bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the quality of life of patients with liver cirrhosis before and during the COVID-19 lockdown in Slovakia
Authors: Skladaný Ľ. , Líška D. , Liptáková E. , Tapajčiková T. , Vnenčaková J. , Koller T.
Published: February 2023

Liver cirrhosis is associated with a poor quality of life (QOL). The COVID-19 pandemic has led to several restriction measures and psychosocial consequences whose impact on QOL has combined with that of cirrhosis in an unknown way. Therefore, we have used our cirrhosis registry to assess the quality of life before the pandemic (on the first admission to the tertiary liver unit) and during the most pronounced phase of the first lockdown. In this cross-sectional study conducted during the first lockdown in Slovakia (from April to May 2020), we have repeated the QOL measurement of QOL in cirrhotic patients previously enrolled in the RH7 registry. Patients who were alive (according to the national registry of deaths) were identified and contacted by phone with a structured and standardized interview led by trained professionals. The tool used for both QOL measurements (at enrolment in RH7 and during lockdown) was a standardized and validated EuroQOL-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire. The study included 97 patients, of which 37 (38.1%) were women and 60 (61.9%) were men. Responses were achieved from 75 patients (68.18%). In general, patients scored their quality of life significantly higher during the pandemic compared to examination at admission to RH7 (that is, at admission to our tertiary liver unit with cirrhosis) (p = 0.005). In particular, of the domains included in EQ-5D: (1) self-care was better during lockdown compared to the first record on admission to RH7 (p < 0.001). (2) the ability to perform daily activities has also improved during lockdown (p = 0.002). On the other hand, (3) pain and discomfort did not change significantly during the lockdown compared to the previous measurement (p = 0.882). (4) anxiety and depression were lower during lockdown compared to admission to RH7 (p = 0.01). The quality of life in patients with liver cirrhosis was better during the lockdown of SARS-CoV-2 compared to the previous measurement at admission to the tertiary liver unit.
Multifrequency controlled synchronization of four inductor motors by the fixed frequency ratio method in a vibration system
Authors: Jia Lei , Wang Chun , Liu Ziliang
Published: February 2023

In this article, multifrequency controlled synchronization of four inductor motors by the fixed frequency ratio method in a vibration system is investigated. The electromechanical coupling dynamical model of the vibrating system is established. The synchronous condition of the vibrating system is obtained with the small parameter method. Through the theoretical derivation and numerical simulation, multifrequency self-synchronization of four induction motors in the vibration system can’t be realized. To achieve the purpose of multifrequency synchronization motion, the method of multifrequency controlled synchronization is proposed, and a fuzzy PID controlling method is introduced. The stability of the controlling system is certified by the Lyapunov criterion. An arbitrariness of the proposed controlling method which is applied to the vibration system is presented. To certify the accuracy of the theory and simulation, a vibrating test bench is constructed. Some experiments are operated to validate the effectiveness and the proposed controlled synchronization method.
Markers for obese and non-obese Type 2 diabetes identified using whole blood metabolomics
Authors: Teruya Takayuki , Sunagawa Sumito , Mori Ayaka , Masuzaki Hiroaki , Yanagida Mitsuhiro
Published: February 2023

Definitive differences in blood metabolite profiles between obese and non-obese Type 2 diabetes (T2D) have not been established. We performed an LC–MS-based non-targeted metabolomic analysis of whole blood samples collected from subjects classified into 4 types, based on the presence or absence of obesity and T2D. Of the 125 compounds identified, 20, comprising mainly nucleobases and glucose metabolites, showed significant increases or decreases in the T2D group. These included cytidine, UDP-glucuronate, UMP, 6-phosphogluconate, and pentose-phosphate. Among those 20 compounds, 11 enriched in red blood cells (RBCs) have rarely been studied in the context of diabetes, indicating that RBC metabolism is more extensively disrupted than previously known. Correlation analysis revealed that these T2D markers include 15 HbA1c-associated and 5 irrelevant compounds that may reflect diabetic conditions by a different mechanism than that of HbA1c. In the obese group, enhanced protein and fatty acid catabolism causes increases in 13 compounds, including methylated or acetylated amino acids and short-chain carnitines. Our study, which may be considered a pilot investigation, suggests that changes in blood metabolism due to obesity and diabetes are large, but essentially independent.
The effect of exercise on the quality of life in an academic environment
Authors: Alumran Arwa
Published: February 2023

Regular physical activity has a direct association with an improvement in perceived health-related quality of life (HRQL). Because many Saudis are reportedly inactive, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University established a walking challenge for all university employees to encourage a better lifestyle and to promote health awareness. This study aims to measure the differences in the participants’ HRQL scores before and after the challenge. A before and after study was conducted using HRQL survey that was sent to all university employees before the implementation of a pedometer-based walking challenge at the study setting, and after the challenge ended. A randomized snowball sample method was used to recruit participants. The differences in the overall HRQL before and after the challenge were calculated. A RAND SF20-items scale was used to measure the participants’ HRQL scores, along with other information such as academic qualifications. Most of the participants were between 31 and 50 years old, and 40% were males. There was a statistically significant difference in the overall HRQL scores before and after the walking challenge intervention. The HRQL score increased from 50.77 before the challenge to 55.53 after the challenge (paired t-test = − 4.322, P < 0.0001). An odds ratio (OR) showed that the odds of having higher HRQL scores increased by 88% after the walking challenge, compared to before the walking challenge (OR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.269–2.809; P = 0.002). Physical activity by itself can improve a community’s overall health and quality of life. Similar interventions are encouraged in all public and private sectors in the country.
Assessing the prognostic value of respiratory oscillometry in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma
Authors: Shen Yi-Luen , Hsieh Yi-An , Huang Yu-Ming , Peng Yi-Hao , Chen Ling-I , Dai Fang-Chuan , Lin Yu-Sheng , Huang Chien-Wen
Published: February 2023

