bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of a Novel Cuproptosis-Related Gene Signature in Eutopic Endometrium of Women with Endometriosis
Authors: Wei Jiahui , Huang Baoyi , Nong Yingqi , Zhang Qianyu , Liu Wenjuan , Xie Yanni , Peng Tong , Wang Wei , Liang Xiangping , Li Qiuyun , Liu Fenghua
Published: December 2022

Endometriosis (EMs) is a life-long endocrine disorder and a common cause for female infertility and pelvic pain. The key characteristics of eutopic endometrium of EMs patients are high proliferative and migratory potentials. Cuproptosis is a recently identified copper- and-mitochondrial-dependent regulated cell death. Regretfully, its role in EMs remains unclear. In this study, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) indicated strong activation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway and biological process analysis reported positive regulation of kinase activity. Next, we screened 11 cuproptosis-related DEGs and found all of them were downregulated in the EMs group, which indicated the suppression of cuproptosis in EMs. One key cuproptosis-related gene, PDHA1, was selected via support vector machine, random forest algorithm and lasso regularization to build a risk-scoring model, which was tested in both internal and external validations. In conclusion, the downregulation and kinase activity of PDHA1 may function with the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway in some way, which could suppress the cuproptosis level and account for the cancer-like pathology in EMs.
A kinetic study of the photolysis of sulfamethoxazole with special emphasis on the photoisomer
Authors: Palm Wolf-Ulrich , Schmidt Nicola , Stahn Marcel , Grimme Stefan
Published: December 2022

The previously not studied photochemical degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) to the isomer of SMX (ISO) was measured via a polychromatic (Xe) and a monochromatic (Hg) light source and accompanied by quantum chemical DFT calculations. In addition to the $$\mathrm{p}K_\mathrm{a} = \;7.0 \pm 0.1$$

p

K
a

=

7.0
±
0.1

of ISO, tautomer-dependent properties such as the $$K_\mathrm{OW}$$

K
OW

were measured and theoretically confirmed by DFT. The kinetics in solutions below and above the $$\mathrm{p}K_\mathrm{a} = 5.6$$

p

K
a

=
5.6

of SMX were studied for the available and quantifiable products SMX, ISO, 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole (AMI), 2-amino-5-methyloxazole (AMO), and sulfanilic acid (SUA). The quantum yields of the neutral ($$\Phi _\mathrm{N}$$

Φ
N

) and anionic $$\Phi _\mathrm{A}$$

Φ
A

) forms of SMX ($$\Phi _\mathrm{A} = 0.03 \pm 0.001$$

Φ
A

=
0.03
±
0.001

, $$\Phi _\mathrm{N} = 0.15 \pm 0.01$$

Φ
N

=
0.15
±
0.01

) and ISO ($$\Phi _\mathrm{A} = 0.05 \pm 0.01$$

Φ
A

=
0.05
±
0.01

and $$\Phi _\mathrm{N} = 0.06 \pm 0.02$$

Φ
N

=
0.06
±
0.02

) were found to be wavelength-independent. In a competitive reaction to the formation of ISO from SMX, the degradation product TP271 is formed. Various proposed structures for TP271 described in the literature have been studied quantum mechanically and can be excluded for thermodynamic reasons. In real samples in a northern German surface water in summer 2021 mean concentrations of SMX were found in the range of 120 ng/L. In agreement with the pH-dependent yields, concentrations of ISO were low in the range of 8 ng/L.

Graphical abstract
Application of internet of things in healthcare domain
Authors: Almotairi Khaled H.
Published: December 2022

Internet of things (IoT) enables machine-to-machine, human-to-human and machine-to-human interaction. Recent advancement in IoT systems has positively impacted the daily activities of humans, from accessing information to the delivery of service in real-time. This has improved healthcare management and services, especially in medical hospitals, for effective and timely access to diagnostic information and treatment of patients. Several existing research mainly focused on the design of IoT architecture, its challenges, and benefits to human society with minor or without considering applying IoT in the healthcare domain. To bridge this gap, this study investigates the implications of IoT integration in the healthcare management domain. It presents a detailed discussion on IoT utilization to improve the functionalities of hospital management system. It also discusses some potential emerging innovations that aids the development and application of IoT in hospital management systems. Investigations show that healthcare personnel can administer treatments to patients anytime–anywhere. Patients, especially the elderly are administered treatment, as well as monitoring their wellbeing while at home with the support of wearable sensor devices. Also, some of the challenges that impedes the integration of IoT application into healthcare domain includes generation of irrelevant huge amount of data, issues of security and privacy of patient information and high cost of IoT adoption. Furthermore, the future research trends in adoption of IoT to improve healthcare domain includes stroke and epileptic seizure predictions and prosthetic sensors which is used to retrieve relevant data or information to aid the treatment of a patient in real-time.
Analytical Structure and Performance of Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Two-Term Controllers with Varying Footprint of Uncertainty
Authors: Raj Ritu , Yang Jung-Min
Published: December 2022

