bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complex activity and short-term plasticity of human cerebral organoids reciprocally connected with axons
Authors: Osaki Tatsuya , Duenki Tomoya , Chow Siu Yu A. , Ikegami Yasuhiro , Beaubois Romain , Levi Timothée , Nakagawa-Tamagawa Nao , Hirano Yoji , Ikeuchi Yoshiho
Published: April 2024

An inter-regional cortical tract is one of the most fundamental architectural motifs that integrates neural circuits to orchestrate and generate complex functions of the human brain. To understand the mechanistic significance of inter-regional projections on development of neural circuits, we investigated an in vitro neural tissue model for inter-regional connections, in which two cerebral organoids are connected with a bundle of reciprocally extended axons. The connected organoids produced more complex and intense oscillatory activity than conventional or directly fused cerebral organoids, suggesting the inter-organoid axonal connections enhance and support the complex network activity. In addition, optogenetic stimulation of the inter-organoid axon bundles could entrain the activity of the organoids and induce robust short-term plasticity of the macroscopic circuit. These results demonstrated that the projection axons could serve as a structural hub that boosts functionality of the organoid-circuits. This model could contribute to further investigation on development and functions of macroscopic neuronal circuits in vitro.
Risks posed by invasive species to the provision of ecosystem services in Europe
Authors: Gallardo Belinda , Bacher Sven , Barbosa Ana Marcia , Gallien Laure , González-Moreno Pablo , Martínez-Bolea Víctor , Sorte Cascade , Vimercati Giovanni , Vilà Montserrat
Published: April 2024

Invasive species significantly impact biodiversity and ecosystem services, yet understanding these effects at large spatial scales remains a challenge. Our study addresses this gap by assessing the current and potential future risks posed by 94 invasive species to seven key ecosystem services in Europe. We demonstrate widespread potential impacts, particularly on outdoor recreation, habitat maintenance, crop provisioning, and soil and nitrogen retention. Exposure to invasive species was higher in areas with lower provision of ecosystem services, particularly for regulating and cultural services. Exposure was also high in areas where ecosystem contributions to crop provision and nitrogen retention were at their highest. Notably, regions vital for ecosystem services currently have low invasion suitability, but face an average 77% increase in potential invasion area. Here we show that, while high-value ecosystem service areas at the highest risk represent a small fraction of Europe (0-13%), they are disproportionally important for service conservation. Our study underscores the importance of monitoring and protecting these hotspots to align management strategies with international biodiversity targets, considering both invasion vulnerability and ecosystem service sustainability.
Enhancements of electric field and afterglow of non-equilibrium plasma by Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 ferroelectric electrode
Authors: Xu Yijie , Liu Ning , Lin Ying , Mao Xingqian , Zhong Hongtao , Chang Ziqiao , Shneider Mikhail N. , Ju Yiguang
Published: April 2024

Manipulating surface charge, electric field, and plasma afterglow in a non-equilibrium plasma is critical to control plasma-surface interaction for plasma catalysis and manufacturing. Here, we show enhancements of surface charge, electric field during breakdown, and afterglow by ferroelectric barrier discharge. The results show that the ferroelectrics manifest spontaneous electric polarization to increase the surface charge by two orders of magnitude compared to discharge with an alumina barrier. Time-resolved in-situ electric field measurements reveal that the fast polarization of ferroelectrics enhances the electric field during the breakdown in streamer discharge and doubles the electric field compared to the dielectric barrier discharge. Moreover, due to the existence of surface charge, the ferroelectric electrode extends the afterglow time and makes discharge sustained longer when alternating the external electric field polarity. The present results show that ferroelectric barrier discharge offers a promising technique to tune plasma properties for efficient plasma catalysis and electrified manufacturing.
Fuzzy recognition by the prokaryotic transcription factor HigA2 from Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Hadži San , Živič Zala , Kovačič Matic , Zavrtanik Uroš , Haesaerts Sarah , Charlier Daniel , Plavec Janez , Volkov Alexander N. , Lah Jurij , Loris Remy
Published: April 2024

Disordered protein sequences can exhibit different binding modes, ranging from well-ordered folding-upon-binding to highly dynamic fuzzy binding. The primary function of the intrinsically disordered region of the antitoxin HigA2 from Vibrio cholerae is to neutralize HigB2 toxin through ultra-high-affinity folding-upon-binding interaction. Here, we show that the same intrinsically disordered region can also mediate fuzzy interactions with its operator DNA and, through interplay with the folded helix-turn-helix domain, regulates transcription from the higBA2 operon. NMR, SAXS, ITC and in vivo experiments converge towards a consistent picture where a specific set of residues in the intrinsically disordered region mediate electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions while “hovering” over the DNA operator. Sensitivity of the intrinsically disordered region to scrambling the sequence, position-specific contacts and absence of redundant, multivalent interactions, point towards a more specific type of fuzzy binding. Our work demonstrates how a bacterial regulator achieves dual functionality by utilizing two distinct interaction modes within the same disordered sequence.
Nonlocality activation in a photonic quantum network
Authors: Villegas-Aguilar Luis , Polino Emanuele , Ghafari Farzad , Quintino Marco Túlio , Laverick Kiarn T. , Berkman Ian R. , Rogge Sven , Shalm Lynden K. , Tischler Nora , Cavalcanti Eric G. , Slussarenko Sergei , Pryde Geoff J.
Published: April 2024

