bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the issue of ensuring the environmental and industrial safety of draft machines of thermal power plants
Authors: Kovalev I V , Kovalev D I , Voroshilova A A , Borovinsky D A , Tynchenko Ya A
Published: August 2022

The article deals with the application of automated control systems for mechanical quantities and vibration diagnostics for draught-blowing machines of boiler units of thermal power plants of medium power in order to ensure their environmental and industrial safety. Draft blowers are technical devices operated at hazardous production facilities of thermal power plants as vibration control and monitoring systems in accordance with technical requirements. The requirements for the scope of control and measurement of technological and electrical parameters of draft machines, such as bearing temperature, medium temperature, discharge and suction pressure, electric motor currents, are considered. The authors propose two options for solving the problem of organizing monitoring of draft machines for thermal power plants. To determine the possibility of organizing a full-function monitoring of draft machines, a method for expert analysis of the technical and metrological characteristics of automated systems for monitoring vibration and mechanical quantities is proposed.
Investigation of the process of microwave freeze drying of plums
Authors: Meliboyev Mirazam , Mamatov Sherzod , Ergashev Oybek , Eshonturaev Abdulaziz
Published: August 2022

In this work, the advantages and disadvantages of freeze drying and microwave freeze drying were considered and analyzed. Experimental data on drying plums are given. The chemical composition of plums before and after freeze-drying was analyzed. The results of moisture change, freeze drying and microwave freeze drying of plums were compared.
The main directions of agro-industrial complex development in the near future
Authors: Nezamova O A , Stupina A A , Shagaeva O A
Published: August 2022

Digitalization of the Russian economy has been increasingly introduced into the Russian economy in recent years, covering an increasing number of industries and processes. In the modern information world, in the presence of such a volume of various data that require constant updating, processing and monitoring, it is impossible to do without such tools as digital technologies. The Russian agro-industrial complex has been developing quite steadily in recent years and has a tendency of further growth. This, to a large extent, contributes to the modern policy of the state, carried out through the relevant departments and orientation to the international conjuncture. The growth of production in the main branches of the agro–industrial complex in the previous year was: in crop production - 7.1%, in animal husbandry – 3.3%. In the future, it is planned to accelerate the pace of development in the agro-industrial complex due to the integrated introduction of digitalization in agriculture, which is supposed to be provided through state support measures. During the past year, the state allocated 309.1 billion rubles for the implementation of programs for the development of agriculture. Issues of agricultural development are constantly being paid attention at the meetings with the Board of the Ministry of Agriculture in Russia, which is necessary in the framework of ensuring food security in the country. The purpose of this article is to consider the main directions for the development of the agro-industrial complex, analyze the dynamics for the introduction of digital technologies and compares the pace of digitalization with other countries and different regions. It is also necessary to consider the possible advantages for the transformation of agriculture and the agro-industrial complex as a whole and the possibility of acquiring competitive advantages of the industry. It is also necessary to consider which digital technologies, in which processes and in what sequence should be implemented at the enterprises of the agro-industrial complex in the Krasnoyarsk Region.
Research of the influence of mulberry silkworm cocoon structure on drying kinetics
Authors: Zulpanov Sh U , Samandarov D I , Dadayev G T , Sultonova S A , Safarov J E
Published: August 2022

This article presents an experiment on drying mulberry silkworm type 3 cocoons using universal infra-red drying equipment. Three types of cocoons, Bombyx mori, Antheraea pernyi and Antheraea mylitta, were used as an object of research. A universal (convection) drying equipment with an infrared heat source was used, which allows a fairly wide variation of the operation and load parameters (chamber temperature °C and air speed up to ±0 °C). t1 = 70 °C, air velocity up to ω = 0,7 m/sec and the drying load volume Pc = 0,5 kg/m2. The parameters that ensure the maximum intensity of the drying process while maintaining the quality properties are: coolant temperature in drying equipment within t1 = 65 …75 °C and the air velocity, which gives the best performance with the lowest possible losses in the ranges of ω = 0,6 − 0,7 m/sec.
Testing the development of a seed extraction device with acceptable parameters and studying the influence on the technological indications of saw fiber separation
Authors: Safarov N K , Karimov M R
Published: August 2022

The article examines the testing of the seeding device with optimal parameters for the working chamber of the 4DP-130 saw fiber separator in cotton ginning enterprises, as well as the effect of the density and speed of the raw material on the physical and mechanical properties of cotton fiber and fiber damage. On the basis of theoretical and experimental researches, with the help of a seedling device with optimal parameters installed in the working chamber of the saw fiber separator machine, it was achieved to increase the productivity of the machine, as well as the quality of fiber and seed, due to the quick release of hairless seeds from the working chamber.
Phyto-indicative appraisal of the environmental health of protected forest park «Pine Grove»
Authors: Turmukhametova N V , Turmukhametov D B
Published: August 2022

