bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of hybridized InAsSb/InGaSb semiconductor topological materials
Authors: Haugan H. J. , Das D. , Bharadwaj S. , Ram-Mohan L. R. , Corbett J. P. , Smith R. K. , Gupta J. A. , Mahalingam K. , Bedford R. G. , Eyink K. G.
Published: August 2022

Generating large topologically protected surface currents using conventional III–V infrared materials such as InAsSb/InGaSbAs quantum wells (QWs) and superlattices (SLs) has been important. In such materials, topological states can be formed at the edge by hybridizing ordinary electronic band structures. However, achieving large surface currents out of these materials is still difficult due to low emission currents and high carrier defects. In this work, we present two hybridized topological structures: one for the 6.22 Å metamorphic QWs and the other for the 6.10 Å pseudomorphic SLs. Both structures are tailored for the same hybridization gap (Δ) of ∼60 meV and optimized for the minimum crystal defects. While the QW grown on metamorphic buffers generates a significant amount of mismatch-related crystal defects, the SL grown on lattice-matched buffers produces an excellent crystalline-quality. Quasiparticle interference mapping and calculations on a SL sample show good agreement of the band structure.
The development of a high-resolution Eulerian radiation-hydrodynamics simulation capability for laser-driven Hohlraums
Authors: Haines Brian M. , Keller D. E. , Long K. P. , McKay M. D. , Medin Z. J. , Park H. , Rauenzahn R. M. , Scott H. A. , Anderson K. S. , Collins T. J. B. , Green L. M. , Marozas J. A. , McKenty P. W. , Peterson J. H. , Vold E. L. , Di Stefano C. , Lester R. S. , Sauppe J. P. , Stark D. J. , Velechovsky J.
Published: August 2022

Hohlraums are hollow cylindrical cavities with high-Z material walls used to convert laser energy into uniform x-ray radiation drives for inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions and high energy density physics experiments. Credible computational modeling of hohlraums requires detailed modeling and coupling of laser physics, hydrodynamics, radiation transport, heat transport, and atomic physics. We report on improvements to Los Alamos National Laboratory's xRAGE radiation-hydrodynamics code in order to enable hohlraum modeling. xRAGE's Eulerian hydrodynamics and adaptive mesh refinement make it uniquely well suited to study the impacts of multiscale features in hohlraums. In order to provide confidence in this new modeling capability, we demonstrate xRAGE's ability to produce reasonable agreement with data from several benchmark hohlraum experiments. We also use xRAGE to perform integrated simulations of a recent layered high density carbon capsule implosion on the National Ignition Facility in order to evaluate the potential impacts of the capsule support tent, mixed cell conductivity methodologies, plasma transport, and cross-beam energy transfer (XBT). We find that XBT, seeded by plasma flows in the laser entrance hole (LEH), causes a slight decrease in energy coupling to the capsule and that all of these impact the symmetry of the x-ray drive such that they have an appreciable impact on the capsule implosion shape.
Constant-coefficient spatial gradient models for the sub-grid scale closure in large-eddy simulation of turbulence
Authors: Wang Yunpeng , Yuan Zelong , Wang Xiaoning , Wang Jianchun
Published: August 2022

Constant-coefficient spatial gradient models (SGMs) are proposed for the sub-grid scale (SGS) closure in large-eddy simulation (LES) of turbulence. The model coefficients are determined either by expanding the neighboring first-order gradients using the local higher-order gradient or by directly discretizing the local higher-order gradients using first-order values among spatial stencil locations. The a priori tests show that the SGM model can have a correlation coefficient larger than 0.97, which is close to the machine-learning based model. In the a posteriori tests, the LESs with different SGS models are performed for the forced incompressible homogeneous isotropic turbulence (HIT) and weakly compressible turbulent mixing layer (TML). The performance of the SGM model is comprehensively examined through the prediction of the flow statistics including the velocity spectrum, the probability density functions of the strain rate, and velocity increments. The evolution of turbulent kinetic energy, the instantaneous structures of the vorticity field, and the Q-criterion are also examined to evaluate the spatial temporal performances of the LES. The predictions of the SGM model are consistently more satisfying compared to the traditional models, including the dynamic Smagorinsky model, the dynamic mixed model, and implicit-LES (ILES) while its computational cost is similar to traditional models. For the weakly compressible TML, most LESs perform better when the length scale of the initial perturbation field is larger than the filter width, providing a useful guidance for LES of turbulent mixing layers.
Studies on chitosan-
Authors: Zhang Kai , Sun Qian , Liu Peng , Bai Xiaoyu , Gao Xingtong , Liu Kai , Li Aixiang , LYu Zijian , Li Qiuhong
Published: August 2022

