bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drosophila melanogaster
Sting mediates
Coxiella burnetii
infection by reducing accumulation of reactive oxygen species
Authors: Guzman Rosa M. , Savolainen Nathan G. , Hayden Olivia M. , Lee Miyoung , Osbron Chelsea A. , Liu Ziying , Yang Hong , Shaw Dana K. , Omsland Anders , Goodman Alan G.
Published: February 2024

The Gram-negative bacterium
Coxiella burnetii
is the causative agent of query fever in humans and coxiellosis in livestock.
C. burnetii
infects a variety of cell types, tissues, and animal species including mammals and arthropods, but there is much left to be understood about the molecular mechanisms at play during infection in distinct species. Human stimulator of interferon genes (STING) induces an innate immune response through the induction of type I interferons (IFNs), and IFN promotes or suppresses
C. burnetii
replication, depending on tissue type.
Drosophila melanogaster
contains a functional STING ortholog (Sting) which activates NF-κB signaling and autophagy. Here, we sought to address the role of
D. melanogaster
Sting during
C. burnetii
infection to uncover how Sting regulates
C. burnetii
infection in flies. We show that Sting-null flies exhibit higher mortality and reduced induction of antimicrobial peptides following
C. burnetii
infection compared to control flies. Additionally
,
Sting-null flies induce lower levels of oxidative stress genes during infection, but the provision of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) in food rescues Sting-null host survival. Lastly, we find that reactive oxygen species levels during
C. burnetii
infection are higher in
Drosophila
S2 cells knocked down for Sting compared to control cells. Our results show that at the host level, NAC provides protection against
C. burnetii
infection in the absence of Sting, thus establishing a role for Sting in protection against oxidative stress during
C. burnetii
infection.
MecVax supplemented with CFA MEFA-II induces functional antibodies against 12 adhesins (CFA/I, CS1–CS7, CS12, CS14, CS17, and CS21) and 2 toxins (STa, LT) of enterotoxigenic
Escherichia coli
(ETEC)
Authors: Zhang Chongyang , Li Siqi , Upadhyay Ipshita , Lauder Kathyrn L. , Sack David A. , Zhang Weiping
Published: February 2024

Enterotoxigenic
Escherichia coli
(ETEC) strains that produce various adhesins and one or two enterotoxins are the leading causes of children’s diarrhea and travelers’ diarrhea. MecVax, a multivalent ETEC vaccine candidate, consists of two proteins, an adhesin multiepitope fusion antigen (MEFA) that stimulates antibodies to the seven most important ETEC adhesins (CFA/I and CS1–CS6) and a toxoid fusion antigen which stimulates antibodies against ETEC enterotoxins (heat-labile toxin and heat-stable toxin). CFA MEFA-II, another polyvalent MEFA protein, has been demonstrated to stimulate antibodies to another five important ETEC adhesins (CS7, CS12, CS14, CS17, and CS21). We hypothesize that MecVax coverage and efficacy can be expanded if MecVax could stimulate antibodies to all 12 adhesins. In this study, we supplemented MecVax with CFA MEFA-II, examined broad immunity to the 12 targeted ETEC adhesins and 2 ETEC toxins (STa, LT) in mice, and assessed mouse antibody functions for inhibiting the adherence of the 12 adhesins and neutralizing the enterotoxicity of 2 toxins, thus assessing the potential application of a broadly protective pan-ETEC vaccine. Mice intramuscularly immunized with MecVax and CFA MEFA-II developed robust antibody responses to the 12 ETEC adhesins and 2 toxins; furthermore, mouse serum antibodies showed functional activities against the adherence from each of the targeted adhesins and the enterotoxicity of either toxin. Data also indicated that CFA MEFA-II was antigenically compatible with MecVax. These results demonstrated that the inclusion of CFA MEFA-II further expands MecVax broad immunogenicity and protection coverage, suggesting the feasibility of developing a vaccine against all important diarrheal ETEC strains.

IMPORTANCE

There are no vaccines licensed for Enterotoxigenic
Escherichia coli
(ETEC), a leading cause of children’s diarrhea and the most common cause of travelers’ diarrhea. Since ETEC strains produce over 25 adhesins and 2 distinctive enterotoxins, heterogeneity is a key obstacle to vaccine development. MecVax, a multivalent ETEC vaccine candidate, induces protective antibodies against the seven most important adhesins (CFA/I and CS1–CS6) associated with two-thirds of ETEC clinical cases. However, ETEC prevalence shifts chronically and geographically, and other adhesins are also associated with clinical cases. MecVax would become a pan-ETEC vaccine if it also protects against the remaining important adhesins. This study demonstrated that MecVax supplemented with adhesin protein CFA MEFA-II induces functional antibodies against 12 important ETEC adhesins (CFA/I, CS1–CS7, CS12, CS14, CS17, and CS21), enabling the development of a more broadly protective ETEC vaccine and further validating the application of the MEFA vaccinology platform for multivalent vaccine development.
Cenozoic Pb–Zn–Ag mineralization in the Western Alps
Authors: Bertauts Maxime , Vezinet Adrien , Janots Emilie , Rossi Magali , Duhamel-Achin Isabelle , Lach Philippe , Lanari Pierre
Published: February 2024

