bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La interacción social en los niños de Educación Inicial
Authors: Sigcha Ante Erika Maribel
Published: February 2024

La interacción social cumple una función importante dentro del proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje, se define como la base esencial de la comunicación, socialización y convivencia. Por consiguiente, la presente investigación se centra en analizar la incidencia de las habilidades de interacción social en el desarrollo de la convivencia de los niños del nivel inicial desde los fundamentos teóricos que permitan al presente proyecto investigativo orientar sobre la importancia de la interacción social y sus habilidades en la Educación Inicial. Esta investigación se desarrolló bajo el enfoque metodológico “mixto”, de tipo bibliográfica y de campo. Los instrumentos aplicados como la entrevista dirigida a los directores y docentes participes de la investigación permitieron constatar que, la interacción social en el proceso educativo, es relevante pues, propicia la convivencia positiva entre estudiantes, promueve relaciones de confianza, afecto, compañerismo y amistad, respetando reglas y normas establecidas dentro del entorno familiar, educativo y social. Así también, a través de la encuesta realizada a docentes del nivel se determina que es significativo desarrollar habilidades de interacción social dentro del proceso educativo del niño desde el nivel inicial, acompañado de la práctica de los valores y las buenas costumbres que ayudarán establecer excelentes relaciones sociales.
Carbon as a commodity, retention as a service
Authors: Schlosser William , Schlosser Birgit
Published: February 2024

United Nations Climate Change convention protocols (2016; 2005) addressed the issue of anthropogenically reducing CO2 emissions but failed to view carbon as a commodity that can be measured when sequestered in terrestrial biometric sinks. Forestry science tools quantify tree capture of atmospheric carbon volume annually, and in what tree parts it resides. Trees photosynthesize carbon by converting atmospheric carbon dioxide to sequester carbon atoms in trees. Carbon can be commodified and traded in competitive markets via conservation easement agreements legally binding willing buyers and sellers to consented terms. Based on biometric data projections, carbon is measured in discrete forestland areas as tons per year to express a balance between its emissions and its inferred sequestered volume. Timber harvest decisions viewed through the lens of its quantified carbon volume can serve as a powerful mechanism in offsetting carbon emissions while lengthening financially optimal timber harvest rotation decisions. A commodity trading framework is articulated to link willing carbon sequestration agents (forestland owners) with willing carbon sequestration buyers in an equitable trading platform with legal terms applied through temporally defined conditions. The framework to determine carbon sequestration allowances and carbon storage payments is discussed in terms of agreements which market participants enter. In a brief synopsis, we offer our view on aligning carbon emitters with forestland sequestration operatives articulating meaningful financial and social benefits for those involved.
Carbon additionality: an illustration by southern pine plantations
Authors: Mei Bin
Published: February 2024

Forests not only produce fiber but also sequester atmospheric carbon, which offers a nature-based solution to global warming. To internalize the externality of forest carbon, additionality must be defined and quantified. This study applies the discounted cash flow approach to price forest carbon additionality. A carbon credit is derived from the annual marginal forest growth, while a carbon release penalty is triggered by a harvest based on biomass removal. The business-as-usual is defined by the Faustmann rotation, in which the profit from timber production from perpetual rotations is maximized. Accordingly, additionality is defined by the net present value of the extra carbon sequestration beyond the baseline on a perpetual basis. It is discovered that a higher planting density on a better quality site combined with no thinning provides a more cost-effective means for a southern pine plantation to sequester additional carbon. It is also found that a shorter carbon contract is more cost-effective in achieving additionality despite a lower total carbon benefit.
An economic analysis of management practices to mitigate butt rot and deer browse of planted western redcedar
Authors: Bogdanski Bryan , Alam Injamam , Sattler Derek , Cruickshank Mike , Di Lucca Mario , Filipescu Cosmin , Polsson Ken
Published: February 2024

We consider the economic feasibility of silviculture investments to reduce butt rot (through stump removal) and ungulate browse damage (stand establishment strategies), which are the most serious impacts to planted western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) stands in coastal British Columbia, Canada. We find mixed support for these investments, even if carbon sequestration benefits are included. We do find butt rot causes significant material damage to volumes, but such damage tends to occur well into the future of the stand diminishing the negative impact on stand value. As such, given the high costs of stump removal, and despite losses of high-quality logs, we find little support for stump removal except under very low discount rates (2%). Deer browse impacts are found to occur in the early stages of stand development, and projected stands should sufficiently recover volumes and value by harvest age. However, under positive carbon prices, because deer browse mitigation measures have an immediate impact on biomass accumulation in the early stages of stand development, we find some conditions for which low-cost deer browse mitigation options might be economically supported on forestlands. Finally, we found that increased planting of seedlings is likely a low-cost, financially attractive option under a broad set of conditions, even on sites without risk to damage, meaning a possible no-regrets strategy to mitigate damages from either deer browse or decay. The benefits of planting highlight the feasibility of using tree breeding to increase growth, resistance to deer, decay, and drought. The methods developed in the paper to evaluate the impact of both root rot and ungulate browsing could be applied to other ecosystems elsewhere.
Deconstructing innovation in the wood furniture industry in Kenya
Authors: Ototo Gilbert O. , Vlosky Richard P.
Published: February 2024