While type-2 fuzzy control has gained a lot of attention in the recent years, several challenges still remain with respect to controller design. The footprint of uncertainty (FoU) plays a very important role in designing type-2 fuzzy controllers, since the performance of type-2 fuzzy controllers largely depends on the choice of FoU. In this paper, we propose a simplified model of interval type-2 (IT2) fuzzy two-term controllers of Takagi–Sugeno (TS) type with only two rules in the rule base. The controller model is derived with varying FoUs based on only two type-2 input fuzzy sets (the simplest case). An extension to multiple input fuzzy sets is also presented. We investigate the variation in control surface and computational aspects of the IT2 fuzzy two-term controller as the FoU is varied. The performance of the proposed IT2 fuzzy controller with respect to varying FoUs is evaluated in the simulation study.
Machine Learning Modeling of Protein-Intrinsic Features Predicts Tractability of Targeted Protein Degradation
Authors: Zhang Wubing , Roy Burman Shourya S. , Chen Jiaye , Donovan Katherine A. , Cao Yang , Shu Chelsea , Zhang Boning , Zeng Zexian , Gu Shengqing , Zhang Yi , Li Dian , Fischer Eric S. , Tokheim Collin , Shirley Liu X.
Published: December 2022

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has rapidly emerged as a therapeutic modality to eliminate previously undruggable proteins by repurposing the cell’s endogenous protein degradation machinery. However, the susceptibility of proteins for targeting by TPD approaches, termed “degradability”, is largely unknown. Here, we developed a machine learning model, model-free analysis of protein degradability (MAPD), to predict degradability from features intrinsic to protein targets. MAPD shows accurate performance in predicting kinases that are degradable by TPD compounds [with an area under the precision–recall curve (AUPRC) of 0.759 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.775] and is likely generalizable to independent non-kinase proteins. We found five features with statistical significance to achieve optimal prediction, with ubiquitination potential being the most predictive. By structural modeling, we found that E2-accessible ubiquitination sites, but not lysine residues in general, are particularly associated with kinase degradability. Finally, we extended MAPD predictions to the entire proteome to find 964 disease-causing proteins (including proteins encoded by 278 cancer genes) that may be tractable to TPD drug development.
The Gut
Authors: Pérez Elizabeth
Published: December 2022

If the head is religion, the gut is magic. Taking up this provocation, this Element delves into the digestive system within transnational Afro-Diasporic religions such as Haitian Vodou, Brazilian Candomblé, and Cuban Lucumí (also called Santería). It draws from the ethnographic and archival record to probe the abdomen as a vital zone of sensory perception, amplified in countless divination verses, myths, rituals, and recipes for ethnomedical remedies. Provincializing the brain as only one locus of reason, it seeks to expand the notion of 'mind' and expose the anti-Blackness that still prevents Black Atlantic knowledges from being accepted as such. The Element examines gut feelings, knowledge, and beings in the belly; African precedents for the Afro-Diasporic gut-brain axis; post-sacrificial offerings in racist fantasy and everyday reality; and the strong stomachs and intestinal fortitude of religious ancestors. It concludes with a reflection on kinship and the spilling of guts in kitchenspaces.
Increased serum cotinine and obesity negatively impact asthma exacerbations and hospitalizations: A cross-sectional analysis of NHANES
Authors: Greiner Benjamin , Elenwo Covenant , Hartwell Micah
Published: December 2022

Background:

Asthma is the most common non-communicable chronic airway disease worldwide. Obesity and cigarette use independently increase asthma morbidity and mortality. Current literature suggests that obesity and smoking synergistically increase asthma-related wheezing.

Objective:

To assess whether increased serum cotinine and obesity act synergistically to increase the likelihood of having an asthma exacerbation, emergency department (ED) visit, or hospitalization.

Methods:

A cross-sectional analysis of the 2011–2015 iterations of NHANES database was performed. Patients aged 18 years or greater with asthma were included. Serum cotinine was utilized as an accurate measurement of cigarette use. Logistic regression models were constructed to determine whether elevated serum cotinine and obesity were associated with self-reported asthma exacerbations, asthma-specific ED usage, and hospitalizations for any reason in the past year. Odds ratios were adjusted for age, gender, race, and ethnicity. Interactions were assessed by multiplying the adjusted effect sizes for elevated cotinine and obesity.

Results:

We identified 2179 (N= 32,839,290) patients with asthma, of which 32.2% were active smokers and 42.7% were obese. Patients with an elevated cotinine and asthma were significantly more likely to have had an asthma-related ED visit in the past year (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.82; 95% CI 1.19–2.79), have a physician-prescribed asthma medication (AOR 2.04; 95% CI 1.11–3.74), and have a hospitalization for any reason (AOR 3.65; 95% CI 1.88–7.07) compared to those with low cotinine. Patients with asthma and obesity were more likely to have an asthma-related ED visit (AOR 1.67; 95% CI 1.06–2.62) or hospitalization for any reason in the past year compared to non-obese patients (AOR 2.76; 95% CI 1.69–4.5). However, a statistically significant interaction between obesity and cotinine was only identified in patients who currently have asthma compared to a previous asthma diagnosis (AOR 1.76; 95% CI 1.10–2.82). There were no synergistic interactions among ED usage or asthma exacerbations.

