bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sea current relative navigation using interacting multiple model filter with adaptive fading technique
Authors: Cha Jaehyuck , Hwang Jeong Ho , Park Chan Gook
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we propose a sea current relative navigation method using an interacting multiple model (IMM) filter with adaptive fading technique that can compensate an inaccurate sea current dynamics model. Due to the marine environment, the underwater vehicles largely depend on inertial navigation. Unfortunately, since its performance deteriorates with time, it is usually aided by another sensor. An electromagnetic-log (EM-log) and a Doppler velocity log (DVL), which are mainly used in marine navigation, provide relative velocity measurements to the sea currents, and hence require an accurate sea current dynamics model to fully utilise them. However, it is difficult to reflect the actual sea current changes with just a single fixed model, resulting in degraded overall navigation performance. Therefore, this paper proposes an IMM filter that can use multiple sea current dynamics models and has sub-filters designed with adaptive fading extended Kalman filter (AFEKF) to compensate for the mismodelling of sea current dynamics. The method is verified by simulation and shows a performance improvement comparable to the optimal filter.
Attention-guided lightweight generative adversarial network for low-light image enhancement in maritime video surveillance
Authors: Liu Ryan Wen , Liu Nian , Huang Yanhong , Guo Yu
Published: August 2022

Benefiting from video surveillance systems that provide real-time traffic conditions, automatic vessel detection has become an indispensable part of the maritime surveillance system. However, high-level vision tasks generally rely on high-quality images. Affected by the imaging environment, maritime images taken under poor lighting conditions easily suffer from heavy noise and colour distortion. Such degraded images may interfere with the analysis of maritime video by regulatory agencies, such as vessel detection, recognition and tracking. To improve the accuracy and robustness of detection accuracy, we propose a lightweight generative adversarial network (LGAN) to enhance maritime images under low-light conditions. The LGAN uses an attention mechanism to locally enhance low-light images and prevent overexposure. Both mixed loss functions and local discriminator are then adopted to reduce loss of detail and improve image quality. Meanwhile, to satisfy the demand for real-time enhancement of low-light maritime images, model compression strategy is exploited to enhance images efficiently while reducing the network parameters. Experiments on synthetic and realistic images indicate that the proposed LGAN can effectively enhance low-light images with better preservation of detail and visual quality than other competing methods.
A machine learning approach to mapping canopy gaps in an indigenous tropical submontane forest using WorldView-3 multispectral satellite imagery
Authors: Jackson Colbert M , Adam Elhadi
Published: August 2022

Selective logging in tropical forests may lead to deforestation and forest degradation, so accurate mapping of it will assist in forest restoration, among other ecological applications. This study aimed to track canopy tree loss due to illegal logging of the important hardwood tree Ocotea usambarensis in a closed-canopy submontane tropical forest by evaluating the mapping potential of the very-high-resolution WorldView-3 multispectral dataset using random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) with radial basis function kernel classifiers. The results show average overall accuracies of 92.3 ± 2.6% and 94.0 ± 2.1% for the RF and SVM models, respectively. Average kappa coefficients were 0.88 ± 0.03 for RF and 0.90 ± 0.02 for SVM. The user’s and producer’s accuracies for both classifiers were in the range of 84–100%. This study further indicates that vegetation indices derived from bands 5 and 6 helped detect canopy gaps in the study area. Both variable importance measurement in the RF algorithm and pairwise feature selection proved useful in identifying the most pertinent variables in the classification of canopy gaps. These findings could allow forest managers to improve methods of detecting canopy gaps at larger scales using remote sensing data and relatively little additional fieldwork.
The Sailing Scribes: Circulating Law in the Twentieth-Century Indian Ocean
Authors: Bishara Fahad Ahmad
Published: August 2022

What did the practice of law look like on the high seas? This has been a matter of some discussion among legal historians, with the bulk of the evidence coming from encounters between European ships in the Atlantic and Asia. This article takes a different tack, taking as its starting point a series of contracts copied into the logbook of the early-twentieth century Arab dhow captain (nakhoda) ‘Abdulmajeed Al-Failakawi. Although some of these appear to have been contracts that the nakhoda entered into or witnessed, most were contractual templates that presented formulas for a variety of written obligations between members of the Indian Ocean maritime community. In reading these formulas alongside contracts left behind by Al-Failakawi and other Indian Ocean nakhodas, I reflect on how law circulated by members of an itinerant society of mariners that sought to forge the contours of a commercial world on their ships and across the waters, and weave it through an imperial seascape. I explore how workaday forms of law and legal epistemologies circulated around the maritime marketplaces of the Indian Ocean world, at the margins of a colonial and imperial political economy, through actors who read across different genres of literature, and who moved between the multiple roles of captain, navigator, supercargo, and scribe.
On Petrie cycle and Petrie tour partitions of 3- and 4-regular plane graphs
Authors: He Xin , Zhang Huaming , Han Yijie
Published: August 2022

