bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combinations of approach and avoidance crafting matter: Linking job crafting profiles with proactive personality, autonomy, work engagement, and performance
Authors: Zhang Fangfang , Tims Maria , Parker Sharon K.
Published: August 2024

Traditional variable‐centered job crafting research typically examines individual job crafting behaviors in isolation. This study builds upon existing person‐centered job crafting research, aiming to further validate job crafting profiles based on the job demands‐resources model. By testing profile similarity across different samples and time points, we identify three consistent job crafting profiles: proactive crafters, characterized by a high use of approach crafting and a moderate use of avoidance crafting; active crafters, who exhibit an average level of all job crafting strategies; and reactive crafters, marked by a low use of approach crafting strategies but a relatively high use of avoidance crafting. As theorized, the proactive crafters profile emerged as the most desirable, displaying the highest levels of self‐reported work engagement, task performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. This finding underscores that avoidance crafting becomes less detrimental when used alongside approach crafting. Moreover, our study reveals that proactive personality and job autonomy significantly increase the likelihood of employees being proactive crafters, offering empirical support for the notion that avoidance crafting can be an integral part of a proactive goal when combined with approach crafting.
Are human activities or climate changes the main causes of soil erosion in the South African drylands?: A palaeo‐perspective from three sites in the interior
Authors: Lyons Richard , Tooth Stephen , Duller Geoff A. T. , McCarthy Terence
Published: August 2024

Soil erosion across South Africa's drylands occurs widely in the form of gullies and badlands (locally termed dongas) that have developed in colluvium and in valley fills along incised rivers. This erosion has commonly been attributed to land mismanagement, particularly since European settlement, but natural factors such as soil properties, local base level fall and climate change have also been invoked. To disentangle human and natural factors, we use optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, supported by documentary and archaeological evidence, to constrain the timing and causes of donga formation at three widely spaced sites across interior South Africa. At all three sites, the exposed stratigraphy indicates that hillslopes and floodplains underwent net sediment accumulation during most of the late Quaternary, and that present‐day deep erosion is of a magnitude unprecedented probably within at least the past 100 ka. OSL ages indicate that the onset of erosion at each site significantly pre‐dates European incursion and instead was broadly coincident with abrupt climatic changes that occurred during the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA, ~ad 900–1300) and Little Ice Age (LIA, ~
ad 1300–1800). Based on correlation with palaeoclimate proxy records, we propose that erosion was triggered by abrupt hydroclimatic oscillations during the MCA, and continued during the LIA in response to climate‐driven, large floods. At these sites, soil type and local base level falls exert secondary controls on the specific locations, processes, rates and depths of erosion. In other areas of South Africa, clear links between land mismanagement and soil erosion have been demonstrated, but for sites where detailed investigations have yet to be undertaken, these findings challenge an often default assumption that soil erosion is necessarily attributable to human factors. Our findings have significant implications for soil erosion control strategies and assessment of South African dryland landscape response to future climate changes.
Enhancing the effects of curcumin on oxidative stress injury in brain vascular endothelial cells using lactoferrin peptide nano‐micelles: antioxidant activity and mechanism
Authors: Chen Guipan , Wang Yiyang , Liu Xuebo , Liu Fuguo
Published: August 2024

BACKGROUND

Curcumin is widely known for its antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties, but its mechanism of action in mitigating oxidative stress injury in brain vascular endothelial cells remains unclear. Due to the poor bioavailability of curcumin, it is challenging to achieve effective concentrations at the target sites. Nano‐micelles are known for their ability to improve the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of hydrophobic compounds like curcumin. This study investigated the effects and mechanisms of free curcumin and curcumin embedded in nano‐micelles (M(Cur)) on oxidative stress‐induced injury in bEnd.3 cells.

RESULTS

At a protective concentration of 10 μg mL−1, micellar curcumin was better able to recover the morphology of bEnd.3 cells under oxidative stress while increasing cell viability, restoring mitochondrial membrane electrical potential, and effectively inhibiting reactive oxygen species generation with a positive cell rate of 2.21%. These results indicate that curcumin significantly improves H2O2‐induced oxidative stress damage in endothelial cells by maintaining the cellular antioxidant balance.

CONCLUSION

This study adds to knowledge regarding the role of nano‐micelles in curcumin intervention for endothelial cell oxidative damage and provides insights for the development of curcumin‐based dietary supplements. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Multi‐Photon Super‐Linear Image Scanning Microscopy Using Upconversion Nanoparticles
Authors: Wang Yao , Liu Baolei , Ding Lei , Chen Chaohao , Shan Xuchen , Wang Dajing , Tian Menghan , Song Jiaqi , Zheng Ze , Xu Xiaoxue , Zhong Xiaolan , Wang Fan
Published: August 2024

