bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Older people, information-giving and active agency practices in health, social care and housing: theory, evidence and reflections
Authors: Harding Andrew J. E.
Published: January 2022

That older people should be consumers and active agents has dominated policy discourse across health, social care and housing that has a core care function. This discourse has some established and long-standing critics, such as Gilleard and Higgs, and yet the central question(s) a consumerist discourse raises remains surprisingly relevant today. The purpose of this forum article is to reconsider the viability of active agency amongst older people in the context of empirical research on information-giving across health, social care and housing that has been published since the paper by Gilleard and Higgs in 1998. Information-giving is the key consumer choice mechanism, and yet research is currently located in separate literatures. Giving these separate fields some coherence engages with and provides important empirical commentary. There is little or no evidence that information alone triggers active agency for older people in regard to their health, social care or housing. However, there is consistent evidence that discussion, deliberation and dialogue – or the practices associated with Habermas’ theory of communicative action – are desirable to older people in the context of active agency. More research is needed to demonstrate efficacy beyond communicative approaches being desirable.
‘Rekindling couplehood’ using a multisensory suitcase of memories: a pilot study of people living with moderate dementia and their partners
Authors: Mullins Jane M. , Tales Andrea , Musselwhite Charles , Rich Nick
Published: January 2022

Creating individualised activities in partnership with people who have moderate dementia and their partners at home has rarely been achieved, as such interventions are usually pre-planned by researchers or professionals. The academic gap is in the activity design being led by the person who has dementia and their partner and how to engage them in a meaningful manner which rekindles positive joint memories and improves the quality of their current relationship. This article explores the meaning and significance of recalling shared holiday memories for people living with moderate dementia and their partners, using multisensory reminiscence. A sensory ethnography research methodology was employed which enhanced co-design of the activity over five home visits. The research culminated in the creation of a digital story, sharing of food and drink, and re-enactment through exploration of their holiday memorabilia: forming their suitcase of memories (SOM). The study extends the current academic debate of co-produced interventions and identifies the critical themes of ‘holidays as life’, ‘freedom’, ‘view seen, viewpoint heard’ and ‘strengthened self-identity with younger self’ which emerged from the research. Such areas of sensory reminiscence have supported positive recollections, discourse and, when combined, resulted in a beneficial impact on the partner's shared relationship. A significant research outcome was the transition from a negative life view dominated by dementia to rekindling their relationship positively as a result of the SOM intervention and sensory methodology. Future research to continue the work with new couples to see if similar results are achieved with more case studies is needed.
Analytical Approaches to Electroacoustic Music Improvisation
Authors: Couprie Pierre
Published: January 2022

This article introduces a framework for musical analysis applied to electroacoustic improvisation. After an introduction about the benefits of interdisciplinary research and research-creation practice there is a description of the different domains of the framework: acoustic analysis, music analysis itself and the design of graphic representations. The framework is based on the extraction of information from the audio signal (music information retrieval) to create data representations, some of which are very efficient for music analysis, such as the brightness standard deviation or the self-similarity matrix. The last part of the article demonstrates the use of the framework on extracts of electroacoustic improvisations performed by the Paris-based group Les Phonogénistes, of which the author is a member.
Musical ‘Magic Words’: Trauma and the Politics of Mourning in Ravel'sLe Tombeau de Couperin, FrontispiceandLa Valse
Authors: Rogers Jillian C.
Published: January 2022

Upon hearing Ravel'sLe Tombeau de Couperinin 1918 Jean Roger-Ducasse was disturbed by the incongruity between each movement's music and its dedication to a fallen soldier. Similarly, historians have noted the ‘strangeness’ ofFrontispieceand La Valse, which Ravel wrote after his war service and his mother's death in 1917. When taken together, these instances of ‘strange’ music – written during an especially emotionally trying period of Ravel's life – lead to questions concerning relationships between Ravel's music and traumatic expression. Although Carolyn Abbate and Michael Puri have suggested that these pieces can be understood as expressions of loss, no one has yet attempted to address how they might illuminate Ravel's trauma within the context of conceptions of trauma in interwar France.

In this article I suggest that Ravel'sLe Tombeau de Couperin, FrontispiceandLa Valseare musical performances of his traumatic responses to the war and his mother's death. I place primary and archival sources such as letters and diaries of Ravel and his peers in dialogue with early twentieth-century French sources in psychology and medicine to determine how Ravel understood trauma. Utilizing Abraham and Torok's theorizations of traumatic grief, I read Ravel's compositions as bearing ‘magic words’ – indirect articulations of trauma that manifest when individuals cannot openly voice their trauma. By studying these pieces in the context of modernist musical mourning traditions in World War I-era France, I suggest that Ravel's post-war compositions demonstrate his resistance to nationalistic norms requiring the suppression of trauma for the war effort.
The public policy of sanctions compliance: A need for collective and coordinated international action
Authors: Walker Justine
Published: January 2022

