bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monetized Interactions in the Sexual Minorities Network at Daneshjoo Park (Tehran, Iran)
Authors: Golparvar Tusi Mohammad Hossein
Published: October 2024

Daneshjoo Park is located in the center of Tehran and is the first hang-out for modern life in the city, gathering different communities such as students, artists, and various lifestyles. Over the years, it has become the most famous hang-out for LGBTQ communities. Despite its significance and hundreds of visitors per day from different parts of the country, Daneshjoo Park has faced years of neglect. This study, employing grounded theory as a research method and in-depth interview as a gathering data method, investigates the emergence of sex work in the park. Participants, aged 18–40, active or retired sex workers, were selected using theoretical and snowball sampling. The findings highlight that underlying individual circumstances, such as poverty, act as catalysts for creating conditions conducive to engaging in sex work, referred to as “Individual Background Conditions.” These conditions facilitate entry into the social network of sex workers, thereby enabling the manifestation of the phenomenon of sex work within Daneshjoo Park, where individuals are gravitated to engage in sex work. The study identifies “Actualizing Interaction Conditions” as the supportive and reproductive causal mechanism through which the network operates, bringing individuals with these background conditions into the fold. This mechanism has enabled the manifestation of the phenomenon of sex work within Daneshjoo Park. The research also identifies a significant historical shift, termed the “Historical Factor,” indicating a transition in the logic of interaction from traditional forms of interaction to monetary exchanges, which has fundamentally altered the landscape of sex work in the park. Ultimately, the study suggests social empowerment strategies as a response to these findings.
Keetia gordonii sp. nov. (Rubiaceae - Vanguerieae), a new species of threatened forest liana from Gabon
Authors: Cheek Martin , Bissiengou Pulchérie , Lachenaud Olivier
Published: October 2024

Keetia gordonii sp. nov. (Rubiaceae - Vanguerieae) a new species of forest liana from Gabon, is described and illustrated. The new species shows all the diagnostic characters of Keetia, such as pyrenes opening by an apical cap and seeds with tanniniferous endosperm, both of which are unrecorded in other genera of the tribe, flowers with a long-exserted style and erect anthers and a (usually) climbing habit. However, it is unique in the genus for its corolla with dense, appressed, brown hairs externally (vs glabrous or with a few hairs towards the apex), its glabrous disk (vs variously pubescent) and its seeds with a continuous tanniniferous layer in the outer part (vs with tanniniferous areas forming radial bands, or diffuse). Keetia gordonii is assigned to the Keetia hispida group of Guineo-Congolian African species. It is the first endemic Keetia species to be described from Gabon, although several others are awaiting description. On current evidence, the species appears to have six locations and is threatened by forest clearance. It is provisionally assessed using the IUCN (2012) standard as Vulnerable [VU B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)].
Flat comodules and contramodules as directed colimits, and cotorsion periodicity
Authors: Positselski Leonid
Published: October 2024

This paper is a follow-up to Positselski and Št’ovíček (Flat quasi-coherent sheaves as directed colimits, and quasi-coherent cotorsion periodicity. Electronic preprint arXiv:2212.09639 [math.AG]). We consider two algebraic settings of comodules over a coring and contramodules over a topological ring with a countable base of two-sided ideals. These correspond to two (noncommutative) algebraic geometry settings of certain kind of stacks and ind-affine ind-schemes. In the context of a coring $${\mathcal {C}}$$
C
over a noncommutative ring A, we show that all A-flat $${\mathcal {C}}$$
C
-comodules are $$\aleph _1$$

ℵ
1

-directed colimits of A-countably presentable A-flat $${\mathcal {C}}$$
C
-comodules. In the context of a complete, separated topological ring $${\mathfrak {R}}$$
R
with a countable base of neighborhoods of zero consisting of two-sided ideals, we prove that all flat $${\mathfrak {R}}$$
R
-contramodules are $$\aleph _1$$

ℵ
1

-directed colimits of countably presentable flat $${\mathfrak {R}}$$
R
-contramodules. We also describe arbitrary complexes, short exact sequences, and pure acyclic complexes of A-flat $${\mathcal {C}}$$
C
-comodules and flat $${\mathfrak {R}}$$
R
-contramodules as $$\aleph _1$$

ℵ
1

-directed colimits of similar complexes of countably presentable objects. The arguments are based on a very general category-theoretic technique going back to an unpublished 1977 preprint of Ulmer and rediscovered in Positselski (Notes on limits of accessible categories. Electronic preprint arXiv:2310.16773 [math.CT]). Applications to cotorsion periodicity and coderived categories of flat objects in the respective settings are discussed. In particular, in any acyclic complex of cotorsion $${\mathfrak {R}}$$
R
-contramodules, all the contramodules of cocycles are cotorsion.
Large language models recover scientific collaboration networks from text
Authors: Jeyaram Rathin , Ward Robert N , Santolini Marc
Published: October 2024

