bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automated segmentation of soft X-ray tomography: native cellular structure with sub-micron resolution at high throughput for whole-cell quantitative imaging in yeast
Authors: Chen Jianhua , Mirvis Mary , Ekman Axel , Vanslembrouck Bieke , Le Gros Mark , Larabell Carolyn , Marshall Wallace F.
Published: November 2024

Soft X-ray tomography (SXT) is an invaluable tool for quantitatively analyzing cellular structures at sub-optical isotropic resolution. However, it has traditionally depended on manual segmentation, limiting its scalability for large datasets. Here, we leverage a deep learning-based auto-segmentation pipeline to segment and label cellular structures in hundreds of cells across threeSaccharomyces cerevisiaestrains. This task-based pipeline employs manual iterative refinement to improve segmentation accuracy for key structures, including the cell body, nucleus, vacuole, and lipid droplets, enabling high-throughput and precise phenotypic analysis. Using this approach, we quantitatively compared the 3D whole-cell morphometric characteristics of wild-type, VPH1-GFP, andvac14strains, uncovering detailed strain-specific cell and organelle size and shape variations. We show the utility of SXT data for precise 3D curvature analysis of entire organelles and cells and detection of fine morphological features using surface meshes. Our approach facilitates comparative analyses with high spatial precision and statistical throughput, uncovering subtle morphological features at the single cell and population level. This workflow significantly enhances our ability to characterize cell anatomy and supports scalable studies on the mesoscale, with applications in investigating cellular architecture, organelle biology, and genetic research across diverse biological contexts.

Significance Statement

Soft X-ray tomography offers many powerful features for whole-cell multi-organelle imaging, but, like other high resolution volumetric imaging modalities, is typically limited by low throughput due to laborious segmentation.

Auto-segmentation for soft X-ray tomography overcomes this limitation, enabling statistical 3D morphometric analysis of multiple organelles in whole cells across cell populations.

The combination of high 3D resolution of SXT data with statistically useful throughput represents an avenue for more thorough characterizations of cellsin totoand opens new mesoscale biological questions and statistical whole-cell modeling of organelle and cell morphology, interactions, and responses to perturbations.
All-atom simulations elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying RNA-membrane interactions
Authors: Di Marco Salvatore , Aupič Jana , Bussi Giovanni , Magistrato Alessandra
Published: November 2024

RNA-membrane interactions are starting to emerge as an important organizing force in both natural and synthetic biological systems. Notably, RNA molecules were recently discovered to be present on the extracellular surface of living cells, where they mediate intercellular signalling. Furthermore, RNA-membrane interactions influence the efficacy of lipid-based RNA delivery systems. However, the molecular terms driving RNA localisation at the membrane remain poorly understood. In this work, we investigate how RNA-phospholipid membrane interactions occur, by means of all-atom simulations. We find that among the four RNA nucleobases guanine exhibits the strongest interaction with the membrane due to extensive hydrogen bond formation. Additionally, we show that intra-RNA base pairing present in organised RNA structures significantly hinders RNA binding to the membrane. Elucidating the molecular details of RNA-membrane association will importantly contribute to improving the design of RNA-based drugs as well as lipid-based RNA delivery systems and to parsing out RNA transport and localisation mechanisms.
Learning Binding Affinities via Fine-tuning of Protein and Ligand Language Models
Authors: Gorantla Rohan , Gema Aryo Pradipta , Yang Ian Xi , Serrano-Morrás Álvaro , Suutari Benjamin , Jiménez Jordi Juárez , Mey Antonia S. J. S.
Published: November 2024

Accuratein-silicoprediction of protein-ligand binding affinity is essential for efficient hit identification in large molecular libraries. Commonly used structure-based methods such as giga-docking often fail to rank compounds effectively, and free energy-based approaches, while accurate, are too computationally intensive for large-scale screening. Existing deep learning models struggle to generalize to new targets or drugs, and current evaluation methods do not reflect real-world performance accurately. We introduceBALM, a deep learning framework that predictsbindingaffinity using pretrained protein and ligandlanguagemodels. BALM learns experimental binding affinities by optimizing cosine similarity in a shared embedding space. We also propose improved evaluation strategies with diverse data splits and metrics to better assess model performance. Using the BindingDB dataset, BALM shows strong generalization to unseen drugs, scaffolds, and targets. It excels in few-shot scenarios for targets such asUSP7andMpro, outperforming traditional machine learning and docking methods, including AutoDock Vina. Adoption of the target-based evaluation methods proposed will allow for more stringent evaluation of machine learning-based scoring tools. Frameworks such as BALM show good performance, are computationally efficient, and are highly adaptable within this evaluation setting, making them practical tools for early-stage drug discovery screening.
Leveraging the T2T assembly to resolve rare and pathogenic inversions in reference genome gaps
Authors: Bilgrav Saether Kristine , Eisfeldt Jesper , Bengtsson Jesse D. , Lun Ming Yin , Grochowski Christopher M. , Mahmoud Medhat , Chao Hsiao-Tuan , Rosenfeld Jill A. , Liu Pengfei , Ek Marlene , Schuy Jakob , Ameur Adam , Dai Hongzheng ,   Undiagnosed Diseases Network, Hwang James Paul , Sedlazeck Fritz J. , Bi Weimin , Marom Ronit , Wincent Josephine , Nordgren Ann , Carvalho Claudia M.B. , Lindstrand Anna
Published: November 2024

