bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cooling dynamics of energized naphthalene and azulene radical cations
Authors: Lee Jason W. L. , Stockett Mark H. , Ashworth Eleanor K. , Navarro Navarrete José E. , Gougoula Eva , Garg Diksha , Ji MingChao , Zhu Boxing , Indrajith Suvasthika , Zettergren Henning , Schmidt Henning T. , Bull James N.
Published: May 2023

Naphthalene and azulene are isomeric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and are topical in the context of astrochemistry due to the recent discovery of substituted naphthalenes in the Taurus Molecular Cloud-1 (TMC-1). Here, the thermal- and photo-induced isomerization, dissociation, and radiative cooling dynamics of energized (vibrationally hot) naphthalene (Np+) and azulene (Az+) radical cations, occurring over the microsecond to seconds timescale, are investigated using a cryogenic electrostatic ion storage ring, affording “molecular cloud in a box” conditions. Measurement of the cooling dynamics and kinetic energy release distributions for neutrals formed through dissociation, until several seconds after hot ion formation, are consistent with the establishment of a rapid (sub-microsecond) Np+ ⇌ Az+ quasi-equilibrium. Consequently, dissociation by C2H2-elimination proceeds predominantly through common Az+ decomposition pathways. Simulation of the isomerization, dissociation, recurrent fluorescence, and infrared cooling dynamics using a coupled master equation combined with high-level potential energy surface calculations [CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ], reproduce the trends in the measurements. The data show that radiative cooling via recurrent fluorescence, predominately through the Np+ D0 ← D2 transition, efficiently quenches dissociation for vibrational energies up to ≈1 eV above dissociation thresholds. Our measurements support the suggestion that small cations, such as naphthalene, may be more abundant in space than previously thought. The strategy presented in this work could be extended to fingerprint the cooling dynamics of other PAH ions for which isomerization is predicted to precede dissociation.
Development of low-temperature impact-damage tolerant high entropy alloy with sequential multi-deformation mechanisms
Authors: Yoon Kook Noh , Oh Hyunseok , Lee Je In , Park Eun Soo
Published: May 2023

Metals often lose their ductility at cryogenic temperatures owing to the decreased mobility of dislocations. TRansformation-induced plasticity (TRIP), a toughening mechanism at room temperature, can increase damage susceptibility at low temperatures, as the resultant martensite phases can become more brittle than the parent phases. Herein, we develop a high-entropy alloy (HEA) with an improved low-temperature impact-damage tolerance through a sequential plasticity mechanism. We design a trip-assisted dual-phase HEA (TADP HEA) and investigate the effects of Al addition on its mechanical properties upon deformation at different temperatures, depending on stacking fault energy (SFE). Our analysis shows that a senary (Cr20Mn6Fe34Co34Ni6)98Al2 HEA exhibits superior mechanical properties, including a 641 MPa yield strength (σy), 964 MPa ultimate tensile strength (σUTS), and 40% uniform elongation (ɛUTS) at ambient temperature (25 °C), and a 1 GPa σy, 1.5 GPa σUTS, and 36% ɛUTS at −100 °C. Notably, despite the presence of hexagonal-close packed martensite, the HEA exhibits a higher Charpy impact energy (406 J) than Cantor HEA (344 J) at −100 °C. We attribute this improvement to the sequential deformation mechanism of mechanical twinning and martensitic transformation in the HEA at −100 °C, which results in sustainable steady strain-hardening during deformation. We suggest that optimizing the sequential deformation mechanism by manipulating SFE in multi-component alloys can be an effective route for improving the damage tolerance of metals at cryogenic temperatures.
Nb/a-Si/Nb Josephson junctions for high-density superconducting circuits
Authors: Olaya David I. , Biesecker John , Castellanos-Beltran Manuel A. , Sirois Adam J. , Hopkins Peter F. , Dresselhaus Paul D. , Benz Samuel P.
Published: May 2023

We present electrical characterization data of sputtered Nb/a-Si/Nb Josephson junctions (JJs) for high-speed and high-density superconducting circuits. Junctions were studied with critical current densities (Jc) ranging from 0.01 to 3 mA/μm2 at 4 K. For junctions deposited at room temperature and processed to a maximum temperature of 150 °C, the dependence of Jc on barrier thickness d is exponential, Jc∝exp (−d/d0), with d0 constant over the entire range of Jc values studied. Junctions were annealed at temperatures up to 300 °C to study changes in their electrical properties and possible compatibility with high temperature fabrication processes. Current–voltage characteristics, critical current uniformity, critical current modulation with in-plane magnetic field, and sub-gap resistance behavior of these junctions were measured at 4 K and demonstrate that the junction properties do not degrade with annealing. These data indicate that Nb/a-Si/Nb JJs are a potential candidate for higher speed and higher density superconducting circuits.
Perspective and prospects for nanostructured magnets
Authors: Hu Mingjie , Zhang Haitian
Published: May 2023

