bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetic levitation-based miniaturized technologies for advanced diagnostics
Authors: Karakuzu Betul , Anil İnevi Muge , Tarim E. Alperay , Sarigil Oyku , Guzelgulgen Meltem , Kecili Seren , Cesmeli Selin , Koc Sadik , Baslar M. Semih , Oksel Karakus Ceyda , Ozcivici Engin , Tekin H. Cumhur
Published: July 2024

Taking advantage of the magnetic gradients created using magnetic attraction and repulsion in miniaturized systems, magnetic levitation (MagLev) technology offers a unique capability to levitate, orient and spatially manipulate objects, including biological samples. MagLev systems that depend on the inherent diamagnetic properties of biological samples provide a rapid and label-free operation that can levitate objects based on their density. Density-based cellular and protein analysis based on levitation profiles holds important potential for medical diagnostics, as growing evidence categorizes density as an important variable to distinguish between healthy and disease states. The parallel processing capabilities of MagLev-based diagnostic systems and their integration with automated tools accelerates the collection of biological data. They also offer notable advantages over current diagnostic techniques that require costly and labor-intensive protocols, which may not be accessible in a low-resource setting. MagLev-based diagnostic systems are user-friendly, portable, and affordable, making remote and label-free applications possible. This review describes the recent progress in the application of MagLev principles to existing problems in the field of diagnostics and how they help discover the molecular- and cellular-level changes that accompany the disease or condition of interest. The critical parameters associated with MagLev-based diagnostic systems such as magnetic medium, magnets, sample holders, and imaging systems are discussed. The challenges and barriers that currently limit the clinical implications of MagLev-based diagnostic systems are outlined together with the potential solutions and future directions including the development of compact microfluidic systems and hybrid systems by leveraging the power of deep learning and artificial intelligence.
Neural Networks and the Nonlinear Feynman–Kac Theorem Applied to Financial Options Pricing
Authors: Moreno T. John F. , Zapata Carlos , Aragon Daniel
Published: July 2024

The classic financial market model proposed by Black and Scholes allows solving, under a series of simplifying assumptions, the problem of valuing financial derivatives. However, these assumptions deviate from the reality of global markets, particularly assuming perfect liquidity. In this work, a financial market model is proposed in which the illiquidity of the risky asset is stochastic, described by a mean-reversion process. The dynamics of the asset price in this context are established alongside the valuation PDE for derivatives. Additionally, as an approximation method to the solution of this PDE, the implementation of the extension of the Feynman–Kac representation theorem to the nonlinear case using deep neural networks is proposed.
A Game-Based Cognitive Intervention for Young Learners with Reading Difficulties
Authors: Yeratziotis Alexandros , Fotiadis Thomas , Achilleos Achilleas , Savvides Savvas , Mettouris Christos , Christoforou Christoforos , Arailoudi Anna , Mytides Andriana , Papadopoulos George A. , Papadopoulos Timothy C.
Published: July 2024

The study’s primary contribution is a game-based cognitive intervention tool for young learners with reading difficulties. The second contribution is the game designer's guide tool, which provides a set of recommended design guidelines for designers, developers and researchers that create games for children. The tools were designed and developed in the ReaDi-STANCE project and are accessible on the project’s platform (ReaDi-STANCE platform home page: https://www.cs.ucy.ac.cy/projects/readistance/). The platform has the following main modules integrated: a management support module, an algorithm module to rotate in a predefined order the games the child end-user plays, a prompting stages module to support the child end-user during gameplay, and a data analytics module that researchers can use. Two different groups of experts conducted two evaluations to evaluate: (1) a corpus of game design themes and guidelines for children, extracted from the respective literature, to develop the game designer's guide tool and (2) the extent of application of the design above guidelines in the game-based cognitive intervention tool. We present the intervention impact results and discuss their effect on improving reading skills in poor readers.
Genome-wide analysis of the family 10 plant pathogenesis-related proteins in Pyrus bretschneideri and functional analysis of PbrMLP for Colletotrichum fructicola resistance
Authors: Su Zhiyuan , Han Chenyang , Qiao Qinghai , Li Chaohui , Dong Huizhen , Wang Xin , Qi Kaijie , Xie Zhihua , Huang Xiaosan , Zhang Shaoling
Published: June 2024

Pathogenesis-related (PR) genes are key regulators of plant adaptation responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Family 10 PRs (PR10s, also known as major latex proteins) are usually induced by pathogens and environmental stresses. However, the evolutionary trajectory and functional divergence of the PR10 gene family in Chinese white pear (Pyrus bretschneideri ‘Dangshan Suli’) remain uncharacterized. The presence of 61 PR10s was detected across six Rosaceae species. The PR10 gene family was classified into two distinct groups by employing phylogenetic analysis and the taxonomic criteria of model plants. Interspecies synchrony revealed an ancient origin of the PR10 family in the six Rosaceae species, with 18 synchronic gene pairs. The expansion and evolution of the PR10 family were driven by various types of gene duplication events, with whole-genome duplication (WGD) being the primary mechanism. A candidate Colletotrichum fructicola (C. fructicola) resistance gene Pyrusbretschneiderimajor latex-like proteins (PbrMLP) belonging to the PR10 family was screened through transcriptomics and qRT-PCR. In addition, PbrMLP-silenced pear seedlings were more sensitive to C. fructicola than the controls. These results showed that PbrMLP is a candidate gene vital for anthracnose resistance in pears. These findings offer novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the resistance to pear anthracnose infection in Rosaceae species and identify potential target genes for developing disease-resistant cultivars through genetic engineering.
Venetoclax resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia is characterized by increased mitochondrial activity and can be overcome by co-targeting oxidative phosphorylation
Authors: Enzenmüller Stefanie , Niedermayer Alexandra , Seyfried Felix , Muench Vera , Tews Daniel , Rupp Ulrich , Tausch Eugen , Groß Alexander , Fischer-Posovszky Pamela , Walther Paul , Stilgenbauer Stephan , Kestler Hans A. , Debatin Klaus-Michael , Meyer Lüder Hinrich
Published: July 2024

