bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Versatile tape-drive target for high-repetition-rate laser-driven proton acceleration
Authors: Xu N. , Streeter M. J. V. , Ettlinger O. C. , Ahmed H. , Astbury S. , Borghesi M. , Bourgeois N. , Curry C. B. , Dann S. J. D. , Dover N. P. , Dzelzainis T. , Istokskaia V. , Gauthier M. , Giuffrida L. , Glenn G. D. , Glenzer S. H. , Gray R. J. , Green J. S. , Hicks G. S. , Hyland C. , King M. , Loughran B. , Margarone D. , McCusker O. , McKenna P. , Parisuaña C. , Parsons P. , Spindloe C. , Symes D. R. , Treffert F. , Palmer C. A. J. , Najmudin Z.
Published: March 2023

We present the development and characterization of a high-stability, multi-material, multi-thickness tape-drive target for laser-driven acceleration at repetition rates of up to 100 Hz. The tape surface position was measured to be stable on the sub-micrometre scale, compatible with the high-numerical aperture focusing geometries required to achieve relativistic intensity interactions with the pulse energy available in current multi-Hz and near-future higher repetition-rate lasers ($>$kHz). Long-term drift was characterized at 100 Hz demonstrating suitability for operation over extended periods. The target was continuously operated at up to 5 Hz in a recent experiment for 70,000 shots without intervention by the experimental team, with the exception of tape replacement, producing the largest data-set of relativistically intense laser–solid foil measurements to date. This tape drive provides robust targetry for the generation and study of high-repetition-rate ion beams using next-generation high-power laser systems, also enabling wider applications of laser-driven proton sources.
The Legal Contention for Baldíos Land in the Colombian Altillanura
Authors: Hurtado-Hurtado Carolina , Ortiz-Miranda Dionisio , Arnalte-Alegre Eladio
Published: March 2023

This article describes the process of legal contention between civil society, political parties, and state institutions for the baldíos lands in the Colombian Altillanura region in the last two decades, a region considered the country’s “last agricultural frontier.” The article focuses on the dual and sometimes contradictory roles of the state institutions, both as facilitators of baldíos grabbing and as guarantors of the peasants’ legal land rights. It analyzes the different attempts by the Colombian government to remove the legal limitations to land accumulation and the resistance put up by civil society and the political parties, which resorted to the existing legal mechanisms to deactivate those attempts. The results reveal the two-sided role of the state: while the government introduces legal changes to facilitate baldíos grabbing, state bodies are actively denouncing and sanctioning illegalities or ruling in favor of peasants deprived of their lands.
Numerical solutions for unsteady aerofoils using internal singularity distributions
Authors: Badnyopadhyay G. , Basu B. C.
Published: March 2023

The problem of potential flow about two-dimensional aerofoils undergoing general unsteady motion at low speeds has been studied by Giesing and by Basu and Hancock using the method of surface singularities, both source and vorticity, distributed on the aerofoil surface, satisfying the boundary condition of zero normal flow on the instantaneous aerofoil surface. These two methods differ in the application of the Kutta condition.
Recent progress in V/STOL technology
Authors: Roberts Leonard , Deckert Wallace H.
Published: March 2023

It is a privilege and a pleasure to have this opportunity to talk to you about progress in vertical and short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft technology. I must admit at the outset to some trepidation in accepting the invitation of the Society to speak on a subject that was successfully pioneered in the United Kingdom and brought to its current operational state largely because of the enduring faith of the Harrier team. However, I hope that the more modest progress that has been made on a variety of STOL and VTOL concepts will also be of interest to you; at the very least, this talk will identify some of the blind alleys to be avoided and, with a little luck, point out some new directions for future research. I will confine myself largely to the V/STOL technology with which I have been involved over the 1970–1980 period at Ames Research Center.
Propulsion of airships
Authors: Kemp J. D.
Published: March 2023

In recent years the advances in materials technology, coupled with the rising operating costs of conventional aircraft, have led to renewed interest in the airship as a means of fulfilling certain transportation requirements.

This brief paper does not attempt to retell the story of the airship or to try and justify its present day use, this being far better left to the experts in this field, but considers the requirements and considerations to be taken into account when selecting a propulsion device. The propulsion devices considered are limited to open propellers and very low pressure ratio ducted fans.
Experiments on the reduction of base drag of a blunt trailing edge aerofoil in subsonic flow
Authors: Gai S. L. , Sharma S. D.
Published: March 2023

It has been pointed out by a number of investigators that aerofoils with blunt trailing edges have many advantages, both structural and aerodynamic, at transonic and supersonic speeds. However, a profile with a blunt trailing edge unfortunately creates a high base drag at subsonic speeds and this could result in the total drag being considerably higher than that for a profile with a sharp trailing edge. This base drag arises due to the periodic vortex shedding from the blunt base which causes low pressures in the wake thus creating the base drag.

In order to reduce the base drag of a blunt trailing edge at subsonic speeds, this periodic vortex shedding must be suppressed. This has been achieved by various methods — a splitter plate behind the base, the base bleed, base cavities — and these have shown varying degrees of drag reduction.
A natural language processing approach to uncover patterns among online ratings of otolaryngologists
Authors: Vasan V , Cheng Christopher P. , Lerner David K. , Vujovic D , van Gerwen M , Iloreta A M
Published: March 2023

Background

Patients increasingly use physician rating websites to evaluate and choose potential healthcare providers. A sentiment analysis and machine learning approach can uniquely analyse written prose to quantitatively describe patients’ perspectives from interactions with their physicians.

