bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using self-monitoring to detect and manage raised blood pressure and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy: the BUMP research programme and its impact
Authors: Tucker Katherine L. , Hinton Lisa , Green Marcus , Chappell Lucy C. , McManus Richard J.
Published: December 2023

Raised blood pressure affects around ten percent of pregnancies worldwide, causing maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Self-monitoring of blood pressure during higher-risk or hypertensive pregnancy has been shown to be feasible, acceptable, safe, and no more expensive than usual care alone. Additionally, self-testing for proteinuria has been shown to be just as accurate as healthcare professional testing, creating the potential for monitoring of multiple indicators through pregnancy. The work suggests however, that an organisational shift is needed to properly use and see benefits from self-monitored readings. This paper describes the findings from a large programme of work examining the use of self-monitoring in pregnancy, summarising the findings in the context of the wider literature and current clinical context.
Deploying green hydrogen to decarbonize China’s coal chemical sector
Authors: Guo Yang , Peng Liqun , Tian Jinping , Mauzerall Denise L.
Published: December 2023

China’s coal chemical sector uses coal as both a fuel and feedstock and its increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are hard to abate by electrification alone. Here we explore the GHG mitigation potential and costs for onsite deployment of green H2 and O2 in China’s coal chemical sector, using a life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analyses. We estimate that China’s coal chemical production resulted in GHG emissions of 1.1 gigaton CO2 equivalent (GtCO2eq) in 2020, equal to 9% of national emissions. We project GHG emissions from China’s coal chemical production in 2030 to be 1.3 GtCO2eq, ~50% of which can be reduced by using solar or wind power-based electrolytic H2 and O2 to replace coal-based H2 and air separation-based O2 at a cost of 10 or 153 Chinese Yuan (CNY)/tCO2eq, respectively. We suggest that provincial regions determine whether to use solar or wind power for water electrolysis based on lowest cost options, which collectively reduce 53% of the 2030 baseline GHG emissions at a cost of 9 CNY/tCO2eq. Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Xinjiang collectively account for 52% of total GHG mitigation with net cost reductions. These regions are well suited for pilot policies to advance demonstration projects.
Near-infrared light-triggered prodrug photolysis by one-step energy transfer
Authors: Long Kaiqi , Lv Wen , Wang Zihan , Zhang Yaming , Chen Kang , Fan Ni , Li Feiyang , Zhang Yichi , Wang Weiping
Published: December 2023

Prodrug photolysis enables spatiotemporal control of drug release at the desired lesions. For photoactivated therapy, near-infrared (NIR) light is preferable due to its deep tissue penetration and low phototoxicity. However, most of the photocleavable groups cannot be directly activated by NIR light. Here, we report a upconversion-like process via only one step of energy transfer for NIR light-triggered prodrug photolysis. We utilize a photosensitizer (PS) that can be activated via singlet-triplet (S-T) absorption and achieve photolysis of boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based prodrugs via triplet-triplet energy transfer. Using the strategy, NIR light can achieve green light-responsive photolysis with a single-photon process. A wide range of drugs and bioactive molecules are designed and demonstrated to be released under low-irradiance NIR light (100 mW/cm2, 5 min) with high yields (up to 87%). Moreover, a micellar nanosystem encapsulating both PS and prodrug is developed to demonstrate the practicality of our strategy in normoxia aqueous environment for cancer therapy. This study may advance the development of photocleavable prodrugs and photoresponsive drug delivery systems for photo-activated therapy.
Control of compound leaf patterning by MULTI-PINNATE LEAF1 (MPL1) in chickpea
Authors: Liu Ye , Yang Yuanfan , Wang Ruoruo , Liu Mingli , Ji Xiaomin , He Yexin , Zhao Baolin , Li Wenju , Mo Xiaoyu , Zhang Xiaojia , Gu Zhijia , Pan Bo , Liu Yu , Tadege Million , Chen Jianghua , He Liangliang
Published: December 2023

Plant lateral organs are often elaborated through repetitive formation of developmental units, which progress robustly in predetermined patterns along their axes. Leaflets in compound leaves provide an example of such units that are generated sequentially along the longitudinal axis, in species-specific patterns. In this context, we explored the molecular mechanisms underlying an acropetal mode of leaflet initiation in chickpea pinnate compound leaf patterning. By analyzing naturally occurring mutants multi-pinnate leaf1 (mpl1) that develop higher-ordered pinnate leaves with more than forty leaflets, we show that MPL1 encoding a C2H2-zinc finger protein sculpts a morphogenetic gradient along the proximodistal axis of the early leaf primordium, thereby conferring the acropetal leaflet formation. This is achieved by defining the spatiotemporal expression pattern of CaLEAFY, a key regulator of leaflet initiation, and also perhaps by modulating the auxin signaling pathway. Our work provides novel molecular insights into the sequential progression of leaflet formation.
Environmental determinants and demographic influences on global urban microbiomes, antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity
Authors: Chen Yang , Fu Xi , Ou Zheyuan , Li Jiang , Lin Simiao , Wu Yaoxuan , Wang Xuwei , Deng Yiqun , Sun Yu
Published: December 2023