Deregulated apoptosis signaling is characteristic for many cancers and contributes to leukemogenesis and treatment failure in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). Apoptosis is controlled by different pro- and anti-apoptotic molecules. Inhibition of anti-apoptotic molecules like B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) has been developed as therapeutic strategy. Venetoclax (VEN), a selective BCL-2 inhibitor has shown clinical activity in different lymphoid malignancies and is currently evaluated in first clinical trials in BCP-ALL. However, insensitivity to VEN has been described constituting a major clinical concern. Here, we addressed and modeled VEN-resistance in BCP-ALL, investigated the underlying mechanisms in cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) samples and identified potential strategies to overcome VEN-insensitivity. Leukemia lines with VEN-specific resistance were generated in vitro and further characterized using RNA-seq analysis. Interestingly, gene sets annotated to the citric/tricarboxylic acid cycle and the respiratory electron transport chain were significantly enriched and upregulated, indicating increased mitochondrial metabolism in VEN-resistant ALL. Metabolic profiling showed sustained high mitochondrial metabolism in VEN-resistant lines as compared to control lines. Accordingly, primary PDX-ALL samples with intrinsic VEN-insensitivity showed higher oxygen consumption and ATP production rates, further highlighting that increased mitochondrial activity is a characteristic feature of VEN-resistant ALL. VEN-resistant PDX-ALL showed significant higher mitochondrial DNA content and differed in mitochondria morphology with significantly larger and elongated structures, further corroborating our finding of augmented mitochondrial metabolism upon VEN-resistance. Using Oligomycin, an inhibitor of the complex V/ATPase subunit, we found synergistic activity and apoptosis induction in VEN-resistant BCP-ALL cell lines and PDX samples, demonstrating that acquired and intrinsic VEN-insensitivity can be overcome by co-targeting BCL-2 and the OxPhos pathway. These findings of reprogrammed, high mitochondrial metabolism in VEN-resistance and synergistic activity upon co-targeting BCL-2 and oxidative phosphorylation strongly suggest further preclinical and potential clinical evaluation in VEN-resistant BCP-ALL.
The emerging role of nuclear receptor coactivator 4 in health and disease: a novel bridge between iron metabolism and immunity
Authors: Le Yue , Liu Qinjie , Yang Yi , Wu Jie
Published: July 2024

Nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) has recently been recognized as a selective cargo receptor of ferritinophagy participating in ferroptosis. However, NCOA4 is also a coactivator that modulates the transcriptional activity of many vital nuclear receptors. Recent novel studies have documented the role of NCOA4 in healthy and pathogenic conditions via its modulation of iron- and non-iron-dependent metabolic pathways. NCOA4 exhibits non-ferritinophagic and iron-independent features such as promoting tumorigenesis and erythropoiesis, immunomodulation, regulating autophagy, and participating in DNA replication and mitosis. Full-length human-NCOA4 is composed of 614 amino acids, of which the N-terminal (1–237) contains nuclear-receptor-binding domains, while the C-terminal (238–614) principally contains a ferritin-binding domain. The exploration of the protein structure of NCOA4 suggests that NCOA4 possesses additional significant and complex functions based on its structural domains. Intriguingly, another three isoforms of NCOA4 that are produced by alternative splicing have been identified, which may also display disparate activities in physiological and pathological processes. Thus, NCOA4 has become an important bridge that encompasses interactions between immunity and metabolism. In this review, we outline the latest advances in the important regulating mechanisms underlying NCOA4 actions in health and disease conditions, providing insights into potential therapeutic interventions.
Acceleration-induced spectral beats in strongly driven harmonic oscillators
Authors: Kuznetsov A. S. , Biermann K. , Santos P. V.
Published: July 2024

The harmonic modulation of coherent systems gives rise to a wealth of physical phenomena, e.g., the AC-Stark effect and Mollow triplets, with important implications for coherent control and frequency conversion. Here, we demonstrate a novel regime of temporal coherence in oscillators harmonically driven at extreme energy modulation amplitudes relative to the modulation quantum. The studies were carried out by modulating a confined exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) by an acoustic wave. Features of the new regime are the appearance, in the spectral domain, of a comb of resonances termed acceleration beats with energy spacing tunable by the modulation amplitude and, in the time domain, of temporal correlations at time scales much shorter than the acoustic period, which also depend on the modulation amplitude. These features are quantitatively accounted for by a theoretical framework, which associates the beats with accelerated energy-change rates during the harmonic cycle. These observations are underpinned by the high sensitivity of the BEC energy to the acoustic driving, which simultaneously preserves the BEC’s temporal coherence. The acceleration beats are a general feature associated with accelerated energy changes: analogous features are thus also expected to appear under highly accelerated motion e.g., in connection with Cherenkov and Hawking radiation.
Molecular insights into Sertoli cell function: how do metabolic disorders in childhood and adolescence affect spermatogonial fate?
Authors: Cannarella Rossella , Curto Roberto , Condorelli Rosita A. , Lundy Scott D. , La Vignera Sandro , Calogero Aldo E.
Published: July 2024

