bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Refined Modeling of Geoeffective Fast Halo CMEs During Solar Cycle 24
Authors: Yordanova E. , Temmer M. , Dumbović M. , Scolini C. , Paouris E. , Werner A. L. E. , Dimmock A. P. , Sorriso‐Valvo L.
Published: January 2024

The propagation of geoeffective fast halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from solar cycle 24 has been investigated using the European Heliospheric Forecasting Information Asset (EUHFORIA), ENLIL, Drag‐Based Model (DBM) and Effective Acceleration Model (EAM) models. For an objective comparison, a unified set of a small sample of CME events with similar characteristics has been selected. The same CME kinematic parameters have been used as input in the propagation models to compare their predicted arrival times and the speed of the interplanetary (IP) shocks associated with the CMEs. The performance assessment has been based on the application of an identical set of metrics. First, the modeling of the events has been done with default input concerning the background solar wind, as would be used in operations. The obtained CME arrival forecast deviates from the observations at L1, with a general underestimation of the arrival time and overestimation of the impact speed (mean absolute error [MAE]: 9.8 ± 1.8–14.6 ± 2.3 hr and 178 ± 22–376 ± 54 km/s). To address this discrepancy, we refine the models by simple changes of the density ratio (dcld) between the CME and IP space in the numerical, and the IP drag (γ) in the analytical models. This approach resulted in a reduced MAE in the forecast for the arrival time of 8.6 ± 2.2–13.5 ± 2.2 hr and the impact speed of 51 ± 6–243 ± 45 km/s. In addition, we performed multi‐CME runs to simulate potential interactions. This leads, to even larger uncertainties in the forecast. Based on this study we suggest simple adjustments in the operational settings for improving the forecast of fast halo CMEs.
Long‐Term Variability and Trends in Snow Depth and Cover Days Throughout Iranian Mountain Ranges
Authors: Sadeqi Amin , Irannezhad Masoud , Bahmani Shadi , Jelodarlu Kurosh Azad , Varandili Seyyed Alireza , Pham Quoc Bao
Published: January 2024

In Iran, the mountain snow cover generally feeds major rivers and thereby largely provides water resources required for improving human lives and protecting nature. Hence, understanding historical variability and trends in mountainous snowpack water resources in Iran in response to global warming and climate change can play a critical role in the sustainable development of this country. Accordingly, this study investigated long‐term (1982–2018) snowpack climatology at 13 hydrometeorological measurement stations scattered throughout the Iranian mountain ranges, with a focus on Elburz, Azerbaijan, Zagros, and Khorasan mountainous regions. The non‐parametric Mann‐Kendall test was used to detect statistically significant (p < 0.05) trends, the Pettitt test to identify possible abrupt shift years, the Pearson's correlation coefficient to measure relationships among different time series, and the partial correlation to determine the most important climate factor influencing snowpack dynamics The annual snow depth (maximum snow depth) significantly declined throughout Iranian mountain ranges during 1982–2018, with an average rate of 1.0 (3.4) cm decade−1. The annual snow cover days (SCDs) also showed significant decreasing trends, ranging from 3 to 15 days decade−1 during 1982–2018, in 69% of the stations studied. Such considerable reductions in snow depth and cover days were mainly related to the compound effects of substantial increases in temperature, sunshine, and wind speed as well as decreases in precipitation and cloudiness during the SCDs across the Iranian mountain ranges. However, precipitation was the most influential climate factor controlling snow resources throughout both the Elburz and Zagros mountains in Iran.
Single photon emitter deterministically coupled to a topological corner state
Authors: Rao Mujie , Shi Fulong , Rao Zhixuan , Yang Jiawei , Song Changkun , Chen Xiaodong , Dong Jianwen , Yu Ying , Yu Siyuan
Published: January 2024

Incorporating topological physics into the realm of quantum photonics holds the promise of developing quantum light emitters with inherent topological robustness and immunity to backscattering. Nonetheless, the deterministic interaction of quantum emitters with topologically nontrivial resonances remains largely unexplored. Here we present a single photon emitter that utilizes a single semiconductor quantum dot, deterministically coupled to a second-order topological corner state in a photonic crystal cavity. By investigating the Purcell enhancement of both single photon count and emission rate within this topological cavity, we achieve an experimental Purcell factor of Fp = 3.7. Furthermore, we demonstrate the on-demand emission of polarized single photons, with a second-order autocorrelation function g(2)(0) as low as 0.024 ± 0.103. Our approach facilitates the customization of light-matter interactions in topologically nontrivial environments, thereby offering promising applications in the field of quantum photonics.
Associations between Social Adversity and Biomarkers of Inflammation, Stress, and Aging in Children
Authors: Pantell Matthew S. , Silveira Patricia P. , de Mendonça Filho Euclides José , Wing Holly , Brown Erika M. , Keeton Victoria F. , Pokhvisneva Irina , O’Donnell Kieran J. , Neuhaus John , Hessler Danielle , Meaney Michael J. , Adler Nancy E. , Gottlieb Laura M.
Published: January 2024

Background

Prior work has found relationships between childhood social adversity and biomarkers of stress, but knowledge gaps remain. To help address these gaps, we explored associations between social adversity and biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin-1β [IL-1β], IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], and salivary cytokine hierarchical “clusters” based on the three interleukins), neuroendocrine function (cortisol, cortisone, dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, and progesterone), neuromodulation (N-arachidonoylethanolamine, stearoylethanolamine, oleoylethanolamide, and palmitoylethanolamide), and epigenetic aging (Pediatric-Buccal-Epigenetic clock).

