bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of functional disability on health-care use and medical costs among cancer survivors
Authors: Tak Hyo Jung , Horner Ronnie D , Lee Min Sok , Shih Ya-Chen Tina
Published: August 2023

Background

Cancer survivors with a disability are among the most vulnerable in health status and financial hardship, but no prior research has systematically examined how disability modifies health-care use and costs. This study examined the association between functional disability among cancer survivors and their health-care utilization and medical costs.

Methods

We generated nationally representative estimates using the 2015-2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Outcomes included use of 6 service types (inpatient, outpatient, office-based physician, office-based nonphysician, emergency department, and prescription) and medical costs of aggregate services and by each of 6 service types. The primary independent variable was a categorical variable for the total number of functional disabilities. We employed multivariable generalized linear models and 2-part models, adjusting for sociodemographics and health conditions and accounting for survey design.

Results

Among cancer survivors (n = 9359; weighted n = 21 046 285), 38.8% reported at least 1 disability. Compared with individuals without a disability, cancer survivors with 4 or more disabilities experienced longer hospital stays (adjusted average marginal effect = 1.14 days, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.55 to 1.73), more visits to an office-based physician (average marginal effect = 1.43 visits, 95% CI = 0.51 to 2.35), and a greater number of prescriptions (average marginal effect = 12.1 prescriptions, 95% CI = 9.27 to 15.0). Their total (average marginal effect = $9537, 95% CI = $5713 to $13 361) and out-of-pocket (average marginal effect = $639, 95% CI = $79 to $1199) medical costs for aggregate services were statistically significantly higher. By type, disability in independent living was most strongly associated with greater costs for aggregate services.

Conclusions

Cancer survivors with a disability experienced greater health-care use and higher costs. Cancer survivorship planning for health care and financial stability should consider the patients’ disability profile.
Quadruple-star systems are not always nested triples: a machine learning approach to dynamical stability
Authors: Vynatheya Pavan , Mardling Rosemary A , Hamers Adrian S
Published: August 2023

The dynamical stability of quadruple-star systems has traditionally been treated as a problem involving two ‘nested’ triples which constitute a quadruple. In this novel study, we employed a machine learning algorithm, the multilayer perceptron (MLP), to directly classify 2 + 2 and 3 + 1 quadruples based on their stability (or long-term boundedness). The training data sets for the classification, comprised of 5 × 105 quadruples each, were integrated using the highly accurate direct N-body code mstar. We also carried out a limited parameter space study of zero-inclination systems to directly compare quadruples to triples. We found that both our quadruple MLP models perform better than a ‘nested’ triple MLP approach, which is especially significant for 3 + 1 quadruples. The classification accuracies for the 2 + 2 MLP and 3 + 1 MLP models are 94 and 93 per cent, respectively, while the scores for the ‘nested’ triple approach are 88 and 66 per cent, respectively. This is a crucial implication for quadruple population synthesis studies. Our MLP models, which are very simple and almost instantaneous to implement, are available on Github, along with python3 scripts to access them.
The white dwarf mass–orbital period relation under wind mass-loss
Authors: Gao Shi-Jie , Li Xiang-Dong
Published: August 2023

Helium white dwarfs (HeWDs) are thought to form from low-mass red giant stars experiencing binary interaction. Because the helium core mass of a red giant star is closely related to the stellar radius, there exists well-known relation between the orbital period (Porb) and the mass (MWD) of the HeWDs, which is almost independent of the type of the companion star. Traditional derivation of the MWD–Porb relation generally neglected the effect of wind mass-loss from the red giants, while observations show that wind mass-loss from red giants in binary systems is systematically higher than that from isolated stars. In this work, we calculate binary evolution with tidally enhanced stellar wind (TEW) and find that it causes significantly scatter of the traditional MWD–Porb relation. The TEW can prevent the red giants from overflowing their Roche lobes and slow down the growth of the helium core, leaving a lower mass HeWD for given orbital period. This scenario may account for some of the HeWD binaries that deviate from the traditional MWD–Porb relation. However, we point out that observations of more HeWD binaries in wide orbits are needed to test the TEW model and to constrain the enhanced wind factor.
Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco as an Outgrowth of the 1988 Surgeon General’s Report on Nicotine Addiction: Reflections of the Early Presidents
Authors: Pomerleau Ovide F , Benowitz Neal L , Stitzer Maxine L , Henningfield Jack E , Hatsukami Dorothy K , Corrigall William A , Perkins Kenneth A , Lando Harry A
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco began in the United States as a scientific organization “to stimulate the generation and dissemination of new knowledge concerning nicotine and tobacco in all its manifestations.” Now in its 30th year, the Society is taking on new challenges in tobacco control, nicotine vaping, product regulation, and public policy.

Aims and Methods

This Review describes the formative years of the Society from the perspective of researchers who were in leadership positions during that time, documenting how biobehavioral and clinical research in the first 10 years was a continuation of the scientific mission of the 1988 United States Surgeon General’s Report on Nicotine Addiction and summarizing organizational innovations during each president’s term of office.

