bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mind the Breath: Feasibility of Capnography-Assisted Learned Monitored (CALM) Breathing for Dyspnea Treatment
Authors: Norweg Anna , Oh Cheongeun , DiMango Angela , Hofferber Brittany , Spinner Michael , Stavrolakes Kimberly , Pavol Marykay , Lindenauer Peter , Murphy Charles G. , Simon Naomi M.
Published: February 2025

Purpose:

To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Capnography-Assisted Learned Monitored (CALM) Breathing, a carbon dioxide (CO2) biofeedback, and motivational interviewing intervention, to treat dyspnea and anxiety together.

Methods:

We randomized adults (n = 42) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to a 4-week, 8-session intervention (CALM Breathing, n = 20) or usual care (n = 22). The CALM Breathing intervention consisted of tailored, slow nasal breathing exercises, capnography biofeedback, motivational interviewing, and a home breathing exercise program. The intervention targeted unlearning dysfunctional breathing behaviors. All participants were offered outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in the second phase of the study. The primary outcomes were feasibility and acceptability of CALM Breathing. Exploratory secondary outcomes included respiratory and mood symptoms, physiological and exercise tolerance measures, quality of life, and PR uptake.

Results:

Attendance at CALM Breathing sessions was 84%, dropout was 5%, and home exercise completion was 90% and 73% based on paper and device logs, respectively. Satisfaction with CALM Breathing therapy was rated as “good” to “excellent” by 92% of participants. Significantly greater between-group improvements in secondary outcomes—respiratory symptoms, activity avoidance, oxygen saturation (SpO2), end-tidal CO2, and breathing self-regulation (interoception)—were found post-intervention at 6 weeks in support of CALM Breathing compared with usual care. At 3 months (after PR initiation), statistically significant between-group differences in Borg dyspnea and SpO2 post-6-minute walk test were identified also supporting CALM Breathing.

Conclusions:

Patient-centered CALM Breathing was feasible and acceptable in adults with COPD and dyspnea anxiety. A CALM Breathing intervention may optimize dyspnea treatment and complement PR.
Pharmacotherapy of arterial hypertension in patients with psoriasis
Authors: Dodulík Jozef , Dodulíková Lenka , Plášek Jiří , Ramík Zdeněk , Vrtal Jiří , Václavík Jan
Published: February 2025

Psoriasis is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease associated with an elevated risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In patients with psoriasis, arterial hypertension treatment requires careful selection of antihypertensive drugs, as some drugs may worsen the skin manifestations of psoriasis. In this review, we summarize the available evidence regarding the risks and benefits of each group of antihypertensive drugs. We also suggest a scheme for optimizing antihypertensive treatment in patients with psoriasis, with emphasis on achieving effective control of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, while minimizing the worsening of cutaneous manifestations. Angiotensin receptor blockers appear to be the most appropriate treatment for hypertensive patients with psoriasis, with the potential addition of calcium channel blockers if blood pressure is not adequately controlled. Alternatives are angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Diuretics and beta blockers are associated with greater risk of worsening of psoriatic lesions.
A curious case of endogenous Ramularia endophthalmitis presenting as acute angle closure
Authors: Jeremy P Williamson , Richard Y Sarafian , David Pham , Joseph J Park
Published: February 2025

Purpose:

To report on an interesting case of fungal endogenous endophthalmitis in a patient that was referred in for acute angle closure. A unique presentation with a novel pathogen, Ramularia, identified on vitreous sampling.

Methods:

Case report

Results:

This report describes a patient referred for presumed angle closure with a painful red left eye, an intraocular pressure of 39mmHg and perception to light vision. Ramularia species DNA – a novel fungus, was identified on PCR from sterile vitreous sampling during subsequent vitrectomy, performed due to worsening vision. Following vitrectomy, the patient improved with topical voriconazole and oral posaconazole which was second line therapy after oral voriconazole caused hepatoxicity. The patient had a good visual outcome with a final visual acuity of 20/50, 18 months post presentation.

Conclusion:

This case highlights the unique presentation, treatment, and good outcome of a patient with endogenous endophthalmitis from a novel fungus, Ramularia.
Navigating Copyright Law and Fair Use in the Age of Digital Education
Authors: Noller Diana T.
Published: February 2025

Intellectual property laws were not originally designed to address digital classrooms and shared online learning environments, but these concerns are now relevant to many educational institutions. The recent expansion of technology utilization in health professions education presents educators with the challenges to accurately interpret copyright law and implement best practices under the tenets of fair use. Discerning legal and ethical parameters relevant to copyright law will encourage the implementation of best practices in disseminating information and creating appropriate learning activities in the age of digital education.
Cost-effectiveness Analysis of the Technology-Enhanced Community Health Nursing Program for Adolescent Girls and Young Adult Women with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Authors: Ballreich Jeromie , Frick K. Davina , Huettner Steve , Perin Jamie , Gaydos Charlotte , Anders Jennifer , Rothman Richard , Trent Maria
Published: February 2025

Background

Pelvic inflammatory Disease (PID) disproportionately impacts adolescents and young adult women. The Technology-Enhanced Community Health Nursing (TECH-N) trial demonstrated the potential benefit of a novel community health intervention for adolescents with PID. We assess the cost-effectiveness of TECH-N compared to standard care.

