bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between exposure to OPEs and rheumatoid arthritis risk among adults in NHANES, 2011-2018
Authors: Singh Sneha , Pirouz Elsa , Shahmoradi Amir
Published: September 2024

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has an intricate etiology that includes environmental factors as well as genetics. Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are frequently used as chemical additives in many personal care products and household items. However, there has been limited research on their potential effects on rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The specific associations between OPEs and RA remain largely unexplored. This study investigates any potential associations between adult rheumatoid arthritis risk and exposure to OPEs. We investigated data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2018 among participants over 20 years old. In two models, multivariable logistic regression was utilized to investigate the relationship between exposure to OPEs and RA. Furthermore, subgroup analyses stratified by age, gender, and dose exposure response were evaluated. Generalized additive models and smooth curve fits were used to characterize the nonlinear relationship between RA and OPEs. In conclusion, 5490 individuals (RA: 319, Non-RA: 5171) were analyzed. Higher quantiles (Q4) of DPHP and DBUP showed a higher prevalence of RA than the lowest quantiles. Our findings show that adult RA prevalence is higher in those who have been exposed to OPEs (DPHP, DBUP). Interestingly, these correlations seem to be stronger among women, the elderly, those with higher BMIs, and those who have diabetes. The dose-response curve for DPHP and DBUP demonstrated an upward-sloping trend. In contrast, BCEP and BCPP showed a U-shaped relationship and an inverted U-shaped relationship with the probability of RA.BDCPP demonstrated a complex relationship with a peak at lower concentrations followed by a decrease. Finally, our study also concludes that exposure to OPEs plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of RA.

Highlights

Urinary metabolites of OPEs (DPHP, DBUP) are associated with the increased prevalence of RA.

BDCPP appears to have a protective effect, reducing the risk of RA.

Associations are more prominent in females, participants over 60 years, and those with higher BMI.

Exposure to OPEs plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Graphical Abstract
Exploring COVID-19 Pandemic Perceptions and Vaccine Uptake among Community Members and Primary Healthcare Workers in Nigeria: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Sogbesan Abiodun , Bakare Ayobami , van Wees Sibylle Herzig , Salako Julius , Bakare Damola , Olojede Omotayo E , Akinsola Kofoworola , Bakare Oluwabunmi R. , Falade Adegoke , King Carina
Published: September 2024

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global health, with diverse perceptions about the disease and control measures, including vaccination. Understanding these perceptions can help inform public health and vaccination strategies in future outbreaks. This study examined community members and healthcare workers’ (HCWs) perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines in Nigeria, exploring factors influencing vaccine acceptance and hesitancy.

Methods

We conducted a mixed-methods study, combining quantitative survey data from 2,602 respondents (2,206 community members and 396 HCWs) with qualitative interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake and pandemic perceptions, while qualitative insights provided a deeper understanding of cultural perceptions, experiences, and hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine.

Results

Overall, 43.4% of community members and 96.7% of HCWs received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine uptake was positively associated with increasing age, previous COVID-19 testing, male sex, government employment, and knowing someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Christianity was associated with lower uptake among community members. Perceptions varied, with 34.2% of community members and 17.7% of HCWs considering COVID-19 a death sentence, while 27.8% and 22.0% believed in ‘African immunity,’ respectively. Hesitancy was driven by the fear of side effects (32.6%), pregnancy-related concerns (25.9%), and convenience-related issues (13.5%). Qualitative data found misinformation, mistrust, fear of adverse reactions, logistical challenges, and belief in the sufficiency of childhood vaccination fuelled hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine. Despite this, general trust in vaccine safety and efficacy remained high, with most respondents willing to be vaccinated against other diseases and future outbreaks.

Conclusion

Our findings underscore the need for tailored public health strategies to address specific sociodemographic factors, individual perceptions, and logistical challenges to enhance COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Public health campaigns should focus on debunking myths, improving vaccine literacy, and leveraging the social influence of respected community leaders to build trust.
Genetic ancestry in Puerto Rican Afro-descendants illustrates diverse histories of African diasporic populations
Authors: Nieves-Colón Maria A. , Ulrich Emma C. , Chen Lijuan , Torres Colón Gabriel A. , Rivera Clemente Maricruz ,   La Corporación Piñones Se Integra (COPI), Benn Torres Jada
Published: September 2024

Objectives

Genetic studies of contemporary Puerto Ricans reflect a demographic history characterized by admixture between Indigenous American, African, and European peoples. While previous studies provide genetic perspectives on the general Puerto Rican population, less is known about the island’s sub-populations, specifically Afro-Puerto Ricans.

Materials and Methods

In this study, the genetic ancestry of Afro-Puerto Ricans is characterized and compared to other Caribbean populations. Thirty DNA samples collected among self-identified Puerto Ricans of African descent in Loíza (n=2), Piñones (n=13), San Juan (n=2), Mayagüez (n=9), and Ponce (n=4), were genotyped at 750,000 loci on the National Geographic Genochip. We then applied unsupervised clustering and dimensionality-reduction methods to detect continental and subcontinental African and European genetic ancestry patterns.

