bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intellectual actions online as preparation for learning of mathematics: cultural historical methodology (Acciones intelectuales en línea como preparación para el aprendizaje matemático: metodología histórico-cultural)
Authors: Solovieva Yulia , Quintanar Luis , Sidneva Anastasia
Published: July 2023

Learning of mathematics together with the way of introduction of logic is a topic of importance for educational psychology and pedagogy. The constructivist approach advocates for an implicit way of introduction of basic numerical concepts by exploration of objects and substances, starting from preschool age. The cultural historical approach doesn’t insist on early introduction of mathematical formal knowledge at preschool age, as this period should be dedicated to gradual development of voluntary activity, imagination and symbolic function. According to this conception, primary school is the period of formal introduction of mathematical concepts, based on previous work with general intellectual or logical actions. The goal of the article is to show the methodology of fulfilment of intellectual logical actions with symbolic components at the very beginning of primary school as the preparation for the introduction of general mathematical concepts. Pupils of the first grade of primary school were participants of experimental learning-teaching process online. The authors discuss that more research is still needed to find optimal methodology for the introduction and teaching of mathematics in primary school.
Association between pre‐exercise food ingestion timing and reactive hypoglycemia: Insights from a large database of continuous glucose monitoring data
Authors: Zignoli Andrea , Fontana Federico Y. , Lipman David J. , Skroce Kristina , Maturana Felipe M. , Zisser Howard C.
Published: July 2023

Using a large database of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data, this study aimed to gain insights into the association between pre‐exercise food ingestion timing and reactive hypoglycemia. A group of 6,761 users self‐reported 48,799 pre‐exercise food ingestion events and logged minute‐by‐minute CGM, which was used to detect reactive hypoglycemia (<70 mg/dL) in the first 30 min of exercise. A linear and a non‐linear binomial logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between food ingestion timing and the probability of experiencing reactive hypoglycemia. An analysis of variance was conducted to compare the predictive ability of the models. On average, reactive hypoglycemia was detected in 8.34 ± 3.04% of the total events, with <15% of individuals experiencing hypoglycemia in >20% of their events. The majority of the reactive hypoglycemia events were found with pre‐exercise food timing between ∼30 and ∼90 min, with a peak at ∼60 min. The superior accuracy (62.05 vs 45.1%) and F‐score (0.75 vs 0.59) of the non‐linear vs the linear model were statistically superior (P < 0.0001). These results support the notion of an unfavourable 30‐to‐90 min pre‐exercise food ingestion time window which can significantly impact the likelihood of reactive hypoglycemia in some individuals.
Numerical solutions for the f(R)-Klein–Gordon system
Authors: Beckering Vinckers Ulrich K , de la Cruz-Dombriz Álvaro , Pollney Denis
Published: July 2023

We construct a numerical relativity code based on the Baumgarte–Shapiro–Shibata–Nakamura (BSSN) formulation for the gravitational quadratic f(R) Starobinsky model. By removing the assumption that the determinant of the conformal 3-metric is unity, we first generalize the BSSN formulation for general f(R) gravity theories in the metric formalism to accommodate arbitrary coordinates for the first time. We then describe the implementation of this formalism to the paradigmatic Starobinsky model. We apply the implementation to three scenarios: the Schwarzschild black hole solution, flat space with non-trivial gauge dynamics, and a massless Klein–Gordon (KG) scalar field. In each case, long-term stability and second-order convergence is demonstrated. The case of the massless KG scalar field is used to exercise the additional terms and variables resulting from the f(R) contributions. For this model, we show for the first time that additional damped oscillations arise in the subcritical regime as the system approaches a stable configuration.
Single-nanowire-morphed mechanical slingshot for directional shooting delivery of micro-payloads
Authors: Zhang Ying , Yan Jiang , Li Dianlun , Qian Wentao , Qi Yongjia , Wu Lei , Liu Zongguang , Wang Junzhuan , Xu Jun , Yu Linwei
Published: July 2023

Stretching elastomer bands to accumulate strain energy, for a sudden projectile launching, has been an old hunting skill that will continue to find new applications in miniaturized worlds. In this work, we explore the use of highly resilient and geometry-tailored ultrathin crystalline silicon nanowires (SiNWs) as elastic medium to fabricate the first, and the smallest, mechanical slingshot. These NW-morphed slingshots were first grown on a planar surface, with desired layout, and then mounted upon standing pillar frames, with a unique self-hooking structure that allows for a facile and reliable assembly, loading and shooting maneuver of microsphere payloads. Impressively, the elastic spring design can help to store 10 times more strain energy into the NW springs, compared with the straight ones under the same pulling force, which has been strong enough to overcome the sticky van der Waals (vdW) force at the touching interfaces that otherwise will hinder a reliable releasing onto soft surface with low-surface energy or adhesion force, and to achieve a directional shooting delivery of precise amount of tiny payload units onto delicate target with the least impact damage. This NW-morphing construction strategy also provides a generic protocol/platform to fast design, prototype, and deploy new nanoelectromechanical and biological applications at extremely low costs.
Ion heating in laser interacting with magnetized plasma
Authors: Juneja Rohit , Dhalia Trishul , Prasad Goswami Laxman , Maity Srimanta , Mandal Devshree , Das Amita
Published: July 2023

