bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward low-cost automated monitoring of life below water with deep learning
Authors: Ayyagari Devi , Morris Corey , Barnes Joshua , Whidden Christopher
Published: June 2023

Oceans will play a crucial role in our efforts to combat the growing climate emergency. Researchers have proposed several strategies to harness greener energy through oceans and use oceans as carbon sinks. However, the risks these strategies might pose to the ocean and marine ecosystem are not well understood. It is imperative that we quickly develop a range of tools to monitor ocean processes and marine ecosystems alongside the technology to deploy these solutions on a large scale into the oceans. Large arrays of inexpensive cameras placed deep underwater coupled with machine learning pipelines to automatically detect, classify, count, and estimate fish populations have the potential to continuously monitor marine ecosystems and help study the impacts of these solutions on the ocean. In this paper, we successfully demonstrate the application of YOLOv4 and YOLOv7 deep learning models to classify and detect six species of fish in a dark artificially lit underwater video dataset captured 500 m below the surface, with a mAP of 76.01% and 85.0%, respectively. We show that 2,000 images per species, for each of the six species of fish is sufficient to train a machine-learning species classification model for this low-light environment. This research is a first step toward systems to autonomously monitor fish deep underwater while causing as little disruption as possible. As such, we discuss the advances that will be needed to apply such systems on a large scale and propose several avenues of research toward this goal.
The end-Cretaceous plant extinction: Heterogeneity, ecosystem transformation, and insights for the future
Authors: Wilf Peter , Carvalho Mónica R. , Stiles Elena
Published: June 2023

The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) mass extinction was geologically instantaneous, causing the most drastic extinction rates in Earth’s History. The rapid species losses and environmental destruction from the Chicxulub impact at 66.02 Ma made the K–Pg the most comparable past event to today’s projected “sixth” mass extinction. The extinction famously eliminated major clades of animals and plankton. However, for land plants, losses primarily occurred among species observed in regional studies but left no global trace at the family or major-clade level, leading to questions about whether there was a significant K–Pg plant extinction. We review emerging paleobotanical data from the Americas and argue that the evidence strongly favors profound (generally >50%), geographically heterogeneous species losses and recovery consistent with mass extinction. The heterogeneity appears to reflect several factors, including distance from the impact site and marine and latitudinal buffering of the impact winter. The ensuing transformations have affected all land life, including true angiosperm dominance in the world’s forests, the birth of the hyperdiverse Neotropical rainforest biome, and evolutionary radiations leading to many crown angiosperm clades. Although the worst outcomes are still preventable, the sixth mass extinction could mirror the K–Pg event by eliminating comparable numbers of plant species in a geologic instant, impoverishing and eventually transforming terrestrial ecosystems while having little effect on global plant-family diversity.
On Sarnak’s Density Conjecture and Its Applications
Authors: Golubev Konstantin , Kamber Amitay
Published: June 2023

Sarnak’s density conjecture is an explicit bound on the multiplicities of nontempered representations in a sequence of cocompact congruence arithmetic lattices in a semisimple Lie group, which is motivated by the work of Sarnak and Xue ([58]). The goal of this work is to discuss similar hypotheses, their interrelation and their applications. We mainly focus on two properties – the spectral spherical density hypothesis and the geometric Weak injective radius property. Our results are strongest in the p-adic case, where we show that the two properties are equivalent, and both imply Sarnak’s general density hypothesis. One possible application is that either the spherical density hypothesis or the Weak injective radius property imply Sarnak’s optimal lifting property ([57]). Conjecturally, all those properties should hold in great generality. We hope that this work will motivate their proofs in new cases.
Optimal parabolic upper bound for the energy-momentum relation of a strongly coupled polaron
Authors: Mitrouskas David , Myśliwy Krzysztof , Seiringer Robert
Published: June 2023

We consider the large polaron described by the Fröhlich Hamiltonian and study its energy-momentum relation defined as the lowest possible energy as a function of the total momentum. Using a suitable family of trial states, we derive an optimal parabolic upper bound for the energy-momentum relation in the limit of strong coupling. The upper bound consists of a momentum independent term that agrees with the predicted two-term expansion for the ground state energy of the strongly coupled polaron at rest and a term that is quadratic in the momentum with coefficient given by the inverse of twice the classical effective mass introduced by Landau and Pekar.
Modulation of gut microbiota by diet and probiotics: potential approaches to prevent gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Cruz Marisa Carreira , Azinheiro Sarah , Pereira Sónia Gonçalves
Published: June 2023

