bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vitiligo non‐responding lesions to narrow band UVB have intriguing cellular and molecular abnormalities that may prevent epidermal repigmentation
Authors: Goldstein Nathaniel B. , Steel Andrea , Tomb Landon , Berk Zachary , Hu Junxiao , Balaya Velmurugan , Hoaglin Laura , Ganuthula Kavya , Patel Meet , Mbika Erica , Robinson William A. , Roop Dennis R. , Norris David A. , Birlea Stanca A.
Published: February 2024

We have discovered that human vitiligo patients treated with narrow‐band UVB (NBUVB) demonstrated localized resistance to repigmentation in skin sites characterized by distinct cellular and molecular pathways. Using immunostaining studies, discovery‐stage RNA‐Seq analysis, and confirmatory in situ hybridization, we analyzed paired biopsies collected from vitiligo lesions that did not repigment after 6 months of NBUVB treatment (non‐responding) and compared them with repigmented (responding) lesions from the same patient. Non‐responding lesions exhibited acanthotic epidermis, had low number of total, proliferative, and differentiated melanocyte (MC) populations, and increased number of senescent keratinocytes (KCs) and of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells as compared with responding lesions. The abnormal response in the non‐responding lesions was driven by a dysregulated cAMP pathway and of upstream activator PDE4B, and of WNT/β‐catenin repigmentation pathway. Vitiligo‐responding lesions expressed high levels of WNT10B ligand, a molecule that may prevent epidermal senescence induced by NBUVB, and that in cultured melanoblasts prevented the pro‐melanogenic effect of α‐MSH. Understanding the pathways that govern lack of NBUVB‐induced vitiligo repigmentation has a great promise in guiding the development of new therapeutic strategies for vitiligo.
Eruptive syringomas associated with milia‐like idiopathic calcinosis cutis
Authors: March‐Rodriguez Alvaro , Alcalá Rebeca , Pujol Ramon M.
Published: February 2024

An 11‐year‐old boy presented generalized eruptive syringomas (ESs) associated with multiple milia‐like whitish palmar papules corresponding to dermal calcium deposits. A relationship between calcium deposits distribution to an underlying eccrine duct was noted on pathology. The observation of dermal calcium deposits and its association with generalized ESs may support a possible sweat duct origin of this uncommon and peculiar form of superficial calcinosis cutis.
An analysis of information about infantile hemangiomas on TikTok: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Yun Sonora , Garzon Maria C. , Morel Kimberly D.
Published: February 2024

The video app TikTok, a controversial platform, has increasingly been utilized for the dissemination of health‐related topics. In this study, the quality of information on the top 50 most viewed TikTok videos on infantile hemangiomas (IHs) labeled #hemangioma was analyzed. The results showed that the videos were skewed toward more severe subtypes of IH, and most were directed at raising awareness about IH or combating stigmatizing attitudes toward birthmarks. Providers should be aware that social media applications such as TikTok are a commonly used venue for parents to cope and connect but may relay inaccurate or misleading information.
African communitarian ethics: An externalist justification for altruism
Authors: Odeyemi Idowu
Published: February 2024

The most popular defense of altruism has come from ethicists, mostly Western ethicists, who argue that for an action to hold any justification as it pertains to altruistic commitments, such an altruistic action must stem from the agent's internal states such as beliefs, practical reasoning, desires, or deliberative attitudes. I refer to this as the internalist justification for altruism. On this internalist approach, the mere recognition of others—which I shall refer to as an externalist justification—albeit necessary for an agent who wants to perform an altruistic act, is insufficient in accounting for the agent's altruism. This paper offers an African model of communitarian ethics (ACE) under which the externalist justification for altruism is satisfied. I argue that at its core, ACE holds a normative conception of community and personhood that accounts for a sufficient externalist justification for altruism, which proponents of internal altruism have argued is insufficient.
The politics of China's policy processes: A comparative review of the Advocacy Coalition Framework's applications to mainland China
Authors: Li Wei , Pierce Jonathan J. , Chen Fang , Wang Fuguo
Published: February 2024

Drawing on a review of 112 Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) applications to China published during 2006–2022, this article finds that, consistent with ACF assumptions, policy processes in China are complex processes of top‐down decision making, horizontal negotiation, networked influence, and bottom‐up initiation. The review finds policy processes in many subsystems of China inconsistent with one implicit assumption of the framework: the difficulty of reconciling conflicting beliefs between warring coalitions. Compared with the results from a review of the English ACF applications to countries around the globe, policy‐oriented learning and imposition by a hierarchically superior jurisdiction were identified more frequently as pathways to policy change in reviewed applications to China. The Xi Jinping administration encourages between‐coalition learning and negotiation to pursue the ideal of building a well‐off and equitable society. At the same time, his top‐level reforms have changed the long‐time status quo in some subsystems by national policy reforms.

Related Articles

Nam, Aerang, and Christopher M. Weible. 2023. “Examining Experts' Discourse in South Korea's Nuclear Power Policy Making: An Advocacy Coalition Framework Approach to Policy Knowledge.” Politics & Policy 51(2): 201–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12522.

