bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association study between some cultivated species and their wild relatives from Apiaceae, Asteraceae and Brassicaceae families based on molecular and DNA barcoding in Egypt
Authors: Essa Nerveen M. , Ibrahim Amira A. , Soliman Magda I.
Published: August 2023

Concerns about food security worldwide have been raised due to the adverse impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity. Utilizing wild relatives of cultivated plants in breeding schemes is a potential solution to address the abovementioned challenges. Wild relatives refer to indigenous plant species that share genetic ancestry with recently cultivated plants. The capacity of plants to withstand abiotic stresses and enhance crop yield stability in cold and arid environments renders them a valuable prospective resource for breeding programs. Molecular markers are employed to assess the genetic variability of cultivated plants and their wild relatives under investigation. This study employed a set of five primers derived from ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) and SCoT (Start Codon Targeted) to assess comparative research between cultivated species and their wild relatives from three families: Apiaceae (Apium gravolens L., A. leptophyllum (Pers.) F.Muell., Daucus carota L.& D. litoralis Sm.), Asteraceae (Lactuca sativa L. & L. serriola L.) and Brassicaceae (B. oleracea L., Brassica tourneforttii Gouan., Raphanus sativus L. & R. raphanistrum L.). The ISSR technique yields approximately 206 bands, whereas the SCoT primers generate approximately 207 bands. The ISSR primers yielded 169 polymorphic bands, exhibiting a polymorphism rate of 82.04%, whereas the SCoT primers produced 169 polymorphic bands with a polymorphism rate of 81.64%. The Brassicaceae has been found to exhibit the highest resolving power (RP) of 48.25, as determined by ISSR. The primary objective of DNA barcoding is to create a communal database of DNA sequences that can be utilized to identify organisms and clarify their taxonomic classification. The findings indicate that the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions exhibit high efficacy as a DNA barcoding tool. Overall, the results obtained from two molecular markers and DNA barcoding analyses suggest a significant degree of genetic diversity and relatedness among the cultivated taxa and their wild relatives examined in this study.
Increasing homogeneity of Mediterranean landscapes limits the co-occurrence of mesocarnivores in space and time
Authors: Linck Paloma , Palomares Francisco , Negrões Nuno , Rossa Mariana , Fonseca Carlos , Couto André , Carvalho João
Published: August 2023

Context

The Mediterranean basin is characterized by a heterogeneous landscape historically shaped by human activities. Land abandonment and extensive monocultures, however, have led to increasing homogeneity of Mediterranean habitats. Albeit the effects of habitat heterogeneity on wildlife have been widely studied, the available information on how habitat homogenization impacts the organization of mesocarnivore communities is still scant.

Objectives

We investigated the relationship of environmental characteristics with occupancy, activity, community organization, and co-occurrence of mesocarnivore species in space and time. We focused on five key species (Vulpes vulpes, Genetta genetta, Meles meles, Herpestes ichneumon, and Martes foina) widely distributed throughout Mediterranean ecosystems.

Methods

The study was conducted in north-central Portugal between June 2019 and June 2020. We used 300 camera trap sampling points coupled with occupancy, activity, and co-occurrence analysis to assess how different environmental characteristics influence mesocarnivores community.

Results

We found that the occupancy of mesocarnivores is influenced by topography, landscape composition and structure, and human activity. We observed that landscape homogeneity limits the co-occurrence of mesocarnivores. In heterogeneous landscapes we recorded a greater overlap in activity (seven of ten species pairs) and spatial co-occurrence (six of the seven species pairs analyzed) of mesocarnivores species.

Conclusions

We demonstrated the importance of landscape characteristics in the composition of the mesocarnivores community. Our findings support the adoption of management measures able to mitigate the impacts of landscape homogenization. Maximizing the heterogeneity is an important step to benefit the mesocarnivore community in altered Iberian landscapes.
Data-driven agriculture and sustainable farming: friends or foes?
Authors: Rozenstein Offer , Cohen Yafit , Alchanatis Victor , Behrendt Karl , Bonfil David J. , Eshel Gil , Harari Ally , Harris W. Edwin , Klapp Iftach , Laor Yael , Linker Raphael , Paz-Kagan Tarin , Peets Sven , Rutter S. Mark , Salzer Yael , Lowenberg-DeBoer James
Published: August 2023

Sustainability in our food and fiber agriculture systems is inherently knowledge intensive. It is more likely to be achieved by using all the knowledge, technology, and resources available, including data-driven agricultural technology and precision agriculture methods, than by relying entirely on human powers of observation, analysis, and memory following practical experience. Data collected by sensors and digested by artificial intelligence (AI) can help farmers learn about synergies between the domains of natural systems that are key to simultaneously achieve sustainability and food security. In the quest for agricultural sustainability, some high-payoff research areas are suggested to resolve critical legal and technical barriers as well as economic and social constraints. These include: the development of holistic decision-making systems, automated animal intake measurement, low-cost environmental sensors, robot obstacle avoidance, integrating remote sensing with crop and pasture models, extension methods for data-driven agriculture, methods for exploiting naturally occurring Genotype x Environment x Management experiments, innovation in business models for data sharing and data regulation reinforcing trust. Public funding for research is needed in several critical areas identified in this paper to enable sustainable agriculture and innovation.
Dynamic Context Removal: A General Training Strategy for Robust Models on Video Action Predictive Tasks
Authors: Xu Xinyu , Li Yong-Lu , Lu Cewu
Published: August 2023

