bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transport coefficients for granular gases of electrically charged particles
Authors: Takada Satoshi , Serero Dan , Pöschel Thorsten
Published: February 2022

We consider a dilute gas of electrically charged granular particles in the homogeneous cooling state. We derive the energy dissipation rate and the transport coefficients from the inelastic Boltzmann equation. We find that the deviation of the velocity distribution function from the Maxwellian yields overshoots of the transport coefficients, and especially, the negative peak of the Dufour-like coefficient,$\mu$, in the intermediate granular temperature regime. We perform the linear stability analysis and investigate the granular temperature dependence of each mode, where the instability mode is found to change against the granular temperature. The molecular dynamics simulations are also performed to compare the result with that from the kinetic theory.
Wall similarity in turbulent boundary layers over wind waves
Authors: Geva Meital , Shemer Lev
Published: February 2022

The structure of the steady boundary layer in the airflow over young wind waves is studied in detail using extensive data accumulated in our laboratory as well as in additional laboratory facilities and in field measurements. Following the approach adopted in studies of turbulent flow over solid rough surfaces, the coupling between the spatial evolution of wind waves and wind velocity profiles over the water is analysed. The roughness of the moving water surface under wind is not constant; wind waves that constitute the roughness elements are unsteady, random and three-dimensional. The effective water surface roughness increases with airflow velocity as well as with downstream distance. Nevertheless, the existence of wall similarity as observed in a flow over solid surfaces is demonstrated; a fully rough boundary layer is obtained for young wind waves at diverse operational conditions. This approach enables quantitative study of the coupling between the airflow and local wind wave characteristics.
Cronología radiocarbónica de estilos alfareros arqueológicos: Inicios del período Intermedio Tardío, Noroeste argentino
Authors: Palamarczuk Valeria , Greco Catriel
Published: February 2022

Presentamos una estrategia metodológica para la ubicación temporal de estilos alfareros que combina el análisis contextual y el tratamiento estadístico del conjunto de datos radiocarbónicos disponible. El análisis abordó tres grupos de alfarerías con una amplia expresión regional e importantes afinidades estilísticas: San José, Hualfín y Molinos, representativos de los inicios del período Intermedio Tardío en la región valliserrana del Noroeste argentino. Se trabajó con una muestra exhaustiva de 28 fechados, evaluando diferentes grados de certeza en la asociación muestra-evento, y discriminando la asociación entre los eventos datados y los conjuntos cerámicos. Este tratamiento de los fechados permitió jerarquizar aquellos más confiables y seleccionar una submuestra cualitativamente superior. Los datos depurados se emplearon para evaluar la hipótesis sobre la cronología tardía de los estilos mediante modelación estadística bayesiana. Como resultado se pudieron detectar datos anómalos y ubicar el lapso aproximado de la producción de los conjuntos estilísticos entre los siglos once y catorce dC, momentos que se asocian a desarrollos locales preincaicos. Asimismo, se establecieron tendencias diferenciales entre los tres grupos estilísticos considerados, observando antigüedades mayores para Hualfín y Molinos.
Longitudinal dynamics of co-infecting gastrointestinal parasites in a wild sheep population
Authors: Sweeny Amy R. , Corripio-Miyar Yolanda , Bal Xavier , Hayward Adam D. , Pilkington Jill G. , McNeilly Tom N. , Nussey Daniel H. , Kenyon Fiona
Published: February 2022

Within-year variation in infection is a ubiquitous feature of natural populations, but is determined by a complex interplay of environmental, parasitological and host factors. At the same time, co-infection is the norm in the wild. Longitudinal dynamics of co-infecting parasites may therefore be further complicated by covariation across multiple parasites. Here, we used fecal parasite egg and oocyst counts collected repeatedly from individually marked wild Soay sheep to investigate seasonal dynamics of six gastrointestinal parasite groups. Prevalence and abundance tended to be higher in spring and summer, and abundance was higher in lambs compared to adults. We found that within-year variation in highly prevalent strongyle nematode counts was dependent on adult reproductive status, where reproductive ewes had distinct dynamics compared to males and barren ewes. For similarly prevalent coccidia we found an overall peak in oocyst counts in spring but no differences among males, barren and pregnant ewes. Using multivariate mixed-effects models, we further show that apparent positive correlation between strongyle and coccidia counts was driven by short-term within-individual changes in both counts rather than long-term among-individual covariation. Overall, these results demonstrate that seasonality varies across demographic and parasite groups and highlight the value of investigating co-infection dynamics over time.
Graph-based approach for enumerating floorplans based on users specifications
Authors: Shekhawat Krishnendra , Jain Rahil N. , Bisht Sumit , Kondaveeti Aishwarya , Goswami Dipam
Published: February 2022

This paper aims at automatically generating dimensioned floorplans while considering constraints given by the users in the form of adjacency and connectivity graph. The obtained floorplans also satisfy boundary constraints where users will be asked to choose their preferred location based on cardinal and inter-cardinal directions. Further, spanning circulations are inserted within the generated floorplans. The larger aim of this research is to provide alternative architecturally feasible layouts to users which can be further refined by architects.
Very preterm and very low birthweight infant with pulmonary atresia intact ventricular septum, right ventricle-dependent coronary circulation, and discontinuous pulmonary arteries
Authors: Puente Bao N. , d’Udekem Yves , Krishnan Anita
Published: February 2022

