bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple cis-regulatory elements control prox1a expression in distinct lymphatic vascular beds
Authors: Panara Virginia , Yu Hujun , Peng Di , Staxäng Karin , Hodik Monika , Filipek-Gorniok Beata , Kazenwadel Jan , Skoczylas Renae , Mason Elizabeth , Allalou Amin , Harvey Natasha L. , Haitina Tatjana , Hogan Benjamin M. , Koltowska Katarzyna
Published: May 2024

During embryonic development, lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) precursors are distinguished from blood endothelial cells by the expression of Prospero-related homeobox 1 (Prox1), which is essential for lymphatic vasculature formation in mouse and zebrafish. Prox1 expression initiation precedes LEC sprouting and migration, serving as the marker of specified LECs. Despite its crucial role in lymphatic development, Prox1 upstream regulation in LECs remains to be uncovered. SOX18 and COUP-TFII are thought to regulate Prox1 in mice by binding its promoter region. However, the specific regulation of Prox1 expression in LECs remains to be studied in detail. Here, we used evolutionary conservation and chromatin accessibility to identify enhancers located in the proximity of zebrafish prox1a active in developing LECs. We confirmed the functional role of the identified sequences through CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis of a lymphatic valve enhancer. The deletion of this region results in impaired valve morphology and function. Overall, our results reveal an intricate control of prox1a expression through a collection of enhancers. Ray-finned fish-specific distal enhancers drive pan-lymphatic expression, whereas vertebrate-conserved proximal enhancers refine expression in functionally distinct subsets of lymphatic endothelium.
Η γυναικεία μορφή και υπόσταση στη γαλλική και την ελληνική υπερρεαλιστική γραφή (διερεύνηση επιρροών και διαλογικών σχέσεων)
Authors: Λυτζερίνου Ευαγγελία
Published: May 2024

Η παρούσα διατριβή διερευνά, στο πλαίσιο του επαναστατικού και καλλιτεχνικού κινήματος του υπερρεαλισμού, κυρίως στα χρόνια του Μεσοπολέμου, τη γυναικεία υπόσταση, μέσα από τη σύγκριση των έργων Γάλλων και Ελλήνων υπερρεαλιστών συγγραφέων που θεωρούνται πρωτεργάτες ή βασικοί εκφραστές του κινήματος στη Γαλλία και την Ελλάδα, αντίστοιχα. Οι Γάλλοι συγγραφείς που εξετάζονται είναι οι Αντρέ Μπρετόν (André Breton), Λουί Αραγκόν (Louis Aragon), Πωλ Ελυάρ (Paul Éluard), Ζιζέλ Πράσινος (Gisèle Prassinos), και Τζόυς Μανσούρ (Joyce Mansour), ενώ η ομάδα των Ελλήνων συγγραφέων απαρτίζεται από τους Ανδρέα Εμπειρίκο, Νίκο Εγγονόπουλο, Οδυσσέα Ελύτη, Μάτση Χατζηλαζάρου και Έκτορα Κακναβάτο. Η μελέτη, μέσω της συγκριτικής της οπτικής, με το συνδυασμό της επαγωγικής και απαγωγικής μεθόδου, ερευνά την πρόσληψη και την επίδραση που άσκησε το υπερρεαλιστικό κίνημα, όπως αναπτύχθηκε στη Γαλλία, στο αντίστοιχο κίνημα των καλλιτεχνικών κύκλων της Ελλάδας, όσον αφορά στο θέμα της γυναίκας. Οι δέκα καλλιτέχνες την παρουσιάζουν ως το μέσο που θα τους βοηθήσει να ανατρέψουν το κατεστημένο και να επαναδημιουργήσουν μια πραγματικότητα, πιο ουσιαστική και αληθινή. Ειδικότερα, η γυναίκα εμφανίζεται με διαφορετικές μορφές, όπως η γυναίκα-φως, η γυναίκα-μούσα, η γυναίκα-παιδί, η γυναίκα-ανέγγιχτη παρθένος, η γυναίκα-μητέρα, η γυναίκα-φύση, η γυναίκα-θεά, η γυναίκα-επανάσταση, η γυναίκα-μεταμορφώτρια, η γυναίκα-λυτρωτής, η γυναίκα-ιερόδουλος, αλλά πάντα με τα χαρακτηριστικά της ανεξαρτησίας και της ερωτικής απελευθέρωσης. Ωστόσο, όλη αυτή η αυτονομία δεν συντελεί στην πλήρη απογείωση του γυναικείου φύλου, καθώς η γυναικεία παρουσία λειτουργεί, κυρίως, ως προβολή των ανδρικών ονείρων για τη θηλυκότητα. Ωστόσο, οι τρεις γυναίκες υπερρεαλίστριες, η Τζ. Μανσούρ, η Ζ. Πράσινος και η Μ. Χατζηλαζάρου, αν και επηρεάζονται από την αντρική οπτική, καθιστούν την ποίησή τους μια κραυγή διαμαρτυρίας, με την υπαρκτή γυναίκα να προσπαθεί να συναντήσει το γνήσιο εαυτό της. Γενικότερα, η γυναικεία οντότητα συνιστά μια μορφή λύτρωσης από τον κόσμο της υποκρισίας και της αναλήθειας, λειτουργώντας μεταμορφωτικά και φωτίζοντας με τη λάμψη της όλη την πλάση.
COVID-19 in the Arab countries: Three-year review
Authors: Alwahaibi Nasar , Al Maskari Muna , Al-Jaaidi Samiya , Al Dhahli Buthaina , Al Issaei Halima , Al Bahlani Shadia
Published: May 2024

