bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Farmer participatory assessment of soil health from Conservation Agriculture adoption in three regions of East Africa
Authors: Entz Martin H. , Stainsby April , Riekman Marla , Mulaire Theresa Rempel , Kirima John Kimathi , Beriso Frew , Ngotio Deogratias , Salomons Michael , Nicksy Jess , Mutinda Mueni , Stanley Katherine
Published: September 2022

The challenges of soil degradation and low crop yield are being addressed in East Africa using a number of soil health-promoting farming systems including Conservation Agriculture (CA). CA is based on principles of minimal soil disturbance, continuous soil cover, and crop diversity, though implementation on farms may vary due to local circumstances. This study evaluated the effect of CA, as practiced by farmers, and compared farmer descriptions of soil health with scientific measures. CA and non-CA fields were compared in regions of Ethiopia (23 farms), Kenya (23 farms), and Tanzania (13 farms) with most fields repeatedly sampled for 2 to 3 years. CA and non-CA fields were located within meters, on soils with the same texture, growing similar crops. CA systems used precision planting, mostly with basins. Soil parameters were assessed using a participatory approach where farmers and field technicians collected data. CA practices improved qualitative soil characteristics as sensed by farmers (e.g., hoe-ability, crusting, smell, water infiltration), and this positive response was consistent across most fields. For qualitative data, the logarithm of the odds ratio estimates method was used to test the probability that CA would provide soil improvement. Fields under the CA treatment had a higher probability of rating better than non-CA fields. Quantitative measurements of pH and microbial respiration validated farmer assessments. CA-managed soils were weakly associated with darker colour, indicating higher soil organic matter. Sandy soils did not appear to improve with CA as dramatically as clay and loam soils, suggesting different CA strategies may be required. We discuss both benefits and drawbacks of this type of participatory, on-farm research. We conclude that farmer participation as citizen scientists will advance soil restoration in East Africa and increase the potential for farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange of soil-improving practices.
Urologie en mannen die seks hebben met mannen
Authors: Koëter Ingrid W. , Vermue Joost M. , Dielissen Patrick W.
Published: September 2022

Samenvatting

Mannen die seks hebben met mannen (MSM) vormen een zeer diverse groep; op een aantal punten verschilt het seksuele gedrag van het seksuele gedrag van de normatieve heteroseksuele man. Het is voor de uroloog belangrijk kennis te hebben van seksualiteit en de gevolgen daarvan bij urologische ziekten, die op een aantal fronten anders zijn. Dit artikel beschrijft accentverschillen in seksuele beleving van MSM. Het geeft een overzicht van verschillende urologische diagnosen en problemen, waaronder erectie- en ejaculatiestoornissen, prostaatproblemen, hypogonadisme en urologische behandelingen, met hun relatie tot die seksuele beleving. Urogenitale maligniteiten zoals blaas-, prostaat-, penis- en testiscarcinomen komen vaker voor bij hiv. Chemseks (seks onder invloed van drugs) verhoogt het risico op urologische problemen en op soa, door vaker onveilige (ruwere) seks en meerdere sekspartners waarmee chemseks gepaard gaat. Meer kennis en een open gesprek over MSM zal leiden tot meer kennis en acceptatie van de seksuele gevolgen van urologische problemen en behandelingen bij MSM.
Protective effect of plant compounds in pesticides toxicity
Authors: Jabłońska – Trypuć Agata , Wiater Józefa
Published: September 2022

Introduction

The relationship between pesticide exposure and the occurrence of many chronic diseases, including cancer, is confirmed by literature data.

Methods

In this review, through the analysis of more than 70 papers, we explore an increase in oxidative stress level caused by exposure to environmental pollutants and the protective effects of plant-origin antioxidants.

Results and discussion

One of the molecular mechanisms, by which pesticides affect living organisms is the induction of oxidative stress. However, recently many plant-based dietary ingredients with antioxidant properties have been considered as a chemopreventive substances due to their ability to remove free radicals. Such a food component must meet several conditions: eliminate free radicals, be easily absorbed and function at an appropriate physiological level. Its main function is to maintain the redox balance and minimize the cellular damage caused by ROS. Therefore, it should be active in aqueous solutions and membrane domains. These properties are characteristic for phenolic compounds and selected plant hormones. Phenolic compounds have proven antioxidant properties, while increasing number of compounds from the group of plant hormones with a very diverse chemical structure turn out to act as antioxidants, being potential food ingredients that can eliminate negative effects of pesticides.
FraxForFuture—research on European ash dieback in Germany
Authors: Langer Gitta Jutta , Fuchs Sebastian , Osewold Johannes , Peters Sandra , Schrewe Falk , Ridley Maia , Kätzel Ralf , Bubner Ben , Grüner Jörg
Published: September 2022