This paper sets out to explain the challenges of aligning sanctions compliance efforts with the delivery of humanitarian aid into highly sanctioned environments. It highlights that while the policy of sanctioning authorities is to encourage and permit humanitarian activity, there remain significant obstacles to achieving this objective. The paper offers insights into the key areas of complexity and the most urgent aspects requiring clarification. It expressly illustrates that striking the correct balance between the delivery of critical humanitarian responses and the application of United Nations and unilateral sanctions will necessitate some realignment. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for governments and sanctioning authorities to adopt a forward-leaning approach, and by stressing the necessity of collective and coordinated international action.
A critique of narrative reviews of the evidence-base for ECT in depression
Authors: Meechan C. F. , Laws K. R. , Young A. H. , McLoughlin D. M. , Jauhar S.
Published: January 2022

There has been recent debate regarding the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy in the treatment of depression. This has been based on narrative reviews that contradict existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. In this special article, we highlight the mistakes that occur when interpreting evidence using narrative reviews, as opposed to conventional systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Harmonized site preparation and postplant herbaceous weed control for establishment of southern pine plantations on coastal bedded sites
Authors: Lauer Dwight K. , Quicke Harold E.
Published: January 2022

Loblolly pine or slash pine response and vegetation colonization are summarized for a region-wide study that included five locations on coastal soils in the southern United States. The objective was to evaluate timing of postplant herbaceous weed control (HWC) treatments following preplant site preparation with imazapyr applied at two timings (August and November) and at three rates (0.56, 0.84, and 1.12 kg ha−1). All imazapyr site preparation treatments were applied after bedding. Site preparation treatments resulted in fast-growing stands without HWC at all locations with average Year 3 dominant tree height ranging from 2.6 to 3.7 m. Imazapyr plus sulfometuron was an effective HWC treatment on loblolly pine. Vegetation control and pine response varied by surface soil texture. On coarser-textured soils, the site preparation treatments resulted in <10% vegetation cover in June of the first pine growing season. On these coarser-textured soils, loblolly pine growth was increased by second-year and not first-year HWC. On finer-textured soils, vegetation colonization was aggressive, with >20% cover in June of the first pine growing season, such that early first-year HWC provided the largest loblolly pine response of single-pass HWC treatments. Pines were highly tolerant to imazapyr site preparation treatments as evidenced by the lack of differences in slash or loblolly pine survival and growth from the doubling of imazapyr rates for applications in either August or November. There was little meaningful residual control of herbaceous vegetation into the second pine growing season from site preparation treatments or first-year HWC regardless of location. There was no consistent pine response benefit from increasing the imazapyr site preparation rate for included treatments. Cost-effective treatments would utilize low site-preparation herbicide rates followed by the appropriate timing of HWC if longer-term vegetation control is the objective.
Prüfen am Lernort Praxis
Authors: Gödecke Christiane , Bader Katrin , Elsbernd Astrid , Mahler Cornelia
Published: January 2022

Zusammenfassung. Die Praxisbegleitung in primärqualifizierenden Pflegestudiengängen wird von Hochschullehrenden durchgeführt und dient dem Theorie-Praxis-Transfer. Gleichzeitig besteht die Herausforderung, dass die Praxisbegleitung eine Prüfungsleistung darstellt. Daher ist die Frage, wie die Praxisbe­gleitung im Pflegestudium aus didaktischer Sicht gestaltet werden kann. Am Campus für Gesundheitswissenschaften Tübingen-Esslingen wurde ein Instrument entwickelt, das in diesem Beitrag zur Diskussion gestellt wird.
Face Memory and Face Matching
Authors: Petersen Lara Aylin , Leue Anja
Published: January 2022

Abstract. The Cambridge Face Memory Test Long (CFMT+) and the Glasgow Face Matching Test Short (GFMT-S) are frequently used tests in face recognition research. No test-retest results in conjunction with internal consistency, mean inter-item correlations (MICs), and pre-post mean differences have been reported. The internal consistency and the MICs provide insights into the homogeneity of items. In an online study ( N = 72), we investigated the test-retest reliability, Cronbach’s α, split-half reliability, MICs, and retest mean differences for the CFMT+ and the GFMT-S. The CFMT+ showed satisfactory reliability coefficients above .88, whereas the coefficients of the GFMT-S were mainly dissatisfactory and below .75. We argue that task characteristics like heterogeneous stimulus material might lower MICs, response behavior might enhance reliability, and practice effects might increase the means of the CFMT+ in repeated measurements. Therefore, an integrative evaluation of different psychometric parameters helps explaining variations of reliability in face recognition tests.
Heritability of Justice Sensitivity
Authors: Wang Yun , Luo Yu L. L. , Wu Michael Shengtao , Zhou Yuan
Published: January 2022

