bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Erosive tooth wear and salivary parameters among competitive swimmers and non-swimmers in Egypt: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Abdelrahman Hams H. , Ammar Nour , Hassan Mohamed G , Essam Wafaa , Amer Hala
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Competitive swimmers spend considerable time practicing their sport. Prolonged exposure to chlorinated water can alter salivary parameters and might compromise oral health. This study aimed to determine erosive tooth wear status and its related risk factors among competitive swimmers as compared to non-swimmers.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study consisting of 180 athletes (90 competitive swimmers versus 90 competitive rowers “non-swimmers”) was conducted. Participants were interviewed on the common erosion risk factors. The Basic Erosive Wear Examination system was used to assess the status of erosive tooth wear. Stimulated saliva sample was collected before and after a training session and pool pH was evaluated using pH strips for 7 days. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariable analysis.

Results

The prevalence of dental erosion was significantly higher among competitive swimmers (60%) with higher BEWE scores compared to non-swimmers (25.6%). The salivary flow rate was reduced significantly after training sessions in both groups while salivary pH increased among swimmers. Evaluation of pool water revealed a continuous reduction in the pH level, reaching a very acidic pH level of 3.24.

Conclusion

Erosive tooth wear is more prevalent among competitive swimmers. Years of practice and regular consumption of acidic drinks increase the odds of developing erosive lesions. A high incidence of erosive lesions may be attributed to a reduction in swimming pool pH level. Salivary parameters showed variations between groups after training sessions.
The relationship between theory of mind and multiple-document comprehension in university students: preliminary research findings
Authors: Tarchi Christian , Casado-Ledesma Lidia , Sanna Giulia , Conti Margherita
Published: November 2023

The demands of learning in the twenty-first century require being skilled in the use and comprehension of multiple documents. Some individual factors such as the metacognitive skill of theory of mind (ToM) are related to this ability. This study investigated the relationship between university students’ ability to comprehend multiple documents, measured through an argumentative essay task, and their ToM. The participants were 84 undergraduates. We assessed their ToM (using the strange stories task) and their mental state talk (using a think-aloud protocol during the reading of multiple documents—MSTR—and through the content of their subsequent written essays—MSTW). The relation between students’ ToM and their MSTW was mediated through MSTR. In addition, students’ ToM was significantly associated with the quality of the essays, through MSTR, and the relation between MSTR and the argumentative quality was mediated through MSTW. MSTW was the only significant predictor of the quality of the essays. The involvement of ToM in multiple-document comprehension suggests, from an educational perspective, the possibility to support multiple-document comprehension by scaffolding mental state talk.
Excess pancreatic cancer risk due to smoking and modifying effect of quitting smoking: The Multiethnic Cohort Study
Authors: Bogumil David , Stram Daniel , Preston Dale L. , Pandol Stephen J. , Wu Anna H. , McKean-Cowdin Roberta , Conti David V. , Setiawan Veronica Wendy
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include racial/ethnic disparities and smoking. However, risk trajectories by smoking history and race/ethnicity are unknown. We examined the association of smoking with pancreatic cancer by race/ethnicity to generate age-specific incidence estimates by smoking history.

Methods

We modeled pancreatic cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, age, pack-years, and years-quit using an excess relative risk model for 182,011 Multiethnic Cohort participants. We tested heterogeneity of smoking variables and pancreatic cancer by race/ethnicity and predicted incidence by smoking history.

Results

We identified 1,831 incident pancreatic cancer cases over an average 19.3 years of follow-up. Associations of pack-years (p interaction by race/ethnicity = 0.41) and years-quit (p interaction = 0.83) with pancreatic cancer did not differ by race/ethnicity. Fifty pack-years smoked was associated with 91% increased risk (95% CI 54%, 127%) relative to never smokers in the combined sample. Every year quit corresponded to 9% decreased excess risk (95% CI 2%, 15%) from pack-years smoked. Differences in baseline pancreatic cancer risk across racial/ethnic groups (p < 0.001) translated to large differences in risk for smokers at older ages across racial/ethnic groups (65–122 cases per 100,000 at age 70).

Conclusion

Smoking pack-years were positively associated with elevated pancreatic cancer risk. Predicted risk trajectories showed a high impact of smoking cessation at < 65 years. Although we did not identify significant heterogeneity in the association of pack-years or years quit with pancreatic cancer risk, current smoker risk varied greatly by race/ethnicity in later life due to large differences in baseline risk.
Cognitivism and the argument from evidence non-responsiveness*
Authors: Eriksson John , Tiozzo Marco
Published: November 2023

