bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gastrointestinal nematode infection during pregnancy and lactation enhances spatial reference memory and reduces indicators of anxiety-like behaviour in uninfected adult female mouse offspring
Authors: Noel Sophia , LaFrancois Ryan , Scott Marilyn E. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractMaternal bacterial and viral infections that induce neuroinflammation in the developing brain are associated with impaired cognitive function and increased anxiety in the offspring. In contrast, maternal infection with the immunoregulatory murine gastrointestinal (GI) nematode, Heligmosomoides bakeri, appears to benefit neurodevelopment as juvenile 2- and 3-week-old male and female offspring had enhanced spatial memory, which may be due to a Th2/Treg biased neuroimmune environment. Here, the impact of maternal H. bakeri infection during pregnancy and lactation on the spatial and anxiety-like behaviours of adult, 3-month-old uninfected male and female offspring was explored for the first time. It was observed that adult female offspring of H. bakeri-infected dams had enhanced spatial reference memory and reduced anxiety-like behaviour compared to females of uninfected dams. These effects were not observed in adult male offspring. Thus, the positive influence of a maternal GI nematode infection on spatial memory of juvenile offspring persists in adult female offspring.
Coseismic and Early Postseismic Deformation of the 2024 Mw7.45 Noto Peninsula Earthquake
Authors: Yang Siyuan , Sang Chengfang , Hu Yan , Wang Kai 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAn unexpected Mw7.45 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula on 1 January 2024, preceded by several long‐living earthquake swarms, providing a valuable opportunity to study seismic and aseismic slips, as well as their interactions. We derived coseismic and 19‐day postseismic slip distributions by inverting co‐ and post‐seismic displacements from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data. The inverted coseismic slip distribution shows two slip patches, with a maximum slip of ∼4 m. The early postseismic afterslip is 0.1–0.25 m within coseismic slip asperity and 0.1–0.6 m northward of the rupture area. The afterslip within the rupture area is accompanied by numerous aftershocks and coincides with a ∼6 MPa stress drop, suggesting that aftershocks are likely driven by the afterslip. The pattern of poroelastic rebound implies a potential effect of fluid flow on aftershock triggering. This study sheds lights on the intricate interplay between seismic and aseismic processes following large earthquakes.
Assessing Multi‐Source Precipitation Estimates in Nepal: A Benchmark for Sub‐Seasonal Model Assessment
Authors: Nepal Bikash , Bao Qing , Wu Guoxiong , Liu Yimin , Kadel Indira , Lamichhane Dipendra 
Published: May 2024

AbstractSub‐seasonal to seasonal (S2S) prediction provides an extended range of lead time for decision‐makers across multiple sectors. S2S forecast is crucial for a country that are susceptible to hydro‐meteorological disasters like Nepal. However, S2S forecast requires assessment with reliable datasets before its application. Since, Nepal lacks a dense station network, multi‐source precipitation estimates (MPEs) are the obvious alternatives. Therefore, using classical evaluation metrics and extreme precipitation indices, this study assessed eleven high‐resolution datasets against 159‐gauge stations over Nepal for the 2001–2020 period. These datasets are classified as gauge‐interpolated (APHRODITE), merged (TPMFD, MSWEP, CLDAS, and CHIRPS), satellite‐based (IMERGV7, IMERGV6, CMORPH, and PERSIANN), and reanalysis (ERA5‐L and HAR). Satellite datasets (except IMERGV7) failed to capture the spatial pattern of mean annual precipitation, while others broadly captured it. Most MPEs struggled to accurately estimate wet season precipitation compared to dry season. Furthermore, increasing estimation error from light to extreme precipitation and decreasing skill metrics from flat to complex terrain, demonstrate the intensity and terrain‐specific limitations of MPEs. In terms of precipitation extremes, APHRODITE exhibits the highest skill, followed by MSWEP, TPMFD, HAR, ERA5‐L, IMERGV7, CLDAS, IMERGV6, CHIRPS, CMORPH, and PERSIANN. IMERGV7 exhibits increased skill in detecting extreme precipitation and precipitation over orography against IMERGV6. APHRODITE and TPMFD datasets performed consistently well in all scales, including weekly anomaly, with an average anomaly correlation of 0.84 and 0.66 respectively. However, since APHRODITE is not widely available, TPMFD can serve as a benchmark dataset for evaluating high‐resolution S2S forecasts within the study region.
