bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical tele-mentoring using a robotic platform: initial experience in a military institution
Authors: Faris Hunter , Harfouche Cyril , Bandle Jesse , Wisbach Gordon
Published: October 2023

Background

Surgical tele-mentoring leverages technology by projecting surgical expertise to improve access to care and patient outcomes. We postulate that tele-mentoring will improve surgeon satisfaction, procedural competence, the timeliness of operative intervention, surgical procedure efficiency, and key intra-operative decision-making. As a first step, we performed a pilot study utilizing a proof-of-concept tele-mentoring process during robotic-assisted surgery to determine the effects on the perceptions of all members of the surgical team.

Methods

An IRB-approved prospective feasibility study to determine the safety and efficacy of remote surgical consultation to local surgeons utilizing robotic surgery technology in the fields of general, urology, gynecology and thoracic surgery was performed. Surgical teams were provided a pre-operative face-to-face orientation. During the operation, the mentoring surgeon was located at the same institution in a separate tele-mentoring room. An evaluation was completed pre- and post-operatively by the operative team members and mentor.

Results

Fifteen operative cases were enrolled including seven general surgery, four urology, one gynecology and three thoracic surgery operations. Surveys were collected from 67 paired survey respondents and 15 non-paired mentor respondents. Participation in the operation had a positive effect on participant responses regarding all questions surveyed (p < 0.05) indicating value to tele-mentoring integration. Connectivity remained uninterrupted with clear delivery of audio and visual components and no perceived latency. Participant perception of leadership/administrative support was varied.

Conclusions

Surgical tele-mentoring is safe and efficacious in providing remote surgical consultation to local surgeons utilizing robotic surgery technology in a military institution. Operative teams overwhelmingly perceived this capability as beneficial with reliable audio-visual connectivity demonstrated between the main operative room and the Virtual Medical Center. Further study is needed to develop surgical tele-mentoring to improve patient care without geographic limitations during times of peace, war and pandemic outbreaks.
Topology optimization of self-contacting structures
Authors: Frederiksen Andreas Henrik , Sigmund Ole , Poulios Konstantinos
Published: October 2023

Inclusion of contact in mechanical designs opens a large range of design possibilities, this includes classical designs with contact, such as gears, couplings, switches, clamps etc. However, incorporation of contact in topology optimization is challenging, as classical contact models are not readily applicable when the boundaries are not defined. This paper aims to address the limitations of contact in topology optimization by extending the third medium contact method for topology optimization problems with internal contact. When the objective is to maximize a given contact load for a specified displacement, instabilities may arise as an optimum is approached. In order to alleviate stability problems as well as provide robustness of the optimized designs, a tangent stiffness requirement is introduced to the design objective. To avoid a non-physical exploitation of the third medium in optimized designs, small features are penalized by evaluating the volume constraint on a dilated design. The present work incorporates well-established methods in topology optimization including Helmholtz PDE filtering, threshold projection, Solid Isotropic Material Interpolation with Penalization, and the Method of Moving Asymptotes. Three examples are used to illustrate how the approach exploits internal contact in the topology optimization of structures subjected to large deformations.
Learn and route: learning implicit preferences for vehicle routing
Authors: Canoy Rocsildes , Bucarey Víctor , Mandi Jayanta , Guns Tias
Published: October 2023

We investigate alearningdecision support system for vehicle routing, where the routing engine learns implicit preferences that human planners have when manually creating route plans (orroutings). The goal is to use these learnedsubjectivepreferences on top of the distance-basedobjectivecriterion in vehicle routing systems. This is an alternative to the practice of distinctively formulating a custom vehicle routing problem (VRP) for every company with its own routing requirements. Instead, we assume the presence of past vehicle routing solutions over similar sets of customers, and learn to make similar choices. The learning approach is based on the concept of learning a Markov model, which corresponds to a probabilistic transition matrix, rather than a deterministic distance matrix. This nevertheless allows us to use existing arc routing VRP software in creating the actual routings, and to optimize over both distances and preferences at the same time. For the learning, we explore different schemes to construct the probabilistic transition matrix that can co-evolve with changing preferences over time. Our results on randomly generated instances and on a use-case with a small transportation company show that our method is able to generate results that are close to the manually created solutions, without needing to characterize all constraints and sub-objectives explicitly. Even in the case of changes in the customer sets, our approach is able to find solutions that are closer to the actual routings than when using only distances, and hence, solutions that require fewer manual changes when transformed into practical routings.
Analysis of Moko disease propagation on plantain (Musa AAB Simmonds) through a model based on system dynamics
Authors: Grajales-Amorocho Marly , Acosta-Minoli Cesar , Muñoz-Pizza Dalia , Manrique-Arias Oscar , Munoz-Loaiza Aníbal
Published: October 2023

