bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retinal sensitivity changes in early/intermediate AMD: a systematic review and meta-analysis of visual field testing under mesopic and scotopic lighting
Authors: Trinh Matt , Kalloniatis Michael , Khuu Sieu K. , Nivison-Smith Lisa
Published: March 2024

Visual fields under mesopic and scotopic lighting are increasingly being used for macular functional assessment. This review evaluates its statistical significance and clinical relevance, and the optimal testing protocol for early/intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD). PubMed and Embase were searched from inception to 14/05/2022. All quality assessments were performed according to GRADE guidelines. The primary outcome was global mean sensitivity (MS), further meta-analysed by: AMD classification scheme, device, test pattern, mesopic/scotopic lighting, stimuli size/chromaticity, pupil dilation, testing radius (area), background luminance, adaptation time, AMD severity, reticular pseudodrusen presence, and follow-up visit. From 1489 studies screened, 42 observational study results contributed to the primary meta-analysis. Supported by moderate GRADE certainty of the evidence, global MS was significantly reduced across all devices under mesopic and scotopic lighting with large effect size (−0.9 [−1.04, −0.75] Hedge’s g, P < 0.0001). The device (P < 0.01) and lighting (P < 0.05) used were the only modifiable factors affecting global MS, whereby the mesopic MP-1 and MAIA produced the largest effect sizes and exceeded test-retest variabilities. Global MS was significantly affected by AMD severity (intermediate versus early AMD; −0.58 [−0.88, −0.29] Hedge’s g or −2.55 [3.62, −1.47] MAIA-dB) and at follow-up visit (versus baseline; −0.62 [−0.84, −0.41] Hedge’s g or −1.61[−2.69, −0.54] MAIA-dB). Magnitudes of retinal sensitivity changes in early/intermediate AMD are clinically relevant for the MP-1 and MAIA devices under mesopic lighting within the central 10° radius. Other factors including pupil dilation and dark adaptation did not significantly affect global MS in early/intermediate AMD.
Genetic and geographic population structure in the malaria vector, Anopheles farauti, provides a candidate system for pioneering confinable gene-drive releases
Authors: Ambrose Luke , Allen Scott L. , Iro’ofa Charlie , Butafa Charles , Beebe Nigel W.
Published: March 2024

Indoor insecticide applications are the primary tool for reducing malaria transmission in the Solomon Archipelago, a region where Anopheles farauti is the only common malaria vector. Due to the evolution of behavioural resistance in some An. farauti populations, these applications have become less effective. New malaria control interventions are therefore needed in this region, and gene-drives provide a promising new technology. In considering developing a population-specific (local) gene-drive in An. farauti, we detail the species’ population genetic structure using microsatellites and whole mitogenomes, finding many spatially confined populations both within and between landmasses. This strong population structure suggests that An. farauti would be a useful system for developing a population-specific, confinable gene-drive for field release, where private alleles can be used as Cas9 targets. Previous work on Anopheles gambiae has used the Cardinal gene for the development of a global population replacement gene-drive. We therefore also analyse the Cardinal gene to assess whether it may be a suitable target to engineer a gene-drive for the modification of local An. farauti populations. Despite the extensive population structure observed in An. farauti for microsatellites, only one remote island population from Vanuatu contained fixed and private alleles at the Cardinal locus. Nonetheless, this study provides an initial framework for further population genomic investigations to discover high-frequency private allele targets in localized An. farauti populations. This would enable the development of gene-drive strains for modifying localised populations with minimal chance of escape and may provide a low-risk route to field trial evaluations.
Switch of innate to adaptative immune responses in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease correlates with tauopathy progression
Authors: Costa Marcos R.
Published: March 2024

Neuroinflammation is a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this work, analysis of single- cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data obtained from the brain of patients with AD provides evidence supporting a switch from an innate to an adaptative immune response during tauopathy progression, with both disease-associated microglia (DAM) and CD8+ T cells becoming more frequent at advanced Braak stages.
Principal component analysis enables the design of deep learning potential precisely capturing LLZO phase transitions
Authors: You Yiwei , Zhang Dexin , Wu Fulun , Cao Xinrui , Sun Yang , Zhu Zi-Zhong , Wu Shunqing
Published: March 2024

The development of accurate and efficient interatomic potentials using machine learning has emerged as an important approach in materials simulations and discovery. However, the systematic construction of diverse, converged training sets remains challenging. We develop a deep learning-based interatomic potential for the Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) system. Our interatomic potential is trained using a diverse dataset obtained from databases and first-principles simulations. We propose using the coverage of the training and test sets as the convergence criteria for the training iterations, where the coverage is calculated by principal component analysis. This results in an accurate LLZO interatomic potential that can describe the structure and dynamical properties of LLZO systems meanwhile greatly reducing computational costs compared to density functional theory calculations. The interatomic potential accurately describes radial distribution functions and thermal expansion coefficient consistent with experiments. It also predicts the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition behaviors of LLZO systems. Our work provides an efficient training strategy to develop accurate deep-learning interatomic potential for complex solid-state electrolyte materials, providing a promising simulation tool to accelerate solid-state battery design and applications.
Machine intelligence-accelerated discovery of all-natural plastic substitutes
Authors: Chen Tianle , Pang Zhenqian , He Shuaiming , Li Yang , Shrestha Snehi , Little Joshua M. , Yang Haochen , Chung Tsai-Chun , Sun Jiayue , Whitley Hayden Christopher , Lee I-Chi , Woehl Taylor J. , Li Teng , Hu Liangbing , Chen Po-Yen
Published: March 2024

