bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IV. LGBTQ+ Lay Catholics Co-Creating the Church
Authors: Flanagan Brian P.
Published: June 2022

As the other articles in this roundtable suggest, Catholics in the United States in the second half of the twentieth century were able to draw upon a long tradition of lay involvement in various lay apostolates, the renewed teaching on the role of the laity proclaimed at the Second Vatican Council, and the worldwide presence of forms of international lay organizations, including Pax Romana and Catholic student movements. Additional contributions to this discussion could easily include some of the other official and institutionalized forms of lay involvement that proliferated in the twentieth century—the rise of various new ecclesial movements such as Opus Dei, Focolare, and the Communità Sant'Egidio; the Catholic Family movement and other forms of lay-led renewal at the national and parish level that pursued the conciliar vision of the universal call to holiness with enthusiasm and persistence; the entry of thousands of laypeople into ministries and teaching roles previously restricted, in practice if not always in statute, to the ordained and to members of religious communities; and the particular roles of lay Catholics with historically oppressed or marginalized racial and ethnic identities in finding a voice in postconciliar Catholicism.
Measuring empiric antibiotic spectrum—A journey through space and time
Authors: Yarrington Michael E. , Wrenn Rebekah H. , Spivey Justin , Sarubbi Christina , Anderson Deverick J. , Moehring Rebekah W.
Published: June 2022

Objectives:

The typical 5-day work week affects healthcare outcomes. Structured work hours have also been implicated in antimicrobial prescribing choice. We developed a visualization tool to aid in evaluating breadth of antibiotic use in various time (day of week and hour of day) and space (patient location) combinations.

Methods:

We evaluated antibiotic administration data from a tertiary-care academic medical center between July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2020. We calculated a cumulative empiric antibiotic spectrum score by adapting a previously validated antibiotic spectrum index (ASI) and applying that score to empiric antibiotic use. We visualized these data as a heat map based on various day-of-week–time combinations and then compared the distribution of scores between weekday nights, weekend days, and weekend nights to the typical workweek hours (weekday days, weekday days) using the Mann-Whitney U nonparametric test with a Bonferroni correction.

Results:

The analysis included 76,535 antibiotic starts across 53,900 unique patient admissions over 2 years. The mean cumulative ASI was higher in all 3 night and weekend combinations (weekday nights, 7.3; weekend days, 7.6; weekend nights, 7.5) compared to the weekday daytime hours (weekday days, 7.1) and the distribution of scores was different in all groups compared to the weekday daytime reference. The cumulative ASI was also higher in intensive care units.

Conclusions:

Empiric antibiotic prescribing patterns differed across space and time; broader antibiotic choices occurred in the intensive care units and on nights and weekends. Visualization of these patterns aids in antimicrobial prescribing pattern recognition and may assist in finding opportunities for additional antimicrobial stewardship interventions.
Coexistence of lazy frogs on
Authors: Holmes Mark , Kious Daniel
Published: June 2022

We study the so-called frog model on
${\mathbb{Z}}$
with two types of lazy frogs, with parameters
$p_1,p_2\in (0,1]$
respectively, and a finite expected number of dormant frogs per site. We show that for any such
$p_1$
and
$p_2$
there is positive probability that the two types coexist (i.e. that both types activate infinitely many frogs). This answers a question of Deijfen, Hirscher, and Lopes in dimension one.
Wind-borne dispersion of Echinococcus multilocularis eggs – a flight model
Authors: Siegert S. , Neumann S.
Published: June 2022

The alveolar hydatid disease, also known as alveolar echinococcosis, of humans is certainly one of the most dangerous zoonoses worldwide. The disease is caused by Echinococcus multilocularis – the fox tapeworm. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are currently counted as the most important carriers (reservoirs) of E. multilocularis in the Northern Hemisphere. The possible routes of infection of E. multilocularis to humans are complex and still require research. Until now, it has been unknown whether E. multilocularis eggs can be moved by wind at all. This analysis shows, based on calculations, that E. multilocularis eggs can be transported by wind. Using a mathematical model, flight distances depending on wind speed and take-off heights are calculated for dense and less dense (coniferous) forest areas. The results – differentiated for seasons and as overall average – are based on mean values of wind speeds which were measured over a ten-year period in an experimental forest stand in the Solling (Germany). Due to their rate of descent, wind-related spreading of E. multilocularis eggs is possible. The average flight distance covered by E. multilocularis eggs in forest areas, depending on their starting altitude and wind speed, is between approximately 1.3 m and approximately 17 m. From the mathematical point of view, the wind factor can definitely be seen as one of the multiple vectors associated with environmental contamination by E. multilocularis eggs. Consequently, the possible wind-borne spread of E. multilocularis eggs poses an infection risk to humans that should be considered and requires further research.
Adjustment of publication bias using a cumulative meta-analytic framework
Authors: Canestaro W. J. , Devine E. B. , Bansal A. , Sullivan S. D. , Carlson J. J.
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Publication bias has the potential to adversely impact clinical decision making and patient health if alternative decisions would have been made had there been complete publication of evidence.

