bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovation capital disclosure and independent directors: evidence from France
Authors: Lahyani Fathia Elleuch , Ayadi Salma Damak
Published: April 2024

This study aims to understand whether corporate governance mechanisms affect innovation capital disclosure (ICD) provided voluntarily on corporate websites by SBF 120 listed firms in France. The study tests multivariate models using pooled OLS, random effects, and generalized method of moments models. Firms use ICD as a useful, timely communication tool to highlight their innovation efforts. Our findings suggest that independent non-executive directors (INEDs) exhibit a conservative approach to the nature of innovation that requires extensive investigations with risky outcomes. They support discretion by limiting the extent of publicly disclosed information about research and development (R&D) progress, technological advances, and innovation output to protect the firms’ intellectual proprietary. INEDs seem to balance preserving firms’ competitive advantage and ensuring higher transparency levels to satisfy stakeholders’ needs. Additionally, board tenure moderates the relationship between INEDs and ICD. This study underscores the importance of the financial reporting of information about innovation capital that captures firms’ innovation capacities in a knowledge-based economy. It provides significant insights for management, policy-makers, and regulators who are involved in refining corporate reporting policies. This study is the first to examine the incentives of INEDs in influencing reporting practices related to a firm’s innovation investments, particularly in high-technology firms.
Commemorative textiles: an African narrative of identity and power
Authors: Lemi Ladu D. M.
Published: April 2024

Commemorative textiles play a significant role in shaping Africa’s cultural identity and expressions of power. Embedded within the cultural fabric of Africa, these textiles represent the intellectual and artistic vitality of Africa, serving as powerful symbols of its rich heritage and diversity. Through the lens of memory and commemoration, this study investigated how African cultural memory and identity are negotiated and conveyed through textiles. Drawing upon Bodnar’s theoretical framework, the study examines secondary data, using a content analysis approach to discern how commemorative textiles recollect both official and vernacular cultural memories. The result showed that African commemorative textiles are mirrors of local cultures expressing social status, political authority, and economic worth, which play a crucial role in shaping collective memory, preserving cultural knowledge, and fostering a sense of belonging among communities. As preservers of the past and inspirations for the future, the textiles weave the African narrative of identity and power, perpetuating cultural heritage across generations.
Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect with Tunable Chern Numbers in High-Temperature 1T-PrN2 Monolayer
Authors: Wu 吴 Xu-Cai 绪才 , Li 李 Shu-Zong 树宗 , Si 司 Jun-Shan 君山 , Huang 黄 Bo 博 , Zhang 张 Wei-Bing 卫兵
Published: April 2024

Quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators have highly potential applications in spintronic device. However, available candidates with tunable Chern numbers and high working temperature are quite rare. Here, we predict a 1T-PrN2 monolayer as a stable QAH insulator with high magnetic transition temperature of above 600 K and tunable high Chern numbers of C = ±3 from first-principles calculations. Without spin-orbit coupling (SOC), the 1T-PrN2 monolayer is predicted to be a p-state Dirac half metal with high Fermi velocity. Rich topological phases depending on magnetization directions can be found when the SOC is considered. The QAH effect with periodical changes of Chern number (±1) can be produced when the magnetic moment breaks all twofold rotational symmetries in the xy plane. The critical state can be identified as Weyl half semimetals. When the magnetization direction is parallel to the z-axis, the system exhibits high Chern number QAH effect with C = ±3. Our work provides a new material for exploring novel QAH effect and developing high-performance topological devices.
Dissipation-Driven Superradiant Phase Transition of a Two-Dimensional Bose–Einstein Condensate in a Double Cavity
Authors: Wu Bo-Hao , Yang Xin-Xin , Chen Yu , Zhang Wei
Published: April 2024

We study superradiant phase transitions in a hybrid system of a two-dimensional Bose–Einstein condensate of atoms and two cavities arranged with a tilt angle. By adjusting the loss rate of cavities, we map out the phase diagram of steady states within a mean field framework. It is found that when the loss rates of the two cavities are different, superradiant transitions may not occur at the same time in the two cavities. A first-order phase transition is observed between the states with only one cavity in superradiance and both in superradiance. In the case that both cavities are superradiant, a net photon current is observed flowing from the cavity with small decay rate to the one with large decay rate. The photon current shows a non-monotonic dependence on the loss rate difference, owing to the competition of photon number difference and cavity field phase difference. Our findings can be realized and detected in experiments.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) as an indicator for alcohol use in a psychiatrically ill population
Authors: Benson Nicole M , Yakubu Amin , Ren Boyu , Aboud Carol , Vargas Victoria , Greenfield Shelly F , Busch Alisa B
Published: April 2024

Aims

To examine the cross sectional and longitudinal associations between the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C) and differences in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in a psychiatrically ill population.

Methods

Retrospective observational study using electronic health record data from a large healthcare system, of patients hospitalized for a mental health/substance use disorder (MH/SUD) from 1 July 2016 to 31 May 2023, who had a proximal AUDIT-C and HDL (N = 15 915) and the subset who had a repeat AUDIT-C and HDL 1 year later (N = 2915). Linear regression models examined the association between cross-sectional and longitudinal AUDIT-C scores and HDL, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics that affect HDL.