Several philosophers have recently challenged cognitivism, i.e., the view that moral judgments are beliefs, by arguing that moral judgments are evidence non-responsive in a way that beliefs are not. If you believe that P, but acquire (sufficiently strong) evidence against P, you will give up your belief that P. This does not seem true for moral judgments. Some subjects maintain their moral judgments despite believing that there is (sufficiently strong) evidence against the moral judgments. This suggests that there is a mismatch between moral judgments and beliefs. This is an interesting argument. In particular, it forces the cognitivist to be more explicit about the nature of belief and the sense in which moral judgments are responsive to evidence. This paper has two aims. First, it aims to systematically examine different versions of the argument from evidence non-responsiveness. Second, it aims to outline a more nuanced understanding of the sense in which beliefs are evidence responsive that explains why the extant versions of the argument do not constitute a challenge to cognitivism.
Contracting under asymmetric information and externalities: an experimental study
Authors: Nieken Petra , Schmitz Patrick W.
Published: November 2023

We investigate contract negotiations in the presence of externalities and asymmetric information in a controlled laboratory experiment. In our setup, it is commonly known that it is always ex post efficient for player A to implement a project that has a positive external effect on player B. However, player A has private information about whether or not it is in player A’s self-interest to implement the project even when no agreement with player B is reached. Theoretically, an ex post efficient agreement can always be reached if the externality is large, whereas this is not the case if the externality is small. We vary the size of the externality and the bargaining process. The experimental results are broadly in line with the theoretical predictions. However, even when the externality is large, the players fail to achieve ex post efficiency in a substantial fraction of the observations. This finding holds in ultimatum-game bargaining as well as in unstructured bargaining with free-form communication.
Properties of the Gradient Squared of the Discrete Gaussian Free Field
Authors: Cipriani Alessandra , Hazra Rajat S. , Rapoport Alan , Ruszel Wioletta M.
Published: November 2023

In this paper we study the properties of the centered (norm of the) gradient squared of the discrete Gaussian free field in $$U_{\varepsilon }=U/\varepsilon \cap \mathbb {Z}^d$$

U
ε

=
U
/
ε
∩

Z

d

, $$U\subset \mathbb {R}^d$$

U
⊂

R

d

and $$d\ge 2$$

d
≥
2

. The covariance structure of the field is a function of the transfer current matrix and this relates the model to a class of systems (e.g. height-one field of the Abelian sandpile model or pattern fields in dimer models) that have a Gaussian limit due to the rapid decay of the transfer current. Indeed, we prove that the properly rescaled field converges to white noise in an appropriate local Besov-Hölder space. Moreover, under a different rescaling, we determine the k-point correlation function and joint cumulants on $$U_{\varepsilon }$$

U
ε

and in the continuum limit as $$\varepsilon \rightarrow 0$$

ε
→
0

. This result is related to the analogue limit for the height-one field of the Abelian sandpile (Dürre in Stoch Process Appl 119(9):2725–2743, 2009), with the same conformally covariant property in $$d=2$$

d
=
2

.
What do dividend changes reveal? Theory and evidence from a unique environment
Authors: AlGhazali Abdullah , Al-Yahyaee Khamis Hamed , Fairchild Richard , Guney Yilmaz
Published: November 2023

We explore the reasons behind corporate dividend changes and factors driving those changes during 2001–2021 in Oman, as a unique environment. The implications of our paper contrast with the relevant existing literature which demonstrates a positive correlation between dividends and stock prices in Oman, in support of the signaling theory. Employing multiple methods and after controlling for the nonlinearity in the profitability process, we find virtually no evidence for the signaling theory of dividends for dividend reductions, in terms of future earnings. Furthermore, our analysis affirms the importance of current profitability in influencing the magnitude of and the propensity to change (increase or decrease) dividends in listed Omani firms. We also find that the catering theory of dividends does not have any explanatory power on dividend changes. Further, firms’ life-cycle status and real investments have been found to significantly affect the decision to change dividends. Our results, which depart from the findings in the conventional literature, can be attributed to the distinct institutional features in Oman. Our game-theoretic model of dividend signaling/dividend catering provides some explanations.
Scientific eminence and scientific hierarchy: bibliometric prediction of fellowship in the Australian Academy of Science
Authors: Haslam Nick , Baes Naomi
Published: November 2023

Research metrics are known to predict many markers of scientific eminence, but fellowship in learned academies has not been examined in this context. The present research used Scopus-based citation indices, including a composite index developed by Ioannidis et al., (PLoS Biol 14:e1002501, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002501) that improves cross-field comparison, to predict fellowship in the Australian Academy of Sciences (AAS). Based on ideas of a hierarchy of the sciences, the study also examined whether researchers from natural science fields were advantaged in achieving AAS fellowship relative to researchers from fields toward the social science end of the hierarchy. In a comprehensive sample of top global researchers, the composite index and its components all strongly differentiated Australian researchers who were elected as AAS fellows from those who were not. As predicted, when composite index scores were statistically controlled, researchers in physical and mathematical sciences were more likely to achieve fellow status than biological scientists, who were much more likely to achieve it than psychological, cognitive, and social scientists. Researchers in basic science fields also had an election advantage over those in more applied and technological fields. These findings suggest that recognition by learned academies may be predicted by citation indices, but may also be influenced by the perceived hardness, prestige, and purity of research fields.
Ingestion of microplastics and microfibers by the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun 1896) in the Balearic Islands, Spain
Authors: Compa Montserrat , Perelló Esperança , Box Antoni , Colomar Victor , Pinya Samuel , Sureda Antoni
Published: November 2023

