bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Military robots should not look like a humans
Authors: Mamak Kamil , Kowalczewska Kaja
Published: August 2023

Using robots in the military contexts is problematic at many levels. There are social, legal, and ethical issues that should be discussed first before their wider deployment. In this paper, we focus on an additional problem: their human likeness. We claim that military robots should not look like humans. That design choice may bring additional risks that endanger human lives and by that contradicts the very justification for deploying robots at war, which is decreasing human deaths and injuries. We discuss two threats—epistemological and patient. Epistemological one is connected with the risk of mistaking robots for humans due to the limited ways of getting information about the external world, which may be amplified by the rush and need to fight with robots in distance. The patient threat is related to the developing attachment to robots, that in military contexts may cause additional deaths by the hesitance to sacrifice robots in order to save humans in peril or risking human life to save robots.
Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Self-Cutting Behavior Among Adolescents at First Contact with the Juvenile Court
Authors: Meza Jocelyn I. , Folk Johanna , Hoskins David , Kemp Kathleen , Tolou-Shams Marina
Published: August 2023

Adolescents involved in juvenile legal system are at increased risk for self-cutting behavior, however, correlates associated with elevated risk remain underresearched, particularly among youth with first involvement with the court. This study utilized an epidemiological two-year longitudinal study involving 401 adolescents at first contact with the court (Mage = 14.47;SDage = 1.94 years; 43% female; 42% Latinx/Hispanic) and an involved caregiver. Study aims examined key prospective psychosocial correlates of self-cutting behavior. Baseline assessments captured individual and family level risk and protective factors; self-cutting behavior was assessed longitudinally every four months post-baseline for 24 months. Psychosocial correlates of self-cutting behavior included adolescent affect dysregulation, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, impulsive decision making, anxiety and depression symptoms. Significant protective factors included positive communication with caregiver and family, higher self-esteem, and having a caring and supportive family. These findings suggest that internalizing symptoms as well as difficulties with emotion regulation and impulsive decision making are correlated with heightened risk for self-cutting behavior among adolescents involved in the juvenile legal system. The findings also suggest that individual and family level protective factors, like positive communication and a supportive family, are associated with decreased risk for self-cutting behavior among adolescents at first contact with the court.
Can an Universal School-Based Social Emotional Learning Program Reduce Adolescents’ Social Withdrawal and Social Anxiety?
Authors: Sousa Vanda , Silva Patrícia Ribeiro , Romão Ana Maria , Coelho Vítor Alexandre
Published: August 2023

There is a lack of studies analyzing if universal school-based Social and Emotional Learning programs can reduce social withdrawal and social anxiety. This study analyzed the effectiveness of one such program on those variables, and the role of individual school climate perceptions. In this nationwide study, 704 seventh to eighth-grade Portuguese students (Mage = 12.96, SD = 1.09, 48% girls), of which 215 (30.6%) in the comparison group, were assessed at pretest, post-test, and follow-up seven months later. Analyses showed positive intervention results in self- and teacher-reported social withdrawal and social anxiety. Regarding school climate, intervention group students with more positive teacher-student relationships benefitted more from program participation in social anxiety. These results support the program’s effectiveness for addressing social withdrawal and social anxiety.
Are Parents the Key? How Parental Suicide Stigma and Suicide Literacy Affect Help-Seeking Attitudes and Intentions for their Child
Authors: Burke Colette T. , Calear Alison L. , Cruwys Tegan , Batterham Philip J.
Published: August 2023

Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australian young people, yet rates of help-seeking for suicidal ideation and behaviors in this population are concerningly low. In this study, the relationships between parental suicide stigma, parental suicide literacy, and their attitudes and intentions toward seeking professional help for their child if they were to express thoughts of suicide are investigated. Understanding this influence is critical given parents are key facilitators of their child’s access to and engagement with professional mental health services. An online survey was administered to 302 parents of children aged-12–18 (Mage = 45.36, SDage = 6.23; 91.4% female). Parental suicide stigma was significantly associated with more negative help-seeking attitudes and lower help-seeking intentions. Other significant predictors of more positive help-seeking attitudes included parental self-efficacy and having a child with no history of suicidal ideation. Higher help-seeking intentions were associated with female gender, living in an urban area, and positive help-seeking attitudes. Parental suicide literacy was not significantly associated with help-seeking. Practically, outcomes of this study may inform the development and implementation of targeted education programs to increase parental help-seeking for their children.
Quantification of the spatial resilience of the Spanish rural landscape to fire occurrence analysed using the SISPARES network of plots
Authors: Rescia A. J. , Gómez Menéndez A. I. , González Lodares C. , Ortega M.
Published: August 2023

Context

In Spain, fire is a tool used for management in rural landscapes but also wildfires can play a disruptive socio-ecological role. Therefore, its spatial structure analysis and spatial resilience quantification to wildfire is useful for territorial planning and management.