Science is a collaborative endeavor. Yet, unlike co-authorship, interactions within and across teams are seldom reported in a structured way, making them hard to study at scale. We show that Large Language Models (LLMs) can solve this problem, vastly improving the efficiency and quality of network data collection. Our approach iteratively applies filtering with few-shot learning, allowing us to identify and categorize different types of relationships from text. We compare this approach to manual annotation and fuzzy matching using a corpus of digital laboratory notebooks, examining inference quality at the level of edges (recovering a single link), labels (recovering the relationship context) and at the whole-network level (recovering local and global network properties). Large Language Models perform impressively well at each of these tasks, with edge recall rate ranging from 0.8 for the highly contextual case of recovering the task allocation structure of teams from their unstructured attribution page to 0.9 for the more explicit case of retrieving the collaboration with other teams from direct mentions, showing a 32% improvement over a fuzzy matching approach. Beyond science, the flexibility of LLMs means that our approach can be extended broadly through minor prompt revision.
Ni-based compounds in multiwalled graphitic shell for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reactions
Authors: Mijowska Ewa , Dymerska Anna , Leniec Grzegorz , Maślana Klaudia , Aleksandrzak Małgorzata , Zairov Rustem , Nazmutdinov Renat , Chen Xuecheng
Published: October 2024

Here, we report a general strategy for designing a metal/carbon system, via a facile and environmentally friendly one-step approach, from metal acetate as an active electrocatalyst in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during water decomposition. As a demonstration, a nanostructured Ni/C composite induced from nickel acetate is revealed in great detail. The resulting material is composed of: metallic nickel (Ni), nickel(II) oxide (NiO), and nickel carbide (Ni3C) coated with a graphitic shell and deposited on a carbon platform. Our findings underscore the prominent role of nickel species, including Ni0, Ni2+, and Ni3+, in driving the catalytic activity. Notably, the catalyst exhibits an overpotential of 170 mV, a Tafel slope of 49 mV·dec−1, an electrocatalytic surface area (ECSA) of 964.7 cm2, and a turnover frequency (TOF) value of 52.8 s−1, surpassing RuO2. The Raman spectra also suggest a graphitic "self-healing" phenomenon post-OER, attributed to the reduction of oxygen-containing groups. Carbon in the system (i) facilitates electron transfer, (ii) allows homogeneous distribution of Ni nanoparticles avoiding their agglomeration, and (iii) promotes durability of the electrocatalyst by serving as a protective barrier, shielding the core metal compounds. What is more, density functional theory (DFT) calculations allowed to optimized geometry of the model cluster Ni8O8(OH)8describing two different sites on the β-NiOOH surface (001) and two different intermediates, (i)L-OOH and (ii)L-OOH. This facilitated to propose the reaction mechanisms involving both hydroxide ions and water molecules as reducers. Therefore, the chemisorption of OH−and H2O molecules at the NiOOH active center accompanied by bond breakage and the formation of a lattice hydroperoxide as an important intermediate is presumed. What is more, the proposed fabrication method for electroactive metal/carbon composites was validated with an iron and iron/nickel mixture.
New Ophiostoma species associated with Dryocoetes himalayensis and decline of Juglans regia in Czechia
Authors: Májek Tomáš , Kolařík Miroslav , Milenković Ivan , Kašák Josef , Foit Jiří , Tomšovský Michal
Published: October 2024

A new ophiostomatoid fungus involved in the decline of walnuts was discovered in Czechia. The fungus was isolated from necrotic wood surrounding the larval galleries of Dryocoetes himalayensis, the alien bark beetle attacking walnut trees. This insect species is rather unique within hardwood-associated bark beetle species for its aggressiveness and ability to attack apparently healthy trees. The isolated fungus, associated with an exotic insect vector is described as a new species, Ophiostoma juglandis sp. nov., based on its unique morphology and phylogenetic position. The pathogenicity tests confirmed the aggressiveness of the species to both Juglans regia and J. nigra plants, manifested by formation of extensive bleeding and necrotic lesions. The symbiotic relationship between O. juglandis and D. himalayensis is expected due to massive presence of the fungal spores on surface of adult beetles in pits forming the elytral striae. In the case of hardwood-associated ophiostomatoid fungal species, phytopathogenicity is very rarely observed. The described species is exceptional in this ability, which corresponds to the aggressive behaviour of its vector. The role of the fungus in walnut tree mortality caused by D. himalayensis is discussed.
Spectral theory for fractal pseudodifferential operators
Authors: Triebel Hans
Published: October 2024

The paper deals with the distribution of eigenvalues of the compact fractal pseudodifferential operator $$T^\mu _\tau $$

T
τ
μ

, $$\begin{aligned} \big ( T^\mu _\tau f\big )(x) = \int _{{{\mathbb {R}}}^n} e^{-ix\xi } \, \tau (x,\xi ) \, \big ( f\mu \big )^\vee (\xi ) \, {\mathrm d}\xi , \qquad x\in {{\mathbb {R}}}^n, \end{aligned}$$

(

T
τ
μ

f

)

(
x
)

=

∫

R

n

e

-
i
x
ξ

τ

(
x
,
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)

(

f
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)

∨

(
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)

d
ξ
,

x
∈

R

n

,

in suitable special Besov spaces $$B^s_p ({{\mathbb {R}}}^n) = B^s_{p,p} ({{\mathbb {R}}}^n)$$

B
p
s

(

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n

)

=

B

p
,
p

s

(

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)

, $$s>0$$

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>
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, $$1
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,

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<
p
<
∞
.

