bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of carotenoid supplementation on colour, growth and physiological function of the endemic dwarf chameleon fish (Badis badis)
Authors: Biswas Pradyut , Singh Soibam Khogen , Debbarma Reshmi , Dey Abhipsha , Waikhom Gusheinzed , Deb Suparna , Patel Arun Bhai
Published: August 2023

The global ornamental fish trade is expanding in response to increased demand for indigenous fish on the global market, while exogenous carotenoids can improve colouration. The 60‐day trial investigated the effect of carotenoid supplementation, via Artemia, on colouration, growth and immunophysiology of Badis badis (dwarf chameleon fish). Carotenoid was enriched at 40 ppm (T1), 80 ppm (T2) and 120 ppm (T3) and compared with controls, C1 (unenriched) and C2 (oil‐enriched). Fish larvae (average weight 0.12 g) were fed enriched–unenriched Artemia in triplicates (5 × 3) in aquarium tanks (15 L). C1 and T2 had better skin colour (lightness and whiteness) in the posterolateral and caudal fins respectively. The value of redness (a*) in the anterolateral region was higher in T2 and T3 (p < 0.05). The anterolateral red index was higher (p < 0.05) in T2 and T3, whereas in the posterolateral and caudal fins, T1 and T2 were higher (p < 0.05). Compared to C1 and C2, the hue angle in carotenoid groups was found to be low (p < 0.05). No significant change in the growth performance was noticed (p > 0.05). Immune scores such as lysozyme and alkaline protease were highest in T3 (p < 0.05), whereas protease activity was highest in T2 (80 ppm). Stress biomarkers, viz., superoxide dismutase, catalase and malondialdehyde were low in groups fed enriched Artemia (p < 0.05). The integrated biomarker response means and star plot area were lower in the enriched groups (T1–T3), while T2 was the lowest. Overall findings reveal that dietary carotenoid improves the colouration and immune status, but fail to promote growth. Furthermore, 80 ppm enrichment dose improves the overall performance. The findings can help fish keepers improve fish colour and health status through carotenoid supplementation.
From individual to general experience
Authors: Berninger Anja
Published: August 2023

There has been some debate recently about whether we can come to know what an experience is like that we have not been through ourselves. Mostly, this debate focuses on general phenomenal knowledge. It is asked, for instance, whether we can come to know what it is like to be a refugee generally speaking (as opposed to being some specific refugee). In this paper, I want to add to this debate by trying to come to know how and to what extent someone who has been through the experience in question acquires this sort of general knowledge. I suggest that this form of general phenomenal knowledge is only acquired if the experience one has undergone is typical for the group in question.
Economic transition, dualism and informality inIndia: Nature and patterns of household‐level transitions
Authors: Kesar Surbhi
Published: August 2023

We examine the Indian economy during a peak period of high growth between 2005 and 2012 to analyse the nature and patterns of household‐level transitions across different sectors, characterised by varying degrees of formality/informality and various production structures and labour processes. We find that even within this brief period, there has been a huge volume of household‐level transitions across sectors. However, the overall economic structure, and its segmentations, has continued to be reproduced, along with a regeneration of ‘traditional’ non‐capitalist informal spaces. To ascertain the nature of household‐level transitions in terms of economic well‐being, we employ a counterfactual analysis. We find that majority of transitions in the economy have been ‘unfavourable’ in nature, with large proportion of households undergoing sectoral transitions that are not optimal for them, given their socio‐economic characteristics. Furthermore, the likelihood of ‘favourable’ versus ‘unfavourable’ sectoral transition, on average, significantly varies with household characteristics, some of which, like social caste, are structurally given and cannot be optimally chosen by households. Drawing upon this analysis, we reflect on the competing strands of literature that seek to explain the persistence of informality. Our analysis highlights the complexity of India's contemporary development trajectory, whereby the pre‐existing economic structure is reproduced, paradoxically, through a continuous reshuffling and reconstitution of economic spaces, accompanied by significant volume of ‘unfavourable’ household‐level sectoral transitions.
Functional groups and mineralization kinetics of soil organic matter under contrasting hydro‐thermal regimes under conservation agriculture‐based rice–wheat system in eastern Indo‐Gangetic Plains
Authors: Dey A. , Dwivedi B. S. , Bhattacharyya R. , Datta S. P. , Meena M. C. , Jat R. K. , Jat M. L. , Sarkar D. J. , Kumar R.
Published: August 2023

