bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of collagen oxidation and cross linking in regenerating and irreversibly infarcted myocardium
Authors: Akam-Baxter Eman A. , Bergemann David , Ridley Sterling J. , To Samantha , Andrea Brittany , Moon Brianna , Ma Hua , Zhou Yirong , Aguirre Aaron , Caravan Peter , Gonzalez-Rosa Juan Manuel , Sosnovik David E.
Published: June 2024

In mammalian hearts myocardial infarction produces a permanent collagen-rich scar. Conversely, in zebrafish a collagen-rich scar forms but is completely resorbed as the myocardium regenerates. The formation of cross-links in collagen hinders its degradation but cross-linking has not been well characterized in zebrafish hearts. Here, a library of fluorescent probes to quantify collagen oxidation, the first step in collagen cross-link (CCL) formation, was developed. Myocardial injury in mice or zebrafish resulted in similar dynamics of collagen oxidation in the myocardium in the first month after injury. However, during this time, mature CCLs such as pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline developed in the murine infarcts but not in the zebrafish hearts. High levels of newly oxidized collagen were still seen in murine scars with mature CCLs. These data suggest that fibrogenesis remains dynamic, even in mature scars, and that the absence of mature CCLs in zebrafish hearts may facilitate their ability to regenerate.
Evolution of the ionisation energy with the stepwise growth of chiral clusters of [4]helicene
Authors: Domingos Sérgio R. , Tikhonov Denis S. , Steber Amanda L. , Eschenbach Patrick , Gruet Sebastien , Hrodmarsson Helgi R. , Martin Kévin , Garcia Gustavo A. , Nahon Laurent , Neugebauer Johannes , Avarvari Narcis , Schnell Melanie
Published: June 2024

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely established as ubiquitous in the interstellar medium (ISM), but considering their prevalence in harsh vacuum environments, the role of ionisation in the formation of PAH clusters is poorly understood, particularly if a chirality-dependent aggregation route is considered. Here we report on photoelectron spectroscopy experiments on [4]helicene clusters performed with a vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron beamline. Aggregates (up to the heptamer) of [4]helicene, the smallest PAH with helical chirality, were produced and investigated with a combined experimental and theoretical approach using several state-of-the-art quantum-chemical methodologies. The ionisation onsets are extracted for each cluster size from the mass-selected photoelectron spectra and compared with calculations of vertical ionisation energies. We explore the complex aggregation topologies emerging from the multitude of isomers formed through clustering of P and M, the two enantiomers of [4]helicene. The very satisfactory benchmarking between experimental ionisation onsets vs. predicted ionisation energies allows the identification of theoretically predicted potential aggregation motifs and corresponding energetic ordering of chiral clusters. Our structural models suggest that a homochiral aggregation route is energetically favoured over heterochiral arrangements with increasing cluster size, hinting at potential symmetry breaking in PAH cluster formation at the scale of small grains.
Enhanced quantum state transfer by circumventing quantum chaotic behavior
Authors: Xiang Liang , Chen Jiachen , Zhu Zitian , Song Zixuan , Bao Zehang , Zhu Xuhao , Jin Feitong , Wang Ke , Xu Shibo , Zou Yiren , Li Hekang , Wang Zhen , Song Chao , Yue Alexander , Partridge Justine , Guo Qiujiang , Mondaini Rubem , Wang H. , Scalettar Richard T.
Published: June 2024

The ability to realize high-fidelity quantum communication is one of the many facets required to build generic quantum computing devices. In addition to quantum processing, sensing, and storage, transferring the resulting quantum states demands a careful design that finds no parallel in classical communication. Existing experimental demonstrations of quantum information transfer in solid-state quantum systems are largely confined to small chains with few qubits, often relying upon non-generic schemes. Here, by using a superconducting quantum circuit featuring thirty-six tunable qubits, accompanied by general optimization procedures deeply rooted in overcoming quantum chaotic behavior, we demonstrate a scalable protocol for transferring few-particle quantum states in a two-dimensional quantum network. These include single-qubit excitation, two-qubit entangled states, and two excitations for which many-body effects are present. Our approach, combined with the quantum circuit’s versatility, paves the way to short-distance quantum communication for connecting distributed quantum processors or registers, even if hampered by inherent imperfections in actual quantum devices.
The UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy and childhood hospital admissions for asthma in England
Authors: Rogers Nina T. , Cummins Steven , Jones Catrin P. , Mytton Oliver T. , Roberts Chrissy H. , Shaheen Seif O. , Shah Syed Ahmar , Sheikh Aziz , White Martin , Adams Jean
Published: June 2024

Sugar sweetened beverage consumption has been suggested as a risk factor for childhood asthma symptoms. We examined whether the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), announced in March 2016 and implemented in April 2018, was associated with changes in National Health Service hospital admission rates for asthma in children, 22 months post-implementation of SDIL. We conducted interrupted time series analyses (2012-2020) to measure changes in monthly incidence rates of hospital admissions. Sub-analysis was by age-group (5-9,10-14,15-18 years) and neighbourhood deprivation quintiles. Changes were relative to counterfactual scenarios where the SDIL wasn’t announced, or implemented. Overall, incidence rates reduced by 20.9% (95%CI: 29.6-12.2). Reductions were similar across age-groups and deprivation quintiles. These findings give support to the idea that implementation of a UK tax intended to reduce childhood obesity may have contributed to a significant unexpected and additional public health benefit in the form of reduced hospital admissions for childhood asthma.
Generative learning facilitated discovery of high-entropy ceramic dielectrics for capacitive energy storage
Authors: Li Wei , Shen Zhong-Hui , Liu Run-Lin , Chen Xiao-Xiao , Guo Meng-Fan , Guo Jin-Ming , Hao Hua , Shen Yang , Liu Han-Xing , Chen Long-Qing , Nan Ce-Wen
Published: June 2024

