bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dimensions of wisdom perception across twelve countries on five continents
Authors: Rudnev M. , Barrett H. C. , Buckwalter W. , Machery E. , Stich S. , Barr K. , Bencherifa A. , Clancy R. F. , Crone D. L. , Deguchi Y. , Fabiano E. , Fodeman A. D. , Guennoun B. , Halamová J. , Hashimoto T. , Homan J. , Kanovský M. , Karasawa K. , Kim H. , Kiper J. , Lee M. , Liu X. , Mitova V. , Nair R. B. , Pantovic L. , Porter B. , Quintanilla P. , Reijer J. , Romero P. P. , Singh P. , Tber S. , Wilkenfeld D. A. , Yi L. , Grossmann I.
Published: August 2024

Wisdom is the hallmark of social judgment, but how people across cultures recognize wisdom remains unclear—distinct philosophical traditions suggest different views of wisdom’s cardinal features. We explore perception of wise minds across 16 socio-economically and culturally diverse convenience samples from 12 countries. Participants assessed wisdom exemplars, non-exemplars, and themselves on 19 socio-cognitive characteristics, subsequently rating targets’ wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Analyses reveal two positively related dimensions—Reflective Orientation and Socio-Emotional Awareness. These dimensions are consistent across the studied cultural regions and interact when informing wisdom ratings: wisest targets—as perceived by participants—score high on both dimensions, whereas the least wise are not reflective but moderately socio-emotional. Additionally, individuals view themselves as less reflective but more socio-emotionally aware than most wisdom exemplars. Our findings expand folk psychology and social judgment research beyond the Global North, showing how individuals perceive desirable cognitive and socio-emotional qualities, and contribute to an understanding of mind perception.
Suppressing torsional buckling in auxetic meta-shells
Authors: Ghorbani Aref , Mirzaali Mohammad J. , Roebroek Tobias , Coulais Corentin , Bonn Daniel , van der Linden Erik , Habibi Mehdi
Published: August 2024

Take a thin cylindrical shell and twist it; it will buckle immediately. Such unavoidable torsional buckling can lead to systemic failure, for example by disrupting the blood flow through arteries. In this study, we prevent this torsional buckling instability using a combination of auxeticity and orthotropy in cylindrical metamaterial shells with a holey pattern. When the principal axes of the orthotropic meta-shell are relatively aligned with that of the compressive component of the applied stress during twisting, the meta-shell uniformly shrinks in the radial direction as a result of a local buckling instability. This shrinkage coincides with a softening-stiffening transition that leads to ordered stacking of unit cells along the compressive component of the applied stress. These transitions due to local instabilities circumvent the usual torsional instability even under a large twist angle. This study highlights the potential of tailoring anisotropy and programming instabilities in metamaterials, with potential applications in designing mechanical elements for soft robotics, biomechanics or fluidics. As an example of such applications, we demonstrate soft torsional compressor for generating pulsatile flows through a torsion release mechanism.
Community use of oral antibiotics transiently reprofiles the intestinal microbiome in young Bangladeshi children
Authors: Baldi Andrew , Braat Sabine , Imrul Hasan Mohammed , Bennett Cavan , Barrios Marilou , Jones Naomi , Moir-Meyer Gemma , Abdul Azeez Imadh , Wilcox Stephen , Saiful Alam Bhuiyan Mohammad , Ataide Ricardo , Clucas Danielle , Harrison Leonard C. , Arifeen Shams El , Bowden Rory , Biggs Beverley-Ann , Jex Aaron , Pasricha Sant-Rayn
Published: August 2024

Antibiotics may alter the gut microbiome, and this is one of the mechanisms by which antimicrobial resistance may be promoted. Suboptimal antimicrobial stewardship in Asia has been linked to antimicrobial resistance. We aim to examine the relationship between oral antibiotic use and composition and antimicrobial resistance in the gut microbiome in 1093 Bangladeshi infants. We leverage a trial of 8-month-old infants in rural Bangladesh: 61% of children were cumulatively exposed to antibiotics (most commonly cephalosporins and macrolides) over the 12-month study period, including 47% in the first 3 months of the study, usually for fever or respiratory infection. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing in 11-month-old infants reveals that alpha diversity of the intestinal microbiome is reduced in children who received antibiotics within the previous 7 days; these samples also exhibit enrichment for Enterococcus and Escherichia/Shigella genera. No effect is seen in children who received antibiotics earlier. Using shotgun metagenomics, overall abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes declines over time. Enrichment for an Enterococcus-related antimicrobial resistance gene is observed in children receiving antibiotics within the previous 7 days, but not earlier. Presence of antimicrobial resistance genes is correlated to microbiome composition. In Bangladeshi children, community use of antibiotics transiently reprofiles the gut microbiome.
Selective excitation of vibrations in a single molecule
Authors: Luo Yang , Sheng Shaoxiang , Pisarra Michele , Martin-Jimenez Alberto , Martin Fernando , Kern Klaus , Garg Manish
Published: August 2024

