bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mendelssohn and the Protestant Pedants: The Skeptical Rabbis, the Principle of Noncontradiction, and Judaism’s Spiritual Dialogue
Authors: Strauss Ze’ev
Published: August 2023

This study explores the extent to which Mendelssohn’s Jerusalem engages with Protestant sources in its portrayal of rabbinic tradition, which will allow further light to be shed on the pivotal role of rabbinic Judaism and its representations within the emotionally charged polemics surrounding Jewish emancipation in eighteenth-century Prussia. This examination demonstrates that Mendelssohn’s idealized perception of rabbinic thought is deeply embedded in anti-rabbinic Protestant works, whose framework aids him in shaping his own unique outlook. By analyzing Mendelssohn’s deployment of the notion of contradiction, this article shows how his argumentative strategies in Jerusalem efficaciously counter well-known Protestant patterns of critique against rabbinic Judaism. By focusing on his idiosyncratic quotations and insinuations, it recovers the Christian works that he draws on and appropriates for his apologetic objectives and establishes that he uses Johann A. Eisenmenger for his depiction of the nature of rabbinic discursive practices while speaking out against “many a pedant” for their assertion that the rabbis disregarded the principle of noncontradiction. This article argues that Mendelssohn is alluding to eighteenth-century Protestant theologians who unreservedly follow Eisenmenger’s anti-rabbinic perspective and elaborates on how Mendelssohn entirely reframes this view as a conceptual strength of Judaism’s dialogical essence, thus rendering it compatible with the Enlightenment-based Weltanschauung.
A voxel- and source-based morphometry analysis of grey matter volume differences in very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis
Authors: Van Assche Lies , Takamiya Akihiro , Van den Stock Jan , Van de Ven Luc , Luyten Patrick , Emsell Louise , Vandenbulcke Mathieu
Published: August 2023

Background

Very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis (VLOSLP) is associated with significant burden. Its clinical importance is increasing as the global population of older adults rises, yet owing to limited research in this population, the neurobiological underpinnings of VLOSP remain insufficiently clarified. Here we address this knowledge gap using novel morphometry techniques to investigate grey matter volume (GMV) differences between VLOSLP and healthy older adults, and their correlations with neuropsychological scores.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whole-brain GMV differences between 35 individuals with VLOSLP (mean age 76.7, 26 female) and 36 healthy controls (mean age 75.7, 27 female) using whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and supplementary source-based morphometry (SBM) on high resolution 3D T1-weighted MRI images. Additionally, we investigated relationships between GMV differences and cognitive function assessed with an extensive neuropsychological battery.

Results

VBM showed lower GMV in the thalamus, left inferior frontal gyrus and left insula in patients with VLOSLP compared to healthy controls. SBM revealed lower thalamo-temporal GMV in patients with VLOSLP. Processing speed, selective attention, mental flexibility, working memory, verbal memory, semantic fluency and confrontation naming were impaired in patients with VLOSLP. Correlations between thalamic volumes and memory function were significant within the group of individuals with VLOSLP, whereas no significant associations remained in the healthy controls.

Conclusions

Lower GMV in the thalamus and fronto-temporal regions may be part of the underlying neurobiology of VLOSLP, with lower thalamic GMV contributing to memory impairment in the disorder.
TAXATION AND THE MORAL AUTHORITY OF CONVENTIONS
Authors: Wendt Fabian
Published: August 2023

Lockeans regard taxation as a—perhaps sometimes permissible—infringement of moral property entitlements. This essay discusses whether, or in what form, this charge is defensible. In doing so, it will explore the truth and the limits of the conventionalist reply of Murphy and Nagel to Lockean challenges to taxation. It argues that there is a moral rationale for property conventions that is independent of the question whether and how one can acquire natural, pre-conventional property rights in the state of nature, that this rationale sets a moral standard for how good property conventions are and whether they are justifiable at all, and that once property conventions are in place, people’s moral property entitlements are at least partly determined by these conventions, sometimes even by unjustifiable ones that ought to be reformed. Because taxation can be a part of property conventions, taxation as such is not an infringement of moral property entitlements. But the essay will also argue that some taxation—excessive taxation—does infringe on moral property entitlements. This is because the moral rationale for property conventions sets some standards for what owners should be entitled to, and so excessive taxation will infringe upon moral entitlements that are partly not convention-based.
Free-text inspiration search for systematic bio-inspiration support of engineering design
Authors: Willocx Mart , Duflou Joost R.
Published: August 2023

Current supportive bio-inspired design methods focus on handcrafting the inspiration engineers use to speed up bio-inspired design. However promising, such methods are not scalable as the time investment is shifted to an up-front investment. Furthermore, most proposed methods require the engineer to adopt a new design process. The current study presents FISh, a scalable search method based on the standard engineering design process. By leveraging machine translation between a representative corpus of biological and engineering texts, the engineer can start the search using engineering terminology, which, behind the scenes, is automatically converted to a biological query. This conversion is done using language models trained on patents and biological publications for the engineering and biology domains. Both models are aligned using the most used English words. The biological query is used to retrieve biological documents that describe the most relevant functionality for the engineering query. The presented method allows searching for bio-inspiration using a free-text query. Furthermore, updating the underlying datasets, models and organism aspects is automated, allowing the system to stay up to date without requiring interactive effort. Finally, the search functionality is validated by comparing the search results for the functionality of existing bio-inspired designs with their inspiring organisms.
Discovering Creative Commons Sounds in Live Coding
Authors: Xambó Sedó Anna
Published: August 2023

