bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Costs of Classical Logic
Authors: Castaldo Luca
Published: June 2021

This article compares classical (or -like) and nonclassical (or -like) axiomatisations of the fixed-point semantics developed by Kripke (J Philos 72(19): 690–716, 1975). Following the line of investigation of Halbach and Nicolai (J Philos Logic 47(2): 227–257, 2018), we do not compare and qua theories of truth simpliciter, but rather qua axiomatisations of the Kripkean conception of truth. We strengthen the central results of Halbach and Nicolai (2018) and Nicolai (Stud Log 106(1): 101–130, 2018), showing that, on the one hand, there is a stronger sense in which some variants of and some variants of can be taken to be, truth-theoretically, equivalent. On the other hand, we show that this truth-theoretical equivalence is not preserved by some other variants of and , arguing that the variants are more adequate axiomatisations of the fixed-point semantics than the corresponding variants.
Exogenous stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) suppresses the NLRP3 inflammasome and inhibits pyroptosis in synoviocytes from osteoarthritic joints via activation of the AMPK signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Shuya , Mobasheri Ali , Zhang Yue , Wang Yanli , Dai Tianqi , Zhang Zhiyi
Published: June 2021

Objective

NLRP3 inflammasome may play a key role in OA pathogenesis. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a homeostatic CXC chemokine. Since the role of SDF-1 in OA has not been explored, this study aimed to examine the effect of SDF-1 on NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis in synoviocytes from OA joints.

Materials and methods

Human synovium was obtained from OA patients for isolation of primary synoviocytes and a murine model of collagenase-induced OA was established for testing intra-articular injections of SDF-1. Immunoblotting assays were used to examine the effects and underlying mechanism of action of SDF-1 on NLRP3 inflammasome and synoviocyte pyroptosis in synoviocytes. Inhibitors of AMPK and PI3K–mTOR were utilized to investigate the key signaling pathways involved in SDF-1-mediated OA inflammasome formation and pyroptosis.

Results

Synoviocytes from OA joints exhibited significantly higher expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and biomarkers of synoviocyte pyroptosis relative to healthy individuals. This was confirmed in the collagenase-induced OA model, where OA synoviocytes had a significantly lower SDF-1 expression than healthy ones. SDF-1 treatment in synoviocytes of OA patients and collagenase-induced OA led to significant downregulation in the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and synoviocyte pyroptosis biomarkers. Inhibition of the AMPK signaling pathway significantly suppressed the inhibitory effect of SDF-1 on NLRP3 inflammasome expression of OA synoviocytes. However, blocking the SDF-1-activated PI3K–mTOR signaling pathway could still suppress the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and synoviocyte pyroptosis biomarkers.

Conclusions

SDF-1 ameliorates NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis in OA synoviocytes through activation of the AMPK signaling pathway. Therefore, SDF-1 may be a novel therapeutic target for OA.
Exploring aromatic cage flexibility of the histone methyllysine reader protein Spindlin1 and its impact on binding mode prediction: an in silico study
Authors: Luise Chiara , Robaa Dina , Sippl Wolfgang
Published: June 2021

Some of the main challenges faced in drug discovery are pocket flexibility and binding mode prediction. In this work, we explored the aromatic cage flexibility of the histone methyllysine reader protein Spindlin1 and its impact on binding mode prediction by means of in silico approaches. We first investigated the Spindlin1 aromatic cage plasticity by analyzing the available crystal structures and through molecular dynamic simulations. Then we assessed the ability of rigid docking and flexible docking to rightly reproduce the binding mode of a known ligand into Spindlin1, as an example of a reader protein displaying flexibility in the binding pocket. The ability of induced fit docking was further probed to test if the right ligand binding mode could be obtained through flexible docking regardless of the initial protein conformation. Finally, the stability of generated docking poses was verified by molecular dynamic simulations. Accurate binding mode prediction was obtained showing that the herein reported approach is a highly promising combination of in silico methods able to rightly predict the binding mode of small molecule ligands in flexible binding pockets, such as those observed in some reader proteins.
Fans, Crimes and Misdemeanors: Fandom and the Ethics of Love
Authors: Archer Alfred
Published: June 2021

Is it permissible to be a fan of an artist or a sports team that has behaved immorally? While this issue has recently been the subject of widespread public debate, it has received little attention in the philosophical literature. This paper will investigate this issue by examining the nature and ethics of fandom. I will argue that the crimes and misdemeanors of the object of fandom provide three kinds of moral reasons for fans to abandon their fandom. First, being a fan of the immoral may provide support for their immoral behavior. Second, fandom alters our perception in ways that will often lead us to be fail to perceive our idol’s faults and even to adopting immoral points of view in order to be able to maintain the positive view we have of them. Third, fandom, like friendship, may lead us to engage in acts of loyalty to protect the interests of our idols. This gives fans of the immoral good reason to abandon their fandom. However, these reasons will not always be conclusive and, in some cases, it may be possible to instead adopt a critical form of fandom.
A High Order Accurate Finite Difference Method for the Drinfel’d–Sokolov–Wilson Equation
Authors: Lindeberg Ludvig , Dao Tuan , Mattsson Ken
Published: June 2021

