bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamical downfolding for localized quantum states
Authors: Romanova Mariya , Weng Guorong , Apelian Arsineh , Vlček Vojtěch
Published: July 2023

We introduce an approach to treat localized correlated electronic states in the otherwise weakly correlated host medium. Here, the environment is dynamically downfolded on the correlated subspace. It is captured via renormalization of one and two quasiparticle interaction terms which are evaluated using many-body perturbation theory. We outline the strategy on how to take the dynamical effects into account by going beyond the static limit approximation. Further, we introduce an efficient stochastic implementation that enables treating the host environment with a large number of electrons at a minimal computational cost. For a small explicitly correlated subspace, the dynamical effects are critical. We demonstrate the methodology by reproducing optical excitations in the negatively charged NV center defect in diamond, that agree with experimental results.
Effect of angiotensin II on irradiation exacerbated decompression sickness
Authors: Fan Jie-Fu , Wang Yang-Kai , Liu Min , Liu Guang-Sheng , Min Tian-Jiao , Chen Rui-Yong , He Ying
Published: July 2023

In some complicated situations, decompression sickness (DCS) combined with other injuries, such as irradiation, will seriously endanger life safety. However, it is still unclear whether irradiation will increase the incidence of DCS. This study was designed to investigate the damage effects of irradiation on decompression injury and the underlying mechanism. Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to irradiation followed by hyperbaric decompressing and the mortality and decompression symptoms were observed. Lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected to detect the lung lesion, inflammation response, activity of the angiotensin system, oxidative stress, and relative signal pathway by multiple methods, including Q-PCR, western blot, and ELISA. As a result, pre-exposure to radiation significantly exacerbated disease outcomes and lung lesions of DCS. Mechanically, the up-regulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme expression and angiotensin II levels was responsible for the exacerbated DCS and lung lesions caused by predisposing irradiation exposure. Oxidative stress and PI3K/AKT signal pathway activation in pulmonary tissue were enhanced after irradiation plus decompression treatment. In conclusion, our results suggested that irradiation could exacerbate lung injury and the outcomes of DCS by activating the angiotensin system, which included eliciting oxidative stress and activation of the PI3K/AKT signal pathway.
Targeting CD47-SIRPa axis shows potent preclinical anti-tumor activity as monotherapy and synergizes with PARP inhibition
Authors: Al-Sudani Hussein , Ni Ying , Jones Philip , Karakilic Huseyin , Cui Lei , Johnson Lisa D. S. , Rose Peter G. , Olawaiye Alexander , Edwards Robert P. , Uger Robert A. , Lin Gloria H. Y. , Mahdi Haider
Published: July 2023

The objective was to correlate CD47 gene expression with resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in tumor tissue of gynecological cancer (GC). Further, we sought to assess the efficacy of targeting CD47 pathway alone and in combination in pre-clinical ovarian cancer (OC) models. We performed transcriptomic analyses in GC treated with ICI. Signaling pathway enrichment analysis was performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Immune cell abundance was estimated. CD47 expression was correlated with other pathways, objective response, and progression-free survival (PFS). Anti-tumor efficacy of anti-CD47 therapy alone and in combination was investigated both in-vitro and in-vivo using cell-line derived xenograft (CDX) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. High CD47 expression associated with lower response to ICI and trended toward lower PFS in GC patients. Higher CD47 associated negatively with PDL1 and CTLA4 expression, as well as cytotoxic T-cells and dendritic cells but positively with TGF-β, BRD4 and CXCR4/CXCL12 expression. Anti-CD47 significantly enhanced macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of OC cells in-vitro and exhibited potent anti-tumor activity in-vivo in OC CDX and PDX models. In-vitro treatment with PARPi increased CD47 expression. Anti-CD47 led to significantly enhanced in-vitro phagocytosis, enhanced STING pathway and synergized in-vivo when combined with PARP inhibitors in BRCA-deficient OC models. This study provides insight on the potential role of CD47 in mediating immunotherapy resistance and its association with higher TGF-β, BRD4 and CXCR4/CXCL12 expression. Anti-CD47 showed potent anti-tumor activity and synergized with PARPi in OC models. These data support clinical development of anti-CD47 therapy with PARPi in OC.
Silicon quantum dots promote radish resistance to root herbivores without impairing rhizosphere microenvironment health
Authors: Fan Ningke , Zhao Chunjie , Chang Zihao , Yue Le , He Feng , Xiao Zhenggao , Wang Zhenyu
Published: July 2023

Soil-applied silicon quantum dots (Si QDs) significantly increased radish taproot resistance against white grubs and simultaneously shaped a healthy rhizosphere microenvironment.
Isolating the effects of gate layer permeability and sorbent density on the performance of solute-selective polymeric ion pumps
Authors: Ouimet Jonathan Aubuchon , Dowling Alexander W. , Phillip William A.
Published: July 2023

The design of polymeric ion pumps that isolate target solutes from complex milieus is examined. The analysis shows that current materials possess the properties needed to fabricate polymeric ions pumps that outperform conventional membrane systems.
Influence of organic ligands on the stoichiometry of magnetite nanoparticles
Authors: Jungcharoen Phoomipat , Marsac Rémi , Choueikani Fadi , Masson Delphine , Pédrot Mathieu
Published: July 2023