PolyI:C is an immunomodulatory agent that can be used in immunotherapy, but its transportation in the body is hindered. In this study, a chitosan (CS)-graft-polyethyleneimine (PEI) copolymer (C-g-P) is prepared by an N,N′-carbonyl diimidazole (CDI) coupling method as a drug carrier for PolyI:C and simulated antigen ovalbumin (OVA). The results of FT-IR, 1H NMR, elemental analysis and cytotoxicity studies show that PEI is successfully grafted onto CS, and a low cytotoxicity of C-g-P-x (x = 1, 2, 3) with different PEI grafting rates are obtained. C-g-P-x-PolyI:C/OVA (C-g-P-x-PO) (x = 1, 2, 3) nanoparticles are prepared by combining C-g-P-x (x = 1, 2, 3), PolyI:C and OVA by electrostatic self-assembly. The results of agarose gel electrophoresis show that PolyI:C is well coated by the graft copolymer and protected from nuclease degradation. The results show that C-g-P-1-PO nanoparticles with graft copolymer to PolyI:C (N/P) ratios of 80:1 have the best solution stability, and the OVA encapsulation efficiency is 60.6%. The nanoparticles also have a suitable size and regular shape to be absorbed by cells. In vitro immunoassay results show that PolyI:C and OVA-loaded nanoparticles promote the secretion of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interferon γ (IFN-γ). CS-g-PEI is a reliable drug carrier for the delivery of PolyI:C and OVA, and it also provides the possibility to carry other drugs.
Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis and characterisation of testicular cells in giant panda (
Authors: Zheng Yi , Liu Yuliang , Hou Rong , Shi Keyu , Chen Yijiao , Feng Tongying , An Junhui
Published: August 2022

Context The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a rare and endangered species to be preserved in China. The giant panda has a low reproductive capacity, and due to the scarcity of samples, studies on testes from giant panda are very limited, with little knowledge about the process of spermatogenesis in this species. Aims To establish the gene expression profiles in cells from the testis of a giant panda. Methods The 10× Genomics single-cell RNA-sequencing platform was applied to cells from the testis of an adult giant panda. Key results We identified eight testicular cell types including six somatic and two germ cell types from our single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets. We also identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in each cell type, and performed functional enrichment analysis for the identified testicular cell types. Furthermore, by immunohistochemistry we explored the protein localisation patterns of several marker genes in testes from giant panda. Conclusions Our study has for the first time established the gene expression profiles in cells from the testis of a giant panda. Implications Our data provide a reference catalogue for spermatogenesis and testicular cells in the giant panda, laying the foundation for future breeding and preservation of this endangered species.
Quantifying geometrically necessary dislocation with surface roughness effect in copper (111) under indentation
Authors: Kok Weng Mei , Chuah Hun Guan , How Heoy Geok , Teoh Yew Heng , Yee Hooi Min , Tan Wei Hong
Published: August 2022

The present study investigated the geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) with the influence of the surface roughness by establishing the relation of roughness in GND for indentation. The single crystal copper with (111) oriented surface plane was chosen and polished to various roughness levels ranging from 32.7 to 224 nm and subjected to indentation. The increase in surface roughness revealed to increase in the GND and statistically stored dislocation density. As the indentation force decrease from 9.8 to 0.245 N, the plastic strain gradient related to GND increase from 0.0001 up to 0.0017 µm−1 for each 1 nm increment of surface roughness.
Metal doped graphitic carbon nitride prepared by a bubbling template method for photo-degradation of organic pollutants
Authors: Xiao Yao , Geng Aixia , Zhu Junjiang , Xu Xiao , Xu Xuelian
Published: August 2022

A bubbling template method was used to prepare metal-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN), with ammonium salts as the bubbling templates. Effects of metal types, metal loading, as well as the species and dosage of ammonium salts, on the structure, physicochemical properties and catalytic performances of g-CN were systematically investigated. Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) was used as a model reaction to evaluate the catalytic performances of the materials. The results indicated that K0.02-CN(CA-3), which was prepared with K doping and with ammonium carbonate as the bubbling template, exhibited the best activity, with 99.7% RhB conversion obtained at 17.5 min, which is 3.2 times higher than that of g-CN. This can be attributed to the improved surface area, widened light absorption range and enhanced electron–hole separation efficiency of K0.02-CN(CA-3), as compared to these of g-CN. This material was also active for photo-degradation of other pollutants and has good reusability. A sketchy mechanism indicating the reactive intermediates of reaction was proposed.
Pressure induced topological and topological crystalline insulators
Authors: Rajaji V , Manjón F J , Narayana Chandrabhas
Published: August 2022