Super‐resolution fluorescence microscopy is of great interest in life science studies for visualizing subcellular structures at the nanometer scale. Among various kinds of super‐resolution approaches, image scanning microscopy (ISM) offers a doubled resolution enhancement in a simple and straightforward manner, based on the commonly used confocal microscopes. ISM is also suitable to be integrated with multi‐photon microscopy techniques, such as two‐photon excitation and second‐harmonic generation imaging, for deep tissue imaging, but it remains the twofold limited resolution enhancement and requires expensive femtosecond lasers. Here, the super‐linear ISM (SL‐ISM) pushes the resolution enhancement beyond the factor of two is presented and experimentally demonstrated, with a single low‐power, continuous‐wave, and near‐infrared laser, by harnessing the emission nonlinearity within the multiphoton excitation process of lanthanide‐doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). Based on a modified confocal microscope, a resolution of ≈120 nm, 1/8th of the excitation wavelength is achieved. Furthermore, a parallel detection strategy of SL‐ISM with the multifocal structured excitation pattern is demonstrated, to speed up the acquisition frame rate. This method suggests a new perspective for super‐resolution imaging or sensing, multi‐photon imaging, and deep‐tissue imaging with simple, low‐cost, and straightforward implementations.
Distributed order hantavirus model and its nonstandard discretizations and stability analysis
Authors: Kocabiyik Mehmet , Ongun Mevlüde Yakit
Published: August 2024

It is crucial to understand the effects of deadly viruses on humans in advance. One such virus is the infectious hantavirus. Since the effects of viruses vary under different conditions, this study models the virus using distributed order differential equations. Because distributed order differential equations effectively capture variable effects in different conditions through the incorporated density function, this study aims to achieve a solution via the discretization method after presenting the equation system. A nonstandard finite difference scheme (NSFD) is used for the discretization. Then the stability analysis of the discretized system is investigated.
Dizziness and Imbalance Across the Lifespan: Findings of a Pediatric and Adult Vestibular Clinic
Authors: Ferreira Alana L. , Windsor Alanna M. , Hwa Tiffany P. , Wang Stephanie Y. , Field Erin W. , Ruckenstein Michael J. , O'Reilly Robert C.
Published: August 2024

Objective

To evaluate diagnostic trends in pediatric and adult patients presenting for multidisciplinary subspecialty evaluation of dizziness and imbalance across the lifespan.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review.

Setting

Single pediatric and single adult academic tertiary care hospital.

Methods

Retrospective review of electronic health record for patients presenting to an adult or pediatric multidisciplinary vestibular clinic from 2017 to 2020, including clinical data, physical therapy evaluation, and audiovestibular testing.

Results

A total of 1934 patients aged 1 to 95 were evaluated. Most patients were female (n = 1188, 61%); the largest cohort was in the fifth decade of life (n = 321, 17%). Seventy‐six percent of patients (n = 1470) were assigned a pathologic diagnosis. Central causes of dizziness were most common in children and young adults, comprising 38% to 54% of all diagnoses in ages 1 to 30. The proportion of peripheral vestibular disorders increased with age, peaking at 32% in ages 61 to 70. Vestibular migraine was the most common pathologic diagnosis in ages 6 to 20 (n = 110, 39%) and 31 and 50 (n = 69, 17%) regardless of gender, but was more prevalent in females (21% vs 14%; P < .0001). The prevalence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) increased throughout the lifespan, peaking at age 71 to 80. Meniere's disease (MD) did not occur within the first decade of life, but increased thereafter, peaking at ages 51 to 60.

Conclusion

Multidisciplinary vestibular evaluation resulted in a diagnosis for the majority of patients. Vestibular diagnoses vary across the lifespan however among most age groups, central disorders, including migraine disorders, outnumber peripheral vestibulopathies. The prevalence of peripheral vestibular disorders such as BPPV and MD increased with age.

Level of Evidence

Level IV.
Tracheostomy Avoidance in Flap Reconstruction of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract is Safe in Selected Patients
Authors: Holcomb Andrew J. , White Andrew , Rossman Emily , Wagoner Luke , Akhter Sidra , Gillespie Megan , Meyer Charles D. , Lindau Robert , Panwar Aru , Osmolak Angela , Militsakh Oleg , Lydiatt William , Coughlin Andrew M.
Published: August 2024

Objective

Assess the impact of tracheostomy on postoperative morbidity and mortality and examine factors that predicted tracheostomy in head and neck flap patients.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort January 2017 to December 2021.

Setting

Single tertiary center.

Methods

Adult patients undergoing head and neck flap reconstruction were included, excluding cutaneous reconstruction, laryngectomy, or with tracheostomy present at surgery. Patients were routinely extubated immediately following surgery. Univariate and multivariable analyses examined associations between tracheostomy and postoperative outcomes and identified predictors of tracheostomy.

Results

We included 193 patients, 69 (35.8%) with tracheostomy and 124 (64.2%) without. Tracheostomy avoidance was associated with no difference in 30‐day mortality (P = .531) and with decreased likelihood of 30‐day complications (0.019), unplanned return to the operating room (0.021), and discharge to a facility (<0.001) and with 2.2 decrease in length of stay on multivariable analysis (confidence interval [CI]: 0.62‐3.82, P = .007). Four patients (2.1%) required reactive tracheostomy with no resulting mortalities. Significant associations with tracheostomy on multivariable analysis included bilateral neck dissections (odds ratio [OR]: 3.13, CI 1.12‐9.06, P = .030), number of resected mandibular subsites (OR: 2.65, CI: 1.50‐5.67, P = .0023), specimen volume (OR: 1.87, CI: 1.29‐2.71, P = .001), body mass index < 20 (OR: 3.80, CI: 1.24‐11.64, P = .019), mandibulectomy (OR: 0.04, CI: 0.01‐0.22, P < .001), forearm flap (OR: 0.15, CI: 0.05‐0.41, P < .001), oral cavity site (OR: 0.21, CI: 0.06‐0.73, P = .014), and age > 70 (OR: 0.33, CI: 0.14‐0.81, P = .016).

