bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A controllable sliding law for thin-film flows over slippery fluid-saturated substrates: theory and experiments
Authors: Yan Zihan , Kowal Katarzyna N.
Published: March 2024

We develop a theoretical and experimental framework for generating slip underneath thin-film flows of viscous fluids in the laboratory, with the ability to control slip as desired. Such a framework is useful for large-scale fluid-mechanical experiments in which basal sliding is important. In particular, we consider the flow of a thin film of viscous fluid spreading over a structured, slippery substrate, involving a sequence of two-dimensional cavities that are prewetted with a fluid of smaller viscosity. By averaging over small-scale inhomogeneities, we demonstrate that such a substrate gives rise to a macroscopic linear sliding law, or Navier slip condition, that is effectively homogeneous on the large scale. The slip length, determining the slipperiness of the substrate, is proportional to the viscosity ratio and width of each cavity. As such, the slipperiness of the substrate can be controlled by altering the viscosity ratio, as desired. Two asymptotic regimes arise, describing flow over very slippery substrates and flow over no-slip substrates. The former regime is valid for early times, when the depth of the overlying fluid is much less than the slip length, and the latter is valid for late times, when the depth is much greater than the slip length. Solutions to the full model approach similarity solutions describing the two regimes for early and late times. We confirm our theoretical predictions by conducting a series of analogue laboratory experiments.
Interface coupling effect and multi-mode Faraday instabilities in a three-layer fluid system
Authors: Huang Yi-Fei , Zhuo Rong-Lin , Yang Juan-Cheng , Ni Ming-Jiu
Published: March 2024

We investigate the Faraday instabilities of a three-layer fluid system in a cylindrical container containing low-viscosity liquid metal, sodium hydroxide solution and air by establishing the Mathieu equations with considering the viscous model derived by Labrador et al. (J. Phys.: Conf. Ser., vol. 2090, 2021, 012088). The Floquet analysis, asymptotic analysis, direct numerical simulation and experimental method are adopted in the present study. We obtain the dispersion relations and critical oscillation amplitudes of zigzag and varicose modes from the analysis of the Mathieu equations, which agree well with the experimental result. Furthermore, considering the coupling strength of two interfaces, besides zigzag and varicose modes, we find a beating instability mode that contains two primary frequencies, with its average frequency equalling half of the external excitation frequency in the strongly coupled system. In the weakly coupled system, the

$A$

-interface instability,

$B$

-interface instability and

$A$

&

$B$

-interface instability are defined. Finally, we obtain a critical wavenumber

$k_c$

that can determine the transition from zigzag or varicose modes to the corresponding

$A$

-interface or

$B$

-interface instability.
A glaciotectonic landform in the Shyok valley, Trans-Himalayan Karakoram Range, India
Authors: Paul Abdul Qayoom , Bahuguna Harish , Kumar Parveen
Published: March 2024

This study reports and discusses the first case of glaciotectonic landforms in the Shyok valley of the Trans-Himalayan Karakoram Range, Ladakh, where a large decomposed granite megablock (8.2 km2) along with underlying diamicton is thrust over the unconsolidated Quaternary glaciofluvial sediments along a fault gouge zone near the village of Khalsar. The absence of deformation signatures below the fault gouge indicates that the brittle fault acted as a décollement surface under frozen conditions along which the glaciotectonic megablock was translated. The other deformation features include slickensides, ductile shear, thrust propagation fold noses, clastic dykes and rafts of granite and slate within the diamicton sediments. These features indicate a subglacial glaciotectonic nappe origin of the landform. The presence of juxtaposed brittle to ductile deformation fabric, clastic dykes and the superimposition of deformed decomposed granite and diamicton over the undisturbed fluvial sediments indicates a permafrost glacial margin and proglacial environment under sufficient subglacial hydrodynamic conditions for the entrapment and transportation of the glaciotectonic megablock. The deformation fabric consistently shows a southeast orientation, indicating an advancing glacier motion from northwest to southeast. The Siachen Glacier which formerly flowed down the Nubra valley is the most likely cause of the Khalsar glaciotectonic landform.
In Search of Hope: Reimagining the “Dark” in Latin American Marxian Ethnographies
Authors: Teófilo da Silva Cristhian
Published: March 2024

Marxian anthropology is a particular trend of “dark anthropology.” Michael Taussig has dedicated his work to understanding the connections of colonialism, capitalism, and local cultures under a Marxian-Benjaminian perspective. This article examines the meanings of hope and future concealed within Taussig’s “dark ethnographies” accomplished in Latin America. The purpose of this analysis is to echo Taussig’s concern to write efficiently against terror to acknowledge that even ethnographies of violence and social injustice can carry powerful cultural messages of hope.
Compensation and Tax Fairness: Evidence From Four Countries
Authors: Alvarado Mariana
Published: March 2024

This paper uses a conjoint survey experiment fielded in the US, Australia, Chile, and Argentina to develop and test the compensatory theory of tax fairness, which states that higher taxes on the rich can be used to compensate for other benefits unequally granted by the state. Drawing on social psychology, this paper argues that evidence of preferential treatment by the state violates well-established fairness principles and shows, experimentally, that it leads to taxation to restore equality in crisis times, irrespective of wealth and across a variety of settings. The paper makes two important contributions: it provides the first direct, causal evidence of the importance of compensatory arguments for tax preferences and presents unconfounded estimates of the effect of more established fairness considerations as benchmarks against which to compare the importance of compensatory arguments.
GROUP MINDS IN ANCIENT GREEK HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE ANCIENT GREEK NOVEL: HERODIAN'S HISTORY AND CHARITON'S CALLIRHOE
Authors: Chrysanthou Chrysanthos S.
Published: March 2024