Research on topological and topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) is one of the most intense and exciting topics due to its fascinating fundamental science and potential technological applications. Pressure (strain) is one potential pathway to induce the non-trivial topological phases in some topologically trivial (normal) insulating or semiconducting materials. In the last ten years, there have been substantial theoretical and experimental efforts from condensed-matter scientists to characterize and understand pressure-induced topological quantum phase transitions (TQPTs). In particular, a promising enhancement of the thermoelectric performance through pressure-induced TQPT has been recently realized; thus evidencing the importance of this subject in society. Since the pressure effect can be mimicked by chemical doping or substitution in many cases, these results have opened a new route to develop more efficient materials for harvesting green energy at ambient conditions. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the mechanism of pressure-induced TQPTs in various classes of materials with spin–orbit interaction is crucial to improve their properties for technological implementations. Hence, this review focuses on the emerging area of pressure-induced TQPTs to provide a comprehensive understanding of this subject from both theoretical and experimental points of view. In particular, it covers the Raman signatures of detecting the topological transitions (under pressure), some of the important pressure-induced topological and TCIs of the various classes of spin–orbit coupling materials, and provide future research directions in this interesting field.
Determination of thermoelectric properties from micro four-point probe measurements
Authors: Guralnik Benny , Hansen Ole , Stilling-Andersen Andreas R , Hansen Søren E , Borup Kasper A , Mihiretie Besira M , Beltrán-Pitarch Braulio , Henrichsen Henrik H , Lin Rong , Shiv Lior , Iversen Bo B , Nielsen Peter F , Petersen Dirch H
Published: August 2022

Micro four-point probing is a branch of electrical metrology where electrical (and electromagnetic) properties of charge carriers such as conductance, mobility, and tunneling magnetoresistance can be accurately and precisely determined at the μm scale and below. Here, we propose and demonstrate a novel application of micro four-point probe (M4PP) aimed at quantifying the thermoelectric properties of a sample. Specifically, we show that for an AC current passing through a bulk material at a low angular frequency ω, the voltage drop across the sensing electrodes at 2ω is to first order proportional to the ratio (α/κ) of its Seebeck coefficient (α) to its thermal conductivity (κ). Verified by numerical simulations, our analytic theory is then put into practice on a suite of p- and n-type bulk semiconductors (Si, Ge, and BiTe). The M4PP estimates of the Seebeck coefficient in these materials are characterized both by high accuracy and precision, suggesting a novel in-situ metrology of thermoelectric properties at the µm scale.
High-throughput screening of perovskite inspired bismuth halide materials: toward lead-free photovoltaic cells and light-emitting diodes
Authors: Park Jong-Goo , Park Sang Woo , Hong Ki-Ha
Published: August 2022

Toxicity is the main bottleneck for the commercialization of Pb halide perovskites. Bi has been considered a promising metal cation to replace Pb because of its comparable electronic structures with Pb and better stability. Although experimental and theoretical studies have proposed various Bi-based halides, the present achievements in photovoltaic cells and other photoelectronic device fields do not compete with Pb analogs. Thermodynamic stability, bandgap control, and enhancement of carrier transport are fundamental challenges in the context of intrinsic material properties for developing highly efficient Bi-based devices. This study evaluates the potential of Bi-based halide compounds with good stability and electronic properties through high-throughput density functional theory calculations. Lattice structures and compositions are selected based on previous reports and an open material database. Then, we expanded our dataset to cover all possible compositional variations of A- and X-sites and alloying to B-sites. We examined over six-hundred candidates and found ten new candidates that have not been reported previously. Rb3SbBiI9 exhibits the best-expected efficiency for high-efficiency solar cells among selected compounds, and other compounds can be used as visible-light-generation sources. Analysis of the screening procedure revealed that vacancy-ordered (A3B2X9)-type Bi-halides exhibit significantly favorable characteristics when compared with those of double perovskites and rudorffite-like structures for Bi-based photoelectronic devices.
Temporal interaction of hybrid signals in various phases of Eu3+: BiPO4 through photon–phonon dressing
Authors: Zhao Yuan , Imran Muhammad , Mujahid Anas , Ahmed Irfan , Li Changbiao , Nadeem Faisal , Zhang Yanpeng
Published: August 2022

Laser interaction with doped crystals exhibiting photon–photon and photon–phonon coupling has been focused on recently. In pretext, here we report the spectral and temporal profile interaction of two lasers excitation through various phases of Eu3+: BiPO4 crystals. We reveal that spectral-temporal profile interaction of hybrid signals (coexisting fluorescence and spontaneous four-wave mixing) are dressed by nested and cascade processes of two-photons (two-phonon). Such interaction comes from thermal phonon constructive and phase transition phonon destructive dressing. The spectral and temporal (profile) interactions are interrelated and reduced by about 2-times due to two-photon nested dressing in contrast to the interaction through the sum of each laser excitation. In contrast to a single laser, spectral (Fano)-dip interaction reduces by 2-times due to two-photon destructive dressing coupling. Moreover, thermal phonon dressing at 300 K exhibits 3-times more extensive temporal interaction than that at 77 K. The phase transition phonon dressing for a half hexagonal and half low-temperature monoclinic phase is about 1.5-times longer than that of the pure hexagonal phase of Eu3+: BiPO4. These results may help to understand the spectral-temporal relationship in the fields of nonlinear and quantum optics.
The Diffusion of Sustainability Reporting for Higher Education Institution Worldwide
Authors: Sari Maylia Pramono , Faisal Faisal
Published: August 2022