Results

Compared with AUDIT-C score = 0, HDL was higher among patients with greater AUDIT-C severity (e.g. moderate AUDIT-C score = 8.70[7.65, 9.75] mg/dl; severe AUDIT-C score = 13.02 [12.13, 13.90] mg/dL[95% confidence interval (CI)] mg/dl). The associations between cross-sectional HDL and AUDIT-C scores were similar with and without adjusting for patient demographic and clinical characteristics. HDL levels increased for patients with mild alcohol use at baseline and moderate or severe alcohol use at follow-up (15.06[2.77, 27.69] and 19.58[2.77, 36.39] mg/dL[95%CI] increase for moderate and severe, respectively).

Conclusions

HDL levels correlate with AUDIT-C scores among patients with MH/SUD. Longitudinally, there were some (but not consistent) increases in HDL associated with increases in AUDIT-C. The increases were within range of typical year-to-year variation in HDL across the population independent of alcohol use, limiting the ability to use HDL as a longitudinal clinical indicator for alcohol use in routine care.
Synthesis, growth inhibitory activity against tumor cells, and structure-activity relationship of CGK733 and its analogs
Authors: Inagaki Yuta , Hashimoto Kohki , Wakamori Shinnosuke , Katsuta Ryo , Yajima Arata , Kaida Daisuke , Ishigami Ken
Published: April 2024

CGK733 was reported as a compound that inhibited ATM/ATR kinase activities and blocked their checkpoint signaling pathways with great selectivity. However, this paper was subsequently retracted, and the truth about the activity of CGK733 remains unclear. We synthesized various analogs of CGK733 with a modification of the carboxylic acid moiety and/or the aniline derivative moiety to accumulate knowledge of the structure-activity relationship of this compound. Growth inhibitory activity of CGK733 and novel 35 analogs against HeLa S3 cells was evaluated, and the structure-activity relationship revealed that analogs with the 2-naphthyl or 4-fluorophenyl group instead of the benzhydryl group have activity comparable to CGK733 and that the 3-nitro group on the aniline moiety significantly affects the activity.
Short-term heat waves have long-term consequences for parents and offspring in stickleback
Authors: Barrett Rachel , Stein Laura R
Published: April 2024

Extreme temperature events, such as heat waves, can have lasting effects on the behavior, physiology, and reproductive success of organisms. Here, we examine the impact of short-term exposure to a simulated heat wave on condition, parental care, and reproductive success in a population of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a small fish with exclusive paternal care, currently experiencing regular heat waves. Males were either exposed to a simulated heat wave (23 °C) for 5 d or held at an ideal temperature (18 °C). Following this 5-d treatment, all males were transferred to 18 °C, where they completed a full parenting cycle. Offspring were raised at 18 °C. We found that while mass and body condition were unaffected in males exposed to a heat wave, cortisol responses were dampened across the nesting cycle compared to control males. In addition, heat wave males had longer latency for eggs to hatch, lower hatching success, and showed lower levels of parental care behavior compared to control males. Offspring of heat wave males had lower body condition, affecting swimming performance. Altogether, our results highlight the long-term impact that even short-term events can have on reproductive success, parental behavior, and subsequent generations, providing insight into population responses to rapid environmental change.
DeepKEGG: a multi-omics data integration framework with biological insights for cancer recurrence prediction and biomarker discovery
Authors: Lan Wei , Liao Haibo , Chen Qingfeng , Zhu Lingzhi , Pan Yi , Chen Yi-Ping Phoebe
Published: April 2024

Deep learning-based multi-omics data integration methods have the capability to reveal the mechanisms of cancer development, discover cancer biomarkers and identify pathogenic targets. However, current methods ignore the potential correlations between samples in integrating multi-omics data. In addition, providing accurate biological explanations still poses significant challenges due to the complexity of deep learning models. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a deep learning-based multi-omics integration method to explore the potential correlations between samples and provide model interpretability. Herein, we propose a novel interpretable multi-omics data integration method (DeepKEGG) for cancer recurrence prediction and biomarker discovery. In DeepKEGG, a biological hierarchical module is designed for local connections of neuron nodes and model interpretability based on the biological relationship between genes/miRNAs and pathways. In addition, a pathway self-attention module is constructed to explore the correlation between different samples and generate the potential pathway feature representation for enhancing the prediction performance of the model. Lastly, an attribution-based feature importance calculation method is utilized to discover biomarkers related to cancer recurrence and provide a biological interpretation of the model. Experimental results demonstrate that DeepKEGG outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in 5-fold cross validation. Furthermore, case studies also indicate that DeepKEGG serves as an effective tool for biomarker discovery. The code is available at https://github.com/lanbiolab/DeepKEGG.
CPPLS-MLP: a method for constructing cell–cell communication networks and identifying related highly variable genes based on single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics data
Authors: Zhang Tianjiao , Wu Zhenao , Li Liangyu , Ren Jixiang , Zhang Ziheng , Wang Guohua
Published: April 2024