This article reports on a study to identify the new sonic challenges and opportunities for live coders, computer musicians and sonic artists using MIRLCa, a live-coding environment powered by an artificial intelligence (AI) system. MIRLCa works as a customisable worldwide sampler, with sounds retrieved from the collective online Creative Commons (CC) database Freesound. The live-coding environment was developed in SuperCollider by the author in conversation with the live-coding community through a series of workshops and by observing its use by 16 live coders, including the author, in work-in-progress sessions, impromptu performances and concerts. This article presents a qualitative analysis of the workshops, work-in-progress sessions and performances. The findings identify (1) the advantages and disadvantages, and (2) the different compositional strategies that result from manipulating a digital sampler of online CC sounds in live coding. A prominent advantage of using sound samples in live coding is its low-entry access suitable for music improvisation. The article concludes by highlighting future directions relevant to performance, composition, musicology and education.
Digital Sources for Nineteenth Century Music in Portugal: ‘A Long Way to Run’
Authors: Cymbron Luísa , Peliz Joana
Published: August 2023

Discussing music in Portugal in the nineteenth century, and the digital resources that the country makes available for musicological research on this historical period, requires, first of all, a clarification about the chronological boundaries that limit this temporal unit. One can naturally understand that the periodization to be adopted should be the most obvious, that is, the one that determines the dates 1801 and 1900 as the beginning and end of the century in question. But it is worth asking whether it would not be more appropriate to define a periodization based on the events that unequivocally determined the panorama of music in Portugal in that century.
Made for Men: Political Science Departments in the United States as Gendered Institutions
Authors: Hinze Annika Marlen
Published: August 2023

This article examines women’s perceptions of and experiences with institutional norms in political science departments and their institutions. Conceptually, it builds on feminist institutionalism. Specifically, it examines the broad institutional norms, formal and informal, that define political science departments within their larger institutions, as well as potential avenues for change. I argue that a “critical mass” of women in academic departments and the presence of “critical actors” in departmental and university leadership positions sympathetic to the cause and powerful enough to implement change can bring about institutional reforms. To that end, I conducted a survey among 1,273 female PhD students and faculty members in political science departments across the United States. The survey questions revolve around women’s perceptions of institutional gender norms, the way they are judged by them, their ability to have professional success under them, and their (or others’) ability to change them. After discussing the survey results within the context of feminist institutional theory, I offer some conclusions about the positions of women in political science departments in the United States, the implications of this for the profession at-large, and some thoughts on avenues for future research on the issue.
Trade in the Digital Age: Agreements to Mitigate Fragmentation
Authors: DEANE Felicity , WOOLMER Emily , CAO Shoufeng , TRANTER Kieran
Published: August 2023

Cross-border data flow is essential to contemporary international trade. However, transitioning from paper to digital in international trade has benefits and concerns. Concerns have led to an upsurge in data regulation as nations and regions impose restrictions on data flows and storage. This paper argues that, with increasing concerns about data sovereignty, the reconciliation of differing positions will be necessary to ensure that the benefits of digitization can be realized equally. At present, the objective of “data free flow with trust” is aspirational at best, with emerging trade barriers that unfairly threaten opportunities for small to medium enterprises and development within the Global South. This paper supports new knowledge and demonstrates that discriminatory regulation of data flow and disproportionately prioritizing national interests will be a trade barrier that impacts private entities and consumers in all nations. To avoid unintended externalities, cooperation is needed at a global level.
Analysis of Aquifer‐System Deformation in the Doñana Natural Space (Spain) Using Unsupervised Cloud‐Computed InSAR Data and Wavelet Analysis
Authors: González‐Jiménez M. , Guardiola‐Albert C. , Ezquerro P. , Aguilera H. , Béjar‐Pizarro M. , Naranjo‐Fernández N. , Bru G. , Herrera G.
Published: August 2023

This work is focused on the Almonte‐Marismas aquifer located within Doñana Natural Space (SW Spain); this aquifer is threatened by droughts, irrigation‐driven groundwater overexploitation, urban use, and the potential reactivation of gas extraction and storage projects. We present ground deformation measurements from Sentinel‐1 Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data ranging from 1 to 2.5 cm, covering ∼2,500 km2 from 2014 to 2020. Detecting spatially distributed ground deformation over this agricultural area is challenging due to the low‐coherence radar signals; consequently, the ground movement results are on the same order of magnitude as the errors associated with InSAR data. We have approached this issue by considering auxiliary information such as groundwater levels, climatic time series, and pumping rates and analyzing their spatio‐temporal connections to ground displacements. We correlate InSAR and hydrogeological information through wavelet analysis, developing a Python package that allows applying the same methodology in other similar study areas. For the first time in the Doñana area, a significant relationship between distances to pumping wells and the displacement extent is detected. Moreover, other subsidence‐related triggering factors are identified, such as the soil moisture balance, clay shrinking‐swelling processes, and creep of geological formations. These results are highly valuable to support aquifer management decisions in the Doñana Natural Space; in this border region, three groundwater bodies were officially declared overexploited in 2020. Our findings provide a ground motion baseline assessment to help differentiate historical variations from any future anthropogenic effect in this complex marsh land ecosystem.
Solar Cycles Forced Southern Westerly Wind Migrations During the Holocene
Authors: Riechelson H. , Bova S. C. , Rosenthal Y. , Meyers S. , Bu K.
Published: August 2023