Dielectric capacitors offer great potential for advanced electronics due to their high power densities, but their energy density still needs to be further improved. High-entropy strategy has emerged as an effective method for improving energy storage performance, however, discovering new high-entropy systems within a high-dimensional composition space is a daunting challenge for traditional trial-and-error experiments. Here, based on phase-field simulations and limited experimental data, we propose a generative learning approach to accelerate the discovery of high-entropy dielectrics in a practically infinite exploration space of over 1011 combinations. By encoding-decoding latent space regularities to facilitate data sampling and forward inference, we employ inverse design to screen out the most promising combinations via a ranking strategy. Through only 5 sets of targeted experiments, we successfully obtain a Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3-based high-entropy dielectric film with a significantly improved energy density of 156 J cm−3 at an electric field of 5104 kV cm−1, surpassing the pristine film by more than eight-fold. This work introduces an effective and innovative avenue for designing high-entropy dielectrics with drastically reduced experimental cycles, which could be also extended to expedite the design of other multicomponent material systems with desired properties.
Heterogeneous associations of multiplexed environmental factors and multidimensional aging metrics
Authors: Pu Fan , Chen Weiran , Li Chenxi , Fu Jingqiao , Gao Weijing , Ma Chao , Cao Xingqi , Zhang Lingzhi , Hao Meng , Zhou Jin , Huang Rong , Ma Yanan , Hu Kejia , Liu Zuyun
Published: June 2024

Complicated associations between multiplexed environmental factors and aging are poorly understood. We manipulated aging using multidimensional metrics such as phenotypic age, brain age, and brain volumes in the UK Biobank. Weighted quantile sum regression was used to examine the relative individual contributions of multiplexed environmental factors to aging, and self-organizing maps (SOMs) were used to examine joint effects. Air pollution presented a relatively large contribution in most cases. We also found fair heterogeneities in which the same environmental factor contributed inconsistently to different aging metrics. Particulate matter contributed the most to variance in aging, while noise and green space showed considerable contribution to brain volumes. SOM identified five subpopulations with distinct environmental exposure patterns and the air pollution subpopulation had the worst aging status. This study reveals the heterogeneous associations of multiplexed environmental factors with multidimensional aging metrics and serves as a proof of concept when analyzing multifactors and multiple outcomes.
Thymoquinone as an electron transfer mediator to convert Type II photosensitizers to Type I photosensitizers
Authors: Zhuang Jiahao , Qi Guobin , Feng Yecheng , Wu Min , Zhang Hang , Wang Dandan , Zhang Xianhe , Chong Kok Chan , Li Bowen , Liu Shitai , Tian Jianwu , Shan Yi , Mao Duo , Liu Bin
Published: June 2024

The development of Type I photosensitizers (PSs) is of great importance due to the inherent hypoxic intolerance of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the hypoxic microenvironment. Compared to Type II PSs, Type I PSs are less reported due to the absence of a general molecular design strategy. Herein, we report that the combination of typical Type II PS and natural substrate carvacrol (CA) can significantly facilitate the Type I pathway to efficiently generate superoxide radical (O2–•). Detailed mechanism study suggests that CA is activated into thymoquinone (TQ) by local singlet oxygen generated from the PS upon light irradiation. With TQ as an efficient electron transfer mediator, it promotes the conversion of O2 to O2–• by PS via electron transfer-based Type I pathway. Notably, three classical Type II PSs are employed to demonstrate the universality of the proposed approach. The Type I PDT against S. aureus has been demonstrated under hypoxic conditions in vitro. Furthermore, this coupled photodynamic agent exhibits significant bactericidal activity with an antibacterial rate of 99.6% for the bacterial-infection female mice in the in vivo experiments. Here, we show a simple, effective, and universal method to endow traditional Type II PSs with hypoxic tolerance.
Enantioselective copper-catalyzed azidation/click cascade reaction for access to chiral 1,2,3-triazoles
Authors: Jiang Ling-Feng , Wu Shao-Hua , Jiang Yu-Xuan , Ma Hong-Xiang , He Jia-Jun , Bi Yang-Bo , Kong De-Yi , Cheng Yi-Fei , Cheng Xuan , Deng Qing-Hai
Published: June 2024

Chiral 1,2,3-triazoles are highly attractive motifs in various fields. However, achieving catalytic asymmetric click reactions of azides and alkynes for chiral triazole synthesis remains a significant challenge, mainly due to the limited catalytic systems and substrate scope. Herein, we report an enantioselective azidation/click cascade reaction of N-propargyl-β-ketoamides with a readily available and potent azido transfer reagent via copper catalysis, which affords a variety of chiral 1,2,3-triazoles with up to 99% yield and 95% ee under mild conditions. Notably, chiral 1,5-disubstituted triazoles that have not been accessed by previous asymmetric click reactions are also prepared with good functional group tolerance.
Emergent normal fluid in the superconducting ground state of overdoped cuprates
Authors: Ye Shusen , Xu Miao , Yan Hongtao , Li Zi-Xiang , Zou Changwei , Li Xintong , Hao Zhenqi , Yin Chaohui , Chen Yiwen , Zhou Xingjiang , Lee Dung-Hai , Wang Yayu
Published: June 2024