Plantain represents one of the principal sources of income for Colombian farmers, besides being an important aspect of the national culture. Plantain is part of the daily diet for different social levels. Nevertheless, its production is threatened by diseases that have devastated entire crops and have forced many families to change their agricultural occupation. Moko (Ralstonia solanacearum phylotype II race 2) is one of the diseases that over time has caused considerable loses and continues to bring major phytosanitary problems to the region. The easy transmission of the pathogen makes it necessary to implement methodologies that help to limit the epidemic spread of the disease. In order to improve our understanding of the propagation of the disease through the plant’s developmental stages and contribute to establishing better targeted control measures, this paper proposes a population simulation mathematical model, which seeks to interpret the dynamics of Moko disease, bearing in mind the influence of the plant’s developmental cycle. We investigate the implementation of disease prevention on the population of susceptible and infected plants over time. The model has a good fit to the field data. The simulations, using the parameters estimated, showed that early elimination of infected plants is important to reduce disease incidence. It is also important to implement strategies to prevent the spread of the bacteria, which translates to a smaller probability of infection in any state.
Constructions of homotopy 4-spheres by pochette surgery
Authors: Suzuki Tatsumasa
Published: October 2023

The boundary sum of the product of a circle with a 3-ball and the product of a disk with a 2-sphere is called a pochette. Pochette surgery, which was discovered by Iwase and Matsumoto, is a generalization of Gluck surgery and a special case of torus surgery. For a pochette P embedded in a 4-manifold X, a pochette surgery on X is the operation of removing the interior of P and gluing P by a diffeomorphism of the boundary of P. We present an explicit diffeomorphism of the boundary of P for constructing a 4-manifold after any pochette surgery. We also describe a necessary and sufficient condition for some pochette surgeries on any simply-connected closed 4-manifold create a 4-manifold with the same homotopy type of the original 4-manifold. In this paper we construct infinitely many embeddings of a pochette into the 4-sphere and prove that homotopy 4-spheres obtained from surgeries along these embedded pochettes are all diffeomorphic to the 4-sphere by some explicit handle calculus and relative handle calculus.
Synthesis of a 13C-methylene-labeled isoleucine precursor as a useful tool for studying protein side-chain interactions and dynamics
Authors: Höfurthner Theresa , Toscano Giorgia , Kontaxis Georg , Beier Andreas , Mayer Moriz , Geist Leonhard , McConnell Darryl B. , Weinstabl Harald , Lichtenecker Roman , Konrat Robert
Published: October 2023

In this study, we present the synthesis and incorporation of a metabolic isoleucine precursor compound for selective methylene labeling. The utility of this novel α-ketoacid isotopologue is shown by incorporation into the protein Brd4-BD1, which regulates gene expression by binding to acetylated histones. High quality single quantum 13C−1 H-HSQC were obtained, as well as triple quantum HTQC spectra, which are superior in terms of significantly increased 13C-T2 times. Additionally, large chemical shift perturbations upon ligand binding were observed. Our study thus proves the great sensitivity of this precursor as a reporter for side-chain dynamic studies and for investigations of CH-π interactions in protein-ligand complexes.
Synthesis of castor oil/poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)/ammonium persulfate hybrids emulsion as textile softeners
Authors: Fahmy H. M. , Amr A.
Published: October 2023

Two castor oil / poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) / ammonium persulfate (CAO/PVP/APS) hybrids were synthesized via reaction of castor oil with PVP of molecular weights 40000 and 1300000 Dalton in presence of APS as an initiator. The optimum reaction conditions are: PVP/CAO weight ratio, 15%; PVP concentration, 60%; APS conc., 4% (based on weight of CAO); reaction temperature, 80 °C; reaction time, 60 min. The synthesized CAO/PVP/APS hybrids were characterized via FTIR analysis whereas their emulsions particle sizes were determined using TEM analysis. Incorporation of either of the aforementioned hybrids emulsions in the easy care finishing formulations of cotton fabric results in promoting of fabric softness, tensile strength, flexibility, and antibacterial activities of treated fabric along with reducing fabric wettabiliy and resiliency. Inclusion of Ag-NPs in the aforementioned finishing bath significantly improves extent of the antibacterial activities of treated fabric. The treated fabric morphology was examined using SEM as well as EDX analysis.
Evaluating connectivity models for conservation: insights from African lion dispersal patterns
Authors: Finerty Genevieve E. , Cushman Samuel A. , Bauer Dominik T. , Elliot Nicolas B. , Kesch M. Kristina , Macdonald David W. , Loveridge Andrew J.
Published: October 2023

Context

Evaluating connectivity and identifying corridors for protection is a central challenge in applied ecology and conservation. Rigorous validation and comparison of how approaches perform in capturing biological processes is needed to guide research and conservation action.

Objectives

We aim to compare the ability of connectivity surfaces optimised using home range and dispersal data to accurately capture lion movement during dispersal, using cost-distance and circuit theory approaches.

Methods

We delineate periods of dispersal in African lions (Panthera leo) to obtain movement trajectories of dispersing individuals across the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, southern Africa. We use these trajectories to assess comparative measures of connectivity values at dispersal points across surfaces and the ability of models to discriminate between observed and randomised paths.

