bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reference frames for learning analytics dashboards: The progress and social reference frame and occupational self‐efficacy
Authors: Gallagher Timothy , Slof Bert , van der Schaaf Marieke , Toyoda Ryo , Tehreem Yusra , Garcia Fracaro Sofia , Kester Liesbeth
Published: November 2023

Background

The potential of learning analytics dashboards in virtual reality simulation‐based training environments to influence occupational self‐efficacy via self‐reflection phase processes in the Chemical industry is still not fully understood. Learning analytics dashboards provide feedback on learner performance and offer points of comparison (i.e., comparison with one's own past performance or comparison with peer performance) to help learners make sense of their feedback.

Objectives

We present a theoretical framework for describing learning analytics reference frames and investigate the impact of feedback delivered through dashboards with different reference frames on occupational self‐efficacy, while controlling for workplace self‐reflection.

Methods

This experimental study engaged 42 chemical operator employees, aged between 18 and 55 years, each with at least one year of experience. We utilised a two‐group design to ask two research question each with three competing hypotheses related to changes in occupational self‐efficacy, employing Bayesian informative hypothesis evaluation.

Results and Conclusions

Results for the primary research question suggest that dashboards with progress reference frames do not elicit greater change to self‐efficacy than those with social reference frames, however, they may elicit equal change. Furthermore, dashboards with social reference frames may elicit greater change to self‐efficacy than those with progress reference frames. Exploratory results found that dashboards with progress reference frames may elicit greater positive directional change than those with social reference frames and that they may elicit equal directional change.

These findings contribute to the understanding of self‐efficacy beliefs within the Chemical industry, with potential impacts on skill development. The research may inform the design of targeted interventions and training programs to influence self‐efficacy. From a practical perspective, this research suggests that careful consideration is needed when choosing reference frames in learning analytics dashboards due to their potential consequences on the formation of learner self‐efficacy.
Wood of trees: Cellular structure, molecular formation, and genetic engineering
Authors: Zhu Yingying , Li Laigeng
Published: November 2023

Wood is an invaluable asset to human society due to its renewable nature, making it suitable for both sustainable energy production and material manufacturing. Additionally, wood derived from forest trees plays a crucial role in sequestering a significant portion of the carbon dioxide fixed during photosynthesis by terrestrial plants. Nevertheless, with the expansion of the global population and ongoing industrialization, forest coverage has been substantially decreased, resulting in significant challenges for wood production and supply. Wood production practices have changed away from natural forests toward plantation forests. Thus, understanding the underlying genetic mechanisms of wood formation is the foundation for developing high‐quality, fast‐growing plantation trees. Breeding ideal forest trees for wood production using genetic technologies has attracted the interest of many. Tremendous studies have been carried out in recent years on the molecular, genetic, and cell‐biological mechanisms of wood formation, and considerable progress and findings have been achieved. These studies and findings indicate enormous possibilities and prospects for tree improvement. This review will outline and assess the cellular and molecular mechanisms of wood formation, as well as studies on genetically improving forest trees, and address future development prospects.
The influence of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae on lumbar lordosis and the angle of pelvic incidence
Authors: Müller Jonas A. , Krenn Viktoria A. , Böni Thomas , Haeusler Martin
Published: November 2023

Pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis have only normative values for spines comprising five lumbar and five sacral vertebrae. However, it is unclear how pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis are affected by the common segmentation anomalies at the lumbo‐sacral border leading to lumbosacral transitional vertebrae, including lumbarisations and sacralisations. In lumbosacral transitional vertebrae it is not trivial to identify the correct vertebral endplates to measure pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis because ontogenetically the first sacral vertebra represents the first non‐mobile sacral segment in lumbarisations, but the second segment in sacralisations. We therefore assessed pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis with respect to both of these vertebral endplates. The type of segmentation anomaly was differentiated using spinal counts, spatial relationship with the iliac crest and morphological features. We found significant differences in pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis between lumbarisations, sacralisations and the control group. The pelvic incidence in the sacralised group was mostly below the range of the lubarisation group and the control group when measured the traditional way at the first non‐mobile segment (30.2°). However, the ranges of the sacralisation and lubarisation groups were completely encompassed by the control group when measured at the ontogenetically true first sacral vertebra. The mean pelvic incidence of the sacraliation group thus increased from 30.2° to 58.6°, and the mean pelvic incidence of the total sample increased from 45.6° to 51.2°, making it statistically indistinguishable from the control sample, whose pelvic incidence was 50.2°. Our results demonstrate that it is crucial to differentiate sacralisations from lumbarisation in order to assess the reference vertebra for pelvic incidence measurement. Due to their significant impact on spino‐pelvic parameters, lumbosacral transitional vertebrae should be evaluated separately when examining pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis.
Trends in patient perceptions of care toward rural and urban hospitals in the United States: 2014‐2019
Authors: Li Zhong , Ho Vivian , Merrell Melinda A. , Hung Peiyin
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Understanding rural‐urban disparities in patient satisfaction is critical to identify gaps for improvement in patient‐centered care and tailor interventions to specific patient needs, especially those in the Frontier and Remote areas (FAR). This study aimed to examine disparities in patient perceptions of care between urban, rural non‐FAR, and FAR hospitals between 2014 and 2019.

