bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
P.150 Effect of postoperative pain control and other perioperative risk factors on length of stay after elective spine surgery
Authors: Far R , Casha S , Riva-Cambrin J , Yang MM
Published: May 2024

Background: Prolonged length of stay (LOS) after elective spine surgery increases patients’ risk for in-hospital complications and contributes significantly to healthcare costs. Here we explored the role of pain control and other perioperative factors on LOS. Methods: Consecutive adult patients undergoing elective spine surgery were enrolled. The primary outcome was in-hospital LOS following surgery. The primary independent variable was poor pain control on postoperative day 1 (POD1). Univariable analyses followed by multivariable regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between poor pain control and LOS. Results: 1305 patients were enrolled. Mean LOS was 4.38 days. Incidence of poor pain control was 56.9%. Multivariable analysis revealed poor POD1 pain control was significantly associated with increased LOS (p=0.03), after adjusting for other significant predictors of increased LOS including perioperative hemodynamic instability (p=0.001), perioperative blood transfusion (p=0.000), delirium (p=0.000), POD1 morphine equivalent dose (p=0.000), urinary tract infection (p=0.000), urinary retention (p=0.003), surgical site infection (p=0.000), wound complication (p=0.000), neurologic deterioration (p=0.000), surgical levels (p=0.016), operative time (p=0.007), ASA score (p=0.000), preoperative disability score (p=0.001). Conclusions: Poor pain control on POD1 was an independent predictor of increased LOS after elective spine surgery, highlighting the importance of a proactive approach to addressing pain in the immediate postoperative period.
P.153 Utility of neurophysiology in the diagnosis of tethered cord syndrome (TCS)
Authors: Pendleton N , Liu E , Persad AR , Vitali A , Radic J , Norton J
Published: May 2024

Background: Tethered cord syndrome, a condition in which the spinal cord stretches as a child grows, can cause various clinical symptoms. Occult TCS (OTCS) is a condition where a child displays some or many clinical symptoms of TCS, but no radiographic abnormality confirms the presence of a tethered cord (1-4). Diagnosis of OTCS in children is invasive and multi-factorial. The current diagnostic approach involves three main factors- clinical signs and symptoms, radiographic evidence, and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) tested under general anesthesia. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive testing method for OTCS. It can replace MEPs, which are conducted under general anesthesia. Methods: We will conduct a case-control series of children at our center who have undergone TMS. We will characterize the children who have TCS and suspected OTCS and detail the children’s current diagnosis methods and outcomes in a technical note. We will then compare their pre-operative and post-operative data. Results: So far, we have conducted TMS on 10 children to help diagnose occult TCS. Conclusions: This approach is a novel and effective way to improve the accuracy of diagnosis in children, potentially preventing unnecessary surgery, or detecting patients who would otherwise suffer from the condition.
GR.4 Circadian rhythm influences ischemic core and penumbra volumes in pediatric and young adult populations
Authors: Lun R , Sreekrishnan A , Lee S , Albers G
Published: May 2024

Background: Circadian rhythms are implicated in timing of stroke onset and infarct progression in adults, but this has not been studied in pediatric/young adult populations. Methods: We queried the RAPID Insights database from centers in USA for unique patients <25 years with a CTP (10/05/2018-09/29/2023) and a minimum ischemic core volume (defined as relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) reduction of <30%) of >0 cc and minimum mismatch of >0 cc. Imaging time was subdivided into three epochs: Nigh (23:00 h-06:59 h), Day (07:00 h-14:59 h), and Evening (15:00 h-22:59 h). We analyzed age by pre-defined strata: <2 years, 2-5, 6-11, 12-18 and 19-25. Perfusion parameters (core, perfusion volume, mismatch ratio) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: 836 patients were included; 52.3% were in the 19-25 category. Median ischemic cores were larger during the Night (23.0cc [10.0 – 58.0]) compared to Day (19.0cc [8.0-42.0]) or Evening (15.0cc [7.0-33.0]), p=0.009. There was a trend towards larger perfusion volumes in the Night epoch. In the 19-25 group, perfusion volumes were significantly larger at Night (127.5cc [51.5 – 203.5]) compared to Day (74.0cc [33.0 – 139.0]) or Evening (76.0cc [38.0 – 157.5]), with larger mismatch volumes at Night. Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate diurnal fluctuations in perfusion parameters in a predominantly pediatric cohort.
A.5 Investigating myelitis and rheumatologic disease overlap in the era of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and MOG Antibody-associated disease
Authors: Krett JD , Filippatou AG , Barreras P , Pardo CA , Sotirchos ES
Published: May 2024

