bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular characterization of Streptococcus suis isolates recovered from diseased pigs in Europe
Authors: Li Kevin , Lacouture Sonia , Lewandowski Eric , Thibault Eric , Gantelet Hubert , Gottschalk Marcelo , Fittipaldi Nahuel
Published: September 2024

Streptococcus suis is a major swine pathogen and zoonotic agent, causing important economic losses to the porcine industry. Here, we used genomics approaches to characterize 251 S. suis isolates recovered from diseased pigs across Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. We identified 13 serotypes, being serotypes 9 and 2 the most prevalent, and 34 sequence types (STs), including 16 novel STs, although ST16 and ST1 dominated the strain population. Phylogenetic analysis revealed complex genetic relationships, notable geographic clustering, and potential differential capacity for capsular switching among serotype 9 isolates. We found antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in 85.3% of the isolates, with high frequencies of genes conferring resistance to tetracyclines and macrolides. Specifically, 49.4% of the isolates harbored the tetO gene, and 64.9% possessed the ermB gene. Additionally, we observed a diverse array of virulence-associated genes (VAGs), including the classical VAGs mrp, epf, and sly, with variable presence across different genotypes. The high genetic diversity among European S. suis isolates highlights the importance of targeted antimicrobial use and flexible vaccine strategies. Rapid strain characterization is crucial for optimizing swine health management, enabling tailored interventions like the development of autovaccines to mitigate S. suis infections.
Increased viperin expression induced by avian infectious bronchitis virus inhibits viral replication by restricting cholesterol synthesis: an in vitro study
Authors: Zhang Yu , Zhang Tao-Ni , Lu Yan-Peng , Ren Li-Na , Chen Sheng-Ting , Liu Ling , Wei Lan-Ping , Chen Ji-Ming , Huang Jian-Ni , Mo Mei-Lan
Published: September 2024

With the emergence of new variant strains resulting from high mutation rates and genome recombination, avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) has caused significant economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms of IBV-host interactions, particularly how IBV utilizes host metabolic pathways for efficient viral replication and transmission. In the present study, the effects of the cell membrane, viral envelope membrane, and viperin-mediated cholesterol synthesis on IBV replication were explored. Our results revealed significant increase in cholesterol levels and the expression of viperin after IBV infection. Acute cholesterol depletion in the cell membrane and viral envelope membrane by treating cells with methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) obviously inhibited IBV replication; thereafter, replenishment of the cell membrane with cholesterol successfully restored viral replication, and direct addition of exogenous cholesterol to the cell membrane significantly promoted IBV infection during the early stages of infection. In addition, overexpression of viperin effectively suppressed cholesterol synthesis, as well as IBV replication, whereas knockdown of viperin (gene silencing with siRNA targeting viperin, siViperin) significantly increased IBV replication and cholesterol levels, whereas supplementation with exogenous cholesterol to viperin-transfected cells markedly restored viral replication. In conclusion, the increase in viperin induced by IBV infection plays an important role in IBV replication by affecting cholesterol production, providing a theoretical basis for understanding the pathogenesis of IBV and discovering new potential antiviral targets.
RSAD2 suppresses viral replication by interacting with the Senecavirus A 2 C protein
Authors: Hou Lei , Wu Zhi , Zeng Penghui , Yang Xiaoyu , Shi Yongyan , Guo Jinshuo , Zhou Jianwei , Song Jiangwei , Liu Jue
Published: September 2024

Senecavirus A (SVA), an emerging virus that causes blisters on the nose and hooves, reduces the production performance of pigs. RSAD2 is a radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzyme, and its expression can suppress various viruses due to its broad antiviral activity. However, the regulatory relationship between SVA and RSAD2 and the mechanism of action remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated that SVA infection increased RSAD2 mRNA levels, whereas RSAD2 expression negatively regulated viral replication, as evidenced by decreased viral VP1 protein expression, viral titres, and infected cell numbers. Viral proteins that interact with RSAD2 were screened, and the interaction between the 2 C protein and RSAD2 was found to be stronger than that between other proteins. Additionally, amino acids (aa) 43–70 of RSAD2 were crucial for interacting with the 2 C protein and played an important role in its anti-SVA activity. RSAD2 was induced by type I interferon (IFN-I) via Janus kinase signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT), and had antiviral activity. Ruxolitinib, a JAK-STAT pathway inhibitor, and the knockdown of JAK1 expression substantially reduced RSAD2 expression levels and antiviral activity. Taken together, these results revealed that RSAD2 blocked SVA infection by interacting with the viral 2 C protein and provide a strategy for preventing and controlling SVA infection.
The cadDX operon contributes to cadmium resistance, oxidative stress resistance, and virulence in zoonotic streptococci
Authors: Zhu Xinchi , Liang Zijing , Ma Jiale , Huang Jinhu , Wang Liping , Yao Huochun , Wu Zongfu
Published: September 2024

