bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is BMI Associated with Cardiorespiratory Fitness? A Cross-Sectional Analysis Among 8470 Apparently Healthy Subjects Aged 18–94 Years from the Low-Lands Fitness Registry
Authors: Takken T. , Hulzebos H. J. ,   Low-Lands Fitness Registry Study Group, Schmitz Marcel , van Ooi Pieter-Jan , van Beek Geert , van Galen Leendert , Molinger Jeroen , Rozenberg Robert , van den Oord Marieke , Hartman Yvonne , Verbaarschot Nicolle , Snoek Aernout , Stomphorst Jaap , van Kesteren Joep
Published: January 2022

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) measured as peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak, expressed in mL/min) and body mass index (BMI) in a large cohort of apparently healthy subjects.

Methods

BMI and VO2peak were measured in a cross-sectional study of 8470 apparently healthy adults. VO2peak (mL/min) was determined by an incremental cycle ergometer test to exhaustion. Linear regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of CRF.

Results

There was no difference in CRF between adults with a normal weight (BMI between 18.5–24.9 kg/m2) and those who were overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2). Subjects who were underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) as well as females who were obese (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2) showed a reduced CRF compared to the normal and overweight groups. Age, height, and gender were significant predictors of CRF (R2 = 0.467, P < 0.0001); BMI did not add significantly to this relationship.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that BMI was not associated with CRF in addition to age, height, and gender. In subjects with a BMI < 18.5 kg/m2, CRF was lower compared to subjects with a BMI between 18.5 and 29.9 kg/m2. In obese subjects, CRF was only lower in females compared to females with a BMI between 18.5 and 29.9 kg/m2. Correcting CRF for BMI may be beneficial for subjects with a low BMI, and females with a BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2. The outcome of this study might help to improve the interpretation of exercise testing results in individuals with a low or high BMI.
β-Ga2O3 material properties, growth technologies, and devices: a review
Authors: Higashiwaki Masataka
Published: January 2022

Rapid progress in β-gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) material and device technologies has been made in this decade, and its superior material properties based on the very large bandgap of over 4.5 eV have been attracting much attention. β-Ga2O3 appears particularly promising for power switching device applications because of its extremely large breakdown electric field and availability of large-diameter, high-quality wafers manufactured from melt-grown bulk single crystals. In this review, after introducing material properties of β-Ga2O3 that are important for electronic devices, current status of bulk melt growth, epitaxial thin-film growth, and device processing technologies are introduced. Then, state-of-the-art β-Ga2O3 Schottky barrier diodes and field-effect transistors are discussed, mainly focusing on development results of the author’s group.
Two NIS1-like proteins from apple canker pathogen (Valsa mali) play distinct roles in plant recognition and pathogen virulence
Authors: Nie Jiajun , Zhou Wenjing , Lin Yonghui , Liu Zhaoyang , Yin Zhiyuan , Huang Lili
Published: January 2022

Conserved effectors produced by phytopathogens play critical roles in plant-microbe interactions. NIS1-like proteins represent a newly identified family of effectors distributed in multiple fungal species. However, their biological functions in a majority of pathogenic fungi remain largely elusive and require further investigation. In this study, we characterized two NIS1-like proteins VmNIS1 and VmNIS2 from Valsa mali, the causal agent of apple Valsa canker. Both of these two proteins were predicted to be secreted. Using agroinfiltration, we found that VmNIS1 induced intense cell death, whereas VmNIS2 suppressed INF1 elicitin-triggered cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. Treatment of N. benthamiana with VmNIS1 recombinant protein produced by Escherichia coli activated a series of immune responses and enhanced plant disease resistance against Phytophthora capsici. In contrast, VmNIS2 suppressed plant immune responses and promoted P. capsici infection when transiently expressed in N. benthamiana. Both VmNIS1 and VmNIS2 were shown to be highly induced at late stage of V. mali infection. By individually knocking out of these two genes in V. mali, however, only VmNIS2 was shown to be required for pathogen virulence as well as tolerance to oxidative stress. Notably, we further showed that C-terminal extension of VmNIS1 was essential for plant recognition and VmNIS2 may escape plant detection via sequence truncation. Our data collectively indicate that VmNIS1 and VmNIS2 play distinct roles in plant recognition and pathogen virulence, which provided new insights into the function of NIS1-like proteins in plant-microbe interactions.
Ontology and the Foundations of Mathematics
Authors: Rush Penelope
Published: January 2022

This Element looks at the problem of inter-translation between mathematical realism and anti-realism and argues that so far as realism is inter-translatable with anti-realism, there is a burden on the realist to show how her posited reality differs from that of the anti-realist. It also argues that an effective defence of just such a difference needs a commitment to the independence of mathematical reality, which in turn involves a commitment to the ontological access problem – the problem of how knowable mathematical truths are identifiable with a reality independent of us as knowers. Specifically, if the only access problem acknowledged is the epistemological problem – i.e. the problem of how we come to know mathematical truths – then nothing is gained by the realist notion of an independent reality and in effect, nothing distinguishes realism from anti-realism in mathematics.
We found a body: The intrabody of human, technology, narrative and environment as postqualitative inquiry
Authors: Tytler Cassandra
Published: January 2022

