bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interventions that address interpersonal violence experienced by adolescents globally: a systematic review of reviews
Authors: Walker Natasha , Peden Amy E , Bestman Amy , Baffsky Rachel , Willoughby Melissa , Ma Tracey , Moeller Holger , Torok Michelle , Peden Margaret , Ivers Rebecca Q , Cullen Patricia
Published: July 2024

Globally, adolescents experience a significant burden of interpersonal violence, impacting their health, well-being and life trajectory. To address this, decision-makers need reliable evidence on effective interventions across various contexts.

Objectives

Synthesise the evidence for interventions addressing interpersonal violence experienced by adolescents aged 10–25 years.

Methods

Six electronic databases were systematically searched. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses published globally between 2010 and 2022 were included if they reported interventions addressing interpersonal violence experienced by adolescents. Results were synthesised narratively.

Results

35 systematic reviews were included, of which 16 were also meta-analyses. Majority of reviews included interventions set in high income countries (71%) and implemented in educational settings (91%). Effectiveness was reported in majority of interventions measuring victimisation and/or perpetration of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, bullying and/or cyberbullying (90%), majority of interventions measuring improvements in knowledge and attitudes towards violence (94%) and all interventions measuring bystander behaviour and improvements in well-being and quality of life. However, the quality of included reviews as per Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 and National Health and Medical Research Council was low, and equity as per PROGRESS-PLUS was seldom considered. There was also a paucity of interventions addressing interpersonal violence in low-middle income countries (12%) and none of the included interventions specifically addressed interpersonal violence perpetrated in the home such as family violence.

Conclusion

There is some evidence of promising interventions to address interpersonal violence experienced by adolescents, however there are gaps in scope and implementation. There is a need for equity-oriented public health approaches to comprehensively address the disproportionate burden of interpersonal violence experienced by adolescents globally, including those at the highest risk of harm.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020218969.
Intergenerational transmission of health inequalities: research agenda for a life course approach to socioeconomic inequalities in health
Authors: Houweling Tanja A J , Grünberger Ilona
Published: July 2024

Explanations for socioeconomic inequalities in adult health are usually sought in behaviours and environments in adulthood. Yet, there is compelling evidence that the first two decades of life contribute substantially to both adult socioeconomic position (SEP) and adult health. This has implications for explanatory health inequalities research.

We propose an analytical framework to advance research on the intergenerational transmission of health inequalities, that is, on intergenerational transmission of socioeconomic and associated health (dis)advantages at the family level, and its contribution to health inequalities at the population level. The framework distinguishes three transmission pathways: (1) intergenerational transmission of SEP, with effects on offspring health fully mediated by offspring SEP; (2) intergenerational transmission of health problems affecting SEP and (3) intergenerational transmission of both SEP and health, without a causal relationship between offspring adult SEP and health. We describe areas for future research along this framework and discuss the challenges and opportunities to advance this field.
Plasma metabolomics of immune-related adverse events for patients with lung cancer treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors
Authors: Chen Juan , Liu Jia-Si , Liu Jun-Yan , She Lei , Zou Ting , Yang Fan , Li Xiang-Ping , Wang Zhan , Liu Zhaoqian
Published: July 2024

Background

Metabolomics has the characteristics of terminal effects and reflects the physiological state of biological diseases more directly. Several current biomarkers of multiple omics were revealed to be associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs) occurrence. However, there is a lack of reliable metabolic biomarkers to predict irAEs. This study aims to explore the potential metabolic biomarkers to predict risk of irAEs and to investigate the association of plasma metabolites level with survival in patients with lung cancer receiving PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor treatment.

Methods

The study collected 170 plasmas of 85 patients with lung cancer who received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment. 58 plasma samples of 29 patients with irAEs were collected before ICIs treatment and at the onset of irAEs. 112 plasma samples of 56 patients who did not develop irAEs were collected before ICIs treatment and plasma matched by treatment cycles to onset of irAEs patients. Untargeted metabolomics analysis was used to identify the differential metabolites before initiating ICIs treatment and during the process that development of irAEs. Kaplan-Meier curves analysis was used to detect the associations of plasma metabolites level with survival of patients with lung cancer.

Results

A total of 24 differential metabolites were identified to predict the occurrence of irAEs. Baseline acylcarnitines and steroids levels are significantly higher in patients with irAEs, and the model of eight acylcarnitine and six steroid metabolites baseline level predicts irAEs occurrence with area under the curve of 0.91. Patients with lower concentration of baseline decenoylcarnitine(AcCa(10:1) 2, decenoylcarnitine(AcCa(10:1) 3 and hexanoylcarnitine(AcCa(6:0) in plasma would have better overall survival (OS). Moreover, 52 differential metabolites were identified related to irAEs during ICIs treatment, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, corticoserone, cortisol, thyroxine and sphinganine 1-phaosphate were significantly decreased in irAEs group while oxoglutaric acid and taurocholic acid were significantly increased in irAEs group.

