bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feminismos en América Latina
Authors: Zaremberg Gisela , de Almeida Debora Rezende
Published: February 2024

Este Element analiza las características de los movimientos feministas actuales en América Latina y sus respuestas a las reacciones conservadoras. Para ello, nos enfocamos específicamente en el movimiento proaborto frente al contramovimiento antiaborto en México y Brasil. Para analizar los efectos potenciales de los movimientos ofrecemos un enfoque relacional que abarca tanto la dinámica dentro del propio campo feminista, como entre el feminismo y el estado. En primer lugar, proponemos el concepto de redes feministas anidadas. Las redes anidadas comprenden tres dimensiones que revelan la pluralidad del movimiento a través de: cuestiones interseccionales y de identidad sexual (dimensión horizontal), de su relación con el estado multifacético (vertical) y de la intermediación de los partidos políticos y las instituciones participativas en esta relación (intermedia). En segundo lugar, argumentamos que las redes anidadas permiten a las feministas tanto habilitar políticas como bloquear acciones de los conservadores. En resumen, exploramos cómo las feministas, aprovechando su pluralidad interna y su conexión con el estado, pueden contrarrestar los ataques conservadores.
Interplay between polygenic variants related immune response and lifestyle factors mitigate the chances of stroke in a genome-wide association study
Authors: Park Sunmin
Published: February 2024

We aimed to investigate the intricate interplay between genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors on stroke. We conducted a comprehensive genome-wide association study to identify the genetic variants linked to stroke in the participants who experienced a stroke event (cases; n 672) and those with no stroke history (non-stroke; n 58 029) in a large hospital-based cohort. Using generalised multifactor dimensionality reduction, we identified genetic variants with interactive effects and constructed polygenic risk scores (PRS) by summing up the risk alleles from the genetic variants. Food intake was measured with a validated semi-quantitative FFQ. No significant differences in stroke incidence were seen in demographic variables between the two groups. Among the metabolic indicators, only serum TAG levels were higher in males with stroke than those without stroke. The daily nutrient intake, dietary inflammation index, glycaemic index, dietary patterns, alcohol consumption, exercise and smoking did not display associations with the OR for stroke. The stroke-linked genetic variants were related to the IL-18 pathway. After accounting for covariates, the PRS derived from the 5-, 6- and 7-SNP models were positively associated with stroke chance with 2·5-, 2·9- and 2·8-fold. Furthermore, interactions between genetic predisposition and dietary components, including energy, carbohydrates, n-3 fatty acids and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), that affected OR for stroke were observed. A high intake of energy, carbohydrates and BCAA and a low intake of n-3 fatty acids were positively associated with the chances of stroke occurrence. In conclusion, understanding the interaction between genetic variants and lifestyle factors can assist in developing stroke prevention and management strategies.
Being Open-Minded about Open-Mindedness
Authors: Khorasanee Kasim
Published: February 2024

Within the field of virtue and vice epistemology open-mindedness is usually considered an archetypal virtue. Nevertheless, there is ongoing disagreement over how exactly it should be defined. In this paper I propose a novel definition of open-mindedness as a process of impartial belief revision and use it to argue that we should shift our normative assessments away from the trait itself to the context in which it is exercised. My definition works by three sequential stages: not screening new claims, impartially weighing the evidential strength of claims, and updating beliefs accordingly. Using this definition I argue for a focus on agents’ particular circumstances to determine what degrees of credulity, open-, or closed-mindedness are appropriate in any given situation. As well as providing conceptual clarity regarding the concept of open-mindedness this paper indicates the benefits of this contextual approach for our everyday epistemic attitudes. In particular it enables us to recognise, without stigma, when ourselves or others deviate from open-mindedness for appropriate reasons.
Effect of vegetable consumption on risk of gastric cancer: a systematic review and multi-level meta-analysis of prospective studies
Authors: Wu Xiaomin , Qin Guoqiang , Zhang Rui , Liu Yunning , Chen Liling , Su Jingyang , Kong Chao , Fang Zhongze , Wu Jing
Published: February 2024

Vegetables are known to be beneficial to human health, but the association between vegetable consumption and gastric cancer remains uncertain. To synthesise knowledge about the relationship between vegetable group consumption and gastric cancer risk, update present meta-analyses and estimate associations between vegetable consumption and gastric cancer risk based solely on prospective studies, we perform a PRISMA-compliant three-level meta-analysis. Systematic search identified thirteen prospective studies with fifty-two effect sizes that met all inclusion criteria and no exclusion criteria for our meta-analysis. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) showed a positive association between high vegetable consumption and low gastric cancer risk (pooled RR 0·93, 95% confidence interval 0·90–0·97, P = 0·06). In moderator analyses for indicators of gender, region and quantity of vegetable intake, there was no significant difference between subgroups. However, the effect became significant in populations with lower than the minimum risk exposure level (TMREL) of vegetable consumption (P < 0·05). Higher vegetable intake is associated with a decreased risk of gastric cancer. This effect may be limited to specific populations, such as ones with lower vegetable consumption. Evidence from our study has important public health implications for dietary recommendations.
Parameterized complexity of weighted team definability
Authors: Kontinen Juha , Mahmood Yasir , Meier Arne , Vollmer Heribert
Published: February 2024

