bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fire seasonality plays a limited role in the reproduction ofAnacardium humileA. St.‐Hil. in a tropical savanna
Authors: de Souza D. G. , Ramalho W. P. , de Arruda F. V. , Camarota F. , da Cunha H. F.
Published: October 2023

Anthropogenic fires are an increasing threat to tropical savannas and their plant populations. In the Brazilian Cerrado, human‐made fires at the end of the dry season are replacing natural fires at the beginning of the dry season. Critically, these late burns occur under more intense climate variables. Here, we aimed to understand the potential role of fire seasonality on individuals ofAnacardium humile, a widespread Cerrado species of cultural and economic importance.

We conducted two prescribed burnings, one at the beginning of the dry season (early burning) and one at the end of the dry season (late burning) when climate variables were remarkably different. We assessed the reproductive responses ofA. humileindividuals over 4 years and compared individuals from the fire treatments with those from an unburned area (control).

The reproductive phenology ofA. humilevaried over time and was influenced by climate variables. The seasons of different burning had similar impacts on the reproductive phenology ofA. humile, and this impact lasted for at least 4 years. WhileA. humilepopulations do not depend on fire for reproduction, they produced more flowers and fruits for up to 2 years with the fire treatments.

We provide empirical evidence of the role of climate variables on the phenology ofA. humileand demonstrate the importance of considering the role of time after fire events. The similar responses ofA. humileto fire seasonality show that Cerrado fire management can be more complex than previously thought.
3D printing for bone regeneration: challenges and opportunities for achieving predictability
Authors: Ivanovski Saso , Breik Omar , Carluccio Danilo , Alayan Jamil , Staples Ruben , Vaquette Cedryck
Published: October 2023

3D printing offers attractive opportunities for large‐volume bone regeneration in the oro‐dental and craniofacial regions. This is enabled by the development of CAD‐CAM technologies that support the design and manufacturing of anatomically accurate meshes and scaffolds. This review describes the main 3D‐printing technologies utilized for the fabrication of these patient‐matched devices, and reports on their pre‐clinical and clinical performance including the occurrence of complications for vertical bone augmentation and craniofacial applications. Furthermore, the regulatory pathway for approval of these devices is discussed, highlighting the main hurdles and obstacles. Finally, the review elaborates on a variety of strategies for increasing bone regeneration capacity and explores the future of 4D bioprinting and biodegradable metal 3D printing.
Event‐related alpha power in early stage of facial expression processing in social anxiety: Influence of language context
Authors: Song Sutao , Liu Aixin , Gao Zeyuan , Tian Xiaodong , Zhu Lingkai , Shang Haiqing , Gao Shihao , Zhang Mingxian , Zhao Shimeng , Xiao Guanlai , Zheng Yuanjie , Ge Ruiyang
Published: October 2023

Accurate interpretation of the emotional information conveyed by others' facial expressions is crucial for social interactions. Event‐related alpha power, measured by time‐frequency analysis, is a frequently used EEG index of emotional information processing. However, it is still unclear how event‐related alpha power varies in emotional information processing in social anxiety groups. In the present study, we recorded event‐related potentials (ERPs) while participants from the social anxiety and healthy control groups viewed facial expressions (angry, happy, neutral) preceded by contextual sentences conveying either a positive or negative evaluation of the subject. The impact of context on facial expression processing in both groups of participants was explored by assessing behavioral ratings and event‐related alpha power (0–200 ms after expression presentation). In comparison to the healthy control group, the social anxiety group exhibited significantly lower occipital alpha power in response to angry facial expressions in negative contexts and neutral facial expressions in positive contexts. The influence of language context on facial expression processing in individuals with social anxiety may occur at an early stage of processing.
Restored oyster reefs and living shorelines can augment predator trophic dynamics
Authors: Loch Jennifer M. H. , Cook Geoffrey S.
Published: October 2023

Coastal habitat loss has led to declines in many higher trophic level predators. These declines can be mitigated through habitat restoration, which putatively enhances predator populations and trophic dynamics by creating foraging opportunities in reestablished habitat, but this lacks empirical support. Here, we assess the prediction restored coastal habitat supports sportfish feeding relationships similar to natural habitat, at restored oyster reefs (Crassostrea virginica) and living shoreline habitats in Florida, U.S.A. Stable isotopes and gut contents were analyzed from young sportfish (i.e. predatory fish targeted by anglers) collected at control and restored sites for up to 3 years. The influence of habitat features, predator size, and prey availability on carbon and nitrogen isotope values were examined using a model species (mangrove/gray snapper [Lutjanus griseus]). In summary, sportfish species had distinct isotopic values, consuming similar prey but in different proportions between habitats. Prey abundance and richness, and reef height were influential predictors of L. griseus stable isotope values, with restored reefs contributing to their diet more than controls according to Bayesian mixing models. The trophic niche area of L. griseus and their predominant prey achieved trophic equivalence between restored and natural oyster reefs within 1 year following restoration. Stabilized living shorelines attained trophic equivalency to natural shorelines, but may take longer to accrue prey for some species. These findings generate fundamental ecological knowledge and actionable science, including targets, timelines, and indicator species, that natural resource managers and restoration practitioners can use to assess trophic structure and success of coastal habitat restoration.
The role of monocausal versus multicausal explanations of suicide in suicide reporting: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Till Benedikt , Arendt Florian , Kirchner Stefanie , Naderer Brigitte , Niederkrotenthaler Thomas
Published: October 2023

Background

Media guidelines for reporting on suicide recommend that journalists should avoid monocausal explanations of suicide, but it is unclear if media items with monocausal explanations elicit different effects as compared to multicausal portrayals.

