bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hyperproperty Verification as CHC Satisfiability
Authors: Itzhaky Shachar , Shoham Sharon , Vizel Yakir
Published: April 2024

Hyperproperties specify the behavior of a system across multiple executions, and are an important extension of regular temporal properties. So far, such properties have resisted comprehensive treatment by software model-checking approaches such as IC3/PDR, due to the need to find not only an inductive invariant but also a total alignment of different executions that facilitates simpler inductive invariants.

We show how this treatment is achieved via a reduction from the verification problem of $$\forall ^*\exists ^*$$

∀
∗

∃
∗

hyperproperties to Constrained Horn Clauses (CHCs). Our starting point is a set of universally quantified formulas in first-order logic (modulo theories) that encode the verification of $$\forall ^*\exists ^*$$

∀
∗

∃
∗

hyperproperties over infinite-state transition systems. The first-order encoding uses uninterpreted predicates to capture the (1) witness function for existential quantification over traces, (2) alignment of executions, and (3) corresponding inductive invariant. Such an encoding was previously proposed for k-safety properties. Unfortunately, finding a satisfying model for the resulting first-order formulas is beyond reach for modern first-order satisfiability solvers. Previous works tackled this obstacle by developing specialized solvers for the aforementioned first-order formulas. In contrast, we show that the same problems can be encoded as CHCs and solved by existing CHC solvers. CHC solvers take advantage of the unique structure of CHC formulas and handle the combination of quantifiers with theories and uninterpreted predicates more efficiently.

Our key technical contribution is a logical transformation of the aforementioned sets of first-order formulas to equi-satisfiable sets of CHCs. The transformation to CHCs is sound and complete, and applying it to the first-order formulas that encode verification of hyperproperties leads to a CHC encoding of these problems. We implemented the CHC encoding in a prototype tool and show that, using existing CHC solvers for solving the CHCs, the approach already outperforms state-of-the-art tools for hyperproperty verification by orders of magnitude.
Team Academy: Future Skills and the Future of Learning
Authors: Vogel Michael P.
Published: April 2024

This chapter reviews and refines the concept of Future Skills before introducing and discussing a radically innovative higher education model for Future Skills development called Team Academy. The chapter argues that Future Skills are acquired best not through teaching but learners’ self-directed action and reflection in authentic contexts. The Team Academy model of entrepreneurship education combines real-life action learning, team learning, and team coaching uniquely to create favorable conditions for, and actively foster, the acquisition of a range of Future Skills. Based on the example of Germany’s first Team Academy in Bremerhaven, the chapter addresses some challenges of implementing the model in a public higher education context and offers first-hand learnings.
The “University of the Future” of the Philippines: The Case of University of the Philippines Open University’s Master of Public Management Program
Authors: Gervacio Juvy Lizette M.
Published: April 2024

One of the issues in the education sector is how to future-ready degrees and develop students’ Future Skills essential in an agile environment. This will facilitate students not only to become lifelong learners but also enable them to adapt to various career tracks in the fast-paced world. The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) is envisioned to help equip Filipinos with the knowledge and skills they need for life and work in the twenty-first century. As the “University of the Future,” UPOU, through the Open Distance Learning Law, is mandated to assist agencies, higher education institutions (HEIs), and technical and vocational institutions in developing distance education programs through training, research, and other academic programs. This paper discusses the following questions: (a) What is the concept of the University of the Future for UPOU?; (b) How is Open and Distance E-learning (ODeL) articulated towards future-ready degrees?; (c) What are the initiatives from the Master of Public Management (MPM) Program to develop the Future Skills of public servants?; (d) Are the learning activities aptly designed to develop Future Skills of public servants?; and (e) How can online assignments be redesigned to incorporate development of Future Skills?
Anticipating the Future: Continuing Education at the National University of Singapore
Authors: Green Miriam J. , Tay Christalle , Wu Ye-Her
Published: April 2024

The chapter describes how the National University of Singapore contributes to strengthening Singapore’s workforce through its approach to Future Skills, as well as through collaboration with government and industry. The authors show how a refreshed approach to undergraduate education, coupled with the development of a broad array of graduate programs, support the goal to prepare students for the future. NUS’s approach includes efforts to inculcate a culture of lifelong learning on campus, providing opportunities for acquiring in-demand skills, and building data literacy among students as well as university staff. This approach aims at ensuring both broad- and deep-skilling in undergraduate education for a volatile and uncertain future.
The Practice of Future Skills Learning: An Assessment of Approaches, Conditions and Success Factors
Authors: Eigbrecht Laura , Ehlers Ulf-Daniel
Published: April 2024

The edited volume “Creating the University of the Future” is a body of evidence that Future Skills are viewed as a possibility to fill the gap between demands for skills and competences and the current state of provision in higher education. The provided experiences, practices and implementation concepts from educational professionals in the field provide an opportunity to analyze and synthesize the perspectives and experiences around Future Skills and their implementation in higher education institutions. Authors were asked to elaborate on their specific definition of the concept of Future Skills and to provide recommendations for promoting Future Skills in higher education in practice based on their experiences. Building on this, the chapter provides a panoramic view of places and institutions, analyzes the provided Future Skills definitions and synthesizes the practice recommendations given in order to close with an outlook for a Future Skills vision for higher education and its conditions for success.
“I’ve Learnt Everything I Know from the World.”
Authors: Ehlers Ulf-Daniel , Eigbrecht Laura
Published: April 2024