Nwalie, Martin Ike. 2019. “Advocacy Coalition Framework and Policy Changes in a Third‐World Country.” Politics & Policy 47(3): 545–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12302.

von Malmborg, Fredrik. 2023. “Combining the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Argumentative Discourse Analysis: The Case of the ‘Energy Efficiency First’ Principle in EU Energy and Climate Policy.” Politics & Policy 51(2): 222–41. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12525.
SlPHL1 positively modulates acid phosphatase in response to phosphate starvation by directly activating the genes SlPAP10b and SlPAP15 in tomato
Authors: Liu Yanan , Li Chengquan , Zhang Duanmei , Huang Shaoxuan , Wang Yi , Wang Enhui , Zhu Lin , Chen Mingxue , Zhang Xinyao , Yuan Rui , Zhang Lang , Wang Wei , Jia Qi , Liu Zhongjuan , Zhang Yongqiang
Published: February 2024

Increased acid phosphatase (APase) activity is a prominent feature of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) responses to inorganic phosphate (Pi) restriction. SlPHL1, a phosphate starvation response (PHR) transcription factor, has been identified as a positive regulator of low Pi (LP)‐induced APase activity in tomato. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this regulation remains to be elucidated. Here, SlPHL1 was found to positively regulate the LP‐induced expression of five potential purple acid phosphatase (PAP) genes, namely SlPAP7, SlPAP10b, SlPAP12, SlPAP15, and SlPAP17b. Furthermore, we provide evidence that SlPHL1 can stimulate transcription of these five genes by binding directly to the PHR1 binding sequence (P1BS) located on their promoters. The P1BS mutation notably weakened SlPHL1 binding to the promoters of SlPAP7, SlPAP12, and SlPAP17b but almost completely abolished SlPHL1 binding to the promoters of SlPAP10b and SlPAP15. As a result, the transcriptional activation of SlPHL1 on SlPAP10b and SlPAP15 was substantially diminished. In addition, not only did transient overexpression of either SlPAP10b or SlPAP15 in tobacco leaves increase APase activity, but overexpression of SlPAP15 in Arabidopsis and tomato also increased APase activity and promoted plant growth. Subsequently, two SPX proteins, SlSPX1 and SlSPX4, were shown to physically interact with SlPHL1. Moreover, SlSPX1 inhibited the transcriptional activation of SlPHL1 on SlPAP10b and SlPAP15 and negatively regulated the activity of APase. Taken together, these results demonstrate that SlPHL1‐mediated LP signaling promotes APase activity by activating the transcription of SlPAP10b and SlPAP15, which may provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of tomato response to Pi‐limited stress.
Direct dating rodingitization in the northern North China Craton using garnet U–Pb geochronometry
Authors: Ran Jing , Wang Hao , Yang Jin‐Hui , Wu Shi‐Tou , Zhu Yu‐Sheng , Wu Ya‐Dong , Xu Lei , Huang Chao , Zhou Bao‐Quan
Published: February 2024

The formation of rodingites has been a continually controversial topic, largely due to the absence of minerals that can be unambiguously dated. Here, we present a case study that utilized LA‐ICPMS garnet U–Pb dating, in conjunction with field investigations, petrology and Raman spectroscopy, to reveal the age and petrogenesis of rodingite in the northern North China Craton. The rodingites are spatially associated with mafic and alkaline rocks. Our findings indicate that rodingitization occurred at ca. 388 Ma, making it about 5–10 Myr younger than its mafic protoliths, but contemporaneous with the adjoining alkaline plutons. These observations suggest that the rodingitization may be attributed to hydrothermal fluids from the alkaline magmas. Our study emphasizes the importance of utilizing garnet U–Pb dating to determine the timing of rodingitization and introduces a novel perspective on the relationship between rodingitization and alkaline magmas in extensional continental settings.
A New Method for Solving Physical Problems With Nonlinear Phoneme Within Fractional Derivatives With Singular Kernel
Authors: Syam Sondos M. , Siri Z. , Altoum Sami H. , Aigo Musa Adam , Kasmani R. Md.
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we present a novel numerical approach for solving nonlinear problems with a singular kernel. We prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution for these models as well as the uniform convergence of the function sequence produced by our novel approach to the unique solution. Additionally, we offer a closed form and prove these results for a specific class of these problems where the free term is a fractional polynomial, an exponential, or a trigonometric function. These findings are new to the best of our knowledge. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our numerical method and how to apply our theoretical findings, we solved a number of physical problems. Comparisons with various researchers are reported. Findings demonstrate that our approach is more effective and accurate. In addition, compared to methods that address this type of problems, our approach is simple to implement and has lower computing costs.
Alternate Forms to Lagrange–D'Alembert Principle for Treatment of Rheonomic Constraints
Authors: Shabana Ahmed A.
Published: February 2024

