bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Individual differences in digesta retention and their relation to chewing in cattle—A pilot investigation
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyu , Li Yang , Terranova Melissa , Ortmann Sylvia , Kreuzer Michael , Hummel Jürgen , Clauss Marcus
Published: May 2022

While information on individual differences in digesta mean retention time (MRT) might be interesting when selecting phenotypes for digestive efficiency, MRT measurements are prohibitively labour‐intensive for large‐scale application. Therefore, more easily measured proxies of MRT might be helpful. We used the opportunity of an experiment applying saliva stimulant in cattle to investigate the effect of different individual chewing behaviour on fluid and particle MRT with a consistent diet. Four non‐lactating cattle (670–850 kg body mass [BM]) were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design, treated with the saliva stimulant pilocarpine in dosages of 0, 1, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg BM per day. The cattle were fed hay with dry matter intake (DMI) assigned according to their metabolic body weight. MRT in the whole gastrointestinal tract (GIT), the reticulorumen (RR) and the distal tract were measured using Co‐EDTA, Cr‐mordanted fibre and La‐mordanted fibre as markers representing fluid, small particles (2 mm) and large particles (1 cm), respectively. The chewing behaviour was measured via noseband pressure sensor and expressed as chewing frequency (chews per time) and chewing intensity (chews per DMI), both for total chewing (ingestion plus rumination) and rumination chewing alone. The animals differed considerably in chewing behaviour and MRT measures. BM did not show a significant effect on chewing behaviour and MRT measures, though it tended to negatively correlated to total chewing intensity. Chewing intensity exerted a significant negative influence on MRT of fluid and particles in the RR, which was not the case for chewing frequency. Chewing frequency showed a significant relationship with MRT of large particles in the GIT. We suggest that chewing behaviour could influence MRT in two ways: (i) by affecting saliva production via the masticatory‐salivary reflex and subsequently, the fluid inflow to the RR; (ii) by contributing to particle size reduction. Should the link between chewing behaviour and MRT be corroborated in larger studies, chewing measures, with their large interindividual variation, could emerge as an easy‐to‐measure proxy for MRT characteristics.
Comparative genomics among cyst nematodes reveals distinct evolutionary histories among effector families and an irregular distribution of effector‐associated promoter motifs
Authors: van Steenbrugge Joris J. M. , van den Elsen Sven , Holterman Martijn , Lozano‐Torres Jose L. , Putker Vera , Thorpe Peter , Goverse Aska , Sterken Mark G. , Smant Geert , Helder Johannes
Published: May 2022

Potato cyst nematodes (PCNs), an umbrella term used for two species, Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis, belong worldwide to the most harmful pathogens of potato. Pathotype‐specific host plant resistances are essential for PCN control. However, the poor delineation of G. pallida pathotypes has hampered the efficient use of available host plant resistances. Long‐read sequencing technology allowed us to generate a new reference genome of G. pallida population D383 and, as compared to the current reference, the new genome assembly is 42 times less fragmented. For comparison of diversification patterns of six effector families between G. pallida and G. rostochiensis, an additional reference genome was generated for an outgroup, the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii (IRS population). Large evolutionary contrasts in effector family topologies were observed. While VAPs (venom allergen‐like proteins) diversified before the split between the three cyst nematode species, the families GLAND5 and GLAND13 only expanded in PCNs after their separation from the genus Heterodera. Although DNA motifs in the promoter regions thought to be involved in the orchestration of effector expression (“DOG boxes”) were present in all three cyst nematode species, their presence is not a necessity for dorsal gland‐produced effectors. Notably, DOG box dosage was only loosely correlated with the expression level of individual effector variants. Comparison of the G. pallida genome with those of two other cyst nematodes underlined the fundamental differences in evolutionary history between effector families. Resequencing of PCN populations with different virulence characteristics will allow for the linking of these characteristics to the composition of the effector repertoire as well as for the mapping of PCN diversification patterns resulting from extreme anthropogenic range expansion.
Beyond continental and African philosophies of personhood, healthcare and difference
Authors: Imafidon Elvis
Published: May 2022

In this study, I explore the challenges that ideological hegemonies of personhood imbibed by nurses and other healthcare workers could pose for the nursing profession, particularly in terms of inhibiting the acknowledgment of difference. Dominant or hegemonic conceptions of personhood in particular spaces often consist of self‐contained ideas and essentialist ontologies and normativity of what it means to be a person, lack of which results in the denial of personhood and the othering as non‐person or sub‐person. The other as the residue of such self‐contained notions of personhood is most often denied the quality of care that the one who fits within such conceptions enjoy. For nurses and other healthcare workers to overcome such exclusionary tendencies in healthcare, they must overcome hegemonies and ideological dominance and be more open to alternative viewpoints and theories of personhood. I develop these lines of thought by focusing on the rich ideological traditions of Continental and African philosophies showing how exclusion takes place within these traditions based on conceptions of personhood and how such exclusion on the basis of difference impacts negatively on healthcare. I conclude by highlighting the need to go beyond hegemonic philosophies of personhood by decolonizing and demasculinizing healthcare, thereby allowing difference to flourish in an ecology of medical knowledge.
Metabolomics analysis reveals molecular linkages for the impact of vitamin D on childhood allergic airway diseases
Authors: Chang Yu‐Ho , Yeh Kuo‐Wei , Huang Jing‐Long , Su Kuan‐Wen , Tsai Ming‐Han , Hua Man‐Chin , Liao Sui‐Ling , Lai Shen‐Hao , Chen Li‐Chen , Chiu Chih‐Yung
Published: May 2022