Conclusions

High levels of acylcarnitines and steroid hormone metabolites might be risk factor to development of irAEs, and levels of decenoylcarnitine (AcCa(10:1) 2, decenoylcarnitine (AcCa(10:1) 3 and hexanoylcarnitine (AcCa(6:0) could be used to predict OS for patients with lung cancer received ICIs treatment.
Federal field nurses and Indigenous births
Authors: Sanders Laurel
Published: July 2024

Beginning in 1924, the US Office of Indian Affairs sent public health or ‘field’ nurses to Native nations to provide preventative healthcare and education. The field nurse programme began under the US policy of assimilating Native Americans. To that end, field nurses championed ‘modern’ institutionalised medicine and opposed Indigenous health traditions. They taught an ethnocentric form of health education to Native mothers, and their work was complicit in the genocidal policy of removing Native children to federal boarding schools. However, Indigenous women resisted many of the interventions of the field nurse programme. They also exercised medical pluralism and sought other field nurse services relating to childbirth, prenatal and postpartum health, sometimes in defiance of the nursing programme’s professional boundaries. The history of the field nurse programme reveals the ways in which professionalised public health nursing served settler colonial policy, yet it also showcases Native women’s self-determination as pregnant patients and as nurses themselves.
Effect of the position of the substituent in the electrochemical reduction of nitro-substituted benzenesulfonyl chlorides
Authors: Saley Michael A. , Hamed Emad M. , Houmam Abdelaziz
Published: July 2024

The electrochemical reduction of a series of nitro-substituted benzenesulfonyl chlorides is investigated. The results of the electrochemical study are analysed with the assistance of theoretical calculations. The study shows that the electron transfer mechanism depends on the position of the nitro substituent on the phenyl ring. The 3-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride follows a stepwise mechanism where the reduction leads to an intermediate radical anion. For the 4-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride, 2-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride, and 2,4-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride, the reduction follows a “sticky” dissociative mechanism, where the electron transfer and S–Cl bond cleavage are concerted. The dissociation products (arylsulfinyl radical and chloride anion) show strong interactions. The difference in behaviour is associated with the overlap of the π* orbital and the S–Cl σ* orbital for the latter three compounds. The through resonance stability of the arylsulfinyl radicals for the para and ortho nitro-substituted compounds facilitates the dissociation of the reduced structures. Upon reduction, the 3-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride and 4-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride, also produce the corresponding diaryl disulfones, which are easier to reduce that the parent molecules and hence induce an interesting autocatalytic mechanism. Such a mechanism, which depends on the concentration and the scan rate, does not take place with the 2-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride and 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride due to the sterical hindrance of the nitro substituent at the ortho position, as it prevents the formation of the disulfones.
Below ground chemical and microbial community responses of wood ash addition to a hardwood forest in central Ontario
Authors: Smith Edward , Basiliko Nathan , Eimers M. Catherine , Munford Kimber E. , Hazlett Paul , Watmough Shaun A.
Published: July 2024

The use of wood ash as a soil amendment remains restricted in many parts of Canada. To better understand belowground biogeochemical responses to wood ash, soil solution chemistry was measured over 3 years following the application of wood ash (0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 Mg·ha−1) at a hardwood stand in Ontario, after which soil microbial response was assessed using 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer sequencing. Metal concentrations in the locally sourced wood ash were below provincial regulatory limits. Significant increases in soil solution pH were observed within the forest floor in the first year of the trial, and significant increases in calcium and magnesium were also observed in later years of the trial. Concentrations of most metals in soil water either decreased or exhibited no significant change in response to wood ash. There was an increase in diversity and richness of soil prokaryotic groups in the FH horizon at the highest wood ash treatment that is most likely linked to the large increase in pH. This study indicates that wood ash has a strong ameliorative effect on soil and soil water chemistry without major changes to soil microbial communities and is a viable amendment to forest soils at dosages below 5 Mg·ha−1.
Testing strong gravitational lensing effects of various supermassive compact objects for the static and spherically symmetric hairy black hole by gravitational decoupling
Authors: Mustafa G. , Maurya S. K.
Published: July 2024

We investigate the strong gravitational lensing effects of various supermassive compact objects for the static and spherically symmetric hairy black hole by gravitational decoupling. To do this purpose, we first numerically calculate the strong deflection limit coefficients and strong deflection angle with the decoupling modified black hole parameter$$\alpha $$αand$$\beta $$β. It is observed that for the lowest value of the parameter$$\alpha $$α, the strong deflection angle$$\alpha _D$$αDreaches its maximum value with the parameter$$\beta $$βand for the lowest value of the parameter$$\beta $$β, strong deflection angle$$\alpha _D$$αDreaches its minimum value with the parameter$$\alpha $$α; and also the strong deflection angle for$$\alpha _D$$αDfor the decoupling modified black hole is smaller than standard Schwarzschild black hole$$(\alpha =0)$$(α=0). We investigate the various astrophysical consequences via strong gravitational lensing by considering the example of various supermassive BHs in the centre nearby galaxies and observe that the decoupling modified black hole could be quantitatively distinguished from the standard Schwarzschild black hole ($$\alpha =0$$α=0). Findings in our observation suggest that the observational test for a decoupling-modified black hole is indeed feasible.
A comprehensive data-driven odyssey to explore the equation of state of dark energy
Authors: Dinda Bikash R. , Banerjee Narayan
Published: July 2024

