bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complete chloroplast genomes of eight Artemisia species: Comparative analysis, molecular identification, and phylogenetic analysis
Authors: Chen C. , Luo D. , Wang Z. , Miao Y. , Liu Q. , Zhao T. , Liu D.
Published: January 2024

Artemisia L. is the largest genus in the Asteraceae, and well known for its high medicinal value. The morphological features of Artemisia species are similar, making taxonomic identification and evolutionary research difficult.

We sequenced chloroplast genomes of eight Artemisia species, all of which are common adulterants of A. argyi. We used novel genetic data and compared these data to the published A. argyi chloroplast genome in to develop molecular markers for species identification and reconstructing phylogenetic relationships between Artemisia species.

The eight chloroplast sequences were highly similar in gene order, content, and structure, encoding a total of 114 genes (82 protein‐coding genes, 28 tRNAs, and four rRNAs). All species harboured similar repeat sequences and simple sequence repeats (SSRs), ranging from 47 to 49 and 38 to 40 repeats, respectively. In addition, we identified five hypervariable regions (rpl32‐trnL, rps16‐trnQ, petN‐psbM, trnE‐rpoB, and atpA‐trnR) and ten variable coding genes (ycf1, psbG, rpl36, psaC, psaI, accD, psbT, ndhD, ndhE, and psbH), which can be used to develop chloroplast molecular markers. Finally, phylogenetic reconstructions based on six datasets produced similar topologies, revealing A. argyi is closely related to species often found as adulterants, as expected.

Our research provides valuable new information on the evolution and phylogenetic relationships between Artemisia chloroplast genomes and identifies valuable molecular makers to distinguish it from closely related species.
Plant hormone ethylene: A leading edge in conferring drought stress tolerance
Authors: Nazir Faroza , Peter Poor , Gupta Ravi , Kumari Sarika , Nawaz Kashif , Khan M. Iqbal R.
Published: January 2024

Agricultural sufficient productivity is of paramount importance for ensuring food security and conserving soil health to support the world's agronomy. Climatic abruptions have been emerging as one of the most nerve‐pressing issues for the sustainment of the planet Earth in the twenty‐first century. Among the various environmental constraints, drought stress stands out as a potent factor restricting crop growth and productivity. It triggers a myriad of intricate responses in plants to combat the underlying stress‐mediated adversities. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the key physiological and molecular mechanisms that enable plants to withstand drought stress is crucial for developing effective strategies to enhance crop resilience. Ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone, influences the adaptive measures adopted by plants subjected to drought stress by regulating the drought stress‐mediated signal transduction‐associated responses. The present review article provides an in‐depth understanding of the critical roles of ethylene in enhancing plants' ability to restrain the severity of drought stress. It also highlights the significance of ethylene signaling components in regulating plant survival and drought stress tolerance. Additionally, we have illustrated the additive and antagonistic interactions of ethylene with other plant growth regulators, which instigate the tolerance responses. Conclusively, this review emphasizes the significance of complex networks involved in ethylene‐mediated drought tolerance, providing valuable insights for future research and uncovering novel studies in the field of ethylene biology.
Complex plant responses to drought and heat stress under climate change
Authors: Sato Hikaru , Mizoi Junya , Shinozaki Kazuo , Yamaguchi‐Shinozaki Kazuko
Published: January 2024

Global climate change is predicted to result in increased yield losses of agricultural crops caused by environmental conditions. In particular, heat and drought stress are major factors that negatively affect plant development and reproduction, and previous studies have revealed how these stresses induce plant responses at physiological and molecular levels. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge concerning how drought, heat, and combinations of these stress conditions affect the status of plants, including crops, by affecting factors such as stomatal conductance, photosynthetic activity, cellular oxidative conditions, metabolomic profiles, and molecular signaling mechanisms. We further discuss stress‐responsive regulatory factors such as transcription factors and signaling factors, which play critical roles in adaptation to both drought and heat stress conditions and potentially function as ‘hubs’ in drought and/or heat stress responses. Additionally, we present recent findings based on forward genetic approaches that reveal natural variations in agricultural crops that play critical roles in agricultural traits under drought and/or heat conditions. Finally, we provide an overview of the application of decades of study results to actual agricultural fields as a strategy to increase drought and/or heat stress tolerance. This review summarizes our current understanding of plant responses to drought, heat, and combinations of these stress conditions.
Auditory perception of the thickness of plates
Authors: Poirot Samuel , Bourachot Antoine , Bilbao Stefan , Kronland-Martinet Richard
Published: January 2024

This study focuses on the auditory perception of plate thickness and investigates acoustic cues that evoke thickness in the context of sound synthesis. Three hypotheses are proposed and tested through a listening test, examining the influence of damping, nonlinear phenomena, and modal frequencies on the perceived thickness of sound sources. The stimuli are generated using the numerical resolution of the Föppl–von Kármán system. We confirm that increasing the overall damping leads to an increased perceived thickness. Additionally, the emergence of an energy cascade toward higher frequencies (characteristic of thin plates) for impacts of increasing intensity evokes a thinner object.
Iron-sulfur chemistry can explain the ultraviolet absorber in the clouds of Venus
Authors: Jiang Clancy Zhijian , Rimmer Paul B. , Lozano Gabriella G. , Tosca Nicholas J. , Kufner Corinna L. , Sasselov Dimitar D. , Thompson Samantha J.
Published: January 2024

