bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An algorithm to optimize explainability using feature ensembles
Authors: Lazebnik Teddy , Bunimovich-Mendrazitsky Svetlana , Rosenfeld Avi
Published: February 2024

Feature Ensembles are a robust and effective method for finding the feature set that yields the best predictive accuracy for learning agents. However, current feature ensemble algorithms do not consider explainability as a key factor in their construction. To address this limitation, we present an algorithm that optimizes for the explainability and performance of a model – theOptimizingFeatureEnsembles forExplainability (OFEE) algorithm. OFEE uses intersections of feature sets to produce a feature ensemble that optimally balances explainability and performance. Furthermore, OFEE is parameter-free and as such optimizes itself to a given dataset and explainability requirements. To evaluated OFEE, we considered two explainability measures, one based on ensemble size and the other based on ensemble stability. We found that OFEE was overall extremely effective within the nine canonical datasets we considered. It outperformed other feature selection algorithms by an average of over 8% and 7% respectively when considering the size and stability explainability measures.
Comparison and selection of ground motion prediction equations for the Sichuan–Yunnan area, southwest China
Authors: Liu Jingwei , Douglas John
Published: February 2024

The Sichuan–Yunnan area is one of the most seismically active regions in China. As ground-motion models form a key component of seismic hazard analysis, it is important to select (or develop) appropriate models for this area. The increasing number of digital ground-motion records of earthquakes in this area has allowed the development of local ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs). This study compares and, later, recommends appropriate GMPEs for the Sichuan–Yunnan area. We first evaluate the inherent quality of local GMPEs, with respect to their underlying datasets, the variables used and their functional forms, to determine a set of candidate GMPEs. Then we investigate how well the predictions from the GMPEs match observations computed from strong-motion records of recent earthquakes in this area. The fit between predictions and observations varies significantly amongst the GMPEs. The results suggest that some recent local GMPEs would lead to biased ground-motion estimates due to limitations of their underlying datasets and functional forms. Based on both evaluations of inherent quality and compatibility with observations, only one local GMPE is recommended. A comparison of the predictions from three widely-used non-local GMPEs indicates that ground motions in the Sichuan–Yunnan area appear more variable than those in other regions but that predictions from these non-local GMPEs are generally unbiased. We recommend use of a mixture of robust local and non-local GMPEs within seismic hazard analyses to capture the epistemic uncertainty in ground-motion prediction for this area.
Development of Fourier Transform Ultrafast Laser Flash Method for Simultaneous Measurement of Thermal Diffusivity and Interfacial Thermal Resistance
Authors: Baba Takahiro , Baba Tetsuya , Mori Takao
Published: February 2024

The thermoreflectance technique is one of the few methods which can measure thermal diffusivity of thin films as thin as 100 nm or thinner in the cross-plane direction. The thermoreflectance method under rear-heat front-detect configuration is sometimes called ultrafast laser flash method because of its similarity to laser flash method. Up to now it has typically only been possible to attempt to evaluate the interfacial thermal resistance between the thin films by preparing and measuring several samples with different thicknesses. In this study, a method to directly determine interfacial thermal resistance by a single measurement of a thin film on substrate is represented, by analyzing the shape of thermoreflectance signals with analytical solutions in frequency domain and time domain. Thermoreflectance signals observed from metallic thin films on sapphire substrate with different thickness steps were analyzed by Fourier analysis and fitted by analytical equations with four parameters: heat diffusion time across the first layer, ratio of virtual heat sources, characteristic time of cooling determined by interfacial thermal resistance and relative amplitude of the signal. Interface thermal resistance between the thin film and substrate was able to be determined reliably with smaller uncertainty.
Synthesis, and evaluation of photophysical properties of a potential DPP-derived photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy with D-A-D architecture
Authors: Escalona Hernández Vanessa , Padilla-Martínez Itzia Irene , García Rosa Angeles Vázquez , Rodríguez María Aurora Veloz , Hernández-Ortiz Oscar Javier
Published: February 2024

The study of a macromolecule derived from DPP and triphenylamine, (DPP-BisTPA) by computational chemistry, its synthesis by direct arylation, optical characterization (UV-Vis and fluorescence) and electrochemistry (cyclic voltammetry), as well as its evaluation as a generator of reactive oxygen species indirectly, through the degradation of uric acid. The results obtained by DFT using B3LYP/6-31G (d, p) and TD-DFT using CAM-B3LYP/6-31G (d, p) reveal values of energy levels of the first singlet and triplet excited state that indicate a possible intersystem crossover and the possible generation of reactive oxygen species by a type I mechanism. The compound presents an absorption region within the phototherapeutic window. The electrochemical bandgap is 1.64 eV which suggests a behavior as a semiconductor. DPP-BisTPa were processed as hemispherical nanoparticles with a size around 100 nm, and NPOs were evaluated as a photosensitizer with a ROS generation yield of 4% using a photodynamic therapy flashlight as the light source.