This study examined the diffusion of higher education institutions (HEIs) sustainability reporting (SR) around the world. It also compares the sustainability reporting (GRI database) and sustainability performance (SP) of HEIs by adopting the UI Green Metrics. Two hundred and forty-nine sustainability reports for the period 2010-2020 were analyzed to measure sustainability reporting practices. This research was a population study. The data analysis was performed using inferential and descriptive statistics. The results represented the number of SRs for HEIs was remain very weak. The comparative analysis represented that there were differences in sustainability reporting according to geographical region, but not according to size and sustainability performance. Sustainability performance has increased at the international level, but it has not been tracked by the trend of sustainability reporting, with developed and developing countries having different results. The implication of this finding suggests that it is necessary to improve the GRI standard indicators to match HEI characteristics. Future research should test the quality of reporting.
Capacity at risk: a metric for robust planning decisions under uncertainty in the electric sector
Authors: Bistline John E T , Goteti Naga Srujana
Published: August 2022

Many decision contexts are characterized by deep uncertainty where there is disagreement about values and probabilities such as policy and technological uncertainties for energy sector investments. Although there are methods for decision analysis in these contexts, there are few simple metrics to guide analysts and decision-makers on whether more sophisticated methods are appropriate, to highlight aspects of robust decision-making, and to prioritize information gathering on uncertainties. Here, we introduce a screening metric called ‘capacity at risk’ and two complementary metrics—robust capacity and risk ratio—for identifying the most decision-relevant uncertainties and for understanding which investments could be robust and which are more uncertain across a range of different futures. The use of deterministic model runs in calculating capacity at risk metrics can lower barriers to entry for modelers and communications with stakeholders. These metrics are applied to an illustrative example of electric sector decarbonization in the United States using a detailed capacity planning and dispatch model. Scenario results demonstrate the importance of climate policy targets and timing on decisions, while uncertainties such as natural gas prices and renewable costs have more moderate impacts on planning. We also apply the capacity at risk framework to other prominent U.S. electric sector scenario analysis. These comparisons suggest that commonly used scenarios may understate uncertainty, giving decision-makers a misleading sense of portfolio risk and understating the value of frameworks that explicitly assess decisions under uncertainty.
Accelerated aging tests vs field performance of PV modules
Authors: Weiß Karl-Anders , Klimm Elisabeth , Kaaya Ismail
Published: August 2022

The solar conversion market with photovoltaic (PV) systems has experienced and is experiencing an enormous growth worldwide and—according to the agreed goals of many countries to protect the climate—will further grow over the coming decades. Investments related to PV became an important financial product with the special feature of very long contract durations. A typical setting is an operation of more than 20 years, during which the generation of electricity and also revenues are expected. Sometimes Power Purchase Agreements with durations of up to 50 years have been reported. Taking these long operational times into account, quality, durability, reliability, and degradation rates become a crucial topic for the investment and for all stakeholders. PV modules are the dominating components in this regard since they prevail the investment and—due to their sheer quantity—are in most cases hard to replace if a system has PV module immanent issues. Accelerated ageing tests are in general used to ensure the quality of PV components. These tests are partly standardized, for PV mainly by the International Electrotechnical Commission IEC and related national committees. These standards are used for type approval testing or safety testing, which can also address legal issues. Accelerated ageing tests are also adapted to specific needs and for example used for quality assurance (QA) of manufacturers or service life prediction (SLP) by manufacturers or research institutes. All the efforts are taken to gain more knowledge about the behavior of PV modules in operation and thus the accelerated tests have to be related to normal operation. Since PV is used around the globe, the conditions vary significantly depending on the location of installation, from dry and sunny deserts to mountain climates to tropical or maritime climates. In addition, the type of installation has severe influence on the operational conditions of PV modules i.e. mounted on a roof, roof integrated, open rack—or even in upcoming applications like floating PV. The papers attempt is to give an overview on the state of the art of accelerated testing and field performance analysis of PV modules with focus on the developments over the last five to ten years. Developments are described and the status is analyzed regarding the significance of tests including the latest developments and open scientific gaps related to the envisaged correlation of accelerated tests with field performance. In the end the reader is enabled to differentiate between reliability testing and service life prediction. The understanding for a comprehensive approach of reliability testing including field evaluation data will be developed.
Strain and temperature sensors made from fishing lines
Authors: Stanojevic Nenad , Chauhan Sunita
Published: August 2022

Soft and flexible sensors are demanded in a wide variety of wearables and soft-robotic applications. We designed and developed novel integrated strain and temperature sensors using super-coiled transparent polymer fibres as an optical waveguide by exploiting changes in macro-bending optical losses induced by strain or heat. Polymers used in this research such as nylon and fluorocarbon are shaped as super-coils. The customized optical couplings were designed that can sustain tension induced by axial strain force or thermal stress (entropic spring effect). A customized method of transmission and measurement of the optical signal transferred through a super-coiled polymeric waveguide was designed to reduce attenuation losses. Transmitted optical signals were recorded in the range of −65 dBm to −45 dBm. Changes in the measured transmitted optical signal were recorded and compared for transparent mono-filament nylon fibre fishing line and fluorocarbon fibre fishing line. The trends of the measured parameters registered during the testing period showed a variation of ∼2%, good linearity and repeatability, however with minor hysteresis in the range of