Given a plane graph
$G=(V,E)$
, a Petrie tour of G is a tour P of G that alternately turns left and right at each step. A Petrie tour partition of G is a collection
${\mathscr P}=\{P_1,\ldots,P_q\}$
of Petrie tours so that each edge of G is in exactly one tour
$P_i \in {\mathscr P}$
. A Petrie tour P is called a Petrie cycle if all its vertices are distinct. A Petrie cycle partition of G is a collection
${\mathscr C}=\{C_1,\ldots,C_p\}$
of Petrie cycles so that each vertex of G is in exactly one cycle
$C_i \in {\mathscr C}$
. In this paper, we study the properties of 3-regular plane graphs that have Petrie cycle partitions and 4-regular plane multi-graphs that have Petrie tour partitions. Given a 4-regular plane multi-graph
$G=(V,E)$
, a 3-regularization of G is a 3-regular plane graph
$G_3$
obtained from G by splitting every vertex
$v\in V$
into two degree-3 vertices. G is called Petrie partitionable if it has a 3-regularization that has a Petrie cycle partition. The general version of this problem is motivated by a data compression method, tristrip, used in computer graphics. In this paper, we present a simple characterization of Petrie partitionable graphs and show that the problem of determining if G is Petrie partitionable is NP-complete.
Comprehensive Environmental Flows Assessment for Multi‐Guilds in the Riparian Habitats of the Yangtze River
Authors: Ban X. , Qi T. , Wang H. Z. , Du H. , Diplas P. , Xiao F. , Du Y. , Gao W. J. , Guo W. X. , Shi X. , Huang W.
Published: August 2022

The development of new strategies for the operation of existing dams is essential for restoring ecosystems that have already been affected by the construction and current regulation of these dams. The assessment of environmental flows (EFs) is significant in guiding such strategic dam operations. However, most of the existing methods just focus on one species or guild without simultaneously considering the interactions with other aquatic organisms. This study proposes an innovative method to determine comprehensive environmental flows (CEFs) for multi‐guilds (fish, macroinvertebrates, and hygrophytes) based on the habitat simulation model. We focused on the riparian habitats in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, coupled the biological preferences of multi‐guilds with suitable habitat factors, including velocity, depth, and substrate, and then analyzed the relationships of flow and weighted usable areas to determine the CEFs for multi‐guilds. The results showed that while the optimal CEFs could be satisfied only in Spring and Summer, the threshold CEF conditions could be met in the Jianli reach throughout the year after the impoundment of Three Gorges Dam (TGD). The results obtained by using the CEFs assessment could better satisfy the EFs for multi‐guilds than the ones developed for individual species. The CEFs could be also used to evaluate the impact of TGD on multi‐guilds’ habitats and optimize ecologically‐friendly operations in already designed dams. This study is helpful for maintaining ecosystem integrity in Yangtze River and provides a good example for use in other dams facing similar issues.
Three‐Dimensional Stress Model of the Collision‐Subduction Junction East of Taiwan: Implications for the Decoupling of the Luzon Arc During Subduction
Authors: Jian Pei‐Ru , Liang Wen‐Tzong , Kuo Ban‐Yuan
Published: August 2022

Carried by the Philippine Sea Plate converging with the Eurasian Plate, the Luzon Arc is obliquely colliding with and accreting to the Eurasian continental margin to build the Taiwan orogen. Northward along the collision suture, the Luzon Arc extends offshore and is being subducted under the Ryukyu Trench. How the northern segment of the Luzon Arc responds to both collision and subduction remains poorly understood. At present, seismic tomography and conventional stress analyses cannot fully capture images of this arc or discern how it deforms following subduction. We employed a three‐dimensional spatial clustering approach in eastern Taiwan to reveal how stress varies along the collision suture. Our results show that the maximum horizontal compression orientation, SH, is sub‐parallel to the plate motion at all depths across the lithosphere, except at shallow depths for the northern segment, where SH exhibits a clockwise rotation from convergence‐parallel by 10°–30°. Accompanying the SH rotation in the northern crustal segment is a tilt of the maximum compressive P‐axes by approximately 20°. We interpret this systematic variation along the suture and with depth as resulting from the rotation of the stress regime in the crust of the Luzon Arc forced by the oblique subduction, and likely augmented by the bending of the Central Range crustal block. The location of rotation/tilting and its disparity with depth may signify a decoupling of the volcanic arc from the mantle lithosphere during early subduction.
Snowmelt Water Use at Transpiration Onset: Phenology, Isotope Tracing, and Tree Water Transit Time
Authors: Nehemy Magali F. , Maillet Jason , Perron Nia , Pappas Christoforos , Sonnentag Oliver , Baltzer Jennifer L. , Laroque Colin P. , McDonnell Jeffrey J.
Published: August 2022

Studies of tree water source partitioning have primarily focused on the growing season. However, little is yet known about the source of transpiration before, during, and after snowmelt when trees rehydrate and recommence transpiration in the spring. This study investigates tree water use during spring snowmelt following tree's winter stem shrinkage. We document the source of transpiration of three boreal forest tree species—Pinus banksiana, Picea mariana, and Larix laricina—by combining observations of weekly isotopic signatures (δ18O and δ2H) of xylem, soil water, rainfall and snowmelt with measurements of soil moisture dynamics, snow depth and high‐resolution temporal measurements of stem radius changes and sap flow. Our data shows that the onset of stem rehydration and transpiration overlaps with snowmelt for evergreens. During rehydration and transpiration onset, xylem water at the canopy reflected a constant pre‐melt isotopic signature likely showing late fall conditions. As snowmelt infiltrates the soil and recharges the soil matrix, soil water shows a rapid isotopic shift to depleted‐snowmelt water values. While there was an overlap between snowmelt and transpiration timing, xylem and soil water isotopic values did not overlap during transpiration onset. Our data showed 1–2‐week delay in the shift in xylem water from pre‐melt to clear snowmelt‐depleted water signatures in evergreen species. This delay appears to be controlled by tree water transit time that was in the order of 9–18 days. Our study shows that snowmelt is a key source for stem rehydration and transpiration in the boreal forest during spring onset.
Outcomes of Babies with Opioid Exposure (OBOE): protocol of a prospective longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Bann Carla M. , Newman Jamie E. , Poindexter Brenda , Okoniewski Katherine , DeMauro Sara , Lorch Scott A. , Wilson-Costello Deanne , Ambalavanan Namasivayam , Peralta-Carcelen Myriam , Limperopoulos Catherine , Kapse Kushal , Davis Jonathan M. , Walsh Michele , Merhar Stephanie
Published: August 2022