Lagrange–D'Alembert principle is based on the concept of the nonactual and nonmeasurable virtual displacement and the assumption that the system-constraint forces are workless. Because time is not considered in defining the virtual displacements, virtual changes in prescribed displacements that characterize rheonomic constraints, referred to as driving constraints, are zero. Consequently, Lagrange–D'Alembert principle does not account systematically, from the outset, for rheonomic constraints, which are not workless and have power associated with them. In multibody system implementations, rheonomic-constraint forces are considered as constraint forces and not as applied forces. Consequently, the statement of the virtual-work principle that virtual work of the system-inertia forces is equal to the virtual work of the system-applied forces because the virtual work of system-constraint forces is zero omits inclusion of rheonomic constraints forces. This paper discusses using alternate forms to Lagrange–D'Alembert principle to account for rheonomic constraints from the outset by using actual and measurable motion variables to replace the virtual displacements. The analysis presented in this paper, which is applicable to both holonomic and nonholonomic systems, shows that the power of the system-inertia forces is equal to the power of the system-applied forces plus the power of rheonomic-constraint forces. It is demonstrated that the existence of Lagrange multipliers is not rooted in the definition of the virtual displacement or virtual work, but in the independence of the constraint functions. It is shown that when redundant coordinates are used, the effect of the rheonomic constraints appears explicitly in the constraint equations while this effect appears as generalized inertia forces when using the independent coordinates.
Chaotic Dynamics of a Duffing Oscillator Subjected to External and Nonlinear Parametric Excitations With Delayed Feedbacks
Authors: Ding Aijia , Hu Sengen , Zhou Liangqiang
Published: February 2024

Duffing oscillator with delayed feedback is widely used in engineering. Chaos in such system plays an important role in the dynamic response of the system, which may lead to the collapse of the system. Therefore, it is necessary and significant to study the chaotic dynamical behaviors of such systems. Chaotic dynamics of the Duffing oscillator subjected to periodic external and nonlinear parameter excitations with delayed feedback are investigated both analytically and numerically in this paper. With the Melnikov method, the critical value of chaos arising from heteroclinic intersection is derived analytically. The feature of the critical curves separating chaotic and nonchaotic regions on the excitation frequency and the time delay is investigated analytically in detail. Under the corresponding system parameters, the monotonicity of the critical value to the excitation frequency, displacement time delay, and velocity time delay is obtained rigorously. The chaos threshold obtained by the analytical method is verified by numerical simulations.
The Approximate Analysis of Higher-Order Frequencies of Nonlinear Vibrations of a Cantilever Beam With the Extended Galerkin Method
Authors: Meng Baochen , Lian Chencheng , Wang Ji , Jing Huimin , Wu Rongxing , Lin Ji , Elishakoff Isaac
Published: February 2024

The nonlinear vibrations of elastic beams with large amplitudes are frequently treated as a typical problem of an elastica. As the continuation of the analysis of the deformation of an elastica, the nonlinear vibration equation of the elastic beam in the rotation angle of the cross section has been established. Using the deformation function, the nonlinear equation with the inertia effect has been solved by the newly proposed extended Galerkin method (EGM). The solution to the vibration problem of the elastica is compared with earlier approximate solutions including the frequencies and mode shapes obtained by other methods, and the rotation angle and energy of each mode at the high-order frequency are also calculated. This solution procedure provides an alternative technique to the elastica problem by the EGM with possible applications to other nonlinear problems in many fields of science and technology.
Influence of Unbalance and Differential Pressure on the Stability of Vertical Rotor-Seal System
Authors: Kimura Shogo , Inoue Tsuyoshi , Taura Hiroo , Heya Akira
Published: February 2024

The rotordynamic (RD) fluid force generated in fluid elements such as seals in turbomachinery affects the stability of turbomachinery and causes shaft vibrations. Various studies have been conducted to clarify the effects of seals on the stability of rotor systems. Many studies have investigated the rotor dynamics of horizontal rotating shaft systems, considering the RD fluid force generated in the seals, and in these studies, the stability of horizontal rotating shaft systems has been assessed via eigenvalue analysis using RD coefficients. However, few studies have analyzed vertical rotating shaft systems. The dynamic behavior of vertical rotating shafts differs significantly from that of horizontal rotating shafts because the weight of the rotor does not act on the seal in a vertical rotating shaft system. Vertical rotating shaft systems are generally prone to instability because of the fluid film whirl, and the amplitude of the shaft whirl tends to be large. When the amplitude is large, the RD fluid force cannot be linearized around the equilibrium point using RD coefficients. Therefore, destabilization and stabilization phenomena that appear in vertical rotating shaft systems cannot be predicted using eigenvalue analysis. Fluid–structure interaction (FSI) analysis that considers the interaction between the shaft vibration and the RD fluid force generated in seals is required to predict such phenomena. This study used FSI analysis to investigate the effects of unbalance and differential pressure on the stability of a vertical rotating shaft system subjected to RD fluid force generated in the seal.
Characterization of elastomer degradation in O2/Ar plasma via mass and surface morphology changes
Authors: Connolly Nicholas , Hysick Michael , Barlaz David E. , Garza Raquel , Lunardi Gilberto , Ruzic David N.
Published: February 2024