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) enable bacteria to acquire novel genes and traits. However, the functions of cargo genes within MGEs remain poorly understood. The cadmium resistance operon cadDX is present in many gram-positive bacteria. Although cadDX has been reported to be involved in metal detoxification, its regulatory mechanisms and functions in bacterial pathogenesis are poorly understood. This study revealed that cadDX contributes to cadmium resistance, oxidative stress resistance, and virulence in Streptococcus suis, an important zoonotic pathogen in pigs and humans. CadX represses cadD expression by binding to the cadDX promoter. Notably, cadX responds to H2O2 stress through an additional promoter within the cadDX operon, mitigating the harmful effect of excessive cadD expression during oxidative stress. cadDX resides within an 11 K integrative and mobilizable element that can autonomously form circular structures. Moreover, cadDX is found in diverse MGEs, accounting for its widespread distribution across various bacteria, especially among pathogenic streptococci. Transferring cadDX into another zoonotic pathogen, Streptococcus agalactiae, results in similar phenotypes, including resistance to cadmium and oxidative stresses and increased virulence of S. agalactiae in mice. The new functions and regulatory mechanisms of cadDX shed light on the importance of the cadDX system in driving evolutionary adaptations and survival strategies across diverse gram-positive bacteria.
Whole-transcriptome analyses of ovine lung microvascular endothelial cells infected with bluetongue virus
Authors: Luo Shimei , Chen Yunyi , Ma Xianping , Miao Haisheng , Jia Huaijie , Yi Huashan
Published: September 2024

Bluetongue virus (BTV) infection induces profound and intricate changes in the transcriptional profile of the host to facilitate its survival and replication. However, there have been no whole-transcriptome studies on ovine lung microvascular endothelial cells (OLMECs) infected with BTV. In this study, we comprehensively analysed the whole-transcriptome sequences of BTV-1 serotype-infected and mock-infected OLMECs and subsequently performed bioinformatics differential analysis. Our analysis revealed 1215 differentially expressed mRNA transcripts, 82 differentially expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) transcripts, 63 differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) transcripts, and 42 differentially expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) transcripts. Annotation from Gene Ontology, enrichment from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and construction of endogenous competing RNA network analysis revealed that the differentially expressed RNAs primarily participated in viral sensing and signal transduction pathways, antiviral and immune responses, inflammation, and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related pathways. Furthermore, protein‒protein interaction network analysis revealed that BTV may regulate the conformation of ECM receptor proteins and change their biological activity through a series of complex mechanisms. Finally, on the basis of real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction results, the expression trends of the differentially expressed RNA were consistent with the whole-transcriptome sequencing data, such as downregulation of the expression of COL4A1, ITGA8, ITGB5, and TNC and upregulation of the expression of CXCL10, RNASEL, IRF3, IRF7, and IFIHI. This study provides a novel perspective for further investigations of the mechanism of the ECM in the BTV-host interactome and the pathogenesis of lung microvascular endothelial cells.
OSL dating of marine isotope stage 5e marine terrace deposits on southeastern Kii Peninsula, southwestern Japan
Authors: Ogata Manabu , Komatsu Tetsuya , Nakanishi Toshimichi
Published: September 2024

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of feldspar is one of the promising solutions towards reliable chronological constraints on the ages of Pleistocene marine terraces. Marine terraces developed along the southeastern coast of the Kii Peninsula, southwestern Japan, face a seismogenic region along the Nankai Trough. In this study, we determined the emergence age of one of these marine terraces by feldspar OSL dating of the marine terrace sediments. The target marine terrace was previously correlated with marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e based on morphostratigraphy. The samples for post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR) dating were obtained from foreshore deposits of marine terraces. The first infrared stimulation temperature was fixed at 50°C (IRSL50/150 and IRSL50/225), and the pIRIR signals were measured at 150°C (pIRIR150) and 225 °C (pIRIR225). The resulting IRSL50/150, IRSL50/225, pIRIR150, and pIRIR225 ages with standard errors are 105 ± 4, 120 ± 4, 125 ± 5, and 137 ± 4 ka, respectively. The IRSL50/225 age was consistent with the pIRIR150 age, corresponding to MIS 5e. The IRSL50/150 and IRIR225 ages were younger and older than the IRSL50/150 and pIRIR225 ages, respectively. These results show that the Mm1 surface of the marine terrace corresponds to MIS 5e rather than MIS 5c or 7a–c, which is consistent with the chronological framework based on the morphological features of the terraces in the study area. The underestimation/overestimation of IRSL50/150/pIRIR225 ages can be attributed to the underestimation/overestimation of the fading rate. A more robust and comprehensive chronological framework for the marine terraces of the peninsula could be achieved by conducting OSL dating of the marine terraces above and below the MIS 5e terrace.

