bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A congested capacitated location problem with continuous network demand
Authors: Golabi Mahmoud , Shavarani Seyed Mahdi , Idoumghar Lhassane
Published: September 2022

This paper presents a multi-objective mixed-integer non-linear programming model for a congested multiple-server discrete facility location problem with uniformly distributed demands along the network edges. Regarding the capacity of each facility and the maximum waiting time threshold, the developed model aims to determine the number and locations of established facilities along with their corresponding number of assigned servers such that the traveling distance, the waiting time, the total cost, and the number of lost sales (uncovered customers) are minimized simultaneously. Also, this paper proposes modified versions of some of the existing heuristics and metaheuristic algorithms currently used to solve NP-hard location problems. Here, the memetic algorithm along with its modified version called the stochastic memetic algorithm, as well as the modified add and modified drop heuristics are used as the solution methods. Computational results and comparisons demonstrate that although the results obtained from the developed stochastic memetic algorithm are slightly better, the applied memetic algorithm could be considered as the most efficient approach in finding reasonable solutions with less required CPU times.
Differentiability of Functions on Spheres and Criterions of Convexity
Authors: CHEN Tingting , GUO Qi
Published: September 2022

Some basic concepts for functions defined on subsets of the unit sphere, such as the s-directional derivative, s-gradient and s-Gateaux and s-Frechet differentiability etc, are introduced and investigated. These concepts are different from the usual ones for functions defined on subsets of Euclidean spaces, however, the results obtained here are very similar. Then, as applications, we provide some criterions of s-convexity for functions defined on unit spheres which are improvements or refinements of some known results.
Decarboxylative Claisen Condensations with Substituted Malonic Acid Half Oxyesters
Authors: Presset Marc , Xavier Tania , Tran Parvine , Gautreau Apolline , Le Gall Erwan
Published: September 2022

A decarboxylative Claisen condensation involving substituted malonic acid half oxyesters (SMAHOs) as pronucleophiles has been developed. The addition of their magnesium enolates to various acyl donors allows the synthesis of functionalized α-substituted β-keto esters in moderate to excellent yields (13–96%). In addition to acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides, these conditions proved efficient for the use of carboxylic acids as acylating agents, thus allowing to greatly extend the scope of this transformation (32 examples overall).
Decision Support to Improve Critical Care Services Documentation in an Academic Emergency Department
Authors: Turer Robert W. , Champion John C. , Rothman Brian S. , Dunn Heather S. , Jenkins Kenneth M. , Everham Olayinka , Barrett Tyler W. , Jones Ian D. , Ward Michael J. , Miller Nathaniel M.
Published: September 2022

Objectives Critical care services (CCS) documentation affects billing, operations, and research. No studies exist on documentation decision support (DDS) for CCS in the emergency department (ED). We describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of a DDS tool built to improve CCS documentation at an academic ED.

Methods This quality improvement study reports the prospective design, implementation, and evaluation of a novel DDS tool for CCS documentation at an academic ED. CCS-associated ED diagnoses triggered a message to appear within the physician note attestation workflow for any patient seen in the adult ED. The alert raised awareness of CCS-associated diagnoses without recommending specific documentation practices. The message disappeared from the note automatically once signed. We measured current procedural terminology (CPT) codes 99291 or 99292 (representing CCS rendered) for 8 months before and after deployment to identify CCS documentation rates. We performed state-space Bayesian time-series analysis to evaluate the causal effect of our intervention on CCS documentation capture. We used monthly ED volume and monthly admission rates as covariate time-series for model generation.

Results The study included 92,350 ED patients with an observed mean proportion CCS of 3.9% before the intervention and 5.8% afterward. The counterfactual model predicted an average response of 3.9% [95% CI 3.5–4.3%]. The estimated absolute causal effect of the intervention was 2.0% [95% CI 1.5–2.4%] (p = 0.001).

Conclusion A DDS tool measurably increased ED CCS documentation. Attention to user workflows and collaboration with compliance and billing teams avoided alert fatigue and ensures compliance.
Profiles of learners based on their cognitive and metacognitive learning strategy use: occurrence and relations with gender, intrinsic motivation, and perceived autonomy support
Authors: Kwarikunda Diana , Schiefele Ulrich , Muwonge Charles Magoba , Ssenyonga Joseph
Published: September 2022