The degradation of fluoroelastomer, perfluoroelastomer (FFKM), and fluorosilicone materials were compared between three O2/Ar plasma conditions: full plasma (ions plus radicals), radical only, and ion only. These elastomer materials are used extensively in plasma processing equipment used to manufacture semiconductors, and understanding the plasma environments that enhance degradation will inform material choice and further material development. Langmuir probe measurements were made to quantify the electron temperature and plasma density; radical probe measurements were made to quantify the oxygen radical density. The results suggested that plasma radicals were required to drive significant mass loss rates, with ions speeding up the mass loss rate further in the full plasma case. Additionally, it was determined that plasma radicals were the main driver of surface changes of the elastomer, with similar surface roughening in plasma versus radical only conditions and less significant roughening in ion-only conditions. The O2/Ar plasma discharge had an electron temperature of 4.6 ± 0.1 eV and a plasma density of 2.9 ± 0.07 × 1016 m−3. It was observed that the fluorosilicone material had the lowest mass loss rate, the unfilled FFKM had the highest mass loss rate, and the silica-filled FFKM had the lowest mass loss rate among the FFKMs tested. The presence of oxygen radicals during exposure conditions significantly changed surface roughness.
Genome sequences of
Vibrio cholerae
strains isolated in the DRC between 2009 and 2012
Authors: Lemopoulos Alexandre , Miwanda Berthe , Drebes Dörr Natália C. , Stutzmann Sandrine , Bompangue Didier , Muyembe-Tamfum Jean-Jacques , Blokesch Melanie
Published: February 2024

Vibrio cholerae
has caused seven cholera pandemics in the past two centuries. The seventh and ongoing pandemic has been particularly severe on the African continent. Here, we report long read-based genome sequences of six
V. cholerae
strains isolated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 2009 and 2012.
Characterization of a new
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Queuovirinae bacteriophage
Authors: Whiteley Lauren E. , Whiteley Marvin
Published: February 2024

The ESKAPEE pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
is a common cause of chronic wound and cystic fibrosis lung infections, as well as acute burn and nosocomial infections. Many of these infections are recalcitrant to conventional antibiotic therapies due to both traditional antibiotic resistance mechanisms and antimicrobial tolerance. Recent successes with bacteriophage (phage) therapy to treat chronic human
P. aeruginosa
infections have led to a renewed interest in isolating and characterizing new
P. aeruginosa
phages. Here, we isolated and characterized a new lytic phage (termed PIP, pili-infecting phage) capable of infecting
P. aeruginosa
PA14. PIP is a tailed phage with an icosahedral head and flexible tail containing a genome that is 57,462 bp in length. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that PIP belongs to the subfamily Queuovirinae and genus Nipunavirus but is highly divergent in gene content from known Nipunaviruses. By isolating and characterizing a
P. aeruginosa
strain that spontaneously evolved resistance to PIP, we show that the receptor for PIP is Type IV pili. In summary, we isolated a new
P. aeruginosa
phage species with a unique genome, thus increasing the diversity of phages known to infect this important human pathogen.

IMPORTANCE

The opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
causes both acute and chronic human infections. These infections are notoriously difficult to treat due to both antibiotic resistance and antibiotic tolerance. The increasing frequency of antibiotic failure in
P. aeruginosa
infections has led scientists to explore other treatment options, including bacteriophage (phage) therapy. To this end, there has been a significant effort to identify new
Pseudomonas
phages. Here, we isolated and characterized a bacteriophage (termed PIP, pili-infecting phage) that infects
P. aeruginosa
PA14. Examination of the PIP genome revealed that this phage represents a new species in the subclass Queuovirinae. The isolation and characterization of spontaneous PA14 mutants that are resistant to PIP infection revealed Type IV pili as the PIP receptor. Ultimately, this study characterizes a new species of
Pseudomonas
phage, thus enhancing the known diversity of phages that infect this important pathogen.
Identification of genetic determinants of bedaquiline resistance in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in Ural region, Russia
Authors: Umpeleva Tatiana , Chetverikova Elena , Belyaev Danila , Eremeeva Natalya , Boteva Tatiana , Golubeva Ludmila , Vakhrusheva Diana , Vasilieva Irina
Published: February 2024

Collecting data on rare
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(
Mtb
) clinical isolates with resistance to the new anti-tuberculosis drug bedaquiline is an important task for improving antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods. Nanopore whole genome sequencing, the proportion method on Middlebrook 7H11 medium, and BACTEC MGIT 960 assays were used to analyze genotypic and phenotypic resistance to bedaquiline. We found four mutations:
atpE
I66M,
atpE
А63Р,
Rv0678
А36Т, and
Rv0678
S53P in five isolates with different levels of phenotypic bedaquiline resistance.