Bell nonlocality refers to correlations between two distant, entangled particles that challenge classical notions of local causality. Beyond its foundational significance, nonlocality is crucial for device-independent technologies like quantum key distribution and randomness generation. Nonlocality quickly deteriorates in the presence of noise, and restoring nonlocal correlations requires additional resources. These often come in the form of many instances of the input state and joint measurements, incurring a significant resource overhead. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that single copies of Bell-local states, incapable of violating any standard Bell inequality, can give rise to nonlocality after being embedded into a quantum network of multiple parties. We subject the initial entangled state to a quantum channel that broadcasts part of the state to two independent receivers and certify the nonlocality in the resulting network by violating a tailored Bell-like inequality. We obtain these results without making any assumptions about the prepared states, the quantum channel, or the validity of quantum theory. Our findings have fundamental implications for nonlocality and enable the practical use of nonlocal correlations in real-world applications, even in scenarios dominated by noise.
DNA binding analysis of rare variants in homeodomains reveals homeodomain specificity-determining residues
Authors: Kock Kian Hong , Kimes Patrick K. , Gisselbrecht Stephen S. , Inukai Sachi , Phanor Sabrina K. , Anderson James T. , Ramakrishnan Gayatri , Lipper Colin H. , Song Dongyuan , Kurland Jesse V. , Rogers Julia M. , Jeong Raehoon , Blacklow Stephen C. , Irizarry Rafael A. , Bulyk Martha L.
Published: April 2024

Homeodomains (HDs) are the second largest class of DNA binding domains (DBDs) among eukaryotic sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) and are the TF structural class with the largest number of disease-associated mutations in the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD). Despite numerous structural studies and large-scale analyses of HD DNA binding specificity, HD-DNA recognition is still not fully understood. Here, we analyze 92 human HD mutants, including disease-associated variants and variants of uncertain significance (VUS), for their effects on DNA binding activity. Many of the variants alter DNA binding affinity and/or specificity. Detailed biochemical analysis and structural modeling identifies 14 previously unknown specificity-determining positions, 5 of which do not contact DNA. The same missense substitution at analogous positions within different HDs often exhibits different effects on DNA binding activity. Variant effect prediction tools perform moderately well in distinguishing variants with altered DNA binding affinity, but poorly in identifying those with altered binding specificity. Our results highlight the need for biochemical assays of TF coding variants and prioritize dozens of variants for further investigations into their pathogenicity and the development of clinical diagnostics and precision therapies.
Early-life exercise induces immunometabolic epigenetic modification enhancing anti-inflammatory immunity in middle-aged male mice
Authors: Zhang Nini , Wang Xinpei , Feng Mengya , Li Min , Wang Jing , Yang Hongyan , He Siyu , Xia Ziqi , Shang Lei , Jiang Xun , Sun Mao , Wu Yuanming , Ren Chaoxue , Zhang Xing , Li Jia , Gao Feng
Published: April 2024

Exercise is usually regarded to have short-term beneficial effects on immune health. Here we show that early-life regular exercise exerts long-term beneficial effects on inflammatory immunity. Swimming training for 3 months in male mice starting from 1-month-old curbs cytokine response and mitigates sepsis when exposed to lipopolysaccharide challenge, even after an 11-month interval of detraining. Metabolomics analysis of serum and liver identifies pipecolic acid, a non-encoded amino acid, as a pivotal metabolite responding to early-life regular exercise. Importantly, pipecolic acid reduces inflammatory cytokines in bone marrow-derived macrophages and alleviates sepsis via inhibiting mTOR complex 1 signaling. Moreover, early-life exercise increases histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation at the promoter of Crym in the liver, an enzyme responsible for catalyzing pipecolic acid production. Liver-specific knockdown of Crym in adult mice abolishes this early exercise-induced protective effects. Our findings demonstrate that early-life regular exercise enhances anti-inflammatory immunity during middle-aged phase in male mice via epigenetic immunometabolic modulation, in which hepatic pipecolic acid production has a pivotal function.
Charge transfer and spin-valley locking in 4Hb-TaS2
Authors: Almoalem Avior , Gofman Roni , Nitzav Yuval , Mangel Ilay , Feldman Irena , Koo Jahyun , Mazzola Federico , Fujii Jun , Vobornik Ivana , S´anchez-Barriga J. , Clark Oliver J. , Plumb Nicholas Clark , Shi Ming , Yan Binghai , Kanigel Amit
Published: April 2024

4Hb-TaS2 is a superconductor that exhibits unique characteristics such as time-reversal symmetry breaking, hidden magnetic memory, and topological edge modes. It is a naturally occurring heterostructure comprising of alternating layers of 1H-TaS2 and 1T-TaS2. The former is a well-known superconductor, while the latter is a correlated insulator with a possible non- trivial magnetic ground state. In this study, we use angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy to investigate the normal state electronic structure of this unconventional superconductor. Our findings reveal that the band structure of 4Hb-TaS2 fundamentally differs from that of its constituent materials. Specifically, we observe a significant charge transfer from the 1T layers to the 1H layers that drives the 1T layers away from half-filling. In addition, we find a substantial reduction in inter-layer coupling in 4Hb-TaS2 compared to the coupling in 2H-TaS2 that results in a pronounced spin-valley locking within 4Hb-TaS2.
Distal colonocytes targeted by C. rodentium recruit T-cell help for barrier defence
Authors: Zindl Carlene L. , Wilson C. Garrett , Chadha Awalpreet S. , Duck Lennard W. , Cai Baiyi , Harbour Stacey N. , Nagaoka-Kamata Yoshiko , Hatton Robin D. , Gao Min , Figge David A. , Weaver Casey T.
Published: April 2024