For the first time, we reconstruct the dark energy equation of the state parameter w from the combination of background and perturbation observations, specifically combining the Hubble parameter data from cosmic chronometer observations and the logarithmic growth rate data from the growth rate observations. We do this analysis using posterior Gaussian process regression without considering any specific cosmological model or parametrization. However there are three main assumptions: (I) a flat Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) metric is considered for the cosmological background, (II) there is no interaction between dark energy and matter sectors, and (III) for the growth of inhomogeneity, sub-Hubble approximation and linear perturbations are considered. This study is unique in the sense that the reconstruction of w is independent of any derived parameters such as the present values of the matter-energy density parameter and Hubble parameter. From the reconstruction, we look at how the dark energy equation of state evolves between redshifts 0 and 1.5, finding a slight hint of dynamical behavior in dark energy. However, the evidence is not significant. We also find a leaning towards non-phantom behavior over phantom behavior. We observe that the $$\varLambda $$
Λ
CDM model $$(w=-1)$$

(
w
=
-
1
)

nearly touches the lower boundary of the 1$$\sigma $$
σ
confidence region in the redshift range $$0.6 \lesssim z \lesssim 0.85.$$

0.6
≲
z
≲
0.85
.

However, it comfortably resides within the 2$$\sigma $$
σ
confidence region in the whole redshift range under investigation, $$0\le z \le 1.5.$$

0
≤
z
≤
1.5
.

Consequently, the non-parametric, model-independent reconstruction of dark energy provides no compelling evidence to deviate from the $$\varLambda $$
Λ
CDM model when considering cosmic chronometer and growth rate observations.
Hybrid technique for multi-dimensional fractional diffusion problems involving Caputo–Fabrizio derivative
Authors: Yadav Surendar Kumar , Purohit Mridula , Gour Murli Manohar , Yadav Lokesh Kumar , Mishra Manvendra Narayan
Published: July 2024

In this study, a precise and analytical method, namely Shehu transform decomposition method (STDM), is applied to examine multi-dimensional fractional diffusion equations, which will describe density dynamics in a material undergoing diffusion. The fractional derivative is taken into account by the Caputo–Fabrizio (CF) derivative. The proposed approach combines the Shehu transformation (ST) with the Adomian decomposition method (ADM), employing Adomain polynomials to handle nonlinear terms. Fixed point theorem has been used to prove the uniqueness and existence of the solution of governing differential equation. To validate the accuracy of proposed method, we present the analytical solutions of three applications of multi-dimensional fractional diffusion equations. Furthermore, we compute the graphical and numerical results using MATLAB to demonstrate the close-form analytical solution in the comparison of the exact solution. The obtained findings are promising and suitable for the solution of multi-dimensional diffusion problems with time-fractional derivatives. The main advantage is that our developed scheme does not require assumptions or restrictions on variables that ruin the actual problem. This scheme plays a significant role in finding the solution and overcoming the restriction of variables that may cause difficulty in modeling the problem.
Boosting Semi-Supervised Video Captioning via Learning Candidates Adjusters
Authors: Xu Wanru , Miao Zhenjiang , Yu Jian , Cen Yigang , Tian Yi , Wan Lili , Wan Yanli , Ji Qiang
Published: July 2024

Video captioning is a multimodal task on both CV and NLP, whose goal is to automatically obtain the description of video content with natural language statements. Although there are amounts of video data, their annotations with description sentences are very limited. In this paper, we define the semi-supervised video captioning (SSVC) problem in order to improve performance with limited annotations by leveraging the semantic knowledge from both well-annotated samples and no-annotated samples. To address the problem, we introduce a LCA-boosted model (LCABM) for boosting SSVC, where it is first to explore a learnable candidates adjuster to adjust the caption candidates and then treat these adjusted captions as pesudo labels to train the SSVC model with no-annotated samples in reverse. In particular, the model learning is considered as a bi-level optimization problem and solved by an EM-like multi-stage training algorithm. The experiments show the effectiveness of our proposed LCABM, whose performance is comparable and even better than those state-of-the-art fully-supervised methods even with less annotations.
A Comprehensive Analysis of Explainable AI for Malware Hunting
Authors: Saqib Mohd , Mahdavifar Samaneh , Fung Benjamin C. M. , Charland Philippe
Published: July 2024

In the past decade, the number of malware variants has increased rapidly. Many researchers have proposed to detect malware using intelligent techniques, such as Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL), which have high accuracy and precision. These methods, however, suffer from being opaque in the decision-making process. Therefore, we need Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based models to be explainable, interpretable, and transparent to be reliable and trustworthy. In this survey, we reviewed articles related to Explainable AI (XAI) and their application to the significant scope of malware detection. The article encompasses a comprehensive examination of various XAI algorithms employed in malware analysis. Moreover, we have addressed the characteristics, challenges, and requirements in malware analysis that cannot be accommodated by standard XAI methods. We discussed that even though Explainable Malware Detection (EMD) models provide explainability, they make an AI-based model more vulnerable to adversarial attacks. We also propose a framework that assigns a level of explainability to each XAI malware analysis model, based on the security features involved in each method. In summary, the proposed project focuses on combining XAI and malware analysis to apply XAI models for scrutinizing the opaque nature of AI systems and their applications to malware analysis.
Exploiting Backdoors of Face Synthesis Detection with Natural Triggers
Authors: Han Xiaoxuan , Yang Songlin , Wang Wei , He Ziwen , Dong Jing
Published: July 2024

