bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Orbital polarimetric tomography of a flare near the Sagittarius A* supermassive black hole
Authors: Levis Aviad , Chael Andrew A. , Bouman Katherine L. , Wielgus Maciek , Srinivasan Pratul P.
Published: April 2024

The interaction between the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A*, and its accretion disk occasionally produces high-energy flares seen in X-ray, infrared and radio. One proposed mechanism that produces flares is the formation of compact, bright regions that appear within the accretion disk and close to the event horizon. Understanding these flares provides a window into accretion processes. Although sophisticated simulations predict the formation of these flares, their structure has yet to be recovered by observations. Here we show a three-dimensional reconstruction of an emission flare recovered from Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array light curves observed on 11 April 2017. Our recovery shows compact, bright regions at a distance of roughly six times the event horizon. Moreover, it suggests a clockwise rotation in a low-inclination orbital plane, consistent with prior studies by GRAVITY and the Event Horizon Telescope. To recover this emission structure, we solve an ill-posed tomography problem by integrating a neural three-dimensional representation with a gravitational model for black holes. Although the recovery is subject to, and sometimes sensitive to, the model assumptions, under physically motivated choices, our results are stable and our approach is successful on simulated data.
The Mexican dataset of a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation clinical trial on cocaine use disorder patients: SUDMEX TMS
Authors: Angeles-Valdez Diego , Rasgado-Toledo Jalil , Villicaña Viviana , Davalos-Guzman Alan , Almanza Cristina , Fajardo-Valdez Alfonso , Alcala-Lozano Ruth , Garza-Villarreal Eduardo A.
Published: April 2024

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a global health problem with severe consequences, leading to behavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological disturbances. While consensus on treatments is still ongoing, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising approach for medication-resistant disorders, including substance use disorders. In this context, here we present the SUDMEX-TMS, a Mexican dataset from an rTMS clinical trial involving CUD patients. This longitudinal dataset comprises 54 CUD patients (including 8 females) with data collected at five time points: baseline (T0), two weeks (T1), three months (T2), six months (T3) follow-up, and twelve months (T4) follow-up. The clinical rTMS treatment followed a double-blinded randomized clinical trial design (n = 24 sham/30 active) for 2 weeks, followed by an open-label phase. The dataset includes demographic, clinical, and cognitive measures, as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data collected at all time points, encompassing structural (T1-weighted), functional (resting-state fMRI), and multishell diffusion-weighted (DWI-HARDI) sequences. This dataset offers the opportunity to investigate the impact of rTMS on CUD participants, considering clinical, cognitive, and multimodal MRI metrics in a longitudinal framework.
Chromosome-scale genome assembly and annotation of Cotoneaster glaucophyllus
Authors: Meng Kaikai , Liao Wenbo , Wei Shaolong , Chen Sufang , Li Mingwan , Ma Yongpeng , Fan Qiang
Published: April 2024

Cotoneaster glaucophyllus is a semi-evergreen plant that blossoms in late summer, producing dense, attractive, fragrant white flowers with significant ornamental and ecological value. Here, a chromosome-scale genome assembly was obtained by integrating PacBio and Illumina sequencing data with the aid of Hi-C technology. The genome assembly was 563.3 Mb in length, with contig N50 and scaffold N50 values of ~6 Mb and ~31 Mb, respectively. Most (95.59%) of the sequences were anchored onto 17 pseudochromosomes (538.4 Mb). We predicted 35,856 protein-coding genes, 1,401 miRNAs, 655 tRNAs, 425 rRNAs, and 795 snRNAs. The functions of 34,967 genes (97.52%) were predicted. The availability of this chromosome-level genome will provide valuable resources for molecular studies of this species, facilitating future research on speciation, functional genomics, and comparative genomics within the Rosaceae family.
Endophytic fungi of Panax sokpayensis produce bioactive ginsenoside Compound K in flask fermentation
Authors: Rai Subecha , Singh Laishram Shantikumar , Shaanker Ramanan Uma , Jeyaram Kumaraswamy , Parija Tithi , Sahoo Dinabandhu
Published: April 2024

Endophytes of Panax have the potential to produce their host plant secondary metabolites, ginsenosides. Panax sokpayensis, an endemic traditional medicinal plant of the Sikkim Himalayas was explored for the isolation of endophytic fungi. In the present study, we have isolated 35 endophytic fungal cultures from the rhizome of P. sokpayensis and screened for ginsenosides production by HPLC by comparing the peak retention time with that of standard ginsenosides. The HPLC analysis revealed that out of 35 isolates, the mycelial extracts of four fungal endophytes (PSRF52, PSRF53, PSRF49 and PSRF58) exhibited peaks with a similar retention time of the standard ginsenoside, Compound K (CK). LC–ESI–MS/MS analysis led to the confirmation of ginsenoside CK production by the four fungal endophytes which showed a compound with m/z 639.6278, similar to that of standard ginsenoside CK with yield in potato dextrose broth flask fermentation ranging from 0.0019 to 0.0386 mg/g of mycelial mass in dry weight basis. The four prospective fungal endophyte isolates were identified as Thermothielavioides terrestris PSRF52, Aspergillus sp. PSRF49, Rutstroemiaceae sp. strain PSRF53, and Phaeosphaeriaceae sp. strain PSRF58 based on ITS sequencing. The present finding highlights the need for further study on growth optimization and other culture parameters to exploit the endophytes as an alternative source for ginsenoside CK production.
Modeling health and well-being measures using ZIP code spatial neighborhood patterns
Authors: Jain Abhi , LaValley Michael , Dukes Kimberly , Lane Kevin , Winter Michael , Spangler Keith R. , Cesare Nina , Wang Biqi , Rickles Michael , Mohammed Shariq
Published: April 2024

