bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in urine, blood, and wound pathogens among rural patients in Karnataka, India
Authors: Mardourian Markos , Lyons Hannah , Rhodes Brunner Jackson , K. Edwards Matthew , Lennox Archibald , Mahadevaiah Sumana , Chandrashekhar Sunitha , Prudhvi Raj Suvvada , Pradhan Anjali , Kalyatanda Gautam
Published: May 2023

Background and objective:

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasing in tertiary-care hospitals across India, which consumes more antibiotics than any other country. Microorganisms with novel resistance mechanisms, initially isolated in India, are now recognized worldwide. Until now, most efforts to stem AMR in India have focused on the inpatient setting. Ministry of Health data now suggest that rural areas are playing a more significant role in the pathogenesis of AMR than was previously appreciated. Thus, we conducted this pilot study to ascertain whether AMR is common in pathogens causing infections acquired in the wider rural community.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective prevalence survey of 100 urine, 102 wound, and 102 blood cultures obtained from patients who were admitted to a tertiary-care facility in Karnataka, India, with infections acquired in the community. The study population included patients >18 years of age who (1) were referred to the hospital by primary care doctors, (2) had a positive blood, urine, or wound culture, and (3) were not previously hospitalized. Bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) were carried out on all isolates.

Results:

Enterobacteriaceae were the most common pathogens isolated from urine and blood cultures. Significant resistance to quinolones, aminoglycosides, carbapenems, and cephalosporins was noted among pathogens isolated from all cultures. Specifically, high resistance rates (>45%) to quinolones, penicillin, and cephalosporins were evident among all 3 types of culture. Among blood and urinary pathogens, there were high resistance rates (>25%) to both aminoglycosides and carbapenems.

Conclusion:

Efforts to stem AMR rates in India need to focus on rural populations. Such efforts will need to characterize antimicrobial overprescribing practices, healthcare-seeking behaviors, and antimicrobial use in agriculture in rural settings.
Canadian dairy farmer views about animal welfare
Authors: Schuppli Catherine A , Spooner Jeffrey M , von Keyserlingk Marina AG
Published: May 2023

Concerns regarding the welfare of farm animals continue to grow. Traditionally, research efforts have largely focused on refining existing management practices to improve welfare. However, the incorporation of views from those directly involved in animal care is equally, if not more, important. This study investigated the perspectives of Canadian dairy farmers on animal welfare. We conducted 16 interviews with a total of 22 participants from four provinces across Canada. Recorded audio files and field notes were transcribed, anonymised, and coded using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. The interview data revealed two major themes: (1) animal dimension of animal welfare, including views related to biological functioning, naturalness and affective states; and (2) dairy farmer identity, including, the voice of the ‘city’, what it means to be a good ‘cow-man’, and the nature of human-animal relationships. Dairy farmers emphasised biological functioning, but they made numerous references to the emotional and natural living aspects of their animals’ lives. Our work also provides evidence that farmers believed it was their duty to care for their animals beyond simply milking cows and making a profit. In terms of the larger debate, this study identified potential shared values with members of the public: opportunities for natural living and agency, attentiveness to individual animals, and the value of life over death. Finally, the emotional relationship that farmers developed with their animals highlights the values dairy farmers have for their animals beyond simply utilitarian function. Overall, these shared values could contribute to constructive dialogue.
Temporal development of high-performance translational teams
Authors: Brasier Allan R. , Casey Shannon L. , Resnik Felice , Rolland Betsy , Burnside Elizabeth S.
Published: May 2023

Successful translation involves the coupled application of knowledge-generating research with product development to advance a device, drug, diagnostic, or evidence-based intervention for clinical adoption to improve human health. Critical to the success of the CTSA consortium, translation can be more effectively accomplished by training approaches that focus on improving team-emergent knowledge skills and attitudes (KSAs) linked to performance. We earlier identified 15 specific evidence-informed, team-emergent competencies that facilitate translational team (TT) performance. Here, we examine the SciTS literature describing developmental, temporal dynamics, and adaptive learning stages of interdisciplinary teams and integrate these with real-world observations on TT maturation pathways. We propose that TTs undergo ordered developmental phases, each representing a learning cycle that we call Formation, Knowledge Generation, and Translation. We identify major activities of each phase linked to development goals. Transition to subsequent phases is associated with a team learning cycle, resulting in adaptations that enabling progression towards clinical translation. We present known antecedents of stage-dependent competencies and rubrics for their assessment. Application of this model will ease assessment, facilitate goal identification and align relevant training interventions to improve performance of TTs in the CTSA context.
TWO NEW MILLENNIUM-LONG TREE-RING OXYGEN ISOTOPE CHRONOLOGIES (2349–1009 BCE AND 1412–466 BCE) FROM JAPAN
Authors: Sano Masaki , Kimura Katsuhiko , Miyake Fusa , Tokanai Fuyuki , Nakatsuka Takeshi
Published: May 2023