This article explores Herodian's History of the Roman Empire alongside Chariton's novel Callirhoe with an eye to how the minds of collective entities are represented and function in the two narratives. It argues that Chariton, unlike Herodian, elaborates on the diversity of emotions that characterizes a specific collective experience and has groups use direct speech throughout. These choices add vividness to the narrative and intensify the fictional sensationalism and dramatic character of the novel. It also shows that, whereas collectives in Chariton's narrative are primarily designed to highlight a specific characteristic of a hero, dramatize an event and enhance suspense, in Herodian's historiography they are an integral part of the plot and central to his historical analysis of contemporary political and social world. This article offers a new analytical tool geared towards the development of a poetics of the collective in ancient narrative as well as a poetics of fictional and factual narration in antiquity, and advances our understanding of the complex relationship between ancient historiography and novelistic writing.
Market Liquidity in a Natural Experiment: Evidence from CDS Standard Coupons
Authors: Wang Xinjie , Wu Ge , Zhong Zhaodong (Ken)
Published: March 2024

The credit default swap (CDS) Big Bang introduced 2 standard coupons for CDS trading. We exploit the setting of the 2 standard coupons as a natural experiment to quantify the components of the bid–ask spreads in over-the-counter markets. We find that a significant portion of the difference in the bid–ask spread between the 2 coupons is explained by the difference in funding costs. Furthermore, search intensity also explains the variation in the difference in bid–ask spread. The liquidity typically concentrates on one of the standard coupons and can suddenly switch to the other coupon. Using the sudden switch of the primary coupon, we provide further evidence to support the predictions of search-based liquidity models.
Environmental risk factors for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder from childhood to diagnosis: a Swedish nested case–control study
Authors: Robinson Natassia , Ploner Alexander , Leone Marica , Lichtenstein Paul , Kendler Kenneth S. , Bergen Sarah E.
Published: March 2024

Background:

Shared genetic risk between schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) is well-established, yet the extent to which they share environmental risk factors remains unclear. We compare the associations between environmental exposures during childhood/prior to disorder onset with the risk of developing SCZ and BD.

Methods:

We conducted a Swedish register-based nested case–control study using 4184 SCZ cases and 18 681 BD cases diagnosed 1988–2013. Cases were matched to five controls by birth year, birth region, and sex. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR) for SCZ and BD for each exposure (severe childhood infections, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), substance use disorders (SUDs), urban birth/longest residence).

Results:

All SUD types were associated with very high risk (IRR 4.9–25.5), and all forms of ACEs with higher risk (IRR 1.5–4.3) for both disorders. In the mutually adjusted models, ACEs demonstrated slightly higher risk for BD (SCZ IRR 1.30, 1.19-1.42; BD IRR 1.49, 1.44–1.55), while for SUD, risk was higher for SCZ (SCZ IRR 9.43, 8.15–10.92; BD IRR 5.50, 5.15–5.88). Infections were associated with increased risk of BD (IRR 1.21, 1.17–1.26) but not SCZ. Urban birth and urban longest residence were associated with higher risk of SCZ (IRR 1.19, 1.03–1.37), while only the combination of urban birth and rural longest residence showed higher risk for BD (IRR 1.24, 1.13–1.35).

Conclusions:

There were both shared and unique environmental risk factors: SUDs and ACEs were risk factors for both disorders, while infections were more strongly associated with BD and urbanicity with SCZ.
Who receives most? Gendered consequences of divorce on public pension income in West Germany and Sweden
Authors: Schmauk Sarah , Kridahl Linda
Published: March 2024

Sweden and West Germany have had persistently high divorce rates in recent decades, but these two welfare states were differently equipped to mitigate the economic consequences of divorce for individual security in old age: Sweden followed a gender-equal policy approach to enable women and men to achieve economic autonomy, while West Germany, following the male-breadwinner model, introduced the system of ‘divorce-splitting’ to account for differences in women's and men's income. Against this background, this study uses large-scale register data from the German Public Pension Fund and the Swedish population registers to examine how divorce is related to the monthly public old-age pension income of women and men. The main comparison groups are divorced and (re)married individuals who entered retirement between 2013 and 2018. We descriptively show annual income histories from ages 20 to 65, and calculate monthly public old-age pension income with respect to lifetime income and pension regulations, such as the supplements/deductions for ‘divorce-splitting’. Multiple ordinary least square regression models further examine how family status relates to monthly public old-age pension income by gender. The results reveal that women and men in Sweden experience similar working histories, although women's incomes are lower. This is also reflected in women still having lower pension incomes than men. However, divorced and married women show comparable pension incomes, while divorced men receive approximately 26 per cent less pension income than married men. In West Germany, divorced women have significantly higher pension incomes than married women. The system of ‘divorce-splitting’ increases women's and decreases men's pension incomes, which seems to equalise their pension incomes. However, both stay below a married man's pension income. The findings indicate economic inequality in public old-age pension income by family status in Sweden and West Germany.
Extreme precipitation event at the Ross Ice Shelf during the 1911–1912 South Pole run
Authors: Zinkova Mila
Published: March 2024