Conclusion

Tracheostomy avoidance is safe in properly selected patients undergoing head and neck flap reconstruction. Multiple factors predicted tracheostomy, which may guide patient selection at other centers.
Valacyclovir and Acyclovir Are Substrates of the Guanine Deaminase Cytosolic PSD‐95 Interactor (Cypin)
Authors: Lange Keith R. , Rasheed Noor , Su Xiaoyang , Diaz‐Rubio M. Elena , Firestein Bonnie L.
Published: August 2024

Valacyclovir, enzymatically hydrolyzed in the body to acyclovir, is a guanine‐based nucleoside analog commonly prescribed as an antiviral therapy. Previous reports suggest that guanosine analogs bind to guanine deaminase; however, it is unclear whether they act as inhibitors or substrates. Data from our laboratory suggest that inhibition of guanine deaminase by small molecules attenuates spinal cord injury‐induced neuropathic pain. Here, we examine whether the guanosine analogs valacyclovir and acyclovir are deaminated by cypin (cytosolic PSD‐95 interactor), the major guanine deaminase in the body, or if they act as cypin inhibitors. Using purified Rattus norvegicus cypin, we use NADH‐coupled assay to confirm deamination of valacyclovir and determined Michaelis–Menten constants. Subsequently, we use tryptophan fluorescence quenching assay to calculate dissociation constants for valacyclovir and acyclovir and find that inclusion of the valine motif in valacyclovir increases affinity for cypin compared to acyclovir. To our knowledge, neither K
m nor K
D values for cypin has been previously reported for either compound. We use Amplex Red assay and demonstrate that both valacyclovir and acyclovir are cypin substrates and that their metabolites are further processed by xanthine oxidase and uricase. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that an alpha helix near the active site is displaced when valacyclovir binds to cypin. Furthermore, we used LC–MS‐based assay to directly confirm deamination of valacyclovir by cypin. Taken together, our results demonstrate a novel role for cypin in deamination of valacyclovir and acyclovir and suggest that therapeutics based on purine structures may be inactivated by cypin, decreasing inhibitory efficacy.
Morphological Evolution of MnS During Hot Deformation and Isothermal Homogenization in Nonquenched and Tempered F40MnVS Grade Steel
Authors: Qiu Guoxing , Zhang Hongzhao , Lu Feng , Miao Dejun , Yang Yongkun , Li Xiaoming
Published: August 2024

The control of MnS inclusions is crucial in developing high‐quality nonquenched and tempered steel. Single‐pass compression experiments are conducted on F40MnVS steel using a Gleeble‐3800 thermomechanical simulation testing machine, and the hot deformation behaviors of MnS inclusions at temperatures of 950–1150 °C and strain rates of 0.01 s−1 are investigated. Based on the experimental results of hot deformation, the steel is isothermally homogenized after forging to study the effect of holding time on the morphology and characteristics of MnS. Results indicate that at a lower deformation temperature of 950 °C and increased deformation, the relative plasticity of MnS diminishes, reducing the aspect ratio from 3.38 to 1.44 and primarily causing MnS fragmentation. At 1150 °C, as deformation increases, the relative plasticity of MnS also increases, with the aspect ratio rising from 1.46 to 2.01, leading to the growth of MnS. Under either low temperature and high deformation conditions or high temperature and low deformation, MnS fragmentation is more pronounced, resulting in more spherical MnS. With extended homogenization time, elongated MnS fractures, progressively transforming into spheroidal or ellipsoidal shapes before enlarging. The diffusion of S primarily controls the fracture and growth of MnS during isothermal heating.
Quantifying the serviceability flexural benefits of using UHPFRC in profiled slabs
Authors: Chen S. , Visintin P. , Sturm A. B. , Oehlers D. J.
Published: August 2024

Using ultra‐high‐performance fiber‐reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) in profiled slabs, as opposed to normal strength concrete without fibers, has been shown experimentally to significantly increase both the bond between the profiled sheet and the concrete, and the tensile forces across cracked concrete. The consequence of these fiber benefits is to substantially increase the flexural rigidity leading to reduced deflections and also to substantially reduced crack widths leading to improved behavior under serviceability loads and to improved durability. To quantify these benefits so that they can be used in design, a rational partial‐interaction numerical model has been developed that can incorporate the material properties of any type of UHPFRC including time‐effects. This modeling should help in the development of simplified design rules for specific fiber types.
Some Insights into the Environmental History of the Dinaric Karst
Authors: Zwitter Žiga , Fuerst-Bjeliš Borna , Mrgić Jelena , Petrić Hrvoje , Zorn Matija
Published: August 2024