Respiratory oscillometry is widely explored in asthma management; however, there is currently no consensus on its routine work-up in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study involving patients with difficult-to-treat asthma at Asia University Hospital between January 2017 and October 2020. We aimed to correlate clinical significance of respiratory oscillometry and asthma treatment outcomes including symptoms control and exacerbation in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma. Among the 69 patients enrolled in the study, a total of 26.1% of the patients experienced at least one severe or two moderate exacerbations. Patients with ACT < 20 presented a higher prevalence of higher frequency-dependent resistance (FDR; the difference in resistance at 5 Hz and 20 Hz) and frequency of resonance (Fres) than those with ACT ≥ 20. In the multivariable analysis, comorbidities, COPD or allergic rhinitis, and FDR were independent factors in increasing the odds ratio in poorly controlled asthma. (FDR ≥ 0.10 vs. < 0.10, adjusted ORR = 5.05, P = 0.037) There was a higher proportion of frequent exacerbations in patients with higher FDR (FDR ≥ 0.10 vs. < 0.10 = 30.0%:20.7%), but IOS parameters failed to predict frequent exacerbations on further analysis. FDR may be a potential clinical parameter for predicting symptom control in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma.
Construction and validation of a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature for the prediction of the prognosis of LUAD and LUSC
Authors: Wang Yu , Xiao Xu , Li Yan
Published: February 2023

Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide, with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) accounting for the majority of cases. Cuproptosis, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) have been demonstrated to be associated with tumorigenesis. The objective of the present study was to develop a novel cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature to assess the association between cuproptosis and TIME in patients with LUAD or LUSC and to predict prognosis. Based on the outputs of the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model, a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature was developed. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were generated to confirm the predictive ability of the signature. Univariate and multivariate analysis was also performed to determine the association between overall survival and this signature and other clinical characteristics, and a nomogram was created. Additionally, the relationship between the signature, TIME, tumor mutation burden and m6A methylation was established. The results of the present study revealed that 8 cuproptosis-related lncRNAs were associated with the prognosis of patients with LUAD and LUSC. This novel cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature is associated with TIME and m6A methylation in LUAD and LUSC and can predict prognosis with accuracy.
Oxidized hemoglobin triggers polyreactivity and autoreactivity of human IgG via transfer of heme
Authors: Planchais Cyril , Noe Remi , Gilbert Marie , Lecerf Maxime , Kaveri Srini V. , Lacroix-Desmazes Sébastien , Roumenina Lubka T. , Dimitrov Jordan D.
Published: February 2023

Intravascular hemolysis occurs in diverse pathological conditions. Extracellular hemoglobin and heme have strong pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory potentials that can contribute to the pathology of hemolytic diseases. However, many of the effects of extracellular hemoglobin and heme in hemolytic diseases are still not well understood. Here we demonstrate that oxidized hemoglobin (methemoglobin) can modify the antigen-binding characteristics of human immunoglobulins. Thus, incubation of polyclonal or some monoclonal human IgG in the presence of methemoglobin results in an appearance of binding reactivities towards distinct unrelated self-proteins, including the protein constituent of hemoglobin i.e., globin. We demonstrate that a transfer of heme from methemoglobin to IgG is indispensable for this acquisition of antibody polyreactivity. Our data also show that only oxidized form of hemoglobin have the capacity to induce polyreactivity of antibodies. Site-directed mutagenesis of a heme-sensitive human monoclonal IgG1 reveals details about the mechanism of methemoglobin-induced antigen-binding polyreactivity. Further here we assess the kinetics and thermodynamics of interaction of a heme-induced polyreactive human antibody with hemoglobin and myoglobin. Taken together presented data contribute to a better understanding of the functions of extracellular hemoglobin in the context of hemolytic diseases.
Heath management app use in Parkinson’s disease and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Tang Yilin , Liang Xiaoniu , Shen Bo , Wang Jiawei , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Wu Jianjun , Wang Jian
Published: February 2023

Background

Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic affected follow-up visits and medication availability for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). As a promising strategy to deal with these challenges, the implementation of health management smartphone apps was accelerated. However, whether more intense use of such apps could improve the quality of life (QoL) for PD patients during the COVID-19 pandemic was unknown.