In March 1912, Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his companions perished on their return journey from the South Pole. The Final Blizzard delivered a terminal blow. However, it was only a part of this story of endurance and tragedy. In December 1911, en route to the South Pole, the men had been tent-bound for 4 days due to an exceptionally warm, wet blizzard. This article compares the meteorological situation that the polar party encountered in December 1911 to a similar situation in the modern time and suggests a possible climatology behind the 1911 event.
How a defensive mindset develops from early adverse experiences and guides antisocial outcomes
Authors: Dodge Kenneth A.
Published: March 2024

Dante Cicchetti has had a lasting impact on our understanding of the development of externalizing psychopathology through at least two seminal contributions, including establishment of the field of developmental psychopathology and assertion of the hypothesis that early physical abuse and neglect trigger a cascade of maladaptive outcomes across the life course. These ideas have guided a program of research on children’s deviant social information processing and defensive mindset as the psychological mechanisms through which early physical abuse leads to long-term psychopathology. Longitudinal studies following children from early life through mid-adulthood show that physical abuse in the first five years of life leads children to adopt a defensive mindset that, in turn, cascades into long-term outcomes of externalizing psychopathology, incarceration, and dysfunction. Cicchetti’s ideas have also guided the development of preventive interventions to interrupt this life course.
Training Humans Not Machines
Authors: Moravec Lisa
Published: March 2024

In the 21st century, the performance culture of critique has transformed with the increasing implementation of AI technologies upon which the operative functions of data capitalism are built. Operating within the performance-based culture industry, the works of Trevor Paglen, Gerald Nestler/Sylvia Eckermann, and Vladan Joler respond critically to data capitalism’s modes of data extraction and how the societal performances of capitalism condition people’s physical and digital performances.
Mobilizing Workers Poetry
Authors: Todorut Ilinca
Published: March 2024

Under lockdown in a boarding school in China, students staged a performance based on poetry written by Chinese migrant workers. The poems guided an exploration of biotechnical interdependencies in and between local and global environments and the composition of the resistance script and movement score of laboring bodies embedded in the poems.
In Memory of the Q-File
Authors: Young Martin
Published: March 2024

Discussion of “digital performance” is preoccupied with themes of fluidity, variation, ambiguity, and resistance to rigid categorization. And yet these themes correspond more closely to analog principles. The digital ethos indicates regularity, precision, and the elimination of ambivalence. The rationalized industrial practices of stage management, blocking and, in particular, lighting cues prioritize the precisely timed and accurate reproduction of stage images through the instant recall of digital memory.
Live Notation for Patterns of Movement
Authors: McLean Alex , Sicchio Kate
Published: March 2024

If computer programming languages can be used to control the movement of robots, they can therefore be used as choreographic notations. Weaving, dance, and musical forms can be taken as places of inspiration for this, bringing together patterns, computation, movement, and notation in live telematic performance involving live coding of both audience and robots.
Mobilizing and Sustaining Affect -
Toward a Transindividual Self: A Study in Social Dramaturgy. By Ana Vujanović and Bojana Cvejić . Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Sarma, and Multimedijalni Institute, 2022; 338 pp.; €20.00, paper. - Performing Resilience for Systemic Pain. By Meghan Moe Beitiks. Routledge, 2022; 160 pp.; illustrations. $157.84, cloth, $52.95 paper, e-book available. - Performances do tempo espiralar. Poéticas do corpo-tela [Performances of Spiral Time: Poetics of the Body-Screen]. By Leda Maria Martins. Cobogó, 2021; 254 pp.; illustrations. R$69.00, paper. - Política Selvagem [Wild Politics]. By Jean Tible. GLAC e n-1 edições, 2022; 320 pp.; R$60, paper.
Authors: Pais Ana
Published: March 2024

The world is going through processes of change that emphasize the role of affect in fueling political mobilization and collective protest. Distinctive geopolitical affects emerge in different territories: Can affect both perform and sustain social change?
Evaluation of critical weed-free period for three sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) cultivars
Authors: Cooper Emmanuel G. , Meyers Stephen L. , Arana Jeanine , Jennings Katherine , Adair Ashley , Gibson Kevin D. , Johnson William G.
Published: March 2024

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is a staple crop that provides nutritional benefits to humans globally, but it is subject to yield loss when competing with weeds, especially during the early stage of establishment. Yield loss can vary widely based on the cultivar, production environment, weed species, and management techniques. To address this challenge, we conducted field research at the Samuel G. Meigs Horticulture Research Farm, Lafayette, IN, and at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center, Vincennes, IN, in 2022 to determine the effect of sweetpotato cultivar on the critical weed-free period. The experiment was a split-plot design, with weed-free interval treatments as the main plot factor and cultivar as the subplot factor. The three cultivars used were ‘Covington’, ‘Monaco’, and ‘Murasaki’. Weeds were removed by hand and allowed to establish and compete with the crop beginning at 0, 14, 21, 28, 35, or 42 d after transplanting (DAP). As the weed-free interval increased from 0 to 42 DAP, predicted total yield increased from 19 kg ha−1 to 20,540 kg ha−1 for Covington, 3 kg ha−1 to 11,407 kg ha−1 for Monaco, and 125 kg ha−1 to 13,460 kg ha−1 for Murasaki at the Lafayette location. At Vincennes, as the weed-free interval increased from 0 to 42 DAP, predicted total yield increased from 14,664 kg ha−1 to 33,905 kg ha−1 for Covington, 4,817 kg ha−1 to 18,059 kg ha−1 for Monaco, and 12,735 kg ha−1 to 21,105 kg ha−1 for Murasaki. A threshold of ≤10% total yield reduction was achieved by maintaining sweetpotatoes weed-free 24 DAP for Covington, 20 DAP for Murasaki, and 33 DAP for Monaco.
Global‐Scale Convergence Obscures Inconsistencies in Soil Carbon Change Predicted by Earth System Models
Authors: Shi Zheng , Hoffman Forrest M. , Xu Min , Mishra Umakant , Allison Steven D. , Zhou Jizhong , Randerson James T.
Published: March 2024