The clouds of Venus are believed to be composed of sulfuric acid (H
2
SO
4
) and minor constituents including iron-bearing compounds, and their respective concentrations vary with height in the thick Venusian atmosphere. This study experimentally investigates possible iron-bearing mineral phases that are stable under the unique conditions within Venusian clouds. Our results demonstrate that ferric iron can react with sulfuric acid to form two mineral phases: rhomboclase [(H
5
O
2
)Fe(SO
4
)
2
·3H
2
O] and acid ferric sulfate [(H
3
O)Fe(SO
4
)
2
]. A combination of these two mineral phases and dissolved Fe
3+
in varying concentrations of sulfuric acid are shown to be good candidates for explaining the 200- to 300-nm and 300- to 500-nm features of the reported unknown UV absorber. We, therefore, hypothesize a rich and largely unexplored heterogeneous chemistry in the cloud droplets of Venus that has a large effect on the optical properties of the clouds and the behavior of trace gas species throughout Venus’s atmosphere.
Room-temperature quantum coherence of entangled multiexcitons in a metal-organic framework
Authors: Yamauchi Akio , Tanaka Kentaro , Fuki Masaaki , Fujiwara Saiya , Kimizuka Nobuo , Ryu Tomohiro , Saigo Masaki , Onda Ken , Kusumoto Ryota , Ueno Nami , Sato Harumi , Kobori Yasuhiro , Miyata Kiyoshi , Yanai Nobuhiro
Published: January 2024

Singlet fission can generate an exchange-coupled quintet triplet pair state
5
TT, which could lead to the realization of quantum computing and quantum sensing using entangled multiple qubits even at room temperature. However, the observation of the quantum coherence of
5
TT has been limited to cryogenic temperatures, and the fundamental question is what kind of material design will enable its room-temperature quantum coherence. Here, we show that the quantum coherence of singlet fission–derived
5
TT in a chromophore-integrated metal-organic framework can be over hundred nanoseconds at room temperature. The suppressed motion of the chromophores in ordered domains within the metal-organic framework leads to the enough fluctuation of the exchange interaction necessary for
5
TT generation but, at the same time, does not cause severe
5
TT decoherence. Furthermore, the phase and amplitude of quantum beating depend on the molecular motion, opening the way to room-temperature molecular quantum computing based on multiple quantum gate control.
A giant stem-group chaetognath
Authors: Park Tae-Yoon S. , Nielsen Morten Lunde , Parry Luke A. , Sørensen Martin Vinther , Lee Mirinae , Kihm Ji-Hoon , Ahn Inhye , Park Changkun , de Vivo Giacinto , Smith M. Paul , Harper David A. T. , Nielsen Arne T. , Vinther Jakob
Published: January 2024

Chaetognaths, with their characteristic grasping spines, are the oldest known pelagic predators, found in the lowest Cambrian (Terreneuvian). Here, we describe a large stem chaetognath,
Timorebestia koprii
gen. et sp. nov., from the lower Cambrian Sirius Passet Lagerstätte, which exhibits lateral and caudal fins, a distinct head region with long antennae and a jaw apparatus similar to
Amiskwia sagittiformis
.
Amiskwia
has previously been interpreted as a total-group chaetognathiferan, as either a stem-chaetognath or gnathostomulid. We show that
T. koprii
shares a ventral ganglion with chaetognaths to the exclusion of other animal groups, firmly placing these fossils on the chaetognath stem. The large size (up to 30 cm) and gut contents in
T. koprii
suggest that early chaetognaths occupied a higher trophic position in pelagic food chains than today.
Computational model links normalization to chemoarchitecture in the human visual system
Authors: Aqil Marco , Knapen Tomas , Dumoulin Serge O.
Published: January 2024

A goal of cognitive neuroscience is to provide computational accounts of brain function. Canonical computations—mathematical operations used by the brain in many contexts—fulfill broad information–processing needs by varying their algorithmic parameters. A key question concerns the identification of biological substrates for these computations and their algorithms. Chemoarchitecture—the spatial distribution of neurotransmitter receptor densities—shapes brain function. Here, we propose that local variations in specific receptor densities implement algorithmic modulations of canonical computations. To test this hypothesis, we combine mathematical modeling of brain responses with chemoarchitecture data. We compare parameters of divisive normalization obtained from 7-tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging with receptor density maps obtained from positron emission tomography. We find evidence that serotonin and γ-aminobutyric acid receptor densities are the biological substrate for algorithmic modulations of divisive normalization in the human visual system. Our model links computational and biological levels of vision, explaining how canonical computations allow the brain to fulfill broad information–processing needs.
Genetic variants underlying human bisexual behavior are reproductively advantageous
Authors: Song Siliang , Zhang Jianzhi
Published: January 2024

