bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Personality change in a trial of psilocybin therapy v. escitalopram treatment for depression
Authors: Weiss Brandon , Ginige Induni , Shannon Lu , Giribaldi Bruna , Murphy-Beiner Ashleigh , Murphy Roberta , Baker-Jones Michelle , Martell Jonny , Nutt David J. , Carhart-Harris Robin L. , Erritzoe David
Published: June 2023

Background

Psilocybin Therapy (PT) is being increasingly studied as a psychiatric intervention. Personality relates to mental health and can be used to probe the nature of PT's therapeutic action.

Methods

In a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, active comparator controlled trial involving patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder, we compared psilocybin with escitalopram, over a core 6-week trial period. Five-Factor model personality domains, Big Five Aspect Scale Openness aspects, Absorption, and Impulsivity were measured at Baseline, Week 6, and Month 6 follow-up.

Results

PT was associated with decreases in neuroticism (B= −0.63), introversion (B= −0.38), disagreeableness (B= −0.47), impulsivity (B= −0.40), and increases in absorption (B= 0.32), conscientiousness (B= 0.30), and openness (B= 0.23) at week 6, with neuroticism (B= −0.47) and disagreeableness (B= −0.41) remaining decreased at month 6. Escitalopram Treatment (ET) was associated with decreases in neuroticism (B= −0.38), disagreeableness (B= −0.26), impulsivity (B= −0.35), and increases in openness (B= 0.28) at week 6, with neuroticism (B= −0.46) remaining decreased at month 6. No significant between-condition differences were observed.

Conclusions

Personality changes across both conditions were in a direction consistent with improved mental health. With the possible exception of trait absorption, there were no compelling between-condition differences warranting conclusions regarding a selective action of PT (v.ET) on personality; however, post-ET changes in personality were significantly moderated by pre-trial positive expectancy for escitalopram, whereas expectancy did not moderate response to PT.
Abnormalities in brain structure following childhood unpredictability: a mechanism underlying depressive and anxiety symptoms
Authors: Wang Zhengxinyue , Cao Xinyu , Zheng Xiaoyu , Chen Yuanyuan , Zhu Jianjun
Published: June 2023

Background

Childhood adversity is associated with abnormalities in brain structure, but this association has not been tested for childhood unpredictability, one form of adversity. We studied whether abnormalities in gray matter volume (GMV) could be a mechanism linking childhood unpredictability and psychopathology, over and above the effect of childhood trauma.

Methods

Participants were 158 right-handed healthy young adults (aged 17–28 years,M= 22.07,s.d.= 2.08; 66.46% female) who underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging measurements and provided retrospective reports of childhood unpredictability. The anxiety and depression subscales of the self-report Brief Symptom Inventory-53 were used to index psychopathology.

Results

Whole-brain voxel-based morphometric analyses showed that after controlling for the effect of childhood trauma, childhood unpredictability was correlated with greater GMV in bilateral frontal pole, bilateral precuneus, bilateral postcentral gyrus, right hemisphere of fusiform, and lingual gyrus, and left hemisphere of ventrolateral prefrontal cortex as well as occipital gyrus. Greater GMV in bilateral frontal pole, bilateral precuneus, and bilateral postcentral gyrus mediated associations between unpredictability and symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that childhood unpredictability could exact unique effects on neural development, over and above the effect of childhood trauma. These findings are relevant for understanding the occurrence of psychopathology following childhood unpredictability and have implications for intervention.
Psychiatric comorbidity: a concept in need of a theory
Authors: Nordgaard Julie , Nielsen Kasper Møller , Rasmussen Andreas Rosén , Henriksen Mads Gram
Published: June 2023

Despite being a relatively new concept, psychiatric comorbidity, i.e. the co-occurrence of two or more mental disorders, has become widespread in clinical practice and psychiatric research. In this article, we trace the origin of the concept of psychiatric comorbidity, discuss the conceptual literature and point to basic problems concerning inadequate definition of the concept, differential diagnostic issues, and reification of mental disorders. We illustrate how these problems may have consequences for diagnostic assessment in current clinical practice and psychiatric research. To address some of the problems related to psychiatric comorbidity, we discuss potential principles for assessing psychiatric comorbidity. Inspired by Feinstein's original concept of comorbidity in general medicine and his differential diagnostic principles, we emphasize the importance of independence of mental disorders when assessing psychiatric comorbidity. We suggest that knowledge of trait v. state conditions and of the multitudinous clinical manifestations beyond what is captured in the diagnostic manuals may be helpful for assessing the independence of mental disorders and thus psychiatric comorbidity. We further argue that a more hierarchical diagnostic system and explicit exclusionary rules could improve clinical practice and research by reducing informational complexity and combating unwarranted psychiatric comorbidity.
Generative Pre-Trained Transformers (GPT) and Space Health: A Potential Frontier in Astronaut Health During Exploration Missions
Authors: Waisberg Ethan , Ong Joshua , Masalkhi Mouayad , Zaman Nasif , Kamran Sharif Amit , Sarker Prithul , Lee Andrew G. , Tavakkoli Alireza
Published: June 2023

In anticipation of space exploration where astronauts are traveling away from Earth, and for longer durations with an increasing communication lag, artificial intelligence (AI) frameworks such as large language learning models (LLMs) that can be trained on Earth can provide real-time answers. This emerging technology may be helpful for acute medical emergencies, particularly in austere and distant space environments. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) technology, a rapidly emerging AI technology, and implications, considerations, and limitations of such technology for space health.
Decoupling: adaptation of a treatment for body-focused repetitive behaviour to Tourette syndrome. A case report
Authors: Moritz Steffen , Penney Danielle , Schmotz Stella
Published: June 2023

Aims:

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological condition; its etiology is not yet fully understood. Cognitive behavioural therapy with habit reversal training is the recommended first-line treatment, but is not effective in all patients. This is the first report examining the usefulness of decoupling, a behavioural self-help treatment originally developed for patients with body-focused repetitive behaviours, in a patient with TS.