We add at the end of the paper a few personal reminiscences illuminating the role of Pietsch in connection with the creation of approximation numbers and entropy numbers.
Confucian Familialism and the Crisis of Care
Authors: Lee Subin
Published: October 2024

This paper critically examines Confucian proposals for social welfare espoused by contemporary Confucian moral and political theorists, who promote a familialist, residual welfare state in which welfare provision should be the family's primary responsibility and public assistance be a last resort only available to the poor without family support. By investigating the situation in South Korea, a country whose welfare system bears a striking resemblance to the Confucian ideal, I argue that the Confucian scheme is inherently flawed. It considers poverty to be a personal failure, idealizes the family as a single unity of common interest free from power hierarchies, and lacks knowledge about social reproduction. Their proposal in actuality humiliates and excludes disadvantaged and marginalized people from social protection, abdicates the state's responsibility for the well-being of citizens, and colludes with capitalism in free riding on women's unpaid labor.
The contribution of dietary composition over 25 years to cardiovascular risk factors in childhood and adulthood: the Princeton Lipid Research Study
Authors: Beck Leah C. , Woo Jessica G.
Published: October 2024

Diet is a contributing factor to CVD risk, but how diet quality changes over the long term and contributes to CVD risk is less well studied. Diet data were analysed from parents and offspring from the Princeton Lipid Research Study (24-h recall in the 1970s; Block FFQ in 1998). Diet quality was assessed using an 8-point Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension nutrient-based scoring index, including a new method for scoring in children, as well as examining twelve key macro/micronutrients. Outcomes included blood glucose, blood pressure, serum lipids and BMI. The analysis included 221 parents (39 % male, mean age 38·9 ± 6·5 at baseline and 66·6 ± 6·6 at follow-up) and 606 offspring (45 % male, 11·9 ± 3·2 at baseline and 38·5 ± 3·6 at follow-up). Parents’ Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score increased slightly from baseline to follow-up (1·4 ± 1·0 and 2·1 ± 1·3, respectively, P < 0·001), while offspring remained consistent (1·6 ± 0·9 and 1·6 ± 1·1, respectively, P = 0·58). Overall, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score, adjusted for age, race, sex and BMI, was not significantly associated with any examined outcomes. Of the macro/micronutrients at follow-up, saturated and total fat were associated with increased diabetes and dyslipidaemia in parents, while the inverse was seen with niacin. Among offspring, niacin was associated with lower rates of hypertension and dyslipidaemia. In conclusion, no relationship was detected between Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension adherence and disease outcomes. However, both saturated fat and niacin were associated with components of CVD risk, highlighting the need for improved diet quality overall.
Law and Sufism in modern South Asia: A changing relationship
Authors: Zaman Muhammad Qasim
Published: October 2024

This article studies some major shifts in the relationship between law and Sufism in South Asian Islam between the eighteenth and the twentieth centuries. It does so by focusing on Shah Wali Allah of Delhi (d. 1762) to examine, first, how these two key facets of Islam interact with each other in his thought and, second, how some influential Muslim intellectuals of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries have understood and positioned themselves in relation to this aspect of his thought. Though one would be hard pressed to know this from the sanitized modern image of Wali Allah as a scholar of the Quran and hadith, and of a Sufi piety uncompromisingly anchored in them, his Sufism reveals a wide and, from many a modern Muslim perspective, unwieldly range of ideas and practices. Yet it was precisely in that unwieldy breadth and depth that it was generative of some of his key insights into matters of the law. Even as many people have continued to insist on the imbrication of law and Sufism, a sanitization of Wali Allah’s Sufi image serves to highlight wider processes whereby an earlier era’s generative relationship between the two has come to be increasingly attenuated since the late nineteenth century.
First camera-trap evidence of the Critically Endangered Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla in Kavrepalanchok community forests, Nepal
Authors: Shrestha Nischal , Pandey Sadip Raj , Shrestha Sandeep , Bashyal Ashish
Published: October 2024

The Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List but little is known about its status in Nepal. Although indirect sign surveys have reported its presence in several community forests in Kavrepalanchok district, no photographic or video evidence has previously been documented. We used camera traps to investigate the occurrence of pangolins in 20 community forests in Panauti Municipality in Kavrepalanchok. A total of 75 0.01 km2 plots were surveyed using camera traps during September 2022–February 2023, with a total survey effort of 803 trap-days. The cameras recorded a total of 16 individual video footage events of Chinese pangolins in six of the community forests. This is the first camera-trap evidence of the species' presence in these forest patches, and in Kavrepalanchok district. The pangolins displayed behaviours such as sniffing, gathering plant material and digging, between 18.00 and 1.00. The camera-trap records provide more accurate species identification and reliable information than indirect sign surveys, indicating camera traps are a useful surveying tool for rare, nocturnal and elusive pangolins.
Mendelian randomization analysis of maternal coffee consumption during pregnancy on offspring neurodevelopmental difficulties in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)
Authors: D'Urso Shannon , Wootton Robyn E , Ask Helga , Brito Nunes Caroline , Andreassen Ole A , Hwang Liang-Dar , Moen Gunn-Helen , Evans David M , Havdahl Alexandra
Published: October 2024

Background

Previous observational epidemiological studies have suggested that coffee consumption during pregnancy may affect fetal neurodevelopment. However, results are inconsistent and may represent correlational rather than causal relationships. The present study investigated whether maternal coffee consumption was observationally associated and causally related to offspring childhood neurodevelopmental difficulties (NDs) in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study.

