bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contrast of fine sediment dynamics between shoals and channels in a microtidal estuary with mixed semi-diurnal tides
Authors: Gong Wenping , Wang Jiaxi , Zhao Junpeng , Chen Lianghong , Zhang Heng
Published: February 2023

Estuaries usually feature complex bathymetries, where shoals and channels are co-existent. Due to the differences in water depth, current, density gradient and therefore stratification, sediment dynamics on the shoal and in the channel demonstrate significant variations. In this study, field measurements were carried out during spring and neap tides in both wet and dry seasons in the Huangmaohai Estuary, a microtidal estuary located in the southwest of the Pearl River Delta. Harmonic analysis was conducted for the timeseries data of current and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) for each deployment. Sediment transport flux was decomposed into an advective component, and tidal pumping fluxes by different tidal constituents. During the neap tides, sediment transport is primarily controlled by the advective flux, whereas during the spring tides, tidal pumping fluxes become comparable to, sometimes even exceeding, the advective one. For a 25-hr period, the M1 component of SSC usually denotes the maximum SSC associated with the highest bottom stress, while the M2 component signifies the two highs of the SSC. The M4 component is generally insignificant. The M1 and M2 components can be induced by both the advection and bottom resuspension. For the resuspension part, the M1 component is mostly induced by tidal velocity asymmetry, while the M2 component is generated by tidal straining effect. Sediment transport at the shoal is mostly controlled by the advective flux and the tidal pumping due to tidal velocity asymmetry, while that in the channel is dictated by advective transport and the tidal pumping due to tidal mixing asymmetry.
Circling the Wagons: How Perceived Injustice Increases Female Bureaucrats’ Support for Female Political Leaders
Authors: Lee Don S. , Schuler Paul , Park Soonae
Published: February 2023

Does female bureaucratic support for female political leaders change over time? Existing research focuses on factors that vary across countries. Little work examines how contingent events within a context impact gender-based solidarity. Drawing on collective identity theory, we argue that high-profile incidents of perceived gender-based injustice against a female president could increase female bureaucrats’ support for the leader. To explore this, we leverage a unique setting of a female president's impeachment in South Korea to assess the relationship between gender and bureaucrats’ support. Examining support for President Park before and after the impeachment, we find that her impeachment has a gendered impact on support, with female bureaucrats’ support increasing and male bureaucratic support remaining unchanged. Furthermore, mediation analysis provides suggestive evidence that the result operates through a heightened sense of injustice. Our findings suggest that support for female political leaders varies not only across countries, but also shifts within governments.
Capacity Reconceptualized: From Assessment Tool to Clinical Intervention
Authors: Mirza Omar F. , Appel Jacob M.
Published: February 2023

Capacity evaluation has become a widely used assessment device in clinical practice to determine whether patients have the cognitive ability to render their own medical decisions. Such evaluations, which might be better thought of as “capacity challenges,” are generally thought of as benign tools used to facilitate care. This paper proposes that such challenges should be reconceptualized as significant medical interventions with their own set of risks, side effects, and potentially deleterious consequences. As a result, a cost–benefit analysis should be implemented prior to imposing such capacity challenges, and efforts should be made to minimize such challenges in situations where they are unlikely to alter the course of treatment.
INTRODUCTION TO SYMPOSIUM: SMITH AT 300
Authors: Duarte Pedro Garcia , Hurtado Jimena
Published: February 2023

“I have not the least doubt of it for you have made it of bread and butter instead of tea,” said Mr. Damer when Adam Smith, whom he was visiting that morning, declared “it was the worst tea he had ever met with” (Rae 1895, p. 238). The year 2023 marks the 300th anniversary of Smith, this absent-minded and introverted thinker, who enjoyed long solitary walks by the seaside more than anything else, was a fervent admirer of Voltaire, and became a familiar figure for those who saw him walk every morning to work at the Custom House in Edinburgh, absorbed in conversation with himself “with a bunch of flowers in his left hand, and his cane, held by the middle, borne on his right shoulder” (Rae 1895, pp. 329–330). A loyal friend and poor correspondent, Smith left an indelible mark during his life as a remarkable thinker and author of renowned books, which would, as Adam Ferguson wrote to him in April 1776, “form the opinions, and I hope to govern at least the coming generations” (Smith 1987, hereinafter Corr., p. 193).
Inference of the Timescale‐Dependent Apparent Viscosity Structure in the Upper Mantle Beneath Greenland
Authors: Paxman Guy J. G. , Lau Harriet C. P. , Austermann Jacqueline , Holtzman Benjamin K. , Havlin C.
Published: February 2023