Individual-level assessment of health and well-being permits analysis of community well-being and health risk evaluations across several dimensions of health. It also enables comparison and rankings of reported health and well-being for large geographical areas such as states, metropolitan areas, and counties. However, there is large variation in reported well-being within such large spatial units underscoring the importance of analyzing well-being at more granular levels, such as ZIP codes. In this paper, we address this problem by modeling well-being data to generate ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA)-level rankings through spatially informed statistical modeling. We build regression models for individual-level overall well-being index and scores from five subscales (Physical, Financial, Social, Community, Purpose) using individual-level demographic characteristics as predictors while including a ZCTA-level spatial effect. The ZCTA neighborhood information is incorporated by using a graph Laplacian matrix; this enables estimation of the effect of a ZCTA on well-being using individual-level data from that ZCTA as well as by borrowing information from neighboring ZCTAs. We deploy our model on well-being data for the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Georgia. We find that our model can capture the effects of demographic features while also offering spatial effect estimates for all ZCTAs, including ones with no observations, under certain conditions. These spatial effect estimates provide community health and well-being rankings of ZCTAs, and our method can be deployed more generally to model other outcomes that are spatially dependent as well as data from other states or groups of states.
Task demand mediates the interaction of spatial and temporal attention
Authors: Palmieri Helena , Carrasco Marisa
Published: April 2024

Psychophysical studies typically test attentional mechanisms in isolation, but in everyday life they interact to optimize human behavior. We investigated whether spatial and temporal attention interact in two orientation discrimination experiments that vary in task demand. We manipulated temporal and spatial attention separately and conjointly with well-established methods for testing each spatial or temporal attention. We assessed sensitivity (d′) and reaction time for every combination of spatial and timing cues, each of which was valid, neutral, or invalid. Spatial attention modulated sensitivity (d′) and speed (reaction time) across temporal attention conditions. Temporal attention modulated sensitivity and speed under high- but not low- task demands. Furthermore, spatial and temporal attention interacted for the high-demand task. This study reveals that task demand matters; in a simple task spatial attention suffices to improve performance, whereas in a more demanding task both spatial and temporal attention interact to boost performance, albeit in a subadditive fashion.
Impacts of commodity prices and governance on the expansion of tropical agricultural frontiers
Authors: Miranda Javier , Britz Wolfgang , Börner Jan
Published: April 2024

Deforestation in the tropics remains a significant global challenge linked to carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. Agriculture, forestry, wildfires, and urbanization have been repeatedly identified as main drivers of tropical deforestation. Understanding the underlying mechanisms behind these direct causes is crucial to navigate the multiple tradeoffs between competing forest uses, such as food and biomass production (SDG 2), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15). This paper develops and implements a global-scale empirical approach to quantify two key factors affecting land use decisions at tropical forest frontiers: agricultural commodity prices and national governance. It relies on data covering the period 2004–2015 from multiple public sources, aggregated to countries and agro-ecological zones. Our analysis confirms the persistent influence of commodity prices on agricultural land expansion, especially in forest-abundant regions. Economic and environmental governance quality co-determines processes of expansion and contraction of agricultural land in the tropics, yet at much smaller magnitudes than other drivers. We derive land supply elasticities for direct use in standard economic impact assessment models and demonstrate that our results make a difference in a Computable General Equilibrium framework.
Mining genomic regions associated with agronomic and biochemical traits in quinoa through GWAS
Authors: Rahman Hifzur , Vikram Prashant , Hu Yulan , Asthana Sugandha , Tanaji Abhinav , Suryanarayanan Padmaktshni , Quadros Chris , Mehta Lovely , Shahid Mohammed , Gkanogiannis Anestis , Thushar Sumitha , Balazadeh Salma , Mueller-Roeber Bernd , Becerra Lopez-Lavalle Luis Augusto , Wei Tong , Singh Rakesh Kumar
Published: April 2024

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), an Andean crop, is a facultative halophyte food crop recognized globally for its high nutritional value and plasticity to adapt to harsh conditions. We conducted a genome-wide association study on a diverse set of quinoa germplasm accessions. These accessions were evaluated for the following agronomic and biochemical traits: days to 50% flowering (DTF), plant height (PH), panicle length (PL), stem diameter (SD), seed yield (SY), grain diameter (GD), and thousand-grain weight (TGW). These accessions underwent genotyping-by-sequencing using the DNBSeq-G400R platform. Among all evaluated traits, TGW represented maximum broad-sense heritability. Our study revealed average SNP density of ≈ 3.11 SNPs/10 kb for the whole genome, with the lowest and highest on chromosomes Cq1B and Cq9A, respectively. Principal component analysis clustered the quinoa population in three main clusters, one clearly representing lowland Chilean accessions, whereas the other two groups corresponded to germplasm from the highlands of Peru and Bolivia. In our germplasm set, we estimated linkage disequilibrium decay to be ≈ 118.5 kb. Marker-trait analyses revealed major and consistent effect associations for DTF on chromosomes 3A, 4B, 5B, 6A, 7A, 7B and 8B, with phenotypic variance explained (PVE) as high as 19.15%. Nine associations across eight chromosomes were also found for saponin content with 20% PVE by qSPN5A.1. More QTLs were identified for PL and TGW on multiple chromosomal locations. We identified putative candidate genes in the genomic regions associated with DTF and saponin content. The consistent and major-effect genomic associations can be used in fast-tracking quinoa breeding for wider adaptation across marginal environments.
Dexrazoxane inhibits the growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by attenuating SDCBP/MDA-9/syntenin-mediated EGFR-PI3K-Akt pathway activation
Authors: Du Ruijuan , Xiao Nan , Han Li , Guo KeLei , Li Kai , Chen Zhiguo , Zhang Hui , Zhou Zijun , Huang Yunlong , Zhao Xulin , Bian Hua
Published: April 2024