For life-long learning, an effective learning strategy repertoire is particularly important during acquisition of knowledge in lower secondary school—an educational level characterized with transition into more autonomous learning environments with increased complex academic demands. Using latent profile analysis, we explored the occurrence of different secondary school learner profiles depending on their various combinations of cognitive and metacognitive learning strategy use, as well as their differences in perceived autonomy support, intrinsic motivation, and gender. Data were collected from 576 ninth grade students in Uganda using self-report questionnaires. Four learner profiles were identified: competent strategy user, struggling user, surface-level learner, and deep-level learner profiles. Gender differences were noted in students’ use of elaboration and organization strategies to learn Physics, in favor of girls. In terms of profile memberships, significant differences in gender, intrinsic motivation and perceived autonomy support were also noted. Girls were 2.4–2.7 times more likely than boys to be members of the competent strategy user and surface-level learner profiles. Additionally, higher levels of intrinsic motivation predicted an increased likelihood membership into the deep-level learner profile, while higher levels of perceived teacher autonomy predicted an increased likelihood membership into the competent strategy user profile as compared to other profiles. Further, implications of the findings were discussed.
Individuals’ willingness to provide geospatial global positioning system (GPS) data from their smartphone during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Hswen Yulin , Nguemdjo Ulrich , Yom-Tov Elad , Marcus Gregory M , Ventelou Bruno
Published: September 2022

This study aims to evaluate people’s willingness to provide their geospatial global positioning system (GPS) data from their smartphones during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the self-determination theory, the addition of monetary incentives to encourage data provision may have an adverse effect on spontaneous donation. Therefore, we tested if a crowding-out effect exists between financial and altruistic motivations. Participants were randomized to different frames of motivational messages regarding the provision of their GPS data based on (1) self-interest, (2) pro-social benefit, and (3) monetary compensation. We also sought to examine the use of a negative versus positive valence in the framing of the different armed messages. 1055 participants were recruited from 41 countries with a mean age of 34 years on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), an online crowdsourcing platform. Participants living in India or in Brazil were more willing to provide their GPS data compared to those living in the United States. No significant differences were seen between positive and negative valence framing messages. Monetary incentives of $5 significantly increased participants’ willingness to provide GPS data. Half of the participants in the self-interest and pro-social arms agreed to provide their GPS data and almost two-thirds of participants were willing to provide their data in exchange for $5. If participants refused the first framing proposal, they were followed up with a “Vickrey auction” (a sealed-bid second-priced auction, SPSBA). An average of $17 bid was accepted in the self-interest condition to provide their GPS data, and the average “bid” of $21 was for the pro-social benefit experimental condition. These results revealed that a crowding-out effect between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations did not take place in our sample of internet users. Framing and incentivization can be used in combination to influence the acquisition of private GPS smartphone data. Financial incentives can increase data provision to a greater degree with no losses on these intrinsic motivations, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lifespan of effective boundary conditions for the heat equation
Authors: Li Huicong , Li Jingyu
Published: September 2022

Thermal barrier coatings are used to protect from overheating isotropically conducting bodies. Compared to the physical nature of the bodies, the coating layers are thin and anisotropic, and their thermal conductivity is small. To resolve the issue caused by multiscale in the scenario, the asymptotic behavior of the Dirichlet problem for the heat equation is studied and effective boundary conditions (boundary conditions satisfied by the limiting function on the boundary of the isotropically body) are derived [Li et al., Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 137, 1711–1721 (2009)] as the thickness of the coating layer shrinks. It is shown that the convergence holds in any fixed finite time interval. This paper is devoted to finding the maximal time interval (called lifespan) in which the uniform convergence still holds when the effective boundary condition is of the Dirichlet or Robin type. In particular, we show that the lifespan is, indeed, infinite, provided that the source term itself or the source term minus a time-independent function is square integrable over the half space. Convergence rates are also obtained.
Semantic security for quantum wiretap channels
Authors: Boche Holger , Cai Minglai , Deppe Christian , Ferrara Roberto , Wiese Moritz
Published: September 2022

We consider the problem of semantic security via classical-quantum and quantum wiretap channels and use explicit constructions to transform a non-secure code into a semantically secure code, achieving capacity by means of biregular irreducible functions. Explicit parameters in finite regimes can be extracted from theorems. We also generalize the semantic security capacity theorem, which shows that a strongly secure code guarantees a semantically secure code with the same secrecy rate, to any quantum channel, including the infinite-dimensional and non-Gaussian ones.
Synchronization in a multilevel network using the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) technique
Authors: Njougouo Thierry , Camargo Victor , Louodop Patrick , Fagundes Ferreira Fernando , Talla Pierre K. , Cerdeira Hilda A.
Published: September 2022

This paper presents the optimal control and synchronization problem of a multilevel network of Rössler chaotic oscillators. Using the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman technique, the optimal control law with a three-state variable feedback is designed such that the trajectories of all the Rössler oscillators in the network are optimally synchronized at each level. Furthermore, we provide numerical simulations to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for the cases of one and three networks. A perfect correlation between the MATLAB and PSpice results was obtained, thus allowing the experimental validation of our designed controller and shows the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
Tapered rainbow metabeam for wideband multimode acoustic blocking based on quadruple-mode resonators
Authors: Takeda Hayato , Murakami Eikai , Tomoda Motonobu , Matsuda Osamu , Fujita Kentaro , Wright Oliver B.
Published: September 2022