We analyse numerically the periodic problem and the initial boundary value problem of the Korteweg-de Vries equation and the Drindfeld–Sokolov–Wilson equation using the summation-by-parts simultaneous-approximation-term method. Two sets of boundary conditions are derived for each equation of which stability is shown using the energy method. Numerical analysis is done when the solution interacts with the boundaries. Results show the benefit of higher order SBP operators.
Reconstructing the slip velocities of the 1202 and 1759 CE earthquakes based on faulted archaeological structures at Tell Ateret, Dead Sea Fault
Authors: Schweppe Gregor , Hinzen Klaus-G. , Reamer Sharon K. , Marco Shmuel
Published: June 2021

Archaeological structures built across active faults and ruptured by earthquakes have been used as markers to measure the amount of displacement caused by ground motion and thus to estimate the magnitude of ancient earthquakes. The example used in this study is the Crusader fortress at Tel Ateret (Vadum Iacob) in the Jordan Gorge, north of the Sea of Galilee, a site which has been ruptured repeatedly since the Iron Age. We use detailed laser scans and discrete element models of the fortification walls to deduce the slip velocity during the earthquake. Further, we test whether the in-situ observed deformation pattern of the walls allows quantification of the amount both sides of the fault moved and whether post-seismic creep contributed to total displacement. The dynamic simulation of the reaction of the fortification wall to a variety of earthquake scenarios supports the hypothesis that the wall was ruptured by two earthquakes in 1202 and 1759 CE. For the first time, we can estimate the slip velocity during the earthquakes to 3 and 1 m/s for the two events, attribute the main motion to the Arabian plate with a mostly locked Sinai plate, and exclude significant creep contribution to the observed displacements of 1.25 and 0.5 m, respectively. Considering a minimum long-term slip rate at the site of 2.6 mm/year, there is a deficit of at least 1.6 m slip corresponding to a potential future magnitude 7.5 earthquake; if we assume ~5 mm/year geodetic rate, the deficit is even larger.
Mfge8 attenuates human gastric antrum smooth muscle contractions
Authors: Li Wen , Olseen Ashley , Xie Yeming , Alexandru Cristina , Outland Andrew , Herrera Angela F. , Syder Andrew J. , Wykosky Jill , Perrino Brian A.
Published: June 2021

Coordinated gastric smooth muscle contraction is critical for proper digestion and is adversely affected by a number of gastric motility disorders. In this study we report that the secreted protein Mfge8 (milk fat globule-EGF factor 8) inhibits the contractile responses of human gastric antrum muscles to cholinergic stimuli by reducing the inhibitory phosphorylation of the MYPT1 (myosin phosphatase-targeting subunit (1) subunit of MLCP (myosin light chain phosphatase), resulting in reduced LC20 (smooth muscle myosin regulatory light chain (2) phosphorylation. Mfge8 reduced the agonist-induced increase in the F-actin/G-actin ratios of β-actin and γ-actin1. We show that endogenous Mfge8 is bound to its receptor, α8β1 integrin, in human gastric antrum muscles, suggesting that human gastric antrum muscle mechanical responses are regulated by Mfge8. The regulation of gastric antrum smooth muscles by Mfge8 and α8 integrin functions as a brake on gastric antrum mechanical activities. Further studies of the role of Mfge8 and α8 integrin in regulating gastric antrum function will likely reveal additional novel aspects of gastric smooth muscle motility mechanisms.
N-HANS: A neural network-based toolkit for in-the-wild audio enhancement
Authors: Liu Shuo , Keren Gil , Parada-Cabaleiro Emilia , Schuller Björn
Published: June 2021

The unprecedented growth of noise pollution over the last decades has raised an always increasing need for developing efficient audio enhancement technologies. Yet, the variety of difficulties related to processing audio sources in-the-wild, such as handling unseen noises or suppressing specific interferences, makes audio enhancement a still open challenge. In this regard, we present (the Neuro-Holistic Audio-eNhancement System), a Python toolkit for in-the-wild audio enhancement that includes functionalities for audio denoising, source separation, and —for the first time in such a toolkit—selective noise suppression. The architecture is specially developed to automatically adapt to different environmental backgrounds and speakers. This is achieved by the use of two identical neural networks comprised of stacks of residual blocks, each conditioned on additional speech- and noise-based recordings through auxiliary sub-networks. Along to a Python API, a command line interface is provided to researchers and developers, both of them carefully documented. Experimental results indicate that achieves great performance w. r. t. existing methods, preserving also the audio quality at a high level; thus, ensuring a reliable usage in real-life application, e. g., for in-the-wild speech processing, which encourages the development of speech-based intelligent technology.
Application of generalized Pareto distribution for modeling aleatory variability of ground motion
Authors: Zhang Meng , Pan Hua
Published: June 2021