Conclusions

The Society’s promotion of scientific research served as a catalyst for funding, policy, and regulation, setting the stage for its influence and credibility.

Implications

This Commentary provides context and an overview of the scientific research and the organizational innovations that occurred during the early years of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco using publications and available documentation. The Society was able to thrive because biobehavioral research on nicotine addiction provided the scientific underpinnings for the tobacco control enterprise as a whole. The objective of this Commentary is to describe formative events in the Society's history based on the accomplishments of its early leaders.
Biosynthesis, herbivore induction, and defensive role of phenylacetaldoxime glucoside
Authors: Müller Andrea T , Nakamura Yoko , Reichelt Michael , Luck Katrin , Cosio Eric , Lackus Nathalie D , Gershenzon Jonathan , Mithöfer Axel , Köllner Tobias G
Published: August 2023

Aldoximes are well-known metabolic precursors for plant defense compounds such as cyanogenic glycosides, glucosinolates, and volatile nitriles. They are also defenses themselves produced in response to herbivory; however, it is unclear whether aldoximes can be stored over a longer term as defense compounds and how plants protect themselves against the potential autotoxic effects of aldoximes. Here, we show that the Neotropical myrmecophyte tococa (Tococa quadrialata, recently renamed Miconia microphysca) accumulates phenylacetaldoxime glucoside (PAOx-Glc) in response to leaf herbivory. Sequence comparison, transcriptomic analysis, and heterologous expression revealed that 2 cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP79A206 and CYP79A207, and the UDP-glucosyltransferase UGT85A123 are involved in the formation of PAOx-Glc in tococa. Another P450, CYP71E76, was shown to convert PAOx to the volatile defense compound benzyl cyanide. The formation of PAOx-Glc and PAOx in leaves is a very local response to herbivory but does not appear to be regulated by jasmonic acid signaling. In contrast to PAOx, which was only detectable during herbivory, PAOx-Glc levels remained high for at least 3 d after insect feeding. This, together with the fact that gut protein extracts of 3 insect herbivore species exhibited hydrolytic activity toward PAOx-Glc, suggests that the glucoside is a stable storage form of a defense compound that may provide rapid protection against future herbivory. Moreover, the finding that herbivory or pathogen elicitor treatment also led to the accumulation of PAOx-Glc in 3 other phylogenetically distant plant species suggests that the formation and storage of aldoxime glucosides may represent a widespread plant defense response.
zma-miR159 targets ZmMYB74 and ZmMYB138 transcription factors to regulate grain size and weight in maize
Authors: Wang Qiyue , Wan Jiong , Dang Kuntai , Meng Shujun , Hu Desheng , Lin Yuan , Qiu Xiaoqian , Guo Zhanyong , Fu Zhiyuan , Ding Dong , Tang Jihua
Published: August 2023

Endosperm cell number is critical in determining grain size in maize (Zea mays). Here, zma-miR159 overexpression led to enlarged grains in independent transgenic lines, suggesting that zma-miR159 contributes positively to maize grain size. Targeting of ZmMYB74 and ZmMYB138 transcription factor genes by zma-miR159 was validated using 5′ RACE and dual-luciferase assay. Lines in which ZmMYB74 was knocked out using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) presented a similar enlarged grain phenotype as those with zma-miR159 overexpression. Downstream genes regulating cell division were identified through DNA affinity purification sequencing using ZmMYB74 and ZmMYB138. Our results suggest that zma-miR159–ZmMYB modules act as an endosperm development hub, participating in the division and proliferation of endosperm cells.
The taxonomic status of Hymenodora (Crustacea: Oplophoroidea): morphological and molecular analyses suggest a new family and an undescribed diversity deep in the sea
Authors: Lunina Anastasiia , Kulagin Dmitry , Vereshchaka Alexander
Published: August 2023

Hymenodora represents the most scantily studied branch of the pelagic shrimp belonging to the superfamily Oplophoroidea. We present a phylogenetic revision based on 80 morphological characters and six genes. Molecular and morphological phylogenetic analyses, along with molecular distances calculated with the use of six genes, suggest a family-level status of the clade Hymenodoridae including Hymenodora and Sclerodora, which is also supported by morphological characters linked to the mouthparts. We erect and diagnose a new family and provide a key to families of Oplophoroidea. We tested seven morphological characters, found that only one of them provides a confident identification of Hymenodora gracilis and Hymenodora glacialis complexes. We provide an amended key to species of Hymenodoridae. Molecular trees, along with genetic distances based on COI and 16S genetic markers, showed that H. gracilis and H. glacialis represent complexes of cryptic lineages that cannot be identified on the basis of solitary morphological characters; however, when we included seven morphological characters and ran principal component analysis and generalized linear mixed models, we could distinguish all cryptic lineages confidently. Evolutionary traits of Hymenodoridae are linked to adaptations to feeding in the deep sea (mouthparts), strengthening the membranous carapace (carinae, sulci) and passive defence (shape and proportions of the rostrum and carapace).
Streptomyces cocklensis DSM 42063 and Actinacidiphila bryophytorum DSM 42138 Colonize Arabidopsis thaliana and Modulate Its Proteome
Authors: Arsène-Ploetze Florence , Rompais Magali , Alioua Abdelmalek , Cognat Valérie , Erhardt Mathieu , Graindorge Stefanie , Koechler Sandrine , Mutterer Jérôme , Carapito Christine , Schaller Hubert
Published: August 2023