Male infertility is a major public health concern globally with unknown etiology in approximately half of cases. The decline in total sperm count over the past four decades and the parallel increase in childhood obesity may suggest an association between these two conditions. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms through which obesity during childhood and adolescence may impair future testicular function. Several mechanisms occurring in obesity can interfere with the delicate metabolic processes taking place at the testicular level during childhood and adolescence, providing the molecular substrate to hypothesize a causal relationship between childhood obesity and the risk of low sperm counts in adulthood.
Multi-omic characterization of allele-specific regulatory variation in hybrid pigs
Authors: Quan Jianping , Yang Ming , Wang Xingwang , Cai Gengyuan , Ding Rongrong , Zhuang Zhanwei , Zhou Shenping , Tan Suxu , Ruan Donglin , Wu Jiajin , Zheng Enqin , Zhang Zebin , Liu Langqing , Meng Fanming , Wu Jie , Xu Cineng , Qiu Yibin , Wang Shiyuan , Lin Meng , Li Shaoyun , Ye Yong , Zhou Fuchen , Lin Danyang , Li Xuehua , Deng Shaoxiong , Zhang Yuling , Yao Zekai , Gao Xin , Yang Yingshan , Liu Yiyi , Zhan Yuexin , Liu Zhihong , Zhang Jiaming , Ma Fucai , Yang Jifei , Chen Qiaoer , Yang Jisheng , Ye Jian , Dong Linsong , Gu Ting , Huang Sixiu , Xu Zheng , Li Zicong , Yang Jie , Huang Wen , Wu Zhenfang
Published: July 2024

Hybrid mapping is a powerful approach to efficiently identify and characterize genes regulated through mechanisms in cis. In this study, using reciprocal crosses of the phenotypically divergent Duroc and Lulai pig breeds, we perform a comprehensive multi-omic characterization of regulatory variation across the brain, liver, muscle, and placenta through four developmental stages. We produce one of the largest multi-omic datasets in pigs to date, including 16 whole genome sequenced individuals, as well as 48 whole genome bisulfite sequencing, 168 ATAC-Seq and 168 RNA-Seq samples. We develop a read count-based method to reliably assess allele-specific methylation, chromatin accessibility, and RNA expression. We show that tissue specificity was much stronger than developmental stage specificity in all of DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, and gene expression. We identify 573 genes showing allele specific expression, including those influenced by parent-of-origin as well as allele genotype effects. We integrate methylation, chromatin accessibility, and gene expression data to show that allele specific expression can be explained in great part by allele specific methylation and/or chromatin accessibility. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of regulatory variation across multiple tissues and developmental stages in pigs.
Liquid-liquid reactions performed by cellular reactors
Authors: Cao Jinzhe , Tao Shengyang
Published: July 2024

Liquid-liquid reactions play a significant role in organic synthesis. However, control of the phase interface between incompatible two-phase liquids remains challenging. Moreover, separating liquid acid, base and oxidants from the reactor takes a long time and high cost. To address these issues, we draw inspiration from the structure and function of cells in living organisms and develop a biomimetic 3D-printed cellular reactor. The cellular reactor houses an aqueous phase containing the catalyst or oxidant while immersed in the organic phase reactant. This setup controls the distribution of the phase interface within the organic phase and increases the interface area by 2.3 times. Notably, the cellular reactor and the aqueous phase are removed from the organic phase upon completing the reaction, eliminating additional separation steps and preventing direct contact between the reactor and acidic, alkaline, or oxidizing substances. Furthermore, the cellular reactor offers the advantages of digital design feasibility and cost-effective manufacturing.
Metaproteomics-informed stoichiometric modeling reveals the responses of wetland microbial communities to oxygen and sulfate exposure
Authors: Wang Dongyu , Candry Pieter , Hunt Kristopher A. , Flinkstrom Zachary , Shi Zheng , Liu Yunlong , Wofford Neil Q. , McInerney Michael J. , Tanner Ralph S. , De Leόn Kara B. , Zhou Jizhong , Winkler Mari-Karoliina H. , Stahl David A. , Pan Chongle
Published: July 2024