Organic molecules can transform magnetite to maghemite and drastically impact its physico-chemical properties and behavior in the natural environment.
Surface functionalization of extracellular vesicle nanoparticles with antibodies: a first study on the protein corona “variable”
Authors: Musicò Angelo , Zenatelli Rossella , Romano Miriam , Zendrini Andrea , Alacqua Silvia , Tassoni Selene , Paolini Lucia , Urbinati Chiara , Rusnati Marco , Bergese Paolo , Pomarico Giuseppe , Radeghieri Annalisa
Published: July 2023

Comparison between two edge cases of EVs modified with Cetuximab by chemisorption and physisorption methods: a first exploration of the protein corona “variable”.
Phytofabrication of silver nanoparticles using Averrhoa bilimbi leaf extract for anticancer activity
Authors: Hublikar Leena V. , Ganachari Sharanabasava V. , Patil Veerabhadragouda B.
Published: July 2023

Averrhoa bilimbi leaf extract was successfully utilized as a reducing agent to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the laboratory.
Phosphinecarboxamide based InZnP QDs – an air tolerant route to luminescent III–V semiconductors
Authors: Wang Yi , Howley Jack , Faria Erica N. , Huang Chen , Carter-Searjeant Sadie , Fairclough Simon , Kirkland Angus , Davis Jason J. , Naz Falak , Sajjad Muhammad Tariq , Goicoechea Jose M. , Green Mark
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we report the use of phosphinecarboxamide as a convenient, air and moisture tolerant group-V precursor for the simple synthesis of InP-based quantum dots.
Garcimultiflins A–C, unusual polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols from the pericarps of Garcinia multiflora as interleukin-1β and pyroptosis inhibitors
Authors: Cao Jun , Chen Jiali , Du Rongrong , Zhang Qingwen , Gan Lishe , Zhang Peicheng , Lin Ligen
Published: July 2023

Garcimultiflins A–C (1–3), three PPAPs with unusual skeletons, were isolated from the pericarps of Garcinia multiflora. Compound 2 blocks the secretion of IL-1β through suppressing the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in THP-1 macrophages.
Synthesis of homophthalimide spironaphthalenones through [5 + 1] spiroannulation of aryl/alkenyl enaminones with diazo homophthalimides
Authors: Yang Chun , Zhang Xinying , Fan Xuesen
Published: July 2023

Presented herein is a novel synthesis of homophthalimide spironaphthalenones from the cascade reaction of enaminones with diazo homophthalimides.
La cuve au cœur de toutes les attentions
Authors: Chapelot Philippe
Published: July 2023

Dans une centrale nucléaire, beaucoup d’éléments peuvent être remplacés mais pas la cuve du réacteur. Cette dernière fait donc l’objet d’une attention particulière consistant à prévoir et à prévenir son vieillissement.
Haben endgradige Tests an der HWS einen Einfluss auf die
Hämodynamik hirnzuführender und (intra-)kranieller
Gefäße?
Authors: Moll Fabian , von Piekartz Harry J. M.
Published: July 2023

Physiotherapeut*innen werden häufig von Patient*innen mit
Kopf- und Nackenbeschwerden konsultiert. Es besteht die Möglichkeit,
dass sich hinter diesen Beschwerden vaskuläre Dysfunktionen verbergen.
Die Herausforderung besteht daher, die geringe Zahl an Patient*innen
ohne muskuloskelettale Ursache herauszufiltern und in die ärztliche
Versorgung zu überweisen. Seit 2020 bietet die International Federation
of Orthopedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) eine aktualisierte
Richtlinie für die Untersuchung und das Management von
Patient*innen mit HWS-/Nackenbeschwerden, die potenziell ein
vaskuläres Geschehen aufweisen. Dies soll Physiotherapeut*innen
Sicherheit im Umgang mit diesen klinischen Fragestellungen geben und eine
bestmögliche Entscheidung für das weitere Patientenmanagement
ermöglichen.

Der Artikel stellt, vor dem Hintergrund mehrerer aktueller Forschungsartikel zur
mechanischen Belastung des vaskulären Systems der zervikokranialen
Region, die grundlegenden klinischen Muster arterieller Dysfunktionen der HWS
dar und gibt einen Einblick, wie diese Beschwerden differenzialdiagnostisch
eingeordnet werden können. Anhand eines Fallbeispiels wird das Wissen in
den klinischen Alltag übertragen.
Spielt es eine Rolle, ob das ISG als Schmerzquelle diagnostiziert
wird?
Authors: Gibbons Sean GT
Published: July 2023

Wie kann das Iliosakralgelenk zuverlässig als Schmerzquelle identifiziert
werden? Und ist dies für eine adäquate Therapie
überhaupt notwendig? Sean GT Gibbons nimmt zu beiden Fragen
Stellung und begründet, warum eine möglichst zuverlässige
Diagnosestellung notwendig ist.
Factors Affecting the Cardiologists' Prescribing Attitudes in Dubai and the Northern Emirates: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Jeroudy Heba , Al-Tabakha Moawia , Ashames Akram , Jairoun Ammar Abdulrahman
Published: July 2023

Background The growing concern of irrational drug use that leads to adverse events requires attention to investigate the prescription patterns. For cardiovascular drugs, this could increase patients' risk of developing a heart attack or stroke and coronary artery disease. This study particularly examines cardiologist behaviors that influence prescription patterns. The influence of pharmaceutical companies' promotions and other factors affecting their prescriptions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), mainly in Dubai and the Northern Emirates private hospitals and clinics, were investigated.

