bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Naturphänomenologie will betrieben werden
Authors: Ott Konrad
Published: September 2023

Der Artikel geht im Ausgang von der Leibphänomenologie auf deren Schlüsselbegriffe „Erfahrung“ und „Artikulation“ ein. Unter dieser Perspektive werden vier Paradigmata naturphänomenologisch näher betrachtet: a) die Einstellung der Biophilie, die sich eine naturgeschichtliche Mitgift, eine phänomenologische Aufgabe und eine Naturschutzperspektive unterscheidet, b) die Phänomene der gesundheitsförderlichen Wirkungen von Naturkontakten, c) Musterbeispiele deontischer Erfahrungen mit Naturwesen, deren Deutung für die Lösung des Inklusionsproblems relevant ist, und schließlich d) Versuche, Klimawandel in phänomenologische Erfahrung zu bringen. Im Fazit werden Überlegungen zu offenen Fragen und möglichen Konsequenzen angestellt, die sich für ein vertieftes Verständnis der Paradigmata ergeben könnten.
On the range of unsolvable systems induced by complex vector fields
Authors: da Silva A. V.
Published: September 2023

We provide criteria for local unsolvability of first-order differential systems induced by complex vector fields employing techniques from the theory of locally integrable structures. Following Hörmander’s approach to study locally unsolvable equations, we obtain analogous results in the differential complex associated to a locally integrable structure provided that it is not locally exact in three different scenarios: top-degree, Levi-nondegenerate structures and co-rank 1 structures.
What the development of gesture with and without speech can tell us about the effect of language on thought
Authors: Özçalışkan Şeyda , Lucero Ché , Goldin-Meadow Susan
Published: September 2023

Adults display cross-linguistic variability in their speech in how they package and order semantic elements of a motion event. These differences can also be found in speakers’ co-speech gestures (gesturing with speech), but not in their silent gestures (gesturing without speech). Here, we examine when in development children show the differences between co-speech gesture and silent gesture found in adults. We studied speech and gestures produced by 100 children learning English or Turkish (n = 50/language) – equally divided into 5 age-groups: 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, and 11–12 years. Children were asked to describe three-dimensional spatial event scenes (e.g., a figure crawling across carpet) first with speech and then without speech using their hands. We focused on physical motion events that elicit, in adults, cross-linguistic differences in co-speech gesture and cross-linguistic similarities in silent gesture. We found the adult pattern even in the youngest children: (1) Language shaped co-speech gesture beginning at age 3 years, showing an early effect of language on thinking for speaking (as measured by gestures that occur during the speech act). (2) Language did not affect silent gesture at any age, highlighting early limits on the effects language has on thinking and revealing a language of gesture that shows similarities across languages.
Haddis Alemayehu’s Vision of the Old World: Literary Realism and the Tragedy of History in the Amharic NovelFikir iske Mekabir
Authors: Ayele Tesfaye Woubshet
Published: September 2023

Haddis Alemayehu’s classic novelፍቅር እስከ መቃብር(Fikir iske Mekabir,Love until Death, 1958 Ethiopian Calendar, 1965/6 Gregorian Calendar), is lauded by critics as a pioneering realist and modern novel in the Amharic literary tradition. My aim in this article is to scrutinize this take by examining the novel’s narrative temporalities and modes through a dialectical lens. This leads me to argue that the novel’s realism is marked by contradiction and fluidity. Specifically, the emergence of realism inFikir iske Mekabiris accompanied by its breakdown while the realist narrative mode is accompanied by the traditional narrative modes of epic and hagiography (or,gedl).This hitherto unexamined textual and intertextual quality of Haddis’s novel reveals new insights into its thematic content regarding modernity, tradition, and social reproduction under the old Ethiopian order.
Harnessing length and height changes in thermoresponsive programmable materials
Authors: Chalissery Dilip , Rümmler Tobias , Ziervogel Fabian , Eberl Chris , Pretsch Thorsten
Published: September 2023

Shape-memory polymers can be used to develop thermoresponsive programmable materials that can take on sensory and actuator tasks as their ambient temperature changes. In this contribution, a self-synthesised poly(1,10-decylene adipate) diol-based polyester urethane (PEU) was used for their fabrication. After processing the PEU into filaments, programmable materials, including a gear-like object, the teeth of a ‘bevel gear’ and a unit cell, were additively manufactured by fused filament fabrication. In any case, a thermomechanical treatment was conducted that involved the deformation of the polymer at 75°C. After cooling to 15°C, the programmable materials were unloaded and the thermoresponsiveness between 23°C and 58°C was investigated. A maximum thermoreversible change in height of about 39% was detected for the ‘gear’. With regard to the ‘bevel gear’, proof of feasibility was provided for use as overheating protection, so that a force transmission could be switched off when heated and switched on when cooled down. The unit cell actuated under a weak external load of 0.01 N, thus exhibiting thermoreversible length changes of about 45%.
A report on the complete mitochondrial genome of the trematode Azygia robusta Odhner, 1911, its new definitive host from the Russian Far East, and unexpected phylogeny of Azygiidae within Digenea, as inferred from mitogenome sequences
Authors: Atopkin D. M. , Semenchenko A. A. , Solodovnik D. A. , Ivashko Y. I.
Published: September 2023

