bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction: ASCH Panel on Mark A. Noll, America's Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794–1911 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2022), 864 pp., $39.95 hardcover
Authors: Wacker Grant
Published: October 2023

If a random member of the American Society of Church History (ASCH) were asked to select four individuals to go on a new Mount Rushmore of “Most Influential American Religious Historians,” I would wager that Mark Noll would make the cut pretty easily. After many years of laboring in the deep trenches of undergraduate education at Wheaton College, and then the even deeper trenches of graduate education at the University of Notre Dame, he now brings us America's Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794–1911, the second in a brace of massively researched studies of the Bible's role in American life.
Three Bible Nation Arguments and the Black Social Gospel
Authors: Dorrien Gary
Published: October 2023

This book completes the magnificent two-volume work that Mark Noll began with In the Beginning Was the Word: The Bible in American Public Life, 1492–1783 (2016), or to say the same thing differently, it completes the trilogy of his summing-up books that he began with America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln (2002). Like its two predecessors, America's Book contains capsule summaries of arguments that Noll has proffered in several of his many previous books, especially on US American evangelicalism and the Civil War. Moreover, it ranges comprehensively over the vast expanse of US American religious history in meaning-of-it-all fashion, with Noll's customary acumen. No scholar tires of the accolade “magisterial,” which Noll earned for America's God and In the Beginning Was the Word. This book completes a magisterial trilogy by lucidly, astutely, learnedly, and generously covering its waterfront, and by disciplining the entire exposition with a twofold argument that yields a third argument.
Which “America”? What “Civilization”?
Authors: Noll Mark
Published: October 2023

For most of the years I was working on the book that has been so graciously but also insightfully critiqued by these four interlocutors, my working title was Bible Nation: From Tom Paine and Francis Asbury to Francis Grimké and Woodrow Wilson. My plot, as I conceived it, ran from Paine, who inadvertently precipitated an all-but unanimous defense of the Scriptures from a wide swath of otherwise contentious Protestants, and Asbury, who did so much to promote “the Bible alone” in the population at large, to Wilson, who championed the Bible in almost exclusively civil religious terms, and Grimké, who—though a Presbyterian—sustained the earlier African American alteration of apolitical Methodist piety to include what Dennis Dickerson has aptly called “an egalitarian/evangelical thrust.”
The Role of the Cult of Saints in Reshaping Episcopal Leadership and Cracow's Struggle for Primacy in Piast Poland
Authors: Bartos Sebastian P.
Published: October 2023

In the regional duchies of high medieval Poland, ideological aspects of the piety associated with holy men and women directly affected the hierarchical model of public authority. As active political brokers, the bishops of Cracow assertively operated to formalize, control, and utilize the cult of saints for two main purposes: to buttress the post-Gregorian ideal of clerical leadership and to secure Cracow's primacy within the Polish hierarchical church. After the revolutionary accession of Casimir the Just to the principal Duchy of Cracow, the installation of the relics of an ancient Roman, Florian, in Cracow in 1184 emphasized the Gelasian principles of a harmonious government. Seven decades later, the canonization of the eleventh-century native Bishop Stanisław, martyred as a result of a conflict with his king, not only strengthened Cracow in its rivalry against the episcopal centers of Gniezno and Wrocław, which both lacked a comparable type of holy figure associated with their cathedrals but also served as a reminder of the ecclesiastical guardianship of just rulership. The relevance of clerical sacrifice in the name of a rejuvenated Polish monarchy reappeared in the early thirteenth century when a Piast duke was crowned king of Poland at the cathedral city sanctified by the episcopal cult of its prelate.
The Dust Bowl, the Depression, and American Protestant Responses to Environmental Devastation
Authors: Stephens Randall J.
Published: October 2023

The 1930s Dust Bowl on the Great Plains was one of the most catastrophic environmental disasters in history. Over-farming, severe drought, and high winds primed dust storms. Depopulation occurred in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. All was made worse by the economic crisis. While historians have written extensively about the Dust Bowl, its causes and its effects, there is little detailed scholarship on the religious dimensions of this ecological tragedy. This article examines some of the important ways that the Dust Bowl shaped Protestant religious life and popular theology just as it prompted denominational relief campaigns, educational efforts, and conservation work. It looks particularly at Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, holiness groups, and Pentecostals. Reactions to the Dust Bowl reveal patterns of thinking about and acting on ecology, social concern, migration, millennialism, and new federal relief efforts. An examination of the growing historical fragmentation of white Protestantism is central to this article. In this era of environmental ruin and mass migration to the West, religious groups and individuals offered vastly different solutions and interpretations, foreshadowing later political and cultural conflicts. In the 1930s, long before the birth of modern environmentalism, Protestants were asking why things had gone so horribly wrong and what, if anything, could be done about it.
“Not Only to the Gentiles, but Also to the African”: Samuel Chambers and Scripture
Authors: Johnson Janiece , Newell Quincy D.
Published: October 2023