This paper explores the potential for a mode of postqualitative inquiry as generative knowledge-affect by looking towards the practice-led in-progress intermedial project, We Found A Body. The project functions as a form of urban play in a way that decentres and reconstructs participants so that their bodies, their technology and the environment they ‘play’ in become intertwined. I use a posthumanist queer reading of performativity (Barad, 2003, 2011) coupled with an affect-focused study of world-making (Harris & Jones, 2019) alongside a politics of affect to analyse how We Found a Body, in its potential for intraaction of human, technology, narrative and environment, can reconfigure and intertwine bodies and matter in a dynamic and embodied way. I argue that creative intermedial practice can produce counternarratives where new modes of belonging within space and time exist, and where extended ways of being human are at play (Myers, 2020). This is a space where the artwork acts as a performative call to action where iterative materialisation creates an intrabody of the human and more-than-human and opens up future methods within postqualitative inquiry.
Queer Jurisprudence: Reparative Practice in International Law
Authors: Mazel Odette
Published: January 2022

Queer theory's commitments are radical and disruptive. They have operated to interrogate the definition and reinforcement of sexuality and gender categories, and to expose and problematize normalized relations of power and privilege in the institutional structures and systems in which we live and operate. Queer's deconstructive and anti-normative (or non-conformist) tendencies, however, can be antithetical to international LGBTQIA+ law reform projects. In much of queer scholarship, human rights activism is framed as reinforcing heteronormative structures of knowledge and power and promoting fixed ideas of monogamy, social reproductivity, and gender identity. In this essay, I work with the tension between queer theory and the law to frame the continued pursuit of human rights by LGBTQIA+ people as queer jurisprudence. I do so by drawing on the methodological tools provided by Eve Sedgwick's technique of reparative reading and Michel Foucault's ethics of care of the self to focus on the lived experience of LGBTQIA+ people. What emerges through the stories of LGBTQIA+ commitments to human rights and legal activism are not themes of naivety, compliance, or assimilation, as often charged, but ongoing efforts toward disruption, creativity, and hope.
Antibiotic stewardship for nurses: Using e-learning modules to bridge the education gap
Authors: Catanzaro Mary T.
Published: January 2022

Objective:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called for an interdisciplinary approach to antibiotic stewardship implementation that includes front-line nurses. The literature to date has identified key factors preventing uptake by nurses: lack of education, poor communication among providers, and unit culture. Three e-learning modules were developed to address the nurses’ education regarding the roles nurses play in antibiotic stewardship, antibiotic resistance, allergy assessment, medication side effects and interactions, pharmacokinetics–pharmacodynamics, culture interpretation, specimen collection, and the antibiogram. A survey was used to assess whether nurses felt more prepared to participate after finishing the modules.

Setting:

Front-line staff nurses in acute care were assigned e-learning modules as part of their pharmacy’s introduction of an antibiotic stewardship program for nurses.

Methods:

Nurses viewed the modules and completed a survey designed to rank their usefulness and to assess their attitudes.

Results:

Overall, 81% of nurses felt that they should be part of the antibiotic stewardship team. After completing the modules, 72% felt more empowered to participate in stewardship discussions and an additional 23% requested more education. Also, 97% felt that the information they learned could be utilized in everyday work regardless of the new program. The most cited barriers to stewardship activities were lack of education (45%) and hospital and/or unit culture (13%).

Conclusion:

Education and culture need to be addressed to overcome the barriers to nurses’ involvement in antimicrobial stewardship. E-learning can provide a simple and effective first step to educate nurses, with minimal time investment.
Analysis of recurrent urinary tract infection management in women seen in outpatient settings reveals opportunities for antibiotic stewardship interventions
Authors: Valentine-King Marissa A. , Trautner Barbara W. , Zoorob Roger J. , Germanos George , Hansen Michael , Salemi Jason L. , Gupta Kalpana , Grigoryan Larissa
Published: January 2022

Objectives:

We characterized antibiotic prescribing patterns and management practices among recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) patients, and we identified factors associated with lack of guideline adherence to antibiotic choice, duration of treatment, and urine cultures obtained. We hypothesized that prior resistance to nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), shorter intervals between rUTIs, and more frequent rUTIs would be associated with fluoroquinolone or β-lactam prescribing, or longer duration of therapy.

Methods:

This study was a retrospective database study of adult women with International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) cystitis codes meeting American Urological Association rUTI criteria at outpatient clinics within our academic medical center between 2016 and 2018. We excluded patients with ICD-10 codes indicative of complicated UTI or pyelonephritis. Generalized estimating equations were used for risk-factor analysis.

