bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychometric Properties of the REMAP Resilience Scale in a Norwegian Sample of ME/CFS Patients and Healthy Controls
Authors: Strand Elin B. , Nes Lise Solberg , Børøsund Elin , Pripp Are Hugo , Malarkey William , Dammen Toril
Published: April 2024

Abstract: Being able to increase and know how to strengthen resilience may be relevant for patients living with long-term symptoms such as chronic fatigue syndromes. The current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of a Norwegian-translated version of the REMAP resilience measure in a sample of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy controls. Factor analyses indicated poor fit for both the one- and five-factor solutions of the translated REMAP measure with best fit for a correlated five-factor model. Validity proved to be good, while reliability was poor for two of the subscales. Differences were revealed between gender, age groups, and between patients and healthy controls. The construct validity indicates that REMAP assesses adequate aspects of resilience. REMAP might be valuable to use to show that resilience resources could be developed in various life domains and aid in coping with chronic illness. However, REMAP should be further tested in other samples and cultures.
Teleconnection Between Coastal Phytoplankton Blooms Phenomenon in Western North Pacific and El Niño–Southern Oscillation by Time‐Frequency Analysis
Authors: Liu Zhenxia , Wang Zengjie , Zhao Binru , Luo Wen , Yu Zhaoyuan , Yuan Linwang
Published: April 2024

Phytoplankton blooms in coastal marine environments are regard as a double‐edged sword, offering benefits to coastal ecosystems while also posing significant environmental challenges. The occurrence and severity of these blooms are influenced by environmental factors, with climate oscillations playing a crucial role. In this study, we employed two time‐frequency analysis methods to investigate the teleconnection between phytoplankton blooms (denoted by bloom intensity, BI) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) from 2003 to 2020 in eight large marine ecosystems (LMEs) of Western North Pacific which are particularly sensitive to the impacts of climate oscillations and reflect well the impacts on marine ecosystems at different latitudes. These analytical methods unveiled these time series exhibited similar periodicity and synchronization patterns, which indicated the teleconnection between ENSO and phytoplankton blooms in the Western North Pacific. The Hilbert‐Huang Transformation classified the eight LMEs into two categories based on their similarity to BI and MEI in the time‐frequency domain. Specifically, one category is similar to MEI with energy concentrated at low frequencies, while the other category exhibits significant dissimilarity with dispersed energy. Wavelet analysis uncovered a robust coherence between the ENSO and BI across all LMEs, with a 57‐month periodicity. Furthermore, phytoplankton blooms in the Western North Pacific Ocean strengthen with increasing Multivariate ENSO Index on the large spatiotemporal scale due to a decrease in sea surface temperatures. The findings will be useful as a reference for improving understanding of the teleconnection between coastal phytoplankton blooms and climate oscillations in other coastal zones.
Spatio‐Temporal Trends of the Relationships Between Surface PM2.5 and Its Chemical Constituents Across Three COALESCE Network Locations in India: A Mass Closure Investigation
Authors: Pullokaran Delwin , Bhardwaj Ankur , Haswani Diksha , Yadav Kajal , Sunder Raman Ramya , Shukla Deeksha , Dhandapani Abisheg , Iqbal Jawed , Kumar R. Naresh , Prasad Laxmi , Venkatesh Prabhavathi , Murthy B. M. Sadashiva
Published: April 2024

COALESCE, a collaborative network studying the impacts of carbonaceous aerosols, measured PM2.5 mass and its constituents at several regionally representative sites in India. This study reconciles the reconstructed mass (RCM) from PM2.5 chemical constituents with gravimetric PM2.5 mass measured during 2019 at three COALESCE sites (Bhopal, Mesra, and Mysuru). To evaluate the extent of mass closure, the spatiotemporal variability of organic matter/organic carbon (OM/OC), filter sampling artifacts of OC, nitrate, and aerosol liquid water (ALW) were assessed. The annual loss of total particulate OC from Teflon filters varied across Bhopal (0.46–1.35 μg m−3), Mesra (0.30–0.92 μg m−3), and Mysuru (0.16–0.68 μg m−3). Likewise, the range of nitrate volatilization was 0.7–2.7 μg m−3 at Bhopal, 0.5–2 μg m−3 at Mesra, and 1.3–2.2 μg m−3 at Mysuru. Also, the range of ALW mass was 2.6–6.8 μg m−3 at Bhopal, 3.2–9.5 μg m−3 at Mesra, and 0.8–3.8 μg m−3 at Mysuru. Seasonality was observed in the value of OM/OC with an increase during the pre‐monsoon season at all sites viz., Bhopal (2.20), Mesra (1.61), and Mysuru (2.02) compared to their annual averages, suggesting enhanced contribution of secondary organics to OC. The method developed for estimating RCM in this study resulted in better mass closure compared to using conventional RCM algorithms. Overall, this study provides a robust data validation strategy and India‐specific species coefficients for use in the RCM algorithm. The outcomes of this study can guide regional aerosol sampling, chemical analyses, and model–measurement reconciliation efforts.
Low-loss and polarization insensitive 32 × 4 optical switch for ROADM applications
Authors: Zhu Xiaotian , Wang Xiang , Huang Yanlu , Wu Liyan , Zhao Chunfei , Xiao Mingzhu , Wang Luyi , Davidson Roy , Ou Yanni , Little Brent E. , Chu Sai T.
Published: April 2024

