bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vegetation and soil ecology of threatened Himalayan Trillium habitats in Kashmir Himalaya
Authors: Rashid Kausar , Rashid Sufiya , Islam Tajamul , Ganie Aijaz Hassan , Nawchoo Irshad A. , Ahmad Khuroo Anzar
Published: June 2023

Understanding the vegetation and soil ecology of natural habitats harbouring threatened species is critical in conservation planning and restoration. The present study investigated the vegetation composition and soil physico‐chemical properties of natural habitats of Trillium govanianum – a threatened Himalayan endemic species. We laid 120 quadrats across eight randomly selected sites where the species was growing in the Kashmir Himalaya. We collected the soil samples from these sites and determined soil physico‐chemical properties using standard methods. Across all the sites, we found a total of 57 plant species with dominance of Rosaceae and Ranunculaceae. The importance value index (IVI) results revealed that Fragaria nubicola, Corydalis diphylla, Galium aparine, and Leucanthemum vulgare, were the dominant species in T. govanianum habitats. The density, abundance and IVI of three‐leaf vegetative plants was higher than one‐leaf vegetative and three‐leaf reproductive plants across all the study sites. We found that T. govanianum alone forms 23.5% positive, 0 negative, 76.4% random co‐occurrences with other associated species in its habitats. Our results reveal that the variations in vegetation composition among the sites was influenced by differences in soil properties. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that several soil properties such as organic carbon (OC), nitrogen, potassium, and sulphur were concentrated in five sites, namely Dara, Drung, Bangus, Gulmarg and Doodhpathri, which also showed the highest density, frequency, and abundance of T. govanianum. Overall, our study contributes quantitative information on the vegetation and soil ecology of T. govanianum‐habitats, which in turn can help in developing conservation strategies for this threatened species, and its sustainable management and habitat restoration.
Saxifraga cataphracta (Saxifragaceae), a new species from Southwest China
Authors: Zhang Xin‐Jian , Zhang Cheng , Kuai Xin‐Yuan , Chen Jun‐Tong , Deng Tao , Sun Hang
Published: June 2023

Saxifraga cataphracta, a new species of Saxifragaceae from Southwest China, is described and illustrated. Morphological and molecular evidence (matK, psbA‐trnH, psaJ‐rpl33) indicate that S. cataphracta belongs in S. sect. Irregulares, and is closely related to S. geifolia and S. mengtzeana. The new species can be diagnosed by its leaf blade abaxially with white or virescent interveinal streaks, involucre and bracts conspicuous, and capsule beaks winged when mature.
Rab7/Retromer‐based endolysosomal trafficking is essential for proper host invasion in rice blast
Authors: Chen Xin , Selvaraj Poonguzhali , Lin Lili , Fang Wenqin , Wu Congxian , Yang Piao , Zhang Jin , Abubakar Yakubu Saddeeq , Yang Fan , Lu Guodong , Liu Wende , Wang Zonghua , Naqvi Naweed I. , Zheng Wenhui
Published: June 2023

Secretion is a fundamental process that plant pathogens utilize to deliver effectors into the host to downregulate immunity and promote infection.

Here, we uncover a fascinating membrane trafficking and delivery route that originates from vacuolar membranes in Magnaporthe oryzae and conduits to the host interface and plasma membrane.

To perform such secretory/trafficking function, MoRab7 first recruits the retromer complex to the vacuolar membrane, enabling recognition of a family of SNARE proteins, including MoSnc1. Live‐cell imaging confirmed a highly dynamic vesicular trafficking of the retromer complex component(s) and MoSnc1 toward and across the host interface or plasma membrane, and subsequent fusion with target membranes. Interestingly, disruption of the MoRab7/Retromer/MoSnc1‐based endolysosomal cascade affects effector secretion and fungal pathogenicity.

Taken together, we discovered an unconventional protein and membrane trafficking route starting from the fungal endolysosomes to the M. oryzae–rice interaction interface and dissect the role of MoRab7/Retromer/MoSnc1 sorting machinery in effector secretion during biotrophy and invasive growth in rice blast fungus.
Hierarchical metacommunity structure of fungal endophytes
Authors: Pan Yuanfei , Liu Mu , Sosa Alejandro , Li Bo , Shi Mang , Pan Xiaoyun
Published: June 2023

The ecological and evolutionary processes shaping community structure and functions of microbial symbionts are known to be scale‐dependent. Nonetheless, understanding how the relative importance of these processes changes across spatial scales, and deciphering the hierarchical metacommunity structure of fungal endophytes has proven challenging.

We investigated metacommunities of endophytic fungi within leaves of an invasive plant (Alternanthera philoxeroides) across wide latitudinal transects both in its native (Argentina) and introduced (China) ranges to test whether metacommunities of fungal endophytes were structured by different drivers at different spatial scales.

We found Clementsian structures with seven discrete compartments (distinctive groups of fungal species with coincident distribution ranges), which coincided with the distribution of major watersheds. Metacommunity compartments were explicitly demarcated at three spatial scales, that is, the between‐continent, between‐compartment, and within‐compartment scales. At larger spatial scales, local environmental conditions (climate, soil, and host plant traits) were replaced by other geographical factors as principal determinants of metacommunity structure of fungal endophytes and community diversity–function relationships.