In the growth and development of multicellular organisms, the immune processes of the immune system and the maintenance of the organism’s internal environment, cell communication plays a crucial role. It exerts a significant influence on regulating internal cellular states such as gene expression and cell functionality. Currently, the mainstream methods for studying intercellular communication are focused on exploring the ligand–receptor–transcription factor and ligand–receptor–subunit scales. However, there is relatively limited research on the association between intercellular communication and highly variable genes (HVGs). As some HVGs are closely related to cell communication, accurately identifying these HVGs can enhance the accuracy of constructing cell communication networks. The rapid development of single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics technologies provides a data foundation for exploring the relationship between intercellular communication and HVGs. Therefore, we propose CPPLS-MLP, which can identify HVGs closely related to intercellular communication and further analyze the impact of Multiple Input Multiple Output cellular communication on the differential expression of these HVGs. By comparing with the commonly used method CCPLS for constructing intercellular communication networks, we validated the superior performance of our method in identifying cell-type-specific HVGs and effectively analyzing the influence of neighboring cell types on HVG expression regulation. Source codes for the CPPLS_MLP R, python packages and the related scripts are available at ‘CPPLS_MLP Github [https://github.com/wuzhenao/CPPLS-MLP]’.
The interaction of ER stress and autophagy in trophoblasts: navigating pregnancy outcome
Authors: Zheng Yi , Zha Xia , Zhang Bei , Elsabagh Mabrouk , Wang Hongrong , Wang Mengzhi , Zhang Hao
Published: April 2024

The endoplasmic reticulum is a complex and dynamic organelle that initiates unfolded protein response and endoplasmic reticulum stress in response to the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins within its lumen. Autophagy is a paramount intracellular degradation system that facilitates the transportation of proteins, cytoplasmic components, and organelles to lysosomes for degradation and recycling. Preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation are two common complications of pregnancy associated with abnormal trophoblast differentiation and placental dysfunctions and have a major impact on fetal development and maternal health. The intricate interplay between endoplasmic reticulum stress, and autophagy and their impact on pregnancy outcomes, through mediating trophoblast differentiation and placental development, has been highlighted in various reports. Autophagy controls trophoblast regulation through a variety of gene expressions and signaling pathways while excessive endoplasmic reticulum stress triggers downstream apoptotic signaling, culminating in trophoblast apoptosis. This comprehensive review delves into the intricacies of placental development and explores the underlying mechanisms of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation. In addition, this review will elucidate the molecular mechanisms of endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy, both individually and in their interplay, in mediating placental development and trophoblast differentiation, particularly highlighting their roles in preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation development. This research seeks to the interplay between endoplasmic reticulum stress and impaired autophagy in the placental trophoderm, offering novel insights into their contribution to pregnancy complications.
Conflicting Expectations of Interpreters’ Roles in the Interaction between Guardians and Unaccompanied Minors
Authors: Remue Lotte , Verhaeghe Floor , Derluyn Ilse , Maryns Katrijn
Published: April 2024

Public service interpreters assume a key role in rendering accessible social services to newcomer clients. They could even be considered inherent to social work settings that are multilingual in nature, such as the interactional context of unaccompanied minors and their legal guardians. However, despite the intrinsic linguistic diversity and the unique position of interpreters in this setting, guardian–minor encounters remain unexplored in research. The current study therefore aims to provide insight into the multilingual needs and challenges in these encounters, focussing particularly on the roles interpreters play in this setting and how they are perceived to affect the interaction. To this end, the study draws on twelve semi-structured interviews with guardians of unaccompanied minors, collected as part of a research project examining the impact of multilingual strategies on the communication and relationship between guardians and minors in Belgium. Through thematic analysis, the study explores guardians’ insecurities, revealing confusion about the professional status of interpreters, concerns about interpretation quality and conflicting expectations of what interpreters should (not) do. The study provides recommendations with a view to improving both the confidence of guardians and the efficiency of guardian–minor interactions, and highlights the relevance of the findings for various other social work settings.
Atrocity’s Glass Booth
Authors: Jain Neha
Published: April 2024

This paper foregrounds the defendant as a central actor in trials for mass atrocity. It excavates the practices and scripts of these trials to argue that they are driven by an impulse to construct flat perpetrator portraits. Perpetrators who enter into atrocity’s glass booth are transformed into defendants who are hostis humani generis. Perpetrators who escape this mythification are still viewed as perpetual perpetrators, the moment of their participation in atrocity radiating outwards to demarcate the juridical bookends of their lives. These lives, moreover, are seen as consisting of active choices representing uncompromised agency. The paper suggests that these portraits are tied to international criminal law’s attempt to justify itself as a normative project that claims to act in the name of humanity. It concludes that international criminal law’s aims would be better realized by viewing defendants as equal and engaged members of the community of humanity.
Synergistic effects of plant genotype and soil microbiome on growth in Lotus japonicus
Authors: Bamba Masaru , Akyol Turgut Yigit , Azuma Yusuke , Quilbe Johan , Andersen Stig Uggerhøj , Sato Shusei
Published: April 2024