Integrated switches play a crucial role in the development of reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) that have greater flexibility and compactness, ultimately leading to robust single-chip solutions. Despite decades of research on switches with various structures and platforms, achieving a balance between dense integration, low insertion loss (IL), and polarization-dependent loss (PDL) remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a 32 × 4 optical switch using high-index doped silica glass (HDSG) for ROADM applications. This switch is designed to route any of the 32 inputs to the express ports or drop any channels from 32 inputs to the target 4 drop ports or add any of the 4 ports to any of the 32 express channels. The switch comprises 188 Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) type switch elements, 88 optical vias for the 44 optical bridges, and 618 waveguide-waveguide crossings with three-dimensional (3D) structures. At 1550 nm, the fiber-to-fiber loss for each express channel is below 2 dB, and across the C and L bands, below 3 dB. For each input channel to all 4 drop/add channels at 1550 nm, the loss is less than 3.5 dB and less than 5 dB across the C and L bands. The PDLs for all express and input channels to the 4 drop/add channels are below 0.3 dB over the C band, and the crosstalk is under −50 dB for both the C and L bands.
Effects of diazepam on hippocampal blood flow in people at clinical high risk for psychosis
Authors: Livingston Nicholas R. , Kiemes Amanda , Devenyi Gabriel A. , Knight Samuel , Lukow Paulina B. , Jelen Luke A. , Reilly Thomas , Dima Aikaterini , Nettis Maria Antonietta , Casetta Cecilia , Agyekum Tyler , Zelaya Fernando , Spencer Thomas , De Micheli Andrea , Fusar-Poli Paolo , Grace Anthony A. , Williams Steve C. R. , McGuire Philip , Egerton Alice , Chakravarty M. Mallar , Modinos Gemma
Published: April 2024

Elevated hippocampal perfusion has been observed in people at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P). Preclinical evidence suggests that hippocampal hyperactivity is central to the pathophysiology of psychosis, and that peripubertal treatment with diazepam can prevent the development of psychosis-relevant phenotypes. The present experimental medicine study examined whether diazepam can normalize hippocampal perfusion in CHR-P individuals. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 24 CHR-P individuals were assessed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on two occasions, once following a single oral dose of diazepam (5 mg) and once following placebo. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using 3D pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling and sampled in native space using participant-specific hippocampus and subfield masks (CA1, subiculum, CA4/dentate gyrus). Twenty-two healthy controls (HC) were scanned using the same MRI acquisition sequence, but without administration of diazepam or placebo. Mixed-design ANCOVAs and linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the effects of group (CHR-P placebo/diazepam vs. HC) and condition (CHR-P diazepam vs. placebo) on rCBF in the hippocampus as a whole and by subfield. Under the placebo condition, CHR-P individuals (mean [±SD] age: 24.1 [±4.8] years, 15 F) showed significantly elevated rCBF compared to HC (mean [±SD] age: 26.5 [±5.1] years, 11 F) in the hippocampus (F(1,41) = 24.7, pFDR < 0.001) and across its subfields (all pFDR < 0.001). Following diazepam, rCBF in the hippocampus (and subfields, all pFDR < 0.001) was significantly reduced (t(69) = −5.1, pFDR < 0.001) and normalized to HC levels (F(1,41) = 0.4, pFDR = 0.204). In conclusion, diazepam normalized hippocampal hyperperfusion in CHR-P individuals, consistent with evidence implicating medial temporal GABAergic dysfunction in increased vulnerability for psychosis.
Real-world experience of water vapour therapy (Rezum) in patients with benign prostatic enlargement: a retrospective single-center study
Authors: Wolters Mathias , Krastel Martin , Winkler Thorben , Idais Hamza , Mazdak Mehrdad , Tezval Hossein , Kuczyk Markus A. , von Klot Christoph-A. J.
Published: April 2024

Background

Water vapor thermal therapy (Rezum) is a minimally invasive treatment for benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). Studies reporting urodynamic results regarding the procedure are rare. Our study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Rezum on urinary outcome parameters in a consecutive series of patients and compare urodynamic data before and after treatment.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated all the patients treated with Rezum between 07/2017 and 12/2023 at our institution. Patients who had more than one Rezum intervention, those who were unable to void (i.e., catheter-dependent patients), and those with insufficient data were excluded from the data analysis. Descriptive outcomes, such as symptom scores (IPSS, IPSS-QoL), peak flow in uroflowmetry (Qmax), post-micturition residual urine volume (PVR), and prostate volume (PVol), were analyzed. If available, preoperative and postoperative urodynamic results were evaluated.

Results

In total, 250 Rezum procedures were performed during the observational period. After applying the exclusion criteria, the data from 193 patients were included in the analysis. Patients achieved significant symptom relief as measured using the IPSS (46% reduction) and IPSS-QoL scores (41% reduction). Qmax improved by 4.8 ml/s, as the mean PVR significantly decreased by 50%. PVol and PSA values decreased by 30% and 27.5%, respectively. In 19/193 patients with a urodynamic evaluation, pre- and postoperative data analysis showed a significant reduction in the bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI) by approximately 70%.