Climate changes significantly impact greenhouse gas emissions from wetland soil. Specifically, wetland soil may be exposed to oxygen (O2) during droughts, or to sulfate (SO42-) as a result of sea level rise. How these stressors – separately and together – impact microbial food webs driving carbon cycling in the wetlands is still not understood. To investigate this, we integrated geochemical analysis, proteogenomics, and stoichiometric modeling to characterize the impact of elevated SO42- and O2 levels on microbial methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The results uncovered the adaptive responses of this community to changes in SO42- and O2 availability and identified altered microbial guilds and metabolic processes driving CH4 and CO2 emissions. Elevated SO42- reduced CH4 emissions, with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis more suppressed than acetoclastic. Elevated O2 shifted the greenhouse gas emissions from CH4 to CO2. The metabolic effects of combined SO42- and O2 exposures on CH4 and CO2 emissions were similar to those of O2 exposure alone. The reduction in CH4 emission by increased SO42- and O2 was much greater than the concomitant increase in CO2 emission. Thus, greater SO42- and O2 exposure in wetlands is expected to reduce the aggregate warming effect of CH4 and CO2. Metaproteomics and stoichiometric modeling revealed a unique subnetwork involving carbon metabolism that converts lactate and SO42- to produce acetate, H2S, and CO2 when SO42- is elevated under oxic conditions. This study provides greater quantitative resolution of key metabolic processes necessary for the prediction of CH4 and CO2 emissions from wetlands under future climate scenarios.
Photoredox-catalyzed three-component carbotrifluoromethylation of alkenes via radical–radical cross-coupling
Authors: Tang Lin , Lv Ge , Wu Taijun , Zhang Lufang , Wang Xiaoyu , Jia Fengjuan , Zhou Qiuju , Zou Guodong
Published: July 2024

A simple and practical visible light-driven photoredox-catalyzed three-component carbotrifluoromethylation of alkenes is revealed for the synthesis of 1,4-bis(trifluoromethylated) compounds.
Recent progress in asymmetric rearrangement reactions mediated by chiral Brønsted acids
Authors: Liu Xi-Liang , Gong Mei-Ling , Yang Xiaodi , Tian Ping , Li Qing-Hua
Published: July 2024

This review presents an overview of recent developments and trends in chiral Brønsted acid mediated rearrangement reactions. Different mechanisms and activation modes are summarized to illustrate the regio- and stereo-selectivity in the reactions.
Correlating active sites and oxidative species in single-atom catalyzed Fenton-like reactions
Authors: Miao Jie , Jiang Yunyao , Wang Xixi , Li Xue , Zhu Yuan , Shao Zongping , Long Mingce
Published: July 2024

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have gained great interesting in heterogeneous Fenton-like reactions, and modulation of their chemical and structural properties can produce desirable oxidative species for selective removal of organic contamination.
A new network model for multiple object detection for autonomous vehicle detection in mining environment
Authors: Hanif Muhammad Wahab , Yu Zhenhua , Bashir Rehmat , Li Zhanli , Farooq Sardar Annes , Sana Muhammad Usman
Published: June 2024

Considering the challenges of low multi‐object detection accuracy and difficulty in identifying small targets caused by challenging environmental conditions including irregular lighting patterns and ambient noise levels in the mining environment with autonomous electric locomotives. A new network model based on SOD−YOLOv5s−4L has been proposed to detect multi‐objects for autonomous electric locomotives in underground coal mines. Improvements have been applied in YOLOv5s to construct the SOD−YOLOv5s−4L model, by introducing the SIoU loss function to address the mismatch between real and predicted bounding box directions, facilitating the model to learn target position information more efficiently. This research introduces a decoupled head to enhance feature fusion and improve the positioning precision of the network model, enabling rapid capture of multi‐scale target features. Furthermore, the detection capability of the model has been increased by introducing the small target detection layer which is developed by increasing the number of detection layers from three to four. The experimental results on multiple object detection dataset show that the proposed model achieves significant improvement in mean average precision (mAP) of almost 98% for various types of targets and an average precision (AP) of nearly 99% for small targets on the other hand it achieves 5.19% (mAP) and 9.79% (AP) compared to the YOLOv5s model. Furthermore, comparative analysis with other models like YOLOv7 and YOLOv8 shows that the proposed model has superior performance in terms of object detection.
Analysis of a Nailed Soil Slope Using Limit Equilibrium and Finite Element Methods – A Review
Authors: Mohd Pauzi Nur Irfah , Mat Radhi Mohd Shahril , Kel Win Thang
Published: July 2024

Reviewing the two most used techniques for slope stability analysis is the goal of this research. The analysis derived from PLAXIS 2D (finite element based) and SLOPE/W (limit equilibrium based). Two 45degree and 60-degree slope angles that are strengthened with nails at three different inclinations—0, 15, and 30—are used for the analysis. All nail inclinations and slope angles are measured from the horizontal. A comparative analysis of stability metrics, including critical slip surfaces, nail forces, and factor of safety, has been conducted. It is discovered that the limit equilibrium approach produces greater values of the factor of safety when compared to the finite element method. There are notable differences between the failure surfaces obtained from the two methods.Large nail forces are seen using the LEM approach for 45 slopes with all nail inclinations, however the FEM method indicates an increase in the nail forces for 60 slope angles. In conclusions, both FEM and LEM methods have advantages and disadvantages. These two methods give the precise results if both methods are combined. The analysis using the LEM to compute the factor of safety are further enhanced with the Finite Element using PLAXIS 3D to compute the stress strain displacement of the soil with added soil nailing or structure member such as retaining wall.
Fatigue life prediction of the nitrided steel by multiaxial high cycle fatigue criteria
Authors: Bechouel Rafik , Ghanem Abdelkarim , Terres Mohamed Ali
Published: July 2024