New data on the complete mitochondrial genome of Azygia robusta (Azygiidae) were obtained by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of A. robusta had a length of 13 857 bp and included 12 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and two non-coding regions. The nucleotide sequences of the complete mitochondrial genomes of two A. robusta specimens differed from each other by 0.12 ± 0.03%. Six of 12 protein-coding genes demonstrated intraspecific variation. The difference between the nucleotide sequences of the complete mitochondrial genomes of A. robusta and Azygia hwangtsiyui was 26.95 ± 0.35%; the interspecific variation of protein-coding genes between A. robusta and A. hwangtsiyui ranged from 20.5 ± 0.9% (cox1) to 30.7 ± 1.2% (nad5). The observed gene arrangement in the mtDNA sequence of A. robusta was identical to that of A. hwangtsiyui. Codon usage and amino acid frequencies were highly similar between A. robusta and A. hwangtsiyui. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on mtDNA protein-coding regions showed that A. robusta is closely related to A. hwangtsiyui (belonging to the same suborder, Azygiida) that formed a distinct early-diverging branch relative to all other Digenea. A preliminary morphological analysis of paratypes of the two azygiid specimens studied showed visible morphological differences between them. The specimen extracted from Sakhalin taimen (Parahucho perryi) was most similar to A. robusta. Thus, we here provide the first record of a new definitive host, P. perryi, for A. robusta and also molecular characteristics of the trematode specimens.
PROBABILITY, PRUDENCE, DANGER: THOMAS AQUINAS ON THE BUILDING OF THE LEXICON OF RISK
Authors: Januard Pierre
Published: September 2023

The Latin terms commonly used to signify “risk” are absent from Thomas Aquinas’s economic writings. Instead, Aquinas offers a lexicon of probability, prudence, and danger. This ternary lexicon brings with it a triple universalization of risk: first, a universalization through activity, including the activity of analysis considered as part of economic activity; second, a universalization through the agents, since everyone—the observer, the co-contractors, the prince, and the population—is affected by the risk; and, third, a partial universalization of its definition, since the lexicon indicates a risk that is not yet restricted by calculation, as the modern notion is, although some distinctions are already made by Aquinas. However, the lexicon describes only a risk of loss and does not take into account chance of gain.
Differenzielle Befunde zur Sprachentwicklung im Jugendalter in ausgewählten diagnostischen Aufgaben des LSI.J Sprachtest-Tablets
Authors: Glück Christian W. , Kessler Ruth , Pino Danielle , Scheithauer Bettina , Wagner Susanne , Krause Carina D.
Published: September 2023

Zusammenfassung: Theoretischer Hintergrund: Da der Bildungserfolg stark von den Sprachkompetenzen abhängt, sind Kenntnisse zur Sprachentwicklung auch im Jugendalter zur Ableitung diagnostischer und unterstützender Strategien bedeutsam. Fragestellung: Die Studie versucht eine differenzielle Einschätzung der Sprachentwicklung mit Blick auf den Schulabschluss und das Alter anhand von Aufgabenstellungen aus der klinischen Diagnostik. Methode: In einer Stichprobe Jugendlicher ( N = 147, deutschsprachig, ohne bekannte Sprachstörung, Alter 17 – 22 Jahre, verschiedene Schularten) wurden Tests zum dichotischen Hören, Schnellbenennen, Sätze-Verstehen und Verstehen figurativer Sprache des Leipziger Sprachinstrumentariums Jugend (LSI.J) vorgelegt 1 . Ergebnisse: Regressionsmodelle zeigen einen starken Einfluss des Prädiktors Schulabschluss – nicht jedoch des Prädiktors Alter. Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung: Diskutiert werden die Anforderungen der diagnostischen Aufgaben, der Einfluss des Bildungskontexts und die Bildungschancen von mehrsprachigen Jugendlichen oder Jugendlichen mit Sprachentwicklungsstörungen.
Greenland Was Much Greener 416,000 Years Ago
Authors: Morris Bill
Published: September 2023

A fresh analysis of a historic ice core has revealed evidence of a much smaller ice cap.
Statistical Study of the Nonthermal Continuum Radiation Beaming Angle Measured by the High Frequency Receiver on Van Allen Probes‐A
Authors: Boardsen S. A. , Kim E.‐H. , Green J. L. , Cheng C. Z. , Cairns I. H. , Johnson J. R.
Published: September 2023

The nonthermal continuum (NTC) radiation beaming angle is computed over the entire Van Allen Probes‐A mission when the spacecraft was in the dawn sector. The conditions in the dawn sector are favorable for the wave vector to lie near/in the spacecraft's spin plane allowing a favorable estimate of the beaming angle, and the dawn sector is also advantageous in that previous studies show NTC occurrence to peak in this sector. We found that scatter plots, over the entire mission, of beaming angle versus magnetic latitude form a distinct inverted‐V pattern, with the apex at/near the magnetic equator. This pattern was sharpest for frequencies (f) ≲ 100 kHz. Using the NTC beaming formula from the linear mode conversion theory (LMCT), we show that such an inverted‐V pattern is expected due to the large variation in the plasmapause location over the entire mission. The theoretical derived pattern qualitatively reproduces the observed pattern but not quantitatively. The lack of quantitative agreement is discussed and is attributed to several factors, one factor is off‐centered emissions from the radio window. The qualitative agreement strongly supports LMCT as being the dominant mechanism generating NTC for f ≲ 100 kHz. For f ≳ 100 kHz, the inverted‐V pattern becomes less distinct, and strong near‐equatorial beaming is observed. After considering contamination of our selections by left‐handed polarized AKR, our study suggests that besides LMCT another unidentified NTC generation mechanism becomes important for f ≳ 100 kHz.
Radio Occultation Data Analysis With Analytical Ray‐Tracing
Authors: Caruso A. , Bourgoin A. , Togni A. , Zannoni M. , Tortora P.
Published: September 2023