Methods

This is a retrospective longitudinal study using 2014‐2019 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems data linked to American Hospital Annual Survey data (3,524 hospitals in 2014 and 3,440 hospitals in 2019). Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify differential trends in patient perceptions of care by hospital rurality over 2014‐2019, adjusting hospital‐ and county‐level characteristics.

Findings

In 2014, patients at rural non‐FAR and FAR hospitals had lower percentages of willingness to definitely recommend these hospitals than urban hospitals (average percentage difference, 95% CI: −4.0% [−4.5%, −3.5%]; −2.0% [−2.8%, −1.2%]); yet, over the study period, rural hospitals experienced steeper increases in patient willingness to recommend (0.2% [0.07%, 0.4%]; 0.4% [0.08%, 0.7%]). FAR hospitals also showed improvements in patient experience in a clean environment, communication with nurses, communication about medicines, and responsiveness of staff. Communication with doctors showed slight decreases across hospital locations.

Conclusions

Patient perceptions of care were generally improved in all US hospitals from 2014 to 2019, except communications with doctors. These findings highlight the potential for enhancing patient satisfaction and experience in urban hospitals and suggest the need to improve patient willingness to recommend in rural FAR hospitals.
Serum gastrin concentrations in dogs with primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Vose Julieann , Jaffey Jared , Akin Camille , Spitzer Alexander , DeCicco Barry , Bassiouny Enass , LaClair Ashley , Petroff Brian , Brudvig Jean , Cridge Harry
Published: November 2023

Background

Hypercalcemia has been associated with hypergastrinemia in humans. Hypergastrinemia could be responsible for gastrointestinal (GI) signs in dogs with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).

Hypothesis/Objectives

(a) Determine whether hypergastrinemia occurs in dogs with PHPT, (b) assess for potential correlations among ionized calcium (iCa), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and serum gastrin concentrations, and (c) determine whether gastrin concentrations decrease after management of PHPT.

Animals

Phase 1: 151 client‐owned dogs at the time of PHPT diagnosis, Phase 2: 24 dogs that underwent treatment for PHPT.

Methods

Dogs with azotemia, concurrent disease, or those receiving acid suppressants were excluded. Twenty‐four treated dogs had baseline and repeat quantification of serum gastrin, PTH, and iCa concentrations 4 weeks after treatment. The effect of treatment on gastrin, iCa, and PTH concentrations was assessed using Wilcoxon signed rank sum tests. Fisher exact testing was used to compare the proportion of dogs with hypergastrinemia in dogs with and without GI signs.

Results

Twenty‐seven of 151 PHPT dogs (17.9%) had increased pre‐treatment serum gastrin concentrations (median, 45.0 ng/L; interquartile range [IQR], 20.0 ng/L). Gastrin concentrations were not correlated with iCa (P = .92) or PTH (P = .60). Treatment of PHPT decreased PTH (P < .001) and iCa concentrations (P < .001), but not gastrin concentrations (P = .15). The proportion of dogs with hypergastrinemia with and without GI signs did not differ (P = 1.00).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Mild increases in serum gastrin concentrations may be seen in dogs with PHPT, but this finding is independent of the presence of GI signs.
Uroliths composed of antiviral compound GS‐441524 in 2 cats undergoing treatment for feline infectious peritonitis
Authors: Allinder Marissa , Tynan Beth , Martin Cara , Furbish Amelia , Austin Glenn , Bartges Joe , Lourenço Bianca N.
Published: November 2023

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) historically has been a fatal disease in cats. Recent unlicensed use of antiviral medication has been shown to markedly improve survival of this infection. An 8‐month‐old female spayed domestic short‐haired cat undergoing treatment for presumptive FIP with the antiviral nucleoside analog GS‐441524 developed acute progressive azotemia. Abdominal ultrasound examination identified multifocal urolithiasis including renal, ureteral, and cystic calculi. Unilateral ureteral obstruction progressed to suspected bilateral ureteral obstruction and subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) was performed along with urolith removal and submission for analysis. A 2‐year‐old male neutered domestic medium‐haired cat undergoing treatment for confirmed FIP with GS‐441524 developed dysuria (weak urine stream, urinary incontinence, and difficulty expressing the urinary bladder). This cat also was diagnosed sonographically with multifocal urolithiasis requiring temporary tube cystostomy after cystotomy and urolith removal. In both cases, initial urolith analysis showed unidentified material. Additional testing confirmed the calculi in both cats to be 98% consistent with GS‐441524. Additional clinical studies are required to determine best screening practices for cats presented for urolithiasis during treatment with GS‐441524.
Mortality related to HCV and other chronic liver diseases in Veneto (Italy), 2008–2021: Changes in trends and age‐period‐cohort effects
Authors: Casotto Veronica , Amidei Claudio Barbiellini , Saia Mario , Gregori Dario , Zanetto Alberto , Fedeli Ugo , Russo Francesco P.
Published: November 2023

Background and Aims

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) agents on mortality related to chronic liver diseases (CLD).