Objectives

We evaluate the relationship between the spatial structure of Spanish rural landscapes with the historical wildfire frequency. We develop and calculate indices of spatial resilience to wildfires and large wildfires.

Methods

We followed a stratified sampling based on the biogeoclimatic classes grouping by ecoregions. We calculated landscape metrics with Fragstats and collected wildfires occurrence from a national wildfire database. Spatial resilience was estimated with a self-elaborated index, using wildfires data and landscape structure subjected to a MANOVA and to a linear regression model.

Results

The Northwest region suffered more wildfires and large wildfires than the other ecoregions. The differences in frequency of large wildfires were small and low in. Some landscape metrics were positively related to wildfire frequency (forest plantations and scrublands) and other negatively (“dehesas” and crops). Spatial resilience to wildfires and large wildfires was lower in the Northwest area but for large wildfires were also low in the Mediterranean Littoral and Central region.

Conclusions

The relationship between the frequency of the two types of wildfires and landscape structure determines differences in spatial resilience indices. Large wildfires are positively related to shrubland abundance, whereas small wildfires are positively related to heterogeneous agricultural areas. Therefore, spatial resilience indices could be used as early warning tools to prevent wildfires.
Solving quantum circuit compilation problem variants through genetic algorithms
Authors: Arufe Lis , Rasconi Riccardo , Oddi Angelo , Varela Ramiro , González Miguel Ángel
Published: August 2023

The gate-based model is one of the leading quantum computing paradigms for representing quantum circuits. Within this paradigm, a quantum algorithm is expressed in terms of a set of quantum gates that are executed on the quantum hardware over time, subject to a number of constraints whose satisfaction must be guaranteed before running the circuit, to allow for feasible execution. The need to guarantee the previous feasibility condition gives rise to the Quantum Circuit Compilation Problem (QCCP). The QCCP has been demonstrated to be NP-Complete, and can be considered as a Planning and Scheduling problem. In this paper, we consider quantum compilation instances deriving from the general Quantum Approximation Optimization Algorithm (QAOA), applied to the MaxCut problem, devised to be executed on Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) hardware architectures. More specifically, in addition to the basic QCCP version, we also tackle other variants of the same problem such as the QCCP-X (QCCP with crosstalk constraints), the QCCP-V (QCCP with variable qubit state initialization), as well as the QCCP-VX that includes both previous variants. All problem variants are solved using genetic algorithms. We perform an experimental study across a conventional set of instances taken from the literature, and show that the proposed genetic algorithm, termed $$GA_{VX}$$

G

A

VX

, outperforms previous approaches in the literature.
Selection history affects very early expression of wood properties in Pinus radiata
Authors: Apiolaza Luis A. , Sharma Monika
Published: August 2023

Trees in breeding programmes are often selected at 1/4–1/3 of rotation, called ‘early selection’, which is typically between 8 and 10 years in radiata pine. However, differences between populations and genotypes selected for either basic density or wood stiffness are already apparent at age 2. We report the application of very early screening techniques for wood properties in the New Zealand Radiata Pine Breeding Programme deployment populations. Approximately 3000 trees representing three populations with 92 families and 10 clones were grown in a common garden trial, leaning for 21 months to separate compression and opposite wood. The trees were harvested and analysis carried out separately by wood type. The trial showed the existence of large variability in wood properties at early age, in some cases similar to variability near rotation age, and moderate to high degree of genetic control ($$0.35 \le h^2 \le 0.71$$

0.35
≤

h
2

≤
0.71

). The genetic association between traits was strong, particularly between wood stiffness and longitudinal shrinkage ($$-\,0.69$$

-

0.69

) and between longitudinal and volumetric shrinkage (0.83), suggesting that improving stiffness would also have a strong effect on improving dimensional stability. Basic density was also associated with stiffness and shrinkage, but with lower predictive capacity. These results can be used for roguing deployment populations-which already contain superior growing trees-and quickly upgrade the wood quality of seeds and clones currently available to New Zealand forest growers. We discuss necessary modifications to turn this research work into operation to screen any new material before commercial release.
Investigation of the association between the Enferplex bovine tuberculosis antibody test and the future risk of bovine tuberculosis in irish cattle in infected herds: a pilot field study
Authors: Madden Jamie M. , Casey-Bryars Miriam , More Simon J. , Barrett Damien , Gormley Eamonn , Ryan Eoin
Published: August 2023