Radio occultation experiments are a sensing technique dedicated to the remote sounding of planetary atmospheres. The technique exploits the frequency shift of a radio signal due to refraction in a planetary atmosphere. The aim is to infer the physical properties of the neutral atmosphere (e.g., pressure and temperature) and ionosphere (e.g., the electron number density). For one‐way occultations, the data processing usually relies on Abel transform algorithms when the atmosphere is spherically symmetric. For two‐way occultations, such techniques require the introduction of approximate relationships for the bending experienced by the signal to be obtained. In this context, we introduce a new method to process two‐way occultations data by spherically symmetric atmospheres using a ray‐tracing approach. However, the numerical integration of the geometrical optics equation through the atmosphere requires a significant computational time due to initial pointing issues. For this reason, our novel algorithm exploits a closed‐form solution to the equations of geometrical optics (Bourgoin et al., A&A, 624, A41, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834962) applied to a spherically symmetric atmosphere. Within this approach, the bending is directly provided by the analytical solution and no numerical integration is required. In addition, we develop a procedure enabling us to disentangle the contributions from dispersive and neutral media in the frequency shift. This procedure is validated by comparing our vertical profiles to those obtained using Abel inversion or numerical ray‐tracing for Mars and Titan occultation experiments. We show that our algorithm provides similar results to purely numerical ray‐tracing algorithms while significantly decreasing the computational time.
A new era of macrophage-based cell therapy
Authors: Na Yi Rang , Kim Sang Wha , Seok Seung Hyeok
Published: September 2023

Macrophages are essential innate immune cells found throughout the body that have protective and pathogenic functions in many diseases. When activated, macrophages can mediate the phagocytosis of dangerous cells or materials and participate in effective tissue regeneration by providing growth factors and anti-inflammatory molecules. Ex vivo-generated macrophages have thus been used in clinical trials as cell-based therapies, and based on their intrinsic characteristics, they outperformed stem cells within specific target diseases. In addition to the old methods of generating naïve or M2 primed macrophages, the recently developed chimeric antigen receptor-macrophages revealed the potential of genetically engineered macrophages for cell therapy. Here, we review the current developmental status of macrophage-based cell therapy. The findings of important clinical and preclinical trials are updated, and patent status is investigated. Additionally, we discuss the limitations and future directions of macrophage-based cell therapy, which will help broaden the potential utility and clinical applications of macrophages.
IGF2BP3 promotes the progression of colorectal cancer and mediates cetuximab resistance by stabilizing EGFR mRNA in an m6A-dependent manner
Authors: Chen Li-Jie , Liu Hui-Ye , Xiao Zhi-Yuan , Qiu Ting , Zhang Dan , Zhang Ling-Jie , Han Fang-Yi , Chen Guo-Jun , Xu Xue-Mei , Zhu Jiong-Hua , Ding Yan-Qing , Wang Shu-Yang , Ye Ya-Ping , Jiao Hong-Li
Published: September 2023

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3), an RNA-binding protein, is associated with tumorigenesis and progression. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of IGF2BP3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) oncogenesis, progression, and drug resistance remain unclear. This study found that IGF2BP3 was upregulated in CRC tissues. Clinically, the elevated IGF2BP3 level is predictive of a poor prognosis. Functionally, IGF2BP3 enhances CRC tumorigenesis and progression both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, IGF2BP3 promotes epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA stability and translation and further activates the EGFR pathway by serving as a reader in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-dependent manner by cooperating with METTL14. Furthermore, IGF2BP3 increases the drug resistance of CRC cells to the EGFR-targeted antibody cetuximab. Taken together, our results demonstrated that IGF2BP3 was a functional and clinical oncogene of CRC. Targeting IGF2BP3 and m6A modification may therefore offer rational therapeutic targets for patients with CRC.
Removal of false positives in metagenomics-based taxonomy profiling via targeting Type IIB restriction sites
Authors: Sun Zheng , Liu Jiang , Zhang Meng , Wang Tong , Huang Shi , Weiss Scott T. , Liu Yang-Yu
Published: September 2023