Background

While the health, social, and economic impacts of opioid addiction on adults and their communities are well known, the impact of maternal opioid use on the fetus exposed in utero is less well understood.

Methods

This paper presents the protocol of the ACT NOW Outcomes of Babies with Opioid Exposure (OBOE) Study, a multi-site prospective longitudinal cohort study of infants with antenatal opioid exposure and unexposed controls. Study objectives are to determine the impact of antenatal opioid exposure on brain development and neurodevelopmental outcomes over the first 2 years of life and explore whether family, home, and community factors modify developmental trajectories during this critical time period.

Results

Primary outcomes related to brain development include cortical volumes, deep cerebral gray matter volumes, resting-state functional connectivity measures, and structural connectivity measures using diffusion tensor imaging. Primary neurodevelopmental outcomes include visual abnormalities, cognitive, language, and motor skills measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and social–emotional and behavioral problems and competence measured by the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment.

Conclusions

The OBOE study has been designed to overcome challenges of previous studies and will help further understanding of the effects of antenatal opioid exposure on early infant development.

Impact

This study will integrate MRI findings and comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessments to provide early insights into the functional topography of the brain in this high-risk population and assess MRI as a potential biomarker.

Rather than conducting neuroimaging at a single time point, the study will include serial MRI assessments from birth to 2 years, allowing for the examination of trajectories throughout this period of rapid brain development.

While previous studies often have had limited information on exposures, this study will use umbilical cord assays to accurately measure amounts of opioids and other substances from 20 weeks of gestation to birth.
Inhibitory effect of the novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor DCC-2036 on triple-negative breast cancer stem cells through AXL-KLF5 positive feedback loop
Authors: Shen Yingying , Zhu Qingyun , Xiao Maoyu , Yin Liyang , Feng Wenjie , Feng Jianbo , He Jun , Li Pei , Chen Xiguang , Ding Wenjun , Zhong Jing , Zeng Zhaolin , Xie Zhuoye , Liu Jianghua , Zu Xuyu
Published: August 2022

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive histological subtype of breast cancer, exhibits a high risk of early recurrence rate and a poor prognosis, and it is primarily associated with the abundance of cancer stem cells (CSCs). At present, the strategies for effectively eradicating or inhibiting TNBC CSCs are still limited, which makes the development of novel drugs with anti-CSCs function be of great value for the treatment of TNBC, especially the refractory TNBC. In this study, we found that the small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor DCC-2036 suppressed TNBC stem cells by inhibiting the tyrosine kinase AXL and the transcription factor KLF5. DCC-2036 downregulated the expression of KLF5 by decreasing the protein stability of KLF5 via the AXL-Akt-GSK3β signal axis, and in turn, the downregulation of KLF5 further reduced the expression of AXL via binding to its promotor (−171 to −162 bp). In addition, p-AXL/AXL levels were positively correlated with KLF5 expression in human TNBC specimens. These findings indicated that DCC-2036 is able to suppress the CSCs in TNBC by targeting the AXL-KLF5 positive feedback loop. Moreover, our findings indicated that DCC-2036 increased the sensitivity of TNBC chemotherapy. Therefore, this study proposes a potential drug candidate and several targets for the treatment of refractory TNBC.
GASP1 enhances malignant phenotypes of breast cancer cells and decreases their response to paclitaxel by forming a vicious cycle with IGF1/IGF1R signaling pathway
Authors: Liu Zhao , Meng Du , Wang Jianling , Cao Hongxin , Feng Peng , Wu Siyu , Wang Na , Dang Chengxue , Hou Peng , Xia Peng
Published: August 2022

There is a potential correlation between G-protein-coupled receptor-associated sorting protein 1 (GASP1) and breast tumorigenesis. However, its biological function and underlying molecular mechanism in breast cancer have not been clearly delineated. Here, we demonstrated that GASP1 was highly expressed in breast cancers, and patients harboring altered GASP1 showed a worse prognosis than those with wild-type GASP1. Functional studies showed that GASP1 knockout significantly suppressed malignant properties of breast cancer cells, such as inhibition of cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion and xenograft tumor growth in nude mice as well as induction of G1-phase cell cycle arrest, and vice versa. Mechanistically, GASP1 inhibited proteasomal degradation of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) by competitively binding to IGF1R with ubiquitin E3 ligase MDM2, thereby activating its downstream signaling pathways such as NF-κB, PI3K/AKT, and MAPK/ERK pathways given their critical roles in breast tumorigenesis and progression. IGF1, in turn, stimulated GASP1 expression by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway, forming a vicious cycle propelling the malignant progression of breast cancer. Besides, we found that GASP1 knockout obviously improved the response of breast cancer cells to paclitaxel. Collectively, this study demonstrates that GASP1 enhances malignant behaviors of breast cancer cells and decreases their cellular response to paclitaxel by interacting with and stabilizing IGF1R, and suggests that it may serve as a valuable prognostic factor and potential therapeutic target in breast cancer.
Treatment with a JAK1/2 inhibitor ameliorates murine autoimmune cholangitis induced by IFN overexpression
Authors: Shao Tihong , Leung Patrick S. C. , Zhang Weici , Tsuneyama Koichi , Ridgway William M. , Young Howard A. , Shuai Zongwen , Ansari Aftab A. , Gershwin M. Eric
Published: August 2022

