bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Earthquakes Triggered by Fluid Diffusion and Boosted by Fault Reactivation in Weiyuan, China Due to Hydraulic Fracturing
Authors: Sheng Minhan , Chu Risheng , Peng Zhigang , Wei Zigen , Zeng Xiangfang , Wang Qingdong , Wang Yong
Published: April 2022

Hydraulic fracturing has induced small‐to‐moderate‐size earthquakes around the world. Identifying spatio‐temporal evolution of microseismicity is important for understanding the physical processes that control hydraulic fracturing‐induced seismicity. In this study, we build an enhanced earthquake catalog from continuous seismic data recorded by 1‐year temporary deployment with an automatic procedure and relocate 18,663 earthquakes in the Weiyuan shale gas block in the southern Sichuan Basin, China. Our catalog, with a maximum ML of 3.5, has a completeness magnitude (Mc) of 0.4, which is ∼23 times more events than listed in the standard National Earthquake Data Center (NEDC) of China. Most earthquakes are clustered near hydraulic fracturing wells and delineate many pre‐existing faults in the north‐south direction. The space‐time evolution of microearthquakes indicates fluid diffusion processes as the primary drivers for seismicity in this region. The fast earthquake migration patterns show that permeability within a fault zone could be affected by fault‐valve behaviors and enhanced by earthquake rupture process. We find that the Gutenberg‐Richter b‐values increase systematically with depth, and b‐values further away from hydraulic fracturing pads are generally low, especially for three strands with relatively high migration velocities. Our results confirm that earthquake clusters in Weiyuan are induced by hydraulic fracturing and the reactivated faults act as conduit networks for fluid flow, which promote triggering of earthquakes further away from the hydraulic fracturing pad. This study provides additional evidence for hydraulic fracturing‐induced earthquake in the southern Sichuan Basin and advances our understanding of injection induced earthquakes.
Crustal Compositional Variations From Continental to Oceanic Domain: A VP/VS Ratio Study Across the Zhongsha Block, South China Sea
Authors: Li Yuhan , Grevemeyer Ingo , Huang Haibo , Qiu Xuelin , Murray‐Bergquist Louisa
Published: April 2022

The VP/VS ratio is an important property for understanding magmatic and tectonic processes at passive continental margins as it is an indicator of the crustal composition. To classify the dominant lithologies in the Zhongsha Block, South China Sea (SCS), we present a detailed VP/VS crustal model based on the independent tomographic inversion of P wave and S wave data. The average VP/VS in the crust of the Zhongsha Block is ∼1.77, indicating an overall felsic to intermediate composition lacking remnant magmatic intrusive rocks. The VP‐density relationship from gravity modeling suggests that the lower crust of the extended continental domain contains more greenschist and hence may have experienced metamorphism resulting from an elevated geotherm in the Northwest Sub‐basin either during the syn‐spreading or postspreading stage. The variability of the VP/VS ratio in the continental block is larger than that in the oceanic basin, showing distinct crustal properties. Several low VP/VS ratio anomalies (VP/VS < 1.7) were found near tectonic boundaries and are interpreted to either result from felsic metamorphism during an interval of rifting, or during the migration of magma along faults and cracks in the postrift period. VP/VS ratios occurring in concert with high VP anomalies in the continent‐ocean transition zone support a mafic composition of metapelitic granulite, which was either formed by magmatic intrusions or contact with mantle melting that stem from the upwelling of the asthenospheric mantle during the initial break‐up and onset of the seafloor spreading stage in the SCS.
Impacts of Suppressing Excessive Light Rain on Aerosol Radiative Effects and Health Risks
Authors: Wang Yong , Xia Wenwen , Zhang Guang J. , Wang Bin , Lin Guangxing
Published: April 2022

Global climate models (GCMs) have been used widely to study radiative forcing and health risks of aerosols. A recent study using two GCMs found that light rain plays a dominant role in controlling aerosol loading. However, “too much light rain and too little heavy rain” is a longstanding bias in GCMs. It is unclear how much light rain affects aerosol‐cloud‐radiation interactions and health risks from air pollution. Here we show that, with the correction of the rainfall intensity spectrum in the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Atmosphere Model version 5.3 by introducing a stochastic deep convection scheme, the reduced frequency of light rain (1–20 mm d−1) results in changes of aerosol direct radiative effects (DRE) of up to −0.5 ± 0.03 W/m2 and aerosol cloud radiative effects (CRE) of up to −0.9 ± 0.03 W/m2. The total (CRE + DRE) radiative effects of light rain‐mediated aerosol changes exceed the present‐day anthropogenic forcing of aerosols relative to preindustrial levels from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5&6) models. However, the correction of the rainfall intensity spectrum has little effect on anthropogenic aerosol forcing (defined as the radiative perturbation due to changes in aerosol concentrations between the industrial era and preindustrial levels). Due to increased exposure to fine particulates (PM2.5), the estimated global total premature mortality is much higher than previously estimated, by 300,000 ± 60,000 deaths per year, and is more severe in populous regions such as India and China. The findings in this study highlight the need to understand uncertainties in radiative effects and health risks of aerosols due to simulation biases of precipitation in GCMs.
Sensitivity of the Horizontal Scale of Convective Self‐Aggregation to Sea Surface Temperature in Radiative Convective Equilibrium Experiments Using a Global Nonhydrostatic Model
Authors: Matsugishi Shuhei , Satoh Masaki
Published: April 2022