The microscopic mechanism for the disappearance of superconductivity in overdoped cuprates is still under heated debate. Here we use scanning tunneling spectroscopy to investigate the evolution of quasiparticle interference phenomenon in Bi2Sr2CuO6+δ over a wide range of hole densities. We find that when the system enters the overdoped regime, a peculiar quasiparticle interference wavevector with arc-like pattern starts to emerge even at zero bias, and its intensity grows with increasing doping level. Its energy dispersion is incompatible with the octet model for d-wave superconductivity, but is highly consistent with the scattering interference of gapless normal carriers. The gapless quasiparticles are mainly located near the antinodes and are independent of temperature, consistent with the disorder scattering mechanism. We propose that a branch of normal fluid emerges from the pair-breaking scattering between flat antinodal bands in the quantum ground state, which is the primary cause for the reduction of superfluid density and suppression of superconductivity in overdoped cuprates.
PR-SET7 epigenetically restrains uterine interferon response and cell death governing proper postnatal stromal development
Authors: Bao Haili , Sun Yang , Deng Na , Zhang Leilei , Jia Yuanyuan , Li Gaizhen , Gao Yun , Li Xinyi , Tang Yedong , Cai Han , Lu Jinhua , Wang Haibin , Deng Wenbo , Kong Shuangbo
Published: June 2024

The differentiation of the stroma is a hallmark event during postnatal uterine development. However, the spatiotemporal changes that occur during this process and the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we comprehensively delineated the dynamic development of the neonatal uterus at single-cell resolution and characterized two distinct stromal subpopulations, inner and outer stroma. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that uterine ablation of Pr-set7, the sole methyltransferase catalyzing H4K20me1, led to a reduced proportion of the inner stroma due to massive cell death, thus impeding uterine development. By combining RNA sequencing and epigenetic profiling of H4K20me1, we demonstrated that PR-SET7-H4K20me1 either directly repressed the transcription of interferon stimulated genes or indirectly restricted the interferon response via silencing endogenous retroviruses. Declined H4K20me1 level caused viral mimicry responses and ZBP1-mediated apoptosis and necroptosis in stromal cells. Collectively, our study provides insight into the epigenetic machinery governing postnatal uterine stromal development mediated by PR-SET7.
Multivalent mRNA-DTP vaccines are immunogenic and provide protection from Bordetella pertussis challenge in mice
Authors: Wolf M. Allison , O’Hara Joanne M. , Bitzer Graham J. , Narayanan Elisabeth , Boehm Dylan T. , Bevere Justin R. , DeJong Megan A. , Hall Jesse M. , Wong Ting Y. , Falcone Samantha , Deal Cailin E. , Richards Angelene , Green Shannon , Nguyen Brenda , King Emily , Ogega Clinton , Russo Lisa , Sen-Kilic Emel , Plante Obadiah , Himansu Sunny , Barbier Mariette , Carfi Andrea , Damron F. Heath
Published: June 2024

Acellular multivalent vaccines for pertussis (DTaP and Tdap) prevent symptomatic disease and infant mortality, but immunity to Bordetella pertussis infection wanes significantly over time resulting in cyclic epidemics of pertussis. The messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine platform provides an opportunity to address complex bacterial infections with an adaptable approach providing Th1-biased responses. In this study, immunogenicity and challenge models were used to evaluate the mRNA platform with multivalent vaccine formulations targeting both B. pertussis antigens and diphtheria and tetanus toxoids. Immunization with mRNA formulations were immunogenetic, induced antigen specific antibodies, as well as Th1 T cell responses. Upon challenge with either historical or contemporary B. pertussis strains, 6 and 10 valent mRNA DTP vaccine provided protection equal to that of 1/20th human doses of either DTaP or whole cell pertussis vaccines. mRNA DTP immunized mice were also protected from pertussis toxin challenge as measured by prevention of lymphocytosis and leukocytosis. Collectively these pre-clinical mouse studies illustrate the potential of the mRNA platform for multivalent bacterial pathogen vaccines.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Tumour microenvironment programming by an RNA–RNA-binding protein complex creates a druggable vulnerability in IDH-wild-type glioblastoma
Authors: Wu Lele , Zhao Zheng , Shin Yong Jae , Yin Yiyun , Raju Anandhkumar , Vaiyapuri Thamil Selvan , Idzham Khaireen , Son Miseol , Lee Yeri , Sa Jason K. , Chua Joelle Yi Heng , Unal Bilal , Zhai You , Fan Wenhua , Huang Lijie , Hu Huimin , Gunaratne Jayantha , Nam Do-Hyun , Jiang Tao , Tergaonkar Vinay
Published: June 2024

Patients with IDH-wild-type glioblastomas have a poor five-year survival rate along with limited treatment efficacy due to immune cell (glioma-associated microglia and macrophages) infiltration promoting tumour growth and resistance. To enhance therapeutic options, our study investigated the unique RNA–RNA-binding protein complex LOC–DHX15. This complex plays a crucial role in driving immune cell infiltration and tumour growth by establishing a feedback loop between cancer and immune cells, intensifying cancer aggressiveness. Targeting this complex with blood–brain barrier-permeable small molecules improved treatment efficacy, disrupting cell communication and impeding cancer cell survival and stem-like properties. Focusing on RNA–RNA-binding protein interactions emerges as a promising approach not only for glioblastomas without the IDH mutation but also for potential applications beyond cancer, offering new avenues for developing therapies that address intricate cellular relationships in the body.
Harnessing Maxwell’s demon to establish a macroscale concentration gradient
Authors: Pruchyathamkorn Jiratheep , Nguyen Bao-Nguyen T. , Grommet Angela B. , Novoveska Miroslava , Ronson Tanya K. , Thoburn John D. , Nitschke Jonathan R.
Published: June 2024

