bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Formation and Realization of Fertility Goals Among a US Cohort in the Post‐Recession Years
Authors: Guzzo Karen Benjamin
Published: August 2022

The United States has experienced a sustained fertility decline, with those currently in their childbearing years facing unique constraints. Drawing from the Theory of Conjunctural Action and the Narratives of the Future framework, this work considers how objective and subjective socioeconomic conditions, psychosocial characteristics, and perceptions of well‐being are linked to mothers’ and childless women's (a) prospective fertility intentions during the Great Recession, (b) realization of those intentions in the post‐Recession period, and (c) fertility intentions toward the end of the reproductive years, using Waves IV and V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The results confirm the role of standard socioeconomic measures and also highlight the importance of subjective measures. In general, more advantaged women were more likely to intend to have (more) children at both waves and to have children between waves. Furthermore, women who already had children by the Great Recession were more likely than their childless peers to have a(nother) child in the post‐Recession period. As this cohort approaches the end of its childbearing years, having unfulfilled fertility plans from earlier in the reproductive life course is a strong predictor of continuing to intend at least one birth.
Clinical features of pediatric eosinophilic gastroenteritis
Authors: Kobayashi Soya , Tsunoda Tomoyuki , Umetsu Shuichiro , Inui Ayano , Fujisawa Tomoo , Sogo Tsuyoshi
Published: August 2022

Background

No study has analyzed more than100 cases of eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) in children in a single center. We aimed to describe the clinical features of pediatric EGE.

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted at a single center. Between April 2007 and December 2017, 860 children between the ages of 1 year and 15 years underwent endoscopy for gastrointestinal symptoms of unknown cause. Among them, 109 (12.7%) were diagnosed with EGE according to the diagnostic criteria for EGE developed by the research group of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan for eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder in 2015. We investigated their symptoms, comorbidities, endoscopic findings, pathological findings, treatments, and outcomes.

Results

Seventy‐one boys (65.1%) and 38 girls (34.9%) were diagnosed with EGE. The median age at diagnosis was 11 years (range, 1–15 years). The chief complaints were abdominal pain in 83 (76.1%) and diarrhea in 26 (23.9%). Upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopies showed normal findings in 32 patients (29.4%). The most common treatment was a combination of elimination of foods suspected of causing EGE and anti‐allergic agents in 50 cases (45.9%). The outcomes were symptom disappearance in 43 patients (39.4%) and symptom improvement in 53 patients (48.6%).

Conclusions

For gastrointestinal symptoms of unknown cause in children, EGE should be considered as a differential diagnosis. Although the symptoms and endoscopic findings are nonspecific, cracked mucosa may be a specific endoscopic finding for pediatric EGE. An elimination diet and/or anti‐allergic drugs were effective in most patients with pediatric EGE.
Exploring the Antibacterial Properties of Lignin‐coated Magnetic Nanoparticles Synthesized in a One‐pot Process†
Authors: da Silva Daliane R. C. , Scaiano Juan C.
Published: August 2022

Given the current grave problems with antibiotic resistance, the discovery of novel, unconventional antibacterial drugs is not just important but also urgent. In this contribution, we report on the synthesis and testing of several composite nanomaterials that may find applications as therapeutic drugs or surface disinfectants. These materials are based on magnetic nanostructures coated with lignin, for example, lignin@FeCo. The magnetic properties of these nanocomposites facilitate removal or localization, whereas the lignin shell provides biocompatibility. These nanomaterials are mild antibacterials in the absence of light, but when illuminated become powerful antibacterial agents with typically ≥6 log units of bacterial reduction in 1–5 min of irradiation. These materials are strongly absorbing, including in the very useful NIR biological window, which we illustrate using 810 nm LED irradiation. We also show that in the short time required for antibacterial action, thermal changes are very small (≤5°C). Further, biocompatibility tests using fibroblasts show very limited cell damage and no enhanced adverse effect during 810 nm NIR illumination. As a surface coating for the active material, lignin provides a “trojan horse” strategy to facilitate the antibacterial action.
Silicon mediates the changes in physiological performance, nutrient uptake, root colonization morphology and secondary metabolite activity in rubber rootstock seedlings (Hevea brasiliensis) inoculated with Rigidoporus microporus
Authors: Shaikh Abd Hadi Shaikh Mohd Hizami , Zakaria Latiffah , Sidique Siti Nordahliawate Mohamed , Mohmad Mahyudin Murnita , Berahim Zulkarami , Idris Muhamad Arif , Mohamed Nor Nik Mohd Izham
Published: August 2022