We present two new millennium-long tree-ring oxygen isotope chronologies for central and northern Japan, based on 9693 annually resolved measurements of tree-ring oxygen isotopes from 39 unearthed samples consisting mainly of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica). These chronologies were developed through cross-dating of tree-ring widths and δ18O data from multiple samples covering the periods 2349–1009 BCE (1341 yr) and 1412–466 BCE (947 yr) for central and northern Japan, respectively. In combination with our published chronology for central Japan, the tree-ring δ18O dataset currently available covers the past 4354 yr (2349 BCE to 2005 CE), which represents the longest annually resolved tree-ring δ18O dataset for Asia. Furthermore, the high-resolution temporal record of 14C contents independently developed by Sakurai et al. (2020) was reproduced by our 14C measurements of earlywood and latewood in annual rings for the period 667–660 BCE.
Validation of resonance Raman spectroscopy-measured skin carotenoid status as a biomarker for fruit and vegetable intake in Korean adults
Authors: Ahn Seoeun , Ahn Sungmo , Jang Hyeongseok , Eom Kunsun , Kim Yoon Jae , Hwang Jeong-Eun , Chung Ji In , Park Jin-Young , Nam Sunghyun , Choi Yoon-Ho , Joung Hyojee
Published: May 2023

Blood carotenoid concentration measurement is considered the gold standard for fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake estimation; however, this method is invasive and expensive. Recently, skin carotenoid status (SCS) measured by optical sensors has been evaluated as a promising parameter for F&V intake estimation. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to validate the utility of resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS)-assessed SCS as a biomarker of F&V intake in Korean adults. We used data from 108 participants aged 20–69 years who completed SCS measurements, blood collection and 3-d dietary recordings. Serum carotenoid concentrations were quantified using HPLC, and dietary carotenoid and F&V intakes were estimated via 3-d dietary records using a carotenoid database for common Korean foods. The correlations of the SCS with serum carotenoid concentrations, dietary carotenoid intake and F&V intake were examined to assess SCS validity. SCS was positively correlated with total serum carotenoid concentration (r = 0·52, 95 % CI = 0·36, 0·64, P < 0·001), serum β-carotene concentration (r = 0·60, 95 % CI = 0·47, 0·71, P < 0·001), total carotenoid intake (r = 0·20, 95 % CI = 0·01, 0·37, P = 0·04), β-carotene intake (r = 0·30, 95 % CI = 0·11, 0·46, P = 0·002) and F&V intake (r = 0·40, 95 % CI = 0·23, 0·55, P < 0·001). These results suggest that SCS can be a valid biomarker of F&V intake in Korean adults.
Monitoring mosquito richness in an understudied area: can environmental DNA metabarcoding be a complementary approach to adult trapping?
Authors: Gutiérrez-López Rafael , Egeter Bastian , Paupy Christophe , Rahola Nil , Makanga Boris , Jiolle Davy , Bourret Vincent , Melo Martim , Loiseau Claire
Published: May 2023

Mosquito surveillance programmes are essential to assess the risks of local vector-borne disease outbreaks as well as for early detection of mosquito invasion events. Surveys are usually performed with traditional sampling tools (i.e., ovitraps and dipping method for immature stages or light or decoy traps for adults). Over the past decade, numerous studies have highlighted that environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling can enhance invertebrate species detection and provide community composition metrics. However, the usefulness of eDNA for detection of mosquito species has, to date, been largely neglected. Here, we sampled water from potential larval breeding sites along a gradient of anthropogenic perturbations, from the core of an oil palm plantation to the rainforest on São Tomé Island (Gulf of Guinea, Africa). We showed that (i) species of mosquitoes could be detected via metabarcoding mostly when larvae were visible, (ii) larvae species richness was greater using eDNA than visual identification and (iii) new mosquito species were also detected by the eDNA approach. We provide a critical discussion of the pros and cons of eDNA metabarcoding for monitoring mosquito species diversity and recommendations for future research directions that could facilitate the adoption of eDNA as a tool for assessing insect vector communities.
COVID-19 mortality among Jews in 2020: a global overview and lessons taught about the Jewish longevity advantage
Authors: Staetsky L. Daniel
Published: May 2023

An extensive body of demographic literature has described Jews as ‘long-lifers’. From the mid-nineteenth century onwards, this pattern affected all age groups and was particularly well expressed among Jewish males but was also present among Jewish females. It held good independently of the Jews’ socio-economic position. This became known as ‘Jewish pattern of mortality’. This paper has two aims. The first aim is to show the impact of COVID-19 on Jewish mortality. This is a study of a global pandemic in the Jewish population which is, to the best of our knowledge, unique in its scope and quality. The second aim is to settle the finding of relativelyhighmortality from COVID-19 in certain Jewish communities (‘Jewish penalty’ in relation to COVID-19) with the notion of ‘Jewish pattern of mortality’. The author proceeds to show that the status of Jews as a low mortality group under a Western epidemiological regime, when mortality and morbidity are dominated by non-communicable diseases, does not stand in contradiction to a higher vulnerability among Jews to coronavirus. Thus, the paper further develops understanding of mortality of Jews and serves as a contribution to ethnic and religious demography and epidemiology.
Measuring Firm Complexity
Authors: Loughran Tim , McDonald Bill
Published: May 2023

