bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Choosing Wisely internationally – helpful recommendations for antimicrobial stewardship!
Authors: Jung Norma , Tometten Lukas , Draenert Rika
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Antimicrobial resistance poses a major threat to human health globally and antibiotic overuse is a main driver of resistance. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) was developed to improve the rationale use of antibiotics. The Choosing Wisely campaign was initiated to ameliorate medical practice through avoidance of unnecessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Our objective was to give an overview on the Choosing Wisely recommendations related to AMS practices from a selection of different countries in order to define future needs.

Methods

We evaluated the seven countries already analyzed for Choosing Wisely recommendations related to topics of infectious medicine before. Finally, we included five of the former countries (Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, and USA) and Germany with easily accessible recommendations and selected those related to six categories of AMS as following: diagnostics, indication, choice of antiinfective drugs, dosing, application and duration of therapy.

Results

In total, 213 recommendations could be extracted related to AMS for the six countries and were matched to the chosen categories. Interestingly, no recommendations were found for the category “dosing.” Topics related to indication and diagnostics were most frequently found with 85 and 78 recommendations, respectively. Perioperative prophylaxis was a frequently addressed issue – both related to application, indication and duration. Avoiding antibiotic treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria and upper respiratory tract infections were central topics of all countries.

Conclusion

AMS is an important strategy to fight increasing resistance and is frequently addressed by Choosing Wisely recommendations of different countries. Similar issues are considered important in the selected countries.
Mu Desynchronisation in Autistic Individuals: What We Know and What We Need to Know
Authors: Lockhart Amelia K. , Sharpley Christopher F. , Bitsika Vicki
Published: February 2023

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that includes social-communication deficits and repetitive and stereotypical behaviours (APA 2022). Neurobiological methods of studying ASD are a promising methodology for identifying ASD biomarkers. Mu rhythms (Mu) have the potential to shed light on the socialisation deficits that characterise ASD; however, Mu/ASD studies thus far have yielded inconsistent results. This review examines the existing Mu/ASD studies to determine where this variability lies to elucidate potential factors that can be addressed in future studies.
The Catastrophe of Corruption in the Sustainability of Foreign aid: A Prediction of Artificial Neural Network Method in Indonesia
Authors: Paranata Ade , Adha Rishan , Thao Hoang Thi Phuong , Sasanti Elin Erlina , Fafurida
Published: February 2023

The rising corruption levels in Indonesia are becoming a cause for concern and raise doubts about their impact on the stability of foreign aid in the country. Therefore, this study aims to predict the long-term viability of foreign aid in Indonesia based on international perceptions of corruption and corruption cases in the country. Data were obtained from World Governance Indicators, the Indonesian Ministry of Finance, and the World Bank, and the study used a backpropagation artificial neural network (ANN) for prediction. The results from ANN are compared to linear models and vector autoregression (VAR). The finding shows that ANN outperforms the other models based on the coefficient of determination and MSE values. Furthermore, it highlights the strong relationship between corruption perception and foreign aid sustainability with an R-value of 0.991. According to the ANN estimation, gratification has a significant impact on foreign aid. In response to this finding, the study recommends the Indonesian government take action to combat corruption in maintaining the international trust and ensuring the stability of foreign aid.
Pathogens, reservoirs, and vectors involved in the transmission of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases in a Colombian region
Authors: Carrasquilla María Cristina , Ortiz Mario Iván , Amórtegui-Hernández Daniela , García-Restrepo Sebastián , León Cielo , Méndez-Cardona Sergio , González Camila
Published: February 2023

The ecology of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) is an important system of great complexity, which involves the knowledge about the pathogens and animal species entailed in maintaining transmission cycles in a given locality, including those that act as vectors and reservoirs for the transmitted pathogens. To understand the ecology of some VBDs, we studied vectors, reservoirs, and pathogens of different VBDs, including dengue, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, malaria, Zika, and chikungunya in the municipality of La Mesa, Cundinamarca, Colombia, a locality close to the capital, Bogotá. Vectors and mammals were sampled in urban and rural areas between May and August 2019. Molecular analyses were performed for the detection of pathogens in mammals and vectors, and of blood-meal sources in insects. Several vectors and mammals collected in this study have been involved in pathogen transmission cycles or may have a potential role in them. The findings of this study suggest that in the municipality of La Mesa, there are both vector and potential reservoir species, which are or could be implicated in the maintenance of the cycles of vector-borne diseases such as leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. Although arbovirus infections, such as dengue, are reported in the municipality, arbovirus presence was not detected. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing surveillance of vectors and associated control operations in La Mesa, of relevance to other locations where vectors and animal hosts also occur.
Gαi-derived peptide binds the µ-opioid receptor
Authors: Kossoń Piotr , Dyniewicz Jolanta , Lipiński Piotr F. J. , Matalińska Joanna , Misicka Aleksandra , Bojarski Andrzej J. , Mordalski Stefan
Published: February 2023

Background

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) transduce external stimuli into the cell by G proteins via an allosteric mechanism. Agonist binding to the receptor stimulates GDP/GTP exchange within the heterotrimeric G protein complex, whereas recent structures of GPCR–G protein complexes revealed that the H5, S1 and S2 domains of Gα are involved in binding the active receptor, earlier studies showed that a short peptide analog derived from the C-terminus (H5) of the G protein transducin (Gt) is sufficient to stabilize rhodopsin in an active form.

