bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testing particle acceleration models for BL Lac jets with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer
Authors: Di Gesu L. , Tavecchio F. , Donnarumma I. , Marscher A. , Pesce-Rollins M. , Landoni M.
Published: March 2022

Mechanisms such as shock acceleration, magnetic reconnection in a kink unstable jet, and extreme turbulence in the jet flow are all expected to produce a distinctive time variability pattern of the X-ray polarization properties of high synchrotron peak blazars (HSP). To determine whether the recently launched Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) can follow the polarization variations induced by different particle acceleration mechanisms in blazar jets, we simulated observations of an HSP blazar variable in terms of the polarization degree and angle according to theoretical predictions. We used the Monte Carlo tool ixpeobssim to create realistic IXPE data products for each model and for three values of flux (i.e., 1, 5, and 10 × 10−10 erg s−1 cm−2). We generated simulated light curves of the polarization degree and angle by time-slicing the simulated data into arbitrary short time bins. We used an χ2 test to assess the performance of the observations in detecting the time variability of the polarization properties. In all cases, even when the light curves are diluted in an individual time bin, some degree of polarization is still measurable with IXPE. A series of ~10 ks long observations permits IXPE to follow the time variability of the polarization degree in the case of the shock acceleration model. In the case of the magnetic reconnection model, the nominal injected model provides the best fit of the simulated IXPE data for time bins of ~5–10 ks, depending on the tested flux level. For the TEMZ model, shorter time slices of ~0.5 ks are needed for obtaining a formally good fit of the simulated IXPE data with the injected model. On the other hand, we find that a fit with a constant model provides a χ2 lower than the fit with the nominal injected model when using time slices of ~20 ks, ~60/70 ks, and ~5 ks for the case of the shock acceleration, magnetic reconnection, and TEMZ model, respectively. In conclusion, provided that the statistics of the observation allows for the slicing of the data in adequately short time bins, IXPE observations of an HSP blazar at a typical flux level can detect the time variability predicted by popular models for particle acceleration in jets. IXPE observations of HSP blazars are a useful tool for addressing the issue of particle acceleration in blazar jets.
Geophysics on an experimental site
Authors: Mari Jean Luc , Gaudiani Pierre
Published: March 2022

APEC (Association Pédagogique et Expérimentale du Cher) has developed an experimental site, situated in the Cher region (France), both for the training of students and for professionals. The site is also used for experimental studies in near surface geophysics. The training in geophysics concerns the acquisition and processing of surface seismic data in 2D or 3D. On the site, two boreholes have been drilled for logging experiments, such as Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP), Full Waveform Acoustic logging (FWAL). During the drilling, some parameters such as rate of penetration (ROP) and Torque have been continuously recorded. The completion of the two boreholes is different to evaluate the behaviour of logging tools with the change of completion (open hole, steel cased hole, slotted PVC cased hole). After a short review of seismic experiments done on the site, the paper is focused on logging data and shows how the completion can modify the answer of the logging tools (acoustic and electrical tools). In acoustic logging, the comparison of acoustic data recorded in slotted PVC cased hole and in open hole shows that the prediction of shear formation velocity from Stoneley waves can be done in open hole. In case of a completion with slotted PVC, the joints of PVC casing disturb the resistivity measurements. A specific procedure has been developed to filter the casing disturbances.
The role of customer personality in premium banking services
Authors: Ho Shirie Pui Shan , Wong Amy
Published: March 2022

This paper examines the effects of customer personality, trust, and satisfaction on customer loyalty in premium banking services. Based on a survey of 210 high-net-worth premium banking customers, the study found that the customer personality dimensions of conscientiousness, extroversion, and agreeableness affected trust, while extroversion affected satisfaction. Trust displayed a significant influence on both satisfaction and customer loyalty, while satisfaction partially mediated the effect on customer loyalty via trust. The findings can help managers of affluent banking services understand the important dimensions of customer personality in relational exchanges and develop relevant relationship management strategies to deliver satisfaction and enhance customer loyalty.
A kiloelectron-volt ultrafast electron micro-diffraction apparatus using low emittance semiconductor photocathodes
Authors: Li W. H. , Duncan C. J. R. , Andorf M. B. , Bartnik A. C. , Bianco E. , Cultrera L. , Galdi A. , Gordon M. , Kaemingk M. , Pennington C. A. , Kourkoutis L. F. , Bazarov I. V. , Maxson J. M.
Published: March 2022

We report the design and performance of a time-resolved electron diffraction apparatus capable of producing intense bunches with simultaneously single digit micrometer probe size, long coherence length, and 200 fs rms time resolution. We measure the 5d (peak) beam brightness at the sample location in micro-diffraction mode to be 7×1013 A/m2 rad2. To generate high brightness electron bunches, the system employs high efficiency, low emittance semiconductor photocathodes driven with a wavelength near the photoemission threshold at a repetition rate up to 250 kHz. We characterize spatial, temporal, and reciprocal space resolution of the apparatus. We perform proof-of-principle measurements of ultrafast heating in single crystal Au samples and compare experimental results with simulations that account for the effects of multiple scattering.
Time dependent fluctuations of linear eigenvalue statistics of some patterned matrices
Authors: Bose Arup , Maurya Shambhu Nath , Saha Koushik
Published: March 2022