Around a hundred Black people joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church) in the nineteenth century. From 1873 to 1876, a clerk created one of the most extensive records of an early Black Latter-day Saint when he wrote down Samuel Chambers's religious testimonies given in deacons quorum meetings. Though these records have been known to the academic community for decades, this article represents the first scholarly analysis of them. We argue that Chambers used LDS scriptural language and the authority of his own experience to clear a place rhetorically for himself in the deacons quorum and for Black people in the LDS Church more broadly. Chambers implicitly illustrated his fitness for holding the LDS priesthood and participating in LDS temple rituals, aspects of LDS practice from which Chambers was excluded because he was Black. This article adds depth and richness to our understanding of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century African American Mormon experience and provides a case study in some of the ways written scripture and spoken language intersect and function for members of a religious community with varying levels of literacy among members.
Farm management and economic factors associated with bulk tank total bacterial count in Holstein dairy herds in Iran
Authors: Soleimani-Rahimabad Fatemeh , Sadeghi-Sefidmazgi Ali , Pakdel Abbas , Rahbar Rabie , Bewley Jeffrey M.
Published: October 2023

The objectives of this research were (1) to study different factors affecting milk total bacterial count (TBC) and (2) to estimate the economic value associated with TBC in Holstein dairy herds in Iran. The relationships between bulk tank TBC and farm management and economic factors were examined on 56 randomly selected intensive dairy farms. Herd management factors associated with bulk tank TBC were determined using mixed linear models. The median bulk tank TBC for the sample herds was 299 (range 81–1185) × 103 cfu/ml. The average economic premium opportunity from bulk tank TBC was US$ 1.32 per ton of milk ranging from US$ 0.02 per ton of milk for herds applying wet tissue procedures as teat cleaning material and washing the water troughs three times per day to US$ 5.20 per ton of milk for herds with dirty barns. Results showed that the following management factors were associated with low TBC and high economic value: frequency of cleaning water troughs, teat cleaning material, the frequency of milk delivery to the processor, bedding material, herd size, education level of workers, udder washing material, material of milking parlor wall, frequency of disinfection of the calving area, presence of veterinarian, water quality control, having a hospital pen and barn hygiene. In conclusion, our findings highlight the need to pay more attention to farm management issues, particularly farm hygiene practices to reduce milk TBC and so reduce the economic burden of TBC in dairy herds in Iran.
Robotically-induced auditory-verbal hallucinations: combining self-monitoring and strong perceptual priors
Authors: Orepic Pavo , Bernasconi Fosco , Faggella Melissa , Faivre Nathan , Blanke Olaf
Published: October 2023

Background

Inducing hallucinations under controlled experimental conditions in non-hallucinating individuals represents a novel research avenue oriented toward understanding complex hallucinatory phenomena, avoiding confounds observed in patients. Auditory-verbal hallucinations (AVH) are one of the most common and distressing psychotic symptoms, whose etiology remains largely unknown. Two prominent accounts portray AVH either as a deficit in auditory-verbal self-monitoring, or as a result of overly strong perceptual priors.

Methods

In order to test both theoretical models and evaluate their potential integration, we developed a robotic procedure able to induce self-monitoring perturbations (consisting of sensorimotor conflicts between poking movements and corresponding tactile feedback) and a perceptual prior associated with otherness sensations (i.e. feeling the presence of a non-existing another person).

Results

Here, in two independent studies, we show that this robotic procedure led to AVH-like phenomena in healthy individuals, quantified as an increase in false alarm rate in a voice detection task. Robotically-induced AVH-like sensations were further associated with delusional ideation and to both AVH accounts. Specifically, a condition with stronger sensorimotor conflicts induced more AVH-like sensations (self-monitoring), while, in the otherness-related experimental condition, there were more AVH-like sensations when participants were detecting other-voice stimuli, compared to detecting self-voice stimuli (strong-priors).

Conclusions

By demonstrating an experimental procedure able to induce AVH-like sensations in non-hallucinating individuals, we shed new light on AVH phenomenology, thereby integrating self-monitoring and strong-priors accounts.
Ideography insight from facial recognition and neuroimaging
Authors: Nephew Benjamin C. , Polcari Justin J. , Korkin Dmitry
Published: October 2023

One novel example and/or perspective in support of “Why the learning account fails” is the impressive ability of humans to recognize and memorize facial features and accurately and reliably connect those to related identities. Furthermore, neuroimaging analysis presents an example in support of the crucial role of standardization in the lack of adoption of ideography.
Genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax in immigrant patients exhibiting severe and non-severe clinical manifestations in northern suburbs of Paris
Authors: Soumaoro Adama , Hamarsheh Omar , Marteau Anthony , Brun Sophie , Bouchaud Olivier , Cohen Yves , Adnet Frédéric , Thellier Marc , Houze Sandrine , Izri Arezki , Akhoundi Mohammad
Published: October 2023

