bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of adverse childhood experiences on observed parenting and children’s behavior problems among Jewish and Arab Muslim families in Israel
Authors: Sher-Censor Efrat , Feniger-Schaal Rinat , Slonim Michal , Koren-Karie Nina
Published: October 2024

Research points to the substantial impact of parents' exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on parents and their children. However, most studies have been conducted in North America, and research on ACEs effects on observed parenting or on intergenerational transmission of ACE effects is limited. We therefore studied families from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds in Israel and examined whether mothers’ ACEs hampered maternal sensitivity and the quality of the home environment and whether mothers’ psychological distress mediated these links. We also explored whether mothers’ ACEs predicted children’s behavior problems indirectly through maternal psychological distress and whether maternal sensitivity and the home environment attenuated this mediating path. Participants were 232 mothers (Mchild age = 18.40 months, SD = 1.76; 63.36% non-ultra-Orthodox Jewish, 17.24% ultra-Orthodox Jewish, 19.40% Arab Muslim). Results showed mothers’ ACEs were directly associated with decreased maternal sensitivity. Mothers’ ACEs were indirectly associated with more behavior problems in children through mothers’ higher psychological distress, and maternal sensitivity moderated this indirect link; it was significant only for mothers who showed lower sensitivity. Findings emphasize the significant role ACEs play in early mother-child relationships. The importance of including ACE assessment in research and practice with families of infants and toddlers is discussed.
A longitudinal path model examining the transactional nature of parenting and child externalizing behaviors in a large, sociodemographically diverse sample
Authors: Ahmad Shaikh I. , Rudd Kristen L. , LeWinn Kaja Z. , Mason W. Alex , Graff J. Carolyn , Roubinov Danielle S. , Bush Nicole R.
Published: October 2024

Children’s externalizing behaviors are associated with impairments across the lifespan. Developmental psychopathology theories propose transactional (bidirectional) associations between child externalizing behaviors and parenting during childhood and adolescence. Yet, these foundational relations in early childhood are not well-studied. Utilizing a large, mixed-sex sample, we examined the reciprocal nature of parenting and child externalizing behaviors across early childhood using robust repeated-measures models. Repeated measures data were drawn from a socioeconomically diverse, longitudinal pregnancy cohort of 1287 (64% Black, 31% White) mother-child dyads at four time points (ages one to six). Three variables were included in cross-lagged panel models: observed parenting quality, child externalizing symptoms, and a maternal risk composite. In covariate-adjusted models, higher parenting quality at Wave 1 predicted lower child externalizing symptoms at Wave 2. Higher externalizing symptoms at Wave 1 and Wave 2 predicted lower parenting quality at Wave 2 and Wave 3, respectively. Maternal risk and parenting quality were not significantly associated. Findings showed both parent-driven and child-driven effects across early childhood that did not vary by child sex. The transactional nature of the parent-child relationship begins in infancy, underscoring the importance of early screening and provision of supports for families to minimize and prevent the development of serious psychopathology.
New data, new interpretations: Dzibanche monuments through the lenses of a 3D scanner
Authors: Tokovinine Alexandre , Beliaev Dmitri , Balanzario Sandra , Khokhriakova Sandra
Published: October 2024

This article presents some preliminary results of the first field season of 3D documentation of buildings, monuments, and portable artifacts from the archaeological site of Dzibanche in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Documentation took place at Dzibanche, in the INAH regional research center in Chetumal, and in the Maya Museum of Cancun. Part of the resultant corpus of imagery and inscriptions has not been previously disseminated in academic literature. The analysis of published texts and iconography has benefited from higher resolution and visualization tools made possible by 3D digitization. The presentation proposes several updates to the published interpretations of Dzibanche monuments, and it highlights how new additions to the corpus expand our understanding of Dzibanche's political history and ideology.
The rise of the Kaanuˀl kingdom and the city of Dzibanche
Authors: Estrada-Belli Francisco , Balanzario Sandra , Velásquez Erik
Published: October 2024

The Kaanuˀl dynasty ruled a hegemonic state with political influence over much of the Classic Maya Lowlands between a.d. 520 and 751. The present article introduces the subject for a special section of the journal, which refocuses attention on the archaeological zone of Dzibanche in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico, where new data are emerging about the origins of the Kaanuˀl dynasty, its urban organization, and its connections to neighboring centers. In this article, we present new data from a recent lidar survey as well as from previous work by Enrique Nalda's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) project to reevaluate Dzibanche's characteristics vis-à-vis its rise as a kingdom with far-reaching political influence. We complement these archaeological data with epigraphic information from new monuments and reanalysis of existing ones based on 3D scanning to update the list of Dzibanche rulers. We then revisit the chronology of Dzibanche's royal burials proposing correlations with known Early Classic Kaanuˀl rulers. Overall, the contributions to this special section present new perspectives on the Kaanuˀl's rise to power and its relationship with distant vassals in the crucial period of expansion into northern Peten, leading to the defeat of Tikal and eventually to its transition to a new dynastic seat at Calakmul in the a.d. 630s.
Los gobernantes de la dinastía Kaanu'l en Dzibanché, Quintana Roo, México
Authors: Velásquez García Erik , Balanzario Granados Sandra
Published: October 2024

