bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diversity at a Small Geoscience Conference
Authors: Lefebvre Alice , Bernhard Renée
Published: January 2024

Large conferences lack diversity, as it has been demonstrated by analyses of several diversity measures. In the present contribution, we analyze the gender, country of affiliation and student status of the participants and presenters during four instances of a small European geoscience conference, as well as the length of presentation, number and tone of questions of the latest instance of this conference. Women make up about one‐third of participants, session chairs, invited keynote speakers, and presenters (oral and poster) on average but percentages vary greatly from one year to the next. Students represent around 30% of participants, but over 40% of poster presenters and 28% of long presentations. In total, only half of the participants asked a question and most of the questions were asked by senior men. Around 25% of the questions were asked with a friendly tone; the remainder were neutrally asked. Friendly questions were asked more frequently after keynote lectures and long presentations than following short talks. We suggest concrete actions that can be taken to promote the development of an inclusive and supportive environment at small conferences.
The Daytime Variations of Thermospheric Temperature and Neutral Density Over Beijing During Minor Geomagnetic Storm on 3–4 February 2022
Authors: Li Shaoyang , Ren Zhipeng , Yu Tingting , Chen Guangming , Li Guozhu , Zhao Biqiang , Yue Xinan , Wei Yong
Published: January 2024

On 3 February 2022, 38 satellites launched by SpaceX re‐entered the atmosphere and were subsequently destroyed. An investigation found that a minor geomagnetic storm occurred on 3–4 February 2022 led to a neutral density enhancement and large atmospheric drag. To better understand the responses of the thermosphere to geomagnetic storms, the method proposed by Li et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022ja030988) was employed to extract exospheric temperature (Tex) from ionosonde electron density profiles (∼150–200 km) in Beijing (geolocation: 39.56°N; 116.2°E; geomagnetic location: 30.16°N; 172.08°W) station. The retrieved Tex was plugged into the NRLMSISE‐00 model to calculate the corresponding neutral density. Derived results showed a ∼2%–7% enhancement in Tex and a ∼15%–38% enhancement in neutral density at 430 km. The relative deviation in neutral density on the satellites’ orbital trajectory ranges from ∼10% (210 km) to ∼35% (500 km) on 3 February, and from ∼13% (210 km) to ∼60% (500 km) on 4 February. Furthermore, the neutral density reproduced the variations observed by the SWARM‐C satellite fairly well both on quiet and disturbed days. These results suggest that even a minor geomagnetic storm can cause significant changes in neutral temperature and neutral density at middle latitudes. Additionally, the application of our inversion method, combined with the global, long‐term and real‐time ionospheric observations from ionosondes, provides an opportunity to improve the capability of thermosphere forecasting and nowcasting.
Smaller anterior hippocampal subfields in the early stage of psychosis
Authors: McHugo Maureen , Roeske Maxwell J. , Vandekar Simon N. , Armstrong Kristan , Avery Suzanne N. , Heckers Stephan
Published: January 2024

Hippocampal volume is smaller in schizophrenia, but it is unclear when in the illness the changes appear and whether specific regions (anterior, posterior) and subfields (CA1, CA2/3, dentate gyrus, subiculum) are affected. Here, we used a high-resolution T2-weighted sequence specialized for imaging hippocampal subfields to test the hypothesis that anterior CA1 volume is lower in early psychosis. We measured subfield volumes across hippocampal regions in a group of 90 individuals in the early stage of a non-affective psychotic disorder and 70 demographically similar healthy individuals. We observed smaller volume in the anterior CA1 and dentate gyrus subfields in the early psychosis group. Our findings support models that implicate anterior CA1 and dentate gyrus subfield deficits in the mechanism of psychosis.
Endocannabinoids, endocannabinoid-like compounds and cortisone in head hair of health care workers as markers of stress and resilience during the early COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Biener Ingeborg , Mueller Tonina T. , Lin Jin , Bao Han , Steffen Julius , Hoerl Marion , Biere Katharina , Matzel Sandra , Woehrle Tobias , König Simon , Keiler Annekathrin M. , Thieme Detlef , Keppler Oliver , Klein Matthias , Weinberger Tobias , Osterman Andreas , Adorjan Kristina , Choukér Alexander
Published: January 2024

The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 impacted health systems globally, creating increased workload and mental stress upon health care workers (HCW). During the first pandemic wave (March to May 2020) in southern Germany, we investigated the impact of stress and the resilience to stress in HCW by measuring changes in hair concentrations of endocannabinoids, endocannabinoid-like compounds and cortisone. HCW (n = 178) recruited from multiple occupation and worksites in the LMU-University-Hospital in Munich were interviewed at four interval visits to evaluate mental stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. A strand of hair of up to 6 cm in length was sampled once in May 2020, which enabled retrospective individual stress hormone quantifications during that aforementioned time period. Perceived anxiety and impact on mental health were demonstrated to be higher at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and decreased significantly thereafter. Resilience was stable over time, but noted to be lower in women than in men. The concentrations of the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) and the structural congeners N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), N-oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and N-stearoylethanolamide (SEA) were noted to have decreased significantly over the course of the pandemic. In contrast, the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) levels increased significantly and were found to be higher in nurses, laboratory staff and hospital administration than in physicians. PEA was significantly higher in subjects with a higher resilience but lower in subjects with anxiety. SEA was also noted to be reduced in subjects with anxiety. Nurses had significantly higher cortisone levels than physicians, while female subjects had significant lower cortisone levels than males. Hair samples provided temporal and measurable objective psychophysiological-hormonal information. The hair endocannabinoids/endocannabinoid-like compounds and cortisone correlated to each other and to professions, age and sex quite differentially, relative to specific periods of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emergence of syntax and word prediction in an artificial neural circuit of the cerebellum
Authors: Ohmae Keiko , Ohmae Shogo
Published: January 2024