Results:

Among 214 patients with 566 visits, 61.5% of prescriptions comprised first-line agents of nitrofurantoin (39.7%) and TMP-SMX (21.5%), followed by second-line choices of fluoroquinolones (27.2%) and β-lactams (11%). Most fluoroquinolone prescriptions (86.7%), TMP-SMX prescriptions (72.2%), and nitrofurantoin prescriptions (60.2%) exceeded the guideline-recommended duration. Approximately half of visits lacked a urine culture. Receiving care through urology via telephone was associated with receiving a β-lactam (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 6.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.58–15.56) or fluoroquinolone (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.07–4.86). Having >2 rUTIs during the study period and seeking care from a urology practice (RR, 1.28, 95% CI, 1.15–1.44) were associated with longer antibiotic duration.

Conclusions:

We found low guideline concordance for antibiotic choice, duration of therapy and cultures obtained among rUTI patients. These factors represent new targets for outpatient antibiotic stewardship interventions.
Data protection for the common good: Developing a framework for a data protection-focused data commons
Authors: Wong Janis , Henderson Tristan , Ball Kirstie
Published: January 2022

In our data-driven society, personal data affecting individuals as data subjects are increasingly being collected and processed by sizeable and international companies. While data protection laws and privacy technologies attempt to limit the impact of data breaches and privacy scandals, they rely on individuals having a detailed understanding of the available recourse, resulting in the responsibilization of data protection. Existing data stewardship frameworks incorporate data-protection-by-design principles but may not include data subjects in the data protection process itself, relying on supplementary legal doctrines to better enforce data protection regulations. To better protect individual autonomy over personal data, this paper proposes a data protection-focused data commons to encourage co-creation of data protection solutions and rebalance power between data subjects and data controllers. We conduct interviews with commons experts to identify the institutional barriers to creating a commons and challenges of incorporating data protection principles into a commons, encouraging participatory innovation in data governance. We find that working with stakeholders of different backgrounds can support a commons’ implementation by openly recognizing data protection limitations in laws, technologies, and policies when applied independently. We propose requirements for deploying a data protection-focused data commons by applying our findings and data protection principles such as purpose limitation and exercising data subject rights to the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework. Finally, we map the IAD framework into a commons checklist for policy-makers to accommodate co-creation and participation for all stakeholders, balancing the data protection of data subjects with opportunities for seeking value from personal data.
Infection preventionist staffing levels and rates of 10 types of healthcare-associated infections: A 9-year ambidirectional observation
Authors: Clifford Robert J. , Newhart Donna , Laguio-Vila Maryrose R. , Gutowski Jennifer L. , Bronstein Melissa Z. , Lesho Emil P.
Published: January 2022

Objective:

To quantitatively evaluate relationships between infection preventionists (IPs) staffing levels, nursing hours, and rates of 10 types of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Design and setting:

An ambidirectional observation in a 528-bed teaching hospital.

Patients:

All inpatients from July 1, 2012, to February 1, 2021.

Methods:

Standardized US National Health Safety Network (NHSN) definitions were used for HAIs. Staffing levels were measured in full-time equivalents (FTE) for IPs and total monthly hours worked for nurses. A time-trend analysis using control charts,ttests, Poisson tests, and regression analysis was performed using Minitab and R computing programs on rates and standardized infection ratios (SIRs) of 10 types of HAIs. An additional analysis was performed on 3 stratifications: critically low (2–3 FTE), below recommended IP levels (4–6 FTE), and at recommended IP levels (7–8 FTE).

Results:

The observation covered 1.6 million patient days of surveillance. IP staffing levels fluctuated from ≤2 IP FTE (critically low) to 7–8 IP FTE (recommended levels). Periods of highest catheter-associated urinary tract infection SIRs, hospital-onsetClostridioides difficileand carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infection rates, along with 4 of 5 types of surgical site SIRs coincided with the periods of lowest IP staffing levels and the absence of certified IPs and a healthcare epidemiologist. Central-line–associated bloodstream infections increased amid lower nursing levels despite the increased presence of an IP and a hospital epidemiologist.

Conclusions:

Of 10 HAIs, 8 had highest incidences during periods of lowest IP staffing and experience. Some HAI rates varied inversely with levels of IP staffing and experience and others appeared to be more influenced by nursing levels or other confounders.
Replica-mean-field limits of fragmentation-interaction-aggregation processes
Authors: Baccelli François , Davydov Michel , Taillefumier Thibaud
Published: January 2022

Network dynamics with point-process-based interactions are of paramount modeling interest. Unfortunately, most relevant dynamics involve complex graphs of interactions for which an exact computational treatment is impossible. To circumvent this difficulty, the replica-mean-field approach focuses on randomly interacting replicas of the networks of interest. In the limit of an infinite number of replicas, these networks become analytically tractable under the so-called ‘Poisson hypothesis’. However, in most applications this hypothesis is only conjectured. In this paper we establish the Poisson hypothesis for a general class of discrete-time, point-process-based dynamics that we propose to call fragmentation-interaction-aggregation processes, and which are introduced here. These processes feature a network of nodes, each endowed with a state governing their random activation. Each activation triggers the fragmentation of the activated node state and the transmission of interaction signals to downstream nodes. In turn, the signals received by nodes are aggregated to their state. Our main contribution is a proof of the Poisson hypothesis for the replica-mean-field version of any network in this class. The proof is obtained by establishing the propagation of asymptotic independence for state variables in the limit of an infinite number of replicas. Discrete-time Galves–Löcherbach neural networks are used as a basic instance and illustration of our analysis.
Intersections of random sets
Authors: Richey Jacob , Sarkar Amites
Published: January 2022