Methods

We constructed a cohort Markov model to assess the cost-effectiveness of TECH-N for adolescents with PID in an urban setting. The model used nine health states: PID, two states for STIs, four states for PID sequelae, recovery and deceased states. The cohort consisted of 18-year-old female adolescents with mild to moderate PID. Transition probabilities were derived from the TECH-N clinical trial and published literature. Health state utilities were derived from published literature. Intervention costs were estimated using TECH-N data, and health state costs were derived from published literature and public databases. The model took a health system perspective over a 10-year time horizon. Sensitivity analyses were used to assess uncertainty. Cost-effectiveness was estimated using the discounted incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) with effects measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).

Results

Over ten years, the TECH-N cohort generated 8.16 QALYs per individual at a cost of $20,419 compared to standard care with 8.14 QALYs costing $20,492. The resulting ICER was negative since the intervention produced more QALYs at a lower cost; suggesting TECH-N is cost-saving.

Conclusions

Our model suggests the TECH-N intervention yields better outcomes at lower overall costs. Additionally, the nature of TECH-N lends itself to being coupled with other home-health/community strategies, which could further improve its value proposition.
Flecainide Intoxication
Authors: Fan Shumin , Norton Keith Norman
Published: February 2025

Flecainide is among the most prescribed antiarrhythmic medications and is used to effectively treat recurrent arrhythmia and maintain normal sinus rhythm by acting as a sodium channel blocker. However, its potent effects and narrow therapeutic window pose increasing risks of flecainide intoxication and ensuing morbidity and mortality. Here we report an unusual case of suicide by intentional flecainide overdose. This case demonstrates the importance of early recognition and treatment in avoiding the adverse consequences of flecainide intoxication, and it also demonstrates the importance of appropriate use and safe storage of flecainide.
Extubation Practices and Outcomes During Pediatric Respiratory Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Analysis of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Registry, 2018–2022
Authors: Rufener Christina R. , Boulil Zaineb , Suttner Denise M. , Werho David K. , Harvey Helen A. , Bak Erica I. , O’Brien Nicole , Kudchadkar Sapna R. , Coufal Nicole G.
Published: February 2025

Objectives:

To evaluate the outcomes associated with extubation during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in pediatric patients.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study using the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) registry, 2018–2022.

Setting:

Multicenter and international database of all ECMO centers in the ELSO registry.

Patients:

Patients between 30 days and 18 years old receiving pulmonary ECMO support.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

Overall, 2178 patients were included, of which 105 were extubated during ECMO support (4.8%). Analysis of pre-ECMO data failed to identify an association between extubation strategy and severity using the Pediatric Pulmonary Rescue with ECMO Prediction (P-PREP) score. Use of extubation, vs. not, was associated with older age (median, 6.1 vs. 2.5 yr; p = 0.006), and longer ECMO duration (median 12.9 vs. 7.1 d; p < 0.0001). We failed to identify an association between the use of extubation, vs. not, and ECMO complications. In a propensity matching analysis with 3:1 matching of nonextubated to extubated cases, mortality was 34.3% and 43.8%, respectively (p = 0.08). In the matched subset, extubation, vs. not, was associated with shorter median PICU length of stay (LOS) after decannulation (6.6 vs. 12.2 d; p = 0.001) and higher use of mobilization (28.6% vs. 9.8%; p < 0.0001). In a multivariable analysis, we failed to identify an association between using the extubation strategy, vs. not, and greater odds of mortality (odds ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 0.94–3.27; p = 0.08). However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the use of an extubation strategy is associated with greater odds of mortality.

Conclusions:

In the 2018–2022 ELSO registry data, extubating pediatric patients on ECMO for pulmonary cause was an uncommon practice, associated with improved mobility and decreased ICU LOS after ECMO decannulation. However, given the concerns about mortality, careful consideration of patient candidacy and further studies are needed.
Shape parameters of evolutionary trees in theoretical computer science
Authors: Fuchs Michael
Published: February 2025

Shape parameters, e.g. balance indices, of evolutionary trees have been extensively studied under the Yule model in phylogenetics. Independently, many of the same parameters have also been studied for random binary search trees in computer science, where they measure the running time of algorithms. In fact, under the Yule and binary search tree models, these parameters have the same distribution, resulting in many identical discoveries. In this survey, we explain these connections and introduce some of the tools that have been used in computer science to derive stochastic results for shape parameters.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘“A mathematical theory of evolution”: phylogenetic models dating back 100 years’.
Reading tree leaves: inferring speciation and extinction processes using phylogenies
Authors: Rannala Bruce , Yang Ziheng
Published: February 2025

The birth–death process (BDP) is widely used in evolutionary biology as a model for generating phylogenetic trees of species. The generalized birth–death process (GBDP) allows rate variation over time, with speciation and extinction rates to be arbitrary functions of time. Here we review the probability theory underpinning the GBDP as a model of cladogenesis and recent findings concerning its identifiability. The GBDP with arbitrary continuous rate functions has been shown to be non-identifiable from lineage-through-time data: even with species phylogenies of infinite size the parameters cannot be estimated. However, a restricted class of BDPs with piecewise-constant rates has been shown to be identifiable. We review and illustrate these results using simple examples and discuss their implications for biologists interested in inferring the past tempo and mode of evolution using reconstructed phylogenetic trees.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘“A mathematical theory of evolution”: phylogenetic models dating back 100 years’.
Group B Streptococcus growth in human urine is associated with asymptomatic bacteriuria rather than urinary tract infection and is unaffected by iron sequestration
Authors: Ipe Deepak S. , Goh Kelvin G.K. , Desai Devika , Ben-Zakour Nouri , Sullivan Matthew J. , Beatson Scott A. , Ulett Glen C.
Published: February 2025

