bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eyelash serums: A comprehensive review
Authors: Baiyasi Maya , St. Claire Kayla , Hengy Meredith , Tur Komal , Fahs Fatima , Potts Geoffrey
Published: March 2024

Background

Eyelash serums, both prescription and over‐the‐counter, are gaining popularity for enhancing the appearance of eyelashes through various biologically active molecules. Categorized into prostaglandin analogs and non‐prostaglandin analogs, these serums claim increased strength, length, luster, and thickness. Current United States law also requires no efficacy or safety assessments by the Food and Drug Administration before approving products for consumer use, potentially posing health risks for patients seeking over‐the‐counter eyelash enhancements.

Aims

Our aims include exploring proposed benefits and adverse effects associated with eyelash serums, while providing evidence‐based clinical recommendations on their use. We aim to contribute valuable insights to the understanding of eyelash serums and their respective safety considerations.

Methods

The authors conducted a comprehensive electronic search across databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar to evaluate eyelash serum ingredients. Articles were evaluated by two independent researchers for relevance, and the ingredients discussed were analyzed and given clinical recommendations for eyelash serums based off the Oxford Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine.

Results

Results highlight bimatoprost's efficacy, supported by numerous studies evaluating safety and adverse effects. Other prostaglandin ingredients show potential benefits, but further studies are encouraged to enhance the understanding of respective safety profiles. While non‐prostaglandins ingredients show promising data, more studies are needed due to a lack of formal evidence in eyelash serum use.

Conclusion

As the cosmeceutical market for eyelash serums is growing, dermatologists need to be knowledgeable about evidence‐based information regarding prescription and over‐the‐counter eyelash serum products before making recommendations to patients.
Factors related to preoperative anxiety in older patients with sensory impairment: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Mo Kayeon , Kim Kisook
Published: March 2024

Aim

To identify the factors related to preoperative anxiety in older adults with sensory impairment.

Design

Descriptive quantitative research design.

Methods

Study participants were 120 older adults admitted to a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea to undergo eye or ear surgery. Data were collected from 11 February to 30 April 2023. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t‐tests, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS 28.0. The study was reported following the STROBE checklist.

Results

Preoperative anxiety differed significantly according to gender (p = .002), average monthly household income (p < .001), subjective health status (p = .003), subjective vision loss (p = .004), one‐sided or both‐sided eye discomfort (p = .002), use of glasses (p = .010), subjective hearing loss (p = .022) and anxiety coping mechanisms (p < .001). The results of a multiple regression analysis on the significant variables identified that gender (β = .178, p = .036) and anxiety coping mechanisms (β = .336, p < .001) had the most significant effect on preoperative anxiety, with an explanatory power of 34.5%.

Conclusion

The development and practical application of tailored nursing interventions catering to specific genders and anxiety coping mechanisms would contribute to reducing preoperative anxiety and providing efficient nursing care for older adults with sensory impairment.
Barriers and facilitators to patient education provided by nurses: A mixed‐method systematic review
Authors: Wang Shuyi , Liu Ke , Tang Siyuan , Wang Guiyun , Qi Yanxia , Chen Qirong
Published: March 2024

Aim

To investigate the factors that facilitate or hinder nurses in providing patient education.

Design

A mixed‐method systematic review.

Data Sources

Six databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, MEDLINE and ERIC) were systematically searched for relevant publications.

Methods

The study was conducted following the JBI for mixed‐method systematic reviews, and the reporting followed the PRISMA guideline. Two researchers independently performed literature screening, literature evaluation, data extraction and synthesis. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023427451.

Results

Twenty‐six eligible articles were included, including 15 quantitative articles, 10 qualitative articles and 2 mixed‐methods articles. The resultant synthesis of key findings led to the identification of these barriers and facilitators, categorised into five distinct levels: nurse‐related factors, organisational factors, patient‐related factors, the nurse–patient relationship and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the factors that facilitate or hinder nurses in providing patient education, suggesting that multifaceted interventions can enhance the practice of patient education in nursing and support the development of appropriate patient education guidelines or public policies.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

This review delineates the facilitators and barriers influencing nurses' provision of patient education, offering an initial framework for nursing managers to craft interventions aimed at enhancing the quality of patient education provided by nurses, consequently elevating the overall quality of nursing.
Mealtime emotion work: Gendered politics of care and power at the table
Authors: Le Moal Fairley
Published: March 2024

Objective

This study examined how family members managed emotions ‐ or produced emotion work ‐ during family mealtimes and how this affected eating together in contexts where positive feeling rules, such as expectations of feeling happy together at the table, shaped commensality.

Background

The happy family meal ideology is widespread, but few studies have specifically investigated the way emotions are managed at the table.

Methods

Based on 90 h of observations and 47 interviews with parents and children in 14 households across France and Australia, this ethnographic study examined emotions during family mealtimes. The data was analyzed using grounded theory.

Results

Positive feeling rules affected family mealtimes and led the mothers and fathers to produce significant, but different types of mealtime emotion work. The mothers were seen as caring, loving, and patient, whereas the fathers were seen as fun, but also impatient and authoritative. The lower the social class position of the family, the more parents distanced themselves from normative feeling rules—or from the happy family meal ideology—which meant emotions were not moderated as much.

