bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-world assessment of multipolar and point-by-point mapping for premature ventricular contraction ablation
Authors: Sousa Pedro A , Tonko Johanna , Dilling-Boer Dagmara , Barra Sérgio , Eberl Anna-Sophie , Pezo Borka , Cortez-Dias Nuno , Khoueiry Ziad , Medeiros Paulo , Rodríguez-Mañero Moisés , Lebreiro Ana , Pereira Mariana , Puga Luís , Scherr Daniel , António Natália , Ferreira Afonso , Saleiro Carolina , Lagrange Philippe , Adão Luis , de Sousa Joao , Elvas Luís , Oliveira Mário , Gonçalves Lino , Silberbauer John
Published: May 2024

Aims

We aimed to assess the acute and midterm efficacy of premature ventricular contraction (PVC) ablation guided by multielectrode and point-by-point (PbP) mapping.

Methods and results

This is a retrospective, international multicentre study of consecutive patients referred for PVC ablation in 10 hospital centres from January 2017 to December 2021. Based on the mapping approach, two cohorts were identified: the ‘Multipolar group’, where a dedicated high-density mapping catheter was employed, and the ‘PbP group’, where mapping was performed with the ablation catheter. Procedural endpoints, safety, and acute (procedural) and midterm efficacies were assessed. Of the 698 patients included in this study, 592 received activation mapping [46% males, median age of 55 (41–65) years]—248 patients in the Multipolar group and 344 patients in the PbP group. A higher number of activation points [432 (217–843) vs. 95 (42–185), P < 0.001], reduced mapping time (40 ± 38 vs. 61 ± 50 min, P < 0.001), and shorter procedure time (124 ± 60 vs. 143 ± 63 min, P < 0.001) were reported in the Multipolar group. Both groups had high acute success rates (84.7% with Multipolar mapping vs. 81.3% with PbP mapping, P = 0.63), as well as midterm efficacy (83.4% vs. 77.4%, P = 0.08), with no significant differences in the risk of adverse events (6.0% vs. 3.5%, P = 0.24). However, for left-sided PVC ablation specifically, there was a higher midterm efficacy in the Multipolar group (80.7% vs. 69.5%, P = 0.04), with multipolar mapping being an independent predictor of success [adjusted OR = 2.231 (95% CI, 1.476–5.108), P = 0.02].

Conclusion

The acute and midterm efficacies of PVC ablation are high with both multipolar and PbP mapping, although the former allows for quicker procedures and may potentially improve the outcomes of left-sided PVC ablation.
Organizing a global list of cyanobacteria and algae from soil biocrusts evidenced great geographic and taxonomic gaps
Authors: Dal-Ferro Luana Soares , Schenider Arthur , Missiaggia Dabny Goulart , Silva Libério Junio , Maciel-Silva Adaíses Simone , Figueredo Cleber Cunha
Published: May 2024

Biocrusts determine soil stability and resiliency, with a special role played by oxygenic photoautotrophic microorganisms in these communities. We evaluated temporal and geographic trends in studies focused on these microorganisms in biocrusts. Two databases were surveyed to obtain scientific articles published from 1998 to 2020 containing the terms ‘biocrusts,’ ‘algae,’ and ‘cyanobacteria.’ Although interest in biocrusts has increased recently, their ecological importance is still little explored. The scientific articles that mentioned a species list of cyanobacteria and/or algae revealed a very heterogeneous geographic distribution of research. Biocrusts have not been explored in many regions and knowledge in the tropics, where these communities showed high species richness, is limited. Geographic gaps were detected and more detailed studies are needed, mainly where biocrust communities are threatened by anthropogenic impacts. Aiming to address these knowledge gaps, we assembled a taxonomic list of all algae and cyanobacteria found in these articles, including information on their occurrence and ecology. This review is an updated global taxonomic survey of biocrusts, which importantly reveals their high species richness of oxygenic photoautotrophic microorganisms. We believe this database will be useful to future research by providing valuable taxonomic and biogeographic information regarding algae and cyanobacteria in biocrusts.
The vast landscape of carbohydrate fermentation in prokaryotes
Authors: Hackmann Timothy J
Published: May 2024

Fermentation is a type of metabolism carried out by organisms in environments without oxygen. Despite being studied for over 185 years, the diversity and complexity of this metabolism are just now becoming clear. Our review starts with the definition of fermentation, which has evolved over the years and which we help further refine. We then examine the range of organisms that carry out fermentation and their traits. Over one-fourth of all prokaryotes are fermentative, use more than 40 substrates, and release more than 50 metabolic end products. These insights come from studies analyzing records of thousands of organisms. Next, our review examines the complexity of fermentation at the biochemical level. We map out pathways of glucose fermentation in unprecedented detail, covering over 120 biochemical reactions. We also review recent studies coupling genomics and enzymology to reveal new pathways and enzymes. Our review concludes with practical applications for agriculture, human health, and industry. All these areas depend on fermentation and could be improved through manipulating fermentative microbes and enzymes. We discuss potential approaches for manipulation, including genetic engineering, electrofermentation, probiotics, and enzyme inhibitors. We hope our review underscores the importance of fermentation research and stimulates the next 185 years of study.
From heterosis to outbreeding depression: genotype-by-environment interaction shifts hybrid fitness in opposite directions
Authors: Wang Haolong , Su Baofeng , Zhang Ying , Shang Mei , Li Shangjia , Xing De , Wang Jinhai , Bern Logan , Johnson Andrew , Al-Armanazi Jacob , Hasin Tasnuba , Hettiarachchi Darshika , Paladines Parrales Abel , Dilawar Hamza , Bruce Timothy J , Dunham Rex A , Wang Xu
Published: May 2024

