bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of lens-to-sample distance on spatial uniformity and emission spectrum of flat-top laser-induced plasma
Authors: FU Hongbo , WANG Huadong , ZHANG Mengyang , WU Bian , ZHANG Zhirong
Published: April 2022

The optimal spectral excitation and acquisition scheme is explored by studying the effect of the lens-to-sample distance (LTSD) on the spatial homogeneity and emission spectra of flat-top laser converging spot induced plasma. The energy distribution characteristics before and after the convergence of the laser beam with quasi flat-top intensity profile used in this study are theoretically simulated and experimentally measured. For an aspheric converging mirror with a focal length of 100 mm, the LTSD (106 mm ≥ LTSD ≥ 96 mm) was changed by raising the stainless-steel sample height. The plasma images acquired by ICCD show that there is air breakdown when the sample is below the focal point, and a ring-like plasma is produced when the sample is above the focal point. When the sample is located near the focal point, the plasma shape resembles a hemisphere. Since the spectral acquisition region is confined to the plasma core and the image contains all the optical information of the plasma, it has a lower relative standard deviation (RSD) than the spectral lines. When the sample surface is slightly higher than the focal plane of the lens, the converging spot has a quasi flat-top distribution, the spatial distribution of the plasma is more uniform, and the spectral signal is more stable. Simultaneously, there is little difference between the RSD of the plasma image and the laser energy. In order to further improve the stability of the spectral signal, it is necessary to expand the spectral acquisition area.
Electronic and interfacial properties of graphene/HfS2 van der Waals heterostructure
Authors: Karbasizadeh S , Fanaeeparvar F , Abdolhosseini Sarsari I
Published: April 2022

Using density functional theory calculations and the addition of van der Waals correction, the graphene/HfS2 heterojunction is constructed, and its electronic properties are examined thoroughly. This interface is determined as n-type ohmic, and the impacts of different amounts of interlayer distance and strain on the contact are shown using Schottky barrier height and electron injection efficiency. Dipole moment and work function of the interface are also altered when subjected to change in these two categories. The effects of an applied electric field on transforming the ohmic contact to Schottky is also investigated. The conclusions given can assist in the design and modeling of HfS2 based devices in the future.
MAMnet: detecting and genotyping deletions and insertions based on long reads and a deep learning approach
Authors: Ding Hongyu , Luo Junwei
Published: April 2022

Structural variations (SVs) play important roles in human genetic diversity; deletions and insertions are two common types of SVs that have been proven to be associated with genetic diseases. Hence, accurately detecting and genotyping SVs is significant for disease research. Despite the fact that long-read sequencing technologies have improved the field of SV detection and genotyping, there are still some challenges that prevent satisfactory results from being obtained. In this paper, we propose MAMnet, a fast and scalable SV detection and genotyping method based on long reads and a combination of convolutional neural network and long short-term network. MAMnet uses a deep neural network to implement sensitive SV detection with a novel prediction strategy. On real long-read sequencing datasets, we demonstrate that MAMnet outperforms Sniffles, SVIM, cuteSV and PBSV in terms of their F1 scores while achieving better scaling performance. The source code is available from https://github.com/micahvista/MAMnet.
The prediction approach of drug-induced liver injury: response to the issues of reproducible science of artificial intelligence in real-world applications
Authors: Chen Zhao , Jiang Yin , Zhang Xiaoyu , Zheng Rui , Qiu Ruijin , Sun Yang , Zhao Chen , Shang Hongcai
Published: April 2022

In the previous study, we developed the generalized drug-induced liver injury (DILI) prediction model—ResNet18DNN to predict DILI based on multi-source combined DILI dataset and achieved better performance than that of previously published described DILI prediction models. Recently, we were honored to receive the invitation from the editor to response the Letter to Editor by Liu Zhichao, et al. We were glad that our research has attracted the attention of Liu’s team and they has put forward their opinions on our research. In this response to Letter to the Editor, we will respond to these comments.
Current understanding in deciphering trophoblast cell differentiation during human placentation
Authors: Li Qian , Wu Hao , Wang Yue , Wang Hongmei
Published: April 2022

