bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical graphitization transformation of deposited carbon for Li-ion storage: sustainable energy utilization from coke oven solid waste
Authors: Rong Tao , Guan Wei , Song Weili , Zuo Haibin , Wang Jingxiu , Xue Qingguo , Jiao Shuqiang
Published: November 2022

Deposited carbon was converted into flake graphite by molten salt electrolysis. Deposited carbon-derived graphite can be used as an anode material for LIBs.
Thermo-responsive palladium–ruthenium nanozyme synergistic photodynamic therapy for metastatic breast cancer management
Authors: Cen Jieqiong , Huang Yuqin , Liu Jie , Liu Yanan
Published: November 2022

Schematic illustration for the formation and in vivo treatment process of PdRu-RCE@PCM NPs.
Ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical biosensing platform based target-triggered biocatalytic precipitation reactions on a flower-like Bi2O2S super-structured photoanode
Authors: Chi Liangjie , Wang Xiangyu , Chen Hongyuan , Tang Dianping , Xue Fangqin
Published: November 2022

Herein, we reported a novel photoelectrochemical immunoassay method based on a target-triggered on/off signal of the ultra-structured Bi2O2S (BOS) photoanode system for the sensitive testing of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in serum samples.
ROS-scavenging biomaterials for periodontitis
Authors: Chen Enni , Wang Tianyou , Tu Yuan , Sun ZhiYuan , Ding Yi , Gu Zhipeng , Xiao Shimeng
Published: November 2022

Oxidative stress induced by the imbalance from periodontal pathogens is the main inducement for periodontal tissue destruction, and ROS scavenging biomaterials could be the promising candidate for periodontitis therapy.
Influence of indium tin oxide residues on the electrical performance of hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistors in the backplane of active-matrix displays
Authors: Yu Xiang , Zhang Zhiqiang , Pei Jingxuan , Zhang Jing , Boukherroub Rabah
Published: November 2022

Etching residues of crystallized indium tin oxide (ITO) films deteriorate thin-film transistor (TFT) characteristics and negatively affect the display images.
Placenta-derived extracellular vesicles from preeclamptic and healthy pregnancies impair ex vivo vascular endothelial function
Authors: Villalobos-Labra Roberto , Liu Ricky , Spaans Floor , Sáez Tamara , Quon Anita , Wong Michael , Pink Desmond , Lewis John , Vatish Manu , Davidge Sandra T. , Cooke Christy-Lynn M.
Published: November 2022

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy syndrome characterized by new-onset hypertension and end-organ dysfunction. The pathophysiology of PE remains undetermined, but it is thought that maternal vascular dysfunction plays a central role, potentially due, in part, to the release of syncytiotrophoblast-derived extracellular vesicles (STBEVs) into the maternal circulation by a dysfunctional placenta. STBEVs from normal pregnancies (NP) impair vascular function, but the effect of PE STBEVs (known to differ in composition with elevated circulating levels) on vascular function are not known. We hypothesized that PE STBEVs have more detrimental effects on vascular function compared with NP STBEVs. STBEVs were collected by perfusion of placentas from women with NP or PE. Mesenteric arteries from pregnant rats were incubated overnight with NP or PE STBEVs, and vascular function was assessed by wire myography. NP and PE STBEVs impaired endothelial function, partially by reducing nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Incubation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells with NP and PE STBEVs increased nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cell (NF-κB) activation, reactive oxygen species, nitrotyrosine levels, and reduced NO levels. However, PE STBEVs increased NF-κB activation and nitrotyrosine levels to a lesser extent than NP STBEVs. Taken together, no greater impact of PE STBEVs compared with NP STBEVs on endothelial function was found. However, the impaired vascular function by PE STBEVs and increased levels of STBEVs in PE suggest PE STBEVs may contribute to maternal vascular dysfunction in PE. Our study further expands on the potential mechanisms that lead to adverse outcomes in PE and provides potential targets for future interventions.
Designing a Hearing Health Care Smartphone App With Ecological Momentary Assessment: A Qualitative Study of Audiologists' Perspectives
Authors: Galvin Karyn L. , Timmer Barbra H. B. , Tomlin Dani , Cleaver Zuzana
Published: November 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of audiologists to provide input into development of a smartphone application (app) to document the real-life listening difficulties and the listening environment of hearing aid candidates and users.

Method:

Two focus groups were conducted. Facilitators utilized a topic guide to generate participants' input and perspectives. The focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were then qualitatively analyzed using content analysis.

Study Sample:

The study samples were 10 audiologists (seven females) with 2- to 10-plus years of hearing aid fitting experience.

Results:

Three main categories were identified: (a) The mobile device app could provide meaningful information to help audiologists to counsel their clients, (b) the app could give clients an insight into their hearing difficulties, and (c) the app could help clients to self-manage their hearing condition.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that audiologists may better understand their clients' real-life listening difficulties through the use of a mobile device app; however, further research is required to harness the benefits of such an app.
The Why, What, and How of Trauma-Informed Educational Practices
Authors: Garrity April W.
Published: November 2022

Purpose:

Trauma is pervasive in our society, and a history of traumatic stress can have significant detrimental effects on physiological and mental health. The purpose of this tutorial is twofold: to describe trauma, as well as its sources and effects, and to provide practical strategies for communication sciences and disorders educators who are seeking to mitigate the effects of trauma on students.