Because human same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) is heritable and leads to fewer offspring, how SSB-associated alleles have persisted and whether they will remain in human populations are of interest. Using the UK Biobank, we address these questions separately for bisexual behavior (BSB) and exclusive SSB (eSSB) after confirming their genetic distinction. We discover that male BSB is genetically positively correlated with the number of offspring. This unexpected phenomenon is attributable to the horizontal pleiotropy of male risk-taking behavior–associated alleles because male risk-taking behavior is genetically positively correlated with both BSB and the number of offspring and because genetically controlling male risk-taking behavior abolishes the genetic correlation between male BSB and the number of offspring. By contrast, eSSB is genetically negatively correlated with the number of offspring. Our results suggest that male BSB–associated alleles are likely reproductively advantageous, which may explain their past persistence and predict their future maintenance, and that eSSB-associated alleles are likely being selected against at present.
The extracellular matrix as hallmark of cancer and metastasis: From biomechanics to therapeutic targets
Authors: Sleeboom Jelle J. F. , van Tienderen Gilles S. , Schenke-Layland Katja , van der Laan Luc J. W. , Khalil Antoine A. , Verstegen Monique M. A.
Published: January 2024

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential for cell support during homeostasis and plays a critical role in cancer. Although research often concentrates on the tumor’s cellular aspect, attention is growing for the importance of the cancer-associated ECM. Biochemical and physical ECM signals affect tumor formation, invasion, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Examining the tumor microenvironment uncovers intricate ECM dysregulation and interactions with cancer and stromal cells. Anticancer therapies targeting ECM sensors and remodelers, including integrins and matrix metalloproteinases, and ECM-remodeling cells, have seen limited success. This review explores the ECM’s role in cancer and discusses potential therapeutic strategies for cell-ECM interactions.
Preclinical characterization of macrophage-adhering gadolinium micropatches for MRI contrast after traumatic brain injury in pigs
Authors: Wang Lily Li-Wen , Gao Yongsheng , Chandran Suja Vineeth , Boucher Masen L. , Shaha Suyog , Kapate Neha , Liao Rick , Sun Tao , Kumbhojkar Ninad , Prakash Supriya , Clegg John R. , Warren Kaitlyn , Janes Morgan , Park Kyung Soo , Dunne Michael , Ilelaboye Bolu , Lu Andrew , Darko Solomina , Jaimes Camilo , Mannix Rebekah , Mitragotri Samir
Published: January 2024

The choroid plexus (ChP) of the brain plays a central role in orchestrating the recruitment of peripheral leukocytes into the central nervous system (CNS) through the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (BCSF) barrier in pathological conditions, thus offering a unique niche to diagnose CNS disorders. We explored whether magnetic resonance imaging of the ChP could be optimized for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). mTBI induces subtle, yet influential, changes in the brain and is currently severely underdiagnosed. We hypothesized that mTBI induces sufficient alterations in the ChP to cause infiltration of circulating leukocytes through the BCSF barrier and developed macrophage-adhering gadolinium [Gd(III)]–loaded anisotropic micropatches (GLAMs), specifically designed to image infiltrating immune cells. GLAMs are hydrogel-based discoidal microparticles that adhere to macrophages without phagocytosis. We present a fabrication process to prepare GLAMs at scale and demonstrate their loading with Gd(III) at high relaxivities, a key indicator of their effectiveness in enhancing image contrast and clarity in medical imaging. In vitro experiments with primary murine and porcine macrophages demonstrated that GLAMs adhere to macrophages also under shear stress and did not affect macrophage viability or functions. Studies in a porcine mTBI model confirmed that intravenously administered macrophage-adhering GLAMs provide a differential signal in the ChP and lateral ventricles at Gd(III) doses 500- to 1000-fold lower than those used in the current clinical standard Gadavist. Under the same mTBI conditions, Gadavist did not offer a differential signal at clinically used doses. Our results suggest that macrophage-adhering GLAMs could facilitate mTBI diagnosis.
Clonorchiasis and opisthorchiasis: epidemiology, transmission, clinical features, morbidity, diagnosis, treatment, and control
Authors: Qian Men-Bao , Keiser Jennifer , Utzinger Jürg , Zhou Xiao-Nong
Published: January 2024