European ash dieback caused by the alien, invasive ascomycete species Hymenoscyphus fraxineus currently represents, along with its side effects, the greatest threat to common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) trees in Europe. The disease is widely distributed in Germany and present in all regions where common ash is growing. In order to study European ash dieback in Germany and to develop management strategies to conserve common ash as a forest tree species, the concerted, interdisciplinary research project FraxForFuture was initiated. FraxForFuture consist of an association of five sub-networks: FraxConnect, FraxMon, FraxGen, FraxPath, and FraxSilva. In total, 27 individual projects conduct research on the epidemiology of the disease, the pathogen and the preservation of ash, including various control, breeding, and silvicultural strategies. The main goals of the FraxForFuture network and the sub-networks as well as essential information about the network of common research plots are provided.
Construction of homozygous diploid potato through maternal haploid induction
Authors: Zhang Jinzhe , Yin Jian , Luo Jiayi , Tang Die , Zhu Xijian , Wang Jie , Liu Zhihong , Wang Pei , Zhong Yu , Liu Chenxu , Li Canhui , Chen Shaojiang , Huang Sanwen
Published: September 2022

Reinventing the tetraploid potato into a seed-propagated, diploid, hybrid potato would significantly accelerate potato breeding. In this regard, the development of highly homozygous inbred lines is a prerequisite for breeding hybrid potatoes, but self-incompatibility and inbreeding depression present challenges for developing pure inbred lines. To resolve this impediment, we developed a doubled haploid (DH) technology, based on mutagenesis of the potato DOMAIN OF UNKNOWN FUNCTION 679 membrane protein (StDMP) gene. Here, we show that a deficiency in StDMP allows the generation of maternal haploids for generating diploid potato lines. An exercisable protocol, involving hybridization, fluorescent marker screening, molecular and flow cytometric identification, and doubling with colchicine generates nearly 100% homozygous diploid potato lines. This dmp-triggered haploid induction (HI) system greatly shortens the breeding process and offers a robust method for generating diploid potato inbred lines with high purity.
Synergistic experimental investigation of the nano-ceramic cover sheet on the PV module performance
Authors: Mohamed Mohamed H.
Published: September 2022

Due to the accumulation of the heat on surface of the photovoltaic collector as well as the module’s components, the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) module is influenced by the increase of temperature in particular at high load (high voltage). Therefore, the efficiency and the current output decrease dramatically, and the full performance of the module tends to be zero in these conditions. In the present work, an experimental comparison between a controlled active water-cooling system and nano-ceramic cover sheet system is performed to get the best performance in high load. Water-cooling system is designed to minimize this effect of the high temperature and dust on the photovoltaic module. In addition, the nano-ceramic cover sheet is installed on the module to reduce the infrared permeability. Furthermore, Experiments were performed on the plain module without active cooling or nano-ceramic cover. After the experimental comparison, the results indicated that the controlled active water-cooling system is extremely improve the performance on the contrary the nano-ceramic cover sheet system which reduces the performance.
Robotic assisted cholecystectomy – A retrospective cohort study of experience of 106 first robotic cholecystectomies in versius robotic platform
Authors: Khanna Subhash , Barua Areendam
Published: September 2022

Abstract

Introduction

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is currently the standard of care for symptomatic cholelithiasis as well as for chronic and acute cholecystitis. The incidence of bile duct injury in laparoscopic cholecystectomy is still higher than that in open surgery. Surgical robots aim to bridge this gap. With the greater availability of surgical robots and cheaper alternatives to the Da Vinci system, surgeons can take advantage of the better manoeuvrability and better vision that a surgical robot offers. This is likely to make robotic assisted cholecystectomy a very safe option. Here, we present our early data on the robotic procedures performed by the Versius robotic system by CMR (Cambridge Medical Robotics).

Methods

It is a retrospective study, with data collected from our prospectively maintained database at Swagat Super Speciality Surgical Institute and NH, maintained collectively by CMR and our surgical residents. The first consecutive 106 planned robotic cholecystectomies that were performed by a single surgeon were included in the study.

Results

Out of 106 serial planned robotic assisted cholecystectomies (101 robotic assisted cholecystectomies + 5 combined with other procedures), no bile duct injury was reported, with a mean console time of 54.16 min and a mean setup time of 9.29 min. One procedure had to be converted to open for malignancy, and another patient had to be converted to laparoscopy due to dense adhesions with the duodenum. Three chronic liver disease (CLD) patients underwent partial cholecystectomy. A total of 70.75% of patients had no pain – visual analogy scale (VAS) pain score of 0 at POD 1 with minimal blood loss in most of the procedures. No learning curve for robotic assisted cholecystectomy was seen.

Conclusion

Although robotic assisted cholecystectomy was mostly chosen for patients in whom difficult cholecystectomy was clinically anticipated, it fared quite well. The learning curve was essentially non-existent. Robotic assisted cholecystectomy is a safe and feasible option in both simple and difficult cases of gallbladder disease.