IMPORTANCE

Bedaquiline (BDQ) is a new anti-tuberculosis drug. The phenotypic and genotypic data describing the mechanism of drug resistance are critical for the design of rapid and accurate diagnostic tests. We consider that our work, which describes genotypic and phenotypic resistance to BDQ, can contribute to the standardization of drug susceptibility testing.
Effect of COVID-19 protective measures on the epidemiology characteristics of rotavirus, adenovirus, and coinfections among pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis in Hangzhou, China
Authors: Zhou Jianming , Sun Yanhong
Published: February 2024

Human rotavirus (RV) and adenovirus (AdV) have been recognized as common enteric viruses associated with viral acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children aged<5 years. However, with the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been suppressed due to various aggressive and effective anti-epidemic measures, the prevalence of other viruses has also been affected. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the epidemiological characterization of RV, AdV, and coinfections among children with AGE in a hospital in Hangzhou from 2019 to 2023. The overall changes, seasonal distribution, and age distribution of enteroviruses were analyzed based on 5 years of records. All data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0. A total of 102,049 samples were analyzed from January 2019 to August 2023, and among them 15,911 (15.59%) were positive specimens, 11,646 (11.41%) were RV-positive, 4,057 (3.98%) were AdV-positive, and 208 (0.20%) were coinfection. The positive rate among males was 15.54%, while among females was 15.66% with a male-to-female ratio of 1.42:1. There was no significant difference in the positive rates of enterovirus infection between males and females. Significant associations were found between the month group and RV/AdV infection, with RV detection peaking in winter (74.18%) and early spring (29.22%), while AdV has a high prevalence in summer (16.03%) and spring (12.71%). The age group was also found to be significantly associated with RV/AdV infection, with RV being most prevalent in the 1–3-year-old age group (16.99%), while AdV was highest in the 3–5-year-old age group (8.10%).

IMPORTANCE

This study highlights the epidemiological changes of rotavirus (RV), adenovirus (AdV), and coinfections in children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) before, during, and after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) periods. There was a highly statistically significant difference in the positive rates of RV-positive, AdV-positive, and coinfection (
P
< 0.001), indicating that RV remains the main pathogen causing AGE. It emphasizes the importance of continuous surveillance of RV and AdV at both local and global levels. Regular surveillance of prevalent rotavirus strains will facilitate the development of new inactivated rotavirus vaccines and aid in disease prevention and control.
Supplemental Material: Long-lived Northern Hemisphere convergence systems driven by upper-mantle thermal inhomogeneity
Authors: Liu Liang , Morgan Jason P. , al. et
Published: February 2024

Additional supporting information to the main text. Captions for six movies, the supplementary methods, the supplementary descriptions for sensitivity tests, one table of model parameters, and 16 supplementary figures.  
Anisotropic Josephson Diode Effect in the Topological Hybrid Junctions with the Hexagonal Warping
Authors: Karabassov T.
Published: February 2024

Recently the diode effect in superconductivity became an active area of research. In particular, the three-dimensional topological insulators may be one of the most suitable materials to implement the superconducting diodes. It is common to consider only linear and quadratic terms of the topological insulator Hamiltonian in the low energy expansion. Typically the effect of the hexagonal warping is neglected. However, the hexagonal warping can be very significant in consideration of the transport properties of the TI materials, such as Bi2Se3 or Bi2Te3. In this theoretical work we present the study of the Josephson diode effect based on the topological insulator weak link. We address the question of the hexagonal warping influence on the Josephson diode effect. We argue that the warping term leads to the anisotropy of the Josephson diode effect.
Advances in diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer
Authors: Lopez-Beltran Antonio , Cookson Michael S , Guercio Brendan J , Cheng Liang
Published: February 2024

Bladder cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death worldwide and is associated with substantial impacts on patient quality of life, morbidity, mortality, and cost to the healthcare system. Gross hematuria frequently precedes the diagnosis of bladder cancer. Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is managed initially with transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TURBT), followed by a risk stratified approach to adjuvant intravesical therapy (IVe), and is associated with an overall survival of 90%. However, cure rates remain lower for muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) owing to a variety of factors. NMIBC and MIBC groupings are heterogeneous and have unique pathological and molecular characteristics. Indeed, The Cancer Genome Atlas project identified genetic drivers and luminal and basal molecular subtypes of MIBC with distinct treatment responses. For NMIBC, IVe immunotherapy (primarily BCG) is the gold standard treatment for high grade and high risk NMIBC to reduce or prevent both recurrence and progression after initial TURBT; novel trials incorporate immune checkpoint inhibitors. IVe gene therapy and combination IVe chemotherapy have recently been completed, with promising results. For localized MIBC, essential goals are improving care and reducing morbidity following cystectomy or bladder preserving strategies. In metastatic disease, advances in understanding of the genomic landscape and tumor microenvironment have led to the implementation of immune checkpoint inhibitors, targeted treatments, and antibody-drug conjugates. Defining better selection criteria to identify the patients most likely to benefit from a specific treatment is an urgent need.
Association between macro- and microvascular damage and sarcopenia index in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Xu Hui , Xiang Qun-Yan , Zhan Jun-Kun , Wang Yi , Wang Yan-Jiao , Li Shuang , Liu You-Shuo
Published: February 2024