Methods

We collected biomarker samples of children ages 0–17 recruited from an acute care pediatrics clinic and examined their associations with caregiver-endorsed education, income, social risk factors, and cumulative adversity. We calculated regression-adjusted means for each biomarker and compared associations with social factors using Wald tests. We used logistic regression to predict being in the highest cytokine cluster based on social predictors.

Results

Our final sample included 537 children but varied based on each biomarker. Cumulative social adversity was significantly associated with having higher levels of all inflammatory markers and with cortisol, displaying a U-shaped distribution. There were no significant relationships between cumulative social adversity and cortisone, neuromodulation biomarkers or epigenetic aging.

Conclusion

Our findings support prior work suggesting that social stress exposures contribute to increased inflammation in children.

Impact

Our study is one of the largest studies examining associations between childhood social adversity and biomarkers of inflammation, neuroendocrine function, neuromodulation, and epigenetic aging. It is one of the largest studies to link childhood social adversity to biomarkers of inflammation, and the first of which we are aware to link cumulative social adversity to cytokine clusters. It is also one of the largest studies to examine associations between steroids and epigenetic aging among children, and one of the only studies of which we are aware to examine associations between social adversity and endocannabinoids among children. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02746393
Severe neurological impairment and immune function: altered neutrophils, monocytes, T lymphocytes, and inflammasome activation
Authors: Allen John , Isaza-Correa Johana , Kelly Lynne , Melo Ashanty , Mahony Aoife , McDonald Denise , Molloy Eleanor J.
Published: January 2024

Background

Infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in children with Severe Neurological Impairment (SNI). Alterations in immune cell numbers and function in children with neurodisability have been reported. We aimed to characterise neutrophil, monocyte and lymphocyte proportions and activation, at baseline and in response to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, in children with SNI compared to healthy controls.

Methods

Whole blood samples of children with SNI and controls were incubated in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (10 ng/ml). Monocyte and neutrophil function (Cluster of Differentiation (CD)11b, (TLR)-4 and CD66b expression) and lymphocytes were assessed by flow cytometry. Expression of genes involved in the inflammasome (NLR Family Pyrin Domain Containing(NLRP)-3, Apoptosis-Associated Speck-like protein (ASC) and Interleukin(IL)1β) were assessed by PCR.

Results

Monocytes and CD8+ T cells were lower in children with SNI (n = 14). CD66b, was hyporesponsive and monocyte TLR4 was hyperresponsive to lipopolysaccharide in children with SNI compared to controls (n = 14). NLRP3 expression was higher at baseline and IL1β expression was not upregulated in response to lipopolysaccharide in children with SNI in contrast to controls.

Conclusion

We have found significant differences in immune regulation in children with SNI compared to controls which may provide a useful therapeutic target in the future.

Impact

Children with SNI have reduced monocyte and CD8+ T cells.

Neutrophils and monocytes in children with SNI show altered markers of activation in response to lipopolysaccharide.

Expression of NLRP3 at the RNA level was higher at baseline in children with SNI.

This study adds to the existing literature that children with neurological impairment have altered inflammatory and immune cell responses.

This may provide a useful therapeutic target to reduce infection-related morbidity and mortality, and tertiary neurological injury in the future.
Attenuating human fear memory retention with minocycline: a randomized placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Xia Yanfang , Wehrli Jelena , Abivardi Aslan , Hostiuc Madalina , Kleim Birgit , Bach Dominik R.
Published: January 2024

Pavlovian fear conditioning is widely used as a pre-clinical model to investigate methods for prevention and treatment of anxiety and stress-related disorders. In this model, fear memory consolidation is thought to require synaptic remodeling, which is induced by signaling cascades involving matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). Here we investigated the effect of the tetracycline antibiotic minocycline, an inhibitor of MMP-9, on fear memory retention. We conducted a pre-registered, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in N = 105 healthy humans (N = 70 female), using a configural fear conditioning paradigm. We administered a single dose of minocycline before configural fear memory acquisition and assessed fear memory retention seven days later in a recall test. To index memory retention, we pre-registered fear-potentiated startle (FPS) as our primary outcome, and pupil dilation as the secondary outcome. As control indices of memory acquisition, we analyzed skin conductance responses (SCR) and pupil dilation. We observed attenuated retention of configural fear memory in individuals treated with minocycline compared to placebo, as measured by our primary outcome. In contrast, minocycline did not affect fear memory acquisition or declarative contingency memory. Our findings provide in-vivo evidence for the inhibition of fear memory consolidation by minocycline. This could motivate further research into primary prevention, and given the short uptake time of minocycline, potentially also secondary prevention of PTSD after trauma.
METTL3 facilitates renal cell carcinoma progression by PLOD2 m6A-methylation under prolonged hypoxia
Authors: Chen Yimeng , He Yichen , Li Zhengsheng , Zhang Nan , Zhou Cuixing , He Xiaozhou , Xue Dong
Published: January 2024

