julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Sleep and Diabetes
2024-01-12

Sleep, a behavioural process that is influenced by circadian, neurohormonal, and homeostatic processes, is critical for optimal functioning and well-being. This chapter discusses common sleep problems and disorders, their relationship with diabetes and diabetes complications, and their associations with diabetes management. One of the ways in which sleep disturbance may be linked to diabetes outcomes is via less effective diabetes self-care behaviours, which are vital for diabetes management and prevention of complications. Diabetes healthcare professionals can screen for sleeping problems using brief questionnaires during routine care appointments. A clearer understanding of the role of obesity and depression in the sleep–diabetes relationship is warranted. Longitudinal studies using objective sleep assessments are needed to clarify the role of sleep in the development of diabetes complications and its interaction with behaviour and mental health comorbidities.
Towards more accurate synthetic reflection spectra: improving the calculations of returning radiation
2024-01-12

We present a new model to calculate reflection spectra of thin accretion disks in Kerr spacetimes. Our model includes the effect of returning radiation, which is the radiation that is emitted by the disk and returns to the disk because of the strong light bending near a black hole. The major improvement with respect to the existing models is that it calculates the reflection spectrum at every point on the disk by using the actual spectrum of the incident radiation. Assuming a lamppost coronal geometry, we simulate simultaneous observations of NICER and NuSTAR of bright Galactic black holes and we fit the simulated data with the latest version of RELXILL (modified to read the table of REFLIONX, which is the non-relativistic reflection model used in our calculations). We find that RELXILL with returning radiation cannot fit well the simulated data when the black hole spin parameter is very high and the coronal height and disk's ionization parameter are low, and some parameters can be significantly overestimated or underestimated. We can find better fits and recover the correct input parameters as the value of the black hole spin parameter decreases and the value of the coronal height increases.
Learning training as a cognitive restructuring intervention
2024-01-12

A core part of cognitive therapy for low mood is learning to identify and challenge negative beliefs. However, it is currently unclear whether improved ability to recognise such beliefs, and the biased interpretations of events which may maintain them, is a mechanism of symptom change during treatment. Here, we investigated the effects of a learning task (training to identify and select self-enhancing interpretations of events) and a brief cognitive restructuring intervention (how exploring alternative explanations of events may result in improved mood) on causal attribution tendencies. We found that both learning training and the restructuring intervention decreased tendencies to make unhelpful attributions and increased tendencies to make self-enhancing attributions. Across two studies, changes in attribution tendencies were associated with higher learning rates during learning training, an effect specific to learning about different kinds of event attribution. Contrary to expectation, we found no evidence that faster learning was associated specifically to changes in attribution tendencies following cognitive restructuring. Since participants with higher learning rate estimates also provided explicit ratings and free-text descriptions of event causes which were closer to the ground truth, we interpret this as representing a greater benefit of learning training in individuals who were better able to understand the task state space. We suggest that personalized training, in conjunction with feedback based on interpretable computational model output, may provide a useful form of augmentation or learning-support tool during therapy.
A lineage perspective on hominin taxonomy and evolution
2024-01-13

Abstract An uncritical reliance on the phylogenetic species concept has led paleoanthropologists to become increasingly typological in their delimitation of new species in the hominin fossil record. As a practical matter, this approach identifies species as diagnosably distinct groups of fossils that share a unique suite of morphological characters but, ontologically, a species is a metapopulation lineage segment that extends from initial divergence to eventual extinction or subsequent speciation. Working from first principles of species concept theory, it is clear that a reliance on morphological diagnosabilty will systematically overestimate species diversity in the fossil record; because morphology can evolve within a lineage segment, it follows that early and late populations of the same species can be diagnosably distinct from each other. We suggest that a combination of morphology and chronology provides a more robust test of the single‐species null hypothesis than morphology alone.
An improved limit on the neutrinoless double-electron capture of $$^{36}$$Ar with GERDA
2024-01-14

Abstract The GERmanium Detector Array ( Gerda ) experiment operated enriched high-purity germanium detectors in a liquid argon cryostat, which contains 0.33% of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>36</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:math> Ar, a candidate isotope for the two-neutrino double-electron capture (2 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> </mml:math> ECEC) and therefore for the neutrinoless double-electron capture (0 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> </mml:math> ECEC). If detected, this process would give evidence of lepton number violation and the Majorana nature of neutrinos. In the radiative 0 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> </mml:math> ECEC of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>36</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:math> Ar, a monochromatic photon is emitted with an energy of 429.88 keV, which may be detected by the Gerda germanium detectors. We searched for the <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>36</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:math> Ar 0 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> </mml:math> ECEC with Gerda data, with a total live time of 4.34 year (3.08 year accumulated during Gerda Phase II and 1.26 year during Gerda Phase I). No signal was found and a 90% CL lower limit on the half-life of this process was established <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>T</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>&gt;</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1.5</mml:mn> <mml:mo>·</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> <mml:mn>22</mml:mn> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> year.
Thermal Impact and the Relevance of Body Size and Activity on the Oxygen Consumption of a Terrestrial Snail, Theba pisana (Helicidae) at High Ambient Temperatures
2024-01-14