Metallogenic models of polyphase mountain belts critically rely on robust geochronology. We combine petrology with Rb–Sr and U–Th–Pb in situ geochronology, paired at thin-section scale, to date mineralization in deformed hydrothermal Pb–Zn–Ag deposits along an east-west transect in the Western Alps, France. The Pb–Zn–Ag veins occur in shear zones with kinematic structures consistent with the mylonitized host rocks. The ore consists mainly of galena in a quartz-phengite gangue. The paragenesis can be related to hydrothermal crystallization during periods of variable strain. Both isotope systems yield only Cenozoic ages (ca. 35 Ma and 15–20 Ma) without any pre-Alpine inheritance, clearly indicating orogenic mineralization. The metallogenic model proposed here includes significant fluid circulation along major tectonic contacts between basement and sedimentary cover during Alpine convergence.
When I use a word . . . Medical blue plaques in London
Authors: Aronson Jeffrey K
Published: February 2024

In 1863 the MP William Ewart suggested that “it might be practicable... to have inscribed on those houses in London which have been inhabited by celebrated persons, the names of such persons.” Accordingly, in 1867 the first such inscriptions, which came to be known as blue plaques, were put up by the Society of Arts, commemorating Lord Byron and Napoleon III at places in London where they had lived. The society put up 35 such plaques over the next 35 years when the scheme was taken over by the London County Council, which gave way to the Greater London Council in 1965 and finally English Heritage, in 1986. Among London’s 1000 or so blue plaques several medical men and women, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, are commemorated. They include Cecil Belfield-Clarke, Hannah Billig, Richard Bright, Edith Louisa Cavell, Henry Hallett Dale, Charles Darwin, Henry Havelock Ellis, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Thomas Hodgkin, William Hunter and his brother John, Joseph Lister, James Mackenzie, Rachel McMillan and her sister Margaret, William Marsden, Florence Nightingale, Ronald Ross, Mary Seacole, Hans Sloane, and George Frederick Still.
Derivation and validation of a risk-stratification model for patients with probable or proven COVID-19 in EDs: the revised HOME-CoV score
Authors: Douillet Delphine , Riou Jérémie , Morin François , Mahieu Rafaël , Chauvin Anthony , Gennai Stéphane , Ferrant Lionel , Lopez Raphaëlle , Sebbane Mustapha , Plantefeve Gaëtan , Brice Christian , Cayeux Coralie , Savary Dominique , Moumneh Thomas , Penaloza Andrea , Roy Pierre Marie
Published: February 2024

Background

The HOME-CoV (Hospitalisation or Outpatient ManagEment of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection) score is a validated list of uniquely clinical criteria indicating which patients with probable or proven COVID-19 can be treated at home. The aim of this study was to optimise the score to improve its ability to discriminate between patients who do and do not need admission.

Methods

A revised HOME-CoV score was derived using data from a previous prospective multicentre study which evaluated the original Home-CoV score. Patients with proven or probable COVID-19 attending 34 EDs in France, Monaco and Belgium between April and May 2020 were included. The population was split into a derivation and validation sample corresponding to the observational and interventional phases of the original study. The main outcome was non-invasive or invasive ventilation or all-cause death within 7 days following inclusion. Two threshold values were defined using a sensitivity of >0.9 and a specificity of >0.9 to identify low-risk and high-risk patients, respectively. The revised HOME-CoV score was then validated by retrospectively applying it to patients in the same EDs with proven or probable COVID-19 during the interventional phase. The revised HOME-CoV score was also tested against original HOME-CoV, qCSI, qSOFA, CRB65 and SMART-COP in this validation cohort.

Results

There were 1696 patients in the derivation cohort, of whom 65 (3.8%) required non-invasive ventilation or mechanical ventilation or died within 7 days and 1304 patients in the validation cohort, of whom 22 (1.7%) had a progression of illness. The revised score included seven clinical criteria. The area under the curve (AUC) was 87.6 (95% CI 84.7 to 90.6). The cut-offs to define low-risk and high-risk patients were <2 and >3, respectively. In the validation cohort, the AUC was 85.8 (95% CI 80.6 to 91.0). A score of <2 qualified 73% of patients as low risk with a sensitivity of 0.77 (0.55–0.92) and a negative predictive value of 0.99 (0.99–1.00).

Conclusion

The revised HOME-CoV score, which does not require laboratory testing, may allow accurate risk stratification and safely qualify a significant proportion of patients with probable or proven COVID-19 for home treatment.
Cumulative occupational exposure to gases and fumes is associated with impairment in lung function and disease-related quality of life in a German COPD patient cohort
Authors: Gerlich Jessica , Ohlander Johan , Kromhout Hans , Vermeulen Roel , Söhler Sandra , Radon Katja , Nowak Dennis , Karrasch Stefan , Adaskina Nina , Vogelmeier Claus , Ochmann Uta , Jörres Rudolf A
Published: February 2024

Objectives

The impact of occupational exposures on lung function impairments and quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was analysed and compared with that of smoking.