Urban microbiome plays crucial roles in human health and are related to various diseases. The MetaSUB Consortium has conducted the most comprehensive global survey of urban microbiomes to date, profiling microbial taxa/functional genes across 60 cities worldwide. However, the influence of environmental/demographic factors on urban microbiome remains to be elucidated. We collected 35 environmental and demographic characteristics to examine their effects on global urban microbiome diversity/composition by PERMANOVA and regression models. PM10 concentration was the primary determinant factor positively associated with microbial α-diversity (observed species: p = 0.004, β = 1.66, R2 = 0.46; Fisher’s alpha: p = 0.005, β = 0.68, R2 = 0.43), whereas GDP per capita was negatively associated (observed species: p = 0.046, β = −0.70, R2 = 0.10; Fisher’s alpha: p = 0.004, β = −0.34, R2 = 0.22). The β-diversity of urban microbiome was shaped by seven environmental characteristics, including Köppen climate type, vegetation type, greenness fraction, soil type, PM2.5 concentration, annual average precipitation and temperature (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.01–0.06), cumulatively accounted for 20.3% of the microbial community variance. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) identified microbial species most strongly associated with environmental characteristic variation. Cities in East Asia with higher precipitation showed an increased abundance of Corynebacterium metruchotii, and cities in America with a higher greenness fraction exhibited a higher abundance of Corynebacterium casei. The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes were negatively associated with GDP per capita and positively associated with solar radiation (p < 0.005). Total pathogens prevalence was positively associated with urban population and negatively associated with average temperature in June (p < 0.05). Our study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the influence of environmental/demographic characteristics on global urban microbiome. Our findings indicate that managing air quality and urban greenness is essential for regulating urban microbial diversity and composition. Meanwhile, socio-economic considerations, particularly reducing antibiotic usage in regions with lower GDP, are paramount in curbing the spread of antimicrobial resistance in urban environments.
Large exomoons unlikely around Kepler-1625 b and Kepler-1708 b
Authors: Heller René , Hippke Michael
Published: December 2023

There are more than 200 moons in our Solar System, but their relatively small radii make similarly sized extrasolar moons very hard to detect with current instruments. The best exomoon candidates so far are two nearly Neptune-sized bodies orbiting the Jupiter-sized transiting exoplanets Kepler-1625 b and Kepler-1708 b, but their existence has been contested. Here we reanalyse the Hubble and Kepler data used to identify the two exomoon candidates employing nested sampling and Bayesian inference techniques coupled with a fully automated photodynamical transit model. We find that the evidence for the Kepler-1625 b exomoon candidate comes almost entirely from the shallowness of one transit observed with Hubble. We interpret this as a fitting artefact in which a moon transit is used to compensate for the unconstrained stellar limb darkening. We also find much lower statistical evidence for the exomoon candidate around Kepler-1708 b than previously reported. We suggest that visual evidence of the claimed exomoon transits is corrupted by stellar activity in the Kepler light curve. Our injection-retrieval experiments of simulated transits in the original Kepler data reveal false positive rates of 10.9% and 1.6% for Kepler-1625 b and Kepler-1708 b, respectively. Moreover, genuine transit signals of large exomoons would tend to exhibit much higher Bayesian evidence than these two claims. We conclude that neither Kepler-1625 b nor Kepler-1708 b are likely to be orbited by a large exomoon.
A Chinese Face Dataset with Dynamic Expressions and Diverse Ages Synthesized by Deep Learning
Authors: Han Shangfeng , Guo Yanliang , Zhou Xinyi , Huang Junlong , Shen Linlin , Luo Yuejia
Published: December 2023

Facial stimuli have gained increasing popularity in research. However, the existing Chinese facial datasets primarily consist of static facial expressions and lack variations in terms of facial aging. Additionally, these datasets are limited to stimuli from a small number of individuals, in that it is difficult and time-consuming to recruit a diverse range of volunteers across different age groups to capture their facial expressions. In this paper, a deep-learning based face editing approach, StyleGAN, is used to synthesize a Chinese face dataset, namely SZU-EmoDage, where faces with different expressions and ages are synthesized. Leverage on the interpolations of latent vectors, continuously dynamic expressions with different intensities, are also available. Participants assessed emotional categories and dimensions (valence, arousal and dominance) of the synthesized faces. The results show that the face database has good reliability and validity, and can be used in relevant psychological experiments. The availability of SZU-EmoDage opens up avenues for further research in psychology and related fields, allowing for a deeper understanding of facial perception.
A robophysical model of spacetime dynamics
Authors: Li Shengkai , Gynai Hussain N. , Tarr Steven W. , Alicea-Muñoz Emily , Laguna Pablo , Li Gongjie , Goldman Daniel I.
Published: December 2023

Systems consisting of spheres rolling on elastic membranes have been used to introduce a core conceptual idea of General Relativity: how curvature guides the movement of matter. However, such schemes cannot accurately represent relativistic dynamics in the laboratory because of the dominance of dissipation and external gravitational fields. Here we demonstrate that an “active” object (a wheeled robot), which moves in a straight line on level ground and can alter its speed depending on the curvature of the deformable terrain it moves on, can exactly capture dynamics in curved relativistic spacetimes. Via the systematic study of the robot’s dynamics in the radial and orbital directions, we develop a mapping of the emergent trajectories of a wheeled vehicle on a spandex membrane to the motion in a curved spacetime. Our mapping demonstrates how the driven robot’s dynamics mix space and time in a metric, and shows how active particles do not necessarily follow geodesics in the real space but instead follow geodesics in a fiducial spacetime. The mapping further reveals how parameters such as the membrane elasticity and instantaneous speed allow the programming of a desired spacetime, such as the Schwarzschild metric near a non-rotating blackhole. Our mapping and framework facilitate creation of a robophysical analog to a general relativistic system in the laboratory at low cost that can provide insights into active matter in deformable environments and robot exploration in complex landscapes.
The role of prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction in interpersonal comfort and emotional approach
Authors: Nejati Vahid , Mardanpour Aylin , Zabihzaheh Abbas , Estaji Reza , Vaziri Zahra S. , Shahidi Shahriar
Published: December 2023

