bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Effectiveness of Japanese Official Development Aid in Myanmar: A Case Study of the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects in the Chin State Education Sector
Authors: Khai Khen Suan
Published: July 2023

Abstract: Japanese Official Development Assistance has benefited educational development by hook or by crook. Japan has been providing grant aids for grassroots development in Myanmar for more than half a century, which has had a significant degree of effectiveness for the recipients. The Japan Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects has specifically benefited the education sector in Chin State, Myanmar, especially in building infrastructures for schools, including providing buildings, desks, and plumbing facilities. It is suggested that there are still quite a few primary factors requiring development to access quality education in Myanmar. Based on extensive research among educators and relevant officials in Chin State, this research surveys existing issues for educational infrastructure in the state and assesses some of the challenges for educational development in the region. It also assesses how Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects has assisted the barriers. The scope of this research is from 2015 to 2020.
The Politics of Banana Planting in Waingmaw Township
Authors: Wah Wah , Naing Aung
Published: July 2023

Abstract: Since 2018, a steady stream of media reports has described the rapid expansion of tissue banana plantations in the Waingmaw area of Kachin State in Northeast Myanmar, noting the widespread environmental degradation and disenfranchisement of local residents. We conducted field research in two villages connected to banana plantations, interviewing residents, plantation workers, government officials, and health workers. Using assemblage theory, we analyze the local political ecology of food production, and how the particularities of local geography, especially in peripheral regions, result in different practical political settlements. These settlements involve a range of different actors including ethnic armed organizations, foreign merchants, government officials, and local brokers. Arrangements of power in border areas are implicit and negotiated, rather than explicit and formalized. These are appropriated through new spatial arrangements (e.g., banana plantations) and spatial relationships (e.g., migrant workers from Rakhine State) in which older identities and modes of living are redefined. A key component of this frontier assemblage is the banana itself, in particular, the practice of cultivating imported tissue strains which are reliant on imported technology and fertilizers. This, in turn, influences the form of the assemblage and power relations within it, illustrating the critical role of material and technological elements within assemblages.
Analysis of volumetric 3D reconstruction of lamina cribrosa images from swept-source optical coherence tomography in glaucomatous and healthy subjects
Authors: Wongwai Jutamash , Buranasiri Prathan , Pasupa Kitsuchart , Manassakorn Anita
Published: July 2023

This study demonstrates the 3D visualization of the lamina cribrosa
(LC) structure and its correlation with volumetric data, pore volume,
and disc area in glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous eyes. The
participant cohort included 65 glaucomatous and 58 non-glaucomatous
eyes (13 suspected glaucoma and 45 normal). An ophthalmologist
diagnosed glaucoma patients and all subjects were over 18 years old,
passed a visual field test, and underwent optical coherence tomography
(OCT) examinations. LC images were obtained using the DRI OCT Triton,
while optic disc images were obtained from the enface image of the
Cirrus HD-OCT 5000. Since LC images alone did not provide clear edge
information, we used optic disc images as a reference for edge
detection. To achieve this, we employed a fine-tuned model,
specifically a pre-trained U-shaped Encoder-Decoder Network with
Attention. This model was used to obtain a segmented mask, which was
then aligned and utilized to locate the edge of the LC in the LC
images. A blood vessel mask was created to remove blood vessels, as
they can interfere with the accurate visualization and analysis of LC
characteristics. This step allowed for the 3D reconstruction of the LC
structure without the presence of blood vessels. Correlations between
LC volume, pore volume, and pore volume to LC volume were calculated
separately for glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous eyes. We divided the
areas for considering the LC structure into three types: overall,
quadrants, and 12-clock-hour sectors. Based on the experimental
results, we found that the pore volume and pore-to-LC volume were
different between glaucoma and normal across all areas considered. In
conclusion, this research generated 3D images of the LC from OCT
images using computer techniques, showcasing a microstructure that
closely resembles the actual LC. Statistical methods were employed to
calculate and analyze the differences observed between the two groups
of samples.
Applications of the Lambert–Tsallis Wq function in QKD
Authors: Damasceno Ranara Louise Campos , de Andrade Joacir Soares , Ramos Rubens Viana
Published: July 2023

The Lambert–Tsallis W
q
function has found applications in several areas of physics, such as quantum optics, astronomy, and semiconductor physics. In this work, we discuss some applications of W
q
in quantum key distribution (QKD). Three problems are considered: (i) the quantum access network, (ii) analysis of an on-chip SiO2 amplitude modulator used in continuous-variable QKD (CV-QKD), and (iii) parameter estimation of a stochastic quantum channel. In quantum access networks, QKD and classical data travel on the same optical fiber. In this case, an increase of the quantum bit error rate is caused mainly by the spontaneous Raman scattering (SRS) produced by classical data. The amount of SRS produced depends on the fiber length. In the present work, we use the Lambert–Tsallis W
q
function to calculate analytically the fiber length needed to produce a given level of SRS. Thus, our formula allows the calculation of the QKD channel’s length when the probability of a click on the receiver side without having any incident photons from the quantum transmitter is defined a priori. On the other hand, a crucial step in the security of CV-QKD is the correct channel transmissivity and excess noise estimations. These parameters can be overestimated or underestimated when real devices do not behave as predicted by their models. In this direction, using the W
q
function, we provide an equation for calculation of the fluctuation of the concentration of free carriers in an integrated amplitude modulator and another equation for calculation of the parameter that models a stochastic quantum channel. These equations are useful in building strategies to avoid quantum hacking.
Surface plasmon resonances in anisotropic strained graphene
Authors: Shah Muzamil , Alidoust Ghatar Azizeh , Hayat Aamir , Akhavan Omid , Jahani Dariush
Published: July 2023