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is important to counteract anthropogenic climate change at the global level. Studying the effect of conservation agriculture (CA) on SOC dynamics in the presence of two distinctively different hydro‐thermal regimes across the year in rice–wheat (RW) systems in eastern Indo‐Gangetic Plains (E‐IGP) is of topical interest. The stabilization mechanism of soil organic matter (SOM), and its effect on C mineralization kinetics in these conditions is not well understood. We collected soil samples from six combinations of CA and conventional farming in an ongoing experiment at CIMMYT‐Borlaug Institute for South Asia, Bihar, India. CA enhanced SOC, specifically labile C, while decreasing mineral N, as a result of encapsulation/assimilation in aggregates/microbial biomass. Humic acids registered characteristic Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) peaks at 3200–3600 cm−1, 2920–2930 cm−1, 1645–1655 cm−1 and 1220–1240 cm−1, and displayed lesser degree of humification, aromaticity and redox status under CA. SOC and N mineralization were studied in two different hydro‐thermal regimes pertaining to rice (submergence, 35°C; SM35) and wheat (field capacity, 25°C; FC25) growing periods of E‐IGP. SM35 displayed temperature‐mediated higher decay of SOC. Decay constants of C mineralization were lesser under CA compared with CT. CA promoted higher SOM stability, evidenced by lower decay rates of SOC and N, attributed to (1) better protection of SOM in well‐aggregated soil structure and (2) an excess supply of fresh crop residues ensuring higher rate of SOM formation than its decay. Practising CA in E‐IGP is imperative towards C‐neutral agriculture, especially in the impending global warming scenario.
The novel HLA‐A*02:672Q allele, identified by Sanger dideoxy nucleotide sequencing in a Taiwanese individual
Authors: Chang Chia‐Ling , Lin Chun‐Ying
Published: August 2023

HLA‐A*02:672Q differs from HLA‐A*02:06:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution at position 563 (G → A) in exon 3.
The new HLA‐DQA1*03:50Q allele discovered by next‐generation sequencing in a Korean family
Authors: Choi Sooin , Bang Hae In , Chae Soobin , Young Im Hwa , Kim Jung‐Ah
Published: August 2023

DQA1*03:50Q differs from DQA1*03:02:01:01 by a three‐nucleotide insertion at gDNA position 3968 in exon 2.
Measurement of uncertainty tolerance revisited
Authors: Poço Paula Cristina Eiras , Collares Carlos Fernando , Haydar Ahmed , de Oliveira Victor Braga , de Arruda Martins Milton , Tempski Patricia Zen
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Uncertainty tolerance (UT) is attracting increasing attention in medical education due to the numerous challenges associated with uncertainty in professional life. Inconsistencies in analysing the relationship between UT and moderators may arise from inadequate measurement methods. Most instruments were formulated before the most widely accepted framework was published. Our aim was to investigate the validity of an UT scale using an actual framework to corroborate with better and accurate instruments.

Methods

A total of 1052 students were invited. Various psychometric methods were used to explore validity of the TAMSAD scale in light of actual framework. Classic exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed. Secondly, content item classification was triangulated with exploratory graph analysis (EGA), and the new EFA, CFA, and cognitive diagnostic modelling (CDM) analysis were conducted. The reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega.

Results

A total of 694 students (65.9%) responded to the questionnaire. The reliability of the TAMSAD scale was 0.782. The initial EFA revealed no clear interpretable dimensions. The TAMSAD scale items can be classified into sources of uncertainty. The EGA has three dimensions, and the new EFA led to a 17‐item TAMSAD scale with the following three dimensions: ambiguity, complexity, and probability. These dimensions lead to better adjustment fit indices in the new CFA and CDM analyses.

Conclusion

We found evidence that the TAMSAD scale can be considered a multidimensional scale, organised in terms of sources of uncertainty.
Hecke category actions via Smith–Treumann theory
Authors: Ciappara J.
Published: August 2023

Let $\textbf {G}$ be a simply connected semisimple algebraic group over a field of characteristic greater than the Coxeter number. We construct a monoidal action of the diagrammatic Hecke category on the principal block $\operatorname {Rep}_0(\textbf {G})$ of $\operatorname {Rep}(\textbf {G})$ by wall-crossing functors. This action was conjectured to exist by Riche and Williamson. Our method uses constructible sheaves and relies on Smith–Treumann theory.
First Nations populations’ perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and myths about prevention and bereavement in stillbirth: a mixed methods systematic review protocol
Authors: Pollock Danielle , Bailey Helen D. , Munn Zachary , Hasanoff Sabira , Valenzuela Chelsea , Stern Cindy , Price Carrie , Marriott Rhonda , Gliddon Janinne , Lewis Carolyn , Michie Carol , Bowie Muriel , Penny Millie , Reibel Tracy , Warland Jane , Farrant Brad , White Scott W. , Shepherd Carrington C.J.
Published: August 2023

Objective:

The objective of this review is to investigate First Nations populations’ perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and myths about stillbirth.

Introduction:

First Nations populations experience disproportionate rates of stillbirth compared with non-First Nations populations. There has been a surge of interventions aimed at reducing stillbirth and providing better bereavement care, but these are not necessarily appropriate for First Nations populations. As a first step toward developing appropriate interventions for these populations, this review will examine current perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and myths about stillbirth held by First Nations people from the United States, Canada, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and Australia.

Inclusion criteria:

The review will consider studies that include individuals of any age (bereaved or non-bereaved) who identify as belonging to First Nations populations. Eligible studies will include the perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and myths about stillbirth among First Nations populations.

Methods:

This review will follow the JBI methodology for convergent mixed methods systematic reviews. The review is supported by an advisory panel of Aboriginal elders, lived-experience stillbirth researchers, Aboriginal researchers, and clinicians. PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Embase (Ovid), Emcare (Ovid), PsycINFO (EBSCOhost), Indigenous Health InfoNet, Trove, Informit, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses will be searched for relevant information. Titles and abstracts of potential studies will be screened and examined for eligibility. After critical appraisal, quantitative and qualitative data will be extracted from included studies, with the former “qualitized” and the data undergoing a convergent integrated approach.