Methods

Online written reviews and star scores were analysed from Healthgrades.com using a natural language processing sentiment analysis package. Demographics of otolaryngologists were compared and a multivariable regression for individual words was performed.

Results

This study analysed 18 546 online reviews of 1240 otolaryngologists across the USA. Younger otolaryngologists (aged less than 40 years) had higher sentiment and star scores compared with older otolaryngologists (p < 0.001). Male otolaryngologists had higher sentiment and star scores compared with female otolaryngologists (p < 0.001). ‘Confident’, ‘kind’, ‘recommend’ and ‘comfortable’ were words associated with positive reviews (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Positive bedside manner was strongly reflected in better reviews, and younger age and male gender of the otolaryngologist were associated with better sentiment and star scores.
Digital evidence and fair trial rights at the International Criminal Court
Authors: de Arcos Tejerizo María
Published: March 2023

International criminal proceedings are witnessing an increase in the use of digital sources of evidence at trial, and it is expected that digital evidence will shape the outcome of upcoming decisions of international criminal tribunals. Digital footage may arguably enhance the efficiency of international crimes investigations. However, the high expertise required to access, analyse, and assess digital materials may widen the gap between the prosecution and the defence, thus undermining fair trial rights. This article examines, in the context of proceedings before the International Criminal Court, the impact that the overreliance on digital evidence may have on the principle of equality of arms, and how such a situation might be alleviated.
MOVIMIENTOS POBLACIONALES DEL CLÁSICO TERMINAL EN CHICHÉN ITZÁ, A PARTIR DE LA MORFOLOGÍA DENTAL DE UN GRUPO DE NIÑOS SACRIFICADOS
Authors: Gallardo Alfonso , Merlín Martha Pimienta , Del Castillo Chávez Oana
Published: March 2023

En excavaciones efectuadas en Chichén Itzá en 1967, se encontró una construcción subterránea tipo chultun conteniendo los restos óseos de más de 70 individuos humanos, la mayoría subadultos masculinos. El depósito mortuorio presenta características de ser post-sacrificial, de carácter primario; la datación por carbono-14 lo ubica hacia el 1000 d.C., en el momento de mayor expansión de Chichén Itzá como ciudad capital regional. La cuantificación de 1,066 dientes permanentes establece un número mínimo de individuos de 75 (incisivo central superior izquierdo). Con el propósito de discernir sobre la afinidad biológica de los individuos, primero se llevó a cabo un análisis univariante y multivariante de los diámetros mesiodistales y bucolinguales y se compararon con 16 sitios prehispánicos de época clásica; posteriormente se analizó la morfología dental en 14 rasgos y se compararon con 24 sitios mayas prehispánicos del clásico, siguiendo la metodología estandarizada de Arizona State University Dental Anthropological System (ASUDAS). Se aplicaron tres análisis multivariantes (medida media de divergencia, análisis de conglomerados, y escalamiento multidimensional). Con base en este estudio, podemos afirmar que los niños del chultun de Chichén Itzá no pertenecen a las poblaciones de las Tierras Bajas del norte o del sur, como tampoco a las de las Tierras Altas del sur. Quizá formaban parte de grupos de comerciantes de larga distancia que se asentaron en Chichén Itzá a partir del 800 d.C. para dominar las rutas de comercio tanto marítimas como terrestres de la Península.
Benchmarks for the benchmark approach to valuing long-term insurance liabilities: comment on Fergusson & Platen (2023)
Authors: Bauer Daniel
Published: March 2023

This article comments on the paper “Less-expensive long-term annuities linked to mortality, cash and equity” by Kevin Fergusson and Eckard Platen, appearing in this issue of theAnnals of Actuarial Science. It adds two perspectives to their thought-provoking contribution. The first is a similarity to some recent work in quantitative finance on “deep hedging” that leverages machine learning models to find the cheapest replication strategy for a derivative payoff in a largely model-free setting. The second perspective engages with some of the interesting implications of their approach and draws parallels to literature in asset pricing and macro-finance. These perspectives point to the potential need for more fundamental shifts than the authors of the paper are advertising.
Erfolgreich lernen mit ADHS und ADS
Authors: Rietzler Stefanie , Grolimund Fabian
Published: March 2023

Für AD(H)S-betroffene Kinder und ihre Eltern ist die Schulzeit oftmals sehr beschwerlich. Meist weichen die Kinder unliebsamen Hausaufgaben aus, verwickeln die Eltern in ewige Diskussionen über Sinn und Unsinn bestimmter Übungen, trödeln und träumen vor sich hin und reagieren rasch frustriert, wenn sie einen Misserfolg einstecken müssen oder eine Aufgabe nicht lösen können. Selbst Eltern mit hohen Erziehungskompetenzen bringt die Lern- und Hausaufgabensituation mit Träumerchen und Wirbelwind daher bisweilen an die Grenzen ihrer Belastbarkeit.
Dieser Elternratgeber zeigt Ihnen konkrete, praktische Hilfestellungen, wie Sie: 

die Konzentration und Ausdauer Ihres Kindes steigern
das Lernen motivierender gestalten
Frust, Streit und Tränen rund um die Hausaufgaben reduzieren
Chaos und Vergesslichkeit in den Griff bekommen
Ihrem Kind durch clevere Lernmethoden zu mehr Erfolg verhelfen
die Stärken Ihres Kindes fördern
Ihrem Kind bei Misserfolgen den Rücken stärken und sein Selbstwertgefühl schützen
eine gute Zusammenarbeit mit der Schule aufbauen. 