The placenta is a unique organ that forms during gestation and supports fetus survival and communication with the mother. However, of such an essential organ for a successful pregnancy, our knowledge is limited. New progress has been made for human placenta study in recent years. We herein summarize the current understanding of human placental trophoblast differentiation and the molecules that govern trophoblast cell lineage specification. More importantly, the powerful tools for placental studies are also described such as human trophoblast stem cells, 3-dimensional (3D) trophoblast organoids, engineering-based placental devices, and single-cell RNA sequencing. These advances have brought us new insights into placental development and provided multiple investigation strategies for deciphering molecular mechanisms.
Cryptic speciation shapes the biogeographic history of a northern distributed moss
Authors: Escolástico-Ortiz Dennis Alejandro , Hedenäs Lars , Quandt Dietmar , Harpke Dörte , Larraín Juan , Stech Michael , Villarreal A Juan Carlos
Published: April 2022

Increasing evidence indicates that wide distributed bryophyte taxa with homogeneous morphology may represent separate evolutionary lineages. The evolutionary histories of these cryptic lineages may be related to historical factors, such as the climatic oscillations in the Quaternary. Thus, the post-glacial demographic signatures paired with cryptic speciation may result in complex phylogeographic patterns. This research has two aims: to determine whether the widespread moss Racomitrium lanuginosum represents cryptic molecular taxa across the Northern Hemisphere and to infer the effects of Quaternary glaciations on spatial genetic diversity. We used the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) marker to resolve the phylogeographic history of the species and single nucleotide polymorphisms (genotyping-by-sequencing) to infer the genetic structure and demographic history. Finally, we assessed the historical changes in the distribution range using species distribution models. Racomitrium lanuginosum comprises distinct molecular lineages sympatrically distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. We also uncovered long-distance dispersal from eastern North America to Scandinavia and potential in situ survival in northern Scandinavia. Due to the genetic signatures, the Alaska Peninsula could be considered a glacial refugium. The species experienced post-glacial expansion northwards in the Northern Hemisphere, mainly from the Alaska Peninsula. Our results exemplify the complex phylogeographic history in cold environments and contribute to recognizing evolutionary patterns in the Northern Hemisphere.
The clinical, molecular, and therapeutic features of patients with IL10/IL10R deficiency: a systematic review
Authors: Sharifinejad Niusha , Zaki-Dizaji Majid , Sepahvandi Roya , Fayyaz Farimah , dos Santos Vilela Maria Marluce , ElGhazali Gehad , Abolhassani Hassan , Ochs Hans D , Azizi Gholamreza
Published: April 2022

Interleukin10 (IL10) and IL10 receptor (IL10R) deficiencies are monogenic inborn errors of immunity (IEI) causing early-onset inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In this report, we systematically reviewed articles that included related keywords using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. The articles were screened for eligibility criteria before data extraction. We assessed 286 patients (44.5% female) with IL10 and/or IL10R deficiencies who were predominantly from China (40.7%), Italy (13.9%), and South Korea (8.5%). The median age of onset was 1.0 (0.3–4.0) months with a median age of genetic diagnosis at 16.0 (7.4–81.0) months. Consanguinity was reported in all evaluable patients with IL10 deficiency and in 38.2% of patients with IL10R deficiency (22.9% of patients with IL10RA, and 79.4% of patients with IL10RB deficiency). The most prevalent mutations in IL10RA were c.301C>T (p.R101W) and c.537G>A (p.T179T), those in IL10RB were c.139A>G (p.K47E) and c.611G>A (p.W204X). Auto-inflammation and enteropathy were present in all cases. The first presentation of both groups was protracted diarrhea (45.7%), bloody diarrhea (17.8%), and colitis (15.5%). Patients with IL10R deficiency had a high frequency of dermatologic manifestations (50.5%) and failure to thrive (60.5%), while IL10-deficient patients lacked those complications. In the majority of patients, the basic immunologic parameters were in normal ranges. Of the entire publications, 30.7% underwent hemopoietic stem cell transplantation, 57.5% surgery, and 86.6% immunosuppressive treatment. The 10-year survival rate was higher in patients with IL10 deficiency than in patients with IL10R deficiency. In conclusion, IL10/IL10R deficiency predominantly presents with treatment-resistant, early-onset IBD within the first months of life. We detected no clear correlation between the phenotype of patients carrying the same variant. The high prevalence of distinct clinical manifestations reported in IL10RA- and IL10RB-deficient patients might be attributable to the interactions between the target tissue and cytokines other than IL10 capable of binding to IL10RB. These results gain translational significance by contributing to earlier diagnosis, adequate therapy, and avoiding delay in the diagnosis and unfavorable outcomes.
Supporting the Art: Medication Adherence Patterns in Persons Prescribed Ingestible Sensor-enabled Oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
Authors: Browne Sara H , Vaida Florin , Umlauf Anya , Tucker Amanda J , Blaschke Terrence F , Benson Constance A
Published: April 2022