Deep neural networks have enhanced face synthesis detection in discriminating Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC). However, their security is threatened by the injection of carefully crafted triggers during model training (i.e., backdoor attacks). Although existing backdoor defenses and manual data selection are able to mitigate those using human-eye-sensitive triggers, such as patches or adversarial noises, the more challenging natural backdoor triggers remain insufficiently researched. To further investigate natural triggers, we propose a novel analysis-by-synthesis backdoor attack against face synthesis detection models, which embeds natural triggers in the latent space. We study such backdoor vulnerability from two perspectives: (1)
Model Discrimination (Optimization-Based Trigger)
: we adopt a substitute detection model and find the trigger by minimizing the cross-entropy loss; (2)
Data Distribution (Custom Trigger):
we manipulate the uncommon facial attributes in the long-tailed distribution to generate poisoned samples without the supervision from detection models. Furthermore, to evaluate the detection models toward the latest AIGC, we utilize both the state-of-the-art StyleGAN and Stable Diffusion for trigger generation. Finally, these backdoor triggers introduce specific semantic features to the generated poisoned samples (e.g., skin textures and smile), which are more natural and robust. Extensive experiments show that our method is superior over existing pixel space backdoor attacks on three levels: (1)
Attack Success Rate
: achieving an attack success rate exceeding 99

\(\%\)

, comparable to baseline methods, with less than 0.1

\(\%\)

model accuracy drop and under 3

\(\%\)

poisoning rate; (2)
Backdoor Defense
: showing superior robustness when faced with existing backdoor defenses (e.g., surpassing baseline methods by over 30

\(\%\)

after a 15

\({}^{\circ}\)

rotation); (3)
Human Inspection
: being less human-eye-sensitive from a user study with 46 participants and a collection of 2,300 data points.
Analysis of Transient Current and Heat Flow during Voltage Holds: For Relaxed and Unrelaxed G/NMC811 Cells
Authors: Streck Luiza , Roth Thomas , Noel Andreas , Keil Peter , Jossen Andreas
Published: July 2024

This study investigates the transient heat flow during voltage holds for multi-layer pouch G/NMC811 lithium-ion cells. When applying a voltage hold to estimate the amount of parasitic side reactions, there is first a transient phase followed by a steady state. According to the literature, reversible processes mainly influence the transient phase, while the steady state presents the side reaction current. This work investigates the contributions to the transient behavior, evaluating the thermal and electrical signals and deconvoluting the different parasitic side reactions. In addition, a comparison between relaxed and unrelaxed states is performed, analyzing different temperatures and voltages. The results show that the relaxed graphite cells quickly reached a constant parasitic heat flow value with minimal transient effects. In contrast, the unrelaxed cells presented increased transient effects in the parasitic heat flow signal that can last more than 300 h. The electric transient originates mainly from anode overhang effects and SEI regrowth, while the thermal transient consists predominantly of SEI regrowth. Overall, the thermal signals stabilize faster than the electrical signals, giving calorimetry an advantage for faster estimation of parasitic side reactions.
A DFT Study of Optoelectronic and Photo-catalytic Properties in 2D Copper and Silver Halides Through Strain Engineering
Authors: Alburaih Huda A. , Zia ur Rehman M. , Saeed M. Usman , Noor N. A. , H.-E. M. Musa Saad , Saeed Y.
Published: July 2024

By using first principles calculations, the electronic, optical, photo-catalytic properties and the effect of in-plane bi-axial strain are investigated for Copper halides (CuCl, CuBr, and CuI) ML and silver halides (AgCl AgBr and AgI) ML. The results show that all the studied semiconductors have indirect bandgap while under the strain of (−8% to +8%), the bandgap has changed differently. Projected density of states revealed that CBM and VBM are mainly contributed by p-orbital and d-orbital of Cu-atom respectively in the case of all Copper halides (CuCl, CuBr, and CuI). Similarly, in the case of Silver halides (AgCl, AgBr, and AgI) CBM and VBM are mainly contributed by p-orbital and d-orbital of Ag-atom respectively. Phonon band structures of all unstrained monolayers are thermodynamically stable. The computed real part ε
1(ω) and the imaginary part ε
2(ω) of dielectric function revealed that CuCl and CuBr are suitable for the development of devices that may work in the infrared range while other materials such as CuI, AgCl, AgBr, and AgI are suitable for the development of devices that may work in the visible range. However, all the materials have a high absorption I(ω) of visible light as well. I(ω) under the strain of (−8% to +8%) is also computed, which shows that strain can effectively increase absorption of materials in the visible region. Both E
VBM
and E
CBM
in CuCl, CuBr, CuI, AgCl, and AgBr (ML) attain favorable positions that’s why these materials are appropriate for water splitting at pH = 0 while AgI (ML) is suitable for the reduction of water but not for oxidation.
Paradoxes in magnesium transport in type 1 Bartter’s syndrome and Gitelman’s syndrome: a modeling analysis
Authors: Dutta Pritha , Layton Anita T.
Published: July 2024