The cerebellum, interconnected with the cerebral neocortex, plays a vital role in human-characteristic cognition such as language processing, however, knowledge about the underlying circuit computation of the cerebellum remains very limited. To gain a better understanding of the computation underlying cerebellar language processing, we developed a biologically constrained cerebellar artificial neural network (cANN) model, which implements the recently identified cerebello-cerebellar recurrent pathway. We found that while cANN acquires prediction of future words, another function of syntactic recognition emerges in the middle layer of the prediction circuit. The recurrent pathway of the cANN was essential for the two language functions, whereas cANN variants with further biological constraints preserved these functions. Considering the uniform structure of cerebellar circuitry across all functional domains, the single-circuit computation, which is the common basis of the two language functions, can be generalized to fundamental cerebellar functions of prediction and grammar-like rule extraction from sequences, that underpin a wide range of cerebellar motor and cognitive functions. This is a pioneering study to understand the circuit computation of human-characteristic cognition using biologically-constrained ANNs.
Maternal pertussis immunization and the blunting of routine vaccine effectiveness: a meta-analysis and modeling study
Authors: Briga Michael , Goult Elizabeth , Brett Tobias S. , Rohani Pejman , Domenech de Cellès Matthieu
Published: January 2024

A key goal of pertussis control is to protect infants too young to be vaccinated, the age group most vulnerable to this highly contagious respiratory infection. In the last decade, maternal immunization has been deployed in many countries, successfully reducing pertussis in this age group. Because of immunological blunting, however, this strategy may erode the effectiveness of primary vaccination at later ages. Here, we systematically reviewed the literature on the relative risk (RR) of pertussis after primary immunization of infants born to vaccinated vs. unvaccinated mothers. The four studies identified had ≤6 years of follow-up and large statistical uncertainty (meta-analysis weighted mean RR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.38–1.32). To interpret this evidence, we designed a new mathematical model with explicit blunting mechanisms and evaluated maternal immunization’s short- and long-term impact on pertussis transmission dynamics. We show that transient dynamics can mask blunting for at least a decade after rolling out maternal immunization. Hence, the current epidemiological evidence may be insufficient to rule out modest reductions in the effectiveness of primary vaccination. Irrespective of this potential collateral cost, we predict that maternal immunization will remain effective at protecting unvaccinated newborns, supporting current public health recommendations.
Floquet parity-time symmetry in integrated photonics
Authors: Liu Weijie , Liu Quancheng , Ni Xiang , Jia Yuechen , Ziegler Klaus , Alù Andrea , Chen Feng
Published: January 2024

Parity-time (PT) symmetry has been unveiling new photonic regimes in non-Hermitian systems, with opportunities for lasing, sensing and enhanced light-matter interactions. The most exotic responses emerge at the exceptional point (EP) and in the broken PT-symmetry phase, yet in conventional PT-symmetric systems these regimes require large levels of gain and loss, posing remarkable challenges in practical settings. Floquet PT-symmetry, which may be realized by periodically flipping the effective gain/loss distribution in time, can relax these requirements and tailor the EP and PT-symmetry phases through the modulation period. Here, we explore Floquet PT-symmetry in an integrated photonic waveguide platform, in which the role of time is replaced by the propagation direction. We experimentally demonstrate spontaneous PT-symmetry breaking at small gain/loss levels and efficient control of amplification and suppression through the excitation ports. Our work introduces the advantages of Floquet PT-symmetry in a practical integrated photonic setting, enabling a powerful platform to observe PT-symmetric phenomena and leverage their extreme features, with applications in nanophotonics, coherent control of nanoscale light amplification and routing.
Phosphorylation of AQP4 by LRRK2 R1441G impairs glymphatic clearance of IFNγ and aggravates dopaminergic neurodegeneration
Authors: Huang Heng , Lin Lishan , Wu Tengteng , Wu Cheng , Zhou Leping , Li Ge , Su Fengjuan , Liang Fengyin , Guo Wenyuan , Chen Weineng , Jiang Qiuhong , Guan Yalun , Li Xuejiao , Xu Pingyi , Zhang Yu , Smith Wanli , Pei Zhong
Published: January 2024