Background Twenty-two Arab countries share a common language, history, and culture. Nevertheless, governmental policies, healthcare systems, and resources differ from one Arab country to another. We have been following Coronavirus (COVID-19) from the beginning in each Arab country. In the present study, we aimed to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 in the Arab world and to compare these findings with other significantly affected countries. Methods Websites of the World Health Organization, World COVID-vaccinations tracker, Worldometer, and Ministries of Health were used to extract COVID-19 data in all Arab countries between the period January 2020 to December 2022. Results All Arab countries had 14,218,042 total confirmed COVID-19 cases, 13,384,924 total recovered cases and 173,544 total related deaths. The trend demonstrated that the third quarter of 2021 recorded the highest death toll and the first quarter of 2022 recorded the highest number of confirmed and recovered cases. Compared to the top 15 affected countries, the Arab world ranked last as it had the lowest overall incidence per million population (PMP) of 31,609. The data on total deaths PMP showed that India had the lowest number of deaths with only 377 cases followed by the Arab world with 386 cases. Conclusions Although the number of confirmed, death, and subsequently recovered cases of COVID-19 have greatly reduced in the last quarter of 2022 in most Arab countries, many Arab countries still need to re-campaign about COVID-19 vaccines and raise awareness programs about boosters. COVID-19 has had a relatively smaller impact on Arab countries than on other countries that have been significantly affected.
Effectiveness of Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) under greenhouse condition in Ethiopia
Authors: Gutema Belay Abate , Edosa Tariku Tesfaye , Achlehum Dawit Melisie , Terefe Tesfaye Hailu
Published: May 2024

Background Parthenium is an invasive annual weed that affects crop production, rangelands, grasslands, animals, the environment, and human health. Since its introduction into Ethiopia, different management options such as uprooting, slashing, burning, plowing, and applying synthetic herbicides have been practiced. However, these options are not sustainable in weed management. However, Zygogramma bicolorata is known to be used in different countries. Although many countries use it under field conditions, its population-based efficacy has not been well studied in Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Z. bicolorata populations on parthenium plants under greenhouse conditions. Methods This experiment was conducted at the Ambo Agricultural Research Center. Different numbers of Z. bicolorata per plant were used as treatments and were laid out in a completely randomized design with three replications. The numbers of damaged leaves, eggs, and larvae were recorded daily until the leaves were completely defoliated. The collected data and the correlation between beetle population and leaf defoliation were analyzed using SAS. Results The result revealed that all beetle populations caused damage to weed plants. A higher population of beetles completely defoliated the leaves within 12 days. However, lower numbers required 21 days to completely defoliate the weed. In contrast, a higher number of eggs (328.67) and larvae (272.33) were obtained from plants that received 20 pairs of beetles. The beetle population and exposure time were positively correlated, and the effectiveness of the bioagent was greater following the emergence of larvae. Conclusions Z. bicolorata can manage parthenium weeds, even with a lower population. However, more than 15 pairs of beetles could be suggested to manage weeds in a shorter time, and further study is needed under field conditions by considering the different agroecologies of the country.
A review on optimum substrate surface roughness to create better wetting
Authors: H.S. Chiranth , H.R. Pavan Kumar , Rathod Sachin , Manojkuma Y Karnam , . Satyanarayan , Kusammanavar Basavaraj
Published: May 2024

Surface roughness or texture is one of the key parameters for liquid fluids or liquid metals to achieve good or poor wetting. In certain applications surface roughness of a smooth surface [mirror finish] is treated as a slippery surface for poor wettability however in a few applications’ roughness surfaces are considered as better wetting, especially for liquid metals. In this regard, to understand the parameters for the optimum surface roughness of the substrates to achieve good wetting is essential. In the present review paper, an attempt has been made to find the ideal roughness value of the substrate for better wetting of liquid metals or alloys based on substrates and fluids.
The genome sequence of a tachinid fly, Linnaemya tessellans (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830)
Authors: Falk Steven , Smith Matthew N. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: May 2024

We present a genome assembly from one male Linnaemya tessellans (tachinid fly; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Tachinidae). The genome sequence is 709.9 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 7 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X and Y sex chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 17.24 kilobases in length.
Género y gobernanza. Avances frente al ejercicio de los derechos políticos de las mujeres en Colombia
Authors: Rodríguez Burbano Aura Yolima , Arciniegas Carreño Alexander
Published: May 2024