Background: Historical studies of myelitis associated with rheumatologic disease may have featured patients with unrecognized aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-IgG seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) or MOG-IgG associated disease (MOGAD). Methods: Cases with rheumatologic disease and myelitis unrelated to multiple sclerosis (MS) seen at Johns Hopkins between 2018-2023 were identified by medical record query and chart review. Descriptive statistics were used to compare AQP4-IgG seropositive to seronegative subjects. Results: Of 234 patients screened, 190 were excluded (144 did not have inflammatory myelopathy, 46 had MS), resulting in a cohort of 44 patient (43 female, mean age 45 years [SD±14]). Twenty patients (45%) had AQP4-IgG seropositive NMOSD, 1 (2%) MOGAD, 20 (45%) other myelitis, and 3 (7%) AQP4-IgG seronegative NMOSD. AQP4-IgG seropositive subjects were more likely to have longitudinally extensive central cord lesions than seronegative patients. Most (n=43; 98%) were tested for serum AQP4-IgG, and 20 (46%) were positive by cell-based assay (CBA) or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of 24 AQP4-IgG seronegative patients, 8 were tested only by ELISA/unknown assay. Serum MOG-IgG was positive in 2/18 subjects. Conclusions: AQP4-IgG seropositive NMOSD was common in this cohort of patients with rheumatologic disease and myelitis, with the caveat that several seronegative cases were never tested with gold-standard CBA.
B.1 CT Or MRI protocol for acute stroke reperfusion with EVT (COMPARE): an international retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ducroux C , Boisseau W , Fahed R , Stotts G , Kyheng M , Labreuche J , Roy D , Lapergue B , Poppe AY
Published: May 2024

Background: Patients with an acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are selected to receive reperfusion therapy using either computed tomography (CT-CTA) or magnetic brain imaging (MRI). The aim of this study was to compare CT and MRI as the primary imaging modality for AIS patients undergoing EVT. Methods: Data for AIS patients between January 2018 and January 2021 were extracted from two prospective multicenter EVT cohorts: the ETIS registry in France (MRI) and the OPTIMISE registry in Canada (CT). Demographics, procedural data and outcomes were collected. We assessed the association of qualifying imaging (CT vs. MRI) with time metrics and functional outcome. Results: From January 2018 to January 2021, 4059 patients selected by MRI and 1324 patients selected by CT were included in the study. Demographics were similar between the two groups. The median imaging-to-arterial puncture time was 37 minutes longer in the MRI group. Patients selected by CT had more favorable 90-day functional outcomes (mRS 0-2) as compared to patients selected by MRI (48.5% vs 44.4%; adjusted OR (aOR), 1.54, 95%CI 1.31 to 1.80, p<0.001). Conclusions: Patients with AIS undergoing EVT who were selected with MRI as opposed to CT had longer imaging-to-arterial-puncture delays and worse functional outcomes at 90 days.
B.3 Neuroimaging markers of cerebrovascular disease and cognition in adults with moderate-great complexity congenital heart disease
Authors: Gandhi P , Dizonno V , Mangat S , Ratnaweera N , Andrade J , Heran M , LeComte K , Grewal J , Field TS
Published: May 2024

Background: Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) are at risk for stroke and dementia. We report baseline and Year 1 results from an ongoing study assessing brain health in people with moderate- and great-complexity ACHD. Methods: Participants aged ≥18 undergo baseline and Year-3 brain MRI/MRA and annual cognitive assessment (MoCA, NIH Toolbox-Cognitive Battery (NIH-TB)). Results: Of 93 participants to date, 79 (85%) have completed Year 1 follow-up. At baseline, the great-complexity group had lower MoCA (26.32 vs. 27.38; p=0.04) and NIH-TB scores (total composite 45.63 vs. 52.80; p=0.002) than the moderate-complexity group. Year-1 testing showed numerical improvements across cognitive batteries in both groups. More participants with great-complexity ACHD had white matter hyperintensities (WMH; 72% vs. 55%; p=0.21) and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs; 72% vs. 54%; p=0.17) on baseline neuroimaging, but differences were not significant. Conclusions: Baseline neuroimaging shows a greater-than-expected burden for age of CMB and WMH in the context of previous cardiac surgery. Baseline cognitive performance was worse with great-complexity ACHD. Improved cognitive battery performance across both subgroups at Year-1 suggests a practice effect. Repeat neuroimaging will be performed in Year-3 and cognitive performance is reassessed annually.
B.5 Video-based prehospital teletriage for acute stroke: primary results from a regional pilot-study
Authors: Jacquin G , Bereznyakova O , Daneault N , Deschaintre Y , Odier C , Poppe AY , Gioia LC
Published: May 2024

Background: Only limited data exist on the potential benefit of prehospital video-based teletriage for patients with acute stroke. Methods: During a 6-month period, all patients from a defined geographical catchment area with a 911 call for acute stroke were screened by the paramedic team on site. Those with known symptom onset of <6h underwent video-based teletriage for transfer to either the closest tertiary (for suspected LVO occlusion) or to the closest secondary stroke centers. Patients referred for thrombectomy by same the secondary stroke centers without teletriage during the same period served as control. Results: Overall, 33 patients were teletriaged and 23 (70%) were bypassed to the tertiary center. Of the latter, 13 (median NIHSS 19) underwent thrombectomy (+/- iv thrombolysis). During the same period, 22 patients (median NIHSS 17) were referred for thrombectomy without teletriage. The median time from 911 to thrombectomy was 129 [IQR 51] min after teletriage, as compared to 196 [74] min in controls (p=0.015). The median NIHSS at 24h was 6 in the teletriage group versus 14.5 in controls (p=0.07). Conclusions: Video-based prehospital teletriage for acute stroke is feasible, reliably identifies patients without LVO stroke and significantly improves the delay between stroke alert and thrombectomy in eligible LVO stroke patients.
D.2 Cost-effectiveness analysis of efgartigimod vs chronic IVIg for treatment of patients with generalized myasthenia gravis in Canada
Authors: Siddiqi Z , Genge A , Qi C , Zhou A , Kaprielian R , Locklin J , Garcia D
Published: May 2024