En la Mesa Redonda de Palenque de 2004 Erik Velásquez propuso que los gobernantes mayas que portaban el glifo emblema de Kaanuˀl pudieron haber residido durante el Clásico Temprano en Dzibanché, pues no existen referencias que los vinculen con Calakmul antes de 631 d.C. Aquí revisamos los datos sobre su presencia en Dzibanché y otros asentamientos de la región. Argumentos de distinta naturaleza que apoyan este escenario se publicaron desde 2005 hasta 2016, incluyendo los hallazgos de Xunantunich (Helmke y Awe 2016a, 2016b), que permiten conjeturar que una facción disidente de la dinastía se separó de Dzibanché y fundó en 635 d.C. una sede alternativa en Calakmul. Ello produjo el panorama que proponemos en el Clásico Tardío, donde había mandatarios simultáneos de la dinastía Kaanuˀl en el sur de Campeche y en el sur de Quintana Roo, toda vez que en Dzibanché seguían residiendo gobernantes Kaanuˀl al menos hasta el siglo VII.
In search of the serpent kings: From Dzibanche to Calakmul
Authors: Martin Simon
Published: October 2024

The story of the Classic Maya “Snake” kingdom is truly a tale of two cities, with a capital that evidently switched from Dzibanche to Calakmul in the seventh century a.d. This article explores the era of transition between them in search of an elusive sequence of kings, while asking why the transfer came about and who played principal roles in it. Although grounded in finds at Calakmul, any attempt to answer complex questions of this nature must draw on a wider body of materials, both epigraphic and archaeological, from across the southern Maya Lowlands. Whatever portrait of the serpent kingdom is now possible, it is one that can only arise from close collaboration and the fusion of many scattered sources and clues.
Dry and warm: a modified open-top chamber for seed ecology research
Authors: Vázquez-Ramírez Jerónimo , Venn Susanna E.
Published: October 2024

Several experimental tools allow researchers to manipulate environmental variables to simulate future climate change scenarios during in situ seed ecology studies. The most common ones are designed to modify a single environmental variable. For example, open-top chambers (OTCs) increase temperature or rain-out shelters decrease precipitation. However, changes in environmental variables in the future are expected to happen simultaneously, and at present, an understanding of their combined effects in natural environments is limited. Here, we present a passive novel OTC design that simultaneously increases the soil temperature and decreases soil moisture. We assessed the performance of the design during 1 year in a high-mountain environment and reported its effects on the organic and topsoil layers. The modified OTC reduced the soil volumetric water content throughout the study period. Overall, chambers increased the mean day air temperature by 3.3 °C (at 10 cm above the soil surface), the mean day soil surface temperature by 1.35 °C and the mean day below the soil surface temperature by 1.30 °C (at −5 cm) and 1.25 °C (at −10 cm). Remarkably, surface and soil temperatures remained warmer at night (+0.65 at soil surface, +0.41 at −5 cm and +0.24 at −10 cm). We detail the design plans, tools and materials needed for its construction. Furthermore, we recommend on how to use it during seed ecology studies. This tool can help increase our understanding of the potential responses of seeds and seedlings to the combined effects of warming temperatures and a decrease in precipitation.
The Children’s National Hospital Outcomes Registry: a plea for a benchmarking tool that provides longitudinal outcomes for patients and families
Authors: Venna Alyssia , Haverty Mitchell , Kreutzer Janet , Mehta Rittal , Fetch Alix , Tongut Aybala , Desai Manan , Yerebakan Can , d’Udekem Yves
Published: October 2024

Surgical advancements in paediatric cardiovascular surgery have led to improved survival rates for those patients with the most complex CHDs leading to greater numbers of patients who are living well into adulthood. Despite this new era of long-term survival, our current reporting systems continue to focus largely on using short-term postoperative outcomes as the criteria to both rate and rank hospitals. Using such limited criteria to rate and rank hospitals may mislead the intended audiences: patients and families. The goal of this article is to describe the creation of a local benchmarking report which aims to retrospectively review long-term outcomes from our single centre. This report is updated annually and published on our cardiac surgery webpage in an effort to be as transparent as possible for our patient and family communities.
Hospital variation in post-operative cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use and relationship to post-operative mortality
Authors: Brunetti Marissa A. , Gaynor J. William , Zhang Wenying , Banerjee Mousumi , Domnina Yuliya A. , Gaies Michael
Published: October 2024

Objective:

It is unclear how extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use varies across paediatric cardiac surgical programmes and how it relates to post-operative mortality. We aimed to determine hospital-level variation in post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use and its association with case-mix adjusted mortality.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of 37 hospitals contributing to the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium clinical registry from 1 August 2014 to 31 December 2019. Hospitalisations including cardiothoracic surgery and post-operative admission to paediatric cardiac ICUs were included. Two-level multivariable logistic regression with hospital random effect was used to determine case-mix adjusted post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use rates and in-hospital mortality. Hospitals were grouped into extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use tertiles, and mortality was compared across tertiles.

