bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrocephalus, cerebral vasospasm, and delayed cerebral ischemia following non-aneurysmatic spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhages: an underestimated problem
Authors: Wolfert Christina , Maurer Christoph J. , Berlis Ansgar , Schneider Hauke , Steininger Kathrin , Motov Stefan , Krauss Philipp , Sommer Björn , Shiban Ehab
Published: December 2022

Non-aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (NASAH) is rare and mostly benign. However, complications such as cerebral vasospasm (CV), delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), or post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (HC) may worsen the prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of these complications comparing perimesencephalic (PM) and non-perimesencephalic (NPM) SAH. Monocentric, retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with NASAH from 01/2010 to 01/2021. Diagnosis was set only if vascular pathologies were excluded in at least one digital subtraction angiography, and NASAH was confirmed by cranial computed tomography (cCT) or lumbar puncture (LP). One hundred patients (62 female) with a mean age of 54.9 years (27–84) were identified. Seventy-three percent had a World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) grading scale score I, while 9% were WFNS score IV or V at the time of admission. SAH was diagnosed by cCT in 86%, in 14% by lumbar puncture. Twenty-five percent necessitated short-term CSF diversion by extraventricular drainage or lumbar drainage, whereof 7 suffered from long-term HC treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS). One patient without a short-term CSF drainage developed long-term HC. Ten percent developed CV, four of whom received intraarterial spasmolysis. Radiological DCI was diagnosed in 2%; none of these correlated with CV. Despite a mortality of 3% occurring solely in NPM SAH, the analyzed complication rate was comparable in both groups. We observed post-hemorrhagic complications in 35% of cases during the first 3 weeks after bleeding, predominantly in patients with NPM SAH. For this reason, close observation and cranial imaging within this time may be indicated not to overlook these complications.
Forced Frequency Locking for Semilinear Dissipative Hyperbolic PDEs
Authors: Kmit Irina , Recke Lutz
Published: December 2022

This paper concerns the behavior of time-periodic solutions to 1D dissipative autonomous semilinear hyperbolic PDEs under the influence of small time-periodic forcing. We show that the phenomenon of forced frequency locking happens similarly to the analogous phenomena known for ODEs or parabolic PDEs. However, the proofs are essentially more difficult than for ODEs or parabolic PDEs. In particular, non-resonance conditions are needed, which do not have counterparts in the cases of ODEs or parabolic PDEs. We derive a scalar equation which answers the main question of forced frequency locking: Which time shifts $$u(t+\varphi )$$

u
(
t
+
φ
)

of the solution u(t) to the unforced equation do survive under which forcing?
Surgical Technique and Efficacy Analysis of Extra-pseudocapsular Transnasal Transsphenoidal Surgery for Pituitary Microprolactinoma
Authors: Wan Xue-yan , Li Lin-han , Chen Juan , Wang Jun-wen , Liu Yan-chao , Huang Yi-min , Shu Kai , Buchfelder Michael , Fahlbusch Rudolf , Lei Ting
Published: December 2022

Objective

To elucidate the role of transsphenoidal surgery in the treatment of pituitary microprolactinoma.

Methods

The clinical data of 107 prolactinoma cases treated by extra-pseudocapsular transnasal transsphenoidal surgery (ETTS) for different indications in our department since 2011 was retrospectively analyzed.

Results

The most common indication was the ineffectiveness of oral medication (41.1%), followed by the personal willingness of the patient (35.5%), and 20.6% of the patients were young women with clear tumor boundaries. The pseudocapsule was not observed in 63 cases (58.9%), incomplete pseudocapsule was observed in 26 cases (24.3%), and complete pseudocapsule in 18 cases (16.8%). A total of 97 patients (90.7%) obtained 1-year post-operation remission. According to the relative location of the adenoma and pituitary gland on the MRI scan, 46 patients were classified into a central type, 59 a lateral type, and 2 a supra-pituitary type. Two patients developed hypogonadism, one patient developed hypocortisolism, and one patient developed post-operative hypothyroidism. Two patients were administrated with hormone replacement treatment, and the treatment was stopped within one week. There was no permanent hypopituitarism. Further investigation demonstrated that the adenoma types could affect the remission rates of hyperprolactinemia and gross total resection rate in microprolactinoma.

Conclusion

ETTS was an effective treatment for pituitary microprolactinomas. This could be the first choice for patients who presented enclosed adenoma on the MRI and were potentially curable in a preoperative evaluation. Maximal safe removal of the adenoma by ETTS with the aim to increase the sensitivity of the drugs was also recommended for patients with invasive dopamine agonist resistant prolactinomas and patients with difficulty in childbirth.
Experimental assessment of wing lower surface buffet effects induced by the installation of a UHBR nacelle
Authors: Sebastian Spinner , Ralf Rudnik
Published: December 2022