Results

Encouragingly, results show that on average, all connectivity approaches and resistance surfaces used perform well in predicting movements of an independent set of dispersing lions. Cost-distance approaches were generally more sensitive to resistance input than circuit theory, but differences in performance measures between resistance inputs were small across both approaches.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that home range data can be used to generate resistance surfaces for connectivity maps in this system, with independent dispersal data providing a promising approach to thresholding what is considered as “connected” when delineating corridors. Most dispersers traversed through landscapes that had minimal human settlement and are likely highly connected by dispersal. Research into limiting factors and dispersal abilities will be critical to understanding how populations will respond to increasing habitat fragmentation and human expansion.
ECGDT: a graphical software tool for ECG diagnosis
Authors: Mondelo Víctor , Lado María J. , Méndez Arturo J.
Published: October 2023

While cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death in developed countries, detection of cardiac abnormalities can reduce mortality rates, through early and accurate diagnosis. One of the main assets used to help in the diagnosis process is the electrocardiogram (ECG). A free software tool for electrocardiogram analysis and diagnosis is presented. The tool, named ECGDT, allows: (1) to detect beats present on the ECG, both in single and multi-channel levels, (2) to identify beat waves, and (3) to diagnose different cardiac abnormalities. System evaluation was performed in two ways: (1) diagnostic capabilities were tested with Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, and (2) Graphical Software Interface (GUI) aspects, such as attraction, efficiency, or novelty, were evaluated employing User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) scores. For disease diagnosis, the mean Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) was 0.821. The system was also capable of detecting 100% of several cardiac abnormalities, such as bradycardia or tachycardia. Related to the GUI, all usability estimators scored values ranged between 2.208 and 2.750 (overall positive evaluations are obtained for values over 0.8). ECGDT could serve as an aid in the diagnosis of different medical abnormalities. In addition, the suitability of the developed interface has been proven.
Rates of robust superlinear convergence of preconditioned Krylov methods for elliptic FEM problems
Authors: Castillo S. J. , Karátson J.
Published: October 2023

This paper considers the iterative solution of finite element discretizations of second-order elliptic boundary value problems. Mesh independent estimations are given for the rate of superlinear convergence of preconditioned Krylov methods, involving the connection between the convergence rate and the Lebesgue exponent of the data. Numerical examples demonstrate the theoretical results.
Renewing the social contract for education: A personal point of view on the UNESCO report
Authors: Nóvoa António
Published: October 2023

Having contributed to the UNESCO report Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education as a member of the International Commission and as Chair of the research-drafting committee of this commission, the author now takes the liberty of making some personal notes on the reflections advanced therein. This brief article is divided into three sections. The first presents the main foundations of the social contract of educational modernity (nineteenth century). The second discusses how this contract has to be renewed today. The third advocates the need to value the common in education, based on five main ideas: cooperation (in pedagogy), convergence (in curriculum), collaboration (in teaching), conviviality (in schools), and capillarity (in society). Finally, the epilogue defends the urgency of placing human rights at the center of the process of renewing the social contract for education.
Open networks of infinite server queues with non-homogeneous multivariate batch Poisson arrivals
Authors: Mehra Somya , Taylor Peter G.
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we consider the occupancy distribution for an open network of infinite server queues with multivariate batch arrivals following a non-homogeneous Poisson process, and general service time distributions. We derive a probability generating function for the transient occupancy distribution of the network and prove that it is necessary and sufficient for ergodicity that the expected occupancy time for each batch be finite. Further, we recover recurrence relations for the transient probability mass function formulated in terms of a distribution obtained by compounding the batch size with a multinomial distribution.
How can policy document mentions to scholarly papers be interpreted? An analysis of the underlying mentioning process
Authors: Yu Houqiang , Murat Biegzat , Li Jiatong , Li Longfei
Published: October 2023

Policy document mentions are useful for assessing the societal impact of scholarly papers. However, how policy document mentions can be interpreted is unclear yet. In this study, content analysis was used to examine features (mentioned element, mentioning form, and mentioning location) and motivations of policy document mention to scholarly papers. 885 policy documents were sampled for analysis from the Altmetric.com database. Results reveal that: (1) The mentioned elements of policy document mentions can be divided as five categories, summarized content (26.9%) is the most frequent one. (2) We found five types of the mentioning form of policy document mentions, the major mentioning form is references (72.3%). (3) The mentioning locations in policy documents can be divided into twelve categories, expounding (47.4%) and review (22.6%) are the core mentioning locations. (4) Motivation of policy document mentions can be broken down into five major categories and seventeen minor categories, more than 30% of motivations are to support the policy argument by listing relevant work. Analysis of the mention features of the policy document mentions gives us another way to understand how it works and how policy document mentions are motivated, with these findings we can do more work to find out the relationship between scientific articles and policy documents.
Heyting $$\kappa $$-Frames
Authors: Freytes Hector , Sergioli Giuseppe
Published: October 2023

In the framework of algebras with infinitary operations, the equational theory of $$\bigvee _{\kappa }$$

⋁
κ

-complete Heyting algebras or Heyting $$\kappa $$
κ
-frames is studied. A Hilbert style calculus algebraizable in this class is formulated. Based on the infinitary structure of Heyting $$\kappa $$
κ
-frames, an equational type completeness theorem related to the $$\langle \bigvee , \wedge , \rightarrow , 0 \rangle $$