Prematurity and low birthweight are associated with increased mortality in infants undergoing cardiac surgery. Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum and right ventricle-dependent coronary circulation carries one of the highest risks of mortality. We present a patient who was born at 28 weeks of gestation at 1.2 kg, with pulmonary atresia intact ventricular septum, right ventricle-dependent coronary circulation, coronary artery atresia, and discontinuous pulmonary arteries, who successfully underwent palliation with a modified Blalock–Taussig shunt, pulmonary arterioplasty, and subsequently a bidirectional Glenn.
Terrorist Attacks Against Emergency Medical Services: Secondary Attacks are an Emerging Risk
Authors: Schmeitz Cindy T.J. , Barten Dennis G. , van Barneveld Kevin W.Y. , De Cauwer Harald , Mortelmans Luc , van Osch Frits , Wijnands Jaap , Tan Edward C. , Boin Arjen
Published: February 2022

Introduction:

Terrorists increasingly aim at so-called soft targets, such as hospitals. However, little is known about terrorist attacks against Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

Objective:

This study aims to review all documented terrorist attacks against EMS that occurred world-wide from 1970-2019 using the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).

Methods:

Reports of terrorist attacks against EMS were extracted from the GTD from 1970-2019. Data collection included temporal factors, attack and weapon type, number of casualties, and if it was a primary or secondary attack (secondary attack: deliberate attack against the first responders of an initial terrorist attack). Reports were excluded if EMS were not a target or if it was unclear whether they were a target. Chi-square tests were performed to evaluate trends over time.

Results:

There were 184 terrorist attacks against EMS, resulting in 748 deaths and 1,239 people injured. Terrorist attacks against EMS significantly increased over the past two decades. The “Middle East & North Africa” was the most frequently affected region with 81 attacks (44.0%) followed by “South Asia” with 41 attacks (22.3%). Bombings and explosions were the most common attack type (85 incidents; 46.2%) followed by armed assaults (68 incidents; 35.3%). Combined prehospital and hospital attacks were first reported in 2005 and occurred seven times. The first secondary attack against EMS dates from 1997, after which an increase was observed from 10 to 39 incidents in the periods 2000-2009 and 2010-2019, respectively.

Conclusions:

This analysis of the GTD, which identified 184 terrorist attacks against EMS over a 50-year period, demonstrates that terrorist attacks against EMS have significantly increased during the years and that secondary attacks are an emerging risk. Bombings and explosions are the most common attack type. Terrorist attacks against EMS are most prevalent in countries with high level of internal conflicts, however, they have also occurred in western countries. These incidents may hold valuable information to prevent future attacks.
Promoting advance care planning (ACP) in community health clinics in Israel: Perceptions of older adults with pro-ACP attitudes and their family physicians
Authors: Finkelstein Adi , Resnizky Shirli , Cohen Yafit , Garber Randi , Kannai Ruth , Katz Yisrael , Avni Ohad
Published: February 2022

Objective

We examined barriers and facilitators to patient-family physician discussions in Israel about advance care planning, including preparation of an advance directive by adults over age 65, as part of a program in two community health clinics which afforded family physicians the opportunity to dedicate time to such discussions with patients. To the best of our knowledge, the program is the first of its kind in Israel.

Method

We used thematic analyses of qualitative data collected through 22 interviews with patients with pro-advanced care planning attitudes and three focus groups with eleven family physicians.

Results

Overall, three themes in the interviews with patients and two themes in the focus groups with physicians emerged. The program gave people with pro-advanced care planning attitudes the opportunity to follow through with their ideas. We found that patients viewed their family physicians as facilitators and that the use of an information leaflet was an effective way to promote advance directives. Family physicians expressed positive attitudes toward assisting patients in the preparation of advance directives and welcomed an allotment of time for this endeavor as part of their schedule but expressed hesitation about assisting patients concerning legal and moral issues.

Significance of results

A pro-advanced care planning attitude is not enough for patients to complete the process of creating an advance directive; patients need active encouragement and intervention in order to turn their ideas into action. More patient and physician education are necessary to enable patients to protect their right to self-determination in end-of-life medical decision-making and to support physicians as facilitators of the process.
Physical model-driven deep networks for through-the-wall radar imaging
Authors: Wang Yuhao , Zhang Yue , Xiao Mingcheng , Zhou Huilin , Liu Qiegen , Gao Jianfei
Published: February 2022