Methods

We have used Molecular Dynamics simulations along with biological evaluation by means of radio-ligand binding assay to study the interactions between Gαi-derived peptide (G-peptide) and the µ-opioid receptor (µOR).

Results

Here, we show that a Gαi-derived peptide of 12 amino acids binds the µ-opioid receptor and acts as an allosteric modulator. The Gαi-derived peptide increases µOR affinity for its agonist morphine in a dose-dependent way.

Conclusions

These results indicate that the GPCR–Gα peptide interaction observed so far for only rhodopsin can be extrapolated to µOR. In addition, we show that the C-terminal peptide of the Gαi subunit is sufficient to stabilize the active conformation of the receptor. Our approach opens the possibility to investigate the GPCR–G protein interface with peptide modification.
First-Trimester Pregnancy: Considerations for Wilderness and Remote Travel
Authors: Coffey Christanne H. , Casper Leslie M. , Reno Elaine M. , Casper Sierra J. , Hillis Erin , Klein David A. , Schlein Sarah M. , Keyes Linda E.
Published: February 2023

Women increasingly participate in outdoor activities in wilderness and remote environments. We performed a literature review to address diagnostic and therapeutic considerations during first-trimester pregnancy for remote multiday travel. Pretrip planning for pregnant patients traveling outside access to advanced medical care should include performing a transvaginal ultrasound to confirm pregnancy location and checking D rhesus status. We discuss the risk of potential travel-related infections and recommended vaccinations prior to departure based on destination. Immediate evacuation to definitive medical care is required for patients with a pregnancy of unknown location and vaginal bleeding. We propose algorithms for determining the need for evacuation and present therapeutic options for nausea and vomiting, urinary tract infections, and candidiasis in the field.
Prospects for studying Galactic neutron stars in binaries with LISA
Authors: Korol Valeriya
Published: February 2023

So far detached compact binaries containing neutron stars have been observed either at intermediate stages of the evolution by radio telescopes or at merger by ground-based gravitational wave detectors. Sensitive to gravitational waves from binaries millions to thousands years prior to the merger, the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be crucial for bridging the gap between the currently accessible regimes. Depending on the binary type, LISA could potentially discover from a few to several hundreds in the entirely new regime throughout the Milky Way. Here we provide a concise summary of the current expectation for the detection of Galactic binaries containing neutron stars with LISA, focusing on double neutron stars and neutron star - white dwarf binaries. We outline a few examples of science investigations that LISA data will enable for these binaries.
Food Nitrogen Footprint Increased by 35% on the Third Pole During 1998–2018
Authors: Wang Fangfang , Liu Shiliang , Liu Yixuan , Yu Lu , Wang Qingbo , Liu Hua , Dong Yuhong , Sun Jian
Published: February 2023

The N footprint is considered as an indicator of potential environmental damage from N. Quantitative analysis of N footprint distribution, sources and drivers can help mitigate its negative impacts and promote sustainable N management. In this study, we constructed a city‐scale food N footprint (FNF) framework for the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) using a N mass balance approach. We quantitatively analyzed the FNF during food production and consumption on the QTP from 1998 to 2018. We used the logarithmic mean Divisa index decomposition method to analyze the driving forces of the FNF, and the decoupling of the FNF. The results showed that the per capita FNF of the QTP increased from 24.92 kg N cap−1 in 1998 to 27.70 kg N cap−1 in 2018, and the total FNF increased by 35.11% from 1998 to 2018. The spatial distribution of the FNF was uneven, with N losses from crop production and animal production being the leading contributing source to the FNF (86%). Economic development and urbanization were the main driving forces behind the FNF increase, while N consumption intensity inhibited the growth of the FNF. With the rapid growth of GDP, the FNF in the eastern part of the QTP grew relatively slowly, indicating a gradual decoupling of the FNF from economic development. To reconcile the relationship between socioeconomic drivers and the FNF, it is necessary to focus on coupling relationships between subsystems within the food production and consumption system to promote N recycling.
Heterogeneity of the Noachian Crust of Mars Using CRISM Multispectral Mapping Data
Authors: Viviano Christina E. , Beck Andrew W. , Murchie Scott L. , Dapremont Angela M. , Seelos Frank P.
Published: February 2023

We used Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) multispectral mapping data to assess heterogeneity of primary and secondary mineral compositions of Noachian‐aged regions of Martian crust. Multispectral data corroborate interpretations from CRISM targeted observations and Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité global mapping of large horizontal differences in vertical crustal structures, and degree and grade of alteration to secondary minerals. CRISM multispectral data analysis conducted at a combination of high spatial resolution and coverage not available in other data sets also reveals previously unrecognized exposures. At one extreme, basaltic crustal material is minimally altered, mostly to smectite clay; at the other, Al‐enriched alteration products are present, alteration is widespread, and superposed surface materials rich in salts and precipitates, suggesting multiple episodes of alteration. The revealed vertical structure of primary mineralogy is consistent with that inferred in previous studies. Controls on the extent and metamorphic grade of secondary mineral assemblages are proximity to heat sources including large impact basins and inferred magmatic bodies.
Source Characterization of the Declared North Korean Nuclear Tests From Regional Distance Coda Wave Spectral Ratios
Authors: Delbridge B. G. , Carmichael J. D. , Phillips W. S. , Cleveland K. M. , Begnaud M. L. , Gammans C.
Published: February 2023