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) causes various infections in adults, including urinary tract infection (UTI) and asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU). Some bacteria that cause ABU can utilize urine as a substrate for growth, which can promote asymptomatic colonization in the host. An analysis of diverse GBS isolates associated with ABU and UTI for growth in human urine has not been undertaken. Here, we examined a large collection of clinical urinary GBS isolates from individuals with acute UTI (n=62), and ABU with bacteriuria ≥104 c.f.u. ml−1 (n=206) or <104 c.f.u. ml−1 (n=90) for their ability to grow in human urine. Among all 358 GBS isolates analysed, 40 exhibited robust growth in urine in contrast to 25 that were unable to grow and non-culturable after incubation in urine. Growth phenotypes were disproportionately represented among the different groups of isolates, whereby robust growth was significantly more likely to be associated with high-grade ABU versus low-grade ABU or acute UTI (38/40 vs. 11/25; odds ratio 4.6, 95% CI, 1.5–14.8). Growth of bacteria in urine can depend on iron bioavailability, and we therefore performed growth assays using urine supplemented with 2,2-dipyridyl to chelate iron. In contrast to a control strain of ABU Escherichia coli, for which iron limitation significantly attenuated growth, iron sequestration had no significant attenuation effect on the growth of ABU GBS strain 834 in urine. Despite this finding, PCR confirmed the presence of several known growth-associated genes in GBS 834, including fhuD for iron uptake. We conclude that GBS adaptation for growth in human urine is more likely to be associated with high-grade ABU than acute UTI, and for GBS 834, this growth trait is not significantly constrained by conditions of iron sequestration.
Linking volatile metabolites from bacterial pathogens to exhaled breath condensate of people with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Karunarathne P. Hansani , Bridges Christopher , Remisoski Lacy , Crane Madisen , Casanova Claudia Soria , Kinne Samantha N. , Castillo Bahena Alicia L. , Gil Marissa , Padillo Lienwil , Querido Gabriel , Mielke Jenna , McClelland Marc , Conrad Doug , Quinn Robert A.
Published: February 2025

Obtaining sputum samples from people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) for microbiology has become challenging due to the positive clinical effects of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulator therapy, elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor (ETI). Although ETI improves lung function and reduces sputum production, recent data shows that bacterial pathogens persist, making continued monitoring of infection important. As an alternative to sputum sampling, this study developed a non-invasive technique called ‘Cough Breath’ (CB) to identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and link them to cystic fibrosis (CF) bacterial pathogens using purge and trap GC-MS. The CB culturing approach was able to isolate pathogens from expectorated particulates simultaneously with EBC collection; however, culturing positivity was low, with 6% of samples collected (n=47) positive for either Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus. From EBC, we identified VOCs matching those uniquely produced by P. aeruginosa (7), S. aureus (12), Achromobacter xylosoxidans (8) and Granulicatella adiacens (2); however, the overall detection rate was also low. Expanding to VOCs produced across multiple pathogens identified 30 frequently detected in the EBC of pwCF, including 2,3-pentanedione, propyl pyruvate, oxalic acid diallyl ester, methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl nitrate, 2-propenal, acetonitrile, acetoin and 2,3-butanedione. Comparing isolate volatilomes and EBC samples from the same pwCF enhanced detection rates with key VOCs, such as 2,3-pentanedione (86%) and propyl pyruvate (83%), in P. aeruginosa isolates. Further investigation showed that VOC production differed across strains and at different growth phases, creating variability that may explain the overall low EBC detection rate. Although this study successfully cultured CF pathogens from cough particulates and matched their unique VOCs in EBC samples, our results indicate that microbial volatiles more generally indicative of infection, such as 2,3-pentanedione, may have the most utility in aiding diagnostics in pwCF on ETI who have reduced sputum production in the clinic.
Conditional Success of Adaptive Therapy: The Role of Treatment-Holiday Thresholds Revealed by Mathematical Modeling
Authors: Sun Lanfei , Zhang Haifeng , Kang Kai , Wang Xiaoxin , Zhang Leyi , Cai Yanan , Zhuge Changjing , Zhang Lei
Published: February 2025

Adaptive therapy (AT) improves cancer treatment by controlling the competition between sensitive and resistant cells through treatment holidays. This study highlights the critical role of treatment-holiday thresholds in AT for tumors composed of drug-sensitive and resistant cells. Using a Lotka-Volterra model, the research compares AT with maximum tolerated dose therapy and intermittent therapy, showing that AT’s success largely depends on the threshold at which treatment is paused and resumed, as well as on the competition between sensitive and resistant cells. Three scenarios of comparison between AT and other therapies are identified: uniform-decline, conditional-improve, and uniform-improve, illustrating that optimizing the treatment-holiday threshold is crucial for AT effectiveness. Tumor composition, including initial tumor burden and the proportion of resistant cells, influences outcomes. Adjusting threshold values enables AT to suppress resistant subclones, preserving sensitive cells, ultimately improving progression-free survival. These findings emphasize the importance of personalized treatment strategies potentially enhancing long-term therapeutic outcomes.
Optimising the implementation of a universal web-based mental health service for Australian secondary schools: A cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Subotic-Kerry Mirjana , Mackinnon Andrew , Gallen Dervla , Baker Simon , Parker Belinda Louise , Achilles Melinda Rose , Chakouch Cassandra , Cockayne Nicole , Christensen Helen , O’Dea Bridianne
Published: February 2025

Background

Secondary schools are increasingly delivering a range of mental health interventions with varied success. This trial examined the effectiveness of two implementation strategies, class time allocation, and financial incentives, on secondary students’ engagement with a universal web-based mental health service, ‘Smooth Sailing’.

