bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How science communications can help build societal perceptions of invasive alien species and their impacts on the environment
Authors: Banerjee Achyut Kumar , Huang Yelin
Published: March 2023

While scientific research highlights the threats of invasive alien species (IAS) to the environment and human livelihoods, another voice is rising that recognizes their beneficial impacts. With evidence increasing of the contrasting impacts of some IAS, the lack of communication between science and society makes decision-making processes more complex. Here, we consider the beneficial aspects of invasive alien plant species and take examples from other life forms to argue that, over time and space, the detrimental impacts of IAS might endanger sustainable livelihoods by increasing invasion debt manyfold. We therefore suggest that future studies reporting the positive impacts of IAS and those encouraging the management of IAS through their utilization should include value judgements that acknowledge the potential risks involved in the practice and the scale and context specificity of such studies. Studies highlighting the negative impacts of IAS should also recognize the context dependency of their findings and emphasize the benefits to be gained from the management of the IAS. We provide a more complete picture of IAS impacts that could help to inform management decisions in the face of different potential choices and the possible impacts of these choices on sustainable livelihoods in the long term.
Habitat selection and population status of breeding Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola in an alpine meadow in Sichuan, China
Authors: Ren Xiaotong , Zhang Shen , Huang Ke , Peng He-Bo , Li Changlin , Zhao Ding , Pang Dehong , Wu Yong , Liu Peng , Chen Peng , Hou Rong , Fuller Richard A. , Hua Fangyuan , Que Pinjia
Published: March 2023

The Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola is one of the least known shorebird species, and its habitat associations are very poorly understood. Here we provide the first assessment of the habitat use of the Wood Snipe during the breeding season. Between May and July 2021 at a 4-km2 alpine meadow in Sichuan province, China, we conducted population surveys and behavioural observations to identify sites where breeding Wood Snipe occurred and foraged. We quantified the habitat characteristics and food resource availability of these sites and compared them with randomly selected “background” sites. Comparison between 34 occurrence sites and 25 background sites indicated that during the breeding season, Wood Snipes are not distributed evenly across alpine meadow habitats, but preferred habitats in the lower part (3,378–3,624 m) of the alpine meadow with intermediate levels of soil moisture. In addition, comparison between 17 foraging sites and 24 background sites showed that the Wood Snipe tended to forage at sites with higher soil fauna abundance. We found weak evidence for denser vegetation cover at its height and no evidence for other biotic habitat variables such as vegetation composition or other abiotic habitat variables such as slope, soil penetrability, or disturbance level to influence Wood Snipe habitat associations. Our results suggest that the actual distribution range of the Wood Snipe during the breeding season may be smaller than expected from the extent of apparently suitable habitat. We advise caution in evaluating the potential habitat availability and distribution of the Wood Snipe, and call for further research to better understand the ecology of this rare species to inform its conservation.
Stability in Numbers: Central Banks, Expertise and the Use of Statistics in Interwar Europe
Authors: Yee Robert
Published: March 2023

This research examines the central banks of interwar Europe through the lens of statistics. It focuses particularly on how the rise of economic and statistical expertise simultaneously supported the existing goals of central banks to retain national autonomy and the tenets of liberal internationalism espoused by the League of Nations. The institutionalised efforts to improve quantitative research culminated in the 1928 Conference of Central Bank Statisticians, where delegates envisioned creating new channels of cooperation based on standardised terminology and a centralised information bureau. By framing central banks within the historiographies of statistics and interwar internationalism, this article details the confluence of factors that shaped a new dependence on expertise.
Importance of achieving rapid treatment response in major depressive disorder
Authors: Alva Gustavo
Published: March 2023

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading contributor to disability worldwide and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Current pharmacologic treatment options may be ineffective for some patients and can pose several limitations and challenges, including suboptimal response and slow onset of action. Many of these therapies can take 6 to 8 weeks for patients to achieve response and 12 weeks or longer to demonstrate full clinical benefit. Delays in depressive symptom resolution are associated with poor symptomatic and functional outcomes, decreased quality of life, and increased burden on the healthcare system. Achieving response and remission of symptoms soon after diagnosis and treatment is associated with lower rates of relapse and a greater likelihood of functional recovery. An unmet need exists for innovative treatments that offer rapid and sustained effects. This editorial discusses the benefits of rapid improvement in depressive symptoms with available and investigational agents for patients with MDD.
Implementation of a brief online skills group of dialectical behaviour therapy for emotional dysregulation in Latinx: a withdrawal experimental single-case design
Authors: Muñoz-Martínez Amanda M. , Gómez Yvonne , Naismith Iona , González-Rodríguez Daniela
Published: March 2023

Background:

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) skills groups have shown promise as an effective treatment for clients with emotional dysregulation, especially when combined with individual DBT. However, their efficacy is not well established as an online therapy, or in the Latinx population.

Aims:

This study aimed to explore satisfaction, retention and effects of an internet-based DBT group added to individual online sessions.

Method:

An ABAB withdrawal experimental single-case design was conducted to evaluate the effect of a brief online DBT skills group on emotional dysregulation, anxiety and depression for five Latinx participants. DBT skills group (phase B) were compared with placebo group sessions (phase A) and fortnightly individual DBT sessions were offered throughout to manage risk.

Results:

Visual inspection showed a decrease in level of emotional dysregulation and a large effect size according to the Nonoverlap of All Pairs when comparing group DBT and placebo phases. Although depression symptoms decreased after introducing group DBT, anxiety indicators decreased most during the second round of group placebo sessions.