Straintronics of two-dimensional (2D) materials is a new research area in condensed matter physics for studying 2D materials under strain. Anisotropic strained graphene does not seem to preserve the polarization of the incident light. This suggests intriguing possibilities for developing surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) in graphene-based optoelectronics. In this work, we investigate the SPR properties of a graphene–prism coupling structure under a relatively small anisotropic strain. We demonstrate that, for an incident linearly polarized light in the strained graphene–prism coupling structure, anisotropic SPRs would emerge along with specific strain directions.
Research on laser target dynamic tracking system with rotating polarization grating
Authors: Wang Wei , Dong Yan , Jiang Huilin , Wang Tong , Song Jianlin , Liu Yunzhe , An Yan
Published: July 2023

A micromechanical target tracking system based on polarization grating (PG) is designed to meet the conformal design of laser communication systems and to realize the lightweight and miniaturization of space laser communication networking. The rotating dual PGs are applied to the dynamic tracking of laser targets for the first time, the relationship between the target position and the dual polarization gratings (PGs) angles is defined, and the PG beam deflection multi-coordinate construction and decoupling are carried out. A dual PGs mathematical model was established, and a controller based on the dual PGs system loop was designed. After calibration and dynamic verification of the dual PGs, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tracking experiment is conducted for the first time, and the dual axis closed-loop tracking error of the dynamic target is within 300µrad (RMSE). The feasibility of dual PGs tracking formula, the feasibility of laser target fixed-point closed-loop control, and the dynamic closed-loop tracking performance are verified. In engineering applications, the dual PGs tracking system has guiding significance for realizing the lightweight and miniaturization of system integration, as well as the possibility to replace the traditional tracking control system.
Amplified spontaneous emission from inclusions containing cesium lead bromide in glasses
Authors: Zhou Yao , Hu Yuzhou , Zhang Wenchao , Liu Chao
Published: July 2023

Cesium lead halide (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br and I) perovskite nanocrystals embedded glasses exhibit good optical properties and have potential as gain media. However, origins of the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from CsPbX3 nanocrystals are controversial. Here, it is found that ASE is from CsPbX3 nanocrystals in inclusions instead of CsPbX3 nanocrystals dispersed in the glass matrix. Inclusions with various sizes are capable of generating ASE, and ASE of the inclusions can sustain at energy densities as high as several tens of mJ/cm2. Thresholds of the fs laser energy densities increase with the increase in fs laser wavelength, and high net optical gain coefficient is obtained.
Different-mode power splitters based on a multi-dimension direct-binary-search algorithm
Authors: Ma Hansi , He Xin , Zhu Gangyi , Wu Jiagui , Jiang Xinpeng , Du Te , Zhang Zhaojian , Wang Yaorong , Wei Linyi , Zhang Shumao , Weng Junjie , Huang Jie , Yu Yang , Zhang Zhenfu , Han Yunxin , Chen Huan , Yang Junbo , Peng Yuanxi , Fang Liang
Published: July 2023

In this work, we design, fabricate, and characterize a different-mode (waveguide-connected) power splitter ((W)PS) by what we believe to be a novel multi-dimension direct-binary-search algorithm that can significantly balance the device performance, time cost, and fabrication robustness by searching the state-dimension, rotation-dimension, shape-dimension, and size-dimension parameters. The (W)PS can simultaneously generate the fundamental transverse electric (TE0) and TE1 mode with the 1:1 output balance. Compared with the PS, the WPS can greatly shorten the adiabatic taper length between the single-mode waveguide and the grating coupler. The measured results of the different-mode (W)PS indicate that the insertion loss and crosstalk are less than 0.9 (1.3) dB and lower than −17.8 (−14.9) dB from 1540 nm to 1560 nm. In addition, based on the tunable tap couplers, the different-mode (W)PS can be extended to multiple output ports with different modes and different transmittances.
Laser frequency stabilization based on Fano resonance in a microcylinder cavity
Authors: Xu Yaohui , Wang Haotian , Guo Jun , Zhang Jianing , Zhou Wei , Shen Deyuan
Published: July 2023

