bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of artificial diet on the biological characteristics of the ladybeetle Coccinella septempunctata
Authors: Liu Chao , Liu Hongling , Wu Xinglong , Xiao Kejun , He Hengguo , Huang Qiong , Pu Deqiang
Published: April 2022

The ladybeetle Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus is an important natural enemy of aphids, scale insects, whitefly, and lepidopteran larvae. Mass rearing of this natural enemy is limited due to the lack of effective artificial feed. We compared the biological performance of C. septempunctata, reared on four artificial diets (A, B, C, and D), while the pea aphid Aphis craccivora served as a control treatment (CK). Results showed that the developmental time before emergence ranked from short to long follow as: CK (12.30d)<D (16.66d)<A (17.38d)<C (17.54d) C (87.50%) = D (87.50%) > B (80.00%) > A (57.50%), and new adult weight from high to low follow as: CK (339.50 g*0.0001) > A (205.33 g*0.0001) > D (197.68 g*0.0001) > B (174.89 g*0.0001) > C (169.46 g*0.0001). The ratios of fecundity between the experimental group and the control group were 80.46% (A), 39.24% (B), 45.31% (C), and 53.02% (D). The hatch rates were 59.50% (A), 46.00% (B), 57.65% (C), 54.50% (D), and 53.88% (CK). The mortality of C. septempunctata adults fed on a combined artificial diet was higher than those fed on the control diet. Compared to the control diet, C. septempunctata did not significantly reduce oviposition when fed on artificial diet A. Therefore, diet A can be used in mass‐rearing of C. septempunctata.
Single utility port approach in robot‐assisted sleeve segmentectomy for bronchial carcinoid tumor
Authors: Liu Ao , Zhao Yandong , Qiu Tong , Xuan Yunpeng , Qin Yi , Sun Xiao , Xu Rongjian , Du Wenxing , Jiao Wenjie
Published: April 2022

Bronchial carcinoid tumors are low‐grade malignant and lung‐sparing surgery is preferred for the removal of these tumors. We describe a surgical technique of robot‐assisted sleeve segmentectomy via single utility port approach with three robotic arms. This operation was performed in an aged patient with decreased pulmonary function, whose carcinoid tumor was located at the origin of the right superior segmental bronchus. A 1.5‐cm incision was performed in the eighth intercostal space of the midaxillary line and another 4‐cm incision was made in the fifth intercostal space of the anterior axillary line. Postoperative recovery of the patient was smooth without postoperative complications.
Habitus, mobilized
Authors: DONALDSON EMILY C.
Published: April 2022

As humanity struggles with the onslaught of climate change and our uncertain future, we find ourselves facing the same kinds of resource challenges that island populations have known for centuries. In the case of postsettler societies, responsible environmental stewardship must engage with Indigenous understandings of knowledge and the world. I make this argument by critiquing Bourdieu's theory of habitus and engaging with colonization's long history of influencing, though not quite obliterating, precolonial ontologies and epistemologies. In the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, these understandings take the form of an Indigenous habitus that blends precolonial and colonial spaces, forming the basis of resistance to power inequalities. There and across the globe, recognizing and working with this kind of practice‐based habitus is essential to protecting threatened natural and cultural resources. [habitus,resources,land use,colonialism,ontology,mana,resistance,Indigenous peoples,Oceania]
Returning home: The role of expectations in re‐entry adaptation
Authors: Geeraert Nicolas , Ward Colleen , Hanel Paul H. P.
Published: April 2022

Returning home after a study abroad experience can be challenging. In the current research, we examine the discrepancy between adaptation expectations and experience in a longitudinal sojourner study (N = 1319; Mage = 17 years; 70% female). Returnees adaptation expectations were assessed prior to returning home, followed by post return measures of adaptation experiences and general well‐being. Overall, returnees reported higher levels of re‐entry adaptation than anticipated. According to the accuracy hypothesis, unmet expectations will be associated with lower well‐being. In contrast, the directional hypothesis suggests that unmet expectations will negatively impact on well‐being, but only if the expectation is undermet. Well‐being on return was regressed on pre‐travel adaptation expectations and adaptation experience on re‐entry. Polynomial regression and Response Surface Analyses were conducted for two outcome variables (stress and satisfaction with life), two types of adaptation (psychological and sociocultural), and at different time points (approximately 2 weeks and 6 months after return). Results consistently show that larger discrepancies were associated with lower well‐being for negative mismatches (when expectations were undermet). For positive mismatches, if adaptation was better than expected, well‐being was higher. Congruence between expectation and experience were not associated with well‐being. Thus, across analyses, results supported a directional hypothesis.
Fire‐released seed dormancy ‐ a global synthesis
Authors: Pausas Juli G. , Lamont Byron B.
Published: April 2022