Methods

A three-arm, cluster-randomised trial was conducted over 12 weeks with Grade 8 and 9 students from 20 schools in two Australian states. The primary outcome was student engagement, measured by the number of modules accessed at 12-weeks post-baseline. Secondary outcomes included uptake, retention, help-seeking intentions for mental health problems, service satisfaction, and barriers to use.

Results

A total of 20 schools consented to take part and 1295 students consented to the study. The mean number of modules accessed by students was higher in the enhanced conditions (class time allocation and financial incentive) but not statistically significant (P>0.140). There were no significant differences in uptake (P=0.554) or retention (P=0.945) between conditions. Help-seeking intentions significantly improved at 6- and 12-weeks in the standard service and class time conditions only. Common barriers to service use among students were forgetfulness and low motivation.

Conclusions

None of the implementation strategies examined by this trial significantly increased student engagement when measured by modules accessed.

Trial registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12621000225819) and Universal Trial Number (U1111-1265-7440).

Trial funding

The trial operations were funded by the Prevention Hub, Australian Government Department of Health.
Unsupervised Representation Learning of C. elegans Poses and Behavior Sequences From Microscope Video Recordings
Authors: Deserno Maurice , Bozek Katarzyna
Published: February 2025

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an important model system for studying molecular mechanisms in disease and aging. The nematode can be imaged in highly parallel phenotypic screens resulting in large volumes of video data of the moving worm. However converting the rich, pixel-encoded phenotypical information into meaningful, quantitative description of behavior is a challenging task. There is a range of methods for quantification of the simple body shape ofC. elegansand the features of its motion. These methods however are often multi-step and fail in the case of highly coiled and self-overlapping worms. Motivated by the recent development of self-supervised deep learning methods in computer vision and natural language processing, we propose an unbiased, label-free approach to quantify worm pose and motion from video data directly. We represent worm posture and behavior as embedding vectors and visualize them in a unified embeddings space. We observe that the vector embeddings capture meaningful features describing worm shape and motion, such as the degree of body bend or the speed of movement. Importantly, using pixel values directly as input, our method captures coiled worm behaviors which are inaccessible to methods based on keypoint tracking or skeletonization. While our work focuses onC. elegans, the ability to quantify behavior directly from video data opens possibilities to study organisms without rigid skeletons whose behavior is difficult to quantify using keypoint-based approaches.
Feed-forward loops by NR5A2 ensure robust gene activation during pre-implantation development
Authors: Kobayashi Wataru , Ruangroengkulrith Siwat , Nur Arslantas Eda , Mohanan Adarsh , Tachibana Kikuë
Published: February 2025

The pioneer transcription factor NR5A2 plays multiple roles in regulating zygotic genome activation and expression of lineage-determining factor during mouse pre-implantation development. However, how NR5A2 differentially regulates transcriptional networks at distinct developmental stages remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate the dynamics of chromatin binding profiles of NR5A2 from the 2-cell to morula stage, which corresponds to the totipotency-to-pluripotency transition. Our NR5A2 CUT&Tag analysis identifies lineage-determining factor KLF and GATA families as co-regulators for NR5A2 in mouse embryos. We find that KLF5 cooperates with NR5A2 to enhance H3K27ac deposition, and NR5A2 predominantly promotes chromatin accessibility. NR5A2 regulatesXistexpression either directly or indirectly through its role in up-regulating GATA factor expression.In vitroassays reveal that NR5A2 co-binds to nucleosomes with KLF5 and GATA6, suggesting that these pioneer transcription factors can simultaneously bind to the chromatin. Our findings highlight the role of NR5A2 in ensuring robust gene activation during pre-implantation development through feed-forward regulatory loops with lineage-determining transcription factors.
Curcumin-silk tyrosine crosslinked hydrogels
Authors: Sundarakrishnan Aswin
Published: February 2025

Systemic chemotherapy is still the first-line treatment for cancer, and it’s associated with toxic side effects, chemoresistance and ultimately cancer recurrence. Rapid gelling hydrogels can overcome this limitation by providing localized delivery of anti-cancer agents to solid tumors. Silk hydrogels are extremely biocompatible and suitable for anticancer drug delivery, but faster gelling formulations are needed. In this study, we introduce a rapid gelling hydrogel formulation (< 3 minutes gelling time) due to chemical crosslinking between silk fibroin and curcumin, initiated by the addition of minute quantities of HRP and H2O2. The novel observation in this study is that curcumin, while being a free-radical scavenger, also participates in accelerating silk di-tyrosine crosslinking in the presence of HRP and H2O2. Using UV-Vis, rheology and time-lapse videos, we convincingly show that curcumin accelerates silk di-tyrosine crosslinking reaction in a concentration-dependent manner, and curcumin remains entrapped in the hydrogel post-crosslinking. FTIR results show an increase in secondary beta-sheet structures within hydrogels, with increasing concentrations of curcumin. Furthermore, we show that curcu-min-silk di-tyrosine hydrogels are toxic to U2OS osteosarcoma cells, and most cancer cells are dead within short time scales of 4 hours post-encapsulation.