The Single Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin Test (SICTT) and the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) assay are the approved diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Ireland. The aim of this pilot study was to explore if there was any added diagnostic benefit from applying the Enferplex bTB test (an antibody test) in severe bTB herd breakdowns after the removal of cattle that had tested positive to the SICTT and the IFN-γ test. In addition to the normal bTB testing and management protocols, the animals in these herds that tested negative to SICTT and the IFN-γ test were followed forward for a period of two years. All animals were tested by Enferplex at enrolment. The time to subsequent bTB detection (diagnosed with SICTT/IFN-γ tests or detection of visible lesions at routine slaughter) for animals that tested positive or negative to the Enferplex bTB test at the start of the study was compared using Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox based survival models. Of the 484 enrolled animals (from 11 herds), 171 (35.3%) and 151 (31.1%) initially tested positive in the Enferplex assay under the high sensitivity and high specificity interpretation settings respectively. The results of the survival analysis showed that there was no difference in the survival time to a positive diagnosis with bTB during the follow-up period between animals initially classified as positive and negative by the Enferplex test. Further research is warranted to explore the potential benefit of using the Enferplex test in other scenarios.
SERS-based rapid susceptibility testing of commonly administered antibiotics on clinically important bacteria species directly from blood culture of bacteremia patients
Authors: Han Yin-Yi , Wang Jann-Tay , Cheng Wei-Chih , Chen Ko-Lun , Chi Yi , Teng Lee-Jene , Wang Juen-Kai , Wang Yuh-Lin
Published: August 2023

Bloodstream infections are a growing public health concern due to emerging pathogens and increasing antimicrobial resistance. Rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is urgently needed for timely and optimized choice of antibiotics, but current methods require days to obtain results. Here, we present a general AST protocol based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS-AST) for bacteremia caused by eight clinically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens treated with seven commonly administered antibiotics. Our results show that the SERS-AST protocol achieves a high level of agreement (96% for Gram-positive and 97% for Gram-negative bacteria) with the widely deployed VITEK 2 diagnostic system. The protocol requires only five hours to complete per blood-culture sample, making it a rapid and effective alternative to conventional methods. Our findings provide a solid foundation for the SERS-AST protocol as a promising approach to optimize the choice of antibiotics for specific bacteremia patients. This novel protocol has the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Self-development in the twenty-first century: An exploratory analysis of the relationship between new work characteristics and informal workplace learning
Authors: Graßmann Carolin , Decius Julian
Published: August 2023

This article in the journal “Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO)” presents the results of an exploratory study on the relationship between new work characteristics and informal workplace learning (IWL). New ways of working drastically shaped modern workplaces, but their association with workplace learning, a key driver of organizations’ success, remains unclear—little is known about whether and under which circumstances new work characteristics are related to workplace learning. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, we tested if new work characteristics (i.e., digitalization, flexibility, dissolution of boundaries, participation, and relevance of work) are positively related to IWL. Moreover, we assumed that learning climate positively influences the strength of the relationship between new work characteristics and IWL. We conducted an online survey involving 291 participants to test our hypotheses. We found a positive overall relationship between new work characteristics and IWL. Examining the new work characteristics in more detail, relative importance analysis showed that this overall relationship seems to be driven by relevance of work, followed by participation and dissolution of boundaries. Digitalization and flexibility showed only weak relationships with IWL. Contrary to our assumption, learning climate did not strengthen the new work characteristics-IWL relationship. Our study introduces new work characteristics as an antecedent of IWL and speaks to their overall benefits for IWL. However, our findings suggest that new work might not be studied as a unified concept, but rather separately for its different characteristics. We hope to inspire further research to help organizations and employees to capitalize on the effects of new work characteristics.
Measuring the efficiency of mutual funds: Does ESG controversies score affect the mutual fund performance during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Authors: Petridis Konstantinos , Kiosses Nikolaos , Tampakoudis Ioannis , Ben Abdelaziz Fouad
Published: August 2023

This research investigates the influence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance on mutual fund efficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and hypothesis testing, we examine the effect of ESG controversies scores on mutual fund performance. Our sample comprises 17,961 mutual funds worldwide, with available data during the later phase of the pandemic. Mutual fund performance is evaluated using the DEA methodology, and efficiency scores are derived from the DEA portfolio efficiency index. To explore the impact of ESG controversies scores on mutual fund performance, the sample is divided into two categories based on the ESG controversies score quartile. The findings demonstrate that mutual funds with higher ESG controversies scores, which indicate fewer ESG controversies, outperformed those with lower scores. Specifically, mutual funds embroiled in fewer ESG controversies exhibited higher financial efficiency, regardless of their geographical investment area. These findings offer essential insights for both investors and mutual fund managers. Retail and institutional investors could recognize the potential performance gains associated with investing in socially responsible mutual funds during crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, mutual fund managers should consider avoiding securities with more ESG controversies in their portfolios, considering that ESG controversies could have an adverse impact on financial efficiency during periods of health, environmental, or market crises. While our study contributes valuable insights, it is subject to limitations due to the unavailability of time-series data for mutual funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, it represents the first attempt to utilize the ESG controversies score as a determinant of mutual fund financial efficiency during the pandemic era.
Live-Sound Pressure That Is Not Measured In Decibels
Authors: Compton Stephen
Published: August 2023