In this article, we study the complexity of weighted team definability for logics with team semantics. This problem is a natural analog of one of the most studied problems in parameterized complexity, the notion of weighted Fagin-definability, which is formulated in terms of satisfaction of first-order formulas with free relation variables. We focus on the parameterized complexity of weighted team definability for a fixed formula
$\varphi$
of central team-based logics. Given a first-order structure
$\mathcal{A}$
and the parameter value
$k\in \mathbb N$
as input, the question is to determine whether
$\mathcal{A},T\models \varphi$
for some team T of size k. We show several results on the complexity of this problem for dependence, independence, and inclusion logic formulas. Moreover, we also relate the complexity of weighted team definability to the complexity classes in the well-known W-hierarchy as well as paraNP.
An analysis of the transformative potential of Australia’s national food policies and policy actions to promote healthy and sustainable food systems
Authors: Ribeiro de Melo Patricia , Baker Phillip , Machado Priscila Pereira , Howse Elly , Slater Scott , Lawrence Mark
Published: February 2024

Objective:

Despite commitment by many countries to promote food system transformation, Australia has yet to adopt a national food policy. This study aimed to evaluate Australian Federal Government’s (AFG) food policies and policy actions potential to promote healthy and sustainable food systems.

Design:

This study is a desk-based policy mapping followed by a theoretically guided evaluation of policy actions. This involved three steps: (1) identification of government departments and agencies that could influence Australia’s food system; (2) identification of food policies and policy actions within these departments and (3) use of a conceptual framework to evaluate policy actions’ potential of changing the food system as adjust (first-order change), reform (second-order change) or transform (third-order change).

Setting:

Australia.

Participants:

None.

Results:

Twenty-four food policies and sixty-two policy actions were identified across eight AFG departments and the Food Regulation System and evaluated based on the order of change they represented. Most policies were led by individual departments, reflecting the absence of a joined-up approach to food policy in Australia. Most policy actions (n 25/ 56·5 %) were evaluated as having adjust potential, whereas no transformative policy action was identified.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that Australia is likely to proceed incrementally towards achieving food system change through adjustments and reforms but lacking transformative impact. To promote transformative change, all three orders of change must be strategically implemented in a coherent and coordinated matter. A comprehensive national food policy and a national coordinating body are needed to ensure a cohesive approach to policy.
Herbicide-resistance management: a common pool resource problem?
Authors: Bergmann Nicolas T. , Burke Ian C. , Wardropper Chloe B.
Published: February 2024

Herbicide resistance is often viewed as a complex problem in need of innovative management solutions. Because of the transboundary mobility of many weeds, resistance to herbicides is also viewed as a community-scale issue. Consequently, the idea of greater coordination among resource users—especially growers—is often promoted as a management approach. Recently, scholars have framed herbicide resistance as a commons problem in need of collective action. Specifically, social scientists have explored the utility of adopting bottom-up, community-based approaches to help solve the growing problem of herbicide resistance through a framework for interpreting the commons known as common pool resource theory. This article analyzes how herbicide resistance fits—and fails to fit—within common pool resource theory and offers an updated conceptual framework from which to build future work. We argue that the application of common pool resource theory to herbicide-resistance management is underdeveloped, and approaches based on this theory have shown little success. The relevance of common pool resource theory for informing herbicide-resistance management is less settled than existing scholarship has suggested, and other frameworks for approaching transboundary resource problems—such as co-production of knowledge and participatory action research—warrant consideration.
The Matrix Profile in Seismology: Template Matching of Everything With Everything
Authors: Shabikay Senobari Nader , Shearer Peter M. , Funning Gareth J. , Zimmerman Zachary , Zhu Yan , Brisk Philip , Keogh Eamonn
Published: February 2024

Template matching has proven to be an effective method for seismic event detection, but is biased toward identifying events similar to previously known events, and thus is ineffective at discovering events with non‐matching waveforms (e.g., those dissimilar to existing catalog events). In principle, this limitation can be overcome by cross‐correlating every segment (possible template) of a seismogram with every other segment to identify all similar event pairs, but doing so has been previously considered computationally infeasible for long time series. Here we describe a method, called the ‘Matrix Profile’ (MP), a “correlate everything with everything” calculation that can be efficiently and scalably computed. The MP returns the maximum value of the correlation coefficient of every sub‐window of continuous data with every other sub‐window, as well as the best‐correlated sub‐window location. Here we show how MP methods can obtain valuable results when applied to months and years of continuous seismic data in both local and global case studies. We find that the MP can identify many new events in Parkfield, California seismicity that are not contained in existing event catalogs and that it can efficiently find clusters of similar earthquakes in global seismic data. Either used by itself, or as a starting point for subsequent template matching calculations, the MP is likely to provide a useful new tool for seismology research.
Megaflood Erosion on Mars—How Lava‐Filled Craters Became Mesas (With Insights From Lava Physics, Stream Power, and Rock Mechanics)
Authors: Coleman Neil M.
Published: February 2024