Method

Using a web‐based randomized controlled trial (n = 969), we tested five versions of a news article about the suicide of a teenage girl with varying portrayals of reasons for the suicide: (1) bullying as the sole (external) factor (i.e., monocausal), (2) several external social factors, (3) a combination of internal and external factors, (4) a combination of internal and external factors along with a focus on suicide prevention, or (5) no reason for the suicide (control group). We measured perceptions about the cause of suicide, attitudes toward suicide and suicide prevention, and identification with the suicidal protagonist with questionnaires.

Results

Readers of articles that portrayed suicide as being caused by one specific reason or exclusively social factors tended to adopt these misconceptions. Identification with the suicidal protagonist did not vary between interventions groups, but was lower in the control group.

Conclusion

Highlighting the multifactorial etiology of suicide in news articles may help to avoid the misconception that suicide is a monocausal issue.
Effects of 3‐month Qigong exercise on heart rate variability and respiration in anxious college students
Authors: Sun Jingyu , Zhuo Jiatong , Chu Hang , Wang Jing , Chen Tao , Li Bin , Lu Tianfeng , Zheng Hao , Xu Yaning , Dong Jingmei , Cicchella Antonio
Published: October 2023

Objective

This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the effects of Qigong on the anxiety state, heart rate variability (HRV), and breathing of anxious college students.

Methods

A total of 37 individuals (18–25 years old) were randomly allocated to the control (n = 19) and intervention (n = 18) groups. Qigong interventions were conducted five times weekly for 12 weeks, with each session lasting 60 min. Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Fatigue Scale 14, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and 36‐item Short Form Survey, HRV, and respiration data were collected before and after the 3‐month intervention.

Results

Individuals who participated in the three‐month Qigong exercise intervention showed a significant reduction in anxiety, particularly mental anxiety (p < 0.05). Subjects in the intervention group presented a decrease in skin temperature (p < 0.05) and an increase in blood volume pulsation (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, HRV exhibited a significant increase in the standard deviation of interbeat interval before and after comparisons (p < 0.05) and between the two groups (p = 0.039) and a reduction in the normalized low‐frequency power after the intervention. Moreover, the intervention group experienced increased abdominal breathing depth and abdominal breathing per minute (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

These findings indicate that Qigong is an effective mind–body exercise strategy for relieving anxiety. HRV and breathing were improved accordingly among college students after the completion of the 3‐month Qigong program.
Episodic Late Cretaceous to Neogene crustal thickness variation in southern Tibet
Authors: Sundell Kurt E. , Laskowski Andrew K. , Howlett Caden , Kapp Paul , Ducea Mihai , Chapman James B. , Ding Lin
Published: October 2023

Recent advancements in quantitatively estimating the thickness of Earth's crust in the geologic past provide an opportunity to test hypotheses explaining the tectonic evolution of southern Tibet. Outstanding debate on southern Tibet's Cenozoic geological evolution is complicated by poorly understood Mesozoic tectonics. We present new U‐Pb geochronology and trace element chemistry of detrital zircon from modern rivers draining the Gangdese Mountains in southern Tibet. Results are similar to recently published quantitative estimates of crustal thickness derived from intermediate‐composition whole rock records and show ~30 km of crustal thinning from 90 to 70 Ma followed by thickening to near‐modern values from 70 to 40 Ma. These results extend evidence of Late Cretaceous north–south extension along strike to the west by ~200 km, and support a tectonic model in which an east–west striking back‐arc basin formed along Eurasia's southern margin during slab rollback, prior to terminal collision of India with Eurasia.
B. subtilisCNBG‐PGPR‐1 induces methionine to regulate ethylene pathway and ROS scavenging for improving salt tolerance of tomato
Authors: Feng Liuchun , Li Qi , Zhou Dongqin , Jia Mingyun , Liu Zhuangzhuang , Hou Zhaoqi , Ren Quanjin , Ji Shengdong , Sang Shifei , Lu Shipeng , Yu Jinping
Published: October 2023

Soil salinity severely threatens plant growth and crop yields. The utilization of PGPR is an effective strategy for enhancing plant salt tolerance, but the mechanisms involved in this process have rarely been reported. In this study, we investigated the effects of Bacillus subtilis CNBG‐PGPR‐1 on improving plant salt tolerance and elucidated the molecular pathways involved. The results showed that CNBG‐PGPR‐1 significantly improved the cellular homeostasis and photosynthetic efficiency of leaves and reduced ion toxicity and osmotic stress caused by salt in tomato. Transcriptome analysis uncovered that CNBG‐PGPR‐1 enhanced plant salt tolerance through the activation of complex molecular pathways, with plant hormone signal transduction playing an important role. Comparative analysis and pharmacological experiments confirmed that the ethylene pathway was closely related to the beneficial effect of CNBG‐PGPR‐1 on improving plant salt tolerance. Furthermore, we found that methionine, a precursor of ethylene synthesis, significantly accumulated in response to CNBG‐PGPR‐1 in tomato. Exogenous L‐methionine largely mimicked the beneficial effects of CNBG‐PGPR‐1 and activated the expression of ethylene pathway‐related genes, indicating CNBG‐PGPR‐1 induces methionine accumulation to regulate the ethylene pathway in tomato. Finally, CNBG‐PGPR‐1 reduced salt‐induced ROS by activating ROS scavenger‐encoding genes, mainly involved in GSH metabolism and POD‐related genes, which were also closely linked to methionine metabolism. Overall, our studies demonstrate that CNBG‐PGPR‐1‐induced methionine is a key regulator in enhancing plant salt tolerance through the ethylene pathway and ROS scavenging, providing a novel understanding of the mechanism by which beneficial microbes improve plant salt tolerance.
Safety and protection of plasma donors: A scoping review and evidence gap map
Authors: Schroyens Natalie , D'aes Tine , De Buck Emmy , Mikkelsen Susan , Tiberghien Pierre , van den Hurk Katja , Erikstrup Christian , Compernolle Veerle , Van Remoortel Hans
Published: October 2023