Syndecan-binding protein (SDCBP) was reported to stimulate the advancement of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and could potentially be a target for ESCC treatment. There is a growing corpus of research on the anti-tumor effects of iron chelators; however, very few studies have addressed the involvement of dexrazoxane in cancer. In this study, structure-based virtual screening was employed to select drugs targeting SDCBP from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug databases. The sepharose 4B beads pull-down assay revealed that dexrazoxane targeted SDCBP by interacting with its PDZ1 domain. Additionally, dexrazoxane inhibited ESCC cell proliferation and anchorage-independent colony formation via SDCBP. ESCC cell apoptosis and G2 phase arrest were induced as measured by the flow cytometry assay. Subsequent research revealed that dexrazoxane attenuated the binding ability between SDCBP and EGFR in an immunoprecipitation assay. Furthermore, dexrazoxane impaired EGFR membrane localization and inactivated the EGFR/PI3K/Akt pathway. In vivo, xenograft mouse experiments indicated that dexrazoxane suppressed ESCC tumor growth. These data indicate that dexrazoxane might be established as a potential anti-cancer agent in ESCC by targeting SDCBP.
Bayesian geochemical correlation and tomography
Authors: Bloem Hugo , Curtis Andrew
Published: April 2024

To accurately reconstruct palaeoenvironmental change through time it is important to determine which rock samples were deposited contemporaneously at different sites or transects, as erroneous correlation may lead to incorrectly inferred processes and rates. To correlate samples, current practice interpolates geological age between datable units along each transect, then temporal signatures observed in geochemical logs are matched between transects. Unfortunately spatiotemporally variable and unknown rates of sedimentary deposition create highly nonlinear space-time transforms, significantly altering apparent geochemical signatures. The resulting correlational hypotheses are also untestable against independent transects, because correlations have no spatially-predictive power. Here we use geological process information stored within neural networks to correlate spatially offset logs nonlinearly and geologically. The same method creates tomographic images of geological age and geochemical signature across intervening rock volumes. Posterior tomographic images closely resemble the true depositional age throughout the inter-transect volume, even for scenarios with long hiatuses in preserved geochemical signals. Bayesian probability distributions describe data-consistent variations in the results, showing that centred summary statistics such as mean and variance do not adequately describe correlational uncertainties. Tomographic images demonstrate spatially predictive power away from geochemical transects, creating novel hypotheses attributable to each geochemical correlation which are testable against independent data.
Malignant features of minipig melanomas prior to spontaneous regression
Authors: Débare Héloïse , Blanc Fany , Piton Guillaume , Leplat Jean-Jacques , Vincent-Naulleau Silvia , Rivière Julie , Vilotte Marthe , Marthey Sylvain , Lecardonnel Jérôme , Coville Jean-Luc , Estellé Jordi , Rau Andrea , Bourneuf Emmanuelle , Egidy Giorgia
Published: April 2024

In MeLiM minipigs, melanomas develop around birth, can metastasize, and have histopathologic characteristics similar to humans. Interestingly, MeLiM melanomas eventually regress. This favorable outcome raises the question of their malignancy, which we investigated. We clinically followed tens of tumors from onset to first signs of regression. Transcriptome analysis revealed an enrichment of all cancer hallmarks in melanomas, although no activating or suppressing somatic mutation were found in common driver genes. Analysis of tumor cell genomes revealed high mutation rates without UV signature. Canonical proliferative, survival and angiogenic pathways were detected in MeLiM tumor cells all along progression stages. Functionally, we show that MeLiM melanoma cells are capable to grow in immunocompromised mice, with serial passages and for a longer time than in MeLiM pigs. Pigs set in place an immune response during progression with dense infiltration by myeloid cells while melanoma cells are deficient in B2M expression. To conclude, our data on MeLiM melanomas reveal several malignancy characteristics. The combination of these features with the successful spontaneous regression of these tumors make it an outstanding model to study an efficient anti-tumor immune response.
Failure mechanism and bearing force of CFRP strengthened square hollow section under compressive load
Authors: Huang Can , Wei Yan-hui , Ma Ke-jian , Liu Zhuo-qun , Tian Peng-gang , Zhao Bing-zhen
Published: April 2024

Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates can efficiently repair or enhance the mechanical properties of the square hollow section. However, the loading end of such a CFRP-strengthened member is prone to local bearing failure under compressive load. Given this limitation, an innovative CFRP-plate-strengthened square hollow section composite member (CFRP-SHSCM) was raised, and the thick-walled section was welded on both ends of the thin-walled steel column. The mechanical properties of CFRP-SHSCMs were investigated through parameter finite element (FE) analysis, focusing on the influence of the amount of CFRP layers (nc), the slenderness ratio (λ), the initial geometric imperfections (v0), the CFRP layouts (2S and 4S) and the length of the exposed steel column (Le). The load–displacement curves, the bearing force, and typical failure modes were also acquired. Results indicated that with increasing nc and v0, and decreasing λ, the conventional CFRP-SHSCMs were prone to local bearing failure with poor ductility, leading to the insufficient use of the CFRP plate, in contrast, the improved CFRP-SHSCMs primarily underwent overall buckling failure and exhibited better bearing force and ductility. Finally, the modified Perry-Robertson formula was put forward to predict the ultimate load of the CFRP-SHSCMs. The coefficients of variation between the FE simulation and the theoretical results were 0.00436 and 0.0292, respectively.
Insights into the cumulative effect of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Fusarium acutatum causing anthracnose-twister disease complex of onion
Authors: Dutta Ram , Jayalakshmi K. , Kumar Satish , Radhakrishna A. , Manjunathagowda Dalasanuru Chandregowda , Sharath M. N. , Gurav Vishal S. , Mahajan Vijay
Published: April 2024

Colletotrichum is an important plant pathogenic fungi that causes anthracnose/-twister disease in onion. This disease was prevalent in the monsoon season from August to November months and the symptoms were observed in most of the fields. This study aimed to investigate the pathogenicity and cumulative effect, if any of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Fusarium acutatum. The pot experiment was laid out to identify the cause responsible for inciting anthracnose-twister disease, whether the Colletotrichum or Fusarium or both, or the interaction of pathogens and GA3. The results of the pathogenicity test confirmed that C. gloeosporioides and F. acutatum are both pathogenic. C. gloeosporioides caused twisting symptoms independently, while F.acutatum independently caused only neck elongation. The independent application of GA3 did not produce any symptoms, however, increased the plant height. The combined treatment of C. gloeosporioides and F. acutatum caused twisting, which enhanced upon interaction with GA3 application giving synergistic effect. The acervuli were found in lesions infected with C. gloeosporioides after 8 days of inoculation on the neck and leaf blades. Symptoms were not observed in untreated control plants. Koch's postulates were confirmed by reisolating the same pathogens from the infected plants.
Nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality in trauma patients undergoing resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta: a retrospective multicenter study
Authors: Yu Byungchul , Cho Jayun , Kang Byung Hee , Kim Kyounghwan , Kim Dong Hun , Chang Sung Wook , Jung Pil Young , Heo Yoonjung , Kang Wu Seong
Published: April 2024

Recently, resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) had been introduced as an innovative procedure for severe hemorrhage in the abdomen or pelvis. We aimed to investigate risk factors associated with mortality after REBOA and construct a model for predicting mortality. This multicenter retrospective study collected data from 251 patients admitted at five regional trauma centers across South Korea from 2015 to 2022. The indications for REBOA included patients experiencing hypovolemic shock due to hemorrhage in the abdomen, pelvis, or lower extremities, and those who were non-responders (systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 90 mmHg) to initial fluid treatment. The primary and secondary outcomes were mortality due to exsanguination and overall mortality, respectively. After feature selection using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression model to minimize overfitting, a multivariate logistic regression (MLR) model and nomogram were constructed. In the MLR model using risk factors selected in the LASSO, five risk factors, including initial heart rate (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98–1.00; p = 0.030), initial Glasgow coma scale (aOR, 0.86; 95% CI 0.80–0.93; p < 0.001), RBC transfusion within 4 h (unit, aOR, 1.12; 95% CI 1.07–1.17; p < 0.001), balloon occlusion type (reference: partial occlusion; total occlusion, aOR, 2.53; 95% CI 1.27–5.02; p = 0.008; partial + total occlusion, aOR, 2.04; 95% CI 0.71–5.86; p = 0.187), and post-REBOA systolic blood pressure (SBP) (aOR, 0.98; 95% CI 0.97–0.99; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with mortality due to exsanguination. The prediction model showed an area under curve, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.855, 73.2%, and 83.6%, respectively. Decision curve analysis showed that the predictive model had increased net benefits across a wide range of threshold probabilities. This study developed a novel intuitive nomogram for predicting mortality in patients undergoing REBOA. Our proposed model exhibited excellent performance and revealed that total occlusion was associated with poor outcomes, with post-REBOA SBP potentially being an effective surrogate measure.
High space–time bandwidth product imaging in low coherence quantitative phase microscopy
Authors: Ahmad Azeem , Gocłowski Paweł , Dubey Vishesh , Trusiak Maciej , Ahluwalia Balpreet S.
Published: April 2024