Background

Several studies have reported the relevance between serum vitamin D and allergic immunoglobulin E (IgE) responses and atopic diseases. However, a metabolomics‐based approach to the impacts of vitamin D on allergic reactions remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 111 children completed a 3‐year follow‐up were enrolled and classified based on longitudinal vitamin D status (≥ 30 ng/ml, n = 54; 20–29.9 ng/ml, n = 41; <20 ng/ml, n = 16). Urinary metabolomic profiling was performed using 1H‐Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy at age 3. Integrative analyses of their associations related to vitamin D levels, atopic indices, and allergies were performed, and their roles in functional metabolic pathways were also assessed.

Results

Six and five metabolites were identified to be significantly associated with vitamin D status and atopic diseases, respectively (FDR‐adjusted p‐value <.05). A further correlation analysis revealed that vitamin D‐associated 3‐hydroxyisobutyric acid and glutamine were positively correlated with atopic disease‐associated succinic acid and alanine, respectively. Furthermore, hippuric acid was negatively correlated with atopic disease‐associated formic acid, which was positively correlated with vitamin D level (p < .01). Absolute eosinophil count (AEC) was positively correlated with serum D. pteronyssinus‐ and D. farinae‐specific IgE level (p < .01) but negatively correlated with vitamin D level (p < .05). Amino acid metabolisms were significantly associated with vitamin D related to childhood allergies.

Conclusion

Integrative metabolomic analysis provides the link of vitamin D‐associated metabolites with the gut microbiome and immunoallergic reactions related to childhood allergies.
Dynamic pricing and inventory management in the presence of online reviews
Authors: Yang Nan , Zhang Renyu
Published: May 2022

We study the joint pricing and inventory management problem in the presence of online customer reviews. Customers who purchase the product may post reviews that would influence future customers' purchasing behaviors. We develop a stochastic joint pricing and inventory management model to characterize the optimal policy in the presence of online reviews. We show that a rating‐dependent base‐stock/list‐price policy is optimal. Interestingly, we can reduce the dynamic program that characterizes the optimal policy to one with a single‐dimensional state space (the aggregate net rating). The presence of online reviews gives rise to the trade‐off between generating current profits and inducing future demands, thus having several important implications for the firm's operations decisions. First, online reviews drive the firm to deliver a better service and attract more customers to post a review. Hence, the safety‐stock and base‐stock levels are higher in the presence of online reviews. Second, the evolution of the aggregate net rating process follows a mean‐reverting pattern: When the current rating is low (respectively, high), it has an increasing (respectively, decreasing) trend in expectation. Third, although myopic profit optimization leads to significant optimality losses in the presence of online reviews, balancing current profits, and near‐future demands suffices to exploit the network effect induced by online reviews. We propose a dynamic look‐ahead heuristic policy that leverages this idea well and achieves small optimality gaps that decay exponentially in the length of the look‐ahead time window. Finally, we develop a general paid‐review strategy, which provides monetary incentives for customers to leave reviews. This strategy facilitates the retailer to (partially) separately generate current profits and induce future demands via the network effect of online reviews.
Between Legal Philosophy and Cognitive Science: The Tension Problem
Authors: Jakubiec Marek
Published: May 2022

Much controversy has arisen in recent years about the relation between legal philosophy and cognitive science, with some authors announcing a revolution brought about in law by the advances in the scientific study of cognition. At the same time, pessimistic declarations were made, and the significance of cognitive science for law and legal philosophy was denied. In this paper I argue that representatives of legal philosophy are now facing a “tension problem” which comes as a consequence of the following beliefs: that legal philosophy should be naturalized; that contemporary cognitive science is not a source of knowledge proper, that is, a source of naturalization; and that contemporary cognitive science is the best available source of knowledge about cognitive mechanisms. To illustrate the significance of the problem, a case study is presented that concerns research devoted to abstract concepts and its significance for the issues analyzed by legal philosophers, such as legal concepts and legal cognition. More general remarks about the manner of naturalizing jurisprudence are also presented.
Measuring and monitoring restored ecosystems: can remote sensing be applied to the ecological recovery wheel to inform restoration success?
Authors: McKenna Phillip B. , Lechner Alex M. , Hernandez Santin Lorna , Phinn Stuart , Erskine Peter D.
Published: May 2022