Methods

Data from 1283 men and 759 women (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grades 1–4 or former grade 0, without alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency) of the COPD and Systemic Consequences Comorbidities Network cohort were analysed. Cumulative exposure to gases/fumes, biological dust, mineral dust or the combination vapours/gases/dusts/fumes was assessed using the ALOHA job exposure matrix. The effect of both occupational and smoking exposure on lung function and disease-specific QoL (St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire) was analysed using linear regression analysis adjusting for age, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease, stratified by sex.

Results

In men, exposure to gases/fumes showed the strongest effects among occupational exposures, being significantly associated with all lung function parameters and QoL; the effects were partially stronger than of smoking. Smoking had a larger effect than occupational exposure on lung diffusing capacity (transfer factor for carbon monoxide) but not on air trapping (residual volume/total lung capacity). In women, occupational exposures were not significantly associated with QoL or lung function, while the relationships between lung function parameters and smoking were comparable to men.

Conclusions

In patients with COPD, cumulative occupational exposure, particularly to gases/fumes, showed effects on airway obstruction, air trapping, gas uptake capacity and disease-related QoL, some of which were larger than those of smoking. These findings suggest that lung air trapping and QoL should be considered as outcomes of occupational exposure to gases and fumes in patients with COPD.

Trial registration number

NCT01245933.
Lower wood stiffness in old-growth than in post-cut and post-fire stands indicates forest structure is a key driver of wood properties in black spruce
Authors: Cardona Lady , Couillard Pierre-Luc , Achim Alexis
Published: February 2024

Forest fires and logging drive the structure of boreal forest landscapes. According to recent studies, stand origin is a key driver of the variation in wood properties in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP.), although the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. By comparing post-cut, post-fire and old-growth forests, this study aimed to better distinguish the effects of stand structure from those of the seed or layer origin of the trees on wood properties. We conducted comparative analyses based on ecological characteristics of the sites and static bending tests of small, defect-free wood specimens. Black spruce stands with a regular structure established after logging or fire exhibited higher stiffness at a given cambial age than old-growth forests with irregular structures, as well as lower wood density in the first 40 rings near the pith. However, the bending strength was comparable in all three types of forests studied. Differences in wood stiffness among stand types appeared to be driven more by stand structure than by the seed or layer origin of the stems.
Are operational plantations meeting expectations? A large-scale assessment of realized versus anticipated yield in eastern Canada
Authors: Barrette Martin , Auger Isabelle , Thiffault Nelson , Barrette Julie
Published: February 2024

Forest plantations play an increasingly important role in meeting global demand for wood. They usually have higher yield than naturally regenerated forests. Thus, plantations can support economically viable wood production, enable forest conservation elsewere, help mitigate climate change by contributing to carbon sequestration and increase forest resilience and resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors. If yield of plantations is not as high as anticipated, then their use could generate important sustainability issues. There are still major gaps in our understanding of the factors that influence yield, even with respect to black spruce, white spruce, and jack pine, three of the most commonly planted tree species in northeastern North America. Our objective was to evaluate the yield of forest plantations of these species over a 416 000 km2 region that was representative of northeastern North American forests. Contrary to our prediction, realized yield of operational plantations was consistently lower than anticipated. Site index and competition both played a significant role in determining the yield of plantations. In the context of uncertain realized yield of operational plantations, we emphasize the necessity of relying on adaptive management to determine harvest levels that are compatible with sustainable management objectives.
Effect of basalt fiber and carbon fiber on the evolution of water evaporation and cracking characteristics of silt soil
Authors: Sun Min , Li Xuefeng , Zhang Dingyang , Lin Bin , Hao Jiafang , Liu Jiawei
Published: February 2024

Cultivated land is prone to cracking during the high-temperature season, resulting in accelerated water evaporation, incomplete soil structure, and waste of resources caused by pollutants entering the soil. In this study, image analysis technology was used to compare the effects of two kinds of fibers on the drying and shrinkage characteristics of silt under the same volume. The results show that during cracking process, water evaporation can be divided into three phases: constant rate stage, deceleration rate stage, and residual stage. The crack rate of 0.08% basalt fiber-treated soil and 0.06% carbon fiber-treated soil is reduced by 27.66% and 27.98%, respectively. The addition of fibers acts like a bridge, narrowing the concentration of crack width from 0.2–0.8 to 0–0.6 mm, increasing short cracks of 0–5 mm and decreasing long cracks larger than 5 mm, thus reducing the soil cracking rate. With rough surface and high elastic modulus of fibers, the addition of fibers enhances the friction between soil particles to limit the movement of soil mass, and bears part of the tensile stress when cracking. It increases the tensile strength between the soil mass and effectively reduces the crack rate. It is found that the improvement effect of basalt fiber is relatively better and the economic benefit is higher under the same volume.
FIRST REPORT OF RAPHIDASCARIS LOPHII INFECTION IN BLUEFIN SEAROBIN (CHELIDONICHTHYS SPINOSUS)
Authors: See Ming She , Lu Chih-Yu , Tsai Hong-En , Li Tsung-Hsien , Chen Chih Yao , Tsai Ming-An
Published: February 2024

