bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exposure to a Virtual Reality Mass-Casualty Simulation Elicits a Differential Sympathetic Response in Medical Trainees and Attending Physicians
Authors: Tovar Matthew A. , Zebley James A. , Higgins Mairead , Herur-Raman Aalap , Zwemer Catherine H. , Pierce Ayal Z. , Ranniger Claudia , Sarani Babak , Phillips James P.
Published: January 2023

Background:

Previous studies have demonstrated the use of virtual reality (VR) in mass-casualty incident (MCI) simulation; however, it is uncertain if VR simulations can be a substitute for in-person disaster training. Demonstrating that VR MCI scenarios can elicit the same desired stress response achieved in live-action exercises is a first step in showing non-inferiority. The primary objective of this study was to measure changes in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) response via a decrease in heart rate variability (HRV) in subjects participating in a VR MCI scenario.

Methods:

An MCI simulation was filmed with a 360º camera and shown to participants on a VR headset while simultaneously recording electrocardiography (EKG) and HRV activity. Baseline HRV was measured during a calm VR scenario immediately prior to exposure to the MCI scenarios, and SNS activation was captured as a decrease in HRV compared to baseline. Cognitive stress was measured using a validated questionnaire. Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank analysis, Welch’s t-test, and multivariate logistic regression were performed with statistical significance established at P <.05.

Results:

Thirty-five subjects were enrolled: eight attending physicians (two surgeons, six Emergency Medicine [EM] specialists); 13 residents (five Surgery, eight EM); and 14 medical students (six pre-clinical, eight clinical-year students). Sympathetic nervous system activation was observed in all groups during the MCI compared to baseline (P <.0001) and occurred independent of age, sex, years of experience, or prior MCI response experience. Overall, 23/35 subjects (65.7%) reported increased cognitive stress in the MCI (11/14 medical students, 9/13 residents, and 3/8 attendings). Resident and attending physicians had higher odds of discordance between SNS activation and cognitive stress compared to medical students (OR = 8.297; 95% CI, 1.408-64.60; P = .030).

Conclusions:

Live-actor VR MCI simulation elicited a strong sympathetic response across all groups. Thus, VR MCI training has the potential to guide acquisition of confidence in disaster response.
Interior Design: The Doll's House and the Working-Class Child
Authors: Flower Chloe
Published: January 2023

This article explores the unexpected relationship that working-class children had with doll's houses in the late nineteenth century. Placing texts by children's author Frances Hodgson Burnett alongside historical material concerning the manufacture of doll's house furniture by students in London's Ragged Schools under the supervision of housing reformer Octavia Hill, I argue that both women understood the educational or formative value of the doll's house as deriving from the object's ability to teach lessons in temporality. I examine this object and its deployment in contemporary object lessons to show that the spatial divisions of these miniature homes operate in relation to both short- and long-term cycles of time. This article also demonstrates that apparently universal models of selfhood and development were in fact contingent on class structures (both authors, for instance, connect developmental abnormalities in poor children to the fact that they grow up in one-room homes).
Schema therapy with cognitive behaviour day-treatment in patients with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder: an uncontrolled pilot study
Authors: Remmerswaal Karin C.P. , Cnossen Tamar E.A. , van Balkom Anton J.L.M. , Batelaan Neeltje M.
Published: January 2023

Background:

Treatment resistance in patients with anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) might be caused by dysfunctional personality traits or, more specifically, early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and schema modes, that can be treated with schema therapy (ST).

Aim:

To explore possible effectiveness of ST-CBT day-treatment in patients with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders and OCD in an uncontrolled pilot study.

Method:

Treatment-resistant patients with anxiety disorders or OCD (n = 27) were treated with ST-CBT day-treatment for 37 weeks on average including 11.5 therapy hours per week. The Symptom Questionnaire-48, Young Schema Questionnaire-2 and Schema Mode Inventory were completed before and after treatment.

Results:

General psychopathology, EMSs and schema modes significantly improved after treatment. Spearman’s correlations between pre- to post-treatment difference scores of general psychopathology, EMSs and schema modes were significant and high. The level of pre-treatment EMSs and schema modes did not predict post-treatment general psychopathology.

Conclusions:

Symptom reduction was strongly correlated with improvement of EMSs and schema modes. Stronger pre-treatment EMSs and schema modes did not hinder improvement of symptoms. ST-CBT day-treatment is promising for patients with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders and OCD. Further controlled research is needed to substantiate evidence for schema therapy in patients with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders and OCD.
The relationship between moral distress, individual and professional values in oncology nurses: A structural equation study
Authors: Atli Özbaş Azize , Kovanci Mustafa Sabri , Yilmaz Sakine
Published: January 2023

Objectives

This study examined the relationship between moral distress, individual and professional values in oncology nurses.

Methods

Employing structural equation modeling, a descriptive-correlational study was conducted among 116 oncology nurses. Data were collected using the Moral Distress Scale-Revised Adult Nurses, the Nursing Professional Values Scale, and the Values Scale.