Seismic observations of underground nuclear explosions provide crucial data on source yield and depth that cannot easily be estimated from other geophysical methods. However, it is difficult to obtain reliable yield estimates for test sites for which we do not have direct seismic calibration experiments. To obtain source information from uncalibrated sites and paths, local and regional seismic records of six, proximal, declared underground nuclear explosions in North Korea are used to compute spectral ratios of narrow‐band waveform envelopes of body‐wave coda that remove path and site effects to reveal precise, relative source moment. The yields of these explosions are obtained from the observed source ratios by simultaneously fitting the classical source model of Mueller and Murphy (1971), https://doi.org/10.1785/bssa0610061675 to all event pairs. The source model provides an impressive fit to the observations considering that the P phase coda derived source spectral ratios did not require a prior knowledge of the source or regionally calibrated corrections to be applied to the data. However, the observed corner frequencies from S wave coda spectral ratios are lower than the source model predictions, but are well fit by models calculated using the corner frequency consistent with the Fisk conjecture. The results presented here provide novel constraints on the spectral distributions of the energy radiated by the sources of the DPRK test series, and allows for an independent evaluation of existing estimated source model parameters.
A Deep Seamount Effect Enhanced the Vertical Connectivity of the Planktonic Community Across 1,000 m Above Summit
Authors: Zhao Rongjie , Zhao Feng , Feng Ling , Fang James Kar‐Hei , Liu Chuanyu , Xu Kuidong
Published: February 2023

Seamount effects, which are generally defined as hydrographic disturbances caused by topography and nutrient enrichment and biological aggregations around seamounts, are normally observed in shallow seamounts due to limited sampling efforts in deep seamounts. However, it remains unclear how and to what extent do deep seamounts leave their imprint on planktonic communities. Herein ciliates, a representative protist group, were chosen to explore the effect of deep seamount on planktonic community. By investigating the vertical and horizontal distribution of ciliate communities around the Kocebu Guyot (summit at −1,198 m) and in nonseamount area, we revealed an obvious deep seamount effect, which enhanced the vertical mixing of ciliate communities to an extent of over 1,000 m above the summit. The vertical mixing was manifested by a strong uplift of bottom dwellers from waters deeper than 500 m and a weak uplift from the 300 m layer to the deep chlorophyll maximum (about 150 m) layer. Network analysis showed that the ciliate cooccurrence relationship around the seamount was much more complex than that in nonseamount area. Statistical analysis indicated that seamount significantly weakened the limitation that water depth posed on vertical ciliate distribution. Overall, the ciliate communities presented a much higher‐resolution record of deep seamount effects than physico‐chemical data. Deep seamount could enhance the vertical mixing of waters and cooccurrence complexity of planktonic community to the euphotic layer. Considering the wide existence of deep seamounts, such an effect may have ecological significance and enhance the cycles of matter and energy of global oceans.
Proximal Supply in Loess Deposition of the Chinese Loess Plateau
Authors: Xiong Jianguo , Wang Ying , Picotti Vincenzo , Zhang Huiping , Liu Qingri , Zhao Xudong , Su Xin , Zhang Xiuli , Li Youli , Zhang Peizhen
Published: February 2023

Previous studies suggest that the northeastern Tibetan Plateau has been the major source area for the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP); this contribution was used to prove that the Yellow River played a dominant role in transporting the materials from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, making them available for the CLP. Accordingly, the proximal North China Craton is considered to have increased supply potential of dust to the CLP further eastward. However, the origin of the eastern CLP and the relationship between loess and proximal river sediments have never been systematically studied, which prevents us from working out the surface process between source and sink. In this study, we conducted U–Pb dating and analyses of the grain morphologies of detrital zircons and heavy mineral assemblages on the upper Quaternary loess and riverbed sediments on the eastern and central CLP. We also built a data set (n = 48,161) of the zircon U–Pb ages of the Quaternary loess, deserts, and potential source areas. Our results show that most loess samples on the eastern CLP were strongly affected by the North China Craton. The dust supply ability of rivers to loess is very limited. Along the dust transport path, the proximal mountains, rivers and loess can all provide dust for loess deposition. Our findings emphasize the important role proximal supply has played in the evolution of the CLP since at least the late Neogene, for example, the northeastern Tibetan Plateau for the western and central CLP, and the North China Craton for the eastern CLP.
A Joint Seismic and Space‐Based Investigation of the 2016 Lamplugh Glacier and 2017 Wrangell Mountains (Alaska) Landslides
Authors: Luo Xinyu , Fan Wenyuan , Fialko Yuri
Published: February 2023