Chromosomal inversions (INVs) are particularly challenging to detect due to their copy-number neutral state and association with repetitive regions. Inversions represent about 1/20 of all balanced structural chromosome aberrations and can lead to disease by gene disruption or altering regulatory regions of dosage-sensitive genes incis. Short-read genome sequencing (srGS) can only resolve ∼70% of cytogenetically visible inversions referred to clinical diagnostic laboratories, likely due to breakpoints in repetitive regions. Here, we study 12 inversions by long-read genome sequencing (lrGS) (n= 9) or srGS (n= 3) and resolve nine of them. In four cases, the inversion breakpoint region was missing from at least one of the human reference genomes (GRCh37, GRCh38, T2T-CHM13) and a reference agnostic analysis was needed. One of these cases, an INV9 mappable only in de novo assembled lrGS data using T2T-CHM13 disruptsEHMT1consistent with a Mendelian diagnosis (Kleefstra syndrome 1; MIM#610253). Next, by pairwise comparison between T2T-CHM13, GRCh37, and GRCh38, as well as the chimpanzee and bonobo, we show that hundreds of megabases of sequence are missing from at least one human reference, highlighting that primate genomes contribute to genomic diversity. Aligning population genomic data to these regions indicated that these regions are variable between individuals. Our analysis emphasizes that T2T-CHM13 is necessary to maximize the value of lrGS for optimal inversion detection in clinical diagnostics. These results highlight the importance of leveraging diverse and comprehensive reference genomes to resolve unsolved molecular cases in rare diseases.
The influence of categorical stimuli on relational memory binding
Authors: Schwarb Hillary , Dulas Michael , Cohen Neal
Published: October 2024

Binding of arbitrary information into distinct memory representations that can be used to guide behavior is a hallmark of relational memory. What is and is not bound into a memory representation and how those things influence the organization of that representation remain topics of interest. While some information is intentionally and effortfully bound—often the information that is consistent with task goals or expectations about what information may be required later—other information appears to be bound automatically. The present set of experiments sought to investigate whether spatial memory would be systematically influenced by the presence and absence of distinct categories of stimuli on a spatial reconstruction task. In this task, participants must learn multiple item-location bindings and place each item back in its studied location after a short delay. Across three experiments, participants made significantly more within-category errors (i.e., misassigning one item to the location of a different item from the same category) than between-category errors (i.e., misassigning one item to the location of an item from a different category) when categories were perceptually or semantically distinct. These data reveal that category information contributed to the organization of the memory representation and influenced spatial reconstruction performance. Together, these results suggest that categorical information can influence memory organization, and not always to the benefit of overall task performance.
Second-order dissociation and transition of heavy quarkonia in the quark-gluon plasma
Authors: Zhao Shouxing , He Min
Published: October 2024

We revisit the dissociation of heavy quarkonia by thermal partons at the next-to-leading order (NLO, also known as inelastic parton scattering dissociation) in the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Utilizing the chromoelectric dipole coupling from quantum chromodynamics (QCD) multipole expansion as an effective Hamiltonian, this has been conducted in the approach of second-order quantum mechanical perturbation theory, which allows us to systematically incorporate the bound state wave functions. Employing the quarkonium wave functions and binding energies obtained from an in-medium potential model, we then numerically evaluate the dissociation cross sections and rates for various charmonia and bottomonia, where the infrared and collinear divergences are regularized by the thermal masses of medium partons. We demonstrate that distinct from the leading order (LO, also known as gluo-dissociation) counterparts peaking at relatively low gluon energy and falling off thereafter, the NLO cross sections first grow and then nearly saturate as the incident parton energy increases, as a result of the outgoing parton carrying away the excess energy. The resulting NLO dissociation rates increase with temperature and take over from the LO counterparts toward high temperatures, similar to pertinent findings from previous studies. We also evaluate the in-medium second-order transition between different bound states, which may contribute to the total thermal decay widths of heavy quarkonia in the QGP.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Percolating cosmic string networks from kination
Authors: Conlon Joseph P. , Copeland Edmund J. , Hardy Edward , González Noelia Sánchez
Published: October 2024