Querer avanzar en la defensa de los derechos políticos de las mujeres, en el contexto de lo que hoy se entiende por gobernanza, es una deuda pendiente que tiene Colombia principalmente en el camino hacia la construcción de una paz estable y duradera. Con esta perspectiva, el presente capítulo pretende hacer un breve recorrido por el problema de la baja participación política de las mujeres, especialmente por el desarrollo normativo que existe actualmente, por los esfuerzos realizados desde el Estado al respecto, el estudio de casos de éxito en la región y la necesidad de entender la defensa de estos derechos como un paso importante en la construcción de paz territorial. Para asumir este objetivo, el texto se divide en cinco apartados. El primero, Concepto de gobernanza. Evolución hacia una gobernanza transformadora y con perspectiva de género, intentará describir la transformación del concepto de gobernanza como un elemento clave para escuchar las voces de las mujeres y su participación política. El segundo, Directrices internacionales de garantía de los derechos políticos de las mujeres, buscará hacer un recorrido por los distintos instrumentos jurídicos con los que cuenta Colombia para avanzar en el camino hacia la garantía real de los derechos políticos de las mujeres, especialmente hacia la condensación de la paridad democrática. El tercero, Colombia y la paridad de género, enfrentará los diferentes esfuerzos que ha realizado Colombia en la búsqueda de la igualdad de derechos entre hombres y mujeres en el campo de la participación política y el giro que se debe dar para lograr la paridad. El cuarto, Paridad en otros ordenamientos jurídicos latinoamericanos, analiza el caso de Bolivia, en tanto que es uno de los primeros países de la región que ha logrado la paridad democrática en algunos niveles del gobierno. Finalmente, se precisan algunas recomendaciones que debe tener en cuenta si se quiere avances de forma importante en el camino hacia la paridad, sobretodo en el contexto de la búsqueda de una paz estable y duradera.
La región Caribe de Colombia. De las sociedades indígenas a la república
Authors: Polo Acuña José Trinidad , Barraza Piña Marcela
Published: May 2024

Este capítulo es una síntesis histórica de la región Caribe de Colombia durante cuatro siglos. Se aborda el pasado de las sociedades indígenas antes del arribo de los europeos y la posterior incorporación de la región al mundo occidental a finales del siglo XV y la primera mitad del siglo XVI, así como los elementos distintivos que caracterizaron los siglos XVII y XVIII, tales como el mestizaje, el contrabando y las reformas borbónicas. Así mismo, se analiza el proceso de Independencia y la posterior crisis económica, al igual que la recuperación de la región en la segunda mitad de la centuria.
Obesity-related knee osteoarthritis: a role for the rheumatology advanced nurse practitioner in Ireland
Authors: Kenny Rachel T , Murray Bridget
Published: May 2024

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in Ireland with knee osteoarthritis the most common presentation. One in five women and one in 10 men over the age of 60 in Ireland are diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The causative factors are multifactorial, but the increasing incidence of obesity is contributing greatly to the occurrence of osteoarthritis of the weight-bearing joints. The rheumatology advanced nurse practitioner is an autonomous clinical practitioner and potential solution to the growing numbers of people needing interventions for osteoarthritis, due to their ability to assess, diagnose, treat, and discharge these patients who ordinarily would be assessed from a medical waiting list. As obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent, it is important to address this with the patient cohort to try to reduce the burden of disease and treat not only the symptomatic knee osteoarthritis but the causative factors and provide patient-centred care.
Understanding the challenges faced by men learning to live with clean intermittent self-catheterisation
Authors: Logan Karen
Published: May 2024

Clean intermittent self-catheterisation (CISC) is considered the preferred option to an indwelling catheter for emptying the bladder in people with a range of voiding dysfunctions. CISC has a lower risk of complications and urinary tract infections. This narrative review of previous qualitative research explores the quality-of-life impacts and highlights the challenges that men face. It will provide nurses who teach CISC with some useful insights into the male experience and the issues of concordance and adherence. This will help to better inform and guide clinical practice in this specialist area of nursing practice.
Comparative Spray Performance of a Solid Set Canopy Delivery System and an Airblast Sprayer in Modern Apple Orchards
Authors: Sahni Ramesh Kumar , Ranjan Rakesh , Khot Lav , Hoheisel Gwen , Grieshop Matthew J.
Published: May 2024

Highlights

Airblast sprayer applications in modern apple orchards can produce high off-target drift.

A pneumatic spray delivery based solid set canopy delivery system (PSD-SSCDS) can be an alternative solution.

PSD-SSCDS had comparable spray deposition, but lower spray coverage compared to airblast sprayer.

Airblast sprayer had significantly higher losses to the ground and aerial drift.

PSD-SSCDS confined ground drift within 4.1 m with minimal spray losses to air.

Abstract. A pneumatic spray delivery-based solid set canopy delivery system (PSD-SSCDS) has been successfully configured for efficient spray applications in modern apple orchards typical of the state of Washington state. This study investigates the spray performance of optimized PSD-SSCDS against an axial-fan airblast sprayer in terms of spray deposition, coverage, and off-target drift in a tall spindle architecture of a commercial apple orchard. For field evaluation, mylar cards and water sensitive paper samplers were placed in different canopy zones on either side of the leaf surface, and 500 ppm of biodegradable fluorescent tracer solution was sprayed with PSD-SSCDS and an airblast sprayer. Additionally, aerial and downwind samplers were installed to evaluate ground runoff and drift, as well as aerial drift. The spray deposited on the mylar cards was analyzed using fluorometry, and spray coverage on WSPs was evaluated using image processing techniques. PSD-SSCDS (645.0 ± 94.7 ng cm-2, mean ± standard error) and an airblast sprayer treatment (661.6 ± 26.9 ng cm-2) had comparable mean spray deposition with no significant difference in different canopy zones for both treatments. However, the spray coverage was significantly higher for the airblast sprayer (32.7 ± 2.4%) compared to PSD-SSCDS (22.5 ± 3.1%). These differences are likely due to air-assist in airblast spraying, which is absent in PSD-SSCDS. Evidently, the airblast sprayer had significantly higher losses to the ground and aerial drift compared to PSD-SSCDS, as the ground drift for the latter was mostly confined within 4.1 m downwind of the sprayed row and spray losses to air were minimal. Keywords: Crop protection, Fixed spray delivery, Off-target drift, Pneumatic spray delivery, Spray coverage, Spray deposition.
“Stamping Out Segregation in Kansas”: Jim Crow Practices and the Postwar Black Freedom Struggle
Authors: Campney Brent M. S.
Published: May 2024