Landslides commonly occur in areas with steep topography and abundant precipitation and pose a significant hazard to local communities. Some of the largest known landslides occur in Alaska, including several that caused local tsunamis. Many landslides may have gone undetected in remote areas due to lack of observations. Here, we develop a semiautomated workflow using both seismic and geodetic observations to detect, locate, validate, and characterize landslides in Alaska. Seismic observations have shown promise in continuously monitoring landslide occurrence, while remote sensing techniques are well suited for verification and high‐resolution imaging of landslides. We validate our procedure using the 28 June 2016, Lamplugh Glacier landslide. We also present observations of a previously unknown landslide occurred on 22 September 2017 in the Wrangell Mountains region. The Wrangell Mountains landslide generated a coherent surface wavefield recorded across Alaska and the contiguous United States. We used Sentinel‐1 Synthetic Aperture Radar and Sentinel‐2 optical imagery to map the respective mass deposit. To investigate the landslide dynamics, we inverted regional seismic surface wave data for a centroid single force failure model. Our model suggests that the Wrangell Mountains landslide lasted for about 140 s and had two subevents involving at least five distinct stages. We estimate that the landslide had displaced 3.1–13.4 million tons of rocks over a distance of ∼2 km. Our results suggest that combining seismic and geodetic observations can vastly improve the detection and characterization of landslides in remote areas in Alaska and elsewhere, providing new insights into the landslide dynamics.
Multidimensional Scaling of Varietal Data in Sedimentary Provenance Analysis
Authors: Vermeesch P. , Lipp A. G. , Hatzenbühler D. , Caracciolo L. , Chew D.
Published: February 2023

Varietal studies of sedimentary provenance use the properties of individual minerals or mineral groups. These are recorded as lists of numerical tables that can be difficult to interpret. Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) is a popular multivariate ordination technique for analyzing other types of provenance data based on, for example, detrital geochronology or petrography. Applying MDS to varietal data would allow them to be treated on an equal footing with those other provenance proxies. MDS requires a method to quantify the dissimilarity between two samples. This paper introduces three ways to do so. The first method (“treatment‐by‐row”) turns lists of (compositional) data tables into lists of vectors, using principal component analysis. These lists of vectors can then be treated as “distributional” data and subjected to MDS analysis using dissimilarity measures such as the Kolmogorov‐Smirnov statistic. The second method (“treatment‐by‐column”) turns lists of compositional data tables into multiple lists of vectors, each representing a single component of the varietal data. These multiple distributional data sets are subsequently subjected to Procrustes analysis or 3‐way MDS. The third method uses the Wasserstein‐2 distance to jointly compare the rows and columns of varietal data. This arguably makes the best use of the data but acts more like a “black box” than the other two methods. Applying the three methods to a detrital titanite data set from Colombia yields similar results. After converting varietal data to dissimilarity matrices, they can be combined with other types of provenance data, again using Procrustes analysis or 3‐way MDS.
Regional CO2 Inversion Through Ensemble‐Based Simultaneous State and Parameter Estimation: TRACE Framework and Controlled Experiments
Authors: Chen Hans W. , Zhang Fuqing , Lauvaux Thomas , Scholze Marko , Davis Kenneth J. , Alley Richard B.
Published: February 2023

Atmospheric inversions provide estimates of carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes between the surface and atmosphere based on atmospheric CO2 concentration observations. The number of CO2 observations is projected to increase severalfold in the next decades from expanding in situ networks and next‐generation CO2‐observing satellites, providing both an opportunity and a challenge for inversions. This study introduces the TRACE Regional Atmosphere–Carbon Ensemble (TRACE) system, which employ an ensemble‐based simultaneous state and parameter estimation (ESSPE) approach to enable the assimilation of large volumes of observations for constraining CO2 flux parameters. TRACE uses an online full‐physics mesoscale atmospheric model and assimilates observations serially in a coupled atmosphere–carbon ensemble Kalman filter. The data assimilation system was tested in a series of observing system simulation experiments using in situ observations for a regional domain over North America in summer. Under ideal conditions with known prior flux parameter error covariances, TRACE reduced the error in domain‐integrated monthly CO2 fluxes by about 97% relative to the prior flux errors. In a more realistic scenario with unknown prior flux error statistics, the corresponding relative error reductions ranged from 80.6% to 88.5% depending on the specification of prior flux parameter error correlations. For regionally integrated fluxes on a spatial scale of 106 km2, the sum of absolute errors was reduced by 34.5%–50.9% relative to the prior flux errors. Moreover, TRACE produced posterior uncertainty estimates that were consistent with the true errors. These initial experiments show that the ESSPE approach in TRACE provides a promising method for advancing CO2 inversion techniques.
Disentangling the Impact of Event‐ and Annual‐Scale Precipitation Extremes on Critical‐Zone Hydrology in Semiarid Loess Vegetated by Apple Trees
Authors: Gao Xiaodong , Wan Hua , Zeng Yijian , Shao Xiaoya , Hu Wei , Brocca Luca , Yang Min , Wu Pute , Zhao Xining
Published: February 2023