Interleukin 22 (IL-22) has a non-redundant role in immune defence of the intestinal barrier1–3. T cells, but not innate lymphoid cells, have an indispensable role in sustaining the IL-22 signalling that is required for the protection of colonic crypts against invasion during infection by the enteropathogen Citrobacter rodentium4 (Cr). However, the intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) subsets targeted by T cell-derived IL-22, and how T cell-derived IL-22 sustains activation in IECs, remain undefined. Here we identify a subset of absorptive IECs in the mid–distal colon that are specifically targeted by Cr and are differentially responsive to IL-22 signalling. Major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) expression by these colonocytes was required to elicit sustained IL-22 signalling from Cr-specific T cells, which was required to restrain Cr invasion. Our findings explain the basis for the regionalization of the host response to Cr and demonstrate that epithelial cells must elicit MHCII-dependent help from IL-22–producing T cells to orchestrate immune protection in the intestine.
Messenger RNA transport on lysosomal vesicles maintains axonal mitochondrial homeostasis and prevents axonal degeneration
Authors: De Pace Raffaella , Ghosh Saikat , Ryan Veronica H. , Sohn Mira , Jarnik Michal , Rezvan Sangsari Paniz , Morgan Nicole Y. , Dale Ryan K. , Ward Michael E. , Bonifacino Juan S.
Published: April 2024

In neurons, RNA granules are transported along the axon for local translation away from the soma. Recent studies indicate that some of this transport involves hitchhiking of RNA granules on lysosome-related vesicles. In the present study, we leveraged the ability to prevent transport of these vesicles into the axon by knockout of the lysosome–kinesin adaptor BLOC-one-related complex (BORC) to identify a subset of axonal mRNAs that depend on lysosome-related vesicles for transport. We found that BORC knockout causes depletion of a large group of axonal mRNAs mainly encoding ribosomal and mitochondrial/oxidative phosphorylation proteins. This depletion results in mitochondrial defects and eventually leads to axonal degeneration in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived and mouse neurons. Pathway analyses of the depleted mRNAs revealed a mechanistic connection of BORC deficiency with common neurodegenerative disorders. These results demonstrate that mRNA transport on lysosome-related vesicles is critical for the maintenance of axonal homeostasis and that its failure causes axonal degeneration.
Fisheries Inspection in Portuguese Waters from 2015 to 2023
Authors: Moura Ricardo , Pessanha Santos Nuno , Vala Alexandra , Mendes Leonor , Simões Paula , de Castro Neto Miguel , Lobo Victor
Published: April 2024

As a coastal state, Portugal must ensure active surveillance over its maritime area, ensuring its proper control and inspection. One of the most critical inspection activities is the fishery inspection. To protect biodiversity, we must ensure that all the ships comply with the existing safety regulations and respect the current fishing quotas. This georeferenced dataset describes the fisheries inspections done in Portuguese waters between 2015 and 2023. Since we are dealing with occurrences that may have originated some legal process to the ship’s owner, we have ensured data anonymization by pre-processing the dataset to maintain its accuracy while guaranteeing no unique identifiers exist. All the pre-processing performed to ensure data consistency and accuracy is described in detail to allow a quick analysis and implementation of new algorithms. The data containing the results of these inspections can be easily analyzed to implement data mining algorithms that can efficiently retrieve more knowledge and, e.g., suggest new areas of actuation or new strategies.
Numerical subgrid Bi-cubic methods of partial differential equations in image segmentation
Authors: Kim Dongyung
Published: April 2024

Image segmentation is a core research in the image processing and computer vision. In this paper, we suggest a Bi-cubic spline phase transition potential and elaborate a Bi-Cubic spline phase transition potential development. In the image segmentation, we develop the new approach to apply the novel computational fluid dynamics in the boundary with subgrid. The numerical subgrid Bi-cubic method with Bi-Cubic spline for minimizing the piecewise constant energy functional is very efficient, robust and fast in the image segmentation with a multispecies multiphase segmentation models. The subgrid Bi-cubic spline is applied on the boundary with subgrid and the regular grid is applied on the non-boundary. The model generates a multispecies multiphase distribution with Bi-Cubic spline and we can extract the image segments with multispecies multiphase. Finally, we analyze the models and show the numerical results. Numerical results are presented with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and the medical image.
Spindle oscillations in communicating axons within a reconstituted hippocampal formation are strongest in CA3 without thalamus
Authors: Wang Mengke , Lassers Samuel B. , Vakilna Yash S. , Mander Bryce A. , Tang William C. , Brewer Gregory J.
Published: April 2024

