bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clearing up Clouds: Underspecification in Demonstrative Communication
Authors: Harder Rory
Published: September 2023

This paper explains how an assertion may be understood despite there being nothing said or meant by the assertion. That such understanding is possible is revealed by cases of the so-called “felicitous underspecification” of demonstratives: cases where there is understanding of an assertion containing a demonstrative despite the interlocutors not settling on one or another object as the one the speaker is talking about (King 2014a, 2017, 2021). I begin by showing how Stalnaker’s ([1978] 1999) well-known pragmatic principles adequately permit and constrain the felicitous underspecification of demonstratives. I then establish a connection between the satisfaction of Stalnaker’s principles and understanding, and show how that connection sheds further light on the relevant cases. After developing and motivating my proposal, I address some objections to it, then briefly discuss the felicitous underspecification of expressions other than demonstratives alongside contrasting my proposal with a similar one from Bowker (2015, 2019) that concerns definite descriptions.
Idea generation, development and selection: a study of mechanical engineering students’ natural approaches and the impact of hybrid learning blocks
Authors: Lee Jin Woo , Daly Shanna R. , Vadakumcherry Varghese , Rodriguez Gabriella
Published: September 2023

Developing effective design solutions requires successful idea generation, development and selection. Studies have demonstrated that engineering students face challenges in these idea phases and may struggle to implement recommended practices, hindering the potential for an innovative outcome. The first part of the study investigated student practices in idea generation, development and selection through think-aloud experimental sessions and post-session interviews. Data analysis from mechanical engineering students’ sessions, with think-aloud and interview data, revealed that students focused on existing ideas, assumed requirements that constrained their divergence, limited their development of ideas and did not engage much in idea selection. Then, in the second phase of the study, we implemented a learning intervention that leveraged research-based education practices to examine student adoption of recommended practices. After engaging with the learning blocks, students generated unconventional ideas, abstained from requirement assumptions early in ideation, generated a larger quantity of ideas, developed ideas intentionally and used more rigorous idea selection methods. These outcomes demonstrated that a relatively short and targeted intervention can support students in leveraging recommended approaches to idea generation, development and selection.
Falling labour share and anaemic growth in Portugal: A post-Keynesian econometric analysis
Authors: Alcobia João , Barradas Ricardo
Published: September 2023

In recent decades, the labour share has experienced a downward trend in Portugal at the same time as a weaker and anaemic growth pattern. This seems to suggest that the fall in the labour share represents an important constraint on Portuguese economic growth, which is contrary to the orthodox claims around wage restraint policies – namely, that such policies are a necessary condition of improved macroeconomic performance, owing to their positive effects on private investment through higher profits and on net exports through reduced unit labour costs and a corresponding rise in competitiveness. This study assesses the relationship between labour share growth and economic growth by performing a time series econometric analysis focused on Portugal from 1971 to 2021. Findings show that labour share growth has positively impacted on economic growth in Portugal, which is in line with heterodox claims and particularly with post-Keynesian economics on the beneficial effects on private consumption played by the growth of wages. Findings also confirm that the Portuguese economy has followed a wage-led growth regime instead of a profit-led growth regime; that is, a rise in wages increases aggregate demand and, therefore, boosts economic growth because its beneficial effect on private consumption more than compensates for a prejudicial effect on private investment and on net exports. The study points out the urgent need to adopt public policies to support the growth of wages to avoid more decades of dismal growth and a new ‘secular stagnation’ in Portugal.
Nanosecond laser conditioning of multilayer dielectric gratings for picosecond–petawatt laser systems
Authors: Shuai Kun , Zhao Yuanan , Liu Xiaofeng , Lin Xiangkun , Xia Zhilin , Qiu Keqiang , Li Dawei , Gong He , Zhou Yan , Sun Jian , Zhou Li , Jiang Youen , Dai Yaping , Shao Jianda
Published: September 2023

Multilayer dielectric gratings (MLDGs) are crucial for pulse compression in picosecond–petawatt laser systems. Bulged nodular defects, embedded in coating stacks during multilayer deposition, influence the lithographic process and performance of the final MLDG products. In this study, the integration of nanosecond laser conditioning (NLC) into different manufacturing stages of MLDGs was proposed for the first time on multilayer dielectric films (MLDFs) and final grating products to improve laser-induced damage performance. The results suggest that the remaining nodular ejection pits introduced by the two protocols exhibit a high nanosecond laser damage resistance, which remains stable when the irradiated laser fluence is more than twice the nanosecond-laser-induced damage threshold (nanosecond-LIDT) of the unconditioned MLDGs. Furthermore, the picosecond-LIDT of the nodular ejection pit conditioned on the MLDFs was approximately 40% higher than that of the nodular defects, and the loss of the grating structure surrounding the nodular defects was avoided. Therefore, NLC is an effective strategy for improving the laser damage resistance of MLDGs.
Healthcare-associated respiratory viral infections after discontinuing universal masking
Authors: Most Zachary M. , Phillips Bethany , Sebert Michael E.
Published: September 2023