Method:

Carello's seven principles of trauma-informed teaching and learning provided the foundation for this work. The universal design for learning and transparency in teaching and learning in higher education frameworks were integrated to develop an extensive list of potential strategies designed to address each of Carello's seven principles. Supporting evidence was drawn from research on various strategies presented here.

Conclusion:

Although trauma may be a considerable barrier for some students, educators can play a role in supporting these students with trauma-informed educational practices.
Research on the autonomous system of the quadruped robot with a manipulator to realize leader‐following, object recognition, navigation and operation
Authors: Guo Jiamin , Chai Hui , Li Yibin , Zhang Qin , Wang Zhiying , Zhang Jialin , Zhang Qifan , Zhao Haoning
Published: November 2022

A systematic solution is developed to improve the autonomous capability of the quadruped robot with a manipulator, such as navigation, recognition and operation. The developed system adopts novel software, hardware system and system architecture, including a specially designed environment awareness system (EAS). Based on the camera and LiDAR on the EAS, the recognition of multiple common targets, such as the leader, door, window and bag, is achieved. In terms of navigation, a location method is built, that combines the laser odometer and global positioning system. A mapping and path planning module is designed by the Robot‐centric Elevation Mapping algorithm and the rapidly exploring rand tree algorithm. For operation, a real‐time target grasp detection system is proposed based on the You Only Look Once v5 algorithm to improve the success rate of tasks. The whole system is integrated based on the task relevance scheduling strategy to reduce the computational complexity. The tightly integrated system and the subsystems are evaluated by conducting simulations and physical experiments in robot recognition, navigation and operation. Extensive experiments show that the proposed framework can better achieve the autonomous navigation and operation of the quadruped robot with a manipulator. Notably, the proposed framework is still effective when facing dynamic objects. In addition, the system can be easily extended to other forms of mobile robot.
Features requirement elicitation process for designing a chatbot application
Authors: Johari Nurul Muizzah , Nohuddin Puteri N. E. , Baharin Ahmad Hanif Ahmad , Yakob Noor Azuddin , Ebadi Mohammad Javad
Published: November 2022

Today, chatbots are being employed across a wide range of businesses. The researchers will present the outcome of the literature exploration on attributes of chatbots that later become a reference to build a new chatbot for banking use. The goal is to use human natural language as an interaction medium to aid humans in doing any prescribed activity. It is important to think about how people engage with chatbots in order to create a viable and high‐quality chatbot solution. The authors aim to help the chatbot community by determining what qualities a chatbot should have and how to build a chatbot for a bank. For the purpose of compiling useful chatbot characteristics, the researchers searched through a group of linked papers. The survey was done on a small group of chatbot end users in order to get a sense of what functionalities are most important to the end users. On the basis of a summary of the literature research and data from a survey, a set of chatbot functional features is proposed. This research intended to provide a quality feature criterion for creating a chatbot application.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of particle reinforced high-temperature titanium composites
Authors: Tabie Vitus Mwinteribo , Quaisie James Kwasi , Li Jianwei , Yamba Philip , Xu Xiaojing
Published: November 2022

In this research, a novel high-temperature titanium alloy, Ti750, was used as matrix and SiCp, SiCw, B4C, and GNPs as reinforcements to prepare both ex situ and in situ composites using spark plasma sintering process. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the samples were then examined and evaluated. The results show that the microstructures and phase compositions of the ex situ composites contain mainly SiC particles homogeneously distributed in the α-Ti matrix. The in situ synthesized composite, however, mainly contains TiC and Ti5Si3 reinforced phases in the Ti-rich matrix. The in situ composite had the best mechanical properties among all the materials. It recorded 1164 HV and 924 MPa in Vickers microhardness and room temperature compressive tests respectively. It also had the lowest apparent porosity (4.89%) among the composites but slightly higher than matrix material (4.67%). The in situ composite thus presents a better option to the Ti750 alloy which is currently used for high-temperature applications.
Atomic mechanisms of self-diffusion in amorphous silicon
Authors: Posselt Matthias , Bracht Hartmut , Ghorbani-Asl Mahdi , Radić Drazen
Published: November 2022

Based on recent calculations of the self-diffusion (SD) coefficient in amorphous silicon (a-Si) by classical Molecular Dynamics simulation [Posselt et al., J. Appl. Phys. 131, 035102 (2022)], detailed investigations on atomic mechanisms are performed. For this purpose, two Stillinger–Weber-type potentials are used, one strongly overestimates the SD coefficient, while the other leads to values much closer to the experimental data. By taking into account the individual squared displacements (or diffusion lengths) of atoms, the diffusional and vibrational contributions to the total mean squared displacement can be determined separately. It is shown that the diffusional part is not directly correlated with the concentration of coordination defects. The time-dependent distribution of squared displacements of atoms indicates that in a-Si, a well-defined elemental diffusion length does not exist, in contrast to SD in the crystalline Si. The analysis of atoms with large squared displacements reveals that the mechanisms of SD in a-Si are characterized by complex rearrangements of bonds or exchanges of neighbors. These are mono- and bi-directional exchanges of neighbors and neighbor replacements. Exchanges or replacements may concern up to three neighbors and may occur in relatively short periods of some ps. Bi- or mono-directional exchange or replacement of one neighbor atom happens more frequently than processes including more neighbors. A comparison of results for the two interatomic potentials shows that an increased three-body parameter only slows down the migration but does not change the migration mechanisms fundamentally.
Single-mode interband cascade laser with a slotted waveguide
Authors: Fordyce J. A. M. , Diaz-Thomas D. A. , O'Faolain L. , Baranov A. N. , Piwonski T. , Cerutti L.
Published: November 2022

