bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transfer of nuclear and ribosomal material from Sox10-lineage cells to neurons in the mouse brain
Authors: Mayrhofer Florian , Hanson Angela M. , Navedo Manuel F. , Xiang Yang K. , Soulika Athena M. , Deng Wenbin , Chechneva Olga V.
Published: April 2023

Material transfer is an essential form of intercellular communication to exchange information and resources between cells. Material transfer between neurons and from glia to neurons has been demonstrated to support neuronal survival and activity. Understanding the extent of material transfer in the healthy nervous system is limited. Here we report that in the mouse central nervous system (CNS), neurons receive nuclear and ribosomal material of Sox10-lineage cell (SOL) origin. We show that transfer of SOL-derived material to neurons is region dependent, establishes during postnatal brain maturation, and dynamically responds to LPS-induced neuroinflammation in the adult mouse brain. We identified satellite oligodendrocyte–neuron pairs with loss of plasma membrane integrity between nuclei, suggesting direct material transfer. Together, our findings provide evidence of regionally coordinated transfer of SOL-derived nuclear and ribosomal material to neurons in the mouse CNS, with potential implications for the understanding and modulation of neuronal function and treatment of neurological disorders.
GRB2 promotes thymocyte positive selection by facilitating THEMIS-mediated inactivation of SHP1
Authors: Choi Seeyoung , Hatzihristidis Teri , Gaud Guillaume , Dutta Avik , Lee Jan , Arya Awadhesh , Clubb Lauren M. , Stamos Daniel B. , Markovics Adrienn , Mikecz Katalin , Love Paul
Published: April 2023

The T-lineage restricted protein THEMIS has been shown to play a critical role in T cell development. THEMIS, via its distinctive CABIT domains, inhibits the catalytic activity of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP1 (PTPN6). SHP1 and THEMIS bind to the ubiquitous cytosolic adapter GRB2, and the purported formation of a tri-molecular THEMIS–GRB2–SHP1 complex facilitates inactivation of SHP1 by THEMIS. The importance of this function of GRB2 among its numerous documented activities is unclear as GRB2 binds to multiple proteins and participates in several signaling responses in thymocytes. Here, we show that similar to Themis−/− thymocytes, the primary molecular defect in GRB2-deficient thymocytes is increased catalytically active SHP1 and the developmental block in GRB2-deficient thymocytes is alleviated by deletion or inhibition of SHP1 and is exacerbated by SHP1 overexpression. Thus, the principal role of GRB2 during T cell development is to promote THEMIS-mediated inactivation of SHP1 thereby enhancing the sensitivity of TCR signaling in CD4+CD8+ thymocytes to low affinity positively selecting self-ligands.
The contribution of N-terminal truncated cMyBPC to in vivo cardiac function
Authors: Dominic Katherine L. , Choi Joohee , Holmes Joshua B. , Singh Mandeep , Majcher Michael J. , Stelzer Julian E.
Published: April 2023

Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBPC) is an 11-domain sarcomeric protein (C0–C10) integral to cardiac muscle regulation. In vitro studies have demonstrated potential functional roles for regions beyond the N-terminus. However, the in vivo contributions of these domains are mostly unknown. Therefore, we examined the in vivo consequences of expression of N-terminal truncated cMyBPC (C3C10). Neonatal cMyBPC−/− mice were injected with AAV9-full length (FL), C3C10 cMyBPC, or saline, and echocardiography was performed 6 wk after injection. We then isolated skinned myocardium from virus-treated hearts and performed mechanical experiments. Our results show that expression of C3C10 cMyBPC in cMyBPC−/− mice resulted in a 28% increase in systolic ejection fraction compared to saline-injected cMyBPC−/− mice and a 25% decrease in left ventricle mass-to-body weight ratio. However, unlike expression of FL cMyBPC, there was no prolongation of ejection time compared to saline-injected mice. In vitro mechanical experiments demonstrated that functional improvements in cMyBPC−/− mice expressing C3C10 were primarily due to a 35% reduction in the rate of cross-bridge recruitment at submaximal Ca2+ concentrations when compared to hearts from saline-injected cMyBPC−/− mice. However, unlike the expression of FL cMyBPC, there was no change in the rate of cross-bridge detachment when compared to saline-injected mice. Our data demonstrate that regions of cMyBPC beyond the N-terminus are important for in vivo cardiac function, and have divergent effects on cross-bridge behavior. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cMyBPC region-specific function could allow for development of targeted approaches to manipulate specific aspects of cardiac contractile function.
Influence of rare earth metals on volumetric characteristics of Al-Ni-Co-R alloys in crystalline and liquid states
Authors: Rusanov B A , Sidorov V E
Published: April 2023