⟨
⋁
,
∧
,
→
,
0
⟩

-structure of frames is also obtained.
Data-efficient model-based reinforcement learning with trajectory discrimination
Authors: Qu Tuo , Duan Fuqing , Zhang Junge , Zhao Bo , Huang Wenzhen
Published: October 2023

Deep reinforcement learning has always been used to solve high-dimensional complex sequential decision problems. However, one of the biggest challenges for reinforcement learning is sample efficiency, especially for high-dimensional complex problems. Model-based reinforcement learning can solve the problem with a learned world model, but the performance is limited by the imperfect world model, so it usually has worse approximate performance than model-free reinforcement learning. In this paper, we propose a novel model-based reinforcement learning algorithm called World Model with Trajectory Discrimination (WMTD). We learn the representation of temporal dynamics information by adding a trajectory discriminator to the world model, and then compute the weight of state value estimation based on the trajectory discriminator to optimize the policy. Specifically, we augment the trajectories to generate negative samples and train a trajectory discriminator that shares the feature extractor with the world model. Experimental results demonstrate that our method improves the sample efficiency and achieves state-of-the-art performance on DeepMind control tasks.
What do you mean by organizational structure? Acknowledging and harmonizing differences and commonalities in three prominent perspectives
Authors: Albert Daniel
Published: October 2023

The organizational design literature stresses the importance of organizational structure to understand strategic change, performance, and innovation. However, prior studies diverge regarding the conceptualizations and operationalizations of structure. Organizational structure has been studied as an (1) arrangement of activities, (2) representation of decision-making, and (3) legal entities. In this point-of-view paper, the three prominent perspectives of organizational structure are discussed in terms of their commonalities, differences, and the need to study their relationship more thoroughly. Future research may not only wish to integrate these dimensions but also be more vocal about what type of organization structure is studied and why.
Biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal: quantifying the global impact of biochar
Authors: Lefebvre David , Fawzy Samer , Aquije Camila A. , Osman Ahmed I. , Draper Kathleen T. , Trabold Thomas A.
Published: October 2023

The Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) 21 in December 2015 established Nationally Determined Contributions toward reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the years since COP21, it has become increasingly evident that carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies must be deployed immediately to stabilize concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases and avoid major climate change impacts. Biochar is a carbon-rich material formed by high-temperature conversion of biomass under reduced oxygen conditions, and its production is one of few established CDR methods that can be deployed at a scale large enough to counteract effects of climate change within the next decade. Here we provide a generalized framework for quantifying the potential contribution biochar can make toward achieving national carbon emissions reduction goals, assuming use of only sustainably supplied biomass, i.e., residues from existing agricultural, livestock, forestry and wastewater treatment operations. Our results illustrate the significant role biochar can play in world-wide CDR strategies, with carbon dioxide removal potential of 6.23 ± 0.24% of total GHG emissions in the 155 countries covered based on 2020 data over a 100-year timeframe, and more than 10% of national emissions in 28 countries. Concentrated regions of high biochar carbon dioxide removal potential relative to national emissions were identified in South America, northwestern Africa and eastern Europe.

Graphical abstract
Chemistry and microstructure of duplex stainless steel powders from recycled Z100 mixed with 316L steels
Authors: Kateusz Filip , Polkowska Adelajda , Polkowski Wojciech , Chrzan Konrad , Jaśkowiec Krzysztof , Sokołowski Paweł , Igartua Amaya , Leunda Josu , Bisztyga-Szklarz Magdalena , Dudziak Tomasz , Jedliński Jerzy
Published: October 2023

Recovered metallic waste can be used in additive manufacturing as a feedstock if the subsequent steps of the waste-to-product process are sufficiently mastered. In this study, impact of recycling of Z100 duplex steel mixed with 316L steel on the resulting powders microstructure and chemical composition was investigated. The utility of the original method of recycling stainless steels into a high-grade powder suitable for additive techniques has been demonstrated. By examining three gradations of powders, namely 20–50 μm, 50–100 μm and 125–250 μm, differences in selected properties in relation to the average particle size are shown. The results suggest that with increasing the particle diameter, fine-crystalline γ-austenite is favoured to precipitate at the boundaries and within the volume of the originally formed large δ-ferrite grains. It is reflected by a decrease of δ/γ fraction ratio from 0.64 in the 20–50 μm powders to 0.20 in the 125–250 μm, respectively. Obtained results indicate non-diffusional, shear or semi-shear character of δ → γ + δ phase transformation. The resulting fine-crystalline austenite is characterised by a significant dislocation density, which induces dislocation strengthening effect, responsible for an increase in Vickers hardness from 145 HV and Young's modulus from 29 GPa in the 20–50 μm group to 310 HV and 146 GPa in the 125–250 μm fraction, respectively.
Multicomponent analysis of dietary supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin: comparative low- and high-field NMR spectroscopic study
Authors: Adels Klaudia , Elbers Gereon , Diehl Bernd , Monakhova Yulia
Published: October 2023

