bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative plastome analysis and taxonomic classification of snow lotus species (Saussurea, Asteraceae) in Central Asia and Southern Siberia
Authors: Nyamgerel Nudkhuu , Baasanmunkh Shukherdorj , Oyuntsetseg Batlai , Tsegmed Zagarjav , Bayarmaa Gun-Aajav , Lazkov Georgy , Pyak Elizaveta , Gil Hee-Young , Park Inkyu , Choi Hyeok Jae
Published: February 2024

Four species of Saussurea, namely S. involucrata, S. orgaadayi, S. bogedaensis, and S. dorogostaiskii, are known as the “snow lotus,” which are used as traditional medicines in China (Xinjiang), Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Russia (Southern Siberia). These species are threatened globally, because of illegal harvesting and climate change. Furthermore, the taxonomic classification and identification of these threatened species remain unclear owing to limited research. The misidentification of medicinal species can sometimes be harmful to health. Therefore, the phylogenetic and genomic features of these species need to be confirmed. In this study, we sequenced five complete chloroplast genomes and seven nuclear ITS regions of four snow lotus species and other Saussurea species. We further explored their genetic variety, selective pressure at the sequence level, and phylogenetic relationships using the chloroplast genome, nuclear partial DNA sequences, and morphological features. Plastome of the snow lotus species has a conserved structure and gene content similar to most Saussurea species. Two intergenic regions (ndhJ–ndhK and ndhD-psaC) show significantly high diversity among chloroplast regions. Thus, ITS and these markers are suitable for identifying snow lotus species. In addition, we characterized 43 simple sequence repeats that may be useful in future population genetic studies. Analysis of the selection signatures identified three genes (rpoA, ndhB, and ycf2) that underwent positive selection. These genes may play important roles in the adaptation of the snow lotus species to alpine environments. S. dorogostaiskii is close to S. baicalensis and exhibits slightly different adaptation from others. The taxonomic position of the snow lotus species, confirmed by morphological and molecular evidence, is as follows: (i) S. involucrata has been excluded from the Mongolian flora due to misidentification as S. orgaadayi or S. bogedaensis for a long time; (ii) S. dorogostaiskii belongs to section Pycnocephala subgenus Saussurea, whereas other the snow lotus species belong to section Amphilaena subgenus Amphilaena; and (iii) S. krasnoborovii is synonymous of S. dorogostaiskii. This study clarified the speciation and lineage diversification of the snow lotus species in Central Asia and Southern Siberia.
Assessing supervisor versus trainee viewpoints of entrustment through cognitive and affective lenses: an artificial intelligence investigation of bias in feedback
Authors: Gin Brian C. , ten Cate Olle , O’Sullivan Patricia S. , Boscardin Christy
Published: February 2024

The entrustment framework redirects assessment from considering only trainees’ competence to decision-making about their readiness to perform clinical tasks independently. Since trainees and supervisors both contribute to entrustment decisions, we examined the cognitive and affective factors that underly their negotiation of trust, and whether trainee demographic characteristics may bias them. Using a document analysis approach, we adapted large language models (LLMs) to examine feedback dialogs (N = 24,187, each with an associated entrustment rating) between medical student trainees and their clinical supervisors. We compared how trainees and supervisors differentially documented feedback dialogs about similar tasks by identifying qualitative themes and quantitatively assessing their correlation with entrustment ratings. Supervisors’ themes predominantly reflected skills related to patient presentations, while trainees’ themes were broader—including clinical performance and personal qualities. To examine affect, we trained an LLM to measure feedback sentiment. On average, trainees used more negative language (5.3% lower probability of positive sentiment, p < 0.05) compared to supervisors, while documenting higher entrustment ratings (+ 0.08 on a 1–4 scale, p < 0.05). We also found biases tied to demographic characteristics: trainees’ documentation reflected more positive sentiment in the case of male trainees (+ 1.3%, p < 0.05) and of trainees underrepresented in medicine (UIM) (+ 1.3%, p < 0.05). Entrustment ratings did not appear to reflect these biases, neither when documented by trainee nor supervisor. As such, bias appeared to influence the emotive language trainees used to document entrustment more than the degree of entrustment they experienced. Mitigating these biases is nonetheless important because they may affect trainees’ assimilation into their roles and formation of trusting relationships.
Study of an Enterococcus faecium strain isolated from an artisanal Mexican cheese, whole-genome sequencing, comparative genomics, and bacteriocin expression
Authors: Acero-Pimentel Daniel , Romero-Sánchez Diana I. , Fuentes-Curiel Sac Nicté , Quirasco Maricarmen
Published: February 2024