The capability to excite, probe, and manipulate vibrational modes is essential for understanding and controlling chemical reactions at the molecular level. Recent advancements in tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopies have enabled the probing of vibrational fingerprints in a single molecule with Ångström-scale spatial resolution. However, achieving controllable excitation of specific vibrational modes in individual molecules remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate the selective excitation and probing of vibrational modes in single deprotonated phthalocyanine molecules utilizing resonance Raman spectroscopy in a scanning tunneling microscope. Selective excitation is achieved by finely tuning the excitation wavelength of the laser to be resonant with the vibronic transitions between the molecular ground electronic state and the vibrational levels in the excited electronic state, resulting in the state-selective enhancement of the resonance Raman signal. Our approach contributes to setting the stage for steering chemical transformations in molecules on surfaces by selective excitation of molecular vibrations.
Inefficient nitrogen transport to the lower mantle by sediment subduction
Authors: Huang Weihua , Yang Yan , Li Yuan , Xu Zheng , Yang Shuiyuan , Guo Shengbin , Xia Qunke
Published: August 2024

The fate of sedimentary nitrogen during subduction is essential for understanding the origin of nitrogen in the deep Earth. Here we study the behavior of nitrogen in slab sediments during the phengite to K-hollandite transition at 10–12 GPa and 800–1100 °C. Phengite stability is extended by 1–3 GPa in the nitrogen (NH4+)-bearing system. The phengite-fluid partition coefficient of nitrogen is 0.031 at 10 GPa, and K-hollandite-fluid partition coefficients of nitrogen range from 0.008 to 0.064, showing a positive dependence on pressure but a negative dependence on temperature. The nitrogen partitioning data suggest that K-hollandite can only preserve ~43% and ~26% of the nitrogen from phengite during the phengite to K-hollandite transition along the cold and warm slab geotherms, respectively. Combined with the slab sedimentary nitrogen influx, we find that a maximum of ~1.5 × 108 kg/y of nitrogen, representing ~20% of the initial sedimentary nitrogen influx, could be transported by K-hollandite to the lower mantle. We conclude that slab sediments may have contributed less than 15% of the lower mantle nitrogen, most of which is probably of primordial origin.
Associations between gut microbiota and incident fractures in the FINRISK cohort
Authors: Grahnemo Louise , Kambur Oleg , Lahti Leo , Jousilahti Pekka , Niiranen Teemu , Knight Rob , Salomaa Veikko , Havulinna Aki S. , Ohlsson Claes
Published: August 2024

The gut microbiota (GM) can regulate bone mass, but its association with incident fractures is unknown. We used Cox regression models to determine whether the GM composition is associated with incident fractures in the large FINRISK 2002 cohort (n = 7043, 1092 incident fracture cases, median follow-up time 18 years) with information on GM composition and functionality from shotgun metagenome sequencing. Higher alpha diversity was associated with decreased fracture risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0.92 per standard deviation increase in Shannon index, 95% confidence interval 0.87–0.96). For beta diversity, the first principal component was associated with fracture risk (Aitchison distance, HR 0.90, 0.85–0.96). In predefined phyla analyses, we observed that the relative abundance of Proteobacteria was associated with increased fracture risk (HR 1.14, 1.07–1.20), while the relative abundance of Tenericutes was associated with decreased fracture risk (HR 0.90, 0.85–0.96). Explorative sub-analyses within the Proteobacteria phylum showed that higher relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria was associated with increased fracture risk. Functionality analyses showed that pathways related to amino acid metabolism and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis associated with fracture risk. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria correlated with pathways for amino acid metabolism, while the relative abundance of Tenericutes correlated with pathways for butyrate synthesis. In conclusion, the overall GM composition was associated with incident fractures. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria, especially Gammaproteobacteria, was associated with increased fracture risk, while the relative abundance of Tenericutes was associated with decreased fracture risk. Functionality analyses demonstrated that pathways known to regulate bone health may underlie these associations.
Physics and chemistry from parsimonious representations: image analysis via invariant variational autoencoders
Authors: Valleti Mani , Ziatdinov Maxim , Liu Yongtao , Kalinin Sergei V.
Published: August 2024

Electron, optical, and scanning probe microscopy methods are generating ever increasing volume of image data containing information on atomic and mesoscale structures and functionalities. This necessitates the development of the machine learning methods for discovery of physical and chemical phenomena from the data, such as manifestations of symmetry breaking phenomena in electron and scanning tunneling microscopy images, or variability of the nanoparticles. Variational autoencoders (VAEs) are emerging as a powerful paradigm for the unsupervised data analysis, allowing to disentangle the factors of variability and discover optimal parsimonious representation. Here, we summarize recent developments in VAEs, covering the basic principles and intuition behind the VAEs. The invariant VAEs are introduced as an approach to accommodate scale and translation invariances present in imaging data and separate known factors of variations from the ones to be discovered. We further describe the opportunities enabled by the control over VAE architecture, including conditional, semi-supervised, and joint VAEs. Several case studies of VAE applications for toy models and experimental datasets in Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy are discussed, emphasizing the deep connection between VAE and basic physical principles. Python codes and datasets discussed in this article are available at https://github.com/saimani5/VAE-tutorials and can be used by researchers as an application guide when applying these to their own datasets.
A Scottish provenance for the Altar Stone of Stonehenge
Authors: Clarke Anthony J. I. , Kirkland Christopher L. , Bevins Richard E. , Pearce Nick J. G. , Glorie Stijn , Ixer Rob A.
Published: August 2024