Metabolism, mainly driven by oxygen consumption, plays a key role in life, as it is one of the main ways to respond to extreme temperatures through internal processes. Theba pisana, a widespread Mediterranean land snail, is exposed to a wide range of ambient temperature. In this species the oxygen consumption was tested as a response variable by multiple regression modelling on the “explanatory” variables shell-free mass, temperature, and relative humidity. Our results show that the oxygen consumption of T. pisana can be well described (73.1%) by these three parameters. In the temperature range from 23 °C to 35 °C the oxygen consumption decreased with increasing temperature. Relative humidity, in the range of 67% to 100%, had the opposite effect: if it increases, oxygen consumption will increase as well. Metabolism is proportional to an individual’s mass to the power of the allometric scaling exponent α, which is between 0.62 and 0.77 in the mentioned temperature range. CT scans of shells and gravimetry revealed the shell-free mass to be calculated by multiplying the shell diameter to the third power by 0.2105. Data were compared to metabolic scaling exponents for other snails reported in the literature.
Effect of glyphosate, its metabolite AMPA, and the glyphosate formulation Roundup® on brown trout (Salmo trutta f. fario) gut microbiome diversity
2024-01-15

Glyphosate is used worldwide as a compound of pesticides and is detectable in many environmental compartments. It enters water bodies primarily through drift from agricultural areas so that aquatic organisms are exposed to this chemical, especially after rain events. Glyphosate is advertised and sold as a highly specific herbicide, which interacts with the EPSP synthase, an enzyme of the shikimate metabolism, resulting in inhibition of the synthesis of vital aromatic amino acids. However, not only plants but also bacteria can possess this enzyme so that influences of glyphosate on the microbiomes of exposed organisms cannot be excluded. Those influences may result in subtle and long-term effects, e.g., disturbance of the symbiotic interactions of bionts with microorganisms of their microbiomes. Mechanisms how the transformation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) of glyphosate might interfere in this context have not understood so far. In the present study, molecular biological fingerprinting methods showed concentration-dependent effects of glyphosate and AMPA on fish microbiomes. In addition, age-dependent differences in the composition of the microbiomes regarding abundance and diversity were detected. Furthermore, the effect of exposure to glyphosate and AMPA was investigated for several fish pathogens of gut microbiomes in terms of their gene expression of virulence factors associated with pathogenicity. In vitro transcriptome analysis with the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri revealed that it is questionable whether the observed effect on the microbiome is caused by the intended mode of action of glyphosate, such as the inhibition of EPSP synthase activity.
Editorial: The shadowlands of science communication in academia — definitions, problems, and possible solutions
2024-01-15

Abstract. Science communication is an important part of research, including in the geosciences, as it can benefit society, science, and make science more publicly accountable. However, much of this work takes place in “shadowlands” that are neither fully seen nor understood. These shadowlands are spaces, aspects, and practices of science communication which are not clearly defined and may be harmful with respect to the science being communicated or for the science communicators themselves. With the increasing expectation in academia that researchers should participate in science communication, there is a need to address some of the major issues that lurk in these shadowlands. Here the editorial team of Geoscience Communication seeks to shine a light on the shadowlands of geoscience communication and suggest some solutions and examples of effective practice. The issues broadly fall under three categories: 1) harmful or unclear objectives; 2) poor quality and lack of rigor; and 3) exploitation of science communicators working within academia. Ameliorating these will require: 1) clarifying objectives and audiences; 2) adequately training science communicators; and 3) giving science communication equivalent recognition to other professional activities. By shining a light on the shadowlands of science communication in academia and proposing potential remedies, our aim is to cultivate a more transparent and responsible landscape for geoscience communication—a transformation that will ultimately benefit the progress of science, the welfare of scientists, and more broadly society at large.
Efficacy of Different Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus Strains for the Treatment of Murine Peritoneal Mesothelioma
2024-01-15