Enterococci are ubiquitous microorganisms in almost all environments, from the soil we step on to the food we eat. They are frequently found in naturally fermented foods, contributing to ripening through protein, lipid, and sugar metabolism. On the other hand, these organisms are also leading the current antibiotic resistance crisis. In this study, we performed whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics of an Enterococcus faecium strain isolated from an artisanal Mexican Cotija cheese, namely QD-2. We found clear genomic differences between commensal and pathogenic strains, particularly in their carbohydrate metabolic pathways, resistance to vancomycin and other antibiotics, bacteriocin production, and bacteriophage and CRISPR content. Furthermore, a bacteriocin transcription analysis performed by RT-qPCR revealed that, at the end of the log phase, besides enterocins A and X, two putative bacteriocins not reported previously are also transcribed as a bicistronic operon in E. faecium QD-2, and are expressed 1.5 times higher than enterocin A when cultured in MRS broth.
Progress of Ferroptosis in Ischemic Stroke and Therapeutic Targets
Authors: Tian Xinjuan , Li Xiang , Pan Mengtian , Yang Lele Zixin , Li Yunman , Fang Weirong
Published: February 2024

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of programmed cell death (PCD) and ischemic stroke (IS) has been confirmed to be closely related to ferroptosis. The mechanisms of ferroptosis were summarized into three interrelated aspects: iron metabolism, lipid peroxide metabolism, as well as glutathione and amino acid metabolism. What’s more, the causal relationship between ferroptosis and IS has been elucidated by several processes. The disruption of the blood–brain barrier, the release of excitatory amino acids, and the inflammatory response after ischemic stroke all lead to the disorder of iron metabolism and the antioxidant system. Based on these statements, we reviewed the reported effects of compounds and drugs treating IS by modulating key molecules in ferroptosis. Through detailed analysis of the roles of these key molecules, we have also more clearly demonstrated the essential effect of ferroptosis in the occurrence of IS so as to provide new targets and ideas for the therapeutic targets of IS.

Graphical Abstract

Three abnormal cell metabolism pathways contribute to ferroptosis after ischemic stroke, and many key regulatory compounds in ferroptosis can play important therapeutic roles.
Iron Deposition in Parkinson’s Disease: A Mini-Review
Authors: Zeng Weiqi , Cai Jin , Zhang Lei , Peng Qiwei
Published: February 2024

Iron deposition is crucial pathological changes observed in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, scientists have actively explored therapeutic approaches targeting iron deposition in PD. However, several clinical studies have failed to yield consistent results. In this review, we provide an overview of iron deposition in PD, from both basic research and clinical perspectives. PD patients exhibit abnormalities in various iron metabolism-related proteins, leading to disruptions in iron distribution, transport, storage, and circulation, ultimately resulting in iron deposition. Excess iron can induce oxidative stress and iron-related cell death, and exacerbate mitochondrial dysfunction, contributing to the progression of PD pathology. Magnetic resonance imaging studies have indicated that the characteristics of iron deposition in the brains of PD patients vary. Iron deposition correlates with the clinical symptoms of PD, and patients with different disease courses and clinical presentations display distinct patterns of iron deposition. These iron deposition patterns may contribute to PD diagnosis. Iron deposition is a promising target for PD treatment. However, further research is required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and their impacts on PD.

Graphical Abstract

Iron deposition in the Substantia nigra (SN) is a crucial pathological alteration in Parkinson's disease (PD). This article provides a review of the mechanisms and effects of iron deposition, as well as research on brain iron deposition in PD patients using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These findings elucidate the role of iron deposition in PD.
Readiness, resilience, and engagement:
Analyzing the core building blocks of online education
Authors: Polat Mustafa
Published: February 2024

Contemporary educational research has increasingly highlighted the
necessity and significance of online education and its effects on student engagement
and academic success. However, it’s noteworthy that there is still a gap in the
growing literature regarding the student-related factors that influence individuals’
engagement and achievement in online education. This study sought to investigate the
effects of students’ online learning readiness in online learning engagement with
the mediating role of academic resilience in this relationship. A cross-sectional
survey design was employed based on the data from a total of 3550 undergraduates
studying at state universities in six provinces across the eastern, central, and
western regions of Türkiye. Structural equation modeling was conducted to estimate
the complex relationships proposed in the model through AMOS 26. The findings
demonstrated that students’ online learning readiness has a moderate but
statistically significant direct effect on engagement in online learning, as well as
had a significant and moderate effect on academic resilience. Furthermore, the
results indicated that academic resilience plays a crucial role as a significant
mediator in the relationship between students’ online learning readiness and online
learning engagement. The current study also confirmed the conceptual model built on
the variables that have notable impacts on students’ academic achievement. This
research, one of the first in its field, furnishes empirical evidence on a
conceptualized set of relationships and offers insights for policy makers,
curriculum developers and practitioners to consider the significant student-related
factors in terms of design, development, and delivery of online courses.
Facilitating learning and interaction in K-12 remote teaching contexts
Authors: Skog Simon , Pettersson Fanny , From Jörgen
Published: February 2024