Soil carbon (C) responses to environmental change represent a major source of uncertainty in the global C cycle. Feedbacks between soil C stocks and climate drivers could impact atmospheric CO2 levels, further altering the climate. Here, we assessed the reliability of Earth system model (ESM) predictions of soil C change using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phases 5 and 6 (CMIP5 and CMIP6). ESMs predicted global soil C gains under the high emission scenario, with soils taking up 43.9 Pg (95% CI: 9.2–78.5 Pg) C on average during the 21st century. The variation in global soil C change declined significantly from CMIP5 (with average of 48.4 Pg [95% CI: 2.0–94.9 Pg] C) to CMIP6 models (with average of 39.3 Pg [95% CI: 23.9–54.7 Pg] C). For some models, a small C increase in all biomes contributed to this convergence. For other models, offsetting responses between cold and warm biomes contributed to convergence. Although soil C predictions appeared to converge in CMIP6, the dominant processes driving soil C change at global or biome scales differed among models and in many cases between earlier and later versions of the same model. Random Forest models, for soil carbon dynamics, accounted for more than 63% variation of the global soil C change predicted by CMIP5 ESMs, but only 36% for CMIP6 models. Although most CMIP6 models apparently agree on increased soil C storage during the 21st century, this consensus obscures substantial model disagreement on the mechanisms underlying soil C response, calling into question the reliability of model predictions.
An Empirical Social Vulnerability Map for Flood Risk Assessment at Global Scale (“GlobE‐SoVI”)
Authors: Reimann Lena , Koks Elco , de Moel Hans , Ton Marijn J. , Aerts Jeroen C. J. H.
Published: March 2024

Fatalities caused by natural hazards are driven not only by population exposure, but also by their vulnerability to these events, determined by intersecting characteristics such as education, age and income. Empirical evidence of the drivers of social vulnerability, however, is limited due to a lack of relevant data, in particular on a global scale. Consequently, existing global‐scale risk assessments rarely account for social vulnerability. To address this gap, we estimate regression models that predict fatalities caused by past flooding events (n = 913) based on potential social vulnerability drivers. Analyzing 47 variables calculated from publicly available spatial data sets, we establish five statistically significant vulnerability variables: mean years of schooling; share of elderly; gender income gap; rural settlements; and walking time to nearest healthcare facility. We use the regression coefficients as weights to calculate the “Global‐Empirical Social Vulnerability Index (GlobE‐SoVI)” at a spatial resolution of ∼1 km. We find distinct spatial patterns of vulnerability within and across countries, with low GlobE‐SoVI scores (i.e., 1–2) in for example, Northern America, northern Europe, and Australia; and high scores (i.e., 9–10) in for example, northern Africa, the Middle East, and southern Asia. Globally, education has the highest relative contribution to vulnerability (roughly 58%), acting as a driver that reduces vulnerability; all other drivers increase vulnerability, with the gender income gap contributing ∼24% and the elderly another 11%. Due to its empirical foundation, the GlobE‐SoVI advances our understanding of social vulnerability drivers at global scale and can be used for global (flood) risk assessments.
Riparian Groundwater Nitrogen (N) Isotopes Reveal Human Imprints of Dams and Road Salt Salinization
Authors: Inamdar Shreeram , Peipoch Marc , Sena Matthew , Joshi Bisesh , Rahman Md. Moklesur , Kan Jinjun , Peck Erin K. , Gold Arthur , Trammell Tara L. E. , Groffman Peter M.
Published: March 2024

Groundwater nitrate‐N isotopes (δ15N‐) have been used to infer the effects of natural and anthropogenic change on N cycle processes in the environment. Here we report unexpected changes in groundwater δ15N‐ for riparian zones affected by relict milldams and road salt salinization. Contrary to natural, undammed conditions, groundwater δ15N‐ values declined from the upland edge through the riparian zone and were lowest near the stream. Groundwater δ15N‐ values increased for low electron donor (dissolved organic carbon) to acceptor ratios but decreased beyond a change point in ratios. Groundwater δ15N‐ values were particularly low for the riparian milldam site subjected to road‐salt salinization. We attributed these N isotopic trends to suppression of denitrification, occurrence of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), and/or effects of road salt salinization. Groundwater δ15N‐ can provide valuable insights into process mechanisms and can serve as “imprints” of anthropogenic activities and legacies.
RNA m5C modification upregulates E2F1 expression in a manner dependent on YBX1 phase separation and promotes tumor progression in ovarian cancer
Authors: Liu Xiaoyi , Wei Qinglv , Yang Chenyue , Zhao Hongyan , Xu Jie , Mobet Youchaou , Luo Qingya , Yang Dan , Zuo Xinzhao , Chen Ningxuan , Yang Yu , Li Li , Wang Wei , Yu Jianhua , Xu Jing , Liu Tao , Yi Ping
Published: March 2024