We describe a new mechanism, whose ingredients are realized in string compactifications, for the formation of cosmic (super)string networks. Oscillating string loops grow when their tension μ decreases with time. If 2H+μ˙/μ<0, where H is the Hubble parameter, loops grow faster than the scale factor and an initial population of isolated small loops (for example, produced by nucleation) can grow, percolate, and form a network. This condition is satisfied for fundamental strings in the background of a kinating volume modulus rolling toward the asymptotic large volume region of moduli space. Such long kination epochs are motivated in string cosmology by both the electroweak hierarchy problem and the need to solve the overshoot problem. The tension of such a network today is set by the final vacuum; for phenomenologically appealing large volume scenario vacua, this would lead to a fundamental string network with Gμ∼10−10.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Transient resonant triads: An examination of turbulent patches injected into finite-width internal wave fields
Authors: Grayson K. M. , Irvine L. J. , Lawrie A. G. W. , Dalziel S. B.
Published: November 2024

This article presents an experimental investigation into the interaction of a freely evolving turbulent structure with a steadily forced, finite-width internal gravity wave beam. Specifically, a vortex ring is used as the simplified prototype for a propagating turbulent structure and we present an exploration into how it's passage affects the linear stability of the imposed (or forced) wave field. We use the term "vortex ring" to describe an initially axisymmetric, toroidal fluid structure with azimuthal vorticity. We first examine both the vortex ring and the imposed internal gravity wave beam separately and present how they develop in a quiescent, stratified environment. In the absence of any vortex ring, we find—in agreement with many previous studies—there is an amplitude threshold that the wave beam must surpass before it becomes linearly unstable by a process known as triadic resonance instability (TRI). In the absence of an imposed wave field, we present the propagation and collapse of a coherent vortex ring into a turbulent patch, and measure the transient spectrum of internal waves produced. We then combine these two phenomena and investigate how each impacts the other. While we find that the preexisting internal wave beam has no significant influence on the evolution of the incident vortex ring, we do find that the propagation and subsequent collapse of the ring provokes a response from the internal wave beam. This response allows us to demonstrate two key findings relating to the internal wave beams pathway to triadic resonance. First, the passage of a vortex ring propagating through a forced wave field can provide a nonlinear trigger for the transition to a triadic state when the amplitude of the imposed wave field is itself too small for the spontaneous growth of such a triadic state through TRI. Second, we find that in some cases the triadic states induced by this interaction are not self-sustaining and eventually decay, prompting the terminology "transient triads." These surprising findings are further confirmed by the unintentional release of trapped air arising from under our "magic carpet" wavemaker. These air bubbles turbulently propagate vertically through the imposed beam and, in some cases, induce similar triadic state transitions to those of the vortex ring. Our analysis leads to a discussion on the beam's pathway to instability and to question the structure of the underlying dynamical system arising from the distribution of spectral power in a finite-width beam.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Unifying finite-temperature dynamical and excited-state quantum phase transitions
Authors: Corps Ángel L. , Relaño Armando , Halimeh Jad C.
Published: November 2024

In recent years, various notions of dynamical phase transitions have emerged to describe far-from-equilibrium criticality. A unifying framework connecting these different concepts is still missing, and would provide significant progress toward understanding far-from-equilibrium quantum many-body universality. Initializing our system in a thermal ensemble and subsequently performing quantum quenches in the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model, we establish a direct connection between excited-state quantum phase transitions (ESQPTs) and two major types of dynamical phase transitions (DPTs), by relating the phases of the latter to the critical energies and conservation laws in the former. Our work provides further insight into how various concepts of non-ground-state criticality are intimately connected, paving the way for a unified framework of far-from-equilibrium universality.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
South–South mobility: Chilean students’ educational journeys in China
Authors: Morales Valdés José Manuel
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The study investigates the motivations, learning experiences and impacts of Chilean student mobility in China, focusing on postgraduate students. It analyzes how this education has influenced their professional trajectories and Sino-Chilean relations.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology employs a qualitative approach, based on 13 semi-structured interviews, with an analysis covering aspects such as the reasons for studying in China, the acquisition of Mandarin Chinese, the academic experience and professional projections.

Findings

The research concludes that these students, trained in China, significantly contribute to strengthening bilateral ties in various fields, highlighting cultural diplomacy as a key factor in expanding collaboration between the two countries.

Originality/value

Additionally, it underscores the need to consider student mobility as an essential component of relations between Chile and China, in particular, and among different Global South countries in general, transcending the limitations of financing criteria and the Eurocentric orientation that predominates in the internationalization policies of Chilean higher education.
Toward the successful adoption of Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing organizations: proposing a causal model
Authors: Limon-Romero Jorge , García-Alcaraz Jorge Luis , Gastelum-Acosta Carlos , Antony Jiju , Baez-Lopez Yolanda , Tortorella Guilherme
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to provide new and valuable insights for organizations that have decided to implement Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a strategy for continuous improvement in search of business excellence. This objective is achieved through statistically modeling the causal relationships between the critical success factors (CSFs) of LSS for a successful deployment of this strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

A statistically validated questionnaire was used to collect information from LSS practitioners in manufacturing industries located on Mexico’s northern border. Some hypotheses for relationships between LSS CSFs are developed theoretically first and empirically tested later using the structural equation modeling technique.