Methods

The observational relationships between maternal/paternal coffee consumption (before and during pregnancy) and offspring NDs were assessed using linear regression analyses (N = 58694 mother-child duos; N = 22 576 father-child duos). To investigate potential causal relationships, individual-level (N = 46 245 mother-child duos) and two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted using genetic variants previously associated with coffee consumption as instrumental variables.

Results

We observed positive associations between maternal coffee consumption and offspring difficulties with social-communication/behavioral flexibility, and inattention/hyperactive-impulsive behavior (multiple testing corrected p < 0.005). Paternal coffee consumption (negative control) was not observationally associated with the outcomes. After adjusting for potential confounders (smoking, alcohol, education and income), the maternal associations attenuated to the null. MR analyses suggested that increased maternal coffee consumption was causally associated with social-communication difficulties (individual-level: beta = 0.128, se = 0.043, p = 0.003; two-sample: beta = 0.348, se = 0.141, p = 0.010). However, individual-level MR analyses that modelled potential pleiotropic pathways found the effect diminished (beta = 0.088, se = 0.049, p = 0.071). Individual-level MR analyses yielded similar estimates (heterogeneity p = 0.619) for the causal effect of coffee consumption on social communication difficulties in maternal coffee consumers (beta = 0.153, se = 0.071, p = 0.032) and non-consumers (beta = 0.107, se = 0.134, p = 0.424).

Conclusions

Together, our results provide little evidence for a causal effect of maternal coffee consumption on offspring NDs.
Contract as Vow or Oath
Authors: Leib Ethan J.
Published: October 2024

Many scholars and judges attempt to harmonize legal practices of contracting with the social practice of promising in ordinary life. This article explores an alternative genealogy of contract in traditional social practices that track many of contract's core norms: taking vows and oaths. Without denying that promissory morality infiltrates modern contract, contract-as-vow-or-oath can expose by way of a supplementary account why some contract rules work as they do and can take some pressure off of a more unitary promissory theory in justifying, explicating, and reforming contract law.
Pedagogical Approaches in Music and Audio Education for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
Authors: Cheng Lee , Mcgregor Iain
Published: October 2024

Learning about music, sound or audio can present significant challenges for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). Given the advancements in technology and the increasing emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in education, this article proposes pedagogical approaches aimed at facilitating the learning process for DHH students in the areas of music and audio production. These approaches encompass sound visualisation, haptic feedback, automated transcription, tactics in non-linear editing and digital signal processing. Importantly, these approaches do not necessitate advanced technical skills or substantial additional resources, thus lowering barriers for DHH students to overcome challenges in music and audio production. Furthermore, these strategies would enable content creation and editing for individuals with DHH, who may have previously been excluded from participating in music and audio production. Recommendations are provided for the implementation of these approaches in diverse educational settings to promote the integration of EDI in music and audio education.
What do health professionals think about implementing psilocybin-assisted therapy in palliative care for existential distress? A World Café qualitative study
Authors: Masse-Grenier Marianne , Chang Sue-Ling , Bélanger Ariane , Stephan Jean-François , Hébert Johanne , Deschamps Pierre , Plourde Louis , Provost François , Farzin Houman , Fallu Jean-Sébastien , Dorval Michel ,   P3A Research Group
Published: October 2024

Objectives

Promising studies show that psilocybin-assisted therapy relieves existential distress in patients with serious illnesses, a difficult condition to treat with current treatment options. There is growing interest in this therapy in palliative care. Canada recently amended its laws to allow physicians to request psilocybin for end-of-life distress. However, barriers to access remain. Since implementing psilocybin-assisted therapy within palliative care depends on the attitudes of healthcare providers willing to recommend it, they should be actively engaged in the broader discussion about this treatment option. We aimed (1) to identify issues and concerns regarding the acceptability of this therapy among palliative care professionals and to discuss ways of remedying them and (2) to identify factors that may facilitate access.

Methods

A qualitative study design and World Café methodology were adopted to collect data. The event was held on April 24, 2023, with 16 palliative care professionals. The data was analyzed following an inductive approach.

Results

Although participants were interested in psilocybin-assisted therapy, several concerns and needs were identified. Educational and certified training needs, medical legalization of psilocybin, more research, refinement of therapy protocols, reflections on the type of professionals dispensing the therapy, the treatment venue, and eligibility criteria for treatment were discussed.