Contemporary crustal uplift and relative sea level (RSL) change in Greenland is caused by the response of the solid Earth to ongoing and historical ice mass change. Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models, which seek to match patterns of land surface displacement and RSL change, typically employ a linear Maxwell viscoelastic model for the Earth's mantle. In Greenland, however, upper mantle viscosities inferred from ice load changes and other geophysical phenomena occurring over a range of timescales vary by up to two orders of magnitude. Here, we use full‐spectrum rheological models to examine the influence of transient deformation within the Greenland upper mantle, which may account for these differing viscosity estimates. We use observations of shear wave velocity combined with constitutive rheological models to self‐consistently calculate mechanical properties including the apparent upper mantle viscosity and lithosphere thickness across a broad spectrum of frequencies. We find that the contribution of transient behavior is most significant over loading timescales of 102–103 years, which corresponds to the timeframe of ice mass loss over recent centuries. Predicted apparent lithosphere thicknesses are also in good agreement with inferences made across seismic, GIA, and flexural timescales. Our results indicate that full‐spectrum constitutive models that more fully capture broadband mantle relaxation provide a means of reconciling seemingly contradictory estimates of Greenland's upper mantle viscosity and lithosphere thickness made from observations spanning a range of timescales.
Kinetic Limitations Affect Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity Measurements Under Low Supersaturation
Authors: Tao Jiangchuan , Kuang Ye , Luo Biao , Liu Li , Xu Hanbin , Ma Nan , Liu Pengfei , Xue Biao , Zhai Miaomiao , Xu Wanyun , Xu Weiqi , Sun Yele
Published: February 2023

The commercial continuous‐flow streamwise thermal‐gradient cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) counter is widely used in aerosol CCN activity measurements which are critical for investigating aerosol‐cloud interactions. In CCN measurements, a critical threshold is needed for distinguishing interstitial aerosols and activated droplets, and a default threshold of 0.75 μm was set in CCN counter. Theoretically, interstitial aerosols could also grow larger than 0.75 μm in CCN counter at low supersaturations, thus theoretical thresholds derived from the Köhler theory were suggested. Here, we report that droplet growth in the CCN counter is kinetically limited and CCN‐active droplets does not reach their theoretical diameters under low supersaturations. Neglecting the kinetic growth limitation in CCN identification would count less CCN and underestimate the aerosol hygroscopicity parameter by up to 50% for supersaturations lower than 0.1%. We recommend that thresholds considering kinetic limitations should be used as new criteria for CCN identification under low supersaturations.
Satellite Evidence for Glyoxal Depletion in Elevated Fire Plumes
Authors: Lerot C. , Müller J.‐F. , Theys N. , De Smedt I. , Stavrakou T. , Van Roozendael M.
Published: February 2023

Space‐borne observations are used to characterize the fate of formaldehyde and glyoxal in wildfire plumes. Their distribution measured by the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument reveals striking differences between the two compounds near intense fires. In typical situations, the glyoxal‐to‐formaldehyde ratio is highest near the fire (∼0.1) and decreases downwind of the source area due to the larger contribution of pyrogenic emissions to the glyoxal abundance and to the longer lifetime of formaldehyde. However, a pronounced glyoxal depletion is detected above high‐level clouds, not seen for formaldehyde, likely due to processing in pyrocumulonimbus clouds generated by the fires. This depletion suggests glyoxal retention upon droplet freezing and/or its outgassing in hydrated form in the upper troposphere. The absence of a sizable loss of formaldehyde during convection indicates that its hydration in liquid droplets and subsequent outgassing as methanediol represent at most a minor sink of formaldehyde.
Solar Control of the Pickup Ion Plume in the Dayside Magnetosheath of Venus
Authors: Xu Qi , Xu Xiaojun , Zuo Pingbing , Futaana Yoshifumi , Chang Qing , Gu Hao
Published: February 2023

Using the 8.5‐year Venus Express measurements, we demonstrate the asymmetric plasma distributions in the Venusian magnetosheath. An escaping plume is formed by pickup oxygen ions in the hemisphere where the motional electric field points outward from Venus, while the velocity of solar wind protons is faster in the opposite hemisphere. The pickup O+ escape rate is estimated to be (3.6 ± 1.4) × 1024 s−1 at solar maximum, which is comparable to the ion loss rate through the magnetotail, and (1.3 ± 0.4) × 1024 s−1 at solar minimum. The increase of O+ fluxes with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) intensity is significant upstream of the bow shock, partially attributed to the increase of exospheric neutral oxygen density. However, the solar wind velocity just has a slight effect on the pickup O+ escape rate in the magnetosheath, while the effect of solar wind density is not observed. Our results suggest the pickup O+ escape rate is mainly controlled by EUV radiation.
Rapid Location of Remote Volcanic Infrasound Using 3D Ray Tracing and Empirical Climatologies: Application to the 2011 Cordón Caulle and 2015 Calbuco Eruptions, Chile
Authors: De Negri Rodrigo , Matoza Robin S.
Published: February 2023

Infrasound (<20 Hz) can propagate thousands of kilometers through the atmosphere, enabling global source location using networks of arrays such as the International Monitoring System infrasound network. However, atmospheric spatiotemporal variability poses a major challenge to locating infrasound sources. Strong horizontal cross‐winds deviate the observed infrasound arrival azimuths, producing source mislocations that can be on the order of hundreds of kilometers. We introduce a method that combines empirical climatologies (HWM14/NRLMSIS2.0) and 3D ray tracing (infraGA) to obtain first‐order, robust, and rapid estimates of the backazimuth deviations for source location procedures. For each trial source node and receiver path, day of the year and time, we perform an automatic iterative search for infrasound ground intercepts around the target station and obtain the corresponding backazimuth deviation. We test the method using IMS infrasound data from stations up to ∼5,000 km range for two similar explosive eruption case studies: 2011 Puyehue‐Cordón Caulle and 2015 Calbuco. We obtain a source mislocation reduction up to ∼84% (242–38.7 km) and ∼75% (366–93.1 km) for Puyehue‐Cordón Caulle and Calbuco eruptions, respectively. To evaluate the approach, we repeat the procedure using more realistic hybrid atmospheric descriptions; we obtain comparable results (up to ∼75% mislocation reduction for both eruptions). Potential applications of the approach include long‐range volcano monitoring in near‐real time by using pre‐computed look‐up tables or large‐scale, multi‐year reanalyses of infrasound waveform archives.
Estimating the Age of Abandoned Alluvial Surfaces Using Morphologic Dating of Gully Incision
Authors: Shmilovitz Yuval , Shelef Eitan , Wieler Nimrod , Zhang Huiping , Mushkin Amit
Published: February 2023