We investigate the application of Fano resonance in microcylinder cavities for laser frequency stabilization. By combining Fano resonance and the differential subtraction method, we successfully reproduce the error signal of the traditional Pound–Drever–Hall (PDH) technique. The frequency noise of the laser, when locked to both microsphere and microcylinder cavities, approaches the thermal noise limit. The microcylinder cavity, with a high Q factor of ∼108, benefiting from its large mode volume, exhibits a significant reduction in frequency noise by one order of magnitude compared with a microsphere in the frequency range of 0.1 to 10 kHz, achieving a minimum noise of ∼2.25 Hz2/Hz at 10 kHz. As this approach eliminates the need for additional electronic circuits typically used in the PDH technique, it holds promise as a cost-effective and reliable solution for laser frequency stabilization.
Social network position is a major predictor of ant behavior, microbiota composition, and brain gene expression
Authors: Kay Tomas , Liberti Joanito , Richardson Thomas O. , McKenzie Sean K. , Weitekamp Chelsea A. , La Mendola Christine , Rüegg Matthias , Kesner Lucie , Szombathy Natasha , McGregor Sean , Romiguier Jonathan , Engel Philipp , Keller Laurent
Published: July 2023

The physiology and behavior of social organisms correlate with their social environments. However, because social environments are typically confounded by age and physical environments (i.e., spatial location and associated abiotic factors), these correlations are usually difficult to interpret. For example, associations between an individual’s social environment and its gene expression patterns may result from both factors being driven by age or behavior. Simultaneous measurement of pertinent variables and quantification of the correlations between these variables can indicate whether relationships are direct (and possibly causal) or indirect. Here, we combine demographic and automated behavioral tracking with a multiomic approach to dissect the correlation structure among the social and physical environment, age, behavior, brain gene expression, and microbiota composition in the carpenter antCamponotus fellah. Variations in physiology and behavior were most strongly correlated with the social environment. Moreover, seemingly strong correlations between brain gene expression and microbiota composition, physical environment, age, and behavior became weak when controlling for the social environment. Consistent with this, a machine learning analysis revealed that from brain gene expression data, an individual’s social environment can be more accurately predicted than any other behavioral metric. These results indicate that social environment is a key regulator of behavior and physiology.
DeepGenePrior: A deep learning model for prioritizing genes affected by copy number variants
Authors: Rahaie Zahra , Rabiee Hamid R. , Alinejad-Rokny Hamid
Published: July 2023

The genetic etiology of brain disorders is highly heterogeneous, characterized by abnormalities in the development of the central nervous system that lead to diminished physical or intellectual capabilities. The process of determining which gene drives disease, known as “gene prioritization,” is not entirely understood. Genome-wide searches for gene-disease associations are still underdeveloped due to reliance on previous discoveries and evidence sources with false positive or negative relations. This paper introduces DeepGenePrior, a model based on deep neural networks that prioritizes candidate genes in genetic diseases. Using the well-studied Variational AutoEncoder (VAE), we developed a score to measure the impact of genes on target diseases. Unlike other methods that use prior data to select candidate genes, based on the "guilt by association" principle and auxiliary data sources like protein networks, our study exclusively employs copy number variants (CNVs) for gene prioritization. By analyzing CNVs from 74,811 individuals with autism, schizophrenia, and developmental delay, we identified genes that best distinguish cases from controls. Our findings indicate a 12% increase in fold enrichment in brain-expressed genes compared to previous studies and a 15% increase in genes associated with mouse nervous system phenotypes. Furthermore, we identified common deletions in ZDHHC8, DGCR5, and CATG00000022283 among the top genes related to all three disorders, suggesting a common etiology among these clinically distinct conditions. DeepGenePrior is publicly available online at http://git.dml.ir/z_rahaie/DGP to address obstacles in existing gene prioritization studies identifying candidate genes.
Identification of the nuclear localization signal in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pif1 DNA helicase
Authors: Lee Rosemary S. , Geronimo Carly L. , Liu Liping , Twarowski Jerzy M. , Malkova Anna , Zakian Virginia A.
Published: July 2023

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pif1 is a multi-functional DNA helicase that plays diverse roles in the maintenance of the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Two isoforms of Pif1 are generated from a single open reading frame by the use of alternative translational start sites. The Mitochondrial Targeting Signal (MTS) of Pif1 is located between the two start sites, but a Nuclear Localization Signal (NLS) has not been identified. Here we used sequence and functional analysis to identify an NLS element. A mutant allele of PIF1 (pif1-NLSΔ) that lacks four basic amino acids (781KKRK784) in the carboxyl-terminal domain of the 859 amino acid Pif1 was expressed at wild type levels and retained wild type mitochondrial function. However, pif1-NLSΔ cells were defective in four tests for nuclear function: telomere length maintenance, Okazaki fragment processing, break-induced replication (BIR), and binding to nuclear target sites. Fusing the NLS from the simian virus 40 (SV40) T-antigen to the Pif1-NLSΔ protein reduced the nuclear defects of pif1-NLSΔ cells. Thus, four basic amino acids near the carboxyl end of Pif1 are required for the vast majority of nuclear Pif1 function. Our study also reveals phenotypic differences between the previously described loss of function pif1-m2 allele and three other pif1 mutant alleles generated in this work, which will be useful to study nuclear Pif1 functions.
Dabie bandavirus infection induces macrophagic pyroptosis and this process is attenuated by platelets
Authors: Yu Sicong , Zhang Qinyi , Su Lingxuan , He Ji , Shi Wen , Yan Hao , Mao Haiyan , Sun Yi , Cheng Dongqing , Wang Xuan , Zhang Yanjun , Fang Lei
Published: July 2023