Die vorgestellten Strategien wurden in der Arbeit mit Hunderten von Familien entwickelt und haben sich in der Praxis bewährt. Lassen Sie sich davon überraschen, dass es oft kleine, unscheinbare Veränderungen sind, die eine große Wirkung entfalten.
Stefanie Rietzler und Fabian Grolimund sind Psychologen und leiten gemeinsam die Akademie für Lerncoaching in Zürich.
On Transient Semi‐Arid Ecosystem Dynamics Using Landlab: Vegetation Shifts, Topographic Refugia, and Response to Climate
Authors: Nudurupati Sai S. , Istanbulluoglu Erkan , Tucker Gregory E. , Gasparini Nicole M. , Hobley Daniel E. J. , Hutton Eric W. H. , Barnhart Katherine R. , Adams Jordan M.
Published: March 2023

Projecting how arid and semi‐arid ecosystems respond to global change requires the integration of a wide array of analytical and numerical models to address different aspects of complex ecosystems. We used the Landlab earth surface modeling toolkit (Hobley et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-21-2017) to couple several ecohydrologic and vegetation dynamics processes to investigate the controls of exogenous drivers (climate, topography, fires, and grazing) and endogenous grass‐fire feedback mechanisms. Aspect‐controlled ecosystems and historical woody plant encroachment (WPE) narratives in central New Mexico, USA are used to construct simulations. Modeled ecosystem response to climatic wetness (i.e., higher precipitation, lower potential evapotranspiration) on topography follows the Boyko's “geo‐ecological law of distribution.” Shrubs occupy cooler pole‐facing slopes in the dry end of their ecoclimatic range (Mean Annual Precipitation, MAP ≤ 200 mm), and shift toward warmer equator‐facing slopes as regional moisture increases (MAP > 250 mm). Trees begin to occupy pole‐facing slopes when MAP > 200 mm, and gradually move to valleys. Pole‐facing slopes increase species diversity at the landscape scale by hosting relict populations during dry periods. WPE observed in the region since the middle 1800s is predicted as a three‐phase phenomenon. Phase II, rapid expansion, requires the removal of the positive grass‐fire feedback by livestock grazing or fire suppression. Regime shifts from grassland to shrubland are marked by critical thresholds that involve grass cover remaining below 40%, shrub cover increasing to 10%–20% range, and the grass connectivity, Cg, remaining below 0.15. A critical transition to shrubland is predicted when grazing pressure is not removed before shrub cover attains 60%.
The Effect of Past Saturation Changes on Noble Gas Reconstructions of Mean Ocean Temperature
Authors: Pöppelmeier Frerk , Baggenstos Daniel , Grimmer Markus , Liu Zhijun , Schmitt Jochen , Fischer Hubertus , Stocker Thomas F.
Published: March 2023

The ocean's immense ability to store and release heat on centennial to millennial time scales modulates the impacts of climate perturbations. To gain a better understanding of past variations in mean ocean temperature (MOT), a noble gas‐based proxy measured from ancient air in ice cores has been developed. Here we assess non‐temperature effects that may influence the atmospheric noble gas ratios reconstructed from polar ice and how they impact the temperature signal with an intermediate complexity Earth system model. We find that changes in wind speed, sea‐ice extent, and ocean circulation have partially compensating effects on mean‐ocean noble gas saturation, leading to a slight reduction of noble gas undersaturation at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Taking these effects and ice core measurements into account, our model suggests a revised MOT difference between the LGM and pre‐industrial of −2.1 ± 0.7°C that is also in improved agreement with other independent temperature reconstructions.
Nucleation of Laboratory Earthquakes: Quantitative Analysis and Scalings
Authors: Marty S. , Schubnel A. , Bhat H. S. , Aubry J. , Fukuyama E. , Latour S. , Nielsen S. , Madariaga R.
Published: March 2023

In this study we use the precursory acoustic emission (AE) activity during the nucleation of stick‐slip instability as a proxy to investigate foreshock occurrence prior to natural earthquakes. We report on three stick‐slip experiments performed on cylindrical samples of Indian metagabbro under upper crustal stress conditions (30–60 MPa). AEs were continuously recorded by eight calibrated acoustic sensors during the experiments. Seismological parameters (moment magnitude, corner frequency and stress‐drop) of the detected AEs (−8.8 ≤ Mw ≤ −7) follow the scaling law between moment magnitude and corner frequency that characterizes natural earthquakes. AE activity always increases toward failure and is driven by along fault slip velocity. The stacked AE foreshock sequences follow an inverse Omori type law, with a characteristic Omori time c inversely proportional to normal stress. AEs moment magnitudes increase toward failure, as manifested by a decrease in b‐value from ∼1 to ∼0.5 at the end of the nucleation process. During nucleation, foreshocks migrate toward the mainshock epicenter location, and stabilize at a distance from the latter compatible with the predicted Rate‐and‐State nucleation size. Importantly, the nucleation characteristic timescale also scales inversely with applied normal stress and the expected nucleation size. Finally, we infer that foreshocks are the byproducts of the nucleation phase which is an almost fully aseismic process. Nevertheless, the seismic/aseismic energy release ratio continuously increases during nucleation, highlighting that, the nucleation process starts as a fully aseismic process, and evolves toward a cascading process at the onset of dynamic rupture.
Simulating Southern Ocean Aerosol and Ice Nucleating Particles in the Community Earth System Model Version 2
Authors: McCluskey Christina S. , Gettelman Andrew , Bardeen Charles G. , DeMott Paul J. , Moore Kathryn A. , Kreidenweis Sonia M. , Hill Thomas C. J. , Barry Kevin R. , Twohy Cynthia H. , Toohey Darin W. , Rainwater Bryan , Jensen Jorgen B. , Reeves John M. , Alexander Simon P. , McFarquhar Greg M.
Published: March 2023