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is essential for normal functioning of the brain’s glymphatic system. Impaired glymphatic function is associated with neuroinflammation. Recent clinical evidence suggests the involvement of glymphatic dysfunction in LRRK2-associated Parkinson’s disease (PD); however, the precise mechanism remains unclear. The pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon (IFN) γ interacts with LRRK2 to induce neuroinflammation. Therefore, we examined the AQP4-dependent glymphatic system’s role in IFNγ-mediated neuroinflammation in LRRK2-associated PD. We found that LRRK2 interacts with and phosphorylates AQP4 in vitro and in vivo. AQP4 phosphorylation by LRRK2 R1441G induced AQP4 depolarization and disrupted glymphatic IFNγ clearance. Exogeneous IFNγ significantly increased astrocyte expression of IFNγ receptor, amplified AQP4 depolarization, and exacerbated neuroinflammation in R1441G transgenic mice. Conversely, inhibiting LRRK2 restored AQP4 polarity, improved glymphatic function, and reduced IFNγ-mediated neuroinflammation and dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Our findings establish a link between LRRK2-mediated AQP4 phosphorylation and IFNγ-mediated neuroinflammation in LRRK2-associated PD, guiding the development of LRRK2 targeting therapy.
Acting Emotions: a comprehensive dataset of elicited emotions
Authors: Aly Luís , Godinho Leonor , Bota Patricia , Bernardes Gilberto , da Silva Hugo Plácido
Published: January 2024

Emotions encompass physiological systems that can be assessed through biosignals like electromyography and electrocardiography. Prior investigations in emotion recognition have primarily focused on general population samples, overlooking the specific context of theatre actors who possess exceptional abilities in conveying emotions to an audience, namely acting emotions. We conducted a study involving 11 professional actors to collect physiological data for acting emotions to investigate the correlation between biosignals and emotion expression. Our contribution is the DECEiVeR (DatasEt aCting Emotions Valence aRousal) dataset, a comprehensive collection of various physiological recordings meticulously curated to facilitate the recognition of a set of five emotions. Moreover, we conduct a preliminary analysis on modeling the recognition of acting emotions from raw, low- and mid-level temporal and spectral data and the reliability of physiological data across time. Our dataset aims to leverage a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between biosignals and emotional expression. It provides valuable insights into acting emotion recognition and affective computing by exposing the degree to which biosignals capture emotions elicited from inner stimuli.
CORESIDENCE: National and subnational data on household size and composition around the world, 1964–2021
Authors: Galeano Juan , Esteve Albert , Turu Anna , García-Roman Joan , Becca Federica , Fang Huifen , Pohl Maria , Trias-Prats Rita
Published: January 2024

The CORESIDENCE Database (CoDB) represents a significant advancement in the field of family studies, addressing existing data gaps and facilitating comprehensive analysis of households’ composition and living arrangements at the national and subnational levels. This article introduces the CoDB, developed for the ERC project Intergenerational Coresidence in Global Perspective: Dimensions of Change. The database draws on global-scale individual microdata from four main repositories and national household surveys, encompassing over 150 million individual records representing more than 98% of the world’s population. The CoDB provides datasets at the national, subnational, and subnational-harmonized levels, covering 156 countries, 3950 regions, and 1511 harmonized regions for the period 1964–2021. It includes 146 indicators on household composition and family arrangements, allowing researchers to explore intergenerational co-residence patterns, gender dynamics within households, and longitudinal trends in living arrangements. The CoDB fills an important gap in comparative household studies, enabling researchers to undertake ground breaking research at both macro and micro levels, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of family structures and living arrangements.
Automatically Generated Datasets: Present and Potential Self-Cleaning Coating Materials
Authors: Wang Shaozhou , Wan Yuwei , Song Ning , Liu Yixuan , Xie Tong , Hoex Bram
Published: January 2024

The rise of urbanization coupled with pollution has highlighted the importance of outdoor self-cleaning coatings. These revolutionary coatings contribute to the longevity of various surfaces and reduce maintenance costs for a wide range of applications. Despite ongoing research to develop efficient and durable self-cleaning coatings, adopting systematic research methodologies could accelerate these advancements. In this work, we use Natural Language Processing (NLP) strategies to generate open- and traceable-sourced datasets about self-cleaning coating materials from 39,011 multi-disciplinary papers. The data are from function-based and property-based corpora for self-cleaning purposes. These datasets are presented in four different formats for diverse uses or combined uses: material frequency statistics, material dictionary, measurement value datasets for self-cleaning-related properties and optical properties, and sentiment statistics of material stability and durability. This provides a literature-based data resource for the development of self-cleaning coatings and also offers potential pathways for material discovery and prediction by machine learning.
Co-enrichment of cancer-associated bacterial taxa is correlated with immune cell infiltrates in esophageal tumor tissue
Authors: Greathouse K. L. , Stone J. K. , Vargas A. J. , Choudhury A. , Padgett R. N. , White J. R. , Jung A. , Harris C. C.
Published: January 2024

Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and certain oral and intestinal pathogens have been associated with cancer development and progression. We asked if esophageal microbiomes had shared alterations that could provide novel biomarkers for ESCA risk. We extracted DNA from tumor and non-tumor tissue of 212 patients in the NCI-MD case control study and sequenced the 16S rRNA gene (V3-4), with TCGA ESCA RNA-seq (n = 172) and WGS (n = 123) non-human reads used as validation. We identified four taxa, Campylobacter, Prevotella, Streptococcus, and Fusobacterium as highly enriched in esophageal cancer across all cohorts. Using SparCC, we discovered that Fusobacterium and Prevotella were also co-enriched across all cohorts. We then analyzed immune cell infiltration to determine if these dysbiotic taxa were associated with immune signatures. Using xCell to obtain predicted immune infiltrates, we identified a depletion of megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor (MEP) cells in tumors with presence of any of the four taxa, along with enrichment of platelets in tumors with Campylobactor or Fusobacterium. Taken together, our results suggest that intratumoral presence of these co-occurring bacterial genera may confer tumor promoting immune alterations that allow disease progression in esophageal cancer.
Craniofacial and olfactory sensory changes after long-term unilateral nasal obstruction—an animal study using MMP-3-LUC transgenic rats
Authors: Hsu Li-Fang , Ratanasereeprasert Nutthakarn , Wang Shih-Kai , Chen Jung-Tsu , Chen Yi-Jane , Yeh Te-Huei , Sung Hsiang-Hsuan , Yao Chung-Chen Jane
Published: January 2024

Nasal obstruction exerts considerable physiological effects on the respiratory system and craniofacial morphology during the developmental stage. This study used MMP-3-LUC transgenic rats for in vivo tracking of long-term expression in the rat nasal region after unilateral nasal obstruction. Skeletal changes of the craniofacial, nasal, and sinus regions were measured through micro-computed tomography examination and analysis with 3D image processing and calculation. Matrix metalloproteinase-3 and olfactory marker protein expression were also investigated through immunohistochemistry (IHC). Unilateral nasal obstruction significantly reduced the MMP-3 signal in the nasal region of MMP-3-LUC transgenic rats, which was mainly expressed in the respiratory epithelium. Long-term obstruction also caused morphological changes of the craniofacial hard tissue, such as nasal septal deviation, longer inter-jaw distance, and increased maxillary molar dental height. It also caused compensatory growth in olfactory nerve bundles and the olfactory epithelium, as confirmed by IHC. In our study, long-term unilateral nasal obstruction caused nasal septal deviation toward the unobstructed side, hyper divergent facial development including longer molar dental height, and reduced MMP-3 production. However, further investigation is necessary to explore the mechanism in depth.
Microbial community-based protein from soybean-processing wastewater as a sustainable alternative fish feed ingredient
Authors: Santillan Ezequiel , Yasumaru Fanny , Vethathirri Ramanujam Srinivasan , Thi Sara Swa , Hoon Hui Yi , Sian Diana Chan Pek , Wuertz Stefan
Published: January 2024

As the global demand for food increases, aquaculture plays a key role as the fastest growing animal protein sector. However, existing aquafeeds contain protein ingredients that are not sustainable under current production systems. We evaluated the use of microbial community-based single cell protein (SCP), produced from soybean processing wastewater, as a partial fishmeal protein substitute in juvenile Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer). A 24-day feeding trial was conducted with a control fishmeal diet and a 50% fishmeal replacement with microbial community-based SCP as an experimental group, in triplicate tanks containing 20 fish each. Both diets met the protein, essential amino acids (except for lysine), and fat requirements for juvenile Asian sea bass. The microbial composition of the SCP was dominated by the generaAcidipropionibacteriumandPropioniciclava, which have potential as probiotics and producers of valuable metabolites. The growth performance in terms of percent weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR), and survival were not significantly different between groups after 24 days. The experimental group had less variability in terms of weight gain and FCR than the control group. Overall, microbial community-based protein produced from soybean processing wastewater has potential as a value-added feed ingredient for sustainable aquaculture feeds.
Early human occupation of Australia’s eastern seaboard
Authors: Adams Shaun , Norman Kasih , Kemp Justine , Jacobs Zenobia , Costelloe Michael , Fairbairn Andrew , Robins Richard , Stock Errol , Moss Patrick , Smith Tam , Love Serena , Manne Tiina , Lowe Kelsey M. , Logan India , Manoel Michael , McFadden Karen , Burns Darren , Dooley Thomas , Falkiner Zac , Clarkson Chris
Published: January 2024

Secure archaeological evidence for human occupation on the eastern seaboard of Australia before ~ 25,000 years ago has proven elusive. This has prompted some researchers to argue that the coastal margins remained uninhabited prior to 25 ka. Here we show evidence for human occupation beginning between 30 ± 6 and 49 ± 8 ka at Wallen Wallen Creek (WWC), and at Middle Canalpin Creek (MCA20) between 38 ± 8 and 41 ± 8 ka. Both sites are located on the western side of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), the second largest sand island in the world, isolated by rising sea levels in the early Holocene. The earliest occupation phase at both sites consists of charcoal and heavily retouched stone artefacts made from exotic raw materials. Heat-treatment of imported silcrete artefacts first appeared in sediment dated to ~ 30,000 years ago, making these amongst Australia’s oldest dated heat-treated artefacts. An early human presence on Minjerribah is further suggested by palaeoenvironmental records of anthropogenic burning beginning by 45,000 years ago. These new chronologies from sites on a remnant portion of the continental margin confirm early human occupation along Sahul’s now-drowned eastern continental shelf.
The role of ESG performance during times of COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Gao Min , Geng Xiulin
Published: January 2024