Discussion:

Whilst only a pilot, this study suggests that online group DBT in Latinx populations is feasible and effective for changing emotional regulation processes but may not effectively target anxiety. Future research might increase the number of DBT sessions in order to enhance learning opportunities and generalization. Replication with larger sample sizes and diverse modalities is needed.
A Symphony of Sound Images: Spatial composition strategies in Zhang Xiaofu’sYarlung Zangbo
Authors: Xinyu Wang , Ting Hu
Published: March 2023

Yarlung Zangbois a multimedia symphony combining orchestra, visual images and electroacoustic music by one of China’s most internationally influential electroacoustic music composers, Zhang Xiaofu. This article focuses on the spatial aspects ofYarlung Zangbo. First, we discuss two different spatial composition preferences in electroacoustic music: image delivery and creation. We then divide the development of electroacoustic orchestral music into three different periods and examine the general spatial intention of the works in these periods. Finally, we analyse and identify four spatial composition strategies ofYarlung Zangbo: equity, virtuosity, diversity and unity. The successful utilisation of these strategies has not only made the piece a milestone in Chinese electroacoustic music, but also a unique and meaningful contribution to the electroacoustic music repertoire worldwide. We believe this article will provide valuable knowledge and insight for future research and practice of spatial composition.
Förderung des Emotionswissens im Kindergarten
Authors: Wosniak Aileen
Published: March 2023

Zusammenfassung. Ein umfangreiches Emotionswissen bei Kindern geht mit einer besseren Selbstregulation, einer höheren Akzeptanz unter Peers und dem späteren Schulerfolg einher. In der vorliegenden Evaluationstudie wurde ein Training für Kindergartenfachkräfte entwickelt, um das Emotionswissen bei 3- bis 5-jährigen Kindern zu fördern. Insgesamt wurden N = 63 Fachkräfte und N = 281 Kinder akquiriert. Die Bewertung des Trainings wurde mit einem Fragebogen erhoben. Das Emotionswissen der Fachkräfte wurde in einem prä-experimentellen Design mit einer Experimentalgruppe (und Messwiederholung) analysiert. Die Veränderung im Handeln wurde durch die Beantwortung eines Fragebogens ermittelt. Abschließend wurde das Emotionswissen der Kinder in einem quasi-experimentellen Design mit Wartekontrollgruppe und Messwiederholung analysiert. Die Evaluationsstudie zeigte, dass die Fachkräfte das Training positiv bewerteten. Das Emotionswissen der Fachkräfte nahm von T1 zu T3 zu und die Methode „Emotion Talk“ wurde in Einzelsituationen häufiger eingesetzt. Obwohl sich die Kinder im Emotionswissen von T1 zu T3 verbesserten, konnte kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen Interventions- und Kontrollgruppe in der Gesamtstichprobe festgestellt werden. Aufgrund der hohen gesellschaftlichen Relevanz sollte die Entwicklung des Emotionswissens von Kindern und dessen Förderung stärker in den Aus- und Fortbildungsfokus von Kindergartenfachkräften gerückt werden.
Thematisierungsweisen des Spiels in Elterngesprächen
Authors: Cloos Peter , Zehbe Katja
Published: March 2023

Zusammenfassung. >Auch wenn in der Kindheitspädagogik weitgehend Einigkeit über die Bedeutung der Zusammenarbeit mit Eltern besteht und auch die Wichtigkeit des Spiels für das Lernen der Kinder betont wird, bleibt bislang offen, wie in Elterngesprächen das Spielen der Kinder thematisiert wird. Aufbauend auf den Ergebnissen des Forschungsprojekts BeikE zu Elterngesprächen ( Krähnert, Zehbe & Cloos, 2022 ) zeigt der Beitrag die Ergebnisse einer qualitativen Sekundäranalyse des Datenkorpus. Mit der dokumentarischen Gesprächsanalyse ( Przyborski, 2004 ) wurde die herausgearbeitete Typologie von Elterngesprächen um die Dimension der Thematisierungsweisen des Spielens der Kinder erweitert. Der Beitrag zeigt die drei rekonstruierten Modi auf und verweist kritisch auf die dem kindlichen Spiel unterschiedlich zugewiesenen Funktionen für die Entwicklung und das Lernen der Kinder.
Performance Evaluation and Improvement of CMFD's Precipitation Products Over Shanghai City, China
Authors: Lei Nuo , Zhou Zhengzheng , Zhuang Qi , Chen Wenling , Chalov Sergey , Liu Shuguang , Gao Lisha , Dong Guangtao
Published: March 2023

Precipitation products with high resolution for urban areas remain an important and challenging issue. The main purposes of this study are to evaluate the accuracy of the China Meteorological Forcing Data Set (CMFD) in the Shanghai megacity and to improve the accuracy of the CMFD precipitation. With the rain gauge observations for the 2013–2018 period, we evaluate the error and detection ability of CMFD at the sub‐daily, daily, and monthly scales, and examine the spatial variation of CMFD performance over the region. The Geographic Differential Analysis (GDA) method is used to calibrate the CMFD precipitation data set. The results show that the performance of CMFD precipitation varies from sub‐daily to monthly time scales with better accuracy at the monthly scale in the study region. The CMFD can capture the spatial variability over the region with less error in the north and outliers in the center. The GDA‐based calibration framework can significantly improve the capability of CMFD products, especially at the sub‐daily and daily scales. The calibrated CMFD can provide reliable precipitation estimates and capture more extreme precipitation events. The improved CMFD products can provide a key basis for applications related to hydrological and meteorological hazard monitoring and assessment in the Shanghai area. The overall framework is scalable and could be readily generalized to other regions, and the calibrated product can be used in the research of urban natural disaster risks and other studies.
Observational Evidence of Nonlinear Wave‐Wave Interaction Over Antarctic MLT Region
Authors: Lee Jaewook , Kwak Young‐Sil , Eswaraiah Sunkara , Kam Hosik , Kim Yong Ha , Lee Changsup , Kim Jeong‐Han
Published: March 2023