Southern Ocean (SO) low‐level mixed phase clouds have been a long‐standing challenge for Earth system models to accurately represent. While improvements to the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) resulted in increased supercooled liquid in SO clouds and improved model radiative biases, simulated SO clouds in CESM2 now contain too little ice. Previous observational studies have indicated that marine particles are major contributor to SO low‐level cloud heterogeneous ice nucleation, a process that initiates a number of cloud processes that govern cloud radiative properties. In this study, we utilize detailed aerosol and ice nucleating particle (INP) measurements from two recent measurement campaigns to assess simulated aerosol abundance, number size distributions, and composition and INP parameterizations for use in CESM2. Our results indicate that CESM2 has a positive bias in simulated surface‐level total aerosol surface area at latitudes north of 58°S. Measured INP populations were dominated by marine INPs and we present evidence of refractory INPs present over the SO assumed here to be mineral dust INPs. Results highlight a critical need to assess simulated mineral dust number and size distributions in CESM2 in order to adequately represent SO INP populations and their response to long‐term changes in atmospheric transport patterns and land use change. We also discuss important cautions and limitations in applying a commonly used mineral dust INP parameterization to remote regions like the pristine SO.
Sensitivity of Modeled Soil NOx Emissions to Soil Moisture
Authors: Huber Daniel E. , Steiner Allison L. , Kort Eric A.
Published: March 2023

As emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from fossil fuel combustion decrease, the relative contribution of NOx emissions from managed and unmanaged soils (SNOx) is increasing. Modeling SNOx presents a challenge as it requires proper characterization of emission dynamics in response to environmental conditions. SNOx is often represented using the Berkeley Dalhousie Soil NOx Parameterization (BDSNP), which relies upon static relationships between soil moisture and SNOx for arid and non‐arid lands. However, soil chamber and atmospheric studies have shown that emission characteristics are more dynamic, with peak emissions often occurring at higher soil moisture content. Here, to better capture observational studies, we update BDSNP by creating a dynamic SNOx response to soil moisture based on a normalized soil moisture index. We compare the standard and updated parameterizations over the contiguous United States (U.S.) for 2011–2020 using input soil moisture data from ERA5‐Land, MERRA‐2 and NLDAS2‐Mosaic and evaluate SNOx across these different input drivers as well as between the standard and updated parameterizations. The standard parametrization exhibits strong sensitivity to different input soil moisture products, with annual U.S. SNOx differences of up to 0.28 Tg N yr−1. In contrast, the updated parameterization provides a robust representation of SNOx with reduced sensitivity to input soil moisture product with differences of at most 0.03 Tg N yr−1. The updated parameterization simulates a broad increase in SNOx in non‐arid regions, including much of the Eastern U.S., indicating that this region may be more sensitive to climatically‐driven SNOx as anthropogenic NOx emissions continue to decline.
The Role of Midlatitude Cyclones in the Emission, Transport, Production, and Removal of Aerosols in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Robinson Joseph , Jaeglé Lyatt , Oman Luke D.
Published: March 2023

We examine the distribution of aerosol optical depth (AOD) across 27,707 northern hemisphere (NH) midlatitude cyclones for 2005–2018 using retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor on the Aqua satellite. Cyclone‐centered composites show AOD enhancements of 20%–45% relative to background conditions in the warm conveyor belt (WCB) airstream. Fine mode AOD accounts for 68% of this enhancement annually. Relative to background conditions, coarse mode AOD is enhanced by more than a factor of two near the center of the composite cyclone, co‐located with high surface wind speeds. Within the WCB, MODIS AOD maximizes in spring, with a secondary maximum in summer. Cyclone‐centered composites of AOD from the Modern Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 Global Modeling Initiative (M2GMI) simulation reproduce the magnitude and seasonality of the MODIS AOD composites and enhancements. M2GMI simulations show that the AOD enhancement in the WCB is dominated by sulfate (37%) and organic aerosol (25%), with dust and sea salt each accounting for 15%. MODIS and M2GMI AOD are 60% larger in North Pacific WCBs compared to North Atlantic WCBs and show a strong relationship with anthropogenic pollution. We infer that NH midlatitude cyclones account for 355 Tg yr−1 of sea salt aerosol emissions annually, or 60% of the 30–80°N total. We find that deposition within WCBs is responsible for up to 35% of the total aerosol deposition over the NH ocean basins. Furthermore, the cloudy environment of WCBs leads to efficient secondary sulfate production.
Radiocarbon Constraints on Carbon Release From the Antarctic Ice Sheet Into the Amundsen Sea Embayment
Authors: Fang Ling , Kim Minkyoung
Published: March 2023