Results:

There were 43,640 eligible surgical hospitalisations; 1397 (3.2%) included at least one post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation run. Case-mix adjusted extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rates varied more than sevenfold (0.9–6.9%) across hospitals, and adjusted mortality varied 10-fold (0–5.5%). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rates were 2.0%, 3.5%, and 5.2%, respectively, for low, middle, and high extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use tertiles (P < 0.0001), and mortality rates were 1.9%, 3.0%, and 3.1% (p < 0.0001), respectively. High extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use hospitals were more likely to initiate extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support intraoperatively (1.6% vs. 0.6% low and 1.1% middle, p < 0.0001). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation indications were similar across hospital tertiles. When extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation was excluded, variation in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use rates persisted (1.5%, 2.6%, 3.8%, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

There is hospital variation in adjusted post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use after paediatric cardiac surgery and a significant association with adjusted post-operative mortality. These findings suggest that post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use could be a complementary quality metric to mortality to assess performance of cardiac surgical programmes.
Kenneth Waltz's Kantian moral philosophy: ‘the virtues of anarchy’ reconsidered
Authors: Prichard Alex
Published: October 2024

Kenneth Waltz once stated, unequivocally, that, ‘I consider myself to be a Kantian, not a positivist’. I explain what Waltz might have meant by this, and how deep this professed Kantianism ran. Such is the depth of the engagement, I argue, that it is no exaggeration to claim that Waltz's political philosophy, his philosophy of history, his philosophy of science, his methodology, and his normative theory of anarchy are all broadly Kantian. Crucially, what Waltz meant by the ‘virtues of anarchy’, is best understood as an attempt to develop a regulative ideal, or an ‘organising principle’ of ‘practical reason’ that would guide diplomats in the nuclear age. Indeed, in his most contentious intervention in global public policy, Waltz deploys Kant to argue that horizontal nuclear spread, rather than the spread of democracy, would ensure the peaceful development of states. This anarchic nuclear peace would, he thought, be the means to achieve ‘perpetual pacification’. This revisionist reconstruction is the primary contribution of the paper. But through unsettling paradigmatic readings of ‘Waltzian IR theory’, the paper also presents an immanent critique of ‘the virtues of anarchy’ that contributes to a wider research project on the concept of anarchy and its emancipatory potential.
The Bering Strait Throughflow Component of the Global Mass, Heat and Freshwater Transport
Authors: Yang Xiaoting , Cessi Paola
Published: October 2024

As the only oceanic connection between the Pacific and Arctic‐Atlantic Oceans, Bering Strait throughflow carries a climatological northward transport of about 1 Sv, contributing to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Here, Lagrangian analysis quantifies the global distributions of volume transport, transit‐times, thermohaline properties, diapycnal transformation, heat and freshwater transports associated with Bering Strait throughflow. Virtual Lagrangian parcels, released at Bering Strait, are advected by the velocity of Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, backward and forward in time. Backward trajectories reveal that Bering Strait throughflow enters the Pacific basin on the southeast side, as part of fresh Antarctic Intermediate Water, then follows the wind‐driven circulation to Bering Strait. Median transit time from S in Indo‐Pacific to Bering Strait is 175 years. Sixty‐four percent of Bering Strait throughflow enters the North Atlantic through the Labrador Sea. The remaining 36% flows through the Greenland Sea, warmed and salinified by the northward flowing Atlantic waters. Deep water formation of water flowing through Bering Strait occurs predominantly in the Labrador Sea. Subsequently, this water joins the lower branch of AMOC, flowing southward in the deep western boundary current as North Atlantic Deep Water. Median transit time from Bering Strait to S in South Atlantic is 160 years. The net heat transport of Bering Strait throughflow is northward everywhere, and net freshwater transport by Bering Strait throughflow is mostly northward. The freshwater transport is largest in the subpolar region of basin sectors: northward in the Pacific and Arctic and southward in the Atlantic.
Impact of the Neonatal Resuscitation Video Review program for neonatal staff: a qualitative analysis
Authors: Weimar Zoe , Nestel Debra , Battista Alexis , Best Samantha , Kumar Arunaz , Blank Douglas A.
Published: October 2024

Background

Neonatal resuscitation video review (NRVR) involves recording and reviewing resuscitations for education and quality assurance. Though NRVR has been shown to improve teamwork and skill retention, it is not widely used. We evaluated clinicians’ experiences of NRVR to understand how NRVR impacts learning and can be improved.

Methods

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) clinicians with previous NRVR experience were recruited for individual semi-structured interviews. Using a social constructivist viewpoint, five researchers used thematic analysis to analyze participant responses.

Results

Twenty-two clinicians (11 nurses, 11 doctors) were interviewed. All participants expressed positive attitudes towards NRVR. Four themes were identified: (1) Learning from reality—exposure to real-life resuscitations was highly clinically relevant. (2) Immersive self-regulation—watching videos aided recall and reflection. (3) Complexities in learner psychological safety—all participants acknowledged viewing NRVR videos could be confronting. Some expressed fear of judgment from colleagues, though the educational benefit of NRVR superseded this. (4) Accessing and learning from diverse vantage points—NRVR promoted group discussion, which prompted participant learning from colleagues’ viewpoints.