Conclusion:

Nearly one-third of patients with asthma were current smokers, and almost half were obese. This study identified elevated serum cotinine, a metabolite of cigarette use, and obesity as key risk factors for asthma exacerbations, asthma-related ED visits, and hospitalizations for any reason. Elevated serum cotinine and obesity were not found to act synergistically in increasing asthma exacerbations or ED visits. However, the presence of both risk factors increased the risk of currently having asthma (compared to a previous diagnosis) by 76%. Serum cotinine may be useful in predicting asthma outcomes.
Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Musculoskeletal Care in the Emergency Room
Authors: Frontera Walter R. , Latimer Marcos R. , de Jesús Kevin , Pabón Angel , González Juan , Conde José G.
Published: December 2022

Objective:

Study the effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on emergency room (ER) utilization for musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints.

Methods:

Data from ER encounters in a teaching hospital for years 2019 and 2020 were extracted from an electronic database. The ICD-10-CM codes were used to assign the primary diagnosis. Joinpoint regression was applied to a time-series to detect changes in daily encounters (all-cause and MSK). Total number and median daily encounters were calculated by year, sex, age groups, and diagnostic codes for each year.

Results:

Overlapping intervals within March 2020 showed drops of 8.1 all-cause encounters per day (95% CI: 4.8-11.5), and 1.2 MSK encounters per day (95% CI: 0.8-1.7), resulting in net losses for the year of 33.2% for all-cause and 35.8% for MSK encounters. Reductions were observed for both sexes and all age groups. MSK codes with largest declines were low back pain, joint pain, and limb pain.

Conclusion:

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in major reductions in all-cause and MSK encounters in the ER of an academic hospital probably due to governmental restrictions and a change in patients behaviors. Persistence of the observed reduction suggests that patients requiring ER services delayed seeking care for MSK and other health conditions.
Unsupervised domain adaptation for Global Precipitation Measurement satellite constellation using Cycle Generative Adversarial Nets
Authors: Sambath Vibolroth , Viltard Nicolas , Barthès Laurent , Martini Audrey , Mallet Cécile
Published: December 2022

Artificial intelligence has provided many breakthroughs in the field of computer vision. The fully convolutional networks U-Net in particular have provided very promising results in the problem of retrieving rain rates from space-borne observations, a challenge that has persisted over the past few decades. The rain intensity is estimated from the measurement of the brightness temperatures on different microwave channels. However, these channels are slightly different depending on the satellite. In the case where a retrieval model has been developed from a single satellite, it may be advantageous to use domain adaptation methods in order to make this model compatible with all the satellites of the constellation. In this proposed feasibility study, a Cycle Generative Adversarial Nets model is used for adapting one set of brightness temperature channels to another set. Results of a toy experiment show that this method is able to provide qualitatively good precipitation structure but still could be improved in terms of precision.
Confessing Faith: Freedom of Conscience, Actualized Confession of Faith, and Confessional Allegiance
Authors: Xu Ximian
Published: December 2022

This paper draws on the Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck's (1854–1921) views of conscience and confession of faith to articulate a dynamic view of confessing faith with a free conscience. It will argue that a genuine ecclesial confession must be coupled with the believer's free conscience in the actualized confession of faith in Christ in obedience to the word of God. This dynamic view of actualized confession—that is, confessing faith in one's life as a whole—indicates that faith incorporates not only the life in the ecclesial community but also life in the world. As such, although different churches uphold different written forms of confession of faith, actualized confession of faith assimilates the differentiation of confessional texts—being made there and then—into the consensus of confessing faith in Christ being reached here and now. The emphasis of actualized confession of faith on “here and now” will benefit the contemporary ecumenical movement.
“An Offence New in Its Kind”: Responses to Assassination Attempts on British Royalty, 1800–1900
Authors: Pentland Gordon
Published: December 2022

Attempted assassinations have only rarely been given sustained and systematic attention by historians. This article focuses on a series of attempts to assassinate members of the British royal family across the nineteenth century. In exploring the responses of political elites and wider publics to these attacks, the author argues for the development of a robust and enduring script with which to navigate physical attacks on the sovereign and his or her family. Overall, this script tended to support the monarchy by articulating visions of the proper relationship between crown and people and contrasting these with political regimes in Europe and elsewhere. It also, however, served to highlight some of the key tensions within a modernizing institution between accessibility and publicity on the one hand and security on the other.
Moffatt eddies in electrohydrodynamics flows: numerical simulations and analyses
Authors: He Xuerao , Sun Zhihao , Zhang Mengqi
Published: December 2022

We study numerically a sequence of eddies in two-dimensional electrohydrodynamics (EHD) flows of a dielectric liquid, driven by an electric potential difference between a hyperbolic blade electrode and a flat plate electrode (or the blade–plate configuration). The electrically driven flow impinges on the plate to generate vortices, which resemble Moffatt eddies (Moffatt, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 18, 1964, pp. 1–18). Such a phenomenon in EHD was first reported in the experimental work of Perri et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 900, 2020, A12). We conduct direct numerical simulations of the EHD flow with three Moffatt-type eddies in a large computational domain at moderate electric Rayleigh numbers (

$T$

, quantifying the strength of the electric field). The ratios of size and intensity of the adjacent eddies are examined, and they can be compared favourably to the theoretical prediction of Moffatt; interestingly, the quantitative comparison is remarkably accurate for the two eddies in the far field. Our investigation also shows that a larger

$T$

strengthens the vortex intensity, and a stronger charge diffusion effect enlarges the vortex size. A sufficiently large