Round mesas up to 500 m high occur in Martian outflow channels. Mesas in Ravi and Elaver Valles occur in deepest parts of the channels where the most intense megaflood erosion occurred. I theorize that Noachian basalts poured into craters which acted as lava traps, similar to Kilauean lava lakes. Subsequent flood basalts buried the infilled craters. Hesperian megafloods stripped away hundreds of meters of basalts, exhuming erosion‐resistant strata. Lava solidification theory is explored to assess the role of cooling in governing the structure and strength of the Martian basalts. The postulated lava lakes that formed the Ravi Vallis mesas would have needed millennia to cool. The larger Elaver Vallis mesa may have needed up to 20,000 years to solidify. Long cooling times led to coarse, doleritic mineral textures and reduced numbers of cooling joints, greatly increasing bulk rock strength and resistance to hydrodynamic erosion. Using rock mechanics theory, cores of exhumed lava‐filled craters would have bulk rock strengths at least 5 to 30 times greater than more highly fractured basalts. Discharge hydrographs for the Morella Crater breach flood that carved Elaver Vallis peak at ∼2.1 × 107 m3 s−1. Stream power per unit streambed area ranged up to >150,000 W m−2 as the breach grew in size. The calculations provide an envelope of power sufficient to erode hundreds of meters of basalts, but not great enough to remove the large mesa. Thus the legacy of an ancient, lava‐filled crater is a high mesa on the floor of Elaver Vallis.
Using Solar Orbiter as an Upstream Solar Wind Monitor for Real Time Space Weather Predictions
Authors: Laker R. , Horbury T. S. , O’Brien H. , Fauchon‐Jones E. J. , Angelini V. , Fargette N. , Amerstorfer T. , Bauer M. , Möstl C. , Davies E. E. , Davies J. A. , Harrison R. , Barnes D. , Dumbović M.
Published: February 2024

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can create significant disruption to human activities and systems on Earth, much of which can be mitigated with prior warning of the upstream solar wind conditions. However, it is currently extremely challenging to accurately predict the arrival time and internal structure of a CME from coronagraph images alone. In this study, we take advantage of a rare opportunity to use Solar Orbiter, at 0.5 au upstream of Earth, as an upstream solar wind monitor. In combination with low‐latency images from STEREO‐A, we successfully predicted the arrival time of two CME events before they reached Earth. Measurements at Solar Orbiter were used to constrain an ensemble of simulation runs from the ELEvoHI model, reducing the uncertainty in arrival time from 10.4 to 2.5 hr in the first case study. There was also an excellent agreement in the Bz profile between Solar Orbiter and Wind spacecraft for the second case study, despite being separated by 0.5 au and 10° longitude. The opportunity to use Solar Orbiter as an upstream solar wind monitor will repeat once a year, which should further help assess the efficacy upstream in‐situ measurements in real time space weather forecasting.
HRD1-induced TMEM2 ubiquitination promotes ER stress-mediated apoptosis through a non-canonical pathway in intestinal ischemia/reperfusion
Authors: Zhao Xuzi , Liu Deshun , Zhao Yan , Wang Zhecheng , Wang Yue , Chen Zhao , Ning Shili , Wang Guangzhi , Meng Lu , Yao Jihong , Tian Xiaofeng
Published: February 2024

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a typical pathological course in the clinic with a high morbidity rate. Recent research has pointed out the critical role of ubiquitination during the occurrence and development of intestinal I/R by precisely mediating protein quality control and function. Here, we conducted an integrated multiomic analysis to identify critical ubiquitination-associated molecules in intestinal I/R and identified endoplasmic reticulum-located HRD1 as a candidate molecule. During intestinal I/R, excessive ER stress plays a central role by causing apoptotic pathway activation. In particular, we found that ER stress-mediated apoptosis was mitigated by HRD1 knockdown in intestinal I/R mice. Mechanistically, TMEM2 was identified as a new substrate of HRD1 in intestinal I/R by mass spectrometry analysis, which has a crucial role in attenuating apoptosis and promoting non-canonical ER stress resistance. A strong negative correlation was found between the protein levels of HRD1 and TMEM2 in human intestinal ischemia samples. Specifically, HRD1 interacted with the lysine 42 residue of TMEM2 and reduced its stabilization by K48-linked polyubiquitination. Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis revealed that TMEM2 regulated ER stress-mediated apoptosis in association with the PI3k/Akt signaling pathway rather than canonical ER stress pathways. In summary, HRD1 regulates ER stress-mediated apoptosis through a non-canonical pathway by ubiquitinating TMEM2 and inhibiting PI3k/Akt activation during intestinal I/R. The current study shows that HRD1 is an intestinal I/R critical regulator and that targeting the HRD1/TMEM2 axis may be a promising therapeutic approach.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response: emerging regulators in progression of traumatic brain injury
Authors: Yang Yayi , Lu Dengfeng , Wang Menghan , Liu Guangjie , Feng Yun , Ren Yubo , Sun Xiaoou , Chen Zhouqing , Wang Zhong
Published: February 2024