Abstract: This study examines Jim Crow practices and the Black Freedom Struggle in Kansas between 1945 and 1960, focusing at the state level. It proceeds in three sections. First, it examines Jim Crow in housing, employment, schools, public accommodations, and sundown towns. Second, it addresses the enforcement of these practices through mob violence and, to a greater degree, police violence. Third, it investigates the activism of Black Kansans who were, irrespective of age, gender, or class, determined to destroy Jim Crow through public protests, legal strategies, and physical self-defense, even if they represented considerable ideological, methodological, and strategic diversity. The study is based primarily on extensive research in regional and local newspapers, in public and university archives, and in oral histories with contemporary Black activists. Because of the limited time period involved, it utilizes a topical approach overall but, within this framework, addresses change over time. Before proceeding, the study briefly examines the long history of racism against Blacks and Black resistance to it in Kansas before 1945.
Unintended Consequences: Spawn as “Superman Black”
Authors: Zawlacki Jake
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT: While arguably the most popular and successful Black superhero in comic books, Spawn, the former CIA assassin Al Simmons turned agent of Hell, rarely exhibits his racial identity. The creator of Spawn and one of the founding members of Image Comics, Todd McFarlane, remarked that he wanted to make Spawn a super-hero “who happened to be black,” thus trying to transcend racial identity through the superhero genre. This attempt at transcendence, however, results in the suppression of Spawn’s racial identity, and ultimately an affi rmation of the superhero genre’s logic as a logic of whiteness. With the help of Frantz Fanon and numerous comic studies scholars, I will look at Spawn’s actual body, his super suit, and the rare moments of Black identity allowed him by McFarlane as a site of Spawn entering into the “bodily schema” of the superhero. After this analysis, I will use James Lamb’s idea of “Superman Black” to frame McFarlane’s wish to suppress and minimize Spawn’s Black identity and reveal how that suppression and erasure becomes integral to Spawn standing on his own as “Superman Black.”
Is Psylocke Asian? The Racial Fantasy and Ambiguity of an Uncanny Oriental
Authors: Lee Derek
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT: The X-Man Psylocke is often dismissed as a hopelessly problematic character: a white Englishwoman in the body of a Japanese ninja with a convoluted backstory and a sexualized costume. This essay reinterprets her as a seminal character in comics history who serves as a visual index for Asianness by revealing both America’s volatile racial politics and the enduring legacy of Orientalism in the superhero genre. Drawing on theories of racial ambiguity, Orientalist stereotyping, and interethnic transformation, I argue that Betsy Braddock’s perpetually evolving face and outfits showcase mass media’s vexed relationship with the Asian diaspora, including its obsession with Asian females, fear of miscegenation, and fascination with the martial arts. Following her original Asianification in the 1980s to her eventual return to whiteness in the 2010s, this study employs Psylocke as an illuminating figure for exploring histories of racialization, yellowface, biological essentialism, and colorblindness in mainstream comics.
The Pen Behind the Pathogen: Yersinia pestis and the Lombard Conquest in Paul the Deacon's Historia Langobardorum
Authors: Batterman Thomas
Published: May 2024

Abstract: Paul the Deacon's Historia Langobardorum has long underpinned histories of the First Pandemic in Italy, with the text's narrative account of a plague outbreak in Liguria, Venetia, and greater Italy typically dated to 565. The following pages examine the modern and premodern treatment of the Ligurian Plague, highlighting the problems with and debates about its date, reconsidering its murky origins in Paul's writing, and reframing it as an editorially complex account of disease. A thematic and structural analysis of Paul's text alongside those of other key western Mediterranean plague narrators—namely, Gregory of Tours and Gregory the Great—suggests this Historia Langobardorum plague passage was neither wholly original nor based on detailed accounts from northern Italy. Instead, it was a product of the geography of Paul's narrative and his wider attempt to rehabilitate the history of the Lombard conquest, resulting in an apocalyptically-tinged report of mid-sixth-century plague that is both geographically and chronologically unreliable. In calling into question popular claims about the Ligurian Plague's geography and chronology, this microstudy offers a novel method of interrogating late antique plague texts and further elucidates Paul's process as a narrator of Lombard and Italian history.
An Exceptional Late Antique Belt Buckle Plate from Jaffa: From Metalworking Technology to Cultural Biography
Authors: Mazis Matasha , Ashkenazi Dana , Fantalkin Alexander
Published: May 2024