Conclusion

Neonatal clinicians reported NRVR to be an effective and safe method for learning and refining skills required during neonatal resuscitation, such as situational awareness and communication.

Impact

Neonatal resuscitation video review is not known to be widely used in neonatal resuscitation teaching, and published research in this area is limited.

Our study examined clinician attitudes towards an established neonatal resuscitation video review program.

We found strong support for teaching using neonatal resuscitation video review among neonatal doctors and nurses, with key benefits including increased situational awareness and increased clinical exposure to resuscitations, while maintaining psychological safety for participants.

The results of this study add evidence to support the addition of video review to neonatal resuscitation training.
4-aminopyridine attenuates inflammation and apoptosis and increases angiogenesis to promote skin regeneration following a burn injury in mice
Authors: V. G. Rahul , Ellur Govindaraj , A. Gaber Amir , Govindappa Prem Kumar , Elfar John C.
Published: October 2024

Severe thermal skin burns are complicated by inflammation and apoptosis, which delays wound healing and contributes to significant morbidity. Diverse treatments demonstrate limited success in mitigating these processes to accelerate healing. Agents that alter cell behavior to improve healing would alter treatment paradigms. We repurposed 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), a drug approved by the US FDA for multiple sclerosis, to treat severe burns in mice (10-week-old C57BL/6 J male mice weighing 25 ± 3 g). We found that 4-AP, in the early stages of burn healing, significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1β and TNFα while increasing the expression of anti-inflammatory markers CD206, ARG-1, and IL10. We demonstrated increased intracellular calcium effects of 4-AP through Orai1-pSTAT6 signaling, where 4-AP significantly mitigated inflammatory effects by promoting M2 macrophage differentiation in in-vitro macrophages and post-skin burn tissues. 4-AP attenuated apoptosis, with decreases in apoptotic markers BAX, caspase-9, and caspase-3 and increases in anti-apoptotic markers BCL2 and BCL-XL. Furthermore, 4-AP promoted angiogenesis through increases in the expression of CD31, VEGF, and eNOS. Together, these likely contributed to accelerated burn wound closure, as demonstrated in increased keratinocyte proliferation (K14) and differentiation (K10) markers. In the later stages of burn healing, 4-AP increased TGFβ and FGF levels, which are known to mark the transformation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. This was further demonstrated by an increased expression of α-SMA and vimentin, as well as higher levels of collagen I and III, MMP 3, and 9 in mice treated with 4-AP. Our findings support the idea that 4-AP may have a novel, clinically relevant therapeutic use in promoting burn wound healing.
Postnatal supplementation with alarmins S100a8/a9 ameliorates malnutrition-induced neonate enteropathy in mice
Authors: Perruzza Lisa , Heckmann Julia , Rezzonico Jost Tanja , Raneri Matteo , Guglielmetti Simone , Gargari Giorgio , Palatella Martina , Willers Maike , Fehlhaber Beate , Werlein Christopher , Vogl Thomas , Roth Johannes , Grassi Fabio , Viemann Dorothee
Published: October 2024

Malnutrition is linked to 45% of global childhood mortality, however, the impact of maternal malnutrition on the child’s health remains elusive. Previous studies suggested that maternal malnutrition does not affect breast milk composition. Yet, malnourished children often develop a so-called environmental enteropathy, assumed to be triggered by frequent pathogen uptake and unfavorable gut colonization. Here, we show in a murine model that maternal malnutrition induces a persistent inflammatory gut dysfunction in the offspring that establishes during nursing and does not recover after weaning onto standard diet. Early intestinal influx of neutrophils, impaired postnatal development of gut-regulatory functions, and expansion of Enterobacteriaceae were hallmarks of this enteropathy. This gut phenotype resembled those developing under deficient S100a8/a9-supply via breast milk, which is a known key factor for the postnatal development of gut homeostasis. We could confirm that S100a8/a9 is lacking in the breast milk of malnourished mothers and the offspring’s intestine. Nutritional supply of S100a8 to neonates of malnourished mothers abrogated the aberrant development of gut mucosal immunity and microbiota colonization and protected them lifelong against severe enteric infections and non-infectious bowel diseases. S100a8 supplementation after birth might be a promising measure to counteract deleterious imprinting of gut immunity by maternal malnutrition.
Plekhg5 controls the unconventional secretion of Sod1 by presynaptic secretory autophagy
Authors: Hutchings Amy-Jayne , Hambrecht Bita , Veh Alexander , Giridhar Neha Jadhav , Zare Abdolhossein , Angerer Christina , Ohnesorge Thorben , Schenke Maren , Selvaraj Bhuvaneish T. , Chandran Siddharthan , Sterneckert Jared , Petri Susanne , Seeger Bettina , Briese Michael , Stigloher Christian , Bischler Thorsten , Hermann Andreas , Damme Markus , Sendtner Michael , Lüningschrör Patrick
Published: October 2024

