bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a genome-wide marker design workflow for onions and its application in target amplicon sequencing-based genotyping
Authors: Sekine Daisuke , Oku Satoshi , Nunome Tsukasa , Hirakawa Hideki , Tsujimura Mai , Terachi Toru , Toyoda Atsushi , Shigyo Masayoshi , Sato Shusei , Tsukazaki Hikaru
Published: August 2022

Onions are one of the most widely cultivated vegetables worldwide; however, the development and utilization of molecular markers have been limited because of the large genome of this plant. We present a genome-wide marker design workflow for onions and its application in a high-throughput genotyping method based on target amplicon sequencing. The efficiency of the method was evaluated by genotyping of F2 populations. In the marker design workflow, unigene and genomic sequence data sets were constructed, and polymorphisms between parental lines were detected through transcriptome sequence analysis. The positions of polymorphisms detected in the unigenes were mapped onto the genome sequence, and primer sets were designed. In total, 480 markers covering the whole genome were selected. By genotyping an F2 population, 329 polymorphic sites were obtained from the estimated positions or the flanking sequences. However, missing or sparse marker regions were observed in the resulting genetic linkage map. We modified the markers to cover these regions by genotyping the other F2 populations. The grouping and order of markers on the linkages were similar across the genetic maps. Our marker design workflow and target amplicon sequencing are useful for genome-wide genotyping of onions owing to their reliability, cost effectiveness, and flexibility.
Leaching from a 3D-printed aligner resin
Authors: Willi Andreas , Patcas Raphael , Zervou Sevasti-Kiriaki , Panayi Nearchos , Schätzle Marc , Eliades George , Hiskia Anastasia , Eliades Theodore
Published: August 2022

Aim

To quantitatively assess the degree of conversion and the water-leaching targeted compound from 3D-printed aligners.

Materials and methods

3D-printed aligners were made of photopolymerized resin (Tera Harz TC85A). The molecular structure and degree of conversion of the set resin were investigated by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy (n = 5). The aligners (n = 10) were immersed in double distilled water for 1 week at 37°C and the eluents were analysed using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry methods (LC–ESI-MS/MS for urethane dimethacrylate [UDMA] and LC–APCI-MS/MS for bispenol-A [BPA]).

Results

The resin was composed of aliphatic vinyl ester-urethane monomers, with acrylate and/or methacrylate functionalization. The degree of conversion was estimated as to 83%. There was no detection of BPA in any of the assessed samples (0.25 µg/l). Quantifiable amounts of UDMA were detected in all the exposed samples, ranging from 29 to 96 µg/l.

Conclusions

Although efficiently polymerized and BPA free, the great variability in the amount of UDMA monomer leached from the examined samples may raise concerns on potential health hazards after repeated intraoral exposure, which is indicated for this class of materials.
Increasing prevalence of illicit drug use among employees at Swedish workplaces over a 25-year period
Authors: Feltmann Kristin , Villén Tomas , Beck Olof , Gripenberg Johanna
Published: August 2022

Background

Reports indicate that the proportion of adults using drugs of abuse has been increasing in recent years in Europe. Although there are various indicators of increased drug use in Sweden over time, few studies could demonstrate an increase in the proportion of adults using drugs. To investigate changes in drug use prevalence over time, drug testing at the workplace has been used for a 25-year period.

Methods

The urine samples of employees sent by occupational health services from all over Sweden during a 25-year period were analyzed. The analyzing capacity increased over time (from 3411 in 1994 to 60 315 samples analyzed in 2019), and the majority of the samples was analyzed for the following drugs: cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol), amphetamine, opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines.

Results

There was an overall increase in the proportion of samples that tested positive for illicit drugs over a 25-year period. This increase seemed to take place step-wise, with phases of linear increases and plateaus that over time became shorter. About 1.3% of samples tested positive for drugs in 1994, whereas 5.6% tested positive in 2019. Since 2007, the rate of positive samples has increased for cannabis and decreased for benzodiazepines. Although the rate of samples tested positive for opiates had remained relatively stable over the last 20 years, this rate had increased for amphetamine and cocaine between 2013 and 2019.

Conclusion

The results indicate that the use of illicit drugs among employees at Swedish workplaces has increased during a 25-year period.
Estimation of aboveground carbon stock using Sentinel-2A data and Random Forest algorithm in scrub forests of the Salt Range, Pakistan
Authors: Bhatti Sobia , Ahmad Sajid Rashid , Asif Muhammad , Farooqi Iftikhar ul Hassan
Published: August 2022