Conclusions

Rezum is effective and can improve urinary symptoms. In appropriate patients, Rezum can significantly reduce the bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).
RAS mutations in myeloid malignancies: revisiting old questions with novel insights and therapeutic perspectives
Authors: Alawieh Dana , Cysique-Foinlan Leila , Willekens Christophe , Renneville Aline
Published: April 2024

NRAS and KRAS activating point mutations are present in 10–30% of myeloid malignancies and are often associated with a proliferative phenotype. RAS mutations harbor allele-specific structural and biochemical properties depending on the hotspot mutation, contributing to variable biological consequences. Given their subclonal nature in most myeloid malignancies, their clonal architecture, and patterns of cooperativity with other driver genetic alterations may potentially have a direct, causal influence on the prognosis and treatment of myeloid malignancies. RAS mutations overall tend to be associated with poor clinical outcome in both chronic and acute myeloid malignancies. Several recent prognostic scoring systems have incorporated RAS mutational status. While RAS mutations do not always act as independent prognostic factors, they significantly influence disease progression and survival. However, their clinical significance depends on the type of mutation, disease context, and treatment administered. Recent evidence also indicates that RAS mutations drive resistance to targeted therapies, particularly FLT3, IDH1/2, or JAK2 inhibitors, as well as the venetoclax-azacitidine combination. The investigation of novel therapeutic strategies and combinations that target multiple axes within the RAS pathway, encompassing both upstream and downstream components, is an active field of research. The success of direct RAS inhibitors in patients with solid tumors has brought renewed optimism that this progress will be translated to patients with hematologic malignancies. In this review, we highlight key insights on RAS mutations across myeloid malignancies from the past decade, including their prevalence and distribution, cooperative genetic events, clonal architecture and dynamics, prognostic implications, and therapeutic targeting.
ID1high/activin Ahigh glioblastoma cells contribute to resistance to anti-angiogenesis therapy through malformed vasculature
Authors: Choi Sang-Hun , Jang Junseok , Kim Yoonji , Park Cheol Gyu , Lee Seon Yong , Kim Hyojin , Kim Hyunggee
Published: April 2024

Although bevacizumab (BVZ), a representative drug for anti-angiogenesis therapy (AAT), is used as a first-line treatment for patients with glioblastoma (GBM), its efficacy is notably limited. Whereas several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the acquisition of AAT resistance, the specific underlying mechanisms have yet to be sufficiently ascertained. Here, we established that inhibitor of differentiation 1 (ID1)high/activin Ahigh glioblastoma cell confers resistance to BVZ. The bipotent effect of activin A during its active phase was demonstrated to reduce vasculature dependence in tumorigenesis. In response to a temporary exposure to activin A, this cytokine was found to induce endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition via the Smad3/Slug axis, whereas prolonged exposure led to endothelial apoptosis. ID1 tumors showing resistance to BVZ were established to be characterized by a hypovascular structure, hyperpermeability, and scattered hypoxic regions. Using a GBM mouse model, we demonstrated that AAT resistance can be overcome by administering therapy based on a combination of BVZ and SB431542, a Smad2/3 inhibitor, which contributed to enhancing survival. These findings offer valuable insights that could contribute to the development of new strategies for treating AAT-resistant GBM.
Annexin A2 combined with TTK accelerates esophageal cancer progression via the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway
Authors: Liu Ruiqi , Lu Yanwei , Li Jing , Yao Weiping , Wu Jiajun , Chen Xiaoyan , Huang Luanluan , Nan Ding , Zhang Yitian , Chen Weijun , Wang Ying , Jia Yongshi , Tang Jianming , Liang Xiaodong , Zhang Haibo
Published: April 2024

Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is a widely reported oncogene. However, the mechanism of ANXA2 in esophageal cancer is not fully understood. In this study, we provided evidence that ANXA2 promotes the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) through the downstream target threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK). These results are consistent with the up-regulation of ANXA2 and TTK in ESCC. In vitro experiments by knockdown and overexpression of ANXA2 revealed that ANXA2 promotes the progression of ESCC by enhancing cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Subsequently, animal models also confirmed the role of ANXA2 in promoting the proliferation and metastasis of ESCC. Mechanistically, the ANXA2/TTK complex activates the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and accelerates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby promoting the invasion and metastasis of ESCC. Furthermore, we identified that TTK overexpression can reverse the inhibition of ESCC invasion after ANXA2 knockdown. Overall, these data indicate that the combination of ANXA2 and TTK regulates the activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway and accelerates the progression of ESCC. Therefore, the ANXA2/TTK/Akt/mTOR axis is a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.
TANGO1 inhibitors reduce collagen secretion and limit tissue scarring
Authors: Raote Ishier , Rosendahl Ann-Helen , Häkkinen Hanna-Maria , Vibe Carina , Küçükaylak Ismail , Sawant Mugdha , Keufgens Lena , Frommelt Pia , Halwas Kai , Broadbent Katrina , Cunquero Marina , Castro Gustavo , Villemeur Marie , Nüchel Julian , Bornikoel Anna , Dam Binita , Zirmire Ravindra K. , Kiran Ravi , Carolis Carlo , Andilla Jordi , Loza-Alvarez Pablo , Ruprecht Verena , Jamora Colin , Campelo Felix , Krüger Marcus , Hammerschmidt Matthias , Eckes Beate , Neundorf Ines , Krieg Thomas , Malhotra Vivek
Published: April 2024