The ion heating mechanism in the context of laser interacting with plasma immersed in a strong magnetic field is studied. The electron motion transverse to the magnetic field gets restricted, and it acquires comparatively less energy than the ions. The magnetic field is chosen to be strong for laser electromagnetic field propagation inside the plasma to be governed by the magnetized dispersion relation. Both X and RL mode configurations have been studied in detail using particle-in-cell simulations. It is shown that the energy absorption process is governed by a resonant mechanism wherein the laser frequency matches with an underlying mode in the plasma. For X and RL mode configurations, these correspond to lower hybrid and ion cyclotron resonance, respectively. The absorption, however, is found to be most efficient at frequencies close to but not exactly matching with the resonance frequency. An understanding of the same has been provided. The role of laser polarization has been studied in detail.
Plasma rotation and axial flow velocities in Magnum-PSI from cross-correlation measurements
Authors: Costin C , Mihaila I , van der Meiden H J , Tanaka H , Scholten J , van Eck H J N
Published: July 2023

The plasma flow velocity in the azimuthal and axial directions was estimated from a cross-correlation analysis of ion saturation currents measured across the plasma column of Magnum-PSI using a 64-probe matrix acting as target. The radial profile of the plasma rotation velocity in azimuthal direction revealed a reversed rotation at larger radii (r > 12–16 mm, depending on the magnetic field strength). The result was confirmed by comparison with the azimuthal velocity calculated as the sum of the
E
×
B
drift (estimated from the radial profile of the plasma potential) and the diamagnetic drift (estimated from the radial profile of the ion pressure). The reversed rotation was associated with the electron current path in Magnum-PSI. The axial velocity was estimated based on the rotation velocity and cross-correlation measurements with a tilted target. Both the azimuthal and axial velocities are of the order of km s−1, corresponding to previously reported results obtained by optical methods.
In situ measurement of dynamic surface charge on dielectrics interacted with plasma jet arrays
Authors: Zhang Bo , Sun Yuhao , Han Wenhu , Fan Lei , Guo Wang , Li Wendong , Mu Haibao , Zhang Guanjun
Published: July 2023

As a flexible tool to generate large-scale non-thermal plasma in ambient air, plasma jet arrays have attracted academic attention from multiple fields of biomedicine and material surface sciences. Optimization of plasma processing that heavily relies on trial-and-error experiments requires quantitative in situ diagnostics of plasma–surface interaction. This study focuses on the fundamental surface charge evolution in quartz dielectric deposited by plasma jet arrays. The thin quartz plate is attached to an electro-optic BSO crystal that is conductive and grounded in the back. These jet arrays are driven by a positive microsecond pulsed voltage with kHz frequency. Special attention is paid to the properties and mechanisms of the intriguing convergence of multiple adjacent surface charge patterns. The measured 1D and 2D jet arrays verify the trend of homopolar charge fusion at the plasma–surface interface, which was initially thought to be repulsive under electrostatic forces. The fusion of surface charges is considerably enhanced when more charges are transported onto targeted dielectrics, as well as at smaller separations. The simulation results reveal the mechanism of charge fusion that occurs when surface ionization waves (IWs) are in close proximity, and the high electric field between their heads provides a cluster of high-energy electrons that forces two IWs to merge until they connect. In the case of extremely small separations, the close-in IWs directly merge in bulk before touching the target. Quantitative in situ measurements of surface charges and the corresponding simulations provide fresh insight into the electrical interaction in large-scale atmospheric-pressure plasma jets. The properties of charge fusion can help with manufacturing and optimizing large-area uniform plasma jet sources for various dielectric materials.
Superconducting properties of van der Waals metal-rich subsulfide Nb1.7Ta3.3S2
Authors: Kataria A , Singh R P
Published: July 2023

Layered metal-rich subsulfides have become a promising area for exploring intriguing properties such as superconductivity, nontrivial topology, and charge density waves; however, despite their extraordinary potential, they have remained largely unexplored. We report a comprehensive analysis of a van der Waals layered metal-rich subsulfide, Nb1.7Ta3.3S2, using a range of measurement techniques, including AC transport, magnetization, and specific heat. Our measurements confirm the occurrence of a type-II superconducting transition at a temperature Tc
 = 3.64(2) K. Furthermore, specific heat measurements suggest weakly coupled nodeless superconductivity in Nb1.7Ta3.3S2.
Splitting the Nariai cosmology
Authors: Halilsoy Mustafa , Hsieh Chia-Li
Published: July 2023

At certain time the Nariai spacetime is split into two parts. The resulting cosmology consists of the original Nariai and a new component with topology (flat)2 × S
2, that is equivalent to a cloud of strings. We explore the properties of our hybrid cosmological model.
DFT based atomic modeling and Analog/RF analysis of ferroelectric HfO2 based improved FET device
Authors: Pathak Yash , Dhar Malhotra Bansi , Chaujar Rishu
Published: July 2023