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent reversible modification in eukaryotic mRNA, and it plays a critical role in tumor progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the function and regulatory mechanisms of the methyltransferase METTL3 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METTL3 expression was upregulated and predicted a poor prognosis in patients with advanced RCC. METTL3 facilitated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of RCC cells, depending on its methylase activity. METTL3 positively regulated the expression of PLOD2, and both genes were triggered under prolonged hypoxia. Mechanistically, hypoxia-induced the binding of HIF-1α to the METTL3 promoter, which enhanced its transcriptional activity. METTL3-mediated m6A modifications of PLOD2 mRNA at 3’UTR region, promoting the translation of PLOD2 protein. Furthermore, silencing METTL3 impaired RCC progression in vitro. In vivo, administration of highly potent and selective METTL3 inhibitor STM2457 showed anti-tumor effects, whereas AAV9-mediated re-transduction of PLOD2 largely abolished the above phenomenon in a subcutaneous mouse model. These findings reveal that hypoxia and HIF-driven METTL3 transcription promote RCC progression by increasing PLOD2 expression in an m6A-dependent manner, suggesting that METTL3 may serve as a novel pharmaceutical intervention for RCC.
NMDARs activation regulates endothelial ferroptosis via the PP2A-AMPK-HMGB1 axis
Authors: Han Wei-Min , Hong Yi-Xiang , Xiao Guo-Sheng , Wang Rui-Ying , Li Gang
Published: January 2024

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ligand-gated, voltage-dependent channels of the ionotropic glutamate receptor family. The present study explored whether NMDAR activation induced ferroptosis in vascular endothelial cells and its complicated mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. Various detection approaches were used to determine the ferroptosis-related cellular iron content, lipid reactive oxygen species (LOS), siRNA molecules, RNA-sequence, MDA, GSH, and western blotting. The AMPK activator Acadesine (AICAR), HMGB1 inhibitor glycyrrhizin (GLY), PP2A inhibitor LB-100, and NMDAR inhibitor MK801 were used to investigate the involved in vivo and in vitro pathways. The activation of NMDAR with L-glutamic acid (GLU) or NMDA significantly promoted cellular ferroptosis, iron content, MDA, and the PTGS2 expression, while decreasing GPX4 expression and GSH concentration in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), which was reversed by ferroptosis inhibitors Ferrostatin-1(Fer-1), Liproxstatin-1 (Lip-1), or Deferoxamine (DFO). RNA-seq revealed that ferroptosis and SLC7A11 participate in NMDA or GLU-mediated NMDAR activation. The PP2A-AMPK-HMGB1 pathway was majorly associated with NMDAR activation-induced ferroptosis, validated using the PP2A inhibitor LB-100, AMPK activator AICAR, or HMGB1 siRNA. The role of NMDAR in ferroptosis was validated in HUVECs induced with the ferroptosis activator errasin or RSL3 and counteracted by the NMDAR inhibitor MK-801. The in vivo results showed that NMDA- or GLU-induced ferroptosis and LOS production was reversed by MK-801, LB-100, AICAR, MK-801, and GLY, confirming that the PP2A-AMPK-HMGB1 pathway is involved in NMDAR activation-induced vascular endothelium ferroptosis. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated a novel role of NMDAR in endothelial cell injury by regulating ferroptosis via the PP2A-AMPK-HMGB1 pathway.
Upregulated hepatic lipogenesis from dietary sugars in response to low palmitate feeding supplies brain palmitate
Authors: Smith Mackenzie E. , Chen Chuck T. , Gohel Chiraag A. , Cisbani Giulia , Chen Daniel K. , Rezaei Kimia , McCutcheon Andrew , Bazinet Richard P.
Published: January 2024

Palmitic acid (PAM) can be provided in the diet or synthesized via de novo lipogenesis (DNL), primarily, from glucose. Preclinical work on the origin of brain PAM during development is scarce and contrasts results in adults. In this work, we use naturally occurring carbon isotope ratios (13C/12C; δ13C) to uncover the origin of brain PAM at postnatal days 0, 10, 21 and 35, and RNA sequencing to identify the pathways involved in maintaining brain PAM, at day 35, in mice fed diets with low, medium, and high PAM from birth. Here we show that DNL from dietary sugars maintains the majority of brain PAM during development and is augmented in mice fed low PAM. Importantly, the upregulation of hepatic DNL genes, in response to low PAM at day 35, demonstrates the presence of a compensatory mechanism to maintain total brain PAM pools compared to the liver; suggesting the importance of brain PAM regulation.
Broadband miniaturized spectrometers with a van der Waals tunnel diode
Authors: Uddin Md Gius , Das Susobhan , Shafi Abde Mayeen , Wang Lei , Cui Xiaoqi , Nigmatulin Fedor , Ahmed Faisal , Liapis Andreas C. , Cai Weiwei , Yang Zongyin , Lipsanen Harri , Hasan Tawfique , Yoon Hoon Hahn , Sun Zhipei
Published: January 2024