The installation of large bypass ratio engines on classical under wing configurations may lead to shock/boundary layer interaction on the wing lower surface, limiting the flight envelope in a similar way to classical buffet occurring on the wing suction side at high incidences in transonic flight. In this study, buffet effects on the lower surface of the wing induced by the installation of a Ultra-High-Bypass-Ratio through flow nacelle are assessed by means of wind tunnel testing. Unsteady pressure sensitive paint measurements were used to assess the pressure field on the wing with high temporal and spatial resolution. Strong unsteady shock motion associated with shock induced separation was found on the wing lower surface for various combinations of Mach number, Reynolds number and angle of attack. The wing lower surface buffet effects are found to increase with reducing angle of attack and are present over a wide range of Reynolds numbers. Preliminary spectral analysis suggests an upper limit for the buffet frequency at a Strouhal number of about 0.4.
Effect of ionic strength on the interaction of AuNPs with calf spleen DNA
Authors: Rageh Monira M. , Gaber M. H. , Mostafa Samar M.
Published: December 2022

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are well-known biomedical and biotechnological applications because of their interesting properties. They easily cross the cell membranes and interact with intracellular materials. This study was designed to investigate the interaction of calf spleen DNA with AuNPs at a molar ratio of 2:1 in an aqueous solution with different ionic strengths (10, 50, and 100%). AuNPs and AuNPs/DNA complex were characterized by different techniques such as UV/Vis spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier transform IR spectrophotometry. The results revealed that the maximum absorption (λmax) of AuNPs synthesis was observed at 520 nm, and the average particle size was about 13 nm. In addition to a negative zeta potential (− 37 mV), the interaction of AuNPs with DNA was confirmed by melting point and TEM. The melting point that reflects the DNA became unstable in the presence of AuNPs, and the melting temperature decreased by about 3–5 °C with different ionic strength. Additionally, the TEM image of AuNPs/DNA complex obviously illustrated the location of AuNPs on the DNA groove. Finally, these results clearly indicate the attachment of AuNPs with DNA.
Investigating the properties of tin-oxide thin film developed by sputtering process for perovskite solar cells
Authors: Onyeagba Chijioke Raphael , Islam Majedul , Yarlagadda Prasad K. D. V. , Tesfamichael Tuquabo
Published: December 2022

Tin oxide (SnO2) nano-crystalline thin films were deposited on silicon and glass substrates at room temperature by sputtering at a constant power of 30 W and different working pressure of 10, 7, and 5 mTorr. Surface morphology, electrical and optical properties of the films were investigated to optimise the deposition condition of the films as electron transport layer (ETL) for high-power conversion efficiency perovskite solar cells. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis–NIR Spectrophotometer, and Four-point probe. SnO2 films obtained at working pressure of 10 mTorr exhibited uniform surface morphology with high light transmittance (90%) and conductivity (4 S/m). These sputtered SnO2 films appeared to have shown promising properties as ETL for PSC, and further investigation is justified to establish the optimal fabrication parameters and resulting energy conversion efficiency.
Modeling of groundwater quality index by using artificial intelligence algorithms in northern Khartoum State, Sudan
Authors: Mohammed Musaab A. A. , Khleel Nasraldeen A. A. , Szabó Norbert P. , Szűcs Péter
Published: December 2022

In the present study, multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network and support vector regression (SVR) models were developed to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes in the northern Khartoum area, Sudan. The groundwater quality was evaluated by predicting the groundwater quality index (GWQI). GWQI is a statistical model that uses sub-indices and accumulation functions to reduce the dimensionality of groundwater quality data. In the first stage, GWQI was calculated using 11 physiochemical parameters collected from 20 groundwater wells. These parameters include pH, EC, TDS, TH, Cl−, SO4−2, NO3−, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+, and HCO3−. The primary investigation confirmed that all parameters except for EC and NO3− are beyond the standard limits of the World Health Organization (WHO). The measured GWQI ranged from 21 to 396. As a result, groundwater samples were classified into three classes. The majority of the samples, roughly 75%, projected into the excellent water category; 20% were considered good water and 5% were classified as unsuitable. GWQI models are powerful tools in groundwater quality assessment; however, the computation is lengthy, time-consuming, and often associated with calculation errors. To overcome these limitations, this study applied artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to develop a reliable model for the prediction of GWQI by employing MLP neural network and SVR models. In this stage, the input data were the detected physiochemical parameters, and the output was the computed GWQI. The dataset was divided into two groups with a ratio of 80% to 20% for models training and validation. The predicted (AI) and actual (calculated GWQI) models were compared using four statistical criteria, namely, mean square error (MSE), root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2). Based on the obtained values of the performance measures, the results revealed the robustness and efficiency of MLP and SVR models in modeling GWQI. Consequently, groundwater quality in the north Khartoum area is evaluated as suitable for human consumption except for BH 18, where highly mineralized water is observed. The developed approach is advantageous in groundwater quality evaluation and is recommended to be incorporated in groundwater quality modeling.
There is an elephant in the room: towards a critique on the use of fairness in biometrics
Authors: Valdivia Ana , Serrajòrdia Júlia Corbera , Swianiewicz Aneta
Published: December 2022