Methods

The objective of our analysis was to determine if earlier publication of the complete evidence on rosiglitazone’s risk of myocardial infarction (MI) would have changed clinical decision making at an earlier point in time. We tested several methods for adjustment of publication bias to assess the impact of potential time delays to identifying the MI effect. We then performed a cumulative meta-analysis (CMA) for both published studies (published-only data set) and all studies performed (comprehensive data set). We then created an adjusted data set using existing methods of adjustment for publication bias (Harbord regression, Peter’s regression, and the nonparametric trim and fill method) applied to the limited data set. Finally, we compared the time to the decision threshold for each data set using CMA.

Results

Although published-only and comprehensive data sets did not provide notably different final summary estimates [OR = 1.4 (95 percent confidence interval [CI]: .95–2.05) and 1.42 (95 percent CI: 1.03–1.97)], the comprehensive data set reached the decision threshold 36 months earlier than the published-only data set. All three adjustment methods tested did not show a differential time to decision threshold versus the published-only data set.

Conclusions

Complete access to studies capturing MI risk for rosiglitazone would have led to the evidence reaching a clinically meaningful decision threshold 3 years earlier.
Towards a signature pedagogy for technology-enhanced task-based language teaching: Defining its design principles
Authors: Canals Laia , Mor Yishay
Published: June 2022

This paper reports on ongoing research aimed at characterizing a signature pedagogy (Shulman, 2005) of technology-enhanced task-based language teaching (TETBLT). To achieve this goal, we initially identified 15 pedagogical principles and practices distinctive of TETBLT. This initial set of principles and practices were motivated by second language acquisition theories (Doughty & Long, 2003), methodological approaches in foreign language teaching (Kramsch, 2014), and state-of-the-art publications on computer-assisted language learning (Chapelle & Sauro, 2017). During the first phase of the study, we consulted an initial group of 34 experts in the field, using the Delphi technique to achieve gradual consensus about the set of principles. After analyzing the first set of responses (N = 23) to the principles, which attained a degree of agreement averaging 71% and ranging from 48% to 96%, we refined the principles incorporating the feedback received and sent out a second questionnaire, which allowed us to reach a consensus about a set of eight robust pedagogical principles for TETBLT.
Functional dysconnectivity of cerebellum and attention networks in emotional dysregulation shared between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and major depressive disorder: a multimodal imaging study
Authors: Wu Shun-Chin J. , Hsu Ju-Wei , Huang Kai-Lin , Bai Ya-Mei , Tu Pei-Chi , Chen Mu-Hong
Published: June 2022

Background

Emotional dysregulation (ED) is a common characteristic of both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), especially in adolescents. However, whether ADHD and MDD may share the specific ED-related neural networks remains unknown.

Methods

In total, 43 adolescents with clinical ED (22 adolescents with ADHD and 21 with MDD) were recruited; in addition, 29 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis, voxel-based morphometry, and diffusion tensor imaging analysis were performed for each patient. In addition, we determined the significant regions of interest in patients with ED due to ADHD and MDD as compared with HCs and tested their correlations with clinical rating scale scores.

Results

Compared with HCs, patients with ED had greater RSFC in the cerebellum and supramarginal gyrus (SMG), especially between vermis VI and the SMG in the attention networks, and lower RSFC between the right supplementary motor area and right lateral parietal area. Lower gray matter (GM) volume in the SMG was also found. RSFC was significantly correlated with clinical rating scale scores for all patients with ED due to ADHD or MDD. GM change was correlated with ED and MDD rating scale scores.

Discussion

The cerebellum and attention networks might play major roles in ED pathophysiology in adolescents with ADHD and MDD. Increased connectivity of the vermis to the SMG serves as a possible underlying neural network.
Development of the Anger Children’s Cognitive Error Scale and the Anger Children’s Automatic Thought Scale
Authors: Kishida Kohei , Takebe Masaya , Kuribayashi Chisato , Tanabe Yuichi , Ishikawa Shin-ichi
Published: June 2022

Background:

Empirical studies between anger and anger-provoking cognitive variables in children and adolescents are lacking, despite numerous studies on internalising and externalising problems.

Aim:

The purpose of this study was to develop new questionnaires for anger-provoking cognitive errors and automatic thoughts, and examine relationships between anger, cognitive errors, and automatic thoughts in children and adolescents.

Method:

Participants were 485 Japanese children and adolescents aged 9–15 years old (254 females; average age 12.07; SD = 1.81). They completed the Anger Children’s Cognitive Error Scale (A-CCES) and the Anger Children’s Automatic Thought Scale (A-CATS), which were developed in this study, as well as the Anger Scale for Children and Adolescents and the Japanese version of Short Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale.

Results:

Both the A-CCES and the A-CATS had adequate reliability (internal consistency) and validity (face validity, structural validity and construct validity). A hierarchal regression analysis indicated that automatic thoughts were positively and moderately related to anger (β = .37) after controlling for age, gender, anxiety symptoms, cognitive errors and interaction term. Moreover, a mediation analysis indicated that automatic thoughts significantly mediated the relationship between cognitive errors and anger (indirect effect, 0.24; 95% CI: .020 to .036).