Our results reveal novel insights into the scale dependency of diversity and functions of fungal endophytes, which are likely similar for plant symbionts. These findings can potentially improve our understanding of the global patterns of fungal diversity.
Higher predation rate need not and did not lead to higher risk‐induced trait responses in related zooplankton species
Authors: Rafalski Alexandra V. , Pangle Kevin L. , Peacor Scott D.
Published: June 2023

Predators can directly affect prey populations both through predation (consumption of prey) and risk‐induced trait responses (RITRs) that reduce predation risk but are often associated with a fitness cost. Thousands of studies make clear that RITRs (also termed anti‐predator or defensive traits) including changes in behavior, morphology, and life history, are employed by numerous taxa across diverse ecological systems, and there is large variation in their magnitude. A natural goal is to elucidate the species and circumstances for which and to what magnitude RITRs are expected. A candidate hypothesis is that prey species that experience higher mortality from a predator will exhibit a higher RITR. This hypothesis is an intuitive extension of the fact that invulnerable animals are not expected to exhibit an RITR, while vulnerable species are. We present an example that clarifies why this relationship is not always expected and when it is expected. Other factors may influence the level of the RITR leading to the possibility that a positive relationship is not expected. We elucidate this problem using a mesocosm experiment with a fish–cladoceran system in which there is large variability in the predation rate on different cladoceran species. Results not only did not show a positive relationship, but rather a negative trend between predation rate and the RITR. In fact, highly preyed upon taxa did not respond, while the least preyed upon taxa had the largest responses. These results clarify how the level of predation risk interacts with many factors to determine the RITR of prey.
Rapid drought‐recovery of gas exchange in Caragana species adapted to low mean annual precipitation
Authors: Bi Min‐Hui , Jiang Chao , Yao Guang‐Qian , Turner Neil C. , Scoffoni Christine , Fang Xiang‐Wen
Published: June 2023

While variation in mean annual precipitation (MAP) of the native habitat of a species has been shown to determine the ability of a species to resist a hydraulic decrease during drought, it remains unknown whether these variations in MAP also influence the ability of a species to recover and survive drought. Leaf hydraulic and gas exchange recovery following drought and the underlying mechanisms of these responses in six Caragana species from habitats along a large precipitation gradient were investigated during rehydration in a common garden. The gas exchange of species from arid habitats recovered more rapidly during rehydration after mild, moderate and severe drought stress treatments than species from humid habitats. The recovery of gas exchange was not associated with foliar abscisic acid concentration, but tightly related to the recovery of leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf). The recovery of Kleaf was associated with the loss of Kleaf during dehydration under mild and moderate drought stress, and to leaf xylem embolism formation under severe drought stress. Results pointed to the different ability to recover in gas exchange in six Caragana species post‐drought is associated with the MAP of the species in its native habitat.
Implementing living‐donor pediatric liver transplantation in Southern Vietnam: 15‐year results and perspectives
Authors: Tran Thanh Tri , Ho Phi Duy , Luu Nguyen An Thuan , Truong Thi Yen Nhi , Nguyen Hong Van Khanh , Bui Hai Trung , Pham Ngoc Thach , Tran Dong A. , Pirotte Thierry , Gurevich Michael , Reding Raymond
Published: June 2023

Background

ND2 in Ho Chi Minh City is currently the only public center that performs PLT in Southern Vietnam. In 2005, the first PLT was successfully performed, with support from Belgian experts. This study reviews the implementation of PLT at our center and evaluates the results and challenges.

Methods

Implementation of PLT at ND2 required medico‐surgical team building and extensive improvement of hospital facilities. Records of 13 transplant recipients from 2005 to 2020 were studied retrospectively. Short‐ and long‐term complications, as well as the survival rates, were reported.

Results

The mean follow‐up time was 8.3 ± 5.7 years. Surgical complications included one case of hepatic artery thrombosis that was successfully repaired, one case of colon perforation resulting in death from sepsis, and two cases of bile leak that were drained surgically. PTLD was observed in five patients, of whom three died. There were no cases of retransplantation. The 1‐year, 5‐year, and 10‐year patient survival rates were 84.6%, 69.2%, and 69.2%, respectively. There were no cases of complication or death among the donors.

Conclusion

Living‐donor PLT was developed at ND2 for providing a life‐saving treatment to children with end‐stage liver disease. Early surgical complication rate was low, and the patient survival rate was satisfactory at 1 year. Long‐term survival decreased considerably due to PTLD. Future challenges include surgical autonomy and improvement of long‐term medical follow‐up with a particular emphasis on prevention and management of Epstein–Barr virus‐related disease.
Addressing distributional shifts in operations management: The case of order fulfillment in customized production
Authors: Senoner Julian , Kratzwald Bernhard , Kuzmanovic Milan , Netland Torbjørn H. , Feuerriegel Stefan
Published: June 2023

To meet order fulfillment targets, manufacturers seek to optimize production schedules. Machine learning can support this objective by predicting throughput times on production lines given order specifications. However, this is challenging when manufacturers produce customized products because customization often leads to changes in the probability distribution of operational data—so‐called distributional shifts. Distributional shifts can harm the performance of predictive models when deployed to future customer orders with new specifications. The literature provides limited advice on how such distributional shifts can be addressed in operations management. Here, we propose a data‐driven approach based on adversarial learning, which allows us to account for distributional shifts in manufacturing settings with high degrees of product customization. We empirically validate our proposed approach using real‐world data from a job shop production that supplies large metal components to an oil platform construction yard. Across an extensive series of numerical experiments, we find that our adversarial learning approach outperforms common baselines. Overall, this paper shows how production managers can improve their decision making under distributional shifts.
Integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis reveals antioxidant machinery in grapevine exposed to salt and alkali stress
Authors: Lu Xu , Chen Guiping , Ma Lei , Zhang Congcong , Yan Haokai , Bao Jinyu , Nai GuoJie , Wang Wenhui , Chen Baihong , Ma Shaoying , Li Sheng
Published: June 2023

