bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TheStreptococcus pyogenesM protein is involved in phenotypic resistance to phage A25 infection in presence of human serum
Authors: Schiavolin Lionel , Steinmetz Jenny , Botquin Gwenaëlle , Delforge Valérie , Lakhloufi Dalila , Smeesters Pierre R. , Botteaux Anne 
Published: February 2024

AbstractStreptococcus pyogenesis responsible for mild to life-threatening infections. Bacteriophages, or phages, and their virulence genes play a key role in the emergence and expansion of epidemics. However, relatively little is known about the biology ofS. pyogenesphages, particularly in biologically relevant environments. During infection,S. pyogenesconceals from the host immune system through the binding of human serum proteins. This evasion is mediated by surface proteins, such as the M protein which is a major virulence determinant ofS. pyogenes.Here, we demonstrate that human serum proteins also confer phenotypic resistance to phage A25 infection by impeding phage adsorption. We have found that, although not directly involved in phage A25 infection, the M protein is involved in this inhibition through the binding of both IgG and albumin, especially in absence of bound fatty acids. These findings highlight the importance of studying phages within a physiological context, specifically in the environmental conditions in which they will be used.Author summaryThe issues of antimicrobial resistance and resurgence of life-threatening infection, like the recent cases of invasiveS. pyogenesinfections, are prompting the scientific community to use phages as a complementary therapy. Phages are often characterized in laboratory conditions which are very different from the infection site. During human infection,Streptococcus pyogenesuses serum proteins to protect against the immune system. Our data illustrate how the human host environment also modulates phage susceptibility ofS. pyogenes. We found that human serum transiently protects a M25 strain against infection by the lytic phage A25. This protective effect is mediated in part by the M protein, a major virulence determinant and the target of current vaccines. This new function for the M protein highlights the need to characterize bacteria-phage interactions in a more physiological context to increase the chances of success of phage therapy.
Sensory Input Matching Visual Working Memory Guides Internal Prioritization
Authors: Koevoet Damian , Strauch Christoph , Naber Marnix , Van der Stigchel Stefan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAdaptive behavior necessitates the prioritization of the most relevant information in the environment (external) and in memory (internal). Internal prioritization is known to guide the selection of external sensory input, but the reverse may also be possible: Does the environment guide the prioritization of memorized material? Here we addressed whether reappearing sensory input matching visual working memory (VWM) facilitates the prioritization of other non-reappearing memorized items. Participants (totaln= 96) memorized three orientations. Crucially some, but not all, items maintained in VWM were made available again in the environment. These reappearing items never had to be reproduced later. Experiment 1 showed that the reappearance of all but one memory item benefited accuracy and speed to the same extent as a spatial retro cue. This shows that reappearing memory-matching items allow for the dynamic prioritization of another non-reappearing memorized item. What aspects of the reappearing sensory input drive this effect? Experiment 2 demonstrated that prioritization was facilitated most if reappearing items matched VWM content in terms of both location and orientation. Sensory input fully matching VWM is likely processed more efficiently, possibly leading to stronger prioritization of other memory content. We showed the robustness of our findings in Experiments 3 and 4. We propose that the link between sensory processing and VWM is bidirectional: internal representations guide the processing of sensory input, which in turn facilitates the prioritization of other VWM content to subserve adaptive behavior.Public significance statementVisual attention allows for the selective processing of objects in our environment but also the prioritization of contents held in working memory. To date, most studies have investigated the prioritization of working memory content using static displays. However, in everyday life, objects appear, disappear and reappear from our visual field within a matter of seconds. Here we investigated whether participants could leverage the dynamic nature of the world to guide working memory prioritization. In four experiments we demonstrate that humans capitalize on reappearing objects to prioritize other, non-reappearing maintained objects. Moreover, we found that whenever reappearing objects matched memory fully, prioritization of other material was most effective. Our results provide insights into how working memory prioritization may occur in more natural settings.