Abstract. Justice is one of the fundamental principles in human evolution, and justice sensitivity from the pro-self (e.g., as a victim) and the prosocial perspective (e.g., as an observer, beneficiary, and perpetrator) matters in mental wellness and social interaction. However, the extent to which individual difference in justice sensitivity is influenced by genetic versus environmental factors remains unclear. Using a sample with 244 twin pairs, the present research attempts to determine the extent to which genetic factors play a role in the inter-individual difference of justice sensitivity as well as whether different facets of justice sensitivity, namely, pro-self and prosocial perspectives, share a common genetic basis. Results showed that (1) all facets of justice sensitivity were moderately heritable (21–33%) and that the non-shared environmental factors plus measurement error accounted for the rest of the variations (67–79%); (2) associations between the prosocial facets of justice sensitivity were driven by common genetic ( rg = .50–.65) and non-shared environmental (plus measurement error; re = .24–.65) influences, whereas no significant genetic link was found between the pro-self and prosocial facets. The current findings provide novel evidence that sensitivity to injustice, especially to others’ suffering, is fundamentally grounded upon genetic origin, thereby shedding light on the nature and nurture aspects of justice behavior.
Wave‐Enhanced Tracer Dispersion
Authors: Thomas Jim , Gupta Aman
Published: January 2022

Recent oceanic datasets indicate high gravity wave‐to‐balance energy ratio at submesoscales. Idealized investigations exploring such wave‐dominated regimes have found that waves can break up coherent vortices and generate energetic small scale flow structures, indicating that the turbulence phenomenology is very different in wave‐dominated regimes when compared to the quasi‐geostrophic regime. Motivated by these recent investigations revealing significant differences in the flow dynamics in quasi‐geostrophic and wave‐dominated regimes and multiple oceanic observations pointing out enhanced tracer stirring at submesoscales, in this paper we compare and contrast passive tracer dispersion by barotropic flows in quasi‐geostrophic and wave‐dominated turbulent regimes using the reduced model explored by Thomas and Yamada (2019), https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2019.465. On comparing passive tracer dispersion by barotropic flows in the two different regimes, we find that wave‐dominated turbulent flows stir and mix tracer fields much more rapidly than quasi‐geostrophic turbulent flows that consist of well‐defined coherent vortices. The presence of energetic small‐scale features in wave‐dominated flows increases small‐scale turbulent diffusivity and results in steeper tracer variance spectrum in wave‐dominated flows compared to the quasi‐geostrophic flows. Our findings point out that gravity waves can play an indirect role in enhancing tracer dispersion: waves modify the flow, generating energetic small‐scale structures, that makes stirring of tracers more efficient. Despite our study being idealized, we speculate the qualitative phenomenology of waves indirectly enhancing tracer dispersion to be of significance at submesoscales in the world's oceans.
ENSO‐Driven Fires Cause Large Interannual Variability in the Naturally Emitted, Ozone‐Depleting Trace Gas CH3Br
Authors: Nicewonger M. R. , Saltzman Eric S. , Montzka S. A.
Published: January 2022

Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is an ozone depleting trace gas that is now mainly emitted from natural sources. Roughly 80% of anthropogenic production of CH3Br was phased‐out in response to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer beginning in 1999 and atmospheric levels of CH3Br have declined considerably since. Here we use surface measurements of CH3Br from NOAA's global air sampling network, along with a six‐box atmosphere/ocean model to explore interannual variability in atmospheric CH3Br mole fractions. We find that CH3Br mole fractions are strongly correlated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, but variability in winds, sea surface temperature, and biological production during ENSO are unlikely to drive the observed changes in atmospheric CH3Br directly. Rather, the results indicate that ENSO‐driven changes to biomass burning are an important cause of the observed interannual CH3Br variability.
Urban Water Storage Capacity Inferred From Observed Evapotranspiration Recession
Authors: Jongen H. J. , Steeneveld G. J. , Beringer J. , Christen A. , Chrysoulakis N. , Fortuniak K. , Hong J. , Hong J. W. , Jacobs C. M. J. , Järvi L. , Meier F. , Pawlak W. , Roth M. , Theeuwes N. E. , Velasco E. , Vogt R. , Teuling A. J.
Published: January 2022

Water storage plays an important role in mitigating heat and flooding in urban areas. Assessment of the water storage capacity of cities remains challenging due to the inherent heterogeneity of the urban surface. Traditionally, effective storage has been estimated from runoff. Here, we present a novel approach to estimate effective water storage capacity from recession rates of observed evaporation during precipitation‐free periods. We test this approach for cities at neighborhood scale with eddy‐covariance based latent heat flux observations from 14 contrasting sites with different local climate zones, vegetation cover and characteristics, and climates. Based on analysis of 583 drydowns, we find storage capacities to vary between 1.3 and 28.4 mm, corresponding to e‐folding timescales of 1.8–20.1 days. This makes the urban storage capacity at least five times smaller than all the observed values for natural ecosystems, reflecting an evaporation regime characterized by extreme water limitation.
Rapid Communication of Upper‐Ocean Salinity Anomaly to Deep Waters of the Iceland Basin Indicates an AMOC Short‐Cut
Authors: Chafik Léon , Holliday N. Penny
Published: January 2022