We conduct radiative convection equilibrium experiments using a global nonhydrostatic model to investigate the dependence of convective self‐aggregation (CSA) on domain size and sea surface temperature (SST). We use a spherical domain with radii varying from 1 to 1/16 of Earth's radius, as well as SSTs between 290 and 310 K. A single aggregation occurs at small domain sizes, whereas multiple aggregations emerge at sufficiently large domain sizes. Domain‐averaged atmospheric temperature and humidity gradually increase with domain size until they reach convergence in cases of multiple aggregations. As domain size increases, surface wind speed increases, and the boundary layer becomes more humid. Because the radiative cooling in the free atmosphere also converges in cases of multiple aggregations, the surface evaporation must be limited due to the constraint of the energy balance. Thus, the convective region shifts from single to multiple aggregations to avoid increasing the surface wind speed. Our results show that the dependence of the horizontal scale of CSA on SST is not monotonic. This dependency is closely related to changes in the structure of the detrainment from the convective region at the melting level, resulting in enhanced radiative cooling at the top of the boundary layer near the convective region for cooler and warmer SSTs. This change in the circulation structure leads to increased surface wind speed with increasing domain size. This process affects the non‐monotonic dependence of the horizontal scale of CSA on SST.
A Climate Mystery Warns Us to Heed the Unknown
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: April 2022

The Curve is a series charting the mysterious rise of methane in our atmosphere and the quest to find its source.
Auroral Beads in Conjunction With Kinetic Alfvén Waves in the Equatorial Inner‐Magnetosphere
Authors: Tian S. , Lyons L. R. , Nishimura Y. , Wygant J. R. , Lysak R. L. , Ferradas C. P. , An X. , Igl A. B. , Reeves G. D. , Larsen B. A. , Ma D.
Published: April 2022

Auroral beads are spatially wavy forms routinely seen before the onset of auroral substorms and are closely related to the onset‐related instabilities. To date, the acceleration mechanism of electrons that create auroral beads is not fully determined. Here, we present a fortuitous event when the Van Allen Probe A (RBSP‐A) was in magnetic conjunction with auroral beads. RBSP‐A observed Alfvén waves, locally generated kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) and Alfvénic accelerated electrons at several 100 eV. The Alfvén waves and KAWs carried sufficient Poynting flux to power visible aurora and may control the beads' motion. These observations and previous simulations support that the Alfvénic acceleration is the acceleration mechanism of the auroral beads. Specifically, KAWs are generated around the equator and accelerate local cold electrons to several 100 eV. The waves are suggested to propagate to both hemispheres and accelerate electrons to several keV, which directly account for the auroral beads.
Topside Plasma Flows in the Equatorial Ionosphere and Their Relationships to F‐Region Winds Near 250 km
Authors: Heelis R. A. , Chen Y.‐J. , Depew M. D. , Harding B. J. , Immel T. J. , Wu Y.‐J. , Mende S. B. , Huba J. D. , Englert C. R. , Stephan A. W. , Kamaci U. , Kamalabadi F.
Published: April 2022

Simultaneous measurements of F‐region neutral winds near 250 km and topside field‐aligned interhemispheric plasma flow near 600 km, made by the ionospheric connections satellite, allow the connection between these parameters to be observationally established for the first time. The largest variations in the topside plasma flows are seen as a function of season and are shown to depend on trans‐equatorial neutral winds near the F peak in a manner that is essentially the same during the daytime and the nighttime for the solar minimum conditions that prevail in 2020. This finding is consistent with established principles of a servo model of the ionosphere for which both production and loss rates in the topside are specified by the O/N2 ratio at the F‐peak height. The intermediate relationships, describing how the neutral wind influences the F‐peak height and how the O+ plasma pressure gradient across the equator influences the interhemispheric plasma flow are also investigated and found to be consistent with expectations.
Metabolic factors in the regulation of hypothalamic innate immune responses in obesity
Authors: Folick Andrew , Cheang Rachel T. , Valdearcos Martin , Koliwad Suneil K.
Published: April 2022

The hypothalamus is a central regulator of body weight and energy homeostasis. There is increasing evidence that innate immune activation in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) is a key element in the pathogenesis of diet-induced obesity. Microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain parenchyma, have been shown to play roles in diverse aspects of brain function, including circuit refinement and synaptic pruning. As such, microglia have also been implicated in the development and progression of neurological diseases. Microglia express receptors for and are responsive to a wide variety of nutritional, hormonal, and immunological signals that modulate their distinct functions across different brain regions. We showed that microglia within the MBH sense and respond to a high-fat diet and regulate the function of hypothalamic neurons to promote food intake and obesity. Neurons, glia, and immune cells within the MBH are positioned to sense and respond to circulating signals that regulate their capacity to coordinate aspects of systemic energy metabolism. Here, we review the current knowledge of how these peripheral signals modulate the innate immune response in the MBH and enable microglia to regulate metabolic control.
Effect of obesity on the associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with prevalent and incident distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy: population-based KORA F4/FF4 study
Authors: Maalmi Haifa , Herder Christian , Huth Cornelia , Rathmann Wolfgang , Bönhof Gidon J. , Heier Margit , Koenig Wolfgang , Roden Michael , Peters Annette , Ziegler Dan , Thorand Barbara
Published: April 2022

Background/objectives

The association between vitamin D and DSPN has been investigated in cross-sectional studies in individuals with diabetes. However, evidence from prospective and population-based studies is still lacking. Also, the potential modifying effect of obesity and glucose tolerance has not been investigated. Therefore, we examined the cross-sectional and prospective associations of serum 25(OH)D with DSPN and assessed possible effect modifications.