The commencement of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has highlighted the urgent need to improve restoration science and fast‐track ecological outcomes. The application of remote sensing for monitoring purposes has increased over the past two decades providing a variety of image datasets and derived products suitable to map and measure ecosystem properties (e.g. vegetation species, community composition, and structural dimensions such as height and cover). However, the operational use of remote sensing data and derived products for ecosystem restoration monitoring in research, industry, and government has been relatively limited and underutilized. In this paper, we use the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) ecological recovery wheel (ERW) to assess the current capacity of drone‐airborne‐satellite remote sensing datasets to measure each of the SER's recommended attributes and sub‐attributes for terrestrial restoration projects. Based on our combined expertise in the areas of ecological monitoring and remote sensing, a total of 11 out of 18 sub‐attributes received the highest feasibility score and show strong potential for remote sensing assessments; while sub‐attributes such as gene flows, all trophic levels and chemical and physical substrates have a reduced capacity for monitoring. We argue that in the coming decade, ecologists can combine remote sensing with the ERW to monitor restoration recovery and reference ecosystems for improved restoration outcomes at the local, regional, and landscape scales. The ERW approach can be adapted as a monitoring framework for projects to utilize the benefits of remote sensing and inform management through scalable, operational, and meaningful outcomes.
Recurrent chronic suppurative osteomyelitis in the maxilla of a patient with diabetes mellitus and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
Authors: de Mello Carlos Henrique , Barbosa Joyce , Cortezzi Ellen Brilhante de Albuquerque , Janini Maria Elisa Rangel , Tenório Jefferson R.
Published: May 2022

Aims

To report the case of chronic osteomyelitis of a maxilla in a woman with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM), glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and mental illness, in an attempt to clarify its pathogenesis and treatment.

Methods and Results

A case of a woman with moderate G6PD deficiency (Class III) who developed bilateral and asynchronous chronic suppurative osteomyelitis (CSO) of her maxilla with extensive bone sequestra, fistulae and whose management was performed by local surgery for bony sequestra and fistulae removal; closure communication under 4 weeks antibiotic cover.

Conclusions

CSO of the jaw may be a complication of the G6PD deficiency and DM and its severity depends on patient's medical status.
Sustainability and environmental impact of on‐line hemodiafiltration
Authors: Chazot Charles
Published: May 2022

Environment has become a main issue of human activities. Chronic hemodialysis (HD) therapy saves lives but consumes large amounts of water and power and produces a lot of care‐related waste. On‐line hemodiafiltration (HDF) improves patients' outcomes but increases water consumption from ultra‐pure water needs and infusion volume. New‐generation water treatment systems have much reduced the proportion of reject water that can also be reused. Reducing the dialysate flow in standard HD decreases significantly the water consumption but impacts negatively dialysis efficiency. When on‐line HDF is prescribed, reducing the dialysate flow may be applied to decrease water needs while maintaining dialysis efficiency. Nowadays, dialysis prescription cannot ignore its impact on natural resources and environment.
A model for the early diagenesis of humid climate, fluvial strata influenced by adjacent salt deposits: Grande Anse Formation, Cumberland Basin, Canada
Authors: Bahr Fadel , Keighley Dave
Published: May 2022

Diagenetic models help explain reservoir quality of siliciclastic strata, which are globally important exploration targets for groundwater, petroleum and carbon sequestration. Siliciclastics occur in salt provinces worldwide but remain poorly studied despite documented deviation from basic eodiagenetic models. A new variation is explained based on evidence from Cumberland Basin strata (Grande Anse Formation, Pennsylvanian, Canada). These strata were deposited in a fluvial setting under semi‐humid to humid climates and represent an unconformable cover sequence over a salt wall. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, both employing cathodoluminescence, reveal that widespread early diagenetic phases are mostly deleterious to reservoir quality. These pre‐compactional eodiagenetic phases are: (i) variable dissolution/alteration of feldspars, micas and carbonate/evaporite clasts; clay and grain staining iron oxides; and pore‐filling kaolinite; (ii) microcrystalline calcite; quartz overgrowths, prismatic quartz, quartzine chalcedony and blocky quartz, the latter two pseudomorphous after gypsum; and barite; (iii) framboidal pyrite and locally extensive Mg, Fe and Mn‐bearing blocky calcite. The first phase is attributed to a seasonally wetted vadose zone under relatively low pH and positive Eh conditions characteristic of humid climates. In contrast, the second phase is usually associated with evaporitic conditions and arid climates, where authigenesis occurs in the capillary fringe to just below the water table, and where porewaters are much more saline. The third phase is related to authigenesis from shallow burial, anoxic, phreatic porewaters. How is the aforementioned humid/arid dichotomy deciphered? Important may be the distinction between vadose and circum‐water‐table phases. Beneath vadose deposits of the humid climate, the proximity of evaporite rock in the salt wall allows for its localized dissolution, providing abundant Ca, CO3 and SO4 ions to produce anomalously saline, shallow groundwater. Barite and transient gypsum precipitated, the latter subsequently replaced by chalcedony and pseudomorphous silica during sporadic events where flushing of meteoric water temporarily lowered pH.
Exploring the impact of dimensional comparisons in health contexts
Authors: Edmonds Keith A. , Rose Jason P.
Published: May 2022

“Did I exercise enough this week?” “Should I eat that last donut?” “Am I in good shape?” Due to the ambiguity and difficulty of answering such questions, people often use comparison‐based information to contextualize their standing, inform self‐evaluations, and guide behavior. For example, to ascertain whether they have exercised enough, people can make social comparisons to peers (e.g., “Have I exercised more than my friends?”) or temporal comparisons of the present to the past (e.g., “Have I exercised more this week than last week?”). While ample research has examined the relevance and impact of social and temporal comparisons in a range of health contexts (e.g., health behaviors, risk perceptions), the overarching goal of the present review was to explicate the potential relevance and impact of a third type of comparison standard—dimensional comparisons—in health contexts (with an emphasis on health behaviors like exercise). First, we discuss how social and temporal comparisons shape self‐evaluations in both health and non‐health contexts. Second, we provide an overview of research conducted on dimensional comparisons in non‐health contexts and discuss how comparison sources shape self‐evaluations and self‐concept formation. Third, we explore the potential impact and relevance of dimensional comparisons on self‐evaluations in health behavior contexts. Fourth, and finally, we highlight potential future directions and considerations for advancing our knowledge of the relevance and influence of dimensional comparisons in health contexts.
Generation of Arabidopsis thaliana transformants showing the self‐recognition activity of Brassica rapa
Authors: Yamamoto Masaya , Kitashiba Hiroyasu , Nishio Takeshi
Published: May 2022