Current low coherence quantitative phase microscopy (LC-QPM) systems suffer from either reduced field of view (FoV) or reduced temporal resolution due to the short temporal coherence (TC) length of the light source. Here, we propose a hybrid, experimental and numerical approach to address this core problem associated with LC-QPM. We demonstrate high spatial resolution and high phase sensitivity in LC-QPM at high temporal resolution. High space–time bandwidth product is achieved by employing incoherent light source for sample illumination in QPM to increase the spatial resolution and single-shot Hilbert spiral transform (HST) based phase recovery algorithm to enhance the temporal resolution without sacrificing spatial resolution during the reconstruction steps. The high spatial phase sensitivity comes by default due to the use of incoherent light source in QPM which has low temporal coherence length and does not generate speckle noise and coherent noise. The spatial resolution achieved by the HST is slightly inferior to the temporal phase-shifting (TPS) method when tested on a specimen but surpasses that of the single-shot Fourier transform (FT) based phase recovery method. Contrary to HST method, FT method requires high density fringes for lossless phase recovery, which is difficult to achieve in LC-QPM over entire FoV. Consequently, integration of HST algorithm with LC-QPM system makes an attractive route. Here, we demonstrate scalable FoV and resolution in single-shot LC-QPM and experimentally corroborate it on a test object and on both live and fixed biological specimen such as MEF, U2OS and human red blood cells (RBCs). LC-QPM system with HST reconstruction offer high-speed single-shot QPM imaging at high phase sensitivity and high spatial resolution enabling us to study sub-cellular dynamic inside U2OS for extended duration (3 h) and observe high-speed (50 fps) dynamics of human RBCs. The experimental results validate the effectiveness of the present approach and will open new avenues in the domain of biomedical imaging in the future.
Physio-biochemical responses and crop performance analysis in chickpea upon botanical priming
Authors: Kaushal Kamini , Rajani Kumari , Kumar Ravi Ranjan , Ranjan Tushar , Kumar Anand , Ahmad M. Feza , Kumar Vikash , Kumar Vinod , Kumar Aman
Published: April 2024

Chickpea is a highly nutritious protein-rich source and one of the major crops to alleviate global malnutrition, but poor seed quality affects its productivity. Seed quality is essential for better crop establishment and higher yields, particularly in the uncertain climate change. The present study investigated the impact of botanical priming versus hydropriming and bavistin seed treatment on chickpea seeds. A detailed physiological (germination percentage, root and shoot length, vigour index) and biochemical (amylase, protease, dehydrogenase, phytase, and lipid peroxidation) analysis was carried out in order to assess the effect of priming treatments. Turmeric-primed seeds showed better germination rate (94.5%), seedling length, enzyme activity, and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis revealed the expression of minor polypeptides of albumin and globulin in the primed seeds. Moreover, field experiments indicated increased crop growth, vigour, days to 50% flowering, yield and its attributing traits in turmeric-primed seeds. Botanical priming can increase chickpea yield by up to 16% over the control group. This low-cost and eco-friendly technique enhances seed and crop performance, making it a powerful tool for augmenting chickpea growth. Therefore, chickpea growers must adopt botanical priming techniques to enhance the quality of seed and crop performance. Moreover, this approach is environmentally sustainable and can help conserve natural resources in the long term. Therefore, this new approach must be widely adopted across the agricultural industry to ensure sustainable and profitable farming practices.
A pilot study on psychosocial factors and perceptions of organizational health among a sample of U.S. waste workers
Authors: Le Aurora B. , Shkembi Abas , Gibbs Shawn G. , Neitzel Richard L.
Published: April 2024

Solid waste workers encounter a number of occupational hazards that are likely to induce stress. Thus, there are likely to be psychosocial factors that also contribute to their overall perceptions of organizational health. However, attitudes regarding the aforementioned among solid waste workers’ have not been assessed. This descriptive, cross-sectional pilot study operationalized the INPUTS Survey to determine workers’ perceptions of organizational health and other psychosocial factors of work. Percentage and mean responses to each INPUTS domain are presented in accordance with their survey manual. Pearson’s chi-squared tests were run on count data; Fisher’s exact tests were run for count data with fewer than five samples. ANOVAs were run on the continuous items. Due to a relatively low sample size (N = 68), two-sided p values < 0.1 were considered statistically significant. Most solid waste worker participants reported high decision authority, that they perceived their management to prioritize workplace health and safety, and had high job satisfaction. However, perceptions of support for health outside of the realm of occupational safety and health was lower. Addressing traditional occupational health hazards continues to take precedence in this industry, with less of a focus on how the social determinants of health may impact workplace health.
Lactic acid induced defense responses in tobacco against Phytophthora nicotianae
Authors: Yan Fan , Ma Junchi , Peng Manjiang , Xi Congfang , Chang Sheng , Yang Ying , Tian Suohui , Zhou Bo , Liu Tao
Published: April 2024