We consider the n × n reverse circulant and symmetric circulant random matrices with independent Brownian motion entries. With polynomial test functions ϕ, we discuss the joint fluctuation and tightness (in t and ϕ) of the time dependent linear eigenvalue statistics of these matrices as n → ∞ and show convergence to appropriate Gaussian processes. The proofs are mainly combinatorial.
Preserving the topological properties of complex networks in network sampling
Authors: Chen Wen-tao , Zeng An , Cui Xiao-hua
Published: March 2022

Extremely large-scale networks have received increasing attention in recent years. The development of big data and network science provides an unprecedented opportunity for research on these networks. However, it is difficult to perform analysis directly on numerous real networks due to their large size. A solution is to sample a subnetwork instead for detailed research. Unfortunately, the properties of the subnetworks could be substantially different from those of the original networks. In this context, a comprehensive understanding of the sampling methods would be crucial for network-based big data analysis. In our work, we find that the sampling deviation is the collective effect of both the network heterogeneity and the biases caused by the sampling methods themselves. Here, we study the widely used random node sampling (RNS), breadth-first search, and a hybrid method that falls between these two. We empirically and analytically investigate the differences in topological properties between the sampled network and the original network under these sampling methods. Empirically, the hybrid method has the advantage of preserving structural properties in most cases, which suggests that this method performs better with no additional information needed. However, not all the biases caused by sampling methods follow the same pattern. For instance, properties, such as link density, are better preserved by RNS. Finally, models are constructed to explain the biases concerning the size of giant connected components and link density analytically.
Numerical investigation of the round jet in crossflow at high velocity ratios with special emphasis on the evolution of vortex structures
Authors: Lv Yafei , Wei Haipeng , Liu Taotao , Zhao Xin , Liu Yuanqing , Huang Biao , Wang Guoyu
Published: March 2022

We investigate the evolution and interaction mechanism of different vortex structures for the jet in crossflow by a high precision numerical method. To verify the accuracy of the numerical method, the numerical and experimental results are compared. Numerical results show a reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The typical vortex structures can be clearly identified in the flow field, including shear layer vortices, horseshoe vortices, counter rotating vortices pairs, and wake vortices. Through the analysis of spatial distribution of different vortex structures, the formation and interaction mechanisms of different vortices are discussed in detail. The results show that the shear layer rolling up appears due to the strong rotation, inducing the formation of the shear layer vortices. The influences of velocity ratios on the vortex structures are further investigated. At low velocity ratios, the rotation is weak along the windward of the jet. With the increase in the velocity ratios, the stronger rotation is formed near the jet exit hole, inducing the instability of interface and formation of the shear layer vortices to occur earlier. In the far flow field, as the shear layer vortices gradually break up into the fine-scale vortices, both the rotation and shear tend to become weaker at different velocity ratios.
Integration of reinforcement learning to realize functional variability of microfluidic systems
Authors: Abe Takaaki , Oh-hara Shinsuke , Ukita Yoshiaki
Published: March 2022

In this article, we present a proof-of-concept for microfluidic systems with high functional variability using reinforcement learning. By mathematically defining the objective of tasks, we demonstrate that the system can autonomously learn to behave according to its objectives. We applied Q-learning to a peristaltic micropump and showed that two different tasks can be performed on the same platform: adjusting the flow rate of the pump and manipulating the position of the particles. First, we performed typical micropumping with flow rate control. In this task, the system is rewarded according to the deviation between the average flow rate generated by the micropump and the target value. Therefore, the objective of the system is to maintain the target flow rate via an operation of the pump. Next, we demonstrate the micromanipulation of a small object (microbead) on the same platform. The objective was to manipulate the microbead position to the target area, and the system was rewarded for the success of the task. These results confirmed that the system learned to control the flow rate and manipulate the microbead to any randomly chosen target position. In particular, the manipulation technique is a new technology that does not require the use of structures such as wells or weirs. Therefore, this concept not only adds flexibility to the system but also contributes to the development of novel control methods to realize highly versatile microfluidic systems.
Three-axis torque investigation of interfacial exchange coupling in a NiFe/CoO bilayer micromagnetic disk
Authors: Dunsmore M. G. , Thibault J. A. , Fast K. R. , Sauer V. T. K. , Losby J. E. , Diao Z. , Belov M. , Freeman M. R.
Published: March 2022