Uncontrolled secretion of ECM proteins, such as collagen, can lead to excessive scarring and fibrosis and compromise tissue function. Despite the widespread occurrence of fibrotic diseases and scarring, effective therapies are lacking. A promising approach would be to limit the amount of collagen released from hyperactive fibroblasts. We have designed membrane permeant peptide inhibitors that specifically target the primary interface between TANGO1 and cTAGE5, an interaction that is required for collagen export from endoplasmic reticulum exit sites (ERES). Application of the peptide inhibitors leads to reduced TANGO1 and cTAGE5 protein levels and a corresponding inhibition in the secretion of several ECM components, including collagens. Peptide inhibitor treatment in zebrafish results in altered tissue architecture and reduced granulation tissue formation during cutaneous wound healing. The inhibitors reduce secretion of several ECM proteins, including collagens, fibrillin and fibronectin in human dermal fibroblasts and in cells obtained from patients with a generalized fibrotic disease (scleroderma). Taken together, targeted interference of the TANGO1-cTAGE5 binding interface could enable therapeutic modulation of ERES function in ECM hypersecretion, during wound healing and fibrotic processes.
Emergence of enhancers at late DNA replicating regions
Authors: Cornejo-Páramo Paola , Petrova Veronika , Zhang Xuan , Young Robert S. , Wong Emily S.
Published: April 2024

Enhancers are fast-evolving genomic sequences that control spatiotemporal gene expression patterns. By examining enhancer turnover across mammalian species and in multiple tissue types, we uncover a relationship between the emergence of enhancers and genome organization as a function of germline DNA replication time. While enhancers are most abundant in euchromatic regions, enhancers emerge almost twice as often in late compared to early germline replicating regions, independent of transposable elements. Using a deep learning sequence model, we demonstrate that new enhancers are enriched for mutations that alter transcription factor (TF) binding. Recently evolved enhancers appear to be mostly neutrally evolving and enriched in eQTLs. They also show more tissue specificity than conserved enhancers, and the TFs that bind to these elements, as inferred by binding sequences, also show increased tissue-specific gene expression. We find a similar relationship with DNA replication time in cancer, suggesting that these observations may be time-invariant principles of genome evolution. Our work underscores that genome organization has a profound impact in shaping mammalian gene regulation.
A comprehensive synthetic library of poly-N-acetyl glucosamines enabled vaccine against lethal challenges of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Tan Zibin , Yang Weizhun , O’Brien Nicholas A. , Pan Xingling , Ramadan Sherif , Marsh Terence , Hammer Neal , Cywes-Bentley Colette , Vinacur Mariana , Pier Gerald B. , Gildersleeve Jeffrey C. , Huang Xuefei
Published: April 2024

Poly-β-(1–6)-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) is an important vaccine target, expressed on many pathogens. A critical hurdle in developing PNAG based vaccine is that the impacts of the number and the position of free amine vs N-acetylation on its antigenicity are not well understood. In this work, a divergent strategy is developed to synthesize a comprehensive library of 32 PNAG pentasaccharides. This library enables the identification of PNAG sequences with specific patterns of free amines as epitopes for vaccines against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), an important human pathogen. Active vaccination with the conjugate of discovered PNAG epitope with mutant bacteriophage Qβ as a vaccine carrier as well as passive vaccination with diluted rabbit antisera provides mice with near complete protection against infections by S. aureus including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Thus, the comprehensive PNAG pentasaccharide library is an exciting tool to empower the design of next generation vaccines.
Transparent integrated pyroelectric-photovoltaic structure for photo-thermo hybrid power generation
Authors: Patel Malkeshkumar , Park Hyeong-Ho , Bhatnagar Priyanka , Kumar Naveen , Lee Junsik , Kim Joondong
Published: April 2024

Thermal losses in photoelectric devices limit their energy conversion efficiency, and cyclic input of energy coupled with pyroelectricity can overcome this limit. Here, incorporating a pyroelectric absorber into a photovoltaic heterostructure device enables efficient electricity generation by leveraging spontaneous polarization based on pulsed light-induced thermal changes. The proposed pyroelectric-photovoltaic device outperforms traditional photovoltaic devices by 2.5 times due to the long-range electric field that occurs under pulse illumination. Optimization of parameters such as pulse frequency, scan speed, and illumination wavelength enhances power harvesting, as demonstrated by a power conversion efficiency of 11.9% and an incident-photon-to-current conversion efficiency of 200% under optimized conditions. This breakthrough enables reconfigurable electrostatic devices and presents an opportunity to accelerate technology that surpasses conventional limits in energy generation.
Wild-type IDH2 is a therapeutic target for triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Li Jiang-jiang , Yu Tiantian , Zeng Peiting , Tian Jingyu , Liu Panpan , Qiao Shuang , Wen Shijun , Hu Yumin , Liu Qiao , Lu Wenhua , Zhang Hui , Huang Peng
Published: April 2024