Streptomycetaceae are found ubiquitously within plant microbiota. Several species belonging to this family are plant growth-promoting bacteria or may inhibit phytopathogens. Such bacteria therefore exert crucial functions in host development and resistance to stresses. Recent studies have shown that plants select beneficial bacteria into their microbiota. However, the selection process and the molecular mechanisms by which selected bacteria modulate the physiology of their host are not yet fully understood. Previous work revealed that the metabolic status of Arabidopsis thaliana was crucial for the selection of Streptomycetaceae into the microbiota, in particular bacteria phylogenetically related to Streptomyces cocklensis or Actinacidiphila bryophytorum (previously named Streptomyces bryophytorum). Here, the Arabidopsis-Streptomycetaceae interaction was further depicted by inoculating axenic A. thaliana with S. cocklensis DSM 42063 or A. bryophytorum DSM 42138. We showed that these two bacteria colonize A. thaliana ecotype Columbia-0 plants, but the colonization efficiency is reduced in a chs5 mutant of the same ecotype, being altered in isoprenoid, phenylpropanoid, and lipid profiles. We observed that A. bryophytorum inhibits growth of the chs5 mutant but not of the wild type, suggesting that the Arabidopsis-Actinacidiphila interaction depends on the metabolic status of the host. Using a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach, we showed that S. cocklensis and A. bryophytorum modulate the A. thaliana proteome, in particular components involved in photosynthesis or phytohormone homeostasis. This study unveils specific aspects of the Arabidopsis-Streptomycetaceae interaction and highlights its complexity and diversity.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
The Predictive Potential of Nutritional and Metabolic Burden
Authors: Tretiakov Peter S. , Thomas Zach , Krol Oscar , Joujon-Roche Rachel , Williamson Tyler , Imbo Bailey , Dave Pooja , McFarland Kimberly , Mir Jamshaid , Vira Shaleen , Diebo Bassel , Schoenfeld Andrew J. , Passias Peter G.
Published: August 2023

Study Design:

A retrospective cohort review.

Objective:

To develop a scoring system for predicting increased risk of postoperative complications in adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery based on baseline nutritional and metabolic factors.

Background:

Endocrine and metabolic conditions have been shown to adversely influence patient outcomes and may increase the likelihood of postoperative complications. The impact of these conditions has not been effectively evaluated in patients undergoing ASD surgery.

Materials and Methods:

ASD patients 18 years or above with baseline and two-year data were included. An internally cross-validated weighted equation using preoperative laboratory and comorbidity data correlating to increased perioperative complications was developed via Poisson regression. Body mass index (BMI) categorization (normal, over/underweight, and obese) and diabetes classification (normal, prediabetic, and diabetic) were used per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Diabetes Associates parameters. A novel ASD-specific nutritional and metabolic burden score (ASD-NMBS) was calculated via Beta-Sullivan adjustment, and Conditional Inference Tree determined the score threshold for experiencing ≥1 complication. Cohorts were stratified into low-risk and high-risk groups for comparison. Logistic regression assessed correlations between increasing burden score and complications.

Results:

Two hundred one ASD patients were included (mean age: 58.60±15.4, sex: 48% female, BMI: 29.95±14.31, Charlson Comorbidity Index: 3.75±2.40). Significant factors were determined to be age (+1/yr), hypertension (+18), peripheral vascular disease (+37), smoking status (+21), anemia (+1), VitD hydroxyl (+1/ng/mL), BMI (+13/cat), and diabetes (+4/cat) (model: P<0.001, area under the curve: 92.9%). Conditional Inference Tree determined scores above 175 correlated with ≥1 post-op complication (P<0.001). Furthermore, HIGH patients reported higher rates of postoperative cardiac complications (P=0.045) and were more likely to require reoperation (P=0.024) compared with low patients.