Review registration:

PROSPERO CRD42023379627
Standard Tessellation Language-Free Adaptive Slicing Scheme for Additive Manufacturing of Cellular Materials
Authors: Rastegarzadeh Sina , Huang Jida
Published: August 2023

In recent years, advances in additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have called for a scalable fabrication framework for high-resolution designs. Despite several process-specific handful design approaches, there is a gap to fill between computer-aided design (CAD) and the manufacturing of highly detailed multiscale materials, especially for delicate cellular material design. This gap ought to be filled with an avenue capable of efficiently slicing multiscale intricate designs. Most existing methods depend on the mesh representation, which is time consuming and memory hogging to generate. This article proposes an adaptive direct slicing (mesh-free) pipeline that exploits the function representation (FRep) for hierarchical architected cellular materials design. To explore the capabilities of the presented approach, several sample structures with delicate architectures are fabricated using a stereolithography (SLA) printer. The computational efficiency of the proposed slicing algorithm is studied. Furthermore, the geometry frustration problem brought by the connection of distinct structures between functionally graded unit cells at the microscale level is also investigated.
Sequential Modeling and Knowledge Source Integration for Identifying the Structure of a Bayesian Network for Multistage Process Monitoring and Diagnosis
Authors: Mondal Partha Protim , Ferreira Placid Matthew , Kapoor Shiv Gopal , Bless Patrick N.
Published: August 2023

As a popular applied artificial intelligence tool, Bayesian networks are increasingly being used to model multistage manufacturing processes for fault diagnosis purposes. However, the major issue limiting the practical adoption of Bayesian networks is the difficulty of learning the network structure for large multistage processes. Traditionally, Bayesian network structures are learned either with the help of domain experts or by utilizing data-driven structure learning algorithms through trial and error. Both approaches have their limitations. On the one hand, the expert-driven approach is costly, time-consuming, cumbersome for large networks, and susceptible to errors in assessing probabilities; on the other hand, data-driven approaches suffer from noise, biases, and inadequacy of training data and often fail to capture the physical causal structure of the data. Therefore, in this article, we propose a Bayesian network structure learning approach where popular manufacturing knowledge sources like the failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) and hierarchical variable ordering are used as structural priors to guide the data-driven structure learning process. In addition, to introduce modularity and flexibility into the learning process, we present a sequential modeling approach for structure learning so that large multistage networks can be learned stage by stage progressively. Furthermore, through simulation studies, we compare and analyze the performance of the knowledge source–based structurally biased networks in the context of multistage process fault diagnosis.
Numerical Investigation Into the Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Flow Regime and Heat Transfer Characteristics in a Gravity Heat Pipe
Authors: Lu Peng , Yan Xiaodie , Yang Qinshan , Wei Jian
Published: August 2023

In order to reveal the gas–liquid distribution, heat and mass transfer characteristics inside a gravity heat pipe, the bubble behavior and the flow regime transition during the phase-change process were examined by employing a copper-water heat pipe, with the length of 500 mm and Φ22 × 1.5 mm. The results indicate that in the process of phase change, the typical flow regimes of bubble flow, slug flow, and churn flow can be observed in the evaporator, and the presence of bubbles has an obvious disturbance on the flow field. In addition, the discontinuous liquid film plays an important role in the heat transfer mechanism in the condenser, which allows the vapor to contact the wall directly and reduces the heat transfer resistance. The temperature difference between the evaporator and the condenser can be reduced by adjusting the saturation temperature, so as to effectively improve the heat transfer performance of the heat pipe and contribute to the practical engineering design.
Performance Study of Battery Thermal Management System With a Bionic Cooling Plate Based on Leaf Vein Channels of Plantain
Authors: Tang Zhiguo , Sun Ran , Lu Kuan , Cheng Jianping
Published: August 2023

The microchannel cooling plate is a vital component in an efficient battery thermal management system (BTMS) that has been widely used to design battery modules for electric vehicles. In this study, regarding the leaf vein structure of plantain, a novel bionic cooling plate similar to the plantain leaf vein channels was proposed. A three-dimensional mathematical model of BTMS including the bionic cooling plate was established. The effects of the structure type; the reducing angle of the main inlet channel; the number, angle, and width of branch channels; and the inlet mass flowrate of the coolant on the thermal performance of the BTMS were investigated. The results indicated that the cooling plate of single-inlet and double-outlet channels with leaf veins exhibited excellent comprehensive performance. The increase of the reducing angle of the main inlet channel decreased the pressure drop by up to 43.55% but could not improve the temperature uniformity of batteries; the maximum temperature difference of batteries increased by 0.11 °C. A larger number of branch channels and a smaller angle of branch channels can improve the cooling performance of BTMS, while the increase in the width of branch channels significantly decreases the pressure drop. At a coolant inlet mass flowrate of 1 g/s, the BTMS can control the maximum temperature and maximum temperature difference of the batteries at a 3C discharge rate to 31.75 °C and 4.95 °C, respectively, and exhibited excellent temperature uniformity at low pressure drop (669 Pa).
Effects of greenhouse gases on Earth, Venus, and Mars: Beyond the one-blanket model
Authors: Nelson Philip C.
Published: August 2023