Predicting future actions is an essential feature of intelligent systems and embodied AI. However, compared to the traditional recognition tasks, the uncertainty of the future and the reasoning ability requirement make prediction tasks very challenging and far beyond solved. In this field, previous methods usually care more about the model architecture design but little attention has been put on how to train models with a proper learning policy. To this end, in this work, we propose a simple but effective training strategy, Dynamic Context Removal (DCR), which dynamically schedules the visibility of context in different training stages. It follows the human-like curriculum learning process, i.e., gradually removing the event context to increase the prediction difficulty till satisfying the final prediction target. Besides, we explore how to train robust models that give consistent predictions at different levels of observable context. Our learning scheme is plug-and-play and easy to integrate widely-used reasoning models including Transformer and LSTM, with advantages in both effectiveness and efficiency. We study two action prediction problems, i.e., Video Action Anticipation and Early Action Recognition. In extensive experiments, our method achieves state-of-the-art results on several widely-used benchmarks.
Kin ball to promote the motor development of students with special educational needs: effects of an intervention programme
Authors: Zurita-Ortega Félix , Ortiz-Franco Manuel , Ubago-Jiménez José Luis , González-Valero Gabriel , Alonso-Vargas José Manuel , Melguizo-Ibáñez Eduardo
Published: August 2023

Background

The scientific literature establishes that people with mental impairments show high levels of sedentary behaviour.

Aim

This research has the objectives of (a) Studying the effect of the intervention programme on the effect of basic physical qualities, balance and coordination and (b) Comparing the results obtained before and after carrying out the intervention programme according to the sex of the participants through a structural equation model.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study was carried out with a pre-test-post-test group design, with a sample of 47 participants (46.8% male and 53.2% female). Questionnaires adapted to the characteristics of the sample were carried out to collect the data.

Results

It is observed that the intervention programme has helped to improve the effect of basic physical qualities on balance and coordination.

Conclusion

It is concluded that Kin Ball is a sport that improves the quality of life of people with special educational needs and that gender is a key factor influencing the development of basic physical qualities.
Digital competence of K-12 pre-service and in-service teachers in China: a systematic literature review
Authors: Yang Li , García-Holgado Alicia , Martínez-Abad Fernando
Published: August 2023

This systematic review consisted of 50 theoretical and empirical articles taking China as a specific case study for identifying efforts and challenges to teachers' digital competence, establishing an understanding of their use of concepts, disciplines, regions, methods, and analysis. The review follows the methodology based on the PRISMA statement and PICO strategy using the 2010–2023 search period. This research has four primary findings: (1) “teachers' ICT competency” and “teachers’ information literacy” are the main terms used for describing teacher’s use of technology for teaching and learning; (2) the current research mainly focused on investigating the status of teachers' digital competence, the influencing factors, and teacher training; (3) non-experimental study for the population of in-service teachers is the leading research directions related to teachers’ digital competence in the context of China; (4) creating good ICT atmosphere by government and schools, conducting teacher training, and using good pedagogical strategies are three main proposals have been made to improve teachers' digital competence in China. The research findings provide the starting points for a subject of reflection and analysis of the Chinese teachers' digital competence status, and it can also support future empirical research.
Recent innovative seed treatment methods in the management of seedborne pathogens
Authors: Moumni Marwa , Brodal Guro , Romanazzi Gianfranco
Published: August 2023

Seed is a critically important basic input of agriculture, because sowing healthy seeds is essential to food production. Using high quality seed enables less use of synthetic pesticides in the field. Seedborne pathogens can reduce yield quantity and quality of the crops produced. Seed treatments protect plant seedlings from pathogen attacks at emergence and at the early growth stages, contributing to healthy crop plants and good yield. However, there is increased concern about the application of synthetic pesticides to seeds, while alternatives are becoming increasingly addressed in seedborne pathogen research. A series of strategies based on synthetic fungicides, natural compounds, biocontrol agents (BCAs), and physical means has been developed to reduce seed contamination by pathogens. The volume of research on seed treatment has increased considerably in the past decade, along with the search for green technologies to control seedborne diseases. This review focuses on recent research results dealing with protocols that are effective in the management of seedborne pathogens. Moreover, the review illustrated an innovative system for routine seed health testing and need-based cereal seed treatment implemented in Norway.

Graphical Abstract
Is Accurate Lumen Segmentation More Important than Outlet Boundary Condition in Image-Based Blood Flow Simulations for Intracranial Aneurysms?
Authors: Korte Jana , Voß Samuel , Janiga Gábor , Beuing Oliver , Behme Daniel , Saalfeld Sylvia , Berg Philipp
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Image-based blood flow simulations are increasingly used to investigate the hemodynamics in intracranial aneurysms (IAs). However, a strong variability in segmentation approaches as well as the absence of individualized boundary conditions (BCs) influence the quality of these simulation results leading to imprecision and decreased reliability. This study aims to analyze these influences on relevant hemodynamic parameters within IAs.