Methods

Using a PD management app, this observational study assessed changes in QoL, as determined by PD Questionnaire 8 (PDQ-8), among PD patients before (Jan 20, 2019 to Oct 6, 2019) and after the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown (Jan 20, 2020 to Oct 6, 2020). According to adherence to use of the app, participants were divided into low adherence, moderate adherence, and high adherence groups. A total of 4979 PD patients registered in the app, and 226 PD patients were enrolled, including 57 patients with low adherence, 112 with moderate adherence and 57 with high adherence. A generalized linear model was used to evaluate the change of PDQ-8 scores across these three different adherence groups.

Results

After the COVID-19 lockdown (1-year follow-up), the PDQ-8 scores are reduced by 0.8 (95% CI, 0.3–1.4) in all participants (P = 0.004). After adjustment for age, gender, education, disease duration and levodopa equivalent dose, PDQ-8 scores significantly less reduced in the high adherence group (0.3; 95% CI, 0.6–1.2) compared to the low adherence (1.9; 95% CI, 0.7–3.1) (P = 0.040) and moderate adherence groups (0.6; 95% CI, 0.2–1.3) (P = 0.012).

Conclusions

A health management smartphone-based app might be a way to both measure and improve QoL among PD patients, provided that sufficient adherence is achieved.
Assessment of transmitral and left atrial appendage flow rate from cardiac 4D-CT
Authors: Bäck Sophia , Henriksson Lilian , Bolger Ann F. , Carlhäll Carl-Johan , Persson Anders , Karlsson Matts , Ebbers Tino
Published: February 2023

Background

Cardiac time-resolved CT (4D-CT) acquisitions provide high quality anatomical images of the heart. However, some cardiac diseases require assessment of blood flow in the heart. Diastolic dysfunction, for instance, is diagnosed by measuring the flow through the mitral valve (MV), while in atrial fibrillation, the flow through the left atrial appendage (LAA) indicates the risk for thrombus formation. Accurate validated techniques to extract this information from 4D-CT have been lacking, however.

Methods

To measure the flow rate though the MV and the LAA from 4D-CT, we developed a motion tracking algorithm that performs a nonrigid deformation of the surface separating the blood pool from the myocardium. To improve the tracking of the LAA, this region was deformed separately from the left atrium and left ventricle. We compared the CT based flow with 4D flow and short axis MRI data from the same individual in 9 patients.

Results

For the mitral valve flow, good agreement was found for the time span between the early and late diastolic peak flow (bias: <0.1 s). The ventricular stroke volume is similar compared to short-axis MRI (bias 3 ml). There are larger differences in the diastolic peak flow rates, with a larger bias for the early flow rate than the late flow rate. The peak LAA outflow rate measured with both modalities matches well (bias: −6 ml/s).

Conclusions

Overall, the developed algorithm provides accurate tracking of dynamic cardiac geometries resulting in similar flow rates at the MV and LAA compared to 4D flow MRI.
Manipulation and elimination of circulating tumor cells using multi-responsive nanosheet for malignant tumor therapy
Authors: Liu Tao , Cai Bolei , Yuan Pingyun , Wang Le , Tian Ran , Dai Taiqiang , Weng Lin , Chen Xin
Published: February 2023

Tumor recurrence caused by metastasis is a major cause of death for patients.
Light-induced dissolution and concomitant crystallization of a Keggin-type polyoxometalate mimicking a naturally occurring phenomenon
Authors: Tandekar Kesar , Schmidtmann Marc , Tripathi Anjali , Mishra Neeraj Kumar , Supriya Sabbani
Published: February 2023

The photo-reduction induced dissolution and single crystal formation of compound [PPh4]4[PMoVMoVI11O40]·2CH3(C6H5)NCHO (1) occur upon irradiation of sunlight on the suspension of an yellow polycrystalline compound [PPh4]3[MoVI12O40] in N-methylformanilide (NMF).
Structural elucidation of polydopamine facilitated by ionic liquid solvation
Authors: Singh Abhishek , Mason Thomas G. , Lu Zhenzhen , Hill Anita J. , Pas Steven J. , Teo Boon Mia , Freeman Benny D. , Izgorodina Ekaterina I.
Published: February 2023

The structure of polydopamine has been elucidated for the first time using liquid phase NMR spectroscopy due to its solubility in specific ionic liquids. The solubility was found to be facilitated by the dual electrostatic and dispersion nature of ionic liquid ions.
A dual-function [Ru(bpy)3]2+ encapsulated metal organic framework for ratiometric Al3+ detection and anticounterfeiting application
Authors: Li Huijun , Wang Yanan , Jiang Fengjiao , Li Manman , Xu Zhouqing
Published: February 2023

A smart material HPU-24 loaded with [Ru(bpy)3]2+ named HPU-24@Ru has been obtained, which could be applied to high-sensitivity Al3+ sensing and temperature-stimulus high-level anticounterfeiting.
Synthesis of methanol by hydrogenolysis of biobased methyl formate using highly stable and active Cu-spinel catalysts in slurry and gas phase reactions
Authors: Haagen Vera , Iser Jakob , Schörner Markus , Weber Dennis , Franken Tanja , Wasserscheid Peter , Schühle Patrick
Published: February 2023