Subjects/methods

The study included individuals aged 62–81 years who participated in the German KORA F4 (2006–2008) and FF4 (2013–2014) studies. DSPN was assessed using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument. Cross-sectional analyses (n = 1065; 33% of the participants had obesity) assessed the associations of baseline 25(OH)D with prevalent DSPN, while prospective analyses (n = 422) assessed the associations of 25(OH)D with incident DSPN.

Results

No association was found between 25(OH)D and prevalent DSPN in the total sample after adjustment for age, sex, season of blood sampling, BMI, metabolic variables, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. However, a decrease by 10 nmol/L in 25(OH)D was associated with prevalent DSPN (RR (95% CI) 1.08 (1.01, 1.16)) in individuals with obesity but not in normal-weight individuals (RR (95% CI) 0.97 (0.92, 1.02),pinteraction = 0.002). No evidence for effect modification by glucose tolerance was found (p > 0.05). In the prospective analysis, 25(OH)D levels in the first and second tertiles were associated with higher risk of DSPN (RR (95% CI) 1.18 (1.02; 1.38) and 1.40 (1.04; 1.90)) compared to the third tertile after adjustment for age, sex, season of blood sampling, and BMI. There was no evidence for effect modification by obesity or glucose tolerance categories.

Conclusions

Our study did not show consistent evidence for cross-sectional and prospective associations between serum 25(OH)D levels and DSPN in the total study population of older individuals. However, there was evidence for an association between lower serum 25(OH)D levels and higher prevalence of DSPN in individuals with obesity.
Photophysiological response of Symbiodiniaceae single cells to temperature stress
Authors: Xiao Linhong , Johansson Sofia , Rughöft Saskia , Burki Fabien , Sandin Miguel Mendez , Tenje Maria , Behrendt Lars
Published: April 2022

Photosynthetic dinoflagellates in the family Symbiodiniaceae engage in symbiosis with scleractinian corals. As coral ‘bleaching’ is partly governed by the thermal sensitivity of different Symbiodiniaceae lineages, numerous studies have investigated their temperature sensitivity. However, the systematic identification of single-cells with increased temperature resistance among these dinoflagellates has remained inaccessible, mostly due to a lack of technologies operating at the microscale. Here, we employed a unique combination of microfluidics, miniaturized temperature control, and chlorophyll fluorometry to characterize the single-cell heterogeneity among five representative species within the Symbiodiniaceae family under temperature stress. We monitored single-cell maximum quantum yields (Fv/Fm) of photosystem (PS) II under increasing temperature stress (22‒39 °C, + 1 °C every 15 min), and detected a significant Fv/Fm reduction at lineage-specific temperatures ranging from 28 °C to 34 °C alongside a 40- to 180- fold increase in intraspecific heterogeneity under elevated temperatures (>31 °C). We discovered that the initial Fv/Fm of a cell could predict the same cell’s ability to perform PSII photochemistry under moderate temperature stress (<32 °C), suggesting its use as a proxy for measuring the thermal sensitivity among Symbiodiniaceae. In combination, our study highlights the heterogeneous thermal sensitivity among photosynthetic Symbiodiniaceae and adds critical resolution to our understanding of temperature-induced coral bleaching.
Intervertebral disc degeneration is rescued by TGFβ/BMP signaling modulation in an ex vivo filamin B mouse model
Authors: Zieba Jennifer , Forlenza Kimberly N. , Heard Kelly , Martin Jorge H. , Bosakova Michaela , Cohn Daniel H. , Robertson Stephen P. , Krejci Pavel , Krakow Deborah
Published: April 2022

Spondylocarpotarsal syndrome (SCT) is a rare musculoskeletal disorder characterized by short stature and vertebral, carpal, and tarsal fusions resulting from biallelic nonsense mutations in the gene encoding filamin B (FLNB). Utilizing a FLNB knockout mouse, we showed that the vertebral fusions in SCT evolved from intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and ossification of the annulus fibrosus (AF), eventually leading to full trabecular bone formation. This resulted from alterations in the TGFβ/BMP signaling pathway that included increased canonical TGFβ and noncanonical BMP signaling. In this study, the role of FLNB in the TGFβ/BMP pathway was elucidated using in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo treatment methodologies. The data demonstrated that FLNB interacts with inhibitory Smads 6 and 7 (i-Smads) to regulate TGFβ/BMP signaling and that loss of FLNB produces increased TGFβ receptor activity and decreased Smad 1 ubiquitination. Through the use of small molecule inhibitors in an ex vivo spine model, TGFβ/BMP signaling was modulated to design a targeted treatment for SCT and disc degeneration. Inhibition of canonical and noncanonical TGFβ/BMP pathway activity restored Flnb−/− IVD morphology. These most effective improvements resulted from specific inhibition of TGFβ and p38 signaling activation. FLNB acts as a bridge for TGFβ/BMP signaling crosstalk through i-Smads and is key for the critical balance in TGFβ/BMP signaling that maintains the IVD. These findings further our understanding of IVD biology and reveal new molecular targets for disc degeneration as well as congenital vertebral fusion disorders.
Antiferromagnetic second-order topological insulator with fractional mass-kink
Authors: Mu Haimen , Zhao Gan , Zhang Huimin , Wang Zhengfei
Published: April 2022