The design of a single-mode interband cascade laser (ICL) using a slotted waveguide is presented. This technique was explored as an inexpensive alternative to distributed feedback lasers since standard photolithography can be used in fabrication and complex techniques, such as e-beam lithography, re-growth steps, and/or metal gratings, can be avoided. The design of slotted waveguides must be carefully simulated before fabrication to ensure the efficacy of the photolithography masks with each ICL growth. Limitations and the behavior of key design parameters are discussed. Single-mode emission was achieved for certain temperature and injected current conditions, validating the operation of an Sb based slotted laser. The slotted ICLs were emitting from a single longitudinal mode at 3.5 μm and 2 mW of power per facet output at 20 °C with threshold currents around 80 mA.
Collimated particle acceleration by vortex laser-induced self-structured “plasma lens”
Authors: Wang W. P. , Dong H. , Shi Z. Y. , Leng Y. X. , Li R. X. , Xu Z. Z.
Published: November 2022

A micrometer-scale “plasma lens” self-constructed by the prepulse and main pulse of the Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) laser is realized to enhance the collimation and acceleration of proton beams in a target normal sheath field acceleration mechanism. Hydrodynamic FLASH and particle-in-cell simulations are carried out and find that a collimated proton source with beam divergence ∼2.7° is generated by the LG laser, which is smaller than the case driven by the traditional Gaussian laser. It demonstrates that the curved sheath field on the “plasma lens” plays an important role in the beam collimation. Such an approach considerably relaxes the constraints of complex design for the target fabrication and auxiliary laser pulse, opening new doors for high-repetition-rate collimated proton accelerations for innovative applications in upcoming high-repetition-rate petawatt laser systems.
Oriented attachment kinetics for rod-like particles at a flat surface: Buffon’s needle at the nanoscale
Authors: Kamat Kartik , Naullage Pavithra M. , Molinero Valeria , Peters Baron
Published: November 2022

The adsorption of large rod-like molecules or crystallites on a flat crystal face, similar to Buffon’s needle, requires the rods to “land,” with their binding sites in precise orientational alignment with matching sites on the surface. An example is provided by long, helical antifreeze proteins (AFPs), which bind at specific facets and orientations on the ice surface. The alignment constraint for adsorption, in combination with the loss in orientational freedom as the molecule diffuses toward the surface, results in an entropic barrier that hinders the adsorption. Prior kinetic models do not factor in the complete geometry of the molecule, nor explicitly enforce orientational constraints for adsorption. Here, we develop a diffusion-controlled adsorption theory for AFP molecules binding at specific orientations to flat ice surfaces. We formulate the diffusion equation with relevant boundary conditions and present analytical solutions to the attachment rate constant. The resulting rate constant is a function of the length and aspect ratio of the AFP, the distance threshold associated with binding, and solvent conditions such as temperature and viscosity. These results and methods of calculation may also be useful for predicting the kinetics of crystal growth through oriented attachment.
Absorption band structure of the photochromic dimethyldihydropyrene/metacyclophanediene couple. Insight from vibronic coupling theory
Authors: Sarkar Rudraditya , Heitz Marie-Catherine , Boggio-Pasqua Martial
Published: November 2022

A detailed insight behind the structure of absorption bands of the photochromic couple dimethyldihydropyrene (DHP)/metacyclophanediene (CPD) is studied employing vibronic coupling theory. Two separate model molecular Hamiltonians, including a maximum of four electronic states and 18 vibrational modes for DHP and five electronic states and 20 vibrational modes for CPD, are constructed in a diabatic electronic representation. The parameters of the Hamiltonians are estimated from the electronic energies obtained from extensive density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations. Based on these Hamiltonians’ parameters, a detailed analysis of potential energy curves is performed in conjunction with positional and energetic locations of several stationary points in multi-dimensional potential energy surfaces. Based on the results of electronic structure calculations, quantum nuclear dynamics studies on the electronic excited states of DHP and CPD are performed to understand the impact of non-adiabatic effects on the formation of vibronic structures of absorption bands of these photo-isomers.
Gaussian-based quasiparticle self-consistent GW for periodic systems
Authors: Lei Jincheng , Zhu Tianyu
Published: November 2022