Graphical abstract
Modeling the Competitive Evolution and Large-scale Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Viral Pathogens
Authors: Huang Sisi , Lu Xiangyun , Xiao Zhengyun , Zhuang Yiqi , Wei Xin , Fan Zuyan , Huang Lingtong , Zhao Shijie , Lynch Michael , Yao Hangping , Zheng Min , Jiang Chao
Published: February 2025

A fundamental question in virology and epidemiology is how viral variants compete and evolve during large-scale transmission and what drives one variant to dominate—key to understanding pathogen emergence and mutation-driven fitness advantages. In this study, we address this by integrating epidemiological, clinical, and experimental data to examine the co-infection and competitive evolution of the earliest SARS-CoV-2 lineages, A and B, two key variants circulating in early 2020. To capture these dynamics, we developed the evolutionary-SIR-Seeding-Spreading (evoSSS) model, a holistic framework that integrates transmission, competition, and spatial bottlenecks. The model simulates viral competition across multiple scales, from intra-host replication to inter-host transmission and from regional outbreaks to global spread. It also predicts risks for other infectious pathogens, such as influenza and monkeypox, and clarifies the competitive interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. This study provides valuable insights into viral competitive evolution and informs strategies for managing future pandemics.
High-throughput, unbiased single-molecule displacement mapping with deep learning reveals spatiotemporal heterogeneities in intracellular diffusivity
Authors: Xia Jiankai , He Yi , Zhang Zhipeng , Yan Jinhong , Wang Ruirong , Tang Mingxuan , Chen Jingye , Fan Jun , Chen Kun
Published: February 2025

Single-molecule displacement/diffusivity mapping (SMdM) has revolutionized the study of molecular motion in live cells by providing high spatial resolution insights. However, its utility is restricted by measurement biases and low throughput, making it challenging to capture temporal dynamics of intracellular diffusivity. Here we report a high-throughput single-molecule diffusivity microscopy approach (Hi-SMdM) that rapidly and unbiasedly maps nanoscale heterogeneities in molecular motion inside mammalian cells, enabling time-resolved imaging of local diffusivity dynamics. Hi-SMdM employs a self-supervised deep-learning denoising framework with a general noise model to effectively restore the scarce signals of fast-moving single molecules, while eliminating artifact motions without relying on spatial redundancies or temporal correlations. It then provides unbiased estimations of nanoscale diffusion coefficient and improve both throughput and temporal resolution by up to an order of magnitude. We demonstrate the versatility of Hi-SMdM through time-resolved mapping of the spatially heterogeneous diffusivity of free proteins in the cytoplasm. Hi-SMdM also unveils the temporal dynamics of intracellular diffusion under hypotonic conditions in live cells. Additionally, Hi-SMdM tracks the spatiotemporal dynamics of intraorganellar diffusivity during rapid rearrangements of the ER network and functional activities of mitochondria. Overall, Hi-SMdM provides exceptional opportunities for high-throughput and unbiased single-molecule diffusivity mapping with excellent spatiotemporal resolution.
A novel peptidoglycan deacetylase modulates daughter cell separation inE. coli
Authors: Hernandez-Rocamora Victor , Martorana Alessandra M. , Belloso Aitana , Ballesteros Daniel , Zaccaria Marta , Perez Amilcar J. , Iorga Bogdan I. , Abia David , Gray Joe , Breukink Eefjan , Xiao Jie , Pazos Manuel , Polissi Alessandra , Vollmer Waldemar
Published: February 2025

Peptidoglycan hydrolases facilitate bacterial cell wall growth by creating space for insertion of new material and allowing physical separation of daughter cells. InEscherichia coli, three peptidoglycan amidases, AmiA, AmiB and AmiC, cleave septal peptidoglycan during cell division. The LytM-domain proteins EnvC and NlpD activate these amidases either from inside the cell or the outer membrane: EnvC binds to the cytoplasmic membrane-anchored divisome components FtsEX, and NlpD and ActS are outer membrane lipoproteins. Here we report the identification of a novel periplasmic deacetylase called SddA that removes acetyl groups from denuded peptidoglycan glycan strands, the products of amidases. SddA is a substrate for the periplasmic protease Prc, suggesting regulation via protein degradation. ThesddAgene is co-expressed with the gene encoding EnvC, linking SddA function to amidase activation. Consistent with this link, the deletion ofsddAalleviates phenotypes associated with lack of amidase activation, while overexpression ofsddAalleviates phenotypes related to a defective Tol-Pal system and causes cell chaining due to reduced septum peptidoglycan cleavage unlessenvCis co-expressed. We present a model according to which SddA modulates the activation of the septum-splitting amidases during cell division.

AUTHOR SUMMARY

Bacteria surround their cell membrane by the essential peptidoglycan (cell wall) layer to prevent bursting open due to their turgor. During cell division, bacteria produce a septum at midcell, which must be cleaved for daughter cells to separate. Here, we report the identification of a new enzyme, SddA, that modifies a particular type of peptidoglycan material, denuded glycan chains released during the splitting of septal peptidoglycan for daughter cell separation, in the Gram-negativeEscherichia coli. We propose a model in which SddA modulates a switch in the septal peptidoglycan splitting, ensuring splitting is activated from the cell membrane in the early stages of cell division and from the outer membrane in the late stages.
CA2/3-dependent stability of frontoparietal mnemonic representations predicts episodic deficits in human amnesia
Authors: Miller Thomas D. , Hickling Alice L. , Wu Yan I. , Zhou Joseph H. , Handel Adam E , Coutinho Ester , Pollak Thomas A. , Zandi Michael S. , Rosenthal Clive R. , Maguire Eleanor A.
Published: February 2025