In this study, we systematically investigated the Analog/RF and linearity parameter of SM DGNCFET (single metal double gate negative capacitance field effect transistor) and DM DGNCFET (double metal double gate negative capacitance Field effect transistor) with the help of Cogenda Visual TCAD simulator, and also demonstrated the enhancement in the electronic and optical properties of Si-doping bulk structure by using the Quantum ATK. The analog parameters are enhanced for SM DGNCFET such better performance of switching ratio 279 times better, DIBL 54% lower, SS decay, and some other improved parameter transconductance, TGF and Radio frequency parameter is also enhanced, transconductance frequency product (TFP) for improving reliability and stability of device. Linearity parameters like that second and third order transconductance (gm2, g
m3), voltage intercept point for 2nd, 3rd. Tran Blaha modified Becke Johnson (TB-mBJ) approxiamation gives the accurate band gap of crystal. In DFT based atomic study, 12.5% of Si doping in bulk structure reveals better results for ferroelectric HfO2 based crystal in the direct band gap of bandstructure is zero, Density of state (DOS) is also improved conductivity for Si doping crystal. Hence, Si doping in crystal structure is also better for conductivity.
Effective thermo-electro-mechanical properties of Menger sponge-like fractal structures: a finite element study
Authors: Gaur Aditya , Chawla Komal , Kiran Raj , Patel Satyanarayan
Published: July 2023

Menger sponges are hierarchical structures with tunable mechanical and electrical properties. In this work, different orders (0th, 1st, 2nd and 3rd) of hierarchical structures were studied for their effective properties by square, circular and hexagonal-shaped cavities. The elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, thermal and electrical conductivities were investigated as a functions of the density. The variation of normalized parameters with normalized density for square, cylindrical, and hexagonal-shaped cavities was used to obtain the empirical relations. The normalized specific modulus and Poisson’s ratio were validated using available analytical models for all cavities. The normalized Poisson’s ratio, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity decreased with a reduction in the effective density. The effect of a different cavity (square, cylindrical and hexagonal) on the Menger sponge’s mechanical and electrical behaviour shows variation after the effective density falls below 0.8. Menger sponge with a square cavity shows the maximum decrement in thermal and electrical conductivity among other cavities with increasing order of structure. Menger sponge with hexagonal cavity consists of least reduced normalized thermal and electrical conductivity with decreasing effective density. An increment in the order of fractals leads to a near-zero value for Poisson’s ratio. These structures can be used for medical, aerospace, and industrial applications according to the properties required in different applications.
Mechanically tuned cholesteric elastomer waveguide slab
Authors: Adapta Oswaldo , Adrian Reyes J
Published: July 2023

In this research, a planar waveguide whose core is a cholesteric liquid crystalline elastomer whose helical axis is perpendicular to its planar boundaries, is studied. The electrodynamics equations are established, together with the constitutive equations. The mechanical stress is tuned through elastic deformations in the parallel direction along the helix axis, in order to control the propagation parameters. The resulting equations system is solved numerically by assuming the guide to be surrounded either by air or vacuum. The propagation parameter and the ratio between the magnetic and electrical modes are obtained as a function of frequency, which provides the band structure of the aforementioned modes. The amplitudes of the profiles of the electromagnetic fields and the Poynting vector distributions are also sought as a function of position. Finally, the mixing of transverse electric and magnetic modes to generate new eigenmodes and their conditions for propagation within the waveguide, are also studied.
The ECFA Detector R&D Roadmap
Authors: Dalla Torre S.
Published: July 2023

A Detector R&D Roadmap process was requested to ECFA by the conclusive documents of the
European Particle Physic Strategy Upgrade. The Roadmap process, its outcome and its current implementation are summarized.
Orchestrating information across tissues via a novel multitask GAT framework to improve quantitative gene regulation relation modeling for survival analysis
Authors: Duan Meiyu , Wang Yueying , Zhao Dong , Liu Hongmei , Zhang Gongyou , Li Kewei , Zhang Haotian , Huang Lan , Zhang Ruochi , Zhou Fengfeng
Published: July 2023

Survival analysis is critical to cancer prognosis estimation. High-throughput technologies facilitate the increase in the dimension of genic features, but the number of clinical samples in cohorts is relatively small due to various reasons, including difficulties in participant recruitment and high data-generation costs. Transcriptome is one of the most abundantly available OMIC (referring to the high-throughput data, including genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and epigenomic) data types. This study introduced a multitask graph attention network (GAT) framework DQSurv for the survival analysis task. We first used a large dataset of healthy tissue samples to pretrain the GAT-based HealthModel for the quantitative measurement of the gene regulatory relations. The multitask survival analysis framework DQSurv used the idea of transfer learning to initiate the GAT model with the pretrained HealthModel and further fine-tuned this model using two tasks i.e. the main task of survival analysis and the auxiliary task of gene expression prediction. This refined GAT was denoted as DiseaseModel. We fused the original transcriptomic features with the difference vector between the latent features encoded by the HealthModel and DiseaseModel for the final task of survival analysis. The proposed DQSurv model stably outperformed the existing models for the survival analysis of 10 benchmark cancer types and an independent dataset. The ablation study also supported the necessity of the main modules. We released the codes and the pretrained HealthModel to facilitate the feature encodings and survival analysis of transcriptome-based future studies, especially on small datasets. The model and the code are available at http://www.healthinformaticslab.org/supp/.
The structure and mechanism of action of a distinct class of dicistrovirus intergenic region IRESs
Authors: Abaeva Irina S , Young Christina , Warsaba Reid , Khan Nadiyah , Tran Lan Vy , Jan Eric , Pestova Tatyana V , Hellen Christopher U T
Published: July 2023