Generally, the topological corner state in two-dimensional (2D) second-order topological insulator (SOTI) is equivalent to the well-known domain wall state, which is originated from the mass-inversion between two adjacent edges with phase shift of π. In this work, go beyond this conventional physical picture, we report a fractional mass-kink induced 2D SOTI in monolayer FeSe with canted checkerboard antiferromagnetic (AFM) order by analytic model and first-principles calculations. The canted spin associated in-plane Zeeman field can gap out the quantum spin Hall edge state of FeSe, forming a fractional mass-kink with phase shift of π/2 at the rectangular corner, and generating an in-gap topological corner state with fractional charge of e/4. Moreover, the topological corner state is robust to a finite perturbation, existing in both naturally and non-naturally cleaved corners, regardless of the edge orientation. Our results not only demonstrate a material system to realize the unique 2D AFM SOTI, but also pave a way to design the higher-order topological states from fractional mass-kink with arbitrary phase shift.
Discovery of Pb-free hybrid organic–inorganic 2D perovskites using a stepwise optimization strategy
Authors: Lee Byung Do , Lee Jin-Woong , Kim Minseuk , Park Woon Bae , Sohn Kee-Sun
Published: April 2022

The current status of 2D organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites for use in photovoltaic (PV) and light-emitting diode (LED) applications lags far behind their 3D counterparts. Here, we propose a computational strategy for discovering novel perovskites with as few computing resources as possible. A tandem optimization algorithm consisting of an elitism-reinforced nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) and a multiobjective Bayesian optimization (MOBO) algorithm was used for density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The DFT-calculated band gap and effective mass were taken as objective functions to be optimized, and the constituent molecules and elements of a Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) structure (n = 2) were taken as decision variables. Fourteen previously unknown RP perovskite candidates for PV and LED applications were discovered as a result of the NSGA-II/MOBO algorithm. Thereafter, more accurate DFT calculations based on the HSE06 exchange correlation functional and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) were conducted for the discovered 2D perovskites to ensure their validity.
Biomechanically and biochemically functional scaffold for recruitment of endogenous stem cells to promote tendon regeneration
Authors: Cui Jing , Ning Liang-Ju , Wu Fei-Peng , Hu Ruo-Nan , Li Xuan , He Shu-Kun , Zhang Yan-Jing , Luo Jia-Jiao , Luo Jing-Cong , Qin Ting-Wu
Published: April 2022

Tendon regeneration highly relies on biomechanical and biochemical cues in the repair microenvironment. Herein, we combined the decellularized bovine tendon sheet (DBTS) with extracellular matrix (ECM) from tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) to fabricate a biomechanically and biochemically functional scaffold (tECM-DBTS), to provide a functional and stem cell ECM-based microenvironment for tendon regeneration. Our prior study showed that DBTS was biomechanically suitable to tendon repair. In this study, the biological function of tECM-DBTS was examined in vitro, and the efficiency of the scaffold for Achilles tendon repair was evaluated using immunofluorescence staining, histological staining, stem cell tracking, biomechanical and functional analyses. It was found that tECM-DBTS increased the content of bioactive factors and had a better performance for the proliferation, migration and tenogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) than DBTS. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that tECM-DBTS promoted tendon regeneration and improved the biomechanical properties of regenerated Achilles tendons in rats by recruiting endogenous stem cells and participating in the functionalization of these stem cells. As a whole, the results of this study demonstrated that the tECM-DBTS can provide a bionic microenvironment for recruiting endogenous stem cells and facilitating in situ regeneration of tendons.
The neural substrates of neurological soft signs in schizophrenia: a systematic review
Authors: Samson Genelle D. , Lahti Adrienne C. , Kraguljac Nina V.
Published: April 2022

Neurological soft signs (NSS) are common in patients with schizophrenia. However, the neural substrates of NSS remain poorly understood. Using legacy PubMed, we performed a systematic review and included studies that assessed NSS and obtained neuroimaging data in patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder published up to June 2020. We systematically reviewed 35 relevant articles. Studies consistently implicate the basal ganglia and cerebellum as structural substrates of NSS and suggest that somatomotor and somatosensory regions as well as areas involved in visual processing and spatial orientation may underlie NSS in psychosis spectrum disorders. Additionally, dysfunction of frontoparietal and cerebellar networks has been implicated in the pathophysiology of NSS. The current literature outlines several structural and functional brain signatures that are relevant for NSS in schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The majority of studies assessed gray matter structure, but only a few studies leveraged other imaging methods such as diffusion weighted imaging, or molecular imaging. Due to this, it remains unclear if white matter integrity deficits or neurometabolic alterations contribute to NSS in the illness. While a substantial portion of the literature has been conducted in patients in the early illness stages, mitigating confounds of illness chronicity, few studies have been conducted in antipsychotic medication-naïve patients, which is a clear limitation. Furthermore, only little is known about the temporal evolution of NSS and associated brain signatures. Future studies addressing these pivotal gaps in our mechanistic understanding of NSS will be important.
Self-adjuvanting nanovaccines boost lung-resident CD4+ T cell immune responses in BCG-primed mice
Authors: Files Megan A. , Naqvi Kubra F. , Saito Tais B. , Clover Tara M. , Rudra Jai S. , Endsley Janice J.
Published: April 2022