∼
4
%

for nylon and the range of

∼
2.5
%

for fluorocarbon. Limited optical characteristics of these materials were compensated and substituted by high sensitivity introduced by a small macro-bend radius. These sensing devices combine high sensitivity with large comparative strain and a wide range of temperatures. Polymers used in this research exhibit the potential for use in SCP waveguide-based soft robotic sensors. Measured reaction times validate the potential of these sensors in measurements of moderate or slow speed processes. These sensing devices also combine a simple manufacturing process that uses abundant and cost-effective materials with a wide array of potential applications.
A semi-analytical study on fluid-induced nonlinear dynamic behavior of the flexible robotic arms
Authors: Chen Fenghua , Qiu Xinguo
Published: August 2022

The accuracy and performance of a robot arm is reduced when placed in a fluid environment due to inductive vibrations caused by drag forces created by surrounding fluids. Accordingly, in this research, the fluid-induced nonlinear dynamic behavior of the robot flexible arm is investigated semi-analytically. In order to model the induced vibrations in the robot arm, the equations governing the transverse vibrations of the arm are derived using the nonlinear Euler–Bernoulli beam theory and taking into account the force due to the fluid surrounding the arm. A differential equation is used to calculate the force exerted on the arm by the surrounding fluid in terms of the frequency of the vortices and the deflection of the robotic arm. After the differential equations governing the forced dynamic behavior of the robot arm have been extracted, an appropriate numerical method will be applied to analyze the effect of system parameters such as the geometric and mechanical characteristics of the arm, fluid velocity, etc on the response of forced vibrations and natural frequencies of the robot arm. According to the results, as the fluid velocity increases, the inertial forces increase and cannot be ignored. The vibrations amplitude of the system increases abruptly at higher fluid velocity, and the oscillations of the system stabilize. When the nondimentional velocity of the fluid is equal to 2, the amplitude of the stable oscillations is equal to 0.2 of the thickness of the arm, which is higher than the amplitude of free vibrations. This range of fluid velocity is known as the lock-in zone.
Microstructure and long-term stability of Ni–YSZ anode supported fuel cells: a review
Authors: Vafaeenezhad Sajad , Hanifi Amir Reza , Laguna-Bercero Miguel A , Etsell Thomas H , Sarkar Partha
Published: August 2022

Nickel–yttria stabilized zirconia (Ni–YSZ) cermet is the most commonly used anode in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The current article provides an insight into parameters which affect cell performance and stability by reviewing and discussing the related publications in this field. Understanding the parameters which affect the microstructure of Ni–YSZ such as grain size (Leng et al 2003 J. Power Sources
117 26–34) and ratio of Ni to YSZ, volume fraction of porosity, pore size and its distribution, tortuosity factor, characteristic pathway diameter and density of triple phase boundaries is the key to designing a fuel cell which shows high electrochemical performance. Lack of stability has been the main barrier to commercialization of SOFC technology. Parameters influencing the degradation of Ni–YSZ supported SOFCs such as Ni migration inside the anode during prolonged operation are discussed. The longest Ni-supported SOFC tests reported so far are examined and the crucial role of chromium poisoning due to interconnects, stack design and operating conditions in degradation of SOFCs is highlighted. The importance of calcination and milling of YSZ to development of porous structures suitable for Ni infiltration is explained and several methods to improve the electrochemical performance and stability of Ni–YSZ anode supported SOFCs are suggested.
mBrainAligner-Web: a web server for cross-modal coherent registration of whole mouse brains
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Wu Jun , Lu Donghuan , Xu Chao , Zheng Yefeng , Peng Hanchuan , Qu Lei
Published: August 2022

Recent whole-brain mapping projects are collecting increasingly larger sets of high-resolution brain images using a variety of imaging, labeling and sample preparation techniques. Both mining and analysis of these data require reliable and robust cross-modal registration tools. We recently developed the mBrainAligner, a pipeline for performing cross-modal registration of the whole mouse brain. However, using this tool requires scripting or command-line skills to assemble and configure the different modules of mBrainAligner for accommodating different registration requirements and platform settings. In this application note, we present mBrainAligner-Web, a web server with a user-friendly interface that allows to configure and run mBrainAligner locally or remotely across platforms.