Although changes in Ca2+ excretion in type 1 Bartter’s syndrome and Gitelman’s syndrome are well understood, Mg2+ excretion displays an interesting paradox. This computational modeling study provides insights into how renal adaptations in these two disorders impact Ca2+ and Mg2+ transport along different nephron segments. Model simulations showed that nephron adaptations favor Mg2+ preservation over Ca2+ in Bartter’s syndrome and Ca2+ preservation over Mg2+ in Gitelman’s syndrome and are stronger in females than in males.
Role of the CDKL1-SOX11 signaling axis in acute kidney injury
Authors: Silvaroli Josie A. , Martinez Gabriela V. , Vanichapol Thitinee , Davidson Alan J. , Zepeda-Orozco Diana , Pabla Navjot S. , Kim Ji Young
Published: July 2024

Identifying and targeting pathogenic protein kinases holds potential for drug discovery in treating acute kidney injury. Our study, using novel germline knockout mice, revealed that Cdkl1 kinase deficiency does not affect mouse viability but provides protection against acute kidney injury. This underscores the importance of Cdkl1 kinase in kidney injury and supports the development of targeted small-molecule inhibitors as potential therapeutics.
Lipids shape brain function through ion channel and receptor modulations: physiological mechanisms and clinical perspectives
Authors: Incontro Salvatore , Musella Maria Laura , Sammari Malika , Di Scala Coralie , Fantini Jacques , Debanne Dominique
Published: July 2024

Lipids represent the most abundant molecular type in the brain, with a fat content of ∼60% of the dry brain weight in humans. Despite this fact, little attention has been paid to circumscribe the dynamic role of lipids in brain function and disease. Membrane lipids such as cholesterol, phosphoinositide, sphingolipids, arachidonic acid, and endocannabinoids finely regulate both synaptic receptors and ion channels that ensure critical neural functions. After a brief introduction on brain lipids and their respective properties, we review here their role in regulating synaptic function and ion channel activity, action potential propagation, neuronal development, and functional plasticity and their contribution in the development of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. We also provide possible directions for future research on lipid function in brain plasticity and diseases.
Supplementary Figure 12 from PTP4A2 Promotes Glioblastoma Progression and Macrophage Polarization under Microenvironmental Pressure
Authors: Chouleur Tiffanie , Emanuelli Andrea , Souleyreau Wilfried , Derieppe Marie-Alix , Leboucq Téo , Hardy Serge , Mathivet Thomas , Tremblay Michel L. , Bikfalvi Andreas
Published: July 2024

The figure depicts the diffuse glioma when PTP42A is deregulated. Left panel (PTP42A ko) and right panel (PTP42A overexpression, PTP42A-OE).
Figure 3 from PTP4A2 Promotes Glioblastoma Progression and Macrophage Polarization under Microenvironmental Pressure
Authors: Chouleur Tiffanie , Emanuelli Andrea , Souleyreau Wilfried , Derieppe Marie-Alix , Leboucq Téo , Hardy Serge , Mathivet Thomas , Tremblay Michel L. , Bikfalvi Andreas
Published: July 2024

In vivo phenotype associated with PTP4A2 modulation in P3 xenografts. A, Western blot analysis of Ctrl, PTP4A2-KO, and PTP4A2-OE P3 cells. B, Tumor volume assessed by bioluminescent imaging from orthotopically xenografted P3 spheroids (KO, Ctrl, and OE) over approximately 2 months after implantation. Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn tests. n = 8 mice per group. C, Tumor size of P3 PTP4A2-KO, Ctrl, and PTP4A2-OE tumors. Mice were sacrificed at the same time point to compare the tumor area. n = 5 mice per group. D, Kaplan–Meier curves of survival (time to endpoint) of mice bearing KO, Ctrl, and OE tumors. Survival was not affected by the KO but was reduced by the OE. Log-rank test. The number of mice is indicated in the figure. E, TUNEL assay performed on sections from P3 Ctrl, PRP4A2-KO, and PRP4A2-OE tumors showing significantly more apoptosis in KO tumors compared with Ctrl and OE. Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn tests. n = 5 mice per group.
RNF149 Destabilizes IFNGR1 in Macrophages to Favor Postinfarction Cardiac Repair
Authors: Huang Chun-Kai , Chen Zhiyong , Zhou Zhongxing , Chen Shuaijie , Chen Longqing , Li Liliang , Li Tao , Yan Xiaoxiang , Chai Dajun
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND:

Macrophage-driven inflammation critically involves in cardiac injury and repair following myocardial infarction (MI). However, the intrinsic mechanisms that halt the immune response of macrophages, which is critical to preserve homeostasis and effective infarct repair, remain to be fully defined. Here, we aimed to determine the ubiquitination-mediated regulatory effects on averting exaggerated inflammatory responses in cardiac macrophages.