Graphical Abstract
Trusted Information Sources About the COVID-19 Vaccine Vary in Underserved Communities
Authors: Benson Brian R. , Rahman Syed A. , Bleasdale Jacob , Win Shunlei , Townsend-Kensinger Kaylyn , Cole Matthew , Jalal Kabir , Yu Jihnhee , Morse Gene D. , Mohler James L. , Ward Rolanda L.
Published: February 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the deadliest global public health events. In the United States, over 1.1 million individuals have died, and now COVID-19 is the third leading cause of death (CDC, 2023). Vaccine uptake has stalled among different demographics. Vaccine hesitancy, a delay in accepting or refusing vaccines, poses a significant challenge regardless of the availability of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. This study aimed to identify disparate COVID-19 vaccine uptake among individuals in Western New York. The primary objective was to identify the factors contributing to lower rates of COVID-19 vaccination within this population.

Data were collected from 585 adults recruited from 20 Niagara and Erie Counties sites using a self-administered survey on vaccine hesitancy, vaccination status, and COVID-19-related characteristics. The survey included the adult Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (aVHS) and acquired information on demographic characteristics and COVID-19 impact, knowledge, and information sources. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test, a Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and a logistic regression model.

Findings suggest that unvaccinated participants (n = 35) were concerned about vaccine side effects (48.6%). For vaccinated/unboosted participants (n = 52), they (40.0%) reported clinical concerns. After adjusting for gender and age, healthcare provider guidance and family guidance remained significant predictors of vaccination status, while clinical research studies were significant predictors of booster status. Findings from this study suggest public health interventions that target vaccine education and facilitate well-informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccines lead to less vaccine hesitancy.
On the vertex functions of type A quiver varieties
Authors: Dinkins Hunter
Published: February 2024

The goal of this paper is to better understand the quasimap vertex functions of type A Nakajima quiver varieties. To that end, we construct an explicit embedding of any type A quiver variety into a type A quiver variety with all framings at the rightmost vertex of the quiver. Then, we consider quasimap counts, showing that the map induced by this embedding on equivariant K-theory preserves vertex functions.
The evaluation of renewable energy alternatives in Turkey using intuitionistic-fuzzy EDAS methodology
Authors: Dumrul Cüneyt , Bilgili Faik , Zarali Fulya , Dumrul Yasemin , Kiliçarslan Zerrin
Published: February 2024

In recent years, high energy costs, increases in carbon emissions, and concerns about energy supply security have led countries to prioritize renewable energy sources in their sustainable energy policies. The selection and ranking of alternative renewable energy sources is a critical issue in establishing an effective energy policy and ensuring environmental improvement at the national and global levels. This study evaluates Turkey’s best renewable energy options using the institutional fuzzy assessment based on distance to mean solution (IF-EDAS) method and aims to find Turkey’s best renewable energy alternative. The decision model alternatively uses wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, wave, hydroelectric, and hydrogen energy options. According to the study’s empirical findings, while the best alternative renewable energy source for Turkey is solar energy, the best criterion in terms of criteria evaluation is “Technology Maturity”. The study also carried out sensitivity analysis, and the results were shared.
The opportunities and limits of Islamist ideological developments on the rights of non-Muslims and women
Authors: Wagemakers Joas
Published: February 2024

Most academic scholars of the Muslim Brotherhood and like-minded Islamist organisations seem to agree that these groups have come to accept the nation state and the rules of the democratic game over the past few decades. At the same time, several scholars have shown in their work that reforms and developments among Islamists with regard to the state and democracy have not been accompanied by similar trends on religious minority rights and especially women’s rights. The long-held Islamist ideal of an Islamic state in which Islam provides the identity of the state remains difficult to square with full and equal citizenship for non-Muslims. Similarly, Islamists have been willing to make concessions with regard to women’s rights by reinterpreting Islamic tradition, but this has not moved as far as their revisionism with regard to the state and democracy. What is holding them back? The objective of this special issue is to begin to answer this question through various case studies, all of which focus on gaining greater insight into (the development of) views on the rights of religious minorities and women among non-violent Islamists since the Islamic revival in the Middle East and North Africa in the 1960s.
Tuning the Physical Properties of Ag and ZnO Nanoparticles to be Applied in Various Applications
Authors: El-Bassuony Asmaa A. H. , Gamal W. M. , Ibrahim Abeer F. , Abdelsalam H. K.
Published: February 2024

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) accompanied by zincite (ZnO) and hematite (Fe2O3) (Ag-Z-H) at different annealing temperatures (as dried, 400°C) were prepared using the Flash auto-combustion method. X-ray diffraction pattern assured the cubic structure of Ag-NPs for both samples. The morphology using atomic force microscopy assured the formation of nanoparticles with small agglomeration. By increasing the annealing temperature, the crystallite and particle sizes increased. Moreover, Fourier transforms infrared analysis assured the bond formation of the nanoparticles. The magnetic measurement indicated the increase of the coercivity (Hc) of (Ag-Z-H) nanoparticles at 400°C by nine-fold compared with the as-dried sample. Contrarily, the as-dried (Ag-Z-H) nanoparticles showed 1.8-fold larger saturation magnetization (Ms) than at 400°C. The high-frequency application was studied from the magnetic measurement and showed that both samples could be applied in the ultra-high frequency microwave region in the P band. As a result of the antimicrobial study, (Ag-Z-H) nanoparticles at 400°C showed stronger antimicrobial activities than the as-dried sample. Thus, the strong recommendation of as-dried (Ag-Z-H) nanoparticles at 400°C could be used as an effective alternative antibacterial drug, especially (Ag-Z-H) nanoparticles at 400°C.
Proton-Prompted Ligand Exchange to Achieve High-Efficiency CsPbI3 Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes
Authors: Li Yanming , Deng Ming , Zhang Xuanyu , Qian Lei , Xiang Chaoyu
Published: February 2024

CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) are ideal materials for the next generation of red light-emitting diodes. However, the low phase stability of CsPbI3 QDs and long-chain insulating capping ligands hinder the improvement of device performance. Traditional in-situ ligand replacement and ligand exchange after synthesis were often difficult to control. Here, we proposed a new ligand exchange strategy using a proton-prompted in-situ exchange of short 5-aminopentanoic acid ligands with long-chain oleic acid and oleylamine ligands to obtain stable small-size CsPbI3 QDs. This exchange strategy maintained the size and morphology of CsPbI3 QDs and improved the optical properties and the conductivity of CsPbI3 QDs films. As a result, high-efficiency red QD-based light-emitting diodes with an emission wavelength of 645 nm demonstrated a record maximum external quantum efficiency of 24.45% and an operational half-life of 10.79 h.
Why do Moroccan English Foreign Language learners experience more Peace of Mind (外语平和心态) than Chinese EFL learners and how does it affect their performance?
Authors: Dewaele Jean-Marc , Meftah Rachid , Zhou Li
Published: February 2024

The current study considers the effects of the Chinese low arousal emotion Foreign Language Peace of Mind (FLPOM) and the medium-to-high arousal emotion of Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) on the performance of 400 Chinese and 502 Moroccan English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The database consists of two merged datasets collected with the same instruments from learners with comparable profiles for English. The data on Chinese EFL learners was collected and used in Zhou et al. (Applied Linguistics Review, 2023a) while the data on Moroccan EFL learners was used in Dewaele and Meftah (Journal of the European Second Language Association, 2023); Dewaele et al. (Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 2023a). The comparison revealed that all students reported higher levels of FLE than FLPOM. Moroccan students scored significantly higher on FLPOM and FLE than their Chinese peers. They also had significantly higher scores on the FLE Personal dimension. Finally, FLPOM was more strongly associated with performance than FLE among the Moroccan EFL learners, confirming the pattern in Zhou et al. (Applied Linguistics Review, 2023a). FLPOM did explain slightly more variance in the performance of Chinese EFL learners. Pedagogical implications are presented.
A multi-omics analysis of viral nucleic acid poly(I:C) responses to mammalian testicular stimulation
Authors: Yang Donghui , Wu Wenping , Lu Qizhong , Mou Yaling , Chen Wenbo , Wan Shicheng , Zhang Mengfei , Wang Congliang , Du Xiaomin , Li Na , Hua Jinlian
Published: February 2024

The male reproductive system has a standard immune response regulatory mechanism, However, a variety of external stimuli, including viruses, bacteria, heat, and medications can damage the testicles and cause orchitis and epididymitis. It has been shown that various RNA viruses are more likely to infect the testis than DNA viruses, inducing orchitis and impairing testicular function. It was found that local injection of the viral RNA analog poly(I:C) into the testes markedly disrupted the structure of the seminiferous tubules, accompanied by apoptosis and inflammation. Poly(I:C) mainly inhibited the expression of testosterone synthesis-associated proteins, STAR and MGARP, and affected the synthesis and metabolism of amino acids and lipids in the testis. This led to the disruption of the metabolite levels in the testis of mice, thus affecting the normal spermatogenesis process. The present study analyzed the acute inflammatory response of the testis to viral infection using a multi-omics approach. It provides insights into how RNA virus infection impairs testicular function and offers a theoretical basis for future studies on immune homeostasis and responses under stress conditions in male reproduction.
‘Somewhere Someone Testified’: The Hermeneutical Function of Indefinite Citation Formulae in the Epistle to the Hebrews
Authors: Cole Daniel M. I.
Published: February 2024

The author to the Hebrews makes the seemingly strange choice to introduce two quotations from the LXX with indefinite markers (Heb 2.6; 4.4). While some commentators do not consider these introductions, others have argued that they function either rhetorically to engage the audience or theologically to highlight the divine speaker. This article argues that a hermeneutical function better explains the author's choices: the author uses the indefiniteness to guide his audience in how to interpret each quoted passage. The author uses the indefinite marker of place (που) to remove both Gen 2.2 and Ps 8.5–7 LXX from their salvation-historical context; this results in the rest of God (Heb 3–4) and the role of humanity within creation (Heb 2) applying equally to the present and the coming ages. He pairs this with the indefinite marker of person (τις) in his introduction to Ps 8 to indicate that the audience should not interpret it prosopologically as the speech of the Son to the Father; rather the Psalm testifies to the role of humanity within the present and the coming worlds, a role which the Son incarnate fulfils. This hermeneutical explanation aligns with other instances of indefinite citation markers in Second Temple Judaism, most notably in Philo. This argument, therefore, both adds depth to the characterisation of the author as a careful reader of Scripture and brings out the intended meaning and function of Ps 8 and Gen 2 in the discourse of Hebrews more clearly.
Visualising the super-temporal vulnerability of God: Balthasar's theological use of John's biblical image of ‘the Lamb slain’
Authors: Cha Boram
Published: February 2024