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDH) are oncogenic events due to the generation of oncogenic metabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate. However, the role of wild-type IDH in cancer development remains elusive. Here we show that wild-type IDH2 is highly expressed in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and promotes their proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Genetic silencing or pharmacological inhibition of wt-IDH2 causes a significant increase in α-ketoglutarate (α-KG), indicating a suppression of reductive tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. The aberrant accumulation of α-KG due to IDH2 abrogation inhibits mitochondrial ATP synthesis and promotes HIF-1α degradation, leading to suppression of glycolysis. Such metabolic double-hit results in ATP depletion and suppression of tumor growth, and renders TNBC cells more sensitive to doxorubicin treatment. Our study reveals a metabolic property of TNBC cells with active utilization of glutamine via reductive TCA metabolism, and suggests that wild-type IDH2 plays an important role in this metabolic process and could be a potential therapeutic target for TNBC.
Visualized in-sensor computing
Authors: Ni Yao , Liu Jiaqi , Han Hong , Yu Qianbo , Yang Lu , Xu Zhipeng , Jiang Chengpeng , Liu Lu , Xu Wentao
Published: April 2024

In artificial nervous systems, conductivity changes indicate synaptic weight updates, but they provide limited information compared to living organisms. We present the pioneering design and production of an electrochromic neuromorphic transistor employing color updates to represent synaptic weight for in-sensor computing. Here, we engineer a specialized mechanism for adaptively regulating ion doping through an ion-exchange membrane, enabling precise control over color-coded synaptic weight, an unprecedented achievement. The electrochromic neuromorphic transistor not only enhances electrochromatic capabilities for hardware coding but also establishes a visualized pattern-recognition network. Integrating the electrochromic neuromorphic transistor with an artificial whisker, we simulate a bionic reflex system inspired by the longicorn beetle, achieving real-time visualization of signal flow within the reflex arc in response to environmental stimuli. This research holds promise in extending the biomimetic coding paradigm and advancing the development of bio-hybrid interfaces, particularly in incorporating color-based expressions.
Functionalized MXene ink enables environmentally stable printed electronics
Authors: Ko Tae Yun , Ye Heqing , Murali G. , Lee Seul-Yi , Park Young Ho , Lee Jihoon , Lee Juyun , Yun Dong-Jin , Gogotsi Yury , Kim Seon Joon , Kim Se Hyun , Jeong Yong Jin , Park Soo-Jin , In Insik
Published: April 2024

Establishing dependable, cost-effective electrical connections is vital for enhancing device performance and shrinking electronic circuits. MXenes, combining excellent electrical conductivity, high breakdown voltage, solution processability, and two-dimensional morphology, are promising candidates for contacts in microelectronics. However, their hydrophilic surfaces, which enable spontaneous environmental degradation and poor dispersion stability in organic solvents, have restricted certain electronic applications. Herein, electrohydrodynamic printing technique is used to fabricate fully solution-processed thin-film transistors with alkylated 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine functionalized Ti3C2Tx (AD-MXene) as source, drain, and gate electrodes. The AD-MXene has excellent dispersion stability in ethanol, which is required for electrohydrodynamic printing, and maintains high electrical conductivity. It outperformed conventional vacuum-deposited Au and Al electrodes, providing thin-film transistors with good environmental stability due to its hydrophobicity. Further, thin-film transistors are integrated into logic gates and one-transistor-one-memory cells. This work, unveiling the ligand-functionalized MXenes’ potential in printed electrical contacts, promotes environmentally robust MXene-based electronics (MXetronics).
Altered grid-like coding in early blind people
Authors: Sigismondi Federica , Xu Yangwen , Silvestri Mattia , Bottini Roberto
Published: April 2024

Cognitive maps in the hippocampal-entorhinal system are central for the representation of both spatial and non-spatial relationships. Although this system, especially in humans, heavily relies on vision, the role of visual experience in shaping the development of cognitive maps remains largely unknown. Here, we test sighted and early blind individuals in both imagined navigation in fMRI and real-world navigation. During imagined navigation, the Human Navigation Network, constituted by frontal, medial temporal, and parietal cortices, is reliably activated in both groups, showing resilience to visual deprivation. However, neural geometry analyses highlight crucial differences between groups. A 60° rotational symmetry, characteristic of a hexagonal grid-like coding, emerges in the entorhinal cortex of sighted but not blind people, who instead show a 90° (4-fold) symmetry, indicative of a square grid. Moreover, higher parietal cortex activity during navigation in blind people correlates with the magnitude of 4-fold symmetry. In sum, early blindness can alter the geometry of entorhinal cognitive maps, possibly as a consequence of higher reliance on parietal egocentric coding during navigation.
CoCas9 is a compact nuclease from the human microbiome for efficient and precise genome editing
Authors: Pedrazzoli Eleonora , Demozzi Michele , Visentin Elisabetta , Ciciani Matteo , Bonuzzi Ilaria , Pezzè Laura , Lucchetta Lorenzo , Maule Giulia , Amistadi Simone , Esposito Federica , Lupo Mariangela , Miccio Annarita , Auricchio Alberto , Casini Antonio , Segata Nicola , Cereseto Anna
Published: April 2024

The expansion of the CRISPR-Cas toolbox is highly needed to accelerate the development of therapies for genetic diseases. Here, through the interrogation of a massively expanded repository of metagenome-assembled genomes, mostly from human microbiomes, we uncover a large variety (n = 17,173) of type II CRISPR-Cas loci. Among these we identify CoCas9, a strongly active and high-fidelity nuclease with reduced molecular size (1004 amino acids) isolated from an uncultivated Collinsella species. CoCas9 is efficiently co-delivered with its sgRNA through adeno associated viral (AAV) vectors, obtaining efficient in vivo editing in the mouse retina. With this study we uncover a collection of previously uncharacterized Cas9 nucleases, including CoCas9, which enriches the genome editing toolbox.
MYADM binds human parechovirus 1 and is essential for viral entry
Authors: Qiao Wenjie , Richards Christopher M. , Kim Youlim , Zengel James R. , Ding Siyuan , Greenberg Harry B. , Carette Jan E.
Published: April 2024