Accurate species identification and abundance estimation are critical for the interpretation of whole metagenome sequencing (WMS) data. Yet, existing metagenomic profilers suffer from false-positive identifications, which can account for more than 90% of total identified species. Here, by leveraging species-specific Type IIB restriction endonuclease digestion sites as reference instead of universal markers or whole microbial genomes, we present a metagenomic profiler, MAP2B (MetAgenomic Profiler based on type IIB restriction sites), to resolve those issues. We first illustrate the pitfalls of using relative abundance as the only feature in determining false positives. We then propose a feature set to distinguish false positives from true positives, and using simulated metagenomes from CAMI2, we establish a false-positive recognition model. By benchmarking the performance in metagenomic profiling using a simulation dataset with varying sequencing depth and species richness, we illustrate the superior performance of MAP2B over existing metagenomic profilers in species identification. We further test the performance of MAP2B using real WMS data from an ATCC mock community, confirming its superior precision against sequencing depth. Finally, by leveraging WMS data from an IBD cohort, we demonstrate the taxonomic features generated by MAP2B can better discriminate IBD and predict metabolomic profiles.
Anomalous isotope effect on mechanical properties of single atomic layer Boron Nitride
Authors: Falin Alexey , Lv Haifeng , Janzen Eli , Edgar James H. , Zhang Rui , Qian Dong , Sheu Hwo-Shuenn , Cai Qiran , Gan Wei , Wu Xiaojun , Santos Elton J. G. , Li Lu Hua
Published: September 2023

The ideal mechanical properties and behaviors of materials without the influence of defects are of great fundamental and engineering significance but considered inaccessible. Here, we use single-atom-thin isotopically pure hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) to demonstrate that two-dimensional (2D) materials offer us close-to ideal experimental platforms to study intrinsic mechanical phenomena. The highly delicate isotope effect on the mechanical properties of monolayer hBN is directly measured by indentation: lighter 10B gives rise to higher elasticity and strength than heavier 11B. This anomalous isotope effect establishes that the intrinsic mechanical properties without the effect of defects could be measured, and the so-called ultrafine and normally neglected isotopic perturbation in nuclear charge distribution sometimes plays a more critical role than the isotopic mass effect in the mechanical and other physical properties of materials.
Resilient conductive membrane synthesized by in-situ polymerisation for wearable non-invasive electronics on moving appendages of cyborg insect
Authors: Lin Qifeng , Li Rui , Zhang Feilong , Kai Kazuki , Ong Zong Chen , Chen Xiaodong , Sato Hirotaka
Published: September 2023

By leveraging their high mobility and small size, insects have been combined with microcontrollers to build up cyborg insects for various practical applications. Unfortunately, all current cyborg insects rely on implanted electrodes to control their movement, which causes irreversible damage to their organs and muscles. Here, we develop a non-invasive method for cyborg insects to address above issues, using a conformal electrode with an in-situ polymerized ion-conducting layer and an electron-conducting layer. The neural and locomotion responses to the electrical inductions verify the efficient communication between insects and controllers by the non-invasive method. The precise “S” line following of the cyborg insect further demonstrates its potential in practical navigation. The conformal non-invasive electrodes keep the intactness of the insects while controlling their motion. With the antennae, important olfactory organs of insects preserved, the cyborg insect, in the future, may be endowed with abilities to detect the surrounding environment.
Approach for quick exploration of highly effective broad-spectrum biocontrol strains based on PO8 protein inhibition
Authors: Gu Mei , Fu Jiayun , Yan Honglin , Yue Xiaofeng , Zhao Shancang , Zhang Qi , Li Peiwu
Published: September 2023

Aflatoxin is a group of strongly toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus and other Aspergillus species, which caused food contamination and food loss problems widely across the world especially in developing countries, thus threatening human health and sustainable development. So, it is important to develop new, green, and broad-spectrum biocontrol technology for the prevention of aflatoxin contamination sources. Previously, we found that the PO8 protein from aflatoxigenic A. flavus could be used as a biomarker to predict aflatoxin production in peanuts (so the PO8 is named as an early warning molecule), which infers that the PO8 is relative to aflatoxin production. Therefore, in the study, based on inhibiting the PO8, a new and quick strategy for screening aflatoxin biocontrol strains for developing control agents was presented. With the PO8 inhibition method, four biocontrol strains (2 strains were isolated from peanut kernels with sterilized surface and another 2 strains from peanut rhizosphere soil) were selected and combined to increase prevention wide-spectrum. As a result, the combination showed over 90% inhibition to all tested aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolated from three different peanut production areas (north, middle, and south areas of China), and better than any single strain. The field experiments located in five provinces of China showed that the practice prevention effects (inhibition of aflatoxigenic fungi on the surface of the peanuts) were from 50% to over 80%. The results indicated that the strategy of inhibiting the early warning molecule PO8 can be used to develop aflatoxin control agents well.
Applying federated learning to combat food fraud in food supply chains
Authors: Gavai Anand , Bouzembrak Yamine , Mu Wenjuan , Martin Frank , Kaliyaperumal Rajaram , van Soest Johan , Choudhury Ananya , Heringa Jaap , Dekker Andre , Marvin Hans J. P.
Published: September 2023