Audio engineer choice is affected by the influences and pressures within the live sound culture. This study analyzes the data from a 2020 international survey of audio engineers and focuses on live sound interpersonal interactions through the lens of social responsibility. As live sound participants, audio engineers, event organizers, performers, and audiences often have differing expectations due to their knowledge, preference, bias, ego, financial investment, sense of responsibility, proclivity towards risk or safety, and more. At live sound events, the final gatekeeper between the sound source and sound reinforcement is the audio engineer, who consciously or subconsciously weighs these expectations against the pressure they feel, their own motivations, and their knowledge and ability. Within the decision-making process, an audio engineer’s performance benefits not from the absence of interpersonal pressure, but instead from an appropriate balance of influences and pressures. This balance affects audio engineer development, investment, focus, enjoyment, satisfaction, and audio mix choices, which then impacts other live sound participants’ experience, health, well-being, and event viability.
Safety performance evaluation of construction projects in Egypt
Authors: Abdalfatah Zeinab , Elbeltagi Emad , Abdelshakor Mohammed
Published: August 2023

In Egypt, the construction industry employs about 20% of the total work force in the local market. The health and safety (H&S) performance evaluation is adopted mainly to control H&S risks in construction sites. As such, there is a need to measure the safety performance in construction sites in a way that is proactive rather than just relying on interactive procedures. The main goal of this study is to develop an indicator to evaluate safety performance on construction sites. This is achieved through two basic steps. First, factors that affect safety performance in construction projects are determined by reviewing literature and conducting personal interviews. A total of 47 factors were collected. Then, a questionnaire was conducted to determine the most important factors that affect the H&S of construction projects in Egypt. The incentives and safety training were among the most important factors. Second, an index to evaluate safety performance has been developed. The purpose of this evaluation is to create a determinate through which construction sites safety could be assessed. The proposed model will be a useful tool to assist project managers and safety inspectors to assess safety performance in construction sites and thus help build safety regulations.
Recent Advances on PEM Fuel Cells: From Key Materials to Membrane Electrode Assembly
Authors: Mo Shanyun , Du Lei , Huang Zhiyin , Chen Junda , Zhou Yangdong , Wu Puwei , Meng Ling , Wang Ning , Xing Lixin , Zhao Mingquan , Yang Yunsong , Tang Junke , Zou Yuquan , Ye Siyu
Published: August 2023

In recent years, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells have regained worldwide attention from academia, industries, investors, and governments. The prospect of PEM fuel cells has turned into reality, with fuel cell vehicles successfully launched in the market. However, today’s fuel cells remain less competitive than combustion engines and batteries, primarily due to their high cost and short lifetime, which are significantly affected by the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), or the “chips” of PEM fuel cells. Therefore, many efforts have been devoted to developing advanced materials and manufacturing processes for MEAs. In this paper, we critically review the recent progress of key materials for MEAs, focusing on how to integrate materials into electrodes and MEAs. We also present the most advanced designs and manufacturing techniques of MEAs and discuss their possible constraints. Finally, perspectives on future R&D directions of materials and MEAs are provided. This review aims to bridge the gaps between academic material research and industrial manufacturing process development.

Graphical Abstract
Ecosocial compensation of nature-based social values in Turku, South-West Finland
Authors: Hiedanpää Juha , Tuomala Misa , Pappila Minna , Klap Aleksis , Meretoja Miika , Laine Idamaria , Vuorisalo Timo
Published: August 2023

Complementary building is one of the key objectives in current urban planning as cities attempt to mitigate climate change. However, this development often reduces the urban green space. This incremental encroachment can negatively affect both the well-being of residents and biodiversity. Compensation is a way to safeguard the urban green space under the pressure of complementary construction. In the spirit of creative democracy, in this study, we examined the preconditions for ecosocial compensation and the mitigation of the harmful effects of incremental encroachment, as well as the mitigation hierarchy, in the context of land-use planning. We organised three workshops for planners and civil society associations at which we examined the preconditions for ecosocial compensation and other mitigation options using co-creation methods. We also carried out a PPGIS survey for the residents of Turku and were able to insert one question into the voting advice application of the municipal election in 2021. Our results show that there is a need for a new kind of information regarding nature-based social values when considering mitigation options and compensation. A comprehensive planning approach instead of incremental planning practices is important for considering compensation. Residents’ initiative is essential in the ecosocial approach, and the compensation process may become a way for residents to step up and introduce concerns and new opportunities to the public discussion and actual decisions about urban green space.
Production of reuterin by Lactobacillus coryniformis and its antimicrobial activities
Authors: Tsuda Harutoshi
Published: August 2023