Findings

Proposed relationships between LSS CSFs have been demonstrated to be statistically significant, making clear that this implementation should always begin with a strong and decided participation and commitment of top management. Later, other CSFs must be activated and put into operation in a specified order to increase the probability of a successful implementation reflected in well-executed continuous improvement projects and achieving the expected benefits.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a structural model which has been statistically validated with information directly collected from skilled practitioners who have developed continuous improvement projects using the LSS methodology. Further, some relationships between LSS CSFs that, to the best of the author’s knowledge, had not been demonstrated empirically are now explored and verified in our work.
A low-cost self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator sensor for detecting loosening bolt under impact loading
Authors: Xi Yinhu , Deng Jinhui , Li Baokun , Li Yanbiao , Deng Haishun
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to detect the bolt loosening under conditions of impact loading with a low-cost self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator sensor.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, an Al/PTFE-based triboelectric nanogenerator (AP-TENG) is used as a sensor. A pendulum impact device and a force hammer were used to apply the impact loads. The bolt status and the applied torque can be monitored under impact loading conditions by using the output voltage results of the AP-TENGs.

Findings

The output voltage results of the current AP-TENG sensor under five different bolt torques, i.e. from 0.5 to 2.5 N m, were measured. The measurements revealed that a thicker buffer layer significantly contributed to the generation of higher voltages. Besides, the AP-TENG was also used to light ten commercial green LEDs in series, and the brightness of the LEDs was high enough even for the daytime, which showed that it can be used as the alarm device. In addition, a sudden loose test was also carried out, and the obvious voltage spikes can be seen without the external impact. The force hammer impact tests have expanded the application scope of the AP-TENG in the bolt loosening detection.

Originality/value

The bolt loosening monitoring is important and useful for the safe operation. The application of TENG technology for detecting bolt loosening remains relatively unexplored. In addition, ten commercial green LEDs can be driven by the AP-TENG sensor, which can be used for the early warning of the bolted loosening status.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-06-2024-0216/
Trends in digital transformation (DT) of higher education institutes (HEI): bibliometric and systematic review of 13 years
Authors: Joshi Sujata , Srivastava Anugamini Priya , Prabhu Sandeep , Pathak Pankaj , Chirputkar Abhijit , Pillai Samaya
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to investigate the digital transformation (DT) trends in higher education institutes (HEI) (from 2010 to 2023) and examine the role of upcoming technologies in the HEI and their impact on user experience and social inclusiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The middle-range research method is adopted, wherein the Scopus database is used for publication searches. The bibliometric analysis is done on a dataset of 408 articles to determine research trends in DT, top-cited articles, top journals, key authors, country-wise contribution, keyword analysis, bibliographic coupling and co-occurrence analysis. Additionally, content analysis was done on 51 articles that were finally selected to identify the upcoming DT themes in HEI.

Findings

Three key themes emerged from the analysis: digital technologies (for teaching, learning, assessment and administration), user experience and social inclusiveness, based on which we propose a conceptual model for DT in HEI.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the ongoing studies in the following way: (1) it proposes a conceptual model for DT in HEI. (2) It provides an understanding of the impact of DT on user experience and social inclusiveness in the context of HEI. (3) It paves the way for future research by providing future research themes, future research directions and future research questions, providing a groundwork for upcoming investigations which will help researchers develop this area further.
Teaching ICT to pre-schoolers in the global south using indigenous knowledge patterns
Authors: Armah Michael , Tetteh Andrew , Nkrumah Felicia
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The study addresses the challenges of limited access to technology and gender inequality in Ghana's education system, particularly science, technology, engineering, and mathematics/information and communications technologies (STEM/ICT) education. It focuses on the culturo-techno-contextual approach (CTCA), which has been shown to improve student outcomes and reduce educational gender inequality in Africa. Thus, this study addressed two research objectives: whether the CTCA will improve basic school students’ understanding of ICT and reduce the gender gap without ICT facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted using a quantitative method and a quasi-experimental design. 120 participants (44 in the experimental group and 76 in the control group) were selected using purposive and random sampling techniques. Data were collected using the Windows Interface Achievement Test (WIAT) and analysed using ANCOVA analysis.

Findings

The study found that the CTCA improved students’ understanding of ICT without ICT resources. The study also found that using the CTCA, there were no differences between male and female students in their understanding of ICT without ICT resources.