Conclusion

The type and intensity of emotion work repositioned parents in unequal roles of care and power relationships in relation to each other.

Implications

The amount and type of mealtime emotion work are key to understanding the barriers and burdens that families face when wanting to eat together.
The importance of personal factors in assessing quality of life
Authors: Brown Ivan
Published: March 2024

Quality of life has emerged as a dominant concept in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities, and has been conceptualized, measured, and applied in various ways. To date, the importance to quality of life assessment of personal factors that take on extraordinary prominence in people's lives has only been superficially recognized. This article argues that four main types of personal factors are sometimes extraordinarily prominent and consequently become dominant factors in assessing quality of life: those that are important to all people but have become particularly important to some individuals and families; those that are not very important to most people but are extremely important to some, often because of specific interests and talents; those that result from both positive and negative, often temporary, situations that emerge in life; and those that are a consequence of personal characteristics. It is purported that measurement and application methods that recognize the importance of personal quality of life factors need to be developed and used as a component of an overall quality of life paradigm.
The catastrophic break‐up of the ureilite parent body: Modeling constraints on the debris size
Authors: Patzer Andrea , Kowalski Julia , Di Rocco Tommaso , Pack Andreas
Published: March 2024

The ureilite parent body (UPB) was, in all likelihood, completely broken apart when hit by another object early in its history and reassembled into daughter bodies. We here present a study tailored to constrain the dimensions of the impact debris produced in the catastrophic disruption. Using a customized Python code to simulate the thermal evolution of the UPB fragments, we compared the FeO profiles modeled for different depths within those fragments with those measured across the reduction rims in olivines of 12 different ureilites (n = 37). Our profile data were fitted to the theoretical cooling profiles determined with a transient thermal model. The results are coherent and consistent with earlier studies and, despite using simplified boundary conditions (fragments described as ideal spheres and maximum radiation), our data provide valuable context on possible cooling pathways of the UPB debris. In detail, we found that the average depths within the given fragments from which our samples of ureilites originated were limited to 0.3–0.4 ± 0.1 m, with only few exceptions (e.g., one highly reduced sample lacked suitable reduction profiles suggesting either a depth of origin of >2 m or shielding of this fragment from rapid cooling, e.g., due to hovering in the center of a relatively dense cloud of debris). In addition, we calculated that the cooling from 1473 to 1100 K of the average fragment at the depth of our samples took no more than 3–4 days, suggesting that the reassembly of the ureilite daughter bodies could have been a very fast process.
Alternaria diseases on potato and tomato
Authors: Schmey Tamara , Tominello‐Ramirez Christopher S. , Brune Carolin , Stam Remco
Published: March 2024

Alternaria spp. cause different diseases in potato and tomato crops. Early blight caused by Alternaria solani and brown spot caused by Alternaria alternata are most common, but the disease complex is far more diverse. We first provide an overview of the Alternaria species infecting the two host plants to alleviate some of the confusion that arises from the taxonomic rearrangements in this fungal genus. Highlighting the diversity of Alternaria fungi on both solanaceous hosts, we review studies investigating the genetic diversity and genomes, before we present recent advances from studies elucidating host–pathogen interactions and fungicide resistances.

Taxonomy

Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota, Class Dothideomycetes, Order Pleosporales, Family Pleosporaceae, Genus Alternaria.

Biology and host range

Alternaria spp. adopt diverse lifestyles. We specifically review Alternaria spp. that cause disease in the two solanaceous crops potato (Solanum tuberosum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). They are necrotrophic pathogens with no known sexual stage, despite some signatures of recombination.

Disease symptoms

Symptoms of the early blight/brown spot disease complex include foliar lesions that first present as brown spots, depending on the species with characteristic concentric rings, which eventually lead to severe defoliation and considerable yield loss.

Control

Good field hygiene can keep the disease pressure low. Some potato and tomato cultivars show differences in susceptibility, but there are no fully resistant varieties known. Therefore, the main control mechanism is treatment with fungicides.
A type VI secretion system effector TseG of Pantoea ananatis is involved in virulence and antibacterial activity
Authors: Zhao Xiaozhen , Gao Lu , Ali Qurban , Yu Chenjie , Yuan Bingqin , Huang Hai , Long Juying , Gu Qin , Wu Huijun , Gao Xuewen
Published: March 2024

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) of many gram‐negative bacteria injects toxic effectors into adjacent cells to manipulate host cells during pathogenesis or to kill competing bacteria. However, the identification and function of the T6SS effectors remains only partly known. Pantoea ananatis, a gram‐negative bacterium, is commonly found in various plants and natural environments, including water and soil. In the current study, genomic analysis of P. ananatis DZ‐12 causing brown stalk rot on maize demonstrated that it carries three T6SS gene clusters, namely, T6SS‐1, T6SS‐2, and T6SS‐3. Interestingly, only T6SS‐1 secretion systems are involved in pathogenicity and bacterial competition. The study also investigated the T6SS‐1 system in detail and identified an unknown T6SS‐1‐secreted effector TseG by using the upstream T6SS effector chaperone TecG containing a conserved domain of DUF2169. TseG can directly interact with the chaperone TecG for delivery and with a downstream immunity protein TsiG for protection from its toxicity. TseG, highly conserved in the Pantoea genus, is involved in virulence in maize, potato, and onion. Additionally, P. ananatis uses TseG to target Escherichia coli, gaining a competitive advantage. This study provides the first report on the T6SS‐1‐secreted effector from P. ananatis, thereby enriching our understanding of the various types and functions of type VI effector proteins.
The predominance of “astrocytic” intranuclear inclusions in neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease manifesting encephalopathy‐like symptoms: A case series with brain biopsy
Authors: Ishizawa Keisuke , Komori Takashi , Homma Taku , Sone Jun , Nakata Yasuhiro , Nakazato Yoshihiko , Takahashi Kazushi , Yamamoto Toshimasa , Sasaki Atsushi
Published: March 2024