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a rising global health problem that affects approximately 6% of pregnant women. Lifestyle interventions, particularly diet, and exercise are the first-line treatment, followed by pharmacotherapy, but with associated side effects to both mother and offspring. Modulation of gut microbiota may help prevent or manage GDM. Some gut bacterial groups associated with GDM are also associated with inflammatory biomarkers and gut dysbiosis. Available literature reports that low-glycaemic index diet reduces maternal fasting and 2-hour postprandial glucose and maintains a beneficial gut bacterial composition. Pre- and probiotics can aid GDM therapy by modulating gut microbiota to eubiotic status and improving glucose metabolism. Probiotics as adjuvant GDM therapy should consider bacterial strains, dosage, and treatment duration. Limitations in their use require further studies to develop specific probiotic-based GDM supplement therapy that impacts glycaemic control and inflammatory status by reducing fasting plasma glucose, insulin resistance, and improving lipid profiles of pregnant women.
Whole-genome sequencing rule-out of suspected hospital-onset Rhizopus outbreaks
Authors: Chu Victoria T. , Nafees Saba , Waltari Eric , McNeil Nicole , Caughell Carolyn , Sanchez-Guerrero Estella , Wang Lusha , Stanley Kim , Cunningham Gail , Wong Joan , Phelps Maíra , Tato Cristina M. , Miller Steve , DeRisi Joseph L. , Yokoe Deborah S. , Ramirez-Avila Lynn , Langelier Charles R.
Published: June 2023

Two independent temporal-spatial clusters of hospital-onset Rhizopus infections were evaluated using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that isolates within each cluster were unrelated despite epidemiological suspicion of outbreaks. The ITS1 region alone was insufficient for accurate analysis. WGS has utility for rapid rule-out of suspected nosocomial Rhizopus outbreaks.
Reynolds number and wall cooling effects on correlations between the thermodynamic variables in hypersonic turbulent boundary layers
Authors: Xu Dehao , Wang Jianchun , Chen Shiyi
Published: June 2023

The Reynolds number and wall cooling effects on correlations between the thermodynamic variables are systematically investigated in hypersonic turbulent boundary layers by direct numerical simulations. The correlations between the thermodynamic variables and the streamwise velocity are also analysed. The Kovasznay decomposition is introduced to decompose the fluctuating density and temperature into the acoustic and entropic modes. It is found that in the strongly cooled wall cases, the travelling-wave-like alternating positive and negative structures (TAPNSs) are found in the fluctuating pressure and the acoustic modes of density and temperature, and the streaky entropic structures (SESs) are identified in the fluctuating entropy and the entropic modes of density and temperature near the wall. Furthermore, both the acoustic and the entropic modes of density and temperature give significant contributions to the correlations involving density and temperature in the near-wall region, while these correlations are almost totally contributed by the entropic modes in the far-wall region. The entropic modes of the density and temperature are almost linearly correlated with the fluctuating entropy. Therefore, the fact that the fluctuating entropy is strongly correlated with the fluctuating density and temperature far from the wall is mainly due to the dominance of the entropic modes in the fluctuating density and temperature. Moreover, the fluctuating temperature is strongly positively correlated with the fluctuating streamwise velocity near the wall in strongly cooled wall cases, which can be ascribed to the appearance of the TAPNSs and SESs.
In the CEO We Trust: Negative Effects of Trust Between the Board and the CEO
Authors: Bae Kee-Hong , El Ghoul Sadok , Gong Zhaoran (Jason) , Guedhami Omrane
Published: June 2023

In this study, we investigate whether and how trust between board members and the CEO (board–CEO trust) affects the performance of mergers and acquisitions. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find that firms with higher levels of board–CEO trust exhibit poor M&A performance. High trust is associated with low acquisition announcement returns, long-term stock return performance, and post-deal operating performance. This negative effect of board–CEO trust is more pronounced among acquiring companies prone to agency problems. Our results suggest that, in the institutional setting of corporate boards, high trust can be too much of a good thing.
Stephanostomum minankisi n. sp. (Digenea: Acanthocolpidae) from dusky flounder Syacium papillosum (Paralichthydae) from southern Gulf of Mexico: A new species without spines?
Authors: García-Teh J.G. , Hernández-Mena D.I. , Vidal-Martínez V.M. , Aguirre-Macedo M.L.
Published: June 2023

A new species of the genus Stephanostomum is described for the southeastern Gulf of Mexico based on morphological and nucleotide evidence. Stephanostomum minankisi n. sp. infects the intestine of the dusky flounder Syacium papillosum in the Yucatan Continental Shelf, Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula). Sequences of the 28S ribosomal gene were obtained and compared with available sequences of the other species and genera of the families Acanthocolpidae and Brachycladiidae from GenBank. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted, including 39 sequences, 26 of which represented 21 species and six genera of the family Acanthocolpidae. The new species is characterized by the absence of circumoral spines and spines on the tegument. Nonetheless, scanning electron microscopy consistently revealed the pits of 52 circumoral spines distributed in a double row with 26 spines each, and forebody spined. Other distinctive features of this species are testes in contact (sometimes overlapping), the vitellaria running along the body lateral fields to the mid-level of the cirrus-sac, pars prostatica and ejaculatory duct similar in length, and uroproct present. The phylogenetic tree showed that the three species found as parasites of dusky flounder (the new adult species and two in metacercaria stages) were grouped into two different clades. S. minankisi n. sp. was the sister species of Stephanostomum sp. 1 (Bt = 56) and formed a clade with S. tantabiddii, supported by high bootstrap values (100).
Competition relations between selected microalgae and bloom-forming Ulva prolifera
Authors: Liu Qing , Cui Ruifei , Lin Jianing , Kang Zhenjun , Zhou Xiaojian
Published: June 2023

