bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Flaps From Different Sites for Repairing Postoperative Soft Tissue Defects Regarding the Quality of Life in Patients With Oral Cancer: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ren Yajiao , Li Jiaxin , Li Hao , Wang Shifen , Wang Yao
Published: February 2024

This study aims to compare flaps at different sites in treating soft tissue defects after oral cancer surgery and improving patients’ quality of life (QoL). Databases were searched until September 2023. The extracted data included the scores of chewing, swallowing, speech, mood, and appearance based on the University of Washington QoL questionnaire, version 4. Two types of free flaps and 2 types of pedicled tissue flaps were included. The free flaps were the forearm free flap (FFF) and anterolateral thigh flap, and the pedicled tissue flaps were the submental artery island flap and pectoralis major myocutaneous flap (PMMF). Compared with FFF, there was no significant difference in the scores of chewing, swallowing, speech, and mood among anterolateral thigh, submental artery island flap, and PMMF, and PMMF generally had a higher score than FFF only in terms of appearance, with statistical significance. There is no significant difference in chewing, swallowing, speech, and mood between flaps from different sites in repairing postoperative soft tissue defects of oral cancer. Therefore, the widely used FFF may be the preferred choice considering the QoL of patients after oral cancer surgery.
Quantitative Analysis of Occipital Artery Bypass Donor Vessels by Ultrasonography and DSA
Authors: Huang Li-tian , Liu Zhuo-yang , Tong Xiaoguang
Published: February 2024

Background:

Occipital artery (OA) acts as a vital donor vessel in intra-cranialand extra-cranial bypass. Ultrasonography and digital subtracted angiography (DSA) are becoming increasingly important in the assessment of vascular morphology and hemodynamically; however, quantitative analysis of occipital artery bypass donor vessels by Ultrasonography and DSA are seldom discussed.

Methods:

A retrospective study involving 62 cases accepted occipital artery bypass to treat posterior circulation aneurysms or artery occlusion/stenosis. The characteristics of OA are collected and analyzed.

Results:

Occipital artery bypasses were performed to treat posterior circulation aneurysms in 34 patients and to treat posterior circulation artery occlusion or stenosis in 28 patients. Compared with the ultrasonography group, the DSA group had a greater diameter of OA, and Bland Altman analysis indicated that the discrepancy between the 2 groups was about 0.555 mm. Ultrasonography showed the characteristics of OA: the mean Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV) was 42.98 cm/s, the mean End Diastolic Velocity (EDV) was 8.811 cm/s, and the mean Resistance Index (RI) was 1.46. There were no statistical differences in the diameter of OA, PSV, EDV, and RI between the male group and female group, the elderly group and younger adult group or the left occipital artery group and right occipital artery group. However, compared with patients with posterior circulation aneurysms, patients with artery occlusion or stenosis were older and had higher PSV, RI, and greater diameter in occipital arteries. The mean diameter of occipital arteries was increased in the first postoperative years but reduced in 3 patients during 1 year follow-up.

Conclusions:

Both ultrasonography and DSA were effective assessment methods of occipital artery bypasses, and the DSA group had a greater diameter of OA. Age, gender, and left or right sides had little effect on the diameter of OA, PSV, EDV, and RI. Posterior circulation occlusion or stenosis had higher PSV, RI, and greater diameter of the occipital artery when compared with posterior circulation aneurysms. Occipital artery bypasses could increase the diameter of OA in most cases.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Sylvian Aqueduct Syndrome
Authors: Shao Qiang , Chen Yu Jing , Xiao Kai , Hu Fei , Pan Li , Chen Yang , Xu Hao , Chen Lang
Published: February 2024

Background:

Sylvian aqueduct syndrome is a rare complication after ventriculoperitoneal (V-P) shunt surgery and is not easily diagnosed.

Methods:

A 26-year-old male with obstructive hydrocephalus due to tectal glioma was treated with a V-P shunt surgery in another hospital. After the surgery, the patient developed an intractable disturbance of consciousness. When the V-P shunt pressure was raised or lowered, the patient’s consciousness disorder still could not be improved. The patient was diagnosed with Sylvian aqueduct syndrome, a rare complication after V-P shunt operation.

Results:

The paper clarifies the treatment experience with simultaneous endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and tectum gliomas biopsy, postoperative pathology suggestive of fibrillary astrocytoma; after surgery, the Sylvian aqueduct syndrome was cured and the patient recovered well.

Conclusions:

The preferred treatment for obstructive hydrocephalus caused by tumors in the Pineal region is the ETV operation. If an ETV operation and biopsy operation are performed simultaneously, more details need to be noted.
Negative Vaccination Strategies for Promotion of Transplant Tolerance
Authors: Tunbridge Matthew J. , Luo Xunrong , Thomson Angus W.
Published: February 2024