I present a discussion of the effect of increasing carbon dioxide on planetary climate, at a level suitable for insertion as a module into an upper-level Physics course. The treatment includes two key ingredients that are often missing from more elementary discussions, yet are amenable to analytic methods: First, that convection implies a dependence of surface temperature on the height of the outermost infrared-thick layer; and second, that increasing the level of CO2 closes spectral windows of absorption. These themes are applicable not only to an industrializing Earth but also to our neighboring planets.
Semiquantitative reasoning can help students track energy and understand conservation: Examples and results from a course on sustainable energy
Authors: Tobin R. G.
Published: August 2023

The ability to track flows of energy in complex and dissipative contexts is essential to understand many aspects of sustainable energy and climate change. Traditional physics instruction largely fails to develop that ability. This work argues that one plausible contributor to this deficiency could be an overemphasis on cases that lend themselves to quantitative calculation. Drawing on examples and data from a small sample of college physics students in a class on sustainable energy, it proposes that practice in semiquantitative energy tracking, using suitable visual and/or manipulable representations, can help develop students' skills in using energy reasoning in real-world, dissipative contexts.
Tutorials in climate modeling
Authors: Seeley Lane H.
Published: August 2023

This article describes a learner-centered, tutorial-based approach to climate modeling. Using these tutorials, students in a general education course in global climate change taught in the physics department engaged with compelling, “real-world” questions by drawing on foundational physics concepts along with their prior experiences and conceptual resources in the process of knowledge construction. Students used simulations, energy tracking diagrams, and algebraic analysis to construct climate models that address challenging quantitative questions and reveal key concepts in climate science. Special emphasis was given to the learning goals, pre-requisite knowledge, and conceptual challenges associated with these activities. Instructional materials are provided for educators who wish to adapt these tutorials for use in their own educational context. The supplementary materials are appropriate for both non-science majors and upper-level physics majors.
A course on climate change and sustainable building design
Authors: Marrache-Kikuchi Claire Akiko , Roux Guillaume , Fischbach Jean-Marie , Pilette Bertrand
Published: August 2023

We present an intermediate-level course on sustainable physics, which combines lectures and student projects. Sustainable physics concepts are progressively introduced through both a global and a specialized perspective: climate change and building design. The lectures and hands-on activities on both topics show how they share common concepts and provide complementary points of view. Climate change mitigation and adaptation are touched on via student group projects, where they are asked to tackle a specific question of their choosing via reviews of the literature, modeling, or experiments.
Feature selection for a continental-scale geospatial model of environmental sound levels
Authors: Pedersen Katrina , Transtrum Mark K. , Gee Kent L. , Lympany Shane V. , James Michael M. , Salton Alexandria R.
Published: August 2023

Modeling environmental sound levels over continental scales is difficult due to the variety of geospatial environments. Moreover, current continental-scale models depend upon machine learning and therefore face additional challenges due to limited acoustic training data. In previous work, an ensemble of machine learning models was used to predict environmental sound levels in the contiguous United States using a training set composed of 51 geospatial layers (downselected from 120) and acoustic data from 496 geographic sites from Pedersen, Transtrum, Gee, Lympany, James, and Salton [JASA Express Lett. 1(12), 122401 (2021)]. In this paper, the downselection process, which is based on factors such as data quality and inter-feature correlations, is described in further detail. To investigate additional dimensionality reduction, four different feature selection methods are applied to the 51 layers. Leave-one-out median absolute deviation cross-validation errors suggest that the number of geospatial features can be reduced to 15 without significant degradation of the model's predictive error. However, ensemble predictions demonstrate that feature selection results are sensitive to variations in details of the problem formulation and, therefore, should elicit some skepticism. These results suggest that more sophisticated dimensionality reduction techniques are necessary for problems with limited training data and different training and testing distributions.
High-resolution frequency-difference beamforming for a short linear array
Authors: Sheng Xueli , Dong Chaoping , Guo Longxiang , Wang Xin
Published: August 2023

Conventional beamforming (CBF) is a commonly employed approach for detecting and estimating the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of acoustic signals in underwater environments. However, CBF becomes ambiguous due to spatial aliasing when the received signal's half wavelength is smaller than the array spacing. Frequency-difference beamforming (FDB) allows for processing data in the lower frequency Δf without encountering spatial aliasing by utilizing the product of array data at frequency f with its complex conjugate at frequency f+Δf. However, lower frequency results in a wider mainlobe, which can lead to poorer DOA performance for short arrays. In this paper, a fourth-order cumulants FDB method and a conjugate augmented FDB method are proposed to extend an M-element uniform linear array to 2M−1 and 4M−3 elements. The proposed methods generate narrower beams and lower sidelobe levels than the original FDB for short arrays with large spacing. And by setting the signal subspace dimension reasonably, the proposed methods can improve the weak target detection ability under strong interference compared with FDB. Last, we verify the excellent performance of the proposed methods through simulations and experimental data.
Examining the Talent Selection Determinants of Ultimate Frisbee Players Selected Into a National Youth Team
Authors: Connor Jonathan D. , Berkelmans Daniel , Doma Kenji
Published: August 2023