Density of Al-Ni-Co-R (R = Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Yb) glass-forming alloys is studied experimentally by gamma-absorption method in a wide temperature range including crystalline and liquid states. Molar volumes and thermal expansion coefficients are calculated from the experimental data. It is shown that these melts remain strongly microheterogeneous systems at small overheatings above liquidus. Some regimes of melt heat treatment before quenching are discussed.
An FPGA-based dual-wavelength correlated imaging system with flexible frame rates for temperature distributions
Authors: Li Weiqing , Cao Zhang , Zhang Hongyu , Zhang Wanpeng , Xu Lijun
Published: April 2023

A correlated imaging system with a flexible frame rate was proposed and fabricated on a field programmable gate array for the acquisition of temperature images. Real-time images of temperatures are reconstructed on chip at a frame rate of 10 Hz, and higher rates up to 1280 frames per second are also achieved in the case of resolution sacrifice. The compressive sensing method enables the flexible frame rate for dynamic temperature images. An incandescent filament was imaged and compared using the proposed imaging system and a commercial charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Reconstructed images of temperature distributions agree well with those from the camera in the range from 1500 K to 2500 K. Moreover, the proposed system captures the excitation frequency of an acoustically excited flame by varying the frame rate. The simple structure and flexible frame rate provide an alternative to dynamical temperature imaging, especially in cases where the common CCD camera fails to work due to its slow response.
The metrological structural resolution for dimensional x-ray CT: analysis of the comparability between the CEB and the PBS method
Authors: Laquai René , Illemann Jens , Bartscher Markus , Neuschaefer-Rube Ulrich
Published: April 2023

The metrological structural resolution (MSR) describes the size of the smallest surface feature that can be measured dimensionally with a given accuracy. Several methods to determine the MSR for dimensional x-ray CT (dXCT) have been proposed in the past, two of which are compared and related in this publication, i.e. the curved-edge based (CEB) and the profile-based spectral (PBS) method. Both methods consider the surface structure as being described by a single surface on the relevant local scale and are also suitable for the application to optical or tactile coordinate measurement systems (CMSs). The CEB method evaluates the radii of circular shapes to determine the width of the Gaussian filter that describes the filtering of the surface by the CMS. The PBS method evaluates the instrument transfer function (ITF) determined by means of the measurement of a surface profile with a broad-band spatial frequency spectrum with a finite cut-off frequency. The PBS method yields the threshold wavelength for which the amplitude of the ITF drops below a certain level. While the resulting quantities of the two methods are very different they evaluate the same characteristic of the CMS. In this publication an analytical relation between those results is derived and shown to exist which is used to define the MSR. Simulated CT scans as well as dXCT measurements are performed to verify this relation. The results for the MSR obtained from both methods are consistent and deviations to the expectations based on theory are within a reasonable range.
Key research development by Prof Mark Reed in molecular electronic devices
Authors: Chen Jia , Lee Takhee , Zhou Chongwu
Published: April 2023

In memory of Professor Mark Reed, who passed away on May 5, 2021, this article summarizes a series of his past groundbreaking developments in molecular electronic devices. Specifically, three key reports are summarized; measurement of the electrical conductance of molecular junctions using the mechanically controlled break junction technique and demonstration of negative differential resistance and orbital gating effect observed in molecular junctions. Also, a brief outlook on molecular electronics research field is addressed.
Combined effects of nanoparticle size, and nanoparticle and surfactant concentrations on the evaporative kinetics, dried morphologies, and plasmonic property of gold colloidal dispersion droplets
Authors: Zaibudeen A W , Bandyopadhyay Ranjini
Published: April 2023

Understanding the combined influence of various parameters on the formation and morphologies of distinct solute deposit patterns obtained after droplet drying is essential for developing numerous real-time applications. In this work, gold nanoparticle (Au-NP) dispersion droplets are dried on a hydrophilic substrate and the coupled effects of nanoparticle size, and nanoparticle and surfactant (CTAB) concentrations on the evaporative kinetics and evaporation-induced nanoparticle assemblies in dried deposit patterns are studied using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The distinct stages of drying of a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) stabilized Au-NP dispersion droplet, such as the evolutions of pinning, depinning, and a depletion region, change drastically for a combined increase of CTAB concentration and nanoparticle size for different nanoparticle concentrations. Accordingly, the dried pattern is composed of distinct regions of closely bound ordered Au-NP assemblies coexisting with loosely bound disordered packings of Au-NPs that form inside and outside the coffee stain pattern. The multilayers of densely packed and hexagonally arranged Au-NPs at the outer coffee stain edge are tested for surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity against a standard probe molecule (Rhodamine B—RhB). The least detection limit of RhB at the outer coffee stain edge improves by three orders of magnitude with increasing nanoparticle concentrations and nanoparticle sizes. The present study demonstrates that the drying kinetics, distinct dried deposit morphologies, and the limit of plasmonic activity of the deposited Au-NPs can be fine-tuned via a combined variation of CTAB concentration, nanoparticle size, and nanoparticle concentration in the Au-NP dispersion droplet.
A discontinuity-preserving regularization for deep learning-based cardiac image registration
Authors: Lu Jiayi , Jin Renchao , Wang Manyang , Song Enmin , Ma Guangzhi
Published: April 2023