Method:

Patient P.Z. showed 10 motor and three vocal tics on the Adult Tic Questionnaire (ATQ) before treatment. He was taught decoupling by the first author.

Results:

The application of decoupling led to a reduction of P.Z.’s eye tics, which was one of his first and most enduring and severe tics. It was not effective for other areas. Quality of life and depression improved, which P.Z. attributed to the improvement of his tics.

Conclusion:

Decoupling may be adopted as an alternative, when habit reversal training is not feasible. Future research, preferably using a controlled design with a large sample, may elucidate whether decoupling is only effective for tics relating to the eyes, the most common symptom in tic disorder/TS, or whether its effects extend to other symptoms.
Moral judgments in native, regional, and foreign languages
Authors: Peressotti Francesca , Lorenzoni Anna , Miozzo Michele
Published: June 2023

We examined moral judgments in three types of language: a native national language (Italian), a non-native foreign language (English), and a native regional language (Venetian, oral and colloquial). We used the Moral Foundation Questionnaire to investigate cross-linguistic differences in multiple aspects of morality. Higher scores in the Harm, Purity and Fairness dimensions were obtained in the foreign and the regional language with respect to the national language. In addition, higher scores in the Ingroup dimension were obtained in the foreign language with respect to the native language. The effects of language on morality can thus be quite pervasive, involving a variety of aspects of morality. The differences we observed across these languages are explained in terms of their sociolinguistics – specifically, the greater use of national languages with moral values and beliefs. It is proposed that language effects arise because the language that is used activates information associated with it.
A theory of legal apparitions: regulation and escape in Indian divorces
Authors: Goyal Yugank
Published: June 2023

When people do not approach a formal court of law to settle their disputes, and cannot enter into out-of-court settlements either, what do they do? I find that people install court-like processes which mimetically follow the court procedures, executing the settlement as if the decision were rendered officially. By examining such practices in the case of divorce-related disputes in India, I advance a theory of legal apparitions, a phenomenon in which cosmetic mimicry of legal processes creates a new form of extra-legal resolution. This is likely to prevail in societies where access to justice is hindered due to socio-institutional factors and customary forms of adjudication are not possible (sometimes because of state law’s design). This idea can be used to explain a range of practices observed in South Asian societies, where people’s imagination of, and interaction with, legal apparatuses creates new forms of institutions.
Are We Recording? Putting Embayment Speedometry to the Test Using High Pressure‐Temperature Decompression Experiments
Authors: Hosseini Behnaz , Myers Madison L. , Watkins James M. , Harris Megan A.
Published: June 2023

Despite its increasing application to estimate magma decompression rates for explosive eruptions, the embayment speedometer has long awaited critical experimental evaluation. We present the first experimental results on the fidelity of natural quartz‐hosted embayments in rhyolitic systems as recorders of magma decompression. We conducted two high pressure‐temperature isobaric equilibrium experiments and 13 constant‐rate, continuous isothermal decompression experiments in a cold‐seal pressure vessel where we imposed rates from 0.005 to 0.05 MPa s−1 in both H2O‐saturated and mixed‐volatile (H2O + CO2)‐saturated systems. In both equilibrium experiments, we successfully re‐equilibrated embayment melt to new fluid compositions at 780°C and 150 MPa, confirming the ability of embayments to respond to and record changing environmental conditions. Of the 32 glassy embayments recovered, seven met the criteria previously established for successful geospeedometry and were thus analyzed for their volatile (H2O ± CO2) concentrations, with each producing a good model fit and recovering close to the imposed decompression rate. In one H2O‐saturated experiment, modeling H2O concentration gradients in embayments from three separate crystals resulted in best‐fit decompression rates ranging from 0.012 to 0.021 MPa s−1, in close agreement with the imposed rate (0.015 MPa s−1) and attesting to the reproducibility of the technique. For mixed‐volatile experiments, we found that a slightly variable starting fluid composition (2.4–3.5 wt.% H2O at 150 MPa) resulted in good fits to both H2O + CO2 profiles. Overall our experiments provide confidence that the embayment is a robust recorder of constant‐rate, continuous decompression, with the model successfully extracting experimental conditions from profiles representing nearly an order of magnitude variation (0.008–0.05 MPa s−1) in decompression rate.
Variability in Biomass Burning Emissions Weakens Aerosol Forcing Due To Nonlinear Aerosol‐Cloud Interactions
Authors: Heyblom Kyle B. , Singh Hansi A. , Rasch Philip J. , Hirasawa Haruki
Published: June 2023