A new two-stage production route for methanol from biomass is proposed, including hydrogenolysis of methyl formate to methanol. The Cu0.9Al2O4 spinel catalyst is shown to be highly active for this reaction and stable against corrosion by formic acid.
Marine natural products
Authors: Carroll Anthony R. , Copp Brent R. , Davis Rohan A. , Keyzers Robert A. , Prinsep Michèle R.
Published: February 2023

A comprehensive review of 1425 new MNPs including a novel cyanobacterial cyclodepsipeptide, gatorbulin-1, that targets a 7th tubulin binding site.
Single and dual metal atom catalysts for enhanced singlet oxygen generation and oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Tamtaji Mohsen , Cai Songhhua , Wu Wenting , Liu Tongchao , Li Zhimin , Chang Hsun-Yun , Galligan Patrick Ryan , Iida Shin-ichi , Li Xiangrong , Rehman Faisal , Amine Khalil , Goddard William A. , Luo Zhengtang
Published: February 2023

We demonstrate rational design of graphene-supported single and dual metal atom catalysts (SACs and DACs) for photocatalytic applications, such as singlet oxygen (1O2) sensitization and H2O2 production.
Accurate determination of reaction energetics and kinetics of the HO2˙ + O3 → OH˙ + 2O2 reaction
Authors: Rai Philips Kumar , Kumar Pradeep
Published: February 2023

In the present work, we have studied the HO2˙ + O3 → HO˙ + 2O2 reaction using chemical kinetics and quantum chemical calculations.
Influence of conformation isomers in alkyl chains on Ag(i)-coordinated supramolecular architectures
Authors: Han Hyeon min , Kim Ka Young , Jung Jong Hwa , Jung Sung Ho
Published: February 2023

Herein, we present morphological changes of Ag(i)-coordinated supramolecular architectures by controlling the conformation isomers in the alkyl chain.
A novel bright cyan emitting phosphor of Eu2+activated Ba6BO3Cl9with robust thermal stability for full-spectrum WLED applications
Authors: Jiao Shengjian , Pang Ran , Wang Jiutian , Tan Tao , Li Chengyu , Zhang Hongjie
Published: February 2023

A novel bright cyan-emitting phosphor of Eu2+-activated Ba6BO3Cl9with robust thermal stability has been reported. It can efficiently compensate for the lack of cyan emission and also contribute to the improvement inRaof white LED devices.
Highly efficient white organic light-emitting diodes based on balanced bipolar-transporting blue hybridized local charge transfer fluorophores
Authors: Li Tengyue , Ying Shian , Zhou Huayi , Wang Runze , Ma Chenglin , Sun Mizhen , Xie Mingliang , Sun Qikun , Yang Wenjun , Xue Shanfeng
Published: February 2023

A super-efficient hybrid WOLED was achieved by blending the HLCT-based blue fluorescent molecule (TPACFOXZ) with a yellow phosphorescent molecule.
Nonce‐misuse resilience of Romulus‐N and GIFT‐COFB
Authors: Inoue Akiko , Guo Chun , Minematsu Kazuhiko
Published: February 2023

Nonce‐misuse resilience (NMRL) security of Romulus‐N and GIFT‐COFB is analysed, the two finalists of NIST Lightweight Cryptography project for standardising lightweight authenticated encryption. NMRL, introduced by Ashur et al. at CRYPTO 2017, is a relaxed security notion from a stronger, nonce‐misuse resistance notion. The authors have proved that Romulus‐N and GIFT‐ COFB have nonce‐misuse resilience. For Romulus‐N, the perfect privacy (NMRL‐PRIV) and n/2‐bit authenticity (NMRL‐AUTH) with graceful degradation with respect to nonce repetition are showed. For GIFT‐COFB, n/4‐bit security for both NMRL‐PRIV and NMRL‐AUTH notions is showed.
Selecting reliable blockchain peers via hybrid blockchain reliability prediction
Authors: Zheng Peilin , Zheng Zibin , Chen Liang
Published: February 2023

Blockchain and blockchain‐based decentralised applications have been attracting increasing attention recently. In public blockchain systems, users usually connect to third‐party peers or run a peer to join the P2P blockchain network. However, connecting to unreliable blockchain peers will lead to resource waste and even loss of cryptocurrencies by repeated transactions. In order to select reliable blockchain peers, it is urgently needed to evaluate and predict their reliability of them. Faced with this problem, we propose hybrid blockchain reliability prediction (H‐BRP), a Hybrid Blockchain Reliability Prediction model, to extract the blockchain reliability factors and then make the personalised prediction for each user. Comprehensive experiments conducted on 100 blockchain requesters and 200 blockchain peers demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed H‐BRP model. Further, the implementation and dataset of 2,000,000 test cases are released.
Efficient computation of the super-sample covariance for stage IV galaxy surveys
Authors: Lacasa Fabien , Aubert Marie , Baratta Philippe , Carron Julien , Gorce Adélie , Gouyou Beauchamps Sylvain , Legrand Louis , Moradinezhad Dizgah Azadeh , Tutusaus Isaac
Published: February 2023