Heterologous vaccine regimens could extend waning protection in the global population immunized with Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG). We demonstrate that pulmonary delivery of peptide nanofibers (PNFs) bearing an Ag85B CD4+ T cell epitope increased the frequency of antigen-specific T cells in BCG-primed mice, including heterogenous populations with tissue resident memory (Trm) and effector memory (Tem) phenotype, and functional cytokine recall. Adoptive transfer of dendritic cells pulsed with Ag85B-bearing PNFs further expanded the frequency and functional repertoire of memory CD4+ T cells. Transcriptomic analysis suggested that the adjuvanticity of peptide nanofibers is, in part, due to the release of damage-associated molecular patterns. A single boost with monovalent Ag85B PNF in BCG-primed mice did not reduce lung bacterial burden compared to BCG alone following aerosol Mtb challenge. These findings support the need for novel BCG booster strategies that activate pools of Trm cells with potentially diverse localization, trafficking, and immune function.
Online misinformation is linked to early COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and refusal
Authors: Pierri Francesco , Perry Brea L. , DeVerna Matthew R. , Yang Kai-Cheng , Flammini Alessandro , Menczer Filippo , Bryden John
Published: April 2022

Widespread uptake of vaccines is necessary to achieve herd immunity. However, uptake rates have varied across U.S. states during the first six months of the COVID-19 vaccination program. Misbeliefs may play an important role in vaccine hesitancy, and there is a need to understand relationships between misinformation, beliefs, behaviors, and health outcomes. Here we investigate the extent to which COVID-19 vaccination rates and vaccine hesitancy are associated with levels of online misinformation about vaccines. We also look for evidence of directionality from online misinformation to vaccine hesitancy. We find a negative relationship between misinformation and vaccination uptake rates. Online misinformation is also correlated with vaccine hesitancy rates taken from survey data. Associations between vaccine outcomes and misinformation remain significant when accounting for political as well as demographic and socioeconomic factors. While vaccine hesitancy is strongly associated with Republican vote share, we observe that the effect of online misinformation on hesitancy is strongest across Democratic rather than Republican counties. Granger causality analysis shows evidence for a directional relationship from online misinformation to vaccine hesitancy. Our results support a need for interventions that address misbeliefs, allowing individuals to make better-informed health decisions.
Synergistic use of siderophores and weak organic ligands during zinc transport in the rhizosphere controlled by pH and ion strength gradients
Authors: Northover George H. R. , Mao Yiru , Blasco Salvador , Vilar Ramon , Garcia-España Enrique , Rocco Claudia , Hanif Md , Weiss Dominik J.
Published: April 2022

Citrate (Cit) and Deferoxamine B (DFOB) are two important organic ligands coexisting in soils with distinct different affinities for metal ions. It has been theorized that siderophores and weak organic ligands play a synergistic role during the transport of micronutrients in the rhizosphere, but the geochemical controls of this process remain unknown. Here we test the hypothesis that gradients in pH and ion strength regulate and enable the cooperation. To this end, first we use potentiometric titrations to identify the dominant Zn(II)–Cit and Zn(II)–DFOB complexes and to determine their ionic strength dependent stability constants between 0 and 1 mol dm−3. We parametrise the Extended Debye-Hückel (EDH) equation and determine accurate intrinsic association constants (logβ0) for the formation of the complexes present. The speciation model developed confirms the presence of [Zn(Cit)]−, [Zn(HCit)], [Zn2(Cit)2(OH)2]4−, and [Zn(Cit)2]4−, with [Zn(Cit)]− and [Zn2(Cit)2(OH)2]4− the dominant species in the pH range relevant to rhizosphere. We propose the existence of a new [Zn(Cit)(OH)3]4− complex above pH 10. We also verify the existence of two hexadentate Zn(II)–DFOB species, i.e., [Zn(DFOB)]− and [Zn(HDFOB)], and of one tetradentate species [Zn(H2DFOB)]+. Second, we identify the pH and ionic strength dependent ligand exchange points (LEP) of Zn with citrate and DFOB and the stability windows for Zn(II)–Cit and Zn(II)–DFOB complexes in NaCl and rice soil solutions. We find that the LEPs fall within the pH and ionic strength gradients expected in rhizospheres and that the stability windows for Zn(II)–citrate and Zn(II)–DFOB, i.e., low and high affinity ligands, can be distinctly set off. This suggests that pH and ion strength gradients allow for Zn(II) complexes with citrate and DFOB to dominate in different parts of the rhizosphere and this explains why mixtures of low and high affinity ligands increase leaching of micronutrients in soils. Speciation models of soil solutions using newly determined association constants demonstrate that the presence of dissolved organic matter and inorganic ligands (i.e., bicarbonate, phosphate, sulphate, or chlorides) do neither affect the position of the LEP nor the width of the stability windows significantly. In conclusion, we demonstrate that cooperative and synergistic ligand interaction between low and high affinity ligands is a valid mechanism for controlling zinc transport in the rhizosphere and possibly in other environmental reservoirs such as in the phycosphere. Multiple production of weak and strong ligands is therefore a valid strategy of plants and other soil organisms to improve access to micronutrients.
Temperature gradient of vertical air column in gravitational field
Authors: Jeong Han Mo , Park Sangyoun
Published: April 2022