The extent and mechanisms by which precipitation extremes affect hydrological processes in the critical zone (CZ) of loess possessing a thick unsaturated zone remains poorly understood. To this end, we here employed a coupled liquid‒vapor‒heat‒airflow STEMMUS (simultaneous transfer of energy, mass, and momentum in unsaturated soil) model to investigate the impact of extreme precipitation, at both event and annual scales, on CZ hydrological processes within a semiarid loess site vegetated by apple trees on China's Loess Plateau. At the event scale, the vapor flux was two orders of magnitude lower than the liquid water flux. However, the thermal vapor flux penetrated to depths of 200 cm, whereas the isothermal liquid water flux only infiltrated to 100 cm during the study period, implying that thermal‐gradient‐driven vapor transfer is an important mechanism for deep‐layer recharge (DLR). At the annual scale, the DLR below 200 cm during extremely wet years was 6.5 times larger than that during extremely dry years. In contrast, extreme changes in climate had only limited impacts on evapotranspiration; the difference between extremely wet and extremely dry years averaged only 35 mm, much less than the difference in precipitation, which averaged 310 mm. However, the extremely dry years showed a higher ratio (0.58) between transpiration and evapotranspiration than did the extremely wet years (0.51). The findings reported here improve our understanding of CZ hydrological processes related to precipitation extremes in semiarid loess regions.
Acoustically‐Derived Sediment‐Index Methods in Large Rivers: Assessment of Two Acoustic Inversion Models
Authors: Haught D. W. , Venditti J. G.
Published: February 2023

In large rivers across the world, measurement of sediment in transport can be challenging and expensive to collect, yet monitoring and measurement in these systems is critical to our management of these systems in the face of climate change and rising sea levels and because its movement with channels provides natural resilience of riverine, estuarine, and near shore environments. As such, developing programs for continuous monitoring of sediment is necessary. Here we present and assess acoustic methods used to estimate suspended sediment entering the Lower Fraser River. The channel is 550 m wide, which is greater than the range of acoustic instruments—a common challenge in large rivers. We demonstrate a sediment‐index methodology that relates an acoustically‐derived concentration estimate to channel‐average concentration. We compare two different acoustic methods (multifrequency and single frequency) as acoustic index estimators. Between 2012 and 2014 we conducted 25 sampling campaigns where cross‐section, point‐integrated suspended sediment samples, and samples from within the acoustic range were collected. Annual flux was computed for the 3 years using both methods and compared to a more traditional sediment supply to discharge rating‐curve. The most robust method used a single‐frequency inversion where the sum of acoustically‐derived, fractional sand and silt/clay estimates equated the total flux. Development of such monitoring programs will aid managers, engineers, and scientists in policy and practice, emboldening our ability to observe, adapt, and predict a changing environment.
ASQ-3 and BSID-III’s concurrent validity and predictive ability of cognitive outcome at 5 years
Authors: Duggan Cian , Irvine Alan D. , O’B Hourihane Jonathan , Kiely Mairead E. , Murray Deirdre M.
Published: February 2023

Background

Early detection of cognitive disability is challenging. We assessed the domain-specific, concurrent validity of the ages and stages questionnaire (ASQ-3) and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III), and their ability to predict cognitive delay at school age.

Methods

Within a longitudinal birth cohort study, a nested cohort of children was assessed using ASQ-3 and BSID-III at 24 months, and at 5 years using the Kaufmann brief IQ test (KBIT).

Results

278 children were assessed using BSID-III and ASQ-3 at 24-months; mean(SD) BW = 3445(506) grams, M:F ratio=52:48. ASQ-3 had reasonable predictive ability (AUROC, p value, sensitivity:specificity) of same domain delay for motor (0.630, p = 0.008, 50%:76.1%) and language (0.623, p = 0.010, 25%:99.5%) at 2 years, but poor ability to detect cognitive delay compared to BSID-III (0.587, p = 0.124, 20.7%/96.8%;). 204/278 children were assessed at 5 years. BSID-III language and cognition domains showed better correlation with verbal and nonverbal IQ (R = 0.435, p < 0.001 and 0.388, p < 0.001 respectively). Both assessments showed high specificity and low sensitivity for predicting delay at 5 years.

Conclusions

The ASQ-3 cognitive domain showed poor concurrent validity with BSID-III cognitive score. Both ASQ-3 and BSID-III at 2 years poorly predict cognitive delay at 5 years.

Impact

The ASQ-3 does not adequately detect cognitive delay or predict cognitive delay at 5 years, particularly for children with mild to moderate delay.

The ASQ-3 shows reasonable concurrent validity with the motor and language subscales of the BSID-III. Neither early screening nor formal developmental testing demonstrated significant predictive validity to screen for cognitive delay at school age.