Our perception of physical distance to individuals and stimuli is influenced by our mental distance and relatedness. The present study aimed to investigate the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) in interpersonal comfortable distance and approach behaviors towards emotional stimuli. Twenty healthy volunteers received brain stimulation in four separate sessions with a one-week interval, including anodal left dlPFC, anodal right vmPFC, anodal rTPJ, and sham condition, with an extracranial return electrode. Our results revealed an increase in interpersonal distance during anodal rTPJ stimulation and a decrease in distance to positive pictures during anodal vmPFC stimulation. These findings suggest that the rTPJ plays a role in the perceptual component of self-other distancing, while the vmPFC is involved in approaching positive emotions.
Drivers of social influence in the Twitter migration to Mastodon
Authors: Cava Lucio La , Aiello Luca Maria , Tagarelli Andrea
Published: December 2023

The migration of Twitter users to Mastodon following Elon Musk’s acquisition presents a unique opportunity to study collective behavior and gain insights into the drivers of coordinated behavior in online media. We analyzed the social network and the public conversations of about 75,000 migrated users and observed that the temporal trace of their migrations is compatible with a phenomenon of social influence, as described by a compartmental epidemic model of information diffusion. Drawing from prior research on behavioral change, we delved into the factors that account for variations of the effectiveness of the influence process across different Twitter communities. Communities in which the influence process unfolded more rapidly exhibit lower density of social connections, higher levels of signaled commitment to migrating, and more emphasis on shared identity and exchange of factual knowledge in the community discussion. These factors account collectively for 57% of the variance in the observed data. Our results highlight the joint importance of network structure, commitment, and psycho-linguistic aspects of social interactions in characterizing grassroots collective action, and contribute to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms that drive processes of behavior change of online groups.
Electronic properties and optical spectra of donor–acceptor conjugated organic polymers
Authors: Sarap Chandra Shekar , Singh Yashpal , Lane John Michael , Rai Neeraj
Published: December 2023

Organic semiconductors based on conjugated donor-acceptor (D–A) polymers are a unique platform for electronic, spintronic, and energy-harvesting devices. Understanding the electronic structure of D–A polymers with a small band gap is essential for developing next-generation technologies. Here, we investigate the electronic structure and optical spectra of cyclopentadithiophene-based closed/open-shell D–A polymers using density functional theory and the Bethe–Salpeter equation based on G$$_0$$

0

W$$_0$$

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approximation. We explored the role of different acceptor units and chemical substitutions on the structural changes and, more importantly, electronic, optical, and dielectric behavior. We found that the computed first exciton peak of the polymers agreed well with the available experimentally measured optical gap. Furthermore, D–A polymers with open-shell character display higher dielectric constant than the closed-shell polymers. We show that the exceptional performance of polycyclopentadithiophene-thiophenylthiadiazoloquinoxaline (PCPDT-TTQ) as a scalable n-type material for Faradaic supercapacitors can be partly ascribed to its elevated dielectric constant. Consequently, these D–A polymers, characterized by their high dielectric constants, exhibit significant potential for various applications, including energy storage, organic electronics, and the production of dielectric films.
CBLL1 is hypomethylated and correlates with cortical thickness in transgender men before gender affirming hormone treatment
Authors: Fernández Rosa , Zubiaurre-Elorza Leire , Santisteban Andrea , Ojeda Natalia , Collet Sarah , Kiyar Meltem , T’Sjoen Guy , Mueller Sven C. , Guillamon Antonio , Pásaro Eduardo
Published: December 2023

Gender identity refers to the consciousness of being a man, a woman or other condition. Although it is generally congruent with the sex assigned at birth, for some people it is not. If the incongruity is distressing, it is defined as gender dysphoria (GD). Here, we measured whole-genome DNA methylation by the Illumina © Infinium Human Methylation 850k array and reported its correlation with cortical thickness (CTh) in 22 transgender men (TM) experiencing GD versus 25 cisgender men (CM) and 28 cisgender women (CW). With respect to the methylation analysis, TM vs. CW showed significant differences in 35 CpGs, while 2155 CpGs were found when TM vs. CM were compared. With respect to correlation analysis, TM showed differences in methylation of CBLL1 and DLG1 genes that correlated with global and left hemisphere CTh. Both genes were hypomethylated in TM compared to the cisgender groups. Early onset TM showed a positive correlation between CBLL1 and several cortical regions in the frontal (left caudal middle frontal), temporal (right inferior temporal, left fusiform) and parietal cortices (left supramarginal and right paracentral). This is the first study relating CBLL1 methylation with CTh in transgender persons and supports a neurodevelopmental hypothesis of gender identity.
Efficacy of a computer based discontinuation strategy to reduce PPI prescriptions: a multicenter cluster-randomized controlled trial
Authors: Heisig Julia , Bücker Bettina , Schmidt Alexandra , Heye Anne-Lisa , Rieckert Anja , Löscher Susanne , Hirsch Oliver , Donner-Banzhoff Norbert , Wilm Stefan , Barzel Anne , Becker Annette , Viniol Annika
Published: December 2023