Permanent-magnet materials are essential for modern technologies, such as robotics, electric vehicles, and wind power generators. Over the last 100 years, the pursuit for stronger magnets mainly lies in enhancing their coercivity by alloying different elements with Fe and Co. Despite the continued endeavor, the coercivity of state-of-the-art NdFeB and SmCo magnets can only reach 20%–25% of their anisotropy field (Ha, the theoretical limit of the coercivity), known as the famous Brown's paradox. On the other hand, abnormally high coercivity was observed in the materials consisting of nanograins that reaches ∼60% of Ha at room temperature and goes beyond 100 kOe (7957 kA/m) at low temperatures. Moreover, the coercivity of nanostructured TbFe2 increases to ∼3500 Oe (278 kA/m), although it is a soft-magnetic material with a low value of only ∼30 Oe (2.4 kA/m) at room temperature for coarse-grained counterparts. However, high-energy-product bulk nanostructured magnets still remain elusive so far. In this short Perspective paper, we briefly discuss the prospects and challenges in fabricating high-performance bulk nanostructured magnets. The perspective for coercivity increase in emerging permanent magnets such as nanocomposite magnets and SmFe12-type magnets is also discussed.
Observation of the electronic band system 23Σg−–a3Πu of C2 in the vacuum ultraviolet region
Authors: Yin Tonghui , Ma Liying , Cheng Min , Gao Hong
Published: May 2023

A systematic spectroscopic study of the dicarbon molecule C2 has important applications in various research fields, such as astrochemistry and combustion. In the short vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength region, recent theoretical calculations have predicted many absorption band systems of C2, but only few of them have been verified experimentally yet. In this work, we employed a tunable VUV laser radiation source based on the two-photon resonance-enhanced four-wave mixing method and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer to investigate the absorption bands of C2 in the VUV range of 64 000–66 000 cm−1. The electronic transition 23Σg−(v′)–a3Πu(v″) of C2 has been observed and identified experimentally for the first time. The term value Te for the 23Σg− state is determined to be 66 389.9 ± 0.5 cm−1 above the ground state X1Σg+, and the vibrational and rotational constants are also determined. The experimentally measured spectroscopic parameters in this study are in excellent agreement with the theoretical results based on high-level ab initio calculations.
High mobility of intrinsic defects in α-Ga2O3
Authors: Azarov Alexander , Park Ji-Hyeon , Jeon Dae-Woo , Kuznetsov Andrej
Published: May 2023

Migration properties of the intrinsic defects were investigated in α-Ga2O3 by controllable introduction of the lattice disorder with ion irradiation and monitoring its evolution as a function of ion dose, flux, and temperature. Already the dose dependence acquired at room temperature suggested prominently high mobility of intrinsic defects in α-Ga2O3, since we observed two distinct disordered regions—near the surface and in the bulk—instead of a Gaussian shape following the ballistic defects production process. Moreover, the disorder accumulation has shown to be highly sensitive to the variation of the ion flux and temperature, known in the literature as the dose-rate effect. Therefore, by monitoring the process as a function of the flux and temperature, we observed such dose-rate effect in α-Ga2O3 with an activation energy of 0.33 ± 0.04 eV, which we attributed to the migration barrier of the intrinsic defects in the Ga sublattice, from where we collected the experimental data. By setting these results in the context of the theoretical data available in the literature, we argued that this energy may be attributed to the migration activation of the Ga self-interstitials in α-Ga2O3.
Quantum modeling, beyond secularity, of the collisional dissipation of molecular alignment using the energy-corrected sudden approximation
Authors: Bournazel M. , Ma J. , Billard F. , Hertz E. , Wu J. , Boulet C. , Faucher O. , Hartmann J.-M.
Published: May 2023

We propose a Markovian quantum model for the time dependence of the pressure-induced decoherence of rotational wave packets of gas-phase molecules beyond the secular approximation. It is based on a collisional relaxation matrix constructed using the energy-corrected sudden approximation, which improves the previously proposed infinite order sudden one by taking the molecule rotation during collisions into account. The model is tested by comparisons with time-domain measurements of the pressure-induced decays of molecular-axis alignment features (revivals and echoes) for HCl and CO2 gases, pure and diluted in He. For the Markovian systems HCl–He and CO2–He, the comparisons between computed and measured data demonstrate the robustness of our approach, even when the secular approximation largely breaks down. In contrast, significant differences are obtained in the cases of pure HCl and CO2, for which the model underestimates the decay rate of the alignment at short times. This result is attributed to the non-Markovianity of HCl–HCl and CO2–CO2 interactions and the important contribution of those collisions that are ongoing at the time when the system is excited by the aligning laser pulse.
Signal-processing electronics for stable and sensitive weak-field atomic vector magnetometers
Authors: Zhou H. , Wang X.-K. , Liu S.-Q. , Cheng L. , Liu K. , Pan Z.-H. , Li Y.-R. , Hao X.-J. , Sheng D. , Wang Y.-M.
Published: May 2023

We present the electronics developed for a sensitive and stable atomic vector magnetometer used in low-field detections. These electronics are required to be not only highly reliable and sophisticated for signal processing but also compact in size and low cost in resource consumption for the purpose of miniaturization. In addition, this magnetometer works with multiple modulations, where the interferences between harmonics of modulation fields often disturb the long-term measurements of the sensor. We work out a robust method to eliminate this problem by choosing the modulation frequencies with separations to match the minimum response points of the low-pass filters used in the demodulation processes. We validate the performance of the electronics and the frequency-selection scheme of the modulation fields with corresponding experimental results.
Error suppression by a virtual two-qubit gate
Authors: Yamamoto Takahiro , Ohira Ryutaro
Published: May 2023