Highlights
Frustrated Majorities
Authors: Hill Seth J.
Published: September 2022

Democratic elections do not always deliver what majorities want. Many conclude from frustrated majorities a failure of democracy. This book argues the opposite may be true – that politicians who represent their constituents sometimes frustrate majorities. A theory of issue intensity explains how the intensity with which different voters care about political issues drives key features of elections, political participation, representation, and public policy. Because candidates for office are more certain of winning the votes of those who care intensely, they sometimes side with an intense minority over a less intense majority. Voters who care intensely communicate their intensity by taking political action: volunteering, contributing, and speaking out. From questions like whose voices should matter in a democracy to whose voices actually matter, this rigorous book blends ideas from democratic theory and formal political economy with new empirical evidence to tackle a topic of central importance to American politics.
Beach-Inlet Interaction and Sediment Management
Authors: Wang Ping , Beck Tanya M.
Published: September 2022

Beaches, barrier islands and tidal inlets are valuable coastal resources and provide desirable environments that are often densely populated. They are dynamic landforms that change constantly, driven by both normal processes and energetic storms. They behave as one interconnected system and must be understood and managed as such. This book discusses their various morphologic features, as well as the processes that shape them and future challenges due to environmental change. A major focus is placed on the interaction between sandy beaches and tidal inlets, and the sediment exchange among various morphologic features. Balancing these valuable sediment resources while maintaining the natural sediment exchange constitutes a major goal of modern shore protection and coastal management. Illustrated with numerous aerial photographs to demonstrate how beaches and tidal inlets interact, this book provides a valuable reference for graduate students, researchers and professionals working in coastal management and geomorphology.
The American Southern Gothic on Screen
Authors: Horsley Karen
Published: September 2022

The American Southern Gothic on Screen explores a body of screen texts that conform to certain generic conventions and aesthetics that, since the early twentieth century, have led to the construction of the American South as a space of ruin, decay, melancholy, loss, and haunting. The book considers the cultural significance of the Southern Gothic on screen by examining southern otherness as the primary mechanism through which the South is rendered a space of darkness and danger. This opens up a critical space for the Southern Gothic to be discussed as a screen genre with its own complex visual, thematic and narrative codes. The book establishes a perspective that synthesizes a broad understanding of Southern Gothic genericity with pre-existing cultural and political discourses on the South, resulting in an analysis that is specific to film and television while remaining heedful of the intersecting discourses that inform both the Gothic and the South as historic and mediated constructs.
Beyond Chronology, Using Bayesian Inference to Evaluate Hypotheses in Archaeology
Authors: Otárola-Castillo Erik R. , Torquato Melissa G. , Wolfhagen Jesse , Hill Matthew E. , Buck Caitlin E.
Published: September 2022

Archaeologists frequently use probability distributions and null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) to assess how well survey, excavation, or experimental data align with their hypotheses about the past. Bayesian inference is increasingly used as an alternative to NHST and, in archaeology, is most commonly applied to radiocarbon date estimation and chronology building. This article demonstrates that Bayesian statistics has broader applications. It begins by contrasting NHST and Bayesian statistical frameworks, before introducing and applying Bayes's theorem. In order to guide the reader through an elementary step-by-step Bayesian analysis, this article uses a fictional archaeological faunal assemblage from a single site. The fictional example is then expanded to demonstrate how Bayesian analyses can be applied to data with a range of properties, formally incorporating expert prior knowledge into the hypothesis evaluation process.
Real-time thermoacoustic data assimilation
Authors: Nóvoa A. , Magri L.
Published: September 2022

Low-order thermoacoustic models are qualitatively correct, but typically, they are quantitatively inaccurate. We propose a time-domain bias-aware method to make qualitatively low-order models quantitatively (more) accurate. First, we develop a Bayesian ensemble data assimilation method for a low-order model to self-adapt and self-correct any time that reference data become available. Second, we apply the methodology to infer the thermoacoustic states and heat-release parameters on the fly without storing data (real time). We perform twin experiments using synthetic acoustic pressure measurements to analyse the performance of data assimilation in all nonlinear thermoacoustic regimes, from limit cycles to chaos, and interpret the results physically. Third, we propose practical rules for thermoacoustic data assimilation. An increase, reject, inflate strategy is proposed to deal with the rich nonlinear behaviour; and physical time scales for assimilation are proposed in non-chaotic regimes (with the Nyquist–Shannon criterion) and in chaotic regimes (with the Lyapunov time). Fourth, we perform data assimilation using data from a higher-fidelity model. We introduce an echo state network to estimate in real time the forecast bias, which is the model error of the low-fidelity model. We show that: (i) the correct acoustic pressure, parameters, and model bias can be inferred accurately; (ii) the learning is robust as it can tackle large uncertainties in the observations (up to 50 % of the mean values); (iii) the uncertainty of the prediction and parameters is naturally part of the output; and (iv) both the time-accurate solution and statistics can be inferred successfully. Data assimilation opens up new possibility for real-time prediction of thermoacoustics by combining physical knowledge and experimental data synergistically.
Unsteady aerodynamic theory for membrane wings
Authors: Tiomkin Sonya , Jaworski Justin W.
Published: September 2022