Background: Efgartigimod is a human IgG1 antibody Fc fragment recently approved by Health Canada for patients with acetylcholine receptor antibody positive (AChR-Ab+) generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). We assessed cost-effectiveness of efgartigimod vs chronic IVIg for adult patients with AChR-Ab+ gMG. Methods: A Markov model estimated costs (treatment and administration, disease monitoring, complications from chronic corticosteroid use, exacerbation and crisis management, adverse events, end-of-life care) and benefits (quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs]). The analysis was conducted from the Canadian healthcare system perspective. Health state transition probabilities were estimated using data from ADAPT, ADAPT+, and a network meta-analysis comparing efgartigimod with chronic IVIg. Utility values were obtained from MyRealWorld MG. Patients with MG-ADL ≥5 who did not die/discontinue were assumed to receive treatment every 4 weeks or every 3 weeks over the lifetime horizon. Results: Over the lifetime horizon, efgartigimod and chronic IVIg were predicted to have total discounted QALYs of 16.80 and 13.35, and total discounted costs of $1,913,294 and $2,170,315, respectively. Efgartigimod dominated chronic IVIg with incremental QALYs of 3.45 and cost savings of $257,020 over the lifetime horizon. Conclusions: Efgartigimod may provide greater benefit at lower costs than chronic IVIg for Canadian patients with AChR-Ab+ gMG, with substantial healthcare system savings over the lifetime horizon.
D.4 Safety and efficacy of delandistrogene moxeparvovec versus placebo in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (EMBARK): Pivotal Phase 3 primary results
Authors: Mendell JR , Muntoni F , McDonald CM , Mercuri EM , Ciafaloni E , Komaki H , Leon-Astudillo C , Nascimento A , Proud C , Schara-Schmidt U , Veerapandiyan A , Zaidman CM , Guridi M , Murphy AP , Reid C , Wandel C , Darton E , Mason S , Potter RA , Singh T , Zhang W , Fontoura P , Elkins JS , Rodino-Klapac LR
Published: May 2024

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by DMD gene mutations. Delandistrogene moxeparvovec is an investigational gene transfer therapy, developed to address the underlying cause of DMD. We report findings from Part 1 (52 weeks) of the two-part EMBARK trial (NCT05096221). Methods: Key inclusion criteria: Ambulatory patients aged ≥4-<8 years with a confirmed DMD mutation within exons 18–79 (inclusive); North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) score >16 and <29 at screening. Eligible patients were randomized 1:1 to intravenous delandistrogene moxeparvovec (1.33×1014 vg/kg) or placebo. The primary endpoint was change from baseline in NSAA total score to Week 52. Results: At Week 52 (n=125), the primary endpoint did not reach statistical significance, although there was a nominal difference in change from baseline in NSAA total score in the delandistrogene moxeparvovec (2.6, n=63) versus placebo groups (1.9, n=61). Key secondary endpoints (time to rise, micro-dystrophin expression, 10-meter walk/run) demonstrated treatment benefit in both age groups (4-5 and 6-7 years; p<0.05).There were no new safety signals, reinforcing the favorable and manageable safety profile observed to date. Conclusions: Based on the totality of functional assessments including the timed function tests, treatment with delandistrogene moxeparvovec indicates beneficial modification of disease trajectory.
E.1 Focal leptomeningeal vascular anomalies on brain MRI: a mimic of leptomeningeal metastatic disease
Authors: Malik M , Yang A , Germann J , Haile SS , Son H , Vetkas A , Pai V , Boutet A , Mandell DM
Published: May 2024

Background: The diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastatic disease has major prognostic implications. We report 13 patients with a radiologically distinct, focal, enhancing leptomeningeal lesion on brain MRI mimicking leptomeningeal metastatic disease. Methods: These patients were assessed at University Health Network between January 2001 and December 2023. Results: Median age was 68 years and 10 patients were women. All patients had brain MRI including contrast-enhanced T2-weighted FLAIR and T1-weighted spin echo sequences. MRI in all patients showed a focal enhancing lesion along the leptomeningeal surface of the brain. The MRI exams were reported as possible metastatic disease for the majority (9/13) of patients. Each lesion was curvilinear rather than sheet-like, and some consisted of multiple connected/branching curvilinear structures with the appearance of abnormal vessels. Some lesions had visible connection with a nearby cortical vein. The lesions were distinct from normal blood vessels. Follow-up contrast-enhanced brain MRI for 8/13 patients at a median of 3.9 years showed all lesions were unchanged over time. Conclusions: We describe a distinct kind of focal, enhancing leptomeningeal lesion on brain MRI that mimics metastatic disease. These lesions are likely a type of low-flow vascular anomaly. Their curvilinear/branching shape and intense enhancement particularly on T2-weighted FLAIR images distinguishes these lesions from tumor.
Regional extinction(s) but continental persistence in European Acheulean culture
Authors: Key Alastair
Published: May 2024