Methods

As a follow-up study of an international multiple aneurysms challenge, the segmentation results of five IAs differing in size and location were investigated. Specifically, five possible outlet BCs were considered in each of the IAs. These are comprised of the zero-pressure condition (BC1), a flow distribution based on Murray’s law with the exponents n = 2 (BC2) and n = 3 (BC3) as well as two advanced flow-splitting models considering the real vessels by including circular cross sections (BC4) or anatomical cross sections (BC5), respectively. In total, 120 time-dependent blood flow simulations were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, focusing on five representative intra-aneurysmal flow and five shear parameters such as vorticity and wall shear stress.

Results

The outlet BC variation revealed substantial differences. Higher shear stresses (up to Δ9.69 Pa), intrasaccular velocities (up to Δ0.15 m/s) and vorticities (up to Δ629.22 1/s) were detected when advanced flow-splitting was applied compared to the widely used zero-pressure BC. The tendency of outlets BCs to over- or underestimate hemodynamic parameters is consistent across different segmentations of a single aneurysm model. Segmentation-induced variability reaches Δ19.58 Pa, Δ0.42 m/s and Δ957.27 1/s, respectively. Excluding low fidelity segmentations, however, (a) reduces the deviation drastically (>43%) and (b) leads to a lower impact of the outlet BC on hemodynamic predictions.

Conclusion

With a more realistic lumen segmentation, the influence of the BC on the resulting hemodynamics is decreased. A realistic lumen segmentation can be ensured, e.g., by using high-resolved 2D images. Furthermore, the selection of an advanced outflow-splitting model is advised and the use of a zero-pressure BC and BC based on Murray’s law with exponent n = 3 should be avoided.
A two-pronged approach against glioblastoma: drug repurposing and nanoformulation design for in situ-controlled release
Authors: Mendes Maria , Branco Francisco , Vitorino Rui , Sousa João , Pais Alberto , Vitorino Carla
Published: August 2023

Glioblastoma (GB) is one of the most lethal types of neoplasms. Its biologically aggressive nature and the presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) limit the efficacy of standard therapies. Several strategies are currently being developed to both overcome the BBB and deliver drugs site specifically to tumor cells. This work hypothesizes a two-pronged approach to tackle GB: drug repurposing with celecoxib (CXB) and a nanoformulation using ultra-small nanostructured lipid carriers (usNLCs). CXB antitumor druggable activity was inspected bioinformatically and screened in four glioma cell lines aiming at the comparison with temozolomide (TMZ), as standard of care. Delving into formulation design, it was tailored aiming at (i) improving the drug solubility/loading properties, (ii) assigning a thermal-triggerable drug release based on a lipid matrix with a low melting point, and (iii) enhancing the cytotoxic effect by selecting a template targetable to tumor cells. For this purpose, an integrated analysis of the critical material attributes (CMAs), critical process parameters (CPPs), and critical quality attributes (CQAs) was conducted under the umbrella of a quality by design approach. CMAs that demonstrate a high-risk level for the final quality and performance of the usNLCs include the drug solubility in lipids (solid and liquid), the lipid composition (envisioning a thermoresponsive approach), the ratio between lipids (solid vs. liquid), and the surfactant type and concentration. Particle size was shown to be governed by the interaction lipid-surfactant followed by surfactant type. The drug encapsulation did not influence colloidal characteristics, making it a promising carrier for lipophilic drugs. In general, usNLCs exhibited a controlled drug release during the 72 h at 37 °C with a final release of ca. 25%, while at 45 °C this was doubled. The in vitro cellular performance depended on the surfactant type and lipid composition, with the formulations containing a sole solid lipid (Suppocire® NB) and Kolliphor® RH40 as surfactant being the most cytotoxic. usNLCs with an average diameter of ca. 70 nm and a narrow size distribution (PdI lower than 0.2) were yielded, exhibiting high stability, drug protection, sustained and thermo-sensitive release properties, and high cytotoxicity to glioma cells, meeting the suitable CQAs for parenteral administration. This formulation may pave the way to a multi-addressable purpose to improve GB treatment.

Graphical Abstract
Long-acting somatostatin analogs and well differentiated neuroendocrine tumors: a 20-year-old story
Authors: Faggiano A.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The specific indications of somatostatin analogs (SSAs) in patients with neuroendocrine tumor (NET) emerged over the time. The objective of this review is to summarize and discuss the most relevant data concerning long-acting SSAs in NET.

Methods

A narrative review was performed including publications focusing on therapy with the long-acting octreotide, lanreotide, and pasireotide in patients with NET.