Methods

Age‐standardized mortality rates were computed based on CLD as the underlying cause of death (UCOD) and as any mention in death certificates (multiple causes of death‐MCOD). Time trends in age‐standardized mortality rates were investigated using generalized estimation equation models. Additionally, we conducted age, period, and birth cohort (APC) analyses on CLD‐related mortality associated with alcohol and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Results

Between 2008 and 2021, among residents in the Veneto region (Northeastern Italy) aged ≥35 years, there were 20 409 deaths based on the UCOD and 30 069 deaths based on MCOD from all CLD. We observed a 4% annual decline in age‐standardized MCOD‐based mortality throughout 2008–2021, with minor peaks corresponding to COVID‐19 epidemic waves. Starting in 2016, the decline in HCV‐related mortality accelerated further (p < .001). A peak in HCV‐related mortality in the 1963–1967 birth cohort was observed, which levelled off by the end of the study period. Mortality related to alcoholic liver disease declined at a slower pace, becoming the most common aetiology mentioned in death certificates.

Conclusions

The study demonstrates a significant decrease in HCV‐related mortality at the population level in Italy with the introduction of DAAs. Continuous monitoring of MCOD data is warranted to determine if this favourable trend will continue. Further studies utilizing additional health records are needed to clarify the role of other CLD etiologies.
Angiosperm flowers reached their highest morphological diversity early in their evolutionary history
Authors: López‐Martínez Andrea M. , Magallón Susana , von Balthazar Maria , Schönenberger Jürg , Sauquet Hervé , Chartier Marion
Published: November 2023

Flowers are the complex and highly diverse reproductive structures of angiosperms. Because of their role in sexual reproduction, the evolution of flowers is tightly linked to angiosperm speciation and diversification. Accordingly, the quantification of floral morphological diversity (disparity) among angiosperm subgroups and through time may give important insights into the evolutionary history of angiosperms as a whole.

Based on a comprehensive dataset focusing on 30 characters describing floral structure across angiosperms, we used 1201 extant and 121 fossil flowers to measure floral disparity and explore patterns of floral evolution through time and across lineages.

We found that angiosperms reached their highest floral disparity in the Early Cretaceous. However, decreasing disparity toward the present likely has not precluded the innovation of other complex traits at other morphological levels, which likely played a key role in the outstanding angiosperm species richness.

Angiosperms occupy specific regions of the theoretical morphospace, indicating that only a portion of the possible floral trait combinations is observed in nature. The ANA grade, the magnoliids, and the early‐eudicot grade occupy large areas of the morphospace (higher disparity), whereas nested groups occupy narrower regions (lower disparity).
Geoeconomics geohistoricised
Authors: Sparke Matthew
Published: November 2023

Introducing a special commentary section focused on geoeconomics, this paper reviews why such commentary is especially timely given current world events and the break‐down in neoliberal globalisation. It thereby points to the geo‐historical importance of the call for critical geoeconomics made by Mallin and Sidaway (2023a), and also introduces the backgrounds of the five commentators on their article's key contributions.
On the genealogy of geoeconomics
Authors: Slobodian Quinn
Published: November 2023

This commentary on Felix Mallin and James Sidaway's (2023) article on ‘Critical geoeconomics’ returns to the German Historical School of economics to recall their emphasis on geography, history and culture, but also their frequent advocacy for imperial expansion and colonial annexation. It revisits the divide between the Historical School's vision of the world economy and that of Austrian School marginalists and suggests that we can understand geoeconomics as the expression of a desire for sovereignty in an era of mutual interdependence.
Rethinking the relationship between a US‐based global security architecture and global capitalism
Authors: Bessner Daniel
Published: November 2023

A comment on Felix Mallin and James D. Sidaway's ‘Critical Geoeconomics: A Genealogy of Writing Politics, Economy, and Space’.
On the Structure of Nil Graph of a Commutative Ring
Authors: Patra Kuntala , Begum Shazida
Published: November 2023

Let R be a commutative ring and N(R) be the set of all non-zero nil elements of index two. The Nil Graph of R, denoted by Γ_N(R), is an undirected graph with the vertex set ZN(R)*={x ϵ R*| xy ϵ N(R) for some y in R*=R-{0}} and any two vertices of ZN(R)* are adjacent if and only if xy ϵ N(R). In this paper we determine the chromatic number of the nil graph Γ_N (Z_(p^\alpha q)) . Also we study the diameter and girth of Γ_N (Z_(p^\alpha q)).
A Note on Some Diophantine Equations
Authors: Ozdemir Hilal Basak , Keskin Refik
Published: November 2023

In this study, we solve the equations (x+y+1)²=5xy, (x+y-1)²=5xy, and (x-y+1)²=5xy. We find all positive integer solutions of these equations in terms of Fibonacci and Lucas sequences. By using the solutions of these equations we give all positive integer solutions of the equations x²+y²-3xy+x=0, x²+y²-3xy-x=0, and x²+y²-7xy-x=0. Moreover, it is shown that the equation x²+y²-7xy+x=0 has no positive integer solutions.
Weak-FPI-rings
Authors: Almahdi Fuad Ali Ahmed
Published: November 2023

We define a particular case of a FPI-ring called a weak FPI-ring. We investigate thetransfer of the weak FPI-ring to trivial ring extensions, pullbacks, subring retracts, amalgamated duplication of a ring along an ideal, and direct product of rings.
An Extension of Segal Algebras
Authors: Yousofzadeh Akram
Published: November 2023