Targeting BCL9/BCL9L enhances antigen presentation by promoting conventional type 1 dendritic cell (cDC1) activation and tumor infiltration
Authors: He Fenglian , Wu Zhongen , Liu Chenglong , Zhu Yuanyuan , Zhou Yan , Tian Enming , Rosin-Arbesfeld Rina , Yang Dehua , Wang Ming-Wei , Zhu Di 
Published: May 2024

AbstractConventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1) are the essential antigen-presenting DC subset in antitumor immunity. Suppressing B-cell lymphoma 9 and B-cell lymphoma 9-like (BCL9/BCL9L) inhibits tumor growth and boosts immune responses against cancer. However, whether oncogenic BCL9/BCL9L impairs antigen presentation in tumors is still not completely understood. Here, we show that targeting BCL9/BCL9L enhanced antigen presentation by stimulating cDC1 activation and infiltration into tumor. Pharmacological inhibition of BCL9/BCL9L with a novel inhibitor hsBCL9z96 or Bcl9/Bcl9l knockout mice markedly delayed tumor growth and promoted antitumor CD8+ T cell responses. Mechanistically, targeting BCL9/BCL9L promoted antigen presentation in tumors. This is due to the increase of cDC1 activation and tumor infiltration by the XCL1-XCR1 axis. Importantly, using single-cell transcriptomics analysis, we found that Bcl9/Bcl9l deficient cDC1 were superior to wild-type (WT) cDC1 at activation and antigen presentation via NF-κB/IRF1 signaling. Together, we demonstrate that targeting BCL9/BCL9L plays a crucial role in cDC1-modulated antigen presentation of tumor-derived antigens, as well as CD8+ T cell activation and tumor infiltration. Targeting BCL9/BCL9L to regulate cDC1 function and directly orchestrate a positive feedback loop necessary for optimal antitumor immunity could serve as a potential strategy to counter immune suppression and enhance cancer immunotherapy.
Initial COVID-19 severity influenced by SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells imprints T-cell memory and inversely affects reinfection
Authors: Yang Gang , Cao Jinpeng , Qin Jian , Mei Xinyue , Deng Shidong , Xia Yingjiao , Zhao Jun , Wang Junxiang , Luan Tao , Chen Daxiang , Huang Peiyu , Chen Cheng , Sun Xi , Luo Qi , Su Jie , Zhang Yunhui , Zhong Nanshan , Wang Zhongfang 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe immunoprotective components control COVID-19 disease severity, as well as long-term adaptive immunity maintenance and subsequent reinfection risk discrepancies across initial COVID-19 severity, remain unclarified. Here, we longitudinally analyzed SARS-CoV-2-specific immune effectors during the acute infection and convalescent phases of 165 patients with COVID-19 categorized by severity. We found that early and robust SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses ameliorate disease progression and shortened hospital stay, while delayed and attenuated virus-specific CD8+ T cell responses are prominent severe COVID-19 features. Delayed antiviral antibody generation rather than titer level associates with severe outcomes. Conversely, initial COVID-19 severity imprints the long-term maintenance of SARS-CoV-2-specific adaptive immunity, demonstrating that severe convalescents exhibited more sustained virus-specific antibodies and memory T cell responses compared to mild/moderate counterparts. Moreover, initial COVID-19 severity inversely correlates with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection risk. Overall, our study unravels the complicated interaction between temporal characteristics of virus-specific T cell responses and COVID-19 severity to guide future SARS-CoV-2 wave management.