The interferon (IFN) signaling pathways are major immunological checkpoints with clinical significance in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. We have generated a unique murine model named ARE-Del, with chronic overexpression of IFNγ, by altering IFNγ metabolism. Importantly, these mice develop an immunologic and clinical profile similar to patients with primary biliary cholangitis, including high titers of autoantibodies and portal inflammation. We hypothesized that the downregulation of IFN signaling pathways with a JAK1/2 inhibitor would inhibit the development and progression of cholangitis. To study this hypothesis, ARE-Del+/− mice were treated with the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib and serially studied. JAK inhibition resulted in a significant reduction in portal inflammation and bile duct damage, associated with a significant reduction in splenic and hepatic CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells. Functionally, ruxolitinib inhibited the secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines IFNγ and TNF from splenic CD4+ T cells. Additionally, ruxolitinib treatment also decreased the frequencies of germinal center B (GC B) cells and T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and led to lower serological AMA levels. Of note, liver and peritoneal macrophages were sharply decreased and polarized from M1 to M2 with a higher level of IRF4 expression after ruxolitinib treatment. Mechanistically, ruxolitinib inhibited the secretion of IL-6, TNF and MCP1 and the expression of STAT1 but promoted the expression of STAT6 in macrophages in vitro, indicating that M1 macrophage polarization to M2 occurred through activation of the STAT6-IRF4 pathway. Our data highlight the significance, both immunologically and clinically, of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in autoimmune cholangitis.
Endophenotype effect sizes support variant pathogenicity in monogenic disease susceptibility genes
Authors: Halford Jennifer L. , Morrill Valerie N. , Choi Seung Hoan , Jurgens Sean J. , Melloni Giorgio , Marston Nicholas A. , Weng Lu-Chen , Nauffal Victor , Hall Amelia W. , Gunn Sophia , Austin-Tse Christina A. , Pirruccello James P. , Khurshid Shaan , Rehm Heidi L. , Benjamin Emelia J. , Boerwinkle Eric , Brody Jennifer A. , Correa Adolfo , Fornwalt Brandon K. , Gupta Namrata , Haggerty Christopher M. , Harris Stephanie , Heckbert Susan R. , Hong Charles C. , Kooperberg Charles , Lin Henry J. , Loos Ruth J. F. , Mitchell Braxton D. , Morrison Alanna C. , Post Wendy , Psaty Bruce M. , Redline Susan , Rice Kenneth M. , Rich Stephen S. , Rotter Jerome I. , Schnatz Peter F. , Soliman Elsayed Z. , Sotoodehnia Nona , Wong Eugene K. ,   NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Consortium, Sabatine Marc S. , Ruff Christian T. , Lunetta Kathryn L. , Ellinor Patrick T. , Lubitz Steven A.
Published: August 2022

Accurate and efficient classification of variant pathogenicity is critical for research and clinical care. Using data from three large studies, we demonstrate that population-based associations between rare variants and quantitative endophenotypes for three monogenic diseases (low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol for familial hypercholesterolemia, electrocardiographic QTc interval for long QT syndrome, and glycosylated hemoglobin for maturity-onset diabetes of the young) provide evidence for variant pathogenicity. Effect sizes are associated with pathogenic ClinVar assertions (P < 0.001 for each trait) and discriminate pathogenic from non-pathogenic variants (area under the curve 0.82-0.84 across endophenotypes). An effect size threshold of ≥ 0.5 times the endophenotype standard deviation nominates up to 35% of rare variants of uncertain significance or not in ClinVar in disease susceptibility genes with pathogenic potential. We propose that variant associations with quantitative endophenotypes for monogenic diseases can provide evidence supporting pathogenicity.
Synthesizing theories of human language with Bayesian program induction
Authors: Ellis Kevin , Albright Adam , Solar-Lezama Armando , Tenenbaum Joshua B. , O’Donnell Timothy J.
Published: August 2022

Automated, data-driven construction and evaluation of scientific models and theories is a long-standing challenge in artificial intelligence. We present a framework for algorithmically synthesizing models of a basic part of human language: morpho-phonology, the system that builds word forms from sounds. We integrate Bayesian inference with program synthesis and representations inspired by linguistic theory and cognitive models of learning and discovery. Across 70 datasets from 58 diverse languages, our system synthesizes human-interpretable models for core aspects of each language’s morpho-phonology, sometimes approaching models posited by human linguists. Joint inference across all 70 data sets automatically synthesizes a meta-model encoding interpretable cross-language typological tendencies. Finally, the same algorithm captures few-shot learning dynamics, acquiring new morphophonological rules from just one or a few examples. These results suggest routes to more powerful machine-enabled discovery of interpretable models in linguistics and other scientific domains.
Organic phosphorescent nanoscintillator for low-dose X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy
Authors: Wang Xiao , Sun Wenjing , Shi Huifang , Ma Huili , Niu Guowei , Li Yuxin , Zhi Jiahuan , Yao Xiaokang , Song Zhicheng , Chen Lei , Li Shi , Yang Guohui , Zhou Zixing , He Yixiao , Qu Shuli , Wu Min , Zhao Zhu , Yin Chengzhu , Lin Chongyang , Gao Jia , Li Qiuying , Zhen Xu , Li Lin , Chen Xiaoyuan , Liu Xiaogang , An Zhongfu , Chen Hongmin , Huang Wei
Published: August 2022