The present study aims to predict the fatigue strength of ion-nitrided 42CrMo4 steel, using multiaxial high cycle fatigue (HCF) criteria and considering the effects of stabilized residual stresses and surface hardening. The predicted fatigue strength was compared to experimental data obtained after three-points bending fatigue tests at two stress ratios (0.1 and 0.5) and for notched (Kt = 1.6) nitrided and untreated specimens. A 3D finite element (FE) model of a three-point bending fatigue test was developed under ABAQUS software in order to determine the actual applied cyclic stress state at the notch. The results show that ion-nitriding treatment led to 32% improvement in the fatigue strength at 106 cycles compared to the untreated material. This improvement is explained by the advantageous effect of ion-nitriding treatment in terms of compressive residual stresses and surface layer hardening. Both stabilized residual stress state and hardening effects were successfully implemented into various multi-axial HCF criteria, including Sines, Crossland, Dang Van and Matake criteria. A sensitivity analysis has shown that Crossland criterion has permitted to predict the fatigue limits in accordance with the experimental results.
Packing 4-Partite Tree into Complete 4-Partite Graph
Authors: PENG Yanling
Published: July 2024

For graphs G and H, an embedding of G into H is an injection [see formula in PDF] such that [see formula in PDF] whenever [see formula in PDF]. A packing of p graphs [see formula in PDF] into [see formula in PDF]is a p-tuple [see formula in PDF] such that, for [see formula in PDF], [see formula in PDF] is an embedding of [see formula in PDF] into H and the p sets [see formula in PDF] are mutually disjoint. Motivated by the "Tree Packing Conjecture" made by Gy[see formula in PDF]rf[see formula in PDF]s and Lehel, Wang Hong conjectured that for each k-partite tree, there is a packing of two copies of [see formula in PDF] into a complete k-partite graph [see formula in PDF], where [see formula in PDF]. In this paper, we confirm this conjecture for [see formula in PDF].
One-Pot Assembly of Octasaccharide Motif from Cranberry Arabinoxyloglucan Oligosaccharides
Authors: Xiao Guozhi , Wan Jie
Published: June 2024

Chemical synthesis of octasaccharide motif from cranberry arabinoxyloglucan oligosaccharides with antiadhesion activities has been achieved for the first time. Synthetic approach highlights the following features: 1) stereoselective constructions of 1,2-cis-Xyl bonds via the combination of reagent modulation and remote participation; 2) modular [1+3+1+3] orthogonal one-pot assembly of the target octasaccharide on the basis of glycosyl ortho-(1-phenylvinyl)benzoate, which avoids the issues such as aglycone transfer associated with one-pot glycosylation based on thioglycosides.
Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Heterocyclic Scaffolds
Authors: Agarwal Alka , Kumar Sanjeev , Maurya Anand
Published: July 2024

In recent years, there has been a notable surge in the utilization of microwave energy, leading to the emergence of innovative and groundbreaking methods across various branches of chemistry, including organic synthesis, materials science, heterocyclic chemistry, and medicinal chemistry. This comprehensive literature review delves into the microwave-assisted organic synthesis of specific heterocycles, illuminating its effectiveness in producing diverse molecules with heightened efficiency and selectivity. The review highlights the significant role of microwave irradiation as a potent method for constructing a wide range of compounds. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact of the technique on synthesizing various hybrids such as 1,2,3-triazole hybrids, coumarin hybrids, imidazopyridine hybrids, phenanthridines hybrids, carbene hybrids, and oxazole hybrids. This article is valuable as it offers insights into current synthetic procedures and trends in developing innovative medications utilizing heterocyclic compounds.

1 Introduction

2 Synthesis of 1,2,3-Triazole Hybrids

3 Coumarin Hybrids

4 Imidazo Pyridine Hybrids

5 Phenanthridine Hybrids

6 Carbene Hybrids

7 Oxazole Hybrids

8 Conclusion
Self-reported hearing loss in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults: unmeasured, unknown and unmanaged
Authors: Pender Alice M. , Schluter Philip J. , Bainbridge Roxanne G. , Spurling Geoffrey K. , Wilson Wayne J. , Tyson Claudette ‘Sissy’ , Askew Deborah A.
Published: June 2024

Background Effective management of hearing loss in adults is fundamental for communication, relationships, employment, and learning. This study examined the rates and management of self-reported hearing loss in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. Methods A retrospective, observational study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged ≥15 years who had annual health checks at an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary healthcare clinic in Inala, Queensland, was conducted to determine self-reported hearing loss rates by age and ethnic groups stratified by sex. A medical record audit of patients who self-reported hearing loss from January to June 2021 was performed to identify current management approaches, and the proportion of patients that were appropriately managed. Results Of the 1735 patients (average age 40.7 years, range 15.0–88.5 years, 900 [52.0%] women) who completed 3090 health checks between July 2018 and September 2021, 18.8% self-reported hearing loss. Rates did not differ between men and women. However, significant effects were noted for age, with rates increasing from 10.7% for patients aged 15–24 years to 38.7% for those aged ≥65 years. An audit of 73 patient medical records revealed that 39.7% of patients with self-reported hearing loss were referred to Ear, Nose and Throat/audiology or received other management. A total of 17.8% of patients owned hearing aids. Conclusions Only 40% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults who self-reported hearing loss were referred for management. Significant changes to clinical management and government-funded referral options for hearing services are required to improve the management of self-reported hearing loss in this population.
The mechanics of correlated variability in segregated cortical excitatory subnetworks
Authors: Negrón Alex , Getz Matthew P. , Handy Gregory , Doiron Brent
Published: July 2024