Maxwell’s demon describes a thought experiment in which a ‘demon’ regulates the flow of particles between two adjoining spaces, establishing a potential gradient without appearing to do work. This seeming paradox led to the understanding that sorting entails thermodynamic work, a foundational concept of information theory. In the past centuries, many systems analogous to Maxwell’s demon have been introduced in the form of molecular information, molecular pumps and ratchets. Here we report a functional example of a Maxwell’s demon that pumps material over centimetres, whereas previous examples operated on a molecular scale. In our system, this demon drives directional transport of o-fluoroazobenzene between the arms of a U-tube apparatus upon light irradiation, transiting through an aqueous membrane containing a coordination cage. The concentration gradient thus obtained is further harnessed to drive naphthalene transport in the opposite direction.
Evidence for transient morning water frost deposits on the Tharsis volcanoes of Mars
Authors: Valantinas A. , Thomas N. , Pommerol A. , Karatekin O. , Ruiz Lozano L. , Senel C. B. , Temel O. , Hauber E. , Tirsch D. , Bickel V. T. , Munaretto G. , Pajola M. , Oliva F. , Schmidt F. , Thomas I. , McEwen A. S. , Almeida M. , Read M. , Rangarajan V. G. , El-Maarry M. R. , Re C. , Carrozzo F. G. , D’Aversa E. , Daerden F. , Ristic B. , Patel M. R. , Bellucci G. , Lopez-Moreno J. J. , Vandaele A. C. , Cremonese G.
Published: June 2024

The present-day water cycle on Mars has implications for habitability and future human exploration. Water ice clouds and water vapour have been detected above the Tharsis volcanic province, suggesting the active exchange of water between regolith and atmosphere. Here we report observational evidence for extensive transient morning frost deposits on the calderas of the Tharsis volcanoes (Olympus, Arsia and Ascraeus Montes, and Ceraunius Tholus) using high-resolution colour images from the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System on board the European Space Agency’s Trace Gas Orbiter. The transient bluish deposits appear on the caldera floor and rim in the morning during the colder Martian seasons but are not present by afternoon. The presence of water frost is supported by spectral observations, as well as independent imagery from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter. Climate model simulations further suggest that early-morning surface temperatures at the high altitudes of the volcano calderas are sufficiently low to support the daily condensation of water—but not CO2—frost. Given the unlikely seasonal nature of volcanic outgassing, we suggest the observed frost is atmospheric in origin, implying the role of microclimate in local frost formation and a contribution to the broader Mars water cycle.
A formulation for asphalt concrete air void during service life by adopting a hybrid evolutionary polynomial regression and multi-gene genetic programming
Authors: Ghanizadeh Ali Reza , Amlashi Amir Tavana , Bahrami Alireza , Isleem Haytham F. , Dessouky Samer
Published: June 2024

Bitumen, aggregate, and air void (VA) are the three primary ingredients of asphalt concrete. VA changes over time as a function of four factors: traffic loads and repetitions, environmental regimes, compaction, and asphalt mix composition. Due to the high as-constructed VA content of the material, it is expected that VA will reduce over time, causing rutting during initial traffic periods. Eventually, the material will undergo shear flow when it reaches its densest state with optimum aggregate interlock or refusal VA content. Therefore, to ensure the quality of construction, VA in asphalt mixture need to be modeled throughout the service life. This study aims to implement a hybrid evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR) combined with a teaching–learning based optimization (TLBO) algorithm and multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP) to predict the VA percentage of asphalt mixture during the service life. For this purpose, 324 data records of VA were collected from the literature. The variables selected as inputs were original as-constructed VA, $${VA}_{orig}$$

VA

orig

(%); mean annual air temperature, $$MAAT$$

MAAT

(°F); original viscosity at 77 °F, $${\eta }_{orig,77}$$

η

o
r
i
g
,
77

(Mega-Poises); and $$time$$

time

(months). EPR-TLBO was found to be superior to MGGP and existing empirical models due to the interquartile ranges of absolute error boxes equal to 0.67%. EPR-TLBO had an R2 value of more than 0.90 in both the training and testing phases, and only less than 20% of the records were predicted utilizing this model with more than 20% deviation from the observed values. As determined by the sensitivity analysis, $${\eta }_{orig,77}$$

η

o
r
i
g
,
77

is the most significant of the four input variables, while time is the least one. A parametric study showed that regardless of $$MAAT$$

MAAT

, $${\eta }_{orig,77},$$

η

o
r
i
g
,
77

,

of 0.3 Mega-Poises, and $${VA}_{orig}$$

VA

orig

above 6% can be ideal for improving the pavement service life. It was also witnessed that with an increase of $$MAAT$$

MAAT

from 37 to 75 °F, the serviceability of asphalt concrete takes 15 months less on average.
In situ brain tumor detection using a Raman spectroscopy system—results of a multicenter study
Authors: Ember Katherine , Dallaire Frédérick , Plante Arthur , Sheehy Guillaume , Guiot Marie-Christine , Agarwal Rajeev , Yadav Rajeev , Douet Alice , Selb Juliette , Tremblay Jean Philippe , Dupuis Alex , Marple Eric , Urmey Kirk , Rizea Caroline , Harb Armand , McCarthy Lily , Schupper Alexander , Umphlett Melissa , Tsankova Nadejda , Leblond Frédéric , Hadjipanayis Constantinos , Petrecca Kevin
Published: June 2024