Hans Urs von Balthasar's kenotic trinitarianism and theodramatic Christology is designed to dramatise the triune God's kenotic engagement with the world without introducing a change in God. It continues to be disputed whether Balthasar ends up divinising suffering and making God into a tragic deity or succeeds in redefining and complexifying divine immutability. To engage with this question, this article critically examines Balthasar's theological use of the image of ‘the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world’, which plays a pivotal role in his kenotic and theodramatic soteriology. I will argue that his kenosis-driven understanding of John's Gospel is untenable, and his rich theological use of Revelation's image of the Lamb slain, intensified by his questionable exegesis of the Fourth Gospel, renders super-temporal suffering and death real in the life of God.
Exploiting phenotypic and genotypic diversity against Colletotrichum truncatum in chilli hybrids developed using resistant breeding lines
Authors: Herath H.M.S.N. , Rafii M. Y. , Ismail Siti Izera , Jaafar Juju Nakasha , Ramlee Shairul Izan
Published: February 2024

In an effort to control anthracnose disease, one of the major problems that has been faced by farmers, 14 chilli hybrids and their parents were screened phenotypically using the fruit inoculation method under laboratory conditions. Genotypic screening of 14 chilli hybrids and their parents was done by the identified polymorphic markers, HpmsE 051 and HpmsE 082. Based on the phenotypic and genotypic data, chilli hybrids, H1, H2, H3, H4, H6, H7, H8, H9, H11 and H12 were identified as resistant chilli hybrids against anthracnose disease caused by the C. truncatum. Molecular markers, HpmsE 051 and HpmsE 082 could be utilized as polymorphic markers to isolate resistant genotypes against C. truncatum.
Healthcare reform in the Netherlands: after 15 years of regulated competition
Authors: Maarse Hans , Jeurissen Patrick
Published: February 2024

This article discusses the results and prospects of the market reform in Dutch health care which came into force in 2006. Attention is paid to the results of the health insurance reform, the experience with the shift from passive to active purchasing and the impact of the reform on healthcare provision and cost control respectively. Other topics discussed are the consequences of the reform for administrative costs, institutional trust in health insurance, and the power balance in health care after reform. The central message is that the high expectations of the market reform have not come true. Dutch health care features a high degree of hybridity and there are indications that the system is becoming ever more hybrid: the system operates much less market-like than the market frame suggests. Currently, the policy narrative on the reform is changing. Policymakers and policy documents underscore the need for cooperation in provider networks and more state direction. The Dutch experience with health care reform illustrates the pendulum theory. After a period of a belief in competition and less state direction the pendulum in policymaking swings back to a belief in cooperation and a pro-active role of the state.
The Magnetopause Deformation Indicated by Fast Cold Ion Motion
Authors: Guo Wenlong , Tang Binbin , Zhang Qinghe , Li Wenya , Yang Zhongwei , Sun Tianran , Ma Jiuqi , Zhang Xiaoxin , Liu Ziqian , Guo Xiaocheng , Wang Chi
Published: February 2024

The magnetopause deformation due to the upstream magnetosheath pressure perturbations is important to understand the solar wind‐magnetosphere coupling process, but how to identify such events from in situ spacecraft observations is still challenging. In this study, we investigate magnetopause crossing events with fast‐moving cold ions in the magnetosphere from Magnetospheric Multiscale observations, and find when fast‐moving cold ions are present at the magnetopause, they are closely associated with the magnetopause deformation, which is featured by fast magnetopause motion and significant magnetopause normal deflection from model predictions. Therefore, fast‐moving cold ions can be a useful indicator to search for magnetopause deformation events. By integrating the cold ion speed, the inferred magnetopause deformation amplitude varies from 0.1 to 2.0 RE. Further statistics indicate that such magnetopause deformation events prefer to occur under quasi‐radial interplanetary magnetic field and fast solar wind conditions, suggesting high‐speed magnetosheath jets could be one direct cause of magnetopause deformations.
Exceptionally Low Thermal Conduction of Basaltic Glasses and Implications for the Thermo‐Chemical Evolution of the Earth's Primitive Magma Ocean
Authors: Hsieh Wen‐Pin , Chang Yun‐Yuan , Tsao Yi‐Chi , Lin Chun‐Hung , Vilella Kenny
Published: February 2024

The thermal properties of the Earth's primordial magma are the key factors that constrained crystallization and other thermo‐chemical processes in Earth's primitive magma ocean and therefore controlled the Earth's long‐term evolution. Thermal conductivity of the primordial magma is conventionally assumed to be a constant of about 4 W m−1 K−1 under the high pressure‐temperature conditions of the primitive magma ocean. Here we measured the lattice thermal conductivity of a variety of basaltic and silicate glasses at high pressures and a wide range of temperatures. Our results suggest that the primordial magma, if it is indeed represented by basaltic melts, had a thermal conductivity of ∼1.0–1.9 W m−1 K−1, much lower than previously thought. Such low thermal conduction reduced heat loss and thus prolonged the cooling time of the early magma ocean, promoting convection in the solidifying mantle and preventing a global overturn. Moreover, if the seismic ultralow velocity zones presently observed in the lowermost mantle are made of basaltic melts, originating either from remnants of the primitive magma ocean or pieces of subducted crust, the material in these zones must have an ultralow thermal conductivity, which would reduce cooling and thus influence the thermo‐chemical evolution of the present day core‐mantle boundary.
HIRA vs. DAXX: the two axes shaping the histone H3.3 landscape
Authors: Choi Jinmi , Kim Taewan , Cho Eun-Jung
Published: February 2024