The magnitude of the aerosol forcing remains among the largest unknowns when assessing climate sensitivity over the historical period. Here, we quantify and explain a crucial but often overlooked source of uncertainty in aerosol forcing: the temporal variability of aerosol emissions. We show that time‐variability in biomass burning (BB) emissions weakens the time‐averaged total aerosol forcing, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere mid‐ to high‐latitudes. BB emissions variability produces weaker (less negative) mean effective radiative forcing (ERF) compared to scenarios with no interannual variability in emissions. Satellite‐estimated BB emissions (and associated variability) result in a June–September absolute ERF (relative to zero BB emissions) of −7.7 W m−2 from 50° to 70°N, compared to −10.4 W m−2 when no emissions variability is used in the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2). This difference in forcing is attributable to nonlinear aerosol‐cloud interactions. Aerosol forcing will be overestimated (i.e., more negative) if emissions are temporally‐smoothed.
An Evaluation of Beam Configuration to Detect the Plasma Vector Velocity: A Simulation Method Based on the SYISR System
Authors: Jin Yuyan , Zhao Biqiang , Yue Xinan , Ning Baiqi , Ding Feng , Zhou Xu , Hao Honglian , Zeng Lingqi
Published: June 2023

Measuring the plasma motion vector field accurately is beneficial to understanding the physical processes in the ionosphere. As a newly built advanced modular phase array Incoherent Scatter Radar in Sanya (SYISR), SYISR can measure the line‐of‐sight (LOS) velocity of ion drift in multiple directions, potentially yielding the spatial distribution of ionospheric plasma drift at low latitudes in East Asia. Compared to the traditional ISR, it can operate continuously for a long‐time and perform with fast and flexible scanning. This paper evaluates different beam configurations and inversion methods for vector ion velocity detection by comparing the vector ion velocities input in the forward modeling and derived by inversion. For the mono‐static SYISR, the all‐sky scan mode is suitable for observing the distribution of vector ion velocity with height, and the fine scan mode is suitable for observing the spatial distribution of two components of vector ion drift perpendicular to the magnetic field in the northern region of SYISR's non‐grating lobe. For the future tri‐static SYISR, it could simultaneously observe the spatial distribution of all three components of the vector ion velocity. Besides, the inversion method based on Bayesian estimation shows good accuracy and stability in deriving the vector ion velocity, especially when the LOS ion velocity has a large error. These results will benefit the design and optimization of the actual experiments for the vector ion velocity measurement and inversion using the SYISR system.
Characteristics of Slow Slip Events Explained by Rate‐Strengthening Faults Subject to Periodic Pore Fluid Pressure Changes
Authors: Perez‐Silva Andrea , Kaneko Yoshihiro , Savage Martha , Wallace Laura , Warren‐Smith Emily
Published: June 2023

Geophysical observations suggest that temporal changes in pore fluid pressure correlate with slow slip events (SSEs) at some subduction zones, including the Hikurangi and Cascadia subduction zones. These fluctuations in pore fluid pressure are attributed to fluid migration before and during SSEs, which may modulate SSE occurrence. To examine the effect of pore fluid pressure changes on SSE generation, we develop numerical models in which periodic pore‐pressure perturbations are applied to a stably sliding, rate‐strengthening fault. By varying the physical characteristics of the pore‐pressure perturbations (amplitude, characteristic length and period), we find models that reproduce shallow Hikurangi SSE properties (duration, magnitude, slip, recurrence) and SSE moments and durations from different subduction zones. The stress drops of modeled SSEs range from ∼20–120 kPa while the amplitudes of pore‐pressure perturbations are several MPa, broadly consistent with those inferred from observations. Our results indicate that large permeability values of ∼10−14 to 10−10 m2 are needed to reproduce the observed SSE properties. Such high values could be due to transient and localized increases in fault zone permeability in the shear zone where SSEs occur. Our results suggest that SSEs may arise on faults in rate‐strengthening frictional conditions subject to pore‐pressure perturbations.
Do State‐Of‐The‐Art Atmospheric CO2 Inverse Models Capture Drought Impacts on the European Land Carbon Uptake?
Authors: He Wei , Jiang Fei , Ju Weimin , Byrne Brendan , Xiao Jingfeng , Nguyen Ngoc Tu , Wu Mousong , Wang Songhan , Wang Jun , Rödenbeck Christian , Li Xing , Scholze Marko , Monteil Guillaume , Wang Hengmao , Zhou Yanlian , He Qiaoning , Chen Jing M.
Published: June 2023

The European land carbon uptake has been heavily impacted by several recent severe droughts, yet quantitative estimates of carbon uptake anomalies are uncertain. Atmospheric CO2 inverse models (AIMs) provide observation‐based estimates of the large‐scale carbon flux dynamics, but how well they capture drought impacts on the terrestrial carbon uptake is poorly known. Here we assessed the capacity of state‐of‐the‐art AIMs in monitoring drought impacts on the European carbon uptake over 2001–2015 using observations of environmental variability and vegetation function and made comparisons with bottom‐up estimates of carbon uptake anomalies. We found that global inversions with only limited surface CO2 observations give divergent estimates of drought impacts. Regional inversions assimilating denser CO2 observations over Europe demonstrated some improved consistency, with all inversions capturing a reduction in carbon uptake during the 2012 drought. However, they failed to capture the reduction caused by the 2015 drought. Finally, we found that a set of inversions that assimilated satellite XCO2 or assimilated environmental variables plus surface CO2 observations better captured carbon uptake anomalies induced by both the 2012 and 2015 droughts. In addition, the recent Orbiting Carbon Observatory—2 XCO2 inversions showed good potential in capturing drought impacts, with better performances for larger‐scale droughts like the 2018 drought. These results suggest that surface CO2 observations may still be too sparse to fully capture the impact of drought on the carbon cycle at subcontinental scales over Europe, and satellite XCO2 and ancillary environmental data can be used to improve observational constraints in atmospheric inversion systems.
Predicting Marine In Situ Heat Flow Using a Geospatial Machine Learning Conformal Prediction
Authors: Graw J. H. , Wood W. T. , Phrampus B. J.
Published: June 2023