Miniaturized spectrometers are of immense interest for various on-chip and implantable photonic and optoelectronic applications. State-of-the-art conventional spectrometer designs rely heavily on bulky dispersive components (such as gratings, photodetector arrays, and interferometric optics) to capture different input spectral components that increase their integration complexity. Here, we report a high-performance broadband spectrometer based on a simple and compact van der Waals heterostructure diode, leveraging a careful selection of active van der Waals materials- molybdenum disulfide and black phosphorus, their electrically tunable photoresponse, and advanced computational algorithms for spectral reconstruction. We achieve remarkably high peak wavelength accuracy of ~2 nanometers, and broad operation bandwidth spanning from ~500 to 1600 nanometers in a device with a ~ 30×20 μm2 footprint. This diode-based spectrometer scheme with broadband operation offers an attractive pathway for various applications, such as sensing, surveillance and spectral imaging.
Human brain representations of internally generated outcomes of approximate calculation revealed by ultra-high-field brain imaging
Authors: Czajko Sébastien , Vignaud Alexandre , Eger Evelyn
Published: January 2024

Much of human culture’s advanced technology owes its existence to the ability to mentally manipulate quantities. Neuroscience has described the brain regions overall recruited by numerical tasks and the neuronal codes representing individual quantities during perceptual tasks. Nevertheless, it remains unknown how quantity representations are combined or transformed during mental computations and how specific quantities are coded in the brain when generated as the result of internal computations rather than evoked by a stimulus. Here, we imaged the brains of adult human subjects at 7 Tesla during an approximate calculation task designed to disentangle in- and outputs of the computation from the operation itself. While physically presented sample numerosities were distinguished in activity patterns along the dorsal visual pathway and within frontal and occipito-temporal regions, a representation of the internally generated result was most prominently detected in higher order regions such as angular gyrus and lateral prefrontal cortex. Behavioral precision in the task was related to cross-decoding performance between sample and result representations in medial IPS regions. This suggests the transformation of sample into result may be carried out within dorsal stream sensory-motor integration regions, and resulting outputs maintained for task purposes in higher-level regions in a format possibly detached from sensory-evoked inputs.
Alkaline-based aqueous sodium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage
Authors: Wu Han , Hao Junnan , Jiang Yunling , Jiao Yiran , Liu Jiahao , Xu Xin , Davey Kenneth , Wang Chunsheng , Qiao Shi-Zhang
Published: January 2024

Aqueous sodium-ion batteries are practically promising for large-scale energy storage, however energy density and lifespan are limited by water decomposition. Current methods to boost water stability include, expensive fluorine-containing salts to create a solid electrolyte interface and addition of potentially-flammable co-solvents to the electrolyte to reduce water activity. However, these methods significantly increase costs and safety risks. Shifting electrolytes from near neutrality to alkalinity can suppress hydrogen evolution while also initiating oxygen evolution and cathode dissolution. Here, we present an alkaline-type aqueous sodium-ion batteries with Mn-based Prussian blue analogue cathode that exhibits a lifespan of 13,000 cycles at 10 C and high energy density of 88.9 Wh kg−1 at 0.5 C. This is achieved by building a nickel/carbon layer to induce a H3O+-rich local environment near the cathode surface, thereby suppressing oxygen evolution. Concurrently Ni atoms are in-situ embedded into the cathode to boost the durability of batteries.
Nisin lantibiotic prevents NAFLD liver steatosis and mitochondrial oxidative stress following periodontal disease by abrogating oral, gut and liver dysbiosis
Authors: Kuraji Ryutaro , Ye Changchang , Zhao Chuanjiang , Gao Li , Martinez April , Miyashita Yukihiro , Radaic Allan , Kamarajan Pachiyappan , Le Charles , Zhan Ling , Range Helene , Sunohara Masataka , Numabe Yukihiro , Kapila Yvonne L.
Published: January 2024

Oral microbiome dysbiosis mediates chronic periodontal disease, gut microbial dysbiosis, and mucosal barrier disfunction that leads to steatohepatitis via the enterohepatic circulation. Improving this dysbiosis towards health may improve liver disease. Treatment with antibiotics and probiotics have been used to modulate the microbial, immunological, and clinical landscape of periodontal disease with some success. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the potential for nisin, an antimicrobial peptide produced by Lactococcus lactis, to counteract the periodontitis-associated gut dysbiosis and to modulate the glycolipid-metabolism and inflammation in the liver. Periodontal pathogens, namely Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia and Fusobacterium nucleatum, were administrated topically onto the oral cavity to establish polymicrobial periodontal disease in mice. In the context of disease, nisin treatment significantly shifted the microbiome towards a new composition, commensurate with health while preventing the harmful inflammation in the small intestine concomitant with decreased villi structural integrity, and heightened hepatic exposure to bacteria and lipid and malondialdehyde accumulation in the liver. Validation with RNA Seq analyses, confirmed the significant infection-related alteration of several genes involved in mitochondrial dysregulation, oxidative phosphorylation, and metal/iron binding and their restitution following nisin treatment. In support of these in vivo findings indicating that periodontopathogens induce gastrointestinal and liver distant organ lesions, human autopsy specimens demonstrated a correlation between tooth loss and severity of liver disease. Nisin’s ability to shift the gut and liver microbiome towards a new state commensurate with health while mitigating enteritis, represents a novel approach to treating NAFLD-steatohepatitis-associated periodontal disease.
Quantitative ultrasound image assessment of the optic nerve subarachnoid space during 90-day head-down tilt bed rest
Authors: Xie Yuan , Fu Yingdi , Shao Yaqi , Qu Lina , Yang Jiangang , Yang Chengjia , Zhou Kun , Li Kai , Xu Zi , Xu Dong , Cao Kai , Tian Ning , Lv Ke , Wang Linjie , Wang Yaping , Wang Ningli , Li Yinghui
Published: January 2024