In F1 hybrids, phenotypic values are expected to be near the parental means under additive effects or close to one parent under dominance. However, F1 traits can fall outside the parental range, and outbreeding depression occurs when inferior fitness is observed in hybrids. Another possible outcome is heterosis, a phenomenon that interspecific hybrids or intraspecific crossbred F1s exhibit improved fitness compared to both parental species or strains. As an application of heterosis, hybrids between channel catfish females and blue catfish males are superior in feed conversion efficiency, carcass yield, and harvestability. Over 20 years of hybrid catfish production in experimental settings and farming practices generated abundant phenotypic data, making it an ideal system to investigate heterosis. In this study, we characterized fitness in terms of growth and survival longitudinally, revealing environment-dependent heterosis. In ponds, hybrids outgrow both parents due to an extra rapid growth phase of 2–4 months in year 2. This bimodal growth pattern is unique to F1 hybrids in pond culture environments only. In sharp contrast, the same genetic types cultured in tanks display outbreeding depression, where hybrids perform poorly, while channel catfish demonstrate superiority in growth throughout development. Our findings represent the first example, known to the authors, of opposite fitness shifts in response to environmental changes in interspecific vertebrate hybrids, suggesting a broader fitness landscape for F1 hybrids. Future genomic studies based on this experiment will help understand genome-environment interaction in shaping the F1 progeny fitness in the scenario of environment-dependent heterosis and outbreeding depression.
Somatic epigenetic drift during shoot branching: a cell lineage-based model
Authors: Chen Yifan , Burian Agata , Johannes Frank
Published: May 2024

Plant architecture is shaped by the production of new organs, most of which emerge postembryonically. This process includes the formation of new lateral branches along existing shoots. Current evidence supports a detached-meristem model as the cellular basis of lateral shoot initiation. In this model, a small number of undifferentiated cells are sampled from the periphery of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) to act as precursors for axillary buds, which eventually develop into new shoots. Repeated branching thus creates cellular bottlenecks (i.e. somatic drift) that affect how de novo (epi)genetic mutations propagate through the plant body during development. Somatic drift could be particularly relevant for stochastic DNA methylation gains and losses (i.e. spontaneous epimutations), as they have been shown to arise rapidly with each cell division. Here, we formalize a special case of the detached-meristem model, where precursor cells are randomly sampled from the SAM periphery in a way that maximizes cell lineage independence. We show that somatic drift during repeated branching gives rise to a mixture of cellular phylogenies within the SAM over time. This process is dependent on the number of branch points, the strength of drift as well as the epimutation rate. Our model predicts that cell-to-cell DNA methylation heterogeneity in the SAM converges to nonzero states during development, suggesting that epigenetic variation is an inherent property of the SAM cell population. Our insights have direct implications for empirical studies of somatic (epi)genomic diversity in long-lived perennial and clonal species using bulk or single-cell sequencing approaches.
Perceptions of Dementia and Dementia Care Among African Immigrants in Minnesota: Insights From Community Conversations
Authors: Nkimbeng Manka , Yam Hawking , Aswani Truphosa , Russell Wynfred N , Shippee Tetyana P , Gaugler Joseph E
Published: May 2024

Objectives

This qualitative descriptive study explored the perceptions of dementia, dementia care, and caregiving within the African immigrant community.

Methods

Six community conversations (focus groups) were held with 24 participants. Three conversations were led by project advisory board members and utilized a 12-question conversation guide. The recorded conversations were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Of the 24 African immigrants who participated, 52% were 55–75 years old, 67% identified as female, and 39% were married or cohabitating. Twenty percent were currently providing care to a relative with dementia and 40% had provided care to a relative with dementia in the past. Four themes were identified. These included (1) attitudes toward mental health, illnesses, and poor health, (2) community attitudes toward dementia, and dementia caregiving, (3) barriers to dementia care and caregiving, and (4) current dementia care resources in the African immigrant community.