Sparse connectivity of a superconducting quantum computer results in large experimental overheads of SWAP gates. In this study, we consider employing a virtual two-qubit gate (VTQG) as an error suppression technique. The VTQG enables a non-local operation between a pair of distant qubits using only single qubit gates and projective measurements. Here, we apply the VTQG to the digital quantum simulation of the transverse-field Ising model on an IBM quantum computer to suppress the errors due to the noisy two-qubit operations. We present an effective use of VTQG, where the reduction in multiple SWAP gates results in increasing the fidelity of output states. The obtained results indicate that the VTQG can be useful for suppressing the errors due to additional SWAP gates. In our experiments, we have observed one order of magnitude improvement in accuracy for the quantum simulation of the transverse-field Ising model with 8 qubits. Finally, we have demonstrated an efficient implementation of the VTQG by utilizing dynamic circuits. This scheme reduces experimental overheads for implementing m VTQGs from O(10m) to O(6m).
High temperature UV photodetectors based on the negative differential resistance effect of WO3/diamond PN junctions
Authors: Zhang Lin , Cheng Shaoheng , Wang Liying , Pei Kai , Li Hongdong
Published: May 2023

A positive-negative (PN) junction tunneling diode ultraviolet (UV) photodetector of p-boron-doped diamond (BDD)/n-WO3 nanorods (NRs) with broad-band and good thermal stability was fabricated using heavily boron-doped degenerate semiconductor diamond (BDD) as a substrate. The operating temperature of the p-BDD/n-WO3 photodetector was increased to 300 °C through the negative differential resistance effect, benefiting from the excellent properties of diamond such as an increase in the concentration of boron atoms, a wideband gap (∼5.5 eV), and high thermal conductivity. In particular, the devices exhibited a negative differential resistance phenomenon in the range of 30–240 °C, accompanied by a rapid increase in photocurrent values and the phenomenon disappeared as the temperature rises to 300 °C. Moreover, a quick response speed (tr1 = 1.2 s), a high photocurrent (0.11 A at 5 V), a good rectification ratio (1.81), and a photo to dark current ratio (0.15) can be demonstrated in the p-BDD/n-WO3 NRs photodetector at 300 °C, indicating its excellent thermal stability. This work provides an effective way method for realizing UV photodetectors based on the negative differential resistance effect and reclaims the potential application of p-BDD/n-WO3 in high temperature semiconductor optoelectronic devices.
Pathways to IUD and implant insertion in general practice: a secondary analysis of the ACCORd study
Authors: Mazza Danielle , Watson Cathy J. , Taft Angela , Lucke Jayne , McGeechan Kevin , Haas Marion , McNamee Kathleen , Peipert Jeffrey F. , Black Kirsten I.
Published: May 2023

Background Despite recommendations, long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) are not always offered as first-line contraceptives in general practice. This study aimed to describe pathways used by women for insertion of LARC. Methods This is a secondary analysis of data from the Australian Contraceptives ChOice pRoject (ACCORd), a cluster randomised controlled trial set in 57 general practices in Melbourne, Australia. We investigated whether an educational intervention for general practitioners (GPs) and a rapid LARC insertion clinic increased LARC uptake. The main outcome measures were the type of health service, location/provider of intrauterine device (IUD) insertion; time to insertion; and distance travelled for IUD insertion. Results During ACCORd, 149 women had LARC insertion. IUD training was reported by 37% of GPs, but only 12% inserted them. In contrast, 70% of GPs inserted implants and 95% of women accessed implant insertion through their own general practice. LARC rapid referral clinics were used by 52% (13/25) of intervention GPs, where 71% (41/56) of IUD insertions occurred in these clinics (but no implants). There was no difference in the mean time from referral to IUD insertion between women attending intervention and control GPs (mean days 37.6 vs 32.7; P = 0.61). GPs (including IUD inserters) used a variety of referral pathways for IUD insertion, including public and private clinics, and other GPs. Women travelled up to 90 km for IUD insertion. Conclusions Although implant insertion has been integrated into general practice, few GPs insert IUDs. Where the option exists for GPs to refer to a LARC rapid referral clinic, the majority of IUD insertions will take place there. Establishing a network of such clinics Australia wide may both increase IUD uptake and address the extensive need for GP training in IUD insertion.
Sexual risk behaviours among factory workers in Shenzhen, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Luo Dan , Zhang Kechun , Chen Yaqi , Chen Dahui , Zhao Heping , Luo Ganfeng , Ke Wujian , Wu Shaomin , Li Linghua , Cao He , Cao Bolin , Cai Yong , Wang Zixin , Lin Qihui , Meng Xiaojun , Zou Huachun
Published: May 2023

Background Factory workers are a key population for HIV transmission in China, as they often engage in sexual risk behaviours. This study aims to evaluate sexual risk behaviours and associated factors among factory workers in Shenzhen, China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted by using multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling. Full-time workers aged ≥18 years were eligible to participate in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were applied to assess factors associated with sexual risk behaviours. Results A total of 2029 factory workers were included. Mean age was 37.2 (±4.4) years; 48.5% were men. Two-thirds (64.9%) had had vaginal intercourse. Their sexual risk behaviours included condomless sex with casual partners in the last sex episode (23.6%), multiple sex partners (11.5%) and engaging in commercial sex (8.4%), in the past year. Having HIV/AIDS knowledge (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24–0.70) and using a condom at sexual debut (AOR 0.08, 95% CI 0.05–0.13) were factors associated with condomless sex with casual partners in the last sex episode. Males (AOR 3.03, 95% CI 1.96–4.69 and AOR 2.19, 95% CI 1.33–3.60), local workers (AOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.01–4.42 and AOR 3.42, 95% CI 1.63–7.21), being single (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.39–3.01 and AOR 2.49, 95% CI 1.61–3.87), having sexual debut aged <18 years (AOR 5.98, 95% CI 3.28–10.89 and AOR 3.34, 95% CI 1.74–6.39), and substance use (AOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.38–2.93 and AOR 4.43, 95% CI 2.85–6.87) were associated with both having multiple sex partners and engaging in commercial sex in the past year. Conclusions Sexual risk behaviours were prevalent despite most participants having basic HIV/AIDS knowledge. Future workplace-based prevention programs should target factory workers and there should be a focus on enhanced sexual education to reduce HIV transmission in China.
Direct neuronal reprogramming by temporal identity factors
Authors: Boudreau-Pinsonneault Camille , David Luke Ajay , Lourenço Fernandes José Alex , Javed Awais , Fries Michel , Mattar Pierre , Cayouette Michel
Published: May 2023