We study analytically the dynamic response of membrane aerofoils subject to arbitrary, small-amplitude chord motions and transverse gusts in a two-dimensional inviscid incompressible flow. The theoretical model assumes linear deformations of an extensible membrane under constant tension, which are coupled aeroelastically to external aerodynamic loads using unsteady thin aerofoil theory. The structural and aerodynamic membrane responses are investigated for harmonic heave oscillations, an instantaneous change in angle of attack, sinusoidal transverse gusts and a sharp-edged gust. The unsteady lift responses for these scenarios produce aeroelastic extensions to the Theodorsen, Wagner, Sears and Küssner functions, respectively, for a membrane aerofoil. These extensions incorporate for the first time membrane fluid–structure interaction into the expressions for the unsteady lift response of a flexible aerofoil. The indicial responses to step changes in the angle of attack or gust profile are characterised by a slower lift response in short times relative to the classical rigid-plate response, while achieving a significantly higher asymptotic lift at long times due to aeroelastic camber. The unsteady lift for harmonic gusts or heaving motions follows closely the rigid plate lift responses at low reduced frequencies but with a reduced lift amplitude and greater phase lag. However, as the reduced frequency approaches the resonance of the fluid-loaded membrane, the lift response amplitude increases abruptly and is followed by a sharp decrease. This behaviour reveals a frequency region, controlled by the membrane tension coefficient, for which membrane aerofoils could possess substantial aerodynamic benefits over rigid aerofoils in unsteady flow conditions.
Oblique transition in hypersonic double-wedge flow
Authors: Dwivedi Anubhav , Sidharth G.S. , Jovanović Mihailo R.
Published: September 2022

We utilize resolvent and weakly nonlinear analyses in combination with direct numerical simulations (DNS) to identify mechanisms for oblique transition in a Mach

$5$

hypersonic flow over an adiabatic slender double wedge. Even though the laminar separated flow is globally stable, resolvent analysis demonstrates significant amplification of unsteady external disturbances to the linearized flow equations. These disturbances are introduced upstream of the separation zone and they lead to the appearance of oblique waves further downstream. We demonstrate that the large amplification of oblique waves arises from the growth of fluctuation shear stress due to streamline curvature of the laminar base flow in the separated shear layer. This is in contrast to the attached boundary layers, where no such mechanism exists. We also use a weakly nonlinear analysis to show that the resolvent operator associated with linearization around the laminar base flow governs the evolution of steady reattachment streaks that arise from quadratic interactions of unsteady oblique waves. These quadratic interactions generate vortical excitations in the reattaching shear layer which lead to the formation of streaks in the recirculation zone and their subsequent amplification, breakdown and transition to turbulence downstream. Our analysis of the energy budget shows that deceleration of the base flow near reattachment is primarily responsible for amplification of steady streaks. Finally, we employ DNS to examine latter stages of transition to turbulence and demonstrate the predictive power of a weakly nonlinear input–output framework in uncovering triggering mechanisms for oblique transition in separated high-speed boundary layer flows.
Poiseuille flow of a Bingham fluid in a channel with a superhydrophobic groovy wall
Authors: Rahmani H. , Taghavi S.M.
Published: September 2022

Plane Poiseuille flow of a Bingham fluid in a channel armed with a superhydrophobic (SH) lower wall is analysed via a semi-analytical model, accompanied by complementary direct numerical simulations (DNS). The SH surface represents a groovy structure with air trapped inside its cavities. Therefore, the fluid adjacent to the wall undergoes stick–slip conditions. The model is developed based on introducing infinitesimal wall-induced perturbations into the motion equations, followed by Fourier series expansions, and solving the resulting equations as a boundary value problem. The Navier slip law accounts for the slip at the liquid/air interface (assuming the Cassie state). The presented analysis is fairly comprehensive, covering the creeping and inertial regimes for thick channels (via the semi-analytical and DNS solutions). The main dimensionless numbers are the Reynolds (

$Re$

), Bingham (

$Bi$

) and slip (

$b$

) numbers, as well as the groove periodicity length (

$\ell$

) and the slip area fraction (

$\varphi$

). By increasing

$Bi$

, the perturbation and slip velocity fields grow. As

$Re$

increases, the perturbation and slip velocity fields become asymmetric. For certain flow parameters, an unyielded plug zone may appear on the SH wall liquid/air interface, while its formation is accelerated by inertial effects. The results classify the regimes of creeping and inertial flows via predicting the onset of the unyielded plug zone formation at the SH wall.
Dynamics of forced and unforced autophoretic particles
Authors: Kailasham R. , Khair Aditya S.
Published: September 2022