Deprescribing of inappropriate long-term proton pump inhibitors (PPI) is challenging and there is a lack of useful methods for general practitioners to tackle this. The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of the electronic decision aid tool arriba-PPI on reduction of long-term PPI intake. Participants (64.5 ± 12.9 years; 54.4% women) with a PPI intake of at least 6 months were randomized to receive either consultation with arriba-PPI from their general practitioner (n = 1256) or treatment as usual (n = 1131). PPI prescriptions were monitored 6 months before, 6 and 12 months after study initiation. In 49.2% of the consultations with arriba-PPI, the general practitioners and their patients made the decision to reduce or discontinue PPI intake. At 6 months, there was a significant reduction by 22.3% (95% CI 18.55 to 25.98; p < 0.0001) of defined daily doses (DDD) of PPI. A reduction of 3.3% (95% CI − 7.18 to + 0.62) was observed in the control group. At 12 months, the reduction of DDD-PPI remained stable in intervention patients (+ 3.5%, 95% CI − 0.99 to + 8.03), whereas control patients showed a reduction of DDD-PPI (− 10.2%, 95% CI − 6.01 to − 14.33). Consultation with arriba-PPI led to reduced prescription rates of PPI in primary care practices. Arriba-PPI can be a helpful tool for general practitioners to start a conversation with their patients about risks of long-term PPI intake, reduction or deprescribing unnecessary PPI medication.
U structured network with three encoding paths for breast tumor segmentation
Authors: Zhang Huajie , Ma Qianting , Chen Yunjie
Published: December 2023

Breast ultrasound segmentation remains challenging because of the blurred boundaries, irregular shapes, and the presence of shadowing and speckle noise. The majority of approaches stack convolutional layers to extract advanced semantic information, which makes it difficult to handle multiscale issues. To address those issues, we propose a three-path U-structure network (TPUNet) that consists of a three-path encoder and an attention-based feature fusion block (AFF Block). Specifically, instead of simply stacking convolutional layers, we design a three-path encoder to capture multiscale features through three independent encoding paths. Additionally, we design an attention-based feature fusion block to weight and fuse feature maps in spatial and channel dimensions. The AFF Block encourages different paths to compete with each other in order to synthesize more salient feature maps. We also investigate a hybrid loss function for reducing false negative regions and refining the boundary segmentation, as well as the deep supervision to guide different paths to capture the effective features under the corresponding receptive field sizes. According to experimental findings, our proposed TPUNet achieves more excellent results in terms of quantitative analysis and visual quality than other rival approaches.
Investigating the geochemical behavior and exploration potential of lithium in brines; a case study of Bam salt plug, Zagros Zone, southern Iran
Authors: Bazamad Marziyeh , Tangestani Majid H. , Asadi Sina , Staubwasser Michael
Published: December 2023

Lithium (Li) is a scarce and technologically important element; the demand for which has recently increased due to its extensive consumption, particularly in manufacturing of Li-ion batteries, renewable energy, and electronics. Li is extracted from brines, pegmatite, and clay minerals; though extraction from brines is economically preferred. More than 200 salt plugs are in the Zagros Mountains which represent potential sources for Li exploration. This preliminary study collected first data on the abundance of Li in the salt plugs in southern Iran, and investigated Li distribution during evaporation of halite-producing brine ponds. The XRD analysis of powdered samples showed that gypsum and halite are the dominant solid phases in the ponds in which Li is concentrated in gypsum, while halite is depleted of Li. ICP-MS and ICP-OES analyses showed that Li in brines is concentrated during the evaporation by factors up to 28 with total contents up to 40 mg kg‒1. The Mg/Li ratio was higher than 70, which makes the brine unsuitable for conventional evaporation extraction techniques which require Mg/Li ratios of less than 6. Considering that 25 mg kg‒1 is a suitable concentration of Li for exploration purposes, the results of this study suggest that with the advancement of extraction techniques, the depletion of presently used high-grade Li reserves, the increasing demand for lithium, the need for extraction from diverse sources, and the exploration of new resources, the salt plug brines have an exploratory potential for Li in the future.
Comparison of three different lactic acid bacteria-fermented proteins on RAW 264.7 osteoclast and MC3T3-E1 osteoblast differentiation
Authors: Kim Jae-Young , Song Hyun Ji , Cheon Sejin , An Seokyoung , Lee Chul Sang , Kim Sae Hun
Published: December 2023

Osteoporosis is a state of bone weakening caused by an imbalance in osteoblast and osteoclast activity. In this study, the anti-osteoporotic effects of three proteins fermented by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were assessed. Commercial proteins sodium caseinate (SC), whey protein isolate (WPI), and soy protein isolate (SPI) were fermented by LAB strains for 48 h. The fermented products (F-SC, F-WPI, and F-SPI, respectively) were used in an in vitro osteoclast and osteoblast-like cell model to assess their effects on bone health. Despite no difference in the results of TRAP staining of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis, F-WPI and F-SPI were effective in normalizing the altered gene expression of osteoclastogenesis markers such as TRAP, Nfatc1, RANK, and ATP6v0d. F-SPI was also effective in modulating osteoblasts by enhancing the expression of the osteoblastogenesis markers T1Col, Col2a, and OSX to levels higher than those in the SPI group, indicating that protein characteristics could be enhanced through bacterial fermentation. Moreover, these boosted effects of F-SPI may be involved with isoflavone-related metabolism during LAB-fermentation of SPI. These results demonstrate the potential of LAB-fermented proteins as dietary supplements to prevent bone loss. However, further understanding of its effects on balancing osteoblasts and osteoclasts and the underlying mechanisms is needed.
Data driven models of the Madden-Julian Oscillation: understanding its evolution and ENSO modulation
Authors: Díaz Nicolás , Barreiro Marcelo , Rubido Nicolás
Published: December 2023