One possible solution against the accumulation of petrochemical plastics in natural environments is to develop biodegradable plastic substitutes using natural components. However, discovering all-natural alternatives that meet specific properties, such as optical transparency, fire retardancy and mechanical resilience, which have made petrochemical plastics successful, remains challenging. Current approaches still rely on iterative optimization experiments. Here we show an integrated workflow that combines robotics and machine learning to accelerate the discovery of all-natural plastic substitutes with programmable optical, thermal and mechanical properties. First, an automated pipetting robot is commanded to prepare 286 nanocomposite films with various properties to train a support-vector machine classifier. Next, through 14 active learning loops with data augmentation, 135 all-natural nanocomposites are fabricated stagewise, establishing an artificial neural network prediction model. We demonstrate that the prediction model can conduct a two-way design task: (1) predicting the physicochemical properties of an all-natural nanocomposite from its composition and (2) automating the inverse design of biodegradable plastic substitutes that fulfils various user-specific requirements. By harnessing the model’s prediction capabilities, we prepare several all-natural substitutes, that could replace non-biodegradable counterparts as exhibiting analogous properties. Our methodology integrates robot-assisted experiments, machine intelligence and simulation tools to accelerate the discovery and design of eco-friendly plastic substitutes starting from building blocks taken from the generally-recognized-as-safe database.
The composition of the bacterial communities collected from the PM10 samples inside the Seoul subway and railway station
Authors: Sharma Shambhavi , Jahanzaib Muhammad , Bakht Ahtesham , Kim Min-Kyung , Lee Hyunsoo , Park Duckshin
Published: March 2024

Health implications of indoor air quality (IAQ) have drawn more attention since the COVID epidemic. There are many different kinds of studies done on how IAQ affects people’s well-being. There hasn’t been much research that looks at the microbiological composition of the aerosol in subway transit systems. In this work, for the first time, we examined the aerosol bacterial abundance, diversity, and composition in the microbiome of the Seoul subway and train stations using DNA isolated from the PM10 samples from each station (three subway and two KTX stations). The average PM10 mass concentration collected on the respective platform was 41.862 µg/m3, with the highest average value of 45.95 µg/m3 and the lowest of 39.25 µg/m3. The bacterial microbiomes mainly constituted bacterial species of soil and environmental origin (e.g., Acinetobacter, Brevundimonas, Lysinibacillus, Clostridiodes) with fewer from human sources (Flaviflexus, Staphylococcus). This study highlights the relationship between microbiome diversity and PM10 mass concentration contributed by outdoor air and commuters in South Korea’s subway and train stations. This study gives insights into the microbiome diversity, the source, and the susceptibility of public transports in disease spreading.
Anti-proliferative and apoptotic effect of cannabinoids on human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma xenograft in BALB/c nude mice model
Authors: Le Trung Quang , Meesiripan Nuntana , Sanggrajang Suleeporn , Suwanpidokkul Nuntakan , Prayakprom Piyaporn , Bodhibukkana Chatchada , Khaowroongrueng Vipada , Suriyachan Kankanit , Thanasitthichai Somchai , Srisubat Attasit , Surawongsin Pattamaporn , Rungsipipat Anudep , Sakarin Siriwan , Rattanapinyopituk Kasem
Published: March 2024

Human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant and lethal tumor of the exocrine pancreas. Cannabinoids extracted from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa have been suggested as a potential therapeutic agent in several human tumors. However, the anti–tumor effect of cannabinoids on human PDAC is not entirely clarified. In this study, the anti–proliferative and apoptotic effect of cannabinoid solution (THC:CBD at 1:6) at a dose of 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg body weight compared to the negative control (sesame oil) and positive control (5-fluorouracil) was investigated in human PDAC xenograft nude mice model. The findings showed that cannabinoids significantly decreased the mitotic cells and mitotic/apoptotic ratio, meanwhile dramatically increased the apoptotic cells. Parallelly, cannabinoids significantly downregulated Ki-67 and PCNA expression levels. Interestingly, cannabinoids upregulated BAX, BAX/BCL-2 ratio, and Caspase-3, meanwhile, downregulated BCL-2 expression level and could not change Caspase-8 expression level. These findings suggest that cannabinoid solution (THC:CBD at 1:6) could inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in human PDAC xenograft models. Cannabinoids, including THC:CBD, should be further studied for use as the potent PDCA therapeutic agent in humans.
PhagoStat a scalable and interpretable end to end framework for efficient quantification of cell phagocytosis in neurodegenerative disease studies
Authors: Ounissi Mehdi , Latouche Morwena , Racoceanu Daniel
Published: March 2024