Understanding the genesis of shared trial-to-trial variability in neuronal population activity within the sensory cortex is critical to uncovering the biological basis of information processing in the brain. Shared variability is often a reflection of the structure of cortical connectivity since it likely arises, in part, from local circuit inputs. A series of experiments from segregated networks of (excitatory) pyramidal neurons in the mouse primary visual cortex challenge this view. Specifically, the across-network correlations were found to be larger than predicted given the known weak cross-network connectivity. We aim to uncover the circuit mechanisms responsible for these enhanced correlations through biologically motivated cortical circuit models. Our central finding is that coupling each excitatory subpopulation with a specific inhibitory subpopulation provides the most robust network-intrinsic solution in shaping these enhanced correlations. This result argues for the existence of excitatory–inhibitory functional assemblies in early sensory areas which mirror not just response properties but also connectivity between pyramidal cells. Furthermore, our findings provide theoretical support for recent experimental observations showing that cortical inhibition forms structural and functional subnetworks with excitatory cells, in contrast to the classical view that inhibition is a nonspecific blanket suppression of local excitation.
Water and oil mixed without the need for a surfactant
Authors: Dumé Isabelle
Published: July 2024

Researchers in France and the US have shown that Oil and water can mix even with no surfactant.
Fate of next-generation telescope falls to panel
Authors: Gwynne Peter
Published: July 2024

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) is to assemble a panel to help it decide whether to fund the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) or the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).
World’s highest observatory begins operations in Chile
Authors: Banks Michael
Published: July 2024

Following almost three decades of planning and construction the world’s highest observatory has begun operations.
Incoming value
Authors: Durrani Matin
Published: July 2024

Free movement of scientists – and students – is vital for the lifeblood of science
A wonder at last
Authors: McKenzie James
Published: July 2024

Strong, light and with amazing electronic properties, graphene has always been touted as the “wonder material”. But two decades after it was first isolated, James McKenzie believes that graphene is finally delivering on its promise.
Evaluation of ethanol-gasoline blends in SI engines using experimental and ANN techniques
Authors: Hofny Mohamed S , Ghazaly Nouby M , N Shmroukh Ahmed , Abouelsoud Mostafa
Published: July 2024

Fuel combustion has become a major global concern, with much research focusing on the various emissions resulting from different types of fuels. Due to the harmful pollutant emissions from fossil fuels, the world has turned to renewable and alternative fuels to limit toxic emissions and greenhouse effects. Ethanol is a biofuel that, when used in spark ignition engines with gasoline can improve the octane number, combustion efficiency, and produce less emissions. The current research studies the effect of different ethanol blends E0, E5, E10, and E15 with gasoline 92 on engine performance parameters and emissions of a GX35 four-stroke engine at different engine speeds. The results along the speed range reveal that increasing ethanol amount leads to an average increase of 2.7%, 1%, and 1.1% in brake power (BP), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and CO2 emissions, respectively. Meanwhile, it causes an average decrease of 28 °C, 3%, 15 ppm, and 0.18% in exhaust gas temperature (EGT), brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), HC, and CO emissions respectively. Moreover, the current study develops an Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model for predicting the performance and emissions of spark ignition (SI) engines. Python programming language is used for ANN coding to train and validate the ANN model with E15. Regression plots were generated to visualize the correlation between the target and predicted data, indicating outstanding performance. The results confirmed the model’s reliability for BP, EGT, CO, CO2, and HC parameters with R2 values more than 0.99 and with acceptable performance for BSFC and BTE with R2 of 0.9339, and 0.9708, respectively. To ensure that the is no overfitting during the ANN study, we used different statistical methods, such as validation set, cross-validation, and learning curves.
Getting precise about gender and sex measurement: a primer for epidemiologists
Authors: Restar Arjee J , Lett Elle , Menezes Neia Prata , Molino Andrea R , Poteat Tonia C , Dean Lorraine T , Glick Jennifer L , Baker Kellan E , Cole S Wilson
Published: June 2024

Accurately measuring gender and sex is crucial in public health and epidemiology. Iteratively reexamining how variables—including gender and sex—are conceptualized and operationalized is necessary to achieve impactful research. Reexamining gender and sex advances epidemiology toward its goals of health promotion and disease elimination. While we cannot reduce the complexities of sex and gender to simply an issue of measurement, striving to capture these concepts and experiences accurately must be an ongoing dialogue and practice—to the benefit of the field and population health. We assert that epidemiology must counteract misconceptions and accurately measure gender and sex in epidemiology. We aim to summarize existing critiques and guiding principles in measuring gender and sex that can be applied in practice.
Prenatal exposure to benzodiazepine and z-hypnotics and fifth-grade scholastic skills—emulating target trials using data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study
Authors: Sundbakk Lene Maria , Wood Mollie , Gran Jon Michael , Nordeng Hedvig
Published: June 2024