Discussion

The findings show that African immigrant cultural beliefs significantly shape dementia care and caregiving attitudes, preferences, and behavioral practices. African immigrants’ cultural backgrounds influence (or have the potential to influence) timely access and engagement in dementia care. And, depending on how deeply held these cultural beliefs are, they could affect dementia care and caregiving both positively and negatively. With the rapidly growing immigrant older adult population, there is a need for systemic strategies to facilitate affordable and culturally responsive dementia care for African immigrants and other minoritized older adults.
Leadership, regulatory approaches and policy to re-orientate health services towards health promotion
Authors: Han Chun , Lin Clare , Raichur Anil , Hall Martin , Nguyen Tan Minh
Published: May 2024

Globally, oral conditions remain the most prevalent of all non-communicable diseases. Among the broad range of target goals and recommendations for action by the World Health Organization’s Global Oral Health Strategy, we call out three specific actions that provide an enabling environment to improve population oral health including: (i) enabling population oral health reform through leadership, (ii) enabling innovative oral health workforce models, (iii) enabling universal health coverage that includes oral health. The aim of the article is to outline how leadership, regulatory approaches and policy in Australia can strengthen health promotion practice and can inform global efforts to tackle the complex wicked problems associated with population oral health. Examples in Australia show that effective leadership, regulatory approaches and well-designed policies can address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, and are made possible through public health advocacy, collaboration and research.
The Weis-Fogh Number Describes Resonant Performance Tradeoffs in Flapping Insects
Authors: Wold Ethan S , Liu Ellen , Lynch James , Gravish Nick , Sponberg Simon
Published: May 2024

Synopsis

Dimensionless numbers have long been used in comparative biomechanics to quantify competing scaling relationships and connect morphology to animal performance. While common in aerodynamics, few relate the biomechanics of the organism to the forces produced on the environment during flight. We discuss the Weis-Fogh number, N, as a dimensionless number specific to flapping flight, which describes the resonant properties of an insect and resulting tradeoffs between energetics and control. Originally defined by Torkel Weis-Fogh in his seminal 1973 paper, N measures the ratio of peak inertial to aerodynamic torque generated by an insect over a wingbeat. In this perspectives piece, we define N for comparative biologists and describe its interpretations as a ratio of torques and as the width of an insect’s resonance curve. We then discuss the range of N realized by insects and explain the fundamental tradeoffs between an insect’s aerodynamic efficiency, stability, and responsiveness that arise as a consequence of variation in N, both across and within species. N is therefore an especially useful quantity for comparative approaches to the role of mechanics and aerodynamics in insect flight.
On Symplectic Birational Self-Maps of Projective Hyperkähler Manifolds of K3[n]-Type
Authors: Dutta Yajnaseni , Mattei Dominique , Prieto-Montañez Yulieth
Published: May 2024

We prove that projective hyperkähler manifolds of K3$^{[n]}$-type admitting a non-trivial symplectic birational self-map of finite order are isomorphic to moduli spaces of stable (twisted) coherent sheaves on K3 surfaces. Motivated by this result, we analyze the reflections on the movable cone of moduli spaces of sheaves and determine when they come from a birational involution.
The Endoscopic Classification of Representations of Non-Quasi-Split Odd Special Orthogonal Groups
Authors: Ishimoto Hiroshi
Published: May 2024

In an earlier book of Arthur, the endoscopic classification of representations of quasi-split orthogonal and symplectic groups was established. Later Mok gave that of quasi-split unitary groups. After that, Kaletha, Minguez, Shin, and White gave that of non-quasi-split unitary groups for generic parameters. In this paper we prove the endoscopic classification of representations of non-quasi-split odd special orthogonal groups for generic parameters, following Kaletha, Minguez, Shin, and White.
Outpatient Follow-Up and Reconstructive Surgery Rates in Massive Burn Survivors: Investigating the Social Determinants
Authors: Valdez Jessica , Sen Soman , Palmieri Tina , Romanowski Kathleen , Greenhalgh David , Heard Jason
Published: May 2024

Burn care continues to improve and larger total body surface area (TBSA) burn survival is increasing. These survivors require more extensive care than smaller burns and are at higher risk for wound/scar-related complications. Prior work has shown low rates of follow-up for burn survivors linked to socioeconomic factors such as housing insecurity and substance use. There are limited studies that evaluate socioeconomic factors that contribute to follow-up and reconstructive surgery rates in massively burned patients. Patients who survived to discharge with >50% TBSA burns and planned return to the treating institution were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on the data collected. Sixty-five patients were included with an average TBSA of 63.1%. Fifty-three patients (81.5%) attended at least one follow-up appointment with median of 4 follow-up appointments. Younger patients (33 ± 9 vs 44 ± 11; P = .0006), patients with larger TBSA burns (65 ± 13 vs 55 ± 5%; P = .02), those with private insurance, and those without housing insecurity (1.8% vs 45.4%; P = .003) were more likely to follow up. On multivariate regression analysis, patients with housing insecurity were independently associated with lack of follow-up (OR: 0.009; CI: 0.00001-0.57). Thirty-five patients had at least one reconstructive surgery and 31 patients had reconstructive surgery after discharge. No patients with housing insecurity underwent reconstructive surgery. Follow-up rates in massive burns were higher than reported for smaller TBSA burns and more than half received reconstructive surgery. Housing-insecure patients should be targeted for improved follow-up and access to reconstructive surgery.
Differential expression of microRNAs in diapause and non-diapause gonads of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae): implications for reproductive control
Authors: Yin Zhiyong , Yan Yufang , Khan Samiullah , Cai Renlian , Li Haiyin , Guo Jianjun
Published: May 2024