Results

Long-acting SSAs confirm to be a manageable and widely used tool in patients with NET. Both long-acting octreotide and lanreotide are safe as the short-acting formulations, while patient compliance and adherence is further improved. Together with some randomized phase-3 trials, many retrospective and prospective studies have been performed in the last 20 years revealing a variable but substantial impact on progression free survival, not only in gastroenteropancreatic but also in lung and unknown primary NETs. The most frequent tumor response to SSAs is stable disease, but an objective response can be observed, more frequently by using high-dose schedules and in MEN1-related pancreatic NETs. Low tumor burden, low tumor grade (G1 and low G2), good performance status and use as first-line therapy are the main predictive factors to SSAs in NET patients. Pasireotide has been evaluated in few studies. This compound remains a promising SSA and would deserve to be further evaluated as a potential additional indication in NET therapy.

Conclusions

Long-acting SSAs are an effective and safe initial therapy of patients with well differentiated NET, allowing tumor growth as well as symptoms control for long-time in selected patients.
Approaches for automated wiring harness manufacturing: function integration with additive manufacturing
Authors: Lorenz Nico , Mayer Ralph
Published: August 2023

With the electrification of powertrains and the progressive implementation of assisted and automated driving functions, the vehicle wiring harness is becoming increasingly important in the automotive industry. The design of the wiring harness is gaining considerable variation and is becoming more and more complex. In order to master this complexity in the manufacturing processes in a reliable manner, new approaches are required for the progressive automation of the wiring harness production. Additive manufacturing processes have not yet been used in the production of vehicle wiring harnesses. The development of additive processing of conductive materials therefore creates a new basis for the development of automation solutions to produce vehicle wiring harnesses. With the approach of function-integrated multi-material application, the possibility of using electrically conductive polymers in the vehicle wiring harness is specified in detail. A fundamental study was carried out to determine the values of electrical conductivity that can be achieved in the field of plastics. Based on these findings, the research question being addressed is whether polymers can be made electrically conductive to an extent that is suitable for use in a vehicle’s wiring harness. The materials of electrically conductive components from conventional vehicle electrical systems serve as a reference. A specially developed test set-up for measuring the electrical conductivity of polymers provided the required measured values. The quantitative evaluation of the measurements clearly shows that the use of conductive polymers as a conductive material in the vehicle wiring harness is only possible to a limited extent. The major benefit of the study identified the use of electrically conductive polymers for the automatable production of electrical connections.
Individual participant data sharing intentions and practices during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic: A rapid review
Authors: Kamath Prashanthi , Gudi Nachiket , Staunton Ciara , Jacob Anil G. , John Oommen
Published: August 2023

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to the irrational use of drugs in the absence of clinical management guidelines. Access to individual participant data (IPD) from clinical trials aids the evidence synthesis approaches. We undertook a rapid review to infer IPD sharing intentions based on data availability statements by the principal investigators (PIs) of drug and vaccine trials in the context of COVID-19.

Searches were conducted on PubMed (NCBI). We considered randomized controlled trial (RCT) publications from January 1, 2020, to October 31, 2021. IPD sharing intentions were inferred based on the data availability statements in the full-text manuscript publications. We included 180 articles. Of these, 81.7% (147/180) of the publications have arrived from the findings of the RCTs alone, 12.8% (23/180) of the publications were protocol publications alone, and 5.6% (10/180) of the RCTs had both published protocol and publication from the trial findings. We have reported IPD sharing intentions separately in RCT protocol publications (n = 23 + 10) and publications from RCT findings (n = 147 + 10). Among RCT protocol publications, one-third (11/33) of the PIs intended to share IPD. In fact, over half of the PIs (52.2%, 82/157) in their published RCT findings intended to share IPD. However, information to share about IPD was missing for 57.6% (19/33) of RCT protocols and 38.2% (60/157) of published RCT findings.

Stakeholders must work together to ensure that overarching factors, such as legislation that governs clinical trial practices, are streamlined to bolster IPD sharing mechanisms.
and empirical measures, the irregular set and entropy
Authors: USUKI SHUNSUKE
Published: August 2023

For integers a and
$b\geq 2$
, let
$T_a$
and
$T_b$
be multiplication by a and b on
$\mathbb {T}=\mathbb {R}/\mathbb {Z}$
. The action on
$\mathbb {T}$
by
$T_a$
and
$T_b$
is called
$\times a,\times b$
action and it is known that, if a and b are multiplicatively independent, then the only
$\times a,\times b$
invariant and ergodic measure with positive entropy of
$T_a$
or
$T_b$
is the Lebesgue measure. However, it is not known whether there exists a non-trivial
$\times a,\times b$
invariant and ergodic measure. In this paper, we study the empirical measures of
$x\in \mathbb {T}$
with respect to the
$\times a,\times b$
action and show that the set of x such that the empirical measures of x do not converge to any measure has Hausdorff dimension one and the set of x such that the empirical measures can approach a non-trivial
$\times a,\times b$
invariant measure has Hausdorff dimension zero. Furthermore, we obtain some equidistribution result about the
$\times a,\times b$
orbit of x in the complement of a set of Hausdorff dimension zero.
The Relationship between Economic Populist Sovereignism, Globalization and Populist Radical Right Politics: Voter Attitudes in Western Europe and the United States
Authors: Mazzoleni Oscar , Ivaldi Gilles
Published: August 2023