In this paper we study a class of dense ideals in a locally convex algebra. The results concern the relationship between this concept and abstract Segal algebras, which introduced by Reiter in 1071. We define generalized Segal algebras and prove that a finite dimensional semisimple Banach algebra cannot be a proper generalized Segal algebra in a Frechet algebra. //
The Wiedemann-Franz law in doped Mott insulators without quasiparticles
Authors: Wang Wen O. , Ding Jixun K. , Schattner Yoni , Huang Edwin W. , Moritz Brian , Devereaux Thomas P.
Published: November 2023

Many metallic quantum materials display anomalous transport phenomena that defy a Fermi liquid description. Here, we use numerical methods to calculate thermal and charge transport in the doped Hubbard model and observe a crossover separating high- and low-temperature behaviors. Distinct from the behavior at high temperatures, the Lorenz number

L

becomes weakly doping dependent and less sensitive to parameters at low temperatures. At the lowest numerically accessible temperatures,

L

roughly approaches the Wiedemann-Franz constant

L
0

, even in a doped Mott insulator that lacks well-defined quasiparticles. Decomposing the energy current operator indicates a compensation between kinetic and potential contributions, which may help to clarify the interpretation of transport experiments beyond Boltzmann theory in strongly correlated metals.
Boryl radical catalysis enables asymmetric radical cycloisomerization reactions
Authors: Wang Chang-Ling , Wang Jie , Jin Ji-Kang , Li Bin , Phang Yee Lin , Zhang Feng-Lian , Ye Tian , Xia Hui-Min , Hui Li-Wen , Su Ji-Hu , Fu Yao , Wang Yi-Feng
Published: November 2023

The development of functionally distinct catalysts for enantioselective synthesis is a prominent yet challenging goal of synthetic chemistry. In this work, we report a family of chiral
N
-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)–ligated boryl radicals as catalysts that enable catalytic asymmetric radical cycloisomerization reactions. The radical catalysts can be generated from easily prepared NHC-borane complexes, and the broad availability of the chiral NHC component provides substantial benefits for stereochemical control. Mechanistic studies support a catalytic cycle comprising a sequence of boryl radical addition, hydrogen atom transfer, cyclization, and elimination of the boryl radical catalyst, wherein the chiral NHC subunit determines the enantioselectivity of the radical cyclization. This catalysis allows asymmetric construction of valuable chiral heterocyclic products from simple starting materials.
Colossal electrocaloric effect in an interface-augmented ferroelectric polymer
Authors: Zheng Shanyu , Du Feihong , Zheng Lirong , Han Donglin , Li Qiang , Shi Junye , Chen Jiangping , Shi Xiaoming , Huang Houbing , Luo Yaorong , Yang Yurong , O’Reilly Padraic , Wei Linlin , de Souza Nicolas , Hong Liang , Qian Xiaoshi
Published: November 2023

The electrocaloric effect demands the maximized degree of freedom (DOF) of polar domains and the lowest energy barrier to facilitate the transition of polarization. However, optimization of the DOF and energy barrier—including domain size, crystallinity, multiconformation coexistence, polar correlation, and other factors in bulk ferroelectrics—has reached a limit. We used organic crystal dimethylhexynediol (DMHD) as a three-dimensional sacrificial master to assemble polar conformations at the heterogeneous interface in poly(vinylidene fluoride)–based terpolymer. DMHD was evaporated, and the epitaxy-like process induced an ultrafinely distributed, multiconformation-coexisting polar interface exhibiting a giant conformational entropy. Under a low electric field, the interface-augmented terpolymer had a high entropy change of 100 J/(kg·K). This interface polarization strategy is generally applicable to dielectric capacitors, supercapacitors, and other related applications.
An alkaline solution
Authors: Cornwall Warren
Published: November 2023

As alarm about climate change grows, scientists explore a strategy for drawing excess carbon dioxide into the ocean
Viral metagenomics reveals diverse virus-host interactions throughout the soil depth profile
Authors: Muscatt George , Cook Ryan , Millard Andrew , Bending Gary D. , Jameson Eleanor
Published: November 2023

Soil microbes play pivotal roles in global carbon cycling; however, the fundamental interactions between microbes and their infecting viruses remain unclear. This is exacerbated with soil depth, where the patterns of viral dispersal, ecology, and evolution are markedly underexplored. To investigate viral communities throughout the soil depth profile, we leveraged a publicly available metagenomic data set sampled from grassland soil in Northern California. In total, 10,196 non-redundant viral operational taxonomic units were recovered from soil between 20 cm and 115 cm below the surface. Viral prevalence was high throughout the soil depth profile, with viruses infecting dominant soil hosts, including
Actinomycetia
. Contrary to leading hypotheses, lysogeny did not dominate in the soil viral communities. Viral diversity was assessed at both the population level (i.e., macrodiversity) and strain level (i.e., microdiversity) to reveal diverse ecological and evolutionary patterns of virus-host interactions in surface and subsurface soils. Investigating viral microdiversity uncovered potential patterns of antagonistic co-evolution across both surface and subsurface soils. Furthermore, we have provided evidence for the potential of soil viruses to augment the remineralization of soil carbon. While we continue to yield a more comprehensive understanding of soil viral ecology, our work appeals to future researchers to further investigate subsurface viral communities.