Background

Timely, accurate adherence data may support oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) success and inform prophylaxis choice. We evaluated a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved digital health feedback system (DHFS) with ingestible-sensor-enabled (IS) tenofovir-disoproxil-fumarate plus emtricitabine (Truvada®) in persons starting oral PrEP.

Methods

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative adults were prescribed IS-Truvada® with DHFS for 12 weeks to observe medication taking behavior. Baseline demographics, urine toxicology, and self-report questionnaires were obtained. Positive detection accuracy and adverse events were computed as percentages, with Kaplan Meier Estimate for persistence-of-use. In participants persisting ≥28 days, adherence patterns (taking and timing) were analyzed, and mixed-effects logistic regression modeled characteristics associated with treatment adherence.

Results

Seventy-one participants were enrolled, mean age 37.6 years (range 18–69), 90.1% male, 77.5% White, 33.8% Hispanic, 95.8% housed, and 74.6% employed. Sixty-three participants (88.7%) persisted ≥28 days, generating 4987 observation days, average 79.2 (29–105). Total confirmed doses were 86.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 82.5, 89.4), decreasing over time, odds ratio (OR) 0.899 (95% CI .876, .923) per week, P < .001; 79.4% (95% CI 66.7%, 87.3%) of participants had ≥80% adherence. Pattern analysis showed days without confirmed doses clustered (P = .003); regular dose timing was higher among participants with ≥80% confirmed doses (0.828, 95% CI .796 to .859) than among those with <80% (0.542, 95% CI95 .405 to .679) P < .001. In multi-predictor models, better adherence was associated with older age, OR 1.060 (95% CI 1.033, 1.091) per year, P < .001; negative vs positive methamphetamine screen, OR 5.051 (95% CI 2.252, 11.494), P < .001.

Conclusions

DHFS with IS-Truvada® distinguished adherent persons from those potentially at risk of prophylactic failure. Ongoing methamphetamine substance use may impact oral PrEP success.
Safety and Efficacy of an AIEC-targeted Bacteriophage Cocktail in a Mice Colitis Model
Authors: Titécat Marie , Rousseaux Christel , Dubuquoy Caroline , Foligné Benoît , Rahmouni Oumaïra , Mahieux Séverine , Desreumaux Pierre , Woolston Joelle , Sulakvelidze Alexander , Wannerberger Kristin , Neut Christel
Published: April 2022

Background and aims

Adherent invasive Escherichia coli [AIEC] are recovered with a high frequency from the gut mucosa of Crohn’s disease patients and are believed to contribute to the dysbiosis and pathogenesis of this inflammatory bowel disease. In this context, bacteriophage therapy has been proposed for specifically targeting AIEC in the human gut with no deleterious impact on the commensal microbiota.

Methods

The in vitro efficacy and specificity of a seven lytic phage cocktail [EcoActive™] was assessed against [i] 210 clinical AIEC strains, and [ii] 43 non-E. coli strains belonging to the top 12 most common bacterial genera typically associated with a healthy human microbiome. These data were supported by in vivo safety and efficacy assays conducted on healthy and AIEC-colonized mice, respectively.

Results

The EcoActive cocktail was effective in vitro against 95% of the AIEC strains and did not lyse any of the 43 non-E. coli commensal strains, in contrast to conventional antibiotics. Long-term administration of the EcoActive cocktail to healthy mice was safe and did not induce dysbiosis according to metagenomic data. Using a murine model of induced colitis of animals infected with the AIEC strain LF82, we found that a single administration of the cocktail failed to alleviate inflammatory symptoms, while mice receiving the cocktail twice a day for 15 days were protected from clinical and microscopical manifestations of inflammation.