The lognormal distribution is commonly used to characterize the aleatory variability of ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) in probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). However, this approach often leads to results without actual physical meaning at low exceedance probabilities. In this paper, we discuss how to calculate PSHA with a low exceedance probability. Peak ground acceleration records from the NGA-West2 database and 15,493 residuals calculated by Campbell-Bozorgnia using the NGA-West2 GMPE were applied to analyze the tail shape of the residuals. The results showed that the generalized Pareto distribution (GPD) captured the characteristics of residuals in the tail better than the lognormal distribution. Further study showed that the shapes of the tails of the distributions of residuals with different magnitudes varied significantly due to the heteroscedasticity of the magnitude; the distribution of residuals with larger magnitudes had a smaller upper limit on the right side. Moreover, the residuals of the three magnitude ranges given in this study were more consistent with the GPD of different parameters at the tail than the lognormal distribution and the GPD fitted by all the residuals, leading to a bounded PSHA hazard curve. Therefore, the lognormal distribution is more representative up to a determined threshold, and the GPD fitted to the residuals of three ranges of magnitude better characterizes the tail for PSHA calculation.
Influence of Wetting on Viscous Fingering Via 2D Lattice Boltzmann Simulations
Authors: Mora Peter , Morra Gabriele , Yuen Dave A. , Juanes Ruben
Published: June 2021

We present simulations of two-phase flow using the Rothman and Keller colour gradient Lattice Boltzmann method to study viscous fingering when a “red fluid” invades a porous model initially filled with a “blue” fluid with different viscosity. We conducted eleven suites of 81 numerical experiments totalling 891 simulations, where each suite had a different random realization of the porous model and spanned viscosity ratios in the range$$M\in [0.01,100]$$M∈[0.01,100]and wetting angles in the range$$\theta _w\in [180^\circ ,0^\circ ]$$θw∈[180∘,0∘]to allow us to study the effect of these parameters on the fluid-displacement morphology and saturation at breakthrough (sweep). Although sweep often increased with wettability, this was not always so and the sweep phase space landscape, defined as the difference in saturation at a given wetting angle relative to saturation for the non-wetting case, had hills, ridges and valleys. At low viscosity ratios, flow at breakthrough is localized through narrow fingers that span the model. After breakthrough, the flow field continues to evolve and the saturation continues to increase albeit at a reduced rate, and eventually exceeds 90% for both non-wetting and wetting cases. The existence of a complicated sweep phase space at breakthrough, and continued post-breakthrough evolution suggests the hydrodynamics and sweep is a complicated function of wetting angle, viscosity ratio and time, which has major potential implications to Enhanced Oil Recovery by water flooding, and hence, on estimates of global oil reserves. Validation of these results via experiments is required to ensure they translate to field studies.
Surface Patterning Increases Fluid Sorption Efficiency in Porous Reactive Coatings: A Model for Optimised Surface-Flow Filtration
Authors: Gane P. A. C. , Ridgway C. J. , Kijevčanin M. , Stijepović M. , Uskoković P. S. , Barać N. , Dimić-Mišić K. , Imani M. , Janaćković D. , Barceló E.
Published: June 2021

A novel surface-flow filter has been designed to take advantage of a combination of both diffusion and lateral flow permeation, since active coatings, even if porous, tend to be far less permeable than through-flow constructs. The formation of a continuous coating layer virtually excludes any fluid transport into the coating other than by planar diffusion for gases or capillarity for liquids. This study considers the additional potential advantage of creating a pixelated/patterned coating, applied using a pin coater to form printed dots onto a highly permeable cellulose fibrous paper-like substrate. The coating—fine particulate calcium carbonate combined with micro-nanofibrillated cellulose as binder and humectant—reacts on exposure to NO2 gas to form calcium nitrate. Experimental results show an effective doubling of nitrate-forming efficiency using pixelated coating compared with a reference continuous layer coating. To establish an understanding of the comparative mechanisms of gas-coating contact, computational fluid dynamic modelling is used to generate surface pressure profiles combined with a pore network model of the coating to estimate theoretical fluid permeability and gas diffusion coefficients. Although pressure-driven permeation was calculated to be approximately two orders of magnitude less than the diffusive flow, it is concluded that patterned aerofoil pressure differential effects can reduce the impact of surface stagnant layering and so aid fluid transfer, boosting the diffusive transport, which in turn delivers greater contact efficiency based on the increased accessibility to the active coating.
Context-Aware Holographic Communication Based on Semantic Knowledge Extraction
Authors: Manolova Agata , Tonchev Krasimir , Poulkov Vladimir , Dixir Sudhir , Lindgren Peter
Published: June 2021