Plasmodium vivax is the most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring malaria. It is a public health issue that mostly occurs in Southeast Asia, followed by the Middle East, Latin, and South Americas and sub-Saharan Africa. Although it is commonly known as an etiologic agent of malaria with mild clinical manifestations, it can lead to severe complications. It has been neglected and understudied for a long time, due to its low mortality, culturing infeasibility, and mild clinical manifestations in comparison to P. falciparum. Despite the mild clinical issues commonly rose for P. vivax, the correlation between the clinical manifestations exhibited by patients with severe and non-severe complications and the genetic diversity of parasites responsible for the disease is not clear. An investigation was carried out between 2011 and 2021 on patients referred to Avicenne Hospital for suspected P. vivax infection. Upon arrival, they underwent clinical and biological examinations. The lateral flow test and LAMP-PCR confirmed the presence of malaria parasites, Plasmodium sp‥ Microscopic examination revealed the presence of Plasmodium parasites with a parasitaemia between 0.01 and 0.38%. Conventional PCR amplifications targeting 714 bp DNA fragment of small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU-rDNA) followed by bidirectional sequencing allowed us to identify the parasites as P. vivax. The neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree revealed that P. vivax sequences processed in the present study clustered in two well-differentiated and supported clades. It included a bigger clade including P. vivax specimens of all our patients together with homonymous sequences from Indonesia, India, and El Salvador and the second clade encompassed the sequences from Yemen and India. In addition, the clustering displayed by the median-joining network agreed well with the topology of the phylogenetic tree generated by the neighbor-joining analysis. No correlation between the clinical manifestation of patients with severe and non-severe complications, encompassing diverse geographical origins, and the genetic diversity of parasites was observed since all sequences demonstrated a high homogeneity. These findings can be helpful in getting knowledge about the population genetics of P. vivax and taking proper control management strategies against these parasites.
Is grammatical tone item-based or process-based?
Authors: Sande Hannah
Published: October 2023

This article considers the question of what constitutes item-based morphology, with a specific look at grammatical tone. Numerous case studies of grammatical tone are examined in light of the debate on whether morphology is item-based or process-based. In each case, tonal alternations are an exponent, sometimes the sole exponent, of some grammatical feature. Two of the case studies are examples of grammatical tone that can straightforwardly be analysed as involving concatenated morphophonological forms; however, in other cases, the grammatical tone cannot be reduced to the concatenation of a tonal affix or phonological feature with some stem. The latter type cannot straightforwardly be analysed as item-based, but if still phonologically predictable and productive, is not satisfactorily analysed as suppletive. This article suggests a set of diagnostics that can be used to determine whether a given phenomenon is best analysed as item-based, process-based or suppletive. Then, an analysis is presented in Cophonologies by Phase (CbP), where morphosyntactic features can be mapped not only to underlying phonological items, but also to morpheme-specific constraint weight adjustments. CbP allows for what may have been traditionally called item-based and process-based morphology to co-exist in a single framework.
Many Hamiltonian subsets in large graphs with given density
Authors: Cambie Stijn , Gao Jun , Liu Hong
Published: October 2023

A set of vertices in a graph is a Hamiltonian subset if it induces a subgraph containing a Hamiltonian cycle. Kim, Liu, Sharifzadeh, and Staden proved that for large
$d$
, among all graphs with minimum degree
$d$
,
$K_{d+1}$
minimises the number of Hamiltonian subsets. We prove a near optimal lower bound that takes also the order and the structure of a graph into account. For many natural graph classes, it provides a much better bound than the extremal one (
$\approx 2^{d+1}$
). Among others, our bound implies that an
$n$
-vertex
$C_4$
-free graph with minimum degree
$d$
contains at least
$n2^{d^{2-o(1)}}$
Hamiltonian subsets.
Radiation therapy in non-traumatic myositis ossificans of popliteal region: a case report
Authors: Shah Sonal Patel , Kulshrestha Asmita , Patel Monik , Mehta Maitrik , Kunikullaya Suryanarayana , Sharma Ankit
Published: October 2023

Introduction:

Myositis ossificans (MO) is a rare disorder of ectopic ossification in soft tissue or muscle, usually associated with trauma or hereditary conditions. Surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment with anti-inflammatory medications. Radiotherapy is used as an adjuvant therapy, to treat residual lesions and to relieve symptoms.

Methods:

A 36-year-old male presented with a localised tender swelling in left popliteal fossa and progressive pain in lower limb for 6 weeks and restricted mobility for 3 weeks. A local excision of calcified mass arising from fascia of left popliteal fossa was consistent with MO features. Due to persistent symptoms and a residual lesion on imaging, adjuvant external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) was planned with a low dose of 10 Gy (Gray) in 2 fractions on 2 consecutive days in a prone position after 2 weeks using 6 MV (mega voltage) photon beam on linear accelerator (LINAC).

Results:

Radiotherapy resulted in a significant clinical improvement without any related acute toxicities. Patient is disease-free and on regular follow-up without any progression after 2 years.