Using meteor radar observations over King Sejong Station (62.22°S, 58.78°W) in the Antarctic Peninsula, we investigated the wave‐wave interaction in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. We analyzed hourly horizontal wind measurements at altitudes of 84–96 km from March 2016 through February 2017 and found that the MLT region is dominated by a semidiurnal tide (SDT) and the signature of planetary waves (PWs) with a period of ∼8–27 days. The PW activity was substantially intensified during the winter. The day‐to‐day variability of SDT amplitudes are estimated and the higher‐order spectral analysis of SDT amplitudes exhibits intermittent modulation of SDT at PW periods ∼8 and 27 days in the zonal winds and periods of 8 and 16 days in the meridional winds. We observed an intense episode of tidal modulation from June through September 2016, during which a set of subsidiary spectral components around the SDT were found as a result of wave‐wave interaction. Further, the bi‐spectral analysis reveals that quadratic coupling (nonlinear interaction) occurred between SDT and PWs at a band period of 8–27 days, at above 90 km. We compared the spectral powers between the secondary waves created by the nonlinear interaction between the SDT and 16‐day PWs. Further, we found that sum‐secondary waves generated by the nonlinear interaction are stronger than the difference‐secondary waves during austral winter 2016. We thus conclude that the non‐linear interaction between the tides and PWs may play a major role in the short‐term tidal variability in the MLT region during austral winter 2016.
Sluggish Slab Rollback at the Early Stage of Flux Melting During Subduction Initiation: Li Isotopic Evidence From the Coto High‐Al Chromite Deposit, Zambales Ophiolite, Philippines
Authors: Zhang Peng‐Fei , Zhou Mei‐Fu , Liu Qiong‐Ying , Malpas John , Yumul Graciano P. , Wang Christina Yan
Published: March 2023

The compositions of chromitites and dunites from Moho transition zone (MTZ) of the Coto block of the Zambales ophiolite, Philippines, are used to investigate the geodynamic transition from anhydrous to hydrous magmatism during subduction initiation (SI). Chromite grains in the chromitites have Cr# values [100 × Cr/(Cr + Al)] and TiO2 contents ∼35–50 and 0.05–0.30 wt.%, respectively, intermediate between those of chromite in typical MORB‐like lavas (Cr#, ∼20–60; TiO2, ∼0.6–1.7 wt.%) and boninites (Cr#, ∼70–85; TiO2, <0.4 wt.%). Olivine grains in the dunites have δ7Li values varying from ∼−2‰ to +21‰ with most between +10‰ and +15‰, beyond that of normal mantle (+4 ± 2‰) but comparable to those of some arc lavas (up to +12‰). The data set indicates that parental magmas of the high‐Al chromitites originated from hydrated harzburgitic mantle sources and formed temporally between MORB‐like and boninitic magmatism during SI, resulting from the early stage of flux melting in the Zambales proto‐forearc mantle. Modeling of Li diffusion reveals that the MTZ cooled down at a minimum rate of 0.1°C/yr in order to preserve the large δ7Li variation of olivine in the dunites, comparable to the thermal conditions below ultra‐slow to slow spreading ridges. Such a stage of transitional magmatism, although displaying notable slab contributions, took place at a sluggish period of slab rollback and asthenospheric upwelling, leading to a trough level of heat flow and magma production during the entire course of SI.
Evolution of the Convective Boundary Layer in a WRF Simulation Nested Down to 100 m Resolution During a Cloud‐Free Case of LAFE, 2017 and Comparison to Observations
Authors: Bauer Hans‐Stefan , Späth Florian , Lange Diego , Thundathil Rohith , Ingwersen Joachim , Behrendt Andreas , Wulfmeyer Volker
Published: March 2023

The Weather Research and Forecasting model was applied in a nested configuration from the convection‐permitting resolution of 2.5 km, via an intermediate resolution of 500 m down to the 100 m turbulence‐permitting scale to investigate the spatial and temporal evolution of the convective boundary layer and their interaction with the underlying land surface. This included detailed comparisons with observations collected during the Land‐Atmosphere Feedback Experiment, performed at the Central Facility in Oklahoma. The simulation was driven by the operational analysis of the European Center for Medium‐range Weather Forecasting for a cloud‐free case on 23 August 2017 for which the measurement operation was extended into the following night to include the evening decay of the daytime convective boundary layer. The mesoscale 2.5 km resolution was capable to represent the correct boundary layer height and its temporal evolution. Details of the morning and evening transitions between the nighttime and daytime boundary layer as well as its internal structure were only simulated by the 100 m turbulence‐permitting simulation. Although systematic differences between the simulation and lidar observations were found, the model captured the temporal and spatial structure and the statistics of turbulence rather well. Comparison with data from Eddy‐Covariance stations showed that the model was able to reproduce the evolution of many near‐surface meteorological fields. Systematically higher surface temperatures and related differences in the surface fluxes suggest weaknesses in the representation of land surface processes although the simulation was initialized with accurate and high‐resolution initial fields.
Increased Sensitivity of Global Vegetation Productivity to Drought Over the Recent Three Decades
Authors: Wei Xiaonan , He Wei , Zhou Yanlian , Cheng Nuo , Xiao Jingfeng , Bi Wenjun , Liu Yibo , Sun Shanlei , Ju Weimin
Published: March 2023