Practical implications

Based on the study’s findings, the researchers recommend the use of the CTCA in teaching basic school ICT, particularly in rural areas where access to ICT resources is problematic.

Originality/value

Researchers typically experiment with alternate teaching strategies to overcome obstacles in learning issues. This study’s originality stems from applying an indigenous teaching method (CTCA) to break down learning difficulties in ICT education.
Changing heritage imageability of an ancient Indian sacred city – a case of Puri
Authors: Mohanty Rabi Narayan , Mohanta Ashaprava , Chani Prabhjot Singh
Published: November 2024

Purpose

India is an abode of several ancient heritage and sacred cities. However, limited heritage sites have been appropriately documented to date. Hence, limited information is available on the historical development, existing settings and challenges of ancient heritage cities. Puri, a prime sacred and heritage city, is selected to demonstrate the historical and spatial development and current issues of ancient Indian heritage cities.

Design/methodology/approach

Site visits, documentation of the existing settings and interviews with stakeholders and historians were conducted to understand this city's evolution and existing issues. Also, content analysis is administered to rank the stakeholders’ perceptions of the current challenges in the town.

Findings

The results reveal that the scarcity of resources, encroachment of public spaces, insufficient infrastructure and lack of maintenance of heritage structures are the major challenges for Puri. Also, the absence of collaboration between the involved agencies and heritage site-specific guidelines hinders the city’s redevelopment.

Practical implications

This research discusses the development phases and current issues of a prime heritage city in India. This knowledge will help urban planners and policymakers formulate policies for Puri's holistic development.

Originality/value

This is the first comprehensive research on historical development, current issues, and the reasons for any heritage city in Odisha state of India. This paper will help the academic literature to understand the chronological growth pattern in ancient, medieval, colonial, and post-colonial periods, as well as current issues and changing heritage imageability of Indian heritage sites of a similar nature.
Effectiveness of EHR systems on decision support in primary healthcare: a technology acceptance model 3 perspective
Authors: Mwogosi Augustino , Kibusi Stephen
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate healthcare practitioners’ perceptions of electronic health record (EHR) systems and their effectiveness in supporting clinical decision-making in Tanzanian Primary Healthcare (PHC) facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative data from structured questionnaires and qualitative insights from open-ended responses. The study was conducted in the Dodoma region of Tanzania, focusing on a diverse representation of PHC facilities, including district hospitals, health centres and dispensaries. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression for quantitative data, and thematic analysis was applied to qualitative responses.

Findings

The results revealed that while EHR systems are widely used in Tanzanian PHC facilities, their impact on clinical decision-making remains limited. Only a moderate portion of practitioners perceived EHR systems as effective in decision support, and frequent system use was negatively correlated with user satisfaction. Challenges such as inadequate training and support, system crashes, slow performance and poor usability and integration into clinical workflows were significant barriers to effectively utilising EHR systems.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the limited literature on EHR system implementation in low-resource settings, specifically Tanzania, by focusing on decision-support features within EHR systems. The findings offer valuable insights for healthcare policymakers, system designers and practitioners to optimise EHR implementation and improve healthcare outcomes in resource-constrained environments.
How does electricity trading affect the carbon emission reduction of electric vehicles from the perspective of electricity consumption?
Authors: Zhang Linling , Li Shuangqun , Zhang Wei
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore carbon emission reduction of electric vehicles from the perspective of electricity consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

Electric vehicles (EVs) consume large amounts of electricity, thereby generating large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, so there is an urgent need to consider whether EVs have greater potential for reducing carbon emissions than other modes of transport. In this paper, the carbon emission reduction potential (CERP) coefficients of EVs are examined under three different scenarios from an interprovincial electricity trading perspective. Scenario analysis was used to quantify the CERP of EVs in 18 provinces in China.

Findings

The results show the following: (1) The higher the proportion of general-fuel vehicles in all transportation, the higher the CERP of EVs. (2) Interprovincial power trading affects the proportion of coal power consumed in a province, and the higher the proportion of clean power in the purchased power, the lower the proportion of coal power consumed in that province. (3) The proportion of coal power in the electricity consumption of a province is correlated negatively with the CERP of EVs in that province.

Originality/value

This paper quantifies the CERP of EVs compared with other modes of transport and gives provinces a more intuitive understanding of the CERP of EVs. Furthermore, we derive the carbon emission shift out of each province via the electricity trading paths among provinces, analyzing the impacts of the variability between different provinces on EV carbon emissions.
Quantifying seed rain patterns in a remnant and a chronosequence of restored tallgrass prairies in north central Missouri
Authors: Wynne K. Carter , Parker‐Smith Maya J. , Murdock Erica M. , Sullivan Lauren L.
Published: November 2024

Seed rain is an influential process related to plant community diversity, composition and regeneration. However, knowledge of seed rain patterns is limited to those observed in forests and late‐assembling grasslands, which might not reflect early assembling communities such as newly restored grasslands. Resolving this gap in our understanding provides further insight into the role of seed dispersal.