Organ transplantation requires the use of immunosuppressive medications that lack antigen specificity, have many adverse side effects, and fail to induce immunological tolerance to the graft. The safe induction of tolerance to allogeneic tissue without compromising host responses to infection or enhancing the risk of malignant disease is a major goal in transplantation. One promising approach to achieve this goal is based on the concept of “negative vaccination.” Vaccination (or actively acquired immunity) involves the presentation of both a foreign antigen and immunostimulatory adjuvant to the immune system to induce antigen-specific immunity. By contrast, negative vaccination, in the context of transplantation, involves the delivery of donor antigen before or after transplantation, together with a “negative adjuvant” to selectively inhibit the alloimmune response. This review will explore established and emerging negative vaccination strategies for promotion of organ or pancreatic islet transplant tolerance. These include donor regulatory myeloid cell infusion, which has progressed to early-phase clinical trials, apoptotic donor cell infusion that has advanced to nonhuman primate models, and novel nanoparticle antigen-delivery systems.
Nocardia otitidiscaviarum causing pulmonary nocardiosis: a case report and its review of the literature
Authors: Srivastava Saumya , Samaddar Arghadip , Khan Salman , Tak Vibhor , Bohra Gopal Krishna , Sharma Deepak , Ghosh Arnab , Nag Vijaya Lakshmi
Published: February 2024

Background. Infections caused by Nocardia spp. can occur in immunocompromised as well as immunocompetent individuals. Although nocardiosis is rare, it is being increasingly recognized owing to the rise in occurrence rate over the years. The documentation of pleural involvement in nocardiosis is rare in India.

Case. We report a case of pulmonary nocardiosis in an immunocompromised individual caused by Nocardia otitidiscaviarum.

Discussion. Pulmonary nocardiosis caused by Nocardia otitidiscaviarum may go unnoticed without clinical suspicion. Correct and timely identification is the key to proper patient management.

Conclusion. Coordination between clinicians and microbiologists is necessary for early diagnosis and appropriate management of nocardiosis.
Targeted genome sequencing for tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing in South Africa: a proposed diagnostic pipeline
Authors: Bagratee Tayarv J. , Studholme David J.
Published: February 2024

In July 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) began recommending targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS), due to its ability to detect resistance to many drugs with a single test. In March 2023, South Africa further adopted the GeneXpert XDR cartridge, which detects mutations associated with resistance to second-line injectable drugs. Here, we consider the feasibility for implementing tNGS in South Africa, what such a facility might look like and the specific context of this upper-middle-income country. Whilst the WHO now recommends tNGS for TB diagnostics and DST, there are many economic and infrastructural challenges opposing its deployment. In lieu of this, we instead recommend a stratified diagnostic pipeline that utilizes South Africa’s existing GeneXpert technologies, attempting to reduce the costs associated with implementation of tNGS.
Detection and characterization of micro-organisms linked to unsealed drugs sold in Ihiagwa community, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
Authors: Ekeleme Uzochukwu G. , Ikwuagwu Vivian O. , Chukwuocha Uchechukwu M. , Nwakanma Jane C. , Adiruo Stephanie A. , Ogini Ikenna O. , Ude Ifeoma U.
Published: February 2024

The contamination of pharmaceutical products by micro-organisms poses a significant risk to public health. This study was conducted to detect and characterize micro-organisms associated with unsealed drugs sold in Ihiagwa community in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. A variety of microbiological techniques were employed to analyse samples from unsealed drug containers. The identification process involved morphological, biochemical and sugar utilization methods, aiding in the accurate determination of microbial species. Microbial contamination was observed in 42 (84 %) out of 50 samples, with contaminants including bacteria and fungi. The range of contamination is between 1.2±0.01×103 and 2.3±0.02×103 c.f.u. ml−1 for viable count, 0.1±0.02×102 and 0.3±0.01×102 c.f.u. g−1 for coliform count and 0.2±0.01×101 and 0.5±0.01×101 c.f.u. g−1 for fungi count. The identified microbes were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. The most common bacterial isolate was S. aureus (51.8 %), while C. albicans (73.3 %) was the most prevalent fungus. Among the pharmacies and healthcare facilities examined, the Uchems pharmacy had the highest proportion of bacterial isolates (37 %), followed by the Stepwise pharmacy (22.2 %), while the lowest proportion was found at the Roseline Health Clinic (7.4 %). The identification of potentially harmful micro-organisms in these unsealed drug container samples emphasizes the importance of stringent quality control measures and improved handling, storage and packaging practices to ensure product safety and efficacy, especially among pharmacetical dealers.
SAFE-OPT: A Bayesian optimization algorithm for learning optimal deep brain stimulation parameters with safety constraints
Authors: Cole Eric R. , Connolly Mark J. , Ghetiya Mihir , Sendi Mohammad E. S. , Kashlan Adam , Eggers Thomas E. , Gross Robert E.
Published: February 2024

To treat neurological and psychiatric diseases with deep brain stimulation, a trained clinician must select parameters for each patient by monitoring their symptoms and side-effects in a months-long trial-and-error process, delaying optimal clinical outcomes. Bayesian optimization has been proposed as an efficient method to quickly and automatically search for optimal parameters. However, conventional Bayesian optimization does not account for patient safety and could trigger unwanted or dangerous side-effects. In this study we develop SAFE-OPT, a Bayesian optimization algorithm designed to learn subject-specific safety constraints to avoid potentially harmful stimulation settings during optimization. We prototype and validate SAFE-OPT using a rodent multielectrode stimulation paradigm which causes subject-specific performance deficits in a spatial memory task. We first use data from an initial cohort of subjects to build a simulation where we design the best SAFE-OPT configuration for safe and accurate searchingin silico. We then deploy both SAFE-OPT and conventional Bayesian optimization in new subjectsin vivo, showing that SAFE-OPT can find an optimally high stimulation amplitude that does not harm task performance with comparable sample efficiency to Bayesian optimization and without selecting amplitude values that exceed the subject’s safety threshold. The incorporation of safety constraints will provide a key step for adopting Bayesian optimization in real-world applications of deep brain stimulation.
Diversity in the Utilization of Different Molecular Classes of Dissolved Organic Matter by Heterotrophic Marine Bacteria
Authors: Givati Shira , Forchielli Elena , Aharonovich Dikla , Barak Noga , Weissberg Osnat , Belkin Natalia , Rahav Eyal , Segrè Daniel , Sher Daniel
Published: February 2024