Induced resistance is considered an eco-friendly disease control strategy, which can enhance plant disease resistance by inducing the plant’s immune system to activate the defense response. In recent years, studies have shown that lactic acid can play a role in plant defense against biological stress; however, whether lactic acid can improve tobacco resistance to Phytophthora nicotianae, and its molecular mechanism remains unclear. In our study, the mycelial growth and sporangium production of P. nicotianae were inhibited by lactic acid in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Application of lactic acid could reduce the disease index, and the contents of total phenol, salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), lignin and H2O2, catalase (CAT) and phenylalanine ammonia–lyase (PAL) activities were significantly increased. To explore this lactic acid-induced protective mechanism for tobacco disease resistance, RNA-Seq analysis was used. Lactic acid enhances tobacco disease resistance by activating Ca2+, reactive oxygen species (ROS) signal transduction, regulating antioxidant enzymes, SA, JA, abscisic acid (ABA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) signaling pathways, and up-regulating flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes. This study demonstrated that lactic acid might play a role in inducing resistance to tobacco black shank disease; the mechanism by which lactic acid induces disease resistance includes direct antifungal activity and inducing the host to produce direct and primed defenses. In conclusion, this study provided a theoretical basis for lactic acid-induced resistance and a new perspective for preventing and treating tobacco black shank disease.
Development and validation of a nomogram model for predicting the risk of MAFLD in the young population
Authors: Yuan Yi , Xu Muying , Zhang Xuefei , Tang Xiaowei , Zhang Yanlang , Yang Xin , Xia Guodong
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram model that includes clinical and laboratory indicators to predict the risk of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in young Chinese individuals. This study retrospectively analyzed a cohort of young population who underwent health examination from November 2018 to December 2021 at The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, China. We extracted the clinical and laboratory data of 43,040 subjects and randomized participants into the training and validation groups (7:3). Univariate logistic regression analysis, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, and multivariate logistic regression models identified significant variables independently associated with MAFLD. The predictive accuracy of the model was analyzed in the training and validation sets using area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis. In this study, we identified nine predictors from 31 variables, including age, gender, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, alanine aminotransferase, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, uric acid, and smoking. The AUROC for the subjects in the training and validation groups was 0.874 and 0.875, respectively. The calibration curves show excellent accuracy of the nomogram. This nomogram which was based on demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, anthropometrics, and laboratory data can visually and individually predict the risk of developing MAFLD. This nomogram is a quick and effective screening tool for assessing the risk of MAFLD in younger populations and identifying individuals at high risk of MAFLD, thereby contributing to the improvement of MAFLD management.
Fatty acid supplementation during warming improves pregnancy outcomes after frozen blastocyst transfers: a propensity score-matched study
Authors: Sawado Ayano , Ezoe Kenji , Miki Tetsuya , Ohata Kazuki , Amagai Ayumi , Shimazaki Kiyoe , Okimura Tadashi , Kato Keiichi
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to examine the viability of human blastocysts after warming with fatty acids (FAs) using an in vitro outgrowth model and to assess pregnancy outcomes after a single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer (SVBT). For the experimental study, we used 446 discarded vitrified human blastocysts donated for research purposes by consenting couples. The blastocysts were warmed using FA‐supplemented (FA group) or non-FA-supplemented (control group) solutions. The outgrowth area was significantly larger in the FA group (P = 0.0428), despite comparable blastocyst adhesion rates between the groups. Furthermore, the incidence of outgrowth degeneration was significantly lower in the FA group than in the control group (P = 0.0158). For the clinical study, we retrospectively analyzed the treatment records of women who underwent SVBT in natural cycles between January and August 2022. Multiple covariates that affected the outcomes were used for propensity score matching as follows: 1342 patients in the FA group were matched to 2316 patients in the control group. Pregnancy outcomes were compared between the groups. The rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, and ongoing pregnancy significantly increased in the FA group after SVBTs (P = 0.0091–0.0266). These results indicate that warming solutions supplemented with FAs improve blastocyst outgrowth and pregnancy outcomes after SVBTs.
Design and study of mine silo drainage method based on fuzzy control and Avoiding Peak Filling Valley strategy
Authors: Wang Meng , Kang Jiaxu , Liu Weiwei , Li Meng , Su Jinshuai , Fang Zhongzheng , Li Xin , Shang Liyou , Zhang Fan , Guo Chengbin
Published: April 2024

Coal is a non-renewable fossil energy source on which humanity relies heavily, and producing one ton of raw coal requires the discharge of 2–7 tons of mine water from the ground. The huge drainage task increases the cost of coal mining in coal mines significantly, so saving the drainage cost while guaranteeing the safe production of coal mines is a problem that needs to be solved urgently. Most of the fuzzy controllers used in the traditional dynamic planning methods applied to mine drainage are two-dimensional fuzzy controllers with limited control effect, so the traditional two-dimensional fuzzy controllers are improved by introducing the rate of change of gushing water to form a three-dimensional fuzzy controller with three-dimensional control of instantaneous section—water level—rate of change of gushing water, and at the same time, the optimized dynamic planning method is designed by combining the Avoiding Peak Filling Valley strategy and the optimal dy-namic planning method is used in conjunction with the un-optimized dynamic planning method. The optimized dynamic planning method is applied to the same coal mine water silo gushing water experiments; experimental comparison found that the pumping station system before the optimi-zation of the electricity consumed is 52,586 yuan/day, while after the optimization of the electricity consumed is reduced to 41,692 yuan/day, the cost per day consumed compared with the previous reduction of 20.69%, a year can be saved 3,969,730 yuan. Therefore, the mine water bin drainage method based on fuzzy control and Avoiding Peak Filling Valley strategy proposed in this paper can be used as an improvement method of the existing mine drainage method, which can further ex-pand the economic benefits of coal mines and realize safe production while realizing cost savings.
Adipocyte-derived exosomes from obstructive sleep apnoea rats aggravate MASLD by TCONS_00039830/miR-455-3p/Smad2 axis
Authors: Yang Li , He Yan , Liu Shijie , Gan Lulu , Ni Qing , Dai Anni , Mu Changhuan , Liu Qian , Chen Hongyan , Lu Hongying , Sun Ruixue
Published: April 2024