White root disease (WRD) of rubber, caused by Rigidoporus microporus, is a severe soilborne disease in rubber plantations. Although several studies have addressed the potential use of silicon (Si) to combat plant diseases, the exact mechanisms underlying Si‐improved physiological performance and resistance to WRD in rubber rootstock seedlings are still unknown. This study evaluated the effect of soluble Si supplementation in controlling R. microporus on 13‐month‐old rubber rootstock seedlings of clones RRIM 2002 and RRIM 2024. The application of soluble Si twice a month on the RRIM 2002 clone increased the relative chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate to 55.0%, 179.0%, 277.8% and 173.0% higher, respectively, than untreated seedlings 9 months postinoculation with R. microporus. Soluble Si supplementation reduced the disease by 55.0%, compared to only 25.6% disease reduction on rubber rootstock seedlings treated with propiconazole. The application of soluble Si enhanced the accumulation of Si and the production of total phenolic compounds (TPCs) in the rubber rootstock seedling roots by 40% and 25%, respectively, compared to untreated seedlings 9 months postinoculation with R. microporus. Based on scanning electron microscopy observations, the root tissue of rubber rootstock seedlings treated with soluble Si showed the absence of R. microporus hyphae, and the accumulation of Si granules was observed. Thus, this work proved that soluble Si in the form of silicic acid shows promising results as an alternative fertilizer in controlling WRD.
Creatine: A valuable supplement in aquafeeds?
Authors: Wuertz Sven , Reiser Stefan
Published: August 2022

Creatine is an amino acid derivate commonly found in vertebrate muscle tissue. Creatine facilitates the recycling of adenosine triphosphate and thus contributes to the energy supply of the muscles as well as the brain. Creatine is used as a supplement for several reasons and its effects in humans, particularly in sports medicine, have been studied excessively. Also, creatine supplementation has been studied for its functions and benefits in terrestrial farm animals. Up to date, little is known about the use of creatine as a supplement in fish nutrition. Yet, due to its many physiological functions, creatine may serve as a valuable supplement in aquafeeds of farmed aquaculture species. Indeed, creatine plays a pivotal role in the fish's muscle and may help to enhance performance of fish reared in aquaculture systems. With regard to swimming exercise, creatine may even amplify its metabolic effects. Upon supplementation, creatine stimulates muscle growth increasing body mass and it has the potential to improve feed utilisation particularly of plant‐based diets. Also, creatine plays a part in osmoregulation when fish adapt to changes in salinity. Furthermore, it may improve product quality upon slaughter. Here, we compile what is known about the many functions of creatine as well as its physiological effects in fish in comparison to mammals. We also highlight its potential beneficial effects as a supplement in aquaculture and infer why creatine can help increase the sustainability of fish feeds.
Recent progress of male sexual differentiation and development in the oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense): A review
Authors: Jin Shubo , Zhang Wenyi , Xiong Yiwei , Fu Hongtuo
Published: August 2022

Many researchers have focused on male sexual differentiation and development of the Macrobrachium nipponense in recent years. In this review, we highlight the status of knowledge about male sexual differentiation and development in this species by summarizing the chromosome analyses, major regulatory factors, identification of male reproduction‐related genes and gene functional analyses. Fifty‐two chromosomes have been identified in the testis of M. nipponense, which led to the identification of sex‐related chromosomes in this prawn. Studies have shown that hormones secreted by the eyestalk, androgenic gland, and testis as well as 17‐estradiol and environmental factors regulate the process of male sexual development in M. nipponense. The sex differentiation and development sensitive period was identified as post‐larva 10 (PL10) to PL22; therefore, this time span is critical in the identification of male reproduction‐related genes from M. nipponense. In this study, 80 male sex‐related homologous genes were identified based on functional analysis in other species, and another 45 genes were considered to be strong male reproduction‐related candidates based on their expression changes through performing multi‐omics profiling analyses. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed 25 genes that were involved in the process of male sexual development in M. nipponense, and RNA interference showed that knockdown of the expression levels of SDHB, PDHE1, NFkBa, HSDL1 and ferritin delayed testis development. Use of Crispr‐Cas9 technology and analysis of noncoding RNA should be further investigated, which will be effective in establishing an artificial technique to regulate the process of male sexual development in M. nipponense.
Antiracism amidst empire? Understanding the United States' relationship to whiteness
Authors: Nicholls Heidi
Published: August 2022

Dominant conceptualizations of the United States as a nation‐state have recently given way to greater understandings of settler colonialism and U.S. empire. However, notions of U.S. empire may still work to naturalize settler colonialism if viewed in isolation from the expansiveness of what has been considered U.S. territory. In this review article, I outline three dominant understandings of U.S. empire and describe how each reifies the myth of the U.S. as a “nation‐state.” The U.S. does not simply have an empire. It is an empire. I then review helpful insights concerning processes of rule within empire‐states including from postcolonial sociology, comparative‐historical sociology, and gender and sexuality. Insights from critical Indigenous studies offer a way forward for research that analyzes the rule of settler colonial and empire‐states alongside the politics of race and racism. As theorized by Indigenous feminisms in Oceania, racism also operates through possessive processes that integrate peoples and ways of living into state logics and mechanisms of rule. Finally, I argue that sociology committed to addressing racism must further grapple with the reality that the United States is an empire‐state. As such, we must more closely analyze the state and statist politics as key producers of White supremacy today.
Integrating research on social class and social relationships
Authors: Hooker Emily D. , Algoe Sara B.
Published: August 2022