Micrometer diameter bilayers of NiFe (permalloy, Py) and cobalt oxide (CoO) deposited on nanomechanical resonators were used to investigate exchange bias effects. The mechanical compliances of two resonator axes were enhanced by severing one torsion arm, resulting in a unique three-axis resonator that responds resonantly to torques generated by a three-axis RF field. Our technique permits simultaneous measurement of three orthogonal torque components. Measurements of the anisotropies associated with interfacial exchange coupling effects have been made. At cryogenic temperatures, observations of shifted linear hysteresis loops confirmed the presence of exchange bias from the Py/CoO interface. An in-plane rotating DC bias field was used to probe in-plane anisotropies through the out-of-plane torque. Training effects in the rotational hysteresis data were observed and showed that features due to interfacial coupling did not diminish irrespective of substantial training of the unidirectional anisotropy. The data from the rotational hysteresis loops were fit with parameters from a macrospin solution to the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. Each parameter of the exchange bias model accounts for specific features of the rotational loop.
What determines variation in remotely sensed fire severity? Consideration of remote sensing limitations and confounding factors
Authors: Gale Matthew G. , Cary Geoffrey J.
Published: March 2022

Analyses of the effects of topography, weather, land management, and fuel on fire severity are increasingly common, and generally apply fire severity indices derived from satellite optical remote sensing. However, these indices are commonly interpreted with insufficient appreciation for their limitations and may be inappropriately invoked as representing physical fire effects and fire behaviour. For a large wildfire in southeast Australia, we investigated three considerations for inferring robust insights from fire severity analyses – the potentially confounding influences of pre-fire vegetation height and tall vegetation cover, and the choice of fire severity response variable. Using nonparametric regression, we found that different fire severity indices gave rise to substantially different modelled relationships with commonly invoked environmental predictors, as is consistent with dissimilarities in index design. Further, pre-fire vegetation height was a strong control of fire severity, with equivalent importance to weather. Importantly, strong covariation between vegetation height and environmental predictors suggests that modelled fire severity effects are strongly influenced by variation in vertical distance between flames and vegetation, and this confounds fire behaviour insights. To enable more robust and mechanistic insights into the determinants of fire severity, we recommend greater consideration of the meaning and limitations of optical remote sensing indices.
Diffusion and distal linkages govern interchromosomal dynamics during meiotic prophase
Authors: Newman Trent A. C. , Beltran Bruno , McGehee James M. , Elnatan Daniel , Cahoon Cori K. , Paddy Michael R. , Chu Daniel B. , Spakowitz Andrew J. , Burgess Sean M.
Published: March 2022

Significance

Essential for sexual reproduction, meiosis is a specialized cell division required for the production of haploid gametes. Critical to this process are the pairing, recombination, and segregation of homologous chromosomes (homologs). While pairing and recombination are linked, it is not known how many linkages are sufficient to hold homologs in proximity. Here, we reveal that random diffusion and the placement of a small number of linkages are sufficient to establish the apparent “pairing” of homologs. We also show that colocalization between any two loci is more dynamic than anticipated. Our study provides observations of live interchromosomal dynamics during meiosis and illustrates the power of combining single-cell measurements with theoretical polymer modeling.
The 103,200-arm acceleration dataset in the UK Biobank revealed a landscape of human sleep phenotypes
Authors: Katori Machiko , Shi Shoi , Ode Koji L. , Tomita Yasuhiro , Ueda Hiroki R.
Published: March 2022

Human sleep phenotypes can be defined and diversified by both genetic and environmental factors. However, some sleep phenotypes are difficult to evaluate without long-term, precise sleep monitoring, for which simple yet accurate sleep measurement is required. To solve this problem, we recently developed a state-of-the-art sleep/wake classification algorithm based on wristband-type accelerometers, termed ACCEL (acceleration-based classification and estimation of long-term sleep-wake cycles). In this study, we optimized and applied ACCEL to large-scale analysis of human sleep phenotypes. The clustering of an about 100,000-arm acceleration dataset in the UK Biobank using uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) dimension reduction and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) clustering methods identified 16 sleep phenotypes, including those related to social jet lag, chronotypes (“morning/night person”), and seven different insomnia-like phenotypes. Considering the complex relationship between sleep disorders and other psychiatric disorders, these unbiased and comprehensive analyses of sleep phenotypes in humans will not only contribute to the advancement of biomedical research on genetic and environmental factors underlying human sleep patterns but also, allow for the development of better digital biomarkers for psychiatric disorders.
Current research overstates American support for political violence
Authors: Westwood Sean J. , Grimmer Justin , Tyler Matthew , Nall Clayton
Published: March 2022

Political scientists, pundits, and citizens worry that America is entering a new period of violent partisan conflict. Provocative survey data show that a large share of Americans (between 8% and 40%) support politically motivated violence. Yet, despite media attention, political violence is rare, amounting to a little more than 1% of violent hate crimes in the United States. We reconcile these seemingly conflicting facts with four large survey experiments (
n
= 4,904), demonstrating that self-reported attitudes on political violence are biased upward because of respondent disengagement and survey questions that allow multiple interpretations of political violence. Addressing question wording and respondent disengagement, we find that the median of existing estimates of support for partisan violence is nearly 6 times larger than the median of our estimates (18.5% versus 2.9%). Critically, we show the prior estimates overstate support for political violence because of random responding by disengaged respondents. Respondent disengagement also inflates the relationship between support for violence and previously identified correlates by a factor of 4. Partial identification bounds imply that, under generous assumptions, support for violence among engaged and disengaged respondents is, at most, 6.86%. Finally, nearly all respondents support criminally charging suspects who commit acts of political violence. These findings suggest that, although recent acts of political violence dominate the news, they do not portend a new era of violent conflict.
A continuum of teacher collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of bilingual education programmes
Authors: Lo Yuen Yi , Poon Scarlet , Rui Xiaochen
Published: March 2022