Here, we measured seed rain in a remnant tallgrass prairie, which was the site of the foundational grassland seed rain study in 1978, and a nearby chronosequence of tallgrass prairie restorations. We sought to determine how the quantity, seed mass traits, timing, diversity and composition of seed rain changed (1) long‐term and (2) during community assembly. To do so, we deployed artificial turf grass seed traps into 2‐year‐old, 5–6‐year‐old and 15‐year‐old restored prairies and the remnant prairie, replacing traps every 2 weeks from May to December 2019.

We captured over twice the density and richness of seed rain in the remnant prairie in 2019 compared to 1978. We also found that seed rain patterns changed as prairies aged, with each prairie possessing a distinct community of dispersing species. Significantly more seeds, seed biomass, and species were captured in the youngest restored prairie. However, seed mass traits were similar in all prairies. Except for composition, all other seed rain metrics in the oldest restoration were eventually comparable to the remnant prairie.

Synthesis and applications: Our results revealed that grasslands, notably young prairies, produce larger quantities of seed rain than previously known (124,806 seeds m−2 year−1, 97.24 g m−2 year−1), and seed input in all sampled prairies far exceeded restoration broadcast seeding densities. We further found that decreases in seed rain quantity across the chronosequence did not correspond with increases in seed mass, suggesting a lack of trade‐offs between these metrics. Furthermore, tallgrass prairie restorations have not replicated the composition of seed rain seen in remnant systems. Increasing restoration seeding rates of desirable species may be needed to meet composition goals since current rates may not compete with the propagule pressure of undesirable species found in newly restored prairies.
UBER IN EXURBIA: Peripheral Platformization, Post‐Suburbanization and the Public–Private Ridehail Partnership in the Toronto City Region
Authors: Namberger Fabian
Published: October 2024

After their widespread legalization, ridehailing companies Uber and Lyft soon embarked on a new stage of their respective business models: the initiation of a wave of strategic partnerships with local and regional transit agencies across the North American continent. This article accounts for this trend by putting forward the concept of the public–private ridehail partnership (PPRP). It aims to render visible the PPRP as a variously contradictory attempt to splice Uber and Lyft's platform‐based business models with the existing social and physical realities of North American post‐suburban space. While conceived as a strategic response to pressing sub‐ and exurban problems such as low physical densities, widespread car centrism and extensive transit undersupply, the PPRP, as I argue, is neither able to adequately address these dilemmas nor to ultimately resolve them. Rather, the PPRP latches onto old—and sets in motion new—powerful dynamics of heightened uneven development and continued urban entrepreneurialism. Each of these two dynamics is explored through empirical analyses of two recent PPRPs in the Toronto city region: the Lyft–Metrolinx pilot carried out between July and December 2019; and Uber's ongoing partnership with the town of Innisfil, located about 80 km north of downtown Toronto.
Do foster youth face harsher juvenile justice outcomes? Reinvestigating child welfare bias in juvenile justice processing
Authors: Goldstein Ezra G. , Font Sarah A. , Kennedy Reeve S. , Connell Christian M. , Kurpiel Allison E.
Published: November 2024

Research summary

For decades, child welfare scholars and policy makers have been concerned with the strong association between foster care and juvenile justice involvement. Foster care placement may lead to differences in justice system outcomes if youth in foster care face “processing bias”—differentially harsh treatment by agents of the juvenile court. Previous research found that youth in foster care at the time of juvenile justice contact were treated more harshly by the court, resulting in higher rates of punitive case outcomes. We revisit the question of processing bias using detailed administrative data on more than 10,000 adolescents in Pennsylvania in 2015–2019 and a selection‐on‐observables design. We find no evidence of processing bias against youth in foster care. Compared to observationally equivalent cases, those that involve youth in foster care do not experience more punitive outcomes. If anything, our estimates suggest the opposite—youth in foster care are less likely to have a charge adjudicated, be placed under court‐ordered supervision, or enter into juvenile detention. The precision of our estimates and bounding exercises allow us to rule out even modest evidence of punitive processing bias.