Significance of results

Palliative care professionals consider psilocybin-assisted therapy a treatment of interest, but it generates several concerns. According to our results, the acceptability of the therapy and the expansion of its access seem interrelated. The development of guidelines will be essential to encourage wider therapy deployment.
Thermodynamic and Dynamic Variations in Sea Ice Thickness of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, Driven by Atmospheric Circulation
Authors: Koo Younghyun , Xie Hongjie , Ackley Stephen F.
Published: October 2024

Atmospheric circulation has significant impacts on sea ice drifting patterns and mass balance, as wind drag induces pressure ridges and leads on the sea ice surface. In this study, the spatiotemporal distributions of these dynamic sea ice deformation features in the Ross Sea are examined using ICESat‐2 (IS2) ATL10 freeboard data (2019–2022). The temporal variation of the modal sea ice thickness (SIT), caused by thermodynamic ice growth and sea ice advection, varies from 0.7–1.0 m in April to 1.0–1.6 m in July–September and decreases thereafter in the northwest (NW) and northeast (NE) sectors. This temporal variation of modal SIT agrees with the air temperature (correlation coefficients >0.5). The southwest (SW) sector shows a consistently low modal SIT (<1.0 m) because of the production of new ice in polynyas and continuous northward sea ice drift. Meanwhile, the southeast (SE) sector shows the thickest ice in Octobers 2019 and 2020 because of the advection of thick ice from the Amundsen Sea, which was reduced in 2021 and 2022. In terms of dynamic sea ice deformation, the SE sector shows the largest deformation because of the wind‐driven convergence of sea ice movement. However, such intense deformation in the SE sector diminished in 2021 and 2022 due to the dominance of strong southerly wind associated with the Amundsen Sea Low (ASL). This study emphasizes the potential of IS2 sea ice products to assess the role of atmospheric driving forces on thermodynamic and dynamic sea ice changes.
A Bayesian Model for 20th Century Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Reconstruction
Authors: Maierhofer T. J. , Raphael M. N. , Fogt R. L. , Handcock M. S.
Published: October 2024

Antarctic sea ice, a key component in the complex Antarctic climate system, is an important driver and indicator of the global climate. In the relatively short satellite‐observed period from 1979 to 2022 the sea ice extent has continuously increased (contrasting a major decrease in Arctic sea ice) up to a dramatic decrease between 2014 and 2017. Recent years have seen record sea ice lows in February 2022–February 2023. We use a statistical ensemble reconstruction of Antarctic sea ice to put the observed changes into the historical context of the entire 20th century. We propose a seasonal Vector Auto‐Regressive Moving Average (VARMA) model fit in a Bayesian framework using regularized horseshoe priors on the regression coefficients to create a stochastic ensemble reconstruction of monthly Antarctic Sea ice extent from 1900 to 1979. This novel model produces a set of 2,500 plausible sea ice extent reconstructions for the sea ice by sector that incorporate the autocorrelation structure of sea ice over time as well as the dependence of sea ice between the sectors. These fully observed reconstructions exhibit plausible month‐to‐month changes in reconstructed sea ice as well as plausible interactions between the sectors and the total. We reconstruct an overall higher sea ice extent earlier in the 20th century with a relatively sharp decline in the 1970s. These trends agree well with previous reconstructions of Antarctic sea ice based on ice core data, whaling locations, and climatological data, as well as early satellite observations in the reconstruction period.
Underwater Bridge Suggests a Surprising Date for First Migration to Mallorca
Authors: Cutts Elise
Published: October 2024

A controversial study suggests that humans settled on the Spanish island 1,000 years earlier than archaeologists believe.
Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Maize Phenology in China From 2001 to 2020
Authors: Peng Qiongyan , Shen Ruoque , Liu Yujie , Li Xiangqian , Sun Qingling , Huang Jianxi , Yuan Wenping
Published: October 2024

Climate change has significantly altered crop phenology, which has further impacted crop growth and yield. Accurate monitoring of crop phenology is essential for managing agricultural production in response. However, regional monitoring requires high spatial resolution distribution data, as medium resolution data suffers from mixed pixel issues. This study based on a long‐term high spatiotemporal resolution fusion data set of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and an annually updated maize distribution data set, used the relative threshold method to identify the maize phenology in 22 provinces of China from 2001 to 2020. We further analyzed the trend of maize phenology and assessed its responses to climate change. The results reveal large inter‐annual fluctuations and spatial variability in maize phenology from 2001 to 2020. The length of the growth season (LOS) of spring maize has prolonged by 4.28 days in the northern maize zone and has shortened by 4.90 days in the southern maize zone. Additionally, the LOS of summer maize in the Huang‐Huai‐Hai region has shortened by 2.24 days. We also found a positive correlation between the length of the vegetative growth stage and the mean temperature and a negative correlation between the length of the reproductive growth stage and accumulated precipitation. This study utilized large‐scale, high‐resolution maize phenology data to analyze the trend of maize phenology and its response to climate change. These findings are expected to provide valuable support for assessing maize growth status and developing agricultural adaptive practices.
Real-time ultrasound to assess the umbilical catheter position in neonates: a randomized, controlled trial
Authors: Ponin Lalita , Ruangkit Chayatat , Ruangwattanapaisarn Nichanan , Nuntnarumit Pracha
Published: October 2024

Objective

To compare real-time ultrasound (RT-US) use as an adjunct tool to verify umbilical catheter placement versus standard care without ultrasound.