Quantifying the phagocytosis of dynamic, unstained cells is essential for evaluating neurodegenerative diseases. However, measuring rapid cell interactions and distinguishing cells from background make this task very challenging when processing time-lapse phase-contrast video microscopy. In this study, we introduce an end-to-end, scalable, and versatile real-time framework for quantifying and analyzing phagocytic activity. Our proposed pipeline is able to process large data-sets and includes a data quality verification module to counteract potential perturbations such as microscope movements and frame blurring. We also propose an explainable cell segmentation module to improve the interpretability of deep learning methods compared to black-box algorithms. This includes two interpretable deep learning capabilities: visual explanation and model simplification. We demonstrate that interpretability in deep learning is not the opposite of high performance, by additionally providing essential deep learning algorithm optimization insights and solutions. Besides, incorporating interpretable modules results in an efficient architecture design and optimized execution time. We apply this pipeline to quantify and analyze microglial cell phagocytosis in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and obtain statistically reliable results showing that FTD mutant cells are larger and more aggressive than control cells. The method has been tested and validated on several public benchmarks by generating state-of-the art performances. To stimulate translational approaches and future studies, we release an open-source end-to-end pipeline and a unique microglial cells phagocytosis dataset for immune system characterization in neurodegenerative diseases research. This pipeline and the associated dataset will consistently crystallize future advances in this field, promoting the development of efficient and effective interpretable algorithms dedicated to the critical domain of neurodegenerative diseases’ characterization. https://github.com/ounissimehdi/PhagoStat.
Early childhood neurodevelopmental milestones in children with allergic diseases: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)
Authors: Nagata Abir , Onishi Kazunari , Masumoto Toshio , Nakagawa Takatoshi , Ishitsuka Kazue , Kurozawa Youichi
Published: March 2024

This study investigated the potential link between early childhood allergic diseases and neurodevelopmental milestone attainment during the first 3 years of life. Utilizing data from a large-scale prospective birth cohort study in Japan, encompassing 87,986 children, we examined physician-diagnosed and caregiver-reported allergic conditions, including atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, and food allergy (FA). Neurodevelopmental milestones were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires at 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 years of age. Stabilized inverse probability-weighted generalized estimating equation models were employed to estimate odds ratios (ORs). Our analysis revealed no significant association of AD and asthma with delay in communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social skills during the initial 3 years of life. However, children with FA showed an increased likelihood of experiencing gross motor delay compared with that shown by those without FA (weighted adjusted OR: 1.14). Despite this, no significant association of FA with other developmental domains was observed. Early childhood allergies may not influence neurodevelopmental delays. However, there is a potential association between FA and delays, specifically in gross motor skills, that warrants routine developmental monitoring and additional investigations.
Research on rockburst prevention systems based on the attenuation law of coal and rock vibration wave energy
Authors: Rong Hai , Wang Zijian , Konicek Petr , Pan Liting , Tang Guoshui , Kajzar Vlastimil , Wang Yadi
Published: March 2024

During the coal and rock mass fracture process, elastic properties are released and vibration waves are radiated outward. The energy attenuation characteristics of these waves can describe the cumulative damage and elastic energy accumulation of the mass. To investigate coal and rock mass failure characteristics and energy attenuation rules during rockburst, numerical simulation and laboratory testing were utilized to study the energy transfer laws under various parameters. Six variables, including elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, bulk density, cohesion, internal friction angle, and void ratio, were selected to simulate the rockburst energy release process under different parameter combinations by adding surface pressure to the model. The coal and rock mass energy attenuation coefficient was obtained by fitting the node energy straight line using the least squares method. The six variables’ influence on vibration wave energy transfer was obtained using analytic hierarchy process program written in MATLAB, and a comprehensive calculation formula was proposed. Using the energy attenuation coefficient, the rock layer energy diffusion distance was calculated and compared with the roof collapse rock layer step distance, resulting in the roof rock layer cutting distance determination. By roof rock strata precutting, rockburst occurrence can be prevented, ensuring safe and efficient coal mine production.
Correlates of sexual function in women with acute lumbar disc herniation in Iran: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Moradi Zahra , Shahali Shadab , Ahmadi Fazlollah , Montazeri Ali
Published: March 2024

Evidence suggests that lumbar disc herniation (LDH) influences sexual function to a great deal. However, most existing studies have been conducted on men. Thus, the current study aimed to assess sexual function and its correlates in women with acute LDH. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 350 women of reproductive age with acute LDH in Fasa, Iran in 2023. The mean score of female sexual function was 21.33 (3.38). Almost 80% of women had sexual dysfunction. Women scored lower on sexual desire and the higher on lubrication. As the severity of LDH increased, arousal, lubrication and sexual pain score decreased and low back pain (LBP) score increased (p < 0.05). The number of sexual activities after disc herniation was significantly lower in the women with sexual dysfunction (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed a significant association between sexual dysfunction and LBP intensity (OR = 1.13, CI 1.02–1.26, p = 0.01) and lumbar disc herniation intensity (OR = 2.22, CI 1.07–4.62, p = 0.03). Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) may significantly affect women's sexual function. Severity of low back pain and severity of lumbar disc herniation were found to be risk factors for sexual dysfunction in this population.
Binary and ternary logic-in-memory using nanosheet feedback field-effect transistors with triple-gated structure
Authors: Han Jongseong , Son Jaemin , Ryu Seungho , Cho Kyoungah , Kim Sangsig
Published: March 2024