Policy implications

This paper highlights the importance of revisiting the evidence of processing bias within juvenile justice and child welfare agencies. Given the decentralized and continuously evolving nature of these systems, local jurisdictions should investigate their own case outcomes and contexts before implementing reforms to address bias. Yet, many lack the resources for such research and federal support is essential to enhance local data analysis capabilities, promoting more tailored and effective policy reforms. Initiatives that aim to integrate data from multiple systems can better understand and address the needs of overlapping populations, ultimately improving the quality of services and outcomes.
PHACEing a challenging diagnosis: Should we expand the phenotype?
Authors: Goergen Stacy K , Wong LuFee , Fahey Michael C
Published: November 2024

PHACE syndrome is a challenging but important prenatal diagnosis due to its protean clinical consequences. The ‘tilted telephone receiver’ sign (TTRS), consisting of asymmetric cerebellar volume reduction and marked counterclockwise, Dandy–Walker‐like upward vermis rotation on prenatal MRI and ultrasound has high specificity for PHACE. Recently, a case report of the prenatal imaging findings in an infant with PHACE described more mild upward vermis rotation and cerebellar clefting. It recommended consideration of expansion of the currently accepted phenotype to improve prenatal detection of the condition. We describe a case with imaging features essentially indistinguishable from the recently published case of PHACE with mild upward vermis rotation, asymmetric cerebellar hemispheric volume loss and a cerebellar hemispheric cleft. Our patient did not have PHACE postnatally at 1 year of follow up. Neurodevelopmental testing in infancy demonstrated mildly atypical development. Fetuses with asymmetric cerebellar hemispheric volume loss, a cleft in the smaller hemisphere and only mild upward vermis rotation, consistent with the proposed ‘expanded PHACE phenotype’ do not always have PHACE. Erroneously adverse prenatal prognostic counselling may result from such prenatal phenotypic expansion.
Microglia‐derived Galectin‐9 drives amyloid‐β pathology in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Zhang Guoxin , Peng Qinyu , Guo Xiaodi , Pan Lina , Xiong Min , Zhang Xingyu , Dai Lijun , Zhang Zhaohui , Xiao Tingting , He Juanfeng , Liu Miao , Ke Wei , Zhang Zhentao
Published: November 2024

The accumulation of amyloid‐β (Aβ) and overactivation of microglia contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the interaction between microglial activation and Aβ deposition in AD remains elusive. Here we revealed that Aβ activates microglia and promotes the release of Galectin‐9 (Gal‐9), a member of the β‐galactoside–binding family of lectins. The levels of Gal‐9 in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissues of AD patients are higher than those in control subjects. Gal‐9 interacts with Aβ and promotes its aggregation, generating Gal‐9‐Aβ fibrils with enhanced seeding activity and neurotoxicity. The expression of Gal‐9 increases with age in the brains of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Knockout of Gal‐9 in APP/PS1 mice substantially reduced Aβ sedimentation, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment. Moreover, depletion of Gal‐9 inhibited the seeding activity of brain homogenates from APP/PS1 mice. These findings reveal a mechanism by which microglia‐derived Gal‐9 accelerates Aβ aggregation and seeding in AD. Thus, strategies aimed at inhibiting Gal‐9 may hold promise as a disease‐modifying therapy to alleviate AD pathology.
Exploring the importance of predicted camel NRAP exon 4 for environmental adaptation using a mouse model
Authors: Lee Sung‐Yeon , Lee Bo‐Young , Lim Byeonghwi , Uzzaman Rasel , Jang Goo , Kim Kwan‐Suk
Published: October 2024

Camels possess exceptional adaptability, allowing them to withstand extreme temperatures in desert environments. They conserve water by reducing their metabolic rate and regulating body temperature. The heart of the camel plays a crucial role in this adaptation, with specific genes expressed in cardiac tissue that are essential for mammalian adaptation, regulating cardiac function and responding to environmental stressors. One such gene, nebulin‐related‐anchoring protein (NRAP), is involved in the assembly of myofibrils and the transmission of force within the heart. In our study of the NRAP gene across various livestock species, including three camel species, we identified a camel‐specific exon region in the NRAP transcripts. This additional exon (exon 4) contains an open reading frame predicted in camels. To investigate its function, we generated knock‐in mice expressing camel NRAP exon 4. These ‘camelized mice’ exhibited normal phenotypic characteristics compared with wild‐type mice but showed elevated body temperatures under cold stress. Transcriptome analyses of the hearts from camelized mice under cold stress revealed differentially expressed inflammatory cytokine genes, known to influence cardiac function by modulating the contractility of cardiac muscle cells. We propose further investigations utilizing these camelized mice to explore these findings in greater depth.
Healthcare, school and daily life experiences of patients with microphthalmia or anophthalmia and their parents
Authors: Chireh Evin , Nordquist Jonas , Grönlund Marita Andersson , Fahnehjelm Kristina Teär
Published: November 2024

Aim

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of the patients with microphthalmia and anophthalmia and their parents, focusing on the healthcare, school settings and daily life challenges to improve patient management.

Methods

In‐depth interviews were conducted in Stockholm, Sweden, from October 2022 to June 2023. Participants were recruited through the St Erik Eye Hospital database (2008–2022), and the data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

The study included 15 patients (9 female and 6 male), with a median age of 21 years (range 15–31), and 1 parent per patient. Five key themes were identified from the parental interviews and three from the patient interviews. Both groups emphasised the need for improvements in healthcare, including better physician continuity, emotional support, information provision and prosthesis functionality. Families of those with severe bilateral visual impairment highlighted the need for additional school and daily life support. While some parents had future concerns, most patients viewed their condition as a natural part of life.

