bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
National survey of sepsis proficiency in Swiss neonatal units
Authors: Giannoni Eric , Asper Nina , Moser Mireille , Rosa-Mangeret Flavia , Calandra Thierry , Stocker Martin , Schuler-Barazzoni Mirjam , Meylan Sylvain
Published: January 2025

Optimizing sepsis proficiency of healthcare professionals is key to improving outcomes. We aimed to evaluate sepsis knowledge and management proficiency in neonatal units in Switzerland. This cross-sectional survey, tailored to profession, probed physician and nurses’ self-assessment of sepsis knowledge and management proficiency, sepsis definitions and epidemiology, and sepsis diagnostics and management proficiency in seven of nine tertiary care neonatal units. For proficiency, points were given based on the accuracy of answers on diagnosis and management in vignette clinical questions. Participants’ scores were computed by summing points and expressed in percent of the total available points. The questionnaire was completed by 108/158 physicians (68.3%) and 418/732 nurses (57.1%). Median proficiency of physicians and nurses were 73.1% (Q1-Q3, 68.8–77.4%) and 59.1% (Q1-Q3, 52.3–65.9%). Physicians displayed an imbalance between proficiency and self-assessment. Nurses displayed a significant association between proficiency and self assessment of management but none with self-assessment of knowledge. A higher proficiency in theoretical questions did not correlate with proficiency in decision-making (physicians: R = 0.13, nurses R = 0.24). For instance, while over 90% of physicians and 80% of nurses recognized clinical risk factors and signs of sepsis, and actions to prioritize, in a vignette, 22.2% of physicians and 34.0% of nurses did not recognize the need for antibiotics within 1 h in an extremely preterm newborn with signs of deterioration and phlebitis around a central line. We identified knowledge gaps, a need to better transduce knowledge into decision-making, and potential for improved self-assessment. Targeted simulation training could address these shortcomings.
Reducing the CO2 footprint at an LNG asset with replicate trains using operational data-driven analysis. A case study on end flash vessels
Authors: Paleja Rakesh , Osemwinyen Ekhorutomwen , Jones Matthew , Ayoola John , Pitchumani Raghuraman , Jonathan Philip
Published: January 2025

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility often incorporates replicate liquefaction trains. The performance of equivalent units across trains, designed using common numerical models, might be expected to be similar. In this article, we discuss statistical analysis of real plant data to validate this assumption. Analysis of operational data for end flash vessels from a pair of replicate trains at an LNG facility indicates that one train produces 2.8%–6.4% more end flash gas than the other. We then develop statistical models for train operation, facilitating reduced flaring and hence a reduction of up to 45% in CO2 equivalent flaring emissions, noting that flaring emissions for a typical LNG facility account for ~4%–8% of the overall facility emissions. We recommend that operational data-driven models be considered generally to improve the performance of LNG facilities and reduce their CO2 footprint, particularly when replica units are present.
Mode-to-mode nonlinear energy transfer in turbulent channel flows
Authors: Ding Jitong , Chung Daniel , Illingworth Simon J.
Published: January 2025

We investigate nonlinear energy transfer for channel flows at friction Reynolds numbers

$Re_{\tau }=180$

and

$590$

. The key feature of the analysis is that we quantify the energy transferred from a source mode to a recipient mode, with each mode characterised by a streamwise wavenumber and a spanwise wavenumber. This is achieved through an explicit examination of the triadic interactions of the nonlinear energy transfer term in the spectral turbulent kinetic energy equation. First, we quantify the nonlinear energy transfer gain and loss for individual Fourier modes. The gain and loss cannot be obtained without expanding the nonlinear triadic interactions. Second, we quantify the nonlinear energy transfer budgets for three types of modes. Each type of mode is characterised by a specific region in streamwise–spanwise wavenumber space. We find that a transverse cascade from streamwise-elongated modes to spanwise-elongated modes exists for all three types of modes. Third, we quantify the forward and inverse cascades between resolved scales and subgrid scales in the spirit of large-eddy simulations. For the cutoff wavelength range that we consider, the forward and inverse cascades between the resolved scales and subgrid scales result in a net forward cascade from the resolved scales to the subgrid scales. The shape of the net forward cascade curve with respect to the cutoff wavelength resembles the net forward cascade predicted by the Smagorinsky eddy viscosity.
The moth fauna is more diverse in the understorey than in the canopy in a European forest
Authors: Böttger Dennis , Singh Rachit Pratap , Friedrich Egbert , Brehm Gunnar
Published: January 2025