Chemically active, or autophoretic, particles that isotropically emit or absorb solute molecules undergo spontaneous self-propulsion when their activity is increased beyond a critical Péclet number ($Pe$). Here, we conduct numerical computations, using a spectral element based method, of a rigid, spherical autophoretic particle in unsteady rectilinear translation. The particle can be freely suspended (or ‘unforced’) or subject to an external force field (or ‘forced’). The motion of an unforced particle progresses through four regimes as$Pe$is increased: quiescent, steady, stirring and chaos. The particle is stationary in the quiescent regime, and the solute profile is isotropic about the particle. At$Pe=4$the fore–aft symmetry in the solute profile is broken, resulting in its steady self-propulsion. Our computations indicate that the self-propulsion speed scales linearly with$Pe-4$near the onset of self-propulsion, as has been predicted in previous studies. A further increase in$Pe$gives rise to the stirring regime at$Pe\approx 27$, where the fluid undergoes recirculation, while the particle remains essentially stationary. As$Pe$is increased even further, the particle dynamics is marked by chaotic oscillations at$Pe\approx 55$and higher, which we characterize in terms of the mean square displacement and velocity autocorrelation of the particle. Our results for an autophoretic particle under a weak external force are in good agreement with recent asymptotic predictions (Saha, Yariv & Schnitzer,J. Fluid Mech., vol. 916, 2021, p. A47). Additionally, we demonstrate that the strength and temporal scheduling of the external force may be tuned to modulate the chaotic dynamics at large$Pe$.
ON THE WARING–GOLDBACH PROBLEM FOR ONE SQUARE, FOUR CUBES AND ONE BIQUADRATE
Authors: LI JINJIANG , XUE FEI , ZHANG MIN
Published: September 2022

Let N be a sufficiently large integer. We prove that, with at most
$O(N^{23/48+\varepsilon })$
exceptions, all even positive integers up to N can be represented in the form
$p_1^2+p_2^3+p_3^3+p_4^3+p_5^3+p_6^4$
, where
$p_1,p_2,p_3,p_4,p_5,p_6$
are prime numbers.
HANKEL MEASURES FOR FOCK SPACE
Authors: WANG ERMIN
Published: September 2022

Inspired by Xiao’s work on Hankel measures for Hardy and Bergman spaces [‘Pseudo-Carleson measures for weighted Bergman spaces’. Michigan Math. J.47 (2000), 447–452], we introduce Hankel measures for Fock space
$F^p_\alpha $
. Given
$p\ge 1$
, we obtain several equivalent descriptions for such measures on
$F^p_\alpha $
.
Negative human–crocodile interactions in Kariba, Zimbabwe: data to support potential mitigation strategies
Authors: Matanzima Joshua , Marowa Ivan , Nhiwatiwa Tamuka
Published: September 2022

Interactions between people and wild animals often result in negative impacts, and different views on the management of such interactions can lead to conflicts. Both intentional and unintentional negative human–wildlife interactions are increasing problems in many places where people share space with wild animals. Here we focus on negative interactions between people and Nile crocodiles Crocodylus niloticus in and around Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. In the study area, crocodile attacks on people occur frequently, leading to people being injured or killed, which in turn prompts retaliatory actions against crocodiles. However, despite the negative impact of such interactions on both people and crocodiles, little is known about the spatio-temporal patterns of crocodile attacks or environmental conditions under which attacks occur. We collected information about crocodile attacks on people that occurred during 2000–2020, including the date, time, season and location of attacks, the age of victims and the activities they were carrying out when attacks occurred, and water conditions during attacks. We analysed these data to discern patterns and trends of crocodile attacks on people. Attacks occurred in clear as well as turbid water, and nearly half of all reported attacks were at night or in the early morning. The locations with the highest number of recorded attacks were Nyanyana and Charara lakeside, and the fewest attacks occurred at Andora harbour. Most victims were 26–40 years old, and most were attacked in the dry-hot season, while they were fishing. Our findings can be used to design area-specific mitigation strategies to reduce negative human–crocodile interactions.
Translation as discrimination: Sociolinguistics and inequality in multilingual institutional contexts
Authors: Angermeyer Philipp Sebastian
Published: September 2022

Sociolinguistic approaches to social justice tend to treat the use of interpreters or translators as a remedy to linguistic inequality in multilingual institutional settings. This article challenges this assumption by showing how translation can instead contribute to inequality and discrimination. Drawing on studies of face-to-face interpreting in judicial contexts and of written translation in linguistic landscapes, it explores inequalities found in habitual practices of professional interpreters and in the use of machine translation. It shows how language ideologies about multilingualism motivate translation practices that systematically restrict the participation of speakers of subordinated languages, or that stereotype them as deviant when addressed solely by prohibitions and warnings, a practice I call ‘punitive multilingualism’. The article thus argues that sociolinguistic studies of multilingualism should pay closer attention to translation practices within a wider context of language contact and in relation to phenomena such as translanguaging, mock languages, or language shift. (Translation, interpreting, justice, linguistic landscape, discrimination)*
Application of elliptic integrals in marine navigation
Authors: Petrović Miljenko
Published: September 2022