Super-sample covariance (SSC) is an important effect for cosmological analyses that use the deep structure of the cosmic web; it may, however, be nontrivial to include it practically in a pipeline. We solve this difficulty by presenting a formula for the precision (inverse covariance) matrix and show applications to update likelihood or Fisher forecast pipelines. The formula has several advantages in terms of speed, reliability, stability, and ease of implementation. We present an analytical application to show the formal equivalence between three approaches to SSC: (i) at the usual covariance level, (ii) at the likelihood level, and (iii) with a quadratic estimator. We then present an application of this computationally efficient framework for studying the impact of inaccurate modelling of SSC responses for cosmological constraints from stage IV surveys. We find that a weak-lensing-only analysis is very sensitive to inaccurate modelling of the scale dependence of the response, which needs to be calibrated at the ∼15% level. The sensitivity to this scale dependence is less severe for the joint weak-lensing and galaxy clustering analysis (also known as 3×2pt). Nevertheless, we find that both the amplitude and scale-dependence of the responses have to be calibrated at better than 30%.
Diagnostic Sensitivity of Unenhanced CT for Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Can Clot Density Measurement Replace CT Venogram?
Authors: Chaudhary Snehansh Roy , Chunara Mohamed , McLeavy Chris , Qayyum Haisum , Cusack James , Paton David , Hare James , Ganguly Akash
Published: February 2023

Objectives Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is an important cause of stroke in young adults. Noncontrast-enhanced CT head (NECT) is almost always the first investigation.

Our objectives were as follows:

1. How accurately does venous sinus density on NECT predict the presence of clot on CT venogram (CTV)?

2. Whether repeated measurements changed the confidence?

3. How many venous sinus thrombus would be missed if we do not do a CTV?

4. Can clot density measurement replace CTV?

Methods Multicenter case–control study was designed with data from seven hospitals. Inclusion criteria: all CT and magnetic resonance imaging venograms with a prior NECT, performed between 1.1.2018 and 31.12.2018 (12 months), were included. Hounsfield unit (HU) values were calculated at the site of highest density on the NECT. Logistic regression analysis was performed using STATA.

Result Two-hundred seventy-seven cases met the criteria with 33 positive cerebral venous thrombosis (density on NECT 60–92 HU) and 244 negative examinations (density on NECT 31–68 HU). Area under the curve for average clot density on NECT was 0.9984.

Conclusion We found a strong relationship between sinus density on NECT and outcome of CTV. Repeating density measurements did not add any predictive value or changed outcome.

Advances in Knowledge Density 70 HU or higher on NECT always resulted in a positive CTV but would miss a fifth of the positives. Cutoff at 60 HU would not miss any but result in significant false positives. An efficient option could be to limit CTV to sinus densities 60 to 70 HU only. However, a larger study would be required for such change in practice.
The role of interactive style of use in improving risk management effectiveness
Authors: Marc Mojca , Arena Marika , Peljhan Darja
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to make risk management systems (RMS) more effective. We identify a critical element for effective RMS, which is neglected in the literature, and argue that the potential of advanced RMS designs (e.g., enterprise risk management—ERM) depends on the interactive style of use. However, interactive use is costly in terms of managers’ time and attention, so many organizations do not use RMS in this way. Using survey data and PLS-SEM, we show for our sample companies that the positive effects of advanced RMS design on effectiveness are fully mediated through interactive use of RMS. This brings on an important implication that a RMS leads to better results when it is used interactively. For example, more interactive use of less developed RMS design (such as the traditional silo-based design) would improve its effectiveness by compensating for the lack of an organization-wide RMS.
A multimodal investigation of EFL upper-intermediate learners’ conceptual metaphors of language learning with some psychological implications
Authors: Abdulaal Mohammad Awad Al-Dawoody , Abuslema Naglaa Fathy Mohammad Atia , Hal Amal Zakaria Mahmoud , Amer Asma’ Abdelhaleem , Altohami Waheed M. A.
Published: February 2023

Increased attention has been directed toward utilizing visual modes because linguistic modes cannot accurately depict L2 learners’ metaphorical conceptions of their language-acquisition experiences. The goal of this study was to investigate the mental images that Saudi EFL students may have in mind while learning a foreign language. To this end, both verbal and nonverbal metaphorical conceptions were investigated. An experimental group of 12 students was randomly selected. Both the learners’ written responses and drawn descriptions were evaluated to tap into the learners’ mental representations of foreign language learning. The multimodality-based analysis of the upper-intermediate learners’ metaphors demonstrated that the EFL learners’ metaphorical verbal and non-verbal representations had the same perspectives on learning a foreign language. The learners’ positive attitudes were also revealed by the extracted metaphorical concepts. Most of the metaphorical representations showed language learning as an exciting and uniquely personal experience. Few metaphorical representations showed that learning English was an awful experience.
Does hometown connection between chairmen and CEOs improve compensation–performance sensitivity in China?
Authors: Wang Di , Wu Zhanchi , You Junjie , Zhu Bangzhu , Zhang Rongwu
Published: February 2023