In this study, we demonstrate binary and ternary logic-in-memory (LIM) operations of inverters and NAND and NOR gates comprising nanosheet (NS) feedback field-effect transistors (FBFETs) with a triple-gated structure. The NS FBFETs are reconfigured in p- or n-channel modes depending on the polarity of the gate bias voltage and exhibit steep switching characteristics with an extremely low subthreshold swing of 1.08 mV dec–1and a high ON/OFF current ratio of approximately 107. Logic circuits consisting of NS FBFETs perform binary and ternary logic operations of the inverters and NAND and NOR gates in each circuit and store their outputs under zero-bias conditions. Therefore, NS FBFETs are promising components for next-generation LIM.
Hard ferromagnetism in van der Waals Fe3GaTe2 nanoflake down to monolayer
Authors: Wang Mingjie , Lei Bin , Zhu Kejia , Deng Yazhou , Tian Mingliang , Xiang Ziji , Wu Tao , Chen Xianhui
Published: March 2024

Two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials are of not only fundamental scientific interest but also promising candidates for numerous applications. However, so far only a few intrinsic magnets with long-ranged order down to the 2D limit have been experimentally established. Here, we report that the intrinsic 2D ferromagnetism can be realized in van der Waals (vdW) Fe3GaTe2 nanoflake down to monolayer. By measuring the Hall resistance and magnetoresistance, we demonstrate that the Fe3GaTe2 monolayer exhibits 2D hard ferromagnetism with record-high Cure temperature (Tc) of 240 K for the monolayer of known intrinsic ferromagnets. Both of square-shaped hysteresis loops with near-vertical jump in anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and the negative magnetoresistance (NMR) behavior with an applied out-of-plane magnetic field reveal robust perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in Fe3GaTe2 nanoflakes down to the monolayer limit. Furthermore, we find the intrinsic mechanism that stems from the Berry curvature of electronic bands dominates AHE of nanoflakes in the low temperature range. Our results not only provide an excellent candidate material for next-generation spintronic applications, but also open up a platform for exploring physical mechanisms in 2D ferromagnetism.
Evaluating reliability in wearable devices for sleep staging
Authors: Birrer Vera , Elgendi Mohamed , Lambercy Olivier , Menon Carlo
Published: March 2024

Sleep is crucial for physical and mental health, but traditional sleep quality assessment methods have limitations. This scoping review analyzes 35 articles from the past decade, evaluating 62 wearable setups with varying sensors, algorithms, and features. Our analysis indicates a trend towards combining accelerometer and photoplethysmography (PPG) data for out-of-lab sleep staging. Devices using only accelerometer data are effective for sleep/wake detection but fall short in identifying multiple sleep stages, unlike those incorporating PPG signals. To enhance the reliability of sleep staging wearables, we propose five recommendations: (1) Algorithm validation with equity, diversity, and inclusion considerations, (2) Comparative performance analysis of commercial algorithms across multiple sleep stages, (3) Exploration of feature impacts on algorithm accuracy, (4) Consistent reporting of performance metrics for objective reliability assessment, and (5) Encouragement of open-source classifier and data availability. Implementing these recommendations can improve the accuracy and reliability of sleep staging algorithms in wearables, solidifying their value in research and clinical settings.
Technology-supported behavior change interventions for reducing sodium intake in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yan Yong Yang , Chan Lily Man Lee , Wang Man Ping , Kwok Jojo Yan Yan , Anderson Craig S. , Lee Jung Jae
Published: March 2024

The effects of technology-supported behavior change interventions for reducing sodium intake on health outcomes in adults are inconclusive. Effective intervention characteristics associated with sodium reduction have yet to be identified. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted, searching randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between January 2000 and April 2023 across 5 databases (PROSPERO: CRD42022357905). Meta-analyses using random-effects models were performed on 24-h urinary sodium (24HUNa), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Subgroup analysis and meta-regression of 24HUNa were performed to identify effective intervention characteristics. Eighteen RCTs involving 3505 participants (51.5% female, mean age 51.6 years) were included. Technology-supported behavior change interventions for reducing sodium intake significantly reduced 24HUNa (mean difference [MD] −0.39 gm/24 h, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.50 to −0.27; I2 = 24%), SBP (MD −2.67 mmHg, 95% CI −4.06 to −1.29; I2 = 40%), and DBP (MD −1.39 mmHg, 95% CI −2.31 to −0.48; I2 = 31%), compared to control conditions. Interventions delivered more frequently (≤weekly) were associated with a significantly larger effect size in 24HUNa reduction compared to less frequent interventions (>weekly). Other intervention characteristics, such as intervention delivery via instant messaging and participant-family dyad involvement, were associated with larger, albeit non-significant, effect sizes in 24HUNa reduction when compared to other subgroups. Technology-supported behavior change interventions aimed at reducing sodium intake were effective in reducing 24HUNa, SBP, and DBP at post-intervention. Effective intervention characteristics identified in this review should be considered to develop sodium intake reduction interventions and tested in future trials, particularly for its long-term effects.
Effect of clinical decision support for severe hypercholesterolemia on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels
Authors: Bangash Hana , Saadatagah Seyedmohammad , Naderian Mohammadreza , Hamed Marwan E. , Alhalabi Lubna , Sherafati Alborz , Sutton Joseph , Elsekaily Omar , Mir Ali , Gundelach Justin H. , Gibbons Daniel , Johnsen Paul , Wood-Wentz Christina M. , Smith Carin Y. , Caraballo Pedro J. , Bailey Kent R. , Kullo Iftikhar J.
Published: March 2024