In the manuscript we described the results of the primary study of the state of environmental health in the protected forest park “Pine Grove” (Yoshkar-Ola, Russia). We found out the vital status 233 organisms of 10 important tree species for coniferous-deciduous forest. Severe damage was recorded in the plantings of Picea X fennica, Larix sibirica. We found drying of branches mainly in coniferous trees due to stagnation of flood water as a result of poorly carried out drainage works. FA index of the leaf plate of Betula pendula trees from the forest reached a value of 0.39. With IFA scale, the vitality of B. pendula is assessed as optimal, which indicates optimal environmental conditions in the territory of «Pine Grove».
A possible medieval recycling technique – smelting iron using hammerscale
Authors: Thiele Á , Török B
Published: August 2022

Hammerscale is a common by-product of the forging process of iron and it may appear in a large amount in the ancient smithy workshops as well. Its recycling (i.e. re-smelting) in early bloomery furnaces might have been an economical and reasonable process, although it is not known whether it works or not, and also there is no archaeological evidence for this technique. In our recent investigation, flaky hammerscale was smelted using the copy of the 8-10th century embedded furnaces of the Avars and the conquering Hungarians. The resulting bloom was processed to a billet and its chemical composition was further examined. Hammerscale proved to be an excellent raw material for the early bloomery iron smelting technology: good iron yield could be achieved due to the high reaction surface and iron content. Moreover, the extracted bloomery iron had low carbon content and had a very low amount of undesirable impurities, e.g. P, As. Cu, S. etc.
Design and manufacture of closed die multi-axial forging tool
Authors: Juhász Zs , Bíró T , Renkó J B
Published: August 2022

In the last decades many solutions were developed to achieve multi-axial forging. Outstanding among these is the two-way process that can be implemented on the Maxstrain unit of the Gleeble thermophysical simulator. Although the experiments performed on the Gleeble system were well suited for characterize mechanical models, this system had some serious issues, such as the outflow of material from the forging zone. To solve these problems, a new forming tool was designed, in which the total volume of the workpiece is deformed, and the shanks used for fastening can be omitted.
Numerical Investigation of Hot Roll Bonding of Multilayer Sheet Metal
Authors: Jemal D E , Zsolt L , Máté S
Published: August 2022

The roll bonding process of the sandwich sheet is a preferable production method to manufacture multilayer sheets and it needs clear investigation because some industrial parts cannot fulfill all of the requirements by single-layer material. In this study, a theoretical model of roll bonding has been reviewed and hot sandwich rolling processes with different plate thickness and flow stress were numerically investigated. The contact pressure-dependent bonding properties in the deformation zone were defined. Then, the liner thickness and reduction ratio are important parameters to determine the total deformation zone. When the thickness of the liner becomes large, unbonded length of deformation can be a serious problem and at the same time, the good bonding strength can be found at a higher reduction ratio of the thinner liner.
The role of friction in the sheet metal forming numerical simulation
Authors: Carvalho L. A. , Lukács Z.
Published: August 2022

This study aims to fulfil the current needs of the sheet metal forming industry by designing a practical, fast, efficient and low-cost rig to describe friction. Nowadays, the technological tool design process of sheet metal components is unthinkable without the application of finite element modelling. Despite the importance of friction for the metal forming processes, it is frequently overlooked in metal forming simulations. Many manufactures are demanding for a more accurate description of tribology. Therefore, there are some relatively simple devices, based on traditional tests that have been presenting high accuracy on friction prediction. Until now, no universal method for determining the coefficient of friction has been established. This is due to the variety of geometry on the contact between the tool and the deformed material, as well as the presence of various stress and strain states in different areas of the draw piece during different moments of the sheet metal forming. This paper presents the first friction results obtained with the new equipment built at the University of Miskolc. For the analyses it was applied 2 different velocities and 5 different pressures. The results were analysed using the analyses of variance.
Surface treatment of polymer matrix nanocomposites for adhesion enhancement by cold plasma
Authors: Berczeli M , Hatoss B , Kókai E
Published: August 2022

Innovative surface technology processes offer a wide range of surface preparation options, allowing engineers to make major changes to the properties of products. Surface modification can also improve the quality and the strength of the bond created by technologies such as bonding, painting, coating, sealing and other adhesion. By activating molecular groups on the surface, wetting properties can be improved, while altering the microtopography of the surface can create roughness and texture. Surface modification suitable for industrial conditions in cold plasma surface modification. The the wetting boundary angles are measured with ethylene glycol and distilled water, and the results are used to calculate the surface free energy of the modified surface in mN/m according to Fowkes surface free energy theory. The demonstration of adhesion improvement of specimens with good wetting surfaces should be carried out by a series of bonding experiments, showing the changes in strength due to surface treatment. In addition, the technical advantages obtained by modifying the topography can be characterised by examining the separated surfaces.
Experiment of lithium ion accumulator cells welding with diode laser
Authors: Kovács P , Hareancz F
Published: August 2022