In November 2022, our pediatric hospital replaced the requirement for universal masking of all healthcare personnel and visitors in all clinical buildings with a requirement for masking only during patient encounters. Following this change, we observed an immediate, substantial, and sustained increase in healthcare-associated respiratory viral infections.
The Postal System in Safavid, Afsharid, and Zand Iran
Authors: Floor Willem
Published: September 2023

While the functioning of the postal system in Iran before 1500 and after 1800 has been studied, this article analyzes, based entirely on primary sources, the operation and characteristics of the Iranian postal system between 1500 and 1800 for the very first time. Such a study enables scholars to better understand the functioning of communication between both government officials and private individuals in Safavid, Afshari, and Zand Iran. During this time, there were two types of messengers: express-mounted couriers (chapar) for official business and foot messengers (shaters) for both official and private mail. The designation of qased was rarely used to denote mail foot messengers.
Pharmaceutical Captivity, Epistemological Rupture, and the Business Archive of the British Slave Trade
Authors: Roberts Carolyn
Published: September 2023

The archival record of the transatlantic slave trade poses a methodological challenge to researchers who wish to center the lives of enslaved people in their scholarship. In more recent years, such archival scrutiny has evolved into its own vibrant field of inquiry concerning the politics of the archive. This article contributes to this burgeoning field by studying the pharmaceutical dimensions of the British slave trade and examining the underexplored relationship between captivity and drugs that articulated across the Atlantic world. By performing three different readings of a slave ship drug invoice—as a textual artifact, epistemic argument, and narrative of loss—I argue that the drug invoice stimulates new illness narratives of captive Africans in the historiography of the British slave trade.
Principles and Agents: The British Slave Trade and Its Abolition. By David Richardson. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2022. 384 pp. Illustrations. Hardcover, $38.00. ISBN: 978-0-300-25043-5. Envoys of Abolition: British Naval Officers and the Campaign Against the Slave Trade in West Africa. By Mary Wills. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2019. 256 pp. Illustrations. Paperback, $49.99. ISBN: 978-1-80207-771-1. Humanitarian Governance and the British Antislavery World System. By Maeve Ryan. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2022. 328 pp. Hardcover, $50.00. ISBN: 978-0-300-25139-5
Authors: Mitchell Matthew David
Published: September 2023

The care that David Richardson took, both in titling and in sub-titling his new book on Britain's transatlantic slave trade, is quite evident. This is not just a book on the abolition of Britain's slave trade, with a bit of material on Britain's previous conduct of its slave trade as a more or less unconnected prologue. This is a book about both things—“the British slave trade” and also “its abolition”—and it takes seriously the idea that the way in which the slave trade was ended had everything to do with how it had been conducted. And Richardson's presentation of both things bears out the double meaning of “principles/principals” in the before-the-colon title. The conduct of the slave trade, in his view, largely was an attempt to manage this particular manifestation of the classic “principal-agent” problem. Abolition, similarly, was a matter of principle, but the various sets of agents that carried it out related to that principle in diverse ways. Where Richardson shows these motivations for the political movement that eventually secured the Abolition Act in 1807, Mary Wills does so for the naval officers tasked with interdicting the transatlantic slave trade after that date, and Maeve Ryan does for the often self-interested agents of the Crown whose business was to resettle the Africans on captured slave ships within the bounds of the British Empire.
Underrepresented Outperformers: Female Legislators in the Chinese Congress
Authors: Feng Xinrui , Hou Yue , Liu Mingxing
Published: September 2023

This paper presents the first systematic study of the political behaviour of female members of China's national legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC). Women held 23 per cent of seats in the 12th NPC, yet they sponsored 44 per cent of all legislative bill proposals and more than half of the bills relevant to women's interests. Women sponsored more bills (4.8 bills) than did men (3.1 bills). We propose that there are two mechanisms driving women's outperformance: (i) women are more collaborative than men, and (ii) female leadership encourages female participation. We analyse 2,366 bills and show that women are disproportionately more active than men in all issue areas and are particularly engaged with women's issues. Our findings demonstrate that underrepresented regime outsiders (women) can carve out a space to amplify their voices, outperform insiders and shape policy direction to a certain extent within an authoritarian legislature.
Training Computational Social Science PhD Students for Academic and Non-Academic Careers
Authors: Kesari Aniket , Kim Jae Yeon , Shah Sono , Brown Taylor , Ventura Tiago , Law Tina
Published: September 2023

Social scientists with data science skills increasingly are assuming positions as computational social scientists in academic and non-academic organizations. However, because computational social science (CSS) is still relatively new to the social sciences, it can feel like a hidden curriculum for many PhD students. To support social science PhD students, this article is an accessible guide to CSS training based on previous literature and our collective working experiences in academic, public-, and private-sector organizations. We contend that students should supplement their traditional social science training in research design and domain expertise with CSS training by focusing on three core areas: (1) learning data science skills, (2) building a portfolio that uses data science to answer social science questions, and (3) connecting with computational social scientists. We conclude with practical recommendations for departments and professional associations to better support PhD students.
Predicting neuropsychological late effects in pediatric brain tumor survivors using the Neurological Predictor Scale and the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Rating of Treatment Intensity
Authors: Srsich Alannah R. , McCurdy Mark D. , Fantozzi Peter M. , Hocking Matthew C.
Published: September 2023

Objective:

The Neurological Predictor Scale (NPS) quantifies cumulative exposure to tumor- and treatment-related neurological risks. The Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Rating of Treatment Intensity (PNORTI) measures the intensity of different treatment modalities, but research is needed to establish whether it is associated with late effects. This study evaluated the predictive validity of the NPS and PNORTI for neuropsychological outcomes in pediatric brain tumor survivors.