Bilingual education programmes are characterised by the use of students’ second/foreign/additional language (L2)
as the medium of instruction for content subjects. In many educational contexts, such programmes are implemented by content
subject specialists who have not received sufficient training in helping students master content and L2 simultaneously.
Professional development is therefore necessary for this group of teachers. One potential professional development model is
promoting collaboration between content and L2 teachers in the same school. Previous studies have explored different forms of
cross-curricular collaboration, teachers’ attitudes and factors affecting its effectiveness. This paper seeks to extend the
current discussion by investigating different models of teacher collaboration, based on a multi-case study of secondary schools
adopting English (L2) as the medium of instruction for some or all subjects in Hong Kong. With various sources of data and
cross-case comparison, this paper conceptualises a continuum of teacher collaboration in bilingual education programmes.
Gaining and Losing Control: Tattoos and Interpretive Sovereignty
Authors: Tabea Jerrentrup Maja
Published: March 2022

This article explores the ways in which individuals are able to create their own bodies, influence the perception of others, and shape their memories by getting tattooed. Tattoos can be a powerful way of gaining control and experiencing oneself as an active creator of one’s life. However, in the process of getting tattooed, people have to be passive: they are at the mercy of a person whom they usually do not know well and who has specific personal interests in tattooing others—working efficiently and earning money or a good reputation. Further, the tattooees cannot control how other people will interpret their tattoos. Yet, most tattooed individuals seem to regard the active aspects as more important than the passive act of getting tattooed and interpreted by others and qdevelop strategies to reinterpret their loss of control.
Qualia of Proximity and Materiality in Classic Maya Hieroglyphs
Authors: Matsumoto Mallory E.
Published: March 2022

Drawing on the Peircean concepts of qualia and qualisign (Munn 1986; Keane 2003; Chumley and Harkness 2013), I propose that Classic Maya hieroglyphs were associated with two fundamental sensorial experiences, materiality and proximity, which were expressed by coordinating lexical, morphological, syntactic, and pragmatic strategies. I argue that Classic Mayan terminology distributed materiality between three basic qualisigns by privileging tactile and technological experiences of scribal production above interaction with the finished text. Qualia of proximity, in turn, implied differential access to hieroglyphic writing and its recorded knowledge with qualisigns that distinguished producers from patrons or owners. A semiotic approach articulates the material, the corporal, and the social in Classic Maya ontologies of writing and reveals the relational nature of hieroglyphic production and access. It also offers a theoretical consideration of the role of morphology, syntax, and pragmatics in culturally conditioned experiences of qualities and their interpretations.
Housing God, Losing Ground: Protestant and Catholic Chronotopic Ideologies in Urban China
Authors: Yeh Alice
Published: March 2022

This article examines ideologies of chronotopic partibility at two state-affiliated churches in Hangzhou, one Protestant and one Catholic, that emerged in response to the politics of demolition and development. The presence of Christianity in the state imaginary of the modern cityscape has been challenged by urban renovation projects ranging from Zhejiang Province’s 2013–16 cross removal campaign to the construction, beginning in 2018, of a massive commercial complex on land partially expropriated from a Catholic church in Hangzhou. Protestants made sense of cross removals by organizing time, space, and personhood according to qualities associated with the home, separating warmth and sociality (renqingwei’r ) from the buildings in which they are experienced. Catholics protested the city government’s requisition of a part of their “house” by demanding in its place the renqing, or human feeling, mediated by money, that is God’s in perpetuity. Chronotopic partibility or time-space-personhood fracture is both a symptom of dispossession and an ideology that makes possible moral exchange between church and state.
The state of the art of Sb2(S, Se)3 thin film solar cells: current progress and future prospect
Authors: Nicolás-Marín M M , González-Castillo J R , Vigil-Galán O , Courel Maykel
Published: March 2022

In this work, a review focused on the recent development of antimony sulfide selenide (Sb2(S,Se)3) solar cells is presented. In particular, experimental and theoretical results are discussed to understand the current limiting factors of this technology, as well as possible routes for device promotion. The Sb2(S,Se)3 compound is introduced as an attractive compound for single junction and multijunction solar cells since it is described by a band-gap that can be tailored in the range of 1.1–1.8 eV. Furthermore, improved transport properties are observed in solar cells when SnO2:F is used as substrate due to better ribbons orientation. In addition, defect energy levels in the range of 0.49–0.52 eV and 0.69–0.81 eV associated to VSb and SeSb (or SSb), respectively result in carrier lifetime values in the range of 0.1–67 ns. It is demonstrated that, unlike other semiconductor compounds, temperatures lower than 450 °C are required for Sb2(S,Se)3 processing. Moreover, the highest solar cell efficiency of 10.7% has been reported by the hydrothermal method. Although Sb2(S,Se)3 is a stable compound, it is found that there are some instability problems concerning solar cells due to the use of the Spiro-OMeTAD as the hole transport layer. Finally, theoretical results show that interface defects are the main reason for low experimental efficiencies. In particular, losses at the CdS/Sb2(S,Se)3 interface are introduced as dominant. In this sense, the introduction of Zn to the CdS compound is presented as a potential solution, which can result in higher solar cell efficiencies along with the reduction of Cd concentration.
Local proton hopping mechanism in imidazolium-based plastic crystal: an ab initio molecular dynamics study
Authors: Zhang Bohai , Huang Yike , Luo Jiangshui , Li Ailin , Yan Tianying
Published: March 2022