IMPORTANCE

Soil viruses can moderate the roles that their host microbes play in global carbon cycling. However, given that most studies investigate the surface layer (i.e., top 20 cm) of soil, the extent to which this occurs in subsurface soil (i.e., below 20 cm) is unknown. Here, we leveraged public sequencing data to investigate the interactions between viruses and their hosts at soil depth intervals, down to 115 cm. While most viruses were detected throughout the soil depth profile, their adaptation to host microbes varied. Nonetheless, we uncovered evidence for the potential of soil viruses to encourage their hosts to recycle plant-derived carbon in both surface and subsurface soils. This work reasons that our understanding of soil viral functions requires us to continue to dig deeper and compare viruses existing throughout soil ecosystems.
Two
de novo
genome assemblies from pathogenic
Fusarium oxysporum
f. sp.
vasinfectum
race 4 (FOV4) isolates from California
Authors: Jobe Timothy O. , Ulloa Mauricio , Ellis Margaret L.
Published: November 2023

Fusarium oxysporum
f. sp
. vasinfectum
race 4 (FOV4) is the most virulent cotton wilt pathogen in the United States. There is an urgent need for improved detection and diagnostics to combat the spread of FOV4. To help meet this challenge, we report the
de novo
assembly of two pathogenic isolates of FOV4 from California.
A widespread single amino acid mutation in AcrA reduces tigecycline susceptibility in
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Xu Yingchao , Wang Wenjia , Su Wenya , Wang Mingyu , Xu Hai , Zhang Xuhua , Li Ling
Published: November 2023

Whole-genome sequencing of a clinical tigecycline non-susceptible
Klebsiella pneumoniae
strain reveals a novel T188A mutation in AcrA, raising awareness on its role in tigecycline resistance. Through structural analysis of AcrAB-TolC in
Escherichia coli
that is highly homologous to
K. pneumoniae
AcrAB-TolC
,
weaker hydrogen-bond interaction of the AcrA
A188
with lipoyl domain than AcrA
T188
was found, which may provide greater flexibility for substrate translocation. In order to explore the resistance mechanism of this mutation, wildtype and T188A mutant of
acrA
were cloned in pACYC184 and transformed into
acrA
deleted
K. pneumoniae
. Several experiments, including measurement of MICs for tigecycline, survival assays, and determination of intracellular tigecycline content, were performed and suggested that T188A mutation in AcrA led to increased tigecycline MIC, improved strain survival under tigecycline stress, and decreased intracellular tigecycline concentrations. Further examination of prevalence of this mutation showed its surprisingly wide presence, particularly in hypervirulent multidrug-resistant
K. pneumoniae
sequence types. These results support the role of T188A as a widespread AcrA mutation reducing tigecycline susceptibility in
K. pneumoniae
through increasing tigecycline efflux and improving tigecycline tolerance.

IMPORTANCE

Tigecycline, a glycecycline antibiotic with broad-spectrum activity against almost all Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, is a highly concerned “last-resort” antibiotic. In addition to plasmid-hosted mobile
tet
(X) conferring high-level resistance to tigecycline, there are many reports suggesting increased expression of AcrAB-TolC efflux pump leads to tigecycline non-susceptibility. However, the role of mutations in AcrAB-TolC on tigecycline resistance has not been identified. This study reports a novel T188A mutation of the AcrA subunit of AcrAB-TolC complex in a clinical tigecycline-resistant
Klebsiella pneumoniae
strain and reveals the role of AcrA mutation on tigecycline resistance in
K. pneumoniae
. High prevalence of A188 type AcrA in hypervirulent multidrug-resistant
K. pneumoniae
indicates that mutations of the AcrAB-TolC complex may play a larger role in determining bacterial pathogenesis and antibiotic susceptibility than previously expected.
When did the Indus River of South-Central Asia take on its “modern” drainage configuration?
Authors: Najman Yani , Zhuang Guangsheng , Carter Andrew , Gemignani Lorenzo , Millar Ian , Wijbrans Jan
Published: November 2023

For sedimentary archives to be used as a record of hinterland evolution, the factors affecting the archive must be known. In addition to tectonics, a number of factors, such as changes in climate and paleodrainage, as well as the degree of diagenesis, influence basin sediments. The Indus River delta-fan system of South-Central Asia records a history of Himalayan evolution, and both the onshore and offshore sedimentary repositories have been studied extensively to research orogenesis. However, a number of unknowns remain regarding this system. This paper seeks to elucidate the paleodrainage of the Indus River, in particular when it took on its modern drainage configuration with respect to conjoinment of the main Himalayan (Punjabi) tributary system with the Indus trunk river. We leverage the fact that the Punjabi tributary system has a significantly different provenance signature than the main trunk Indus River, draining mainly the Indian plate. Therefore, after the Punjabi tributary system joined the Indus River, the proportion of Indian plate material in the repositories downstream of the confluence should have been higher than in the upstream repository. We compared bulk Sr-Nd data and detrital zircon U-Pb data from the Cenozoic upstream peripheral foreland basin and downstream Indus delta and Indus Fan repositories. We determined that throughout Neogene times, repositories below the confluence had a higher proportion of material from the Indian plate than those above the confluence. Therefore, we conclude that the Indus River took on its current configuration, with the Punjabi tributary system draining into the Indus trunk river in the Paleogene, early in the history of the orogen. The exact time when the tributary system joined the Indus should correlate with a shift to more Indian plate input in the downstream repositories only. While the upstream repository records no change in Indian plate input from Eocene to Neogene times, a shift to increased material from the Indian plate occurs at the Eocene–Oligocene boundary in the delta, but sometime between 50 Ma and 40 Ma in the fan. Though further work is required to understand the discrepancy between the two downstream repositories, we can conclude that the tributary system joined the Indus trunk river at or before the start of the Oligocene.
Garnet versus amphibole: Implications for magmatic differentiation and slab melting
Authors: Gao Yajie , O’Neill Hugh St. C. , Mavrogenes John A.
Published: November 2023