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a neurodegenerative disorder represented by eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions (EIIs) and GGC/CGG repeat expansion in the NOTCH2NLC gene. We report here two adult cases of NIID, genetically confirmed, with manifestation of encephalopathy‐like symptoms and address the histopathologic findings obtained by brain biopsies, with a focus on “astrocytic” intranuclear inclusions (AIIs). Case 1 presented with paroxysmal restlessness, vertigo, or fever and was later involved in severe dementia and tetraparesis. Case 2 presented with forgetfulness and then with paroxysmal fever and headache. In both cases, delimited areas with gadolinium enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging and corresponding hyperperfusion were detected, leading to brain biopsies of the cortex. On histology, Case 1 showed an abnormal lamination, where the thickness of layers was different from usual. Both neurons and astrocytes showed some dysmorphologic features. Notably, astrocytes rather than neurons harbored EIIs. Case 2 showed a cortex, where neurons tended to be arrayed in a columnar fashion. Astrocytes showed some dysmorphologic features. Notably, much more astrocytes than neurons harbored EIIs. By a double‐labeling immunofluorescence study for p62/NeuN and p62/glial fibrillary acidic protein, the predominance of AIIs was confirmed in both cases. Considering the physiological functions of astrocytes for the development and maintenance of the cortex, the encephalopathy‐like symptoms, dynamic change of cerebral blood flow, and cortical dysmorphology can reasonably be explained by the dysfunction of EII‐bearing astrocytes rather than EII‐bearing neurons. This study suggests the presence of a subtype of NIID where AIIs rather than “neuronal” intranuclear inclusions are likely a key player in the pathogenesis of NIID, particularly in cases with encephalopathy‐like symptoms. The importance of AIIs (“gliopathy”) should be more appreciated in future studies of NIID.
Polyploidy‐induced floral changes lead to unexpected pollinator behavior in Arabidopsis arenosa
Authors: Schmickl Roswitha , Vallejo Marín Mario , Hojka Jakub , Gorospe Juan Manuel , Haghighatnia Mohammad Javad , İltaş Ömer , Kantor Adam , Slovák Marek , Lafon Placette Clément
Published: March 2024

The paradox between the ubiquity of polyploid lineages in plants and the early obstacles to the establishment of polyploids is a long‐studied yet unresolved question in evolutionary biology. It is assumed that to successfully persist after emergence, newly formed polyploids need to display certain fitness advantages and show a certain extent of reproductive isolation with their diploid progenitors. In this study, we tested whether immediate floral changes following polyploidization can improve pollinator visitation and enable pollinator preference leading to assortative mating, i.e. build a premating reproductive barrier between diploids and polyploids. For this purpose, we generated synthetic tetraploids of Arabidopsis arenosa and measured insect visitor behavior on diploids and synthetic tetraploids. We found that the increased floral size that accompanied polyploidization did not lead to a measurable increase in visitor preference, with insects visiting diploid and tetraploid plants at equal frequency. Despite this observation, tetraploids set more fruits than diploids, suggesting a positive impact of polyploidization on pollen transfer via other means. In addition, polyploidization did not lead to assortative mating but instead promoted interploidy pollen exchange, since visitors preferentially switched between cytotypes rather than preferring one. Consistent with this switching behavior, most of the progeny from tetraploid plants were triploid. Our data suggest that polyploidization has an immediate impact on mating in plants, but in a more complex way than has been assumed previously.
Litter consumption by macrodetritivores depends more on mechanical than on nutritional constraints
Authors: Marchand Théo , Estabes Lola , Pey Benjamin
Published: March 2024