Sarcopenia was recently reported to be relevant to an increased macro-and microvascular disease risk. Sarcopenia index (SI) has been identified as a surrogate marker for sarcopenia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between macro- and microvascular disease and SI in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 783 patients with T2DM were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The SI was calculated by (serum creatinine [mg/dL]/cystatin C [mg/L]) × 100. The subjects were divided into three groups according to SI tertiles: T1 (41.27–81.37), T2 (81.38– 99.55), and T3 (99.56–192.31). Parameters of macro- and microvascular complications, including diabetic retinopathy (DR), micro- and macroalbuminuria (MAU), diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), and lower extremity peripheral artery disease (LEAD) were evaluated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that when taking the top tertile of SI as a reference, an increasing trend of the prevalence of DR, MAU, DPN, and LEAD were presented (all P for trend  < 0.05), where the OR (95% CI) for DR prevalence was 1.967 (1.252–3.090) in T2, 2.195 (1.278–3.769) in T1, for MAU was 1.805 (1.149–2.837) in T2, 2.537 (1.490–4.320) in T1, for DPN was 2.244 (1.485–3.391) in T2, 3.172 (1.884–5.341) in T1, and for LEAD was 2.017 (1.002–4.057) in T2, 2.405 (1.107–5.225) in T1 (all P < 0.05). Patients with lower SI were more inclined to have an increased risk of macro- and microvascular damage in T2DM population, which may be related to sarcopenia.
Evaluation of the effects of hempseed cake on plasma metabolites and cytokines in response to an LPS challenge in finishing steers
Authors: Winders Thomas M. , Amat Samat , Swanson Kendall C.
Published: February 2024

A lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.25 µg LPS/kg of body weight (BW)) challenge in steers ( n = 5; initial BW = 542 kg, SD = 40 kg; Youden square) was conducted to evaluate feeding 0% (dry matter basis; control) or 20% hempseed cake (HEMP) or corn distillers grains (DDGS) on plasma metabolites and cytokines. Plasma isoleucine, leucine, tryptophan, aspartic acid, glycine, tyrosine, total nonessential amino acids, interleukin-1α (IL-1α), interleukin-36 receptor antagonist (IL-36RA), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) decreased ( P ≤ 0.04) in steers fed hempseed cake compared to steers fed DDGS after the LPS challenge. These data suggest that hempseed cake may influence inflammation by altering cytokine production and by increasing degradation and/or utilization of some amino acids.
Evaluation of a baseline for the study of azimuthal correlations of charmed mesons in heavy-ion collisions using PYTHIA 8 and Herwig++ models
Authors: Gwiździel Katarzyna , Kikoła Daniel , Trzeciak Barbara
Published: February 2024

Measurements of azimuthal correlations of charmed mesons in high-energy heavy-ion collisions can shed light on transport properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma. The STAR experiment collected in 2014 and 2016 a large sample of Au+Au reactions at $$\sqrt{s_{NN}}$$

s

NN

= 200 GeV, making such a study possible. However, such a measurement in p+p collisions at the same energy is not feasible so far. To provide such a baseline, we report a model study of the azimuthal correlations between charmed mesons in p+p collisions at $$\sqrt{s}$$

s

= 200 GeV, 500 GeV and 1.96 TeV. We used two Monte Carlo generators, PYTHIA 8 and Herwig++. We compare their predictions and validate them against available data from the STAR and CDF experiments to provide a reliable p+p baseline for the correlation studies in heavy-ion collisions at experiments at RHIC. We also discuss prospects for such measurements.
Unveiling SU(3) flux tubes at nonzero temperature: electric fields and magnetic currents
Authors: Baker M. , Chelnokov V. , Cosmai L. , Cuteri F. , Papa A.
Published: February 2024

We report on the results of measuring the chromoelectric fields in a flux tube created by a static quark-antiquark pair in finite-temperature SU(3) gauge theory. Below the deconfinement temperature the field behavior is similar to the zero-temperature case. Above the deconfinement temperature the field shape remains the same, but the field values drop when the distance between the quark and antiquark increases, thus showing the disappearance of the confining potential.
Social Behavior Analysis in Exclusive Enterprise Social Networks by FastHAND
Authors: Yang Yang , Wang Feifei , Zhu Enqiang , Jiang Fei , Yao Wen
Published: February 2024

There is an emerging trend in the Chinese automobile industries that automakers are introducing exclusive enterprise social networks (EESNs) to expand sales and provide after-sale services. The traditional online social networks (OSNs) and enterprise social networks (ESNs), such as X (formerly known as Twitter) and Yammer, are ingeniously designed to facilitate unregulated communications among equal individuals. However, users in EESNs are naturally social stratified, consisting of both enterprise staffs and customers. In addition, the motivation to operate EESNs can be quite complicated, including providing customer services and facilitating communication among enterprise staffs. As a result, the social behaviors in EESNs can be quite different from those in OSNs and ESNs. In this work, we aim to analyze the social behaviors in EESNs. We consider the Chinese car manufacturer NIO as a typical example of EESNs and provide the following contributions. First, we formulate the social behavior analysis in EESNs as a link prediction problem in heterogeneous social networks. Second, to analyze this link prediction problem, we derive plentiful user features and build multiple meta-path graphs for EESNs. Third, we develop a novel Fast (H)eterogeneous graph (A)ttention (N)etwork algorithm for (D)irected graphs (FastHAND) to predict directed social links among users in EESNs. This algorithm introduces feature group attention at the node-level and uses an edge sampling algorithm over directed meta-path graphs to reduce the computation cost. By conducting various experiments on the NIO community data, we demonstrate the predictive power of our proposed FastHAND method. The experimental results also verify our intuitions about social affinity propagation in EESNs.
An Experimental Study on BLE 5 Mesh Applied to Public Transportation
Authors: Biegelmeyer Anderson , Roque Alexandre Dos Santos , de Freitas Edison Pignaton
Published: February 2024