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne infection with a high mortality rate in humans, which is caused by Dabie bandavirus (DBV), formerly known as SFTS virus. Clinical manifestations of SFTS are characterized by high fever, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, hemorrhage, gastrointestinal symptoms, myalgia and local lymph node enlargement with up to 30% case fatality rates in human. Macrophage depletion in secondary lymphoid organs have important roles in the pathogenic process of fatal SFTS, but its exact cell death mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we showed for the first time that DBV infection induced macrophagic pyroptosis, as evidenced by swollen cells, pore-forming structures, accumulation of gasdermin D N-terminal (GSDMD-NT) as well as the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and IL-1β in human macrophages. In addition to the upregulation of pyronecrosis genes, the expressions of pyroptosis-related proteins (GSDMD, caspase-1 and IL-1β) were also elevated. To be noted, platelets were found to play a protective role in DBV-derived pyroptosis. Transcriptome analysis and in vitro studies demonstrated that platelets significantly reduced the gene expressions and protein production of pro-pyroptotic markers and inflammatory cytokines in macrophages, whereas platelets conferred a propagation advantage for DBV. Collectively, this study demonstrates a novel mechanism by which DBV invasion triggers pyroptosis as a host defense to remove replication niches in human macrophages and platelets provide an additional layer to reduce cellular death. These findings may have important implications to the pathogenesis of lethal DBV, and provide new ideas for developing novel therapeutics to combat its infection.
Validation of the StimQ2: A parent-report measure of cognitive stimulation in the home
Authors: Cates Carolyn Brockmeyer , Roby Erin , Canfield Caitlin F. , Johnson Matthew , Raak Caroline , Weisleder Adriana , Dreyer Benard P. , Mendelsohn Alan L.
Published: July 2023

Considerable evidence demonstrates the importance of the cognitive home environment in supporting children’s language, cognition, and school readiness more broadly. This is particularly important for children from low-income backgrounds, as cognitive stimulation is a key area of resilience that mediates the impact of poverty on child development. Researchers and clinicians have therefore highlighted the need to quantify cognitive stimulation; however existing methodological approaches frequently utilize home visits and/or labor-intensive observations and coding. Here, we examined the reliability and validity of the StimQ2, a parent-report measure of the cognitive home environment that can be delivered efficiently and at low cost. StimQ2improves upon earlier versions of the instrument by removing outdated items, assessing additional domains of cognitive stimulation and providing new scoring systems. Findings suggest that the StimQ2is a reliable and valid measure of the cognitive home environment for children from infancy through the preschool period.
Lifestyle factors related to prevalent chronic disease multimorbidity: A population-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Niebuur Jacobien , Vonk Judith M. , Du Yihui , de Bock Geertruida H. , Lunter Gerton , Krabbe Paul F. M. , Alizadeh Behrooz Z. , Snieder Harold , Smidt Nynke , Boezen Marike , Corpeleijn Eva
Published: July 2023

Background

Multimorbidity is associated with poor quality of life, polypharmacy, health care costs and mortality, with those affected potentially benefitting from a healthy lifestyle. We assessed a comprehensive set of lifestyle factors in relation to multimorbidity with major chronic diseases.

Methods

This cross-sectional study utilised baseline data for adults from the prospective Lifelines Cohort in the north of the Netherlands (N = 79,345). We defined multimorbidity as the co-existence of two or more chronic diseases (i.e. cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, type 2 diabetes) and evaluated factors in six lifestyle domains (nutrition, physical (in)activity, substance abuse, sleep, stress, relationships) among groups by the number of chronic diseases (≥2, 1, 0). Multinomial logistic regression models were created, adjusted for appropriate confounders, and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were reported.

Results

3,712 participants had multimorbidity (4.7%, age 53.5 ± 12.5 years), and this group tended to have less healthy lifestyles. Compared to those without chronic diseases, those with multimorbidity reported physical inactivity more often (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.06–1.25; not significant for one condition), chronic stress (OR, 2.14; 95%CI, 1.92–2.38) and inadequate sleep (OR, 1.70; 95%CI, 1.41–2.06); as expected, they more often watched television (OR, 1.70; 95%CI, 1.42–2.04) and currently smoked (OR, 1.91; 95%CI, 1.73–2.11), but they also had lower alcohol intakes (OR, 0.66; 95%CI, 0.59–0.74).

Conclusions

Chronic stress and poor sleep, in addition to physical inactivity and smoking, are lifestyle factors of great concern in patients with multimorbidity.
Stakeholders’ perceptions of the trends in contraceptive prevalence rate and total fertility rate in Ghana
Authors: Gbagbo Fred Yao , Ameyaw Edward Kwabena
Published: July 2023

Background

Studies in Ghana have reported discrepancies between trends in Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR). Yet, there is limited empirical literature on stakeholders’ perceptions on the trends in CPR and TFR in Ghana. We, therefore, examined the perceptions of key stakeholders about the documented trends in CPR and TFR in Ghana.