The Amundsen Sea Embayment in West Antarctica is experiencing rapid ice mass loss, resulting in biogeochemical changes via altered nutrient and organic matter supply. However, organic carbon released from melting ice has not yet been accurately quantified. In this paper, we have integrated new dissolved organic carbon (DOC) data obtained close to the melting Dotson Ice Shelf (DIS) with published radiocarbon (Δ14C) data on sinking and suspended particulate organic carbon (POC), sedimentary OC, DOC and dissolved inorganic carbon to quantify the effect of ice melt to the carbon cycle. Elevated DOC concentrations in deep water near the DIS indicate the transport of carbon sources from the ice shelf to the water column at a rate of 4.6 ± 2.0 × 1010 g C yr−1. Furthermore, Δ14C‐DOC measurements suggest there is a possible dark chemoautotrophic production under the influence of meltwater input. The vertical profile of Δ14C in the sedimentary OC from the Sea Ice Zone and the edge of the DIS demonstrates the presence of aged organic carbon sources during warm episodes at ∼11.5 and 15.9 ka BP. Our study indicates that deep water is not only affected by OC discharge from meltwater but also by biological processes due to altered nutrient inputs. Limited data hampers a precise assessment of the influence of meltwater on the carbon cycle. Further sampling in front of the DIS will be beneficial to enhance our understanding of the role of Antarctic Ice Sheet melting in the downstream ecosystem.
Microfabrication of functional polyimide films and microstructures for flexible MEMS applications
Authors: Dong Zihao , He Qipei , Shen Dawei , Gong Zheng , Zhang Deyuan , Zhang Wenqiang , Ono Takahito , Jiang Yonggang
Published: March 2023

Polyimides are widely used in the MEMS and flexible electronics fields due to their combined physicochemical properties, including high thermal stability, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance values. In the past decade, rapid progress has been made in the microfabrication of polyimides. However, enabling technologies, such as laser-induced graphene on polyimide, photosensitive polyimide micropatterning, and 3D polyimide microstructure assembly, have not been reviewed from the perspective of polyimide microfabrication. The aims of this review are to systematically discuss polyimide microfabrication techniques, which cover film formation, material conversion, micropatterning, 3D microfabrication, and their applications. With an emphasis on polyimide-based flexible MEMS devices, we discuss the remaining technological challenges in polyimide fabrication and possible technological innovations in this field.
Protein and growth during the first year of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Milani Gregorio P. , Edefonti Valeria , De Cosmi Valentina , Bettocchi Silvia , Mazzocchi Alessandra , Silano Marco , Pietrobelli Angelo , Agostoni Carlo
Published: March 2023

Dietary protein intake in the first year of life might influence later growth. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the growth effects of interventions based on infant formula composition providing different amounts of protein within the first year of life of healthy term infants; in the absence of other comparable information over the investigated period, a meta-analysis further compared weight or length gain at 120 days from high- (>2.0 g/100 kcal) and low-protein (≤2.0 g/100 kcal) content formula groups. Twelve papers (n = 2275) were included and five of them (n = 677) contributed to the meta-analysis. Most studies compared a high-protein formula, a low-protein formula, and breastfeeding. Evidence from the systematic review was inconclusive due to heterogeneity in design and treatments. In the presence of modest heterogeneity but in the absence of publication bias, the weighted mean difference for weight gain at 120 days was –0.02 g/day (95% CI: –1.41, 1.45); with higher heterogeneity, the weighted MD estimate of length gain at 120 days was 0.004 cm/month (95% CI: –0.26, 0.27). Although limited and underpowered, evidence from the meta-analysis does not support the assumption that high- vs. low-protein content formulas during exclusive milk-feeding lead to different growth outcomes in the first months of life. Prospero registration number: CRD42017058535.

Impact

The optimal amount of dietary protein that should be given to healthy full-term infants early in life is still debated.

Despite heterogeneity in study design, treatments, and outcomes, this systematic review showed that there is no clear-cut effect on the growth of different amounts of protein intake from formulas or complementary feeding.

Evidence from the meta-analysis based on the five articles enrolling infants <1 month of life does not support the previous assumption that high- vs. low-protein content formulas during exclusive milk-feeding lead to different growth outcomes in the first 4 months of life.
The gut microbiome in social anxiety disorder: evidence of altered composition and function
Authors: Butler Mary I. , Bastiaanssen Thomaz F. S. , Long-Smith Caitriona , Morkl Sabrina , Berding Kirsten , Ritz Nathaniel L. , Strain Conall , Patangia Dhrati , Patel Shriram , Stanton Catherine , O’Mahony Siobhain M. , Cryan John F. , Clarke Gerard , Dinan Timothy G.
Published: March 2023

The microbiome-gut-brain axis plays a role in anxiety, the stress response and social development, and is of growing interest in neuropsychiatric conditions. The gut microbiota shows compositional alterations in a variety of psychiatric disorders including depression, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia but studies investigating the gut microbiome in social anxiety disorder (SAD) are very limited. Using whole-genome shotgun analysis of 49 faecal samples (31 cases and 18 sex- and age-matched controls), we analysed compositional and functional differences in the gut microbiome of patients with SAD in comparison to healthy controls. Overall microbiota composition, as measured by beta-diversity, was found to be different between the SAD and control groups and several taxonomic differences were seen at a genus- and species-level. The relative abundance of the generaAnaeromassillibacillusandGordonibacterwere elevated in SAD, whileParasuterellawas enriched in healthy controls. At a species-level, Anaeromassilibacillus sp An250was found to be more abundant in SAD patients whileParasutterella excrementihominiswas higher in controls. No differences were seen in alpha diversity. In relation to functional differences, the gut metabolic module ‘aspartate degradation I’ was elevated in SAD patients. In conclusion, the gut microbiome of patients with SAD differs in composition and function to that of healthy controls. Larger, longitudinal studies are warranted to validate these preliminary results and explore the clinical implications of these microbiome changes.
Unraveling two distinct polymorph transition mechanisms in one n-type single crystal for dynamic electronics
Authors: Davies Daniel William , Seo Bumjoon , Park Sang Kyu , Shiring Stephen B. , Chung Hyunjoong , Kafle Prapti , Yuan Dafei , Strzalka Joseph W. , Weber Ralph , Zhu Xiaozhang , Savoie Brett M. , Diao Ying
Published: March 2023