Availability and implementation

mBrainAligner-Web is available at http://mbrainaligner.ahu.edu.cn/ with source code at https://github.com/reaneyli/mBrainAligner-web.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Financialisation as the development of fictitious capital in developing and developed economies
Authors: Mollo Maria de Lourdes Rollemberg , Dourado Fernando Fellows , Paraná Edemilson
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we discuss financialisation as the development of fictitious capital in more developed and less developed countries. The controversies surrounding the meaning of fictitious capital require a preliminary discussion on its conceptual definition, which is done by means of an analysis of the relationship between real and fictitious capital within the labour theory of value. Once theoretically explained why the relative autonomy of circulation from production supports financialisation as the development of fictitious capital, we focus on the limits of this relative autonomy, which is something objectified in economic crises. Relevant data were gathered to determine how the concentration of financial investments in fictitious capital in a few markets was able to underpin its enormous and lasting development, even though this fictitious capital, by definition, does not generate surplus or new (labour) value. Furthermore, the analysis of net capital flows between developed and developing countries also demonstrates that the latter are net donors of capital. Therefore, it is possible to verify the relationship between the development of fictitious capital and the increase of inequality between countries.
TopEx: topic exploration of COVID-19 corpora - Results from the BioCreative VII Challenge Track 4
Authors: Olex Amy L , French Evan , Burdette Peter , Sagiraju Srilakshmi , Neumann Thomas , Gal Tamas S , McInnes Bridget T
Published: August 2022

TopEx is a natural language processing application developed to facilitate the exploration of topics and key words in a set of texts through a user interface that requires no programming or natural language processing knowledge, thus enhancing the ability of nontechnical researchers to explore and analyze textual data. The underlying algorithm groups semantically similar sentences together followed by a topic analysis on each group to identify the key topics discussed in a collection of texts. Implementation is achieved via a Python library back end and a web application front end built with React and D3.js for visualizations. TopEx has been successfully used to identify themes, topics and key words in a variety of corpora, including Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) discharge summaries and tweets. Feedback from the BioCreative VII Challenge Track 4 concludes that TopEx is a useful tool for text exploration for a variety of users and tasks.

Databse URL

http://topex.cctr.vcu.edu
Stroke-induced changes to immune function and their relevance to increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease
Authors: McCulloch Laura , Mouat Isobel C , South Kieron , McColl Barry W , Allan Stuart M , Smith Craig J
Published: August 2022

As the COVID-19 pandemic moves towards endemic disease, it remains of key importance to identify groups of individuals vulnerable to severe infection and understand the biological factors that mediate this risk. Stroke patients are at increased risk of developing severe COVID-19, likely due to stroke-induced alterations to systemic immune function. Furthermore, immune responses associated with severe COVID-19 in patients without a history of stroke parallel many of the immune alterations induced by stroke, possibly resulting in a compounding effect that contributes to worsened disease severity. In this review, we discuss the changes to systemic immune function that likely contribute to augmented COVID-19 severity in patients with a history of stroke and the effects of COVID-19 on the immune system that may exacerbate these effects.
Transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis with concomitant left ventricular diverticulum: a case report
Authors: Xi Siyu , Zhang Haishan , Chen Xin , Guo Liang
Published: August 2022

Background

Left ventricular diverticulum (LVD) is a rare cardiac malformation in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is not recommended due to the risk of diverticulum injury. However, for patients considered inoperable or at high surgical risk, TAVR might be the only treatment option. The safety and feasibility of TAVR for severe AS with concomitant LVD are still unclear.

Case summary

An 80-year-old Asian woman complaining of shortness of breath was admitted to our hospital, whose echocardiogram showed calcified severe AS and a diverticulum in the left ventricular apex. A transfemoral 26 mm Venus-A prosthetic aortic valve was successfully implanted. Pre- and post-procedural cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed a remarkable volume reduction of LVD.

Discussion

Transfemoral TAVR was not preferred because the straight-tip hydrophilic wire and catheter tip could injure the fragile diverticulum wall. If we could avoid the injury of the diverticulum, TAVR would be a good option for patients at high surgical risk.
Evaluation of the risk factors for severe complications and surgery of intestinal foreign bodies in adults: a single-center experience with 180 cases
Authors: Hu Tingting , Zhang Jie , Liu Yang , Chen Lifang , Cen Wei , Wu Wenzhi , Huang Qingke , Sun Xuecheng , Stock Simon , Zippi Maddalena , Zimmer Vincent , Basharat Zarrin , Hong Wandong
Published: August 2022

Background

Foreign bodies (FBs) lodged in the intestine or causing intestinal complications are uncommon in clinical practice but may pose diagnostic difficulties and prove life-threatening. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for severe complications and surgery to aid clinicians in the diagnosis and management of intestinal FBs.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients in whom FBs were lodged in the intestine or caused complications from 2010 to 2020 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang, China). The characteristics of the patients and FBs, symptoms, imaging findings, diagnostics, treatment strategies, and clinical outcomes were analysed. Furthermore, the risk factors for complications and surgery were investigated.

Results

In total, 180 patients were included in our study. Most patients (76.1%) were unable to provide a history of ingestion. Bezoars were the most common FBs (35.6%). The FBs were mainly located in the duodenum (32.8%) and the ileum (27.8%). Surgical removal of FBs was successful in 89 (49.4%) patients and endoscopic removal in 54 (30.0%) patients. Eleven with perforations were treated conservatively. FBs located in the jejunum or ileum were more likely to cause severe complications than those located in the duodenum. FBs located in the jejunum, ileum, or sigmoid colon were more likely to undergo surgery, and severe complications were an independent risk factor for surgery.