Graphical Abstract
Strengthening plant health systems in South Sudan: addressing challenges and enhancing system efficiency and sustainability
Authors: Ayuya Oscar Ingasia , Makale Fernadis , Gama Peter B. S. , Otieno Arnold Jong , Okeny Johnny , Mugambi Idah , Alworah Getrude Okutoyi , Jumason Abdul Hakim , Rware Harrison , Aman Catherine , Mbaka Zachary Simba , Ochilo Willis Ndeda
Published: September 2024

Climate change-induced invasive pests remain a major bottleneck to agricultural productivity and food security in South Sudan. Strengthening the plant health system has the potential to contribute to reducing crop losses caused by pests. A situational analysis was conducted to assess the current state and effectiveness of plant health functions in three counties in South Sudan. Descriptive findings of data collected from 960 farmers in Juba, Yambio, and Yei indicated low access to plant health services, including advisory and extension, training, and information. There was a high dependence on NGOs and UN agencies to provide plant health services, indicating a gap in government-led initiatives. The findings demonstrate a complex relationship between plant health services and on-farm practices and regional variations in access to plant health services and resources. The findings have crucial implications for the plant health system in South Sudan, requiring the need for service accessibility, government involvement in plant health systems, strengthening of the policy and regulatory frameworks, and inclusivity in service provision.
The history and revival of swidden agriculture research in the tropics
Authors: Li Peng , Nath Arun Jyoti
Published: September 2024

Swidden agriculture used to occur in the temperate zones and currently occurs almost exclusively in the tropics. Academic research on the millennium-long farming system did not occur until the mid-eighteenth century, followed by scattered and sporadic research work before the twentieth century. So far, a thematic review of the history of swidden agriculture research based on the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science, which provides the longest coverage from 1900 to the present, has not yet been reported. The lack of a 20th-century literature review restricts understanding the revival of swidden agriculture research. With the journal publications (including Articles, Review Articles, and Data Papers) indexed by Web of Science and Google Scholar, we divided the history of swidden agriculture research into three developmental stages: descriptive transcription, critical analysis, and comprehensive analysis, with the years of 1957 and 2008 as the watershed years, respectively. Notably, 2008 emerged as a watershed year for the revival of swidden agriculture research in the tropics. Launching and implementing the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries promotes top-down rethink and rediscovery. In contrast, the free Landsat archive provides bottom-up support for consistent historical satellite observations. The synchronic emergence of the UN-REDD Programme and the free Landsat data policy may be coincidental. Yet, their combination and the global economic crisis since 2008 have become a catalyst and impetus for putting the longitudinal and horizontal analyses of swidden agriculture together. After a century of debate, swidden agriculture is gaining the academic attention it deserves.
Wnt/B-catenin Activation and TP53 Mutations Associate With Distinct Immune Profiles in Advanced Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Moretti Sonia , Mandarano Martina , Menicali Elisa , Guzzetti Martina , Morelli Silvia , Talpacci Edoardo , Colella Renato , Bini Vittorio , Giannini Riccardo , Ugolini Clara , Sidoni Angelo , Basolo Fulvio , Puxeddu Efisio
Published: September 2024

Context

Anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATCs) and poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas (PDTCs) exhibit distinct immune-related gene expression profiles. Most ATCs are characterized by active immune interactions (hot or altered immunosuppressed immunophenotypes), while PDTCs are largely immunologically inert (cold immunophenotypes).

Objective

This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms driving these divergent immunological fates, focusing on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and TP53 mutations.

Results

Our data reveal that ATCs frequently harbor TP53 mutations (83.3%), which correlate with a hot immunophenotype, characterized by high expression of β-catenin-regulated cytokine CCL4 and recruitment of CD103 + dendritic cells. Conversely, PDTCs, with a lower incidence of TP53 mutations (12.5%), often exhibit a cold immunophenotype. In cold cancers and PDTCs, β-catenin is overexpressed, suggesting that Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation drives immune exclusion through CCL4 downregulation.

Further analysis indicated that loss of p53 function is inversely correlated with β-catenin expression. P53-mutated cancers showed significantly higher expression of CCL4 and densities of CD103 + dendritic cells compared to their p53-wild-type counterparts. Additionally, p53-mutated ATCs expressed a higher number of immune-related genes, supporting the role of p53 loss in activating immune responses in cancer.

Conclusion

Our study indicates a potential correlation between the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and the development of cold thyroid cancers, which may be mediated by the suppression of CCL4 expression. Concurrently, mutations in the p53 gene appear to be linked with the occurrence of hot thyroid cancers. While these associations are compelling, they are based on observational data. Experimental research is necessary to determine the causal relationships underlying these findings.
Ovarian and Uterine Morphology in Minipuberty: Associations With Reproductive Hormones: a COPANA Study of 302 Girls
Authors: Fischer Margit Bistrup , Mola Gylli , Rom Ane Lilleøre , Frederiksen Hanne , Johannsen Trine Holm , Sundberg Karin , Hegaard Hanne Kristine , Juul Anders , Hagen Casper P
Published: September 2024

Context

Female minipuberty is characterized by complex dynamics of circulating reproductive hormones, while the relationship between ovarian and uterine morphology and reproductive hormones remains to be elucidated.

Objective

This work aimed to investigate the association between reproductive hormones and ovarian as well as uterine morphology by transabdominal ultrasound scan (TAUS) at minipuberty.