Evidence is limited regarding the effect of prenatal benzodiazepine and z-hypnotic exposure and long-term neurodevelopment in childhood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of initiating benzodiazepine or z-hypnotic treatment in early, mid, and late pregnancy on fifth-grade numeracy and literacy scholastic skills in children by emulating 3 target trials. The trials are identical except for the timing of enrollment and the number of eligible individuals. Eligibility to the trials required a history of anxiety and/or depression prior to pregnancy. We used data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, linked to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, to emulate the trials. We adjusted for baseline covariates that were available at time 0 for each trial by inverse probability of treatment weighting using the propensity score. The findings of this study did not show any effect of mothers’ initiation of treatment with benzodiazepines or z-hypnotics in early, mid, or late pregnancy on the children’s fifth-grade test scores in numeracy and literacy. The study results provide reassurance for patients in need of benzodiazepines and z-hypnotics during pregnancy; however, these findings need to be interpreted with caution due to low study power in some of the analyses.

This article is part of a Special Collection on Pharmacoepidemiology.
A large study of metabolomics reveals common and distinct metabolic biomarkers for type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke
Authors: Lu Yanqiang , Li Guochen , Viallon Vivian , Ferrari Pietro , Freisling Heinz , Qiao Yanan , Shao Liping , Wu Luying , Ding Yi , Ke Chaofu
Published: June 2024

We aimed at examining the shared and unique associations of metabolites with multiple cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke. In this study, a total of 168 plasma metabolites were measured by high-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy among 98 162 participants free of T2D, CHD, and stroke at baseline. Cox proportional hazard models estimated hazard ratios for a 1-SD increase in metabolite concentration levels, and false discovery rate (at 10%) was used to correct for multiple comparisons. Over 12.1 years of follow-up on average, 3463 T2D, 6186 CHD, and 1892 stroke events were recorded. Most lipoprotein metabolites were associated with risks of T2D and CHD but not with the risk of stroke, with stronger associations for T2D than for CHD. Phospholipids within intermediate-density lipoprotein or large low-density lipoprotein particles showed positive associations with CHD and inverse associations with T2D. Metabolites indicating very small very low-density lipoprotein, histidine, creatinine, albumin, and glycoprotein acetyls were associated with risks of all 3 conditions. This large-scale metabolomics study revealed common and distinct metabolic biomarkers for T2D, CHD, and stroke, providing instrumental information to possibly implement precision medicine for preventing and treating these conditions.
Visual cues do not function in a multimodal signalling context for mate attraction in eastern gray treefrogs
Authors: Augusto-Alves Guilherme , Feagles Olivia S , Toledo Luís Felipe , Höbel Gerlinde
Published: June 2024

Anurans use different sensory modalities to communicate and interact socially, including acoustic, chemical, tactile, and visual signals. In a multimodal context, these sensory modes can transmit different information to the receiver or even reinforce the same message. In this study, we hypothesized that body colour traits and vocal sac movements of male eastern gray treefrogs [Dryophytes versicolor (= Hyla versicolor)] serve as secondary visual cues that increase their attractiveness while calling to attract mates. We tested this hypothesis using playback trials combining synthetic advertisement calls with a variety of visual cues, including differently coloured resin frog models, simulated vocal sacs, and live frogs. None of the visual stimuli tested impacted female choice, and there was no difference in response rate, response time, choice angle, or distance covered in the arena between multimodal and unimodal stimuli. However, females showed a strong preference for longer calls even if the less attractive calls were paired with a visual stimulus. The study provides comprehensive insights into the role of visual stimuli in the mate attraction of eastern gray treefrogs and suggests that call traits play a dominant role in the male-selection process of this species, contrary to what was observed for visual stimuli.
Ocular Syphilis in Patients With Nonreactive Rapid Plasma Reagin and Positive Treponemal Serologies: A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study
Authors: Mohareb Amir M , Barshak Miriam B , Papaliodis George N , Sobrin Lucia , Durand Marlene L
Published: June 2024

Background

Screening for syphilis increasingly relies on positive treponemal rather than nontreponemal tests (rapid plasma reagin [RPR]). We compared ocular syphilis in patients with nonreactive versus positive RPR.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of ocular syphilis treated at 2 New England hospitals during 1996–2021 based on ophthalmologist-diagnosed eye findings and positive treponemal serology, regardless of RPR. We excluded patients with alternative diagnoses. We categorized RPR into nonreactive RPR, low-titer RPR (<1:8), and high-titer RPR (≥1:8) and compared early and long-term response to therapy.

Results

Our sample included 115 patients with ocular syphilis (median follow-up, 2.5 years): 25 (22%) with nonreactive RPR, 21 (18%) low-titer RPR, and 69 (60%) high-titer RPR. Compared with nonreactive and low-titer RPR, people with high-titer RPR were younger (mean 47 years, P < .001), more likely to be male (93%, P < .001) and more likely to be living with human immunodeficiency virus (49%, P < .001). People with nonreactive and low-titer RPR were less likely than those with high-titer RPR to have posterior uveitis/panuveitis (32% and 29% vs 75%, P < .001) or abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (26% and 35% vs 75%, P < .001), and more likely to present with chronic eye findings (20% and 29% vs 1%, P < .001). In long-term follow-up, eye findings improved and did not recur in most patients (62% nonreactive, 68% low-titer, 96% high-titer RPR); improved but recurred in 29%, 11%, and 4%, respectively; and were stable in 10%, 21%, and 0%, respectively.