$T$

can further result in an oscillating flow, consistent with the experimental observation. In addition, a global stability analysis of the steady blade–plate EHD flow is conducted. The global mode is characterised in detail at different values of

$T$

. When

$T$

is large, the confinement effect of the geometry in the centre region may lead to an increased oscillation frequency. This work contributes to the quantitative characterisation of the Moffatt-type eddies in EHD flows.
Experimental study on a light–heavy interface evolution induced by two successive shock waves
Authors: Wang He , Cao Qing , Chen Chenren , Zhai Zhigang , Luo Xisheng
Published: December 2022

Richtmyer–Meshkov instability induced by two successive shock waves is experimentally studied in a specific shock tube. To create two successive shock waves synchronously, a driver section is added between the driver and driven sections of the standard shock tube, and an electronically controlled membrane rupture equipment is adopted. The shock-tube flow after the membranes rupture is well described by combining the shock relations, isentropic wave relations with compatibility relations across the contact surface (region). The new shock tube is capable of generating two successive shock waves with controllable strengths and time interval, and provides a relatively ‘clean’ wave system. Then the developments of single-mode light–heavy interfaces with different initial conditions induced by two successive shock waves are investigated. The initial amplitudes are all small enough such that the first-shocked interface is within the linear growth regime at the arrival of the second shock. The results show that if the pre-second-shock perturbation amplitude is small, the linear, nonlinear and modal evolutions of the double-shocked interface can be reasonably predicted by the existing models proposed for predicting the perturbation growth induced by a single shock. For the double-shocked interface, the second shock provides an additional perturbation velocity field to the original one introduced by the first shock impact. The validity of the linear superposition model indicates that the linear superposition of these two perturbation velocity fields is satisfied. Therefore, a double-shocked interface evolves similarly to a single-shocked interface provided that their postshock amplitudes and linear growth rates are the same.
Needmorella, a new trilobite genus of the Synphoriinae (Dalmanitidae) from the Lower–Middle Devonian of West Virginia
Authors: Holloway David J. , Scott Brian M.
Published: December 2022

The trilobite Needmorella new genus, with type species N. simoni new genus new species from the late Emsian to mid-Eifelian Needmore Shale of West Virginia, is a distinctive member of the subfamily Synphoriinae. It also occurs in the same formation in Pennsylvania and Virginia. It is not very similar to other Devonian representatives of the subfamily and is considered to have its origins in a morphologically less-derived ancestor because it shares certain similarities with Silurian genera, including the very short anterior cephalic border unmodified by crenulations or spines, S2 that is not largely reduced to a deep pit adaxially, the relatively low inflation of L3, and the well-defined interpleural furrows on the pygidium. Other particularly distinctive characters of the genus include the very long genal spines and the abaxially inflated and expanded posterior pleural bands on the thorax and pygidium that project slightly distally. The conventional concept of the Devonian synphoriine Anchiopsis Delo, 1935 appears to be incompatible with the holotype of the type species, judging from the early illustrations of the specimen, and the genus could be a synonym of Synphoria Clarke, 1894.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/4a820e27-54ec-4f7b-a408-675e62b75154
ESTABLISHING AN ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE LATE CHALCOLITHIC TO EARLY BRONZE AGE IN IRAQI KURDISTAN: RADIOCARBON DATES FROM KANI SHAIE
Authors: Renette S , Lewis M P , Wencel M M , Farahani A , Tomé A
Published: December 2022

The possibility to conduct new fieldwork projects in previously largely unexplored Iraqi Kurdistan during the past decade has reinvigorated research into the transformative fifth to third millennium BCE (Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age) in southwest Asia when human societies grew from small, autonomous villages to centralized states with urban centers. Major efforts to synchronize stratigraphic sequences from various sites in order to reach a consensus on archaeological periodization and to identify the absolute chronology of societal transformations necessarily focused on available datasets from Syria, Turkey, and Iran. However, increased understanding of differences in communities’ adoption, adaptation, or rejection of new forms of technologies and social organization demands the need for constructing region-specific absolute chronological models for comparative analysis. Such work is particularly challenging in the case of Iraqi Kurdistan where sites frequently have major hiatuses in occupation. The site of Kani Shaie (Sulaymaniyah Governorate) offers the rare opportunity to investigate the Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age with a largely uninterrupted sequence of occupation from ca. 5500 to 2500 BCE. This paper presents a series of fourteen radiocarbon dates, representing every archaeological period in this timeframe, as a first step toward the construction of a regional absolute chronology.
PERFORMANCE AND INTER-COMPARISON TESTS OF THE MICADAS AT THE RADIOCARBON LABORATORY OF LANZHOU UNIVERSITY, CHINA
Authors: Cao Huihui , Wang Zongli , He Jianhua , Guo Jiale , Jull A J Timothy , Zhou Aifeng , Dong Guanghui , Chen Fahu
Published: December 2022