Aspongopus chinensis Dallas, 1851 (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae), an edible and medicinal insect, usually found in China and Southeast Asia, offers substantial potential for various applications. The reproductive cycle of this particular insect occurs annually because of reproductive diapause, leading to inadequate utilization of available natural resources. Despite its considerable ecological importance, the precise mechanisms underlying diapause in A. chinensis are not yet well understood. In this study, we conducted an analysis of comparing the microRNA (miRNA) regulation in the diapause and non-diapause gonads of A. chinensis and identified 303 differentially expressed miRNAs, among which, compared with the diapause group, 76 miRNAs were upregulated and 227 miRNAs downregulated. The results, regarding the Enrichment analysis of miRNA-targeted genes, showed their involvement in several essential biological processes, such as lipid anabolism, energy metabolism, and gonadal growth. Interestingly, we observed that the ATP-binding cassette pathway is the only enriched pathway, demonstrating the capability of these targeted miRNAs to regulate the reproductive diapause of A. chinensis through the above essential pathway. The current study provided the role of gonadal miRNA expression in the control of reproductive diapause in A. chinensis, the specific regulatory mechanism behind this event remained unknown and needed more investigation.
Seasonal dynamics of sand flies in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park: a tourist destination and endemic area for leishmaniasis
Authors: Rebêlo José Manuel Macário , Bandeira Maria da Conceição Abreu , Moraes Jorge Luiz Pinto , Boas Itapotiara Vilas , Fonteles Raquel Silva , Dominici Cruz Leonardo , Rodrigues Bruno Leite
Published: May 2024

Numerous sand fly species have been reported in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (LMNP) in Northeast Brazil, including important Leishmania vectors, making the park an endemic area for tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis. We evaluated sand fly abundance monthly over 7 years, correlating it with environmental variables and monthly tourist numbers in LMNP. Sand fly species were observed throughout the year, with Lutzomyia longipalpis Lutz & Neiva and Nyssomyia whitmani Antunes and Coutinho (Diptera: Psychodidae) being the most abundant species, especially from April to June. In addition to seasonal abundance patterns, Lu. longipalpis showed increasing abundance throughout 2013 until April 2014, whereas Ny. whitmani exhibited a consistent increase throughout the study period. Redundancy analysis indicated that monthly sand fly abundances increased with humidity but decreased with mean temperature and wind speed. Ecotourists mainly visit the park from May to September when interdune lagoons are full, coinciding with high-frequency vector activity during the rainy months (May–June). Tourists also visit in January and February during school holidays, when the rains begin and sand fly abundance increases, and in July, when sand fly abundance decreases. To date, no instances of infected tourists have been recorded, likely because visits to LMNP occur during the day when sand flies are inactive. However, there is a potential risk of vector exposure if tourists engage in nighttime cultural visits to villages around the park, where leishmaniasis cases occur annually.
Public service users’ responses to performance information: Bayesian learning or motivated reasoning?
Authors: Damgaard Peter Rasmussen , James Oliver
Published: May 2024

Although performance information is widely promoted to improve the accountability of public service provision, behavioral research has revealed that motivated reasoning leads recipients to update their beliefs inaccurately. However, the reasoning processes of service users have been largely neglected. We develop a theory of public service users’ motivated reasoning about performance information stemming from their identification with the organization providing their services. We address a significant challenge to studying motivated reasoning—that widely used existing research designs cannot rule out alternative cognitive explanations, especially Bayesian learning, such that existing findings could be driven by strong prior beliefs rather than biased processing of new information. We use a research design incorporating Bayesian learning as a benchmark to identify departures from accuracy motivated reasoning process. We assess the empirical implications of the theory using a preregistered information provision experiment among parents with children using public schools. To assess their identity-based motivated reasoning, we provide them with noisy, but true, performance information about their school. Overall, we find no evidence of directionally motivated reasoning. Instead, parents change their beliefs in response to performance feedback in a way that largely reflects conservative Bayesian learning. Performance reporting to service users is less vulnerable to motivational biases in this context than suggested by the general literature on motivated reasoning. Furthermore, exploratory findings show that performance information can correct erroneous beliefs among misinformed service users, suggesting that investment in reporting performance to service users is worthwhile to inform their beliefs and improve accountability.
Multivariate, heteroscedastic empirical Bayes via nonparametric maximum likelihood
Authors: Soloff Jake A , Guntuboyina Adityanand , Sen Bodhisattva
Published: May 2024