The biological interactions between plants and their root microbiomes are essential for plant growth, and even though plant genotype (G), soil microbiome (M), and growth conditions (environment; E) are the core factors shaping root microbiome, their relationships remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of G, M, and E and their interactions on the Lotus root microbiome and plant growth using an in vitro cross-inoculation approach, which reconstructed the interactions between nine Lotus accessions and four soil microbiomes under two different environmental conditions. Results suggested that a large proportion of the root microbiome composition is determined by M and E, while G-related (G, G × M, and G × E) effects were significant but small. In contrast, the interaction between G and M had a more pronounced effect on plant shoot growth than M alone. Our findings also indicated that most microbiome variations controlled by M have little effect on plant phenotypes, whereas G × M interactions have more significant effects. Plant genotype-dependent interactions with soil microbes warrant more attention to optimize crop yield and resilience.
Strategic Ambiguity, Strategic Clarity, and Dual Clarity
Authors: Wang Austin Horng-En , Wu Charles K S , Yeh Yao-Yuan , Chen Fang-Yu
Published: April 2024

The United States has successfully prevented the military conflict between China and Taiwan since the 1980s through the Strategic Ambiguity (SA) strategy, which discourages both sides from deviating from the status quo by not committing to defend or not to defend Taiwan. The recent US–China tensions and the rising nationalism in China and Taiwan drew critics to SA and suggested it be replaced with the strategic clarity strategy. We argue that the choice of Dual Clarity (DC)—the United States promises to defend only if Taiwan does not unilaterally declare de jure independence—is widely ignored. We examine the psychological mechanisms behind the three strategies through a pre-registered, within-subject survey experiment in Taiwan (n = 910). The result shows that DC can keep the status quo similar to SA—respondents lowered their support of independence in both DC and SA conditions. The results hold through robustness checks and formalized by a game-theoretical model.
Multicenter validation study of a treatment selection MAP for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
Authors: Ikeda Masafumi , Hijioka Susumu , Ito Tetsuhide , Matsumoto Shigemi , Honma Yoshitaka , Ueno Makoto , Okano Naohiro , Aoki Taku , Furuse Junji
Published: April 2024

Background

Somatostatin analogs, molecular-targeted agents and cytotoxic anticancer agents are available as therapeutic agents for the systemic treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and we have developed a first-line treatment selection MAP to enable selection of the optimal treatment strategy for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The purpose of this study was to validate the usefulness of the treatment selection MAP.

Methods

Patients who had received systemic therapy for a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor between January 2017 and December 2020 were compared according to whether they had been treated as recommended by the MAP (matched patients) or not (unmatched patients) to determine whether better outcomes were achieved by the matched patients. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival of the matched group and unmatched groups in the somatostatin analog, molecular-targeted agent and cytotoxic anticancer agents areas of the MAP.

Results

There were 41 (55%) MAP-matched patients in all areas among the 74 patients registered at seven hospitals. The MAP-matched rates were 100, 77 and 38% in the somatostatin analog area, molecular-targeted agent area and cytotoxic anticancer agents area, respectively. All of the unmatched patients had been selected for less intensive treatment. The median progression-free survival in the matched group and unmatched group in the molecular-targeted agent area of the MAP were 46.6 and 15.4 months, respectively, and a multivariate analysis identified MAP-matched (hazard ratio 0.18 [95% confidence interval: 0.04–0.87], P = 0.032) as the only significant independent favorable predictive factor.

Conclusion

The usefulness of the MAP for treatment selection was validated in the molecular-targeted agent area of the MAP.
Dynamic engraving characteristics of nylon belt under different charge conditions
Authors: Yang Ming , Yu Yong-gang
Published: April 2024

In the present study, a 105 mm short tube gun system was designed to conduct the firing experiments under low charge conditions, which could precisely obtain the projectile displacement data and projectile base pressure data during the engraving process. Besides, a 3-dimensional dynamic engraving FEM-SPH model was established by coupling the internal ballistic process to much authentic investigate the engraving characteristics of the projectile, which were verified and compared through the experiment. On this premise, the influence mechanism and engraving features of the nylon belt were numerically calculated under higher charge conditions. The comparison between the experimental recovery belt and the numerical calculation results shows that the damage to the front of the nylon belt is axial compression wear, while the damage to the back of the nylon belt is circumferential shear wear. The direction of force exerted by the slope chamber and the projectile body on the belt was inconsistent, causing a bulge in the middle of the nylon belt. The more rapid the average boosting rate, the stronger the instantaneous impact on the nylon belt, the larger the stress and the strain damage on the nylon belt, the higher the pressure at the end of the engraving process and the greater the maximum engraving resistance. When the average boosting rate increased from 2.7 MPa⋅ms−1 to 33.0 MPa⋅ms−1, the engraving time was shortened by 73.9%, while the maximum engraving resistance increased by 78.2%.
pAGN: the one-stop solution for AGN disc modelling
Authors: Gangardt Daria , Trani Alessandro Alberto , Bonnerot Clément , Gerosa Davide
Published: April 2024