Method:

A retrospective chart review was completed of pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) (n = 161, Mage = 13.47, SD = 2.80) who were at least 2 years from the end of tumor-directed treatment. Attention, intellectual functioning, perceptual reasoning, processing speed, verbal reasoning, and working memory were analyzed in relation to the NPS and PNORTI.

Results:

NPS scores ranged from 1 to 11 (M = 5.57, SD = 2.27) and PNORTI scores ranged from 1 (n = 101; 62.7%) to 3 (n = 18; 11.2%). When controlling for age, sex, SES factors, and time since treatment, NPS scores significantly predicted intellectual functioning [F(7,149) = 12.86, p < .001, R2 = .38] and processing speed [F(7,84) = 5.28, p < .001, R2 = .31]. PNORTI scores did not significantly predict neuropsychological outcomes.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that the NPS has value in predicting IF and processing speed above-and-beyond demographic variables. The PNORTI was not associated with neuropsychological outcomes. Future research should consider establishing clinical cutoff scores for the NPS to help determine which survivors are most at risk for neuropsychological late effects and warrant additional assessment.
Gain-enhanced triple-band rectifier-integrated antenna for microwave wireless power transmission
Authors: Polaiah Geriki
Published: September 2023

This paper proposes a triple-band fractal slot antenna with enhanced gain operating at frequencies of 2.7, 3.5, and 4.8 GHz for microwave wireless power transmission. The antenna achieved more than 3 dB gain by preserving the symmetrical defected reflector structure behind it at a length of 0.54λ/4, where λ is the wavelength in free space at 2.7 GHz. A 50 Ω micro-strip line coupled at 66 mm length helps feed the triple band slot antenna. The purpose of a triple-band rectifier circuit with an impedance network is to convert the radio frequency (RF) signal into direct current. The measurements reveal that the antenna’s enhanced gain is 8.8 dB, and the rectifier’s highest RF signal to direct current conversion efficiency is 74.3%. For the combined configuration unit of measure, the antenna is assimilated into the rectifier via back-to-back 50 Ω Sub Miniature Version A (SMA) connectors. The highest recorded efficiency of 49.67% was obtained for the rectenna at optimum values of 1 kΩ resistive load and −5 dBm power input. It has been revealed that the rectifier-integrated antenna presented is effective for low-input RF energy capture and power transmission.
Smoking, tobacco dependence, and neurometabolites in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex
Authors: O’Neill Joseph , Diaz Maylen Perez , Alger Jeffry R. , Pochon Jean-Baptiste , Ghahremani Dara , Dean Andrew C. , Tyndale Rachel F. , Petersen Nicole , Marohnic Shane , Karaiskaki Andrea , London Edythe D.
Published: September 2023

Cigarette smoking has a major impact on global health and morbidity, and positron emission tomographic research has provided evidence for reduced inflammation in the human brain associated with cigarette smoking. Given the consequences of inflammatory dysfunction for health, the question of whether cigarette smoking affects neuroinflammation warrants further investigation. The goal of this project therefore was to validate and extend evidence of hypoinflammation related to smoking, and to examine the potential contribution of inflammation to clinical features of smoking. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we measured levels of neurometabolites that are putative neuroinflammatory markers. N-acetyl compounds (N-acetylaspartate + N-acetylaspartylglutamate), glutamate, creatine, choline-compounds (phosphocholine + glycerophosphocholine), and myo-inositol, have all been linked to neuroinflammation, but they have not been examined as such with respect to smoking. We tested whether people who smoke cigarettes have brain levels of these metabolites consistent with decreased neuroinflammation, and whether clinical features of smoking are associated with levels of these metabolites. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex was chosen as the region-of-interest because of previous evidence linking it to smoking and related states. Fifty-four adults who smoked daily maintained overnight smoking abstinence before testing and were compared with 37 nonsmoking participants. Among the smoking participants, we tested for associations of metabolite levels with tobacco dependence, smoking history, craving, and withdrawal. Levels of N-acetyl compounds and glutamate were higher, whereas levels of creatine and choline compounds were lower in the smoking group as compared with the nonsmoking group. In the smoking group, glutamate and creatine levels correlated negatively with tobacco dependence, and creatine correlated negatively with lifetime smoking, but none of the metabolite levels correlated with craving or withdrawal. The findings indicate a link between smoking and a hypoinflammatory state in the brain, specifically in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Smoking may thereby increase vulnerability to infection and brain injury.
ANO7 African-ancestral genomic diversity and advanced prostate cancer
Authors: Jiang Jue , Soh Pamela X. Y. , Mutambirwa Shingai B. A. , Bornman M. S. Riana , Haiman Christopher A. , Hayes Vanessa M. , Jaratlerdsiri Weerachai
Published: September 2023

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a significant health burden for African men, with mortality rates more than double global averages. The prostate specific Anoctamin 7 (ANO7) gene linked with poor patient outcomes has recently been identified as the target for an African-specific protein-truncating PCa-risk allele.