Methods

A secondary analysis was conducted from The Copenhagen Analgesic Study (COPANA) (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04369222) of healthy infant girls (n = 302, aged 3.4 months [0.4] mean [±SD]: mamma tissue diameter [mm], n = 300). TAUS: uterine volume (n = 230), endometrial thickness (n = 255), ovarian volume, antral follicle count (total/2-4 mm/≥5 mm) (n = 203). Blood samples (n = 269/302 = 89%): antimüllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), inhibin B (immunoassays), progesterone (PROG), androstenedione (Adione), testosterone (T), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) (liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry). Statistics: Pearson/Spearman correlation coefficient (parametric/nonparametric data).

Results

Total follicle count correlated positively with ovarian volume (r = 0.606; P < .001), AMH (r = 0.378; P < .001), inhibin B (r = 0.251; P < .001), and negatively with FSH concentrations (r = −0.327; P < .001). Larger follicles (≥5 mm) correlated positively with AMH (r = 0.264; P < .001), inhibin B (r = 0.230; P = .002), E1 (r = 0.209; P = .004), E2 (r = 0.269; P < .001), PROG (r = 0.160; P = .031), and T (r = 0.210; P = .004) and negatively with FSH (r = −0.183; P = .015). Circulating E1 and E2 levels correlated with the size of estrogen-responsive tissue sizes: E2 vs uterine volume (r = 0.134; P = .054), E2 vs endometrial thickness (r = 0.155; P = .020), E1 and E2 vs mammary tissue diameter (r = 0.213 and r = 0.198, respectively; both P < .001).

Conclusion

Correlations between reproductive hormones and the number of antral follicles suggest that negative feedback in the female hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is established during minipuberty, with ovarian activity promoting uterine and glandular breast tissue growth. We provide normative data of infant ovarian and uterine morphology directly implementable to a clinical setting.
The LEAP2 Response to Cancer-Related Anorexia-Cachexia Syndrome in Male Mice and Patients
Authors: Varshney Salil , Shankar Kripa , Kerr Haiming L , Anderson Lindsey J , Gupta Deepali , Metzger Nathan P , Singh Omprakash , Ogden Sean B , Paul Subhojit , Piñon Francisco , Osborne-Lawrence Sherri , Richard Corine P , Lawrence Connor , Mani Bharath K , Garcia Jose M , Zigman Jeffrey M
Published: September 2024

The hormone ghrelin serves a protective role in cancer-related anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CACS)—a condition in which plasma levels of ghrelin rise, its administration lessens CACS severity, and experimentally reduced signaling by its receptor (GHSR) worsens fat loss and anorexia and accelerates death. Yet, actions for the related hormone liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP2), which is an endogenous GHSR antagonist, are unexplored in CACS. Here, we found that plasma LEAP2 and LEAP2/ghrelin ratio were lower in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and RM-9 prostate cancer CACS mouse models. Ghrelin deletion exaggerated losses of tumor-free body weight and fat mass, reduced food intake, reduced soleus muscle weight, and/or lowered grip strength in LLC or RM-9 tumor-bearing mice. LEAP2 deletion lessened reductions in tumor-free body weight and fat mass and increased food intake in LLC or RM-9 tumor-bearing mice. In a 55-subject cohort of patients with CACS or weight-stable cancer, the plasma LEAP2/total ghrelin ratio was negatively correlated with 6-month weight change preceding blood collection. These data demonstrate that ghrelin deletion exacerbates CACS in the LLC and RM-9 tumor-bearing mouse models while contrastingly, LEAP2 deletion reduces measures of CACS in these tumor-bearing mouse models. Further, they suggest that lower plasma LEAP2/ghrelin ratio protects against worsened CACS.
Mediastinal Tumor in a Boy With GnRH-Independent Precocious Puberty and Fluctuating β-HCG Levels
Authors: Shilo Smadar , Amar Shirah , Shefer Averbuch Noa , Rosenbaum Efraim , Phillip Moshe , Lazar Liora
Published: September 2024

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH(-independent premature puberty in boys, characterized by elevated β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) levels, can indicate a secreting germ cell tumor (GCT). These tumors are rare but more common in individuals with Klinefelter syndrome (KS). We present a case of a 7.3-year-old boy with precocious puberty. Physical examination revealed bilateral testicular volumes of 8 to 10 mL and Tanner stage 3 secondary sexual characteristics (genitalia G3, pubic hair P3). His skeletal age was 12 years. Biochemical tests showed suppressed gonadotropin levels, elevated testosterone, and increased β-hCG of 86.6 mIU/mL (86.6 IU/L, reference range: <5 mIU/mL, <5 IU/L). Imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), chest x-ray, whole-body computed tomography (CT), and testicular ultrasound, were interpreted as normal except for a small pineal cyst. Karyotype testing confirmed KS. Over 10 months, β-hCG levels fluctuated between 1 to 105 mIU/mL (1-105 IU/L). When β-hCG was 3.6 mIU/mL (3.6 IU/L), a fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–CT (FDG PET-CT) scan revealed a mediastinal tumor. The tumor was surgically removed and identified as a mature teratoma. This case underscores the importance of karyotype testing and repeated imaging in boys with premature puberty and elevated β-hCG levels, even if β-hCG levels decrease spontaneously and remain low.
Medicaid's Political Development since 1965: How a Fragmented and Unequal Program Has Expanded
Authors: Grogan Colleen M.
Published: September 2024