Methods Online survey questions were undertaken using the structured questionnaire, and the determined sample size of the cardiologists working in Dubai and the Northern Emirates was 59 using randomly generated numbers from the available cardiologists' registry and assuming 95% confident with the 80% response rate. Ratings of the prescribing behavior were done using the original Bloom's cutoff points, which were updated and adjusted to evaluate UAE cardiologists' general prescribing practices.

Results The average prescribing behavior score was moderate (76.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 75.1–77.8). Better prescribing patterns were observed among the cardiologists from Dubai compared with the Northern Emirates (odds ratio 4.24; 95% CI, 1.06–16.97). Continued medical education sponsored by pharmaceutical companies was the main influential factor (96.6%) affecting the cardiologists in changing their prescription. A total of 40.7% of the cardiologists believed in changing the prescription from brand to generic, while 43% stated that clinical updates, including evidence from new studies, were among the other factors affecting their prescribing behavior pattern.

Conclusion The cardiologists' prescribing behaviors in Dubai and the Northern Emirates are above average and the cardiologists are aware of the unethical acceptance of pricey gifts. Cardiologists in Dubai and the Northern Emirates are considered ethical in adopting a new medication in agreement with similar studies conducted regionally, as their primary motivation is the welfare of patients, which will help them rationally select medication.
Optical Pump Terahertz Probe (OPTP) and Time Resolved Terahertz Spectroscopy (TRTS) of emerging solar materials
Authors: Neu Jens
Published: July 2023

Photoconductivity is the crucial benchmark to assess the potential of any emerging material for future solar applications. Many optical techniques, like transient absorption and photoluminescence, explore bound electron states and provide indirect access to photoconductivity. Direct current (DC) measurements under solar simulation determine the total performance of a novel solar device. While this technique has a clear appeal, it involves electrical contacts, causing contact resistance, which impacts the measured conductivity. Furthermore, DC measurements do not provide any insight into ultrafast effects and the photophysics defining a novel material. Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy presents a contact-free technique to measure photoconductivity on a sub-ps time scale. These measurements can be performed on as-synthesized sample materials, including powders. The ultrafast time resolution informs us of trapping dynamics and reveals what physical processes limit the carrier lifetime in a novel material. Additionally, complex conductivity can be measured at THz frequencies. THz-conductivity and photoconductivity shed light on scattering effects, providing a road map toward minimizing these effects. However, THz spectroscopy is less intuitive than widely used DC measurements, and the interpretation of THz-results is more challenging. This tutorial aims to familiarize the reader with the main THz techniques used to explore emerging materials. We will illustrate how carrier lifetimes can be extracted from optical pump THz probe measurements. We will guide the reader through the process of extracting accurate photoconductivities from time resolved THz spectroscopy measurements and present the most commonly used models to describe the underlying physics. We will then discuss the difference between sample and material parameters and highlight potential pitfalls. The tutorial concludes with a perspective view on the ever evolving field of optical pump-THz probe spectroscopy of emerging materials.
Automated analysis of written language in the three variants of primary progressive aphasia
Authors: Josephy-Hernandez Sylvia , Rezaii Neguine , Jones Amelia , Loyer Emmaleigh , Hochberg Daisy , Quimby Megan , Wong Bonnie , Dickerson Bradford C
Published: July 2023

Despite the important role of written language in everyday life, abnormalities in functional written communication have been sparsely investigated in primary progressive aphasia. Prior studies have analysed written language separately in each of the three variants of primary progressive aphasia—but have rarely compared them to each other or to spoken language. Manual analysis of written language can be a time-consuming process. We therefore developed a program that quantifies content units and total units in written or transcribed language samples. We analysed written and spoken descriptions of the Western Aphasia Battery picnic scene, based on a predefined content unit corpus. We calculated the ratio of content units to units as a measure of content density. Our cohort included 115 participants (20 controls for written, 20 controls for spoken, 28 participants with nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia, 30 for logopenic variant and 17 for semantic variant). Our program identified content units with a validity of 99.7% (95%CI 99.5–99.8). All patients wrote fewer units than controls (P < 0.001). Patients with the logopenic variant (P = 0.013) and the semantic variant (0.004) wrote fewer content units than controls. The content unit-to-unit ratio was higher in the nonfluent and semantic variants than controls (P = 0.019), but no difference in the logopenic variant (P = 0.962). Participants with the logopenic (P < 0.001) and semantic (P = 0.04) variants produced fewer content units in written compared to spoken descriptions. All variants produced fewer units in written samples compared to spoken (P < 0.001). However, due to a relatively smaller decrease in written content units, we observed a larger content unit-to-unit ratio in writing over speech (P < 0.001). Written and spoken content units (r = 0.5, P = 0.009) and total units (r = 0.64, P < 0.001) were significantly correlated in patients with nonfluent variant, but this was not the case for logopenic or semantic. Considering all patients with primary progressive aphasia, fewer content units were produced in those with greater aphasia severity (Progressive Aphasia Severity Scale Sum of Boxes, r = −0.24, P = 0.04) and dementia severity (Clinical Dementia Rating scale Sum of Boxes, r = −0.34, P = 0.004). In conclusion, we observed reduced written content in patients with primary progressive aphasia compared to controls, with a preference for content over non-content units in patients with the nonfluent and semantic variants. We observed a similar ‘telegraphic’ style in both language modalities in patients with the nonfluent variant. Lastly, we show how our program provides a time-efficient tool, which could enable feedback and tracking of writing as an important feature of language and cognition.
Opposite latitudinal gradients for species richness and phylogenetic diversity of endemic snakes in the Atlantic Forest
Authors: da Motta Portillo José Thales , Azevedo Josué Anderson Rêgo , Barbo Fausto Erritto , Sawaya Ricardo J
Published: July 2023