Reuterin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial substance produced by lactic acid bacteria, and most previous studies have reported that reuterin is only produced under anaerobic conditions. If there are lactic acid bacteria that also produce it under aerobic conditions, it could be applied to fermented foods. In this study, it was found that Lactobacillus coryniformis WBB05 showed optimal reuterin production (123 mM reuterin from 200 mM glycerol) when incubated aerobically at 20°C. Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of reuterin was determined for starter lactic acid bacteria strains and cheese moulds. MIC toward Penicillium camemberti was 0.125 mM and the white mould starter was much more sensitive than other moulds.
Non-locality of ion reflection at the shock front: dependence on the shock angle
Authors: Gedalin Michael
Published: August 2023

In typical heliospheric collisionless shocks most of the mass, momentum and energy are carried by ions. Therefore, the shock structure should be most affected by ions. With the increase of the Mach number, ion reflection becomes more and more important, and reflected ions participate in shaping the shock profile. Ion reflection at the collisionless shock is a non-local process: the reflected–transmitted ions re-enter the shock front far from the reflection point. The direction and the magnitude of this shift depend on the shock angle. The distance between the reflection point and the re-entry point is of the order of the upstream ion convective gyroradius and exceeds the shock width. The non-locality of ion reflection may have implications for shock rippling since reflected ions may carry perturbations along the shock front.
Using intonation to disambiguate meaning: The role of empathy and proficiency in L2 perceptual development
Authors: Casillas Joseph V. , Garrido-Pozú Juan José , Parrish Kyle , Fernández Arroyo Laura , Rodríguez Nicole , Esposito Robert , Chang Isabelle , Gómez Kimberly , Constantin-Dureci Gabriela , Shao Jiawei , Andreu Rascón Iván , Taveras Katherine
Published: August 2023

The present study investigates the interplay between proficiency and empathy in the development of second language (L2) prosody by analyzing the perception and processing of intonation in questions and statements in L2 Spanish. A total of 225 adult L2 Spanish learners (L1 English) from the Northeastern United States completed a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) task in which they listened to four utterance types and categorized them as either questions or statements. We used Bayesian multilevel regression and drift diffusion modeling to analyze the 2AFC data as a function of proficiency level and empathy scores for each utterance type. We show that learner response accuracy and sensitivity to intonation are positively correlated with proficiency, and this association is affected by individual empathy levels in both response accuracy and sentence processing. Higher empathic individuals, in comparison with lower empathic individuals, appear to be more sensitive to intonation cues in the process of forming sound-meaning associations, though increased sensitivity does not necessarily imply increased processing speed. The results motivate the inclusion of measures of pragmatic skill, such as empathy, to better account for intonational meaning processing and sentence comprehension in second language acquisition.
Optimize! Oil, Labor, and Authoritarian Neoliberalism in Kazakhstan
Authors: Totaro Maurizio
Published: August 2023

Following the 2014–2015 oil price crisis, service companies in Kazakhstan went through a process of industrial restructuring centered on workforce reduction and a concomitant increase of labor outsourcing. Taking the restructuring – or “optimization” – of state-owned service companies in the region of Mangystau as a starting point, this paper illustrates the heterogenous precarization effects and forms of precarity catalyzed by the process. Taking a multidimensional approach, the paper describes and analyses the effects of precarization in both socio-economic and political terms, as well as the implications for the production of differentiated laboring subjectivities. It situates the ethnographic trajectories of workers within the framework of Kazakhstan's authoritarian neoliberalism, highlighting the punitive and pastoral techniques of goverment deployed in the restructuring of the regional oil complex. In the first part, the article describes how precarization was experienced by workers as “slavery”, entailing the loss of social recognition as well as the intensification of economic exploitation and political domination, heightening their exposure to social and bodily vulnerability. The second section looks instead at the workings of a governmental agency in its effort to remake redundant workers into small business owners through the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills and the abandonment of the Soviet “dependency mindset”. The third and last section of the article concentrates on the individual trajectory of a dismissed worker joining a multi-level marketing scheme in order to cleanse himself from the bodily and social toxicity of precarized work in the oil industry.
Stephanie Hare
Authors: Breslin Mike
Published: August 2023

Author, broadcaster and researcher Stephanie Hare's presentation on technology ethics was one of the most spoken about events at last year's BIALL conference, a thought-provoking talk that left many wanting more. With this in mind, Mike and Jas Breslin sat down with Stephanie to talk about the fascinating and very readable book it was based on, her thoughts on why technology ethics is especially important to information professionals, and whether she believed AI will ever do law librarians out of a job.
Rare Granite Body Discovered on Moon’s Farside
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: August 2023