Intensified droughts have been weakening global vegetation productivity, yet how the sensitivity of vegetation productivity to drought changes over time is not well known. Here, using the simulated long‐term gross primary production (GPP) with an improved two‐leaf light use efficiency model and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), we studied the sensitivity of global vegetation productivity to drought, quantified by the corresponding time scale of SPEI with strongest drought impact on GPP, and analyzed the changes in the sensitivity over two time periods (1993–2005 and 2006–2018). Compared to the first period, droughts were more widespread and severer around the world in the second period, as evidenced by increased drought range (increased by 4.43%) and intensity (SPEI03 decreased by 103%). Globally, the area with significant correlation between GPP and SPEI increased by 25.53%, the impact intensity increased by 14.75%, and the drought sensitivity of GPP enhanced by 13.76%; the changing directions were pretty similar across various vegetation types, mostly showing an increasing trend. Moreover, the vegetation in regions with consistently decreasing moisture was affected by drought most strongly and experienced the greatest change in the sensitivity of GPP to drought (enhanced by 10.99%), indicating that the arid and semi‐arid ecosystems should be considered as a research priority in the future. Our results reveal strengthened drought sensitivity of global vegetation productivity in recent decades across various ecosystems and climate transition regions, which could improve our understanding on the behavior and fate of terrestrial ecosystems in the changing climate.
The Role of Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) in Urban Water Balances and Streamflow Regimes: A Hydrograph Analysis Along the Sewershed‐Watershed Continuum
Authors: Zhang Kun , Sebo Spencer , McDonald Walter , Bhaskar Aditi , Shuster William , Stewart Ryan D. , Parolari Anthony J.
Published: March 2023

Urbanization alters subsurface flow pathways through expansion of sanitary collection and conveyance infrastructure. Inflow and infiltration (I/I) into sewers redistributes slow subsurface flows to fast within‐sewer flows. Acting in concert with connected surface water, redistribution through I/I complicates the net impact of urbanization on streamflow. Elucidation of these processes is key to the characterization and prediction of urban hydrologic cycles. In this study, we collected sanitary sewer flow and streamflow data from 17 sewersheds and 18 watersheds in and around Milwaukee, WI, USA. We compared flow duration curves and baseflow recession characteristics of I/I and streamflow in urban and reference watersheds. Median depth‐normalized I/I (296 mm) was nearly 35% of mean annual precipitation (867 mm), and thereby a major component of the urban drainage budget. I/I flowrates were similar to urban streamflow during high flow events (10th percentile) and larger during intermediate (50th percentile) and low (90th percentile) flow events. Further, I/I recession was slower and more nonlinear in shape than urban streamflow. Increased imperviousness and sewer density were associated with increased high flows, decreased intermediate flows, and quicker streamflow recessions. Sewer density explained more variability in intermediate flows (35%) and baseflow recession rate (49%) than imperviousness (24% and 19% respectively). Based on our findings, I/I takes up valuable volume capacity in sewers, which leads to more frequent overflows and alters streamflow regimes with ecological implications. Thus, I/I should be better considered in the prediction of urban hydrologic fluxes, and the characteristics and hydro‐ecologic impact of I/I should be more thoroughly explored.
Exosomes secreted from cardiomyocytes suppress the sensitivity of tumor ferroptosis in ischemic heart failure
Authors: Yuan Ye , Mei Zhongting , Qu Zhezhe , Li Guanghui , Yu Shuting , Liu Yingqi , Liu Kuiwu , Shen Zhihua , Pu Jiaying , Wang Yanquan , Wang Changhao , Sun Zhiyong , Liu Qian , Pang Xiaochen , Wang Ao , Ren Zijing , Wang Tong , Liu Ying , Hong Jinhuan , Xie Jiajie , Li Xin , Wang Zhonghua , Du Weijie , Yang Baofeng
Published: March 2023

Heart failure (HF) patients in general have a higher risk of developing cancer. Several animal studies have indicated that cardiac remodeling and HF remarkably accelerate tumor progression, highlighting a cause-and-effect relationship between these two disease entities. Targeting ferroptosis, a prevailing form of non-apoptotic cell death, has been considered a promising therapeutic strategy for human cancers. Exosomes critically contribute to proximal and distant organ-organ communications and play crucial roles in regulating diseases in a paracrine manner. However, whether exosomes control the sensitivity of cancer to ferroptosis via regulating the cardiomyocyte-tumor cell crosstalk in ischemic HF has not yet been explored. Here, we demonstrate that myocardial infarction (MI) decreased the sensitivity of cancer cells to the canonical ferroptosis activator erastin or imidazole ketone erastin in a mouse model of xenograft tumor. Post-MI plasma exosomes potently blunted the sensitivity of tumor cells to ferroptosis inducers both in vitro in mouse Lewis lung carcinoma cell line LLC and osteosarcoma cell line K7M2 and in vivo with xenograft tumorigenesis model. The expression of miR-22-3p in cardiomyocytes and plasma-exosomes was significantly upregulated in the failing hearts of mice with chronic MI and of HF patients as well. Incubation of tumor cells with the exosomes isolated from post-MI mouse plasma or overexpression of miR-22-3p alone abrogated erastin-induced ferroptotic cell death in vitro. Cardiomyocyte-enriched miR-22-3p was packaged in exosomes and transferred into tumor cells. Inhibition of cardiomyocyte-specific miR-22-3p by AAV9 sponge increased the sensitivity of cancer cells to ferroptosis. ACSL4, a pro-ferroptotic gene, was experimentally established as a target of miR-22-3p in tumor cells. Taken together, our findings uncovered for the first time that MI suppresses erastin-induced ferroptosis through releasing miR-22-3p-enriched exosomes derived from cardiomyocytes. Therefore, targeting exosome-mediated cardiomyocyte/tumor pathological communication may offer a novel approach for the ferroptosis-based antitumor therapy.
Immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells/dental stem cells and their therapeutic applications
Authors: Li Peishan , Ou Qianmin , Shi Songtao , Shao Changshun
Published: March 2023