The Medicaid program has changed enormously over the past 60 years from a very restrictive program primarily attached to recipients on public assistance in 1965 to a much more expansive program today allowing coverage for persons regardless of marital, parental, or employment status. Incorporating the “medically needy”—an ambiguous concept from the start—allowed states to include many different groups in Medicaid who are not traditionally thought of as poor. In addition, three structural features illuminate why the program has expanded and changed dramatically over time: federalism and intergovernmental financing, the dominance of the private sector, and fragmentation. Unequal treatment among Medicaid-covered groups alongside partisan politics create a political discourse that often reveals Medicaid as a public subsidy for stigmatized groups while hiding Medicaid's reach into the middle class. This central political ideological tension collides with programmatic realities such that Medicaid strangely often suffers from a residual retrenchment politics while at the same time benefiting from embeddedness, making it extremely difficult to truly turn back the clock on Medicaid's expansion.
Rationing Rights: Administrative Burden in Medicaid Long-Term Care Programs
Authors: Herd Pamela , Johnson Rebecca A.
Published: September 2024

Context: States use Medicaid waivers to provide supports for disabled people in communities rather than in institutions. Because waivers are not entitlements, those deemed eligible are not guaranteed these supports. How do states, in practice, use bureaucratic procedures to ration this “conditional” right?

Methods: Drawing on primary and secondary data, the authors analyze waiver programs and document state administrative procedures that indirectly and directly ration access.

Findings: Burdens indirectly limit disabled people's access to Medicaid home- and community-based services via a complex array of waiver programs that exacerbate costs associated with gaining eligibility. In addition, burdens directly limit access via wait lists and prioritization among the eligible. There is also evidence that states strategically deploy opaqueness to provide political cover for unpopular wait lists. The overall process is opaque, confusing, and time intensive, with burdens falling hardest on marginalized groups.

Conclusions: Administrative burdens impede disabled people's efforts to exercise their right to live in the community as afforded to them under the American with Disabilities Act. The opaqueness and associated burdens with waiver programs are a way to conceal these burdens, thereby demonstrating how burdens “neatly carry out the ‘how’ in the production of inequality, while concealing . . . the why” (Ray, Herd, and Moynihan 2023: 139).
Polar targeting of proteins – a green perspective
Authors: Pukhovaya Evgeniya M. , Ramalho João Jacob , Weijers Dolf
Published: September 2024

Cell polarity – the asymmetric distribution of molecules and cell structures within the cell – is a feature that almost all cells possess. Even though the cytoskeleton and other intracellular organelles can have a direction and guide protein distribution, the plasma membrane is, in many cases, essential for the asymmetric localization of proteins because it helps to concentrate proteins and restrict their localization. Indeed, many proteins that exhibit asymmetric or polarized localization are either embedded in the PM or located close to it in the cellular cortex. Such proteins, which we refer to here as ‘polar proteins’, use various mechanisms of membrane targeting, including vesicle trafficking, direct phospholipid binding, or membrane anchoring mediated by post-translational modifications or binding to other proteins. These mechanisms are often shared with non-polar proteins, yet the unique combinations of several mechanisms or protein-specific factors assure the asymmetric distribution of polar proteins. Although there is a relatively detailed understanding of polar protein membrane targeting mechanisms in animal and yeast models, knowledge in plants is more fragmented and focused on a limited number of known polar proteins in different contexts. In this Review, we combine the current knowledge of membrane targeting mechanisms and factors for known plant transmembrane and cortical proteins and compare these with the mechanisms elucidated in non-plant systems. We classify the known factors as general or polarity specific, and we highlight areas where more knowledge is needed to construct an understanding of general polar targeting mechanisms in plants or to resolve controversies.
Correlative microscopy – illuminating the endomembrane system of plant seeds
Authors: Huber Sonja , Hörmann-Dietrich Ulrike , Kapusi Eszter , Stöger Eva , Arcalís Elsa
Published: September 2024

The endomembrane system of cereal seed endosperm is a highly plastic and dynamic system reflecting the high degree of specialization of this tissue. It is capable of coping with high levels of storage protein synthesis and undergoes rapid changes to accommodate these storage proteins in newly formed storage organelles such as endoplasmic reticulum-derived protein bodies or protein storage vacuoles. The study of endomembrane morphology in cereal endosperm is challenging due to the amount of starch that cereal seeds accumulate and the progressive desiccation of the tissue. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the endomembrane system of developing barley endosperm cells, complemented by correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) imaging. The use of genetically fused fluorescent protein tags in combination with the high resolution of electron microscopy brings ultrastructural research to a new level and can be used to generate novel insights in cell biology in general and in cereal seed research in particular.
Modulation of Vascular Health by Hormonal Contraceptives and Exercise in Young Women: Using the FITT Principles Methodological Framework
Authors: Stone Jenna C. , Williams Jennifer S. , MacDonald Maureen J.
Published: September 2024