Conclusions:

This study developed the new questionnaires to assess anger-provoking cognitive errors and automatic thoughts. In addition, this study revealed that automatic thoughts rather than cognitive errors are associated with anger in children and adolescents.
Three Ways of Reading a Frontispiece: The Example of the Cairo Būstān
Authors: BLAIR SHEILA
Published: June 2022

The double-page frontispiece to the manuscript of Saʿdi's Būstān transcribed for the penultimate Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn (r. 1469–1506) and now in the National Library of Egypt (Adab Farisi 22) is well-known and oft-published. Reproduced repeatedly since the turn of the twentieth century, it has become part of the canons of Persian painting, Timurid art, the oeuvre of Bihzad and his circle, masterpieces of the Cairo Library, and more. Connoisseurs and scholars have repeatedly discussed its period details. Barbara Brend, the scholar we honour in this volume, who has written so mellifluously about Persianate painting, analysed the identity and pose of several figures in it. Here I should like to continue the lengthy isnād, suggesting three ways of examining the frontispiece in the context of the manuscript to which it belongs, first structurally as the opening spread in a codex, then literarily as the introduction to a specific text, and finally, historically as a pictorial encomium to the princely patron for whom the manuscript was produced. Altogether, the article looks at three different ways of reading this and other pictorial frontispieces.
‘Chinese’ Paper and Margins of Gold in a Fifteenth-Century Shiraz Anthology
Authors: WRIGHT ELAINE
Published: June 2022

Within the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, is a small, but especially interesting anthology of Persian poetry. Although the manuscript's colophon is missing, the stylistic evidence of its badly damaged illustrations and illuminations indicates that it was produced in Shiraz in the 1430s or 1440s. The discussion considers two unusual features of the manuscript, the first of which is that seven folios of a type of paper, generally thought to be of Chinese manufacture, are included among its 171 folios of otherwise Islamic paper. As is typical of this so-called Chinese paper, the folios are coloured—in this case an olive green—and one is decorated with a gold painted design of what appears to be an immature fruit of some sort, along with lobed leaves on a curling vine. Equally intriguing are the scenes and patterns, painted exclusively in gold, that fill the margins of the folios throughout the manuscript. No other such margins are known in any other contemporary manuscript.
Robust determinants of neurocognitive development in children: evidence from the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study
Authors: Yajnik Chittaranjan S. , Tan Chih Ming , Bhate Vidya , Bandyopadhyay Souvik , Sankar Ashwini , Behere Rishikesh V.
Published: June 2022

Neurocognitive development is a dynamic process over the life course and is influenced by intrauterine factors as well as later life environment. Using data from the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study from 1994 to 2008, we investigate the association of in utero, birth, and childhood conditions with offspring neurocognitive development in 686 participants of the cohort, at age 12 years. The life course exposure variables in the analysis include maternal pre-pregnancy size and nutrition during pregnancy, offspring birth measurements, nutrition and physical growth at age 12 years along with parental education and socio-economic status. We used the novel Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) approach; which has been shown to have better predictive performance over traditional tests of associations. Our study employs eight standard neurocognitive tests that measure intelligence, working memory, visuo-conceptual and verbal learning, and decision-making/attention at 12 years of age. We control for nutritional-metabolic information based on blood measurements from the pregnant mothers and the children at 12 years of age. Our findings highlight the critical role of parental education and socio-economic background in determining child neurocognitive performance. Maternal characteristics (pre-pregnancy BMI, fasting insulin during pregnancy) and child height at 12 years were also robust predictors on the BMA. A range of early factors – such as maternal folate and ferritin concentrations during pregnancy, and child’s head circumference at birth – remained important determinants of some dimensions of child’s neurocognitive development, but their associations were not robust once we account for model uncertainty. Our results suggest that intrauterine influences on long- term neurocognitive outcomes may be potentially reversible by post-birth remediation. In addition to the current nutritional interventions, public health policy should also consider social interventions in children born into families with low socio-economic status to improve human capital.
Source Relationships and Model Structures Determine Information Flow Paths in Ecohydrologic Models
Authors: Goodwell Allison E. , Bassiouni Maoya
Published: June 2022

In a complex ecohydrologic system, vegetation and soil variables combine to dictate heat fluxes, and these fluxes may vary depending on the extent to which drivers are linearly or nonlinearly interrelated. From a modeling and causality perspective, uncertainty, sensitivity, and performance measures all relate to how information from different sources “flows” through a model to produce a target, or output. We address how model structure, broadly defined as a mapping from inputs to an output, combines with source dependencies to produce a range of information flow pathways from sources to a target. We apply information decomposition, which partitions reductions in uncertainty into synergistic, redundant, and unique information types, to a range of model cases. Toy models show that model structure and source dependencies both restrict the types of interactions that can arise between sources and targets. Regressions based on weather data illustrate how different model structures vary in their sensitivity to source dependencies, thus affecting predictive and functional performance. Finally, we compare the Surface Flux Equilibrium theory, a land‐surface model, and neural networks in estimating the Bowen ratio and find that models trade off information types particularly when sources have the highest and lowest dependencies. Overall, this study extends an information theory‐based model evaluation framework to incorporate the influence of source dependency on information pathways. This could be applied to explore behavioral ranges for both machine learning and process‐based models, and guide model development by highlighting model deficiencies based on information flow pathways that would not be apparent based on existing measures.
The Challenge of Getting Earth and Space Science Into U.S. High Schools
Authors: Wysession M. E.
Published: June 2022