Innovation is often considered to be a critical component of enterprise competitive advantage. Continuous innovation is necessary to allow firms to better meet consumer needs, stay ahead of the competition, capitalize on strategic market opportunities, and align organizational strengths with market opportunities. In this research, innovation was deconstructed into product, process, and business systems innovations. A model was then developed and used to examine the relationships between innovation constructs and demographic and management attributes of wood furniture firms in Kenya. Results show significant differences in product innovation between micro- and medium-size furniture firms, and between small- and medium-size firms. There were also significant regional differences in all innovation types. Overall, the most significant predictors of innovation were company location and rewards for implementing innovation. Other statistically significant innovation predictors were Internet use and research and development expenditures.
Forest Conference Report No. 1, 2023
Authors: Chudy Rafał , Siry Jacek , Morales Olmos Virginia , Marcille Kate , Himes Austin , Mei Bin , Baral Srijana , Cubbage Frederick
Published: February 2024

Forest Conference Reports provide the overview of selected conferences the JFBR Editorial Team visited during a particular time. In our inaugural issue, we cover meetings throughout 2023.

Forest conferences featured in this report:

IUFRO Close-to-nature silviculture: experiments and modelling for forestry practice;

UGA Timberland Investment Conference;

VII Faustmann Conference;

5th International Congress on Planted Forests;

International Society of Forest Resource Economics;

Western Forests Economists

IUFRO Working Group 2.08.03 – “Enhancing the performance and sustainability of eucalypt plantations to broaden their benefits”

Would you be interested in inviting our Journal to your upcoming forest event? We would love to feature it in our next Forest Conference Reports and share the details with our Readers. Let us know if this is something you would be open to, and we can discuss the logistics further. Contact Rafal Chudy at: rafal@forest-journal.com

Thank you for considering this opportunity.
PEMBUATAN CAIRAN PEMBERSIH ALAMI DARI KULIT JERUK
Authors: Yoshida Debbie
Published: February 2024

One of the problems in environmental management is waste. Waste has a bad impact on humans and the environment. However, rubbish/waste can have benefits by being sorted and reprocessed. Most of the waste comes from households. The service team provides education about the use of orange peel waste which can be used as a natural cleaning fluid. Community service activities are one of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education in addition to carrying out education and research. With the community service program, it is hoped that mothers and the community of Tomang Village, West Jakarta will gain knowledge about processing household waste/garbage. Implementation method with counseling and demonstration/practice. The results achieved are very good. With the demonstration, participants can practice directly making natural cleaning fluids that can be used to clean stoves, clean sinks, freshen toilets and so on. The knowledge and skills presented provide provisions for mothers and the community in processing waste at a basic level (self-processing) which can later be used by themselves and become economically valuable and can also become a business opportunity to improve family welfare.
Hubungan Pengetahuan, Asupan Natrium, dan Status Gizi Dengan Kejadian Hipertensi Di Poli Lansia Puskesmas Kecamatan Ciracas
Authors: Tri Ardianti Khasanah  , Muslimah Nur Fitriani
Published: February 2024

Hipertensi disebut sebagai the silent killer karena sering terjadi tanpa keluhan, sehingga penderita tidak mengetahui dirinya penyakit tersebut dan baru mengetahui setelah terjadi komplikasi. Sebagian besar masyarakat lansia berisiko terkena hipertensi. Tujuan penelitian adalah menganalisis hubungan pengetahuan, asupan natrium, dan status gizi dengan kejadian hipertensi di Poli Lansia Puskesmas Kecamatan Ciracas. Desain penelitian menggunakan deskriptif analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional study yang melibatkan 62 subjek penelitian. Data yang dikumpulkan berupa kuesioner, pengukuran antropometri, dan pengukuran tekanan darah. Analisis statistik yang digunakan adalah uji chi-square. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat (56,5%) subjek penelitian menderita penyakit hipertensi. Hasil uji chi-square menunjukkan bahwa ada hubungan pengetahuan (p-value = 0,031), ada hubungan asupan natrium (p-value = 0,037), dan tidak ada hubungan status gizi (p-value = 0,107) dengan kejadian hipertensi. Kesimpulan dalam penelitian ini adalah pengetahuan dan asupan natrium berhubungan dengan kejadian hipertensi, akan tetapi tidak terdapat hubungan status gizi dengan kejadian hipertensi.
Literature Review: Efektivitas Program Tablet Tambah Darah dan Asupan Protein dalam Pencegahan Anemia pada Remaja Putri
Authors: Harahap Afifa Naura , Purba Rumida , Nainggolan Efendi S
Published: February 2024