Results

Admixture analyses reveal that on average, the largest genetic ancestry component for Afro-Puerto Ricans is African in origin, followed by European and Indigenous American genetic ancestry components. African biogeographic origins of Afro-Puerto Ricans align most closely with contemporary peoples of Lower Guinea and the Bight of Biafra, while the European genetic ancestry component is most similar to contemporary Iberian, Italian, and Basque populations. These findings contrast with the biogeographic origins of comparative Barbadian and Puerto Rican populations.

Discussion

Our results suggest that while there are similarities in general patterns of genetic ancestry among African descendants in the Caribbean, there is previously unrecognized regional heterogeneity, including among Puerto Rican sub-populations. These results are also consistent with available historical sources, while providing depth absent from the documentary record, particularly with regard to African ancestry.
ACVR2A Facilitates Trophoblast Cell Invasion through TCF7/c-JUN Pathway in Pre-eclampsia Progression
Authors: Yang Shujing , Liu Huanyao , Hu Jieshi , Chen Bingjun , An Wanlu , Song Xuwen , Yang Yi , He Fang
Published: September 2024

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a serious pregnancy disorder linked to genetic factors, particularly the ACVR2A gene, which encodes a receptor involved in the activin signaling pathway and plays a critical role in reproductive processes. Transcriptomic data analysis and experimental verification confirmed a downregulation of ACVR2A expression in placental tissues from PE patients. In this study, CRISPR/Cas9 technology was employed to investigate the effect of ACVR2A gene deletion on trophoblast cells using the HTR8/SVneo and JAR cell lines. Deletion of ACVR2A inhibits trophoblastic migration, proliferation, and invasion, underscoring its pivotal role in cellular function. RNA-seq data analysis unveiled an intricate regulatory network influenced by ACVR2A gene knockout, especially in the TCF7/c-JUN pathway. By employing RT-PCR and immunohistochemical analysis, a potential association between ACVR2A and the TCF7/c-JUN pathway was hypothesized and confirmed. The complexity of PE onset and the significance of genetic factors were emphasized, particularly the role of the ACVR2A gene identified in GWAS. This study established a robust foundation for delving deeper into the intricate mechanisms of PE, paving the way for focused early intervention, personalized treatment, and enhanced obstetric healthcare.
Age distribution characteristics of 1915 cases of otitis media with effusion in children
Authors: Li Mingyang , Chen Xiangyu , Xu Jingyue , Liu Zihan , Xie Cuncun , Jia Xiaodong , Ding Shaoguang , Wang Guangke , Liu Hongjian
Published: September 2024

Objective

Objective To study the age distribution characteristics of otitis media with effusion in children and provide a basis for the selection of the timing of tympanic membrane perforation repair in children.

Methods

A total of 1915 children with otitis media with effusion who visited our hospital from 2017 to 2022 were collected and divided into 4 groups according to age, namely, infant group, preschool group, school-age group and adolescent group, to study the distribution characteristics of the age of onset of children with otitis media with effusion.

Results

The peak age of children with otitis media with effusion in the preschool period of 4-6 years old was the peak age of children with otitis media with effusion. The number of visits for otitis media with effusion in children aged 7 years old showed an obvious decline “inflection point”, and the number of visits for otitis media with effusion in adolescent children after the age of 13 years old tended to be stable.

Conclusion

The incidence of otitis media with effusion in children decreased significantly after the age of 7, and the number of visits for otitis media with effusion in children aged 13 years was close to that of adults. This conclusion provides a theoretical basis for the timing of tympanic membrane perforation repair in children.

Short summary

This study aims to investigate the characteristics of otitis media with effusion otitis media with effusion (OME) in children, focusing on the peak periods for treatment and surgical intervention, the “inflection point” in treatment trends, and the overall changing trends in OME. The findings will provide a foundation for determining the appropriate timing for surgical intervention in pediatric OME cases.
Constructing well-defined neural networks of multiple cell types by picking and placing of neuronal spheroids using FluidFM
Authors: Connolly Sinéad , Vulić Katarina , Zare-Eelanjegh Elaheh , Simonett Marta , Duru Jens , Ruff Tobias , Clément Blandine F. , Vörös János
Published: September 2024

Controlled placement of single cells, spheroids and organoids is important forin vitroresearch, especially for bottom-up biology and for lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip applications. This study utilised FluidFM technology in order to automatically pick and place neuronal spheroids and single cells. Both single cells and spheroids of interest could be selected using light microscopy or fluorescent staining. A process flow was developed to automatically pick and pattern these neurons on flat surfaces, as well as to deposit them into polydimethylsiloxane microstructures on microelectrode arrays. It was shown that highly accurate and reproducible neuronal circuits can be built using the FluidFM automated workflow.
Research report CERITER Clinical study - Stride One
Authors: Meyer Sarah , Limet Jan , Stevens Piet , Michielsen Marc
Published: September 2024

Objective

This study investigates the short-term impact of the use of Ceriter Stride One on the quality of gait in patients rehabilitating after a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Stride One is a smart insole that provides real-time audio feedback (cues) to the patient when performing a certain exercise. The goal of Stride One is to allow patients to practice walking more intensively and with higher quality during rehabilitation.