The age of abandoned alluvial surfaces is a key component in quantifying landscape evolution processes, tectonic activity, and paleoclimate. However, limited resources, restricted field accessibility, lacking dating material and analytical constraints are often encountered when dating such landforms. To help mitigate these limitations, we propose a new and complementary surface dating approach that is based on calculating the duration of gully incision into a surface since its abandonment using a locally calibrated landscape evolution model. The approach consists of calibration of incision model parameters for abandoned alluvial surfaces with known age and then using the calibrated model to calculate the time required for gully profiles to form on nearby undated alluvial surfaces as a proxy for surface abandonment. The approach was tested on previously dated late Pleistocene (34 and 70 ka) alluvial terraces in the hyper‐arid Negev desert (Israel). Calibrated model parameters were within the range reported for incision models in arid regions worldwide and late Pleistocene surface abandonment ages were recovered to within 10% accuracy. In contrast, modeled durations for gully incision into an older mid‐Pleistocene surface previously dated to 230–549 ka were grossly underestimated at <120 ka. Field observations and approach tests indeed indicated that late Pleistocene model parameters should not be extrapolated as‐is to model gully incision farther back through geologic time. Because the validity of the proposed ages depends on extrapolating the locally calibrated parameters of the incision model, we recommend that such dating be conducted with care and where assumptions will probably be valid.
Spatiotemporal regulation of cholangiocarcinoma growth and dissemination by peritumoral myofibroblasts in a Vcam1-dependent manner
Authors: Tian Cheng , Li Liyuan , Pan Qingfei , Xu Beisi , Li Yizhen , Fan Li , Brown Anthony , Morrison Michelle , Dey Kaushik , Yang Jun J. , Yu Jiyang , Glazer Evan S. , Zhu Liqin
Published: February 2023

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is characterized by its highly desmoplastic stroma. Myofibroblasts (MFs) are present both within the tumor mass (intratumoral MFs, iMFs) and at the tumor border (peritumoral MFs, pMFs). Using a spheroid-based coculture system, we show that the initial iCCA-pMF contact is growth suppressive to the tumor cells. However, prolonged iCCA-pMF interaction elicits significant tumor cell invasion and dissemination. We find that vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (Vcam1) level is elevated in tumor cells in contact with pMFs but low in disseminated tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. A gene regulatory network analysis of mouse and patient iCCA tumors and Vcam1 knockout (Vcam1KO) demonstrate a heavy involvement of Vcam1 in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. While Vcam1KO has only a limited impact on tumor cell growth in their monoculture, Vcam1KO spheroids exhibit instant dissemination and a severe growth defect when cocultured with pMFs. When transplanted into the liver, Vcam1KO iCCA cells show a similar increase in dissemination but a significant defect in establishing primary and metastatic tumors. Incomplete blocking of Vcam1 in vivo reduces the size but increase the number of metastatic lesions. Overall, our study shows a spatiotemporal regulation of iCCA growth and dissemination by pMFs in a Vcam1-dependent manner.
Erlotinib versus gemcitabine plus cisplatin as neoadjuvant treatment of stage IIIA-N2 EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer: final overall survival analysis of the EMERGING-CTONG 1103 randomised phase II trial
Authors: Zhong Wen-Zhao , Yan Hong-Hong , Chen Ke-Neng , Chen Chun , Gu Chun-Dong , Wang Jun , Yang Xue-Ning , Mao Wei-Min , Wang Qun , Qiao Gui-Bin , Cheng Ying , Xu Lin , Wang Chang-Li , Chen Ming-Wei , Kang Xiao-Zheng , Yan Wan-Pu , Liao Ri-Qiang , Yang Jin-Ji , Zhang Xu-Chao , Liu Si-Yang , Zhou Qing , Wu Yi-Long
Published: February 2023