Anemia merupakan kondisi jumlah dan ukuran sel darah merah, atau konsentrasi hemoglobin berada di bawah batas standar yang sudah ditetapkan. Anemia pada pria memiliki kadar hemoglobin kurang dari 13,5 gr/100 ml dan pada wanita sebagai hemoglobin kurang dari 12,0 gr/100 ml. Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui efektivitas program tablet tambah darah dan asupan protein dalam pencegahan anemia pada remaja putri (literature review). Penelitian ini menggunakan metode literature review. Pencarian database dilakukan di google scholar, portal garuda, DOAJ dan PubMed. Ditemukan sebanyak 420 artikel, artikel diseleksi menurut judul, free akses, full teks, PICOS, populasi remaja putri, intervensi adanya intervensi yang diberikan, komparasi tidak ada pembanding untuk quasy eksperiment, study design merupakan design eksperiment atau quasy eksperiment, dan artikel terbit tahun 2015-2020 serta appraisal checklist dan diperoleh sebanyak 13 artikel. Hasil penelitian bahwa dari 13 artikel yang direview terdapat 8 artikel yang membawa efektivitas program tablet tambah darah, dan 5 artikel membawa asupan protein. Kesimpulan 8 artikel mengenai efektivitas program tablet tambah darah, dan program menaikan kadar Hb tertinggi Hb 1,55 g/dl merupakan pemberian suplemen tablet Fe 200 mg/hari dengan aturan minum 1x1 hari selama 30 hari. Sebanyak 5 artikel mengenai asupan protein, dan menaikan kadar Hb tertinggi 2,17 g/dl yaitu pemberian kukis pelangi ikan gaguk 100 gr mengandung protein 17,9 gr, sebanyak 1 kali/hari selama 30 hari.
Pengaruh Penyuluhan Sarapan Pagi Terhadap Kadar Hemoglobin dan Pengetahuan pada Siswi MAN 2 Aceh Tamiang
Authors: Nababan Agnes Sry Vera , Wanda Lestari  , Eka Nenni Jairani  , Yulita Yulita , Salsabila Wan Indah
Published: February 2024

Siswi termasuk kelompok umur yang rentan mengalami anemia, salah satu penyebab anemia yaitu tidak sarapan pagi. Faktor yang mempengaruhi sarapan pagi anak sekolah salah satunya adalah pengetahuan.Penelitianinibertujuanuntuk mengetahui pengaruh penyuluhan sarapan pagi terhadap kadar hemoglobin dan pengetahuan pada siswi MAN 2 Aceh Tamiang. Menggunakan metode Pre-Experimental dengan rancangan One Group Pre Test dan Post Test Design. Data dianalisis dengan melakukan uji analisis Wilcoxon. Variabel penyuluhan sarapan pagi terhadap kadar hemoglobin menunjukkan nilai P = 0,001 yang berarti ada pengaruh penyuluhan sarapan pagi terhadap kadar hemoglobin dan variabel penyuluhan sarapan pagi terhadap pengetahuan menunjukkan nilai P = 0,000 yang berarti ada pengaruh penyuluhan sarapan pagi terhadap pengetahuan. Ada pengaruh yang signifikan antara penyuluhan sarapan pagi terhadap kadar hemoglobin dan pengetahan pada siswi MAN 2 Aceh Tamiang.
Parlamentariske forhandlinger i Danmark
Authors: Skjæveland Asbjørn
Published: February 2024

Forhandlingsteorien fortæller, hvordan man bør forhandle, hvis man vil forhandle klogt. Her lærer man om at gøre kagen større, og om hvordan man får så stor en bid af kagen som muligt. Forhandlinger er helt centrale i politik. Alligevel er der ikke mange videnskabelige studier, der anvender forhandlingsteorien på forhandlinger om lovgivning, ej heller om danske lovgivningsforhandlinger. Derimod findes der litteratur, der beskriver faktiske danske forhandlinger om lovgivning. Hvor godt svarer forhandlingslitteraturen og de beskrevne forhandlinger til hinanden? Politikerne kan i varierende grad lære noget af forhandlingsteorien, og forhandlingsteorien kan også lære noget af den danske forhandlingspraksis. Ministerens dominerende rolle i de parlamentariske forhandlinger reducerer væsentligt de kompleksitetsproblemer, som ellers forbindes med flerpartsforhandlinger.
Shelter in Place
Authors: De Lisio Amanda , Fusco Caroline , Woodworth Steph , Taha-Thomure Raiya
Published: February 2024

In this article, we interrogate the representation and construction of public park space in a settler colonial city: Toronto/Tkaronto. First, we draw on the relationship between urban neoliberalism and prudentialism to demonstrate the way public health authorities in Toronto/Tkaronto promoted a neoliberal ideology of prudentialism that emphasized individual action (e.g., social distancing, personal hygiene, sheltering in place) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, we consider the extent to which this response congealed and combined with broader anxieties that were used to manage more than the virus. We focus specifically on the way these anxieties took hold in public park space, and in particular the response to encampment communities. We theorize prudentialism, as an instrument of the white settler state, to interrogate the twin processes of organized abandonment and organized violence (Gilmore 2022), which were made visible in the treatment of unhoused people amidst the pandemic in an affluent and seemingly progressive city in a nation now known as Canada. Recognizing that COVID-19 has afflicted global cities marred by real estate speculation and the continual reliance on the commodification of Indigenous Land, which has made homelessness and urban displacement a lived condition for some, we argue that public health crises result not from—and thereby cannot be solved by—prudential responsibilization, but from the willful ignorance of the neoliberal, capitalist white settler [real estate] state (Stein 2019).
Embodied Listening
Authors: Hanrahan Kelsey B. , Billo Emily
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we propose embodied listening as pedagogical praxis in which we are receptive to how our whole bodies are involved in communicating with each other. Embodied listening disrupts what we call “speech-as-presence”—normative expectations of student participation emphasizing verbal contributions and privileging particular bodies. These expectations contribute to the reproduction of oppressive logics at work in classrooms—racism, hetero-patriarchy, white feminism, masculinism, ableism, colonialism. We argue that embodied listening can serve as a source of knowledge about these logics, supporting transformation of classroom expectations beyond imposed norms. We reflect on our experiences developing embodied listening practices in our undergraduate courses through our observations and students’ own reflections. Our findings demonstrate both the transformative potential of listening in classrooms and the tensions produced as these strategies discomfited students and disrupted classroom norms. Finally, we engage with critical perspectives on listening positionality from Indigenous studies, disability studies, and sound studies towards deepening our understanding of differences and multiplicities in how we listen. We illustrate how we continue to develop ways to incorporate this work in our classrooms and support students in the exhaustive and uncomfortable work of embodied listening and imaginative ways of being in the classroom.
La memòria material del món
Authors: Peralta Ariadna
Published: February 2024