Self‐incompatibility in the Brassicaceae family is governed by SRK and SCR, which are two highly polymorphic genes located at the S‐locus. Previously, the Arabidopsis lyrata SRK and SCR genes were introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana to generate self‐incompatible lines. However, there are no reports showing that Brassica SRK and SCR genes confer self‐incompatibility in A. thaliana. Doing so would further advance the mechanistic understanding of self‐incompatibility in Brassicaceae. Therefore, we attempted to generate A. thaliana transformants showing the self‐recognition activity of Brassica rapa by introducing BrSCR along with a chimeric BrSRK (BrSRK chimera, in which the kinase domain of BrSRK was replaced with that of AlSKR‐b). We found that the BrSRK chimera and BrSCR of B. rapa S‐9 and S‐46 haplotypes, but not those of S‐29, S‐44, and S‐60 haplotypes, conferred self‐recognition activity in A. thaliana. Analyses of A. thaliana transformants expressing mutant variants of the BrSRK‐9 chimera and BrSCR‐9 revealed that mutations at the amino acid residues involved in BrSRK9–BrSCR9 interaction caused defects in the self‐incompatibility response. The method developed in this study for generating self‐incompatible A. thaliana transformants showing B. rapa self‐recognition activity will be useful for analysis of self‐recognition mechanisms in Brassicaceae.
Estimation of annual groundwater changes from InSAR‐derived land subsidence
Authors: Ali Muhammad Zeeshan , Chu Hone‐Jay , Tatas  , Burbey Thomas J.
Published: May 2022

Understanding the extent and quantity of groundwater drawdown is critical for developing a mitigation strategy for water management. This study illustrates that the data‐driven model can be used for the spatial estimation of groundwater drawdown using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR)‐based deformation data. Here, InSAR derived from Sentinel‐1 imagery is used to estimate surface deformations in the Choshui river alluvial fan, Taiwan, between 2016 and 2018. Spatial regression (SR) is applied to estimate the annual groundwater drawdown with a calculated R‐square of 0.96, which is shown to be superior to a nonspatial model. This study demonstrates the potential of the satellite‐based groundwater drawdown map prediction using InSAR‐derived land deformation. In predication, the SR model can reliably catch the patterns of annual predicted drawdown without requiring detailed groundwater observations.
C1 actions on manifolds by lattices in Lie groups
Authors: Brown Aaron , Damjanović Danijela , Zhang Zhiyuan
Published: May 2022

In this paper we study Zimmer's conjecture for $C^{1}$ actions of lattice subgroup of a higher-rank simple Lie group with finite center on compact manifolds. We show that when the rank of an uniform lattice is larger than the dimension of the manifold, then the action factors through a finite group. For lattices in ${\rm SL}(n, {{\mathbb {R}}})$, the dimensional bound is sharp.
Absolute Hodge and ℓ-adic monodromy
Authors: Urbanik David
Published: May 2022

Let $\mathbb {V}$ be a motivic variation of Hodge structure on a $K$-variety $S$, let $\mathcal {H}$ be the associated $K$-algebraic Hodge bundle, and let $\sigma \in \mathrm {Aut}(\mathbb {C}/K)$ be an automorphism. The absolute Hodge conjecture predicts that given a Hodge vector $v \in \mathcal {H}_{\mathbb {C}, s}$ above $s \in S(\mathbb {C})$ which lies inside $\mathbb {V}_{s}$, the conjugate vector $v_{\sigma } \in \mathcal {H}_{\mathbb {C}, s_{\sigma }}$ is Hodge and lies inside $\mathbb {V}_{s_{\sigma }}$. We study this problem in the situation where we have an algebraic subvariety $Z \subset S_{\mathbb {C}}$ containing $s$ whose algebraic monodromy group $\textbf {H}_{Z}$ fixes $v$. Using relationships between $\textbf {H}_{Z}$ and $\textbf {H}_{Z_{\sigma }}$ coming from the theories of complex and $\ell$-adic local systems, we establish a criterion that implies the absolute Hodge conjecture for $v$ subject to a group-theoretic condition on $\textbf {H}_{Z}$. We then use our criterion to establish new cases of the absolute Hodge conjecture.
Cambio cognitivo en problemas de proporcionalidad modelado bajo autómatas finitos: Estudio de casos
Authors: Escobar-Melo Hugo , Abello Correa Rocio , Castaño García Jorge , Bustacara-Medina Cesar Julio
Published: May 2022