The garnet signature in the rare earth element (REE) abundances in adakites has been considered a key genetic indicator of these controversial rocks, whose proposed origins include direct melting of subducted oceanic crust (“slab melts”). We show that the garnet signature may be quantified using the shape coefficients of chondrite-normalized REE patterns. We applied this method to a global data set of Cenozoic and Quaternary volcanic samples described as “adakites.” The results indicate that many, but not all, suites of rocks labeled as adakites have undergone fractional crystallization of garnet, starting from parental melts attributable to partial melts of garnet-bearing sources. The extreme garnet signatures seen in many examples require hybrid sources, consisting of subducted sediment as well as igneous oceanic crust; however, extensive deep-crustal differentiation obscures the major and trace-element characteristics of these sources, casting doubt on their identification as primitive slab melts.
“If I Were in Nature’s Place, I Would Do It Like This...” Life and Hypotheses of Alexey Olovnikov
Authors: Olovnikova Natalia I. , Olovnikov Ivan A. , Kalmykova Alla I.
Published: November 2023

In this article, we commemorate the life and scientific journey of the brilliant gerontologist-theorist Alexey Olovnikov (1936-2022). In 1971, he published his famous “marginotomy” hypothesis, in which he predicted the replicative shortening of telomeres and its role as a counter of cell divisions and biological age of an organism. This work put forth several remarkable assumptions, including the existence of telomerase, which were confirmed two decades later. Despite this, Alexey Olovnikov moved further in his theoretical studies of aging and proposed a series of new hypotheses that seem no less exotic than the marginotomy hypothesis once appeared. Alexey Olovnikov had an extraordinary way of looking at biological problems and, in addition to aging, authored striking concepts about development, biorhythms, and evolution.
A Solitary Stalled 80S Ribosome Prevents mRNA Recruitment to Stress Granules
Authors: Fedorovskiy Artem G. , Burakov Anton V. , Terenin Ilya M. , Bykov Dmitry A. , Lashkevich Kseniya A. , Popenko Vladimir I. , Makarova Nadezhda E. , Sorokin Ivan I. , Sukhinina Anastasia P. , Prassolov Vladimir S. , Ivanov Pavel V. , Dmitriev Sergey E.
Published: November 2023

In response to stress stimuli, eukaryotic cells typically suppress protein synthesis. This leads to the release of mRNAs from polysomes, their condensation with RNA-binding proteins, and the formation of non-membrane-bound cytoplasmic compartments called stress granules (SGs). SGs contain 40S but generally lack 60S ribosomal subunits. It is known that cycloheximide, emetine, and anisomycin, the ribosome inhibitors that block the progression of 80S ribosomes along mRNA and stabilize polysomes, prevent SG assembly. Conversely, puromycin, which induces premature termination, releases mRNA from polysomes and stimulates the formation of SGs. The same effect is caused by some translation initiation inhibitors, which lead to polysome disassembly and the accumulation of mRNAs in the form of stalled 48S preinitiation complexes. Based on these and other data, it is believed that the trigger for SG formation is the presence of mRNA with extended ribosome-free segments, which tend to form condensates in the cell. In this study, we evaluated the ability of various small-molecule translation inhibitors to block or stimulate the assembly of SGs under conditions of severe oxidative stress induced by sodium arsenite. Contrary to expectations, we found that ribosome-targeting elongation inhibitors of a specific type, which arrest solitary 80S ribosomes at the beginning of the mRNA coding regions but do not interfere with all subsequent ribosomes in completing translation and leaving the transcripts (such as harringtonine, lactimidomycin, or T-2 toxin), completely prevent the formation of arsenite-induced SGs. These observations suggest that the presence of even a single 80S ribosome on mRNA is sufficient to prevent its recruitment into SGs, and the presence of extended ribosome-free regions of mRNA is not sufficient for SG formation. We propose that mRNA entry into SGs may be mediated by specific contacts between RNA-binding proteins and those regions on 40S subunits that remain inaccessible when ribosomes are associated.
Air pollution deaths attributable to fossil fuels: observational and modelling study
Authors: Lelieveld Jos , Haines Andy , Burnett Richard , Tonne Cathryn , Klingmüller Klaus , Münzel Thomas , Pozzer Andrea
Published: November 2023

Objectives

To estimate all cause and cause specific deaths that are attributable to fossil fuel related air pollution and to assess potential health benefits from policies that replace fossil fuels with clean, renewable energy sources.

Design

Observational and modelling study.

Methods

An updated atmospheric composition model, a newly developed relative risk model, and satellite based data were used to determine exposure to ambient air pollution, estimate all cause and disease specific mortality, and attribute them to emission categories.