The use of a facilitator is a growing phenomenon in K-12 remote teaching contexts. The aim of this study is to analyse aspects of facilitating students’ learning and interaction, with a special focus on the role of the facilitator. Frame factor theory was used as an analytical framework, including different educational conditions. The following research questions were posed: (1) How do different frame factors condition remote teaching? (2) How do these frame factors influence the role of the facilitator in remote teaching? Data were generated from observations (12 h) and interviews with remote teachers and facilitators (N = 18). Results show that frame factors seem to create two types of classroom context that condition the role, task, and responsibility of the facilitator. In the larger classroom context, the facilitator was a threefold resource - practical, pedagogical, and social in an ongoing collaboration with the teacher, whereas in the small classroom context, the facilitator mainly was a practical resource when needed.
A Longitudinal Study of Children’s Digital Play Addiction Tendencies and Parental Guidance Strategies
Authors: Işıkoğlu Nesrin , Budak Kadriye Selin , Guzen Müzeyyen
Published: February 2024

The current study aims to identify changing trends in digital play addiction tendencies among young children and parental guidance strategies before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the bioecological model of development, it was hypothesized that the pandemic would have a significant impact on the addiction to digital play among young children. The participants of this longitudinal trend study were 1552 parents with children from 4 to 6 years of age who attended public preschools or kindergartens in Denizli, Turkey—data was collected through the Digital Play Addiction Tendency and Digital Play Parental Mediation Scale. The results revealed that children’s digital play addiction increased during the pandemic and declined post-pandemic. Moreover, both significant changes and stability were observed in parental digital play guidance strategies. Specifically, parental control over their children’s digital activities has decreased over time. Results are discussed in relation to the literature, with implications explored for future research and parents.
Residential exposure to mold, dampness, and indoor air pollution and risk of respiratory tract infections: a study among children ages 11 and 12 in the Danish National Birth Cohort
Authors: Groot Jonathan , Keller Amélie , Sigsgaard Torben , Loft Steffen , Nybo Andersen Anne-Marie
Published: February 2024

Background

The burden of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) is high in childhood. Several residential exposures may affect relative rates.

Objectives

To determine risk of RTIs in children ages 11 and 12 by residential exposures.

Methods

We included children in the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) at ages 11 and 12. We estimated incidence risk ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for counts of RTIs within the last year by exposure to mold/dampness, gas stove usage, summer and winter candle-burning, fireplace usage, cats and dogs indoors, and farmhouse living. We also estimated IRR and 95% CI for RTIs for predicted scores of four extracted factors (‘owned house’, ‘mold and dampness’, ‘candles’, and ‘density’) from exploratory factor analyses (EFA).

Results

We included 42 720 children with complete data. Mold/dampness was associated with all RTIs (common cold: IRRadj 1.09[1.07, 1.12]; influenza: IRRadj 1.10 [1.05, 1.15]; tonsillitis: IRRadj 1.19 [1.10, 1.28]; conjunctivitis: IRRadj 1.16 [1.02, 1.32]; and doctor-diagnosed pneumonia: IRRadj 1.05 [0.90, 1.21]), as was the EFA factor ‘mold/dampness’ for several outcomes. Gas stove usage was associated with conjunctivitis (IRRadj 1.25 [1.05, 1.49]) and with doctor-diagnosed pneumonia (IRRadj 1.14 [0.93, 1.39]). Candle-burning during summer, but not winter, was associated with several RTIs, for tonsillitis in a dose-dependent fashion (increasing weekly frequencies vs. none: [IRRadj 1.06 [0.98, 1.14], IRRadj 1.16 [1.04, 1.30], IRRadj 1.23 [1.06, 1.43], IRRadj 1.29 [1.00, 1.67], and IRRadj 1.41 [1.12, 1.78]).

Conclusion

Residential exposures, in particular to mold and dampness and to a lesser degree to indoor combustion sources, are related to the occurrence of RTIs in children.
CMB, Hawking, Planck, and Hubble Scale Relations Consistent with Recent Quantization of General Relativity Theory
Authors: Haug Espen Gaarder
Published: February 2024

We are demonstrating new relationships among the Hawking temperature, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature, and the Planck scale. When understood deeply, these are in line with recent advancements in cosmological quantization and its connection to the Planck scale. This is also completely consistent with a recently published method for quantizing Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
A note on “Largest independent sets of certain regular subgraphs of the derangement graph”
Authors: Filmus Yuval , Lindzey Nathan
Published: February 2024

Let $$D_{n,k}$$

D

n
,
k

be the set of all permutations of the symmetric group $$S_n$$

S
n

that have no cycles of length i for all $$1 \le i \le k$$

1
≤
i
≤
k

. In the paper mentioned above, Ku, Lau, and Wong prove that the set of all the largest independent sets of the Cayley graph $$\text {Cay}(S_n,D_{n,k})$$

Cay
(

S
n

,

D

n
,
k

)

is equal to the set of all the largest independent sets in the derangement graph $$\text {Cay}(S_n,D_{n,1})$$

Cay
(

S
n

,

D

n
,
1

)

, provided n is sufficiently large in terms of k. We give a simpler proof that holds for all n, k and also applies to the alternating group.
Examining the Process and Impact of Social Problem Solving in Autistic Children
Authors: McNair Morgan L. , Mondejar Victoria , Libsack Erin J. , Mordekai Nicole H. , McKown Clark , Russo-Ponsaran Nicole M. , Lerner Matthew D.
Published: February 2024