A correlation exists between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and the severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), OSA can induce more severe MASLD. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism between the two is unclear. To this end, this study explored the role and possible molecular mechanisms of adipocyte-derived exosomes under OSA in aggravating MASLD. Through sequencing technology, miR-455-3p was identified as a co-differentially expressed miRNA between the MASLD + OSA and Control groups and between the MASLD + OSA and MASLD groups. Upregulation of TCONS-00039830 and Smad2 and downregulation of miR-455-3p in the MASLD and MASLD + OSA groups were validated in vivo and in vitro. TCONS-00039830, as a differentially expressed LncRNA in exosomes found in the sequencing results, transfection notably downregulated miR-455-3p and upregulated Smad2 in hepatocytes. TCONS_00039830 overexpression increased fat, triglyceride and cholesterol levels, while miR-455-3p overexpression decreased these levels. Furthermore, exosome administration promoted the accumulation of fat, triglyceride and cholesterol, upregulated TCONS_00039830 and Smad2, and downregulated miR-455-3p. Overexpression of miR-455-3p reversed the increased fat accumulation and upregulated TCONS_00039830 and Smad2. In conclusion, OSA-derived exosomes promoted hepatocyte steatosis by regulating TCONS_00039830/miR-455-3p/Smad2 axis, thereby aggravating liver damage in MASLD.
Probing the digital exposome: associations of social media use patterns with youth mental health
Authors: Pagliaccio David , Tran Kate T. , Visoki Elina , DiDomenico Grace E. , Auerbach Randy P. , Barzilay Ran
Published: April 2024

Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory highlighting the lack of knowledge about the safety of ubiquitous social media use on adolescent mental health. For many youths, social media use can become excessive and can contribute to frequent exposure to adverse peer interactions (e.g., cyberbullying, and hate speech). Nonetheless, social media use is complex, and although there are clear challenges, it also can create critical new avenues for connection, particularly among marginalized youth. In the current project, we leverage a large nationally diverse sample of adolescents from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study assessed between 2019–2020 (N = 10,147, Mage = 12.0, 48% assigned female at birth, 20% Black, 20% Hispanic) to test the associations between specific facets of adolescent social media use (e.g., type of apps used, time spent, addictive patterns of use) and overall mental health. Specifically, a data-driven exposome-wide association was applied to generate digital exposomic risk scores that aggregate the cumulative burden of digital risk exposure. This included general usage, cyberbullying, having secret accounts, problematic/addictive use behavior, and other factors. In validation models, digital exposomic risk explained substantial variance in general child-reported psychopathology, and a history of suicide attempt, over and above sociodemographics, non-social screentime, and non-digital adversity (e.g., abuse, poverty). Furthermore, differences in digital exposomic scores also shed insight into mental health disparities, among youth of color and sexual and gender minority youth. Our work using a data-driven approach supports the notion that digital exposures, in particular social media use, contribute to the mental health burden of US adolescents.
Lipid sulfoxide polymers as potential inhalable drug delivery platforms with differential albumin binding affinity
Authors: Ediriweera Gayathri R. , Butcher Neville J. , Kothapalli Ashok , Zhao Jiacheng , Blanchfield Joanne T. , Subasic Christopher N. , Grace James L. , Fu Changkui , Tan Xiao , Quinn John F. , Ascher David B. , Whittaker Michael R. , Whittaker Andrew K. , Kaminskas Lisa M.
Published: April 2024

Small lipidated sulfoxide polymers are novel inhalable drug delivery platforms that exhibit tuneable albumin binding and biological interactions in lungs.
On the fundamentals of quantum rate theory and the long-range electron transport in respiratory chains
Authors: Bueno Paulo Roberto
Published: April 2024

The quantum rate concept v = E/h = c*/L implies relativistic electrodynamics, permitting the transport of electrons in long-range paths of length L and explaining the respiration mechanism if a suitable Boltzmannian statistical setting of E is applied.
Microwave-based sustainable in-container thermal pasteurization and sterilization technologies for foods
Authors: Bhunia Kanishka , Tang Juming , Sablani Shyam S.
Published: April 2024

Microwave-based thermal processing is a sustainable technology for the production of superior-quality prepackaged foods with extended shelf-life.
Cubic-to-hexagonal structural phase transition in metal halide compounds: a DFT study
Authors: Ornelas-Cruz Iván , dos Santos Ramiro M. , González José E. , Lima Matheus P. , Da Silva Juarez L. F.
Published: April 2024

Transitions to photo-inactive structural phases have impacted the use of metal halide perovskites as photovoltaic materials.
Laser-assisted surface alloying of titanium with silver to enhance antibacterial and bone-cell mineralization properties of orthopedic implants
Authors: Sedaghat Sotoudeh , Krishnakumar Akshay , Selvamani Vidhya , Barnard James P. , Nejati Sina , Wang Haiyan , Detwiler David A. , Seleem Mohamed N. , Rahimi Rahim
Published: April 2024

Laser-assisted surface alloying (LSA) process to modify orthopedic implant surfaces with Ti–Ag alloy for enhanced antibacterial and osteoinduction properties.
Ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles with MRgFUS for enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of orthotopic glioblastoma
Authors: Chen Jingwen , Yang Rui , Yu Hongwei , Wu Hao , Wu Nan , Wang Suhe , Yin Xiaorui , Shi Xiangyang , Wang Han
Published: April 2024