Aquest conte de sociologia-ficció indaga com el pas del temps, un temps sempre sociohistòric, es plasma en el món material. Les transformacions que els humans perpetrem sobre el món per mitjà d’instal·lacions i utensilis són complexes, perquè diferents temporalitats, o moments sociohistòrics, resten vigents en un mateix espai, fins i tot si han esdevingut vestigis. Per narrar aquesta història, m’inspiro en autors com W. G. Sebald o Annie Ernaux.
Characteristics of visual perception of patients’ faces and the formation of “observation” in the process of training cosmetologists
Authors: Yarovaya Natalia Pavlovna
Published: February 2024

Professional experience assists specialists in processing information more quickly and effectively making precise decisions. Visual expertise, as a crucial component of experience, refers to the capability to rapidly perceive visual information within a specific professional domain, acquired through systematic education, professional development, and practice. Numerous studies utilize eye-tracking methods to analyze the relationship between professional experience and gaze patterns. For instance, experienced dermatologists have developed optimal scanning patterns, allowing them to efficiently allocate attention and accurately identify key diagnostic features within images amidst numerous secondary details. The purpose of this study is to analyze changes in oculomotor patterns after completing the author’s training program for doctors, aimed at versatile aesthetic analytics of the face, building individual treatment protocols and increasing the patient’s adherence to aesthetic medicine in order to assess the possibility of developing observation in the conditions of short-term training. Thirty cosmetic doctors participated in the study, which utilized eye-tracking methods with the Neuroburo program-hardware complex. The study was conducted in two phases – before and after training – with 15 patient facial images exhibiting various dermatological issues presented on a computer screen to the cosmetic doctors. Participants were tasked with identifying signs of dermatological disorders of the patients. Following training, a decrease in the number of fixations, an increase in saccadic amplitude, and a reduction in the overall scanning path length were observed among the cosmetic doctors. These findings indicate a more optimized perception strategy and suggest a more systematic and directed approach to diagnostic image analysis. The results suggest an enhanced global perception ability among the doctors, which may aid in recognizing broader patterns and structures and understanding the wider context and relationships between details.
Plasticity of gene expression in the nervous system by exposure to environmental odorants that inhibit HDACs
Authors: Haga-Yamanaka Sachiko , Nuñez-Flores Rogelio , Scott Christi Ann , Perry Sarah , Chen Stephanie Turner , Pontrello Crystal , Nair Meera Goh , Ray Anandasankar
Published: February 2024

Eukaryotes are often exposed to microbes and respond to their secreted metabolites, such as the microbiome in animals or commensal bacteria in roots. Little is known about the effects of long-term exposure to volatile chemicals emitted by microbes, or other volatiles that we are exposed to over a long duration. Using the model system
Drosophila melanogaster,
we evaluate a yeast emitted volatile, diacetyl, found in high levels around fermenting fruits where they spend long periods of time. We find that exposure to just the headspace containing the volatile molecules can alter gene expression in the antenna. Experiments showed that diacetyl and structurally related volatile compounds inhibited human histone-deacetylases (HDACs), increased histone-H3K9 acetylation in human cells, and caused wide changes in gene expression in both
Drosophila
and mice. Diacetyl crosses the blood-brain barrier and exposure causes modulation of gene expression in the brain, therefore has potential as a therapeutic. Using two separate disease models known to be responsive to HDAC-inhibitors, we evaluated physiological effects of volatile exposure. First, we find that the HDAC inhibitor also halts proliferation of a neuroblastoma cell line in culture as predicted. Next, exposure to vapors slows progression of neurodegeneration in a
Drosophila
model for Huntington’s disease. These changes strongly suggest that unbeknown to us, certain volatiles in the surroundings can have profound effects on histone acetylation, gene expression and physiology in animals.
ESCRT-III-dependent adhesive and mechanical changes are triggered by a mechanism detecting alteration of septate junction integrity in Drosophila epithelial cells
Authors: Esmangart de Bournonville Thomas , Jaglarz Mariusz K , Durel Emeline , Le Borgne Roland
Published: February 2024