Andreas Schleicher (Fig. 4.1) is Director for Education and Skills at the OECD. He initiated and oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have created a global platform for policymakers, researchers, and educators across nations and cultures to innovate and transform educational policies and practices—and that have stimulated discussion on competence needs of today’s and future learners. In this conversation, we focus on Andreas Schleicher’s pathway to working with Future Skills as well as on future educational concepts for promoting them.
A note on the bulk interpretation of the quantum extremal surface formula
Authors: Wong Gabriel
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Defining quantum information quantities directly in bulk quantum gravity is a difficult problem due to the fluctuations of spacetime. Some progress was made recently in [1], which provided a bulk interpretation of the Bekenstein Hawking formula for two sided BTZ black holes in terms of the entanglement entropy of gravitational edge modes. We generalize those results to give a bulk entanglement entropy interpretation of the quantum extremal surface formula in AdS3 gravity, as applied to a single interval in the boundary theory. Our computation further supports the proposal that AdS3 gravity can be viewed as a topological phase in which the bulk gravity edge modes are anyons that transform under the quantum group $${{\text{SL}}}_{q}^{+}\left(2,{\mathbb{R}}\right)$$. These edge modes appear when we cut open the Euclidean path integral along bulk co-dimension 2 slices, and satisfies a shrinkable boundary condition which ensures that the Gibbons-Hawking calculation gives the correct state counting.
The Singular Brick Vault by Slices in Tower J17 from the Aurelian Walls in Rome
Authors: Aliberti Licinia , de-Miguel-Sánchez Manuel , González-Uriel Ana
Published: April 2024

The lower chamber of tower J17 from the Aurelian Walls in Rome is covered by a singular brick vault by slices that is almost completely preserved. This kind of vault is unusual in a Roman context and specifically in Aurelian Walls. Brick vaults by slices were extensively studied by the French engineer Auguste Choisy, who mainly scrutinized their ease of construction that doesn’t require formwork and can adapt to different plans to achieve lowered vaults. The best-known examples are in Byzantium and generally in the Eastern Roman Empire, while we don’t know many cases dating from late Roman antiquity on the Italian peninsula. Based on a rigorous photogrammetric survey and thorough data management, a detailed analysis of this vault allows us to establish a hypothesis about its construction process and to deepen the knowledge of this type of structure.
On extreme points and representer theorems for the Lipschitz unit ball on finite metric spaces
Authors: Bredies Kristian , Rodriguez Jonathan Chirinos , Naldi Emanuele
Published: April 2024

In this note, we provide a characterization for the set of extreme points of the Lipschitz unit ball in a specific vectorial setting. While the analysis of the case of real-valued functions is covered extensively in the literature, no information about the vectorial case has been provided up to date. Here, we aim at partially filling this gap by considering functions mapping from a finite metric space to a strictly convex Banach space that satisfy the Lipschitz condition. As a consequence, we present a representer theorem for such functions. In this setting, the number of extreme points needed to express any point inside the ball is independent of the dimension, improving the classical result from Carathéodory.
Prediction algorithms in matching platforms
Authors: Hämäläinen Saara , Petrikaitė Vaiva
Published: April 2024

We follow the future trajectory of more targeted wage formation in labor matching platforms, such as freelancing, crowd-sourcing, home-delivery, and ride-hailing, where local job search is coordinated by improving prediction algorithms. A labor matching platform is modelled as a directed search and matching market. We observe that targeted wage setting promotes efficient matching and longer employment spells. However, because a higher employment rate accentuates any disparities between available workers and vacancies, the effects of targeted wage setting on firm competition depend on prevailing market tightness. The impact of targeted wage formation on workers is positive when the vacancy-to-worker ratio is intermediate but turns negative at both extremes. Our results suggest that targeted wage setting may benefit occasional workers while potentially posing drawbacks for full-time platform workers.
Online monitoring of protein refolding in inclusion body processing using intrinsic fluorescence
Authors: Igwe Chika Linda , Müller Don Fabian , Gisperg Florian , Pauk Jan Niklas , Kierein Matthias , Elshazly Mohamed , Klausser Robert , Kopp Julian , Spadiut Oliver , Přáda Brichtová Eva
Published: April 2024

Inclusion bodies (IBs) are protein aggregates formed as a result of overexpression of recombinant protein in E. coli. The formation of IBs is a valuable strategy of recombinant protein production despite the need for additional processing steps, i.e., isolation, solubilization and refolding. Industrial process development of protein refolding is a labor-intensive task based largely on empirical approaches rather than knowledge-driven strategies. A prerequisite for knowledge-driven process development is a reliable monitoring strategy. This work explores the potential of intrinsic tryptophan and tyrosine fluorescence for real-time and in situ monitoring of protein refolding. In contrast to commonly established process analytical technology (PAT), this technique showed high sensitivity with reproducible measurements for protein concentrations down to 0.01 g L$$^{-1}$$

-
1

. The change of protein conformation during refolding is reflected as a shift in the position of the maxima of the tryptophan and tyrosine fluorescence spectra as well as change in the signal intensity. The shift in the peak position, expressed as average emission wavelength of a spectrum, was correlated to the amount of folding intermediates whereas the intensity integral correlates to the extent of aggregation. These correlations were implemented as an observation function into a mechanistic model. The versatility and transferability of the technique were demonstrated on the refolding of three different proteins with varying structural complexity. The technique was also successfully applied to detect the effect of additives and process mode on the refolding process efficiency. Thus, the methodology presented poses a generic and reliable PAT tool enabling real-time process monitoring of protein refolding.

