bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis B virus X protein induces ALDH2 ubiquitin-dependent degradation to enhance alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Zhou Haoxiong , Wan Sizhe , Luo Yujun , Liu Huiling , Jiang Jie , Guo Yunwei , Xiao Jia , Wu Bin 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundExcessive alcohol intake with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection accelerates chronic liver disease progression and patients with HBV infection are more susceptible to alcohol-induced liver disease. Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) plays a crucial role in disease pathogenesis, while its specific role in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) progression has not yet been elucidated. Here, we studied the role of HBx on the development of ALD.MethodsHBx-transgenic (HBx-Tg) mice and their wild-type littermates were exposed to chronic plus binge alcohol feeding. Primary hepatocytes, cell lines, and human samples were used to investigate the interaction between HBx and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). Lipid profiles in mouse livers and cells were assessed by using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry.ResultsWe identified that HBx significantly aggravated alcohol-induced steatohepatitis, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation in mice. In addition, HBx induced worse lipid profiles with high lysophospholipids generation in alcoholic steatohepatitis, as shown by using lipidomic analysis. Importantly, serum and liver acetaldehyde were markedly higher in alcohol-fed HBx-Tg mice. Acetaldehyde induced lysophospholipids generation through oxidative stress in hepatocytes. Mechanistically, HBx directly bound to mitochondrial ALDH2 to induce its ubiquitin–proteasome degradation, resulting in acetaldehyde accumulation. More importantly, we also identified that patients with HBV infection reduced ALDH2 protein levels in the liver.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated that HBx-induced ubiquitin-dependent degradation of mitochondrial ALDH2 aggravates alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Surface waves at a fluid/double-porosity medium interface
Authors: Wang Enjiang , Carcione José M , Ba Jing 
Published: March 2023

SUMMARYWe consider surface-wave propagations at an interface separating a fluid layer and a double-porosity medium embedded with cracks. The theory is based on a generalization of the Biot-Rayleigh model from spherical cavities to penny-shaped cracks randomly embedded into a host medium, where mesoscopic local fluid flow (LFF) plays an important role. We derive closed-form dispersion equations of surface waves, based on potentials and suitable boundary conditions (BCs), to obtain the phase velocity and attenuation by using numerical iterations. Two special cases are considered by letting the thickness of the fluid (water) layer to be zero and infinity. We obtain pseudo-Rayleigh and pseudo-Stoneley waves for zero and infinite thickness and high-order surface modes for finite nonzero thickness. Numerical examples confirm that the LFF affects the propagation at low frequencies, causing strong attenuation, whereas the impact of BCs is mainly observed at high frequencies, due to the propagation of slow wave modes. The crack density mainly affects the level of attenuation, whereas the aspect ratio the location of the relaxation peak. The fundamental mode undergoes a significant velocity dispersion, whose location moves to low frequencies as the thickness increases. In all cases, there also exist two slower surface modes that resemble the two slow body waves, only present for sealed BCs.
Proxy gene-by-environment Mendelian randomization study of the association between cigarette smoking during pregnancy and offspring mental health
Authors: Sallis Hannah M , Wootton Robyn E , Davey Smith George , Munafò Marcus R 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Background
Smoking prevalence is higher among individuals with schizophrenia or depression, and previous work has suggested this relationship is causal. However, this may be due to dynastic effects, for example reflecting maternal smoking during pregnancy rather than a direct effect of smoking. We used a proxy gene-by-environment Mendelian randomization approach to investigate whether there is a causal effect of maternal heaviness of smoking during pregnancy on offspring mental health.

Methods
Analyses were performed in the UK Biobank cohort. Individuals with data on smoking status, maternal smoking during pregnancy, a diagnosis of schizophrenia or depression, and genetic data were included. We used participants’ genotype (rs16969968 in the CHRNA5 gene) as a proxy for their mothers’ genotype. Analyses were stratified on participants’ own smoking status in order to estimate the effect of maternal smoking heaviness during pregnancy independently of offspring smoking.