With the prevalence of glucosamine- and chondroitin-containing dietary supplements for people with osteoarthritis in the marketplace, it is important to have an accurate and reproducible analytical method for the quantitation of these compounds in finished products. NMR spectroscopic method based both on low- (80 MHz) and high- (500–600 MHz) field NMR instrumentation was established, compared and validated for the determination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine in dietary supplements. The proposed method was applied for analysis of 20 different dietary supplements. In the majority of cases, quantification results obtained on the low-field NMR spectrometer are similar to those obtained with high-field 500–600 MHz NMR devices. Validation results in terms of accuracy, precision, reproducibility, limit of detection and recovery demonstrated that the developed method is fit for purpose for the marketed products. The NMR method was extended to the analysis of methylsulfonylmethane, adulterant maltodextrin, acetate and inorganic ions. Low-field NMR can be a quicker and cheaper alternative to more expensive high-field NMR measurements for quality control of the investigated dietary supplements. High-field NMR instrumentation can be more favorable for samples with complex composition due to better resolution, simultaneously giving the possibility of analysis of inorganic species such as potassium and chloride.

Graphical abstract
Equivariant Cohomology in Algebraic Geometry
Authors: Anderson David , Fulton William
Published: October 2023

Equivariant cohomology has become an indispensable tool in algebraic geometry and in related areas including representation theory, combinatorial and enumerative geometry, and algebraic combinatorics. This text introduces the main ideas of the subject for first- or second-year graduate students in mathematics, as well as researchers working in algebraic geometry or combinatorics. The first six chapters cover the basics: definitions via finite-dimensional approximation spaces, computations in projective space, and the localization theorem. The rest of the text focuses on examples – toric varieties, Grassmannians, and homogeneous spaces – along with applications to Schubert calculus and degeneracy loci. Prerequisites are kept to a minimum, so that one-semester graduate-level courses in algebraic geometry and topology should be sufficient preparation. Featuring numerous exercises, examples, and material that has not previously appeared in textbook form, this book will be a must-have reference and resource for both students and researchers for years to come.
A Theory of Truth
Authors: Stephanou Yannis
Published: October 2023

How should we treat the liar and kindred paradoxes? A Theory of Truth argues that we should diverge from classical logic, and presents a new formal theory of truth. The theory does not incorporate contradictions and is not substructural, but deviates from classical logic significantly, and endorses principles like 'No sentence is both true and false' and 'No sentence is neither true nor false'. The book starts with an introduction to the paradoxes, suitable for newcomers to the subject, before presenting its approach. Four versions of the theory are covered, extending the theory to a determinacy operator and to a full first-order language with quantifiers. Each includes all Tarskian biconditionals that can be formulated in its language. The author uses original methods to prove the consistency of each version and compares the theory to alternative non-classical theories, including Field's paracomplete approach, Ripley's nontransitive system and Zardini's contraction-free calculus.
Does altering your diet reduce your risk of depression and are any dietary manipulations an effective treatment for depression?
Authors: Berk Michael , Hickie Ian B.
Published: October 2023

One of the areas of greatest public interest is whether altering your diet can reduce your risk of developing depression and whether there are any dietary manipulations that are effective treatments for depression? Many epidemiological studies have suggested associations between lower rates of depression and specific dietary types (e.g., Mediterranean, ‘anti-inflammatory’, Keto, low carbohydrate and Fish oil-rich) (Dietch et al., 2023). These epidemiological data are buttressed by post hoc analyses of several large-scale clinical trials with other primary outcomes – the PREDIMED study being an exemplar (Sánchez et al., 2013). In addition, the first generation of randomised controlled trials is now available suggesting that a healthier diet pattern especially the Mediterranean diet reduces the symptoms of depression in clinical populations (Jacka et al., 2017).
What is the true nature of the relationship between metabolic disturbance, specifically of glucose and insulin metabolism, and depressive and other mood disorders?
Authors: Scott Elizabeth M. , Hickie Ian B. , Crouse Jacob J. , Shin Mirim
Published: October 2023

Much attention in recent years has focused on the extent to which the risk of metabolic disturbances, and most fundamentally of glucose and insulin, are prevalent among those treated for depressive and other mood disorders (Osimo et al., 2021; Scott et al., 2019; Tickell et al., 2022). Public concern has also focused on the increased rates of premature mortality in those with chronic depression and other major mental disorders, with a significant proportion of that risk being due to early-onset cardiovascular disease (particularly among women). A common assumption is that much of this risk is a consequence of medical treatments for depression, and their possible adverse effects such as increased risk of diabetes, presumably mediated by long-term weight gain.
Does declining social connection, and increased reported loneliness, explain the apparent increase in depressive and other mood disorders, particularly among younger people?
Authors: Hickie Ian B. , Occhipinti Jo-An , Skinner Adam , Ospina-Pinillos Laura
Published: October 2023