In business research, firm size is both ubiquitous and readily measured. Complexity, another firm-related construct, is also relevant, but difficult to measure and not well-defined. As a result, complexity is less frequently incorporated in empirical designs. We argue that most extant measures of complexity are one-dimensional, have limited availability, and/or are frequently misspecified. Using both machine learning and an application-specific lexicon, we develop a text solution that uses widely available data and provides an omnibus measure of complexity. Our proposed measure, used in tandem with 10-K file size, provides a useful proxy that dominates traditional measures.
Joint learning of text alignment and abstractive summarization for long documents via unbalanced optimal transport
Authors: Shen Xin , Lam Wai , Ma Shumin , Wang Huadong
Published: May 2023

Recently, neural abstractive text summarization (NATS) models based on sequence-to-sequence architecture have drawn a lot of attention. Real-world texts that need to be summarized range from short news with dozens of words to long reports with thousands of words. However, most existing NATS models are not good at summarizing long documents, due to the inherent limitations of their underlying neural architectures. In this paper, we focus on the task of long document summarization (LDS). Based on the inherent section structures of source documents, we divide an abstractive LDS problem into several smaller-sized problems. In this circumstance, how to provide a less-biased target summary as the supervision for each section is vital for the model’s performance. As a preliminary, we formally describe the section-to-summary-sentence (S2SS) alignment for LDS. Based on this, we propose a novel NATS framework for the LDS task. Our framework is built based on the theory of unbalanced optimal transport (UOT), and it is named as UOTSumm. It jointly learns three targets in a unified training objective, including the optimal S2SS alignment, a section-level NATS summarizer, and the number of aligned summary sentences for each section. In this way, UOTSumm directly learns the text alignment from summarization data, without resorting to any biased tool such as ROUGE. UOTSumm can be easily adapted to most existing NATS models. And we implement two versions of UOTSumm, with and without the pretrain-finetune technique. We evaluate UOTSumm on three publicly available LDS benchmarks: PubMed, arXiv, and GovReport. UOTSumm obviously outperforms its counterparts that use ROUGE for the text alignment. When combined with UOTSumm, the performance of two vanilla NATS models improves by a large margin. Besides, UOTSumm achieves better or comparable performance when compared with some recent strong baselines.
Tapeh Tyalineh: a proto-Elamite administrative institution on the Great Khorasan Road, Kermanshah, Western Iran
Authors: Khosravi Shokouh , Alibaigi Sajjad , Doosti Mostafa , Pittman Holly , Aminikhah Naser , Khayani Ali
Published: May 2023

The Mahidasht region is a vital cultural sphere on the Great Khorasan Road that has provided substantial evidence for administrative activity, which is considered to be an indicator of economic and political complexity in late prehistoric societies. This article discusses a corpus of bureaucratic artefacts from the site of Tapeh Tyalineh in the Kouzaran plain in the north of Mahidasht, including 52 jar sealings and 12 door sealings. The artefacts were found during the recent surveys conducted by two of the authors at Tapeh Tyalineh after reports were received of illegal diggings at the site by villagers who had used its soil to plaster the roofs of their houses and to level and cultivate their farmland. Tyalineh seal impressions are studied here in terms of style and iconography in order to date the corpus of administrative artefacts. Furthermore, applying a functionalist approach, the artefacts are examined to answer questions regarding the nature and function of the site. The results suggest that the corpus dates to the proto-Elamite era. The significance of the door sealings, as the most important artefact type from Tyalineh, is that at least a part of the site was devoted to administrative affairs, which probably involved holding certain commodities in rather small closed-mouthed jars and then securing them behind locked doors. The administrative technology not only at Tyalineh but also at Chogha Maran and Dehsavar in Mahidasht and Godin VI:1 in Kangavar attest to well-established Early Bronze Age administrative and economic institutions along the Khorasan Road in the Central Zagros, which were involved in interregional commercial interactions.
Germination ecology and growth phenology of cowvine (Ipomoea lonchophylla) as influenced by environmental parameters
Authors: Asaduzzaman Md , Koetz Eric , Wu Hanwen , Piltz John , Charles Graham
Published: May 2023