EMERGING-CTONG 1103 showed improved progression-free survival (PFS) with neoadjuvant erlotinib vs. chemotherapy for patients harbouring EGFR sensibility mutations and R0 resected stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (NCT01407822). Herein, we report the final results. Recruited patients were randomly allocated 1:1 to the erlotinib group (150 mg/day orally; neoadjuvant phase for 42 days and adjuvant phase to 12 months) or to the GC group (gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 plus cisplatin 75 mg/m2 intravenously; 2 cycles in neoadjuvant phase and 2 cycles in adjuvant phase). Objective response rate (ORR), complete pathologic response (pCR), PFS, and overall survival (OS) were assessed along with safety. Post hoc analysis was performed for subsequent treatments after disease recurrence. Among investigated 72 patients (erlotinib, n = 37; GC, n = 35), the median follow-up was 62.5 months. The median OS was 42.2 months (erlotinib) and 36.9 months (GC) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47–1.47; p = 0.513). The 3- and 5-year OS rates were 58.6% and 40.8% with erlotinib and 55.9% and 27.6% with GC (p3-y = 0.819, p5-y = 0.252). Subsequent treatment was administered in 71.9% and 81.8% of patients receiving erlotinib and GC, respectively; targeted therapy contributed mostly to OS (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.18–0.70). After disease progression, the ORR was 53.3%, and the median PFS was 10.9 months during the EGFR-TKI rechallenge. During postoperative therapy, grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) were 13.5% in the erlotinib group and 29.4% in the GC group. No serious adverse events were observed. Erlotinib exhibited clinical feasibility for resectable IIIA-N2 NSCLC over chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting.
TNF-α contributes to sarcopenia through caspase-8/caspase-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis
Authors: Wu Jingying , Lin Siming , Chen Weixiao , Lian Guili , Wu Weibin , Chen Ai , Sagor Mohammad Ismail Hajary , Luo Li , Wang Huajun , Xie Liangdi
Published: February 2023

Sarcopenia has become a leading cause of disability and mortality in the elderly. It has been reported that programmed cell death (PCD) is associated with the development of sarcopenia that is characterized by reduction of muscle fiber size and number. TNF-α is also validated to play a prominent role in sarcopenia through its complex signaling pathways including cell death signaling. However, it is still unclear whether TNF-α contributes to sarcopenia by mediating pyroptosis, one type of PCD. Here, we first established naturally aged mice with sarcopenia model and confirmed an inflammatory state represented by TNF-α in aged mice. Evidence of GSDME-mediated pyroptosis and activation of apoptotic caspase-8/-3 were also found in skeletal muscle cells of aged mice with sarcopenia. We demonstrated that TNF-α triggered GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in myotubes through activating caspase-8 and caspase-3 by using caspase-8 and caspase-3 inhibitors. Comparing the activation of caspase-8 and GSDME expression between TNF Complex IIa and TNF Complex IIb, TNF-α was found to be more inclined to assemble TNF Complex IIb in activating caspase-8 and triggering pyroptosis. Moreover, pyroptotic myotubes were validated to result in decreased expression of MHC1 and finally loss of myotubes by knockdown of GSDME. Our work reveals a novel mechanism that TNF-ɑ/caspase-8/caspase-3/GSDME signaling-mediated pyroptosis contributes to the development of sarcopenia. Caspase-3/GSDME signaling-mediated pyroptosis may be a promising therapeutic target for sarcopenia.
Infinite critical boson non-Fermi liquid
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Tian , Chen Gang
Published: February 2023

We study a distinct type of non-Fermi liquid where there exists an infinite number of critical bosonic modes instead of finite number of bosonic modes for the conventional ones. We consider itinerant magnets with both conduction electrons and fluctuating magnetic moments in three dimensions. With Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction, the moments fluctuate near a boson surface in the reciprocal space at low energies when the system approaches an ordering transition. The infinite number of critical modes on the boson surface strongly scatter the gapless electrons on the Fermi surface and convert the metallic sector into a non-Fermi liquid. We explain the physical properties of this non-Fermi liquid. On the ordered side, a conventional non-Fermi liquid emerges due to the scattering by the gapless Goldstone mode from the spontaneous breaking of the global rotational symmetry. We discuss the general structure of the phase diagram in the vicinity of the quantum phase transition and clarify various crossover behaviors.
Investigation into the communication between unheated and heat-stressed Caenorhabditis elegans via volatile stress signals
Authors: Chen Liangwen , Wang Yun , Zhou Xiuhong , Wang Ting , Zhan Huimin , Wu Fei , Li Haolan , Bian Po , Xie Zhongwen
Published: February 2023

Our research group has recently found that radiation-induced airborne stress signals can be used for communication among Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). This paper addresses the question of whether heat stress can also induce the emission of airborne stress signals to alert neighboring C. elegans and elicit their subsequent stress response. Here, we report that heat-stressed C. elegans produces volatile stress signals that trigger an increase in radiation resistance in neighboring unheated C. elegans. When several loss-of-function mutations affecting thermosensory neuron (AFD), heat shock factor-1, HSP-4, and small heat-shock proteins were used to test heat-stressed C. elegans, we found that the production of volatile stress signals was blocked, demonstrating that the heat shock response and ER pathway are involved in controlling the production of volatile stress signals. Our data further indicated that mutations affecting the DNA damage response (DDR) also inhibited the increase in radiation resistance in neighboring unheated C. elegans that might have received volatile stress signals, indicating that the DDR might contribute to radioadaptive responses induction by volatile stress signals. In addition, the regulatory pattern of signal production and action was preliminarily clarified. Together, the results of this study demonstrated that heat-stressed nematodes communicate with unheated nematodes via volatile stress signals.
Risk of systemic lupus erythematosus flares according to autoantibody positivity at the time of diagnosis
Authors: Kwon Oh Chan , Park Min-Chan
Published: February 2023