Positive serial dependence in ratings of food images for appeal and calories
Authors: Alais David , Carlson Thomas 
Published: February 2024

SummaryFood is fundamental to survival and our brains are highly attuned to rapidly process food stimuli. Neural signals show foods can be discriminated as edible or inedible as early as 85 ms after stimulus onset1, distinguished as processed or unprocessed beginning at 130 ms2and as high or low density from 165 ms3. Recent evidence revealed specialised processing of food stimuli in the ventral visual pathway4-6, an area that underlies perception of faces and other important objects. For many visual objects, present perception can be biased towards recent perceptual history (known as serial dependence7,8). We examined serial dependence for food in two large samples (n>300) that rated sequences of food images for either ‘appeal’ or ‘calories’. Calorie ratings by males and females agreed closely but appeal ratings were higher in males. High calorie ratings were associated with high appeal, especially in males. Serial analyses testing if current trial ratings were influenced by the previous one showed both appeal and calorie ratings exhibited clear positive dependences (i.e., a high preceding rating increased current trial ratings). The serial effect for appeal was roughly twice that for calories and males showed a greater serial effect than females for both ratings. Serial amplitude was larger in those who reported a longer elapsed time since they last ate and was larger in the BMI>25 group compared to BMI<25. These findings square with recently found food selectively in visual temporal cortex, reveal a new mechanism influencing food decision-making and suggest a new sensory-level component that could complement cognitive strategies in diet intervention.
Catalytic-independent functions of INTAC in conferring sensitivity to BET inhibition
Authors: Fan Pengyu , Shang Xue-Ying , Song Aixia , Chen Shuo , Mao Run-Yuan , Chen Jiwei , Wang Zhenning , Zheng Hai , Tao Bolin , Xu Wei , Jiang Wei , Yang Huijuan , Xu Congling , Zhang Peng , Jiang Hai , Chen Fei Xavier 
Published: February 2024

SUMMARYChromatin and transcription regulators are critical to defining cell identity through shaping epigenetic and transcriptional landscapes, with their misregulation being closely linked to oncogenesis. Pharmacologically targeting these regulators, particularly the transcription activating BET proteins, has emerged as a promising approach in cancer therapy, yet intrinsic or acquired resistance frequently occurs with poorly understood mechanisms. Using genome-wide CRISPR screens, we find that BET inhibitor efficacy in mediating transcriptional silencing and growth inhibition depends on the auxiliary module of the INTAC complex, a global regulator of polymerase pause-release dynamics. This process bypasses a requirement for INTAC’s catalytic activities and instead leverages direct engagement of the auxiliary module with the RACK7/ZMYND8–KDM5C complex to remove histone H3K4 methylation. Targeted degradation of the COMPASS subunit WDR5 to attenuate H3K4 methylation restores sensitivity to BET inhibitors, highlighting how simultaneously targeting coordinated chromatin and transcription regulators can circumvent drug-resistant tumors.
Exploring the metabolic potential ofAeromonasto utilise the carbohydrate polymer chitin
Authors: Tugui Claudia G. , Sorokin Dimitry Y. , Hijnen Wim , Wunderer Julia , Bout Kaatje , van Loosdrecht Mark C.M. , Pabst Martin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMembers of theAeromonasgenus are commonly found in natural aquatic ecosystems. However, they are also frequently present in non-chlorinated drinking water distribution systems. High densities of these bacteria indicate favorable conditions for microbial regrowth, which is considered undesirable. Studies have indicated that the presence ofAeromonasis associated with loose deposits and the presence of invertebrates, specificallyAsellus aquaticus. Therefore, a potential source of nutrients in these nutrient poor environments is chitin, the structural shell component in these invertebrates. In this study, we demonstrate the ability of twoAeromonasstrains, commonly encountered in drinking water distribution systems, to effectively degrade and utilize chitin as a sole carbon and nitrogen source. We conducted a quantitative proteomics study on the cell biomass and secretome of both strains, revealing a dedicated and diverse spectrum of hydrolytic enzymes and pathways for the uptake and metabolism of chitin. Furthermore, when the primary nutrient source was switched from glucose to chitin, more than half of theAeromonasproteome showed significant changes. Additionally, a genomic analysis ofAeromonasspecies found in drinking water distribution systems suggests a general potential ability of this genus to degrade and utilize a variety of carbohydrate biopolymers. This study indicates the relation between the utilization of chitin byAeromonasand their association with invertebrates such asA. aquaticusin loose deposits in drinking water distribution systems. This knowledge provides the foundation for the development of more effective water sanitation strategies.