Cooperativity is used by living systems to circumvent energetic and entropic barriers to yield highly efficient molecular processes. Cooperative structural transitions involve the concerted displacement of molecules in a crystalline material, as opposed to typical molecule-by-molecule nucleation and growth mechanisms which often break single crystallinity. Cooperative transitions have acquired much attention for low transition barriers, ultrafast kinetics, and structural reversibility. However, cooperative transitions are rare in molecular crystals and their origin is poorly understood. Crystals of 2-dimensional quinoidal terthiophene (2DQTT-o-B), a high-performance n-type organic semiconductor, demonstrate two distinct thermally activated phase transitions following these mechanisms. Here we show reorientation of the alkyl side chains triggers cooperative behavior, tilting the molecules like dominos. Whereas, nucleation and growth transition is coincident with increasing alkyl chain disorder and driven by forming a biradical state. We establish alkyl chain engineering as integral to rationally controlling these polymorphic behaviors for novel electronic applications.
Uracil in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu
Authors: Oba Yasuhiro , Koga Toshiki , Takano Yoshinori , Ogawa Nanako O. , Ohkouchi Naohiko , Sasaki Kazunori , Sato Hajime , Glavin Daniel P. , Dworkin Jason P. , Naraoka Hiroshi , Tachibana Shogo , Yurimoto Hisayoshi , Nakamura Tomoki , Noguchi Takaaki , Okazaki Ryuji , Yabuta Hikaru , Sakamoto Kanako , Yada Toru , Nishimura Masahiro , Nakato Aiko , Miyazaki Akiko , Yogata Kasumi , Abe Masanao , Okada Tatsuaki , Usui Tomohiro , Yoshikawa Makoto , Saiki Takanao , Tanaka Satoshi , Terui Fuyuto , Nakazawa Satoru , Watanabe Sei-ichiro , Tsuda Yuichi ,   Hayabusa2-initial-analysis SOM team
Published: March 2023

The pristine sample from the near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft enabled us to analyze the pristine extraterrestrial material without uncontrolled exposure to the Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere. The initial analysis team for the soluble organic matter reported the detection of wide variety of organic molecules including racemic amino acids in the Ryugu samples. Here we report the detection of uracil, one of the four nucleobases in ribonucleic acid, in aqueous extracts from Ryugu samples. In addition, nicotinic acid (niacin, a B3vitamer), its derivatives, and imidazoles were detected in search for nitrogen heterocyclic molecules. The observed difference in the concentration of uracil between A0106 and C0107 may be related to the possible differences in the degree of alteration induced by energetic particles such as ultraviolet photons and cosmic rays. The present study strongly suggests that such molecules of prebiotic interest commonly formed in carbonaceous asteroids including Ryugu and were delivered to the early Earth.
Multiplex translaminar imaging in the spinal cord of behaving mice
Authors: Shekhtmeyster Pavel , Carey Erin M. , Duarte Daniela , Ngo Alexander , Gao Grace , Nelson Nicholas A. , Clark Charles L. , Nimmerjahn Axel
Published: March 2023

While the spinal cord is known to play critical roles in sensorimotor processing, including pain-related signaling, corresponding activity patterns in genetically defined cell types across spinal laminae have remained challenging to investigate. Calcium imaging has enabled cellular activity measurements in behaving rodents but is currently limited to superficial regions. Here, using chronically implanted microprisms, we imaged sensory and motor-evoked activity in regions and at speeds inaccessible by other high-resolution imaging techniques. To enable translaminar imaging in freely behaving animals through implanted microprisms, we additionally developed wearable microscopes with custom-compound microlenses. This system addresses multiple challenges of previous wearable microscopes, including their limited working distance, resolution, contrast, and achromatic range. Using this system, we show that dorsal horn astrocytes in behaving mice show sensorimotor program-dependent and lamina-specific calcium excitation. Additionally, we show that tachykinin precursor 1 (Tac1)-expressing neurons exhibit translaminar activity to acute mechanical pain but not locomotion.
Toward sustainable space exploration: a roadmap for harnessing the power of microorganisms
Authors: Santomartino Rosa , Averesch Nils J. H. , Bhuiyan Marufa , Cockell Charles S. , Colangelo Jesse , Gumulya Yosephine , Lehner Benjamin , Lopez-Ayala Ivanna , McMahon Sean , Mohanty Anurup , Santa Maria Sergio R. , Urbaniak Camilla , Volger Rik , Yang Jiseon , Zea Luis
Published: March 2023