To estimate the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares based on the autoantibody positivity at the time of SLE diagnosis. This retrospective cohort study included 228 patients with newly diagnosed SLE. Clinical characteristics including autoantibody positivity at the time of diagnosis of SLE were reviewed. Flares were defined as a new British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) A score or BILAG B score for at least one organ system. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to estimate the risk of flares according to autoantibody positivity. Anti-dsDNA, anti-Sm, anti-U1RNP, anti-Ro, and anti-La antibodies (Abs) were positive in 50.0%, 30.7%, 42.5%, 54.8%, and 22.4% of the patients, respectively. The incidence rate of flares was 28.2/100 person-years. Multivariable Cox regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounders, revealed that anti-dsDNA Ab positivity (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.46, p = 0.037) and anti-Sm Ab positivity (adjusted HR: 1.81, p = 0.004) at the time of diagnosis of SLE were associated with higher risk of flares. To better delineate the flare risk, patients were categorized as double-negative, single-positive, double-positive for anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm Abs. Compared with double-negativity, double-positivity (adjusted HR: 3.34, p < 0.001) was associated with higher risk of flares, while anti-dsDNA Ab single-positivity (adjusted HR: 1.11, p = 0.620) or anti-Sm Ab single-positivity (adjusted HR: 1.32, p = 0.270) was not associated with higher risk of flares. Patients who are double-positive for anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm Abs at the time of the diagnosis of SLE are at higher risk of flares and may benefit from stringent monitoring and early preventive treatment.
An experimental and numerical study of twin dowel type shear connector
Authors: Vanova Patricia , Dubecky Daniel , Weissova Michala , Bartus Jakub , Kvocak Vincent
Published: February 2023

The hunger for a better, more effective, more economic, easier for construction, and overall more sustainable bridge design is enormous nowadays. One of the solutions for the problems described is a steel-concrete composite structure with embedded continuous shear connectors. Such structure uses advantages of both materials (concrete in compression and steel in tension) while lowering the overall height of the structure and time of the construction. This paper presents a new design of the connector of twin dowel type, with clothoid dowel, where two dowel connectors are welded longitudinally by flanges to create one twin connector. Its geometrical attributes are closely described and the design origin is explained. The study of the proposed shear connector consists of experimental and numerical part. In experimental study, the experiments performed—four push-out tests—and their setup, instrumentation and material characteristics are described and their results in a form of load-slip curves are presented and analyzed. In numerical study the finite element model developed in ABAQUS software is presented with a detailed description of the modeling process. In results and discussions the results of the numerical study are compared with results from the experimental study and the resistance of the proposed shear connector is briefly compared to shear connectors from chosen studies.
Fluorescence lifetime imaging through scattering media
Authors: Nilsson Sebastian , Kristensson Elias , Aldén Marcus , Bood Joakim , Ehn Andreas
Published: February 2023

Fluorescence lifetime determination has proven to be useful, e.g. identification of molecules, quantitative estimation of species concentration and determination of temperatures. Lifetime determination of exponentially decaying signals is challenging if signals of different decay rates are being mixed, resulting in erroneous results. Such issues occur when the contrast of the measurement object is low, which can be limiting in applied measurements due to spurious light scattering. A solution is presented here where structured illumination is used to enhance image contrast in fluorescence lifetime wide-field imaging. Lifetime imaging determination was carried out using Dual Imaging Modeling Evaluation (DIME), and spatial lock-in analysis was used for removing spurious scattered signal to enable fluorescence lifetime imaging through scattering media.
Akkermansia muciniphila exerts immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects on gliadin-stimulated THP-1 derived macrophages
Authors: Molaaghaee-Rouzbahani Sara , Asri Nastaran , Sapone Anna , Baghaei Kaveh , Yadegar Abbas , Amani Davar , Rostami-Nejad Mohammad
Published: February 2023

Macrophages (MQs) pro-inflammatory phenotype is triggered by gliadin peptides. Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) showed to enhance the anti-inflammatory phenotype of MQs. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of A. muciniphila, on gliadin stimulated THP-1 derived macrophages. THP-1 cell line monocytes were differentiated into MQs by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). MQs were treated with A. muciniphila before and after stimulation with gliadin (pre- and post-treat). CD11b, as a marker of macrophage differentiation, and CD206 and CD80, as M1 and M2 markers, were evaluated by flow cytometry technique. The mRNA expression of TGF-β, IL-6, and IL-10 and protein levels of IL-10 and TNF-α were measured by RT-PCR and ELISA techniques, respectively. Results show an increased percentage of M1 phenotype and release of proinflammatory cytokines (like TNF-α and IL-6) by macrophages upon incubation with gliadin. Pre- and post-treatment of gliadin-stimulated macrophages with A. muciniphila induced M2 phenotype associated with decreased proinflammatory (IL-6, TNF-α) and increased anti-inflammatory (IL-10, TGF-β) cytokines expression relative to the group that was treated with gliadin alone. This study suggests the potential beneficial effect of A. muciniphila on gliadin-stimulated MQs and the importance of future studies focusing on their exact mechanism of action on these cells.
Differential associations of the two higher-order factors of mindfulness with trait empathy and the mediating role of emotional awareness
Authors: Borghi Olaf , Mayrhofer Lukas , Voracek Martin , Tran Ulrich S.
Published: February 2023