Social problem solving (SPS) represents a social cognitive reasoning process that gives way to behavior when individuals are navigating challenging social situations. Autistic individuals have been shown to struggle with specific aspects of SPS, which, in turn, has been related to social difficulties in children. However, no previous work has measured how SPS components not only relate to one another but also discretely and conjointly predict autism-related symptoms and social difficulties in autistic children, specifically. Fifty-eight autistic children (44 male; 6–10 years old, M

age
=8.67, SD

age
=1.31) completed a self-administered, computerized assessment of SPS. To elucidate how SPS components discretely, and combined, contribute to autism-related symptoms and social difficulties, commonality analyses were conducted for each measure assessing autism-related symptoms and social difficulties. Socially normative problem identification, goal preference, and solution preference were related to fewer parent-reported autism-related social difficulties. Measures related to autism symptomatology, social perspective taking, and emotion recognition were not significantly associated with discrete SPS components in this sample. The problem identification aspect of SPS contributed the most unique variance to parent-reported autism-related social difficulties, while shared variance across all SPS components accounted for substantial variance in both parent-reported autism-related social difficulties models. Results suggest that SPS components are interrelated, but distinct, constructs in the autistic population. These findings not only further clarify the impact of SPS components on autism-related symptoms and social difficulties, but also have implications for refining SPS-focused interventions in the autistic population.
Schizophrenia in Autistic People with Intellectual Disabilities. Treatment and Interventions
Authors: Bakken Trine Lise , Askeland Hellerud Jane Margrete , Kildahl Arvid Nikolai , Solheim-Inderberg Ann Magritt , Hove Oddbjørn , Berge Helverschou Sissel
Published: February 2024

Autistic people with intellectual disabilities appear to be at increased risk of schizophrenia. While current recommendations emphasize adapting interventions used for people with schizophrenia in general, few studies to date have investigated treatment of co-occurring schizophrenia in this specific population. To explore what interventions are provided to autistic people with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring schizophrenia in specialized mental health services, and to investigate whether changes in mental health symptoms and challenging behavior occurred during treatment. Using data from a longitudinal, national multicenter study, interventions provided to 26 autistic individuals with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring schizophrenia were explored. Symptoms were measured using the Psychopathology in Autism Checklist (PAC) and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist ABC) at referral (T1), at the end of treatment (T2), and at follow-up 12 months after T2 (T3). A broad range of interventions were provided to the participants, including inpatient admission, psychopharmacological treatment, various psychosocial interventions, and supportive interventions. Scores on the PAC and ABC were significantly lower at T2 than T1 for most scales, and no significant change was found from T2 to T3.Treatment of co-occurring schizophrenia appears feasible and effective in autistic people with intellectual disabilities.
Joke economics: the low profile of comedy in the economics of arts and culture
Authors: Collins Alan
Published: February 2024

Despite being a globally significant form of art and culture, the performance of comedy has seemingly maintained a very low profile in cultural economics. The case for greater research scrutiny of this art form is advanced alongside some possible reasons for the relatively low academic attention devoted to comedy. The scope for considering comedy in economic terms is also considered, and a range of research questions are raised to stimulate debate and further enquiry on the topic.
Synthesis and characterization of PANI-CZF nanocomposites for enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding
Authors: Harisha G. , Rangaswamy D. R. , Thejas R. , Devaraja C. , Revanasiddappa M. , Murugendrappa M. V. , Rajashekara K. M.
Published: February 2024

The Zn0.5Cu0.5Fe2O4 nano ferrites were prepared by the solution combustion method using aloe vera gel. The polyaniline-Zn0.5Cu0.5Fe2O4 nano ferrite composites were prepared by Ex-situ polymerization method with different weight percentage ratio. The prepared samples were examined by X-Ray diffraction, SEM, EDAX, BET, TEM, VSM and Impedance analyser to investigate their structural, morphological, elemental analysis, average pore size and the porosity, magnetic, and dielectric properties, respectively. The cubic spinel structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns. Addition of PANI to zinc-copper nano ferrite exhibits shift in crystalline peaks towards larger angle. The existence of spherical and clumped particles was revealed by SEM examination. The retentivity and coercivity are determined and the magnetic moment values were decreases with increase in PANI to the ferrite nanocomposites. The ac conductivity constant at lower frequency and there is a sudden increase and decrease in its value as a function of frequency shows resonance behaviour. The CZF-1 (CZF 30%) composite shows highest ac conductivity and dielectric constant. The electromagnetic shielding interference studies were conducted for S-band frequency. The CZF-1 (CZF 30%) nano composite shows highest shielding effectiveness as compared to other composite in the frequency range 2 to 3 GHz. The experimental result showed that these materials are used for applications in electromagnetic interference shielding.
Thymic Atrophy and Immune Dysregulation in Infants with Complex Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Bremer Sarah-Jolan , Boxnick Annika , Glau Laura , Biermann Daniel , Joosse Simon A. , Thiele Friederike , Billeb Elena , May Jonathan , Kolster Manuela , Hackbusch Romy , Fortmann Mats Ingmar , Kozlik-Feldmann Rainer , Hübler Michael , Tolosa Eva , Sachweh Jörg Siegmar , Gieras Anna
Published: February 2024