The canopy of forests as the ‘last biotic frontier’ has often been neglected in insect biodiversity studies because it is harder to access compared to the understorey, even in relatively well-known temperate ecosystems. We investigated the diversity, abundance, and body size patterns of macromoths (Lepidoptera) in the canopy and understorey in a central European deciduous forest. We collected moths at two sites during 19 trapping nights and three lunar phases between July and September 2021 using a weak ultraviolet light emitting diode (LED) lamp (LepiLED mini). Overall, we captured 4368 individuals (165 species) from 11 families. Based on a number of metrics, richness and diversity was significantly lower in the canopy than in the understorey. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordinations show that communities largely overlap, but the proportion of species that only occur in the understorey was higher. While Noctuidae and Erebidae species were abundant in both strata, Geometridae species were most frequently observed in the understorey. We identified 16 indicator species for the understorey but only three for the canopy. Forewing length of moths in the canopy was on average 1.7 mm longer than of those in the understorey. Overall, the understorey is far more important for moths than the canopy in a temperate forest. The canopy is dominated by fewer and larger species and probably has a higher proportion of dispersers.
Influence of different temperatures and diets on the life cycle of invasive species Conogethes punctiferalis
Authors: Ramzan Muhammad , Shi Longfei , Pang Tianyuan , Chen Xiangzhi , Li Ruonan , Almaary Khalid S. , Zhang Yongjun
Published: January 2025

Understanding the interactive effects of temperature and diet on insect life cycles is crucial for effective pest management. Here, the influence of different temperatures and diets on the life cycle of Conogethes punctiferalis was investigated using the age-stage, two-sex life table analysis. The results support the hypothesis that temperature and diets (maize, apple, and artificial diet) significantly influence the entire life cycle performance of C. punctiferalis. The duration of larval development was significantly prolonged, whereas adult lifespan was shortened and showed lower reproductive capacity on apple and artificial diet than maize. The total pre-oviposition period was longer on apples than on maize and artificial diet at both temperatures (20, 26°C). The highest r (0.113 d−1), λ (1.128 d−1), R0 (57.213), and GRR (75.54) of C. punctiferalis were found on maize at 26°C, while the highest T (45.062) was found on apples. Similar results were obtained in the age-specific survival curves (sxj), fecundity (mx), maternity (lxmx), and reproductive value (vxj) of YPM on different host plants when exposed to 20°C. These findings highlight the need for further research into the complex interactions between temperature, diet, and insect life history traits to develop effective pest management strategies and enhance our understanding of insect ecology in agroecosystems.
Similar host instar preferences by three sympatric parasitoids of Chielomenes sexmaculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): potential host niche overlapping
Authors: Cheng Chung-Han , Hwang Shaw-Yhi
Published: January 2025

Parasitoids employ diverse oviposition strategies to enhance offspring survival and maximise fitness gains from hosts. Ladybird parasitoids, significant natural enemies of ladybirds, have the potential to disrupt biocontrol efforts, yet their biology and ecology remain poorly understood. This study investigated the host–parasitoid interaction among three sympatric larval endoparasitoids of Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): Homalotylus hemipterinus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), Nothoserphus mirabilis (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupidae) and Oomyzus scaposus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Our objective was to understand host instar preferences from five perspectives related to host profitability, handling difficulty or parasitism decision-making, and to examine the occupation rates of each parasitoid in different host instars. Host profitability was determined by development time, adult offspring dry mass, sex ratio, brood size, parasitism success rate and host handling time. Host handling difficulty was evaluated through host defensive behaviour and handling time. Parasitism decision-making was evaluated through acceptance rate and preference score that considered the first reaction of female wasp to the host. Results showed that each parasitoid responded differently to the host from various perspectives. However, the first two suitable hosts of these parasitoids overlap on the third instar host, with first to third instar hosts being ideal for H. hemipterinus, and third to fourth instar hosts being ideal for N. mirabilis and O. scaposus. In the field, the occupation rate of each parasitoid in third instar host was influenced by the population of N. mirabilis, implying its superior competitiveness. This study reveals the host instar preferences of ladybird parasitoids and highlights the potential for interspecific competition.
Changes in juvenile hormone titres and differential expression of related genes at different stages of Coccinella septempunctata L. female adults supplied with an artificial diet and aphid diet
Authors: Cheng Ying , Zhou Yuhang
Published: January 2025

Juvenile hormone (JH) regulates multiple physiological functions in insects including growth, metamorphosis, and reproduction. Juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase (JHEH) and juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) are degradative enzymes that metabolise JH, and JH receptor (methoprene-tolerant, Met) functions in the regulation of female reproduction and vitellogenesis. In this study, JH titres in Coccinella septempunctata adult females were determined using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry; the JH titres ranged from 0.03 to 0.16 ng g−1 in 5- to 30-day-old female adults. JHEH, JHE, and Met expression were studied in different reproductive stages of C. septempunctata females by quantitative real-time PCR. JHEH transcription levels were highest in 25-day-old female adults and were 1.93-fold higher than expression levels in 5-day-old adults. JHEH and JHE expression levels were inhibited by the addition of JH to the artificial diet. Met expression in C. septempunctata supplied with 3 μl JH in artificial diet was similar to Met transcription in females supplied with an aphid diet, and the results showed that supplementation with 3 μl JH in 582.2 g of artificial diet was the most suitable for reproductive regulation of C. septempunctata. The results of this study provide important insights for the improvement of C. septempunctata artificial diets.
Vapour heat as a potential means of controlling insects in stored dates
Authors: Zinhoum Rasha A. , Negm Amira A. K. H. , El-Shafei W. K. M.
Published: January 2025