Augmented, mixed and virtual reality are changing the way people interact and communicate. Five dimensional communications and services, integrating information from all human senses are expected to emerge, together with holographic communications (HC), providing a truly immersive experience. HC presents a lot of challenges in terms of data gathering and transmission, demanding Artificial Intelligence empowered communication technologies such as 5G. The goal of the paper is to present a model of a context-aware holographic architecture for real time communication based on semantic knowledge extraction. This architecture will require analyzing, combining and developing methods and algorithms for: 3D human body model acquisition; semantic knowledge extraction with deep neural networks to predict human behaviour; analysis of biometric modalities; context-aware optimization of network resource allocation for the purpose of creating a multi-party, from-capturing-to-rendering HC framework. We illustrate its practical deployment in a scenario that can open new opportunities in user experience and business model innovation.
Thiolane-type sulfides from garlic, onion, and Welsh onion
Authors: Nohara Toshihiro , Fujiwara Yukio , El-Aasr Mona , Ikeda Tsuyoshi , Ono Masateru , Nakano Daisuke , Kinjo Junei
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we review our work in the last 10 years wherein we examined the sulfides in the acetone extracts of garlic (Allium sativum), onion (A. cepa), and Welsh onion (A. fistulosum), obtained and characterized the structures of new sulfides, three 3,4-dimethylthiolane-type sulfides from onion and Welsh onion, respectively, and four acyclic-type, nine 3,4-dimethyl- thiolane-type, four 2-methylthiolane (and thiane)-type, two 1,2-dithiolane-type, and two 2-oxothiolane-type sulfides, together with (E)-ajoene and one kujounin-type sulfide from garlic. During this process, structural corrections were made in onionin A group, garlicnin A, and garlicnin B group in some 3,4-dimethylthiolane-type sulfides. Next, hypothetical pathways for the production of the aforementioned sulfides were proposed. Furthermore, it was revealed that a typical 3,4-dimethylthiolane-type sulfide, onionin A1 obtained from onion, having the isomeric structure of garlicnin B1 obtained from garlic, decreased tumor proliferation and controlled tumor metastasis. These results showed that onionin A1 is an effective agent for controlling tumors, and that the antitumor effects observed in vivo are likely caused by reversing the antitumor immune system. Activation of the antitumor immune system by onionin A1 might be an effective adjuvant therapy for patients with osteosarcoma, ovarian cancer and other malignant tumors.
Estimating the class prior for positive and unlabelled data via logistic regression
Authors: Łazęcka Małgorzata , Mielniczuk Jan , Teisseyre Paweł
Published: June 2021

In the paper, we revisit the problem of class prior probability estimation with positive and unlabelled data gathered in a single-sample scenario. The task is important as it is known that in positive unlabelled setting, a classifier can be successfully learned if the class prior is available. We show that without additional assumptions, class prior probability is not identifiable and thus the existing non-parametric estimators are necessarily biased in general if extra assumptions are not imposed. The magnitude of their bias is also investigated. The problem becomes identifiable when the probabilistic structure satisfies mild semi-parametric assumptions. Consequently, we propose a method based on a logistic fit and a concave minorization of its (non-concave) log-likelihood. The experiments conducted on artificial and benchmark datasets as well as on a large clinical database MIMIC indicate that the estimation errors for the proposed method are usually lower than for its competitors and that it is robust against departures from logistic settings.
Simplified Phasmatodea population evolution algorithm for optimization
Authors: Song Pei-Cheng , Chu Shu-Chuan , Pan Jeng-Shyang , Yang Hongmei
Published: June 2021

This work proposes a population evolution algorithm to deal with optimization problems based on the evolution characteristics of the Phasmatodea (stick insect) population, called the Phasmatodea population evolution algorithm (PPE). The PPE imitates the characteristics of convergent evolution, path dependence, population growth and competition in the evolution of the stick insect population in nature. The stick insect population tends to be the nearest dominant population in the evolution process, and the favorable evolution trend is more likely to be inherited by the next generation. This work combines population growth and competition models to achieve the above process. The implemented PPE has been tested and analyzed on 30 benchmark functions, and it has better performance than similar algorithms. This work uses several engineering optimization problems to test the algorithm and obtains good results.
Zulu Poems of (and for) Nature: Bhekinkosi Ntuli’s Environmental Imagination inImvunge Yemvelo(1972)
Authors: Nyambi Oliver , Otomo Patricks Voua
Published: June 2021

Nature, climate crisis, and the Anthropocene have carved space in recent inter-, cross-, and multi-disciplinary humanities studies. In South Africa, such studies have barely touched literature in African languages. Nyambi and Otomo focus on the tropes of “lady nature,” nostalgia, and dystopia in Zulu writer Bhekinkosi Ntuli’sImvunge Yemveloto explore the complex ways in which these tropes test the normative epistemes of ecological crises. Beyond rejecting imperial distortions of indigenous environmentalism, Ntuli’s poems re-center local knowledge of nature in understanding its relationship with humans. That knowledge subverts epistemic structures of colonial conservation, revising and re-visioning racially geo-politicized knowledge hierarchies.
Effect of niacin supplementation on nausea-like behaviour in an isoniazid-induced mouse model of pellagra
Authors: Natsumi Susai , Kuroita Tomohiro , Ishikawa Tatsuru , Kuronuma Koji , Yoshioka Takeshi
Published: June 2021

Niacin deficiency causes pellagra, the symptoms of which include dermatitis, diarrhoea and dementia. Investigating the mechanism underlying these phenotypes has been challenging due to the lack of an appropriate animal model. Here, we report a mouse model of pellagra-related nausea induced by feeding mice a low-niacin diet and administering isoniazid (INH), which is thought to induce pellagra. Mice fed a normal or low-niacin diet received INH (0·3 or 1·0 mg/mg per animal, twice daily, 5 d), and nausea was evaluated based on pica behaviour, which considered the rodent equivalent of the emetic reflex. Furthermore, the effect of therapeutic niacin administration on nausea was evaluated in this model. Urinary and hepatic metabolite levels were analysed by LC coupled with MS. INH-induced pica was observed in mice fed a low-niacin diet but not in those fed a normal diet. Levels of urinary metabolites, such as 1-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide, kynurenic acid and xanthurenic acid, were significantly reduced in the mice treated with INH compared with those that did not receive INH. Furthermore, niacin supplementation prevented pica and restored the levels of some metabolites in this mouse model. Our findings suggest that INH-related nausea is pellagra-like. We also believe that our newly established method for quantifying pica is a useful tool for investigating the mechanisms of pellagra-related nausea.
Au cœur de la tempête : L'opinion publique électorale et la crise des réfugiés
Authors: Dumouchel David
Published: June 2021