The negative temperature gradient under gravity was observed with a vertical air column inside a practically insulated aluminum cylinder filled with sawdust. The temperature drop rate measured between 90 and 10 cm height positions was as much as 2.22 Km−1 when the diameter of the air column was 60 cm. This drop rate is much larger than the mean lapse rate of the earth’s troposphere (0.0045–0.0065 Km−1) and the previously reported experimental value (0.07 Km−1) by Graeff for the air column in a relatively small system. We proposed a kinetic model based on classical mechanics to account for this temperature drop, which is significantly larger than the values previously reported. The negative temperature gradient of the air column inside the cylinder showed a tendency to decrease sensitively as the positive temperature gradient of the ambient air outside the cylinder increased, although it was practically insulated. In addition, the temperature drop rate increased as the air column's diameter increased. These results suggest that as the size of the system increases, the external influence that relaxes the negative temperature gradient of the air column is diluted, and thus the negative temperature gradient becomes more pronounced.
Multi-angle quantum approximate optimization algorithm
Authors: Herrman Rebekah , Lotshaw Phillip C. , Ostrowski James , Humble Travis S. , Siopsis George
Published: April 2022

The quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) generates an approximate solution to combinatorial optimization problems using a variational ansatz circuit defined by parameterized layers of quantum evolution. In theory, the approximation improves with increasing ansatz depth but gate noise and circuit complexity undermine performance in practice. Here, we investigate a multi-angle ansatz for QAOA that reduces circuit depth and improves the approximation ratio by increasing the number of classical parameters. Even though the number of parameters increases, our results indicate that good parameters can be found in polynomial time for a test dataset we consider. This new ansatz gives a 33% increase in the approximation ratio for an infinite family of MaxCut instances over QAOA. The optimal performance is lower bounded by the conventional ansatz, and we present empirical results for graphs on eight vertices that one layer of the multi-angle anstaz is comparable to three layers of the traditional ansatz on MaxCut problems. Similarly, multi-angle QAOA yields a higher approximation ratio than QAOA at the same depth on a collection of MaxCut instances on fifty and one-hundred vertex graphs. Many of the optimized parameters are found to be zero, so their associated gates can be removed from the circuit, further decreasing the circuit depth. These results indicate that multi-angle QAOA requires shallower circuits to solve problems than QAOA, making it more viable for near-term intermediate-scale quantum devices.
Light dependent synthesis of a nucleotide second messenger controls the motility of a spirochete bacterium
Authors: Xu Jun , Koizumi Nobuo , Morimoto Yusuke V. , Ozuru Ryo , Masuzawa Toshiyuki , Nakamura Shuichi
Published: April 2022

Nucleotide second messengers are universally crucial factors for the signal transduction of various organisms. In prokaryotes, cyclic nucleotide messengers are involved in the bacterial life cycle and in functions such as virulence and biofilm formation, mainly via gene regulation. Here, we show that the swimming motility of the soil bacterium Leptospira kobayashii is rapidly modulated by light stimulation. Analysis of a loss-of-photoresponsivity mutant obtained by transposon random mutagenesis identified the novel sensory gene, and its expression in Escherichia coli through codon optimization elucidated the light-dependent synthesis of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). GFP labeling showed the localization of the photoresponsive enzyme at the cell poles where flagellar motors reside. These findings suggest a new role for cAMP in rapidly controlling the flagella-dependent motility of Leptospira and highlight the global distribution of the newly discovered photoactivated cyclase among diverse microbial species.
Trends in the association between body mass index and blood pressure among 19-year-old men in Korea from 2003 to 2017
Authors: Koh Hee Byung , Heo Ga Young , Kim Kyung Won , Ha Joohyung , Park Jung Tak , Han Seung Hyeok , Yoo Tae-Hyun , Kang Shin-Wook , Kim Hyung Woo
Published: April 2022