Seed dormancy varies greatly between species, clades, communities, and regions. We propose that fireprone ecosystems create ideal conditions for the selection of seed dormancy as fire provides a mechanism for dormancy release and postfire conditions are optimal for germination. Thus, fire‐released seed dormancy should vary in type and abundance under different fire regimes. To test these predictions, we compiled data from a wide range of fire‐related germination experiments for species in different ecosystems across the globe. We identified four dormancy syndromes: heat‐released (physical) dormancy, smoke‐released (physiological) dormancy, non‐fire‐released dormancy, and non‐dormancy. In fireprone ecosystems, fire, in the form of heat and/or chemical by‐products (collectively termed ‘smoke’), are the predominant stimuli for dormancy release and subsequent germination, with climate (cold or warm stratification) and light sometimes playing important secondary roles. Fire (heat or smoke)‐released dormancy is best expressed where woody vegetation is dense and fires are intense, i.e. in crown‐fire ecosystems. In such environments, seed dormancy allows shade‐intolerant species to take advantage of vegetation gaps created by fire and synchronize germination with optimal recruitment conditions. In grassy fireprone ecosystems (e.g. savannas), where fires are less intense but more frequent, seed dormancy is less common and dormancy release is often not directly related to fire (non‐fire‐released dormancy). Rates of germination, whether controls or postfire, are twice as fast in savannas than in mediterranean ecosystems. Fire‐released dormancy is rare to absent in arid ecosystems and rainforests. The seeds of many species with fire‐released dormancy also possess elaiosomes that promote ant dispersal. Burial by ants increases insulation of seeds from fires and places them in a suitable location for fire‐released dormancy. The distribution of these dormancy syndromes across seed plants is not random – certain dormancy types are associated with particular lineages (phylogenetic conservatism). Heat‐released dormancy can be traced back to fireprone floras in the ‘fiery’ mid‐Cretaceous, followed by smoke‐released dormancy, with loss of fire‐related dormancy among recent events associated with the advent of open savannas and non‐fireprone habitats. Anthropogenic influences are now modifying dormancy‐release mechanisms, usually decreasing the role of fire as exaptive effects. We conclude that contrasting fire regimes are a key driver of the evolution and maintenance of diverse seed dormancy types in many of the world's natural ecosystems.
Ethnicity on top of social class? Inclusion and diversity in access to higher education degrees in Europe (1950–2010)
Authors: Goastellec Gaële
Published: April 2022

The massification of higher education has been an important development across education systems in Europe over the second half of the 20th century. Nurtured by political, economic and social goals, including the improvement of social justice in education and beyond, massification has been associated with inclusion as a goal of higher education systems. Generally, it has been construed as the realisation of a democratic project. This article reports on a study that examined the extent to which higher education systems effectively have moved towards a better inclusion of the various social groups composing national populations. Based on a quantitative analysis using data from the European Social Survey, this article presents an assessment of the level of inequalities in access to higher education degrees by employing indicators that are traditionally used by countries participating in the survey (gender, socio‐economic background) and indicators that are not as widely shared (ethnic belonging, religion) in order to offer an original and comprehensive analysis of the extent to which national social diversities are represented in higher education. A comparison of three generations (born 1930–1949, 1950–1964 and 1965–1979) shows a development of decreasing inequality between the first two generations, but a slowing or interruption of this development in the 1980s. Also, the effect of social belongings on educational trajectories became more complex. The importance of ethnic belonging increased, underscoring the importance to consider ethnicity in addition to socio‐economic dimensions in sociological research. The study outcomes highlight differences in individual country trajectories in relation to the geopolitical reconfiguration of political territories.
Cooperation increases robustness to ecological disturbance in microbial cross‐feeding networks
Authors: Oña Leonardo , Kost Christian
Published: April 2022

Microorganisms mainly exist within complex networks of ecological interactions. Given that the growth and survival of community members frequently depend on an obligate exchange of essential metabolites, it is generally unclear how such communities can persist despite the destabilising force of ecological disturbance. Here we address this issue using a population dynamics model. In contrast to previous work that suggests the potential for obligate interaction networks to emerge is limited, we find the opposite pattern: ecological disturbance favours both specific network topologies and cooperative cross‐feeding among community members. These results establish environmental perturbations as a key driver shaping the architecture of microbial interaction networks.
Protracted course progressive supranuclear palsy
Authors: Couto Blas , Martinez‐Valbuena Ivan , Lee Seojin , Alfradique‐Dunham Isabel , Perrin Richard J. , Perlmutter Joel S. , Cruchaga Carlos , Kim Ain , Visanji Naomi , Sato Christine , Rogaeva Ekaterina , Lang Anthony E. , Kovacs Gabor G.
Published: April 2022

Background and purpose

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) encompasses a broader range of disease courses than previously appreciated. The most frequent clinical presentations of PSP are Richardson syndrome (RS) and PSP with a predominant Parkinsonism phenotype (PSP‐P). Time to reach gait dependence and cognitive impairment have been proposed as prognostic disease milestones. Genetic polymorphisms in TRIM11 and SLC2A13 genes have been associated with longer disease duration (DD).

Methods

Methods used include retrospective chart review, genetic single nucleotide polymorphism analyses (in three cases), and neuropathology.