Despite small direct changes to radiative forcing, solar sunspot cycles are observed in climate records because of climate system amplification that primarily affects wind and precipitation belts. We present a proxy record resolving the dominant sub‐millennial periodicities across the entire Holocene in the Southern Westerly Winds (SWW), whose migrations are linked to ocean‐atmosphere heat and carbon exchange. We use X‐ray fluorescence core scanning to examine a rapidly accumulating sediment record (6 m/kyr) recovered from the Chilean margin, yielding unprecedented <2‐year resolution for the Holocene. We show that variations in terrigenous inputs to the site are linked to precipitation, which is controlled by SWW latitudinal migrations. Superimposed on a long‐term decreasing trend throughout the Holocene, we detect significant centennial cycles in the terrestrial input consistent with solar periodicities. We then propose a mechanism by which southward (northward) SWW movement in response to increasing (decreasing) total solar irradiance cools (warms) Antarctic temperatures.
Dimethylated Sulfur, Methane and Aerobic Methane Production in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea
Authors: Zhang Yan , Tan Dan‐Dan , He Zhen , Yu Juan , Yang Gui‐Peng
Published: August 2023

This paper presents a comprehensive study of biogenic dimethylated sulfur compounds and methane (CH4) from 27 March to 16 April 2018 (spring) and from 24 July to 10 August 2018 (summer) in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. The overall distributions of dimethylsulfide (DMS), dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP, precursor of DMS), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO, oxidation product of DMS) and CH4 in surface waters were characterized by elevated concentrations in summer and in coastal waters, coupled to phytoplankton biomass and terrestrially sourced inputs. Surface waters were oversaturated with CH4. The flux distributions of DMS and CH4 were generally consistent with their concentration distributions. In situ incubation experiments revealed that microbial consumption was the main removal mechanism for DMS, which could remove up to 72.1% of the total DMS compared to sea‐to‐air exchange in the surface layer. High DMS release and enhanced DMS yields (34%–62%) suggested more obvious influence from high DMSP concentrations (1 or 5 μm L−1) on DMS production in oligotrophic waters with lower bacterial sulfur demand in contrast to near‐shore waters. Positive correlations were found between CH4 and DMSP (dissolved) in summer and DMSO (particulate and dissolved) in spring. A DMSP addition experiment suggested that DMSP could act as a precursor for aerobic methanogenesis, and CH4 preferentially occurs under nitrogen‐stressed conditions in the surface layers of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea.
Predictability of Coastal Boundary Layer Jets in South China Using Atmosphere–Ocean Coupling
Authors: Xu Jingwei , Zhi Xiefei , Sein Dmitry V. , Cabos William , Luo Yong , Zhang Ling , Dong Fu , Fraedrich Klaus , Jacob Daniela
Published: August 2023

Most standalone atmospheric models do not perform well in simulations of coastal boundary layer jets (BLJs), important weather processes that can trigger heavy rain in coastal areas by supplying both moisture and dynamic lifting. We compared 33‐year simulations with a coupled atmosphere–ocean model and its standalone atmospheric component, the REgional atmosphere MOdel (REMO), forced by the prescribed sea surface temperature (SST). We validated our results using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission SST and the ERA5 hourly reanalysis data set. We found that the coupled model gave a more realistic SST standard deviation than the REMO on BLJ days and corrected the overestimated air temperature over land during the day. The coupled atmosphere–ocean model showed a lower land–sea thermal contrast in the boundary layer. This increased the effects of inertial oscillation, which caused the ageostrophic flows to veer southwest, which is the direction of the maximum wind speed on BLJ days. This reproduced a more reasonable land–sea thermal contrast in the boundary layer as a result of strong air–sea mixing in coastal weather processes, which led to a more robust inertial oscillation and a larger SST standard deviation over the central South China Sea. These findings deepen our understanding of the influence of a fully mixed air–sea boundary on coastal weather processes. These results show that operational numerical weather prediction models can be improved by applying atmosphere–ocean coupling to advance their ability to forecast the weather (e.g., BLJ events) in coastal areas.
Sophoridine derivative 6j inhibits liver cancer cell proliferation via ATF3 mediated ferroptosis
Authors: Tian Kunpeng , Wei Jinrui , Wang Ru , Wei Mingming , Hou Fei , Wu Lichuan
Published: August 2023