Objective. Sliding motion may occur between organs in anatomical regions due to respiratory motion and heart beating. This issue is often neglected in previous studies, resulting in poor image registration performance. A new approach is proposed to handle discontinuity at the boundary and improve registration accuracy. Approach. The proposed discontinuity-preserving regularization (DPR) term can maintain local discontinuities. It leverages the segmentation mask to find organ boundaries and then relaxes the displacement field constraints in these boundary regions. A weakly supervised method using mask dissimilarity loss (MDL) is also proposed. It employs a simple formula to calculate the similarity between the fixed image mask and the deformed moving image mask. These two strategies are added to the loss function during network training to guide the model better to update parameters. Furthermore, during inference time, no segmentation mask information is needed. Main results. Adding the proposed DPR term increases the Dice coefficients by 0.005, 0.009, and 0.081 for three existing registration neural networks CRNet, VoxelMorph, and ViT-V-Net, respectively. It also shows significant improvements in other metrics, including Hausdorff Distance and Average Surface Distance. All quantitative indicator results with MDL have been slightly improved within 1%. After applying these two regularization terms, the generated displacement field is more reasonable at the boundary, and the deformed moving image is closer to the fixed image. Significance. This study demonstrates that the proposed regularization terms can effectively handle discontinuities at the boundaries of organs and improve the accuracy of deep learning-based cardiac image registration methods. Besides, they are generic to be extended to other networks.
Online adaptive planning methods for intensity-modulated radiotherapy
Authors: Qiu Zihang , Olberg Sven , den Hertog Dick , Ajdari Ali , Bortfeld Thomas , Pursley Jennifer
Published: April 2023

Online adaptive radiation therapy aims at adapting a patient's treatment plan to their current anatomy to account for inter-fraction variations before daily treatment delivery. As this process needs to be accomplished while the patient is immobilized on the treatment couch, it requires time-efficient adaptive planning methods to generate a quality daily treatment plan rapidly. The conventional planning methods do not meet the time requirement of online adaptive radiation therapy because they often involve excessive human intervention, significantly prolonging the planning phase. This article reviews the planning strategies employed by current commercial online adaptive radiation therapy systems, research on online adaptive planning, and artificial intelligence’s potential application to online adaptive planning.
Entanglement meter: estimation of entanglement with single copy in interferometer
Authors: Kanjilal Som , Pandey Vivek , Pati Arun Kumar
Published: April 2023

Efficient certification and quantification of high dimensional entanglement of composite systems are challenging both theoretically as well as experimentally. Here, we demonstrate how to measure the linear entropy, negativity and the Schmidt number of bipartite systems from the visibility of Mach–Zehnder interferometer using single copies of the quantum state. Our result shows that for any two qubit pure bipartite state, the interference visibility is a direct measure of entanglement. We also propose how to measure the mutual predictability experimentally from the intensity patterns of the interferometric set-up without having to resort to local measurements of mutually unbiased bases. Furthermore, we show that the entanglement witness operator can be measured in a interference setup and the phase shift is sensitive to the separable or entangled nature of the state. Our proposal bring out the power of Interferometric set-up in entanglement detection of pure and several mixed states which paves the way towards design of entanglement meter.
Simultaneous stabilization and control of the n = 1 and n = 2 resistive wall mode
Authors: Battey A.F. , Hanson J.M. , Bialek J. , Turco F. , Navratil G.A. , Logan N.C.
Published: April 2023

DIII-D experiments demonstrate simultaneous stability measurements and control of resistive wall modes (RWMs) with toroidal mode numbers n = 1 and n = 2. RWMs with n > 1 are sometimes observed on DIII-D following the successful feedback stabilization of the n = 1 mode, motivating the development of multi-n control. A new model-based multi-mode feedback algorithm based on the VALEN physics code has been implemented on the DIII-D tokamak using a real-time GPU installed directly into the DIII-D plasma control system. In addition to stabilizing RWMs, the feedback seeks to control the stable plasma error field response, enabling compensation of the typically unaddressed DIII-D n = 2 error field component. Experiments recently demonstrated this algorithm’s ability to simultaneously control n = 1 and n = 2 perturbed fields for the first time in a tokamak, using reactor relevant external coils. Control was maintained for hundreds of wall-times above the n = 1 no-wall pressure limit and approaching the n = 1 and n = 2 ideal-wall limits. Furthermore, a rotating non-zero target was set for the feedback, allowing stability to be assessed by monitoring the rotating plasma response (PR) while maintaining control. This novel technique can be viewed as a closed-loop extension of active MHD spectroscopy, which has been used to validate stability models through comparisons of the PR to applied, open-loop perturbations. The closed-loop response measurements are consistent with open-loop MHD spectroscopy data over a wide range of β

N
approaching the n = 1 ideal-wall limit. These PR measurements were then fit to produce both VALEN and single-mode stability models. These models allowed for important plasma stability information to be determined and have been shown to agree with experimentally observed RWM growth rates.
Charismatic Megafauna in Southeast Asia
Authors: Zakaria Faizah Binte
Published: April 2023