METHODS:

We used transcriptome analysis of mouse cardiac macrophages and bone marrow–derived macrophages to identify the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF149 (ring finger protein 149) as a modulator of macrophage response to MI. Employing loss-of-function methodologies, bone marrow transplantation approaches, and adenovirus-mediated RNF149 overexpression in macrophages, we elucidated the functional role of RNF149 in MI. We explored the underlying mechanisms through flow cytometry, transcriptome analysis, immunoprecipitation/mass spectrometry analysis, and functional experiments. RNF149 expression was measured in the cardiac tissues of patients with acute MI and healthy controls.

RESULTS:

RNF149 was highly expressed in murine and human cardiac macrophages at the early phase of MI. Knockout of RNF149, transplantation of
Rnf149
–/–
bone marrow, and bone marrow macrophage–specific RNF149-knockdown markedly exacerbated cardiac dysfunction in murine MI models. Conversely, overexpression of RNF149 in macrophages attenuated the ischemia-induced decline in cardiac contractile function. RNF149 deletion increased infiltration of proinflammatory monocytes/macrophages, accompanied by a hastened decline in reparative subsets, leading to aggravation of myocardial apoptosis and impairment of infarct healing. Our data revealed that RNF149 in infiltrated macrophages restricted inflammation by promoting ubiquitylation-dependent proteasomal degradation of IFNGR1 (interferon gamma receptor 1). Loss of IFNGR1 rescued deleterious effects of RNF149 deficiency on MI. We further demonstrated that STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 1) activation induced
Rnf149
transcription, which, in turn, destabilized the IFNGR1 protein to counteract type-II IFN (interferon) signaling, creating a feedback control mechanism to fine-tune macrophage-driven inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings highlight the significance of RNF149 as a molecular brake on macrophage response to MI and uncover a macrophage-intrinsic posttranslational mechanism essential for maintaining immune homeostasis and facilitating cardiac repair following MI.
Vaccine Therapy for Heart Failure Targeting the Inflammatory Cytokine Igfbp7
Authors: Katoh Manami , Nomura Seitaro , Yamada Shintaro , Ito Masamichi , Hayashi Hiroki , Katagiri Mikako , Heryed Tuolisi , Fujiwara Takayuki , Takeda Norifumi , Nishida Miyuki , Sugaya Maki , Kato Miki , Osawa Tsuyoshi , Abe Hiroyuki , Sakurai Yoshitaka , Ko Toshiyuki , Fujita Kanna , Zhang Bo , Hatsuse Satoshi , Yamada Takanobu , Inoue Shunsuke , Dai Zhehao , Kubota Masayuki , Sawami Kousuke , Ono Minoru , Morita Hiroyuki , Kubota Yoshiaki , Mizuno Seiya , Takahashi Satoru , Nakanishi Makoto , Ushiku Tetsuo , Nakagami Hironori , Aburatani Hiroyuki , Komuro Issei
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND:

The heart comprises many types of cells such as cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells (ECs), fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, pericytes, and blood cells. Every cell type responds to various stressors (eg, hemodynamic overload and ischemia) and changes its properties and interrelationships among cells. To date, heart failure research has focused mainly on cardiomyocytes; however, other types of cells and their cell-to-cell interactions might also be important in the pathogenesis of heart failure.

METHODS:

Pressure overload was imposed on mice by transverse aortic constriction and the vascular structure of the heart was examined using a tissue transparency technique. Functional and molecular analyses including single-cell RNA sequencing were performed on the hearts of wild-type mice and EC-specific gene knockout mice. Metabolites in heart tissue were measured by capillary electrophoresis-time of flight-mass spectrometry system. The vaccine was prepared by conjugating the synthesized epitope peptides with keyhole limpet hemocyanin and administered to mice with aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant. Tissue samples from heart failure patients were used for single-nucleus RNA sequencing to examine gene expression in ECs and perform pathway analysis in cardiomyocytes.

RESULTS:

Pressure overload induced the development of intricately entwined blood vessels in murine hearts, leading to the accumulation of replication stress and DNA damage in cardiac ECs. Inhibition of cell proliferation by a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor reduced DNA damage in ECs and ameliorated transverse aortic constriction–induced cardiac dysfunction. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed upregulation of
Igfbp7
(insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7) expression in the senescent ECs and downregulation of insulin signaling and oxidative phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes of murine and human failing hearts. Overexpression of
Igfbp7
in the murine heart using AAV9 (adeno-associated virus serotype 9) exacerbated cardiac dysfunction, while EC-specific deletion of
Igfbp7
and the vaccine targeting Igfbp7 ameliorated cardiac dysfunction with increased oxidative phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes under pressure overload.