Today, In-Vehicle Wireless Sensor Networks (IVWSNs) are being used by car manufacturers because it saves time in the assembling process; saves costs in the harness and after-sales; and makes vehicles lighter, which helps lessen fuel consumption. There is no definition for wireless solution technology for IVWSNs, because each one has its own characteristics, and probably this is one of the reasons for its smooth usage in the automotive industry. A gap identified in wireless sensor networks for the automotive domain is that the related literature focuses only on ordinary cars with a star topology and few of them with mesh topology. This article aims to cover this gap by presenting an experimental study performed on verifying the new Bluetooth 5 technology working in a mesh topology applied to public transportation systems (buses). To perform this evaluation, a setup to emulate an IVWSN was deployed in a working city bus. Measuring the network metrics, the bus was placed in a variety of conditions during its trajectory to determine the influence of the passengers and the whole environment on the data transmission. The results suggest that Bluetooth 5 in a mesh topology is a promising candidate for IVWSNs because it shows the robustness of losing only 0.16% packets in the worst test, as well as its ability to cover a wider range compared to its previous version, indeed a better RSSI and jitter, with lower transmission power, compared to a star topology. The round trip time results can support the analysis for time-critical applications.
CRISPR/Cas Technology: The Unique Synthetic Biology Genome-Editing Tool Shifting the Paradigm in Viral Diagnostics, Defense, and Therapeutics
Authors: Zhou Lang , Simonian Aleksandr L.
Published: February 2024

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has starkly exposed our significantly limited ability to promptly identify and respond to emergent biological threats. Consequently, there is an urgent need to advance biotechnological methods for addressing both known and unforeseen biological hazards. Recently, the CRISPR/Cas system has revolutionized genetic engineering, enabling precise and efficient synthetic biology applications. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental principles underlying the CRISPR/Cas system and assess the advantages and limitations of various CRISPR/Cas-based techniques applicable to the detection of, defense against, and treatment of viral infections. These techniques include viral diagnostics, the development of antiviral vaccines, B cell engineering for antibody production, viral activation/interference, and epigenetic modifications. Furthermore, this review delves into the challenges and bioethical considerations associated with use of the CRISPR/Cas system. With the continuous evolution of technology, the CRISPR/Cas system holds considerable promise for addressing both existing and unforeseen biological threats.
Next-Generation Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Biosensors Illuminate Cell Signaling and Metabolism
Authors: Frei Michelle S. , Mehta Sohum , Zhang Jin
Published: February 2024

Genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors have revolutionized the study of cell signaling and metabolism, as they allow for live-cell measurements with high spatiotemporal resolution. This success has spurred the development of tailor-made biosensors that enable the study of dynamic phenomena on different timescales and length scales. In this review, we discuss different approaches to enhancing and developing new biosensors. We summarize the technologies used to gain structural insights into biosensor design and comment on useful screening technologies. Furthermore, we give an overview of different applications where biosensors have led to key advances over recent years. Finally, we give our perspective on where future work is bound to make a large impact.
From Nucleosomes to Compartments: Physicochemical Interactions Underlying Chromatin Organization
Authors: Liu Shuming , Athreya Advait , Lao Zhuohan , Zhang Bin
Published: February 2024

Chromatin organization plays a critical role in cellular function by regulating access to genetic information. However, understanding chromatin folding is challenging due to its complex, multiscale nature. Significant progress has been made in studying in vitro systems, uncovering the structure of individual nucleosomes and their arrays, and elucidating the role of physicochemical forces in stabilizing these structures. Additionally, remarkable advancements have been achieved in characterizing chromatin organization in vivo, particularly at the whole-chromosome level, revealing important features such as chromatin loops, topologically associating domains, and nuclear compartments. However, bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies remains challenging. The resemblance between in vitro and in vivo chromatin conformations and the relevance of internucleosomal interactions for chromatin folding in vivo are subjects of debate. This article reviews experimental and computational studies conducted at various length scales, highlighting the significance of intrinsic interactions between nucleosomes and their roles in chromatin folding in vivo.
Missing Data Analysis
Authors: Little Roderick J.
Published: February 2024

Methods for handling missing data in clinical psychology studies are reviewed. Missing data are defined, and a taxonomy of main approaches to analysis is presented, including complete-case and available-case analysis, weighting, maximum likelihood, Bayes, single and multiple imputation, and augmented inverse probability weighting. Missingness mechanisms, which play a key role in the performance of alternative methods, are defined. Approaches to robust inference, and to inference when the mechanism is potentially missing not at random, are discussed.
The Scientific Basis for the Regulation of Flavors in Tobacco Products
Authors: Bold Krysten W. , Kong Grace , O'Malley Stephanie S.
Published: February 2024