Ecosystem functions greatly depend on trophic interactions between consumers and their resources. Resource consumption depends on ingestion, digestion, and allocation processes. Mechanical constraints are expected to influence ingestion, while metabolic and nutritional constraints are expected to influence allocation. Leaf litter are resources presenting a high mechanical and nutritional heterogeneity that depends on plant identity and on physical and microbial processing over the course of decomposition. Litter consumption by detritivores is known to depend on metabolic and nutritional constraints but the importance of mechanical constraints is yet unknown. After accounting for metabolic constraints on consumption rate, we tested the relative importance of mechanical and nutritional constraints in explaining litter consumption rates by detritivores. For this, we exposed 16 leaf treatments (eight leaf species either just leached or leached and microbially conditioned) to four aquatic and five terrestrial detritivore taxa in laboratory no‐choice consumption experiments. We investigated two mechanical constraints: grabbing and fragmenting the resource, by measuring suitable couples of mechanical traits for both litter and detritivores. We also investigated four nutritional constraints related to N, P, K and Ca contents in both detritivores and litter. For each constraint, we also tested if trait matching significantly contribute to explain consumption. Our analysis revealed that both mechanical and nutritional constraints are influencing mass‐independent consumption rate but that mechanical constraints predominate over nutritional constraints. Litter fragmentation, studied through litter toughness and detritivore biting force, was especially important to explain consumption rate. Nutritional constraints were dominated by P constraints. Trait‐matching had very weak importance and was significant only for P constraints. Our findings highlight the importance of mechanical constraints for litter consumption by detritivores.
Species gain and loss per degree Celsius
Authors: Westoby Mark , Andrew Samuel C. , Gallagher Rachael V. , Schrader Julian
Published: March 2024

With climate zones moving poleward, it is interesting to know how rapidly species are gained and lost along temperature gradients. For the Australian native vascular flora, observed climate envelopes for species distributions have here been calculated from data for occurrence at geographical locations. For each degree temperature increase along a continental temperature gradient, numbers of species crossing their cold boundary and hence added to the flora, and crossing their warm boundary and hence lost to the flora, were counted. These counts of gains and losses were expressed as percentages of the flora recorded as present at that temperature. We report results for the flora at > 700 mm rainfall pa along the Australian east coast, where higher rainfall is continuously distributed throughout the latitudinal range. Per °C mean annual temperature increase, 20 ± 11% (mean ± SD) of species were gained, and 14 ± 4% were lost, across the range 9–23°C. Many further questions arise. For example, which other continental floras might show faster or slower rates of species gain and loss along temperature gradients? Similarly, might species with particular traits show faster rates of turnover: for example, species with local dispersal such as those with diaspore morphologies adapted for ants, compared to those adapted for bird dispersal?
Determination of sensed and paced atrial‐ventricular delay in cardiac resynchronization therapy
Authors: Bank Alan J. , Brown Christopher D. , Burns Kevin V. , Johnson Katie M.
Published: March 2024

Background

Optimization of atrial‐ventricular delay (AVD) during atrial sensing (SAVD) and pacing (PAVD) provides the most effective cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We demonstrate a novel electrocardiographic methodology for quantifying electrical synchrony and optimizing SAVD/PAVD.

Methods

We studied 40 CRT patients with LV activation delay. Atrial‐sensed to RV‐sensed (As‐RVs) and atrial‐paced to RV‐sensed (Ap‐RVs) intervals were measured from intracardiac electrograms (IEGM). LV‐only pacing was performed over a range of SAVD/PAVD settings. Electrical dyssynchrony (cardiac resynchronization index; CRI) was measured at each setting using a multilead ECG system placed over the anterior and posterior torso. Biventricular pacing, which included multiple interventricular delays, was also conducted in a subset of 10 patients.

Results

When paced LV‐only, peak CRI was similar (93 ± 5% vs. 92 ± 5%) during atrial sensing or pacing but optimal PAVD was 61 ± 31 ms greater than optimal SAVD. The difference between As‐RVs and Ap‐RVs intervals on IEGMs (62 ± 31 ms) was nearly identical. The slope of the correlation line (0.98) and the correlation coefficient r (0.99) comparing the 2 methods of assessing SAVD‐PAVD offset were nearly 1 and the y‐intercept (0.63 ms) was near 0. During simultaneous biventricular (BiV) pacing at short AVD, SAVD and PAVD programming did not affect CRI, but CRI was significantly (p < .05) lower during atrial sensing at long AVD.

Conclusions

A novel methodology for measuring electrical dyssynchrony was used to determine electrically optimal SAVD/PAVD during LV‐only pacing. When BiV pacing, shorter AVDs produce better electrical synchrony.
Are tropical forests approaching critical temperature thresholds?
Authors: Winter K.
Published: March 2024

There is growing concern about the fate of tropical forests in the face of rising global temperatures. Doughty et al. (2023) suggest that an increase in air temperature beyond ∼4 °C will result in massive death of tropical forest leaves and potentially tree death. However, this prediction relies on assumptions that likely underestimate the heat tolerance of tropical leaves.
Towards a theory of informal disruption
Authors: Neuhauser Tom , Snihur Yuliya
Published: March 2024

What are the implications of disruption originating in firms using illegal practices, which we refer to as informal firms? Since its development by Clayton Christensen, there has been increasing interest in disruptive innovation theory among innovation and management scholars. Yet, the disruptive power of informal firms remains understudied. We theorize informal disruption, which we define as the process through which entrepreneurs engage in business model innovation based on new technology and avoidance of regulation. Institutional voids and institutional incongruence facilitate scaling of such new business models. We offer a process model of informal disruption emphasizing business model formalization as a key strategy for informal disruptors and non‐market strategies such as collective lobbying and consumer education as incumbent strategies when competing with informal disruptors. Our process model highlights the role of formal and informal institutions during informal disruption, which can both facilitate informal disruptors' scaling and limit incumbents' adaptation strategies. We discuss the implications of studying informal disruption for disruptive innovation, business model, and informal economy research.
Discourse Production Across the Adult Lifespan: Microlinguistic Processes
Authors: Kim Hana , Kintz Stephen
Published: March 2024