We present a quasiparticle self-consistent GW (QSGW) implementation for periodic systems based on crystalline Gaussian basis sets. Our QSGW approach is based on a full-frequency analytic continuation GW scheme with Brillouin zone sampling and employs the Gaussian density fitting technique. We benchmark our QSGW implementation on a set of weakly correlated semiconductors and insulators as well as strongly correlated transition metal oxides, including MnO, FeO, CoO, and NiO. The band gap, band structure, and density of states are evaluated using finite size corrected QSGW. We find that although QSGW systematically overestimates the bandgaps of the tested semiconductors and transition metal oxides, it completely removes the dependence on the choice of density functionals and provides a more consistent prediction of spectral properties than G0W0 across a wide range of solids. This work paves the way for utilizing QSGW in ab initio quantum embedding for solids.
Bi2O2Se nanowires presenting high mobility and strong spin–orbit coupling
Authors: Zhao Kui , Liu Huaiyuan , Tan Congwei , Xiao Jianfei , Shen Jie , Liu Guangtong , Peng Hailin , Lu Li , Qu Fanming
Published: November 2022

Systematic electrical transport characterizations were performed on high-quality Bi2O2Se nanowires to illustrate its great transport properties and further application potentials in spintronics. Bi2O2Se nanowires synthesized by chemical vapor deposition method presented a high field-effect mobility up to ∼1.34 × 104 cm2 V−1 s−1 and exhibited ballistic transport in the low back-gate voltage (Vg) regime where conductance plateaus were observed. When further increasing the electron density by increasing Vg, we entered the phase coherent regime and weak antilocalization (WAL) was observed. The spin relaxation length extracted from the WAL was found to be gate tunable, ranging from ∼100 nm to ∼250 nm and reaching a stronger spin–obit coupling (SOC) than the two-dimensional counterpart (flakes). We attribute the strong SOC and the gate tunability to the presence of a surface accumulation layer, which induces a strong inversion asymmetry on the surface. Such scenario was supported by the observation of two Shubnikov–de Haas oscillation frequencies that correspond to two types of carriers, one on the surface and the other in the bulk. The high-quality Bi2O2Se nanowires with a high mobility and a strong SOC can act as a very prospective material in future spintronics.
Improved micro-continuum approach for capillary-dominated multiphase flow with reduced spurious velocity
Authors: Liu Zhiying , Yang Junyu , Xu Qianghui , Shi Lin
Published: November 2022

A diverse range of multiphase flow and transport occurs in multiscale porous media. The multiphase micro-continuum Darcy–Brinkmann–Stokes (DBS) model has been developed to simulate the multiphase flow at both the pore and continuum scales via single-field equations. However, the unacceptable spurious velocities produced by the conventional micro-continuum DBS model present challenges to the modeling of capillary-dominated flow dynamics. This study improves the micro-continuum DBS model to mitigate these spurious velocities at the gas–liquid interface and contact-line regions. A hybrid interpolation scheme is proposed to improve the computational accuracy of the interface curvature and reduce the spurious velocity around the gas–liquid interface by 1–2 orders of magnitude. At the porous boundary, the normal to the gas–liquid interface is corrected, and the normal to the solid–fluid interface is smoothed to guarantee the prescribed wettability condition and decrease the spurious velocities at the contact-line region by an order of magnitude. A series of static and dynamic benchmark cases are investigated to demonstrate that the improved DBS model can simulate capillary-dominated multiphase flows with negligible spurious velocities at capillary numbers as low as 10−4 in both simple and complex geometries. The improved DBS model can combine x-ray computed micro-tomography images to perform multiscale simulations of capillary-dominated multiphase flow and understand the effect of sub-resolution porosity on fluid dynamics in naturally multiscale rocks.
Spin motive force induced by parametric excitation
Authors: Hoshi Koujiro , Hioki Tomosato , Saitoh Eiji
Published: November 2022

Spin motive force generated by parametrically excited magnetization dynamics is numerically investigated. We calculate spin motive force in a permalloy disk under an ac magnetic field with twice the ferromagnetic resonance frequency parallel to the static magnetic field based on the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation. We found that large spin motive force originating from standing spin waves driven by parametric excitation appears in the system. The observed time dependence of the voltage shows a dc voltage with an ac component oscillating with twice of the resonance frequency. The estimated amplitude of the voltage due to the spin motive force is ∼μV. We also investigate spin motive force driven by different modes of standing spin waves. Our numerical results extend the way to generate spin motive force by making use of the magnetization dynamics with the steep spatial modulation created by nonlinear spin waves excitation, without a non-uniform magnetization structure such as a conventional magnetic domain wall and a vortex.
The synthesis and application of a colour-switch β-arylethenesulfonyl fluoride fluorescent probe in the detection of serum albumin
Authors: Giel Marie-Claire , Owyong Tze Cin , Hong Yuning
Published: November 2022