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are widely distributed in the body and play essential roles in tissue regeneration and homeostasis. MSCs can be isolated from discarded tissues, expanded in vitro and used as therapeutics for autoimmune diseases and other chronic disorders. MSCs promote tissue regeneration and homeostasis by primarily acting on immune cells. At least six different types of MSCs have been isolated from postnatal dental tissues and have remarkable immunomodulatory properties. Dental stem cells (DSCs) have been demonstrated to have therapeutic effects on several systemic inflammatory diseases. Conversely, MSCs derived from nondental tissues such as the umbilical cord exhibit great benefits in the management of periodontitis in preclinical studies. Here, we discuss the main therapeutic uses of MSCs/DSCs, their mechanisms, extrinsic inflammatory cues and the intrinsic metabolic circuitries that govern the immunomodulatory functions of MSCs/DSCs. Increased understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the immunomodulatory functions of MSCs/DSCs is expected to aid in the development of more potent and precise MSC/DSC-based therapeutics.
Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cataract: insights from the UK Biobank study
Authors: Fan Huiya , Han Xiaotong , Shang Xianwen , Zhu Zhuoting , He Mingguang , Xu Guihua , Chen Zilin , Deng Ruidong
Published: March 2023

Purpose:

A prospective cohort study to investigate the association between fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake and the risk of cataract.

Methods:

We included 72,160 participants who were free of cataract at baseline from the UK Biobank. Frequency and type of F&V intake were assessed using a web-based 24 h dietary questionnaire from 2009 to 2012. Development of cataract during the follow-up was defined by self-report or hospital inpatient records up to 2021. Cox proportional regression models were used to estimate the association between F&V intake and incident cataract.

Results:

During a mean follow-up of 9.1 years, 5753 participants developed cataract with a corresponding incidence of 8.0%. After adjusting for multiple demographic, medical and lifestyle covariates, higher intake of F&V were associated with a lower risk of cataract (≥6.5 vs. <2 servings/week: hazards ratio [HR]: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.76 to 0.89; P < 0.0001). Regarding specific types, significant reduced risk of cataract was found for higher intake of legumes (P = 0.0016), tomatoes (≥5.2 vs. <1.8 servings/week: HR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.88 to 1.00), and apple and pear (>7 vs. <3.5 servings/week: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.83 to 0.94; P < 0.0001), but not for cruciferous vegetables, green leafy vegetables, berry, citrus fruit or melon. Smokers were found to benefit more from F&V intake than former and never smokers. Men also could benefit more from higher vegetable intake than women.

Conclusions:

More F&V intake, especially legumes, tomatoes, apple, and pear, was associated with a lower risk of cataract in this UK Biobank cohort.
Sub-1 Volt and high-bandwidth visible to near-infrared electro-optic modulators
Authors: Renaud Dylan , Assumpcao Daniel Rimoli , Joe Graham , Shams-Ansari Amirhassan , Zhu Di , Hu Yaowen , Sinclair Neil , Loncar Marko
Published: March 2023

Integrated electro-optic (EO) modulators are fundamental photonics components with utility in domains ranging from digital communications to quantum information processing. At telecommunication wavelengths, thin-film lithium niobate modulators exhibit state-of-the-art performance in voltage-length product (VπL), optical loss, and EO bandwidth. However, applications in optical imaging, optogenetics, and quantum science generally require devices operating in the visible-to-near-infrared (VNIR) wavelength range. Here, we realize VNIR amplitude and phase modulators featuringVπL’s of sub-1 V ⋅ cm, low optical loss, and high bandwidth EO response. Our Mach-Zehnder modulators exhibit aVπLas low as 0.55 V ⋅ cm at 738 nm, on-chip optical loss of ~0.7 dB/cm, and EO bandwidths in excess of 35 GHz. Furthermore, we highlight the opportunities these high-performance modulators offer by demonstrating integrated EO frequency combs operating at VNIR wavelengths, with over 50 lines and tunable spacing, and frequency shifting of pulsed light beyond its intrinsic bandwidth (up to 7x Fourier limit) by an EO shearing method.
Helicobacter pylori initiates successful gastric colonization by utilizing L-lactate to promote complement resistance
Authors: Hu Shuai , Ottemann Karen M.
Published: March 2023