The elevation in the optic nerve sheath (ONS) pressure (ONSP) due to microgravity-induced headward fluid shift is the primary hypothesized contributor to SANS. This longitudinal study aims to quantify the axial plane of the optic nerve subarachnoid space area (ONSSA), which is filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and expands with elevated ONSP during and after head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest (BR). 36 healthy male volunteers (72 eyes) underwent a 90-day strict 6° HDT BR. Without obtaining the pre-HDT data, measurements were performed on days 30, 60, and 90 during HDT and at 6 recovery time points extended to 180-days (R + 180) in a supine position. Portable B-scan ultrasound was performed using the 12 MHz linear array probe binocularly. The measurements of the ONS and the calculation of the ONSSA were performed with ImageJ 1.51 analysis software by two experienced observers in a masked manner. Compared to R + 180, the ONSSA on HDT30, HDT60, and HDT90 exhibited a consistently significant distention of 0.44 mm2 (95% CI: 0.13 to 0.76 mm2, P = 0.001), 0.45 mm2 (95% CI: 0.15 to 0.75 mm2, P = 0.001), and 0.46 mm2 (95% CI: 0.15 to 0.76 mm2, P < 0.001), respectively, and recovered immediately after HDT on R + 2. Such small changes in the ONSSA were below the lateral resolution limit of ultrasound (0.4 mm) and may not be clinically relevant, possibly due to ONS hysteresis causing persistent ONS distension. Future research can explore advanced quantitative portable ultrasound-based techniques and establish comparisons containing the pre-HDT measurements to deepen our understanding of SANS.
Genetic susceptibility modifies the association of long-term air pollution exposure on Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Huang Yi-Ming , Ma Ya-Hui , Gao Pei-Yang , Cui Xi-Han , Hou Jia-Hui , Chi Hao-Chen , Fu Yan , Wang Zhi-Bo , Feng Jian-Feng , Cheng Wei , Tan Lan , Yu Jin-Tai
Published: January 2024

Inconsistent findings exist regarding the potential association between polluted air and Parkinson’s disease (PD), with unclear insights into the role of inherited sensitivity. This study sought to explore the potential link between various air pollutants and PD risk, investigating whether genetic susceptibility modulates these associations. The population-based study involved 312,009 initially PD-free participants with complete genotyping data. Annual mean concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and NOx were estimated, and a polygenic risk score (PRS) was computed to assess individual genetic risks for PD. Cox proportional risk models were employed to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between ambient air pollutants, genetic risk, and incident PD. Over a median 12.07-year follow-up, 2356 PD cases (0.76%) were observed. Compared to the lowest quartile of air pollution, the highest quartiles of NO2 and PM10 pollution showed HRs and 95% CIs of 1.247 (1.089–1.427) and 1.201 (1.052–1.373) for PD incidence, respectively. Each 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 and PM10 yielded elevated HRs and 95% CIs for PD of 1.089 (1.026–1.155) and 1.363 (1.043–1.782), respectively. Individuals with significant genetic and PM10 exposure risks had the highest PD development risk (HR: 2.748, 95% CI: 2.145–3.520). Similarly, those with substantial genetic and NO2 exposure risks were over twice as likely to develop PD compared to minimal-risk counterparts (HR: 2.414, 95% CI: 1.912–3.048). Findings suggest that exposure to air contaminants heightens PD risk, particularly in individuals genetically predisposed to high susceptibility.
Second-scale rotational coherence and dipolar interactions in a gas of ultracold polar molecules
Authors: Gregory Philip D. , Fernley Luke M. , Tao Albert Li , Bromley Sarah L. , Stepp Jonathan , Zhang Zewen , Kotochigova Svetlana , Hazzard Kaden R. A. , Cornish Simon L.
Published: January 2024

Ultracold polar molecules combine a rich structure of long-lived internal states with access to controllable long-range anisotropic dipole–dipole interactions. In particular, the rotational states of polar molecules confined in optical tweezers or optical lattices may be used to encode interacting qubits for quantum computation or pseudo-spins for simulating quantum magnetism. As with all quantum platforms, the engineering of robust coherent superpositions of states is vital. However, for optically trapped molecules, the coherence time between rotational states is typically limited by inhomogeneous differential light shifts. Here we demonstrate a rotationally magic optical trap for 87Rb133Cs molecules that supports a Ramsey coherence time of 0.78(4) s in the absence of dipole–dipole interactions. This is estimated to extend to >1.4 s at the 95% confidence level using a single spin-echo pulse. In our trap, dipolar interactions become the dominant mechanism by which Ramsey contrast is lost for superpositions that generate oscillating dipoles. By changing the states forming the superposition, we tune the effective dipole moment and show that the coherence time is inversely proportional to the strength of the dipolar interaction. Our work unlocks the full potential of the rotational degree of freedom in molecules for quantum computation and quantum simulation.
Long-lived valley states in bilayer graphene quantum dots
Authors: Garreis Rebekka , Tong Chuyao , Terle Jocelyn , Ruckriegel Max Josef , Gerber Jonas Daniel , Gächter Lisa Maria , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Ihn Thomas , Ensslin Klaus , Huang Wei Wister
Published: January 2024