The mooring observations of the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program reveal a significant freshening of the Iceland Scotland overflow waters that did not involve the Nordic Seas, the source of the dense Deep North Atlantic Water (Devana et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094396). Their study suggests that this freshening at depth in the Iceland Basin stems from the largest upper‐ocean freshening event in 120 years that rapidly communicated through entrainment with the Iceland Scotland Overflow Waters. This communication, which is very likely driven by strong wintertime heat losses, strongly adds to our thinking that the progression of this extreme freshening event is providing us with a natural tracer that is helping to identify and understand key processes that determine the strength and variability of the overturning circulation and its sensitivity to ongoing climate change. Continued monitoring of the overturning in the North Atlantic is therefore necessary.
Accurate Retrieval of Asymmetry Parameter for Large and Complex Ice Crystals From In‐Situ Polar Nephelometer Measurements
Authors: Xu Guanglang , Schnaiter Martin , Järvinen Emma
Published: January 2022

The retrieval of the asymmetry parameter from nephelometer measurements can be challenging due to the inability to detect the whole angular range. Here, we present a new method for retrieving the asymmetry parameter of ice crystals with relatively large size parameters (>50) from polar nephelometer measurements. We propose to fit the angular scattering measurement with a series of Legendre polynomials and the best fitted coefficients give the asymmetry parameter. The accuracy of the retrieval is analyzed by accessing the smoothness of the phase function, which is closely linked to the complexity of ice particle. It is found that the uncertainty of retrieval could be smaller than 0.01, provided the measured intensity profile is smooth enough. As an application, we report an case study on Arctic cirrus, which shows a mean value for the asymmetry parameter of 0.72.
Near‐Bed Structure of Sediment Gravity Flows Measured by Motion‐Sensing “Boulder‐Like” Benthic Event Detectors (BEDs) in Monterey Canyon
Authors: Gwiazda R. , Paull C. K. , Kieft B. , Klimov D. , Herlien R. , Lundsten E. , McCann M. , Cartigny Matthieu J. , Hamilton A. , Xu J. , Maier Katherine L. , Parsons D. R. , Talling Peter J.
Published: January 2022

The near‐bed section of submarine gravity flows travels at the highest and most destructive speeds making direct measurements of this region of the flow difficult. Here results are presented from “boulder‐like” Benthic Event Detectors (BEDs) that measured their own rotation, depth and temperature while carried within the near‐bed region of gravity flows. BEDs were deployed in Monterey Canyon from 200 to 500 m water depth for 18 months (2016–2017) during the Coordinated Canyon Experiment. BEDs moved in 10 out of 14 gravity flows that transited the upper canyon. BEDs moved within the body of the flow because the initial velocities of the BEDs were 66 ± 16% (1 SD) of the flow transit velocities. BEDs rotated freely during most of their first moves and gained depth faster than in later moves, when their motion was more random and wobblier. The differences in BED motions between first and later moves suggest BEDs moved at different depths within the flow. The inferred near‐bed flow structure is strongly stratified with a fast, less‐dense layer moving above a slower and denser layer. Coherent changes between pressure and acceleration indicate that BEDs rode a crescent shaped bedform (CSB) morphology that persisted throughout flow events. The variability in BED speeds while riding the CSB morphology indicates a fluid‐like nature of the near‐bed layer. BED motions ended after being caught in the trough of a CSB. Based on recorded temperature decay rates after flow events, the thickness of redeposited sediment is 2–3 m.
Antecedent Conditions Control Thresholds of Tile‐Runoff Generation and Nitrogen Export in Intensively Managed Landscapes
Authors: Cain Molly R. , Woo Dong Kook , Kumar Praveen , Keefer Laura , Ward Adam S.
Published: January 2022