The proliferation of biometric systems in our societies is shaping public debates around its political, social and ethical implications. Yet, whilst concerns towards the racialised use of this technology have been on the rise, the field of biometrics remains unperturbed by these debates. Despite the lack of critical analysis, algorithmic fairness has recently been adopted by biometrics. Different studies have been published to understand and mitigate demographic bias in biometric systems, without analysing the political consequences. In this paper, we offer a critical reading of recent debates about biometric fairness and show its detachment from political debates. Building on previous fairness demonstrations, we prove that biometrics will be always biased. Yet, we claim algorithmic fairness cannot distribute justice in scenarios which are broken or whose intended purpose is to discriminate. By focusing on demographic biases rather than examine how these systems reproduce historical and political injustices, fairness has overshadowed the elephant in the room of biometrics.
DEI co-mentoring circles for clinical research professionals: A pilot project and toolkit
Authors: Kolb H. Robert , Pineda Tiffany Danielle , Sow Angela , Hinton Michael , Noguera Martin , Ramirez-Hiller Tatiana , McCaslin Gailine , Jones Carolynn Thomas
Published: December 2022

Background:

There have been a number of federal policies and guidance’s impacting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI) in clinical research. While these are needed, they have not diminished the gaps related to clinical trial recruitment, research professional’s capacity for cultural competence, and clinical research professional role development. Mentoring and co-mentoring circles have traditionally been used in Medicine, but until now had not been used for workforce development of clinical research professionals (CRPs).

Materials/Methods:

We designed a six-session, monthly co-mentoring circle to take place at two academic medical centers to pilot an interinstitutional co-mentoring circle centered on storytelling videos of Black Voices in Clinical Research. This provided a DEI framework for discussions on role experiences, cultural competence, and role progression.

Results:

Seven CRPs completed the DRC pilot. The participants positively evaluated the experience and made recommendations for future iterations. Discussion: Co-mentoring circles can be useful tools to connect CRPs across complex research medical centers and provide support that may have a positive impact on role satisfaction and retention.

Conclusion:

This framework for developing co-mentoring circles can serve as a toolkit for future CRP co-mentoring circles within and across institutions for workforce development. The Black Voices in Clinical Research storytelling videos provide a rich foundation for future discussion on DEI issues for CRPs and collaborating with participants.
Local limit theorem for a Markov additive process on with a null recurrent internal Markov chain
Authors: de Loynes Basile
Published: December 2022

In the classical framework, a random walk on a group is a Markov chain with independent and identically distributed increments. In some sense, random walks are time and space homogeneous. This paper is devoted to a class of inhomogeneous random walks on
$\mathbb{Z}^d$
termed ‘Markov additive processes’ (also known as Markov random walks, random walks with internal degrees of freedom, or semi-Markov processes). In this model, the increments of the walk are still independent but their distributions are dictated by a Markov chain, termed the internal Markov chain. While this model is largely studied in the literature, most of the results involve internal Markov chains whose operator is quasi-compact. This paper extends two results for more general internal operators: a local limit theorem and a sufficient criterion for their transience. These results are thereafter applied to a new family of models of drifted random walks on the lattice
$\mathbb{Z}^d$
.
SELF-EMBEDDINGS OF MODELS OF ARITHMETIC; FIXED POINTS, SMALL SUBMODELS, AND EXTENDABILITY
Authors: BAHRAMI SAEIDEH
Published: December 2022

In this paper we will show that for every cut I of any countable nonstandard model
$\mathcal {M}$
of
$\mathrm {I}\Sigma _{1}$
, each I-small
$\Sigma _{1}$
-elementary submodel of
$\mathcal {M}$
is of the form of the set of fixed points of some proper initial self-embedding of
$\mathcal {M}$
iff I is a strong cut of
$\mathcal {M}$
. Especially, this feature will provide us with some equivalent conditions with the strongness of the standard cut in a given countable model
$\mathcal {M}$
of
$ \mathrm {I}\Sigma _{1} $
. In addition, we will find some criteria for extendability of initial self-embeddings of countable nonstandard models of
$ \mathrm {I}\Sigma _{1} $
to larger models.
Stratifying seamanship: sailors’ knowledge and the mechanical arts in eighteenth-century Britain
Authors: Jones Elin
Published: December 2022

A new genre of treatises on practical seamanship emerged in eighteenth-century Britain. Authored by a group of seamen with decades of experience on the lower deck of merchant and naval vessels, these texts represented the ship as a machine, and seamanship as a form of mechanical experiment which could only be carried out by deep-sea sailors. However, as this article finds, this group of sailor–authors had only a brief moment of authoritative legitimacy before their ideas were repackaged and promoted by land-bound authors and naval officers, and the progenitors of the ‘science of seamanship’ were deemed unfit participants in its ongoing practice. This article explores this brief moment, taking seriously the ideas and influences of the maritime milieu which spawned it, and arguing that the codification and circulation of ‘useful knowledge’ in eighteenth-century Britain often hardened social hierarchies. Examining seamanship forces us to question the progressivist linear trajectory of an increasingly open scientific culture during this period, and to focus instead on a repeating pattern in which the working knowledge of labourers and artisans was appropriated and its original practitioners denigrated.
Field arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation increased plant performance without phosphorus fertilizer supply of four promoted upland rice varieties in Madagascar
Authors: Rakotoarivelo Njaramanana Naliharilala Miora , Rahetlah Volatsara Baholy , Trap Jean , Autfray Patrice
Published: December 2022