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine whether various athletic performances, anthropometric measures, and playing experience differentiate selected and nonselected ultimate Frisbee players trialing to compete in the world championship. Methods: Forty-three Australian male ultimate Frisbee players (age = 21.2 [1.2] y; height = 1.7 [6.8] m; body mass = 69.7 [8.2] kg; playing experience = 3.5 [1.5] y) participated in a 30-m sprint test, single-leg run-up jump approach (both left [JumpLL], and right leg [JumpRL]) and a stationary bilateral vertical jump (JumpBIL), and change-of-direction speed test. Following a selection camp, players were subdivided according to their selection or nonselection into the team. Results: A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that height, 10-m sprint time, acceleration, JumpLL, JumpRL, and JumpBIL were significantly greater for selected players than nonselected players (P < .05). Area under the curve (AUC) was greatest for JumpRL (AUC = 79%; optimal cutoff value of 37.5 cm, sensitivity and specificity values of 77% and 71%, respectively), JumpLL (AUC = 74%; optimal cutoff 38.5 cm, sensitivity and specificity values 77% and 77%, respectively), and JumpBIL (AUC = 78%; optimal cutoff value of 40.5 cm, sensitivity and specificity values 71% and 79%, respectively). The largest AUC (AUC = 81%; 95% CI 0.66–0.97; P = .001) was found when combining the explanatory variables that demonstrated moderate to large effect sizes (ie, height, playing experience, 10-m sprint, acceleration, JumpLL, JumpRL, and JumpBIL), with sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 71%. Conclusion: These athletic performance and anthropometric characteristics differentiating selected and nonselected players may help inform targeted training and player-development strategies.
What Does It Take to Become a Professional Cyclist? A Laboratory-Based Longitudinal Analysis in Competitive Young Riders
Authors: Valenzuela Pedro L. , Alejo Lidia B. , Lucia Alejandro , Barranco-Gil David
Published: August 2023

Purpose: Laboratory-based indicators are commonly used for performance assessment in young cyclists. However, evidence supporting the use of these indicators mostly comes from cross-sectional research, and their validity as predictors of potential future performance remains unclear. We aimed to assess the role of laboratory variables for predicting transition from U23 (under 23 y) to professional category in young cyclists. Methods: Sixty-five U23 male road cyclists (19.6 [1.5] y) were studied. Endurance (maximal graded test and simulated 8-min time trial [TT]), muscle strength/power (squat, lunge, and hip thrust), and body composition (assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) indicators were determined. Participants were subsequently followed and categorized attending to whether they had transitioned (“Pro”) or not (“Non-Pro”) to the professional category during the study period. Results: The median follow-up period was 3 years. Pro cyclists (n = 16) showed significantly higher values than Non-Pro riders (n = 49) for ventilatory thresholds, peak power output, peak oxygen uptake, and TT performance (all P < .05, effect size > 0.69) and lower levels of fat mass and bone mineral content/density (P < .05, effect size > 0.63). However, no significant differences were found for muscle strength/power indicators (P > .05, effect size < 49). The most accurate individual predictor was TT performance (overall predictive value = 76% for a cutoff value of 5.6 W·kg−1). However, some variables that did not reach statistical significance in univariate analyses contributed significantly to a multivariate model (R2 = .79, overall predictive value = 94%). Conclusions: Although different “classic” laboratory-based endurance indicators can predict the potential of reaching the professional category in U23 cyclists, a practical indicator such as 8-minute TT performance showed the highest prediction accuracy.
Amphiregulin couples IL1RL1
+
regulatory T cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts to impede antitumor immunity
Authors: Sun Runzi , Zhao Hongyu , Gao David Shihong , Ni Andrew , Li Haochen , Chen Lujia , Lu Xinghua , Chen Kong , Lu Binfeng
Published: August 2023

Regulatory T (T
reg
) cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) jointly promote tumor immune tolerance and tumorigenesis. The molecular apparatus that drives T
reg
cell and CAF coordination in the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains elusive. Interleukin 33 (IL-33) has been shown to enhance fibrosis and IL1RL1
+
T
reg
cell accumulation during tumorigenesis and tissue repair. We demonstrated that IL1RL1 signaling in T
reg
cells greatly dampened the antitumor activity of both IL-33 and PD-1 blockade. Whole tumor single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis and blockade experiments revealed that the amphiregulin (AREG)–epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) axis mediated cross-talk between IL1RL1
+
T
reg
cells and CAFs. We further demonstrated that the AREG/EGFR axis enables T
reg
cells to promote a profibrotic and immunosuppressive functional state of CAFs. Moreover, AREG mAbs and IL-33 concertedly inhibited tumor growth. Our study reveals a previously unidentified AREG/EGFR-mediated T
reg
/CAF coupling that controls the bifurcation of fibroblast functional states and is a critical barrier for cancer immunotherapy.
Poverty, not the poor
Authors: Brady David
Published: August 2023