We construct a rainbow metamaterial for multimode sound blocking over a broad range of sub-kHz frequencies in the form of a tapered rectangular cross section beam of machined cells based on elements that can, on average, simultaneously attenuate the majority of the possible elastic-wave polarizations. Using aluminum, we construct a five-cell structure containing sub-wavelength planar resonators with interconnected ribs, which couple to compressional, in-plane shear, flexural, and torsional vibrations. Backed up by numerical simulations, we verify that this tapered structure can, on average, strongly attenuate acoustic modes over the frequency range of the combined metamaterial bandgaps, that is over a frequency range representing ∼50% around ∼0.7 kHz. Applications include vibration isolation.
Noise-induced switching in an oscillator with pulse delayed feedback: A discrete stochastic modeling approach
Authors: Klinshov Vladimir V. , D’Huys Otti
Published: September 2022

We study the dynamics of an oscillatory system with pulse delayed feedback and noise of two types: (i) phase noise acting on the oscillator and (ii) stochastic fluctuations of the feedback delay. Using an event-based approach, we reduce the system dynamics to a stochastic discrete map. For weak noise, we find that the oscillator fluctuates around a deterministic state, and we derive an autoregressive model describing the system dynamics. For stronger noise, the oscillator demonstrates noise-induced switching between various deterministic states; our theory provides a good estimate of the switching statistics in the linear limit. We show that the robustness of the system toward this switching is strikingly different depending on the type of noise. We compare the analytical results for linear coupling to numerical simulations of nonlinear coupling and find that the linear model also provides a qualitative explanation for the differences in robustness to both types of noise. Moreover, phase noise drives the system toward higher frequencies, while stochastic delays do not, and we relate this effect to our theoretical results.
Sensitive mode investigations of lithium-ion cells with tavorite-type LiVXO4F (X = B, Si) as cathodes with stable cycling in low temperature operations
Authors: Kirubakaran Kiran Preethi , Chenrayan Senthil , Kumaresan Lakshmanan , Kasiviswanathan Kavibharathy , Vediappan Kumaran
Published: September 2022

Li-ion battery cathodes appear to be a significant factor affecting the total amount of energy delivered and the cost of the battery systems. LiVXO4F (X = B, Si), a polyanionic-based tavorite structure, is investigated as a cathode for Li-ion batteries and its capability to endure in sensitive mode operations, i.e., at temperatures of approximately 55 and −10 °C. Due to the near-freezing point at the atomic level and the absence of kinetic energy, a battery system operating at a lower temperature is theoretically expected to perform inferior. On the contrary, Vanadium boron oxyfluoride (VBF) has better electrochemical properties because of its tightly packed covalent bond, which produced structural stability at low temperature activities. This intriguing feature appears to hold promise for its use in advanced rechargeable battery systems in low-temperature areas and cold storage devices. This might pave the path for future energy storage and conversion devices to use neoteric tavorite structured electrodes.
Suppression of nonideal leakage current in a-InGaZnO Schottky diode with edge termination structures
Authors: Zheng Dawei , Liu Fayang , Zhou Jitong , Li Guijun , Zhou Xianda , Zhang Shengdong , Lu Lei
Published: September 2022

The nonideal reverse leakage current of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) Schottky barrier diode was comparatively investigated with and without the passivation layer. Based on experimental and simulation results, the underlying mechanism was revealed as the trap-assisted tunneling along the defective a-IGZO sidewall. The edge termination structures, dubbed “sidewall covering,” and “edge capping” were specifically proposed to mitigate the edge electric field and, thus, suppress the nonideal leakage current. This enables the simultaneously improved ideality factor (n) and Schottky barrier height (ΦB), respectively, of 1.16 and 1.13 eV, together with the noticeably enhanced breakdown voltage.
Reliable Pb(Zr,Ti)O3-based thin film piezoelectric micromirrors for space-applications
Authors: Dahl-Hansen Runar , Gjessing Jo , Mardilovich Peter , Fragkiadakis Charalampos , Thorstensen Jostein
Published: September 2022

Although Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) piezoelectric thin films are finding widespread applications on Earth, it is yet unclear if they are suitable for space-related applications. In space, their long-term reliability is a significant concern due to the difficulties of repairing and replacing malfunctioning devices. In this work, PZT thin film micromirrors for compact interferometric 3D imaging systems have been exposed to operating conditions encountered on a space mission and tested according to criteria set by the European Space Agency. Thermal cycling in vacuum, sinusoidal and random mechanical vibrations, and γ-radiation with and without bias did not degrade key functional device properties of the micromirror such as angular deflection, resonance frequency, polarization, and permittivity. Apart from γ-radiation, stressing the devices enhanced their large-signal angular deflection and improved their electrical lifetime compared to pristine devices. Their dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics remained comparable to that of a lab-scale environment. Simultaneously applying a 10 V field-down bias while γ-radiating the micromirrors changed the capacitance-field and polarization-field characteristics and enhanced the electrical imprint. After stress-testing, the median time-to-failure in moderate acceleration conditions of 150 kV/cm and 175 °C ranged from 1.95 to 2.64 h, close to 2.11 h as measured for a reference group. All actuator membranes had shorter electrical lifetimes, smaller voltage acceleration factors, and smaller activation energies, ranging from 2.56 to 2.88 V−1 and 1.03 to 1.09 eV, than simple bonding pads. This work is a device-level report covering a full set of space-relevant tests demonstrating that PZT-based thin film piezomicroelectromechanical systems technology is space-ready.
Tuning the space charge polarization of PVDF based ternary composite for piezo-tribo hybrid energy harvesting
Authors: Sasmal Abhishek , Patra Aniket , Arockiarajan Arunachalakasi
Published: September 2022