The decrease in species richness toward higher latitudes is an expected biogeographical pattern. This pattern could be related to particular environmental constraints and the evolutionary history of clades. However, species richness does not fully represent the evolutionary history of the clades behind their distributions. Phylogenetic diversity better clarifies the role of historical factors in biogeographical patterns. We analyzed environmental and historical drivers related to latitudinal variation in species richness and phylogenetic diversity of Atlantic Forest endemic snakes. We implemented species distribution models, from voucher-based locality points, to map the snake ranges and diversity. We used generalized additive mixed models to evaluate the relationships among the diversity metrics and area, topographical roughness, and past climate change velocity since the Last Maximum Glacial in the Atlantic Forest latitudinal gradient. Contrary to the expected general pattern, species richness was higher toward higher latitudes, being positively related to past climatic stability. Species richness also increased with total area and higher topographical roughness. Phylogenetic diversity, on the other hand, showed opposite relationships related to the same factors. Phylogenetic diversity increased with lower climatic stability in lower latitudes. Thus, dimensions of diversity were affected in different ways by historical and environmental constraints in this unique and threatened biodiversity hotspot.
The Relationship Between Rejection of Care Behaviors and Pain and Delirium Severity in Hospital Dementia Care
Authors: Shaw Clarissa , Ward Caitlin , Williams Alexander , Lee Kyuri , Herr Keela
Published: July 2023

Background and Objectives

Rejection of care is common in hospitalized persons living with dementia. However, distinguishing between rejection of care behaviors related to care practices or other causes, such as pain or delirium, is challenging. The purpose of this study is to further understand the relationship between rejection of care and pain and delirium in hospitalized patients with dementia by identifying which rejection of care behaviors are associated with pain and delirium.

Research Design and Methods

Care encounters between hospitalized patients with dementia (n = 16) and nursing staff (n = 53) were observed on 88 separate occasions across 35 days. Rejection of care was measured using the 13 behaviors from the Resistiveness to Care Scale. Pain and delirium severity were measured using a variety of scales including the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale, Checklist of Nonverbal Pain Indicators, and numeric rating scale for pain severity and the Confusion Assessment Method—Severity short form and Delirium Observation Screening Scale for delirium severity. Linear mixed modeling was used to determine the relationship between rejection of care behaviors and pain and delirium severity for each measure.

Results

About 48.9% of the observations included rejection of care, 49.9% included a patient in pain, and 12.5% included a patient with delirium. Cry, push away, scream/yell, and turn away indicated a higher pain severity across pain measures. No rejection of care behaviors were found to indicate delirium severity.

Discussion and Implications

Certain rejection of care behaviors may be helpful in identifying pain in hospitalized patients with dementia, suggesting that caregivers should be cognizant of pain when these rejection of care behaviors are present. However, in this sample rejection of care behaviors was not found to be useful for identifying delirium severity in hospital dementia care.
A pilot phase Ib study to evaluate tadalafil to overcome immunosuppression during chemoradiotherapy for IDH-wild-type glioblastoma
Authors: Ghosh Subhajit , Johanns Tanner M , Chheda Milan G , Liu Eric , Butt Omar , Abraham Christopher , Badiyan Shahed , Huang Yi , DeNardo David , Kim Albert H , Hallahan Dennis , Thotala Dinesh , Huang Jiayi
Published: July 2023

Background

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are critical regulators of immunosuppression and radioresistance in glioblastoma (GBM). The primary objective of this pilot phase Ib study was to validate the on-target effect of tadalafil on inhibiting MDSCs in peripheral blood and its safety when combined with chemoradiotherapy in GBM patients.