Barrier functions of proliferative epithelia are constantly challenged by mechanical and chemical constraints. How epithelia respond to and cope with disturbances of barrier functions to allow tissue integrity maintenance is poorly characterised. Cellular junctions play an important role in this process and intracellular traffic contribute to their homeostasis. Here, we reveal that, in Drosophila pupal notum, alteration of the bi- or tricellular septate junctions (SJs) triggers a mechanism with two prominent outcomes. On one hand, there is an increase in the levels of E-cadherin, F-actin, and non-muscle myosin II in the plane of adherens junctions. On the other hand, β-integrin/Vinculin-positive cell contacts are reinforced along the lateral and basal membranes. We found that the weakening of SJ integrity, caused by the depletion of bi- or tricellular SJ components, alters ESCRT-III/Vps32/Shrub distribution, reduces degradation and instead favours recycling of SJ components, an effect that extends to other recycled transmembrane protein cargoes including Crumbs, its effector β-Heavy Spectrin Karst, and β-integrin. We propose a mechanism by which epithelial cells, upon sensing alterations of the SJ, reroute the function of Shrub to adjust the balance of degradation/recycling of junctional cargoes and thereby compensate for barrier junction defects to maintain epithelial integrity.
Guanidine Production by Plant Homoarginine-6-hydroxylases
Authors: Funck Dietmar , Sinn Malte , Forlani Giuseppe , Hartig Jörg S.
Published: February 2024

Metabolism and biological functions of the nitrogen-rich compound guanidine have long been neglected. The discovery of four classes of guanidine-sensing riboswitches and two pathways for guanidine degradation in bacteria hint at widespread sources of unconjugated guanidine in nature. So far, only three enzymes from a narrow range of bacteria and fungi have been shown to produce guanidine, with the ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE) as the most prominent example. Here, we show that a related class of Fe
2+
- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases (2-ODD-C23) highly conserved among plants and algae catalyze the hydroxylation of homoarginine at the C6-position. Spontaneous decay of 6-hydroxyhomoarginine yields guanidine and 2-aminoadipate-6-semialdehyde. The latter can be reduced to pipecolate by pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase but more likely is oxidized to aminoadipate by aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH7B
in vivo
. Arabidopsis has three 2-ODD-C23 isoforms, among which Din11 is unusual because it also accepted arginine as substrate, which was not the case for the other 2-ODD-C23 isoforms from Arabidopsis or other plants. In contrast to EFE, none of the three Arabidopsis enzymes produced ethylene. Guanidine contents were typically between 10 and 20 nmol*(g fresh weight)
-1
in Arabidopsis but increased to 100 or 300 nmol*(g fresh weight)
-1
after homoarginine feeding or treatment with Din11-inducing methyljasmonate, respectively. In 2-ODD-C23 triple mutants, the guanidine content was strongly reduced, whereas it increased in overexpression plants. We discuss the implications of the finding of widespread guanidine-producing enzymes in photosynthetic eukaryotes as a so far underestimated branch of the bio-geochemical nitrogen cycle and propose possible functions of natural guanidine production.
Ocular dominance-dependent binocular combination of monocular neuronal responses in macaque V1
Authors: Zhang Sheng-Hui , Zhao Xing-Nan , Tang Shi-Ming , Yu Cong
Published: February 2024

Primates rely on two eyes to see depth, while keeping a stable vision when one eye is closed. Although psychophysical and modeling studies have investigated how monocular signals are combined to form binocular vision, the corresponding neuronal mechanisms, especially in V1 where most neurons become binocular but with different eye preferences, are not well understood. Here we used two-photon calcium imaging to compare monocular and binocular responses of thousands of V1 superficial-layer neurons in three awake macaques. Under monocular stimulation, neurons preferring the stimulated eye responded substantially stronger than those preferring both eyes. However, under binocular stimulation, the responses of neurons preferring either eye were suppressed, and those preferring both eyes were enhanced, so that neuronal responses became similar regardless of eye preferences. A neuronally realistic model of binocular combination, which includes ocular dominance-dependent divisive interocular inhibition, and binocular summation, is proposed to account for these observations.
Structural dynamics of the active HER4 and HER2/HER4 complexes is finely tuned by different growth factors and glycosylation
Authors: Trenker Raphael , Diwanji Devan , Bingham Tanner , Verba Kliment A. , Jura Natalia
Published: February 2024

Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 4 (HER4 or ERBB4) carries out essential functions in the development and maintenance of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. HER4 activation is regulated by a diverse group of extracellular ligands including the neuregulin (NRG) family and betacellulin (BTC), which promote HER4 homodimerization or heterodimerization with other HER receptors. Important cardiovascular functions of HER4 are exerted via heterodimerization with its close homolog and orphan receptor, HER2. To date structural insights into ligand-mediated HER4 activation have been limited to crystallographic studies of HER4 ectodomain homodimers in complex with NRG1ý. Here we report cryo-EM structures of near full-length HER2/HER4 heterodimers and full-length HER4 homodimers bound to NRG1ý and BTC. We show that the structures of the heterodimers bound to either ligand are nearly identical and that in both cases the HER2/HER4 heterodimer interface is less dynamic than those observed in structures of HER2/EGFR and HER2/HER3 heterodimers. In contrast, structures of full-length HER4 homodimers bound to NRG1ý and BTC display more large-scale dynamics mirroring states previously reported for EGFR homodimers. Our structures also reveal the presence of multiple glycan modifications within HER4 ectodomains, modeled for the first time in HER receptors, that distinctively contribute to the stabilization of HER4 homodimer interfaces over those of HER2/HER4 heterodimers.
Reliance on self-reports and estimated food composition data in nutrition research introduces signiﬁcant bias that can only be addressed with biomarkers
Authors: Ottaviani Javier I , Sagi-Kiss Virag , Schroeter Hagen , Kuhnle Gunter GC
Published: February 2024