Large-scale Ulva prolifera green tides have successively occurred for 16 years (2007–2022) in the Yellow Sea (YS), and the different life stages of U. prolifera play critical roles in regulating the occurrence and development of green tides. U. prolifera and microalgae have a similar niche in seawater, but their potential interactions are not yet clearly understood. In this study, we investigated the competition relationship between two microalgae and U. prolifera at five different development stages in controlled laboratory experiments. The results showed that one microalgae Alexandrium tamarense, can only inhibit U. prolifera gametes at the first settlement stage. Inversely, the germinated U. prolifera begin to show negative effects on microalgae in multiple ways at the subsequent four stages, and the growth inhibition rates among these stages ranged from 19 to 100%. The complex interactions may influence the formation of green tides. Meanwhile, the potential ecological consequences on phytoplankton, even the decreased occurrence of microalgal blooms in the YS need to be further evaluated.
Abnormal resting-state effective connectivity in large-scale networks among obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Xu Yinhuan , Han Shaoqiang , Wei Yarui , Zheng Ruiping , Cheng Jingliang , Zhang Yan
Published: June 2023

Background

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental illness characterized by abnormal functional connectivity among distributed brain regions. Previous studies have primarily focused on undirected functional connectivity and rarely reported from network perspective.

Methods

To better understand between or within-network connectivities of OCD, effective connectivity (EC) of a large-scale network is assessed by spectral dynamic causal modeling with eight key regions of interests from default mode (DMN), salience (SN), frontoparietal (FPN) and cerebellum networks, based on large sample size including 100 OCD patients and 120 healthy controls (HCs). Parametric empirical Bayes (PEB) framework was used to identify the difference between the two groups. We further analyzed the relationship between connections and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).

Results

OCD and HCs shared some similarities of inter- and intra-network patterns in the resting state. Relative to HCs, patients showed increased ECs from left anterior insula (LAI) to medial prefrontal cortex, right anterior insula (RAI) to left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R-DLPFC) to cerebellum anterior lobe (CA), CA to posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and to anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Moreover, weaker from LAI to L-DLPFC, RAI to ACC, and the self-connection of R-DLPFC. Connections from ACC to CA and from L-DLPFC to PCC were positively correlated with compulsion and obsession scores (r = 0.209, p = 0.037; r = 0.199, p = 0.047, uncorrected).

Conclusions

Our study revealed dysregulation among DMN, SN, FPN, and cerebellum in OCD, emphasizing the role of these four networks in achieving top-down control for goal-directed behavior. There existed a top-down disruption among these networks, constituting the pathophysiological and clinical basis.
Climate Therapy and the Making of a Slavic Riviera on the Yugoslav Coast
Authors: Tchoukarine Igor
Published: June 2023

Beginning with the profound geopolitical changes created by the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and the creation of the Czechoslovak and Yugoslav states, this article examines how medical knowledge about maritime climate and sea-based therapies was mobilized in Czech popular touristic writing about Yugoslavia's Adriatic coast in the 1920s. The analysis of archival documents as well as non-specialist medical publications of Czech or Prague-trained doctors show that Czech tourists and curists (travelers in search of health treatments) were offered a freeform, all-encompassing therapeutic environmental approach. Inspired by Neo-Hippocratic principles, doctors stressed the importance of factors such as salt water, clean air, temperature variation, sunshine, flora, and modern facilities for disease prevention or the restoration of one's health. These doctors’ relative success in promoting the therapeutic virtues of the Adriatic Sea is explained in large part, this article argues, by a broad nexus of intertwined interests (such as the growth of tourism, concerns about public health, and the influence of Neo-Slavism) embedded in the project of transforming the Adriatic Sea into a therapeutic site.
The effect of the affordable care act and racial dynamics on federal Medicaid transfers
Authors: Olvera Johabed G. , Smith Candis Watts , vonLockette Niki D.
Published: June 2023

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was intended to reduce inequalities in access to healthcare resources. However, a 2012 Supreme Court decision allowed states to opt out of a key component of the policy, leading to even greater variation in Medicaid’s implementation. Using this variation, we estimate the effect of the ACA Medicaid expansion and racial dynamics on federal Medicaid-CHIP transfers received by states at the county level. To do so, we use a difference-in-differences specification and allow the expansion effect to vary across counties with different population shares of Black Americans. We find that Medicaid expansion increases the funds that are sent to counties, but additional analyses show that the racial demographics of a county also serve to influence how federal resources are apportioned. Specifically, the analyses reveal a curvilinear relationship between the proportion of Black residents and the dispersal of funds.
Racial Inequality in the Prime of Life: Infectious Disease Mortality in U.S. Cities, 1906–1933
Authors: Antoine-Jones Aja , Feigenbaum James J. , Hoehn-Velasco Lauren , Muller Christopher , Wrigley-Field Elizabeth
Published: June 2023

In the first half of the twentieth century, deaths from infectious disease, especially among the very young, fell dramatically in American cities. However, as infant mortality fell and life expectancy rose, racial inequality in urban infectious disease mortality grew. In this paper, we show that the fall in mortality and the rise in racial inequality in mortality reflected two countervailing processes. The dramatic decline in infant mortality from waterborne diseases drastically reduced the total urban infectious disease mortality rate of both Black and white Americans while having a comparatively small effect on the total racial disparity in urban infectious disease mortality. In contrast, the unequal fall in tuberculosis mortality, particularly in the prime of life, widened racial inequality in infectious disease mortality in US cities.
Twisted Civility: Comparing Courtesy, Coercion and Shaming in Southeast Asian Cities and Beyond
Authors: Rungby Asmus , Harms Erik
Published: June 2023