The strength of association between the body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) varies with population and time. Therefore, identifying the trends in BMI-BP association in adolescents can help predict the upcoming metabolic and cardiovascular disease burden. For this reason, from physical examination data collected from 2003 to 2017, a total of 5,133,246 Korean men aged 19 years were assessed for the annual trends and changes in the BMI-BP association. During the 15-year period, the mean BMI increased from 22.5 to 23.5 kg/m2, and the prevalence of obesity increased from 16.7 to 21.4%. Meanwhile, the mean systolic BP (SBP) decreased from 122.8 to 122.3 mmHg in the first year and gradually increased to 125.9 mmHg afterward. The diastolic BP (DBP) decreased from 71.5 to 70.0 mmHg in the first 4 years and then rose to 74.8 mmHg in the following years. The association analysis between BMI and SBP resulted in an annual increase in the correlation coefficient (SBP: 0.257–0.495, DBP: 0.164–0.413). The regression coefficient similarly increased between 2003 and 2015 but slightly decreased between 2015 and 2017 (SBP: 0.896–1.569, DBP: 0.405–0.861). The BMI-BP association increased over time (coefficient of the interaction term > 0, P < 0.001). Moreover, as the BMI increased, the annual increase in BP and BP per unit BMI also increased. In conclusion, this study emphasized a continuous shift towards obesity in BMI distribution and intensifying BMI-BP association over time in young men. Further research on factors affecting this BMI-BP association is needed to fully validate the potential applications of this hypothesis.
High accuracy tracking of ultrasonic motor based on PID operation of sliding surface plus inverse system compensation
Authors: Yan Gangfeng
Published: April 2022

Ultrasonic motor as a actuator of control system is widely used in the equipment driven for the precision manufacturing. In this brief, for the selection of the ultrasonic motor, an approximate time-domain mathematical model was established according to the physical mechanism of the ultrasonic motor. The parameters of the model were identified by using the least square method. Responses of the obtained model to the pulse width signal and the triangular wave signal are approximate consistent with those of the actual system respectively, which show the accuracy of the model. Then, the approach of PID operation of the sliding surface plus the inverse system compensation is proposed, the stability of the controlled system and the selection of the proposed approach parameters were discussed. The conventional PI control method with large gain and the proposed control approach were used to track the same signal. Then, the robustness of the proposed control method was tested, a 0.3 kg load was added to the system while keeping the two controller parameters and tracking signals unchanged, and the tracking effects of the two control methods were obtained. The results show that the proposed control approach has a superior performance compared to the conventional PI control approach.
Africans and Europeans differ in their facial perception of dominance and sex-typicality: a multidimensional Bayesian approach
Authors: Fiala Vojtěch , Tureček Petr , Akoko Robert Mbe , Pokorný Šimon , Kleisner Karel
Published: April 2022

Biosocial impact of facial dominance and sex-typicality is well-evidenced in various human groups. It remains unclear, though, whether perceived sex-typicality and dominance can be consistently predicted from sexually dimorphic facial features across populations. Using a combination of multidimensional Bayesian approach and geometric morphometrics, we explored associations between perceived dominance, perceived sex-typicality, measured sexual shape dimorphism, and skin colour in a European and an African population. Unlike previous studies, we investigated the effect of facial variation due to shape separately from variation due to visual cues not related to shape in natural nonmanipulated stimuli. In men, perceived masculinity was associated with perceived dominance in both populations. In European women higher perceived femininity was, surprisingly, likewise positively associated with perceived dominance. Both shape and non-shape components participate in the constitution of facial sex-typicality and dominance. Skin colour predicted perceived sex-typicality in Africans but not in Europeans. Members of each population probably use different cues to assess sex-typicality and dominance. Using our methods, we found no universal sexually dimorphic scale predicting human perception of sex-typicality and dominance. Unidimensional understanding of sex-typicality thus seems problematic and should be applied with cautions when studying perceived sex-typicality and its correlates.
Numerical study on the evolution process of slope failure triggered by extreme rainfall along a road-cut in mountainous terrain
Authors: Sengani Fhatuwani , Allopi Dhiren
Published: April 2022

Modeling the flow evolution of a slope governed by solid mass has been recognized as a challenge, yet most stability analyses are only based on stability number or Safety Factor (FOS). The stability number in most cases does not incorporate the deformation characteristics of the material and the change in solid mass phases such as from solid-like to fluid-like phase. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to present a numerical simulation that describes the failure evolution of a slope with a fault along with a road cut. A finite element method associated with an elastoplastic model with strain softening is adopted to provide a failure evolution of R71 road cut slope instabilities. The results of the study have demonstrated that the present computational framework is capable of quantitatively reproducing the failure evolution process, the final run-out distance of the slope material. The simulation has evidenced that the flow evolution of material during extreme rainfall is expected to extend to the final deposit of 4.5 m, indeed, the field measurements and observations also confirm. Furthermore, the simulations also demonstrated that the distance in which material can reach is largely controlled by the composition and phases of the material undergone during flow evolution. Owing to that, the resistance of material has a major role in the run-out of the material; this resistance of the material is also controlled by shearing and absorbed kinetic energy during the process. The overall conclusion is that, for material to flow for a longer distance, high kinetic energy and more shearing of material are expected to take place during this process. It is recommended that other sophisticated methods could be utilized to further the results.
Variational quantum support vector machine based on $$\Gamma $$ matrix expansion and variational universal-quantum-state generator
Authors: Ezawa Motohiko
Published: April 2022

We analyze a binary classification problem by using a support vector machine based on variational quantum-circuit model. We propose to solve a linear equation of the support vector machine by using a$$\Gamma $$Γmatrix expansion. In addition, it is shown that an arbitrary quantum state is prepared by optimizing a universal quantum circuit representing an arbitrary$$U(2^N)$$U(2N)based on the steepest descent method. It may be a quantum generalization of Field-Programmable-Gate Array (FPGA).
Computer-aided efficient design and performance optimization of cutting head for roadheader
Authors: Jin Xin , Zhao Guochao , Zhao Lijuan , Lin Guocong
Published: April 2022