This study reports on diseased Chelidonichthys spinosus fish that were originally obtained from the Taiwan Strait for exhibition in an aquarium. These fish showed abnormal swimming behavior, eye damage and skin lesions. Gross examination and histopathology revealed that the C. spinosus was suffering from severe nematode infections in the pyloric caeca, liver and mesentery. Marine nematodes from internal organs were verified by partially sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene. Sequencing results revealed that the nematodes shared 99.75% sequence identity with Raphidascaris lophii (GenBank accession No. MW132926). Additionally, secondary Vibrio harveyi infections were also detected in some C. spinosus. This is the first report of R. lophii infection in C. spinosus.
Contactless Diseases Diagnoses Using Wireless Communication Sensing: Methods and Challenges Survey
Authors: Abu Ali Najah Abed , Rehman Mubashir , Mumtaz Shahid , Khan Muhammad Bilal , Hayajneh Mohammad , Ullah Farman , Shah Raza Ali
Published: February 2024

Respiratory illness diagnosis and continuous monitoring are becoming popular as sensitive markers of chronic diseases. This interest has motivated the increased development of respiratory illness diagnosis by exploiting wireless communication as a sensing system. Several methods for diagnosing a respiratory illness are based on multiple sensors and techniques. Depending on whether the device embeds the sensor in contact with the body or not, these techniques are commonly categorized as contact based or contactless. Contactless methods have gained increasing popularity due to their ubiquitous nature, non-intrusiveness, and low cost. However, contactless methods are difficult to implement, with several challenges such as dynamic wireless communication environments. This article comprehensively reviews all contactless respiratory illnesses using wireless communication sensing methods, their associated challenges, and issues. In addition, applications of respiratory illness diagnosis methods using wireless communication are provided to investigate each method's potential development and applicability. Continuous and accurate diagnosis of respiratory illness using wireless communication sensing systems can assist caregivers in enhancing the care quality and bestowing patients with more freedom for both inpatients and outpatients. Furthermore, wireless communication monitoring systems could lead to treatment plans remotely more effectively, decrease the duration of patient stays in medical facilities, and reduce overall treatment costs.
Intricate Spatiotemporal Dependency Learning for Temporal Knowledge Graph Reasoning
Authors: Li Xuefei , Zhou Huiwei , Yao Weihong , Li Wenchu , Liu Baojie , Lin Yingyu
Published: February 2024

Knowledge Graph (KG) reasoning has been an interesting topic in recent decades. Most current researches focus on predicting the missing facts for incomplete KG. Nevertheless, Temporal KG (TKG) reasoning, which is to forecast future facts, still faces with a dilemma due to the complex interactions between entities over time. This article proposes a novel intricate Spatiotemporal Dependency learning Network (STDN) based on Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) to capture the underlying correlations of an entity at different timestamps. Specifically, we first learn an adaptive adjacency matrix to depict the direct dependencies from the temporally adjacent facts of an entity, obtaining its previous context embedding. Then, a Spatiotemporal feature Encoding GCN (STE-GCN) is proposed to capture the latent spatiotemporal dependencies of the entity, getting the spatiotemporal embedding. Finally, a time gate unit is used to integrate the previous context embedding and the spatiotemporal embedding at the current timestamp to update the entity evolutional embedding for predicting future facts. STDN could generate the more expressive embeddings for capturing the intricate spatiotemporal dependencies in TKG. Extensive experiments on WIKI, ICEWS14, and ICEWS18 datasets prove our STDN has the advantage over state-of-the-art baselines for the temporal reasoning task.
Jointly Harnessing Prior Structures and Temporal Consistency for Sign Language Video Generation
Authors: Suo Yucheng , Zheng Zhedong , Wang Xiaohan , Zhang Bang , Yang Yi
Published: February 2024

Sign language provides a way for differently-abled individuals to express their feelings and emotions. However, learning sign language can be challenging and time consuming. An alternative approach is to animate user photos using sign language videos of specific words, which can be achieved using existing image animation methods. However, the finger motions in the generated videos are often not ideal. To address this issue, we propose the Structure-aware Temporal Consistency Network (STCNet), which jointly optimizes the prior structure of humans with temporal consistency to produce sign language videos. We use a fine-grained skeleton detector to acquire knowledge of body structure and introduce both short- and long-term cycle loss to ensure the continuity of the generated video. The two losses and keypoint detector network are optimized in an end-to-end manner. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations on three widely used datasets, namely LSA64, Phoenix-2014T, and WLASL-2000, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. It is our hope that this work can contribute to future studies on sign language production.
The Present and Future Landscapes of Molecular Diagnostics
Authors: Rolando Justin C. , Melkonian Arek V. , Walt David R.
Published: February 2024

Nucleic acid testing is the cornerstone of modern molecular diagnostics. This review describes the current status and future directions of molecular diagnostics, focusing on four major techniques: polymerase chain reaction (PCR), next-generation sequencing (NGS), isothermal amplification methods such as recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based detection methods. We explore the advantages and limitations of each technique, describe how each overlaps with or complements other techniques, and examine current clinical offerings. This review provides a broad perspective into the landscape of molecular diagnostics and highlights potential future directions in this rapidly evolving field.
High-Moisture Extrusion of Plant Proteins: Fundamentals of Texturization and Applications
Authors: Sui Xiaonan , Zhang Tianyi , Zhang Xin , Jiang Lianzhou
Published: February 2024