The literature on civility navigates the gravitational pulls of binary camps: civility sceptics tend to emphasize how it operates as an instrument of power; civility optimists tend to emphasize its emancipatory potentials. While some scholarship has attempted to reconcile these perspectives by showing how civility can be both negative and positive, such theorization tends to describe this relation in terms of ambivalence. While these approaches rightly indicate that normative judgments about civility are largely a matter of perspective, the concept of twisted civility developed here focuses on the ways in which actors become trapped by the dynamic shifts of force embedded within civility. Comparisons across seemingly incommensurate examples suggest that such multidirectional dynamics are not culturally specific but rather more generalizable. Building our theoretical conception of twisted civility from a comparative approach based on research in Kuching and Saigon, and then using the concept to consider examples from the United States and Denmark, this article also reverses the direction of theorizing typically employed in scholarship on civility. Using postcolonial Southeast Asia as the source of theory rather than its afterthought, the method here uses anthropological comparison to generate theory and to problematize assumptions that universalize Euro-American trajectories of civility.
A survey of weed research priorities: key findings and future directions
Authors: Brainard Daniel C. , Haramoto Erin R. , Leon Ramon G. , Kells James J. , Van Wychen Lee R. , Devkota Pratap , Jugulam Mithila , Barney Jacob N.
Published: June 2023

We conducted an online survey of weed scientists in the United States and Canada to (1) identify research topics perceived to be important for advancing weed science in the next 5 to 10 years and (2) gain insight into potential gaps in current expertise and funding sources needed to address those priorities. Respondents were asked to prioritize nine broad research areas, as well as 5 to 10 subcategories within each of the broad areas. We received 475 responses, with the majority affiliated with academic institutions (55%) and working in cash crop (agronomic or horticultural) study systems (69%). Results from this survey provide valuable discussion points for policy makers, funding agencies, and academic institutions when allocating resources for weed science research. Notably, our survey reveals a strong prioritization of Cultural and Preventative Weed Management (CPWM) as well as the emerging area of Precision Weed Management and Robotics (PWMR). Although Herbicides remain a high-priority research area, continuing challenges necessitating integrated, nonchemical tactics (e.g., herbicide resistance) and emerging opportunities (e.g., robotics) are reflected in our survey results. Despite previous calls for greater understanding and application of weed biology and ecology in weed research, as well as recent calls for greater integration of social science perspectives to address weed management challenges, these areas were ranked considerably lower than those focused more directly on weed management. Our survey also identified a potential mismatch between research priorities and expertise in several areas, including CPWM, PWMR, and Weed Genomics, suggesting that these topics should be prime targets for expanded training and collaboration. Finally, our survey suggests an increasing reliance on private sector funding for research, raising concerns about our discipline’s capacity to address important research priority areas that lack clear private sector incentives for investment.
Behandlungsdauer und Therapieerfolg bei der stationären verhaltenstherapeutischen Behandlung alkoholabhängiger Personen
Authors: Vollmer Heinz C. , Domma Julia
Published: June 2023

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Durch differenzielle Behandlungsdauern bei der stationären Behandlung alkoholabhängiger Personen könnten Behandlungskosten eingespart, Abstinenzquoten verbessert und psychische und finanzielle Folgekosten reduziert werden. Fragestellung: Welche Patient_innen-Merkmale korrelieren, unter Berücksichtigung der Behandlungsdauer, mit durchgehender einjähriger Abstinenz nach stationärer verhaltenstherapeutischer Behandlung? Methode: Naturalistische retrospektive Katamnesestudie (N=1688), in der getrennt für fünf Behandlungsdauern (28–56, 57–70, 71–93, 94–109, >109 Tage) drei Auswertungsmethoden zur Hypothesengenerierung angewendet wurden: 1) multivariate Analyse des Rückfalls, 2) univariate Analyse der Abstinenz, 3) univariate Analyse von drei Extremgruppen: geringste und höchste Abstinenzquote und längste Behandlungsdauer. Ergebnisse: Jüngere (OR: 2.7; 95 % KI: 1.7–4.4), arbeitslose (OR: 3; 95 % KI: 1.7–5.2) und therapieerfahrene (OR: 2.7; 95 % KI: 1.6–4.4) Patient_innen waren gehäuft rückfällig (p<.001) bei einer vier- bis achtwöchigen Behandlungsdauer. Im Vergleich zu einer Gruppe mit all diesen drei Merkmalen, hatten ältere, nicht-arbeitslose und therapieunerfahrene Patient_innen eine vierfach erhöhte Abstinenzquote (50.1 % vs. 12 %; p<.001; N: 371 vs. 184), obwohl 38 % dieser Patient_innen nicht länger als acht Wochen behandelt wurden. Schlussfolgerungen: Nach jetzigem Kenntnisstand wäre es wahrscheinlich am sinnvollsten wenn, entsprechend den verhaltenstherapeutischen Grundprinzipien, Patient_in und Therapeut_in gemeinsam entscheiden, welche Behandlungsdauer erfolgsversprechend ist, unter Berücksichtigung der Befunde der empirischen Prognoseforschung, den Ergebnissen ausgewählter Tests, der Prognose-Einschätzung der/des Patient_in, einschließlich der Zukunftsplanung, und dem klinischen Eindruck des Therapeuten/der Therapeutin. Die unabhängig von der Behandlungsdauer niedrige Abstinenzquote der Therapieerfahrenen lässt vermuten, dass dieser Gruppe eher über die Entwicklung neuer Interventionen als über Zunahme der Behandlungsdauer geholfen werden kann.
Kontrollierte Abgabe von Cannabis in Deutschland
Authors: Kleine Ronja , Hanewinkel Reiner
Published: June 2023