Results

The mean moral distress frequency was evaluated as low (1.6 ± 0.7) and the intensity as moderate (1.9 ± 0.8). Both the Nursing Professional Values Scale and Values Scale subdimension mean scores were at levels evaluated as high. There was no specific value that stood out from the others. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that individual values were found to have a direct and negative significant effect on moral distress intensity (β = −0.70,p < 0.01) and frequency (β = −0.58,p <0.01) and professional values had a direct positive and significant effect on moral distress intensity (β = 0.37,p < 0.05) and frequency (β = 0.25,p < 0.05).

Significance of results

It is believed that more national and international studies need to be conducted to examine the relationship between the moral distress concept and values. While individual values were found to have a direct and negative significant effect on moral distress, professional values had a direct positive and significant effect on moral distress.
Rule of law as a determinant of the export performance of Italian provinces
Authors: D'Ingiullo Dario , Di Berardino Claudio , Odoardi Iacopo , Quaglione Davide
Published: January 2023

Our article presents an empirical investigation of the relationship between the export performance of Italian provinces and the quality of their local institutions, specifically the rule of law, over the period 2004–2016. According to the results obtained by different econometric approaches (OLS, FE, SYS-GMM), in general a secure and well-defined legal framework – by reducing transaction costs and uncertainty, facilitating capital accumulation and an increase in the firms' scale of production – is associated with better export performance. Interestingly, when the analysis is replicated at the level of the Italian macro-areas (North, Centre and South), the results indicate that the rule of law has a statistically significant and positive association with export performance only in northern provinces, thus suggesting that the effectiveness of this institutional dimension might depend on the level of development of the socioeconomic and institutional features at the local level, i.e. only when a set of suitable economic incentive mechanisms are already in place.
Frontier academic research in OECD countries: the role of institutional factors
Authors: Le Thanh , Vu Bich Ngoc , Mai Sau
Published: January 2023

This paper examines the effect of frontier academic research on technological development and the way institutional quality influences this impact. Using a dataset that covers 18 OECD countries over the 2003–2017 period, we find that frontier academic research exerts an important influence on total factor productivity. First, frontier academic research induces technological change by directly enhancing production processes and management methods. Second, frontier academic research stimulates industrial innovations, which in turn improves productivity. Regarding the moderating effect of institutional variables on these relationships, we find that positive moderation only exists for some, not all, of the institutional variables. In that case, a higher level of these variables is found to strengthen the way countries reap benefits from frontier academic research and industrial innovation. However, the moderation of institutions is much less clear with the process that turns frontier academic research into industrial innovations.
Integrating the exploration-exploitation dilemma and bad institutions to the Austrian theory of destructive entrepreneurship: a new perspective
Authors: Aimar Thierry
Published: January 2023

Contemporary Austrian theory has expanded widely on the relationship between entrepreneurship and the structure of production, yet it has never touched on the existence of an exploration-exploitation dilemma within organizations. The objective of the article is to show that the integration of the exploration-exploitation dilemma into the Austrian theory adds new fruitful elements to the function of the destructive entrepreneur, as presented by the Austrian economists of the firm. By showing how an organization's complexity can motivate destructive entrepreneurship on competition, it firstly explains how their analytical tools, which were limited in this area to the infra-organizational field, can also be applied to the catallactic field; it secondly enriches the traditional Austrian vision of the relation between institutions and entrepreneurship, in highlighting a reverse causal relationship, that has not yet been pointed by Austrian literature on entrepreneurship, between bad institutions and the destructive entrepreneur.
Treating trauma-driven OCD with narrative exposure therapy alongside cognitive behavioural therapy
Authors: Airdrie J.N. , Lambe S. , Cooper K.
Published: January 2023

When post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) co-occurs with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), symptoms of the former can interfere with evidence-based treatment of the latter. As a result, exposure-based treatments are recommended for both OCD and PTSD, potentially facilitating a concurrent treatment approach. This case study describes the application of concurrent cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT including exposure and response prevention; ERP) for OCD and narrative exposure therapy to treat a patient whose PTSD symptoms of intrusive images of memories and hyperarousal were interfering with standard CBT (including ERP) treatment for OCD. Following this concurrent approach, the patient’s symptoms of OCD reduced to non-clinical levels and showed reliable improvement in PTSD symptoms. Whilst further methodologically robust research is required, this case study highlights that this approach may be beneficial to the treatment of OCD where PTSD symptoms are impacting on treatment.

Key learning aims

(1)

To explore the literature considering explanations of the co-occurrence of OCD and PTSD symptomology.

(2)

To consider how symptoms of two mental health conditions can maintain one another and attenuate the effectiveness of evidence-based treatment for the other mental health condition.

(3)

Consider the use of concurrent therapeutic approaches to treat co-occurring mental health conditions.
Exploring the Genetic Association between Obesity and Serum Lipid Levels Using Bivariate Methods
Authors: Ke Ji , Gao Wenjing , Wang Biqi , Cao Weihua , Lv Jun , Yu Canqing , Huang Tao , Sun Dianjianyi , Liao Chunxiao , Pang Yuanjie , Pang Zengchang , Cong Liming , Wang Hua , Wu Xianping , Liu Yu , Li Liming
Published: January 2023