Temporal identity factors are sufficient to reprogram developmental competence of neural progenitors and shift cell fate output, but whether they can also reprogram the identity of terminally differentiated cells is unknown. To address this question, we designed a conditional gene expression system that allows rapid screening of potential reprogramming factors in mouse retinal glial cells combined with genetic lineage tracing. Using this assay, we found that coexpression of the early temporal identity transcription factors Ikzf1 and Ikzf4 is sufficient to directly convert Müller glial (MG) cells into cells that translocate to the outer nuclear layer (ONL), where photoreceptor cells normally reside. We name these “induced ONL (iONL)” cells. Using genetic lineage tracing, histological, immunohistochemical, and single-cell transcriptome and multiome analyses, we show that expression of Ikzf1/4 in MG in vivo, without retinal injury, mostly generates iONL cells that share molecular characteristics with bipolar cells, although a fraction of them stain for Rxrg, a cone photoreceptor marker. Furthermore, we show that coexpression of Ikzf1 and Ikzf4 can reprogram mouse embryonic fibroblasts to induced neurons in culture by rapidly remodeling chromatin and activating a neuronal gene expression program. This work uncovers general neuronal reprogramming properties for temporal identity factors in terminally differentiated cells.
Proteomics and phosphoproteomics of failing human left ventricle identifies dilated cardiomyopathy-associated phosphorylation of CTNNA3
Authors: Reitz Cristine J. , Tavassoli Marjan , Kim Da Hye , Shah Saumya , Lakin Robert , Teng Allen C. T. , Zhou Yu-Qing , Li Wenping , Hadipour-Lakmehsari Sina , Backx Peter H. , Emili Andrew , Oudit Gavin Y. , Kuzmanov Uros , Gramolini Anthony O.
Published: May 2023

The prognosis and treatment outcomes of heart failure (HF) patients rely heavily on disease etiology, yet the majority of underlying signaling mechanisms are complex and not fully elucidated. Phosphorylation is a major point of protein regulation with rapid and profound effects on the function and activity of protein networks. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive proteomic and phosphoproteomic studies examining cardiac tissue from HF patients with either dilated dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Here, we used a combined proteomic and phosphoproteomic approach to identify and quantify more than 5,000 total proteins with greater than 13,000 corresponding phosphorylation sites across explanted left ventricle (LV) tissue samples, including HF patients with DCM vs. nonfailing controls (NFC), and left ventricular infarct vs. noninfarct, and periinfarct vs. noninfarct regions of HF patients with ICM. Each pair-wise comparison revealed unique global proteomic and phosphoproteomic profiles with both shared and etiology-specific perturbations. With this approach, we identified a DCM-associated hyperphosphorylation cluster in the cardiomyocyte intercalated disc (ICD) protein, αT-catenin (CTNNA3). We demonstrate using both ex vivo isolated cardiomyocytes and in vivo using an AAV9-mediated overexpression mouse model, that CTNNA3 phosphorylation at these residues plays a key role in maintaining protein localization at the cardiomyocyte ICD to regulate conductance and cell–cell adhesion. Collectively, this integrative proteomic/phosphoproteomic approach identifies region- and etiology-associated signaling pathways in human HF and describes a role for CTNNA3 phosphorylation in the pathophysiology of DCM.
The PRAK-NRF2 axis promotes the differentiation of Th17 cells by mediating the redox homeostasis and glycolysis
Authors: Zhao Ziheng , Wang Yan , Gao Yuhan , Ju Yurong , Zhao Ye , Wu Zhaofei , Gao Shuaixin , Zhang Boyang , Pang Xuewen , Zhang Yu , Wang Wei
Published: May 2023

Oxidative stress is a key feature in both chronic inflammation and cancer. P38 regulated/activated protein kinase (PRAK) deficiency can cause functional disorders in neutrophils and macrophages under high oxidative stress, but the precise mechanisms by which PRAK regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination and its potential impact on CD4+ T helper subset function are unclear. The present study reveals that the PRAK-NF-E2-related factor 2(NRF2) axis is essential for maintaining the intracellular redox homeostasis of T helper 17(Th17) cells, thereby promoting Th17 cell differentiation and antitumor effects. Through mechanistic analysis, we identify NRF2 as a novel protein substrate of PRAK and find that PRAK enhances the stability of the NRF2 protein through phosphorylation NRF2 Serine(S) 558 independent of protein ubiquitination. High accumulation of cellular ROS caused by loss of PRAK disrupts both glycolysis and PKM2-dependent phosphorylation of STAT3, which subsequently impairs the differentiation of Th17 cells. As a result,
Prak
knockout (KO) mice display significant resistance to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) but impaired antitumor immunity in a MC38 tumor model. This work reveals that the PRAK-NRF2-mediated antioxidant pathway is a metabolic checkpoint that controls Th17-cell glycolysis and differentiation. Targeting PRAK is a promising strategy for maintaining an active ROS scavenging system and may lead to potent Th17 cell antitumor immunity.
A human FLII gene variant alters sarcomeric actin thin filament length and predisposes to cardiomyopathy
Authors: Kuwabara Yasuhide , York Allen J. , Lin Suh-Chin , Sargent Michelle A. , Grimes Kelly M. , Pirruccello James P. , Molkentin Jeffery D.
Published: May 2023