A decade of research on social class has shown that those lower in social class tend to be more interdependent or focused on others. Here, we show that considering social class as an aspect of culture, which means that it shapes thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, can improve the precision, generalizability, and utility of theories about relationships. Moreover, we show the value of research on social class that integrates theories and methodologies developed in relationship science (e.g., studying existing relationships in real life, over time) with those developed in the science of social class (e.g., social class as a form of culture; the distinction between material resources and rank in society). Integrating these perspectives will accelerate understanding of when and how relationships can be beneficial for all. Recent research on social‐class variation in interpersonal processes lays the groundwork for substantial advances across domains of psychology.
Red blood cell depletion in small‐volume bone marrow processing using manipulation with third‐party red blood cells: A comparison of the performance of the COBE spectra and the spectra Optia systems
Authors: Sumii Yuichi , Fujii Nobuharu , Fujii Keiko , Kondo Takumi , Urata Tomohiro , Kimura Maiko , Washio Kana , Fujiwara Hideaki , Asada Noboru , Ennishi Daisuke , Nishimori Hisakazu , Matsuoka Ken‐ichi , Otsuka Fumio , Maeda Yoshinobu
Published: August 2022

Background

For pediatric recipients, red blood cells (RBCs) are added to bone marrow (BM) collections before low RBC volume BM processing using COBE Spectra (COBE) or Spectra Optia (Optia). However, the processing efficiency of this approach has not been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate RBC depletion and nucleated cell subpopulation recovery rates in third‐party RBC‐manipulated BM products processed with the COBE or Optia.

Study Design and Methods

We retrospectively collected data on RBC depletion from low RBC volume BM with third‐party RBCs (manipulated group) and on conventional large‐volume, BM (unmanipulated group) processing performed between September 2010 and December 2021. All procedures were performed using COBE or Optia.

Results

The median residual RBC volume in the manipulated group was 9.5 ml in COBE and 2.5 ml in Optia (p = .01). The median total nucleated cell (TNC) and mononuclear cell (MNC) were comparable between the manipulated groups using each cell separator (TNC, 40.8 vs. 47.1%; MNC, 78.3 vs. 79.4%). The manipulation did not adversely affect TNC and MNC recoveries in either device. In addition, Optia achieved similar CD34+ cell recovery to that in large‐BM‐volume processing using the same device (147.5 vs. 184.5%, p = .112). During a follow‐up period, neutrophil engraftment was achieved in all patients who received third‐party RBC‐manipulated grafts, and platelet engraftment was achieved in all cases, except one.

Conclusion

The addition of third‐party RBC to low RBC volume BM collections from or for pediatric patients does not have any negative impact on either RBC depletion or hematopoietic cell recovery during processing with the widely used cell separator.
Hormones, age, and sex affect platelet responsiveness in vitro
Authors: Hadley Jamie B. , Kelher Marguerite R. , Coleman Julia R. , Kelly Kathleen K. , Dumont Larry J. , Esparza Orlando , Banerjee Anirban , Cohen Mitchell J. , Jones Kenneth , Silliman Christopher C.
Published: August 2022

Background

Female sex confers a survival advantage following severe injury in the setting of trauma‐induced coagulopathy, with female platelets having heightened responsiveness likely due to estrogen. The effects of testosterone on platelet biology are unknown, and platelets express both estradiol and androgen receptors on the plasma membrane. We hypothesize testosterone decreases platelet responses in vitro, and there are baseline differences in platelet function and metabolism stratified by sex/age.

Study Design and Methods

Apheresis platelets were collected from: older males (OM) ≥45 years, younger males (YM) <45 years, older females (OF) ≥54 years, and younger females (YF) <54 years, and testosterone and estradiol were measured. Platelets were incubated with testosterone (5.31 ng/ml), estradiol (105 pg/ml) or vehicle and stimulated with buffer, adenosine diphosphate (20 μM), platelet activating factor (2 μM), or thrombin (0.3 U/ml). Aggregation, CD62P surface expression, fibrinogen receptor surface expression, and platelet mitochondrial metabolism were measured.

Results

Testosterone significantly inhibited aggregation in OF and OM (p < .05), inhibited CD41a expression in YF, YM, and OM (p < .05), and affected a few of the baseline amounts of CD62P surface expression but not platelet activation to platelet‐activating factor and adenosine diphosphate, and variably changed platelet metabolism.

Discussion

Platelets have sex‐ and age‐specific aggregation, receptor expression, and metabolism. Testosterone decreases platelet function dependent on the stimulus, age, and sex. Similarly, platelet metabolism has varying responses to sex hormones with baseline metabolic differences dependent upon sex and age.
Noncompartmental pharmacokinetics of three intravenous mycophenolate mofetil concentrations in healthy Standardbred mares
Authors: Burroughs Dylan L. , Lorch Gwendolen , Guo Yizhen , Hill Kasey , Schroeder Eric L. , Cole Lynette K. , Phelps Mitch A.
Published: August 2022

Background

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is the prodrug of mycophenolic acid (MPA) which acts as an immunosuppressive agent. During the biotransformation of MMF to MPA, additional metabolites including MPA phenol glucuronide (MPAG), MPA acyl glucuronide (AcMPAG) and MPA phenol glucoside (MPG) are formed.