The outbreak of the epidemic in 2020 has caused a huge negative impact on the production and operation of firms, directly threatening their survival and development. However, some firms can make timely and effective adjustments in the face of sudden crises because of their resilience, and then turn the corner. This study selects the data of 2993 companies listed in Chinese A shares. The OLS method and event study is used to analyze the impact of ESG on the ability of corporate system crisis (corporate resilience). The research results indicate that companies with good ESG performance are more resilient in crises. The mechanism test indicates that the easing effect of corporate financing constraints and the expansion effect of corporate green innovation capabilities are important channels for ESG performance to promote the negative impact of crisis shocks on corporate value. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that ESG has a stronger ability to respond to systemic crises in small-scale firms, state-owned firms, and highly competitive market environments. Powerful CEOs can weaken ESG's ability to respond to systemic corporate crises. Further research has found that only S and G items, namely good governance level and social performance, have a significant positive promoting effect on corporate resilience. ESG performance may be more important in areas more severely affected by the epidemic. This study expands the research on ESG and the research on the decision mechanism of enterprise resilience. This study provides a new theoretical perspective for the study of corporate crisis response capabilities, and provides a certain policy reference for Chinese firms to effectively respond to public crises, which has important policy implications.
Dynamic functional changes upon thalamotomy in essential tremor depend on baseline brain morphometry
Authors: Bolton Thomas A. W. , Van De Ville Dimitri , Régis Jean , Witjas Tatiana , Girard Nadine , Levivier Marc , Tuleasca Constantin
Published: January 2024

Patients with drug-resistant essential tremor (ET) may undergo Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgical thalamotomy (SRS-T), where the ventro-intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (Vim) is lesioned by focused beams of gamma radiations to induce clinical improvement. Here, we studied SRS-T impacts on left Vim dynamic functional connectivity (dFC, n = 23 ET patients scanned before and 1 year after intervention), and on surface-based morphometric brain features (n = 34 patients, including those from dFC analysis). In matched healthy controls (HCs), three dFC states were extracted from resting-state functional MRI data. In ET patients, state 1 spatial stability increased upon SRS-T (F1,22 = 19.13, p = 0.004). More frequent expression of state 3 over state 1 before SRS-T correlated with greater clinical recovery in a way that depended on the MR signature volume (t6 = 4.6, p = 0.004). Lower pre-intervention spatial variability in state 3 expression also did (t6 = − 4.24, p = 0.005) and interacted with the presence of familial ET so that these patients improved less (t6 = 4.14, p = 0.006). ET morphometric profiles showed significantly lower similarity to HCs in 13 regions upon SRS-T (z ≤ − 3.66, p ≤ 0.022), and a joint analysis revealed that before thalamotomy, morphometric similarity and states 2/3 mean spatial similarity to HCs were anticorrelated, a relationship that disappeared upon SRS-T (z ≥ 4.39, p < 0.001). Our results show that left Vim functional dynamics directly relates to upper limb tremor lowering upon intervention, while morphometry instead has a supporting role in reshaping such dynamics.
Community ecology and functional potential of bacteria, archaea, eukarya and viruses in Guerrero Negro microbial mat
Authors: Maza-Márquez P. , Lee M. D. , Bebout B. M.
Published: January 2024

In this study, the microbial ecology, potential environmental adaptive mechanisms, and the potential evolutionary interlinking of genes between bacterial, archaeal and viral lineages in Guerrero Negro (GN) microbial mat were investigated using metagenomic sequencing across a vertical transect at millimeter scale. The community composition based on unique genes comprised bacteria (98.01%), archaea (1.81%), eukarya (0.07%) and viruses (0.11%). A gene-focused analysis of bacteria archaea, eukarya and viruses showed a vertical partition of the community. The greatest coverages of genes of bacteria and eukarya were detected in first layers, while the highest coverages of genes of archaea and viruses were found in deeper layers. Many genes potentially related to adaptation to the local environment were detected, such as UV radiation, multidrug resistance, oxidative stress, heavy metals, salinity and desiccation. Those genes were found in bacterial, archaeal and viral lineages with 6477, 44, and 1 genes, respectively. The evolutionary histories of those genes were studied using phylogenetic analysis, showing an interlinking between domains in GN mat.
Cardiac desmosomal adhesion relies on ideal-, slip- and catch bonds
Authors: Göz Manuel , Steinecker Sylvia M. , Pohl Greta M. , Walhorn Volker , Milting Hendrik , Anselmetti Dario
Published: January 2024