Bilayer graphene is a promising platform for electrically controllable qubits in a two-dimensional material. Of particular interest is the ability to encode quantum information in the valley degree of freedom, a two-fold orbital degeneracy that arises from the symmetry of the hexagonal crystal structure. The use of valleys could be advantageous, as known spin- and orbital-mixing mechanisms are unlikely to be at work for valleys, promising more robust qubits. The Berry curvature associated with valley states allows for electrical control of their energies, suggesting routes for coherent qubit manipulation. However, the relaxation time of valley states—which ultimately limits these qubits’ coherence properties and therefore their suitability as practical qubits—is not yet known. Here we measure the characteristic relaxation times of these spin and valley states in gate-defined bilayer graphene quantum dot devices. Different valley states can be distinguished from each other with a fidelity of over 99%. The relaxation time between valley triplets and singlets exceeds 500 ms and is more than one order of magnitude longer than for spin states. This work facilitates future measurements on valley-qubit coherence, demonstrating bilayer graphene as a practical platform hosting electrically controlled, long-lived valley qubits.
Regressive vision transformer for dog cardiomegaly assessment
Authors: Li Jialu , Zhang Youshan
Published: January 2024

Cardiac disease is one of the leading causes of death in dogs. Automatic cardiomegaly detection has great significance in helping clinicians improve the accuracy of the diagnosis process. Deep learning methods show promising results in improving cardiomegaly classification accuracy, while they are still not widely applied in clinical trials due to the difficulty in mapping predicted results with input radiographs. To overcome these challenges, we first collect large-scale dog heart X-ray images. We then develop a dog heart labeling tool and apply a few-shot generalization strategy to accelerate the label speed. We also develop a regressive vision transformer model with an orthogonal layer to bridge traditional clinically used VHS metric with deep learning models. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model achieves state-of-the-art performance.
Deep reinforcement learning for microstructural optimisation of silica aerogels
Authors: Pandit Prakul , Abdusalamov Rasul , Itskov Mikhail , Rege Ameya
Published: January 2024

Silica aerogels are being extensively studied for aerospace and transportation applications due to their diverse multifunctional properties. While their microstructural features dictate their thermal, mechanical, and acoustic properties, their accurate characterisation remains challenging due to their nanoporous morphology and the stochastic nature of gelation. In this work, a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework is presented to optimise silica aerogel microstructures modelled with the diffusion-limited cluster–cluster aggregation (DLCA) algorithm. For faster computations, two environments consisting of DLCA surrogate models are tested with the DRL framework for inverse microstructure design. The DRL framework is shown to effectively optimise the microstructure morphology, wherein the error of the material properties achieved is dependent upon the complexity of the environment. However, in all cases, with adequate training of the DRL agent, material microstructures with desired properties can be achieved by the framework. Thus, the methodology provides a resource-efficient means to design aerogels, offering computational advantages over experimental iterations or direct numerical solutions.
Association of sleep quality with duty hours, mental health, and medical errors among Japanese postgraduate residents: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Nagasaki Kazuya , Kobayashi Hiroyuki , Nishizaki Yuji , Kurihara Masaru , Watari Takashi , Shimizu Taro , Yamamoto Yu , Shikino Kiyoshi , Fukui Sho , Nishiguchi Sho , Katayama Kohta , Tokuda Yasuharu
Published: January 2024

Long duty hours (DH) impair sleep and negatively affect residents’ health and medical safety. This cross-sectional study investigated the association among residents’ DH, sleep duration, insomnia, sleep impairment, depressive symptoms, and self-reported medical errors among 5579 residents in Japan who completed the General Medicine In-Training Examination (2021) and participated in the training-environment survey. Weekly DH was classified under seven categories. Sleep duration and insomnia symptoms, from the Athens Insomnia Scale, were analysed to determine sleep impairment; depressive symptoms and medical errors were self-reported. Among 5095 residents, 15.5% slept < 5 h/day, and 26.7% had insomnia. In multivariable analysis, compared with ≥ 60 and < 70, DH ≥ 90 h/week associated with shorter sleep duration and worsen insomnia symptoms. Shorter durations of sleep and more intense symptoms of insomnia were associated with increased depressive symptoms. Medical errors increased only among residents with insomnia, but were not associated with sleep duration. DH > 90 h/week could lead to shorter sleep duration, worsen insomnia symptoms, and negatively impact well-being and medical safety. There was no significant association between sleep duration and medical errors; however, insomnia conferred an increased risk of medical errors. Limiting DH for residents to avoid excessive workload can help improve resident sleep, enhance resident well-being, and potentially reduce insomnia-associated medical errors.
Exploring the impact of intensified multiple session tDCS over the left DLPFC on brain function in MCI: a randomized control trial
Authors: Šimko P. , Pupíková M. , Gajdoš M. , Klobušiaková P. , Vávra V. , Šimo A. , Rektorová I.
Published: January 2024

Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with cognitive training (tDCS-cog) represents a promising approach to combat cognitive decline among healthy older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this 5-day-long double-blinded randomized trial, we investigated the impact of intensified tDCS-cog protocol involving two trains of stimulation per day on working memory (WM) enhancement in 35 amnestic and multidomain amnestic MCI patients. Specifically, we focused to improve WM tasks relying on top-down attentional control and hypothesized that intensified tDCS would enhance performance of visual object matching task (VOMT) immediately after the stimulation regimen and at a 1-month follow-up. Secondarily, we explored whether the stimulation would augment online visual working memory training. Using fMRI, we aimed to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the intervention effects by analyzing BOLD activations during VOMT. Our main finding revealed no superior after-effects of tDCS-cog over the sham on VOMT among individuals with MCI as indicated by insignificant immediate and long-lasting after-effects. Additionally, the tDCS-cog did not enhance online training as predicted. The fMRI analysis revealed brain activity alterations in right insula that may be linked to tDCS-cog intervention. In the study we discuss the insignificant behavioral results in the context of the current evidence in tDCS parameter space and opening the discussion of possible interference between trained cognitive tasks.
Isolation and characterization of novel Bacillus strains with superior probiotic potential: comparative analysis and safety evaluation
Authors: Golnari Mohsen , Bahrami Nastaran , Milanian Zahra , Rabbani Khorasgani Mohammad , Asadollahi Mohammad Ali , Shafiei Rasoul , Fatemi Seyed Safa-Ali
Published: January 2024

Despite the current use of some Bacillus spp. as probiotics, looking for and introducing new efficient and safe potential probiotic strains is one of the most important topics in both microbiology and food industry. This study aimed to isolate, identify, and evaluate the probiotic characteristics and safety of some Bacillus spp. from natural sources. Thirty-six spore-forming, Gram-positive, and catalase-positive Bacillus isolates were identified in 54 samples of soil, feces and dairy products. Bacterial identification was performed using 16S rDNA sequencing. To evaluate the probiotic potential of isolates, the resistance of bacterial cells to simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) conditions, the presence of enterotoxin genes, their susceptibility to antibiotics, antimicrobial and hemolytic activities and biochemical profiles were investigated. The results revealed that eight sporulating Bacillus spp. isolates fulfilled all tested probiotic criteria. They showed a high growth rate, non-hemolytic and lecithinase activity, and resistance to simulated GIT conditions. These strains exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria. In addition, they did not exhibit antibacterial resistance to the 12 tested antibiotics. The results of this study suggest that these isolates can be considered as candidates for functional foods and as safe additives to improve diet quality.
NeuroNet19: an explainable deep neural network model for the classification of brain tumors using magnetic resonance imaging data
Authors: Haque Rezuana , Hassan Md. Mehedi , Bairagi Anupam Kumar , Shariful Islam Sheikh Mohammed
Published: January 2024

Brain tumors (BTs) are one of the deadliest diseases that can significantly shorten a person’s life. In recent years, deep learning has become increasingly popular for detecting and classifying BTs. In this paper, we propose a deep neural network architecture called NeuroNet19. It utilizes VGG19 as its backbone and incorporates a novel module named the Inverted Pyramid Pooling Module (iPPM). The iPPM captures multi-scale feature maps, ensuring the extraction of both local and global image contexts. This enhances the feature maps produced by the backbone, regardless of the spatial positioning or size of the tumors. To ensure the model’s transparency and accountability, we employ Explainable AI. Specifically, we use Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME), which highlights the features or areas focused on while predicting individual images. NeuroNet19 is trained on four classes of BTs: glioma, meningioma, no tumor, and pituitary tumors. It is tested on a public dataset containing 7023 images. Our research demonstrates that NeuroNet19 achieves the highest accuracy at 99.3%, with precision, recall, and F1 scores at 99.2% and a Cohen Kappa coefficient (CKC) of 99%.
A CNN-based model to count the leaves of rosette plants (LC-Net)
Authors: Deb Mainak , Dhal Krishna Gopal , Das Arunita , Hussien Abdelazim G. , Abualigah Laith , Garai Arpan
Published: January 2024

Plant image analysis is a significant tool for plant phenotyping. Image analysis has been used to assess plant trails, forecast plant growth, and offer geographical information about images. The area segmentation and counting of the leaf is a major component of plant phenotyping, which can be used to measure the growth of the plant. Therefore, this paper developed a convolutional neural network-based leaf counting model called LC-Net. The original plant image and segmented leaf parts are fed as input because the segmented leaf part provides additional information to the proposed LC-Net. The well-known SegNet model has been utilised to obtain segmented leaf parts because it outperforms four other popular Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models, namely DeepLab V3+, Fast FCN with Pyramid Scene Parsing (PSP), U-Net, and Refine Net. The proposed LC-Net is compared to the other recent CNN-based leaf counting models over the combined Computer Vision Problems in Plant Phenotyping (CVPPP) and KOMATSUNA datasets. The subjective and numerical evaluations of the experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the LC-Net to other tested models.
Nonlinear relationship between gonadotropin total dose applied and live birth rates in non-PCOS patients: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Xu Xiaoyuan , Yang Aimin , Han Yan , Li Siran , Wang Wei , Hao Guimin , Cui Na
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between the total dose of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) applied during controlled ovulation stimulation and the live birth rates (LBRs) in non-PCOS population. Many studies have found no difference between the dose of FSH application and pregnancy outcomes such as clinical pregnancy rates after fresh embryo transfer. However, a recent large retrospective analysis found a negative correlation between live birth rates and increasing dose of FSH. It is still controversial about the association between FSH dose and LBRs. In addition, no studies have yet explored the nonlinear relationship between FSH and LBRs. This cohort study included a total of 11,645 patients who had accepted IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) at the second hospital of Hebei medical university between December 2014 to December 2019. PCOS was identified by Rotterdam PCOS criteria. We researched the association between FSH total dose and live birth rates (LBRs) using multivariate regression analysis. In addition, a model for nonlinear relationships based on a two-part linear regression was applied. The analysis of threshold effects indicated that LBR increased with every 1000 IU FSH when the concentration of FSH was lower than 1410 IU (OR 1.55, 95% CI [1.05, 2.28]); however, a negative association between FSH dose and LBR (OR 0.94, 95% CI [0.89, 0.99]) was found when the FSH total dose was higher than 1410 IU. It is worth noting that the relationship between LBR and FSH dose varied among patients of different ages (OR 0.92 vs 1.06, P for interaction < 0.05).
Ant backbone phylogeny resolved by modelling compositional heterogeneity among sites in genomic data
Authors: Cai Chenyang
Published: January 2024