Conclusion:

Post-operative EBRT can stabilise residual MO and treat intractable pain when lesion lies in the vicinity of a neurovascular bundle
Unpacking constitutional literacy
Authors: De Visser Maartje , Jones Brian Christopher
Published: October 2023

The contemporary crisis in relation to constitutional literacy relates not to the lack of knowledge that citizens possess about fundamental constitutional texts, but to the considerable lack of development in relation to what constitutional literacy itself entails. This article accordingly unpacks the notion of constitutional literacy: its importance, its characteristics, and its variable nature. Using a comparative lens, the article invites reflection on the role we expect citizens to play in our democracies, and especially the associated knowledge and skills required for successful state performance. We suggest that constitutional literacy is exceptionally multifaceted and fluid in nature, which serves to make its conceptualization and measurement challenging endeavours, and certainly more so than the easy invocation of this notion may assume at first blush. In this regard, engaging with the constitutional text, while an integral component of constitutional literacy, is ultimately only one part of the puzzle.
The anti-infective effect of β-glucans in children
Authors: Wzorek-Łyczko Katarzyna , Woźniak Weronika , Piwowarczyk Anna , Kuchar Ernest
Published: October 2023

Abstract: Background: β-glucans are bioactive β-D-glucose polysaccharides of natural origin, presenting antimicrobial and immunomodulation properties, with a low risk of toxicity. Objectives: This scoping review aims to present the current knowledge on the anti-infective properties of β-glucans in the pediatric population. Methods: We used the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist to prepare this review. Studies were identified by electronic searches of Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases up to May 2021. Results: The primary search allowed us to find 6232 studies, twelve of which were finally included in the analysis. Eight studies were designed as randomized, placebo-controlled trials, while in four studies the intervention outcome was compared with the pre-intervention period in the same group. The type of preparation and doses varied between studies: in five trials pleuran was administered (in dose 10 mg/5 kg of body weight/day), and in one study baker’s yeast β-glucan was used (in two doses: 35 mg/day and 75 mg/day). In six other studies, the analyzed preparation comprised β-glucan and other substances. The shortest study lasted seven days, while the most prolonged intervention lasted six months, followed by six months of follow-up. Ten out of twelve trials demonstrated the effectiveness of β-glucans in reducing respiratory tract infection incidence or alleviation of upper respiratory tract infection symptoms. Ten out of twelve studies have reported a good tolerance and safety profile. Conclusions: Good tolerance of β-glucans shows a favorable benefit-risk ratio of this type of intervention. Nevertheless, further monitoring of their efficacy and safety in high-quality research is necessary.
Earthquake Nucleation Characteristics Revealed by Seismicity Response to Seasonal Stress Variations Induced by Gas Production at Groningen
Authors: Acosta Mateo , Avouac Jean‐Philippe , Smith Jonathan D. , Sirorattanakul Krittanon , Kaveh Hojjat , Bourne Stephen J.
Published: October 2023

Deterministic earthquake prediction remains elusive, but time‐dependent probabilistic seismicity forecasting seems within reach thanks to the development of physics‐based models relating seismicity to stress changes. Difficulties include constraining the earthquake nucleation model and fault initial stress state. Here, we analyze induced earthquakes from the Groningen gas field, where production is strongly seasonal, and seismicity began 3 decades after production started. We use the seismicity response to stress variations to constrain the earthquake nucleation process and calibrate models for time‐dependent forecasting of induced earthquakes. Remarkable agreements of modeled and observed seismicity are obtained when we consider (a) the initial strength excess, (b) the finite duration of earthquake nucleation, and (c) the seasonal variations of gas production. We propose a novel metric to quantify the nucleation model's ability to capture the damped amplitude and the phase of the seismicity response to short‐timescale (seasonal) stress variations which allows further tightening the model's parameters.
Dual-frequency piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer based on polarization switching in ferroelectric thin films
Authors: Park Jin Soo , Jung Soo Young , Kim Dong Hun , Park Jung Ho , Jang Ho Won , Kim Tae Geun , Baek Seung-Hyub , Lee Byung Chul
Published: October 2023

Due to its additional frequency response, dual-frequency ultrasound has advantages over conventional ultrasound, which operates at a specific frequency band. Moreover, a tunable frequency from a single transducer enables sonographers to achieve ultrasound images with a large detection area and high resolution. This facilitates the availability of more advanced techniques that simultaneously require low- and high-frequency ultrasounds, such as harmonic imaging and image-guided therapy. In this study, we present a novel method for dual-frequency ultrasound generation from a ferroelectric piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (PMUT). Uniformly designed transducer arrays can be used for both deep low-resolution imaging and shallow high-resolution imaging. To switch the ultrasound frequency, the only requirement is to tune a DC bias to control the polarization state of the ferroelectric film. Flextensional vibration of the PMUT membrane strongly depends on the polarization state, producing low- and high-frequency ultrasounds from a single excitation frequency. This strategy for dual-frequency ultrasounds meets the requirement for either multielectrode configurations or heterodesigned elements, which are integrated into an array. Consequently, this technique significantly reduces the design complexity of transducer arrays and their associated driving circuits.
WDR4 promotes the progression and lymphatic metastasis of bladder cancer via transcriptional down-regulation of ARRB2
Authors: Wang Guoli , He Xin , Dai Huiqi , Lin Lingyi , Cao Wenmin , Fu Yao , Diao Wenli , Ding Meng , Zhang Qing , Chen Wei , Guo Hongqian
Published: October 2023