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common trauma with high mortality and disability rates worldwide. However, the current management of this disease is still unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms of TBI in depth to improve the treatment options. In recent decades, abundant evidence has highlighted the significance of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in advancing central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including TBI. ERS following TBI leads to the accumulation of unfolded proteins, initiating the unfolded protein response (UPR). Protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK), inositol-requiring protein 1 (IRE1), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) are the three major pathways of UPR initiation that determine whether a cell survives or dies. This review focuses on the dual effects of ERS on TBI and discusses the underlying mechanisms. It is suggested that ERS may crosstalk with a series of molecular cascade responses, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, autophagy, and cell death, and is thus involved in the progression of secondary injury after TBI. Hence, ERS is a promising candidate for the management of TBI.
Multi-dimensional scaling techniques unveiled gain1q&loss13q co-occurrence in Multiple Myeloma patients with specific genomic, transcriptional and adverse clinical features
Authors: Terragna Carolina , Poletti Andrea , Solli Vincenza , Martello Marina , Zamagni Elena , Pantani Lucia , Borsi Enrica , Vigliotta Ilaria , Mazzocchetti Gaia , Armuzzi Silvia , Taurisano Barbara , Testoni Nicoletta , Marzocchi Giulia , Kanapari Ajsi , Pistis Ignazia , Tacchetti Paola , Mancuso Katia , Rocchi Serena , Rizzello Ilaria , Cavo Michele
Published: February 2024

The complexity of Multiple Myeloma (MM) is driven by several genomic aberrations, interacting with disease-related and/or -unrelated factors and conditioning patients’ clinical outcome. Patient’s prognosis is hardly predictable, as commonly employed MM risk models do not precisely partition high- from low-risk patients, preventing the reliable recognition of early relapsing/refractory patients. By a dimensionality reduction approach, here we dissect the genomic landscape of a large cohort of newly diagnosed MM patients, modelling all the possible interactions between any MM chromosomal alterations. We highlight the presence of a distinguished cluster of patients in the low-dimensionality space, with unfavorable clinical behavior, whose biology was driven by the co-occurrence of chromosomes 1q CN gain and 13 CN loss. Presence or absence of these alterations define MM patients overexpressing either CCND2 or CCND1, fostering the implementation of biology-based patients’ classification models to describe the different MM clinical behaviors.
Biomimetic computer-to-brain communication enhancing naturalistic touch sensations via peripheral nerve stimulation
Authors: Valle Giacomo , Katic Secerovic Natalija , Eggemann Dominic , Gorskii Oleg , Pavlova Natalia , Petrini Francesco M. , Cvancara Paul , Stieglitz Thomas , Musienko Pavel , Bumbasirevic Marko , Raspopovic Stanisa
Published: February 2024

Artificial communication with the brain through peripheral nerve stimulation shows promising results in individuals with sensorimotor deficits. However, these efforts lack an intuitive and natural sensory experience. In this study, we design and test a biomimetic neurostimulation framework inspired by nature, capable of “writing” physiologically plausible information back into the peripheral nervous system. Starting from an in-silico model of mechanoreceptors, we develop biomimetic stimulation policies. We then experimentally assess them alongside mechanical touch and common linear neuromodulations. Neural responses resulting from biomimetic neuromodulation are consistently transmitted towards dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord of cats, and their spatio-temporal neural dynamics resemble those naturally induced. We implement these paradigms within the bionic device and test it with patients (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03350061). He we report that biomimetic neurostimulation improves mobility (primary outcome) and reduces mental effort (secondary outcome) compared to traditional approaches. The outcomes of this neuroscience-driven technology, inspired by the human body, may serve as a model for advancing assistive neurotechnologies.
Phosphorylation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase Thr881 participates in light-induced stomatal opening
Authors: Hayashi Yuki , Fukatsu Kohei , Takahashi Koji , Kinoshita Satoru N. , Kato Kyohei , Sakakibara Taku , Kuwata Keiko , Kinoshita Toshinori
Published: February 2024

Plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase is crucial for light-induced stomatal opening and phosphorylation of a penultimate residue, Thr948 (pen-Thr, numbering according to Arabidopsis AHA1) is required for enzyme activation. In this study, a comprehensive phosphoproteomic analysis using guard cell protoplasts from Vicia faba shows that both red and blue light increase the phosphorylation of Thr881, of PM H+-ATPase. Light-induced stomatal opening and the blue light-induced increase in stomatal conductance are reduced in transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing mutant AHA1-T881A in aha1–9, whereas the blue light-induced phosphorylation of pen-Thr is unaffected. Auxin and photosynthetically active radiation induce the phosphorylation of both Thr881 and pen-Thr in etiolated seedlings and leaves, respectively. The dephosphorylation of phosphorylated Thr881 and pen-Thr are mediated by type 2 C protein phosphatase clade D isoforms. Taken together, Thr881 phosphorylation, in addition of the pen-Thr phosphorylation, are important for PM H+-ATPase function during physiological responses, such as light-induced stomatal opening in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Functional plasticity of glutamatergic neurons of medullary reticular nuclei after spinal cord injury in mice
Authors: Lemieux Maxime , Karimi Narges , Bretzner Frederic
Published: February 2024