Methods

Patients with newly diagnosed IDH-wild-type GBM received radiation therapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) combined with oral tadalafil for 2 months. A historical cohort of 12 GBM patients treated with RT and TMZ was used as the comparison group. The ratio of MDSCs, T cells, and cytokines at week 6 of RT compared to baseline were analyzed using flow cytometry. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

Tadalafil was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicity among 16 evaluable patients. The tadalafil cohort had a significantly lower ratio of circulating MDSCs than the control: granulocytic-MDSCs (mean 0.78 versus 3.21, respectively, P = 0.01) and monocytic-MDSCs (1.02 versus 1.96, respectively, P = 0.006). Tadalafil increased the CD8 ratio compared to the control (1.99 versus 0.70, respectively, P < 0.001), especially the PD-1−CD8 T cells expressing Ki-67, CD38, HLA-DR, CD28, and granzyme B. Proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β was also significantly increased after tadalafil compared to the control. The tadalafil cohort did not have significantly different PFS and OS than the historical control.

Conclusions

Concurrent tadalafil is well tolerated during chemoradiotherapy for GBM. Tadalafil is associated with a reduction of peripheral MDSCs after chemoradiotherapy and increased CD8 T-cell proliferation and activation.
Neural ordinary differential equations with irregular and noisy data
Authors: Goyal Pawan , Benner Peter
Published: July 2023

Measurement noise is an integral part of collecting data of a physical process. Thus, noise removal is necessary to draw conclusions from these data, and it often becomes essential to construct dynamical models using these data. We discuss a methodology to learn differential equation(s) using noisy and irregularly sampled measurements. In our methodology, the main innovation can be seen in the integration of deep neural networks with the neural ordinary differential equations (ODEs) approach. Precisely, we aim at learning a neural network that provides (approximately) an implicit representation of the data and an additional neural network that models the vector fields of the dependent variables. We combine these two networks by constraints using neural ODEs. The proposed framework to learn a model describing the vector field is highly effective under noisy measurements. The approach can handle scenarios where dependent variables are unavailable at the same temporal grid. Moreover, a particular structure, e.g. second order with respect to time, can easily be incorporated. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for learning models using data obtained from various differential equations and present a comparison with the neural ODE method that does not make any special treatment to noise. Additionally, we discuss an ensemble approach to improve the performance of the proposed approach further.
A numerical study of a left ventricular expander for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Weissmann Jonathan , Benoliel Yllan Charles , Yap Choon Hwai , Marom Gil
Published: July 2023

Increased cardiac stiffness hinders proper left ventricular (LV) expansion, resulting in decreased volume and diastolic dysfunction. LV expanders are spring-like devices designed to improve diastolic function by facilitating mechanical outward expansion. Implantations in animals and humans have shown promising results, yet further evaluation is needed to assess a range of functions and the risk of use. In this computational study, the effectiveness and potential use of a generic LV expander were assessed by using previously generated finite-element models of induced heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Following implantation, the treated models were compared to the corresponding untreated and healthy pre-induction models. The influence of device orientation and its material properties was also examined. Our results demonstrated a reduction in LV pressure and a volumetric improvement. Computed LV stresses have shown no gross irregularities. The device contributed to stress elevation during diastole while having a minor effect during systole, supporting a basic safety profile. This is the first study to use numerical analysis to assess LV expanders' performance on different HFpEF phenotypes. Improvement in heart function was demonstrated in both subjects, suggesting its potential use in various HFpEF manifestations, yet customization and optimal deployment are essential to improve heart performance.
Turning tables: food availability shapes dynamic aggressive behaviour among asynchronously hatching siblings in red kites
Milvus milvus
Authors: Catitti Benedetta , Kormann Urs G. , van Bergen Valentijn S. , Grüebler Martin U.
Published: July 2023

Aggression represents the backbone of dominance acquisition in several animal societies, where the decision to interact is dictated by its relative cost. Among siblings, such costs are weighted in the light of inclusive fitness, but how this translates to aggression patterns in response to changing external and internal conditions remains unclear. Using a null-model-based approach, we investigate how day-to-day changes in food provisioning affect aggression networks and food allocation in growing red kite (
Milvus milvus
) nestlings, whose dominance rank is largely dictated by age. We show that older siblings, irrespective of age, change from targeting only close-aged peers (close-competitor pattern) when food provisioning is low, to uniformly attacking all other peers (downward heuristic pattern) as food conditions improve. While food allocation was generally skewed towards the older siblings, the youngest sibling in the nest increased its probability of accessing food as more was provisioned and as downward heuristic patterns became more prominent, suggesting that different aggression patterns allow for catch-up growth after periods of low food. Our results indicate that dynamic aggression patterns within the nest modulate environmental effects on juvenile development by influencing the process of dominance acquisition and potentially impacting the fledging body condition, with far-reaching fitness consequences.
Group-level differences in social network structure remain repeatable after accounting for environmental drivers
Authors: Ogino Mina , Maldonado-Chaparro Adriana A. , Aplin Lucy M. , Farine Damien R.
Published: July 2023