The granite couldn’t have formed the same way that it does on Earth—with liquid water and plate tectonics. So how did it get there?
Myelodysplastic neoplasm-associated U2AF1 mutations induce host defense defects by compromising neutrophil chemotaxis
Authors: Gurule Natalia J. , Malcolm Kenneth C. , Harris Chelsea , Knapp Jennifer R. , O’Connor Brian P. , McClendon Jazalle , Janssen William J. , Lee Frank Fang Yao , Price Caitlin , Osaghae-Nosa Jackson , Wheeler Emily A. , McMahon Christine M. , Pietras Eric M. , Pollyea Daniel A. , Alper Scott
Published: August 2023

Myelodysplastic neoplasm (MDS) is a hematopoietic stem cell disorder that may evolve into acute myeloid leukemia. Fatal infection is among the most common cause of death in MDS patients, likely due to myeloid cell cytopenia and dysfunction in these patients. Mutations in genes that encode components of the spliceosome represent the most common class of somatically acquired mutations in MDS patients. To determine the molecular underpinnings of the host defense defects in MDS patients, we investigated the MDS-associated spliceosome mutation U2AF1-S34F using a transgenic mouse model that expresses this mutant gene. We found that U2AF1-S34F causes a profound host defense defect in these mice, likely by inducing a significant neutrophil chemotaxis defect. Studies in human neutrophils suggest that this effect of U2AF1-S34F likely extends to MDS patients as well. RNA-seq analysis suggests that the expression of multiple genes that mediate cell migration are affected by this spliceosome mutation and therefore are likely drivers of this neutrophil dysfunction.
Lung ultrasound detects regional aeration inhomogeneity in ventilated preterm lambs
Authors: He Laura L. H. , Foo Gillian , Kenna Kelly R. , Douglas Ellen , Fatmous Monique , Sutton Rebecca J. , Perkins Elizabeth J. , Sourial Magdy , Pereira-Fantini Prue M. , Tingay David G. , Sett Arun
Published: August 2023

Background

Inhomogeneous lung aeration is a significant contributor to preterm lung injury. EIT detects inhomogeneous aeration in the research setting. Whether LUS detects inhomogeneous aeration is unknown. The aim was to determine whether LUS detects regional inhomogeneity identified by EIT in preterm lambs.

Methods

LUS and EIT were simultaneously performed on mechanically ventilated preterm lambs. LUS images from non-dependent and dependent regions were acquired and reported using a validated scoring system and computer-assisted quantitative LUS greyscale analysis (Q-LUSMGV). Regional inhomogeneity was calculated by observed over predicted aeration ratio from the EIT reconstructive model. LUS scores and Q-LUSMGV were compared with EIT aeration ratios using one-way ANOVA.

Results

LUS was performed in 32 lambs (~125d gestation, 128 images). LUS scores were greater in upper anterior (non-dependent) compared to lower lateral (dependent) regions of the left (3.4 vs 2.9, p = 0.1) and right (3.4 vs 2.7, p < 0.0087). The left and right upper regions also had greater LUS scores compared to right lower (3.4 vs 2.7, p < 0.0087) and left lower (3.7 vs 2.9, p = 0.1). Q-LUSMGV yielded similar results. All LUS findings corresponded with EIT regional differences.

Conclusion

LUS may have potential in measuring regional aeration, which should be further explored in human studies.

Impact

Inhomogeneous lung aeration is an important contributor to preterm lung injury, however, tools detecting inhomogeneous aeration at the bedside are limited.

Currently, the only tool clinically available to detect this is electrical impedance tomography (EIT), however, its use is largely limited to research.

Lung ultrasound (LUS) may play a role in monitoring lung aeration in preterm infants, however, whether it detects inhomogeneous lung aeration is unknown.

Visual LUS scores and mean greyscale image analysis using computer assisted quantitative LUS (Q-LUSMGV) detects regional lung aeration differences when compared to EIT.

This suggests LUS reliably detects aeration inhomogeneity warranting further investigation in human trials.
Investigating prenatal and perinatal factors on meconium microbiota: a systematic review and cohort study
Authors: Turunen Jenni , Tejesvi Mysore V. , Paalanne Niko , Pokka Tytti , Amatya Sajeen Bahadur , Mishra Surbhi , Kaisanlahti Anna , Reunanen Justus , Tapiainen Terhi
Published: August 2023

Background

The first-pass meconium has been suggested as a proxy for the fetal gut microbiota because it is formed in utero. This systematic review and cohort study investigated how pre- and perinatal factors influence the composition of the meconium microbiota.

Methods

We performed the systematic review using Covidence by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases with the search terms “meconium microbiome” and “meconium microbiota”. In the cohort study, we performed 16 S rRNA gene sequencing on 393 meconium samples and analyzed the sequencing data using QIIME2.