Post-harvest treatments are very critical in accepting the exported dates. However, stored dates are attacked by a wide range of stored pests causing serious damage to yield. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of treating stored dates variety Siwi with vapour heat on almond moth Ephestia cautella (Walker), the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), the saw-toothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis Linnaeus, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and the drugstore beetle Stegobium paniceum (L.) of stored dates. Additionally, the effects of vapour heat on the quality and microbial load of treated dates were examined. The tested insects were infested and randomly distributed to eight positions inside a vapour heat chamber at 46.5°C and 95% relative humidity for 30 min. The results showed that a 120 cm height from the vapour heat source led 100% mortality in all tested insects. Furthermore, the treatment of vapour heat had a great efficacy to eliminate infestations. Meanwhile, the vapour heat treatment slightly reduced the microbial load of stored dates, and non-significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected the chemical and physical characteristics of the stored dates. Therefore, vapour heat is a safe and environmentally friendly insect pest control alternative for exported dates.
More eggs are not more sires: long-term monogamy reduces fertility in a predatory ladybird
Authors: Steindorff Gabriela Streppel , Pontes Wendel José Teles
Published: January 2025

Multiple mating is a behaviour observed across various polyandrous insect species. It is suggested that, in ladybirds, this strategy of multiple copulations is used to enhance fecundity and fertility through sperm replenishment. Studies on sperm depletion need to correlate fertility with the presence of spermatozoa in the spermatheca. This study investigates the role of sperm replenishment in the ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri. We hypothesised that females of this species exhibit fecundity and fertility rates proportional to the number of sperm replenishment opportunities (constant, periodic or absent). We observed oviposition behaviour and hatching rates over 30 days, and simultaneously tested for sperm depletion in females that copulated once. We dissected the spermathecae at four post-copulation moments to count spermatozoa under a microscope. Our results indicate that a single copulation suffices to maintain fertility for at least 30 days. Females with constant replenishment opportunities exhibited higher fecundity but lower fertility and increased mortality, suggesting a reproductive cost associated with frequent mating. Females with no replenishment during the experiment, exhibited the highest hatchability rate and lowest oviposition. Periodic copulation resulted in optimal female mating rate, with average fertility and fecundity. A plausible hypothesis would be that paired females choose to fertilise fewer eggs from a single male but are unable to control the effects of the oviposition stimulus induced by the male's presence. These findings have implications for the management and rearing of C. montrouzieri in biological control programmes, optimizing mating strategies for mass production.
Reconsidering remission in recurrent late-life depression: clinical presentation and phenotypic predictors of relapse following successful antidepressant treatment
Authors: Taylor Warren D. , Butters Meryl A. , Elson Damian , Szymkowicz Sarah M. , Jennette Kyle , Baker Kiara , Renfro Brianca , Georgaras Angie , Krafty Robert , Andreescu Carmen , Ajilore Olusola
Published: January 2025

Background:

Late-life depression (LLD) is characterized by repeated recurrent depressive episodes even with maintenance treatment. It is unclear what clinical and cognitive phenotypic characteristics present during remission predict future recurrence.

Methods:

Participants (135 with remitted LLD and 69 comparison subjects across three institutions) completed baseline phenotyping, including psychiatric, medical, and social history, psychiatric symptom and personality trait assessment, and neuropsychological testing. Participants were clinically assessed every two months for two years while receiving standard antidepressant treatment. Analyses examined group differences in phenotypic measure using general linear models. Concurrent associations between phenotypic measures and diagnostic groups were examined using LASSO logistic regression.

Results:

Sixty (44%) LLD participants experienced a relapse over the two-year period. Numerous phenotypic measures across all domains differed between remitted LLD and comparison participants. Only residual depressive symptom severity, rumination, medical comorbidity, and executive dysfunction significantly predicted LLD classification. Fewer measures differed between relapsing and sustained remission LLD subgroups, with the relapsing group exhibiting greater antidepressant treatment intensity, greater fatigue, rumination, and disability, higher systolic blood pressure, greater life stress and lower instrumental social support. Relapsing group classification was informed by antidepressant treatment intensity, lower instrumental social support, and greater life stress.

Conclusions:

A wide range of phenotypic factors differed between remitted LLD and comparison groups. Fewer measures differed between relapsing and sustained remission LLD subgroups, with less social support and greater stress informing vulnerability to subsequent relapse. This research suggests potential targets for relapse prevention and emphasizes the need for clinically translatable relapse biomarkers to inform care.
A systematic review of pre-pandemic resilience factors and mental health outcomes in adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Wiedemann Anna , Gupta Radhika , Okey Catherine , Galante Julieta , Jones Peter B.
Published: January 2025