Understanding the provenance of megaliths used in the Neolithic stone circle at Stonehenge, southern England, gives insight into the culture and connectivity of prehistoric Britain. The source of the Altar Stone, the central recumbent sandstone megalith, has remained unknown, with recent work discounting an Anglo-Welsh Basin origin1,2. Here we present the age and chemistry of detrital zircon, apatite and rutile grains from within fragments of the Altar Stone. The detrital zircon load largely comprises Mesoproterozoic and Archaean sources, whereas rutile and apatite are dominated by a mid-Ordovician source. The ages of these grains indicate derivation from an ultimate Laurentian crystalline source region that was overprinted by Grampian (around 460 million years ago) magmatism. Detrital age comparisons to sedimentary packages throughout Britain and Ireland reveal a remarkable similarity to the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland. Such a provenance implies that the Altar Stone, a 6 tonne shaped block, was sourced at least 750 km from its current location. The difficulty of long-distance overland transport of such massive cargo from Scotland, navigating topographic barriers, suggests that it was transported by sea. Such routing demonstrates a high level of societal organization with intra-Britain transport during the Neolithic period.
Precision spectroscopy on 9Be overcomes limitations from nuclear structure
Authors: Dickopf Stefan , Sikora Bastian , Kaiser Annabelle , Müller Marius , Ulmer Stefan , Yerokhin Vladimir A. , Harman Zoltán , Keitel Christoph H. , Mooser Andreas , Blaum Klaus
Published: August 2024

Many powerful tests of the standard model of particle physics and searches for new physics with precision atomic spectroscopy are hindered by our lack of knowledge of nuclear properties. Ideally, these properties may be derived from precise measurements of the most sensitive and theoretically best-understood observables, often found in hydrogen-like systems. Although these measurements are abundant for the electric properties of nuclei, they are scarce for the magnetic properties, and precise experimental results are limited to the lightest of nuclei1–4. Here we focus on 9Be, which offers the unique possibility to use comparisons between different charge states available for high-precision spectroscopy in Penning traps to test theoretical calculations typically obscured by nuclear structure. In particular, we perform high-precision spectroscopy of the 1s hyperfine and Zeeman structure in hydrogen-like 9Be3+. We determine the effective Zemach radius with an uncertainty of 500 ppm, and the bare nuclear magnetic moment with an uncertainty of 0.6 parts per billion— uncertainties unmatched beyond hydrogen. Moreover, we compare our measurements with the measurements conducted on the three-electron charge state 9Be+ (ref. 5), which enables testing the calculation of multi-electron diamagnetic shielding effects of the nuclear magnetic moment at the parts per billion level. Furthermore, we test the quantum electrodynamics methods used for the calculation of the hyperfine splitting. Our results serve as a crucial benchmark for transferring high-precision results of nuclear magnetic properties across different electronic configurations.
Twist-assisted all-antiferromagnetic tunnel junction in the atomic limit
Authors: Chen Yuliang , Samanta Kartik , Shahed Naafis A. , Zhang Haojie , Fang Chi , Ernst Arthur , Tsymbal Evgeny Y. , Parkin Stuart S. P.
Published: August 2024

Antiferromagnetic spintronics1,2 shows great potential for high-density and ultrafast information devices. Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), a key spintronic memory component that are typically formed from ferromagnetic materials, have seen rapid developments very recently using antiferromagnetic materials3,4. Here we demonstrate a twisting strategy for constructing all-antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions down to the atomic limit. By twisting two bilayers of CrSBr, a 2D antiferromagnet (AFM), a more than 700% nonvolatile tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio is shown at zero field (ZF) with the entire twisted stack acting as the tunnel barrier. This is determined by twisting two CrSBr monolayers for which the TMR is shown to be derived from accumulative coherent tunnelling across the individual CrSBr monolayers. The dependence of the TMR on the twist angle is calculated from the electron-parallel momentum-dependent decay across the twisted monolayers. This is in excellent agreement with our experiments that consider twist angles that vary from 0° to 90°. Moreover, we also find that the temperature dependence of the TMR is, surprisingly, much weaker for the twisted as compared with the untwisted junctions, making the twisted junctions even more attractive for applications. Our work shows that it is possible to push nonvolatile magnetic information storage to the atomically thin limit.
Recognition and control of neutrophil extracellular trap formation by MICL
Authors: Malamud Mariano , Whitehead Lauren , McIntosh Alasdair , Colella Fabio , Roelofs Anke J. , Kusakabe Takato , Dambuza Ivy M. , Phillips-Brookes Annie , Salazar Fabián , Perez Federico , Shoesmith Romey , Zakrzewski Przemyslaw , Sey Emily A. , Rodrigues Cecilia , Morvay Petruta L. , Redelinghuys Pierre , Bedekovic Tina , Fernandes Maria J. G. , Almizraq Ruqayyah , Branch Donald R. , Amulic Borko , Harvey Jamie , Stewart Diane , Yuecel Raif , Reid Delyth M. , McConnachie Alex , Pickering Matthew C. , Botto Marina , Iliev Iliyan D. , McInnes Iain B. , De Bari Cosimo , Willment Janet A. , Brown Gordon D.
Published: August 2024