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, and up to 50% of infants with CHD require cardiovascular surgery early in life. Current clinical practice often involves thymus resection during cardiac surgery, detrimentally affecting T-cell immunity. However, epidemiological data indicate that CHD patients face an elevated risk for infections and immune-mediated diseases, independent of thymectomy. Hence, we examined whether the cardiac defect impacts thymus function in individuals with CHD. We investigated thymocyte development in 58 infants categorized by CHD complexity. To assess the relationship between CHD complexity and thymic function, we analyzed T-cell development, thymic output, and biomarkers linked to cardiac defects, stress, or inflammation. Patients with highly complex CHD exhibit thymic atrophy, resulting in low frequencies of recent thymic emigrants in peripheral blood, even prior to thymectomy. Elevated plasma cortisol levels were detected in all CHD patients, while high NT-proBNP and IL-6 levels were associated with thymic atrophy. Our findings reveal an association between complex CHD and thymic atrophy, resulting in reduced thymic output. Consequently, thymus preservation during cardiovascular surgery could significantly enhance immune function and the long-term health of CHD patients.
The Short Version of the Italian Maastricht Vital Exhaustion Questionnaire (MVEQ): Psychometric Properties and Relationships with Anxiety, Depression, and Stress in a Community Sample of Older Adults
Authors: Spinoni Marta , Zagaria Andrea , Violani Cristiano , Grano Caterina
Published: February 2024

Vital Exhaustion (VE) refers to a physical and mental state of excessive fatigue, feelings of demoralization, hopelessness, and increased irritability. The short form of the Maastricht Vital Exhaustion Questionnaire (MVEQ) is a widely used measure to assess VE. Despite its utility is broadly recognized, the validity and reliability of the scale have yet to be examined in the Italian context. The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the shortened MVEQ in a community sample of Italian older adults. A total of 722 older adults (Mage = 72.97, SD = 7.71; 60.4% females) completed the MVEQ, as well as other self-report questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression and stress in order to evaluate the criterion-related validity of the scale. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine the original MVEQ latent structure. Internal consistency was assessed through model-based omega coefficient. Test-retest reliability was examined by re-administering the MVEQ after three months to a subsample of 568 participants. Factorial invariance tests across gender were conducted by means of multi-group CFAs. The one-factor model showed an acceptable fit to the data. The MVEQ yielded a reliable total score (ω = 0.822) and showed moderate-to-large correlations with measures of anxiety, depression, and stress (r range 0.30 to 0.75, ps < 0.001). Test-retest reliability was supported by an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of 0.661. Lastly, the scale was factorially invariant across gender. Overall, the MVEQ provided evidence of reliability and criterion-related validity in a sample of Italian older adults and may be useful for both clinical and research practices.
Extending the boundaries of academic entrepreneurship: demonstrating the instrumentality of new logics for addressing social inclusion
Authors: Tunalioglu Melike N. , Karatas-Ozkan Mine , Costanzo Laura A. , Baruch Yehuda
Published: February 2024

Academic entrepreneurship (AE) has gained widespread acclaim globally for bridging the gap between academia and industry, as well as addressing the issue of socio-economic inclusion and the impact of research. In this paper, we both relate to, and extend scholarly work in the domains of AE and social inclusion by investigating the process of AE from an interplay of institutional logics perspective, with an emphasis on the diversity strands to which academic entrepreneurs belong. Drawing on extensive fieldwork of 55 academic researchers affiliated with 6 UK universities, our findings highlight the co-existence of profession, science logic and market logic, combined with the new logics that we introduce—diversity and impact logics—in capturing value through AE for addressing social inclusion. We make an empirical and theoretical contribution by demonstrating the instrumentality of these logics as enablers and constraints on the process of AE. We also advance the theory on logics and AE by demonstrating how the intersection of logics creates different kinds of salient points and pressures for academics and university policy makers. Closely linked to this, we make policy contributions by putting forward policy insights that are bottom-up and tailored based on a thorough understanding of the experiences and views of academic entrepreneurs.
Understanding habitat isolation in the context of construction land expansion using an ecological network approach
Authors: Ding Guanqiao , Guo Jie , Ou Minghao , Prishchepov Alexander V.
Published: February 2024

Context

The impact of construction land expansion on regional landscape sustainability received significant attention, but the habitat isolation caused by such expansion across the urban-rural continuum calls for a closer examination.

Objective

This study aims to use the ecological network approach to assess the isolation effect imposed by urban areas and rural settlements on habitat patches in the Nanjing Metropolitan Area during 2000, 2010, and 2020.

Methods

We first extracted the habitat patches by applying morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), then identified the ecological networks based on the comprehensive resistance surface and circuit theory. Finally, we constructed two indices, the isolation effect index (IEI) and isolation degree (ID), and evaluated the differential contributions of urban areas and rural settlements to habitat isolation.