An Atlas of Brain–Bone Sympathetic Neural Circuits
Authors: Ryu Vitaly , Gumerova Anisa , Witztum Ronit , Korkmaz Funda , Kannangara Hasni , Moldavski Ofer , Barak Orly , Lizneva Daria , Goosens Ki A. , Stanley Sarah , Kim Se-Min , Yuen Tony , Zaidi Mone 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTThere is clear evidence that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) mediates bone metabolism. Histological studies show abundant SNS innervation of the periosteum and bone marrow––these nerves consist of noradrenergic fibers that immunostain for tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine beta hydroxylase, or neuropeptide Y. Nonetheless, the brain sites that send efferent SNS outflow to bone have not yet been characterized. Using pseudorabies (PRV) viral transneuronal tracing, we report, for the first time, the identification of central SNS outflow sites that innervate bone. We find that the central SNS outflow to bone originates from 87 brain nuclei, sub–nuclei and regions of six brain divisions, namely the midbrain and pons, hypothalamus, hindbrain medulla, forebrain, cerebral cortex, and thalamus. We also find that certain sites, such as the raphe magnus (RMg) of the medulla and periaqueductal gray (PAG) of the midbrain, display greater degrees of PRV152 infection, suggesting that there is considerable site–specific variation in the levels of central SNS outflow to bone. This comprehensive compendium illustrating the central coding and control of SNS efferent signals to bone should allow for a greater understanding of the neural regulation of bone metabolism, and importantly and of clinical relevance, mechanisms for central bone pain.
FAMEWS: a Fairness Auditing tool for Medical Early-Warning Systems
Authors: Hoche Marine , Mineeva Olga , Burger Manuel , Blasimme Alessandro , Rätsch Gunnar 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMachine learning applications hold promise to aid clinicians in a wide range of clinical tasks, from diagnosis to prognosis, treatment, and patient monitoring. These potential applications are accompanied by a surge of ethical concerns surrounding the use of Machine Learning (ML) models in healthcare, especially regarding fairness and non-discrimination. While there is an increasing number of regulatory policies to ensure the ethical and safe integration of such systems, the translation from policies to practices remains an open challenge. Algorithmic frameworks, aiming to bridge this gap, should be tailored to the application to enable the translation from fundamental human-right principles into accurate statistical analysis, capturing the inherent complexity and risks associated with the system. In this work, we propose a set of fairness impartial checks especially adapted to ML early-warning systems in the medical context, comprising on top of standard fairness metrics, an analysis of clinical outcomes, and a screening of potential sources of bias in the pipeline. Our analysis is further fortified by the inclusion of event-based and prevalence-corrected metrics, as well as statistical tests to measure biases. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of considering subgroups beyond the conventional demographic attributes. Finally, to facilitate operationalization, we present an open-source tool FAMEWS to generate comprehensive fairness reports. These reports address the diverse needs and interests of the stakeholders involved in integrating ML into medical practice. The use of FAMEWS has the potential to reveal critical insights that might otherwise remain obscured. This can lead to improved model design, which in turn may translate into enhanced health outcomes.