The growing demand for sustainable and healthy food alternatives has led to a significant increase in interest in plant-based protein products. Among the various techniques used in creating meat analogs, high-moisture extrusion (HME) stands out as a promising technology for developing plant-based protein products that possess desirable texture and mouthfeel. During the extrusion process, plant proteins undergo a state transition, causing their rheological properties to change, thereby influencing the quality of the final extrudates. This review aims to delve into the fundamental aspects of texturizing plant proteins using HME, with a specific focus on the rheological behavior exhibited by these proteins throughout the process. Additionally, the review explores the future of HME from the perspective of novel raw materials and technologies. In summary, the objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential of HME technology in the development of sustainable and nutritious plant-based protein products.
Potential of Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Carriers for Oral Delivery of Active Phytoconstituents
Authors: Jiang Qiao , Liu Yubo , Si Xu , Wang Li , Gui Hailong , Tian Jinlong , Cui Huijun , Jiang Hongzhou , Dong Wenjiang , Li Bin
Published: February 2024

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in intercellular communication and have the potential to serve as in vivo carriers for delivering active molecules. The biocompatibility advantages of EVs over artificial nanocarriers create new frontiers for delivering modern active molecules. Milk is a favorable source of EVs because of its high bioavailability, low immunogenicity, and commercial producibility. In this review, we analyzed the advantages of milk-derived EVs in the oral delivery of active molecules, discussed their research progress in delivering active phytoconstituents, and summarized the necessary technologies and critical unit operations required for the development of an oral delivery system based on EVs. The review aims to provide innovative ideas and fundamental quality control guidelines for developing the next-generation oral drug delivery system based on milk-derived EVs.
RNA Sequencing in Disease Diagnosis
Authors: Smail Craig , Montgomery Stephen B.
Published: February 2024

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) enables the accurate measurement of multiple transcriptomic phenotypes for modeling the impacts of disease variants. Advances in technologies, experimental protocols, and analysis strategies are rapidly expanding the application of RNA-seq to identify disease biomarkers, tissue- and cell-type-specific impacts, and the spatial localization of disease-associated mechanisms. Ongoing international efforts to construct biobank-scale transcriptomic repositories with matched genomic data across diverse population groups are further increasing the utility of RNA-seq approaches by providing large-scale normative reference resources. The availability of these resources, combined with improved computational analysis pipelines, has enabled the detection of aberrant transcriptomic phenotypes underlying rare diseases. Further expansion of these resources, across both somatic and developmental tissues, is expected to soon provide unprecedented insights to resolve disease origin, mechanism of action, and causal gene contributions, suggesting the continued high utility of RNA-seq in disease diagnosis.
Single-Molecule Spectroscopy and Super-Resolution Mapping of Physicochemical Parameters in Living Cells
Authors: Steves Megan A. , He Changdong , Xu Ke
Published: February 2024

By superlocalizing the positions of millions of single molecules over many camera frames, a class of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy methods known as single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) has revolutionized how we understand subcellular structures over the past decade. In this review, we highlight emerging studies that transcend the outstanding structural (shape) information offered by SMLM to extract and map physicochemical parameters in living mammalian cells at single-molecule and super-resolution levels. By encoding/decoding high-dimensional information—such as emission and excitation spectra, motion, polarization, fluorescence lifetime, and beyond—for every molecule, and mass accumulating these measurements for millions of molecules, such multidimensional and multifunctional super-resolution approaches open new windows into intracellular architectures and dynamics, as well as their underlying biophysical rules, far beyond the diffraction limit.
Intellectual Diary of an Iconoclast
Authors: Scott James C.
Published: February 2024

Trying to address a series of large questions—e.g., when peasants rebel, clandestine forms of resistance, state “imagination,” and the origin of the very first agrarian states—led me to abandon much of the standard political science “tool kit.” This is an account of that intellectual journey.

[James C. Scott died on July 19, 2024, just days before this short intellectual biography went live. Scott was an intellectual giant, an eloquent writer, and an inspiration to multiple generations of students and scholars. The Annual Review of Political Science is pleased to be the publisher of his latest, perhaps last, publication. His oral history is available here.]
Detection of a Cobalt-Containing Interphase at the Li6PS5Cl-NMC111 Interface by In Situ μXANES and EIS
Authors: Stavola Alyssa M. , Zimmerer Eric K. , Sun Xiao , Wawer Kamila C. , Kiss Andrew M. , Ji Tongtai , Zhu Hongli , Gallaway Joshua W.
Published: February 2024

