bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Daughters Do Not Affect Political Beliefs in a New Democracy
Authors: Clayton Amanda , de Kadt Daniel , Dumas Natasha
Published: April 2022

A consistent finding in industrialized democracies is that having a daughter shapes parents’ attitudes and behaviors in gender-egalitarian ways. We test whether this finding travels to a young middle-income democracy where women’s rights are more tenuous: South Africa. Using a dataset of over 7,500 respondents with information on family structure, we find no discernible effect on attitudes about women’s rights or on partisan identification. We speculate that our null findings relate to opportunity: daughter effects are more likely when parents perceive economic, social, and political opportunities for women. When women’s customary status and de facto opportunities are low, as in South Africa, having a daughter may have no effect on parents’ political behavior. Our results demonstrate the virtues of diversifying case selection in political behavior beyond economically wealthy democracies.
„Heute find ich's gut“
Authors: Schönborn Herrad , Kuhl Poldi
Published: April 2022

Zusammenfassung. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wurde auf Grundlage qualitativer Interviews von Kita-Leitungen ( n = 10) sowie Erzieherinnen ( n = 13) eine qualitative Typenbildung im Hinblick auf die Akzeptanz und Nutzung von Dokumentations-Apps in Kindertageseinrichtungen vorgenommen. Es zeigten sich vier Typen, wobei zwei Typen die App befürworteten und die anderen beiden Typen in unterschiedlichem Maße skeptisch waren. Bei einer genaueren Betrachtung der vier Typen konnte zum einen festgestellt werden, dass sich in allen Typen sowohl Kita-Leitungen als auch Erzieherinnen befanden, zum anderen konnten Merkmale identifiziert werden, die die Akzeptanz bzw. Nutzung von Dokumentations-Apps förderten oder hemmten. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass Träger und Kita-Leitungen sowohl auf persönlicher als auch auf struktureller Ebene die Akzeptanz und Nutzung von Dokumentations-Apps durch Erzieher_innen beeinflussen können.
Burnout in der Kita und der Zusammenhang zu Aspekten der Arbeitszufriedenheit
Authors: Trauernicht Mareike , Besser Nadine , Anders Yvonne
Published: April 2022

Zusammenfassung. Das Handlungspotenzial frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte nimmt eine bedeutende Rolle für die Qualität frühkindlicher Betreuung ein. Daher ist es beachtenswert, dass gerade diese Berufsgruppe besonders von den Symptomen betroffen ist, die klassischerweise einem Burnout zugeordnet werden. Die Zufriedenheit mit verschiedenen Arbeitsaspekten ermöglicht Hinweise auf potenzielle Ursachen für Burnout-Symptome und damit verbundene Interventionsmöglichkeiten. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht daher die Zusammenhänge zwischen verschiedenen Aspekten von Arbeitszufriedenheit und den Burnout-Dimensionen emotionale Erschöpfung, Depersonalisation und verringerte Leistungsfähigkeit, erfasst mit dem Maslach Burnout Inventar ( Maslach & Jackson, 1981 ; deutsche Übersetzung: Büssing & Perrar, 1992 ). Datengrundlage bildet eine querschnittliche Online-Befragung von 346 frühpädagogischen Fachkräften aus Berliner Kitas (88,2% Frauen; M Alter = 43.13, SD Alter = 11.07). Regressionsanalysen zeigten, dass eine geringere Zufriedenheit mit der Zusammenarbeit im Team sowie mit den Eltern mit höheren Werten auf allen drei Burnout-Dimensionen einhergingen. Daneben wiesen die Analysen auf entgegengesetzte Zusammenhänge zwischen emotionaler Erschöpfung und der Zufriedenheit mit den Aufstiegschancen, den Arbeitszeiten und dem Arbeitslohn hin. Die Ergebnisse werden in Bezug auf Implikationen und Interventionsmöglichkeiten für die Praxis diskutiert.
Reflection of Suicidal Ideation in Terms Searched for by Japanese Internet Users
Authors: Takahashi Asumi , Sueki Hajime , Ito Jiro
Published: April 2022

Abstract. Background: The relationship between search terms and suicidal ideation is not precisely known. Aims: This study examined the relationship between the types of terms used in web searches and the level of suicidal ideation among individuals who conduct such searches. Methods: A total of 508 Internet users completed a suicidal ideation scale and conveyed to us the words they used when searching for a consultation site. The site was run by the authors using Internet advertisement listings, to consult people via e-mail who had searched for suicide-related words. We divided the users into three groups based on the most salient search terms: suicide method terms, suicide but no method terms, and other terms. Results: The scores on the suicide ideation scale were compared using one-factor analysis of variance, and differences were found between the groups. Users searching for suicide method-related terms had the strongest suicidal ideation. Limitations: This study was limited to users who contacted online consultation sites because of their help-seeking intentions. Conclusion: It is especially important for support organizations to identify Internet users who directly search for suicide methods.
Can Community Laboratory Facilities Increase Access and Inclusivity in Geoscience?
Authors: Corbett Lee B. , Bierman Paul R. , Semken Steven , Whittaker Joseph A.
Published: April 2022