H3.3, the most common replacement variant for histone H3, has emerged as an important player in chromatin dynamics for controlling gene expression and genome integrity. While replicative variants H3.1 and H3.2 are primarily incorporated into nucleosomes during DNA synthesis, H3.3 is under the control of H3.3-specific histone chaperones for spatiotemporal incorporation throughout the cell cycle. Over the years, there has been progress in understanding the mechanisms by which H3.3 affects domain structure and function. Furthermore, H3.3 distribution and relative abundance profoundly impact cellular identity and plasticity during normal development and pathogenesis. Recurrent mutations in H3.3 and its chaperones have been identified in neoplastic transformation and developmental disorders, providing new insights into chromatin biology and disease. Here, we review recent findings emphasizing how two distinct histone chaperones, HIRA and DAXX, take part in the spatial and temporal distribution of H3.3 in different chromatin domains and ultimately achieve dynamic control of chromatin organization and function. Elucidating the H3.3 deposition pathways from the available histone pool will open new avenues for understanding the mechanisms by which H3.3 epigenetically regulates gene expression and its impact on cellular integrity and pathogenesis.
Deficiency of circadian clock gene Bmal1 exacerbates noncanonical inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis and lethality via Rev-erbα-C/EBPβ-SAA1 axis
Authors: Shim Do-Wan , Eo Jun-Cheol , Kim Saeyoung , Hwang Inhwa , Nam BoYoung , Shin Jae-Eun , Han Seung Hyeok , Yu Je-Wook
Published: February 2024

Circadian arrhythmia has been linked to increased susceptibility to multiple inflammatory diseases, such as sepsis. However, it remains unclear how disruption of the circadian clock modulates molecular aspects of innate immune responses, including inflammasome signaling. Here, we examined the potential role of the circadian clock in inflammasome-mediated responses through myeloid-specific deletion of BMAL1, a master circadian clock regulator. Intriguingly, Bmal1 deficiency significantly enhanced pyroptosis of macrophages and lethality of mice under noncanonical inflammasome-activating conditions but did not alter canonical inflammasome responses. Transcriptome analysis of enriched peritoneal myeloid cells revealed that Bmal1 deficiency led to a marked reduction in Rev-erbα expression at steady state and a significant increase in serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) expression upon poly(I:C) stimulation. Notably, we found that the circadian regulator Rev-erbα is critical for poly(I:C)- or interferon (IFN)-β-induced SAA1 production, resulting in the circadian oscillation pattern of SAA1 expression in myeloid cells. Furthermore, exogenously applied SAA1 markedly increased noncanonical inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis of macrophages and lethality of mice. Intriguingly, our results revealed that type 1 IFN receptor signaling is needed for poly(I:C)- or IFN-β-induced SAA1 production. Downstream of the type 1 IFN receptor, Rev-erbα inhibited the IFN-β-induced association of C/EBPβ with the promoter region of Saa1, leading to the reduced transcription of Saa1 in macrophages. Bmal1-deficient macrophages exhibited enhanced binding of C/EBPβ to Saa1. Consistently, the blockade of Rev-erbα by SR8278 significantly increased poly(I:C)-stimulated SAA1 transcription and noncanonical inflammasome-mediated lethality in mice. Collectively, our data demonstrate a potent suppressive effect of the circadian clock BMAL1 on the noncanonical inflammasome response via the Rev-erbα-C/EBPβ-SAA1 axis.
The antimicrobial activity of theobromine against cariogenic microbes: an in vitro pilot study
Authors: Rafiq Ismaeel H. , Dame-Teixeira Naile , Do Thuy
Published: February 2024

Objective

This pilot study aimed to compare the antimicrobial effect of theobromine, sodium fluoride, and a theobromine-sodium fluoride combination against the following caries-associated bacteria: Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces naeslundii.

Methodology

Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested via the broth microdilution method, with suspensions cultured on each microbe’s respective selective media. Shapiro–Wilk’s was completed and all the data showed normality (p > 0.05), and One-way ANOVA was applied to infer the significant differences in the viable counts between the groups.

Results

All experimental conditions for both S. mutans and A. naeslundii groups resulted in a significantly lower bacterial abundance in comparison to the control medium, without any active antimicrobial agent (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in viable count between the theobromine, fluoride, or combination groups against either microbe (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Theobromine’s antimicrobial activity against S. mutans and A. naeslundii was found similar to that of fluoride, whether used independently or in combination. Further testing of theobromine is necessary to assess its role as an alternative anticaries agent.
Evolutionary trajectory of pattern recognition receptors in plants
Authors: Ngou Bruno Pok Man , Wyler Michele , Schmid Marc W. , Kadota Yasuhiro , Shirasu Ken
Published: February 2024