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is one of the key prognostic factors in bladder cancer, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we found that elevated expression of WD repeat domain 4 (WDR4) in bladder cancer correlated with worse prognosis. WDR4 can promote the LN metastasis and proliferation of bladder cancer cells. Mechanistic studies showed that WDR4 can promote the nuclear localization of DEAD-box helicase 20 (DDX20) and act as an adaptor to bind DDX20 and Early growth response 1 (Egr1), thereby inhibiting Egr1-promoted transcriptional expression of arrestin beta 2 (ARRB2) and ultimately contributing to the progression of bladder cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that WDR4 expression is also an independent predictor of LN metastasis in bladder cancer. Our results reveal a novel mechanism of LN metastasis and progression in bladder cancer and identify WDR4 as a potential therapeutic target for metastatic bladder cancer.
Test-retest reliability of short- and long-term heart rate variability in individuals with spinal cord injury
Authors: Ruangsuphaphichat Arphatsorn , Brockmann Lars , Sirasaporn Patpiya , Manimmanakorn Nuttaset , Hunt Kenneth J. , Saengsuwan Jittima
Published: October 2023

Study design

Cross-sectional.

Objectives

To investigate test-retest reliability of heart rate variability (HRV) metrics in SCI without restriction of activity over long (24-h) and shorter durations (5-min, 10-min, 1-h, 3-h and 6-h).

Settings

University hospital in Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Methods

Forty-five participants (11 with tetraplegia and 34 with paraplegia) underwent two 24-h recordings of RR-intervals to derive time and frequency HRV metrics. Relative reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and absolute reliability by coefficient of variation (CV) and Bland–Altman limits of agreement (LoA).

Results

For 5- and 10-min durations, eight of eleven HRV metrics had moderate to excellent reliability (ICC 0.40–0.76); the remaining three were poor (ICC < 0.4). HRV values from 1-h and 3-h durations showed moderate to excellent reliability (ICC of 0.46–0.81), except for 1-h reliability of ULF and TP (ICC of 0.06 and 0.30, respectively). Relative reliability was excellent (ICC of 0.77–0.92) for 6-h and 24-h durations in all HRV metrics. Absolute reliability improved as recording duration increased (lower CVs and narrower LoAs). Participants with high AD risk (SCI level at or above T6) showed lower test-retest reliability of HF and LF values than participants with low AD risk.

Conclusion

Relative reliability of HRV was excellent for 6-h and 24-h. The best absolute reliability values were for 24-h duration. Time-domain outcomes were more reliable than frequency domain outcomes. Participants with high risk of AD, particularly those with tetraplegia, showed lower reliability, especially for HF and LF.
adgrl3.1-deficient zebrafish show noradrenaline-mediated externalizing behaviors, and altered expression of externalizing disorder-candidate genes, suggesting functional targets for treatment
Authors: Fontana Barbara D. , Reichmann Florian , Tilley Ceinwen A. , Lavlou Perrine , Shkumatava Alena , Alnassar Nancy , Hillman Courtney , Karlsson Karl Ægir , Norton William H. J. , Parker Matthew O.
Published: October 2023

Externalizing disorders (ED) are a cause of concern for public health, and their high heritability makes genetic risk factors a priority for research. Adhesion G-Protein-Coupled Receptor L3 (ADGRL3) is strongly linked to several EDs, and loss-of-function models have shown the impacts of this gene on several core ED-related behaviors. For example, adgrl3.1−/− zebrafish show high levels of hyperactivity. However, our understanding of the mechanisms by which this gene influences behavior is incomplete. Here we characterized, for the first time, externalizing behavioral phenotypes of adgrl3.1−/− zebrafish and found them to be highly impulsive, show risk-taking in a novel environment, have attentional deficits, and show high levels of hyperactivity. All of these phenotypes were rescued by atomoxetine, demonstrating noradrenergic mediation of the externalizing effects of adgrl3.1. Transcriptomic analyses of the brains of adgrl3.1−/− vs. wild-type fish revealed several differentially expressed genes and enriched gene clusters that were independent of noradrenergic manipulation. This suggests new putative functional pathways underlying ED-related behaviors, and potential targets for the treatment of ED.
A primary luminal/HER2 negative breast cancer patient with mismatch repair deficiency
Authors: Yang Xue , Smirnov Artem , Buonomo Oreste Claudio , Mauriello Alessandro , Shi Yufang , Bischof Julia , Woodsmith Jonathan ,   TOR CENTRE, Bove Pierluigi , Rovella Valentina , Scimeca Manuel , Sica Giuseppe , Tisone Giuseppe , Wang Ying , Servadei Francesca , Melino Gerry , Candi Eleonora , Bernassola Francesca
Published: October 2023