Methods

We adopted an exploratory (qualitative) research design with a qualitative approach of data collection from stakeholders in Ghana, focusing on the trends of the TFR and CPR. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) checklist provided additional guidance for reporting the study results. We employed the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a theoretical framework/construct to explain and predict individual changes in health behaviors resulting in trends in CPR and TFR from stakeholders’ perspectives and analyzed the data using framework analysis approach.

Results

Two main themes emerged from the data: contraceptive prevalence and total fertility ratio, with five sub-themes identified: barriers to contraception, motivations for contraception uptake, unmet need for family planning, induced abortion, and effectiveness of planning programs. Specifically, participants indicated that there is a discrepancy between the trends of CPR and TFR based on the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, conducted between 1988 and 2014. The high unmet needs for contraceptives were attributed to CRP trends, whilst abstinence, infertility, and high demands for induced abortions were identified to impact the TFR trends significantly.

Conclusion

The findings show that an extensive quantitative enquiry into the exact relationships between Ghana’s CPR and TFR as well as the contributions of abstinence, infertility, and induced abortion are worth considering.
Don’t touch that dial: Psychological reactance, transparency, and user acceptance of smart thermostat setting changes
Authors: Heatherly Matthew , Baker D. A. , Canfield Casey
Published: July 2023

Automation inherently removes a certain amount of user control. If perceived as a loss of freedom, users may experience psychological reactance, which is a motivational state that can lead a person to engage in behaviors to reassert their freedom. In an online experiment, participants set up and communicated with a hypothetical smart thermostat. Participants read notifications about a change in the thermostat’s setting. Phrasing of notifications was altered across three dimensions: strength of authoritative language, deviation of temperature change from preferences, and whether or not the reason for the change was transparent. Authoritative language, temperatures outside the user’s preferences, and lack of transparency induced significantly higher levels of reactance. However, when the system presented a temperature change outside of the user’s preferences, reactance was mitigated and user acceptance was higher if the thermostat’s operations were transparent. Providing justification may be less likely to induce psychological reactance and increase user acceptance. This supports efforts to use behavioral approaches, such as demand response, to increase sustainability and limit the impacts of climate change.
Protein embeddings improve phage-host interaction prediction
Authors: Gonzales Mark Edward M. , Ureta Jennifer C. , Shrestha Anish M. S.
Published: July 2023

With the growing interest in using phages to combat antimicrobial resistance, computational methods for predicting phage-host interactions have been explored to help shortlist candidate phages. Most existing models consider entire proteomes and rely on manual feature engineering, which poses difficulty in selecting the most informative sequence properties to serve as input to the model. In this paper, we framed phage-host interaction prediction as a multiclass classification problem that takes as input the embeddings of a phage’s receptor-binding proteins, which are known to be the key machinery for host recognition, and predicts the host genus. We explored different protein language models to automatically encode these protein sequences into dense embeddings without the need for additional alignment or structural information. We show that the use of embeddings of receptor-binding proteins presents improvements over handcrafted genomic and protein sequence features. The highest performance was obtained using the transformer-based protein language model ProtT5, resulting in a 3% to 4% increase in weighted F1 and recall scores across different prediction confidence thresholds, compared to using selected handcrafted sequence features.
How financial mechanisms can incentivize provision of ecosystem services from land restoration: A systematic review protocol
Authors: Grigoriadis Vasilis , Gold Elizabeth , Hutchinson George , Frewer Lynn J. , Brereton Paul , Flannery Darragh , Byrne Kenneth A. , Garvey John
Published: July 2023

The current food chain both contributes to, and is affected by, climate change. While GHG emissions and emissions to water and soil are a problem for the whole food chain, the majority of such emissions and the major solutions to them can be found in the farming and land use sector. The farming system needs to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions and adapt its supply chain to cope with climate change. A broad variety of payment tools have been proposed to motivate farmers and landowners to take certain actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage the protection or restoration of natural resources. The protocol described here (OSF preregistration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/STGQ6) outlines the methodology for a systematic review to explore how financial mechanisms such as green bonds can provide incentives to agri-food sector to support environmental sustainability and ecosystem service delivery through land-use change. Our primary research question is: how do financial mechanisms incentivize land restoration? Studies will be categorized according to the types of financial mechanisms, their characteristics, methods of land restoration and their impact on mitigating agri-food footprint. The results are expected to increase our understanding about the design of financing tools currently used to accelerate nature restoration. Moreover, they will inform us about the effectiveness of deploying such tools on rural communities, food companies and landowners.
Streptococcus pneumoniae drives specific and lasting Natural Killer cell memory
Authors: Camarasa Tiphaine M. N. , Torné Júlia , Chevalier Christine , Rasid Orhan , Hamon Melanie A.
Published: July 2023