Empathy enables us to understand the emotions of others and is an important determinant of prosocial behavior. Investigating the relationship between mindfulness and empathy could therefore provide important insights into factors that promote interpersonal understanding and pathways that contribute to prosocial behavior. As prior studies have yielded only inconsistent results, this study extended previous findings and investigated for the first time the associations of two important factors of mindfulness (Self-regulated Attention [SRA] and Orientation to Experience [OTE]) with two commonly proposed components of empathy (cognitive empathy and affective empathy). Using a community sample of N = 552 German-speaking adults, the two mindfulness factors were differentially associated with cognitive and affective empathy. SRA correlated positively with cognitive empathy (r = 0.44; OTE: r = 0.09), but OTE correlated negatively with affective empathy (r = − 0.27; SRA: r = 0.11). This negative association was strongest for one specific aspect of affective empathy, emotional contagion. Revisiting previously reported mediating effects of emotion regulation, we found that emotional awareness mediated the associations with both components of empathy, but only for SRA. Together, these findings imply that mindfulness benefits the cognitive understanding of others’ emotions via two distinct pathways: by promoting emotional awareness (SRA) and by limiting the undue impact of others’ emotions on oneself (OTE).
Implementation of helicase-dependent amplification with SYBR Green I for prompt naked-eye detection of bacterial contaminants in platelet products
Authors: Yamket Warangkana , Sathianpitayakul Panuwat , Santanirand Pitak , Ratthawongjirakul Panan
Published: February 2023

Platelet transfusions may lead to more significant risks of infection and septic transfusion reactions that can be fatal to the recipient. Platelet products should be screened to limit or detect bacterial contamination before application to patients to minimise any adverse reactions. This study aimed to develop a helicase-dependent amplification (HDA) technique targeting a universal highly conserved bacterial gene, 16S rRNA, in combination with naked-eye detection using SYBR Green I (HDA/SYBR Green I) to detect bacterial contamination in platelet products. Thirty positive samples were obtained from spiked platelet products by five transfusion-relevant bacterial strains and were screened for bacterial contamination by HDA/SYBR Green I. HDA/SYBR Green I showed an enhanced yield of bacterial contaminant detection when performed with medium to late shelf life, Day 2 of storage or later platelet products (98.67% sensitivity and 100% specificity compared to the BACT/ALERT culture system). The limit of detection of HDA/SYBR Green I was 1 ng, and there was no cross-reaction with other organisms that could likely contaminate platelet products. The developed HDA/SYBR Green I assay is rapid and simplistic and only requires an easy-to-find heat box, available in general blood bank laboratories, for the amplification step. This technique is suitable for further development as an alternative method to detect bacterial contamination in platelet products in the near future.
The development of a machine learning algorithm for early detection of viral hepatitis B infection in Nigerian patients
Authors: Ajuwon Busayo I. , Richardson Alice , Roper Katrina , Sheel Meru , Audu Rosemary , Salako Babatunde L. , Bojuwoye Matthew O. , Katibi Ibraheem A. , Lidbury Brett A.
Published: February 2023

Access to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) testing for people in low-resource settings has long been challenging due to the gold standard, enzyme immunoassay, being prohibitively expensive, and requiring specialised skills and facilities that are not readily available, particularly in remote and isolated laboratories. Routine pathology data in tandem with cutting-edge machine learning shows promising diagnostic potential. In this study, recursive partitioning (“trees”) and Support Vector Machines (SVMs) were applied to interrogate patient dataset (n = 916) that comprised results for Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) and routine clinical chemistry and haematology blood tests. These algorithms were used to develop a predictive diagnostic model of HBV infection. Our SVM-based diagnostic model of infection (accuracy = 85.4%, sensitivity = 91%, specificity = 72.6%, precision = 88.2%, F1-score = 0.89, Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve, AUC = 0.90) proved to be highly accurate for discriminating HBsAg positive from negative patients, and thus rivals with immunoassay. Therefore, we propose a predictive model based on routine blood tests as a novel diagnostic for early detection of HBV infection. Early prediction of HBV infection via routine pathology markers and pattern recognition algorithms will offer decision-support to clinicians and enhance early diagnosis, which is critical for optimal clinical management and improved patient outcomes.
Nanowarming and ice-free cryopreservation of large sized, intact porcine articular cartilage
Authors: Chen Peng , Wang Shangping , Chen Zhenzhen , Ren Pengling , Hepfer R. Glenn , Greene Elizabeth D. , Campbell Lia H. , Helke Kristi L. , Nie Xingju , Jensen Jens H. , Hill Cherice , Wu Yongren , Brockbank Kelvin G. M. , Yao Hai
Published: February 2023

Successful organ or tissue long-term preservation would revolutionize biomedicine. Cartilage cryopreservation enables prolonged shelf life of articular cartilage, posing the prospect to broaden the implementation of promising osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation for cartilage repair. However, cryopreserved large sized cartilage cannot be successfully warmed with the conventional convection warming approach due to its limited warming rate, blocking its clinical potential. Here, we develope a nanowarming and ice-free cryopreservation method for large sized, intact articular cartilage preservation. Our method achieves a heating rate of 76.8 °C min-1, over one order of magnitude higher than convection warming (4.8 °C min-1). Using systematic cell and tissue level tests, we demonstrate the superior performance of our method in preserving large cartilage. A depth-dependent preservation manner is also observed and recapitulated through magnetic resonance imaging and computational modeling. Finally, we show that the delivery of nanoparticles to the OCA bone side could be a feasible direction for further optimization of our method. This study pioneers the application of nanowarming and ice-free cryopreservation for large articular cartilage and provides valuable insights for future technique development, paving the way for clinical applications of cryopreserved cartilage.
The strongest winds in tornadoes are very near the ground
Authors: Kosiba Karen , Wurman Joshua
Published: February 2023