Spinal cord injury disrupts the descending command from the brain and causes a range of motor deficits. Here, we use optogenetic tools to investigate the functional plasticity of the glutamatergic reticulospinal drive of the medullary reticular formation after a lateral thoracic hemisection in female mice. Sites evoking stronger excitatory descending drive in intact conditions are the most impaired after injury, whereas those associated with a weaker drive are potentiated. After lesion, pro- and anti-locomotor activities (that is, initiation/acceleration versus stop/deceleration) are overall preserved. Activating the descending reticulospinal drive improves stepping ability on a flat surface of chronically impaired injured mice, and its priming enhances recovery of skilled locomotion on a horizontal ladder. This study highlights the resilience and capacity for reorganization of the glutamatergic reticulospinal command after injury, along with its suitability as a therapeutical target to promote functional recovery.
Cases of trisomy 21 and trisomy 18 among historic and prehistoric individuals discovered from ancient DNA
Authors: Rohrlach Adam Benjamin , Rivollat Maïté , de-Miguel-Ibáñez Patxuka , Moilanen Ulla , Liira Anne-Mari , Teixeira João C. , Roca-Rada Xavier , Armendáriz-Martija Javier , Boyadzhiev Kamen , Boyadzhiev Yavor , Llamas Bastien , Tiliakou Anthi , Mötsch Angela , Tuke Jonathan , Prevedorou Eleni-Anna , Polychronakou-Sgouritsa Naya , Buikstra Jane , Onkamo Päivi , Stockhammer Philipp W. , Heyne Henrike O. , Lemke Johannes R. , Risch Roberto , Schiffels Stephan , Krause Johannes , Haak Wolfgang , Prüfer Kay
Published: February 2024

Aneuploidies, and in particular, trisomies represent the most common genetic aberrations observed in human genetics today. To explore the presence of trisomies in historic and prehistoric populations we screen nearly 10,000 ancient human individuals for the presence of three copies of any of the target autosomes. We find clear genetic evidence for six cases of trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and one case of trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), and all cases are present in infant or perinatal burials. We perform comparative osteological examinations of the skeletal remains and find overlapping skeletal markers, many of which are consistent with these syndromes. Interestingly, three cases of trisomy 21, and the case of trisomy 18 were detected in two contemporaneous sites in early Iron Age Spain (800-400 BCE), potentially suggesting a higher frequency of burials of trisomy carriers in those societies. Notably, the care with which the burials were conducted, and the items found with these individuals indicate that ancient societies likely acknowledged these individuals with trisomy 18 and 21 as members of their communities, from the perspective of burial practice.
Dynamic light manipulation via silicon-organic slot metasurfaces
Authors: Zheng Tianzhe , Gu Yiran , Kwon Hyounghan , Roberts Gregory , Faraon Andrei
Published: February 2024

Active metasurfaces provide the opportunity for fast spatio-temporal control of light. Among various tuning methods, organic electro-optic materials provide some unique advantages due to their fast speed and large nonlinearity, along with the possibility of using fabrication techniques based on infiltration. In this letter, we report a silicon-organic platform where organic electro-optic material is infiltrated into the narrow gaps of slot-mode metasurfaces with high quality factors. The mode confinement into the slot enables the placement of metallic electrodes in close proximity, thus enabling tunability at lower voltages. We demonstrate the maximum tuning sensitivity of 0.16nm/V, the maximum extinction ratio of 38% within ± 17V voltage at telecommunication wavelength. The device has 3dB bandwidth of 3MHz. These results provide a path towards tunable silicon-organic hybrid metasurfaces at CMOS-level voltages.
Open-source microscope add-on for structured illumination microscopy
Authors: Hannebelle Mélanie T. M. , Raeth Esther , Leitao Samuel M. , Lukeš Tomáš , Pospíšil Jakub , Toniolo Chiara , Venzin Olivier F. , Chrisnandy Antonius , Swain Prabhu P. , Ronceray Nathan , Lütolf Matthias P. , Oates Andrew C. , Hagen Guy M. , Lasser Theo , Radenovic Aleksandra , McKinney John D. , Fantner Georg E.
Published: February 2024

Super-resolution techniques expand the abilities of researchers who have the knowledge and resources to either build or purchase a system. This excludes the part of the research community without these capabilities. Here we introduce the openSIM add-on to upgrade existing optical microscopes to Structured Illumination super-resolution Microscopes (SIM). The openSIM is an open-hardware system, designed and documented to be easily duplicated by other laboratories, making super-resolution modality accessible to facilitate innovative research. The add-on approach gives a performance improvement for pre-existing lab equipment without the need to build a completely new system.
An agricultural digital twin for mandarins demonstrates the potential for individualized agriculture
Authors: Kim Steven , Heo Seong
Published: February 2024

A digital twin is a digital representation that closely resembles or replicates a real world object by combining interdisciplinary knowledge and advanced technologies. Digital twins have been applied to various fields, including to the agricultural field. Given big data and systematic data management, digital twins can be used for predicting future outcomes. In this study, we endeavor to create an agricultural digital twin using mandarins as a model crop. We employ an Open API to aggregate data from various sources across Jeju Island, covering an area of approximately 185,000 hectares. The collected data are visualized and analyzed at regional, inter-orchard, and intra-orchard scales. We observe that the intra-orchard analysis explains the variation of fruit quality substantially more than the inter-orchard analysis. Our data visualization and analysis, incorporating statistical models and machine learning algorithms, demonstrate the potential use of agricultural digital twins in the future, particularly in the context of micro-precision and individualized agriculture. This concept extends the current management practices based on data-driven decisions, and it offers a glimpse into the future of individualized agriculture by enabling customized treatment for plants, akin to personalized medicine for humans.
True amplification of spin waves in magnonic nano-waveguides
Authors: Merbouche H. , Divinskiy B. , Gouéré D. , Lebrun R. , El Kanj A. , Cros V. , Bortolotti P. , Anane A. , Demokritov S. O. , Demidov V. E.
Published: February 2024