The explanations of the terms environmental history and karst are followed by an introduction to the Dinaric Karst and a selection of groundbreaking examples of the early intellectual history of karst research in this environmental macroregion, placing the Dinaric Karst on the European intellectual history map. Then, the scope and contents of the volume Environmental Histories of the Dinaric Karst are outlined. The research presented in this monograph is based on several classic research topics of the interactions between human society and the rest of nature in karst, but it implements fresh, modern environmental history approaches.
Climate and Discharge Trends, and Flood Hazard in Slovenia’s Dinaric Karst Region Since the Mid-Twentieth Century
Authors: Hrvatin Mauro , Zorn Matija
Published: August 2024

The temperature, precipitation, and snow-cover data collected at the meteorological stations in the Slovenia’s Dinaric Karst region between 1961 and 2020 indicate rapid and clear climate change. During this period, temperatures increased by 2.5 °C on average, precipitation decreased by 50–400 mm on average, and the number of days with snow cover declined by 30–60%. Several studies have confirmed that these changes have a strong impact on water conditions. What is alarming is especially a decrease in the average minimum and mean discharges, and a downward trend can also be observed for many average maximum discharges.

Over the past sixty years, the climate in Slovenia’s Dinaric Karst region has become warmer and drier, and there has been a significant reduction in the volume of water at most gauging stations in the area studied. Based on the trends described, a significantly smaller flood hazard would be expected, but data from the past decades suggest the opposite. The following are highlighted as possible reasons for the current flood hazard: upward trends in absolute maximum discharges in individual river basins, a slightly downward trend in absolute maximum discharges and their simultaneously greater variability, various forms of land development that used to be avoided due to the risk of flooding, and more frequent short-term extreme precipitation events causing flash floods on smaller streams.
A common framework for fermion mass hierarchy, leptogenesis and dark matter
Authors: Arbeláez Carolina , Hernández A. E. Cárcamo , Dib Claudio , Contreras Patricio Escalona , K. N. Vishnudath , Zerwekh Alfonso
Published: August 2024

Abstract

In this work, we explore an extension of the Standard Model designed to elucidate the fermion mass hierarchy, account for the dark matter relic abundance, and explain the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. Beyond the Standard Model particle content, our model introduces additional scalars and fermions. Notably, the light active neutrinos and the first two generations of charged fermions acquire masses at the one-loop level. The model accommodates successful low-scale leptogenesis, permitting the mass of the decaying heavy right-handed neutrino to be as low as 10 TeV. We conduct a detailed analysis of the dark matter phenomenology and explore various interesting phenomenological implications. These include charged lepton flavor violation, muon and electron anomalous magnetic moments, constraints arising from electroweak precision observables, and implications for collider experiments.
Non-minimal elliptic threefolds at infinite distance. Part I. Log Calabi-Yau resolutions
Authors: Álvarez-García Rafael , Lee Seung-Joo , Weigand Timo
Published: August 2024

Abstract

We study infinite-distance limits in the complex structure moduli space of elliptic Calabi-Yau threefolds. In F-theory compactifications to six dimensions, such limits include infinite-distance trajectories in the non-perturbative open string moduli space. The limits are described as degenerations of elliptic threefolds whose central elements exhibit non-minimal elliptic fibers, in the Kodaira sense, over curves on the base. We show how these non-crepant singularities can be removed by a systematic sequence of blow-ups of the base, leading to a union of log Calabi-Yau spaces glued together along their boundaries. We identify criteria for the blow-ups to give rise to open chains or more complicated trees of components and analyse the blow-up geometry. While our results are general and applicable to all non-minimal degenerations of Calabi-Yau threefolds in codimension one, we exemplify them in particular for elliptic threefolds over Hirzebruch surface base spaces. We also explain how to extract the gauge algebra for F-theory probing such reducible asymptotic geometries. This analysis is the basis for a detailed F-theory interpretation of the associated infinite-distance limits that will be provided in a companion paper [1].
Q-balls in the presence of attractive force
Authors: Hamada Yu , Kawana Kiyoharu , Kim TaeHun , Lu Philip
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Q-balls are non-topological solitons in field theories whose stability is typically guaranteed by the existence of a global conserved charge. A classic realization is the Friedberg-Lee-Sirlin (FLS) Q-ball in a two-scalar system where a real scalar χ triggers symmetry breaking and confines a complex scalar Φ with a global U(1) symmetry. A quartic interaction κχ2|Φ|2 with κ > 0 is usually considered to produce a nontrivial Q-ball configuration, and this repulsive force contributes to its stability. On the other hand, the attractive cubic interaction Λχ|Φ|2 is generally allowed in a renormalizable theory and could induce an instability. In this paper, we study the behavior of the Q-ball under the influence of this attractive force which has been overlooked. We find approximate Q-ball solutions in the limit of weak and moderate force couplings using the thin-wall and thick-wall approximations respectively. Our analytical results are consistent with numerical simulations and predict the parameter dependencies of the maximum charge. A crucial difference with the ordinary FLS Q-ball is the existence of the maximum charge beyond which the Q-ball solution is classically unstable. Such a limitation of the charge fundamentally affects Q-ball formation in the early Universe and could plausibly lead to the formation of primordial black holes.
Approximating Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space Functions by Bernstein Operators
Authors: Feng Han , Hui Sonia Y. W. , Shen Ruohan
Published: August 2024