Enhancement in the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators by using different suitable techniques is of tremendous interest among researchers. Here, we propose an easy and cost-effective technique to improve the output performance of the rarely explored poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) based piezo-tribo hybrid nanogenerators. The space charge polarization of the PVDF based composites has been tuned here by forming a PVDF/0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3–0.5Ba(Ti0.8Zr0.2)O3 (BCZT)/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT) based ternary composite. Along with the improved piezoelectricity of PVDF–BCZT based binary composites, the addition of a third MWCNT phase has helped in significantly improving the space charge polarization. The ac conductivity is increased to 5.29 × 10−12 and 1.23 × 10−11 Ω−1 cm−1 for the binary and ternary composites, respectively, from a value of 7.64 × 10−13 Ω−1 cm−1 (at 1 kHz) for neat PVDF. This improved conducting pathway formed by the increased space charge polarization has supported the easy transportation of mobile charge carriers within the composite film and film to the electrode, which has augmented the overall output piezo-tribo hybrid energy harvesting performance of the device. An ultrahigh output power density of ∼150 μW/cm2 has been achieved for the said ternary system, which suppresses the value of output power density of the other similar kind of devices fabricated via a similar technique. The applicability of this device has been further demonstrated by using it in powering up small electronic devices and in different sensing and energy harvesting applications. Thus, the device, after further tuning of its dimension, may be applied as a power source in various low-power-consuming portable electronic systems and self-powered sensing devices.
A new framework for frequency-dependent polarizable force fields
Authors: Cheng YingXing , Verstraelen Toon
Published: September 2022

A frequency-dependent extension of the polarizable force field “Atom-Condensed Kohn–Sham density functional theory approximated to the second-order” (ACKS2) [Verstraelen et al., J. Chem. Phys. 141, 194114 (2014)] is proposed, referred to as ACKS2ω. The method enables theoretical predictions of dynamical response properties of finite systems after partitioning of the frequency-dependent molecular response function. Parameters in this model are computed simply as expectation values of an electronic wavefunction, and the hardness matrix is entirely reused from ACKS2 as an adiabatic approximation is used. A numerical validation shows that accurate models can already be obtained with atomic monopoles and dipoles. Absorption spectra of 42 organic and inorganic molecular monomers are evaluated using ACKS2ω, and our results agree well with the time-dependent DFT calculations. Also for the calculation of C6 dispersion coefficients, ACKS2ω closely reproduces its TDDFT reference. When parameters for ACKS2ω are derived from a PBE/aug-cc-pVDZ ground state, it reproduces experimental values for 903 organic and inorganic intermolecular pairs with an MAPE of 3.84%. Our results confirm that ACKS2ω offers a solid connection between the quantum-mechanical description of frequency-dependent response and computationally efficient force-field models.
Spontaneous polarization in van der Waals materials: Two-dimensional ferroelectrics and device applications
Authors: Lai Keji
Published: September 2022

The research on two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals ferroelectrics has grown substantially in the last decade. These layered materials differ from conventional thin-film oxide ferroelectrics in that the surface and interface are free from dangling bonds. Some may also possess uncommon properties, such as bandgap tunability, mechanical flexibility, and high carrier mobility, which are desirable for applications in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. This Tutorial starts by reviewing the theoretical tools in 2D ferroelectric studies, followed by discussing the material synthesis and sample characterization. Several prototypical electronic devices with innovative functionalities will be highlighted. Readers can use this article to obtain a basic understanding of the current status, challenges, and future prospects of 2D ferroelectric materials.
Tuning the electrochemical activity of Li–Se batteries by redox mediator additives
Authors: Xie Kunchen , Sun Junpeng , Lian Jing , Fu Yongzhu , Guo Wei
Published: September 2022