Results
The effect of maternal smoking on offspring schizophrenia was in opposing directions when stratifying on offspring smoking status. Among offspring of never smokers, each additional risk allele for maternal smoking heaviness appeared to have a protective effect [odds ratio (OR) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62 to 0.95, P = 0.015], whereas among ever smokers the effect of maternal smoking was in the reverse direction (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.45, P = 0.011, Pinteraction &lt;0.001). There was no clear evidence of an association between maternal smoking heaviness and offspring depression.

Conclusions
These findings do not provide clear evidence of an effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy on offspring schizophrenia or depression, which implies that any causal effect of smoking on schizophrenia or depression is direct.
A new second-order low-regularity integrator for the cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation
Authors: Cao Jiachuan , Li Buyang , Lin Yanping 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
This article is concerned with the question of whether it is possible to construct a time discretization for the one-dimensional cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation with second-order convergence for initial data with regularity strictly below $H^2$. We address this question with a positive answer by constructing a new second-order low-regularity integrator for the one-dimensional cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The proposed method can have second-order convergence in $L^2$ for initial data in $H^{\frac 53}$, and first-order convergence up to a logarithmic factor for initial data in $H^1$. This significantly relaxes the regularity requirement for second-order approximations to the cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation, while retaining the by far best convergence order for initial data in $H^1$. Numerical experiments are presented to support the theoretical analysis and to illustrate the performance of the proposed method in approximating nonsmooth solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The numerical results show that, among the many time discretizations, the proposed method is the only one that has second-order convergence in $L^2$ for initial data strictly below $H^2$.
Global Fukaya category I
Authors: Savelyev Yasha 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Let $Ham (M,\omega ) $ denote the Frechet Lie group of Hamiltonian symplectomorphisms of a monotone symplectic manifold $(M, \omega ) $. Let $NFuk (M, \omega )$ be the $A _{\infty } $-nerve of the Fukaya category $Fuk (M, \omega )$, and let $(|\mathbb {S}|, NFuk (M, \omega ))$ denote the $NFuk (M, \omega )$ component of the “space of $\infty $-categories” $|\mathbb {S}| $. Using Floer-Fukaya theory for a monotone $(M, \omega ),$ we construct a natural up to homotopy classifying map $$ \begin{align*}& BHam (M, \omega) \to (|\mathbb{S}|, NFuk (M, \omega)). \end{align*}$$This verifies one sense of a conjecture of Teleman on existence of action of $Ham (M, \omega )$ on the Fukaya category of $(M, \omega ) $. This construction is very closely related to the theory of the Seidel homomorphism and the quantum characteristic classes of the author, and this map is intended to be the deepest expression of their underlying geometric theory. In part II, the above map is shown to be nontrivial by an explicit calculation. In particular, we arrive at a new non-trivial “quantum” invariant of any smooth manifold, which motives the statement of a kind of “quantum” Novikov conjecture.
Tax Aversion and the Social Contract in Africa
Authors: Robinson James A 
Published: March 2023

AbstractDespite the low levels of taxation and public good provision in Africa, I provide evidence that a large proportion of Africans prefer lower taxation and fewer public goods. This cannot be explained by standard arguments about problems of accountability, governance or state capacity. Instead, I argue that it reflects deeply seated ideas about the nature of the state and its potential threats to the autonomy of society. I show the historic social contracts in Africa rarely featured taxation and kept the state to limited jurisdictions. These social contracts have in many ways reproduced themselves and influence the way Africa is governed today.