Forest ecosystems play a vital role in the global carbon cycle as forests store ~283 Gt of carbon globally and hence help mitigate climate change. Carbon stock estimation is the key step for assessing the mitigation potential of a given forest. About 5–10 Gt CO2 equivalent emissions come from deforestation and forest degradation annually. Pakistan’s forest resources are currently deteriorating due to deforestation and degradation and resulting in sourcing carbon dioxide emissions. One forest type that has been examined little so far in this context is subtropical scrub forests. This research suggests a workflow to estimate the carbon stock from three carbon pools (aboveground, belowground and litter) in scrub forests of the Salt Range, Pakistan by incorporating remote sensing and geographic information system techniques. The study’s objectives include the estimation of biomass and carbon stocks by using field inventory data and allometric equations, quantifying CO2 sequestration by using the ‘IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories’ and finally map biomass and carbon by utilizing satellite imagery and statistical analysis. For prediction and mapping of biomass and carbon, field plots data along with vegetation indices and spectral bands of the Sentinel-2A satellite imagery were fed into a Random Forest (RF) algorithm in the cloud computing Google Earth Engine platform. Our results of ground data suggest that the examined scrub forests harbour 243 917 t of biomass, 114 989 t of carbon and 422 009 t of CO2 equivalent in the three carbon pools of the study area with a mean biomass density of 12.04 t ha−1 (±5.31) and mean carbon density of 5.72 t ha−1 (±2.46). The RF model showed good performance with reasonable R2 (0.53) and root mean square error (3.64 t ha−1) values and predicted average biomass at 13.93 t ha−1 (±4.35) and mean carbon density of 6.55 t ha−1 (±2.05). The total predicted and field-measured biomass has a plausible difference in values while the mean values have a minimal difference. The red-edge region and short-wave infrared (SWIR) region of the Sentinel-2A spectrum showed a strong relationship with aboveground biomass estimates from the field. We conclude that the combination of Sentinel-2A data coupled with ground data is a cost-effective and reliable tool to estimate various carbon pools in the scrub forests at a regional scale and may contribute to formulate policies to manage forests sustainably, enhance forest cover and conserve biodiversity.
Biotechnological production of sialylated solid lipid microparticles as inhibitors of influenza A virus infection
Authors: Richard Emeline , Traversier Aurélien , Julien Thomas , Rosa-Calatrava Manuel , Putaux Jean-Luc , Jeacomine Isabelle , Samain Eric
Published: August 2022

Influenza viruses bind to their target through a multivalent interaction of their hemagglutinins (HAs) with sialosides at the host cell surface. To fight the virus, one therapeutic approach consists in developing sialylated multivalent structures that can saturate the virus HAs and prevent the binding to host cells. We describe herein the biotechnological production of sialylated solid lipid microparticles (SSLMs) in 3 steps: (i) a microbiological step leading to the large-scale production of sialylated maltodextrins by metabolic engineering of an Escherichia coli strain, (ii) a new in vitro glycosylation process using the amylomaltase MalQ, based on the transglycosylation of the terminal sialoside ligand of the sialylated maltodextrin onto a long-chain alkyl glucoside, and (iii) the formulation of the final SSLMs presenting a multivalent sialic acid. We also describe the morphology and structure of the SSLMs and demonstrate their very promising properties as influenza virus inhibitors using hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization assays on the human A/H1N1 pdm09 virus.
Combatting malaria disease among gold miners: a qualitative research within the Malakit project
Authors: Parent André-Anne , Galindo Muriel Suzanne , Bergeron-Longpré Miguel , Lambert Yann , Douine Maylis
Published: August 2022

Malaria is endemic in French Guiana, in particular, where illegal gold mining activities take place. Gold miners travel from Brazil to remote camps in the Guiana forest to carry out mining activities, exposing themselves to the presumed contamination area. This article presents the results of a qualitative case study of the Malakit project, an intervention where health facilitators offer appropriate training and distribution of self-diagnosis and self-treatment kits to manage an episode of malaria at resting sites on the French Guiana borders. The objectives were: (i) Determine the contextual elements influencing the use of Malakit; (ii) Understand the way gold miners perceive Malakit; (iii) Identify the elements that are favorable and unfavorable to the use of Malakit; (iv4) Identify what can be improved in the project. The data were collected using three methods: on-site observation, semi-structured individual interviews (n = 26), and group interviews (n = 2). The results indicate that Malakit responds to the need for treatment and facilitates access to care. Gold miners say they trust the facilitators and receive accurate explanations, the kit is easy to use and carry, and explanations given are sufficient. Nonetheless, the results lead us to believe that contextual elements influence exposure to numerous risk factors and that malaria among gold miners working illegally in French Guiana is a question of social inequalities in health. Thus, malaria intervention practices such as Malakit cannot be carried out without considering the complexity generated by social inequalities in health.
Ethnolinguistic diversity and the spread of communicable diseases: a cross-country study on the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Wang Cong , Wang Jimin
Published: August 2022

Motivated by the varying effectiveness of government intervention policies to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, and the potential positive relationship between ethnolinguistic diversity and social distance, this paper aims to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between ethnolinguistic diversity and the spread of COVID-19. In particular, using global data from 113 developed and developing countries during the early stages of the pandemic (from 31 December 2019 to 8 July 2020), we have found a significant negative effect of ethnolinguistic diversity on the spread of the virus. The result is robust to alternative measures of ethnolinguistic diversity and estimator that addresses endogeneity. Moreover, we also show that the impact of ethnolinguistic diversity on the spread of COVID-19 differs in economies characterized by different levels of democracy, policy stringency on addressing COVID-19 and health expenditure.
Migration, Racism and Sexual Health in Postwar Britain
Authors: Hanley Anne
Published: August 2022