Individuals show consistent between-individual behavioural variation when they interact with conspecifics or heterospecifics. Such patterns might underlie emergent group-specific behavioural patterns and between-group behavioural differences. However, little is known about (i) how social and non-social drivers (external drivers) shape group-level social structures and (ii) whether animal groups show consistent between-group differences in social structure after accounting for external drivers. We used automated tracking to quantify daily social interactions and association networks in 12 colonies of zebra finches (
Taeniopygia guttata
). We quantified the effects of five external drivers (group size, group composition, ecological factors, physical environments and methodological differences) on daily interaction and association networks and tested whether colonies expressed consistent differences in day-to-day network structure after controlling for these drivers. Overall, we found that external drivers contribute significantly to network structure. However, even after accounting for the contribution of external drivers, there remained significant support for consistent between-group differences in both interaction (repeatability
R
: up to 0.493) and association (repeatability
R
: up to 0.736) network structures. Our study demonstrates how group-level differences in social behaviour can be partitioned into different drivers of variation, with consistent contributions from both social and non-social factors.
High-resolution app data reveal sustained increases in recreational fishing effort in Europe during and after COVID-19 lockdowns
Authors: Audzijonyte Asta , Mateos-González Fernando , Dainys Justas , Gundelund Casper , Skov Christian , Tyrell DeWeber J. , Venturelli Paul , Vienožinskis Vincentas , Smith Carl
Published: July 2023

It is well recognized that COVID-19 lockdowns impacted human interactions with natural ecosystems. One example is recreational fishing, which, in developed countries, involves approximately 10% of people. Fishing licence sales and observations at angling locations suggest that recreational fishing effort increased substantially during lockdowns. However, the extent and duration of this increase remain largely unknown. We used four years (2018–2021) of high-resolution data from a personal fish-finder device to explore the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on angling effort in four European countries. We show that relative device use and angling effort increased 1.2–3.8-fold during March–May 2020 and generally remained elevated even at the end of 2021. Fishing during the first lockdown also became more frequent on weekdays. Statistical models explained 50–70% of the variation, suggesting that device use and angling effort were relatively consistent and predictable through space and time. Our study demonstrates that recreational fishing behaviour can change substantially and rapidly in response to societal shifts, with profound ecological, human well-being and economic implications. We also show the potential of angler devices and smartphone applications for high-resolution fishing effort analysis and encourage more extensive science and industry collaborations to take advantage of this information.
Investigation of structural, electronic and optical properties of two-dimensional MoS
2
-doped-V
2
O
5
composites for photocatalytic application: a density functional theory study
Authors: Jameel Muhammad Hasnain , Sufi bin Roslan Muhammad , Bin Mayzan Mohd Zul Hilmi , Agam Mohd Arif Bin , Zaki Zaki I. , Fallatah Ahmed M.
Published: July 2023

In the present research, the structural, electronic and optical properties of transition metal dichalcogenide-doped transition metal oxides MoS
2
-doped-V
2
O
5
with various doping concentrations (
x
= 1–3%) of MoS
2
atoms are studied by using first principles calculation. The generalized gradient approximation Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof simulation approach is used to investigate the energy bandgap (

E
g

) of orthorhombic structures. We examined the energy bandgap (

E
g

) decrement from 2.76 to 1.30 eV with various doping (
x
= 1–3%) of molybdenum disulfide (MoS
2
) atoms. The bandgap nature shows that the material is a well-known direct bandgap semiconductor. MoS
2
doping (
x
= 1–3%) atoms in pentoxide (V
2
O
5
) creates the extra gamma active states which contribute to the formation of conduction and valance bands. MoS
2
-doped-V
2
O
5
composite is a proficient photocatalyst, has a large surface area for absorption of light, decreases the electron-hole pairs recombination rate and increases the charge transport. A comprehensive study of optical conductivity reveals that strong peaks of MoS
2
-doped-V
2
O
5
increase in ultraviolet spectrum region with small shifts at larger energy bands through increment doping
x
= 1–3% atoms of MoS
2
. A significant decrement was found in the reflectivity due to the decrement in the bandgap with doping. The optical properties significantly increased by the decrement of bandgap (

E
g

). Two-dimensional MoS
2
-doped-V
2
O
5
composite has high energy absorption, optical conductivity and refractive index, and is an appropriate material for photocatalytic applications.
Biased signalling is structurally encoded as an autoproteolysis event in adhesion G protein‐coupled receptor Latrophilin‐3/ADGRL3
Authors: Ojeda‐Muñiz Estefania Y. , Rodríguez‐Hernández Brenda , Correoso‐Braña Kerlys G. , Segura‐Landa Petra L. , Boucard Antony A.
Published: July 2023

Adhesion G protein‐coupled receptors (aGPCRs) possess a unique topology, including the presence of a GPCR proteolysis site (GPS), which, upon autoproteolysis, generates two functionally distinct fragments that remain non‐covalently associated at the plasma membrane. A proposed activation mechanism for aGPCRs involves the exposure of a tethered agonist, which depends on cleavage at the GPS. However, this hypothesis has been challenged by the observation that non‐cleavable aGPCRs exhibit constitutive activity, thus making the function of GPS cleavage widely enigmatic. In this study, we sought to elucidate the function of GPS‐mediated cleavage through the study of G protein coupling with Latrophilin‐3/ADGRL3, a prototypical aGPCR involved in synapse formation and function. Using BRET‐based G protein biosensors, we reveal that an autoproteolysis‐deficient mutant of ADGRL3 retains constitutive activity. Surprisingly, we uncover that cleavage deficiency leads to a signalling bias directed at potentiating the activity of select G proteins such as Gi2 and G12/13. These data unveil the underpinnings of biased signalling for aGPCRs defined by GPS autoproteolysis.
A look through dark‐colored glasses: The Dark Tetrad and affective processing
Authors: Wertag Anja , Ribar Maja , Sučić Ines
Published: July 2023