Proteins play a pivotal role in regulating important physiological processes and serve as important biomarkers for many diseases. Herein, we present a new strategy for bovine serum albumin (BSA) detection using a novel colour-switch fluorescent probe CPV-ESF ((E)-2-(4-((Z)-1-cyano-2-(4-(diethylamino)phenyl)vinyl)phenyl)ethene-1-sulfonyl fluoride). CPV-ESF reacts with nucleophilic amino acids of BSA via 1,4-Michael addition click chemistry to create a covalently linked CPV-ESF:BSA complex, which can be easily detected by a fluorescence colour-switch response. The sensing mechanism, sensitivity and selectivity of CPV-ESF for BSA detection as well as its application for cell imaging have been investigated.
The phosphorylation of AMPKβ1 is critical for increasing autophagy and maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis in response to fatty acids
Authors: Desjardins Eric M. , Smith Brennan K. , Day Emily A. , Ducommun Serge , Sanders Matthew J. , Nederveen Joshua P. , Ford Rebecca J. , Pinkosky Stephen L. , Townsend Logan K. , Gutgesell Robert M. , Lu Rachel , Sakamoto Kei , Steinberg Gregory R.
Published: November 2022

Fatty acids are vital for the survival of eukaryotes, but when present in excess can have deleterious consequences. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an important regulator of multiple branches of metabolism. Studies in purified enzyme preparations and cultured cells have shown that AMPK is allosterically activated by small molecules as well as fatty acyl-CoAs through a mechanism involving Ser108 within the regulatory AMPK β1 isoform. However, the in vivo physiological significance of this residue has not been evaluated. In the current study, we generated mice with a targeted germline knock-in (KI) mutation of AMPKβ1 Ser108 to Ala (S108A-KI), which renders the site phospho-deficient. S108A-KI mice had reduced AMPK activity (50 to 75%) in the liver but not in the skeletal muscle. On a chow diet, S108A-KI mice had impairments in exogenous lipid-induced fatty acid oxidation. Studies in mice fed a high-fat diet found that S108A-KI mice had a tendency for greater glucose intolerance and elevated liver triglycerides. Consistent with increased liver triglycerides, livers of S108A-KI mice had reductions in mitochondrial content and respiration that were accompanied by enlarged mitochondria, suggestive of impairments in mitophagy. Subsequent studies in primary hepatocytes found that S108A-KI mice had reductions in palmitate- stimulated Cpt1a and Ppargc1a mRNA, ULK1 phosphorylation and autophagic/mitophagic flux. These data demonstrate an important physiological role of AMPKβ1 Ser108 phosphorylation in promoting fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy under conditions of high lipid availability. As both ketogenic diets and intermittent fasting increase circulating free fatty acid levels, AMPK activity, mitochondrial biogenesis, and mitophagy, these data suggest a potential unifying mechanism which may be important in mediating these effects.
Specification of neuronal subtypes in the spiral ganglion begins prior to birth in the mouse
Authors: Sanders Tessa R. , Kelley Matthew W.
Published: November 2022

The afferent innervation of the cochlea is comprised of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), which are characterized into four subtypes (Type 1A, B, and C and Type 2). However, little is known about the factors and/or processes that determine each subtype. Here, we present a transcriptional analysis of approximately 5,500 single murine SGNs collected across four developmental time points. All four subtypes are transcriptionally identifiable prior to the onset of coordinated spontaneous activity, indicating that the initial specification process is under genetic control. Trajectory analysis indicates that SGNs initially split into two precursor types (Type 1A/2 and Type 1B/C), followed by subsequent splits to give rise to four transcriptionally distinct subtypes. Differential gene expression, pseudotime, and regulon analyses were used to identify candidate transcription factors which may regulate the subtypes specification process. These results provide insights into SGN development and comprise a transcriptional atlas of SGN maturation across the prenatal period.
Longitudinal in vivo Ca
2+
imaging reveals dynamic activity changes of diseased retinal ganglion cells at the single-cell level
Authors: Li Liang , Feng Xue , Fang Fang , Miller David A. , Zhang Shaobo , Zhuang Pei , Huang Haoliang , Liu Pingting , Liu Junting , Sredar Nripun , Liu Liang , Sun Yang , Duan Xin , Goldberg Jeffrey L. , Zhang Hao F. , Hu Yang
Published: November 2022

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are heterogeneous projection neurons that convey distinct visual features from the retina to brain. Here, we present a high-throughput in vivo RGC activity assay in response to light stimulation using noninvasive Ca
2+
imaging of thousands of RGCs simultaneously in living mice. Population and single-cell analyses of longitudinal RGC Ca
2+
imaging reveal distinct functional responses of RGCs and unprecedented individual RGC activity conversions during traumatic and glaucomatous degeneration. This study establishes a foundation for future in vivo RGC function classifications and longitudinal activity evaluations using more advanced imaging techniques and visual stimuli under normal, disease, and neural repair conditions. These analyses can be performed at both the population and single-cell levels using temporal and spatial information, which will be invaluable for understanding RGC pathophysiology and identifying functional biomarkers for diverse optic neuropathies.
Target recognition by RNase E RNA-binding domain AR2 drives sRNA decay in the absence of PNPase
Authors: Sinha Dhriti , De Lay Nicholas R.
Published: November 2022