Geochronology and geochemistry are critical tools in geoscience research and research training, but students and faculty at many institutions have little or no access to the specialized and expensive facilities needed for sample preparation and analysis. Here, we explore whether a community laboratory, dedicated to hosting and training visitors, can help address this inequity by increasing access to specialized geochemical techniques and the resulting data. We report the first three years of outcomes from the Community Cosmogenic Facility, the goal of which is to improve access by making an increasingly important analytic technique more widely available. Although the facility we describe here focuses on cosmogenic nuclide sample preparation, the model we present is viable across the geosciences. Three years of development, assessment, and refinement demonstrate that the community laboratory model increased technique access to undergraduate and graduate students. Women were represented in first‐authored, peer‐reviewed papers at a rate nearly twice that of the broader community. In contrast, the participation of under‐represented groups did not increase over geoscience norms. Our data clearly illustrate that challenges to fostering a diverse geoscience community persist. Proactive interaction with faculty and students at Minority Serving Institutions, cohort‐focused training models, and financial support to visit community laboratories may be future steps toward further diversifying users of community facilities.
Quantifying Late Pleistocene to Holocene Erosion Rates in the Hami Basin, China: Insights Into Pleistocene Dust Dynamics of an East Asian Stony Desert
Authors: Zhang Dehai , Wang Guocan , Abell Jordan T. , Pullen Alex , Winckler Gisela , Schaefer Joerg M. , Shen Tianyi
Published: April 2022

Wind is one of the major processes modifying the land surface in the Hami Basin, as evidenced by wind deflation gravel lags, yardangs, and gravel mantled eolian ripples. We report erosion rates for the Hami Basin using cosmogenic 10Be measurements. Bedrock erosion rates average 0.121 ± 0.0293 mm yr−1, which is similar to those of other wind‐eroded arid basins in East Asia, but is anomalously low when modern near‐surface wind speeds are considered. We posit that interglacial periods experienced lower erosion rates than glacial periods, and that the Hami Basin was likely once a larger dust producer than at present, with Pleistocene dust emissions driven by the eolian deflation of alluvial terrace deposits as well as bedrock weathering and abrasion. Wind erosion and dust production in the Hami Basin was largely regulated by the synoptically controlled spatial‐temporal distribution of precipitation and subsequent landscape evolution since at least the late Pleistocene.
Afterslip Moment Scaling and Variability From a Global Compilation of Estimates
Authors: Churchill R. M. , Werner M. J. , Biggs J. , Fagereng Å.
Published: April 2022

Aseismic afterslip is postseismic fault sliding that may significantly redistribute crustal stresses and drive aftershock sequences. Afterslip is typically modeled through geodetic observations of surface deformation on a case‐by‐case basis, thus questions of how and why the afterslip moment varies between earthquakes remain largely unaddressed. We compile 148 afterslip studies following 53Mw6.0–9.1 earthquakes, and formally analyze a subset of 88 well‐constrained kinematic models. Afterslip and coseismic moments scale near‐linearly, with a median Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (CC) of 0.91 after bootstrapping (95% range: 0.89–0.93). We infer that afterslip area and average slip scale with coseismic moment asand, respectively. The ratio of afterslip to coseismic moment (Mrel) varies from <1% to >300% (interquartile range: 9%–32%).Mrelweakly correlates withMo(CC: −0.21, attributed to a publication bias), rupture aspect ratio (CC: −0.31), and fault slip rate (CC: 0.26, treated as a proxy for fault maturity), indicating that these factors affect afterslip.Mreldoes not correlate with mainshock dip, rake, or depth. Given the power‐law decay of afterslip, we expected studies that started earlier and spanned longer timescales to capture more afterslip, butMreldoes not correlate with observation start time or duration. BecauseMrelestimates for a single earthquake can vary by an order of magnitude, we propose that modeling uncertainty currently presents a challenge for systematic afterslip analysis. Standardizing modeling practices may improve model comparability, and eventually allow for predictive afterslip models that account for mainshock and fault zone factors to be incorporated into aftershock hazard models.
Climate Change Impacts to the Arctic Ocean Revealed From High Resolution GEOTRACES 210Po‐210Pb‐226Ra Disequilibria Studies
Authors: Baskaran M. , Krupp K. , Bam W. , Maiti K.
Published: April 2022

Climate change is transforming the Arctic Ocean in unprecedented ways which can be most directly observed in the systematic decline in seasonal ice coverage. From the collection and analysis of particulate and dissolved activities of 210Po and 210Pb from four deepwater superstations, as a part of the US Arctic GEOTRACES cruise during 2015, and in conjunction with previously published data, the temporal and spatial variations in their activities, inventories and residence times are evaluated. The results show that the partitioning of particulate and dissolved phases has changed significantly in the 8 years between 2007 and 2015, while the total 210Po and 210Pb activities have remained relatively unchanged. Observed total 210Po/210Pb activity ratio was less than unity in all deepwater stations, implying disequilibria in the entire water column. From the distribution of total 210Po and 210Pb in the upper 500 m of all major Arctic Basins, the derived scavenging efficiencies decrease as per the following sequence: Makarov Basin > Gakkel Bridge > Canada Basin Nansen Basin ∼ Amundsen Basin > Alpha Ridge, which is the reverse order of the calculated residence times of 210PoT. The scavenging intensities differ between the fully ice‐covered, partially ice‐covered, and no ice‐covered stations, as observed from the differences in the average activities of 210Po and 210Pb. The average settling velocity of particulate matter based on the 210Pb activity is similar to the published values based on 230Th, indicating removal mechanism(s) of Th and Pb is (are) similar.
Architecture of the human NALCN channelosome
Authors: Zhou Lunni , Liu Haobin , Zhao Qingqing , Wu Jianping , Yan Zhen
Published: April 2022