The Dark Tetrad personality traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) have been continuously linked to various deficits in affective reactivity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of the Dark Tetrad and processing of emotional pictures. A total of 144 participants (56.9% female, Mage = 22.18, SDage = 2.26) completed measures of the Dark Tetrad, and rated pictures selected form the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), classified in accordance with their norms into highly arousing positive and negative. Affective processing measures included participants' valence and arousal ratings, while cognitive processing was measured my means of the response latency for each response. The results showed that the dark traits were related only to valence, but not arousal ratings. Higher narcissism and lower sadism were associated with more positive valence ratings of positive pictures, and higher sadism was associated with more positive ratings of negative pictures. Moreover, higher Machiavellianism predicted faster assessment of valence and arousal of both positive and negative pictures, and higher sadism predicted slower assessment of negative pictures' valence. Obtained results indicate that deficiencies in affective processing are more pronounced in sadism compared to other dark traits, while Machiavellianism is associated with advantages in cognitive processing, highlighting their significance and uniqueness in the Dark Tetrad constellation.
Prevalence of blood donation eligibility in Australia: A population survey
Authors: Mowat Yasmin , Hoad Veronica , Haire Bridget , Masser Barbara , Kaldor John , Heywood Anita , Thorpe Rachel , McManus Hamish , McGregor Skye
Published: July 2023

Background

Reliable estimates of the population proportion eligible to donate blood are needed by blood collection agencies to model the likely impact of changes in eligibility criteria and inform targeted population‐level education, recruitment, and retention strategies. In Australia, the sole estimate was calculated 10+ years ago. With several subsequent changes to the eligibility criteria, an updated estimate is required.

Study Design and Methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional national population survey to estimate eligibility for blood donation. Respondents were aged 18+ and resident in Australia. Results were weighted to obtain a representative sample of the population.

Results

Estimated population prevalence of blood donation eligibility for those aged 18–74 was 57.3% (95% CI 55.3–59.3). The remaining 42.7% (95% CI 40.7–44.7) were either temporarily (25.3%, 95% CI 23.5–27.2) or permanently ineligible (17.4%, 95% CI 16.1–18.9). Of those eligible at the time of the survey, that is, with the UK geographic deferral for variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease included, (52.9%, 95% CI 50.8–54.9), 14.2% (95% CI 12.3–16.3) reported donating blood within the previous 2 years. Eligibility was higher among men (62.6%, 95% CI 59.6–65.6) than women (52.8%, 95% CI 50.1–55.6). The most common exclusion factor was iron deficiency/anemia within the last 6 months; 3.8% (95% CI 3.2–4.6) of the sample were ineligible due to this factor alone.

Discussion

We estimate that approximately 10.5 million people (57.3% of 18–74‐year‐olds) are eligible to donate blood in Australia. Only 14.2% of those eligible at the time of survey reported donating blood within the previous 2 years, indicating a large untapped pool of potentially eligible blood donors.
Reconfigurable neuromorphic computing block through integration of flash synapse arrays and super-steep neurons
Authors: Kwon Dongseok , Woo Sung Yun , Lee Kyu-Ho , Hwang Joon , Kim Hyeongsu , Park Sung-Ho , Shin Wonjun , Bae Jong-Ho , Kim Jae-Joon , Lee Jong-Ho
Published: July 2023

Neuromorphic computing (NC) architecture inspired by biological nervous systems has been actively studied to overcome the limitations of conventional von Neumann architectures. In this work, we propose a reconfigurable NC block using a flash-type synapse array, emerging positive feedback (PF) neuron devices, and CMOS peripheral circuits, and integrate them on the same substrate to experimentally demonstrate the operations of the proposed NC block. Conductance modulation in the flash memory enables the NC block to be easily calibrated for output signals. In addition, the proposed NC block uses a reduced number of devices for analog-to-digital conversions due to the super-steep switching characteristics of the PF neuron device, substantially reducing the area overhead of NC block. Our NC block shows high energy efficiency (37.9 TOPS/W) with high accuracy for CIFAR-10 image classification (91.80%), outperforming prior works. This work shows the high engineering potential of integrating synapses and neurons in terms of system efficiency and high performance.
Effectiveness of penile ventral curvature correction and the trend of hypospadias repair: a prospective study of the national center in China
Authors: Yang Zhenzhen , Li Jiayi , Liu Pei , Fang Yiwei , Wang Xinyu , Fan Songqiao , Li Zonghan , Shao Zikun , Xia Yujie , Wang Zihong , Liu He , Sun Ning , Song Hongcheng , Zhang Weiping
Published: July 2023

Background

Hypospadias repair is a complex surgical procedure that involves correcting penile ventral curvature (VC) and performing urethroplasty. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies for VC correction and analyse the trends in hypospadias repair at a national centre in China.