Heterotrophic marine bacteria utilize and recycle dissolved organic matter (DOM), impacting biogeochemical cycles. It is currently unclear to what extent distinct DOM components can be utilized by different heterotrophic clades. Here, we ask how a natural microbial community from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea responds to different molecular classes of DOM. These molecular classes - peptides, amino acids, amino sugars, disaccharides, monosaccharides and organic acids - together comprise much of the biomass of living organisms, released upon their death as DOM. Bulk bacterial activity increased after 24-hours for all treatments relative to the control, while glucose and ATP uptake decreased or remained unchanged. The relative abundance of several bacterial families, assessed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, increased in some treatments: peptides promoted an increase inPseudoalteromonadaceae, disaccharides promoted bothPseudoalteromonadaceaeandAlteromonadaceae, and most other treatments were dominated byVibrionaceae. While some results were consistent with recent laboratory-based studies, for examplePseudoalteromonadaceaefavoring peptides, other clades behaved differently.Alteromonadaceae, for example, grew well in the lab on many substrates but dominated in seawater samples when disaccharides were added. These results highlight the diversity in DOM utilization among heterotrophic bacteria and complexities in the response of natural communities.

Importance

The marine DOM pool contains numerous molecular classes, which change depending on the phytoplankton species, environmental conditions and interactions with other microbes, viruses and predators. In turn, the availability of these macromolecular pools affects the composition and function of the whole microbial community. Tracing the path between different carbon sources to specific microbes is another step towards revealing the dynamic interaction between bacteria and the DOM pool. This is especially important in warm and oligotrophic marine systems (e.g., Eastern Mediterranean Sea) where nutrients are scarce and may therefore affect microbial activity and growth.
UHRF1 ubiquitin ligase activity supports the maintenance of low-density CpG methylation
Authors: Tiedemann Rochelle L. , Hrit Joel , Du Qian , Wiseman Ashley K. , Eden Hope E. , Dickson Bradley M. , Kong Xiangqian , Chomiak Alison A. , Vaughan Robert M. , Hebert Jakob M. , David Yael , Zhou Wanding , Baylin Stephen B. , Jones Peter A. , Clark Susan J. , Rothbart Scott B.
Published: February 2024

The RING E3 ubiquitin ligase UHRF1 is an established cofactor for DNA methylation inheritance. Nucleosomal engagement through histone and DNA interactions directs UHRF1 ubiquitin ligase activity toward lysines on histone H3 tails, creating binding sites for DNMT1 through ubiquitin interacting motifs (UIM1 and UIM2). Here, we profile contributions of UHRF1 and DNMT1 to genome-wide DNA methylation inheritance and dissect specific roles for ubiquitin signaling in this process. We reveal DNA methylation maintenance at low-density CpGs is vulnerable to disruption of UHRF1 ubiquitin ligase activity and DNMT1 ubiquitin reading activity through UIM1. Hypomethylation of low-density CpGs in this manner induces formation of partially methylated domains (PMD), a methylation signature observed across human cancers. Furthermore, disrupting DNMT1 UIM2 function abolishes DNA methylation maintenance. Collectively, we show DNMT1-dependent DNA methylation inheritance is a ubiquitin-regulated process and suggest a disrupted UHRF1-DNMT1 ubiquitin signaling axis contributes to the development of PMDs in human cancers.
Genotype-specific expression ofuncle festersuggests a role in allorecognition education in a basal chordate
Authors: Taketa Daryl A. , Cengher Liviu , Rodriguez Delany , Langenbacher Adam D. , De Tomaso Anthony W.
Published: February 2024

Histocompatibility is the ability to discriminate between self and non-self tissues, and has been described in species throughout the metazoa. Despite its universal presence, histocompatibility genes utilized by different phyla are unique-those found in sponges, cnidarians, ascidians and vertebrates are not orthologous. Thus, the origins of these sophisticated recognition systems, and any potential functional commonalities between them are not understood. A well-studied histocompatibility system exists in the botryllid ascidians, members of the chordate subphylum, Tunicata, and provides an opportunity to do so. Histocompatibility in the botryllids occurs at the tips of an extracorporeal vasculature that come into contact when two individuals grow into proximity. If compatible, the vessels willfuse, forming a parabiosis between the two individuals. If incompatible, the two vessels willreject-an inflammatory reaction that results in melanin scar formation at the point of contact, blocking anastomosis. Compatibility is determined by a single, highly polymorphic locus called thefuhcwith the following rules: individuals that share one or bothfuhcalleles will fuse, while those who share neither will reject. Thefuhclocus encodes multiple proteins with roles in allorecognition, including one calleduncle fester,which is necessary and sufficient to initiate the rejection response. Here we report the existence of genotype-specific expression levels ofuncle fester, differing by up to 8-fold at the mRNA-level, and that these expression levels are constant and maintained for the lifetime of an individual. We also found that these differences had functional consequences: the expression level ofuncle festercorrelated with the speed and severity of the rejection response. These findings support previous conclusions thatuncle festerlevels modulate the rejection response, and may be responsible for controlling the variation observed in the timing and intensity of the reaction. The maintenance of genotype specific expression of uncle fester is also evidence of an education process reminiscent of that which occurs in mammalian Natural Killer (NK) cells. In turn, this suggests that while histocompatibility receptors and ligands evolve via convergent evolution, they may utilize conserved intracellular machinery to interpret binding events at the cell surface.
The Role of Sex in the Effects of Smoking and Nicotine in Cardiovascular Function, Atherosclerosis, and Inflammation
Authors: Centner Ann Marie , Cullen Abigail , Khalili Leila , Ukhanov Vladimir , Hill Stephanie , Deitado Riley , Hwang Hyun Seok , Azeez Tooyb , La Favor Justin D. , Laitano Orlando , Parvatiyar Michelle S. , Salazar Gloria
Published: February 2024