Regulation of neutrophil activation is critical for disease control. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which are web-like structures composed of DNA and neutrophil-derived proteins, are formed following pro-inflammatory signals; however, if this process is uncontrolled, NETs contribute to disease pathogenesis, exacerbating inflammation and host tissue damage1,2. Here we show that myeloid inhibitory C-type lectin-like (MICL), an inhibitory C-type lectin receptor, directly recognizes DNA in NETs; this interaction is vital to regulate neutrophil activation. Loss or inhibition of MICL functionality leads to uncontrolled NET formation through the ROS–PAD4 pathway and the development of an auto-inflammatory feedback loop. We show that in the context of rheumatoid arthritis, such dysregulation leads to exacerbated pathology in both mouse models and in human patients, where autoantibodies to MICL inhibit key functions of this receptor. Of note, we also detect similarly inhibitory anti-MICL autoantibodies in patients with other diseases linked to aberrant NET formation, including lupus and severe COVID-19. By contrast, dysregulation of NET release is protective during systemic infection with the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Together, we show that the recognition of NETs by MICL represents a fundamental autoregulatory pathway that controls neutrophil activity and NET formation.
Growth of complete ammonia oxidizers on guanidine
Authors: Palatinszky Marton , Herbold Craig W. , Sedlacek Christopher J. , Pühringer Dominic , Kitzinger Katharina , Giguere Andrew T. , Wasmund Kenneth , Nielsen Per H. , Dueholm Morten K. D. , Jehmlich Nico , Gruseck Richard , Legin Anton , Kostan Julius , Krasnici Nesrete , Schreiner Claudia , Palmetzhofer Johanna , Hofmann Thilo , Zumstein Michael , Djinović-Carugo Kristina , Daims Holger , Wagner Michael
Published: August 2024

Guanidine is a chemically stable nitrogen compound that is excreted in human urine and is widely used in manufacturing of plastics, as a flame retardant and as a component of propellants, and is well known as a protein denaturant in biochemistry1–3. Guanidine occurs widely in nature and is used by several microorganisms as a nitrogen source, but microorganisms growing on guanidine as the only substrate have not yet been identified. Here we show that the complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox) Nitrospira inopinata and probably most other comammox microorganisms can grow on guanidine as the sole source of energy, reductant and nitrogen. Proteomics, enzyme kinetics and the crystal structure of a N. inopinata guanidinase homologue demonstrated that it is a bona fide guanidinase. Incubation experiments with comammox-containing agricultural soil and wastewater treatment plant microbiomes suggested that guanidine serves as substrate for nitrification in the environment. The identification of guanidine as a growth substrate for comammox shows an unexpected niche of these globally important nitrifiers and offers opportunities for their isolation.
Rapid discovery of monoclonal antibodies by microfluidics-enabled FACS of single pathogen-specific antibody-secreting cells
Authors: Fischer Katrin , Lulla Aleksei , So Tsz Y. , Pereyra-Gerber Pehuén , Raybould Matthew I. J. , Kohler Timo N. , Yam-Puc Juan Carlos , Kaminski Tomasz S. , Hughes Robert , Pyeatt Gwendolyn L. , Leiss-Maier Florian , Brear Paul , Matheson Nicholas J. , Deane Charlotte M. , Hyvönen Marko , Thaventhiran James E. D. , Hollfelder Florian
Published: August 2024

Monoclonal antibodies are increasingly used to prevent and treat viral infections and are pivotal in pandemic response efforts. Antibody-secreting cells (ASCs; plasma cells and plasmablasts) are an excellent source of high-affinity antibodies with therapeutic potential. Current methods to study antigen-specific ASCs either have low throughput, require expensive and labor-intensive screening or are technically demanding and therefore not widely accessible. Here we present a straightforward technology for the rapid discovery of monoclonal antibodies from ASCs. Our approach combines microfluidic encapsulation of single cells into an antibody capture hydrogel with antigen bait sorting by conventional flow cytometry. With our technology, we screened millions of mouse and human ASCs and obtained monoclonal antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 with high affinity (<1 pM) and neutralizing capacity (<100 ng ml−1) in 2 weeks with a high hit rate (>85% of characterized antibodies bound the target). By facilitating access to the underexplored ASC compartment, the approach enables efficient antibody discovery and immunological studies into the generation of protective antibodies.
Induction of trained immunity in broiler chickens following delivery of oligodeoxynucleotide containing CpG motifs to protect against Escherichia coli septicemia
Authors: Subhasinghe Iresha , Ahmed Khawaja Ashfaque , Ayalew Lisanework E. , Gautam Hemlata , Popowich Shelly , Matsuyama-Kato Ayumi , Chow-Lockerbie Betty , Tikoo Suresh K. , Griebel Philip , Gomis Susantha
Published: August 2024

Oligodeoxynucleotides containing CpG motifs (CpG-ODN) can promote antimicrobial immunity in chickens by enriching immune compartments and activating immune cells. Innate memory, or trained immunity, has been demonstrated in humans and mice, featuring the absence of specificity to the initial stimulus and subsequently cross-protection against pathogens. We hypothesize that CpG-ODN can induce trained immunity in chickens. We delivered single or multiple administrations of CpG-ODN to birds and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glycolysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were quantified using Seahorse XFp. Next, chickens were administered with CpG-ODN twice at 1 and 4 day of age and challenged with Escherichia coli at 27 days of age. The CpG-ODN administered groups had significantly higher mitochondrial OXPHOS until 21 days of age while cellular glycolysis gradually declined by 14 days of age. The group administered with CpG-ODN twice at 1 and 4 days of age had significantly higher survival, lower clinical score and bacterial load following challenge with E. coli at 27 d of age. This study demonstrated the induction of trained immunity in broiler chickens following administration of CpG-ODN twice during the first 4 days of age to protect birds against E. coli septicemia at 27 days of age.
Extracellular NAD+ response to post-hepatectomy liver failure: bridging preclinical and clinical findings
Authors: Kamali Can , Brunnbauer Philipp , Kamali Kaan , Saqr Al-Hussein Ahmed , Arnold Alexander , Harman Kamali Gulcin , Babigian Julia , Keshi Eriselda , Mohr Raphael , Felsenstein Matthäus , Moosburner Simon , Hillebrandt Karl-Herbert , Bartels Jasmin , Sauer Igor Maximilian , Tacke Frank , Schmelzle Moritz , Pratschke Johann , Krenzien Felix
Published: August 2024