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which have now been adopted or adapted by 45 states and Washington, D.C., as their public K‐12 science education standards, are not only revolutionizing the way science is taught but are providing significant opportunities for an increased presence of Earth and space science (ESS) in public high schools in many states across the U.S. The NGSS, which grew out of the National Research Council’s Framework for K‐12 Science Education, are the latest in a > 150‐year history of attempts to shape the science education standards within U.S. states. NGSS‐designed curricula, which focus on the practices of science and allow students to explore science through following storylines developed around student‐relevant phenomena, are engaging and effective, and are reshaping K‐12 science courses at a surprisingly rapid pace. In the process, large numbers of U.S. high schools that have never included substantial ESS are now doing so for the first time, providing a significant opportunity to make substantial improvements in general U.S. geoscience literacy. There is still far to go and a successful integration of ESS into the K‐12 education across all states will require substantial service work on the part of geoscientists.
Characterization of Acoustic Emissions From Analogue Rocks Using Sparse Regression‐DMDc
Authors: Fieseler C. , Mitchell C. A. , Pyrak‐Nolte L. J. , Kutz J. N.
Published: June 2022

Moisture loss in rock is known to generate acoustic emissions (AE). Phenomena that result in AE during drying are related to the movement of fluids through the pores and induced‐cracks that arise from differential mineral shrinkage, especially in clay‐bearing rock. AE from the movement of fluids occurs from the reconfiguration of fluid interfaces during drying, while AE from mineral shrinkage involves the debonding within or between minerals. Here, analogue rock samples were used to examine the differences in the AE signatures when one or both AE source‐types are present. An unsupervised sparse regression model, Dynamic Mode Decomposition with control, that extends Dynamic Mode Decomposition is used to characterize the AE signals recorded during the drying of porous analogue rock samples fabricated with ordinary Portland cement, with and without clay. This method can effectively and accurately reconstruct acoustic signals emitted from samples that only experience moisture loss without cracking. However, the method struggles to reconstruct signals from samples with intricate crack networks that formed during drying because AE generating mechanisms can emit contemporaneously, and the resulting waves propagate through drying‐induced cracks that can lead to multiple internal reflections. Thus, the differential reconstruction accuracy of time series generated by different underlying physical processes provides a robust filter for reducing large data catalogs. In general, both dynamics and sparse initiating events are learned directly from data and this method exposes a data hierarchy based on the complexity of the intrinsic dynamics.
Programmable structured surfaces can change the future of wireless communications
Authors: Xu Lei , Rahmani Mohsen
Published: June 2022

An innovative time-varying metasurface has been reported to realise dual-channel data transmissions for light-to-microwave signal conversion. Such a novel technique is a remarkable step forward to realise full-spectrum networks for catering for the growing demand for wireless communications. Moreover, this technique enriches the functionalities of tunable metasurfaces and stimulates new information-oriented applications.
Flood exposure and poverty in 188 countries
Authors: Rentschler Jun , Salhab Melda , Jafino Bramka Arga
Published: June 2022

Flooding is among the most prevalent natural hazards, with particularly disastrous impacts in low-income countries. This study presents global estimates of the number of people exposed to high flood risks in interaction with poverty. It finds that 1.81 billion people (23% of world population) are directly exposed to 1-in-100-year floods. Of these, 1.24 billion are located in South and East Asia, where China (395 million) and India (390 million) account for over one-third of global exposure. Low- and middle-income countries are home to 89% of the world’s flood-exposed people. Of the 170 million facing high flood risk and extreme poverty (living on under $1.90 per day), 44% are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over 780 million of those living on under $5.50 per day face high flood risk. Using state-of-the-art poverty and flood data, our findings highlight the scale and priority regions for flood mitigation measures to support resilient development.
Evaporative water loss of 1.42 million global lakes
Authors: Zhao Gang , Li Yao , Zhou Liming , Gao Huilin
Published: June 2022

The evaporative loss from global lakes (natural and artificial) is a critical component of the terrestrial water and energy balance. However, the evaporation volume of these water bodies—from the spatial distribution to the long-term trend—is as of yet unknown. Here, using satellite observations and modeling tools, we quantified the evaporation volume from 1.42 million global lakes from 1985 to 2018. We find that the long-term average lake evaporation is 1500 ± 150 km3 year−1 and it has increased at a rate of 3.12 km3 year−1. The trend attributions include an increasing evaporation rate (58%), decreasing lake ice coverage (23%), and increasing lake surface area (19%). While only accounting for 5% of the global lake storage capacity, artificial lakes (i.e., reservoirs) contribute 16% to the evaporation volume. Our results underline the importance of using evaporation volume, rather than evaporation rate, as the primary index for assessing climatic impacts on lake systems.
SpySwitch enables pH- or heat-responsive capture and release for plug-and-display nanoassembly
Authors: Vester Susan K. , Rahikainen Rolle , Khairil Anuar Irsyad N. A. , Hills Rory A. , Tan Tiong Kit , Howarth Mark
Published: June 2022