Since 2018, the radiocarbon laboratory of Lanzhou University has been equipped with a compact accelerator mass spectrometer—a 200-KV mini carbon dating system (MICADAS), together with an auto graphitization equipment (AGE III). The laboratory has for a long time prepared graphite targets for 14C dating of plant fossils, charcoal, bones, and bulk organic matter. Herein, we give an overview of the operating status and performance of the dating facility. The long-term measurements of the standard and blank samples indicated that the results for MICADAS in Lanzhou University were accurate and stable and of high sensitivity. Fifteen sets of organic materials collected from archaeological sites in northwest China were selected for an inter-comparison study involving the participation of four specialist laboratories. The 14C dating results for the homogenized archaeological samples from several of the laboratories showed a high degree of consensus. The long-term performance and inter-comparison data for MICADAS confirmed that the radiocarbon laboratory of Lanzhou University could provide stable and accurate 14C dating results. In this context, the 14C dating results for a number of key archaeological/environmental samples were validated.
STUDY OF BIO-BASED CARBON FRACTIONS IN TIRES AND THEIR PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS
Authors: Gill Komal Aziz , Michczyńska Danuta J , Michczyński Adam , Piotrowska Natalia , Kłusek Marzena , Końska Klaudia , Wróblewski Krzysztof , Nadeau Marie-Josée , Seiler Martin
Published: December 2022

Wasted tires are the great source of fuel and valuable components but could be a cause of environmental and land pollution. This study shows the detailed method for the determination of radiocarbon isotope (14C) concentration in tires and their pyrolysis products. Samples are taken from truck and passenger car tires in the form of shredded rubber, pyrolysis oil and recovered carbon black. Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) techniques were used for the investigation at Gliwice Radiocarbon and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, and National Laboratory for Age Determination, Trondheim, Norway. The results are in good agreement. Radiocarbon concentration of the rubber varies significantly because of its complex structure and composition within the tires. The 14C concentration values were found to be higher in pyrolytic oil compared to rubber, and greater in truck tires rather than car tires.
The Language of Imperial Cult and Roman Religion in the Latin New Testament: The Latin Renderings of ‘Saviour’
Authors: Persig Anna
Published: December 2022

The title σωτήρ, ‘saviour’, is bestowed on Christ and God in the New Testament and rendered in the Latin translations by conseruator, saluificator, salutificator, salutaris and saluator. Although these terms convey the same meaning, they are not interchangeable: this study argues that conseruator, which is the most frequent word for saviour on imperial coins, is rarely attested in the Latin versions because of its association with the imperial cult. The predominant translation, saluator, was coined as an alternative rendering to the other words which had religious and political connotations.
Combined (dual) drug therapy for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus: last approach prior to ligation
Authors: Deveci Mehmet F. , Kaya Huseyin , Yurttutan Sadik , Alagoz Meral , Gokce Ismail K. , Karakurt Cemsit , Gullu Ufuk U. , Oncul Mehmet , Ozdemir Ramazan
Published: December 2022

Objective:

We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combined (ibuprofen+paracetamol) medical therapy in cases of persistent haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus that are resistant to standard medical monotherapy (ibuprofen and/or paracetamol) in this retrospective multi-centre study.

Methods:

The combined therapy included the administration of 15mg/kg/dose of paracetamol every 6 h for 3 days and ibuprofen at an initial dose of 10mg/kg/dose followed by 5 mg/kg/dose every 24 h. After 2 days following the administration of the last dose, the researchers evaluated the efficacy of combined treatment by conducting an echocardiographic examination.

Results:

Of all 42 patients who received combined therapy, 37 (88.1%) patients exhibited closure of the haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus without requiring surgical ligation. Patients who did not respond to combined therapy had a higher mean birth weight and gestational age compared to those who responded (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

The researchers believe the success of ibuprofen and paracetamol in haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus treatment may be due to their synergistic efficacy and inhibition of the prostaglandin synthesis pathway through different enzymes. The results of our retrospective trial suggest that combination therapy with paracetamol and ibuprofen can be attempted when monotherapy is unsuccessful in treating haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus, especially in centres without a surgical department.
SPECIAL VALUES OF ZETA-FUNCTIONS OF REGULAR SCHEMES
Authors: Lichtenbaum Stephen
Published: December 2022

We formulate a conjecture on the special values of zeta functions of regular arithmetic schemes in terms of Weil-étale cohomology…
Determinants of quality of life among Omani family caregivers of adult patients with cancer pain
Authors: Muliira Joshua K. , Kizza Irene B. , Al-Kindi Sumaiya N.
Published: December 2022

Objectives

The study aimed to explore the determinants of quality of life (QoL) among Omani family caregivers (FCGs) of adult patients with cancer pain.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional design, measures of caregiver reaction, knowledge about cancer pain, self-efficacy for cancer pain and other symptom management, QoL, and patient functional status were used to collect data from 165 FCGs and patients. Descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses were performed.

Results

Most patients had intermittent (83%) and severe (50.9%) cancer pain. The FCGs had low QoL (58.44 ± 17.95), and this mostly impacted support and positive adaptation (55.2%). Low QoL was associated with low self-rated health, low confidence in the ability to control the patient’s pain, low self-efficacy, high perceived distress due to patient pain, and a high impact of caregiving on physical health. The level of caregiver distress due to the patient’s pain (p < 0.01), patient’s functional status (p < 0.01), and perceived impact of caregiving on health (p < 0.05) were significant predictors of overall QoL.