To better understand the genetic basis of heart disease, we identified a variant in the
Flightless-I homolog
(
FLII
) gene that generates a R1243H missense change and predisposes to cardiac remodeling across multiple previous human genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Since this gene is of unknown function in the mammalian heart we generated gain- and loss-of-function genetically altered mice, as well as knock-in mice with the syntenic R1245H amino acid substitution, which showed that Flii protein binds the sarcomeric actin thin filament and influences its length. Deletion of
Flii
from the heart, or mice with the R1245H amino acid substitution, show cardiomyopathy due to shortening of the actin thin filaments. Mechanistically, Flii is a known actin binding protein that we show associates with tropomodulin-1 (TMOD1) to regulate sarcomere thin filament length. Indeed, overexpression of leiomodin-2 in the heart, which lengthens the actin-containing thin filaments, partially rescued disease due to heart-specific deletion of
Flii
. Collectively, the identified
FLII
human variant likely increases cardiomyopathy risk through an alteration in sarcomere structure and associated contractile dynamics, like other sarcomere gene-based familial cardiomyopathies.
Intestinal activating transcription factor 4 regulates stress-related behavioral alterations via paraventricular thalamus in male mice
Authors: Yuan Feixiang , Zhou Ziheng , Wu Shangming , Jiao Fuxin , Chen Liang , Fang Leilei , Yin Hanrui , Hu Xiaoming , Jiang Xiaoxue , Liu Kan , Xiao Fei , Jiang Haizhou , Chen Shanghai , Liu Zhanju , Shu Yousheng , Guo Feifan
Published: May 2023

Chronic stress induces depression- and anxiety-related behaviors, which are common mental disorders accompanied not only by dysfunction of the brain but also of the intestine. Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is a stress-induced gene, and we previously show that it is important for gut functions; however, the contribution of the intestinal ATF4 to stress-related behaviors is not known. Here, we show that chronic stress inhibits the expression of ATF4 in gut epithelial cells. ATF4 overexpression in the colon relieves stress-related behavioral alterations in male mice, as measured by open-field test, elevated plus-maze test, and tail suspension test, whereas intestine-specific ATF4 knockout induces stress-related behavioral alterations in male mice. Furthermore, glutamatergic neurons are inhibited in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) of two strains of intestinal ATF4-deficient mice, and selective activation of these neurons alleviates stress-related behavioral alterations in intestinal ATF4-deficient mice. The highly expressed gut-secreted peptide trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) is chosen from RNA-Seq data from ATF4 deletion mice and demonstrated decreased in gut epithelial cells, which is directly regulated by ATF4. Injection of TFF3 reverses stress-related behaviors in ATF4 knockout mice, and the beneficial effects of TFF3 are blocked by inhibiting PVT glutamatergic neurons using DREADDs. In summary, this study demonstrates the function of ATF4 in the gut–brain regulation of stress-related behavioral alterations, via TFF3 modulating PVT neural activity. This research provides evidence of gut signals regulating stress-related behavioral alterations and identifies possible drug targets for the treatment of stress-related behavioral disorders.
Surge of neurophysiological coupling and connectivity of gamma oscillations in the dying human brain
Authors: Xu Gang , Mihaylova Temenuzhka , Li Duan , Tian Fangyun , Farrehi Peter M. , Parent Jack M. , Mashour George A. , Wang Michael M. , Borjigin Jimo
Published: May 2023

The brain is assumed to be hypoactive during cardiac arrest. However, animal models of cardiac and respiratory arrest demonstrate a surge of gamma oscillations and functional connectivity. To investigate whether these preclinical findings translate to humans, we analyzed electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram signals in four comatose dying patients before and after the withdrawal of ventilatory support. Two of the four patients exhibited a rapid and marked surge of gamma power, surge of cross-frequency coupling of gamma waves with slower oscillations, and increased interhemispheric functional and directed connectivity in gamma bands. High-frequency oscillations paralleled the activation of beta/gamma cross-frequency coupling within the somatosensory cortices. Importantly, both patients displayed surges of functional and directed connectivity at multiple frequency bands within the posterior cortical “hot zone,” a region postulated to be critical for conscious processing. This gamma activity was stimulated by global hypoxia and surged further as cardiac conditions deteriorated in the dying patients. These data demonstrate that the surge of gamma power and connectivity observed in animal models of cardiac arrest can be observed in select patients during the process of dying.
Differential processing of a chemosensory cue across life stages sharing the same valence state in
Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Banerjee Navonil , Shih Pei-Yin , Rojas Palato Elisa J. , Sternberg Paul W. , Hallem Elissa A.
Published: May 2023