5-Methylcytosine (m5C) is a common RNA modification that modulates gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, but the crosstalk between m5C RNA modification and biomolecule condensation, as well as transcription factor-mediated transcriptional regulation, in ovarian cancer, is poorly understood. In this study, we revealed that the RNA methyltransferase NSUN2 facilitates mRNA m5C modification and forms a positive feedback regulatory loop with the transcription factor E2F1 in ovarian cancer. Specifically, NSUN2 promotes m5C modification of E2F1 mRNA and increases its stability, and E2F1 binds to the NSUN2 promoter, subsequently reciprocally activating NSUN2 transcription. The RNA binding protein YBX1 functions as the m5C reader and is involved in NSUN2-mediated E2F1 regulation. m5C modification promotes YBX1 phase separation, which upregulates E2F1 expression. In ovarian cancer, NSUN2 and YBX1 are amplified and upregulated, and higher expression of NSUN2 and YBX1 predicts a worse prognosis for ovarian cancer patients. Moreover, E2F1 transcriptionally regulates the expression of the oncogenes MYBL2 and RAD54L, driving ovarian cancer progression. Thus, our study delineates a NSUN2-E2F1-NSUN2 loop regulated by m5C modification in a manner dependent on YBX1 phase separation, and this previously unidentified pathway could be a promising target for ovarian cancer treatment.
Advanced glycation end products promote meniscal calcification by activating the mTOR-ATF4 positive feedback loop
Authors: Yang Sheng , Xie JiaJun , Pan ZhiJie , Guan HongMei , Tu YueSheng , Ye YuanJian , Huang ShouBin , Fu ShiQiang , Li KangXian , Huang ZhiWei , Li XiaoQi , Shi ZhanJun , Li Le , Zhang Yang
Published: March 2024

The meniscus is vital for maintaining knee homeostasis and function. Meniscal calcification is one of the earliest radiological indicators of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and meniscal calcification is associated with alterations in biomechanical properties. Meniscal calcification originates from a biochemical process similar to vascular calcification. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their receptors (RAGEs) reportedly play critical roles in vascular calcification. Herein, we investigated whether targeting AGE-RAGE is a potential treatment for meniscal calcification. In our study, we demonstrated that AGE-RAGE promotes the osteogenesis of meniscal cells and exacerbates meniscal calcification. Mechanistically, AGE-RAGE activates mTOR and simultaneously promotes ATF4 accumulation, thereby facilitating the ATF4-mTOR positive feedback loop that enhances the osteogenic capacity of meniscal cells. In this regard, mTOR inhibits ATF4 degradation by reducing its ubiquitination, while ATF4 activates mTOR by increasing arginine uptake. Our findings substantiate the unique role of AGE-RAGE in the meniscus and reveal the role of the ATF4-mTOR positive feedback loop during the osteogenesis of meniscal cells; these results provide potential therapeutic targets for KOA.
Anti-diabetic effect of anthocyanin cyanidin-3-O-glucoside: data from insulin resistant hepatocyte and diabetic mouse
Authors: Ye Xiang , Chen Wen , Huang Xu-Fan , Yan Fu-Jie , Deng Shui-Guang , Zheng Xiao-Dong , Shan Peng-Fei
Published: March 2024

Background

Anthocyanins are a group of natural products widely found in plants. They have been found to alleviate the disorders of glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), while the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods

HepG2 and L02 cells were incubated with 0.2 mM PA and 30 mM glucose for 24 h to induce IR, and cells treated with 5 mM glucose were used as the control. C57BL/6 J male mice and db/db male mice were fed with a chow diet and gavaged with pure water or cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) solution (150 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks.

Results

In this study, the anthocyanin C3G, extracted from red bayberry, was found to alleviate disorders of glucose metabolism, which resulted in increased insulin sensitivity in hepatocytes, and achieved by enhancing the glucose consumption as well as glycogen synthesis in insulin resistance (IR) hepatpcytes. Subsequently, the expression of key proteins involved in IR was detected by western blotting analysis. Protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B), a negative regulator of insulin signaling, could reduce cellular sensitivity to insulin by inhibiting the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2). Results of this study showed that C3G inhibited the increase in PTP1B after high glucose and palmitic acid treatment. And this inhibition was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of IRS proteins. Furthermore, the effect of C3G on improving IR in vivo was validated by using a diabetic db/db mouse model.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrated that C3G could alleviate IR in vitro and in vivo to increase insulin sensitivity, which may offer a new insight for regulating glucose metabolism during T2DM by using the natural dietary bioactive components.
Generative artificial intelligence: synthetic datasets in dentistry
Authors: Umer Fahad , Adnan Niha
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms, particularly Deep Learning (DL) models are known to be data intensive. This has increased the demand for digital data in all domains of healthcare, including dentistry. The main hindrance in the progress of AI is access to diverse datasets which train DL models ensuring optimal performance, comparable to subject experts. However, administration of these traditionally acquired datasets is challenging due to privacy regulations and the extensive manual annotation required by subject experts. Biases such as ethical, socioeconomic and class imbalances are also incorporated during the curation of these datasets, limiting their overall generalizability. These challenges prevent their accrual at a larger scale for training DL models.

Methods

Generative AI techniques can be useful in the production of Synthetic Datasets (SDs) that can overcome issues affecting traditionally acquired datasets. Variational autoencoders, generative adversarial networks and diffusion models have been used to generate SDs. The following text is a review of these generative AI techniques and their operations. It discusses the chances of SDs and challenges with potential solutions which will improve the understanding of healthcare professionals working in AI research.