NK cells are important mediators of innate immunity and play an essential role for host protection against infection, although their responses to bacteria are poorly understood. Recently NK cells were shown to display memory properties, as characterized by an epigenetic signature leading to a stronger secondary response. Although NK cell memory could be a promising mechanism to fight against infection, it has not been described upon bacterial infection. Using a mouse model, we reveal that NK cells develop specific and long-term memory following sub-lethal infection with the extracellular pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. Memory NK cells display intrinsic sensing and response to bacteria in vitro, in a manner that is enhanced post-bacterial infection. In addition, their transfer into naïve mice confers protection from lethal infection for at least 12 weeks. Interestingly, NK cells display enhanced cytotoxic molecule production upon secondary stimulation and their protective role is dependent on Perforin and independent of IFNγ. Thus, our study identifies a new role for NK cells during bacterial infection, opening the possibility to harness innate immune memory for therapeutic purposes.
Metabolic reprogramming and altered cell envelope characteristics in a pentose phosphate pathway mutant increases MRSA resistance to β-lactam antibiotics
Authors: Zeden Merve S. , Gallagher Laura A. , Bueno Emilio , Nolan Aaron C. , Ahn Jongsam , Shinde Dhananjay , Razvi Fareha , Sladek Margaret , Burke Órla , O’Neill Eoghan , Fey Paul D. , Cava Felipe , Thomas Vinai C. , O’Gara James P.
Published: July 2023

Central metabolic pathways control virulence and antibiotic resistance, and constitute potential targets for antibacterial drugs. In Staphylococcus aureus the role of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) remains largely unexplored. Mutation of the 6-phosphogluconolactonase gene pgl, which encodes the only non-essential enzyme in the oxidative phase of the PPP, significantly increased MRSA resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, particularly in chemically defined media with physiologically-relevant concentrations of glucose, and reduced oxacillin (OX)-induced lysis. Expression of the methicillin-resistance penicillin binding protein 2a and peptidoglycan architecture were unaffected. Carbon tracing and metabolomics revealed extensive metabolic reprogramming in the pgl mutant including increased flux to glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and several cell envelope precursors, which was consistent with increased β-lactam resistance. Morphologically, pgl mutant cells were smaller than wild-type with a thicker cell wall and ruffled surface when grown in OX. The pgl mutation reduced resistance to Congo Red, sulfamethoxazole and oxidative stress, and increased resistance to targocil, fosfomycin and vancomycin. Levels of lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) were significantly reduced in pgl, which may limit cell lysis, while the surface charge of pgl cells was significantly more positive. A vraG mutation in pgl reversed the increased OX resistance phenotype, and partially restored wild-type surface charge, but not LTA levels. Mutations in vraF or graRS from the VraFG/GraRS complex that regulates DltABCD-mediated d-alanylation of teichoic acids (which in turn controls β-lactam resistance and surface charge), also restored wild-type OX susceptibility. Collectively these data show that reduced levels of LTAs and OX-induced lysis combined with a VraFG/GraRS-dependent increase in cell surface positive charge are accompanied by significantly increased OX resistance in an MRSA pgl mutant.
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen inhibitors block distinct stages of herpes simplex virus infection
Authors: Packard Jessica E. , Williams Maya R. , Fromuth Daniel P. , Dembowski Jill A.
Published: July 2023

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) forms a homotrimer that encircles replicating DNA and is bound by DNA polymerases to add processivity to cellular DNA synthesis. In addition, PCNA acts as a scaffold to recruit DNA repair and chromatin remodeling proteins to replicating DNA via its interdomain connecting loop (IDCL). Despite encoding a DNA polymerase processivity factor UL42, it was previously found that PCNA associates with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) replication forks and is necessary for productive HSV-1 infection. To define the role that PCNA plays during viral DNA replication or a replication-coupled process, we investigated the effects that two mechanistically distinct PCNA inhibitors, PCNA-I1 and T2AA, have on the HSV-1 infectious cycle. PCNA-I1 binds at the interface between PCNA monomers, stabilizes the homotrimer, and may interfere with protein-protein interactions. T2AA inhibits select protein-protein interactions within the PCNA IDCL. Here we demonstrate that PCNA-I1 treatment results in reduced HSV-1 DNA replication, late gene expression, and virus production, while T2AA treatment results in reduced late viral gene expression and infectious virus production. To pinpoint the mechanisms by which PCNA inhibitors affect viral processes and protein recruitment to replicated viral DNA, we performed accelerated native isolation of proteins on nascent DNA (aniPOND). Results indicate that T2AA inhibits recruitment of the viral uracil glycosylase UL2 and transcription regulatory factors to viral DNA, likely leading to a defect in viral base excision repair and the observed defect in late viral gene expression and infectious virus production. In addition, PCNA-I1 treatment results in decreased association of the viral DNA polymerase UL30 and known PCNA-interacting proteins with viral DNA, consistent with the observed block in viral DNA replication and subsequent processes. Together, we conclude that inhibitors of cellular PCNA block recruitment of key viral and cellular factors to viral DNA to inhibit viral DNA synthesis and coupled processes.
Bioetanol átalakítása butadiénné MgO-SiO2 típusú katalizátorokon
Authors: Szabó Blanka
Published: July 2023