Models of accretion discs surrounding active galactic nuclei (AGNs) find vast applications in high-energy astrophysics. The broad strategy is to parametrize some of the key disc properties such as gas density and temperature as a function of the radial coordinate from a given set of assumptions on the underlying physics. Two of the most popular approaches in this context were presented by Sirko & Goodman and Thompson et al. We present a critical reanalysis of these widely used models, detailing their assumptions and clarifying some steps in their derivation that were previously left unsaid. Our findings are implemented in the pAGN module for the Python programming language, which is the first public implementation of these accretion-disc models. We further apply pAGN to the evolution of stellar-mass black holes embedded in AGN discs, addressing the potential occurrence of migration traps.
Scalable inference with autoregressive neural ratio estimation
Authors: Anau Montel Noemi , Alvey James , Weniger Christoph
Published: April 2024

In recent years, there has been a remarkable development of simulation-based inference (SBI) algorithms, and they have now been applied across a wide range of astrophysical and cosmological analyses. There are a number of key advantages to these methods, centred around the ability to perform scalable statistical inference without an explicit likelihood. In this work, we propose two technical building blocks to a specific sequential SBI algorithm, truncated marginal neural ratio estimation (TMNRE). In particular, first, we develop autoregressive ratio estimation with the aim to robustly estimate correlated high-dimensional posteriors. Secondly, we propose a slice-based nested sampling algorithm to efficiently draw both posterior samples and constrained prior samples from ratio estimators, the latter being instrumental for sequential inference. To validate our implementation, we carry out inference tasks on three concrete examples: a toy model of a multidimensional Gaussian, the analysis of a stellar stream mock observation, and finally, a proof-of-concept application to substructure searches in strong gravitational lensing. In addition, we publicly release the code for both the autoregressive ratio estimator and the slice sampler.
Model-independent test of the running Hubble constant from the Type Ia supernovae and the Hubble parameter data
Authors: Xu Bing , Xu Jiancheng , Zhang Kaituo , Fu Xiangyun , Huang Qihong
Published: April 2024

In this study, we model-independently investigate the behaviour of running Hubble constant, characterized by the fit function $H_{\rm 0}(z)=\tilde{H_{\rm {0}}}/(1+z)^{\alpha }$, where α represents the evolutionary parameter and ${\tilde{H_{\rm {0}}}}$ corresponds to the current value of Hubble constant. Our analysis utilizes the expansion rate E(z) data points measured from the Pantheon + Multi-Cycle Treasury compilation of Type Ia supernova data, the measurements of H0 obtained by Riess et al., and the Hubble parameter H(z) data obtained from the differential ages of passive galaxies [known as cosmic chronometer (CC) method] and from the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) in the radial direction of galaxy clustering. To resolve the redshift mismatch problem between the E(z) and H(z) data sets, we adopt the Hubble parameter data obtained via CC or BAO along with the measurements of H0 obtained by Riess et al. to reconstruct the H(z) function using the Gaussian process. Our constraint yields α values of 0.125 ± 0.063 or 0.095 ± 0.052 when combining six pairs of the E(z) data and the reconstructed H(z) points via CC or BAO. These findings reveal that the Hubble constant may evolve with redshift, exhibiting a slowly decreasing trend, with α coefficients consistent with zero only at 2.0σ or 1.8σ. Therefore, the running Hubble constant might offer a promising resolution to the Hubble tension, and its reliability should be further tested through high-precision measurement at higher redshifts, such as the upcoming gamma-ray bursts and quasars.
The youngest of hot jupiters in action: episodic accretion outbursts in Gaia20eae
Authors: Nayakshin Sergei , Cruz Sáenz de Miera Fernando , Kóspál Ágnes
Published: April 2024

Recent imaging observations with ALMA and other telescopes found widespread signatures of planet presence in protoplanetary discs at tens of au separations from their host stars. Here we point out that the presence of very massive planets at 0.1 au sized orbits can be deduced for protostars accreting gas at very high rates, when their discs display powerful Thermal Instability (TI) bursts. Earlier work showed that a massive planet modifies the nature of this instability, with outbursts triggered at the outer edge of the deep gap opened by the planet. We present simulations of this effect, finding two types of TI outbursts: downstream and upstream of the planet, which may or may not be causally connected. We apply our model to the outburst in Gaia20eae. We find that the agreement between the data and our disc TI model is improved if there is a planet of six Jupiter masses orbiting the star at 0.062 au separation. Gaia20eae thus becomes the second episodically erupting star, after FU Ori, where the presence of a massive planet is strongly suspected. Future observations of similar systems will constrain the mode and the frequency of planet formation in such an early epoch.
Short 2′-O-methyl/LNA oligomers as highly-selective inhibitors of miRNA production in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Koralewska Natalia , Corradi Eloina , Milewski Marek C , Masante Linda , Szczepanska Agnieszka , Kierzek Ryszard , Figlerowicz Marek , Baudet Marie-Laure , Kurzynska-Kokorniak Anna
Published: April 2024