Traces of early hominin cultural dynamics are revealed through the spatial and temporal character of the archaeological record. In the European Lower Palaeolithic, biface occurrences provide insights into episodes of cultural loss, persistence and convergence during the Acheulean, the longest known prehistoric cultural phenomenon. Here, the cohesiveness of Europe’s Acheulean record is statistically assessed under multiple spatial scenarios. Repeated cycles of cultural loss are identified in northern Europe, while southern Europe is demonstrated to have a continuous record of Acheulean presence. These data support longstanding hypotheses concerning an absence of Acheulean populations in northern Europe during glacial periods – a result that should increasingly be applied with caution. In southern Europe, Iberia displays the loss of Acheulean cultural information between c. 850 and 500 thousand years ago, with the Italian peninsula potentially acting as a source population for its later reintroduction. When investigated at a continental-level there are no clear episodes of cultural loss. Current evidence therefore suggests that once Acheulean cultural information was introduced to Europe, it never wholly left.
The unmet need for mental health support among persons with disabilities in Somalia: Principal correlates and barriers to access
Authors: Zemp Charles , Vallières Frédérique , Jama Mohamed Abdul , Ali Abdifatah Hassan , Young Kirsten , Jagoe Caroline
Published: May 2024

Disability and mental ill-health may be especially prevalent in Somalia, largely due to a protracted armed conflict and its consequent humanitarian crises. Little, if any, research to date, however, has simultaneously explored disability- and mental health-related factors in the Somali context. Using both descriptive and regression analytical techniques, we aimed to determine how increasing levels of functional impairment reported across different disability domains (i.e., visual, hearing and cognition), number of concomitant disabilities, and other empirically supported variables (such as employment and sex) are associated with the likelihood of self-identifying the need for mental health support among a sample (N = 1,355) of Somalis with disabilities, as well as identify the common barriers to such support. Despite most participants self-identifying a need for mental health support, only 15% were able to access it, with the most common barriers being the cost of services and the unavailability of local services. Being female, married, and having increasing levels of functional difficulty in the cognitive, mobility and self-care domains of disability were each significantly associated with an increased likelihood of the self-identified need for mental health support. This study’s findings highlight potential points of prioritisation for mental health policy and programming in Somalia. A Somali version of this abstract can be found in the Supplementary Material.
Late surgical site infections among solid organ transplant recipients: an unrecognized clinical entity
Authors: Carugati Manuela , Arif Sana , Sudan Debra Lynn , Collins Bradley Henry , Haney John Carroll , Schroder Jacob Niall , Reynolds John Michael , Lewis Stamps Sarah , Yarrington Michael E. , Miller Rachel A. , Alexander Barbara D.
Published: May 2024

This study identified 26 late invasive primary surgical site infection (IP-SSI) within 4–12 months of transplantation among 2073 SOT recipients at Duke University Hospital over the period 2015–2019. Thoracic organ transplants accounted for 25 late IP-SSI. Surveillance for late IP-SSI should be maintained for at least one year following transplant.
Resource building and classification of Mizo folk songs
Authors: Ramdinmawii Esther , Nath Sanghamitra
Published: May 2024

Folk culture represents the social, ethnic, and traditional livelihood of people belonging to a certain tribe or community and is important in keeping their culture and tradition alive. The Mizo people are a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group, native to the Indian state of Mizoram and neighboring regions of Northeast India. Mizo folk culture is an amalgamation of festivity, celebration, liveliness, kinship, brotherhood, and merriment, and above all, preserves the ethnicity of this tribal community that is fundamentally entrenched. Unfortunately, the Mizos are fast giving up their old customs and adopting the new mode of life that is greatly influenced by the western culture. This makes it all the more crucial to preserve the intangible cultural heritage of this ethnic tribe whose folk cultures are vanishing day by day. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first attempt at preservation and classification of Mizo folk songs. The first part of this paper presents a literature survey on preservation, analysis, and classification of folk songs. The second part presents the methodology for preliminary classification of Mizo folk songs. Three categories of Mizo folk songs—Hunting chants (Hlado), Children’s songs (Pawnto hla), and Elderly songs (Pi pu zai)—are used in this study. A total of 29 acoustic features are used. A long short-term memory network using custom attention layer has been proposed for classification, whose results are compared with four supervised models (Support Vector Machines, K-Nearest Neighbor, Naive Baye’s, and Ensemble). Experimental results from the proposed model are promising, with an implication of scope for future research in acoustic analysis and classification of Mizo folk songs using recent unsupervised methods.
StereoHate: Toward identifying stereotypical bias and target group in hate speech detection
Authors: Maity Krishanu , Ghosh Nilabja , Jain Raghav , Saha Sriparna , Bhattacharyya Pushpak
Published: May 2024

Though social media helps spread knowledge more effectively, it also stimulates the propagation of online abuse and harassment, including hate speech. It is crucial to prevent hate speech since it may have serious adverse effects on both society and individuals. Therefore, it is not only important for models to detect these speeches but to also output explanations of why a given text is toxic. While plenty of research is going on to detect online hate speech in English, there is very little research on low-resource languages like Hindi and the explainability aspect of hate speech. Recent laws like the “right to explanations” of the General Data Protection Regulation have spurred research in developing interpretable models rather than only focusing on performance. Motivated by this, we create the first interpretable benchmark hate speech corpus hate speech explanation (HHES) in the Hindi language, where each hate post has its stereotypical bias and target group category. Providing descriptions of internal stereotypical bias as an explanation of hate posts makes a hate speech detection model more trustworthy. Current work proposes a commonsense-aware unified generative framework, CGenEx, by reframing the multitask problem as a text-to-text generation task. The novelty of this framework is it can solve two different categories of tasks (generation and classification) simultaneously. We establish the efficacy of our proposed model (CGenEx-fuse) on various evaluation metrics over other baselines when applied to the Hindi HHES dataset.