Internal ribosomal entry sites (IRESs) engage with the eukaryotic translation apparatus to promote end-independent initiation. We identified a conserved class of ∼150 nt long intergenic region (IGR) IRESs in dicistrovirus genomes derived from members of the phyla Arthropoda, Bryozoa, Cnidaria, Echinodermata, Entoprocta, Mollusca and Porifera. These IRESs, exemplified by Wenling picorna-like virus 2, resemble the canonical cricket paralysis virus (CrPV) IGR IRES in comprising two nested pseudoknots (PKII/PKIII) and a 3′-terminal pseudoknot (PKI) that mimics a tRNA anticodon stem–loop base-paired to mRNA. However, they are ∼50 nt shorter than CrPV-like IRESs, and PKIII is an H-type pseudoknot that lacks the SLIV and SLV stem–loops that are primarily responsible for the affinity of CrPV-like IRESs for the 40S ribosomal subunit and that restrict initial binding of PKI to its aminoacyl (A) site. Wenling-class IRESs bound strongly to 80S ribosomes but only weakly to 40S subunits. Whereas CrPV-like IRESs must be translocated from the A site to the peptidyl (P) site by elongation factor 2 for elongation to commence, Wenling-class IRESs bound directly to the P site of 80S ribosomes, and decoding begins without a prior translocation step. A chimeric CrPV clone containing a Wenling-class IRES was infectious, confirming that the IRES functioned in cells.
Histone divergence in trypanosomes results in unique alterations to nucleosome structure
Authors: Deák Gauri , Wapenaar Hannah , Sandoval Gorka , Chen Ruofan , Taylor Mark R D , Burdett Hayden , Watson James A , Tuijtel Maarten W , Webb Shaun , Wilson Marcus D
Published: July 2023

Eukaryotes have a multitude of diverse mechanisms for organising and using their genomes, but the histones that make up chromatin are highly conserved. Unusually, histones from kinetoplastids are highly divergent. The structural and functional consequences of this variation are unknown. Here, we have biochemically and structurally characterised nucleosome core particles (NCPs) from the kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma brucei. A structure of the T. brucei NCP reveals that global histone architecture is conserved, but specific sequence alterations lead to distinct DNA and protein interaction interfaces. The T. brucei NCP is unstable and has weakened overall DNA binding. However, dramatic changes at the H2A-H2B interface introduce local reinforcement of DNA contacts. The T. brucei acidic patch has altered topology and is refractory to known binders, indicating that the nature of chromatin interactions in T. brucei may be unique. Overall, our results provide a detailed molecular basis for understanding evolutionary divergence in chromatin structure.
PLASMe: a tool to identify PLASMid contigs from short-read assemblies using transformer
Authors: Tang Xubo , Shang Jiayu , Ji Yongxin , Sun Yanni
Published: July 2023

Plasmids are mobile genetic elements that carry important accessory genes. Cataloging plasmids is a fundamental step to elucidate their roles in promoting horizontal gene transfer between bacteria. Next generation sequencing (NGS) is the main source for discovering new plasmids today. However, NGS assembly programs tend to return contigs, making plasmid detection difficult. This problem is particularly grave for metagenomic assemblies, which contain short contigs of heterogeneous origins. Available tools for plasmid contig detection still suffer from some limitations. In particular, alignment-based tools tend to miss diverged plasmids while learning-based tools often have lower precision. In this work, we develop a plasmid detection tool PLASMe that capitalizes on the strength of alignment and learning-based methods. Closely related plasmids can be easily identified using the alignment component in PLASMe while diverged plasmids can be predicted using order-specific Transformer models. By encoding plasmid sequences as a language defined on the protein cluster-based token set, Transformer can learn the importance of proteins and their correlation through positionally token embedding and the attention mechanism. We compared PLASMe and other tools on detecting complete plasmids, plasmid contigs, and contigs assembled from CAMI2 simulated data. PLASMe achieved the highest F1-score. After validating PLASMe on data with known labels, we also tested it on real metagenomic and plasmidome data. The examination of some commonly used marker genes shows that PLASMe exhibits more reliable performance than other tools.
Aromatic amino acid biosynthesis impacts root hair development and symbiotic associations inLotus japonicus
Authors: Montiel Jesús , García-Soto Ivette , James Euan K , Reid Dugald , Cárdenas Luis , Napsucialy-Mendivil Selene , Ferguson Shaun , Dubrovsky Joseph G , Stougaard Jens
Published: July 2023