If the Earth's oblateness is neglected in marine navigation, then the sphere gives a relatively simple solution for course and distance between any two points. The navigation sphere where a span of one minute of arc is equal to nautical mile is used. The primary deficiency of this approach is the lack of a closed-form formula that takes the Earth's eccentricity into account. Considering the Earth as an oblate spheroid, i.e., a rotational ellipsoid with a small flattening, the problem of computing the length of the meridian arc leads to the understanding of elliptic integrals. In this paper, incomplete elliptic integrals of the first, second and third kind are used to find an arbitrary elliptical arc. The results prove an advantage of using geocentric latitude compared to geodetic and reduced latitude.
Boar semen cryopreserved with trehalose-containing liposomes: disaccharide determination and rheological behaviour
Authors: Mendoza-Viveros Claudia Denisse , Gutiérrez-Pérez Oscar , Bernad-Bernad María Josefa , Medina-Torres Luis , Monroy-Barreto Minerva , Gimeno Miquel , Trujillo-Ortega María Elena
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to detect intracellular trehalose in boar sperm that were cryopreserved with liposomes and conduct an analysis of its effects on some characteristics of thawed sperm, including rheological properties. First, soybean lecithin cholesterol-based liposomes were produced and characterized in the presence of 300 mM trehalose. Next, semen samples were frozen in two freezing media: a control medium with 300 mM trehalose and an experimental medium supplemented with 300 mM trehalose and 10% liposomes, both of which were thawed and then studied to ascertain their integrity, motility, rheological response, and trehalose quantities by testing two methods of spermatic lysis via high-performance liquid chromatography with an evaporative light-scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD). The results found spherical liposomes measuring 357 nm that were relatively stable in an aqueous medium and had an entrapment efficiency of 73%. An analysis of the cryopreserved ejaculates showed that their viability and motility did not significantly differ between groups (P > 0.05). The viscous response of the samples was influenced by the extracellular medium rather than by the freezing–thawing process, which resulted in a loss of interaction between the cells and cryoprotectants. Finally, intracellular trehalose levels were determined using HPLC-ELSD, with no differences observed (P > 0.05) when comparing both sperm lysis methods. The use of liposomes with trehalose appears to be a promising option for boar semen cryopreservation, with a marked effect on rheological properties. The proposed HPLC-ELSD method was effective for measuring trehalose in cryopreserved cell samples.
Dynamic and aberrant patterns of H3K4me3, H3K9me3, and H3K27me3 during early zygotic genome activation in cloned mouse embryos
Authors: Liu Zhihui , Cui Jing , Wang Weiguo , Li Mingyang , Wang Zhisong , Presicce Giorgio Antonio , Tian Xiuchun (Cindy) , An Liyou , Du Fuliang
Published: September 2022

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT) is associated with aberrant changes in epigenetic reprogramming that impede the development of embryos, particularly during zygotic genome activation. Here, we characterized epigenetic patterns of H3K4me3, H3K9me3, and H3K27me3 in mouse NT embryos up to the second cell cycle (i.e. four-celled stage) during zygotic genome activation. In vivo fertilized and parthenogenetically activated (PA) embryos served as controls. In fertilized embryos, maternal and paternal pronuclei exhibited asymmetric H3K4me3, H3K9me3, and H3K27me3 modifications, with the paternal pronucleus showing delayed epigenetic modifications. Higher levels of H3K4me3 and H3K9me3 were observed in NT and PA embryos than in fertilized embryos. However, NT embryos exhibited a lower level of H3K27me3 than PA and fertilized embryos from pronuclear stage 3 to the four-celled stage. Our finding that NT embryos exhibited aberrant H3K4me3, H3K9me3, and H3K27me3 modifications in comparison with fertilized embryos during early zygotic genome activation help to unravel the epigenetic mechanisms of methylation changes in early NT reprogramming and provide an insight into the role of histone H3 in the regulation of cell plasticity during natural reproduction and somatic cell NT.
Stakeholders’ perspectives on facilitative supervision implementation in north-western Ghana: an exploration of adherence and quality of primary healthcare
Authors: Sarkpoh Faustina , Domapielle Maximillian Kolbe
Published: September 2022

Aim:

Following growing concern about healthcare quality in many developing countries, this article analyses the relationship between facilitative supervision (FS) and the quality of primary healthcare (PHC) services in north-western Ghana.

Background:

While adherence to the tenets of FS aims to trigger improvement in the quality of PHC services, research has seldom explored this relationship to facilitate effective planning and implementation of PHC services, particularly in deprived areas.

Methodology:

Based on the implementation of FS in primary health facilities in a district and a municipality in north-western Ghana, a multi-case study approach was employed to collect and analyse the data. Specifically, 52 semi-structured interviews were conducted in the two study settings and the data were analysed using a thematic framework. Observation and secondary analysis were also employed to generate data to triangulate and supplement the interview data.

Findings:

The results reveal that health facilities in the Wa West district are relatively under-resourced, and this impedes the regularity of supervisory visits compared to the Wa Municipality. This notwithstanding, adherence to the prescriptions of FS is rated by the study participants as moderately satisfactory in both districts, culminating in improvement in the quality of PHC. This finding has implications for innovation in the mobilisation of health resources to increase the regularity of facilitation supervision in deprived settings. We advocate further research to establish whether the marginal improvement in the quality of PHC achieved in the two districts has resulted in an increase in uptake of PHC services to improve the health of the population or not.
ClimateBench v1.0: A Benchmark for Data‐Driven Climate Projections
Authors: Watson‐Parris D. , Rao Y. , Olivié D. , Seland Ø. , Nowack P. , Camps‐Valls G. , Stier P. , Bouabid S. , Dewey M. , Fons E. , Gonzalez J. , Harder P. , Jeggle K. , Lenhardt J. , Manshausen P. , Novitasari M. , Ricard L. , Roesch C.
Published: September 2022