Objective

To define the noncompartmental pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of three single doses of intravenous (i.v.) MMF and its downstream metabolites in healthy horses.

Animals

Six healthy Standardbred mares.

Materials and Methods

Generic MMF (Par Pharmaceuticals; Chestnut Ridge, NY, USA) was reconstituted and administered as a single i.v. bolus at 1.0 mg/kg, 5.0 mg/kg and 10.0 mg/kg with an eight day washout between treatments. Blood samples were collected immediately before MMF administration and over 24 h. A liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry assay was developed following FDA guidance to determine plasma MMF, MPA, MPAG, AcMPAG and MPG concentrations. Plasma concentrations were analysed independently, followed by calculation of geometric mean and coefficient of variation.

Results

Noncompartmental PK parameters were determined for MMF and all metabolites at all doses. MMF was rapidly converted to MPA in all horses. Each incremental dose of MMF resulted in increases in Cmaxand AUCinf_obs for MPA and the three additional metabolites. Within the 10‐fold dose range, the increase in Cmaxand AUCinf_obs for MMF and its metabolites was nonlinear.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

Horses biotransform MMF into MPA, MPAG, AcMPAG and MPG via the glucuronidation and glucosidation clearance pathways. Equine reference PK profiles for MPA and the metabolites, MPAG, AcMPAG and MPG were established.
Optimal Control of SIRS Model with Limited Medical Resources and Reinfection Problems
Authors: Salman Amer M. , Mohd Mohd Hafiz , Ahmed Noor Atinah , Musa Kamarul Imaran , Ahmed Issam , Alqahtani Zuhur
Published: August 2022

COVID-19 is a global public health problem that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). It is also extremely contagious with rapidly increasing death rates. In this paper, we propose an optimal control model with SIRS (Susceptible–Infected–Recovered- Susceptible) kinetics to examine the effects of several intervention measures (e.g., vaccination and treatment) under the limited medical resources scenarios. This model is also employed to investigate the possibility of reinfection because of the fading of immunity problem. As a case study, the modeling framework is parametrised using COVID-19 daily confirmed and recovered cases in Malaysia. The parameters have been approximated by relying on the model's best fit to actual data published by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH). Our numerical simulation results show that the inclusion of optimal control components with vaccination and treatment strategies would dramatically reduce the number of active cases even in the presence of reinfection forces. Regardless of the relative weightage (or costs) of vaccination and treatment, as well as the possibility of reinfection, it is critical to plan effective COVID-19 control measures by vaccinating as many people as possible (and as early as possible). Overall, these insights help explore the importance of intervention measures and the allocation of medical resources to control the severity of this pandemic.
Non-Trivial Subring Perfect Codes in Unit Graph of Boolean Rings
Authors: Mudaber Mohammad Hassan , Sarmin Nor Haniza , Gambo Ibrahim
Published: August 2022

The aim of this paper is to investigate the non-trivial subring perfect codes in a unit graph associated with the Boolean rings. We prove a subring perfect code of size , where , in the unit graphs associated with the finite Boolean rings . Moreover, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for a subring of an infinite Boolean ring  to be a perfect code of size infinity in the unit graph.
Structural, Morphological and Optical Properties of Zinc Oxide Nanorods prepared by ZnO seed layer Annealed at Different Oxidation Temperature
Authors: Abd Aziz Muhammad Safwan , Salleh Mohd Shahril , Krishnan Ganesan , Mufti Nandang , Omar M. F. , Harun S. W.
Published: August 2022

In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods structure in the form of thin film have been grown on soda-lime glass (SLG) substrate incorporating two simple steps. Firstly, ZnO seed layer was pre-deposited onto the SLG substrate by the thermal evaporation method. During this process, the oxidation temperatures were varied in the range of 450 oC to 650 oC annealed for 3 hours. Then, the nanorods structure were grown on the surface of the seed layer by sol-gel immersion method with the use of zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO3)2·6H2O) and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) in deionized (DI) water. The optical, structural and morphological properties at different oxidation temperatures were studied using UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field-enhanced Scanning Electron Microscopy (FeSEM). The surface morphology results revealed the formation of hexagonal shaped ZnO on top of the seed layer as a result of heterogeneous nucleation. X-ray diffraction results show that the c-axis orientation became more prominent while the optical band gap of ZnO thin films decreases from 3.31 eV to 3.14 eV as the annealing temperature increased respectively. It is shown that the size and alignment of ZnO NRs are greatly affected by the pre-deposition annealed temperature of the ZnO seed layer on the surface of SLG substrate.
The nature of waves in the arteries in memoriam: Nico Westerhof and John Tyberg
Authors: Parker Kim H. , de Tombe Pieter , van der Velden Jolanda , Westerhof Berend E
Published: August 2022