Spindle-shaped waves of oscillations emerge in EEG scalp recordings during human and rodent non-REM sleep. The association of these 10–16 Hz oscillations with events during prior wakefulness suggests a role in memory consolidation. Human and rodent depth electrodes in the brain record strong spindles throughout the cortex and hippocampus, with possible origins in the thalamus. However, the source and targets of the spindle oscillations from the hippocampus are unclear. Here, we employed an in vitro reconstruction of four subregions of the hippocampal formation with separate microfluidic tunnels for single axon communication between subregions assembled on top of a microelectrode array. We recorded spontaneous 400–1000 ms long spindle waves at 10–16 Hz in single axons passing between subregions as well as from individual neurons in those subregions. Spindles were nested within slow waves. The highest amplitudes and most frequent occurrence suggest origins in CA3 neurons that send feed-forward axons into CA1 and feedback axons into DG. Spindles had 50–70% slower conduction velocities than spikes and were not phase-locked to spikes suggesting that spindle mechanisms are independent of action potentials. Therefore, consolidation of declarative-cognitive memories in the hippocampus may be separate from the more easily accessible consolidation of memories related to thalamic motor function.
Welfare of invertebrates: a pilot study on a new land snail stunning technique
Authors: Fossati Paola , Stefanini Federico M. , Ravasio Giuliano , Coerezza Umberto
Published: April 2024

The almost complete absence of regulations to protect invertebrates is a common condition in legal systems, including the European one, especially when it comes to invertebrates intended for human consumption. Thus, in the vast majority of cases, edible invertebrates do not receive even the most basic protection at slaughter. Despite recent research indicating that invertebrates are capable of feeling pain and stress, the humane step of stunning is not used on them. This is also the case for land snails, which are gastropod invertebrates whose consumption has now reached significant levels, already involving tonnes and that is expected to increase significantly as edible snail farming becomes more popular as a relatively low-cost, easy-to-perform, and sustainable alternative animal husbandry, thereby making land snails an increasingly economically important species. This paper presents and investigates a proposed stunning method based on the immersion of mollusks in CO2-supplemented and refrigerated water that could be used in the snail meat production chain to reduce the slaughter suffering of millions of these invertebrates. To this end, body condition descriptors (hemolymph parameters) in snails were determined before and after CO2 treatment in cold water, while generating useful data for defining a preliminary set of reference intervals for basal values.
Response times are affected by mispredictions in a stochastic game
Authors: Cabral-Passos Paulo Roberto , Galves Antonio , Garcia Jesus Enrique , Vargas Claudia D.
Published: April 2024

Acting as a goalkeeper in a video-game, a participant is asked to predict the successive choices of the penalty taker. The sequence of choices of the penalty taker is generated by a stochastic chain with memory of variable length. It has been conjectured that the probability distribution of the response times is a function of the specific sequence of past choices governing the algorithm used by the penalty taker to make his choice at each step. We found empirical evidence that besides this dependence, the distribution of the response times depends also on the success or failure of the previous prediction made by the participant. Moreover, we found statistical evidence that this dependence propagates up to two steps forward after the prediction failure.
Traffic coordination by reducing jamming attackers in VANET using probabilistic Manhattan Grid Topology for automobile applications
Authors: Santhi G. B. , Jacob Suma Sira , Sheela D. , Kumaran P.
Published: April 2024

In recent years Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) has been growing interest in the development of vehicular communication technology. The traffic in India shows considerable fluctuations owing to the static and dynamic characteristics of road vehicles in VANET (Vehicular Adhoc Network). These vehicles take up a convenient side lane position on the road, disregarding lane discipline. They utilize the opposing lane to overtake slower-moving vehicles, even when there are oncoming vehicles approaching. The primary objective of this study is to minimize injuries resulting from vehicle interactions in mixed traffic conditions on undivided roads. This is achieved through the implementation of the Modified Manhattan grid topology, which primarily serves to guide drivers in the correct path when navigating undivided roads. Furthermore, the Fuzzy C-Means algorithm (FCM) is applied to detect potential jamming attackers, while the Modified Fisheye State Routing (MFSR) Algorithm is employed to minimize the amount of information exchanged among vehicles. Subsequently, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is developed to enhance the accuracy of determining the coordinates of jamming attackers within individual clusters. The effectiveness of the outcomes is affirmed through the utilization of the Fuzzy C-Means algorithm, showcasing a notable 30% reduction in the number of attackers, along with the attainment of a 70% accuracy rate in this research endeavor.
Plasma metabolites and physical function in patients undergoing hemodialysis
Authors: Moorthi Ranjani N. , Moe Sharon M. , O’Connell Thomas , Dickinson Stephanie , Kalim Sahir , Thadhani Ravi , Clish Clary B. , Shafi Tariq , Rhee Eugene P. , Avin Keith G.
Published: April 2024

Impaired physical function contributes to falls, fractures, and mortality among patients undergoing dialysis. Using a metabolomic approach, we identified metabolite alterations and effect size-based composite scores for constructs of impaired gait speed and grip strength. 108 participants incident to dialysis had targeted plasma metabolomics via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and physical function assessed (i.e., 4 m walk, handgrip strength). Physical function measures were categorized as above/ below median, with grip utilizing sex-based medians. To develop composite scores, metabolites were identified via Wilcoxon uncorrected p < 0.05 and effect size > 0.40. Receiver operating characteristic analyses tested whether scores differentiated between above/below function groups. Participants were 54% male, 77% Black and 53 ± 14 y with dialysis vintage of 101 ± 50 days. Median (IQR) grip strength was 35.5 (11.1) kg (males) and 20 (8.4) kg (females); median gait speed was 0.82 (0.34) m/s. Of 246 measured metabolites, composite scores were composed of 22 and 12 metabolites for grip strength and gait speed, respectively. Area under the curve for metabolite composite was 0.88 (gait) and 0.911 (grip). Composite scores of physical function performed better than clinical parameters alone in patients on dialysis. These results provide potential pathways for interventions and needed validation in an independent cohort.
Modeling the influence of bacteria concentration on the mechanical properties of self-healing concrete (SHC) for sustainable bio-concrete structures
Authors: Onyelowe Kennedy C. , Adam Ali F. H. , Ulloa Nestor , Garcia Cesar , Andrade Valle Alexis Ivan , Zúñiga Rodríguez María Gabriela , Zarate Villacres Andrea Natali , Shakeri Jamshid , Anyaogu Lewechi , Alimoradijazi Mohammadreza , Ganasen Nakkeeran
Published: April 2024