Methods

Here we determined the role of ANO7 in a study of 889 men from southern Africa, leveraging exomic genotyping array PCa case-control data (n = 780, 17 ANO7 alleles) and deep sequenced whole genome data for germline and tumour ANO7 interrogation (n = 109), while providing clinicopathologically matched European-derived sequence data comparative analyses (n = 57). Associated predicted deleterious variants (PDVs) were further assessed for impact using computational protein structure analysis.

Results

Notably rare in European patients, we found the common African PDV p.Ile740Leu (rs74804606) to be associated with PCa risk in our case-control analysis (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, false discovery rate/FDR = 0.03), while sequencing revealed co-occurrence with the recently reported African-specific deleterious risk variant p.Ser914* (rs60985508). Additional findings included a novel protein-truncating African-specific frameshift variant p.Asp789Leu, African-relevant PDVs associated with altered protein structure at Ca2+ binding sites, early-onset PCa associated with PDVs and germline structural variants in Africans (Linear regression models, −6.42 years, 95% CI = −10.68 to −2.16, P-value = 0.003) and ANO7 as an inter-chromosomal PCa-related gene fusion partner in African derived tumours.

Conclusions

Here we provide not only validation for ANO7 as an African-relevant protein-altering PCa-risk locus, but additional evidence for a role of inherited and acquired ANO7 variance in the observed phenotypic heterogeneity and African-ancestral health disparity.
Prognostic signature based on mitochondria quality control proteins for the prediction of lung adenocarcinoma patients survival
Authors: Gorbunova Anna S. , Zamaraev Alexey V. , Yapryntseva Maria A. , Kovaleva Olga V. , Tchevkina Elena M. , Turkina Maria V. , Zhivotovsky Boris , Kopeina Gelina S.
Published: September 2023

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. In recent years, the incidence of lung cancer subtype lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has steadily increased. Mitochondria, as a pivotal site of cell bioenergetics, metabolism, cell signaling, and cell death, are often dysregulated in lung cancer cells. Mitochondria maintenance and integrity depend on mitochondrial quality control proteins (MQCPs). During lung cancer progression, the levels of MQCPs could change and promote cancer cell adaptation to the microenvironment and stresses. Here, univariate and multivariate proportional Cox regression analyses were applied to develop a signature based on the level of MQCPs (dimeric form of BNIP3, DRP1, and SIRT3) in tumorous and non-tumorous samples of 80 patients with LUAD. The MQCP signature could be used to separate the patients with LUAD into high- and low-risk groups. Survival analysis indicated that patients in the high-risk group had dramatically shorter overall survival compared with the low-risk patients. Moreover, a nomogram combining clinicopathologic features and the MQCP signature was constructed and validated to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival of the patients. Thus, this study presents a novel signature based on MQCPs as a reliable prognostic tool to predict overall survival for patients with LUAD.
When less is more: shortening the Lpp protein leads to increased vancomycin resistance in Escherichia coli
Authors: Wykes Hannah , Le Vuong Van Hung , Olivera Catrina , Rakonjac Jasna
Published: September 2023

Vancomycin is a naturally occurring cell-wall-targeting glycopeptide antibiotic. Due to the low potency of this antibiotic against Gram-negative pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, there is a limited knowledge about interactions between vancomycin and this group of bacteria. Here, we show that an in-frame 63 bp deletion of the lpp gene caused a fourfold increase in vancomycin resistance in E. coli. The resulting protein, LppΔ21, is 21 amino acids shorter than the wild-type Lpp, a helical structural lipoprotein that controls the width of the periplasmic space through its length. The mutant remains susceptible to synergistic growth inhibition by combination of furazolidone and vancomycin; with furazolidone decreasing the vancomycin MIC by eightfold. These findings have clinical relevance, given that the vancomycin concentration required to select the lpp mutation is reachable during typical vancomycin oral administration for treating Clostridioides difficile infections. Combination therapy with furazolidone, however, is likely to prevent emergence and outgrowth of the lpp-mutated Gram-negative coliforms, avoiding exacerbation of the patient’s condition during the treatment.
Realizing unipolar and bipolar intrinsic skyrmions in MXenes from high-fidelity first-principles calculations
Authors: Kabiraj Arnab , Mahapatra Santanu
Published: September 2023

Magnetic skyrmions, which are topologically protected tiny spin textures, have emerged as information carriers in energy-efficient logic and memory devices. Skyrmions are commonly realized by inducing large Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) in the interface of heavy metal heterolayers. With the advent of two-dimensional magnetism, it is being envisioned to host intrinsic skyrmions in a monolayer, which will be free from any interfacial defect and stacking order. Here using high-fidelity exchange-correlation functional-based first-principles calculations, we investigate such a possibility in methodically designed non-centrosymmetric MXene structures. From a search space of about 3000 materials, our customized high-throughput computational pipeline systematically harnesses out-of-the-plane and in-plane magnetism along with strong DMI to realize typical ‘unipolar’ skyrmions in 78 materials and exotic ‘bipolar’ skyrmions in 13 materials. Micromagnetic and atomistic Monte Carlo simulations further reveal that skyrmions in some of these materials may be stable at room temperature without any external magnetic field. Our study may pave the way for the practical realization of skyrmions-based information technology.
Local human impacts disrupt depth-dependent zonation of tropical reef fish communities
Authors: Richardson Laura E. , Heenan Adel , Delargy Adam J. , Neubauer Philipp , Lecky Joey , Gove Jamison M. , Green J. A. Mattias , Kindinger Tye L. , Ingeman Kurt E. , Williams Gareth J.
Published: September 2023