Graphical abstract

Real-time intrinsic fluorescence monitoring in protein refolding
Influence of methyl jasmonate and methyl jasmonate plus urea foliar applications on amino acids composition throughout ‘Tempranillo’ grape ripening over two seasons
Authors: González-Lázaro Miriam , Pérez-Álvarez Eva P. , Sáenz de Urturi Itziar , Marín-San Román Sandra , Murillo-Peña Rebeca , Garde-Cerdán Teresa
Published: April 2024

This work studies the impact of foliar application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and methyl jasmonate plus urea (MeJA + Ur) on the evolution of amino acid content in ‘Tempranillo’ grapes during ripening, across two vintages. To achieve this goal, sample grapes were harvested at five different timing. Fol1: 1 day before first foliar application; Fol2: 1 day before second foliar application; Preharvest: 15 days after second foliar application; Harvest: the day of harvest; and Postharvest: 15 days after harvest. The effect of foliar treatments was season dependent, being effective to improve the amino acids content of grapes only in the first vintage. Among the treatments studied, foliar application of MeJA-Ur showed better results. The evolution of amino acids during ripening also was different among seasons. Overall, in the 2019, amino acids reached their highest content at Preharvest or Harvest samples, whereas in the 2020 season, these highest concentrations were reached at Postharvest. Asparagine might serve as a suitable amino acid for controlling grape ripening, as its content decreased from Fol1 to Postharvest in the two vintages. Moreover, differences on the total amino acids content at Harvest date between vintages were observed, probably due to different climatological conditions. Therefore, this study pioneers the examination of the impact of foliar applications of MeJA and MeJA + Ur on the amino acids evolution in ‘Tempranillo’ grapes during ripening. The need for further research is clear to comprehend the complex interaction between foliar treatments and grape amino acids dynamics for optimizing nitrogen quality of grapes.
A foundation for comparative genomics and evolutionary studies in Nucella lapillus based on complete mitogenome assembly
Authors: García-Souto Daniel , Fernández-Rodríguez Jonathan , Vidal-Capón André , Fuller Neil , Pizcueta Juan , Pasantes Juan J. , Galindo Juan
Published: April 2024

The Atlantic dog whelk, Nucella lapillus, is a marine snail that exhibits divergent evolution in response to habitat adaptation, resulting in distinct populations at the phenotypic, genotypic, and karyotypic levels. In this study, we utilized short- and long-read NGS data to perform a de novo assembly of the entire mitochondrial genome of N. lapillus and developed a multiplex PCR protocol to sequence most of its length using ONT sequencing. Our analysis revealed a typical circular configuration of 16,474 bp in length with 13 protein-coding genes, 22 different tRNA genes, 2 of them showing two copies, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. Long-read sequencing enabled us to identify a 1826 bp perfect inverted repeat within the control region. Comparative analysis of the mitogenomes of related species in the Muricidae family revealed a conserved gene configuration for N. lapillus. We found a low genetic diversity, as well as a moderate genetic differentiation among the studied populations. Interestingly, there was no observed differentiation between the two chromosomal races, suggesting either introgression and permanent incorporation of the mitochondrial DNA haplotype from one of the chromosomal races into the other or a slower evolutionary rate of the mtDNAs with respect to that of the karyotypes. Our study serves as a foundation for comparative genomics and evolutionary investigations in this species.
Novel method for production and purification of untagged pneumococcal surface protein A from clade 1
Authors: da Costa Rodrigues Tasson , Zorzete Patricia , Miyaji Eliane Namie , Gonçalves Viviane Maimoni
Published: April 2024

Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause diseases with high mortality and morbidity. The licensed vaccines are based on capsular polysaccharides and induce antibodies with low cross reactivity, leading to restricted coverage of serotypes. For surpassing this limitation, new pneumococcal vaccines are needed for induction of broader protection. One important candidate is the pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), which can be classified in 6 clades and 3 families. We have reported an efficient process for production and purification of untagged recombinant PspA from clade 4 (PspA4Pro). We now aim to obtain a highly pure recombinant PspA from clade 1 (PspA1) to be included, together with PspA4Pro, in a vaccine formulation to broaden response against pneumococci. The vector pET28a-pspA1 was constructed and used to transform Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) strain. One clone with high production of PspA1 was selected and adapted to high-density fermentation (HDF) medium. After biomass production in 6 L HDF using a bioreactor, the purification was defined after testing 3 protocols. During the batch bioreactor cultivation, plasmid stability remained above 90% and acetate formation was not detected. The final protein purification process included treatment with a cationic detergent after lysis, anion exchange chromatography, cryoprecipitation, cation exchange chromatography, and multimodal chromatography. The final purification process showed PspA1 purity of 93% with low endotoxin content and an overall recovery above 20%. The novel established process can be easily scaled-up and proved to be efficient to obtain a highly pure untagged PspA1 for inclusion in vaccine formulations.