Abstract: This paper introduces a technological and cultural biography of an exceptional copper-based belt buckle plate from ancient Jaffa. The exploration of intricate metalworking techniques and the cultural significance of this find provide new insights into late antique material culture in the Levant. Although similar buckles appear in museum collections around the world, few have archaeological provenience and, to date, none have been analyzed and published in terms of their material characteristics. This study establishes a metallurgical database for future comparative analyses, employing X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to characterize the buckle's composition and manufacture. The results reveal the use of recycled metals, casting, cold fastening, and decorative finishing techniques, including contouring of the openwork shapes. The analysis finds no evidence of enameling, challenging existing theories about these buckles. A comparison of the crafting techniques and design elements of this belt buckle plate with those of similar buckles shows evidence of distinctive artisanal traditions. The socio-cultural inferences of its art and iconography are also explored in light of the geopolitical landscape after the Arab conquests. This study sheds light on the production and distribution of Levantine buckles and enriches understanding of their use in late antique culture and society.
Tropicalizing the Portable Radio: Electronics and the U.S. Military's Battle against Fungi in the Pacific War
Authors: Ruamcharoen Boyd
Published: May 2024

abstract: As the U.S. military became embroiled in "jungle warfare" across the Pacific during World War II, it was caught off guard by the rapid deterioration of materials and equipment in the tropics, where the air was hot, humid, and teeming with fungal spores. This article tells the story of how American scientists and engineers understood the "tropical deterioration" of portable radios and electronics and developed techniques to counteract it. Examining scientific efforts to prevent tropical decay reveals how exposure to tropical conditions during World War II shaped the development of portable electronics. Contributing to envirotech history and environmental media studies, this article uncovers the importance of climate proofing to the history of electronics miniaturization. Tropical deterioration, furthermore, provides a technology-focused lens for enriching our historical understanding of the tropics as an environmental imaginary.
Seeds of the Settler Colony: How Peasant and Kazakh Knowledge, Environment, and Bureaucracy Shaped Steppe Agronomy in the Late Russian Empire
Authors: Seitz John B.
Published: May 2024

abstract: At the turn of the twentieth century, Russian imperial officials hoped to transform the Kazakh Steppe from a zone of pastoral nomadism into a zone of sedentary grain farms. They planned to accomplish this transformation by importing peasants from European Russia and settling them in the steppe along with advanced scientific agricultural practices, equipment, and infrastructure. It was a project that linked steppe settlement and the Russian Empire to a global story of settler colonialism, science, and technology in the first decades of the twentieth century. An examination of this project through the lens of the expansion of grain farming reveals that the changes it wrought were not solely due to European science and technology but were contingent, dependent on local knowledge, the vagaries of climate, and adaptation to the realities of the steppe environment.
Optimization of Mach-Zehnder interferometer of high-spectral-resolution lidar for large-scale wind measurement
Authors: Gao Fengjia , Gao Fei , Zhao Tingting , Wang Li , Song Yuehui , Hua Dengxin , Stanič Samo
Published: May 2024

The optimization design of a quadri-channel Mach–Zehnder interferometer (QMZI) of the high-spectral-resolution lidar is presented for the large-scale wind measurement. The optimized QMZI can discriminate the Doppler frequency shift generated by atmospheric wind from aerosol Mie scattering echo signals and molecular Rayleigh scattering echo signals, and then the wind information can be retrieved. The optimal optical path differences (OPDs) of QMZI are determined by theoretical and simulation analysis. The wind measurement simulation experiments prove that the designed QMZI can measure the large-scale wind with an accuracy of meter level.
Self-referencing for quasi shot-noise-limited widefield transient microscopy
Authors: Hörmann Martin , Visentin Federico , Chakraborty Suman Kumar , Nayak Biswajeet , Sahoo Prasana Kumar , Cerullo Giulio , Camargo Franco V. A.
Published: May 2024

Many applications of ultrafast and nonlinear optical microscopy require the measurement of small differential signals over large fields-of-view. Widefield configurations drastically reduce the acquisition time; however, they suffer from the low frame rates of two-dimensional detectors, which limit the modulation frequency, making the measurement sensitive to excess laser noise. Here we introduce a self-referenced detection configuration for widefield differential imaging. Employing regions of the field of view with no differential signal as references, we cancel probe fluctuations and increase the signal-to-noise ratio by an order of magnitude reaching noise levels only a few percent above the shot noise limit. We anticipate broad applicability of our method to transient absorption, stimulated Raman scattering and photothermal-infrared microscopies.
Spectral programmable mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator
Authors: Liang Junrui , Xu Jiangming , Ke Yanzhao , Li Sicheng , He Junhong , Guo Yidong , Zhang Yang , Ma Xiaoya , Ye Jun , Li Xiao , Leng Jinyong , Zhou Pu
Published: May 2024

A spectral programmable, continuous-wave mid-infrared (MIR) optical parametric oscillator (OPO), enabled by a self-developed high-power spectral tailorable fiber laser, was proposed and realized. While operating at a single-wavelength, the maximum idler power reached 5.53 W at 3028 nm, with a corresponding pump-to-idler conversion efficiency of 14.7%. The wavelength number switchable output was available from one to three. The single idler was tunable in a range of 528 nm (2852–3380 nm). In a dual-wavelength operation, the interval between two idlers could be flexibly tuned for 470 nm (53–523 nm), and the intensity of each channel was controllable. Triple-wavelength idler emission was realized, meanwhile exhibiting spectral custom-tailored characteristics. Furthermore, we balanced the parametric gain through the pre-modulating broadband multi-peak pump spectra, enabling a 10 dB bandwidth adjustment of the idler emission from 20 to 125 nm. This versatile mid-infrared laser, simultaneously featuring wide tuning, multi-wavelength operation, and broad bandwidth manipulation, has great application potential in composition detection, terahertz generation, and speckle-free imaging.
Resf1 is a compound G4 quadruplex-associated tumor suppressor for triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Majocha Megan R. , Jackson Devin E. , Ha Ngoc-Han , Amin Ruhul , Pangrácová Marie , Ross Christina R. , Yang Howard H. , Lee Maxwell P. , Hunter Kent W.
Published: May 2024