It is crucial to understand the genetic mechanisms and biological pathways underlying the relationship between obesity and serum lipid levels. Structural equation models (SEMs) were constructed to calculate heritability for body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and the genetic connections between BMI and the four classes of lipids using 1197 pairs of twins from the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR). Bivariate genomewide association studies (GWAS) were performed to identify genetic variants associated with BMI and lipids using the records of 457 individuals, and the results were further validated in 289 individuals. The genetic background affecting BMI may differ by gender, and the heritability of males and females was 71% (95% CI [.66, .75]) and 39% (95% CI [.15, .71]) respectively. BMI was positively correlated with TC, TG and LDL-C in phenotypic and genetic correlation, while negatively correlated with HDL-C. There were gender differences in the correlation between BMI and lipids. Bivariate GWAS analysis and validation stage found 7 genes (LOC105378740, LINC02506, CSMD1, MELK, FAM81A, ERAL1 and MIR144) that were possibly related to BMI and lipid levels. The significant biological pathways were the regulation of cholesterol reverse transport and the regulation of high-density lipoprotein particle clearance (p < .001). BMI and blood lipid levels were affected by genetic factors, and they were genetically correlated. There might be gender differences in their genetic correlation. Bivariate GWAS analysis found MIR144 gene and its related biological pathways may influence obesity and lipid levels.
Significant Diurnal Warming Events Observed by Saildrone at High Latitudes
Authors: Jia Chong , Minnett Peter J. , Luo Bingkun
Published: January 2023

The sea surface temperature (SST) is one of the essential parameters needed to understand the climate change in the Arctic. Saildrone, an advanced autonomous surface vehicle, has proven to be a useful tool for providing accurate SST data at high latitudes. Here, data from two Saildrones, deployed in the Arctic in the summer of 2019, are used to investigate the diurnal variability of upper ocean thermal structure. An empirical cool skin effect model with dependence on the wind speed with new coefficients was generated. Several local large diurnal warming events were observed, the amplitudes of warming in the skin layer >5 K, rarely reported in previous studies. Furthermore, the warming signals could persist beyond 1 day. For those cases, it was found surface warm air suppressed the surface turbulent heat loss to maintain the persistence of diurnal warming under low wind conditions. Salinity also plays an important role in the formation of upper ocean density stratification during diurnal warming at high latitudes. A less salty and hence less dense surface layer was likely created by precipitation or melting sea ice, providing favorable conditions for the formation of upper ocean stratification. Comparisons with two prognostic diurnal warming models showed the simulations match reasonably well with Saildrone measurements for moderate wind speeds but exhibit large differences at low winds. Both schemes show significant negative biases in the early morning and late afternoon. It is necessary to improve the model schemes when applied at high latitudes.
Data‐Driven Stochastic Lie Transport Modeling of the 2D Euler Equations
Authors: Ephrati Sagy R. , Cifani Paolo , Luesink Erwin , Geurts Bernard J.
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we propose and assess several stochastic parametrizations for data‐driven modeling of the two‐dimensional Euler equations using coarse‐grid SPDEs. The framework of Stochastic Advection by Lie Transport (SALT) (Cotter et al., 2019, https://doi.org/10.1137/18m1167929) is employed to define a stochastic forcing that is decomposed in terms of a deterministic basis (empirical orthogonal functions, EOFs) multiplied by temporal traces, here regarded as stochastic processes. The EOFs are obtained from a fine‐grid data set and are defined in conjunction with corresponding deterministic time series. We construct stochastic processes that mimic properties of the measured time series. In particular, the processes are defined such that the underlying probability density functions (pdfs) or the estimated correlation time of the time series are retained. These stochastic models are compared to stochastic forcing based on Gaussian noise, which does not use any information of the time series. We perform uncertainty quantification tests and compare stochastic ensembles in terms of mean and spread. Reduced uncertainty is observed for the developed models. On short timescales, such as those used for data assimilation (Cotter et al., 2020a, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-020-02524-0), the stochastic models show a reduced ensemble mean error and a reduced spread. Particularly, using estimated pdfs yields stochastic ensembles which rarely fail to capture the reference solution on small time scales, whereas introducing correlation into the stochastic models improves the quality of the coarse‐grid predictions with respect to Gaussian noise.
Global Sensitivity Analysis and Uncertainty Quantification for Background Solar Wind Using the Alfvén Wave Solar Atmosphere Model
Authors: Jivani Aniket , Sachdeva Nishtha , Huang Zhenguang , Chen Yang , van der Holst Bart , Manchester Ward , Iong Daniel , Chen Hongfan , Zou Shasha , Huan Xun , Toth Gabor
Published: January 2023

Modeling the impact of space weather events such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is crucial to protecting critical infrastructure. The Space Weather Modeling Framework is a state‐of‐the‐art framework that offers full Sun‐to‐Earth simulations by computing the background solar wind, CME propagation, and magnetospheric impact. However, reliable long‐term predictions of CME events require uncertainty quantification (UQ) and data assimilation. We take the first steps by performing global sensitivity analysis (GSA) and UQ for background solar wind simulations produced by the Alfvén Wave Solar atmosphere Model (AWSoM) for two Carrington rotations: CR2152 (solar maximum) and CR2208 (solar minimum). We conduct GSA by computing Sobol' indices that quantify contributions from model parameter uncertainty to the variance of solar wind speed and density at 1 au, both crucial quantities for CME propagation and strength. Sobol' indices also allow us to rank and retain only the most important parameters, which aids in the construction of smaller ensembles for the reduced‐dimension parameter space. We present an efficient procedure for computing the Sobol' indices using polynomial chaos expansion surrogates and space‐filling designs. The PCEs further enable inexpensive forward UQ. Overall, we identify three important model parameters: the multiplicative factor applied to the magnetogram, Poynting flux per magnetic field strength constant used at the inner boundary, and the coefficient of the perpendicular correlation length in the turbulent cascade model in AWSoM.
Improving Precise Orbit Determination of LEO Satellites Using Enhanced Solar Radiation Pressure Modeling
Authors: Wang Youcun , Li Min , Jiang Kecai , Li Wenwen , Zhao Qile , Fang Rongxin , Wei Na , Mu Renhai
Published: January 2023