Safe and effective brain tumor surgery aims to remove tumor tissue, not non-tumoral brain. This is a challenge since tumor cells are often not visually distinguishable from peritumoral brain during surgery. To address this, we conducted a multicenter study testing whether the Sentry System could distinguish the three most common types of brain tumors from brain tissue in a label-free manner. The Sentry System is a new real time, in situ brain tumor detection device that merges Raman spectroscopy with machine learning tissue classifiers. Nine hundred and seventy-six in situ spectroscopy measurements and colocalized tissue specimens were acquired from 67 patients undergoing surgery for glioblastoma, brain metastases, or meningioma to assess tumor classification. The device achieved diagnostic accuracies of 91% for glioblastoma, 97% for brain metastases, and 96% for meningiomas. These data show that the Sentry System discriminated tumor containing tissue from non-tumoral brain in real time and prior to resection.
Tomato yield, and water use efficiency as affected by nitrogen rate and irrigation regime in the central low lands of Ethiopia
Authors: Shewangizaw Beza , Kassie Kenzemed , Assefa Shawl , Lemma Getachew , Gete Yalemegena , Getu Demisew , Getanh Lisanu , Shegaw Getanh , Manaze Gebrehana
Published: June 2024

Tomato yield can be increased by the application of optimum water and fertilizer. A field experiment was conducted in Efratana Gidim district, North Shewa, Amhara, Ethiopia, during 2019 and 2020. The objective was to determine the nitrogen (N) rate and irrigation regime for optimum tomato yield and water use efficiency (WUE). The experiment consisted of three-irrigation regimes (75% ETc (Evapotranspiration from the crop), 100% ETc, and 125% ETc) and four nitrogen (N) rates (control; i.e. without N application1, 46 kg N ha−1, 92 kg N ha−1, and 138 kg N ha−1). The treatments were laid out in a split-plot design with four replications. The Irrigation regime were assigned to the main plot, while the N rate were assigned to the subplot. Data on growth, yield, and yield-related traits of tomatoes, include; plant height, number of fruit clusters per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter, number of marketable fruits, number of un-marketable fruits, the total number of fruits, marketable fruit yield, un-marketable fruit yield, total yield were collected. The data were subjected to analysis of variance using R studio. The results indicated that the experimental site had low total N content, and the application of N fertilizer significantly improved tomato yield. Increasing irrigation depth also significantly increased tomato yield. The result indicated that the highest mean marketable fruit yield (35,903 kg ha−1) was obtained from the combined application of 125% ETc with 92 kg N ha−1, while the lowest (13,655 kg ha−1) marketable fruit yield was obtained from 75% ETc with 92 kg N ha−1. The analysis of variance showed that the highest (5.4 kg m−3) WUE recorded from 75% ETc with 46 kg N ha−1 increased WUE by 77% (2.4 kg m−3) compared with the lowest (2.3 kg m−3) WUE recorded from 125% ETc with 0 kg N ha−1. The partial budget analysis also indicated that the highest net benefit (266,272 ETB (Ethiopian Birr) ha−1) and an acceptable marginal rate of return (1240%) for the invested capital was recorded from the combined application of 125% ETc with 92 kg N ha−1. Therefore, the application of 125% ETc with 92 kg N ha−1 resulted in the highest net benefit.
Despite plasticity, heatwaves are costly for a coral reef fish
Authors: Van Wert Jacey C. , Birnie-Gauvin Kim , Gallagher Jordan , Hardison Emily A. , Landfield Kaitlyn , Burkepile Deron E. , Eliason Erika J.
Published: June 2024

Climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, including marine heatwaves, which are prolonged periods of anomalously high sea surface temperature that pose a novel threat to aquatic animals. Tropical animals may be especially vulnerable to marine heatwaves because they are adapted to a narrow temperature range. If these animals cannot acclimate to marine heatwaves, the extreme heat could impair their behavior and fitness. Here, we investigated how marine heatwave conditions affected the performance and thermal tolerance of a tropical predatory fish, arceye hawkfish (Paracirrhites arcatus), across two seasons in Moorea, French Polynesia. We found that the fish’s daily activities, including recovery from burst swimming and digestion, were more energetically costly in fish exposed to marine heatwave conditions across both seasons, while their aerobic capacity remained the same. Given their constrained energy budget, these rising costs associated with warming may impact how hawkfish prioritize activities. Additionally, hawkfish that were exposed to hotter temperatures exhibited cardiac plasticity by increasing their maximum heart rate but were still operating within a few degrees of their thermal limits. With more frequent and intense heatwaves, hawkfish, and other tropical fishes must rapidly acclimate, or they may suffer physiological consequences that alter their role in the ecosystem.
Systematic selection of suitable reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR normalization studies of gene expression in Lutjanus erythropterus
Authors: Chen Lujun , Liang Qiulu , Lai Zhuoxin , Cui Haitao , Xu Zhenmin , Chen Zizhao , Dong Zhongdian , Wang Zhongduo , Guo Yusong
Published: June 2024