Conclusions

Collectively, the data support the approach of AIEC-targeted phage therapy as safe and effective treatment for reducing AIEC levels in the gut of IBD patients.
Assessment of the systolic rise time by photoplethysmography in peripheral arterial diseases: a comparative study with ultrasound Doppler
Authors: Amrani Samantha , Eveilleau Kornelia , Fassbender Verena , Obeid Hasan , Abi-Nasr Imad , Giordana Pascal , Hallab Magid , Leftheriotis Georges
Published: April 2022

Aims

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a major public health burden requiring more intensive population screening. Ankle brachial index (ABI) using arm and ankle cuffs is considered as the reference method for the detection of PAD. Although it requires a rigorous methodology by trained operators, it remains time-consuming and more technically difficult in patients with diabetes due to mediacalcosis. Techniques based on the study of hemodynamic, such as the systolic rise time (SRT), appear promising but need to be validated. We retrospectively compared the reliability and accuracy of SRT using a photoplethysmography (PPG) technique to the SRT measured by ultrasound doppler (UD) in PAD patients diagnosed with the ABI (137 patients, 200 lower limbs).

Methods and results

There was a significant correlation between SRT measured with UD (SRTud) compared with that with PPG (SRTppg, r = 0.25; P = 0.001). Best correlation was found in patients without diabetes (r = 0.40; P = 0.001). Bland and Altman analysis showed a good agreement between the SRTud and SRTppg. In contrast, there was no significant correlation between UD and PPG in diabetes patients. Furthermore, patients with diabetes exhibited a significant increase of SRTppg (P = 0.02) compared with patients without diabates but not with the SRTud (P = 0.18). The SRTppg was significantly linked to the arterial velocity waveforms, the type of arterial lesion but not vascular surgery revascularization technique.

Conclusion

This monocentric pilot study shows that SRT measured with the PPG signal reliably correlates with SRT recorded with UD. The PPG is an easy to use technique in the hand of non-expert with a potential interest for general screening of PAD, especially in diabetes patients, due to its ease to use.
Sex differences in temporal trends in main and secondary pulmonary embolism diagnosis and case fatality rates: 2003–2019
Authors: Vicent Lourdes , Martín de la Mota Sanz David , Rosillo Nicolás , Peñaloza-Martínez Eduardo , Moreno Guillermo , Bernal José Luis , Elola Javier , Bueno Héctor
Published: April 2022

Aims

There is controversy regarding the incidence and outcomes of pulmonary embolism (PE) according to sex. Our aim was to address sex differences in temporal trends in main and secondary hospital PE diagnoses, management and case fatality rates (CFR).

Methods and results

Retrospective analysis of Spain´s National Healthcare System hospital database, years 2003–2019, for patients ≥18 years with main or secondary PE diagnosis. Trends by sex in hospital diagnosis, use of procedures, and CFRs were analysed by joinpoint and Poisson regression models. Of 339 469 PE diagnoses, 52% were in women. Sixty-five percent were main diagnosis, 35.2% secondary. Total annual diagnoses and frequentation rates increased similarly in men and women: average annual percent change (AAPC): 2.0% (95% CI, 1.3–2.6; P < 0.005). Secondary PEs were more common in men (37.8% vs. 32.9%, P < 0.001). Men showed greater comorbidity than women (Charlson index 2.22 ± 0.01 vs. 1.74 ± 0.01, P < 0.001), particularly cancer in the secondary diagnosis group (40.9% vs. 31.6%, P < 0.001). CFRs for PE as main diagnosis were comparable and decreased in parallel in men (from 13.8% in 2003 to 7.3% in 2019) and women (from 13.1% in 2003 to 6.9% in 2019). However, for PE as secondary diagnosis, CFRs remained higher (P < 0.001) in men (from 42.5% in 2003 to 26.2% in 2019) than women (from 34.4% in 2003 to 22.8% in 2019).

Conclusion

PE hospital diagnosis increased significantly between 2003 and 2019 in men and women for both main and secondary diagnosis. Although in-hospital CFR decreased one third still remains very high, especially in men with secondary PE diagnosis.
Sexual Scandal and Catholicism in Victorian England: The Case of Monsignor Thomas John Capel
Authors: Verhoeven Timothy
Published: April 2022