Liver cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies with an annual death of over 830,000 cases. Although targeted therapeutic drugs have achieved certain clinical efficacy, only sorafenib and lenvatinib are currently marketed as first-line targeted drugs to treat patients with advanced liver cancer. Therefore, developing more drugs are urgently needed. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent programmed cell death (PCD) distinct from known PCDs including apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. Targeting ferroptosis is recognized as a promising potential therapeutic modality for liver cancer. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is an important ferroptosis inducer and targeting ATF3 offers a potential means to cancer therapy. In the present study, we reported for the first time a sophoridine derivative 6j with promising anti-liver cancer effects in vitro and in vivo. Compound 6j could induce liver cancer cells ferroptosis by promoting the accumulation of intracellular Fe2+, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and MDA. Inhibition of ferroptosis by ferrostatin-1 alleviated 6j induced accumulation of Fe2+, ROS, and MDA and restored cell viability. Further study revealed that compound 6j upregulated the expression of ATF3 via ER stress and knockdown of ATF3 by RNA interference attenuated 6j induced ferroptosis and cell proliferation inhibition. This study would provide new insights for the design of ferroptosis inducers and the development of anti-liver cancer drugs.
HSPA8 acts as an amyloidase to suppress necroptosis by inhibiting and reversing functional amyloid formation
Authors: Wu Erpeng , He Wenyan , Wu Chenlu , Chen Zhangcheng , Zhou Shijie , Wu Xialian , Hu Zhiheng , Jia Kelong , Pan Jiasong , Wang Limin , Qin Jie , Liu Dan , Lu Junxia , Wang Huayi , Li Jixi , Wang Sheng , Sun Liming
Published: August 2023

Ultra-stable fibrous structure is a hallmark of amyloids. In contrast to canonical disease-related amyloids, emerging research indicates that a significant number of cellular amyloids, termed ‘functional amyloids’, contribute to signal transduction as temporal signaling hubs in humans. However, it is unclear how these functional amyloids are effectively disassembled to terminate signal transduction. RHIM motif-containing amyloids, the largest functional amyloid family discovered thus far, play an important role in mediating necroptosis signal transduction in mammalian cells. Here, we identify heat shock protein family A member 8 (HSPA8) as a new type of enzyme — which we name as ‘amyloidase’ — that directly disassembles RHIM-amyloids to inhibit necroptosis signaling in cells and mice. Different from its role in chaperone-mediated autophagy where it selects substrates containing a KFERQ-like motif, HSPA8 specifically recognizes RHIM-containing proteins through a hydrophobic hexapeptide motif N(X1)φ(X3). The SBD domain of HSPA8 interacts with RHIM-containing proteins, preventing proximate RHIM monomers from stacking into functional fibrils; furthermore, with the NBD domain supplying energy via ATP hydrolysis, HSPA8 breaks down pre-formed RHIM-amyloids into non-functional monomers. Notably, HSPA8’s amyloidase activity in disassembling functional RHIM-amyloids does not require its co-chaperone system. Using this amyloidase activity, HSPA8 reverses the initiator RHIM-amyloids (formed by RIP1, ZBP1, and TRIF) to prevent necroptosis initiation, and reverses RIP3-amyloid to prevent necroptosis execution, thus eliminating multi-level RHIM-amyloids to effectively prevent spontaneous necroptosis activation. The discovery that HSPA8 acts as an amyloidase dismantling functional amyloids provides a fundamental understanding of the reversibility nature of functional amyloids, a property distinguishing them from disease-related amyloids that are unbreakable in vivo.
Neoadjuvant sintilimab in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: a single-arm phase 2 trial
Authors: Wei Jia , Lu Xiaofeng , Liu Qin , Fu Yao , Liu Song , Zhao Yang , Zhou Jiawei , Chen Hui , Wang Meng , Li Lin , Yang Ju , Liu Fangcen , Zheng Liming , Yin Haitao , Yang Yang , Zhou Chong , Zeng Ping , Zhou Xiaoyu , Ding Naiqing , Chen Shiqing , Zhao Xiaochen , Yan Jing , Fan Xiangshan , Guan Wenxian , Liu Baorui
Published: August 2023

In this multicenter, single-arm phase 2 trial (ChiCTR1900024428), patients with locally advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancers receive one cycle of sintilimab (anti-PD1) and chemotherapy (S-1 and nab-paclitaxel), followed by 5 weeks of concurrent chemoradiotherapy and sintilimab, and another cycle of sintilimab and chemotherapy thereafter. Surgery is preferably scheduled within one to three weeks, and three cycles of adjuvant sintilimab and chemotherapy are administrated. The primary endpoint is the pathological complete response. Our results meet the pre-specified primary endpoint. Thirteen of 34 (38.2%) enrolled patients achieve pathological complete response (95% CI: 22.2-56.4). The secondary objectives include disease-free survival (DFS), major pathological response, R0 resection rate, overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and safety profile. The median DFS and EFS were 17.0 (95%CI: 11.1-20.9) and 21.1 (95%CI: 14.7-26.1) months, respectively, while the median OS was not reached, and the 1-year OS rate was 92.6% (95%CI: 50.1-99.5%). Seventeen patients (50.0%) have grade ≥3 adverse events during preoperative therapy. In prespecified exploratory biomarker analysis, CD3+ T cells, CD56+ NK cells, and the M1/M1 + M2-like macrophage infiltration at baseline are associated with pathological complete response. Here, we show the promising efficacy and manageable safety profile of sintilimab in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy for the perioperative treatment of locally advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.
Flat bands, non-trivial band topology and rotation symmetry breaking in layered kagome-lattice RbTi3Bi5
Authors: Jiang Zhicheng , Liu Zhengtai , Ma Haiyang , Xia Wei , Liu Zhonghao , Liu Jishan , Cho Soohyun , Yang Yichen , Ding Jianyang , Liu Jiayu , Huang Zhe , Qiao Yuxi , Shen Jiajia , Jing Wenchuan , Liu Xiangqi , Liu Jianpeng , Guo Yanfeng , Shen Dawei
Published: August 2023