Severe hypercholesterolemia/possible familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is relatively common but underdiagnosed and undertreated. We investigated whether implementing clinical decision support (CDS) was associated with lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with severe hypercholesterolemia/possible FH (LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL). As part of a pre-post implementation study, a CDS alert was deployed in the electronic health record (EHR) in a large health system comprising 3 main sites, 16 hospitals and 53 clinics. Data were collected for 3 months before (‘silent mode’) and after (‘active mode’) its implementation. Clinicians were only able to view the alert in the EHR during active mode. We matched individuals 1:1 in both modes, based on age, sex, and baseline lipid lowering therapy (LLT). The primary outcome was difference in LDL-C between the two groups and the secondary outcome was initiation/intensification of LLT after alert trigger. We identified 800 matched patients in each mode (mean ± SD age 56.1 ± 11.8 y vs. 55.9 ± 11.8 y; 36.0% male in both groups; mean ± SD initial LDL-C 211.3 ± 27.4 mg/dL vs. 209.8 ± 23.9 mg/dL; 11.2% on LLT at baseline in each group). LDL-C levels were 6.6 mg/dL lower (95% CI, −10.7 to −2.5; P = 0.002) in active vs. silent mode. The odds of high-intensity statin use (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.41–2.23; P < 0.001) and LLT initiation/intensification (OR, 1.30, 95% CI, 1.06–1.58, P = 0.01) were higher in active vs. silent mode. Implementation of a CDS was associated with lowering of LDL-C levels in patients with severe hypercholesterolemia/possible FH, likely due to higher rates of clinician led LLT initiation/intensification.
Housing policies and energy efficiency spillovers in low and moderate income communities
Authors: Asensio Omar Isaac , Churkina Olga , Rafter Becky D. , O’Hare Kira E.
Published: March 2024

Housing policies address the human dimensions of increasing urban density, but their energy and sustainability implications are hard to measure due to challenges with siloed civic data. This is especially critical when evaluating policies targeting low- and moderate-income (LMI) households. For example, a major challenge to achieving national energy efficiency goals has been participation by LMI households. Standalone energy efficiency policies, such as information-based programmes and weatherization assistance, tend to attract affluent, informed households or suffer from low participation rates. In this Article, we provide evidence that federal housing policies, specifically community development block grants, accelerate energy efficiency participation from LMI households, including renters and multifamily residents. We conduct record linkage on 5.9M observations of housing programme participation and utility consumption to quantify the hidden benefits of locally administered housing block grants in a typical entitlement community in the US Southeast. We provide long-run evidence across 16,680 properties that housing policies generate 5–11% energy savings as spillover benefits to economically burdened households not conventionally targeted for energy efficiency participation.
A theoretical framework to improve the adoption of green Integrated Pest Management tactics
Authors: Han Peng , Rodriguez-Saona Cesar , Zalucki Myron P. , Liu Shu-sheng , Desneux Nicolas
Published: March 2024

Sustainable agriculture relies on implementing effective, eco-friendly crop protection strategies. However, the adoption of these green tactics by growers is limited by their high costs resulting from the insufficient integration of various components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). In response, we propose a framework within IPM termed Multi-Dimensional Management of Multiple Pests (3MP). Within this framework, a spatial dimension considers the interactive effects of soil-crop-pest-natural enemy networks on pest prevalence, while a time dimension addresses pest interactions over the crop season. The 3MP framework aims to bolster the adoption of green IPM tactics, thereby extending environmental benefits beyond crop protection.
Brain-derived endothelial cells are neuroprotective in a chronic cerebral hypoperfusion mouse model
Authors: Matsui Yuichi , Muramatsu Fumitaka , Nakamura Hajime , Noda Yoshimi , Matsumoto Kinnosuke , Kishima Haruhiko , Takakura Nobuyuki
Published: March 2024

Whether organ-specific regeneration is induced by organ-specific endothelial cells (ECs) remains unelucidated. The formation of white matter lesions due to chronic cerebral hypoperfusion causes cognitive decline, depression, motor dysfunction, and even acute ischemic stroke. Vascular ECs are an important target for treating chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Brain-derived ECs transplanted into a mouse chronic cerebral hypoperfusion model showed excellent angiogenic potential. They were also associated with reducing both white matter lesions and brain dysfunction possibly due to the high expression of neuroprotective humoral factors. The in vitro coculture of brain cells with ECs from several diverse organs suggested the function of brain-derived endothelium is affected within a brain environment due to netrin-1 and Unc 5B systems. We found brain CD157-positive ECs were more proliferative and beneficial in a mouse model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion than CD157-negative ECs upon inoculation. We propose novel methods to improve the symptoms of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion using CD157-positive ECs.
Activation of GPR81 by lactate drives tumour-induced cachexia
Authors: Liu Xidan , Li Shijin , Cui Qionghua , Guo Bujing , Ding Wanqiu , Liu Jie , Quan Li , Li Xiaochuan , Xie Peng , Jin Li , Sheng Ye , Chen Wenxin , Wang Kai , Zeng Fanxin , Qiu Yifu , Liu Changlu , Zhang Yan , Lv Fengxiang , Hu Xinli , Xiao Rui-Ping
Published: March 2024