Accumulator cells have an important role in today’s industry. It produces a need to connect them, and there are several ways to make the bonds. We examined in this experiment already made resistance projection welded bonds, and we created laser beam welded bonds with various geometries. We tried to find out, which geometry produces the greatest bonds and which parameters will be the best solution.
The plastic strain and the rolling direction dependence of the traditional and the biaxial r-values
Authors: Hoffmann Á Zs , Béres G J
Published: August 2022

The Lankford number (i.e. r-value) has long been used as a key parameter in the science of sheet metal forming, for the mathematical description of plasticity. The traditional way of thinking is that this value is a constant in a given direction, and the definition is recommended at Ag-1 % plastic strain. In this study we focused on the evolution tendency of r-value in the function of the plastic strain, in different loading directions. Two automotive thin sheets, DC04 and DP1000 were examined by uniaxial tensile tests and compression tests to investigate both the traditional and the biaxial r-values. The axial and the transverse deformations during the tensile tests were applied under continuous process monitoring with a touchless video extensometer. The compression tests were carried out intermittently, i.e. the tests were stopped after given forces, and the thickness as well as the diameters were measured parallel and perpendicular to the rolling direction. Our results show that the evolution of the traditional r-value is clearly shown for both materials, and its value is given here by linear and polynomial functions. Besides, the changing characteristic of the r-value as a function of deformation does not show a trend with respect to the rolling direction. The biaxial r-value can be well-defined by compression tests despite the small thickness, and the results are less dependent on friction.
Investigation of nickel coated steel tapes welded joints
Authors: Hareancz F , Sinka T
Published: August 2022

Nickel-plated steel tapes are primarily developed for battery production. The aim of these developments was to provide all battery cell cases with good contact resistance and high corrosion resistance, thus increasing their durability. When individual battery cells are packaged, the electrical connection is also mostly made with nickel-plated plates. Welding and soldering are the bonding technologies used to make the connections between the plates, but the advantages mentioned above may vary when making these connections. To our knowledge, lasers with diode beam sources are the most efficient and are becoming more and more suitable for a wide range of applications as the technology develops. The aim of our investigations is to investigate the quality of joints made with low power diode lasers with different parameters from a strength and metallographic point of view.
Lauric acid-grafted biopolymeric nanoparticles for efficient Melphalan delivery across the corneal layers for retinoblastoma: ex vivo and in vivo permeation study
Authors: Mohseni Mojdeh , Shojaei Yeganeh , Naseripour Masood , Delavar Farhan , Mirzaei Mehdi , Mehravi Bita
Published: August 2022

Intravitreal injection of chemotherapy drugs for intraocular retinoblastoma, for the prevalent pediatric malignancy treatment with the side effects of severe infection. This study tried to synthesize the novel approach to deliver Melphalan to the vitreous cavity through the cornea to increase drug efficacy with non-invasive effects. For this purpose, lauric acid-grafted chitosan-alginate and chitosan-alginate loaded by Melphalan nanoparticles were fabricated. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were the basic characterizations of chitosan modification. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) are the other assessments of synthesized nanoparticles. Drug encapsulation and in vitro release were studied using UV-spectroscopy, also ex vivo and in vivo corneal permeation was studied using Franz diffusion cell, fluorescence microscopy, and in vivo animal imaging. FTIR and XRD confirm the successful grafting of lauric acid and spherical shape with the average size of 50 nm and 80 nm observed for modified and chitosan-alginate nanoparticles respectively. In the release study, encapsulation efficiency of 98% with sustained drug release of 80% for 100 h with the Fickian drug diffusion mechanism was reported. Ex vivo corneal permeation exhibited an improved drug penetration rate in the sample of lauric acid-grafted-chitosan-alginate nanoparticles with the results of 5.8 times higher than chitosan-alginate nano-carriers and 15.5-fold compared to drug solution. Also, in vivo study shows that the designed nanoparticles containing Melphalan reached the vitreous cavity with high efficacy. Current investigations illustrate the novel Melphalan delivery with sustained behavior through the cornea with the high potential of corneal layer penetration for retinoblastoma management.
Nonlinear anomalous Hall effects probe topological phase-transitions in twisted double bilayer graphene
Authors: Chakraborty Atasi , Das Kamal , Sinha Subhajit , Adak Pratap Chandra , Deshmukh Mandar M , Agarwal Amit
Published: August 2022