Motivated by kernel methods in machine learning theory, we study the uniform approximation of functions from reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces by Bernstein operators. Rates of approximation are provided in terms of the function norm in the reproducing kernel Hilbert space. A case study of contracting properties of the Bernstein operators is also presented.
Ants (Lasius niger) deposit more pheromone close to food sources and further from the nest but do not attempt to update erroneous pheromone trails
Authors: Czaczkes Tomer J. , Olivera-Rodriguez Federico-Javier , Poissonnier Laure-Anne
Published: August 2024

Many social insects use pheromone trails to recruit workers to resources. Pheromone trails have some limitations, however. Two major limitations are that they evaporate over time, meaning that more distant locations may be more difficult to recruit precisely to, and that they cannot be removed if laid erroneously, or if they become outdated. Here, we ask whether Lasius niger ants can adaptively modulate pheromone deposition to overcome these limitations. Specifically, we first ask whether ants which have followed a pheromone trail to a wrong (unrewarded) location upregulate pheromone deposition to the correct food location to compete with the erroneous trail. They do not. Then, we examine how food distance and proximity to food influence pheromone deposition. We find that ants deposit up to 22 times more pheromone within 10 cm of a food source compared to when they are about to reach the nest. Moreover, they deposit up to four times more pheromone next to a food source placed 100 cm away from the nest as compared to one placed 20 cm away from the nest. Lasius niger ants thus do not display a mechanism for overcoming outdated or erroneously-laid trails by strengthening correct alternatives in our experiment, but do strongly upregulate recruitment to more distant food sources, which are more difficult to locate and recruit to.
Artificial intelligence for response prediction and personalisation in radiation oncology
Authors: Zwanenburg Alex , Price Gareth , Löck Steffen
Published: August 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems may personalise radiotherapy by assessing complex and multifaceted patient data and predicting tumour and normal tissue responses to radiotherapy. Here we describe three distinct generations of AI systems, namely personalised radiotherapy based on pretreatment data, response-driven radiotherapy and dynamically optimised radiotherapy. Finally, we discuss the main challenges in clinical translation of AI systems for radiotherapy personalisation.
Influence of printing parameters on the mechanical behavior of 3D-printed SS316L parts manufactured using laser hot wire directed energy deposition
Authors: Yelamanchi Bharat , Alok Aayush , Prokop Andrew , Martin Holly , Vuksanovich Brian , Macdonald Eric , Rodriguez Mario , Knapp Gerry , Lee Yousub , Feldhausen Thomas , Cortes Pedro
Published: August 2024

Hybrid manufacturing combines the simultaneous benefits of additive manufacturing (complex geometries, part consolidation, and mass customization) with the advantages of subtractive manufacturing (superior surface finish and enhanced dimensional accuracies) by integrating a suite of complementary traditional processes into a base platform of additive manufacturing. The use of hybrid technology has grown in recent years given its capabilities on repairing metallic structures, producing parts with conformal cooling features, and manufacturing functionally graded products. These kinds of capabilities are of great interest to the medical implant, energy, automotive, maritime, and aerospace industry sectors, among many other fields. This work investigated the mechanical properties of stainless steel (SS) 316L as a function of different tool paths strategies using an integrated 5-axis CNC hybrid Mazak system with a laser hot wire deposition system (LHWDS). This study includes the evaluation of different printing parameters and their impact on the quality of the printed bead as well as the incorporation of a structure–property material relationship based on the mechanical performance of the manufactured coupons.
Cantharidin and sodium fluoride attenuate the negative inotropic effect of the A1-adenosine receptor agonist N6-(R)-phenylisopropyl adenosine in isolated human atria
Authors: Schwarz R. , Hofmann B. , Gergs U. , Neumann J.
Published: August 2024

Cantharidin and sodium fluoride inhibit the activity of serine/threonine protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A) and increase the force of contraction in human atrial preparations. R-phenylisopropyl adenosine (R-PIA) acts as an agonist at A1-adenosine receptors. R-PIA exerts a negative inotropic effect on human atria. The effect of R-PIA—and its various manifestations—are currently explained as a function of the inhibition of sarcolemmal adenylyl cyclase activity and/or opening of sarcolemmal potassium channels. We hypothesise that cantharidin and sodium fluoride may attenuate the negative inotropic effect of R-PIA. During open heart surgery, trabeculae carneae from the right atrium were obtained for human atrial preparations (HAPs). These trabeculae were mounted in organ baths and electrically stimulated at 1 Hz. Furthermore, we studied isolated electrically stimulated left atrial (LA) preparations from female wild-type mice (CD1). The force of contraction was recorded under isometric conditions. R-PIA (1 µM) exerted a rapid negative inotropic effect in the HAPs and mice LA preparations. These negative inotropic effects of R-PIA were attenuated by pre-incubation for 30 min with 100-µM cantharidin in HAPs, but not in mice LA preparations. Adenosine signals via A1 receptors in a species-specific pathway in mammalian atria. We postulate that R-PIA, at least in part, exerts a negative inotropic effect via activation of serine/threonine phosphatases in the human atrium.
Toward integration of glycan chemical databases: an algorithm and software tool for extracting sugars from chemical structures
Authors: Matsubara Masaaki , Bolton Evan E. , Aoki-Kinoshita Kiyoko F. , Yamada Issaku
Published: August 2024