Cowvine (Ipomoea lonchophylla J.M. Black) is a native and widely spread summer broadleaf weed in Australia. It contains glycoresins, which are toxic to livestock. However, limited information is available on seed germination ecology and growth phenology of this species. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the response of I. lonchophylla to different environmental conditions. Results showed that the primary dormancy exhibited by I. lonchophylla is due to the physical impediment of the hard seed coat. The seed germination percentage was the highest at the constant temperature of 27 C and alternating temperatures of 35/25 C. Germination of I. lonchophylla was not stimulated by light, suggesting that this species is non-photoblastic. Ipomoea lonchophylla germination was intolerant of a medium to high level of salt stress, and germination was completely inhibited at 250 mM NaCl. The emergence of I. lonchophylla was not restricted by seeding depth up to 8 cm, but only 5% emergence was recorded when seeds were planted at a 16-cm depth. The germination percentage was also drastically reduced by 90% to 100% after exposure to either 3 mo in silage, 48-h digestion in steers, or silage plus digestion treatments. The growth and reproductive phenology of I. lonchophylla was affected by emergence time. Plants that emerged in late spring (November 15) were able to produce more berries per plant than those that emerged in midsummer (January 15) in southern New South Wales. Information gained in our study concerning high soil salinity, ensiling, and digestion will help to develop more sustainable and effective integrated weed management strategies for controlling and reducing the spread of this weed.
A passive dorsiflexing ankle prosthesis to increase minimum foot clearance during swing
Authors: Bartlett Harrison L. , Shepherd Max K. , Lawson Brian E.
Published: May 2023

The biological ankle dorsiflexes several degrees during swing to provide adequate clearance between the foot and ground, but conventional energy storage and return (ESR) prosthetic feet remain in their neutral position, increasing the risk of toe scuffs and tripping. We present a new prosthetic ankle intended to reduce fall risk by dorsiflexing the ankle joint during swing, thereby increasing the minimum clearance between the foot and ground. Unlike previous approaches to providing swing dorsiflexion such as powered ankles or hydraulic systems with dissipative yielding in stance, our ankle device features a spring-loaded linkage that adopts a neutral angle during stance, allowing ESR, but adopts a dorsiflexed angle during swing. The ankle unit was designed, fabricated, and assessed in level ground walking trials on a unilateral transtibial prosthesis user to experimentally validate its stance and swing phase behaviors. The assessment consisted of three conditions: the ankle in an operational configuration, the ankle in a locked configuration (unable to dorsiflex), and the subject’s daily use ESR prosthesis. When the ankle was operational, minimum foot clearance (MFC) increased by 13 mm relative to the locked configuration and 15 mm relative to his daily use prosthesis. Stance phase energy return was not significantly impacted in the operational configuration. The increase in MFC provided by the passive dorsiflexing ankle prosthesis may be sufficient to decrease the rate of falls experienced by prosthesis users in the real world.
Evaluation of a machine-learning-driven active–passive upper-limb exoskeleton robot: Experimental human-in-the-loop study
Authors: Nasr Ali , Hunter Jason , Dickerson Clark R. , McPhee John
Published: May 2023

Evaluating exoskeleton actuation methods and designing an effective controller for these exoskeletons are both challenging and time-consuming tasks. This is largely due to the complicated human–robot interactions, the selection of sensors and actuators, electrical/command connection issues, and communication delays. In this research, a test framework for evaluating a new active–passive shoulder exoskeleton was developed, and a surface electromyography (sEMG)-based human-robot cooperative control method was created to execute the wearer’s movement intentions. The hierarchical control used sEMG-based intention estimation, mid-level strength regulation, and low-level actuator control. It was then applied to shoulder joint elevation experiments to verify the exoskeleton controller’s effectiveness. The active–passive assistance was compared with fully passive and fully active exoskeleton control using the following criteria: (1) post-test survey, (2) load tolerance duration, and (3) computed human torque, power, and metabolic energy expenditure using sEMG signals and inverse dynamic simulation. The experimental outcomes showed that active–passive exoskeletons required less muscular activation torque (50%) from the user and reduced fatigue duration indicators by a factor of 3, compared to fully passive ones.
The Impact of Zooplankton Calcifiers on the Marine Carbon Cycle
Authors: Knecht Nielja S. , Benedetti Fabio , Hofmann Elizondo Urs , Bednaršek Nina , Chaabane Sonia , de Weerd Catharina , Peijnenburg Katja T. C. A. , Schiebel Ralf , Vogt Meike
Published: May 2023

Shelled pteropods and planktic foraminifers are calcifying zooplankton that contribute to the biological carbon pump via the sinking of their calcareous shells. However, their importance for regional and global plankton biomass and carbon fluxes is not well understood. Here, we modeled global annual patterns of pteropod and foraminifer total carbon (TC) biomass and total inorganic carbon (TIC) export fluxes over the top 200 m using five species distribution models (SDMs). An extended version of the MARine Ecosystem DATa (MAREDAT) of zooplankton abundance observations was used to estimate the biomass of both plankton groups. We found hotspots of mean annual pteropod biomass in the high Northern latitudes and the global upwelling systems, and in the high latitudes of both hemispheres and the tropics for foraminifers. This largely agrees with previously observed distributions. For both groups, temperature is the strongest environmental correlate, followed by chlorophyll‐a. We found mean annual standing stocks of 52 Tg TC (48 to 57 Tg TC) and 0.9 Tg TC (0.6 to 1.1 Tg TC) for pteropods and foraminifers, respectively. This translates to mean annual TIC fluxes of 14 Tg TIC yr−1 (9 to 22 Tg TIC yr−1) for pteropod shells and 11 Tg TIC yr−1 (3 to 27 Tg TIC yr−1) for foraminifer tests. These results are similar to previous estimates for foraminifers, but approximately a factor of ten lower for pteropods. Pteropods contribute 0.2%–3.2% and foraminifers 0.1%–3.8% to global surface carbonate fluxes. Including global coccolithophore fluxes, this leaves 40%–60% of the global carbonate fluxes unaccounted for. Our figures are likely lower‐bound estimates due to sampling data characteristics and uncertainty associated with organism growth rates.
Hemispheric Asymmetry of the Annual and Semiannual Variation of Thermospheric Composition
Authors: Qian Liying , Yu Wandi , Pedatella Nicholas , Yue Jia , Wang Wenbin
Published: May 2023