The British Nationality Act 1948 conferred citizenship on Commonwealth subjects, granting them the right to settle in Britain. Hundreds of thousands of New Commonwealth migrants made use of the Act. Almost immediately, opponents began criticizing the health impacts of immigration, focusing on diseases like syphilis and gonorrhoea. More than any other migrant group, Black British men from the Caribbean became implicated in debates over venereal disease. This article explores how health workers and journalists used health data in ways that reinforced racial stereotypes, fed white prejudices and presented Black men as the most significant sexual health threat in postwar Britain.
Boundary integral equation methods for the solution of scattering and transmission 2D elastodynamic problems
Authors: Domínguez Víctor , Turc Catalin
Published: August 2022

We introduce and analyse various regularized combined field integral equations (CFIER) formulations of time-harmonic Navier equations in media with piece-wise constant material properties. These formulations can be derived systematically starting from suitable coercive approximations of Dirichlet-to-Neumann operators (DtN), and we present a periodic pseudodifferential calculus framework within which the well posedness of CIER formulations can be established. We also use the DtN approximations to derive and analyse OS methods for the solution of elastodynamics transmission problems. The pseudodifferential calculus we develop in this paper relies on careful singularity splittings of the kernels of Navier boundary integral operators, which is also the basis of high-order Nyström quadratures for their discretizations. Based on these high-order discretizations we investigate the rate of convergence of iterative solvers applied to CFIER and OS formulations of scattering and transmission problems. We present a variety of numerical results that illustrate that the CFIER methodology leads to important computational savings over the classical CFIE one, whenever iterative solvers are used for the solution of the ensuing discretized boundary integral equations. Finally, we show that the OS methods are competitive in the high-frequency high-contrast regime.
Analysis of a mixed discontinuous Galerkin method for the time-harmonic Maxwell equations with minimal smoothness requirements
Authors: Liu Kaifang , Gallistl Dietmar , Schlottbom Matthias , van der Vegt J J W
Published: August 2022

An error analysis of a mixed discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method with lifting operators as numerical fluxes for the time-harmonic Maxwell equations with minimal smoothness requirements is presented. The key difficulty in the error analysis for the DG method is that due to the low regularity the tangential trace of the exact solution is not well defined on the faces of the computational mesh. This difficulty is addressed by adopting the face-to-cell lifting introduced by Ern & Guermond (2021, Quasi-optimal nonconforming approximation of elliptic PDEs with contrasted coefficients and $H^{1+r}$, $r>0$, regularity. Found. Comput. Math., 1–36). To obtain optimal local interpolation estimates, we introduce Scott–Zhang-type interpolations that are well defined for $H(\textrm {curl})$ and $H(\textrm {div})$ functions with minimal regularity requirements. As a by-product of penalizing the lifting of the tangential jumps, an explicit and easily computable stabilization parameter is given.
Optimal rates of convergence and error localization of Gegenbauer projections
Authors: Wang Haiyong
Published: August 2022

Motivated by comparing the convergence behavior of Gegenbauer projections and best approximations, we study the optimal rate of convergence for Gegenbauer projections in the maximum norm. We show that the rate of convergence of Gegenbauer projections is the same as that of best approximations under conditions of the underlying function being either analytic on and within an ellipse and $\lambda \leqslant 0$ or differentiable and $\lambda \leqslant 1$, where $\lambda $ is the parameter in Gegenbauer projections. If the underlying function is analytic and $\lambda>0$ or differentiable and $\lambda>1$, then the rate of convergence of Gegenbauer projections is slower than that of best approximations by factors of $n^{\lambda }$ and $n^{\lambda -1}$, respectively. An exceptional case is functions with endpoint singularities, for which Gegenbauer projections and best approximations converge at the same rate for all $\lambda>-1/2$. For functions with interior or endpoint singularities, we provide a theoretical explanation for the error localization phenomenon of Gegenbauer projections and for why the accuracy of Gegenbauer projections is better than that of best approximations except in small neighborhoods of the critical points. Our analysis provides fundamentally new insight into the power of Gegenbauer approximations and related spectral methods.
On *-Convergence of Schur–Hadamard Products of Independent Nonsymmetric Random Matrices
Authors: Mukherjee Soumendu Sundar
Published: August 2022