In Madagascar, upland rice cropping is constrained by soil acidity and low phosphorus (P) bioavailability. Given their role in plant P nutrition, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may improve crop yield in nutrient-poor tropical soils. In the Vakinankaratra region, a field experiment was conducted at 908 m asl on an acidic Ferralsol during the 2019–2020 growing season. The aim was to test the ability of four promoted rice varieties to respond to AMF seed-coating inoculation with a commercial strain of Rhizophagus irregularis in the absence or presence of P fertilizer (20 kg ha−1 of P2O5) under no expected nitrogen (N) limitation. In absence of P fertilization, both at tillering and at maturity and irrespective of the rice varieties, AMF inoculation significantly improved plant performance and finally grain yield, grain N, and grain P amounts by an average of 28%, 30%, and 39%, respectively. In contrast, when P fertilizer was supplied, no significant effect of AMF inoculation was observed. Rice growth variables were significantly higher with the application of P fertilizer than with AMF inoculation both at tillering and at maturity. P fertilizer without inoculation provided an average grain yield improvement of 85%. At tillering, mycorrhizal parameters for root colonization assessment were not positively linked with rice growth variables suggesting an early effect of AMF inoculation. We concluded that, with no P fertilization, AMF seed coating inoculation at the field scale significantly improved upland rice plant performance in a limited soil P environment. Our rice genetic variability did not interfere significantly both with mycorrhizal parameters and crop AMF inoculation benefits.
A giant dromaeosaurid theropod from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan and the status of Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis
Authors: Sues Hans-Dieter , Averianov Alexander , Britt Brooks B.
Published: December 2022

The Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan has yielded many isolated bones and teeth representing a variety of non-avian theropod dinosaurs. A pedal phalanx II-2 indicates the presence of a dromaeosaurid theropod that attained a larger body size than any previously known member of that clade. The same formation also yielded a large maxillary fragment that has recently been described as a neovenatorid carcharodontosaurian (Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis). However, this specimen lacks unambiguously diagnostic features of that clade, and its purported carcharodontosaurian characters are either taphonomic artefacts or also shared by dromaeosaurids. Thus, the phylogenetic relationships of Uleghbegsaurus uzbekistanensis remain uncertain. A giant dromaeosaurid occurred together with the medium-sized tyrannosauroid Timurlengia euotica in the Bissekty assemblage.
Immunosuppression, infection, and epidermal compromise: an aetiological triad for necrotising otitis externa that highlights potential modifiable risk factors
Authors: Bisbinas V , Stapleton E
Published: December 2022

Objective

A key clinical feature of necrotising otitis externa is granulation tissue arising from the ear canal, representing epidermal compromise. The aim of this work was to explore the role of epidermal compromise in the aetiology of necrotising otitis externa.

Method

A structured risk factor history was taken from 54 patients diagnosed with necrotising otitis externa between 2017 and 2022. Primary care records were also reviewed.

Results

A total of 94 per cent of patients reported incidents of potential epidermal compromise preceding severe pain onset, including a 35 per cent incidence of ear syringing. A total of 94 per cent of patients were immunosuppressed, including 78 per cent with diabetes. All patients had medical co-morbidities.

Conclusion

This study proposed an aetiological triad for necrotising otitis externa: immunosuppression, infection and epidermal compromise. Epidermal compromise is a potentially modifiable risk factor for necrotising otitis externa. Meticulous primary ear care for older adult, diabetic and immunosuppressed patients is recommended. These populations should never undergo ear syringing and should avoid ear canal trauma and prolonged exposure to moisture.
Vote Aquí Hoy: The 1975 Extension of the Voting Rights Act and the Creation of Language Minorities
Authors: LOZANO ROSINA
Published: December 2022

The year 1975 marked a watershed year for Spanish-surnamed people in the United States and their relationship with the federal government. In that year Congress extended the Voting Rights Act to include a “language minority” category, requiring federal election officials to translate election materials under certain conditions. By validating language rights for language minorities, Congress expanded federal voting protections far beyond African Americans. Advocates for Spanish speakers took up the cause before Congress, which created a new federally protected category based on the long history of discrimination in education and society they collected in testimonies. These language protections catered largely to Spanish speakers, though the category also included Alaska Natives, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. The process of gaining a separate language minority status is explored in this article, which explains how Congress chose to create a law that included Spanish speakers by name.
Global Evaluation of Runoff Simulation From Climate, Hydrological and Land Surface Models
Authors: Hou Ying , Guo Hui , Yang Yuting , Liu Wenbin
Published: December 2022