This article investigates a sexual scandal that rocked the English Catholic Church in the Victorian era. Though forgotten today, Monsignor Thomas John Capel was one of the most famous clerics in the Victorian Church. His career fell into turmoil when, in 1879, Cardinal Henry Edward Manning launched a diocesan commission to investigate charges of sexual misconduct involving three women. Drawing on a series of rich and as yet unexplored archival sources, the article charts the career of Thomas Capel and assesses the nature, aims and outcomes of the Church-run inquiry into his conduct. Through an analysis of the actions not just of Capel but of Church authorities both in Westminster and in Rome, we gain a revealing window onto sexual scandal and the Church’s response to it in the nineteenth century.
Local multipliers and the growth of services: evidence from late nineteenth century USA, Great Britain, and Sweden
Authors: Ostermeyer Vinzent
Published: April 2022

In the shadow of industry, the service sector substantially expanded during the late nineteenth century. This paper analyzes how the creation of industrial employment contributed to this growth of services. I leverage full-count census data from the United States, Great Britain, and Sweden to estimate local employment multipliers. I show that industrial growth was a key driver in the emergence of services. Each new industrial job created up to one additional local service job. This effect was driven by the high-skilled industrial sector where each additional job created up to two service jobs. Multiplier effects created jobs across different services.
Senescence modulation as a key process in the dual role of hyaluronan in cancer: the deforestation allegory
Authors: Lompardía Silvina , Pibuel Matías , Díaz Mariángeles , Poodts Daniela , Hajos Silvia
Published: April 2022

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and has been associated with ageing. Although there are numerous reports that have demonstrated the dual role of hyaluronic acid and senescence induction in cancer prevention and promotion, both players have been linked to ageing in opposite ways. Hyaluronan is recognized for its antiaging role, whereas senescence is associated with ageing. In this review we address these dual roles, showing their interrelation, hypothesizing that the downregulation of senescence mediated by HA would be a key factor in the ambivalent effects described. Likewise, the deforestation allegory aims to explain, through the use of a metaphor, the contradictory yet valid results found in the literature. Considering this background, we propose new strategies for improving tumor therapy. Understanding the biology of these complex diseases and the temporal implication of the different players in dissimilar contexts could bring us closer to the therapeutic improvements needed in the field of oncology.
The importance of cephalopods in the diet of fish on the northwest European shelf
Authors: Barrett C J , Barry P , MacLeod E , Stott S , Vieira R , Laptikhovsky V
Published: April 2022

Cephalopods are universal to the world's oceans and prey to many fish species. On the northwest European shelf, integrated ecosystem assessments are rapidly evolving into the preferred method for holistically assessing stocks, but cephalopods appear to be an overlooked component, perhaps because their roles in ecosystems have seldom been quantified in recent years. We have analysed historical fish stomach records and revisited literature at local and regional level to determine the importance of cephalopods to the diets of 26 ecologically important finfish. We conclude that, in contrast to most other large marine ecosystems, cephalopods found in the Greater North Sea and the Celtic Seas regions appear to contribute only a small fraction to the diets of ecologically important finfish (found in the stomachs of ∼14% of specimens among some species, but generally only 1–3% in most species), though their role as predator may be important and require further investigation. Based on our findings, cephalopods may not represent a key component for integrated ecosystem assessments, though as squid populations have been shown to expand throughout the North Sea in recent years, regular monitoring is encouraged to identify the point where their inclusion into such models may be necessary.
Comment on “Seaweed ecosystems may not mitigate CO2 emissions” by Gallagher et al. (2022)
Authors: Stafford R
Published: April 2022

The role of animal (and plant) respiration in assessing the true carbon sequestration potential of a system is vital to acknowledge, and addressed in Gallagher et al. (2022). However, within this article, there is confusion around the respiration of kelp once exported to open waters from kelp ecosystems but respired before sequestration. From their consideration of a closed kelp ecosystem (but with import of phytoplankton and export of kelp), respiration of phytoplankton transported into the system is correctly considered in their net respiration figures (but not the fixation of carbon dioxide by the phytoplankton outside the system, again correct for a closed system). However, the respiration of kelp exported from the closed system is also considered as part of the kelp community respiration. A closed system must remove this respiration of exported kelp from calculations. Alternatively, an open system must consider also the carbon fixation by phytoplankton. The outcome of redefining open and closed systems is that the systems examined in Gallagher et al. (2022) will be net sinks of carbon, although, as yet, the magnitude of this sink is poorly quantified.
Comment on “Five centuries of cod catches in eastern Canada,” by Schijns et al
Authors: Holm Poul , Hayes Patrick W , Nicholls John
Published: April 2022