El artículo presenta el planteamiento teórico-metodológico y los resultados del modelamiento mediante autómatas finitos del cambio y la novedad cognitiva en la solución de problemas de proporcionalidad en dos resolutores que ejecutaron el software Uranus (versión 2), que explica la forma en que controlaron las variables en juego y solucionaron los problemas. El método utilizado corresponde a estudios de caso bajo un enfoque cualitativo microgenético de medidas repetidas, modelamiento mediante autómatas finitos determinísticos y entrevista semiestructurada. Los resultados evidencian el cambio y la novedad a partir del análisis de los diversos estados generados por la manipulación de las variables propias de los problemas de proporcionalidad presentados a los resolutores. Las transiciones de estado, la conformación de segmentos, y los trayectos y trayectorias resultantes, se caracterizan por ser procedimientos no lineales, que evidencian ascensos, descensos y equilibrios puntuados, en el contexto de una epigénesis probabilística.
On the Influence of Ball Milling Time on the Structure and Electrochemical Performance of (Sn71Co29)50C50 wt% Anodes for Li-Ion Battery Applications
Authors: Srinivas M. , Srinivas Kumar A. , Neelakantan Lakshman
Published: May 2022

Ball milled SnCoC composites are an attractive commercial anode material to conventional graphite due to their higher specific capacity and low temperature performance. The effect of ball milling time on the structure and electrochemical properties of the (Sn71Co29)50C50 wt% composite anodes are studied to understand the reasons for the non-realization of the theoretical capacity. Structural analysis reveals the damage of graphite structure with increasing ball milling time from 10 h to 60 h. The cyclic voltammetry and differential capacity measurements indicate the decreasing contribution to capacity from graphite and increasing contribution from Sn with increase in the milling time. The charge-discharge cycling of the anodes at different C rates indicates that though the specific capacity does not improve with longer milling time, the rate capability improves significantly. The damage in the graphite structure during high energy ball milling is found to reduce the capacity of the SnCoC anodes. Based on the investigations, it can be concluded that 10 h of milling time is optimum to realize high specific capacity, whereas longer durations of milling are desirable for high rate discharge characteristics.
Analysis and Application of a New Hybrid Drill Bit for Use in Hard Rocks
Authors: Chengcheng Niu , Chuanliang Yan , Deshuai Zheng , Xutian Hou , Yang Li , Hui Zhang
Published: May 2022

A polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit has advantages, such as a fast drilling rate and long drilling footage, but its abrasive resistance is low. Although an impregnated diamond bit has a high abrasive resistance, the corresponding rate of penetration (ROP) is low. In view of the difficulties of rock breaking in hard rocks and the characteristics of each cutter type, it is necessary to design a new hybrid drill bit with multiple cutting functions. Through laboratory experimentation and analysis, this study investigated a conical PDC cutter with a strong penetration capacity, abrasive resistance, and impact resistance, and developed a new diamond-impregnated block embedded with natural diamonds, with consideration of its matrix formulation and diamond grades, sizes, and concentrations. Moreover, this research optimized the crown shape, blades, cutters’ position, and number with a reinforced hydraulic structure. The combination of three cutters with different structures enables the drill bit to adapt to drilling in hard rocks and greatly improves the rock-breaking efficiency and service life of the drill bit. The drilling test was conducted of the well Jingu 1-1HF in the Jinshan gas field and drill bit demonstrated excellent performance.
High-performance superconducting quantum processors via laser annealing of transmon qubits
Authors: Zhang Eric J. , Srinivasan Srikanth , Sundaresan Neereja , Bogorin Daniela F. , Martin Yves , Hertzberg Jared B. , Timmerwilke John , Pritchett Emily J. , Yau Jeng-Bang , Wang Cindy , Landers William , Lewandowski Eric P. , Narasgond Adinath , Rosenblatt Sami , Keefe George A. , Lauer Isaac , Rothwell Mary Beth , McClure Douglas T. , Dial Oliver E. , Orcutt Jason S. , Brink Markus , Chow Jerry M.
Published: May 2022

Scaling the number of qubits while maintaining high-fidelity quantum gates remains a key challenge for quantum computing. Presently, superconducting quantum processors with >50 qubits are actively available. For these systems, fixed-frequency transmons are attractive because of their long coherence and noise immunity. However, scaling fixed-frequency architectures proves challenging because of precise relative frequency requirements. Here, we use laser annealing to selectively tune transmon qubits into desired frequency patterns. Statistics over hundreds of annealed qubits demonstrate an empirical tuning precision of 18.5 MHz, with no measurable impact on qubit coherence. We quantify gate error statistics on a tuned 65-qubit processor, with median two-qubit gate fidelity of 98.7%. Baseline tuning statistics yield a frequency-equivalent resistance precision of 4.7 MHz, sufficient for high-yield scaling beyond 10
3
qubit levels. Moving forward, we anticipate selective laser annealing to play a central role in scaling fixed-frequency architectures.
FasL microgels induce immune acceptance of islet allografts in nonhuman primates
Authors: Lei Ji , Coronel María M. , Yolcu Esma S. , Deng Hongping , Grimany-Nuno Orlando , Hunckler Michael D. , Ulker Vahap , Yang Zhihong , Lee Kang M. , Zhang Alexander , Luo Hao , Peters Cole W. , Zou Zhongliang , Chen Tao , Wang Zhenjuan , McCoy Colleen S. , Rosales Ivy A. , Markmann James F. , Shirwan Haval , García Andrés J.
Published: May 2022