Conclusions

Patients with ocular syphilis and nonreactive RPR are similar to patients with low-titer RPR, and antibiotic therapy is beneficial in most.
It is not only about having good attitudes: factor exploration of the attitudes toward security recommendations
Authors: Toro-Jarrin Miguel A , Pazos Pilar , Padilla Miguel A
Published: July 2024

Numerous factors determine information security-related actions (IS-actions) in the workplace. Attitudes toward following security rules and recommendations and attitudes toward specific IS actions determine intentions associated with those actions. IS research has examined the role of the instrumental aspect of attitudes. However, authors argue that attitudes toward a behavioral object are a multidimensional construct. We examined the dimensionality of attitudes toward security recommendations, hypothesized its multidimensional nature, and developed a new scale [attitudes toward security recommendations (ASR scale)]. The results indicated the multidimensional nature of attitudes toward security recommendations supporting our hypothesis. The results revealed two dimensions corresponding to the perceived legitimacy and effectiveness of security recommendations and its perceived rigor. The new ASR scale showed good psychometric properties. This work contributes to the IS research at suggesting that attitudes are a multidimensional construct in the IS context. These findings imply that the employee’s evaluation of information security policy can be examined considering their instrumentality (security recommendations are important) and rigor (security recommendations are strict). Different effects of the dimensions of attitudes over IS-action suggest different interventions. Additionally, this study offers the ASR scale as a new instrument to capture employees’ evaluation of security recommendations.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy–defibrillator implantation with shock lead placement in the left bundle branch area: a case report
Authors: Yoshida Kenta , Yoshino Mitsuru , Kawabata Tokuma , Tasaka Hiroshi , Kadota Kazushige
Published: July 2024

Background

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with biventricular pacing is a well-established therapy. Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) is a safe technique providing physiological pacing, and LBBAP-optimized CRT (LOT-CRT) has been shown to provide better electrical resynchronization than traditional CRT. However, there are few reports on shock lead placement in the left bundle branch area (LBBA) during CRT–defibrillator (CRT-D) implantation.

Case summary

A 76-year-old woman with heart failure from dilated cardiomyopathy presented with left bundle branch block pattern (QRS duration, 160 ms). Left ventricular ejection fraction was 21%. Cardiac resynchronization therapy–defibrillator implantation was performed due to worsening symptoms. By reshaping the Agilis HisPro catheter and adding a septal curve, the shock lead was placed deep into the ventricular septum, narrowing QRS duration to 114 ms. Left ventricular activation time was 84 ms. A defibrillation threshold test confirmed successful treatment without adverse events. At 6-month follow-up, left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 21 to 63%, with the patient's condition improving from New York Heart Association class III to class I.

Discussion

It was reported that QRS narrowing in CRT was related to long-term mortality, and LOT-CRT further decreased QRS duration as compared with LBBP only or biventricular pacing and increased the response rate. Combining LBBAP with coronary sinus pacing can potentially achieve superior electrical resynchronization. Lack of a suitable tool for direct shock lead placement in LBBA necessitated additional LBBAP lead in conventional LOT-CRT. Our successful LOT-CRT-D procedure with minimal number of leads through Agilis HisPro catheter reshaping enabled direct LBBA shock lead placement.
Antibiotic resistance alters the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to invade bacteria from the respiratory microbiome
Authors: Lindon Selina , Shah Sarah , Gifford Danna R , Lood Cédric , Gomis Font Maria A , Kaur Divjot , Oliver Antonio , MacLean R Craig , Wheatley Rachel M
Published: June 2024

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens is a global health threat. One important unanswered question is how antibiotic resistance influences the ability of a pathogen to invade the host-associated microbiome. Here we investigate how antibiotic resistance impacts the ability of a bacterial pathogen to invade bacteria from the microbiome, using the opportunistic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the respiratory microbiome as our model system. We measure the ability of P. aeruginosa spontaneous antibiotic-resistant mutants to invade pre-established cultures of commensal respiratory microbes in an assay that allows us to link specific resistance mutations with changes in invasion ability. While commensal respiratory microbes tend to provide some degree of resistance to P. aeruginosa invasion, antibiotic resistance is a double-edged sword that can either help or hinder the ability of P. aeruginosa to invade. The directionality of this help or hindrance depends on both P. aeruginosa genotype and respiratory microbe identity. Specific resistance mutations in genes involved in multidrug efflux pump regulation are shown to facilitate the invasion of P. aeruginosa into Staphylococcus lugdunensis, yet impair invasion into Rothia mucilaginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Streptococcus species provide the strongest resistance to P. aeruginosa invasion, and this is maintained regardless of antibiotic resistance genotype. Our study demonstrates how the cost of mutations that provide enhanced antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa can crucially depend on community context. We suggest that attempts to manipulate the microbiome should focus on promoting the growth of commensals that can increase the fitness costs associated with antibiotic resistance and provide robust inhibition of both wildtype and antibiotic-resistant pathogen strains.