We consider a variant of a classical coverage process, the Boolean model in$\mathbb{R}^d$. Previous efforts have focused on convergence of the unoccupied region containing the origin to a well-studied limitC. We study the intersection of sets centered at points of a Poisson point process confined to the unit ball. Using a coupling between the intersection model and the original Boolean model, we show that the scaled intersection converges weakly to the same limitC. Along the way, we present some tools for studying statistics of a class of intersection models.
The containment profile of hyper-recursive trees
Authors: Sparks Joshua , Balaji Srinivasan , Mahmoud Hosam
Published: January 2022

We investigate vertex levels of containment in a random hypergraph grown in the spirit of a recursive tree. We consider a local profile tracking the evolution of the containment of a particular vertex over time, and a global profile concerned with counts of the number of vertices of a particular containment level.

For the local containment profile, we obtain the exact mean, variance, and probability distribution in terms of standard combinatorial quantities such as generalized harmonic numbers and Stirling numbers of the first kind. Asymptotically, we observe phases: the early vertices have an asymptotically normal distribution, intermediate vertices have a Poisson distribution, and late vertices have a degenerate distribution.

As for the global containment profile, we establish an asymptotically normal distribution for the number of vertices at the smallest containment level as well as their covariances with the number of vertices at the second smallest containment level and the variances of these numbers. The orders in the variance–covariance matrix establish concentration laws.
Moral injury and peri- and post-military suicide attempts among post-9/11 veterans
Authors: Maguen Shira , Griffin Brandon J. , Vogt Dawne , Hoffmire Claire A. , Blosnich John R. , Bernhard Paul A. , Akhtar Fatema Z. , Cypel Yasmin S. , Schneiderman Aaron I.
Published: January 2022

Background

Our goal was to examine the association between moral injury, mental health, and suicide attempts during military service and after separation by gender in post-9/11 veterans.

Methods

A nationally representative sample of 14057 veterans completed a cross-sectional survey. To examine associations of exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs; witnessing, perpetrating, and betrayal) and suicidal self-directed violence, we estimated two series of multivariable logistic regressions stratified by gender, with peri- and post-military suicide attempt as the dependent variables.

Results

PMIE exposure accounted for additional risk of suicide attempt during and after military service after controlling for demographic and military characteristics, current mental health status, and pre-military history of suicidal ideation and attempt. Men who endorsed PMIE exposure by perpetration were 50% more likely to attempt suicide during service and twice as likely to attempt suicide after separating from service. Men who endorsed betrayal were nearly twice as likely to attempt suicide during service; however, this association attenuated to non-significance after separation in the fully adjusted models. In contrast, women who endorsed betrayal were over 50% more likely to attempt suicide during service and after separation; PMIE exposure by perpetration did not significantly predict suicide attempts before or after service among women in the fully adjusted models.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that suicide assessment and prevention programs should consider the impact of moral injury and attend to gender differences in this risk factor in order to provide the most comprehensive care.
Comparisons of habitat types and host tree species across a threatened Caribbean orchid’s core and edge distribution
Authors: Borrero Haydee , Alvarez Julio C. , Prieto Ramona O. , Liu Hong
Published: January 2022

Tropical forest ecosystems are rich in epiphytes that make up a significant portion of the overall plant diversity. However, epiphytic plants are often understudied due to inaccessibility and the lack of basic ecological information poses challenges to their conservation, particularly in a time of rapid global change. The mule-ear orchid,Trichocentrum undulatum(Orchidaceae), is a large flowering epiphyte found in southern Florida (USA), the Greater, and Lesser Antilles including Cuba. The plant is Florida state-listed as endangered with only one remaining small and declining population in a coastal mangrove forest due to historical extraction and habitat destruction. Currently, there is no systematic understanding of the species’ habitat requirements. To fill this void, we compared the habitat and microhabitat of the species on its northern distribution edge (southern Florida) and the core range (in Cuba). The Florida population has only one host species,Conocarpus erectus, found in one habitat type. This is in sharp contrast to the 92 documented hosts and 5 habitats across 8 provinces in Cuba. Based on our findings from Cuba, we suggest conservation and restoration options in Florida by proposing potential suitable host plants and habitats. Proactive restoration of this species will help to ease the threat from sea-level rise to the species by securing and expanding range margins.
Longitudinal associations between specific types of emotional reactivity and psychological, physical health, and school adjustment
Authors: Dollar Jessica M. , Perry Nicole B. , Calkins Susan D. , Shanahan Lilly , Keane Susan P. , Shriver Lenka , Wideman Laurie
Published: January 2022