The cardiac muscle consists of individual cardiomyocytes that are mechanically linked by desmosomes. Desmosomal adhesion is mediated by densely packed and organized cadherins which, in presence of Ca2+, stretch out their extracellular domains (EC) and dimerize with opposing binding partners by exchanging an N-terminal tryptophan. The strand-swap binding motif of cardiac cadherins like desmocollin 2 (Dsc2) (and desmoglein2 alike) is highly specific but of low affinity with average bond lifetimes in the range of approximately 0.3 s. Notably, despite this comparatively weak interaction, desmosomes mediate a stable, tensile-resistant bond. In addition, force mediated dissociation of strand-swap dimers exhibit a reduced bond lifetime as external forces increase (slip bond). Using atomic force microscopy based single molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS), we demonstrate that Dsc2 has two further binding modes that, in addition to strand-swap dimers, most likely play a significant role in the integrity of the cardiac muscle. At short interaction times, the Dsc2 monomers associate only loosely, as can be seen from short-lived force-independent bonds. These ideal bonds are a precursor state and probably stabilize the formation of the self-inhibiting strand-swap dimer. The addition of tryptophan in the measurement buffer acts as a competitive inhibitor, preventing the N-terminal strand exchange. Here, Dsc2 dimerizes as X-dimer which clearly shows a tri-phasic slip-catch-slip type of dissociation. Within the force-mediated transition (catch) regime, Dsc2 dimers switch between a rather brittle low force and a strengthened high force adhesion state. As a result, we can assume that desmosomal adhesion is mediated not only by strand-swap dimers (slip) but also by their precursor states (ideal bond) and force-activated X-dimers (catch bond).
Unique E2-binding specificity of artificial RING fingers in cancer cells
Authors: Miyamoto Kazuhide , Tadokoro Takashi , Matsumoto Atsushi
Published: January 2024

Ubiquitin (Ub)-conjugating enzymes (E2s) are involved in various pathways for Ub transfer and deubiquitinating activities. These enzymes are associated with cancers such as breast cancer which is the second deadliest type of malignancy among women. Here, we revealed the unique E2-binding property and the auto-ubiquitination of artificial RING fingers (ARFs). Circular dichroism spectra showed the characteristic structures of ARFs. The proline, lysine, leucine, threonine and cysteine (PKLTC) sequence of ARF was important for E2-recognition and its mutations induced obvious changes in the E2-binding specificity and the auto-ubiquitination activity of ARF. The ARF mutants were applicable to detection of most of E2 activities. Furthermore, adding the ARF mutant C35A to cancer cells promoted its auto-ubiquitination, leading to the preferential detection of E2 UbcH5b activity. The present work opens up a new avenue for investigating intracellular E2 activities for the fatal diseases.
General spectral characteristics of human activity and its inherent scale-free fluctuations
Authors: Maczák Bálint , Gingl Zoltán , Vadai Gergely
Published: January 2024

The scale-free nature of daily human activity has been observed in different aspects; however, the description of its spectral characteristics is incomplete. General findings are complicated by the fact that—although actigraphy is commonly used in many research areas—the activity calculation methods are not standardized; therefore, activity signals can be different. The presence of 1/f noise in activity or acceleration signals was mostly analysed for short time windows, and the complete spectral characteristic has only been examined in the case of certain types of them. To explore the general spectral nature of human activity in greater detail, we have performed Power Spectral Density (PSD) based examination and Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) on several-day-long, triaxial actigraphic acceleration signals of 42 healthy, free-living individuals. We generated different types of activity signals from these, using different acceleration preprocessing techniques and activity metrics. We revealed that the spectra of different types of activity signals generally follow a universal characteristic including 1/f noise over frequencies above the circadian rhythmicity. Moreover, we discovered that the PSD of the raw acceleration signal has the same characteristic. Our findings prove that the spectral scale-free nature is generally inherent to the motor activity of healthy, free-living humans, and is not limited to any particular activity calculation method.
Niosomes as promising approach for enhancing the cytotoxicity of Hemimycale sp. total crude extract supported with in-silico studies
Authors: Said Asmaa Abo Elgoud , Mahmoud Basma Khalaf , Helmy Abdelrahman M. , Mohamed Nada M. , Attia Eman Zekry , Samy Mamdouh Nabil , Abdelmohsen Usama Ramadan , Fouad Mostafa A.
Published: January 2024

The crude extract of Hemimycale sp. marine sponge was evaluated as a cytotoxic drug against different cell lines; whereas it exhibited promising selective activity toward the breast cancer cell line only with IC50 value 199.6 ± 0.00512 µg/ml. Moreover, its cytotoxic activity against the breast cancer cell line was reevaluated upon forming total extract-loaded niosomes. This revealed an IC50 value of 44.35 ± 0.011128 µg/ml, indicating the potential contribution of niosomes in boosting cell penetration and activity as a result. Owing to highlight the bioactive constituents responsible for the cytotoxic activity, metabolomics profiling of Hemimycale sp. was performed using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-HR-ESI-MS) revealing tentative identification of phytoconstituents clusters like as, diterpenes, sesterterpenes and sterols. Additionally, the cytotoxic activity of the crude extract was explained on the molecular level, whereas the dereplicated compounds were evaluated in silico against the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR). The sesterterpenoid derivatives phorbaketal A acetate (12) and secoepoxy ansellone A (13) together with mycalol-522 (17) showed the best binding energy.
Copper sulfide deposition and remobilisation triggered by non-magmatic fluid incursion in the single-intrusion Tongchang porphyry system, SE China
Authors: Liu Xuan , Richard Antonin , Pironon Jacques , Yang Kuifeng
Published: January 2024