Conclusion

Omani FCGs of patients with cancer pain suffer a negative impact on their QoL, and this is related to the patient’s level of pain and functional status, caregiver’s health, and self-efficacy in cancer pain and symptom management. The FCGs’ QoL may be enhanced by augmenting their skills and self-efficacy in cancer pain and symptom management and by health promotion programs.
Social Disruption, Gun Buying, and Anti-System Beliefs
Authors: Lacombe Matthew J. , Simonson Matthew D. , Green Jon , Druckman James N.
Published: December 2022

Gun ownership is a highly consequential political behavior. It often signifies a belief about the inadequacy of state-provided security and leads to membership in a powerful political constituency. As a result, it is important to understand why people buy guns and how shifting purchasing patterns affect the composition of the broader gun-owning community. We address these topics by exploring the dynamics of the gun-buying spike that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was one of the largest in American history. We find that feelings of diffuse threat prompted many individuals to buy guns. Moreover, we show that new gun owners, even more than buyers who already owned guns, exhibit strong conspiracy and anti-system beliefs. These findings have substantial consequences for the subsequent population of gun owners and provide insight into how social disruptions can alter the nature of political groups.
FDTD-based SAR calculation of a wearable antenna for wireless body area network devices
Authors: Savcı Hüseyin Şerif , Kaburcuk Fatih
Published: December 2022

Wireless-connected wearable electronics are finding extensive usage for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes after the globally spread pandemic disease of COVID-19. Although they are undoubtedly helpful for keeping physical distance, their health effects are still under investigation from different aspects and are still a concern for the end-users. In this study, a custom M-shaped wearable antenna covering the wireless body area network and wireless local area network frequencies is designed, built, and measured. A beret cap made from a 2 mm thick textile is used as a substrate. The specific absorption rate (SAR) in a realistic human-head model due to electromagnetic energy produced by the antenna is evaluated using the finite-difference time-domain method. The SAR distributions for 1-g and 10-g tissues are calculated at 2.4 and 5.8 GHz. It is shown that the obtained maximum SAR values for 1-g and 10-g tissues at each frequency of interest were less than the limits determined by IEEE RF exposure guidelines and standards.
Changes in Antarctic Ice Sheet Motion Derived From Satellite Radar Interferometry Between 1995 and 2022
Authors: Rignot Eric , Mouginot Jeremie , Scheuchl Bernd , Jeong Seongsu
Published: December 2022

Ice motion and boundaries are critical information for ice sheet models that project ice evolution in a warming climate. We present four historical, continent‐wide, maps of Antarctic‐wide ice motion and boundaries for the time period 1995–2022. The results reveal no change in the interior region of East Antarctica, iceberg detachments at ice shelf fronts, and widespread glacier speedup that propagates 100 km's inland in West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula. Speedup affects the entire drainage of the Amundsen Sea Embayment sector; the entire west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula down to GeorgeVI Ice Shelf; the east coast down to Larsen C Ice Shelf; Getz Ice Shelf, Hull and Land glaciers in West Antarctica; Matusevitch, Ninnis, Mertz and Denman glaciers, glaciers in Porpoise and Vincennes Bay; and Robert, Wilma and Rayner glaciers in Enderby Land, in East Antarctica. We attribute the observed glacier changes to increased melting by warmer ocean waters.
The Search for Magnetotail Twisting at Mercury: Comparing MESSENGER Observations With the Terrestrial Case
Authors: Romanelli N. , DiBraccio G. A. , Slavin J. , Bowers C. , Weber T.
Published: December 2022

Previous studies reported that the terrestrial and Martian magnetotails can become twisted due to the solar wind‐planetary interaction; however, the associated physical processes proper of intrinsic and induced magnetospheres are still under debate. In particular, there is evidence that the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) dawn‐dusk component (By) plays a major role in both environments, affecting the sense of twist. Here, we analyze all MErcury, Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging Magnetometer observations to investigate the IMF By influence on Mercury's magnetotail. We find that Mercury's tail twist is very small (≲3°), for a median downtail distance of ∼2 Mercury radii. We also identify a correlation between the IMF By and the local By component around the magnetotail current sheet. These results suggest the small (or lack of) twist may be explained by the dipolar field strength in the near‐magnetotail. We examine this hypothesis by putting these observations into context with studies on the terrestrial magnetotail.
Mitochondrial PARP1 regulates NAD+-dependent poly ADP-ribosylation of mitochondrial nucleoids
Authors: Lee Jong-Hyuk , Hussain Mansoor , Kim Edward W. , Cheng Shang-Jung , Leung Anthony K. L. , Fakouri Nima Borhan , Croteau Deborah L. , Bohr Vilhelm A.
Published: December 2022