Protic organic ionic plastic crystals (POIPCs) are promising solid-state proton conductor materials in anhydrous proton exchange membrane fuel cells, due to their mechanical flexibility and high ionic conductivity in the plastic crystal phase. In typical POIPCs, the ions are orientationally disordered while the centers of mass are ordered (positional order) like the crystal phase. The local disorder provides more degrees of freedom for the translational and rotational diffusion of ions, thus enhancing proton conduction either via the vehicle mechanism or the Grotthuss mechanism. Yet the local dynamics and the interactions of the cations and anions during the proton transfer process are far from being fully understood. Here, we performed Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD) simulation on the imidazolium methanesulfate ([ImH][CH3SO3]) unit cell. By artificially creating one proton hole, we found that a proton can hop directly between the cations. Though the anion is not directly involved in proton hopping, the oxygen atom in the sulfonate group interacts with the proton and has a synergetic motion along with the proton hopping process. This indicates the structural disorder of imidazolium rings and the aid of an anion can facilitate Grotthuss-type proton hopping in imidazolium-based POIPCs.
The Versatile Link+ Demo Board (VLDB+)
Authors: Montesinos D.H. , Baron S. , Guettouche N. , Mendez J.
Published: March 2022

The Versatile Link Plus Demonstrator Board (VLDB+) is a board designed by CERN’s EP-ESE group to provide an evaluation kit for the Versatile Link Plus ecosystem (VL+). This reference design gathers three custom and radiation hard devices, namely, the Low-Power Gigabit Transceiver (lpGBT), the Versatile Link Plus Transceiver (VTRx+) and the FEASTMP DC-DC converters. These components are common to some of the HL-LHC experiments and constitute the main elements of the board. The VLDB+ is already being extensively used by several experiments to get acquainted with the whole ecosystem in order to facilitate their final front-end system design. In this article, all the features of the board together with the external system used for its control are described. Furthermore, a few performance results are shown and a brief status of the project is presented.
Power, readout and service hybrids for the CMS phase-2 upgrade
Authors: Zografos A. , Blanchot G. , Dominguez I.M. , Hollos A.E. , Kovacs M.I. , Rasevic N.
Published: March 2022

The CMS tracker phase-2 upgrade silicon modules integrate DC-DC powering stages and an optical transceiver to power and control the front-end hybrids. The strip-strip (2S) module contains a Service Hybrid (2S-SEH) with two-stage DC-DC power conversion, an lpGBT with optical interface (VTRx+), high voltage biasing and temperature sensor ports. The pixel-strip (PS) module utilizes a separate two stage DC-DC converter circuit (PS-POH) and a Readout Hybrid (PS-ROH) containing the communication interface. The design and performance of these three hybrids and their integration in their respective modules are presented.
Decoupling relationship between economic growth and PM2.5 emissions in the transportation sector in China: regional differences and influencing factors
Authors: Wu Ya , Zhou Yitong , Xu Bin
Published: March 2022

PM2.5 emissions from the transportation sector are a source of haze pollution in China, to which, however, less attention is paid by society. The decoupling relationships between PM2.5 emissions and economic growth from the transportation sector in the eastern, central, and western regions of China from 2010 to 2017 are analyzed by using the Tapio decoupling model. On this basis, in the transportation sector, socioeconomic factors influencing PM2.5 emissions and effective means of controlling PM2.5 emissions are studied by using a logarithmic mean Divisia index model. The results indicate that: (a) in China’s transportation sector, the decoupling relationships of the two aspects in the eastern, central, and western regions show an N-shaped trend, that is, the rate of change in PM2.5 emissions from the transportation sector gradually exceeds that of economic development. The strong decoupling changes into an expansive coupling in the eastern and central regions, while the strong decoupling becomes an expansive negative decoupling in the western region. (b) Economic growth and population growth mainly contribute to the increase of PM2.5 emissions. Improvements of the energy structure and a decrease in transport intensity are the main factors driving a reduction in PM2.5 emissions. (c) Due to regional differences in the ‘rebound effect’ and ‘technological effect’, technological progress has increased PM2.5 emissions from the transportation sector in the central region, while reduced such emissions in the eastern and western regions. This research provides targeted policy reference for regional governance of PM2.5 emissions from the transportation sector.
Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic
Authors: Koch J C , Sjöberg Y , O’Donnell J A , Carey M P , Sullivan P F , Terskaia A
Published: March 2022