Successful spoken discourse requires a speaker to be informative to deliver a coherent, meaningful message. The informativeness of discourse can be conveyed by the variety of vocabulary produced (i.e., lexical diversity [LD]), the typicality of vocabulary items used (i.e., core lexicon [CL]), and the amount of relevant content produced (i.e., information units). Yet, it is well documented that older adults produce less informative content compared to younger adults despite relatively subtle changes to LD. The typicality of core lexical items has not been assessed in healthy aging. Paradoxically, these results indicate that some aspects of discourse informativeness remain stable or even improve across the adult lifespan, while other aspects decline. The purpose of the current study is to understand how microlinguistic processes of informativeness change across the adult lifespan. The cross‐sectional study included narrative language samples from two wordless picture books collected from 420 healthy participants between 20 and 89 years old. LD and percent of correct information units (%CIUs) were analyzed, as well as CL nouns and verbs. The results indicate that %CIUs and CL nouns demonstrate a quadratic decline starting around the ages of 40 and 60, respectively. LD shows a slight linear decline as a function of age. CL verbs are resistant to age‐related changes but are influenced greater by education. The differing findings across the microlinguistic measures can be explained by the weakened connections within the language system and the differential characteristics of the measures. The findings contribute to the aging literature by systematically identifying the trajectory of how variables of informativeness change with age.
Group C MAP kinases phosphorylate MBD10 to regulate ABA‐induced leaf senescence in Arabidopsis
Authors: Li Yangdan , Kamiyama Yoshiaki , Minegishi Fuko , Tamura Yuki , Yamashita Kota , Katagiri Sotaro , Takase Hinano , Otani Masahiko , Tojo Ryo , Rupp Gabrielle E. , Suzuki Takamasa , Kawakami Naoto , Peck Scott C. , Umezawa Taishi
Published: March 2024

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone that promotes leaf senescence in response to environmental stress. We previously identified methyl CpG‐binding domain 10 (MBD10) as a phosphoprotein that becomes differentially phosphorylated after ABA treatment in Arabidopsis. ABA‐induced leaf senescence was delayed in mbd10 knockout plants but accelerated in MBD10‐overexpressing plants, suggesting that MBD10 positively regulates ABA‐induced leaf senescence. ABA‐induced phosphorylation of MBD10 occurs in planta on Thr‐89, and our results demonstrated that Thr‐89 phosphorylation is essential for MBD10's function in leaf senescence. The in vivo phosphorylation of Thr‐89 in MBD10 was significantly downregulated in a quadruple mutant of group C MAPKs (mpk1/2/7/14), and group C MAPKs directly phosphorylated MBD10 in vitro. Furthermore, mpk1/2/7/14 showed a similar phenotype as seen in mbd10 for ABA‐induced leaf senescence, suggesting that group C MAPKs are the cognate kinases of MBD10 for Thr‐89. Because group C MAPKs have been reported to function downstream of SnRK2s, our results indicate that group C MAPKs and MBD10 constitute a regulatory pathway for ABA‐induced leaf senescence.
Weak approximation of symmetric products and norm varieties
Authors: Chen Sheng , Zhang Ziyang
Published: March 2024

Let be a number field. For a variety over that satisfies weak approximation with Brauer–Manin obstruction, we study the same property for smooth projective models of its symmetric products. Based on the same method, we also explore the property of weak approximation with Brauer–Manin obstruction for norm varieties.
Convexity of multiplicities of filtrations on local rings
Authors: Blum Harold , Liu Yuchen , Qi Lu
Published: March 2024

We prove that the multiplicity of a filtration of a local ring satisfies various convexity properties. In particular, we show the multiplicity is convex along geodesics. As a consequence, we prove that the volume of a valuation is log convex on simplices of quasi-monomial valuations and give a new proof of a theorem of Xu and Zhuang on the uniqueness of normalized volume minimizers. In another direction, we generalize a theorem of Rees on multiplicities of ideals to filtrations and characterize when the Minkowski inequality for filtrations is an equality under mild assumptions.
Mitochondrial transplantation combined with coenzyme Q10 induces cardioprotection and mitochondrial improvement in aged male rats with reperfusion injury
Authors: Bafadam Soleyman , Mokhtari Behnaz , Vafaee Manoucheher Seyedi , Oscuyi Zohreh Zavvari , Nemati Samira , Badalzadeh Reza
Published: March 2024