Islet transplantation to treat insulin-dependent diabetes is greatly limited by the need for maintenance immunosuppression. We report a strategy through which cotransplantation of allogeneic islets and streptavidin (SA)–FasL–presenting microgels to the omentum under transient rapamycin monotherapy resulted in robust glycemic control, sustained C-peptide levels, and graft survival in diabetic nonhuman primates for >6 months. Surgical extraction of the graft resulted in prompt hyperglycemia. In contrast, animals receiving microgels without SA-FasL under the same rapamycin regimen rejected islet grafts acutely. Graft survival was associated with increased number of FoxP3
+
cells in the graft site with no significant changes in T cell systemic frequencies or responses to donor and third-party antigens, indicating localized tolerance. Recipients of SA-FasL microgels exhibited normal liver and kidney metabolic function, demonstrating safety. This localized immunomodulatory strategy succeeded with unmodified islets and does not require long-term immunosuppression, showing translational potential in β cell replacement for treating type 1 diabetes.
A sustainable single-component “Silk nacre”
Authors: Xu Zongpu , Wu Mingrui , Gao Weiwei , Bai Hao
Published: May 2022

Synthetic composite materials constructed by hybridizing multiple components are typically unsustainable due to inadequate recyclability and incomplete degradation. In contrast, biological materials like silk and bamboo assemble pure polymeric components into sophisticated multiscale architectures, achieving both excellent performance and full degradability. Learning from these natural examples of bio-based “single-component” composites will stimulate the development of sustainable materials. Here, we report a single-component “Silk nacre,” where nacre’s typical “brick-and-mortar” structure has been replicated with silk fibroin only and by a facile procedure combining bidirectional freezing, water vapor annealing, and densification. The biomimetic design endows the Silk nacre with mechanical properties superior to those of homogeneous silk material, as well as to many frequently used polymers. In addition, the Silk nacre shows controllable plasticity and complete biodegradability, representing an alternative substitute to conventional composite materials.
Atypical B cells up-regulate costimulatory molecules during malaria and secrete antibodies with T follicular helper cell support
Authors: Hopp Christine S. , Skinner Jeff , Anzick Sarah L. , Tipton Christopher M. , Peterson Mary E. , Li Shanping , Doumbo Safiatou , Kayentao Kassoum , Ongoiba Aissata , Martens Craig , Traore Boubacar , Crompton Peter D.
Published: May 2022

Several infectious and autoimmune diseases are associated with an expansion of CD21
−
CD27
−
atypical B cells (atBCs) that up-regulate inhibitory receptors and exhibit altered B cell receptor (BCR) signaling. The function of atBCs remains unclear, and few studies have investigated the biology of pathogen-specific atBCs during acute infection. Here, we performed longitudinal flow cytometry analyses and RNA sequencing of
Plasmodium falciparum
(
Pf
)–specific B cells isolated from study participants before and shortly after febrile malaria, with simultaneous analysis of influenza hemagglutinin (HA)–specific B cells as a comparator. At the healthy baseline before the malaria season, individuals had similar frequencies of
Pf
- and HA-specific atBCs that did not differ proportionally from atBCs within the total B cell population. BCR sequencing identified clonal relationships between
Pf
-specific atBCs, activated B cells (actBCs), and classical memory B cells (MBCs) and revealed comparable degrees of somatic hypermutation. At the healthy baseline,
Pf
-specific atBCs were transcriptionally distinct from
Pf
-specific actBCs and classical MBCs. In response to acute febrile malaria,
Pf
-specific atBCs and actBCs up-regulated similar intracellular signaling cascades.
Pf
-specific atBCs showed activation of pathways involved in differentiation into antibody-secreting cells and up-regulation of molecules that mediate B-T cell interactions, suggesting that atBCs respond to T follicular helper (T
FH
) cells. In the presence of T
FH
cells and staphylococcal enterotoxin B, atBCs of malaria-exposed individuals differentiated into CD38
+
antibody-secreting cells in vitro, suggesting that atBCs may actively contribute to humoral immunity to infectious pathogens.
Supplemental Material: Crustal growth/reworking and stabilization of the western Superior Province: Insights from a Neoarchean gneiss complex of the Winnipeg River terrane
Authors: Ma Chong , al. et
Published: May 2022

Figures S1‒S5; LA-ICP-MS analytical methods; Tables S1‒S2.
Modified Duke/European Society of Cardiology 2015 clinical criteria for infective endocarditis: time for an update?
Authors: Pecoraro Alfonso Jan Kemp , Herbst Philipus George , Pienaar Colette , Taljaard Jantjie , Prozesky Hans , Janson Jacques , Doubell Anton Frans
Published: May 2022

Background

The diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) is based on the modified Duke/European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2015 clinical criteria. The sensitivity of the criteria is unknown in South Africa, but high rates of blood culture negative endocarditis (BCNIE), coupled with a change in the clinical features of IE, may limit the sensitivity.

Methods

The Tygerberg Endocarditis Cohort study prospectively enrolled patients with IE between November 2019 and June 2021. A standardised protocol for organism detection, with management of patients by an Endocarditis Team, was employed. Patients with definite IE by pathological criteria were analysed to determine the sensitivity of the current clinical criteria.