Multivariate, heteroscedastic errors complicate statistical inference in many large-scale denoizing problems. Empirical Bayes is attractive in such settings, but standard parametric approaches rest on assumptions about the form of the prior distribution which can be hard to justify and which introduce unnecessary tuning parameters. We extend the nonparametric maximum-likelihood estimator (NPMLE) for Gaussian location mixture densities to allow for multivariate, heteroscedastic errors. NPMLEs estimate an arbitrary prior by solving an infinite-dimensional, convex optimization problem; we show that this convex optimization problem can be tractably approximated by a finite-dimensional version. The empirical Bayes posterior means based on an NPMLE have low regret, meaning they closely target the oracle posterior means one would compute with the true prior in hand. We prove an oracle inequality implying that the empirical Bayes estimator performs at nearly the optimal level (up to logarithmic factors) for denoizing without prior knowledge. We provide finite-sample bounds on the average Hellinger accuracy of an NPMLE for estimating the marginal densities of the observations. We also demonstrate the adaptive and nearly optimal properties of NPMLEs for deconvolution. We apply our method to two denoizing problems in astronomy and to two hierarchical linear modelling problems in social science and biology.
Usefulness of aircraft and airport wastewater for monitoring multiple pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 variants
Authors: Tay Martin , Lee Benjamin , Ismail Muhammad Hafiz , Yam Jerald , Maliki Dzulkhairul , Gin Karina Yew-Hoong , Chae Sae-Rom , Ho Zheng Jie Marc , Teoh Yee Leong , Ng Lee Ching , Wong Judith Chui Ching
Published: May 2024

Background

As global travel resumed in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) endemicity, the potential of aircraft wastewater monitoring to provide early warning of disease trends for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants and other infectious diseases, particularly at international air travel hubs, was recognized. We therefore assessed and compared the feasibility of testing wastewater from inbound aircraft and airport terminals for 18 pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 in Singapore, a popular travel hub in Asia.

Methods

Wastewater samples collected from inbound medium- and long-haul flights and airport terminals were tested for SARS-CoV-2. Next Generation Sequencing was carried out on positive samples to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants. Airport and aircraft samples were further tested for 17 other pathogens through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The proportion of SARS-CoV-2-positive samples and the average virus load was higher for wastewater samples from aircraft as compared with airport terminals. Cross-correlation analyses indicated that viral load trends from airport wastewater led local COVID-19 case trends by 2–5 days. A total of 10 variants (44 sub-lineages) were successfully identified from aircraft wastewater and airport terminals, and four variants of interest and one variant under monitoring were detected in aircraft and airport wastewater 18–31 days prior to detection in local clinical cases. The detection of five respiratory and four enteric viruses in aircraft wastewater samples further underscores the potential to expand aircraft wastewater to monitoring pathogens beyond SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of aircraft wastewater testing for monitoring infectious diseases threats, potentially detecting signals before clinical cases are reported. The triangulation of similar datapoints from aircraft wastewater of international travel nodes could therefore serve as a useful early warning system for global health threats.
Rhythmic lipid and gene expression responses to chilling in panicoid grasses
Authors: Kenchanmane Raju Sunil K , Zhang Yang , Mahboub Samira , Ngu Daniel W , Qiu Yumou , Harmon Frank G , Schnable James C , Roston Rebecca L
Published: May 2024

Chilling stress threatens plant growth and development, particularly affecting membrane fluidity and cellular integrity. Understanding plant membrane responses to chilling stress is important for unraveling the molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance. Whereas core transcriptional responses to chilling stress and stress tolerance are conserved across species, the associated changes in membrane lipids appear to be less conserved, as which lipids are affected by chilling stress varies by species. Here, we investigated changes in gene expression and membrane lipids in response to chilling stress during one 24 h cycle in chilling-tolerant foxtail millet (Setaria italica), and chilling-sensitive sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and Urochloa (browntop signal grass, Urochloa fusca, lipids only), leveraging their evolutionary relatedness and differing levels of chilling stress tolerance. We show that most chilling-induced lipid changes are conserved across the three species, while we observed distinct, time-specific responses in chilling-tolerant foxtail millet, indicating the presence of a finely orchestrated adaptive mechanism. We detected rhythmicity in lipid responses to chilling stress in the three grasses, which were also present in Arabidopsis thaliana, suggesting the conservation of rhythmic patterns across species and highlighting the importance of accounting for time of day. When integrating lipid datasets with gene expression profiles, we identified potential candidate genes that showed corresponding transcriptional changes in response to chilling stress, providing insights into the differences in regulatory mechanisms between chilling-sensitive sorghum and chilling-tolerant foxtail millet.
Dust reverberation mapping of 0.3 ≤ z ≤ 0.8 AGN with UltraVISTA: lessons for future large surveys
Authors: Lira P , Sánchez-Sáez P , Arévalo P , Tristram K , De Cicco D , Milvang-Jensen B , Dunlop J S
Published: May 2024