La littérature sur les tempêtes médiatiques n'a jamais évalué leurs effets sur l'opinion publique de manière systématique. Cet article vise à combler ce vide en mobilisant des données de sondage pour évaluer l’évolution de l'opinion publique en regard de la crise des réfugiés, une tempête médiatique survenue durant la campagne fédérale canadienne de 2015. Les résultats montrent que la période de tempête médiatique a influencé les attitudes citoyennes à l’égard de certains cadres liés à la question et que l'effet a persisté jusqu’à la fin de la campagne. Ils révèlent par ailleurs que certaines opinions politiques en viennent à constituer des éléments déterminants de l'intention de vote et du choix de vote final. Ces éléments de preuve montrent que les citoyens sont réceptifs aux tempêtes médiatiques et constituent un exemple concret de la manière dont la logique de marché médiatique devient parfois prépondérante dans les rapports de force qui caractérisent la sphère publique.
Objective assessment of nasal resistance among electronic cigarette users
Authors: Lim S W , Zulkiflee AB
Published: June 2021

Background

Electronic cigarettes have been a popular alternative to tobacco smoking. The effect of tobacco smoking on nasal airway resistance has been investigated before; however, the effect of the aerosol generated by electronic cigarettes is still unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of e-cigarettes on nasal airway resistance.

Methods

Sixty-one participants were recruited into a vapers group and a control group. The vapers group was instructed to smoke for 5 minutes, and their nasal resistance was measured pre-procedure and at 1 and 5 minutes post-procedure. The results were compared between both groups.

Results

Repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that vaping has no statistically significant effect on total nasal airway resistance.

Conclusion

Although the differences between both groups were not statistically significant overall, the vapers group showed a reduction in nasal airway resistance in the short term.
Outcomes of examination under anaesthesia of post-nasal space and grommet insertion in adults presenting with otitis media with effusion
Authors: Mohammed H , Qureshi M H , Yates P
Published: June 2021

Background

In adults, otitis media with effusion causes considerable morbidity and has poorly established outcomes. A small number of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients present with isolated ear-related symptoms. The investigation of choice for these patients is a point of debate.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a local database of adult patients who underwent examination under anaesthesia of the post-nasal space with grommet insertion for otitis media with effusion between January 2014 and January 2016.

Results

Ninety-eight patients met the inclusion criteria. Follow-up duration ranged from 39 to 63 months. Complications of grommets were present in 36 out of 98 patients (36.73 per cent). The findings of examination under anaesthesia of the post-nasal space were documented as abnormal in three patients. No patient was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Conclusion

Grommets in adults with otitis media with effusion as the sole presenting feature carry a high complication rate, especially in those with previously inserted grommets. Examination under anaesthesia of the post-nasal space offers a low yield. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the post-nasal space may be a more sensitive alternative.
The Usefulness of Pre-Genealogical Coherence for Detecting Multiple Emergence and Coincidental Agreement: Matthew 16.2b–3 as a Test Case
Authors: Quarles Charles L.
Published: June 2021

Since other evidence strongly suggests that the omission of Matt 16:2b–3 is the result of multiple emergence, this variant unit serves as a helpful case study to evaluate the usefulness of pre-genealogical coherence for detecting multiple emergence of a reading, an important premise of the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method (CBGM). This article adapts the Wasserman–Gurry method of assessing pre-genealogical coherence in the Synoptic Gospels (for which full collation of the relevant witnesses is presently lacking) in several ways to approximate more closely the approach used in the CBGM. It also attempts to refine the data generated by the Parallel Pericopes: Manuscript Clusters tool of the INTF at certain points. The study confirms that the assessment of pre-genealogical coherence is useful in detecting multiple emergence, coincidental agreement and contamination even based on the limited data in the Parallel Pericopes volume of the Editio Critica Maior.
NONPARAMETRIC WEIGHTED AVERAGE QUANTILE DERIVATIVE
Authors: Lee Ying-Ying
Published: June 2021

The weighted average quantile derivative (AQD) is the expected value of the partial derivative of the conditional quantile function (CQF) weighted by a function of the covariates. We consider two weighting functions: a known function chosen by researchers and the density function of the covariates that is parallel to the average mean derivative in Powell, Stock, and Stoker (1989, Econometrica 57, 1403–1430). The AQD summarizes the marginal response of the covariates on the CQF and defines a nonparametric quantile regression coefficient. In semiparametric single-index and partially linear models, the AQD identifies the coefficients up to scale. In nonparametric nonseparable structural models, the AQD conveys an average structural effect under certain independence assumptions. Including a stochastic trimming function, the proposed two-step estimator is root-n-consistent for the AQD defined by the entire support of the covariates. To facilitate tractable asymptotic analysis, a key preliminary result is a new Bahadur-type linear representation of the generalized inverse kernel-based CQF estimator uniformly over the covariates in an expanding compact set and over the quantile levels. The weak convergence to Gaussian processes applies to the differentiable nonlinear functionals of the quantile processes.
SwitchNet: Learning to switch for word-level language identification in code-mixed social media text
Authors: Sarma Neelakshi , Sanasam Singh Ranbir , Goswami Diganta
Published: June 2021