Conclusions:

The development of a validated novel nutritional and metabolic burden score (ASD-NMBS) demonstrated that patients with higher scores are at greater risk of increased postoperative complications and course. As such, surgeons should consider the reduction of nutritional and metabolic burden preoperatively to enhance outcomes and reduce complications in ASD patients.
The Significance of Recognition of Human Epidermal Growth Factor 2 Low in Breast Cancer Therapy
Authors: Tozbikian Gary
Published: August 2023

In response to recent clinical trials that demonstrate the clinical benefit of antibody-drug conjugate drug therapy in breast cancer (BC) with human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) immunohistochemical scores of 1+ or 2+ and negative in situ hybridization results, a new concept of “HER2-low BC” has emerged to describe this newly relevant therapeutic category of BC. Clinical recognition of HER2-low BC has caused a paradigm shift in the therapeutic landscape and management of patients with BC and resulted in rapid changes in clinical practice guidelines. In addition the American Society of Clinical Oncology-College of American Pathologists (ASCO-CAP) recently updated their HER2 Guidelines Recommendations to specifically address HER2-low BC. A literature search in PubMed of peer-reviewed articles, regulatory communications, and relevant practice guidelines pertaining to HER2-low BC was conducted. In this review, we have summarized current published knowledge regarding the clinicopathologic and molecular features, diagnostic criteria, and most current guideline recommendations regarding HER2-low BC, and also highlight ongoing practical and diagnostic challenges when identifying HER2-low BC in routine clinical practice.
An Analysis of Community-Level Socioeconomic Status Effects on Pricing Transparency and Variability of Hand Surgery Procedures
Authors: Rhee Ben S. , Tanzer Joshua R. , Charvis Jodi S. , Kalliainen Loree K.
Published: August 2023

Background:

The hospital price transparency final rule requires hospitals to publish pricing information about provided items and services by means of 2 methods: (1) a comprehensive machine-readable file and (2) a display tool of selected shoppable services. Using machine-readable files on hospital websites, the authors examined trends in pricing transparency and variation in association with community-level socioeconomic factors for 3 common hand surgery procedures among Association of American Medical Colleges–affiliated hospitals.

Methods:

Available discount cash prices and payer-specific negotiated prices for CPT codes 64721, 26615, and 25111 were recorded. Multivariate analysis was used to stratify hospitals into 2 groups based on their area’s median household income, percentage uninsured, and geographic practice cost index practice expense scores. Generalized linear mixed effects modeling was used to evaluate price variability against community-level financial characteristics of the patient population.

Results:

Of hospitals that met selection criteria, a majority did not display discount cash prices and payer-specific negotiated prices for the 3 procedures. Hospitals in lower-income areas and areas with a higher percentage of the uninsured tended to charge a higher average payer-specific negotiated price for CPT code 25111. They also tended to have greater variation in payer-specific negotiated prices than hospitals found in higher-income and lower-percentage-uninsured areas.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that considerable pricing variation and incomplete transparency exists for CPT codes 64721, 26615, and 25111 among Association of American Medical Colleges–affiliated hospitals. Patients in lower-income and higher-percentage-uninsured areas are more exposed to a higher variability and average of negotiated prices than those in higher-income areas, which may translate to higher out-of-pocket costs for those with higher coinsurance and less socioeconomic prowess.
Morphologic Severity and Age at Surgery Are Associated with School-Age Neurocognitive Outcomes in Metopic Craniosynostosis
Authors: Long Aaron S. , Hauc Sacha C. , Almeida Mariana N. , Alper David P. , Beiriger Justin , Rivera Jean Carlo , Goldstein Jesse , Mayes Linda , Persing John A. , Alperovich Michael
Published: August 2023

Background:

Radiographic severity of metopic synostosis has been suggested as a predictor of long-term neurocognitive outcomes, and artificial intelligence (AI) has recently been used to quantify severity. Age at surgery is predictive of long-term neurocognition in sagittal synostosis but has not been adequately explored in metopic synostosis.

Methods:

Children ages 6 to 18 years with corrected metopic synostosis underwent testing of intelligence quotient, academic achievement, and visuomotor integration (VMI). Various manual measurements and AI-derived severity scores were determined. Scans were categorized as moderate or severe for head-to-head comparisons and multivariable linear regressions were used to assess the relationship of age at surgery and severity with neurocognitive outcomes.

Results:

A total of 41 patients with average age at testing of 10.8 ± 3.4 years were included. A total of 18 patients were in the severe group and 23 patients were in the moderate group, with average ages at surgery of 6.6 ± 2.7 and 10.6 ± 8.4 months, respectively (P = 0.062). Greater AI-derived severity was significantly associated with lower reading comprehension (P = 0.040 and 0.018) and reading composite scores (P = 0.024 and P = 0.008). Older age at surgery was significantly associated with lower VMI scores (P values ranging from 0.017 to 0.045) and reading composite scores (P = 0.047 and 0.019).