Nonlinear anomalous (NLA) Hall effect is the Berry curvature dipole induced second-order Hall voltage or temperature difference induced by a longitudinal electric field or temperature gradient. These are the prominent Hall responses in time-reversal symmetric systems. These band-geometry induced responses in recently realized twistronic platforms can probe their novel electronic band structure and topology. Here, we investigate the family (electrical, thermoelectric, and thermal) of second-order NLA Hall effects in the moiré system of twisted double bilayer graphene (TDBG). We combine the semiclassical transport framework with the continuum model of TDBG to demonstrate that the NLA Hall signals can probe topological phase transitions in moiré systems. We show that the whole family of NLA Hall responses undergo a sign reversal across a topological phase transition. Our study establishes a deeper connection between valley topology and nonlinear Hall effects in time-reversal symmetric systems.
Ag2S nanoparticles anchored on P-doped g-C3N4: a novel 0D/2D p-n 2 heterojunction for superior photocatalytic inactivation of 3 multidrug-resistant E. coli
Authors: Yan Wanshu , Hu Pingping , Jiang Yiguo , Xu Xiuquan , Ma Xianfeng , Wang Mengru , Bao Xinyue
Published: August 2022

Photocatalytic inactivation has been proved to be an effective strategy to eliminate pathogenic bacteria in water. Herein, a novel 0D/2D p-n heterojunction of Ag2S-anchored P-doped g-C3N4 (Ag2S/PCN) were constructed by a simple two-step process coupling one-pot calcination and ultrasonic-assisted synthesis. The photocatalytic performance of as-prepared Ag2S/PCN composites was investigated by inactivating multidrug-resistant E. coli under visible light irradiation. The results indicated that Ag2S/PCN-5 possessed outstanding photocatalytic inactivation activity and superior stability, which could completely inactivate 7.0 log E. coli cells within 60 min. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag2S/PCN-5 was mainly attributed to the elevated visible-light response and improved production and transfer of photoexcited charges. In addition, the free radicals trapping experiments results revealed that h+ and •O2
− were predominantly responsible for the efficient inactivation activity. Finally, according to the 0D/2D structure and energy band configuration analysis, the enhanced p-n type heterojunction photocatalytic inactivation mechanism of Ag2S/PCN was discussed in detail.
US science adviser Eric Lander steps down
Authors: Gwynne Peter
Published: August 2022

Eric Lander has resigned as science adviser to US president Joe Biden after an investigation found evidence Lander had mistreated and demeaned staff at the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Call for greater investment in lab accessibility
Authors: Hiscott Laura
Published: August 2022

A group of US-based physicists have called on the physics education community to improve the accessibility of school and research labs to people with disabilities.
The science of self
Authors: Hiscott Laura
Published: August 2022

Laura Hiscott reviews Youniverse: a Short Guide to Modern Science by Elsie Burch Donald.
Physics community condemns Russia
Authors: Banks Michael
Published: August 2022

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been met with an unprecedented response from the international scientific community, which will have far-reaching repercussions for science. Michael Banks investigates.
Supercool thinker
Authors: McKenzie James
Published: August 2022

James McKenzie looks back at the remarkable life of the late Sir Martin Wood, who was a pioneer in the commercialization of physics research.
The laser physicist unlocking navigation technology
Authors: Hiscott Laura
Published: August 2022

Lia Li is an award-winning start-up founder bringing optomechanical sensors to consumers. She talks to Laura Hiscott about a childhood spent in university labs, the switch from academia to business and using LIGO-style technology to help us navigate where global navigation satellite systems can’t.
Racing to save the planet
Authors: Leslie-Pelecky Diandra
Published: August 2022

Diandra Leslie-Pelecky reviews Racing Green: How Motorsport Science Can Change the World by Kit Chapman.
Star spotted entering state of low activity
Authors: Cooper Keith
Published: August 2022

Astronomers detect the first case of a star entering the so-called ‘Maunder Minimum’. Keith Cooper explains.
Concerning primordial black holes
Authors: Randall Ian
Published: August 2022

Born at the dawn of time, primordial black holes may lurk throughout the universe – should they exist. But what if one struck the Earth or even, perhaps, a human being? Ian Randall discovers whether there is legitimate cause for concern or if such a scenario is mere science fiction.
Human versus machine, in space
Authors: Robinson Andrew
Published: August 2022

Andrew Robinson reviews The End of Astronauts: Why Robots Are the Future of Exploration by Donald Goldsmith and Martin Rees.
Silicon spin qubits manufactured on an industrial scale
Authors: Boerkamp Martijn
Published: August 2022

Researchers have shown for the first time that qubits can be mass produced using standard processes developed for manufacturing conventional integrated circuits.
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider restarts for Run 3
Authors: Banks Michael
Published: August 2022

Officials at the CERN particle-physics lab have announced that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has successfully restarted following a three-year programme of maintenance and upgrades.
New images show the James Webb Space Telescope’s fully aligned optics
Authors: Banks Michael
Published: August 2022

NASA has aligned the optics on its $10bn James Webb Space Telescope, capturing images at a part of the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Lunar explorer
Authors: Xing Lin
Published: August 2022

Thomas Smith from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, talks to Ling Xin about living in China and being the first foreign national to study Chang’e-5 Moon samples
Physics is something that girls fancy
Authors: Wade Jess
Published: August 2022