The hippocampus reconstructs past experiences by integrating sensory, perceptual, and conceptual information across a cortico-hippocampal autobiographical memory network (AMN). Here, in 18 human participants with amnesia, we decoded the effects of bilateral focal hippocampal damage on distinct autobiographical representations using representational dissimilarity matrices (RDMs). Hippocampal pathology resulted in: (1) impaired generalised episodic memory retrieval RDM model fit in the left angular gyrus; and, (2) reduced distinct episodic memory RDM model fit and trial-by-trial voxel-representational stability in the right angular gyrus, right orbitofrontal cortex, and right inferior frontal gyrus. RDM model fits and mnemonic stability were predicted by total CA23 volumes. Trial-by-trial retrieval stability within the right orbitofrontal cortex and right inferior frontal gyrus predicted autobiographical memory performance, providing the first direct neural correlate between hippocampal dysfunction, altered mnemonic representations, and amnesia. The results demonstrate that hippocampal-mediated amnesia results from impaired mnemonic representational distinctiveness and stability within the AMN.
Optimal local measurements in single-parameter quantum metrology
Authors: Liu Jia-Xuan , Yang Jing , Shi Hai-Long , Yu Sixia
Published: February 2025

Quantum measurement plays a crucial role in quantum metrology. Due to the limitations of experimental capabilities, collectively measuring multiple copies of probing systems can present significant challenges. Therefore, the concept of locality in quantum measurements must be considered. In this work, we investigate the possibility of achieving the quantum Cramér-Rao bound (QCRB) through local measurements (LMs). We first demonstrate that if there exists a LM to saturate the QCRB for qubit systems, then we can construct another rank-1 local projective measurement to saturate the QCRB. In this sense, rank-1 local projective measurements are sufficient to analyze the problem of saturating the QCRB. For pure qubits, we propose two necessary and sufficient methods to determine whether and how a given parameter estimation model can achieve the QCRB through LMs. The first method, dubbed the iterative matrix partition method and based on unitary transformations that render the diagonal entries of a traceless matrix vanish, elucidates the underlying mathematical structure of LMs as well as the local measurements with classical communications (LMCC), generalizing the result by Zhou . [], which only holds for the later case. We clarify that the saturation of the QCRB through LMs for the Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger-encoded states is actually due to the self-similar structure in this approach. The second method, dubbed the hierarchy of orthogonality conditions and based on the parametrization of rank-1 measurements for qubit systems, allows us to construct several examples of saturating QCRBs, including the three-qubit W states and the N-qubit W states (N≥3). Our findings offer insights into achieving optimal performance in quantum metrology when measurement resources are limited.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Direct double ionization of the He-like
B3+
ion by a single photon
Authors: Müller A. , Hillenbrand P.-M. , Wang S.-X. , Schippers S. , Bray I. , Kheifets A. S. , Lindroth E. , Reinwardt S. , Martins M. , Seltmann J. , Trinter F.
Published: February 2025

Within a joint experimental and theoretical research project, double photoionization of the He-like B3+ ion by a single photon was studied in the energy range from approximately 350 to 1160 eV. With the parent-ion beam in the experiment containing both 1s21S ground-state (90.9%) and 1s2sS3 metastable B3+ ions (9.1%), two contributions to the apparent single- and double-ionization cross sections, σ34app and σ35app, respectively, are involved in the measurements. Ratios Y(5+)/Y(4+) of double- over single-ionization yields were experimentally determined. By multiplying the measured ratios by the known cross section σ34app, the apparent cross section σ35app for double ionization was inferred. Using the information thus obtained, the measured yield of B5+ ions produced from hydrogenlike

B

4

+

could also be normalized. The results show good agreement with theoretical benchmark cross sections σ45 for single photoionization of B4+. Convergent close-coupling calculations were performed to determine double-photoionization cross sections σ35 for B3+(1s2) and B3+(1s2s) ions. The result for the ground state agrees very well with theoretical data obtained previously with an intermediate-energy R-matrix approach. Within the systematic uncertainty of the normalized experimental cross sections, calculated and measured data are in agreement with one another.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Steering of sub-GeV positrons by ultrathin bent silicon crystal for ultraslow extraction applications
Authors: Garattini M. , Annucci D. , Gianotti P. , Liedl A. , Long E. , Mancini M. , Napolitano T. , Raggi M. , Valente P.
Published: February 2025