Cardiovascular health is governed by responses of the heart and vasculature to stimuli, including exercise and synthetic hormones in hormonal contraception. In this review, we draw similarities between research examining the effects of exercise training and hormonal contraception on vascular health, aligned using FITT principles (frequency, intensity, type, and time) as a methodological framework, and outline future directions for research.
Independent neofunctionalization of Dxo1 inSaccharomycesandCandidaled to 25S rRNA processing function
Authors: Hurtig Jennifer E. , Stuart Catherine J. , van Hoof Ambro
Published: September 2024

Eukaryotic genomes typically encode one member of the DXO/Dxo1/Rai1 family of enzymes, which can hydrolyze the 5′ ends of RNAs with a variety of structures that deviate from the canonical7mGpppN. In contrast, theSaccharomycesgenome encodes two family members and the second copy, Dxo1, is a distributive 5′ exoribonuclease that is required for the final maturation of the 5′ end of 25S rRNA from a 25S′ precursor. Here we show that this 25S rRNA maturation function is not conserved across kingdoms, but arose in the budding yeasts. Interestingly, the origin of 25S processing capacity coincides with the duplication of this gene, and this capacity is absent in the nonduplicated genes. Strikingly, two different clades of budding yeasts have undergone parallel evolution: Both duplicated their DXO/Dxo1/Rai1 gene, and in both cases, one copy gained the 25S processing function. This was accompanied by many parallel sequence changes, a remarkable case of reproducible neofunctionalization.
Polskie wybory parlamentarne i referendum z 15 października 2023 r.
Authors: Musiał-Karg Magdalena , Casal Bértoa Fernando
Published: September 2024

THE OCTOBER 15TH 2023 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUM IN POLAND: ISSUES AND CONCERNS REGARDING CONCURRENT VOTINGPoland does not have much experience in holding nationwide referendums. Moreover, never before did the elections and referendums take place on the same day. Even though the simultaneous organisation of elections and referendums is not something new in the political practice of many democracies, this issue is rarely discussed in the scholarly literature. This is due to the fact that elections and referendums rarely take place concurrently. Taking into consideration that the decision to hold both events concurrently should bear in mind the efficiency of both processes, the cost of organisation, different technical and legal issues as well as the impact of the entire electoral and referendum cycle on the freedom and fairness of voting, one can see the many challenges such concurrent voting entails. In this article the authors examine the most important challenges and concerns associated with this year’s organisation of concurrent referendum and parliamentary elections in Poland on Sunday October 15th, trying to answer at the same time what is its impact on the quality of voting in the country.
The Digital Lives of the Poor: Entertainment Traps and Information Isolation
Authors: Ramdas Kamalini , Sungu Alp
Published: September 2024

Smartphones have enabled the delivery of life-improving information services to base-of-the-pyramid (BOP) consumers. However, little is known about how the poor interact with the digital world. Through a novel app we developed to investigate real-time smartphone usage, we identify an unnoticed barrier to digital information access by the poor—data shortages. By analyzing over 9.4 million minutes of smartphone usage data from 929 residents of a Mumbai settlement, we find that entertainment consumes 61% of their phone time. Our data reveal that under universally adopted monthly data plans, low-income individuals binge on YouTube and social media, resulting in data shortages and information isolation in the late-plan period. We offer a practical operational solution to this problem—shorter data-replenishment cycles—which serve as a commitment device to curb binge usage. We randomly assign participants to a “capped plan”—with daily data usage caps—or a standard (monthly) plan. Assignment to the capped plan increases late-plan access of invites to health camps sent via WhatsApp, increases attendance at these in-person camps by 27%, and reduces social media binge usage. Most participants (particularly those with low self-control and high fear of missing out) prefer the capped plan, even when costlier—clearly signaling demand. Because capped plans are inherently cheaper to provide, offering them could enable providers to increase BOP customer value and expand access. Our results suggest an opportunity to amplify the impact of life-improving services targeted at the poor by leveraging users’ interactions with smartphone technology.

This paper was accepted by Victor Martínez de Albéniz, operations management.

Funding: Financial support from The Wheeler Institute for Business & Development is gratefully acknowledged.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2024.4989 .
Lula ou Cachaça? A construção do sentido de cachaça como referência ao Lula na Folha de São Paulo e na rede social X
Authors: Guimarães Frederico
Published: September 2024

Este artigo propõe analisar, numa reflexão acerca da relação entre língua e sentido, a discursividade no termo ‘cachaça’ em referência a Lula em artigo do jornal Folha de São Paulo e em postagens na rede social X. A análise terá como base teórico-metodológica a Análise do Discurso, desenvolvida inicialmente por Michel Pêcheux. Sendo assim, o trabalho discorrerá sobre a constituição discursiva de sujeitos na circulação do sentido de ‘cachaça’ em referência a Lula e tem como justificativa a possível contribuição para que se possa refletir sobre a expansão e a sustentação ideológica da extrema direita no Brasil, que é a feição extremada dos grupos políticos que tomaram força a partir da metade da década de 2010 no mundo. Tem-se como resultado o mapeamento discursivo no posicionamento ideológico dos sujeitos que se referem a Lula pelo termo ‘cachaça’.
ESTÁGIO NA EDUCAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL DE NÍVEL MÉDIO
Authors: Costa Rosemayre , MACHADO CÉLIA , Rios Leiro Augusto César
Published: September 2024