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 is native to the western coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and is currently considered an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we examined the stomach contents of C. sapidus to determine the frequency of occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and microfibers (MFs) in the Balearic Islands archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea. A total of 120 individuals were collected from six locations between 2017 and 2020. Overall, 65.8% of the individuals had MPs and/or MFs particles with an average of 1.4 ± 1.6 particles ind.−1 of which an average of 1.0 ± 1.3 items ind.−1 were MFs and an average of 0.4 ± 0.8 items ind.−1 were MPs. In terms of type, fragments were the dominant type of MPs and the most common size of items ranged from between 0.5 and 1 mm (40%) followed by 1–5 mm (31%). The most prevalent polymers were low-density polyethylene (39%) and high-density polyethylene (26%). In terms of links to human activities, MP ingestion was positively correlated with an increase in drain pipes, whereas MF ingestion was positively correlated with an increase in sewage pipelines, providing evidence of potential sources and the bioavailability of these particles in various environments. This study confirms the widespread presence of MP and MF particles, even in areas that are currently managed under different protection statuses, in the stomach contents of invasive blue crab species throughout coastal communities.
ATAC-clock: An aging clock based on chromatin accessibility
Authors: Morandini Francesco , Rechsteiner Cheyenne , Perez Kevin , Praz Viviane , Lopez Garcia Guillermo , Hinte Laura C. , von Meyenn Ferdinand , Ocampo Alejandro
Published: November 2023

The establishment of aging clocks highlighted the strong link between changes in DNA methylation and aging. Yet, it is not known if other epigenetic features could be used to predict age accurately. Furthermore, previous studies have observed a lack of effect of age-related changes in DNA methylation on gene expression, putting the interpretability of DNA methylation-based aging clocks into question. In this study, we explore the use of chromatin accessibility to construct aging clocks. We collected blood from 159 human donors and generated chromatin accessibility, transcriptomic, and cell composition data. We investigated how chromatin accessibility changes during aging and constructed a novel aging clock with a median absolute error of 5.27 years. The changes in chromatin accessibility used by the clock were strongly related to transcriptomic alterations, aiding clock interpretation. We additionally show that our chromatin accessibility clock performs significantly better than a transcriptomic clock trained on matched samples. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the clock relies on cell-intrinsic chromatin accessibility alterations rather than changes in cell composition. Further, we present a new approach to construct epigenetic aging clocks based on chromatin accessibility, which bear a direct link to age-related transcriptional alterations, but which allow for more accurate age predictions than transcriptomic clocks.
Field and Management Factors Can Reduce Potato Early Blight Severity: an Observational Study on Farms Combined with Field Trials in Southern Sweden
Authors: Stridh Linnea J. , Malm Gabriella , Lankinen Åsa , Liljeroth Erland
Published: November 2023

Alternaria solani is causing early blight and thereby yield reduction in the potato production. The pathogen is today mainly controlled by fungicide applications. The severity of early blight can vary largely among fields. The aim of this study was to gain understanding of what field and management parameters are the most important for early blight severity to create more farm-specific fungicide treatment recommendations. Over three seasons, 2019–2021, 52 field plots were observed at farms in southern Sweden. In each field a 24 m × 24 m plot was left untreated against early blight. However, late blight fungicides were applied. The disease severity was scored twice in the untreated plot and information about various soil/plant parameters and farmer’s management was collected from each field. In addition to the observational study, field trials were performed in 2021 and 2022, evaluating the effect of potassium fertiliser levels on severeness of infection. We found that the soil composition was of significant importance for the severity of infection, in particular the sand, clay, and potassium content. The early blight severity was directly positively correlating with a high sand content. Low levels of leaf potassium increased the severity of early blight infection, and this observation was confirmed in field trials where different levels of potassium fertiliser were applied. Further no reduction in disease severity was observed with a four-year crop rotation. With knowledge about field and management factors that influence disease, field-specific recommendations can be developed supporting an integrated pest management strategy for early blight to reduce and optimise the fungicide usage.
On the dynamics of a Leslie–Gower predator–prey ternary model with intraguild
Authors: Accarino C. , Capone F. , De Luca R. , Massa G.
Published: November 2023

In this paper, a predator–prey model with intraguild predation describing the evolution between three interacting species—namely prey, mesopredator and top predator—is investigated, with the aim to model a complete food web. In particular, the longtime behaviour of the solutions is analysed, proving the existence of an absorbing set, and the linear and nonlinear stability analyses of the coexistence equilibrium are performed.
Did Liberal Lockdown Policies Change Spatial Behaviour in Sweden? Mapping Daily Mobilities in Stockholm Using Mobile Phone Data During COVID-19
Authors: Shuttleworth Ian , Toger Marina , Türk Umut , Östh John
Published: November 2023