Tornadoes contain some of the strongest winds on earth, causing death and damage when impacting man-made and natural objects, such as buildings and trees. Quantifying tornado winds near the surface is critical to characterizing tornado hazards. Direct measurements of tornado winds are rare and are usually obtained at least >100 m above the ground, well above building height, by proximate mobile radars. The representativeness of these mobile radar-obtained measurements to wind speeds closer to the surface is unknown. Here we analyze rare, low-level mobile radar observations of 73 different tornadoes to demonstrate that the strongest winds in tornadoes generally occur very near the ground. Therefore, even proximate radar measurements at >100 m above the ground usually substantially underestimate actual tornado wind intensity.
Science governs the future of the mesopelagic zone
Authors: Schadeberg Amanda , Kraan Marloes , Groeneveld Rolf , Trilling Damian , Bush Simon
Published: February 2023

The potential of the mesopelagic zone (200–1000 m depth) to provide natural resources and ecosystem services is of increasing interest to a broad range of societal stakeholders. As this interest grows, divergent ideas about its current and future role in supporting human life are being expressed in scientific and public discourse. We use automated content analysis to identify 13 key topics about the mesopelagic zone from 2226 scientific abstracts and 4066 tweets. Two dominant ideas emerge: (1) the exploitation of fish resources and (2) the role of the mesopelagic zone as a carbon sink. We find that, in the absence of significant mesopelagic zone policy, science plays a de facto governing role by shaping how the ecosystem is known to the public and policymakers alike. These results indicate the need and potential for new knowledge and governance arrangements that can broaden the range of meanings and knowledge needed to anticipate future uses of deeply uncertain ecosystems and resources.
Transition metal chalcogenides for next-generation energy storage
Authors: Palchoudhury Soubantika , Ramasamy Karthik , Han Jinchen , Chen Peng , Gupta Arunava
Published: February 2023

Transition-metal chalcogenide nanostructures provide a unique material platform to engineer next-generation energy storage devices such as lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and potassium-ion batteries and flexible supercapacitors.
Stability improvements of metal halide perovskite nanocrystals and their optoelectrical applications
Authors: Wang Yuhua , Ren Jiejun , Zhou Xiaopeng , Zhang Gangyi
Published: February 2023

This review provides a current progress survey on the fundamental properties, stability problems, stability enhancing strategies, and applications of metal halide perovskite nanocrystals.
Vacancy impacts on electronic and mechanical properties of MX2 (M = Mo, W and X = S, Se) monolayers
Authors: Kazemi Seyedeh Alieh , Imani Yengejeh Sadegh , Ogunkunle Samuel Akinlolu , Zhang Lei , Wen William , Wee-Chung Liew Alan , Wang Yun
Published: February 2023

The impacts of six different types of vacancies on the electronic and mechanical properties of MX2 (M = Mo, W and X = S, Se) monolayers have been theoretically revealed.
The Wnt/β-catenin pathway regulates inflammation and apoptosis in ventilator-induced lung injury
Authors: Chen Zongyu , He Shuang , Lian Siyu , Shen Yi , Jiang Wenqing , Zhou Lihua , Zhou Leilei , Zhang Xianming
Published: February 2023

Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) may be caused by incorrect mechanical ventilation (MV), and its progression is mainly related to inflammatory reaction, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway can modulate inflammation and apoptosis; however, its role in VILI is unknown. This research aims to explore the role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in VILI. VILI models were established using rats and type II alveolar epithelial (ATII) cells. Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), β-catenin, and cyclin D1 were determined using western blotting and immunofluorescence. Apoptosis of lung tissues was evaluated using TUNEL, flow cytometry, Bax, and Bcl2 protein. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Lung pathological injury was evaluated through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Lung permeability was evaluated by the ratio of dry to wet weight of lung tissue and the total protein level of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The results showed that GSK-3β expression was enhanced and β-catenin expression was diminished in lung tissue under MV. SB216763 increased β-catenin and cyclin D1 expression by inhibiting GSK-3β expression and inhibited the inflammatory response and apoptosis of lung, alleviated pulmonary edema and lung tissue permeability, and significantly mitigated lung injury. However, inhibition of β-catenin expression by MSAB attenuated the anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects of SB216763 in VILI. Overall, the present study demonstrates that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation in MV may play an anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic role, thereby alleviating lung injury and delaying VILI progression, which may be a key point of intervention in VILI.
Predicting Outcomes of Language Rehabilitation: Prognostic Factors for Immediate and Long-Term Outcomes After Aphasia Therapy
Authors: Kristinsson Sigfus , Basilakos Alexandra , den Ouden Dirk B. , Cassarly Christy , Spell Leigh Ann , Bonilha Leonardo , Rorden Chris , Hillis Argye E. , Hickok Gregory , Johnson Lisa , Busby Natalie , Walker Grant M. , McLain Alexander , Fridriksson Julius
Published: February 2023

Background:

Aphasia therapy is an effective approach to improve language function in chronic aphasia. However, it remains unclear what prognostic factors facilitate therapy response at the individual level. Here, we utilized data from the POLAR (Predicting Outcomes of Language Rehabilitation in Aphasia) trial to (a) determine therapy-induced change in confrontation naming and long-term maintenance of naming gains and (b) examine the extent to which aphasia severity, age, education, time postonset, and cognitive reserve predict naming gains at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months posttherapy.