Human parechoviruses (PeV-A) are increasingly being recognized as a cause of infection in neonates and young infants, leading to a spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from mild gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses to severe sepsis and meningitis. However, the host factors required for parechovirus entry and infection remain poorly characterized. Here, using genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 loss-of-function screens, we identify myeloid-associated differentiation marker (MYADM) as a host factor essential for the entry of several human parechovirus genotypes including PeV-A1, PeV-A2 and PeV-A3. Genetic knockout of MYADM confers resistance to PeV-A infection in cell lines and in human gastrointestinal epithelial organoids. Using immunoprecipitation, we show that MYADM binds to PeV-A1 particles via its fourth extracellular loop, and we identify critical amino acid residues within the loop that mediate binding and infection. The demonstrated interaction between MYADM and PeV-A1, and its importance specifically for viral entry, suggest that MYADM is a virus receptor. Knockout of MYADM does not reduce PeV-A1 attachment to cells pointing to a role at the post-attachment stage. Our study suggests that MYADM is a multi-genotype receptor for human parechoviruses with potential as an antiviral target to combat disease associated with emerging parechoviruses.
Metabolic coupling between soil aerobic methanotrophs and denitrifiers in rice paddy fields
Authors: Chen Kang-Hua , Feng Jiao , Bodelier Paul L. E. , Yang Ziming , Huang Qiaoyun , Delgado-Baquerizo Manuel , Cai Peng , Tan Wenfeng , Liu Yu-Rong
Published: April 2024

Paddy fields are hotspots of microbial denitrification, which is typically linked to the oxidation of electron donors such as methane (CH4) under anoxic and hypoxic conditions. While several anaerobic methanotrophs can facilitate denitrification intracellularly, whether and how aerobic CH4 oxidation couples with denitrification in hypoxic paddy fields remains virtually unknown. Here we combine a ~3300 km field study across main rice-producing areas of China and 13CH4-DNA-stable isotope probing (SIP) experiments to investigate the role of soil aerobic CH4 oxidation in supporting denitrification. Our results reveal positive relationships between CH4 oxidation and denitrification activities and genes across various climatic regions. Microcosm experiments confirm that CH4 and methanotroph addition promote gene expression involved in denitrification and increase nitrous oxide emissions. Moreover, 13CH4-DNA-SIP analyses identify over 70 phylotypes harboring genes associated with denitrification and assimilating 13C, which are mostly belonged to Rubrivivax, Magnetospirillum, and Bradyrhizobium. Combined analyses of 13C-metagenome-assembled genomes and 13C-metabolomics highlight the importance of intermediates such as acetate, propionate and lactate, released during aerobic CH4 oxidation, for the coupling of CH4 oxidation with denitrification. Our work identifies key microbial taxa and pathways driving coupled aerobic CH4 oxidation and denitrification, with important implications for nitrogen management and greenhouse gas regulation in agroecosystems.
Direct programming of confined surface phonon polariton resonators with the plasmonic phase-change material In3SbTe2
Authors: Conrads Lukas , Schüler Luis , Wirth Konstantin G. , Wuttig Matthias , Taubner Thomas
Published: April 2024

Tailoring light-matter interaction is essential to realize nanophotonic components. It can be achieved with surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs), an excitation of photons coupled with phonons of polar crystals, which also occur in 2d materials such as hexagonal boron nitride or anisotropic crystals. Ultra-confined resonances are observed by restricting the SPhPs to cavities. Phase-change materials (PCMs) enable non-volatile programming of these cavities based on a change in the refractive index. Recently, the plasmonic PCM In3SbTe2 (IST) was introduced which can be reversibly switched from an amorphous dielectric state to a crystalline metallic one in the entire infrared to realize numerous nanoantenna geometries. However, reconfiguring SPhP resonators to modify the confined polaritons modes remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate direct programming of confined SPhP resonators by phase-switching IST on top of a polar silicon carbide crystal and investigate the strongly confined resonance modes with scanning near-field optical microscopy. Reconfiguring the size of the resonators themselves result in enhanced mode confinements up to a value of $${{{{{\boldsymbol{\lambda }}}}}}{{{{{\boldsymbol{/}}}}}}{{{{{\boldsymbol{35}}}}}}{{{{{\boldsymbol{.}}}}}}$$
λ
/
35
.
Finally, unconventional cavity shapes with complex field patterns are explored as well. This study is a first step towards rapid prototyping of reconfigurable SPhP resonators that can be easily transferred to hyperbolic and anisotropic 2d materials.
The phosphorylation of carboxyl-terminal eIF2α by SPA kinases contributes to enhanced translation efficiency during photomorphogenesis
Authors: Chang Hui-Hsien , Huang Lin-Chen , Browning Karen S. , Huq Enamul , Cheng Mei-Chun
Published: April 2024