Precise orbit knowledge is a fundamental requirement for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. High‐precision non‐gravitational force modeling directly improves the overall quality of LEO precise orbit determination (POD). To address the potential systematic errors in solar radiation pressure (SRP), we introduce observed radiation data and modeled physical effects to describe the real in‐flight environment of satellites. Time‐dependent solar irradiance data and a highly physical shadow model are considered for SRP modeling. We develop an advanced thermal reradiation model for satellite solar panels. A set of improved non‐gravitational force models is performed for LEO POD, and we discuss the benefits of the enhanced dynamic models on orbit quality and dependence on empirical parameters. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow‐On (GRACE‐FO), Jason‐3, and Haiyang‐2B missions are selected for the POD process. Estimated empirical acceleration and scale parameters and independent satellite laser ranging (SLR) are used to validate the final orbit solutions. The magnitude of empirical acceleration estimated in POD is reduced by 19% with the enhanced dynamic modeling, and the estimated scale factor for the SRP converges to stable and reasonable level. Furthermore, the steady‐state temperature model used in thermal reradiation can effectively reduce mismodeled effects in the SRP, and the systematic linear dependency revealed by the SLR residuals is significantly reduced for the GRACE‐C and Jason‐3 satellites, with improvements of approximately 61% and 49%, respectively. Overall, advances are made in the explicit modeling of non‐gravitational forces to pursue superior satellite orbits, suggesting a more dynamic orbit solution.
Engineering with Nature to Face Down Hurricane Hazards
Authors: Powell Krystyna , Altman Safra , Shepherd James
Published: January 2023

Natural and engineered, nature-based structures offer promise for storm-related disaster risk reduction and flood mitigation, as long as researchers can adequately monitor and study them.
Decoding Sequence Classification Models for Acquiring New Biological Insights
Authors: Bodenhofer Ulrich , Kothmeier Andreas , Abfalter Ingrid , Mahrenholz Carsten , Hochreiter Sepp
Published: January 2023

Classifying biological sequences is one of the most important tasks in computational biology. In the last decade, support vector machines (SVMs) in combination with sequence kernels have emerged as a de-facto standard. These methods are theoretically well-founded, reliable, and provide high-accuracy solutions at low computational cost. However, obtaining a highly accurate classifier is rarely the end of the story in many practical situations. Instead, one often aims to acquire biological knowledge about the principles underlying a given classification task. SVMs with traditional sequence kernels do not offer a straightforward way of accessing this knowledge.In this contribution, we propose a new approach to analyzing biological sequences on the basis of support vector machines with sequence kernels. We first extract explicit pattern weights from a given SVM. When classifying a sequence, we then compute a prediction profile by distributing the weight of each pattern to the sequence positions that match the pattern. The final profile not only allows assessing the importance of a position, but also determining for which class it is indicative. Since it is unfeasible to analyze profiles of all sequences in a given data set, we advocate using affinity propagation (AP) clustering to narrow down the analysis to a small set of typical sequences.The proposed approach is applicable to a wide range of biological sequences and a wide selection of sequence kernels. To illustrate our framework, we present the prediction of oligomerization tendencies of coiled coil proteins as a case study.
Rule Responder: A Rule-Based Semantic eScience Service Infrastructure
Authors: Paschke Adrian , Zhao Zhili
Published: January 2023

To a large degree information and services for chemical e-Science have become accessible -anytime, anywhere -but not necessarily useful. The Rule Responder eScience middleware is about providing information consumers with rule-based agents to transform existing information into relevant information of practical consequences, hence providing control to the end-users to express in a declarative rule-based way how to turn existing information into personally relevant information and how to react or make automated decisions on top of it.
ChemCloud: Chemical e-Science Information Cloud
Authors: Todor Alexandru , Paschke Adrian , Heineke Stephan
Published: January 2023

Our Chemical e-Science Information Cloud (ChemCloud) – a Semantic Web based eScience infrastructure – integrates and automates a multitude of databases, tools and services in the domain of chemistry, pharmacy and bio-chemistry available at the Fachinformationszentrum Chemie (FIZ Chemie), at the Freie Universitaet Berlin (FUB), and on the public Web. Based on the approach of the W3C Linked Open Data initiative and the W3C Semantic Web technologies for ontologies and rules it semantically links and integrates knowledge from our W3C HCLS knowledge base hosted at the FUB, our multi-domain knowledge base DBpedia (Deutschland) implemented at FUB, which is extracted from Wikipedia (De) providing a public semantic resource for chemistry, and our well-established databases at FIZ Chemie such as ChemInform for organic reaction data, InfoTherm the leading source for thermophysical data, Chemisches Zentralblatt, the complete chemistry knowledge from 1830 to 1969, and ChemgaPedia the largest and most frequented e-Learning platform for Chemistry and related sciences in German language.
Integrative Network-based Association Studies: Leveraging cell regulatory models in the post-GWAS era
Authors: Califano Andrea , Butte Atul , Friend Stephen , Ideker Trey , Schadt Eric
Published: January 2023