A representative class of kagome materials, AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs), hosts several unconventional phases such as superconductivity, $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$

Z

2

non-trivial topological states, and electronic nematic states. These can often coexist with intertwined charge-density wave states. Recently, the discovery of the isostructural titanium-based single-crystals, ATi3Bi5 (A = K, Rb, Cs), which exhibit similar multiple exotic states but without the concomitant charge-density wave, has opened an opportunity to disentangle these complex states in kagome lattices. Here, we combine high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations to investigate the low-lying electronic structure of RbTi3Bi5. We demonstrate the coexistence of flat bands and several non-trivial states, including type-II Dirac nodal lines and $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$

Z

2

non-trivial topological surface states. Our findings also provide evidence for rotational symmetry breaking in RbTi3Bi5, suggesting a directionality to the electronic structure and the possible emergence of pure electronic nematicity in this family of kagome compounds.
Molecular design with automated quantum computing-based deep learning and optimization
Authors: Ajagekar Akshay , You Fengqi
Published: August 2023

Computer-aided design of novel molecules and compounds is a challenging task that can be addressed with quantum computing (QC) owing to its notable advances in optimization and machine learning. Here, we use QC-assisted learning and optimization techniques implemented with near-term QC devices for molecular property prediction and generation tasks. The proposed probabilistic energy-based deep learning model trained in a generative manner facilitated by QC yields robust latent representations of molecules, while the proposed data-driven QC-based optimization framework performs guided navigation of the target chemical space by exploiting the structure–property relationships captured by the energy-based model. We demonstrate the viability of the proposed molecular design approach by generating several molecular candidates that satisfy specific property target requirements. The proposed QC-based methods exhibit an improved predictive performance while efficiently generating novel molecules that accurately fulfill target conditions and exemplify the potential of QC for automated molecular design, thus accentuating its utility.
Fluctuating climate and dietary innovation drove ratcheted evolution of proboscidean dental traits
Authors: Saarinen Juha , Lister Adrian M.
Published: August 2023

Identification of the selective forces that shaped adaptive phenotypes generally relies on current habitat and function, but these may differ from the context in which adaptations arose. Moreover, the fixation of adaptive change in a fluctuating environment and the mechanisms of long-term trends are still poorly understood, as is the role of behaviour in triggering these processes. Time series of fossils can provide evidence on these questions, but examples of individual lineages with adequate fossil and proxy data over extended periods are rare. Here, we present new data on proboscidean dental evolution in East Africa over the past 26 million years, tracking temporal patterns of morphological change in relation to proxy evidence of diet, vegetation and climate (aridity). We show that behavioural experimentation in diet is correlated with environmental context, and that major adaptive change in dental traits followed the changes in diet and environment but only after acquisition of functional innovations in the masticatory system. We partition traits by selective agent, showing that the acquisition of high, multiridged molars was primarily a response to an increase in open, arid environments with high dust accumulation, whereas enamel folding was more associated with the amount of grass in the diet. We further show that long-term trends in these features proceeded in a ratchet-like mode, alternating between directional change at times of high selective pressure and stasis when the selective regime reversed. This provides an explanation for morphology adapted to more extreme conditions than current usage (Liem’s Paradox). Our study illustrates how, in fossil series with adequate stratigraphic control and proxy data, environmental and behavioural factors can be mapped on to time series of morphological change, illuminating the mode of acquisition of an adaptive complex.
Predicting congenital renal tract malformation genes using machine learning
Authors: Kabir Mitra , Stuart Helen M. , Lopes Filipa M. , Fotiou Elisavet , Keavney Bernard , Doig Andrew J. , Woolf Adrian S. , Hentges Kathryn E.
Published: August 2023

Congenital renal tract malformations (RTMs) are the major cause of severe kidney failure in children. Studies to date have identified defined genetic causes for only a minority of human RTMs. While some RTMs may be caused by poorly defined environmental perturbations affecting organogenesis, it is likely that numerous causative genetic variants have yet to be identified. Unfortunately, the speed of discovering further genetic causes for RTMs is limited by challenges in prioritising candidate genes harbouring sequence variants. Here, we exploited the computer-based artificial intelligence methodology of supervised machine learning to identify genes with a high probability of being involved in renal development. These genes, when mutated, are promising candidates for causing RTMs. With this methodology, the machine learning classifier determines which attributes are common to renal development genes and identifies genes possessing these attributes. Here we report the validation of an RTM gene classifier and provide predictions of the RTM association status for all protein-coding genes in the mouse genome. Overall, our predictions, whilst not definitive, can inform the prioritisation of genes when evaluating patient sequence data for genetic diagnosis. This knowledge of renal developmental genes will accelerate the processes of reaching a genetic diagnosis for patients born with RTMs.
A new look at imines and their mixture with PC71BM for organic, flexible photovoltaics
Authors: Bogdanowicz Krzysztof A. , Lalik Sebastian , Ratajczyk Paulina , Katrusiak Andrzej , Krysiak Piotr , Pawłowska Agnieszka I. , Marzec Monika , Iwan Agnieszka
Published: August 2023