Recent advances in global hydrological modeling yield many global runoff data sets that are extensively used in global hydrological analyses. Here, we provide a comprehensive evaluation of simulated runoff from 21 global models, including 12 climate models from CMIP6, six global hydrological models from the Inter‐Sectoral Impact Model Inter‐Comparison Project (ISMIP2a) and three land surface models from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), against observed streamflow in 840 unimpaired catchments globally. Our results show that (a) no model performs consistently better in estimating runoff from all aspects, and all models tend to perform better in more humid regions and non‐cold areas; (b) the interannual runoff variability is well represented in ISIMIP2a and GLDAS models, and no model performs satisfactorily in capturing the annual runoff trend; (c) the runoff intra‐annual cycle is reasonably captured by all models yet an overestimation of intra‐annual variability and an early bias in peak flow timing are commonly found; and (d) model uncertainty leads to a larger uncertainty in runoff estimates than that induced by forcing uncertainty in ISIMIP2a, and model uncertainty in GLDAS is larger than that in ISIMIP2a. Finally, we confirm that the multi‐model ensemble is an effective way to reduce uncertainty in individual models except for CMIP6 regarding mean annual magnitude and annual runoff trend. Overall, our findings suggest that assessments/projections of runoff changes based on these global outputs contain great uncertainties and should be interpreted with caution, and call for more advanced, observation‐guided ensemble techniques for better large‐scale hydrological applications.
Global TEC Map Fusion Through a Hybrid Deep Learning Model: RFGAN
Authors: Chen Zhou , Zhou Kecheng , Li Haimeng , Wang Jing‐song , Ouyang Zhihai , Deng Xiaohua
Published: December 2022

Timely, reliable and comprehensive global observation information is essential for space weather research. However, limited observation technology hinders the consecutive global coverage of observation data. For the integrity and continuity of the global observation data, deep learning can obtain a global Ionospheric total electron content (TEC) map by fusing multi‐source TEC maps. Different from the previous methods, in the study, a deep learning hybrid model (RFGAN) based on Dual‐Discriminator Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (DDcGAN) and Free‐Form Image Inpainting with Gated Convolution (Deepfill v2) is proposed to fuse the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)—TEC, International Global Navigation Satellite System TEC (IGS‐TEC) and altimetry satellite TEC. Throughout the RFGAN structure, we use an autoencoder model with gated convolution to inpaint the missing parts of MIT‐TEC and altimetry satellite TEC. Meanwhile, DDcGAN fuses the inpainted MIT‐TEC (MIT'‐TEC) and IGS‐TEC to get a global TEC map with high accuracy. To a certain extent, we inpainted the ocean area of MIT‐TEC through RFGAN. At the same time, RFGAN keeps the consistency of RFGAN‐TEC and MIT‐TEC in the continent area. Our proposed deep learning hybrid model can be easily extended and widely applied to other fields of space science, especially in addressing observational data loss and multi‐source data fusion.
The impact of increasing levels of blood C-reactive protein on the inflammatory loci SPI1 and CD33 in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Huang Jinghan , Tao Qiushan , Ang Ting Fang Alvin , Farrell John , Zhu Congcong , Wang Yixuan , Stein Thor D. , Lunetta Kathryn L. , Massaro Joseph , Mez Jesse , Au Rhoda , Farrer Lindsay A. , Qiu Wei Qiao , Zhang Xiaoling ,   For the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: December 2022

Apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) is the most significant genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Elevated blood C-reactive protein (CRP) further increases the risk of AD for people carrying the APOE ε4 allele. We hypothesized that CRP, as a key inflammatory element, could modulate the impact of other genetic variants on AD risk. We selected ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in reported AD risk loci encoding proteins related to inflammation. We then tested the interaction effects between these SNPs and blood CRP levels on AD incidence using the Cox proportional hazards model in UK Biobank (n = 279,176 white participants with 803 incident AD cases). The five top SNPs were tested for their interaction with different CRP cutoffs for AD incidence in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Generation 2 cohort (n = 3009, incident AD = 156). We found that for higher concentrations of serum CRP, the AD risk increased for SNP genotypes in 3 AD-associated genes (SPI1, CD33, and CLU). Using the Cox model in stratified genotype analysis, the hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between a higher CRP level (≥10 vs. <10 mg/L) and the risk of incident AD were 1.94 (95% CI: 1.33–2.84, p < 0.001) for the SPI1 rs1057233-AA genotype, 1.75 (95% CI: 1.20–2.55, p = 0.004) for the CD33 rs3865444-CC genotype, and 1.76 (95% CI: 1.25–2.48, p = 0.001) for the CLU rs9331896-C genotype. In contrast, these associations were not observed in the other genotypes of these genes. Finally, two SNPs were validated in 321 Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging (ADNI) Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients. We observed that the SPI1 and CD33 genotype effects were enhanced by elevated CRP levels for the risk of MCI to AD conversion. Furthermore, the SPI1 genotype was associated with CSF AD biomarkers, including t-Tau and p-Tau, in the ADNI cohort when the blood CRP level was increased (p < 0.01). Our findings suggest that elevated blood CRP, as a peripheral inflammatory biomarker, is an important moderator of the genetic effects of SPI1 and CD33 in addition to APOE ε4 on AD risk. Monitoring peripheral CRP levels may be helpful for precise intervention and prevention of AD for these genotype carriers.
Structural brain abnormalities in schizophrenia patients with a history and presence of auditory verbal hallucination
Authors: Sone Mari , Koshiyama Daisuke , Zhu Yinghan , Maikusa Norihide , Okada Naohiro , Abe Osamu , Yamasue Hidenori , Kasai Kiyoto , Koike Shinsuke
Published: December 2022