Results

Our results showed a total of 129 habitat patches within our study area. These patches were linked by 188, 186, and 183 ecological corridors in the years 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively. Further analysis revealed that habitat patches were strongly isolated by the expansion of construction land and increasing human activities. Remarkably, both urban areas and rural settlements played pivotal roles in exacerbating this isolation, with urban areas showing a striking surge in their isolation impact, while rural settlements continued to be the predominant driver of habitat isolation.

Conclusions

Sustainable landscape planning should consider how land uses may cause habitat isolation. Our study utilizes the ecological network approach to evaluate habitat isolation and introduces applicable indicators for estimating the isolation effects attributed to construction land expansion. Our findings hold significant implications for informing landscape planning and shaping ecological conservation policies.
MYC-dependent MiR-7-5p regulated apoptosis and autophagy in diffuse large B cell lymphoma by targeting AMBRA1
Authors: Zhang Cuifen , Wang Ke , Tao Jiahao , Zheng Chuangjie , Zhai Linzhu
Published: February 2024

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the leading cause of mortality from invasive hematological malignancies worldwide. MicroRNA-7-5p (miR-7-5p) has been shown to be a tumor suppressor in several types of tumors. However, its role in DLBCL is not fully understood. This study explored the role of miR-7-5p in the progression of DLBCL and pursued the underlying mechanism. Quantitative real-time PCR and transfection of miRNA mimic and inhibitors were used to assess the effects of miR-7-5p on autophagy and apoptosis in SU-DHL-4 and SU-DHL-10 cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to identify target genes of miR-7-5p. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and western blotting (WB) were performed to explore the underlying mechanism and downstream pathways of miR-7-5p and AMBRA1 in DLBCL cells. MiR-7-5p was upregulated in DLBCL cells. Luciferase reporter assays implicated AMBRA1 as a downstream target of miR-7-5p in DLBCL. WB and flow cytometry showed that an increase in miR-7-5p level and a decrease in AMBRA1 expression led to a decrease in autophagy and apoptosis-related protein expression. Furthermore, miR-7-5p prevented c-MYC dephosphorylation through AMBRA1 downregulation. On the contrary, c-MYC increased the expression of miR-7-5p, thereby establishing positive feedback on miR-7-5p transcription. The addition of hydroxychloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, reduced autophagy and increased apoptosis in DLBCL cells. In vivo experiments further proved that the increase of miR-7-5p played a regulatory role in the expression of downstream AMBRA1 and c-MYC. These results demonstrate that c-MYC-dependent MiR-7-5p suppressed autophagy and apoptosis by targeting AMBRA1 in DLBCL cells. MiR-7-5p also suppressed autophagy and apoptosis by targeting AMBRA1 in DLBCL cells. Therefore, these data suggest that targeting miR-7-5p may be a promising strategy in DLBCL therapy.
Bacterial over-production of the functionally active human SLC38A2 (SNAT2) exploiting the mistic tag: a cheap and fast tool for testing ligands
Authors: Galluccio Michele , Tripicchio Martina , Console Lara , Indiveri Cesare
Published: February 2024

Background

SLC38A2 is a ubiquitously expressed Na+-dependent transporter specific for small and medium neutral amino acids. It is involved in human pathologies, such as type II diabetes and cancer. Despite its relevance in human physio-pathology, structure/function relationship studies and identification of ligands with regulatory roles are still in infancy.

Methods and Results

The cDNA coding for SLC38A2 was cloned in the pET-28-Mistic vector, and the BL21 codon plus RIL strain was transformed with the recombinant construct. 0.5% glucose and oxygen availability were crucial for protein expression. The over-expressed hSNAT2-Mistic chimera was cleaved on column and purified by nickel-chelating affinity chromatography, with a yield of about 60 mg/Liter cell culture. The purified hSNAT2 was reconstituted in proteoliposomes in an active form with a right-side-out orientation with respect to the native membrane.

Conclusions

The addition of a Mistic tag at the N-terminus of the SNAT2 protein was crucial for its over-expression and purification. The purified protein was functionally active, representing a powerful tool for performing structure/function studies and testing ligands as inhibitors and/or activators.
Adaptive Evolutionary Reinforcement Learning with Policy Direction
Authors: Dong Caibo , Li Dazi
Published: February 2024