Many different emission pathways exist that are compatible with the Paris climate agreement, and many more are possible that miss that target. While some of the most complex Earth System Models have simulated a small selection of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, it is impractical to use these expensive models to fully explore the space of possibilities. Such explorations therefore mostly rely on one‐dimensional impulse response models, or simple pattern scaling approaches to approximate the physical climate response to a given scenario. Here we present ClimateBench—the first benchmarking framework based on a suite of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, AerChemMIP and Detection‐Attribution Model Intercomparison Project simulations performed by a full complexity Earth System Model, and a set of baseline machine learning models that emulate its response to a variety of forcers. These emulators can predict annual mean global distributions of temperature, diurnal temperature range and precipitation (including extreme precipitation) given a wide range of emissions and concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and aerosols, allowing them to efficiently probe previously unexplored scenarios. We discuss the accuracy and interpretability of these emulators and consider their robustness to physical constraints such as total energy conservation. Future opportunities incorporating such physical constraints directly in the machine learning models and using the emulators for detection and attribution studies are also discussed. This opens a wide range of opportunities to improve prediction, robustness and mathematical tractability. We hope that by laying out the principles of climate model emulation with clear examples and metrics we encourage engagement from statisticians and machine learning specialists keen to tackle this important and demanding challenge.
Vertical Structure of Barotropic‐to‐Baroclinic Tidal Energy Conversion on a Continental Slope
Authors: Liu Z. , Zhang W. G. , Helfrich K. R.
Published: September 2022

Horizontal distribution of the vertically integrated barotropic‐to‐baroclinic energy conversion has been widely studied to examine the generation of internal tides at steep topography. The vertical structure of the energy conversion that provides insights into the associated dynamics, however, is masked by the often used depth‐integrated approach. Here, we reveal the vertical profile of barotropic‐to‐baroclinic energy conversion by employing an idealized ocean model in a slope‐shelf context forced by M2 barotropic tidal flow. The model shows two vertically separated hotspots of energy conversion, one near the sloping bottom and the other at the thermocline, resulting from the stronger vertical velocity and enhancement of the density perturbation, respectively. Isolation of the hotspots demonstrates that baroclinic energy generated in the bottom layer radiates toward onshore and offshore primarily in the form of internal wave beams, whereas that generated at the thermocline propagates away in the form of internal wave modes. Although energy converted at the thermocline contributes to only a small portion of the total energy conversion, it plays an important role in onshore baroclinic energy radiation and can be significantly affected by the internal wave activity at the bottom layer. With a fixed bottom topography, the percentage of baroclinic energy generated at the thermocline is linearly related to a body force exerted by the barotropic tidal flow over topography that can be estimated analytically. This provides a convenient way to estimate the overall barotropic‐to‐baroclinic energy conversion over a continental slope in the real ocean by measuring the energy conversion in the thermocline only.
Science Through Machine Learning: Quantification of Post‐Storm Thermospheric Cooling
Authors: Licata Richard J. , Mehta Piyush M. , Weimer Daniel R. , Drob Douglas P. , Tobiska W. Kent , Yoshii Jean
Published: September 2022

Machine learning (ML) models are universal function approximators and—if used correctly—can summarize the information content of observational data sets in a functional form for scientific and engineering applications. A benefit to ML over parametric models is that there are no a priori assumptions about particular basis functions which can potentially limit the phenomena that can be modeled. In this work, we develop ML models on three data sets: the Space Environment Technologies High Accuracy Satellite Drag Model (HASDM) density database, a spatiotemporally matched data set of outputs from the Jacchia‐Bowman 2008 Empirical Thermospheric Density Model (JB2008), and an accelerometer‐derived density data set from CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP). These ML models are compared to the Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter radar (NRLMSIS 2.0) model to study the presence of post‐storm cooling in the middle‐thermosphere. We find that both NRLMSIS 2.0 and JB2008‐ML do not account for post‐storm cooling and consequently perform poorly in periods following strong geomagnetic storms (e.g., the 2003 Halloween storms). Conversely, HASDM‐ML and CHAMP‐ML do show evidence of post‐storm cooling indicating that this phenomenon is present in the original data sets. Results show that density reductions up to 40% can occur 1–3 days post‐storm depending on the location and strength of the storm.
Massively parallel direct writing of nanoapertures using multi-optical probes and super-resolution near-fields
Authors: Park Changsu , Hwang Soobin , Kim Donghyun , Won Nahyun , Han Runjia , Jeon Seonghyeon , Shim Wooyoung , Lim Jiseok , Joo Chulmin , Kang Shinill
Published: September 2022