Cachexia affects 50–80% of patients with cancer and accounts for 20% of cancer-related death, but the underlying mechanism driving cachexia remains elusive. Here we show that circulating lactate levels positively correlate with the degree of body weight loss in male and female patients suffering from cancer cachexia, as well as in clinically relevant mouse models. Lactate infusion per se is sufficient to trigger a cachectic phenotype in tumour-free mice in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that adipose-specific G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR)81 ablation, similarly to global GPR81 deficiency, ameliorates lactate-induced or tumour-induced adipose and muscle wasting in male mice, revealing adipose GPR81 as the major mediator of the catabolic effects of lactate. Mechanistically, lactate/GPR81-induced cachexia occurs independently of the well-established protein kinase A catabolic pathway, but it is mediated by a signalling cascade sequentially activating Gi–Gβγ–RhoA/ROCK1–p38. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting GPR81 for the treatment of this life-threatening complication of cancer.
Metformin and feeding increase levels of the appetite-suppressing metabolite Lac-Phe in humans
Authors: Scott Barry , Day Emily A. , O’Brien Katie L. , Scanlan John , Cromwell Grace , Scannail Aine Ni , McDonnell Marie E. , Finlay David K. , Lynch Lydia
Published: March 2024

Metformin, a widely used first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes (T2D), is known to reduce blood glucose levels and suppress appetite. Here we report a significant elevation of the appetite-suppressing metabolite N-lactoyl phenylalanine (Lac-Phe) in the blood of individuals treated with metformin across seven observational and interventional studies. Furthermore, Lac-Phe levels were found to rise in response to acute metformin administration and post-prandially in patients with T2D or in metabolically healthy volunteers.
Towards transparent and durable copper-containing antimicrobial surfaces
Authors: Graham Christina , Mezzadrelli Alessia , Senaratne Wageesha , Pal Santona , Thelen Dean , Hepburn Lisa , Mazumder Prantik , Pruneri Valerio
Published: March 2024

Metallic copper is a potent antimicrobial agent with high efficacy against a range of microorganisms. Whilst it is commonplace for objects such as door handles and hospital bedrails to be made of or to be coated with copper, other high-touch surfaces such as those of screens and monitors would lose their optical transparency. Herein, we report the design of a transparent antimicrobial nanostructured copper surface obtained by dewetting ultrathin metal copper films on glass. Antimicrobial effectiveness of >99.9 % was obtained within 2 h against Staphylococcus aureus following the US Environmental Protection Agency Test method. Moreover, the proposed surfaces show an average transmittance between 70–80% with little color in the visible range. Additionally, they maintain optical and antimicrobial properties after abrasion and chemical exposure tests designed to replicate physical wear and repeated exposure to biocidal cleaning materials. With the demonstrated surfaces’ antimicrobial, colorless, and durability properties, they have potential in applications such as touch-enabled public or personal displays once higher transparency is achieved.
High-resolution computed tomography with scattered X-ray radiation and a single pixel detector
Authors: Ben-Yehuda A. , Sefi O. , Klein Y. , Schwartz H. , Cohen E. , Shukrun R. H. , Shwartz S.
Published: March 2024

X-ray imaging is a prevalent technique for non-invasively visualizing the interior of the human body and other opaque samples. In most commercial X-ray modalities, an image is formed by measuring the X-rays that pass through the object of interest. However, despite the potential of scattered radiation to provide additional information about the object, it is often disregarded due to its inherent tendency to cause blurring. Consequently, conventional imaging modalities do not measure or utilize these valuable data. In contrast, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a high resolution technique for X-ray computed tomography (CT) that measures scattered radiation by exploiting computational ghost imaging (CGI). We show that the resolution of our method can exceed 500 µm, which is approximately an order of magnitude higher than the typical resolution of X-ray imaging modalities based on scattered radiation. Our research reveals a promising technique for incorporating scattered radiation data in CT scans to improve image contrast and resolution while minimizing radiation exposure for patients. The findings of our study suggest that our technique could represent a significant advancement in the fields of medical and industrial imaging, with the potential to enhance the accuracy and safety of diagnostic imaging procedures.
Energy efficient photonic memory based on electrically programmable embedded III-V/Si memristors: switches and filters
Authors: Cheung Stanley , Tossoun Bassem , Yuan Yuan , Peng Yiwei , Hu Yingtao , Sorin Wayne V. , Kurczveil Geza , Liang Di , Beausoleil Raymond G.
Published: March 2024

Over the past few years, extensive work on optical neural networks has been investigated in hopes of achieving orders of magnitude improvement in energy efficiency and compute density via all-optical matrix-vector multiplication. However, these solutions are limited by a lack of high-speed power power-efficient phase tuners, on-chip non-volatile memory, and a proper material platform that can heterogeneously integrate all the necessary components needed onto a single chip. We address these issues by demonstrating embedded multi-layer HfO2/Al2O3 memristors with III-V/Si photonics which facilitate non-volatile optical functionality for a variety of devices such as Mach-Zehnder Interferometers, and (de-)interleaver filters. The Mach-Zehnder optical memristor exhibits non-volatile optical phase shifts > π with ~33 dB signal extinction while consuming 0 electrical power consumption. We demonstrate 6 non-volatile states each capable of 4 Gbps modulation. (De-) interleaver filters were demonstrated to exhibit memristive non-volatile passband transformation with full set/reset states. Time duration tests were performed on all devices and indicated non-volatility up to 24 hours and beyond. We demonstrate non-volatile III-V/Si optical memristors with large electric-field driven phase shifts and reconfigurable filters with true 0 static power consumption. As a result, co-integrated photonic memristors offer a pathway for in-memory optical computing and large-scale non-volatile photonic circuits.
Private and well drinking water are reservoirs for antimicrobial resistant bacteria
Authors: Alawi Marwa , Smyth Cian , Drissner David , Zimmerer Anna , Leupold Denise , Müller Daria , Do Thi Thuy , Velasco-Torrijos Trinidad , Walsh Fiona
Published: March 2024