Threshold changes in rainfall‐runoff generation commonly represent shifts in runoff mechanisms and hydrologic connectivity controlling water and solute transport and transformation. In watersheds with limited human influence, threshold runoff responses reflect interaction between precipitation event and antecedent soil moisture. Similar analyses are lacking in intensively managed landscapes where installation of subsurface drainage tiles has altered connectivity between the land surface, groundwater, and streams, and where application of fertilizer has created significant stores of subsurface nitrogen. In this study, we identify threshold patterns of tile‐runoff generation for a drained agricultural field in Illinois and evaluate how antecedent conditions—including shallow soil moisture, groundwater table depth, and the presence or absence of crops—control tile response. We relate tile‐runoff thresholds to patterns of event nitrate load observed across multiple storm events and evaluate how antecedent conditions control within‐event nitrate concentration‐discharge relationships. Our results demonstrate that an event tile‐runoff threshold emerges relative to the sum of gross precipitation and indices of antecedent shallow soil moisture and antecedent below‐tile groundwater moisture deficit, indicating that both shallow soil and below‐tile storages must be filled to generate significant runoff. In turn, event nitrate load shows a linear dependence on runoff for most time periods, suggesting that subsurface nitrate export and storage can be estimated using runoff threshold relationships and long‐term average nitrate concentrations. Finally, within‐event nitrate concentration‐discharge relationships are controlled by event size and the antecedent tile flow state because these factors dictate the sequence of flow path activation and tile connectivity over a storm event.
Human microRNA (miR-20b-5p) modulates Alzheimer’s disease pathways and neuronal function, and a specific polymorphism close to the MIR20B gene influences Alzheimer’s biomarkers
Authors: Wang Ruizhi , Chopra Nipun , Nho Kwangsik , Maloney Bryan , Obukhov Alexander G. , Nelson Peter T. , Counts Scott E. , Lahiri Debomoy K.
Published: January 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with loss of cognitive, executive, and other mental functions, and is the most common form of age-related dementia. Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) contributes to the etiology and progression of the disease. Aβ is derived from the amyloid-β precursor protein (APP). Multiple microRNA (miRNA) species are also implicated in AD. We report that human hsa-miR20b-5p (miR-20b), produced from the MIR20B gene on Chromosome X, may play complex roles in AD pathogenesis, including Aβ regulation. Specifically, miR-20b-5p miRNA levels were altered in association with disease progression in three regions of the human brain: temporal neocortex, cerebellum, and posterior cingulate cortex. In cultured human neuronal cells, miR-20b-5p treatment interfered with calcium homeostasis, neurite outgrowth, and branchpoints. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) upstream of the MIR20B gene (rs13897515) associated with differences in levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ1-42 and thickness of the entorhinal cortex. We located a miR-20b-5p binding site in the APP mRNA 3′-untranslated region (UTR), and treatment with miR-20b-5p reduced APP mRNA and protein levels. Network analysis of protein-protein interactions and gene coexpression revealed other important potential miR-20b-5p targets among AD-related proteins/genes. MiR-20b-5p, a miRNA that downregulated APP, was paradoxically associated with an increased risk for AD. However, miR-20b-5p also reduced, and the blockade of APP by siRNA likewise reduced calcium influx. As APP plays vital roles in neuronal health and does not exist solely to be the source of “pathogenic” Aβ, the molecular etiology of AD is likely to not just be a disease of “excess” but a disruption of delicate homeostasis.
Long-term oral administration of an HNF4α agonist prevents weight gain and hepatic steatosis by promoting increased mitochondrial mass and function
Authors: Veeriah Vimal , Lee Seung-Hee , Levine Fred
Published: January 2022

We report here that the potent HNF4α agonist N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (NCT) promotes weight loss by inducing an increase in mitochondrial mass and function, including fatty acid oxidation. Previously, we found in a short term trial in obese mice that NCT promoted reversal of hepatic steatosis through a mechanism involving the stimulation of lipophagy by dihydroceramides. NCT led to increased dihydroceramide levels by inhibiting dihydroceramide conversion to ceramides. Here, we were able to administer NCT orally, permitting longer term administration. Mice fed NCT mixed with high fat diet exhibited decreased weight. Examination of RNA-seq data revealed an increase in PPARGC1A, a central regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. In addition to the decreased hepatic steatosis that we found previously, mice fed a high fat diet containing NCT mice weighed substantially less than control mice fed high fat diet alone. They had increased mitochondrial mass, exhibited increased fatty acid oxidation, and had an increased level of NAD. Markers of liver inflammation such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), which are important in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were decreased by NCT. There was no evidence of any toxicity from NCT consumption. These results indicate that HNF4α is an important regulator of mitochondrial mass and function and support that use of HNF4α to treat disorders of fatty acid excess, potentially including obesity, NAFLD, and NASH.
Enhanced glycolysis in granulosa cells promotes the activation of primordial follicles through mTOR signaling
Authors: Zhang Xiaodan , Zhang Wenbo , Wang Zhijuan , Zheng Nana , Yuan Feifei , Li Biao , Li Xuelan , Deng Ling , Lin Min , Chen Xin , Zhang Meijia
Published: January 2022

In mammals, nonrenewable primordial follicles are activated in an orderly manner to maintain the longevity of reproductive life. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-KIT ligand (KITL) signaling in pre-granulosa cells and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt)-forkhead Box O3a (FOXO3a) signaling in oocytes are important for primordial follicle activation. The activation process is accompanied by the enhancement of energy metabolism, but the causal relationship is unclear. In the present study, the levels of glycolysis-related proteins GLUT4, HK1, PFKL, and PKM2 were significantly increased in granulosa cells but were decreased in oocytes during the mouse primordial-to-primary follicle transition. Both short-term pyruvate deprivation in vitro and acute fasting in vivo increased the glycolysis-related gene and protein levels, decreased AMPK activity, and increased mTOR activity in mouse ovaries. The downstream pathways Akt and FOXO3a were phosphorylated, resulting in mouse primordial follicle activation. The blockade of glycolysis by 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG), but not the blockade of the communication network between pre-granulosa cells and oocyte by KIT inhibitor ISCK03, decreased short-term pyruvate deprivation-promoted mTOR activity. Glycolysis was also increased in human granulosa cells during the primordial-to-primary follicle transition, and short-term pyruvate deprivation promoted the activation of human primordial follicles by increasing the glycolysis-related protein levels and mTOR activity in ovarian tissues. Taken together, the enhanced glycolysis in granulosa cells promotes the activation of primordial follicles through mTOR signaling. These findings provide new insight into the relationship between glycolytic disorders and POI/PCOS.
Multiple conformations of trimeric spikes visualized on a non-enveloped virus
Authors: Zhang Yinong , Cui Yanxiang , Sun Jingchen , Zhou Z. Hong
Published: January 2022