Let $\{x_{\alpha }\}_{\alpha \in {\mathbb {Z}}}$ and $\{y_{\alpha }\}_{\alpha \in {\mathbb {Z}}}$ be two independent collections of zero mean, unit variance random variables with uniformly bounded moments of all orders. Consider a nonsymmetric Toeplitz matrix $X_n = ((x_{i - j}))_{1 \le i, j \le n}$ and a Hankel matrix $Y_n = ((y_{i + j}))_{1 \le i, j \le n}$, and let $M_n = X_n \odot Y_n$ be their elementwise/Schur–Hadamard product. In this article, we show that almost surely, $n^{-1/2}M_n$, as an element of the *-probability space $(\mathcal {M}_n({\mathbb {C}}), \frac {1}{n}\text {tr})$, converges in *-distribution to a circular variable. With i.i.d. Rademacher entries, this construction gives a matrix model for circular variables with only $O(n)$ bits of randomness. We also consider a dependent setup where $\{x_{\alpha }\}$ and $\{y_{\beta }\}$ are independent strongly multiplicative systems (à la Gaposhkin [7]) satisfying an additional admissibility condition, and have uniformly bounded moments of all orders—a nontrivial example of such a system being $\{\sqrt {2}\sin (2^n \pi U)\}_{n \in {\mathbb {Z}}_+}$, where $U \sim \textrm {Uniform}(0, 1)$. In this case, we show in-expectation and in-probability convergence of the *-moments of $n^{-1/2}M_n$ to those of a circular variable. Finally, we generalise our results to Schur–Hadamard products of structured random matrices of the form $X_n = ((x_{L_X(i, j)}))_{1 \le i, j \le n}$ and $Y_n = ((y_{L_Y(i, j)}))_{1 \le i, j \le n}$, under certain assumptions on the link-functions$L_X$ and $L_Y$, most notably the injectivity of the map $(i, j) \mapsto (L_X(i, j), L_Y(i, j))$. Based on numerical evidence, we conjecture that the circular law $\mu _{\textrm {circ}}$, that is, the uniform measure on the unit disk of ${\mathbb {C}}$, which is also the Brown measure of a circular variable, is in fact the limiting spectral measure (LSM)of $n^{-1/2}M_n$. If true, this would furnish an interesting example where a random matrix with only $O(n)$ bits of randomness has the circular law as its LSM.
Almost Complex Torus Manifolds—Graphs and Hirzebruch Genera
Authors: Jang Donghoon
Published: August 2022

Let a $k$-dimensional torus $T^k$ act on a $2n$-dimensional compact connected almost complex manifold $M$ with isolated fixed points. As in the case of circle actions, we show that there exists a (directed labeled) multigraph that contains information on weights at the fixed points and isotropy submanifolds of $M$. This includes the notion of a GKM (Goresky-Kottwitz-MacPherson) graph as a special case that weights at each fixed point are pairwise linearly independent. If in addition $k=n$, that is, $M$ is an almost complex torus manifold, the multigraph is a graph; it has no multiple edges. We show that the Hirzebruch $\chi _y$-genus $\chi _y(M)=\sum _{i=0}^n a_i(M) \cdot (-y)^i$ of an almost complex torus manifold $M$ satisfies $a_i(M)> 0$ for $0 \leq i \leq n$. In particular, the Todd genus of $M$ is positive and there are at least $n+1$ fixed points.
Measured Asymptotic Expanders and Rigidity for Roe Algebras
Authors: Li Kang , Špakula Ján , Zhang Jiawen
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we give a new geometric condition in terms of measured asymptotic expanders to ensure rigidity of Roe algebras. Consequently, we obtain the rigidity for all bounded geometry spaces that coarsely embed into some $L^p$-space for $p\in [1,\infty )$. Moreover, we also verify rigidity for the box spaces constructed by Arzhantseva–Tessera and Delabie–Khukhro even though they do not coarsely embed into any $L^p$-space. The key step in our proof of rigidity is showing that a block-rank-one (ghost) projection on a sparse space $X$ belongs to the Roe algebra $C^{\ast }(X)$ if and only if $X$ consists of (ghostly) measured asymptotic expanders. As a by-product, we also deduce that ghostly measured asymptotic expanders are new sources of counterexamples to the coarse Baum–Connes conjecture.
Subjects of Quantum Measurement: Surveillance and Affect in the War on Terror
Authors: Brandimarte Italo
Published: August 2022

The idea of measurement (of bodies and identities) is a guiding principle of globalized surveillance in the War on Terror. Nevertheless, this inherently scientific notion is so naturalized in public and academic discourse that its meaning and implications are left undiscussed. This paper builds on quantum theory to present an immanent critique of measurement in surveillance. Foregrounding surveillance's transdisciplinary conceptual foundations, it argues that a notion of identity measurement centered on ambiguity and embodiment, rather than fixity and abstraction, reshapes the scope for political action and opens new avenues for critique. I suggest that a lack of critical engagement with the concept of measurement accounts for Surveillance Studies’ and International Political Sociology's difficulty in exploring the relation between the material–affective dimension of surveillance and its identity-fixing function. Challenging unquestioned notions of measurement in social science, quantum theory highlights the interconnected importance of ambiguity and embodiment in processes of identity measurement. Through the case of airport security, I illustrate how quantum measurement departs from recent critical accounts of surveillance—concerned with the fixity of unambiguous identities and the digital abstraction of bodies—and foregrounds the ambiguity of affect to postulate new forms of agency and resistance to the politics of surveillance.
“He Knew of a Surety”: Realism, Zionist National-Security Discourse, and the Absent Sublime
Authors: Levine Daniel J
Published: August 2022