Using a multimethod, multiinformant longitudinal design, we examined associations between specific forms of positive and negative emotional reactivity at age 5, children’s effortful control (EC), emotion regulation, and social skills at age 7, and adolescent functioning across psychological, academic, and physical health domains at ages 15/16 (N= 383). We examined how distinct components of childhood emotional reactivity directly and indirectly predict domain-specific forms of adolescent adjustment, thereby identifying developmental pathways between specific types of emotional reactivity and adjustment above and beyond the propensity to express other forms of emotional reactivity. Age 5 high-intensity positivity was associated with lower age 7 EC and more adolescent risk-taking; age 5 low-intensity positivity was associated with better age 7 EC and adolescent cardiovascular health, providing evidence for the heterogeneity of positive emotional reactivity. Indirect effects indicated that children’s age 7 social skills partially explain several associations between age 5 fear and anger reactivity and adolescent adjustment. Moreover, age 5 anger reactivity, low-, and high-intensity positivity were associated with adolescent adjustment via age 7 EC. The findings from this interdisciplinary, long-term longitudinal study have significant implications for prevention and intervention work aiming to understand the role of emotional reactivity in the etiology of adjustment and psychopathology.
Modeling Large‐Scale Heatwave by Incorporating Enhanced Urban Representation
Authors: Patel Pratiman , Jamshidi Sajad , Nadimpalli Raghu , Aliaga Daniel G. , Mills Gerald , Chen Fei , Demuzere Matthias , Niyogi Dev
Published: January 2022

This study evaluates the impact of land surface models (LSMs) and urban heterogeneity [using local climate zones (LCZs)] on air temperature simulated by the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) during a regional extreme event. We simulated the 2017 heatwave over Europe considering four scenarios, using WRF coupled with two LSMs (i.e., Noah and Noah‐MP) with default land use/land cover (LULC) and with LCZs from the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT). The results showed that implementing the LCZs significantly improves the WRF simulations of the daily temperature regardless of the LSMs. Implementing the LCZs altered the surface energy balance partitioning in the simulations (i.e., the sensible heat flux was reduced and latent heat flux was increased) primarily due to a higher vegetation feedback in the LCZs. The changes in the surface flux translated into an increase in the simulated 2‐m relative humidity and 10‐m wind speed as well as changed air temperature within cities section and generated a temperature gradient that affected the temperatures beyond the urban regions. Despite these changes, the factor separation analysis indicated that the impact of LSM selection was more significant than the inclusion of LCZs. Interestingly, the lowest bias in temperature simulations was achieved when WRF was coupled with the Noah as the LSM and used WUDAPT as the LULC/urban representation.
Understanding the Excitation of Quasi‐6‐Day Waves in Both Hemispheres During the September 2019 Antarctic SSW
Authors: Ma Zheng , Gong Yun , Zhang Shaodong , Xiao Qiao , Xue Junwei , Huang Chunming , Huang Kaiming
Published: January 2022

Responses of quasi‐6‐day waves (Q6DWs) to the extreme 2019 Antarctic stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) have been widely reported in the ionosphere, while the excitation mechanism of the global Q6DWs is still unclear in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. According to the Aura satellite measurements, the amplitudes of the Q6DWs in the upper MLT region are found to be higher than their climatological activities from 2005 to 2020 at mid‐latitudes in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Combined with the Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 data, the trigger mechanisms of the global enhanced Q6DWs are investigated by tracing their sources and propagations. Our analysis indicates that the equatorward propagation induced by the SSW is the main reason for the enhanced Q6DWs in the upper MLT at mid‐latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, and the main source of the Q6DWs in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal variability. Besides, interhemispheric propagations also contribute to the amplification of Q6DWs during the 2019 Antarctic SSW.
Geometry and Segmentation of Cerberus Fossae, Mars: Implications for Marsquake Properties
Authors: Perrin C. , Jacob A. , Lucas A. , Myhill R. , Hauber E. , Batov A. , Gudkova T. , Rodriguez S. , Lognonné P. , Stevanović J. , Drilleau M. , Fuji N.
Published: January 2022

The NASA InSight mission to Mars successfully landed on 26 November 2018 in Elysium Planitia. It aims to characterize the seismic activity and aid in the understanding of the internal structure of Mars. We focus on the Cerberus Fossae region, a giant fracture network ∼1,200 km long situated east of the InSight landing site where M ∼3 marsquakes were detected during the past 2 years. It is formed of five main fossae located on the southeast of the Elysium Mons volcanic rise. We perform a detailed mapping of the entire system based on high‐resolution satellite images and Digital Elevation Models. The refined cartography reveals a range of morphologies associated with dike activity at depth. Width and throw measurements of the fossae are linearly correlated, suggesting a possible tectonic control on the shapes of the fossae. Widths and throws decrease toward the east, indicating the long‐term direction of propagation of the dike‐induced graben system. They also give insights into the geometry at depth and how the possible faults and fractures are rooted in the crust. The exceptional preservation of the fossae allows us to detect up to four scales of segmentation, each formed by a similar number of 3–4 segments/subsegments. This generic distribution is comparable to continental faults and fractures on Earth. We anticipate higher stress and potential marsquakes within intersegment zones and at graben tips.
RapidET: a MEMS-based platform for label-free and rapid demarcation of tumors from normal breast biopsy tissues
Authors: G. K. Anil Vishnu , Gogoi Gayatri , Behera Bhagaban , Rila Saeed , Rangarajan Annapoorni , Pandya Hardik J.
Published: January 2022