In this research paper, the intelligent learning abilities of the gray wolf optimization (GWO), multi-verse optimization (MVO), moth fly optimization, particle swarm optimization (PSO), and whale optimization algorithm (WOA) metaheuristic techniques and the response surface methodology (RSM) has been studied in the prediction of the mechanical properties of self-healing concrete. Bio-concrete technology stimulated by the concentration of bacteria has been utilized as a sustainable structural concrete for the future of the built environment. This is due to the recovery tendency of the concrete structures after noticeable structural failures. However, it requires a somewhat expensive exercise and technology to create the medium for the growth of the bacteria needed for this self-healing ability. The method of data gathering, analysis and intelligent prediction has been adopted to propose parametric relationships between the bacteria usage and the concrete performance in terms of strength and durability. This makes is cheaper to design self-healing concrete structures based on the optimized mathematical relationships and models proposed from this exercise. The performance of the models was tested by using the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean squared errors, mean absolute errors, mean squared errors, variance accounted for and the coefficient of error. At the end of the prediction protocol and model performance evaluation, it was found that the classified metaheuristic techniques outclassed the RSM due their ability to mimic human and animal genetics of mutation. Furthermore, it can be finally remarked that the GWO outclassed the other methods in predicting the concrete slump (Sl) with R2 of 0.998 and 0.989 for the train and test, respectively, the PSO outclassed the rest in predicting the flexural strength with R2 of 0.989 and 0.937 for train and test, respectively and the MVO outclassed the others in predicting the compressive strength with R2 of 0.998 and 0.958 for train and test, respectively.
A histological and diceCT-derived 3D reconstruction of the avian visual thalamofugal pathway
Authors: Straight Parker J. , Gignac Paul M. , Kuenzel Wayne J.
Published: April 2024

Amniotes feature two principal visual processing systems: the tectofugal and thalamofugal pathways. In most mammals, the thalamofugal pathway predominates, routing retinal afferents through the dorsolateral geniculate complex to the visual cortex. In most birds, the thalamofugal pathway often plays the lesser role with retinal afferents projecting to the principal optic thalami, a complex of several nuclei that resides in the dorsal thalamus. This thalamic complex sends projections to a forebrain structure called the Wulst, the terminus of the thalamofugal visual system. The thalamofugal pathway in birds serves many functions such as pattern discrimination, spatial memory, and navigation/migration. A comprehensive analysis of avian species has unveiled diverse subdivisions within the thalamic and forebrain structures, contingent on species, age, and techniques utilized. In this study, we documented the thalamofugal system in three dimensions by integrating histological and contrast-enhanced computed tomography imaging of the avian brain. Sections of two-week-old chick brains were cut in either coronal, sagittal, or horizontal planes and stained with Nissl and either Gallyas silver or Luxol Fast Blue. The thalamic principal optic complex and pallial Wulst were subdivided on the basis of cell and fiber density. Additionally, we utilized the technique of diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) on a 5-week-old chick brain, and right eyeball. By merging diceCT data, stained histological sections, and information from the existing literature, a comprehensive three-dimensional model of the avian thalamofugal pathway was constructed. The use of a 3D model provides a clearer understanding of the structural and spatial organization of the thalamofugal system. The ability to integrate histochemical sections with diceCT 3D modeling is critical to better understanding the anatomical and physiologic organization of complex pathways such as the thalamofugal visual system.
Ablation of Wnt signaling in bone marrow stromal cells overcomes microenvironment-mediated drug resistance in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Palani Hamenth Kumar , Ganesan Saravanan , Balasundaram Nithya , Venkatraman Arvind , Korula Anu , Abraham Aby , George Biju , Mathews Vikram
Published: April 2024

The survival of leukemic cells is significantly influenced by the bone marrow microenvironment, where stromal cells play a crucial role. While there has been substantial progress in understanding the mechanisms and pathways involved in this crosstalk, limited data exist regarding the impact of leukemic cells on bone marrow stromal cells and their potential role in drug resistance. In this study, we identify that leukemic cells prime bone marrow stromal cells towards osteoblast lineage and promote drug resistance. This biased differentiation of stroma is accompanied by dysregulation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Inhibition of Wnt signaling in stroma reversed the drug resistance in leukemic cells, which was further validated in leukemic mice models. This study evaluates the critical role of leukemic cells in establishing a drug-resistant niche by influencing the bone marrow stromal cells. Additionally, it highlights the potential of targeting Wnt signaling in the stroma by repurposing an anthelmintic drug to overcome the microenvironment-mediated drug resistance.
Clinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers
Authors: Gale-Grant Oliver , Chew Andrew , Falconer Shona , França Lucas G. S. , Fenn-Moltu Sunniva , Hadaya Laila , Harper Nicholas , Ciarrusta Judit , Charman Tony , Murphy Declan , Arichi Tomoki , McAlonan Grainne , Nosarti Chiara , Edwards A. David , Batalle Dafnis
Published: April 2024