Changing or stopping testosterone-lowering medication in men convicted of sexual offenses: clinical evaluation of the COSTLow-R Scale
Authors: Wolba Jochen , Tozdan Safiye , Briken Peer , Freese Roland , Retz Wolfgang , Turner Daniel 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundIndividuals convicted of a sexual offense (ICSO) can be treated with testosterone-lowering medication (TLM) in order to support the control of paraphilic sexual fantasies and to decrease the risk of sexual recidivism. However, due to partly severe side effects, TLM should not be a lifelong treatment.AimThe aim of the current study was to further evaluate the Change or Stop Testosterone-Lowering Medication (COSTLow)-R Scale in forensic outpatient aftercare practice. The scale was developed to assist forensic professionals in deciding on whether to change or stop TLM treatment in ICSO.MethodsThe COSTLow-R Scale was applied retrospectively in a forensic-psychiatric outpatient institution in Hesse, Germany, on 60 ICSO. TLM was terminated in 24 patients (40%). Moreover, 10 forensic professionals of the institution as well as an experienced working group within the institution focusing on the treatment of ICSO, qualitatively evaluated the COSTLow-R Scale by participating in an open designed survey.OutcomesThe COSTLow-R Scale ratings as assessed by forensic professionals were collected. In addition, a survey was performed among these professionals about the usefulness of the scale and their practical experiences with it.ResultsA binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to ascertain the predictive power of the scale regarding the stopping of TLM. Three items of the COSTLow-R Scale significantly predicted stopping decisions: the possibility of psychotherapy before TLM treatment, psychopathic traits, and a substantial decrease of paraphilic severity. Thus, a decision towards stopping TLM was more likely for patients who showed greater treatment readiness before starting TLM, lower psychopathy scores, and a higher decrease of paraphilic severity. The forensic professionals described the scale as a good and structured tool that displays which aspects are important to consider during TLM treatment decisions.Clinical ImplicationsThe COSTLow-R Scale provides structure to the decision of whether to change or stop TLM and should thus be implemented in the forensic treatment process of patients with TLM more frequently.Strengths and LimitationsAlthough the small sample size limits generalizability of the findings, the present study was conducted directly in a forensic outpatient practice and, therefore, has high external validity and a strong impact on the life and health of patients treated with TLM.ConclusionThe results indicate that the COSTLow-R Scale can be a useful instrument facilitating the TLM decision-making process by providing a structured compendium of criteria. Further research is still needed to evaluate the scale and to provide additional evidence for the results of the current study.
Diversity and roles of cysteine desulfurases in photosynthetic organisms
Authors: Caubrière Damien , Moseler Anna , Rouhier Nicolas , Couturier Jérémy 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
As sulfur is part of many essential protein cofactors such as iron–sulfur clusters, molybdenum cofactors, or lipoic acid, its mobilization from cysteine represents a fundamental process. The abstraction of the sulfur atom from cysteine is catalysed by highly conserved pyridoxal 5ʹ-phosphate-dependent enzymes called cysteine desulfurases. The desulfuration of cysteine leads to the formation of a persulfide group on a conserved catalytic cysteine and the concomitant release of alanine. Sulfur is then transferred from cysteine desulfurases to different targets. Numerous studies have focused on cysteine desulfurases as sulfur-extracting enzymes for iron–sulfur cluster synthesis in mitochondria and chloroplasts but also for molybdenum cofactor sulfuration in the cytosol. Despite this, knowledge about the involvement of cysteine desulfurases in other pathways is quite rudimentary, particularly in photosynthetic organisms. In this review, we summarize current understanding of the different groups of cysteine desulfurases and their characteristics in terms of primary sequence, protein domain architecture, and subcellular localization. In addition, we review the roles of cysteine desulfurases in different fundamental pathways and highlight the gaps in our knowledge to encourage future work on unresolved issues especially in photosynthetic organisms.