Conclusion

Synthetic data customized to the need of researchers can be produced to train robust AI models. These models, having been trained on such a diverse dataset will be applicable for dissemination across countries. However, there is a need for the limitations associated with SDs to be better understood, and attempts made to overcome those concerns prior to their widespread use.
Identification of lineage-specific epigenetic regulators FOXA1 and GRHL2 through chromatin accessibility profiling in breast cancer cell lines
Authors: Yang Liying , Kumegawa Kohei , Saeki Sumito , Nakadai Tomoyoshi , Maruyama Reo
Published: March 2024

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and breast cancer cell lines are invaluable for studying this heterogeneity. However, the epigenetic diversity across these cell lines remains poorly understood. In this study, we performed genome-wide chromatin accessibility analysis on 23 breast cancer cell lines, including 2 estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative (ER+/HER2−), 3 ER+/HER2+, 3 HER2+, and 15 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lines. These cell lines were classified into three groups based on their chromatin accessibility: the receptor-positive group (Group-P), TNBC basal group (Group-B), and TNBC mesenchymal group (Group-M). Motif enrichment analysis revealed that only Group-P exhibited coenrichment of forkhead box A1 (FOXA1) and grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2) motifs, whereas Group-B was characterized by the presence of the GRHL2 motif without FOXA1. Notably, Group-M did not show enrichment of either FOXA1 or GRHL2 motifs. Furthermore, gene ontology analysis suggested that group-specific accessible regions were associated with their unique lineage characteristics. To investigate the epigenetic landscape regulatory roles of FOXA1 and GRHL2, we performed knockdown experiments targeting FOXA1 and GRHL2, followed by assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing analysis. The findings revealed that FOXA1 maintains Group-P–specific regions while suppressing Group-B–specific regions in Group-P cells. In contrast, GRHL2 preserves commonly accessible regions shared between Group-P and Group-B in Group-B cells, suggesting that FOXA1 and GRHL2 play a pivotal role in preserving distinct chromatin accessibility patterns for each group. Specifically, FOXA1 distinguishes between receptor-positive and TNBC cell lines, whereas GRHL2 distinguishes between basal-like and mesenchymal subtypes in TNBC lines.
Imaging of aqueous outflow in health and glaucoma. Justifying the re-direction of aqueous
Authors: Lusthaus Jed A.
Published: March 2024

A wave of less invasive surgical options that target or bypass the conventional aqueous outflow system has been incorporated into routine clinical practice to mitigate surgical risks associated with traditional glaucoma drainage surgery. A blanket surgical approach for open-angle glaucoma is unlikely to achieve the desired IOP reduction in an efficient or economical way. Developing a precise approach to selecting the most appropriate surgical tool for each patient is dependent upon understanding the complexities of the aqueous outflow system and how devices influence aqueous drainage. However, homoeostatic control of aqueous outflow in health and glaucoma remains poorly understood. Emerging imaging techniques have provided an opportunity to study aqueous outflow responses non-invasively in clinic settings. Haemoglobin Video Imaging (HVI) studies have demonstrated different patterns of aqueous outflow within the episcleral venous system in normal and glaucomatous eyes, as well as perioperatively after trabecular bypass surgery. Explanations for aqueous outflow patterns remain speculative until direct correlation with findings from Schlemm’s canal and the trabecular meshwork are possible. The redirection of aqueous via targeted stent placement may only be justifiable once the role of the aqueous outflow system in IOP homoeostasis has been defined.
Bi-allelic variants in CELSR3 are implicated in central nervous system and urinary tract anomalies
Authors: Stegmann Jil D. , Kalanithy Jeshurun C. , Dworschak Gabriel C. , Ishorst Nina , Mingardo Enrico , Lopes Filipa M. , Ho Yee Mang , Grote Phillip , Lindenberg Tobias T. , Yilmaz Öznur , Channab Khadija , Seltzsam Steve , Shril Shirlee , Hildebrandt Friedhelm , Boschann Felix , Heinen André , Jolly Angad , Myers Katherine , McBride Kim , Bekheirnia Mir Reza , Bekheirnia Nasim , Scala Marcello , Morleo Manuela , Nigro Vincenzo , Torella Annalaura ,   TUDP consortium, Pinelli Michele , Capra Valeria , Accogli Andrea , Maitz Silvia , Spano Alice , Olson Rory J. , Klee Eric W. , Lanpher Brendan C. , Jang Se Song , Chae Jong-Hee , Steinbauer Philipp , Rieder Dietmar , Janecke Andreas R. , Vodopiutz Julia , Vogel Ida , Blechingberg Jenny , Cohen Jennifer L. , Riley Kacie , Klee Victoria , Walsh Laurence E. , Begemann Matthias , Elbracht Miriam , Eggermann Thomas , Stoppe Arzu , Stuurman Kyra , van Slegtenhorst Marjon , Barakat Tahsin Stefan , Mulhern Maureen S. , Sands Tristan T. , Cytrynbaum Cheryl , Weksberg Rosanna , Isidori Federica , Pippucci Tommaso , Severi Giulia , Montanari Francesca , Kruer Michael C. , Bakhtiari Somayeh , Darvish Hossein , Reutter Heiko , Hagelueken Gregor , Geyer Matthias , Woolf Adrian S. , Posey Jennifer E. , Lupski James R. , Odermatt Benjamin , Hilger Alina C.
Published: March 2024