Many chemosensory cues evoke responses of the same valence under widely varying physiological conditions. It remains unclear whether similar or distinct neural mechanisms are involved in the detection and processing of such chemosensory cues across contexts. We show that in
Caenorhabditis elegans
, a chemosensory cue is processed by distinct neural mechanisms at two different life stages that share the same valence state. Both starved adults and dauer larvae are attracted to carbon dioxide (CO
2
), but CO
2
evokes different patterns of neural activity and different motor outputs at the two life stages. Moreover, the same interneuron within the CO
2
microcircuit plays a different role in driving CO
2
-evoked motor output at the two life stages. The dauer-specific patterns of CO
2
-evoked activity in this interneuron require a dauer-specific gap junction complex and insulin signaling. Our results demonstrate that functionally distinct microcircuits are engaged in response to a chemosensory cue that triggers the same valence state at different life stages, revealing an unexpected complexity to chemosensory processing.
Electroregulation of graphene–nanofluid interactions to coenhance water permeation and ion rejection in vertical graphene membranes
Authors: Zhang Hai-Guang , Quan Xie , Du Lei , Wei Gao-Liang , Chen Shuo , Yu Hong-Tao , Dong Ying-Chao
Published: May 2023

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes with nanoconfined interlayer channels theoretically enable anomalous nanofluid transport for ultrahigh filtration performance. However, it is still a significant challenge for current GO laminar membranes to achieve ultrafast water permeation and high ion rejection simultaneously, because of the contradictory effect that exists between the water–membrane hydrogen-bond interaction and the ion–membrane electrostatic interaction. Here, we report a vertically aligned reduced GO (VARGO) membrane and propose an electropolarization strategy for regulating the interfacial hydrogen-bond and electrostatic interactions to concurrently enhance water permeation and ion rejection. The membrane with an electro-assistance of 2.5 V exhibited an ultrahigh water permeance of 684.9 L m
−2
 h
−1
 bar
−1
, which is 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than those of reported GO-based laminar membranes. Meanwhile, the rejection rate of the membrane for NaCl was as high as 88.7%, outperforming most reported graphene-based membranes (typically 10 to 50%). Molecular dynamics simulations and density-function theory calculations revealed that the electropolarized VARGO nanochannels induced the well-ordered arrangement of nanoconfined water molecules, increasing the water transport efficiency, and thereby resulting in improved water permeation. Moreover, the electropolarization effect enhanced the surface electron density of the VARGO nanochannels and reinforced the interfacial attractive interactions between the cations in water and the oxygen groups and π-electrons on the VARGO surface, strengthening the ion-partitioning and Donnan effect for the electrostatic exclusion of ions. This finding offers an electroregulation strategy for membranes to achieve both high water permeability and high ion rejection performance.
Lifetime inclusive fitness effects of cooperative polygamy in the acorn woodpecker
Authors: Koenig Walter D. , Barve Sahas , Haydock Joseph , Dugdale Hannah L. , Oli Madan K. , Walters Eric L.
Published: May 2023

Although over 50 y have passed since W. D. Hamilton articulated kin selection and inclusive fitness as evolutionary explanations for altruistic behavior, quantifying inclusive fitness continues to be challenging. Here, using 30 y of data and two alternative methods, we outline an approach to measure lifetime inclusive fitness effects of cooperative polygamy (mate-sharing or cobreeding) in the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
. For both sexes, the number of offspring (observed direct fitness) declined while the number of young parented by related cobreeders (observed indirect fitness effect) increased with cobreeding coalition size. Combining these two factors, the observed inclusive fitness effect of cobreeding was greater than breeding singly for males, while the pattern for females depended on whether fitness was age-weighted, as females breeding singly accrued greater fitness at younger ages than cobreeding females. Accounting for the fitness birds would have obtained by breeding singly, however, lifetime inclusive fitness effects declined with coalition size for males, but were greater for females breeding as duos compared to breeding singly, due largely to indirect fitness effects of kin. Our analyses provide a road map for, and demonstrate the importance of, quantifying indirect fitness as a powerful evolutionary force contributing to the costs and benefits of social behaviors.
Nanoelectrochemistry reveals how soluble Aβ
42
oligomers alter vesicular storage and release of glutamate
Authors: Yang Xiao-Ke , Zhang Fu-Li , Jin Xue-Ke , Jiao Yu-Ting , Zhang Xin-Wei , Liu Yan-Ling , Amatore Christian , Huang Wei-Hua
Published: May 2023

Glutamate (Glu) is the major excitatory transmitter in the nervous system. Impairment of its vesicular release by β-amyloid (Aβ) oligomers is thought to participate in pathological processes leading to Alzheimer’s disease. However, it remains unclear whether soluble Aβ
42
oligomers affect intravesicular amounts of Glu or their release in the brain, or both. Measurements made in this work on single Glu varicosities with an amperometric nanowire Glu biosensor revealed that soluble Aβ
42
oligomers first caused a dramatic increase in vesicular Glu storage and stimulation-induced release, accompanied by a high level of parallel spontaneous exocytosis, ultimately resulting in the depletion of intravesicular Glu content and greatly reduced release. Molecular biology tools and mouse models of Aβ amyloidosis have further established that the transient hyperexcitation observed during the primary pathological stage is mediated by an altered behavior of VGLUT1 responsible for transporting Glu into synaptic vesicles. Thereafter, an overexpression of Vps10p-tail-interactor-1a, a protein that maintains spontaneous release of neurotransmitters by selective interaction with t-SNAREs, resulted in a depletion of intravesicular Glu content, triggering advanced-stage neuronal malfunction. These findings are expected to open perspectives for remediating Aβ
42
-induced neuronal hyperactivity and neuronal degeneration.
Loss of function of
SSIIIa
and
SSIIIb
coordinately confers high RS content in cooked rice
Authors: Wang Anqi , Jing Yanhui , Cheng Qiao , Zhou Hongju , Wang Lijun , Gong Wanxin , Kou Liquan , Liu Guifu , Meng Xiangbing , Chen Mingjiang , Ma Haiyan , Shu Xiaoli , Yu Hong , Wu Dianxing , Li Jiayang
Published: May 2023