We report a zwitterionic USIO-based platform for tumor T1WI not only in a subcutaneous tumor, but also in an orthotopic GBM with MRgFUS-mediated BBB opening. The formed USIO NPs-1,3-PS may improve the precision imaging and therapeutic efficacy of GBM.
Molecular graph transformer: stepping beyond ALIGNN into long-range interactions
Authors: Anselmi Marco , Slabaugh Greg , Crespo-Otero Rachel , Di Tommaso Devis
Published: April 2024

We present the Molecular Graph Representation (MGR) and the Molecular Graph Transformer (MGT): a novel graph neural network architecture that captures long-range interactions for predicting solid-state material properties.
Co-culture of benzalkonium chloride promotes the biofilm formation and decreases the antibiotic susceptibility of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain
Authors: Wang Caihong , Ma Qiao , Zhang Jiaxin , Meng Nan , Xu Dan
Published: April 2024

The physiological and biochemical behaviors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were modulated using benzalkonium chloride, potentially through the attenuation of the quorum sensing system.
Correction: Advanced bifunctional catalyst design for rechargeable zinc–air batteries
Authors: Wang Tao , Shi Zezhong , Wang Faxing , He Jiarui , Zhong Yiren , Ma Yuan , Zhu Zhi , Cheng Xin-Bing , Ozoemena Kenneth I. , Wu Yuping
Published: April 2024

Correction for ‘Advanced bifunctional catalyst design for rechargeable zinc–air batteries’ by Tao Wang et al., EES. Catal., 2024, https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ey00014e.
Polymer composites with 3D graphene architectures as high-performance EMI shielding materials: a review
Authors: Chhetri Suman , Kuila Tapas
Published: April 2024

Polymer composites with a 3D graphene scaffold for EMI shielding are discussed. Numerical formulations to optimize the structural and geometrical parameters that are suitable to achieve an absorption-dominated shielding mechanism have been presented.
Can large language models predict antimicrobial peptide activity and toxicity?
Authors: Orsi Markus , Reymond Jean-Louis
Published: April 2024

The large language models GPT-3 and GTP-3.5 were challenged to predict the activity and hemolysis of antimicrobial peptides from their sequence and compared to recurrent neural networks and support vector machines.
Chemically fueled dynamic switching between assembly-encoded emissions
Authors: Islam Manirul , Baroi Malay Kumar , Das Basab Kanti , Kumari Aanchal , Das Krishnendu , Ahmed Sahnawaz
Published: April 2024

EDC fueled dynamic switching between two distinct emissive aggregates formed by a naphthalimide-peptide building block (NI-VLD), and spatiotemporal control over the material properties.
First-principles study of a SiC nanosheet as an effective material for nitrosourea and carmustine anti-cancer drug delivery
Authors: Bin Iqbal Abdullah Jubair , Shahriar Rifat , Zubair Ahmed
Published: April 2024

2D SiC shows great potential as NU and BCNU drug-carrier for photothermal therapy of cancer.
Application of changing the valence state of metals through the reaction time for efficient oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Chen Ming , Luo Sha , Ma Zongyan , Yuan Fei , Chen Jing , Dong Linkun , Mao Weiwen , Ma Jiantai
Published: April 2024

In this study, a novel FeNi sulfide catalyst loaded on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (FeNiS/CNTs) shows excellent OER electrocatalytic performance in alkaline solutions.
Mechanics of biomimetic free-standing lipid membranes: insights into the elasticity of complex lipid compositions
Authors: Griffo Alessandra , Sparn Carola , Lolicato Fabio , Nolle Friederike , Khangholi Navid , Seemann Ralf , Fleury Jean-Baptiste , Brinkmann Martin , Nickel Walter , Hähl Hendrik
Published: April 2024

In this study, we prepare pore-spanning membranes that mimic the composition of plasma membranes and perform force spectroscopy indentation measurements to unravel mechanistic insights depending on lipid composition.
Tuning in optoelectronic properties of In/Te bilayer heterostructure upon annealing at different temperatures: surface wettability and photo response study for photonic and solar cell applications
Authors: Priyadarshini P. , Kumar Prabhukrupa C. , Naik Ramakanta
Published: April 2024

The In/Te bilayer thin film synthesized by thermal evaporation method with 350 nm thickness annealed at different temperatures and their opto-electronic properties change. The films showed a hydrophobic nature, with enhancement of photo current from nA to ∼mA.
Development of an imidazole-based N,N-bidentate ligand for the manganese catalyzed direct coupling of nitriles with alcohols
Authors: Tang Qian , Song Dingguo , Zhang Kali , Mao Wenhao , Zhao Xianghua , Du Ding , Ling Fei , Zhong Weihui
Published: April 2024

This work describes the manganese catalyzed direct coupling of nitriles with alcohols with assistance of a set of simple and new imidazole-based N,N-bidentate ligands.
Transition metal nitride catalysts for selective conversion of oxygen-containing molecules
Authors: Porter William N. , Turaczy Kevin K. , Yu Marcus , Mou Hansen , Chen Jingguang G.
Published: April 2024

Transition metal nitrides are promising catalysts for a variety of reactions. This work outlines their use for C1 molecule upgrading, biomass valorization, and hydrogen evolution, and presents challenges and future opportunities for these catalysts.