Cell-surface receptors play pivotal roles in many biological processes, including immunity, development, and reproduction, across diverse organisms. How cell-surface receptors evolve to become specialised in different biological processes remains elusive. To shed light on the immune-specificity of cell-surface receptors, we analyzed more than 200,000 genes encoding cell-surface receptors from 350 genomes and traced the evolutionary origin of immune-specific leucine-rich repeat receptor-like proteins (LRR-RLPs) in plants. Surprisingly, we discovered that the motifs crucial for co-receptor interaction in LRR-RLPs are closely related to those of the LRR-receptor-like kinase (RLK) subgroup Xb, which perceives phytohormones and primarily governs growth and development. Functional characterisation further reveals that LRR-RLPs initiate immune responses through their juxtamembrane and transmembrane regions, while LRR-RLK-Xb members regulate development through their cytosolic kinase domains. Our data suggest that the cell-surface receptors involved in immunity and development share a common origin. After diversification, their ectodomains, juxtamembrane, transmembrane, and cytosolic regions have either diversified or stabilised to recognise diverse ligands and activate differential downstream responses. Our work reveals a mechanism by which plants evolve to perceive diverse signals to activate the appropriate responses in a rapidly changing environment.
Non-hermiticity in spintronics: oscillation death in coupled spintronic nano-oscillators through emerging exceptional points
Authors: Wittrock Steffen , Perna Salvatore , Lebrun Romain , Ho Katia , Dutra Roberta , Ferreira Ricardo , Bortolotti Paolo , Serpico Claudio , Cros Vincent
Published: February 2024

The emergence of exceptional points (EPs) in the parameter space of a non-hermitian (2D) eigenvalue problem has long been interest in mathematical physics, however, only in the last decade entered the scope of experiments. In coupled systems, EPs give rise to unique physical phenomena, and enable the development of highly sensitive sensors. Here, we demonstrate at room temperature the emergence of EPs in coupled spintronic nanoscale oscillators and exploit the system’s non-hermiticity. We observe amplitude death of self-oscillations and other complex dynamics, and develop a linearized non-hermitian model of the coupled spintronic system, which describes the main experimental features. The room temperature operation, and CMOS compatibility of our spintronic nanoscale oscillators means that they are ready to be employed in a variety of applications, such as field, current or rotation sensors, radiofrequeny and wireless devices, and in dedicated neuromorphic computing hardware. Furthermore, their unique and versatile properties, notably their large nonlinear behavior, open up unprecedented perspectives in experiments as well as in theory on the physics of exceptional points expanding to strongly nonlinear systems.
Multiplexed screening reveals how cancer-specific alternative polyadenylation shapes tumor growth in vivo
Authors: Gabel Austin M. , Belleville Andrea E. , Thomas James D. , McKellar Siegen A. , Nicholas Taylor R. , Banjo Toshihiro , Crosse Edie I. , Bradley Robert K.
Published: February 2024

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is strikingly dysregulated in many cancers. Although global APA dysregulation is frequently associated with poor prognosis, the importance of most individual APA events is controversial simply because few have been functionally studied. Here, we address this gap by developing a CRISPR-Cas9-based screen to manipulate endogenous polyadenylation and systematically quantify how APA events contribute to tumor growth in vivo. Our screen reveals individual APA events that control mouse melanoma growth in an immunocompetent host, with concordant associations in clinical human cancer. For example, forced Atg7 3′ UTR lengthening in mouse melanoma suppresses ATG7 protein levels, slows tumor growth, and improves host survival; similarly, in clinical human melanoma, a long ATG7 3′ UTR is associated with significantly prolonged patient survival. Overall, our study provides an easily adaptable means to functionally dissect APA in physiological systems and directly quantifies the contributions of recurrent APA events to tumorigenic phenotypes.
Hydrogel dressings with intrinsic antibiofilm and antioxidative dual functionalities accelerate infected diabetic wound healing
Authors: Pranantyo Dicky , Yeo Chun Kiat , Wu Yang , Fan Chen , Xu Xiaofei , Yip Yun Sheng , Vos Marcus Ivan Gerard , Mahadevegowda Surendra H. , Lim Priscilla Lay Keng , Yang Liang , Hammond Paula T. , Leavesley David Ian , Tan Nguan Soon , Chan-Park Mary B.
Published: February 2024

Chronic wounds are often infected with biofilm bacteria and characterized by high oxidative stress. Current dressings that promote chronic wound healing either require additional processes such as photothermal irradiation or leave behind gross amounts of undesirable residues. We report a dual-functionality hydrogel dressing with intrinsic antibiofilm and antioxidative properties that are synergistic and low-leaching. The hydrogel is a crosslinked network with tethered antibacterial cationic polyimidazolium and antioxidative N-acetylcysteine. In a murine diabetic wound model, the hydrogel accelerates the closure of wounds infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. Furthermore, a three-dimensional ex vivo human skin equivalent model shows that N-acetylcysteine promotes the keratinocyte differentiation and accelerates the re-epithelialization process. Our hydrogel dressing can be made into different formats for the healing of both flat and deep infected chronic wounds without contamination of the wound or needing other modalities such as photothermal irradiation.
Nuclear to cytoplasmic transport is a druggable dependency in MYC-driven hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Deutzmann Anja , Sullivan Delaney K. , Dhanasekaran Renumathy , Li Wei , Chen Xinyu , Tong Ling , Mahauad-Fernandez Wadie D. , Bell John , Mosley Adriane , Koehler Angela N. , Li Yulin , Felsher Dean W.
Published: February 2024