Legume roots can be symbiotically colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In Lotus japonicus, the latter occurs intracellularly by the cognate rhizobial partner Mesorhizobium loti or intercellularly with the Agrobacterium pusense strain IRBG74. Although these symbiotic programs show distinctive cellular and transcriptome signatures, some molecular components are shared. In this study, we demonstrate that 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase 1 (DAHPS1), the first enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of aromatic amino acids (AAAs), plays a critical role in root hair development and for AM and rhizobial symbioses in Lotus. Two homozygous DAHPS1 mutants (dahps1-1 and dahps1-2) showed drastic alterations in root hair morphology, associated with alterations in cell wall dynamics and a progressive disruption of the actin cytoskeleton. The altered root hair structure was prevented by pharmacological and genetic complementation. dahps1-1 and dahps1-2 showed significant reductions in rhizobial infection (intracellular and intercellular) and nodule organogenesis and a delay in AM colonization. RNAseq analysis of dahps1-2 roots suggested that these phenotypes are associated with downregulation of several cell wall–related genes, and with an attenuated signaling response. Interestingly, the dahps1 mutants showed no detectable pleiotropic effects, suggesting a more selective recruitment of this gene in certain biological processes. This work provides robust evidence linking AAA metabolism to root hair development and successful symbiotic associations.
Comparing genomes of Fructus Amomi-producing species reveals genetic basis of volatile terpenoid divergence
Authors: Yang Peng , Ling Xu-Yi , Zhou Xiao-Fan , Chen Yuan-Xia , Wang Tian-Tian , Lin Xiao-Jing , Zhao Yuan-Yuan , Ye Yu-Shi , Huang Lin-Xuan , Sun Ye-Wen , Qi Yu-Xin , Ma Dong-Ming , Zhan Ruo-Ting , Huang Xue-Shuang , Yang Jin-Fen
Published: July 2023

Wurfbainia longiligularis and Wurfbainia villosa are both rich in volatile terpenoids and are 2 primary plant sources of Fructus Amomi used for curing gastrointestinal diseases. Metabolomic profiling has demonstrated that bornyl diphosphate (BPP)-related terpenoids are more abundant in the W. villosa seeds and have a wider tissue distribution in W. longiligularis. To explore the genetic mechanisms underlying the volatile terpenoid divergence, a high-quality chromosome-level genome of W. longiligularis (2.29 Gb, contig N50 of 80.39 Mb) was assembled. Functional characterization of 17 terpene synthases (WlTPSs) revealed that WlBPPS, along with WlTPS 24/26/28 with bornyl diphosphate synthase (BPPS) activity, contributes to the wider tissue distribution of BPP-related terpenoids in W. longiligularis compared to W. villosa. Furthermore, transgenic Nicotiana tabacum showed that the GCN4-motif element positively regulates seed expression of WvBPPS and thus promotes the enrichment of BPP-related terpenoids in W. villosa seeds. Systematic identification and analysis of candidate TPS in 29 monocot plants from 16 families indicated that substantial expansion of TPS-a and TPS-b subfamily genes in Zingiberaceae may have driven increased diversity and production of volatile terpenoids. Evolutionary analysis and functional identification of BPPS genes showed that BPP-related terpenoids may be distributed only in the Zingiberaceae of monocot plants. This research provides valuable genomic resources for breeding and improving Fructus Amomi with medicinal and edible value and sheds light on the evolution of terpenoid biosynthesis in Zingiberaceae.
Vacuolar sugar transporter EARLY RESPONSE TO DEHYDRATION6-LIKE4 affects fructose signaling and plant growth
Authors: Khan Azkia , Cheng Jintao , Kitashova Anastasia , Fürtauer Lisa , Nägele Thomas , Picco Cristiana , Scholz-Starke Joachim , Keller Isabel , Neuhaus H Ekkehard , Pommerrenig Benjamin
Published: July 2023

Regulation of intracellular sugar homeostasis is maintained by regulation of activities of sugar import and export proteins residing at the tonoplast. We show here that the EARLY RESPONSE TO DEHYDRATION6-LIKE4 (ERDL4) protein, a member of the monosaccharide transporter family, resides in the vacuolar membrane in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Gene expression and subcellular fractionation studies indicated that ERDL4 participates in fructose allocation across the tonoplast. Overexpression of ERDL4 increased total sugar levels in leaves due to a concomitantly induced stimulation of TONOPLAST SUGAR TRANSPORTER 2 (TST2) expression, coding for the major vacuolar sugar loader. This conclusion is supported by the finding that tst1-2 knockout lines overexpressing ERDL4 lack increased cellular sugar levels. ERDL4 activity contributing to the coordination of cellular sugar homeostasis is also indicated by 2 further observations. First, ERDL4 and TST genes exhibit an opposite regulation during a diurnal rhythm, and second, the ERDL4 gene is markedly expressed during cold acclimation, representing a situation in which TST activity needs to be upregulated. Moreover, ERDL4-overexpressing plants show larger rosettes and roots, a delayed flowering time, and increased total seed yield. Consistently, erdl4 knockout plants show impaired cold acclimation and freezing tolerance along with reduced plant biomass. In summary, we show that modification of cytosolic fructose levels influences plant organ development and stress tolerance.
Faculty-Librarian Collaboration to Enhance Information Literacy Skills in an Online Nursing Course
Authors: Mahmoud Sally , Withorn Tessa
Published: July 2023