Background and Objectives

As part of a large‐scale project to safely increase plasma collection in Europe, the current scoping review identifies the existing evidence (gaps) on adverse events (AEs) and other health effects in plasmapheresis donors, as well as factors that may be associated with such events/effects.

Materials and Methods

We searched six databases and three registries. Study characteristics (publication type, language, study design, population, outcomes, associated factors, time of assessment, duration of follow‐up, number and frequency of donations, convalescent plasma [y/n], setting and location) were synthesized narratively and in an interactive evidence gap map (EGM).

Results

Ninety‐four research articles and five registrations were identified. Around 90% were observational studies (57 controlled and 33 uncontrolled), and most of them were performed in Europe (55%) or the United States (20%). Factors studied in association with donor health included donor characteristics (e.g., sex, age) (n = 27), cumulative number of donations (n = 21), donation frequency (n = 11), plasma collection device or programme (n = 11), donor status (first time vs. repeat) (n = 10), donation volume per session (n = 8), time in donation programme (n = 3), preventive measures (n = 2) or other (n = 9).

Conclusion

The current scoping review provides an accessible tool for researchers and policymakers to identify the available evidence (gaps) concerning plasmapheresis donation safety. Controlled prospective studies with long‐term donor follow‐up are scarce. Furthermore, additional experimental studies comparing the health effects of different donation frequencies are required to inform a safe upper limit for donation frequency.
Progress in copper‐based materials for wound healing
Authors: Diao Wuliang , Li Peiting , Jiang Xilin , Zhou Jianda , Yang Songbo
Published: October 2023

Chronic wounds have become the leading cause of death, particularly among diabetic patients. Chronic wounds affect ~6.5 million patients each year, according to statistics, and wound care and management incur significant financial costs. The rising prevalence of chronic wounds, combined with the limitations of current treatments, necessitates the development of new and innovative approaches to accelerate wound healing. Copper has been extensively studied for its antibacterial and anti‐inflammatory activities. Copper in its nanoparticle form could have better biological properties and many applications in health care.
A Deep Convolutional Neural Network-Based Method for Self-Piercing Rivet Joint Defect Detection
Authors: Zhao Lun , Lin Sen , Pan YunLong , Wang HaiBo , Abbas Zeshan , Guo ZiXin , Huo XiaoLe , Wang Sen
Published: October 2023

The self-pierce riveting process for alloy materials has a wide range of applications in the automotive manufacturing industry. This will not only affect the operation performance but also cause accidents in severe cases when there are defects in the riveted parts. A deep learning detection model is proposed that integrates atrous convolution and dynamic convolution to identify defects of self-piercing riveting parts efficiently to overcome the problem in quality inspection after the body self-piercing riveting process. First, a backbone network for extracting riveting defect features is constructed based on the ResNet network. Second, the center area of each riveting defect is located preferentially by the center point detection algorithm. Finally, the bounding box of riveting defects is regressed to achieve defect detection based on this central region. Among them, atrous convolution is used in the external network to increase the receptive field of the model, which combined with an active convolution so that a dynamic atrous convolution module is designed. This module is used to enhance the correlation between feature points of individual pixel in the image, which helps to identify defects with incomplete image edges and suppress background interference. Ablation experiments show that the proposed method achieves the highest accuracy of 96.3%, which is 3.9% higher than the original method. It is found that the proposed method is less affected by the background interference from the qualitative comparison. Moreover, it can also effectively identify the riveting defects on the surface of each area.
Impact of the Purge Flow Density Ratio on the Rim Sealing Effectiveness in Hot Gas Ingestion Measurements
Authors: Orsini L. , Picchi A. , Facchini B. , Bonini A. , Innocenti L.
Published: October 2023