This memorial remembers the lives of two distinguished researchers who made major contributions to cardiovascular physiology; Nico Westerhof (1937–2022) and John Tyberg (1938–2022). It is a joint memorial not because they collaborated closely but because they held very different views about the nature of waves in the arteries. Their papers and particularly their lively discussions at many scientific meetings stimulated interest in the subject. Both were thoughtful and articulate about their views, and the debates were polite and dignified. They never resolved their differences and, after outlining what these differences were, we will suggest that perhaps there is no resolution. The authors of this memorial were close to one or the other protagonist; a son, a son‐in‐law and two close collaborators. We all have different views about the nature of waves in the arteries, but we all share great respect for both men and felt that a joint memorial was a fitting way to remember them and their many contributions. All of the authors knew the subjects of this memorial as ‘Nico’ and ‘John’, and we will use these informal names throughout.
Tutorials in vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy. III. Collecting, processing, and analyzing vibrational sum frequency generation spectra
Authors: Pickering James D. , Bregnhøj Mikkel , Rasmussen Mette H. , Strunge Kris , Weidner Tobias
Published: August 2022

In this Tutorial series, we aim to provide an accessible introduction to vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy, targeted toward people entering the VSFG world without a rigorous formal background in optical physics or nonlinear spectroscopy. In this article, we discuss in detail the processes of collecting and processing VSFG data, and user-friendly processing software (sfgtools) is provided for use by people new to the field. Some discussion of analyzing VSFG spectra is also given, specifically with a discussion of fitting homodyne VSFG spectra, and a discussion of what can be learned (both qualitatively and quantitatively) from VSFG spectra.
Extraordinary Claims in the Literature on High-Intensity Interval Training: II. Are the Extraordinary Claims Supported by Extraordinary Evidence?
Authors: Ekkekakis Panteleimon , Tiller Nicholas B.
Published: August 2022

Dishman challenged kinesiologists to seek a compromise between “the ideal physiological prescription and a manageable behavioral prescription.” High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the first exercise modality that has been claimed to meet this challenge, combining substantial benefits for fitness and health with pleasure and enjoyment. If true, these claims may revolutionize the science and practice of exercise. In this paper, four claims are critically appraised: (a) HIIT lowers the risk of mortality more than moderate-intensity continuous exercise, (b) HIIT doubles endurance performance after only 15 min of training over 2 weeks, (c) 1 min of HIIT is equivalent to 45 min of moderate-intensity continuous exercise, and (d) HIIT is more pleasant and enjoyable than moderate-intensity continuous exercise. The evidence for these claims appears questionable. Kinesiology should heed the principle endorsed by Hume, Laplace, and Sagan, namely that extraordinary claims should be supported by commensurate evidence.
G9a dictates neuronal vulnerability to inflammatory stress via transcriptional control of ferroptosis
Authors: Rothammer Nicola , Woo Marcel S. , Bauer Simone , Binkle-Ladisch Lars , Di Liberto Giovanni , Egervari Kristof , Wagner Ingrid , Haferkamp Undine , Pless Ole , Merkler Doron , Engler Jan Broder , Friese Manuel A.
Published: August 2022

Neuroinflammation leads to neuronal stress responses that contribute to neuronal dysfunction and loss. However, treatments that stabilize neurons and prevent their destruction are still lacking. Here, we identify the histone methyltransferase G9a as a druggable epigenetic regulator of neuronal vulnerability to inflammation. In murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and human multiple sclerosis (MS), we found that the G9a-catalyzed repressive epigenetic mark H3K9me2 was robustly induced by neuroinflammation. G9a activity repressed anti-ferroptotic genes, diminished intracellular glutathione levels, and triggered the iron-dependent programmed cell death pathway ferroptosis. Conversely, pharmacological treatment of EAE mice with a G9a inhibitor restored anti-ferroptotic gene expression, reduced inflammation-induced neuronal loss, and improved clinical outcome. Similarly, neuronal anti-ferroptotic gene expression was reduced in MS brain tissue and was boosted by G9a inhibition in human neuronal cultures. This study identifies G9a as a critical transcriptional enhancer of neuronal ferroptosis and potential therapeutic target to counteract inflammation-induced neurodegeneration.
Linking the nonmaterial dimensions of human-nature relations and human well-being through cultural ecosystem services
Authors: Huynh Lam Thi Mai , Gasparatos Alexandros , Su Jie , Dam Lam Rodolfo , Grant Ezekiel I. , Fukushi Kensuke
Published: August 2022

Nature contributes substantially to human well-being through its diverse material and nonmaterial contributions. However, despite the growing literature on the nonmaterial dimensions of human-nature relations, we lack a systematic understanding of how they are linked with human well-being. Here, we use the concept of cultural ecosystem services (CESs) as a lens to explore this interface. Through a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature, we elicit the unique pathways and mechanisms linking individual CESs and constituents of human well-being, as well as their relative effects. Subsequently, we identify their complex interactions through latent class analysis and multiple correspondence analysis, which delineate five major assemblages that reflect synergies and trade-offs at the interface of CESs and human well-being. We critically discuss key research trends and gaps and propose directions for future research and practice to leverage the potential of the nonmaterial contributions of nature for human well-being and sustainability more broadly.
lncRNA-GM targets Foxo1 to promote T cell–mediated autoimmunity
Authors: Chen Yali , Liu Juan , Zhang Xiaomin , Zhu Ha , Wang Yujia , Li Zhiqing , Liu Yanfang , Liu Shuo , Liu Shuxun , Li Nan , Chen Kun , Cao Xuetao
Published: August 2022