Although many studies have demonstrated structural brain abnormalities associated with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) in schizophrenia, the results remain inconsistent because of the small sample sizes and the reliability of clinical interviews. We compared brain morphometries in 204 participants, including 58 schizophrenia patients with a history of AVH (AVH + ), 29 without a history of AVH (AVH−), and 117 healthy controls (HCs) based on a detailed inspection of medical records. We further divided the AVH+ group into 37 patients with and 21 patients without hallucinations at the time of the MRI scans (AVH++ and AVH+−, respectively) via clinical interviews to explore the morphological differences according to the persistence of AVH. The AVH + group had a smaller surface area in the left caudal middle frontal gyrus (F = 7.28, FDR-corrected p = 0.0008) and precentral gyrus (F = 7.68, FDR-corrected p = 0.0006) compared to the AVH− group. The AVH+ patients had a smaller surface area in the left insula (F = 7.06, FDR-corrected p = 0.001) and a smaller subcortical volume in the bilateral hippocampus (right: F = 13.34, FDR-corrected p = 0.00003; left: F = 6.80, FDR-corrected p = 0.001) compared to the HC group. Of these significantly altered areas, the AVH++ group showed significantly smaller bilateral hippocampal volumes compared to the AVH+− group, and a smaller surface area in the left precentral gyrus and caudal middle frontal gyrus compared to the AVH- group. Our findings highlighted the distinct pattern of structural alteration between the history and presence of AVH in schizophrenia, and the importance of integrating multiple criteria to elucidate the neuroanatomical mechanisms.
ERK/mTOR signaling may underlying the antidepressant actions of rapastinel in mice
Authors: Shen Mengxin , Lv Dan , Liu Xinya , Wang Chuang
Published: December 2022

Rapastinel as the allosteric modulator of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) produces rapid antidepressant-like effects dependent on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and VGF (nonacryonimic) release. Herein, we further explore the molecular mechanisms of the antidepressant effects of repeated administration with rapastinel in mice. Our results showed that continuous 3-day rapastinel (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.v.) produced antidepressant-like actions dependent on the increase in extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and downstream substrates p70S6 kinase (p70S6k) and the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), which may induce the expression of VGF and BDNF in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of mice. Furthermore, compared with a single treatment, our data indicated that 3-day repeated rapastinel treatment produced antidepressant-like actions accompanied by potentiation of ERK/mTOR/VGF/BDNF/tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B (TrkB) signaling. Based on previous and our supplementary data that showed the pivotal role of on α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) in the rapid release of VGF and BDNF and activation of TrkB by a single dose of rapastinel, we postulate that the antidepressant-like effects of single or repeated administration of rapastinel may result in the rapid release of VGF and BDNF or ERK/mTOR signaling pathway-mediated VGF/BDNF/TrkB autoregulatory feedback loop respectively. Our current work adds new knowledge to the molecular mechanisms that underlie the antidepressant-like actions of rapastinel in mice.
Synaptic basis of a sub-second representation of time in a neural circuit model
Authors: Barri A. , Wiechert M. T. , Jazayeri M. , DiGregorio D. A.
Published: December 2022

Temporal sequences of neural activity are essential for driving well-timed behaviors, but the underlying cellular and circuit mechanisms remain elusive. We leveraged the well-defined architecture of the cerebellum, a brain region known to support temporally precise actions, to explore theoretically whether the experimentally observed diversity of short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) at the input layer could generate neural dynamics sufficient for sub-second temporal learning. A cerebellar circuit model equipped with dynamic synapses produced a diverse set of transient granule cell firing patterns that provided a temporal basis set for learning precisely timed pauses in Purkinje cell activity during simulated delay eyelid conditioning and Bayesian interval estimation. The learning performance across time intervals was influenced by the temporal bandwidth of the temporal basis, which was determined by the input layer synaptic properties. The ubiquity of STP throughout the brain positions it as a general, tunable cellular mechanism for sculpting neural dynamics and fine-tuning behavior.
Intracellular phase separation of globular proteins facilitated by short cationic peptides
Authors: Yeong Vivian , Wang Jou-wen , Horn Justin M. , Obermeyer Allie C.
Published: December 2022

Phase separation provides intracellular organization and underlies a variety of cellular processes. These biomolecular condensates exhibit distinct physical and material properties. Current strategies for engineering condensate formation include using intrinsically disordered domains and altering protein surface charge by chemical supercharging or site-specific mutagenesis. We propose adding to this toolbox designer peptide tags that provide several potential advantages for engineering protein phase separation in bacteria. Herein, we demonstrate the use of short cationic peptide tags for sequestration of proteins of interest into bacterial condensates and provide a foundational study for their development as tools for condensate engineering. Using a panel of GFP variants, we demonstrate how cationic tag and globular domain charge contribute to intracellular phase separation in E. coli and observe that the tag can affect condensate disassembly at a given net charge near the phase separation boundary. We showcase the broad applicability of these tags by appending them onto enzymes and demonstrating that the sequestered enzymes remain catalytically active.
Ni-catalyzed benzylic β-C(sp3)–H bond activation of formamides
Authors: Wang Rong-Hua , Xu Wei-Wei , Wu Hongli , Li Yue , Li Jiang-Fei , Zhang Tao , Huang Genping , Ye Mengchun
Published: December 2022