cigarette smoke (CS) invokes an inflammatory response involving increased levels of circulating cytokines and chemokines, vascular dysfunction, and atherosclerosis. The role of sex and nicotine in CS effects in cardiovascular function and atherosclerosis is unexplored. To assess the role of sex, male and female C57Bl/6 WT (wild type) and ApoE-/-mice were exposed to CS and nicotine for 16 weeks to bridge this literature gap. Heart rate and endothelial function were measured in the aorta of WT mice, while plasma levels of lipids, cytokines and chemokines and aortic plaque burden was assessed in ApoE-/-mice. CS increased heart rate to similar levels in both sexes and induced a stronger impairment in endothelial function in males and more plaque in females than nicotine. Females showed a higher necrotic core area at basal compared with males, while males had a higher calcification area than females by CS. Senescence-associated GLB1/μ-galactosidase (SA-GLB1) activity was elevated similarly in both sexes by both treatments. Total cholesterol (TC) was elevated by CS in both sexes. CS increased triglycerides (TG), very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) only in males and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) only in females. Interleukin 17A (IL17A) was upregulated by CS and nicotine in both sexes, while CS upregulated C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5/LIX) and interleukin 1 alpha (IL1A) in males and females, respectively. Additionally, nicotine metabolism showed sex specific responses to nicotine, but not smoking. Overall, we identified sex-specific pro-atherogenic responses to CS in the lipid profile, plaque area and composition and inflammatory markers. Males present a stronger impairment in endothelia dysfunction in WT mice, while females a stronger plaque burden in ApoE-/-mice exposed to CS. Elevated HDL and estrogens in males may offer partial protection against the harmful effects of CS. In contrast, elevated LDL and a pro-inflammatory state may promote a stronger pro-atherogenic phenotype in females exposed to CS.
A systematic review and analysis of health risks associated with zootherapeutic practices in Africa
Authors: Fourchault Léa , Lamane Abdallah , Nguinwa Mbakop Dimitri Romaric , Saliu Ganiyat Temidayo , Gryseels Sophie , Verheyen Erik , Kreppel Katharina
Published: February 2024

Background

Over five billion people globally rely on a plant- and animal-based pharmacopoeia for their healthcare needs. The inhalation, topical application, subcutaneous injection, or ingestion of animal products – such as faeces, fur, milk, blood, brain tissue, or meat – likely facilitates the spill over of zoonotic pathogens. Certain practices use species known to be involved in the transmission of pathogens of public health relevance, such as reservoir species for filoviruses, poxviruses, and coronaviruses. These practices and the public health risk they entail have not been previously reviewed and analysed for the African continent.

Methods

We first conducted a systematic review of literature using web-scraping algorithms targeted at peer-reviewed (PubMed) and peer-reviewed or grey literature (Google Scholar) databases, followed by manual search of reference lists published before July 30th, 2023. We used terms encompassing zoo*, animal*, health*, practice*, tradition* followed by a list of all 54 African countries in combination with Boolean operators. We then created a categorical score reflecting the risk of zoonotic pathogen spill over for each recorded zootherapeutic practice, and compared this risk between geographic regions and between demographic groups.

Findings

A total of 53 studies were included, reporting the use of over 2,000 zootherapeutic practices. Half of the included studies were published after 2020. Nigerian, Ethiopian, Tanzanian and South African practices were comparatively well documented. The mean total risk score was significantly lower in western (13.27 ± 0.13, p < 0.0001), central (14.80 ± 0.27, p < 0.003), and southern (13.48 ± 0.23, p < 0.0001) Africa, compared to eastern Africa, while there was no significant difference between eastern and northern Africa (15.25 ± 0.26, p = 0.16). Further, we found that physically sick children are overall at increased risk for pathogen spill over (13.20 ± 0.36 out of a possible sub-score of 20, p = 0.001 < 0.05) compared to physically sick adults, and that pregnant or lactating women are exposed to animal tissues of significantly greater infectious potential (4.01 ± 0.15, p = 0.032 <0.05).