Here, we present the case of a 47-year-old woman diagnosed with luminal B breast cancer subtype and provide an in-depth analysis of her gene mutations, chromosomal alterations, mRNA and protein expression changes. We found a point mutation in the FGFR2 gene, which is potentially hyper-activating the receptor function, along with over-expression of its ligand FGF20 due to genomic amplification. The patient also harbors somatic and germline mutations in some mismatch repair (MMR) genes, with a strong MMR mutational signature. The patient displays high microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) status and increased levels of CTLA-4 and PD-1 expression. Altogether, these data strongly implicate that aberrant FGFR signaling, and defective MMR system might be involved in the development of this breast tumor. In addition, high MSI and TMB in the context of CTLA-4 and PD-L1 positivity, suggest the potential benefit of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Accurate characterization of molecular subtypes, based on gene mutational and expression profiling analyses, will be certainly helpful for individualized treatment and targeted therapy of breast cancer patients, especially for those subtypes with adverse outcome.
Self-sampling monkeypox virus testing in high-risk populations, asymptomatic or with unrecognized Mpox, in Spain
Authors: Agustí Cristina , Martínez-Riveros Héctor , Hernández-Rodríguez Àgueda , Casañ Cristina , Díaz Yesika , Alonso Lucía , Martró Elisa , Muñoz-Basagoiti Jordana , Gallemí Marçal , Folch Cinta , Sönmez Ibrahim , Adell Héctor , Villar Marta , París de León Alexia , Martinez-Puchol Sandra , Pelegrin A. C. , Perez-Zsolt Daniel , Raïch-Regué Dàlia , Mora Rubén , Villegas Luis , Clotet Bonaventura , Izquierdo-Useros Nuria , Cardona Pere-Joan , Casabona Jordi
Published: October 2023

The recent monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak was of global concern and has mainly affected gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Here we assess prevalence of MPXV in high-risk populations of GBMSM, trans women (TW) and non-binary people without symptoms or with unrecognized monkeypox (Mpox) symptoms, using a self-sampling strategy. Anal and pharyngeal swabs are tested by MPXV real-time PCR and positive samples are tested for cytopathic effect (CPE) in cell culture. 113 individuals participated in the study, 89 (78.76%) were cis men, 17 (15.04%) were TW. The median age was 35.0 years (IQR: 30.0–43.0), 96 (85.02%) individuals were gay or bisexual and 72 (63.72%) were migrants. Seven participants were MPXV positive (6.19% (95% CI: 1.75%–10.64%)). Five tested positive in pharyngeal swabs, one in anal swab and one in both. Six did not present symptoms recognized as MPXV infection. Three samples were positive for CPE, and showed anti-vaccinia pAb staining by FACS and confocal microscopy. This suggests that unrecognized Mpox cases can shed infectious virus. Restricting testing to individuals reporting Mpox symptoms may not be sufficient to contain outbreaks.
How much hydrogen is in green steel?
Authors: Özgün Özge , Lu Xu , Ma Yan , Raabe Dierk
Published: October 2023

Hydrogen-based reduction of iron ores is the key technology for future sustainable ironmaking, to mitigate the CO2 burden from the steel industry, accounting for ~7–8% of all global emissions. However, using hydrogen as a reductant prompts concerns about hydrogen embrittlement in steel products. This raises the question of how much hydrogen remains from green ironmaking in the metal produced. We answer this question here by quantifying the amount of hydrogen in iron produced via two hydrogen-based ironmaking processes, namely, direct reduction and plasma smelting reduction. Results suggest no threat of hydrogen embrittlement resulting from using hydrogen in green steel production.
Tetrafluorenofulvalene as a sterically frustrated open-shell alkene
Authors: Prajapati Bibek , Ambhore Madan D. , Dang Duy-Khoi , Chmielewski Piotr J. , Lis Tadeusz , Gómez-García Carlos J. , Zimmerman Paul M. , Stępień Marcin
Published: October 2023

Electronic and steric effects are known to greatly influence the structure, characteristics and reactivity of organic compounds. A typical π bond is weakened by oxidation (corresponding to the removal of electrons from bonding orbitals), by reduction (through addition of electrons to antibonding orbitals) and by unpairing of the bonding electrons, such as in the triplet state. Here we describe tetrafluorenofulvalene (TFF), a twisted, open-shell alkene for which these general rules do not hold. Through the synthesis, experimental characterization and computational analysis of its charged species spanning seven redox states, the central alkene bond in TFF is shown to become substantially stronger in the tri- and tetraanion, generated by chemical reduction. Furthermore, although its triplet state contains a weaker alkene bond than the singlet, in the quintet state its bond order increases substantially, yielding a flatter structure. This behaviour originates from the doubly bifurcated topology of the underlying spin system and can be rationalized by the balancing effects of benzenoid aromaticity and spin pairing.
Spatial single-cell mass spectrometry defines zonation of the hepatocyte proteome
Authors: Rosenberger Florian A. , Thielert Marvin , Strauss Maximilian T. , Schweizer Lisa , Ammar Constantin , Mädler Sophia C. , Metousis Andreas , Skowronek Patricia , Wahle Maria , Madden Katherine , Gote-Schniering Janine , Semenova Anna , Schiller Herbert B. , Rodriguez Edwin , Nordmann Thierry M. , Mund Andreas , Mann Matthias
Published: October 2023