Understanding the physical mechanisms of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and its evolution is a major concern within the climate community. Its main importance relies on its ability to act as a source of predictability within the intra-seasonal time-scale in tropical and extratropical regions, therefore filling the gap between weather and climate forecasts. However, most atmospheric general circulation models fail to correctly represent MJO’s evolution, and their prediction skills are still far from MJO’s theoretical predictability. In this work we infer low dimensional models of the MJO from data by applying a recently developed machine learning technique, the Sparse Identification of Non-linear Dynamics (SINDy). We use the daily-mean outgoing longwave radiation MJO index (OMI) as input data to infer bi-dimensional climatological models of the MJO, and analyse the inferred models during El Niño and La Niña years. This approach allows us to diagnose the MJO’s behaviour in OMI’s phase space. Our results show that MJO can be most frequently represented by a harmonic oscillator, which represents the MJO’s eastward propagation and characteristic period. Upon this basic oscillatory behaviour, we find that small non-linear corrections play a fundamental role in representing MJO’s non-uniform speed of propagation, explaining its acceleration over the Pacific Ocean region. Particularly, we find that MJO’s evolution is most frequently non-linear [linear] during El Niño [La Niña] years. Overall, our work shows that SINDy can robustly model MJO’s evolution as a linear oscillator with small non-linear corrections, contributing to understand the MJO’s dynamics and dependency on El Niño-Southern Oscillation.
What controls the interannual variation of Hadley cell extent in the Northern Hemisphere: physical mechanism and empirical model for edge variation
Authors: Seo Kyong-Hwan , Yoon Sang-Pil , Lu Jian , Hu Yongyun , Staten Paul W. , Frierson Dargan M. W.
Published: December 2023

The Hadley circulation is the most prominent atmospheric meridional circulation, reducing the radiatively driven equator-to-pole temperature gradient. While the Hadley cell extent varies by several degrees from year to year, the detailed dynamical mechanisms behind such variations have not been well elucidated. During the expanded phase of the Hadley cell, many regions on the periphery of the subtropics experience unfavorable climatic conditions. In this study, using ERA5 reanalysis data, we examine the physical chain of events responsible for the interannual variation of the Hadley cell edge (HCE) latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. This variation is mainly caused by changing eddy activity and wave breaking from both stationary and transient waves. In particular, we show that transient waves cause the HCE to shift poleward by increasing the eddy momentum flux divergence (EMFD) and reducing the baroclinicity over 20°–40°N, shifting the region of peak baroclinicity poleward. El Niño/La Niña and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) account for a significant portion (60%) of the interannual fluctuation of the HCE latitude. Through the poleward displacement of eddy activity, La Niña and a positive AO state are associated with the poleward shift of the HCE. The analysis of 28 CMIP5 models reveals statistical relationships between EMFD, vertical shear, and HCE latitude similar to those observed.
A systematic review and narrative analysis of digital speech biomarkers in Motor Neuron Disease
Authors: Bowden Molly , Beswick Emily , Tam Johnny , Perry David , Smith Alice , Newton Judy , Chandran Siddharthan , Watts Oliver , Pal Suvankar
Published: December 2023

Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a progressive and largely fatal neurodegeneritve disorder with a lifetime risk of approximately 1 in 300. At diagnosis, up to 25% of people with MND (pwMND) exhibit bulbar dysfunction. Currently, pwMND are assessed using clinical examination and diagnostic tools including the ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALS-FRS(R)), a clinician-administered questionnaire with a single item on speech intelligibility. Here we report on the use of digital technologies to assess speech features as a marker of disease diagnosis and progression in pwMND. Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline and EMBASE were systematically searched. 40 studies were evaluated including 3670 participants; 1878 with a diagnosis of MND. 24 studies used microphones, 5 used smartphones, 6 used apps, 2 used tape recorders and 1 used the Multi-Dimensional Voice Programme (MDVP) to record speech samples. Data extraction and analysis methods varied but included traditional statistical analysis, CSpeech, MATLAB and machine learning (ML) algorithms. Speech features assessed also varied and included jitter, shimmer, fundamental frequency, intelligible speaking rate, pause duration and syllable repetition. Findings from this systematic review indicate that digital speech biomarkers can distinguish pwMND from healthy controls and can help identify bulbar involvement in pwMND. Preliminary evidence suggests digitally assessed acoustic features can identify more nuanced changes in those affected by voice dysfunction. No one digital speech biomarker alone is consistently able to diagnose or prognosticate MND. Further longitudinal studies involving larger samples are required to validate the use of these technologies as diagnostic tools or prognostic biomarkers.
The HEDGEHOG-GLI1 pathway is important for fibroproliferative properties in keloids and as a candidate therapeutic target
Authors: Tosa Mamiko , Abe Yoshinori , Egawa Seiko , Hatakeyama Tomoka , Iwaguro Chihiro , Mitsugi Ryotaro , Moriyama Ayaka , Sano Takumi , Ogawa Rei , Tanaka Nobuyuki
Published: December 2023