Liver fibrosis progressing to cirrhosis is a major risk factor for liver cancer, impacting surgical treatment and survival. Our study focuses on the role of extracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (eNAD+) in liver fibrosis, analyzing liver disease patients undergoing surgery. Additionally, we explore NAD+’s therapeutic potential in a mouse model of extended liver resection and in vitro using 3D hepatocyte spheroids. eNAD+correlated with aspartate transaminase (AST) and bilirubin after liver resection (AST:r = 0.2828,p = 0.0087; Bilirubin:r = 0.2584,p = 0.0176). Concordantly, post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) was associated with higher eNAD+peaks (n = 10;p = 0.0063). Post-operative eNAD+levels decreased significantly (p < 0.05), but in advanced stages of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, this decline not only diminished but actually showed a trend towards an increase. The expression of NAD+biosynthesis rate-limiting enzymes, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) and nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 3 (NMNAT3), were upregulated significantly in the liver tissue of patients with higher liver fibrosis stages (p < 0.0001). Finally, the administration of NAD+in a 3D hepatocyte spheroid model rescued hepatocytes from TNFalpha-induced cell death and improved viability (p < 0.0001). In a mouse model of extended liver resection, NAD+treatment significantly improved survival (p = 0.0158) and liver regeneration (p = 0.0186). Our findings reveal that eNAD+was upregulated in PHLF, and rate-limiting enzymes of NAD+biosynthesis demonstrated higher expressions under liver fibrosis. Further, eNAD+administration improved survival after extended liver resection in mice and enhanced hepatocyte viability in vitro. These insights may offer a potential target for future therapies.
Integrative, segregative, and degenerate harmonics of the structural connectome
Authors: Sipes Benjamin S. , Nagarajan Srikantan S. , Raj Ashish
Published: August 2024

Unifying integration and segregation in the brain has been a fundamental puzzle in neuroscience ever since the conception of the “binding problem.” Here, we introduce a framework that places integration and segregation within a continuum based on a fundamental property of the brain–its structural connectivity graph Laplacian harmonics and a new feature we term the gap-spectrum. This framework organizes harmonics into three regimes–integrative, segregative, and degenerate–that together account for various group-level properties. Integrative and segregative harmonics occupy the ends of the continuum, and they share properties such as reproducibility across individuals, stability to perturbation, and involve “bottom-up” sensory networks. Degenerate harmonics are in the middle of the continuum, and they are subject-specific, flexible, and involve “top-down” networks. The proposed framework accommodates inter-subject variation, sensitivity to changes, and structure-function coupling in ways that offer promising avenues for studying cognition and consciousness in the brain.
Spatial control of the APC/C ensures the rapid degradation of cyclin B1
Authors: Cirillo Luca , Young Rose , Veerapathiran Sapthaswaran , Roberti Annalisa , Martin Molly , Abubacar Azzah , Perosa Camilla , Coates Catherine , Muhammad Reyhan , Roumeliotis Theodoros I , Choudhary Jyoti S , Alfieri Claudio , Pines Jonathon
Published: August 2024

The proper control of mitosis depends on the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of the right mitotic regulator at the right time. This is effected by the Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) ubiquitin ligase that is regulated by the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC). The SAC prevents the APC/C from recognising Cyclin B1, the essential anaphase and cytokinesis inhibitor, until all chromosomes are attached to the spindle. Once chromosomes are attached, Cyclin B1 is rapidly degraded to enable chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. We have a good understanding of how the SAC inhibits the APC/C, but relatively little is known about how the APC/C recognises Cyclin B1 as soon as the SAC is turned off. Here, by combining live-cell imaging, in vitro reconstitution biochemistry, and structural analysis by cryo-electron microscopy, we provide evidence that the rapid recognition of Cyclin B1 in metaphase requires spatial regulation of the APC/C. Using fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy, we find that Cyclin B1 and the APC/C primarily interact at the mitotic apparatus. We show that this is because Cyclin B1, like the APC/C, binds to nucleosomes, and identify an ‘arginine-anchor’ in the N-terminus as necessary and sufficient for binding to the nucleosome. Mutating the arginine anchor on Cyclin B1 reduces its interaction with the APC/C and delays its degradation: cells with the mutant, non-nucleosome-binding Cyclin B1 become aneuploid, demonstrating the physiological relevance of our findings. Together, our data demonstrate that mitotic chromosomes promote the efficient interaction between Cyclin B1 and the APC/C to ensure the timely degradation of Cyclin B1 and genomic stability.
Structure and replication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage JBD30
Authors: Valentová Lucie , Füzik Tibor , Nováček Jiří , Hlavenková Zuzana , Pospíšil Jakub , Plevka Pavel
Published: August 2024

Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, but our understanding of many aspects of their lifecycles is still incomplete. Here, we have structurally analysed the infection cycle of the siphophage Casadabanvirus JBD30. Using its baseplate, JBD30 attaches to Pseudomonas aeruginosavia the bacterial type IV pilus, whose subsequent retraction brings the phage to the bacterial cell surface. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of the baseplate-pilus complex show that the tripod of baseplate receptor-binding proteins attaches to the outer bacterial membrane. The tripod and baseplate then open to release three copies of the tape-measure protein, an event that is followed by DNA ejection. JBD30 major capsid proteins assemble into procapsids, which expand by 7% in diameter upon filling with phage dsDNA. The DNA-filled heads are finally joined with 180-nm-long tails, which bend easily because flexible loops mediate contacts between the successive discs of major tail proteins. It is likely that the structural features and replication mechanisms described here are conserved among siphophages that utilize the type IV pili for initial cell attachment.
Evaluation of Taste Function
Authors: Zhu Yunmeng , Hummel Thomas C.
Published: August 2024

Taste disorders, impacting well-being and physical health, can be caused by many etiologies including the use of medication. Recently, taste disturbance has also been considered as one of the predominant symptoms of COVID-19 although its pathogenesis requires further research. Localized taste disorders may be overlooked, considering that whole-mouth taste perception is ensured through several mechanisms. Individuals often fail to discern taste from flavor, and interviews/surveys are insufficient to properly assess taste function. Hence, various taste assessment methods have been developed. Among them, psychophysical methods are most widely applied in a clinical context. Less-biased electrophysiological, imaging or morphological methods are used to a much lesser degree. Overall, more research is needed in the field of taste.
Strategies for Accurate Food Data Mining and Optimizing Information Generation
Authors: Mafata Mpho , Brand Jeanne , Buica Astrid
Published: August 2024

Food evaluation is performed using techniques linked to various sciences – physics, chemistry and sensory science. In addition to developments in instrumentation and applied methods, research is also focusing on how to better extract information from extant data. Many of the information-rich techniques used in food quality evaluation produce vast amounts of data. Having an appropriate statistical strategy to analyse them is paramount, especially when working with multimodal data or data from different fields. This chapter presents some of the relevant aspects when working with data from analytical chemistry (targeted or untargeted, discrete or continuous), sensory science (with a focus on rapid methods) and statistical modelling (data fusion at various levels from basic to multimodal/multiblock), from the perspective of optimizing the analytical workflow and strategy. Smart approaches to data, such as those described here, can contribute to improving not only new product development activities (for example, in rapid sensory methods), but also the current understanding of the phenomena underlying food manufacturing practices or product shelf life (for example, in chemical fingerprinting).
Assessment of Individual Differences in Sensory Evaluation
Authors: Feeney Emma L. , Nolden Alissa A. , Hayes John E.
Published: August 2024

The goal of this chapter is to convey that human sensory perception varies widely across individuals, and this can influence the sensations arising from foods, beverages, and oral pharmaceuticals, with downstream implications for acceptance, liking and/or use and intake. Thus, potential individual differences should be considered when determining the acceptability of new food products. Some of the biological causes of these perceptual differences will be discussed briefly, acknowledging that other chapters will focus on these aspects in greater detail. This chapter will instead focus on the various methods appropriate for use in adults to assess individual differences in variation, depending on the situation, and critically assess these methods in the context of best practice in measuring hedonic responses (i.e., acceptance, preference, and/or liking). A summary of evaluation methods suitable for a variety of scenarios will be presented for a range of different outcome goals.
Food Neophobia: Measurement, Variability and Consequences
Authors: Alley Thomas R.
Published: August 2024

Food neophobia, the fear of consuming unfamiliar foods, is a major impediment to the acceptance of new foods. Some degree of food neophobia is a typical human trait but there are wide individual differences. In this chapter, neophobia is differentiated from several other traits and behaviors that involve resistance to eating certain foods. Techniques for measuring food neophobia are reviewed and the main findings from research on food neophobia are presented. Measurement techniques fall into three categories: (1) self-reports, usually via questionnaires, (2) reports from others, and (3) behavioral measures. Despite various concerns about using self-reports or reports from others, these approaches are easier to implement and interpret than behavioral measures. One self-report measure, the Food Neophobia Survey (FNS), is the primary instrument in the research literature and is a focus of this chapter. Scores on the FNS, along with several other measures of food neophobia, largely possess good psychometric properties, including predictive validity. Research using such methods shows that food neophobia can have a major impact on dietary intake, including reduced acceptance of new foods, less dietary variety, and lower dietary quality. Finally, some promising avenues for increasing the acceptance of new foods despite neophobia are discussed.
Cross-cultural Consumer Studies
Authors: Sinesio Fiorella , Saba Anna
Published: August 2024

Culture influences the processes of individual and social representation by moulding people’s behaviour towards food, orienting their perceptions, tastes, preferences and choices. This chapter addresses the main goals of intercultural consumer research in the food domain and related methodological issues. Recent approaches and techniques applied in sensory consumer research when designing cross-cultural studies are presented. Methodological aspects associated with sampling, data collection procedures, differences in conceptual constructs in survey questionnaires and the use of new tools, such as new, language-independent techniques of data collection, along with future area trends, are discussed.
Foods, Dishes and Flavours from Latin American Tradition: A Case Study of Mexico, Brazil and Argentina
Authors: Gómez-Corona Carlos , Casotti Leticia M. , Pino Fernando J. , Deliza Rosires
Published: August 2024