Conclusion

Intestinal FBs, often localized in angulation, are likely to be misdiagnosed because most patients do not provide a history of FB ingestion. Surgery and endoscopic therapy are the most commonly used treatment modalities. Surgery is not mandatory in clinically stable patients with small and contained perforations. FBs located in the jejunum or ileum are risk factors for both complications and surgery.
Intergenerational Social Mobility and Health in Later Life: Diagonal Reference Models Applied to the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936
Authors: Iveson Matthew H , Cox Simon R , Deary Ian J
Published: August 2022

Objective

Although commonly used to model associations between intergenerational social mobility and health, linear regression cannot estimate the contributions of origin, destination, and mobility independently. Nonlinear diagonal reference models (DRMs) have become a popular alternative and have been applied to various health outcomes, though few studies examine the impact of social mobility on later-life health.

Methods

This study revisits health outcomes examined in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, using DRMs to assess the association between intergenerational social mobility and satisfaction with life, self-rated health, depression, and mortality from age 68–82 years.

Results

After adjusting for sex, age, education, and childhood cognitive ability, there was no evidence of an association between intergenerational social mobility and later-life health; participants experiencing upward or downward mobility had similar odds of poor health outcomes as non-mobile participants. However, those from higher occupational social classes exhibited lower odds of mortality (p = .01), with a stronger contribution of adult (own) than of childhood (father’s) social class (weights = 0.75 vs. 0.25). No other outcomes demonstrated significant associations with socioeconomic position.

Discussion

This adds to evidence that social mobility does not influence variation in later-life health once other factors—including socioeconomic origins and destinations—are accounted for.
A Group Videogame-Based Physical Activity Program Improves Walking Speed in Older Adults Living With a Serious Mental Illness
Authors: Leutwyler Heather , Hubbard Erin , Cooper Bruce
Published: August 2022

Background and Objectives

One of the most overlooked populations in our society and in health care are middle-aged and older adults living with a serious mental illness (SMI) despite the growing numbers of this population. Health care communities, including both inpatient and outpatient mental health programs, have a responsibility to provide care that nurtures clients’ mental as well as physical health needs. Providing accessible and engaging physical activity programs is an excellent way to provide this type of holistic care. The purpose of this article is to describe the impact of a pilot videogame-based physical activity program on walking speed in older adults with SMI.

Research Design and Methods

A one-group pretest post-test pilot study was conducted with a sample of 52 older adults with SMI recruited from community-based mental health programs. Participants played an active videogame (using the Kinect for Xbox 360 game system; Microsoft, Redmond, WA) for 50-minute group sessions 3 times a week for 10 weeks. Walking speed was assessed with the timed 3-m walk from the Short Physical Performance Battery at enrollment, 5 weeks, and 10 weeks.

Results

Participants achieved statistically significant improvement in walking speed (0.10 m/s, bias-corrected confidence interval Lower Limit (LL) 0.04, Upper Limit (UL) 0.15) over a 10-week period. This change represents a clinically and statistically (p ≤ .05) significant improvement in walking speed. Best estimates for clinically meaningful changes in walking speed are 0.05 m/s for a small change and 0.10 m/s for a substantial change.

Discussion and Implications

Results suggest that engagement in a group videogame-based physical activity program has the potential to improve walking speed in older adults with SMI. In turn, walking speed is an important indicator of premature mortality and cardiorespiratory fitness.
Predicting Hospice Transitions in Dementia Caregiving Dyads: An Exploratory Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Sullivan Suzanne S , Bo Wei , Li Chin-Shang , Xu Wenyao , Chang Yu-Ping
Published: August 2022

Background and Objectives

Hospice programs assist people with serious illness and their caregivers with aging in place, avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations, and remaining at home through the end-of-life. While evidence is emerging of the myriad of factors influencing end-of-life care transitions among persons living with dementia, current research is primarily cross- sectional and does not account for the effect that changes over time have on hospice care uptake, access, and equity within dyads.

Research Design and Methods

Secondary data analysis linking the National Health and Aging Trends Study to the National Study of Caregiving investigating important social determinants of health and quality-of-life factors of persons living with dementia and their primary caregivers (n = 117) on hospice utilization over 3 years (2015–2018). We employ cutting-edge machine learning approaches (correlation matrix analysis, principal component analysis, random forest [RF], and information gain ratio [IGR]).

Results

IGR indicators of hospice use include persons living with dementia having diabetes, a regular physician, a good memory rating, not relying on food stamps, not having chewing or swallowing problems, and whether health prevents them from enjoying life (accuracy = 0.685; sensitivity = 0.824; specificity = 0.537; area under the curve (AUC) = 0.743). RF indicates primary caregivers’ age, and the person living with dementia’s income, census division, number of days help provided by caregiver per month, and whether health prevents them from enjoying life predicts hospice use (accuracy = 0.624; sensitivity = 0.713; specificity = 0.557; AUC = 0.703).