Laser direct-writing enables micro and nanoscale patterning, and is thus widely used for cutting-edge research and industrial applications. Various nanolithography methods, such as near-field, plasmonic, and scanning-probe lithography, are gaining increasing attention because they enable fabrication of high-resolution nanopatterns that are much smaller than the wavelength of light. However, conventional methods are limited by low throughput and scalability, and tend to use electron beams or focused-ion beams to create nanostructures. In this study, we developed a procedure for massively parallel direct writing of nanoapertures using a multi-optical probe system and super-resolution near-fields. A glass micro-Fresnel zone plate array, which is an ultra-precision far-field optical system, was designed and fabricated as the multi-optical probe system. As a chalcogenide phase-change material (PCM), multiple layers of Sb65Se35 were used to generate the super-resolution near-field effect. A nanoaperture was fabricated through direct laser writing on a large-area (200 × 200 mm2) multi-layered PCM. A photoresist nanopattern was fabricated on an 8-inch wafer via near-field nanolithography using the developed nanoaperture and an i-line commercial exposure system. Unlike other methods, this technique allows high-throughput large-area nanolithography and overcomes the gap-control issue between the probe array and the patterning surface.
A micromachined electrochemical angular accelerometer with highly integrated sensitive microelectrodes
Authors: Liang Tian , Liu Bowen , Chen Mingwei , Lu Yulan , Chen Jian , Chen Deyong , Wang Junbo
Published: September 2022

This paper presents a micromachined electrochemical angular accelerometer with highly integrated sensitive microelectrodes. Theoretical analyses and numerical simulations were conducted to model the angular accelerometer with key geometrical parameters (e.g., electrode spacing, via spacing and via size) optimized. Highly integrated sensitive microelectrodes were manufactured based on microfabrication and assembled to form MEMS-based electrochemical angular accelerometers. Device characterization was conducted, locating a sensitivity of 80 V/(rad/s2), a bandwidth of 0.01–18 Hz and a noise level of 3.98 × 10−8(rad/s2)/√Hz. In comparison to a previously reported electrochemical angular microaccelerometer, a significant improvement in sensitivity (80 V/(rad/s2) vs. 10 V/(rad/s2)) was achieved due to the new structure of sensitive microelectrodes. These results indicated the potential of the developed MEMS-based electrochemical angular accelerometer in seismology, including natural disaster monitoring and resource exploration.
Interpreting the results of noninferiority trials—a review
Authors: Cuzick Jack , Sasieni Peter
Published: September 2022

Noninferiority trials are becoming increasing common, but are often poorly reported and misunderstood. A better understanding of the new components of a noninferiority trial and their interpretation is needed. Noninferiority trials are an extension of conventional superiority trials, which provide a basis for determining if a new treatment, which may have advantages other than efficacy, has sufficient efficacy to be useful in certain situations. A key feature is the need to specify a clinical noninferiority margin above which the lower boundary of the confidence interval for the difference between the new treatment and the conventional treatment must lie. In most cases a nontreated control arm is not included, and when the efficacy of the new treatment is less than that of the standard treatment, determining its efficacy versus no treatment can be a major challenge. Treatments meeting a clinical noninferiority requirement can be statistically significantly superior to standard treatment, of similar efficacy (i.e., no significant difference), or even significantly inferior in a conventional analysis. Noninferiority comparisons are an important addition to the reporting of clinical trials, but require prior consideration of several factors that conventional superiority analyses do not address.
Phosphorylation of PFKFB4 by PIM2 promotes anaerobic glycolysis and cell proliferation in endometriosis
Authors: Lu Chao , Qiao Pengyun , Fu Ruihai , Wang Yadi , Lu Jiayi , Ling Xi , Liu Lu , Sun Yujun , Ren Chune , Yu Zhenhai
Published: September 2022

Endometriosis (EM) is one of the vanquished wonted causes of chronic pelvic sting in women and is closely associated with infertility. The long-term, complex, systemic, and post-treatment recurrence of EM wreaks havoc on women’s quality of life. Extensive metabolic reprogramming (aerobic glycolysis, glucose overweening intake, and high lactate production) and cancer-like changes have been found in EM, which bears striking similarities to tumorigenesis. The key glycolysis regulator PFKFB4 is overexpressed in EM. However, the mechanism of PFKFB4 in EM remains unknown. We found that PFKFB4 was upregulated and was closely related to the progression of EM. We identified focus PIM2 as a new pioneering adjoin protein of PFKFB4. Vigorous biochemical methods were used to confirm that PIM2 phosphorylated site Thr140 of PFKFB4. PIM2 also could enhance PFKFB4 protein expression through the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. Moreover, PIM2 expression was really corresponding prevalent with PFKFB4 in endometriosis in vivo. Importantly, phosphorylation of PFKFB4 on Thr140 by PIM2 promoted EM glycolysis and cell growth. Our study demonstrates that PIM2 mediates PFKFB4 Thr140 phosphorylation thus regulating glycolysis and EM progression. We illustrated a new mechanism that PIM2 simulated a central upstream partnership in the regulation of PFKFB4, and reveal a novel means of PIM2-PFKFB4 setting EM growth. Our research provided new theoretical support for further clarifying the reprogramming of EM glucose metabolism, and provided new clues for exploring non-contraceptive treatments for EM.