In order to merge the advantages of the traditional compressed sensing (CS) methodology and the data-driven deep network scheme, this paper proposes a physical model-driven deep network, termed CS-Net, for solving target image reconstruction problems in through-the-wall radar imaging. The proposed method consists of two consequent steps. First, a learned convolutional neural network prior is introduced to replace the regularization term in the traditional iterative CS-based method to capture the redundancy of the radar echo signal. Moreover, the physical model of the radar signal is used in the data consistency layer to encourage consistency with the measurements. Second, the iterative CS optimization is unrolled to yield a deep learning network, where the weight, regularization parameter, and the other parameters are learnable. A quantity of training data enables the network to extract high-dimensional characteristics of the radar echo signal to reconstruct the spatial target image. Simulation results demonstrated that the proposed method can achieve accurate target image reconstruction and was superior to the traditional CS method, in terms of mean squared error and the target texture details.
Under Which Circumstances Does Academic Workload Lead to Stress?
Authors: Koudela-Hamila Susanne , Santangelo Philip S. , Ebner-Priemer Ulrich W. , Schlotz Wolff
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Academic stress is associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, including detrimental effects on mental health, achievement, and well-being. Numerous studies have shown an association between the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and various health and risk factors. Some studies revealed a protective function of the CAR as a stress buffer preventing the stress system from overshooting. We investigated the moderating effect of the CAR on the within-subject association between academic workload and academic stress in participants’ daily lives using ambulatory assessment. We assessed 77 undergraduate university participants for 2 days at the beginning of the semester and approximately 3 months later, individually starting one week before an exam. Participants provided academic stress and academic workload ratings hourly during their waking time using smartphone-based e-diaries and salivary cortisol samples at awakening as well as 30, 45, and 60 min later on two consecutive days during each of the assessment waves. Average within-subject associations between academic workload and academic stress were analyzed using multilevel models. Interactions with indicators of the cortisol awakening response (CAR) were included to test moderating effects of the CAR on the workload-stress associations. There was a significant positive within-subject association between academic workload and academic stress. Significant cross-level interactions showed a moderating effect of the CAR on this association. The results point out the importance of the CAR in the regulation of the workload-stress associations in academic life and underscore the relevance of investigating the influence of specific stressor-dependent reciprocal effects of the CAR on learning and experienced stress.
Clear Air Turbulence Observed Across a Tropopause Fold Over the Drake Passage—A Case Study
Authors: Rodriguez Imazio Paola , Dörnbrack Andreas , Urzua Rodrigo Delgado , Rivaben Nicolás , Godoy Alejandro
Published: February 2022

An aircraft turbulence encounter over the Drake Passage is investigated by combining unique high‐frequency flight level data, vertical profiles of a near‐simultaneous radiosonde profile and numerical results from global and regional numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Meteorological analysis reveals an intense polar low propagating from the Bellinghausen Sea toward the Drake Passage. A small and deep stratospheric intrusion formed a tropopause fold that promoted strong upper‐level frontogenesis and enhanced shear and horizontal deformation of the upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric (UTLS) airflow. In this region, the Basic HALO Measurement and Sensor System (BAHAMAS) aboard the HALO research aircraft flying at FL450 detected large peak‐to‐peak variations in all meteorological parameters. The computed Energy dissipation rate (EDR) values (cubic root of the eddy dissipation rate) indicate moderate to severe turbulence. The location of this turbulence encounter was well‐predicted by the clear air turbulence (CAT) indices derived from the NWP results. The enhanced CAT indices emphasize the large shear and horizontal deformation of the airflow as the cause of the turbulence. Horizontal and vertical energy spectra calculated from the 10 Hz BAHAMAS data show a well‐defined energy cascade toward small scales with Kolmogorov scaling. Maximum EDR values of about 0.35 derived both from the spectra and structure functions for the wind speed agree quantitatively very well. In addition, the structure functions support the detection of turbulent atmospheric conditions with signatures of flow anisotropy generated by enhanced thermal stratification in the UTLS. The scales involved are between the buoyancy length scale LB ≈ 1,500 m and the Ozmidov scale LO ≈ 111 m.
Losses of Radiation Belt Energetic Particles by Encounters With Four of the Inner Moons of Jupiter
Authors: Long Minyi , Ni Binbin , Cao Xing , Gu Xudong , Kollmann Peter , Luo Qiong , Zhou Ruoxian , Guo Yingjie , Guo Deyu , Shprits Yuri Y.
Published: February 2022

Based on an improved model of the moon absorption of Jovian radiation belt particles, we investigate quantitatively and comprehensively the absorption probabilities and particle lifetimes due to encounters with four of the inner moons of Jupiter (Amalthea, Thebe, Io, and Europa) inside L < 10. Our results demonstrate that the resultant average lifetimes of energetic protons and electrons vary dramatically between ∼0.1 days and well above 1,000 days, showing a strong dependence on the particle equatorial pitch angle, kinetic energy and moon orbit. The average lifetimes of energetic protons and electrons against moon absorption are shortest for Io (i.e., ∼0.1–10 days) and longest for Thebe (i.e., up to thousands of days), with the lifetimes in between for Europa and Amalthea. Due to the diploe tilt angle absorption effect, the average lifetimes of energetic protons and electrons vary markedly below and above  = 67°. Overall, the average electron lifetimes exhibit weak pitch angle dependence, but the average proton lifetimes are strongly dependent on equatorial pitch angle. The average lifetimes of energetic protons decrease monotonically and substantially with the kinetic energy, but the average lifetimes of energetic electrons are roughly constant at energies <∼10 MeV, increase substantially around the Kepler velocities of the moons (∼10–50 MeV), and decrease quickly at even higher energies. Compared with the averaged electron lifetimes, the average proton lifetimes are longer at energies below a few MeV and shorter at energies above tens of MeV.
Neutral Air Turbulence in the Mesosphere and Associated Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes (PMSEs)
Authors: Mahmoudian A. , Kosch M. J. , Scales W. A. , Rietveld M. T. , Pinedo H.
Published: February 2022