The chemical composition of foods is complex, variable, and dependent on many factors. This has a major impact on nutrition research as it foundationally aﬀects our ability to adequately assess the actual intake of nutrients and other compounds. In spite of this, accurate data on nutrient intake are key for investigating the associations and causal relationships between intake, health, and disease risk at the service of developing evidence-based dietary guidance that enables improvements in population health. Here, we exemplify the importance of this challenge by investigating the impact of food content variability on nutrition research using three bioactives as model: ﬂavan-3-ols, (–)-epicatechin, and nitrate. Our results show that common approaches aimed at addressing the high compositional variability of even the same foods impede the accurate assessment of nutrient intake generally. This suggests that the results of many nutrition studies using food composition data are potentially unreliable and carry greater limitations than commonly appreciated, consequently resulting in dietary recommendations with signiﬁcant limitations and unreliable impact on public health. Thus, current challenges related to nutrient intake assessments need to be addressed and mitigated by the development of improved dietary assessment methods involving the use of nutritional biomarkers.
Chemoproteomics validates selective targeting of Plasmodium M1 alanyl aminopeptidase as an antimalarial strategy
Authors: Giannangelo Carlo , Challis Matthew P , Siddiqui Ghizal , Edgar Rebecca , Malcolm Tess R , Webb Chaille T , Drinkwater Nyssa , Vinh Natalie , Macraild Christopher , Counihan Natalie , Duffy Sandra , Wittlin Sergio , Devine Shane M , Avery Vicky M , De Koning-Ward Tania , Scammells Peter , McGowan Sheena , Creek Darren J
Published: February 2024

New antimalarial drug candidates that act via novel mechanisms are urgently needed to combat malaria drug resistance. Here, we describe the multi-omic chemical validation of Plasmodium M1 alanyl metalloaminopeptidase as an attractive drug target using the selective inhibitor, MIPS2673. MIPS2673 demonstrated potent inhibition of recombinant Plasmodium falciparum (PfA-M1) and Plasmodium vivax (PvA-M1) M1 metalloaminopeptidases, with selectivity over other Plasmodium and human aminopeptidases, and displayed excellent in vitro antimalarial activity with no significant host cytotoxicity. Orthogonal label-free chemoproteomic methods based on thermal stability and limited proteolysis of whole parasite lysates revealed that MIPS2673 solely targets PfA-M1 in parasites, with limited proteolysis also enabling estimation of the binding site on PfA-M1 to within ~5 Å of that determined by X-ray crystallography. Finally, functional investigation by untargeted metabolomics demonstrated that MIPS2673 inhibits the key role of PfA-M1 in haemoglobin digestion. Combined, our unbiased multi-omic target deconvolution methods confirmed the on-target activity of MIPS2673, and validated selective inhibition of M1 alanyl metalloaminopeptidase as a promising antimalarial strategy.
Peptidoglycan-Chi3l1 interaction shapes gut microbiota in intestinal mucus layer
Authors: Chen Yan , Yang Ruizhi , Qi Bin , Shan Zhao
Published: February 2024

The balanced gut microbiota in intestinal mucus layer plays an instrumental role in the health of the host. However, the mechanisms by which the host regulates microbial communities in the mucus layer remain largely unknown. Here, we discovered that the host regulates bacterial colonization in the gut mucus layer by producing a protein called Chitinase 3-like protein 1 (Chi3l1). Intestinal epithelial cells are stimulated by the gut microbiota to express Chi3l1. Once expressed, Chi3l1 is secreted into the mucus layer where it interacts with the gut microbiota, specifically through a component of bacterial cell walls called peptidoglycan. This interaction between Chi3l1 and bacteria is beneficial for the colonization of bacteria in the mucus, particularly for gram-positive bacteria like
Lactobacillus
. Moreover, a deficiency of Chi3l1 leads to an imbalance in the gut microbiota, which exacerbates colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). By performing fecal microbiota transplantation from Villin-cre mice or replenishing
Lactobacillus
in IEC
ΔChil1
mice, we were able to restore their colitis to the same level as that of Villin-cre mice. In summary, this study shows a “scaffold model” for microbiota homeostasis by interaction between intestinal Chi3l1 and bacteria cell wall interaction, and it also highlights that an unbalanced gut microbiota in the intestinal mucus contributes to the development of colitis.
Rifampicin tolerance and growth fitness among isoniazid-resistant clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates: an in-vitro longitudinal study
Authors: Srinivasan Vijay , Bao Nguyen Le Hoai , Vinh Dao Nguyen , Nhat Le Thanh Hoang , Thu Do Dang Anh , Quang Nguyen Le , Trieu Le Pham Tien , Nhung Hoang Ngoc , Ha Vu Thi Ngoc , Thai Phan Vuong Khac , Ha Dang Thi Minh , Lan Nguyen Huu , Caws Maxine , Thwaites Guy E. , Javid Babak , Thuong Nguyen Thuy Thuong
Published: February 2024