This article highlights the need to analyse our existing model of using the ASQ-3 to screen for cognitive delay in children aged 2 years.
Adaptations of Pseudoxylaria towards a comb-associated lifestyle in fungus-farming termite colonies
Authors: Fricke Janis , Schalk Felix , Kreuzenbeck Nina B , Seibel Elena , Hoffmann Judith , Dittmann Georg , Conlon Benjamin H , Guo Huijuan , Wilhelm de Beer Z , Vassão Daniel Giddings , Gleixner Gerd , Poulsen Michael , Beemelmanns Christine
Published: February 2023

Characterizing ancient clades of fungal symbionts is necessary for understanding the evolutionary process underlying symbiosis development. In this study, we investigated a distinct subgeneric taxon of Xylaria (Xylariaceae), named Pseudoxylaria, whose members have solely been isolated from the fungus garden of farming termites. Pseudoxylaria are inconspicuously present in active fungus gardens of termite colonies and only emerge in the form of vegetative stromata, when the fungus comb is no longer attended (“sit and wait” strategy). Insights into the genomic and metabolic consequences of their association, however, have remained sparse. Capitalizing on viable Pseudoxylaria cultures from different termite colonies, we obtained genomes of seven and transcriptomes of two Pseudoxylaria isolates. Using a whole-genome-based comparison with free-living members of the genus Xylaria, we document that the association has been accompanied by significant reductions in genome size, protein-coding gene content, and reduced functional capacities related to oxidative lignin degradation, oxidative stress responses and secondary metabolite production. Functional studies based on growth assays and fungus-fungus co-cultivations, coupled with isotope fractionation analysis, showed that Pseudoxylaria only moderately antagonizes growth of the termite food fungus Termitomyces, and instead extracts nutrients from the food fungus biomass for its own growth. We also uncovered that Pseudoxylaria is still capable of producing structurally unique metabolites, which was exemplified by the isolation of two novel metabolites, and that the natural product repertoire correlated with antimicrobial and insect antifeedant activity.
Microbial keystone taxa drive succession of plant residue chemistry
Authors: Wang Xiaoyue , Liang Chao , Mao Jingdong , Jiang Yuji , Bian Qing , Liang Yuting , Chen Yan , Sun Bo
Published: February 2023

Managing above-ground plant carbon inputs can pave the way toward carbon neutrality and mitigating climate change. Chemical complexity of plant residues largely controls carbon sequestration. There exist conflicting opinions on whether residue chemistry diverges or converges after long-term decomposition. Moreover, whether and how microbial communities regulate residue chemistry remains unclear. This study investigated the decomposition processes and residue composition dynamics of maize straw and wheat straw and related microbiomes over a period of 9 years in three climate zones. Residue chemistry exhibited a divergent-convergent trajectory during decomposition, that is, the residue composition diverged during the 0.5–3 year period under the combined effect of straw type and climate and then converged to an array of common compounds during the 3–9 year period. Chemical divergence during the first 2–3 years was primarily driven by the changes in extracellular enzyme activity influenced by keystone taxa-guided bacterial networks, and the keystone taxa belonged to Alphaproteobacteria, particularly Rhizobiales. After 9 years, microbial assimilation became dominant, leading to chemical convergence, and fungi, particularly Chaetomium, were the main contributors to microbial assimilation. Overall, this study demonstrated that keystone taxa regulate the divergent-convergent trajectory in residue chemistry.
Risk stratification of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma using change in total lesion glycolysis and number of PET-positive lymph nodes
Authors: Nose Yohei , Makino Tomoki , Tatsumi Mitsuaki , Tanaka Koji , Yamashita Kotaro , Noma Toshiki , Saito Takuro , Yamamoto Kazuyoshi , Takahashi Tsuyoshi , Kurokawa Yukinori , Nakajima Kiyokazu , Eguchi Hidetoshi , Doki Yuichiro
Published: February 2023

Background

The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) correlates with patient survival in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but optimal evaluation of the treatment response based on PET-CT parameters has not been established.

Methods

We analysed 226 OSCC patients who underwent PET-CT before and after NACT followed by surgery. We assessed SUVmax, metabolic tumour volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) for the primary tumour and the number of PET-positive lymph nodes before and after NACT to predict patient survival.

Results

In a stepwise analysis, we defined 60%, 80%, and 80% as the optimal cut-off values for SUVmax, MTV, and TLG reduction, respectively, to distinguish responders and non-responders to NACT. In the ROC analysis, the TLG reduction rate was the best predictor of recurrence among PET-CT parameters. The TLG responders achieved significantly more favourable prognoses than non-responders (2-year progression-free survival [PFS] rate: 64.1% vs. 38.5%; P = 0.0001). TLG reduction rate (HR 2.58; 95% CI 1.16–5.73) and the number of PET-positive lymph nodes after NACT (HR 1.79; 95% CI 1.04–3.08) were significant independent prognostic factors.