Drawing on close readings of an understudied Hebrew-language archive—the journal Ma'arakhot—this article examines the emergence of a new political and technical vernacular for the “doing” of national security. That vernacular was both practical and poetic/rhetorical. That is, it aimed to produce intuitive Hebrew-language equivalents for strategic, operational, and tactical concepts used in foreign—especially British, Soviet, and American—sources and to foster a vibrant, expressive, Hebrew-language political vernacular into which they could be placed. The article considers tensions that arose between these two aims, and the ways in which the journal's editors and translators attempted—ultimately unsuccessfully—to deal with them. “Realism,” whether literary or political, requires a mythic framework for which it cannot itself give account. Unable to resolve these tensions, the journal took up to a fulsome, faux-biblical prose style for its fictional offerings, producing what I call an “absent sublime.” The article describes the “absent sublime” in some detail, along with the specific stylistic choices upon which it relied. It then considers the backlashes such usages may engender, in light of the tensions they conceal and are predicated upon but cannot resolve.
The E-Id axis specifies adaptive and innate lymphoid lineage cell fates
Authors: Miyazaki Masaki , Miyazaki Kazuko
Published: August 2022

Our bodies are constantly threatened with the invasion of pathogens, such as bacteria and virus. Immune responses against pathogens are evoked in collaboration with adaptive and innate immune systems. Adaptive immune cells including T and B cells recognize various antigens from pathogens through the antigen recognition receptors such as immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell receptor (TCR), and they evoke antigen-specific immune responses to eliminate the pathogens. This specific recognition of a variety of antigens relies on the V(D)J DNA recombination of Ig and TCR genes, which is generated by the Rag (recombination activation gene) 1/Rag2 protein complex. The expression of Rag1/2 genes is stringently controlled during the T and B cell development; Rag1/2 gene expression indicates the commitment towards adaptive lymphocyte lineages. In this review article, we will discuss the developmental bifurcation between adaptive and innate lymphoid cells, and the role of transcription factors, especially the E and Id proteins, upon the lineage commitment, and the regulation of Rag gene locus.
Impact of Icerya purchasi (Hempitera: Monophlebidae) on Navel Orange, Citrus sinensis, Production and Fruit Quality
Authors: Grafton-Cardwell Elizabeth E , Gu Ping , Daugherty Matthew P
Published: August 2022

Cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi Maskell, is an occasional pest of citrus, especially when insecticides disrupt vedalia beetle, Novius cardinalis (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). In two field tests conducted in successive years, navel orange trees were artificially infested with I. purchasi to determine the impact of I. purchasi on fruit yield and quality. In the first year, for which adult scale densities ranged between 0 and > 45 per branch and between 0 and > 500 on trunk counts, there was a highly significant negative linear relationship between the number of I. purchasi adults on branches or the trunk and its effect on fruit number, the percentage of large fruit, and the mass of fruit, and a highly significant positive relationship for the percentage of sooty mold-affected fruit and the percentage of juice grade fruit. In the second year, in which adult scale densities ranged between 0 and 10.5 per branch and between 0 and 35 on trunk counts, only the percentage of sooty mold-affected fruit showed a relationship. Damage to fruit was better predicted by population estimates from branch samples versus trunk counts. Analysis of the two years, estimated significant damage ranging from 2 adults per branch to no detectable effects of insect density, depending on the given metric of fruit number or quality, at the time that treatment decisions would be made. These results support May–June monitoring of branches for adult scales and application of treatments at an action threshold of <2 adult females/branch to prevent damage to navel orange trees.
Imaging Islamic architecture in the multileveled archaeological settlement of Tell Dibgou, Northeast Nile Delta, Egypt
Authors: Ibrahim Amin , Senosy Mahmoud M , El-Khadragy Ali , Saada Saada Ahmed , Abdelrahman Kamal , Alarifi Saad S , Mickus Kevin
Published: August 2022

Tell Dibgou, northeastern Nile Delta (Egypt), is a typical type of complex archaeological site that contains ruins from different chronological periods (Pharaonic, Byzantine, Greece-Roman and Islamic), as evidenced by the findings of pottery kilns, pottery shards, fired brick and colored glass. This study aims to image the topmost archaeological layer of Islamic architecture using electrical resistivity tomography and land-based magnetic surveys. Two nearby areas in the northern part of Tell Dibgou were investigated; the first was surveyed using resistivity tomography and magnetics, and the second used total-field and vertical magnetic gradients. Several electrode arrays (dipole–dipole, Wenner Beta, Wenner Schlumberger and pole–dipole) were tested to select the one that provides better resolution. Two inversion schemes were applied where the smoothness-constrained inversion smeared and blurred the archaeological boundaries, and the robust inversion produced models with well-defined and sharp edges. The vertical extent of the topmost archaeological layer of Islamic settlers was imaged using the electrical resistivity tomography; however, the presence of slag debris, collapsed bricks, and pottery shards at shallow depths complicated the discrimination of the closest walls. The interpretation of magnetic data (total and vertical gradients) in terms of depth and geometry was executed using semi-automated techniques such as three-dimensional, Euler deconvolution and tilt angle derivative. The geometry of archaeological targets is interpreted to be closed rooms, water tanks and corridors constructed from fired brick walls filled with clay sediments. The depths yielded from both techniques are comparable and range from >1 m to up to 2 m.
Joint PP-PS seismic prestack inversion of thin-bed reservoirs
Authors: Yang Chun , Wang Yun
Published: August 2022