The first true common volume observations of the PMSE source region with 4 radars are presented in this paper. Radar frequencies of 8, 56, 224, and 930 MHz are used in this study. Three days of experimental observations at EISCAT are presented. Numerical simulations of mesospheric dusty/ice plasma associated with the observed radar frequencies are presented. The effect of neutral air turbulence on the generation and strength of plasma density perturbations associated with PMSE using four radar frequencies and in the presence of various dust parameters is investigated. Using the model it is shown that the well‐known neutral air turbulence in the presence of heavy dust particles and neutral air turbulence combined with dust density (dusty turbulence) can largely explain the observed radar cross‐section at four radar frequencies. The effect of neutral air turbulence amplitude along with dust charging and diffusion in the presence of various dust parameters is investigated using the computational model. Specifically, the response of diffusion to charging time scales, plasma density fluctuation amplitude and background dusty plasma parameters are discussed. Several key parameters in the dusty plasma responsible for the PMSE observations are determined. Qualitative comparison of radar echo strength at 4 frequencies with numerical results is provided. Unlike the previous studies that required large dust particles of 20 nm for PMSE formation, the present work demonstrates the possibility of small dust particles to explain the experimental observations.
The anti-osteosarcoma cell activity by the sphingosine kinase 1 inhibitor SKI-V
Authors: Sun Xu , Shan Hua-jian , Yin Gang , Zhang Xiang-yang , Huang Yu-min , Li Hai-jun
Published: February 2022

Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) expression and activity are elevated in human osteosarcoma (OS) and is a promising target of therapy. SKI-V is a non-competitive and highly-efficient non-lipid SphK1 inhibitor. The potential anti-OS cell activity by the SphK1 inhibitor was studied here. In primary OS cells and immortalized cell lines, SKI-V robustly suppressed cell survival, growth and proliferation as well as cell mobility, and inducing profound OS cell death and apoptosis. The SphK1 inhibitor was however non-cytotoxic nor pro-apoptotic in human osteoblasts. SKI-V robustly inhibited SphK1 activation and induced accumulation of ceramides, without affecting SphK1 expression in primary OS cells. The SphK1 activator K6PC-5 or sphingosine-1-phosphate partially inhibited SKI-V-induced OS cell death. We showed that SKI-V concurrently blocked Akt-mTOR activation in primary OS cells. A constitutively-active Akt1 (ca-Akt1, S473D) construct restored Akt-mTOR activation and mitigated SKI-V-mediated cytotoxicity in primary OS cells. In vivo, daily injection of SKI-V potently suppressed OS xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. In SKI-V-administrated OS xenograft tissues, SphK1 inhibition, ceramide increase and Akt-mTOR inhibition were detected. Together, SKI-V exerts significant anti-OS activity by inhibiting SphK1 and Akt-mTOR cascades in OS cells.
Molecular mechanism of Arp2/3 complex inhibition by Arpin
Authors: Fregoso Fred E. , van Eeuwen Trevor , Simanov Gleb , Rebowski Grzegorz , Boczkowska Malgorzata , Zimmet Austin , Gautreau Alexis M. , Dominguez Roberto
Published: February 2022

Positive feedback loops involving signaling and actin assembly factors mediate the formation and remodeling of branched actin networks in processes ranging from cell and organelle motility to mechanosensation. The Arp2/3 complex inhibitor Arpin controls the directional persistence of cell migration by interrupting a feedback loop involving Rac-WAVE-Arp2/3 complex, but Arpin’s mechanism of inhibition is unknown. Here, we describe the cryo-EM structure of Arpin bound to Arp2/3 complex at 3.24-Å resolution. Unexpectedly, Arpin binds Arp2/3 complex similarly to WASP-family nucleation-promoting factors (NPFs) that activate the complex. However, whereas NPFs bind to two sites on Arp2/3 complex, on Arp2-ArpC1 and Arp3, Arpin only binds to the site on Arp3. Like NPFs, Arpin has a C-helix that binds at the barbed end of Arp3. Mutagenesis studies in vitro and in cells reveal how sequence differences within the C-helix define the molecular basis for inhibition by Arpin vs. activation by NPFs.
A robust method for collider bias correction in conditional genome-wide association studies
Authors: Mahmoud Osama , Dudbridge Frank , Davey Smith George , Munafo Marcus , Tilling Kate
Published: February 2022

Estimated genetic associations with prognosis, or conditional on a phenotype (e.g. disease incidence), may be affected by collider bias, whereby conditioning on the phenotype induces associations between causes of the phenotype and prognosis. We propose a method, ‘Slope-Hunter’, that uses model-based clustering to identify and utilise the class of variants only affecting the phenotype to estimate the adjustment factor, assuming this class explains more variation in the phenotype than any other variant classes. Simulation studies show that our approach eliminates the bias and outperforms alternatives even in the presence of genetic correlation. In a study of fasting blood insulin levels (FI) conditional on body mass index, we eliminate paradoxical associations of the underweight loci:COBLLI;PPARGwith increased FI, and reveal an association for the locus rs1421085 (FTO). In an analysis of a case-only study for breast cancer mortality, a single region remains associated with more pronounced results.
Manipulation of RNA polymerase III by Herpes Simplex Virus-1
Authors: Dremel Sarah E. , Sivrich Frances L. , Tucker Jessica M. , Glaunsinger Britt A. , DeLuca Neal A.
Published: February 2022

RNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcribes noncoding RNA, including transfer RNA (tRNA), and is commonly targeted during cancer and viral infection. We find that Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) stimulates tRNA expression 10-fold. Perturbation of host tRNA synthesis requires nuclear viral entry, but not synthesis of specific viral transcripts. tRNA with a specific codon bias were not targeted—rather increased transcription was observed from euchromatic, actively transcribed loci. tRNA upregulation is linked to unique crosstalk between the Pol II and III transcriptional machinery. While viral infection results in depletion of Pol II on host mRNA promoters, we find that Pol II binding to tRNA loci increases. Finally, we report Pol III and associated factors bind the viral genome, which suggests a previously unrecognized role in HSV-1 gene expression. These findings provide insight into mechanisms by which HSV-1 alters the host nuclear environment, shifting key processes in favor of the pathogen.
Event boundaries shape temporal organization of memory by resetting temporal context
Authors: Pu Yi , Kong Xiang-Zhen , Ranganath Charan , Melloni Lucia
Published: February 2022

In memory, our continuous experiences are broken up into discrete events. Boundaries between events are known to influence the temporal organization of memory. However, how and through which mechanism event boundaries shape temporal order memory (TOM) remains unknown. Across four experiments, we show that event boundaries exert a dual role: improving TOM for items within an event and impairing TOM for items across events. Decreasing event length in a list enhances TOM, but only for items at earlier local event positions, an effect we term the local primacy effect. A computational model, in which items are associated to a temporal context signal that drifts over time but resets at boundaries captures all behavioural results. Our findings provide a unified algorithmic mechanism for understanding how and why event boundaries affect TOM, reconciling a long-standing paradox of why both contextual similarity and dissimilarity promote TOM.
CRISPR-Cas9 induces large structural variants at on-target and off-target sites in vivo that segregate across generations
Authors: Höijer Ida , Emmanouilidou Anastasia , Östlund Rebecka , van Schendel Robin , Bozorgpana Selma , Tijsterman Marcel , Feuk Lars , Gyllensten Ulf , den Hoed Marcel , Ameur Adam
Published: February 2022

CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing has potential to cure diseases without current treatments, but therapies must be safe. Here we show that CRISPR-Cas9 editing can introduce unintended mutations in vivo, which are passed on to the next generation. By editing fertilized zebrafish eggs using four guide RNAs selected for off-target activity in vitro, followed by long-read sequencing of DNA from >1100 larvae, juvenile and adult fish across two generations, we find that structural variants (SVs), i.e., insertions and deletions ≥50 bp, represent 6% of editing outcomes in founder larvae. These SVs occur both at on-target and off-target sites. Our results also illustrate that adult founder zebrafish are mosaic in their germ cells, and that 26% of their offspring carries an off-target mutation and 9% an SV. Hence, pre-testing for off-target activity and SVs using patient material is advisable in clinical applications, to reduce the risk of unanticipated effects with potentially large implications.
A population-based cohort study of obesity, ethnicity and COVID-19 mortality in 12.6 million adults in England
Authors: Yates Thomas , Summerfield Annabel , Razieh Cameron , Banerjee Amitava , Chudasama Yogini , Davies Melanie J. , Gillies Clare , Islam Nazrul , Lawson Claire , Mirkes Evgeny , Zaccardi Francesco , Khunti Kamlesh , Nafilyan Vahé
Published: February 2022

Obesity and ethnicity are known risk factors for COVID-19 outcomes, but their combination has not been extensively examined. We investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and COVID-19 mortality across different ethnic groups using linked national Census, electronic health records and mortality data for adults in England from the start of pandemic (January 2020) to December 2020. There were 30,067 (0.27%), 1,208 (0.29%), 1,831 (0.29%), 845 (0.18%) COVID-19 deaths in white, Black, South Asian and other ethnic minority groups, respectively. Here we show that BMI was more strongly associated with COVID-19 mortality in ethnic minority groups, resulting in an ethnic risk of COVID-19 mortality that was dependant on BMI. The estimated risk of COVID-19 mortality at a BMI of 40 kg/m2 in white ethnicities was equivalent to the risk observed at a BMI of 30.1 kg/m2, 27.0 kg/m2, and 32.2 kg/m2 in Black, South Asian and other ethnic minority groups, respectively.
A silicon singlet–triplet qubit driven by spin-valley coupling
Authors: Jock Ryan M. , Jacobson N. Tobias , Rudolph Martin , Ward Daniel R. , Carroll Malcolm S. , Luhman Dwight R.
Published: February 2022

Spin–orbit effects, inherent to electrons confined in quantum dots at a silicon heterointerface, provide a means to control electron spin qubits without the added complexity of on-chip, nanofabricated micromagnets or nearby coplanar striplines. Here, we demonstrate a singlet–triplet qubit operating mode that can drive qubit evolution at frequencies in excess of 200 MHz. This approach offers a means to electrically turn on and off fast control, while providing high logic gate orthogonality and long qubit dephasing times. We utilize this operational mode for dynamical decoupling experiments to probe the charge noise power spectrum in a silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor double quantum dot. In addition, we assess qubit frequency drift over longer timescales to capture low-frequency noise. We present the charge noise power spectral density up to 3 MHz, which exhibits a 1/fα dependence consistent with α ~ 0.7, over 9 orders of magnitude in noise frequency.
Broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibodies tether viral particles at the surface of infected cells
Authors: Dufloo Jérémy , Planchais Cyril , Frémont Stéphane , Lorin Valérie , Guivel-Benhassine Florence , Stefic Karl , Casartelli Nicoletta , Echard Arnaud , Roingeard Philippe , Mouquet Hugo , Schwartz Olivier , Bruel Timothée
Published: February 2022