Method

Ten patients were offered therapy using Stride One for one week. The quality of the gait pattern was evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the week, with and without the use of Stride One. An additional evaluation was performed three to four days after the end of therapy without the use of Stride One. One patient was unable to complete the therapy due to a fall.

Results

Both therapist and patient reported an improvement in the quality of the foot roll-off pattern in 100% of cases. This improvement was also objectively determined in the data measured by Stride One, with an average of 8% improvement on Stride One general quality parameter, and an average of 25% improvement on Stride One specific quality parameter for the specific patient. Furthermore, 89% of patients indicate that using Stride One helps them to understand their physiotherapist better, and 67% of patients indicate that they can practice more and better with Stride One.

Conclusion

Practicing one week with Stride One generates a positive clinical impact on the gait pattern. A lasting improvement in the gait pattern without using Stride One, three to four days after the intervention, could not be demonstrated in this short time period. Further research is needed to evaluate the effect of Stride One after more long-term use.

Additional research questions are suggested.
Satellite glial cells modulate proprioceptive neuron activity in dorsal root ganglia
Authors: Rabah Yasmine , Agulhon Cendra
Published: September 2024

Proprioception, the sense of body and limb position, is mediated by proprioceptors and is crucial for important motor functions such as standing and walking. Proprioceptor cell bodies reside within the peripheral dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and are tightly enveloped by satellite glial cells (SGCs). SCGs express a number of Gqprotein-coupled receptors (GqGPCRs), but their functional consequences on proprioceptor activity is unknown. Using a combination of chemogenetics, genetics, Ca2+imaging, pharmacology, immunohistochemistry, and biochemistry, we provide evidence that SGC GqGPCR signaling is sufficient to drive purinergic receptor-mediated Ca2+responses in proprioceptor cell bodies. Our findings suggest a potential role for SGC GqGPCR signaling in shaping proprioceptor information processing. Furthermore, this demonstration of SGC-induced proprioceptor activation has profound implications with SGC GqGPCR signaling and purinergic receptors representing potential therapeutic targets for alleviating some proprioceptor and sensorimotor impairments associated with spinal muscular atrophy or Friedreich’s ataxia.
Perioperative albumin versus other fluids to prevent cardiac surgery associated kidney injury: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials
Authors: Darlison Phoebe , Brown Alastair , Neto Ary Serpa , Pakavakis Adrian , Balachandran Mayurathan , Shehabi Yahya
Published: September 2024

Background

Acute kidney injury is a common complication following cardiac surgery. Albumin infusions have been proposed as an intervention that reduce the risk of this complication, but existing data have shown heterogenous results. The recent completion of two randomised controlled trial of Albumin infusions in cardiac surgical patients provides the opportunity to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to improve the precision of the estimated treatment effect of Albumin infusions in cardiac surgery.

Methods

We will conduct a systematic review of randomised controlled trials that have evaluated the use of peri-operative Albumin infusions compared to comparator fluids in patient undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery. We will conduct a search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane Central from inception to 22nd August. The review will be conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. We will use a bayesian framework to estimate the treatment effect of albumin to prevent acute kidney injury defined according to the KDIGO criteria.

Results

This systematic review has been prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024580170) and the formal search was conducted on 23rdAugust 2024. Title and abstract screening has commenced with data extraction to commence following the submission of the protocol.

Conclusion

This systematic review will provide an updated systematic review and meta-analysis to inform clinicians about the role Albumin infusion in cardiac surgery.
Pyrotinib after trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (PERSIST): A multicenter phase II trial
Authors: Cao Feilin , Ma Zhaosheng , Wu Zenggui , Wu Weizhu , Wang Ouchen , Cui Binbin , Zhu Xiaotao , Hao Jing , Ji Xiaochun , Li Zhanwen , Tao Deyou , Feng Qingjing , Lin Wei , Shi Dongbo , Shu Jingde , Zhou Jichun , Huang Shifen
Published: September 2024

BackgroundApproximately one-third of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer experienced recurrence within 10 years after receiving 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab. The ExteNET study showed that 1 year of extended adjuvant neratinib after trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy could reduce invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) events compared with placebo. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib, an irreversible pan-HER receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, after trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy in patients with high-risk, HER2-positive early or locally advanced breast cancer.