Regulatory mechanisms of sulfur metabolism affecting tolerance and accumulation of toxic trace metals and metalloids in plants
Authors: Sun Sheng-Kai , Chen Jie , Zhao Fang-Jie 
Published: March 2023

AbstractSoil contamination with trace metals and metalloids can cause toxicity to plants and threaten food safety and human health. Plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to cope with excess trace metals and metalloids in soils, including chelation and vacuolar sequestration. Sulfur-containing compounds, such as glutathione and phytochelatins, play a crucial role in their detoxification, and sulfur uptake and assimilation are regulated in response to the stress of toxic trace metals and metalloids. This review focuses on the multi-level connections between sulfur homeostasis in plants and responses to such stresses, especially those imposed by arsenic and cadmium. We consider recent progress in understanding the regulation of biosynthesis of glutathione and phytochelatins and of the sensing mechanism of sulfur homeostasis for tolerance of trace metals and metalloids in plants. We also discuss the roles of glutathione and phytochelatins in controlling the accumulation and distribution of arsenic and cadmium in plants, and possible strategies for manipulating sulfur metabolism to limit their accumulation in food crops.
Real-life epidemiology and current outcomes of hospitalized adults with invasive fungal infections
Authors: Monzó-Gallo Patricia , Chumbita Mariana , Lopera Carlos , Aiello Tommaso Francesco , Peyrony Oliver , Bodro Marta , Herrera Sabina , Sempere Abiu , Fernández-Pittol Mariana , Cuesta Genoveva , Simó Silvia , Benegas Mariana , Fortuny Claudia , Mensa Josep , Soriano Alex , Puerta-Alcalde Pedro , Marco Francesc , Garcia-Vidal Carolina 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWe aimed to describe the current epidemiology of both hosts with invasive fungal infections (IFIs) and causative fungi. And, detail outcomes of these infections at 12 weeks in a real-life cohort of hospitalized patients. The study was retrospective and observational to describe IFI diagnosed in a tertiary hospital (February 2017–December 2021). We included all consecutive patients meeting criteria for proven or probable IFI according to EORTC-MSG and other criteria. A total of 367 IFIs were diagnosed. 11.7% were breakthrough infections, and 56.4% were diagnosed in the intensive care unit. Corticosteroid use (41.4%) and prior viral infection (31.3%) were the most common risk factors for IFI. Lymphoma and pneumocystis pneumonia were the most common baseline and fungal diseases. Only 12% of IFI occurred in patients with neutropenia. Fungal cultures were the most important diagnostic tests (85.8%). The most frequent IFIs were candidemia (42.2%) and invasive aspergillosis (26.7%). Azole-resistant Candida strains and non-fumigatus Aspergillus infections represented 36.1% and 44.5% of the cases, respectively. Pneumocystosis (16.9%), cryptococcosis (4.6%), and mucormycosis (2.7%) were also frequent, as well as mixed infections (3.4%). Rare fungi accounted for 9.5% of infections. Overall, IFI mortality at 12 weeks was 32.2%; higher rates were observed for Mucorales (55.6%), Fusarium (50%), and mixed infections (60%). We documented emerging changes in both hosts and real-life IFI epidemiology. Physicians should be aware of these changes to suspect infections and be aggressive in diagnoses and treatments. Currently, outcomes for such clinical scenarios remain extremely poor.
Tidally excited gravity waves in the cores of solar-type stars: resonances and critical-layer formation
Authors: Guo Zhao , Ogilvie Gordon I , Barker Adrian J 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT
We simulate the propagation and dissipation of tidally induced non-linear gravity waves in the cores of solar-type stars. We perform hydrodynamical simulations of a previously developed Boussinesq model using a spectral-element code to study the stellar core as a wave cavity that is periodically forced at the outer boundary with a given azimuthal wavenumber and an adjustable frequency. For low-amplitude forcing, the system exhibits resonances with standing g modes at particular frequencies, corresponding to a situation in which the tidal torque is highly frequency-dependent. For high-amplitude forcing, the excited waves break promptly near the centre and spin up the core so that subsequent waves are absorbed in an expanding critical layer (CL), as found in previous work, leading to a tidal torque with a smooth frequency-dependence. For intermediate-amplitude forcing, we find that linear damping of the waves gradually spins up the core such that the resonance condition can be altered drastically. The system can evolve towards or away from g-mode resonances, depending on the difference between the forcing frequency and the closest eigenfrequency. Eventually, a CL forms and absorbs the incoming waves, leading to a situation similar to the high-amplitude case in which the waves break promptly. We study the dependence of this process on the forcing amplitude and frequency, as well as on the diffusion coefficients. We emphasize that the small Prandtl number in the centre of solar-like stars facilitates the development of a differentially rotating core owing to the non-linear feedback of waves. Our simulations and analysis reveal that this important mechanism may drastically change the phase of gravity waves and thus the classical picture of resonance locking in solar-type stars needs to be revised.