Key points

• Purification strategy for recombinant PspA1 from Streptococcus pneumoniae

• Downstream processing for untagged protein antigens, the case of PspA1

• Purification strategy for PspA variants relies on buried amino acids in their sequences
Novel glycosidase from Paenibacillus lactis 154 hydrolyzing the 28-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester bond of oleanane-type saponins
Authors: Wu Zongzhan , Dou Wenyu , Yang Xiaolin , Niu Tengfei , Han Zhuzhen , Yang Li , Wang Rufeng , Wang Zhengtao
Published: April 2024

Oleanane-type ginsenosides are a class of compounds with remarkable pharmacological activities. However, the lack of effective preparation methods for specific rare ginsenosides has hindered the exploration of their pharmacological properties. In this study, a novel glycoside hydrolase PlGH3 was cloned from Paenibacillus lactis 154 and heterologous expressed in Escherichia coli. Sequence analysis revealed that PlGH3 consists of 749 amino acids with a molecular weight of 89.5 kDa, exhibiting the characteristic features of the glycoside hydrolase 3 family. The enzymatic characterization results of PlGH3 showed that the optimal reaction pH and temperature was 8 and 50 °C by using p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside as a substrate, respectively. The Km and kcat values towards ginsenoside Ro were 79.59 ± 3.42 µM and 18.52 s−1, respectively. PlGH3 exhibits a highly specific activity on hydrolyzing the 28-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester bond of oleanane-type saponins. The mechanism of hydrolysis specificity was then presumably elucidated through molecular docking. Eventually, four kinds of rare oleanane-type ginsenosides (calenduloside E, pseudoginsenoside RP1, zingibroside R1, and tarasaponin VI) were successfully prepared by biotransforming total saponins extracted from Panax japonicus. This study contributes to understanding the mechanism of enzymatic hydrolysis of the GH3 family and provides a practical route for the preparation of rare oleanane-type ginsenosides through biotransformation.

Key points

• The glucose at C-28 in oleanane-type saponins can be directionally hydrolyzed.

• Mechanisms to interpret PlGH3 substrate specificity by molecular docking.

• Case of preparation of low-sugar alternative saponins by directed hydrolysis.
Optimizing the pharmacokinetics of an 211At-labeled RGD peptide with an albumin-binding moiety via the administration of an albumin-binding inhibitor
Authors: Echigo Hiroaki , Munekane Masayuki , Fuchigami Takeshi , Washiyama Kohshin , Mishiro Kenji , Wakabayashi Hiroshi , Takahashi Kazuhiro , Kinuya Seigo , Ogawa Kazuma
Published: April 2024

Purpose

A probe for targeted alpha therapy (TAT) using the RGD peptide (Ga-DOTA-K([211At]APBA)-c(RGDfK) ([211At]1)) with albumin-binding moiety (ABM) was recently developed. [211At]1 highly accumulated in tumors and significantly inhibited tumor growth in U-87 MG tumor-bearing mice. However, high [211At]1 retention in blood may cause critical adverse events, such as hematotoxicity. Therefore, we attempted to accelerate the blood clearance of [211At]1 by competitively inhibiting the binding of [211At]1 to albumin to modulate the pharmacokinetics of the former.

Methods

To evaluate the effects of albumin-binding inhibitors in normal mice, sodium 4-(4-iodophenyl)butanoate at 2, 5, or 10 molar equivalents of blood albumin was administered at 1-h postinjection of [211At]1. The biodistribution of [211At]1, SPECT/CT imaging of [67Ga]Ga-DOTA-K(IPBA)-c(RGDfK) ([67Ga]2), and the therapeutic effects of [211At]1 were compared with or without IPBA administration in U-87 MG tumor-bearing mice.

Results

Blood radioactivity of [211At]1 was decreased in a dose-dependent manner with IPBA in normal mice. In U-87 MG tumor-bearing mice, the blood radioactivity and accumulation in nontarget tissues of [211At]1 were decreased by IPBA. Meanwhile, tumor [211At]1 accumulation was not changed at 3-h postinjection of IPBA. In SPECT/CT imaging of [67Ga]2, IPBA administration dramatically decreased radioactivity in nontarget tissues, and only tumor tissue was visualized. In therapeutic experiments, [211At]1 with IPBA injected-group significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to the control group.