Method:

A total of 107 participants with chronic (≥ 12 months poststroke) aphasia underwent extensive case history, cognitive–linguistic testing, and a neuroimaging workup prior to receiving 6 weeks of impairment-based language therapy. Therapy-induced change in naming performance (measured as raw change on the 175-item Philadelphia Naming Test [PNT]) was assessed 1 week after therapy and at follow-up time points 1 month and 6 months after therapy completion. Change in naming performance over time was evaluated using paired
t
tests, and linear mixed-effects models were constructed to examine the association between prognostic factors and therapy outcomes.

Results:

Naming performance was improved by 5.9 PNT items (Cohen's
d
= 0.56,
p
< .001) 1 week after therapy and by 6.4 (
d
= 0.66,
p
< .001) and 7.5 (
d
= 0.65,
p
< .001) PNT items at 1 month and 6 months after therapy completion, respectively. Aphasia severity emerged as the strongest predictor of naming improvement recovery across time points;
mild
(ß = 5.85–9.02) and
moderate
(ß = 9.65–11.54) impairment predicted better recovery than
severe
(ß = 1.31–3.37) and
very severe
(ß = 0.20–0.32) aphasia. Age was an emergent prognostic factor for recovery 1 month (ß = −0.14) and 6 months (ß = −0.20) after therapy, and time postonset (ß = −0.05) was associated with retention of naming gains at 6 months posttherapy.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that therapy-induced naming improvement is predictable based on several easily measurable prognostic factors. Broadly speaking, these results suggest that prognostication procedures in aphasia therapy can be improved and indicate that personalization of therapy is a realistic goal in the near future.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22141829
Effect of Speaker Age on Listener Perceptions of Word-Final /l/
Authors: Chung Hyunju , Lemoine Grace E. , Sanders Julia B. , Schellinger Sarah K.
Published: February 2023

Purpose:

This study investigated an effect of speaker age on listeners' perception of word-final /l/ produced by child and adult speakers of Southern White Vernacular English, a dialect that shows higher rates of word-final /l/ vocalization than other dialects of English.

Method:

Stimuli included children and adults' word-final /l/ embedded in monosyllabic words in two vowel contexts (/i, ɪ/ and /ɔ, ɑ/). A total of 25 monolingual adult listeners listened to each word and were asked to judge the /l/-likeness using a visual analog scale. Average listener ratings and three acoustic measures (F2 transition rate [F2 TR] and F2-F1 [Hz] values at 20% and 80% time points along the vowel−/l/ duration) were analyzed.

Results:

Adult productions were rated more as correct /l/ than those of children in both vowel contexts, despite the similarity in their F2 TR and F2-F1 values at the 80% time point. Correlation between the acoustic measures and the average listener ratings were weak for all three measures for adults' productions. For children's productions, while the correlation with F2 TR values were weak, moderate significant correlations were found for F2-F1 values at the 20% and 80% time points. In terms of vowel context, word-final /l/ in the high front vowel context was rated more as /l/ than those in low back vowel context.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that listeners are more likely to accept word-final /l/ as being correct when produced by adult speakers, regardless of their acoustic characteristics, but more likely to perceive an error when produced by a child and attend more to acoustic information for their perceptual judgment. This highlights the importance of considering children's dialectal background when judging word-final /l/, which is more likely to be vocalized in certain dialects and certain vowel contexts, and thus can be misjudged without such consideration.
Prioritizing Connectedness and Equity in Speech-Language Services for American Indian and Alaska Native Children
Authors: Allison-Burbank Joshuaa D. , Reid Traci
Published: February 2023

Purpose:

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN; Indigenous) students are at a high risk for language and learning disorders. This article aims to highlight how clinicians can use decolonization and Indigenization pedagogies when planning and delivering speech-language services to Indigenous students from the perspectives of Indigenous professionals. These efforts can help promote student resilience, well-being, and identity and are critical to addressing educational inequity and provide culturally responsive services to Indigenous children. Many AI/AN students receive IDEA Part B special education services including speech and language therapy. Many of these students are misidentified as needing special education due to unique learning and language environments (Soto-Boykin et al., 2021). These students bring a unique cultural heritage that is vital to their identity, well-being, health, and school success. Therefore, the goal should be to provide evidence-based services that are culturally tailored and meet the whole child. Using a precision public health approach to consider social determinants of health and historical trauma allows for leveraging of a multilayered, trauma-informed approach to addressing educational inequities.

Conclusions:

An Indigenous connectedness framework can be used to indicate how connectedness is essential to AI/AN child well-being. This framework can be interlaced with existing learning theories to shape instruction where indigenization is a cornerstone of learning. Further examined was the influence of historical trauma, racism, socioeconomic status, and culture loss on learning and language development in AI/AN children in the context of settler colonialism. Strategies on how to use Indigenous knowledge and evidence-based teaching practices were applied to therapeutic services offered by speech-language pathologists and educators.