Disclaimer

The article contains profanity, an inevitable situation for the nature of the work involved. These in no way reflect the opinion of authors.
CONSTANCY OF THE HILBERT–SAMUEL FUNCTION
Authors: COSSART VINCENT , PILTANT OLIVIER , SCHOBER BERND
Published: May 2024

We prove a criterion for the constancy of the Hilbert–Samuel function for locally Noetherian schemes such that the local rings are excellent at every point. More precisely, we show that the Hilbert–Samuel function is locally constant on such a scheme if and only if the scheme is normally flat along its reduction and the reduction itself is regular. Regularity of the underlying reduced scheme is a significant new property.
Guiding prevention initiatives by applying network analysis to systems maps of adverse childhood experiences and adolescent suicide
Authors: Maldonado Benjamin D. , Schuerkamp Ryan , Martin Cassidy M. , Rice Ketra L. , Nataraj Nisha , Brown Margaret M. , Harper Christopher R. , Florence Curtis , Giabbanelli Philippe J.
Published: May 2024

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, particularly among adolescents. In recent years, suicidal ideation, attempts, and fatalities have increased. Systems maps can effectively represent complex issues such as suicide, thus providing decision-support tools for policymakers to identify and evaluate interventions. While network science has served to examine systems maps in fields such as obesity, there is limited research at the intersection of suicidology and network science. In this paper, we apply network science to a large causal map of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and suicide to address this gap. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently created a causal map that encapsulates ACEs and adolescent suicide in 361 concept nodes and 946 directed relationships. In this study, we examine this map and three similar models through three related questions: (Q1) how do existing network-based models of suicide differ in terms of node- and network-level characteristics? (Q2) Using the NCIPC model as a unifying framework, how do current suicide intervention strategies align with prevailing theories of suicide? (Q3) How can the use of network science on the NCIPC model guide suicide interventions?
Introducing ICBe: an event extraction dataset from narratives about international crises
Authors: Douglass Rex W. , Scherer Thomas Leo , Gannon J. Andrés , Gartzke Erik , Lindsay Jon , Carcelli Shannon , Wilkenfeld Jonathan , Quinn David M. , Aiken Catherine , Cabezas Navarro Jose Miguel , Lund Neil , Murauskaite Egle , Partridge Diana
Published: May 2024

How do international crises unfold? We conceptualize international relations as a strategic chess game between adversaries and develop a systematic way to measure pieces, moves, and gambits accurately and consistently over a hundred years of history. We introduce a new ontology and dataset of international events called ICBe based on a very high-quality corpus of narratives from the International Crisis Behavior (ICB) Project. We demonstrate that ICBe has higher coverage, recall, and precision than existing state of the art datasets and conduct two detailed case studies of the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) and the Crimea-Donbas Crisis (2014). We further introduce two new event visualizations (event iconography and crisis maps), an automated benchmark for measuring event recall using natural language processing (synthetic narratives), and an ontology reconstruction task for objectively measuring event precision. We make the data, supplementary appendix, replication material, and visualizations of every historical episode available at a companion website crisisevents.org.
Effects of shade tree legumes on cacao biomass and bean yields after 20 years of intercropping in Ivory Coast
Authors: Silue Brahima K. , Koné Armand W. , Kotaix Alain J.A. , Coulibaly Klotioloma , Aïdara Sékou , Chapuis-Lardy Lydie , Masse Dominique
Published: May 2024

The choice of tree species planted with cacao trees is essential for ensuring the efficiency and sustainability of cacao farming systems. This raises the question of the long-term impact of associated tree legumes (ATLs) on cacao bean yields and biomass accumulation. This study was carried out in accordance with four-block randomised experimental design in Divo (Ivory Coast, West Africa). The study involved cacao-Albizia lebbeck (Cacao-Alb) and cacao-Acacia mangium (Cacao-Aca) intercrops and unshaded cacao plots (Control). After 20 years of intercropping, we assessed cacao dendrometry (height, circumference, biomass, and biomass C-stock) and production (number of pods per tree and bean yield at the plot level) as well as soil fertility (soil organic matter (SOM) concentration) at various distances from ATLs (D1:0–1.75 m; D2:3.25–5 m; D3:7–9 m). The distance from the ATLs had no significant effect on the measured cacao dendrometric parameters, except for cacao height. In contrast, the Cacao-Aca association had a negative impact on the SOM concentration (−22%), cacao tree height (−6.15%), and productivity parameters (biomass: −12.4%; bean yield: −43%). However, Cacao-Alb and the Control had no significant differences in terms of SOM, tree biomass, or bean production. Intercropping cacao with the tested tree legumes did not enhance cacao productivity and, in some cases, hindered it, depending on the ATL species. This study highlighted the importance of identifying appropriate shade tree legume species that could be promoted in cacao-based agroforestry systems.
Current knowledge of amphibian diversity in Sumatra, and its significance for conservation
Authors: Arifin Umilaela
Published: May 2024

The amphibians of the Indonesian island of Sumatra are poorly known, despite it being recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. For determining conservation priorities, up-to-date knowledge of the state of amphibian diversity in Sumatra is crucial, particularly considering the high deforestation rate on the island. To address this, I compiled and analysed a comprehensive dataset for amphibians known from Sumatra, to identify knowledge gaps and assess the significance of these data for conservation on the island and, more broadly, across Indonesia. The compilation indicates there are 135 amphibian species currently recorded for Sumatra, 55% more than the number known in 1923. Approximately 44 species have been described since 2000. Associated data on larvae and calls is lacking for many species. Although 66% of the amphibians of Sumatra are categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, this may not represent the actual conservation status of these species because many of the assessments are outdated. In addition, 14% of species have not yet been evaluated. This study highlights the need for more comprehensive studies on the amphibians of Sumatra.
Charting New Territory
Authors: Micalizio Caryl-Sue
Published: May 2024