“Charismatic megafauna” refers to species of large mammals which engender widespread affection and serve as a focal point to mobilize conservation action. Most commonly associated with elephants, tigers, and orangutans, these animals play critical roles in the cultural, economic, political, and social histories of human communities. In the royal courts, they were harnessed to uphold premodern political authority and maintain military might, helping a ruler to exert control over his subjects. Among settled agriculturalists, they regularly came into conflict over destruction of crops and competition for ranging space but were concurrently part of everyday religious life. Animal charisma in this region emerged from shared experiences living in liminal spaces between wilderness and civilization, where relationships of codependence might emerge amid feelings of fear and awe. The hardening of nature–culture boundaries and intensified resource extraction during the modern period unraveled some of these relationships, placing wildlife in a vulnerable position. This troubled history suggests that conservation efforts need to take into account why particular species inspired a certain affect, not only to galvanize human energy to save them from extinction but also to reimagine spatial arrangements so as to accommodate cohabitation between humans and nonhumans.
Infrastructure Development in Xinjiang
Authors: Rippa Alessandro
Published: April 2023

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region covers one-sixth of the entire territory of the People’s Republic of China and shares international borders with eight countries. Rich in natural resources, Xinjiang is home to several Turkic-speaking, Muslim Indigenous groups. Following Xinjiang’s formal incorporation into the Qing empire as a province in the late 19th century, recent scholarship shows how the region was subjected to a colonial-like civilizing project, in part carried out through large state investments in infrastructure. These covered agriculture, mining, and connectivity infrastructure, as well as a growing number of Han migrants settling into new urban centers. While the last few decades of the Qing administration and the convoluted Republican period that followed them (1912–1949) did not deliver much of what was planned, this phase would nevertheless define the approach taken later by the Chinese Communist Party toward Xinjiang. Since the Communist takeover in 1949, in fact, the way in which the Chinese authorities see Xinjiang has crystallized: as a potential economic outpost and a restless frontier space in need of further integration. This is particularly evident in Xinjiang’s history in the 21st century, as the region is both a backbone of transnational connectivity as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, and the site of one of the world’s most severe security apparatuses.
Terrorism and Violence in North America
Authors: Husain Atiya
Published: April 2023

Even among those most invested in defining “terrorism,” there is an inability to agree on a shared definition. This suggests the political nature of the concept. Terrorism is best understood in relation to other social phenomena, particularly colonialism and capitalism. This essay discusses several questions on the topic of terrorism and violence: What is at stake in the definition of terrorism? What is the relationship of Muslims and Islam to terrorism? What is the scope of counterterrorism? In addressing these questions, the article discusses a range of topics including Black Power, paper terrorism, “Barbary” pirates, the Christian Identity Movement, black identity extremism, racially motivated violent extremism, and the permeation of terrorism concerns into sectors, including education and natural disaster management.
The Spanish Lake: Pirates, Privateers, and the Contest for the Pacific Ocean
Authors: Montañez-Sanabria Elizabeth
Published: April 2023

Since its discovery in 1513 by Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the South Sea—or Pacific Ocean—had the reputation of a being safe space for Spanish trading and navigation as it had two natural barriers that prevented access to it: the difficult paths of the Isthmus of Panama and the complicated navigation throughout the Strait of Magellan. These barriers—or “locks,” according to the language of that time—made of the South Sea a Spanish Lake. However, the arrival of Francis Drake, in 1579, on the coasts of Lima, the very core of Spanish power in South America, marked an inflection point of this misconception as Drake demonstrated that navigation through the Strait of Magellan was possible. This voyage was the starting event of an age of incursions to the South Sea. The Viceroyalty of Peru, the jurisdictional entity in which the strategic gateways that led to the South Sea were located, was an attractive target for pirates and privateers due to the silver from the famous Potosi mine. From 1578 to 1700, the English and French monarchies and the Dutch Republic sponsored pirate and privateer incursions. There were four main periods: In the context of the Anglo–Spanish rivalry, Queen Elizabeth sponsored pirates’ and privateers’ excursions between 1578 and 1604. From 1598 to 1643, during the Eighty Years War, the United Provinces, along with commercial companies, sent privateers’ expeditions to Peru and Chile. Buccaneers and filibusters succeeded in entering into the South Sea between the 1660s and 1690s, while at the end of the 17th century (1695–1700), French privateers reached the Peruvian Viceroyalty. The combination of these pirate and privateer expeditions made of this Spanish Mare Clausum a global sea.
Effectiveness of Volbella (VYC-15L) for Infraorbital Hollowing: Patient-Reported Outcomes From a Prospective, Multicenter, Single-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Study
Authors: Fabi Sabrina , Zoumalan Christopher , Fagien Steven , Downie Jeanine , Yoelin Steven , Sartor Marta , Chawla Smita
Published: April 2023

Background

Infraorbital hollowing can be addressed with hyaluronic acid soft tissue fillers. A prospective, multicenter, evaluator-blinded, randomized, controlled study (NCT03418545) demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of Juvéderm Volbella XC (VYC-15L, Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, Irvine, CA) in adults seeking correction for infraorbital hollows.