Thin beds are significant targets in seismic exploration of lithological reservoirs. The conventional Amplitude Versus Offset/Angle (AVO/AVA) inversion methods are based on Zoeppritz equations and their approximate formulas under single-interface assumptions, which are not suitable for thin-bed problems. Therefore, AVO/AVA inversion methods for thin-bed reservoirs are needed in high-resolution seismic exploration. Based on approximate reflection coefficients of a thin bed, this paper proposes a joint PP-PS prestack inversion method of thin-bed reservoirs using a least-squares approach. The method directly predicts elastic properties, including P-wave velocities, S-wave velocities and densities, as well as thin-bed thickness. In this study, four typical thin-bed models and an actual thin coal seam were used to prove applicability and superiority of the given inversion procedure. Compared to prestack inversion methods using exact Zoeppritz equations, our inversion method reveals thin-bed existence precisely, gives higher estimation accuracy and has better noise robustness. Future applications of the proposed inversion method are expected to advance seismic reflectivity techniques of thin-bed reservoirs, making it possible to detect potential source reservoirs with higher precision and accuracy.
New Drugs and Regimens for Tuberculosis Disease Treatment in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Garcia-Prats Anthony J , Starke Jeffrey R , Waning Brenda , Kaiser Brian , Seddon James A
Published: August 2022

After almost 30 years of relative stagnation, research over the past decade has led to remarkable advances in the treatment of both drug-susceptible (DS) and drug-resistant (DR) tuberculosis (TB) disease in children and adolescents. Compared with the previous standard therapy of at least 6 months, 2 new regimens lasting for only 4 months for the treatment of DS-TB have been studied and are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with a shortened 6-month regimen for treatment of DS-TB meningitis. In addition, the 18- to 24-month regimens previously used for DR-TB that included painful injectable drugs with high rates of adverse effects have been replaced with shorter, safer all-oral regimens. Advances that have improved treatment include development of new TB drugs (bedaquiline, delamanid, pretomanid), reapplication of older TB drugs (rifampicin and rifapentine), and repurposing of other drugs (clofazimine and linezolid). The development of child-friendly formulations for many of these drugs has further enhanced the ability to safely and effectively treat DS- and DR-TB in children and adolescents. The characteristics and use of these drugs, regimens, and formulations are reviewed.
Late presentation of laryngeal lipoid proteinosis: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Alrusayyis Danah F , Alaraifi Abdulaziz K , Alhumaid Salwa , Khan Abdul Latif , Elkrim Mohammed
Published: August 2022

Lipoid proteinosis (LP) is a rare autosomal-recessive disease characterized by the deposition of hyaline material infiltrating multiple body organs, including the larynx. The possible clinical presentations are wide-ranging. Laryngeal involvement results in dysphonia that is noted at birth or infantile years. The diagnosis is based on histological findings, and the management options vary depending on the severity of the symptoms. In this paper, we report an unusual case of LP with laryngeal involvement in an adult patient, along with a review of current literature.
The Akkadian Expression Lā Watar
Authors: Arkhipov Ilya
Published: August 2022

The Akkadian expression lā watar (lā matar) appears in two dozen Old Babylonian letters, in Standard Babylonian lexical lists and, arguably, in an Old Babylonian mathematical text and in an Old Assyrian letter. Though the expression has been known since the early twentieth century, it has never been an object of a special study. Commentaries in the editions and the dictionaries posit for lā watar four meanings: ‘that's enough’, ‘no longer’, ‘really’ and ‘finally’. These quite different meanings can hardly be expressed by one and the same word. The question is therefore: Which of the four are correct, if any? This study attempts to answer this question by analysing all available examples of lā watar and using cross-linguistic evidence. The inquiry shows that lā watar means ‘now, but not before’. Contextual English translations are ‘finally’, ‘at last’, ‘only now’, ‘(only) just’ and ‘from now on’.
A novel transcription factor, ScAIL1, modulates plant defense responses by targeting DELLA and regulating gibberellin and jasmonic acid signaling in sugarcane
Authors: Chai Zhe , Fang Jinlan , Huang Cuilin , Huang Run , Tan Xuan , Chen Baoshan , Yao Wei , Zhang Muqing
Published: August 2022

DELLA proteins are important repressors of gibberellin signaling, regulating plant development and defense responses through crosstalk with various phytohormones. Sugarcane ScGAI encodes a DELLA protein that regulates culm development. However, it is unclear which transcription factors mediate the transcription of ScGAI. Here, we identified two different ScGAI promoter sequences that cooperatively regulate ScGAI transcription. We also identified a nuclear-localized AP2 family transcription factor, ScAIL1, which inhibits the transcription of ScGAI by directly binding to two ScGAI promoters. ScAIL1 was expressed in all sugarcane tissues tested and was induced by gibberellin and various stressors, including NaCl, polyethylene glycol, and pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Overexpression of ScAIL1 in rice significantly improved resistance to bacterial blight and rice blast, while reducing growth and development. In addition, several genes associated with stress responses were significantly up-regulated in transgenic rice overexpressing ScAIL1. Endogenous phytohormone content and expression analysis further revealed that ScAIL1-overexpressing lines improved resistance to bacterial blight and rice blast instead of promoting growth, and that this response was associated with increased jasmonic acid synthesis and gibberellin inactivation. These results provide molecular evidence that the role of ScAIL1 in the plant defense response is related to jasmonic acid and gibberellin signaling.
Evaluating Medic Performance in Combat Casualty Care Simulation and Training: A Scoping Review of Prospective Research
Authors: Knisely Benjamin M , Gaudaen James C , Smith Andrew V , Perta Julie M , Pamplin Jeremy C , Quinn Matthew T , Schmidt Patricia M
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Combat medics are required to perform highly technical medical procedures in austere environments with minimal error. Effective means to quantify medic performance in field and simulated environments are critical to optimize medic training procedures as well as to evaluate the influence of medical equipment and other supportive technologies on medic performance. Human performance evaluation in combat casualty care presents many unique challenges due to the unique environment (battlefields) and population (medics) that must be represented. Recent advances in simulation and measurement technology have presented opportunities to improve simulation fidelity and measurement quality; however, it is currently unclear to what extent these advances have been adopted in this domain.