This review explains how and why the United States has systemically high poverty. Descriptive evidence shows that U.S. poverty is (i) a huge share of the population, (ii) a perennial outlier among rich democracies, (iii) staggeringly high for certain groups, (iv) unexpectedly high for those who “play by the rules,” and (v) pervasive across various groups and places. This review then discusses and critiques three prevailing approaches focused on the individual poor rather than the systemically high poverty: (i) behavioral explanations “fixing the poor,” (ii) emotive compassion “dramatizing the poor,” and (iii) cultural explanations both dramatizing and fixing the poor. The essay then reviews political explanations that emphasize the essential role of social policy generosity, political choices to penalize risks, power resources of collective political actors, and institutions. This review demonstrates a long emerging but ascending and warranted shift away from individualistic explanations of the poor toward political explanations of poverty.
Abyssal hydrothermal springs—Cryptic incubators for brooding octopus
Authors: Barry James P. , Litvin Steven Y. , DeVogelaere Andrew , Caress David W. , Lovera Chris F. , Kahn Amanda S. , Burton Erica J. , King Chad , Paduan Jennifer B. , Wheat C. Geoffrey , Girard Fanny , Sudek Sebastian , Hartwell Anne M. , Sherman Alana D. , McGill Paul R. , Schnittger Aaron , Voight Janet R. , Martin Eric J.
Published: August 2023

Does warmth from hydrothermal springs play a vital role in the biology and ecology of abyssal animals? Deep off central California, thousands of octopus (
Muusoctopus robustus
) migrate through cold dark waters to hydrothermal springs near an extinct volcano to mate, nest, and die, forming the largest known aggregation of octopus on Earth. Warmth from the springs plays a key role by raising metabolic rates, speeding embryonic development, and presumably increasing reproductive success; we show that brood times for females are ~1.8 years, far faster than expected for abyssal octopods. Using a high-resolution subsea mapping system, we created landscape-scale maps and image mosaics that reveal 6000 octopus in a 2.5-ha area. Because octopuses die after reproducing, hydrothermal springs indirectly provide a food supplement to the local energy budget. Although localized deep-sea heat sources may be essential to octopuses and other warm-tolerant species, most of these unique and often cryptic habitats remain undiscovered and unexplored.
The energetics and ion coupling of cholesterol transport through Patched1
Authors: Ansell T. Bertie , Corey Robin A. , Viti Lucrezia Vittoria , Kinnebrew Maia , Rohatgi Rajat , Siebold Christian , Sansom Mark S. P.
Published: August 2023

Patched1 (PTCH1) is a tumor suppressor protein of the mammalian Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway, implicated in embryogenesis and tissue homeostasis. PTCH1 inhibits the G protein–coupled receptor Smoothened (SMO) via a debated mechanism involving modulating ciliary cholesterol accessibility. Using extensive molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations to evaluate cholesterol transport through PTCH1, we find an energetic barrier of ~15 to 20 kilojoule per mole for cholesterol export. In silico data are coupled to in vivo biochemical assays of PTCH1 mutants to probe coupling between cation binding sites, transmembrane motions, and PTCH1 activity. Using complementary simulations of Dispatched1, we find that transition between “inward-open” and solvent “occluded” states is accompanied by Na
+
-induced pinching of intracellular helical segments. Thus, our findings illuminate the energetics and ion coupling stoichiometries of PTCH1 transport mechanisms, whereby one to three Na
+
or two to three K
+
couple to cholesterol export, and provide the first molecular description of transitions between distinct transport states.
Constraints on fundamental physical constants from bio-friendly viscosity and diffusion
Authors: Trachenko Kostya
Published: August 2023

The problem of understanding fundamental physical constants and their values was discussed in particle physics, astronomy, and cosmology. Here, I show that an additional unexpected insight comes from condensed matter physics and liquid physics in particular: Fundamental constants have a biofriendly window constrained by biofriendly viscosity and diffusion setting the motion in essential life processes in and across cells. I also show that bounds on viscosity, diffusion, and the fundamental velocity gradient in a biochemical machine can all be varied while keeping the fine-structure constant and the proton-to-electron mass ratio intact, with no implication for the production of heavy nuclei in stars. This leads to a conjecture of multiple tuning and an evolutionary mechanism.
Elastocapillary rolling transfer weaves soft materials to spatial structures
Authors: Zhang Yue , Yin Mengtian , Xu Baoxing
Published: August 2023

Spatial structures of soft materials have attracted great attention because of emerging applications in wearable electronics, biomedical devices, and soft robotics, but there are no facile technologies available to assemble the soft materials into spatial structures. Here, we report a mechanical transfer route enabled by the rotational motion of curved substrates relative to the soft materials on liquid surface. This transfer can weave soft materials into a broad variety of spatial structures with controllable global weaving chirality and orders and could also produce local ear-like folds with programmable numbers and distributions. We further prove that multiple pieces of soft materials in different forms including wire, ribbon, and large-area film can be woven onto curved substrates with various three-dimensional geometry shapes. Application demonstrations on the woven freestanding spatial structures with on-demand weaving patterns and orders have been conducted to show the temperature-driven multimodal actuating functionalities for programmable robotic postures.
Fundamental constants explain submillimeter liquid shear forces
Authors: Noirez Laurence
Published: August 2023