Clonorchis sinensis
,
Opisthorchis viverrini
, and
Opisthorchis felineus
are important liver flukes that cause a considerable public health burden in eastern Asia, southeastern Asia, and eastern Europe, respectively. The life cycles are complex, involving humans, animal reservoirs, and two kinds of intermediate hosts. An interplay of biological, cultural, ecological, economic, and social factors drives transmission. Chronic infections are associated with liver and biliary complications, most importantly cholangiocarcinoma. With regard to diagnosis, stool microscopy is widely used in epidemiologic surveys and for individual diagnosis. Immunologic techniques are employed for screening purposes, and molecular techniques facilitate species differentiation in reference laboratories. The mainstay of control is preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel, usually combined with behavioral change through information, education and communication, and environmental control. Tribendimidine, a drug registered in the People’s Republic of China for soil-transmitted helminth infections, shows potential against both
C. sinensis
and
O. viverrini
and, hence, warrants further clinical development. Novel control approaches include fish vaccine and biological control. Considerable advances have been made using multi-omics which may trigger the development of new interventions. Pressing research needs include mapping the current distribution, disentangling the transmission, accurately estimating the disease burden, and developing new diagnostic and treatment tools, which would aid to optimize control and elimination measures.
Virology—the path forward
Authors: Rasmussen Angela L. , Gronvall Gigi K. , Lowen Anice C. , Goodrum Felicia , Alwine James , Andersen Kristian G. , Anthony Simon J. , Baines Joel , Banerjee Arinjay , Broadbent Andrew J. , Brooke Christopher B. , Campos Samuel K. , Caposio Patrizia , Casadevall Arturo , Chan Gary C. , Cliffe Anna R. , Collins-McMillen Donna , Connell Nancy , Damania Blossom , Daugherty Matthew D. , Debbink Kari , Dermody Terence S. , DiMaio Daniel , Duprex W. Paul , Emerman Michael , Galloway Denise A. , Garry Robert F. , Goldstein Stephen A. , Greninger Alexander L. , Hartman Amy L. , Hogue Brenda G. , Horner Stacy M. , Hotez Peter J. , Jung Jae U. , Kamil Jeremy P. , Karst Stephanie M. , Laimins Lou , Lakdawala Seema S. , Landais Igor , Letko Michael , Lindenbach Brett , Liu Shan-Lu , Luftig Micah , McFadden Grant , Mehle Andrew , Morrison Juliet , Moscona Anne , Mühlberger Elke , Munger Joshua , Münger Karl , Murphy Eain , Neufeldt Christopher J. , Nikolich Janko Z. , O'Connor Christine M. , Pekosz Andrew , Permar Sallie R. , Pfeiffer Julie K. , Popescu Saskia V. , Purdy John G. , Racaniello Vincent R. , Rice Charles M. , Runstadler Jonathan A. , Sapp Martin J. , Scott Rona S. , Smith Gregory A. , Sorrell Erin M. , Speranza Emily , Streblow Daniel , Tibbetts Scott A. , Toth Zsolt , Van Doorslaer Koenraad , Weiss Susan R. , White Elizabeth A. , White Timothy M. , Wobus Christiane E. , Worobey Michael , Yamaoka Satoko , Yurochko Andrew
Published: January 2024

In the United States (US), biosafety and biosecurity oversight of research on viruses is being reappraised. Safety in virology research is paramount and oversight frameworks should be reviewed periodically. Changes should be made with care, however, to avoid impeding science that is essential for rapidly reducing and responding to pandemic threats as well as addressing more common challenges caused by infectious diseases. Decades of research uniquely positioned the US to be able to respond to the COVID-19 crisis with astounding speed, delivering life-saving vaccines within a year of identifying the virus. We should embolden and empower this strength, which is a vital part of protecting the health, economy, and security of US citizens. Herein, we offer our perspectives on priorities for revised rules governing virology research in the US.
Sugar-binding and split domain combinations in repeats-in-toxin adhesins from
Vibrio cholerae
and
Aeromonas veronii
mediate cell-surface recognition and hemolytic activities
Authors: Sherik Mustafa , Eves Robert , Guo Shuaiqi , Lloyd Cameron J. , Klose Karl E. , Davies Peter L.
Published: January 2024

The bacterium,
Vibrio cholerae
, which causes cholera, uses an adhesion protein to stick to human cells and begin the infection process. One part of this adhesin protein binds to a particular sugar, fucose, on the surface of the target cells. This binding can lead to colonization and killing of the cells by the bacteria. Adding
l
-fucose to the bacteria before they bind to the human cells can prevent attachment and has promise as a preventative drug to protect against cholera.
Polymyxin B and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid act synergistically against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Hale Samuel J. M. , Cameron Alan J. , Lux Christian A. , Biswas Kristi , Kim Raymond , O'Carroll Mark , Harris Paul W. R. , Douglas Richard G. , Wagner Mackenzie Brett
Published: January 2024

Polymyxin B and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid are antimicrobials possessing antibiofilm activity. They act by displacement and chelation, respectively, of divalent cations in bacterial membranes and may therefore act synergistically when applied in combination. If so, this combination of agents may be useful for the treatment of diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), in which biofilms are present on the respiratory epithelium. We used checkerboard assays to investigate the synergy between these agents using reference strains
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
ATCC 27853 and
Staphylococcus aureus
ATCC 6538 in planktonic form. We then determined the efficacy of each agent against biofilms of both species grown on 96-pin lids and proceeded to combination testing against the
P. aeruginosa
reference strain and 10 clinical isolates from patients with CF. Synergism was observed for planktonic forms of both species and for biofilms of
P. aeruginosa
. The susceptibility of biofilms of
P. aeruginosa
clinical isolates to these agents was variable compared to the laboratory reference strain. This combination of agents may be useful in the management of biofilm-associated conditions, particularly those amenable to topical therapies. These results provide a basis upon which the antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy of preparations containing these agents may be enhanced.

IMPORTANCE

Bacteria living in biofilms produce a protective matrix which makes them difficult to kill. Patients with severe respiratory disease often have biofilms. Polymyxin B is an antibiotic commonly used in topical medications, such as eye drops and nasal sprays. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is used widely as a preservative in medication but also has antimicrobial properties. It has been hypothesized that Polymyxin B and EDTA could have a synergistic relationship: when used in combination their antimicrobial effect is enhanced. Here, we evaluated the levels at which Polymyxin B and EDTA work together to kill common pathogens
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Staphylococcus aureus
. We found that Polymyxin B and EDTA were synergistic. This synergy may be useful in the management of planktonic infection with
P. aeruginosa
and
S. aureus
, or biofilm infection with
P. aeruginosa
. This synergy may be beneficial in the treatment of respiratory biofilms, in which
P. aeruginosa
biofilms are common.
Microbial, proteomic, and metabolomic profiling of the estrous cycle in wild house mice
Authors: Matějková Tereza , Dodoková Alica , Kreisinger Jakub , Stopka Pavel , Stopková Romana
Published: January 2024