In this work we used a sample of 20 variable active galactic nuclei at 0.3 < z < 0.8 from the Ultra-VISTA survey to test whether their emission in the near-infrared (NIR) is consistent with emission from the dusty torus or the accretion disc, and whether the radius–luminosity relation found for local sources, is also seen when we consider sources from our sample. We carried out a spectral energy distribution analysis and conclude that 14 of the 20 sources have a variable component dominated by the dusty torus, and four have a variable component dominated by the accretion disc and two sources give uncertain results. Correcting for the disc contamination in the observed-frame Ks band, however, allowed us to determine dust lags for 13 sources after performing cross-correlation analysis. Special care was taken to consider lags that were not biased by seasonal gaps. Our determined lags are systematically found below the radius–luminosity relationship determined for local sources. Following previous works, we introduce an empirical relation that corrects lags by the rest-frame wavelength of the band that samples the dust emission, as shorter wavelengths arise from hotter regions of the torus. When the correction is introduced, our results are consistent with previous findings. We finally discuss whether other intrinsic parameters might also contribute to this effect and how these corrections will impact future large optical and NIR surveys.
Phase curve wavelength dependency as revealed by shape- and geometry- corrected asteroid phase curves
Authors: Wilawer E , Muinonen K , Oszkiewicz D , Kryszczyńska A , Colazo M
Published: May 2024

We investigate the photometric properties of 35 well-observed asteroids using dense ground-based and sparse ATLAS survey data. Focusing on two-colour photometric phase functions, derived using inverse methods, we explore the wavelength dependence. Our study reveals distinct (G1, G2) domains for cyan and orange filters, especially among some S-complex asteroids. For other asteroids, substantial uncertainties prevail, or their distributions of phase curve parameters overlap, precluding definitive conclusions on wavelength dependence. Notably, for S-complex objects, the effect appears systematic, characterized by lower G2 values in the cyan filter. The effect can be explained by considering the known geometric albedo correlation: higher albedo corresponds to flatter, whereas lower albedo corresponds to steeper phase curves. In the case of equal albedo, asteroids with red spectral slopes have a more pronounced opposition effect in red and asteroids with blue spectral slopes in blue filters. We explore the variation of slope differences of orange and cyan phase curves with phase angle. For most asteroids, the largest nominal variation is observed at phase angles < 10°. This suggests that the phase colouring for the orange–cyan colour slope is more pronounced at small phase angles. Through meticulous analysis of the opposition effect amplitudes, we also pinpoint preferred rotational pole solutions. We identify inconsistencies between phase curve parameters and spectral types in specific cases. The shape- and geometry-corrected phase curves signify an important advancement in studying asteroid photometric behaviour and may offer a deeper understanding of surface and regolith properties previously obscured by these effects, such as surface roughness.
Dynamics of the Herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase holoenzyme during DNA synthesis and proof-reading revealed by Cryo-EM
Authors: Gustavsson Emil , Grünewald Kay , Elias Per , Hällberg B Martin
Published: May 2024

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), a double-stranded DNA virus, replicates using seven essential proteins encoded by its genome. Among these, the UL30 DNA polymerase, complexed with the UL42 processivity factor, orchestrates leading and lagging strand replication of the 152 kb viral genome. UL30 polymerase is a prime target for antiviral therapy, and resistance to current drugs can arise in immunocompromised individuals. Using electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM), we unveil the dynamic changes of the UL30/UL42 complex with DNA in three distinct states. First, a pre-translocation state with an open fingers domain ready for nucleotide incorporation. Second, a halted elongation state where the fingers close, trapping dATP in the dNTP pocket. Third, a DNA-editing state involving significant conformational changes to allow DNA realignment for exonuclease activity. Additionally, the flexible UL30 C-terminal domain interacts with UL42, forming an extended positively charged surface binding to DNA, thereby enhancing processive synthesis. These findings highlight substantial structural shifts in the polymerase and its DNA interactions during replication, offering insights for future antiviral drug development.
U6 snRNA m6A modification is required for accurate and efficient splicing of C. elegans and human pre-mRNAs
Authors: Shen Aykut , Hencel Katarzyna , Parker Matthew T , Scott Robyn , Skukan Roberta , Adesina Aduragbemi S , Metheringham Carey L , Miska Eric A , Nam Yunsun , Haerty Wilfried , Simpson Gordon G , Akay Alper
Published: May 2024

pre-mRNA splicing is a critical feature of eukaryotic gene expression. Both cis- and trans-splicing rely on accurately recognising splice site sequences by spliceosomal U snRNAs and associated proteins. Spliceosomal snRNAs carry multiple RNA modifications with the potential to affect different stages of pre-mRNA splicing. Here, we show that the conserved U6 snRNA m6A methyltransferase METT-10 is required for accurate and efficient cis- and trans-splicing of C. elegans pre-mRNAs. The absence of METT-10 in C. elegans and METTL16 in humans primarily leads to alternative splicing at 5′ splice sites with an adenosine at +4 position. In addition, METT-10 is required for splicing of weak 3′ cis- and trans-splice sites. We identified a significant overlap between METT-10 and the conserved splicing factor SNRNP27K in regulating 5′ splice sites with +4A. Finally, we show that editing endogenous 5′ splice site +4A positions to +4U restores splicing to wild-type positions in a mett-10 mutant background, supporting a direct role for U6 snRNA m6A modification in 5′ splice site recognition. We conclude that the U6 snRNA m6A modification is important for accurate and efficient pre-mRNA splicing.
Amplifiable protein identification via residue-resolved barcoding and composition code counting
Authors: Guo Weiming , Liu Yuan , Han Yu , Tang Huan , Fan Xinyuan , Wang Chu , Chen Peng R
Published: May 2024