Increasing evidence suggests an essential function for autophagy in unconventional protein secretion (UPS). However, despite its relevance for the secretion of aggregate-prone proteins, the mechanisms of secretory autophagy in neurons have remained elusive. Here we show that the lower motoneuron disease-associated guanine exchange factor Plekhg5 drives the UPS of Sod1. Mechanistically, Sod1 is sequestered into autophagosomal carriers, which subsequently fuse with secretory lysosomal-related organelles (LROs). Exocytosis of LROs to release Sod1 into the extracellular milieu requires the activation of the small GTPase Rab26 by Plekhg5. Deletion of Plekhg5 in mice leads to the accumulation of Sod1 in LROs at swollen presynaptic sites. A reduced secretion of toxic ALS-linked SOD1G93A following deletion of Plekhg5 in SOD1G93A mice accelerated disease onset while prolonging survival due to an attenuated microglia activation. Using human iPSC-derived motoneurons we show that reduced levels of PLEKHG5 cause an impaired secretion of ALS-linked SOD1. Our findings highlight an unexpected pathophysiological mechanism that converges two motoneuron disease-associated proteins into a common pathway.
Dynamic gain and frequency comb formation in exceptional-point lasers
Authors: Gao Xingwei , He Hao , Sobolewski Scott , Cerjan Alexander , Hsu Chia Wei
Published: October 2024

Exceptional points (EPs)—singularities in the parameter space of non-Hermitian systems where two nearby eigenmodes coalesce—feature unique properties with applications such as sensitivity enhancement and chiral emission. Existing realizations of EP lasers operate with static populations in the gain medium. By analyzing the full-wave Maxwell–Bloch equations, here we show that in a laser operating sufficiently close to an EP, the nonlinear gain will spontaneously induce a multi-spectral multi-modal instability above a pump threshold, which initiates an oscillating population inversion and generates a frequency comb. The efficiency of comb generation is enhanced by both the spectral degeneracy and the spatial coalescence of modes near an EP. Such an “EP comb” has a widely tunable repetition rate, self-starts without external modulators or a continuous-wave pump, and can be realized with an ultra-compact footprint. We develop an exact solution of the Maxwell–Bloch equations with an oscillating inversion, describing all spatiotemporal properties of the EP comb as a limit cycle. We numerically illustrate this phenomenon in a 5-μm-long gain-loss coupled AlGaAs cavity and adjust the EP comb repetition rate from 20 to 27 GHz. This work provides a rigorous spatiotemporal description of the rich laser behaviors that arise from the interplay between the non-Hermiticity, nonlinearity, and dynamics of a gain medium.
Evolution of the conformational dynamics of the molecular chaperone Hsp90
Authors: Riedl Stefan , Bilgen Ecenaz , Agam Ganesh , Hirvonen Viivi , Jussupow Alexander , Tippl Franziska , Riedl Maximilian , Maier Andreas , Becker Christian F. W. , Kaila Ville R. I. , Lamb Don C. , Buchner Johannes
Published: October 2024

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone of central importance for protein homeostasis in the cytosol of eukaryotic cells, with key functional and structural traits conserved from yeast to man. During evolution, Hsp90 has gained additional functional importance, leading to an increased number of interacting co-chaperones and client proteins. Here, we show that the overall conformational transitions coupled to the ATPase cycle of Hsp90 are conserved from yeast to humans, but cycle timing as well as the dynamics are significantly altered. In contrast to yeast Hsp90, the human Hsp90 is characterized by broad ensembles of conformational states, irrespective of the absence or presence of ATP. The differences in the ATPase rate and conformational transitions between yeast and human Hsp90 are based on two residues in otherwise conserved structural elements that are involved in triggering structural changes in response to ATP binding. The exchange of these two mutations allows swapping of the ATPase rate and of the conformational transitions between human and yeast Hsp90. Our combined results show that Hsp90 evolved to a protein with increased conformational dynamics that populates ensembles of different states with strong preferences for the N-terminally open, client-accepting states.
Resource availability enhances positive tree functional diversity effects on carbon and nitrogen accrual in natural forests
Authors: Chen Xinli , Reich Peter B. , Taylor Anthony R. , An Zhengfeng , Chang Scott X.
Published: October 2024

Forests harbor extensive biodiversity and act as a strong global carbon and nitrogen sink. Although enhancing tree diversity has been shown to mitigate climate change by sequestering more carbon and nitrogen in biomass and soils in manipulative experiments, it is still unknown how varying environmental gradients, such as gradients in resource availability, mediate the effects of tree diversity on carbon and nitrogen accrual in natural forests. Here, we use Canada’s National Forest Inventory data to explore how the relationships between tree diversity and the accumulation of carbon and nitrogen in tree biomass and soils vary with resource availability and environmental stressors in natural forests. We find that the positive relationship between tree functional diversity (rather than species richness) and the accumulation of carbon in tree biomass strengthens with increasing light and soil nutrient availability. Moreover, the positive relationship between tree functional diversity and the accumulation of carbon and nitrogen in both organic and mineral soil horizons is more pronounced at sites with greater water and nutrient availabilities. Our results highlight that conserving and promoting functionally diverse forests in resource-rich environments could play a greater role than in resource-poor environments in enhancing carbon and nitrogen sequestration in Canada’s forests.
Coexistence of ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity in 2D van der Waals multiferroic
Authors: Wu Yangliu , Zeng Zhaozhuo , Lu Haipeng , Han Xiaocang , Yang Chendi , Liu Nanshu , Zhao Xiaoxu , Qiao Liang , Ji Wei , Che Renchao , Deng Longjiang , Yan Peng , Peng Bo
Published: October 2024