Word-level language identification is an essential prerequisite for extracting useful information from code-mixed social media content. Previous studies in word-level language identification show two important observations. First, the local context is an important indicator of the language of a word when a word is valid in multiple languages. Second, considering the word in isolation from its context leads to more effective language classification when a word is borrowed or embedded into sentences of other languages. In this paper, we propose a framework for language identification that makes use of a dynamic switching mechanism for effective language classification of both words that are borrowed or embedded from other languages as well as words that are valid in multiple languages. For a given input, the proposed switching mechanism makes a dynamic decision to bias its prediction either towards the prediction obtained by the contextual information or that obtained by the word in isolation. In contrast to existing studies that rely upon large amounts of annotated data for robust performance in a multilingual environment, the proposed approach uses minimal annotated resources and no external resources, making it easily extendible to newer languages. Evaluation over a corpus of transliterated Facebook comments shows that the proposed approach outperforms its baseline counterparts: classification based on the contextual information, classification based on the word in isolation, as well as an ensemble of the two classifiers.
Evaluation of Chinese Scatterometer Ocean Surface Wind Data: Preliminary Analysis
Authors: Zhao Ke , Zhao Chaofang , Chen Ge
Published: June 2021

Three scatterometers have been launched in China including Haiyang‐2A scatterometer (HY‐2A/SCAT), Haiyang‐2B scatterometer (HY‐2B/SCAT), and China French Oceanography Satellite scatterometer (CFOSCAT). Both of HY‐2A/SCAT and HY‐2B/SCAT are rotating pencil‐beam scatterometers while CFOSCAT is the first rotating fan‐beam scatterometer (RFSCAT) in the world. In this study, we focus on the evaluation of Chinese scatterometer operational wind products from January 2019 to April 2019. Scatterometer wind products are collocated with buoy measurements. Error varieties under different atmospheric stratification conditions are also taken into consideration. The average biases and root mean square errors (RMSEs) between buoy and scatterometer data are basically satisfied with the scatterometer mission requirements (2 m/s and 20°). HY‐2B/SCAT wind products have the best data quality. However, HY‐2A/SCAT wind products have the largest deviations compared with buoy measurements and the wind direction RMSE was about 24.19°. The biases change a lot between different atmospheric stratification conditions. HY‐2A/SCAT winds have abnormal large deviations when wind speeds are higher than 10 m/s while HY‐2B/SCAT and CFOSCAT winds are stable under neutral conditions. In brief, the wind data quality of HY‐2B/SCAT is the best and then is CFOSCAT while HY‐2A/SCAT winds have the largest deviations and are unstable under different atmospheric stratification conditions. Atmospheric stratification impacts should be considered in wind retrieval and marine application.
Seasonal Characteristics of Biogenic Secondary Organic Aerosols Over Chichijima Island in the Western North Pacific: Impact of Biomass Burning Activity in East Asia
Authors: Verma Santosh Kumar , Kawamura Kimitaka , Deshmukh Dhananjay Kumar , Haque Md. Mozammel , Pavuluri Chandra Mouli
Published: June 2021

To better understand the formation processes of biogenic secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) over remote oceanic regions, aerosol samples were collected from 2010 to 2012 at Chichijima Island in the western North Pacific (WNP). The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry for SOA tracers, which are produced by the photochemical oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), including isoprene, monoterpenes, and sesquitepenes. Although no seasonal trend was identified for the isoprene‐derived SOA tracers, we observed higher levels of the monoterpene‐derived and sesquiterpene‐derived SOA tracers in winter/spring and lower levels in summer/autumn. We found a significant correlation (r = 0.87) of β‐caryophyllinic acid with levoglucosan, the latter being a specific tracer of biomass burning (BB). This suggests that the β‐caryophyllene accumulated in higher plants is evaporated by BB followed by atmospheric oxidation during long‐range transport from the Asian continent over the WNP. The biogenic secondary organic carbon concentration estimated using a tracer‐based approach ranged from 0.11 to 174 ngC m−3 (avg. 34.8 ± 38.2 ngC m−3), accounting for 0.02%–32.0% (avg. 6.11% ± 6.42%) of the measured organic carbon. Our results indicate that SOAs are formed by the photooxidation of BVOCs. The backward trajectories of air masses further support their transport from the central Pacific during mid‐spring to mid‐autumn, whereas BB aerosols are transported from the Asian continent during mid‐autumn to mid‐spring over the WNP. Positive matrix factorization analyses of the SOA tracers suggest that organic aerosols of Chichijima are mostly related to BVOC emissions, with BB’s additional contributions especially in winter and spring.
Separating Physics and Dynamics Grids for Improved Computational Efficiency in Spectral Element Earth System Models
Authors: Hannah Walter M. , Bradley Andrew M. , Guba Oksana , Tang Qi , Golaz Jean‐Christophe , Wolfe Jon
Published: June 2021