We examine hemispheric asymmetry of the annual and semiannual variation of the ratio of O and N2 concentrations (O/N2) using observations by the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) instrument onboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics satellite and compare them with Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere‐ionosphere eXtension (WACCM‐X) model simulations. We found that in the equatorial region, the “equinox peaks” of the observed O/N2 are near the end of March and October, and the two annual lows are near the beginning of July and January. Compared to the equatorial region, in the northern hemisphere (NH) low latitudes, the first “equinox peak” clearly shifts toward the December solstice, whereas in the southern hemisphere (SH) low latitudes, the “equinox peaks” shift toward the June solstice (JS), forming the hemispheric asymmetry characteristics of the annual and semiannual variation. Seasonal variation of O/N2 shows no apparent phase variation with altitude, and the annual and semiannual pattern is consistent from year to year. WACCM‐X reproduces the observed annual and semiannual pattern in NH but in SH, it simulates an annual variation instead of the observed annual and semiannual variation. The largest discrepancy occurs near JS in the lower and middle thermosphere: the simulated O density has an annual high near JS in SH; the simulated N2 density has an annual high near JS in NH but a predominant annual low near JS in SH. These are not in the GUVI data. A weaker thermospheric meridional circulation in the winter hemisphere, or a reduced summer‐to‐winter latitudinal gradient of neutral temperature in WACCM‐X simulations would make model‐data comparisons more consistent.
Development of an Epidemic‐Type Aftershock‐Sequence Model Explicitly Incorporating the Seismicity‐Triggering Effects of Slow Slip Events
Authors: Nishikawa Tomoaki , Nishimura Takuya
Published: May 2023

Slow slip events (SSEs) at subduction zone plate boundaries sometimes trigger earthquake swarms and megathrust earthquakes. The causal relationship between SSEs and seismicity has been studied worldwide, but the epidemic‐type aftershock‐sequence (ETAS) model, which is a standard statistical model of seismicity, does not explicitly consider the seismicity‐triggering effect of SSEs. Therefore, if an SSE occurs at a plate boundary, probabilistic earthquake forecasts based on the ETAS model fail to predict observed seismicity. Here, we constructed a statistical model named the SSE‐modulated ETAS model by incorporating SSE moment rates estimated from observation data from the global navigation satellite system into the original ETAS model. Our model assumes a linear or power‐law relationship between the SSE moment rates and seismicity rates and estimates its proportionality constant as a new ETAS parameter. We applied this new model to three SSEs and M 2.5 or greater earthquakes in the shallow part of the Hikurangi Trench, New Zealand. The results show that it is better than the original ETAS model, giving a significant reduction in the Akaike information criterion. In addition, we examined the functional forms (e.g., lag time and power exponent) of the equation relating the moment rate of the SSEs to the seismicity rate. We also examine the influence of SSEs on aftershock productivity. Our model can improve short‐term forecasts of seismicity associated with SSEs if the detection and characterization of SSEs can be done in near real time. Our model is also useful for quantifying characteristics of SSE‐induced seismicity.
Age-related elevation of O-GlcNAc causes meiotic arrest in male mice
Authors: Qian Zhang , Li Chuwei , Zhao Shanmeizi , Zhang Hong , Ma Rujun , Ge Xie , Jing Jun , Chen Li , Ma Jinzhao , Yang Yang , Zheng Lu , Zhang Kemei , He Zhaowanyue , Xue Mengqi , Lin Ying , Jueraitetibaike Kadiliya , Feng Yuming , Cao Chun , Tang Ting , Sun Shanshan , Teng Hui , Zhao Wei , Yao Bing
Published: May 2023