Results

Eighty consecutive patients with IE were included of which 45 (56.3%) had definite IE by pathological criteria. In patients with definite IE by pathological criteria, 26/45 (57.8%) of patients were classified as definite IE by clinical criteria. BCNIE was present in 25/45 (55.6%) of patients and less than three minor clinical criteria were present in 32/45 (75.6%) of patients. The elevation ofBartonellaserology to a major microbiological criterion of the modified Duke/ESC 2015 clinical criteria would increase the sensitivity (57.8% vs 77.8%; p=0.07).

Conclusion

The sensitivity of the modified Duke/ESC 2015 clinical criteria is lower than expected in patients with IE in South Africa, primarily due to the high rates ofBartonella-associated BCNIE. The elevation ofBartonellaserology to a major microbiological criterion, similar to the status ofCoxiella burnetiiin the current criteria, would increase the sensitivity. The majority of patients with definite IE by pathological criteria had less than three minor criteria present.
Statins are associated with a large reduction in all-cause mortality in women from a cardiac outpatient population
Authors: Bots Sophie H , Onland-Moret N Charlotte , Jancev Milena , Hollander Monika , Tulevski Igor I , Hofstra Leonard , Somsen G Aernoud , den Ruijter Hester M
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Uncertainty about the benefit of (high-intensity) statins for women remains due to under-representation of women in primary prevention trials and scarcity of sex-stratified data. This study evaluates the sex-specific relation between statin treatment and survival and the additional benefit of high-intensity statins.

Methods

Electronic health record data from 47 801 patients (17 008 statin users and 30 793 non-users) without prior cardiovascular disease were extracted from thirteen Dutch outpatient cardiology clinics. Patients prescribed statins at baseline were propensity-score matched to those eligible for statin therapy (low-density lipoprotein >2.5 mmol/L) without a statin prescription. Statins were divided into low-intensity and high-intensity according to Dutch guidelines. Mortality data were obtained via linkage to the national mortality registry. Cox regression was used to evaluate the relationship between statin prescription and intensity and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Results

Propensity score matching created a cohort of 8631 statin users and 8631 non-users. 35% of women and 28% of men received a low-intensity statin. The beneficial effect of statins on both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was stronger in women (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.74 and HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.71, respectively) than in men (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.95 and HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.08, respectively). High-intensity statins conferred modest protection against all-cause mortality (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.00) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.98) in both sexes.

Conclusions

The protective effect of primary prevention statins was stronger in women than men for both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. High-intensity statins conferred a modest additional benefit in both sexes. Statins seem to be effective regardless of treatment intensity, especially in women.
Mindfulness-based intervention in patients with persistent pain in chest (MIPIC) of non-cardiac cause: a feasibility randomised control study
Authors: Mittal Tarun Kumar , Evans Emma , Pottle Alison , Lambropoulos Costas , Morris Charlotte , Surawy Christina , Chuter Antony , Cox Felicia , de Silva Ranil , Mason Mark , Banya Winston , Thakrar Diviash , Tyrer Peter
Published: May 2022

Objective

The study evaluated the feasibility of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in patients with non-cardiac chest pain by assessing their willingness to participate and adhere to the programme, and for these data to help further refine the content of MBCT for chest pain.

Patients and methods

This prospective 2:1 randomised controlled trial compared the intervention of adapted MBCT as an addition to usual care with just usual care in controls. Among 573 patients who attended the rapid access chest pain clinic over the previous 12 months and were not diagnosed with a cardiac cause but had persistent chest pain were invited. The intervention was a 2-hour, weekly, online guided 8-week MBCT course. Compliance with attendance and the home practice was recorded. Enrolled patients completed the Seattle angina questionnaire (SAQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire, Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and Euro Quality of Life–5 Dimensions–5 Level at baseline assessment and after 8-week period.

Results

Persistent chest pain was reported by 114 patients. Of these, 33 (29%) patients with a mean age of 54.2 (±12.2) years and 68% women, consented to the study. Baseline questionnaires revealed mild physical limitation (mean SAQ, 76.8±25), high levels of anxiety (76%) and depression (53%), modest cardiac anxiety (CAQ,1.78±0.61) and mindfulness score (FFMQ, 45.5±7.3). Six patients subsequently withdrew due to bereavement, caring responsibilities and ill health. Of the remaining 27 participants, 18 in the intervention arm attended an average of 5 sessions with 61% attending ≥6 sessions. Although not statistically powered, the study revealed a significant reduction in general anxiety, improved mindfulness and a trend towards improvement in SAQ scores in the intervention arm.

Conclusion

One-third of patients with persistent non-cardiac chest pain were willing to participate in mindfulness-based therapy. An improvement in anxiety and mindfulness was detected in this feasibility study. A larger trial is required to demonstrate improvement in chest pain symptoms.
Use of lipid-lowering therapy after ischaemic stroke and expected benefit from intensification of treatment
Authors: Gynnild Mari Nordbø , Hageman Steven H J , Spigset Olav , Lydersen Stian , Saltvedt Ingvild , Dorresteijn Jannick A N , Visseren Frank L J , Ellekjær Hanne
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) increases the risk of recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. We examined use of lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) following ischaemic stroke, and estimated benefits from guideline-based up-titration of LLT.