Jess Wade says that recent high-profile comments by Katharine Birbalsingh, chair of the UK government’s social mobility commission, that girls don’t like physics perpetuate false gender stereotypes and limit young people’s aspirations.
Welcome to the age of glass
Authors: Tesh Sarah , Commissariat Tushna
Published: August 2022

This issue of Physics World celebrates the International Year of Glass
The cost of computing
Authors: Klimek Mark , Pearce Keith
Published: August 2022

In response to the feature “The huge carbon footprint of large-scale computing”, in which Michael Allen looks at the energy costs of supercomputing facilities.
Accidental rebrand
Authors: Miller David
Published: August 2022

A response to the article about the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre, which incorrectly spelled out the STFC as the “Science and Facilities Technology Council”.
Directing the future of Fermilab
Authors: Hiscott Laura
Published: August 2022

Lia Merminga has just become the seventh director of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the US. She talks to Laura Hiscott about accelerator science, the future of particle physics and being the first woman to lead this iconic and influential research centre.
Making science centre stage
Authors: Grozier Jim
Published: August 2022

Jim Grozier reviews The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity by Robin Ince.
On the particle pathway
Authors: Commissariat Tushna
Published: August 2022

Experimental physicist Freya Blekman talks to Tushna Commissariat about the joy of working on big science collaborations.
Impact of climate change on productivity of food crops: a sub-national level assessment for India
Authors: Rama Rao C A , Raju B M K , Josily Samuel , Rao A V M S , Nagarjuna Kumar R , Srinivasa Rao M , Swapna N , Samba Siva G , Meghana Y L , Prabhakar M , Singh V K
Published: August 2022

Climate change is considered as a potential threat to sustainability of agriculture in India. Considering the importance of agriculture in the pursuit of the India’s development objectives, including the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, understanding possible impacts of climate change on productivity of major food crops in the country assumes importance in developing appropriate policies and programmes for agricultural technology development and transfer in general and for climate change adaptation in particular. Such an understanding at a scale where most of the development planning is done will be more useful in policy planning. This paper analysed climate change impacts at district level for major food crops using the district level climate projections for two time periods viz., mid-century (2021–2050) and end-century (2071–2098). Yields of most crops are projected to decrease in a majority of districts during mid-century period. The yield impacts are deeper and wider during end-century period. The yield impacts are relatively smaller and even positive in case of rapeseed & mustard and soybean. Some of the policy implications emerging from this study are: (i) Efforts are to be targeted and prioritized in the districts where the yields are likely to suffer more (ii) Concerns related to abiotic stress, especially those related to heat/temperature stress, need more attention in crop improvement and natural resource management programmes and (iii) Considering the dimension of climate change along with other bottlenecks to sustainable agriculture in the research and development process is a desirable way of mainstreaming climate change in to economic development programmes.
Wi-Fi indoor 3D localization algorithm based on multi-classifier fusion
Authors: Wu Caixia , Zhang Wenjie , Yang Jingmin , Deng Shanghui
Published: August 2022

Indoor localization technology based on Received Signal Strength (RSS) fingerprint is widely used in life and industry. Compared with the traditional localization methods, the localization technology integrating multiple machine learning methods has better localization accuracy. However, in multi-floor localization, the existing fusion localization technology ignores the interaction between different floors in the localization process, resulting in low indoor localization accuracy. This paper proposes a Wi-Fi indoor 3D localization method based on multi-classifier fusion named FLMCF. Firstly, floor classification training is carried out to reduce the location deviation in the vertical direction. Secondly, for each floor, multiple classifiers are used for model training and training the optimal weight set by minimizing the average localization error. In this case, the advantages of each classifier can be fully integrated to improve the localization accuracy. Finally, the Reliability Fusion Weight Selection (RFWS) algorithm determines the weight and calculates the final location estimation. The experimental results indicate that FLMCF is nearly 14.1% better than DIFMIC in the 90th percentile of CDF.
Estimating residential hot water consumption from smart electricity meter data
Authors: Bongungu Joseph L , Francisco Paul W , Gloss Stacy L , Stillwell Ashlynn S
Published: August 2022

Residential water heating is among the most energy-intensive aspects of the water sector; however, residential hot water use is often poorly quantified. Estimating hot water consumption from smart electricity meter data can help advance the body of knowledge regarding the residential energy-water nexus by employing data to fill this knowledge gap, potentially promoting community resilience through energy and water resources efficiency. Using a non-intrusive load monitoring algorithm calibrated with fine-resolution data, we disaggregated electricity for water heating from half-hourly smart electricity meter data, demonstrated with data organized at the zip code level for areas in the city of Chicago. From these electricity for water heating signals, we estimated residential hot water consumption with quantified uncertainty. Results indicate that water heating accounted for 7%–20% of total electricity consumption in the analyzed single-family residential homes, representing an average of 1–8 kWh d−1 of electricity consumption and 7–55 gallons (26–208 l) of hot water per day. These results also demonstrated significant spatial variability, such that some areas of Chicago show higher per household hot water use. With the challenges of deploying advanced water metering infrastructure, using isolated water heating signals from smart electricity meters to develop a first-order estimate of domestic hot water use represents a valuable quantification of an energy-intense flow.
Anticipating water distribution service outages from increasing temperatures
Authors: Bondank Emily N , Chester Mikhail V , Michne Austin , Ahmad Nasir , Ruddell Benjamin L , Johnson Nathan G
Published: August 2022