Results

We identified four cases with long (>10–15 years) or very long (>15 years) DD. Stage 1 PSP tau pathology was present in two cases (one PSP‐P and one undifferentiated phenotype), whereas pallidonigroluysian atrophy (PSP‐RS) and Stage 4/6 (PSP‐P) PSP pathology were found in the other two cases. Three cases were homozygous for the rs564309‐C allele of the TRIM11 gene and the H1 MAPT haplotype. Two were heterozygous for rs2242367 (G/A) in SLC2A13, whereas the third was homozygous for the G‐allele.

Conclusions

We propose a protracted course subtype of PSP (PC‐PSP) based on clinical or neuropathological criteria in two cases with anatomically restricted PSP pathology, and very long DD and slower clinical progression in the other two cases. The presence of the rs564309‐C allele may influence the protracted disease course. Crystallizing the concept of PC‐PSP is important to further understand the pathobiology of tauopathies in line with current hypotheses of protein misfolding, seeding activity, and propagation.
The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the mental health of Portuguese university students
Authors: Sequeira Carlos , Araújo Odete , Lourenço Tânia , Freitas Otília , Carvalho José Carlos , Costa Patrício
Published: April 2022

Worldwide, the COVID‐19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on daily routines, especially for university students. This study aimed to compare pre‐pandemic domains of students' mental health during the pandemic lockdown. One cross‐sectional study was conducted in two waves with academic students from 20 Portuguese universities, in March 2020 before the COVID‐19 pandemic (n = 3579) and 2 months after the first lockdown in May 2020 (n = 1228). The Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ), the Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire, the Mental Health‐promoting knowledge, and the Psychological Vulnerability Scale were used. Statistical analyses were performed by bivariate associations and multiple linear regression models. Students were mostly women (79%), with an average age of 23.2 years (SD = 6.6), displaced from their family environment (43%), out‐of‐home (43%), and scholarship holders (37%). Higher scores found in the PVS were associated with decreased PMHQ in both moments (P < 0.01). These cross‐sectional studies showed a slight variation in the mental health variables studied in the period before and during the COVID‐19 outbreak. Being a woman, younger, out‐of‐home, and having a scholarship (P < 0.01) seem to increase susceptibility to mental health variation before and during the pandemic. Universities should develop strategies that promote students’ mental health.
Dislocation loop evolution in Kr‐irradiated ThO2
Authors: He Lingfeng , Yao Tiankai , Bawane Kaustubh , Jin Miaomiao , Jiang Chao , Liu Xiang , Chen Wei‐Ying , Mann J. Matthew , Hurley David H. , Gan Jian , Khafizov Marat
Published: April 2022

The early stage of microstructural evolution of ThO2, under krypton irradiation at 600, 800, and 1000°C, was investigated using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Dislocation loops grew faster, whereas their number density decreased with increasing irradiation temperature. Loop density was found to decrease with ion dose. Interstitial dislocation loops, including Frank loops with Burgers vector of a/3〈111〉 and perfect loops with Burgers vector of a/2〈110〉, were determined by traditional TEM and atomic resolution–scanning TEM techniques. Atomistic and mesoscale level modeling are performed to interpret experimental observations. The migration energy barriers of defects in ThO2 were calculated using density‐functional theory. The energetics of different dislocation loop types were studied using molecular dynamics simulations. Loop density and diameter were analyzed using a kinetic rate theory model that considers stoichiometric loop evolution. This analysis reveals that loop growth is governed by the mobility of cation interstitials, whereas loop nucleation is determined by the mobility of anion defects. Lastly, a rate theory model was used to extract the diffusion coefficients of thorium interstitials, oxygen interstitials, and vacancies.
Through the zipper or pants down: Does it change uroflowmetry parameters in healthy males?
Authors: Dönmez Muhammet İrfan , Özkent Mehmet Serkan , Hamarat Mustafa Bilal , Kocalar Mehmet
Published: April 2022

Objective

To evaluate if voiding through the zipper or voiding pants down would make any difference with regard to uroflowmetry parameters and postvoiding residual urine (PVR) volumes in healthy males with no lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Methods

Healthy males over 18 years of age with no LUTS were prospectively evaluated using a uroflowmetry test. Each individual was asked to void through the zipper (group 1) and pants down (group 2) at different times. The uroflowmetry test was repeated if the voided volume did not exceed 150 mL. Uroflowmetry results such as voided volume, maximum flow rate (Qmax), average flow rate (Qave), and duration of voiding were noted. PVR volume was assessed using ultrasonography. Electromyography was not used. Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation. For statistical analysis, a paired t test was used to analyze parametric parameters.

Results

A total of 44 males were enrolled. The median age of the individuals was 24 (range 18‐44 years). There were no statistically significant differences between the two measurements in terms of voided volume (307 ± 121 mL vs 325 ± 145 mL, P = .365) and duration of voiding (25 ± 11 s vs 23.8 ± 11.6 s, P = .526). However, there were statistically significant differences in Qmax (26.6 ± 6.7 mL/s vs 30.0 ± 8.2 mL/s, P = .001), Qave (14.4 ± 3.6 mL/s vs 16.2 ± 5.1 mL/s, P = .009), and PVR volumes (23.9 ± 19.4 mL vs 3.9 ± 9.6 mL, P = .0001).