Conclusion

IPBA administration (as an albumin-binding inhibitor) could modulate the pharmacokinetics and enhance the therapeutic effects of [211At]1.
Contrast media for hysterosalpingography: systematic search and review providing new guidelines by the Contrast Media Safety Committee of the European Society of Urogenital Radiology
Authors: Geenen Remy W. F. , van der Molen Aart J. , Dekkers Ilona A. , Bellin Marie-France , Bertolotto Michele , Correas Jean-Michel , Heinz-Peer Gertraud , Mahnken Andreas H. , Quattrocchi Carlo C. , Radbruch Alexander , Reimer Peter , Roditi Giles , Sebastià Carmen , Stacul Fulvio , Romanini Laura , Clément Olivier , Brismar Torkel B
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is widely used for evaluating the fallopian tubes; however, controversies regarding the use of water- or oil-based iodine-based contrast media (CM) remain. The aim of this work was (1) to discuss reported pregnancy rates related to the CM type used, (2) to validate the used CM in published literature, (3) to discuss possible complications and side effects of CM in HSG, and (4) to develop guidelines on the use of oil-based CM in HSG.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted for original RCT studies or review/meta-analyses on using water-based and oil-based CM in HSG with fertility outcomes and complications. Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 10 reviews/meta-analyses were analyzed. Grading of the literature was performed based on the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) 2011 classification.

Results

An approximately 10% higher pregnancy rate is reported for oil-based CM. Side effects are rare, but oil-based CM have potentially more side effects on the maternal thyroid function and the peritoneum.

Conclusions

1. HSG with oil-based CM gives approximately 10% higher pregnancy rates.

2. External validity is limited, as in five of nine RCTs, the CM used is no longer on the market.

3. Oil-based CM have potentially more side effects on the maternal thyroid function and on the peritoneum.

4. Guideline: Maternal thyroid function should be tested before HSG with oil-based CM and monitored for 6 months after.

Clinical relevance statement

Oil-based CM is associated with an approximately 10% higher chance of pregnancy compared to water-based CM after HSG. Although side effects are rare, higher iodine concentration and slower clearance of oil-based CM may induce maternal thyroid function disturbance and peritoneal inflammation and granuloma formation.

Key Points

• It is unknown which type of contrast medium, oil-based or water-based, is the optimal for HSG.

• Oil-based contrast media give a 10% higher chance of pregnancy after HSG, compared to water-based contrast media.

• From the safety perspective, oil-based CM can cause thyroid dysfunction and an intra-abdominal inflammatory response in the patient.
Approximation and Interpolation of Singular Measures by Trigonometric Polynomials
Authors: Catala Paul , Hockmann Mathias , Kunis Stefan , Wageringel Markus
Published: April 2024

Complex valued measures of finite total variation are a powerful signal model in many applications. Restricting to the d-dimensional torus, finitely supported measures can be exactly recovered from their trigonometric moments up to some order if this order is large enough. Here, we consider the approximation of general measures, e.g., supported on a curve, by trigonometric polynomials of fixed degree with respect to the 1-Wasserstein distance. We prove sharp lower bounds for their best approximation and (almost) matching upper bounds for effectively computable approximations when the trigonometric moments of the measure are known. A second class of sum of squares polynomials is shown to interpolate the indicator function on the support of the measure and to converge to zero outside.
Determining N2O and N2 fluxes in relation to winter wheat and sugar beet growth and development using the improved 15N gas flux method on the field scale
Authors: Eckei Jonas , Well Reinhard , Maier Martin , Matson Amanda , Dittert Klaus , Rummel Pauline Sophie
Published: April 2024

The objectives of this field trial were to collect reliable measurement data on N2 emissions and N2O/(N2O + N2) ratios in typical German crops in relation to crop development and to provide a dataset to test and improve biogeochemical models. N2O and N2 emissions in winter wheat (WW, Triticum aestivum L.) and sugar beet (SB, Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) were measured using the improved 15N gas flux method with helium–oxygen flushing (80:20) to reduce the atmospheric N2 background to < 2%. To estimate total N2O and N2 production in soil, production-diffusion modelling was applied. Soil samples were taken in regular intervals and analyzed for mineral N (NO3− and NH4+) and water-extractable Corg content. In addition, we monitored soil moisture, crop development, plant N uptake, N transformation processes in soil, and N translocation to deeper soil layers. Our best estimates for cumulative N2O + N2 losses were 860.4 ± 220.9 mg N m−2 and 553.1 ± 96.3 mg N m−2 over the experimental period of 189 and 161 days with total N2O/(N2O + N2) ratios of 0.12 and 0.15 for WW and SB, respectively. Growing plants affected all controlling factors of denitrification, and dynamics clearly differed between crop species. Overall, N2O and N2 emissions were highest when plant N and water uptake were low, i.e., during early growth stages, ripening, and after harvest. We present the first dataset of a plot-scale field study employing the improved 15N gas flux method over a growing season showing that drivers for N2O and N2O + N2 fluxes differ between crop species and change throughout the growing season.
Potato yield and quality are linked to cover crop and soil microbiome, respectively
Authors: Hemkemeyer Michael , Schwalb Sanja A. , Berendonk Clara , Geisen Stefan , Heinze Stefanie , Joergensen Rainer Georg , Li Rong , Lövenich Peter , Xiong Wu , Wichern Florian
Published: April 2024