Patients with ER-negative breast cancer have the worst prognosis of all breast cancer subtypes, often experiencing rapid recurrence or progression to metastatic disease shortly after diagnosis. Given that metastasis is the primary cause of mortality in most solid tumors, understanding metastatic biology is crucial for effective intervention. Using a mouse systems genetics approach, we previously identified 12 genes associated with metastatic susceptibility. Here, we extend those studies to identify Resf1, a poorly characterized gene, as a novel metastasis susceptibility gene in ER- breast cancer. Resf1 is a large, unstructured protein with an evolutionarily conserved intron-exon structure, but with poor amino acid conservation. CRISPR or gene trap mouse models crossed to the Polyoma Middle-T antigen genetically engineered mouse model (MMTV-PyMT) demonstrated that reduction of Resf1 resulted in a significant increase in tumor growth, a shortened overall survival time, and increased incidence and number of lung metastases, consistent with patient data. Furthermore, an analysis of matched tail and primary tissues revealed loss of the wildtype copy in tumor tissue, consistent with Resf1 being a tumor suppressor. Mechanistic analysis revealed a potential role of Resf1 in transcriptional control through association with compound G4 quadruplexes in expressed sequences, particularly those associated with ribosomal biogenesis. These results suggest that loss of Resf1 enhances tumor progression in ER- breast cancer through multiple alterations in both transcriptional and translational control.
Drivers of success in global health outcomes: A content analysis of Exemplar studies
Authors: Akseer Nadia , Phillips David E. ,   on behalf of the Exemplars in Global Health Partner Network
Published: May 2024

Applying a positive outlier lens is one effective approach for generating evidence to inform global health policy, program, and funding decisions. Exemplars in Global Health (EGH) is a program that studies positive outlier countries that have made extraordinary progress in health outcomes (despite limited resources) and disseminates their successes through multiple types of outputs. To date, EGH has studied, or is studying, 14 global health topics in 28 countries. This paper aims to identify findings, summarized as themes and sub-themes, that appear among all completed EGH studies. We developed a conceptual framework and used a content analysis approach to identify the top thematic areas that appear as drivers for programmatic success across EGH studies that were completed between June 2020-May 2023. The EGH studies (N = 31) spanned six topics including under-five child mortality (n = 6), childhood stunting (n = 5), community health workers (CHW) (n = 4), vaccine delivery (n = 3), COVID-19 response (n = 6), and newborn and maternal mortality reduction (n = 7) across 19 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South and Central Asia, and the Caribbean regions. Top drivers of success were defined as those critical or catalytic in achieving the intended outcome. Eight key drivers were identified: (1) efficient data collection and use for decision-making, (2) strong political commitment and health leadership, (3) effective stakeholder coordination, (4) a local, connected, and capacitated workforce, (5) intentional women’s empowerment and engagement, (6) effective adoption and implementation of national policies, (7) effective and sustainable financing, and (8) equitable, efficient outreach and targeting. These cross-cutting drivers span a broad range of development outcomes, sectors, and populations, and indicate a need to effectively integrate people, systems, and sectors to improve global health outcomes. Findings from this study aim to support peer learning among countries and support evidence-based decision-making for funders, policymakers, and other key stakeholders.
Predictors and experiences of seeking abortion services from pharmacies in Nepal
Authors: Harrison Leila , Puri Mahesh , Greene Foster Diana , Karkia Sunita , Diamond-Smith Nadia G.
Published: May 2024

Abortion was legalized in Nepal in 2002; however, despite evidence of safety and quality provision of medical abortion (MA) pills by pharmacies in Nepal and elsewhere, it is still not legal for pharmacists to provide medication abortion in Nepal. However, pharmacies often do provide MA, but little is known about who seeks abortions from pharmacies and their experiences and outcomes. The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of women seeking MA from a pharmacy, abortion complications experienced, and predictors for denial of MA. Data was collected from women seeking MA from four pharmacies in two districts of Nepal in 2021–2022. Data was collected at baseline (N = 153) and 6 weeks later (N = 138). Using descriptive results and multi-variable regression models, we explore differences between women who received and did not receive MA and predictors of denial of services. Most women requesting such pills received MA (78%), with those who were denied most commonly reporting denial due to the provider saying they were too far along. There were few socio-demographic differences between groups, with the exception of education and gestational age. Women reported receiving information on how to take pills and what to do about side effects. Just under half (45%) of women who took pills reported no adverse symptoms after taking them and only 13% sought care. Most women seeking MA from pharmacists in Nepal are receiving services, information, and having few post-abortion symptoms. This study expands the previous limited research on pharmacy provision of MA in Nepal using a unique dataset that recruits women at the time of abortion seeking and follows them over time, overcoming potential biases present in other study designs. This suggests that expansion of the law to allow pharmacy distribution would increase accessibility and reflect current practice.
Effectiveness of a mindfulness and acceptance-based intervention for improving the mental health of adolescents with HIV in Uganda: An open-label trial
Authors: Musanje Khamisi , Kasujja Rosco , Camlin Carol S. , Hooper Nic , Hope-Bell Josh , Sinclair Deborah L. , Kibanja Grace M. , Mpirirwe Ruth , Kalyango Joan N. , Kamya Moses R.
Published: May 2024