Evolutionary Reinforcement Learning (ERL) has garnered widespread attention in recent years due to its inherent robustness and parallelism. However, the integration of Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) and Reinforcement Learning (RL) remains relatively rudimentary and lacks dynamism, which can impact the convergence performance of ERL algorithms. In this study, a dynamic adaptive module is introduced to balance the Evolution Strategies (ES) and RL training within ERL. By incorporating elite strategies, this module leverages advantageous individuals to elevate the overall population's performance. Additionally, RL strategy updates often lack guidance from the population. To address this, we incorporate the strategies of the best individuals from the population, providing valuable policy direction. This is achieved through the formulation of a loss function that employs either L1 or L2 regularization to facilitate RL training. The proposed framework is referred to as Adaptive Evolutionary Reinforcement Learning (AERL). The effectiveness of our framework is evaluated by adopting Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) as the RL algorithm and comparing it with other algorithms in the MuJoCo environment. The results underscore the outstanding convergence performance of our proposed Adaptive Evolutionary Soft Actor-Critic (AESAC) algorithm. Furthermore, ablation experiments are conducted to emphasize the necessity of these two improvements. It is worth noting that the enhancements in AESAC are realized at the population level, enabling broader exploration and effectively reducing the risk of falling into local optima.
Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM): A Systematic Review
Authors: Talbot Jessica , Convertino Gianmarco , De Marco Matteo , Venneri Annalena , Mazzoni Giuliana
Published: February 2024

Individuals possessing a Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) demonstrate an exceptional ability to recall their own past, excelling most when dates from their lifetime are used as retrieval cues. Fully understanding how neurocognitive mechanisms support exceptional memory could lead to benefits in areas of healthcare in which memory plays a central role and in legal fields reliant on witnesses’ memories. Predominantly due to the rareness of the phenomenon, existing HSAM literature is highly heterogenous in its methodologies used. Therefore, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we performed the first systematic review on this topic, to collate the existing behavioural, neuroanatomical, and functional HSAM data. Results from the 20 experimental selected studies revealed that HSAM is categorised by rapidly retrieved, detailed and accurate autobiographical memories, and appears to avoid the normal aging process. Functional neuroimaging studies showed HSAM retrieval seems characterised by an intense overactivation of the usual autobiographical memory network, including posterior visual areas (e.g., the precuneus). Structural neuroanatomical differences do not appear to characterise HSAM, but altered hippocampal resting-state connectivity was commonly observed. We discuss theories of HSAM in relation to autobiographical encoding, consolidation, and retrieval, and suggest future directions for this research.
Real-time flood forecasting using an integrated hydrologic and hydraulic model for the Vamsadhara and Nagavali basins, Eastern India
Authors: Venkata Rao G. , Nagireddy Nageswara Reddy , Keesara Venkata Reddy , Sridhar Venkataramana , Srinivasan Raghavan , Umamahesh N. V. , Pratap Deva
Published: February 2024

Due to recent rainfall extremes and tropical cyclones that form over the Bay of Bengal during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons, the Nagavali and Vamsadhara basins in India experience frequent floods, causing significant loss of human life and damage to agricultural lands and infrastructure. This study provides an integrated hydrologic and hydraulic modeling system that is based on the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model and the 2-Dimensional Hydrological Engineering Centre-River Analysis System, which simulates floods using Global Forecasting System rainfall forecasts with a 48-h lead time. The integrated model was used to simulate the streamflow, flood area extent, and depth for the historical flood events (i.e., 1991–2018) with peak discharges of 1200 m3/s in the Nagavali basin and 1360 m3/s in the Vamsadhara basin. The integrated model predicted flood inundation depths that were in good agreement with observed inundation depths provided by the Central Water Commission. The inundation maps generated by the integrated modeling system with a 48-h lead time for tropical cyclone Titli demonstrated an accuracy of more than 75%. The insights gained from this study will help the public and government agencies make better decisions and deal with floods.
Environmental effects following a seismic sequence: the 2019 Cotabato—Davao del Sur (Philippines) earthquakes
Authors: Ferrario M. F. , Perez J. S. , Dizon M. , Livio F. , Rimando J. , Michetti A. M.
Published: February 2024

In the period of October–December 2019, the Cotabato–Davao del Sur region (Philippines) was hit by a seismic sequence comprising four earthquakes with magnitude MW > 6.0 (EQ1-4; max magnitude MW 6.8). The earthquakes triggered widespread environmental effects, including landslides and liquefaction features. We documented such effects by means of field surveys, which we supplemented with landslide mapping from satellite images. Field surveys allowed us to gather information on 43 points after EQ1, 202 points after EQs2–3 and 87 points after EQ4. Additionally, we built a multi-temporal inventory of landslides from remote sensing, comprising 190 slope movements triggered by EQ1, 4737 after EQs2–3, and 5666 at the end of the sequence. We assigned an intensity value to each environmental effect using the environmental seismic intensity (ESI-07) scale. Our preferred estimates of ESI-07 epicentral intensity are VIII for the first earthquake and IX at the end of the sequence, which is in broad agreement with other events of similar magnitude globally. This study, which is the first case of the application of the ESI-07 scale to a seismic sequence in the Philippines, shows that repeated documentation of environmental damage and the evaluation of the progression through time may be useful for providing input data for derivative products, such as susceptibility assessment, evaluation of residual risk or investigation of the role played by ground shaking and by other mechanisms able to trigger environmental effects.
COVID-19 vaccine and risk-taking
Authors: Smart Shanike J. , Polachek Solomon W.
Published: February 2024