Sulfide electrolyte all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASLBs) with uncoated Li-NixMnyCo1−x−yO2 (NMC) cathodes suffer from a large capacity loss during initial cycling and an increase in cell impedance. Decomposition reactions are known to occur at the Li6PS5Cl-NMC111 interface due to incompatibility between the two materials. If a stabilizing coating is applied to the NMC, it delivers full capacity during initial charge. However, the loss in capacity during discharge still occurs. The interface was studied by μXANES and through EIS analysis. A chemically-formed interphase was detected by μXANES, evident from reduction of Co at an uncoated NMC particle surface. This interphase was produced by decomposition at rest. To study the effect of the interphase on electrochemically active surface area, piecewise in situ EIS was performed and the data was modeled using a transmission line model (TLM). The charge transfer resistance RCT was used to estimate the volume specific active surface area (aact). The median value for aact was 296 cm−1, a factor of 7.5 lower than the theoretical value of 2216 cm−1. This provided evidence of a lower electrochemically active surface area in the ASLB.
Exercise-induced cardiac troponin release in athletes with versus without coronary atherosclerosis
Authors: Janssen Sylvan L. J. E. , de Vries Femke , Mingels Alma M. A. , Kleinnibbelink Geert , Hopman Maria T. E. , Mosterd Arend , Velthuis Birgitta K. , Aengevaeren Vincent L. , Eijsvogels Thijs M. H.
Published: February 2024

Exercise-induced cardiac troponin (cTn) release is considered to be dependent on cardiovascular health status. We tested whether athletes with coronary atherosclerosis demonstrate greater exercise-induced cTn release compared with healthy peers. Athletes with coronary atherosclerosis did not differ in cTn release following exercise compared with healthy peers. Our findings suggest that a high CACS or a >50% stenosis in any coronary artery does not aggravate exercise-induced cTn release in middle-aged and older athletes.
IL-33 supplementation improves uterine artery resistance and maternal hypertension in response to placental ischemia
Authors: Wang Xi , Shields Corbin , Tardo Geilda , Peacock Greg , Hester Emily , Anderson Marissa , Williams Jan M. , Cornelius Denise C.
Published: February 2024

Though decreased IL-33 signaling has been clinically associated with PE, the mechanisms linking this signaling pathway to overall disease pathophysiology are not well understood. This study provides compelling evidence that mechanistically links reduced IL-33 with the inflammatory response and vascular dysfunction observed in response to placental ischemia, such as in PE. Data presented in this study submit the IL-33 signaling pathway as a possible therapeutic target for the treatment of PE.
Vision‐Based Multiscale Construction Object Detection under Limited Supervision
Authors: Guo Yapeng , Xu Yang , Cui Hongtao , Li Shunlong
Published: February 2024

Contemporary multiscale construction object detection algorithms rely predominantly on fully‐supervised deep learning, requiring arduous and time‐consuming labeling process. This paper presents a novel semisupervised multiscale construction objects detection (SS‐MCOD) by harnessing nearly infinite unlabeled images along with limited labels, achieving more accurate and robust detection results. SS‐MCOD uses a deformable convolutional network (DCN)‐based teacher‐student joint learning framework. DCN uses deformable advantages to extract and fuse multiscale construction object features. The teacher module generates pseudolabels for construction objects in unlabeled images, while the student module learns the location and classification of construction objects in both labeled images and unlabeled images with pseudolabels. Experimental validation using commonly used construction datasets demonstrates the accuracy and generalization performance of SS‐MCOD. This research can provide insights for other detection tasks with limited labels in the construction domain.
The Study of Photocatalytic Degradation Kinetics and Mechanism of Malachite Green Dye on Ni–TiO2 Surface Modified with Polyaniline
Authors: Asefa Girmaye , Negussa Dunkana , Lemessa Gemechu , Alemu Tibebu
Published: February 2024

Synthetic organic dyes are coloring agents used in various industries. Despite the fact that they offer exciting colors and long-lasting effects, certain organic dyes can have harmful impacts on human health and aquatic ecosystems. This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of malachite green dye using Ni–TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and Ni–TiO2/PANI nanocomposites (NCs) in various reaction conditions. The surface and compositional change of synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, FTIR, AAS, and UV–vis spectrophotometer. Accordingly, the XRD results signify the crystal structure of photocatalysts found to be tetragonal anatase phase while the FT-IR spectra indicate the titanium has predominantly form a coordination compound upon reaction with nitrogen atom through weakening the bond strength between C═N, C═C, and C─N in the PANI. The UV–vis measurement shows that the energy bandgaps were decreased from 3.20 to 2.77 eV and 2.59 eV for Ni–TiO2 NPs and Ni–TiO2/PANI NCs, respectively. From AAS data, the authors confirmed that Ni metal has significantly existed in the aforementioned photocatalysts after the calcination process. The photocatalytic degradation of Ni–TiO2 NPs and Ni–TiO2/PANI NCs on the model dye has studied and their efficiency was 94.22% and 99.09%, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation follows pseudo-first order with 2.23 × 10−2 min−1 reaction rate at optimum conditions of pH 8.5, initial dye concentration of 0.2 g/L, catalyst load of 0.2 g/L, and irradiation time of 90 min. With this, the outstanding result recorded using Ni–TiO2/PANI NCs is ascribed to the smaller particle size as compared to Ni–TiO2 NPs, and it is found to be the promising photocatalyst for the removal of wastewater containing organic dyes.
Wrist EMG Monitoring Using Neural Networks Techniques
Authors: Reyes-Fernandez Miriam Cristina , Posada-Gomez Rubén , Martinez-Sibaja Albino , Aguilar-Lasserre Alberto A. , Flores Cuautle J. J. Agustín
Published: February 2024