Conclusions

TLG reduction is the best predictor of prognosis. Preoperative PET-CT evaluation of both the primary tumour and lymph nodes could accurately stratify risk in OSCC patients.
Cdh5-mediated Fpn1 deletion exerts neuroprotective effects during the acute phase and inhibitory effects during the recovery phase of ischemic stroke
Authors: Zheng Huiwen , Guo Xin , Kang Shaomeng , Li Zhongda , Tian Tian , Li Jianhua , Wang Fudi , Yu Peng , Chang Shiyang , Chang Yan-zhong
Published: February 2023

Ischemic stroke is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuronal damage incurred by stroke victims remain unclear. It has previously been reported that ischemic stroke can induce an increase in the levels of brain iron, which is an important factor of in the associated brain damage. Ferroportin 1 (FPN1), the only known cellular iron export protein, is found in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs) at the blood-brain barrier, and is considered the gateway for entry of plasma iron into the central nervous system. Despite the connection of brain iron to neuronal damage, the role of BMVECs FPN1 in ischemic stroke remains unexplored. Herein, we conditionally deleted Fpn1 in mouse endothelial cells (ECs), using VE-cadherin-Cre transgenic mice, and explored the impact on brain iron homeostasis after stroke. Our data demonstrated that Fpn1 knockout in ECs decreased the brain iron levels in mice, attenuated the oxidative stress and inflammatory responses after stroke, and inhibited both ferroptosis and apoptosis, ultimately alleviating neurological impairment and decreasing cerebral infarct volume during the acute phase of ischemic stroke. By contrast, we found that Fpn1 knockout in ECs delayed the recovery of neurological function in mice following ischemic stroke. We also found that ECs Fpn1 knockout decreased the brain iron levels after stroke, exacerbated glial cell proliferation, and inhibited neuronal development, indicating that the diminished brain iron levels hindered the repair of neural injury in mice. In conclusion, our findings reveal a dual consequence of FPN1 deficiency in ECs in the development of ischemic stroke. More specifically, iron deficiency initially exerts a neuroprotective effect during the acute phase of ischemic stroke but inhibits recovery during the later stages. Our findings are important to the development of iron- or FPN1-targeting therapeutics for the treatment of ischemic stroke.
A density functional theory for ecology across scales
Authors: Trappe Martin-I. , Chisholm Ryan A.
Published: February 2023

Ecology lacks a holistic approach that can model phenomena across temporal and spatial scales, largely because of the challenges in modelling systems with a large number of interacting constituents. This hampers our understanding of complex ecosystems and the impact that human interventions (e.g., deforestation, wildlife harvesting and climate change) have on them. Here we use density functional theory, a computational method for many-body problems in physics, to develop a computational framework for ecosystem modelling. Our methods accurately fit experimental and synthetic data of interacting multi-species communities across spatial scales and can project to unseen data. As the key concept we establish and validate a cost function that encodes the trade-offs between the various ecosystem components. We show how this single general modelling framework delivers predictions on par with established, but specialised, approaches for systems from predatory microbes to territorial flies to tropical tree communities. Our density functional framework thus provides a promising avenue for advancing our understanding of ecological systems.
Oxidation of metallic Cu by supercritical CO2 and control synthesis of amorphous nano-metal catalysts for CO2 electroreduction
Authors: Chen Chunjun , Yan Xupeng , Wu Yahui , Zhang Xiudong , Liu Shoujie , Zhang Fanyu , Sun Xiaofu , Zhu Qinggong , Zheng Lirong , Zhang Jing , Xing Xueqing , Wu Zhonghua , Han Buxing
Published: February 2023

Amorphous nano-metal catalysts often exhibit appealing catalytic properties, because the intrinsic linear scaling relationship can be broken. However, accurate control synthesis of amorphous nano-metal catalysts with desired size and morphology is a challenge. In this work, we discover that Cu(0) could be oxidized to amorphous CuxO species by supercritical CO2. The formation process of the amorphous CuxO is elucidated with the aid of machine learning. Based on this finding, a method to prepare Cu nanoparticles with an amorphous shell is proposed by supercritical CO2 treatment followed by electroreduction. The unique feature of this method is that the size of the particles with amorphous shell can be easily controlled because their size depends on that of the original crystal Cu nanoparticles. Moreover, the thickness of the amorphous shell can be easily controlled by CO2 pressure and/or treatment time. The obtained amorphous Cu shell exhibits high selectivity for C2+ products with the Faradaic efficiency of 84% and current density of 320 mA cm−2. Especially, the FE of C2+ oxygenates can reach up to 65.3 %, which is different obviously from the crystalline Cu catalysts.
Hierarchical graph learning for protein–protein interaction
Authors: Gao Ziqi , Jiang Chenran , Zhang Jiawen , Jiang Xiaosen , Li Lanqing , Zhao Peilin , Yang Huanming , Huang Yong , Li Jia
Published: February 2023

Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) are fundamental means of functions and signalings in biological systems. The massive growth in demand and cost associated with experimental PPI studies calls for computational tools for automated prediction and understanding of PPIs. Despite recent progress, in silico methods remain inadequate in modeling the natural PPI hierarchy. Here we present a double-viewed hierarchical graph learning model, HIGH-PPI, to predict PPIs and extrapolate the molecular details involved. In this model, we create a hierarchical graph, in which a node in the PPI network (top outside-of-protein view) is a protein graph (bottom inside-of-protein view). In the bottom view, a group of chemically relevant descriptors, instead of the protein sequences, are used to better capture the structure-function relationship of the protein. HIGH-PPI examines both outside-of-protein and inside-of-protein of the human interactome to establish a robust machine understanding of PPIs. This model demonstrates high accuracy and robustness in predicting PPIs. Moreover, HIGH-PPI can interpret the modes of action of PPIs by identifying important binding and catalytic sites precisely. Overall, “HIGH-PPI [https://github.com/zqgao22/HIGH-PPI]” is a domain-knowledge-driven and interpretable framework for PPI prediction studies.
Hyperbolic band topology with non-trivial second Chern numbers
Authors: Zhang Weixuan , Di Fengxiao , Zheng Xingen , Sun Houjun , Zhang Xiangdong
Published: February 2023