Sovereignism is at the crux of the current wave of radical right-wing populism (RRP). While sovereignism may concern different dimensions, claims by RRP parties and leaders about regaining sovereignty are increasingly associated with socioeconomic issues such as welfare, redistribution and international trade. Adopting a demand-side perspective, this article draws from an original cross-national survey to investigate the intersection between economic sovereignism, economic populism and globalization attitudes, and how such attitudes may shape RRP voting in Western Europe and the United States. Our results confirm that economic populism and sovereignism form coherent sets of attitudes together with perceptions of globalization, and that such attitudes have a significant effect on support for RRP actors. We find different patterns of association, however, across our European cases and the United States, which suggests that the relationship between populism, sovereignism and economic globalization is partly dependent upon national context and historical legacies.
Event integration as a driving force of language change: evidence from Chinese 使-shǐ-make
Authors: Liu Na , Li Fuyin Thomas
Published: August 2023

Talmy’s (1991; 2000a; 2000b) influential work on motion events provides a strong two-way typology that can examine and account for the typology of a language, but this framework is basically synchronic. It may not be equally valid to explain language change. In this paper, we apply the event integration theory and its latest development, The Macro-event Hypothesis (Li, 2020, 2023), to account for the development of the causative verb 使-shǐ-make (SHI for short) in Chinese. This study reveals that, firstly, the multi-functional behavior of SHI represents a typical case of grammaticalization, with a full verb acquiring the role of conjunction and expressing abstract meanings. Secondly, the semantic division of the causative and non-causative uses of SHI in Contemporary Chinese is the most clear-cut. Thirdly, causative SHI shows a greater level of semantic bleaching, and the construction profiles a single causal activity and has a higher degree of event integration when compared to its lexical verbal use. The constructional grammaticalization of SHI confirms that event integration is key to its development. This study verifies The Macro-event Hypothesis of a continuum of grammaticalization in language and uncovers the process of semantic gradation that takes place in Chinese.
RADIOCARBON DATING OF TREE RINGS FROM THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE YAYOI PERIOD, JAPAN
Authors: Sakamoto Minoru , Hakozaki Masataka , Nakatsuka Takeshi , Ozaki Hiromasa
Published: August 2023

We have conducted radiocarbon (14C) dating of Japanese tree rings from 1053 to 921 BCE and 41 BCE to 130 CE. Dating was also performed using oxygen isotope dendrochronology to investigate subtle structures of the calibration curve corresponding to the beginning and the end of the Yayoi period in Japan. These two results followed IntCal20, which included the 14C ages of two Japan-sourced trees. The findings suggest that dating of specimens obtained from areas around the Japanese archipelago may be affected by periodic monsoons from the ocean, an effect that needs further examination.
Do France, Germany, and Italy agree on the added therapeutic value of medicines?
Authors: Casilli Giorgio , Lidonnici Dario , Jommi Claudio , De Nigris Marika , Genazzani Armando A.
Published: August 2023

Objectives

The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of medicines is performed separately at the country level with some differences, but Italy, France, and Germany have implemented price and reimbursement systems strongly focused on the Added Therapeutic Value (ATV). This study investigates the level of agreement on ATV assessments by Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA), Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), and Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA).

Methods

A database was created collecting all information about drugs with innovativeness status requests in Italy from July 2017 to December 2022 and populated with the corresponding HAS and G-BA ATV assessments. The primary comparative analysis was conducted by grouping the ATV ratings into “higher added value” and “lower or no added value”, while a secondary analysis considered the Italian innovativeness status as a criterion to include the quality of evidence assessment. The concordance between ATV assessments was investigated through percentage agreement and unweighted Cohen k-value.

Results

189 medicines/indications were included. The greatest agreement was found when comparing G-BA versus HAS (82 percent; k = 0.61, substantial agreement). Lower levels of agreements were observed for AIFA versus HAS and AIFA versus G-BA (respectively 52 percent; k = 0.17 and 57 percent; k = 0.25). The secondary analysis led to a reconciliation to moderate agreement for AIFA versus HAS (72 percent; k = 0.45) and AIFA versus G-BA (74 percent; k = 0.47).

Conclusions

A high degree of concordance between HTA organizations is reached when considering jointly ATV and quality of evidence, suggesting that the system is extensively mature to make a Joint Clinical Assessment, avoiding duplications and reducing access inequalities.
On the Origins of Open Ocean Oxygen Minimum Zones
Authors: Davila Xabier , Olsen Are , Lauvset Siv K. , McDonagh Elaine L. , Brakstad Ailin , Gebbie Geoffrey
Published: August 2023