Interpretation

The WHO recently hosted its first global summit on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM), highlighting its importance to fulfil SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing. Where other forms of healthcare are unavailable or inefficient, zootherapeutic practices can provide valuable solutions to acute, chronic, physical, and psychological issues. However, significant risks of zoonotic disease transmission exist. This article aims to guide research on sustainable alternatives to mainstream medical treatments that balance cultural significance and public health.
Milteforan, a promising veterinary commercial product against feline sporotrichosis
Authors: García Carnero Laura C. , dos Reis Thaila F. , Diehl Camila , de Castro Patricia Alves , Pontes Lais , Pinzan Camila Figueiredo , Goldman Gustavo H.
Published: February 2024

Sporotrichosis, the cutaneous mycosis most commonly reported in Latin America, is caused by theSporothrixclinical clade species, includingSporothrix brasiliensisandSporothrix schenckii sensu stricto. In Brazil,S. brasiliensisrepresents a vital health threat to humans and domestic animals due to its zoonotic transmission. Itraconazole, terbinafine, and amphotericin B are the most used antifungals for treating sporotrichosis. However, many strains ofS. brasiliensisandS. schenckiihave shown resistance to these agents, highlighting the importance of finding new therapeutic options. Here, we demonstrate that milteforan, a commercial veterinary product against dog leishmaniasis whose active principle is miltefosine, is a possible therapeutic alternative for the treatment of sporotrichosis, as observed by its fungicidal activityin vitroagainst different strains ofS. brasiliensisandS. schenckii, and by its antifungal activity when used to treat infected epithelial cells and macrophages. Our results suggest milteforan as a possible alternative to treat feline sporotrichosis.
Functional biogeography of marine microbial heterotrophs
Authors: Zakem Emily J. , McNichol Jesse , Weissman J.L. , Raut Yubin , Xu Liang , Halewood Elisa R. , Carlson Craig A. , Dutkiewicz Stephanie , Fuhrman Jed A. , Levine Naomi M.
Published: February 2024

Heterotrophic bacteria and archaea (‘heteroprokaryotes’) drive global carbon cycling, but how to quantitatively organize their functional complexity remains unclear. We generated a global-scale understanding of marine heteroprokaryotic functional biogeography by synthesizing genetic sequencing data with a mechanistic marine ecosystem model. We incorporated heteroprokaryotic diversity into the trait-based model along two axes: substrate lability and growth strategy. Using genetic sequences along three ocean transects, we compiled 21 heteroprokaryotic guilds and estimated their degree of optimization for rapid growth (copiotrophy). Data and model consistency indicated that gradients in grazing and substrate lability predominantly set biogeographical patterns, and identified deep-ocean ‘slow copiotrophs’ whose ecological interactions control the surface accumulation of dissolved organic carbon.
Aberrant axon initial segment is an indicator for task-independent neural activity in autism model mice
Authors: Otani Yoshinori , Koga Kohei , Kawabata Ryo , Liu Xinglang , Miyajima Hisao , Takumi Toru , Fujitani Masashi
Published: February 2024

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by impairments in several communicative behaviors. Identification of biomarkers for ASD based on task-independent neural activity has been elusive. The axonal initial segment (AIS), located at the proximal part of the axon, is crucial for initiating action potentials (APs) and adaptable through activity-dependent AIS plasticity. In our study, we discovered decrease in AIS length in layer V pyramidal neurons (PyNs) of the prelimbic cortex (PrL) and increase in layer II/III PyNs in the somatosensory cortex of duplicated human15q11-13region (15q dup) ASD model mice. Electrophysiological studies using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in the PrL revealed diminished ability to generate APs. We discovered lack of AIS plasticity in 15q dupmice under conditions of elevated potassium chloride. Retrograde tracing demonstrated that AIS shortening depends on the projection targets. These results indicate that activity-dependent aberrant AIS structures can serve as indicators of altered task-independent neural activity in ASD mouse models.
Comparing arm to whole-body motor control disambiguates age-related deterioration from compensation
Authors: Mathieu Robin , Chambellant Florian , Thomas Elizabeth , Papaxanthis Charalambos , Hilt Pauline , Manckoundia Patrick , Mourey France , Gaveau Jérémie
Published: February 2024

As the global population ages, it is crucial to understand sensorimotor compensation mechanisms. These mechanisms are thought to enable older adults to remain in good physical health, but despite important research efforts, they remain essentially chimeras. A major problem with their identification is the ambiguous interpretation of age-related alterations. Whether a change reflects deterioration or compensation is difficult to determine. Here we compared the electromyographic and kinematic patterns of different motor tasks in younger (n = 20; mean age = 23.6 years) and older adults (n = 24; mean age = 72 years). Building on the knowledge that humans take advantage of gravity effects to minimize their muscle effort, we probed the ability of younger and older adults to plan energetically efficient movement during arm-only and whole-body movements. In line with previous studies and compared to younger adults, muscle activation patterns revealed that older adults used a less efficient movement strategy during whole-body movement tasks. We found that this age-related alteration was task-specific. It did not affect arm movements, thereby supporting the hypothesis that healthy older adults maintain the ability to plan energetically efficient movements. More importantly, we found that the reduced whole-body movement efficiency was correlated with kinematic measures of balance control (i.e., the center-of-mass movement amplitude and speed). The more efficient the movement strategy, the more challenging the balance. Overall, these results suggest that reduced movement efficiency in healthy older adults does not reflect a deterioration but rather a compensation process that adapts movement strategy to the task specificities. When balance is at stake, healthy older adults prefer stability to energy efficiency.
Robust Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Including JN.1 and BA.2.87.1 by Trivalent XBB Vaccine-Induced Antibodies
Authors: Wang Xun , Jiang Shujun , Ma Wentai , Li Chen , Liu Changyi , Xie Faren , Zhu Jinsheng , Zhan Yan , Jiang Shibo , Li Mingkun , Zhang Yanliang , Wang Pengfei
Published: February 2024

Newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 variants like JN.1, and more recently, the hypermutated BA.2.87.1, have raised global concern. We recruited two groups of participants who had BA.5/BF.7 breakthrough infection post three doses of inactivated vaccines: one group experienced subsequent XBB reinfection, while the other received the XBB-containing trivalent WSK-V102C vaccine. Our comparative analysis of their serum neutralization activities revealed that the WSK-V102C vaccine induced stronger antibody responses against a wide range of variants, notably including JN.1 and the highly escaped BA.2.87.1. Furthermore, our investigation into specific mutations revealed that fragment deletions in NTD significantly contribute to the immune evasion of the BA.2.87.1 variant. Our findings emphasize the necessity for ongoing vaccine development and adaptation to address the dynamic nature of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Search for the decay
Bs0→J/ψπ0
at Belle experiment
Authors: Kumar D. , Bhuyan B. , Aihara H. , Asner D. M. , Aushev T. , Ayad R. , Babu V. , Banerjee Sw. , Bauer M. , Behera P. , Belous K. , Bennett J. , Bessner M. , Bilka T. , Biswas D. , Bobrov A. , Bodrov D. , Borah J. , Bračko M. , Branchini P. , Browder T. E. , Budano A. , Campajola M. , Červenkov D. , Chang M.-C. , Chen C. , Cheon B. G. , Chilikin K. , Cho K. , Choi S.-K. , Choi Y. , Choudhury S. , Das S. , Dash N. , De Nardo G. , De Pietro G. , Dhamija R. , Doležal Z. , Dong T. V. , Ecker P. , Epifanov D. , Ferlewicz D. , Fulsom B. G. , Garg R. , Gaur V. , Garmash A. , Giri A. , Goldenzweig P. , Graziani E. , Gudkova K. , Hadjivasiliou C. , Hayasaka K. , Hayashii H. , Hazra S. , Herrmann D. , Hou W.-S. , Hsu C.-L. , Ipsita N. , Ishikawa A. , Itoh R. , Iwasaki M. , Jacobs W. W. , Jia S. , Jin Y. , Kalita D. , Kaliyar A. B. , Kiesling C. , Kim C. H. , Kim D. Y. , Kim K.-H. , Kim Y.-K. , Kinoshita K. , Kodyš P. , Korobov A. , Korpar S. , Kovalenko E. , Križan P. , Krokovny P. , Kuhr T. , Kumar R. , Kumara K. , Kumita T. , Kuzmin A. , Kwon Y.-J. , Lam T. , Lee S. C. , Levit D. , Li L. K. , Li Y. , Li Y. B. , Li Gioi L. , Libby J. , Liventsev D. , Ma Y. , Masuda M. , Matsuda T. , Matvienko D. , Maurya S. K. , Meier F. , Merola M. , Metzner F. , Miyabayashi K. , Mizuk R. , Mohanty G. B. , Mussa R. , Nakao M. , Natkaniec Z. , Natochii A. , Nayak L. , Nayak M. , Nishida S. , Ogawa S. , Ono H. , Pakhlov P. , Pakhlova G. , Pardi S. , Park J. , Park S.-H. , Passeri A. , Paul S. , Pedlar T. K. , Pestotnik R. , Piilonen L. E. , Podobnik T. , Prim M. T. , Rout N. , Russo G. , Sandilya S. , Santelj L. , Savinov V. , Schnell G. , Schwanda C. , Seino Y. , Sevior M. E. , Shan W. , Sharma C. , Shen C. P. , Shiu J.-G. , Singh J. B. , Solovieva E. , Starič M. , Stottler Z. S. , Sumihama M. , Takizawa M. , Tanida K. , Tenchini F. , Tiwary R. , Uglov T. , Unno Y. , Uno S. , Ushiroda Y. , Vahsen S. E. , Varvell K. E. , Vinokurova A. , Wang D. , Wang X. L. , Watanuki S. , Won E. , Yabsley B. D. , Yan W. , Yelton J. , Yin J. H. , Yuan L. , Zhang Z. P. , Zhilich V. , Zhukova V. ,   Belle Collaboration
Published: February 2024

We have analyzed 121.4  fb−1 of data collected at the ϒ(5S) resonance by the Belle experiment using the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e− collider to search for the decay Bs0→J/ψπ0. We observe no signal and report an upper limit on the branching fraction B(Bs0→J/ψπ0) of 1.21×10−5 at 90% confidence level. This result is the most stringent, improving the previous bound by 2 orders of magnitude.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Entanglement degradation as a tool to detect signatures of modified gravity
Authors: Sen Soham , Mukherjee Arnab , Gangopadhyay Sunandan
Published: February 2024