CONCLUSIONS:

Igfbp7 produced by senescent ECs causes cardiac dysfunction and vaccine therapy targeting Igfbp7 may be useful to prevent the development of heart failure.
Multiethnic Perspectives of Shared Decision‐Making in Hypertension: A Mixed‐Methods Study
Authors: Elias Sabrina , Wenzel Jennifer , Cooper Lisa A. , Perrin Nancy , Commodore‐Mensah Yvonne , Lewis Krystina B. , Koirala Binu , Slone Sarah , Byiringiro Samuel , Marsteller Jill , Himmelfarb Cheryl R. , Marsteller Jill A. , Ahima Rexford , Alvarez Carmen , Antoine Denis G. , Avornu Gideon , Bhattarai Jagriti , Bone Lee , Boonyasai Romsai T. , Carson Kathryn A. , Charleston Jeanne , Chung Suna , Cort Marcia , Crews Deidra C. , Daumit Gail L. , Dietz Katherine B. , Eyer Teresa , Frazier Demetrius , Greer Raquel , Hickman Debra , Hill‐Briggs Felicia , Dennison Himmelfarb Cheryl R. , Hines Anika , Hull Tammie , Ibe Chidinma A. , Johnson Lawrence , Johnson Susan , Kargbo Mary , Kelleher Mary , Lazo Mariana , Lubomski Lisa , Mathews Lena M. , Miller Edgar R. , Ndumele Chiadi E. , Turkson‐Ocran Ruth‐Alma , Parker Randy , Peterson Cassandra , Purnell Tanjala S. , Spicyn Natalie , Teagle DeNotta , Wang Nae‐Yuh , White Marcee , Yeh Hsin‐Chieh , Young Joan , Zeren Kimberly L.
Published: July 2024

Background

Shared decision‐making (SDM) has the potential to improve hypertension care quality and equity. However, research lacks diverse representation and evidence about how race and ethnicity affect SDM. Therefore, this study aims to explore SDM in the context of hypertension management.

Methods and Results

Explanatory sequential mixed‐methods design was used. Quantitative data were sourced at baseline and 12‐month follow up from RICH LIFE (Reducing Inequities in Care of Hypertension: Lifestyle Improvement for Everyone) participants (n=1212) with hypertension. Qualitative data were collected from semistructured individual interviews, at 12‐month follow‐up, with participants (n=36) selected based on their SDM scores and blood pressure outcome. Patients were cross‐ categorized based on high or low SDM scores and systolic blood pressure reduction of ≥10 or <10 mm Hg. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that predictors of SDM scores and blood pressure outcome were race and ethnicity (relative risk ratio [RRR], 1.64;
P
=0.029), age (RRR, 1.03;
P
=0.002), educational level (RRR, 1.87;
P
=0.016), patient activation (RRR, 0.98;
P
<0.001; RRR, 0.99;
P
=0.039), and hypertension knowledge (RRR, 2.2;
P
<0.001; and RRR, 1.57;
P
=0.045). Qualitative and mixed‐methods findings highlight that provider–patient communication and relationship influenced SDM, being emphasized both as facilitators and barriers. Other facilitators were patients' understanding of hypertension; clinicians' interest in the patient, and clinicians' personality and attitudes; and barriers included perceived lack of compassion, relationship hierarchy, and time constraints.

Conclusions

Participants with different SDM scores and blood pressure outcomes varied in determinants of decision and descriptions of contextual factors influencing SDM. Results provide actionable information, are novel, and expand our understanding of factors influencing SDM in hypertension.
Building and Breaking the Chain: A Model of Reward Prediction Error Integration and Segmentation of Memory
Authors: Rouhani Nina , Clewett David , Antony James W.
Published: July 2024

Prediction errors drive reinforcement learning and organize episodic memory into distinct contexts, but do these effects interact? Here, we review the roles of midbrain dopamine, the locus coeruleus, and the hippocampus in event cognition to propose and simulate the theoretical influence of two prediction error signals in integrating versus segmenting events in memory. We suggest that signed reward prediction errors can build mental models of reward environments, increasing the contextual similarity (integration) of experiences with stronger, more stable reward expectations. On the other hand, unsigned reward prediction errors can signal a new model of the environment, generating a contextual shift (segmentation) between experiences that crossed them. We moreover predicted that these differences in contextual similarity give rise to distinct patterns of temporal-order memory. We combined these ideas in a computational model to account for a seemingly paradoxical pattern of temporal-order memory where greater representational distance helps order memory within context but impairs it across contexts. We found that simulating signed reward prediction error integration and unsigned reward prediction error segmentation differentially enabled the model to perform associative chaining, which involved reactivating items between two tested probes to assist with sequential retrieval. In summary, our simulations provide a unifying explanation for the varied ways that neuromodulatory systems may alter event cognition and memory.
Is That You I Hear? Speaker Familiarity Modulates Neural Signatures of Lexical-semantic Activation in 18-month-old Infants
Authors: Montgomery Clarissa , Guellaï Bahia , Rämä Pia
Published: July 2024