With projected temperature increases and extreme events due to climate change for many regions of the world, characterizing the impacts of these emerging hazards on water distribution systems is necessary to identify and prioritize adaptation strategies for ensuring reliability. To aid decision-making, new insights are needed into how water distribution system reliability to climate-driven heat will change, and the proactive maintenance strategies available to combat failures. To this end, we present the model Perses, a framework that joins a water distribution network hydraulic solver with reliability models of physical assets or components to estimate temperature increase-driven failures and resulting service outages in the long term. A theoretical case study is developed using Phoenix, Arizona temperature profiles, a city with extreme temperatures and a rapidly expanding infrastructure. By end-of-century under hotter futures there are projected to be 1%–5% more pump failures, 2%–5% more PVC pipe failures, and 3%–7% more iron pipe failures (RCP 4.5–8.5) than a baseline historical temperature profile. Service outages, which constitute inadequate pressure for domestic and commercial use are projected to increase by 16%–26% above the baseline under maximum temperature conditions. The exceedance of baseline failures, when compounded across a large metro region, reveals potential challenges for budgeting, management, and maintenance. An exploration of the mitigation potential of adaptation strategies shows that expedited repair times are capable of offsetting the additional outages from climate change, but will come with a cost.
Transformative adaptation and implications for transdisciplinary climate change research
Authors: Hellin Jon , Amarnath Giriraj , Challinor Andrew , Fisher Eleanor , Girvetz Evan , Guo Zhe , Hodur Janet , Loboguerrero Ana Maria , Pacillo Grazia , Rose Sabrina , Schutz Tonya , Valencia Lina , You Liangzhi
Published: August 2022

The severity of the climate challenge requires a change in the climate response, from an incremental to a more far-reaching and radical transformative one. There is also a need to avoid maladaptation whereby responses to climate risk inadvertently reinforce vulnerability, exposure and risk for some sections of society. Innovative technological interventions are critical but enabling social, institutional and governance factors are the actual drivers of the transformative process. Bringing about this transformation requires inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, and the embracing of social equity. In this Perspective, we unpack what this means for agricultural research and, based on our collective experience, we map out a research agenda that weaves different research components into a holistic and transformative one. We do not offer best practice, but rather reflections on how agricultural research can more readily contribute to transformative adaptation, along with the personal and practical challenges of designing and implementing such an agenda.
Molecular basis underlying the ciliary defects caused by IFT52 variations found in skeletal ciliopathies
Authors: Ishida Yamato , Tasaki Koshi , Katoh Yohei , Nakayama Kazuhisa
Published: August 2022

Mutations of IFT52, a subunit of the IFT-B complex, cause skeletal ciliopathies. IFT52 variants found in ciliopathy individuals are compromised in terms of IFT-B complex formation from two subcomplexes and its interaction with kinesin-II. IFT52-KO cells expressing IFT52 variants showed mild ciliogenesis defects and a decrease in ciliary IFT-B level.
LRTCLS: low-rank tensor completion with Laplacian smoothing regularization for unveiling the post-transcriptional machinery of N6-methylation (m6A)-mediated diseases
Authors: Ma Jiani , Liu Hui , Mao Yumeng , Zhang Lin
Published: August 2022

Recently, N6-methylation (m6A) has recently become a hot topic due to its key role in disease pathogenesis. Identifying disease-related m6A sites aids in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms and biosynthetic pathways underlying m6A-mediated diseases. Existing methods treat it primarily as a binary classification issue, focusing solely on whether an m6A–disease association exists or not. Although they achieved good results, they all shared one common flaw: they ignored the post-transcriptional regulation events during disease pathogenesis, which makes biological interpretation unsatisfactory. Thus, accurate and explainable computational models are required to unveil the post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms of disease pathogenesis mediated by m6A modification, rather than simply inferring whether the m6A sites cause disease or not. Emerging laboratory experiments have revealed the interactions between m6A and other post-transcriptional regulation events, such as circular RNA (circRNA) targeting, microRNA (miRNA) targeting, RNA-binding protein binding and alternative splicing events, etc., present a diverse landscape during tumorigenesis. Based on these findings, we proposed a low-rank tensor completion-based method to infer disease-related m6A sites from a biological standpoint, which can further aid in specifying the post-transcriptional machinery of disease pathogenesis. It is so exciting that our biological analysis results show that Coronavirus disease 2019 may play a role in an m6A- and miRNA-dependent manner in inducing non-small cell lung cancer.
Benchmarks in antimicrobial peptide prediction are biased due to the selection of negative data
Authors: Sidorczuk Katarzyna , Gagat Przemysław , Pietluch Filip , Kała Jakub , Rafacz Dominik , Bąkała Laura , Słowik Jadwiga , Kolenda Rafał , Rödiger Stefan , Fingerhut Legana C H W , Cooke Ira R , Mackiewicz Paweł , Burdukiewicz Michał
Published: August 2022

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a heterogeneous group of short polypeptides that target not only microorganisms but also viruses and cancer cells. Due to their lower selection for resistance compared with traditional antibiotics, AMPs have been attracting the ever-growing attention from researchers, including bioinformaticians. Machine learning represents the most cost-effective method for novel AMP discovery and consequently many computational tools for AMP prediction have been recently developed. In this article, we investigate the impact of negative data sampling on model performance and benchmarking. We generated 660 predictive models using 12 machine learning architectures, a single positive data set and 11 negative data sampling methods; the architectures and methods were defined on the basis of published AMP prediction software. Our results clearly indicate that similar training and benchmark data set, i.e. produced by the same or a similar negative data sampling method, positively affect model performance. Consequently, all the benchmark analyses that have been performed for AMP prediction models are significantly biased and, moreover, we do not know which model is the most accurate. To provide researchers with reliable information about the performance of AMP predictors, we also created a web server AMPBenchmark for fair model benchmarking. AMPBenchmark is available at http://BioGenies.info/AMPBenchmark.
Dynamic changes in the hormones of black-necked cranes during reproduction
Authors: Wang Yihua , Zhang Guogang , Jiang Hongxing , Liu Dongping , Hu Xingbo , Qian Fawen
Published: August 2022

Black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) are national first-level protected wild animals in China. Artificial breeding has been adopted by many zoos and reserves to achieve ex-situ conservation of black-necked cranes, but the breeding rate of the species in cages is low. This study used non-invasive methods combined with behavioural observations to investigate changes in sex hormones and glucocorticoid metabolites in the droppings of black-necked cranes during the breeding cycle, with the results showing that (i) levels of estradiol and testosterone in black-necked cranes increased significantly when they entered the breeding period, and these levels could be used as an important physiological indicator to effectively monitor the physiological status of females and males during the reproductive period, thus providing a theoretical basis for the timing of semen collection; (ii) the level of progesterone in the mid-reproduction stage was significantly higher than that in other stages in female black-necked cranes after successful mating, and this level could be an effective indicator of the mating status of female black-necked cranes; (iii) droppings’ glucocorticoid metabolites in the breeding period showed different dynamics between paired and singly caged black-necked cranes, indicating that the physiological phenomenon of reproduction could result in a certain amount of physiological burden on black-necked cranes. These results provide a theoretical basis for the selection of physiological parameters in the artificial breeding of black-necked cranes.
Cellular mechanisms of oligoclonal vascular smooth muscle cell expansion in cardiovascular disease
Authors: Worssam Matt D , Lambert Jordi , Oc Sebnem , Taylor James C K , Taylor Annabel L , Dobnikar Lina , Chappell Joel , Harman Jennifer L , Figg Nichola L , Finigan Alison , Foote Kirsty , Uryga Anna K , Bennett Martin R , Spivakov Mikhail , Jørgensen Helle F
Published: August 2022

Aims

Quiescent, differentiated adult vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) can be induced to proliferate and switch phenotype. Such plasticity underlies blood vessel homeostasis and contributes to vascular disease development. Oligoclonal VSMC contribution is a hallmark of end-stage vascular disease. Here, we aim to understand cellular mechanisms underpinning generation of this VSMC oligoclonality.

Methods and results

We investigate the dynamics of VSMC clone formation using confocal microscopy and single-cell transcriptomics in VSMC-lineage-traced animal models. We find that activation of medial VSMC proliferation occurs at low frequency after vascular injury and that only a subset of expanding clones migrate, which together drives formation of oligoclonal neointimal lesions. VSMC contribution in small atherosclerotic lesions is typically from one or two clones, similar to observations in mature lesions. Low frequency (<0.1%) of clonal VSMC proliferation is also observed in vitro. Single-cell RNA-sequencing revealed progressive cell state changes across a contiguous VSMC population at onset of injury-induced proliferation. Proliferating VSMCs mapped selectively to one of two distinct trajectories and were associated with cells showing extensive phenotypic switching. A proliferation-associated transitory state shared pronounced similarities with atypical SCA1+ VSMCs from uninjured mouse arteries and VSMCs in healthy human aorta. We show functionally that clonal expansion of SCA1+ VSMCs from healthy arteries occurs at higher rate and frequency compared with SCA1− cells.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that activation of proliferation at low frequency is a general, cell-intrinsic feature of VSMCs. We show that rare VSMCs in healthy arteries display VSMC phenotypic switching akin to that observed in pathological vessel remodelling and that this is a conserved feature of mouse and human healthy arteries. The increased proliferation of modulated VSMCs from healthy arteries suggests that these cells respond more readily to disease-inducing cues and could drive oligoclonal VSMC expansion.
Relapsing low-flow alarms due to suboptimal alignment of the left ventricular assist device inflow cannula
Authors: Zijderhand Casper F , Knol Wiebe G , Budde Ricardo P J , van der Heiden Cornelis W , Veen Kevin M , Sjatskig Jelena , Manintveld Olivier C , Constantinescu Alina A , Birim Ozcan , Bekkers Jos A , Bogers Ad J J C , Caliskan Kadir
Published: August 2022