Symbiotic microbial communities affect the host immune system and produce molecules contributing to the odor of an individual. In many mammalian species, saliva and vaginal fluids are important sources of chemical signals that originate from bacterial metabolism and may act as honest signals of health and reproductive status. In this study, we aimed to define oral and vaginal microbiomes and their dynamics throughout the estrous cycle in wild house mice. In addition, we analyzed a subset of vaginal proteomes and metabolomes to detect potential interactions with microbiomes. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that both saliva and vagina are dominated by
Firmicutes
and
Proteobacteria
but differ at the genus level. The oral microbiome is more stable during the estrous cycle and most abundant bacteria belong to the genera
Gemella
and
Streptococcus
, while the vaginal microbiome shows higher bacterial diversity and dynamics during the reproductive cycle and is characterized by the dominance of
Muribacter
and
Rodentibacter
. These two genera cover around 50% of the bacterial community during estrus. Proteomic profiling of vaginal fluids revealed specific protein patterns associated with different estrous phases. Highly expressed proteins in estrus involve the keratinization process thus providing estrus markers (e.g., Hrnr) while some proteins are downregulated such as immune-related proteins that limit bacterial growth (Camp, Clu, Elane, Lyz2, and Ngp). The vaginal metabolome contains volatile compounds potentially involved in chemical communication, for example, ketones, aldehydes, and esters of carboxylic acids. Data integration of all three OMICs data sets revealed high correlations, thus providing evidence that microbiomes, host proteomes, and metabolomes may interact.

IMPORTANCE

Our data revealed dynamic changes in vaginal, but not salivary, microbiome composition during the reproductive cycle of wild mice. With multiple OMICs platforms, we provide evidence that changes in microbiota in the vaginal environment are accompanied by changes in the proteomic and metabolomics profiles of the host. This study describes the natural microbiota of wild mice and may contribute to a better understanding of microbiome-host immune system interactions during the hormonal and cellular changes in the female reproductive tract. Moreover, analysis of volatiles in the vaginal fluid shows particular substances that can be involved in chemical communication and reproductive behavior.
Prevalence of electronic screening for sepsis in National Health Service acute hospitals in England
Authors: Honeyford Kate , Nwosu Amen-Patrick , Lazzarino Runa , Kinderlerer Anne , Welch John , Brent Andrew J , Cooke Graham , Ghazal Peter , Patil Shashank ,   DiAlS Co-investigators, Costelloe Ceire E
Published: January 2024

Sepsis is a worldwide public health problem. Rapid identification is associated with improved patient outcomes—if followed by timely appropriate treatment.

Objectives

Describe digital sepsis alerts (DSAs) in use in English National Health Service (NHS) acute hospitals.

Methods

A Freedom of Information request surveyed acute NHS Trusts on their adoption of electronic patient records (EPRs) and DSAs.

Results

Of the 99 Trusts that responded, 84 had an EPR. Over 20 different EPR system providers were identified as operational in England. The most common providers were Cerner (21%). System C, Dedalus and Allscripts Sunrise were also relatively common (13%, 10% and 7%, respectively). 70% of NHS Trusts with an EPR responded that they had a DSA; most of these use the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2). There was evidence that the EPR provider was related to the DSA algorithm. We found no evidence that Trusts were using EPRs to introduce data driven algorithms or DSAs able to include, for example, pre-existing conditions that may be known to increase risk.

Not all Trusts were willing or able to provide details of their EPR or the underlying algorithm.

Discussion

The majority of NHS Trusts use an EPR of some kind; many use a NEWS2-based DSA in keeping with national guidelines.

Conclusion

Many English NHS Trusts use DSAs; even those using similar triggers vary and many recreate paper systems. Despite the proliferation of machine learning algorithms being developed to support early detection of sepsis, there is little evidence that these are being used to improve personalised sepsis detection.
Pilot feasibility study of a digital technology approach to the systematic electronic capture of parent-reported data on cognitive and language development in children aged 2 years
Authors: Modi Neena , Ribas Ricardo , Johnson Samantha , Lek Elizabeth , Godambe Sunit , Fukari-Irvine Edit , Ogundipe Enitan , Tusor Nora , Das Nayan , Udayakumaran Abinithya , Moss Becky , Banda Victor , Ougham Kayleigh , Cornelius Victoria , Arasu Anusha , Wardle Steve , Battersby Cheryl , Bravery Amanda
Published: January 2024

Background

The assessment of language and cognition in children at risk of impaired neurodevelopment following neonatal care is a UK standard of care but there is no national, systematic approach for obtaining these data. To overcome these challenges, we developed and evaluated a digital version of a validated parent questionnaire to assess cognitive and language development at age 2 years, the Parent Report of Children’s Abilities-Revised (PARCA-R).

Methods

We involved clinicians and parents of babies born very preterm who received care in north-west London neonatal units. We developed a digital version of the PARCA-R questionnaire using standard software. Following informed consent, parents received automated notifications and an invitation to complete the questionnaire on a mobile phone, tablet or computer when their child approached the appropriate age window. Parents could save and print a copy of the results. We evaluated ease of use, parent acceptability, consent for data sharing through integration into a research database and making results available to the clinical team.