Sweden had the most liberal lockdown policies in Europe during the Covid-19 pandemic. Relying on individual responsibility and behavioural nudges, their effectiveness was questioned from the perspective of others who responded with legal restrictions on behaviour. In this study, using mobile phone data, we therefore examine daily spatial mobilities in Stockholm to understand how they changed during the pandemic from their pre-pandemic baseline given this background. The analysis demonstrates: that mobilities did indeed change but with some variations according to (a) the residential social composition of places and (b) their locations within the city; that the changes were long lasting; and that the average fall in spatial mobility across the whole was not caused by everybody moving less but instead by more people joining the group of those who stayed close to home. It showed, furthermore, that there were seasonal differences in spatial behaviour as well as those associated with major religious or national festivals. The analysis indicates the value of mobile phone data for spatially fine-grained mobility research but also shows its weaknesses, namely the lack of personal information on important covariates such as age, gender, and education.
Solidarity with Displaced People from Ukraine in Hungary: Attitudes and Practices
Authors: Zakariás Ildikó , Feischmidt Margit , Gerő Márton , Morauszki András , Zentai Violetta , Zsigmond Csilla
Published: November 2023

The paper explores the attitudes of Hungarian civil society in the context of the war against Ukraine, the active agents of solidarity, and the general social atmosphere associated with welcoming displaced people. Based on a population survey from the summer of 2022, the paper draws an ambivalent picture. First, it highlights the exceptional momentum and mobilising power of civil solidarity both in terms of practical involvement and expressed attitudes. At the same time, the results also reveal the limits and vulnerabilities of civil solidarity—namely, its exposure to populist political discourses which cherish or condemn moral economies of assistance according to vested interests, as well as its embeddedness in a neoliberal reliance on citizens’ individual resources (disposable time and material means), and the salient inequalities in sharing the burdens of humanitarian support. All this reflects that the consensus and relative evenness of solidarity attitudes at the time of our survey were unevenly translated into practical help, burdening those already heavily charged with care responsibilities. With this finding, we underline the importance of exploring solidarity as a complex relationship of attitudes and practices; also, we highlight the need to include the perspectives of care in inquiries of the population’s attitude towards immigrant groups and categories. Our results are drawn from the application of multi-dimensional logistic regression models based on data from a statistical survey involving 1000 respondents representative of Hungary’s adult population.
Cultural integration, subjective identity, and well-being: global migrants in the UK
Authors: Wang Zhi , Giovanis Eleftherios
Published: November 2023

Recent waves of immigration in Western societies have drawn attention to social transformational challenges and their repercussions for migrant physical and mental wellbeing. Research into migration has tended to focus on Cultural Integration (CI) with Western country cultures and social norm. We fill a research gap in which the social transformation repercussions and the evolutionary function of human psychology remain underexplored. We theorize how the Evolutionary Fitness and Subjective Significance of Identity can emerge from CI, thus, positively impacting Subjective Well-Being (SWB) of migrants. To legitimize the model we propose, sets of rigorous empirical analyses were developed, drawing on panel data of 5,558 respondents from 7 waves of global migrant surveys within the UK during 2009–2018. Our results supported our hypotheses by suggesting that a tightly defined CI was negatively related to SWB, but a relatively fluid orientation towards CI was positively related to SWB, and the positive relationship became more compelling when the Subjective Significance of Identity (SSI) emerged from the integration process, such that the indirect effect of CI through SSI on SWB was strongest when the degree of SSI was high. Our study offers implications for how policymaking and management strategies can integrate cultural characteristics, increasing migrants’ cultural confidence, self-esteem, and economic creativity in the country of residence.
Utilization of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) sawdust as an alternative pelletization raw material
Authors: Paczkowski Sebastian , Sauer Christian , Anetzberger Anja , Jaeger Dirk , Pelz Stefan
Published: November 2023

European pellet production will be a future challenge due to two effects: (1) the share of hardwood species in Europe will increase and (2) the pellet market will face raw material shortages. Therefore, we investigated the blending of conifer sawdust with black locust sawdust. Twenty-one physical and chemical pellet quality parameters were recorded, including combustion emissions. Our statistical evaluation showed a strong linear correlation (p>0.8 or p<−0.8) of the share of black locust with nine quality parameters. Fifty-three percent of the overall variation in the data was explained by the major principal component, which included the share of black locust. The cause of the decreasing pellet quality with increasing share of black locust sawdust was attributed to the heat conductance in the dye, which was affected by the hydrophobicity and rigidity of the black locust saw dust. A share of 25% black locust in blends with conifer sawdust is proposed as the limit to meet the A2 standard criteria in the European DIN EN ISO 17255-2. This would allow a black locust sawdust consumption of app. 6 mio t per year in Europe, which is far above the estimated abundance and indicates a high potential for hardwood sawdust as an alternative feedstock for pellet production in general.
Blood T cell phenotypes correlate with fatigue severity in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19
Authors: Pink Isabell , Hennigs Jan K. , Ruhl Louisa , Sauer Andrea , Boblitz Lennart , Huwe Marie , Fuge Jan , Falk Christine S. , Pietschmann Thomas , de Zwaan Martina , Prasse Antje , Kluge Stefan , Klose Hans , Hoeper Marius M. , Welte Tobias
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) affect approximately 10% of convalescent patients. The spectrum of symptoms is broad and heterogeneous with fatigue being the most often reported sequela. Easily accessible blood biomarkers to determine PASC severity are lacking. Thus, our study aimed to correlate immune phenotypes with PASC across the severity spectrum of COVID-19.