The MYC oncogene is often dysregulated in human cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MYC is considered undruggable to date. Here, we comprehensively identify genes essential for survival of MYChigh but not MYClow cells by a CRISPR/Cas9 genome-wide screen in a MYC-conditional HCC model. Our screen uncovers novel MYC synthetic lethal (MYC-SL) interactions and identifies most MYC-SL genes described previously. In particular, the screen reveals nucleocytoplasmic transport to be a MYC-SL interaction. We show that the majority of MYC-SL nucleocytoplasmic transport genes are upregulated in MYChigh murine HCC and are associated with poor survival in HCC patients. Inhibiting Exportin-1 (XPO1) in vivo induces marked tumor regression in an autochthonous MYC-transgenic HCC model and inhibits tumor growth in HCC patient-derived xenografts. XPO1 expression is associated with poor prognosis only in HCC patients with high MYC activity. We infer that MYC may generally regulate and require altered expression of nucleocytoplasmic transport genes for tumorigenesis.
Mitochondrial protein C15ORF48 is a stress-independent inducer of autophagy that regulates oxidative stress and autoimmunity
Authors: Takakura Yuki , Machida Moeka , Terada Natsumi , Katsumi Yuka , Kawamura Seika , Horie Kenta , Miyauchi Maki , Ishikawa Tatsuya , Akiyama Nobuko , Seki Takao , Miyao Takahisa , Hayama Mio , Endo Rin , Ishii Hiroto , Maruyama Yuya , Hagiwara Naho , Kobayashi Tetsuya J. , Yamaguchi Naoto , Takano Hiroyuki , Akiyama Taishin , Yamaguchi Noritaka
Published: February 2024

Autophagy is primarily activated by cellular stress, such as starvation or mitochondrial damage. However, stress-independent autophagy is activated by unclear mechanisms in several cell types, such as thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Here we report that the mitochondrial protein, C15ORF48, is a critical inducer of stress-independent autophagy. Mechanistically, C15ORF48 reduces the mitochondrial membrane potential and lowers intracellular ATP levels, thereby activating AMP-activated protein kinase and its downstream Unc-51-like kinase 1. Interestingly, C15ORF48-dependent induction of autophagy upregulates intracellular glutathione levels, promoting cell survival by reducing oxidative stress. Mice deficient in C15orf48 show a reduction in stress-independent autophagy in TECs, but not in typical starvation-induced autophagy in skeletal muscles. Moreover, C15orf48–/– mice develop autoimmunity, which is consistent with the fact that the stress-independent autophagy in TECs is crucial for the thymic self-tolerance. These results suggest that C15ORF48 induces stress-independent autophagy, thereby regulating oxidative stress and self-tolerance.
3D atomic structure from a single X-ray free electron laser pulse
Authors: Bortel Gábor , Tegze Miklós , Sikorski Marcin , Bean Richard , Bielecki Johan , Kim Chan , Koliyadu Jayanath C. P. , Koua Faisal H. M. , Ramilli Marco , Round Adam , Sato Tokushi , Zabelskii Dmitrii , Faigel Gyula
Published: February 2024

X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFEL) are cutting-edge pulsed x-ray sources, whose extraordinary pulse parameters promise to unlock unique applications. Several new methods have been developed at XFELs; however, no methods are known, which allow ab initio atomic level structure determination using only a single XFEL pulse. Here, we present experimental results, demonstrating the determination of the 3D atomic structure from data obtained during a single 25 fs XFEL pulse. Parallel measurement of hundreds of Bragg reflections was done by collecting Kossel line patterns of GaAs and GaP. To the best of our knowledge with these measurements, we reached the ultimate temporal limit of the x-ray structure solution possible today. These measurements open the way for obtaining crystalline structures during non-repeatable fast processes, such as structural transformations. For example, the atomic structure of matter at extremely non-ambient conditions or transient structures formed in irreversible physical, chemical, or biological processes may be captured in a single shot measurement during the transformation. It would also facilitate time resolved pump-probe structural studies making them significantly shorter than traditional serial crystallography.
Quantum storage of 1650 modes of single photons at telecom wavelength
Authors: Wei Shi-Hai , Jing Bo , Zhang Xue-Ying , Liao Jin-Yu , Li Hao , You Li-Xing , Wang Zhen , Wang You , Deng Guang-Wei , Song Hai-Zhi , Oblak Daniel , Guo Guang-Can , Zhou Qiang
Published: February 2024

To advance the full potential of quantum networks one should be able to distribute quantum resources over long distances at appreciable rates. As a consequence, all components in such networks need to have large multimode capacity to manipulate photonic quantum states. Towards this end, a photonic quantum memory with a large multimode capacity, especially one operating at telecom wavelength, remains an important challenge. Here we optimize the preparation of atomic frequency combs and demonstrate a spectro-temporally multiplexed quantum memory in a 10-m-long cryogenically cooled erbium doped silica fibre. Our multiplexing storage has five spectral channels - each 10 GHz wide with 5 GHz separation - with up to 330 temporal modes in each, thus resulting in a simultaneous storage of 1,650 modes of heralded single photons with a 1000-fold increasing in coincidence detection rate with respect to single mode storage. Our results could pave the way for high speed quantum networks compatible with the infrastructure of fibre optical communication.
Mapping microhabitats of lignocellulose decomposition by a microbial consortium
Authors: Veličković Marija , Wu Ruonan , Gao Yuqian , Thairu Margaret W. , Veličković Dušan , Munoz Nathalie , Clendinen Chaevien S. , Bilbao Aivett , Chu Rosalie K. , Lalli Priscila M. , Zemaitis Kevin , Nicora Carrie D. , Kyle Jennifer E. , Orton Daniel , Williams Sarai , Zhu Ying , Zhao Rui , Monroe Matthew E. , Moore Ronald J. , Webb-Robertson Bobbie-Jo M. , Bramer Lisa M. , Currie Cameron R. , Piehowski Paul D. , Burnum-Johnson Kristin E.
Published: February 2024