This article describes an exemplary collaboration in which a librarian was fully embedded in beginner undergraduate nursing courses in a baccalaureate nursing program. The goal was to increase academic help-seeking behaviors and information literacy skills. Students benefited from the intervention and increasingly demonstrated the use of better sources for their evidence-based practice assignments. Library tutorials were permanently integrated into the courses. A collaborative approach to designing research assignments allowed the librarian and nursing faculty to lay a foundation of information literacy in the nursing program and encourage academic help-seeking behaviors.
Novel Pulsed Ultrahigh-frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation Inhibits Mechanical Hypersensitivity and Brain Neuronal Activity in Rats after Nerve Injury
Authors: Yang Chin-Tsang , Guan Yun , Chen Chih-Cheng , Lin Wei-Tso , Lu Kuo-Hsiang , Lin Chung-Ren , Shyu Bai-Chuang , Wen Yeong-Ray
Published: July 2023

Background

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an important pain treatment modality. This study hypothesized that a novel pulsed ultrahigh-frequency spinal cord stimulation (pUHF-SCS) could safely and effectively inhibit spared nerve injury–induced neuropathic pain in rats.

Methods

Epidural pUHF-SCS (± 3V, 2-Hz pulses comprising 500-kHz biphasic sinewaves) was implanted at the thoracic vertebrae (T9 to T11). Local field brain potentials after hind paw stimulation were recorded. Analgesia was evaluated by von Frey–evoked allodynia and acetone-induced cold allodynia.

Results

The mechanical withdrawal threshold of the injured paw was 0.91 ± 0.28 g lower than that of the sham surgery (24.9 ± 1.2 g). Applying 5-, 10-, or 20-min pUHF-SCS five times every 2 days significantly increased the paw withdrawal threshold to 13.3 ± 6.5, 18.5 ± 3.6, and 21.0 ± 2.8 g at 5 h post–SCS, respectively (P = 0.0002, < 0.0001, and < 0.0001; n = 6 per group) and to 6.1 ± 2.5, 8.2 ± 2.7, and 14.3 ± 5.9 g on the second day, respectively (P = 0.123, 0.013, and < 0.0001). Acetone-induced paw response numbers decreased from pre–SCS (41 ± 12) to 24 ± 12 and 28 ± 10 (P = 0.006 and 0.027; n = 9) at 1 and 5 h after three rounds of 20-min pUHF-SCS, respectively. The areas under the curve from the C component of the evoked potentials at the left primary somatosensory and anterior cingulate cortices were significantly decreased from pre–SCS (101.3 ± 58.3 and 86.9 ± 25.5, respectively) to 39.7 ± 40.3 and 36.3 ± 20.7 (P = 0.021, and 0.003; n = 5) at 60 min post–SCS, respectively. The intensity thresholds for pUHF-SCS to induce brain and sciatic nerve activations were much higher than the therapeutic intensities and thresholds of conventional low-frequency SCS.

Conclusions

Pulsed ultrahigh-frequency spinal cord stimulation inhibited neuropathic pain–related behavior and paw stimulation evoked brain activation through mechanisms distinct from low-frequency SCS.

Editor’s Perspective

What We Already Know about This Topic

What This Article Tells Us That Is New
Management of major bleeding for anticoagulated patients in the Emergency Department: an European experts consensus statement
Authors: Backus Barbra , Beyer-Westendorf Jan , Body Rick , Lindner Tobias , Möckel Martin , Sehgal Vinay , Parry-Jones Adrian , Seiffge David , Gibler Brian
Published: July 2023

An increasing number of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with life-threatening bleeding are using oral anticoagulants, such as warfarin, Factor IIa and Factor Xa inhibitors. Achieving rapid and controlled haemostasis is critically important to save the patient’s life. This multidisciplinary consensus paper provides a systematic and pragmatic approach to the management of anticoagulated patients with severe bleeding at the ED. Repletion and reversal management of the specific anticoagulants is described in detail. For patients on vitamin K antagonists, the administration of vitamin K and repletion of clotting factors with four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate provides real-time ability to stop the bleeding. For patients using a direct oral anticoagulant, specific antidotes are necessary to reverse the anticoagulative effect. For patients receiving the thrombin inhibitor dabigatran, treatment with idarucizamab has been demonstrated to reverse the hypocoagulable state. For patients receiving a factor Xa inhibitor (apixaban or rivaroxaban), andexanet alfa is the indicated antidote in patients with major bleeding. Lastly, specific treatment strategies are discussed in patients using anticoagulants with major traumatic bleeding, intracranial haemorrhage or gastrointestinal bleeding.
Radiomics-based Machine Learning Methods for Volume Doubling Time Prediction of Pulmonary Ground-glass Nodules With Baseline Chest Computed Tomography
Authors: Huang Wenjun , Zhang Hanxiao , Ge Yanming , Duan Shaofeng , Ma Yanqing , Wang Xiaoling , Zhou Xiuxiu , Zhou Taohu , Tu Wenting , Wang Yun , Liu Shiyuan , Dong Peng , Fan Li
Published: July 2023

Purpose:

Reliable prediction of volume doubling time (VDT) is essential for the personalized management of pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs). We aimed to determine the optimal VDT prediction method by comparing different machine learning methods only based on the baseline chest computed tomography (CT) images.

Materials and Methods:

Seven classical machine learning methods were evaluated in terms of their stability and performance for VDT prediction. The VDT, calculated by the preoperative and baseline CT, was divided into 2 groups with a cutoff value of 400 days. A total of 90 GGNs from 3 hospitals constituted the training set, and 86 GGNs from the fourth hospital served as the external validation set. The training set was used for feature selection and model training, and the validation set was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the model independently.