Methodology

In this work, a scoping review of recent (2011–2021) prospective research on Army medic (68 W and Special Operations) performance is presented. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines served as the framework for the review. The goal of this work was to summarize recent trends and practices and to illuminate opportunities for future work. Two human factors experts performed an exhaustive review of relevant, peer-reviewed literature and systematically identified articles for inclusion in the final analysis. The articles were examined in detail, and data elements of interest were extracted.

Results

Forty-eight articles were identified based on the defined inclusion criteria. Thirty three of the articles focused on technological evaluation, 25 focused on medic training procedures, and 5 focused on evaluating medical techniques. Study contributions were predominantly related to medic training materials/procedures and simulator technology. Supportive medical technologies, including telemedical systems, hemorrhage control devices, and ultrasound devices, also received significant attention. Timing was the most common metric used to quantify medic performance, followed by skill pass/fail ratings. There was a notable lack of neurophysiological data used to examine medic physical/cognitive workload during procedures, a growing practice in many other related domains. The most commonly simulated procedures were hemorrhage control, airway management, and thoracostomy. Notable limitations cited across articles were insufficient simulation fidelity, inadequate sample size or sample representativeness, and poor study design.

Conclusions

This work provided a summary of recent peer-reviewed research related to medic simulation and training, and performance evaluation. This article should be used to contextualize existing research and inspire new research questions. Expanding and advancing research on medic simulation and training will help to ensure optimal casualty care at the front lines.
Improving Care by Decreasing Wait Times: A Military Health System Quality Improvement Project
Authors: McDermott Emily , Henley Joshua , Joyce Meghan , Aden James , Nuelle Julia A V
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Maximizing patient satisfaction is now a significant focus in many outpatient orthopedic clinics as it has been shown to affect many facets of healthcare. With this quality improvement study, we sought to determine the areas of the longest patient wait time during their clinical encounter and evaluate the effect of an identification card system on those times. We hypothesized that utilizing an identification card system would expedite the time patients spend in the clinic and decrease wait times.

Methods

This quality improvement study was conducted in an orthopedic hand surgery clinic within a military treatment facility. Pre-intervention and intervention data collection consisted of a time sheet that was filled out by surgeons and clinic staff as the patient progressed through their appointment. The intervention consisted of a card system to track the patient throughout their encounter and mark their order in the queue.

Results

There were a total of 130 patients in the pre-intervention group and 113 in the intervention group. Compared with the pre-intervention group, the intervention group patients had significantly less time from check-in to being roomed by the clinic staff with a mean of 13 ± 13  vs. 21 ± 19 minutes in the pre-intervention group (P < .001). In the pre-intervention cohort, the average clinic encounter was 66 ± 38 minutes compared to 57 ± 35 minutes in the intervention cohort, which was not statistically significant (P = .112). The time spent with the orthopedic surgeon and occupational therapists increased in the intervention group.

Conclusion

We provided a simple way to decrease patient wait times and increase time with the healthcare team, utilizing our existing clinic space. Time with the orthopedic surgeon significantly increased because of our intervention, while the overall clinic time trended down.
Multicolour optical light curves of the companion star to the millisecond pulsar PSR J2051−0827
Authors: Dhillon V S , Kennedy M R , Breton R P , Clark C J , Mata Sánchez D , Voisin G , Breedt E , Brown A J , Dyer M J , Green M J , Kerry P , Littlefair S P , Marsh T R , Parsons S G , Pelisoli I , Sahman D I , Wild J F , van Kerkwijk M H , Stappers B W
Published: August 2022