Magnonic nano-devices exploit magnons - quanta of spin waves - to transmit and process information within a single integrated platform that has the potential to outperform traditional semiconductor-based electronics. The main missing cornerstone of this information nanotechnology is an efficient scheme for the amplification of propagating spin waves. The recent discovery of spin-orbit torque provided an elegant mechanism for propagation losses compensation. While partial compensation of the spin-wave losses has been achieved, true amplification – the exponential increase in the spin-wave intensity during propagation – has so far remained elusive. Here we evidence the operating conditions to achieve unambiguous amplification using clocked nanoseconds-long spin-orbit torque pulses in magnonic nano-waveguides, where the effective magnetization has been engineered to be close to zero to suppress the detrimental magnon scattering. We achieve an exponential increase in the intensity of propagating spin waves up to 500% at a propagation distance of several micrometers.
Rationally designed nanotrap structures for efficient separation of rare earth elements over a single step
Authors: Hu Qing-Hua , Song An-Min , Gao Xin , Shi Yu-Zhen , Jiang Wei , Liang Ru-Ping , Qiu Jian-Ding
Published: February 2024

Extracting rare earth elements (REEs) from wastewater is essential for the growth and an eco-friendly sustainable economy. However, it is a daunting challenge to separate individual rare earth elements by their subtle differences. To overcome this difficulty, we report a unique REE nanotrap that features dense uncoordinated carboxyl groups and triazole N atoms in a two-fold interpenetrated metal-organic framework (named NCU-1). Notably, the synergistic effect of suitable pore sizes and REE nanotraps in NCU-1 is highly responsive to the size variation of rare-earth ions and shows high selectivity toward light REE. As a proof of concept, Pr/Lu and Nd/Er are used as binary models, which give a high separation factor of SFPr/Lu = 796 and SFNd/Er = 273, demonstrating highly efficient separation over a single step. This ability achieves efficient and selective extraction and separation of REEs from mine tailings, establishing this platform as an important advance for sustainable obtaining high-purity REEs.
Genome-wide screens identify SEL1L as an intracellular rheostat controlling collagen turnover
Authors: Podolsky Michael J. , Kheyfets Benjamin , Pandey Monika , Beigh Afaq H. , Yang Christopher D. , Lizama Carlos O. , Datta Ritwik , Lin Liangguang L. , Wang Zhihong , Wolters Paul J. , McManus Michael T. , Qi Ling , Atabai Kamran
Published: February 2024

Accumulating evidence has implicated impaired extracellular matrix (ECM) clearance as a key factor in fibrotic disease. Despite decades of research elucidating the effectors of ECM clearance, relatively little is understood regarding the upstream regulation of this process. Collagen is the most abundant constituent of normal and fibrotic ECM in mammalian tissues. Its catabolism occurs through extracellular proteolysis and cell-mediated uptake of collagen fragments for intracellular degradation. Given the paucity of information regarding the regulation of this latter process, here we execute unbiased genome-wide screens to understand the molecular underpinnings of cell-mediated collagen clearance. Using this approach, we discover a mechanism through which collagen biosynthesis is sensed by cells internally and directly regulates clearance of extracellular collagen. The sensing mechanism appears to be dependent on endoplasmic reticulum-resident protein SEL1L and occurs via a noncanonical function of this protein. This pathway functions as a homeostatic negative feedback loop that limits collagen accumulation in tissues. In human fibrotic lung disease, the induction of this collagen clearance pathway by collagen synthesis is impaired, thereby contributing to the pathological accumulation of collagen in lung tissue. Thus, we describe cell-autonomous, rheostatic collagen clearance as an important pathway of tissue homeostasis.
Efficient catalyst-free N2 fixation by water radical cations under ambient conditions
Authors: Zhang Xiaoping , Su Rui , Li Jingling , Huang Liping , Yang Wenwen , Chingin Konstantin , Balabin Roman , Wang Jingjing , Zhang Xinglei , Zhu Weifeng , Huang Keke , Feng Shouhua , Chen Huanwen
Published: February 2024

The growth and sustainable development of humanity is heavily dependent upon molecular nitrogen (N2) fixation. Herein we discover ambient catalyst-free disproportionation of N2 by water plasma which occurs via the distinctive HONH-HNOH+• intermediate to yield economically valuable nitroxyl (HNO) and hydroxylamine (NH2OH) products. Calculations suggest that the reaction is prompted by the coordination of electronically excited N2 with water dimer radical cation, (H2O)2+•, in its two-center-three-electron configuration. The reaction products are collected in a 76-needle array discharge reactor with product yields of 1.14 μg cm–2 h–1 for NH2OH and 0.37 μg cm–2 h–1 for HNO. Potential applications of these compounds are demonstrated to make ammonia (for NH2OH), as well as to chemically react and convert cysteine, and serve as a neuroprotective agent (for HNO). The conversion of N2 into HNO and NH2OH by water plasma could offer great profitability and reduction of polluting emissions, thus giving an entirely look and perspectives to the problem of green N2 fixation.
Sea lamprey enlightens the origin of the coupling of retinoic acid signaling to vertebrate hindbrain segmentation
Authors: Bedois Alice M. H. , Parker Hugo J. , Price Andrew J. , Morrison Jason A. , Bronner Marianne E. , Krumlauf Robb
Published: February 2024