Ensuring safe and healthy food is a big challenge due to the complexity of food supply chains and their vulnerability to many internal and external factors, including food fraud. Recent research has shown that Artificial Intelligence (AI) based algorithms, in particularly data driven Bayesian Network (BN) models, are very suitable as a tool to predict future food fraud and hence allowing food producers to take proper actions to avoid that such problems occur. Such models become even more powerful when data can be used from all actors in the supply chain, but data sharing is hampered by different interests, data security and data privacy. Federated learning (FL) may circumvent these issues as demonstrated in various areas of the life sciences. In this research, we demonstrate the potential of the FL technology for food fraud using a data driven BN, integrating data from different data owners without the data leaving the database of the data owners. To this end, a framework was constructed consisting of three geographically different data stations hosting different datasets on food fraud. Using this framework, a BN algorithm was implemented that was trained on the data of different data stations while the data remained at its physical location abiding by privacy principles. We demonstrated the applicability of the federated BN in food fraud and anticipate that such framework may support stakeholders in the food supply chain for better decision-making regarding food fraud control while still preserving the privacy and confidentiality nature of these data.
Identifying a causal link between prolactin signaling pathways and COVID-19 vaccine-induced menstrual changes
Authors: Hajjo Rima , Momani Ensaf , Sabbah Dima A. , Baker Nancy , Tropsha Alexander
Published: September 2023

COVID-19 vaccines have been instrumental tools in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 helping to reduce disease severity and mortality. At the same time, just like any other therapeutic, COVID-19 vaccines were associated with adverse events. Women have reported menstrual cycle irregularity after receiving COVID-19 vaccines, and this led to renewed fears concerning COVID-19 vaccines and their effects on fertility. Herein we devised an informatics workflow to explore the causal drivers of menstrual cycle irregularity in response to vaccination with mRNA COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2. Our methods relied on gene expression analysis in response to vaccination, followed by network biology analysis to derive testable hypotheses regarding the causal links between BNT162b2 and menstrual cycle irregularity. Five high-confidence transcription factors were identified as causal drivers of BNT162b2-induced menstrual irregularity, namely: IRF1, STAT1, RelA (p65 NF-kB subunit), STAT2 and IRF3. Furthermore, some biomarkers of menstrual irregularity, including TNF, IL6R, IL6ST, LIF, BIRC3, FGF2, ARHGDIB, RPS3, RHOU, MIF, were identified as topological genes and predicted as causal drivers of menstrual irregularity. Our network-based mechanism reconstruction results indicated that BNT162b2 exerted biological effects similar to those resulting from prolactin signaling. However, these effects were short-lived and didn’t raise concerns about long-term infertility issues. This approach can be applied to interrogate the functional links between drugs/vaccines and other side effects.
The effects of gas flaring as moderated by government quality in leading natural gas flaring economies
Authors: Alola Andrew Adewale , Onifade Stephen Taiwo , Magazzino Cosimo , Obekpa Hephzibah Onyeje
Published: September 2023

This study seeks to address pertinent economic and environmental issues associated with natural gas flaring, especially for the world's leading natural gas flaring economies (i.e. Russia, Iraq, Iran, the United States, Algeria, Venezuela, and Nigeria). By applying relevant empirical panel and country-specific approaches, the study found that fuel energy export positively impacts economic growth with elasticity of ~ 0.22 to ~ 0.24 for the panel examination. It is further revealed that environmental quality in the panel is hampered by increase in economic growth, gas flaring, fuel energy export, and urbanization. Moreover, for the country-wise inference, government quality desirably moderates economic and environmental aspects of gas flaring in Venezuela and Nigeria, and in Russia and Iran respectively. However, government quality moderates gas flaring to cause economic downturn in the USA. Additionally, economic growth increased with increase in urbanisation (in Iraq and the USA), gas flaring (in Iran and the USA), government quality (only in the USA), and fuel energy export (only in Algeria) while economic growth downturn is due to increase urbanisation in Russia and the USA, increase in fuel energy export in the USA, and increase in government quality in Russia. Meanwhile, environmental quality is worsened through intense carbon dioxide emission from increased urbanisation activity (in Iraq, Iran, Algeria, and Nigeria), increased fuel energy export (in Nigeria), increased natural gas flaring (in Algeria and Nigeria), increased GDP (in Russia, Iran, USA, Algeria, and Venezuela), and high government quality (in Iran). Interestingly, the result revealed that increase in GDP (in Nigeria), increase in urbanisation (in the USA), and increase in gas flaring (in Algeria and Nigeria) dampens environmental quality. Importantly, this study offers policy insight into sustainable approaches in natural gas production, government effectiveness, and regulatory quality.
Long-term behavioral adaptation of Oldowan toolmakers to resource-constrained environments at 2.3 Ma in the Lower Omo Valley (Ethiopia)
Authors: Delagnes Anne , Galland Aline , Gravina Brad , Bertran Pascal , Corbé Marion , Brenet Michel , Hailu Haregwin Belete , Sissay Fikeru Mekonenn , Araya Bisrat Gebreegziabher , Woldetsadik Misganaw Gebremichael , Boisserie Jean-Renaud
Published: September 2023