Bidirectional relationship between sleep problems and long COVID: a longitudinal analysis of data from the COVIDENCE UK study
Authors: Vivaldi Giulia , Talaei Mohammad , Blaikley John , Jackson Callum , Pfeffer Paul E , Shaheen Seif O , Martineau Adrian R 
Published: February 2024

SummaryBackgroundStudies into the bidirectional relationship between sleep and long COVID have been limited by retrospective pre-infection sleep data and infrequent post-infection follow-up. We therefore used prospectively collected monthly data to evaluate how pre-infection sleep characteristics affect risk of long COVID, and to track changes in sleep duration during the year after SARS-CoV-2 infection.MethodsCOVIDENCE UK is a prospective, population-based UK study of COVID-19 in adults. We included non-hospitalised participants with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and estimated odds ratios (ORs) for the association between pre-infection sleep characteristics and long COVID using logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. We assessed changes in sleep duration after infection using multilevel mixed models. We defined long COVID as unresolved symptoms at least 12 weeks after infection. We defined sleep quality according to age-dependent combinations of sleep duration and efficiency. COVIDENCE UK is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov,NCT04330599.FindingsWe included 3994 participants in our long COVID risk analysis, of whom 327 (8.2%) reported long COVID. We found an inverse relationship between pre-infection sleep quality and risk of long COVID (mediumvsgood quality: OR 1.37 [95% CI 1.04–1.81]; medium–lowvsgood: 1.55 [1.12–2.16]; lowvsgood: 1.94 [1.11–3.38]). Greater variability in pre-infection sleep efficiency was also associated with long COVID (OR per percentage-point increase 1.06 [1.01–1.11]). We assessed post-infection sleep duration in 6860 participants, observing a 0.11 h (95% CI 0.08–0.13) increase in the first month after infection compared with pre-infection, with larger increases for more severe infections. After 1 month, sleep duration largely returned to pre-infection levels, although fluctuations in duration lasted up to 6 months after infection among people reporting long COVID.InterpretationOur findings highlight the bidirectional relationship between sleep and long COVID. While poor-quality sleep before SARS-CoV-2 infection associates with increased risk of long COVID thereafter, changes in sleep duration after infection in these non-hospitalised cases were modest and generally quick to resolve.FundingBarts Charity.
Unravelling the microplastic menace: different polymers work in synergy to increase bee vulnerability
Authors: Ferrante Federico , Pasquini Elisa , Cappa Federico , Bellocchio Lorenzo , Baracchi David 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMicroplastics (MPs) are growing and ubiquitous environmental pollutants and represent one of the greatest contemporary challenges caused by human activities. Current research has predominantly examined the singular toxicological effects of individual polymers, neglecting the prevailing reality of organisms confronted with complex contaminant mixtures and potential synergistic effects. To fill this research gap, we investigated the lethal and sublethal effects of two common MPs, polystyrene (PS - 4.8-5.8 μm) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA - 1-40 μm), and their combination (MIX), on the pollinating insectApis mellifera. For each treatment, we evaluated the oral toxicity of two ecologically relevant and one higher concentration (0.5, 5 and 50 mg/L) and analysed their effects on the immune system and worker survival. As immune activation can alter the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of honey bees, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to investigate whether MPs lead to changes in the chemical profile of foragers and behavioural assay to test whether such changes affect behavioural patterns of social recognition, undermining overall colony integrity. The results indicate a synergistic negative effect of PS and PMMA on bee survival and immune response, even at ecologically relevant concentrations. Furthermore, alterations in cuticle profiles were observed with both MPs at the highest and intermediate concentrations, with PMMA being mainly responsible. Both MPs exposure resulted in a reduction in the abundance of several cuticular compounds. Hive entry guards did not show increased inspection or aggressive behaviour towards exposed foragers, allowing them to enter the colony without being treated differently from uncontaminated foragers. These findings raise concerns not only for the health of individual bees, but also for the entire colony, which could be at risk if contaminated nestmates enter the colony undetected, allowing MPs to spread throughout the hive.