Searching for bounce signature in the early universe from current and future large-scale structure surveys
Authors: Li Shang , Dai Ji-Ping , Tan Xiu-Hui , Yan Yang-Jie , Xia Jun-Qing 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT
The bounce scenario has been an interesting research topic in cosmology, due to its ability to resolve both the singularity problem and the trans-Planckian issue, which are left from the standard inflationary theory. In previous works, we considered an inflationary cosmology with a preceding non-singular bounce and found that this model could suppress the primordial power spectrum at large scales and leave the signature on the angular power spectra of cosmic microwave background (CMB). In this work, we extend this analysis to the large-scale structure (LSS) measurements. Firstly, we consider the angular power spectrum of current LSS data sets, such as the 2MPZ, SDSS-DR12, and DES Y3 galaxy surveys at low redshifts and the NVSS radio survey at high redshifts, and do not obtain good constraint on the model parameters, due to the precision limitation at large scales. When we include the Planck CMB measurements, the constraints become a little bit better: the amplitude Ar = 0.8 ± 0.2 and the slope ${\rm log_{10}}(k_B)=-2.6^{+0.3}_{-1.0}$ at 68 per cent confidence level. In order to evaluate the constraining ability of future LSS surveys, we forecast the clustering measurements, such as the galaxy angular power spectrum and the galaxy lensing shear power spectrum, based on the China Space Station Telescope photometric survey. We find that the standard deviations of model parameters will be significantly shrunk, ΔAr = 0.1 and Δlog10(kB) = 0.1, due to the high precision measurements. Finally, we consider the bounce feature and the primordial non-Gaussianity from inflation theory simultaneously and find that in the bounce inflationary model the limit on fNL will be weaker than that obtained in the standard inflationary model, due to the strong degeneracy among parameters.
On the gravitational lensing interpretation of three gravitational wave detections in the mass gap by LIGO and Virgo
Authors: Bianconi Matteo , Smith Graham P , Nicholl Matt , Ryczanowski Dan , Richard Johan , Jauzac Mathilde , Massey Richard , Robertson Andrew , Sharon Keren , Ridley Evan 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT
We search for gravitational wave (GW) events from LIGO-Virgo’s third run that may have been affected by gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing delays the arrival of GWs, and alters their amplitude – thus biasing the inferred progenitor masses. This would provide a physically well-understood interpretation of GW detections in the ‘mass gap’ between neutron stars and black holes, as gravitationally lensed binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. We selected three GW detections in LIGO-Virgo’s third run for which the probability of at least one of the constituent compact objects being in the mass gap was reported as high with low latency – i.e. candidate lensed BNS mergers. Our observations of powerful strong lensing clusters located adjacent to the peak of their sky localization error maps reached a sensitivity $\rm AB\simeq 25.5$ in the z′ band with the GMOS instruments on the Gemini telescopes, and detected no candidate lensed optical counterparts. We combine recent kilonova light-curve models with recent predictions of the lensed BNS population and the properties of the objects that we followed up to show that realistic optical counterparts were detectable in our observations. Further detailed analysis of two of the candidates suggests that they are a plausible pair of images of the same low-mass binary black hole merger, lensed by a local galaxy or small group of galaxies. This further underlines that access to accurate mass information with low latency would improve the efficiency of candidate lensed BNS selection.