The complement system has long been appreciated for its role in bloodborne infections, but its activities in other places, including the gastrointestinal tract, remain elusive. Here, we report that complement restricts gastric infection by the pathogen Helicobacter pylori. This bacterium colonized complement-deficient mice to higher levels than wild-type counterparts, particularly in the gastric corpus region. H. pylori uses uptake of the host molecule L-lactate to create a complement-resistant state that relies on blocking the deposition of the active complement C4b component on H. pylori’s surface. H. pylori mutants unable to achieve this complement-resistant state have a significant mouse colonization defect that is largely corrected by mutational removal of complement. This work highlights a previously unknown role for complement in the stomach, and has revealed an unrecognized mechanism for microbial-derived complement resistance.
Time-of-day defines NAD+ efficacy to treat diet-induced metabolic disease by synchronizing the hepatic clock in mice
Authors: Escalante-Covarrubias Quetzalcoatl , Mendoza-Viveros Lucía , González-Suárez Mirna , Sitten-Olea Román , Velázquez-Villegas Laura A. , Becerril-Pérez Fernando , Pacheco-Bernal Ignacio , Carreño-Vázquez Erick , Mass-Sánchez Paola , Bustamante-Zepeda Marcia , Orozco-Solís Ricardo , Aguilar-Arnal Lorena
Published: March 2023

The circadian clock is an endogenous time-tracking system that anticipates daily environmental changes. Misalignment of the clock can cause obesity, which is accompanied by reduced levels of the clock-controlled, rhythmic metabolite NAD+. Increasing NAD+ is becoming a therapy for metabolic dysfunction; however, the impact of daily NAD+ fluctuations remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that time-of-day determines the efficacy of NAD+ treatment for diet-induced metabolic disease in mice. Increasing NAD+ prior to the active phase in obese male mice ameliorated metabolic markers including body weight, glucose and insulin tolerance, hepatic inflammation and nutrient sensing pathways. However, raising NAD+ immediately before the rest phase selectively compromised these responses. Remarkably, timed NAD+ adjusted circadian oscillations of the liver clock until completely inverting its oscillatory phase when increased just before the rest period, resulting in misaligned molecular and behavioral rhythms in male and female mice. Our findings unveil the time-of-day dependence of NAD+-based therapies and support a chronobiology-based approach.
Cryo-EM structure of human eIF5A-DHS complex reveals the molecular basis of hypusination-associated neurodegenerative disorders
Authors: Wątor Elżbieta , Wilk Piotr , Biela Artur , Rawski Michał , Zak Krzysztof M. , Steinchen Wieland , Bange Gert , Glatt Sebastian , Grudnik Przemysław
Published: March 2023

Hypusination is a unique post-translational modification of the eukaryotic translation factor 5A (eIF5A) that is essential for overcoming ribosome stalling at polyproline sequence stretches. The initial step of hypusination, the formation of deoxyhypusine, is catalyzed by deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS), however, the molecular details of the DHS-mediated reaction remained elusive. Recently, patient-derived variants of DHS and eIF5A have been linked to rare neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of the human eIF5A-DHS complex at 2.8 Å resolution and a crystal structure of DHS trapped in the key reaction transition state. Furthermore, we show that disease-associated DHS variants influence the complex formation and hypusination efficiency. Hence, our work dissects the molecular details of the deoxyhypusine synthesis reaction and reveals how clinically-relevant mutations affect this crucial cellular process.
Increased impact of heat domes on 2021-like heat extremes in North America under global warming
Authors: Zhang Xing , Zhou Tianjun , Zhang Wenxia , Ren Liwen , Jiang Jie , Hu Shuai , Zuo Meng , Zhang Lixia , Man Wenmin
Published: March 2023

During summer 2021, Western North America (WNA) experienced an unprecedented heatwave with record-breaking high temperatures associated with a strong anomalous high-pressure system, i.e., a heat dome. Here, we use a flow analog method and find that the heat dome over the WNA can explain half of the magnitude of the anomalous temperature. The intensities of hot extremes associated with similar heat dome-like atmospheric circulations increase faster than background global warming in both historical change and future projection. Such relationship between hot extremes and mean temperature can be partly explained by soil moisture-atmosphere feedback. The probability of 2021-like heat extremes is projected to increase due to the background warming, the enhanced soil moisture-atmosphere feedback and the weak but still significantly increased probability of the heat dome-like circulation. The population exposure to such heat extremes will also increase. Limiting global warming to 1.5 °C instead of 2 °C (3 °C) would lead to an avoided impact of 53% (89%) of the increase in population exposure to 2021-like heat extremes under the RCP8.5-SSP5 scenario.
The genomic epidemiology of Escherichia albertii infecting humans and birds in Great Britain
Authors: Bengtsson Rebecca J. , Baker Kate S. , Cunningham Andrew A. , Greig David R. , John Shinto K. , Macgregor Shaheed K. , Seilern-Moy Katharina , Spiro Simon , Chong Charlotte C. , De Silva P Malaka , Jenkins Claire , Lawson Becki
Published: March 2023