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) has been widely employed for the study of gene expression in fish, and accurate normalization is crucial. In this study, we aimed to identify the most stably expressed genes in various tissues, different developmental stages, and within astaxanthin treatment groups in Lutjanuserythropterus. Twelve candidate genes (EEF1A, CYB5R3, DLD, IDH3A, MRPL17, MRPL43, NDUFS7, PABPC1, PAGR1, PFDN2, PSMC3, and RAB10) were examined via qRT-PCR. We employed geNorm and NormFinder to assess their stability. The results revealed that RAB10 and PFDN2 exhibited relatively stable expression patterns across different tissue and astaxanthin treatment groups, while NDUFS7 and MRPL17 proved to be the most reliable reference gene combinations across various developmental stages. The stability of these selected genes was further validated by assessing the expression of two target genes, CRADD and CAPNS1, across developmental stages, reinforcing the reliability of NDUFS7 as it closely aligned with transcriptome-wide expression patterns at these stages. The present results will help researchers to obtain more accurate results in future qRT-PCR analysis in L.erythropterus.
Fluorescence lifetime imaging with distance and ranging using a miniaturised SPAD system
Authors: Matheson Andrew B. , Hopkinson Charlotte , Tanner Michael G. , Henderson Robert K.
Published: June 2024

In this work we demonstrate a miniaturised imaging system based around a time-gated SPAD array operating in a “chip-on-tip” manner. Two versions of the system are demonstrated, each measuring 23 mm × 23 mm × 28 mm with differing fields of view and working distances. Initial tests demonstrate contrast between materials in widefield fluorescence imaging (WFLIm) mode, with frame rates of > 2 Hz achievable. Following this, WFLIm images of autofluorescence in ovine lung tissue are obtained at frame rates of ~ 1 Hz. Finally, the ability of the second system to perform simultaneous WFLIm and time of flight (aka Flourescence Lifetime Imaging Distance and Ranging, FLImDAR) is also tested. This shows that the system is capable of 4 mm resolution of object separation when tested on 3D printed samples. It is further demonstrated as being able to perform scene reconstruction on autofluorescent lung tissue. This system is, to date, the smallest chip on tip WFLIm system published, and is the first demonstration of the FLImDAR technique in a compact, portable system.
Secure hardware IP of GLRT cascade using color interval graph based embedded fingerprint for ECG detector
Authors: Sengupta Anirban , Anshul Aditya
Published: June 2024

This paper presents a security aware design methodology to design secure generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) hardware intellectual property (IP) core for electrocardiogram (ECG) detector against IP piracy and fraudulent claim of IP ownership threats. Integrating authentic (secure version) GLRT hardware IP core in the system-on-chip (SoC) of ECG detectors is paramount for reliable operation and estimation of ECG parametric data, such as Q wave, R wave and S wave (QRS) complex detection. A pirated GLRT hardware IP integrated into an ECG detector may result in an unreliable/erratic estimation of ECG parametric data that can be hazardous and fatal for the end patient. The proposed methodology presents an integrated design flow to secure micro GLRT and GLRT cascade hardware IP cores for the ECG detector, using the colored interval graph (CIG) framework based fingerprint biometric, during high level synthesis (HLS). The proposed approach integrates a fingerprint biometric based security constraint generation process for securing the GLRT hardware IP core. This paper also presents a secure register transfer level (RTL) datapath design corresponding to micro GLRT and GLRT cascade hardware IP cores with embedded IP vendor's fingerprint. The proposed secure GLRT hardware IP core embedded with fingerprint biometric achieves superior results in terms of probability of coincidence and tamper tolerance than other security approaches. More explicitly, the proposed approach reports a significantly lower value of probability of coincidence and stronger value for tamper tolerance. Further, the proposed approach incurs zero design cost overhead.
Endorsement of metaphysical idealism mediates a link between past use of psychedelics and wellbeing
Authors: Jylkkä Jussi , Krabbe Andreas , Jern Patrick
Published: June 2024

It has been proposed that psychedelics promote wellbeing through spiritual-type transformations, involving changes in metaphysical beliefs. Past empirical research shows a link between the use of psychedelics and the endorsement of non-physicalist metaphysical beliefs. However, non-physicalist beliefs encompass a wide range of metaphysical ideas, and their links to wellbeing and psychedelics use remain unclear. We utilized a cross-sectional Internet survey to probe the metaphysical beliefs of participants (N = 701) with past experience of classical psychedelics, using a novel 42-item questionnaire (Core Metaphysical Beliefs, CMB), encompassing a wide range of metaphysical beliefs. Factor analysis of CMB revealed two factors, Idealism and Materialism. In network analyses, Idealism was linked to psychological insight in a past psychedelic experience (E = 0.24) and average use of psychedelics (E = 0.16), and predicted wellbeing (Es = 0.13 and 0.22). Mediation analyses showed an indirect link from past psychedelics use through Idealism to wellbeing (ps ≤ .005). Non-Physicalist Beliefs or Materialism were not significant mediators. The results indicate that Idealism specifically, not non-physicalist beliefs generally, mediate a link between the use of psychedelics and wellbeing. Future research is required to establish whether the link is causal, and to understand what the Idealism factor means.
Evaluating the antibody response elicited by diverse HIV envelope immunogens in the African green monkey (Vervet) model
Authors: Moyo-Gwete Thandeka , Ayres Frances , Mzindle Nonkululeko B. , Makhado Zanele , Manamela Nelia P. , Richardson Simone I. , Kitchin Dale , van Graan Strauss , van Heerden Joritha , Parbhoo Nishal , Chege Gerald K. , Moore Penny L.
Published: June 2024