Climate change has the potential to impact headwater streams in the Arctic by thawing permafrost and subsequently altering hydrologic regimes and vegetation distribution, physiognomy and productivity. Permafrost thaw and increased subsurface flow have been inferred from the chemistry of large rivers, but there is limited empirical evidence of the impacts to headwater streams. Here we demonstrate how changing vegetation cover and soil thaw may alter headwater catchment hydrology using water budgets, stream discharge trends, and chemistry across a gradient of ground temperature in northwestern Alaska. Colder, tundra-dominated catchments shed precipitation through stream discharge, whereas in warmer catchments with greater forest extent, evapotranspiration (ET) and infiltration are substantial fluxes. Forest soils thaw earlier, remain thawed longer, and display seasonal water content declines, consistent with greater ET and infiltration. Streambed infiltration and water chemistry indicate that even minor warming can lead to increased infiltration and subsurface flow. Additional warming, permafrost loss, and vegetation shifts in the Arctic will deliver water back to the atmosphere and to subsurface aquifers in many regions, with the potential to substantially reduce discharge in headwater streams, if not compensated by increasing precipitation. Decreasing discharge in headwater streams will have important implications for aquatic and riparian ecosystems.
Engineering solutions to breath tests based on an e-nose system for silicosis screening and early detection in miners
Authors: Xuan Wufan , Zheng Lina , Bunes Benjamin R , Crane Nichole , Zhou Fubao , Zang Ling
Published: March 2022

This study aims to develop an engineering solution to breath tests using an electronic nose (e-nose), and evaluate its diagnosis accuracy for silicosis. Influencing factors of this technique were explored. 398 non-silicosis miners and 221 silicosis miners were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Exhaled breath was analyzed by an array of 16 organic nanofiber sensors along with a customized sample processing system. Principal component analysis was used to visualize the breath data, and classifiers were trained by two improved cost-sensitive ensemble algorithms (random forest and extreme gradient boosting) and two classical algorithms (K-nearest neighbor and support vector machine). All subjects were included to train the screening model, and an early detection model was run with silicosis cases in stage I. Both 5-fold cross-validation and external validation were adopted. Difference in classifiers caused by algorithms and subjects was quantified using a two-factor analysis of variance. The association between personal smoking habits and classification was investigated by the chi-square test. Classifiers of ensemble learning performed well in both screening and early detection model, with an accuracy range of 0.817–0.987. Classical classifiers showed relatively worse performance. Besides, the ensemble algorithm type and silicosis cases inclusion had no significant effect on classification (p > 0.05). There was no connection between personal smoking habits and classification accuracy. Breath tests based on an e-nose consisted of 16× sensor array performed well in silicosis screening and early detection. Raw data input showed a more significant effect on classification compared with the algorithm. Personal smoking habits had little impact on models, supporting the applicability of models in large-scale silicosis screening. The e-nose technique and the breath analysis methods reported are expected to provide a quick and accurate screening for silicosis, and extensible for other diseases.
Buckling enhancement of tubular metamaterial with axial zero thermal expansion by integrating two adjustment mechanisms
Authors: Yang Zihao , Zhang Yongcun , Zhang Zonghua , Liu Shutian
Published: March 2022

Artificially designed mechanical metamaterials with desired property of zero thermal expansion (ZTE) have already made great progress motived by the urgent needs of high-end equipment and instruments served in large fluctuating temperature environment. Various thermal expansion adjustment mechanisms are developed to achieve controllable thermal deformation. However, only designing ZTE is not normally sufficient, but must be combined with enough mechanical performances for carrying mechanical loads. Hence in this study, a method of bucking enhancement for designing tubular metamaterials with axial ZTE is firstly proposed by integrating two existing adjustment mechanisms. Compared with the previous design under the single Poisson contraction mechanism, the present axial ZTE property is mainly achieved through thermally bending-adjustment mechanism, and therefore avoid the unfeasibility of requiring too large thermal expansion coefficient difference for constituent materials. Meanwhile, the significant buckling capacity loss caused by the introduced initial curvature used for triggering thermally bending-adjustment mechanism is prominently improved by taking the advantage of Poisson contraction mechanism. The results obtained from detailed numerical simulations verify the design targets of simultaneous axial ZTE and buckling enhancement. The proposed design strategy of mechanism combination is also proved effective to enhance the buckling capacity of present dual-mechanism metamaterial without obvious increase of structural mass.
Optical band gap, photocatalysis, surface structures and depth profile properties of Cu2Se nanostructured thin films
Authors: Ghobadi Nader , Hatam Ebrahim Gholami
Published: March 2022