Escherichia albertii is a recently identified gastrointestinal bacterial pathogen of humans and animals which is typically misidentified as pathotypes of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli or Shigella species and is generally only detected during genomic surveillance of other Enterobacteriaceae. The incidence of E. albertii is likely underestimated, and its epidemiology and clinical relevance are poorly characterised. Here, we whole genome sequenced E. albertii isolates from humans (n = 83) and birds (n = 79) isolated in Great Britain between 2000 and 2021 and analysed these alongside a broader public dataset (n = 475) to address these gaps. We found human and avian isolates typically (90%; 148/164) belonged to host-associated monophyletic groups with distinct virulence and antimicrobial resistance profiles. Overlaid patient epidemiological data suggested that human infection was likely related to travel and possibly foodborne transmission. The Shiga toxin encoding stx2f gene was associated with clinical disease (OR = 10.27, 95% CI = 2.98–35.45 p = 0.0002) in finches. Our results suggest that improved future surveillance will further elucidate disease ecology and public and animal health risks associated with E. albertii.
Early life gut microbiota sustains liver-resident natural killer cells maturation via the butyrate-IL-18 axis
Authors: Tian Panpan , Yang Wenwen , Guo Xiaowei , Wang Tixiao , Tan Siyu , Sun Renhui , Xiao Rong , Wang Yuzhen , Jiao Deyan , Xu Yachen , Wei Yanfei , Wu Zhuanchang , Li Chunyang , Gao Lifen , Ma Chunhong , Liang Xiaohong
Published: March 2023

Liver-resident natural killer cells, a unique lymphocyte subset in liver, develop locally and play multifaceted immunological roles. However, the mechanisms for the maintenance of liver-resident natural killer cell homeostasis remain unclear. Here we show that early-life antibiotic treatment blunt functional maturation of liver-resident natural killer cells even at adulthood, which is dependent on the durative microbiota dysbiosis. Mechanistically, early-life antibiotic treatment significantly decreases butyrate level in liver, and subsequently led to defective liver-resident natural killer cell maturation in a cell-extrinsic manner. Specifically, loss of butyrate impairs IL-18 production in Kupffer cells and hepatocytes through acting on the receptor GPR109A. Disrupted IL-18/IL-18R signaling in turn suppresses the mitochondrial activity and the functional maturation of liver-resident natural killer cells. Strikingly, dietary supplementation of experimentally or clinically used Clostridium butyricum restores the impaired liver-resident natural killer cell maturation and function induced by early-life antibiotic treatment. Our findings collectively unmask a regulatory network of gut-liver axis, highlighting the importance of the early-life microbiota in the development of tissue-resident immune cells.
Soil contamination in nearby natural areas mirrors that in urban greenspaces worldwide
Authors: Liu Yu-Rong , van der Heijden Marcel G. A. , Riedo Judith , Sanz-Lazaro Carlos , Eldridge David J. , Bastida Felipe , Moreno-Jiménez Eduardo , Zhou Xin-Quan , Hu Hang-Wei , He Ji-Zheng , Moreno José L. , Abades Sebastian , Alfaro Fernando , Bamigboye Adebola R. , Berdugo Miguel , Blanco-Pastor José L. , de los Ríos Asunción , Duran Jorge , Grebenc Tine , Illán Javier G. , Makhalanyane Thulani P. , Molina-Montenegro Marco A. , Nahberger Tina U. , Peñaloza-Bojacá Gabriel F. , Plaza César , Rey Ana , Rodríguez Alexandra , Siebe Christina , Teixido Alberto L. , Casado-Coy Nuria , Trivedi Pankaj , Torres-Díaz Cristian , Verma Jay Prakash , Mukherjee Arpan , Zeng Xiao-Min , Wang Ling , Wang Jianyong , Zaady Eli , Zhou Xiaobing , Huang Qiaoyun , Tan Wenfeng , Zhu Yong-Guan , Rillig Matthias C. , Delgado-Baquerizo Manuel
Published: March 2023

Soil contamination is one of the main threats to ecosystem health and sustainability. Yet little is known about the extent to which soil contaminants differ between urban greenspaces and natural ecosystems. Here we show that urban greenspaces and adjacent natural areas (i.e., natural/semi-natural ecosystems) shared similar levels of multiple soil contaminants (metal(loid)s, pesticides, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes) across the globe. We reveal that human influence explained many forms of soil contamination worldwide. Socio-economic factors were integral to explaining the occurrence of soil contaminants worldwide. We further show that increased levels of multiple soil contaminants were linked with changes in microbial traits including genes associated with environmental stress resistance, nutrient cycling, and pathogenesis. Taken together, our work demonstrates that human-driven soil contamination in nearby natural areas mirrors that in urban greenspaces globally, and highlights that soil contaminants have the potential to cause dire consequences for ecosystem sustainability and human wellbeing.
A comprehensive platform for analyzing longitudinal multi-omics data
Authors: Vasaikar Suhas V. , Savage Adam K. , Gong Qiuyu , Swanson Elliott , Talla Aarthi , Lord Cara , Heubeck Alexander T. , Reading Julian , Graybuck Lucas T. , Meijer Paul , Torgerson Troy R. , Skene Peter J. , Bumol Thomas F. , Li Xiao-jun
Published: March 2023

Longitudinal bulk and single-cell omics data is increasingly generated for biological and clinical research but is challenging to analyze due to its many intrinsic types of variations. We present PALMO (https://github.com/aifimmunology/PALMO), a platform that contains five analytical modules to examine longitudinal bulk and single-cell multi-omics data from multiple perspectives, including decomposition of sources of variations within the data, collection of stable or variable features across timepoints and participants, identification of up- or down-regulated markers across timepoints of individual participants, and investigation on samples of same participants for possible outlier events. We have tested PALMO performance on a complex longitudinal multi-omics dataset of five data modalities on the same samples and six external datasets of diverse background. Both PALMO and our longitudinal multi-omics dataset can be valuable resources to the scientific community.
Boosting membrane carbon capture via multifaceted polyphenol-mediated soldering
Authors: Zhu Bin , He Shanshan , Yang Yan , Li Songwei , Lau Cher Hon , Liu Shaomin , Shao Lu
Published: March 2023