A fosszilis eredetű szénforrások (kőszén, kőolaj, földgáz) egyre költségesebb, nehézkesebb és bizonytalanabb elérhetősége és környezetvédelmi megfontolások miatt a szerves vegyipar figyelme egyre inkább a megújuló nyersanyagok és karbonsemleges technológiák alkalmazása felé fordul. Az ipari méretekben, gazdaságosan előállítható bioetanol az egyik legszélesebb körben használható megújuló nyersanyag. Bioetanolból előállítható hasznos termék az 1,3-butadién (BD), ami számos, a mindennapi életünkben használt polimer (szintetikus gumi, polimer gyanta, elasztomer, stb.) alapanyaga. Napjainkban még a BD több mint 99 %-át kőolaj- vagy földgáz-termék szénhidrogénekből nyerik. Az elmúlt évszázadban, az etanol butadiénné átalakítási reakciójának (az ETB reakciónak) a vizsgálata jelentős ipari és tudományos figyelmet kapott, sőt az eljárás ipari szintű alkalmazásáról is beszámoltak („Biobutterfly” projekt). A fellendülő kutatások és fejlesztések ellenére a mai napig nem született áttörés az ETB szintézisben. Ez azért lehet, mert a heterogén katalitikus átalakulás reakcióhálója meglehetősen komplex, a BD-re vezető konszekutív reakció mellett számos egyéb termékre vezető párhuzamos és konszekutív reakció is lejátszódik. A BD képződés etanol dehidrogénezési, C-C kapcsolási és dehidratálási lépésekben valósulhat meg. Egy katalizátornak kiegyensúlyozott aktivitása kell legyen mindhárom reakcióban ahhoz, hogy nagy aktivitású és BD szelektivitású legyen. Célom az ETB reakció molekuláris szintű megértése volt a katalizátor szerkezet és az aktivitás összefüggéseinek megismerésén keresztül. A reakcióhoz újszerű szintézismódszereket felhasználva magnézium-oxid--szilícium-dioxid vegyes oxid katalizátorokat állítottam elő. Meggyőződésem, hogy eredményeim hozzájárulhatnak a hatékony és zöld ETB technológiák fejlődéséhez.
Planned Degrowth
Authors: Foster John Bellamy
Published: July 2023

In the introduction to this summer's special issue on "Planned Degrowth," John Bellamy Foster outlines the major themes of degrowth thought, including, above all, a recognition of the need to challenge current notions of "growth" and "prosperity" and move toward a more sustainable model of human development, one that meets the needs of individuals and communities. This, Foster writes, requires a massive revolutionary shift in the social relations governing the means production and the prioritization of planning our economy around the survival of the species, rather than the endless drive to accumulation that has devastated the planet.
Nine Theses on Ecosocialist Degrowth
Authors: Löwy Michael
Published: July 2023

In nine theses, Michael Löwy elaborates on the central themes of ecosocialist degrowth. "The ecological crisis," he begins, "is already the most important social and political question of the twenty-first century.… The future of the planet, and thus of humanity, will be decided in the coming decades."
Degrowth—What's in a Name?
Authors: Chen Ying
Published: July 2023

"Degrowth" may often be associated with the left, but can also have conservative—even ecofascist—implications. What do proponents and critics mean by "degrowth"? How do these differences play out ideologically? Ying Chen writes that, for radicals, the answer is to place the economic system at the center of the degrowth narrative, thus naming the system that must be replaced with a more just and equitable socialist society.
Planning Degrowth: The Necessity, History, and Challenges
Authors: Klitgaard Kent A.
Published: July 2023

Kent Klitgaard surveys degrowth thought, starting with the essential contradiction of capitalism presented by Marx, which gives rise to our current planetary crisis. Through an understanding this contradiction and degrowth literature spanning twentieth century, the author presents a plan for a sustainable and planned future socialist society.
Dítě, nebo tradice? Plánování vzdělávacího obsahu v předškolním vzdělávání
Authors: Koželuhová Eva , Loudová Stralczynská Barbora , Syslová Zora
Published: July 2023

The paper deals with the issue of curriculum development in pre-primary education. The aim of the research was to find out what experiences and opinion student-teachers have to the development of school and class curricula. The data were obtained through a questionnaire conducted between 2020−21 among students of BA and MA part-time programmes of faculties preparing preschool teachers in the Czech Republic (N = 1001, response rate 35%). For this paper, data from respondents working as teachers in preschools (N = 224) were used. The results showed that the approaches of preschools are heavily burdened by the pedagogical tradition of the sociocentric paradigm. A chronological approach to the arrangement of educational content in school curricula prevails (63%). Almost a third of preschools create classroom curricula for the whole year ahead. Only 44% of respondents suggest educational topics during the school year. In contrast, more flexible approaches, justified by respect for the child, dominated respondents’ preferences. In spite of this, the lack of understanding of the current notion of designing educational content at school and classroom level were still very much present in the sub-statements.
Letní škola Evropské asociace pedagogického výzkumu 2022
Authors: Šejnohová Kristýna , Urbanová Hana
Published: July 2023

Report from European Educational Research Association Summer School 2022
Udział nauczycieli-wychowawców w kształtowaniu zachowań prospołecznych uczniów szkół średnich w dobie przesileń zachodzących we współczesnym świecie
Authors: Wereszczyńska Katarzyna
Published: July 2023