African Green (Vervet) monkeys have been extensively studied to understand the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Using vervet monkeys as pre-clinical models may be an attractive option for low-resourced areas as they are found abundantly and their maintenance is more cost-effective than bigger primates such as rhesus macaques. We assessed the feasibility of using vervet monkeys as animal models to examine the immunogenicity of HIV envelope trimer immunogens in pre-clinical testing. Three groups of vervet monkeys were subcutaneously immunized with either the BG505 SOSIP.664 trimer, a novel subtype C SOSIP.664 trimer, CAP255, or a combination of BG505, CAP255 and CAP256.SU SOSIP.664 trimers. All groups of vervet monkeys developed robust binding antibodies by the second immunization with the peak antibody response occurring after the third immunization. Similar to binding, antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis was also observed in all the monkeys. While all animals developed potent, heterologous Tier 1 neutralizing antibody responses, autologous neutralization was limited with only half of the animals in each group developing responses to their vaccine-matched pseudovirus. These data suggest that the vervet monkey model may yield distinct antibody responses compared to other models. Further study is required to further determine the utility of this model in HIV immunization studies.
Short-term outcome of intracorporeal ileocolonic anastomosis in patients with visceral obesity
Authors: Guo Fangliang , Xia Cong , Wang Zongheng , Wang Ruiqi , Meng Yue , Zhang Qianshi , Ren Shuangyi
Published: June 2024

The primary objective of this study was to compare short-term outcomes between Intracorporeal ileocolic anastomosis (IIA) and extracorporeal ileocolic anastomosis (EIA) after laparoscopic right hemicolectomy in patients with visceral obesity. The secondary objective was to identify risk factors associated with prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI) after laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. This single-center retrospective study analyzed visceral obesity patients who underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for primary bowel cancer between January 2020 and June 2023. Patients were categorized into IIA and EIA groups based on the type of anastomosis, and a 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis was performed. A total of 129 patients were initially included in this study, with 45 patients in each group following propensity score matching. The IIA group had significantly longer anastomosis times (p < 0.001), shorter incision length (p < 0.001), and shorter length of stay (p = 0.003) than the EIA group. Meanwhile, the IIA group showed a shorter time to first flatus (p = 0.044) and quicker tolerance of a solid diet (p = 0.030). On multivariate analysis, postoperative use of opioid analgesics is an independent risk factor for PPOI (OR: 3.590 95% CI 1.033–12.477, p = 0.044), while IIA is an independent protective factor (OR: 0.195 95% CI 0.045–0.843, p = 0.029). IIA remains a safe and feasible option for visceral obesity patients. It is also associated with a quicker recovery of bowel function and shorter length of stay when compared to EIA. Additionally, IIA is an independent protective factor for PPOI.
Lightweight strip steel defect detection algorithm based on improved YOLOv7
Authors: Lu Jianbo , Yu MiaoMiao , Liu Junyu
Published: June 2024

The precise identification of surface imperfections in steel strips is crucial for ensuring steel product quality. To address the challenges posed by the substantial model size and computational complexity in current algorithms for detecting surface defects in steel strips, this paper introduces SS-YOLO (YOLOv7 for Steel Strip), an enhanced lightweight YOLOv7 model. This method replaces the CBS module in the backbone network with a lightweight MobileNetv3 network, reducing the model size and accelerating the inference time. The D-SimSPPF module, which integrates depth separable convolution and a parameter-free attention mechanism, was specifically designed to replace the original SPPCSPC module within the YOLOv7 network, expanding the receptive field and reducing the number of network parameters. The parameter-free attention mechanism SimAM is incorporated into both the neck network and the prediction output section, enhancing the ability of the model to extract essential features of strip surface defects and improving detection accuracy. The experimental results on the NEU-DET dataset show that SS-YOLO achieves a 97% mAP50 accuracy, which is a 4.5% improvement over that of YOLOv7. Additionally, there was a 79.3% reduction in FLOPs(G) and a 20.7% decrease in params. Thus, SS-YOLO demonstrates an effective balance between detection accuracy and speed while maintaining a lightweight profile.
Pathology of acute sub-lethal or near-lethal irradiation of nonhuman primates prophylaxed with the nutraceutical, gamma tocotrienol
Authors: Singh Vijay K. , Wise Stephen Y. , Fatanmi Oluseyi O. , Petrus Sarah A. , Carpenter Alana D. , Lugo-Roman Luis A. , Lee Sang-Ho , Hauer-Jensen Martin , Seed Thomas M.
Published: June 2024

Exposure to high, marginally lethal doses or higher of ionizing radiation, either intentional or accidental, results in injury to various organs. Currently, there is only a limited number of safe and effective radiation countermeasures approved by US Food and Drug Administration for such injuries. These approved agents are effective for only the hematopoietic component of the acute radiation syndrome and must be administered only after the exposure event: currently, there is no FDA-approved agent that can be used prophylactically. The nutraceutical, gamma-tocotrienol (GT3) has been found to be a promising radioprotector of such exposure-related injuries, especially those of a hematopoietic nature, when tested in either rodents or nonhuman primates. We investigated the nature of injuries and the possible protective effects of GT3 within select organ systems/tissues caused by both non-lethal level (4.0 Gy), as well as potentially lethal level (5.8 Gy) of ionizing radiation, delivered as total-body or partial-body exposure. Results indicated that the most severe, dose-dependent injuries occurred within those organ systems with strong self-renewing capacities (e.g., the lymphohematopoietic and gastrointestinal systems), while in other tissues (e.g., liver, kidney, lung) endowed with less self-renewal, the pathologies noted tended to be less pronounced and less dependent on the level of exposure dose or on the applied exposure regimen. The prophylactic use of the test nutraceutical, GT3, appeared to limit the extent of irradiation-associated pathology within blood forming tissues and, to some extent, within the small intestine of the gastrointestinal tract. No distinct, global pattern of bodily protection was noted with the agent’s use, although a hint of a possible radioprotective benefit was suggested not only by a lessening of apparent injury within select organ systems, but also by way of noting the lack of early onset of moribundity within select GT3-treated animals.
Risk analysis for subsequent fracture of osteoporotic fractures in Chinese women over age 60: a nationwide cross-sectional study
Authors: Tang Nan , Gao Ling , Song Jie , Li Yeyuan , Song Mi , Qiu Chen , Shao Mengqi , Chen Jingru , Li Shan , Wang Qingmei , Su Qingqing , Gao Yuan
Published: June 2024