The leaf-cutter ant fungal garden ecosystem is a naturally evolved model system for efficient plant biomass degradation. Degradation processes mediated by the symbiotic fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus are difficult to characterize due to dynamic metabolisms and spatial complexity of the system. Herein, we performed microscale imaging across 12-µm-thick adjacent sections of Atta cephalotes fungal gardens and applied a metabolome-informed proteome imaging approach to map lignin degradation. This approach combines two spatial multiomics mass spectrometry modalities that enabled us to visualize colocalized metabolites and proteins across and through the fungal garden. Spatially profiled metabolites revealed an accumulation of lignin-related products, outlining morphologically unique lignin microhabitats. Metaproteomic analyses of these microhabitats revealed carbohydrate-degrading enzymes, indicating a prominent fungal role in lignocellulose decomposition. Integration of metabolome-informed proteome imaging data provides a comprehensive view of underlying biological pathways to inform our understanding of metabolic fungal pathways in plant matter degradation within the micrometer-scale environment.
Exonuclease-enhanced prime editors
Authors: Truong Dong-Jiunn Jeffery , Geilenkeuser Julian , Wendel Stephanie Victoria , Wilming Julius Clemens Heinrich , Armbrust Niklas , Binder Eva Maria Hildegard , Santl Tobias Heinrich , Siebenhaar Annika , Gruber Christoph , Phlairaharn Teeradon , Živanić Milica , Westmeyer Gil Gregor
Published: February 2024

Prime editing (PE) is a powerful gene-editing technique based on targeted gRNA-templated reverse transcription and integration of the de novo synthesized single-stranded DNA. To circumvent one of the main bottlenecks of the method, the competition of the reverse-transcribed 3′ flap with the original 5′ flap DNA, we generated an enhanced fluorescence-activated cell sorting reporter cell line to develop an exonuclease-enhanced PE strategy (‘Exo-PE’) composed of an improved PE complex and an aptamer-recruited DNA-exonuclease to remove the 5′ original DNA flap. Exo-PE achieved better overall editing efficacy than the reference PE2 strategy for insertions ≥30 base pairs in several endogenous loci and cell lines while maintaining the high editing precision of PE2. By enabling the precise incorporation of larger insertions, Exo-PE complements the growing palette of different PE tools and spurs additional refinements of the PE machinery.
The shape function method of nonlinear thermal stress of granite fracture tips in a high-temperature environment
Authors: Wang Yang , Chen Wen-hua
Published: February 2024

Exposed rock masses in tunnel portals are susceptible to thermal deterioration in southern China, where temperatures are relatively high. The thermal stress field of rock masses is affected by fracture shape and distribution as fractures near the surface are channels for solar radiation energy to be converted into rock thermal energy. In this study, a function expression is developed for triangular heat sources of fractured rock masses in a tunnel portal in a high-temperature environment. By the function expression, the temperature field and thermal stress field are calculated, and the influence of fracture shape parameters and multi-fracture interaction is analyzed. The results are as follows: (1) the temperature field and thermal stress field of exposed rocks are redistributed by fractures. The internal temperature of the fractured rocks is higher than that of non-fractured rocks, and thermal stress near the fracture tip increases. (2) For triangular fractures of the same length, thermal stress increases as the apex angle increases. (3) When the spacing between parallel fractures or coplanar fractures is close, the superposition effect of thermal stress becomes significant. (4) In a high-temperature environment, temperature field and thermal stress field of a fractured rock are both nonlinear as temperature and thermal stress around fractures increase significantly. The results provide effective reference for stability evaluation of fractured rock masses in tunnel portals and offer theoretical foundation for thermal diseases analysis and protection measures of tunnel engineering in high-temperature environments of southern China.
Perfect single-photon sources
Authors: Khalid Sana , Laussy Fabrice P.
Published: February 2024

We introduce the gapped coherent state in the form of a single-photon source (SPS) that consists of uncorrelated photons as a background, except that we demand that no two photons can be closer in time than a time gap $$t_\text{G}$$

t
G

. While no obvious quantum mechanism is yet identified to produce exactly such a photon stream, a numerical simulation is easily achieved by first generating an uncorrelated (Poissonian) signal and then for each photon in the list, either adding such a time gap or removing all photons that are closer in time from each other than $$t_\text{G}$$

t
G

. We study the statistical properties of such a hypothetical signal, which exhibits counter-intuitive features. This provides a neat and natural connection between continuous-wave (stationary) and pulsed single-photon sources, with also a bearing on what it means for such sources to be perfect in terms of single-photon emission.