Conclusion

Voiding pants down shows higher flow rates and lower PVR than voiding through the zipper in individuals with no LUTS. Future studies with a larger number of individuals (including those with LUTS) and a broader age range cohort are required for solid conclusions.
Windfall revenues from windfarms: How do county governments respond to increases in the local tax base induced by wind energy installations?
Authors: Brunner Eric J. , Schwegman David J.
Published: April 2022

We examine how county governments respond to plausibly random increases in the local tax base generated by wind energy installations using data on the universe of U.S. installations from 1995 through 2017. Wind energy installation led to large increases in county revenue and expenditures, with county governments using this revenue to prioritize spending on highways and hospitals. We also find that wind energy installation led to increases in county property values, suggesting that residents value the enhancements to local public services, property tax reductions, or other changes to local amenities that accompany wind energy installation.
Psychological essentialism and the structure of concepts
Authors: Neufeld Eleonore
Published: April 2022

Psychological essentialismis the hypothesis that humans represent some categories as having an underlying essence that unifies members of a category and is causally responsible for their typical attributes and behaviors. Throughout the past several decades, psychological essentialism has emerged as an extremely active area of research in cognitive science. More recently, it has also attracted attention from philosophers, who put the empirical results to use in many different philosophical areas, ranging from philosophy of mind and cognitive science to social philosophy. This article aims to give philosophers who are new to the topic an overview of the key empirical findings surrounding psychological essentialism, and some of the ways the hypothesis and its related findings have been discussed, extended, and applied in philosophical research.
No One Size Fits All. Women Commercial Farm Employment and Fertility in Ethiopia: A Study of Saudi Star and MERTI Agricultural Development Farms☆
Authors: Desta Chalachew Getahun
Published: April 2022

Modern agricultural farms offer huge potential in creating employment opportunities, which, in turn, are expected to reduce fertility. The Ethiopian government has recently leased out millions of hectares of farmland to investors under highly concessionary terms. However, little is known regarding women's farm employment effect on their fertility. Using survey data, this paper analyzed this link in the context of Saudi Star and Merti Agricultural Development farms. Results showed lower odds of fertility intention among employed women compared to non‐employed women where employment is measured more broadly. This result at a glance appears to be consistent with conventional theory which considers children as resulting from parental choice relative to other essential household goods constrained by resource shortages in the household's utility maximization framework. Where employment is measured rather narrowly (standard way) as in most socioeconomic research, however, the odds of fertility intention is higher. The two results were expected to be reversed since fertility was expected to be lower where employment is measured more narrowly than broadly where a range of employments are included. Additionally, effects associated with the recent establishment of Saudi Star farm compared to the more matured farms in Merti are likely to reduce fertility intention.
Using natural language processing to improve suicide classification requires consideration of race
Authors: Rahman Nusrat , Mozer Reagan , McHugh R. Kathryn , Rockett Ian R. H. , Chow Clifton M. , Vaughan Gregory
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To improve the accuracy of classification of deaths of undetermined intent and to examine racial differences in misclassification.

Methods

We used natural language processing and statistical text analysis on restricted‐access case narratives of suicides, homicides, and undetermined deaths in 37 states collected from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) (2017). We fit separate race‐specific classification models to predict suicide among undetermined cases using data from known homicide cases (true negatives) and known suicide cases (true positives).

Results

A classifier trained on an all‐race dataset predicts less than half of these cases as suicide. Importantly, our analysis yields an estimated suicide rate for the Black population comparable with the typical detection rate for the White population, indicating that misclassification excess is endemic for Black suicide. This problem may be mitigated by using race‐specific data. Our findings, based on the statistical text analysis, also reveal systematic differences in the phrases identified as most predictive of suicide.

Conclusions

This study highlights the need to understand the reasons underlying suicide rate differences and for further testing of strategies to reduce misclassification, particularly among people of color.
Learning from experience: Within‐ and between‐person associations of the consequences, frequency, and versatility of nonsuicidal self‐injury
Authors: Robillard Christina L. , Chapman Alexander L. , Turner Brianna J.
Published: April 2022

Objective

Behavioral models of nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) propose that experiencing desirable consequences following NSSI reinforces the behavior. However, these models do not specify whether experiencing more desirable consequences relative to other people (between‐person), an individual's own average (within‐person), or both, predicts NSSI severity. To address this gap, this study investigated the prospective, within‐ and between‐person associations of desirable NSSI consequences with NSSI frequency (number of episodes) and versatility (number of methods).

Methods

Two hundred and ten individuals (93.81% female, Mage = 22.95) with a history of NSSI completed online surveys assessing NSSI consequences, frequency, and versatility every three months for one year.

Results

Within‐person increases in desirable emotional consequences were unrelated to NSSI frequency three months later but predicted increases in NSSI versatility. Within‐person increases in desirable social consequences predicted decreases in NSSI frequency three months later but were unrelated to NSSI versatility. Between‐person variability in desirable consequences was unrelated to NSSI severity.