Prevention of subsequent fracture is a major public health challenge in the field of osteoporosis prevention and treatment, and older women are at high risk for osteoporotic fractures. This study aimed to examine factors associated with subsequent fracture in older Chinese women with osteoporosis. We collected data on 9212 older female patients with osteoporotic fractures from 580 medical institutions in 31 provinces of China. Higher odds of subsequent fractures were associated with age of 70–79 years (OR 1.218, 95% CI 1.049–1.414), age ≥ 80 (OR 1.455, 95% CI 1.222–1.732), index fracture site was vertebrae (OR 1.472, 95% CI 1.194–1.815) and hip (OR 1.286, 95% CI 1.041–1.590), index fracture caused by fall (OR 1.822, 95% CI 1.281–2.591), strain (OR 1.587, 95% CI 1.178–2.139), no inducement (OR 1.541, 95% CI 1.043–2.277), and assessed as high risk of fracture (OR 1.865, 95% CI 1.439–2.416), BMD T-score ≤ −2.5 (OR 1.725, 95% CI 1.440–2.067), history of surgery (OR 3.941, 95% CI 3.475–4.471) and trauma (OR 8.075, 95% CI 6.941–9.395). Low risk of fall (OR 0.681, 95% CI 0.513–0.904), use of anti-osteoporosis medication (AOM, OR 0.801, 95% CI 0.693–0.926), and women who had received fall prevention health education (OR 0.583, 95% CI 0.465–0.730) associated with lower risk. The areas under the curve of the prediction model was 0.818. The sensitivity was 67.0% and the specificity was 82.0%. The prediction model showed a good ability to predict the risk of subsequent fracture in older women with osteoporotic fractures and are suitable for early self-measurement which may benefit post-fracture management.
Analysis of deformation and failure mechanism of sandwich beams with lattice core under three-point bending load
Authors: Sefidi Mahdi , Taghipoor Hossein
Published: June 2024

This paper investigates sandwich beams with lattice cores under quasi-static bending, owing to their lightweight nature and high energy absorption capabilities. Utilizing analytical methods governing beams, an investigation into their failure mechanisms is conducted, incorporating experimental and numerical results. The influence of thickness and core cell sizes on energy absorption are examined. The analysis delves into the elastic and plastic behavior of the beam, which is refined and validated against the numerical and experimental tests and failure modes of sandwich panel beams. The alignment of analytical predictions with both experimental and numerical results in terms of mean forces, and energy absorptions was remarkably precise. Moreover, evidence has been presented that the face yield and core shear failure regions are significantly impacted by variances in core dimensions. Additionally, the thickness of core cell strands was found to be pivotal in influencing the compressive and shear strengths of sandwich panel beams.
Mitigating machine learning bias between high income and low–middle income countries for enhanced model fairness and generalizability
Authors: Yang Jenny , Clifton Lei , Dung Nguyen Thanh , Phong Nguyen Thanh , Yen Lam Minh , Thy Doan Bui Xuan , Soltan Andrew A. S. , Thwaites Louise , Clifton David A.
Published: June 2024

Collaborative efforts in artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly common between high-income countries (HICs) and low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). Given the resource limitations often encountered by LMICs, collaboration becomes crucial for pooling resources, expertise, and knowledge. Despite the apparent advantages, ensuring the fairness and equity of these collaborative models is essential, especially considering the distinct differences between LMIC and HIC hospitals. In this study, we show that collaborative AI approaches can lead to divergent performance outcomes across HIC and LMIC settings, particularly in the presence of data imbalances. Through a real-world COVID-19 screening case study, we demonstrate that implementing algorithmic-level bias mitigation methods significantly improves outcome fairness between HIC and LMIC sites while maintaining high diagnostic sensitivity. We compare our results against previous benchmarks, utilizing datasets from four independent United Kingdom Hospitals and one Vietnamese hospital, representing HIC and LMIC settings, respectively.
Structure of plasmonic multi spectral Apta sensor and analyzing of bulk and surface sensitivity
Authors: Parviz Mahya , Shokorlou Younes Majd , Heidarzadeh Hamid
Published: June 2024

In this work, a multispectral aptasensor structure, including a sub-layer and two side walls, was presented. The cells are positioned at the down and top of the structure, with the down cells oriented perpendicular to the walls and the top cells aligned parallel to the walls. The validity of the findings was verified by the utilization of a numerical simulation technique known as 3D Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD). The biosensor under consideration exhibits sensitivities of 1093.7 nm/RIU, 754 nm/RIU, and 707.43 nm/RIU in mode III, mode II, and mode I, respectively. In the majority of instances, the quantity of analyte available is insufficient to coat the surface of the sensor thoroughly. Consequently, in this study, the evaluation of surface sensitivity was undertaken alongside bulk sensitivity. The surface sensitivity of the suggested structure for mode II in the sensor layer, with thicknesses of 10, 20, 30, and 70 nm, is measured to be 25, 78, 344, and 717.636 nm/RIU, respectively. Our design incorporates a unique arrangement of sub-layer and side walls, with cells positioned to maximize interaction with the target analyte. This innovative configuration, combined with Ag for its superior plasmonic properties, enables the detection of E. coli O157 with remarkable sensitivity.