Effective treatment options for peritoneal surface malignancies (PSMs) are scarce. Oncolytic virotherapy with recombinant vaccinia viruses might constitute a novel treatment option for PSM. We aimed to identify the most effective oncolytic vaccinia virus strain in two murine mesothelioma cell lines and the oncolytic potential in a murine model of peritoneal mesothelioma. Cell lines AB12 and AC29 were infected in vitro with vaccinia virus strains Lister (GLV-1h254), Western Reserve (GLV-0b347), and Copenhagen (GLV-4h463). The virus strain GLV-0b347 was shown most effective in vitro and was further investigated by intraperitoneal (i.p.) application to AB12 and AC29 mesothelioma-bearing mice. Feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of virotherapy were assessed by evaluating the peritoneal cancer index (PCI), virus detection in tumor tissues and ascites, virus growth curves, and comparison of overall survival. After i.p. injection of GLV-0b347, virus was detected in both tumor cells and ascites. In comparison to mock-treated mice, overall survival was significantly prolonged, ascites was less frequent and PCI values declined. However, effective treatment was only observed in animals with limited tumor burden at the time point of virus application. Nonetheless, intraperitoneal virotherapy with GLV-0b347 might constitute a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma. Additional treatment modifications and combinational regimes will be investigated to further enhance treatment efficacy.
A Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT)–Powered Chatbot as a Simulated Patient to Practice History Taking: Prospective, Mixed Methods Study
2024-01-16

Background Communication is a core competency of medical professionals and of utmost importance for patient safety. Although medical curricula emphasize communication training, traditional formats, such as real or simulated patient interactions, can present psychological stress and are limited in repetition. The recent emergence of large language models (LLMs), such as generative pretrained transformer (GPT), offers an opportunity to overcome these restrictions Objective The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of a GPT-driven chatbot to practice history taking, one of the core competencies of communication. Methods We developed an interactive chatbot interface using GPT-3.5 and a specific prompt including a chatbot-optimized illness script and a behavioral component. Following a mixed methods approach, we invited medical students to voluntarily practice history taking. To determine whether GPT provides suitable answers as a simulated patient, the conversations were recorded and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative approaches. We analyzed the extent to which the questions and answers aligned with the provided script, as well as the medical plausibility of the answers. Finally, the students filled out the Chatbot Usability Questionnaire (CUQ). Results A total of 28 students practiced with our chatbot (mean age 23.4, SD 2.9 years). We recorded a total of 826 question-answer pairs (QAPs), with a median of 27.5 QAPs per conversation and 94.7% (n=782) pertaining to history taking. When questions were explicitly covered by the script (n=502, 60.3%), the GPT-provided answers were mostly based on explicit script information (n=471, 94.4%). For questions not covered by the script (n=195, 23.4%), the GPT answers used 56.4% (n=110) fictitious information. Regarding plausibility, 842 (97.9%) of 860 QAPs were rated as plausible. Of the 14 (2.1%) implausible answers, GPT provided answers rated as socially desirable, leaving role identity, ignoring script information, illogical reasoning, and calculation error. Despite these results, the CUQ revealed an overall positive user experience (77/100 points). Conclusions Our data showed that LLMs, such as GPT, can provide a simulated patient experience and yield a good user experience and a majority of plausible answers. Our analysis revealed that GPT-provided answers use either explicit script information or are based on available information, which can be understood as abductive reasoning. Although rare, the GPT-based chatbot provides implausible information in some instances, with the major tendency being socially desirable instead of medically plausible information.
Sustainable pathways towards universal renewable electricity access in Africa
2024-01-16

Half of the African population currently lacks the minimum levels of electricity access defined by the International Energy Agency. However, given the limited fossil fuel dependency and need for energy infrastructure expansion, there are expectations that at least some African countries could avoid fossil fuel dependency altogether and move directly to renewable energy (RE)-based electricity systems. In this Perspective, we present trends in Africa's RE development and access on a national level and discuss the respective country-specific capacities to lead the transition to sustainable RE for all. If all existing wind, solar and hydropower plants operate on full capacity and all proposed plants are implemented, 76% (1,225 TWh) of electricity needs projected for 2040 (a total of 1,614 TWh) could be met by RE (82% hydropower, 11% solar power and 7% wind power). Hydropower has been the main RE resource to date, but declining costs for solar photovoltaics (90% decline since 2009) and wind turbines (55–60% decline since 2010) mean solar and wind have potential to lead sustainable RE pathways going forward, while also protecting freshwater ecosystems. Efficiently combining the advantages of hydropower with wind and solar will be a more sustainable alternative to hydropower alone. As resource potential differs among countries, transnational electricity sharing is recommended to distribute resources and share nationally produced peak capacity. Comprehensive investigations should further assess and monitor socioeconomic, political and ecological impacts of RE development. Regions with low electricity generation and minor reliance on fossil fuels have the capacity to avoid fossil fuel dependence and directly transition to renewable energy systems. This Perspective explores the capacity of African countries for this transition while meeting growing electricity demands.
The dimeric deubiquitinase USP28 integrates 53BP1 and MYC functions to limit DNA damage
2024-01-16