Results

Clinical staff approached the parents of 41 infants; 38 completed the e-registration form and 30 signed the e-consent. The digital version of the PARCA-R was completed by the parents of 21 of 23 children who reached the appropriate age window. Clinicians and parents found the system easy to use. Only one parent declined permission to integrate data into the National Neonatal Research Database for approved secondary purposes.

Discussion

This electronic data collection system and associated automated processes enabled efficient systematic capture of data on language and cognitive development in high-risk children, suitable for national delivery at scale.
Comparative study of ChatGPT and human evaluators on the assessment of medical literature according to recognised reporting standards
Authors: Roberts Richard HR , Ali Stephen R , Hutchings Hayley A , Dobbs Thomas D , Whitaker Iain S
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Amid clinicians’ challenges in staying updated with medical research, artificial intelligence (AI) tools like the large language model (LLM) ChatGPT could automate appraisal of research quality, saving time and reducing bias. This study compares the proficiency of ChatGPT3 against human evaluation in scoring abstracts to determine its potential as a tool for evidence synthesis.

Methods

We compared ChatGPT’s scoring of implant dentistry abstracts with human evaluators using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials for Abstracts reporting standards checklist, yielding an overall compliance score (OCS). Bland-Altman analysis assessed agreement between human and AI-generated OCS percentages. Additional error analysis included mean difference of OCS subscores, Welch’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Results

Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean difference of 4.92% (95% CI 0.62%, 0.37%) in OCS between human evaluation and ChatGPT. Error analysis displayed small mean differences in most domains, with the highest in ‘conclusion’ (0.764 (95% CI 0.186, 0.280)) and the lowest in ‘blinding’ (0.034 (95% CI 0.818, 0.895)). The strongest correlations between were in ‘harms’ (r=0.32, p<0.001) and ‘trial registration’ (r=0.34, p=0.002), whereas the weakest were in ‘intervention’ (r=0.02, p<0.001) and ‘objective’ (r=0.06, p<0.001).

Conclusion

LLMs like ChatGPT can help automate appraisal of medical literature, aiding in the identification of accurately reported research. Possible applications of ChatGPT include integration within medical databases for abstract evaluation. Current limitations include the token limit, restricting its usage to abstracts. As AI technology advances, future versions like GPT4 could offer more reliable, comprehensive evaluations, enhancing the identification of high-quality research and potentially improving patient outcomes.
Untapped Location Discovery on Social Media by Combining Geospatial Clustering with Natural Language Processing
Authors: Mehta Siddharth , Jain Gautam , Mala Shuchi
Published: January 2024

This methodology combines geospatial clustering and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to create a framework for discovering unexplored geotags in social media. The framework contains the collection of data from social media platforms, the preprocessing of data with Pandas, Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) and SpaCy libraries for the NLP analysis as well as for sentiment analysis and named entity recognition, followed by spatial clustering with Density-based Space Clustering of Noise Applications (DBSCAN), K-Means and HDBSCAN algorithms, then visualising with Matplotlib and Folium libraries. The data analysis and statistics were done using Pandas and NumPy libraries, and exploration through the selection and collection of more data based on the previous step. In addition, a prediction model has been developed to predict a location cluster using its name by comparing it to the preprocessed comma-separated values data file. Currently, there are certain locations like small-scale hospitals or unknown tourist places which are not currently tagged on available maps applications. This framework can be useful for researchers and policy makers to identify those locations and gain insights from social media data and find its potential for decision-making in various fields.
Are VaR models effective in capturing downside risk in alternative investment funds? Insights from a cross-country study
Authors: Panda Amrit , Deb Soumya Guha
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we analyze the downside risk of alternative investment funds (AIFs) in a cross-country setting over a period of 2015–2021, using popular Value-at-Risk (VaR henceforth) models, and test the efficacy of such models in capturing the volatility posed by these funds. We estimate VaR in the presence of three error distributions, including normal distribution, Student’s t distribution, and GED distribution. Using weekly return data of 991 AIFs from 28 countries, over the period 2015–2021, we find that most of the funds, irrespective of country representation, exhibited a significant proportion of their weekly returns to be negative. To statistically validate our findings we use three backtesting approaches, i.e., Jorion’s failure rate, Kupiec’s proportion of failure (POF) tests and Christoffersen’s independence test. Our findings indicate the presence of significant downside risk for AIFs, which these popular VaR models are unable to capture. These findings highlight the need for investors and fund managers to be cautious when relying solely on popular VaR models to manage downside risk in AIF and suggest that further research is needed to develop more effective risk management strategies for AIF, particularly in light of their complex structure and asymmetric return distributions.
The Jurassic ophiolitic mélanges in Serbia: a review and new insights
Authors: Djerić Nevenka , Gawlick Hans-Jürgen , Sudar Milan
Published: January 2024