The influence of depth and associated gradients in light, nutrients and plankton on the ecological organization of tropical reef communities was first described over six decades ago but remains untested across broad geographies. During this time humans have become the dominant driver of planetary change, requiring that we revisit historic ecological paradigms to ensure they capture the dynamics of contemporary ecological systems. Analysing >5,500 in-water reef fish surveys between 0 and 30 m depth on reef slopes of 35 islands across the Pacific, we assess whether a depth gradient consistently predicts variation in reef fish biomass. We reveal predictable ecological organization at unpopulated locations, with increased biomass of planktivores and piscivores and decreased primary consumer biomass with increasing depth. Bathymetric steepness also had a striking influence on biomass patterns, primarily for planktivores, emphasizing potential links between local hydrodynamics and the upslope propagation of pelagic subsidies to the shallows. However, signals of resource-driven change in fish biomass with depth were altered or lost for populated islands, probably due to depleted fish biomass baselines. While principles of depth zonation broadly held, our findings expose limitations of the paradigm for predicting ecological dynamics where human impacts confound connections between ecological communities and their surrounding environment.
Single-cell lineage capture across genomic modalities with CellTag-multi reveals fate-specific gene regulatory changes
Authors: Jindal Kunal , Adil Mohd Tayyab , Yamaguchi Naoto , Yang Xue , Wang Helen C. , Kamimoto Kenji , Rivera-Gonzalez Guillermo C. , Morris Samantha A.
Published: September 2023

Complex gene regulatory mechanisms underlie differentiation and reprogramming. Contemporary single-cell lineage-tracing (scLT) methods use expressed, heritable DNA barcodes to combine cell lineage readout with single-cell transcriptomics. However, reliance on transcriptional profiling limits adaptation to other single-cell assays. With CellTag-multi, we present an approach that enables direct capture of heritable random barcodes expressed as polyadenylated transcripts, in both single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin using sequencing assays, allowing for independent clonal tracking of transcriptional and epigenomic cell states. We validate CellTag-multi to characterize progenitor cell lineage priming during mouse hematopoiesis. Additionally, in direct reprogramming of fibroblasts to endoderm progenitors, we identify core regulatory programs underlying on-target and off-target fates. Furthermore, we reveal the transcription factor Zfp281 as a regulator of reprogramming outcome, biasing cells toward an off-target mesenchymal fate. Our results establish CellTag-multi as a lineage-tracing method compatible with multiple single-cell modalities and demonstrate its utility in revealing fate-specifying gene regulatory changes across diverse paradigms of differentiation and reprogramming.
Newborn and child-like molecular signatures in older adults stem from TCR shifts across human lifespan
Authors: van de Sandt Carolien E. , Nguyen Thi H. O. , Gherardin Nicholas A. , Crawford Jeremy Chase , Samir Jerome , Minervina Anastasia A. , Pogorelyy Mikhail V. , Rizzetto Simone , Szeto Christopher , Kaur Jasveen , Ranson Nicole , Sonda Sabrina , Harper Alice , Redmond Samuel J. , McQuilten Hayley A. , Menon Tejas , Sant Sneha , Jia Xiaoxiao , Pedrina Kate , Karapanagiotidis Theo , Cain Natalie , Nicholson Suellen , Chen Zhenjun , Lim Ratana , Clemens E. Bridie , Eltahla Auda , La Gruta Nicole L. , Crowe Jane , Lappas Martha , Rossjohn Jamie , Godfrey Dale I. , Thomas Paul G. , Gras Stephanie , Flanagan Katie L. , Luciani Fabio , Kedzierska Katherine
Published: September 2023

CD8+ T cells provide robust antiviral immunity, but how epitope-specific T cells evolve across the human lifespan is unclear. Here we defined CD8+ T cell immunity directed at the prominent influenza epitope HLA-A*02:01-M158–66 (A2/M158) across four age groups at phenotypic, transcriptomic, clonal and functional levels. We identify a linear differentiation trajectory from newborns to children then adults, followed by divergence and a clonal reset in older adults. Gene profiles in older adults closely resemble those of newborns and children, despite being clonally distinct. Only child-derived and adult-derived A2/M158+CD8+ T cells had the potential to differentiate into highly cytotoxic epitope-specific CD8+ T cells, which was linked to highly functional public T cell receptor (TCR)αβ signatures. Suboptimal TCRαβ signatures in older adults led to less proliferation, polyfunctionality, avidity and recognition of peptide mutants, although displayed no signs of exhaustion. These data suggest that priming T cells at different stages of life might greatly affect CD8+ T cell responses toward viral infections.
Selection of cross-reactive T cells by commensal and food-derived yeasts drives cytotoxic TH1 cell responses in Crohn’s disease
Authors: Martini Gabriela Rios , Tikhonova Ekaterina , Rosati Elisa , DeCelie Meghan Bialt , Sievers Laura Katharina , Tran Florian , Lessing Matthias , Bergfeld Arne , Hinz Sophia , Nikolaus Susanna , Kümpers Julia , Matysiak Anna , Hofmann Philipp , Saggau Carina , Schneiders Stephan , Kamps Ann-Kristin , Jacobs Gunnar , Lieb Wolfgang , Maul Jochen , Siegmund Britta , Seegers Barbara , Hinrichsen Holger , Oberg Hans-Heinrich , Wesch Daniela , Bereswill Stefan , Heimesaat Markus M. , Rupp Jan , Kniemeyer Olaf , Brakhage Axel A. , Brunke Sascha , Hube Bernhard , Aden Konrad , Franke Andre , Iliev Iliyan D. , Scheffold Alexander , Schreiber Stefan , Bacher Petra
Published: September 2023