In recent years, the postponement of childbearing has become a critical social issue. Male fertility is negatively associated with age because of testis aging. Spermatogenesis is impaired with age, but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. The dynamic posttranslational modification O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), which is a type of monosaccharide modification, has been shown to drive the process of aging in various systems, but it has not yet been investigated in the testis and male reproductive aging. Thus, this study aims to investigate the alteration of O-GlcNAc with aging and explore the role of O-GlcNAc in spermatogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that the decline in spermatogenesis in aged mice is associated with elevation of O-GlcNAc. O-GlcNAc is specifically localized in differentiating spermatogonia and spermatocytes, indicating its crucial role in meiotic initiation and progression. Mimicking the age-related elevation of O-GlcNAc in young mice by disabling O-GlcNAcase (OGA) using the chemical inhibitor Thiamet-G can recapitulate the impairment of spermatogenesis in aged mice. Mechanistically, the elevation of O-GlcNAc in the testis leads to meiotic pachytene arrest due to defects in synapsis and recombination. Furthermore, decreasing O-GlcNAc in aged testes using an O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) inhibitor can partially rescue the age-related impairment of spermatogenesis. Our results highlight that O-GlcNAc, as a novel posttranslational modification, participates in meiotic progression and drives the impairment of spermatogenesis during aging.
Neuroprotection and axon regeneration by novel low-molecular-weight compounds through the modification of DOCK3 conformation
Authors: Namekata Kazuhiko , Tsuji Naoki , Guo Xiaoli , Nishijima Euido , Honda Sari , Kitamura Yuta , Yamasaki Atsushi , Kishida Masamichi , Takeyama Jun , Ishikawa Hirokazu , Shinozaki Youichi , Kimura Atsuko , Harada Chikako , Harada Takayuki
Published: May 2023

Dedicator of cytokinesis 3 (DOCK3) is an atypical member of the guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and plays important roles in neurite outgrowth. DOCK3 forms a complex with Engulfment and cell motility protein 1 (Elmo1) and effectively activates Rac1 and actin dynamics. In this study, we screened 462,169 low-molecular-weight compounds and identified the hit compounds that stimulate the interaction between DOCK3 and Elmo1, and neurite outgrowth in vitro. Some of the derivatives from the hit compound stimulated neuroprotection and axon regeneration in a mouse model of optic nerve injury. Our findings suggest that the low-molecular-weight DOCK3 activators could be a potential therapeutic candidate for treating axonal injury and neurodegenerative diseases including glaucoma.
Novel highly stable conductive polymer composite PEDOT:DBSA for bioelectronic applications
Authors: Tumová Šárka , Malečková Romana , Kubáč Lubomír , Akrman Jiří , Enev Vojtěch , Kalina Lukáš , Vojtková Eva , Pešková Michaela , Víteček Jan , Vala Martin , Weiter Martin
Published: May 2023

In this work, a novel conductive polymer composite consisting of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (PEDOT:DBSA) for bioelectronic applications was prepared and optimized. The novel PEDOT:DBSA composite possesses superior biocompatibility toward cell culture and electrical characteristics comparable to the widely used PEDOT:PSS. The cross-linking processes induced by the cross-linker glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOPS), which was investigated in detail using Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy and XPS analysis, lead to the excellent long-term stability of PEDOT:DBSA thin films in aqueous solutions, even without treatment at high temperature. The electrical characteristics of PEDOT:DBSA thin films with respect to the level of cross-linking were studied in detail. The conductivity of thin films was significantly improved using sulfuric acid posttreatment. A model transistor device based on PEDOT:DBSA shows typical transistor behavior and suitable electrical properties comparable or superior to those of available conductive polymers in bioelectronics, such as PEDOT:PSS. Based on these properties, the newly developed material is well suited for bioelectronic applications that require long-term contact with living organisms, such as wearable or implantable bioelectronics.
A novel compound heterozygous of β-thalassemia with HbG-Coushatta: case report of Iran
Authors: Soozangar Narges , Abbaspour Ehsan , Mokaber Haleh , Nematollahi Zahra , Davarnia Behzad
Published: May 2023

A 30-year-old male couple from Ardabil city, Iran, were admitted for premarital screening. An abnormal band in HbS/D regions with high levels of HbF and HbA 2 led us to suspect the possibility of a compound heterozygous state of β-thalassemia in our affected proband. Therefore, beta globin chain sequencing of proband discovered a heterozygote combination of the Hb G-Coushatta [b22 (B4) Glu>Ala, HBB: c.68A>C) with HBB: IVS-II-1 (G>A) mutation as a compound heterozygote.
Global disruption of coral broadcast spawning associated with artificial light at night
Authors: Davies Thomas W. , Levy Oren , Tidau Svenja , de Barros Marangoni Laura Fernandes , Wiedenmann Joerg , D’Angelo Cecilia , Smyth Tim
Published: May 2023