X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy utilizes penetrating X-rays to activate reactive oxygen species in deep tissues for cancer treatment, which combines the advantages of photodynamic therapy and radiotherapy. Conventional therapy usually requires heavy-metal-containing inorganic scintillators and organic photosensitizers to generate singlet oxygen. Here, we report a more convenient strategy for X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy based on a class of organic phosphorescence nanoscintillators, that act in a dual capacity as scintillators and photosensitizers. The resulting low dose of 0.4 Gy and negligible adverse effects demonstrate the great potential for the treatment of deep tumours. These findings provide an optional route that leverages the optical properties of purely organic scintillators for deep-tissue photodynamic therapy. Furthermore, these organic nanoscintillators offer an opportunity to expand applications in the fields of biomaterials and nanobiotechnology.
Land use change and carbon emissions of a transformation to timber cities
Authors: Mishra Abhijeet , Humpenöder Florian , Churkina Galina , Reyer Christopher P. O. , Beier Felicitas , Bodirsky Benjamin Leon , Schellnhuber Hans Joachim , Lotze-Campen Hermann , Popp Alexander
Published: August 2022

Using engineered wood for construction has been discussed for climate change mitigation. It remains unclear where and in which way the additional demand for wooden construction material shall be fulfilled. Here we assess the global and regional impacts of increased demand for engineered wood on land use and associated CO2emissions until 2100 using an open-source land system model. We show that if 90% of the new urban population would be housed in newly built urban mid-rise buildings with wooden constructions, 106 Gt of additional CO2could be saved by 2100. Forest plantations would need to expand by up to 149 Mha by 2100 and harvests from unprotected natural forests would increase. Our results indicate that expansion of timber plantations for wooden buildings is possible without major repercussions on agricultural production. Strong governance and careful planning are required to ensure a sustainable transition to timber cities even if frontier forests and biodiversity hotspots are protected.
Transcontinental spread and evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis W148 European/Russian clade toward extensively drug resistant tuberculosis
Authors: Merker Matthias , Rasigade Jean-Philippe , Barbier Maxime , Cox Helen , Feuerriegel Silke , Kohl Thomas A. , Shitikov Egor , Klaos Kadri , Gaudin Cyril , Antoine Rudy , Diel Roland , Borrell Sonia , Gagneux Sebastien , Nikolayevskyy Vladyslav , Andres Sönke , Crudu Valeriu , Supply Philip , Niemann Stefan , Wirth Thierry
Published: August 2022

Transmission-driven multi-/extensively drug resistant (M/XDR) tuberculosis (TB) is the largest single contributor to human mortality due to antimicrobial resistance. A few major clades of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex belonging to lineage 2, responsible for high prevalence of MDR-TB in Eurasia, show outstanding transnational distributions. Here, we determined factors underlying the emergence and epidemic spread of the W148 clade by genome sequencing and Bayesian demogenetic analyses of 720 isolates from 23 countries. We dated a common ancestor around 1963 and identified two successive epidemic expansions in the late 1980s and late 1990s, coinciding with major socio-economic changes in the post-Soviet Era. These population expansions favored accumulation of resistance mutations to up to 11 anti-TB drugs, with MDR evolving toward additional resistances to fluoroquinolones and second-line injectable drugs within 20 years on average. Timescaled haplotypic density analysis revealed that widespread acquisition of compensatory mutations was associated with transmission success of XDR strains. Virtually all W148 strains harbored a hypervirulence-associated ppe38 gene locus, and incipient recurrent emergence of prpR mutation-mediated drug tolerance was detected. The outstanding genetic arsenal of this geographically widespread M/XDR strain clade represents a “perfect storm” that jeopardizes the successful introduction of new anti-M/XDR-TB antibiotic regimens.
A prospective observational study of post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome following the first pandemic wave in Germany and biomarkers associated with symptom severity
Authors: Kedor Claudia , Freitag Helma , Meyer-Arndt Lil , Wittke Kirsten , Hanitsch Leif G. , Zoller Thomas , Steinbeis Fridolin , Haffke Milan , Rudolf Gordon , Heidecker Bettina , Bobbert Thomas , Spranger Joachim , Volk Hans-Dieter , Skurk Carsten , Konietschke Frank , Paul Friedemann , Behrends Uta , Bellmann-Strobl Judith , Scheibenbogen Carmen
Published: August 2022