Conclusions

Findings were partially consistent with behavioral models of NSSI. Going forward, we recommend that: (1) behavioral models articulate the salience of within‐person fluctuations in consequences; (2) research clarifies the role of social consequences; and (3) clinicians use repeated assessments of emotional consequences to identify periods of elevated NSSI risk.
Food and Drug Administration perspective: Advancing product development for non‐healing chronic wounds
Authors: Verma Kapil Dev , Lewis Felisa , Mejia Maryjoy , Chalasani Meghana , Marcus Kendall A.
Published: April 2022

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) understands that innovative product development is essential to addressing the unmet medical need of non‐healing chronic wounds. Barriers to product development for non‐healing chronic wounds may involve but are not limited to a dearth of biological models, challenges in drug delivery, challenges in clinical trial execution, and limited commercial viability. This perspective article discusses FDA's renewed focus on non‐healing chronic wounds and outlines efforts to address identified barriers to product development for non‐healing chronic wounds. In collaboration with key wound healing stakeholders including academia, professional associations, patient groups, reimbursement organizations and industry, FDA intends to help advance product development for non‐healing chronic wounds for the ultimate betterment of patients.
RELIGION, BRAINS, AND PERSONS: THE CONTRIBUTION OF NEUROLOGY PATIENTS AND CLINICIANS TO UNDERSTANDING HUMAN FAITH
Authors: Collicutt Joanna
Published: April 2022

This article presents a historical overview of the role played by neurology patients and clinicians in the development of understanding brain–behavior relationships and argues that, even with the advent of sophisticated functional brain imaging techniques, this clinical approach remains valuable. It is particularly important in the biological study of religion, where there is a danger that piecemeal and reductionist approaches will come to dominate. It is argued that religion is a socially located, multifaceted, and embodied phenomenon that occurs not in the brain but in the lives of human persons. Insights drawn from people living with conditions affecting the brain are thus vital for a full understanding of human identity, spirituality, and religion.
HUMANS AS INTERPRETIVE ANIMALS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHY HUMANS BEAR GOD'S IMAGE
Authors: Lewis Robert
Published: April 2022

The opening chapter of Genesis makes a lofty claim about the human condition: that humans are created in the image of God. But why can humans image God? This article examines four different interpretations of humans as interpretive animals. Following Martin Heidegger's account of Dasein, I argue that humans are interpretive animals, and as such, are suitable creatures to bear God's image. Humans as interpretive animals function as the image of God, not because of divine fiat; instead, humans in their capacities are open to being the image. My argument is not that the image of God is identifiable as particular human features. Instead, it is the fact that humans have specific capacities that make them interpretive animals (e.g., radical openness, thrownness, malleability) and that these traits are constitutive for what it means to be human. Alongside Heidegger, I draw on the works of Charles Taylor, Claudia Welz, and Kathryn Tanner.
A new record of Tordylium maximum (Apiaceae) from Korea
Authors: KIM Kyeonghee , EOM Eui-ho , SHIM Sang Deog , NAM Myoung Ja , KIM Bong Seok , KIM Jung-Hyun
Published: April 2022

Tordylium maximum L. (Apiaceae), native to south, south-central Europe and southwest Asia and a rare alien plant in northern Europe, was newly found in Jeollabuk-do in Korea. Tordylium is clearly distinguished from other genera by having radiating petals, filiform bracts, linear bractlets, stalked mericarps with minutely vesicular dorsal face or strigose hairs, and an annual habit. Tordylium maximum is different from other species of the genus by its mericarps with smooth margins and 10–16 rays not contracted in fruit. T. maximum grows on dry and sunny grasslands. Here, we report the first occurrence of the genus Tordylium represented by T. maximum in Korea and provide a precise description, illustration, photographs of the species, and a taxonomic key to allied taxa in Korea.
Integrative molecular roadmap for direct conversion of fibroblasts into myocytes and myogenic progenitor cells
Authors: Kim Inseon , Ghosh Adhideb , Bundschuh Nicola , Hinte Laura , Petrosyan Eduard , von Meyenn Ferdinand , Bar-Nur Ori
Published: April 2022

Transient MyoD overexpression in concert with small molecule treatment reprograms mouse fibroblasts into induced myogenic progenitor cells (iMPCs). However, the molecular landscape and mechanisms orchestrating this cellular conversion remain unknown. Here, we undertook an integrative multiomics approach to delineate the process of iMPC reprogramming in comparison to myogenic transdifferentiation mediated solely by MyoD. Using transcriptomics, proteomics, and genome-wide chromatin accessibility assays, we unravel distinct molecular trajectories that govern the two processes. Notably, only iMPC reprogramming is characterized by gradual up-regulation of muscle stem cell markers, unique signaling pathways, and chromatin remodelers in conjunction with exclusive chromatin opening in core myogenic promoters. In addition, we determine that the Notch pathway is indispensable for iMPC formation and self-renewal and further use the Notch ligand Dll1 to homogeneously propagate iMPCs. Collectively, this study charts divergent molecular blueprints for myogenic transdifferentiation or reprogramming and underpins the heightened capacity of iMPCs for capturing myogenesis ex vivo.
Ultrafast rectifying counter-directional transport of proton and metal ions in metal-organic framework–based nanochannels
Authors: Lu Jun , Xu Hengyu , Yu Hao , Hu Xiaoyi , Xia Jun , Zhu Yinlong , Wang Fengchao , Wu Heng-An , Jiang Lei , Wang Huanting
Published: April 2022