The C-terminal domain (CTD) of the major endoribonuclease RNase E not only serves as a scaffold for the central RNA decay machinery in gram-negative bacteria but also mediates coupled degradation of small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) and their cognate target transcripts following RNA chaperone Hfq–facilitated sRNA–mRNA base pairing. Despite the crucial role of RNase E CTD in sRNA-dependent gene regulation, the contribution of particular residues within this domain in recruiting sRNAs and mRNAs upon base pairing remains unknown. We have previously shown that in
Escherichia coli
, the highly conserved 3′-5′-exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) paradoxically stabilizes sRNAs by limiting access of RNase E to Hfq-bound sRNAs and by degrading target mRNA fragments that would otherwise promote sRNA decay. Here, we report that in the absence of PNPase, the RNA-binding region AR2 in the CTD is required for RNase E to initiate degradation of the Hfq-dependent sRNAs CyaR and RyhB. Additionally, we show that introducing mutations in either
hfq
that disrupts target mRNA binding to Hfq or the AR2 coding region of
rne
impairs RNase E binding to sRNAs. Altogether, our data support a model where sRNAs are recruited via bound mRNA targets to RNase E by its AR2 domain after Hfq catalyzes sRNA–mRNA pairing. These results also support our conclusion that in a PNPase-deficient strain, more rapid decay of sRNAs occurs due to accelerated pairing with mRNA targets as a consequence of their accumulation. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which sRNAs and mRNAs are regulated by RNase E.
Temporal dynamics of the sensorimotor convergence underlying voluntary limb movement
Authors: Umeda Tatsuya , Isa Tadashi , Nishimura Yukio
Published: November 2022

Descending motor drive and somatosensory feedback play important roles in modulating muscle activity. Numerous studies have characterized the organization of neuronal connectivity in which descending motor pathways and somatosensory afferents converge on spinal motor neurons as a final common pathway. However, how inputs from these two pathways are integrated into spinal motor neurons to generate muscle activity during actual motor behavior is unknown. Here, we simultaneously recorded activity in the motor cortices (MCx), somatosensory afferent neurons, and forelimb muscles in monkeys performing reaching and grasping movements. We constructed a linear model to explain the instantaneous muscle activity using the activity of MCx (descending input) and peripheral afferents (afferent input). Decomposition of the reconstructed muscle activity into each subcomponent indicated that muscle activity before movement onset could first be explained by descending input from mainly the primary motor cortex and muscle activity after movement onset by both descending and afferent inputs. Descending input had a facilitative effect on all muscles, whereas afferent input had a facilitative or suppressive effect on each muscle. Such antagonistic effects of afferent input can be explained by reciprocal effects of the spinal reflex. These results suggest that descending input contributes to the initiation of limb movement, and this initial movement subsequently affects muscle activity via the spinal reflex in conjunction with the continuous descending input. Thus, spinal motor neurons are subjected to temporally organized modulation by direct activation through the descending pathway and the lagged action of the spinal reflex during voluntary limb movement.
Synthetic nanobodies as tools to distinguish IgG Fc glycoforms
Authors: Kao Kevin S. , Gupta Aaron , Zong Guanghui , Li Chao , Kerschbaumer Isabell , Borghi Sara , Achkar Jacqueline M. , Bournazos Stylianos , Wang Lai-Xi , Ravetch Jeffrey V.
Published: November 2022

Protein glycosylation is a crucial mediator of biological functions and is tightly regulated in health and disease. However, interrogating complex protein glycoforms is challenging, as current lectin tools are limited by cross-reactivity while mass spectrometry typically requires biochemical purification and isolation of the target protein. Here, we describe a method to identify and characterize a class of nanobodies that can distinguish glycoforms without reactivity to off-target glycoproteins or glycans. We apply this technology to immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc glycoforms and define nanobodies that specifically recognize either IgG lacking its core-fucose or IgG bearing terminal sialic acid residues. By adapting these tools to standard biochemical methods, we can clinically stratify dengue virus and SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals based on their IgG glycan profile, selectively disrupt IgG–Fcγ receptor binding both in vitro and in vivo, and interrogate the B cell receptor (BCR) glycan structure on living cells. Ultimately, we provide a strategy for the development of reagents to identify and manipulate IgG Fc glycoforms.
Altered signaling at the PTH receptor via modified agonist contacts with the extracellular domain provides a path to prolonged agonism in vivo
Authors: Liu Shi , Yu Zhen , Daley Eileen J. , Bingman Craig A. , Bruchs Austin T. , Gardella Thomas J. , Gellman Samuel H.
Published: November 2022

The parathyroid hormone type 1 receptor (PTHR1), a Class B GPCR, is activated by long polypeptides, including drugs for osteoporosis and hypoparathyroidism. The PTHR1 engages peptide agonists via a two-step mechanism. Initial contact involves the extracellular domain (ECD), which has been thought to contribute primarily to receptor–peptide binding, and then the N terminus of the peptide engages the receptor transmembrane domain (TMD), which is thought to control the message conveyed to intracellular partners. This mechanism has been suggested to apply to other Class B GPCRs as well. Here, we show that modification of a PTHR1 agonist at ECD-contact sites can alter the signaling profile, an outcome that is not accommodated by the current two-step binding model. Our data support a modified two-step binding model in which agonist orientation on the ECD surface can influence the geometry of agonist–TMD engagement. This expanded binding model offers a mechanism by which altering ECD-contact residues can affect signaling profile. Our discoveries provide a rationale for exploring agonist modifications distal from the TMD-contact region in future efforts to optimize therapeutic performance of peptide hormone analogs.
Intrinsically disordered ectodomain modulates ion permeation through a metal transporter
Authors: Aupič Jana , Lapenta Fabio , Janoš Pavel , Magistrato Alessandra
Published: November 2022