The development of transition metal-catalyzed β-C–H bond activation via highly-strained 4-membered metallacycles has been a formidable task. So far, only scarce examples have been reported to undergo β-C–H bond activation via 4-membered metallacycles, and all of them rely on precious metals. In contrast, earth-abundant and inexpensive 3d transition metal-catalyzed β-C–H bond activation via 4-membered metallacycles still remains an elusive challenge. Herein, we report a phosphine oxide-ligated Ni−Al bimetallic catalyst to activate secondary benzylic C(sp3)–H bonds of formamides via 4-membered nickelacycles, providing a series of α,β-unsaturated γ-lactams in up to 97% yield.
Non-linear effects of secondary organic aerosol formation and properties in multi-precursor systems
Authors: Takeuchi Masayuki , Berkemeier Thomas , Eris Gamze , Ng Nga Lee
Published: December 2022

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) contributes significantly to ambient fine particulate matter that affects climate and human health. Monoterpenes represent an important class of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their oxidation by nitrate radicals poses a substantial source of SOA globally. Here, we investigate the formation and properties of SOA from nitrate radical oxidation of two common monoterpenes, α-pinene and limonene. When two monoterpenes are oxidized simultaneously, we observe a ~50% enhancement in the formation of SOA from α-pinene and a ~20% reduction in limonene SOA formation. The change in SOA yields is accompanied by pronounced changes in aerosol chemical composition and volatility. These non-linear effects are not observed in a sequential oxidation experiment. Our results highlight that unlike currently assumed in atmospheric models, the interaction of products formed from individual VOCs should be accounted for to accurately describe SOA formation and its climate and health impacts.
A method to build extended sequence context models of point mutations and indels
Authors: Bethune Jörn , Kleppe April , Besenbacher Søren
Published: December 2022

The mutation rate of a specific position in the human genome depends on the sequence context surrounding it. Modeling the mutation rate by estimating a rate for each possible k-mer, however, only works for small values of k since the data becomes too sparse for larger values of k. Here we propose a new method that solves this problem by grouping similar k-mers. We refer to the method as k-mer pattern partition and have implemented it in a software package called kmerPaPa. We use a large set of human de novo mutations to show that this new method leads to improved prediction of mutation rates and makes it possible to create models using wider sequence contexts than previous studies. As the first method of its kind, it does not only predict rates for point mutations but also insertions and deletions. We have additionally created a software package called Genovo that, given a k-mer pattern partition model, predicts the expected number of synonymous, missense, and other functional mutation types for each gene. Using this software, we show that the created mutation rate models increase the statistical power to detect genes containing disease-causing variants and to identify genes under strong selective constraint.
Plasmonic imaging of the layer-dependent electrocatalytic activity of two-dimensional catalysts
Authors: Zhao Xiaona , Zhou Xiao-Li , Yang Si-Yu , Min Yuan , Chen Jie-Jie , Liu Xian-Wei
Published: December 2022

Studying the localized electrocatalytic activity of heterogeneous electrocatalysts is crucial for understanding electrocatalytic reactions and further improving their performance. However, correlating the electrocatalytic activity with the microscopic structure of two-dimensional (2D) electrocatalysts remains a great challenge due to the lack of in situ imaging techniques and methods of tuning structures with atomic precision. Here, we present a general method of probing the layer-dependent electrocatalytic activity of 2D materials in situ using a plasmonic imaging technique. Unlike the existing methods, this approach was used to visualize the surface charge density and electrocatalytic activity of single 2D MoS2 nanosheets, enabling the correlation of layer-dependent electrocatalytic activity with the surface charge density of single MoS2 nanosheets. This work provides insights into the electrocatalytic mechanisms of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, and our approach can serve as a promising platform for investigating electrocatalytic reactions at the heterogeneous interface, thus guiding the rational design of high-performance electrocatalysts.
The eINTACT system dissects bacterial exploitation of plant osmosignalling to enhance virulence
Authors: You Yuan , Koczyk Grzegorz , Nuc Maria , Morbitzer Robert , Holmes Danalyn R. , von Roepenack-Lahaye Edda , Hou Shiji , Giudicatti Axel , Gris Carine , Manavella Pablo A. , Noël Laurent D. , Krajewski Paweł , Lahaye Thomas
Published: December 2022

Bacteria inject effector proteins into host cells to manipulate cellular processes that promote disease. Since bacteria deliver minuscule amounts of effectors only into targeted host cells, it is technically challenging to capture effector-dependent cellular changes from bulk-infected host tissues. Here, we report a new technique called effector-inducible isolation of nuclei tagged in specific cell types (eINTACT), which facilitates affinity-based purification of nuclei from Arabidopsis plant cells that have received Xanthomonas bacterial effectors. Analysis of purified nuclei reveals that the Xanthomonas effector XopD manipulates the expression of Arabidopsis abscisic acid signalling-related genes and activates OSCA1.1, a gene encoding a calcium-permeable channel required for stomatal closure in response to osmotic stress. The loss of OSCA1.1 causes leaf wilting and reduced bacterial growth in infected leaves, suggesting that OSCA1.1 promotes host susceptibility. eINTACT allows us to uncover that XopD exploits host OSCA1.1/abscisic acid osmosignalling-mediated stomatal closure to create a humid habitat that favours bacterial growth and opens up a new avenue for accurately elucidating functions of effectors from numerous gram-negative plant bacteria in native infection contexts.
Nation-wide mapping of tree-level aboveground carbon stocks in Rwanda
Authors: Mugabowindekwe Maurice , Brandt Martin , Chave Jérôme , Reiner Florian , Skole David L. , Kariryaa Ankit , Igel Christian , Hiernaux Pierre , Ciais Philippe , Mertz Ole , Tong Xiaoye , Li Sizhuo , Rwanyiziri Gaspard , Dushimiyimana Thaulin , Ndoli Alain , Uwizeyimana Valens , Lillesø Jens-Peter Barnekow , Gieseke Fabian , Tucker Compton J. , Saatchi Sassan , Fensholt Rasmus
Published: December 2022