Bioinspired control of ion transport at the subnanoscale has become a major focus in the fields of nanofluidics and membrane separation. It is fundamentally important to achieve rectifying ion-specific transport in artificial ion channels, but it remains a challenge. Here, we report a previously unidentified metal-organic framework nanochannel (MOF NC) nanofluidic system to achieve unidirectional ultrafast counter-directional transport of alkaline metal ions and proton. This highly effective ion-specific rectifying transport behavior is attributed to two distinct mechanisms for metal ions and proton, elucidated by theoretical simulations. Notably, the MOF NC exhibits ultrafast proton conduction stemming from ultrahigh proton mobility, i.e., 11.3 × 10
−7
m
2
/V·s, and low energy barrier of 0.075 eV in MIL-53-COOH subnanochannels. Furthermore, the MOF NC shows excellent osmotic power–harvesting performance in reverse electrodialysis. This work expects to inspire further research into multifunctional biomimetic ion channels for advanced nanofluidics, biomimetics, and separation applications.
The deubiquitinases UBP12 and UBP13 integrate with the E3 ubiquitin ligase XBAT35.2 to modulate VPS23A stability in ABA signaling
Authors: Liu Guangchao , Liang Jiaxuan , Lou Lijuan , Tian Miaomiao , Zhang Xiangyun , Liu Lijing , Zhao Qingzhen , Xia Ran , Wu Yaorong , Xie Qi , Yu Feifei
Published: April 2022

Ubiquitination-mediated protein degradation in both the 26
S
proteasome and vacuole is an important process in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. However, the role of deubiquitination in this process remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that two deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), ubiquitin-specific protease 12 (UBP12) and UBP13, modulate ABA signaling and drought tolerance by deubiquitinating and stabilizing the endosomal sorting complex required for transport-I (ESCRT-I) component vacuolar protein sorting 23A (VPS23A) and thereby affect the stability of ABA receptors in
Arabidopsis thaliana
. Genetic analysis showed that
VPS23A
overexpression could rescue the ABA hypersensitive and drought tolerance phenotypes of
ubp12-2w
or
ubp13-1
. In addition to the direct regulation of VPS23A, we found that UBP12 and UBP13 also stabilized the E3 ligase XB3 ortholog 5 in
A. thaliana
(XBAT35.2) in response to ABA treatment. Hence, we demonstrated that UBP12 and UBP13 are previously unidentified rheostatic regulators of ABA signaling and revealed a mechanism by which deubiquitination precisely monitors the XBAT35/VPS23A ubiquitination module in the ABA response.
CXCL12/CXCR4-Rac1–mediated migration of osteogenic precursor cells contributes to pathological new bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Cui Haowen , Li Zihao , Chen Siwen , Li Xiang , Chen Dongying , Wang Jianru , Li Zemin , Hao Wenjun , Zhong Fangling , Zhang Kuibo , Zheng Zhaomin , Zhan Zhongping , Liu Hui
Published: April 2022

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by inflammatory back pain and spinal ankylosis due to pathological new bone formation. Here, we identified CXCL12 as a critical contributor to pathological new bone formation through recruitment of osteogenic precursor cells (OPCs). CXCL12 was found highly expressed in the regions that would potentially develop pathological new bone. OPCs were recruited to the regions where CXCL12 was up-regulated. Inhibition of CXCL12/CXCR4 axis with AMD3100 or conditional knockout of CXCR4 attenuated OPCs migration and subsequent pathological new bone formation in animal models of AS. By contrast, a genetically engineered animal model with CXCL12 overexpression developed a joint ankylosis phenotype. Furthermore, Rac1 was found essential for OPCs migration and pathological new bone formation. These findings ravel the novel role of CXCL12 in AS and indicate a potential strategy for targeting the CXCL12/CXCR4-Rac1 axis to prevent progression of axial skeleton ankylosis.
Efficient multitask learning with an embodied predictive model for door opening and entry with whole-body control
Authors: Ito Hiroshi , Yamamoto Kenjiro , Mori Hiroki , Ogata Tetsuya
Published: April 2022

Robots need robust models to effectively perform tasks that humans do on a daily basis. These models often require substantial developmental costs to maintain because they need to be adjusted and adapted over time. Deep reinforcement learning is a powerful approach for acquiring complex real-world models because there is no need for a human to design the model manually. Furthermore, a robot can establish new motions and optimal trajectories that may not have been considered by a human. However, the cost of learning is an issue because it requires a huge amount of trial and error in the real world. Here, we report a method for realizing complicated tasks in the real world with low design and teaching costs based on the principle of prediction error minimization. We devised a module integration method by introducing a mechanism that switches modules based on the prediction error of multiple modules. The robot generates appropriate motions according to the door’s position, color, and pattern with a low teaching cost. We also show that by calculating the prediction error of each module in real time, it is possible to execute a sequence of tasks (opening door outward and passing through) by linking multiple modules and responding to sudden changes in the situation and operating procedures. The experimental results show that the method is effective at enabling a robot to operate autonomously in the real world in response to changes in the environment.
Learning garment manipulation policies toward robot-assisted dressing
Authors: Zhang Fan , Demiris Yiannis
Published: April 2022