This chapter offers an overview of the traditional foods and beverages from Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, serving as proxies for understanding other Latin American food cultures. These depict a confluence of tastes, aromas, colours and textures originating from the traditions of indigenous people, who developed specific culinary cultures over the centuries, and the syncretism of massive European migrations since the sixteenth century. Subsequent migrations from other continents further shaped culinary culture in each country, leading to many regional nuances. By examining the historical and cultural perspectives that have influenced regional cuisines in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, it is possible to explore a rich variety and combination of ingredients, culinary techniques and dishes that have contributed to the different foods and beverages found on the Latin American table. Moreover, not only do some of the most iconic ingredients in the world have a Latin American origin, such as vanilla, chocolate, tomato, corn and guarana, but so do some widely popular dishes and beverages, such as tacos, feijoada, empanadas, mate tea, coffee or tequila. By delving into the origin of some these ingredients and dishes, it is possible to learn more about their diverse sensory characteristics and hence better understand their acceptance by consumers in Latin America and elsewhere.
Consumer Perception and Acceptance of Healthy and Sustainable Food: Trends, Challenges and Mitigatory Strategies
Authors: Laureati Monica , Proserpio Cristina
Published: August 2024

Several global trends, such as growing population, climate change, food losses and dietary pattern changes, are influencing food security and the overall sustainability of the agri-food system. This chapter provides an overview of the concept of food system sustainability, considering its different meanings, and explores how consumer eating behaviour and choices can have a direct impact on it. In particular, attention is paid to how, and to what extent, consumers are willing and able to adjust their food choices to embrace healthier and sustainable food consumption habits. Through case studies, results from scientific literature on consumer’s attitude, perception and acceptance of sustainable foods, such as organic food, food formulated with alternative protein sources and food developed through nanotechnology applications, are presented and critically discussed. In addition, barriers to sustainable food choice are identified and discussed, and special attention is paid to the most suitable strategies (e.g., exposure, education, and cross-modal interactions) available to modify food behaviour in specific groups (e.g., children and individuals with obesity), in order to guide them towards healthier and more sustainable food choices.
Composition-dependent band structure parameters and band-gap bowing effect in a caesium lead mixed halide system: a cyclic voltammetry investigation
Authors: Mane Suyog Sanjay , Sinha Archisman , Haram Santosh Krishna
Published: August 2024

Cyclic voltammetry techniques have been employed to study the effect of halide substitution on the band edge parameters and band gap bowing effect in the case of CsPbX3 [X = I, Br, Cl] perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs).
Advancements in the preparation technology of small molecule artificial antigens and their specific antibodies: a comprehensive review
Authors: Chen Yaya , Ma Shuo , Zhou Meiling , Yao Yuming , Gao Xun , Fan Xiaobo , Wu Guoqiu
Published: August 2024

Specific antibodies against small molecules typically require modification into haptens and coupling with carriers to synthesize artificial antigens. Image created with BioRender.com.
Turn-on fluorescence detection of carbon monoxide in plant tissues based on Cu2+ modulated polydihydroxyphenylalanine nanosensors
Authors: Mu Xiqiong , Wang Yinquan , Xu Jian , Zeng Fankui
Published: August 2024

Novel and sensitive nanoprobes applied for quantitative detection and fluorescence imaging of CO in plant tissues.
Stereodivergent sila-germylenation vs. sila-stannylenation of an internal alkyne
Authors: Ajithkumar V. S. , Ghanwat Pratiksha B. , Saha Sougata , Pati Swapan K. , Sen Sakya S.
Published: August 2024

We report on the stereodivergent insertion of an electron deficient alkyne, dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD), into the E–Si bond of hypersilyl tetrylenes, PhC(NtBu)2ESi(SiMe3)3 (E = Ge and Sn), at room temperature.
A high-power 4 × 4: crystallographic and electrochemical insights into a novel Wadsley–Roth anode Nb9Ti1.5W1.5O30
Authors: Driscoll Elizabeth Helen , Green Alex , Fortes Dominic , Howard Christopher , Driscoll Laura Louise , Kendrick Emma , Greaves Colin , Slater Peter Raymond
Published: August 2024

The crystal structure of the novel material Nb9Ti1.5W1.5O30 and its respective XRPD pattern, compared to the T- and H-Nb2O5 phase.
Palladium-catalyzed syn-alkynylarylation of internal alkynes: rapid access to all-carbon tetrasubstituted alkenes
Authors: Ma Ruize , Qiu Xinni , Jiang Huanfeng , Wu Wanqing
Published: August 2024

A novel palladium-catalyzed syn-alkynylarylation of internal alkynes with haloalkynes and arylboronic acids is described.
A hybrid silylene-Pd catalyst: efficient C–N cross-coupling of sterically bulky amines and chiral amines
Authors: Kaulage Sandeep H. , Parvin Nasrina , Khopade Kishor V. , Khan Shabana
Published: August 2024

Herein, we report a hybrid silylene-based bidentate ligand (SiNP)–Pd(0) catalytic system, which performs the C–N coupling of difficult substrates, e.g., sterically bulky amines and chiral amines.
Rationalising catalytic performance using a unique correlation matrix
Authors: Walerowski Maciej G. , Kyrimis Stylianos , Hewitt Victoria A. , Armstrong Lindsay-Marie , Raja Robert
Published: August 2024

A novel multidimensional analytical tool was used to vindicate and improve the performance of bifunctional catalysts used for the one-pot conversion of CO2 to sustainable fuels.
Alkali–metal nickelates: catalytic cross-coupling, clusters and coordination complexes
Authors: Borys Andryj M. , Hevia Eva
Published: August 2024