RNA-RBP interaction is important in immune regulation and implicated in various immune disorders. The differentiation of proinflammatory T cell subset T
H
17 and its balance with regulatory T cell (T
reg
) generation is closely related to autoimmune pathogenesis. The roles of RNA-RBP interaction in regulation of T
H
17/T
reg
differentiation and autoinflammation remain in need of further investigation. Here we report that lncRNA-GM polarizes T
H
17 differentiation but inhibits iT
reg
differentiation by reducing activity of Foxo1, a transcriptional factor that is important in inhibiting T
H
17 differentiation but promoting T
reg
generation.
lncRNA-GM
–deficient mice were protected from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Mechanistically, lncRNA-GM directly binds to cytoplasmic Foxo1, thus inhibiting its activity through blocking dephosphorylation of Foxo1 by phosphatase PP2A to promote
Il23r
transcription. The human homolog of lncRNA-GM (AK026392.1) also polarizes human T
H
17 differentiation. Our study provides mechanistic insight into the interaction of lncRNA and transcriptional factor in determining T cell subset differentiation during T cell–mediated autoimmune diseases.
In vivo processing of digital information molecularly with targeted specificity and robust reliability
Authors: Liu Yangyi , Ren Yubin , Li Jingjing , Wang Fan , Wang Fei , Ma Chao , Chen Dong , Jiang Xingyu , Fan Chunhai , Zhang Hongjie , Liu Kai
Published: August 2022

DNA has attracted increasing interest as an appealing medium for information storage. However, target-specific rewriting of the digital data stored in intracellular DNA remains a grand challenge because the highly repetitive nature and uneven guanine-cytosine content render the encoded DNA sequences poorly compatible with endogenous ones. In this study, a dual-plasmid system based on gene editing tools was introduced into
Escherichia coli
to process information accurately. Digital data containing large repeat units in binary codes, such as text, codebook, or image, were involved in the realization of target-specific rewriting in vivo, yielding up to 94% rewriting reliability. An optical reporter was introduced as an advanced tool for presenting data processing at the molecular level. Rewritten information was stored stably and amplified over hundreds of generations. Our work demonstrates a digital-to-biological information processing approach for highly efficient data storage, amplification, and rewriting, thus robustly promoting the application of DNA-based information technology.
Artificial tactile perception smart finger for material identification based on triboelectric sensing
Authors: Qu Xuecheng , Liu Zhuo , Tan Puchuan , Wang Chan , Liu Ying , Feng Hongqing , Luo Dan , Li Zhou , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: August 2022

Tactile perception includes the direct response of tactile corpuscles to environmental stimuli and psychological parameters associated with brain recognition. To date, several artificial haptic-based sensing techniques can accurately measure physical stimuli. However, quantifying the psychological parameters of tactile perception to achieve texture and roughness identification remains challenging. Here, we developed a smart finger with surpassed human tactile perception, which enabled accurate identification of material type and roughness through the integration of triboelectric sensing and machine learning. In principle, as each material has different capabilities to gain or lose electrons, a unique triboelectric fingerprint output will be generated when the triboelectric sensor is in contact with the measured object. The construction of a triboelectric sensor array could further eliminate interference from the environment, and the accuracy rate of material identification was as high as 96.8%. The proposed smart finger provides the possibility to impart artificial tactile perception to manipulators or prosthetics.
Toward protein NMR at physiological concentrations by hyperpolarized water—Finding and mapping uncharted conformational spaces
Authors: Epasto Ludovica M. , Che Kateryna , Kozak Fanny , Selimovic Albina , Kadeřávek Pavel , Kurzbach Dennis
Published: August 2022

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a key method for determining the structural dynamics of proteins in their native solution state. However, the low sensitivity of NMR typically necessitates nonphysiologically high sample concentrations, which often limit the relevance of the recorded data. We show how to use hyperpolarized water by dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (DDNP) to acquire protein spectra at concentrations of 1 μM within seconds and with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The importance of approaching physiological concentrations is demonstrated for the vital MYC-associated factor X, which we show to switch conformations when diluted. While in vitro conditions lead to a population of the well-documented dimer, concentrations lowered by more than two orders of magnitude entail dimer dissociation and formation of a globularly folded monomer. We identified this structure by integrating DDNP with computational techniques to overcome the often-encountered constraint of DDNP of limited structural information provided by the typically detected one-dimensional spectra.
On the meaning of various mass definitions for asymptotically flat spacetimes
Authors: Vollick Dan N.
Published: August 2022