The cutting head is the core working mechanism of the roadheader for coal-rock materials cutting. The efficient and high performance design of cutting head is the key to improve the road head digging and mining technology. In this paper, based on cutting head design theory and virtual prototype technology, we propose a computer-aided structure design and performance optimization method for cutting head. We compile the calculation code and realize the reading and storing of relevant data through Excel. In particular, to obtain more realistic cutting performance data of the cutting head, we construct a coupling model of cutting head cutting rock wall based on virtual prototype technology, and then establish a database matching structural parameters, working parameters, coal-rock properties and cutting performance through extensive simulations. Based on the method, we complete the design of EBZ220 roadheader cutting head. We show that our method can realize the fast and efficient design of cutting head, and the designed cutting head has good working performance.
Mammal extinction facilitated biome shift and human population change during the last glacial termination in East-Central Europe
Authors: Magyari Enikő Katalin , Gasparik Mihály , Major István , Lengyel György , Pál Ilona , Virág Attila , Korponai János , Haliuc Aritina , Szabó Zoltán , Pazonyi Piroska
Published: April 2022

The study of local extinction times, together with the associated environmental and human population changes in the last glacial termination, provides insights into the causes of mega- and microfauna extinctions. In East-Central (EC) Europe, groups of Palaeolithic humans were present throughout the last glacial maximum, but disappeared suddenly around 15,200 cal BP. In this study cave sediment profiles dated using radiocarbon techniques and a large set of mammal bones dated directly by AMS 14C were used to determine local extinction times. These were, in turn, compared to changes in the total megafauna population of EC Europe derived from coprophilous fungi, the Epigravettian population decline, quantitative climate models, pollen and plant macrofossil inferred climate, as well as to biome reconstructions. The results suggest that the population size of large herbivores decreased in the area after 17,700 cal BP, when temperate tree abundance and warm continental steppe cover both increased in the lowlands. Boreal forest expansion started around 16,200 cal BP. Cave sediments show the decline of narrow-headed vole and arctic lemming populations specifically associated with a tundra environment at the same time and the expansion of the common vole, an inhabitant of steppes. The last dated appearance of arctic lemming was at ~ 16,640 cal BP, while that of the narrow-headed vole at ~ 13,340, and the estimated extinction time of woolly mammoth was either at 13,830 (GRIWM) or 15,210 (PHASE), and reindeer at 11,860 (GRIWM) or 12,550 cal BP (PHASE). The population decline of the large herbivore fauna slightly preceded changes in terrestrial vegetation, and likely facilitated it via a reduction in the intensity of grazing and the concomitant accumulation of plant biomass. Furthermore, it is possible to conclude that the Late Epigravettian population had high degree of quarry-fidelity; they left the basin when these mammals vanished.
Impact of immobilization strategies on the activity and recyclability of lipases in nanomagnetic supports
Authors: de Andrade Silva Thais , Keijok Wanderson Juvêncio , Guimarães Marco Cesar Cunegundes , Cassini Sérvio Túlio Alves , de Oliveira Jairo Pinto
Published: April 2022

The use of enzymes immobilized on nanomagnetic supports has produced surprising results in catalysis, mainly due to the increase in surface area and the potential for recovery and reuse. However, the meticulous control of the process and difficulties in reproducibility have made industrial-scale applications unfeasible. Furthermore, the role of conjugation strategies in the catalytic activity and recycling of catalysts is unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the conjugation of enzymes on nanomagnetic supports through physical adsorption (naked) or covalent bonding with mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS) and aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) ligands. The free lipase obtained from Rhizomucor miehei was used as a model enzyme. Total protein and enzyme activity were determined using spectrophotometry (UV–Vis) and the p-nitrophenyl palmitate (p-NPP) hydrolysis method. The results indicated that a more significant enzyme surface loading does not always mean better immobilization success. The physical adsorption binding strategy had higher surface loading and low catalytic activity. On the other hand, covalent coupling with free NH2 had an excellent catalytic activity with very low surface loading. Finally, we show that recyclability can be improved with conjugation mediated by disulfide bonds. The findings presented here are essential for developing nanoconjugates with high enzymatic activity, which can guarantee the success of several industrial applications.
Inequality and cooperation in social networks
Authors: Melamed David , Simpson Brent , Montgomery Bradley , Patel Vedang
Published: April 2022

Social networks are fundamental to the broad scale cooperation observed in human populations. But by structuring the flow of benefits from cooperation, networks also create and sustain macro-level inequalities. Here we ask how two aspects of inequality shape the evolution of cooperation in dynamic social networks. Results from a crowdsourced experiment (N = 1080) show that inequality alters the distribution of cooperation within networks such that participants engage in more costly cooperation with their wealthier partners in order to maintain more valuable connections to them. Inequality also influences network dynamics, increasing the tendency for participants to seek wealthier partners, resulting in structural network change. These processes aggregate to alter network structures and produce greater system-level inequality. The findings thus shed critical light on how networks serve as both boon and barrier to macro-level human flourishing.