For the first time at the Beam Test Facility (BTF) of the DAΦNE accelerator complex at the Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati of INFN, 450 MeV positrons have been deflected with high efficiency, using the planar channeling process in a bent silicon crystal. The deflection angle obtained is beyond 1 mrad. This interesting result finds several applications for manipulation of this kind of beams, in particular for ultraslow extraction from lepton circular accelerators like DAΦNE. In this work, the experimental apparatus, the measurement procedure, and the experimental results are reported.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Photoproduction of the
Σ+
hyperon using linearly polarized photons with CLAS
Authors: Clark L. , McKinnon B. , Ireland D. G. , Glazier D. I. , Livingston K. , Rönchen D. , Acar A. G. , Achenbach P. , Alvarado J. S. , Amaryan M. J. , Armstrong W. R. , Atac H. , Baashen L. , Barion L. , Battaglieri M. , Benkel B. , Benmokhtar F. , Bianconi A. , Biselli A. S. , Booth W. A. , Bossù F. , Brinkmann K.-Th. , Briscoe W. J. , Brooks W. K. , Bueltmann S. , Cao T. , Capobianco R. , Carman D. S. , Celentano A. , Chatagnon P. , Ciullo G. , Cole P. L. , Contalbrigo M. , D'Angelo A. , Dashyan N. , De Vita R. , Defurne M. , Deur A. , Diehl S. , Djalali C. , Dugger M. , Dupre R. , Egiyan H. , El Alaoui A. , El Fassi L. , Eugenio P. , Fegan S. , Ferguson R. F. , Filippi A. , Fogler C. , Gates K. , Gavalian G. , Gilfoyle G. P. , Golubenko A. A. , Gothe R. W. , Guidal M. , Hakobyan H. , Hattawy M. , Hauenstein F. , Hayward T. B. , Heddle D. , Hobart A. , Holtrop M. , Isupov E. L. , Jenkins D. , Jiang H. , Jo H. S. , Keller D. , Khandaker M. , Kim W. , Klein F. J. , Klimenko V. , Kripko A. , Kubarovsky V. , Lanza L. , Lenisa P. , Li X. , MacGregor I. J. D. , Marchand D. , Mascagna V. , Matamoros D. , Migliorati S. , Mokeev V. , Munoz Camacho C. , Nadel-Turonski P. , Neupane K. , Niccolai S. , Niculescu G. , Osipenko M. , Pandey P. , Paolone M. , Pappalardo L. L. , Paremuzyan R. , Pasyuk E. , Paul S. J. , Phelps W. , Pilleux N. , Pokhrel M. , Polcher Rafael S. , Prok Y. , Reed T. , Richards J. , Ripani M. , Ritchie B. G. , Ritman J. , Rosner G. , Salgado C. , Schadmand S. , Schmidt A. , Schumacher R. A. , Sharabian Y. G. , Shirokov E. V. , Shrestha U. , Sokhan D. , Sparveris N. , Spreafico M. , Stepanyan S. , Strakovsky I. I. , Strauch S. , Tan J. A. , Tenorio M. , Trotta N. , Tyson R. , Ungaro M. , Venturelli L. , Voskanyan H. , Voutier E. , Watts D. P. , Wei X. , Williams R. , Xu L. , Zachariou N. , Zhao Z. W. , Zurek M. ,   The CLAS Collaboration
Published: February 2025

Measurements of the polarization observables Σ,P,T,Ox,Oz for the reaction γ⃗p→KS0Σ+ using a linearly polarized photon beam of energy 1.1 to 2.1 GeV are reported.

The measured data provide information on a channel that has not been studied extensively, but is required for a full coupled-channel analysis in the nucleon resonance region.

Observables have been simultaneously extracted using likelihood sampling with a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo process.

Angular distributions in bins of photon energy Eγ are produced for each polarization observable. T,Ox, and Oz are first time measurements of these observables in this reaction. The extraction of Σ extends the energy range beyond a previous measurement. The measurement of P, the recoil polarization, is consistent with previous measurements.

The measured data are shown to be significant enough to affect the estimation of the nucleon resonance parameters when fitted within a coupled-channels model.

Published by the American Physical Society2025
Planar decomposition of bipartite HOMFLY polynomials in symmetric representations
Authors: Anokhina A. , Lanina E. , Morozov A.
Published: February 2025

We generalize the recently discovered planar decomposition (Kauffman bracket) for the Hoste-Ocneanu-Millett-Freyd-Lickorish-Yetter (HOMFLY) polynomials of bipartite knot/link diagrams to (anti)symmetrically colored HOMFLY polynomials. Cabling destroys planarity, but it is restored after projection to (anti)symmetric representations. This allows one to go beyond arborescent-induced calculus, which so far produced the majority of results for colored polynomials. Technicalities include combinations of projectors, and these can be handled rigorously, without any guess work—what can be also useful for other considerations, where reliable quantization was so far unavailable. We explicitly provide simple examples of calculation of the HOMFLY polynomials in symmetric representations with the use of our planar technique. These examples reveal what we call the bipartite evolution and the bipartite decomposition of squares of R matrix eigenvalues in the antiparallel channel.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Demonstrating Experimentally the Encoding and Dynamics of an Error-Correctable Logical Qubit on a Hyperfine-Coupled Nuclear Spin Qudit
Authors: Lim Sumin , Vaganov Mikhail V. , Liu Junjie , Ardavan Arzhang
Published: February 2025