In Serbia ophiolitic mélanges widely occur below ophiolites. These ophiolites are interpreted to derive from different oceanic domains and are therefore attributed to different tectonic units. We revisited all existing data on matrix ages and blocks in the mélanges, studied the relict sedimentological features and dated new sections and blocks from various ophiolitic mélanges. On the basis of these results we can distinguish three types of ophiolitic mélanges: (1) intra-oceanic ophiolitic mélanges (OM1); (2) ophiolitic mélanges formed during ophiolite obduction with continental blocks (OM2); (3) ophiolitic mélanges with fluviatile transported sedimentary rocks or tectonically incorporated much younger blocks at the base (OM3). These three types of ophiolitic mélanges resemble the polyphase history of shortening and ophiolite emplacement on the wider Adria plate of Serbia. All ophiolitic mélanges contain the same Triassic component spectrum of oceanic sedimentary cover rocks and have similar matrix ages. It can be concluded that all of the ophiolites and ophiolitic mélanges derive from the same Triassic–Jurassic oceanic domain, the Neotethys Ocean, the western part of which obducted during Middle–Late Jurassic time on wider Adria.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Ophiolites, melanges and blueschists collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/ophiolites-melanges-and-blueschists
NSDIE: Noise Suppressing Dark Image Enhancement Using Multiscale Retinex and Low-Rank Minimization
Authors: Jha Manvi , Bhandari Ashish Kumar
Published: January 2024

It is inevitable for dark images to have crucial information obscured by low-light conditions, which are worsened by the presence of noise in these images. This work introduces a groundbreaking solution, Noise-Suppressing Dark Image Enhancement for Web Apps (NSDIE), to address the challenging task of enhancing low-light images marred by noise. The proposed work utilizes a low-rank model with simultaneous enhancement of reflectance and illumination components to improve the nighttime scenes while also eradicating the present noise of the image. The reflectance component is further processed using a multiscale retinex model to compensate for the possible color distortions while the illumination component is enhanced using the camera response model to ensure the genuineness of the scene. The proposed work is also tested for a standalone application and is presented to the user through a web portal to aid the concerns of dark image enhancement in the daily life of the user. Rigorous quantitative and qualitative analyses assert NSDIE's superiority over existing techniques, establishing its pivotal role in addressing the critical concern of dark image enhancement.
Bayesian Graph Local Extrema Convolution with Long-tail Strategy for Misinformation Detection
Authors: Zhang Guixian , Zhang Shichao , Yuan Guan
Published: January 2024

It has become a cardinal task to identify fake information (misinformation) on social media, because it has significantly harmed the government and the public. There are many spam bots maliciously retweeting misinformation. This study proposes an efficient model for detecting misinformation with self-supervised contrastive learning. A
B
ayesian graph
L
ocal extrema
C
onvolution (BLC) is first proposed to aggregate node features in the graph structure. The BLC approach considers unreliable relationships and uncertainties in the propagation structure, and the differences between nodes and neighboring nodes are emphasized in the attributes. Then, a new long-tail strategy for matching long-tail users with the global social network is advocated to avoid over-concentration on high-degree nodes in graph neural networks. Finally, the proposed model is experimentally evaluated with two public Twitter datasets and demonstrates that the proposed long-tail strategy significantly improves the effectiveness of existing graph-based methods in terms of detecting misinformation. The robustness of BLC has also been examined on three graph datasets and demonstrates that it consistently outperforms traditional algorithms when perturbed by 15% of a dataset.
Enhancing Heterogeneous Knowledge Graph Completion with a Novel GAT-based Approach
Authors: Wei Wanxu , Song Yitong , Yao Bin
Published: January 2024

Knowledge graphs (KGs) play a vital role in enhancing search results and recommendation systems. With the rapid increase in the size of KGs, they are becoming inaccurate and incomplete. This problem can be solved by the KG completion methods, of which graph attention network (GAT)-based methods stand out because of their superior performance. However, existing GAT-based KG completion methods often suffer from overfitting issues when dealing with heterogeneous KGs, primarily due to the unbalanced number of samples. Additionally, these methods demonstrate poor performance in predicting the tail (head) entity that shares the same relation and head (tail) entity with others. To solve these problems, we propose GATH, a novel

GAT

-based method designed for

H

eterogeneous KGs. GATH incorporates two separate attention network modules that work synergistically to predict the missing entities. We also introduce novel encoding and feature transformation approaches, enabling the robust performance of GATH in scenarios with imbalanced samples. Comprehensive experiments are conducted to evaluate GATH’s performance. Compared with the existing state-of-the-art GAT-based model on Hits@10 and MRR metrics, our model improves performance by 5.2% and 5.2% on the FB15K-237 dataset and by 4.5% and 14.6% on the WN18RR dataset, respectively.
Sulfur-Doped Fe-N-C Cathode in Electro-Fenton System to Produce Hydrogen Peroxide and Degrade Azithromycin
Authors: Huang Wenxuan , Tehmeh Alphonso , Wang Dong , Ma Hongchao , Wang Guowen
Published: January 2024