Retinoic acid (RA) is involved in antero-posterior patterning of the chordate body axis and, in jawed vertebrates, has been shown to play a major role at multiple levels of the gene regulatory network (GRN) regulating hindbrain segmentation. Knowing when and how RA became coupled to the core hindbrain GRN is important for understanding how ancient signaling pathways and patterning genes can evolve and generate diversity. Hence, we investigated the link between RA signaling and hindbrain segmentation in the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus, an important jawless vertebrate model providing clues to decipher ancestral vertebrate features. Combining genomics, gene expression, and functional analyses of major components involved in RA synthesis (Aldh1as) and degradation (Cyp26s), we demonstrate that RA signaling is coupled to hindbrain segmentation in lamprey. Thus, the link between RA signaling and hindbrain segmentation is a pan vertebrate feature of the hindbrain and likely evolved at the base of vertebrates.
Programmable nanowrinkle-induced room-temperature exciton localization in monolayer WSe2
Authors: Yanev Emanuil S. , Darlington Thomas P. , Ladyzhets Sophia A. , Strasbourg Matthew C. , Trovatello Chiara , Liu Song , Rhodes Daniel A. , Hall Kobi , Sinha Aditya , Borys Nicholas J. , Hone James C. , Schuck P. James
Published: February 2024

Localized states in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been the subject of intense study, driven by potential applications in quantum information science. Despite the rapidly growing knowledge surrounding these emitters, their microscopic nature is still not fully understood, limiting their production and application. Motivated by this challenge, and by recent theoretical and experimental evidence showing that nanowrinkles generate strain-localized room-temperature emitters, we demonstrate a method to intentionally induce wrinkles with collections of stressors, showing that long-range wrinkle direction and position are controllable with patterned array design. Nano-photoluminescence (nano-PL) imaging combined with detailed strain modeling based on measured wrinkle topography establishes a correlation between wrinkle properties, particularly shear strain, and localized exciton emission. Beyond the array-induced wrinkles, nano-PL spatial maps further reveal that the strain environment around individual stressors is heterogeneous due to the presence of fine wrinkles that are less deterministic. At cryogenic temperatures, antibunched emission is observed, confirming that the nanocone-induced strain is sufficiently large for the formation of quantum emitters. At 300 K, detailed nanoscale hyperspectral images uncover a wide range of low-energy emission peaks originating from the fine wrinkles, and show that the states can be tightly confined to regions <10 nm, even in ambient conditions. These results establish a promising potential route towards realizing room temperature quantum emission in 2D TMDC systems.
Harnessing eukaryotic retroelement proteins for transgene insertion into human safe-harbor loci
Authors: Zhang Xiaozhu , Van Treeck Briana , Horton Connor A. , McIntyre Jeremy J. R. , Palm Sarah M. , Shumate Justin L. , Collins Kathleen
Published: February 2024

Current approaches for inserting autonomous transgenes into the genome, such as CRISPR–Cas9 or virus-based strategies, have limitations including low efficiency and high risk of untargeted genome mutagenesis. Here, we describe precise RNA-mediated insertion of transgenes (PRINT), an approach for site-specifically primed reverse transcription that directs transgene synthesis directly into the genome at a multicopy safe-harbor locus. PRINT uses delivery of two in vitro transcribed RNAs: messenger RNA encoding avian R2 retroelement-protein and template RNA encoding a transgene of length validated up to 4 kb. The R2 protein coordinately recognizes the target site, nicks one strand at a precise location and primes complementary DNA synthesis for stable transgene insertion. With a cultured human primary cell line, over 50% of cells can gain several 2 kb transgenes, of which more than 50% are full-length. PRINT advantages include no extragenomic DNA, limiting risk of deleterious mutagenesis and innate immune responses, and the relatively low cost, rapid production and scalability of RNA-only delivery.
miR-483-5p orchestrates the initiation of protein synthesis by facilitating the decrease in phosphorylated Ser209eIF4E and 4E-BP1 levels
Authors: Nagaraj Siranjeevi , Stankiewicz-Drogon Anna , Darzynkiewicz Edward , Wojda Urszula , Grzela Renata
Published: February 2024

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is a pivotal protein involved in the regulatory mechanism for global protein synthesis in both physiological and pathological conditions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in regulating gene expression by targeting mRNA. However, the ability of miRNAs to regulate eIF4E and its phosphorylation remains relatively unknown. In this study, we predicted and experimentally verified targets for miR-483-5p, including eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E and its binding proteins, 4E-BPs, that regulate protein synthesis. Using the Web of Science database, we identified 28 experimentally verified miR-483-5p targets, and by the TargetScan database, we found 1818 predicted mRNA targets, including EIF4E, EIF4EBP1, and EIF4EBP2. We verified that miR-483-5p significantly reduced ERK1 and MKNK1 mRNA levels in HEK293 cells. Furthermore, we discovered that miR-483-5p suppressed EIF4EBP1 and EIF4EBP2, but not EIF4E. Finally, we found that miR-483-5p reduced the level of phosphorylated eIF4E (pSer209eIF4E) but not total eIF4E. In conclusion, our study suggests that miR-483-5p's multi-targeting effect on the ERK1/ MKNK1 axis modulates the phosphorylation state of eIF4E. Unlike siRNA, miRNA can have multiple targets in the pathway, and thereby exploring the role of miR-483-5p in various cancer models may uncover therapeutic options.
Modified intraocular lens power selection method according to biometric subgroups Eom IOL power calculator
Authors: Eom Youngsub , Bae So Hyeon , Yang Seul Ki , Kim Dong Hyun , Song Jong Suk , Cooke David L.
Published: February 2024