NALCN regulates the resting membrane potential by mediating the Na+ leak current in neurons, and it functions as a channelosome in complex with FAM155A, UNC79, and UNC80. Dysfunction of the NALCN channelosome causes a broad range of neurological and developmental diseases called NALCN channelopathies in humans. How the auxiliary subunits, especially the two large components UNC79 and UNC80, assemble with NALCN and regulate its function remains unclear. Here we report an overall architecture of the human NALCN channelosome. UNC79 and UNC80 each adopt an S-shape super-helical structure consisting of HEAT and armadillo repeats, forming a super-coiled heterodimeric assembly in the cytoplasmic side, which may provide a scaffold for the binding of other potential modulators of the channelosome. The UNC79–UNC80 assembly specifically associates with the NALCN–FAM155A subcomplex through the intracellular II–III linker of NALCN. Disruptions of the interaction interfaces between UNC79 and UNC80, and between the II–III linker of NALCN and the UNC79–UNC80 assembly, significantly reduce the NALCN-mediated currents in HEK293T system, suggesting the importance of the UNC79–UNC80 assembly in regulating channelosome function. Cross-linking mass spectrometry analysis identified an additional calmodulin (CaM) bound in the carboxyl-terminal domain of NALCN. Our study thus provides a structural basis for understanding the unique assembly mechanism and functional regulation of the NALCN channelosome, and also provides an opportunity for the interpretation of many disease-related mutations in UNC80.
Metal-responsive regulation of enzyme catalysis using genetically encoded chemical switches
Authors: Zubi Yasmine S. , Seki Kosuke , Li Ying , Hunt Andrew C. , Liu Bingqing , Roux Benoît , Jewett Michael C. , Lewis Jared C.
Published: April 2022

Dynamic control over protein function is a central challenge in synthetic biology. To address this challenge, we describe the development of an integrated computational and experimental workflow to incorporate a metal-responsive chemical switch into proteins. Pairs of bipyridinylalanine (BpyAla) residues are genetically encoded into two structurally distinct enzymes, a serine protease and firefly luciferase, so that metal coordination biases the conformations of these enzymes, leading to reversible control of activity. Computational analysis and molecular dynamics simulations are used to rationally guide BpyAla placement, significantly reducing experimental workload, and cell-free protein synthesis coupled with high-throughput experimentation enable rapid prototyping of variants. Ultimately, this strategy yields enzymes with a robust 20-fold dynamic range in response to divalent metal salts over 24 on/off switches, demonstrating the potential of this approach. We envision that this strategy of genetically encoding chemical switches into enzymes will complement other protein engineering and synthetic biology efforts, enabling new opportunities for applications where precise regulation of protein function is critical.
Activation of the essential kinase PDK1 by phosphoinositide-driven trans-autophosphorylation
Authors: Levina Aleksandra , Fleming Kaelin D. , Burke John E. , Leonard Thomas A.
Published: April 2022

3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) is an essential serine/threonine protein kinase, which plays a crucial role in cell growth and proliferation. It is often referred to as a ‘master’ kinase due to its ability to activate at least 23 downstream protein kinases implicated in various signaling pathways. In this study, we have elucidated the mechanism of phosphoinositide-driven PDK1 auto-activation. We show that PDK1 trans-autophosphorylation is mediated by a PIP3-mediated face-to-face dimer. We report regulatory motifs in the kinase-PH interdomain linker that allosterically activate PDK1 autophosphorylation via a linker-swapped dimer mechanism. Finally, we show that PDK1 is autoinhibited by its PH domain and that positive cooperativity of PIP3 binding drives switch-like activation of PDK1. These results imply that the PDK1-mediated activation of effector kinases, including Akt, PKC, Sgk, S6K and RSK, many of whom are not directly regulated by phosphoinositides, is also likely to be dependent on PIP3 or PI(3,4)P2.
Depletion of tumor associated macrophages enhances local and systemic platelet-mediated anti-PD-1 delivery for post-surgery tumor recurrence treatment
Authors: Li Zhaoting , Ding Yingyue , Liu Jun , Wang Jianxin , Mo Fanyi , Wang Yixin , Chen-Mayfield Ting-Jing , Sondel Paul M. , Hong Seungpyo , Hu Quanyin
Published: April 2022

Immunosuppressive cells residing in the tumor microenvironment, especially tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), hinder the infiltration and activation of T cells, limiting the anti-cancer outcomes of immune checkpoint blockade. Here, we report a biocompatible alginate-based hydrogel loaded with Pexidartinib (PLX)-encapsulated nanoparticles that gradually release PLX at the tumor site to block colony-stimulating factor 1 receptors (CSF1R) for depleting TAMs. The controlled TAM depletion creates a favorable milieu for facilitating local and systemic delivery of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (aPD-1) antibody-conjugated platelets to inhibit post-surgery tumor recurrence. The tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment is also reprogrammed by TAM elimination, further promoting the infiltration of T cells into tumor tissues. Moreover, the inflammatory environment after surgery could trigger the activation of platelets to facilitate the release of aPD-1 accompanied with platelet-derived microparticles binding to PD-1 receptors for re-activating T cells. All these results collectively indicate that the immunotherapeutic efficacy against tumor recurrence of both local and systemic administration of aPD-1 antibody-conjugated platelets could be strengthened by local depletion of TAMs through the hydrogel reservoir.
Direct sound printing
Authors: Habibi Mohsen , Foroughi Shervin , Karamzadeh Vahid , Packirisamy Muthukumaran
Published: April 2022