We assess whether the COVID-19 vaccine induces COVID-19 risky behavior (e.g., going to bars and restaurants) and thus reduces vaccine efficacy. A key empirical challenge is the endogeneity bias when comparing risk-taking by vaccination status since people choose whether to get vaccinated. To address this bias, we exploit rich survey panel data on individuals followed before and after vaccine availability over fourteen months in an event study fixed effects model with individual, time, sector, and county-by-time fixed effects and inverse propensity weights. We find evidence that vaccinated persons, regardless of the timing of vaccination, increase their risk-taking activities. The evidence is consistent with the “lulling effect”. While vaccine availability may reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19, it also contributes to further spread of the virus by incentivizing risk-taking in the short term.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) markets for startups: search frictions, intermediation, and the efficiency of the ICO market
Authors: Momtaz Paul P.
Published: February 2024

This paper examines the efficiency of the Initial Coin Offering (ICO) market through a search-theoretical lens. Search intensity associated with the process of identifying valuable startups is increasing in market granularity. DLT increases market granularity because asset tokenization lowers entry barriers. Lower-end entrants, however, increase aggregate search intensity but may lack search skills. The resulting search-related inefficiency creates a niche for intermediaries or institutional investors that specialize on search. Consistent with the theory, specialized crypto funds increase ICO market efficiency by reducing search frictions, inter alia, by shortening the time-to-funding and increasing the funding amount. At the same time, crypto funds extract sizable economic rents for their intermediation services. Overall, the study relates to the general trade-off between centralization and decentralization in entrepreneurial finance. It suggests that market frictions specific to early-stage crowdfunding of entrepreneurship may prevent “perfectly” Decentralized Finance (DeFi) markets from functioning efficiently.
Maximum likelihood estimation of log-concave densities on tree space
Authors: Takazawa Yuki , Sei Tomonari
Published: February 2024

Phylogenetic trees are key data objects in biology, and the method of phylogenetic reconstruction has been highly developed. The space of phylogenetic trees is a nonpositively curved metric space. Recently, statistical methods to analyze samples of trees on this space are being developed utilizing this property. Meanwhile, in Euclidean space, the log-concave maximum likelihood method has emerged as a new nonparametric method for probability density estimation. In this paper, we derive a sufficient condition for the existence and uniqueness of the log-concave maximum likelihood estimator on tree space. We also propose an estimation algorithm for one and two dimensions. Since various factors affect the inferred trees, it is difficult to specify the distribution of a sample of trees. The class of log-concave densities is nonparametric, and yet the estimation can be conducted by the maximum likelihood method without selecting hyperparameters. We compare the estimation performance with a previously developed kernel density estimator numerically. In our examples where the true density is log-concave, we demonstrate that our estimator has a smaller integrated squared error when the sample size is large. We also conduct numerical experiments of clustering using the Expectation-Maximization algorithm and compare the results with k-means++ clustering using Fréchet mean.
Thermochemistry of monocharged anion substitutions in ionic solids
Authors: Glasser Leslie
Published: February 2024

Modification of materials to achieve specific changes in their physical and chemical properties often involves the substitution of ions. While this process is commonly discussed in structural terms, our recent publication focussed on exploring the thermochemical consequences, including enthalpy, entropy, heat capacity, and formula unit volume, associated with substituting monocharged cations for sodium ions as a reference set. In the current study, we extend our analysis to investigate the consequences of substituting monocharged anions, specifically the halides F−, Br−, and I−, as well as H−, OH−, and NO3−, for chloride anions. This exploration is conducted through least-squares regression analysis of data obtained from 431 chloride ion-exchanged materials. In the case of cation substitutions, the regression trendlines for different substitutions appear to be roughly parallel to each other but vertically displaced. For anion substitutions, however, the trendlines for enthalpy and formula unit volume exhibit a fan-like spread from their data origin. We delve into the reasons behind this observed difference. A detailed analysis of a few outliers is undertaken to identify potential reasons for the discrepancies. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the implications and variations in ion substitutions, shedding light on the intricacies of material modification processes.
Parallel programming in mobile devices with FancyJCL
Authors: Afonso Sergio , Gómez-Cárdenes Óscar , Expósito Paula , Blanco Vicente , Almeida Francisco
Published: February 2024

Mobile devices and handheld systems, such as the smartphones and tablets universally extended, are becoming increasingly powerful. Their basic hardware configuration is usually state-of-the-art heterogeneous architectures consisting of multi-core processors and some kind of accelerator such as GPUs or DSPs. Specific code adapted to the architecture is mandatory if high-performance computation is required and low-level libraries and parallelism are needed, which constitutes an important barrier for the usual developer in such devices. In this context, we propose the FancyJCL framework. It provides a high-level abstraction layer that hides implementation details and allows to develop parallel programs for mobile devices. The target platform for FancyJCL is mainly Android and Java developers due to their high market penetration. A very simple, seemingly sequential encoding results in parallel efficient OpenCL code. FancyJCL is itself based on the Fancier framework, which enables optimal memory management across memory spaces on unified memory systems. Benchmarks of FancyJCL code developed for a wide range of image processing algorithms show good performance with low development effort.