Objective

The objective of the current analysis was to examine patient-reported outcomes from the clinical study.

Methods

Participants were randomly assigned 3:1 to the VYC-15L treatment group or the no-treatment control group. Outcome measurements included: evaluating investigator (EI)- and participant-assessed Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) scores, as well as participant responses to the FACE-Q Appraisal of Lower Eyelids, questions on treatment satisfaction, the extent to which patients were bothered by dark circles under their eyes, and willingness to recommend treatment to a friend.

Results

The modified intent-to-treat population included 135 participants (median age, 47 years; 91.9% female). At Month 3, the majority of VYC-15L-treated participants showed improvements in the EI- and participant-assessed GAIS. The mean change from baseline to Month 3 score (32.7% increase) showed statistically significant improvement (mean [standard deviation], 17.8 [19.8], P < .0001). At Months 3 and 12 posttreatment, most VYC-15L-treated participants reported feeling satisfied with treatment and not feeling moderately or very bothered by dark circles under their eyes, and would recommend treatment to a friend.

Conclusions

The current analysis demonstrated the effectiveness of VYC-15L treatment to reduce infraorbital hollowing and to improve overall satisfaction based on validated patient-reported outcomes. Participant-assessed improvements aligned with EI-assessed outcomes and lasted for 1 year.

Level of Evidence: 2
Neither random nor censored: estimating intensity-dependent probabilities for missing values in label-free proteomics
Authors: Li Mengbo , Smyth Gordon K
Published: April 2023

Motivation

Mass spectrometry proteomics is a powerful tool in biomedical research but its usefulness is limited by the frequent occurrence of missing values in peptides that cannot be reliably quantified (detected) for particular samples. Many analysis strategies have been proposed for missing values where the discussion often focuses on distinguishing whether values are missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR) or missing not at random (MNAR).

Results

Statistical models and algorithms are proposed for estimating the detection probabilities and for evaluating how much statistical information can or cannot be recovered from the missing value pattern. The probability that an intensity is detected is shown to be accurately modeled as a logit-linear function of the underlying intensity, showing that missing value process is intermediate between MAR and censoring. The detection probability asymptotes to 100% for high intensities, showing that missing values unrelated to intensity are rare. The rule applies globally to each dataset and is appropriate for both high and lowly expressed peptides. A probability model is developed that allows the distribution of unobserved intensities to be inferred from the observed values. The detection probability model is incorporated into a likelihood-based approach for assessing differential expression and successfully recovers statistical power compared to omitting the missing values from the analysis. In contrast, imputation methods are shown to perform poorly, either reducing statistical power or increasing the false discovery rate to unacceptable levels.

Availability and implementation

Data and code to reproduce the results shown in this article are available from https://mengbo-li.github.io/protDP/.
Utility of Differential Time to Positivity in Diagnosing Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Dhaliwal Manreet , Daneman Nick
Published: April 2023

Background

Differential time to positivity (DTP), defined as pathogen growth at least 2 hours earlier from catheter versus paired peripheral blood cultures, is sometimes used to diagnose central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Previous studies assessing DTP, however, have been small, provided conflicting results, and did not assess heterogeneity across important subgroups.

Methods

We systematically reviewed the diagnostic characteristics of DTP for CLABSI using MEDLINE, Embase, WoS, CINAHL, LILACS, AMED, and the Cochrane database. Studies were included if they reported sensitivities, specificities, predictive values, likelihood ratios, or 2 × 2 tables of DTP for diagnosing CLABSI. Extracted data were analyzed by using forest plots, bivariate model meta-analysis, and QUADAS-2 quality assessment.

Results

We identified 274 records, of which 23 met the criteria for meta-analysis. Among 2526 suspected CLABSIs, DTP demonstrated a summary sensitivity of 81.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 72.8%–87.7%), specificity of 91.8% (95% CI: 84.5%–95.8%), positive likelihood ratio of 9.89 (95% CI: 5.14–19.00), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.20 (95% CI: .14–.30). Covariate analysis based on catheter duration, study design, and patient immune status demonstrated no significant differences. However, DTP performed worse for Staphylococcus aureus (low sensitivity but high specificity) and Candida (high sensitivity but low specificity) compared to other organisms.

Conclusions

DTP performs well in ruling CLABSIs in or out. Obtaining paired catheter and peripheral blood cultures for DTP when the infectious source is unclear may prevent unnecessary line removal and diagnostic tests. However, this must be balanced against higher contamination rates from catheter cultures.
Cost-effectiveness of an inpatient nurse practitioner in heart failure
Authors: Driscoll Andrea , Watts Jennifer J , Meagher Sharon , Kennedy Rhoda , Mar Ronald , Johnson Doug , Hare David L , Faourque Omar , Gao Lan
Published: April 2023

Aims

Heart failure (HF) nurse practitioners (NPs) are an important part of the HF specialist team, and their impact on the cost-effectiveness of their role is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the cost-effectiveness of a HF NP inpatient service compared with current practice of no HF NP service from a health system perspective at 12 months and 3 years.