Photo- and thermo-activated reactions are dominant in Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes for polymerization or melting/deposition of polymers. However, ultrasound activated sonochemical reactions present a unique way to generate hotspots in cavitation bubbles with extraordinary high temperature and pressure along with high heating and cooling rates which are out of reach for the current AM technologies. Here, we demonstrate 3D printing of structures using acoustic cavitation produced directly by focused ultrasound which creates sonochemical reactions in highly localized cavitation regions. Complex geometries with zero to varying porosities and 280 μm feature size are printed by our method, Direct Sound Printing (DSP), in a heat curing thermoset, Poly(dimethylsiloxane) that cannot be printed directly so far by any method. Sonochemiluminescnce, high speed imaging and process characterization experiments of DSP and potential applications such as remote distance printing are presented. Our method establishes an alternative route in AM using ultrasound as the energy source.
Elastic dosage compensation by X-chromosome upregulation
Authors: Lentini Antonio , Cheng Huaitao , Noble J. C. , Papanicolaou Natali , Coucoravas Christos , Andrews Nathanael , Deng Qiaolin , Enge Martin , Reinius Björn
Published: April 2022

X-chromosome inactivation and X-upregulation are the fundamental modes of chromosome-wide gene regulation that collectively achieve dosage compensation in mammals, but the regulatory link between the two remains elusive and the X-upregulation dynamics are unknown. Here, we use allele-resolved single-cell RNA-seq combined with chromatin accessibility profiling and finely dissect their separate effects on RNA levels during mouse development. Surprisingly, we uncover that X-upregulation elastically tunes expression dosage in a sex- and lineage-specific manner, and moreover along varying degrees of X-inactivation progression. Male blastomeres achieve X-upregulation upon zygotic genome activation while females experience two distinct waves of upregulation, upon imprinted and random X-inactivation; and ablation of Xist impedes female X-upregulation. Female cells carrying two active X chromosomes lack upregulation, yet their collective RNA output exceeds that of a single hyperactive allele. Importantly, this conflicts the conventional dosage compensation model in which naïve female cells are initially subject to biallelic X-upregulation followed by X-inactivation of one allele to correct the X dosage. Together, our study provides key insights to the chain of events of dosage compensation, explaining how transcript copy numbers can remain remarkably stable across developmental windows wherein severe dose imbalance would otherwise be experienced by the cell.
Accurate auto-labeling of chest X-ray images based on quantitative similarity to an explainable AI model
Authors: Kim Doyun , Chung Joowon , Choi Jongmun , Succi Marc D. , Conklin John , Longo Maria Gabriela Figueiro , Ackman Jeanne B. , Little Brent P. , Petranovic Milena , Kalra Mannudeep K. , Lev Michael H. , Do Synho
Published: April 2022

The inability to accurately, efficiently label large, open-access medical imaging datasets limits the widespread implementation of artificial intelligence models in healthcare. There have been few attempts, however, to automate the annotation of such public databases; one approach, for example, focused on labor-intensive, manual labeling of subsets of these datasets to be used to train new models. In this study, we describe a method for standardized, automated labeling based on similarity to a previously validated, explainable AI (xAI) model-derived-atlas, for which the user can specify a quantitative threshold for a desired level of accuracy (the probability-of-similarity, pSim metric). We show that our xAI model, by calculating the pSim values for each clinical output label based on comparison to its training-set derived reference atlas, can automatically label the external datasets to a user-selected, high level of accuracy, equaling or exceeding that of human experts. We additionally show that, by fine-tuning the original model using the automatically labelled exams for retraining, performance can be preserved or improved, resulting in a highly accurate, more generalized model.
Quantum dot-integrated GaN light-emitting diodes with resolution beyond the retinal limit
Authors: Bae Junho , Shin Yuseop , Yoo Hyungyu , Choi Yongsu , Lim Jinho , Jeon Dasom , Kim Ilsoo , Han Myungsoo , Lee Seunghyun
Published: April 2022

Near-eye display technology is a rapidly growing field owing to the recent emergence of augmented and mixed reality. Ultrafast response time, high resolution, high luminance, and a dynamic range for outdoor use are all important for non-pixelated, pupil-forming optics. The current mainstream technologies using liquid crystals and organic materials cannot satisfy all these conditions. Thus, finely patterned light-emissive solid-state devices with integrated circuits are often proposed to meet these requirements. In this study, we integrated several advanced technologies to design a prototype microscale light-emitting diode (LED) arrays using quantum dot (QD)-based color conversion. Wafer-scale epilayer transfer and the bond-before-pattern technique were used to directly integrate 5-µm-scale GaN LED arrays on a foreign silicon substrate. Notably, the lithography-level alignment with the bottom wafer opens up the possibility for ultrafast operation with circuit integration. Spectrally pure color conversion and solvent-free QD patterning were also achieved using an elastomeric topographical mask. Self-assembled monolayers were applied to selectively alter the surface wettability for a completely dry process. The final emissive-type LED array integrating QD, GaN, and silicon technology resulted in a 1270 PPI resolution that is far beyond the retinal limit.
STAG2 regulates interferon signaling in melanoma via enhancer loop reprogramming
Authors: Chu Zhaowei , Gu Lei , Hu Yeguang , Zhang Xiaoyang , Li Man , Chen Jiajia , Teng Da , Huang Man , Shen Che-Hung , Cai Li , Yoshida Toshimi , Qi Yifeng , Niu Zhixin , Feng Austin , Geng Songmei , Frederick Dennie T. , Specht Emma , Piris Adriano , Sullivan Ryan J. , Flaherty Keith T. , Boland Genevieve M. , Georgopoulos Katia , Liu David , Shi Yang , Zheng Bin
Published: April 2022