Results

Our systematic review identified 69 studies exploring prenatal factors, immediate perinatal factors, and microbial composition in relation to subsequent health of infants but gave only limited comparative evidence regarding factors related to the composition of the meconium microbiota. The cohort study pointed to a low-biomass microbiota consisting of the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota and the genera Staphylococcus, Escherichia-Shigella and Lactobacillus, and indicated that immediate perinatal factors affected the composition of the meconium microbiota more than did prenatal factors.

Conclusions

This finding supports the idea that the meconium microbiota mostly starts developing during delivery.

Impact

It is unclear when the first-pass meconium microbiota develops, and what are the sources of the colonization.

In this systematic review, we found 69 studies exploring prenatal factors, immediate perinatal factors, and microbial composition relative to subsequent health of infants, but there was no consensus on the factors affecting the meconium microbiota development.

In this cohort study, immediate perinatal factors markedly affected the meconium microbiota development while prenatal factors had little effect on it.

As the meconium microbiota composition was influenced by immediate perinatal factors, the present study supports the idea that the initial gut microbiota develops mainly during delivery.
Fiber-specific micro- and macroscopic white matter alterations in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome
Authors: Uchida Wataru , Kamagata Koji , Andica Christina , Takabayashi Kaito , Saito Yuya , Owaki Mana , Fujita Shohei , Hagiwara Akifumi , Wada Akihiko , Akashi Toshiaki , Sano Katsuhiro , Hori Masaaki , Aoki Shigeki
Published: August 2023

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS) are characterized by progressive white matter (WM) alterations associated with the prion-like spreading of four-repeat tau, which has been pathologically confirmed. It has been challenging to monitor the WM degeneration patterns underlying the clinical deficits in vivo. Here, a fiber-specific fiber density and fiber cross-section, and their combined measure estimated using fixel-based analysis (FBA), were cross-sectionally and longitudinally assessed in PSP (n = 20), CBS (n = 17), and healthy controls (n = 20). FBA indicated disease-specific progression patterns of fiber density loss and subsequent bundle atrophy consistent with the tau propagation patterns previously suggested in a histopathological study. This consistency suggests the new insight that FBA can monitor the progressive tau-related WM changes in vivo. Furthermore, fixel-wise metrics indicated strong correlations with motor and cognitive dysfunction and the classifiability of highly overlapping diseases. Our findings might also provide a tool to monitor clinical decline and classify both diseases.
Emerging vaccine strategies against the incessant pneumococcal disease
Authors: Duke Jeremy A. , Avci Fikri Y.
Published: August 2023

The incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) caused by infection with the pathogenStreptococcus pneumoniae(Spn) has been on a downward trend for decades due to worldwide vaccination programs. Despite the clinical successes observed, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that the continued global burden ofS. pneumoniaewill be in the millions each year, with a case-fatality rate hovering around 5%. Thus, it is a top priority to continue developing newSpnvaccination strategies to harness immunological insight and increase the magnitude of protection provided. As emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO), it is also crucial to broaden the implementation of vaccines that are already obtainable in the clinical setting. This review focuses on the immune mechanisms triggered by existing pneumococcal vaccines and provides an overview of the current and upcoming clinical strategies being employed. We highlight the associated challenges of serotype selectivity and using pneumococcal-derived proteins as alternative vaccine antigens.
Time delays modulate the stability of complex ecosystems
Authors: Yang Yuguang , Foster Kevin R. , Coyte Katharine Z. , Li Aming
Published: August 2023

What drives the stability, or instability, of complex ecosystems? This question sits at the heart of community ecology and has motivated a large body of theoretical work exploring how community properties shape ecosystem dynamics. However, the overwhelming majority of current theory assumes that species interactions are instantaneous, meaning that changes in the abundance of one species will lead to immediate changes in the abundances of its partners. In practice, time delays in how species respond to one another are widespread across ecological contexts, yet the impact of these delays on ecosystems remains unclear. Here we derive a new body of theory to comprehensively study the impact of time delays on ecological stability. We find that time delays are important for ecosystem stability. Large delays are typically destabilizing but, surprisingly, short delays can substantially increase community stability. Moreover, in stark contrast to delay-free systems, delays dictate that communities with more abundant species can be less stable than ones with less abundant species. Finally, we show that delays fundamentally shift how species interactions impact ecosystem stability, with communities of mixed interaction types becoming the most stable class of ecosystem. Our work demonstrates that time delays can be critical for the stability of complex ecosystems.
Efficient hole abstraction for highly selective oxidative coupling of methane by Au-sputtered TiO2 photocatalysts
Authors: Li Xiyi , Li Chao , Xu Youxun , Liu Qiong , Bahri Mounib , Zhang Liquan , Browning Nigel D. , Cowan Alexander J. , Tang Junwang
Published: August 2023