We investigate entanglement degradation in the vicinity of a quantum corrected black hole. We consider a biprtite system (Alice-Rob) with Alice freely falling (radially) into the event horizon of a quantum corrected black hole and Rob being in the vicinity of the event horizon of the black hole. We consider a maximally entangled state (in the Fock basis) and start with the basic assumption that Rob is an uniformly accelerated observer. We then give a pedagogical analysis of the relation involving the Minkowski vaccum state and Rindler number states. Following the analogy given in Martín-Martínez [], we establish the relation between the Hartle-Hawking vacuum state and Boulware and anti-Bouware number states from the Minkowski-Rindler relation. We then write down the quantum corrected black hole metric by making use of the near horizon approximation in an appropriate form. Next, we obtain the analytical forms of logarithmic negativity and mutual information and plot as a function of Rob’s distance from the r=0 point. We observe that the entanglement degradation slows down because of the structural change in the lapse function of the metric via the incorporation of quantum gravity corrections in the Schwarzschild black hole. It is crucial to understand that any modified gravity theories that changes the metric structure results in a different rate of degradation of the entanglement. At the horizon radius, the entanglement degradation is always complete irrespective of the underlying theory. This observation may lead to the identification of the signature of modified gravity theories in a future generation of advanced observational scenarios. Such a modification can come from higher curvature corrections, higher dimensional gravity theories, quantum gravity corrections, etc. We can also interpret this effect as a noisy quantum channel with an operator sum representation of a completely positive and trace preserving map. We then finally obtain the entanglement fidelity using this operator sum representation.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Caustic formation in a non-Gaussian model for turbulent aerosols
Authors: Meibohm J. , Sundberg L. , Mehlig B. , Gustavsson K.
Published: February 2024

Caustics in the dynamics of heavy particles in turbulence accelerate particle collisions. The rate J at which these singularities form depends sensitively on the Stokes number St, the nondimensional inertia parameter. Exact results for this sensitive dependence have been obtained using Gaussian statistical models for turbulent aerosols. However, direct numerical simulations of heavy particles in turbulence yield much larger caustic-formation rates than predicted by the Gaussian theory. To understand the possible mechanisms explaining this difference, we analyze a non-Gaussian statistical model for caustic formation in the limit of small St. We show that at small St, J depends sensitively on the tails of the distribution of Lagrangian fluid-velocity gradients. This explains why different authors obtained different St-dependencies of J in numerical-simulation studies. The most likely gradient fluctuation that induces caustics at small St, by contrast, is the same in the non-Gaussian and Gaussian models. Direct numerical simulation results for particles in turbulence show that the optimal fluctuation is similar, but not identical, to that obtained by the model calculations.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Suppression of chaos in a partially driven recurrent neural network
Authors: Takasu Shotaro , Aoyagi Toshio
Published: February 2024

The dynamics of recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and particularly their response to inputs, play a critical role in information processing. In many applications of RNNs, only a specific subset of the neurons generally receive inputs. However, it remains to be theoretically clarified how the restriction of the input to a specific subset of neurons affects the network dynamics. Considering RNNs with such restricted input, we investigate how the proportion, p, of the neurons receiving inputs (the “input neurons”) and the strength of the input signals affect the dynamics by analytically deriving the conditional maximum Lyapunov exponent. Our results show that for sufficiently large p, the maximum Lyapunov exponent decreases monotonically as a function of the input strength, indicating the suppression of chaos, but if p is smaller than a critical threshold, pc, even significantly amplified inputs cannot suppress spontaneous chaotic dynamics. Furthermore, although the value of pc is seemingly dependent on several model parameters, such as the sparseness and strength of recurrent connections, it is proved to be intrinsically determined solely by the strength of chaos in spontaneous activity of the RNN. This is to say, despite changes in these model parameters, it is possible to represent the value of pc as a common invariant function by appropriately scaling these parameters to yield the same strength of spontaneous chaos. Our study suggests that if p is above pc, we can bring the neural network to the edge of chaos, thereby maximizing its information processing capacity, by amplifying inputs.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Observation of Superradiant Bursts in a Cascaded Quantum System
Authors: Liedl Christian , Tebbenjohanns Felix , Bach Constanze , Pucher Sebastian , Rauschenbeutel Arno , Schneeweiss Philipp
Published: February 2024

We experimentally investigate the collective radiative decay of a fully inverted ensemble of two-level atoms for a chiral, i.e., propagation direction-dependent light-matter coupling. Despite a fundamentally different interaction Hamiltonian which has a reduced symmetry compared to the standard Dicke case of superradiance, we do observe a superradiant burst of light. The burst occurs above a threshold number of atoms, and its peak power scales faster with the number of atoms than in the case of free-space Dicke superradiance. We measure the first-order coherence of the burst and experimentally distinguish two regimes, one dominated by the coherence induced during the excitation process and the other governed by vacuum fluctuations. Our results shed light on the collective radiative dynamics of cascaded quantum many-body systems, i.e., systems in which each quantum emitter is only driven by light radiated by emitters that are upstream in the cascade. Our findings may turn out useful for generating multiphoton Fock states as a resource for quantum technologies.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Emergent Macroscopic Bistability Induced by a Single Superconducting Qubit
Authors: Sett Riya , Hassani Farid , Phan Duc , Barzanjeh Shabir , Vukics Andras , Fink Johannes M.
Published: February 2024

The photon blockade breakdown in a continuously driven cavity QED system has been proposed as a prime example for a first-order driven-dissipative quantum phase transition. However, the predicted scaling from a microscopic behavior—dominated by quantum fluctuations—to a macroscopic one—characterized by stable phases—and the associated exponents and phase diagram have not been observed so far. In this work we couple a single transmon qubit with a fixed coupling strength g to a superconducting cavity that is bandwidth κ tunable to controllably approach this thermodynamic limit. Even though the system remains microscopic, we observe its behavior becoming increasingly macroscopic as a function of g/κ. For the highest realized g/κ of approximately 287, the system switches with a characteristic timescale as long as 6 s between a bright coherent state with approximately