Adolescence and young adulthood are sensitive developmental periods to environmental influences. Investigating pre-emptive measures against stressors, such as those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, on mental health is crucial. We aimed to synthesize evidence on pre-pandemic resilience factors shaping youth mental health outcomes during this period. For this pre-registered systematic review, we searched seven databases for longitudinal studies of youth populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing a priori defined resilience factors at the individual, family, or community level before the pandemic. Studies required validated mental health or wellbeing measures collected both before and during the pandemic. Study quality was assessed using the corresponding NIH Quality Assessment Tool. From 4,419 unique records, 32 studies across 12 countries were included, using 46 distinct resilience measures. Due to the heterogeneity of study designs, we applied a narrative synthesis approach, finding that resilience factors were generally associated with better mental health outcomes both prior to and during the pandemic. However, most factors did not mitigate pandemic-related mental health effects. Nonetheless, family-level resilience factors emerged as promising under specific conditions. Study quality was generally fair, with concerns in resilience assessment and sampling quality. Future research should prioritize rigorous study designs and comprehensive resilience assessments.
Efficacy and safety of the adenosine administration test in the management of Wolff–Parkinson–White pattern in children with delta waves
Authors: Kogawa Kentaro , Ito Reiji , Hirano Daishi , Hoshino Kenji
Published: January 2025

Background:

The Wolff–Parkinson–White pattern is a delta wave frequently detected in school-based cardiovascular screening programs in Japan. Although most children with Wolff–Parkinson–White pattern are asymptomatic, initial symptoms may include syncope or sudden death, necessitating accurate diagnosis and management. Delta waves can also indicate a fasciculoventricular pathway, which poses no risk and does not require management.

Methods:

We reviewed the medical records of patients referred to our hospital between April 2008 and March 2022 to evaluate the electrocardiographic signs of the Wolff–Parkinson–White pattern. The existence of Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome and fasciculoventricular pathway were determined based on atrioventricular block and QRS waveform changes after adenosine administration during sinus rhythm.

Results:

The study cohort included 127 children (65 males; median age: 12.8 years, resting heart rate: 75 beats/min, PR interval: 109 ms, and QRS duration: 101 ms). The adenosine administration test revealed a fasciculoventricular pathway, Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome, and indeterminate findings in 64, 54, and 9 children, respectively. More than 60% of children with a QRS duration ≤ 120 ms had a fasciculoventricular pathway. Age ≤ 12 years, QRS duration >120 ms, and type A category (children with R/S ratios >1 in lead V1) were identified as independent risk factors for Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. No adverse events were observed in any child.

Conclusions:

The adenosine administration test is safe and feasible for differentiating Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome from fasciculoventricular pathways and can reduce the unnecessary management of children with fasciculoventricular pathways.
The graded effects of bilingualism and language ability on children’s cross-situational word learning
Authors: Crespo Kimberly , Kaushanskaya Margarita
Published: January 2025

The present study examined whether length of bilingual experience and language ability contributed to cross-situational word learning (XSWL) in Spanish-English bilingual school-aged children. We contrasted performance in a high variability condition, where children were exposed to multiple speakers and exemplars simultaneously, to performance in a condition where children were exposed to no variability in either speakers or exemplars. Results revealed graded effects of bilingualism and language ability on XSWL under conditions of increased variability. Specifically, bilingualism bolstered learning when variability was present in the input but not when variability was absent in the input. Similarly, robust language abilities supported learning in the high variability condition. In contrast, children with weaker language skills learned more word-object associations in the no variability condition than in the high variability condition. Together, the results suggest that variation in the learner and variation in the input interact and modulate mechanisms of lexical learning in children.
Post‐Fire Sediment Yield From a Western Sierra Nevada Watershed Burned by the 2021 Caldor Fire
Authors: East Amy E. , Logan Joshua B. , Dartnell Peter , Dow Helen W. , Lindsay Donald N. , Cavagnaro David B.
Published: January 2025

Watershed sediment yield commonly increases after wildfire, often causing negative impacts to downstream infrastructure and water resources. Post‐fire erosion is important to understand and quantify because it is increasingly placing water supplies, habitat, communities, and infrastructure at risk as fire regimes intensify in a warming climate. However, measurements of post‐fire sediment mobilization are lacking from many regions. We measured sediment yield from a forested, heavily managed 25.4‐km2 watershed in the western Sierra Nevada, California, over 2 years following the 2021 Caldor Fire, by repeat mapping of a reservoir where sediment accumulated from terrain with moderate to high soil burn severity. Sediment yield was less than the geochronology‐derived long‐term average in the first year post‐fire (conservatively estimated at 21.8–28.0 t/km2), low enough to be difficult to measure with uncrewed airborne system (UAS) and bathymetric sonar survey methods that are most effective at detecting larger sedimentary signals. In the second year post‐fire the sediment delivery was 1,560–2,010 t/km2, an order of magnitude above long‐term values, attributable to greater precipitation and intensive salvage logging. Hillslope erosion simulated by the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model overestimated the measured amount by a factor of 90 in the first year and in the second year by a factor (1.9) that aligned with previously determined model performance in northern California. We encourage additional field studies, and validation of erosion models where feasible, to further expand the range of conditions informing post‐fire hazard assessments and management decisions.
Lower Tropospheric Response to Local Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies: A Numerical Study in the EUREC4 ${\text{EUREC}}^{4}$A Region
Authors: Borgnino M. , Desbiolles F. , Meroni A. N. , Pasquero C.
Published: January 2025