The long stratigraphic sequence of the Shungura Formation in the Lower Omo Valley documents 3 million years (Ma) of hominin evolution, which, when combined with detailed paleo-depositional environmental data, opens new perspectives for understanding the complex interactions between hominin landscape use and the development of stone tool-mediated activities. Stone tool assemblages produced by Paranthropus aethiopicus and/or a species of early Homo from ~ 2.3 Ma, reflect their ability to deal with the raw material scarce environment of the Lower Omo Valley. It remains to be seen whether this activity can be related to a single, brief occupation event or the expression of an emergent new adaptation. Here we report on the newly investigated site complex of OMO 79, which produced the first evidence for multiple phases of hominin tool-making and use in the Shungura Formation. The development of this long-lasting techno-economic behavior marks a cognitive tipping point around 2.3 Ma in the Lower Omo Valley, evidenced by the adaptability of the early hominins to resource-constrained environments.
Proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of myectomy tissue reveals difference between sarcomeric and genotype-negative hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Garmany Ramin , Bos J. Martijn , Dasari Surendra , Johnson Kenneth L. , Tester David J. , Giudicessi John R. , dos Remedios Cristobal , Maleszewski Joseph J. , Ommen Steve R. , Dearani Joseph A. , Ackerman Michael J.
Published: September 2023

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetically heterogenous condition with about half of cases remaining genetically elusive or non-genetic in origin. HCM patients with a positive genetic test (HCMSarc) present earlier and with more severe disease than those with a negative genetic test (HCMNeg). We hypothesized these differences may be due to and/or reflect proteomic and phosphoproteomic differences between the two groups. TMT-labeled mass spectrometry was performed on 15 HCMSarc, 8 HCMNeg, and 7 control samples. There were 243 proteins differentially expressed and 257 proteins differentially phosphorylated between HCMSarc and HCMNeg. About 90% of pathways altered between genotypes were in disease-related pathways and HCMSarc showed enhanced proteomic and phosphoproteomic alterations in these pathways. Thus, we show HCMSarc has enhanced proteomic and phosphoproteomic dysregulation observed which may contribute to the more severe disease phenotype.
Extracting and visualizing hidden activations and computational graphs of PyTorch models with TorchLens
Authors: Taylor JohnMark , Kriegeskorte Nikolaus
Published: September 2023

Deep neural network models (DNNs) are essential to modern AI and provide powerful models of information processing in biological neural networks. Researchers in both neuroscience and engineering are pursuing a better understanding of the internal representations and operations that undergird the successes and failures of DNNs. Neuroscientists additionally evaluate DNNs as models of brain computation by comparing their internal representations to those found in brains. It is therefore essential to have a method to easily and exhaustively extract and characterize the results of the internal operations of any DNN. Many models are implemented in PyTorch, the leading framework for building DNN models. Here we introduce TorchLens, a new open-source Python package for extracting and characterizing hidden-layer activations in PyTorch models. Uniquely among existing approaches to this problem, TorchLens has the following features: (1) it exhaustively extracts the results of all intermediate operations, not just those associated with PyTorch module objects, yielding a full record of every step in the model's computational graph, (2) it provides an intuitive visualization of the model's complete computational graph along with metadata about each computational step in a model's forward pass for further analysis, (3) it contains a built-in validation procedure to algorithmically verify the accuracy of all saved hidden-layer activations, and (4) the approach it uses can be automatically applied to any PyTorch model with no modifications, including models with conditional (if–then) logic in their forward pass, recurrent models, branching models where layer outputs are fed into multiple subsequent layers in parallel, and models with internally generated tensors (e.g., injections of noise). Furthermore, using TorchLens requires minimal additional code, making it easy to incorporate into existing pipelines for model development and analysis, and useful as a pedagogical aid when teaching deep learning concepts. We hope this contribution will help researchers in AI and neuroscience understand the internal representations of DNNs.
Generative design of large-scale fluid flow structures via steady-state diffusion-based dehomogenization
Authors: Hankins Sarah N. , Zhou Yuqing , Lohan Danny J. , Dede Ercan M.
Published: September 2023

A computationally efficient dehomogenization technique was developed based on a bioinspired diffusion-based pattern generation algorithm to convert an orientation field into explicit large-scale fluid flow channel structures. Due to the transient nature of diffusion and reaction, most diffusion-based pattern generation models were solved in both time and space. In this work, we remove the temporal dependency and directly solve a steady-state equation. The steady-state Swift-Hohenberg model was selected due to its simplistic form as a single variable equation and intuitive parameter setting for pattern geometry control. Through comparison studies, we demonstrated that the steady-state model can produce statistically equivalent solutions to the transient model with potential computational speedup. This work marks an early foray into the use of steady-state pattern generation models for rapid dehomogenization in multiphysics engineering design applications. To highlight the benefits of this approach, the steady-state model was used to dehomogenize optimized orientation fields for the design of microreactor flow structures involving hundreds of microchannels in combination with a porous gas diffusion layer. A homogenization-based multi-objective optimization routine was used to produce a multi-objective Pareto set that explored the trade-offs between flow resistance and reactant distribution variability. In total, the diffusion-based dehomogenization method enabled the generation of 200 unique and distinctly different microreactor flow channel designs. The proposed dehomogenization approach permits comprehensive exploration of numerous bioinspired solutions capturing the full complexity of the optimization and Swift-Hohenberg design space.
Health related quality of life in anti interferon γ autoantibody associated immunodeficiency syndrome measured with EQ5D5L and SF36
Authors: Temsangsukmanee Jirat , Laisuan Wannada , Thadanipon Kunlawat , Pisitkun Prapaporn , Ngamjanyaporn Pintip , Suangtamai Thanitta , Oncham Supa , Chantharit Prawat , Rotjanapan Porpon
Published: September 2023

The anti-IFN-γ disease is a rare condition characterized by recurrent and persistent infections, potentially impacting the quality of life (QoL). However, comprehensive data on QoL in this population are lacking. This study aims to evaluate the QoL of Anti-IFN-γ patients compared to healthy control and explore potential differences in QoL between patients in the active and remission stages. A cross-sectional study design was conducted, recruiting 38 Anti-IFN-γ patients and 38 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. QoL assessment utilized the 5-level EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D-5L) and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The Anti-IFN-γ group had a mean age of 57.37 (± 10.32) years, with females comprising 60.53%. Among the Anti-IFN-γ patients, 55.26% were classified as having active disease. 63% of Anti-IFN-γ patients received Immunosuppressive treatments. Anti-IFN-γ disease exhibited a significant negative impact on HRQoL, as evidenced by lower utility scores in EQ-5D-5L and lower physical and mental component scores in SF-36 across various domains, including physical function, role physical, general health, bodily pain, social functioning, role emotion and mental health, compared to healthy controls. Additionally, patients in the active disease displayed lower scores in multiple domains, including bodily pain, general health, role emotion and mental health, and a lower utility score in EQ-5D-5L compared to patients in remission. The anti-IFN-γ disease significantly impairs the HRQoL of affected individuals compared to healthy controls. However, effective treatment leading to remission holds promise for improving the HRQoL of patients with Anti-IFN-γ disease.
The transcription factor NRF1 (NFE2L1) activates aggrephagy by inducing p62 and GABARAPL1 after proteasome inhibition to maintain proteostasis
Authors: Hatanaka Atsushi , Nakada Sota , Matsumoto Gen , Satoh Katsuya , Aketa Iori , Watanabe Akira , Hirakawa Tomoaki , Tsujita Tadayuki , Waku Tsuyoshi , Kobayashi Akira
Published: September 2023

The ubiquitin‒proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy are the two primary cellular pathways of misfolded or damaged protein degradation that maintain cellular proteostasis. When the proteasome is dysfunctional, cells compensate for impaired protein clearance by activating aggrephagy, a type of selective autophagy, to eliminate ubiquitinated protein aggregates; however, the molecular mechanisms by which impaired proteasome function activates aggrephagy remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that activation of aggrephagy is transcriptionally induced by the transcription factor NRF1 (NFE2L1) in response to proteasome dysfunction. Although NRF1 has been previously shown to induce the expression of proteasome genes after proteasome inhibition (i.e., the proteasome bounce-back response), our genome-wide transcriptome analyses identified autophagy-related p62/SQSTM1 and GABARAPL1 as genes directly targeted by NRF1. Intriguingly, NRF1 was also found to be indispensable for the formation of p62-positive puncta and their colocalization with ULK1 and TBK1, which play roles in p62 activation via phosphorylation. Consistently, NRF1 knockdown substantially reduced the phosphorylation rate of Ser403 in p62. Finally, NRF1 selectively upregulated the expression of GABARAPL1, an ATG8 family gene, to induce the clearance of ubiquitinated proteins. Our findings highlight the discovery of an activation mechanism underlying NRF1-mediated aggrephagy through gene regulation when proteasome activity is impaired.
Study on spatiotemporal distribution characteristics and driving factors of carbon emission in Anhui Province
Authors: Xu Jing
Published: September 2023

Carbon emission is related to global ecological security, and economic development inevitably leads to an increase in carbon emission. In recent years, as a rapidly developing province in China's economy, Anhui Province has experienced significant differences in the spatiotemporal distribution of carbon emission in different regions due to differences in development foundation, urbanization level, population size, industrial structure, etc., providing representative empirical cases for research. Based on the carbon emission data of Anhui Province before the COVID-19, this study used exploratory spatial data analysis method and Geodetector to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and drivers of carbon emission in Anhui Province. The study found that (1) the spatial differentiation and spatial correlation of carbon emission in Anhui Province are significant, At the beginning, it shows the characteristics of "high north and low south" and "high west and low east", and then the "core–edge" structure of carbon emission becomes obvious. Carbon emission hotspot areas increase and then decrease, mainly in Hefei, Fuyang and Chuzhou City, etc. The coldspot areas are mainly located in the southern and western mountainous areas, and the degree of aggregation is decreasing year by year. (3) The level of urbanization, economic development and population size are the main driving factors of the spatial variation of carbon emissions, while the industrial structure has the least influence. And most factors produce nonlinear enhancement when spatially superimposed with other factors. (4) The high value areas of economic development, population density, secondary industry structure, and energy intensity are all at high levels of carbon emission, and a combination of factors leads to the creation of high risk areas for carbon emission. The study provides a basis for reducing carbon emission in the next stage of Anhui Province, focusing on key carbon emission areas, and sustainable development.
TNFα induces matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression in monocytic cells through ACSL1/JNK/ERK/NF-kB signaling pathways
Authors: Al-Roub Areej , Akhter Nadeem , Al-Rashed Fatema , Wilson Ajit , Alzaid Fawaz , Al-Mulla Fahd , Sindhu Sardar , Ahmad Rasheed
Published: September 2023