Methods

The Norwegian COgnitive Impairment After STroke (Nor-COAST) study, a multicentre prospective cohort study, collected data on LLT use, dose intensity and LDL-C levels for 462 home-dwelling patients with ischaemic stroke. We used the Secondary Manifestations of Arterial Disease-Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health (SMART-REACH) model to estimate the expected benefit of up-titrating LLT.

Results

At discharge, 92% received LLT (97% statin monotherapy). Patients with prestroke dementia and cardioembolic stroke aetiology were less likely to receive LLT. Older patients (coefficient −3 mg atorvastatin per 10 years, 95% CI −6 to −0.5) and women (coefficient −5.1 mg atorvastatin, 95% CI −9.2 to −0.9) received lower doses, while individuals with higher baseline LDL-C, ischaemic heart disease and large artery stroke aetiology received higher dose intensity. At 3 months, 45% reached LDL-C ≤1.8 mmol/L, and we estimated that 81% could potentially reach the target with statin and ezetimibe, resulting in median 5 (IQR 0–12) months of CVD-free life gain and median 2% 10-year absolute risk reduction (IQR 0–4) with large interindividual variation.

Conclusion

Potential for optimisation of conventional LLT use exists in patients with ischaemic stroke. Awareness of groups at risk of undertreatment and objective estimates of the individual patient’s benefit of intensification can help personalise treatment decisions and reduce residual cholesterol risk.

Trial registration number

NCT02650531.
Climate data for field trials: onsite micro stations versus ClimateNA
Authors: Ye Zhengyang , O'Neill Gregory A. , Wang Tongli
Published: May 2022

Ecological studies in diverse environmental fields require accurate climate data for point locations that are often distant from reliable public weather stations. “Onsite” micro weather stations can be established directly at research locations, but purchase, establishment, and maintenance costs and data gaps can limit their feasibility. Alternatively, climate data for point locations can be predicted from ClimateNA, a publicly available software package, but the prediction accuracy in remote and mountainous locations is uncertain. We compared ClimateNA predictions with observations from onsite weather stations located at 11 interior spruce provenance trials in British Columbia, Canada. We found that ClimateNA predictions were highly accurate for temperature variables but moderate for precipitation variables when compared with onsite weather data. Growth response functions developed with the two data sources showed similar shapes for temperature variables. Our results suggest that (1) temperature variables can be accurately predicted at remote and mountainous locations using ClimateNA; (2) precipitation variables are more accurately predicted with ClimateNA than with onsite weather stations, which are considerably affected by random factors; and (3) response functions provide an effective, independent tool to assess alternative sources of climate data. Our results recommend the use of ClimateNA over onsite weather stations, except where highly accurate precipitation data are required, in which case, high-quality onsite weather stations must be established and carefully maintained.
Novel hairy black hole solutions in Einstein–Maxwell–Gauss–Bonnet-scalar theory
Authors: Hunter Callum L. , Smith Douglas J.
Published: May 2022

It has been previously shown that a Gauss–Bonnet term nonminimally coupled to a scalar field produces a scalarised black hole solution which can be considered as having secondary scalar hair, parametrised in terms of the black hole’s mass and charge. In this paper we extend a previously investigated linear coupling of the form [Formula: see text] to a nonminimally coupled Maxwell term, with the form [Formula: see text]. By using numerical methods the solutions to the full differential equations are found, as well as a perturbative expansion in the [Formula: see text] limit and a perturbative expansion in couplings parameters such as [Formula: see text]. These solutions describe scalarised black holes with modified electric field which have dependence not only on the electric charge of the black hole, but also the value of the nonminimal coupling constant. We also discuss the bounds imposed on the parameters of the black hole by the reality condition of the solution, giving some explicit numerical bounds.
ℂP(N) model on regions with boundary
Authors: Pikalov A.
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we discuss the [Formula: see text] model in large [Formula: see text] limit in saddle point approximation on disk and annulus with various combinations of Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. We show that homogeneous condensate is not a saddle point in any of considered cases. Behavior of inhomogeneous condensate near boundary is analyzed. The condensate diverges at boundary in case of Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions but can be finite in case of mixed conditions.
PACMHCI V6, ETRA, May 2022 Editorial
Authors: Gellersen Hans , Kasneci Enkelejda , Krejtz Krzysztof , Weiskopf Daniel
Published: May 2022

We are delighted to present a first issue of the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction to focus on contributions from the Eye Tracking Research and Applications (ETRA) community.
Automatic Generation of Customized Areas of Interest and Evaluation of Observers' Gaze in Portrait Videos
Authors: Woehler Leslie , von Estorff Moritz , Castillo Susana , Magnor Marcus
Published: May 2022

We present a novel framework for the evaluation of eye tracking data in portrait videos including the automatic generation of customized areas of interest (AOIs) based on facial landmarks. In contrast to previous work, our framework allows the user to flexibly create AOIs by grouping the detected landmarks. Moreover, their shape and size can be modified to better fit both the research question and the precision of the eye tracker. The framework can be used as an integrated solution to not only generate AOIs but also to evaluate viewing behavior like the overall fixation times, the similarity of scanpaths, and the number of saccades between AOIs. Other functionalities include the visualization of gaze paths and the creation of heatmaps. We demonstrate the benefits of our framework and user-defined AOI layouts via an exemplary application, i.e., the investigation of face swapping artifacts.