8

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10

3

intracavity photons and the vacuum state. This exceeds the microscopic timescales by 6 orders of magnitude and approaches the perfect hysteresis expected between two macroscopic attractors in the thermodynamic limit. These findings and interpretation are qualitatively supported by neoclassical theory and large-scale quantum-jump Monte Carlo simulations. Besides shedding more light on driven-dissipative physics in the limit of strong light-matter coupling, this system might also find applications in quantum sensing and metrology.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Crystal structure of 4-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-1,2-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-3(2H)-one
Authors: Elboshi Heba A. , Azzam Rasha A. , Elgemeie Galal H. , Jones Peter G.
Published: February 2024

In the title compound, C12H11N3OS, the interplanar angle between the pyrazole and benzothiazole rings is 3.31 (7)°. In the three-dimensional molecular packing, the carbonyl oxygen acts as acceptor to four C—H donors (with one H...O as short as 2.25 Å), while one methyl hydrogen is part of the three-centre system H...(S, O). A double layer structure parallel to (\overline{1}01) can be recognized as a subsection of the packing.
Crystal structure of the sodium salt of mesotrione: a triketone herbicide
Authors: Bereziuk Olha , Gubina Kateryna , Trush Viktor , Ovchynnikov Vladimir
Published: February 2024

The crystal structure of the sodium salt of mesotrione, namely, catena-poly[[sodium-μ3-2-[(4-methanesulfonyl-2-nitrophenyl)carbonyl]-3-oxocyclohex-1-en-1-olato] ethanol monosolvate], {[Na(C14H12NO7S)]C2H5OH}
n
, is described. The X-ray structural analysis results reveal that the coordination sphere is established by two chelating O atoms, the O atom of the coordinated ethanol molecule, and an O atom from the methylsulfonyl group of a neighboring molecule. Simultaneously, an O atom of the cyclohexane fragment serves as a bridge to a neighboring sodium ion, forming a flat Na–O–Na–O quadrangle, thereby forming a mono-periodic polymer. The structure displays O—H...O hydrogen bonds and C—H...O short contacts. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data indicate that the sodium salt of mesotrione decomposes in four stages.
Shifting work competencies in an emerging economy: a comparison of accounting students’ perceptions of demand and supply
Authors: Chandler Nicholas
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to ascertain which competences are seen by employers as important for accounting students in an emerging economy, to triangulate this list with the experiences of working students and compare with those work competencies acquired during the period of study.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a novel mixed-method approach, with interviews of employers (n = 11) to identify key work competencies, and then with a quantitative study of working students (n = 184) to examine the work competency gap, using paired T-tests and mean weight discrepancy scores. The study was undertaken between September and December 2022.

Findings

The paper provides empirical insights into key work competencies in an emerging economy. There is a focus on technical skills at the university, whilst soft skills are preferred by employers. New key work competencies were uncovered relating to intuition, innovation and communicating in a foreign language. The key personal characteristics required for the job relate to change and uncertainty.

Research limitations/implications

A qualitative assessment of key work competencies of employers and the use of mean weighted discrepancy scores is recommended in further studies in this field.

Practical implications

Practical approaches for educators, government and employers are offered to address the increasing demand for soft skills and other work competencies specific to an emerging economy.

Originality/value

The study is set in an emerging economy, which is underdeveloped in this field. The findings inform key stakeholders with a vested interest in reducing the work competency gap.
Enhancing creditor decision-making in South African business rescue proceedings: a comprehensive analysis of information requirements in business rescue plans
Authors: Kekana Mamekwa Katlego , Pretorius Marius , De Abreu Nicole Varela Aguiar
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Business rescue, as a mechanism to aid financially distressed companies in South Africa, has received considerable academic and practical recognition. However, the business rescue plan is an overlooked and, perhaps, underdeveloped aspect of the regime. For stakeholders, this is the ultimate decision-making document. Creditors are the most influential stakeholders in business rescue proceedings owing to their voting rights. For creditors to make informed decisions and exercise their votes meaningfully, the business rescue plan should be transparent and adequately disclose relevant and reliable information. This study aims to identify creditors’ primary information needs to enhance the sufficiency and decision-usefulness of business rescue plans, not only to entice the vote of creditors but to enforce accountability from practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 executives from 10 South African financial institutions.

Findings

The findings reveal that comprehensive disclosure of financial, commercial and legal information in business rescue plans was a critical antecedent for stakeholder decision-making. Additionally, leadership and social impact information were influential determinants. This study advances academic knowledge and, for practitioners, adds value to the development of business rescue plans. This can enhance creditors' confidence in supporting the rescue effort and approving the plan.

Practical implications

This study advances academic knowledge and, for practitioners, adds value to the development of business rescue plans. This can enhance creditors' confidence in supporting the rescue effort and approving the plan.

Originality/value

The originality of this article lies in its investigation of how creditors assess the information in BR plans as a precursor to supporting the company’s reorganisation in a creditor-friendly business rescue system such as South Africa. This study provides novel insights into the decision-making process, particularly how creditors assess BR plans, address information asymmetry and vote on the plan.