Ultrasensitive protein identification is of paramount importance in basic research and clinical diagnostics but remains extremely challenging. A key bottleneck in preventing single-molecule protein sequencing is that, unlike the revolutionary nucleic acid sequencing methods that rely on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA and RNA molecules, protein molecules cannot be directly amplified. Decoding the proteins via amplification of certain fingerprints rather than the intact protein sequence thus represents an appealing alternative choice to address this formidable challenge. Herein, we report a proof-of-concept method that relies on residue-resolved DNA barcoding and composition code counting for amplifiable protein fingerprinting (AmproCode). In AmproCode, selective types of residues on peptides or proteins are chemically labeled with a DNA barcode, which can be amplified and quantified via quantitative PCR. The operation generates a relative ratio as the residue-resolved ‘composition code’ for each target protein that can be utilized as the fingerprint to determine its identity from the proteome database. We developed a database searching algorithm and applied it to assess the coverage of the whole proteome and secretome via computational simulations, proving the theoretical feasibility of AmproCode. We then designed the residue-specific DNA barcoding and amplification workflow, and identified different synthetic model peptides found in the secretome at as low as the fmol/L level for demonstration. These results build the foundation for an unprecedented amplifiable protein fingerprinting method. We believe that, in the future, AmproCode could ultimately realize single-molecule amplifiable identification of trace complex samples without further purification, and it may open a new avenue in the development of next-generation protein sequencing techniques.
Cardiovascular and lifestyle risk factors of mild cognitive impairment in UK veterans and non-veterans
Authors: Akhanemhe R , Stevelink S A M , Corbett A , Ballard C , Brooker H , Creese B , Aarsland Dag , Hampshire Adam , Greenberg Neil
Published: May 2024

Background

The link between poor cardiovascular health (CVH), lifestyle and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been well established in the general population. However, there is limited research exploring these associations in ageing UK veterans.

Aims

This study explored the risk of MCI and its association with nine CVH and lifestyle risk factors (including diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, physical inactivity, the frequency of alcohol consumption and smoking) in UK veterans and non-veterans.

Methods

This prospective cohort study comprised data from the PROTECT study between 2014 and 2022. Participants comprised of UK military veterans and non-veterans aged ≥50 years at baseline. Veteran status was defined using the Military Service History Questionnaire. CVH and lifestyle risk factors were defined using a combination of self-report measures, medication history or physical measurements. MCI was defined as the presence of subjective and objective cognitive impairment.

Results

Based on a sample of 9378 veterans (n = 488) and non-veterans (n = 8890), the findings showed the risk of MCI significantly reduced in veterans with obesity, those who frequently consumed alcohol and were physically inactive compared to non-veterans. The risk of MCI significantly increased in veterans with diabetes (hazards ratio [HR] = 2.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–4.75, P ≤ 0.05) or high cholesterol (HR = 3.11, 95% CI 1.64–5.87, P ≤ 0.05) compared to veterans without.

Conclusions

This study identified CVH and lifestyle factors of MCI in UK veterans and non-veterans. Further work is needed to understand these associations and the underpinning mechanisms which could determine intervention strategies to reduce the risk of MCI.
Work-Related Fatigue Among Indonesian Offshore Oil and Gas Workers
Authors: Aria M , Khazim I , Ilyas M , Kekalih A , Fuady A
Published: May 2024

Background

Work-related fatigue, combined with shift work and prolonged work hours, has a significant effect, contributing to increasing accident rate by 50–100%.

Aims

To assess the level of work-related fatigue over a 4-week work period among offshore rig oil and gas workers in Indonesia.

Methods

This cohort study evaluated acute fatigue, chronic fatigue, and intershift recovery scores among offshore oil and gas rig workers using the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery 15 (OFER15) questionnaire. Fatigue levels were assessed weekly throughout the study duration, which was 4-week work period. Additionally, at the fourth week, participants were asked about psychosocial factors that could be potentially related to fatigue.

Results

Of 67 participants, the average scores of acute and chronic fatigue were 30.0 and 33.3, and the scores had significantly increased over 4 weeks (P < 0.001). The intershift recovery scores statistically significantly decreased over 4 weeks (P < 0.001), and the differences between weeks (Week 1 versus 2, Week 1 versus 3 and Week 1 versus 4) were also statistically significant (P < 0.001). Acute and chronic fatigue scores had a significant positive correlation with psychological job demands and negatively correlated with influence at work and job satisfaction. Over 4 weeks, acute fatigue augmented chronic fatigue, while acute and chronic fatigue demanded a longer recovery.