Plant acclimation to salt and alkali stress is closely linked to the ability of the antioxidant system to mediate the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we investigated the effects of salt stress and alkali stress on ROS, antioxidant enzymes, transcriptome, and metabolome. The results showed that the levels of superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage increased under salt and alkali stress, with higher concentrations observed under alkali stress than salt stress. The activities of superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1), peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7), catalase (EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.11), glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2), dehydroascorbate reductase (EC 1.8.5.1), and monodehydroascorbate reductase (EC 1.6.5.4) varied under salt and alkali stress. The transcriptome analysis revealed the induction of signal transduction and metabolic processes and differential expression of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes in response to salt and alkali stress. The metabolome analysis demonstrated increased ascorbic acid and glutathione under salt stress, while most phenolic acids, flavonoids, and alkaloids increased under salt and alkali stress. Integrative analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome data revealed that the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway played a key role in the grapevine's response to salt stress. The total flavonoid content increased under salt and alkali stress, but the accumulation of flavonoids was higher under salt stress than alkali stress. In conclusion, our findings indicate significant differences in the antioxidant defense of grapevines under these two stresses, providing insight into distinct acclimation mechanisms in grapevine under salt and alkali stress.
Influence of adhesive fillets on fatigue behaviour of single‐strap composite repairs
Authors: Ramírez Francis M. G. , Moreira Raul D. F. , de Moura Marcelo F. S. F.
Published: June 2023

The objective of this work is to analyse the influence of adhesive fillets on the fatigue/fracture behaviour of single‐strap adhesive repairs of carbon‐epoxy composites. A cohesive zone model (CZM) appropriate for high‐cycle fatigue analysis was employed. A preliminary model validation was performed using results ensuing from experimental testing of single‐strap adhesive repairs without fillets. Subsequently, the numerical model was used to investigate the effect of outer, inner and both (outer and inner) fillets on the quasi‐static strengths and on the fatigue lives of these repairs. It was concluded that inner fillets provide the best option concerning the increase of fatigue life or a maximum fatigue load for a given planned service‐life of the repaired component.
The Narrative, Discourse and Terminology of the Western Balkans Online Media Reporting on the Russia-Ukraine War
Authors: Selimi Ferid , Zejnullahu Safet
Published: June 2023

Reporting by various media on armed conflicts produce news about the events from both the frontlines and the country a war takes place. Given that reporting from war zones has changed and that many media outlets do not even send their journalists to cover the fighting on the ground but opt for citing news agencies, the social media, or the local media, we bear out that reporting from the Russian-Ukraine war constitutes a mixed journalism between that of war and peace. The narrative, discourse, and terminology used by the Western Balkans online media in Albanian, Serbian, and Macedonian, differ depending on the language and the country that the certain media operate. The content provided in the body of articles is less striking than of what appears in the headlines of the same news items, meaning that online media tend to prioritize sensationalism and that the reporting strategy in essence reduces the quality of the media narrative and discourse. The results of our research highlight the importance of telling between different types of conflict frames omnipresent in the online media reporting contexts.
Secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis of metal oxides using 70 keV argon, carbon dioxide, and water gas cluster ion beams
Authors: Alsaedi A. H. , Walton A. S. , Lockyer N. P.
Published: June 2023

Manganese (II) oxide (MnO), manganese (IV) oxide (MnO2), cobalt (II,III) oxide (Co3O4), and nickel (II) oxide (NiO) were analyzed with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry using 70 keV gas cluster ion beams. The obtained mass spectra are influenced by projectile chemistry and to a lesser extent velocity. Gas cluster ion beams containing CO2 or H2O enhanced the relative yield of metal oxide and metal hydroxide secondary ions compared to beams containing only Ar. For all gas cluster ion beams tested, steady-state ion ratios [MxOy]+/[Mx]+ were reached. For manganese oxides, the [MnxOy]+/[Mnx]+ ratio reflected the metal oxidation state whereas the [MnxOyHz]+/[Mnx]+ ion ratios did not. This study demonstrates that secondary ion mass spectrometry using 70 keV gas cluster ion beams provides a novel approach to the quantitative analysis of the surface and subsurface regions of metal oxides related to energy-storage materials.
Joint trans-dimensional inversion for water-column sound speed and seabed geoacoustic models
Authors: Dosso Stan E. , Bonnel Julien
Published: June 2023

This letter considers joint estimation of the water-column sound-speed profile (SSP) and seabed geoacoustic model through Bayesian inversion of ocean-acoustic data. The inversion is formulated in terms of separate trans-dimensional models for the water column (as an unknown number of nodes of a piecewise-continuous SSP) and seabed (as an unknown number of uniform layers) to intrinsically parameterize each according to the information content of the data. The inversion estimates marginal posterior probability profiles, quantifying the resolution of water-column and seabed structure. To validate the proposed method, modal-dispersion data from the New England Mud Patch, collected using hand-deployable systems, are considered.
Association Between Sleep Time and Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Biomarkers Is Mediated by Abdominal Obesity Among Adolescents
Authors: De Moraes Augusto César Ferreira , Medeiros-Oliveira Vanessa Cassia , Burford Katie , Schaan Beatriz D. , Bloch Katia , de Carvalho Kênia Mara Baiocchi , Cureau Felipe Vogt , Nascimento-Ferreira Marcus Vinicius
Published: June 2023