Many viruses utilize trimeric spikes to gain entry into host cells. However, without in situ structures of these trimeric spikes, a full understanding of this dynamic and essential process of viral infections is not possible. Here we present four in situ and one isolated cryoEM structures of the trimeric spike of the cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus, a member of the non-envelopedReoviridaefamily and a virus historically used as a model in the discoveries of RNA transcription and capping. These structures adopt two drastically different conformations, closed spike and opened spike, which respectively represent the penetration-inactive and penetration-active states. Each spike monomer has four domains: N-terminal, body, claw, and C-terminal. From closed to opened state, the RGD motif-containing C-terminal domain is freed to bind integrins, and the claw domain rotates to expose and project its membrane insertion loops into the cellular membrane. Comparison between turret vertices before and after detachment of the trimeric spike shows that thetrimericspike anchors its N-terminal domain in the iris of thepentamericRNA-capping turret. Sensing of cytosolic S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by the turret triggers a cascade of events: opening of the iris, detachment of the spike, and initiation of endogenous transcription.
Population structure analysis and laboratory monitoring of Shigella by core-genome multilocus sequence typing
Authors: Yassine Iman , Lefèvre Sophie , Hansen Elisabeth E. , Ruckly Corinne , Carle Isabelle , Lejay-Collin Monique , Fabre Laëtitia , Rafei Rayane , Clermont Dominique , de la Gandara Maria Pardos , Dabboussi Fouad , Thomson Nicholas R. , Weill François-Xavier
Published: January 2022

The laboratory surveillance of bacillary dysentery is based on a standardisedShigellatyping scheme that classifiesShigellastrains into four serogroups and more than 50 serotypes on the basis of biochemical tests and lipopolysaccharide O-antigen serotyping. Real-time genomic surveillance ofShigellainfections has been implemented in several countries, but without the use of a standardised typing scheme. Here, we study over 4000 reference strains and clinical isolates ofShigella, covering all serotypes, with both the current serotyping scheme and the standardised EnteroBase core-genome multilocus sequence typing scheme (cgMLST). TheShigellagenomes are grouped into eight phylogenetically distinct clusters, within theE. colispecies. The cgMLST hierarchical clustering (HC) analysis at different levels of resolution (HC2000 to HC400) recognises the natural population structure ofShigella. By contrast, the serotyping scheme is affected by horizontal gene transfer, leading to a conflation of genetically unrelatedShigellastrains and a separation of genetically related strains. The use of this cgMLST scheme will facilitate the transition from traditional phenotypic typing to routine whole-genome sequencing for the laboratory surveillance ofShigellainfections.
Assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures in Austrian schools using agent-based simulations and cluster tracing data
Authors: Lasser Jana , Sorger Johannes , Richter Lukas , Thurner Stefan , Schmid Daniela , Klimek Peter
Published: January 2022

We aim to identify those measures that effectively control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Austrian schools. Using cluster tracing data we calibrate an agent-based epidemiological model and consider situations where the B1.617.2 (delta) virus strain is dominant and parts of the population are vaccinated to quantify the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as room ventilation, reduction of class size, wearing of masks during lessons, vaccinations, and school entry testing by SARS-CoV2-antigen tests. In the data we find that 40% of all clusters involved no more than two cases, and 3% of the clusters only had more than 20 cases. The model shows that combinations of NPIs together with vaccinations are necessary to allow for a controlled opening of schools under sustained community transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. For plausible vaccination rates, primary (secondary) schools require a combination of at least two (three) of the above NPIs.
Non-telecentric two-photon microscopy for 3D random access mesoscale imaging
Authors: Janiak F. K. , Bartel P. , Bale M. R. , Yoshimatsu T. , Komulainen E. , Zhou M. , Staras K. , Prieto-Godino L. L. , Euler T. , Maravall M. , Baden T.
Published: January 2022