There is much conjecture about which social factors underpin an apparent increase in the incidence of psychological distress, depression and other mood disorders, self-harm and suicidal behaviour and presentations for mental health care (in economically-developed countries). These concerns are particularly focused on younger birth cohorts, where the epidemiological evidence appears strongest for a genuine increase in incidence of mood disorders and self-harming behaviours (Twenge et al., 2019).
How can genetic factors be best leveraged to explain individual differences in risk to onset, course of illness and response to treatment in depression and other mood disorders?
Authors: Hickie Ian B. , Medland Sarah E. , Wray Naomi R. , Mitchell Brittany L. , Crouse Jacob J. , Martin Nicholas G.
Published: October 2023

The clinical field of depression and other mood disorders is characterised by the vast heterogeneity between those who present for care, and the highly variable degree of response to the range of psychological, pharmacological and physical treatments currently provided. These individual differences likely have a genetic component, and leveraging genetic risk is appealing because genetic risk factors point to causality. The possibility that individual genotyping at entry to health care may be a key way forward is worthy of discussion (Torkamani et al., 2018).
The impact of dynamic managerial capabilities on firm performance: A moderated mediation analysis of German DAX firms
Authors: Heubeck Tim
Published: October 2023

In an era of hypercompetition, research and development (R&D) investments are vital for organizations to stay competitive. This microlevel study draws on dynamic managerial capability (DMC) theory to explore the mechanisms contributing to competitive advantages. It posits that DMCs enhance firm performance by increasing R&D spending, and explores the moderating role of slack resources due to their effect on resource availability. Employing hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapping methods on a longitudinal sample comprising 31 German DAX firms, the findings robustly demonstrate that DMCs facilitate firm performance by fostering R&D expenditures and confirm the moderating effect of specific slack resources. However, only internal but not external slack resources amplify the relationship between DMCs and R&D intensity. Overall, this study emphasizes the critical role of managers’ microlevel capabilities in determining firm performance and sheds light on how different slack resources influence the relationships between DMCs, R&D intensity, and firm performance.
‘We deserve new things’: (anti-)bricolage in Lomé’s makerspaces
Authors: Santos Janine Patricia
Published: October 2023

This article traces bricolage in the city of Lomé, Togo, as it is given meaning, practised and resisted by the ‘makers’ involved in the city’s makerspaces. While the Lévi-Straussian definition of bricolage as ‘making do’ given limited resources is heralded as an innovative practice in the Euro-American Maker Movement, Lomé’s makers appear to distance themselves from the concept due to its perceived stigmatization in both Lomé and Francophone Africa as a devalued survival practice through improvisation. Through their identification as ‘makers but not bricoleurs’, and their expression ‘we deserve new things’, I unpack the ambiguous relationship Lomé’s makers have with bricolage, and how their disavowal of the concept reveals more about the global infrastructural inequalities that surround it. By foregrounding the critical self-awareness of Lomé’s makers, I explore how ethnography allows for the de-centring and decolonization of foundational concepts and ideologies, as the makers challenge and reclaim bricolage to arrive at a future where it is no longer a necessity but a choice.
Financial Crises and the Selection and Survival of Women Finance Ministers
Authors: ARMSTRONG BRENNA , BARNES TIFFANY D. , CHIBA DAINA , O’BRIEN DIANA Z.
Published: October 2023

Women remain underrepresented in cabinets, especially in high-prestige, “masculine” portfolios. Still, a growing number of states have appointed women to the finance ministry—a powerful position typically reserved for men. Drawing on the “glass cliff” phenomenon, we examine the relationship between financial crises and women’s ascension to, and survival in, this post. With an original dataset on appointments to finance ministries worldwide (1972–2017), we show that women are more likely to first come to power during a banking crisis. These results also hold for currency and inflation crises and even when accounting for the political and economic conditions that might otherwise explain this relationship. Subsequent examination of almost 3,000 finance ministers’ tenures shows that, once in office, crises shorten men’s (but not women’s) time in the post. Together, these results suggest that women can sometimes seize on crises as opportunities to access traditionally male-dominated positions.
Trajectories of remitted psychotic depression: identification of predictors of worsening by machine learning
Authors: Banerjee Samprit , Wu Yiyuan , Bingham Kathleen S. , Marino Patricia , Meyers Barnett S. , Mulsant Benoit H. , Neufeld Nicholas H. , Oliver Lindsay D. , Power Jonathan D. , Rothschild Anthony J. , Sirey Jo Anne , Voineskos Aristotle N. , Whyte Ellen M. , Alexopoulos George S. , Flint Alastair J.
Published: October 2023

Background

Remitted psychotic depression (MDDPsy) has heterogeneity of outcome. The study's aims were to identify subgroups of persons with remitted MDDPsy with distinct trajectories of depression severity during continuation treatment and to detect predictors of membership to the worsening trajectory.

Method

One hundred and twenty-six persons aged 18–85 years participated in a 36-week randomized placebo-controlled trial (RCT) that examined the clinical effects of continuing olanzapine once an episode of MDDPsy had remitted with sertraline plus olanzapine. Latent class mixed modeling was used to identify subgroups of participants with distinct trajectories of depression severity during the RCT. Machine learning was used to predict membership to the trajectories based on participant pre-trajectory characteristics.