We present simultaneous, multicolour optical light curves of the companion star to the black-widow pulsar PSR J2051−0827, obtained approximately 10 yr apart using ULTRACAM and HiPERCAM, respectively. The ULTRACAM light curves confirm the previously reported asymmetry in which the leading hemisphere of the companion star appears to be brighter than the trailing hemisphere. The HiPERCAM light curves, however, do not show this asymmetry, demonstrating that whatever mechanism is responsible for it varies on time-scales of a decade or less. We fit the symmetrical HiPERCAM light curves with a direct-heating model to derive the system parameters, finding an orbital inclination of $55.9^{+4.8}_{-4.1}$ degrees, in good agreement with radio-eclipse constraints. We find that approximately half of the pulsar’s spin-down energy is converted to optical luminosity, resulting in temperatures ranging from approximately $5150^{+190}_{-190}$ K on the day side to $2750^{+130}_{-150}$ K on the night side of the companion star. The companion star is close to filling its Roche lobe ($f_{\rm RL} =0.88^{+0.02}_{-0.02}$) and has a mass of $0.039^{+0.010}_{-0.011}$ M⊙, giving a mean density of $20.24^{+0.59}_{-0.44}$ g cm−3 and an apsidal motion constant in the range 0.0036 < k2 < 0.0047. The companion mass and mean density values are consistent with those of brown dwarfs, but the apsidal motion constant implies a significantly more centrally condensed internal structure than is typical for such objects.
Hyperon bulk viscosity and r-modes of neutron stars
Authors: Jyothilakshmi O P , Krishnan P E Sravan , Thakur Prashant , Sreekanth V , Jha T K
Published: August 2022

We propose and apply a new parametrization of the modified chiral effective model to study rotating neutron stars with hyperon cores in the framework of the relativistic mean-field theory. The inclusion of mesonic cross couplings in the model has improved the density content of the symmetry energy slope parameters, which are in agreement with the findings from recent terrestrial experiments. The bulk viscosity of the hyperonic medium is analyzed to investigate its role in the suppression of gravitationally driven r-modes. The hyperonic bulk viscosity coefficient caused by non-leptonic weak interactions and the corresponding damping time-scales are calculated and the r-mode instability windows are obtained. The present model predicts a significant reduction of the unstable region due to a more effective damping of oscillations. We find that from ∼108 K to ∼109 K, hyperonic bulk viscosity completely suppresses the r-modes leading to a stable region between the instability windows. Our analysis indicates that the instability can reduce the angular velocity of the star up to ∼0.3 ΩK, where ΩK is the Kepler frequency of the star.
Evidence of deep mixing in IRS 7, a cool massive supergiant member of the Galactic nuclear star cluster
Authors: Guerço Rafael , Smith Verne V , Cunha Katia , Ekström Sylvia , Abia Carlos , Plez Bertrand , Meynet Georges , Ramirez Solange V , Prantzos Nikos , Sellgren Kris , Hayes Cristian R , Majewski Steven R
Published: August 2022

The centre of the Milky Way contains stellar populations spanning a range in age and metallicity, with a recent star formation burst producing young and massive stars. Chemical abundances in the most luminous stellar member of the nuclear star cluster (NSC), IRS 7, are presented for 19F, 12C, 13C, 14N, 16O, 17O, and Fe from a local thermodynamic equilibrium analysis based on spherical modelling and radiative transfer with a 25-M⊙ model atmosphere, whose chemistry was tailored to the derived photospheric abundances. We find IRS 7 to be depleted heavily in both 12C (∼–0.8 dex) and 16O (∼–0.4 dex), while exhibiting an extremely enhanced 14N abundance (∼+1.1 dex), which are isotopic signatures of the deep mixing of CNO-cycled material to the stellar surface. The 19F abundance is also heavily depleted by ∼1 dex relative to the baseline fluorine of the NSC, providing evidence that fluorine along with carbon constrain the nature of the deep mixing in this very luminous supergiant. The abundances of the minor isotopes 13C and 17O are also derived, with ratios of 12C/13C ∼ 5.3 and 16O/17O ∼ 525. The derived abundances for IRS 7, in conjunction with previous abundance results for massive stars in the NSC, are compared with rotating and non-rotating models of massive stars and it is found that the IRS 7 abundances overall follow the behaviour predicted by stellar models. The depleted fluorine abundance in IRS 7 illustrates, for the first time, the potential of using the 19F abundance as a mixing probe in luminous red giants.
A new candidate for central tidal disruption event in SDSS J014124 + 010306 with broad Mg ii line at z = 1.06
Authors: Zhang Xue-Guang
Published: August 2022

In the letter, a new candidate for central tidal disruption event (TDE) is reported in SDSS J014124 + 010306 (= SDSS J0141) with broad Mg ii line at redshift $\mathit{ z}$ = 1.06. Based on long-term photometric ugriz-band variabilities from SDSS Stripe82 Data base and PHOTOOBJALL data base, a central TDE is preferred with a 1.3 M⊙ main-sequence star tidally disrupted by central black hole (BH) of (14 ± 2) × 106 M⊙ in SDSS J0141. Moreover, CAR process has been applied to confirm that the probability is only about 0.4 per cent that the long-term variabilities in SDSS J0141 are not related to TDE but from intrinsic active galactic nucleus (AGN) activities. Meanwhile, based on the apparent broad Mg ii emission lines, virial BH mass can be estimated as 245 × 106 M⊙, 18 times larger than the TDE model determined BH mass, providing further clues to support a central TDE in SDSS J0141, similar to the case in the TDE candidate SDSS J0159 with virial BH mass two magnitudes larger than M-sigma relation expected BH mass. Among the reported optical TDE candidates, SDSS J0141 is the candidate at the highest redshift. The results in the letter indicate it should be common to detect TDE candidates in high redshift galaxies with broad Mg ii lines.