Heat flow measurements over the past decades have drastically increased in number. However, even with vast increases in measurements, large geospatial gaps exist, most notably across Earth's oceans. As marine heat flow data acquisition can be tedious, time consuming, and ultimately expensive, new methods have arisen in an attempt to quantify heat flow across the seafloor using empirical proxies. The goal herein is to obtain a high quality, fully data‐driven, global estimate of marine in situ heat flow with calculated uncertainty. We present a heat flow analysis for Earth's marine environment using a geospatial machine learning algorithm (MLA) utilizing 33,746 heat flow measurements from the International Heat Flow Commission's most recent Global Heat Flow Database. The mean heat flow for the observational data set is 95.83 mWm−2 with a spatially averaged heat loss of 40.7 TW. We use a random forest regression MLA combined with a conformal prediction to predict in situ heat flow and its associated uncertainty for marine environments at a 100 km2 global resolution. Ten‐fold cross‐validation yields an R2 value of 0.4, indicating predictive skill. Geospatial prediction results in a global marine surface weighted in situ heat flow average of 69.67 ± 20.01 mWm−2 with a corresponding heat loss of 29.59 ± 5.78 TW. Additionally, parametric isolation is calculated to highlight areas where additional heat flow measurements would be beneficial to directly improve the overall prediction. The resultant in situ heat flow and parametric isolation maps serve as a tool to further heat flow studies within the community.
Symmetry in Hillslope Steepness and Saprolite Thickness Between Hillslopes With Opposing Aspects
Authors: Donaldson A. M. , Zimmer M. , Huang M.‐H. , Johnson K. N. , Hudson‐Rasmussen B. , Finnegan N. , Barling N. , Callahan R. P.
Published: June 2023

The structure of the critical zone (CZ) is a product of feedbacks among hydrologic, climatic, biotic, and chemical processes. Past research within snow‐dominated systems has shown that aspect‐dependent solar radiation inputs can produce striking differences in vegetation composition, topography, and soil depth between opposing hillslopes. However, far fewer studies have evaluated the role of microclimates on CZ development within rain‐dominated systems, especially below the soil and into weathered bedrock. To address this need, we characterized the CZ of a north‐facing and south‐facing slope within a first‐order headwater catchment located in central coast California. We combined terrain analysis of vegetation distribution and topography with soil pit characterization, geophysical surveys and hydrologic measurements between slope‐aspects. We documented denser vegetation and higher shallow soil moisture on north facing slopes, which matched previously documented observations in snow‐dominated sites. However, average topographic gradients were 24° and saprolite thickness was approximately 6 m across both hillslopes, which did not match common observations from the literature that showed widespread asymmetry in snow‐dominated systems. These results suggest that dominant processes for CZ evolution are not necessarily transferable across regions. Thus, there is a continued need to expand CZ research, especially in rain‐dominated and water‐limited systems. Here, we present two non‐exclusive mechanistic hypotheses that may explain these unexpected similarities in slope and saprolite thickness between hillslopes with opposing aspects.
CUL4B orchestrates mesenchymal stem cell commitment by epigenetically repressing KLF4 and C/EBPδ
Authors: Yu Ruiqi , Han Hong , Chu Shuxian , Ding Yijun , Jin Shiqi , Wang Yufeng , Jiang Wei , Liu Yuting , Zou Yongxin , Wang Molin , Liu Qiao , Sun Gongping , Jiang Baichun , Gong Yaoqin
Published: June 2023

Dysregulated lineage commitment of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) contributes to impaired bone formation and an imbalance between adipogenesis and osteogenesis during skeletal aging and osteoporosis. The intrinsic cellular mechanism that regulates MSC commitment remains unclear. Here, we identified Cullin 4B (CUL4B) as a critical regulator of MSC commitment. CUL4B is expressed in bone marrow MSCs (BMSCs) and downregulated with aging in mice and humans. Conditional knockout of Cul4b in MSCs resulted in impaired postnatal skeletal development with low bone mass and reduced bone formation. Moreover, depletion of CUL4B in MSCs aggravated bone loss and marrow adipose accumulation during natural aging or after ovariectomy. In addition, CUL4B deficiency in MSCs reduced bone strength. Mechanistically, CUL4B promoted osteogenesis and inhibited adipogenesis of MSCs by repressing KLF4 and C/EBPδ expression, respectively. The CUL4B complex directly bound to Klf4 and Cebpd and epigenetically repressed their transcription. Collectively, this study reveals CUL4B-mediated epigenetic regulation of the osteogenic or adipogenic commitment of MSCs, which has therapeutic implications in osteoporosis.
Multi-cancer analysis reveals universal association of oncogenic LBH expression with DNA hypomethylation and WNT-Integrin signaling pathways
Authors: Young In-Chi , Brabletz Thomas , Lindley Linsey E. , Abreu Maria , Nagathihalli Nagaraj , Zaika Alexander , Briegel Karoline J.
Published: June 2023