Alkali–metal nickelates are a class of highly reactive heterobimetallic complexes derived from Ni(0)–olefins and polar organo-alkali–metal reagents.
Bimetallic metal–organic framework-derived cobalt selenide-based composites as bifunctional electrocatalysts for both hydrogen evolution and mono-alcohol oxidation
Authors: Hu Lei , Zhong Peng , Zhu Jie , Wang Jiacheng , Zheng Yuchen , Lin Xiaoming , Zhang Yuyang , Yang Hao
Published: August 2024

This work focuses on utilizing a simple synthetic strategy to prepare Cu-doped Co0.85Se nanocomposites as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for both hydrogen evolution and mono-alcohol oxidation in an alkaline electrolyte.
Selective conversion of methane to methanol facilitated by molecular metal–methoxy complexes via a self-correcting chemical cycle
Authors: Khan Shahriar N. , Quebedeaux Brody , Miliordos Evangelos
Published: August 2024

Metal methoxy molecular complexes are probed for the selective conversion of methane to methanol. Unlike the commonly used metal oxides, the proposed species exhibit higher activation barriers for methanol and prevent its oxidation with a side loop.
Diffusion of ferrocene through vanadyl phosphate by density functional theory
Authors: Liu Yuan , Ta An T. , Ullberg R. Seaton , Liu Jiahui , Talham Daniel R. , Phillpot Simon R.
Published: August 2024

The NEB method characterizes ferrocene diffusion through vanadyl phosphate. Energy barriers of 0.25–0.35 eV and 0.11–0.20 eV are identified along [110] and [100] directions. Conformational analysis enriches discussion of the diffusion mechanisms.
Recent trends in the design and delivery strategies of ruthenium complexes for breast cancer therapy
Authors: Das Utpal , Basu Uttara , Paira Priyankar
Published: August 2024

This review aims to summarise all types of ruthenium complexes for treating ER+, PR+, and triple-negative breast cancer.
Anticancer activity and mechanism studies of photoactivated iridium(iii) complexes toward lung cancer A549 cells
Authors: Zhou Lin , Li Jiongbang , Chen Ju , Yao Xin , Zeng Xiandong , Liu Yunjun , Wang Yi , Wang Xiuzhen
Published: August 2024

Three new iridium(iii) complexes were synthesized and characterized. The in vitro anticancer activity of the complexes against A549 cells was investigated, and the complexes exhibited high anticancer efficacy upon irradiation.
Effects of a central element on the photoluminescence properties of β-diketiminate complexes composed of group 13 elements
Authors: Ito Shunichiro , Tanaka Kazuo , Chujo Yoshiki
Published: August 2024

Aluminum, gallium, and indium complexes of β-diketiminate ligands were synthesized and characterized, which exhibit element-dependent emission properties. The heavy-atom effect of indium results in phosphorescence at 77 K.
Simplifying contact-layer design for high-throughput printing of flexible perovskite photovoltaics
Authors: Dong Lirong , Qiu Shudi , Feroze Sarmad , Wagner Michael , Kasian Olga , Peisert Heiko , Kosasih Felix U. , Ducati Caterina , Garcia Cerrillo José , Tian Jingjing , Li Chaohui , Jang Dongju , Le Corre Vincent M. , Li Ning , Yang Fu , Du Tian , Brabec Christoph J. , Egelhaaf Hans-Joachim
Published: August 2024

SAM enabled and simplified fully printed carbon-based flexible perovskite modules.
Nafion coated nanopore electrode for improving electrochemical aptamer-based biosensing
Authors: Huldin Grayson F. , Huang Junming , Reitemeier Julius , Fu Kaiyu X.
Published: August 2024

Nafion blocks the aptamer's active sites from planar gold, while the aptamer retains its redox activity from nanoporous gold.
Superstructure optimization for management of low-density polyethylene plastic waste
Authors: Hernández Borja , Vlachos Dionisios G. , Ierapetritou Marianthi G.
Published: August 2024

The TOC presents the decision-making performed in the superstructure for determining the optimal processing path of waste LDPE. The selection is based on two objectives, the emissions and the economics that are represented in the two axes.
Low-energy and solventless manufacturing of epoxy/expanded graphite bipolar plates
Authors: Santana-Villamar Jordy , Carrasco-Cordero Miguel , Suarez-Loor Jose , Espinoza-Andaluz Mayken , Rigail-Cedeño Andres F.
Published: August 2024

Bipolar plates (B.P.s) based on a polymer matrix and carbon materials have lately been considered potential alternatives in fabricating polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) components.
Synthesis of rhombohedral Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 and analysis by X-ray diffraction through dynamical diffraction simulations
Authors: de Hond Kit , Rijnders Guus , Koster Gertjan
Published: August 2024

The persistence of ferroelectricity down to nanometer scales in hafnia-based materials makes these compounds promising candidates for future electronic applications.
YAP activation is robust to dilution
Authors: Jones Ian , Arias-Garcia Mar , Pascual-Vargas Patricia , Beykou Melina , Dent Lucas , Chaudhuri Tara Pal , Roumeliotis Theodoros , Choudhary Jyoti , Sero Julia , Bakal Chris
Published: August 2024

Despite dilution of YAP across the whole cell with increasing size, the nuclear concentration remained constant across sizes. YAP activation is robust to whole cell dilution.
Semi-liquid-state flux assisted synthesis of CdS for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Xiang Xiaoyan , Liu Huanmin , Lv Kangle , Tang Dingguo , Li Qin
Published: August 2024

Highly crystalline CdS with an S defect and a Cl dopant was synthesized through low-temperature calcination within semi-liquid-state complex chloride molten salts.