Finding sustainable approaches to achieve independence from terrestrial resources is of pivotal importance for the future of space exploration. This is relevant not only to establish viable space exploration beyond low Earth–orbit, but also for ethical considerations associated with the generation of space waste and the preservation of extra-terrestrial environments. Here we propose and highlight a series of microbial biotechnologies uniquely suited to establish sustainable processes for in situ resource utilization and loop-closure. Microbial biotechnologies research and development for space sustainability will be translatable to Earth applications, tackling terrestrial environmental issues, thereby supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Variations in the poly-histidine repeat motif of HOXA1 contribute to bicuspid aortic valve in mouse and zebrafish
Authors: Odelin Gaëlle , Faucherre Adèle , Marchese Damien , Pinard Amélie , Jaouadi Hager , Le Scouarnec Solena ,   FranceGenRef Consortium, Deleuze Jean-François , Génin Emmanuelle , Lindenbaum Pierre , Redon Richard , Schott Jean-Jacques , Chiarelli Raphaël , Achouri Younes , Faure Emilie , Herbane Marine , Théron Alexis , Avierinos Jean-François , Jopling Chris , Collod-Béroud Gwenaëlle , Rezsohazy René , Zaffran Stéphane
Published: March 2023

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), the most common cardiovascular malformation occurs in 0.5–1.2% of the population. Although highly heritable, few causal mutations have been identified in BAV patients. Here, we report the targeted sequencing of HOXA1 in a cohort of BAV patients and the identification of rare indel variants in the homopolymeric histidine tract of HOXA1. In vitro analysis shows that disruption of this motif leads to a significant reduction in protein half-life and defective transcriptional activity of HOXA1. In zebrafish, targeting hoxa1a ortholog results in aortic valve defects. In vivo assays indicates that these variants behave as dominant negatives leading abnormal valve development. In mice, deletion of Hoxa1 leads to BAV with a very small, rudimentary non-coronary leaflet. We also show that 17% of homozygous Hoxa1−1His knock-in mice present similar phenotype. Genetic lineage tracing in Hoxa1−/− mutant mice reveals an abnormal reduction of neural crest-derived cells in the valve leaflet, which is caused by a failure of early migration of these cells.
A comprehensive benchmarking with practical guidelines for cellular deconvolution of spatial transcriptomics
Authors: Li Haoyang , Zhou Juexiao , Li Zhongxiao , Chen Siyuan , Liao Xingyu , Zhang Bin , Zhang Ruochi , Wang Yu , Sun Shiwei , Gao Xin
Published: March 2023

Spatial transcriptomics technologies are used to profile transcriptomes while preserving spatial information, which enables high-resolution characterization of transcriptional patterns and reconstruction of tissue architecture. Due to the existence of low-resolution spots in recent spatial transcriptomics technologies, uncovering cellular heterogeneity is crucial for disentangling the spatial patterns of cell types, and many related methods have been proposed. Here, we benchmark 18 existing methods resolving a cellular deconvolution task with 50 real-world and simulated datasets by evaluating the accuracy, robustness, and usability of the methods. We compare these methods comprehensively using different metrics, resolutions, spatial transcriptomics technologies, spot numbers, and gene numbers. In terms of performance, CARD, Cell2location, and Tangram are the best methods for conducting the cellular deconvolution task. To refine our comparative results, we provide decision-tree-style guidelines and recommendations for method selection and their additional features, which will help users easily choose the best method for fulfilling their concerns.
Clonal dynamics of alloreactive T cells in kidney allograft rejection after anti-PD-1 therapy
Authors: Dunlap Garrett S. , DiToro Daniel , Henderson Joel , Shah Sujal I. , Manos Mike , Severgnini Mariano , Weins Astrid , Guleria Indira , Ott Patrick A. , Murakami Naoka , Rao Deepak A.
Published: March 2023

Kidney transplant recipients are at particular risk for developing tumors, many of which are now routinely treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs); however, ICI therapy can precipitate transplant rejection. Here, we use TCR sequencing to identify and track alloreactive T cells in a patient with melanoma who experienced kidney transplant rejection following PD-1 inhibition. The treatment was associated with a sharp increase in circulating alloreactive CD8+ T cell clones, which display a unique transcriptomic signature and were also detected in the rejected kidney but not at tumor sites. Longitudinal and cross-tissue TCR analyses indicate unintended expansion of alloreactive CD8+ T cells induced by ICI therapy for cancer, coinciding with ICI-associated organ rejection.
Characterisation of ASD traits among a cohort of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly
Authors: Kyriakopoulou Vanessa , Davidson Alice , Chew Andrew , Gupta Nidhi , Arichi Tomoki , Nosarti Chiara , Rutherford Mary A.
Published: March 2023

Fetal ventriculomegaly is the most common antenatally-diagnosed brain abnormality. Imaging studies in antenatal isolated ventriculomegaly demonstrate enlarged ventricles and cortical overgrowth which are also present in children with autism-spectrum disorder/condition (ASD). We investigate the presence of ASD traits in a cohort of children (n = 24 [20 males/4 females]) with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, compared with 10 controls (n = 10 [6 males/4 females]). Neurodevelopmental outcome at school age included IQ, ASD traits (ADOS-2), sustained attention, neurological functioning, behaviour, executive function, sensory processing, co-ordination, and adaptive behaviours. Pre-school language development was assessed at 2 years. 37.5% of children, all male, in the ventriculomegaly cohort scored above threshold for autism/ASD classification. Pre-school language delay predicted an ADOS-2 autism/ASD classification with 73.3% specificity/66.7% sensitivity. Greater pre-school language delay was associated with more ASD symptoms. In this study, the neurodevelopment of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, associated with altered cortical development, includes ASD traits, difficulties in sustained attention, working memory and sensation-seeking behaviours.
Comparing retinotopic maps of children and adults reveals a late-stage change in how V1 samples the visual field
Authors: Himmelberg Marc M. , Tünçok Ekin , Gomez Jesse , Grill-Spector Kalanit , Carrasco Marisa , Winawer Jonathan
Published: March 2023