Crop-specific cultivation practices including crop rotation, cover cropping, and fertilisation are key measures for sustainable farming, for which soil microorganisms are important components. This study aims at identifying links between agronomic practices, potato yield and quality as well as soil microorganisms. We analysed the roles of cover crops and of the soil prokaryotic, fungal, and protistan communities in a long-term trial, differing in crop rotation, i.e. winter wheat or silage maize as pre-crop, presence and positioning of oil radish within the rotation, and fertilisation, i.e. mineral fertiliser, straw, manure, or slurry. Up to 16% higher yields were observed when oil radish grew directly before potatoes. Losses of potato quality due to infection with Rhizoctonia solani-induced diseases and common scab was 43–63% lower when wheat + oil radish was pre-crop under manure or straw + slurry fertilisation than for maize as pre-crop. This contrast was also reflected by 42% higher fungal abundance and differences in β-diversity of prokaryotes, fungi, and protists. Those amplicon sequence variants, which were found in the treatments with highest potato qualities and differed in their abundances from other treatments, belonged to Firmicutes (2.4% of the sequences) and Mortierellaceae (28%), which both comprise potential antagonists of phytopathogens. Among protists, Lobosa, especially Copromyxa, was 62% more abundant in the high potato quality plots compared to all others, suggesting that specific higher trophic organisms can improve crop performance. Our findings suggest that successful potato cultivation is related (1) to planting of oil radish before potatoes for increasing yield and (2) to fertilisation with manure or straw + slurry for enriching the microbiome with crop-beneficial taxa.
Tropical Atlantic variability in EC-EARTH: impact of the radiative forcing
Authors: Volpi Danila , García-Serrano Javier , Palmeiro Froila M. , Gil-Reyes Laura , Haarsma Reindert J.
Published: April 2024

Understanding the impact of radiative forcing on climate variability and change in the Tropical Atlantic is crucial for different socio-economic sectors, given their substantial impacts in both local and remote regions. To properly evaluate the effect of a changing climate on the variability, the use of standard transient historical and scenario simulations requires very large ensembles. A computationally cheaper alternative implemented in this study consists of performing two 250-year-long atmosphere-ocean coupled simulations with EC-EARTH 3.3 (CMIP6 version) with fixed radiative forcing at the years 2000 and 2050, representative of present and future climate conditions, respectively. The changes in the leading modes of Tropical Atlantic variability (TAV), including the Atlantic Niño/Niña and the Subtropical North Atlantic pattern, have been assessed in three target seasons: spring (MAM), summer (JJ) and early winter (ND). While the change in sea surface temperature (SST) climatology shows homogeneous warming, the difference between future and present SST variability exhibits a distinct behaviour consistent along the seasonal cycle, with a decrease in the equatorial region and an increase at subtropical latitudes. This study explores the processes associated with the suppressed/enhanced TAV, with a particular focus on the less-explored early winter season. In agreement with previous studies, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) shows a weakening in strength, but the results also show an increase in variability. The AMOC-related deepening of the equatorial thermocline and the flattening linked to weakened trade winds are consistent with the suppressed SST variability of the Atlantic Niño/Niña. On the other hand, the enhanced SST variability at subtropical latitudes is mainly associated with an increase in turbulent heat flux variability, with a minor contribution of the mixed layer depth variability. Variability in turbulent heat flux is influenced primarily by latent heat flux, connected to changes in precipitation variability.
Hypoxia-inducible factor-driven glycolytic adaptations in host-microbe interactions
Authors: DeMichele Emily , Buret Andre G. , Taylor Cormac T.
Published: April 2024

Mammalian cells utilize glucose as a primary carbon source to produce energy for most cellular functions. However, the bioenergetic homeostasis of cells can be perturbed by environmental alterations, such as changes in oxygen levels which can be associated with bacterial infection. Reduction in oxygen availability leads to a state of hypoxia, inducing numerous cellular responses that aim to combat this stress. Importantly, hypoxia strongly augments cellular glycolysis in most cell types to compensate for the loss of aerobic respiration. Understanding how this host cell metabolic adaptation to hypoxia impacts the course of bacterial infection will identify new anti-microbial targets. This review will highlight developments in our understanding of glycolytic substrate channeling and spatiotemporal enzymatic organization in response to hypoxia, shedding light on the integral role of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) during host–pathogen interactions. Furthermore, the ability of intracellular and extracellular bacteria (pathogens and commensals alike) to modulate host cellular glucose metabolism will be discussed.
The Number of Topological Types of Trees
Authors: Krill Thilo , Pitz Max
Published: April 2024

Two graphs are of the same topological type if they can be mutually embedded into each other topologically. We show that there are exactly $$\aleph _1$$

ℵ
1

distinct topological types of countable trees. In general, for any infinite cardinal $$\kappa $$
κ
there are exactly $$\kappa ^+$$

κ
+

distinct topological types of trees of size $$\kappa $$
κ
. This solves a problem of van der Holst from 2005.
Higher differentiability and integrability for some nonlinear elliptic systems with growth coefficients in BMO
Authors: Moscariello Gioconda , Pascale Giulio
Published: April 2024

We consider local solutions u of nonlinear elliptic systems of the type $$\begin{aligned} \text {div} \,A(x, Du) = \text {div} \, F \qquad \text {in} \quad \Omega \subset \mathbb {R}^n, \end{aligned}$$

div

A

(
x
,
D
u
)