Keloids are benign fibroproliferative skin tumors caused by aberrant wound healing that can negatively impact patient quality of life. The lack of animal models has limited research on pathogenesis or developing effective treatments, and the etiology of keloids remains unknown. Here, we found that the characteristics of stem-like cells from keloid lesions and the surrounding dermis differ from those of normal skin. Furthermore, the HEDGEHOG (HH) signal and its downstream transcription factor GLI1 were upregulated in keloid patient–derived stem-like cells. Inhibition of the HH-GLI1 pathway reduced the expression of genes involved in keloids and fibrosis-inducing cytokines, including osteopontin. Moreover, the HH signal inhibitor vismodegib reduced keloid reconstituted tumor size and keloid-related gene expression in nude mice and the collagen bundle and expression of cytokines characteristic for keloids in ex vivo culture of keloid tissues. These results implicate the HH-GLI1 pathway in keloid pathogenesis and suggest therapeutic targets of keloids.
CRISPRi gene modulation and all-optical electrophysiology in post-differentiated human iPSC-cardiomyocytes
Authors: Han Julie L. , Heinson Yuli W. , Chua Christianne J. , Liu Wei , Entcheva Emilia
Published: December 2023

Uncovering gene-phenotype relationships can be enabled by precise gene modulation in human induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) and follow up phenotyping using scalable all-optical electrophysiology platforms. Such efforts towards human functional genomics can be aided by recent CRISPR-derived technologies for reversible gene inhibition or activation (CRISPRi/a). We set out to characterize the performance of CRISPRi in post-differentiated iPSC-CMs, targeting key cardiac ion channel genes, KCNH2, KCNJ2, and GJA1, and providing a multiparametric quantification of the effects on cardiac repolarization, stability of the resting membrane potential and conduction properties using all-optical tools. More potent CRISPRi effectors, e.g., Zim3, and optimized viral delivery led to improved performance on par with the use of CRISPRi iPSC lines. Confirmed mild yet specific phenotype changes when CRISPRi is deployed in non-dividing differentiated heart cells is an important step towards more holistic pre-clinical cardiotoxicity testing and for future therapeutic use in vivo.
Mapping and comparing fMRI connectivity networks across species
Authors: Pagani Marco , Gutierrez‐Barragan Daniel , de Guzman A. Elizabeth , Xu Ting , Gozzi Alessandro
Published: December 2023

Technical advances in neuroimaging, notably in fMRI, have allowed distributed patterns of functional connectivity to be mapped in the human brain with increasing spatiotemporal resolution. Recent years have seen a growing interest in extending this approach to rodents and non-human primates to understand the mechanism of fMRI connectivity and complement human investigations of the functional connectome. Here, we discuss current challenges and opportunities of fMRI connectivity mapping across species. We underscore the critical importance of physiologically decoding neuroimaging measures of brain (dys)connectivity via multiscale mechanistic investigations in animals. We next highlight a set of general principles governing the organization of mammalian connectivity networks across species. These include the presence of evolutionarily conserved network systems, a dominant cortical axis of functional connectivity, and a common repertoire of topographically conserved fMRI spatiotemporal modes. We finally describe emerging approaches allowing comparisons and extrapolations of fMRI connectivity findings across species. As neuroscientists gain access to increasingly sophisticated perturbational, computational and recording tools, cross-species fMRI offers novel opportunities to investigate the large-scale organization of the mammalian brain in health and disease.
Advancing peristalsis deciphering in mouse small intestine by multi-parameter tracking
Authors: Sasidharan Anusree , Peethambar Breman Anil , Kumar Keerthi Santhosh , Kumar Ashok V. , Hiregange Arun , Fawkes Neil , Collins James F. , Grosche Astrid , Vidyasagar Sadasivan
Published: December 2023

Assessing gastrointestinal motility lacks simultaneous evaluation of intraluminal pressure (ILP), circular muscle (CM) and longitudinal muscle (LM) contraction, and lumen emptying. In this study, a sophisticated machine was developed that synchronized real-time recordings to quantify the intricate interplay between CM and LM contractions, and their timings for volume changes using high-resolution cameras with machine learning capability, the ILP using pressure transducers and droplet discharge (DD) using droplet counters. Results revealed four distinct phases, BPhase, NPhase, DPhase, and APhase, distinguished by pressure wave amplitudes. Fluid filling impacted LM strength and contraction frequency initially, followed by CM contraction affecting ILP, volume, and the extent of anterograde, retrograde, and segmental contractions during these phases that result in short or long duration DD. This comprehensive analysis sheds light on peristalsis mechanisms, understand their sequence and how one parameter influenced the other, offering insights for managing peristalsis by regulating smooth muscle contractions.
Spatial controls of methane uptake in upland soils across climatic and geological regions in Greenland
Authors: D’Imperio Ludovica , Li Bing-Bing , Tiedje James M. , Oh Youmi , Christiansen Jesper Riis , Kepfer-Rojas Sebastian , Westergaard-Nielsen Andreas , Brandt Kristian Koefoed , Holm Peter E. , Wang Peiyan , Ambus Per , Elberling Bo
Published: December 2023