The cohesin complex participates in the organization of 3D genome through generating and maintaining DNA loops. Stromal antigen 2 (STAG2), a core subunit of the cohesin complex, is frequently mutated in various cancers. However, the impact of STAG2 inactivation on 3D genome organization, especially the long-range enhancer-promoter contacts and subsequent gene expression control in cancer, remains poorly understood. Here we show that depletion of STAG2 in melanoma cells leads to expansion of topologically associating domains (TADs) and enhances the formation of acetylated histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27ac)-associated DNA loops at sites where binding of STAG2 is switched to its paralog STAG1. We further identify Interferon Regulatory Factor 9 (IRF9) as a major direct target of STAG2 in melanoma cells via integrated RNA-seq, STAG2 ChIP-seq and H3K27ac HiChIP analyses. We demonstrate that loss of STAG2 activates IRF9 through modulating the 3D genome organization, which in turn enhances type I interferon signaling and increases the expression of PD-L1. Our findings not only establish a previously unknown role of the STAG2 to STAG1 switch in 3D genome organization, but also reveal a functional link between STAG2 and interferon signaling in cancer cells, which may enhance the immune evasion potential in STAG2-mutant cancer.
Geostatistical spatial projection of geophysical parameters for practical aquifer mapping
Authors: Dabas Jagriti , Sarah Sarah , Mondal N. C. , Ahmed Shakeel
Published: April 2022

Dense data acquisition for 3-D high-resolution aquifer mapping through heliborne transient electromagnetic (HTEM) survey is continually not possible due to various technical and administrative constraints. Consequently, we apply ground geophysical surveys at possibly closer spacing to collect the sub-surface information in the no-fly area, which provides only a regional aquifer picture. In the area near Patna of Northern India, an extent of 18% was covered under the HTEM survey, and the rest was surveyed by ground geophysical methods. Both data are integrated using the theory of regionalized variables. The parameters of multi-aquifers i.e., top of the first aquifer, top of the separating clay layer, top and the bottom of second aquifer, are estimated together with their respective resistivities. The estimations are made at an interval of 250 m, practically an appropriate distance at which dense data generation was carried out using the HTEM survey. The integrated approach generates the data in the no-fly area with the same spatial density as the flown area. With this, we achieved the goal of completing the 3-D aquifer mapping of the entire area with dense data at high spatial resolution. This is a unique finding to manage the handicapped situation in this HTEM surveys, and an aide to overcome such constraints with cost-effectiveness.
Mechanical and microstructural performance of concrete containing high-volume of bagasse ash and silica fume
Authors: Amin Muhammad Nasir , Ahmad Afaq , Shahzada Khan , Khan Kaffayatullah , Jalal Fazal E. , Qadir Muhammad Ghulam
Published: April 2022

In this study, researchers examined the effect of replacing a high-volume of cement with sugarcane bagasse ash (BA) and silica fume (SF). In addition to the control, three binary and three ternary blends of concrete containing different percentages of cement/BA and cement/BA/SF were tested to determine the various mechanical and microstructural properties of concrete. For each mix, eighteen cylindrical concrete specimens were cast followed by standard curing (moist at 20 °C) to test the compressive and tensile strengths of three identical specimens at 7, 28, and 91 days. The test results indicated that the binary mix with 20% BA and ternary mix with 33% BA and 7% SF exhibited higher strengths than all the other mixes, including the control. The higher strengths of these mixes are also validated by their lower water absorption and apparent porosity than the other mixes. Following mechanical testing, the micro and pore structures of all mixes were investigated by performing scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and nitrogen (N2) adsorption isotherm analysis. In SEM–EDS analysis, a dense and compact microstructure was observed for the BA20 and BA33SF7 mixtures due to the formation of high-density C–S–H and C–H phases. The formation of a large amount of C–S–H phases was observed through FTIR, where a prominent shift in peaks from 955 to 970 cm−1 was observed in the spectra of these mixes. Moreover, in N2 adsorption isotherm analysis, a decrease in the intruded pore volume and an increase in the BET surface area of the paste matrix indicate the densification of the pore structure of these mixes. As observed through TGA, a reduction in the amount of the portlandite phase in these mixes leads to the formation of their more densified micro and pore structures. The current findings indicate that BA (20%) and its blend with SF (40%) represents a potential revenue stream for the development of sustainable and high-performance concretes in the future.
Global analysis of a time fractional order spatio-temporal SIR model
Authors: Sidi Ammi Moulay Rchid , Tahiri Mostafa , Tilioua Mouhcine , Zeb Anwar , Khan Ilyas , Andualem Mulugeta
Published: April 2022

We deal in this paper with a diffusive SIR epidemic model described by reaction–diffusion equations involving a fractional derivative. The existence and uniqueness of the solution are shown, next to the boundedness of the solution. Further, it has been shown that the global behavior of the solution is governed by the value of $$R_0$$