OBJECTIVES

This retrospective study investigated the correlation between the angular position of the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) inflow cannula and relapsing low-flow alarms.

METHODS

Medical charts were reviewed of all patients with HeartMate 3 LVAD support for relapsing low-flow alarms. A standardized protocol was created to measure the angular position with a contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan. Statistics were done using a gamma frailty model with a constant rate function.

RESULTS

For this analysis, 48 LVAD-supported patients were included. The majority of the patients were male (79%) with a median age of 57 years and a median follow-up of 30 months (interquartile range: 19–41). Low-flow alarm(s) were experienced in 30 (63%) patients. Angulation towards the septal–lateral plane showed a significant increase in low-flow alarms over time with a constant rate function of 0.031 increase in low-flow alarms per month of follow-up per increasing degree of angulation (P = 0.048). When dividing this group using an optimal cut-off point, a significant increase in low-flow alarms was observed when the septal–lateral angulation was 28° or more (P = 0.001). Anterior–posterior and maximal inflow cannula angulation did not show a significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed an increasing number of low-flow alarms when the degrees of LVAD inflow cannula expand towards the septal–lateral plane. This emphasizes the importance of the LVAD inflow cannula angular position to prevent relapsing low-flow alarms with the risk of diminished quality of life and morbidity.
Repolarization indicates electrical instability in ventricular arrhythmia originating from papillary muscle
Authors: Münkler Paula , Klatt Niklas , Scherschel Katharina , Kuklik Pawel , Jungen Christiane , Cavus Ersin , Eickholt Christian , Christoph Jan , Lemoine Marc D , Christ Torsten , Willems Stephan , Riedel René , Kirchhof Paulus , Meyer Christian
Published: August 2022

Aims

Cardiac arrhythmia originating from the papillary muscle (PM) can trigger ventricular fibrillation (VF) and cause sudden cardiac death even in the absence of structural heart disease. Most premature ventricular contractions, however, are benign and hitherto difficult to distinguish from a potentially fatal arrhythmia. Altered repolarization characteristics are associated with electrical instability, but electrophysiological changes which precede degeneration into VF are still not fully understood.

Methods and results

Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) was induced by aconitine injection into PMs of healthy sheep. To investigate mechanisms of degeneration of stable VA into VF in structurally healthy hearts, endocardial high-density and epicardial mapping was performed during sinus rhythm (SR) and VA. The electrical restitution curve, modelling the relation of diastolic interval and activation recovery interval (a surrogate parameter for action potential duration), is steeper in VA than in non-arrhythmia (ventricular pacing and SR). Steeper restitution curves reflect electrical instability and propensity to degenerate into VF. Importantly, we find the parameter repolarization time in relation to cycle length (RT/CL) to differentiate self-limiting from degenerating arrhythmia with high specificity and sensitivity.

Conclusion

RT/CL may serve as a simple index to aid differentiation between self-limiting and electrically instable arrhythmia with the propensity to degenerate to VF. RT/CL is independent of cycle length and could easily be measured to identify electrical instability in patients.
Expanding the neutral sites for integrated gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Kong Sijia , Yu Wei , Gao Ning , Zhai Xiaoxin , Zhou Yongjin J
Published: August 2022

Construction of efficient microbial cell factories always requires assembling biosynthetic pathways and rewiring cellular metabolism with overexpression of multiple genes. Genomic integration is considered to be helpful for stable gene expression in compared with the episomal plasmids. However, the limited availability of suitable loci hinders the extensive metabolic engineering. We here characterized 30 neutral sites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome that did not affect cellular fitness by using expression cassettes of green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and fatty acyl-CoA reductase (MaFAR1) with the aid of efficient CRISPR-Cas9 technique. We found that integration of gene expression cassettes to different genome loci resulted a varied GFP signal and fatty alcohol production, which showed that genomic loci could be used for tuning gene expression. The characterized set of neutral sites should be helpful for extensively metabolic engineering of S. cerevisiae for chemical production and other purposes.