Zusammenfassung: Zielsetzung: Gestaltung der Umsetzung der geplanten kontrollierten Abgabe von Cannabis in Deutschland zum Freizeitgebrauch aus Sicht von Expert_innen. Methodik: Eine Gelegenheitsstichprobe von 1217 Personen aus den Bereichen Suchthilfe, -prävention und -forschung wurde mit einem Online-Fragebogen zu ausgewählten Aspekten einer Umsetzung der geplanten Cannabisabgabe befragt. Die Befragten waren im Mittel (Median) 40 bis 49 Jahre alt, mit mehr als 10 Jahren Berufserfahrung, und 59 % weiblich. Ergebnisse: Von >90 % als wichtig eingeschätzt wurden: kein Verkauf an Jugendliche, Ausweitung von Maßnahmen der (schulischen) Prävention, Verwendung der Steuereinnahmen für den cannabisbezogenen Gesundheitsbereich, Verkauf nur durch genehmigte Fachgeschäfte mit geschultem Personal und Informationspflicht, Alterskontrolle bei Betreten der Geschäfte, begleitende Testkäufe, Kennzeichnungspflicht für Cannabisprodukte, keine Mischung mit Alkoholprodukten, ein generelles Werbeverbot, Cannabisverbot im Straßenverkehr und Ausweitung des Bundesnichtraucherschutzgesetzes auf Cannabis. 65 % forderten ein Abgabemindestalter von 21 Jahren oder älter. 76 % sprachen sich für eine Besitz-Höchstmenge von max. 10 g aus, 86 % für eine Abgabehöchstmenge. 97 % befürworteten einen Preis auf Schwarzmarktniveau oder günstiger. Schlussfolgerungen: Im Vergleich zu Nikotin und Alkohol sprechen sich die Expert_innen für ein deutlich kontrollierteres und restriktiveres Abgabemodell aus.
Is Hearing Really Believing?
Authors: Gaiser Franziska , Utz Sonja
Published: June 2023

Abstract: Smart speakers are becoming popular all over the world and offer an alternative to conventional web search. We conducted two experiments to investigate whether different message modalities affect credibility perceptions, which role sponsor credibility and message accuracy play, and if this role differs in the two modalities. Based on the MAIN Model by Sundar (2008) , we assumed that modality, that is, whether the information is given textually or aurally, can affect credibility assessments. To investigate this, two online experiments with a 2 (modality: smart speaker/search engine) × 2 (message accuracy: high/low) ×3 (sponsor credibility: high/low/none) mixed factorial design were conducted ( n = 399 and 398). Information presented by the voice of a smart speaker was generally perceived as more credible. Results further showed that no source attribution and low message accuracy affected message credibility less in the auditive than in the textual modality, especially for participants with less topic involvement. With this, we gained valuable insights into the role of smart speakers for information search and potential downsides of this usage.
The Sensitivity of Moisture Flux Partitioning in the Cold‐Point Tropopause to External Forcing
Authors: Kroll C. A. , Fueglistaler S. , Schmidt H. , Kornblueh L. , Timmreck C.
Published: June 2023

The dryness of the stratosphere is the result of air entering through the cold tropical tropopause layer (TTL). However, our understanding of the moisture flux partitioning into water vapor and frozen hydrometeors is incomplete. This raises concerns regarding the ability of General Circulation Models to accurately predict changes in stratospheric water vapor following perturbations in the radiative budget due to volcanic aerosol or stratospheric geoengineering. We present the first results using a global storm‐resolving model investigating the sensitivity of moisture fluxes within the TTL to an additional heating source. We address the question how the partitioning of moisture fluxes into water vapor and frozen hydrometeors changes under perturbations. The analysis reveals the resilience of the TTL, keeping the flux partitioning constant even at an average cold‐point warming exceeding 8 K. In the control and perturbed simulations, water vapor contributes around 80% of the moisture entering the stratosphere.
A Neural Network‐Based Scale‐Adaptive Cloud‐Fraction Scheme for GCMs
Authors: Chen Guoxing , Wang Wei‐Chyung , Yang Shixi , Wang Yixin , Zhang Feng , Wu Kun
Published: June 2023