Study design

Neonates requiring umbilical venous catheter (UVC) and umbilical artery catheter (UAC) placement were randomized into the standard formula (No-US) and the RT-US groups. X-rays were used to confirm the catheter position.

Result

Fifty and forty-nine neonates were in the RT-US and No-US groups, respectively. RT- US showed a significantly higher rate of initial X-ray-confirmed proper catheter position than No-US (p < 0.001). The rates of proper positions of UVCs and UACs were significantly higher in the RT-US group than in the No-US group (both p < 0.001). Neonates in the RT-US group required fewer catheter adjustments and subsequent X-rays than those in the No-US group.

Conclusion

RT-US enhances the accuracy of UVC and UAC placement, reduces catheter adjustments, and the number of X-rays required.

Trial registration

TCTR20190622001
Metabolomic profiling reveals the step-wise alteration of bile acid metabolism in patients with diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Zhang Qing , Lu Liqian , Wang Jiao , Lu Manman , Liu Dongwei , Zhou Chunyu , Liu Zhangsuo
Published: October 2024

Background

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the major complication of diabetes concomitant with gut dysbiosis and glycometabolic disorder, which are strongly associated with bile acid (BA) metabolism. Yet studies investigating the BA metabolism involving in DKD pathogenesis are limited. This study aimed to explore the metabolomic profiling of BAs in DKD and analyze its association with DKD progression.

Methods

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was established to quantify BAs in the plasma, fecal and urine samples of patients with DKD or T2DM and healthy individuals (n = 30 for each group). The key BAs associated with DKD were identified by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Polynomial regression and Pearson’s correlation analyses were performed to assess the correlation between the key BAs and the clinical indicators reflecting DKD progression.

Results

Metabolomic profiling of 50 kinds of BAs presented the markedly step-wise alterations of BAs in plasma and feces as well as the little in urine of patients with DKD. Eight kinds of BAs in the plasma, eight kinds in the feces and three kinds in the urine were abnormally expressed, accompanying with the increased conjugated/unconjugated ratios of cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid and hyocholic acid in the plasma, and of cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid in the feces. Moreover, the increased plasma level of glycochenodeoxycholic acid, and the increased fecal levels of glycolithocholic acid, 7-ketodeoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid-3-β-D-glucuronide are strongly correlated with the clinical indicators reflecting DKD progression, including eGFR, 24 h urinary protein and 24 h urinary microalbumin.

Conclusions

Our study for the first time disclosed the specific alterations of BA metabolism reflecting the step-wise progression of DKD, providing the basis for early identification and therapeutical strategies for DKD.
Healthy ageing and oral health: priority, policy and public health
Authors: Patel Rakhee , Gallagher Jennifer E.
Published: October 2024

The global population ageing, and the pace of ageing is accelerating. Although people are living longer, these additional years are not being gained in health, and disability, chronic and long-term conditions increase with age. In response to the challenges of an ageing population, the United Nations and World Health Organisation declared 2021–2030 the Decade of Healthy Ageing, with the purpose of collaborative action to foster longer and healthier lives. This review explores the WHO public health framework for healthy ageing and global trends and policies, using the UK as an example of policy implementation. In response to the urgent need to consider the impact of ageing on oral health and oral healthcare systems, an integrated model for healthy ageing and oral health is proposed.
Activating the NFE2L1-ubiquitin-proteasome system by DDI2 protects from ferroptosis
Authors: Ofoghi Anahita , Kotschi Stefan , Lemmer Imke L. , Haas Daniel T. , Willemsen Nienke , Bayer Batoul , Jung Anna S. , Möller Sophie , Haberecht-Müller Stefanie , Krüger Elke , Krahmer Natalie , Bartelt Alexander
Published: October 2024

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent, non-apoptotic form of cell death initiated by oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Recent evidence has linked ferroptosis to the action of the transcription factor Nuclear factor erythroid-2 derived,-like-1 (NFE2L1). NFE2L1 regulates proteasome abundance in an adaptive fashion, maintaining protein quality control to secure cellular homeostasis, but the regulation of NFE2L1 during ferroptosis and the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) herein are still unclear. In the present study, using an unbiased proteomic approach charting the specific ubiquitylation sites, we show that induction of ferroptosis leads to recalibration of the UPS. RSL3-induced ferroptosis inhibits proteasome activity and leads to global hyperubiquitylation, which is linked to NFE2L1 activation. As NFE2L1 resides in the endoplasmic reticulum tethered to the membrane, it undergoes complex posttranslational modification steps to become active and induce the expression of proteasome subunit genes. We show that proteolytic cleavage of NFE2L1 by the aspartyl protease DNA-damage inducible 1 homolog 2 (DDI2) is a critical step for the ferroptosis-induced feed-back loop of proteasome function. Cells lacking DDI2 cannot activate NFE2L1 in response to RSL3 and show global hyperubiquitylation. Genetic or chemical induction of ferroptosis in cells with a disrupted DDI2-NFE2L1 pathway diminishes proteasomal activity and promotes cell death. Also, treating cells with the clinical drug nelfinavir, which inhibits DDI2, sensitized cells to ferroptosis. In conclusion, our results provide new insight into the importance of the UPS in ferroptosis and highlight the role of the DDI2-NFE2L1 as a potential therapeutic target. Manipulating DDI2-NFE2L1 activity through chemical inhibition might help sensitizing cells to ferroptosis, thus enhancing existing cancer therapies.
Tumour-informed liquid biopsies to monitor advanced melanoma patients under immune checkpoint inhibition
Authors: Schroeder Christopher , Gatidis Sergios , Kelemen Olga , Schütz Leon , Bonzheim Irina , Muyas Francesc , Martus Peter , Admard Jakob , Armeanu-Ebinger Sorin , Gückel Brigitte , Küstner Thomas , Garbe Claus , Flatz Lukas , Pfannenberg Christina , Ossowski Stephan , Forschner Andrea
Published: October 2024