Aberrant CD4+ T cell reactivity against intestinal microorganisms is considered to drive mucosal inflammation in inflammatory bowel diseases. The disease-relevant microbial species and the corresponding microorganism-specific, pathogenic T cell phenotypes remain largely unknown. In the present study, we identified common gut commensal and food-derived yeasts, as direct activators of altered CD4+ T cell reactions in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). Yeast-responsive CD4+ T cells in CD display a cytotoxic T helper cell (TH1 cell) phenotype and show selective expansion of T cell clones that are highly cross-reactive to several commensal, as well as food-derived, fungal species. This indicates cross-reactive T cell selection by repeated encounter with conserved fungal antigens in the context of chronic intestinal disease. Our results highlighted a role of yeasts as drivers of aberrant CD4+ T cell reactivity in patients with CD and suggest that both gut-resident fungal commensals and daily dietary intake of yeasts might contribute to chronic activation of inflammatory CD4+ T cell responses in patients with CD.
Investigating the role of bulking agents in compost maturity
Authors: Zahra Khadija , Farhan Muhammad , Kanwal Amina , Sharif Faiza , Hayyat Muhammad Umar , Shahzad Laila , Ghafoor Gul Zareen
Published: September 2023

Kitchen waste is increasing globally, similarly in Pakistan bulk of municipal solid waste comprises of kitchen waste specifically, tea waste. Composting of kitchen waste is one of the promising ways to convert waste into useful product, resulting into zero waste. This study is aimed to convert waste (kitchen waste) in to a resource (compost) using bulking agents (tea waste and biochar) for reducing maturity time. Secondly, compost application on Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) was also tested. Four compost treatments were designed under aerobic composting conditions for 30 days. Tea waste and biochar have accelerated the maturity rate and produced a nutrient rich compost. Final compost had Electrical Conductivity of 2mS/cm, Carbon Nitrogen ration of 15, 54% of organic matter, 15% of moisture content, 48% of cellulose content, and 28% of Lignin content. With the use of Co-compost the Solanum lycopersicum showed 133% germination index, 100% germination, 235% Munoo-Liisa Vitality Index and 1238% seed vigor index. Co-compost also improved the soil total nitrogen by 1.4%, total phosphorous by 2%, total potassium by 2.1% and bulk density by 2.6 gcm−3. This study successfully used tea waste and biochar as bulking agents to reduce maturation time to 30 days. Tea waste and biochar enhanced the organic matter degradation, lignocellulose degradation, water holding capacity, porosity, seed’s vigor, germination index. This research can be helpful in developing home composting and home gardening to combat solid waste management and food security issue in developing countries.
Isolation and characterization of bacterial cellulose produced from soybean whey and soybean hydrolyzate
Authors: Liu Xin , Cao Liang , Wang Shenao , Huang Li , Zhang Yu , Tian Miaoyi , Li Xuejiao , Zhang Jinyou
Published: September 2023

Soybean whey and soybean hydrolyzate can be used for the biotechnological production of high-value products. Herein, we isolate soybean whey (SW)-and soybean hydrolyzate (SH)-derived bacterial cellulose (BC, produced by kombucha) and characterize it by a range of instrumental techniques to reveal differences in micromorphology, crystallinity, and themal behavior. Studies have shown that the amounts of wet state BC produced from HS, SW and SH was 181 g/L, 47 g/L and 83 g/L, respectively. The instrumental analysis of BC, included SEM, AFM, FT-IR, XRD and TGA. It is shown that the FT-IR spectra of BC have a similar character, but we found differences in the micromorphology,crystallinity and thermal temperature of BC. The minimum average widths of the fibers produced from SH medium was 100 ± 29 nm. The CrI values of BC produced from SH medium was 61.8%. The maximum thermal degradation rate temperature of BC produced from SW medium was 355.73 °C. The combined results demonstrate that soybean industrial waste can be used as a cost-effective raw material for BC production.
Machine learning-based optimal crop selection system in smart agriculture
Authors: Rani Sita , Mishra Amit Kumar , Kataria Aman , Mallik Saurav , Qin Hong
Published: September 2023