Recent work suggests that Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs) are sustained by the supply of oxygen‐poor waters rather than the export of organic matter from the local surface layer and its subsequent remineralization inside OMZs. However, the mechanisms that form and maintain OMZs are not well constrained, such as the origin of the oxygen that oxygenates OMZs, and the locations where oxygen consumption occurs. Here we use an observation‐based transport matrix to determine the origins of open ocean OMZs in terms of (a) OMZ volume, (b) oxygen that survives remineralization and oxygenates OMZs, and (c) oxygen utilization in the interior ocean that contributes to the oxygen‐deficit of OMZs. We also determine where the utilization of oxygen occurs along the pathways that ventilate the OMZs. Our results show that about half of the volume of OMZ waters originate in high‐latitude regions, but most of their oxygen is utilized for remineralization before they reach OMZs. Instead, OMZs are mostly oxygenated by tropical, subtropical and intermediate waters formed in nearby regions. More than half of the utilization of oxygen occurs in the tropics and subtropics, while less than a third occurs within the OMZs themselves. We therefore suggest that, in steady‐state, OMZs are primarily set by ocean circulation pathways that high‐latitude deep and old water upwards, with relatively low oxygen content.
Oceanic Frontal Divergence Alters Phytoplankton Competition and Distribution
Authors: Plummer Abigail , Freilich Mara , Benzi Roberto , Choi Chang Jae , Sudek Lisa , Worden Alexandra Z. , Toschi Federico , Mahadevan Amala
Published: August 2023

Ecological interactions among phytoplankton occur in a moving fluid environment. Oceanic flows can modulate the competition and coexistence between phytoplankton populations, which in turn can affect ecosystem function and biogeochemical cycling. We explore the impact of submesoscale velocity gradients on phytoplankton ecology using observations, simulations, and theory. Observations reveal that the relative abundance of Synechoccocus oligotypes varies on 1–10 km scales at an ocean front with submesoscale velocity gradients at the same scale. Simulations in realistic flow fields demonstrate that regions of divergence in the horizontal flow field can substantially modify ecological competition and dispersal on timescales of hours to days. Regions of positive (negative) divergence provide an advantage (disadvantage) to local populations, resulting in up to ∼20% variation in community composition in our model. We propose that submesoscale divergence is a plausible contributor to observed taxonomic variability at oceanic fronts, and can lead to regional variability in community composition.
When and How Can the Stratosphere Modify the Midlatitude Cold Air Outbreaks in Northern Winter: An Isentropic Meridional Mass Circulation View
Authors: Yu Yueyue , Ren Rongcai , Liu Bowen , Wang Lin , Chen Haishan , Yang Yifan
Published: August 2023

Cold air outbreaks (CAOs) in northern winter can be attributed to the variations in the lower‐tropospheric equatorward cold branch (CB) of the isentropic meridional mass circulation (IMMC) across the subpolar latitudes. Understanding when and how the variations of CB are related to the stratosphere is crucial for improving the extended‐range forecast skills of CAOs in winter. Investigation on the vertical coupling of the stratospheric and tropospheric branches of IMMC suggests that the CB (or CAOs) exhibits two major timescales: sub‐monthly (10–30 days) and monthly‐to‐seasonal (>30 days). The CB can be modified by the stratospheric variability that is represented by the stratospheric poleward warm branch (WB‐ST) of the IMMC at monthly‐to‐seasonal timescales via the two‐way stratosphere‐troposphere coupling. At sub‐monthly timescales, however, the upward one‐way coupling from the troposphere to the stratosphere dominates. While changes of the CB always precede those of the WB‐ST at both timescales, indicating the upward tropospheric wave forcing into the stratosphere, the downward impacts of the WB‐ST on the CB (particularly CAOs in North America) are observed only at monthly‐to‐seasonal timescales. Specifically, the accumulated effect of the monthly‐to‐seasonal mass transport by the poleward WB‐ST can be strong enough to dominate the Arctic total column airmass changes, producing not only a barotropic structure of the Northern Annular Mode but also direct changes to the low‐level ageostrophic zonal‐mean meridional flow. The anomalous low‐level ageostrophic flow, in turn, plays a greater role in intensifying (weakening) the equatorward CB following a stronger (weaker) WB‐ST than tropospheric wave activities.
High Productivity at High Latitudes? Photosynthesis and Leaf Ecophysiology in Arctic Forests of the Eocene
Authors: Konrad Wilfried , Roth‐Nebelsick Anita , Traiser Christopher
Published: August 2023

The Arctic forests of the Eocene, which thrived under elevated CO2, a temperate climate, high precipitation and annually extremely different daylengths, represent a quite spectacular no‐analogue habitat of Earth's greenhouse past. The aim of this study was to improve our understanding of the ecophysiology of Arctic broad‐leaved deciduous forests of the Eocene, by analyzing leaf photosynthesis and tree productivity based on gas exchange modeling for two fossil Eocene sites, Svalbard and Ellesmere Island. For this, a single‐leaf photosynthesis model that includes heat transfer and leaf senescence was derived. Environmental conditions were based on available palaeoclimate data and a CO2 level of 800 μmol/mol. Additionally, different light regimes (diffusivity and transmissivity) were considered. With this model, annual photosynthesis was calculated on the basis of annual temperature and day lengths (derived by celestial mechanics). To obtain productivity of a whole deciduous broad‐leaved tree, the single leaf data were then upscaled by a canopy model. The results indicate that productivity was enhanced at both high latitude sites by elevated CO2, temperature of the growing season and high maximum daylength (24 hr) during late spring and early summer. With productivity values about 30%–60% higher as for a mid‐latitude continental European forest, the results indicate a potential for high productivity at the Eocene polar sites which is in the range of extant tropical forests. In contrast to speculations, no evidence for a selective advantage of large leaf size—as shown by various fossil leaves from high latitude sites—could be found.
Temperature, Deformation, and Mass Transfer in a Hot Orogen: Insights From Thermokinematic Forward Models for Far Western Nepal
Authors: Braza M. , McQuarrie N. , Robinson D. M. , Webb L. E.
Published: August 2023