After completion of a number of large scale Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), there is still a significant amount of trait and disease variance that cannot be explained by existing genetic variability. This review introduces new, Integrative Network-based Association Study (INAS) approaches that aim to minimize the impact from multiple hypothesis testing statistics, thus allowing the identification of rare variants/alterations and epistatic interactions. In particular we discuss methods that rely on the de novo computational, experimental, and integrative dissection of context specific molecular interaction networks (or interactomes, for short). We provide several examples of how these approaches may be used to tackle discovery of genetic variants and somatic alterations causally related to the presentation of specific traits and diseases. We also discuss how more complex systems, including a variety of non-cell-autonomous traits and diseases will require new multicellular networks that explicitly represent short distance paracrine and long distance endocrine interactions.
Neoantigens: promising targets for cancer therapy
Authors: Xie Na , Shen Guobo , Gao Wei , Huang Zhao , Huang Canhua , Fu Li
Published: January 2023

Recent advances in neoantigen research have accelerated the development and regulatory approval of tumor immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapy and antibody-based therapies, especially for solid tumors. Neoantigens are newly formed antigens generated by tumor cells as a result of various tumor-specific alterations, such as genomic mutation, dysregulated RNA splicing, disordered post-translational modification, and integrated viral open reading frames. Neoantigens are recognized as non-self and trigger an immune response that is not subject to central and peripheral tolerance. The quick identification and prediction of tumor-specific neoantigens have been made possible by the advanced development of next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic technologies. Compared to tumor-associated antigens, the highly immunogenic and tumor-specific neoantigens provide emerging targets for personalized cancer immunotherapies, and serve as prospective predictors for tumor survival prognosis and immune checkpoint blockade responses. The development of cancer therapies will be aided by understanding the mechanism underlying neoantigen-induced anti-tumor immune response and by streamlining the process of neoantigen-based immunotherapies. This review provides an overview on the identification and characterization of neoantigens and outlines the clinical applications of prospective immunotherapeutic strategies based on neoantigens. We also explore their current status, inherent challenges, and clinical translation potential.
SEVs-mediated miR-6750 transfer inhibits pre-metastatic niche formation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting M6PR
Authors: Zhang Caiming , Chen Wenhui , Pan Si , Zhang Siyu , Xie Haijing , Zhang Zixiang , Lei Wei , Bao Lili , You Yiwen
Published: January 2023

Reliable detection of circulating small extracellular vesicles (SEVs) and their miRNA cargo has been needed to develop potential specific non-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic marker for cancer metastasis. Here, we detected miR-6750, the precise molecular function of which was largely unknown, was significantly enriched in serum-SEVs from normal volunteers vs. patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). And we determined that miR-6750-SEVs attenuated NPC metastasis. Subsequently, miR-6750-SEVs was proven to inhibit angiogenesis and activate macrophage toward to M1 phenotype to inhibit pre-metastatic niche formation. After analyzing the expression level of miR-6750 in NPC cells, HUVECs and macrophage, we found that once miR-6750 level in NPC cells was close to or higher than normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells (NP69), miR-6750-SEVs would be transferred from NPC cells to macrophage and then to HUVECs to modulate metastatic niche. Moreover, in vitro assays and BALB/c mouse tumor models revealed that miR-6750 directly targeted mannose 6-phosphate receptor (M6PR). Taken together, our findings revealed that miR-6750-M6PR axis can mediate NPC metastasis by remodeling tumor microenvironment (TME) via SEVs, which give novel sights to pathogenesis of NPC.
Extracellular vesicles mediate antibody-resistant transmission of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Xia Bingqing , Pan Xiaoyan , Luo Rong-Hua , Shen Xurui , Li Shuangqu , Wang Yi , Zuo Xiaoli , Wu Yan , Guo Yingqi , Xiao Gengfu , Li Qiguang , Long Xin-Yan , He Xiao-Yan , Zheng Hong-Yi , Lu Ying , Pang Wei , Zheng Yong-Tang , Li Jia , Zhang Lei-Ke , Gao Zhaobing
Published: January 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic. Antibody resistance dampens neutralizing antibody therapy and threatens current global Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine campaigns. In addition to the emergence of resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants, little is known about how SARS-CoV-2 evades antibodies. Here, we report a novel mechanism of extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated cell-to-cell transmission of SARS-CoV-2, which facilitates SARS-CoV-2 to escape from neutralizing antibodies. These EVs, initially observed in SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein-expressing cells, are secreted by various SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, including Vero E6, Calu-3, and HPAEpiC cells, undergoing infection-induced pyroptosis. Various SARS-CoV-2-infected cells produce similar EVs characterized by extra-large sizes (1.6–9.5 μm in diameter, average diameter > 4.2 μm) much larger than previously reported virus-generated vesicles. Transmission electron microscopy analysis and plaque assay reveal that these SARS-CoV-2-induced EVs contain large amounts of live virus particles. In particular, the vesicle-cloaked SARS-CoV-2 virus is resistant to neutralizing antibodies and able to reinfect naïve cells independent of the reported receptors and cofactors. Consistently, the constructed 3D images show that intact EVs could be taken up by recipient cells directly, supporting vesicle-mediated cell-to-cell transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of receptor-independent SARS-CoV-2 infection via cell-to-cell transmission, provide new insights into antibody resistance of SARS-CoV-2 and suggest potential targets for future antiviral therapeutics.
C/EBPβ/AEP is age-dependently activated in Parkinson’s disease and mediates α-synuclein in the gut and brain
Authors: Wang Hualong , Chen Guiqin , Ahn Eun Hee , Xia Yiyuan , Kang Seong Su , Liu Xia , Liu Chang , Han Ming-Hu , Chen Shengdi , Ye Keqiang
Published: January 2023