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) targeting the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) are promising molecules for therapeutic or prophylactic interventions. Beyond neutralization, bNAbs exert Fc-dependent functions including antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and activation of the complement. Here, we show that a subset of bNAbs targeting the CD4 binding site and the V1/V2 or V3 loops inhibit viral release from infected cells. We combined immunofluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and immunogold staining to reveal that some bNAbs form large aggregates of virions at the surface of infected cells. This activity correlates with the capacity of bNAbs to bind to Env at the cell surface and to neutralize cell-free viral particles. We further show that antibody bivalency is required for viral retention, and that aggregated virions are neutralized. We have thus identified an additional antiviral activity of bNAbs, which block HIV-1 release by tethering viral particles at the surface of infected cells.
Power loss and hotspot analysis for photovoltaic modules affected by potential induced degradation
Authors: Dhimish Mahmoud , Tyrrell Andy M.
Published: February 2022

Potential-induced degradation (PID) of photovoltaic (PV) modules is one of the most severe types of degradation in modern modules, where power losses depend on the strength of the electric field, the temperature and relative humidity, and the PV module materials. Previous studies have only considered single effects of PID; however, this work investigates the power losses, development of hotspots, mm-level defects, and the performance ratio (PR) of 28 PID affected PV modules. Following a standard PID experiment, it was found that (i) the average power loss is 25%, (ii) hotspots were developed in the modules with an increase in the surface temperature from 25 to 45 °C, (iii) 60% of the examined PV modules failed the reliability test following IEC61215 standard, and (iv) the mean PR ratio is equivalent to 71.16%.
The influence of iron-binding ligands in the corrosion of carbon steel driven by iron-reducing bacteria
Authors: Hernandez-Santana Alejandra , Kokbudak Hatice Nursah , Nanny Mark A.
Published: February 2022

Iron reducing bacteria (IRB) are thought to accelerate the corrosion of steel by removing the Fe(III)-oxide passivating layer through iron respiration. We investigated the effect of the iron-binding ligands oxalate, malonate, and succinate on the corrosion of carbon steel driven by the IRB Shewanella oneidensis. These dicarboxylates were found to accelerate the corrosion of carbon steel driven by IRB up to 2.6 times more than the abiotic experiment without dicarboxylates. Iron dissolution was enhanced by dicarboxylates, and this influenced the ability of planktonic cells to engage in iron respiration. The strong iron-binding ligands oxalate and malonate supported iron reduction by planktonic cells, whereas in the experiments with succinate or without dicarboxylate, a direct contact mechanism with the solid Fe(III)-oxide was observed. Faster microbial respiration rates were found in experiments with succinate than with oxalate or malonate, suggesting a competition for iron between the microbial cells and the strong iron-binding ligands.
Pair-density-wave in the strong coupling limit of the Holstein-Hubbard model
Authors: Huang Kevin S. , Han Zhaoyu , Kivelson Steven A. , Yao Hong
Published: February 2022

A pair-density-wave (PDW) is a superconducting state with an oscillating order parameter. A microscopic mechanism that can give rise to it has been long sought but has not yet been established by any controlled calculation. Here we report a density-matrix renormalization-group (DMRG) study of an effective t-J-V model, which is equivalent to the Holstein-Hubbard model in a strong-coupling limit, on long two-, four-, and six-leg triangular cylinders. While a state with long-range PDW order is precluded in one dimension, we find strong quasi-long-range PDW order with a divergent PDW susceptibility as well as the spontaneous breaking of time-reversal and inversion symmetries. Despite the strong interactions, the underlying Fermi surfaces and electron pockets around the K and $${K}^{\prime}$$

K

′

points in the Brillouin zone can be identified. We conclude that the state is valley-polarized and that the PDW arises from intra-pocket pairing with an incommensurate center of mass momentum. In the two-leg case, the exponential decay of spin correlations and the measured central charge c ≈ 1 are consistent with an unusual realization of a Luther-Emery liquid.
Snow flea antifreeze peptide for cryopreservation of lactic acid bacteria
Authors: Chen Xu , Wu Jinhong , Li Xiaozhen , Yang Fujia , Huang Dan , Huang Jianlian , Wang Shaoyun , Guyonnet Vincent
Published: February 2022