Exhumation and cooling pathways of mid‐crustal metamorphic rocks in the western Nepal Himalaya can be replicated by fold‐thrust belt structures with displacement localized along discrete décollements. New and published muscovite 40Ar/39Ar, zircon U‐Th/He, and apatite fission track cooling ages, peak temperature estimates, geologic mapping, and basin data are integrated with thermokinematic forward models to constrain the geometry, kinematics, and rates of shortening in far western Nepal. The best fit to peak temperatures, cooling ages, and basin accumulation data is achieved with a largely in‐sequence kinematic order, with out‐of‐sequence motion on the Ramgarh‐Munsiari thrust. Fast rates (∼20–40 mm/yr) are required during shortening on early, large displacement faults at ∼23–12 Ma and decrease to ∼10–15 mm/yr during formation of the Lesser Himalayan duplex until ∼1 Ma. Thermokinematic models highlight the relationship between peak temperature, geometry, and shortening on the large displacement Main Central and Ramgarh‐Munsiari thrusts. In the thermokinematic models, we observe a relationship between the location of frontal ramps for the faults that displace lower Lesser Himalayan units and the ∼375°C isotherm, immediately before the ramp becomes active. These correlations suggest that temperature exerts a first‐order control on thrust geometry in a hot orogen. Viable models highlight the position of active ramps, kinematic order of faults, timing of fault motion, and reduction in shortening rates that are required to reproduce the surface geology, basin accumulation, peak temperature conditions, and timing of exhumation. Cooling ages are far more sensitive to the age of fault motion than the rate of fault motion.
The interaction between the nervous system and the stomatognathic system: from development to diseases
Authors: Wu Yuzhu , Lan Yanhua , Mao Jiajie , Shen Jiahui , Kang Ting , Xie Zhijian
Published: August 2023

The crosstalk between the nerve and stomatognathic systems plays a more important role in organismal health than previously appreciated with the presence of emerging concept of the “brain-oral axis”. A deeper understanding of the intricate interaction between the nervous system and the stomatognathic system is warranted, considering their significant developmental homology and anatomical proximity, and the more complex innervation of the jawbone compared to other skeletons. In this review, we provide an in-depth look at studies concerning neurodevelopment, craniofacial development, and congenital anomalies that occur when the two systems develop abnormally. It summarizes the cross-regulation between nerves and jawbones and the effects of various states of the jawbone on intrabony nerve distribution. Diseases closely related to both the nervous system and the stomatognathic system are divided into craniofacial diseases caused by neurological illnesses, and neurological diseases caused by an aberrant stomatognathic system. The two-way relationships between common diseases, such as periodontitis and neurodegenerative disorders, and depression and oral diseases were also discussed. This review provides valuable insights into novel strategies for neuro-skeletal tissue engineering and early prevention and treatment of orofacial and neurological diseases.
Closing the loop between brain and electrical stimulation: towards precision neuromodulation treatments
Authors: Soleimani Ghazaleh , Nitsche Michael A. , Bergmann Til Ole , Towhidkhah Farzad , Violante Ines R. , Lorenz Romy , Kuplicki Rayus , Tsuchiyagaito Aki , Mulyana Beni , Mayeli Ahmad , Ghobadi-Azbari Peyman , Mosayebi-Samani Mohsen , Zilverstand Anna , Paulus Martin P. , Bikson Marom , Ekhtiari Hamed
Published: August 2023

One of the most critical challenges in using noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques for the treatment of psychiatric and neurologic disorders is inter- and intra-individual variability in response to NIBS. Response variations in previous findings suggest that the one-size-fits-all approach does not seem the most appropriate option for enhancing stimulation outcomes. While there is a growing body of evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of individualized NIBS approaches, the optimal way to achieve this is yet to be determined. Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is one of the NIBS techniques showing promising results in modulating treatment outcomes in several psychiatric and neurologic disorders, but it faces the same challenge for individual optimization. With new computational and methodological advances, tES can be integrated with real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) to establish closed-loop tES-fMRI for individually optimized neuromodulation. Closed-loop tES-fMRI systems aim to optimize stimulation parameters based on minimizing differences between the model of the current brain state and the desired value to maximize the expected clinical outcome. The methodological space to optimize closed-loop tES fMRI for clinical applications includes (1) stimulation vs. data acquisition timing, (2) fMRI context (task-based or resting-state), (3) inherent brain oscillations, (4) dose-response function, (5) brain target trait and state and (6) optimization algorithm. Closed-loop tES-fMRI technology has several advantages over non-individualized or open-loop systems to reshape the future of neuromodulation with objective optimization in a clinically relevant context such as drug cue reactivity for substance use disorder considering both inter and intra-individual variations. Using multi-level brain and behavior measures as input and desired outcomes to individualize stimulation parameters provides a framework for designing personalized tES protocols in precision psychiatry.
Phylobone: a comprehensive database of bone extracellular matrix proteins in human and model organisms
Authors: Fontcuberta-Rigo Margalida , Nakamura Miho , Puigbò Pere
Published: August 2023