Conclusion

Patients and parents shared insights on the psychosocial impact and suggested improvements in the healthcare and school settings, providing valuable guidance for enhancing care and management for this patient group.
Reduction of Noise Levels During Caesarean Births Through Audiovisual Feedback is Associated With Lower Stress Levels for Patients
Authors: Gabrysch Caroline Helena , Anders Sophie‐Isabelle , Dressler‐Steinbach Iris , Braun Thorsten , Efe Ilhamiyya , Henrich Wolfgang
Published: November 2024

Objective

Noise reduction during surgical procedures leads to improved surgical performance and results. The caesarean birth (CB) is an exceptional operation and a life changing experience. Through the introduction of staff education and implementation of audiovisual feedback, we intended to reduce noise, and subsequently reduce surgical complications and increase the well‐being of patients and staff.

Methods

During Phase I, blinded baseline measurements of noise were conducted. Phase II started after staff education and structured questionnaires on subjective noise and stress were added, and in Phase III audiovisual feedback was introduced. Mean and peak noise levels over the time of the procedure were obtained in A‐weighted decibels (dB(A)). Kruskal–Wallis H tests were performed to evaluate the impact of interventions on noise levels. Questionnaires were evaluated using descriptive statistics; stress‐scores were compared using independent sample t‐tests.

Results

Ninety planned CBs were included. Median noise levels were 62.85 dB(A) at baseline. They decreased significantly to 60.60 dB(A) (Phase II) and 59.25 dB(A) (Phase III), respectively. This reduction of 3.6 dB(A) leads to a subjective noise reduction of around 20%. Significant differences for A‐weighted and peak noise levels during actual surgery were found after combining staff education with audiovisual feedback. In Phase III, staff reported less stressful noise. Stress also decreased significantly in the patient group. Beeping machines and telephones were identified as the most stressful sources of noise.

Conclusion

We show that noise reduction during CB is both necessary and possible. Diminished subjective perception of noise and stress are positive impacts of this intervention. Staff education and audiovisual feedback can help to provide a calm and lower stress environment for patients and staff during caesarean births.
Noncanonical TCA cycle fosters canonical TCA cycle and mitochondrial integrity in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Watanabe Atsushi , Tipgomut Chartsiam , Totani Haruhito , Yoshimura Kentaro , Iwano Tomohiko , Bashiri Hamed , Chua Lee Hui , Yang Chong , Suda Toshio
Published: October 2024

Cancer cells rely on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and the noncanonical tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. In this paper, we shed light on the vital role played by the noncanonical TCA cycle in a host‐side concession to mitochondria, especially in highly energy‐demanding malignant tumor cells. Inhibition of ATP‐citrate lyase (ACLY), a key enzyme in the noncanonical TCA cycle, induced apoptosis by increasing reactive oxygen species levels and DNA damage while reducing mitochondrial membrane potential. The mitochondrial membrane citrate transporter inhibitor, CTPI2, synergistically enhanced these effects. ACLY inhibition reduced cytosolic citrate levels and CTPI2 lowered ACLY activity, suggesting that the noncanonical TCA cycle is sustained by a positive feedback mechanism. These inhibitions impaired ATP production, particularly through OXPHOS. Metabolomic analysis of mitochondrial and cytosolic fractions revealed reduced levels of glutathione pathway‐related and TCA cycle‐related metabolite, except fumarate, in mitochondria following noncanonical TCA cycle inhibition. Despite the efficient energy supply to the cell by mitochondria, this symbiosis poses challenges related to reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial maintenance. In conclusion, the noncanonical TCA cycle is indispensable for the canonical TCA cycle and mitochondrial integrity, contributing to mitochondrial domestication.
A Blended Learning Course to Support Innovative Online Teaching in Higher Education
Authors: Lazarinis Fotis , Panagiotakopoulos Theodor , Armakolas Stefanos , Vonitsanos Gerasimos , Iatrellis Omiros , Kameas Achilles
Published: November 2024

This paper addresses the challenge of improving the effectiveness and innovativeness of online teaching in higher education. It presents a blended learning course designed for faculty development and discusses the findings of surveying the opinions of participants. The course integrates synchronous sessions with digital learning tools and platforms to equip educators with essential skills for online teaching. A mixed‐methods design has been applied for evaluating the educational activity, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data collection. The course had a completion rate of 91.13%. The opinions of 72 higher education members have been surveyed, and the findings revealed that the blended learning course enhanced instructors' ability to design and deliver online content that is both pedagogically sound and engaging. The necessity for such learning activities is strongly emphasised. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for future course design and faculty development programs in higher education.