Methods

A total of 176 originally immunonaïve, convalescent COVID-19 patients from a prospective cohort during the first pandemic phase were stratified by initial disease severity and underwent clinical, psychosocial, and immune phenotyping around 10 weeks after first COVID-19 symptoms. COVID-19-associated fatigue dynamics were assessed and related to clinical and immune phenotypes.

Results

Fatigue and severe fatigue were commonly reported irrespective of initial COVID-19 severity or organ-specific PASC. A clinically relevant increase in fatigue severity after COVID-19 was detected in all groups. Neutralizing antibody titers were higher in patients with severe acute disease, but no association was found between antibody titers and PASC. While absolute peripheral blood immune cell counts in originally immunonaïve PASC patients did not differ from unexposed controls, peripheral CD3+CD4+ T cell counts were independently correlated with fatigue severity across all strata in multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

Patients were at similar risk of self-reported PASC irrespective of initial disease severity. The independent correlation between fatigue severity and blood T cell phenotypes indicates a possible role of CD4+ T cells in the pathogenesis of post-COVID-19 fatigue, which might serve as a blood biomarker.
Psychosocial Well-being, Problematic Social Media Use, and Cyberbullying Involvement Among Mongolian Adolescents
Authors: Badrakh Altantsetseg , Larkin Rebecca F. , Betts Lucy R. , Buglass Sarah L.
Published: November 2023

Cyberbullying among adolescents has been increasingly studied throughout the world as it has become a significant public health concern. However, there is a dearth of research on cyberbullying in Mongolia. This study investigated cyber-perpetration and cyber-victimization experiences among Mongolian adolescents aged 14 to 18 (n = 676) and the relationship between psychosocial well-being, social media use, and cyber-perpetration and victimization. The data were analyzed with SPSS 25 (IBM Corp, 2017; Hayes, 2013). Results showed that 30.2% of participants experienced pure cyber-victimization, 19.0% experienced both perpetration and victimization, and 6.7% experienced pure cyber-perpetration often or occasionally in the past 12 months. Being male significantly predicted cyber-perpetration, and no such gender difference was observed for victimization. Age was not related to either cyber-perpetration or victimization. As hypothesized, the results showed that psychosocial well-being directly predicted cyber-perpetration and victimization and indirectly predicted them through problematic social media use (PSMU). The recommendations, implications, and limitations are discussed regarding these findings.
Tree Blow‐Down by Snow Avalanche Air‐Blasts: Dynamic Magnification Effects and Turbulence
Authors: Zhuang Yu , Piazza Natalie , Xing Aiguo , Christen Marc , Bebi Peter , Bottero Alessandra , Stoffel Lukas , Glaus Julia , Bartelt Perry
Published: November 2023

Snow avalanche‐induced air‐blasts are capable of breaking trees, damaging buildings and causing fatalities. Predicting their destructive properties is an essential part of snow avalanche hazard mitigation. Here, we propose a depth‐averaged model that involves turbulent fluctuations to simulate the air‐blast dynamics. The turbulent energy of the air‐blast arises from that of dust‐mixed air transferred from the avalanche core, shearing work in the cloud and entrained air, and is exploited to improve the air entrainment and drag relationships. We further present a unique data set of air blast‐induced tree breakage, providing type, status, diameter and falling direction of the measured trees. Through case studies of two artificially released avalanches with measured powder heights and three natural avalanches with tree‐breakage information, we test the model and investigate the turbulence effect on air‐blast dynamics. The proposed model and tree‐breakage data set quantify the air‐blast destructiveness and can be applied for avalanche hazard assessment.
SUMOylation-triggered ALIX activation modulates extracellular vesicles circTLCD4-RWDD3 to promote lymphatic metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Diao Xiayao , Guo Chao , Zheng Hanhao , Zhao Ke , Luo Yuming , An Mingjie , Lin Yan , Chen Jiancheng , Li Yuanlong , Li Yuting , Gao Xuehan , Zhang Jiaqi , Zhou Mengxin , Bai Wenliang , Liu Lei , Wang Guige , Zhang Lanjun , He Xiaotian , Zhang Rusi , Li Zhihua , Chen Changhao , Li Shanqing
Published: November 2023