Electro-Fenton is a promising process for pollutant removal. The production rate of H2O2 electrosynthesis and the accumulation concentration are crucial, but the performance of existing electrocatalysts is insufficient to achieve industry and academia application wishes. Doping electronegative elements into the metallic nitrogen is expected to produce more H2O2 and achieved higher selectivity. Herein, we rationally designed a ZIF-8 derived Fe-N/S-C catalyst with an electronegative Sulfur which exhibited excellent 2e− pathway oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity under alkaline conditions and efficiently degraded azithromycin (AZI). We demonstrate ZIF-8 derived pores in the specific-designed Fe-N/S-C structure significantly increase the accessible ORR active site, and the combination of Fe and S-doping in this catalyst creates the optimal three-phase interface pathways for oxygen transport. The results showed that the Fe-N/S-C-3 exhibited excellent H2O2 selectivity (76%) by changing its electronic structure, with 96% removal of AZI at alkaline conditions (pH = 13) within 210 min. Also, a comprehensive analysis of the key factors affecting H2O2 electrosynthesis is presented, considering aspects related to reactions, catalysts, electrodes, and devices. The spin density and coordinated charge redistribution occurred after S-doping has been demonstrated to be significant and practical for developing electro-Fenton technique to remove bio-refractory contaminants.
New Local Fractional Mohand–Adomian Decomposition Method for Solving Nonlinear Fractional Burger’s Type Equation
Authors: Haq Ihtisham Ul , Akgül Ali , Ullah Zahid
Published: January 2024

In this article, we address the challenge of solving the nonlinear fractional Burger’s KdV equation, time-fractional Burger’s equation, and the fractional modified Burger’s equation. This is achieved by employing the Caputo and conformable derivatives. To tackle these equations, we introduce a new numerical method which is the combination of the local fractional Mohand transform and the Adomian decomposition method. This choice is driven by its straightforward methodology and reduced computational complexity. Moreover, to demonstrate the versatility of this technique, we provide several illustrative examples along with their corresponding exact or approximate solutions. These solutions are accompanied by graphical representations, further enhancing the clarity of the presented approach.
Bat‐Associated Pathogenic Leptospira spp. from Forest Fragments in Southwestern Brazilian Amazonia
Authors: Verde Rair S. , Di Azevedo Maria Isabel Nogueira , Dias Daniela , Tavares de Freitas Tatiana Pádua , Carvalho-Costa Filipe Anibal , Bonvicino Cibele , Lilenbaum Walter , D’Andrea Paulo Sérgio , Medeiros Luciana S.
Published: January 2024

Bats are known as potential carriers of different pathogens; these animals have been identified worldwide as an important reservoir of different species of Leptospira. Therefore, there has been an increasing interest in studying leptospirosis in neotropical bats in the Amazon. This region is a fertile ground for zoonotic diseases, given the intense process of deforestation, urbanization, opening of new agricultural frontiers, predatory hunting, effects of climate change, and loss of biodiversity. Based on this, the aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency of infection associated with the genetic characterization of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in bats inhabiting diverse landscapes in the southwestern region of the Amazon. To conduct the study, mist nets were installed to capture bats. Kidney samples were submitted to LipL32‐polymerase chain reaction and secY gene sequencing. Our results showed that 21% of neotropical evaluated bats in Southwestern Amazon were infected with Leptospira spp. Positive animals were found in rural, urban, periurban, and control areas. Sanguinivores had the highest frequency of positives, followed by insectivores and frugivorous bats. The species of L. interrogans and a potential new Leptospira species were identified. The frequency of Leptospira in bats was not influenced by landscape type, suggesting these pathogens may not be affected by landscape changes. The findings suggest that bats may serve as potential reservoirs of Leptospira in diverse landscapes. The presence of Leptospira in bats appears to be independent of the type of land use, implying that these pathogens may not be affected by small‐scale changes in the environment.
Feature-Weighted Naive Bayesian Classifier for Wireless Network Intrusion Detection
Authors: Wu Hongjiao
Published: January 2024

Objective. Wireless sensor networks, crucial for various applications, face growing security challenges due to the escalating complexity and diversity of attack behaviours. This paper presents an advanced intrusion detection algorithm, leveraging feature-weighted Naive Bayes (NB), to enhance network attack detection accuracy. Methodology. Initially, a feature weighting algorithm is introduced to assign context-based weights to different feature terms. Subsequently, the NB algorithm is enhanced by incorporating Jensen–Shannon (JS) divergence, feature weighting, and inverse category frequency (ICF). Eventually, the improved NB algorithm is integrated into the intrusion detection model, and network event classification results are derived through a series of data processing steps applied to corresponding network traffic data. Results. The effectiveness of the proposed intrusion detection algorithm is evaluated through a comprehensive comparative analysis using the NSL-KDD dataset. Results demonstrate a significant enhancement in the detection accuracy of various attack types, including normal, denial of service (DoS), probe, remote-to-local (R2L), and user-to-root (U2R). Moreover, the proposed algorithm exhibits a lower false alarm rate compared to other algorithms. Conclusion. This paper introduces a wireless network intrusion algorithm that not only ensures improved detection accuracy and rate but also reduces the incidence of false detections. Addressing the evolving threat landscape faced by wireless sensor networks, this contribution represents a valuable advancement in intrusion detection technology.
Table S1 from Brentuximab Vedotin–Driven Microtubule Disruption Results in Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Leading to Immunogenic Cell Death and Antitumor Immunity
Authors: Heiser Ryan A. , Cao Anthony T. , Zeng Weiping , Ulrich Michelle , Younan Patrick , Anderson Martha E. , Trueblood Esther S. , Jonas Mechthild , Thurman Robert , Law Che-Leung , Gardai Shyra J.
Published: January 2024

Supplementary Table S1. List of antibodies