Cryogenic machining is one of the most commonly used techniques for processing and preserving in food industry, and traditional antifreeze agents cannot regulate the mechanical stress damage caused by ice crystals formed during recrystallization or thawing. In this study, we successfully developed an express system of a novel recombinant snow flea antifreeze peptide (rsfAFP), which has significant ice recrystallization inhibition ability, thermal hysteresis activity and alters ice nucleation, thus regulating extracellular ice crystal morphology and recrystallization. We showed that rsfAFP improved the survival rate, acid-producing ability, freezing stability, and cellular metabolism activity of Streptococcus thermophilus. We further showed that rsfAFP interacts with the membrane and ice crystals to cover the outer layer of cells, forming a dense protective layer that maintains the physiological functions of S. thermophilus under freezing stress. These findings provide the scientific basis for using rsfAFP as an effective antifreeze agent for lactic acid bacteria cryopreservation or other frozen food.
Morphological and molecular features of early regeneration in the marine annelid Ophryotrocha xiamen
Authors: Chen Ruanni , Mukhtar Irum , Wei Shurong , Wu Siyi , Chen Jianming
Published: February 2022

Regeneration capability varies in the phylum Annelida making them an excellent group to investigate the differences between closely related organisms. Several studies have described the process of regeneration, while the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear, especially during the early stage (wound healing and blastema formation). In this study, the newly identifiedOphryotrocha xiamenwas used to explore the early regeneration. The detailed morphological and molecular analyses positionedO. xiamenwithin ‘labronica’ clade. We analyzed the morphological changes during regeneration process (0–3 days post amputation) and molecular changes during the early regeneration stage (1 day post amputation). Wound healing was achieved within one day and a blastema formed one day later. A total of 243 DEGs were mainly involved in metabolism and signal transduction. Currently known regeneration-related genes were identified inO. xiamenwhich could help with exploring the functions of genes involved in regeneration processes. According to their conserved motif, we identified 8 differentHoxgene fragments andHox5andLox2were found to be absent in early regeneration and during regular growth. Our data can promote further use ofO. xiamenwhich can be used as an experimental model for resolving crucial problems of developmental biology in marine invertebrates.
A macroscopic Washburn approach of liquid imbibition in wood derived from X-ray tomography observations
Authors: Perré Patrick , Nguyen Dang Mao , Almeida Giana
Published: February 2022

Imbibition of water and silicone oil in poplar and spruce is investigated at the anatomical level by X-ray tomography observations and at the macroscopic level by imbibition kinetics. Imbibition mechanisms depend on both liquid and species. In poplar, oil penetrates vessels with a small contact angle, consistent with the value measured on solid wood (ca. $$20^{\circ }$$

20
∘

). Surprisingly, no direct penetration of water was observed in vessels. The large contact angle for water blocks the capillary rise at the scars between vessel cells. In spruce, oil and water penetrate primarily in latewood, where bordered pits remain open. Subsequently, water slowly invades the rest of the growth ring, while transversal migration is quasi-absent for oil. These 3D observations were quantified to feed a simple imbibition model that satisfactorily simulates macroscopic imbibition kinetics. A 1D approach is sufficient for oil imbibition while a 2D approach is required for water, revealing dual scale effects.
Nanostructured Ge and GeSn films by high-pressure He plasma sputtering for high-capacity Li ion battery anodes
Authors: Uchida Giichiro , Nagai Kenta , Habu Yuma , Hayashi Junki , Ikebe Yumiko , Hiramatsu Mineo , Narishige Ryota , Itagaki Naho , Shiratani Masaharu , Setsuhara Yuichi
Published: February 2022

We fabricated nanostructured Ge and GeSn films using He radio-frequency magnetron plasma sputtering deposition. Monodisperse amorphous Ge and GeSn nanoparticles of 30–40 nm size were arranged without aggregation by off-axis sputtering deposition in the high He-gas-pressure range of 0.1 Torr. The Ge film porosity was over 30%. We tested the charge/discharge cycle performance of Li-ion batteries with nanostructured Ge and GeSn anodes. The Ge anode with a dispersed arrangement of nanoparticles showed a Li-storage capacity of 565 mAh/g after the 60th cycle. The capacity retention was markedly improved by the addition of 3 at% Sn in Ge anode. The GeSn anode (3 at% Sn) achieved a higher capacity of 1128 mAh/g after 60 cycles with 92% capacity retention. Precise control of the nano-morphology and electrical characteristics by a single step procedure using low temperature plasma is effective for stable cycling of high-capacity Ge anodes.
Sensitivity of non-conditional climatic variables to climate-change deep uncertainty using Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Zolghadr-Asli Babak , Bozorg-Haddad Omid , Enayati Maedeh , Loáiciga Hugo A.
Published: February 2022