Integration of glycan-related databases between different research fields is essential in glycoscience. It requires knowledge across the breadth of science because most glycans exist as glycoconjugates. On the other hand, especially between chemistry and biology, glycan data has not been easy to integrate due to the huge variety of glycan structure representations. We have developed WURCS (Web 3.0 Unique Representation of Carbohydrate Structures) as a notation for representing all glycan structures uniquely for the purpose of integrating data across scientific data resources. While the integration of glycan data in the field of biology has been greatly advanced, in the field of chemistry, progress has been hampered due to the lack of appropriate rules to extract sugars from chemical structures. Thus, we developed a unique algorithm to determine the range of structures allowed to be considered as sugars from the structural formulae of compounds, and we developed software to extract sugars in WURCS format according to this algorithm. In this manuscript, we show that our algorithm can extract sugars from glycoconjugate molecules represented at the molecular level and can distinguish them from other biomolecules, such as amino acids, nucleic acids, and lipids. Available as software, MolWURCS is freely available and downloadable (https://gitlab.com/glycoinfo/molwurcs).

Graphical Abstract
Growth rates of five coral species across a strong environmental gradient in the Colombian Caribbean
Authors: Bravo Matteo , Schoepf Verena
Published: August 2024

Coral calcification is critical for reef growth and highly dependent on environmental conditions. Yet, little is known about how corals calcify under sub-optimal conditions (e.g., turbid waters, high nutrients, sedimentation) or coral growth in understudied regions such as the Colombian Caribbean. We therefore assessed the calcification and linear extension rates of five coral species across an inshore-to-offshore gradient in the Colombian Caribbean. A suite of environmental variables (temperature, light intensity, visibility, pH, nutrients) measured during the rainy season (May – November 2022) demonstrated more sub-optimal conditions inshore compared to offshore. Across all species, calcification rates were 59% and 37% lower inshore compared to the offshore and midshore sites, respectively. Across all sites, massive corals calcified up to 92% more than branching species but were more susceptible to heat stress and sub-optimal inshore conditions. However, branching species had reduced survival due to extreme climatic events (i.e., bleaching, hurricanes). A comparison with published rates for the wider Caribbean revealed that massive species in the Colombian Caribbean grow up to 11 times more than those in the wider Caribbean while branching species generally have similar growth rates, but this finding may have been influenced by fragment size and/or heat stress. Our findings indicate that present-day environmental conditions, coupled with more frequent extreme climatic events, will favor massive over branching species in midshore areas of the Colombian Caribbean. This suggests a possible shift towards faster calcifying massive species in future coral communities, possibly exacerbating the ongoing regional decline in branching species over the last decades.
A behavioral syndrome of competitiveness in a non-social rodent
Authors: Erixon Filippa , Eccard Jana A. , Huneke Rika , Dammhahn Melanie
Published: August 2024

Animals compete for limited resources such as food, mating partners, and territory. The outcome of this intraspecific competition should be determined by individual variation in behavioral traits, such as aggressiveness and dominance status. Consistent among-individual differences in behavior likely contribute to competitiveness and predispose individuals to acquire specific dominance ranks during parts of their adult life. Nevertheless, how dominance rank is correlated with animal personality traits remains largely unclear. In a first step towards better understanding these functional links, we studied trait integration into behavioral syndromes, using 26 captive male bank voles (Myodes glareolus). We repeatedly assessed boldness in an emergence test, exploration in an open-field test, aggressiveness in staged dyadic encounters, and the among-individual correlations between these behaviors. We further related these personality traits to dominance rank, from quantifying urine marking value (UMV), as marking in bank voles is related to dominance rank. We found repeatable variations in boldness, exploration, aggressiveness, and UMV, which were correlated at the among-individual level. Aggressiveness tended to be negatively correlated with body condition, a proxy for fitness. Thus, key personality traits and social rank are functionally integrated into a behavioral syndrome of intraspecific competitiveness. By joining social and non-social aspects of personality, our findings contribute to the ecological validation of personality traits and suggest how they contribute to higher-order component traits, such as dominance which directly affect fitness components.
Sea ice as habitat for microalgae, bacteria, virus, fungi, meio- and macrofauna: A review of an extreme environment
Authors: Lund-Hansen Lars Chresten , Gradinger Rolf , Hassett Brandon , Jayasinghe Sahan , Kennedy Fraser , Martin Andrew , McMinn Andrew , Søgaard Dorte H. , Sorrell Brian K.
Published: August 2024