The rapid and label-free diagnosis of malignancies in ex vivo breast biopsy tissues has significant utility in pathology laboratories and operating rooms. We report a MEMS-based platform integrated with microchips that performs phenotyping of breast biopsy tissues using electrothermal sensing. The microchip, fabricated on a silicon substrate, incorporates a platinum microheater, interdigitated electrodes (IDEs), and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) as on-chip sensing elements. The microchips are integrated onto the platform using a slide-fit contact enabling quick replacement for biological measurements. The bulk resistivity (ρB), surface resistivity (ρS), and thermal conductivity (k) of deparaffinized and formalin-fixed paired tumor and adjacent normal breast biopsy samples fromN = 8 patients were measured. For formalin-fixed samples, the meanρBfor tumors showed a statistically significant fold change of 4.42 (P = 0.014) when the tissue was heated from 25 °C to 37 °C compared to the adjacent normal tissue, which showed a fold change of 3.47. The meanρSmeasurements also showed a similar trend. The meankof the formalin-fixed tumor tissues was 0.309 ± 0.02 W m−1 K−1compared to a significantly higherkof 0.563 ± 0.028 W m−1 K−1for the adjacent normal tissues. A similar trend was observed inρB,ρS,andkfor the deparaffinized tissue samples. An analysis of a combination ofρB,ρS, andkusing Fisher’s combined probability test and linear regression suggests the advantage of using all three parameters simultaneously for distinguishing tumors from adjacent normal tissues with higher statistical significance.
Ketogenic diet for human diseases: the underlying mechanisms and potential for clinical implementations
Authors: Zhu Huiyuan , Bi Dexi , Zhang Youhua , Kong Cheng , Du Jiahao , Wu Xiawei , Wei Qing , Qin Huanlong
Published: January 2022

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, adequate-protein, and very-low-carbohydrate diet regimen that mimics the metabolism of the fasting state to induce the production of ketone bodies. The KD has long been established as a remarkably successful dietary approach for the treatment of intractable epilepsy and has increasingly garnered research attention rapidly in the past decade, subject to emerging evidence of the promising therapeutic potential of the KD for various diseases, besides epilepsy, from obesity to malignancies. In this review, we summarize the experimental and/or clinical evidence of the efficacy and safety of the KD in different diseases, and discuss the possible mechanisms of action based on recent advances in understanding the influence of the KD at the cellular and molecular levels. We emphasize that the KD may function through multiple mechanisms, which remain to be further elucidated. The challenges and future directions for the clinical implementation of the KD in the treatment of a spectrum of diseases have been discussed. We suggest that, with encouraging evidence of therapeutic effects and increasing insights into the mechanisms of action, randomized controlled trials should be conducted to elucidate a foundation for the clinical use of the KD.
Organochlorine contamination enriches virus-encoded metabolism and pesticide degradation associated auxiliary genes in soil microbiomes
Authors: Zheng Xiaoxuan , Jahn Martin T , Sun Mingming , Friman Ville-Petri , Balcazar Jose Luis , Wang Jinfeng , Shi Yu , Gong Xin , Hu Feng , Zhu Yong-Guan
Published: January 2022

Viruses significantly influence local and global biogeochemical cycles and help bacteria to survive in different environments by encoding various auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) associated with energy acquisition, stress tolerance and degradation of xenobiotics. Here we studied whether bacterial (dsDNA) virus encoded AMGs are enriched in organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contaminated soil in China and if viral AMGs include genes linked to OCP biodegradation. Using metagenomics, we found that OCP-contaminated soils displayed a lower bacterial, but higher diversity of viruses that harbored a higher relative abundance of AMGs linked to pesticide degradation and metabolism. Furthermore, the diversity and relative abundance of AMGs significantly increased along with the severity of pesticide contamination, and several biodegradation genes were identified bioinformatically in viral metagenomes. Functional assays were conducted to experimentally demonstrate that virus-encoded L-2-haloacid dehalogenase gene (L-DEX) is responsible for the degradation of L-2-haloacid pesticide precursors, improving bacterial growth at sub-inhibitory pesticide concentrations. Taken together, these results demonstrate that virus-encoded AMGs are linked to bacterial metabolism and biodegradation, being more abundant and diverse in soils contaminated with pesticides. Moreover, our findings highlight the importance of virus-encoded accessory genes for bacterial ecology in stressful environments, providing a novel avenue for using viruses in the bioremediation of contaminated soils.
Evidence and consequences of academic drift in the field of dental research: A bibliometric analysis 2000–2015
Authors: van der Wouden Puck , van der Heijden Geert , Shemesh Hagay , van den Besselaar Peter
Published: January 2022