Limb-Bud and Heart (LBH) is a developmental transcription co-factor deregulated in cancer, with reported oncogenic and tumor suppressive effects. However, LBH expression in most cancer types remains unknown, impeding understanding of its mechanistic function Here, we performed systematic bioinformatic and TMA analysis for LBH in >20 different cancer types. LBH was overexpressed in most cancers compared to normal tissues (>1.5-fold; p < 0.05), including colon-rectal, pancreatic, esophageal, liver, stomach, bladder, kidney, prostate, testicular, brain, head & neck cancers, and sarcoma, correlating with poor prognosis. The cancer types showing LBH downregulation were lung, melanoma, ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancer, while both LBH over- and under-expression were observed in hematopoietic malignancies. In cancers with LBH overexpression, the LBH locus was frequently hypomethylated, identifying DNA hypomethylation as a potential mechanism for LBH dysregulation. Pathway analysis identified a universal, prognostically significant correlation between LBH overexpression and the WNT-Integrin signaling pathways. Validation of the clinical association of LBH with WNT activation in gastrointestinal cancer cell lines, and in colorectal patient samples by IHC uncovered that LBH is specifically expressed in tumor cells with nuclear beta-catenin at the invasive front. Collectively, these data reveal a high degree of LBH dysregulation in cancer and establish LBH as pan-cancer biomarker for detecting WNT hyperactivation in clinical specimens.
Comparison of repeat penetrating keratoplasty, DSAEK and DMEK for the management of endothelial failure of previous PK
Authors: Roberts Harry W. , de Benito-Llopis Laura
Published: June 2023

Purpose

To compare the clinical outcomes of repeat PK, DSAEK-on-PK or DMEK-on-PK for the management of endothelial failure of previous penetrating keratoplasty.

Design

Retrospective, interventional consecutive case series.

Participants

104 consecutive eyes of 100 patients requiring a second keratoplasty for endothelial failure of their primary penetrating keratoplasty performed between September 2016 and December 2020.

Intervention

Repeat keratoplasty.

Main outcome measures

Survival and visual acuity at 12 and 24 months, rebubbling rate and complications.

Results

Repeat PK was performed in 61/104 eyes (58.7%), DSAEK-on-PK was performed in 21/104 eyes (20.2%) and DMEK-on-PK was performed in 22/104 eyes (21.2%). Failure rates in the first 12 and 24 months were 6.6% and 20.6% for repeat PKs compared to 19% and 30.6% for DSAEK and 36.4% and 41.3% for DMEK. For those grafts surviving 12 months, the chances of surviving to 24 months were greatest for DMEK-on-PK at 92% vs 85% each for redo PK and DSAEK-on-PK. Visual acuity at one year was logMAR 0.53 ± 0.51 in the redo PK group, 0.25 ± 0.17 for DSAEK-on-PK and 0.30 ± 0.38 for DMEK-on-PK. 24-month outcomes were 0.34 ± 0.28, 0.08 ± 0.16, and 0.36 ± 0.36 respectively.

Conclusions

DMEK-on-PK has a greater failure rate in the first 12 months than DSAEK-on-PK which has a greater failure rate than redo PK. However, the 2-year survival rates in our series for those already surviving 12 months were greatest for DMEK-on-PK. There was no significant difference in visual acuity at 12 or 24 months. Careful patient selection is needed by experienced surgeons to determine which procedure to offer to patients.
Unique Huygens-Fresnel electromagnetic transportation of chiral Dirac wavelet in topological photonic crystal
Authors: Wang Xing-Xiang , Guo Zhiwei , Song Juan , Jiang Haitao , Chen Hong , Hu Xiao
Published: June 2023

Light propagates in various ways depending on environment, including uniform medium, surface/interface and photonic crystals, which appears ubiquitously in daily life and has been exploited for advanced optics technology. We unveiled that a topological photonic crystal exhibits unique electromagnetic (EM) transport properties originating from the Dirac frequency dispersion and multicomponent spinor eigenmodes. Measuring precisely local Poynting vectors in microstrips of honeycomb structure where optics topology emerges upon a band gap opening in the Dirac dispersion and a p-d band inversion induced by a Kekulé-type distortion respecting C6v symmetry, we showed that a chiral wavelet induces a global EM transportation circulating in the direction counter to the source, which is intimately related to the topological band gap specified by a negative Dirac mass. This brand-new Huygens-Fresnel phenomenon can be considered as the counterpart of negative refraction of EM plane waves associated with upwardly convex dispersions of photonic crystals, and our present finding is expected to open a new window for photonic innovations.
Cryogenic characteristics of graphene composites—evolution from thermal conductors to thermal insulators
Authors: Nataj Zahra Ebrahim , Xu Youming , Wright Dylan , Brown Jonas O. , Garg Jivtesh , Chen Xi , Kargar Fariborz , Balandin Alexander A.
Published: June 2023