Discussion and Implications

Our exploratory models create a starting point for the future development of precision health approaches that may be integrated into learning health systems that prompt providers with actionable information about who may benefit from discussions around serious illness goals-for-care. Future work is necessary to investigate those not considered in this study—that is, persons living with dementia who do not use hospice care so additional insights can be gathered around barriers to care.
DeletingSnord115genes in mice remodels monoaminergic systems activity in the brain toward cortico-subcortical imbalances
Authors: Marty Virginie , Butler Jasmine J , Coutens Basile , Chargui Oumaima , Chagraoui Abdeslam , Guiard Bruno P , De Deurwaerdère Philippe , Cavaillé Jérôme
Published: August 2022

The neuronal-specific SNORD115 has gathered interest because its deficiency may contribute to the pathophysiology of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), possibly by altering post-transcriptional regulation of the gene encoding the serotonin (HTR2C) receptor. Yet, Snord115-KO mice do not resume the main symptoms of PWS, and only subtle-altered A-to-I RNA editing of Htr2c mRNAs was uncovered. Because HTR2C signaling fine-tunes the activity of monoaminergic neurons, we addressed the hypothesis that lack of Snord115 alters monoaminergic systems. We first showed that Snord115 was expressed in both monoaminergic and non-monoaminergic cells of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) harboring cell bodies of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons, respectively. Measuring the tissue level of monoamines and metabolites, we found very few differences except that the content of homovanillic acid—a metabolite of dopamine—was decreased in the orbitofrontal and prefrontal cortex of Snord115-KO mice. The latter effects were, however, associated with a few changes in monoamine tissue content connectivity across the 12 sampled brain regions. Using in vivo single-cell extracellular recordings, we reported that the firing rate of VTA dopaminergic neurons and DRN serotonergic neurons was significantly increased in Snord115-KO mice. These neural circuit dysfunctions were not, however, associated with apparent defects in binge eating, conditioned place preference to cocaine, cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion or compulsive behavior. Altogether, our multiscale study shows that the absence of Snord115 impacts central monoaminergic circuits to an extent that does not elicit gross behavioral abnormalities.
Integration of machine learning into process-based modelling to improve simulation of complex crop responses
Authors: Droutsas Ioannis , Challinor Andrew J , Deva Chetan R , Wang Enli
Published: August 2022

Machine learning (ML) is the most advanced field of predictive modelling and incorporating it into process-based crop modelling is a highly promising avenue for accurate predictions of plant growth, development and yield. Here, we embed ML algorithms into a process-based crop model. ML is used within GLAM-Parti for daily predictions of radiation use efficiency, the rate of change of harvest index and the days to anthesis and maturity. The GLAM-Parti-ML framework exhibited high skill for wheat growth and development in a wide range of temperature, solar radiation and atmospheric humidity conditions, including various levels of heat stress. The model exhibited less than 20 % error in simulating the above-ground biomass, grain yield and the days to anthesis and maturity of three wheat cultivars in six countries (USA, Mexico, Egypt, India, the Sudan and Bangladesh). Moreover, GLAM-Parti reproduced around three-quarters of the observed variance in wheat biomass and yield. Existing process-based crop models rely on empirical stress factors to limit growth potential in simulations of crop response to unfavourable environmental conditions. The incorporation of ML into GLAM-Parti eliminated all stress factors under high-temperature environments and reduced the physiological model parameters down to four. We conclude that the combination of process-based crop modelling with the predictive capacity of ML makes GLAM-Parti a highly promising framework for the next generation of crop models.
Characterizing Lewy Pathology in 231 Essential Tremor Brains From the Essential Tremor Centralized Brain Repository
Authors: Louis Elan D , Iglesias-Hernandez Daniella , Hernandez Nora C , Flowers Xena , Kuo Sheng-Han , Vonsattel Jean Paul G , Faust Phyllis L
Published: August 2022

The Essential Tremor Centralized Brain Repository is the largest repository of prospectively collected essential tremor (ET) brains (n = 231). Hence, we are uniquely poised to address several questions: What proportion of ET cases has Lewy pathology (LP)? What is the nature of that pathology and how does it relate to other comorbidities? Each brain had a complete neuropathological assessment, including α-synuclein immunostaining. We created a 10-category classification scheme to fully encapsulate the patterns of LP observed. Four metrics of cerebellar pathology were also quantified. Mean age at death = 89.0 ± 6.4 years. Fifty-eight (25.1%) had LP and 46 (19.9%) had early to late stages of Parkinson disease (PD). LP was very heterogeneous. Of 58 cases with LP, 14 (24.1%) clinically developed possible PD or PD after a latency of 5 or more years. There was a similar degree of cerebellar pathology in ET cases both with and without LP. In summary, 1 in 4 ET cases had LP—a proportion that seems higher than expected based on studies among control populations. Heterogeneous LP likely reflects clinical associations between ET and PD, and ET with Alzheimer disease-type neuropathology. These data further our understanding of ET and its relatedness to other degenerative diseases.