The mission of academic excellence has resulted in a science system that incentivises publications within high impact, often basic science journals, and less in application-oriented journals. For the dental research field this so-called academic drift can result in a research portfolio that moves away from research that serves dental healthcare. Therefore, we examined if and how academic drift has changed the dental research field. Web of Science data were used to develop a network map for dental research containing journal clusters that show similar citation behavior. From the year 2000 up to 2015, we explored the intensity of knowledge exchange between the different clusters through citation relations. Next, we analyzed changes in research focus of dental research institutes in seven countries, in dental research, clinical medicine research, basic science, public health research and other fields. Within the citation network, 85.5% of all references in dental journals concern references to other dental journals. The knowledge contribution of non-dental research fields to dental research was limited during the studied period. At the same time, the share of output of dental research institutes in dental research has declined. The research activity of the dental research institutes increased mainly in basic science while the knowledge input from basic science into dental research did not increase. Our findings suggest that the dental research portfolio is influenced by academic drift. This academic drift has increased the disbalance towards basic science, and presents a challenge for the scientific progress in dental healthcare services.
The histone methyltransferase DOT1L is a new epigenetic regulator of pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Yang Di , Xu Peng , Su Haibi , Zhong Wen , Xu Jie , Su Zhenghua , Liu Xinhua
Published: January 2022

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease with increasing occurrence, high death rates, and unfavorable treatment regimens. The pathogenesis underlying IPF is complex and the epigenetic contributions to IPF are largely unknown. Recent studies have shown that DOT1L (Disruptor of telomeric silencing-1 like), a histone H3K79 methyltransferase, contributes to fibrosis response, but its role in IPF remains unclear. DOT1L, H3K79me3, and the profibrotic proteins levels were upregulated in the pulmonary fibrosis models both in vivo and in vitro. Lentivirus-mediated DOT1L knockdown or DOT1L-specific inhibitor EPZ5676 alleviated the pathogenesis of bleomycin-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, heterozygous DOT1L-deficient mice (Dot1l+/−) showed less sensitive to pulmonary fibrosis, as shown by decreased lung fibrosis phenotypes in vivo. Mechanically, DOT1L regulated TGF-β1-induced fibroblasts fibrosis by increasing enrichments of H3K79me3 on the promoter of Jag1 gene (encoding the Notch ligand Jagged1), enhancing the expression of Jagged1, which in turn stimulated exuberant Notch signaling and actuated the fibrosis response. In conclusion, our study confirmed DOT1L to be an epigenetic modifier in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis, revealed a counterbalancing mechanism governing Jag1 transcription by modulating H3K79 trimethylation at the Jag1 promoter, activating the Notch signaling, and affecting the expression of profibrotic proteins to accelerate the lung fibrosis.
Blocking autophagy overcomes resistance to dual histone deacetylase and proteasome inhibition in gynecologic cancer
Authors: Bi Jianling , Zhang Yuping , Malmrose Paige K. , Losh Haley A. , Newtson Andreea M. , Devor Eric J. , Thiel Kristina W. , Leslie Kimberly K.
Published: January 2022

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors and proteasome inhibitors have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of multiple myeloma and lymphoma, respectively, but have not achieved similar activity as single agents in solid tumors. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the activity of the combination of an HDAC inhibitor and a proteasome inhibitor in a variety of tumor models. However, the mechanisms underlying sensitivity and resistance to this combination are not well-understood. This study explores the role of autophagy in adaptive resistance to dual HDAC and proteasome inhibition. Studies focus on ovarian and endometrial gynecologic cancers, two diseases with high mortality and a need for novel treatment approaches. We found that nanomolar concentrations of the proteasome inhibitor ixazomib and HDAC inhibitor romidepsin synergistically induce cell death in the majority of gynecologic cancer cells and patient-derived organoid (PDO) models created using endometrial and ovarian patient tumor tissue. However, some models were not sensitive to this combination, and mechanistic studies implicated autophagy as the main mediator of cell survival in the context of dual HDAC and proteasome inhibition. Whereas the combination of ixazomib and romidepsin reduces autophagy in sensitive gynecologic cancer models, autophagy is induced following drug treatment of resistant cells. Pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of autophagy in resistant cells reverses drug resistance as evidenced by an enhanced anti-tumor response both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a role for autophagic-mediated cell survival in proteasome inhibitor and HDAC inhibitor-resistant gynecologic cancer cells. These data reveal a new approach to overcome drug resistance by inhibiting the autophagy pathway.
MCAD deficiency caused by compound heterozygous pathogenic variants in ACADM
Authors: Nohara Fumikatsu , Tajima Go , Sasai Hideo , Makita Yoshio
Published: January 2022

Medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency is an autosomal recessive disease caused by biallelic pathogenic ACADM variants. We report a case of an asymptomatic Japanese girl with MCAD deficiency caused by compound heterozygous pathogenic variants (NM_000016.5:c.1040G > T (p.Gly347Val) and c.449_452delCTGA (p.Thr150ArgfsTer4)). Because the MCAD residual activity in lymphocytes of the patient was below the limit of quantification, both variants are likely to cause complete loss of MCAD enzymatic activity.
Synthetic DNA applications in information technology
Authors: Meiser Linda C. , Nguyen Bichlien H. , Chen Yuan-Jyue , Nivala Jeff , Strauss Karin , Ceze Luis , Grass Robert N.
Published: January 2022