In the Arctic, the spatiotemporal variation of net methane uptake in upland soils depends on unresolved interactive controls between edaphic and microbial factors not yet included in current models, underpinning the uncertainty of upscaling the Arctic methane budget. Here we show that upland soils in Greenland are consistent methane sinks (−1.83 ± 0.19 nmol methane g−1 dw d−1) across a N-S (64–83 °N) pedoclimatic transect. We demonstrate that methane oxidizers abundance, soil pH, and available soil copper are important controls on the spatial variation in methane oxidation. We revised a soil biogeochemical model with a high-resolution land classification and meteorological data for Greenland and tested it against our methane uptake measurements. The model simulated well the magnitudes of observed methane uptake but not the spatial variation across all sites. This work provides novel insights into the controls of methane uptake, which are critical for the accuracy of methane budgets.
Therapeutic efficacy of AAV-mediated restoration of PKP2 in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Kyriakopoulou Eirini , Versteeg Danielle , de Ruiter Hesther , Perini Ilaria , Seibertz Fitzwilliam , Döring Yannic , Zentilin Lorena , Tsui Hoyee , van Kampen Sebastiaan J. , Tiburcy Malte , Meyer Tim , Voigt Niels , Tintelen van J. Peter , Zimmermann Wolfram H. , Giacca Mauro , van Rooij Eva
Published: December 2023

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a severe cardiac disorder characterized by lethal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, with currently no effective treatment. Plakophilin 2 (PKP2) is the most frequently affected gene. Here we show that adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated delivery of PKP2 in PKP2c.2013delC/WT induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes restored not only cardiac PKP2 levels but also the levels of other junctional proteins, found to be decreased in response to the mutation. PKP2 restoration improved sodium conduction, indicating rescue of the arrhythmic substrate in PKP2 mutant induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Additionally, it enhanced contractile function and normalized contraction kinetics in PKP2 mutant engineered human myocardium. Recovery of desmosomal integrity and cardiac function was corroborated in vivo, by treating heterozygous Pkp2c.1755delA knock-in mice. Long-term treatment with AAV9–PKP2 prevented cardiac dysfunction in 12-month-old Pkp2c.1755delA/WT mice, without affecting wild-type mice. These findings encourage clinical exploration of PKP2 gene therapy for patients with PKP2 haploinsufficiency.
Co-localization of influenza A virus and voltage-dependent calcium channels provides new perspectives on the internalization process in pigs
Authors: Kristensen Charlotte , Jensen Henrik E. , Trebbien Ramona , Ryt-Hansen Pia , Larsen Lars E.
Published: December 2023

Influenza A virus (IAV) is an RNA virus that causes respiratory disease in a wide range of mammals including humans and pigs. Cav1.2 is a specific voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC) important for the internalization of IAV and VDCC inhibitors can decrease IAV disease severity in mice. In this paper, the distribution pattern of a range of VDCCs by immunohistochemistry and Cav1.2 by in situ hybridization in the porcine respiratory tract is documented for the first time. Furthermore, we showed co-localization of VDCC-positive and IAV-positive cells in experimentally infected pigs. These findings provide new perspectives on the IAV internalization process and pave the way for further research investigating the effect of VDDC inhibitors on the IAV infection dynamics in pigs, which could have relevance to humans too.
Spectral fingerprinting of cellular lipid droplets using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy and chemometric analysis
Authors: Rensonnet Aurélie , Tipping William J. , Malherbe Cedric , Faulds Karen , Eppe Gauthier , Graham Duncan
Published: December 2023

Hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy coupled to spectral phasor analysis is a powerful method for the detection of fatty acids in solution and in cellular lipid droplets.
3D bioprinting of GelMA with enhanced extrusion printability through coupling sacrificial carrageenan
Authors: Wang Xueping , Jiang Jinhong , Yuan Chenhui , Gu Lin , Zhang XinYu , Yao Yudong , Shao Lei
Published: December 2023

This study developed a novel 3D bioprinting platform using GelMA and carrageenan, which enhanced printability at 28 °C, without changing cell viability, and showed potential for promoting osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.
Synthesis and isolation of a cyclic bis-vinyl germylene via a diazoolefin adduct of germylene dichloride
Authors: Eisner Teresa , Kostenko Arseni , J. Kiefer Fiona , Inoue Shigeyoshi
Published: December 2023

We herein report the synthesis of diazoolefin adducts of tetrylene chlorides. The germanium derivative was converted into a cyclic bis-vinyl germylene.
Enantioselective synthesis of 3-(N-indolyl)quinolines containing axial and central chiralities
Authors: Yamanomoto Ken , Yamamoto Kota , Yoshida Satoshi , Sato Sota , Akiyama Takahiko
Published: December 2023

Quinoline and indole are important core structures in biologically active compounds and materials.
Tailoring linear and nonlinear plasmons of metal/MoS2/metal nanostructures
Authors: Jiang Shuangqing , Li Zonglin , Tang Jingwu , Huang Wen , Tan Zanxian , Pan Dingyu , Chen Xiyang , Nie Guozheng
Published: December 2023

Investigation of the linear and nonlinear response of LSPs and SPPS in the metal/MoS2/metal nanostructure.
Thermal evolution of a polymer–nanoparticle binary mixture
Authors: Kumar Sanjay , Rath Sangram K. , Kushwaha Ashwani , Deshpande S. K. , Patro T. Umasankar , Harikrishnan G.
Published: December 2023

We experimentally probe the microscopic variations occurring while a polymer–nanoparticle binary mixture is undergoing thermal evolution.
Revealing the evolution of local structures in the formation process of alkaline earth metal cation-containing zeolites from glasses
Authors: Hu Peidong , Deguchi Makiko , Yamada Hiroki , Kobayashi Kentaro , Ohara Koji , Sukenaga Sohei , Ando Mariko , Shibata Hiroyuki , Machida Akihiko , Yanaba Yutaka , Liu Zhendong , Okubo Tatsuya , Wakihara Toru
Published: December 2023