From fundamental physical constants to the identification of liquid shear elasticity, over the past decade, new ways have emerged to understand viscosity.
Enhancing scientific exploration of the deep sea through shared autonomy in remote manipulation
Authors: Phung Amy , Billings Gideon , Daniele Andrea F. , Walter Matthew R. , Camilli Richard
Published: August 2023

Shared autonomy enables novice remote users to conduct deep-ocean science operations with robotic manipulators.
Designing a robot to recover a sunken submarine is hard
Authors: Murphy Robin R.
Published: August 2023

Three Miles Down
is a fictionalized version of the expedition to recover a Soviet submarine, 50 years before OceanGate Titan.
Cryo-EM structures of African swine fever virus topoisomerase
Authors: Zhao Yan , Kuang Wenhua , An Qiyin , Li Jinyue , Wang Yong , Deng Zengqin
Published: August 2023

Type II topoisomerases ubiquitously exist in cellular organisms, where they play an essential role in resolving the topological problems of DNA. The viral type II topoisomerase encoded by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) is critical for viral replication and infection, thus representing an attractive target for antiviral drug development. Here we report two cryo-EM structures of ASFV topoisomerase P1192R in distinct conformations at an overall resolution of 3.16 Å and 3.13 Å, respectively. P1192R assembles as a homodimer with the C-gate formed by the coiled-coil domain adopting a closed or open conformation before reaction, providing the first visual evidence for the dynamic motions of the C-gate of type II topoisomerase. Comparative structural comparisons of eukaryotic homologs and P1192R reveal the unique structural features of P1192R, including the active site configuration, a flexible loop in the TOPRIM domain, an additionally inserted α-helix in the tower domain, and a pin-like structure in the C-terminal coiled-coil domain, which are important for enzyme activity and protein folding. These findings provide important insights into the structure and function of viral topoisomerases and may guide the efficient development of anti-ASFV drugs. Moreover, our study also offers structural evidence to support the scenario of the viral origin of eukaryotic type IIA topoisomerases.

IMPORTANCE

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly contagious virus that causes lethal hemorrhagic diseases known as African swine fever (ASF) with a case fatality rate of 100%. There is an urgent need to develop anti-ASFV drugs. We determine the first high-resolution structures of viral topoisomerase ASFV P1192R in both the closed and open C-gate forms. P1192R shows a similar overall architecture with eukaryotic and prokaryotic type II topoisomerases, which have been successful targets of many antimicrobials and anticancer drugs, with the most similarity to yeast topo II. P1192R also exhibits differences in the details of active site configuration, which are important to enzyme activity. These two structures offer useful structural information for antiviral drug design and provide structural evidence to support that eukaryotic type IIA topoisomerase likely originated from horizontal gene transfer from the virus.
The current state of research on influenza antiviral drug development: drugs in clinical trial and licensed drugs
Authors: Li Yanbai , Huo Shanshan , Yin Zhe , Tian Zuguang , Huang Fang , Liu Peng , Liu Yue , Yu Fei
Published: August 2023

Influenza viruses (IVs) threaten global human health due to the high morbidity, infection, and mortality rates. Currently, the influenza drugs recommended by the FDA are oseltamivir, zanamivir, peramivir, and baloxavir marboxil. Notably, owing to the high variability of IVs, no drug exists that can effectively treat all types and subtypes of IVs. Moreover, the current trend of drug resistance is likely to continue as the viral genome is constantly mutating. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop drugs related to the treatment of influenza to deal with the next pandemic. Here, we summarized the cutting-edge research in mechanism of action, inhibitory activity, and clinical efficacy of drugs that have been approved and drugs that are still in clinical trials for influenza treatment. We hope this review will provide up-to-date and comprehensive information on influenza antivirals and generate hypotheses for screens and development of new broad-spectrum influenza drugs in the near future.
Genome-wide translational response of
Candida albicans
to fluconazole treatment
Authors: Choudhary Saket , Mundodi Vasanthakrishna , Smith Andrew D. , Kadosh David
Published: August 2023

Azoles are commonly used for the treatment of fungal infections, and the ability of human fungal pathogens to rapidly respond to azole treatment is critical for the development of antifungal resistance. While the roles of genetic mutations, chromosomal rearrangements, and transcriptional mechanisms in azole resistance have been well-characterized, very little is known about post-transcriptional and translational mechanisms that drive this process. In addition, most previous genome-wide studies have focused on transcriptional responses to azole treatment and likely serve as inaccurate proxies for changes in protein expression due to extensive post-transcriptional and translational regulation. In this study, we use ribosome profiling to provide the first picture of the global translational response of a major human fungal pathogen,
Candida albicans
, to treatment with fluconazole (Flu), one of the most widely used azole drugs. We identify sets of genes showing significantly altered translational efficiency, including genes associated with a variety of biological processes such as the cell cycle, DNA repair, cell wall/cell membrane biosynthesis, transport, signaling, DNA- and RNA-binding activities, and protein synthesis. We observe both similarities and differences among the most highly represented gene categories (as defined by gene ontology) that are regulated by fluconazole at the translational vs transcriptional levels. Importantly, however, very few genes that are translationally regulated by fluconazole are also controlled transcriptionally under this condition. Our findings suggest that
C. albicans
possesses distinct translational mechanisms that are important for the response to antifungal treatment, which could eventually be targeted by novel antifungal therapies.