Ischaemic heart diseases (IHD) are among the major causes of mortality in the elderly population. Although timely reperfusion is a common treatment for IHD, it causes additional damage to the ischaemic myocardium known as ischaemia–reperfusion (IR) injury. Considering the importance of preventing reperfusion injuries, we aimed to examine the combination effect of mitochondrial transplantation (MT) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in myocardial IR injury of aged male rats. Seventy‐two aged male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham, IR, CoQ10, MT, combination therapy (MT + CoQ10) and vehicle. Myocardial IR injury was established by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by reopening. Young male Wistar rats were used as mitochondria donors. Isolated mitochondria were injected intraventricularly (500 µL of a respiration buffer containing 6 × 106 ± 5 × 105 mitochondria/mL) in MT‐receiving groups at the onset of reperfusion. CoQ10 (10 mg/kg/day) was injected intraperitoneally for 2 weeks before IR induction. Twenty‐four hours after reperfusion, haemodynamic parameters, myocardial infarct size (IS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and cardiac mitochondrial function (mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and membrane potential) were measured. The combination of MT and CoQ10 improved haemodynamic index changes and reduced IS and LDH release (P < 0.05). It also decreased mitochondrial ROS generation and increased membrane potential (P < 0.05). CoQ10 also showed a significant cardioprotective effect. Combination therapy displayed greater cardioprotective effects than single treatments. This study revealed that MT and CoQ10 combination treatment can be considered as a promising cardioprotective strategy to reduce myocardial IR injury in ageing, in part by restoring mitochondrial function.
Patient-Specific Three-Dimensional-Printed and Bolus Material-Based Localization Grids for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Interventional Procedures
Authors: Chu Vivien W. S. , Wong Wing Ki , Lee Louis
Published: March 2024

In view of the lack of commercially available localization grids for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided interventional procedures, two customizable and easily fabricable grids are proposed. The first one is a patient-specific three-dimensional-printed localization grid that incorporates MRI markers while the second one is a grid constructed with Superflex Transparent Bolus material. MRI scans were performed with the grids attached on an abdominal phantom. The patient-specific three-dimensional-printed grid is visible in T1-weighted, T2-weighted, proton density (PD) and fluid attenuated inversion recovery MR images, whereas the Superflex grid is visible only in T1-weighted and PD images. However, the Superflex grid offers the advantage of a simpler fabrication process and is more cost-effective. Both proposed localization grids can facilitate the determination of the optimal needle entry positions for MRI-guided interventional procedures, leading to reduced overall procedure time and improved efficiency.
Uncertainty Quantification for Multidimensional Correlated Flow Field Responses
Authors: Zhao Wei , Lv Luogeng , Zhao Jiao , Xiao Wei , Chen Jiangtao , Wu Xiaojun
Published: March 2024

The inherent randomness of fluid dynamics problems or human cognitive limitations results in non-negligible uncertainties in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and simulation, leading to doubts about the credibility of CFD results. Therefore, scientific and rigorous quantification of these uncertainties is crucial for assessing the reliability of CFD predictions and informed engineering decisions. Although mature uncertainty propagation methods have been developed for individual output quantities, the challenges lie in the multidimensional correlated flow field variables. This article proposes an advanced uncertainty propagation modeling approach based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and artificial neural networks (ANN). By projecting the multidimensional correlated responses onto an orthogonal basis function space, the dimensionality of output is significantly reduced, simplifying the subsequent model training process. An artificial neural network that maps the uncertain parameters of the CFD model to the coefficients of the basis functions are established. Due to the bidirectional representation of flow field variables and basis function coefficients through proper orthogonal decomposition, combined with artificial neural network modeling, rapid prediction of flow field variables under any model parameters is achieved. To effectively identify the most influential model parameters, we employ a multi-output global sensitivity analysis method based on covariance decomposition. Through two exemplary cases of NACA0012 airfoil and M6 wing, we demonstrate the accuracy and efficacy of our proposed approach in predicting multidimensional flow field variables under varying model coefficients. Large-scale random sampling is conducted to quantify the uncertainties and identify the key factors that significantly impact the overall flow field.
The β-catenin C terminus links Wnt and sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling pathways to promote vascular remodeling and atherosclerosis
Authors: Oliveira-Paula Gustavo H. , Liu Sophia , Maira Alishba , Ressa Gaia , Ferreira Graziele C. , Quintar Amado , Jayakumar Smitha , Almonte Vanessa , Parikh Dippal , Valenta Tomas , Basler Konrad , Hla Timothy , Riascos-Bernal Dario F. , Sibinga Nicholas E. S.
Published: March 2024

Canonical Wnt and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling pathways are highly conserved systems that contribute to normal vertebrate development, with key consequences for immune, nervous, and cardiovascular system function; despite these functional overlaps, little is known about Wnt/β-catenin–S1P cross-talk. In the vascular system, both Wnt/β-catenin and S1P signals affect vessel maturation, stability, and barrier function, but information regarding their potential coordination is scant. We report an instance of functional interaction between the two pathways, including evidence that S1P receptor 1 (S1PR1) is a transcriptional target of β-catenin. By studying vascular smooth muscle cells and arterial injury response, we find a specific requirement for the β-catenin carboxyl terminus, which acts to induce S1PR1, and show that this interaction is essential for vascular remodeling. We also report that pharmacological inhibition of the β-catenin carboxyl terminus reduces S1PR1 expression, neointima formation, and atherosclerosis. These findings provide mechanistic understanding of how Wnt/β-catenin and S1P systems collaborate during vascular remodeling and inform strategies for therapeutic manipulation.
The role of
fruitless
in specifying courtship behaviors across divergent
Drosophila
species
Authors: Baker Christa A. , Guan Xiao-Juan , Choi Minseung , Murthy Mala
Published: March 2024