MethodsThis multicenter phase II trial was conducted at 23 centers in China. After enrollment, patients received 1 year of extended adjuvant pyrotinib (400 mg/day), which should be initiated within 6 months after the completion of 1-year adjuvant therapy (trastuzumab alone or plus pertuzumab). The primary endpoint was 2-year iDFS rate.

ResultsBetween January 2019 and February 2022, 141 eligible women were enrolled and treated. As of October 10, 2022, the median follow-up was 24 (interquartile range, 18.0-34.0) months. The 2-year iDFS rate was 94.59% (95% CI: 88.97-97.38) in all patients, 94.90% (95% CI: 86.97-98.06) in patients who completed 1-year treatment, 90.32% (95% CI: 72.93-96.77) in patients who completed only 6-month treatment, 96.74% (95% CI: 87.57-99.18) in the hormone receptor-positive subgroup, 92.77% (95% CI: 83.48-96.93) in the hormone receptor-negative subgroup, 96.88% (95% CI: 79.82-99.55) in the lymph node-negative subgroup, 93.85% (95% CI: 86.81-97.20) in the lymph node-positive subgroup, 97.30% (95% CI: 82.32-99.61) in patients with adjuvant trastuzumab plus pertuzumab, and 93.48% (95% CI: 86.06-97.02) in patients with adjuvant trastuzumab. The most common adverse events were diarrhea (79.4%), fatigue (36.9%), lymphocyte count decreased (36.9%), nausea (33.3%), and hand-foot syndrome (33.3%).

ConclusionExtended adjuvant pyrotinib administrated after trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy showed promising efficacy in patients with high-risk HER2-positive breast cancer. The follow-up is ongoing to determine the long-term benefit.
Quantum skyrmion dynamics studied by neural network quantum states
Authors: Joshi Ashish , Peters Robert , Posske Thore
Published: September 2024

We study the dynamics of quantum skyrmions under a magnetic field gradient using neural network quantum states. First, we obtain a quantum skyrmion lattice ground state using variational Monte Carlo with a restricted Boltzmann machine as the variational ansatz for a quantum Heisenberg model with a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Then, using the time-dependent variational principle, we study the real-time evolution of quantum skyrmions after a Hamiltonian quench with an inhomogeneous external magnetic field. We show that field gradients are an effective way of manipulating and moving quantum skyrmions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that quantum skyrmions can decay when interacting with each other. This work shows that neural network quantum states offer a promising way of studying the real-time evolution of quantum magnetic systems that are outside the realm of exact diagonalization.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Bonding and antibonding electromagnetic coupling in two interacting toroidal metamolecules
Authors: Wu Tong , Evlyukhin Andrey B. , Tuz Vladimir R.
Published: September 2024

The existence of a toroidal-like eigenmode and its electromagnetic coupling in a system of dielectric particles are studied. A constituent structure (metamolecule) is made of a ring consisting of the radial arrangement of several vertically standing dielectric disks (meta-atoms). In the eigenstate of the given metamolecule, the second-order term related to the exact electric dipole in the multipole decomposition is much greater than the first-order term. This eigenstate is defined as a toroidal-like mode. Then, the characteristics of a system (metamacromolecule) composed of two identical rings are studied in both eigen- and excited states to reveal the peculiarities of the toroidal-like mode coupling. Similar to the well-known electric dipole-dipole and magnetic dipole-dipole interactions, the interaction of toroidal-like modes also appears in symmetric (bonding) and antisymmetric (antibonding) forms. Their excitation in the metamacromolecule depends on the propagation direction and polarization of the irradiating wave. The manifestation of toroidal-like mode coupling is confirmed by checking the extinction cross section and near-field distributions obtained from the full-wave numerical simulation and microwave experiment. A clear understanding of the nature of toroidicity is important from the fundamental physics perspective and practical implementation of metamaterials operated in such exotic states.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Glue in hadrons at medium resolution and the QCD instanton vacuum
Authors: Liu Wei-Yang , Shuryak Edward , Zahed Ismail
Published: September 2024

We discuss a general framework for the evaluation of the gluonic form factors in light hadrons at low momentum transfer, in the QCD instanton vacuum. At medium resolution of the order of the inverse mean instanton size, the glue is mostly localized in single or pairs of pseudoparticles and globally constrained by the fluctuations of their topological charges. These pseudoparticles trap light quarks, giving rise to emerging multiflavor ’t Hooft interactions. We explicitly evaluate the gluonic scalar, pseudoscalar, energy-momentum tensor (EMT), and the leading C-odd and C-even three-gluon hadronic form factors, at next to leading order in the instanton density, including molecular clusters of like and unlike instantons. We use the results for the EMT to address the contribution of the gluons in Ji’s mass and spin sum rules, at low resolution. When evolved, our results for the mass and spin composition of the nucleon are shown to be in good agreement with the recently reported lattice results at higher resolution.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Production of a
BB¯
bound state via
ϒ(4S)
radiative decays
Authors: Britto André L. M. , Abreu Luciano M.
Published: September 2024