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) that share identical or near-identical sequences constitute miRNA families and are predicted to act redundantly. Yet recent evidence suggests that members of the same miRNA family with high sequence similarity might have different roles and that this functional divergence might be rooted in their precursors' sequence. Current knock-down strategies such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) or miRNA sponges cannot distinguish between identical or near identical miRNAs originating from different precursors to allow exploring unique functions of these miRNAs. We here develop a novel strategy based on short 2′-OMe/LNA-modified oligonucleotides to selectively target specific precursor molecules and ablate the production of individual members of miRNA families in vitro and in vivo. Leveraging the highly conserved Xenopus miR-181a family as proof-of-concept, we demonstrate that 2′-OMe/LNA-ASOs targeting the apical region of pre-miRNAs achieve precursor-selective inhibition of mature miRNA-5p production. Furthermore, we extend the applicability of our approach to the human miR-16 family, illustrating its universality in targeting precursors generating identical miRNAs. Overall, our strategy enables efficient manipulation of miRNA expression, offering a powerful tool to dissect the functions of identical or highly similar miRNAs derived from different precursors within miRNA families.
CARM1 hypermethylates the NuRD chromatin remodeling complex to promote cell cycle gene expression and breast cancer development
Authors: Chen Xue , Huang Ming-feng , Fan Da-meng , He Yao-hui , Zhang Wen-juan , Ding Jian-cheng , Peng Bing-ling , Pan Xu , Liu Ya , Du Jun , Li Ying , Liu Zhi-ying , Xie Bing-lan , Kuang Zhi-jian , Yi Jia , Liu Wen
Published: April 2024

Protein arginine methyltransferase CARM1 has been shown to methylate a large number of non-histone proteins, and play important roles in gene transcriptional activation, cell cycle progress, and tumorigenesis. However, the critical substrates through which CARM1 exerts its functions remain to be fully characterized. Here, we reported that CARM1 directly interacts with the GATAD2A/2B subunit in the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex, expanding the activities of NuRD to include protein arginine methylation. CARM1 and NuRD bind and activate a large cohort of genes with implications in cell cycle control to facilitate the G1 to S phase transition. This gene activation process requires CARM1 to hypermethylate GATAD2A/2B at a cluster of arginines, which is critical for the recruitment of the NuRD complex. The clinical significance of this gene activation mechanism is underscored by the high expression of CARM1 and NuRD in breast cancers, and the fact that knockdown CARM1 and NuRD inhibits cancer cell growth in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. Targeting CARM1-mediated GATAD2A/2B methylation with CARM1 specific inhibitors potently inhibit breast cancer cell growth in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. These findings reveal a gene activation program that requires arginine methylation established by CARM1 on a key chromatin remodeler, and targeting such methylation might represent a promising therapeutic avenue in the clinic.
Disease burden and healthcare utilization in pediatric low-grade glioma: A United States retrospective study of linked claims and electronic health records
Authors: Zelt Susan , Cooney Tabitha , Yu Sandie , Daral Shailaja , Krebs Blake , Markan Riddhi , Manley Peter , Kieran Mark , Govinda Raju Sandya
Published: April 2024

Background

Despite high long-term survival rates, pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) are linked with significant tumor- and treatment-associated morbidities that may persist throughout life. The aims of this descriptive cross-sectional pilot study were to characterize health conditions among a cohort of patients with pLGG and explore the feasibility of quantifying disease burden and healthcare resource utilization (HRU).

Methods

Optum® Market Clarity Data were used to identify patients aged ≤18 years with an ICD-10 code for brain neoplasm, ≥1 physician notes, and with evidence of pLGG recorded between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. Outcomes including health characteristics, HRU, medications, and procedures were assessed at 6-month intervals over 36 months.

Results

One hundred and fifty-four patients were identified with pLGG and over half experienced headache/migraine, respiratory infection, pain, or behavioral issues during the 36-month study period. The most common comorbidities were ocular/visual (including blindness), mental health disorders, seizures, and behavioral/cognition disorders. Most symptoms and comorbidities persisted or increased during the study period, indicating long-term health deficits. HRU, including speciality care visits, filled prescriptions, and administered medications, was common; 74% of patients had prescriptions for anti-infectives, 56% antiemetics, and 52% required pain or fever relief. Sixty-five percent of patients underwent treatment to control their pLGG, the most common being brain surgery. Little decline was observed in medication use during the study period.