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative motor disorder, and its pathologic hallmarks include extensive dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in the Substantia nigra associated with Lewy bodies, predominantly consisting of phosphorylated and truncated α-Synuclein (α-Syn). Asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) cleaves human α-Syn at N103 residue and promotes its aggregation, contributing to PD pathogenesis. However, how AEP mediates Lewy body pathologies during aging and elicits PD onset remains incompletely understood. Knockout of AEP or C/EBPβ from α-SNCA mice, and their chronic rotenone exposure models were used, and the mechanism of α-Syn from the gut that spread to the brain was observed. Here we report that C/EBPβ/AEP pathway, aggravated by oxidative stress, is age-dependently activated and cleaves α-Syn N103 and regulates Lewy body-like pathologies spreading from the gut into the brain in human α-SNCA transgenic mice. Deletion of C/EBPβ or AEP substantially diminished the oxidative stress, neuro-inflammation, and PD pathologies, attenuating motor dysfunctions in aged α-SNCA mice. Noticeably, PD pathologies initiate in the gut and progressively spread into the brain. Chronic gastric exposure to a low dose of rotenone initiates Lewy body-like pathologies in the gut that propagate into the brain in a C/EBPβ/AEP-dependent manner. Hence, our studies demonstrate that C/EBPβ/AEP pathway is critical for mediating Lewy body pathology progression in PD.
In-situ forming injectable GFOGER-conjugated BMSCs-laden hydrogels for osteochondral regeneration
Authors: Ha Mi Yeon , Yang Dae Hyeok , You Su Jung , Kim Hyun Joo , Chun Heung Jae
Published: January 2023

The collagen-mimetic peptide GFOGER possesses the chondrogenic potential and has been used as a cell adhesion peptide or chondrogenic inducer. Here, we prepared an injectable in situ forming composite hydrogel system comprising methoxy polyethylene glycol-b-polycaprolactone (MPEG-PCL) and GFOGER-conjugated PEG-PCL (GFOGER-PEG-PCL) with various GFOGER concentrations based on our recently patented technology. The conjugation of GFOGER to PEG-PCL was confirmed by 1H NMR, and the particle size distribution and rheological properties for the sol-gel transition behavior of the samples with respect to the GFOGER content were evaluated systemically. In vitro experiments using rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) revealed that the GFOGER-PEG-PCL hydrogel significantly enhanced expression of integrins (β1, α2, and α11), increased expression of FAK, and induced downstream signaling of ERK and p38. Overexpression of chondrogenic markers suggested that BMSCs have the potential to differentiate into chondrogenic lineages within GFOGER-PEG-PCL samples. In vivo studies using a rat osteochondral defect model revealed that transplanted BMSCs with GFOGER0.8-PEG-PCL survived at the defect with strong chondrogenic expression after 4 weeks. The stem cell-laden GFOGER0.8-PEG-PCL hydrogel produced remarkable osteochondral regeneration at 8 weeks of transplantation, as determined by histological findings and micro-CT analysis. The histomorphological score in the GFOGER0.8-PEG-PCL + BMSCs group was ~1.7-, 2.6-, and 5.3-fold higher than that in the GFOGER0.8-PEG-PCL, MPEG-PCL, and defect groups, respectively. Taken together, these results provide an important platform for further advanced GFOGER-based stem cell research for osteochondral repair.
On lightmyography based muscle-machine interfaces for the efficient decoding of human gestures and forces
Authors: Shahmohammadi Mojtaba , Guan Bonnie , Godoy Ricardo V. , Dwivedi Anany , Nielsen Poul , Liarokapis Minas
Published: January 2023

Conventional muscle-machine interfaces like Electromyography (EMG), have significant drawbacks, such as crosstalk, a non-linear relationship between the signal and the corresponding motion, and increased signal processing requirements. In this work, we introduce a new muscle-machine interfacing technique called lightmyography (LMG), that can be used to efficiently decode human hand gestures, motion, and forces from the detected contractions of the human muscles. LMG utilizes light propagation through elastic media and human tissue, measuring changes in light luminosity to detect muscle movement. Similar to forcemyography, LMG infers muscular contractions through tissue deformation and skin displacements. In this study, we look at how different characteristics of the light source and silicone medium affect the performance of LMG and we compare LMG and EMG based gesture decoding using various machine learning techniques. To do that, we design an armband equipped with five LMG modules, and we use it to collect the required LMG data. Three different machine learning methods are employed: Random Forests, Convolutional Neural Networks, and Temporal Multi-Channel Vision Transformers. The system has also been efficiently used in decoding the forces exerted during power grasping. The results demonstrate that LMG outperforms EMG for most methods and subjects.
Impact of high myopia on inner retinal layer thickness in type 2 diabetes patients
Authors: Kim Jung-Tae , Na Yong-Jin , Lee Sung-Chul , Lee Min-Woo
Published: January 2023