Identifying factors linked to autism traits in the general population may improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying divergent neurodevelopment. In this study we assess whether factors increasing the likelihood of childhood autism are related to early autistic trait emergence, or if other exposures are more important. We used data from 536 toddlers from London (UK), collected at birth (gestational age at birth, sex, maternal body mass index, age, parental education, parental language, parental history of neurodevelopmental conditions) and at 18 months (parents cohabiting, measures of socio-economic deprivation, measures of maternal parenting style, and a measure of maternal depression). Autism traits were assessed using the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) at 18 months. A multivariable model explained 20% of Q-CHAT variance, with four individually significant variables (two measures of parenting style and two measures of socio-economic deprivation). In order to address variable collinearity we used principal component analysis, finding that a component which was positively correlated with Q-CHAT was also correlated to measures of parenting style and socio-economic deprivation. Our results show that parenting style and socio-economic deprivation correlate with the emergence of autism traits at age 18 months as measured with the Q-CHAT in a community sample.
A hybrid particle swarm optimization algorithm for solving engineering problem
Authors: Qiao Jinwei , Wang Guangyuan , Yang Zhi , Luo Xiaochuan , Chen Jun , Li Kan , Liu Pengbo
Published: April 2024

To overcome the disadvantages of premature convergence and easy trapping into local optimum solutions, this paper proposes an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm (named NDWPSO algorithm) based on multiple hybrid strategies. Firstly, the elite opposition-based learning method is utilized to initialize the particle position matrix. Secondly, the dynamic inertial weight parameters are given to improve the global search speed in the early iterative phase. Thirdly, a new local optimal jump-out strategy is proposed to overcome the "premature" problem. Finally, the algorithm applies the spiral shrinkage search strategy from the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) and the Differential Evolution (DE) mutation strategy in the later iteration to accelerate the convergence speed. The NDWPSO is further compared with other 8 well-known nature-inspired algorithms (3 PSO variants and 5 other intelligent algorithms) on 23 benchmark test functions and three practical engineering problems. Simulation results prove that the NDWPSO algorithm obtains better results for all 49 sets of data than the other 3 PSO variants. Compared with 5 other intelligent algorithms, the NDWPSO obtains 69.2%, 84.6%, and 84.6% of the best results for the benchmark function ($${f}_{1}-{f}_{13}$$

f
1

-

f
13

) with 3 kinds of dimensional spaces (Dim = 30,50,100) and 80% of the best optimal solutions for 10 fixed-multimodal benchmark functions. Also, the best design solutions are obtained by NDWPSO for all 3 classical practical engineering problems.
Identifying acute illness phenotypes via deep temporal interpolation and clustering network on physiologic signatures
Authors: Ren Yuanfang , Li Yanjun , Loftus Tyler J. , Balch Jeremy , Abbott Kenneth L. , Ruppert Matthew M. , Guan Ziyuan , Shickel Benjamin , Rashidi Parisa , Ozrazgat-Baslanti Tezcan , Bihorac Azra
Published: April 2024

Using clustering analysis for early vital signs, unique patient phenotypes with distinct pathophysiological signatures and clinical outcomes may be revealed and support early clinical decision-making. Phenotyping using early vital signs has proven challenging, as vital signs are typically sampled sporadically. We proposed a novel, deep temporal interpolation and clustering network to simultaneously extract latent representations from irregularly sampled vital signs and derive phenotypes. Four distinct clusters were identified. Phenotype A (18%) had the greatest prevalence of comorbid disease with increased prevalence of prolonged respiratory insufficiency, acute kidney injury, sepsis, and long-term (3-year) mortality. Phenotypes B (33%) and C (31%) had a diffuse pattern of mild organ dysfunction. Phenotype B’s favorable short-term clinical outcomes were tempered by the second highest rate of long-term mortality. Phenotype C had favorable clinical outcomes. Phenotype D (17%) exhibited early and persistent hypotension, high incidence of early surgery, and substantial biomarker incidence of inflammation. Despite early and severe illness, phenotype D had the second lowest long-term mortality. After comparing the sequential organ failure assessment scores, the clustering results did not simply provide a recapitulation of previous acuity assessments. This tool may impact triage decisions and have significant implications for clinical decision-support under time constraints and uncertainty.
Natural course of hemodynamically stable hemispheres contralateral to operated hemispheres in adult patients with ischemic moyamoya diseases
Authors: Kang Young Sill , Cho Won-Sang , Nam Sun Mo , Chung Yuwhan , Lee Sung Ho , Kim Kangmin , Kang Hyun-Seung , Kim Jeong Eun
Published: April 2024

The necessity of bilateral bypass in adult moyamoya disease (MMD) remains unclear despite its recommendation for pediatric and hemorrhagic cases. We aimed to investigate the natural course of hemodynamically stable unoperated hemispheres after bypass surgery for symptomatic and hemodynamically unstable hemispheres in adult patients with ischemic MMD. Among 288 patients, the mean age at the first operation of the unstable hemispheres was 40.8 ± 12.2 years. The mean follow-up period was 62.9 ± 46.5 months. 45 patients (15.6%) experienced stroke events in the unoperated hemisphere, consisting of hemorrhagic stroke in 8 (2.8%) and ischemic stroke in 37 (12.8%), including progressive transient ischemic attack in 25 (8.7%) and infarction in 12 (4.2%). Among them, 39 patients (13.5%) underwent bypass surgery. The annual risk of total stroke is 3.0%/patient-year, with 2.5% for ischemic stroke and 0.5% for hemorrhagic stroke. The 5- and 10-year cumulative risks of ischemic stroke were 13.4% and 18.3%, respectively, and those of hemorrhagic stroke were each 3.2%. The natural course of hemodynamically stable hemispheres contralateral to the operated ones appeared fairly good. Additional bypass surgery on the unoperated hemispheres should be considered for symptomatic and hemodynamically unstable hemispheres in adult patients with ischemic MMD during the follow-up.
DON6D: a decoupled one-stage network for 6D pose estimation
Authors: Wang Zheng , Tu Hangyao , Qian Yutong , Zhao Yanwei
Published: April 2024