Proteins can be empowered via SpyTag for anchoring and nanoassembly, through covalent bonding to SpyCatcher partners. Here we generate a switchable version of SpyCatcher, allowing gentle purification of SpyTagged proteins. We introduce numerous histidines adjacent to SpyTag’s binding site, giving moderate pH-dependent release. After phage-based selection, our final SpySwitch allows purification of SpyTag- and SpyTag003-fusions from bacterial or mammalian culture by capture at neutral pH and release at pH 5, with purity far beyond His-tag methods. SpySwitch is also thermosensitive, capturing at 4 °C and releasing at 37 °C. With flexible choice of eluent, SpySwitch-purified proteins can directly assemble onto multimeric scaffolds. 60-mer multimerization enhances immunogenicity and we use SpySwitch to purify receptor-binding domains from SARS-CoV-2 and 11 other sarbecoviruses. For these receptor-binding domains we determine thermal resilience (for mosaic vaccine development) and cross-recognition by antibodies. Antibody EY6A reacts across all tested sarbecoviruses, towards potential application against new coronavirus pandemic threats.
Learning representations of chromatin contacts using a recurrent neural network identifies genomic drivers of conformation
Authors: Dsouza Kevin B. , Maslova Alexandra , Al-Jibury Ediem , Merkenschlager Matthias , Bhargava Vijay K. , Libbrecht Maxwell W.
Published: June 2022

Despite the availability of chromatin conformation capture experiments, discerning the relationship between the 1D genome and 3D conformation remains a challenge, which limits our understanding of their affect on gene expression and disease. We propose Hi-C-LSTM, a method that produces low-dimensional latent representations that summarize intra-chromosomal Hi-C contacts via a recurrent long short-term memory neural network model. We find that these representations contain all the information needed to recreate the observed Hi-C matrix with high accuracy, outperforming existing methods. These representations enable the identification of a variety of conformation-defining genomic elements, including nuclear compartments and conformation-related transcription factors. They furthermore enable in-silico perturbation experiments that measure the influence of cis-regulatory elements on conformation.
Upcycling Compact Discs for Flexible and Stretchable Bioelectronic Applications
Authors: Brown Matthew S. , Somma Louis , Mendoza Melissa , Noh Yeonsik , Mahler Gretchen J. , Koh Ahyeon
Published: June 2022

Electronic waste is a global issue brought about by the short lifespan of electronics. Viable methods to relieve the inundated disposal system by repurposing the enormous amount of electronic waste remain elusive. Inspired by the need for sustainable solutions, this study resulted in a multifaceted approach to upcycling compact discs. The once-ubiquitous plates can be transformed into stretchable and flexible biosensors. Our experiments and advanced prototypes show that effective, innovative biosensors can be developed at a low-cost. An affordable craft-based mechanical cutter allows pre-determined patterns to be scored on the recycled metal, an essential first step for producing stretchable, wearable electronics. The active metal harvested from the compact discs was inert, cytocompatible, and capable of vital biopotential measurements. Additional studies examined the material’s resistive emittance, temperature sensing, real-time metabolite monitoring performance, and moisture-triggered transience. This sustainable approach for upcycling electronic waste provides an advantageous research-based waste stream that does not require cutting-edge microfabrication facilities, expensive materials, and high-caliber engineering skills.
Pancreatic α and β cells are globally phase-locked
Authors: Ren Huixia , Li Yanjun , Han Chengsheng , Yu Yi , Shi Bowen , Peng Xiaohong , Zhang Tianming , Wu Shufang , Yang Xiaojing , Kim Sneppen , Chen Liangyi , Tang Chao
Published: June 2022

The Ca2+ modulated pulsatile glucagon and insulin secretions by pancreatic α and β cells play a crucial role in glucose homeostasis. However, how α and β cells coordinate to produce various Ca2+ oscillation patterns is still elusive. Using a microfluidic device and transgenic mice, we recorded Ca2+ signals from islet α and β cells, and observed heterogeneous Ca2+ oscillation patterns intrinsic to each islet. After a brief period of glucose stimulation, α and β cells’ oscillations were globally phase-locked. While the activation of α cells displayed a fixed time delay of ~20 s to that of β cells, β cells activated with a tunable period. Moreover, islet α cell number correlated with oscillation frequency. We built a mathematical model of islet Ca2+ oscillation incorporating paracrine interactions, which quantitatively agreed with the experimental data. Our study highlights the importance of cell-cell interaction in generating stable but tunable islet oscillation patterns.
Structural basis for mitoguardin-2 mediated lipid transport at ER-mitochondrial membrane contact sites
Authors: Kim Hyunwoo , Lee Seowhang , Jun Youngsoo , Lee Changwook
Published: June 2022