The rim seals of gas turbines are used to control the ingestion of hot mainstream gas into the wheel space between the rotor disk and the stationary casing. Sealing air, which is generally used to pressurize the cavity space, flows through the seal clearance and then mixes with the flow path in the annulus. Predicting the correct quantity of purge flow necessary to prevent excessive ingestion of hot gases while, at the same time, minimizing the penalties in terms of engine efficiency and stage aerodynamics represents a great challenge for the designers and a crucial point for the design of reliable engines. Such estimate is governed by unsteady phenomena, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches are still expensive and time consuming, especially if 3D domains and unsteady conditions have to be simulated. Fundamental test cases, replicating actual engines geometries, are still a valid approach to calibrate correlations or simplified models such as the so-called orifice model. However, most of the experimental studies deal with test rigs at room temperature and do not take into account the effect of the density ratio (DR) between purge and main flows. To fill this gap, the present article reports the impact of the density ratio on the rim sealing effectiveness by performing a nonintrusive diagnostic based on the pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) technique on both the stator side and the rotor side. The analysis was performed on a cold rotating cavity rig, developed for the study of hot gas ingestion, where two different values of density ratios were tested by using N2 (DR = 1) and CO2 (DR = 1.52) as purge flow. The data extracted from the PSP seal effectiveness maps allowed to calibrate the orifice model for the stator side and to fit the coefficients of the buffer ratio model for the rotor surface at different flow conditions where the externally induced ingress is the dominant mechanism for gas ingestion. The results highlighted the impact of the DR on the seal effectiveness and on the low-order models considered for the data analysis. In the end, it is shown that the obtained results can be used to scale experimental data, generally collected at DR close to one, toward more representative engine values where the difference between the density of purge and main flows cannot be neglected.
A Machine Learning–Based Tire Life Prediction Framework for Increasing Life of Commercial Vehicle Tires
Authors: Karkaria Vispi , Chen Jie , Siuta Chase , Lim Damien , Radulescu Robert , Chen Wei
Published: October 2023

In the commercial freight industry, tire retreading decisions are often conservative due to limited knowledge of a tire’s remaining service life. This practice leads to increased costs and material waste. This paper proposes a machine learning–based approach for estimating tire casing life and retreadability, focusing on usage data rather than wear information. This approach could extend the tire’s lifespan and reduce landfill waste. Data integration from diverse tire casing measurement sources presents challenges, including imbalanced removal data. Our methodology addresses these challenges by using historical inspection, telematics, and finite element modeling (FEM) datasets. We introduce “Tire Casing Energy” as a comprehensive usage input and apply a Variance-Reduction Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (VR-SMOTE) for data imbalance rectification. A random forest model is used to estimate the state of the tire casing and the casing removal probability, with Bayesian optimization applied for hyperparameter tuning, enhancing model accuracy. The proposed prediction framework is able to differentiate different truck fleets and tire locations based on their usage parameters. With the aid of this machine learning model, the importance and sensitivity of different tire usage parameters can be obtained, which is beneficial to maximize tire life.
Deep Neural Networks in Natural Language Processing for Classifying Requirements by Origin and Functionality: An Application of BERT in System Requirements
Authors: Mullis Jesse , Chen Cheng , Morkos Beshoy , Ferguson Scott
Published: October 2023

Given the foundational role of system requirements in design projects, designers can benefit from classifying, comparing, and observing connections between requirements. Manually undertaking these processes, however, can be laborious and time-consuming. Previous studies have employed Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), a state-of-the-art natural language processing (NLP) deep neural network model, to automatically analyze written requirements. Yet, it remains unclear whether BERT can sufficiently capture the nuances that differentiate requirements between and within design documents. This work evaluates BERT’s performance on two requirement classification tasks (one inter- document and one intra-document) executed on a corpus of 1,303 requirements sourced from five system design projects. First, in the “parent document classification” task, a BERT model is fine-tuned to classify requirements according to their originating project. A separate BERT model is then fine-tuned on a “functional classification” task where each requirement is classified as either functional or nonfunctional. Our results also include a comparison with a baseline model, Word2Vec, and demonstrate that our model achieves higher classification accuracy. When evaluated on test sets, the former model receives a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.95, while the latter receives an MCC of 0.82, indicating BERT’s ability to reliably distinguish requirements. This work then explores the application of BERT’s representations, known as embeddings, to identify similar requirements and predict requirement change.
Research on the effect of tire pattern design on noise and its reduction
Authors: Guan Liangjie , Gao Ming , Ma Zhongkai , Yu Chengxuan
Published: October 2023

This paper studies pattern noise in original equipment fitment through four approaches, including pitch arrangement optimization, pipe resonance experiment, orthogonal experimental design of tread transverse groove, and block shift simulation. An in-cab noise test is conducted to verify the effectiveness. Results show an 8.7% reduction in total harmonic energy and 12% decrease in the highest harmonic peak through pitch optimization. This paper introduces the 3-Sum concept to measure the difficulty of exciting a certain pitch harmonic. Meanwhile, the optimal width combination is found for central and shoulder longitudinal grooves. Transverse groove width, angle, and direction are studied using analysis of range and analysis of variance with the best match producing an indoor drum noise value of 76.09 dB. The simulation by the tread noise prediction system shows that the optimal misalignment of the central rib should be −7 mm, and its noise prediction value has a 2.21 dB(A) decrease from the original plan while the optimal misalignment of the shoulder rib is at its initial position. In the in-cab noise test, the sound pressure level of the optimized plan is reduced by 0.46 dB(A). Notably, the root mean square value within the frequency band 700–1300 Hz is reduced by 3.26 dB(A), which is a figure that fulfills the expected tread noise reduction.
Daily turnover of active giant virus infection during algal blooms revealed by single-cell transcriptomics
Authors: Hevroni Gur , Vincent Flora , Ku Chuan , Sheyn Uri , Vardi Assaf
Published: October 2023