Single-cell proteomics by mass spectrometry is emerging as a powerful and unbiased method for the characterization of biological heterogeneity. So far, it has been limited to cultured cells, whereas an expansion of the method to complex tissues would greatly enhance biological insights. Here we describe single-cell Deep Visual Proteomics (scDVP), a technology that integrates high-content imaging, laser microdissection and multiplexed mass spectrometry. scDVP resolves the context-dependent, spatial proteome of murine hepatocytes at a current depth of 1,700 proteins from a cell slice. Half of the proteome was differentially regulated in a spatial manner, with protein levels changing dramatically in proximity to the central vein. We applied machine learning to proteome classes and images, which subsequently inferred the spatial proteome from imaging data alone. scDVP is applicable to healthy and diseased tissues and complements other spatial proteomics and spatial omics technologies.
The role of corporate social responsibility and government incentives in installing industrial wastewater treatment plants: SEM-ANN deep learning approach
Authors: Mustafa Sohaib , Long Ying , Rana Sehrish
Published: October 2023

Contaminated industrial wastewater is one of the severe causes of health diseases. The wastewater treatment trend in developing countries is less, and governments are not strictly pursuing the wastewater management protocols adopted by firms. To study the intention to install wastewater treatment plants at the firm level and provide policy suggestions to the developing countries’ governments, we have collected a cross-sectional dataset from manufacturing firms. We have presented an integrated model based on the theory of planned behaviour and tested our proposed model by implying SEM-ANN deep learning techniques. Results revealed that Environmental knowledge, installation cost, firm reputation, and corporate social responsibility positively influence firm management’s intention to install wastewater treatment plants, but awareness of the risk associated with contaminated wastewater has a negative influence. On the other hand, Government incentives do not influence the process. In addition, our study has found that firm size moderates the relationship between explained and exploratory variables. Our study provided valuable insight into the available literature and provided some policy suggestions to developing countries' governments to cope with water scarcity and health issues caused by contaminated industrial wastewater.
A deep learning model to triage and predict adenocarcinoma on pancreas cytology whole slide imaging
Authors: Sohn Andrew , Miller Daniel , Ribeiro Efrain , Shankar Nakul , Ali Syed , Hruban Ralph , Baras Alexander
Published: October 2023

Pancreatic fine-needle aspirations are the gold-standard diagnostic procedure for the evaluation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. A suspicion for malignancy can escalate towards chemotherapy followed by a major surgery and therefore is a high-stakes task for the pathologist. In this paper, we propose a deep learning framework, MIPCL, that can serve as a helpful screening tool, predicting the presence or absence of cancer. We also reproduce two deep learning models that have found success in surgical pathology for our cytopathology study. Our MIPCL significantly improves over both models across all evaluated metrics (F1-Score: 87.97% vs 88.70% vs 91.07%; AUROC: 0.9159 vs. 0.9051 vs 0.9435). Additionally, our model is able to recover the most contributing regions on the slide for the final prediction. We also present a dataset curation strategy that increases the number of training examples from an existing dataset, thereby reducing the resource burden tied to collecting and scanning additional cases.
Preparation, characterization, and life cycle assessment of banana rachis-recycled high-density polyethylene composites
Authors: Cabrera Demis , Baykara Haci , Riofrio Ariel , Cornejo Mauricio , Cáceres Julio
Published: October 2023

Agro-industrial wastes are sustainable resources that have advantages as a reinforcement for polymeric matrices. This study examined the use of banana rachis fiber (BRF) in reinforcing the recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) matrix. For this purpose, polymer composites with 5–20 wt% of BRF were prepared by the extrusion process using a twin-screw extruder and followed a hot press method. The structure of rHDPE/BRF composites and their characteristic peaks of degradation were successfully identified by the Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis techniques, respectively, revealing a good dispersion of BRF in rHDPE. Differential scanning calorimetry results of the composites demonstrated that melt enthalpy decreases as the amount of BRF increases. XRD diffractograms revealed a crystallinity reduction of rHDPE due to the increase of fiber within the polymer matrix, which is reflected in the characteristic peaks' intensity decrease of HDPE. Variation in thermal and chemical properties with the addition of BRF in rHDPE was successfully evaluated in this study. Life cycle assessment for 1 kg composite production has also been evaluated. The banana rachis-rHDPE composite materials reduce the overall environmental impacts when the filler concentration increases.
Early-melting snowpatch plant communities are transitioning into novel states
Authors: Morgan John , Walker Zac
Published: October 2023

Snowpatch plant community distribution and composition are strongly tied to the duration of long-lasting snow cover in alpine areas; they are vulnerable to global climatic changes that result in warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons. We used a revisitation study to quantify early-melting snowpatch floristic and functional diversity change in southern Australia, and document shrub size-class distributions over time to detect evidence for their encroachment into snowpatches, a key prediction with climatic change. Early-melting snowpatch vegetation has declined in areal extent, changed in species composition, and shrub and tussock grass cover has increased, but changes in functional trait diversity were less clear. Species gains, particularly by non-clonal species, accounted for most of the floristic change observed. Shrub recruitment was ongoing by most shrub species. Biotic differentiation is occurring; many early-melting snowpatches are transitioning to a novel state with changed composition and taller vegetation structure, but there is little evidence for species loss having occurred. Given enough time, however, the long-term loss of species is likely (i.e. biotic homogenisation) if taller shrubs outcompete short-statured snowpatch species. Our results provide evidence that this alpine ecosystem is forming a novel community with an uncertain future.
Preliminary in-silico analysis of vascular graft implantation configuration and surface modification
Authors: Prather Ray , Pourmoghadam Yashar , Fadhli Joseph , Al-Mousily Faris , Pourmoghadam Kamal
Published: October 2023