The cultivation of most crops depends upon the regional weather conditions. So, the analysis of the agro-climatic conditions of a zone contributes significantly to deciding the right crop for the right land in the right season to obtain a better yield. Machine learning algorithms facilitate this process to a great extent for better results. In this paper, the authors proposed an ML-based crop selection model based on the weather conditions and soil parameters, collectively. Weather analysis is done using LSTM RNN and the process of crop selection is completed using Random Forest Classifier. This model gives better results for weather prediction in comparison to ANN. With LSTM RNN, the RMSE observed in Min. Temp. prediction is 5.023%, Max. Temp. Prediction is 7.28%, and Rainfall Prediction is 8.24%. In the second phase, the Random Forest Classifier showed 97.235% accuracy for crop selection, 96.437% accuracy in predicting resource dependency, and 97.647 accuracies in giving the appropriate sowing time for the crop. The model construction time taken with a random forest classifier using mentioned data size is 5.34 s. The authors also suggested the future research direction to further improve this work.
Zinc nanoparticles ameliorated obesity-induced cardiovascular disease: role of metabolic syndrome and iron overload
Authors: Bashandy Samir A. E. , El-Seidy Ahmed M. A. , Ibrahim Fatma A. A. , Abdelrahman Sahar S. , Abdelmottaleb Moussa Sherif A. , ElBaset Marawan A.
Published: September 2023

Obesity is a complicated disease characterized by abundant fat accumulation. It is associated with cardiovascular disease. The current study aimed to appreciate the role of synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) (18.72 nm in size) in curbing cardiovascular disease in an obesity model of a high fat/sucrose diet in male rats. For 16 weeks, 24 rats were fed a high-fat diet and a 25% sucrose solution to develop obesity, and after that, the rats were randomly allocated into four groups of rats. Group 1 served as the control group and consisted of normal, non-obese rats. Group 2 comprised obese rats that were injected with an equivalent volume of a neutral substance, serving as vehicle control. In Group 3 or 4, obese rats were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of 5 or 10mg/kg of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) for eight weeks. The treatment of obese rats with ZnONPs decreased plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1), resistin, ENA78, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL6), and C reactive protein (CRP). Also, the remediation of obese rats with ZnONPs led to a significant decrease in body mass index (BMI), body weight gain, leptin, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL (Low-density lipoprotein), glucose, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). Moreover, ZnONPs treatment lowered troponin, creatine phosphokinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cardiac or adipose tissue iron content, and malondialdehyde (MDA) either in blood or heart tissue. Otherwise, treating obese rats with ZnONPs enhanced plasma adiponectin levels, cardiac-reduced glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). In addition, ZnONPs displayed a significant influence on the cardiovascular system since they combat the rise in blood pressure and the pathological changes of the heart and aorta besides maintaining plasma nitric oxide levels. The results showed a positive correlation between BMI and MDA, MPC-1, CK-MB, and LDH. ZnONPs are convenient in treating cardiovascular disease in obese rats via reduced blood pressure, oxidative stress, cardiac iron accumulation, insulin resistance, and inflammatory markers.
Fluctuation in the diversity of mayflies (Insecta, Ephemerida) as documented in the fossil record
Authors: Sroka Pavel , Godunko Roman J. , Prokop Jakub
Published: September 2023

Due to their aquatic larvae, the evolution of mayflies is intricately tied to environmental changes affecting lakes and rivers. Despite a rich fossil record, little is known about the factors shaping the pattern of diversification of mayflies in deep time. We assemble an unprecedented dataset encompassing all fossil occurrences of mayflies and perform a Bayesian analysis to identify periods of increased origination or extinction. We provide strong evidence for a major extinction of mayflies in the mid-Cretaceous. This extinction and subsequent faunal turnover were probably connected with the rise of angiosperms. Their dominance caused increased nutrient input and changed the chemistry of the freshwater environments, a trend detrimental mainly to lacustrine insects. Mayflies underwent a habitat shift from hypotrophic lakes to running waters, where most of their diversity has been concentrated from the Late Cretaceous to the present.
Circadian rhythms and diurnal patterns in the feed intake behaviour of growing-finishing pigs
Authors: Bus Jacinta D. , Boumans Iris J. M. M. , Engel Jasper , te Beest Dennis E. , Webb Laura E. , Bokkers Eddie A. M.
Published: September 2023

The feeding behaviour of growing-finishing pigs is an important indicator of performance, health and welfare, but this use is limited by its large, poorly-understood variation. We explored the variation in basal feed intake of individual pigs by detecting circadian rhythms, extracting features of diurnal patterns and assessing consistency over time, from day-to-day and across age. Hourly feed intake data of individual pigs (n = 110) was obtained during one growing-finishing phase, using electronic feeding stations. We applied wavelet analysis to assess rhythms and a hurdle generalised additive model to extract features of diurnal patterns. We found that circadian rhythms could be detected during 58 ± 3% (mean ± standard error) of days in the growing-finishing phase (range 0–100%), predominantly at older ages. Although the group diurnal intake pattern was alternans (small morning peak, larger afternoon peak), individual pigs showed a range of diurnal patterns that changed with age, differing mostly in the extent of night fasting and day-to-day consistency. Our results suggest that the type, day-to-day consistency and age development of diurnal patterns in feed intake show general group patterns but also differ between pigs. Using this knowledge, promising features may be selected to compare against production, health and welfare parameters.
Relevance of structural defects to the mechanism of mechanical deformation in metallic glasses
Authors: Lieou Charles K. C. , Egami Takeshi
Published: September 2023