Synthetic DNA is a growing alternative to electronic-based technologies in fields such as data storage, product tagging, or signal processing. Its value lies in its characteristic attributes, namely Watson-Crick base pairing, array synthesis, sequencing, toehold displacement and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) capabilities. In this review, we provide an overview of the most prevalent applications of synthetic DNA that could shape the future of information technology. We emphasize the reasons why the biomolecule can be a valuable alternative for conventional electronic-based media, and give insights on where the DNA-analog technology stands with respect to its electronic counterparts.
Giant room temperature compression and bending in ferroelectric oxide pillars
Authors: Liu Ying , Cui Xiangyuan , Niu Ranming , Zhang Shujun , Liao Xiaozhou , Moss Scott D. , Finkel Peter , Garbrecht Magnus , Ringer Simon P. , Cairney Julie M.
Published: January 2022

Plastic deformation in ceramic materials is normally only observed in nanometre-sized samples. However, we have observed high levels of plasticity (>50% plastic strain) and excellent elasticity (6% elastic strain) in perovskite oxide Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3, under compression along <100>pc pillars up to 2.1 μm in diameter. The extent of this deformation is much higher than has previously been reported for ceramic materials, and the sample size at which plasticity is observed is almost an order of magnitude larger. Bending tests also revealed over 8% flexural strain. Plastic deformation occurred by slip along {110} <1$$\bar{1}$$

1

¯

0 > . Calculations indicate that the resulting strain gradients will give rise to giant flexoelectric polarization. First principles models predict that a high concentration of oxygen vacancies weaken the covalent/ionic bonds, giving rise to the unexpected plasticity. Mechanical testing on oxygen vacancies-rich Mn-doped Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 confirmed this prediction. These findings will facilitate the design of plastic ceramic materials and the development of flexoelectric-based nano-electromechanical systems.
Epigenetic aging of the demographically non-aging naked mole-rat
Authors: Kerepesi Csaba , Meer Margarita V. , Ablaeva Julia , Amoroso Vince G. , Lee Sang-Goo , Zhang Bohan , Gerashchenko Maxim V. , Trapp Alexandre , Yim Sun Hee , Lu Ake T. , Levine Morgan E. , Seluanov Andrei , Horvath Steve , Park Thomas J. , Gorbunova Vera , Gladyshev Vadim N.
Published: January 2022

The naked mole-rat (NMR) is an exceptionally long-lived rodent that shows no increase of mortality with age, defining it as a demographically non-aging mammal. Here, we perform bisulfite sequencing of the blood of > 100 NMRs, assessing > 3 million common CpG sites. Unsupervised clustering based on sites whose methylation correlates with age reveals an age-related methylome remodeling, and we also observe a methylome information loss, suggesting that NMRs age. We develop an epigenetic aging clock that accurately predicts the NMR age. We show that these animals age much slower than mice and much faster than humans, consistent with their known maximum lifespans. Interestingly, patterns of age-related changes of clock sites in Tert and Prpf19 differ between NMRs and mice, but there are also sites conserved between the two species. Together, the data indicate that NMRs, like other mammals, epigenetically age even in the absence of demographic aging of this species.
Low N2O and variable CH4 fluxes from tropical forest soils of the Congo Basin
Authors: Barthel Matti , Bauters Marijn , Baumgartner Simon , Drake Travis W. , Bey Nivens Mokwele , Bush Glenn , Boeckx Pascal , Botefa Clement Ikene , Dériaz Nathanaël , Ekamba Gode Lompoko , Gallarotti Nora , Mbayu Faustin M. , Mugula John Kalume , Makelele Isaac Ahanamungu , Mbongo Christian Ekamba , Mohn Joachim , Mandea Joseph Zambo , Mpambi Davin Mata , Ntaboba Landry Cizungu , Rukeza Montfort Bagalwa , Spencer Robert G. M. , Summerauer Laura , Vanlauwe Bernard , Van Oost Kristof , Wolf Benjamin , Six Johan
Published: January 2022

Globally, tropical forests are assumed to be an important source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O) and sink for methane (CH4). Yet, although the Congo Basin comprises the second largest tropical forest and is considered the most pristine large basin left on Earth, in situ N2O and CH4 flux measurements are scarce. Here, we provide multi-year data derived from on-ground soil flux (n = 1558) and riverine dissolved gas concentration (n = 332) measurements spanning montane, swamp, and lowland forests. Each forest type core monitoring site was sampled at least for one hydrological year between 2016 - 2020 at a frequency of 7-14 days. We estimate a terrestrial CH4 uptake (in kg CH4-C ha−1 yr−1) for montane (−4.28) and lowland forests (−3.52) and a massive CH4 release from swamp forests (non-inundated 2.68; inundated 341). All investigated forest types were a N2O source (except for inundated swamp forest) with 0.93, 1.56, 3.5, and −0.19 kg N2O-N ha−1 yr−1 for montane, lowland, non-inundated swamp, and inundated swamp forests, respectively.