Methods

Prospective data collection was conducted from 2019 to 2020 for patients undergoing hypospadias repair. The effectiveness of VC correction was assessed based on the degree of VC change with different strategies. Furthermore, the choice of surgical techniques for different types of hypospadias repair was analysed.

Results

A total of 434 patients were included, with a median preoperative VC degree of 50° (35°, 70°). All patients achieved a straight penis postoperatively, with 15.2% undergoing degloving, 28.6% undergoing degloving and dorsal plication (DP), 13.1% undergoing degloving and urethral plate transection (UPT), and 43.1% undergoing degloving, UPT and DP. Degloving alone was effective in correcting VC in 57.6% of patients with VC less than 30°. In our analysis, DP after UPT resulted in a higher degree of correction (25°) compared with DP after degloving alone (20°) (p<0.001). The study identified the current trends in hypospadias repair, with tubularised incised plate urethroplasty (TIP) being the most common technique used in distal hypospadias repair (70.6% of patients) and transverse preputial island flap urethroplasty (TPIFU) being preferred for proximal hypospadias repair (63.0%).

Conclusions

Degloving alone is effective for correcting VC less than 30°. The majority of patients in our centre underwent UPT, and DP after UPT yielded better results compared with DP after degloving alone. Distal hypospadias repair commonly used TIP, while TPIFU was favoured for proximal hypospadias repair.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR1900023055.
Prognosis of light chain amyloidosis: a multivariable analysis for survival prediction in patients with cardiac involvement proven by endomyocardial biopsy
Authors: Aurich Matthias , Bucur Julian , Vey Johannes A , Greiner Sebastian , aus dem Siepen Fabian , Hegenbart Ute , Schönland Stefan , Katus Hugo A , Frey Norbert , Mereles Derliz
Published: July 2023

Background

Cardiac involvement is a main determinant of mortality in light chain (AL) amyloidosis but data on survival of patients with cardiac AL amyloidosis proven by endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) are sparse.

Methods

This study analysed clinical, laboratory, electrocardiography and echocardiographic parameters for their prognostic value in the assessment of patients with AL amyloidosis and cardiac involvement. Patients with AL amyloidosis who had their first visit to the amyloidosis centre at the University Hospital Heidelberg between 2006 and 2017 (n=1628) were filtered for cardiac involvement proven by EMB. In the final cohort, mortality-associated markers were analysed by univariate and multivariable Cox regression. Cut-off values for each parameter were calculated using the survival time.

Results

One-hundred and seventy-four patients could be identified. Median overall survival time was 1.5 years and median follow-up time was 5.2 years. At the end of the investigation period, 115 patients had died. In multivariable analysis, New York Heart Association-functional class >II (HR 1.65; 95% CI 1.09 to 2.50; p=0.019), left ventricular global longitudinal strain (HR 1.12; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.22; p=0.007), left ventricular end-systolic volume (HR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03; p=0.001), systolic pulmonary artery pressure (HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99; p=0.027), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (HR 1.57; 95% CI 1.17 to 2.11; p=0.003) and difference in free light chains (HR 1.30; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.62; p=0.017) were independently predictive.

Conclusion

Among all patients with AL amyloidosis those with cardiac involvement represent a high-risk population with limited therapy options. Therefore, accurate risk stratification is necessary to identify cardiac amyloidosis patients with favourable prognosis. Incorporation of modern imaging techniques into existing or newly developed scoring systems is a promising option that might enable the implementation of risk-adapted therapeutic strategies.
Abnormal Decrease of Macrophage ALKBH5 Expression Causes Abnormal Polarization and Inhibits Osteoblast Differentiation
Authors: Weng Junquan , Fan Haidong , Liu Huijuan , Tang Su , Zheng Yuyan
Published: July 2023

Peri-implant tissue inflammation is an inflammatory injury that occurs in the soft and hard tissues surrounding the implant and is the main cause of short- or long-term failure of implant prosthetic restorations, which is compounded by bone loss and bone destruction in the alveolar bone of diabetes patients with peri-implantitis. However, the mechanisms underlying the persistence of diabetic peri-implantitis, as well as the essential connections and key molecules that regulate its start and progression, remain unknown. In this study, we discovered that M1 macrophage polarization was abnormally enhanced in diabetic peri-implantitis and influenced the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. RNA sequencing revealed that ALKBH5 expression was abnormally reduced in diabetic peri-implantitis. Further mechanism study showed that ALKBH5 and its mediated m6A can influence osteogenic differentiation, which in turn influences the persistence of diabetic peri-implantitis. Our findings present a new mechanism for the suppression of osteoblast development in diabetic peri-implantitis and a new treatment strategy to promote anabolism by inhibiting ALKBH5.
A new Afrotropical species of Ectopioglossa Perkins (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae)
Authors: SELIS MARCO
Published: July 2023

A new Afrotropical species of the Old World genus Ectopioglossa Perkins, 1912, namely Ectopioglossa sudanensis Selis, sp. nov., is described from Sudan. A key to the Afrotropical species is provided.