=
div

F

in

Ω
⊂

R

n

,

where $$u: \Omega \rightarrow \mathbb {R}^N$$

u
:
Ω
→

R

N

is in a weighted $$W^{1, p}_{loc}$$

W

loc

1
,
p

space, with $$p \ge 2$$

p
≥
2

, F is in a weighted $$W^{1, 2}_{loc}$$

W

loc

1
,
2

space and x$$\rightarrow $$
→
$$A(x, \xi )$$

A
(
x
,
ξ
)

has growth coefficients in the space of functions with bounded mean oscillation. We prove higher differentiability of u in the sense that the nonlinear expression of its gradient $$V_\mu (Du):=(\mu ^2 + |Du|^2)^{\frac{p - 2}{4}}Du$$

V
μ

(
D
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Tackle your Tics, a brief intensive group-based exposure treatment for young people with tics: results of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Heijerman-Holtgrefe A. P. , Huyser C. , Bus M. , Beljaars L. P. L. , van de Griendt J. M. T. M. , Verdellen C. W. J. , Kan K. J. , Zijlstra B. J. H. , Lindauer R. J. L. , Cath D. C. , Hoekstra P. J. , Utens E. M. W. J.
Published: April 2024

Tics can have a serious impact on the quality of life of children and their families. Behavioural therapy is an evidence-based first line treatment for tic disorders. This randomised controlled trial studied the efficacy of a brief, condensed group-based programme for children with tics (Dutch Trial Registry NL8052, 27 September 2019). Tackle your Tics is a four-day group treatment, including exposure and response prevention and supporting components, delivered by therapists and ‘experts by experience’. We collected outcome measures at baseline (T1), directly post-treatment (T2), and at three- and 6-months follow-up (T3, T4) including tic severity (primary outcome measure), tic-related impairment, quality of life, tic-related cognitions, emotional/behavioural functioning, family functioning, treatment satisfaction and adherence. Outcomes directly post-treatment improved in both the treatment group (n = 52) and waiting list (n = 54), but showed no statistically significant differences between the conditions (differential change over time T1-T2) on tic severity (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale), quality of life (Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Quality of Life Scale), tic-related cognitions and family functioning. At longer term (T3), again no between-group difference was found on tic severity, but tic-related impairment, quality of life and emotional/behavioural functioning significantly improved in the treatment group compared to the waiting list. Mean treatment satisfaction scores were favourable for both children and parents. Directly posttreatment, Tackle your Tics showed no superior effect compared to waiting list. However, on longer term this brief four-day group treatment was effective in improving tic-related impairment, quality of life and emotional/behavioural functioning.
Tiny polyp detection from endoscopic video frames using vision transformers
Authors: Liu Entong , He Bishi , Zhu Darong , Chen Yuanjiao , Xu Zhe
Published: April 2024

Deep learning techniques can be effective in helping doctors diagnose gastrointestinal polyps. Currently, processing video frame sequences containing a large amount of spurious noise in polyp detection suffers from elevated recall and mean average precision. Moreover, the mean average precision is also low when the polyp target in the video frame has large-scale variability. Therefore, we propose a tiny polyp detection from endoscopic video frames using Vision Transformers, named TPolyp. The proposed method uses a cross-stage Swin Transformer as a multi-scale feature extractor to extract deep feature representations of data samples, improves the bidirectional sampling feature pyramid, and integrates the prediction heads of multiple channel self-attention mechanisms. This approach focuses more on the feature information of the tiny object detection task than convolutional neural networks and retains relatively deeper semantic information. It additionally improves feature expression and discriminability without increasing the computational complexity. Experimental results show that TPolyp improves detection accuracy by 7%, recall by 7.3%, and average accuracy by 7.5% compared to the YOLOv5 model, and has better tiny object detection in scenarios with blurry artifacts.
Characterization of recycled nitrile butadiene rubber industrial scraps
Authors: Gobetti Anna , Marchesi Claudio , Depero Laura Eleonora , Ramorino Giorgio
Published: April 2024

The amount of rubber scraps derived from rubber goods production consists of about 20–30% of the processed material, so it is necessary to enhance this material by developing new recycling techniques as well as a new market for recycled rubber products. In the present research, nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) scraps are reprocessed via a calendering process acting with a mechanical devulcanization. Compounds were prepared with 20%, 80%, and 100% recycled rubber content and characterized. The experimental results highlighted that the compound prepared with 20% recycled rubber content via calendering and compression molding processes shows comparable mechanical properties to that of virgin NBR. The tensile properties are the most penalized by the increasing content of recycled material (100% recycled shows − 25% and − 50% stress and strain at break, respectively). Other properties remain comparable to the standard material up to 80% recycled material: 60 ± 5 Shore A, compression elastic modulus 8 MPa, compression set 20%. FTIR analysis revealed no changes in chemical structure from the recycling process. The results demonstrate that simple mechanical devulcanization can effectively reprocess industrial rubber waste while largely maintaining useful properties. This provides a potential pathway to enhance sustainability in rubber production through the valorization of process scraps.