Giant viruses infect many unicellular eukaryotes, including algae that form massive oceanic blooms. Despite the major impact of viruses on the marine ecosystem, the ability to quantify and assess active viral infection in nature remains a major challenge. We applied single-cell RNA sequencing, to profile virus and host transcriptomes of 12,000 single algal cells from a coccolithophore bloom. Viral infection was detected already at early exponential bloom phase, negatively correlating with the bloom intensity. A consistent percent of infected coccolithophores displayed the early phase of viral replication for several consecutive days, indicating a daily turnover and continuous virocell-associated metabolite production, potentially affecting the surrounding microbiome. Linking single-cell infection state to host physiology revealed that infected cells remained calcified even in the late infection stage. These findings stress the importance of studying host-virus dynamics in natural populations, at single-cell resolution, to better understand virus life cycle and its impact on microbial food webs.
Key tropical crops at risk from pollinator loss due to climate change and land use
Authors: Millard Joseph , Outhwaite Charlotte L. , Ceaușu Silvia , Carvalheiro Luísa G. , da Silva e Silva Felipe Deodato , Dicks Lynn V. , Ollerton Jeff , Newbold Tim
Published: October 2023

Insect pollinator biodiversity is changing rapidly, with potential consequences for the provision of crop pollination. However, the role of land use–climate interactions in pollinator biodiversity changes, as well as consequent economic effects via changes in crop pollination, remains poorly understood. We present a global assessment of the interactive effects of climate change and land use on pollinator abundance and richness and predictions of the risk to crop pollination from the inferred changes. Using a dataset containing 2673 sites and 3080 insect pollinator species, we show that the interactive combination of agriculture and climate change is associated with large reductions in insect pollinators. As a result, it is expected that the tropics will experience the greatest risk to crop production from pollinator losses. Localized risk is highest and predicted to increase most rapidly, in regions of sub-Saharan Africa, northern South America, and Southeast Asia. Via pollinator loss alone, climate change and agricultural land use could be a risk to human well-being.
Comparative transcriptomics reveals human-specific cortical features
Authors: Jorstad Nikolas L. , Song Janet H. T. , Exposito-Alonso David , Suresh Hamsini , Castro-Pacheco Nathan , Krienen Fenna M. , Yanny Anna Marie , Close Jennie , Gelfand Emily , Long Brian , Seeman Stephanie C. , Travaglini Kyle J. , Basu Soumyadeep , Beaudin Marc , Bertagnolli Darren , Crow Megan , Ding Song-Lin , Eggermont Jeroen , Glandon Alexandra , Goldy Jeff , Kiick Katelyn , Kroes Thomas , McMillen Delissa , Pham Trangthanh , Rimorin Christine , Siletti Kimberly , Somasundaram Saroja , Tieu Michael , Torkelson Amy , Feng Guoping , Hopkins William D. , Höllt Thomas , Keene C. Dirk , Linnarsson Sten , McCarroll Steven A. , Lelieveldt Boudewijn P. , Sherwood Chet C. , Smith Kimberly , Walsh Christopher A. , Dobin Alexander , Gillis Jesse , Lein Ed S. , Hodge Rebecca D. , Bakken Trygve E.
Published: October 2023

The cognitive abilities of humans are distinctive among primates, but their molecular and cellular substrates are poorly understood. We used comparative single-nucleus transcriptomics to analyze samples of the middle temporal gyrus (MTG) from adult humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, rhesus macaques, and common marmosets to understand human-specific features of the neocortex. Human, chimpanzee, and gorilla MTG showed highly similar cell-type composition and laminar organization as well as a large shift in proportions of deep-layer intratelencephalic-projecting neurons compared with macaque and marmoset MTG. Microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes had more-divergent expression across species compared with neurons or oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and neuronal expression diverged more rapidly on the human lineage. Only a few hundred genes showed human-specific patterning, suggesting that relatively few cellular and molecular changes distinctively define adult human cortical structure.
Molecular programs of regional specification and neural stem cell fate progression in macaque telencephalon
Authors: Micali Nicola , Ma Shaojie , Li Mingfeng , Kim Suel-Kee , Mato-Blanco Xoel , Sindhu Suvimal Kumar , Arellano Jon I. , Gao Tianliuyun , Shibata Mikihito , Gobeske Kevin T. , Duque Alvaro , Santpere Gabriel , Sestan Nenad , Rakic Pasko
Published: October 2023