Cloud fraction (CF) significantly affects the short‐ and long‐wave radiation. Its realistic representation in general circulation models (GCMs) still poses great challenges in modeling the atmosphere. Here, we present a neural network‐based (NN‐based) diagnostic scheme that uses the grid‐mean temperature, pressure, liquid and ice water mixing ratios, and relative humidity to simulate the sub‐grid CF. The scheme, trained using CloudSat data with explicit consideration of grid sizes, realistically simulates the observed CF with a correlation coefficient >0.9 for liquid‐, mixed‐, and ice‐phase clouds. The scheme also captures the observed non‐monotonic relationship between CF and relative humidity and is computationally efficient, and robust for GCMs with a variety of horizontal and vertical resolutions. For illustrative purposes, we conducted comparative analyses of the 2006–2019 climatological‐mean cloud fractions among CloudSat, and simulations from the NN‐based scheme and the Xu‐Randall scheme (optimized the same way as the NN‐based scheme). The NN‐based scheme improves not only the spatial distribution of the total CF but also the cloud vertical structure. For example, the biases of too‐many high‐level clouds over the tropics and too‐many low‐level clouds over regions around 60°S and 60°N in the Xu‐Randall scheme are significantly reduced. These improvements are also found to be insensitive to the spatio‐temporal variability of large‐scale meteorology conditions, implying that the scheme can be used in different climate regimes.
Ethanol inhibits dopamine uptake via organic cation transporter 3: Implications for ethanol and cocaine co-abuse
Authors: Clauss N. J. , Mayer F. P. , Owens W. A. , Vitela M. , Clarke K. M. , Bowman M. A. , Horton R. E. , Gründemann D. , Schmid D. , Holy M. , Gould G. G. , Koek W. , Sitte H. H. , Daws L. C.
Published: June 2023

Concurrent cocaine and alcohol use is among the most frequent drug combination, and among the most dangerous in terms of deleterious outcomes. Cocaine increases extracellular monoamines by blocking dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) transporters (DAT, NET and SERT, respectively). Likewise, ethanol also increases extracellular monoamines, however evidence suggests that ethanol does so independently of DAT, NET and SERT. Organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) is an emergent key player in the regulation of monoamine signaling. Using a battery of in vitro, in vivo electrochemical, and behavioral approaches, as well as wild-type and constitutive OCT3 knockout mice, we show that ethanol’s actions to inhibit monoamine uptake are dependent on OCT3. These findings provide a novel mechanistic basis whereby ethanol enhances the neurochemical and behavioral effects of cocaine and encourage further research into OCT3 as a target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of ethanol and ethanol/cocaine use disorders.
Interactions of calmodulin kinase II with the dopamine transporter facilitate cocaine-induced enhancement of evoked dopamine release
Authors: Keighron Jacqueline D. , Bonaventura Jordi , Li Yang , Yang Jae-Won , DeMarco Emily M. , Hersey Melinda , Cao Jianjing , Sandtner Walter , Michaelides Michael , Sitte Harald H. , Newman Amy Hauck , Tanda Gianluigi
Published: June 2023

Typical and atypical dopamine uptake inhibitors (DUIs) prefer distinct conformations of the dopamine transporter (DAT) to form ligand-transporter complexes, resulting in markedly different effects on behavior, neurochemistry, and potential for addiction. Here we show that cocaine and cocaine-like typical psychostimulants elicit changes in DA dynamics distinct from those elicited by atypical DUIs, as measured via voltammetry procedures. While both classes of DUIs reduced DA clearance rate, an effect significantly related to their DAT affinity, only typical DUIs elicited a significant stimulation of evoked DA release, an effect unrelated to their DAT affinity, which suggests a mechanism of action other than or in addition to DAT blockade. When given in combination, typical DUIs enhance the stimulatory effects of cocaine on evoked DA release while atypical DUIs blunt them. Pretreatments with an inhibitor of CaMKIIα, a kinase that interacts with DAT and that regulates synapsin phosphorylation and mobilization of reserve pools of DA vesicles, blunted the effects of cocaine on evoked DA release. Our results suggest a role for CaMKIIα in modulating the effects of cocaine on evoked DA release without affecting cocaine inhibition of DA reuptake. This effect is related to a specific DAT conformation stabilized by cocaine. Moreover, atypical DUIs, which prefer a distinct DAT conformation, blunt cocaine’s neurochemical and behavioral effects, indicating a unique mechanism underlying their potential as medications for treating psychostimulant use disorder.
USP8 positively regulates hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis and confers ferroptosis resistance through β-catenin stabilization
Authors: Tang Jianing , Long Guo , Xiao Liang , Zhou Ledu
Published: June 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary hepatic carcinoma, which is a growing public health problem worldwide. One of the main genetic alterations in HCC is the deregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling, activation of β-catenin is associated with the progression of HCC. In the present study, we aimed to identify novel modulators in controlling β-catenin ubiquitination and stability. USP8 was overexpressed in HCC tissues and correlated with β-catenin protein level. High expression of USP8 indicated poor prognosis of HCC patients. USP8 depletion significantly decreased β-catenin protein level, β-catenin target genes expression and TOP-luciferase activity in HCC cells. Further mechanistic study revealed that the USP domain of USP8 interacted with the ARM domain of β-catenin. USP8 stabilized β-catenin protein via inhibiting K48-specific poly-ubiquitination process on β-catenin protein. In addition, USP8 depletion inhibited the proliferation, invasion and stemness of HCC cells and conferred ferroptosis resistance, which effects could be further rescued by β-catenin overexpression. In addition, the USP8 inhibitor DUB-IN-3 inhibited the aggressive phenotype and promoted ferroptosis of HCC cells through degradation of β-catenin. Thus, our study demonstrated that USP8 activated the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling through a post-translational mechanism of β-catenin. High expression of USP8 promoted the progression and inhibited ferroptosis of HCC. Targeting the USP8 may serve as a promising strategy for patients with HCC.
Design of a palette of SNAP-tag mimics of fluorescent proteins and their use as cell reporters
Authors: Zhang Dasheng , Chen Zhengda , Du Zengmin , Bao Bingkun , Su Ni , Chen Xianjun , Ge Yihui , Lin Qiuning , Yang Lipeng , Hua Yujie , Wang Shuo , Hua Xin , Zuo Fangting , Li Ningfeng , Liu Renmei , Jiang Li , Bao Chunyan , Zhao Yuzheng , Loscalzo Joseph , Yang Yi , Zhu Linyong
Published: June 2023