Conclusions

Patients with pLGG have complex healthcare needs requiring high HRU, often over a long time. Patients need to be optimally managed to minimize disease- and treatment-related burden and HRU.
Walking a middle path: the liberal international order, global economic governance, and India’s G20 presidency
Authors: Bery Suman
Published: April 2024

The article assesses India’s views on the evolving liberal international economic order through an analysis of India’s 2023 G20 presidency. Despite the G20’s commitment to strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth (SSBIG), economic and social performance and prospects for the least developed economies have steadily deteriorated over the past decade, further compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, geopolitical polarization and the return of war in Europe. India used the G20 as a platform to craft a distinctive, heterodox view on contemporary growth and development challenges to support its own economic rise and to provide political and intellectual leadership of the Global South. It also brokered the induction of the African Union as a full member of the G20. Through effective economic diplomacy, India’s presidency delivered a consensus Leaders’ document that articulates a heterodox growth and development model for itself and other emerging and developing countries.
Zooplankton seasonal vertical migration in an optimality-based plankton ecosystem model
Authors: Grossowicz Michal , Pahlow Markus
Published: April 2024

Several species from various zooplankton taxa perform seasonal vertical migrations (SVM) of typically several hundred meters between the surface layer and overwintering depths, particularly in high-latitude regions. We use OPtimality-based PLAnkton (OPPLA) ecosystem model) to simulate SVM behavior in zooplankton in the Labrador Sea. Zooplankton in OPPLA is a generic functional group without life cycle, which facilitates analyzing SVM evolutionary stability and interactions between SVM and the plankton ecosystem. A sensitivity analysis of SVM-related parameters reveals that SVM can amplify the seasonal variations of phytoplankton and zooplankton and enhance the reduction of summer surface nutrient concentrations. SVM is often explained as a strategy to reduce exposure to visual predators during winter. We find that species doing SVM can persist and even dominate the summer-time zooplankton community, even in the presence of Stayers, which have the same traits as the migrators, but do not perform SVM. The advantage of SVM depends strongly on the timing of the seasonal migrations, particularly the day of ascent. The presence of higher (visual) predators tends to suppress the Stayers in our simulations, whereas the SVM strategy can persist in the presence of non-migrating species even without higher predators.
Key topics for making decisions on decorporation terapies
Authors: Reis Arlene , Sampaio Camilla , Sousa Wanderson , Aguiar Laís , Bertelli Luiz
Published: April 2024

Decorporation therapies increase the excretion of the incorporated material and therefore may reduce the probability of the occurrence of stochastic effects and may avoid deterministic effects in persons internally contaminated with radionuclides. The decision to initiate decorporation therapy should consider the effects of treatment in relation to the benefit provided. The literature presents threshold values above which treatment is recommended. The objective of this work is to collect and summarize recommendations on decorporation therapy. Ten key topics are presented for consideration by a multidisciplinary team when assessing the risk–benefit balance for performing decorporation therapy.
Size specific dose estimation in pediatric CT: preliminary study and conversion factors
Authors: Zhang Jian , Zhang Xiaojun
Published: April 2024

The objective of this paper is to compare the differences between volumetric CT dose index (CTDIVOL) and size-specific dose estimate (SSDEWED) based on water equivalent diameter (WED) in radiation dose measurement, and explore a new method for fast calculation of SSDEWED. The imaging data of 1238 cases of head, 1152 cases of chest and 976 cases of abdominopelvic were analyzed retrospectively, and they were divided into five age groups: ≤ 0.5, 0.5 ~ ≤ 1, 1 ~ ≤ 5, 5 ~ ≤ 10 and 10 ~ ≤ 15 years according to age. The area of interest (AR), CT value (CTR), lateral diameter (LAT) and anteroposterior diameter (AP) of the median cross-sectional image of the standard scanning range and the SSDEWED were manually calculated, and a t-test was used to compare the differences between CTDIVOL and SSDEWED in different age groups. Pearson analyzed the correlations between DE and age, DE and WED, f and age, and counted the means of conversion factors in each age group, and analyze the error ratios between SSDE calculated based on the mean age group conversion factors and actual measured SSDE. The CTDIVOL in head was (9.41 ± 1.42) mGy and the SSDEWED was (8.25 ± 0.70) mGy: the difference was statistically significant (t = 55.04, P < 0.001); the CTDIVOL of chest was (2.68 ± 0.91) mGy and the SSDEWED was (5.16 ± 1.16) mGy, with a statistically significant difference (t = −218.78, P < 0.001); the CTDIVOL of abdominopelvic was (3.09 ± 1.58) mGy and the SSDEWED was (5.89 ± 2.19) mGy: the difference was also statistically significant (t = −112.28, P < 0.001). The CTDIVOL was larger than the SSDEWED in the head except for the ≤ 0.5 year subgroup, and CTDIVOL was smaller than SSDEWED within each subgroup in chest and abdominopelvic. There were strong negative correlations between f and age (head: r = −0.81; chest: r = −0.89; abdominopelvic: r = −0.86; P < 0.001). The mean values of f at each examination region were 0.81 ~ 1.01 for head, 1.65 ~ 2.34 for chest and 1.71 ~ 2.35 for abdominopelvic region. The SSDEWED could be accurately estimated using the mean f of each age subgroup. SSDEWED can more accurately measure the radiation dose of children. For children of different ages and examination regions, the SSDEWED conversion factors based on age subgroup can be quickly adjusted and improve the accuracy of radiation dose estimation.
Partial ionization of plasma in solar prominences
Authors: Heinzel Petr , Gunár Stanislav , Jejčič Sonja
Published: April 2024