R
0

, which is known in epidemiology by the basic reproduction number. Indeed, using the Lyapunov direct method it has been proved that the disease will extinct for $$ R_0 <1 $$

R
0

<
1

for any value of the diffusion constants. For $$R_0>1$$

R
0

>
1

, the disease will persist and the unique positive equilibrium is globally stable. Some numerical illustrations have been used to confirm our theoretical results.
Effect of vitamin E supplementation on cardiometabolic risk factors, inflammatory and oxidative markers and hormonal functions in PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome): a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Tefagh Ghazale , Payab Moloud , Qorbani Mostafa , Sharifi Farshad , Sharifi Yasaman , Ebrahimnegad Shirvani Mahbubeh Sadat , Pourghazi Farzad , Atlasi Rasha , Shadman Zhaleh , Rezaei Nafiseh , Mohammadi-Vajari Erfan , Larijani Bagher , Ebrahimpur Mahbube
Published: April 2022

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy among reproductive-age women. Various therapeutical approaches are currently used to manage or control symptoms associated with PCOS. This systematic review intended to assess the effects of Vit E supplementation on cardiometabolic risk factors, inflammatory and oxidative markers, and hormonal functions in PCOS women based on the clinical trial's results. The databases including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Embase were used to find all relevant studies. The authors reviewed all relevant clinical trials via systematic evaluation of abstracts and titles. Searches were conducted on August 1, 2020. After the initial search and reading of the article's title and abstract, 353 articles were reviewed; finally, 12 articles met the inclusion criteria. Vitamin E supplementation improves lipid profile, decreases insulin and HOMA-IR levels. Furthermore, while Vitamin E supplementation decreases LH and testosterone concentrations, it increases FSH and progestrone concentrations. The following meta-analysis showed that vitamin E supplementation made statistically significant improvements in triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) levels, meanwhile, pooled mean difference for waist circumference (WC) and HOMA-IR were also statistically significant. Supplementary regimens containing vitamin E can positively affect metabolic and hormonal parameters in women with PCOS.
Wildmeat consumption and child health in Amazonia
Authors: Carignano Torres Patricia , Morsello Carla , Orellana Jesem D. Y. , Almeida Oriana , de Moraes André , Chacón-Montalván Erick A. , Pinto Moisés A. T. , Fink Maria G. S. , Freire Maíra P. , Parry Luke
Published: April 2022

Consuming wildmeat may protect against iron-deficiency anemia, a serious public health problem globally. Contributing to debates on the linkages between wildmeat and the health of forest-proximate people, we investigate whether wildmeat consumption is associated with hemoglobin concentration in rural and urban children (< 5 years old) in central Brazilian Amazonia. Because dietary practices mediate the potential nutritional benefits of wildmeat, we also examined whether its introduction into children’s diets is influenced by rural/urban location or household socio-economic characteristics. Sampling 610 children, we found that wildmeat consumption is associated with higher hemoglobin concentration among the rural children most vulnerable to poverty, but not in the least vulnerable rural, or urban children. Rural caregivers share wildmeat with children earlier-in-life than urban caregivers, potentially because of cultural differences, lower access to domesticated meat, and higher wildmeat consumption by rural households (four times the urban average). If wildmeat becomes unavailable through stricter regulations or over-harvesting, we predict a ~ 10% increased prevalence of anemia among extremely poor rural children. This modest protective effect indicates that ensuring wildmeat access is, alone, insufficient to control anemia. Sustainable wildlife management could enhance the nutritional benefits of wildlife for vulnerable Amazonians, but reducing multidimensional poverty and improving access to quality healthcare are paramount.
Green synthesis of ZnO, MgO and SiO2 nanoparticles and its effect on irrigation water, soil properties, and Origanum majorana productivity
Authors: Eissa Doaa , Hegab Rehab H. , Abou-Shady Ahmed , Kotp Yousra H.
Published: April 2022

The synthesis of different metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) (e.g., ZnO, MgO and SiO2) using green methods is a promising alternative to traditional chemical methods. In this work, ZnO, MgO, and SiO2 NPs were prepared using lemon peel extract. The synthesized NPs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Also, the effects of the green synthesis of different NPs on the irrigation water quality, the availability of some heavy metals in soil and plants, and the productivity of Origanum majorana (marjoram) were studied in detail. The obtained results showed that the addition of the NPs resulted in noticeable variations in the removal percentages of Cu2+ and Fe3+ from aqueous solutions. The maximum values obtained for the adsorption of Cu(II) on ZnO, MgO, and SiO2 NPs within the pH values of 3–5 were 89.9%, 83.3%, and 68.36%, respectively. Meanwhile, the maximum adsorption values of Fe(III) at pH 3.3 were 82%, 80%, and 65% for ZnO, MgO, and SiO2 NPs, respectively. Clearly, the application of the NPs effectively reduced the available Cu2+ in the studied soil samples in the following order: Zn2 > Zn1 > Mg2 > Si2 > Mg1 > Si1 > C (control). The highest values of available Cu2+ were observed in the control treatment, whereas the lowest values were obtained when Zn2 was added. The same tendencies were observed with substantial concentrations of Fe. The addition of NPs to the soil samples positively affected the plants' Cu2+ uptake. The effects of NPs and the additions of Cu2+ and Fe3+ on the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) in the soil system were very completed and osculated from one treatment to another. The same tendencies were observed with the total concentration of NPK in plants.
Effect of psychotherapy on recurrence of events and quality of life in patients with vasovagal syncope
Authors: de Barros e Silva Renata Libanori Aleixo , Volich Rubens Marcelo , de Barros e Silva Pedro Gabriel Melo , da Costa Darrieux Francisco Carlos , Scanavacca Maurício Ibrahim , Hachul Denise Tessariol
Published: April 2022