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is one of the predominant metastatic routes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is considered as a leading cause for the unsatisfactory prognosis of patients. Although lymphangiogenesis is well-recognized as a crucial process in mediating LN metastasis, the regulatory mechanism involving lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis in NSCLC remains unclear. In this study, we employed high-throughput sequencing to identify a novel circular RNA (circRNA), circTLCD4-RWDD3, which was significantly upregulated in extracellular vesicles (EVs) from LN metastatic NSCLC and was positively associated with deteriorated OS and DFS of patients with NSCLC from multicenter clinical cohort. Downregulating the expression of EV-packaged circTLCD4-RWDD3 inhibited lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of NSCLC both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, circTLCD4-RWDD3 physically interacted with hnRNPA2B1 and mediated the SUMO2 modification at K108 residue of hnRNPA2B1 by upregulating UBC9. Subsequently, circTLCD4-RWDD3-induced SUMOylated hnRNPA2B1 was recognized by the SUMO interaction motif (SIM) of ALIX and activated ALIX to recruit ESCRT-III, thereby facilitating the sorting of circTLCD4-RWDD3 into NSCLC cell-derived EVs. Moreover, EV-packaged circTLCD4-RWDD3 was internalized by lymphatic endothelial cells to activate the transcription of PROX1, resulting in the lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of NSCLC. Importantly, blocking EV-mediated transmission of circTLCD4-RWDD3 via mutating SIM in ALIX or K108 residue of hnRNPA2B1 inhibited the lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of NSCLC in vivo. Our findings reveal a precise mechanism underlying SUMOylated hnRNPA2B1-induced EV packaging of circTLCD4-RWDD3 in facilitating LN metastasis of NSCLC, suggesting that EV-packaged circTLCD4-RWDD3 could be a potential therapeutic target against LN metastatic NSCLC.
SAA suppresses α-PD-1 induced anti-tumor immunity by driving TH2 polarization in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wang Xin , Wen Shaodi , Du Xiaoyue , Zhang Yihan , Yang Xiao , Zou Renrui , Feng Bing , Fu Xiao , Jiang Feng , Zhou Guoren , Liu Zi , Zhu Wei , Ma Rong , Feng Jifeng , Shen Bo
Published: November 2023

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are believed to be crucial in the initiation, progression, and recurrence of cancer. CSCs are also known to be more resistant to cancer treatments. However, the interaction between CSCs and the immune microenvironment is complex and not fully understood. In current study we used single cell RNA sequence (scRNA-Seq, public dataset) technology to identify the characteristic of CSCs. We found that the lung adenocarcinoma cancer stem population is highly inflammatory and remodels the tumor microenvironment by secreting inflammatory factors, specifically the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA). Next, we developed an ex-vivo autologous patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) co-culture model to evaluate the immune biological impact of SAA. We found that SAA not only promotes chemoresistance by inducing cancer stem transformation, but also restricts anti-tumor immunity and promotes tumor fibrosis by driving type 2 immunity, and α-SAA neutralization antibody could restrict treatment resistant and tumor fibrosis. Mechanically, we found that the malignant phenotype induced by SAA is dependent on P2X7 receptor. Our data indicate that cancer stem cells secreted SAA have significant biological impact to promote treatment resistant and tumor fibrosis by driving cancer stemness transformation and type 2 immunity polarization via P2X7 receptor. Notably, α-SAA neutralization antibody shows therapeutic potential by restricting these malignant phenotypes.
c-MYC-dependent transcriptional inhibition of autophagy is implicated in cisplatin sensitivity in HPV-positive head and neck cancer
Authors: Medda Alessandro , Compagnoni Micaela , Spini Giorgio , Citro Simona , Croci Ottavio , Campaner Stefano , Tagliabue Marta , Ansarin Mohssen , Chiocca Susanna
Published: November 2023

Autophagy is important for the removal, degradation and recycling of damaged organelles, proteins, and lipids through the degradative action of lysosomes. In addition to its catabolic function, autophagy is important in cancer and viral-mediated tumorigenesis, including Human Papillomavirus (HPV) positive cancers. HPV infection is a major risk factor in a subset of head and neck cancer (HNC), for which no targeted therapies are currently available. Herein, we assessed autophagy function in HPV-positive HNC. We showed that HPV-positive HNC cells presented a transcriptional and functional impairment of the autophagic process compared to HPV-negative cells, which were reactivated by knocking down HPV E6/E7 oncoproteins, the drivers of cellular transformation. We found that the oncoprotein c-MYC was stabilized and triggered in HPV-positive cell lines. This resulted in the reduced binding of the MiT/TFE transcription factors to their autophagy targets due to c-MYC competition. Thus, the knock-down of c-MYC induced the upregulation of autophagic and lysosomal genes in HPV-positive HNC cells, as well as the increase of autophagic markers at the protein level. Moreover, HPV oncoprotein E7 upregulated the expression of the phosphatase inhibitor CIP2A, accounting for c-MYC upregulation and stability in HPV+ HNC cells. CIP2A mRNA expression negatively correlated with autophagy gene expression in tumor tissues from HNC patients, showing, for the first time, its implication in a transcriptional autophagic context. Both CIP2A and c-MYC knock-down, as well as pharmacological downregulation of c-MYC, resulted in increased resistance to cisplatin treatment. Our results not only show a novel way by which HPV oncoproteins manipulate the host machinery but also provide more insights into the role of autophagy in chemoresistance, with possible implications for targeted HPV-positive HNC therapy.
Evolutionary immuno-genetics of endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase II (ERAP2)
Authors: Raja Aroosha , Kuiper Jonas J. W.
Published: November 2023

Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 2 (ERAP2) is a proteolytic enzyme involved in adaptive immunity. The ERAP2 gene is highly polymorphic and encodes haplotypes that confer resistance against lethal infectious diseases, but also increase the risk for autoimmune disorders. Identifying how ERAP2 influences susceptibility to these traits requires an understanding of the selective pressures that shaped and maintained allelic variation throughout human evolution. Our review discusses the genetic regulation of haplotypes and diversity in naturally occurring ERAP2 allotypes in the global population. We outline how these ERAP2 haplotypes evolved during human history and highlight the presence of Neanderthal DNA sequences in ERAP2 of modern humans. Recent evidence suggests that human adaptation during the last ~10,000 years and historic pandemics left a significant mark on the ERAP2 gene that determines susceptibility to infectious and inflammatory diseases today.
Sampling-based Bayesian inference in recurrent circuits of stochastic spiking neurons
Authors: Zhang Wen-Hao , Wu Si , Josić Krešimir , Doiron Brent
Published: November 2023

Two facts about cortex are widely accepted: neuronal responses show large spiking variability with near Poisson statistics and cortical circuits feature abundant recurrent connections between neurons. How these spiking and circuit properties combine to support sensory representation and information processing is not well understood. We build a theoretical framework showing that these two ubiquitous features of cortex combine to produce optimal sampling-based Bayesian inference. Recurrent connections store an internal model of the external world, and Poissonian variability of spike responses drives flexible sampling from the posterior stimulus distributions obtained by combining feedforward and recurrent neuronal inputs. We illustrate how this framework for sampling-based inference can be used by cortex to represent latent multivariate stimuli organized either hierarchically or in parallel. A neural signature of such network sampling are internally generated differential correlations whose amplitude is determined by the prior stored in the circuit, which provides an experimentally testable prediction for our framework.
The radiation continuum and the evolution of frog diversity
Authors: Morinaga Gen , Wiens John J. , Moen Daniel S.
Published: November 2023

Most of life’s vast diversity of species and phenotypes is often attributed to adaptive radiation. Yet its contribution to species and phenotypic diversity of a major group has not been examined. Two key questions remain unresolved. First, what proportion of clades show macroevolutionary dynamics similar to adaptive radiations? Second, what proportion of overall species richness and phenotypic diversity do these adaptive-radiation-like clades contain? We address these questions with phylogenetic and morphological data for 1226 frog species across 43 families (which represent >99% of all species). Less than half of frog families resembled adaptive radiations (with rapid diversification and morphological evolution). Yet, these adaptive-radiation-like clades encompassed ~75% of both morphological and species diversity, despite rapid rates in other clades (e.g., non-adaptive radiations). Overall, we support the importance of adaptive-radiation-like evolution for explaining diversity patterns and provide a framework for characterizing macroevolutionary dynamics and diversity patterns in other groups.
Realizing reversible phase transformation of shape memory ceramics constrained in aluminum
Authors: Zheng Wangshu , Shi Yan , Zhao Lei , Jia Shuangyue , Li Linghai , Gan Chee Lip , Zhang Di , Guo Qiang
Published: November 2023

Small-scale shape memory ceramics exhibit superior shape memory or superelasticity properties, while their integration into a matrix material and the subsequent attainment of their reversible tetragonal-monoclinic phase transformations remains a challenge. Here, cerium-doped zirconia (CZ) reinforced aluminum (Al) matrix composite is fabricated, and both macroscopic and microscopic mechanical tests reveal more than doubled compressive strength and energy absorbance of the composites as compared with pure Al. Full austenitization in the CZ single-crystal clusters is achieved when they are constrained by the Al matrix, and reversible martensitic transformation triggered by thermal or stress stimuli is observed in the composite micro-pillars without causing fracture in the composite. These results are interpreted by the strong geometric confinement offered by the Al matrix, the robust CZ/Al interface and the local three-dimensional particle network/force-chain configuration that effectively transfer mechanical loads, and the decent flowability of the matrix that accommodates the volume change during phase transformation.
Tunable Tamm plasmon cavity as a scalable biosensing platform for surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Sreekanth Kandammathe Valiyaveedu , Perumal Jayakumar , Dinish U. S. , Prabhathan Patinharekandy , Liu Yuanda , Singh Ranjan , Olivo Malini , Teng Jinghua
Published: November 2023