From the abyss of the Antarctic to proxy lunar landscapes in Arizona, fieldwork gives Earth and space scientists insight and experience.
Simulating the Earth's Outer Radiation Belt Electron Fluxes and Their Upper Limit: A Unified Physics‐Based Model Driven by the AL Index
Authors: Ma Donglai , Bortnik Jacob , Ma Qianli , Hua Man , Chu Xiangning
Published: May 2024

Using particle and wave measurements from the Van Allen Probes, a 2‐D Fokker‐Planck simulation model driven by the time‐integrated auroral index (AL) value is developed. Simulations for a large sample of 186 storm‐time events are conducted, demonstrating that the AL‐driven model can reproduce flux enhancement of the MeV electrons. More importantly, the relativistic electron flux enhancement is determined by the sustained strong substorm activity. Enhanced substorm activity results in increased chorus wave intensity and reduced background electron density, which creates the required condition for local electron acceleration by chorus waves to MeV energies. The appearance of higher energy electrons in radiation belts requires a higher level of cumulative AL activity after the storm commencement, which acts as a type of switch, turning on progressively higher energies for longer and more intense substorms, at critical thresholds.
Etching-free pixel definition in InGaN green micro-LEDs
Authors: Liu Zhiyuan , Lu Yi , Cao Haicheng , Maciel Garcia Glen Isaac , Liu Tingang , Tang Xiao , Xiao Na , Aguileta Vazquez Raul , Nong Mingtao , Li Xiaohang
Published: May 2024

The traditional plasma etching process for defining micro-LED pixels could lead to significant sidewall damage. Defects near sidewall regions act as non-radiative recombination centers and paths for current leakage, significantly deteriorating device performance. In this study, we demonstrated a novel selective thermal oxidation (STO) method that allowed pixel definition without undergoing plasma damage and subsequent dielectric passivation. Thermal annealing in ambient air oxidized and reshaped the LED structure, such as p-layers and InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells. Simultaneously, the pixel areas beneath the pre-deposited SiO2 layer were selectively and effectively protected. It was demonstrated that prolonged thermal annealing time enhanced the insulating properties of the oxide, significantly reducing LED leakage current. Furthermore, applying a thicker SiO2 protective layer minimized device resistance and boosted device efficiency effectively. Utilizing the STO method, InGaN green micro-LED arrays with 50-, 30-, and 10-µm pixel sizes were manufactured and characterized. The results indicated that after 4 h of air annealing and with a 3.5-μm SiO2 protective layer, the 10-µm pixel array exhibited leakage currents density 1.2 × 10−6 A/cm2 at −10 V voltage and a peak on-wafer external quantum efficiency of ~6.48%. This work suggests that the STO method could become an effective approach for future micro-LED manufacturing to mitigate adverse LED efficiency size effects due to the plasma etching and improve device efficiency. Micro-LEDs fabricated through the STO method can be applied to micro-displays, visible light communication, and optical interconnect-based memories. Almost planar pixel geometry will provide more possibilities for the monolithic integration of driving circuits with micro-LEDs. Moreover, the STO method is not limited to micro-LED fabrication and can be extended to design other III-nitride devices, such as photodetectors, laser diodes, high-electron-mobility transistors, and Schottky barrier diodes.
Oxidatively-induced DNA base damage and base excision repair abnormalities in siblings of individuals with bipolar disorder DNA damage and repair in bipolar disorder
Authors: Arat Çelik Hidayet Ece , Yılmaz Selda , Akşahin İzel Cemre , Kök Kendirlioğlu Burcu , Çörekli Esma , Dal Bekar Nazlı Ecem , Çelik Ömer Faruk , Yorguner Neşe , Targıtay Öztürk Bilge , İşlekel Hüray , Özerdem Ayşegül , Akan Pınar , Ceylan Deniz , Tuna Gamze
Published: May 2024

Previous evidence suggests elevated levels of oxidatively-induced DNA damage, particularly 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), and abnormalities in the repair of 8-OH-dG by the base excision repair (BER) in bipolar disorder (BD). However, the genetic disposition of these abnormalities remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the levels of oxidatively-induced DNA damage and BER mechanisms in individuals with BD and their siblings, as compared to healthy controls (HCs). 46 individuals with BD, 41 siblings of individuals with BD, and 51 HCs were included in the study. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was employed to evaluate the levels of 8-OH-dG in urine, which were then normalized based on urine creatinine levels. The real-time-polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the expression levels of 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1), apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), poly ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1), and DNA polymerase beta (POLβ). The levels of 8-OH-dG were found to be elevated in both individuals with BD and their siblings when compared to the HCs. The OGG1 and APE1 expressions were downregulated, while POLβ expressions were upregulated in both the patient and sibling groups compared to the HCs. Age, smoking status, and the number of depressive episodes had an impact on APE1 expression levels in the patient group while body mass index, smoking status, and past psychiatric history had an impact on 8-OH-dG levels in siblings. Both individuals with BD and unaffected siblings presented similar abnormalities regarding oxidatively-induced DNA damage and BER, suggesting a link between abnormalities in DNA damage/BER mechanisms and familial susceptibility to BD. Our findings suggest that targeting the oxidatively-induced DNA damage and BER pathway could offer promising therapeutic strategies for reducing the risk of age-related diseases and comorbidities in individuals with a genetic predisposition to BD.
Matrix stiffening promotes chondrocyte senescence and the osteoarthritis development through downregulating HDAC3
Authors: Fu Bowen , Shen Jianlin , Zou Xuenong , Sun Nian , Zhang Ze , Liu Zengping , Zeng Canjun , Liu Huan , Huang Wenhua
Published: May 2024

Extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffening is a typical characteristic of cartilage aging, which is a quintessential feature of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, little is known about how ECM stiffening affects chondrocytes and other molecules downstream. This study mimicked the physiological and pathological stiffness of human cartilage using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. It demonstrated that epigenetic Parkin regulation by histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) represents a new mechanosensitive mechanism by which the stiffness matrix affected chondrocyte physiology. We found that ECM stiffening accelerated cultured chondrocyte senescence in vitro, while the stiffness ECM downregulated HDAC3, prompting Parkin acetylation to activate excessive mitophagy and accelerating chondrocyte senescence and osteoarthritis (OA) in mice. Contrarily, intra-articular injection with an HDAC3-expressing adeno-associated virus restored the young phenotype of the aged chondrocytes stimulated by ECM stiffening and alleviated OA in mice. The findings indicated that changes in the mechanical ECM properties initiated pathogenic mechanotransduction signals, promoted the Parkin acetylation and hyperactivated mitophagy, and damaged chondrocyte health. These results may provide new insights into chondrocyte regulation by the mechanical properties of ECM, suggesting that the modification of the physical ECM properties may be a potential OA treatment strategy.
Nur77-IRF1 axis inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma growth and improves anti-PD-1 treatment efficacy
Authors: Shi Huanying , Chen Lu , Wang Tianxiao , Zhang Wenxin , Liu Jiafeng , Huang Yuxin , Li Jiyifan , Qi Huijie , Wu Zimei , Wang Yi , Chen Haifei , Zhu Yongjun , Li Qunyi
Published: May 2024

The nuclear receptor Nur77 plays paradoxical roles in numerous cancers. However, whether Nur77 inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) growth and affects immunological responses against ESCC has not been determined. The functional role of Nur77 in ESCC was investigated in this study using human ESCC cell lines, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cell proliferation and colony formation assays, flow cytometry analysis, western blotting and animal models. The target gene controlled by Nur77 was verified using dual-luciferase reporter assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis and functional rescue experiments. To examine the clinical importance of Nur77, 72 human primary ESCC tissues were subjected to immunohistochemistry. Taken together, these findings showed that, both in vitro and in vivo, Nur77 dramatically reduced ESCC cell growth and triggered apoptosis. Nur77 directly interacts with the interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) promoter to inhibit its activity in ESCC. Pharmacological induction of Nur77 using cytosporone B (CsnB) inhibited ESCC cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, CsnB increased CD8+ T-cell infiltration and cytotoxicity to inhibit the formation of ESCC tumors in an immunocompetent mouse model. In ESCC tissues, Nur77 expression was downregulated, and IRF1 expression was increased; moreover, their expression levels were negatively related. IRF1 and Nur77 were strongly correlated with overall survival. These findings suggested that Nur77 targets and regulates the IRF1/PD-L1 axis to serve as a tumor suppressor in ESCC.
Phosphorylation of caspase-8 by RSKs via organ-constrained effects controls the sensitivity to TNF-induced death
Authors: He Peng , Ai Tingting , Qiao Muzhen , Yang Zhang-Hua , Han Jiahuai
Published: May 2024

Caspase-8 (Casp8) serves as an initiator of apoptosis or a suppressor of necroptosis in context-dependent manner. Members of the p90 RSK family can phosphorylate caspase-8 at threonine-265 (T265), which can inactivate caspase-8 for bypassing caspase-8-mediated blockade of necroptosis and can also decrease caspase-8 level by promoting its degradation. Mutating T265 in caspase-8 to alanine (A) in mice blocked TNF-induced necroptotic cecum damage but resulted in unexpectedly massive injury in the small intestine. Here, we show RSK1, RSK2, and RSK3 redundantly function in caspase-8 phosphorylation, and the duodenum is the most severely affected part of the small intestine when T265 phosphorylation of caspase-8 was prevented. Eliminating caspase-8 phosphorylation resulted in a duodenum-specific increase in basal caspase-8 protein level, which shall be responsible for the increased sensitivity to TNF-induced damage. Apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) was predominant in the duodenum of TNF-treated Rsk1−/−Rsk2−/−Rsk3−/− and Casp8T265A/T265A mice, though necroptosis was also observed. The heightened duodenal injury amplified systemic inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the contribution of hematopoietic cells to the sensitization of TNF-induced animal death. Further analysis revealed that hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells contributed differentially to cytokine production in response to the increased cell death. Collectively, RSKs emerges as a previously overlooked regulator that, via tissue/organ-constrained inactivating caspase-8 and/or downregulating caspase-8 protein level, controls the sensitivity to TNF-induced organ injury and animal death.
Remarkable flexibility in freestanding single-crystalline antiferroelectric PbZrO3 membranes
Authors: Guo Yunting , Peng Bin , Lu Guangming , Dong Guohua , Yang Guannan , Chen Bohan , Qiu Ruibin , Liu Haixia , Zhang Butong , Yao Yufei , Zhao Yanan , Li Suzhi , Ding Xiangdong , Sun Jun , Liu Ming
Published: May 2024