The development of cryogenic semiconductor electronics and superconducting quantum computing requires composite materials that can provide both thermal conduction and thermal insulation. We demonstrated that at cryogenic temperatures, the thermal conductivity of graphene composites can be both higher and lower than that of the reference pristine epoxy, depending on the graphene filler loading and temperature. There exists a well-defined cross-over temperature—above it, the thermal conductivity of composites increases with the addition of graphene; below it, the thermal conductivity decreases with the addition of graphene. The counter-intuitive trend was explained by the specificity of heat conduction at low temperatures: graphene fillers can serve as, both, the scattering centers for phonons in the matrix material and as the conduits of heat. We offer a physical model that explains the experimental trends by the increasing effect of the thermal boundary resistance at cryogenic temperatures and the anomalous thermal percolation threshold, which becomes temperature dependent. The obtained results suggest the possibility of using graphene composites for, both, removing the heat and thermally insulating components at cryogenic temperatures—a capability important for quantum computing and cryogenically cooled conventional electronics.
Serine ADP-ribosylation in Drosophila provides insights into the evolution of reversible ADP-ribosylation signalling
Authors: Fontana Pietro , Buch-Larsen Sara C. , Suyari Osamu , Smith Rebecca , Suskiewicz Marcin J. , Schützenhofer Kira , Ariza Antonio , Rack Johannes Gregor Matthias , Nielsen Michael L. , Ahel Ivan
Published: June 2023

In the mammalian DNA damage response, ADP-ribosylation signalling is of crucial importance to mark sites of DNA damage as well as recruit and regulate repairs factors. Specifically, the PARP1:HPF1 complex recognises damaged DNA and catalyses the formation of serine-linked ADP-ribosylation marks (mono-Ser-ADPr), which are extended into ADP-ribose polymers (poly-Ser-ADPr) by PARP1 alone. Poly-Ser-ADPr is reversed by PARG, while the terminal mono-Ser-ADPr is removed by ARH3. Despite its significance and apparent evolutionary conservation, little is known about ADP-ribosylation signalling in non-mammalian Animalia. The presence of HPF1, but absence of ARH3, in some insect genomes, including Drosophila species, raises questions regarding the existence and reversal of serine-ADP-ribosylation in these species. Here we show by quantitative proteomics that Ser-ADPr is the major form of ADP-ribosylation in the DNA damage response of Drosophila melanogaster and is dependent on the dParp1:dHpf1 complex. Moreover, our structural and biochemical investigations uncover the mechanism of mono-Ser-ADPr removal by Drosophila Parg. Collectively, our data reveal PARP:HPF1-mediated Ser-ADPr as a defining feature of the DDR in Animalia. The striking conservation within this kingdom suggests that organisms that carry only a core set of ADP-ribosyl metabolising enzymes, such as Drosophila, are valuable model organisms to study the physiological role of Ser-ADPr signalling.
Evaluating the use of blood pressure polygenic risk scores across race/ethnic background groups
Authors: Kurniansyah Nuzulul , Goodman Matthew O. , Khan Alyna T. , Wang Jiongming , Feofanova Elena , Bis Joshua C. , Wiggins Kerri L. , Huffman Jennifer E. , Kelly Tanika , Elfassy Tali , Guo Xiuqing , Palmas Walter , Lin Henry J. , Hwang Shih-Jen , Gao Yan , Young Kendra , Kinney Gregory L. , Smith Jennifer A. , Yu Bing , Liu Simin , Wassertheil-Smoller Sylvia , Manson JoAnn E. , Zhu Xiaofeng , Chen Yii-Der Ida , Lee I-Te , Gu C. Charles , Lloyd-Jones Donald M. , Zöllner Sebastian , Fornage Myriam , Kooperberg Charles , Correa Adolfo , Psaty Bruce M. , Arnett Donna K. , Isasi Carmen R. , Rich Stephen S. , Kaplan Robert C. , Redline Susan , Mitchell Braxton D. , Franceschini Nora , Levy Daniel , Rotter Jerome I. , Morrison Alanna C. , Sofer Tamar
Published: June 2023

We assess performance and limitations of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for multiple blood pressure (BP) phenotypes in diverse population groups. We compare “clumping-and-thresholding” (PRSice2) and LD-based (LDPred2) methods to construct PRSs from each of multiple GWAS, as well as multi-PRS approaches that sum PRSs with and without weights, including PRS-CSx. We use datasets from the MGB Biobank, TOPMed study, UK biobank, and from All of Us to train, assess, and validate PRSs in groups defined by self-reported race/ethnic background (Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and White). For both SBP and DBP, the PRS-CSx based PRS, constructed as a weighted sum of PRSs developed from multiple independent GWAS, perform best across all race/ethnic backgrounds. Stratified analysis in All of Us shows that PRSs are better predictive of BP in females compared to males, individuals without obesity, and middle-aged (40-60 years) compared to older and younger individuals.
Light-switchable transcription factors obtained by direct screening in mammalian cells
Authors: Zhu Liyuan , McNamara Harold M. , Toettcher Jared E.
Published: June 2023

Optogenetic tools can provide fine spatial and temporal control over many biological processes. Yet the development of new light-switchable protein variants remains challenging, and the field still lacks general approaches to engineering or discovering protein variants with light-switchable biological functions. Here, we adapt strategies for protein domain insertion and mammalian-cell expression to generate and screen a library of candidate optogenetic tools directly in mammalian cells. The approach is based on insertion of the AsLOV2 photoswitchable domain at all possible positions in a candidate protein of interest, introduction of the library into mammalian cells, and light/dark selection for variants with photoswitchable activity. We demonstrate the approach’s utility using the Gal4-VP64 transcription factor as a model system. Our resulting LightsOut transcription factor exhibits a > 150-fold change in transcriptional activity between dark and blue light conditions. We show that light-switchable function generalizes to analogous insertion sites in two additional Cys6Zn2 and C2H2 zinc finger domains, providing a starting point for optogenetic regulation of a broad class of transcription factors. Our approach can streamline the identification of single-protein optogenetic switches, particularly in cases where structural or biochemical knowledge is limited.
Antiviral effect of SARS-CoV-2 N-specific CD8+ T cells induced in lungs by engineered extracellular vesicles
Authors: Manfredi Francesco , Chiozzini Chiara , Ferrantelli Flavia , Leone Patrizia , Pugliese Katherina , Spada Massimo , Di Virgilio Antonio , Giovannelli Andrea , Valeri Mauro , Cara Andrea , Michelini Zuleika , Andreotti Mauro , Federico Maurizio
Published: June 2023