Results

Seventy-one (56.3%) participants belonged to a subgroup with a stable trajectory of depression scores and 55 (43.7%) belonged to a subgroup with a worsening trajectory. A random forest model with high prediction accuracy (AUC of 0.812) found that the strongest predictors of membership to the worsening subgroup were residual depression symptoms at onset of remission, followed by anxiety score at RCT baseline and age of onset of the first lifetime depressive episode. In a logistic regression model that examined depression score at onset of remission as the only predictor variable, the AUC (0.778) was close to that of the machine learning model.

Conclusions

Residual depression at onset of remission has high accuracy in predicting membership to worsening outcome of remitted MDDPsy. Research is needed to determine how best to optimize the outcome of psychotic MDDPsy with residual symptoms.
Automatic Recognition and Localization of Poleward Moving Auroral Forms (PMAFs) From All‐Sky Auroral Videos
Authors: Yang Qiuju , Wang Jiakai , Su Hang , Xing Zanyang
Published: October 2023

Poleward Moving Auroral Forms (PMAFs) are one of the most common dayside auroral phenomena and are important for the study of dayside auroras and their dynamical processes. Accurate recognition and localization of PMAFs from a large number of all‐sky imager observations is the first critical step in PMAFs study, but is very difficult and tedious. This paper proposes an integrated model, namely RL‐PMAFs, for automatically recognizing whether an all‐sky auroral video contains PMAFs and, for the first time temporally locating PMAFs. RL‐PMAFs consists of a recognition network and a localization network. Taking the all‐sky auroral videos as input, the recognition network characterizes the morphology and motion of the aurora to determine whether the input videos contain PMAFs. Then, the feature sequences of the videos containing PMAFs are fed to the localization network to obtain the starting and ending times of PMAFs. RL‐PMAFs is evaluated using auroral observations at Arctic Yellow River Station from 2005 to 2007. RL‐PMAFs not only yields higher recognition accuracy of 91.67% than previous methods, but also achieves a precision of 81.90% and a recall of 79.62% for locating PMAFs in auroral videos. The experimental results show that it is a valuable attempt of artificial intelligence for space physics.
Research progress of electronic nose technology in exhaled breath disease analysis
Authors: Li Ying , Wei Xiangyang , Zhou Yumeng , Wang Jing , You Rui
Published: October 2023

Exhaled breath analysis has attracted considerable attention as a noninvasive and portable health diagnosis method due to numerous advantages, such as convenience, safety, simplicity, and avoidance of discomfort. Based on many studies, exhaled breath analysis is a promising medical detection technology capable of diagnosing different diseases by analyzing the concentration, type and other characteristics of specific gases. In the existing gas analysis technology, the electronic nose (eNose) analysis method has great advantages of high sensitivity, rapid response, real-time monitoring, ease of use and portability. Herein, this review is intended to provide an overview of the application of human exhaled breath components in disease diagnosis, existing breath testing technologies and the development and research status of electronic nose technology. In the electronic nose technology section, the three aspects of sensors, algorithms and existing systems are summarized in detail. Moreover, the related challenges and limitations involved in the abovementioned technologies are also discussed. Finally, the conclusion and perspective of eNose technology are presented.
A concerted ATPase cycle of the protein transporter AAA-ATPase Bcs1
Authors: Pan Yangang , Zhan Jingyu , Jiang Yining , Xia Di , Scheuring Simon
Published: October 2023

Bcs1, a homo-heptameric transmembrane AAA-ATPase, facilitates folded Rieske iron-sulfur protein translocation across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Structures in different nucleotide states (ATPγS, ADP, apo) provided conformational snapshots, but the kinetics and structural transitions of the ATPase cycle remain elusive. Here, using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) and line scanning (HS-AFM-LS), we characterized single-molecule Bcs1 ATPase cycling. While the ATP conformation had ~5600 ms lifetime, independent of the ATP-concentration, the ADP/apo conformation lifetime was ATP-concentration dependent and reached ~320 ms at saturating ATP-concentration, giving a maximum turnover rate of 0.17 s−1. Importantly, Bcs1 ATPase cycle conformational changes occurred in concert. Furthermore, we propose that the transport mechanism involves opening the IMS gate through energetically costly straightening of the transmembrane helices, potentially driving rapid gate resealing. Overall, our results establish a concerted ATPase cycle mechanism in Bcs1, distinct from other AAA-ATPases that use a hand-over-hand mechanism.
Defense against phytopathogens relies on efficient antimicrobial protein secretion mediated by the microtubule-binding protein TGNap1
Authors: Bhandari Deepak D. , Ko Dae Kwan , Kim Sang-Jin , Nomura Kinya , He Sheng Yang , Brandizzi Federica
Published: October 2023

Plant immunity depends on the secretion of antimicrobial proteins, which occurs through yet-largely unknown mechanisms. The trans-Golgi network (TGN), a hub for intracellular and extracellular trafficking pathways, and the cytoskeleton, which is required for antimicrobial protein secretion, are emerging as pathogen targets to dampen plant immunity. In this work, we demonstrate that tgnap1-2, a loss-of-function mutant of Arabidopsis TGNap1, a TGN-associated and microtubule (MT)-binding protein, is susceptible to Pseudomonas syringae (Pst DC3000). Pst DC3000 infected tgnap1-2 is capable of mobilizing defense pathways, accumulating salicylic acid (SA), and expressing antimicrobial proteins. The susceptibility of tgnap1-2 is due to a failure to efficiently transport antimicrobial proteins to the apoplast in a partially MT-dependent pathway but independent from SA and is additive to the pathogen-antagonizing MIN7, a TGN-associated ARF-GEF protein. Therefore, our data demonstrate that plant immunity relies on TGNap1 for secretion of antimicrobial proteins, and that TGNap1 is a key immunity element that functionally links secretion and cytoskeleton in SA-independent pathogen responses.
Structural basis of promiscuous substrate transport by Organic Cation Transporter 1
Authors: Zeng Yi C. , Sobti Meghna , Quinn Ada , Smith Nicola J. , Brown Simon H. J. , Vandenberg Jamie I. , Ryan Renae M. , O’Mara Megan L. , Stewart Alastair G.
Published: October 2023

Organic Cation Transporter 1 (OCT1) plays a crucial role in hepatic metabolism by mediating the uptake of a range of metabolites and drugs. Genetic variations can alter the efficacy and safety of compounds transported by OCT1, such as those used for cardiovascular, oncological, and psychological indications. Despite its importance in drug pharmacokinetics, the substrate selectivity and underlying structural mechanisms of OCT1 remain poorly understood. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of full-length human OCT1 in the inward-open conformation, both ligand-free and drug-bound, indicating the basis for its broad substrate recognition. Comparison of our structures with those of outward-open OCTs provides molecular insight into the alternating access mechanism of OCTs. We observe that hydrophobic gates stabilize the inward-facing conformation, whereas charge neutralization in the binding pocket facilitates the release of cationic substrates. These findings provide a framework for understanding the structural basis of the promiscuity of drug binding and substrate translocation in OCT1.
A low-power vertical dual-gate neurotransistor with short-term memory for high energy-efficient neuromorphic computing
Authors: Xu Han , Shang Dashan , Luo Qing , An Junjie , Li Yue , Wu Shuyu , Yao Zhihong , Zhang Woyu , Xu Xiaoxin , Dou Chunmeng , Jiang Hao , Pan Liyang , Zhang Xumeng , Wang Ming , Wang Zhongrui , Tang Jianshi , Liu Qi , Liu Ming
Published: October 2023

Neuromorphic computing aims to emulate the computing processes of the brain by replicating the functions of biological neural networks using electronic counterparts. One promising approach is dendritic computing, which takes inspiration from the multi-dendritic branch structure of neurons to enhance the processing capability of artificial neural networks. While there has been a recent surge of interest in implementing dendritic computing using emerging devices, achieving artificial dendrites with throughputs and energy efficiency comparable to those of the human brain has proven challenging. In this study, we report on the development of a compact and low-power neurotransistor based on a vertical dual-gate electrolyte-gated transistor (EGT) with short-term memory characteristics, a 30 nm channel length, a record-low read power of ~3.16 fW and a biology-comparable read energy of ~30 fJ. Leveraging this neurotransistor, we demonstrate dendrite integration as well as digital and analog dendritic computing for coincidence detection. We also showcase the potential of neurotransistors in realizing advanced brain-like functions by developing a hardware neural network and demonstrating bio-inspired sound localization. Our results suggest that the neurotransistor-based approach may pave the way for next-generation neuromorphic computing with energy efficiency on par with those of the brain.
Structure-guided inhibition of the cancer DNA-mutating enzyme APOBEC3A
Authors: Harjes Stefan , Kurup Harikrishnan M. , Rieffer Amanda E. , Bayarjargal Maitsetseg , Filitcheva Jana , Su Yongdong , Hale Tracy K. , Filichev Vyacheslav V. , Harjes Elena , Harris Reuben S. , Jameson Geoffrey B.
Published: October 2023

The normally antiviral enzyme APOBEC3A is an endogenous mutagen in human cancer. Its single-stranded DNA C-to-U editing activity results in multiple mutagenic outcomes including signature single-base substitution mutations (isolated and clustered), DNA breakage, and larger-scale chromosomal aberrations. APOBEC3A inhibitors may therefore comprise a unique class of anti-cancer agents that work by blocking mutagenesis, slowing tumor evolvability, and preventing detrimental outcomes such as drug resistance and metastasis. Here we reveal the structural basis of competitive inhibition of wildtype APOBEC3A by hairpin DNA bearing 2′-deoxy-5-fluorozebularine in place of the cytidine in the TC substrate motif that is part of a 3-nucleotide loop. In addition, the structural basis of APOBEC3A’s preference for YTCD motifs (Y = T, C; D = A, G, T) is explained. The nuclease-resistant phosphorothioated derivatives of these inhibitors have nanomolar potency in vitro and block APOBEC3A activity in human cells. These inhibitors may be useful probes for studying APOBEC3A activity in cellular systems and leading toward, potentially as conjuvants, next-generation, combinatorial anti-mutator and anti-cancer therapies.