Due to its high electron affinity and electron mobility in a wide absorption range of the visible solar spectrum, [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) is often used as an efficient acceptor in organic photovoltaics. In turn, imines are additives to the active layer of organic solar cells, mainly due to the free electron pair of the imine nitrogen atom and the presence of various chemical groups affecting the polarity and conformations of molecules. However, the attainable efficiency is not as high as expected. Therefore, we have systematically investigated two imines and their mixtures with PC71BM by spectroscopic (the high pressure UV–Vis and frequency domain dielectric), thermoelectric, and mechanical methods for organic, flexible photovoltaics. Both the imines, (N,NʹE,N,NʹE)-N,Nʹ-([2,2ʹ:5ʹ,2ʺ-terthiophene]-5,5ʺ-diylbis(methanylylidene))bis(benzo[d]thiazol-2-imine) (SC3) and (6E)-N-((5-(5-(5-((E)-(4-(4-(4-fluorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl)phenylimino)methyl)thiophen-2-yl)thiophen-2-yl)thiophen-2-yl)methylene)-4-(4-(4-fluorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl)benzenamine (SC13), have the same core composed of three thiophene rings but different terminal chains of the molecules. In the imine SC3, the imine bond is followed by benzothiazole rings on both sides of the core, while in SC13, a thiazole ring separates two benzene rings, the terminal one F-substituted. The difference in molecular structure affects the electric properties of the neat imine and its mixed layers. An addition of PC71BM to the imines improves their electric conductivity. The mechanical studies focused on the stress at break and elongation showed superior behaviour compared to fullerene derivative. High pressure systematically reduces the band gap energy, Eg, from 1.68 eV at 0.16 GPa to 1.51 eV at 2.69 GPa for PC71BM, from 1.77 eV at 0.1 MPa to 1.53 eV at 4.15 GPa for SC3, and from 1.99 eV at 0.11 GPa to 1.8 eV at 3.10 GPa for SC13, as determined by the UV–Vis absorbance measurements in a diamond-anvil cell. These Eg reductions reflect the compressed intermolecular interactions that can be used to monitor the structural stability of these compounds. Based on the dielectric studies it was found that the relaxation processes registered for both imines are probably the grain boundary relaxation. Two processes also appear in the systems with PC71BM, but none of them is the one characteristic of imines. The high-frequency process has a dipole character while the low-frequency one is probably the grain boundary relaxation of these systems. The mechanism of quasi-DC conduction in various temperature ranges in the studied systems was also determined.
Mediating role of atherogenic lipoproteins in the relationship between liver fat and coronary artery calcification
Authors: Björnson Elias , Samaras Dimitrios , Adiels Martin , Kullberg Joel , Bäckhed Fredrik , Bergström Göran , Gummesson Anders
Published: August 2023

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with increased secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins and increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). ApoB-containing lipoproteins include low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs); and since both LDLs and TRLs are causally related to CHD, they may mediate a portion of the increased risk of atherosclerosis seen in people with NAFLD. In a cohort of 4161 middle aged men and women, we performed mediation analysis in order to quantify the mediating effect of apoB-containing lipoproteins in the relationship between liver fat and atherosclerosis—as measured by coronary artery calcium score (CACS). We found plasma apoB to mediate 17.6% (95% CI 11–24) of the association between liver fat and CACS. Plasma triglycerides and TRL-cholesterol (both proximate measures of TRL particles) mediated 22.3% (95% CI 11–34) and 21.6% (95% CI 10–33) of the association respectively; whereas LDL-cholesterol mediated 5.4% (95% CI 2.0–9.4). In multivariable models, the mediating effect of TRL-cholesterol and plasma triglycerides showed, again, a higher degree of mediation than LDL-cholesterol, corroborating the results seen in the univariable models. In summary, we find around 20% of the association between liver fat and CACS to be mediated by apoB-containing lipoproteins. In addition, we find that TRLs mediate the majority of this effect whereas LDLs mediate a smaller effect. These results explain part of the observed CAD-risk burden for people with NAFLD and further suggest that TRL-lowering may be particularly beneficial to mitigate NAFLD-associated coronary artery disease risk.
Very high particulate pollution over northwest India captured by a high-density in situ sensor network
Authors: Singh Tanbir , Matsumi Yutaka , Nakayama Tomoki , Hayashida Sachiko , Patra Prabir K. , Yasutomi Natsuko , Kajino Mizuo , Yamaji Kazuyo , Khatri Pradeep , Takigawa Masayuki , Araki Hikaru , Kurogi Yuki , Kuji Makoto , Muramatsu Kanako , Imasu Ryoichi , Ananda Anamika , Arbain Ardhi A. , Ravindra Khaiwal , Bhardwaj Sanjeev , Kumar Sahil , Mor Sahil , Dhaka Surendra K. , Dimri A. P. , Sharma Aka , Singh Narendra , Bhatti Manpreet S. , Yadav Rekha , Vatta Kamal , Mor Suman
Published: August 2023

Exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) is a cause of concern in cities and major emission regions of northern India. An intensive field campaign involving the states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi national capital region (NCR) was conducted in 2022 using 29 Compact and Useful PM2.5 Instrument with Gas sensors (CUPI-Gs). Continuous observations show that the PM2.5 in the region increased gradually from < 60 µg m−3 in 6–10 October to up to 500 µg m−3 on 5–9 November, which subsequently decreased to about 100 µg m−3 in 20–30 November. Two distinct plumes of PM2.5 over 500 µg m−3 are tracked from crop residue burning in Punjab to Delhi NCR on 2–3 November and 10–11 November with delays of 1 and 3 days, respectively. Experimental campaign demonstrates the advantages of source region observations to link agricultural waste burning and air pollution at local to regional scales.
Topography and relationship-specific social touching in individuals displaying body image disturbances
Authors: Bellard Ashleigh , Mathew Jyothisa , Sun Wenhan , Denkow Linda , Najm Ali , Michael-Grigoriou Despina , Trotter Paula , McGlone Francis , Fairhurst Merle , Cazzato Valentina
Published: August 2023

Interpersonal touch is intimately related to the emotional bond between the touch giver and the touch receiver. Which bodily regions we touch in those individuals in our social network is relationship specific. Perception of interpersonal touch is altered in psychiatric disorders characterised by body image disturbances (BIDs). Here, we examined whether the ‘imagined’ experience of social touch in individuals with BIDs is body topography- and relationship-specific. By using an interactive media mobile App, the Virtual Touch Toolkit, high versus low levels of BIDs participants completed heatmaps of full-body virtual avatars, to indicate the body regions they find soothing/unpleasant to be touched by a loved one versus an acquaintance. Self-reports of interoceptive awareness and dysmorphic concerns were also measured. Overall, imagined touch was rated as the most soothing when received from a loved one, and also when this was delivered to ‘social’ body regions. The importance of the social relationship for the imagined tactile interactions was particularly evident for the high levels of BIDs group, with greater problems with interoceptive awareness predicting higher soothing touch ratings when this was received by a loved one. Despite the evidence that imagined bodily contacts between meaningful people is the most pleasant for socially acceptable bodily regions, our findings may suggest a greater sensitivity to relation-specific bodily patterns of social touch particularly in the high level of BIDs group. Heightened interoceptive awareness may also play a key role in this experience of bodily affective contacts. Future research for body-oriented therapy for BIDs is encouraged to systematically probe the efficacy of imagined social touch interaction protocols which use more plausible, ecological, scenarios where touch is delivered by loved ones and to socially acceptable bodily regions.
Construction and effectiveness evaluation of a knowledge-based infectious disease monitoring and decision support system
Authors: Wang Mengying , Jia Mo , Wei Zhenhao , Wang Wei , Shang Yafei , Ji Hong
Published: August 2023

To improve the hospital's ability to proactively detect infectious diseases, a knowledge-based infectious disease monitoring and decision support system was established based on real medical records and knowledge rules. The effectiveness of the system was evaluated using interrupted time series analysis. In the system, a monitoring and alert rule library for infectious diseases was generated by combining infectious disease diagnosis guidelines with literature and a real medical record knowledge map. The system was integrated with the electronic medical record system, and doctors were provided with various types of real-time warning prompts when writing medical records. The effectiveness of the system's alerts was analyzed from the perspectives of false positive rates, rule accuracy, alert effectiveness, and missed case rates using interrupted time series analysis. Over a period of 12 months, the system analyzed 4,497,091 medical records, triggering a total of 12,027 monitoring alerts. Of these, 98.43% were clinically effective, while 1.56% were invalid alerts, mainly owing to the relatively rough rules generated by the guidelines leading to several false alarms. In addition, the effectiveness of the system's alerts, distribution of diagnosis times, and reporting efficiency of doctors were analyzed. 89.26% of infectious disease cases could be confirmed and reported by doctors within 5 min of receiving the alert, and 77.6% of doctors could complete the filling of 33 items of information within 2 min, which is a reduction in time compared to the past. The timely reminders from the system reduced the rate of missed cases by doctors; the analysis using interrupted time series method showed an average reduction of 4.4037% in the missed-case rate. This study proposed a knowledge-based infectious disease decision support system based on real medical records and knowledge rules, and its effectiveness was verified. The system improved the management of infectious diseases, increased the reliability of decision-making, and reduced the rate of underreporting.
Chitinase of Trichoderma longibrachiatum for control of Aphis gossypii in cotton plants
Authors: Anwar Waheed , Amin Huma , Khan Hafiz Azhar Ali , Akhter Adnan , Bashir Uzma , Anjum Tehmina , Kalsoom Rabia , Javed Muhammad Asim , Zohaib Karamat Ali
Published: August 2023