Ocean and atmosphere exchange energy and mass at their interface at a rate that depends on the dynamical and thermodynamical disequilibrium between water and air. In this work, using an atmospheric model forced by observed high resolution sea surface temperature (SST) fields, we show that the air‐sea disequilibrium is also maintained by atmospheric processes driven by fine scale SST patterns. The analysis focuses on north‐western tropical Atlantic and indicates that fine scale SST anomalies modulate the air column stability and the entrainment of dry air at boundary layer top. The main effect is a modification in near surface temperature and moisture content, which produces a negative response of relative humidity to local SST variability, resulting in a larger sensitivity of latent than sensible heat fluxes to local SST anomalies. Such sensitivities are quantified as 95% and 70% of fluxes upper bound, estimated with local atmospheric properties uncorrelated with SST anomalies.
Direct Observations of North Pacific Subsurface Low Potential Vorticity Water Impinging on the Kuroshio
Authors: Wang Ran , Ren Qiang , Nan Feng , Yu Fei , Chen Zifei , Liu Yansong , Wang Jianfeng , Zhang Chuanzheng , Zhao Ruixiang , Zheng Hua , Zhu Xiaohua
Published: January 2025

In this study, for the first time, we found a Subsurface Low Potential Vorticity Water (SLPVW) to the east of Taiwan Island (122–124, 21.67–23) via an array comprising 12 current and pressure‐recording inverted echo sounders (CPIESs) from 25 June 2018 to 29 July 2019. This SLPVW exhibits remarkable intraseasonal variability, with an ∼100‐day period east of Taiwan Island, corresponding with the variability in mesoscale eddies. Compared with large‐scale climatological mean circulation, mesoscale eddy can trap SLPVW as a highway westward transport. In addition, the SLPVW impingement results in a significant subsurface velocity variation (about 10 cm/s) in the 200–400 m layer. These findings shed new light on the mechanisms of the intraseasonal variation in the Kuroshio subsurface layer.
Stochastic Multi‐Observables Inversion for the 3D Thermochemical Structure of Lithosphere in Spherical Coordinates: Theory and Synthetic Examinations
Authors: Zhang Yi , Xu Yixian
Published: January 2025

The physical properties of the lithospheric and upper mantle's rock are determined by its composition and the in situ temperature and pressure conditions. Together, they have been referred to as the thermochemical structure. Information about the upper mantle's thermochemical structure could be obtained using methods from different disciplines of the earth sciences, in which the geophysical approaches show potential to map the 3D variations on both the regional and global scales. Thus, techniques for investigating the thermochemical structure in the spherical coordinates are needed, including forward modeling of the geophysical observables, calculating schemes of the thermophysical properties for the lithologies, and effective inversion algorithm, which is particularly important for large‐scale applications. This paper first demonstrates an adaptive meshing architecture based on the tetrahedral mesh by the sophisticated constructions in a spherical shell. Techniques that enable rapid calculations of the thermophysical properties of the upper mantle's rocks are introduced in length. Methodologies for constructing 3D thermochemical models and forward modeling geophysical observations, including an inversion sub‐routine that couples the lithostatic pressure and density variations to forward modeling, are introduced and examined in detail using synthetic data sets. We then introduce methods for determining 3D thermochemical structures of the upper mantle. The inverse problem is treated as a multi‐task evaluation process and solved using advanced stochastic optimizing techniques. Estimated uncertainties of the resultant thermochemical models are obtained simultaneously for error analysis. The proposed forward modeling and inversion techniques are validated using synthetic data sets in both forward and inversion circumstances. Limitations and further developments are discussed in the subsequent concluding remarks.
Activators of the 26S proteasome when protein degradation increases
Authors: Lee Donghoon
Published: January 2025

In response to extra- and intracellular stimuli that constantly challenge and disturb the proteome, cells rapidly change their proteolytic capacity to maintain proteostasis. Failure of such efforts often becomes a major cause of diseases or is associated with exacerbation. Increase in protein breakdown occurs at multiple steps in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and the regulation of ubiquitination has been extensively studied. However, the activities of the 26S proteasome are also stimulated, especially under highly catabolic conditions such as those associated with atrophying skeletal muscle, proteotoxic stress such as heat shock and arsenite, or hormonal cues such as cAMP or cGMP agonists. Among the proteins that enhance proteasomal degradation are the PKA, PKG, UBL-UBA proteins and the Zn finger AN1-type domain (ZFAND) family proteins. ZFAND proteins are of particular interest because of their inducible expression in response to various stimuli and their abilities to control protein quality by stimulating the 26S proteasome and p97/VCP. The regulatory roles of ZFAND proteins appear to be important not only for the control of protein degradation but also for other cellular processes, such as mRNA stability and signaling pathways. This review summarizes the known functions of proteasome activators and discusses their possible roles in regulating proteostasis and other cellular processes.
Maternal effects in the model system Daphnia: the ecological past meets the epigenetic future
Authors: Agrelius Trenton C. , Dudycha Jeffry L.
Published: January 2025