The first part of the article includes definitions and interpretations of such categories as class teacher, prosocial behaviour and prosocial upbringing as well as explains the term upheaval – an era of numerous crises as well as deficits occurring in human behaviour. The following section of paper presents a few selected reflections of pedagogical scholars as well as scholars representing other fields of science, i.e. critical observers of reality who are not indifferent to the problems of the contemporary world and the need for upbringing which could help people to become better. The author’s research was designed to find out how class teachers and the schools are engaged in today’s upbringing measures, with the aim of promoting and shaping students’ active prosocial behaviour. A survey-based research was conducted at 24 schools in the Opole Province between 2018 and 2019. The participants were teachers of secondary school graduation classes and principals of schools included in the research. The article presents chosen research results. In the final part, author’s observations are made in the light of the opinions of the scholars indicating the need for and importance of upbringing a person to enjoy harmonious relations with others. Comments and conclusions derived from author’s research are also included.
No breathers theorem for noncompact harmonic Ricci flows with asymptotically nonnegative Ricci curvature
Authors: Chen Jiarui , Chen Qun
Published: July 2023

By using the monotonicity of the log Sobolev functionals, we prove a no breathers theorem for noncompact harmonic Ricci flows under conditions on infimum of log Sobolev functionals and curvatures. As an application, we obtain a no breathers theorem for noncompact harmonic Ricci flows with asymptotically nonnegative Ricci curvature.
Estimates for eigenvalues of the Neumann and Steklov problems
Authors: Du Feng , Mao Jing , Wang Qiaoling , Xia Changyu , Zhao Yan
Published: July 2023

We prove Li-Yau-Kröger-type bounds for Neumann-type eigenvalues of the biharmonic operator on bounded domains in a Euclidean space. We also prove sharp estimates for lower order eigenvalues of a biharmonic Steklov problem and of the Laplacian, which directly implies two sharp Reilly-type inequalities for the corresponding first nonzero eigenvalue.
Determination of cortisone and cortisol in human scalp hair using an improved LC-MS/MS-based method
Authors: Mirzaian Mina , van Zundert Sofie K.M. , Schilleman Wim F. , Mohseni Mostafa , Kuckuck Susanne , van Rossum Elisabeth F.C. , van Schaik Ron H.N. , van den Berg Sjoerd A.A.
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Human scalp hair is an easily available but complex matrix for determination of cortisone and cortisol, and has been shown to reflect long-term glucocorticoid exposure. Hair glucocorticoid analysis has been used to detect hypo- and hypercortisolism. In this study, we describe the development and validation of a LC-MS/MS method for quantification of cortisone and cortisol in human scalp hair, and provide a novel approach for analysis and interpretation of the results.

Methods

Improved sample preparation using pulverization and solid phase extraction allowed for low sample volumes (10 mg). Baseline chromatographic separation without matrix interference was achieved by reversed phase chromatography and MRM measurement in negative ion mode. Run-to-run time was 8 min. Mixed model analyses were performed to create individual patterns of cortisone and cortisol concentrations.

Results

Matrix matched calibration curves showed excellent linearity up to 100 pg (analyte)/mg (hair) for both cortisone and cortisol (R2>0.995). LLOQ was 1.5 and 1.0 pg/mg for cortisone and cortisol, respectively. Matrix effect was negligible for hair color (recoveries 95–105 %). Cortisone and cortisol concentrations decreased from proximal to distal hair segments, following a predictable, but subject-specific pattern, with less individual variation for cortisone than for cortisol.

Conclusions

This improved LC-MS/MS method is able to accurately quantify cortisone and cortisol in human hair with minimum matrix interference. This new way of data analysis and interpretation including individual patterns of cortisone and cortisol will be of help with detection of pathological concentrations in both the high – and the low ranges of glucocorticoids.
A novel method for CO2 injection direct smelting vanadium steel: Dephosphorization and vanadium retention
Authors: Yang Han , Liu Yan , Wang Kun , Zhang Ting-an , Lin Shengnan
Published: July 2023

A novel method for CO2 injection direct smelting vanadium steel (CIDSVS) is proposed. Achieving selective oxidation of phosphorus is essential for the applicability of the suggested process. Under the guidance of thermodynamics, the mechanisms of CO2 injection dephosphorization and vanadium retention were investigated with CO2 flow rate and dephosphorization slag composition as experimental variables. The results indicate that CO2 as an oxygen source can remove 73.8% of phosphorus, while the oxidation rate of vanadium is 17.5%. The dephosphorization process can be divided into two stages: FeO- and CO2-dominated experimental processes. In the initial stage of slag feeding, [V] and [P] undergo fast oxidation, and the oxidation amount is positively correlated with the initial FeO content. The high basicity (CaO/SiO2 ratio) reduces the activity of V2O3 in the slag and promotes the oxidation of [V]. Under the experimental conditions of 1,400°C, the optimal conditions were determined to be a CO2 flow rate of 1.5 mL·g−1·min−1, a FeO content of 40%, and a basicity B of 2.5. Following the CIDSVS steelmaking operation, 80% of the vanadium is retained, and the impurity elements fulfill the specifications for steel. This method enhances vanadium utilization and is environmentally friendly.