Differential posttraumatic stress disorder symptom cluster response to stellate ganglion block: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Blakey Shannon M. , Rae Olmsted Kristine L. , Hirsch Shawn , Asman Kat , Wallace Dennis , Olmsted Murrey G. , Vandermaas-Peeler Russ , Karg Rhonda S. , Walters Bradford B. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractEmpirically supported treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exist, but research suggests these therapies are less effective, acceptable, and feasible to deliver to active duty service members (SMs) compared to civilians. Stellate ganglion block (SGB) procedure, in which a local anesthetic is injected around the cervical sympathetic chain or stellate ganglion to temporarily inhibit sympathetic nervous activity, is gaining popularity as an alternative PTSD treatment in military settings. However, it is unknown whether certain PTSD symptoms are more responsive to SGB than others. The current study involved a secondary analysis of data collected from a previous randomized controlled trial of SGB compared to sham (normal saline) injection (N = 113 SMs). PTSD symptoms were assessed via clinical interview and self-report at baseline and 8 weeks post-SGB or sham. Logistic regression analyses showed that the marked alterations in arousal and reactivity PTSD symptom cluster demonstrated the greatest symptom severity reductions after SGB, relative to sham. The reexperiencing cluster also showed pronounced response to SGB in clinician-rated but not self-reported outcomes. Post-hoc item-level analyses suggested that arousal and reactivity cluster findings were driven by reductions in hypervigilance, concentration difficulties, and sleep disturbance, whereas clinician-rated reexperiencing cluster findings were driven by reductions in physiological reactions to trauma cues, emotional reactions to trauma cues, and intrusions. Our findings align with a burgeoning literature positioning SGB as a potential novel or adjunctive PTSD treatment. Results could guide future hypothesis-driven research on mediators of therapeutic change during SGB for PTSD symptoms in SMs.
H3.3-G34W in giant cell tumor of bone functionally aligns with the exon choice repressor hnRNPA1L2
Authors: Lee Eunbi , Park Yoon Jung , Lindroth Anders M. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractRNA processing is an essential post-transcriptional phenomenon that provides the necessary complexity of transcript diversity prior to translation. Aberrations in this process could contribute to tumourigenesis, and we have previously reported increased splicing alterations in giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB), which carries mutations in the histone variant H3.3 encoding glycine 34 substituted for tryptophan (H3.3-G34W). G34W interacts with several splicing factors, most notably the trans-acting splicing factor hnRNPA1L2. To gain a deeper understanding of RNA processing in GCTB and isogenic HeLa cells with H3.3-G34W, we generated RNA-immunoprecipitation sequencing data from hnRNPA1L2 and H3.3-G34W associated RNAs, which showed that 80% overlapped across genic regions and were frequently annotated as E2F transcription factor binding sites. Splicing aberrations in both GCTB and HeLa cells with H3.3-G34W were significantly enriched for known hnRNPA1L2 binding motifs (p value < 0.01). This splicing aberration differed from hnRNPA1L2 knockouts, which showed alterations independent of H3.3-G34W. Of functional significance, hnRNPA1L2 was redistributed to closely match the H3.3 pattern, likely driven by G34W, and to loci not occupied in normal parental cells. Taken together, our data reveal a functional overlap between hnRNPA1L2 and H3.3-G34W with likely significant consequences for RNA processing during GCTB pathogenesis. This provides novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention in future modus operandi.
Beyond severity: utility as a criterion for setting the scope of RGCS
Authors: Dive Lisa , Laberge Anne-Marie , Freeman Lucinda , Bunnik Eline M. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Reproductive genetic carrier screening (RGCS) allows prospective parents to identify and act upon their chances of having a child with a genetic condition. In deciding which genetic conditions to include in RGCS, severity is often used as a criterion. However, the concept is inherently complex, subjective and multidimensional, and determinations of severity will remain intractably contested. We propose the concept of utility as a criterion for setting the scope of RGCS, and put forward two central arguments for doing so. First, utility is a more appropriate and effective concept as it responds to context and makes an explicit connection between the purpose of RGCS and the value of information obtained for that purpose: namely, to facilitate reproductive decision-making. Utility comprises both clinical and personal utility, and varies according to the availability and accessibility of reproductive options, including pre-implantation genetic testing, prenatal genetic diagnosis, and termination of pregnancy. Second, there are ethical reasons for preferring utility over severity. Utility is a property of the information gleaned from RGCS, while severity is a property of a genetic condition or of an instance of this condition in a person. While consideration of the severity of genetic conditions is not lost when focusing on utility, the need to rely on value judgements regarding the quality of life of people who live with genetic conditions is circumvented. Therefore, utility should replace severity as justification for the inclusion of genetic conditions in RGCS programmes.