Maternal effects have been shown to play influential roles in many evolutionary and ecological processes. However, understanding how environmental stimuli induce within-generation responses that transverse across generations remains elusive, particularly when attempting to segregate confounding effects from offspring genotypes. This review synthesizes literature regarding resource- and predation-driven maternal effects in the model system Daphnia, detailing how the maternal generation responds to the environmental stimuli and the maternal effects seen in the offspring generation(s). Our goal is to demonstrate the value of Daphnia as a model system by showing how general principles of maternal effects emerge from studies on this system. By integrating the results across different types of biotic drivers of maternal effects, we identified broadly applicable shared characteristics: 1. Many, but not all, maternal effects involve offspring size, influencing resistance to starvation, infection, predation, and toxins. 2. Maternal effects manifest more strongly when the offspring’s environment is poor. 3. Strong within-generation responses are typically associated with strong across-generation responses. 4. The timing of the maternal stress matters and can raise or lower the magnitude of the effect on the offspring’s phenotype. 5. Embryonic exposure effects could be mistaken for maternal effects. We outline questions to prioritize for future research and discuss the possibilities for integration of ecologically relevant studies of maternal effects in natural populations with the molecular mechanisms that make them possible, specifically by addressing genetic variation and incorporating information on epigenetics. These small crustaceans can unravel how and why non-genetic information gets passed to future generations.
Structural basis for the transport and regulation mechanism of the multidrug resistance-associated protein 2
Authors: Koide Eriko , Pietz Harlan L. , Beltran Jean , Chen Jue
Published: January 2025

Multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) is an ATP-powered exporter important for maintaining liver homeostasis and a potential contributor to chemotherapeutic resistance. Using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we determine the structures of human MRP2 in three conformational states: an autoinhibited state, a substrate-bound pre-translocation state, and an ATP-bound post-translocation state. In the autoinhibited state, the cytosolic regulatory (R) domain plugs into the transmembrane substrate-binding site and extends into the cytosol to form a composite ATP-binding site at the surface of nucleotide-binding domain 2. Substrate displaces the R domain, permitting conformational changes necessary for transport. These observations suggest that the R domain functions as a selectivity gauge, where only at sufficiently high concentrations can the substrate effectively initiate transport. Comparative structural analyzes of MRP2 bound to various substrates, as determined in this study and others, reveal how MRP2 recognizes a diverse array of compounds, supporting its role in multidrug resistance.
New Silurian aculiferan fossils reveal complex early history of Mollusca
Authors: Sutton Mark D. , Sigwart Julia D. , Briggs Derek E. G. , Gueriau Pierre , King Andrew , Siveter David J. , Siveter Derek J.
Published: January 2025

Mollusca is the second most species-rich animal phylum, but the pathways of early molluscan evolution have long been controversial1–5. Modern faunas retain only a fraction of the past forms in this hyperdiverse and long-lived group. Recent analyses6–8 have consistently recovered a fundamental split into two sister clades, Conchifera (including gastropods, bivalves and cephalopods) and Aculifera9, comprising Polyplacophora (‘chitons’) and Aplacophora. Molluscan evolution in toto is characterized by plasticity in body-plan characters10, but historically aculiferans have been interpreted as more conservative10,11. The few completely preserved aculiferan or aculiferan-like fossils from the early Palaeozoic12–19 have been largely regarded as transitional forms that inform questions of character polarity between the extant polyplacophoran and aplacophoran body forms20,21. The history of early aculiferans, and the morphological and ecological range that they occupied, remain inadequately sampled. Here we describe two new three-dimensionally preserved aculiferan species from the Silurian Herefordshire Lagerstätte22,23, which substantially extend the morphological and ecological range of the clade. Phylogenetic analyses indicate positions within a complex nexus of taxa and suggest reversals in the states of fundamental characters such as the presence of valves and the nature of the foot. In contrast to previous hypotheses of morphological conservatism, evolution in early aculiferans generated a profusion of unusual forms comparable to the diversification of other crown-group molluscs.
Biochar filtration of drug-resistant bacteria and active pharmaceutical ingredients to combat antimicrobial resistance
Authors: Fady Paul-Enguerrand , Richardson Alexandra K. , Barron Leon P. , Mason A. James , Volpe Roberto , Barr Meredith R.
Published: January 2025