To investigate the impact of the combination of type 2 diabetes (DM) and high myopia on inner retinal layer thickness of the macular area. The patients were divided into four groups: control (group 1), patients with DM without high myopia (group 2), patients with high myopia without DM (group 3), and patients with DM and high myopia (group 4). Ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness was compared among the groups. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with GCC thickness. A total of 194 eyes were enrolled: 59 in group 1, 52 in group 2, 49 in group 3, and 34 in group 4. The average parafovea GCC thicknesses were 113.9 ± 10.4, 112.4 ± 11.2, 112.2 ± 7.8, and 102.6 ± 15.1 μm (P < 0.001), and the average perifovea GCC thicknesses were 104.8 ± 13.2, 103.5 ± 10.8, 103.6 ± 8.8, and 93.9 ± 15.5 μm in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively (P = 0.001). In multivariate analyses, age (β = − 0.20, P = 0.007), DM duration (β = − 0.34, P = 0.023), and axial length (β = − 1.64, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with parafoveal GCC thickness. The GCC was significantly thinner when high myopia and DM were combined, compared to either condition alone. Additionally, age, DM duration, and axial length were significant factors associated with GCC thickness. The combination of mechanical stretching and neurodegeneration would accelerate neural damage to the retina, resulting in greater inner retinal layer thinning.
Multiplication of photonic band gaps in one-dimensional photonic crystals by using hyperbolic metamaterial in IR range
Authors: Mohamed Aliaa G. , Sabra Walied , Mehaney Ahmed , Aly Arafa H. , Elsayed Hussein A.
Published: January 2023

The light-slowing effect near band endpoints is frequently exploited in photonic crystals to enhance the optical transmittance. In a one-dimensional binary photonic crystal (1DPC) made of hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs), we theoretically examined the angle-dependent omnidirectional photonic bandgap (PBG) for TM polarization. Using the transfer matrix approach, the optical characteristics of the 1DPC structure having dielectric and HMM layers were examined at the infrared range (IR). As such, we observed the existing of numerous PBGs in this operating wavelength range (IR). Meanwhile, the HMM layer is engineered by the subwavelength dielectric- nanocomposite multilayers. The filling fraction of nanoparticles have been explored to show how they affect the effective permittivity of the HMM layer. Furthermore, the transmittance properties of the suggested structure are investigated at various incident angles for transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric polarizations. Other parameters such as, the permittivity of the host material, the filling fraction of nanoparticles, and the thickness of the second layer (HMM) are also taken into account. Finally, we investigated the effect of these parameters on the number and the width of the (PBGs). With the optimum values of the optical parameters of the nanocomposite (NC) layer, this research could open the way for better multi-channel filter photonic crystals.
Reference values for bone mass in young athletes: a cross-sectional study in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Fagundes Ulysses , Vancini Rodrigo Luiz , de Almeida Alexandre Aparecido , Nikolaidis Pantelis Theo , Weiss Katja , Knechtle Beat , Andrade Marilia Santos , de Lira Claudio Andre Barbosa
Published: January 2023

Reference values for bone mass in young athletes need to be used for screening purposes, and country/regional reference values should be used to improve precision of comparisons. The aim of the present study was to develop reference values for bone health variables in Brazilian young athletes. The bone mass content (BMC), bone mass density (BMD), and total body less head (TBLH) BMD using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were measured in 702 young athletes (327 men and 375 women) aged 8.5–18.5 years, divided into 5 groups, according to their age: group 1 (8.5–10.5 years), group 2 (10.6–12.5 years), group 3 (12.6–14.5 years), group 4 (14.6–16.5 years), and group 5 (16.6–18.5 years). Comparisons between the sexes and ages were performed and age-sex-smoothed reference values were constructed. Male athletes presented high BMC and BMD than female athletes in age groups 3, 4, and 5 (p < 0.005) and high TBLH BMD than female athletes in age groups 4 and 5 (p < 0.005). Reference values, including the percentiles are presented for the bone health variables of each sex and age group. The age-, sex-, and ethnic-specific reference data for bone variables presented in this study enabled more precise reference data for young Brazilian athletes. These data may assist in monitoring changes during an athletes’ growth and different phases of athletic training.
Cross-talk between cancer and Pseudomonas aeruginosa mediates tumor suppression
Authors: Choi Juliana K. , Naffouje Samer A. , Goto Masahide , Wang Jing , Christov Konstantin , Rademacher David J. , Green Albert , Stecenko Arlene A. , Chakrabarty Ananda M. , Das Gupta Tapas K. , Yamada Tohru
Published: January 2023

Microorganisms living at many sites in the human body compose a complex and dynamic community. Accumulating evidence suggests a significant role for microorganisms in cancer, and therapies that incorporate bacteria have been tried in various types of cancer. We previously demonstrated that cupredoxin azurin secreted by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, enters human cancer cells and induces apoptotic death1–4. However, the physiological interactions between P. aeruginosa and humans and their role in tumor homeostasis are largely unknown. Here, we show that P. aeruginosa upregulated azurin secretion in response to increasing numbers of and proximity to cancer cells. Conversely, cancer cells upregulated aldolase A secretion in response to increasing proximity to P. aeruginosa, which also correlated with enhanced P. aeruginosa adherence to cancer cells. Additionally, we show that cancer patients had detectable P. aeruginosa and azurin in their tumors and exhibited increased overall survival when they did, and that azurin administration reduced tumor growth in transgenic mice. Our results suggest host–bacterial symbiotic mutualism acting as a diverse adjunct to the host defense system via inter-kingdom communication mediated by the evolutionarily conserved proteins azurin and human aldolase A. This improved understanding of the symbiotic relationship of bacteria with humans indicates the potential contribution to tumor homeostasis.
Exploring the phase stability in interpenetrated diamondoid covalent organic frameworks
Authors: Borgmans Sander , Rogge Sven M. J. , De Vos Juul S. , Van Der Voort Pascal , Van Speybroeck Veronique
Published: January 2023

Soft porous crystals, which are responsive to external stimuli such as temperature, pressure, or gas adsorption, are being extensively investigated for various technological applications. However, while substantial research has been devoted to stimuli-responsive metal-organic frameworks, structural flexibility in 3D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) remains ill-understood, and is almost exclusively found in COFs exhibiting the diamondoid (dia) topology. Herein, we systemically investigate how the structural decoration of these 3DdiaCOFs—their specific building blocks and degree of interpenetration—as well as external triggers such as temperature and guest adsorption may promote or suppress their phase transformations, as captured by a collection of 2D free energy landscapes. Together, these provide a comprehensive understanding of the necessary conditions to design flexible diamondoid COFs. This study reveals how their flexibility originates from the balance between steric hindrance and dispersive interactions of the structural decoration, thereby providing insight into how new flexible 3D COFs can be designed.
Injectable local drug delivery systems for glioblastoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of progress to date
Authors: Wang Yu , Bastiancich Chiara , Newland Ben
Published: January 2023

This review systematically searched and screened articles researching injectable drug delivery systems (DDS) to locally treat glioblastoma in preclinical studies. The results of meta-analyses showed a survival benefit for animals treated with DDSs.
A high-contrast polymorphic difluoroboron luminogen with efficient RTP and TADF emissions
Authors: Wang Xin , Wu Xiaofu , Wang Tong , Wu Yuliang , Shu Haiyang , Cheng Zhiqiang , Zhao Lei , Tian Hongkun , Tong Hui , Wang Lixiang
Published: January 2023

Three polymorphs of a N,S-chelated four-coordinated difluoroboron-based emitter display high contrast green (G), yellow (Y) and red (R) emissions with TADF character for the G- and R-Crystals, and RTP for the Y-Crystal, tuned by different molecular conformations and packings.
Facile synthesis of single-crystalline MnO2nanowire arrays with high photothermal catalytic activity
Authors: Soejima Tetsuro , Inoue Haruki , Egashira Keigo , Yan Yaozong , Tada Hiroaki
Published: January 2023

Single-crystalline β-MnO2nanowire arrays with large surface area and strong visible and near-infrared light absorption have been successfully synthesized to show high photothermal catalytic activity in the oxidative coupling ofo-phenylenediamine to 2,3-diaminophenazine.
K5Eu(MoO4)4 red phosphor for solid state lighting applications, prepared by different techniques
Authors: Posokhova Svetlana M. , Morozov Vladimir A. , Deyneko Dina V. , Redkin Boris S. , Spassky Dmitry A. , Nagirnyi Vitali , Belik Alexei A. , Hadermann Joke , Pavlova Erzhena T. , Lazoryak Bogdan I.
Published: January 2023

K5Eu(MoO4)4 (KEMO) was prepared by different methods: solid state and sol–gel synthesis and the Czochralski growth technique. The luminescent properties depend on the synthesis techniques. KEMO crystal demonstrates a maximum quantum yield of 66.5%.
Synergistic amorphous carbon-coated VS4/VOx nanosheets with rich interfaces endow aqueous zinc-ion batteries with high performance
Authors: Xu Juan , Guo Haibin
Published: January 2023

A high-performance zinc-ion battery cathode comprising of heterogeneous VS4/VOx@C nanosheets with high rate capacity and long cycle life is presented.
An explicitly correlated six-dimensional potential energy surface for the SiCSi + H2 complex
Authors: Cabrera-González Lisán David , Páez-Hernández Dayán , Stoecklin Thierry , Denis-Alpizar Otoniel
Published: January 2023

Interaction between SiCSi and H2.
N 1s core-level binding energies in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes: a combined experimental and theoretical study
Authors: Azuara-Tuexi G. , Muñoz-Sandoval E. , Guirado-López R. A.
Published: January 2023

Peaks in the XPS spectra are composite signals where different N defects coexist. Conformational effects and oxygen contamination can also be a source of N 1s signal broadening.