The plasma in cool cores of solar prominences is partially ionized and its ionization degree, in general, depends on the actual kinetic temperature and density of the plasma and the ions considered. However, we demonstrate that under typical prominence conditions, the dominant mechanism contributing to partial ionization is photoionization by radiation diffusing through the plasma. This mechanism strongly depends on the radiation illuminating prominences from the surrounding solar atmosphere. The understanding of the partial ionization of prominence plasma thus requires a complex solution of the non-LTE radiative-transfer problem. In this paper, we discuss the ionization of hydrogen, helium and some other important species. We also demonstrate the role of non-equilibrium ionization.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Partially ionized plasma of the solar atmosphere: recent advances and future pathways’.
Multi-tissue network analysis reveals the effect of JNK inhibition on dietary sucrose-induced metabolic dysfunction in rats
Authors: Yang Hong , Zhang Cheng , Kim Woonghee , Shi Mengnan , Kiliclioglu Metin , Bayram Cemil , Bolat Ismail , Tozlu Özlem Özdemir , Baba Cem , Yuksel Nursena , Yildirim Serkan , Iqbal Shazia , Sebhaoui Jihad , Hacımuftuoglu Ahmet , Uhlen Mathias , Boren Jan , Turkez Hasan , Mardinoglu Adil
Published: April 2024

Excessive consumption of sucrose, in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunctionLassociated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and other related metabolic syndromes. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway plays a crucial role in response to dietary stressors, and it was demonstrated that the inhibition of the JNK pathway could potentially be used in the treatment of MAFLD. However, the intricate mechanisms underlying these interventions remain incompletely understood given their multifaceted effects across multiple tissues. In this study, we challenged rats with sucrose-sweetened water and investigated the potential effects of JNK inhibition by employing network analysis based on the transcriptome profiling obtained from hepatic and extrahepatic tissues, including visceral white adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and brain. Our data demonstrate that JNK inhibition by JNK-IN-5A effectively reduces the circulating triglyceride accumulation and inflammation in rats subjected to sucrose consumption. Coexpression analysis and genome-scale metabolic modelling reveal that sucrose overconsumption primarily induces transcriptional dysfunction related to fatty acid and oxidative metabolism in the liver and adipose tissues, which are largely rectified after JNK inhibition at a clinically relevant dose. Skeletal muscle exhibited minimal transcriptional changes to sucrose overconsumption but underwent substantial metabolic adaptation following the JNK inhibition. Overall, our data provides novel insights into the molecular basis by which JNK inhibition exerts its metabolic effect in the metabolically active tissues. Furthermore, our findings underpin the critical role of extrahepatic metabolism in the development of diet-induced steatosis, offering valuable guidance for future studies focused on JNK-targeting for effective treatment of MAFLD.
Multi-layered apoplastic barrier underlying the ability of Na+exclusion inVigna marina
Authors: Wang Fanmiao , Tanoi Keitaro , Yamauchi Takaki , Naito Ken
Published: April 2024

Salt tolerance is important to tackle problems of soil salinization and ground water depletion. However, developing salt tolerant crops is facing difficulties due to limited potential in model plants and crop species. Thus, it is important to elucidate how coastal species, such asVigna marina, adapt to saline environments.

By comparative transcriptome and histological analyses, this study elucidated one important aspect of howVigna marinaachieves salt exclusion and extraordinary salt tolerance.

Under salt stress, genes involved in casparian strip formation were specifically upregulated in JP247202 (V. marina). JP247202 reinforced apoplastic barrier with thick lignification in multiple layers of cells around endodermis. Also, disruption of lignification led to a dramatic increase of shoot Na+accumulation and salt lesion in JP247202. Interestingly, despite the salt-induced apoplastic barrier, JP247202 maintained transport of essential ions including K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+.

Our results revealed that lignification of multi-layered cells around endodermis was an important apoplastic barrier to the transport of Na+to shoots in JP247202, while it did not restrict the transport of K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+. This feature, together with the ability of Na+excretion by SOS1, enablesV. marinato thrive in marine beaches.
Visual Analysis of Multi-Omics Data
Authors: Swart Austin , Caspi Ron , Paley Suzanne , Karp Peter D.
Published: April 2024

We present a tool for multi-omics data analysis that enables simultaneous visualization of up to four types of omics data on organism-scale metabolic network diagrams. The tool’s interactive web-based metabolic charts depict the metabolic reactions, pathways, and metabolites of a single organism as described in a metabolic pathway database for that organism; the charts are constructed using automated graphical layout algorithms.

The multi-omics visualization facility paints each individual omics dataset onto a different “visual channel” of the metabolic-network diagram. For example, a transcriptomics dataset might be displayed by coloring the reaction arrows within the metabolic chart, while a companion proteomics dataset is displayed as reaction arrow thicknesses, and a complementary metabolomics dataset is displayed as metabolite node colors. Once the network diagrams are painted with omics data, semantic zooming provides more details within the diagram as the user zooms in. Datasets containing multiple time points can be displayed in an animated fashion. The tool will also graph data values for individual reactions or metabolites designated by the user. The user can interactively adjust the mapping from data value ranges to the displayed colors and thicknesses to provide more informative diagrams.