Schijns et al. use a historical time series to inform a stock assessment model for the northern Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) fishery from 1508 to 2019. They find that catches from the sixteenth century to the 1950s did not exceed 200000 t per annum and could have been sustained today “if fishing effort and mortality had been stabilized in the 1980s”. Had Schijns et al. used a more complete and representative time series (as identified below), they would have found that catches were substantially higher during much of the time period, possibly affecting their conclusions regarding the timing and onset of unsustainable exploitation. In an earlier paper, based on original archival documentation, we have argued that total landings in the Newfoundland fishery averaged 400000 t in the eighteenth century and peaked at 600000 t in 1788. We contend that pre-industrial technology was sufficient to have a significant impact on marine life.
Numerical analysis of two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations with additive stochastic forcing
Authors: Breit Dominic , Prohl Andreas
Published: April 2022

We propose and study a temporal and a spatio-temporal discretisation of the two-dimensional stochastic Navier–Stokes equations in bounded domains supplemented with no-slip boundary conditions. Considering additive noise, we base its construction on the related nonlinear random partial differential equation, which is solved by a transform of the solution of the stochastic Navier–Stokes equations. We show a strong rate (up to) $1$ in probability for a corresponding discretisation in space and time (and space-time).
Changing molecular epidemiology and characteristics of MRSA isolated from bloodstream infections: nationwide surveillance in Japan in 2019
Authors: Kaku Norihito , Sasaki Daisuke , Ota Kenji , Miyazaki Taiga , Yanagihara Katsunori
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Some single-centre studies have reported that MRSA carrying the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IV has been increasing in bloodstream infections (BSIs) in Japan. Therefore, we conducted nationwide surveillance for MRSA BSIs to investigate the extent of such change across Japan.

Methods

We recruited 51 Japanese hospitals from the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. MRSA isolates detected in two or more sets of blood cultures were collected between January and September 2019 and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. WGS was also performed to determine SCCmec and MLST types and detect drug-resistance and virulence genes.

Results

Two hundred and seventy MRSA isolates were collected from 45 hospitals. The major combination types were ST8 with SCCmec type IV (ST8-IV) (30.7%), ST1-IV (29.6%), ST2725-IV (9.5%), ST764-II (8.1%) and ST5-II (7.8%). However, there were regional differences among the major types. The most common types in eastern, western and northern Japan were ST1-IV, ST8-IV, and ST5-II and ST764-II, respectively. ST8-IV, ST1-IV and ST2725-IV exhibited greater susceptibility to clindamycin and minocycline than ST764-II and ST5-II, but erm(A) was detected in 93.8% and 100.0% of ST1-IV and ST2725-IV, respectively. Based on drug-resistance and virulence genes, characteristics of ST8-IV were different from those of ST1-IV and ST2725-IV. In addition, there were two major ST8-IV types with different characteristics.

Conclusions

This study revealed that SCCmec type IV replaced SCCmec type II in MRSA BSIs. In addition, SCCmec type IV was divided into several types with different characteristics.
Detectability of Hibiscus Mealybug, Nipaecoccus viridis (Hemiptera: Pseudoccocidae), DNA in the Mealybug Destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and Survey of Its Predators in Florida Citrus Groves
Authors: Gaines Kristen C , Stelinski Lukasz L , Neupane Surendra , Diepenbrock Lauren M
Published: April 2022

The Hibiscus mealybug, Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead), has recently established in Florida citrus and become a pest of concern given secondary pest outbreaks associated with management of citrus greening disease. Chemical controls used to manage other citrus arthropod pests are not as effective against N. viridis due to its waxy secretions, clumping behavior, and induced cellular changes to host plant tissue which increase microhabitats. Populations of this mealybug pest are regulated by natural enemies in its native region, but it remains unclear if resident natural enemies in Florida citrus could similarly suppress N. viridis populations. This investigation: 1) established species-specific primers for N. viridis based on the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome-oxidase 1 (COI), 2) determined duration of N. viridis DNA detectability in a known predator, the mealybug destroyer (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant), by using identified primers in molecular gut content analysis, and 3) screened field-collected predators for the presence of N. viridis DNA. The detection rate of N. viridis DNA was >50% at 36 h after adult C. montrouzieri feeding but DNA was no longer detectable by 72 h after feeding. Field-collected predators were largely comprised of spiders, lacewings, and C. montrouzieri. Spiders, beetles (primarily C. montrouzieri), and juvenile lacewings were the most abundant predators of N. viridis, with 17.8, 43.5, and 58.3 of field-collected samples testing positive for N. viridis DNA, respectively. Our results indicate that Florida citrus groves are hosts to abundant predators of N. viridis and encourage the incorporation of conservation or augmentative biological control for management of this pest.
Standards of Scientific Evidence in Preferential Trade Agreements
Authors: Melillo Margherita
Published: April 2022