Sex-specific behaviors are critical for reproduction and species survival. The sex-specifically spliced transcription factor
fruitless
(
fru
) helps establish male courtship behaviors in invertebrates. Forcing male-specific
fru
(
fruM
) splicing in
Drosophila melanogaster
females produces male-typical behaviors while disrupting female-specific behaviors. However, whether
fru
’s joint role in specifying male and inhibiting female behaviors is conserved across species is unknown. We used CRISPR-Cas9 to force FruM expression in female
Drosophila virilis
, a species in which males and females produce sex-specific songs
.
In contrast to
D. melanogaster
, in which one
fruM
allele is sufficient to generate male behaviors in females, two alleles are needed in
D. virilis
females.
D. virilis
females expressing FruM maintain the ability to sing female-typical song as well as lay eggs, whereas
D. melanogaster
FruM females cannot lay eggs. These results reveal potential differences in
fru
function between divergent species and underscore the importance of studying diverse behaviors and species for understanding the genetic basis of sex differences.
Proximity effect of emergent field from spin ice in an oxide heterostructure
Authors: Ohno Mizuki , Fujita Takahiro C. , Kawasaki Masashi
Published: March 2024

Geometrical frustration endows magnets with degenerate ground states, resulting in exotic spin structures and quantum phenomena. Such magnets, called quantum magnets, can display non-coplanar spin textures and be a viable platform for the topological Hall effect driven by “emergent field.” However, most quantum magnets are insulators, making it challenging to electrically detect associated fluctuations and excitations. Here, we probe magnetic transitions in the spin ice insulator Dy
2
Ti
2
O
7
, a prototypical quantum magnet, as emergent magnetotransport phenomena at the heterointerface with the nonmagnetic metal Bi
2
Rh
2
O
7
. Angle-dependent longitudinal resistivity exhibits peaks at the magnetic phase boundaries of spin ice due to domain boundary scattering. In addition, the anomalous Hall resistivity undergoes a sign change with the magnetic transition in Dy
2
Ti
2
O
7
, reflecting the inversion of the emergent field. These findings, on the basis of epitaxial techniques, connect the fundamental research on insulating quantum magnets to their potential electronic applications, possibly leading to transformative innovations in quantum technologies.
Single-mode squeezed-light generation and tomography with an integrated optical parametric oscillator
Authors: Park Taewon , Stokowski Hubert , Ansari Vahid , Gyger Samuel , Multani Kevin K. S. , Celik Oguz Tolga , Hwang Alexander Y. , Dean Devin J. , Mayor Felix , McKenna Timothy P. , Fejer Martin M. , Safavi-Naeini Amir
Published: March 2024

Quantum optical technologies promise advances in sensing, computing, and communication. A key resource is squeezed light, where quantum noise is redistributed between optical quadratures. We introduce a monolithic, chip-scale platform that exploits the χ
(2)
nonlinearity of a thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) resonator device to efficiently generate squeezed states of light. Our system integrates all essential components—except for the laser and two detectors—on a single chip with an area of one square centimeter, reducing the size, operational complexity, and power consumption associated with conventional setups. Using the balanced homodyne measurement subsystem that we implemented on the same chip, we measure a squeezing of 0.55 decibels and an anti-squeezing of 1.55 decibels. We use 20 milliwatts of input power to generate the parametric oscillator pump field by using second harmonic generation on the same chip. Our work represents a step toward compact and efficient quantum optical systems posed to leverage the rapid advances in integrated nonlinear and quantum photonics.
Interstellar formation of glyceric acid [HOCH
2
CH(OH)COOH]—The simplest sugar acid
Authors: Wang Jia , Marks Joshua H. , Fortenberry Ryan C. , Kaiser Ralf I.
Published: March 2024

Glyceric acid [HOCH
2
CH(OH)COOH]—the simplest sugar acid—represents a key molecule in biochemical processes vital for metabolism in living organisms such as glycolysis. Although critically linked to the origins of life and identified in carbonaceous meteorites with abundances comparable to amino acids, the underlying mechanisms of its formation have remained elusive. Here, we report the very first abiotic synthesis of racemic glyceric acid via the barrierless radical-radical reaction of the hydroxycarbonyl radical (HOĊO) with 1,2-dihydroxyethyl (HOĊHCH
2
OH) radical in low-temperature carbon dioxide (CO
2
) and ethylene glycol (HOCH
2
CH
2
OH) ices. Using isomer-selective vacuum ultraviolet photoionization reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry, glyceric acid was identified in the gas phase based on the adiabatic ionization energies and isotopic substitution studies. This work reveals the key reaction pathways for glyceric acid synthesis through nonequilibrium reactions from ubiquitous precursor molecules, advancing our fundamental knowledge of the formation pathways of key biorelevant organics—sugar acids—in deep space.
Growth factor–induced activation of MSK2 leads to phosphorylation of H3K9me2S10 and corresponding changes in gene expression
Authors: Wong Karen G. , Cheng Yu-Chia F. , Wu Vincent H. , Kiseleva Anna A. , Li Jun , Poleshko Andrey , Smith Cheryl L. , Epstein Jonathan A.
Published: March 2024