Based on a the micro dataset set of private Chinese-listed companies, this study examines the in detail the impact of hometown connections between chief executive officers (CEOs) and chairmen on CEO compensation–performance sensitivity. The empirical results suggest that a hometown connection prompts both the chairman and the CEO to pay more attention to their reputations, which improves CEO compensation–performance sensitivity. This hometown effect is more pronounced when the hometown culture is strong and the degree of marketization is high. The mechanism test reveals that an externally hierd CEO strengthens the influence of a hometown connection on CEO compensation–performance sensitivity, however, this influence weakens with increasing CEO tenure. Overall, this study enriches the literature on informal institutions and compensation contracts and provides valuable insights for company managers and policymakers in emerging markets.
Negative thermophoresis of nanoparticles in liquids
Authors: Liu Wangwang , Cui Jie , Wang Jun , Xia Guodong , Li Zhigang
Published: February 2023

The thermophoresis of suspended particles in a fluid is usually from high to low temperature. In the present paper, the negative thermophoresis (from low to high temperature) of nanoparticles in liquids is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the solid–liquid intermolecular coupling strength has a significant effect on the direction and magnitude of the thermophoretic force. Positive thermophoresis can be observed for strong couplings, while negative thermophoresis emerges for weak couplings. The negative thermophoresis is induced by the density gradient which pushes the particle from high to low density. Based on the analysis of the potential mean force of the solid–liquid interfacial layer, it is revealed that the switch between positive and negative thermophoresis is associated with the sign change of the averaged potential mean force for the interfacial layer. Therefore, the sign of the averaged potential mean force can be used as a criterion to predict the occurrence of negative thermophoresis. The results of this work provide insights for the microscopic manipulation of nanoparticles.
Hydrodynamics of a rotor–stator spinning disk reactor: Investigations by large-eddy simulation
Authors: Hop C. J. W. , Jansen R. , Besten M. , Chaudhuri A. , Baltussen M. W. , van der Schaaf J.
Published: February 2023

In this work, computational fluid dynamics are used to study the hydrodynamics in a complete rotor–stator spinning disk reactor with throughflow. Large-eddy simulations of OpenFOAM 9 were used to capture the turbulent structures of the flow in combination with the wall-adapting local eddy viscosity sub-grid-scale model. The method was validated based on residence time distributions (RTDs) for a range of rotational Reynolds numbers (Re = ωRD2ν−1 = 3.2–52 × 104) and a dimensionless flow rate (Cw = Q ν−1RD−1) of 150 and G = 0.0303 (G = h RD−1). The experimental RTD was obtained from tracer experiments with UV/VIS flow cells. From the RTD, the plug flow (PFR) volume fraction, the Péclet number, and the radial position (rtrans) where the flow changes from PFR into ideally mixed were determined by using an engineering model based on axial dispersion. For the turbulent cases, good agreement based on the RTD curve, PFR volume, the Péclet number, and rtrans was found. Furthermore, the boundary layer thickness on the rotor and stator and the entrainment coefficient were in good agreement with the literature. Finally, the turbulent intensity was analyzed illustrating a high intensity at the rim of the rotor and was 10% larger in centripetal flow compared to centrifugal flow.
Fundamental review on collision of blast waves
Authors: Almustafa Monjee K. , Nehdi Moncef L.
Published: February 2023

The introduction and pinnacle of colliding blast waves research commenced in the 1950s following World War II. Since then, sporadic studies have appeared throughout the literature up until the early 1990s, beyond which a significant contributory gap on the topic ensued. With the interminable proactivity of modern civil and aerospace defense research in the past several decades, investigations on the phenomena of blast wave collisions have fallen behind in comparison. Recent events and applications of offensive and defensive operations have slowly begun to rekindle studies on colliding blast waves in the last few years. However, there remains limitations on the extent of analyses which have yet to be adequately addressed. This review attempts to critically compile and analyze all existing research on blast wave collisions to identify pertinent shortcomings of the present state-of-the-art. In addition, related investigations of colliding shock waves and the collision of shock waves and blast waves are also provided to further elaborate on their distinctions to colliding blast waves. Prior to such discussions, the fundamentals of blast wave behaviors in terms of their characteristics, formation, and propagation are presented to pave a background to subsequent advanced topics. Finally, unique classifications of direct and indirect applications of blast wave collisions are presented with modern perspectives. As a result, a classical problem is reawakened toward understanding and addressing highly complex and dynamic shock wave systems in defense applications.
Effect of radial velocity profiles on axial dispersion in packed beds: Transient formulation
Authors: Luzi Carlos D. , Martinez Osvaldo M. , Barreto Guillermo F.
Published: February 2023

For a single-phase flow in a packed bed, systematic radial velocity profiles promote the axial dispersion of a solute identified as trans-column dispersion and quantified by the corresponding dispersion coefficient. In a recent contribution, we evaluated the magnitude of such a dispersive effect for a long enough bed, i.e., the asymptotic behavior. However, in many practical cases, this last condition is not accomplished, and the dispersion coefficient will be lower than the asymptotic value. The development of the trans-column dispersion is addressed based on a two-dimensional two-zone model and the application of the Taylor–Aris method of moments. The results show satisfactory agreement compared with available literature data. The effect of the vessel-to-particle diameter ratio on the development of the trans-column dispersion coefficient is also explored. As the initial growth rate of the dispersion coefficient is lower, the higher the diameter ratio, and the opposite trend holds for the asymptotic value, the net effect of the diameter ratio weakens up to distances of some tens of particle diameter. This result can be identified as one of the reasons for the controversy that still prevails in assessing the contribution of the trans-column dispersion to the total axial dispersion. Further aspects discussed concern suitable approximations to evaluate the development of the trans-column dispersion coefficient and the comparison between the results from the Taylor–Aris method of moments and from the residence time distribution approach.
The fixed points and the manifolds in a second order Stokes wave
Authors: Kumar Anjanee , Chaudhury Kaustav
Published: February 2023