For a long time, international trade law’s interest in science has been limited to the provisions of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. However, the role of science in international trade law goes beyond the SPS Agreement. The Australia – Plain Packaging dispute has shown that the assessment of non-SPS provisions can also involve complex scientific questions. Moreover, the discussion should be extended to preferential trade agreements (PTAs). Against this background, this article investigates the nature and potential impact of standards of scientific evidence in PTAs. After the introduction, Section II lays out the methodology of the article. Section III opens with a brief recall of the relevant WTO provisions. Section IV reviews the standards of scientific evidence embedded in the PTAs concluded by the European Union (EU) and by the United States (USA), showing that both trading blocs have started introducing more stringent standards in recent PTAs. Section V describes the trends that emerge from the analysis. Some of these innovations seem to expand the application of the SPS science-based provisions to TBT chapters. Others simply introduce new standards of scientific evidence in WTO-X chapters on regulatory cooperation, environment, and labor. In conclusion, the article argues that we should pay much more attention to the role of standards of scientific evidence in PTAs.
Estimating transient rates from cosmological simulations and BPASS
Authors: Briel Max M , Eldridge J J , Stanway Elizabeth R , Stevance H F , Chrimes A A
Published: April 2022

The detection rate of electromagnetic (EM) and gravitational wave (GW) transients is growing exponentially. As the accuracy of the transient rates will significantly improve over the coming decades, so will our understanding of their evolution through cosmic history. To this end, we present predicted rates for EM and GW transients over the age of the universe using Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis (bpass) results combined with four cosmic star formation histories (SFHs). These include a widely used empirical SFH of Madau & Dickinson and those from three cosmological simulations: MilliMillennium, EAGLE, and IllustrisTNG. We find that the choice of SFH changes our predictions: transients with short delay times are most affected by the star formation rate and change up to a factor of 2, while long delay time events tend to depend on the metallicity evolution of star formation and can change the predicted rate up to an order of magnitude. Importantly, we find that the cosmological simulations have very different metallicity evolution that cannot be reproduced by the widely used metallicity model of Langer & Norman, which impacts the binary black hole merger, stripped-envelope supernovae, and LGRBs in the local Universe most acutely. We recommend against using simple prescriptions for the metallicity evolution of the universe when predicting the rates of events that can have long delay times and that are sensitive to metallicity evolution.
The chemo-dynamical groups of Galactic globular clusters
Authors: Callingham Thomas M , Cautun Marius , Deason Alis J , Frenk Carlos S , Grand Robert J J , Marinacci Federico
Published: April 2022

We introduce a multicomponent chemo-dynamical method for splitting the Galactic population of globular clusters (GCs) into three distinct constituents: bulge, disc, and stellar halo. The latter is further decomposed into the individual large accretion events that built up the Galactic stellar halo: the Gaia–Enceladus–Sausage, Kraken and Sequoia structures, and the Sagittarius and Helmi streams. Our modelling is extensively tested using mock GC samples constructed from the auriga suite of hydrodynamical simulations of Milky Way (MW)-like galaxies. We find that, on average, a proportion of the accreted GCs cannot be associated with their true infall group and are left ungrouped, biasing our recovered population numbers to $\sim 80{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of their true value. Furthermore, the identified groups have a completeness and a purity of only $\sim 65{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. This reflects the difficulty of the problem, a result of the large degree of overlap in energy-action space of the debris from past accretion events. We apply the method to the Galactic data to infer, in a statistically robust and easily quantifiable way, the GCs associated with each MW accretion event. The resulting groups’ population numbers of GCs, corrected for biases, are then used to infer the halo and stellar masses of the now defunct satellites that built up the halo of the MW.
The first hard X-ray spectral catalogue of Blazars observed by NuSTAR
Authors: Middei R , Giommi P , Perri M , Turriziani S , Sahakyan N , Chang Y L , Leto C , Verrecchia F
Published: April 2022