Objectives: Movement behaviors and abdominal obesity are associated with higher inflammatory biomarkers. However, the role of waist circumference as a mediating factor is still unknown. Thus, our aims were to (1) test the associations between 24-hour movement behavior variables (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep), abdominal obesity, and pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers; and (2) investigate whether abdominal obesity had a mediating effect between the investigated associations. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study included 3591 adolescents (aged 12–17 y) from 4 Brazilian cities. Waist circumference (in centimeters; at half the distance between the iliac crest and at the lower costal margin), 24-hour movement behaviors (validated questionnaire), high-sensitive C-reactive protein, and adiponectin (serum plasma) were evaluated. We used multiple mediation regression models (95% confidence interval) to determine if waist circumference mediated the association between 24-hour movement behaviors and pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers. Results: The results revealed that screen time and moderate to vigorous physical activity were not associated with pro- or anti-inflammatory biomarkers. However, sleep duration (in hours per day) was negatively associated with pro- (C-reactive protein, β = −0.08; 95% confidence interval, −0.38 to −0.02) and anti- (adiponectin, β = −0.31; 95% confidence interval, −2.13 to −0.12) inflammatory biomarkers. Our results also showed that waist circumference mediated the association between sleep duration and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (2.7%), and adiponectin (2.8%). Conclusion: Sleep duration was inversely associated with pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers, and these relations were mediated by abdominal obesity. Therefore, adolescents having healthy sleep can have implications for reducing waist circumference and inflammatory indicators.
Translational imaging of TSPO reveals pronounced innate inflammation in human and murine CD8 T cell–mediated limbic encephalitis
Authors: Gallus Marco , Roll Wolfgang , Dik Andre , Barca Cristina , Zinnhardt Bastian , Hicking Gordon , Mueller Christoph , Naik Venu Narayanan , Anstötz Max , Krämer Julia , Rolfes Leoni , Wachsmuth Lydia , Pitsch Julika , van Loo Karen M. J. , Räuber Saskia , Okada Hideho , Wimberley Catriona , Strippel Christine , Golombeck Kristin S. , Johnen Andreas , Kovac Stjepana , Groß Catharina C. , Backhaus Philipp , Seifert Robert , Lewerenz Jan , Surges Rainer , Elger Christian E. , Wiendl Heinz , Ruck Tobias , Becker Albert J. , Faber Cornelius , Jacobs Andreas H. , Bauer Jan , Meuth Sven G. , Schäfers Michael , Melzer Nico
Published: June 2023

Autoimmune limbic encephalitis (ALE) presents with new-onset mesial temporal lobe seizures, progressive memory disturbance, and other behavioral and cognitive changes. CD8 T cells are considered to play a key role in those cases where autoantibodies (ABs) target intracellular antigens or no ABs were found. Assessment of such patients presents a clinical challenge, and novel noninvasive imaging biomarkers are urgently needed. Here, we demonstrate that visualization of the translocator protein (TSPO) with [
18
F]DPA-714-PET-MRI reveals pronounced microglia activation and reactive gliosis in the hippocampus and amygdala of patients suspected with CD8 T cell ALE, which correlates with FLAIR-MRI and EEG alterations. Back-translation into a preclinical mouse model of neuronal antigen-specific CD8 T cell–mediated ALE allowed us to corroborate our preliminary clinical findings. These translational data underline the potential of [
18
F]DPA-714-PET-MRI as a clinical molecular imaging method for the direct assessment of innate immunity in CD8 T cell–mediated ALE.
Point-of-care applicable metabotyping using biofluid-specific electrospun MetaSAMPs directly amenable to ambient LA-REIMS
Authors: De Spiegeleer Margot , Plekhova Vera , Geltmeyer Jozefien , Schoolaert Ella , Pomian Beata , Singh Varoon , Wijnant Kathleen , De Windt Kimberly , Paukku Volter , De Loof Alexander , Gies Inge , Michels Nathalie , De Henauw Stefaan , De Graeve Marilyn , De Clerck Karen , Vanhaecke Lynn
Published: June 2023

In recent years, ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AIMS) including laser ablation rapid evaporation IMS, has enabled direct biofluid metabolome analysis. AIMS procedures are, however, still hampered by both analytical, i.e., matrix effects, and practical, i.e., sample transport stability, drawbacks that impede metabolome coverage. In this study, we aimed at developing biofluid-specific metabolome sampling membranes (MetaSAMPs) that offer a directly applicable and stabilizing substrate for AIMS. Customized rectal, salivary, and urinary MetaSAMPs consisting of electrospun (nano)fibrous membranes of blended hydrophilic (polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyacrylonitrile) and lipophilic (polystyrene) polymers supported metabolite absorption, adsorption, and desorption. Moreover, MetaSAMP demonstrated superior metabolome coverage and transport stability compared to crude biofluid analysis and was successfully validated in two pediatric cohorts (MetaBEAse,
n
= 234 and OPERA,
n
= 101). By integrating anthropometric and (patho)physiological with MetaSAMP-AIMS metabolome data, we obtained substantial weight-driven predictions and clinical correlations. In conclusion, MetaSAMP holds great clinical application potential for on-the-spot metabolic health stratification.
Verwey transition as evolution from electronic nematicity to trimerons via electron-phonon coupling
Authors: Wang Wei , Li Jun , Liang Zhixiu , Wu Lijun , Lozano Pedro M. , Komarek Alexander C. , Shen Xiaozhe , Reid Alex H. , Wang Xijie , Li Qiang , Yin Weiguo , Sun Kai , Robinson Ian K. , Zhu Yimei , Dean Mark P.M. , Tao Jing
Published: June 2023