There is substantial evidence suggesting climate change is having an adverse impact on the world’s water resources. One must remember, however, that climate change is beset by uncertainty. It is therefore meaningful for climate change impact assessments to be conducted with stochastic-based frameworks. The degree of uncertainty about the nature of a stochastic phenomenon may differ from one another. Deep uncertainty refers to a situation in which the parameters governing intervening probability distributions of the stochastic phenomenon are themselves subjected to some degree of uncertainty. In most climatic studies, however, the assessment of the role of deep-uncertain nature of climate change has been limited. This work contributes to fill this knowledge gap by developing a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analysis involving Bayes’ theorem that merges the stochastic patterns of historical data (i.e., the prior distribution) and the regional climate models’ (RCMs’) generated climate scenarios (i.e., the likelihood function) to redefine the stochastic behavior of a non-conditional climatic variable under climate change conditions (i.e., the posterior distribution). This study accounts for the deep-uncertainty effect by evaluating the stochastic pattern of the central tendency measure of the posterior distributions through regenerating the MCMCs. The Karkheh River Basin, Iran, is chosen to evaluate the proposed method. The reason for selecting this case study was twofold. First, this basin has a central role in ensuring the region’s water, food, and energy security. The other reason is the diverse topographic profile of the basin, which imposes predictive challenges for most RCMs. Our results indicate that, while in most seasons, with the notable exception of summer, one can expect a slight drop in the temperature in the near future, the average temperature would continue to rise until eventually surpassing the historically recorded values. The results also revealed that the 95% confidence interval of the central tendency measure of computed posterior probability distributions varies between 0.1 and 0.3 °C. The results suggest exercising caution when employing the RCMs’ raw projections, especially in topographically diverse terrain.
Vertical stratification of insect abundance and species richness in an Amazonian tropical forest
Authors: de Souza Amorim Dalton , Brown Brian V. , Boscolo Danilo , Ale-Rocha Rosaly , Alvarez-Garcia Deivys Moises , Balbi Maria Isabel P. A. , de Marco Barbosa Alan , Capellari Renato Soares , de Carvalho Claudio José Barros , Couri Marcia Souto , de Vilhena Perez Dios Rodrigo , Fachin Diego Aguilar , Ferro Gustavo B. , Flores Heloísa Fernandes , Frare Livia Maria , Gudin Filipe Macedo , Hauser Martin , Lamas Carlos José Einicker , Lindsay Kate G. , Marinho Marco Antonio Tonus , Marques Dayse Willkenia Almeida , Marshall Stephen A. , Mello-Patiu Cátia , Menezes Marco Antônio , Morales Mírian Nunes , Nihei Silvio S. , Oliveira Sarah Siqueira , Pirani Gabriela , Ribeiro Guilherme Cunha , Riccardi Paula Raille , de Santis Marcelo Domingos , Santos Daubian , dos Santos Josenilson Rodrigues , Silva Vera Cristina , Wood Eric Matthew , Rafael José Albertino
Published: February 2022

Tropical forests are among the most biodiverse biomes on the planet. Nevertheless, quantifying the abundance and species richness within megadiverse groups is a significant challenge. We designed a study to address this challenge by documenting the variability of the insect fauna across a vertical canopy gradient in a Central Amazonian tropical forest. Insects were sampled over two weeks using 6-m Gressitt-style Malaise traps set at five heights (0 m–32 m–8 m intervals) on a metal tower in a tropical forest north of Manaus, Brazil. The traps contained 37,778 specimens of 18 orders of insects. Using simulation approaches and nonparametric analyses, we interpreted the abundance and richness of insects along this gradient. Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera had their greatest abundance at the ground level, whereas Lepidoptera and Hemiptera were more abundant in the upper levels of the canopy. We identified species of 38 of the 56 families of Diptera, finding that 527 out of 856 species (61.6%) were not sampled at the ground level. Mycetophilidae, Tipulidae, and Phoridae were significantly more diverse and/or abundant at the ground level, while Tachinidae, Dolichopodidae, and Lauxaniidae were more diverse or abundant at upper levels. Our study suggests the need for a careful discussion of strategies of tropical forest conservation based on a much more complete understanding of the three-dimensional distribution of its insect diversity.
Poaching of protected wolves fluctuated seasonally and with non-wolf hunting
Authors: Santiago-Ávila Francisco J. , Treves Adrian
Published: February 2022

Poaching is the main cause of mortality for many large carnivores, and mitigating it is imperative for the persistence of their populations. For Wisconsin gray wolves (Canis lupus), periods of increased risk in overall mortality and poaching seem to overlap temporally with legal hunting seasons for other large mammals (hunting wolves was prohibited). We analyzed monitoring data from adult, collared wolves in Wisconsin, USA (1979–2012, n = 495) using a competing-risk approach to test explicitly if seasons during which it was legal to train hunting hounds (hounding) or hunt other large mammals (hunting) affected wolves’ hazard of cause-specific mortality and disappearance. We found increases in hazard for disappearances and documented (‘reported’) poaching during seasons with hunting, hounding or snow cover relative to a season without these factors. The ‘reported poached’ hazard increased > 650% during seasons with hunting and snow cover, which may be due to a seasonal surge in numbers of potential poachers or to some poachers augmenting their activities. Snow cover was a major environmental factor contributing to poaching, presumably through increased detection of wolves. Our study suggests poaching is by far the highest mortality hazard for wolves and reinforces the need for protections and policies targeting poaching of protected populations.
Increased associative interference under high cognitive load
Authors: Baror Shira , Bar Moshe
Published: February 2022

Associative processing is central for human cognition, perception and memory. But while associations often facilitate performance, processing irrelevant associations can interfere with performance, for example when learning new information. The aim of this study was to explore whether associative interference is influenced by contextual factors such as resources availability. Experiments 1–3 show that associative interference increases under high cognitive load. This result generalized to both long-term and short-term memory associations, and to both explicitly learned as well as incidentally learned associations in the linguistic and pictorial domains. Experiment 4 further revealed that attention to associative information can delay one’s perceptual processing when lacking resources. Taken together, when resources diminish associative interference increases, and additionally, processing novel and ambiguous information is hindered. These findings bare relevance to other domains as well (e.g., social, educational), in which increased load or stress may prompt an undesirable bias towards prior, misleading information.