In rehabilitation, the correct performance of the exercises the specialist prescribes wrist movement is crucial. However, this may have the disadvantage of the patient’s subjectivity. Moreover, recent studies show that feedback through electrostimulation devices is beneficial during the process that leads to neuromotor rehabilitation. Besides, the electromyographic (EMG) signals give information about the actual degree of rehabilitation. This work examines whether temporal features can be used to classify wrist movements using back-propagation artificial neural networks and superficial EMG (sEMG) signals. The data for the evaluation were based on the information acquired from sEMG signals of two forearm muscles: the flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) and the brachioradialis (B). These sEMG signals were analyzed to find the most critical parameters for classifying the wrist’s movement and to configure a multilayer perceptron (MLP) capable of classifying such movements.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Two Years after the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Botigué Teresa , Camí Carla , Selva-Pareja Laia , Masot Olga , Espart Anna , Campoy Carme , Roca Judith
Published: February 2024

Introduction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a need to promote the most adequate behaviors. It is essential to know what aspects were implemented and what needs to be re-enforced. Objectives. (a) To identify the knowledge and behaviors related with preventive measures, lifestyle habits, sources of information, vaccination, and emotions generated and coping strategies and (b) to explore the personal experiences with respect to the knowledge, attitudes, and practices when facing COVID-19. Design. A convergent mixed method design. Setting and Participants. This study was conducted in the Segrià region (Catalonia, Spain) during the months of January and February 2022, with individuals 18 years old or older. Methods. Based on variables proposed by the WHO and a bibliographic review, an ad hoc electronic survey was utilized for the quantitative part, analyzed through frequency distribution or central tendency and dispersion measurements. For the qualitative part, two focus groups were analyzed through content analysis. Results. The participants (n QUAN = 1,559; n QUAL = 19) were aware about and applied the prevention measures, but when delving into it, deficiencies were detected especially when referring to hand-washing; lifestyles remained healthy; the population trusted the information from professionals (78.8%), but excess of information led to saturation; protection (75.3%) and herd immunity (47.2%) were recognized with vaccination; and the psychological impact (69.5%) was buffered with the activation of positive coping measures (99.1%), although it was maintained in more than half of them. Conclusions. This study showed that prevention measures must be re-enforced, especially hand-washing. Another revealing aspect was psychological impact, which, although coping measures were utilized, was maintained for another two years in most of them. This evidences the need for an intervention centered on this to guarantee the mental health of the population. Implications for Nursing Management. The detection of the current needs of the population provides the information necessary for the design of an adapted intervention and for promoting health education programs to address COVID-19 or other future health situations.
Figure S6 from PD-1 Expression on Intratumoral Regulatory T Cells Is Associated with Lack of Benefit from Anti–PD-1 Therapy in Metastatic Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Denize Thomas , Jegede Opeyemi A. , Matar Sayed , El Ahmar Nourhan , West Destiny J. , Walton Emily , Bagheri Aseman Sheshdeh , Savla Varunika , Nabil Laimon Yasmin , Gupta Saurabh , Vemula Sai Vikram , Braun David A. , Burke Kelly P. , Catalano Paul J. , Freeman Gordon J. , Motzer Robert J. , Atkins Michael B. , McDermott David F. , Sharpe Arlene H. , Choueiri Toni K. , Signoretti Sabina
Published: February 2024

Figure S6
Supplementary Tables and Figures 1 from First-Line Ipatasertib, Atezolizumab, and Taxane Triplet for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Clinical and Biomarker Results
Authors: Schmid Peter , Turner Nicholas C. , Barrios Carlos H. , Isakoff Steven J. , Kim Sung-Bae , Sablin Marie-Paule , Saji Shigehira , Savas Peter , Vidal Gregory A. , Oliveira Mafalda , O'Shaughnessy Joyce , Italiano Antoine , Espinosa Enrique , Boni Valentina , White Shane , Rojas Beatriz , Freitas-Junior Ruffo , Chae Yeesoo , Bondarenko Igor , Lee Jieun , Torres Mattos Cesar , Martinez Rodriguez Jorge Luis , Lam Lisa H. , Jones Surai , Reilly Sarah-Jayne , Huang Xiayu , Shah Kalpit , Dent Rebecca
Published: February 2024

Table S1: Representativeness of study participants
Table S2: Baseline characteristics
Table S3: Treatment exposure
Table S4: Grade ≥3 AEs
Table S5: GSEA analysis
Fig S1: Trial designs
Fig S2: pAKT model
Figs S3–S5: Efficacy by trial
Fig S6: PD-L1, pAKT and response
Supplementary Methods S1 from A Phase Ib Study of the DNA-PK Inhibitor Peposertib Combined with Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Authors: Romesser Paul B. , Capdevila Jaume , Garcia-Carbonero Rocio , Philip Tony , Fernandez Martos Carlos , Tuli Richard , Rodriguez-Gutierrez Almudena , Kuipers Mirjam , Becker Andreas , Coenen-Stass Anna , Sarholz Barbara , You Xiaoli , Miller Eric D.
Published: February 2024