Chitinase-producing fungi have now engrossed attention as one of the potential agents for the control of insect pests. Entomopathogenic fungi are used in different regions of the world to control economically important insects. However, the role of fungal chitinases are not well studied in their infection mechanism to insects. In this study, Chitinase of entomopathogenic fungi Trichoderma longibrachiatum was evaluated to control Aphis gossypii. For this purpose, fungal chitinase (Chit1) gene from the genomic DNA of T. longibrachiatum were isolated, amplified and characterised. Genomic analysis of the amplified Chit1 showed that this gene has homology to family 18 of glycosyl hydrolyses. Further, Chit1 was expressed in the cotton plant for transient expression through the Geminivirus-mediated gene silencing vector derived from Cotton Leaf Crumple Virus (CLCrV). Transformed cotton plants showed greater chitinase activity than control, and they were resistant against nymphs and adults of A. gossypii. About 38.75% and 21.67% mortality of both nymphs and adults, respectively, were observed by using Chit1 of T. longibrachiatum. It is concluded that T. longibrachiatum showed promising results in controlling aphids by producing fungal chitinase in cotton plants and could be used as an effective method in the future.
Distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups among pregnant women attending the obstetrics and gynecology clinic at the Jordan University Hospital
Authors: Al-Kuran Oqba , AL-Mehaisen Lama , Qasem Rawan , Alhajji Saja , Al-Abdulrahman Nour , Alfuzai Shaikha , Alshaheen Sara- , Al-Kuran Lena
Published: August 2023

The ABO and D antigen status of red blood cells (Rh blood grouping systems) are important hematological classification systems that categorize blood groups according to the presence or absence of certain erythrocytic antigens. These antigens affect the outcomes of blood transfusions as well as various hematological and immunological diseases. We aimed to study ABO and Rh blood group distribution among pregnant women visiting the antenatal care clinic at Jordan University Hospital (JUH) in Amman, Jordan. A retrospective analysis of all pregnant women delivering at the Jordan University Hospital (JUH) between October 1, 2016, and September 31, 2021. ABO and D antigen status of red blood cells (Rh blood groups) were summarized and documented. 20,136 pregnant women data were analyzed, the O blood group was the most prevalent (n = 7840, 38.9%), followed by A (n = 7506, 37.3%). For the D antigen status, the Rh-positive (Rh+) category was the most common (n = 18,159, 90.2%). For the (O) blood group; O-Rh+ type was the most prevalent (90.1%). Determining the blood group type accurately helps eliminate the critical consequences of both ABO and Rh incompatibility and offers clinicians an opportunity to take timely prophylactic measures. In our analyses O and Rh+ blood groups were the most prevalent.
Highly effective removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in water with DBD-plasma-enhanced rice husks
Authors: Sahara Thera , Wongsawaeng Doonyapong , Ngaosuwan Kanokwan , Kiatkittipong Worapon , Hosemann Peter , Assabumrungrat Suttichai
Published: August 2023

Adsorption is regarded as an efficient method to eliminate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from an aqueous solution. In the present investigation, an adsorbent based on rice husks (RHs) was successfully prepared by phosphoric acid (PA) activation and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment, and it was used to adsorb perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water. The electrodes employed in the experiment were planar type. This research investigated RH surface properties and adsorption capacity before and after modification using DBD plasma. The results revealed that the He–O2 plasma modification introduced oxygen-containing functional groups and increased the PFOA removal efficiency. Increasing the oxygen content and total gas flow rate to 30 vol.% and 1.5 L/min, respectively, with 10 min of RH plasma treatment time at 100 W plasma discharge power enhanced the PFOA removal efficiency to 92.0%, while non-treated RH showed the removal efficiency of only 46.4%. The removal efficiency of the solution increased to 96.7% upon adjusting the pH to 4. The adsorption equilibrium isotherms fitted the Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetic followed the pseudo-second-order model. The maximum adsorption capacity was 565 mg/g when the Langmuir isotherm model was applied.
Quantifying physical insights cooperatively with exhaustive search for Bayesian spectroscopy of X-ray photoelectron spectra
Authors: Kumazoe Hiroyuki , Iwamitsu Kazunori , Imamura Masaki , Takahashi Kazutoshi , Mototake Yoh-ichi , Okada Masato , Akai Ichiro
Published: August 2023

We analyzed the X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of carbon 1s states in graphene and oxygen-intercalated graphene grown on SiC(0001) using Bayesian spectroscopy. To realize highly accurate spectral decomposition of the XPS spectra, we proposed a framework for discovering physical constraints from the absence of prior quantified physical knowledge, in which we designed the prior probabilities based on the found constraints and the physically required conditions. This suppresses the exchange of peak components during replica exchange Monte Carlo iterations and makes possible to decompose XPS in the case where a reliable structure model or a presumable number of components is not known. As a result, we have successfully decomposed XPS of one monolayer (1ML), two monolayers (2ML), and quasi-freestanding 2ML (qfs-2ML) graphene samples deposited on SiC substrates with the meV order precision of the binding energy, in which the posterior probability distributions of the binding energies were obtained distinguishably between the different components of buffer layer even though they are observed as hump and shoulder structures because of their overlapping.