Water quality testing does not recognise antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is often limited to indicators of faecal contamination Escherichia coli and Enterococcus species. In Europe, data on AMR in drinking water is scarce. In Ireland, as in many countries, household drinking water is supplied via mains or via private wells or water schemes. Using citizen science, we identified Irish private drinking water supplies as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB). Gram-negative (n = 464) and Gram-positive (n = 72) bacteria were isolated. We identified instances of potentially opportunistic ARB such as Enterobacter cloacae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterococcus species. We report reservoirs of multidrug resistance in Enterococcus casseliflavus, E. cloacae, E. coli, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Serratia rubidaea. We also identified linezolid-resistant Enterococcus in Irish drinking water. Linezolid is a last-resort antibiotic used to treat vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus sp. Additionally, we identified mobile AMR in three water samples, two of which were carried on IncF group, one on IncQ and five on Col-like plasmids. Our work suggests that private drinking water is a potential sink and source of AMR pathogens. This highlights a value of drinking water surveillance in a One Health framework as the surveillance would provide information regarding the movement and persistence of ARB and ARGs that are able to survive in drinking water and subsequently have the opportunity to be mobilised through humans; linking the environment to the human and potentially threatening human health.
New plastids, old proteins: repeated endosymbiotic acquisitions in kareniacean dinoflagellates
Authors: Novák Vanclová Anna MG , Nef Charlotte , Füssy Zoltán , Vancl Adél , Liu Fuhai , Bowler Chris , Dorrell Richard G
Published: March 2024

Dinoflagellates are a diverse group of ecologically significant micro-eukaryotes that can serve as a model system for plastid symbiogenesis due to their susceptibility to plastid loss and replacement via serial endosymbiosis. Kareniaceae harbor fucoxanthin-pigmented plastids instead of the ancestral peridinin-pigmented ones and support them with a diverse range of nucleus-encoded plastid-targeted proteins originating from the haptophyte endosymbiont, dinoflagellate host, and/or lateral gene transfers (LGT). Here, we present predicted plastid proteomes from seven distantly related kareniaceans in three genera (Karenia, Karlodinium, and Takayama) and analyze their evolutionary patterns using automated tree building and sorting. We project a relatively limited ( ~ 10%) haptophyte signal pointing towards a shared origin in the family Chrysochromulinaceae. Our data establish significant variations in the functional distributions of these signals, emphasizing the importance of micro-evolutionary processes in shaping the chimeric proteomes. Analysis of plastid genome sequences recontextualizes these results by a striking finding the extant kareniacean plastids are in fact not all of the same origin, as two of the studied species (Karlodinium armiger, Takayama helix) possess plastids from different haptophyte orders than the rest.
Twice-walk strategy based on three-dimensional DNA walking machine driven by duplex-specific nuclease
Authors: Lei Sheng , Liu Zi , Zhang Qidong , Li Zezhi , Li Gaiping , Zou Lina , Chai Guobi , Mao Jian , Ye Baoxian , Zhang Jianxun
Published: March 2024

A twice-walk strategy based on a three-dimensional (3D) cleat-equipped DNA walking machine with a high signal amplification efficiency was investigated for ultrasensitive detection of miRNA.
Study of the magnetism of C-doped MgO based on first-principles calculations and the Ising model
Authors: Chen Rui-Da , Mo Jia-Jun , Mao Fei
Published: March 2024

The combination of first-principles and Ising model paves a new way for studying the Curie temperature of dilute magnetic semiconductors.
Adsorbate dissociation due to heteromolecular electronic energy transfer from fluorobenzene thin films
Authors: Jensen E. T.
Published: March 2024

Near-UV photodissociation of CH3I on various fluorobenzene thin films grown on Cu(100) finds that dissociation can be enhanced via electronic energy transfer to the CH3I following photoabsorption in several of the thin films.
Asymmetric XMoGeY2 (X = S, Se, Te; Y = N, P, As) monolayers as potential flexible materials for nano piezoelectric devices and nanomedical sensors
Authors: Li Zujun , Luo Jiasheng , Zhou Yushan , Chen Jiawei , Ling Haojun , Zeng Jun , Yang Yujue , Dong Huafeng
Published: March 2024

Highly efficient nano piezoelectric devices and nanomedical sensors are in great demand for high-performance piezoelectric materials.
Surface hopping simulations on charge photogeneration in conjugated polymers
Authors: Sun Zhen , Li Sheng , Meng Yan , An Zhong
Published: March 2024

The charge photogeneration process in a system composed of five π-stacked polymers is simulated using the surface hopping method. The yields of free charges and polaron pairs are calculated using a statistical method.
Evolution of the atomic and electronic structures of CuO clusters: a comprehensive study using the DFT approach
Authors: Das Soumitra , Nigam Sandeep , Sharma Pramod , Majumder Chiranjib
Published: March 2024

Ground state of CuO clusters (n = 1–7) are planar nano-ring structure while octamer onwards non-planar stacked structures are observed. Nonamer and dodecamer assumes nano-barrel structure upon stacking nano-ring in staggered fashion.
Indoor cooking and cleaning as a source of outdoor air pollution in urban environments
Authors: Carter Toby J. , Shaw David R. , Carslaw David C. , Carslaw Nicola
Published: March 2024