Topological band theory establishes a standardized framework for classifying different types of topological matters. Recent investigations have shown that hyperbolic lattices in non-Euclidean space can also be characterized by hyperbolic Bloch theorem. This theory promotes the investigation of hyperbolic band topology, where hyperbolic topological band insulators protected by first Chern numbers have been proposed. Here, we report a new finding on the construction of hyperbolic topological band insulators with a vanished first Chern number but a non-trivial second Chern number. Our model possesses the non-abelian translational symmetry of {8,8} hyperbolic tiling. By engineering intercell couplings and onsite potentials of sublattices in each unit cell, the non-trivial bandgaps with quantized second Chern numbers can appear. In experiments, we fabricate two types of finite hyperbolic circuit networks with periodic boundary conditions and partially open boundary conditions to detect hyperbolic topological band insulators. Our work suggests a new way to engineer hyperbolic topological states with higher-order topological invariants.
Photocatalytic CO2 reduction with aminoanthraquinone organic dyes
Authors: Lei Qinqin , Yuan Huiqing , Du Jiehao , Ming Mei , Yang Shuang , Chen Ya , Lei Jingxiang , Han Zhiji
Published: February 2023

The direct utilization of solar energy to convert CO2 into renewable chemicals remains a challenge. One essential difficulty is the development of efficient and inexpensive light-absorbers. Here we show a series of aminoanthraquinone organic dyes to promote the efficiency for visible light-driven CO2 reduction to CO when coupled with an Fe porphyrin catalyst. Importantly, high turnover numbers can be obtained for both the photosensitizer and the catalyst, which has not been achieved in current light-driven systems. Structure-function study performed with substituents having distinct electronic effects reveals that the built-in donor-acceptor property of the photosensitizer significantly promotes the photocatalytic activity. We anticipate this study gives insight into the continued development of advanced photocatalysts for solar energy conversion.
A variational algorithm to detect the clonal copy number substructure of tumors from scRNA-seq data
Authors: De Falco Antonio , Caruso Francesca , Su Xiao-Dong , Iavarone Antonio , Ceccarelli Michele
Published: February 2023

Single-cell RNA sequencing is the reference technology to characterize the composition of the tumor microenvironment and to study tumor heterogeneity at high resolution. Here we report Single CEll Variational ANeuploidy analysis (SCEVAN), a fast variational algorithm for the deconvolution of the clonal substructure of tumors from single-cell RNA-seq data. It uses a multichannel segmentation algorithm exploiting the assumption that all the cells in a given copy number clone share the same breakpoints. Thus, the smoothed expression profile of every individual cell constitutes part of the evidence of the copy number profile in each subclone. SCEVAN can automatically and accurately discriminate between malignant and non-malignant cells, resulting in a practical framework to analyze tumors and their microenvironment. We apply SCEVAN to datasets encompassing 106 samples and 93,322 cells from different tumor types and technologies. We demonstrate its application to characterize the intratumor heterogeneity and geographic evolution of malignant brain tumors.
A monofluoride ether-based electrolyte solution for fast-charging and low-temperature non-aqueous lithium metal batteries
Authors: Zhang Guangzhao , Chang Jian , Wang Liguang , Li Jiawei , Wang Chaoyang , Wang Ruo , Shi Guoli , Yu Kai , Huang Wei , Zheng Honghe , Wu Tianpin , Deng Yonghong , Lu Jun
Published: February 2023

The electrochemical stability window of the electrolyte solution limits the energy content of non-aqueous lithium metal batteries. In particular, although electrolytes comprising fluorinated solvents show good oxidation stability against high-voltage positive electrode active materials such as LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811), the ionic conductivity is adversely affected and, thus, the battery cycling performance at high current rates and low temperatures. To address these issues, here we report the design and synthesis of a monofluoride ether as an electrolyte solvent with Li-F and Li-O tridentate coordination chemistries. The monofluoro substituent (-CH2F) in the solvent molecule, differently from the difluoro (-CHF2) and trifluoro (-CF3) counterparts, improves the electrolyte ionic conductivity without narrowing the oxidation stability. Indeed, the electrolyte solution with the monofluoride ether solvent demonstrates good compatibility with positive and negative electrodes in a wide range of temperatures (i.e., from −60 °C to +60 °C) and at high charge/discharge rates (e.g., at 17.5 mA cm−2). Using this electrolyte solution, we assemble and test a 320 mAh Li||NCM811 multi-layer pouch cell, which delivers a specific energy of 426 Wh kg−1 (based on the weight of the entire cell) and capacity retention of 80% after 200 cycles at 0.8/8 mA cm−2 charge/discharge rate and 30 °C.