It is known that deformation in disordered materials such as metallic glasses and supercooled liquids occurs via the cooperative rearrangement of atoms or constituent particles at dynamical heterogeneities, commonly regarded as point-like defects. We show via molecular-dynamics simulations that there is no apparent relationship between atomic rearrangements and the local atomic environment as measured by the atomic-level stresses, kinetic and potential energies, and the per-atom Voronoi volume. In addition, there is only a weak correlation between atomic rearrangements and the largest and smallest eigenvalues of the dynamical matrix. Our results confirm the transient nature of dynamical heterogeneities and suggest that the notion of defects may be less relevant than that of a propensity for rearrangement.
Electronic correlations in epitaxial CrN thin film
Authors: Kalal Shailesh , Nayak Sanjay , Sahoo Sophia , Joshi Rajeev , Choudhary Ram Janay , Rawat Rajeev , Gupta Mukul
Published: September 2023

Chromium nitride (CrN) spurred enormous interest due to its coupled magnetostructural and unique metal-insulator transition. The underneath electronic structure of CrN remains elusive. Herein, the electronic structure of epitaxial CrN thin film has been explored by employing resonant photoemission spectroscopy (RPES) and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy study in combination with the first-principles calculations. The RPES study indicates the presence of a charge-transfer screened 3$$d ^n{\underline{L}}$$

d
n

L
̲

($$L$$
L
: hole in the N-2$$p$$
p
) and 3$$d ^{n-1}$$

d

n
-
1

final-states in the valence band regime. The combined experimental electronic structure along with the orbital resolved electronic density of states from the first-principles calculations reveals the presence of Cr(3$$d$$
d
)-N(2$$p$$
p
) hybridized (3$$d ^n{\underline{L}}$$

d
n

L
̲

) states between lower Hubbard (3$$d ^{n-1}$$

d

n
-
1

) and upper Hubbard (3$$d ^{n+1}$$

d

n
+
1

) bands with onsite Coulomb repulsion energy (U) and charge-transfer energy ($$\Delta$$
Δ
) estimated as $$\approx$$
≈
 4.5 and 3.6 eV, respectively. It verifies the participation of ligand (N-2$$p$$
p
) states in low energy charge fluctuations and provides concrete evidence for the charge-transfer ($$\Delta<$$

Δ
<

U) insulating nature of CrN thin film.
Immunomodulatory effects of nanoparticles on dendritic cells in a model of allergic contact dermatitis: importance of PD-L2 expression
Authors: Wong Lau Angela , Perez Pineda Jessica , DeLouise Lisa A.
Published: September 2023

Nanoparticle (NP) skin exposure is linked to an increased prevalence of allergic contact dermatitis. In our prior studies using the mouse contact hypersensitivity (CHS) model, we reported that silica 20 nm (SiO2) NPs suppressed the allergic response and titanium dioxide NPs doped with manganese (mTiO2) exacerbated it. In this work, we conducted in vitro experiments using bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) to study the combinatorial effect of the potent 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) hapten sensitizer with SiO2 and mTiO2 NPs on BMDC cytotoxicity, cytokine secretion and phenotype using the B7 family ligands. Results show that DNFB and mTiO2 behave similarly and exhibit proinflammatory characteristics while SiO2 promotes a naive phenotype. We observe that the B7-H3 (CD276) ligand is only expressed on CD80 + (B7-1) BMDCs. Results from adoptive transfer CHS studies, combined with BMDC phenotype analysis, point to the importance of PD-L2 expression in modulating the adaptive immune response. This work identifies metrics that can be used to predict the effects of NPs on contact allergy and to guide efforts to engineer cell-based therapies to induce hapten specific immune tolerance.
Comparison of the diagnostic efficacy of mathematical models in distinguishing ultrasound imaging of breast nodules
Authors: Li Lu , Deng Hongyan , Ye Xinhua , Li Yong , Wang Jie
Published: September 2023

This study compared the diagnostic efficiency of benign and malignant breast nodules using ultrasonographic characteristics coupled with several machine-learning models, including logistic regression (Logistics), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), linear support vector machine (Linear SVM), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), artificial neural network (ANN) and random forest (RF). The clinical information and ultrasonographic characteristics of 926 female patients undergoing breast nodule surgery were collected and their relationships were analyzed using Pearson's correlation. The stepwise regression method was used for variable selection and the Monte Carlo cross-validation method was used to randomly divide these nodule cases into training and prediction sets. Our results showed that six independent variables could be used for building models, including age, background echotexture, shape, calcification, resistance index, and axillary lymph node. In the prediction set, Linear SVM had the highest diagnosis rate of benign nodules (0.881), and Logistics, ANN and LDA had the highest diagnosis rate of malignant nodules (0.910~0.912). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of Linear SVM was the highest (0.890), followed by ANN (0.883), LDA (0.880), Logistics (0.878), RF (0.874), PLS-DA (0.866), and KNN (0.855), all of which were better than that of individual variances. On the whole, the diagnostic efficacy of Linear SVM was better than other methods.