Conclusions:

This study suggests an association between greater AI-derived radiographic severity and lower reading ability in corrected metopic synostosis. Older age at surgery was independently associated with lower reading ability and VMI. Surgical correction may mitigate neurodevelopmental differences based on severity that have been observed preoperatively.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Risk, II.
Behavioural, demographic and fitness consequences of social instability in cooperatively breeding dwarf mongoose groups
Authors: Kern Julie M. , Morris-Drake Amy , Radford Andrew N.
Published: August 2023

Social instability frequently arises in group-living species, but the potential costs have rarely been investigated in free-living cooperative breeders, especially across different timeframes. Using natural observations, body mass measurements and life-history data from dwarf mongooses (
Helogale parvula
), we determined the short- and long-term consequences of a change in one of the dominant breeding pairs. We found that a new breeder led to alterations in both collective and individual behaviours (i.e. increases in communal scent-marking, engagement in intergroup interactions, sentinel activity and within-group grooming), as well as reduced body mass gain, further demographic changes and decreased reproductive success (i.e. fewer pups surviving to adulthood). The effects were particularly apparent when it was the female breeder who changed; new female breeders were younger than more experienced counterparts. Our findings support the idea that stability and cooperation are strongly linked and provide potential reasons for previously documented health and fitness benefits of social stability.
The great escape: patterns of enemy release are not explained by time, space or climate
Authors: Xirocostas Zoe A. , Ollerton Jeff , Tamme Riin , Peco Begoña , Lesieur Vincent , Slavich Eve , Junker Robert R. , Pärtel Meelis , Raghu S. , Uesugi Akane , Bonser Stephen P. , Chiarenza Giancarlo M. , Hovenden Mark J. , Moles Angela T.
Published: August 2023

When a plant is introduced to a new ecosystem it may escape from some of its coevolved herbivores. Reduced herbivore damage, and the ability of introduced plants to allocate resources from defence to growth and reproduction can increase the success of introduced species. This mechanism is known as enemy release and is known to occur in some species and situations, but not in others. Understanding the conditions under which enemy release is most likely to occur is important, as this will help us to identify which species and habitats may be most at risk of invasion. We compared
in situ
measurements of herbivory on 16 plant species at 12 locations within their native European and introduced Australian ranges to quantify their level of enemy release and understand the relationship between enemy release and time, space and climate. Overall, plants experienced approximately seven times more herbivore damage in their native range than in their introduced range. We found no evidence that enemy release was related to time since introduction, introduced range size, temperature, precipitation, humidity or elevation. From here, we can explore whether traits, such as leaf defences or phylogenetic relatedness to neighbouring plants, are stronger indicators of enemy release across species.
Their fates intertwined: diversification patterns of the Asian gliding vertebrates may have been forged by dipterocarp trees
Authors: Chaitanya Ramamoorthi , McGuire Jimmy A. , Karanth Praveen , Meiri Shai
Published: August 2023

The repeated evolution of gliding in diverse Asian vertebrate lineages is hypothesized to have been triggered by the dominance of tall dipterocarp trees in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. These dipterocarp forests have acted as both centres of diversification and climatic refugia for gliding vertebrates, and support most of their extant diversity. We predict similarities in the diversification patterns of dipterocarp trees and gliding vertebrates, and specifically test whether episodic diversification events such as rate shifts and/or mass extinctions were temporally congruent in these groups. We analysed diversification patterns in reconstructed timetrees of Asian dipterocarps, the most speciose gliding vertebrates from different classes (
Draco
lizards, gliding frogs and Pteromyini squirrels) and compared them with similar-sized clades of non-gliding relatives (
Diploderma
lizards,
Philautus
frogs and Callosciurinae squirrels) from Southeast Asia. We found significant declines in net-diversification rates of dipterocarps and the gliding vertebrates during the Pliocene–Pleistocene, but not in the non-gliding groups. We conclude that the homogeneity and temporal coincidence of these rate declines point to a viable ecological correlation between dipterocarps and the gliding vertebrates. Further, we suggest that while the diversification decay in dipterocarps was precipitated by post-Miocene aridification of Asia, the crises in the gliding vertebrates were induced by both events concomitantly.
Stochastic thermodynamics: dissipativity, accumulativity, energy storage and entropy production
Authors: Lanchares Manuel , Haddad Wassim M.
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we develop an energy-based dynamical system model driven by a Markov input process to present a unified framework for stochastic thermodynamics predicated on a stochastic dynamical systems formalism. Specifically, using a stochastic dissipativity, losslessness and accumulativity theory, we develop a nonlinear stochastic port-Hamiltonian system model characterized by energy conservation and entropy non-conservation laws that are consistent with statistical thermodynamic principles. In particular, we show that the difference between the average stored system energy and the average supplied system energy for our stochastic thermodynamic model is a martingale with respect to the system filtration, whereas the difference between average system entropy production and the average system entropy consumption is a submartingale with respect to the system filtration.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Thermodynamics 2.0: Bridging the natural and social sciences (Part 2)’.
Maximum power in evolution, ecology and economics
Authors: Hall Charles A. S. , McWhirter Timothy
Published: August 2023

Ludwig Boltzmann suggested that natural selection was fundamentally a struggle among organisms for available energy. Alfred Lotka argued that organisms that capture and use more energy than their competition will have a selective advantage in the evolutionary process, i.e. the Darwinian notion of evolution was based on a fundamental, generalized energy principle. He extended this general principle from the energetics of a single organism or species to the energetics of entire energy pathways through ecosystems. Howard Odum and Richard Pinkerton, building on Lotka, extended this concept to ‘The maximum power principle’ and applied it to many biological and physical systems including human economies. We examine this history and how these ideas relate to concepts from other disciplines including philosophy. But there has been considerable confusion in understanding and applying these concepts which we attempt to resolve while providing various examples from routine life and discussing some unresolved issues.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Thermodynamics 2.0: Bridging the natural and social sciences (Part 2)’.
‘The agency of observation not to be neglected’: complementarity, causality and the arrow of events in quantum and quantum-like theories
Authors: Plotnitsky Arkady
Published: August 2023