During early telencephalic development, intricate processes of regional patterning and neural stem cell (NSC) fate specification take place. However, our understanding of these processes in primates, including both conserved and species-specific features, remains limited. Here, we profiled 761,529 single-cell transcriptomes from multiple regions of the prenatal macaque telencephalon. We deciphered the molecular programs of the early organizing centers and their cross-talk with NSCs, revealing primate-biased galanin-like peptide (
GALP
) signaling in the anteroventral telencephalon. Regional transcriptomic variations were observed along the frontotemporal axis during early stages of neocortical NSC progression and in neurons and astrocytes. Additionally, we found that genes associated with neuropsychiatric disorders and brain cancer risk might play critical roles in the early telencephalic organizers and during NSC progression.
Signature morphoelectric properties of diverse GABAergic interneurons in the human neocortex
Authors: Lee Brian R. , Dalley Rachel , Miller Jeremy A. , Chartrand Thomas , Close Jennie , Mann Rusty , Mukora Alice , Ng Lindsay , Alfiler Lauren , Baker Katherine , Bertagnolli Darren , Brouner Krissy , Casper Tamara , Csajbok Eva , Donadio Nicholas , Driessens Stan L.W. , Egdorf Tom , Enstrom Rachel , Galakhova Anna A. , Gary Amanda , Gelfand Emily , Goldy Jeff , Hadley Kristen , Heistek Tim S. , Hill Dijon , Hou Wen-Hsien , Johansen Nelson , Jorstad Nik , Kim Lisa , Kocsis Agnes Katalin , Kruse Lauren , Kunst Michael , León Gabriela , Long Brian , Mallory Matthew , Maxwell Michelle , McGraw Medea , McMillen Delissa , Melief Erica J. , Molnar Gabor , Mortrud Marty T. , Newman Dakota , Nyhus Julie , Opitz-Araya Ximena , Ozsvár Attila , Pham Trangthanh , Pom Alice , Potekhina Lydia , Rajanbabu Ram , Ruiz Augustin , Sunkin Susan M. , Szöts Ildikó , Taskin Naz , Thyagarajan Bargavi , Tieu Michael , Trinh Jessica , Vargas Sara , Vumbaco David , Waleboer Femke , Walling-Bell Sarah , Weed Natalie , Williams Grace , Wilson Julia , Yao Shenqin , Zhou Thomas , Barzó Pál , Bakken Trygve , Cobbs Charles , Dee Nick , Ellenbogen Richard G. , Esposito Luke , Ferreira Manuel , Gouwens Nathan W. , Grannan Benjamin , Gwinn Ryder P. , Hauptman Jason S. , Hodge Rebecca , Jarsky Tim , Keene C. Dirk , Ko Andrew L. , Korshoej Anders Rosendal , Levi Boaz P. , Meier Kaare , Ojemann Jeffrey G. , Patel Anoop , Ruzevick Jacob , Silbergeld Daniel L. , Smith Kimberly , Sørensen Jens Christian , Waters Jack , Zeng Hongkui , Berg Jim , Capogna Marco , Goriounova Natalia A. , Kalmbach Brian , de Kock Christiaan P.J. , Mansvelder Huib D. , Sorensen Staci A. , Tamas Gabor , Lein Ed S. , Ting Jonathan T.
Published: October 2023

Human cortex transcriptomic studies have revealed a hierarchical organization of γ-aminobutyric acid–producing (GABAergic) neurons from subclasses to a high diversity of more granular types. Rapid GABAergic neuron viral genetic labeling plus Patch-seq (patch-clamp electrophysiology plus single-cell RNA sequencing) sampling in human brain slices was used to reliably target and analyze GABAergic neuron subclasses and individual transcriptomic types. This characterization elucidated transitions between PVALB and SST subclasses, revealed morphological heterogeneity within an abundant transcriptomic type, identified multiple spatially distinct types of the primate-specialized double bouquet cells (DBCs), and shed light on cellular differences between homologous mouse and human neocortical GABAergic neuron types. These results highlight the importance of multimodal phenotypic characterization for refinement of emerging transcriptomic cell type taxonomies and for understanding conserved and specialized cellular properties of human brain cell types.
Transcriptomic cytoarchitecture reveals principles of human neocortex organization
Authors: Jorstad Nikolas L. , Close Jennie , Johansen Nelson , Yanny Anna Marie , Barkan Eliza R. , Travaglini Kyle J. , Bertagnolli Darren , Campos Jazmin , Casper Tamara , Crichton Kirsten , Dee Nick , Ding Song-Lin , Gelfand Emily , Goldy Jeff , Hirschstein Daniel , Kiick Katelyn , Kroll Matthew , Kunst Michael , Lathia Kanan , Long Brian , Martin Naomi , McMillen Delissa , Pham Trangthanh , Rimorin Christine , Ruiz Augustin , Shapovalova Nadiya , Shehata Soraya , Siletti Kimberly , Somasundaram Saroja , Sulc Josef , Tieu Michael , Torkelson Amy , Tung Herman , Callaway Edward M. , Hof Patrick R. , Keene C. Dirk , Levi Boaz P. , Linnarsson Sten , Mitra Partha P. , Smith Kimberly , Hodge Rebecca D. , Bakken Trygve E. , Lein Ed S
Published: October 2023

Variation in cytoarchitecture is the basis for the histological definition of cortical areas. We used single cell transcriptomics and performed cellular characterization of the human cortex to better understand cortical areal specialization. Single-nucleus RNA-sequencing of 8 areas spanning cortical structural variation showed a highly consistent cellular makeup for 24 cell subclasses. However, proportions of excitatory neuron subclasses varied substantially, likely reflecting differences in connectivity across primary sensorimotor and association cortices. Laminar organization of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes also differed across areas. Primary visual cortex showed characteristic organization with major changes in the excitatory to inhibitory neuron ratio, expansion of layer 4 excitatory neurons, and specialized inhibitory neurons. These results lay the groundwork for a refined cellular and molecular characterization of human cortical cytoarchitecture and areal specialization.
Variant-adapted COVID-19 booster vaccines
Authors: Krammer Florian , Ellebedy Ali H.
Published: October 2023

Current vaccines should be tailored to combat future SARS-CoV-2 variants
The risks of radioactive wastewater release
Authors: Smith Jim , Marks Nigel , Irwin Tony
Published: October 2023