Conclusions

Workers at the offshore rig experienced work fatigue during their on-duty periods, with the level of fatigue significantly increasing over the 4 weeks. Comprehensive fatigue management at offshore rigs is vital to mitigate work fatigue and minimize the risk of work-related accidents.
Songbird annual productivity declines with increasing soil lead contamination around nests
Authors: Thompson III Frank R , Bonnot Thomas W , Brasso Rebecka L , Roach Melissa C , Hixson Kathy , Mosby David E
Published: May 2024

Songbirds incidentally ingest soil contaminated with lead and several species in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District have a negative relationship between soil lead concentration and reproduction. We used an individual-based model (IBM) to simulate nesting processes throughout the breeding season to estimate annual productivity for 5 songbirds in relation to soil-lead concentration. We modeled daily nest survival and number fledged in relation to soil lead and incorporated these relationships into the IBM using a Bayesian approach that fully captured parameter uncertainty and process variation. The proportion of the posterior distribution for the effect of soil lead on daily nest survival was mostly negative for Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Eastern Towhee), Passerina cyanea (Indigo Bunting), Cardinalis cardinalis (Northern Cardinal), Sialia sialis (Eastern Bluebird; f = 0.972, 0.990, 0.741, 0.581, respectively), and slightly positive for Spizella pusilla (Field Sparrow; f = 0.680). The proportion of the posterior distribution for the effect of soil lead on the number fledged from successful nests was mostly negative for S. pusilla, P. erythrophthalmus, and C. cardinalis (f = 0.867, 0.585, 0.508, respectively) and positive for P. cyanea and S. sialis (f = 0.773, 0.744). Simulated annual productivity decreased by 0.04–1.47 young/female/year among species across the range of soil lead concentrations, with the greatest declines for P. erythrophthalmus and P. cyanea. The probability of fledging one or more young changed from 51% to 15% for P. erythrophthalmus, 57% to 23% for P. cyanea, 60% to 48% for C. cardinalis, 94% to 84% for S. sialis, and 57% to 64% for S. pusilla as soil-lead concentration around a nest increased from 20 to 4,000 ppm. Most nest failures were the result of predation; therefore, we suggest lead may have affected birds’ behavior at the nest, or affected nest site quality, which resulted in higher nest predation.
Threat of shock increases distractor susceptibility during the short-term maintenance of visual information
Authors: Casalvera Abigail , Goodwin Madeline , Lynch Kevin G , Teferi Marta , Patel Milan , Grillon Christian , Ernst Monique , Balderston Nicholas L
Published: May 2024

Elevated arousal in anxiety is thought to affect attention control. To test this, we designed a visual short-term memory (VSTM) task to examine distractor suppression during periods of threat and no-threat. We hypothesized that threat would impair performance when subjects had to filter out large numbers of distractors. The VSTM task required subjects to attend to one array of squares while ignoring a separate array. The number of target and distractor squares varied systematically, with high (four squares) and low (two squares) target and distractor conditions. This study comprised two separate experiments. Experiment 1 used startle responses and white noise as to directly measure threat-induced anxiety. Experiment 2 used BOLD to measure brain responses. For Experiment 1, subjects showed significantly larger startle responses during threat compared to safe period, supporting the validity of the threat manipulation. For Experiment 2, we found that accuracy was affected by threat, such that the distractor load negatively impacted accuracy only in the threat condition. We also found threat-related differences in parietal cortex activity. Overall, these findings suggest that threat affects distractor susceptibility, impairing filtering of distracting information. This effect is possibly mediated by hyperarousal of parietal cortex during threat.
Assessing financialization under international financial subordination: a mixed-methods study of Brazilian and Turkish non-financial corporations
Authors: Kaltenbrunner Annina , Karaçimen Elif , Rabinovich Joel
Published: May 2024

This article investigates the changing financial behaviour of Brazilian and Turkish non-financial corporations (NFCs) in the context of international financial subordination. Recent empirical evidence shows that emerging capitalist economies’ (ECEs) NFCs have increased their holdings of very short-term financial assets (mainly cash), whilst borrowing heavily from (international) financial markets and banks. Drawing on an extensive mixed-method study, we show that, instead of being paradoxical or driven by speculative carry trade operations, the ‘wasteful’ combination of holding very liquid and lower yielding assets while borrowing at higher costs (largely denominated in foreign currency) can be contextualized in the subordinate integration of ECEs firms into the global economy. Whereas cash holdings protect against macroeconomic uncertainty, ECEs firm borrowing is largely determined by international market conditions in the context of structural financing constraints. Moreover, our results show the dualistic and heterogenous nature of ECEs firm financial behaviour, which mirrors the polarity observed in those economies’ productive structure and structural balance of payments constraints: only firms with secure access to foreign exchange—either through exports or active internationalization—have the collateral to interact with global—dollar dominated—financial markets. Finally, our article points to the important, yet contradictory, role of the state in ECEs firm financial behaviour. In instances where foreign exchange generating activities in the private sector are not given, the state assumes a crucial role in enabling firms’ engagement with global financial markets; yet it is that same engagement, which—in the context of international financial subordination—creates acute macroeconomic vulnerabilities which at times force the state to restrict those same operations.