Induction of effective immunity in the lungs should be a requisite for any vaccine designed to control the severe pathogenic effects generated by respiratory infectious agents. We recently provided evidence that the generation of endogenous extracellular vesicles (EVs) engineered for the incorporation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 Nucleocapsid (N) protein induced immunity in the lungs of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice, which then can survive the lethal virus infection. However, nothing is known about the ability of the N-specific CD8+ T cell immunity in controlling viral replication in the lungs, a major pathogenic signature of severe disease in humans. To fill the gap, we investigated the immunity generated in the lungs by N-engineered EVs in terms of induction of N-specific effectors and resident memory CD8+ T lymphocytes before and after virus challenge carried out three weeks and three months after boosting. At the same time points, viral replication extents in the lungs were evaluated. Three weeks after the second immunization, virus replication was reduced in mice best responding to vaccination by more than 3-logs compared to the control group. The impaired viral replication matched with a reduced induction of Spike-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes. The antiviral effect appeared similarly strong when the viral challenge was carried out 3 months after boosting, and associated with the persistence of N-specific CD8+ T-resident memory lymphocytes. In view of the quite low mutation rate of the N protein, the present vaccine strategy has the potential to control the replication of all emerging variants.
An EEG database for the cognitive assessment of motor imagery during walking with a lower-limb exoskeleton
Authors: Ortiz Mario , de la Ossa Luis , Juan Javier , Iáñez Eduardo , Torricelli Diego , Tornero Jesús , Azorín José M.
Published: June 2023

One important point in the development of a brain-machine Interface (BMI) commanding an exoskeleton is the assessment of the cognitive engagement of the subject during the motor imagery tasks conducted. However, there are not many databases that provide electroencephalography (EEG) data during the use of a lower-limb exoskeleton. The current paper presents a database designed with an experimental protocol aiming to assess not only motor imagery during the control of the device, but also the attention to gait on flat and inclined surfaces. The research was conducted as an EUROBENCH subproject in the facilities sited in Hospital Los Madroños, Brunete (Madrid). The data validation reaches accuracies over 70% in the assessment of motor imagery and attention to gait, which marks the present database as a valuable resource for researches interested on developing and testing new EEG-based BMIs.
De novo transcriptome assembly and gene annotation for the toxic dinoflagellate Dinophysis
Authors: Gaonkar Chetan C. , Campbell Lisa
Published: June 2023

Species within the dinoflagellate genus Dinophysis can produce okadiac acid and dinophysistoxins leading to diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. Since the first report of D. ovum from the Gulf of Mexico in 2008, reports of other Dinophysis species across US have increased. Members of the D. cf. acuminata complex (D. acuminata, D. acuta, D. ovum, D. sacculus) are difficult to differentiate due to their morphological similarities. Dinophysis feeds on and steals the chloroplasts from the ciliate, Mesodinium rubrum, which in turn has fed on and captured the chloroplasts of its prey, the cryptophyte Teleaulax amphioxeia. The objective of this study was to generate de novo transcriptomes for new isolates of these mixotrophic organisms. The transcriptomes obtained will serve as a reference for future experiments to assess the effect of different abiotic and biotic conditions and will also provide a useful resource for screening potential marker genes to differentiate among the closely related species within the D. cf. acuminata-complex. The complete comprehensive detailed workflow and links to obtain the transcriptome data are provided.
Simulated sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy database of lithium thiophosphate solid electrolytes
Authors: Guo Haoyue , Carbone Matthew R. , Cao Chuntian , Qu Jianzhou , Du Yonghua , Bak Seong-Min , Weiland Conan , Wang Feng , Yoo Shinjae , Artrith Nongnuch , Urban Alexander , Lu Deyu
Published: June 2023

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a premier technique for materials characterization, providing key information about the local chemical environment of the absorber atom. In this work, we develop a database of sulfur K-edge XAS spectra of crystalline and amorphous lithium thiophosphate materials based on the atomic structures reported in Chem. Mater., 34, 6702 (2022). The XAS database is based on simulations using the excited electron and core-hole pseudopotential approach implemented in the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package. Our database contains 2681 S K-edge XAS spectra for 66 crystalline and glassy structure models, making it the largest collection of first-principles computational XAS spectra for glass/ceramic lithium thiophosphates to date. This database can be used to correlate S spectral features with distinct S species based on their local coordination and short-range ordering in sulfide-based solid electrolytes. The data is openly distributed via the Materials Cloud, allowing researchers to access it for free and use it for further analysis, such as spectral fingerprinting, matching with experiments, and developing machine learning models.
A new remarkable Early Cretaceous nelumbonaceous fossil bridges the gap between herbaceous aquatic and woody protealeans
Authors: Gobo William Vieira , Kunzmann Lutz , Iannuzzi Roberto , dos Santos Thamiris Barbosa , da Conceição Domingas Maria , Rodrigues do Nascimento Daniel , da Silva Filho Wellington Ferreira , Bachelier Julien B. , Coiffard Clément
Published: June 2023