Assistive robots have the potential to support people with disabilities in a variety of activities of daily living, such as dressing. People who have completely lost their upper limb movement functionality may benefit from robot-assisted dressing, which involves complex deformable garment manipulation. Here, we report a dressing pipeline intended for these people and experimentally validate it on a medical training manikin. The pipeline is composed of the robot grasping a hospital gown hung on a rail, fully unfolding the gown, navigating around a bed, and lifting up the user’s arms in sequence to finally dress the user. To automate this pipeline, we address two fundamental challenges: first, learning manipulation policies to bring the garment from an uncertain state into a configuration that facilitates robust dressing; second, transferring the deformable object manipulation policies learned in simulation to real world to leverage cost-effective data generation. We tackle the first challenge by proposing an active pre-grasp manipulation approach that learns to isolate the garment grasping area before grasping. The approach combines prehensile and nonprehensile actions and thus alleviates grasping-only behavioral uncertainties. For the second challenge, we bridge the sim-to-real gap of deformable object policy transfer by approximating the simulator to real-world garment physics. A contrastive neural network is introduced to compare pairs of real and simulated garment observations, measure their physical similarity, and account for simulator parameters inaccuracies. The proposed method enables a dual-arm robot to put back-opening hospital gowns onto a medical manikin with a success rate of more than 90%.
Effective grasping enables successful robot-assisted dressing
Authors: Borràs Júlia
Published: April 2022

Advances in computer vision and robotic manipulation are enabling assisted dressing.
A Mixed-Methods Study of a Poster Presentation Activity, Students’ Science Identity, and Science Communication Self-Efficacy under Remote Teaching Conditions
Authors: Leone E. Austin , French Donald P.
Published: April 2022

Disseminating and communicating scientific findings is an acknowledged part of the research experience, but few science programs include explicit undergraduate curricula for practicing oral science communication. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) can provide opportunities for students to practice science communication, but few studies describe or assess authentic oral science communication activities within CUREs, and none do so under hybrid conditions.
Twitter: More than Tweets for Undergraduate Student Researchers
Authors: Reyna Nathan S. , Pruett Christin , Morrison Mike , Fowler Jennifer , Pandey Sumali , Hensley Lori
Published: April 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic, biology educators were forced to think of ways to communicate with their students, engaging them in science and with the scientific community. For educators using course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), the challenge to have students perform real science, analyze their work, and present their results to a larger scientific audience was difficult as the world moved online.
Soil Origin and Plant Genotype Modulate Switchgrass Aboveground Productivity and Root Microbiome Assembly
Authors: Beschoren da Costa Pedro , Benucci Gian Maria Niccolò , Chou Ming-Yi , Van Wyk Judson , Chretien Morgane , Bonito Gregory
Published: April 2022

Greenhouse gas reduction, carbon sequestration, and environmental remediation are top research themes within the U.S. Department of Energy funded bioenergy research centers.
Dynamic Changes in Breast Milk Microbiome in the Early Postpartum Period of Kenyan Women Living with HIV Are Influenced by Antibiotics but Not Antiretrovirals
Authors: Maqsood Rabia , Skidmore Peter T. , Holland LaRinda A. , Au Joshua L. , Khan Adam K. , Wu Lily I. , Ma Ningxin , Begnel Emily R. , Chohan Bhavna H. , Adhiambo Judith , John-Stewart Grace , Kiarie James , Kinuthia John , Chung Michael H. , Richardson Barbra A. , Slyker Jennifer , Lehman Dara A. , Lim Efrem S.
Published: April 2022

Breastfeeding has important benefits for long-term infant health, particularly in establishing and shaping the infant gut microbiome. However, the impact of combination antiretroviral therapy exposure and antibiotics on the breast milk microbiome in women living with HIV is not known.
Superconducting circuit architecture for digital-analog quantum computing
Authors: Yu Jing , Retamal Juan Carlos , Sanz Mikel , Solano Enrique , Albarrán-Arriagada Francisco
Published: April 2022

We propose a superconducting circuit architecture suitable for digital-analog quantum computing (DAQC) based on an enhanced NISQ family of nearest-neighbor interactions. DAQC makes a smart use of digital steps (single qubit rotations) and analog blocks (parametrized multiqubit operations) to outperform digital quantum computing algorithms. Our design comprises a chain of superconducting charge qubits coupled by superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). Using magnetic flux control, we can activate/deactivate exchange interactions, double excitation/de-excitations, and others. As a paradigmatic example, we present an efficient simulation of an $\ell \times h$
ℓ
×
h
fermion lattice (with $2<\ell \leq h$
2
<
ℓ
≤
h
), using only $2(2\ell +1)^{2}+24$
2

(
2
ℓ
+
1
)