The function of many channels and transporters is enriched by the conformational plasticity of intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). Copper transporter 1 (Ctr1) is the main entry point for Cu(I) ions in eukaryotes and contains IDRs both at its N-terminal (Nterm) and C-terminal ends. The former delivers copper ions from the extracellular matrix to the selectivity filter in the Ctr1 lumen. However, the molecular mechanism of this process remains elusive due to Nterm’s disordered nature. Here, we combine advanced molecular dynamics simulations and circular dichroism experiments to show that Cu(I) ions and a lipidic environment drive the insertion of the Nterm into the Ctr1 selectivity filter, causing its opening. Through a lipid-aided conformational switch of one of the transmembrane helices, the conformational change of the selectivity filter propagates down to the cytosolic gate of Ctr1. Taken together, our results elucidate how conformational variability of IDRs modulates ion transport.
Longitudinal haematological responses to training load and heat acclimation preceding a male team pursuit cycling world record
Authors: Tebeck Samuel T. , Buckley Jonathan D. , Stanley Jamie
Published: November 2022

This study evaluated relationships between changes in training load, haematological responses, and endurance exercise performance during temperate and heat acclimation (HA) training preceding a male team cycling pursuit world record (WR). Haemoglobin mass (Hbmass) and concentration ([Hb]), plasma volume (PV) and blood volume (BV) were assessed in nine male track endurance cyclists (∼3 occasions per month) training in temperate conditions (247–142 days prior to the WR) to establish responses to differing acute (ATL) and chronic (CTL) training loads. Testing was performed again pre‐ and post‐HA (22–28 days prior to the WR). Endurance performance (V̇O₂max, 4MMP, lactate threshold 1 and 2) was assessed on three occasions (238–231, 189–182 and 133–126 days prior to the WR). In temperate conditions, CTL was associated with Hbmass (B = 0.62, P = 0.02), PV (B = 4.49, P = 0.01) and BV (B = 6.51, P = 0.04) but not [Hb] (B = −0.01, P = 0.17). ATL was associated with PV (B = 2.28, P < 0.01), BV (B = 2.63, P = 0.04) and [Hb] (B = −0.01, P = 0.04) but not Hbmass (B = 0.10, P = 0.41). During HA, PV increased 8.2% (P < 0.01), while Hbmass, CTL and ATL were unchanged. Hbmass and [Hb] were associated with all performance outcomes (P < 0.05), except V̇O2max. PV and BV were not associated with performance outcomes. During temperate training, changes in Hbmass were most strongly associated with changes in CTL. Both CTL and ATL were associated with changes in PV, but HA was associated with increased PV and maintenance of Hbmass without increasing ATL or CTL. In practical terms, maintaining high CTL and high Hbmass might be beneficial for improving endurance performance.
Iterative piezo response function-based optimization for static shape control of cantilever beam using nonlinear piezoactuators
Authors: Sumit  , Kane S R , Sinha A K , Ganguli Tapas , Shukla Rahul
Published: November 2022

Shape control of complex structures by optimizing the electrode potential is not achievable directly by analytical solutions and piezo response function base-optimization techniques due to the nonlinear response of piezoactuators. In the present work, a metaheuristic iterative piezo response function (iPRF)-based optimization technique is developed to achieve the arbitrary shape of piezoelectric unimorph (PU) using nonlinear piezoactuators. In this regard, a PU is fabricated using APC 850 piezoactuator to verify the nonlinear response in bending mode and nonlinear analytical model of PU. After verification, length of the inactive layer and number of piezoactuators in PU are modified to study the shape control. iPRF-based technique is used for the optimization of electric potential to achieve the target shape of modified piezoelectric unimorph (MPU) with various piezoactuators. The results of iPRF-based technique are compared with the results of simulated annealing (SA)-based direct optimization technique. Unlike SA-based direct optimization technique, prior knowledge of nonlinear coefficients of piezoactuator is not required in iPRF-based technique. Optimum values obtained from both the direct nonlinear solution- and iPRF-based optimization methods are same for all MPUs. Furthermore, the number of iterations of iPRF-based optimization approach is not affected by the number of piezoactuators used to achieve the desired shape.
Reheating after relaxation of large cosmological constant
Authors: Martens Paul , Mukohyama Shinji , Namba Ryo
Published: November 2022

We present a cosmological model of an early-time scenario that incorporates a relaxation process of the would-be large vacuum energy, followed by a reheating era connecting to the standard hot big bang universe.
Avoiding fine-tuning the cosmological constant is achieved by the dynamics of a scalar field whose kinetic term is modulated by an inverse power of spacetime curvature [1,2].
While it is at work against radiative corrections to the dark energy, this mechanism alone would wipe out not only the vacuum energy but also all other matter contents.
Our present work aims to complete the scenario by exploiting a null-energy-condition violating sector whose energy is eventually transferred to a reheating sector.
We provide an explicit example of this process and
thus a concrete scenario of the cosmic onset that realizes the thermal history of the Universe with a negligible cosmological constant.
Search for charm-quark production via dimuons in neutrino telescopes*
Authors: Sun ChuanLe , Zhang Fuyudi , Hu Fan , Xu Donglian , Gao Jun
Published: November 2022