Surface enhanced Resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS) is a powerful technique for enhancing Raman spectra by matching the laser excitation wavelength with the plasmonic resonance and the absorption peak of biomolecules. Here, we propose a tunable Tamm plasmon polariton (TPP) cavity based on a metal on distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) as a scalable sensing platform for SERRS. We develop a gold film-coated ultralow-loss phase change material (Sb2S3) based DBR, which exhibits continuously tunable TPP resonances in the optical wavelengths. We demonstrate SERRS by matching the TPP resonance with the absorption peak of the chromophore molecule at 785 nm wavelength. We use this platform to detect cardiac Troponin I protein (cTnI), a biomarker for early diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, achieving a detection limit of 380 fM. This scalable substrate shows great promise as a next-generation tunable biosensing platform for detecting disease biomarkers in body fluids for routine real-time clinical diagnosis.
Identifying topological corner states in two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks
Authors: Hu Tianyi , Zhong Weiliang , Zhang Tingfeng , Wang Weihua , Wang Z. F.
Published: November 2023

Due to the diversity of molecular building blocks, the two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are ideal platforms to realize exotic lattice models in condensed matter theory. In this work, we demonstrate the universal existence of topological corner states in 2D MOFs with a star lattice configuration, and confirm the intriguing higher-order nontrivial topology in the energy window between two Kagome-bands, or between Dirac-band and four-band. Furthermore, combining first-principles calculations and scanning tunneling microscopy measurements, the unique topological corner state is directly identified in monolayer Ni3(HITP)2 (HITP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaiminotriphenylene) grown on the Au(111) substrate. Our results not only illustrate the first organic topological state in the experiments, but also offer an exciting opportunity to study higher-order topology in 2D MOFs with the large insulating band gap.
Decarbonization potential of electrifying 50% of U.S. light-duty vehicle sales by 2030
Authors: Woody Maxwell , Keoleian Gregory A. , Vaishnav Parth
Published: November 2023

The U.S. federal government has established goals of electrifying 50% of new light-duty vehicle sales by 2030 and reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% by 2030, from 2005 levels. Here we evaluate the vehicle electrification goal in the context of the economy-wide emissions goal. We use a vehicle fleet model and a life cycle emissions model to project vehicle sales, stock, and emissions. To account for state-level variability in electric vehicle adoption and electric grid emissions factors, we apply the models to each state. By 2030, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by approximately 25% (from 2005) for the light-duty vehicle fleet, primarily due to fleet turnover of conventional vehicles. By 2035, emissions reductions approach 45% if both vehicle electrification and grid decarbonization goals (100% by 2035) are met. To meet climate goals, the transition to electric vehicles must be accompanied by an accelerated decarbonization of the electric grid and other actions.
Ancestry-specific polygenic risk scores are risk enhancers for clinical cardiovascular disease assessments
Authors: Busby George B. , Kulm Scott , Bolli Alessandro , Kintzle Jen , Domenico Paolo Di , Bottà Giordano
Published: November 2023

Clinical implementation of new prediction models requires evaluation of their utility in a broad range of intended use populations. Here we develop and validate ancestry-specific Polygenic Risk Scores (PRSs) for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) using 29,389 individuals from diverse cohorts and genetic ancestry groups. The CAD PRSs outperform published scores with an average Odds Ratio per Standard Deviation of 1.57 (SD = 0.14) and identify between 12% and 24% of individuals with high genetic risk. Using this risk factor to reclassify borderline or intermediate 10 year Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk improves assessments for both CAD (Net Reclassification Improvement (NRI) = 13.14% (95% CI 9.23–17.06%)) and ASCVD (NRI = 10.70 (95% CI 7.35-14.05)) in an independent cohort of 9,691 individuals. Our analyses demonstrate that using PRSs as Risk Enhancers improves ASCVD risk assessments outlining an approach for guiding ASCVD prevention with genetic information.
Dispersion engineered metasurfaces for broadband, high-NA, high-efficiency, dual-polarization analog image processing
Authors: Cotrufo Michele , Arora Akshaj , Singh Sahitya , Alù Andrea
Published: November 2023

Optical metasurfaces performing analog image processing – such as spatial differentiation and edge detection – hold the potential to reduce processing times and power consumption, while avoiding bulky 4 F lens systems. However, current designs have been suffering from trade-offs between spatial resolution, throughput, polarization asymmetry, operational bandwidth, and isotropy. Here, we show that dispersion engineering provides an elegant way to design metasurfaces where all these critical metrics are simultaneously optimized. We experimentally demonstrate silicon metasurfaces performing isotropic and dual-polarization edge detection, with numerical apertures above 0.35 and spectral bandwidths of 35 nm around 1500 nm. Moreover, we introduce quantitative metrics to assess the efficiency of these devices. Thanks to the low loss nature and dual-polarization response, our metasurfaces feature large throughput efficiencies, approaching the theoretical maximum for a given NA. Our results pave the way for low-loss, high-efficiency and broadband optical computing and image processing with free-space metasurfaces.