CELSR3 codes for a planar cell polarity protein. We describe twelve affected individuals from eleven independent families with bi-allelic variants in CELSR3. Affected individuals presented with an overlapping phenotypic spectrum comprising central nervous system (CNS) anomalies (7/12), combined CNS anomalies and congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) (3/12) and CAKUT only (2/12). Computational simulation of the 3D protein structure suggests the position of the identified variants to be implicated in penetrance and phenotype expression. CELSR3 immunolocalization in human embryonic urinary tract and transient suppression and rescue experiments of Celsr3 in fluorescent zebrafish reporter lines further support an embryonic role of CELSR3 in CNS and urinary tract formation.
Dynamic changes in perivascular space morphology predict signs of spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome in bed rest
Authors: Richmond Sutton B. , Seidler Rachael D. , Iliff Jeffrey J. , Schwartz Daniel L. , Luther Madison , Silbert Lisa C. , Wood Scott J. , Bloomberg Jacob J. , Mulder Edwin , Lee Jessica K. , De Luca Alberto , Piantino Juan
Published: March 2024

During long-duration spaceflight, astronauts experience headward fluid shifts and expansion of the cerebral perivascular spaces (PVS). A major limitation to our understanding of the changes in brain structure and physiology induced by spaceflight stems from the logistical difficulties of studying astronauts. The current study aimed to determine whether PVS changes also occur on Earth with the spaceflight analog head-down tilt bed rest (HDBR). We examined how the number and morphology of magnetic resonance imaging-visible PVS (MV-PVS) are affected by HDBR with and without elevated carbon dioxide (CO2). These environments mimic the headward fluid shifts, body unloading, and elevated CO2observed aboard the International Space Station. Additionally, we sought to understand how changes in MV-PVS are associated with signs of Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS), ocular structural alterations that can occur with spaceflight. Participants were separated into two bed rest campaigns: HDBR (60 days) and HDBR + CO2(30 days with elevated ambient CO2). Both groups completed multiple magnetic resonance image acquisitions before, during, and post-bed rest. We found that at the group level, neither spaceflight analog affected MV-PVS quantity or morphology. However, when taking into account SANS status, persons exhibiting signs of SANS showed little or no MV-PVS changes, whereas their No-SANS counterparts showed MV-PVS morphological changes during the HDBR + CO2campaign. These findings highlight spaceflight analogs as models for inducing changes in MV-PVS and implicate MV-PVS dynamic compliance as a mechanism underlying SANS. These findings may lead to countermeasures to mitigate health risks associated with human spaceflight.
Visual perceptual learning of feature conjunctions leverages non-linear mixed selectivity
Authors: Karami Behnam , Schwiedrzik Caspar M.
Published: March 2024

Visual objects are often defined by multiple features. Therefore, learning novel objects entails learning feature conjunctions. Visual cortex is organized into distinct anatomical compartments, each of which is devoted to processing a single feature. A prime example are neurons purely selective to color and orientation, respectively. However, neurons that jointly encode multiple features (mixed selectivity) also exist across the brain and play critical roles in a multitude of tasks. Here, we sought to uncover the optimal policy that our brain adapts to achieve conjunction learning using these available resources. 59 human subjects practiced orientation-color conjunction learning in four psychophysical experiments designed to nudge the visual system towards using one or the other resource. We find that conjunction learning is possible by linear mixing of pure color and orientation information, but that more and faster learning takes place when both pure and mixed selectivity representations are involved. We also find that learning with mixed selectivity confers advantages in performing an untrained “exclusive or” (XOR) task several months after learning the original conjunction task. This study sheds light on possible mechanisms underlying conjunction learning and highlights the importance of learning by mixed selectivity.
Increasing the resilience of the Texas power grid against extreme storms by hardening critical lines
Authors: Stürmer Julian , Plietzsch Anton , Vogt Thomas , Hellmann Frank , Kurths Jürgen , Otto Christian , Frieler Katja , Anvari Mehrnaz
Published: March 2024

The Texas power grid on the Gulf Coast of the United States is frequently hit by tropical cyclones (TCs) causing widespread power outages, a risk that is expected to substantially increase under global warming. Here we introduce a new approach that combines a probabilistic line failure model with a network model of the Texas grid to simulate the spatio-temporal co-evolution of wind-induced failures of high-voltage transmission lines and the resulting cascading power outages from seven major historical TCs. The approach allows reproducing observed supply failures. In addition, compared to existing static approaches, it provides a notable advantage in identifying critical lines whose failure can trigger large supply shortages. We show that hardening only 1% of total lines can reduce the likelihood of the most destructive type of outage by a factor of between 5 and 20. The proposed modelling approach could represent a so far missing tool for identifying effective options to strengthen power grids against future TC strikes, even under limited knowledge.
Trapped O2 and the origin of voltage fade in layered Li-rich cathodes
Authors: Marie John-Joseph , House Robert A. , Rees Gregory J. , Robertson Alex W. , Jenkins Max , Chen Jun , Agrestini Stefano , Garcia-Fernandez Mirian , Zhou Ke-Jin , Bruce Peter G.
Published: March 2024