In general relativity, the energy density of the gravitational field is not well defined. However, for asymptotically flat spacetimes, various definitions for total mass of the system have been proposed. In this paper, eight masses are considered and it is shown that some of them correspond to the active gravitational mass while the others correspond to the inertial mass. For example, the ADM mass corresponds to the inertial mass, while the Møller mass corresponds to the active gravitational mass. In general, the inertial and active gravitational masses are not equal. If the spacetime is vacuum at large r, the Einstein equations force the inertial and active gravitational masses to be the same. The Einstein equations also force these masses to be the same if any matter that extends out to large r satisfies the weak, strong, or dominant energy condition. The contributions of the inertial and active gravitational masses to the gravitational redshift, the deflection of light, the Shapiro time delay, the precession of perihelia, and the motion of test bodies in the spacetime are also examined.
Biochar–compost mixture and cover crop effects on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, yield, and fruit quality in an irrigated vineyard
Authors: Sharifi Mehdi , Hajiaghaei-Kamrani Monireh
Published: August 2022

Effects of biochar–compost (B+Com) mixture and cover crop were assessed on soil and grapevine productivity in an irrigated Merlot ( Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard in Okanagan Valley, British Columbia (BC), Canada, from 2017 to 2020. The experimental design was a factorial arrangement of control, B+Com, cover crop, and combination of cover crop and B+Com (cover crop/B+Com) treatments in alleys with four replications. The B+Com comprised a 1:1 ratio of biochar and compost and was applied at a rate of 22 Mg ha−1 dry weight basis in May 2017 and 2019. The cover crop consisted of a dryland forage mixture and bird’s-foot trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus L.). B+Com treatment did not affect cover crop biomass or tissue C and N concentrations except for a 12% reduction in 2019 biomass. B+Com and cover crop/B+Com increased soil C content averaged across sampling dates by 11% and 17% ( P < 0.05), respectively, only at the 0–15 cm soil depth compared with the control. Cover crop treatment did not affect ( P < 0.05) soil C content at two soil depths in all sampling dates. Soil N content was not affected by B+Com, decreased by an average of 12.5% at both soil depths with cover crop, and increased with cover crop/B+Com by 4% only at the 0–15 cm soil depth averaged across sampling dates ( P < 0.05). Grape yield was increased by 32% by cover crop/B+Com relative to control only in 2020. The cover crop reduced petiole N and pruning weights in one or two years out of three.
One-loop Schwinger effect in the presence of Lorentz-violating background fields
Authors: Costa Rafael L. J. , Sobreiro Rodrigo F.
Published: August 2022

In this work we make use of proper-time method to evaluate Schwinger effect in the presence of Lorentz-violating background fields. Specifically, we evaluate the one-loop effective Lagrangian in the presence of Lorentz-violating time-like vector background $$b_\mu $$

b
μ

and pseudo-scalar $$m_5$$

m
5

for the pure electric case. The imaginary part of the effective Lagrangian is computed in order to calculate the Schwinger effect. Comments on phenomenology are also performed.
Exploring phase space with nested sampling
Authors: Yallup David , Janßen Timo , Schumann Steffen , Handley Will
Published: August 2022

We present the first application of a Nested Sampling algorithm to explore the high-dimensional phase space of particle collision events. We describe the adaptation of the algorithm, designed to perform Bayesian inference computations, to the integration of partonic scattering cross sections and the generation of individual events distributed according to the corresponding squared matrix element. As a first concrete example we consider gluon scattering processes into 3-, 4- and 5-gluon final states and compare the performance with established sampling techniques. Starting from a flat prior distribution Nested Sampling outperforms the Vegas algorithm and achieves results comparable to a dedicated multi-channel importance sampler. We outline possible approaches to combine Nested Sampling with non-flat prior distributions to further reduce the variance of integral estimates and to increase unweighting efficiencies.
Non-trivial class of anisotropic compact stellar model in Rastall gravity
Authors: Nashed G. G. L. , Hanafy W. El
Published: August 2022

We investigated Rastall gravity, for an anisotropic star with a static spherical symmetry, whereas the matter-geometry coupling as assumed in Rastall Theory (RT) is expected to play a crucial role differentiating RT from General Relativity (GR). Indeed, all the obtained results confirm that RT is not equivalent to GR, however, it produces same amount of anisotropy as GR for static spherically symmetric stellar models. We used the observational constraints on the mass and the radius of the pulsar Her X-1 to determine the model parameters confirming the physical viability of the model. We found that the matter-geometry coupling in RT allows slightly less size than GR for a given mass. We confirmed the model viability via other twenty pulsars’ observations. Utilizing the strong energy condition we determined an upper bound on compactness $$U_\text {max}\sim 0.603$$

U
max

∼
0.603

, in agreement with Buchdahl limit, whereas Rastall parameter $$\epsilon =-0.1$$

ϵ
=
-
0.1

. For a surface density compatible with a neutron core at nuclear saturation density the mass-radius curve allows masses up to $$3.53 M_\odot $$

3.53

M
⊙

. We note that there is no equation of state is assumed, however the model fits well with linear behaviour. We split the twenty pulsars into four groups according to the boundary densities. Three groups are compatible with neutron cores while one group fits perfectly with higher boundary density $$8\times 10^{14}$$