Emotional distress is related to recurrence of syncope compromising patient's quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to determine if weekly sessions of psychotherapy reduce recurrence of events and improve QoL by SF-36 among patients with refractory vasovagal syncope. A randomised controlled pilot trial including 10 patients with recurrent vasovagal syncope and positive tilt table test was conducted. Known cardiac disease and ongoing psychotherapeutic interventions were the main exclusion criteria. All patients received standard of care treatment. Additionally, after randomisation, half of the patients underwent weekly sessions of psychotherapy for 12 months. Analysis of recurrence of events and QoL showed no significant change in the control group but, in the intervention group, there was a significant reduction in the rate of near-syncope episodes per month (5.7 ± 1.4 × 1.7 ± 1.0; P < 0.01), syncope in 1 year (4.6 ± 0.9 × 1.0 ± 0.7; P < 0.01) and a significant improvement in the overall assessment of QoL (44.1 ± 10.0 vs. 70.3 ± 10.3, P < 0.01). In conclusion, patients with refractory vasovagal syncope undergoing regular psychotherapeutic intervention had less recurrence of events and improved their quality of life in 1 year.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04252729.
Enhanced processing of aversive stimuli on embodied artificial limbs by the human amygdala
Authors: Fourcade Antonin , Schmidt Timo Torsten , Nierhaus Till , Blankenburg Felix
Published: April 2022

Body perception has been extensively investigated, with one particular focus being the integration of vision and touch within a neuronal body representation. Previous studies have implicated a distributed network comprising the extrastriate body area (EBA), posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and ventral premotor cortex (PMv) during illusory self-attribution of a rubber hand. Here, we set up an fMRI paradigm in virtual reality (VR) to study whether and how the self-attribution of (artificial) body parts is altered if these body parts are somehow threatened. Participants (N = 30) saw a spider (aversive stimulus) or a toy-car (neutral stimulus) moving along a 3D-rendered virtual forearm positioned like their real forearm, while tactile stimulation was applied on the real arm in the same (congruent) or opposite (incongruent) direction. We found that the PPC was more activated during congruent stimulation; higher visual areas and the anterior insula (aIns) showed increased activation during aversive stimulus presentation; and the amygdala was more strongly activated for aversive stimuli when there was stronger multisensory integration of body-related information (interaction of aversiveness and congruency). Together, these findings suggest an enhanced processing of aversive stimuli within the amygdala when they represent a bodily threat.
Complex drought patterns robustly explain global yield loss for major crops
Authors: Santini Monia , Noce Sergio , Antonelli Marta , Caporaso Luca
Published: April 2022

Multi-purpose crops as maize, rice, soybean, and wheat are key in the debate concerning food, land, water and energy security and sustainability. While strong evidence exists on the effects of climate variability on the production of these crops, so far multifaceted attributes of droughts—magnitude, frequency, duration, and timing—have been tackled mainly separately, for a limited part of the cropping season, or over small regions. Here, a more comprehensive assessment is provided on how droughts with their complex patterns—given by their compound attributes—are consistently related to negative impacts on crop yield on a global scale. Magnitude and frequency of both climate and yield variability are jointly analysed from 1981 to 2016 considering multiscale droughts, i.e., dry conditions occurring with different durations and timings along the whole farming season, through two analogous and standardized indicators enabling comparison among crops, countries, and years. Mainly winter wheat and then spring wheat, soybean and the main maize’s season reveal high susceptibility of yield under more complex drought patterns than previously assessed. The second maize’s season and rice present less marked and more uncertain results, respectively. Overall, southern and eastern Europe, the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa presents multi-crop susceptibility, with eastern Europe, Middle East and Central Asia appearing critical regions for the most vulnerable crop, which is wheat. Finally, yield losses for wheat and soybean clearly worsen when moving from moderate to extreme multiscale droughts.
Study of crystallization mechanism of Al-based amorphous alloys by in-situ high temperature X-ray diffraction method
Authors: Babilas Rafał , Młynarek-Żak Katarzyna , Łoński Wojciech , Łukowiec Dariusz , Warski Tymon , Radoń Adrian
Published: April 2022

The role of transition metals (TMs) addition on the formation and crystallization of amorphous Al85TMs10Y5 alloys was described using in-situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction. The structural results were compared with differential scanning calorimetry and dynamical mechanical analysis to obtain detailed information about the nucleation and growth of crystalline phases. The performed analysis confirmed that Fe and Cu addition drastically changes the crystallization temperature and the phase composition of the fully crystallized alloys. While for Al85Ni10Y5 alloy, the second crystallization step is related to the formation of Al19Ni5Y3 phase, for Al85(Ni, Fe)10Y5 and Al85(Ni, Fe, Cu)10Y5 alloys crystallization of Al15Fe9Y2 phase was observed. Interestingly, the performed analysis showed that forming a homogenous amorphous phase is not necessary to obtain the best corrosion resistance. It was noted that the precipitation of the YCr2Al20 phase in the Cu-rich amorphous matrix should be a much more interesting approach.
Development and exploration of novel substituted thiosemicarbazones as inhibitors of aldose reductase via in vitro analysis and computational study
Authors: Imran Aqeel , Shehzad Muhammad Tariq , Shah Syed Jawad Ali , al Adhami Taha , Laws Mark , Rahman Khondaker Miraz , Alharthy Rima D. , Khan Imtiaz Ali , Shafiq Zahid , Iqbal Jamshed
Published: April 2022