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria contact site (ERMCS) is crucial for exchanging biological molecules such as phospholipids and Ca2+ ions between these organelles. Mitoguardin-2 (MIGA2), a mitochondrial outer membrane protein, forms the ERMCS in higher eukaryotic cells. Here, we report the crystal structures of the MIGA2 Lipid Droplet (LD) targeting domain and the ER membrane protein VAPB bound to the phosphorylated FFAT motif of MIGA2. These structures reveal that the MIGA2 LD targeting domain has a large internal hydrophobic pocket that accommodates phospholipids and that two phosphorylations of the FFAT motif are required for tight interaction of MIGA2 with VAPB, which enhances the rate of lipid transport. Further biochemical studies show that MIGA2 transports phospholipids between membranes with a strong preference for binding and trafficking phosphatidylserine (PS). These results provide a structural and molecular basis for understanding how MIGA2 mediates the formation of ERMCS and facilitates lipid trafficking at the ERMCS.
Simulating the progression of brain structural alterations in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Park Chang-hyun , Shin Na-Young , Yoo Sang-Won , Seo Haeseok , Yoon Uicheul , Yoo Ji-Yeon , Ahn Kookjin , Kim Joong-Seok
Published: June 2022

Considering brain structural alterations as neurodegenerative consequences of Parkinson's disease (PD), we sought to infer the progression of PD via the ordering of brain structural alterations from cross-sectional MRI observations. Having measured cortical thinning in gray matter (GM) regions and disintegrity in white matter (WM) regions as MRI markers of structural alterations for 130 patients with PD (69 ± 10 years, 72 men), stochastic simulation based on the probabilistic relationship between the brain regions was conducted to infer the ordering of structural alterations across all brain regions and the staging of structural alterations according to changes in clinical status. The ordering of structural alterations represented WM disintegrity tending to occur earlier than cortical thinning. The staging of structural alterations indicated structural alterations happening mostly before major disease complications such as postural instability and dementia. Later disease states predicted by the sequence of structural alterations were significantly related to more severe clinical symptoms. The relevance of the ordering of brain structural alterations to the severity of clinical symptoms suggests the clinical feasibility of predicting PD progression states.
A Global Building Occupant Behavior Database
Authors: Dong Bing , Liu Yapan , Mu Wei , Jiang Zixin , Pandey Pratik , Hong Tianzhen , Olesen Bjarne , Lawrence Thomas , O’Neil Zheng , Andrews Clinton , Azar Elie , Bandurski Karol , Bardhan Ronita , Bavaresco Mateus , Berger Christiane , Burry Jane , Carlucci Salvatore , Chvatal Karin , De Simone Marilena , Erba Silvia , Gao Nan , Graham Lindsay T. , Grassi Camila , Jain Rishee , Kumar Sanjay , Kjærgaard Mikkel , Korsavi Sepideh , Langevin Jared , Li Zhengrong , Lipczynska Aleksandra , Mahdavi Ardeshir , Malik Jeetika , Marschall Max , Nagy Zoltan , Neves Leticia , O’Brien William , Pan Song , Park June Young , Pigliautile Ilaria , Piselli Cristina , Pisello Anna Laura , Rafsanjani Hamed Nabizadeh , Rupp Ricardo Forgiarini , Salim Flora , Schiavon Stefano , Schwee Jens , Sonta Andrew , Touchie Marianne , Wagner Andreas , Walsh Sinead , Wang Zhe , Webber David M. , Yan Da , Zangheri Paolo , Zhang Jingsi , Zhou Xiang , Zhou Xin
Published: June 2022

This paper introduces a database of 34 field-measured building occupant behavior datasets collected from 15 countries and 39 institutions across 10 climatic zones covering various building types in both commercial and residential sectors. This is a comprehensive global database about building occupant behavior. The database includes occupancy patterns (i.e., presence and people count) and occupant behaviors (i.e., interactions with devices, equipment, and technical systems in buildings). Brick schema models were developed to represent sensor and room metadata information. The database is publicly available, and a website was created for the public to access, query, and download specific datasets or the whole database interactively. The database can help to advance the knowledge and understanding of realistic occupancy patterns and human-building interactions with building systems (e.g., light switching, set-point changes on thermostats, fans on/off, etc.) and envelopes (e.g., window opening/closing). With these more realistic inputs of occupants’ schedules and their interactions with buildings and systems, building designers, energy modelers, and consultants can improve the accuracy of building energy simulation and building load forecasting.
Electrospun polycaprolactone nanofibrous membranes loaded with baicalin for antibacterial wound dressing
Authors: Zeng Weiwei , Cheng Nga-man , Liang Xia , Hu Haofeng , Luo Fulin , Jin Jia , Li Ya-wei
Published: June 2022