A subset of patients has long-lasting symptoms after mild to moderate Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a prospective observational cohort study, we analyze clinical and laboratory parameters in 42 post-COVID-19 syndrome patients (29 female/13 male, median age 36.5 years) with persistent moderate to severe fatigue and exertion intolerance six months following COVID-19. Further we evaluate an age- and sex-matched postinfectious non-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome cohort comparatively. Most post-COVID-19 syndrome patients are moderately to severely impaired in daily live. 19 post-COVID-19 syndrome patients fulfill the 2003 Canadian Consensus Criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Disease severity and symptom burden is similar in post-COVID-19 syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and non-COVID-19/myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Hand grip strength is diminished in most patients compared to normal values in healthy. Association of hand grip strength with hemoglobin, interleukin 8 and C-reactive protein in post-COVID-19 syndrome/non-myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and with hemoglobin, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, bilirubin, and ferritin in post-COVID-19 syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome may indicate low level inflammation and hypoperfusion as potential pathomechanisms.
Precursor engineering of hydrotalcite-derived redox sorbents for reversible and stable thermochemical oxygen storage
Authors: High Michael , Patzschke Clemens F. , Zheng Liya , Zeng Dewang , Gavalda-Diaz Oriol , Ding Nan , Chien Ka Ho Horace , Zhang Zili , Wilson George E. , Berenov Andrey V. , Skinner Stephen J. , Sedransk Campbell Kyra L. , Xiao Rui , Fennell Paul S. , Song Qilei
Published: August 2022

Chemical looping processes based on multiple-step reduction and oxidation of metal oxides hold great promise for a variety of energy applications, such as CO2 capture and conversion, gas separation, energy storage, and redox catalytic processes. Copper-based mixed oxides are one of the most promising candidate materials with a high oxygen storage capacity. However, the structural deterioration and sintering at high temperatures is one key scientific challenge. Herein, we report a precursor engineering approach to prepare durable copper-based redox sorbents for use in thermochemical looping processes for combustion and gas purification. Calcination of the CuMgAl hydrotalcite precursors formed mixed metal oxides consisting of CuO nanoparticles dispersed in the Mg-Al oxide support which inhibited the formation of copper aluminates during redox cycling. The copper-based redox sorbents demonstrated enhanced reaction rates, stable O2 storage capacity over 500 redox cycles at 900 °C, and efficient gas purification over a broad temperature range. We expect that our materials design strategy has broad implications on synthesis and engineering of mixed metal oxides for a range of thermochemical processes and redox catalytic applications.
Structure of a nucleosome-bound MuvB transcription factor complex reveals DNA remodelling
Authors: Koliopoulos Marios G. , Muhammad Reyhan , Roumeliotis Theodoros I. , Beuron Fabienne , Choudhary Jyoti S. , Alfieri Claudio
Published: August 2022

Genes encoding the core cell cycle machinery are transcriptionally regulated by the MuvB family of protein complexes in a cell cycle-specific manner. Complexes of MuvB with the transcription factors B-MYB and FOXM1 activate mitotic genes during cell proliferation. The mechanisms of transcriptional regulation by these complexes are still poorly characterised. Here, we combine biochemical analysis and in vitro reconstitution, with structural analysis by cryo-electron microscopy and cross-linking mass spectrometry, to functionally examine these complexes. We find that the MuvB:B-MYB complex binds and remodels nucleosomes, thereby exposing nucleosomal DNA. This remodelling activity is supported by B-MYB which directly binds the remodelled DNA. Given the remodelling activity on the nucleosome, we propose that the MuvB:B-MYB complex functions as a pioneer transcription factor complex. In this work, we rationalise prior biochemical and cellular studies and provide a molecular framework of interactions on a protein complex that is key for cell cycle regulation.
Integrated cognitive and physical fitness training enhances attention abilities in older adults
Authors: Anguera Joaquin A. , Volponi Joshua J. , Simon Alexander J. , Gallen Courtney L. , Rolle Camarin E. , Anguera-Singla Roger , Pitsch Erica A. , Thompson Christian J. , Gazzaley Adam
Published: August 2022

Preserving attention abilities is of great concern to older adults who are motivated to maintain their quality of life. Both cognitive and physical fitness interventions have been utilized in intervention studies to assess maintenance and enhancement of attention abilities in seniors, and a coupling of these approaches is a compelling strategy to buttress both cognitive and physical health in a time- and resource-effective manner. With this perspective, we created a closed-loop, motion-capture video game (Body-Brain Trainer: BBT) that adapts a player’s cognitive and physical demands in an integrated approach, thus creating a personalized and cohesive experience across both domains. Older adults who engaged in two months of BBT improved on both physical fitness (measures of blood pressure and balance) and attention (behavioral and neural metrics of attention on a continuous performance task) outcome measures beyond that of an expectancy matched, active, placebo control group, with maintenance of improved attention performance evidenced 1 year later. Following training, the BBT group’s improvement on the attention outcome measure exceeded performance levels attained by an untrained group of 20-year olds, and showed age-equilibration of a neural signature of attention shown to decline with age: midline frontal theta power. These findings highlight the potential benefits of an integrated, cognitive-physical, closed-loop training platform as a powerful tool for both cognitive and physical enhancement in older adults.
Superconductivity and topological aspects of two-dimensional transition-metal monohalides
Authors: Dong Wen-Han , Zhang Yu-Yang , Zhang Yan-Fang , Sun Jia-Tao , Liu Feng , Du Shixuan
Published: August 2022