A lithium–selenium (Li–Se) battery is considered as a promising next-generation energy storage system due to its ultrahigh volumetric energy density. However, the capacity attenuation due to the dissolution and shuttle effect of polyselenides is urgent to be addressed. Herein, 1,4-benzenedithiol (1,4-BDT) and benzeneselenol (PhSeH) are proposed as redox mediator additives in the electrolyte. They both change the multi-step reaction of Se and accelerate the redox kinetics, thus suppressing the shuttle effect of polyselenides and improving the cycling stability and rate performance. The Li–Se cell with 1,4-BDT exhibits steady 450 cycles at 1 C with capacity decay only 0.058% per cycle. Differently, the Li–Se cell with PhSeH features fast kinetics, which shows 91.4% capacity retention after 450 cycles at a high rate of 5 C. Due to the difference of molecular structures between 1,4-BDT and PhSeH, the cyclic oligomers formed in the Li–Se cell with 1,4-BDT diminish the solubility of polyselenides enhancing the cycling stability, while the chain-like diphenyl selenides generated in the Li–Se cell with PhSeH promote kinetics performance through a single-phase reaction. This work provides an effective redox regulation strategy that will stimulate interest in exploration of organic mediators for rechargeable batteries.
Origins of the diffuse shared proton vibrational signatures in proton-coupled electron transfer model dyad complexes
Authors: Chen Liangyi , Ma Zifan , Fournier Joseph A.
Published: September 2022

Phenol-benzimidazole and phenol-pyridine dyad complexes have served as popular model systems for the study of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) kinetics in solution-phase experiments. Interpretation of measured PCET rates in terms of key structural parameters, such as the H-bond donor–acceptor distance, however, remains challenging. Herein, we report vibrational spectra in the electronic ground state for a series of phenol-benzimidazole and phenol-pyridine complexes isolated and cryogenically cooled in an ion trap. The four models studied each display highly red-shifted and broadened OH stretching transitions that arise from strong H-bonding interactions between the phenol OH group and the basic N site on benzimidazole/pyridine rings. The OH stretch transition in each model displays relatively strong absorption onsets near 2500 cm−1 with broad shoulders that extend asymmetrically to higher frequencies over hundreds of wavenumbers. In contrast, the deuterated isotopologues yield much weaker OD stretch transitions that appear symmetrically broadened. The spectral breadth and shape of the OD stretch transitions are ascribed to variations in OD stretch frequencies that arise from zero-point distributions in the proton donor–acceptor low-frequency soft mode vibration. The asymmetric structure of the OH stretch transitions is attributed to a set of combination bands between the OH stretch and a series of low-frequency H-bond soft modes. The spectra and modeling highlight the importance of OH stretch-soft mode couplings, which are thought to play important roles in PCET and proton transfer dynamics.
Women with hepatitis B: how mothers with chronic hepatitis B understand and experience the prevention of mother-to-child transmission interventions in Victoria, Australia
Authors: Yussf Nafisa , Wallace Jack , Perrier Meg , Romero Nicole , Cowie Benjamin , Allard Nicole
Published: September 2022

Background Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B can be prevented with targeted interventions; however, MTCT continues to occur in Australia and globally. This qualitative research investigated how mothers with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) understand and experience interventions for the prevention of MTCT of CHB (PMTCT-CHB) in Victoria, Australia. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women with CHB. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowballing sampling. Interviews explored the women’s experience of care for themselves and their infants aimed at PMTCT-CHB. Interviews were conducted over the phone with a qualified interpreter where required. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research framework was used with data thematically analysed. This study was co-designed with mothers with CHB through a Community Advisory Group established for this research; coordinated and supported by LiverWELL and the researchers. Results Sixteen women were interviewed. Although most women understood the purpose of hepatitis B vaccination, there were significant gaps in information and education provided to mothers regarding PMTCT-CHB. These gaps included understanding of the extent of protection of vaccination, breastfeeding with CHB, post-vaccination testing for infants and lack of clarity of the woman’s own hepatitis B status. There was notable fear and worry associated with hepatitis B transmission, with emotional support for mothers identified as a major gap in service delivery. Additionally, some women experienced stigma and discrimination due to their hepatitis B and refugee status. Conclusions This study explored how mothers with CHB understand and experience interventions to prevent MTCT. Our findings reveal substantial gaps in delivery of information and care in the context of PMTCT-CHB in Victoria. Our findings can support development of evidence-based interventions and systems to improve healthcare for mothers with CHB and their infants, and thereby reduce possible CHB transmission and other negative outcomes, including stigma and discrimination.
Functional genomics analysis reveals the evolutionary adaptation and demographic history of pygmy lorises
Authors: Li Ming-Li , Wang Sheng , Xu Penghui , Tian Hang-Yu , Bai Mixue , Zhang Ya-Ping , Shao Yong , Xiong Zi-Jun , Qi Xiao-Guang , Cooper David N. , Zhang Guojie , Zhu He Helen , Wu Dong-Dong
Published: September 2022