Multiferroic materials have been intensively pursued to achieve the mutual control of electric and magnetic properties. The breakthrough progress in 2D magnets and ferroelectrics encourages the exploration of low-dimensional multiferroics, which holds the promise of understanding inscrutable magnetoelectric coupling and inventing advanced spintronic devices. However, confirming ferroelectricity with optical techniques is challenging in 2D materials, particularly in conjunction with antiferromagnetic orders in single- and few-layer multiferroics. Here, we report the discovery of 2D vdW multiferroic with out-of-plane ferroelectric polarization in trilayer NiI2 device, as revealed by scanning reflective magnetic circular dichroism microscopy and ferroelectric hysteresis loops. The evolution between ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases has been unambiguously observed. Moreover, the magnetoelectric interaction is directly probed by magnetic control of the multiferroic domain switching. This work opens up opportunities for exploring multiferroic orders and multiferroic physics at the limit of single or few atomic layers, and for creating advanced magnetoelectronic devices.
Structural elucidation of recombinant Trichomonas vaginalis 20S proteasome bound to covalent inhibitors
Authors: Silhan Jan , Fajtova Pavla , Bartosova Jitka , Hurysz Brianna M. , Almaliti Jehad , Miyamoto Yukiko , Eckmann Lars , Gerwick William H. , O’Donoghue Anthony J. , Boura Evzen
Published: October 2024

The proteasome is a proteolytic enzyme complex essential for protein homeostasis in mammalian cells and protozoan parasites like Trichomonas vaginalis (Tv), the cause of the most common, non-viral sexually transmitted disease. Tv and other protozoan 20S proteasomes have been validated as druggable targets for antimicrobials. However, low yields and purity of the native proteasome have hindered studies of the Tv 20S proteasome (Tv20S). We address this challenge by creating a recombinant protozoan proteasome by expressing all seven α and seven β subunits of Tv20S alongside the Ump-1 chaperone in insect cells. The recombinant Tv20S displays biochemical equivalence to its native counterpart, confirmed by various assays. Notably, the marizomib (MZB) inhibits all catalytic subunits of Tv20S, while the peptide inhibitor carmaphycin-17 (CP-17) specifically targets β2 and β5. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) unveils the structures of Tv20S bound to MZB and CP-17 at 2.8 Å. These findings explain MZB’s low specificity for Tv20S compared to the human proteasome and demonstrate CP-17’s higher specificity. Overall, these data provide a structure-based strategy for the development of specific Tv20S inhibitors to treat trichomoniasis.
Inhibition of phototrophic iron oxidation by nitric oxide in ferruginous environments
Authors: Nikeleit Verena , Mellage Adrian , Bianchini Giorgio , Sauter Lea , Buessecker Steffen , Gotterbarm Stefanie , Schad Manuel , Konhauser Kurt , Zerkle Aubrey L. , Sánchez-Baracaldo Patricia , Kappler Andreas , Bryce Casey
Published: October 2024

Anoxygenic phototrophic Fe(II) oxidizers (photoferrotrophs) are thought to have thrived in Earth’s ancient ferruginous oceans and played a primary role in the precipitation of Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic (3.8–1.85-billion-year-old) banded iron formations (BIFs). The end of BIF deposition by photoferrotrophs has been interpreted as the result of a deepening of water-column oxygenation below the photic zone, concomitant with the proliferation of cyanobacteria. However, photoferrotrophs may have experienced competition from other anaerobic Fe(II)-oxidizing microorganisms, altering the formation mechanism of BIFs. Here we utilize microbial incubations to show that nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidizers metabolically outcompete photoferrotrophs for dissolved Fe(II). Moreover, both experiments and numerical modelling show that the nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidizers inhibit photoferrotrophy via the production of toxic intermediates. Four different photoferrotrophs, representing both green sulfur and purple non-sulfur bacteria, are susceptible to this toxic effect despite having genomic capabilities for nitric oxide detoxification. Indeed, despite nitric oxide detoxification mechanisms being ubiquitous in some groups of phototrophs at the genomic level (for example, Chlorobi and Cyanobacteria) it is likely that they would still be affected. We suggest that the production of reactive nitrogen species during nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidation in ferruginous environments may have inhibited the activity of photoferrotrophs in the ancient oceans and thus impeded their role in the precipitation of BIFs.
Multi-parameter simultaneous extraction with a novel microwave sensor based on coupled resonators
Authors: Juan Carlos G. , Potelon Benjamin , Aquino Anyela , García-Martínez Héctor , Quendo Cédric
Published: October 2024