Understanding the driving mechanisms behind metal-insulator transitions (MITs) is a critical step toward controlling material’s properties. Since the proposal of charge order–induced MIT in magnetite Fe
3
O
4
in 1939 by Verwey, the nature of the charge order and its role in the transition have remained elusive. Recently, a trimeron order was found in the low-temperature structure of Fe
3
O
4
; however, the expected transition entropy change in forming trimeron is greater than the observed value, which arises a reexamination of the ground state in the high-temperature phase. Here, we use electron diffraction to unveil that a nematic charge order on particular Fe sites emerges in the high-temperature structure of bulk Fe
3
O
4
and that, upon cooling, a competitive intertwining of charge and lattice orders arouses the Verwey transition. Our findings discover an unconventional type of electronic nematicity in correlated materials and offer innovative insights into the transition mechanism in Fe
3
O
4
via the electron-phonon coupling.
Nonlinear optical phonon spectroscopy revealing polaronic signatures of the LaAlO
3
/SrTiO
3
interface
Authors: Liu Xinyi , Zhou Tao , Qin Zhiyuan , Ma Changjian , Lu Fanjin , Liu Tongying , Li Jiashi , Wei Su-Huai , Cheng Guanglei , Liu Wei-Tao
Published: June 2023

We report the direct observation of lattice phonons confined at LaAlO
3
/SrTiO
3
(LAO/STO) interfaces and STO surfaces using the sum-frequency phonon spectroscopy. This interface-specific nonlinear optical technique unveiled phonon modes localized within a few monolayers at the interface, with inherent sensitivity to the coupling between lattice and charge degrees of freedom. Spectral evolution across the insulator-to-metal transition at LAO/STO interface revealed an electronic reconstruction at the subcritical LAO thickness, as well as strong polaronic signatures upon formation of the two-dimensional electron gas. We further discovered a characteristic lattice mode from interfacial oxygen vacancies, enabling us to probe such important structural defects in situ. Our study provides a unique perspective on many-body interactions at the correlated oxide interfaces.
Autonomous metal-organic framework nanorobots for active mitochondria-targeted cancer therapy
Authors: Peng Xiqi , Tang Songsong , Tang Daitian , Zhou Dewang , Li Yangyang , Chen Qiwei , Wan Fangchen , Lukas Heather , Han Hong , Zhang Xueji , Gao Wei , Wu Song
Published: June 2023

Nanorobotic manipulation to access subcellular organelles remains unmet due to the challenge in achieving intracellular controlled propulsion. Intracellular organelles, such as mitochondria, are an emerging therapeutic target with selective targeting and curative efficacy. We report an autonomous nanorobot capable of active mitochondria-targeted drug delivery, prepared by facilely encapsulating mitochondriotropic doxorubicin-triphenylphosphonium (DOX-TPP) inside zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) nanoparticles. The catalytic ZIF-67 body can decompose bioavailable hydrogen peroxide overexpressed inside tumor cells to generate effective intracellular mitochondriotropic movement in the presence of TPP cation. This nanorobot-enhanced targeted drug delivery induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and mitochondrial dysregulation to improve the in vitro anticancer effect and suppression of cancer cell metastasis, further verified by in vivo evaluations in the subcutaneous tumor model and orthotopic breast tumor model. This nanorobot unlocks a fresh field of nanorobot operation with intracellular organelle access, thereby introducing the next generation of robotic medical devices with organelle-level resolution for precision therapy.
Androgen receptor amplification in mesonephric remnants
Authors: Siddiqui Gulnaz , Zara Rozalen Alexandra , Nava Victor E
Published: June 2023

Mesonephric remnants (MRs) are embryonic vestiges most commonly found in female pathology specimens from the lateral wall of the cervix. The highly regulated genetic programme of mesonephric duct development has been well characterised in animals based on traditional surgical castration and knockout mouse experiments. However, the process is incompletely understood in humans. MRs are believed to give rise to mesonephric neoplasms, which are rare tumours with uncertain pathophysiology. There is a dearth of molecular studies on mesonephric neoplasms in part due to their rarity. Here, we report the results of next-generation sequencing of MR, which identified amplification of the androgen receptor gene for the first time to the best of our knowledge and discuss the potential implications in the context of the literature.
Sexual well-being among young people in remote rural island communities in Scotland: a mixed methods study
Authors: MacGilleEathain Rebecah , Smith Tamsin , Steele Isabel
Published: June 2023

Background

It has been identified that rural young people face barriers to accessing support for their sexual well-being such as availability and transport, knowing healthcare staff personally, and fear of being judged negatively within their community. These factors may contribute to widening health inequalities and expose young people living in rural areas to increased risk of poor sexual well-being. Little is known about the current needs of adolescents residing in remote rural island communities (RRICs).