The argument of this article is grounded in the irreducible interference of observational instruments in our interactions with nature in quantum physics and, thus, in the constitution of quantum phenomena versus classical physics, where this interference can, in principle, be disregarded. The irreducible character of this interference was seen by N. Bohr as the principal distinction between classical and quantum physics and grounded his interpretation of quantum phenomena and quantum theory. Bohr saw complementarity as a generalization of the classical ideal of causality, which defined classical physics and relativity. While intimated by Bohr, the relationships among observational technology, complementarity, causality and the arrow of events (a new concept that replaces the arrow of time commonly used in this context) were not addressed by him either. The article introduces another new concept, that of quantum causality, as a form of probabilistic causality. The argument of the article is based on a particular interpretation of quantum phenomena and quantum theory, defined by the concept of ‘reality without realism (RWR)’. This interpretation follows Bohr's interpretation but contains certain additional features, in particular the Dirac postulate. The article also considers quantum-like (Q-L) theories (based in the mathematics of QM) from the perspective it develops.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Thermodynamics 2.0: Bridging the natural and social sciences (Part 2)’.
Phase transitions, KMS condition and decision making: an introductory model
Authors: Bagarello Fabio
Published: August 2023

We consider a simple model of interacting agents asked to choose between ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to some given question. The agents are described in terms of spin variables, and they interact according to a mean field Heisenberg model. We discuss under which conditions the agents can come out with a common choice. This is made using, in a social context, the notion of KMS states and phase transitions.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Thermodynamics 2.0: Bridging the natural and social sciences (Part 2)’.
The effects of the modern evolutionary synthesis on the new organizational paradigm
Authors: Sunar Lütfi , Geçimli Gözde
Published: August 2023

This paper discusses the connection between natural and social sciences through how the modern evolutionary synthesis approach, which emerged in biology, influenced social organizations. First, the paper examines the relationship of neo-evolutionism with organizational theories. Then the interaction between natural and social sciences is explained in the study. Afterwards, the relationship between neo-evolutionism and organization theory is handled around the discussions in this field. It has been emphasized that the flow of knowledge between sociology and biology is much more organic and mutual than expected. In other words, this study aims to draw attention to the methodological continuity of the interaction between evolution and organization theory from the very beginning to the present. In line with this purpose, the relationship between the transformation of the theory of evolution and the transformation of classical organizational theories is examined. In this study, it is claimed that the source of the paradigmatic interaction of neo-evolutionism and organization theories is the analogical relationship that began to be established between biology and sociology in the nineteenth century and that this relationship has turned into a much more organic structure than a mechanical and technical analogy in the historical process.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Thermodynamics 2.0: Bridging the natural and social sciences (Part 2)’.
Long-term risk of repeat hospital admission involving self-harm by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Leckning Bernard , Borschmann Rohan , Hirvonen Tanja , Silburn Sven R. , Guthridge Steven , Robinson Gary W.
Published: August 2023

Background

Identify risk factors for repeat hospitalisation involving self-harm by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of hospitalisations involving suicidal ideation and/or self-harm between 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2013 followed up to 31 December 2018. Survival analyses identified demographic and clinical characteristics associated with repeat hospitalisation involving self-harm.

Results

The risk of repeat hospitalisation involving self-harm was higher (HR 1.39; 95% CI: 1.22-1.59) amongst Aboriginal (n=2,304) than non-Aboriginal people (n=2,087). Compared to suicidal ideation only, a higher risk of repetition was observed for any self-harm method (aHR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.37-2.12) amongst Aboriginal people and self-poisoning only (aHR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.13-1.85) amongst non-Aboriginal people. Previous substance misuse was associated with a higher risk of repeat hospitalisation involving self-harm for Aboriginal (aHR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.38-2.1) and non-Aboriginal (aHR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.14-2.25) people. For non-Aboriginal people, several mental health diagnoses were associated with higher risks of repetition.

Limitations

The use of routinely collected administrative data limits analysis to only coded diagnoses and does not represent the full burden of self-harm and suicidal ideation in hospitals.

