon physiology in animal models, it is unclear whether a similar principle applies in the living human brain, and at the level of whole axon bundles in white matter tracts. Here, we hypothesised that in humans, cortico-cortical interactions between two brain areas may be shaped by the amount of myelin in the white matter tract connecting them. As a test bed for this hypothesis, we use a well-defined interhemispheric premotor-to-motor circuit. We combined TMS-derived physiological measures of cortico-cortical interactions during action reprogramming with multimodal myelin markers (MT, R1, R2* and FA), in a large cohort of healthy subjects. We found that physiological metrics of premotor-to-motor interaction are broadly associated with multiple myelin markers, suggesting interindividual differences in tract myelination may play a role in motor network physiology. Moreover, we also demonstrate that myelination metrics link indirectly to action switching by influencing local primary motor cortex dynamics. These findings suggest that myelination levels in white matter tracts may influence millisecond-level cortico-cortical interactions during tasks. They also unveil a link between the physiology of the motor network and the myelination of tracts connecting its components, and provide a putative mechanism mediating the relationship between brain myelination and human behaviour.
Heparin induces α-synuclein to form new fibril polymorphs with attenuated neuropathology
Authors: Tao Youqi , Sun Yunpeng , Lv Shiran , Xia Wencheng , Zhao Kun , Xu Qianhui , Zhao Qinyue , He Lin , Le Weidong , Wang Yong , Liu Cong , Li Dan
Published: July 2022

α-Synuclein (α-syn), as a primary pathogenic protein in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies, exhibits a high potential to form polymorphic fibrils. Chemical ligands have been found to involve in the assembly of α-syn fibrils in patients’ brains. However, how ligands influence the fibril polymorphism remains vague. Here, we report the near-atomic structures of α-syn fibrils in complex with heparin, a representative glycosaminoglycan (GAG), determined by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The structures demonstrate that the presence of heparin completely alters the fibril assembly via rearranging the charge interactions of α-syn both at the intramolecular and the inter-protofilamental levels, which leads to the generation of four fibril polymorphs. Remarkably, in one of the fibril polymorphs, α-syn folds into a distinctive conformation that has not been observed previously. Moreover, the heparin-α-syn complex fibrils exhibit diminished neuropathology in primary neurons. Our work provides the structural mechanism for how heparin determines the assembly of α-syn fibrils, and emphasizes the important role of biological polymers in the conformational selection and neuropathology regulation of amyloid fibrils.
Altered tRNA dynamics during translocation on slippery mRNA as determinant of spontaneous ribosome frameshifting
Authors: Poulis Panagiotis , Patel Anoshi , Rodnina Marina V. , Adio Sarah
Published: July 2022

When reading consecutive mRNA codons, ribosomes move by exactly one triplet at a time to synthesize a correct protein. Some mRNA tracks, called slippery sequences, are prone to ribosomal frameshifting, because the same tRNA can read both 0- and –1-frame codon. Using smFRET we show that during EF-G-catalyzed translocation on slippery sequences a fraction of ribosomes spontaneously switches from rapid, accurate translation to a slow, frameshifting-prone translocation mode where the movements of peptidyl- and deacylated tRNA become uncoupled. While deacylated tRNA translocates rapidly, pept-tRNA continues to fluctuate between chimeric and posttranslocation states, which slows down the re-locking of the small ribosomal subunit head domain. After rapid release of deacylated tRNA, pept-tRNA gains unconstrained access to the –1-frame triplet, resulting in slippage followed by recruitment of the –1-frame aa-tRNA into the A site. Our data show how altered choreography of tRNA and ribosome movements reduces the translation fidelity of ribosomes translocating in a slow mode.
Differential analysis of RNA structure probing experiments at nucleotide resolution: uncovering regulatory functions of RNA structure
Authors: Yu Bo , Li Pan , Zhang Qiangfeng Cliff , Hou Lin
Published: July 2022

RNAs perform their function by forming specific structures, which can change across cellular conditions. Structure probing experiments combined with next generation sequencing technology have enabled transcriptome-wide analysis of RNA secondary structure in various cellular conditions. Differential analysis of structure probing data in different conditions can reveal the RNA structurally variable regions (SVRs), which is important for understanding RNA functions. Here, we propose DiffScan, a computational framework for normalization and differential analysis of structure probing data in high resolution. DiffScan preprocesses structure probing datasets to remove systematic bias, and then scans the transcripts to identify SVRs and adaptively determines their lengths and locations. The proposed approach is compatible with most structure probing platforms (e.g., icSHAPE, DMS-seq). When evaluated with simulated and benchmark datasets, DiffScan identifies structurally variable regions at nucleotide resolution, with substantial improvement in accuracy compared with existing SVR detection methods. Moreover, the improvement is robust when tested in multiple structure probing platforms. Application of DiffScan in a dataset of multi-subcellular RNA structurome and a subsequent motif enrichment analysis suggest potential links of RNA structural variation and mRNA abundance, possibly mediated by RNA binding proteins such as the serine/arginine rich splicing factors. This work provides an effective tool for differential analysis of RNA secondary structure, reinforcing the power of structure probing experiments in deciphering the dynamic RNA structurome.
Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV promotes imiquimod-induced psoriatic inflammation via macrophages and keratinocytes in mice
Authors: Yong Liang , Yu Yafen , Li Bao , Ge Huiyao , Zhen Qi , Mao Yiwen , Yu Yanxia , Cao Lu , Zhang Ruixue , Li Zhuo , Wang Yirui , Fan Wencheng , Zhang Chang , Wang Daiyue , Luo Sihan , Bai Yuanming , Chen Shirui , Chen Weiwei , Liu Miao , Shen Jijia , Sun Liangdan
Published: July 2022