Lorises are a group of globally threatened strepsirrhine primates that exhibit many unusual physiological and behavioral features, including a low metabolic rate, slow movement, and hibernation. Here, we assembled a chromosome-level genome sequence of the pygmy loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus) and resequenced whole genomes from 50 pygmy lorises and 6 Bengal slow lorises (Nycticebus bengalensis). We found that many gene families involved in detoxification have been specifically expanded in the pygmy loris, including theGSTAgene family, with many newly derived copies functioning specifically in the liver. We detected many genes displaying evolutionary convergence between pygmy loris and koala, includingPITRM1.Significant decreases in PITRM1 enzymatic activity in these two species may have contributed to their characteristic low rate of metabolism. We also detected many evolutionarily convergent genes and positively selected genes in the pygmy loris that are involved in muscle development. Functional assays demonstrated the decreased ability of one positively selected gene,MYOF,to up-regulate the fast-type muscle fiber, consistent with the lower proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers in the pygmy loris. The protein product of another positively selected gene in the pygmy loris,PER2, exhibited weaker binding to the key circadian core protein CRY, a finding that may be related to this species’ unusual circadian rhythm. Finally, population genomics analysis revealed that these two extant loris species, which coexist in the same habitat, have exhibited an inverse relationship in terms of their demography over the past 1 million years, implying strong interspecies competition after speciation.
Neural signature of flexible coding in prefrontal cortex
Authors: Bocincova Andrea , Buschman Timothy J. , Stokes Mark G. , Manohar Sanjay G.
Published: September 2022

The ability of prefrontal cortex to quickly encode novel associations is crucial for adaptive behavior and central to working memory. Fast Hebbian changes in synaptic strength permit forming new associations, but neuronal signatures of this have been elusive. We devised a trialwise index of pattern similarity to look for rapid changes in population codes. Based on a computational model of working memory, we hypothesized that synaptic strength—and consequently, the tuning of neurons—could change if features of a subsequent stimulus need to be “reassociated,” i.e., if bindings between features need to be broken to encode the new item. As a result, identical stimuli might elicit different neural responses. As predicted, neural response similarity dropped following rebinding, but only in prefrontal cortex. The history-dependent changes were expressed on top of traditional, fixed selectivity and were not explainable by carryover of previous firing into the current trial or by neural adaptation.
Step-by-step desolvation enables high-rate and ultra-stable sodium storage in hard carbon anodes
Authors: Lu Ziyang , Geng Chuannan , Yang Huijun , He Ping , Wu Shichao , Yang Quan-Hong , Zhou Haoshen
Published: September 2022

Hard carbon is regarded as the most promising anode material for sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries, owing to its advantages of high abundance, low cost, and low operating potential. However, the rate capability and cycle life span of hard carbon anodes are far from satisfactory, severely hindering its industrial applications. Here, we demonstrate that the desolvation process defines the Na-ion diffusion kinetics and the formation of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI). The 3A zeolite molecular sieve film on the hard carbon is proposed to develop a step-by-step desolvation pathway that effectively reduces the high activation energy of the direct desolvation process. Moreover, step-by-step desolvation yields a thin and inorganic-dominated SEI with a lower activation energy for Na
+
transport. As a result, it contributes to greatly improved power density and cycling stability for both ester and ether electrolytes. When the above insights are applied, the hard carbon anode achieves the longest life span and minimum capacity fading rate at all evaluated current densities. Moreover, with the increase in current densities, an improved plateau capacity ratio is observed. This step-by-step desolvation strategy comprehensively enhances various properties of hard carbon anodes, which provides the possibility of building practical Na-ion batteries with high power density, high energy density, and durability.
Degradation of gene silencer is essential for expression of foreign genes and bacterial colonization of the mammalian gut
Authors: Choi Jeongjoon , Schmukler Matias , Groisman Eduardo A.
Published: September 2022

Horizontal gene transfer drives bacterial evolution. To confer new properties, horizontally acquired genes must overcome gene silencing by nucleoid-associated proteins, such as the heat-stable nucleoid structuring (H-NS) protein. Enteric bacteria possess proteins that displace H-NS from foreign genes, form nonfunctional oligomers with H-NS, and degrade H-NS, raising the question of whether any of these mechanisms play a role in overcoming foreign gene silencing in vivo. To answer this question, we mutagenized the
hns
gene and identified a variant specifying an H-NS protein that binds foreign DNA and silences expression of the corresponding genes, like wild-type H-NS, but resists degradation by the Lon protease. Critically,
Escherichia coli
expressing this variant alone fails to produce curli, which are encoded by foreign genes and required for biofilm formation, and fails to colonize the murine gut. Our findings establish that H-NS proteolysis is a general mechanism of derepressing foreign genes and essential for colonization of mammalian hosts.
Precise timing of ERK phosphorylation/dephosphorylation determines the outcome of trial repetition during long-term memory formation
Authors: Kukushkin Nikolay V. , Tabassum Tasnim , Carew Thomas J.
Published: September 2022