8
×

10
14

$$\hbox {g/cm}^3$$

g/cm
3

which suggests that those pulsars may have quark-gluon cores.
Analytically approximation solution to Einstein-Cubic gravity
Authors: Sajadi S. N. , Hendi S. H.
Published: August 2022

In this work, we introduce analytical approximate black hole solutions in Einstein-Cubic gravity. To obtain complete solutions, we construct the near horizon and asymptotic solutions as the first step. Then, the approximate analytic solutions are obtained through continued-fraction expansion. We also compute the thermodynamic quantities and use the first law and Smarr formula to obtain the analytic solutions for near horizon quantities. Finally, we follow the same approach to obtain the new static black hole solutions with different metric functions.
Inflation, SUSY breaking, and primordial black holes in modified supergravity coupled to chiral matter
Authors: Aldabergenov Yermek , Addazi Andrea , Ketov Sergei V.
Published: August 2022

We propose a novel model of the modified (Starobinsky-like) old-minimal-type supergravity coupled to a chiral matter superfield, that can simultaneously describe multi-field inflation, primordial black hole (PBH) formation, dark matter (DM), and spontaneous supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking after inflation in a Minkowski vacuum. The PBH masses in our supergravity model of double slow-roll inflation, with a short phase of “ultra-slow-roll” between two slow-roll phases, are close to $$10^{18}$$

10
18

g. We find that a significant PBH fraction in the allowed mass window can be supplemented by spontaneous SUSY breaking in the vacuum with the gravitino mass close to the scalaron (inflaton) mass M of the order $$10^{13}$$

10
13

GeV. Our supergravity model favors the composite nature of DM as a mixture of PBH and heavy gravitinos as the lightest SUSY particles. The composite DM significantly relaxes fine-tuning needed for the whole PBH-DM. The PBH-DM fraction is derived, and the second-order gravitational wave background induced by the enhanced scalar perturbations is calculated. Those gravitational waves may be accessible by the future space-based gravitational interferometers.
Detecting Risk of Biased Output with Balance Measures
Authors: Mecati Mariachiara , Vetrò Antonio , Torchiano Marco
Published: August 2022

Data have become a fundamental element of the management and productive infrastructures of our society, fuelling digitization of organizational and decision-making processes at an impressive speed. This transition shows lights and shadows, and the “bias in-bias out” problem is one of the most relevant issues, which encompasses technical, ethical, and social perspectives. We address this field of research by investigating how the balance of protected attributes in training data can be used to assess the risk of algorithmic unfairness. We identify four balance measures and test their ability to detect the risk of discriminatory classification by applying them to the training set. The results of this proof of concept show that the indexes can properly detect unfairness of software output. However, we found the choice of the balance measure has a relevant impact on the threshold to consider as risky; further work is necessary to deepen knowledge on this aspect.
NHS Number Open Source Software: Implications for Digital Health Regulation and Development
Authors: Thimbleby Harold
Published: August 2022

A national example of open source digital healthcare is critiqued. The code for implementing numeric patient identifiers is surprisingly naïve and bug-ridden, despite patient identifiers being computationally trivial and a critical component of reliable healthcare. The issues raised are shown to be widespread, long term, and apparently unrecognized. Problems are traced back to inadequacies in the relevant standards, and, at every stage, regulation through to development, inadequate Software Engineering input.

An important finding is that the relevant healthcare standards are inconsistent and written without sufficient rigor to be at all constructive for implementing digital systems. The widely recognized problems of interoperability may be traced back to diverse (and buggy) interpretations of vague standards.
Emotion Detection in Code-Mixed Roman Urdu - English Text
Authors: Ilyas Abdullah , Shahzad Khurram , Kamran Malik Muhammad
Published: August 2022

Emotion detection is a widely studied topic in natural language processing due to its significance in a number of application areas. A plethora of studies have been conducted on emotion detection in European as well as Asian languages. However, a large majority of these studies have been conducted in monolingual settings, whereas little attention has been paid to emotion detection in code-mixed text. Specifically, merely one study has been conducted on emotion detection inRoman Urdu (RU)andEnglish (EN)code-mixed text despite the fact that such text is widely used in social media platforms. A careful examination of the existing study has revealed several issues which justify that this area requires attention of researchers. For instance, more than 37% of the messages in the contemporary corpus are monolingual sentences representing that a purely code-mixed emotion analysis corpus is non-existent. To that end, this study has scrapped 400,000 sentences from three social media platforms to identify 20,000 RU-EN code-mixed sentences. Subsequently, an iterative approach is employed to develop emotion detection guidelines. These guidelines have been used to develop a large RU-EN emotion detection (RU-EN-Emotion) corpus in which 20,000 sentences are annotated as Neutral or Emotion-sentence. The sentences having emotions are further annotated with the respective emotions. Subsequently, 102 experiments are performed to evaluate the effectiveness of six classical machine learning techniques and six deep learning techniques. The results show, (a) CNN is the most effective technique when used with GloVe embeddings, and (b) our developed RU-EN-Emotion corpus is more useful than the contemporary corpus, as it employs a two-level classification approach.