Vascular grafts are used to reconstruct congenital cardiac anomalies, redirect flow, and offer vascular access. Donor tissue, synthetic, or more recently tissue-engineered vascular grafts each carry limitations spanning compatibility, availability, durability and cost. Synthetic and tissue-engineered grafts offer the advantage of design optimization using in-silico or in-vitro modeling techniques. We focus on an in-silico parametric study to evaluate implantation configuration alternatives and surface finishing impact of a novel silicon-lined vascular graft. The model consists of a synthetic 3D-generic model of a graft connecting the internal carotid artery to the jugular vein. The flow is assumed unsteady, incompressible, and blood is modeled as a non-Newtonian fluid. A comparison of detached eddy turbulence and laminar modeling to determine the required accuracy needed found mild differences mainly dictated by the roughness level. The conduit walls are modeled as non-compliant and fixed. The shunt configurations considered, are straight and curved with varied surface roughness. Following a grid convergence study, two shunt configurations are analyzed to better understand flow distribution, peak shear locations, stagnation regions and eddy formation. The curved shunt was found to have lower peak and mean wall-shear stress, while resulting in lower flow power system and decreased power loss across the graft. The curved smooth surface shunt shows lower peak and mean wall-shear stress and lower power loss when compared to the straight shunt.
A coordinate-based meta-analysis of human amygdala connectivity alterations related to early life adversities
Authors: Kraaijenvanger Eline J. , Banaschewski Tobias , Eickhoff Simon B. , Holz Nathalie E.
Published: October 2023

By affecting core neurobiological systems early in development, early life adversities (ELAs) might confer latent vulnerability to future psychopathologies. This coordinate-based meta-analysis aims to identify significant convergent alterations in functional connectivity of the amygdala related to ELAs across resting-state and task-based fMRI-studies. Five electronic databases were systematically searched until 22 October 2020, retrieving 49 eligible studies (n = 3162 participants). Convergent alterations in functional connectivity related to ELAs between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left hippocampus were found. Sub-analyses based on hemisphere and direction showed that connectivity seeded in the right amygdala was affected and, moreover, revealed that connectivity with ACC was decreased. Analyses based on paradigm and age showed that amygdala-ACC coupling was altered during resting state and that amygdala–left hippocampus connectivity was mostly affected during task-based paradigms and in adult participants. While both regions showed altered connectivity during emotion processing and following adverse social postnatal experiences such as maltreatment, amygdala-ACC coupling was mainly affected when ELAs were retrospectively assessed through self-report. We show that ELAs are associated with altered functional connectivity of the amygdala with the ACC and hippocampus. As such, ELAs may embed latent vulnerability to future psychopathologies by systematically affecting important neurocognitive systems.
Novel computational and drug design strategies for inhibition of human papillomavirus-associated cervical cancer and DNA polymerase theta receptor by Apigenin derivatives
Authors: Akash Shopnil , Bayıl Imren , Hossain Md. Saddam , Islam Md. Rezaul , Hosen Md. Eram , Mekonnen Amare Bitew , Nafidi Hiba-Allah , Bin Jardan Yousef A. , Bourhia Mohammed , Bin Emran Talha
Published: October 2023

The present study deals with the advanced in-silico analyses of several Apigenin derivatives to explore human papillomavirus-associated cervical cancer and DNA polymerase theta inhibitor properties by molecular docking, molecular dynamics, QSAR, drug-likeness, PCA, a dynamic cross-correlation matrix and quantum calculation properties. The initial literature study revealed the potent antimicrobial and anticancer properties of Apigenin, prompting the selection of its potential derivatives to investigate their abilities as inhibitors of human papillomavirus-associated cervical cancer and DNA polymerase theta. In silico molecular docking was employed to streamline the findings, revealing promising energy-binding interactions between all Apigenin derivatives and the targeted proteins. Notably, Apigenin 4′-O-Rhamnoside and Apigenin-4′-Alpha-l-Rhamnoside demonstrated higher potency against the HPV45 oncoprotein E7 (PDB ID 2EWL), while Apigenin and Apigenin 5-O-Beta-d-Glucopyranoside exhibited significant binding energy against the L1 protein in humans. Similarly, a binding affinity range of − 7.5 kcal/mol to − 8.8 kcal/mol was achieved against DNA polymerase theta, indicating the potential of Apigenin derivatives to inhibit this enzyme (PDB ID 8E23). This finding was further validated through molecular dynamic simulation for 100 ns, analyzing parameters such as RMSD, RMSF, SASA, H-bond, and RoG profiles. The results demonstrated the stability of the selected compounds during the simulation. After passing the stability testing, the compounds underwent screening for ADMET, pharmacokinetics, and drug-likeness properties, fulfilling all the necessary criteria. QSAR, PCA, dynamic cross-correlation matrix, and quantum calculations were conducted, yielding satisfactory outcomes. Since this study utilized in silico computational approaches and obtained outstanding results, further validation is crucial. Therefore, additional wet-lab experiments should be conducted under in vivo and in vitro conditions to confirm the findings.