The ultrahigh flexibility and elasticity achieved in freestanding single-crystalline ferroelectric oxide membranes have attracted much attention recently. However, for antiferroelectric oxides, the flexibility limit and fundamental mechanism in their freestanding membranes are still not explored clearly. Here, we successfully fabricate freestanding single-crystalline PbZrO3 membranes by a water-soluble sacrificial layer technique. They exhibit good antiferroelectricity and have a commensurate/incommensurate modulated microstructure. Moreover, they also have good shape recoverability when bending with a small radius of curvature (about 2.4 μm for the thickness of 120 nm), corresponding to a bending strain of 2.5%. They could tolerate a maximum bending strain as large as 3.5%, far beyond their bulk counterpart. Our atomistic simulations reveal that this remarkable flexibility originates from the antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition with the aid of polarization rotation. This study not only suggests the mechanism of antiferroelectric oxides to achieve high flexibility but also paves the way for potential applications in flexible electronics.
Molecular orbital breaking in photo-mediated organosilicon Schiff base ferroelectric crystals
Authors: Gu Zhu-Xiao , Zhang Nan , Zhang Yao , Liu Bin , Jiang Huan-Huan , Xu Hua-Ming , Wang Peng , Jiang Qing , Xiong Ren-Gen , Zhang Han-Yue
Published: May 2024

Ferroelectric materials, whose electrical polarization can be switched under external stimuli, have been widely used in sensors, data storage, and energy conversion. Molecular orbital breaking can result in switchable structural and physical bistability in ferroelectric materials as traditional spatial symmetry breaking does. Differently, molecular orbital breaking interprets the phase transition mechanism from the perspective of electronics and sheds new light on manipulating the physical properties of ferroelectrics. Here, we synthesize a pair of organosilicon Schiff base ferroelectric crystals, (R)- and (S)-N-(3,5-di-tert-butylbenzylidene)-1-((triphenylsilyl)oxy)ethanamine, which show optically controlled phase transition accompanying the molecular orbital breaking. The molecular orbital breaking is manifested as the breaking and reformation of covalent bonds during the phase transition process, that is, the conversion between C = N and C–O in the enol form and C–N and C = O in the keto form. This process brings about photo-mediated bistability with multiple physical channels such as dielectric, second-harmonic generation, and ferroelectric polarization. This work further explores this newly developed mechanism of ferroelectric phase transition and highlights the significance of photo-mediated ferroelectric materials for photo-controlled smart devices and bio-sensors.
A role for subducting clays in the water transportation into the Earth’s lower mantle
Authors: Bang Yoonah , Hwang Huijeong , Liermann Hanns-Peter , Kim Duck Young , He Yu , Jeon Tae-Yeol , Shin Tae Joo , Zhang Dongzhou , Popov Dmitry , Lee Yongjae
Published: May 2024

Subducting sedimentary layer typically contains water and hydrated clay minerals. The stability of clay minerals under such hydrous subduction environment would therefore constraint the lithology and physical properties of the subducting slab interface. Here we show that pyrophyllite (Al2Si4O10(OH)2), one of the representative clay minerals in the alumina-silica-water (Al2O3-SiO2-H2O, ASH) system, breakdowns to contain further hydrated minerals, gibbsite (Al(OH)3) and diaspore (AlO(OH)), when subducts along a water-saturated cold subduction geotherm. Such a hydration breakdown occurs at a depth of ~135 km to uptake water by ~1.8 wt%. Subsequently, dehydration breakdown occurs at ~185 km depth to release back the same amount of water, after which the net crystalline water content is preserved down to ~660 km depth, delivering a net amount of ~5.0 wt% H2O in a phase assemblage containing δ-AlOOH and phase Egg (AlSiO3(OH)). Our results thus demonstrate the importance of subducting clays to account the delivery of ~22% of water down to the lower mantle.
In-situ noncovalent interaction of ammonium ion enabled C–H bond functionalization of polyethylene glycols
Authors: Zhang Zongnan , Lv Xueli , Mu Xin , Zhao Mengyao , Wang Sichang , Ke Congyu , Ding Shujiang , Zhou Dezhong , Wang Minyan , Zeng Rong
Published: May 2024

The noncovalent interactions of ammonium ion with multidentate oxygen-based host has never been reported as a reacting center in catalytic reactions. In this work, we report a reactivity enhancement process enabled by non-covalent interaction of ammonium ion, achieving the C–H functionalization of polyethylene glycols with acrylates by utilizing photoinduced co-catalysis of iridium and quinuclidine. A broad scope of alkenes can be tolerated without observing significant degradation. Moreover, this cyano-free condition respectively allows the incorporation of bioactive molecules and the PEGylation of dithiothreitol-treated bovine serum albumin, showing great potentials in drug delivery and protein modification. DFT calculations disclose that the formed α-carbon radical adjacent to oxygen-atom is reduced directly by iridium before acrylate addition. And preliminary mechanistic experiments reveal that the noncovalent interaction of PEG chain with the formed quinuclidinium species plays a unique role as a catalytic site by facilitating the proton transfer and ultimately enabling the transformation efficiently.