The optical behaviour, stoichiometry, surface configuration of Cu2Se nanostructured thin layers prepared at different reaction times by the chemical process has been considered. The optical band gap of the deposited thin films decreases from 2.92 eV to 2.08 eV for the first transition and from 2.18 to 1.2 eV for the second transition. In addition, it was shown that Urbach energy is independent from the film thickness, and tail values of the localized states has decreased from 1.15 to 0.33 eV. It was found that the concentration of Cu: Se remains approximately constant across the depth of the deposited film at higher deposition time. The degradation efficiency of 98% was achieved by Congo red for the prepared Cu2Se thin film at optimal condition which make it a good candidate for organic dye. From these measurements and by controlling the band gap energy, the Cu2Se can find application in solar cell application.
Roll-to-roll fabrication of large-scale polyorgansiloxane thin film with high flexibility and ultra-efficient atomic oxygen resistance
Authors: LI Yi , LI Zhonghua , LI Detian , HE Yanchun , CAO Shengzhu , WANG Hu , GAO Hengjiao , HU Hanjun , HE Ying , WANG Yuan , ZHU Jun
Published: March 2022

One of the most widely used and well-established atomic oxygen (AO) protection solutions for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites is the deposition of protective coatings on polymeric materials. However, manufacturing extensive expanses of these coating materials with good transparency, flexibility, smoothness, ultra-thinness, and exceptional AO resistance remains a critical issue. Herein, we successfully deposited a 400 nm thick polyorgansiloxane (SiO
x
C
y
H
z
) coating with high optical transparency and uniform good adherence on to a 1.2 m wide polyimide surface, by optimizing the distribution of hexamethyldisiloxane and oxygen as precursors in the roll-to-roll compatible plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process. After AO irradiation with the fluence of 7.9 × 1020 atoms·cm–2, the erosion yield of the SiO
x
C
y
H
z
-coated Kapton was less than 2.30 × 10–26 cm3·atom–1, which was less than 0.77% of that of the Kapton. It indicates that the SiO
x
C
y
H
z
coating can well prevent the erosion of Kapton by AO. In addition, it was also clarified that a SiO2 passivation layer was formed on the surface of the SiO
x
C
y
H
z
coating during AO irradiation, which exhibited a ‘self-reinforcing’ defense mechanism. The entire preparation process of the SiO
x
C
y
H
z
coating was highly efficient and low-cost, and it has shown great potential for applications in LEO.
‘Pedigrees in the Ownership of Law Books’: Lawyers’ Networks, Celebrity, and the Importance of Provenance in Nineteenth-Century Law Texts1
Authors: Hoeflich Michael
Published: March 2022

This article looks at the multiple uses that may be made of provenance marks in law books. The article examines the importance of prior ownership in nineteenth-century law books based on a survey of representative extant private and institutional library and booksellers’ catalogues from the period. It uses this data to understand the importance that contemporary lawyers put on volumes with provenance marks and how the trade in these volumes helps historians to understand the legal ‘republic of letters’ in the nineteenth-century American Bar.
Preoperative Risk Factors and Complication Rates of Breast Augmentation With Fat Grafting
Authors: Nguyen Lyly , Afshari Ashkan , Grotting James C , Perdikis Galen , Kye Higdon K
Published: March 2022

Background

The current literature on the complications and risk factors of autologous fat grafting (AFG) for breast augmentation is scant and inconclusive.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to use a large, multicenter database to determine the major complications and risk factors of patients undergoing breast augmentation with AFG in comparison to breast augmentation with implants.

Methods

Patients undergoing breast augmentation with AFG as well as with implants between January 2, 2017 and July 31, 2019 were identified from the CosmetAssure database (Birmingham, AL). The primary outcome was the occurrence of major complication(s) requiring emergency department visit, hospital admission, or reoperation within 45 days postoperatively. Age, gender, BMI, smoking, diabetes, facility, ASA class, and anesthetic type were evaluated as risk factors.

Results

Among the 76,128 patients enrolled in CosmetAssure, 789 (1.0%) underwent breast augmentation with AFG, in comparison to 18,544 (24.3%) patients with implants. The incidence of any major complication in the AFG cohort and implant cohort was 3.2% and 2.3%, respectively. Infection was significantly higher in the AFG cohort (1.1% vs 0.5%). Tobacco users were more likely to have any complication, infection, and pulmonary dysfunction/hypoxia on univariate analysis. ASA Class III/IV was more likely to have any complication and infection. On multivariate analysis, smoking was an independent risk factor for any complication (relative risk = 17.1) and infection (relative risk = 20.2).

Conclusions

Infection and hematoma are the most common major complications in breast augmentation with AFG. Tobacco use is the only independent risk factor for overall complications and infection. Breast augmentation with AFG has a higher infection rate than augmentation with implants.