Adolescents with HIV (AWH) face the double burden of dealing with challenges presented by their developmental phase while coping with stigma related to HIV, affecting their mental health. Poor mental health complicates adherence to daily treatment regimens, requiring innovative psychosocial support strategies for use with adolescents. We assessed the effectiveness of a mindfulness and acceptance-based intervention on the mental health of AWH in Uganda. One hundred and twenty-two AWH, mean age 17 ±1.59 (range 15 to 19 years), 57% female, receiving care at a public health facility in Kampala were enrolled in an open-label randomized trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05010317) with assessments at pre-and post-intervention. The mindfulness and acceptance-based intervention involved weekly 90-minute group sessions for four consecutive weeks facilitated by two experienced trainers. Sessions involved clarifying values, skillfully relating to thoughts, allowing and becoming aware of experiences non-judgmentally, and exploring life through trial and error. The control group received the current standard of care. Three mental health domains (depression, anxiety, and internalized stigma) were compared between the intervention and control groups. A linear mixed effects regression was used to analyze the effect of the intervention across the two time points. Results showed that the intervention was associated with a statistically significant reduction in symptoms of depression (β = -10.72, 95%CI: 6.25, -15.20; p < .0001), anxiety (β = -7.55, 95%CI: 2.66, -12.43; p = .0003) and stigma (β = -1.40, 95%CI: 0.66 to -2.15; p = .0004) over time. Results suggest that mindfulness and acceptance-based interventions have the potential to improve the mental health of AWH.
Mutation of SIVA, a candidate metastasis gene identified from clonally related bilateral breast cancers, promotes breast cancer cell spread in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Vermehren-Schmaedick Anke , Peto Myron , Wagoner Wendy , Chiotti Kami E. , Ramsey Elizabeth , Wang Xiaoyan , Rakshe Shauna , Minnier Jessica , Sears Rosalie , Spellman Paul , Luoh Shiuh-Wen
Published: May 2024

Metastasis is the most dreaded outcome after a breast cancer diagnosis, and little is known regarding what triggers or promotes breast cancer to spread distally, or how to prevent or eradicate metastasis effectively. Bilateral breast cancers are an uncommon form of breast cancers. In our study, a percentage of bilateral breast cancers were clonally related based on copy number variation profiling. Whole exome sequencing and comparative sequence analysis revealed that a limited number of somatic mutations were acquired in this “breast-to-breast” metastasis that might promote breast cancer distant spread. One somatic mutation acquired was SIVA-D160N that displayed pro-metastatic phenotypes in vivo and in vitro. Over-expression of SIVA-D160N promoted migration and invasion of human MB-MDA-231 breast cancer cells in vitro, consistent with a dominant negative interfering function. When introduced via tail vein injection, 231 cells over-expressing SIVA-D160N displayed enhanced distant spread on IVIS imaging. Over-expression of SIVA-D160N promoted invasion and anchorage independent growth of mouse 4T1 breast cancer cells in vitro. When introduced orthotopically via mammary fat pad injection in syngeneic Balb/c mice, over-expression of SIVA-D160N in 4T1 cells increased orthotopically implanted mammary gland tumor growth as well as liver metastasis. Clonally related bilateral breast cancers represented a novel system to investigate metastasis and revealed a role of SIVA-D160N in breast cancer metastasis. Further characterization and understanding of SIVA function, and that of its interacting proteins, may elucidate mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis, providing clinically useful biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Development and characterization of an antibody that recognizes influenza virus N1 neuraminidases
Authors: Chen Nan , Wang Renxi , Zhu Wanlu , Hao Xiangjun , Wang Jing , Chen Guojiang , Qiao ChunXia , Li Xinying , Liu Chenghua , Shen Beifen , Feng Jiannan , Chai Lihui , Yu Zuyin , Xiao He
Published: May 2024

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) continue to pose a huge threat to public health, and their prevention and treatment remain major international issues. Neuraminidase (NA) is the second most abundant surface glycoprotein on influenza viruses, and antibodies to NA have been shown to be effective against influenza infection. In this study, we generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb), named FNA1, directed toward N1 NAs. FNA1 reacted with H1N1 and H5N1 NA, but failed to react with the NA proteins of H3N2 and H7N9. In vitro, FNA1 displayed potent antiviral activity that mediated both NA inhibition (NI) and blocking of pseudovirus release. Moreover, residues 219, 254, 358, and 388 in the NA protein were critical for FNA1 binding to H1N1 NA. However, further validation is necessary to confirm whether FNA1 mAb is indeed a good inhibitor against NA for application against H1N1 and H5N1 viruses.
Serum bta-miRNA-375 as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of enzootic bovine leukosis
Authors: Murakami Kenji , Matsunaga Towa , Matsuzaki Takashi , Naruke Yuta , Miyauchi Sonoko , Kobayashi Sota , Yoneyama Syuji , Sakai Yusuke , Ichijo Toshihiro , Hirata Toh-ichi , Kimura Atsushi , Chiba Yuzumi , Matsuda Kei-ich , Yamada Shinji , Hikono Hirokazu
Published: May 2024