An efficient molecular genetic testing strategy for incontinentia pigmenti based on single-tube long fragment read sequencing
Authors: Chen Min , Tan Mei-Hua , Liu Jiao , Yang Yan-Mei , Yu Jia-Ling , He Li-Juan , Huang Ying-Zhi , Sun Yi-Xi , Qian Ye-Qing , Yan Kai , Dong Min-Yue 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIncontinentia pigmenti (IP) is a rare X-linked dominant neuroectodermal dysplasia that primarily affects females. The only known causative gene is IKBKG, and the most common genetic cause is the recurrent IKBKG△4–10 deletion resulting from recombination between two MER67B repeats. Detection of variants in IKBKG is challenging due to the presence of a highly homologous non-pathogenic pseudogene IKBKGP1. In this study, we successfully identified four pathogenic variants in four IP patients using a strategy based on single-tube long fragment read (stLFR) sequencing with a specialized analysis pipeline. Three frameshift variants (c.519-3_519dupCAGG, c.1167dupC, and c.700dupT) were identified and subsequently validated by Sanger sequencing. Notably, c.519-3_519dupCAGG was found in both IKBKG and IKBKGP1, whereas the other two variants were only detected in the functional gene. The IKBKG△4–10 deletion was identified and confirmed in one patient. These results demonstrate that the proposed strategy can identify potential pathogenic variants and distinguish whether they are derived from IKBKG or its pseudogene. Thus, this strategy can be an efficient genetic testing method for IKBKG. By providing a comprehensive understanding of the whole genome, it may also enable the exploration of other genes potentially associated with IP. Furthermore, the strategy may also provide insights into other diseases with detection challenges due to pseudogenes.
Static corrosion of stainless steel 316H in chemically purified molten NaF-KF-UF4 salt
Authors: Park Jaewoo , Leong Amanda , Zhang Jinsuo 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe purification of salt is indispensable for mitigating the corrosion of structural materials for molten salt reactors or other molten salt applications. This study develops a salt-purification system to synthesize and purify NaF-KF-UF4 salt (FUNaK) using Ar purging and hydrofluorination of impurities. Chronoamperometry is also used to remove metallic impurities in the hydrofluorinated FUNaK. This purified FUNaK is then used for a static corrosion test of stainless steel 316H (SS316H) to study the effectiveness of salt purification in mitigating its corrosion. For comparison, results from a previous study about the corrosion of SS316H by thermally purified FUNaK are used. FUNaK with UF3 is also synthesized for a static corrosion test with the same condition to investigate the impact of UF3 on corrosion. The results show that the corrosion of SS316H is significantly reduced by using the chemically purified FUNaK compared to thermally purified FUNaK.
Digital outcome measures from smartwatch data relate to non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Schalkamp Ann-Kathrin , Harrison Neil A. , Peall Kathryn J. , Sandor Cynthia 
Published: May 2024

AbstractMonitoring of Parkinson’s disease (PD) has seen substantial improvement over recent years as digital sensors enable a passive and continuous collection of information in the home environment. However, the primary focus of this work has been motor symptoms, with little focus on the non-motor aspects of the disease. To address this, we combined longitudinal clinical non-motor assessment data and digital multi-sensor data from the Verily Study Watch for 149 participants from the Parkinson’s Progression Monitoring Initiative (PPMI) cohort with a diagnosis of PD. We show that digitally collected physical activity and sleep measures significantly relate to clinical non-motor assessments of cognitive, autonomic, and daily living impairment. However, the poor predictive performance we observed, highlights the need for better targeted digital outcome measures to enable monitoring of non-motor symptoms.
Canted spin order as a platform for ultrafast conversion of magnons
Authors: Leenders R. A. , Afanasiev D. , Kimel A. V. , Mikhaylovskiy R. V. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractTraditionally, magnetic solids are divided into two main classes—ferromagnets and antiferromagnets with parallel and antiparallel spin orders, respectively. Although normally the antiferromagnets have zero magnetization, in some of them an additional antisymmetric spin–spin interaction arises owing to a strong spin–orbit coupling and results in canting of the spins, thereby producing net magnetization. The canted antiferromagnets combine antiferromagnetic order with phenomena typical of ferromagnets and hold great potential for spintronics and magnonics1–5. In this way, they can be identified as closely related to the recently proposed new class of magnetic materials called altermagnets6–9. Altermagnets are predicted to have strong magneto-optical effects, terahertz-frequency spin dynamics and degeneracy lifting for chiral spin waves10 (that is, all of the effects present in the canted antiferromagnets11,12). Here, by utilizing these unique phenomena, we demonstrate a new functionality of canted spin order for magnonics and show that it facilitates mechanisms converting a magnon at the centre of the Brillouin zone into propagating magnons using nonlinear magnon–magnon interactions activated by an ultrafast laser pulse. Our experimental findings supported by theoretical analysis show that the mechanism is enabled by the spin canting.