Results:

The eXtreme Gradient Boosting showed the highest predictive performance (accuracy: 0.890±0.128 and area under the ROC curve (AUC): 0.896±0.134), followed by the neural network (NNet) (accuracy: 0.865±0.103 and AUC: 0.886±0.097). While regarding stability, the NNet showed the highest robustness against data perturbation (relative SDs [%] of mean AUC: 10.9%). Therefore, the NNet was chosen as the final model, achieving high accuracy of 0.756 in the external validation set.

Conclusion:

The NNet is a promising machine learning method to predict the VDT of GGNs, which would assist in the personalized follow-up and treatment strategies for GGNs reducing unnecessary follow-up and radiation dose.
When Emphysema Meets Fibrosis
Authors: Damiani Ferretti Margherita , Rimondi Maria Rita , Zompatori Maurizio
Published: July 2023

Many lung diseases, first, tumors, are smoking-related, and it is very likely to find more than one pattern in the same patient. Airspace enlargement with fibrosis (AEF) is one of them, but it has not been deeply understood or studied yet. In fact, we think that it might still be wrongly assimilated with other conditions that have different radiological features altogether and different prognoses. This pictorial essay is aimed at pointing out AEF so that radiologists and pulmonologists get acquainted with it and use the proper terminology, as AEF might not be that rare.
A Novel Imaging Technique for Analyzing Condylar Movement During Mastication in Patients With Jaw Deformities: Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography
Authors: Kimoto Akira , Yamashita Junya , Ohori Hiroaki , Negi Noriyuki , Sekitani Toshinori , Komori Hiroki , Shioyasono Atsushi , Tateishi Chizu , Hasegawa Takumi , Akashi Masaya
Published: July 2023

Objective:

This study aimed to reveal characteristic condylar movements in patients with jaw deformities.

Study Design:

Thirty patients with jaw deformities before surgery were enrolled and instructed to chew a cookie during 4-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT). The distance between the most anterior and posterior positions of the bilateral condyles on 4DCT images was measured and compared among patients with different skeletal classes. Correlations between the condylar protrusion and cephalometric values were also determined.

Results:

The distances of condylar protrusion during mastication were significantly greater in the skeletal class II group than in the skeletal class III group (P=0.0002). Significant correlations were found between the distances of condylar protrusion during mastication and the sella-nasion–B point angle (r=−0.442, P=0.015), A point–nasion–B point angle (r=0.516, P=0.004), sella-nasion plane to ramus plane angle (r=0.464, P=0.01), sella-nasion plane to occlusal plane angle (r=0.367, P=0.047), and condylion–gonion length (r=−0.366, P=0.048).

Conclusion:

Motion analysis with 4DCT images revealed that condylar movement in patients with retrognathism was larger than in patients with mandibular prognathism. Skeletal structure was therefore correlated with condylar movement during mastication.
Respiratory Fluid Mechanics of the Effect of Mouth Breathing on High-Arched Palate: Computational Fluid Dynamics Analyses
Authors: Xie Wenting , Zhang Lu , Shao Jiayi , Zhang Chunxiang , Zhang Zhongfang , Zhang Linkun
Published: July 2023

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was introduced into the study of palate growth and development to explain the mechanisms by which mouth breathing affects palate descent from an aerodynamic perspective. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data were used to reconstruct a 3-dimensional model during natural mouth breathing of a volunteer. The model was imported into CFX 19.0 for numerical simulation of nasal breathing, mouth-nasal breathing, and mouth breathing. The pressure in the oronasal cavity was analyzed, and the pressure difference between the oral and nasal surfaces of hard palate under different breathing patterns was calculated. CFD can be used to simulate the stress on the oral and nasal surfaces of the palate under different breathing patterns. The pressure differences and resultant force between the oral and nasal surfaces of the hard palate during nasal inspiration, nasal expiration, mouth-nasal inspiration, mouth-nasal expiration, mouth inspiration, and mouth expiration were 0 Pa, 4 Pa (upward), 9 Pa (upward), 3 Pa (downward), 474 Pa (upward), 263 Pa (downward), respectively, and 87.99 N (upward), 88.03 N (upward), 88.01 N (upward), 88.01 N (upward), 88.05 N (upward), 87.94 N (upward), respectively. Therefore, CFD can be used to investigate the growth and development of the palate. When the volunteer opened his mouth, the pressure difference between the oral and nasal surfaces of the hard palate was about 88 N upward regardless of whether there was airflow in the mouth. The reversal of the direction of the force on the hard palate may be one of the factors affecting its descent of it.
Form, function, foam: evolutionary ecology of anuran nests and nesting behaviour
Authors: Fischer Eva K.
Published: July 2023