Previous studies have shown that atmospheric models with a spectral element grid can benefit from putting physics calculations on a relatively coarse finite volume grid. Here we demonstrate an alternative high‐order, element‐based mapping approach used to implement a quasi‐equal‐area, finite volume physics grid in E3SM. Unlike similar methods, the new method in E3SM requires topology data purely local to each spectral element, which trivially allows for regional mesh refinement. Simulations with physics grids defined by 2 × 2, 3 × 3, and 4 × 4 divisions of each element are shown to verify that the alternative physics grid does not qualitatively alter the model solution. The model performance is substantially affected by the reduction of physics columns when using the 2 × 2 grid, which can increase the throughput of physics calculations by roughly 60%–120% depending on whether the computational resources are configured to maximize throughput or efficiency. A pair of regionally refined cases are also shown to highlight the refinement capability.
Full Waveform Inversion Beneath the Central Andes: Insight Into the Dehydration of the Nazca Slab and Delamination of the Back‐Arc Lithosphere
Authors: Gao Yajian , Tilmann Frederik , van Herwaarden Dirk‐Philip , Thrastarson Solvi , Fichtner Andreas , Heit Benjamin , Yuan Xiaohui , Schurr Bernd
Published: June 2021

We present a new seismic tomography model for the crust and upper mantle beneath the Central Andes based on multi‐scale full seismic waveform inversion, proceeding from long periods (40–80 s) over several steps down to 12–60 s. The spatial resolution and trade‐offs among parameters are estimated through the multi‐parameter point‐spread functions. P‐ and S‐wave velocity structures with spatial resolution of 30–40 km for the upper mantle and 20–25 km for the crust could be resolved in the central study region. In our study, the subducting Nazca slab is clearly imaged in the upper mantle, with dip‐angle variations from the north to the south. Bands of low velocities in the crust and mantle wedge indicate intense crustal partial melting and hydration of the mantle wedge beneath the frontal volcanic arc, respectively, and they are linked to the vigorous dehydration from the subducting Nazca plate and intermediate depth seismicity within the slab. These low‐velocity bands are interrupted at 19.8°–21°S, both in the crust and uppermost mantle, hinting at the lower extent of crustal partial melting and hydration of the mantle wedge. The variation of lithospheric high‐velocity anomalies below the back‐arc from north to south allows insight into the evolutionary foundering stages of the Central Andean margin. A high‐velocity layer beneath the southern Altiplano suggests underthrusting of the leading edge of the Brazilian Shield. In contrast, a steeply westward dipping high‐velocity block and low‐velocity lithospheric uppermost mantle beneath the southern Puna plateau hint at the ongoing lithospheric delamination.
Elastic Geobarometry for Anisotropic Inclusions in Anisotropic Host Minerals: Quartz‐in‐Zircon
Authors: Gonzalez Joseph P. , Mazzucchelli Mattia L. , Angel Ross J. , Alvaro Matteo
Published: June 2021

Current models for elastic geobarometry have been developed with the assumption that the host and/or inclusion minerals are elastically isotropic. This assumption has limited applications of elastic thermobarometry to mineral inclusions contained in cubic quasi‐isotropic host minerals (e.g., garnet). Here, we report a new elastic model that takes into account the anisotropic elastic properties and relative crystallographic orientation (RCO) of a host‐inclusion system where both minerals are noncubic. This anisotropic elastic model can be used for host‐inclusion elastic thermobarometric calculations provided that the RCO and elastic properties of both the host and inclusion are known. We then used this anisotropic elastic model to numerically evaluate the effects of elastic anisotropy and RCO on the strains and stresses developed in a quartz inclusion entrapped in a zircon host after exhumation from known entrapment P‐T conditions to room P‐T conditions. We conclude that the anisotropic quartz‐in‐zircon elastic model is suitable for elastic thermobarometry and may be widely applicable to crustal rocks. Our results demonstrate that isotropic elastic models cannot be used to determine the entire strain state of an elastically anisotropic inclusion contained in an elastically anisotropic host mineral, and therefore may lead to errors on estimated remnant inclusion pressures.
Pre-emptive pharmacological inhibition of fatty acid–binding protein 4 attenuates kidney fibrosis by reprogramming tubular lipid metabolism
Authors: Chen Yuting , Dai Yue , Song Kaixin , Huang Yi , Zhang Le , Zhang Cuntai , Yan Qi , Gao Hongyu
Published: June 2021

Kidney fibrosis is a hallmark of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression that is caused by tubular injury and dysregulated lipid metabolism. Genetic abolition fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), a key lipid transporter, has been reported to suppress kidney interstitial fibrosis. However, the role and underlying mechanism of chemical inhibition of FABP4 in fibrotic kidney have not been well-documented. Here, we examined preemptive the effect of a FABP4 inhibitor, BMS309403, on lipid metabolism of tubular epithelial cells (TECs) and progression of kidney fibrosis. The expression of FABP4 was significantly elevated, concomitated with the accumulation of lipid droplets in TECs during kidney fibrosis. Treatment with BMS309403 alleviated lipid deposition of TECs, as well as interstitial fibrotic responses both in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-engaged mice and TGF-β-induced TECs. Moreover, BMS309403 administration enhanced fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in TECs by regulating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and restoring FAO-related enzyme activities; In addition, BMS309403 markedly reduced cell lipotoxicity, such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis in fibrotic kidney. Taken together, our results suggest that preemptive pharmacological inhibition of FABP4 by BMS309403 rebalances abnormal lipid metabolism in TECs and attenuates the progression of kidney fibrosis, thus may hold therapeutic potential for the treatment of fibrotic kidney diseases.
FtsZ induces membrane deformations via torsional stress upon GTP hydrolysis
Authors: Ramirez-Diaz Diego A. , Merino-Salomón Adrián , Meyer Fabian , Heymann Michael , Rivas Germán , Bramkamp Marc , Schwille Petra
Published: June 2021