This study evaluates the accuracy of a newly developed intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation method that applies four different IOL power calculation formulas according to 768 biometric subgroups based on keratometry, anterior chamber depth, and axial length. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in at Korea University Ansan Hospital. A total of 1600 eyes from 1600 patients who underwent phacoemulsification and a ZCB00 IOL in-the-bag implantation were divided into two datasets: a reference dataset (1200 eyes) and a validation dataset (400 eyes). Using the reference dataset and the results of previous studies, the Eom IOL power calculator was developed using 768 biometric subgroups. The median absolute errors (MedAEs) and IOL Formula Performance Indexes (FPIs) of the Barrett Universal II, Haigis, Hoffer Q, Holladay 1, Ladas Super, SRK/T, and Eom formulas using the 400-eye validation dataset were compared. The MedAE of the Eom formula (0.22 D) was significantly smaller than that of the other four formulas, except for the Barrett Universal II and Ladas Super formulas (0.24 D and 0.23 D, respectively). The IOL FPI of the Eom formula was 0.553, which ranked first, followed by the Ladas Super (0.474), Barrett Universal II (0.470), Holladay 1 (0.444), Hoffer Q (0.396), Haigis (0.392), and SRK/T (0.361) formulas. In conclusion, the Eom IOL power calculator developed in this study demonstrated similar or slightly better accuracy than the Barrett Universal II and Ladas Super formulas and was superior to the four traditional IOL power calculation formulas.
A quality grade classification method for fresh tea leaves based on an improved YOLOv8x-SPPCSPC-CBAM model
Authors: Zhao Xiu’yan , He Yu’xiang , Zhang Hong’tao , Ding Zhao’tang , Zhou Chang’an , Zhang Kai’xing
Published: February 2024

In light of the prevalent issues concerning the mechanical grading of fresh tea leaves, characterized by high damage rates and poor accuracy, as well as the limited grading precision through the integration of machine vision and machine learning (ML) algorithms, this study presents an innovative approach for classifying the quality grade of fresh tea leaves. This approach leverages an integration of image recognition and deep learning (DL) algorithm to accurately classify tea leaves’ grades by identifying distinct bud and leaf combinations. The method begins by acquiring separate images of orderly scattered and randomly stacked fresh tea leaves. These images undergo data augmentation techniques, such as rotation, flipping, and contrast adjustment, to form the scattered and stacked tea leaves datasets. Subsequently, the YOLOv8x model was enhanced by Space pyramid pooling improvements (SPPCSPC) and the concentration-based attention module (CBAM). The established YOLOv8x-SPPCSPC-CBAM model is evaluated by comparing it with popular DL models, including Faster R-CNN, YOLOv5x, and YOLOv8x. The experimental findings reveal that the YOLOv8x-SPPCSPC-CBAM model delivers the most impressive results. For the scattered tea leaves, the mean average precision, precision, recall, and number of images processed per second rates of 98.2%, 95.8%, 96.7%, and 2.77, respectively, while for stacked tea leaves, they are 99.1%, 99.1%, 97.7% and 2.35, respectively. This study provides a robust framework for accurately classifying the quality grade of fresh tea leaves.
Nutrient supply systems and their effect on the performance of the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) plant integration system
Authors: Khater El-Sayed , Bahnasawy Adel , Mosa Heba , Abbas Wael , Morsy Osama
Published: February 2024

The main aim of this work is to study the effect of different nutrient supply systems and their effect on the performance of the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa) plant integration system. To achieve that, five treatments having different culture systems (T1: Aquaculture (control), T2: Hydroponics (standard requirement: N = 210, P = 31, K = 234, Mg = 48, Ca = 200, S = 64, Fe = 14, Mn = 0.5, Zn = 0.05, B = 0.5, Cu = 0.02 and Mo = 0.01 ppm), T3: Aquaponics without nutrients addition, T4: Aquaponics with supplementary nutrients (KNO3, 101 g L−1, KH2PO4, 136 g L−1, Ca(NO3)2, 236 g L−1, MgSO4, 246 g L−1, K2SO4, 115 g L−1 and chelates for trace elements) in water (EC is 800 ppm) and T5: Aquaponics with supplementary nutrients spray on plants) were carried out. The previous systems were operated at three flow rates, namely, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 L h−1 plant−1. The various water quality parameters, plant growth and fish growth were studied. The result indicated that the highest values of N, P, k, Ca and Mg consumption rate were found with T2 and 1.5 L h−1 plant−1 of flow rate. The root length, fresh and dry of shoot and root for lettuce plants grown in T2 system was better than those grown in different culture system (T3, T4 and T5). Different culture systems showed significant effect on fish growth in terms of weight gain, specific growth rate and feed efficiency ratio. Higher growth rate was observed in treatment T3 as compared to other treatments. The production costs ranged from 2820.5 to 4885.4 LE ($ = 30.92 LE) for all culture systems.