Light triggers an enhancement of global translation during photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. The phosphorylation of the α-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) at a conserved serine residue in the N-terminus has been shown as an important mechanism for the regulation of protein synthesis in mammalian and yeast cells. However, whether the phosphorylation of this residue in plant eIF2α plays a role in regulation of translation remains elusive. Here, we show that the quadruple mutant of SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA-105 family members (SPA1-SPA4) display repressed translation efficiency after light illumination. Moreover, SPA1 directly phosphorylates the eIF2α C-terminus under light conditions. The C-term-phosphorylated eIF2α promotes translation efficiency and photomorphogenesis, whereas the C-term-unphosphorylated eIF2α results in a decreased translation efficiency. We also demonstrate that the phosphorylated eIF2α enhances ternary complex assembly by promoting its affinity to eIF2β and eIF2γ. This study reveals a unique mechanism by which light promotes translation via SPA1-mediated phosphorylation of the C-terminus of eIF2α in plants.
Single cell tracing of Pomc neurons reveals recruitment of ‘Ghost’ subtypes with atypical identity in a mouse model of obesity
Authors: Leon Stéphane , Simon Vincent , Lee Thomas H. , Steuernagel Lukas , Clark Samantha , Biglari Nasim , Lesté-Lasserre Thierry , Dupuy Nathalie , Cannich Astrid , Bellocchio Luigi , Zizzari Philippe , Allard Camille , Gonzales Delphine , Le Feuvre Yves , Lhuillier Emeline , Brochard Alexandre , Nicolas Jean Charles , Teillon Jérémie , Nikolski Macha , Marsicano Giovanni , Fioramonti Xavier , Brüning Jens C. , Cota Daniela , Quarta Carmelo
Published: April 2024

The hypothalamus contains a remarkable diversity of neurons that orchestrate behavioural and metabolic outputs in a highly plastic manner. Neuronal diversity is key to enabling hypothalamic functions and, according to the neuroscience dogma, it is predetermined during embryonic life. Here, by combining lineage tracing of hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin (Pomc) neurons with single-cell profiling approaches in adult male mice, we uncovered subpopulations of ‘Ghost’ neurons endowed with atypical molecular and functional identity. Compared to ‘classical’ Pomc neurons, Ghost neurons exhibit negligible Pomc expression and are ‘invisible’ to available neuroanatomical approaches and promoter-based reporter mice for studying Pomc biology. Ghost neuron numbers augment in diet-induced obese mice, independent of neurogenesis or cell death, but weight loss can reverse this shift. Our work challenges the notion of fixed, developmentally programmed neuronal identities in the mature hypothalamus and highlight the ability of specialised neurons to reversibly adapt their functional identity to adult-onset obesogenic stimuli.
Synergism between two BLA-to-BNST pathways for appropriate expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male mice
Authors: Han Ren-Wen , Zhang Zi-Yi , Jiao Chen , Hu Ze-Yu , Pan Bing-Xing
Published: April 2024

Understanding how distinct functional circuits are coordinated to fine-tune mood and behavior is of fundamental importance. Here, we observe that within the dense projections from basolateral amygdala (BLA) to bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), there are two functionally opposing pathways orchestrated to enable contextually appropriate expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. Specifically, the anterior BLA neurons predominantly innervate the anterodorsal BNST (adBNST), while their posterior counterparts send massive fibers to oval BNST (ovBNST) with moderate to adBNST. Optogenetic activation of the anterior and posterior BLA inputs oppositely regulated the activity of adBNST neurons and anxiety-like behaviors, via disengaging and engaging the inhibitory ovBNST-to-adBNST microcircuit, respectively. Importantly, the two pathways exhibited synchronized but opposite responses to both anxiolytic and anxiogenic stimuli, partially due to their mutual inhibition within BLA and the different inputs they receive. These findings reveal synergistic interactions between two BLA-to-BNST pathways for appropriate anxiety expression with ongoing environmental demands.
Transient loss of Polycomb components induces an epigenetic cancer fate
Authors: Parreno V. , Loubiere V. , Schuettengruber B. , Fritsch L. , Rawal C. C. , Erokhin M. , Győrffy B. , Normanno D. , Di Stefano M. , Moreaux J. , Butova N. L. , Chiolo I. , Chetverina D. , Martinez A.-M. , Cavalli G.
Published: April 2024

Although cancer initiation and progression are generally associated with the accumulation of somatic mutations1,2, substantial epigenomic alterations underlie many aspects of tumorigenesis and cancer susceptibility3–6, suggesting that genetic mechanisms might not be the only drivers of malignant transformation7. However, whether purely non-genetic mechanisms are sufficient to initiate tumorigenesis irrespective of mutations has been unknown. Here, we show that a transient perturbation of transcriptional silencing mediated by Polycomb group proteins is sufficient to induce an irreversible switch to a cancer cell fate in Drosophila. This is linked to the irreversible derepression of genes that can drive tumorigenesis, including members of the JAK–STAT signalling pathway and zfh1, the fly homologue of the ZEB1 oncogene, whose aberrant activation is required for Polycomb perturbation-induced tumorigenesis. These data show that a reversible depletion of Polycomb proteins can induce cancer in the absence of driver mutations, suggesting that tumours can emerge through epigenetic dysregulation leading to inheritance of altered cell fates.
Quantification of absolute labeling efficiency at the single-protein level
Authors: Hellmeier Joschka , Strauss Sebastian , Xu Shuhan , Masullo Luciano A. , Unterauer Eduard M. , Kowalewski Rafal , Jungmann Ralf
Published: April 2024