Diffraction-limited two-photon microscopy permits minimally invasive optical monitoring of neuronal activity. However, most conventional two-photon microscopes impose significant constraints on the size of the imaging field-of-view and the specific shape of the effective excitation volume, thus limiting the scope of biological questions that can be addressed and the information obtainable. Here, employing a non-telecentric optical design, we present a low-cost, easily implemented and flexible solution to address these limitations, offering a several-fold expanded three-dimensional field of view. Moreover, rapid laser-focus control via an electrically tunable lens allows near-simultaneous imaging of remote regions separated in three dimensions and permits the bending of imaging planes to follow natural curvatures in biological structures. Crucially, our core design is readily implemented (and reversed) within a matter of hours, making it highly suitable as a base platform for further development. We demonstrate the application of our system for imaging neuronal activity in a variety of examples in zebrafish, mice and fruit flies.
Efficient, biosafe and tissue adhesive hemostatic cotton gauze with controlled balance of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity
Authors: He Huaying , Zhou Weikang , Gao Jing , Wang Fan , Wang Shaobing , Fang Yan , Gao Yang , Chen Wei , Zhang Wen , Weng Yunxiang , Wang Zhengchao , Liu Haiqing
Published: January 2022

Cotton gauze is a widely used topical hemostatic material for bleeding control, but its high blood absorption capacity tends to cause extra blood loss. Therefore, development of rapid hemostatic cotton gauze with less blood loss is of great significance. Here, we develop an efficient hemostatic cotton gauze whose surface is slightly modified with a catechol compound which features a flexible long hydrophobic alkyl chain terminated with a catechol group. Its hemostatic performance in animal injuries is superior to standard cotton gauze and Combat GauzeTM. Its biosafety is similar to cotton gauze and rebleeding hardly occurs when the gauze is removed. Here, we show its hemostatic capability is attributable to the rapid formation of big and thick primary erythrocyte clots, due to its effective controlling of blood movement through blocking effect from tissue adhesion by catechol, blood wicking in cotton, and the hydrophobic effect from long alkyl chains.
Predicting elastic properties of hard-coating alloys using ab-initio and machine learning methods
Authors: Levämäki H. , Tasnádi F. , Sangiovanni D. G. , Johnson L. J. S. , Armiento R. , Abrikosov I. A.
Published: January 2022

Accelerated design of hard-coating materials requires state-of-the-art computational tools, which include data-driven techniques, building databases, and training machine learning models. We develop a heavily automated high-throughput workflow to build a database of industrially relevant hard-coating materials, such as binary and ternary nitrides. We use the high-throughput toolkit to automate the density functional theory calculation workflow. We present results, including elastic constants that are a key parameter determining mechanical properties of hard-coatings, for X1−xYxN ternary nitrides, where X,Y ∈ {Al, Ti, Zr, Hf} and fraction $$x=0,\frac{1}{4},\frac{1}{2},\frac{3}{4},1$$

x
=
0
,

1

4

,

1

2

,

3

4

,
1

. We also explore ways for machine learning to support and complement the designed databases. We find that the crystal graph convolutional neural network trained on ordered lattices has sufficient accuracy for the disordered nitrides, suggesting that existing databases provide important data for predicting mechanical properties of qualitatively different types of materials, in our case disordered hard-coating alloys.
An evaluation of pipelines for DNA variant detection can guide a reanalysis protocol to increase the diagnostic ratio of genetic diseases
Authors: Romero Raquel , de la Fuente Lorena , Del Pozo-Valero Marta , Riveiro-Álvarez Rosa , Trujillo-Tiebas María José , Martín-Mérida Inmaculada , Ávila-Fernández Almudena , Iancu Ionut-Florin , Perea-Romero Irene , Núñez-Moreno Gonzalo , Damián Alejandra , Rodilla Cristina , Almoguera Berta , Cortón Marta , Ayuso Carmen , Mínguez Pablo
Published: January 2022

Clinical exome (CE) sequencing has become a first-tier diagnostic test for hereditary diseases; however, its diagnostic rate is around 30–50%. In this study, we aimed to increase the diagnostic yield of CE using a custom reanalysis algorithm. Sequencing data were available for three cohorts using two commercial protocols applied as part of the diagnostic process. Using these cohorts, we compared the performance of general and clinically relevant variant calling and the efficacy of an in-house bioinformatic protocol (FJD-pipeline) in detecting causal variants as compared to commercial protocols. On the whole, the FJD-pipeline detected 99.74% of the causal variants identified by the commercial protocol in previously solved cases. In the unsolved cases, FJD-pipeline detects more INDELs and non-exonic variants, and is able to increase the diagnostic yield in 2.5% and 3.2% in the re-analysis of 78 cancer and 62 cardiovascular cases. These results were considered to design a reanalysis, filtering and prioritization algorithm that was tested by reassessing 68 inconclusive cases of monoallelic autosomal recessive retinal dystrophies increasing the diagnosis by 4.4%. In conclusion, a guided NGS reanalysis of unsolved cases increases the diagnostic yield in genetic disorders, making it a useful diagnostic tool in medical genetics.
3D printed leech-inspired origami dry electrodes for electrophysiology sensing robots
Authors: Kim Tae-Ho , Bao Chao , Chen Ziniu , Kim Woo Soo
Published: January 2022