FtsZ is a key component in bacterial cell division, being the primary protein of the presumably contractile Z ring. In vivo and in vitro, it shows two distinctive features that could so far, however, not be mechanistically linked: self-organization into directionally treadmilling vortices on solid supported membranes, and shape deformation of flexible liposomes. In cells, circumferential treadmilling of FtsZ was shown to recruit septum-building enzymes, but an active force production remains elusive. To gain mechanistic understanding of FtsZ dependent membrane deformations and constriction, we design an in vitro assay based on soft lipid tubes pulled from FtsZ decorated giant lipid vesicles (GUVs) by optical tweezers. FtsZ filaments actively transform these tubes into spring-like structures, where GTPase activity promotes spring compression. Operating the optical tweezers in lateral vibration mode and assigning spring constants to FtsZ coated tubes, the directional forces that FtsZ-YFP-mts rings exert upon GTP hydrolysis can be estimated to be in the pN range. They are sufficient to induce membrane budding with constricting necks on both, giant vesicles and E.coli cells devoid of their cell walls. We hypothesize that these forces result from torsional stress in a GTPase activity dependent manner.
Visible-light photoredox-catalyzed umpolung carboxylation of carbonyl compounds with CO2
Authors: Cao Guang-Mei , Hu Xin-Long , Liao Li-Li , Yan Si-Shun , Song Lei , Chruma Jason J. , Gong Li , Yu Da-Gang
Published: June 2021

Photoredox-mediated umpolung strategy provides an alternative pattern for functionalization of carbonyl compounds. However, general approaches towards carboxylation of carbonyl compounds with CO2remain scarce. Herein, we report a strategy for visible-light photoredox-catalyzed umpolung carboxylation of diverse carbonyl compounds with CO2by using Lewis acidic chlorosilanes as activating/protecting groups. This strategy is general and practical to generate valuable α-hydroxycarboxylic acids. It works well for challenging alkyl aryl ketones and aryl aldehydes, as well as for α-ketoamides and α-ketoesters, the latter two of which have never been successfully applied in umpolung carboxylations with CO2(to the best of our knowledge). This reaction features high selectivity, broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, mild reaction conditions and facile derivations of products to bioactive compounds, including oxypheonium, mepenzolate bromide, benactyzine, and tiotropium. Moreover, the formation of carbon radicals and carbanions as well as the key role of chlorosilanes are supported by control experiments.
Synergistic sequence contributions bias glycation outcomes
Authors: McEwen Joseph M. , Fraser Sasha , Guir Alexxandra L. Sosa , Dave Jaydev , Scheck Rebecca A.
Published: June 2021

The methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone isomer, MGH-1, is an abundant advanced glycation end-product (AGE) associated with disease and age-related disorders. As AGE formation occurs spontaneously and without an enzyme, it remains unknown why certain sites on distinct proteins become modified with specific AGEs. Here, we use a combinatorial peptide library to determine the chemical features that favor MGH-1. When properly positioned, tyrosine is found to play an active mechanistic role that facilitates MGH-1 formation. This work offers mechanistic insight connecting multiple AGEs, including MGH-1 and carboxyethylarginine (CEA), and reconciles the role of negative charge in influencing glycation outcomes. Further, this study provides clear evidence that glycation outcomes can be influenced through long- or medium-range cooperative interactions. This work demonstrates that these chemical features also predictably template selective glycation on full-length protein targets expressed in mammalian cells. This information is vital for developing methods that control glycation in living cells and will enable the study of glycation as a functional post-translational modification.
An electrostatics method for converting a time-series into a weighted complex network
Authors: Tsiotas Dimitrios , Magafas Lykourgos , Argyrakis Panos
Published: June 2021

This paper proposes a new method for converting a time-series into a weighted graph (complex network), which builds on electrostatics in physics. The proposed method conceptualizes a time-series as a series of stationary, electrically charged particles, on which Coulomb-like forces can be computed. This allows generating electrostatic-like graphs associated with time-series that, additionally to the existing transformations, can be also weighted and sometimes disconnected. Within this context, this paper examines the structural similarity between five different types of time-series and their associated graphs that are generated by the proposed algorithm and the visibility graph, which is currently the most popular algorithm in the literature. The analysis compares the source (original) time-series with the node-series generated by network measures (that are arranged into the node-ordering of the source time-series), in terms of a linear trend, chaotic behaviour, stationarity, periodicity, and cyclical structure. It is shown that the proposed electrostatic graph algorithm generates graphs with node-measures that are more representative of the structure of the source time-series than the visibility graph. This makes the proposed algorithm more natural rather than algebraic, in comparison with existing physics-defined methods. The overall approach also suggests a methodological framework for evaluating the structural relevance between the source time-series and their associated graphs produced by any possible transformation.