Due to the rise in bacterial resistance, the antibacterial extractions from Chinese herbs have been used more frequently for wound care. In this work, baicalin, an extraction from the Chinese herb Scutellaria baicalensis, was utilized as the antibacterial component in the poly(ε-caprolactone)/MXene (PCL/Ti3C2TX) hybrid nanofibrous membranes for wound dressing. The results revealed that the presence of Ti3C2TX aided in the diameter reduction of the electrospun nanofibers. The PCL hybrid membrane containing 3 wt% Ti3C2TX nanoflakes and 5 wt% baicalin exhibited the smallest mean diameter of 210 nm. Meanwhile, the antibacterial tests demonstrated that the PCL ternary hybrid nanofibers containing Ti3C2TX and baicalin exhibited adequate antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive bacterial S. aureus due to the good synergistic effects of Ti3C2TX naoflakes and baicalin. The addition of Ti3C2TX nanoflakes and baicalin could significantly improve the hydrophilicity of the membranes, resulting in the release of baicalin from the nanofibers. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the nanofibers on rat skeletal myoblast L6 cells confirmed their good compatibility with these PCL-based nanofibrous membrances. This work offers a feasible way to prepare antibacterial nanofibrous membranes using Chinese herb extraction for wound dressing applications.
Cognitive fatigue due to exercise under normobaric hypoxia is related to hypoxemia during exercise
Authors: Ochi Genta , Kuwamizu Ryuta , Suwabe Kazuya , Fukuie Takemune , Hyodo Kazuki , Soya Hideaki
Published: June 2022

We previously found that a 10-min bout of moderate-intensity exercise (50% maximal oxygen uptake) under normobaric and hypoxic conditions (fraction of inspired oxygen [$${{\text{F}}_\text{IO}}_{_{2}}$$FIO2] = 0.135) reduced executive performance and neural activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). To examine whether this cognitive fatigue is due to a decrease in SpO2during exercise, we compared executive performance and related prefrontal activation between two experimental conditions, in which the participants inhaled normobaric hypoxic gas ($${{\text{F}}_\text{IO}}_{_{2}}$$FIO2= 0.135) (hypoxic exercise [HE]) or hypoxic gas adjusted so that SpO2during exercise remained at the resting level (milder hypoxic exercise [ME]). ME condition showed that reaction time in executive performance decreased (t[13] = 2.228,P < 0.05,d = 0.34, pairedt-test) and left DLPFC activity increased (t[13] = -2.376,P < 0.05,d = 0.63, pairedt-test) after exercise compared with HE condition. These results showed that the HE-induced reductions in the left DLPFC activity and executive performance were both suppressed in the ME condition, supporting the hypothesis that exercise-induced cognitive fatigue under hypoxic environment is due to hypoxemia during exercise. This may lead to the development of a method of coping with cognitive fatigue due to exercise that causes hypoxemia.
Repurposing antiviral phytochemicals from the leaf extracts of Spondias mombin (Linn) towards the identification of potential SARSCOV-2 inhibitors
Authors: Boadu Akwasi , Agoni Clement , Karpoormath Rajshekhar , Soliman Mahmoud , Nlooto Manimbulu
Published: June 2022

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a pneumonia-like disease with a pattern of acute respiratory symptoms, currently remains a significant public health concern causing tremendous human suffering. Although several approved vaccines exist, vaccine hesitancy, limited vaccine availability, high rate of viral mutation, and the absence of approved drugs account for the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 infections. The investigation of possibly repurposing of phytochemical compounds as therapeutic alternatives has gained momentum due to their reported affordability and minimal toxicity. This study investigated anti-viral phytochemical compounds from ethanolic leaf extracts ofSpondias mombinL as potential inhibitor candidates against SARS-CoV-2. We identified Geraniin and 2-O-Caffeoyl-(+)-allohydroxycitric acid as potential SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor candidates targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent polymerase receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 viral S-protein and the 3C-like main protease (3CLpro). Geraniin exhibited binding free energy (ΔGbind) of − 25.87 kcal/mol and − 21.74 kcal/mol towards SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent polymerase and receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 viral S-protein respectively, whereas 2-O-Caffeoyl-(+)-allohydroxycitric acid exhibited a ΔGbind of − 32 kcal/mol towards 3CLpro. Molecular Dynamics simulations indicated a possible interference to the functioning of SARS-CoV-2 targets by the two identified inhibitors. However, further in vitro and in vivo evaluation of these potential SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic inhibitor candidates is needed.
Prediction of grain structure after thermomechanical processing of U-10Mo alloy using sensitivity analysis and machine learning surrogate model
Authors: Fu Yucheng , Frazier William E. , Choi Kyoo Sil , Li Lei , Xu Zhijie , Joshi Vineet V. , Soulami Ayoub
Published: June 2022

Hot rolling and annealing are critical intermediate steps for controlling microstructures and thickness variations when fabricating uranium alloyed with 10% molybdenum (U-10Mo), which is highly relevant to worldwide nuclear non-proliferation efforts. This work proposes a machine-learning surrogate model combined with sensitivity analysis to identify and predict U-10Mo microstructure development during thermomechanical processing. Over 200 simulations were collected using physics-based microstructure models covering a wide range of thermomechanical processing routes and initial alloy grain features. Based on the sensitivity analysis, we determined that an increase in rolling reduction percentage at each processing pass has the strongest effect in reducing the grain size. Multi-pass rolling and annealing can significantly improve recrystallization regardless of the reduction percentage. With a volume fraction below 2%, uranium carbide particles were found to have marginal effects on the average grain size and distribution. The proposed stratified stacking ensemble surrogate predicts the U-10Mo grain size with a mean square error four times smaller than a standard single deep neural network. At the same time, with a significant speedup (1000×) compared to the physics-based model, the machine learning surrogate shows good potential for U-10Mo fabrication process optimization.
Morphological variation and reproductive isolation in the Hetaerina americana species complex
Authors: Vega-Sánchez Yesenia Margarita , Mendoza-Cuenca Luis , González-Rodríguez Antonio
Published: June 2022