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have significantly improved overall survival in melanoma patients. However, 60% experience severe adverse events and early response markers are lacking. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is a promising biomarker for treatment-response and recurrence detection. The prospective PET/LIT study included 104 patients with palliative combined or adjuvant ICI. Tumour-informed sequencing panels to monitor 30 patient-specific variants were designed and 321 liquid biopsies of 87 patients sequenced. Mean sequencing depth after deduplication using UMIs was 6000x and the error rate of UMI-corrected reads was 2.47×10−4. Variant allele fractions correlated with PET/CT MTV (rho=0.69), S100 (rho=0.72), and LDH (rho=0.54). A decrease of allele fractions between T1 and T2 was associated with improved PFS and OS in the palliative cohort (p = 0.008 and p < 0.001). ctDNA was detected in 76.9% of adjuvant patients with relapse (n = 10/13), while all patients without progression (n = 9) remained ctDNA negative. Tumour-informed liquid biopsies are a reliable tool for monitoring treatment response and early relapse in melanoma patients with ICI.
Design principles for energy transfer in the photosystem II supercomplex from kinetic transition networks
Authors: Yang Shiun-Jr , Wales David J. , Woods Esmae J. , Fleming Graham R.
Published: October 2024

Photosystem II (PSII) has the unique ability to perform water-splitting. With light-harvesting complexes, it forms the PSII supercomplex (PSII-SC) which is a functional unit that can perform efficient energy conversion, as well as photoprotection, allowing photosynthetic organisms to adapt to the naturally fluctuating sunlight intensity. Achieving these functions requires a collaborative energy transfer network between all subunits of the PSII-SC. In this work, we perform kinetic analyses and characterise the energy landscape of the PSII-SC with a structure-based energy transfer model. With first passage time analyses and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, we are able to map out the overall energy transfer network. We also investigate how energy transfer pathways are affected when individual protein complexes are removed from the network, revealing the functional roles of the subunits of the PSII-SC. In addition, we provide a quantitative description of the flat energy landscape of the PSII-SC. We show that it is a unique landscape that produces multiple kinetically relevant pathways, corresponding to a high pathway entropy. These design principles are crucial for balancing efficient energy conversion and photoprotection.
Exploring consumer acceptability of leafy greens in earth and space immersive environments using biometrics
Authors: Gonzalez Viejo Claudia , Harris Natalie , Tongson Eden , Fuentes Sigfredo
Published: October 2024

Novel research on food perception is required for long-term space exploration. There is limited research on food/beverage sensory analysis in space and space-simulated conditions, with many studies presenting biases in sensory and statistical methods. This study used univariate and multivariate analysis on data from pick-and-eat leafy greens to assess self-reported and biometric consumer sensory analysis in simulated microgravity using reclining chairs and space-immersive environments. According to ANOVA (p < 0.05), there were significant differences between interaction room × position for head movements; besides, there were non-significant differences in the interaction samples × environment. On the other hand, there were significant differences in the sample×position interaction for all liking attributes. Results from multivariate analysis showed effects on self-reported, physiological, and emotional responses of samples in space-related positions and environments related to sensory perception changes. Non-invasive biometrics could offer a powerful tool for developing digital twins to assess genetically modified plants and plant-based food/beverages for long-term space exploration.
Spatial and functional separation of mTORC1 signalling in response to different amino acid sources
Authors: Fernandes Stephanie A. , Angelidaki Danai-Dimitra , Nüchel Julian , Pan Jiyoung , Gollwitzer Peter , Elkis Yoav , Artoni Filippo , Wilhelm Sabine , Kovacevic-Sarmiento Marija , Demetriades Constantinos
Published: October 2024