Pure harmotome was synthesized from a Ba-containing aluminosilicate glass. The structure-regulating role of Ba2+ and the transformation scheme were revealed by combining high-energy X-ray total scattering and anomalous X-ray scattering techniques.
Correction: Structural, electronic, optical, elastic, thermodynamic and thermal transport properties of Cs2AgInCl6 and Cs2AgSbCl6 double perovskite semiconductors using a first-principles study
Authors: Zhang Keqing , Zhang Lijun , Karthikeyan S. K. S. Saravana , Kong Chang Yi , Zhang Fuchun , Guo Xiang , Dang Nam Nguyen , Ramaraj Sankar Ganesh , Liu Xinghui
Published: December 2023

Correction for ‘Structural, electronic, optical, elastic, thermodynamic and thermal transport properties of Cs2AgInCl6 and Cs2AgSbCl6 double perovskite semiconductors using a first-principles study’ by Keqing Zhang et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2023, 25, 31848–31868, https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cp03795a.
Biocatalytic reductive aminations with NAD(P)H-dependent enzymes: enzyme discovery, engineering and synthetic applications
Authors: Yuan Bo , Yang Dameng , Qu Ge , Turner Nicholas J. , Sun Zhoutong
Published: December 2023

This review summarized NAD(P)H-dependent amine dehydrogenases and imine reductases which catalyzes asymmetric reductive amination to produce optically active amines.
Hyphenation of lipophilic ruthenium(ii)-diphosphine core with 5-fluorouracil: an effective metallodrug against glioblastoma brain cancer cells
Authors: Saha Abhijit , Mondal Indranil , Kumari Anuj , Sonkar Avinash Kumar , Mishra Ramranjan , Kulshreshtha Ritu , Patra Ashis K.
Published: December 2023

The anticancer antimetabolite, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is caged within a lipophilic Ru(ii)-diphosphine (dppe) core in [RuII(dppe)2(5-FU)]PF6 (Ru-DPPE-5FU), and its therapeutic potential towards LN229 glioblastoma cells was evaluated.
Grignard reagents as deprotonation agents for oxazoline-amido-phenolate ligands: structural and catalytic implications with the role of halogen ions
Authors: Chen Ming-Tsz , Wu Pei-Zheng , Liao Chi-Chung , Hung Kai-Wei , Shen Pin-Chi
Published: December 2023

In this study, various halogen-substituted Grignard reagents were assessed as deprotonating agents for the oxazoline-amido-phenolate ligand, leading to the formation of magnesium complexes.
High efficiency triboelectric charge capture for high output direct current electricity
Authors: Li Kaixian , Shan Chuncai , Fu Shaoke , Wu Huiyuan , He Wencong , Wang Jian , Li Gui , Mu Qianjin , Du Shihe , Zhao Qionghua , Hu Chenguo , Guo Hengyu
Published: December 2023

A novel strategy is proposed for capturing energy lost within the tribo-layer by rationally arranging charge-collecting electrodes, achieving the highest output charge density (10.06 mC m−2) among various types of TENGs.
Rational design from materials to devices enables an efficiency of 10.5% based on thermoelectric (Bi, Sb)2Te3 and Mg3(Bi, Sb)2 for power generation
Authors: Sun Yuxin , Zhu Yuke , Wu Hao , Qu Nuo , Xie Liangjun , Zhu Jianbo , Liu Zihang , Zhang Qian , Cai Wei , Guo Fengkai , Sui Jiehe
Published: December 2023

A highly competitive ZTave of 1.23 from 303 K to 523 K is achieved in (Bi, Sb)2Te3 by composition regulation. An efficiency of 10.5% and a power density of 0.53 W cm−2 under a ΔT of 380 K are achieved in (Bi, Sb)2Te3/Mg3(Bi, Sb)2 segmented modules.
Challenges and opportunities for the photo-(thermal) synthesis of ammonia
Authors: Mateo Diego , Sousa Angel , Zakharzhevskii Maksim , Gascon Jorge
Published: December 2023

For more than one century, the synthesis of ammonia (NH3) through the Haber–Bosch route has allowed the industrial-scale production of fertilizers and other nitrogen-containing compounds.
Supramolecular interaction-driven delignification of lignocellulose
Authors: Sirviö Juho Antti , Romakkaniemi Idamaria , Ahola Juha , Filonenko Svitlana , Heiskanen Juha P. , Ämmälä Ari
Published: December 2023

Extremely fast delignification of softwood at low temperature was realized using thymol as aromatic hydrogen bond donor, forming supramolecular interaction with lignin as aromatic hydrogen bond acceptor.
Real-time screening of NixBy bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall NH3 synthesis via SG-TC SECM
Authors: Gupta Divyani , Kafle Alankar , Singh Man , Kumar Sameer , Nagaiah Tharamani C.
Published: December 2023

Real-time SECM screening of synthesized catalysts towards NRR-OER bifunctional activity is presented and found consistent with half-cell investigations. The as-assembled full cell produce NH3 (1.08 mg h−1 mg−1) and O2 (0.81 mg h−1 mg−1) as products.
Copper-decorated iron oxide nanoparticles highly dispersed on coal-based activated carbons: a recoverable catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, Congo red, and Rhodamine B
Authors: Zhang Biao , Tang Yakun , Gao Shasha , Wang Shan , Liu Lang
Published: December 2023

A copper-decorated iron oxide/AC catalyst was fabricated by a facile co-precipitation method combined, which demonstrates high catalytic performance in the hydrogenation reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), Rhodamine B (RhB) and Congo red (CR).