Ants are the most ubiquitous and ecologically dominant arthropods on Earth, and understanding their phylogeny is crucial for deciphering their character evolution, species diversification, and biogeography. Although recent genomic data have shown promise in clarifying intrafamilial relationships across the tree of ants, inconsistencies between molecular datasets have also emerged. Here I re-examine the most comprehensive published Sanger-sequencing and genome-scale datasets of ants using model comparison methods that model among-site compositional heterogeneity to understand the sources of conflict in phylogenetic studies. My results under the best-fitting model, selected on the basis of Bayesian cross-validation and posterior predictive model checking, identify contentious nodes in ant phylogeny whose resolution is modelling-dependent. I show that the Bayesian infinite mixture CAT model outperforms empirical finite mixture models (C20, C40 and C60) and that, under the best-fitting CAT-GTR + G4 model, the enigmatic Martialis heureka is sister to all ants except Leptanillinae, rejecting the more popular hypothesis supported under worse-fitting models, that place it as sister to Leptanillinae. These analyses resolve a lasting controversy in ant phylogeny and highlight the significance of model comparison and adequate modelling of among-site compositional heterogeneity in reconstructing the deep phylogeny of insects.
Cysteine-rich with EGF-like domains 2 (CRELD2) is an endoplasmic reticulum stress-inducible angiogenic growth factor promoting ischemic heart repair
Authors: Wu Xuekun , Zheng Linqun , Reboll Marc R. , Hyde Lillian F. , Mass Elvira , Niessen Hans W. , Kosanke Maike , Pich Andreas , Giannitsis Evangelos , Tillmanns Jochen , Bauersachs Johann , Heineke Joerg , Wang Yong , Korf-Klingebiel Mortimer , Polten Felix , Wollert Kai C.
Published: January 2024

Tissue repair after myocardial infarction (MI) is guided by autocrine and paracrine-acting proteins. Deciphering these signals and their upstream triggers is essential when considering infarct healing as a therapeutic target. Here we perform a bioinformatic secretome analysis in mouse cardiac endothelial cells and identify cysteine-rich with EGF-like domains 2 (CRELD2), an endoplasmic reticulum stress-inducible protein with poorly characterized function. CRELD2 was abundantly expressed and secreted in the heart after MI in mice and patients. Creld2-deficient mice and wild-type mice treated with a CRELD2-neutralizing antibody showed impaired de novo microvessel formation in the infarct border zone and developed severe postinfarction heart failure. CRELD2 protein therapy, conversely, improved heart function after MI. Exposing human coronary artery endothelial cells to recombinant CRELD2 induced angiogenesis, associated with a distinct phosphoproteome signature. These findings identify CRELD2 as an angiogenic growth factor and unravel a link between endoplasmic reticulum stress and ischemic tissue repair.
Worldwide scaling of waste generation in urban systems
Authors: Lu Mingzhen , Zhou Chuanbin , Wang Chenghao , Jackson Robert B. , Kempes Christopher P.
Published: January 2024

The production of waste as a consequence of human activities is one of the most fundamental challenges facing our society and global ecological systems. Waste generation is rapidly increasing, with corresponding shifts in the structure of our societies, where almost all nations are moving from rural agrarian societies to urban and technological ones. However, the connections between these societal shifts and waste generation have not yet been described. In this study we applied scaling theory to establish a new understanding of waste in urban systems and identified universal scaling laws of waste generation across diverse urban systems worldwide for three forms of waste: wastewater, municipal solid waste, and greenhouse gases. We found that wastewater generation scales superlinearly, municipal solid waste scales linearly, and greenhouse gas emissions scale sublinearly with city size. In specific cases, production can be understood in terms of city size coupled with financial and natural resources. For example, wastewater generation can be understood in terms of the increased economic activity of larger cities, and the deviations from the scaling relationship, indicating relative efficiency, depend on gross domestic product per person and local rainfall. The temporal evolution of these scaling relationships reveals a loss of economies of scale and a general increase in waste production, where sublinear scaling relationships become linear. Our findings suggest general mechanisms controlling waste generation across diverse cities and global urban systems. Our approach offers a systematic framework to uncover these underlying mechanisms that might be key to reducing waste and pursuing a more sustainable future.
Achieving excellent energy storage performance with thermal stability in lead-free AgNbO3 ceramics
Authors: Chao Wenna , Du Juan , Li Peng , Li Wei , Yang Tongqing
Published: January 2024

By chemical substitution, high energy density of 5.85 J cm−3 and efficiency of 77% are achieved simultaneously in Sm0.06Ag0.82NbO3 ceramics.