O presente artigo tem como objetivo explicitar as mediações históricas do ordenamento legal do estágio de nível médio que engendram a relação dinâmica e dialética entre a empresa e a escola, bem como o impacto destas nos sentidos do trabalho que fundamentam a formação do jovem trabalhador na Educação Profissional Técnica (EPT). Como desdobramento de dissertação de mestrado, trata-se de uma análise crítica desenhada metodologicamente a partir de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, além da aproximação com a realidade concreta da EPT de nível médio da Rede Estadual de Ensino da Bahia. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo que se configura nos campos ‘trabalho’ e ‘educação’, interrelacionados pela política pública e por dispositivos jurídicos, no que tange à regulação social. Como síntese, revela mediações legais caracterizadas pela ambiguidade textual, com prevalência de interesses empresariais no que concerne à práxis educativa, com as quais se dissimula estrategicamente o ato pedagógico do estágio como dispositivo pragmático de adestramento instrumental de mão de obra para o mercado e o emprego, reduzindo a vivência do trabalho em sua perspectiva sociopedagógica e legitimando a escola como meio de dominação.
GESTÃO ESCOLAR E AS NOVAS TECNOLOGIAS: DESAFIOS DA GESTÃO NO TRABALHO PEDAGÓGICO
Authors: Alves Rosa Maria Antonia , Orzechowski Suzete Terezinha
Published: September 2024

Esse texto aborda como temática “Gestão Escolar e as Novas Tecnologias: desafios da gestão no trabalho pedagógico, tendo em vista as mudanças ocorridas a respeito do modo como as pessoas vivem, a forma como se relacionam umas com as outras, e o modo como trabalham, devido as grandes transformações tecnológicas, a escola como ambiente de educação e socialização precisou e precisa discutir e analisar tais transformações. Neste contexto grande é a responsabilidade da gestão escolar frente as inovações, contribuindo para que essas ferramentas sejam incorporadas à prática pedagógica. Uma busca com o propósito de conectar perspectivas diversas, descobertas de estudiosos que investigam o tema nos traz possibilidades para pensar o papel da gestão pedagógica em relação às novas tecnologias a partir da realidade paranaense.
London's free school meals drive
Authors: Hayes Derren
Published: September 2024

Funding meals for all primary-age pupils in London is paying dividends, says mayor's children's lead
Troubling possessions and family reckonings: inheriting the legacies of colonial ancestors
Authors: Barnwell Ashley
Published: September 2024

Inherited family objects are often precious or cherished, a source of warm emotions connecting us to ancestors across time. But sometimes the family keepsakes we possess, tangible or intangible, can generate more troubling emotions. They may transmit to us things that we were not meant to have or do not want. They might link us to pasts with which we would prefer not to be entangled or feel compelled to set right. In this article, I draw from a sociological study of settler descendants in Australia who are reckoning with the lives of their colonist ancestors via family history research. I focus on several case studies to explore people’s relations to family inheritances that evoke troubling emotions and demonstrate departures from the lives of ancestors as well as connections. This analysis offers us ways to conceptualise the challenging and compelling roles that family inheritances can play in the lives of descendants reckoning with the material legacies of their colonist ancestors, and in the context of wider moves towards inter/national reckoning and reparative justice for colonised peoples and their descendants.
‘Growing deliciously’ (맛있는 농사): Korean urban food cultivation as a form of cultural inheritance
Authors: Gerodetti Natalia
Published: September 2024

This article examines contemporary practices of urban food cultivation in Seoul as acts of ‘doing’ emotionally loaded cultural heritage making through familial practices. Widespread urban practices of food growing are examined in relation to the affective and connective charges that are illuminated in relation to family and heritage. Invocations of emotions are not mere individual/personal phenomena but can be interpreted by the social field, social interactions and family traditions of food growing. The article explores the meanings of food growing in the urban landscape and argues that contemporary urban food cultivation practices are part of a Korean sensibility towards not only food itself but also food cultivation through urban farming. The article argues that edible plant growing as a food practice is a form of ‘doing family’: a familial activity that links generations, evokes nostalgia and involves attempts to transmit values in the context of ‘compressed modernity’.
Mask-guided network for finger vein feature extraction and biometric identification
Authors: Bai Haohan , Tan Yubo , Li Yong-Jie
Published: September 2024

The problems of complex background, low quality of finger vein images, and poor discriminative features have been the bottleneck of feature extraction and finger vein recognition. To this end, we propose a feature extraction algorithm based on the open-set testing protocol. In order to eliminate the interference of irrelevant areas, this paper proposes the idea of segmentation-assisted classification, that is, using the rough mask of the finger vein to constrain the feature learning process so that the network can focus on the vein area and learn greater weight for the vein. Specifically, the feature maps of the shallow layers of the network are first sent to the feature pyramid module to fuse the primary features of different scales, which are then sent to the spatial attention module to obtain the spatial weight map of the image. Based on the results of several classical vein skeleton extraction algorithms, a weighting method is used to obtain a more accurate mask to constrain the learning of the spatial weight map. Finally, a hybrid loss function combining triplet loss and cross-entropy loss is used to reduce the distance between feature vectors of the same categories and increase the distance between feature vectors of different categories in the Euclidean space, thereby improving feature discriminability. Good recognition results were achieved on the three public data sets of SDUMLA, MMCBNU, and FVUSM, and the values of equal error rate (EER) on them are as low as 2.50%, 0.20%, and 0.14%, respectively.
Abruptly autofocused electron beam generation through electron-plasmon interactions
Authors: Wang Lei , Cai Wei , Zhang Xinzheng , Xu Jingjun , Gong Ke
Published: September 2024