Extracellular signals are transmitted through kinase cascades to modulate gene expression, but it remains unclear how epigenetic changes regulate this response. Here, we provide evidence that growth factor–stimulated changes in the transcript levels of many responsive genes are accompanied by increases in histone phosphorylation levels, specifically at histone H3 serine-10 when the adjacent lysine-9 is dimethylated (H3K9me2S10). Imaging and proteomic approaches show that epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation results in H3K9me2S10 phosphorylation, which occurs in genomic regions enriched for regulatory enhancers of EGF-responsive genes. We also demonstrate that the EGF-induced increase in H3K9me2S10ph is dependent on the nuclear kinase MSK2, and this subset of EGF-induced genes is dependent on MSK2 for transcription. Together, our work indicates that growth factor–induced changes in chromatin state can mediate the activation of downstream genes.
EELS: Autonomous snake-like robot with task and motion planning capabilities for ice world exploration
Authors: Vaquero T. S. , Daddi G. , Thakker R. , Paton M. , Jasour A. , Strub M. P. , Swan R. M. , Royce R. , Gildner M. , Tosi P. , Veismann M. , Gavrilov P. , Marteau E. , Bowkett J. , de Mola Lemus D. Loret , Nakka Y. , Hockman B. , Orekhov A. , Hasseler T. D. , Leake C. , Nuernberger B. , Proença P. , Reid W. , Talbot W. , Georgiev N. , Pailevanian T. , Archanian A. , Ambrose E. , Jasper J. , Etheredge R. , Roman C. , Levine D. , Otsu K. , Yearicks S. , Melikyan H. , Rieber R. R. , Carpenter K. , Nash J. , Jain A. , Shiraishi L. , Robinson M. , Travers M. , Choset H. , Burdick J. , Gardner A. , Cable M. , Ingham M. , Ono M.
Published: March 2024

Ice worlds are at the forefront of astrobiological interest because of the evidence of subsurface oceans. Enceladus in particular is unique among the icy moons because there are known vent systems that are likely connected to a subsurface ocean, through which the ocean water is ejected to space. An existing study has shown that sending small robots into the vents and directly sampling the ocean water is likely possible. To enable such a mission, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing a snake-like robot called Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) that can navigate Enceladus’ extreme surface and descend an erupting vent to capture unaltered liquid samples and potentially reach the ocean. However, navigating to and through Enceladus’ environment is challenging: Because of the limitations of existing orbital reconnaissance, there is substantial uncertainty with respect to its geometry and the physical properties of the surface/vents; communication is limited, which requires highly autonomous robots to execute the mission with limited human supervision. Here, we provide an overview of the EELS project and its development effort to create a risk-aware autonomous robot to navigate these extreme ice terrains/environments. We describe the robot’s architecture and the technical challenges to navigate and sense the icy environment safely and effectively. We focus on the challenges related to surface mobility, task and motion planning under uncertainty, and risk quantification. We provide initial results on mobility and risk-aware task and motion planning from field tests and simulated scenarios.
Cortical hyperexcitability in mouse models and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is linked to noradrenaline deficiency
Authors: Scekic-Zahirovic Jelena , Benetton Cristina , Brunet Aurore , Ye XiaoQian , Logunov Evgeny , Douchamps Vincent , Megat Salim , Andry Virginie , Kan Vanessa Wing Yin , Stuart-Lopez Geoffrey , Gilet Johan , Guillot Simon J. , Dirrig-Grosch Sylvie , Gorin Charlotte , Trombini Margaux , Dieterle Stéphane , Sinniger Jérôme , Fischer Mathieu , René Frédérique , Gunes Zeynep , Kessler Pascal , Dupuis Luc , Pradat Pierre-François , Goumon Yannick , Goutagny Romain , Marchand-Pauvert Véronique , Liebscher Sabine , Rouaux Caroline
Published: March 2024

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the death of upper (UMN) and lower motor neurons (LMN) in the motor cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. Despite decades of research, ALS remains incurable, challenging to diagnose, and of extremely rapid progression. A unifying feature of sporadic and familial forms of ALS is cortical hyperexcitability, which precedes symptom onset, negatively correlates with survival, and is sufficient to trigger neurodegeneration in rodents. Using electrocorticography in the

Sod1
G86R

and
Fus

Δ
NLS/+

ALS mouse models and standard electroencephalography recordings in patients with sporadic ALS, we demonstrate a deficit in theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) in ALS. In mice, PAC deficits started before symptom onset, and in patients, PAC deficits correlated with the rate of disease progression. Using mass spectrometry analyses of CNS neuropeptides, we identified a presymptomatic reduction of noradrenaline (NA) in the motor cortex of ALS mouse models, further validated by in vivo two-photon imaging in behaving

SOD1
G93A

and
Fus

Δ
NLS/+

mice, that revealed pronounced reduction of locomotion-associated NA release. NA deficits were also detected in postmortem tissues from patients with ALS, along with transcriptomic alterations of noradrenergic signaling pathways. Pharmacological ablation of noradrenergic neurons with DSP-4 reduced theta-gamma PAC in wild-type mice and administration of a synthetic precursor of NA augmented theta-gamma PAC in ALS mice. Our findings suggest theta-gamma PAC as means to assess and monitor cortical dysfunction in ALS and warrant further investigation of the NA system as a potential therapeutic target.