IMPORTANCE

Azoles are one of the most commonly used drug classes to treat human fungal pathogens. While point mutations, chromosomal rearrangements, and transcriptional mechanisms that drive azole resistance have been well-characterized, we know very little about the role of translational mechanisms. In this study, we determined the global translational profile of genes that are expressed in the major human fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
in response to fluconazole, one of the most widely used azole drugs. We find both similarities and differences among the most highly represented categories of genes regulated by fluconazole at the transcriptional and translational levels. Interestingly, however, many of the specific genes that are regulated by fluconazole at the translational level do not appear to be controlled by transcriptional mechanisms under this condition. Our results suggest that distinct
C. albicans
translational mechanisms control the response to antifungals and could eventually be targeted in the development of new therapies.
Surgical Burr Hole Access for Direct Sinus Puncture and Transvenous Coil Embolization of a Complex Superior Sagittal Sinus Dural Arteriovenous Fistula
Authors: Kelmer Paz , Sioutas Georgios S , Salem Mohamed M , Srinivasan Visish M , Burkhardt Jan Karl
Published: August 2023

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) account for 10–15% of all cerebral vascular malformations,1 and their location around the superior sagittal sinus is rare with an incidence of 4–11% of all dAVFs.2 Endovascular transarterial or transvenous embolization are the treatment routes of choice for dAVFs,3 but in rare cases direct sinus access may be favorable.4 5 We present an unusual case of a complex superior sagittal sinus dAVF with multiple arterial feeders and an occluded posterior superior sagittal sinus segment which was challenging for classic embolization routes. A combined surgical and endovascular approach in the hybrid biplane operating room was performed and is shown in video 1. By using a direct surgical burr hole for sinus access anterior to the dAVF and the thrombosed sinus portion followed by transvenous coil embolization, the dAVF was cured in a minimally invasive and safe fashion.

Video 1

Treatment of a complex superior sagittal sinus dural arteriovenous fistula by surgical burr hole access for direct sinus puncture and transvenous coil embolization.
Flowering phenology, floral biology, breeding system, and pollination in the andromonoecious Commelina diffusa (Commelinaceae)
Authors: V Veena , Nampy Santhosh
Published: August 2023

Occurrence of male and bisexual flowers (andromonoecy) in a species is thought to be an adaptation to enhance reproductive success through increasing male function or by diverting resources otherwise used for the formation of pistils. Commelina diffusa Burm. f. is a pantropical, herbaceous, and andromonoecious species from the family Commelinaceae. A typical inflorescence comprises male and bisexual flowers enclosed within a spathe. Morphology of the different floral types, floral phenology, pollen viability, pollen production, and mating system were studied in this annual, bearing small fruits. Being nectarless, pollen is the only reward for the pollinators in this species. The number of fruits developing was found to influence the gender of the subsequent flowers within the spathe. The floral visitors, including members of Diptera and Hymenoptera, facilitate outcrossing and may mediate geitonogamous selfing as well. Delayed selfing takes place when floral organs intertwine as the flower fades. Andromonoecy in itself does not promote outcrossing, but it may be advantageous to present pollen in more flowers, thereby attracting and feeding more insects and potentially increase male function.
Field monitoring of river ice processes in the vicinity of ice control structures in the province of Quebec, Canada
Authors: Pourshahbaz Hanif , Ghobrial Tadros , Shakibaeinia Ahmad
Published: August 2023

Over the past decades, a variety of ice control structures (ICSs) have been designed and built, but to date, there has been no systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of these structures. To achieve this objective, first an understanding of the interaction between different ice processes and the ICSs must be established. For this purpose, a total of four ICSs located in the province of Québec were monitored during the 2021–2022 winter. The results showed that the ice jam holding time could vary from 1.5 to 68.5 h. The release of the jam was mechanically driven when the ratio of release to initiation Froude number was higher than one and was thermally driven when this ratio was lower than one, and the water temperature increased between initiation and release. Also, as the ratio of the total pier spacing to upstream river width increased, the holding time decreased.
Analog model for Euclidean wormholes effects
Authors: Heymans Gustavo O. , Svaiter Nami F. , Krein Gastão
Published: August 2023

Using results of statistical field theory for systems with an anisotropic disorder, we present an analog model for Euclidean wormholes and topological fluctuation effects in a Riemannian space [Formula: see text]. The contribution of wormholes and topological fluctuations to the Euclidean gravitational functional integral is modeled by quenched randomness defined in the [Formula: see text] manifold. We obtain a disorder-averaged free energy by taking the average over all the realizations of the random fields. In the scenario of topology fluctuation, there appears a superposition of infinite branes that contribute to the physical quantities. All topology fluctuations can be understood as two distinct kinds of Euclidean wormholes: wormholes confined to one brane, and wormholes connecting different branes.