The realization of effective quantum error correction protocols remains a central challenge in the development of scalable quantum computers. Employing high-dimensional quantum systems (qudits) can offer more hardware-efficient protocols than qubit-based approaches. Using electron-nuclear double resonance, we implement a logical qubit encoded on the four states of a I=3/2 nuclear spin hyperfine-coupled to an S=1/2 electron spin qubit; the encoding protects against the dominant decoherence mechanism in such systems, i.e., fluctuations of the quantizing magnetic field. We explore the dynamics of the encoded state both under a controlled application of the fluctuation and under natural decoherence processes. Our results confirm the potential of these proposals for practical, implementable, fault-tolerant quantum memories.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Search for MeV-Scale Axionlike Particles and Dark Photons with PandaX-4T
Authors: Li Tao , Bo Zihao , Chen Wei , Chen Xun , Chen Yunhua , Cheng Zhaokan , Cui Xiangyi , Fan Yingjie , Fang Deqing , Gao Zhixing , Geng Lisheng , Giboni Karl , Guo Xunan , Guo Xuyuan , Guo Zichao , Han Chencheng , Han Ke , He Changda , He Jinrong , Huang Di , Huang Houqi , Huang Junting , Hou Ruquan , Hou Yu , Ji Xiangdong , Ji Xiangpan , Ju Yonglin , Li Chenxiang , Li Jiafu , Li Mingchuan , Li Shuaijie , Li Zhiyuan , Lin Qing , Liu Jianglai , Lu Congcong , Lu Xiaoying , Luo Lingyin , Luo Yunyang , Ma Wenbo , Ma Yugang , Mao Yajun , Meng Yue , Ning Xuyang , Pang Binyu , Qi Ningchun , Qian Zhicheng , Ren Xiangxiang , Shan Dong , Shang Xiaofeng , Shao Xiyuan , Shen Guofang , Shen Manbin , Sun Wenliang , Tao Yi , Wang Anqing , Wang Guanbo , Wang Hao , Wang Jiamin , Wang Lei , Wang Meng , Wang Qiuhong , Wang Shaobo , Wang Siguang , Wang Wei , Wang Xiuli , Wang Xu , Wang Zhou , Wei Yuehuan , Wu Weihao , Wu Yuan , Xiao Mengjiao , Xiao Xiang , Xiong Kaizhi , Xu Yifan , Yao Shunyu , Yan Binbin , Yan Xiyu , Yang Yong , Ye Peihua , Yu Chunxu , Yuan Ying , Yuan Zhe , Yun Youhui , Zeng Xinning , Zhang Minzhen , Zhang Peng , Zhang Shibo , Zhang Shu , Zhang Tao , Zhang Wei , Zhang Yang , Zhang Yingxin , Zhang Yuanyuan , Zhao Li , Zhou Jifang , Zhou Jiaxu , Zhou Jiayi , Zhou Ning , Zhou Xiaopeng , Zhou Yubo , Zhou Zhizhen ,   PandaX Collaboration
Published: February 2025

Axionlike particles (ALPs) and dark photons (DPs) are viable dark matter particle candidates. We have searched for possible ALP/DP signals in the PandaX-4T liquid xenon detector using 440  kg·yr of data. A binned likelihood fit is constructed to search for possible mono-energetic peaks induced by the absorption processes between ALPs/DPs and atomic electrons of xenon. A detailed temporal model of decays associated with xenon isotopes is introduced to constrain the number of background events. No signal excess over background expectations is observed, and we have established the most stringent exclusion limits for most ALP/DP masses across the range of 150  keV/c2 to 1  MeV/c2. The improvement is particularly significant within the mass range of 150–400  keV/c2, with the average factor of 3.5 compared to previous results.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Infrared Magnetopolaritons in
MoTe2
Monolayers and Bilayers
Authors: Han Bo , Fitzgerald Jamie M. , Lackner Lukas , Rosati Roberto , Esmann Martin , Eilenberger Falk , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Syperek Marcin , Malic Ermin , Schneider Christian
Published: February 2025

MoTe2 monolayers and bilayers are unique within the family of van der Waals materials since they pave the way toward atomically thin infrared light-matter quantum interfaces, potentially reaching the important telecommunication windows. Here, we report emergent exciton polaritons based on MoTe2 monolayers and bilayers in a low-temperature open microcavity in a joint experiment-theory study. Our experiments clearly evidence both the enhanced oscillator strength and enhanced luminescence of MoTe2 bilayers, signified by a 38% increase of the Rabi splitting and a strongly enhanced relaxation of polaritons to low-energy states. The latter is distinct from polaritons in MoTe2 monolayers, which feature a bottlenecklike relaxation inhibition. Both the polaritonic spin valley locking in monolayers and the spin-layer locking in bilayers are revealed via the Zeeman effect, which we map and control via the light-matter composition of our polaritonic resonances.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Strong interaction induced dimensional crossover in one-dimensional quantum gas
Authors: Zhang Zhongchi , Zhao Zihan , Wang Huaichuan , Deng Ken , Liu Yuqi , Chen Wenlan , Hu Jiazhong
Published: February 2025

We generated a one-dimensional quantum gas confined in an elongated optical dipole trap instead of 2D optical lattices. The sample, comprising thousands of atoms, spans several hundred micrometers and allows for independent control of temperature and chemical potential using Feshbach resonance. This allows us to directly observe and investigate the spatial distribution and associated excitation of 1D quantum gas without any ensemble averaging. In this system, we observed that the dimension of 1D gas will be popped up into 3D due to strong interaction without changing any trapping confinement. During the dimensional crossover, we found that increasing the scattering length leads to the failure of 1D theories, including 1D mean field, Yang-Yang equation, and 1D hydrodynamics. Specifically, the modified Yang-Yang equation effectively describes this 1D system at temperatures beyond the 1D threshold, but it does not account for the effects of stronger interactions. Meanwhile, we observe two possible quantized plateaus of breathing-mode oscillation frequencies predicted by 1D and 3D hydrodynamics, corresponding to weak and strong interactions, respectively. There is also a universal crossover connecting two different regimes where both hydrodynamics fail.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Efficiency and Physical Limitations of Adiabatic Direct Energy Conversion in Axisymmetric Fields
Authors: Rax J.-M. , Kolmes E.J. , Fisch N.J.
Published: February 2025

We describe and analyze a new class of direct energy conversion schemes based on the adiabatic magnetic drift of charged particles in axisymmetric magnetic fields. The efficiency of conversion as well as the geometrical and dynamical limitations of the recoverable power are calculated. The geometries of these axisymmetric field configurations are suited for direct energy conversion in radiating advanced aneutronic reactors and in advanced divertors of deuterium-tritium tokamak reactors. The E×B configurations considered here do not suffer from the classical drawbacks and limitations of thermionic and magnetohydrodynamic high-temperature direct energy conversion devices.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025