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major cause of death worldwide, with 1.27 M direct deaths from bacterial drug-resistant infections as of 2019. Dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in the environment, in conjunction with pharmapollution by active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), create and foster an environmental reservoir of AMR. Creative solutions are required to mitigate environmental AMR, while taking into consideration other aspects of the planetary “Triple Crisis” of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Waste lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), a byproduct of agriculture and forestry, is the largest stream of non-edible biomass globally. Through pyrolysis, waste LCB can be converted into biochars, which have excellent attributes for adsorption of pollutants–though no studies have yet reliably correlated production conditions with efficacy, nor considered adsorption of human pathogens. By leveraging a bespoke pyrolysis reactor with precisely controlled parameters, we show that production conditions substantially affect sequestration of clinical bacterial isolates, removing up to 94% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa RP73 and 85% of Staphylococcus aureus EMRSA-15. In addition, we show that chars produced at higher peak pyrolysis temperatures (450 °C) can remove up to 88% of the antibiotic clarithromycin from wastewater, as well as significant proportions of many other APIs with varied physicochemical characteristics. These findings provide a first-in-kind insight into how production conditions affect the ability of biochars to mitigate environmental AMR.
Harnessing light-activated gallium porphyrins to combat intracellular Staphylococcus aureus using an in vitro keratinocyte infection model
Authors: Szymczak Klaudia , Rychłowski Michał , Zhang Lei , Nakonieczna Joanna
Published: January 2025

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) can survive inside nonprofessional phagocytes such as keratinocytes, enabling it to evade antibiotics and cause recurrent infections once treatment stops. New antibacterial strategies to eliminate intracellular, multidrug-resistant bacteria are needed. This study used a keratinocyte model infected with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) to test light-activated compounds, specifically heme-mimetic gallium (III) porphyrin (Ga3+CHP) and visible light, known as antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI), for eliminating intracellular MRSA. Ga3+CHP was found to accumulate more in infected cells, particularly within lysosomal structures where MRSA resides. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy revealed significant colocalization of MRSA and Ga3+CHP. Under aPDI, MRSA showed reduced adhesion to host cells and a 70% reduction in the GFP signal from intracellular bacteria. Additionally, light-activated Ga3+CHP significantly decreased the number of extracellular bacteria, reducing the potential for further infection. This study is the first to analyze aPDI toxicity in real time within an infection model, demonstrating that this method is neither cytotoxic nor phototoxic.
Controllable synthesis of Pd and Pt shells on Au nanoparticles with electrodeposition
Authors: Elabbadi Mohsen , Boukouvala Christina , Ringe Emilie
Published: January 2025

Shells of Pd and Pt were synthesized on Au nanoparticles by electrodeposition, leading to controllable size and optical properties. This approach yielded core–shell structures with good homogeneity in size after the optimization of electrochemical parameters such as deposition current and charge transfer, as well as nanoparticle surface treatment. Dark field scattering microscopy and spectroscopy were used to track changes in the optical response of individual particles during deposition. The deposition of thin shells of Pd or Pt initially leads to a damping of the Au localized surface plasmon resonance which is followed by its redshift and an increase in scattering intensity. These changes were rationalized with numerical calculations and correlated with electron microscopy analyses revealing the morphology and thickness of Pd and Pt shells. This electrochemical approach provides a new pathway for the synthesis of bimetallic structures with catalytic surfaces.
Peony diagram modeling for improving the easy disassembly design of mobile electronic products
Authors: Huang Junling , Cui Chuangchuang , Jiang Wei , Zhu Libin
Published: January 2025

Designing mobile electronic products for easy disassembly is crucial for promoting resource recycling. However, many current approaches overlook the need to consider the disassembly of parts from the perspective of the overall product structure and practical recycling requirements, leading to potentially suboptimal or unnecessary optimization strategies. This study introduces a novel visual disassembly information model called the “Peony Diagram.” This model uses a multi-layer ring diagram to depict part hierarchies and constraint relationships and employs specific symbols to convey part disassembly information and highlight key components. The difficulty of disassembling individual parts is assessed by calculating difficulty coefficients based on quantified disassembly information in the model. To validate the model’s effectiveness, a smartphone was used as a case study to determine the shortest disassembly sequence and evaluate disassembly difficulty for both single and multiple parts. The findings demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately assess the ease of disassembly of key components during product repair and recycling. Consequently, it can suggest strategies to enhance recycling and disassembly efficiency and reduce the difficulty of disassembling critical parts.
A perfusion-independent high-throughput method to isolate liver sinusoidal endothelial cells
Authors: Babin-Ebell Gonçalves Anna , Mao Yifang , Baljkas Tinja , Wiedmann Felix , Eis Larissa , Pilz Franziska , Winkler Manuel , Kürschner-Zacharias Sina W. , Hoffarth Marlene , Funaya Charlotta , Shahidi Réza , Géraud Cyrill , Wu Chi-Chung , Schmidt Constanze , Goerdt Sergij , Reiners-Koch Philipp-Sebastian , Singhal Mahak
Published: January 2025

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) critically regulate homeostatic liver function and liver pathogenesis. However, the isolation of LSECs remains a major technological bottleneck in studying molecular mechanisms governing LSEC functions. Current techniques to isolate LSECs, relying on perfusion-dependent liver digestion, are cumbersome with limited throughput. We here describe a perfusion-independent high-throughput procedure to isolate LSECs with high purity. Indifferently from previous perfusion-independent approaches, chopped liver tissue was incubated in the digestion mix for 30 minutes with intermittent mixing with a serological pipette. This led to the safeguarding of LSEC integrity and yielded 10 ± 1.0 million LSECs per adult mouse liver, which is far higher than previous perfusion-independent protocols and comparable yield to established perfusion-dependent protocols for isolating LSECs. Combining magnetic and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), LSECs from different zones of the hepatic sinusoid can now be isolated in high numbers in less than two hours for downstream applications including proteomics. Our protocol enables the isolation of LSECs from fibrotic liver tissues from mice and healthy liver tissues from higher vertebrate species (pigs), where traditional perfusion-based digestion protocols have very limited application. In conclusion, these technical advancements reduce post-mortem changes in the LSEC state and aid in reliable investigation of LSEC functions.
SIFT-MS
Authors: Langford Vaughan S , Perkins Mark J
Published: January 2025

Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) is a chromatography-free, direct-analysis technique that is ideally suited to real-time, quantitative analysis of volatile compounds in air at trace concentrations. SIFT-MS utilises highly controlled, soft chemical ionisation – in the form of gas-phase ion–molecule reactions – coupled with mass spectrometry detection to provide both broad-spectrum and specific analysis of volatiles with diverse functionalities.

This book provides readers with a broad understanding of the principles of the SIFT-MS technique and how it differs from conventional chromatographic approaches that are used for analysis of volatiles. It will also aid users to identify existing and new methods where adoption of SIFT-MS would be advantageous, e.g. through reduction in sample preparation or higher throughput, and provides the knowledge and insight required to develop best-practice methods and effectively evaluate the data that they generate and approaches to optimising, validating, and transferring methods to routine analysis and other applications.

This book addresses two needs for SIFT-MS users:

The audience for this book is method developers and laboratory technicians engaged in routine analysis and research laboratories, but it is also well suited to graduate students, reducing the mentoring load for academics and research fellows.
The theoretical investigation of the g-C3N4/ZnS heterojunction for photocatalytic applications
Authors: Ranjbakhsh Elnaz , Izadyar Mohammad
Published: January 2025

Theoretical insights into the ZnS/g-C3N4 heterojunction reveal enhanced photocatalytic properties driven by optimized electronic interactions, providing a promising avenue for solar-driven environmental remediation.
Facile fabrication of biocompatible carbon dots from egg white by one-step neutralization heat reaction: a capillary array-based fluorimetric strategy for high-throughput detection of total iron ions in fish blood
Authors: Wang Di , Wang Ziyi , Wang Lily Chen , Li Yunyan , Chen Huilan , Feng Luping , Shang Jizhen , Lu Limin , Li Shuai , Wang Hua
Published: January 2025

Protein-sourced CDs (P-CDs) fabricated from egg white by a one-step neutralization heat reaction were coated onto capillary tubes towards a high-throughput fluorimetric method for the determination of total iron ions in fish blood samples.
Development of a new method using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvent for the analysis of multiclass emerging contaminants in surface water by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
Authors: Volpatto Fernanda , Vitali Luciano
Published: January 2025

The hydrophobic NADES produced with butyric acid and thymol was applied for the first time in the extraction of emerging contaminants in surface water.
Biofabricated tissue model for determining biocompatibility of metallic coatings
Authors: Senocak Taha Cagri , Gudeti Pavan Kumar Reddy , Żur-Pińska Joanna , Katarzyna Włodarczyk-Biegun Małgorzata
Published: January 2025

A biofabricated 3D in vitro model merges MEW scaffolds with the GelMa hydrogel to assess the biocompatibility and antibacterial effects of metallic coatings. Nb, Ta, Ti, and Zr enhance cellular activity. Ag and W show strong antibacterial properties.
The role of human intestinal mucus in the prevention of microplastic uptake and cell damage
Authors: van Wijngaarden Ellen W. , Arias Sandra L. , Rhee Matthew , Silberstein Meredith N. , Brito Ilana L.
Published: January 2025

The human mucus layer protects against combined toxins and microplastics preventing cytotoxicity, inflammation, and particle uptake.
Single-atom vs. single-superatom as catalysts for ammonia production
Authors: Kilic Mehmet Emin , Jena Puru
Published: January 2025

A new class of single-superatom catalyst (TiO, ZrO, and WC) supported on graphene is shown to outperform the stability and activity of their corresponding single-atom catalysts (Ni, Pd and Pt) for the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction.
Triple circularly polarized luminescence of phenylalanine-based supramolecular gels regulated by kinetic and thermodynamic assembly pathways
Authors: Tian Enquan , Cao Guanghui , Dong Huanhuan , Xu Zhichao , Shen Zhaocun
Published: January 2025

Under kinetic and thermodynamic pathway control, a single phenylalanine-based gelator self-assembles into various chiral nanostructures with multiple circularly polarized luminescence.
Diselenides as novel effective fluorescence quenchers to construct a two-photon fluorescent probe for thiols in a mouse stroke model
Authors: Ma Tao , Gao Hao , Wu Jun , Zhao Jintao , Chang Bingbing , Zhang Zhibin , Zhang Shengxiang , Zhang Baoxin , Fang Jianguo
Published: January 2025

A fluorescence quenching mechanism using linear diselenides was proposed for the first time through a combination of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET).