bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of iron thin films by electron beam physical vapour deposition (EBPVD): A Review
Authors: Nadzri Nur Izzati Muhammad , Halin Dewi Suriyani Che , Khemar Athirah , Hasbi Mohd Asyraaf M. , Wahab Yufridin
Published: November 2020

This review paper study about the possibilities of results obtained from conducted experiment of iron (Fe) thin films by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD). Previous studies showed that by exposing the substrate of the thin film to pre-heat environment, the changes of morphology and adatom mobility is expected. Furthermore, annealed influence in the thin film also will give better-quality thin films as the surface are expected to be smoother and flat. Three different annealed temperature is conducted on the samples, which are 400°C, 800°C and 1200°C. Structural changes such as transition from alpha phase to beta phase, is possible due to the presence of high temperature.
Superconducting Lead-free Solder Joint: A Short Review
Authors: Said Rita Mohd , Salleh Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd , Saud Norainiza , Ramli Mohd Izrul Izwan
Published: November 2020

Superconducting solders are widely used as joining material to connect superconducting wires such as Niobium-titanium (NbTi) and Niobium–tin (Nb3Sn) wires in commercial superconducting magnet applications. The physical and superconducting properties of the solder materials are very important since it influence the overall performance of the joint during service. Pb-Bi solder alloy widely used due to their good properties suitable for the superconducting application, however, the restriction on the use of Pb in industry lead to the development of new Pb-free solder material. This paper reviews the superconducting Pb-free solder alternatives, including In-Sn based solder. Besides that, the effect of bismuth (Bi) and antimony (Sb) addition to the binary In-Sn solder alloy were also discussed.
Determination of Protective Potential in the Zero Charge Corrosion Protection System
Authors: Shamsudin Shaiful Rizam , Wardan Rajaselan , Rahmat Azmi , Derman Mohd Nazree , Sanusi Muhamad Syazwan , Wahid Mohd Fitri Mohamad
Published: November 2020

Zero charge corrosion protection, ZCCP, is a new invention in the field of corrosion protection. It applies alternating current, AC, mode while the protective potential to ensure that the metal exposed in the corrosive environment still does not exist in any of the previous works of literature. The study was conducted by the voltage scanning within corrosion potential, Ecorr, and polarized potential, Eimpressed, using potentiostat. It was carried out by examining the behavior of the current flow in the circuit. The experimental results found that the protective potential for maximum protection in the ZCCP system is 0 mV. By keeping the AC metal potential at 0 mV, the surface will not acquire any charges, hence the corrosion reaction will be inhibited.
The effect of aging time on microstructure and hardness value of AZ80 Mg Alloy
Authors: Daud Zuraidawani Che , Azahar Siti Hajar , Derman Mohd Nazree , Adzali Nur Maizatul Shima , Zaidi Nur Hidayah Ahmad , Adnan Sinar Arzuria
Published: November 2020

AZ 80 Magnesium (Mg) alloy (AZ80) is the lightest structural metallic materials with good mechanical properties. However, Mg AZ80 has drawbacks which result in poor ductility and low strength where applications of Mg alloy have been restricted. The AZ80 has high aluminium content can cause the precipitation of ß-phase which is Mg17Al12 in Mg-Al alloy. It can affect the mechanical properties such as poor strengthening. This paper was discussed the effect of aging time on microstructure and hardness value of AZ80. The AZ80 samples were cut to 1cm × 1cm. Samples heat treated at 360 °C for one-hour quenching in water. Then, samples aged at 170 °C with different aging times (2 to 8 hours) with same quench. Optical Microscope (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Vickers Microhardness machine were used to analyse the samples. As the results showed ß-Mg17Al12 phase was discontinuously distributed along the grain boundary throughout solid solution treatment. The ß-Mg17Al12 phase did not fully dissolve into the α-Mg phase and distributed along the grain boundary. The results showed that sample after 2 hours aging time with highest hardness value 62.5 HV is the optimum sample.
Effect of Pulse Frequencies on Low Carbon Steel in 3.5 wt% NaCl Solution under Zero Charge Corrosion Protection
Authors: Wardan Rajaselan , Shamsudin Shaiful Rizam , Wahid Mohd Fitri Mohamad , Sanusi Muhammad Syazwan
Published: November 2020

Zero charge corrosion protection (ZCCP) is an alternative to the existing cathodic protection methods. It applies a current/voltage pulse with a certain particular frequency to attain a potential of zero charge (Epzc) on the electrode-electrolyte interface. A study on the pulse frequencies of ZCCP system on low-carbon steel in 3.5 % NaCl Na solution was carried out for 14 days. The pulse frequencies are varied from 4, 20, 50 and 100 Hz. The ability of these frequencies in protecting samples is determined by means of corrosion rate based on weight loss analysis and surface morphology. Experimental observations indicate that low carbon steel corrosion protection is strongly influenced by changes in pulse frequency. Corrosion rates were found to gradually decrease as pulse frequency increased from 4, 20 to 50 Hz, nevertheless at higher frequencies (100 Hz), corrosion protection was observed to be less effective where the corrosion rate dramatically grew up. The surface morphology of the steel surface is smooth and protected at a pulse frequency of 50 Hz. This indicates that the current / voltage pulse of ZCCP system only requires 50 Hz which is equivalent to a standard AC power frequency applied in most countries including Malaysia.
Effect of infill pattern on mechanical properties of 3D printed PLA and cPLA
Authors: Yeoh Cheow Keat , Cheah Chee Son , Pushpanathan Raguvaran , Song Cheah Chie , Tan Mei Ai , Teh Pei Leng
Published: November 2020

PLA are the most sustainable alternatives and can fit in a wide-range of applications of electronics, nonwoven fabrics and food packaging. With these PLA’s adaptability and suitability in many techniques of production such as injection moulding, extrusion, and blow moulding, PLA has become high interest in the production process. Besides, PLA as a thermoplastic polyester that mostly obtained from renewable materials [1]. Infill patterns can affect the mechanical properties of 3D printed PLA and cPLA. PLA with zig zag infill pattern has higher tensile strength of 23.409 MPa compared to PLA with grid and concentric infill pattern. Meanwhile, cPLA with grid infill pattern has higher tensile strength of 30.5638 MPa compared to cPLA with concentric and zig zag infill pattern. By using the suitable infill pattern parameter, the 3D printed PLA and cPLA can have good mechanical properties and can be applied in packaging, pharmaceuticals, textiles, automotive, biomedical and tissue engineering. It has been widely investigated for biomedical applications due to its biodegradability and biocompatibility.
Influence of electron beam irradiation on crosslink behaviour of reclaimed tire rubber/EVA blend in the presence of radiation sensitizers
Authors: Ramarad Suganti , Ratnam Chantara Thevy , Khalid Mohammad , Chuah Luqman
Published: November 2020

Non-degradable waste tire generation around the world is growing at an alarming rate. Diversifying the recycling route of these waste tires is essential to solve the problem. To address the issue, this study utilized radiation sensitizers and electron beam irradiation to enhance the poor properties of reclaimed waste tire rubber/poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) (RTR/EVA) blend. The RTR, EVA and radiation sensitizers were mixed in the internal mixer followed by electron beam (EB) irradiation with doses ranging from 50 to 200 kGy. Radiation sensitizers loading was fixed at 4 wt%. The degradation and stability in RTR were studied in term of crosslink behaviour upon irradiation. Electron beam irradiation revealed the presence of radical stabilizing and scavenging additives within RTR which retards the crosslinking process in RTR and the blends. RTR, EVA and the RTR/EVA blend suffered from further oxidative degradation from irradiation in air. Radiation sensitizers, trimethylol propane triacrylate (TMPTA) and tripropylene glycol diacrylate (TPGDA), were used to accelerate the irradiation induced crosslinking in RTR and the RTR/EVA blend. Presence of radiation sensitizers leads to enhanced crosslink formation within RTR and the RTR/EVA blend. These findings validated the feasibility of using ionizing radiation in the presence of radiation sensitizers for recycling inferior waste polymers into higher quality material.
Effect of object shape on the flow past microstructures in small channel
Authors: Mule Gunwant M , Kulkarni Amol A
Published: November 2020

Flow past objects in microfluidics and microscale devices are used to perturb the flow and thereby achieve effective mixing and heat transfer. This paper presents the observations on the flow past bluff (elliptical, rectangular and triangular) cylindrical micropillars (objects) having different cross-sectional area in a micro-channel through 2D simulations. The pertinent range of Re based on object dimension (0.1 ⩽ Re ⩽ 150) was chosen to understand the wake dynamics that would remain relevant for comparison with literature data. Drag coefficient, recirculation region, critical Reynolds number for flow oscillations and vortex strength in a channel were studied. The drag coefficient was found to increase with aspect ratio of the object. The critical Re for flow oscillations was found to increase with the cross-sectional area of the object. The vortex strength in a channel was seen highest for triangular cylinder compared to elliptical and rectangular cylinder.
In situ transmission electron microscopy study of the formation and migration of vacancy defects in atomically thin black phosphorus
Authors: Yao Fenfa , Cai Yongqing , Xiao Zhangru , Zhang Gang , Xie Rong-Jun , Jin Chuanhong
Published: November 2020

Structural defects play an important role in the optimization of material structures and properties, especially in low-dimensional systems such as two-dimensional (2D) materials. In this work, we investigated the formation, aggregation, and diffusion of vacancy defects in atomically thin black phosphorus (BP) via in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Vacancy defects including di-vacancies (DVs), vacancy clusters (e.g. tetra-vacancy and TV), and vacancy lines were confirmed as the primary forms of structural defects in BP. DV and TV defects were found to be highly mobile. The defects preferentially diffused and migrated along the diagonal and in a zigzag pattern (rather than an armchair pattern). After prolonged thermal excitation and electron-beam irradiation, all these as-formed vacancies tended to aggregate and line up parallel to the zigzag pattern direction to form extended vacancy lines with a total length reaching hundreds of nanometers or even the micrometer scale. Ab initio calculations were conducted to reveal the vacancy migration pathway, energy landscape, and modifications to the electronic structure of the host BP monolayers (MLs). It was found that the migration of a 5-8-5 DV was accomplished via sequential structural transformations including several transitions and intermediate configurations, such as 5-7-7-5 DVs. The associated migration barriers were determined as 2.1 eV for diagonal migration and 2.6 eV along the zigzag path, respectively. Calculations further confirmed that the presence of vacancy defects induced considerable electronic structure modification of the host ML-BP; for example, the bandgap was reduced from 0.9 eV (for defect-free ML-BP) to 0.7 eV in the presence of vacancy lines with a concentration of 1.2 at.%. The present study expands the current understanding of the formation and dynamic behaviors of primary vacancy defects and illustrates methods available to alter the electronic structures of 2D BP materials. It can further serve as a guideline for the function-oriented design and fabrication of BP-based devices via precisely controlled defect engineering.
Acousto-optic systems for advanced microscopy
Authors: Duocastella Martí , Surdo Salvatore , Zunino Alessandro , Diaspro Alberto , Saggau Peter
Published: November 2020

Acoustic waves in an optical medium cause rapid periodic changes in the refraction index, leading to diffraction effects. Such acoustically controlled diffraction can be used to modulate, deflect, and focus light at microsecond timescales, paving the way for advanced optical microscopy designs that feature unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. In this article, we review the operational principles, optical properties, and recent applications of acousto-optic (AO) systems for advanced microscopy, including random-access scanning, ultrafast confocal and multiphoton imaging, and fast inertia-free light-sheet microscopy. As AO technology is reaching maturity, designing new microscope architectures that utilize AO elements is more attractive than ever, providing new exciting opportunities in fields as impactful as optical metrology, neuroscience, embryogenesis, and high-content screening.
One-pot synthesis of highly magnetic and stable citrate coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles by modified coprecipitation method
Authors: Noqta Osama Abu , Sodipo Bashiru Kayode , Aziz Azlan Abdul
Published: November 2020

Highly stable superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) prepared through a modified one-pot coprecipitation technique using citrate as a surfactant and capping agent. The result of the as-synthesized citrate–SPION via a one-pot technique is compared with peptized SPION synthesized via the coprecipitation method. Formation of citrate–SPION is characterized using transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared, zeta potential, and vibrating sample magnetometer. XRD result reveals that the citrate does not affect the crystalline structure and purity of the SPION. Zeta potential of the citrate–SPION and the peptized SPION is −44 mV and 38.4 mV, respectively. Similarly, the saturation magnetization values of citrate–SPION and peptized SPION are 53.9 emu g−1 and 43.8 emu g−1, respectively. The results show that the citrate–SPION prepared by modified a one pot technique has a higher saturation magnetization and is more stable than the peptized SPION.
An overview of laser-based multiple metallic material additive manufacturing: from macro- to micro-scales
Authors: Wei Chao , Zhang Zhizhou , Cheng Dongxu , Sun Zhe , Zhu Menghui , Li Lin
Published: November 2020

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging customized three-dimensional (3D) functional product fabrication technology. It provides a higher degree of design freedom, reduces manufacturing steps, cost and production cycles. However, existing metallic component 3D printing techniques are mainly for the manufacture of single material components. With the increasing commercial applications of AM technologies, the need for 3D printing of more than one type of dissimilar materials in a single component increases. Therefore, investigations on multi-material AM (MMAM) emerge over the past decade. Lasers are currently widely used for the AM of metallic components where high temperatures are involved. Here we report the progress and trend in laser-based macro- and micro-scale AM of multiple metallic components. The methods covered in this paper include laser powder bed fusion, laser powder directed energy deposition, and laser-induced forward transfer for MMAM applications. The principles and process/material characteristics are described. Potential applications and challenges are discussed. Finally, future research directions and prospects are proposed.
Low percolation density and charge noise with holes in germanium
Authors: Lodari Mario , Hendrickx Nico W , Lawrie William I L , Hsiao Tzu-Kan , Vandersypen Lieven M K , Sammak Amir , Veldhorst Menno , Scappucci Giordano
Published: November 2020

We engineer planar Ge/SiGe heterostructures for low disorder and quiet hole quantum dot operation by positioning the strained Ge channel 55 nm below the semiconductor/dielectric interface. In heterostructure field effect transistors, we measure a percolation density for two-dimensional hole transport of 2.1 × 1010 cm−2, indicative of a very low disorder potential landscape experienced by holes in the buried Ge channel. These Ge heterostructures support quiet operation of hole quantum dots and we measure an average charge noise level of

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at 1 Hz, with the lowest level below our detection limit

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0.2

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. These results establish planar Ge as a promising platform for scaled two-dimensional spin qubit arrays.
Elevating PI3P drives select downstream membrane trafficking pathways
Authors: Steinfeld Noah , Lahiri Vikramjit , Morrison Anna , Metur Shree Padma , Klionsky Daniel J. , Weisman Lois S.
Published: November 2020

The phosphoinositide PI3P is required for several diverse pathways. Generation of hyperactive Vps34 mutants reveals that elevating PI3P drives some pathways, inhibits other pathways, and in some cases has no effect. These studies suggest that stimulus-induced elevation of phosphoinositides provides a way for stimuli to regulate select pathways.
Dynamic modelling of cold-hardiness in tea buds by imitating past temperature memory
Authors: Kimura Kensuke , Yasutake Daisuke , Oki Takahiro , Yoshida Koichiro , Kitano Masaharu
Published: November 2020

Background and Aims

Most perennial plants memorize cold stress for a certain period and retrieve the memories for cold acclimation and deacclimation, which leads to seasonal changes in cold-hardiness. Therefore, a model for evaluating cold stress memories is required for predicting cold-hardiness and for future frost risk assessments under warming climates. In this study we develop a new dynamic model of cold-hardiness by introducing a function imitating past temperature memory in the processes of cold acclimation and deacclimation.

Methods

We formulated the past temperature memory for plants using thermal time weighted by a forgetting function, and thereby proposed a dynamic model of cold-hardiness. We used the buds of tea plants (Camellia sinensis) from two cultivars, ‘Yabukita’ and ‘Yutakamidori’, to calibrate and validate this model based on 10 years of observed cold-hardiness data.

Key Results

The model captured more than 90 % of the observed variation in cold-hardiness and predicted accurate values for both cultivars, with root mean square errors of ~1.0 °C. The optimized forgetting function indicated that the tea buds memorized both short-term (recent days) and long-term (previous months) temperatures. The memories can drive short-term processes such as increasing/decreasing the content of carbohydrates, proteins and antioxidants in the buds, as well as long-term processes such as determining the bud phenological stage, both of which vary with cold-hardiness.

Conclusions

The use of a forgetting function is an effective means of understanding temperature memories in plants and will aid in developing reliable predictions of cold-hardiness for various plant species under global climate warming.
dittoSeq: universal user-friendly single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing visualization toolkit
Authors: Bunis Daniel G , Andrews Jared , Fragiadakis Gabriela K , Burt Trevor D , Sirota Marina
Published: November 2020

A visualization suite for major forms of bulk and single-cell RNAseq data in R. dittoSeq is color blindness-friendly by default, robustly documented to power ease-of-use and allows highly customizable generation of both daily-use and publication-quality figures.

Availability and implementation

dittoSeq is an R package available through Bioconductor via an open source MIT license.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Impact of lossy compression of nanopore raw signal data on basecalling and consensus accuracy
Authors: Chandak Shubham , Tatwawadi Kedar , Sridhar Srivatsan , Weissman Tsachy
Published: November 2020

Motivation

Nanopore sequencing provides a real-time and portable solution to genomic sequencing, enabling better assembly, structural variant discovery and modified base detection than second generation technologies. The sequencing process generates a huge amount of data in the form of raw signal contained in fast5 files, which must be compressed to enable efficient storage and transfer. Since the raw data is inherently noisy, lossy compression has potential to significantly reduce space requirements without adversely impacting performance of downstream applications.

Results

We explore the use of lossy compression for nanopore raw data using two state-of-the-art lossy time-series compressors, and evaluate the tradeoff between compressed size and basecalling/consensus accuracy. We test several basecallers and consensus tools on a variety of datasets at varying depths of coverage, and conclude that lossy compression can provide 35–50% further reduction in compressed size of raw data over the state-of-the-art lossless compressor with negligible impact on basecalling accuracy (≲0.2% reduction) and consensus accuracy (≲0.002% reduction). In addition, we evaluate the impact of lossy compression on methylation calling accuracy and observe that this impact is minimal for similar reductions in compressed size, although further evaluation with improved benchmark datasets is required for reaching a definite conclusion. The results suggest the possibility of using lossy compression, potentially on the nanopore sequencing device itself, to achieve significant reductions in storage and transmission costs while preserving the accuracy of downstream applications.

Availabilityand implementation

The code is available at https://github.com/shubhamchandak94/lossy_compression_evaluation.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Loss of ITGB3 in ovine conceptuses decreases conceptus expression of NOS3 and SPP1: implications for the developing placental vasculature†
Authors: Frank James W , Steinhauser Chelsie B , Wang Xiaoqiu , Burghardt Robert C , Bazer Fuller W , Johnson Greg A
Published: November 2020

During the peri-implantation period of pregnancy in sheep, there is an initial period of loose apposition of the elongating conceptuses (embryos and associated placental membranes) to the endometrial luminal epithelium (LE) that is followed by adhesion of the conceptus trophectoderm to the endometrial LE for implantation. Integrins and maternal extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules are major contributors to stable adhesion at implantation, and the β3 integrin subunit (ITGB3) is implicated in the adhesion cascade for implantation in several species including the sheep. We blocked mRNA translation for trophectoderm-expressed ITGB3 by infusing morpholino antisense oligonucleotides into the uterine lumen of pregnant ewes on Day 9 to assess effects on conceptus elongation, and on Day 16 to assess effects on early placental development in sheep. Results indicate that sheep conceptuses elongate and implant to the uterine wall in the absence of ITGB3 expression by the conceptuses; however, loss of ITGB3 in conceptuses decreased the growth of embryos to Day 24 of gestation, and decreased expression of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) and nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3). Abundant SPP1 was localized around the blood vessels in the placental allantoic membrane in normal sheep pregnancies. We hypothesize that NOS3 and SPP1 positively influence the development of the vasculature within the allantois, and that decreased expression of NOS3 and SPP1, in response to knockdown of ITGB3 in conceptuses, alters development of the vasculature in the allantois required to transport nutrients from the endometrium to support growth and development of the embryo.
Predictors of volitional motor recovery with epidural stimulation in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury
Authors: Mesbah Samineh , Ball Tyler , Angeli Claudia , Rejc Enrico , Dietz Nicholas , Ugiliweneza Beatrice , Harkema Susan , Boakye Maxwell
Published: November 2020

Spinal cord epidural stimulation (scES) has enabled volitional lower extremity movements in individuals with chronic and clinically motor complete spinal cord injury and no clinically detectable brain influence. The aim of this study was to understand whether the individuals’ neuroanatomical characteristics or positioning of the scES electrode were important factors influencing the extent of initial recovery of lower limb voluntary movements in those with clinically motor complete paralysis. We hypothesized that there would be significant correlations between the number of joints moved during attempts with scES prior to any training interventions and the amount of cervical cord atrophy above the injury, length of post-traumatic myelomalacia and the amount of volume coverage of lumbosacral enlargement by the stimulation electrode array. The clinical and imaging records of 20 individuals with chronic and clinically motor complete spinal cord injury who underwent scES implantation were reviewed and analysed using MRI and X-ray integration, image segmentation and spinal cord volumetric reconstruction techniques. All individuals that participated in the scES study (n = 20) achieved, to some extent, lower extremity voluntary movements post scES implant and prior to any locomotor, voluntary movement or cardiovascular training. The correlation results showed that neither the cross-section area of spinal cord at C3 (n = 19, r = 0.33, P = 0.16) nor the length of severe myelomalacia (n = 18, r = −0.02, P = 0.93) correlated significantly with volitional lower limb movement ability. However, there was a significant, moderate correlation (n = 20, r = 0.59, P = 0.006) between the estimated percentage of the lumbosacral enlargement coverage by the paddle electrode as well as the position of the paddle relative to the maximal lumbosacral enlargement and the conus tip (n = 20, r = 0.50, P = 0.026) with the number of joints moved volitionally. These results suggest that greater coverage of the lumbosacral enlargement by scES may improve motor recovery prior to any training, possibly because of direct modulatory effects on the spinal networks that control lower extremity movements indicating the significant role of motor control at the level of the spinal cord.
Effect of ultraviolet radiation on the metabolomic profiles of potentially toxic cyanobacteria
Authors: Jacinavicius Fernanda Rios , Geraldes Vanessa , Crnkovic Camila M , Delbaje Endrews , Fiore Marli F , Pinto Ernani
Published: November 2020

Interactions between climate change and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) have a substantial impact on aquatic ecosystems, especially on photosynthetic organisms. To counteract the damaging effects of UVR, cyanobacteria developed adaptive strategies such as the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of UVR on the metabolomic profiles of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. Twelve strains were irradiated with ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation and parabolic aluminized reflector lamps for 3 days, followed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to assess changes in metabolomic profiles. Matrices were used to generate principal component analysis biplots, and molecular networks were obtained using the Global Natural Products platform. Most strains showed significant changes in their metabolomic profiles after UVR exposure. On average, 7% of MS features were shown to be exclusive to metabolomic profiles before UVR exposure, while 9% were unique to metabolomic profiles after UVR exposure. The identified compounds included aeruginosins, spumigins, cyanopeptolins, microginins, namalides, pseudospumigins, anabaenopeptins, mycosporine-like amino acids, nodularins and microcystins. Data showed that cyanobacteria display broad metabolic plasticity upon UVR exposure, including the synthesis and differential expression of a variety of secondary metabolites. This could result in a competitive advantage, supporting cyanobacterial blooms under various UVR light exposures.
Fear and loathing of the deep ocean: why don't people care about the deep sea?
Authors: Jamieson Alan J , Singleman Glenn , Linley Thomas D , Casey Susan
Published: November 2020

A recurring question within deep-sea science and conservation is why don't people care about the deep sea? How does the deep-sea science community convince non-scientific audiences to support, engage, and care more for the largest habitat on Earth? Here, we examine various aspects of an apparent dichotomy of perspectives between the scientific and non-scientific communities by discussing the problematic roots from within human neuropsychology, and how knowledge of the deep sea is delivered to, perceived by, and ultimately valued by non-scientific audiences. The answers are complex, covering issues such as conscious and subconscious thalassophobia, perspectivism, aesthetics, phenomenology, abstract interpretation, epistemology and media-driven enigmatization, self-deprecation by the science community, and perceived value-driven ethics. This discussion focusses on the nexus of scientific and non-scientific perceptions to catalyze meaningful societal engagement with the deep sea and to try and understand “Why don't people care about the deep sea?”
Protective low-avidity anti-tumour CD8+ T cells are selectively attenuated by regulatory T cells
Authors: Sugiyarto Gessa , Prossor David , Dadas Osman , Arcia-Anaya E David , Elliott Tim , James Edward
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a major role in the suppression of protective anti-tumour T cell responses. In the CT26 BALB/c murine model of colorectal carcinoma, Tregs differentially suppress responses to two characterised CD8+ T epitopes, AH1 and GSW11, which results in an absence of detectable IFN-γ-producing GSW11-specific T cells in the spleen and lymph nodes of tumour challenged mice. Activation of GSW11-specific T cells correlates with protection against tumour progression. We wanted to examine the presence of non-functional GSW11-specific T cells in Treg replete and depleted mice, assess their phenotype and their affinity compared to AH1-specific T cells.

Methods

We used peptide-specific tetramers to identify tumour-specific CD8+ T cells and assessed the cell surface expression of markers associated with exhaustion (PD-1, Tim3 and Lag-3) and their function by IFN-g production using flow cytometry. We also assessed the T cell receptor (TcR) clonality of tumour-specific T cells. Tetramer competition assays were performed to determine the relative affinity of identified TcR.

Results

Here, we show that GSW11-specific T cells are in fact induced in Treg-replete, CT26-bearing mice, where they make up the majority of tumour-infiltrating CD8+ lymphocytes, but exhibit an ‘exhausted’ phenotype. This dysfunctional phenotype is induced early in the anti-tumour response in tumours. Depletion of Tregs prior to tumour challenge correlates with an altered T cell receptor (TcR) repertoire. Moreover, the avidity of GSW11-specific TcRs that expanded in the absence of Tregs was significantly lower compared with TcRs of CD8+populations that were diminished in protective anti-tumour responses.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that Tregs suppress the induction of protective anti-tumour T cell responses and may signify that low-avidity T cells play an important role in this protection.
CAR-T cells leave the comfort zone: current and future applications beyond cancer
Authors: Mazzi Mariana Torres , Hajdu Karina Lôbo , Ribeiro Priscila Rafaela , Bonamino Martín Hernán
Published: November 2020

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy represents a breakthrough in the immunotherapy field and has achieved great success following its approval in 2017 for the treatment of B cell malignancies. While CAR-T cells are mostly applied as anti-tumor therapy in the present, their initial concept was aimed at a more general purpose of targeting membrane antigens, thus translating in many potential applications. Since then, several studies have assessed the use of CAR-T cells toward non-malignant pathologies such as autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and, more recently, cardiac fibrosis, and cellular senescence. In this review, we present the main findings and implications of CAR-based therapies for non-malignant conditions.
Recent advances in immunotherapies against infectious diseases
Authors: Ramamurthy Dharanidharan , Nundalall Trishana , Cingo Sanele , Mungra Neelakshi , Karaan Maryam , Naran Krupa , Barth Stefan
Published: November 2020

Immunotherapies are disease management strategies that target or manipulate components of the immune system. Infectious diseases pose a significant threat to human health as evidenced by countries continuing to grapple with several emerging and re-emerging diseases, the most recent global health threat being the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. As such, various immunotherapeutic approaches are increasingly being investigated as alternative therapies for infectious diseases, resulting in significant advances towards the uncovering of pathogen–host immunity interactions. Novel and innovative therapeutic strategies are necessary to overcome the challenges typically faced by existing infectious disease prevention and control methods such as lack of adequate efficacy, drug toxicity, and the emergence of drug resistance. As evidenced by recent developments and success of pharmaceuticals such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), immunotherapies already show abundant promise to overcome such limitations while also advancing the frontiers of medicine. In this review, we summarize some of the most notable inroads made to combat infectious disease, over mainly the last 5 years, through the use of immunotherapies such as vaccines, mAb-based therapies, T-cell-based therapies, manipulation of cytokine levels, and checkpoint inhibition. While its most general applications are founded in cancer treatment, advances made towards the curative treatment of human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis, malaria, zika virus and, most recently COVID-19, reinforce the role of immunotherapeutic strategies in the broader field of disease control. Ultimately, the comprehensive specificity, safety, and cost of immunotherapeutics will impact its widespread implementation.
Vitamin D3 replacement enhances antigen-specific immunity in older adults
Authors: Chambers Emma S , Vukmanovic-Stejic Milica , Turner Carolin T , Shih Barbara B , Trahair Hugh , Pollara Gabriele , Tsaliki Evdokia , Rustin Malcolm , Freeman Tom C , Mabbott Neil A , Noursadeghi Mahdad , Martineau Adrian R , Akbar Arne N
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Ageing is associated with increased number of infections, decreased vaccine efficacy and increased systemic inflammation termed inflammageing. These changes are reflected by reduced recall responses to varicella zoster virus (VZV) challenge in the skin of older adults. Vitamin D deficiency is more common in the old and has been associated with frailty and increased inflammation. In addition, vitamin D increases immunoregulatory mechanisms and therefore has the potential to inhibit inflammageing.

Objectives

We investigated the use of vitamin D3 replacement to enhance cutaneous antigen-specific immunity in older adults (≥65 years).

Methods

Vitamin D insufficient older adults (n = 18) were administered 6400IU of vitamin D3/day orally for 14 weeks. Antigen-specific immunity to VZV was assessed by clinical score assessment of the injection site and transcriptional analysis of skin biopsies collected from challenged injection sites pre- and post-vitamin D3 replacement.

Results

We showed that older adults had reduced VZV-specific cutaneous immune response and increased non-specific inflammation as compared to young. Increased non-specific inflammation observed in the skin of older adults negatively correlated with vitamin D sufficiency. We showed that vitamin D3 supplementation significantly increased the response to cutaneous VZV antigen challenge in older adults. This enhancement was associated with a reduction in inflammatory monocyte infiltration with a concomitant enhancement of T cell recruitment to the site of antigen challenge in the skin.

Conclusion

Vitamin D3 replacement can boost antigen-specific immunity in older adults with sub-optimal vitamin D status.
Do high MICs predict the outcome in invasive fusariosis?
Authors: Nucci Marcio , Jenks Jeffrey , Thompson George R , Hoenigl Martin , dos Santos Marielle Camargo , Forghieri Fabio , Rico Juan Carlos , Bonuomo Valentina , López-Soria Leyre , Lass-Flörl Cornelia , Candoni Anna , Garcia-Vidal Carolina , Cattaneo Chiara , Buil Jochem , Rabagliati Ricardo , Roiz Maria Pia , Gudiol Carlota , Fracchiolla Nicola , Campos-Herrero Maria Isolina , Delia Mario , Farina Francesca , Fortun Jesus , Nadali Gianpaolo , Sastre Enric , Colombo Arnaldo L , Pérez Nadales Elena , Alastruey-Izquierdo Ana , Pagano Livio
Published: November 2020

Background

Invasive fusariosis (IF) affects mostly severely immunocompromised hosts and is associated with poor outcome. Since Fusarium species exhibit high MICs for most antifungal agents, this could explain the poor prognosis. However, a clear-cut correlation between MIC and outcome has not been established.

Objective

To evaluate the correlation between MIC and outcome (6 week death rate) in patients with IF.

Methods

We performed a multicentre retrospective study of patients with IF who received treatment and had MIC levels determined by EUCAST or CLSI for the drug(s) used during treatment. We compared the MIC50 and MIC distribution among survivors and patients who died within 6 weeks from the diagnosis of IF.

Results

Among 88 patients with IF, 74 had haematological diseases. Primary treatment was monotherapy in 52 patients (voriconazole in 27) and combination therapy in 36 patients (liposomal amphotericin B + voriconazole in 23). The MIC50 and range for the five most frequent agents tested were: voriconazole 8 mg/L (range 0.5–64), amphotericin B 2 mg/L (range 0.25–64), posaconazole 16 mg/L (range 0.5–64), itraconazole 32 mg/L (range 4–64), and isavuconazole 32 mg/L (range 8–64). There was no difference in MIC50 and MIC distribution among survivors and patients who died. By contrast, persistent neutropenia and receipt of corticosteroids were strong predictors of 6 week mortality.

Conclusions

Our study did not show any correlation between MIC and mortality at 6 weeks in patients with IF.
A biobjective home health care logistics considering the working time and route balancing: a self-adaptive social engineering optimizer
Authors: Goodarzian Fariba , Abraham Ajith , Fathollahi-Fard Amir Mohammad
Published: November 2020

Home health care (HHC) logistics have become a hot research topic in recent years due to the importance of HHC services for the care of ageing population. The logistics of HHC services as a routing and scheduling problem can be defined as the HHC problem (HHCP) academically including a set of service centers and a large number of patients distributed in a specific geographic environment to provide various HHC services. The main challenge is to provide a valid plan for the caregivers, who include nurses, therapists, and doctors, with regard to different difficulties, such as the time windows of availability for patients, scheduling of the caregivers, working time balancing, the time and cost of the services, routing of the caregivers, and route balancing for their routes. This study establishes a biobjective optimization model that minimizes (i) the total service time and (ii) the total costs of HHC services to meet the aforementioned limitations for the first time. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first of its kind to optimize the time and cost of HHC services by considering the route balancing. Since the model of the developed HHCP is complex and classified as NP-hard, efficient metaheuristic algorithms are applied to solve the problem. Another innovation is the development of a new self-adaptive metaheuristic as an improvement to the social engineering optimizer (SEO), so-called ISEO. An extensive analysis is done to show the high performance of ISEO in comparison with itself and two well-known metaheuristics, i.e. FireFly algorithm and Artificial Bee Colony algorithm. Finally, the results confirm the applicability of new suppositions of the model and further development and investigation of the ISEO more broadly.
The Role of Local Influential Users in Spread of Situational Crisis Information
Authors: Fan Chao , Jiang Yucheng , Mostafavi , & Ali
Published: November 2020

Extensive spread of situational information is important for communities in response to crises/disasters. Among various mechanisms affecting the spread of information on social media, influential users play a critical role in enhancing information spread. This study examines the attributes and activities of local influential users as well as their interactions with ordinary users on Twitter during 2017’s Hurricane Harvey. The results show that the influence across local influential users has a scale-free power law distribution and also indicates a major limitation in spreading information caused by insufficient interaction among influential users themselves. The findings suggest that influential users should play a boundary-spanning and brokerage role in addition to their information hub role in order to be more effective in enhancing the spread of situational information.
Estimating the Economic Impact of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Other Acute Respiratory Infections Among Infants Receiving Care at a Referral Hospital in Malawi
Authors: Baral Ranju , Mambule Ivan , Vodicka Elisabeth , French Neil , Everett Dean , Pecenka Clint , Bar-Zeev Naor
Published: November 2020

Background

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory illness among infants globally, yet economic burden data are scant, especially in low-income countries.

Methods

We collected data from 426 infants enrolled in the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital respiratory disease surveillance platform to estimate the household and health system costs of managing RSV and other respiratory pathogens in Malawian infants. Total household cost per illness episode, including direct and indirect costs and lost income, was reported by parents/guardians at the initial visit and 6 weeks post discharge. The total cost to the health system was based on patient charts and hospital expenditures. All-cause acute respiratory infections (ARIs) and RSV costs for inpatient and outpatients are presented separately. All costs are in the 2018 US Dollar.

Results

The mean costs per RSV episode were $62.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: $50.87-$73.66) and $12.51 (95% CI: $8.24-$16.79) for inpatient and outpatient cases, respectively. The mean cost per episode for all-cause ARIs was slightly higher among inpatients at $69.93 (95% CI: $63.06-$76.81) but slightly lower for outpatients at $10.17 (95% CI: $8.78-$11.57). Household costs accounted for roughly 20% of the total cost per episode. For the lowest-income families, household cost per inpatient RSV episode was about 32% of total monthly household income.

Conclusions

Among infants receiving care at a referral hospital in Malawi, the cost per episode in which RSV was detected is comparable to that of other episodes of respiratory illnesses where RSV was not detected. Estimates generated in this study can be used to evaluate the economic and financial impact of RSV and acute respiratory illness preventive interventions in Malawi.
New insights into the use of Ultra Long Period Cepheids as cosmological standard candles
Authors: Musella Ilaria , Marconi Marcella , Molinaro Roberto , Fiorentino Giuliana , Ripepi Vincenzo , De Somma Giulia , Moretti Maria Ida
Published: November 2020

Ultra Long Period Cepheids (ULPs) are pulsating variable stars with a period longer than 80 d and have been hypothesized to be the extension of the Classical Cepheids (CCs) at higher masses and luminosities. If confirmed as standard candles, their intrinsic luminosities, ∼1 to ∼3 mag brighter than typical CCs, would allow to reach the Hubble flow and, in turn, to determine the Hubble constant, H0, in one step, avoiding the uncertainties associated with the calibration of primary and secondary indicators. To investigate the accuracy of ULPs as cosmological standard candles, we first collect all the ULPs known in the literature. The resulting sample includes 63 objects with a very large metallicity spread with 12 + log ([O/H]) ranging from 7.2 to 9.2 dex. The analysis of their properties in the VI period–Wesenheit plane and in the colour–magnitude diagram (CMD) supports the hypothesis that the ULPs are the extension of CCs at longer periods, higher masses and luminosities, even if, additional accurate and homogeneous data and a devoted theoretical scenario are needed to get firm conclusions. Finally, the three M31 ULPs, 8-0326, 8-1498, and H42, are investigated in more detail. For 8-1498 and H42, we cannot confirm their nature as ULPs, due to the inconsistency between their position in the CMD and the measured periods. For 8-0326, the light curve model fitting technique applied to the available time-series data allows us to constrain its intrinsic stellar parameters, distance, and reddening.
Is diffuse intracluster light a good tracer of the galaxy cluster matter distribution?
Authors: Sampaio-Santos H , Zhang Y , Ogando R L C , Shin T , Golden-Marx Jesse B , Yanny B , Herner K , Hilton M , Choi A , Gatti M , Gruen D , Hoyle B , Rau M M , De Vicente J , Zuntz J , Abbott T M C , Aguena M , Allam S , Annis J , Avila S , Bertin E , Brooks D , Burke D L , Carrasco Kind M , Carretero J , Chang C , Costanzi M , da Costa L N , Diehl H T , Doel P , Everett S , Evrard A E , Flaugher B , Fosalba P , Frieman J , García-Bellido J , Gaztanaga E , Gerdes D W , Gruendl R A , Gschwend J , Gutierrez G , Hinton S R , Hollowood D L , Honscheid K , James D J , Jarvis M , Jeltema T , Kuehn K , Kuropatkin N , Lahav O , Maia M A G , March M , Marshall J L , Miquel R , Palmese A , Paz-Chinchón F , Plazas A A , Sanchez E , Santiago B , Scarpine V , Schubnell M , Smith M , Suchyta E , Tarle G , Tucker D L , Varga T N , Wechsler R H ,   (DES Collaboration), Amanda Pagul , Joe Mohr , Chihway Chang
Published: November 2020

We explore the relation between diffuse intracluster light (central galaxy included) and the galaxy cluster (baryonic and dark) matter distribution using a sample of 528 clusters at 0.2 ≤ z ≤ 0.35 found in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 1 data. The surface brightness of the diffuse light shows an increasing dependence on cluster total mass at larger radius, and appears to be self-similar with a universal radial dependence after scaling by cluster radius. We also compare the diffuse light radial profiles to the cluster (baryonic and dark) matter distribution measured through weak lensing and find them to be comparable. The IllustrisTNG galaxy formation simulation, TNG300, offers further insight into the connection between diffuse stellar mass and cluster matter distributions – the simulation radial profile of the diffuse stellar component does not have a similar slope with the total cluster matter content, although that of the cluster satellite galaxies does. Regardless of the radial trends, the amount of diffuse stellar mass has a low-scatter scaling relation with cluster’s total mass in the simulation, out-performing the total stellar mass of cluster satellite galaxies. We conclude that there is no consistent evidence yet on whether or not diffuse light is a faithful radial tracer of the cluster matter distribution. Nevertheless, both observational and simulation results reveal that diffuse light is an excellent indicator of the cluster’s total mass.