Conclusion

The similarities and differences in long-term risk of repeat hospitalisation involving self-harm between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people pose distinct challenges for clinical management and prevention. The results emphasise the importance of comprehensive psychosocial assessment to properly understand the interplay of individual and contextual influences and highlights the need to better understand the availability and effectiveness of culturally tailored clinical interventions and community-based solutions.
Investigating the Neural Correlates of Processing Basic Emotions: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Study
Authors: Yükselen Gülnaz , Öztürk Ozan Cem , Canlı Gümüş Deniz , Erdoğan Sinem Burcu
Published: August 2023

Emotion regulation, a fundamental aspect of human functioning, involves the ability to monitor, evaluate, and modify emotional responses. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying emotion regulation holds significant implications across various disciplines, including psychology, neuroscience, and clinical psychiatry. This study aims to explore the neural correlates of emotion regulation using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) with a specific focus on the prefrontal cortex (PFC). fNIRS, a non-invasive and portable brain imaging technology, offers an excellent opportunity to investigate real-life emotion processing with high temporal resolution. Twenty participants underwent an experimental protocol where they viewed emotional pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) database, varying in valence (positive and negative) and arousal (high and low). fNIRS data were collected during the picture presentation, and the hemodynamic responses in the PFC were analyzed. The findings demonstrated distinct spatiotemporal patterns of activation associated with different emotional states. Positive valence stimuli elicited higher hemodynamic activation in bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) regions when compared to negative valence stimuli. On the other hand, negative valence stimuli induced higher activation in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) when compared to positive valence stimuli. Moreover, high arousal positive valence stimuli evoked higher activation in the left DLPFC region when compared to high arousal negative valence stimuli. These results shed light on the differential neural processing of positive and negative emotions within the PFC, supporting the notion of lateralized emotional processing. The study validates the feasibility of fNIRS for objectively capturing emotion-related neural activity, providing valuable insights for future applications in emotion recognition and affective brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Understanding the neural basis of emotion regulation has significant implications for designing targeted interventions for individuals experiencing emotion dysregulation disorders. Additionally, the integration of fNIRS technology into affective BCIs may offer new possibilities for real-time emotion detection and communication in populations with communication challenges.
Implementation and testing of a biohybrid transition microelectrode array for neural recording and modulation
Authors: Ahmed Benozir , Binder Simon , Boroomand Saeed , Strathman Hunter J. , Hantak Michael , Shepherd Tate , Ehrenhofer Adrian , Zhang Huannan , Shepherd Jason , Solzbacher Florian , Tresco Patrick A. , Blair Steve , Reiche Christopher F. , Fan Yantao
Published: August 2023

Recent advances in microtissue engineered neural networks have opened avenues for the fabrication of biohybrid intracortical brain implants. To date, however, the experimental validation of these biohybrid implants has been restricted to singularly positioned electrodes, with the functionality confined to optical neuromodulation and neural recording. We present for the first time a biohybrid transition microelectrode array (TMEA) comprising a 4×4 matrix of biohybrid electrodes. These electrodes are expected to project axons into the brain, thereby establishing synaptic connections for electrical readout and excitation. Our device thus offers a promising pathway to leverage organic, endogenous materials in intracortical implants to enhance their biocompatibility as well as their functionality. In particular with respect to functionality, we assume that the spatiotemporal resolution of recorded neural signals may be significantly increased using this technology owing to the size ratios of these biohybrid microelectrodes compared to abiotic ones. Future investigations will therefore focus on the exploitation of the electrode density to further advance brain-computer interface technology.
Land use change drives major loss of Southeast Asian biodiversity
Authors: Botterill-James Thomas , Yates Luke A. , Buettel Jessie C. , Aandahl Zach , Brook Barry W.
Published: August 2023

Southeast Asia is highly biodiverse and currently experiences among the highest rates of tropical deforestation globally, but impacts on biodiversity are not well synthesized. We use Bayesian multi-level modeling to meta-analyse 831 pairwise comparisons of biodiversity in sites subject to human land use change and anthropogenic forest disturbance (for example in plantations or logged forest) versus undisturbed sites. After controlling for hierarchical dependences, we show that biodiversity is a fifth lower in sites with these land-use changes (95% credible interval= 16-28%, mean = 22%). This reduction was greater when land use change/anthropogenic forest disturbances were high-intensity (34% reduction in biodiversity) compared to low-intensity (18% reduction), and effects were consistent across biogeographic regions and taxa. Oil-palm plantations lead to the greatest reduction in biodiversity (39%, CI 27-48%), and agroforests the least (24%, CI 10-37%). We also find that biodiversity is reduced in young secondary forest by 26% (CI 4-42%) compared to undisturbed forest, but there is no reduction in biodiversity for intermediate or mature-aged secondary forest (although species composition is potentially altered). Overall, our study provides the clearest evidence yet of the substantial detrimental impact of land-use change and anthropogenic forest disturbance on the biodiversity of Southeast Asia.
Effects of shoe heel height on ankle dynamics in running
Authors: Yawar Ali , Lieberman Daniel E.
Published: August 2023