Common household activities including cooking and cleaning contribute to indoor air pollution. Here, a modelling study has been conducted to identify how these indoor sources of air pollution affect outdoor environments.
Harnessing conformational dynamics in enzyme catalysis to achieve nature-like catalytic efficiencies: the shortest path map tool for computational enzyme redesign
Authors: Duran Cristina , Casadevall Guillem , Osuna Sílvia
Published: March 2024

It is challenging to identify enzyme mutations that enhance specific conformational changes.We develop the shortest path map method to address this challenge.
Efficient in vitro and in vivo transfection of self-amplifying mRNA with linear poly(propylenimine) and poly(ethylenimine-propylenimine) random copolymers as non-viral carriers
Authors: Opsomer Lisa , Jana Somdeb , Mertens Ine , Cui Xiaole , Hoogenboom Richard , Sanders Niek N.
Published: March 2024

SaRNA was formulated with six different polymer carriers to generate saRNA-polyplexes. After screening for transfection efficiency, compared to a lipid-based standard, the best performing ones were characterized in detail and administered to mice.
Review of recent advances and sensing mechanisms in solid-state organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) sensors
Authors: King Benjamin , Lessard Benoît H.
Published: March 2024

Advances in processing of active layers of organic thin-film transistor (OTFT)-based chemical and biological sensors have enabled significant developments in their performance, achieving part-per-billion molar concentration limits of detection.
Machine learning-based screening of Mn-PNP catalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction using a region-wise ligand-encoded feature matrix
Authors: Das Amitabha , Roy Diptendu , Mandal Shyama Charan , Pathak Biswarup
Published: March 2024

The table of contents entry represents the use of machine learning to find suitable Mn-based aromatic PNP catalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction to HCOOH and CH3OH.
Single-virus-sensitive barcode qPCR mediated by the aggregation of gold nanoparticle probes
Authors: Shen Yuanzhao , Yang Chih-Tsung , Li Weiwei , Zhou Xin
Published: March 2024

Since aggregates of multiple GNP particles generally precipitate, six GNP probes with barcode DNA were introduced into qPCR to be the barcode qPCR with single-virus sensitivity for the detection of influenza virus.
An organometallic swap strategy for bottlebrush polymer–protein conjugate synthesis
Authors: Liu Bin , Rodriguez Jacob , J. Kilgallon Landon , Wang Wencong , Wang Yuyan , Wang Aiden , Dai Yutong , Nguyen Hung V.-T. , Pentelute Bradley L. , Johnson Jeremiah A.
Published: March 2024

Conjugates of proteins and bottlebrush polymers are prepared using an “organometallic swap” strategy.
A scandium metalloligand supported Ni(0) complex with a heterobimetallocycle: versatile reactivity with unsaturated bonds
Authors: Ma Lei , Pan Xiaowei , Hong Dongjing , Fang Huayi , Cui Peng
Published: March 2024

A tetranuclear Sc(iii)–Ni(0) complex bearing a Sc(iii)-based metalloligand showed versatile reactivity with NC, CN, CC, CO and NN bonds.
Synthesis and characterization of azaborepin radicals in solid neon through boron-mediated C–N bond cleavage of pyridine
Authors: Xu Xin , Zhu Yi-Kang , Dai Chuan-Ming , Xu Jiaping , Jian Jiwen
Published: March 2024

Spectroscopic evidence of forming an azaborepin radical through photoinduced boron atom insertion has been presented. Atom colors: B = pink; N = blue; C = gray; and H = white.
Large valley polarization and the valley-dependent Hall effect in a Janus TiTeBr monolayer
Authors: Su Bingwen , Peng Xiao , Yan Zhibo , Lin Lin , Huang Xiaokun , Liu Jun-Ming
Published: March 2024

Utilizing first-principles calculations, we predict that the Janus TiTeBr monolayer is a candidate ferrovalley material, demonstrating a large valley polarization and exhibiting the strain-induced topological phase transition.
Reconstructing the materials tetrahedron: challenges in materials information extraction
Authors: Hira Kausik , Zaki Mohd , Sheth Dhruvil , Mausam  , Krishnan N. M. Anoop
Published: March 2024

Quantifying challenges towards information extraction from scientific articles to complete the materials science tetrahedron.
Effect of diamagnetic Zn(ii) ions on the SMM properties of a series of trinuclear ZnDy2 and tetranuclear Zn2Dy2 (LnIII = Dy, Tb, Gd) complexes: combined experimental and theoretical studies
Authors: Shukla Pooja , Tarannum Ibtesham , Roy Soumalya , Rajput Amit , Lama Prem , Singh Saurabh Kumar , Kłak Julia , Lee Junseong , Das Sourav
Published: March 2024

Two distinct series of ZnII–LnIII complexes have been synthesized and characterized. Both experimental and theoretical magnetic studies have been conducted to examine the influence of diamagnetic ions on magnetic interactions.
Computational study of the mechanism of a polyurethane esterase A (PueA) from Pseudomonas chlororaphis
Authors: Świderek Katarzyna , Martí Sergio , Arafet Kemel , Moliner Vicent
Published: March 2024

We investigate the possible molecular mechanism of polyurethane esterase A, previously identified as responsible for degradation of a polyester polyurethane sample in Pseudomonas chlororaphis.