The role of aldose reductase (ALR2) in causing diabetic complications is well-studied, with overactivity of ALR2 in the hyperglycemic state leading to an accumulation of intracellular sorbitol, depletion of cytoplasmic NADPH and oxidative stress and causing a variety of different conditions including retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and cardiovascular disorders. While previous efforts have sought to develop inhibitors of this enzyme in order to combat diabetic complications, non-selective inhibition of both ALR2 and the homologous enzyme aldehyde reductase (ALR1) has led to poor toxicity profiles, with no drugs targeting ALR2 currently approved for therapeutic use in the Western world. In the current study, we have synthesized a series of N-substituted thiosemicarbazones with added phenolic moieties, of which compound3mdisplayed strong and selective ALR2 inhibitory activityin vitro(IC501.18 µM) as well as promising antioxidant activity (75.95% free radical scavenging activity). The target binding modes of3mwere studiedviamolecular docking studies and stable interactions with ALR2 were inferred through molecular dynamics simulations. We thus report the N-substituted thiosemicarbazones as promising drug candidates for selective inhibition of ALR2 and possible treatment of diabetic complications.
Machine learning-based models for predicting clinical outcomes after surgery in unilateral primary aldosteronism
Authors: Kaneko Hiroki , Umakoshi Hironobu , Ogata Masatoshi , Wada Norio , Ichijo Takamasa , Sakamoto Shohei , Watanabe Tetsuhiro , Ishihara Yuki , Tagami Tetsuya , Iwahashi Norifusa , Fukumoto Tazuru , Terada Eriko , Katsuhara Shunsuke , Yokomoto-Umakoshi Maki , Matsuda Yayoi , Sakamoto Ryuichi , Ogawa Yoshihiro
Published: April 2022

Unilateral subtype of primary aldosteronism (PA) is a common surgically curable form of endocrine hypertension. However, more than half of the patients with PA who undergo unilateral adrenalectomy suffer from persistent hypertension, which may discourage those with PA from undergoing adrenalectomy even when appropriate. The aim of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to develop machine learning-based models for predicting postoperative hypertensive remission using preoperative predictors that are readily available in routine clinical practice. A total of 107 patients with PA who achieved complete biochemical success after adrenalectomy were included and randomly assigned to the training and test datasets. Predictive models of complete clinical success were developed using supervised machine learning algorithms. Of 107 patients, 40 achieved complete clinical success after adrenalectomy in both datasets. Six clinical features associated with complete clinical success (duration of hypertension, defined daily dose (DDD) of antihypertensive medication, plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), sex, body mass index (BMI), and age) were selected based on predictive performance in the machine learning-based model. The predictive accuracy and area under the curve (AUC) for the developed model in the test dataset were 77.3% and 0.884 (95% confidence interval: 0.737–1.000), respectively. In an independent external cohort, the performance of the predictive model was found to be comparable with an accuracy of 80.4% and AUC of 0.867 (95% confidence interval: 0.763–0.971). The duration of hypertension, DDD of antihypertensive medication, PAC, and BMI were non-linearly related to the prediction of complete clinical success. The developed predictive model may be useful in assessing the benefit of unilateral adrenalectomy and in selecting surgical treatment and antihypertensive medication for patients with PA in clinical practice.
Comparison of rRNA depletion methods for efficient bacterial mRNA sequencing
Authors: Wahl Anika , Huptas Christopher , Neuhaus Klaus
Published: April 2022

Current methods of high-throughput RNA sequencing of prokaryotes, including transcriptome analysis or ribosomal profiling, need deep sequencing to achieve sufficient numbers of effective reads (e.g., mapping to mRNA) in order to also find weakly expressed genetic elements. The fraction of high-quality reads mapping to coding RNAs (i.e., mRNA) is mainly influenced by the large content of rRNA and, to a lesser extent, tRNA in total RNA. Thus, depletion of rRNA increases coverage and thus sequencing costs. RiboZero, a depletion kit based on probe hybridisation and rRNA-removal was found to be most efficient in the past, but it was discontinued in 2018. To facilitate comparability with previous experiments and to help choose adequate replacements, we compare three commercially available rRNA depletion kits also based on hybridization and magnetic beads, i.e., riboPOOLs, RiboMinus and MICROBExpress, with the former RiboZero. Additionally, we constructed biotinylated probes for magnetic bead capture and rRNA depletion in this study. Based onE. coli, we found similar efficiencies in rRNA depletion for riboPOOLs and the self-made depletion method; both comparable to the former RiboZero, followed by RiboMinus, succeeded by MICROBExpress. Further, our in-house protocol allows customized species-specific rRNA or even tRNA depletion or depletion of other RNA targets. Both, the self-made biotinylated probes and riboPOOLs, were most successful in reducing the rRNA content and thereby increasing sequencing depth concerning mRNA reads. Additionally, the number of reads matching to weakly expressed genes are increased. In conclusion, the self-made specific biotinylated probes and riboPOOLs are an adequate replacement for the former RiboZero. Both are very efficient in depleting rRNAs, increasing mRNA reads and thus sequencing efficiency.