Porphyry ore deposits are a major source of base and precious metals. Likewise, they bear important fingerprints for understanding magmatic / hydrothermal processes in the convergent margin. For many decades, the sources of non-magmatic fluid and its role in sulfide mineralization in the porphyry hydrothermal systems have been equivocal. The Tongchang porphyry deposit, which is a single intrusive system with a well-established fluid history, is investigated to reconstruct its hydrothermal process that contributed to the ore formation. In-situ oxygen and strontium isotopes in hydrothermal quartz and anhydrite revealed a coexistence of magmatic and non-magmatic fluid reservoirs. The granodiorite—derived magmatic fluid and external groundwater were spatially separated by a hydrologically impermeable shell formed by retrograde mineral deposition (mainly quartz). The location of the impermeable shell coincided with a brittle-ductile transition (BDT) interface established in the host phyllite in response to latent heating by the cooling magmas. It is inferred that the ductile phyllite beneath the impermeable shell may have entrained some amounts of groundwater and remnant metamorphic fluid. The early fluid stage was dominated by the magmatic fluids, forming disseminated chalcopyrite and barren quartz veins in the potassic-altered ductile granodiorite at high temperatures (> 500 °C). The next stage (early-intermediate) was also driven by the circulation of the magmatic fluids, but in a largely brittle zone formed in-between the impermeable shell and the retreated BDT interface (similar to the so-called “carapace” in the orthomagmatic models). In this stage the formation of pyrite and chalcopyrite veins together with chloritic alteration at temperatures of 400–350 °C occurred. The late-intermediate stage was marked by incursion of the trapped non-magmatic fluids due to rupturing of the enlarged carapace. Mixing of the non-magmatic fluids and the magmatic fluids led to deposition of a major phase of vein-type Cu sulfide at temperatures of 350–300 °C. The late fluid stage was characterized by breaching of the impermeable shell in response to volumetric contraction of the fluid system, leading to excessive infiltration of groundwater and ore remobilization. Based on the Tongchang model, six generic fluid models are proposed for porphyry ore deposits that differ in availability of non-magmatic components as well as intrusive histories. The models can account for variabilities in ore and alteration styles found in porphyry ore deposits globally.
A new algorithm for the transconjunctival correction of moderate to severe upper eyelid ptosis in adults
Authors: Nowak-Gospodarowicz Izabela , Kicińska Aleksandra , Kinasz Michał , Rękas Marek
Published: January 2024

A posterior approach is recommended for the correction of mild to moderate upper eyelid ptosis in adults. The aim of this study is to propose a new algorithm that helps to predict outcomes in the transconjunctival correction of moderate to severe blepharoptosis. This study included adult patients with moderate to severe upper eyelid ptosis treated between 2019 and 2021. Patients meeting inclusion criteria underwent ptosis correction through a posterior approach using an algorithm: 4 mm Mueller’s muscle transconjunctival resection to correct 1 mm ptosis (depending on a test with 10% phenylephrine: 3–12 mm) ± tarsal plate resection: 1 mm for every 1 mm of residual ptosis after phenylephrine test, but leaving a minimum of 4 mm upper tarsus intact. Outcomes were ovserved within at least 6-months. Outcomes were assessed based on pre- and postoperative MRD1 changes, inter-eyelid height symmetry, cosmetic effect, and complications. Outcomes of 118 procedures in 81 patients (average age 69, range: 47–87) were analyzed. MRD1 changes were statistically significant, from 0.2 ± 1.6 mm before to 4.1 ± 1 mm after surgery. The function of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle was 10.2 ± 3.4 (range 5–17) mm. Upper eyelid lifted by an average of 1.8 ± 0.7 (range 0–3) mm after the instillation of 10% phenylephrine eyedrops. An average of 8.5 ± 0.8 (range 8–10) mm of conjunctiva and Mueller’s muscle and 2.2 ± 0.9 (range 1–5) mm of the tarsal plate were resected during the procedure. Inter-eyelid height symmetry within 1 mm was achieved in 95% of outcomes. The algorithm introduced in this study appears to be useful to achieve repeatable satisfactory outcomes in the transconjunctival correction of moderate to severe upper eyelid ptosis in adults with at least ”fair” levator function.
Fabrication of slag/CKD one-mix geopolymer cement reinforced by low-cost nano-particles, mechanical behavior and durability performance
Authors: Hashem Fayza S. , Razek Taha A. , Mashout Hani A. , A.Selim Faten
Published: January 2024

CKD is a byproduct of the cement industry, and its accumulation in the surrounding represents one of many issues associated with this industry. In this study, CKD was utilized in the fabrication of one-mix geopolymer cement (GP) composite as an economical and environmental solution for disposal of this byproduct. The mechanical properties and durability behavior during various deterioration actions were inspected. The obtained findings demonstrated that, replacing slag by CKD in the fabricated GP could cause an elongation in the setting times and reduction in the compression strength of approximately 50%. However, GPs containing CKD offered an accepted resistance to irradiation by γ-rays and to firing action. Reinforcing the GPs with nano Fe3O4 (NF) or nano TiO2 (NT) accelerated the geopolymerization reaction and offered mechanical properties surprising the control mix, this was related to the micro-filling and catalytic actions of the NPs which supported the formation of symmetrical and organized clusters of CSHs and CASH gel as shown in SEM micrographs. The reinforcing mixes surpassing the control mix in the protection against intrusion of sulfate ions which they could retain about 92% of their strength after 4 months of exposure while the control mix retained 80%. Furthermore, they showed a superior resistance to the destructive effect of irradiation by high dose gamma rays up to 1500 kGy and they retained ~ 75% of their strength after irradiation while the control mix was kept at only 35%. The fabricated composites are recommended for usage in many applied construction fields.
Harnessing physical activity monitoring and digital biomarkers of frailty from pendant based wearables to predict chemotherapy resilience in veterans with cancer
Authors: Cay Gozde , Sada Yvonne H. , Dehghan Rouzi Mohammad , Uddin Atique Md Moin , Rodriguez Naima , Azarian Mehrnaz , Finco M. G. , Yellapragada Sarvari , Najafi Bijan
Published: January 2024