Abstract DNA replication is a major source of endogenous DNA damage in tumor cells and a key target of cellular response to genotoxic stress. DNA replication can be deregulated by oncoproteins, such as transcription factor MYC, aberrantly activated in many human cancers. MYC is stringently regulated by the ubiquitin system - for example, ubiquitination controls recruitment of the elongation factor PAF1c, instrumental in MYC activity. Curiously, a key MYC-targeting deubiquitinase USP28 also controls cellular response to DNA damage via the mediator protein 53BP1. USP28 forms stable dimers, but the biological role of USP28 dimerization is unknown. We show here that dimerization limits USP28 activity and restricts recruitment of PAF1c by MYC. Expression of monomeric USP28 stabilizes MYC and promotes PAF1c recruitment, leading to ectopic DNA synthesis and replication-associated DNA damage. USP28 dimerization is stimulated by 53BP1, which selectively binds USP28 dimers. Genotoxic stress diminishes 53BP1–USP28 interaction, promotes disassembly of USP28 dimers and stimulates PAF1c recruitment by MYC. This triggers firing of DNA replication origins during early response to genotoxins and exacerbates DNA damage. We propose that dimerization of USP28 prevents ectopic DNA replication at transcriptionally active chromatin to maintain genome stability.
Associations between mind wandering, viewer interactions, and the meaningful structure of educational videos
2024-01-16

Over the last years, and especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, online videos have become an integral part of education. Therefore, it is essential to understand how to design such videos to provide an efficient and engaging learning experience for the viewers. Regarding learning success, the occurrence of mind wandering is of particular relevance. Thus, this preregistered research investigates the perception of online videos by analyzing the relationship between viewer behavior (such as pause button presses), mind wandering, and event segmentation by employing logfiles of a large German online video platform for educational videos combined with data collected in two online studies. Contrary to our expectations, we found a significant positive correlation between pausing, seek and resume viewer behavior, and mind wandering. Furthermore, replicating previous research, we identified a significant positive correlation between pausing behavior and meaningful event boundaries in the video. Additionally, a significant positive correlation between perceived event boundaries and mind wandering was shown. The triangulation of three data sources suggests that mind-wandering co-occurs with perceived event boundaries and observable, logged behavior (e.g., pressing the pause button). Given that the overall mind-wandering occurrence was also positively related to self-reported learning, a possible interpretation of the data is that event boundaries may trigger task-related mind-wandering that might even be conducive to learning.
Entomological indicators of Plasmodium species transmission in Goma Tsé-Tsé and Madibou districts, in the Republic of Congo
2024-01-16

Abstract Background Malaria remains a major public health problem in the Republic of Congo, with Plasmodium falciparum being the deadliest species of Plasmodium in humans. Vector transmission of malaria is poorly studied in the country and no previous report compared rural and urban data. This study aimed to determine the Anopheles fauna and the entomological indices of malaria transmission in the rural and urban areas in the south of Brazzaville, and beyond. Methods Indoor household mosquitoes capture using electric aspirator was performed in rural and urban areas during raining and dry seasons in 2021. The identification of Anopheles species was done using binocular magnifier and nested-PCR. TaqMan and nested-PCR were used to detect the Plasmodium species in the head/thorax and abdomens of Anopheles . Some entomological indices including the sporozoite infection rate, the entomological inoculation rate and the man biting rate were estimated. Results A total of 699 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected: Anopheles gambiae sensu lato ( s.l .) (90.7%), Anopheles funestus s.l. (6.9%), and Anopheles moucheti (2.4%). Three species of An. gambiae s.l . were identified including Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (78.9%), Anopheles coluzzii (15.4%) and Anopheles arabiensis (5.7%). The overall sporozoite infection rate was 22.3% with a predominance of Plasmodium falciparum , followed by Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale . Anopheles aggressiveness rate was higher in households from rural area (1.1 bites/night) compared to that from urban area (0.8 ib/p/n). The overall entomological inoculation rate was 0.13 ib/p/n. This index was 0.17 ib/p/n and 0.092 ib/p/n in rural and in urban area, respectively, and was similar during the dry (0.18 ib/p/n) and rainy (0.14 ib/p/n) seasons. Conclusion These findings highlight that malaria transmission remains high in rural and urban area in the south of Republic of Congo despite the ongoing control efforts, thereby indicating the need for more robust interventions.