Oxygen redox cathodes, such as Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2, deliver higher energy densities than those based on transition metal redox alone. However, they commonly exhibit voltage fade, a gradually diminishing discharge voltage on extended cycling. Recent research has shown that, on the first charge, oxidation of O2− ions forms O2 molecules trapped in nano-sized voids within the structure, which can be fully reduced to O2− on the subsequent discharge. Here we show that the loss of O-redox capacity on cycling and therefore voltage fade arises from a combination of a reduction in the reversibility of the O2−/O2 redox process and O2 loss. The closed voids that trap O2 grow on cycling, rendering more of the trapped O2 electrochemically inactive. The size and density of voids leads to cracking of the particles and open voids at the surfaces, releasing O2. Our findings implicate the thermodynamic driving force to form O2 as the root cause of transition metal migration, void formation and consequently voltage fade in Li-rich cathodes.
Digenic inheritance involving a muscle-specific protein kinase and the giant titin protein causes a skeletal muscle myopathy
Authors: Töpf Ana , Cox Dan , Zaharieva Irina T. , Di Leo Valeria , Sarparanta Jaakko , Jonson Per Harald , Sealy Ian M. , Smolnikov Andrei , White Richard J. , Vihola Anna , Savarese Marco , Merteroglu Munise , Wali Neha , Laricchia Kristen M. , Venturini Cristina , Vroling Bas , Stenton Sarah L. , Cummings Beryl B. , Harris Elizabeth , Marini-Bettolo Chiara , Diaz-Manera Jordi , Henderson Matt , Barresi Rita , Duff Jennifer , England Eleina M. , Patrick Jane , Al-Husayni Sundos , Biancalana Valerie , Beggs Alan H. , Bodi Istvan , Bommireddipalli Shobhana , Bönnemann Carsten G. , Cairns Anita , Chiew Mei-Ting , Claeys Kristl G. , Cooper Sandra T. , Davis Mark R. , Donkervoort Sandra , Erasmus Corrie E. , Fassad Mahmoud R. , Genetti Casie A. , Grosmann Carla , Jungbluth Heinz , Kamsteeg Erik-Jan , Lornage Xavière , Löscher Wolfgang N. , Malfatti Edoardo , Manzur Adnan , Martí Pilar , Mongini Tiziana E. , Muelas Nuria , Nishikawa Atsuko , O’Donnell-Luria Anne , Ogonuki Narumi , O’Grady Gina L. , O’Heir Emily , Paquay Stéphanie , Phadke Rahul , Pletcher Beth A. , Romero Norma B. , Schouten Meyke , Shah Snehal , Smuts Izelle , Sznajer Yves , Tasca Giorgio , Taylor Robert W. , Tuite Allysa , Van den Bergh Peter , VanNoy Grace , Voermans Nicol C. , Wanschitz Julia V. , Wraige Elizabeth , Yoshimura Kimihiko , Oates Emily C. , Nakagawa Osamu , Nishino Ichizo , Laporte Jocelyn , Vilchez Juan J. , MacArthur Daniel G. , Sarkozy Anna , Cordell Heather J. , Udd Bjarne , Busch-Nentwich Elisabeth M. , Muntoni Francesco , Straub Volker
Published: March 2024

In digenic inheritance, pathogenic variants in two genes must be inherited together to cause disease. Only very few examples of digenic inheritance have been described in the neuromuscular disease field. Here we show that predicted deleterious variants inSRPK3, encoding the X-linked serine/argenine protein kinase 3, lead to a progressive early onset skeletal muscle myopathy only when in combination with heterozygous variants in theTTNgene. The co-occurrence of predicted deleteriousSRPK3/TTNvariants was not seen among 76,702 healthy male individuals, and statistical modeling strongly supported digenic inheritance as the best-fitting model. Furthermore, double-mutant zebrafish (srpk3−/−;ttn.1+/−) replicated the myopathic phenotype and showed myofibrillar disorganization. Transcriptome data suggest that the interaction ofsrpk3andttn.1in zebrafish occurs at a post-transcriptional level. We propose that digenic inheritance of deleterious changes impacting both the protein kinase SRPK3 and the giant muscle protein titin causes a skeletal myopathy and might serve as a model for other genetic diseases.
Iron dysregulation and inflammatory stress erythropoiesis associates with long-term outcome of COVID-19
Authors: Hanson Aimee L. , Mulè Matthew P. , Ruffieux Hélène , Mescia Federica , Bergamaschi Laura , Pelly Victoria S. , Turner Lorinda , Kotagiri Prasanti ,   Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease–National Institute for Health Research (CITIID–NIHR) COVID BioResource Collaboration, Göttgens Berthold , Hess Christoph , Gleadall Nicholas , Bradley John R. , Nathan James A. , Lyons Paul A. , Drakesmith Hal , Smith Kenneth G. C.
Published: March 2024

Persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection are increasingly reported, although the drivers of post-acute sequelae (PASC) of COVID-19 are unclear. Here we assessed 214 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, with varying disease severity, for one year from COVID-19 symptom onset to determine the early correlates of PASC. A multivariate signature detected beyond two weeks of disease, encompassing unresolving inflammation, anemia, low serum iron, altered iron-homeostasis gene expression and emerging stress erythropoiesis; differentiated those who reported PASC months later, irrespective of COVID-19 severity. A whole-blood heme-metabolism signature, enriched in hospitalized patients at month 1–3 post onset, coincided with pronounced iron-deficient reticulocytosis. Lymphopenia and low numbers of dendritic cells persisted in those with PASC, and single-cell analysis reported iron maldistribution, suggesting monocyte iron loading and increased iron demand in proliferating lymphocytes. Thus, defects in iron homeostasis, dysregulated erythropoiesis and immune dysfunction due to COVID-19 possibly contribute to inefficient oxygen transport, inflammatory disequilibrium and persisting symptomatology, and may be therapeutically tractable.