State-of-the-art super-resolution microscopy allows researchers to spatially resolve single proteins in dense clusters. However, accurate quantification of protein organization and stoichiometries requires a general method to evaluate absolute binder labeling efficiency, which is currently unavailable. Here we introduce a universally applicable approach that uses a reference tag fused to a target protein of interest. By attaching high-affinity binders, such as antibodies or nanobodies, to both the reference tag and the target protein, and then employing DNA-barcoded sequential super-resolution imaging, we can correlate the location of the reference tag with the target molecule binder. This approach facilitates the precise quantification of labeling efficiency at the single-protein level.
A comparative study of J–A and Preisach improved models for core loss calculation under DC bias
Authors: Li Yang , Luo Zhichao
Published: April 2024

Power transformer is widely used in the power system with the rapid development of the power converters connected to the grid. When a transformer operates under DC bias conditions, its iron core loss increases significantly, causing local overheating and threatening the proper operation of the transformer. However, there are persistent difficulties in accurately assessing the core loss when the induction waveform is influenced by a DC bias. This paper first proposes improvements to the J–A and Preisach models to evaluate the core loss of the iron core under DC bias. Additionally, we incorporate the hysteresis models into the finite element method (FEM) by modifying the fundamental constitutive equations in the FEM model in order to perform a precise core loss/distribution calculation. To verify the accuracy of prediction, a transformer prototype with a laminated core is developed. The improved J–A-FEM and Preisach-FEM models were directly compared in terms of calculation accuracy, numerical implementation, and computational burden.
Country-wide, multi-location trials of Green Super Rice lines for yield performance and stability analysis using genetic and stability parameters
Authors: Ahmed Muhammad Shahzad , Majeed Abid , Attia Kotb A. , Javaid Rana Arsalan , Siddique Faiza , Farooq Muhammad Shahbaz , Uzair Muhammad , Yang Seung Hwan , Abushady Asmaa M.
Published: April 2024

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important member of the family Poaceae and more than half of world population depend for their dietary nutrition on rice. Rice cultivars with higher yield, resilience to stress and wider adaptability are essential to ensure production stability and food security. The fundamental objective of this study was to identify higher-yielding rice genotypes with stable performance and wider adaptability in a rice growing areas of Pakistan. A triplicate RCBD design experiment with 20 Green Super Rice (GSR) advanced lines was conducted at 12 rice growing ecologies in four Provinces of Pakistan. Grain yield stability performance was assessed by using different univariate and multivariate statistics. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes, locations, and G x E interaction for mean squares (p < 0.05) of major yield contributing traits. All the studied traits except for number of tillers per plant revealed higher genotypic variance than environmental variance. Broad sense heritability was estimated in the range of 44.36% to 98.60%. Based on ASV, ASI, bi, Wi2, σ2i and WAAS statistics, the genotypes G1, G4, G5, G8, G11 and G12 revealed lowest values for parametric statistics and considered more stable genotypes based on  paddy yield. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model revealed significant variation (p < 0.05) for genotypes, non-signification for environment and highly significant for G × E interaction. The variation proportion of PC1 and PC2 from interaction revealed 67.2% variability for paddy yield. Based on ‘mean verses stability analysis of GGE biplot’, ‘Which-won-where’ GGE Biplot, ‘discriminativeness vs. representativeness’ pattern of stability, ‘IPCA and WAASB/GY’ ratio-based stability Heat-map, and ranking of genotypes, the genotypes G1, G2, G3, G5, G8, G10, G11 and G13 were observed ideal genotypes with yield potential more than 8 tons ha−1. Discriminativeness vs. representativeness’ pattern of stability identifies two environments, E5 (D.I Khan, KPK) and E6 (Usta Muhammad, Baluchistan) were best suited for evaluating genotypic yield performance. Based on these findings we have concluded that the genotypes G1, G2, G3, G5, G8, G10, G11 and G13 could be included in the commercial varietal development process and future breeding program.
Applications of nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithms for tackling optimization problems across disciplines
Authors: Cui Elvis Han , Zhang Zizhao , Chen Culsome Junwen , Wong Weng Kee
Published: April 2024

Nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithms are important components of artificial intelligence, and are increasingly used across disciplines to tackle various types of challenging optimization problems. This paper demonstrates the usefulness of such algorithms for solving a variety of challenging optimization problems in statistics using a nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithm called competitive swarm optimizer with mutated agents (CSO-MA). This algorithm was proposed by one of the authors and its superior performance relative to many of its competitors had been demonstrated in earlier work and again in this paper. The main goal of this paper is to show a typical nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithmi, like CSO-MA, is efficient for tackling many different types of optimization problems in statistics. Our applications are new and include finding maximum likelihood estimates of parameters in a single cell generalized trend model to study pseudotime in bioinformatics, estimating parameters in the commonly used Rasch model in education research, finding M-estimates for a Cox regression in a Markov renewal model, performing matrix completion tasks to impute missing data for a two compartment model, and selecting variables optimally in an ecology problem in China. To further demonstrate the flexibility of metaheuristics, we also find an optimal design for a car refueling experiment in the auto industry using a logistic model with multiple interacting factors. In addition, we show that metaheuristics can sometimes outperform optimization algorithms commonly used in statistics.