In this study, based on inspiration drawn from origami and the suction mechanism of leeches, a dry electrode is developed for reliable blood pressure (BP) monitoring. The leech-inspired suction mechanism generated a local soft vacuum facilitating appropriate contact with the human skin. Subsequently, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, termed a leech-inspired origami (LIO) sensor, was constructed using the developed dry electrode. The LIO with a sensing robot system ensures reliable ECG signals with a signal-to-noise ratio of 21.7 ± 0.56 dB. From the paired detection of ECG and photoplethysmography (PPG) through human–robot interaction, BP monitoring was demonstrated. The average difference of the systolic BP between that estimated by the sensing robot and that monitored by the sphygmomanometer was 0.03 mmHg, indicating the reliable BP monitoring ability of the sensing robot. The LIO sensing system inspired by origami and leech behaviors makes BP sensing tools feasible, which in turn would further the development of a remote healthcare monitoring robotic system.
Multi-objective optimization reveals time- and dose-dependent inflammatory cytokine-mediated regulation of human stem cell derived T-cell development
Authors: Edgar John M. , Michaels Yale S. , Zandstra Peter W.
Published: January 2022

The generation of T-cells from stem cells in vitro could provide an alternative source of cells for immunotherapies. T-cell development from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) is tightly regulated through Notch pathway activation by Delta-like (DL) ligands 1 and 4. Other molecules, such as stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin (IL)-7, play a supportive role in regulating the survival, differentiation, and proliferation of developing T-cells. Numerous other signaling molecules influence T-lineage development in vivo, but little work has been done to understand and optimize their use for T-cell production. Using a defined engineered thymic niche system, we undertook a multi-stage statistical learning-based optimization campaign and identified IL-3 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) as a stage- and dose-specific enhancers of cell proliferation and T-lineage differentiation. We used this information to construct an efficient three-stage process for generating conventional TCRαβ+CD8+T-cells expressing a diverse TCR repertoire from blood stem cells. Our work provides new insight into T-cell development and a robust system for generating T-cells to enable clinical therapies for treating cancer and immune disorders.
Effects of phenolic acids and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside on the bitterness and astringency of green tea infusion
Authors: Chen Yu-Hong , Zhang Yan-Hong , Chen Gen-Sheng , Yin Jun-Feng , Chen Jian-Xin , Wang Fang , Xu Yong-Quan
Published: January 2022

Phenolic acids are important taste components in green tea. The aim of this study was to analyze the taste characteristics of phenolic acids and their influence on the bitterness and astringency of green tea by sensory evaluation and chemical determination. The major tea phenolic acids and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (Que-rut) were significantly positively correlated with the bitterness (r = 0.757, p < 0.01; r = 0.605, p < 0.05) and astringency (r = 0.870, p < 0.01; r = 0.576, p < 0.05) of green tea infusion. The phenolic acids have a sour and astringent taste, whereas Que-rut has a mild astringent taste. Phenolic acids and Que-rut can increase the bitterness of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). However, these components behaved differently for astringency on EGCG. Gallic acid (GA) enhances the astringency throughout all the concentrations in this study. While it seemed to be double effects of caffeic acid (CA), chlorogenic acid (CGA), and Que-rut on that, i.e., the inhibition at lower concentrations (CA: 0–0.2 mM; CGA: 0–0.2 mM; Que-rut: 0–0.05 mM) but enhancement at higher ones. The phenolic acids and Que-rut interacted synergistically with tea infusion and as their concentration increased, the synergistic enhancement of the bitterness and astringency of tea infusion increased. These findings help provide a theoretical basis for improving the taste of middle and green tea.
The small world coefficient 4.8 ± 1 optimizes information processing in 2D neuronal networks
Authors: Aprile F. , Onesto V. , Gentile F.
Published: January 2022

Small world networks have recently attracted much attention because of their unique properties. Mounting evidence suggests that communication is optimized in networks with a small world topology. However, despite the relevance of the argument, little is known about the effective enhancement of information in similar graphs. Here, we provide a quantitative estimate of the efficiency of small world networks. We used a model of the brain in which neurons are described as agents that integrate the signals from other neurons and generate an output that spreads in the system. We then used the Shannon Information Entropy to decode those signals and compute the information transported in the grid as a function of its small-world-ness ($${\rm{SW}}$$
SW
), of the length ($$\triangle t$$

∆
t

) and frequency ($$f$$
f
) of the originating stimulus. In numerical simulations in which $${\rm{SW}}$$
SW
was varied between $$0$$
0
and $$14$$
14
we found that, for certain values of $$\triangle t$$

∆
t

and $$f$$
f
, communication is enhanced up to $$30$$
30
times compared to unstructured systems of the same size. Moreover, we found that the information processing capacity of a system steadily increases with $${\rm{SW}}$$
SW
until the value $${\rm{SW}}=4.8\pm 1$$

SW
=
4.8
±
1

, independently on $$\triangle t$$

∆
t

and $$f$$
f
. After this threshold, the performance degrades with $${\rm{SW}}$$
SW
and there is no convenience in increasing indefinitely the number of active links in the system. Supported by the findings of the work and in analogy with the exergy in thermodynamics, we introduce the concept of exordic systems: a system is exordic if it is topologically biased to transmit information efficiently.