Methods

A cross sectional mixed methods study was conducted with 473 adolescents aged 13–18 across the islands of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Analysis included descriptive, inferential statistics and thematic analysis.

Results

59% (n=279) of participants held the perception there was no support, or did not know if there was support, about condoms and contraception in their local area. 48% (n=227) said that free condoms were not easily available for local young people. 60% (n=283) said they would not use youth services if they were locally available. 59% (n=279) said they did not receive enough relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. Opinion differed significantly by gender, school year group, and sexual orientation. Qualitative analysis identified three key themes: (1) alone yet visible, (2) silence and disapproval, and (3) safe spaces, with an underpinning theme of island cultures.

Conclusions

A need for further sexual well-being support that addresses the complexities and challenges for young people residing in RRICs is identified. The intersectionality of being LGBT+ and residing in this context may increase the experience of inequality in sexual well-being support.
Intracranial atherosclerosis update for neurointerventionalists
Authors: Alexander Michael J , Yu Wengui
Published: June 2023

The management of intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) has been evolving with advanced imaging, refinements of best medical treatment, and the development of endovascular options. There has been a significant increase in the use of endovascular therapy for symptomatic ICAD in the USA over the past 6 years. The rationale for this review is to update neurointerventionalists in these areas so that evidence-based decisions can be considered when counseling potential patients regarding their risks, benefits, and potential complications. The landmark SAMMPRIS trial demonstrated superiority of aggressive medical management (AMM) over intracranial stenting as an initial treatment. However, the risk of disabling or fatal stroke remains high in patients presenting with stroke treated with AMM. Recent studies showed a significantly lower rate of periprocedural complications from intracranial stenting. Patients who have failed medical treatment may therefore benefit from intracranial stenting, particularly in those with hemodynamic compromise and large vessel embolic stroke. Drug coated angioplasty balloons and drug eluting stents may potentially reduce the risk of in-stent re-stenosis. Large vessel occlusion (LVO) due to underlying ICAD is seen in a subset of thrombectomy-eligible patients. The use of stenting as a rescue therapy in LVO thrombectomy has also shown promising early results.
Obesity paradox: a myth or reality, time to reveal the fact in a South Asian cohort presenting with STE-ACS undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Kumar Rajesh , Mujtaba Mustajab , Ahmed Rameez , Samad Maryam , ­ Sapna , Ahmed Salik , Siddiqui Maria Noor , Rahooja Kubbra , Rasool Mohammad , Khan Sohail , Saghir Tahir , Qamar Nadeem , Karim Musa , Sial Jawaid Akbar
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Obesity is a globally well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases; however, some studies have witnessed survival benefits among obese patients and this phenomenon is termed ‘the obesity paradox’. Our aim was to evaluate the existence of an obesity paradox in patients with ‘ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (STE-ACS)’ in our population.

Methods

In this observational study, we included patients presenting with STE-ACS undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Body mass index (BMI) ‘(weight (kg)/height (m)2) was calculated and patients with BMI ≥30 kg/m2were categorised as obese. All the patients were observed during their hospital stay for postprocedure in-hospital morbidity (pump failure, contrast-induced nephropathy, major bleeding, cerebrovascular accident/stroke, access site complications or stent thrombosis) and mortality.

Results

A total of 1099 patients were included, out of which 78% (857) were men, and mean age was 54.66±10.9 years. The mean BMI was 27.48±4.93 kg/m2and 23.2% (255) were categorised as obese. The in-hospital morbidity rate was 13.4% (113/844) vs 8.6% (22/255); p=0.042 and in-hospital mortality rate was 1.9% (16/844) vs 4.7% (12/255); p=0.013 for non-obese and obese patients, respectively. On multivariable analysis, obesity showed paradoxical protective effect with adjusted OR of 0.59 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.96, p=0.033) for postprocedure in-hospital morbidity. However, obesity was found to be an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality with an adjusted OR of 3.13 (95% CI 1.37 to 7.15, p=0.007).

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have found evidence of the obesity paradox in in-hospital morbidity, but not in mortality, after primary PCI of patients with ST-ACS in our population.
Postoperative neurological symptoms following arthroscopic shoulder surgery with interscalene block: an exploratory secondary analysis of pooled randomized controlled trial data
Authors: Frost Samantha , Rodrigues Daniel , Amadeo Ryan J J , Wolfe Scott , Funk Faylene , Ferguson Celeste , Brown Holly , MacDonald Peter , Dufault Brenden , Mutter Thomas Charles
Published: June 2023

Objective

Postoperative neurological symptoms (PONS) are recognized complications of regional anesthesia and orthopedic surgery. We aimed to better characterize prevalence and potential risk factors in a homogeneous population of randomized, controlled trial participants.

Methods

Data were pooled from two randomized controlled trials of analgesia after interscalene block with perineural or intravenous adjuvants (NCT02426736,NCT03270033). Participants were at least 18 years of age and undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery at a single ambulatory surgical center. PONS were assessed by telephone follow-up at 14 days and 6 months postoperatively, and defined as patient report of numbness, weakness, or tingling in the surgical limb, alone or in combination, and regardless of severity or etiology.