To identify a biomarker for the early diagnosis of enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV), we investigated the expression of a microRNA, bta-miR-375, in cattle serum. Using quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR analysis, we measured bta-miR-375 levels in 27 samples from cattle with EBL (EBL cattle), 45 samples from animals infected with BLV but showing no clinical signs (NS cattle), and 30 samples from cattle uninfected with BLV (BLV negative cattle). In this study, we also compared the kinetics of bta-miR-375 with those of the conventional biomarkers of proviral load (PVL), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and thymidine kinase (TK) from the no-clinical-sign phase until EBL onset in three BLV-infected Japanese black (JB) cattle. Bta-miR-375 expression was higher in NS cattle than in BLV negative cattle (P < 0.05) and greater in EBL cattle than in BLV negative and NS cattle (P < 0.0001 for both comparisons). Receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated that bta-miR-375 levels distinguished EBL cattle from NS cattle with high sensitivity and specificity. In NS cattle, bta-miR-375 expression was increased as early as at 2 months before EBL onset—earlier than the expression of PVL, TK, or LDH isoenzymes 2 and 3. These results suggest that serum miR-375 is a promising biomarker for the early diagnosis of EBL.
Analyzing the process of achieving common wealth for different groups in China based on the opportunity advantage perspective of income distribution
Authors: Ruan Jing , Wang Xingyu
Published: May 2024

Realizing the common wealth of all people is the essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Measuring the process of realizing common wealth and the differences between groups is one of the important issues that need to be addressed urgently. In order to reasonably measure the process of realizing common wealth in China, on the premise of horizontal comparability and vertical consistency, the principles of comparability and consistency are introduced, and a comparative method of opportunity advantage based on income distribution is proposed from the perspective of opportunity equity. Using the 2012–2020 CFPS data to measure and test the opportunity advantages and their differences across regions and groups in China. The study found, firstly, that the opportunity advantage persists but tends to diminish across groups, with the more educated group having a more pronounced opportunity advantage, but that this advantage is diminishing over time. Secondly, the doctoral degree group has a greater probability of earning higher incomes, followed by the master’s and bachelor’s degree groups, but this opportunity advantage, i.e., the probability of earning higher incomes, is diminishing, i.e., the education dividend is diminishing. Third, the difference in opportunity advantage between urban and rural areas still exists, as evidenced by the greater probability of higher incomes in towns than in rural areas, but this advantage has narrowed further over time, with a clear process of urban-rural integration. Fourthly, in terms of gender, men have a certain opportunity advantage over women, but this difference is not significant. Fifthly, in the context of education levels, gender and urban/rural subgroups, under the framework proposed in this paper, China has achieved some success in the process of realizing the common wealth, and is showing a steady upward trend.
Filtering walking actigraphy data in children with unilateral cerebral palsy: A preliminary study
Authors: Hwang Youngsub , Kwon Jeong-Yi
Published: May 2024

This study aimed to determine whether filtering out walking-related actigraphy data improves the reliability and accuracy of real-world upper extremity activity assessment in children with unilateral cerebral palsy. Twenty-two children aged 4–12 years diagnosed with unilateral cerebral palsy were included in this study, which was drawn from a two-phase randomized controlled trial conducted from July 2021 to December 2022. Data were collected from a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Participants were monitored using tri-axial accelerometers on both wrists across three time points (namely, T0, T1, and T2) over 3 days; interventions were used between each time point. Concurrently, an in-laboratory study focusing on walking and bimanual tasks was conducted with four participants. Data filtration resulted in a reduction of 8.20% in total data entry. With respect to reliability assessment, the intra-class correlation coefficients indicated enhanced consistency after filtration, with increased values for both the affected and less-affected sides. Before filtration, the magnitude counts for both sides showed varying tendencies, depending on the time points; however, they presented a consistent and stable trend after filtration. The findings of this research underscore the importance of accurately interpreting actigraphy measurements in children with unilateral cerebral palsy for targeted upper limb intervention by filtering walking-induced data.
Study on the influencing factors of rural residents’ willingness to classify domestic waste in the context of acquaintance society: An example from Jiangsu Province in Chin
Authors: Ma Xiaoxu , Ge Nannan
Published: May 2024

Waste classification helps to maximize the recovery of resources, reduce environmental pollution and promote sustainable economic development. To improve the willingness of rural residents to classify waste, based on the background of a rural acquaintance society, this thesis constructed a theoretical model of waste classification cognition, willingness to classify, economic incentives, face consciousness and vernacular identity affecting the willingness of rural residents to classify waste, and put forward seven research hypotheses. With the help of 530 valid surveys of rural residents in Jiangsu Province, the seven hypotheses were verified using structural equation modeling, and the mediating effect of rural residents’ willingness to classify waste was examined using the bootstrap method. The results showed that waste classification awareness, knowledge of waste classification, economic incentives, face-saving concepts and local identity all affected rural residents’ willingness to classify waste, and all were significant at a 0.01 level. They also showed that face-saving concepts and local identity played partial mediating roles. Strategies to improve rural residents’ willingness to classify waste have been proposed, such as multiple incentives to enhance subjective awareness, play the role of face culture in rural areas, strengthen the construction of public culture in rural areas, and improve rural residents’ local identity.