Studies have established the association between increased plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and adipose tissue inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) was elevated in obesity and is involved in the induction of MMP-9 in monocytic cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanism was incompletely understood. As per our recent report, TNFα mediates inflammatory responses through long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1). Therefore, we further investigated the role of ACSL1 in TNFα-mediated MMP-9 secretion in monocytic cells. THP-1 cells and primary monocytes were used to study MMP-9 expression. mRNA and protein levels of MMP-9 were determined by qRT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. Signaling pathways were studied using Western blotting, inhibitors, and NF-kB/AP1 reporter cells. We found that THP-1 cells and primary human monocytes displayed increased MMP-9 mRNA expression and protein secretion after incubation with TNFα. ACSL1 inhibition using triacsin C significantly reduced the expression of MMP-9 in the THP-1 cells. However, the inhibition of β-oxidation and ceramide biosynthesis did not affect the TNFα-induced MMP-9 production. Using small interfering RNA-mediated ACSL1 knockdown, we further confirmed that TNFα-induced MMP-9 expression/secretion was significantly reduced in ACSL1-deficient cells. TNFα-mediated MMP-9 expression was also significantly reduced by the inhibition of ERK1/ERK2, JNK, and NF-kB. We further observed that TNFα induced phosphorylation of SAPK/JNK (p54/46), ERK1/2 (p44/42 MAPK), and NF-kB p65. ACSL1 inhibition reduced the TNFα-mediated phosphorylation of SAPK/JNK, c-Jun, ERK1/2, and NF-kB. In addition, increased NF-κB/AP-1 activity was inhibited in triacsin C treated cells. Altogether, our findings suggest that ACSL1/JNK/ERK/NF-kB axis plays an important role in the regulation of MMP-9 induced by TNFα in monocytic THP-1 cells.
A molecular analysis of substituted phenylethylamines as potential microtubule targeting agents through in silico methods and in vitro microtubule-polymerization activity
Authors: De Abreu Isadora Rocha , Barkdull Allison , Munoz James R. , Smith Robert P. , Craddock Travis J. A.
Published: September 2023

Natural phenethylamines are trace amine neurotransmitters associated with dopamine transmission and related illnesses such Parkinson’s disease, and addiction. Synthetic phenethylamines can have psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects due to their high affinity with the 5-HT2A receptor. Evidence indicates phenethylamines can directly alter the microtubule cytoskeleton being structurally similar to the microtubule destabilizing agent colchicine, however little work has been done on this interaction. As microtubules provide neuron structure, intracellular transport, and influence synaptic plasticity the interaction of phenethylamines with microtubules is important for understanding the potential harms, or potential pharmaceutical use of phenethylamines. We investigated 110 phenethylamines and their interaction with microtubules. Here we performed molecular docking of these compounds at the colchicine binding site and ranked them via binding energy. The top 10% of phenethylamines were further screened based on pharmacokinetic and physicochemical properties derived from SwissADME and LightBBB. Based on these properties 25B-NBF, 25C-NBF, and DMBMPP were tested in in vitro microtubule polymerization assays showing that they alter microtubule polymerization dynamics in a dose dependent manner. As these compounds can rapidly cross the blood brain barrier and directly affect cytoskeletal dynamics, they have the potential to modulate cytoskeletal based neural plasticity. Further investigations into these mechanisms are warranted.
Single-trial visually evoked potentials predict both individual choice and market outcomes
Authors: Veillette John P. , Heald Shannon L. M. , Wittenbrink Benjamin , Reis Katherine S. , Nusbaum Howard C.
Published: September 2023

A central assumption in the behavioral sciences is that choice behavior generalizes enough across individuals that measurements from a sampled group can predict the behavior of the population. Following from this assumption, the unit of behavioral sampling or measurement for most neuroimaging studies is the individual; however, cognitive neuroscience is increasingly acknowledging a dissociation between neural activity that predicts individual behavior and that which predicts the average or aggregate behavior of the population suggesting a greater importance of individual differences than is typically acknowledged. For instance, past work has demonstrated that some, but not all, of the neural activity observed during value-based decision-making is able to predict not just individual subjects’ choices but also the success of products on large, online marketplaces—even when those two behavioral outcomes deviate from one another—suggesting that some neural component processes of decision-making generalize to aggregate market responses more readily across individuals than others do. While the bulk of such research has highlighted affect-related neural responses (i.e. in the nucleus accumbens) as a better predictor of group-level behavior than frontal cortical activity associated with the integration of more idiosyncratic choice components, more recent evidence has implicated responses in visual cortical regions as strong predictors of group preference. Taken together, these findings suggest a role of neural responses during early perception in reinforcing choice consistency across individuals and raise fundamental scientific questions about the role sensory systems in value-based decision-making processes. We use a multivariate pattern analysis approach to show that single-trial visually evoked electroencephalographic (EEG) activity can predict individual choice throughout the post-stimulus epoch; however, a nominally sparser set of activity predicts the aggregate behavior of the population. These findings support an account in which a subset of the neural activity underlying individual choice processes can scale to predict behavioral consistency across people, even when the choice behavior of the sample does not match the aggregate behavior of the population.