Photocatalytic oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) produces C2 molecules that can be used as building blocks for synthesis of fuels and chemicals. However, the yield rate and the selectivity of C2 products are still moderate due to the stable nature of methane molecules. Here we develop a Au nanocluster-loaded TiO2 photocatalyst by a sputtering approach, achieving a high methane conversion rate of 1.1 mmol h−1, C2 selectivity of ~90% and apparent quantum efficiency of 10.3 ± 0.6%. The high C2/C2+ yield rate is on the same order of magnitude as the benchmark thermal catalysts in OCM processes operated at high temperature (>680 °C). Au nanoparticles are shown to prolong TiO2 photoelectron lifetimes by a factor of 66 for O2 reduction, together with Au acting as a hole acceptor and catalytic centre to promote methane adsorption, C–H activation and C–C coupling. This work underscores the importance of multifunctional co-catalysts and mechanistic understanding to improve photocatalytic OCM.
Electrical detection of the flat-band dispersion in van der Waals field-effect structures
Authors: Pasquale Gabriele , Lopriore Edoardo , Sun Zhe , Čerņevičs Kristiāns , Tagarelli Fedele , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Yazyev Oleg V. , Kis Andras
Published: August 2023

Two-dimensional flat-band systems have recently attracted considerable interest due to the rich physics unveiled by emergent phenomena and correlated electronic states at van Hove singularities. However, the difficulties in electrically detecting the flat-band position in field-effect structures are slowing down the investigation of their properties. In this work, we use indium selenide (InSe) as a flat-band system due to a van Hove singularity at the valence-band edge in a few-layer form of the material without the requirement of a twist angle. We investigate tunnelling photocurrents in gated few-layer InSe structures and relate them to ambipolar transport and photoluminescence measurements. We observe an appearance of a sharp change in tunnelling mechanisms due to the presence of the van Hove singularity at the flat band. We further corroborate our findings by studying tunnelling currents as a reliable probe for the flat-band position up to room temperature. Our results create an alternative approach to studying flat-band systems in heterostructures of two-dimensional materials.
Predicting transcriptional outcomes of novel multigene perturbations with GEARS
Authors: Roohani Yusuf , Huang Kexin , Leskovec Jure
Published: August 2023

Understanding cellular responses to genetic perturbation is central to numerous biomedical applications, from identifying genetic interactions involved in cancer to developing methods for regenerative medicine. However, the combinatorial explosion in the number of possible multigene perturbations severely limits experimental interrogation. Here, we present graph-enhanced gene activation and repression simulator (GEARS), a method that integrates deep learning with a knowledge graph of gene–gene relationships to predict transcriptional responses to both single and multigene perturbations using single-cell RNA-sequencing data from perturbational screens. GEARS is able to predict outcomes of perturbing combinations consisting of genes that were never experimentally perturbed. GEARS exhibited 40% higher precision than existing approaches in predicting four distinct genetic interaction subtypes in a combinatorial perturbation screen and identified the strongest interactions twice as well as prior approaches. Overall, GEARS can predict phenotypically distinct effects of multigene perturbations and thus guide the design of perturbational experiments.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with hyperandrogenism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Hong So-hyeon , Sung Yeon-Ah , Hong Young Sun , Song Do Kyeong , Jung Hyein , Jeong Kyungah , Chung Hyewon , Lee Hyejin
Published: August 2023

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a highly complex reproductive metabolic disorder and women with PCOS have high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Despite both hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance are common pathophysiologies in NAFLD and PCOS, this association is still controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between hyperandrogenism and NAFLD in females diagnosed with PCOS. We recruited 667 women diagnosed with PCOS and 289 women with regular menstrual cycles as control. The PCOS diagnosis was made using National Institute of Child Health and Human Disease criteria. Total and free testosterone levels (TT and TF, respectively), and free androgen index (FAI) were used as measures of hyperandrogenism. Fatty liver index and liver fat score (FLI and LFS, respectively), and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) were used to assess NAFLD. The prevalence of NAFLD in PCOS women evaluated by LFS, FLI, and HIS were 19.9, 10.3, and 32.2%, respectively. In the control group, the incidence was 2.1, 0.7, and 4.2%, respectively. Both FT and FAI levels showed significant association with increased NAFLD-related indices, after adjusting for insulin resistance and other factors (LFS (OR 3.18 (95% CI 1.53–6.63) in FT; 1.12 (1.04–1.22) in FAI), FLI (OR 2.68 (95% CI 1.43–5.03) in FT; 1.13 (1.06–1.20) in FAI), and HSI (OR 3.29 (95% CI 2.08–5.21) in FT; 1.5 (1.09–1.21) in FAI). TT did not exhibit association with any NAFLD index. In women with PCOS, significantly higher rate of NAFLD was observed compared to the control women. The FT and FAI were independently associated with NAFLD in women with PCOS. The findings suggest the possibility of hyperandrogenism contributing to the progression and/or development of NAFLD in PCOS.