CaMK4 has an important function in autoimmune diseases, and the contribution of CaMK4 in psoriasis remains obscure. Here, we show that CaMK4 expression is significantly increased in psoriatic lesional skin from psoriasis patients compared to healthy human skin as well as inflamed skin from an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced mouse model of psoriasis compared to healthy mouse skin.Camk4-deficient (Camk4−/−) mice treated with IMQ exhibit reduced severity of psoriasis compared to wild-type (WT) mice. There are more macrophages and fewer IL-17A+γδ TCR+cells in the skin of IMQ-treatedCamk4−/−mice compared to IMQ-treated WT mice. CaMK4 inhibits IL-10 production by macrophages, thus allowing excessive psoriatic inflammation. Deletion ofCamk4in macrophages alleviates IMQ-induced psoriatic inflammation in mice. In keratinocytes, CaMK4 inhibits apoptosis as well as promotes cell proliferation and the expression of pro-inflammatory genes such asS100A8andCAMP. Taken together, these data indicate that CaMK4 regulates IMQ-induced psoriasis by sustaining inflammation and provides a potential target for psoriasis treatment.
Myasthenia gravis-specific aberrant neuromuscular gene expression by medullary thymic epithelial cells in thymoma
Authors: Yasumizu Yoshiaki , Ohkura Naganari , Murata Hisashi , Kinoshita Makoto , Funaki Soichiro , Nojima Satoshi , Kido Kansuke , Kohara Masaharu , Motooka Daisuke , Okuzaki Daisuke , Suganami Shuji , Takeuchi Eriko , Nakamura Yamami , Takeshima Yusuke , Arai Masaya , Tada Satoru , Okumura Meinoshin , Morii Eiichi , Shintani Yasushi , Sakaguchi Shimon , Okuno Tatsusada , Mochizuki Hideki
Published: July 2022

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neurological disease caused by autoantibodies against neuromuscular-associated proteins. While MG frequently develops in thymoma patients, the etiologic factors for MG are not well understood. Here, by constructing a comprehensive atlas of thymoma using bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing, we identify ectopic expression of neuromuscular molecules in MG-type thymoma. These molecules are found within a distinct subpopulation of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), which we name neuromuscular mTECs (nmTECs). MG-thymoma also exhibits microenvironments dedicated to autoantibody production, including ectopic germinal center formation, T follicular helper cell accumulation, and type 2 conventional dendritic cell migration. Cell–cell interaction analysis also predicts the interaction between nmTECs and T/B cells viaCXCL12-CXCR4. The enrichment of nmTECs presenting neuromuscular molecules within MG-thymoma is further confirmed immunohistochemically and by cellular composition estimation from the MG-thymoma transcriptome. Altogether, this study suggests that nmTECs have a significant function in MG pathogenesis via ectopic expression of neuromuscular molecules.
Predicting memory from the network structure of naturalistic events
Authors: Lee Hongmi , Chen Janice
Published: July 2022

When we remember events, we often do not only recall individual events, but also the connections between them. However, extant research has focused on how humans segment and remember discrete events from continuous input, with far less attention given to how the structure of connections between events impacts memory. Here we conduct a functional magnetic resonance imaging study in which participants watch and recall a series of realistic audiovisual narratives. By transforming narratives into networks of events, we demonstrate that more central events—those with stronger semantic or causal connections to other events—are better remembered. During encoding, central events evoke larger hippocampal event boundary responses associated with memory formation. During recall, high centrality is associated with stronger activation in cortical areas involved in episodic recollection, and more similar neural representations across individuals. Together, these results suggest that when humans encode and retrieve complex real-world experiences, the reliability and accessibility of memory representations is shaped by their location within a network of events.
LaBr2 bilayer multiferroic moiré superlattice with robust magnetoelectric coupling and magnetic bimerons
Authors: Sun Wei , Wang Wenxuan , Li Hang , Li Xiaoning , Yu Zheyin , Bai Ying , Zhang Guangbiao , Cheng Zhenxiang
Published: July 2022

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials provide the versatile playground to stack two or more vdW layers for creation of superior materials with desired properties. Here we theoretically adopt a twisted stack-engineering of two LaBr2 monolayers to break space inversion symmetry for ferroelectricity and ultimately multiferroism. The enhancement and reversal of electric polarization are accompanied with the transition from interlayer ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic orderings, demonstrating an effective magnetoelectric coupling effect with a mechanism dissimilar to that of the conventional multiferroics. Magnetization dynamics simulations show that such magnetic phase transition can excite topologically protected bimeron, and the skyrmion Hall effect can be suppressed by bilayer-bimeron stabilized in both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic configurations. Moreover, in the small-angle twisted moiré superlattice, the uniform polarization will evolve into a staggered domain structure, accompanied with the appearance of bimeron, which forms a significant discrepancy with the non-twisted stack-engineered multiferroic LaBr2 bilayer. This work provides a strategy for 2D multiferroic materials by twisted stack engineering of magnetic single layers.