Antibiotic tolerance in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
leads to less effective bacterial killing, poor treatment responses and resistant emergence. There is limited understanding of antibiotic tolerance in clinical isolates of
M. tuberculosis
. Therefore, we investigated the rifampicin tolerance of
M. tuberculosis
isolates, with or without pre-existing isoniazid-resistance.
In-vitro
rifampicin survival fractions determined by minimum duration of killing assay in isoniazid susceptible (n=119) and resistant (n=84)
M. tuberculosis
isolates. Rifampicin tolerance was correlated with bacterial growth, rifampicin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and isoniazid-resistant mutations. The longitudinal isoniazid-resistant isolates were analyzed for rifampicin tolerance based on collection time from patients and associated emergence of genetic variants. The median duration of rifampicin exposure reducing the
M. tuberculosis
surviving fraction by 90% (minimum duration of killing-MDK90) increased from 1.23 (95%CI 1.11; 1.37) and 1.31 (95%CI 1.14; 1.48) to 2.55 (95%CI 2.04; 2.97) and 1.98 (95%CI 1.69; 2.56) days, for IS and IR respectively, during 15 to 60 days of incubation respectively. Increase in MDK90 time indicated the presence of fast and slow growing tolerant sub-populations. A range of 6 log
10
-fold survival fraction enabled classification of tolerance as low, medium or high and revealed isoniazid-resistance association with increased tolerance with faster growth (OR=2.68 for low vs. medium, OR=4.42 for low vs. high,
P
-trend=0.0003). The high tolerance in longitudinal isoniazid-resistant isolates was specific to those collected during rifampicin treatment in patients and associated with bacterial genetic microvariants. Our study identifies a range of rifampicin tolerance and reveals that isoniazid resistance is associated with higher tolerance with growth fitness. Furthermore, rifampicin treatment may select isoniazid-resistant isolate microvariants with higher rifampicin tolerance, with survival potential similar to multi-drug resistant isolates. These findings suggest that isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis needs to be evaluated for rifampicin tolerance or needs further improvement in treatment regimen.
Macro-scale patterns in functional connectivity associated with ongoing thought patterns and dispositional traits
Authors: Hardikar Samyogita , Mckeown Bronte , Schaare H Lina , Wallace Raven Star , Xu Ting , Lauckener Mark Edgar , Valk Sofie Louise , Margulies Daniel S , Turnbull Adam , Bernhardt Boris C , Vos de Wael Reinder , Villringer Arno , Smallwood Jonathan
Published: February 2024

Complex macro-scale patterns of brain activity that emerge during periods of wakeful rest provide insight into the organisation of neural function, how these differentiate individuals based on their traits, and the neural basis of different types of self-generated thoughts. Although brain activity during wakeful rest is valuable for understanding important features of human cognition, its unconstrained nature makes it difficult to disentangle neural features related to personality traits from those related to the thoughts occurring at rest. Our study builds on recent perspectives from work on ongoing conscious thought that highlight the interactions between three brain networks – ventral and dorsal attention networks, as well as the default mode network. We combined measures of personality with state-of-the-art indices of ongoing thoughts at rest and brain imaging analysis and explored whether this ‘tri-partite’ view can provide a framework within which to understand the contribution of states and traits to observed patterns of neural activity at rest. To capture macro-scale relationships between different brain systems, we calculated cortical gradients to describe brain organisation in a low-dimensional space. Our analysis established that for more introverted individuals, regions of the ventral attention network were functionally more aligned to regions of the somatomotor system and the default mode network. At the same time, a pattern of detailed self-generated thought was associated with a decoupling of regions of dorsal attention from regions in the default mode network. Our study, therefore, establishes that interactions between attention systems and the default mode network are important influences on ongoing thought at rest and highlights the value of integrating contemporary perspectives on conscious experience when understanding patterns of brain activity at rest.
Light-adaptation clamp: a tool to predictably manipulate photoreceptor light responses
Authors: Chen Qiang , Ingram Norianne T. , Baudin Jacob , Angueyra Juan M. , Sinha Raunak , Rieke Fred
Published: February 2024

Computation in neural circuits relies on judicious use of nonlinear circuit components. In many cases, multiple nonlinear components work collectively to control circuit outputs. Separating the contributions of these different components is difficult, and this hampers our understanding of the mechanistic basis of many important computations. Here, we introduce a tool that permits the design of light stimuli that predictably alter rod and cone phototransduction currents - including the compensation for nonlinear properties such as light adaptation. This tool, based on well-established models for the rod and cone phototransduction cascade, permits the separation of nonlinearities in phototransduction from those in downstream circuits. This will allow, for example, direct tests of the role of photoreceptor adaptation in downstream visual signals or in perception.
Visual working memories are abstractions of percepts
Authors: Duan Ziyi , Curtis Clayton E
Published: February 2024

During perception, decoding the orientation of gratings depends on complex interactions between the orientation of the grating, aperture edges, and topographic structure of the visual map. Here, we aimed to test how aperture biases described during perception affect working memory (WM) decoding. For memoranda, we used gratings multiplied by radial and angular modulators to generate orthogonal aperture biases for identical orientations. Therefore, if WM representations are simply maintained sensory representations, they would have similar aperture biases. If they are abstractions of sensory features, they would be unbiased and the modulator would have no effect on orientation decoding. Neural patterns of delay period activity while maintaining the orientation of gratings with one modulator (e.g. radial) were interchangeable with patterns while maintaining gratings with the other modulator (e.g. angular) in visual and parietal cortex, suggesting that WM representations are insensitive to aperture biases during perception. Then, we visualized memory abstractions of stimuli using models of visual field map properties. Regardless of aperture biases, WM representations of both modulated gratings were recoded into a single oriented line. These results provide strong evidence that visual WM representations are abstractions of percepts, immune to perceptual aperture biases, and compel revisions of WM theory.
Rtf1-dependent transcriptional pausing regulates cardiogenesis
Authors: Langenbacher Adam D. , Lu Fei , Tsang Luna , Huang Zi Yi Stephanie , Keer Benjamin , Tian Zhiyu , Eide Alette , Pellegrini Matteo , Nakano Haruko , Nakano Atsushi , Chen Jau-Nian
Published: February 2024