Data sources

Data from the global burden of disease 2019 study, observational fine particulate matter and population data from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellites, and atmospheric chemistry, aerosol, and relative risk modelling for 2019.

Results

Globally, all cause excess deaths due to fine particulate and ozone air pollution are estimated at 8.34 million (95% confidence interval 5.63 to 11.19) deaths per year. Most (52%) of the mortality burden is related to cardiometabolic conditions, particularly ischaemic heart disease (30%). Stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease both account for 16% of mortality burden. About 20% of all cause mortality is undefined, with arterial hypertension and neurodegenerative diseases possibly implicated. An estimated 5.13 million (3.63 to 6.32) excess deaths per year globally are attributable to ambient air pollution from fossil fuel use and therefore could potentially be avoided by phasing out fossil fuels. This figure corresponds to 82% of the maximum number of air pollution deaths that could be averted by controlling all anthropogenic emissions. Smaller reductions, rather than a complete phase-out, indicate that the responses are not strongly non-linear. Reductions in emission related to fossil fuels at all levels of air pollution can decrease the number of attributable deaths substantially. Estimates of avoidable excess deaths are markedly higher in this study than most previous studies for these reasons: the new relative risk model has implications for high income (largely fossil fuel intensive) countries and for low and middle income countries where the use of fossil fuels is increasing; this study accounts for all cause mortality in addition to disease specific mortality; and the large reduction in air pollution from a fossil fuel phase-out can greatly reduce exposure.

Conclusions

Phasing out fossil fuels is deemed to be an effective intervention to improve health and save lives as part the United Nations' goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Ambient air pollution would no longer be a leading, environmental health risk factor if the use of fossil fuels were superseded by equitable access to clean sources of renewable energy.
Moving forward through consensus: a national Delphi approach to determine the top research priorities in prostate cancer in Uganda
Authors: Ssemata Andrew Sentoogo , Muhumuza Richard , Seeley Janet , Lombe Dorothy Chilambe , Mwamba Monde , Msadabwe Susan , Mwaka Amos Deogratius , Aggarwal Ajay
Published: November 2023

Objective

To identify key areas for research in prostate cancer (PC) in the Ugandan context by establishing the major health system, socioeconomic and clinical barriers to seeking, reaching and receiving high-quality cancer care.

Design

Modified Delphi Technique.

Setting

Government and private-not-for-profit hospitals.

Methods

We applied a two-stage modified Delphi technique to identify the consensus view across cancer experts. In round 1, experts received a questionnaire containing 21 statements drawn from a systematic review identifying the reason for the delay in accessing cancer care. Each statement was scored out of 20. Statements scoring ≥15 from over 70% of participants were prioritised for inclusion while statements for which <30% of participants gave a score of ≥15 were excluded. Sixteen statements were included in round 2 as they did not receive consensus for inclusion or exclusion.

Results

We found that the top six research priority areas arise from challenges including: (1) lack of diagnostic services—ultrasound, laboratory tests and biopsy facilities; (2) high costs of services, for example, surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy are unaffordable to most patients, (3) lack of essential medicines, (4) limited radiotherapy capacity, (5) lack of awareness of cancer as a disease and low recognition of symptoms, (6) low healthcare literacy. The lack of critical surgical supplies, high diagnostic and treatment costs were ranked highest in order of importance in round 1. Round 2 also revealed lack of diagnostic services, unavailability of critical medicines, lack of radiotherapy options, high costs of treatments and lack of critical surgical supplies as the top priorities.

Conclusion

These research priority areas ought to be addressed in future research to improve prompt PC diagnosis and care in Uganda. There is need to improve the supply of high-quality affordable anticancer medicines for PC patients so as to improve the survivorship from the cancer.
Periodic health evaluation in athletes competing in Tokyo 2020: from SARS-CoV-2 to Olympic medals
Authors: Squeo Maria Rosaria , Monosilio Sara , Gismondi Alessandro , Perrone Marco , Gregorace Emanuele , Lemme Erika , Di Gioia Giuseppe , Mango Ruggiero , Prosperi Silvia , Spataro Antonio , Maestrini Viviana , Di Giacinto Barbara , Pelliccia Antonio
Published: November 2023

Background

The Tokyo Olympic games were the only games postponed for a year in peacetime, which will be remembered as the COVID-19 Olympics. No data are currently available on the effect on athlete’s performance.

Aim

To examine the Italian Olympic athletes who have undergone the return to play (RTP) protocol after COVID-19 and their Olympic results.

Methods

642 Potential Olympics (PO) athletes competing in 19 summer sport disciplines were evaluated through a preparticipation screening protocol and, when necessary, with the RTP protocol. The protocol comprised blood tests, 12-lead resting ECG, transthoracic echocardiogram, cardiopulmonary exercise test, 24-hour Holter-ECG monitoring and cardiovascular MR based on clinical indication.

Results

Of the 642 PO athletes evaluated, 384 participated at the Olympic Games, 254 being excluded for athletic reasons. 120 athletes of the total cohort of 642 PO were affected by COVID-19. They were evaluated with the RTP protocol before resuming physical activity after a mean detraining period of 30±13 days. Of them, 100 were selected for Olympic Games participation, 16 were excluded for athletic reasons and 4 were due to RTP results (2 for COVID-19-related myocarditis, 1 for pericarditis and 1 for complex ventricular arrhythmias). Among athletes with a history of COVID-19 allowed to resume physical activity after the RTP and selected for the Olympic Games, no one had abnormalities in cardiopulmonary exercise test parameters, and 28 became medal winners with 6 gold, 6 silver and 19 bronze medals.