The novel concept of the review is a focus on the organisms living in the sea ice and what mechanisms they have developed for their existence. The review describes the physical environment of the sea ice and the microorganisms living there as microalgae, bacteria, virus, fungi, meio- and macrofauna where they inhabit the brine channels and exposed to low temperatures as down to −25 °C and high salinities—up to 300. Nutrients, O2, CO2, pH, light, and UV are also identified as stressors regarding the metabolism of the microorganisms. It is argued that sea ice must be recognized as an extreme environment as based on records of very high or very low concentrations or intensities of the stressors that living organisms in the ice are exposed to and able to endure. Each taxonomic group of organisms in the sea ice are dealt with in detail in terms of the explicit stressors the group is exposed to, and specifically what known mechanisms that the organisms have amended to secure existence and life. These mechanisms are known for some group of organisms as autotrophs, bacteria, meio- and macrofauna but less so for virus and fungi. The review concludes that sea ice is an extreme environment where the stressors vary significantly in both space and time, both in consort and solitary, classifying organisms living there as polyextremophiles and extremophiles. The review relates further to extraterrestrial moons covered with sea ice and these habitats and points toward sea ice on Earth for prospective studies until further technological advances.
External validation of the MAGNIFI-CD index in patients with complex perianal fistulising Crohn’s disease
Authors: Beek Kim J. , Mulders Lieven G. M. , van Rijn Kyra L. , Horsthuis Karin , Tielbeek Jeroen A. W. , Buskens Christianne J. , D’Haens Geert R. , Gecse Krisztina B. , Stoker Jaap
Published: August 2024

Background

There is an increasing need for objective treatment monitoring in perianal fistulising Crohn’s disease (pfCD). Therefore, the magnetic resonance novel index for fistula imaging in CD (MAGNIFI-CD) index has been designed and internally validated on the ADMIRE-CD trial cohort. The aim of this study was to externally validate the MAGNIFI-CD index to monitor response to medical and surgical treatment regimens in pfCD.

Methods

A retrospective longitudinal cohort was established of consecutive patients with complex pfCD treated with surgical and/or medical therapy and a baseline and follow-up MRI between January 2007 and May 2021. The MAGNIFI-CD index was scored by two independent, abdominal radiologists blinded for time points and clinical outcomes. Responsiveness, reliability, and test accuracy regarding clinically important improvement were assessed. Cut-offs for response and remission were selected classified on fistula drainage assessment and physician global assessment.

Results

A total of 65 patients (51% female, median age 32 years) were included. A clinically relevant responsiveness of the MAGNIFI-CD was shown, with a significant decrease in clinical remitters and responders with a median MAGNIFI-CD of 18.0 [7.5–20.0] to 9.0 [0.8–16.0] (p < 0.001) and non-significant change in non-responders with a median MAGNIFI-CD of 20.0 [12.0–23.0] to 18.0 [13.0–21.0] (p = 0.22). There was an ‘almost perfect’ interobserver agreement (ICC = 0.87; 95% CI 0.80–0.92) for the MAGNIFI-CD index. An optimal cut-off value was defined as a decrease of 2 points for clinical response, and a MAGNIFI-CD ≤ 6 for remission at follow-up MRI.

Conclusion

The MAGNIFI-CD index is a responsive and reliable MRI scoring instrument for treatment monitoring in perianal fistulising Crohn’s disease.

Clinical relevance statement

The MAGNIFI-CD index is a well-structured, responsive scoring instrument to assess fistula severity and activity that allows quantitative detection of changes in therapy response in patients with perianal fistulising Crohn’s disease, thereby facilitating endpoints in clinical trials.

Key Points

Well-defined cut-offs for response and remission are needed for objective treatment monitoring of perianal fistulising Crohn’s disease (pfCD).

Cut-off values for remission and for response at 6 months follow-up were defined. Interobserver agreement was good.

The MAGNIFI-CD index is responsive and reliable for treatment monitoring and is suitable for use in clinical trials.

Graphical Abstract
Assessing GPT-4 multimodal performance in radiological image analysis
Authors: Brin Dana , Sorin Vera , Barash Yiftach , Konen Eli , Glicksberg Benjamin S. , Nadkarni Girish N. , Klang Eyal
Published: August 2024

Objectives

This study aims to assess the performance of a multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) model capable of analyzing both images and textual data (GPT-4V), in interpreting radiological images. It focuses on a range of modalities, anatomical regions, and pathologies to explore the potential of zero-shot generative AI in enhancing diagnostic processes in radiology.

Methods

We analyzed 230 anonymized emergency room diagnostic images, consecutively collected over 1 week, using GPT-4V. Modalities included ultrasound (US), computerized tomography (CT), and X-ray images. The interpretations provided by GPT-4V were then compared with those of senior radiologists. This comparison aimed to evaluate the accuracy of GPT-4V in recognizing the imaging modality, anatomical region, and pathology present in the images.

Results

GPT-4V identified the imaging modality correctly in 100% of cases (221/221), the anatomical region in 87.1% (189/217), and the pathology in 35.2% (76/216).

However, the model’s performance varied significantly across different modalities, with anatomical region identification accuracy ranging from 60.9% (39/64) in US images to 97% (98/101) and 100% (52/52) in CT and X-ray images (p < 0.001).

Similarly, pathology identification ranged from 9.1% (6/66) in US images to 36.4% (36/99) in CT and 66.7% (34/51) in X-ray images (p < 0.001).