The sedentary lifestyle and refined food consumption significantly lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related complications, which have become one of the major threats to global health. This incidence could be potentially reduced by daily foods rich in resistant starch (RS). However, it remains a challenge to breed high-RS rice varieties. Here, we reported a high-RS mutant
rs4
with an RS content of ~10.8% in cooked rice. The genetic study revealed that the loss-of-function
SSIIIb
and
SSIIIa
together with a strong
Wx
allele in the background collaboratively contributed to the high-RS phenotype of the
rs4
mutant. The increased RS contents in
ssIIIa
and
ssIIIa ssIIIb
mutants were associated with the increased amylose and lipid contents. SSIIIb and SSIIIa proteins were functionally redundant, whereas
SSIIIb
mainly functioned in leaves and
SSIIIa
largely in endosperm owing to their divergent tissue-specific expression patterns. Furthermore, we found that
SSIII
experienced duplication in different cereals, of which one
SSIII
paralog was mainly expressed in leaves and another in the endosperm.
SSII
but not
SSIV
showed a similar evolutionary pattern to
SSIII
. The copies of endosperm-expressed
SSIII
and
SSII
were associated with high total starch contents and low RS levels in the seeds of tested cereals, compared with low starch contents and high RS levels in tested dicots. These results provided critical genetic resources for breeding high-RS rice cultivars, and the evolutionary features of these genes may facilitate to generate high-RS varieties in different cereals.
The impact of threshold decision mechanisms of collective behavior on disease spread
Authors: Morsky Bryce , Magpantay Felicia , Day Troy , Akçay Erol
Published: May 2023

Humans are a hyper-social species, which greatly impacts the spread of infectious diseases. How do social dynamics impact epidemiology and what are the implications for public health policy? Here, we develop a model of disease transmission that incorporates social dynamics and a behavior that reduces the spread of disease, a voluntary nonpharmaceutical intervention (NPI). We use a “tipping-point” dynamic, previously used in the sociological literature, where individuals adopt a behavior given a sufficient prevalence of the behavior in the population. The thresholds at which individuals adopt the NPI behavior are modulated by the perceived risk of infection, i.e., the disease prevalence and transmission rate, costs to adopt the NPI behavior, and the behavior of others. Social conformity creates a type of “stickiness” whereby individuals are resistant to changing their behavior due to the population’s inertia. In this model, we observe a nonmonotonicity in the attack rate as a function of various biological and social parameters such as the transmission rate, efficacy of the NPI, costs of the NPI, weight of social consequences of shirking the social norm, and the degree of heterogeneity in the population. We also observe that the attack rate can be highly sensitive to these parameters due to abrupt shifts in the collective behavior of the population. These results highlight the complex interplay between the dynamics of epidemics and norm-driven collective behaviors.
Application of a quantitative framework to improve the accuracy of a bacterial infection model
Authors: Lewin Gina R. , Kapur Ananya , Cornforth Daniel M. , Duncan Rebecca P. , Diggle Frances L. , Moustafa Dina A. , Harrison Simone A. , Skaar Eric P. , Chazin Walter J. , Goldberg Joanna B. , Bomberger Jennifer M. , Whiteley Marvin
Published: May 2023

Laboratory models are critical to basic and translational microbiology research. Models serve multiple purposes, from providing tractable systems to study cell biology to allowing the investigation of inaccessible clinical and environmental ecosystems. Although there is a recognized need for improved model systems, there is a gap in rational approaches to accomplish this goal. We recently developed a framework for assessing the accuracy of microbial models by quantifying how closely each gene is expressed in the natural environment and in various models. The accuracy of the model is defined as the percentage of genes that are similarly expressed in the natural environment and the model. Here, we leverage this framework to develop and validate two generalizable approaches for improving model accuracy, and as proof of concept, we apply these approaches to improve models of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
infecting the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. First, we identify two models, an in vitro synthetic CF sputum medium model (SCFM2) and an epithelial cell model, that accurately recapitulate different gene sets. By combining these models, we developed the epithelial cell-SCFM2 model which improves the accuracy of over 500 genes. Second, to improve the accuracy of specific genes, we mined publicly available transcriptome data, which identified zinc limitation as a cue present in the CF lung and absent in SCFM2. Induction of zinc limitation in SCFM2 resulted in accurate expression of 90% of
P. aeruginosa
genes. These approaches provide generalizable, quantitative frameworks for microbiological model improvement that can be applied to any system of interest.
Gas-phase microactuation using kinetically controlled surface states of ultrathin catalytic sheets
Authors: Bao Nanqi , Liu Qingkun , Reynolds Michael F. , Figueras Marc , Smith Evangelos , Wang Wei , Cao Michael C. , Muller David A. , Mavrikakis Manos , Cohen Itai , McEuen Paul L. , Abbott Nicholas L.
Published: May 2023