Advances in membrane technologies are significant for mitigating global climate change because of their low cost and easy operation. Although mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) obtained via the combination of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and a polymer matrix are promising for energy-efficient gas separation, the achievement of a desirable match between polymers and MOFs for the development of advanced MMMs is challenging, especially when emerging highly permeable materials such as polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) are deployed. Here, we report a molecular soldering strategy featuring multifunctional polyphenols in tailored polymer chains, well-designed hollow MOF structures, and defect-free interfaces. The exceptional adhesion nature of polyphenols results in dense packing and visible stiffness of PIM-1 chains with strengthened selectivity. The architecture of the hollow MOFs leads to free mass transfer and substantially improves permeability. These structural advantages act synergistically to break the permeability-selectivity trade-off limit in MMMs and surpass the conventional upper bound. This polyphenol molecular soldering method has been validated for various polymers, providing a universal pathway to prepare advanced MMMs with desirable performance for diverse applications beyond carbon capture.
Efficient GW calculations in two dimensional materials through a stochastic integration of the screened potential
Authors: Guandalini Alberto , D’Amico Pino , Ferretti Andrea , Varsano Daniele
Published: March 2023

Many-body perturbation theory methods, such as the G0W0 approximation, are able to accurately predict quasiparticle (QP) properties of several classes of materials. However, the calculation of the QP band structure of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors is known to require a very dense BZ sampling, due to the sharp q-dependence of the dielectric matrix in the long-wavelength limit (q → 0). In this work, we show how the convergence of the QP corrections of 2D semiconductors with respect to the BZ sampling can be drastically improved, by combining a Monte Carlo integration with an interpolation scheme able to represent the screened potential between the calculated grid points. The method has been validated by computing the band gap of three different prototype monolayer materials: a transition metal dichalcogenide (MoS2), a wide band gap insulator (hBN) and an anisotropic semiconductor (phosphorene). The proposed scheme shows that the convergence of the gap for these three materials up to 50meV is achieved by using k-point grids comparable to those needed by DFT calculations, while keeping the grid uniform.
Top-down control of human motor thalamic neuronal activity during the auditory oddball task
Authors: Alanazi Frhan I. , Kalia Suneil K. , Hodaie Mojgan , Lopez Rios Adriana L. , Lozano Andrés M. , Milosevic Luka , Hutchison William D.
Published: March 2023

The neurophysiology of selective attention in visual and auditory systems has been studied in animal models but not with single unit recordings in human. Here, we recorded neuronal activity in the ventral intermediate nucleus as well as the ventral oral anterior, and posterior nuclei of the motor thalamus in 25 patients with parkinsonian (n = 6) and non-parkinsonian tremors (n = 19) prior to insertion of deep brain stimulation electrodes while they performed an auditory oddball task. In this task, patients were requested to attend and count the randomly occurring odd or “deviant” tones, ignore the frequent standard tones and report the number of deviant tones at trial completion. The neuronal firing rate decreased compared to baseline during the oddball task. Inhibition was specific to auditory attention as incorrect counting or wrist flicking to the deviant tones did not produce such inhibition. Local field potential analysis showed beta (13–35 Hz) desynchronization in response to deviant tones. Parkinson’s disease patients off medications had more beta power than the essential tremor group but less neuronal modulation of beta power to the attended tones, suggesting that dopamine modulates thalamic beta oscillations for selective attention. The current study demonstrated that ascending information to the motor thalamus can be suppressed during auditory attending tasks, providing indirect evidence for the searchlight hypothesis in humans. These results taken together implicate the ventral intermediate nucleus in non-motor cognitive functions, which has implications for the brain circuitry for attention and the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease.
Protection from SARS-CoV-2 Variants by MVAs expressing matched or mismatched S administered intranasally to mice
Authors: Cotter Catherine A. , Americo Jeffrey L. , Earl Patricia L. , Moss Bernard
Published: March 2023

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines prevent severe disease but are less efficient in averting infection and transmission of variant strains, making it imperative to explore ways of enhancing protection. Use of inbred mice expressing the human SARS-CoV-2 receptor facilitates such investigations. We employed recombinant MVAs (rMVAs) expressing modified S of several SARS-CoV-2 strains and compared their ability to neutralize variants, bind S proteins and protect K18-hACE2 mice against SARS-CoV-2 challenge when administered intramuscularly or intranasally. The rMVAs expressing Wuhan, Beta and Delta S induced substantial cross neutralizing activities to each other but very low neutralization of Omicron; while rMVA expressing Omicon S induced neutralizing antibody predominanly to Omicron. In mice primed and boosted with rMVA expressing the Wuhan S, neutralizing antibodies to Wuhan increased after one immunization with rMVA expressing Omicron S due to original antigenic sin, but substantial neutralizing antibody to Omicron required a second immunization. Nevertheless, monovalent vaccines with S mismatched to the challenge virus still protected against severe disease and reduced the amounts of virus and subgenomic RNAs in the lungs and nasal turbinates, though not as well as vaccines with matched S. Passive transfer of Wuhan immune serum with Omicron S binding but undetectable neutralizing activity reduced infection of the l–ungs by Omicron suggesting additional effector functions. Notably, there was less infectious virus and viral subgenomic RNAs in the nasal turbinates and lungs when the rMVAs were administered intranasally rather than intramuscularly and this held true for vaccines that were matched or mismatched to the challenge strain of SARS-CoV-2.