Level of Evidence: 4
S2Snet: deep learning for low molecular weight RNA identification with nanopore
Authors: Guan Xiaoyu , Wang Yuqin , Shao Wei , Li Zhongnian , Huang Shuo , Zhang Daoqiang
Published: March 2022

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a pivotal nucleic acid that plays a crucial role in regulating many biological activities. Recently, one study utilized a machine learning algorithm to automatically classify RNA structural events generated by a Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A nanopore trap. Although it can achieve desirable classification results, compared with deep learning (DL) methods, this classic machine learning requires domain knowledge to manually extract features, which is sophisticated, labor-intensive and time-consuming. Meanwhile, the generated original RNA structural events are not strictly equal in length, which is incompatible with the input requirements of DL models. To alleviate this issue, we propose a sequence-to-sequence (S2S) module that transforms the unequal length sequence (UELS) to the equal length sequence. Furthermore, to automatically extract features from the RNA structural events, we propose a sequence-to-sequence neural network based on DL. In addition, we add an attention mechanism to capture vital information for classification, such as dwell time and blockage amplitude. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis, the experimental results have achieved about a 2% performance increase (accuracy) compared to the previous method. The proposed method can also be applied to other nanopore platforms, such as the famous Oxford nanopore. It is worth noting that the proposed method is not only aimed at pursuing state-of-the-art performance but also provides an overall idea to process nanopore data with UELS.
CAMOIP: a web server for comprehensive analysis on multi-omics of immunotherapy in pan-cancer
Authors: Lin Anqi , Qi Chang , Wei Ting , Li Mengyao , Cheng Quan , Liu Zaoqu , Luo Peng , Zhang Jian
Published: March 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have completely changed the approach pertaining to tumor diagnostics and treatment. Similarly, immunotherapy has also provided much needed data about mutation, expression and prognosis, affording an unprecedented opportunity for discovering candidate drug targets and screening for immunotherapy-relevant biomarkers. Although existing web tools enable biologists to analyze the expression, mutation and prognostic data of tumors, they are currently unable to facilitate data mining and mechanism analyses specifically related to immunotherapy. Thus, we effectively developed our own web-based tool, called Comprehensive Analysis on Multi-Omics of Immunotherapy in Pan-cancer (CAMOIP), in which we are able to successfully screen various prognostic markers and analyze the mechanisms involved in biomarker expression and function, as well as immunotherapy. The analyses include information relevant to survival analysis, expression analysis, mutational landscape analysis, immune infiltration analysis, immunogenicity analysis and pathway enrichment analysis. This comprehensive analysis of biomarkers for immunotherapy can be carried out by a click of CAMOIP, and the software should greatly encourage the further development of immunotherapy. CAMOIP provides invaluable evidence that bridges the information between the data of cancer genomics based on immunotherapy, providing comprehensive information to users and assisting in making the value of current ICI-treated data available to all users. CAMOIP is available at https://www.camoip.net.
Greater prefrontal activation during sitting toe tapping predicts severer freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease: an fNIRS study
Authors: Pu Lanlan , Liu Tao , Tang William C , Song Chunli , Jin Mingyan , Ren Lu , Li Tao , Liang Zhanhua
Published: March 2022

Objective

Previous studies have revealed that, compared with Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients without freezing of gait (FoG), the ones with FoG showed greater prefrontal activation while doing lower-limb movements involving standing, walking and turning, which require both locomotor and balance control. However, the relation between FoG and pure locomotor control as well as its underlying mechanism remain unclear.

Methods

A total of 56 PD subjects were recruited and allocated to PD-FoG and PD-noFoG subgroups, and 34 age-matched heathy adults were included as heathy control (HC). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to measure their prefrontal activation in a sitting lower-limb movement task, wherein subjects were asked to sit and tap their right toes as big and as fast as possible.

Results

Result of one-way ANOVA (Group: PD-FoG vs. PD-noFoG vs. HC) revealed greater activation in the right prefrontal cortex in the PD-FoG group than in the other 2 groups. Linear mixed-effects model showed consistent result. Furthermore, the right prefrontal activation positively correlated with the severity of FoG symptoms in PD-FoG patients.

Conclusion

These findings suggested that PD patients with FoG require additional cognitive resources to compensate their damaged automaticity in locomotor control, which is more pronounced in severe FoG patients than milder ones.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Adaptive Immunity in Nursing Home Residents Following a Third Dose of the Comirnaty Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine
Authors: Giménez Estela , Albert Eliseo , Zulaica Joao , Torres Ignacio , Rusu Luciana , Moreno Alicia Rodríguez , Burgos Javier S , Peiró Salvador , Salas Dolores , Vanaclocha Hermelinda , Limón Ramón , Alcaraz María Jesús , Sánchez-Payá José , Díez-Domingo Javier , Comas Iñaki , Gonzáles-Candelas Fernando , Geller Ron , Navarro David ,   Valencian Vaccine Research Program (ProVaVac) Study Group, Burgos J S , Meneu de Guillerna R , Vanaclocha Luna H , Burks D J , Cervantes A , Comas I , Díez-Domingo J , Peiro S , González-Candelas F , Ferrer Albiach C , Hernández-Aguado I , Oliver Ramírez N , Sánchez-Payá J , Vento Torres M , Zapater Latorre E , Navarro D
Published: March 2022

A third Comirnaty vaccine dose increased severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding domain antibody levels (median, 93-fold) and neutralizing antibody titers against Wuhan-Hu-1 (median, 57-fold), Beta (me 22-fold), Delta, (median, 43-fold), and Omicron (median, 8-fold) variants, but had less impact on S-reactive T-cell immunity in nursing home residents.