Amino acid (AA) availability is a robust determinant of cell growth through controlling mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity. According to the predominant model in the field, AA sufficiency drives the recruitment and activation of mTORC1 on the lysosomal surface by the heterodimeric Rag GTPases, from where it coordinates the majority of cellular processes. Importantly, however, the teleonomy of the proposed lysosomal regulation of mTORC1 and where mTORC1 acts on its effector proteins remain enigmatic. Here, by using multiple pharmacological and genetic means to perturb the lysosomal AA-sensing and protein recycling machineries, we describe the spatial separation of mTORC1 regulation and downstream functions in mammalian cells, with lysosomal and non-lysosomal mTORC1 phosphorylating distinct substrates in response to different AA sources. Moreover, we reveal that a fraction of mTOR localizes at lysosomes owing to basal lysosomal proteolysis that locally supplies new AAs, even in cells grown in the presence of extracellular nutrients, whereas cytoplasmic mTORC1 is regulated by exogenous AAs. Overall, our study substantially expands our knowledge about the topology of mTORC1 regulation by AAs and hints at the existence of distinct, Rag- and lysosome-independent mechanisms that control its activity at other subcellular locations. Given the importance of mTORC1 signalling and AA sensing for human ageing and disease, our findings will probably pave the way towards the identification of function-specific mTORC1 regulators and thus highlight more effective targets for drug discovery against conditions with dysregulated mTORC1 activity in the future.
Diverse anti-defence systems are encoded in the leading region of plasmids
Authors: Samuel Bruria , Mittelman Karin , Croitoru Shirly Ynbal , Ben Haim Maya , Burstein David
Published: October 2024

Plasmids are major drivers of gene mobilization by means of horizontal gene transfer and play a key role in spreading antimicrobial resistance among pathogens1,2. Despite various bacterial defence mechanisms such as CRISPR–Cas, restriction–modification systems and SOS-response genes that prevent the invasion of mobile genetic elements3, plasmids robustly transfer within bacterial populations through conjugation4,5. Here we show that the leading region of plasmids, the first to enter recipient cells, is a hotspot for an extensive repertoire of anti-defence systems, encoding anti-CRISPR, anti-restriction, anti-SOS and other counter-defence proteins. We further identified in the leading region a prevalence of promoters known to allow expression from single-stranded DNA6, potentially facilitating rapid protection against bacterial immunity during the early stages of plasmid establishment. We demonstrated experimentally the importance of anti-defence gene localization in the leading region for efficient conjugation. These results indicate that focusing on the leading region of plasmids could lead to the discovery of diverse anti-defence genes. Combined, our findings show a new facet of plasmid dissemination and provide theoretical foundations for developing efficient conjugative delivery systems for natural microbial communities.
Structural basis of mRNA decay by the human exosome–ribosome supercomplex
Authors: Kögel Alexander , Keidel Achim , Loukeri Matina-Jasemi , Kuhn Christopher C. , Langer Lukas M. , Schäfer Ingmar B. , Conti Elena
Published: October 2024

The interplay between translation and mRNA decay is widespread in human cells1–3. In quality-control pathways, exonucleolytic degradation of mRNA associated with translating ribosomes is mediated largely by the cytoplasmic exosome4–9, which includes the exoribonuclease complex EXO10 and the helicase complex SKI238 (refs. 10–16). The helicase can extract mRNA from the ribosome and is expected to transfer it to the exoribonuclease core through a bridging factor, HBS1L3 (also known as SKI7), but the mechanisms of this molecular handover remain unclear7,17,18. Here we reveal how human EXO10 is recruited by HBS1L3 (SKI7) to an active ribosome-bound SKI238 complex. We show that rather than a sequential handover, a direct physical coupling mechanism takes place, which culminates in the formation of a cytoplasmic exosome–ribosome supercomplex. Capturing the structure during active decay reveals a continuous path in which an RNA substrate threads from the 80S ribosome through the SKI2 helicase into the exoribonuclease active site of the cytoplasmic exosome complex. The SKI3 subunit of the complex directly binds to HBS1L3 (SKI7) and also engages a surface of the 40S subunit, establishing a recognition platform in collided disomes. Exosome and ribosome thus work together as a single structural and functional unit in co-translational mRNA decay, coordinating their activities in a transient supercomplex.
Single-neuron representations of odours in the human brain
Authors: Kehl Marcel S. , Mackay Sina , Ohla Kathrin , Schneider Matthias , Borger Valeri , Surges Rainer , Spehr Marc , Mormann Florian
Published: October 2024

Olfaction is a fundamental sensory modality that guides animal and human behaviour1,2. However, the underlying neural processes of human olfaction are still poorly understood at the fundamental—that is, the single-neuron—level. Here we report recordings of single-neuron activity in the piriform cortex and medial temporal lobe in awake humans performing an odour rating and identification task. We identified odour-modulated neurons within the piriform cortex, amygdala, entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. In each of these regions, neuronal firing accurately encodes odour identity. Notably, repeated odour presentations reduce response firing rates, demonstrating central repetition suppression and habituation. Different medial temporal lobe regions have distinct roles in odour processing, with amygdala neurons encoding subjective odour valence, and hippocampal neurons predicting behavioural odour identification performance. Whereas piriform neurons preferably encode chemical odour identity, hippocampal activity reflects subjective odour perception. Critically, we identify that piriform cortex neurons reliably encode odour-related images, supporting a multimodal role of the human piriform cortex. We also observe marked cross-modal coding of both odours and images, especially in the amygdala and piriform cortex. Moreover, we identify neurons that respond to semantically coherent odour and image information, demonstrating conceptual coding schemes in olfaction. Our results bridge the long-standing gap between animal models and non-invasive human studies and advance our understanding of odour processing in the human brain by identifying neuronal odour-coding principles, regional functional differences and cross-modal integration.