Trees sustain livelihoods and mitigate climate change but a predominance of trees outside forests and limited resources make it difficult for many tropical countries to conduct automated nation-wide inventories. Here, we propose an approach to map the carbon stock of each individual overstory tree at the national scale of Rwanda using aerial imagery from 2008 and deep learning. We show that 72% of the mapped trees are located in farmlands and savannas and 17% in plantations, accounting for 48.6% of the national aboveground carbon stocks. Natural forests cover 11% of the total tree count and 51.4% of the national carbon stocks, with an overall carbon stock uncertainty of 16.9%. The mapping of all trees allows partitioning to any landscapes classification and is urgently needed for effective planning and monitoring of restoration activities as well as for optimization of carbon sequestration, biodiversity and economic benefits of trees.
The transmission of pottery technology among prehistoric European hunter-gatherers
Authors: Dolbunova Ekaterina , Lucquin Alexandre , McLaughlin T. Rowan , Bondetti Manon , Courel Blandine , Oras Ester , Piezonka Henny , Robson Harry K. , Talbot Helen , Adamczak Kamil , Andreev Konstantin , Asheichyk Vitali , Charniauski Maxim , Czekaj-Zastawny Agnieszka , Ezepenko Igor , Grechkina Tatjana , Gunnarssone Alise , Gusentsova Tatyana M. , Haskevych Dmytro , Ivanischeva Marina , Kabaciński Jacek , Karmanov Viktor , Kosorukova Natalia , Kostyleva Elena , Kriiska Aivar , Kukawka Stanisław , Lozovskaya Olga , Mazurkevich Andrey , Nedomolkina Nadezhda , Piličiauskas Gytis , Sinitsyna Galina , Skorobogatov Andrey , Smolyaninov Roman V. , Surkov Aleksey , Tkachov Oleg , Tkachova Maryia , Tsybrij Andrey , Tsybrij Viktor , Vybornov Aleksandr A. , Wawrusiewicz Adam , Yudin Aleksandr I. , Meadows John , Heron Carl , Craig Oliver E.
Published: December 2022

Human history has been shaped by global dispersals of technologies, although understanding of what enabled these processes is limited. Here, we explore the behavioural mechanisms that led to the emergence of pottery among hunter-gatherer communities in Europe during the mid-Holocene. Through radiocarbon dating, we propose this dispersal occurred at a far faster rate than previously thought. Chemical characterization of organic residues shows that European hunter-gatherer pottery had a function structured around regional culinary practices rather than environmental factors. Analysis of the forms, decoration and technological choices suggests that knowledge of pottery spread through a process of cultural transmission. We demonstrate a correlation between the physical properties of pots and how they were used, reflecting social traditions inherited by successive generations of hunter-gatherers. Taken together the evidence supports kinship-driven, super-regional communication networks that existed long before other major innovations such as agriculture, writing, urbanism or metallurgy.
Seasonal range fidelity of a megaherbivore in response to environmental change
Authors: Burton-Roberts Rhea , Cordes Line S. , Slotow Rob , Vanak Abi Tamim , Thaker Maria , Govender Navashni , Shannon Graeme
Published: December 2022

For large herbivores living in highly dynamic environments, maintaining range fidelity has the potential to facilitate the exploitation of predictable resources while minimising energy expenditure. We evaluate this expectation by examining how the seasonal range fidelity of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the Kruger National Park, South Africa is affected by spatiotemporal variation in environmental conditions (vegetation quality, temperature, rainfall, and fire). Eight-years of GPS collar data were used to analyse the similarity in seasonal utilisation distributions for thirteen family groups. Elephants exhibited remarkable consistency in their seasonal range fidelity across the study with rainfall emerging as a key driver of space-use. Within years, high range fidelity from summer to autumn and from autumn to winter was driven by increased rainfall and the retention of high-quality vegetation. Across years, sequential autumn seasons demonstrated the lowest levels of range fidelity due to inter-annual variability in the wet to dry season transition, resulting in unpredictable resource availability. Understanding seasonal space use is important for determining the effects of future variability in environmental conditions on elephant populations, particularly when it comes to management interventions. Indeed, over the coming decades climate change is predicted to drive greater variability in rainfall and elevated temperatures in African savanna ecosystems. The impacts of climate change also present particular challenges for elephants living in fragmented or human-transformed habitats where the opportunity for seasonal range shifts are greatly constrained.