Incomplete premating barriers in closely related species may result in reproductive interference. This process has different fitness consequences and can lead to three scenarios: niche segregation, sexual exclusion, or reproductive character displacement. In morphologically cryptic species, isolation barriers can be difficult to recognize. Here, we analyzed the morphological, behavioral, and genetic differences between two sympatric cryptic species of the genus Hetaerina to determine the characters that contribute the most to reproductive isolation and the effect of the high rates of behavior interference between the species. We found complete genetic isolation and significant differences in the morphometry of caudal appendages and wing shape, as well as body size variation between species. In contrast, we did not find clear differences in the coloration of the wing spot and observed high rates of interspecific aggression. Our results suggest that divergence in the shape of the caudal appendages is the principal pre-mating barrier that prevents interspecific mating. Moreover, a scenario of character displacement on body size was found. Nevertheless, size could play an important role in both inter- and intrasexual interactions and, therefore, we cannot differentiate if it has resulted from reproductive or aggressive interference.
Difference in topographic morphology of optic nerve head and neuroretinal rim between normal tension glaucoma and central retinal artery occlusion
Authors: Kim Ji-Ah , Lee Eun Ji , Kim Tae-Woo , Woo Se Joon
Published: June 2022

Although central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) has its own defining pathomechanism and clinical characteristics, morphologic feature of the optic nerve head (ONH) during its later stage is not diagnostic, which makes it difficult to differentiate CRAO from other optic neuropathies. This cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the differences in the topographic morphology of the ONH in eyes with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and CRAO. Thirty-one eyes with NTG; 31 eyes with CRAO; and 31 healthy fellow eyes of the subjects with CRAO were included. ONH morphology was evaluated by measuring horizontal rim width (HRW), minimal rim width in the selected horizontal image (MRW), and lamina cribrosa curvature index (LCCI) in horizontal B-scan images obtained using enhanced depth-imaging optical coherence tomography. HRW was smaller and LCCI was larger in NTG eyes than in both CRAO and healthy fellow eyes (both P < 0.001), while both were comparable between CRAO and healthy fellow eyes. MRW differed significantly among the three groups, being smallest in NTG eyes followed by CRAO and healthy fellow eyes (P < 0.001). NTG and CRAO eyes with a similar degree of RNFL loss differed in ONH morphology, indicating that mechanisms of ONH damage differ between these two conditions.
Relation between dry eye and myopia based on tear film breakup time, higher order aberration, choroidal thickness, and axial length
Authors: Hazra Debabrata , Yotsukura Erisa , Torii Hidemasa , Mori Kiwako , Maruyama Tomoki , Ogawa Mamoru , Hanyuda Akiko , Tsubota Kazuo , Kurihara Toshihide , Negishi Kazuno
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between dry eye disease (DED) and myopia by evaluating higher order aberrations (HOAs) and choroidal thickness (CT). We recruited 72 myopic children with DED symptoms (mean age 12.8 years), measured the tear film breakup time (TBUT), corneal/intraocular/total ocular HOAs, CT, and axial length (AL), administered lifestyle questionnaires, and evaluated the relationships among TBUT, HOAs, CT, and AL. The TBUT was correlated significantly with the corneal HOAs and intraocular HOAs but not with the total ocular HOAs. Multiple regression analyses showed that the AL was associated significantly with the TBUT (β = − 0.067, P = 0.004), the intraocular HOAs, and total ocular HOAs but not with the corneal HOAs. The CT was associated significantly with the TBUT and AL (β = 9.15 and − 7.85, respectively; P < 0.001 and = 0.01, respectively). Our data suggested the association between DED and myopia might be independent of the HOAs. We showed that the TBUT was associated with the CT, which is related to the AL. Because the parasympathetic nervous system affects the lacrimal glands and CT, the parasympathetic nervous system might be a common upstream factor in the association between DED and myopia.
Improve the product structural robustness based on network motifs in product development
Authors: Ni Yongbo , Ou Yingxia , Li Yupeng , Zhang Na
Published: June 2022

The stability and safety of products will be reduced if product structures are vulnerable to failures of key components. Existing methods for improving product structural robustness mainly focus on some key components, but they cannot provide designers with universal and explicit structure optimization strategies. From the viewpoint of product structural networks, the motif is the fundamental meta-structure, and it is efficient to analyse product structural properties. Motivated by this, strategies to improve product structural robustness are explored by considering relationships between typical motifs and product structural robustness. First, product structural networks are constructed by collecting the structural information of a series of product generations. Second, typical (anti-) motifs are identified based on an enumeration algorithm, and the robustness is measured considering the largest connected cluster. Then, relationships between the frequency of different motifs and product structural robustness are obtained through principal component regression. The results of a case study on the smartphone show that anti-motifs are negative for product structural robustness. Motifs with loop structures are positive for product structural robustness. Accordingly, relevant strategies to improve product structural robustness in product development are developed.