The six-dimensional (6D) pose object estimation is a key task in robotic manipulation and grasping scenes. Many existing two-stage solutions with a slow inference speed require extra refinement to handle the challenges of variations in lighting, sensor noise, object occlusion, and truncation. To address these challenges, this work proposes a decoupled one-stage network (DON6D) model for 6D pose estimation that improves inference speed on the premise of maintaining accuracy. Particularly, since the RGB images are aligned with the RGB-D images, the proposed DON6D first uses a two-dimensional detection network to locate the interested objects in RGB-D images. Then, a module of feature extraction and fusion is used to extract color and geometric features fully. Further, dual data augmentation is performed to enhance the generalization ability of the proposed model. Finally, the features are fused, and an attention residual encoder–decoder, which can improve the pose estimation performance to obtain an accurate 6D pose, is introduced. The proposed DON6D model is evaluated on the LINEMOD and YCB-Video datasets. The results demonstrate that the proposed DON6D is superior to several state-of-the-art methods regarding the ADD(-S) and ADD(-S) AUC metrics.
Diagnostic performance of PIVKA-II in identifying recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma following curative resection: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Zhu Wenfeng , Wang Weilong , Zheng Wenjie , Chen Xiaolong , Wang Xiaowen , Xie Juping , Jiang Shijie , Chen Haoqi , Zhu Shuguang , Xue Ping , Jiang Xiaofeng , Li Hua , Wang Genshu
Published: April 2024

Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II (PIVKA-II) plays a critical role in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, studies on its efficacy in diagnosing recurrent HCC were rarely found. A multicenter, retrospective, and observational study was conducted. During the overall follow-up of 5 years, HCC patients who had curative resection were monitored every 3 months in the first year post-surgery and every 6 months thereafter if no recurrence occurred. Tumor markers were collected at the diagnosis of recurrence for those with recurrence and at the last follow-up for those without recurrence. The median serum levels of PIVKA-II and AFP in the recurrence group were significantly higher than those in the non-recurrence group (PIVKA-II: 84.62 vs. 18.76 mAU/ml, p < 0.001; AFP: 4.90 vs. 3.00 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and there is a significant correlation between PIVKA-II and AFP (R = 0.901, p < 0.001). PIVKA-II showed better accuracy than AFP in the diagnosis of overall recurrent HCC (AUC: 0.883 vs. 0.672; p < 0.0001), but also in patients with negative PIVKA-II before curative resection (AUC: 0.878 vs. 0.680, p = 0.001). Clinician should pay more attention to serum PIVKA-II values when following patients after curative HCC resection to detect early recurrence.

Clinical trial registration: ChiCTR2300070874
A wealth of structures for the Ge2H2+ radical cation: comparison of theory and experiment
Authors: Poncelet Ethan J. , Mull Henry F. , Abate Yohannes , Robinson Gregory H. , Douberly Gary E. , Turney Justin M. , Schaefer Henry F.
Published: April 2024

From left to right and top to bottom, the five Ge2H2+ structures are shown: trans, monobridged, butterfly, germylidene, and linear.
Advanced cathodes for aqueous Zn batteries beyond Zn2+ intercalation
Authors: Hao Junnan , Zhang Shaojian , Wu Han , Yuan Libei , Davey Kenneth , Qiao Shi-Zhang
Published: April 2024

This Review outlines advancements in cathodes beyond Zn2+ intercalation for aqueous Zn batteries, assesses the challenges in transitioning from laboratory research to industrial application, and identifies promising candidates for practical use.
The circular economy of water across the six continents
Authors: Peydayesh Mohammad , Mezzenga Raffaele
Published: April 2024

Water is our most valuable and precious resource, yet it is only available in a limited amount.
Protein misfolding and amyloid nucleation through liquid–liquid phase separation
Authors: Mukherjee Semanti , Poudyal Manisha , Dave Kritika , Kadu Pradeep , Maji Samir K.
Published: April 2024

Protein misfolding and amyloid aggregation, linked to neurodegenerative diseases, can result from liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and a subsequent liquid-to-solid transition. This represents LLPS as a generic mechanism in amyloid nucleation.
Visible photons as ideal reagents for the activation of coloured organic compounds
Authors: Di Terlizzi Lorenzo , Nicchio Luca , Protti Stefano , Fagnoni Maurizio
Published: April 2024

In search for the perfect wave(length). This review is dedicated to recent efforts in the development of visible light driven photochemical strategies occurring in coloured organic compounds.
Lead-halide perovskite quantum dots embedded in mesoporous silica as heterogeneous photocatalysts combined with organocatalysts for asymmetric catalysis
Authors: Ren Hao , Li Yi-Ming , Li Wen-Jing , Zhai Qing-Chao , Cheng Lin
Published: April 2024