Effective tobacco policies are important for reducing the harm of tobacco use and can have a broad impact at the population level. This review provides an overview of how clinical science can inform tobacco policies with a focus on policies related to flavored tobacco products, using menthol cigarettes as an illustrative example. Specifically, this review summarizes the role of flavors in tobacco use and the history of regulation of flavored tobacco products by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), provides an overview of clinical research methods used to contribute to the scientific evidence to inform FDA tobacco policies, discusses key findings related to menthol tobacco products using these methods, and proposes future directions for clinical research. As the tobacco marketplace continues to evolve with new products and flavor chemicals, ongoing clinical science will be essential for establishing evidence-based policies to protect public health and reduce tobacco-related health disparities.
Epidemiology of Mass Shootings in the United States
Authors: Peterson Jillian K. , Densley James A. , Hauf Molly , Moldenhauer Jack
Published: February 2024

This in-depth review delves into the multifaceted realm of mass shootings and explores their epidemiology from a psychological perspective. The article presents a comprehensive examination of the prevalence, perpetrator and victim profiles, motives, and contributing factors associated with mass shootings. By investigating the intricate relationship between masculinity, domestic violence, military service, social media, fame-seeking, suicidal ideation, mental illness, and firearms, this article sheds light on the multifaceted nature of mass shootings. Moreover, it discusses the importance of implementing effective prevention strategies to address this growing public health concern. The findings from this review serve as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and the community at large, facilitating a deeper understanding of mass shootings and fostering the development of evidence-based solutions to prevent these tragic incidents.
Energy Gaps, Optical Transitions, and Exciton Properties of ZnSe at High Pressures
Authors: Drissi Nidhal , Gassoumi Abdelaziz , Bouarissa Nadir
Published: February 2024

Lattice parameters, band-gap energies, optical transitions and exciton properties of ZnSe at high-pressures up to 100 kbar have been studied using a pseudo-potential method. Results are generally in good agreement with experiment at zero pressure. Adachi’s expression formula for exciton binding energy and Bohr radius are adjusted giving a significant accordance with experiments. A very good accord is acquired between our obtained consequences concerning the refractive index and the high-frequency dielectric constant when using Hervé and Vandamme model. Upon compression up to 100 kbar, ZnSe remains a direct (Γ-Γ) semiconductor. The lattice parameter decreases from 5.6692 to 4.9075 Å, whereas the valence band width increases from 11.47 to 15.35 eV. A monotonic behavior has been found for all parameters of interest under hydrostatic pressure.
Characterizing the effects of muscle-specific GSK3α/β reduction on murine muscle contractility and metabolism in female mice
Authors: Hockey Briana L. , Finch Michael S. , Braun Jessica L. , Mohammad Ahmad , Maddalena Lucas A. , Vandenboom Rene , Stuart Jeffrey A. , Roy Brian D. , MacPherson Rebecca E. K. , Fajardo V. A.
Published: February 2024

Here we show that partial GSK3 knockdown has minimal effects on whole body metabolism and muscle contractility in female mice. This is partly inconsistent with previous results found in male mice, which reveal a potential influence of biological sex.
Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Triterpenoids and Cyclic 1,7-Diarylheptanoids from the Stem Bark of Myrica salicifolia: A Combined Experimental and Computational Study
Authors: Gashaw Abraham Dilnesa , Bedane Kibrom Gebreheiwot , Demissie Taye B. , Ombito Japheth O. , Yaya Estifanos Ele , Desta Mekonnen Abebayehu
Published: February 2024

Myricasalicifolia A Rich (Myricaceae) is a tree growing in Central and East Africa. Traditionally, the plant is used to treat malaria, respiratory disorders, inflammations, and infections. A new compound, 3β-O-trans-caffeoylisomyricadiol (7), was isolated from MeOH : CHCl3 (2 : 1) extract of the stem bark of Myrica salicifolia along with seven known compounds, namely, myricanone (1), myricanol (2), myricanol-11-O-β-D-xylopyranoside (3), taraxerone (4), taraxerol (5), myricadiol (6), and methyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (8). This is the first report of the isolation of taraxerene-type triterpenes from this plant. The structures were determined by a comprehensive analysis of 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy, HR-MS, and by comparison with literature data. The compounds showed a wide range of DPPH scavenging activities from very weak (IC50 value = 282.61 μM) to very strong (IC50 = 13.48 μM). Antibacterial activities of the compounds were evaluated using the disk diffusion agar method, where some of the compounds showed modest antibacterial activities against S. pyogenes and S. aureus at 250 μg/mL. Compounds 2, 3, and 7 were assessed for their in silico molecular docking analysis. The lowest binding affinity for compound 7 was found to be −7.26 to −10.35 kcal/mol against PqsA protein of P. aeruginosa, pyruvate kinase (PK) enzyme of S. aureus, LuxS protein of S. pyogenes, and DNA gyrase B of E. coli, which showed better binding affinity compared to the standard drug ampicillin (−7.36 to −8.03 kcal/mol) and ciprofloxacin (−6.19 to −6.83 kcal/mol). In silico ADMET predictions revealed that compounds 3 and 8 met all the requirements for pharmacokinetic properties.