Coral broadcast spawning events - in which gametes are released on certain nights predictably in relation to lunar cycles - are critical to the maintenance and recovery of coral reefs following mass mortality. Artificial light at night (ALAN) from coastal and offshore developments threatens coral reef health by masking natural light:dark cycles that synchronize broadcast spawning. Using a recently published atlas of underwater light pollution, we analyze a global dataset of 2135 spawning observations from the 21st century. For the majority of genera, corals exposed to light pollution are spawning between one and three days closer to the full moon compared to those on unlit reefs. ALAN possibly advances the trigger for spawning by creating a perceived period of minimum illuminance between sunset and moonrise on nights following the full moon. Advancing the timing of mass spawning could decrease the probability of gamete fertilization and survival, with clear implications for ecological processes involved in the resilience of reef systems.
Architector for high-throughput cross-periodic table 3D complex building
Authors: Taylor Michael G. , Burrill Daniel J. , Janssen Jan , Batista Enrique R. , Perez Danny , Yang Ping
Published: May 2023

Rare-earth and actinide complexes are critical for a wealth of clean-energy applications. Three-dimensional (3D) structural generation and prediction for these organometallic systems remains a challenge, limiting opportunities for computational chemical discovery. Here, we introduce Architector, a high-throughput in-silico synthesis code for s-, p-, d-, and f-block mononuclear organometallic complexes capable of capturing nearly the full diversity of the known experimental chemical space. Beyond known chemical space, Architector performs in-silico design of new complexes including any chemically accessible metal-ligand combinations. Architector leverages metal-center symmetry, interatomic force fields, and tight binding methods to build many possible 3D conformers from minimal 2D inputs including metal oxidation and spin state. Over a set of more than 6,000 x-ray diffraction (XRD)-determined complexes spanning the periodic table, we demonstrate quantitative agreement between Architector-predicted and experimentally observed structures. Further, we demonstrate out-of-the box conformer generation and energetic rankings of non-minimum energy conformers produced from Architector, which are critical for exploring potential energy surfaces and training force fields. Overall, Architector represents a transformative step towards cross-periodic table computational design of metal complex chemistry.
Emergent geometry and duality in the carbon nucleus
Authors: Shen Shihang , Elhatisari Serdar , Lähde Timo A. , Lee Dean , Lu Bing-Nan , Meißner Ulf-G.
Published: May 2023

The carbon atom provides the backbone for the complex organic chemistry composing the building blocks of life. The physics of the carbon nucleus in its predominant isotope, 12C, is similarly full of multifaceted complexity. Here we provide a model-independent density map of the geometry of the nuclear states of 12C using the ab initio framework of nuclear lattice effective field theory. We find that the well-known but enigmatic Hoyle state is composed of a “bent-arm” or obtuse triangular arrangement of alpha clusters. We identify all of the low-lying nuclear states of 12C as having an intrinsic shape composed of three alpha clusters forming either an equilateral triangle or an obtuse triangle. The states with the equilateral triangle formation also have a dual description in terms of particle-hole excitations in the mean-field picture.
Dynamic conformational switching underlies TFIIH function in transcription and DNA repair and impacts genetic diseases
Authors: Yu Jina , Yan Chunli , Dodd Thomas , Tsai Chi-Lin , Tainer John A. , Tsutakawa Susan E. , Ivanov Ivaylo
Published: May 2023

Transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) is a protein assembly essential for transcription initiation and nucleotide excision repair (NER). Yet, understanding of the conformational switching underpinning these diverse TFIIH functions remains fragmentary. TFIIH mechanisms critically depend on two translocase subunits, XPB and XPD. To unravel their functions and regulation, we build cryo-EM based TFIIH models in transcription- and NER-competent states. Using simulations and graph-theoretical analysis methods, we reveal TFIIH’s global motions, define TFIIH partitioning into dynamic communities and show how TFIIH reshapes itself and self-regulates depending on functional context. Our study uncovers an internal regulatory mechanism that switches XPB and XPD activities making them mutually exclusive between NER and transcription initiation. By sequentially coordinating the XPB and XPD DNA-unwinding activities, the switch ensures precise DNA incision in NER. Mapping TFIIH disease mutations onto network models reveals clustering into distinct mechanistic classes, affecting translocase functions, protein interactions and interface dynamics.
Adaptable graphitic C6N6-based copper single-atom catalyst for intelligent biosensing
Authors: Hong Qing , Yang Hong , Fang Yanfeng , Li Wang , Zhu Caixia , Wang Zhuang , Liang Sicheng , Cao Xuwen , Zhou Zhixin , Shen Yanfei , Liu Songqin , Zhang Yuanjian
Published: May 2023

Self-adaptability is highly envisioned for artificial devices such as robots with chemical noses. For this goal, seeking catalysts with multiple and modulable reaction pathways is promising but generally hampered by inconsistent reaction conditions and negative internal interferences. Herein, we report an adaptable graphitic C6N6-based copper single-atom catalyst. It drives the basic oxidation of peroxidase substrates by a bound copper-oxo pathway, and undertakes a second gain reaction triggered by light via a free hydroxyl radical pathway. Such multiformity of reactive oxygen-related intermediates for the same oxidation reaction makes the reaction conditions capable to be the same. Moreover, the unique topological structure of CuSAC6N6along with the specialized donor-π-acceptor linker promotes intramolecular charge separation and migration, thus inhibiting negative interferences of the above two reaction pathways. As a result, a sound basic activity and a superb gain of up to 3.6 times under household lights are observed, superior to that of the controls, including peroxidase-like catalysts, photocatalysts, or their mixtures. CuSAC6N6is further applied to a glucose biosensor, which can intelligently switch sensitivity and linear detection range in vitro.
Equivariant quantum circuits for learning on weighted graphs
Authors: Skolik Andrea , Cattelan Michele , Yarkoni Sheir , Bäck Thomas , Dunjko Vedran
Published: May 2023