Methods and results

We developed a Markov model to estimate costs, effects, and cost-effectiveness for hospitalized HF patients and seen by a HF NP service compared with usual care at 12 months and 3 years. Costs and effects were taken from a retrospective observational cohort study. Transition probabilities and utilities were derived from published studies. A total of 500 patients were included (250 patients in the HF NP service vs. 250 patients in usual care). Average age was 77.7 ± 11 years, and 54% were male. At 12 months, the HF NP group was cheaper and more effective compared with no HF NP [$23 031 vs. $25 111 (AUD), respectively; quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were 0.68 in HF NP group compared with 0.66 in usual care]. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio showed a savings of $109 474 per QALY gained at 12 months and a savings of $270 667 per QALY gained at 3 years in favour of the HF NP service.

Conclusion

The HF NP service was cost-effective with lower costs and higher QALYs compared with no HF NP service. Economic evaluations alongside randomized controlled trials are warranted.
This population does not exist: learning the distribution of evolutionary histories with generative adversarial networks
Authors: Booker William W , Ray Dylan D , Schrider Daniel R
Published: April 2023

Numerous studies over the last decade have demonstrated the utility of machine learning methods when applied to population genetic tasks. More recent studies show the potential of deep-learning methods in particular, which allow researchers to approach problems without making prior assumptions about how the data should be summarized or manipulated, instead learning their own internal representation of the data in an attempt to maximize inferential accuracy. One type of deep neural network, called Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), can even be used to generate new data, and this approach has been used to create individual artificial human genomes free from privacy concerns. In this study, we further explore the application of GANs in population genetics by designing and training a network to learn the statistical distribution of population genetic alignments (i.e. data sets consisting of sequences from an entire population sample) under several diverse evolutionary histories—the first GAN capable of performing this task. After testing multiple different neural network architectures, we report the results of a fully differentiable Deep-Convolutional Wasserstein GAN with gradient penalty that is capable of generating artificial examples of population genetic alignments that successfully mimic key aspects of the training data, including the site-frequency spectrum, differentiation between populations, and patterns of linkage disequilibrium. We demonstrate consistent training success across various evolutionary models, including models of panmictic and subdivided populations, populations at equilibrium and experiencing changes in size, and populations experiencing either no selection or positive selection of various strengths, all without the need for extensive hyperparameter tuning. Overall, our findings highlight the ability of GANs to learn and mimic population genetic data and suggest future areas where this work can be applied in population genetics research that we discuss herein.
Defining sustainable and precautionary harvest rates for data-limited short-lived stocks: a case study of sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in the English Channel
Authors: Walker N D , Ouréns R , Ball J E , van der Kooij J , Uriarte A , White J , Carpi P , Schuchert P , Nash R D M
Published: April 2023

Empirical harvest control rules set catch advice based on observed indicators and are increasingly being used worldwide to manage fish stocks that lack formal assessments of stock and exploitation status. Within the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, trend-based rules that adjust advice according to recent survey observations have been adopted; however, there is increasing evidence that such rules do not work well for short-lived pelagic species that can exhibit large inter-annual fluctuations in stock size. Constant harvest rates, removing a fixed proportion of observed biomass index, have been proposed as a suitable strategy for managing short-lived species. Unknown survey catchability has, however, remained a barrier to reliance on their application on these stocks in the past. We apply simulation testing to define a robust, sustainable constant harvest rate for a data-limited short-lived stock, using the English Channel sprat as a case study. By conditioning a management strategy evaluation framework based on existing and borrowed life-history parameters and precautionary considerations, we test and show that a constant harvest rate outperforms trend-based catch rules, maximizing yields while reducing risks of stock overexploitation, and conclude an 8.6% constant harvest rate provides sufficiently precautionary catch advice for this stock.
Effects of warming and fishing on Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) size structure in the Mid-Atlantic rotationally closed areas
Authors: Zang Z , Ji R , Hart D R , Jin D , Chen C , Liu Y , Davis C S
Published: April 2023

The Atlantic sea scallop supports one of the most lucrative fisheries on the Northeast U.S. shelf. Understanding the interannual variability of sea scallop size structure and associated drivers is critically important for projecting the response of population dynamics to climate change and designing coherent fishery management strategies. In this study, we constructed time series of sea scallop size structures in three rotationally closed areas in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) and decomposed their total variances using the variance partitioning method. The results suggested that the interannual variances in sea scallop size structures were associated more with thermal stress in regions shallower than 60 m but more with fishing mortality in regions deeper than 60 m. The percentages of small (large) size groups increased (decreased) with elevated thermal stress and fishing pressure. We adopted a scope for growth model to build a mechanistic link between temperature and sea scallop size. Model results suggested a gradual decrease in maximum shell height and habitat contraction under warming. This study quantified the relative contributions of thermal stress and fishing mortality to the variance of scallop size structure and discussed the need for adaptive management plans to mitigate potential socioeconomic impacts caused by size structure changes.
Is Africa on Track to Ending Poverty by 2030?
Authors: Fofana Ismael , Chitiga-Mabugu Margaret , Mabugu Ramos Emmanuel
Published: April 2023