Two-dimensional (2D) superconducting states have attracted much recent interest, especially when they coexist with nontrivial band topology which affords a promising approach towards Majorana fermions. Using first-principles calculations, we predict van der Waals monolayered transition-metal monohalides MX (M = Zr, Mo; X = F, Cl) as a class of 2D superconductors with remarkable transition temperature (5.9–12.4 K). Anisotropic Migdal-Eliashberg theory reveals that ZrCl have a single superconducting gap ∆ ~ 2.14 meV, while MoCl is a two-gap superconductor with ∆ ~ 1.96 and 1.37 meV. The Z2 band topology of 2D MX is further demonstrated that MoF and MoCl are candidates for realizing topological superconductivity. Moreover, the Dirac phonons of ZrCl and MoCl contribute w-shape phononic edge states, which are potential for an edge-enhanced electron-phonon coupling. These findings demonstrate that 2D MX offers an attractive platform for exploring the interplay between superconductivity, nontrivial electronic and phononic topology.
Superconductivity in the crystallogenide LaFeSiO1−δ with squeezed FeSi layers
Authors: Hansen M. F. , Vaney J.-B. , Lepoittevin C. , Bernardini F. , Gaudin E. , Nassif V. , Méasson M.-A. , Sulpice A. , Mayaffre H. , Julien M.-H. , Tencé S. , Cano A. , Toulemonde P.
Published: August 2022

Pnictogens and chalcogens are both viable anions for promoting Fe-based superconductivity, and intense research activity in the related families has established a systematic correlation between the Fe-anion height and the superconducting critical temperature Tc, with an optimum Fe-anion height of ~1.38 Å. Here, we report the discovery of superconductivity in the compound LaFeSiO1−δ that incorporates a crystallogen element, Si, and challenges the above picture: considering the strongly squeezed Fe–Si height of 0.94 Å, the superconducting transition at Tc = 10 K is unusually high. In the normal state, the resistivity displays non-Fermi-liquid behavior while NMR experiments evidence weak antiferromagnetic fluctuations. According to first-principles calculations, the Fermi surface of this material is dominated by hole pockets without nesting properties, which explains the strongly suppressed tendency toward magnetic order and suggests that the emergence of superconductivity materializes in a distinct set-up, as compared to the standard s±- and d-wave electron-pocket-based situations. These properties and its simple-to-implement synthesis make LaFeSiO1−δ a particularly promising platform to study the interplay between structure, electron correlations, and superconductivity.
The antibody landscapes following AS03 and MF59 adjuvanted H5N1 vaccination
Authors: Goll Johannes B. , Jain Aarti , Jensen Travis L. , Assis Rafael , Nakajima Rie , Jasinskas Algis , Coughlan Lynda , Cherikh Sami R. , Gelber Casey E. , Khan S. , Huw Davies D. , Meade Philip , Stadlbauer Daniel , Strohmeier Shirin , Krammer Florian , Chen Wilbur H. , Felgner Philip L.
Published: August 2022

Current seasonal and pre-pandemic influenza vaccines induce short-lived predominantly strain-specific and limited heterosubtypic responses. To better understand how vaccine adjuvants AS03 and MF59 may provide improved antibody responses to vaccination, we interrogated serum from subjects who received 2 doses of inactivated monovalent influenza A/Indonesia/05/2005 vaccine with or without AS03 or MF59 using hemagglutinin (HA) microarrays (NCT01317758 and NCT01317745). The arrays were designed to reflect both full-length and globular head HA derived from 17 influenza A subtypes (H1 to H16 and H18) and influenza B strains. We observed significantly increased strain-specific and broad homo- and heterosubtypic antibody responses with both AS03 and MF59 adjuvanted vaccination with AS03 achieving a higher titer and breadth of IgG responses relative to MF59. The adjuvanted vaccine was also associated with the elicitation of stalk-directed antibody. We established good correlation of the array antibody responses to H5 antigens with standard HA inhibition and microneutralization titers.
Pathological structural conversion of α-synuclein at the mitochondria induces neuronal toxicity
Authors: Choi Minee L. , Chappard Alexandre , Singh Bhanu P. , Maclachlan Catherine , Rodrigues Margarida , Fedotova Evgeniya I. , Berezhnov Alexey V. , De Suman , Peddie Christopher J. , Athauda Dilan , Virdi Gurvir S. , Zhang Weijia , Evans James R. , Wernick Anna I. , Zanjani Zeinab Shadman , Angelova Plamena R. , Esteras Noemi , Vinokurov Andrey Y. , Morris Katie , Jeacock Kiani , Tosatto Laura , Little Daniel , Gissen Paul , Clarke David J. , Kunath Tilo , Collinson Lucy , Klenerman David , Abramov Andrey Y. , Horrocks Mathew H. , Gandhi Sonia
Published: August 2022

Aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) drives Parkinson’s disease (PD), although the initial stages of self-assembly and structural conversion have not been directly observed inside neurons. In this study, we tracked the intracellular conformational states of α-Syn using a single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) biosensor, and we show here that α-Syn converts from a monomeric state into two distinct oligomeric states in neurons in a concentration-dependent and sequence-specific manner. Three-dimensional FRET-correlative light and electron microscopy (FRET-CLEM) revealed that intracellular seeding events occur preferentially on membrane surfaces, especially at mitochondrial membranes. The mitochondrial lipid cardiolipin triggers rapid oligomerization of A53T α-Syn, and cardiolipin is sequestered within aggregating lipid–protein complexes. Mitochondrial aggregates impair complex I activity and increase mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which accelerates the oligomerization of A53T α-Syn and causes permeabilization of mitochondrial membranes and cell death. These processes were also observed in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)–derived neurons harboring A53T mutations from patients with PD. Our study highlights a mechanism of de novo α-Syn oligomerization at mitochondrial membranes and subsequent neuronal toxicity.
Integrable quantum many-body sensors for AC field sensing
Authors: Mishra Utkarsh , Bayat Abolfazl
Published: August 2022