These variations indicate inconsistencies in GPT-4V’s ability to interpret radiological images accurately.

Conclusion

While the integration of AI in radiology, exemplified by multimodal GPT-4, offers promising avenues for diagnostic enhancement, the current capabilities of GPT-4V are not yet reliable for interpreting radiological images. This study underscores the necessity for ongoing development to achieve dependable performance in radiology diagnostics.

Clinical relevance statement

Although GPT-4V shows promise in radiological image interpretation, its high diagnostic hallucination rate (> 40%) indicates it cannot be trusted for clinical use as a standalone tool. Improvements are necessary to enhance its reliability and ensure patient safety.

Key Points

GPT-4V’s capability in analyzing images offers new clinical possibilities in radiology.

GPT-4V excels in identifying imaging modalities but demonstrates inconsistent anatomy and pathology detection.

Ongoing AI advancements are necessary to enhance diagnostic reliability in radiological applications.
Sex estimation from skull measurements of a contemporary Japanese population using three-dimensional computed tomography images
Authors: Hoshioka Yumi , Torimitsu Suguru , Makino Yohsuke , Yajima Daisuke , Chiba Fumiko , Yamaguchi Rutsuko , Inokuchi Go , Motomura Ayumi , Tsuneya Shigeki , Iwase Hirotaro
Published: August 2024

In this study, we assessed the sexual dimorphism of the contemporary Japanese skull and established sex discriminant function equations based on cranial measurements using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) images. The CT images of 263 corpses (142 males, 121 females) that underwent postmortem CT scanning and subsequent forensic autopsy were evaluated. Twenty-one cranial measurements were obtained from 3D CT reconstructed images, which extracted only bone data. We performed descriptive statistics and discriminant function analyses for the measurements. Nineteen measurements were significantly larger in males, suggesting sexual dimorphism of the Japanese skulls. Univariate discriminant function analyses using these measurements showed a sex classification accuracy of 57.8–88.2%, and bizygomatic breadth provided the highest correct prediction rate. Multivariate discriminant function analyses offered the most accurate model using seven variables with an estimation rate of 93.9%. Our results suggest that cranial measurements based on 3D CT images may help in the sex estimation of unidentified bodies in a contemporary Japanese population.
Analysis of Patients’ Dietary Status/Restrictions Following Instrumental Swallow Evaluations in Skilled Nursing Facilities
Authors: Hopkins-Rossabi Theresa , Lenze Amy , Lindler Sarah Carter , Hardy Catherine , Temple Sarah Labruce
Published: August 2024

Many residents in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) present with dysphagia and receive altered diets or liquids to minimize the risk of complications. Limited access to timely instrumental evaluations of swallow may impede the best management of these dysphagic residents. De-identified FEES reports completed by a mobile FEES company during a single month, January 2019, were reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the pre-study diet/liquid levels and the post-study diet/liquid recommendations. FEES reports (n = 952) were reviewed. Before the FEES evaluation, 209 residents were receiving only non-oral nutrition. After the FEES evaluation, 76% of these residents were recommended to receive oral nutrition. Before the FEES evaluation, 442 (46%) residents were receiving thickened liquids, after the FEES evaluation, 244 (26%) were recommended to have a less restrictive liquid level. Before the FEES evaluation, 576 (60%) residents were receiving altered food texture, after the FEES evaluation, 413 (43%) were recommended to have a less restrictive food texture. The percentage of residents recommended to receive thin liquids increased from 32 to 68% and those recommended to receive a regular diet increased from 18 to 34%. These data indicate that access to instrumental swallow evaluations in the SNF setting generally resulted in lifting liquid and diet restrictions for many residents in the cohort reviewed and potentially improved their quality of life.
Isolated C1 arch fractures: C1-2 fusion vs. C1 osteosynthesis – surgical strategies for potentially unstable injuries
Authors: Denton Hazel , McDonnell Jake M. , Curran Jack , Wilson Kielan , Temperley Hugo , Cunniffe Gráinne , Morris Seamus , Darwish Stacey , Butler Joseph S.
Published: August 2024

Study Design

Narrative Review.

Objectives

The premise of this review is to provide a review of the literature pertaining to studies describing outcomes of surgical cohorts when implementing C1 osteosynthesis for arch fractures with or without transverse atlantal ligamentous (TAL) injury.

Methods

A comprehensive search strategy was implemented across several search engines to identify studies which evaluate the outcomes of C1 osteosynthesis for patients with C1 arch fractures with and without TAL injury.

Results

Ten studies were identified. Parameters reported included osteosynthesis fusion rates, deformity correction, preservation of motion segments, patient reported outcome measures and overall complications. Overall, C1 osteosynthesis showed excellent fusion rates with complications comparable to traditional techniques denoted in literature. Furthermore, the osteosynthesis technique depicted good overall deformity correction and preservation of motion segments, in addition to good patient reported outcomes.

Conclusion

It appears C1 osteosynthesis offers a safe and efficacious alternative option for the surgical treatment of C1 fractures with TAL rupture. It has the potential to reduce deformity, increase ROM, improve PROMs and has complication rates comparable with those of fusion techniques. However more robust prospective evidence is required.