Motivated by recent theoretical predictions about the existence of a BB¯ bound state [also denoted as X(10550)], in this work we estimate the production of the S-wave B+B− molecule via ϒ(4S) radiative decays. In particular, we make use of effective Lagrangian approach and the compositeness condition to calculate the X(10550) production rate via ϒ(4S)→γX(10550) decays employing triangle diagrams. Our results show that the partial decay width of this reaction is of the order of 0.5–192 keV for a respective binding energy of 1–100 MeV, corresponding to a branching fraction of 10−5–10−3. These findings suggest that the existence of the X(10550) might be checked via the analysis of the mentioned decay in present and future experiments.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Quantum migration and its local heat impact: Understanding local heat capacity of confined systems
Authors: Sisman Altug , Fransson Jonas
Published: September 2024

For noninteracting particles confined in a constant volume, the temperature derivative of the local energy assumes negative values in thermodynamic equilibrium at low temperatures. This peculiar behavior may entail the misleading unphysical conclusion that the local heat capacity is negative. However, we show that temperature-dependent density variations of confined particles induce an energy selective particle transport within the domain, here called . This macroscopic quantum phenomenon causes a redistribution of local heat and ensures a non-negative local heat capacity. Moreover, it induces local heating and cooling effects and a massive overshoot in local heat capacity. The quantum migration also builds up the thermal part of confinement energy, manifesting in an excess global heat capacity. Analyzing the local energy fluctuations shows that the linear relationship between heat capacity and fluctuations is broken at the local scale.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Experimental certification of level dynamics in single-photon emitters
Authors: Lachman Lukáš , Radko Ilya P. , Bergamin Maxime , Andersen Ulrik L. , Huck Alexander , Filip Radim
Published: September 2024

Emitters of single photons are essential resources for emerging quantum technologies and developed within different platforms including nonlinear optics and atomic and solid-state systems. The energy-level structures of emission processes are critical for reaching and controlling high-quality sources. The most commonly applied test uses a Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT) setup to determine the emitter energy-level structure based on fitting temporal correlations of photon detection events. However, only partial information about the emission process is extracted from such detection, that might be followed by an inconclusive fitting of the data. This process predetermines our limited ability to quantify and understand the dynamics in the photon emission process that are of importance for the applications in communication, sensing, and computing. In this work, we present a complete analysis based on all normalized coincidences between detection and no-detection events recorded in the same HBT setup to certify expected properties of an emitted photonic state. As a proof of concept we apply our methodology to single nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, in which case the certification conclusively rejects a model based on a two-level emitter that radiates a photonic state mixed with any classical noise background.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Phase and contrast moiré signatures in two-dimensional cone beam interferometry
Authors: Sarenac D. , Gorbet G. , Clark Charles W. , Cory D. G. , Ekinci H. , Henderson M. E. , Huber M. G. , Hussey D. S. , Kapahi C. , Kienzle P. A. , Kim Y. , Long A. M. , Parker J. D. , Shinohara T. , Song F. , Pushin D. A.
Published: September 2024

Neutron interferometry has played a distinctive role in fundamental science and characterization of materials. Moiré neutron interferometers are candidate next-generation instruments: they offer microscopy-like magnification of the signal, enabling direct camera recording of interference patterns across the full neutron wavelength spectrum. Here we demonstrate the extension of phase-grating moiré interferometry to two-dimensional geometries. Our fork-dislocation phase gratings reveal phase singularities in the moiré pattern, and we explore orthogonal moiré patterns with two-dimensional phase gratings. Our measurements of phase topologies and gravitationally induced phase shifts are in good agreement with theory. These techniques can be implemented in existing neutron instruments to advance interferometric analyses of emerging materials and precision measurements of fundamental constants.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
No drama in two-dimensional black hole evaporation
Authors: Barenboim Jonathan , Frolov Andrei V. , Kunstatter Gabor
Published: September 2024

We numerically calculate the spacetime describing the formation and evaporation of a regular black hole in 2D dilaton gravity. The apparent horizons evaporate smoothly in finite time to form a compact trapped region. We nevertheless see rich dynamics: an antitrapped region forms alongside the black hole and additional compact trapped and antitrapped regions are formed by backreaction effects as the mass radiates away. The spacetime is asymptotically flat at future null infinity and is free of singularities and Cauchy horizons. These results suggest that the evaporation of regular 2D black holes is unitary.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Three Photon Excited Image Scanning Microscopy for in-Depth Super-Resolution Studies of Biological Samples
Authors: Classen Anton , Antolovic I. Michel , Vitha Stanislav , Pacheco Mia , McCreedy Dylan , Sokolov Alexei V. , Agarwal Girish S. , Verhoef Aart J. , Fernández Alma
Published: September 2024