Naturally occurring fluorescent proteins (FPs) are the most widely used tools for tracking cellular proteins and sensing cellular events. Here, we chemically evolved the self-labeling SNAP-tag into a palette of SNAP-tag mimics of fluorescent proteins (SmFPs) that possess bright, rapidly inducible fluorescence ranging from cyan to infrared. SmFPs are integral chemical-genetic entities based on the same fluorogenic principle as FPs, i.e., induction of fluorescence of non-emitting molecular rotors by conformational locking. We demonstrate the usefulness of these SmFPs in real-time tracking of protein expression, degradation, binding interactions, trafficking, and assembly, and show that these optimally designed SmFPs outperform FPs like GFP in many important ways. We further show that the fluorescence of circularly permuted SmFPs is sensitive to the conformational changes of their fusion partners, and that these fusion partners can be used for the development of single SmFP-based genetically encoded calcium sensors for live cell imaging.
Synthesis of biobased functional materials using photoactive cinnamate derivatives
Authors: Takada Kenji
Published: June 2023

The use of cinnamic acid provides an approach to the research and development of biobased plastics for the reduction of global warming caused by the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Cinnamic acids in the metabolic systems of plants and microorganisms have been extensively studied. These cinnamates are reactive to ultraviolet (UV) light, and polymers based on these acids exhibit unique properties. In this focus review, we describe our recent work on the development of materials based on cinnamates. Polyesters are obtained by the polycondensation of hydroxycinnamic acid abundant in plants. The amorphous polycinnamate films exhibit characteristic photodeformability upon UV irradiation owing to E-Z isomerization and [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions. The [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of cinnamate can also be used to obtain truxillic and truxinic acids with excellent symmetry. Using these truxillic/truxinic acids, organic solvents or water-soluble polyimides and high-strength polyamides with high transparency can be derived, and biobased plastics comparable to existing high-performance plastics can be obtained.
The association between the timing, intensity and magnitude of adolescent growth and body composition in early adulthood
Authors: Nyati Lukhanyo H. , Pettifor John M. , Ong Ken K. , Norris Shane A.
Published: June 2023

Objectives

There’s paucity of longitudinal studies assessing the role of adolescent growth on adult body composition in developing countries. The aims of this study were to assess the association between adolescent change in height, weight and BMI and early adult height, weight, body fat and lean mass.

Methods

Magnitude, timing and intensity of height, weight and BMI growth were modelled for participants from the Birth to Thirty (Bt30) cohort (7–23 years). Early adult height, weight, BMI and DXA-derived body composition were obtained 1881 black participants (21–24 years). Linear regression analyses were used to assess associations.

Results

Adolescents with an earlier onset of puberty were heavier in childhood and had an earlier timing and faster weight gain velocity in late adolescence. The intensity of adolescent weight gain was positively associated with adult BMI and fat mass index (FMI) in females. Early timing of adolescent BMI gain was associated with increased weight and BMI in adult females and FMI in adult males. Achieving peak weight velocity around age at peak height velocity was associated with lower BMI and fat mass in both sexes.

Conclusion

This study confirms the adverse consequences of excessive weight gain prior to puberty, which is associated with an earlier and faster resurgence in weight gain velocity in early adulthood. Factors that contribute to an asynchronous timing of ages of peak weight and peak height velocities may accentuate the risk of adult obesity.
Performance of retinal fluid monitoring in OCT imaging by automated deep learning versus human expert grading in neovascular AMD
Authors: Pawloff Maximilian , Gerendas Bianca S. , Deak Gabor , Bogunovic Hrvoje , Gruber Anastasiia , Schmidt-Erfurth Ursula
Published: June 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the reliability of automated fluid detection in identifying retinal fluid activity in OCT scans of patients treated with anti-VEGF therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration by correlating human expert and automated measurements with central retinal subfield thickness (CSFT) and fluid volume values.