Dimuon events induced by charm-quark productions from neutrino deep inelastic scattering (DIS) processes have been studied in traditional DIS experiments for decades. The recent progress in neutrino telescopes makes it possible to search for such dimuon events at energies far beyond the laboratory scale. In this study, we construct a simulation framework to calculate yields and distributions of dimuon signals in an IceCube-like km3 scale neutrino telescope. Owing to the experimental limitation in the resolution of double-track lateral distance, only dimuons produced outside the detector volume are considered. Detailed information about simulation results for a 10-year exposure is presented. As an earlier paper[Physical Review D 105, 093005 (2022)] and ours report on a similar situation, we use that paper as a baseline to conduct comparisons. We then estimate the impacts of different calculation methods of muon energy losses. Finally, we study the experimental potential of dimuon searches under the hypothesis of single-muon background only. Our results based on a simplified double-track reconstruction indicate a moderate sensitivity, especially with the ORCA configuration. Further developments on both the reconstruction algorithm and possible detector designs are thus required and are under investigation.
Renormalization of one-pion exchange in higher partial waves in chiral effective field theory for antinucleon-nucleon system*
Authors: Zhou Daren
Published: November 2022

The renormalization of the iterated one-pion exchange (OPE) has been studied in chiral effective field theory (χEFT) for the antinucleon-nucleon (

) scattering in some partial waves (Phys. Rev. C 105, 054005 (2022)). In this paper, we go further for the other higher partial waves but with total angular momenta

. Contact interactions are represented by a complex spherical well in the coordinate space. Changing the radius of the spherical well means changing the cutoff. We check the cutoff dependence of the phase shifts, inelasticities, and mixing angles for the partial waves and show that contact interactions are needed at leading order in channels where the singular tensor potentials of OPE are attractive. The results are compared with the energy-dependent partial-wave analysis of

scattering data. Comparisons between our conclusions and applications of χEFT to the nucleon-nucleon system are also discussed.
Research on a 3.7-year Quasi-periodic Oscillation for FSRQ J0351-1153
Authors: Lu Lin , Zhou Wei-Lu , Luo Guang-Yi , Sun Bin
Published: November 2022

From the Owens Valley Radio Observatory 40 m radio telescope, we have collected the light curves of the 15 GHz radio band for FSRQ J0153-1153, spanning from 2009 February to 2018 February. The Lomb–Scargle Periodogram method and the Weighted Wavelet Z-transform method are employed to search for the quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) signal of these data, and the simulation method for the light curve is utilized to estimate the significance level of this QPO signal; thus through these techniques, the QPO signal of 3.7 ± 0.5 yr with a significance level of 3.68σ is revealed for the first time. It is most likely an explanation for the QPO signal that a binary black hole system gives rise to a Newtonian-driven the precession of jet. Based on this assumption, we find that the mass of the secondary black hole in this system may be larger than the mass of the primary black hole; and we estimate the intrinsic QPO of jet precession and the QPO of companion star orbit.
Drift kinetic theory of the NTM magnetic islands in a finite beta general geometry tokamak plasma
Authors: Dudkovskaia A.V. , Bardoczi L. , Connor J.W. , Dickinson D. , Hill P. , Imada K. , Leigh S. , Richner N. , Shi T. , Wilson H.R.
Published: November 2022

In (Imada et al 2019 Nucl. Fusion
59 046016 and references therein) a new 4D drift kinetic nonlinear theory, valid in the limit of a low beta, small inverse aspect ratio, circular cross section, toroidal geometry, to describe the plasma response to the neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) magnetic perturbation is derived. In (Dudkovskaia et al 2021 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion
63 054001) this theory is reduced in a low collisionality limit, which allows a dimensionality reduction to a 3D problem to efficiently resolve the collisional dissipation layer in the vicinity of the trapped-passing boundary. (Dudkovskaia et al 2021 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion
63 054001) adopts an improved model for the magnetic drift frequency, which reduces the threshold magnetic island half-width from

8.73

ρ

b
i

, where

ρ

b
i

is the trapped ion banana orbit width, to

1.46

ρ

b
i

, making it in closer agreement with experimental observations for the large aspect ratio tokamak equilibrium. In the present paper, the theory is extended to a high beta, arbitrary tokamak geometry to capture the plasma shaping effects on the NTM threshold physics with the focus on the non-zero triangularity discharges that are known to have a strong impact on the plasma MHD stability. First, it is found that the higher triangularity plasma is more prone to NTMs which is in agreement with the

2

/

1

tearing mode onset relative frequency measurements in DIII-D. Second, the NTM threshold dependence on the tokamak inverse aspect ratio obtained in (Dudkovskaia et al 2021 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion
63 054001) is refined and extended to a finite aspect ratio limit. Third, the NTM threshold dependence on poloidal beta is obtained and benchmarked against the EAST threshold island width measurements.