CsPbBr3 quantum dots embedded in KIT-6 to form silica-shell-protected heterogeneous photocatalysts, which were further combined with chiral organocatalysts forming dual-catalysts to explore the activity and stereoselectivity in asymmetric catalysis.
Exogenous analogues of substance P trigger pseudo-allergic reactions through activation of MRGPRX2
Authors: Shan Yi , Lu Jiayu , Li Na , Mo Xiaoxue , Wang Cheng , He Huaizhen
Published: April 2024

This article reports that exogenous analogues of the neuropeptide substance P can activate MRGPRX2 to trigger pseudo-allergic reactions.
Unveiling the key role of excited-state hydrogen bonding in homogeneous photocatalytic CO2 reduction
Authors: Zhang Naitian , Li Yuehui , Shang Wenzhe , Liu Wei , Cheng Xusheng , Song Suchan , Song Xuedan , Shi Yantao , Hao Ce
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we investigated the role of excited-state hydrogen bonding in the photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) utilizing Rose Bengal as a catalyst, through a combined experimental and theoretical approach.
Metal-ion-triggered symmetry breaking of completely achiral azobenzene amphiphiles in water
Authors: Yang Yun-Han , He Ran , Qin Yang , Zhang Ling
Published: April 2024

Herein, we demonstrate that it is possible to construct chiral nanoassemblies by achieving control over metal-ion-induced symmetry breaking of completely achiral azobenzene amphiphiles with key structural factors in the pure aqueous phase.
An efficient β-nucleating agent with high lattice matching rate for plate-like crystallization of polypropylene random copolymer
Authors: Wu Bo , Zheng Xian , Ren Yanwei , Yu Hailong , Leng Haiqiang , Wang Yubo , Jiang Huanfeng
Published: April 2024

The highly ordered structure of β-nucleating agent, the periodicity of 12.89 Å, can act as growth surface, which induces PP molecular chain epitaxial to crystallize on it and many irregular plate-like β crystalline regions are formed eventually.
Sulfur-doped activated carbon for the efficient degradation of tetracycline with persulfate: Insight into the effect of pore structure on catalytic performance
Authors: Guo Yaoping , Huang Yaxiong , Li Yifan , Luo Yan , Xuan Keng , Guo Yadan , Jiang Hao , Fang Rui
Published: April 2024

Sulfur-doped activated carbon has proved to be a promising metal-free catalyst for persulfate (PDS) catalytic activation for the oxidation of aqueous refractory organics.
Accessing pyrrolo[1,2-a]indole derivatives via visible-light-induced dearomatizative cyclization of indoles
Authors: Liu Zhaosheng , Ji Xiaochen , Duan Lilan , Deng Guo-Jun , Huang Huawen
Published: April 2024

Dearomatizative cyclization of indoles: a novel synthetic method for pyrrolo[1,2-a]indole derivatives through visible-light-induced cascade dearomatizative cyclization of indoles with external nucleophiles has been developed.
Efficient gold recovery by a thiazolyl covalent organic framework
Authors: Huang Zhecheng , Guo Liecheng , Yu Kai , Gao Feng , Yang Yuting , Luo Feng
Published: April 2024

We report here a novel thiazole-based COF for recovery of gold, showing an ultrahigh gold uptake and big potential for such use.
Prediction of superhard C1+xN1−x compounds with metal-free magnetism and narrow band gaps
Authors: Wu Haiping , Zheng Yunhao , Kan Erjun , Qian Yan
Published: April 2024

The scarcity of superhard materials with magnetism or a narrow band gap, and their potential applications in various fields, makes it desirable to design such materials.
Delving into theoretical and computational considerations for accurate calculation of chemical shifts in paramagnetic transition metal systems using quantum chemical methods
Authors: Islam Md. Ashraful , Pell Andrew J.
Published: April 2024

NMR chemical shifts for transition metal complexes were estimated using spin-only magnetic susceptibility. The effects of DFT functionals and basis sets on Fermi-contact hyperfine coupling were studied in connection to paramagnetic chemical shifts.
Extreme ultraviolet time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy of adenine, adenosine and adenosine monophosphate in a liquid flat jet
Authors: Koga Masafumi , Kang Do Hyung , Heim Zachary N. , Meyer Philipp , Erickson Blake A. , Haldar Neal , Baradaran Negar , Havenith Martina , Neumark Daniel M.
Published: April 2024

Ultrafast UV photophysics of adenine and its derivatives are interrogated by XUV-TRPES with a gas-dynamic flat liquid jet.
Development of Pd/In2O3 hybrid nanoclusters to optimize ethanol vapor sensing
Authors: Xie Bo , Sun Jian , Zhang Aoxue , Qian Haoyu , Mao Xibing , Li Yingzhu , Yan Wenjing , Zhou Changjiang , Wen Hui-Min , Xia Shengjie , Han Min , Milani Paolo , Mao Peng
Published: April 2024

This study introduces a novel approach to synthesizing Pd/In2O3 hybrid nanoclusters, showcasing remarkable sensitivity, stability, and selectivity for detecting low concentrations of ethanol vapor, achieving a detection limit as low as 24 ppb.
Sorting drug conformers in enzyme active sites: the XTB way
Authors: Chan Bun , Dawson William , Nakajima Takahito
Published: April 2024

An assessment of low-cost computational chemistry methods reveals the outstanding performance of XTB1 for calculating relative binding energies of chemically similar systems, notably conformers of substrates in enzyme active sites.