Here, we present an analysis of the flow properties of second order Stokes waves in water. The description of the flow field is developed using the concept of fixed points and manifolds, which is commonly employed for the analysis of a nonlinear dynamic system. We find that the components of the velocity field are related to each other by an elliptic correlation, where the center of the ellipse represents the fixed points. Since an ellipse is not likely to pass through its center, the estimation of the fixed points in a second order Stokes wave seems challenging. However, we find that the fixed points can be found out in a degenerate case of the ellipse; such a case is observed at the bottom surface that is found to host all the fixed points. The vertical lines passing through the fixed points represent the manifolds. We find that, interestingly, the fixed points and the corresponding manifolds are not fixed but rather move with a speed that equals the wave celerity. Here, we show that the deformation of the free surface requires straining. The flow field evolves in a manner to sustain such straining. Despite the rigid nature, the flow straining is also observed at the bottom surface. Such straining is found to be generated by the fixed points at the bottom surface. The vertically oriented manifolds are found acting as the guides to mediate such flow and straining exchange between the free and bottom surface.
The Riemann problem for a traffic flow model
Authors: Shao Zhiqiang
Published: February 2023

A traffic flow model describing the formation and dynamics of traffic jams was introduced by Berthelin et al. [“A model for the formation and evolution of traffic jams,” Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 187, 185–220 (2008)], which consists of a pressureless gas dynamics system under a maximal constraint on the density and can be derived from the Aw–Rascle model under the constraint condition ρ≤ρ* by letting the traffic pressure vanish. In this paper, we give up this constraint condition and consider the following form: {ρt+(ρu)x=0,(ρu+εp(ρ))t+(ρu2+εup(ρ))x=0,in which p(ρ)=−1ρ. The Riemann problem for the above traffic flow model is constructively solved. The delta shock wave arises in the Riemann solutions, although the system is strictly hyperbolic, its first eigenvalue is genuinely nonlinear, and the second eigenvalue is linearly degenerate. Furthermore, we clarify the generalized Rankine–Hugoniot relations and δ-entropy condition. The position, strength, and propagation speed of the delta shock wave are obtained from the generalized Rankine–Hugoniot conditions. The delta shock may be useful for the description of the serious traffic jam. More importantly, it is proved that the limits of the Riemann solutions of the above traffic flow model are exactly those of the pressureless gas dynamics system with the same Riemann initial data as the traffic pressure vanishes.
Porous media flooding mechanism of nanoparticle-enhanced emulsification system
Authors: Liu Jianbin , Liu Shun , Zhong Liguo , Li Zelin , Zhang Yalong , Du Hengyi
Published: February 2023

This study carried out interfacial tension (IFT) testing, sand surface element analysis and scanning electron microscope imaging, rock–oil–emulsification system interaction testing, and microstructure, droplet size distribution, and stability of oil in water (O/W) emulsion to clarify the porous media flooding mechanism of a hydrophilic nano-SiO2 enhanced emulsification system. The results show that by adding a small amount of nano-SiO2 (0.01 wt. %) into an anionic surfactant fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sodium hydroxypropyl sulfonate (AEOSHS) solution (0.5 wt. %), the IFT of oil–water was effectively reduced, the adsorption loss of AEOSHS on the formation sand surface was reduced by more than 70%, and the droplet size of the formed O/W emulsion was reduced by 50%. This greatly improves the effective concentration of AEOSHS and emulsifies the heavy oil ability in the formation away from the injection well. Moreover, the spreading ability of oil on the core surface is greatly reduced, and the width of the diffusion zone is narrowed. Meanwhile, a very clear dividing line of oil can be seen, which shows that the wettability of the core has changed to water wet. The stability of the formed O/W emulsion was further enhanced, and the coalescence and migration process of the droplet is extremely slow. The oil recovery of the AEOSHS + nano-SiO2 system can effectively increase 21.95% of the original oil in place. Both the sand-packed tube experiment and the microscopic visual oil flooding experiment show that the system can not only expand the swept volume but also improve the oil displacement efficiency, which means that the combined system can significantly improve the oil displacement effect.
Encoding of dynamic facial information in the middle dorsal face area
Authors: Yang Zetian , Freiwald Winrich A.
Published: February 2023