PARPs play fundamental roles in multiple DNA damage recognition and repair pathways. Persistent nuclear PARP activation causes cellular NAD+ depletion and exacerbates cellular aging. However, very little is known about mitochondrial PARP (mtPARP) and poly ADP-ribosylation (PARylation). The existence of mtPARP is controversial, and the biological roles of mtPARP-induced mitochondrial PARylation are unclear. Here, we demonstrate the presence of PARP1 and PARylation in purified mitochondria. The addition of the PARP1 substrate NAD+ to isolated mitochondria induced PARylation, which was suppressed by treatment with the inhibitor olaparib. Mitochondrial PARylation was also evaluated by enzymatic labeling of terminal ADP-ribose (ELTA). To further confirm the presence of mtPARP1, we evaluated mitochondrial nucleoid PARylation by ADP ribose-chromatin affinity purification (ADPr-ChAP) and PARP1 chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). We observed that NAD+ stimulated PARylation and TFAM occupancy on the mtDNA regulatory region D-loop, inducing mtDNA transcription. These findings suggest that PARP1 is integrally involved in mitochondrial PARylation and that NAD+-dependent mtPARP1 activity contributes to mtDNA transcriptional regulation.
Inflammation promotes synucleinopathy propagation
Authors: Kim Tae-Kyung , Bae Eun-Jin , Jung Byung Chul , Choi Minsun , Shin Soo Jean , Park Sung Jun , Kim Jeong Tae , Jung Min Kyo , Ulusoy Ayse , Song Mi-Young , Lee Jun Sung , Lee He-Jin , Di Monte Donato A. , Lee Seung-Jae
Published: December 2022

The clinical progression of neurodegenerative diseases correlates with the spread of proteinopathy in the brain. The current understanding of the mechanism of proteinopathy spread is far from complete. Here, we propose that inflammation is fundamental to proteinopathy spread. A sequence variant of α-synuclein (V40G) was much less capable of fibril formation than wild-type α-synuclein (WT-syn) and, when mixed with WT-syn, interfered with its fibrillation. However, when V40G was injected intracerebrally into mice, it induced aggregate spreading even more effectively than WT-syn. Aggregate spreading was preceded by sustained microgliosis and inflammatory responses, which were more robust with V40G than with WT-syn. Oral administration of an anti-inflammatory agent suppressed aggregate spreading, inflammation, and behavioral deficits in mice. Furthermore, exposure of cells to inflammatory cytokines increased the cell-to-cell propagation of α-synuclein. These results suggest that the inflammatory microenvironment is the major driver of the spread of synucleinopathy in the brain.
Neuroinflammation is independently associated with brain network dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Leng Fangda , Hinz Rainer , Gentleman Steve , Hampshire Adam , Dani Melanie , Brooks David J. , Edison Paul
Published: December 2022

Brain network dysfunction is increasingly recognised in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the causes of brain connectivity disruption are still poorly understood. Recently, neuroinflammation has been identified as an important factor in AD pathogenesis. Microglia participate in the construction and maintenance of healthy neuronal networks, but pro-inflammatory microglia can also damage these circuits. We hypothesised that microglial activation is independently associated with brain connectivity disruption in AD. We performed a cross-sectional multimodal imaging study and interrogated the relationship between imaging biomarkers of neuroinflammation, Aβ deposition, brain connectivity and cognition. 42 participants (12 Aβ-positive MCI, 14 Aβ-positive AD and 16 Aβ-negative healthy controls) were recruited. Participants had 11C-PBR28 and 18F-flutemetamol PET to quantify Aβ deposition and microglial activation, T1-weighted, diffusion tensor and resting-state functional MRI to assess structural network and functional network. 11C-PBR28 uptake, structural network integrity and functional network orgnisation were compared across diagnostic groups and the relationship between neuroinflammation and brain network was tested in 26 Aβ-positive patients. Increased 11C-PBR28 uptake, decreased FA, network small-worldness and local efficiency were observed in AD patients. Cortical 11C-PBR28 uptake correlated negatively with structural integrity (standardised β = −0.375, p = 0.037) and network local efficiency (standardised β = −0.468, p < 0.001), independent of cortical thickness and Aβ deposition, while Aβ was not. Network structural integrity, small-worldness and local efficiency, and cortical thickness were positively associated with cognition. Our findings suggest cortical neuroinflammation coincide with structural and functional network disruption independent of Aβ and cortical atrophy. These findings link the brain connectivity change and pathological process in Alzheimer’s disease, and suggest a pathway from neuroinflammation to systemic brain dysfunction.
Negotiation and honesty in artificial intelligence methods for the board game of Diplomacy
Authors: Kramár János , Eccles Tom , Gemp Ian , Tacchetti Andrea , McKee Kevin R. , Malinowski Mateusz , Graepel Thore , Bachrach Yoram
Published: December 2022

The success of human civilization is rooted in our ability to cooperate by communicating and making joint plans. We study how artificial agents may use communication to better cooperate in Diplomacy, a long-standing AI challenge. We propose negotiation algorithms allowing agents to agree on contracts regarding joint plans, and show they outperform agents lacking this ability. For humans, misleading others about our intentions forms a barrier to cooperation. Diplomacy requires reasoning about our opponents’ future plans, enabling us to study broken commitments between agents and the conditions for honest cooperation. We find that artificial agents face a similar problem as humans: communities of communicating agents are susceptible to peers who deviate from agreements. To defend against this, we show that the inclination to sanction peers who break contracts dramatically reduces the advantage of such deviators. Hence, sanctioning helps foster mostly truthful communication, despite conditions that initially favor deviations from agreements.
The gut microbiota and depressive symptoms across ethnic groups
Authors: Bosch Jos A. , Nieuwdorp Max , Zwinderman Aeilko H. , Deschasaux Mélanie , Radjabzadeh Djawad , Kraaij Robert , Davids Mark , de Rooij Susanne R. , Lok Anja
Published: December 2022