During heart development, a well-characterized network of transcription factors initiates cardiac gene expression and defines the precise timing and location of cardiac progenitor specification. However, our understanding of the post-initiation transcriptional events that regulate cardiac gene expression is still incomplete. The PAF1C component Rtf1 is a transcription regulatory protein that modulates pausing and elongation of RNA Pol II, as well as cotranscriptional histone modifications. Here we report that Rtf1 is essential for cardiogenesis in fish and mammals, and that in the absence of Rtf1 activity, cardiac progenitors arrest in an immature state. We found that Rtf1’s Plus3 domain, which confers interaction with the transcriptional pausing and elongation regulator Spt5, was necessary for cardiac progenitor formation. ChIP-seq analysis further revealed changes in the occupancy of RNA Pol II around the transcription start site (TSS) of cardiac genes in
rtf1
morphants reflecting a reduction in transcriptional pausing. Intriguingly, inhibition of pause release in
rtf1
morphants and mutants restored the formation of cardiac cells and improved Pol II occupancy at the TSS of key cardiac genes. Our findings highlight the crucial role that transcriptional pausing plays in promoting normal gene expression levels in a cardiac developmental context.
The Impact of Water Abstraction on River Mutonga Discharge Over the Last 30 Years
Authors: Mwirigi Padiel , Jane Kagendo , Karienye David
Published: February 2024

The declining water levels among rivers flowing through Tharaka Nithi County have been a major concern in the region for the last 30 years. The decline has adversely affected environmental sustainability, water resources, agriculture and the ecosystem. Understanding the relationship between rivers, change of climate and human activities are essential challenging areas. The research aimed to assess the impact of changed rainfall pattern and amount to the declining water levels in Mutonga River over years from 1990 to 2020 and it contribution to the changing water levels in river Mutonga. An exploratory survey and a correlational study were used to compile the data for this analysis. Three regional NEMA officials and three regional water resources authority officials were also surveyed, along with 270 residents in the River Mutonga area. The samples were based on 30% as per Mugenda Mugenda samples analysis. The rainfall and temperature data was acquired from the regional meteorological department based in Embu town. Data on river discharge was acquired from regional water resource authority (WRA) based in Meru town. The result may also recommend suitable practices for management of water resources and   come up with disaster control measures in water sector. The local community may also benefit from the study by getting the right information on better methods of conserving water resources, the findings and recommendations from the study may be used as basis for future research related to this study. From the findings, results show that river Mutonga flows has been decreasing over the last 30 years, water abstraction trend has been rising over the entire period in three decades causing a tremendous decline in river discharge. climatic changes have been noted in the region with rainfall amount dropping significantly and temperatures increasing, this has led to decline of the river discharge due reduced rainwater adding to the rivers and increased evaporation rates which leads to loss of water from rivers to the atmosphere. The result from the research may be used to enlighten the County Government of Tharaka Nithi, in making decision, especially in development projects implementation and in the strategic plans of the County Government.
Standardization and Evaluation of Quality Attributes and Bioactive Components of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and Kokum (Garcinia indica Choisy) Based Herbal Tea
Authors: Likhitha Modugu , Laxmi K. Venkata , Jyothi G. , Sreenivas M. , Aparna K.
Published: February 2024

The present investigation entitled “Standardization and evaluation of quality attributes and bioactive components of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and Kokum (Garcinia indica Choisy) based herbal tea” was carried out in the Central Instrumentation Laboratory, College of Horticulture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. The experiment was carried out with Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with two experiments, experiment-I consists of 7 treatments and three replications. and experiment -II consists of 8 treatments and 3 replications. Tea bags of 3.5grams will be prepared as per the treatments and Standard cup volume of 100 ml is considered for study. The results revealed that the treatment combination of ginger -kokum mix (first best T7 Dry ginger powder 90 % + Dry Kokum powder 10 %), second best -T3 (Dry ginger powder 50 % + Dry kokum powder 50 %) based on organoleptic evaluation were selected from experiment one and proceeded to experiment two for evaluation of ginger kokum based herbal tea. The results related to physico-chemical parameters and organoleptic evaluation indicated that, among the different herbal teas, the treatment T3 (First best -90 %+ Cardamom -10 %) recorded best with pH (4.54) of 0th day, T2 (Second Best -100 % -Control) recorded highest titratable acidity (4.02 %) of 60th day, T2 (Second Best -100 %) recorded best with Ascorbic acid (1.32 mg/100 g) of 0th day. T4 (First best 90 % +Turmeric -10 %) at 0th day found to be best with total Phenol content (88.95 mg GAE/g). The maximum organoleptic score for overall acceptability (8.47) was in “Like very much range” on nine-point hedonic scale which is recorded in treatment T4: (First best-90 % +Tulasi-10 %) at the end of storage period. it can be concluded that T4-(First best -90 % + Tulasi - 10%) and T8 (Second best 90 % + Turmeric -10%) are best two standardized herbal teas from this research work.