The wastewater release from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is expected to have negligible effects on people and the ocean
Ice-confined synthesis of highly ionized 3D-quasilayered polyamide nanofiltration membranes
Authors: Zhang Yanqiu , Wang Hao , Guo Jing , Cheng Xiquan , Han Gang , Lau Cher Hon , Lin Haiqing , Liu Shaomin , Ma Jun , Shao Lu
Published: October 2023

Existing polyamide (PA) membrane synthesis protocols are underpinned by controlling diffusion-dominant liquid-phase reactions that yield subpar spatial architectures and ionization behavior. We report an ice-confined interfacial polymerization strategy to enable the effective kinetic control of the interfacial reaction and thermodynamic manipulation of the hexagonal polytype (
I
h
) ice phase containing monomers to rationally synthesize a three-dimensional quasilayered PA membrane for nanofiltration. Experiments and molecular simulations confirmed the underlying membrane formation mechanism. Our ice-confined PA nanofiltration membrane features high-density ionized structure and exceptional transport channels, realizing superior water permeance and excellent ion selectivity.
Galileo’s comet rebuttal
The Assayer
Galileo Galilei
1623
Authors: Gomez-Marin Alex
Published: October 2023

A foundational text that articulated the modern scientific method turns 400
Safety and pharmacokinetics of SPR206 in subjects with varying degrees of renal impairment
Authors: Bruss Jon B. , Bader Justin , Hamed Kamal A.
Published: October 2023

SPR206 is a novel polymyxin derivative with potent
in vitro
activity against susceptible and multidrug-resistant strains of
Acinetobacter baumannii
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
,
Escherichia coli
, and
Enterobacter
species. SPR206 is eliminated renally. The safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of SPR206 were evaluated in healthy subjects with normal renal function (Cohort 1) and subjects with varying degrees of renal impairment (RI) (Cohorts 2–4) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis (HD) (Cohort 5). Subjects in Cohorts 1–4 received a 100-mg intravenous (IV) dose of SPR206. Subjects in Cohort 5 received a 100-mg IV dose within 2 h after HD on day 1 and 1 h before HD on day 5. Safety and PK analyses included 37 subjects. Mostly mild but no serious treatment-related adverse events were reported. Systemic exposure to SPR206 increased as renal function decreased, with mean area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 to the last quantifiable concentration (AUC
0–last
) values 39% to 239% greater in subjects with RI vs healthy subjects. Mean plasma clearance (CL) of SPR206 decreased with decreasing renal function (29% to 76% lower vs healthy subjects). In subjects with ESRD, AUC
0–last
decreased by 51%, and CL increased by 92% for dialyzed vs nondialyzed conditions. SPR206 was excreted in urine within 12 h in healthy subjects and subjects with mild RI (Cohort 2) but was prolonged in those with moderate and severe RI (Cohorts 3 and 4, respectively). In summary, SPR206 was generally safe and well tolerated, and the PK of SPR206 was well characterized in subjects with RI.
Protection against
Eimeria intestinalis
infection in rabbits immunized with the recombinant elongation factors EF1α and EFG
Authors: He Wei , Hao Ge , Xiong Changming , Xiao Jie , Pu Jiayan , Chen Hao , Xu Liwen , Zhu Yuhua , Yang Guangyou
Published: October 2023

Eimeria intestinalis
is the most pathogenic species of rabbit coccidiosis, causing weight loss, diarrhea, and even acute death. The currently used anticoccidial drugs against
E. intestinalis
in rabbits are associated with drug resistance and residues. Immunological control might be a potential alternative. We cloned and expressed the
E. intestinalis
recombinant EF1α and EFG (r
Ei
-EF1α and r
Ei
-EFG, respectively). Rabbits were immunized subcutaneously every 14 days with 100 µg of r
Ei
-EF1α and r
Ei
-EFG and followed by 5 × 10
4
E. intestinalis
sporulated oocysts orally challenge. Serum samples were collected every 7 days to measure the levels of specific antibodies and cytokines. On post-challenge day 14, rabbits were sacrificed and the anticoccidial index was evaluated. The rabbits of PBS challenged groups exhibited anorexia, diarrhea, marked intestinal wall thickening, and white nodules that formed patches, while rabbits from the r
Ei
-EF1α or r
Ei
-EFG challenged group exhibited milder symptoms. The r
Ei
-EF1α group showed a 75.18% oocyst reduction and 89.01%wt gain; the r
Ei
-EFG group had a 60.58% oocyst reduction and 56.04%wt gain. After vaccination, specific IgG levels increased and stayed high (
P
< 0.05). The IL-4 and IL-2 levels of r
Ei
-EF1α immunized groups showed a significant increase after immunization (
P
< 0.05). Both r
Ei
-EF1α and r
Ei
-EFG could induce humoral and cellular immune responses. In contrast, rabbits immunized with r
Ei
-EF1α were better protected from challenge by
E. intestinalis
than r
Ei
-EFG.
Draft genome sequence of
Paenibacillus
sp. strain RC67, an isolate from a long-term forest soil warming experiment in Petersham, Massachusetts
Authors: Tran Wyatt C. , Sullivan Brendan , Kitzmiller Claire E. , Choudoir Mallory , Simoes Rachel , Dayarathne Nipuni , DeAngelis Kristen M.
Published: October 2023