Progress in poverty reduction has been slow for the Sub-Saharan Africa region which faces serious challenges in addressing inclusive growth. This study assesses the income growth requirements to achieve the sustainable development goals on poverty for given income inequality performances in African countries. The assessment is based on a microeconomic approach and survey data for the countries. Results reveal that, given their current income growth and inequality performances, more than half (55%) of the African countries are off track to halving poverty between 2015 and 2030. Therefore, under the current inequality reduction performances, African countries should strive to deliver higher income growth results, above 6% annual gross domestic product on average, to be on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals target of halving poverty between 2015 and 2030.
Intergenerational Mobility and the Growth–Inequality–Poverty Nexus in Africa
Authors: Ebeke Christian H
Published: April 2023

This paper examines to what extent intergenerational mobility shapes both the impact of income inequality on growth as well as the effect that growth has on poverty and on income inequality in Africa. Thanks to newly available and internationally comparable data on intergenerational elasticities of income and education, we confirm the detrimental role played by higher inequality of opportunity as measured by intergenerational mobility. The study concludes that neglecting to address the root causes of inequality of opportunity can be socially and economically very costly.
The Nexus between Poverty, Inequality and Growth: A Case Study of Cameroon and Kenya
Authors: Epo Boniface Ngah , Baye Francis Menjo , Mwabu Germano , Etyang Martin N , Gachanja Paul M
Published: April 2023

We conduct an in-depth analysis of the nexus between inequality of opportunity and inclusive growth in Cameroon and Kenya employing cross-sectional data collected over two time periods in each country. Empirical results show that changes in education, health and labour market endowments have large effects on household economic well-being, as proxied by total expenditures per adult equivalent. Employing the regression-based decomposition, we find that effort-based variables are associated with greater Gini inequality compared with circumstance-based variables—more so for Cameroon than Kenya. Among the effort-based variables, education in Cameroon and health in Kenya, are the main correlates of income inequality. The factual and counterfactual distribution analyses undertaken demonstrate that equalisation of human capital endowments is strongly inequality-reducing and further promotes pro-poor growth. Meanwhile, elimination of circumstance disparities in Cameroon reduces Gini inequality, enhances pro-poorness of the growth process, promotes shared-prosperity in urban areas and reduces inequality between the tails of the distribution of well-being. In Kenya, elimination of circumstance-based disparities is pro-poor improving, shared prosperity enhancing, but Gini inequality augmenting. In contrast to the Cameroonian case, equalisation of circumstances increases inequality between the tails of the distribution of well-being. The mechanisms behind these findings are probably the country-specific redistributive policies.
The magnetic field and stellar wind of the mature late-F star χ Draconis A
Authors: Marsden S C , Evensberget D , Brown E L , Neiner C , Seach J M , Morin J , Petit P , Jeffers S V , Folsom C P
Published: April 2023

F stars lie in the transition region between cool stars with dynamo generated fields and hot star fossil fields and offer an interesting window into the generation of magnetic fields in shallow convection zones. In this paper, we investigate the magnetic field of the mature F7V primary of the bright χ Draconis system. χ Dra was observed in circularly polarized light at four epochs from 2014 through to 2019 using the NARVAL spectropolarimeter at the Téléscope Bernard Lyot. Using the technique of least-squares deconvolution, we created high signal-to-noise line profiles from which we were able to measure the radial velocity of both the primary and secondary and use these to improve the orbital parameters of the system. Additionally, we used the technique of Zeeman Doppler imaging to reconstruct the large-scale magnetic field geometry of the primary at the four epochs. The magnetic maps show that χ Dra A has a predominately dipolar poloidal magnetic field at all epochs with the magnetic axis well aligned with the stellar rotation axis. The large-scale features of the magnetic field appear to be relatively stable over the ∼5 yr time base of our observations, with no evidence of any polarity reversals. We used the magnetic field maps to model the wind from χ Dra A at all epochs, showing that the mass-loss from the stellar wind of χ Dra A is 3–6 times the current solar value, while the angular momentum loss from the wind is around 3–4 times the solar value.
A long-acting recombinant FSH supports high-quality mouse follicle development and oocyte maturationin vitroby coordinating somatic and germ cell transcriptomes
Authors: Liu Shao-Yuan , Li Yan-Chu , Tian Xin-Yi , Zhou Yong , Guo Kang-Ping , Fan Heng-Yu , Liang Xing-Wei , Ou Xiang-Hong , Sha Qian-Qian
Published: April 2023