2

+
24
analog blocks. The proposed architecture design is feasible in current experimental setups for quantum computing with superconducting circuits, opening the door to useful quantum advantage with fewer resources.
Institutions and the Rate of Return on Cattle: Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: IQBAL KAZI , TOUFIQUE KAZI ALI , IBON MD. WAHID FERDOUS
Published: April 2022

This study extends the recent debate on the rate of return on cattle rearing in India, triggered by Anagol, Etang, and Karlan (2017) and followed by others, to the Bangladeshi context and finds that the apparent paradox of widespread cattle rearing despite negative returns in India is absent in Bangladesh. We use a nationally representative two-year panel data for rural Bangladesh and find that the average and marginal returns on raising cows and bullocks are positive and high in both 2011 and 2015. We show that appreciation of the value of cattle is the major contributing factor to positive returns. The existence of cattle markets where cattle can be freely traded for slaughter, milk production, or for any other purpose—which is constrained to various degrees in India—is the key to high and positive returns in Bangladesh.
The Social Costs of Success: The Impact of World Trade Organization Rules on Insulin Prices in Bangladesh upon Graduation from Least Developed Country Status
Authors: ISLAM MD. DEEN , KAPLAN WARREN A. , WIRTZ VERONIKA J. , GALLAGHER KEVIN P.
Published: April 2022

In 2021, the United Nations Committee on Development Policy adopted a resolution that Bangladesh would graduate from least developed country (LDC) status after a period of 5 years. This means that in 2026 Bangladesh would have to forego its exemption to intellectual property (IP) provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Bangladesh has taken advantage of the policy space it was granted under the LDC exemption to build a generic medicines industry that not only serves Bangladesh but also other LDCs. We examine how IP provisions in the WTO will impact the price of insulin in Bangladesh and the subsequent impacts on welfare and poverty. We find that LDC graduation will trigger a significant jump in insulin prices that could cause about a 15% decline in the welfare of households in Bangladesh with one or more members living with diabetes, increasing the poverty rate of such households unless policy adjustments are carried out.
Scalable Katz Ranking Computation in Large Static and Dynamic Graphs
Authors: Grinten van der Alexander , Bergamini Elisabetta , Green Oded , Bader David A. , Meyerhenke Henning
Published: April 2022

Network analysis defines a number of centrality measures to identify the most central nodes in a network. Fast computation of those measures is a major challenge in algorithmic network analysis. Aside from closeness and betweenness, Katz centrality is one of the established centrality measures. In this article, we consider the problem of computing rankings for Katz centrality. In particular, we propose upper and lower bounds on the Katz score of a given node. Previous approaches relied on numerical approximation or heuristics to compute Katz centrality rankings; however, we construct an algorithm that iteratively improves those upper and lower bounds until a correct Katz ranking is obtained. We extend our algorithm to dynamic graphs while maintaining its correctness guarantees. Experiments demonstrate that our static graph algorithm outperforms both numerical approaches and heuristics with speedups between

\( 1.5\times \)

and

\( 3.5\times \)

, depending on the desired quality guarantees. Our dynamic graph algorithm improves upon the static algorithm for update batches of less than 10,000 edges. We provide efficient parallel CPU and GPU implementations of our algorithms that enable near real-time Katz centrality computation for graphs with hundreds of millions of edges in fractions of seconds.
Cell Trafficking at the Intersection of the Tumor–Immune Compartments
Authors: Du Wenxuan , Nair Praful , Johnston Adrian , Wu Pei-Hsun , Wirtz Denis
Published: April 2022

Migration is an essential cellular process that regulates human organ development and homeostasis as well as disease initiation and progression. In cancer, immune and tumor cell migration is strongly associated with immune cell infiltration, immune escape, and tumor cell metastasis, which ultimately account for more than 90% of cancer deaths. The biophysics and molecular regulation of the migration of cancer and immune cells have been extensively studied separately. However, accumulating evidence indicates that, in the tumor microenvironment, the motilities of immune and cancer cells are highly interdependent via secreted factors such as cytokines and chemokines. Tumor and immune cells constantly express these soluble factors, which produce a tightly intertwined regulatory network for these cells’ respective migration. A mechanistic understanding of the reciprocal regulation of soluble factor–mediated cell migration can provide critical information for the development of new biomarkers of tumor progression and of tumor response to immuno-oncological treatments. We review the biophysical andbiomolecular basis for the migration of immune and tumor cells and their associated reciprocal regulatory network. We also describe ongoing attempts to translate this knowledge into the clinic.
Causal Network Analysis
Authors: An Weihua , Beauvile Roberson , Rosche Benjamin
Published: April 2022

Fueled by recent advances in statistical modeling and the rapid growth of network data, social network analysis has become increasingly popular in sociology and related disciplines. However, a significant amount of work in the field has been descriptive and correlational, which prevents the findings from being more rigorously translated into practices and policies. This article provides a review of the popular models and methods for causal network analysis, with a focus on causal inference threats (such as measurement error, missing data, network endogeneity, contextual confounding, simultaneity, and collinearity) and potential solutions (such as instrumental variables, specialized experiments, and leveraging longitudinal data). It covers major models and methods for both network formation and network effects and for both sociocentric networks and egocentric networks. Lastly, this review also discusses future directions for causal network analysis.