This study evaluated the use of pendant-based wearables for monitoring digital biomarkers of frailty in predicting chemotherapy resilience among 27 veteran cancer patients (average age: 64.6 ± 13.4 years), undergoing bi-weekly chemotherapy. Immediately following their first day of chemotherapy cycle, participants wore a water-resistant pendant sensor for 14 days. This device tracked frailty markers like cadence (slowness), daily steps (inactivity), postural transitions (weakness), and metrics such as longest walk duration and energy expenditure (exhaustion). Participants were divided into resilient and non-resilient groups based on adverse events within 6 months post-chemotherapy, including dose reduction, treatment discontinuation, unplanned hospitalization, or death. A Chemotherapy-Resilience-Index (CRI) ranging from 0 to 1, where higher values indicate poorer resilience, was developed using regression analysis. It combined physical activity data with baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) assessments. The protocol showed a 97% feasibility rate, with sensor metrics effectively differentiating between groups as early as day 6 post-therapy. The CRI, calculated using data up to day 6 and baseline ECOG, significantly distinguished resilient (CRI = 0.2 ± 0.27) from non-resilient (CRI = 0.7 ± 0.26) groups (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.67). This confirms the potential of remote monitoring systems in tracking post-chemotherapy functional capacity changes and aiding early non-resilience detection, subject to validation in larger studies.
Inactivation of phosphodiesterase-4B gene in rat nucleus accumbens shell by CRISPR/Cas9 or positive allosteric modulation of the protein affects the motivation to chronically self-administer nicotine
Authors: Sharp Burt M. , Jiang Qin , Kim Panjun , Chen Hao
Published: January 2024

Large scale human genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a growing pool of genes associated with cigarette smoking. One of the most prominent, phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B), has been associated with multiple smoking phenotypes. Although PDE4B modulates the half-life of neuronal cAMP, its precise role in smoking behaviors is unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we used a reverse translational approach. We inactivated PDE4B in bilateral medial nucleus accumbens shell (NAcs) neurons by injecting AAV containing a specific gRNA in female transgenic Cas9+ Long Evans rats. These rats then were given 23-h chronic access to nicotine intravenous self-administration (IVSA) under a schedule of increasing fixed ratios (FR). With the increased effort required at FR7, nicotine SA (i.e. active presses and drug infusions) declined significantly in controls, whereas it was maintained in the mutagenized group. A progressive ratio (PR) study also showed significantly greater cumulative nicotine infusions in the PDE4B-edited group. Hence, we hypothesized that enhanced PDE4B protein activity would reduce nicotine IVSA. A positive allosteric modulator, 2-(3-(4-chloro-3-fluorophenyl)-5-ethyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-N-(3,5-dichlorobenzyl)acetamide (MR-L2), was microinfused into NAcs bilaterally at FR3 or FR5; in both cohorts, MR-L2 acutely reduced nicotine IVSA. In summary, these studies show that the activity of PDE4B regulates the capacity of NAcs to maintain nicotine IVSA in face of the cost of increasing work. This finding and the results of the PR study indicate that PDE4B affects the motivation to obtain nicotine. These reverse translational studies in rats provide insight into the motivational effects of NAcs PDE4B that advance our understanding of the smoking behaviors mapped in human GWAS.
Molecular modelling of fullerene C60 functionalized by nitric oxide for use in biological environment
Authors: Moztarzadeh Omid , Jamshidi Morteza , Taherpour Avat Arman , Babuska Vaclav
Published: January 2024

The unique potential of fullerene C60 for various biological applications has ignited significant interest. However, its inherent non-polarity poses a critical challenge for its effective integration within biological systems. This study delves into the intricate physicochemical characteristics of the innovative [C60 + NO] complex using density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory. The computational analyses encompass molecular charge, surface electrostatic potential, and dipole moment evaluations. Impressively, the dipole moment of the [C60 + NO] complex significantly increases to 12.92 D. Meticulous surface analysis reveals a subtle interplay between molecular structures, indicating weak interactions. The analysis of the absorption spectrum unveils a noteworthy red-shift of 200 nm subsequent to complex formation. To elucidate the electron transfer mechanisms, we explore photo-induced electron transfer through CAM-B3LYP. This exploration elucidates intricate pathways governing electron transfer, with complementary insights gleaned from Marcus theory's outputs, especially the Gibbs free energy of electron transfer. Changes in the physicochemical properties of approaching C60 and NO molecules reveal interesting results compared to separate molecules. These findings resonate profoundly in the context of potential biological and pharmaceutical utilization. With implications for the biomedical area, the outcomes linked to the [C60 + NO] complex kindle optimism for pioneering biomedical applications.