Results

At 14 days, PONS occurred in 83 of 477 patients (17.4%). Among these 83 patients, 10 (12.0%) continued to have symptoms a half-year after surgery. In exploratory univariate analyses, no patient, surgical or anesthetic characteristics were significantly associated with 14-day PONS except for lower postoperative day 1 Quality of Recovery-15 questionnaire total score (OR 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96 to 0.99), p<0.01). This result was driven largely by the emotional domain question scores (OR 0.90 95% CI 0.85 to 0.96, p<0.001). Report of all three of numbness, weakness and tingling at 14 days vs other 14-day symptom combinations was associated with persistent PONS at 6 months (OR 11.5 95% CI 2.2 to 61.8, p<0.01).

Conclusion

PONS are common after arthroscopic shoulder surgery performed with single injection ultrasound-guided interscalene blocks. No definitive mitigating risk factors were identified.
Equal mixture of 2% lidocaine with adrenaline and 0.5% bupivacaine 20 mL provided faster onset of complete conduction blockade during ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block than 20 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine alone: a randomized double-blinded clinical trial
Authors: R Sripriya , T Sivashanmugam , Rajadurai Daniel , Parthasarathy S
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Recent evidence has questioned the advantage of local anesthetic (LA) combinations. This study tested the hypothesis that mixing rapid-onset (lidocaine) and long-duration (bupivacaine) LA would provide faster onset of complete conduction blockade (CCB) compared with bupivacaine alone and longer duration of analgesia compared with lidocaine alone during low-volume (20 mL) ultrasound-guided (USG) supraclavicular brachial plexus block (SCBPB).

Methods

Sixty-three patients receiving USG-SCBPB were randomly allocated into: groupL: 20 mL 2% lidocaine with epinephrine 1:200 000;group B:20 mL 0.5% bupivacaine;group LB: 20 mL of equi-volume mixture of both drugs. Sensory and motor blockade was recorded on a three point sensory and motor assessment scale at 10 min intervals for up to 40 min and the total composite score (TCS) at each time point was determined. The duration of analgesia was also noted.

Results

The mean time to CCB of group LB (16±7 min) was comparable (p>0.05) with group L (14±6 min) and group B (21±8 min) in patients who were attained CCB. However, the proportion of patients attaining complete conduction block (TCS=16/16) was significantly lower (p=0.0001) in group B (48%) when compared with group L (95%) and group LB (95%) at the end of 40 min. The median (IQR) duration of postoperative analgesia was longest in group B; 12.2 (12–14.5) hours, followed by group LB 8.3 (7–11) hours and 4 (2.7–4.5) hours in group L.

Conclusion

At 20 mL LA volume, equal mixture of lidocaine and bupivacaine provided significantly faster onset of CCB compared with bupivacaine alone and longer duration of postoperative analgesia compared with lidocaine alone but shorter than bupivacaine alone during low-volume USG-SCBPB.

Trial registration number

CTRI/2020/11/029359.
Addition of dexamethasone to prolong peripheral nerve blocks: a ChatGPT-created narrative review
Authors: Wu Christopher L , Cho Brian , Gabriel Rodney , Hurley Robert , Liu Jiabin , Mariano Edward R , Mathur Vineesh , Memtsoudis Stavros G , Grant Michael Conrad
Published: June 2023

Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT), an artificial intelligence chatbot, produces detailed responses and human-like coherent answers, and has been used in the clinical and academic medicine. To evaluate its accuracy in regional anesthesia topics, we produced a ChatGPT review on the addition of dexamethasone to prolong peripheral nerve blocks. A group of experts in regional anesthesia and pain medicine were invited to help shape the topic to be studied, refine the questions entered in to the ChatGPT program, vet the manuscript for accuracy, and create a commentary on the article. Although ChatGPT produced an adequate summary of the topic for a general medical or lay audience, the review that were created appeared to be inadequate for a subspecialty audience as the expert authors. Major concerns raised by the authors included the poor search methodology, poor organization/lack of flow, inaccuracies/omissions of text or references, and lack of novelty. At this time, we do not believe ChatGPT is able to replace human experts and is extremely limited in providing original, creative solutions/ideas and interpreting data for a subspecialty medical review article.
Lorentz group equivariant autoencoders
Authors: Hao Zichun , Kansal Raghav , Duarte Javier , Chernyavskaya Nadezda
Published: June 2023

There has been significant work recently in developing machine learning (ML) models in high energy physics (HEP) for tasks such as classification, simulation, and anomaly detection. Often these models are adapted from those designed for datasets in computer vision or natural language processing, which lack inductive biases suited to HEP data, such as equivariance to its inherent symmetries. Such biases have been shown to make models more performant and interpretable, and reduce the amount of training data needed. To that end, we develop the Lorentz group autoencoder (LGAE), an autoencoder model equivariant with respect to the proper, orthochronous Lorentz group $$\textrm{SO}^+(3,1)$$

SO
+

(
3
,
1
)

, with a latent space living in the representations of the group. We present our architecture and several experimental results on jets at the LHC and find it outperforms graph and convolutional neural network baseline models on several compression, reconstruction, and anomaly detection metrics. We also demonstrate the advantage of such an equivariant model in analyzing the latent space of the autoencoder, which can improve the explainability of potential anomalies discovered by such ML models.
Astrophysical implications of an eternal homogeneous gravitational collapse model with a parametrization of expansion scalar
Authors: Jaiswal Annu , Kumar Rajesh , Srivastava Sudhir Kumar , Pacif S. K. J.
Published: June 2023

In this study, we continue our previous work (Annu et al. 2023) by introducing a novel parametrization of the expansion scalar $$\Theta $$
Θ
as a rational function of time t. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of a homogeneous gravitational collapsing system, wherein the exact solutions of the Einstein field equations (EFEs) are determined using a new parametrization of $$\Theta $$
Θ
in a model-independent way. The model is especially significant for the astrophysical applications because we have addressed the physical and geometrical quantities of the model in terms of Schwarzschild mass M. We have estimated the numerical value of the model parameter involved in the functional form of $$\Theta $$
Θ
-parametrization using the masses and radii data of some massive stars namely, Westerhout 49-2, BAT99-98, R136a1, R136a2, WR 24, Pismis 24-1, $$\lambda $$
λ
Cephei, $$\alpha $$
α
Camelopardalis, $$\beta $$
β
Canis Majoris. We have presented theoretical investigations about such astrophysical stellar systems. The formation of an apparent horizon is also studied for the collapsing system, and it has been shown that our model produces a continuing collapsing scenario of star (an eternal collapsing object).
Terahertz metamaterial filter with enhanced sensing sensitivity using the suspended structure design
Authors: Jiang Jieying , Yang Zhuchuang , Xu Wei , Zhou Haiquan , Wu Yangkuan , Zhu Huaxin , Zhang Xiangyang , Wang Ben-Xin
Published: June 2023

This paper presents a method to improve refractive index sensing sensitivity using a suspended structure design with a suspended silver split ring resonator metamaterial structure on a silica substrate, which is important in improving detection sensitivity compared to a planar structure. Its basic unit has two metal cleavage rings attached back-to-back to an etched dielectric substrate. Due to the enhancement of the electric field around the gap of the surface-modularized metal structure and the expansion effect of the electric field of the etched layer, the sensitivity is enhanced from 162.5 GHz/RIU of the planar structure to 342.5 GHz/RIU with a sensing sensitivity enhancement factor of 2.1 times compared to the planar metamaterial with an unetched substrate. When the refractive index of the surrounding environment is changed from n = 1 to n = 1.4, the resonance center produces 0.137 THz redshift. Based on this, a more practical structural design is proposed to improve the refractive index sensing sensitivity while reducing the fabrication difficulty. This work provides new ideas for the research of terahertz (THz) metamaterials with high refractive index sensitivity and offers more device options for THz sensing applications.
Retrospective Multi-granularity Fusion Network for Chinese Idiom Cloze-style Reading Comprehension
Authors: Yue Jianyu , Sun Yiwen , Bi Xiaojun , Chen Zheng , Zhang Yu
Published: June 2023

Chinese idiom cloze-style reading comprehension task is of great significance for improving the machine’s ability to understand Chinese idioms, which is one of the essential application requirements in advanced artificial intelligence. Existing methods suffer from an insufficient deep semantic understanding of the text. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a novelRetrospective Multi-granularity Fusion Network (RMFNet)for Chinese idiom cloze-style reading comprehension. Our RMFNet is equipped with two novel modules to model deeper contextual information of passage and Chinese idioms, respectively. First, we propose a novelMulti-granularity Passage Fusion (MgPF)module, which enhances the passage representation by integrating different semantic perspectives. Second, we propose aRetrospective Reading (Re\(^2\))module that implements a back-and-forth reading mechanism to concentrate on critical Chinese idioms, thereby generating an ultimate memory for the whole text. Notably, the intuition of the MgPF module and the Re\(^2\)module is based on human reading strategies in the real world. The strategies in these modules are similar to how humans perceive the text. Extensive experiments are conducted on Chinese benchmark datasets to evaluate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. Our RMFNet achieves state-of-the-art performance and in-depth analysis verifies its capability for understanding the deep semantics of the text.
Crossover for Cardinality Constrained Optimization
Authors: Friedrich Tobias , Kötzing Timo , Radhakrishnan Aishwarya , Schiller Leon , Schirneck Martin , Tennigkeit Georg , Wietheger Simon
Published: June 2023

To understand better how and why crossover can benefit constrained optimization, we consider pseudo-Boolean functions with an upper bound
B
on the number of 1-bits allowed in the length-
n
bit string (i.e., a cardinality constraint). We investigate the natural translation of the OneMax test function to this setting, a linear function where
B
bits have a weight of 1+ 1/
n
and the remaining bits have a weight of 1. Friedrich et al. [TCS 2020] gave a bound of Θ (
n
2
) for the expected running time of the (1+1) EA on this function.

Part of the difficulty when optimizing this problem lies in having to improve individuals meeting the cardinality constraint by flipping a 1 and a 0 simultaneously. The experimental literature proposes balanced operators, preserving the number of 1-bits, as a remedy. We show that a balanced mutation operator optimizes the problem in
O(n
log
n
) if
n-B
=
O
(1). However, if
n-B
= Θ (
n
), we show a bound of Ω (
n
2
), just as for classic bit mutation. Crossover together with a simple island model gives running times of
O
(
n
2
/ log
n
) (uniform crossover) and

\(O(n\sqrt {n})\)

(3-ary majority vote crossover). For balanced uniform crossover with Hamming-distance maximization for diversity, we show a bound of
O
(
n
log
n
).

As an additional contribution, we present an extensive analysis of different balanced crossover operators from the literature.