Variational quantum algorithms are the leading candidate for advantage on near-term quantum hardware. When training a parametrized quantum circuit in this setting to solve a specific problem, the choice of ansatz is one of the most important factors that determines the trainability and performance of the algorithm. In quantum machine learning (QML), however, the literature on ansatzes that are motivated by the training data structure is scarce. In this work, we introduce an ansatz for learning tasks on weighted graphs that respects an important graph symmetry, namely equivariance under node permutations. We evaluate the performance of this ansatz on a complex learning task, namely neural combinatorial optimization, where a machine learning model is used to learn a heuristic for a combinatorial optimization problem. We analytically and numerically study the performance of our model, and our results strengthen the notion that symmetry-preserving ansatzes are a key to success in QML.
Influencing factors of medication adherence in schizophrenic patients: a meta-analysis
Authors: Guo Jing , Lv Xue , Liu Yan , Kong Lingling , Qu Haiying , Yue Weihua
Published: May 2023

Medication adherence of schizophrenic patients is a growing public health problem. We conducted a meta-analysis on the influencing factors of medication compliance in schizophrenic patients. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web Of Science for relevant articles published up to December 22, 2022. Combined odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess influencing factors. Egger’s test, funnel plot, the trim and fill method, and meta-regression analysis were used to assess publication bias. A total of 20 articles were included in the analysis. Twenty influencing factors were divided into seven categories: drug factors (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.48–2.59), problem behavior (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.43–2.19), income and quality of life (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.08–1.39), personal characteristics (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.14–1.30), disease factors (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.98–1.21), support level (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.42–0.70), and positive attitude and behavior (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.45–0.62). This meta-analysis found that drug factors, disease factors, problem behavior, low income and quality of life, and factors related to personal characteristics appear to be risk factors for medication adherence in people with schizophrenia. And support level, positive attitude and behavior appear to be protective factors.
Stable, flexible, common, and distinct behaviors support rule-based and information-integration category learning
Authors: Roark Casey L. , Chandrasekaran Bharath
Published: May 2023

The ability to organize variable sensory signals into discrete categories is a fundamental process in human cognition thought to underlie many real-world learning problems. Decades of research suggests that two learning systems may support category learning and that categories with different distributional structures (rule-based, information-integration) optimally rely on different learning systems. However, it remains unclear how the same individual learns these different categories and whether the behaviors that support learning success are common or distinct across different categories. In two experiments, we investigate learning and develop a taxonomy of learning behaviors to investigate which behaviors are stable or flexible as the same individual learns rule-based and information-integration categories and which behaviors are common or distinct to learning success for these different types of categories. We found that some learning behaviors are stable in an individual across category learning tasks (learning success, strategy consistency), while others are flexibly task-modulated (learning speed, strategy, stability). Further, success in rule-based and information-integration category learning was supported by both common (faster learning speeds, higher working memory ability) and distinct factors (learning strategies, strategy consistency). Overall, these results demonstrate that even with highly similar categories and identical training tasks, individuals dynamically adjust some behaviors to fit the task and success in learning different kinds of categories is supported by both common and distinct factors. These results illustrate a need for theoretical perspectives of category learning to include nuances of behavior at the level of an individual learner.
Elimination of chloramphenicol through electro-fenton-like reaction: Reaction mechanism and electron transfer pathway
Authors: Li Meng , Cheng Ji-Liang , Song Jiayu , Zhang Zhao-Xin , Wu Qiong , Zhao Hai-Ming , Feng Nai-Xian , Han Wei , Yeung King Lun , Zhou Shaoqi , Mo Ce-Hui
Published: May 2023

An electro-Fenton-like reaction process relying on peroxymonosulfate activation can stably degrade chloramphenicol (CAP) within 16 min, where the kinetic rate constant can be as high as 0.089 min−1 and the energy consumption value can be as low as 25.1 kWh•m^−3. Evidence indicated that the use of a Na2SO4 solution as the electrolyte can enhance CAP degradation due to rapid electron transfer properties. The generated electrons and active free radicals are responsible for CAP degradation, and the electrons can be transferred from the highest occupied molecular orbital of CAP to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of peroxymonosulfate via the PbO2 electrode. Density functional theory calculations based on Fukui index analysis elucidated the key attack sites in CAP; moreover, reaction-free energy calculations shed light on potential CAP degradation pathways. Not only does this study afford an insight into the activation of peroxymonosulfate for organic pollutant degradation but also provides an innovative technology with potential applications in wastewater purification.