Electron Airy beams and electron vortex beams are commonly generated using phase masks that imprint a transverse modulation on the particle wave function. Plasmons sustained by nanostructured conductors facilitate substantial interactions with free electrons, enabling considerable transverse modulation of the electron wave function. Consequently, electron Airy and vortex beams can also be produced through interactions between electrons and structured plasmonic fields. Here we illustrate the generation mechanism of the electron ring Airy vortex beams by allowing electrons to traverse an Airy plasmon field with phase singularities and calculate the excitation intensity probability. Subsequently, we numerically investigate the autofocus behavior of the generated Airy vortex beams. Our findings indicate that electrons in the ℓ = 1 channel exhibit the highest excitation probability and produce optimized autofocused ring-shaped Airy vortex beams in our proposed scheme. Furthermore, the number of exchanging plasmons does not significantly influence the position of the primary Airy ring in the initial plane, yet it markedly affects the focal distance and spot size in the focal planes. Our study supports the utilization of chiral plasmons sustained by externally illuminated thin films as a method for generating autofocused chiral electrons, resulting in remarkably large diffracted beam fractions in attainable conditions.
Mechanism insights for impedance matching in split-ring resonator topologies under bio-medical scenarios
Authors: Madhavamoorthi Suresh , Marishwari Muthusamy , Kashif Hussain , Shen Suling , Chen Bin , Xie Heping , Ouyang Zhengbiao , Liu Qiang
Published: September 2024

The utilization of microwave radiation has gained increasing importance in various biological applications. However, a significant challenge remains in the interaction between the microwaves and the human skin, primarily due to the impedance mismatch. Recently, the employment of split-ring resonator (SRR) topologies has become increasingly prevalent for addressing such a problem. Despite this, most existing literatures lack a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we follow Babinet’s principle and numerically study the dispersion relations of a single-split-ring resonator (S-SRR) and its complementary topology, single-complementary-split-ring resonator (S-CSRR). We focus on conducting the impedance analysis, along with far-field and near-field excitation characterizations. The results indicate that S-CSRR ensures an improved impedance matching, thereby significantly enhancing microwave power flow within the bio-tissue. A 2 × 2 array of S-CSRR is experimentally examined for validation. We demonstrate that the S-CSRR array enhances the total specific absorption rate (SAR) of a deeply-implanted-tumor-phantom by a factor of 1.95. Our work may provide a broader understanding towards impedance matching, which may facilitate the design of more efficient diagnostic tools in bio-medical field.
OAM-Basis underwater single-pixel imaging based on improved GAN at a low sampling rate
Authors: Chen Xudong , Hu jing , cui yujie , Liu LiuShuo , LIN Zhili
Published: September 2024

Our study introduces a pioneering underwater single-pixel imaging (SPI) approach that employs Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) basis as sampling scheme and a dual-attention residual U-Net Generative Adversarial Network (DARU-GAN) as reconstruction algorithm. This method is designed to addresses the challenges of low sampling rates and high turbidity typically encountered in underwater environments. The integration of OAM basis sampling scheme and the improved reconstruction network not only enhances reconstruction quality but also ensures robust generalization capabilities, effectively restoring underwater target images even under the stringent conditions of a 3.125% sampling rate and 128 NTU turbidity. The integration of OAM beams' inherent turbulence resistance with DARU-GAN's advanced image reconstruction capabilities make it as an ideal solution for high-turbid underwater imaging applications.
Sub-100 Hz Intrinsic Linewidth 852 nm Silicon Nitride External Cavity Laser
Authors: Nejadriahi Hani , Kittlaus Eric , Bose Debapam , Chauhan Nitesh , Wang Jiawei , Fradet Mathieu , Bagheri Mahmood , Isichenko Andrei , Heim David , Forouhar Siamak , Blumenthal Daniel
Published: September 2024

We demonstrate an external cavity laser with intrinsic linewidth below 100 Hz around an operating wavelength of 852 nm, selected for its relevance to laser cooling and manipulation of cesium atoms. This system achieves a maximum CW output power of 24 mW, wavelength tunability over 15 nm, and a side-mode suppression ratio exceeding 50 dB. This performance level is facilitated by careful design of a low-loss integrated silicon nitride photonic circuit serving as the external cavity combined with commercially available semiconductor gain chips. This approach demonstrates the feasibility of compact integrated lasers with sub-kHz linewidth centering on the needs of emerging sensor concepts based on ultracold atoms and can be further extended to shorter wavelengths via selection of suitable semiconductor gain media.