Dating back to the late Early Cretaceous, the macrofossil record of the iconic lotus family (Nelumbonaceae) is one of the oldest of flowering plants and suggests that their unmistakable leaves and nutlets embedded in large pitted receptacular fruits evolved relatively little in the 100 million years since their first known appearance. Here we describe a new fossil from the late Barremian/Aptian Crato Formation flora (NE Brazil) with both vegetative and reproductive structures, Notocyamus hydrophobus gen. nov. et sp. nov., which is now the oldest and most complete fossil record of Nelumbonaceae. In addition, it displays a unique mosaic of ancestral and derived macro- and micromorphological traits that has never been documented before in this family. This new Brazilian fossil-species also provides a rare illustration of the potential morphological and anatomical transitions experienced by Nelumbonaceae prior to a long period of relative stasis. Its potential plesiomorphic and apomorphic features shared with Proteaceae and Platanaceae not only fill a major morphological gap within Proteales but also provide new support for their unexpected relationships first suggested by molecular phylogenies.
Growth patterns in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy from Argentina and Germany
Authors: Ruiz Brunner Maria de las Mercedes , Cuestas Eduardo , von Kries Rüdiger , Brooks Jordan , Wright Charlotte , Heinen Florian , Schroeder Andreas Sebastian
Published: June 2023

To analyze growth patterns of children with CP between countries; to examine differences in growth; and to assess the fit of growth charts. Cross-sectional study in children with CP from 2 to 19 years old, 399 from Argentina and 400 from Germany. Growth measures were converted into z-scores and compared to WHO reference and US CP growth charts. Generalized Linear Model was used to analyze the growth expressed as mean z-scores. 799 children. Mean age 9 years (± 4). Compared to the WHO reference, the decrease in Height z-scores (HAZ) with age in Argentina (− 0.144/year) was double that in Germany (− 0.073/year). For children in GMFCS IV–V, BMI z-scores (BMIZ) decreased with age (− 0.102/year). Using the US CP charts, both countries showed decreasing HAZ with age, in Argentina (− 0.066/year) and in Germany (− 0.032/year). BMIZ increased more among children with feeding tubes (0.062/year), similar in both countries. Argentinian children with oral feeding decrease their Weight z-score (WAZ) by − 0.553 compared to their peers. With WHO charts BMIZ presented an excellent fit for GMFCS I–III. HAZ presents a poor fit to growth references. BMIZ and WAZ presented a good fit to US CP Charts. Growth differences due to ethnicity also act in children with CP, and are related to motor impairment, age and feeding modality, possibly reflecting differences in environment or health care.
Fabrication and characterization of graphene oxide-based polymer nanocomposite coatings, improved stability and hydrophobicity
Authors: Kumar Sachin Sharma Ashok , M. Nujud Badawi , Batoo Khalid Mujasam , Wonnie Ma I. A. , Ramesh K. , Ramesh S. , Shah Mohd Asif
Published: June 2023

In this study, acrylic-epoxy-based nanocomposite coatings loaded with different concentrations (0.5–3 wt.%) of graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles were successfully prepared via the solution intercalation approach. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the inclusion of GO nanoparticles into the polymer matrix increased the thermal stability of the coatings. The degree of transparency evaluated by the ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy showed that the lowest loading rate of GO (0.5 wt.%) had completely blocked the incoming irradiation, thus resulting in zero percent transmittance. Furthermore, the water contact angle (WCA) measurements revealed that the incorporation of GO nanoparticles and PDMS into the polymer matrix had remarkably enhanced the surface hydrophobicity, exhibiting the highest WCA of 87.55º. In addition, the cross-hatch test (CHT) showed that all the hybrid coatings exhibited excellent surface adhesion behaviour, receiving 4B and 5B ratings respectively. Moreover, the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) micrographs confirmed that the presence of the functional groups on the GO surface facilitated the chemical functionalization process, which led to excellent dispersibility. The GO composition up to 2 wt.% showed excellent dispersion and uniform distribution of the GO nanoparticles within the polymer matrix. Therefore, the unique features of graphene and its derivatives have emerged as a new class of nanofillers/inhibitors for corrosion protection applications.
Assessing the representational structure of softness activated by words
Authors: Cavdan Müge , Goktepe Nedim , Drewing Knut , Doerschner Katja
Published: June 2023

Softness is an important material property that can be judged directly, by interacting with an object, but also indirectly, by simply looking at an image of a material. The latter is likely possible by filling in relevant multisensory information from prior experiences with soft materials. Such experiences are thought to lead to associations that make up our representations about perceptual softness. Here, we investigate the structure of this representational space when activated by words, and compare it to haptic and visual perceptual spaces that we obtained in earlier work. To this end, we performed an online study where people rated different sensory aspects of soft materials, presented as written names. We compared the results with the previous studies where identical ratings were made on the basis of visual and haptic information. Correlation and Procrustes analyses show that, overall, the representational spaces of verbally presented materials were similar to those obtained from haptic and visual experiments. However, a classifier analysis showed that verbal representations could better be predicted from those obtained from visual than from haptic experiments. In a second study we rule out that these larger discrepancies in representations between verbal and haptic conditions could be due to difficulties in material identification in haptic experiments. We discuss the results with respect to the recent idea that at perceived softness is a multidimensional construct.