Conclusions

Among athletes with COVID-19, there is a low prevalence of cardiac sequelae. For those athletes allowed to resume physical activity after the RTP evaluation, the infection and the forced period of inactivity didn’t have a negative impact on athletic performance.
Multi-object Tracking with Spatial-Temporal Tracklet Association
Authors: You Sisi , Yao Hantao , Bao Bing-Kun , Xu Changsheng
Published: November 2023

Recently, the tracking-by-detection methods have achieved excellent performance in Multi-Object Tracking (MOT), which focuses on obtaining a robust feature for each object and generating tracklets based on feature similarity. However, they are confronted with two issues: (1) unstable features in short-term occlusion and (2) insufficient matching in long-term occlusion. Specifically, the unstable feature is caused by the appearance variation under occlusion, and the association with the current unstable feature will lead to insufficient matching in long-term occlusion. To address the above issues, we propose a two-stage tracklet-level association method, Spatial-Temporal Tracklet Association (STTA), to effectively combine spatial-temporal context between feature extraction and data association. In the first stage, we propose the Tracklet-guided Spatial-Temporal Attention network (TSTA) to generate robust and stable features. Specifically, TSTA captures spatial-temporal context to obtain the most salient regions between the current and previous clips. In the second stage, we design the Bi-Tracklet Spatial-Temporal association (BTST) module to fully exploit the spatial-temporal context in data association. Specifically, we leverage BTST to merge different tracklets into long-term trajectories by jointly learning visual feature and spatial-temporal context and designing a bidirectional interpolation to recover the missed objects between matched tracklets. Extensive experiments of public and private detections on four benchmarks demonstrate the robustness of STTA. Furthermore, the proposed method is a model-agnostic method, which can be plugged and played with existing methods to boost their performance, e.g., obtain 11.0%, 10.1%, 2.9%, 3.2%, and 7.8% improvement on IDF1 in the MOT16 validation dataset for Tracktor, CenterTrack, Deepsort, JDE, and CTracker, respectively.
Digital flashcards and medical physiology performance: a dose-dependent effect
Authors: Santos-Ferreira Diogo , Guimarães Bruno , Ladeiras-Lopes Ricardo , Gonçalves-Teixeira Pedro , Diaz Sílvia Oliveira , Ferreira Pedro , Gonçalves Francisco , Cardoso Rita Gonçalves , Ferreira Maria Amélia , Chaves Paulo Castro , Fontes-Carvalho Ricardo , Leite-Moreira Adelino
Published: November 2023

Implementing flashcard-based strategies is a feasible way to promote active recall, spaced repetition, and self-assessment, and students are highly adherent to these initiatives. There is a positive dose-dependent association between the number of flashcards reviewed and physiology grades. These results are consistent across different physiology subjects, under different cohorts, over short and medium terms.
Human Umbilical Cord Perivascular Cells Prevent Tumor Growth in a Melanoma Tumor-Bearing Mouse Model and Modulate Breast Cancer and Melanoma Cells in a Cell Line-Dependent Manner In Vitro
Authors: Lopez Lianet , Shuster-Hyman Hannah , Marco Eden , Khan Hasna , Gasner Avishai , Uzelac Aleksandra , Wyse Brandon , Mander Poonam , Sangaralingam Mugundhine , Fish Joseph , Gorodensky Ariel , Mouazz Samar , Kauffman Amanda , Gallagher Denis , Gauthier-Fisher Andrée , Librach Clifford L.
Published: November 2023

First trimester (FTM) and term human umbilical cord perivascular cells are promising mesenchymal stromal cell candidates to mitigate side effects of oncotherapy, but their safety for cancer patients remains to be determined. This study was designed to determine if human umbilical cord perivascular cells modulate tumor growth when injected systemically in a tumor-bearing mouse model. Immunodeficient mice-bearing palpable subcutaneous SK-MEL-28 human melanoma tumors were randomized to receive a tail vein injection of three human umbilical cord perivascular cell lines resuspended in hank’s buffer saline solution (vehicle) or vehicle only, as a control. Fibroblast cells were included as a cell control in some experiments. Tumor size was monitored weekly and weighed at 3-weeks postinjection. Cell fate and tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, vascularization as well as tumor-associated immune cells were assessed using immunostaining and flow cytometry. Serum tumor necrosis factor alpha and C-reactive protein levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Transwell coculture models were used to study the paracrine effects of multiple lines of human umbilical cord cells on human melanoma cell lines as well as breast cancer cell lines. Systemic administration of FTM and term human umbilical cord perivascular cells, but not fibroblast cells, prevented melanoma tumor growth in a tumor-bearing animal model by modulating tumor cell proliferation and systemic inflammatory mechanisms. Cancer cell- and donor-dependent paracrine effects on cancer cell growth were observed in vitro. Our preclinical studies thus suggest that, with regards to its effects on tumor growth, systemic administration of FTM and term human umbilical cord perivascular cells may be a safe cell therapy to address the side effects of cancer.