Biological systems convert chemical energy into mechanical work by using protein catalysts that assume kinetically controlled conformational states. Synthetic chemomechanical systems using chemical catalysis have been reported, but they are slow, require high temperatures to operate, or indirectly perform work by harnessing reaction products in liquids (e.g., heat or protons). Here, we introduce a bioinspired chemical strategy for gas-phase chemomechanical transduction that sequences the elementary steps of catalytic reactions on ultrathin (<10 nm) platinum sheets to generate surface stresses that directly drive microactuation (bending radii of 700 nm) at ambient conditions (T = 20 °C; P
total
= 1 atm). When fueled by hydrogen gas and either oxygen or ozone gas, we show how kinetically controlled surface states of the catalyst can be exploited to achieve fast actuation (600 ms/cycle) at 20 °C. We also show that the approach can integrate photochemically controlled reactions and can be used to drive the reconfiguration of microhinges and complex origami- and kirigami-based microstructures.
Referential signaling in a communally breeding bird
Authors: LaPergola Joshua B. , Savagian Amanda G. , Smith Maria G. , Bennett Breanna L. , Strong Meghan J. , Riehl Christina
Published: May 2023

Referential signaling, a complex form of communication in which specific signals are associated with external referents, was once thought to be limited to primates. Recent research has documented referential signaling in several other cooperative taxa, predominantly in kin-based societies. Here, we show that greater anis, communally nesting birds that breed in nonkin groups, give one type of alarm call in response to aerial threats (flying raptors) and another to more general threats (nonaerial predators). Observational data show that anis give these calls in response to different classes of threats, and playback experiments in the field confirmed that the alarm calls alone are sufficient to elicit appropriate behavioral responses even in the absence of an actual threat. Genetic data on a subset of groups confirmed that breeding groups are composed of nonkin, suggesting that referential alarm calls are often given in situations when no genetic relatives are present. These results suggest that complex referential communication can occur in social groups composed of nonrelatives, despite the absence of kin-selected fitness benefits.
Electrochemically active porous carbon nanospheres prepared by inhibition of pyrolytic condensation of polymers
Authors: Kim Jaehyun , Lee Dayoung , Kim Cheolho , Lee Haeli , Baek Seungjun , Moon Jun Hyuk
Published: May 2023

Porous carbon is a pivotal material for electrochemical applications. The manufacture of porous carbon has relied on chemical treatments (etching or template) that require processing in all areas of the carbon/carbon precursor. We present a unique approach to preparing porous carbon nanospheres by inhibiting the pyrolytic condensation of polymers. Specifically, the porous carbon nanospheres are obtained by coating a thin film of ZnO on polystyrene spheres. The porosity of the porous carbon nanospheres is controlled by the thickness of the ZnO shell, achieving a BET-specific area of 1,124 m
2
/g with a specific volume of 1.09 cm
3
/g. We confirm that under the support force by the ZnO shell, a hierarchical pore structure in which small mesopores are connected by large mesopores is formed and that the pore-associated sp
3
defects are enriched. These features allow full utilization of the surface area of the carbon pores. The electrochemical capacitive performance of porous carbon nanospheres was evaluated, achieving a high capacitance of 389 F/g at 1 A/g, capacitance retention of 71% at a 20-fold increase in current density, and stability up to 30,000 cycles. In particular, we achieve a specific area-normalized capacitance of 34.6 μF/cm
2
, which overcomes the limitations of conventional carbon materials.
Wheat plant height locus
RHT25
encodes a PLATZ transcription factor that interacts with DELLA (RHT1)
Authors: Zhang Junli , Li Chengxia , Zhang Wenjun , Zhang Xiaoqin , Mo Youngjun , Tranquilli Gabriela E. , Vanzetti Leonardo S. , Dubcovsky Jorge
Published: May 2023

Plant height is an important agronomic trait with a significant impact on grain yield, as demonstrated by the positive effect of the
REDUCED HEIGHT
(
RHT
) dwarfing alleles (
Rht1b
) on lodging and harvest index in the “Green Revolution” wheat varieties. However, these gibberellic acid (GA)-insensitive alleles also reduce coleoptile length, biomass production, and yield potential in some environments, triggering the search for alternative GA-sensitive dwarfing genes. Here we report the identification, validation, and characterization of the gene underlying the GA-sensitive dwarfing locus
RHT25
in wheat. This gene, designated as
PLATZ-A1
(
TraesCS6A02G156600
), is expressed mainly in the elongating stem and developing spike and encodes a plant-specific AT-rich sequence- and zinc-binding protein (PLATZ). Natural and induced loss-of-function mutations in
PLATZ-A1
reduce plant height and its overexpression increases plant height, demonstrating that
PLATZ-A1
is the causative gene of
RHT25. PLATZ-A1
and
RHT1
show a significant genetic interaction on plant height, and their encoded proteins interact with each other in yeast and wheat protoplasts. These results suggest that PLATZ1 can modulate the effect of DELLA on wheat plant height. We identified four natural truncation mutations and one promoter insertion in
PLATZ-A1
that are more frequent in modern varieties than in landraces, suggesting positive selection during wheat breeding. These mutations can be used to fine-tune wheat plant height and, in combination with other GA-sensitive dwarfing genes, to replace the GA-insensitive
Rht1b
alleles and search for grain yield improvements beyond those of the Green Revolution varieties.