Capturing near-field circular dichroism enhancements from far-field measurements
Authors: Olmos-Trigo Jorge , Lasa-Alonso Jon , Gómez-Viloria Iker , Molina-Terriza Gabriel , García-Etxarri Aitzol 
Published: February 2024

Molecular circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy faces significant limitations due to the inherent weakness of chiroptical light-matter interactions. In this view, resonant optical antennas constitute a promising solution to this problem, since they can be tuned to increase the CD enhancement factor, fCD, a magnitude describing the electromagnetic near-field enhancement of scatterers associated with a given helicity. However, an exact analytical expression of fCD remains elusive. Here, we derive an exact multipolar expansion of fCD, which is valid to deduce the integrated near-field CD enhancements of chiral molecules in the presence of scatterers of any size and shape under general illumination conditions. Our exact analytical findings extend previous approximate expressions of fCD that are restricted to the dipolar regime. In addition to this, and based on our exact analytical findings, we show that the near-field fCD factor can be related to magnitudes that can be computed in the far field, i.e., the scattering cross-section and the helicity expectation value. Strikingly, we show that in the case of lossless cylindrically symmetric samples, the near-field fCD factor can be inferred experimentally only from two far-field measurements at specific scattering angles. Our contribution paves the way for the experimental characterization of devices capable of enhancing molecular CD spectroscopy from far-field measurements.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
How to promote consumers’ imaginative use in online shopping platforms: the matching effect of character cues and product types
Authors: Zhou Run , Dong Xuebing 
Published: February 2024

PurposeThe symbolic presentation of products through images in online environments allows consumers to use or experience products only through imagination. Existing literature has demonstrated that providing sensory cues is an effective way to promote imaginative use or experience. However, such an approach seems to have been proposed for product that requires the use of body-related information (e.g. sensory information) for evaluation (high body-involving product). There is less literature on how to facilitate consumers’ imaginative use of product that requires relatively less bodily information (low body-involving product). Considering this, this research proposes a factor that influences the imaginative use of both high and low body-involving products, the character cues in the product image.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, two studies are conducted to verify the matching effect about presence or absence of character cues with product type (high body-involving vs. low body-involving) in facilitating imaginative use and the downstream effect.FindingsThe experimental results indicate that high (low) body-involving product display images are suitable for present (absent) character cues, which can promote the mental imagery of use the product, increase perceived image attractiveness and ultimately increase purchase intentions. The research also verified the influence of distance between the product and the character cues on the above effects.Originality/valueWe expand on the importance of character cues in product display images in an e-commerce environment and enrich the research about imaginative use in online environment.
Model of an E-cored probe over layered conductor containing corrosion for eddy current testing
Authors: Zhang Siquan 
Published: February 2024

PurposeIn eddy current nondestructive testing, ferrite-cored probes are usually used to detect and locate defects such as cracks and corrosion in conductive materials. However, the generic analytical model for evaluating corrosion in layered conductor using ferrite-cored probe has not yet been developed. The purpose of this paper is to propose and verify the analytical model of an E-cored probe for evaluating corrosion in layered conductive materials.Design/methodology/approachA cylindrical coordinate system is adopted and the solution domain is truncated in the radial direction. The magnetic vector potential of each region excited by a filamentary coil is derived first, and then the expansion coefficients of the solution are obtained by matching the boundary and interface conditions between the regions and the subregions. Finally the closed-form expression of the impedance of the multi-turn coil is derived by using the truncated region eigenfunction expansion (TREE) method, and the impedance calculation is carried out in Mathematica. In the frequency range of 100 Hz to 10 kHz, the impedance changes of the E-cored coil and air-cored coil due to the layered conductor containing corrosion are calculated, respectively, and the influences of corrosion on the coil impedance change are investigated.FindingsAn analytical model for the detection and evaluating of corrosion in layered conductive materials using E-cored probe is proposed. The model can quickly and accurately calculate the impedance change of E-cored coil due to corrosion in layered conductor. The correctness of the analytical model is verified by finite element method and experiments.Originality/valueAn accurate theoretical model of E-cored probe for evaluating corrosion of multilayer conductor is presented. The analytical model can be used to detect the inhomogeneity of layered conductor, design ferrite-cored probe or directly evaluate the corrosion defects of layered conductors.