Multiphoton laser scanning microscopy is a powerful tool for deep imaging of thick biological samples. Image scanning microscopy (ISM) has demonstrated significant improvements in the signal-to-noise ratio in confocal laser scanning microscopy, while at the same time improving upon the effectively attainable resolution. Two-photon excitation (2PE), combined with ISM, has been shown to allow for deep tissue imaging with enhanced resolution compared to 2PE microscopy. Three-photon excitation (3PE) has enabled record imaging depth and contrast for multiphoton imaging, due to the superior suppression of out-of-focus signal generation. In this paper, we demonstrate super-resolution 3PE ISM. This is achieved using a single-photon avalanche detector array, and 1040-nm pulses for 3PE of blue fluorescence. This method enables subdiffraction limited resolution imaging of biological samples stained with blue fluorescent markers, such as mouse myocardial and spinal cord tissues stained with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole. Deconvolution improves the resolving power further and allows for imaging with better than λ/8 resolution with respect to the 3PE wavelength λ. With the ISM pixel reassignment procedure, we demonstrate a resolution enhancement of ∼1.6 laterally, compared to the resolution attained using a photomultiplier tube in a non-descanned detection arrangement, and a factor of ∼1.8 enhancement in axial resolution. The experimentally measured three-dimensional point spread function volume is shrunk ∼4.4-fold, which is close to the theoretically expected enhancement.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Entanglement Generation via Single-Qubit Rotations in a Torn Hilbert Space
Authors: Zhang Tao , Chi Zhihao , Hu Jiazhong
Published: September 2024

We propose an efficient yet simple protocol to generate arbitrary symmetric entangled states with only global single-qubit rotations in a torn Hilbert space. The system is based on spin-1/2 qubits in a resonator such as atoms in an optical cavity or superconducting qubits coupled to a main bus. By sending light or microwave into the resonator, it induces ac Stark shifts on particular angular-momentum eigenstates (Dicke states) of qubits. Then we are able to generate barriers that hinder transitions between adjacent Dicke states and tear the original Hilbert space into pieces. Therefore, a simple global single-qubit rotation becomes highly nontrivial, and thus generates entanglement among the many-body system. By optimal control of energy shifts on Dicke states, we are able to generate arbitrary symmetric entangled states. We also exemplify that we can create varieties of useful states with near-unity fidelities in only one or very few steps, including W states, spin-squeezed states (SSSs), and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states. Particularly, the SSS can be created by only one step with a squeezing parameter ξR2∼1/N0.843 approaching the Heisenberg limit. Our finding establishes a way for universal entanglement generations with only single-qubit drivings where all the multiple-qubit controls are integrated into simply switching on or off microwave. It has direct applications in the variational quantum optimizer, which is available with existing technology.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Simulation and modelling of the detergent corona around the membrane protein MhsT based on SAXS data
Authors: De Pol Florian , Baranowski Maciej , Neumann Caroline , Trampari Sofia , Nissen Poul , Pérez Javier
Published: September 2024

For membrane proteins, ab initio modelling based on a single curve of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is precluded by the presence of detergent molecules bound to the hydrophobic region of the protein. MEMPROT was developed for the modelling of protein–detergent complexes based on the SAXS curve of the complex, and on an a priori representation of the detergent corona by an elliptical semi-torus surrounding the protein. In previous studies, MEMPROT has succeeded in modelling several membrane proteins solubilized in n-dodecyl-β-maltopyranoside (DDM). However, it has never been tested on proteins solubilized in other detergents. To understand whether the geometrical shape currently parametrized in MEMPROT could be applied to a broader catalogue of protein–detergent complexes, here, MEMPROT was used to model the detergent corona around the multi-hydrophobic substrate transporter from Bacillus halodurans solubilized in four different detergents, namely DDM, n-decyl-β-maltopyranoside (DM), 4-cyclohexyl-1-butyl-β-D-maltoside (Cymal4) and decyl-maltose-neopentyl-glycol (DMNG). The study indicates a significant variation in detergent shapes, depending on the type of detergent. The modelling results suggest that the elliptical semi-torus with a circular closure is an excellent approximation for long-tailed detergents (DDM and DM) but leads to a slightly poorer agreement with the data for DMNG and Cymal4, which have a shorter hydrophobic tail, smaller than the half-width of the protein hydrophobic region. Here, for the latter, it is hypothesized that a corona with a flatter closure would be a better shape descriptor.
Multidimensional Rietveld refinement of high-pressure neutron diffraction data of PbNCN
Authors: Meinerzhagen Yannick , Eickmeier Katharina , Müller Peter C. , Hempelmann Jan , Houben Andreas , Dronskowski Richard
Published: September 2024