The gut microbiome is thought to play a role in depressive disorders, which makes it an attractive target for interventions. Both the microbiome and depressive symptom levels vary substantially across ethnic groups. Thus, any intervention for depression targeting the microbiome requires understanding of microbiome-depression associations across ethnicities. Analysing data from the HELIUS cohort, we characterize the gut microbiota and its associations with depressive symptoms in 6 ethnic groups (Dutch, South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish, Moroccan;N = 3211), living in the same urban area. Diversity of the gut microbiota, both within (α-diversity) and between individuals (β-diversity), predicts depressive symptom levels, taking into account demographic, behavioural, and medical differences. These associations do not differ between ethnic groups. Further, β-diversity explains 29%–18% of the ethnic differences in depressive symptoms. Bacterial genera associated with depressive symptoms belong to mulitple families, prominently including the familiesChristensenellaceae, Lachnospiraceae, andRuminococcaceae. In summary, the results show that the gut microbiota are linked to depressive symptom levels and that this association generalizes across ethnic groups. Moreover, the results suggest that ethnic differences in the gut microbiota may partly explain parallel disparities in depression.
The role of auxiliary domains in modulating CHD4 activity suggests mechanistic commonality between enzyme families
Authors: Zhong Yichen , Moghaddas Sani Hakimeh , Paudel Bishnu P. , Low Jason K. K. , Silva Ana P. G. , Mueller Stefan , Deshpande Chandrika , Panjikar Santosh , Reid Xavier J. , Bedward Max J. , van Oijen Antoine M. , Mackay Joel P.
Published: December 2022

CHD4 is an essential, widely conserved ATP-dependent translocase that is also a broad tumour dependency. In common with other SF2-family chromatin remodelling enzymes, it alters chromatin accessibility by repositioning histone octamers. Besides the helicase and adjacent tandem chromodomains and PHD domains, CHD4 features 1000 residues of N- and C-terminal sequence with unknown structure and function. We demonstrate that these regions regulate CHD4 activity through different mechanisms. An N-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR) promotes remodelling integrity in a manner that depends on the composition but not sequence of the IDR. The C-terminal region harbours an auto-inhibitory region that contacts the helicase domain. Auto-inhibition is relieved by a previously unrecognized C-terminal SANT-SLIDE domain split by ~150 residues of disordered sequence, most likely by binding of this domain to substrate DNA. Our data shed light on CHD4 regulation and reveal strong mechanistic commonality between CHD family members, as well as with ISWI-family remodellers.
Subduction-related oxidation of the sublithospheric mantle evidenced by ferropericlase and magnesiowüstite diamond inclusions
Authors: Kiseeva Ekaterina S. , Korolev Nester , Koemets Iuliia , Zedgenizov Dmitry A. , Unitt Richard , McCammon Catherine , Aslandukova Alena , Khandarkhaeva Saiana , Fedotenko Timofey , Glazyrin Konstantin , Bessas Dimitrios , Aprilis Georgios , Chumakov Alexandr I. , Kagi Hiroyuki , Dubrovinsky Leonid
Published: December 2022

Ferropericlase (Mg,Fe)O is the second most abundant mineral in Earth’s lower mantle and a common inclusion found in subcratonic diamonds. Pyrolitic mantle has Mg# (100 × Mg/(Mg+Fe)) ~89. However, ferropericlase inclusions in diamonds show a broad range of Mg# between 12 and 93. Here we use Synchrotron Mössbauer Source (SMS) spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction to determine the iron oxidation state and structure of two magnesiowüstite and three ferropericlase inclusions in diamonds from São Luiz, Brazil. Inclusion Mg#s vary between 16.1 and 84.5. Ferropericlase inclusions contain no ferric iron within the detection limit of SMS, while both magnesiowüstite inclusions show the presence of monocrystalline magnesioferrite ((Mg,Fe)Fe3+2O4) with an estimated 47–53 wt% Fe2O3. We argue that the wide range of Fe concentrations observed in (Mg,Fe)O inclusions in diamonds and the appearance of magnesioferrite result from oxidation of ferropericlase triggered by the introduction of subducted material into sublithospheric mantle.
Backbone amides are determinants of Cl− selectivity in CLC ion channels
Authors: Leisle Lilia , Lam Kin , Dehghani-Ghahnaviyeh Sepehr , Fortea Eva , Galpin Jason D. , Ahern Christopher A. , Tajkhorshid Emad , Accardi Alessio
Published: December 2022

Chloride homeostasis is regulated in all cellular compartments. CLC-type channels selectively transport Cl− across biological membranes. It is proposed that side-chains of pore-lining residues determine Cl− selectivity in CLC-type channels, but their spatial orientation and contributions to selectivity are not conserved. This suggests a possible role for mainchain amides in selectivity. We use nonsense suppression to insert α-hydroxy acids at pore-lining positions in two CLC-type channels, CLC-0 and bCLC-k, thus exchanging peptide-bond amides with ester-bond oxygens which are incapable of hydrogen-bonding. Backbone substitutions functionally degrade inter-anion discrimination in a site-specific manner. The presence of a pore-occupying glutamate side chain modulates these effects. Molecular dynamics simulations show backbone amides determine ion energetics within the bCLC-k pore and how insertion of an α-hydroxy acid alters selectivity. We propose that backbone-ion interactions are determinants of Cl− specificity in CLC channels in a mechanism reminiscent of that described for K+ channels.