Methods

We utilized an automated deep learning approach to quantify macular fluid in SD-OCT volumes (Cirrus, Spectralis, Topcon) from patients of HAWK and HARRIER Studies. Three-dimensional volumes for IRF and SRF were measured at baseline and under therapy in the central millimeter and compared to fluid gradings, CSFT and foveal centerpoint thickness (CPT) values measured by the Vienna Reading Center.

Results

41.906 SD-OCT volume scans were included into the analysis. Concordance between human expert grading and automated algorithm performance reached AUC values of 0.93/0.85 for IRF and 0.87 for SRF in HARRIER/HAWK in the central millimeter. IRF volumes showed a moderate correlation with CSFT at baseline (HAWK: r = 0.54; HARRIER: r = 0.62) and weaker correlation under therapy (HAWK: r = 0.44; HARRIER: r = 0.34). SRF and CSFT correlations were low at baseline (HAWK: r = 0.29; HARRIER: r = 0.22) and under therapy (HAWK: r = 0.38; HARRIER: r = 0.45). The residual standard error (IRF: 75.90 µm; SRF: 95.26 µm) and marginal residual standard deviations (IRF: 46.35 µm; SRF: 44.19 µm) of fluid volume were high compared to the range of CSFT values.

Conclusion

Deep learning-based segmentation of retinal fluid performs reliably on OCT images. CSFT values are weak indicators for fluid activity in nAMD. Automated quantification of fluid types, highlight the potential of deep learning-based approaches to objectively monitor anti-VEGF therapy.
Therapeutic outcomes and analysis of Doppler findings in 25 patients with non-ischemic priapism
Authors: von Stempel Conrad , Shahzad Rohaan , Walkden Miles , Castiglione Fabio , Muneer Asif , Ralph David , Kirkham Alex
Published: June 2023

Non-ischemic priapism (NiP) is painless partial tumescence caused by genital trauma and the formation of intracorporal arterio-venous fistula. This is a retrospective study of 25 men with NiP and reports the long-term erectile function and colour doppler ultrasound (CDUS) findings after treatment for NiP. Unstimulated CDUS was performed at diagnosis, 1 week and at last follow-up after treatment. CDUS traces were analysed: peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), resistive index (RI) and mean velocity (MV) were calculated. Erectile function was assessed using the IIEF-EF questionnaire. At the last follow-up (median 24 months), 16 men had normal erectile function (64%): median IIEF-EF score 29 (IQR 28.5–30; σ2 2.78) and nine had erectile dysfunction (36%): median IIEF-EF score 17 (IQR 14–22; σ2 33.6). MV and EDV were statistically higher in those patients with erectile dysfunction at last follow-up compared to patients with normal erectile function: median MV 5.3 cm/s (IQR 2.4–10.5 cm/s; σ2 34) vs 2.95 cm/s (IQR 1.03-3.95; σ2 3.4) p < 0.002 and median EDV 4.0 cm/s (IQR 1.5–8.0; σ2 14.7) vs 0 cm/s (IQR 0–1.75; σ2 2.21) p < 0.004. Erectile dysfunction was observed in 36% of men treated for NiP and was associated with abnormal low resistance resting CDUS waveforms. Further investigation for persistent arteriovenous fistulation should be considered in these patients.
Racial disparity in tumor microenvironment and distant recurrence in residual breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Kim Gina , Karadal-Ferrena Burcu , Qin Jiyue , Sharma Ved P. , Oktay Isabelle S. , Lin Yu , Ye Xianjun , Asiry Saeed , Pastoriza Jessica M. , Cheng Esther , Ladak Nurfiza , Condeelis John S. , Adler Esther , Ginter Paula S. , D’Alfonso Timothy , Entenberg David , Xue Xiaonan , Sparano Joseph A. , Oktay Maja H.
Published: June 2023

Black, compared to white, women with residual estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) have worse distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS). Such racial disparity may be due to difference in density of portals for systemic cancer cell dissemination, called TMEM doorways, and pro-metastatic tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we evaluate residual cancer specimens after NAC from 96 Black and 87 white women. TMEM doorways are visualized by triple immunohistochemistry, and cancer stem cells by immunofluorescence for SOX9. The correlation between TMEM doorway score and pro-metastatic TME parameters with DRFS is examined using log-rank and multivariate Cox regression. Black, compared to white, patients are more likely to develop distant recurrence (49% vs 34.5%,p = 0.07), receive mastectomy (69.8% vs 54%,p = 0.04), and have higher grade tumors (p = 0.002). Tumors from Black patients have higher TMEM doorway and macrophages density overall (p = 0.002;p = 0.002, respectively) and in the ER+/HER2- (p = 0.02;p = 0.02, respectively), but not in the triple negative disease. Furthermore, high TMEM doorway score is associated with worse DRFS. TMEM doorway score is an independent prognostic factor in the entire study population (HR, 2.02; 95%CI, 1.18–3.46;p = 0.01), with a strong trend in ER+/HER2- disease (HR, 2.38; 95%CI, 0.96–5.95;p = 0.06). SOX9 expression is not associated with racial disparity in TME or outcome. In conclusion, higher TMEM doorway density in residual breast cancer after NAC is associated with higher distant recurrence risk, and Black patients are associated with higher TMEM doorway density, suggesting that TMEM doorway density may contribute to racial disparities in breast cancer.