Supplementary methods and results with references
Supplementary Figure S2 from A Phase Ib Study of the DNA-PK Inhibitor Peposertib Combined with Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Authors: Romesser Paul B. , Capdevila Jaume , Garcia-Carbonero Rocio , Philip Tony , Fernandez Martos Carlos , Tuli Richard , Rodriguez-Gutierrez Almudena , Kuipers Mirjam , Becker Andreas , Coenen-Stass Anna , Sarholz Barbara , You Xiaoli , Miller Eric D.
Published: February 2024

Kaplan-Meier curve of disease-free survival
Supplementary Table S2 from A Dysfunctional T-cell Gene Signature for Predicting Nonresponse to PD-1 Blockade in Non–small Cell Lung Cancer That Is Suitable for Routine Clinical Diagnostics
Authors: Hummelink Karlijn , Tissier Renaud , Bosch Linda J.W. , Krijgsman Oscar , van den Heuvel Michel M. , Theelen Willemijn S.M.E. , Damotte Diane , Goldwasser François , Leroy Karen , Smit Egbert F. , Meijer Gerrit A. , Thommen Daniela S. , Monkhorst Kim
Published: February 2024

Coefficients of the PD-1T signature genes used in the prediction model.
Supplementary Figure S16 from Therapy-Induced Senescence Contributes to the Efficacy of Abemaciclib in Patients with Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma
Authors: Gleason Caroline E. , Dickson Mark A. , Klein (Dooley) Mary E. , Antonescu Cristina R. , Gularte-Mérida Rodrigo , Benitez Marimar , Delgado Juliana I. , Kataru Raghu P. , Tan Mark Wei Yi , Bradic Martina , Adamson Travis E. , Seier Kenneth , Richards Allison L. , Palafox Marta , Chan Eric , D'Angelo Sandra P. , Gounder Mrinal M. , Keohan Mary Louise , Kelly Ciara M. , Chi Ping , Movva Sujana , Landa Jonathan , Crago Aimee M. , Donoghue Mark T.A. , Qin Li-Xuan , Serra Violetta , Turkekul Mesruh , Barlas Afsar , Firester Daniel M. , Manova-Todorova Katia , Mehrara Babak J. , Kovatcheva Marta , Tan Nguan Soon , Singer Samuel , Tap William D. , Koff Andrew
Published: February 2024

Relationship between CDH18 expression, MDM2 downregulation, and ANGPTL4 mRNA expression in patients treated with abemaciclib
Data from Tumor-Specific Activity of Precision Medicines in the NCI-MATCH Trial
Authors: Zhou Ivvone , Plana Deborah , Palmer Adam C.
Published: February 2024

AbstractPurpose:
National Cancer Institute Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice (NCI-MATCH) is a precision medicine basket trial designed to test the effectiveness of treating cancers based on specific genetic changes in patients’ tumors, regardless of cancer type. Multiple subprotocols have each tested different targeted therapies matched to specific genetic aberrations. Most subprotocols exhibited low rates of tumor shrinkage as evaluated across all tumor types enrolled. We hypothesized that these results may arise because these precision cancer therapies have tumor type-specific efficacy, as is common among other cancer therapies.
Experimental Design:
To test the hypothesis that certain tumor types are more sensitive to specific therapies than other tumor types, we applied permutation testing to tumor volume change and progression-free survival data from 10 published NCI-MATCH subprotocols (together n = 435 patients). FDR was controlled by the Benjamini–Hochberg procedure.
Results:
Six of ten subprotocols exhibited statistically significant evidence of tumor-specific drug sensitivity, four of which were previously considered negative based on response rate across all tumors. This signal-finding analysis highlights potential uses of FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibition in urothelial carcinomas with actionable FGFR aberrations and MEK inhibition in lung cancers with BRAF non-V600E mutations. In addition, it identifies low-grade serious ovarian carcinoma with BRAF v600E mutation as especially sensitive to BRAF and MEK co-inhibition (dabrafenib plus trametinib), a treatment that received accelerated FDA approval for advanced solid tumors with BRAF v600E mutation.
Conclusions:
These findings support the value of basket trials because even when precision medicines do not have tumor-agnostic activity, basket trials can identify tumor-specific activity for future study.
Data from Backfilling Patients in Phase I Dose-Escalation Trials Using Bayesian Optimal Interval Design (BOIN)
Authors: Zhao Yixuan , Yuan Ying , Korn Edward L. , Freidlin Boris
Published: February 2024

Abstract
In recent years, there has been increased interest in incorporation of backfilling into dose-escalation clinical trials, which involves concurrently assigning patients to doses that have been previously cleared for safety by the dose-escalation design. Backfilling generates additional information on safety, tolerability, and preliminary activity on a range of doses below the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), which is relevant for selection of the recommended phase II dose and dose optimization. However, in practice, backfilling may not be rigorously defined in trial protocols and implemented consistently. Furthermore, backfilling designs require careful planning to minimize the probability of treating additional patients with potentially inactive agents (and/or subtherapeutic doses). In this paper, we propose a simple and principled approach to incorporate backfilling into the Bayesian optimal interval design (BOIN). The design integrates data from the dose-escalation and backfilling components of the design and ensures that the additional patients are treated at doses where some activity has been seen. Simulation studies demonstrated that the proposed backfilling BOIN design (BF-BOIN) generates additional data for future dose optimization, maintains the accuracy of the MTD identification, and improves patient safety without prolonging the trial duration.