Two-trial learning in
Aplysia
reveals nonlinear interactions between training trials: A single trial has no effect, but two precisely spaced trials induce long-term memory. Extracellularly regulated kinase (ERK) activity is essential for intertrial interactions, but the mechanism remains unresolved. A combination of immunochemical and optogenetic tools reveals unexpected complexity of ERK signaling during the induction of long-term synaptic facilitation by two spaced pulses of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT). Specifically, dual ERK phosphorylation at its activating TxY motif is accompanied by dephosphorylation at the pT position, leading to a buildup of inactive, singly phosphorylated pY-ERK. Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation occur concurrently but scale differently with varying 5HT concentrations, predicting that mixed two-trial protocols involving both “strong” and “weak” 5HT pulses should be sensitive to the precise order and timing of trials. Indeed, long-term synaptic facilitation is induced only when weak pulses precede strong, not vice versa. This may represent a physiological mechanism to prioritize memory of escalating threats.
Phenotypic screening of the ReFRAME drug repurposing library to discover new drugs for treating sickle cell disease
Authors: Metaferia Belhu , Cellmer Troy , Dunkelberger Emily B. , Li Quan , Henry Eric R. , Hofrichter James , Staton Dwayne , Hsieh Matthew M. , Conrey Anna K. , Tisdale John F. , Chatterjee Arnab K. , Thein Swee Lay , Eaton William A.
Published: September 2022

Stem cell transplantation and genetic therapies offer potential cures for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), but these options require advanced medical facilities and are expensive. Consequently, these treatments will not be available for many years to the majority of patients suffering from this disease. What is urgently needed now is an inexpensive oral drug in addition to hydroxyurea, the only drug approved by the FDA that inhibits sickle-hemoglobin polymerization. Here, we report the results of the first phase of our phenotypic screen of the 12,657 compounds of the Scripps ReFRAME drug repurposing library using a recently developed high-throughput assay to measure sickling times following deoxygenation to 0% oxygen of red cells from sickle trait individuals. The ReFRAME library is a very important collection because the compounds are either FDA-approved drugs or have been tested in clinical trials. From dose-response measurements, 106 of the 12,657 compounds exhibit statistically significant antisickling at concentrations ranging from 31 nM to 10 μM. Compounds that inhibit sickling of trait cells are also effective with SCD cells. As many as 20 of the 106 antisickling compounds emerge as potential drugs. This estimate is based on a comparison of inhibitory concentrations with free concentrations of oral drugs in human serum. Moreover, the expected therapeutic potential for each level of inhibition can be predicted from measurements of sickling times for cells from individuals with sickle syndromes of varying severity. Our results should motivate others to develop one or more of these 106 compounds into drugs for treating SCD.
Study on uniaxial tensile deformation of bainite/ferrite dual phase steel
Authors: Li Y. G. , Liu W. , Long X. Y. , Dai Z. , Yang R. X. , Yang Z. N. , Zhang F. C.
Published: September 2022

The microstructure evolution of a ferrite/bainite dual-phase steel during uniaxial tension was observed in-situ technology. The effects of tensile rates on microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture mechanism were studied. The result shows that stress concentration is easy to form cracks at the interfaces between ferrite and bainite. The sample exhibits high uniform elongation and strength at low-strain rate, which is attributed to the effective interaction between dislocations. The microstructure undergoes orderly and continuous high hardening rate under ‘harmonious’ conditions. Dislocations are rapidly entangled at high-strain rate and dislocation cells forms. The increased strength of the ferrite brings a reduction in its ability to coordinate more plastic deformation, which eventually leads to local plastic instability and early fracture.
Effect of thermomechanical treatment on the hardening of Al6060 alloy
Authors: Laouar B. , Hamana D. , Hayoune A.
Published: September 2022

The influence of thermomechanical cycles on ageing behaviour, precipitation kinetics and mechanical properties of Al6060 has been studied quantitatively and qualitatively using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dilatometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microhardness measurements. The obtained results revealed a significant hardness increase due to the formation of fine β″ precipitates and work hardening after and during the peak ageing (PA). Moreover, a quick response to age hardening is observed owing to the acceleration of kinetics. The position of the preageing PrA inside the thermomechanical cycle played a crucial role in the total hardening by promoting fine β″ precipitates. Thermal analysis techniques showed remarkable change in the precipitation sequence and its kinetics especially after plastic deformation, which tended to form more stable precipitates β’ rather than β″.
Gradient tracking in mating yeast depends on Bud1 inactivation and actin-independent vesicle delivery
Authors: Wang Xin , Pai Chih-Yu , Stone David E.
Published: September 2022