Developmental language studies have shown that lexical-semantic organization develops between 18 and 24 months of age in monolingual infants. In the present study, we aimed to examine whether voice familiarity facilitates lexical-semantic activation in the infant brain. We recorded the brain activity of 18-month-old, French-learning infants using EEG while they listened to taxonomically related and unrelated spoken word pairs by one voice with which they were familiarized with before the experiment, and one voice with which they were not familiarized. The ERPs were measured in response to related and unrelated target words. Our results showed an N400 effect (greater amplitudes for unrelated as opposed to related target words) over the left hemisphere, only for the familiar voice, suggesting that the voice familiarity facilitated lexical-semantic activation. For unfamiliar voices, we observed an earlier congruence effect (greater amplitudes for related than for unrelated target words). This suggests that although 18-month-olds process lexical-semantic information from unfamiliar speakers, their neural signatures of lexical-semantic processing are less mature. Our results show that even in the absence of personal relation with a speaker, familiarity with a voice augments infant lexical-semantic processing. This supports the idea that extralinguistic information plays a role in infant lexical-semantic activation.
Musical Expertise Influences the Processing of Short and Long Auditory Time Intervals: An Electroencephalography Study
Authors: Thibault Nicola , D'amours Stéphanie , Albouy Philippe , Grondin Simon
Published: July 2024

Musical expertise has been proven to be beneficial for time perception abilities, with musicians outperforming nonmusicians in several explicit timing tasks. However, it is unclear how musical expertise impacts implicit time perception. Twenty nonmusicians and 15 expert musicians participated in an EEG recording during a passive auditory oddball paradigm with 0.8- and 1.6-sec standard time intervals and deviant intervals that were either played earlier or delayed relative to the standard interval. We first confirmed that, as was the case for nonmusicians, musicians use different neurofunctional processes to support the perception of short (below 1.2 sec) and long (above 1.2 sec) time intervals: Whereas deviance detection for long intervals elicited a N1 component, P2 was associated with deviance detection for short time intervals. Interestingly, musicians did not elicit a contingent negative variation (CNV) for longer intervals but show additional components of deviance detection such as (i) an attention-related N1 component, even for deviants occurring during short intervals; (ii) a N2 component for above and below 1.2-sec deviance detection, and (iii) a P2 component for above 1.2-sec deviance detection. We propose that the N2 component is a marker of explicit deviance detection and acts as an inhibitory/conflict monitoring of the deviance. This hypothesis was supported by a positive correlation between CNV and N2 amplitudes: The CNV reflects the temporal accumulator and can predict explicit detection of the deviance. In expert musicians, a N2 component is observable without CNV, suggesting that deviance detection is optimized and does not require the temporal accumulator. Overall, this study suggests that musical expertise is associated with optimized implicit time perception.
Goal Shifts Structure Memories and Prioritize Event-defining Information in Memory
Authors: Cowan Emily T. , Chanales Avi J. , Davachi Lila , Clewett David
Published: July 2024

Every day, we encounter far more information than we could possibly remember. Thus, our memory systems must organize and prioritize the details from an experience that can adaptively guide the storage and retrieval of specific episodic events. Prior work has shown that shifts in internal goal states can function as event boundaries, chunking experiences into distinct and memorable episodes. In addition, at short delays, memory for contextual information at boundaries has been shown to be enhanced compared with items within each event. However, it remains unclear if these memory enhancements are limited to features that signal a meaningful transition between events. To determine how changes in dynamic goal states influence the organization and content of long-term memory, we designed a 2-day experiment in which participants viewed a series of black-and-white objects surrounded by a color border on a two-by-two grid. The location of the object on the grid determined which of two tasks participants performed on a given trial. To examine if distinct types of goal shifts modulate the effects of event segmentation, we changed the border color, the task, or both after every four items in a sequence. We found that goal shifts influenced temporal memory in a manner consistent with the formation of distinct events. However, for subjective memory representations in particular, these effects differed by the type of event boundary. Furthermore, to examine if goal shifts lead to the prioritization of goal-relevant features in longer lasting memories, we tested source memory for each object's color and grid location both immediately and after a 24-hr delay. On the immediate test, boundaries enhanced the memory for all concurrent source features compared with nonboundary items, but only if those boundaries involved a goal shift. In contrast, after a delay, the source memory was selectively enhanced for the feature relevant to the goal shift. These findings suggest that goals can adaptively structure memories by prioritizing contextual features that define a unique episode in memory.
Enhancing Absorption Rate in Perovskite by Incorporating Hollow Nano Aluminum Particles
Authors: Chen Ziyu , Chen Cong , Chen Ping
Published: July 2024

Since the emergence of perovskite as an outstanding light-absorbing material, significant progress has been made in enhancing the efficiency of solar cells. Building upon this foundation, the reconfiguration of the internal optical properties of perovskite holds promise for further
efficiency improvements. To address this, we investigated the influence of hollow metal aluminum particle structures on absorption rates. Our findings demonstrate that integrating hollow metal aluminum structures into perovskite films can significantly enhance their absorption rates compared
to conventional gold or silver nanoparticles. Ultimately, through comparative testing, we showcase the fabrication of perovskite thin-film photovoltaic cells with a single-layer thickness of 200 nanometers, achieving an energy conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.20%, utilizing a cost-effective
approach.