Graphical Abstract
Waste silica sand as a possible pozzolanic filler to produce cement mortars: experimental investigation
Authors: Furlani E. , Zanocco M. , Tubaro E. , Rondinella A. , Maschio S.
Published: April 2024

The present paper discusses experimental results obtained on several mortars prepared using a commercial type1 OPC cement, a commercial limestone aggregate with maximum particles dimension below 5 mm, superplasticizer and water. Different amounts of a waste silica sand, in form of loose powder, derived from the industrial production of refractory blocks, were added to the above basic components. Several additional samples were also prepared using same basic commercial components added by different amounts of a fine limestone filler. This latter set of compositions was used to prepare samples to be used as reference materials. Waste silica sand and fine limestone filler were used as received from their producer. During preparation, pastes containing silica sand showed better workability compared to all the other blended components. All hydrated materials displayed fair compressive strength and low water absorption after curing, but those containing silica sand showed the best mechanical performances due to their low residual porosity and to the pozzolanic reaction which could enable application for the production of structures in direct contact with water or aggressive environments such as sewers or tanks suitable for the containment of organic substances.
Facilitatory effect of low-pulse repetition frequency ultrasound on release of extracellular vesicles from cultured myotubes
Authors: Ma Xiaoqi , Yamaguchi Atomu , Maeshige Noriaki , Tanida Kento , Uemura Mikiko , Lu Fuwen , Kondo Hiroyo , Fujino Hidemi
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) serve as carriers of intracellular factors with therapeutic effects, including tissue regeneration and attenuation of inflammatory responses. The majority of EVs in vivo are derived from skeletal muscle, which is reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. While high-intensity pulsed ultrasound (US) irradiation has been shown to promote EV secretion from myotubes, the impact of pulse repetition frequency, a US parameter affecting pulse length, on EV release remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pulse repetition frequency of US on the release of EVs from myotubes.

Methods

C2C12 myoblasts were used in this study. After differentiation into C2C12 myotubes, US was performed for 5 min at an intensity of 3.0 W/cm2, duty cycle of 20%, acoustic frequency of 1 MHz, and different pulse repetition frequencies (100 Hz, 10 Hz, or 1 Hz). After 12 h, EVs and cells were collected for subsequent analyses.

Results

US did not cause a reduction in cell viability across all US groups compared to the control. The concentration of EVs was significantly higher in all US groups compared to the control group. In particular, the highest increase was observed in the 1-Hz group on EV concentration as well as intracellular Ca2+ level.

Conclusion

This study investigated the effect of three different pulse repetition frequencies of US on the release of EVs from cultured myotubes. It is concluded that a low-pulse repetition frequency of 1 Hz is the most effective for enhancing EV release from cultured myotubes with pulsed ultrasound.
Study of hybrid nanofluid flow in a stationary cone-disk system with temperature-dependent fluid properties
Authors: John A. S. , Mahanthesh B. , Lorenzini G.
Published: April 2024

Cone-disk systems find frequent use such as conical diffusers, medical devices, various rheometric, and viscosimetry applications. In this study, we investigate the three-dimensional flow of a water-based Ag-MgO hybrid nanofluid in a static cone-disk system while considering temperature-dependent fluid properties. How the variable fluid properties affect the dynamics and heat transfer features is studied by Reynolds’s linearized model for variable viscosity and Chiam’s model for variable thermal conductivity. The single-phase nanofluid model is utilized to describe convective heat transfer in hybrid nanofluids, incorporating the experimental data. This model is developed as a coupled system of convective-diffusion equations, encompassing the conservation of momentum and the conservation of thermal energy, in conjunction with an incompressibility condition. A self-similar model is developed by the Lie-group scaling transformations, and the subsequent self-similar equations are then solved numerically. The influence of variable fluid parameters on both swirling and non-swirling flow cases is analyzed. Additionally, the Nusselt number for the disk surface is calculated. It is found that an increase in the temperature-dependent viscosity parameter enhances heat transfer characteristics in the static cone-disk system, while the thermal conductivity parameter has the opposite effect.
YTHDC1 promotes the malignant progression of gastric cancer by promoting ROD1 translocation to the nucleus
Authors: Dong Danhong , Wei Jiangpeng , Wang Weidong , Zhou Haikun , Hong Liu , Ji Gang , Yang Xisheng
Published: April 2024

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) make vital impacts on tumor progression and are important potential targets for tumor treatment. Previous studies have shown that RBP regulator of differentiation 1 (ROD1), enriched in the nucleus, is abnormally expressed and functions as a splicing factor in tumors; however, the mechanism underlying its involvement in gastric cancer (GC) is unknown. In this study, ROD1 is found to stimulate GC cell proliferation and metastasis and is related to poor patient prognosis. In vitro experiments showed that ROD1 influences GC proliferation and metastasis through modulating the imbalance of the level of the oncogenic gene OIP5 and the tumor suppressor gene GPD1L. Further studies showed that the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) “reader” protein YTHDC1 can interact with ROD1 and regulate the balance of the expression of the downstream molecules OIP5/GPD1L by promoting the nuclear enrichment of ROD1. Therefore, YTHDC1 stimulates GC development and progression through modulating nuclear enrichment of the splicing factor ROD1.

Graphical Abstract