Faces in motion reveal a plethora of information through visual dynamics. Faces can move in complex patterns while transforming facial shape, e.g., during the generation of different emotional expressions. While motion and shape processing have been studied extensively in separate research enterprises, much less is known about their conjunction during biological motion. Here, we took advantage of the discovery in brain-imaging studies of an area in the dorsal portion of the macaque monkey superior temporal sulcus (STS), the middle dorsal face area (MD), with selectivity for naturalistic face motion. To gain mechanistic insights into the coding of facial motion, we recorded single-unit activity from MD, testing whether and how MD cells encode face motion. The MD population was highly sensitive to naturalistic facial motion and facial shape. Some MD cells responded only to the conjunction of facial shape and motion, others were selective for facial shape even without movement, and yet others were suppressed by facial motion. We found that this heterogeneous MD population transforms face motion into a higher dimensional activity space, a representation that would allow for high sensitivity to relevant small-scale movements. Indeed, we show that many MD cells carry such sensitivity for eye movements. We further found that MD cells encode motion of head, mouth, and eyes in a separable manner, requiring the use of multiple reference frames. Thus, MD is a bona fide face–motion area that uses highly heterogeneous cell populations to create codes capturing even complex facial motion trajectories.
Structure of metallochaperone in complex with the cobalamin-binding domain of its target mutase provides insight into cofactor delivery
Authors: Vaccaro Francesca A. , Born David A. , Drennan Catherine L.
Published: February 2023

G-protein metallochaperone MeaB in bacteria [methylmalonic aciduria type A (MMAA) in humans] is responsible for facilitating the delivery of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) to methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM), the only AdoCbl-dependent enzyme in humans. Genetic defects in the switch III region of MMAA lead to the genetic disorder methylmalonic aciduria in which the body is unable to process certain lipids. Here, we present a crystal structure of
Methylobacterium extorquens
MeaB bound to a nonhydrolyzable guanosine triphosphate (GTP) analog guanosine-5′-[(β,γ)-methyleno]triphosphate (GMPPCP) with the Cbl-binding domain of its target mutase enzyme (
Me
MCM
cbl
). This structure provides an explanation for the stimulation of the GTP hydrolyase activity of MeaB afforded by target protein binding. We find that upon MCM
cbl
association, one protomer of the MeaB dimer rotates ~180°, such that the inactive state of MeaB is converted to an active state in which the nucleotide substrate is now surrounded by catalytic residues. Importantly, it is the switch III region that undergoes the largest change, rearranging to make direct contacts with the terminal phosphate of GMPPCP. These structural data additionally provide insights into the molecular basis by which this metallochaperone contributes to AdoCbl delivery without directly binding the cofactor. Our data suggest a model in which GTP-bound MeaB stabilizes a conformation of MCM that is open for AdoCbl insertion, and GTP hydrolysis, as signaled by switch III residues, allows MCM to close and trap its cofactor. Substitutions of switch III residues destabilize the active state of MeaB through loss of protein:nucleotide and protein:protein interactions at the dimer interface, thus uncoupling GTP hydrolysis from AdoCbl delivery.
Zwitterions fine-tune interactions in electrolyte solutions
Authors: Hallett James E. , Agg Kieran J. , Perkin Susan
Published: February 2023

Cellular organisms regulate electrolyte composition in the cytosol to optimize intracellular molecular interactions at the same time as balancing external osmotic pressure. While osmotic pressure can be tuned using multiple ionic, zwitterionic, and nonionic solutes, interactions between proteins and other macromolecules are sensitive to the precise composition of the medium. Nonetheless, the roles of individual ions and nonionic solutes in mediating cellular interactions remain relatively unexplored, and standard buffer solutions used in laboratory studies often contain only a few simple salts. Here, we report on model experiments investigating the combined effect of ionic and zwitterionic solutes on interaction forces across electrolytes, revealing a clear role for zwitterions in modifying interactions compared to simple salt solutions. First, we find that zwitterions act to disrupt water layering at interfaces, leading to smoothed interaction potentials. Second, we find that zwitterions strengthen electrostatic repulsions by enhancing effective surface charge. Third, zwitterions enhance the effective dielectric permittivity of the solution, and this “dielectricizer” effect extends the range of electrostatic repulsions compared to solutions without zwitterion present. The latter two effects are likely important in stabilizing proteins and other macromolecules when external osmotic and mechanical pressure are very high and simple ionic solutes alone would lead to collapse.
Split aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases for proximity-induced stop codon suppression
Authors: Jiang Han-Kai , Ambrose Nicole L. , Chung Christina Z. , Wang Yane-Shih , Söll Dieter , Tharp Jeffery M.
Published: February 2023

Synthetic biology tools for regulating gene expression have many useful biotechnology and therapeutic applications. Most tools developed for this purpose control gene expression at the level of transcription, and relatively few methods are available for regulating gene expression at the translational level. Here, we design and engineer split orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (o-aaRS) as unique tools to control gene translation in bacteria and mammalian cells. Using chemically induced dimerization domains, we developed split o-aaRSs that mediate gene expression by conditionally suppressing stop codons in the presence of the small molecules rapamycin and abscisic acid. By activating o-aaRSs, these molecular switches induce stop codon suppression, and in their absence stop codon suppression is turned off. We demonstrate, in 
Escherichia coli
and in human cells, that split o-aaRSs function as genetically encoded AND gates where stop codon suppression is controlled by two distinct molecular inputs. In addition, we show that split o-aaRSs can be used as versatile biosensors to detect therapeutically relevant protein–protein interactions, including those involved in cancer, and those that mediate severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 infection.