Unlocking bacterial potential to reduce farmland N2O emissions
Authors: Hiis Elisabeth G. , Vick Silas H. W. , Molstad Lars , Røsdal Kristine , Jonassen Kjell Rune , Winiwarter Wilfried , Bakken Lars R. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractFarmed soils contribute substantially to global warming by emitting N2O (ref. 1), and mitigation has proved difficult2. Several microbial nitrogen transformations produce N2O, but the only biological sink for N2O is the enzyme NosZ, catalysing the reduction of N2O to N2 (ref. 3). Although strengthening the NosZ activity in soils would reduce N2O emissions, such bioengineering of the soil microbiota is considered challenging4,5. However, we have developed a technology to achieve this, using organic waste as a substrate and vector for N2O-respiring bacteria selected for their capacity to thrive in soil6–8. Here we have analysed the biokinetics of N2O reduction by our most promising N2O-respiring bacterium, Cloacibacterium sp. CB-01, its survival in soil and its effect on N2O emissions in field experiments. Fertilization with waste from biogas production, in which CB-01 had grown aerobically to about 6 × 109 cells per millilitre, reduced N2O emissions by 50–95%, depending on soil type. The strong and long-lasting effect of CB-01 is ascribed to its tenacity in soil, rather than its biokinetic parameters, which were inferior to those of other strains of N2O-respiring bacteria. Scaling our data up to the European level, we find that national anthropogenic N2O emissions could be reduced by 5–20%, and more if including other organic wastes. This opens an avenue for cost-effective reduction of N2O emissions for which other mitigation options are lacking at present.
Molecular basis for differential Igk versus Igh V(D)J joining mechanisms
Authors: Zhang Yiwen , Li Xiang , Ba Zhaoqing , Lou Jiangman , Gaertner K. Elyse , Zhu Tammie , Lin Xin , Ye Adam Yongxin , Alt Frederick W. , Hu Hongli 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn developing B cells, V(D)J recombination assembles exons encoding IgH and Igκ variable regions from hundreds of gene segments clustered acrossIghandIgkloci. V, D and J gene segments are flanked by conserved recombination signal sequences (RSSs) that target RAG endonuclease1. RAG orchestratesIghV(D)J recombination upon capturing a JH-RSS within the JH-RSS-based recombination centre1–3(RC). JH-RSS orientation programmes RAG to scan upstream D- and VH-containing chromatin that is presented in a linear manner by cohesin-mediated loop extrusion4–7. DuringIghscanning, RAG robustly utilizes only D-RSSs or VH-RSSs in convergent (deletional) orientation with JH-RSSs4–7. However, for Vκ-to-Jκ joining, RAG utilizes Vκ-RSSs from deletional- and inversional-oriented clusters8, inconsistent with linear scanning2. Here we characterize the Vκ-to-Jκ joining mechanism.Igkundergoes robust primary and secondary rearrangements9,10, which confounds scanning assays. We therefore engineered cells to undergo only primary Vκ-to-Jκ rearrangements and found that RAG scanning from the primary Jκ-RC terminates just 8 kb upstream within the CTCF-site-basedSiselement11. WhereasSisand the Jκ-RC barely interacted with the Vκ locus, the CTCF-site-basedCerelement124 kb upstream ofSisinteracted with various loop extrusion impediments across the locus. Similar to VH locus inversion7, DJHinversion abrogated VH-to-DJHjoining; yet Vκ locus or Jκ inversion allowed robust Vκ-to-Jκ joining. Together, these experiments implicated loop extrusion in bringing Vκ segments nearCerfor short-range diffusion-mediated capture by RC-based RAG. To identify key mechanistic elements for diffusional V(D)J recombination inIgkversusIgh, we assayed Vκ-to-JHand D-to-Jκ rearrangements in hybridIgh–Igkloci generated by targeted chromosomal translocations, and pinpointed remarkably strong Vκ and Jκ RSSs. Indeed, RSS replacements in hybrid or normalIgkandIghloci confirmed the ability ofIgk-RSSs to promote robust diffusional joining compared withIgh-RSSs. We propose thatIgkevolved strong RSSs to mediate diffusional Vκ-to-Jκ joining, whereasIghevolved weaker RSSs requisite for modulating VHjoining by RAG-scanning impediments.