Strategies to maximize individual fertility chances are constant requirements of ART. In vitro folliculogenesis may represent a valid option to create a large source of immature ovarian follicles in ART. Efforts are being made to set up mammalian follicle culture protocols with suitable FSH stimuli. In this study, a new type of recombinant FSH (KN015) with a prolonged half-life is proposed as an alternative to canonical FSH. KN015 supports the in vitro development of mouse follicles from primary to preovulatory stage with higher efficiency than canonical FSH and enhanced post-fertilization development rates of the ovulated oocytes. The use of KN015 also allows us to compare the dynamic transcriptome changes in oocytes and granulosa cells at different stages, in vivo and in vitro. In particular, KN015 facilitates mRNA accumulation in growing mouse oocytes and prevents spontaneous luteinization of granulosa cells in vitro. Novel analyses of transcriptome changes in this study reveal that the in vivo oocytes were more efficient than in vitro oocytes in terms of maternal mRNA clearing during meiotic maturation. KN015 promotes the degradation of maternal mRNA during in vitro oocyte maturation, improves cytoplasmic maturation and, therefore, enhances embryonic developmental potential. These findings establish new transcriptome data for oocyte and granulosa cells at the key stages of follicle development, and should help to widen the use of KN015 as a valid and commercially available hormonal support enabling optimized in vitro development of follicles and oocytes.
Queering Educational Literacy Practices: Interventionist Approaches
Authors: Moita-Lopes Luiz Paulo , Fabricio Branca Falabella
Published: April 2023

This chapter reviews research into educational literacy practices that suggest a way of discursively destabilizing frozen notions of sexuality. The review explores questions such as: How can educational literacies collaborate with the reconfiguration of crystalized meanings about gender and sexuality performances? What kind of queer experiences can classroom talk promote? What are some of the meaning-effects produced by the circulation of gender and sexuality discourses in the classroom? The answers to these questions are organized in three groups: interventionist projects observed by a researcher; interventionist projects carried out and evaluated by a teacher-researcher; and projects involving teacher-researcher collaboration. The last group is explored by analyzing empirical data generated in a school in Brazil. The underlying argument is that education may contribute to problematizing an essentialized order that defines and legitimates gender and sexuality. By putting sexuality issues at the front of the educational agenda, the interventionist research in literacy contexts reviewed in this chapter calls into question both the gender divide and the so-called heteronormative matrix that play crucial roles in the ways we have historically learned to (1) understand ourselves and others; and (2) construct patterns of normalcy and deviance.
Sexual Stylistics
Authors: Jódar-Sánchez José Antonio
Published: April 2023

The aim of this chapter is to survey the field of sexual stylistics and to illustrate the latest analyses within that field. The first section addresses the questions some researchers have asked in their studies about the language of sexuality in literature. The second section lays out the primary trends in this field, including feminist, critical, and corpus stylistics. The third section delves into the main research topics in this field. Special attention is devoted to different genres (e.g., children’s literature or popular fiction), linguistic features (e.g., metaphors or euphemisms), and sexual practices (e.g., masturbation or incest). The fourth section illustrates the trend of corpus stylistics through a computational and discourse analysis of the language of sexuality in the tetralogy Antagonía by Catalan author Luis Goytisolo. The chapter closes with a summary and some guidelines for future research.
SnRK1 kinase-mediated phosphorylation of transcription factor bZIP39 regulates sorbitol metabolism in apple
Authors: Meng Dong , Cao Hongyan , Yang Qing , Zhang Mengxia , Borejsza-Wysocka Ewa , Wang Huicong , Dandekar Abhaya M , Fei Zhangjun , Cheng Lailiang
Published: April 2023

Sorbitol is a major photosynthate produced in leaves and transported through the phloem of apple (Malus domestica) and other tree fruits in Rosaceae. Sorbitol stimulates its own metabolism, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Here, we show that sucrose nonfermenting 1 (SNF1)-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) is involved in regulating the sorbitol-responsive expression of both SORBITOL DEHYDROGENASE 1 (SDH1) and ALDOSE-6-PHOSPHATE REDUCTASE (A6PR), encoding 2 key enzymes in sorbitol metabolism. SnRK1 expression is increased by feeding of exogenous sorbitol but decreased by sucrose. SnRK1 interacts with and phosphorylates the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor bZIP39. bZIP39 binds to the promoters of both SDH1 and A6PR and activates their expression. Overexpression of SnRK1 in ‘Royal Gala’ apple increases its protein level and activity, upregulating transcript levels of both SDH1 and A6PR without altering the expression of bZIP39. Of all the sugars tested, sorbitol is the only 1 that stimulates SDH1 and A6PR expression, and this stimulation is blocked by RNA interference (RNAi)-induced repression of either SnRK1 or bZIP39. These findings reveal that sorbitol acts as a signal regulating its own metabolism via SnRK1-mediated phosphorylation of bZIP39, which integrates sorbitol signaling into the SnRK1-mediated sugar signaling network to modulate plant carbohydrate metabolism.