This work presents a microwave resonant multi-parameter sensor devoted to the simultaneous extraction of three characteristics of a homogeneous solid sample: its dielectric permittivity, its loss tangent and its thickness. The device is composed of three coupled resonators in two different substrate boards, having the sample between the boards, in a sandwich configuration. Presence of the sample impacts the electrical response of the device, not only influencing resonators, but also by affecting inter-resonator couplings. A method to analyse the response of the device, allowing for the extraction of the desired characteristics of the sample is proposed, as well as an experimental calibration procedure. The model is built upon 990 simulations, calibrated with three reference-samples measurements and then tested over 18 experimental measurements, with good results, thereby validating the multi-parameter sensing approach.
Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel imidazole derivatives as analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents: experimental and molecular docking insights
Authors: Muheyuddeen Gulam , Khan Mohd Yaqub , Ahmad Tanzeem , Srivastava Shriyansh , Verma Stuti , Ansari Mo. Suheb , Sahu Nilanchala
Published: October 2024

Imidazole moieties exhibit a broad range of biological activities, including analgesic, anti-depressant, anticancer, anti-fungal, anti-tubercular, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. In this study, we explored the use of Schiff base for the synthesis of new imidazole derivatives as anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving agents. A series of eight novel imidazole analogues (2a–h) were prepared in three steps with excellent yields. All compounds were characterized using IR, NMR, and mass spectral data. Their analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated using hot plate and paw oedema methods. Compound 2 g (1-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-2-(3-nitrophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole) showed significant analgesic activity (89% at 100 mg/kg b.w.), while compounds 2a (2-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-1-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole) and 2b (2-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1-(2-chlorophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole) exhibited good anti-inflammatory activity (100% at 100 mg/kg b.w.), comparable to diclofenac salt (100% at 50 mg/kg b.w.). Molecular docking studies were conducted using Schrödinger software version 2021-2, employing the OPLS4 force field for both receptor and ligand preparation. The results were visualized using molecular visualization software such as PyMOL. These studies revealed that compound 2g exhibited the highest binding affinity with the COX-2 receptor (−5.516 kcal/mol). Compound 2g formed three conventional hydrogen bonds with residues GLN-242 (bond length: 2.3 Å) and ARG-343 (bond lengths: 2.2 Å & 2.4 Å). This binding affinity was comparable to that of Diclofenac salt, which showed the highest binding affinity of −5.627 kcal/mol with the COX-2 receptor. Diclofenac salt formed two conventional hydrogen bonds with the residues ARG-344 (bond length: 2.0 Å) and TRP-140 (bond length: 1.7 Å). Later, molecular dynamic simulations confirmed the stable binding affinity of compound 2g with the protein. Furthermore, other compounds also demonstrated potential binding to the receptor-binding pocket region. The anti-inflammatory potential of the synthesized compounds was evaluated using the carrageenan-induced rat hind paw oedema model, while the analgesic potential was assessed using the hot plate method. These evaluations were conducted in comparison with Diclofenac sodium, serving as the standard compound. However, compound 2g stood out for its superior analgesic activity, as confirmed by in-vivo examination. These findings suggest that these novel imidazole derivatives have potential as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents.
Innervation pattern and fiber counts of the human dorsal nerve of clitoris
Authors: Tunçkol Elçin , Heim Christine , Brunk Irene , Vida Imre , Brecht Michael
Published: October 2024

Even tough clitoris plays a critical role in female sexuality, we lack a precise understanding of qualitative and quantitative aspects of the innervation of the human clitoris. To address this issue, we dissected human clitorides from body donors and imaged them after staining with iodine with microCT for a macroscopic analysis. To resolve innervation patterns at the microscopic level we prepared thin sections of clitorides and stained them with trichrome azan to reveal the tissue structure combined with immunocytochemistry against Neurofilament H antibodies to reveal all axons and luxol blue labeling to reveal myelinated axons. We find the clitoral branch of pudendal nerve that innervates the clitoris not as single nerve, but as number of loose bundles. In the crus of the clitoris, about 12 such bundles can be recognized while about 32 bundles are present in the clitoral hemi-body. We counted on avarage 2917 axons in the crus of the clitoris (76% of which are myelinated) and 3137 axons in the hemibody of the clitoris (71% of which are myelinated). While the human clitoris receives only one third of the number of axons that innervate the human penis, an estimate of innervation density (per surface area) revealed that clitoris has approximately 6 times denser innervation compared to the penis. Thus, our study combines histology with microCT analysis provides detailed information on the number, myelination and innervation density of dorsal nerve of clitoris.
Quercetin as a therapeutic agent activate the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway to alleviate lung ischemia-reperfusion injury
Authors: Yousefi Zardak Mohammad , Keshavarz Fatemeh , Mahyaei Ali , Gholami Morteza , Moosavi Fatemeh Sadat , Abbasloo Elham , Abdollahi Farzaneh , Hossein Rezaei Maryam , Madadizadeh Elham , Soltani Nasrin , Bejeshk Fatemeh , Salehi Niyan , Rostamabadi Fahimeh , Bagheri Fatemeh , Jafaraghae Mahla , Ranjbar Zeydabadi Mahdiyeh , Baghgoli Meraj , Sepehri Gholamreza , Bejeshk Mohammad Abbas
Published: October 2024

Lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI) causes oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune system activation. The Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1 pathway is important in cellular defense against these effects. Quercetin, a flavonoid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties, has been investigated. Our aim in this study was to investigate the effect of quercetin on preventing lung ischemia-reperfusion injury and the role of the Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1 pathway. Sixty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four distinct groups(n = 16). Sham, lung ischemia-reperfusion (LIR), Saline + LIR, Quercetin + LIR (30 mg/kg i.p for a week before LIR). LIR groups were subjected to 60 min of ischemia (left pulmonary artery, vein, and bronchus) and 120 min of reperfusion. Our assessment encompassed a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including the evaluation of expression Nrf2, Keap1, and Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels and NF-κB protein. Furthermore, we examined markers related to inflammation (interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor alpha), oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, total oxidant status, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, total antioxidant capacity), lung edema (Wet/dry lung weight ratio and total protein concentration), apoptosis (Bax and Bcl2 protein), and histopathological alterations (intra-alveolar edema, alveolar hemorrhage, and neutrophil infiltration). Our results show that ischemia-reperfusion results in heightened inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, lung edema, and histopathological damage. Quercetin showed preventive effects by reducing these markers, acting through modulation of the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway and inhibiting the NF-κB pathway. This anti-inflammatory effect, complementary to the antioxidant effects of quercetin, provides a multifaceted approach to cell protection that is important for developing therapeutic strategies against ischemia-reperfusion injury and could be helpful in preventive strategies against ischemia-reperfusion.
Rational design based on multi-monomer simultaneous docking for epitope imprinting of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
Authors: Rajpal Soumya , Batista Alex D. , Groß Rüdiger , Münch Jan , Mizaikoff Boris , Mishra Prashant
Published: October 2024

Among biomimetic strategies shaping engineering designs, molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technology stands out, involving chemically synthesised receptors emulating natural antigen-antibody interactions. These versatile ‘designer polymers’ with remarkable stability and low cost, are pivotal for in vitro diagnostics. Amid the recent global health crisis, we probed MIPs’ potential to capture SARS-CoV-2 virions. Large biotemplates complicate MIP design, influencing generated binding site specificity. To precisely structure recognition sites within polymers, we innovated an epitope imprinting method supplemented by in silico polymerization component screening. A viral surface Spike protein informed epitope selection was targeted for MIP development. A novel multi-monomer docking approach (MMSD) was employed to simulate classical receptor-ligand interactions, mimicking binding reinforcement across multiple amino acids. Around 40 monomer combinations were docked to the epitope sequence and top performers experimentally validated via rapid fluorescence binding assays. Notably, high imprinting factor polymers correlated with MMSD predictions, promising rational MIP design applicable to diverse viral pathologies.
Assessment and simulation of eco-environmental quality changes in rapid rural urbanization: Xiong’an New Area, China
Authors: Lin Zhongli , Xu Hanqiu , Yao Xiong , Zhu Zhipeng
Published: October 2024

Xiong’an New Area was established as a state-level new area in 2017 and serves as a typical representative area for studying the ecological evolution of rural areas under rapid urbanization in China. Remote sensing-based ecological index (RSEI) is a regional eco-environmental quality (EEQ) assessment index. Many studies have employed RSEI to achieve rapid, objective, and effective quantitative assessment of the spatio-temporal changes of regional EEQ. However, research that combines RSEI with machine learning algorithms to conduct multi-scenario simulation of EEQ is still relatively scarce. Therefore, this study assessed and simulated EEQ changes in Xiong’an and revealed that: (1) The large-scale construction has led to an overall decline in EEQ, with the RSEI decreasing from 0.648 in 2014 to 0.599 in 2021. (2) Through the multi-scenario simulation, the non-unidirectional evolution of RSEI during the process of urban-rural construction has been revealed, specifically characterized by a significant decline followed by a slight recovery. (3) The marginal effects of urban-rural construction features for simulated RSEI demonstrate an inverted “U-shaped” curve in the relationship between urbanization and EEQ. This indicates that urbanization and EEQ may not be absolute zero-sum. These findings can provide scientific insights for maintaining and improving the regional EEQ in urban-rural construction.
A scalable convolutional neural network approach to fluid flow prediction in complex environments
Authors: Rana Pratip , Weigand Timothy M. , Pilkiewicz Kevin R. , Mayo Michael L.
Published: October 2024

We evaluate the capability of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to predict a velocity field as it relates to fluid flow around various arrangements of obstacles within a two-dimensional, rectangular channel. We base our network architecture on a gated residual U-Net template and train it on velocity fields generated from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. We then assess the extent to which our model can accurately and efficiently predict steady flows in terms of velocity fields associated with inlet speeds and obstacle configurations not included in our training set. Real-world applications often require fluid-flow predictions in larger and more complex domains that contain more obstacles than used in model training. To address this problem, we propose a method that decomposes a domain into subdomains for which our model can individually and accurately predict the fluid flow, after which we apply smoothness and continuity constraints to reconstruct velocity fields across the whole of the original domain. This piecewise, semicontinuous approach is computationally more efficient than the alternative, which involves generation of CFD datasets required to retrain the model on larger and more spatially complex domains. We introduce a local orientational vector field entropy (LOVE) metric, which quantifies a decorrelation scale for velocity fields in geometric domains with one or more obstacles, and use it to devise a strategy for decomposing complex domains into weakly interacting subsets suitable for application of our modeling approach. We end with an assessment of error propagation across modeled domains of increasing size.