Adult visual performance differs with angular location –it is better for stimuli along the horizontal than vertical, and lower than upper vertical meridian of the visual field. These perceptual asymmetries are paralleled by asymmetries in cortical surface area in primary visual cortex (V1). Children, unlike adults, have similar visual performance at the lower and upper vertical meridian. Do children have similar V1 surface area representing the upper and lower vertical meridian? Using MRI, we measure the surface area of retinotopic maps (V1-V3) in children and adults. Many features of the maps are similar between groups, including greater V1 surface area for the horizontal than vertical meridian. However, unlike adults, children have a similar amount of V1 surface area representing the lower and upper vertical meridian. These data reveal a late-stage change in V1 organization that may relate to the emergence of the visual performance asymmetry along the vertical meridian by adulthood.
Biofouling characteristics of reverse osmosis membranes by disinfection-residual-bacteria post seven water disinfection techniques
Authors: Wang Hao-Bin , Wu Yin-Hu , Wang Wen-Long , Luo Li-Wei , Chen Gen-Qiang , Chen Zhuo , Xue Song , Xu Ao , Xu Yu-Qing , Ikuno Nozomu , Ishii Kazuki , Hu Hong-Ying
Published: March 2023

Reverse osmosis (RO) is widely used in wastewater reclamation to alleviate the increasingly global water shortage. However, it has an inconvenient defect of biofouling. Some disinfection processes have been reported to select certain undesirable disinfection-residual bacteria (DRB), leading to severe long-term biofouling potential. To provide constructive guidance on biofouling prevention in RO systems, this study performed a 32-day experiment to parallelly compared the biofouling characteristics of RO membranes of DRB after five mature water disinfection methods (NaClO, NH2Cl, ClO2, UV, and O3) and two recently developed water disinfection methods (K2FeO4 and flow-through electrode system). As a result, the DRB biofilm of K2FeO4 and O3 caused a slight normalised flux drop (22.4 ± 2.4% and 23.9 ± 1.7%) of RO membrane compared to the control group (non-disinfected, ~27% normalised flux drop). FES, UV, NaClO and ClO2 caused aggravated membrane flux drop (29.1 ± 0.3%, 33.3 ± 7.8%, 34.6 ± 6.4%, and 35.5 ± 4.0%, respectively). The biofouling behaviour showed no relationship with bacterial concentration or metabolic activity (p > 0.05). The thickness and compactness of the biofilms and the organics/bacterial number ratio in the biofilm, helped explain the difference in the fouling degree between each group. Moreover, microbial community analysis showed that the relative abundance of typical highly EPS-secretory and biofouling-related genera, such as Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Acinetobacter, Methylobacterium, Sphingobium, and Ralstonia, were the main reasons for the high EPS secreting ability of the total bacteria, resulting in aggravation of biofouling degree (p < 0.05). All types of disinfection except for NaClO and ClO2 effectively prevented pathogen reproduction in the DRB biofilm.
A synthetic population for agent-based modelling in Canada
Authors: Prédhumeau Manon , Manley Ed
Published: March 2023

In order to anticipate the impact of local public policies, a synthetic population reflecting the characteristics of the local population provides a valuable test bed. While synthetic population datasets are now available for several countries, there is no open-source synthetic population for Canada. We propose an open-source synthetic population of individuals and households at a fine geographical level for Canada for the years 2021, 2023 and 2030. Based on 2016 census data and population projections, the synthetic individuals have detailed socio-demographic attributes, including age, sex, income, education level, employment status and geographic locations, and are related into households. A comparison of the 2021 synthetic population with 2021 census data over various geographical areas validates the reliability of the synthetic dataset. Users can extract populations from the dataset for specific zones, to explore ‘what if’ scenarios on present and future populations. They can extend the dataset using local survey data to add new characteristics to individuals. Users can also run the code to generate populations for years up to 2042.
Probing the behavior and kinetic studies of amphiphilic acrylate copolymers with bovine serum albumin
Authors: Mushtaq Shehla , Abbas Muhammad Asad , Nasir Habib , Mahmood Azhar , Iqbal Mudassir , Janjua Hussnain A. , Ahmad Nasir M.
Published: March 2023

This article presents that acrylate copolymers are the potential candidate against the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA). A series of copolymers poly(methyl methacrylate) (pMMA), poly(3-sulfopropyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) p(SPMA-co-MMA), and poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) p(DMAEMA-co-MMA) were synthesized via free radical polymerization. These amphiphilic copolymers are thermally stable with a glass transition temperature (Tg) 50–120 °C and observed the impact of surface charge on amphiphilic copolymers to control interactions with the bovine serum albumin (BSA). These copolymers pMD1 and pMS1 have surface charges, − 56.6 and − 72.6 mV at pH 7.4 in PBS buffer solution that controls the adsorption capacity of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on polymers surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis showed minimum roughness of 0.324 nm and 0.474 nm for pMS1 and pMD1. Kinetic studies for BSA adsorption on these amphiphilic copolymers showed the best fitting of the pseudo-first-order model that showed physisorption and attained at 25 °C and pH 7.4 within 24 h.