Paenibacillus
sp. strain RC67 was isolated from the Harvard Forest long-term soil warming experiment. The assembled genome is a single contig with 7,963,753 bp and 99.4% completion. Genome annotation suggests that the isolate is of a novel bacterial species.
Origin of composite Ni-Cu sulfide- and Fe-Ti oxide-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, China: Role of externally derived crustal organic carbon in controlling mineralization of post-collisional mafic magmatism
Authors: Cao Yonghua , Wang Christina Yan , Wei Bo
Published: October 2023

Composite Ni-Cu sulfide- and Fe-Ti oxide-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions have been discovered in convergent margin settings worldwide, but their origins remain enigmatic. Permian Kebu mafic-ultramafic intrusion in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt hosts both Ni-Cu sulfide and Fe-Ti oxide mineralization and formed in a post-collisional, Andean-style arc setting. The Ni-Cu sulfide- and Fe-Ti oxide-bearing rocks in the intrusion have similarly arc-like trace element patterns on the primitive mantle−normalized trace element diagram and negative εNd(t) values (−16 to −5), which indicate that the parental magma of the intrusion may have been derived from the enriched, metasomatized lithospheric mantle. The magma oxygen fugacity (fO2) was calculated to be FMQ+1.3∼FMQ+2.0, which can be attributed to the evolution of hydrated parental magma derived from the metasomatized lithospheric mantle. Also, the rocks all have negative δ13C values (−28.5‰ to −20‰), which indicates incorporation of external-derived crustal organic carbon into magmas. However, the Ni-Cu sulfide-bearing rocks contain more high-temperature carbon than the Fe-Ti oxide-bearing rocks. Modeling results based on alphaMELTS show that the magmas forming the Ni-Cu sulfide-bearing rocks may have assimilated more organic carbon than those that formed the Fe-Ti oxide-bearing rocks. Based on the estimated amounts of organic carbon in the two types of rocks, we deduced that initially oxidized magma pulses may have been reduced in variable degrees, leading to the formation of composite Ni-Cu sulfide and Fe-Ti oxide mineralization in one intrusive body. Mafic magmas in subduction-related, convergent margin settings are commonly highly oxidized due to metasomatism of the mantle wedge by slab-derived fluids/melts, and this may explain why the mafic-ultramafic intrusions associated with composite Ni-Cu sulfide and Fe-Ti oxide mineralization often occur in convergent margin settings.
Revised chronology of the middle−upper Cenozoic succession in the Tuotuohe Basin, central-northern Tibetan Plateau, and its paleoelevation implications
Authors: Li Leyi , Chang Hong , Farnsworth Alex , Niemi Nathan A. , Clift Peter D. , Qiang Xiaoke , Jin Chunsheng , Sun Jimin , Guan Chong , Zhang Peng , Lu Hongxuan , Liu Weiguo , Bradák Balázs , Peng Lu , Miao Yunfa , An Zhisheng
Published: October 2023

Currently, the climatic implications associated with the Cenozoic tectonic history and growth mechanisms of the Tibetan Plateau lack consensus and remain controversial. This is due in part to chronological uncertainties and few paleoelevation records distributed in the central to northern Tibetan Plateau, which we address here with the development of a robust chronology (using magnetostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, detrital zircons, and regional radiochronologic dating) and a paleoelevation reconstruction for the Tuotuohe Basin (central-northern Tibet). We refined the age of the Tuotuohe Formation (37−33 Ma), Yaxicuo Formation (33−23.6 Ma), and Wudaoliang Formation (23.6−19.7 Ma). We estimated early Oligocene (ca. 29 Ma) paleotemperatures of the Tuotuohe Basin from 11 °C to 16.1 °C, which correspond to paleoelevations of 2.9 km (±0.4 km) when the relative humidity is 64% and 2.5 km (±0.5 km) when this value is 75%, using various methods including ostracod assemblages, gastropods, charophytes, branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether analysis, regional empirical formulas, and climate model simulation. Paleoelevation data and existing geological evidence in the vicinity indicate that late Eocene to late Oligocene uplift was associated with upper-crustal shortening. Since the middle Miocene, uplift has been associated with convective removal of lithospheric mantle and/or lower-crustal flow beneath the Hoh Xil Basin.
Interplay between Magnetism and Topology in MnBi2Te4
Authors: Val’kov V. V. , Zlotnikov A. O. , Gamov A.
Published: October 2023

The dependence of the topology of the fermion excitation spectrum on the magnetic state of the system is analyzed taking into account the structure of the Te–Mn–Te trilayer in the Te–Bi–Te–Mn–Te–Bi–Te layer sequence of the MnBi2Te4 van der Waals single crystal, crystal field effects, spin–orbit coupling, and the covalent mixing of electronic states of Mn2+ ions with electronic states of Te2– ions in the strong electron correlation regime. The Chern number in the ferromagnetic phase, which is due to the kinematic interaction between Hubbard fermions, is equal to 1; i.e., the topology of the band structure of the Te–Mn–Te trilayer is nontrivial. The Chern number in the paramagnetic phase is zero; i.e., the topology is trivial. The magnetic moments of Mn2+ ions for the constructed spin orbitals are perpendicular to the layers. The magnetic moments of Mn2+ ions in the nearest layers are antiferromagnetically ordered via the Anderson mechanism.