High-pressure neutron powder diffraction data from PbNCN were collected on the high-pressure diffraction beamline SNAP located at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Tennessee, USA). The diffraction data were analyzed using the novel method of multidimensional (two dimensions for now, potentially more in the future) Rietveld refinement and, for comparison, employing the conventional Rietveld method. To achieve two-dimensional analysis, a detailed description of the SNAP instrument characteristics was created, serving as an instrument parameter file, and then yielding both cell and spatial parameters as refined under pressure for the first time for solid-state cyanamides/carbodiimides. The bulk modulus B
0 = 25.1 (15) GPa and its derivative B′0 = 11.1 (8) were extracted for PbNCN following the Vinet equation of state. Surprisingly, an internal transition was observed beyond 2.0 (2) GPa, resulting from switching the bond multiplicities (and bending direction) of the NCN2− complex anion. The results were corroborated using electronic structure calculation from first principles, highlighting both local structural and chemical bonding details.
X-ray-based technologies in emerging fuel cell research
Authors: Stojanoff Vivian , Sukumar Narayanasami
Published: September 2024

The workshop titled `X-ray-based technologies in emerging fuel cell research', organized by Vivian Stojanoff from Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Narayanasami Sukumar from Cornell University/Advanced Photon Source-Northeastern Collaborative Access Team, was a notable segment of the National Synchrotron Light Source II and Center for Functional Nanomaterials Users' Meeting held 13–17 May 2024. This one-day event, on 13 May 2024, at BNL in New York, aimed to bring together researchers, beamline scientists, management and developers to propel fuel cell technology forward using model systems inspired by natural photosynthesis and redox enzymes. This summary encapsulates the key discussions, advancements and future implications of the workshop.
Boundary objects: sustainability reporting and the production of organizational stability
Authors: Fernández Chulián Manuel , Garcia-Torea Nicolas , Larrinaga Carlos , Bebbington Jan
Published: September 2024

Purpose

The study investigates how sustainability reporting constructs a narrative about an organization that provides its members with a reality they can accept, with the consequence of producing organizational stability.

Design/methodology/approach

The article reports a research engagement concerning the “backstage” of sustainability reporting in one Spanish savings bank, which the researchers engaged with for more than three years.

Findings

The article describes how sustainability reporting operates as a boundary object occupying the space between the organization’s loosely coupled systems and facilitating the cooperation of members with different interpretations of the organization. Different translations of discourses and actions ensure that the sustainability report conveys a ductile narrative that can be tailored to specific interpretations. At the same time, the editing inherent in sustainability reporting ensures that any narrative that may challenge the organization’s dominant perspective is ignored and marginalized. In this way, sustainability reporting produces a discourse that inscribes a narrative of the organization and eventually ensures organizational inertia.

Research limitations/implications

The article highlights the relevance of investigating sustainability reports by exploring the backstage of their production rather than solely the final document.

Originality/value

In contrast to prior research that has been concerned with exploring the extent to which sustainability reporting is associated with organizational change, this study applies different lenses to show how and why sustainability reporting is implicated in the construction of the organization and the maintenance of its stability and inertia.
A second life for second-hand products: the role of anthropomorphism and taboo trade-offs
Authors: Wan Jing , Aggarwal Pankaj
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Trade-offs that involve secular values of money and sacred human values are often seen as taboo. This paper aims to examine how consumers avoid making taboo trade-offs with anthropomorphized products, by choosing options that ensure the well-being of the humanized products, even at a financial cost to themselves.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted five experiments, across different marketplace contexts (i.e. repairing, buying and selling), to test the broad generalizability of the extent to which consumers are willing to incur a financial cost due to concern for the well-being of anthropomorphized products.

Findings

The results reveal that consumers are willing to accept financially inferior options to protect the humanness endowed upon anthropomorphized products. The effect is mediated by consumers’ concern for the treatment of the anthropomorphized product. The effect is moderated by consumers’ trait empathy level, such that those low in empathy are willing to sacrifice human value for the sake of greater financial gain.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could examine, in the context of anthropomorphized products, if there are types of human values that are less inviolable, leading consumers to be more willing to trade them off for monetary gains.

Practical implications

The findings have direct implications for second-hand markets. For potential buyers of anthropomorphized products, they should signal concern for the product; for sellers, anthropomorphizing their products can reduce haggling behavior. From a sustainability perspective, consumers may be more motivated to repair or recycle their products if it is framed as “infusing new life” into their products.

Originality/value

This work highlights a novel effect of anthropomorphism: when marketplace decisions are involved, anthropomorphizing a product can introduce a tension between secular monetary values and sacred human values. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to show that consumers are willing to incur a monetary loss to protect the humanness of anthropomorphized product, driven by their concern for the proper treatment of such humanized products.
Embracing the gig workers performance: an empirical investigation of location-based gig workers
Authors: Guduru Shravani , Santhanam Nivethitha
Published: September 2024

Purpose

The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of job characteristics on gig worker performance in India. In addition, this study examines the role of work–life balance as a mediator in exploring the impact of job characteristics, namely, flexibility and job autonomy and person–job fit on gig workers performance among location-based gig workers.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 266 responses were collected by gig workers using a questionnaire-based survey. The responses were analyzed using the partial least square structural equation modeling technique.