The bone extracellular matrix (ECM) contains minerals deposited on highly crosslinked collagen fibrils and hundreds of non-collagenous proteins. Some of these proteins are key to the regulation of bone formation and regeneration via signaling pathways, and play important regulatory and structural roles. However, the complete list of bone extracellular matrix proteins, their roles, and the extent of individual and cross-species variations have not been fully captured in both humans and model organisms. Here, we introduce the most comprehensive resource of bone extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that can be used in research fields such as bone regeneration, osteoporosis, and mechanobiology. The Phylobone database (available at https://phylobone.com) includes 255 proteins potentially expressed in the bone extracellular matrix (ECM) of humans and 30 species of vertebrates. A bioinformatics pipeline was used to identify the evolutionary relationships of bone ECM proteins. The analysis facilitated the identification of potential model organisms to study the molecular mechanisms of bone regeneration. A network analysis showed high connectivity of bone ECM proteins. A total of 214 functional protein domains were identified, including collagen and the domains involved in bone formation and resorption. Information from public drug repositories was used to identify potential repurposing of existing drugs. The Phylobone database provides a platform to study bone regeneration and osteoporosis in light of (biological) evolution, and will substantially contribute to the identification of molecular mechanisms and drug targets.
HDAC1/2/3 are major histone desuccinylases critical for promoter desuccinylation
Authors: Li Jialun , Lu Lu , Liu Lingling , Ren Xuelian , Chen Jiwei , Yin Xingzhi , Xiao Yanhui , Li Jiwen , Wei Gang , Huang He , Wei Wei , Wong Jiemin
Published: August 2023

Lysine succinylation is one of the major post-translational modifications occurring on histones and is believed to have significant roles in regulating chromatin structure and function. Currently, histone desuccinylation is widely believed to be catalyzed by members of the SIRT family deacetylases. Here, we report that histone desuccinylation is in fact primarily catalyzed by the class I HDAC1/2/3. Inhibition or depletion of HDAC1/2/3 resulted in a marked increase of global histone succinylation, whereas ectopic expression of HDAC1/2/3 but not their deacetylase inactive mutants downregulated global histone succinylation. We demonstrated that the class I HDAC1/2/3 complexes have robust histone desuccinylase activity in vitro. Genomic landscape analysis revealed that histone succinylation is highly enriched at gene promoters and inhibition of HDAC activity results in marked elevation of promoter histone succinylation. Furthermore, our integrated analysis revealed that promoter histone succinylation positively correlates with gene transcriptional activity. Collectively, we demonstrate that the class I HDAC1/2/3 but not the SIRT family proteins are the major histone desuccinylases particularly important for promoter histone desuccinylation. Our study thus sheds new light on the role of histone succinylation in transcriptional regulation.
Immune regulatory networks coordinated by glycans and glycan-binding proteins in autoimmunity and infection
Authors: Pinho Salomé S. , Alves Inês , Gaifem Joana , Rabinovich Gabriel A.
Published: August 2023

The immune system is coordinated by an intricate network of stimulatory and inhibitory circuits that regulate host responses against endogenous and exogenous insults. Disruption of these safeguard and homeostatic mechanisms can lead to unpredictable inflammatory and autoimmune responses, whereas deficiency of immune stimulatory pathways may orchestrate immunosuppressive programs that contribute to perpetuate chronic infections, but also influence cancer development and progression. Glycans have emerged as essential components of homeostatic circuits, acting as fine-tuners of immunological responses and potential molecular targets for manipulation of immune tolerance and activation in a wide range of pathologic settings. Cell surface glycans, present in cells, tissues and the extracellular matrix, have been proposed to serve as “self-associated molecular patterns” that store structurally relevant biological data. The responsibility of deciphering this information relies on different families of glycan-binding proteins (including galectins, siglecs and C-type lectins) which, upon recognition of specific carbohydrate structures, can recalibrate the magnitude, nature and fate of immune responses. This process is tightly regulated by the diversity of glycan structures and the establishment of multivalent interactions on cell surface receptors and the extracellular matrix. Here we review the spatiotemporal regulation of selected glycan-modifying processes including mannosylation, complex N-glycan branching, core 2 O-glycan elongation, LacNAc extension, as well as terminal sialylation and fucosylation. Moreover, we illustrate examples that highlight the contribution of these processes to the control of immune responses and their integration with canonical tolerogenic pathways. Finally, we discuss the power of glycans and glycan-binding proteins as a source of immunomodulatory signals that could be leveraged for the treatment of autoimmune inflammation and chronic infection.