Shoes alter the evolved biomechanics of the foot, potentially affecting running kinematics and kinetics that can in turn influence injury and performance. An important feature of conventional running shoes is heel height, whose effects on foot and ankle biomechanics remain understudied. Here, we investigate the effects of 6 – 26 mm increases in heel height on ankle dynamics in 8 rearfoot strike runners who ran barefoot and in minimal shoes with added heels. We predicted higher heels would lead to greater frontal plane ankle torques due to the increased vertical moment arm of the mediolateral ground reaction force. Surprisingly, the torque increased in minimal shoes with no heel elevation, but then decreased with further increases in heel height due to changes in foot posture that are probably a strategy to compensate for potentially injurious ankle torques. We also found that increasing heel heights caused a large increase in the ankle plantarflexion velocity at heel strike, which we explain using a passive collision model. Our results highlight how running in minimal shoes may be significantly different from barefoot running due to complex interactions between proprioception and biomechanics that also permit runners to compensate for modifications to shoe design, more in the frontal than sagittal planes.
Transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation improves sensory performance in humans
Authors: Jigo Michael , Carmel Jason B. , Wang Qi , Rodenkirch Charles
Published: August 2023

Accurate senses depend on high-fidelity encoding by sensory receptors and error-free processing in the brain. Progress has been made towards restoring damaged sensory receptors. However, methods for on-demand treatment of impaired central sensory processing are scarce. Prior invasive studies demonstrated that continuous vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in rodents can activate the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system to rapidly improve central sensory processing. Here, we investigated whether transcutaneous VNS improves sensory performance in humans. We conducted three sham-controlled experiments, each with 12 neurotypical adults, that measured the effects of transcutaneous VNS on metrics of auditory and visual performance, and heart rate variability (HRV). Continuous stimulation was delivered to cervical (tcVNS) or auricular (taVNS) branches of the vagus nerve while participants performed psychophysics tasks or passively viewed a display. Relative to sham stimulation, tcVNS improved auditory performance by 37% (p=0.00052) and visual performance by 23% (p=0.038). Participants with lower performance during sham conditions experienced larger tcVNS-evoked improvements (p=0.0040). Lastly, tcVNS increased HRV during passive viewing, corroborating vagal engagement. No evidence for an effect of taVNS was observed. These findings validate the effectiveness of tcVNS in humans and position it as a method for on-demand interventions of impairments associated with central sensory processing dysfunction.
Serotonergic amplification of odor-evoked neural responses maps onto flexible behavioral outcomes
Authors: Bessonova Yelyzaveta , Raman Barani
Published: August 2023

Behavioral responses to many odorants are not fixed but are flexible, varying based on organismal needs. How such variations arise and the role of various neuromodulators in achieving flexible neural-to-behavioral mapping is not fully understood. In this study, we examined how serotonin modulates the neural and behavioral responses to odorants in locusts (Schistocerca americana). Our results indicated that serotonin can increase or decrease appetitive behavior in an odor-specific manner. On the other hand, in the antennal lobe, serotonergic modulation enhanced odor-evoked response strength but left the temporal features or the combinatorial response profiles unperturbed. This result suggests that serotonin allows for sensitive and robust recognition of odorants. Nevertheless, the uniform neural response amplification appeared to be at odds with the observed stimulus-specific behavioral modulation. We show that a simple linear model with neural ensembles segregated based on behavioral relevance is sufficient to explain the serotonin-mediated flexible mapping between neural and behavioral responses.
Culture substrate stiffness impacts human myoblast contractility-dependent proliferation and nuclear envelope wrinkling
Authors: Nguyen Jo , Wang Lu , Lei Wen , Hu Yechen , Gulati Nitya , Chavez-Madero Carolina , Ahn Henry , Ginsberg Howard J. , Krawetz Roman , Brandt Matthias , Betz Timo , Gilbert Penney M.
Published: August 2023

The remarkable self-repair ability of skeletal muscle tissues is driven by muscle stem cells, whose activities are orchestrated by a variety of transient cues present in their microenvironment. Understanding how the cross-interactions of these biophysical and biochemical microenvironmental cues influences muscle stem cells and their progeny is crucial in strategizing remedies for pathological dysregulation of these cues in aging and disease. In this study, we investigated the cell-level influences of extracellular matrix ligands in the context of mechanically tuned culture substrates on primary human myoblast contractility and proliferation within 16 hours of plating. We found that fibronectin led to stronger stiffness-dependent responses in myoblasts compared to laminin and collagen as revealed by cell spreading area, focal adhesion morphology, traction stresses, and proliferation. While we did not observe stiffness-dependent changes in cell fate signatures at this early time-point, an analysis of the stiffness-sensitive myoblast proteome uncovered an enrichment for differentiation associated signatures on 17 kPa culture substrates, in addition to distinct profiles with relation to metabolism, cytoskeletal regulation, ECM interactions, and nuclear component enrichment. Interestingly, we found that softer substrates increased the incidence of myoblasts with a wrinkled nucleus, and that the extent of wrinkling could predict Ki67 expression. While nuclear wrinkling and Ki67 expression could be controlled by pharmacological manipulation of cellular contractility, cellular traction stresses did not correlate with nuclear envelope wrinkling level. These results provide new insights into the regulation of human myoblast stiffness-dependent contractility response by ECM ligands and also highlight a link between myoblast contractility and proliferation.