Amphibians exhibit an incredible diversity of reproductive and life-history strategies, including various forms of nest construction and nesting behaviour. Although anuran amphibians (frogs and toads) are not known for their nests, nesting behaviour in this clade—broadly defined as a location chosen or constructed for eggs and young—is tightly linked to the amphibious lifestyle of this group. Transitions to increasingly terrestrial living have driven reproductive diversity in anurans, including the repeated, independent evolution of nests and nesting. Indeed, a core feature of many notable anuran adaptations—including nesting behaviour—is the maintenance of an aquatic environment for developing offspring. The tight link between increasingly terrestrial reproduction and morphological, physiological and behavioural diversity in anurans provides inroads for studying the evolutionary ecology of nests, their architects and their contents. This review provides an overview of nests and nesting behaviour in anurans, highlighting areas where additional work may be particularly fruitful. I take an intentionally broad view of what constitutes nesting to highlight what we can learn from thinking and researching comparatively across anurans and vertebrates more broadly.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach’.
Evolution of nest architecture in tyrant flycatchers and allies
Authors: Ocampo David , De Silva Thilina N. , Sheard Catherine , Stoddard Mary Caswell
Published: July 2023

Innovations in nest design are thought to be one potential factor in the evolutionary success of passerine birds (order: Passeriformes), which colonized new ecological niches as they diversified in the Oligocene and Miocene. In particular, tyrant flycatchers and their allies (parvorder: Tyrannida) are an extremely diverse group of New World suboscine passerines occupying a wide range of habitats and exhibiting substantial extant variation in nest design. To explore the evolution of nest architecture in this clade, we first described nest traits across the Tyrannida phylogeny and estimated ancestral nest conditions. We then quantified macroevolutionary transition rates between nest types, examined a potential coevolutionary relationship between nest type and habitat, and used phylogenetic mixed models to determine possible ecological and environmental correlates of nest design. The Tyrannida ancestor probably built a cup nest in a closed habitat, and dome nests independently evolved at least 15 times within this group. Both cup- and dome-nesting species diversified into semi-open and open habitats, and we did not detect a coevolutionary relationship between nest type and habitat. Furthermore, nest type was not significantly correlated with several key ecological, life-history and environmental traits, suggesting that broad variation in Tyrannida nest architecture may not easily be explained by a single factor.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach’.
Mother knows best: nest-site choice homogenizes embryo thermal environments among populations in a widespread ectotherm
Authors: Bodensteiner Brooke L. , Iverson John B. , Lea Carter A. , Milne-Zelman Carrie L. , Mitchell Timothy S. , Refsnider Jeanine M. , Voves Kameron , Warner Daniel A. , Janzen Fredric J.
Published: July 2023

Species with large geographical ranges provide an excellent model for studying how different populations respond to dissimilar local conditions, particularly with respect to variation in climate. Maternal effects, such as nest-site choice greatly affect offspring phenotypes and survival. Thus, maternal behaviour has the potential to mitigate the effects of divergent climatic conditions across a species' range. We delineated natural nesting areas of six populations of painted turtles (
Chrysemys picta
) that span a broad latitudinal range and quantified spatial and temporal variation in nest characteristics. To quantify microhabitats available for females to choose, we also identified sites within the nesting area of each location that were representative of available thermal microhabitats. Across the range, females nested non-randomly and targeted microhabitats that generally had less canopy cover and thus higher nest temperatures. Nest microhabitats differed among locations but did not predictably vary with latitude or historic mean air temperature during embryonic development. In conjunction with other studies of these populations, our results suggest that nest-site choice is homogenizing nest environments, which buffers embryos from thermally induced selection and could slow embryonic evolution. Thus, although effective at a macroclimatic scale, nest-site choice is unlikely to compensate for novel stressors that rapidly increase local temperatures.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach’.
Total infectome investigation of diphtheritic stomatitis in yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) reveals a novel and abundant megrivirus
Authors: Wierenga Janelle R. , Morgan Kerri J. , Taylor Harry S. , Hunter Stuart , Argilla Lisa S. , Webster Trudi , Lim Lauren , Grimwood Rebecca M. , Schultz Hendrik , Jorge Fátima , Bostina Mihnea , Burga Laura , Swindells-Wallace Puawai , Holmes Edward C. , McInnes Kate , Geoghegan Jemma L.
Published: July 2023

First identified in 2002, diphtheritic stomatitis (DS) is a devastating disease affecting yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes, or hoiho in te reo Māori). The disease is associated with oral lesions in chicks and has caused significant morbidity and mortality. DS is widespread among yellow-eyed penguin chicks on mainland New Zealand yet appears to be absent from the subantarctic population. Corynebacterium spp. have previously been suspected as a causative agent yet, due to inconsistent cultures and inconclusive pathogenicity, its role in DS is unclear. Herein, we used a metatranscriptomic approach to identify potential causative agents of DS by revealing the presence and abundance of all viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa - together, the infectome. Oral and cloacal swab samples were collected from presymptomatic, symptomatic and recovered chicks along with a control group of healthy adults. Two novel viruses from the Picornaviridae were identified, one of which - yellow-eyed penguin megrivirus - was highly abundant in chicks irrespective of health status but not detected in healthy adults. Tissue from biopsied oral lesions also tested positive for the novel megrivirus upon PCR. We found no overall clustering among bacteria, protozoa and fungi communities at the genus level across samples, although Paraclostridium bifermentans was significantly more abundant in oral microbiota of symptomatic chicks compared to other groups. The detection of a novel and highly abundant megrivirus has sparked a new line of enquiry to investigate its potential association with DS.