The mating of budding yeast depends on chemotropism, a fundamental cellular process. Haploid yeast cells of opposite mating type signal their positions to one another through mating pheromones. We have proposed a deterministic gradient sensing model that explains how these cells orient toward their mating partners. Using the cell-cycle determined default polarity site (DS), cells assemble a gradient tracking machine (GTM) composed of signaling, polarity, and trafficking proteins. After assembly, the GTM redistributes up the gradient, aligns with the pheromone source, and triggers polarized growth toward the partner. Since positive feedback mechanisms drive polarized growth at the DS, it is unclear how the GTM is released for tracking. What prevents the GTM from triggering polarized growth at the DS? Here, we describe two mechanisms that are essential for tracking: inactivation of the Ras GTPase Bud1 and positioning of actin-independent vesicle delivery upgradient.
Instability of closed orbits obtained by minimization*
Authors: Ureña Antonio J
Published: September 2022

We study the dynamics around closed orbits of autonomous Lagrangian systems. When the configuration space is two-dimensional and orientable we show that every closed orbit minimizing the free-period action functional is orbitally unstable. This result applies even when the minimizers are degenerate or nonisolated, but a particularly strong form of instability holds in the isolated case. Under some symmetry assumptions, free-period action minimizers are unstable also in the higher-dimensional case. Applications to geodesics and celestial mechanics are given.
Almost sure scattering at mass regularity for radial Schrödinger equations
Authors: Latocca Mickaël
Published: September 2022

We consider the radial nonlinear Schrödinger equation i∂
t

u + Δu = |u|
p−1
u in dimension d ⩾ 2 for

p
∈

1
,
1
+

4

d

and construct a natural Gaussian measure μ
0 which support is almost

L

rad

2

and such that μ
0—almost every initial data gives rise to a unique global solution. Furthermore, for

p
>
1
+

2

d

and d ⩽ 10, the solutions constructed scatter in a space which is almost L
2. This paper can be viewed as a higher dimensional counterpart of the work of Burq and Thomann (2020 arXiv:2012.13571), in the radial case.
Transition phenomena for the attractor of an iterated function system*
Authors: Leśniak Krzysztof , Snigireva Nina , Strobin Filip , Vince Andrew
Published: September 2022

Iterated function systems (IFSs) and their attractors have been central in fractal geometry. If the functions in the IFS are contractions, then the IFS is guaranteed to have a unique attractor. Two natural questions concerning contractivity arise. First, whether an IFS needs to be contractive to admit an attractor? Second, what occurs to the attractor at the boundary between contractivity and expansion of an IFS? The first question is addressed in the paper by providing examples of highly noncontractive IFSs with attractors. The second question leads to the study of two types of transition phenomena associated with an IFS family that depend on a real parameter. These are called lower and upper transition attractors. Their existence and properties are the main topic of this paper. Lower transition attractors are related to the semiattractors, introduced by Lasota and Myjak in 1990s. Upper transition attractors are related to the problem of continuous dependence of an attractor upon the IFS. A main result states that, for a wide class of IFS families, there is a threshold such that the IFSs in the one-parameter family have an attractor for parameters below the threshold and they have no attractor for parameters above the threshold. At the threshold there exists a unique upper transition attractor.
Validation of prompt gamma-ray spectroscopy for proton range verification in tissue-mimicking and porcine samples
Authors: Tattenberg Sebastian , Marants Raanan , Niepel Katharina , Bortfeld Thomas , Sudhyadhom Atchar , Landry Guillaume , Parodi Katia , Verburg Joost
Published: September 2022

Objective. Proton therapy of cancer improves dose conformality to the target and sparing of surrounding healthy tissues compared to conventional photon treatments. However, proton therapy’s advantage could be even larger if proton range uncertainties were reduced. Sources of range uncertainties include computed tomography treatment planning images and variations in patient anatomy and setup. To reduce range uncertainties, we have developed a system for real-time in vivo range monitoring. The system is based on spectroscopy of prompt gamma-rays emitted through proton-nuclear interactions during irradiation. We validated the performance of our prompt gamma-ray spectroscopy detector prototype using tissue-mimicking and porcine samples. Approach. Measurements were performed in water, four tissue-mimicking samples (spongiosa, muscle, adipose tissue, and cortical bone), and two porcine samples (liver and brain). A dose of 0.9 Gy was delivered to a target at a depth of 12.5–17.5 cm. Multi-layer ionization chamber measurements were performed to determine stopping power ratios relative to water and ground truth proton ranges. Ground truth elemental compositions were determined using combustion analysis. Proton ranges and elemental compositions measured using prompt gamma-ray spectroscopy were compared to the ground truth. Main results. For all samples, the mean measured range over all pencil-beam spots differed from the ground truth by less than 1.2 mm. The mean standard deviation was 0.9 mm (range: 0.4–1.6 mm). The mean difference between ground truth and measured elemental compositions was 0.06

g

cm

3

(range: 0.00

g

cm

3

to 0.12

g

cm

3

). Significance. We verified the performance of our prompt gamma-ray spectroscopy detector prototype for proton range verification using tissue-mimicking and porcine samples. Measured proton ranges and elemental sample compositions were in good agreement with the ground truth. These measurements confirm the system’s reliability for a variety of tissues and bridge the gap between previously-reported experiments and ongoing in vivo patient measurements.