Quantum sensing is inevitably an elegant example of the supremacy of quantum technologies over their classical counterparts. One of the desired endeavors of quantum metrology is AC field sensing. Here, by means of analytical and numerical analysis, we show that integrable many-body systems can be exploited efficiently for detecting the amplitude of an AC field. Unlike the conventional strategies in using the ground states in critical many-body probes for parameter estimation, we only consider partial access to a subsystem. Due to the periodicity of the dynamics, any local block of the system saturates to a steady state which allows achieving sensing precision well beyond the classical limit, almost reaching the Heisenberg bound. We associate the enhanced quantum precision to closing of the Floquet gap, resembling the features of quantum sensing in the ground state of critical systems. We show that the proposed protocol can also be realized in near-term quantum simulators, e.g. ion-traps, with a limited number of qubits. We show that in such systems a simple block magnetization measurement and a Bayesian inference estimator can achieve very high precision AC field sensing.
Local structure elucidation of tungsten-substituted vanadium dioxide (V$$_{1-x}$$W$$_x$$O$$_2$$)
Authors: Wilson Catrina E. , Gibson Amanda E. , Cuillier Paul M. , Li Cheng-Han , Crosby Patrice H. N. , Trigg Edward B. , Najmr Stan , Murray Christopher B. , Jinschek Joerg R. , Doan-Nguyen Vicky
Published: August 2022

Initially, vanadium dioxide seems to be an ideal first-order phase transition case study due to its deceptively simple structure and composition, but upon closer inspection there are nuances to the driving mechanism of the metal-insulator transition (MIT) that are still unexplained. In this study, a local structure analysis across a bulk powder tungsten-substitution series is utilized to tease out the nuances of this first-order phase transition. A comparison of the average structure to the local structure using synchrotron x-ray diffraction and total scattering pair-distribution function methods, respectively, is discussed as well as comparison to bright field transmission electron microscopy imaging through a similar temperature-series as the local structure characterization. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure fitting of thin film data across the substitution-series is also presented and compared to bulk. Machine learning technique, non-negative matrix factorization, is applied to analyze the total scattering data. The bulk MIT is probed through magnetic susceptibility as well as differential scanning calorimetry. The findings indicate the local transition temperature ($$T_c$$Tc) is less than the average$$T_c$$Tcsupporting the Peierls-Mott MIT mechanism, and demonstrate that in bulk powder and thin-films, increasing tungsten-substitution instigates local V-oxidation through the phase pathway VO$$_2\, \rightarrow$$2→V$$_6$$6O$$_{13} \, \rightarrow$$13→V$$_2$$2O$$_5$$5.
Influence of nanoparticles on freezing inside container equipped with fins
Authors: Almarashi Adel , Hussin Amira M. , Mirparizi M. , Zhang Chunwei , Saad Hosam A.
Published: August 2022

With loading of different shapes of nanoparticles, the solidification speed can be changed which was scrutinized in current work. Although the nanoparticles dispersion can decline the heat capacity, the conduction mode can be improved with such technique and changing the styles of nano-powders can alter the strength of conduction. The velocity terms were neglected in freezing, thus, the main equations include two equations with unsteady form for scalars of solid fraction and temperature. Grid adaption with position of ice front has been considered in simulations utilizing FEM. The upper sinusoidal and inner rectangular walls maintain cold temperature and freezing starts from these regions. Adding nanomaterial can expedite the process around 15.75% (for m = 4.8) and 29.8% (for m = 8.6). Also, utilizing particles with shapes of blade form can augment the freezing rate around 16.69%. The efficacy of m on freezing process rises around 4% with elevate of concentration of nanoparticles.
Risk factors for early-onset exfoliation syndrome
Authors: Park Do Young , Jeong Seongyong , Cha Soon Cheol
Published: August 2022

Although exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is an age-related, late-onset disease, early-onset XFS has been reported, and its associated factors remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the clinical features and risk factors of early-onset XFS. The participants were divided into two groups according to age at the time of XFS diagnosis: early-onset (< 60 years) or late-onset (≥ 70 years) group. Among the 302 eyes of 240 patients with XFS, the early-onset group included 41 eyes (14%) of 33 patients, and the late-onset group included 163 eyes (54%) of 126 patients; the mean age was 54.8 ± 5.0 and 76.6 ± 4.9 years, respectively (p < 0.001). All eight cases diagnosed with XFS at the earliest age, ranging from 36 to 52 years, underwent trabeculectomy before the diagnosis of XFS. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that a history of trabeculectomy (odds ratio [OR] = 11.435, p < 0.001), presence of iridectomy (OR = 11.113, p < 0.001), and longer axial length (OR = 2.311, p = 0.003) were significantly associated with the development of early-onset XFS. Collectively, patients with early-onset XFS were more likely to have undergone trabeculectomy and have more axial myopia compared with those with late-onset XFS. These findings suggest that surgical trauma compromising the blood-aqueous barrier may trigger early manifestation of XFS.