Findings

The study results indicate that factors of job characteristics and person–job fit significantly enhance the gig worker performance and also finds work–life balance as significant mediator. These results provide evidence for the hypotheses, which emphasizes that these aspects will have a beneficial effect on the performance of gig workers.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the field of the gig economy by empirically examining the study factors to understand the work dynamics in flexible work arrangements. Based on the findings, the gig platforms and policymakers can formulate strategies for establishing job design for enhancing work–life balance, which subsequently enhances gig workers performance.
Connecting the dots: exploring the role of ebullient supervision in fostering knowledge sharing through curiosity and informal learning
Authors: Islam Talat , Ahmad Saima , Chaudhary Arooba
Published: September 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine curiosity as a distal predictor of knowledge sharing facilitated by informal learning. It also probes the boundary conditions imposed by ebullient supervision in the influence of curiosity on knowledge sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data through a two-wave survey of 349 knowledge workers in the IT sector and used structural equation modeling to analyze the data.

Findings

The results indicated a positive relationship between curiosity and knowledge sharing. In particular, informal learning was found to mediate the relationship between curiosity and knowledge sharing and ebullient supervision was identified as a significant condition that strengthens the effect of curiosity on informal learning.

Practical implications

Organizations can promote knowledge sharing by harnessing curiosity as an intrinsic motivator for employees to engage in informal learning. Moreover, the findings identified ebullient supervision as an extrinsic motivator within the work environment, suggesting its potential to enhance the impact of curiosity on knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

This paper broadens the limited literature on ebullient leadership by revealing how it strengthens the effects of curiosity and informal learning on knowledge sharing.
The trees of occupation are flourishing: employment and substitution effects of regional economic complexity
Authors: Long Teng , Li Linmu
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Can regional economic complexity improve the employment effect, and is the employment structure also affected by heterogeneity? In order to solve these doubts, this paper plans to carry out systematic theoretical analysis and quantitative tests on these problems.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the macroeconomic data of 129 countries from 1995 to 2022, this paper empirically studies the impact of economic complexity on the employment effect and its mechanism channel by building relevant models.

Findings

The results show that regional economic complexity can significantly improve the employment effect of society. At the same time, regional economic complexity has an indirect positive role in promoting employment from two aspects: accumulating fiscal surplus and increasing the working-age population. The former can stimulate employment policies by increasing the government’s tax sources, while the latter can increase production specialization and complexity by stimulating demand and increasing employment. In addition, regional economic complexity will lead to job market differentiation, making the boundary between the service sector and the labor market between industry and agriculture and between the informal employment market and the formal employment more obvious, thus triggering the substitution effect of employment.

Originality/value

The possible innovations and marginal contributions of this paper are as follows: First, there are many studies on the influencing factors of employment or unemployment, and this paper provides a new research direction for the literature on the influencing factors of employment effect by using the concept of regional economic complexity for the first time. Second, this paper broadens the research perspective of the employment effect of regional economic complexity, divides the employment substitution effect of various sectors from the perspective of industrial structure and further analyzes the employment promotion effect of regional economic complexity.
The role of digital technologies in configuring circular ecosystems
Authors: Rossi Lisa Arianna , Srai Jagjit Singh
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the use of digital technologies in enabling circular ecosystems. We apply supply network (SN) configuration theory and a novel resource pooling lens, more typically used in financial systems, to identify inventory pools, information repositories and financial exchange models among network actors.

Design/methodology/approach

Five in-depth circular SN case studies are examined where digital technologies are extensively deployed to support circularity, each case representing alternative SN configurations. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews to map SN and resource pooling configurations across each circular ecosystem, with cross-case analysis used to identify distinct pooling and digital strategies.

Findings

Results suggest three digitally enabled circular ecosystem archetypes and their related governance modalities: consortia-based information pooling for resource recovery, intermediary-enabled material and financial pooling for remanufacturing and platform-driven information, material and financial pooling for resource optimisation.

Research limitations/implications

Drawing on SN configuration and resource pooling literature, we recognise distinct configurational, stakeholder and resource pooling dimensions characterising circular ecosystems. While this research is exploratory and the identified archetypes not exhaustive, the combination of resource pooling and configuration lenses offers new insights on circular ecosystem configurations and the critical role of resource pools and enabling digital technologies.

Practical implications

We demonstrate the utility of the resource pooling and configuration approach in the design of digitally enabled circular ecosystems. These archetypes provide practitioners and policymakers with alternative design frameworks when considering circular SN transformations.

Originality/value

This paper introduces a resource netting and pooling configuration lens to circular ecosystems, analogous to financial systems, where cyclical flows and stock are critical and enabled through digital technologies.