Blazars are a peculiar class of active galactic nuclei that enlighten the sky at all wavelengths. The electromagnetic emission of these sources is jet-dominated, resulting in a spectral energy distribution (SED) that has a typical double-humped shape. X-ray photons provide a wealth of information on the physics of each source as in the X-ray band, we can observe the tail of SED first peak, the rise of the second one or the transition between the two. NuSTAR, thanks to its capability of focusing X-rays up to 79 keV provides broad-band data particularly suitable to compute SEDs in a still poorly explored part of the spectrum. In the context of the Open Universe initiative, we developed a dedicated pipeline, NuSTAR_Spectra, a shell-script that automatically downloads data from the archive, generates scientific products and carries out a complete spectral analysis. The script homogeneously extracts high level scientific products for both NuSTAR’s telescopes and the spectral characterization is performed testing two phenomenological models. The corresponding X-ray properties are derived from the data best fit, and the SEDs are also computed. The systematic processing of all blazar observations of the NuSTAR public archive allowed us to release the first hard X-ray spectroscopic catalogue of blazars (NuBlazar). The catalogue, updated to 2021 September 30, includes 253 observations of 126 distinct blazars, 30 of which have been multiply observed.
Protostellar discs subject to infall: a one-dimensional inviscid model and comparison with ALMA observations
Authors: Shariff Karim , Gorti Uma , Melon Fuksman Julio David
Published: April 2022

A new one-dimensional, inviscid, and vertically integrated disc model with prescribed infall is presented. The flow is computed using a second-order shock-capturing scheme. Included are vertical infall, radial infall at the outer radial boundary, radiative cooling, stellar irradiation, and heat addition at the disc-surface shock. Simulation parameters are chosen to target the L1527 IRS disc which has been observed using Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). The results give an outer envelope of radial infall and uϕ ∝ 1/r which encounters a radial shock at rshock ∼ 1.5 × the centrifugal radius (rc) across which the radial velocity is greatly reduced and the gas temperature rises from a pre-shock value of ≈25 to ≈180 K over a spatially thin region calculated using a separate shock structure code. At rc, the azimuthal velocity uϕ transitions from being ∝ 1/r to being nearly Keplerian. These results qualitatively agree with recent ALMA observations which indicate a radial shock where SO is sublimated as well as a transition from a uϕ ∼ 1/r region to a Keplerian inner disc. However, in one set of observations, the observed position-velocity map of cyclic-C3H2, together with a certain ballistic maximum velocity relation suggests that the radial shock coincides with a ballistic centrifugal barrier, which places the shock at rshock = 0.5rc, i.e. inward of rc, rather than outward as given by our simulations. It is argued that radial velocity plots from previous magnetic rotating-collapse simulations also indicate that the radial shock is located outward of rc. The discrepancy with observations is analysed and discussed, but remains unresolved.
NIHAO – XXVIII. Collateral effects of AGN on dark matter concentration and stellar kinematics
Authors: Waterval Stefan , Elgamal Sana , Nori Matteo , Pasquato Mario , Macciò Andrea V , Blank Marvin , Dixon Keri L , Kang Xi , Ibrayev Tengiz
Published: April 2022

Although active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback is required in simulations of galaxies to regulate star formation, further downstream effects on the dark matter (DM) distribution of the halo and stellar kinematics of the central galaxy can be expected. We combine simulations of galaxies with and without AGN physics from the Numerical Investigation of a Hundred Astrophysical Objects (NIHAO) to investigate the effect of AGN on the DM profile and central stellar rotation of the host galaxies. Specifically, we study how the concentration-halo mass (c–M) relation and the stellar spin parameter (λR) are affected by AGN feedback. We find that AGN physics is crucial to reduce the central density of simulated massive ($\gtrsim 10^{12}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) galaxies and bring their concentration to agreement with results from the Spitzer Photometry & Accurate Rotation Curves (SPARC) sample. Similarly, AGN feedback has a key role in reproducing the dichotomy between slow and fast rotators as observed by the ATLAS3D survey. Without star formation suppression due to AGN feedback, the number of fast rotators strongly exceeds the observational constraints. Our study shows that there are several collateral effects that support the importance of AGN feedback in galaxy formation, and these effects can be used to constrain its implementation in numerical simulations.
On the formation of quasi-parallel shocks, magnetic and electric field turbulence, and the ion energization mechanism
Authors: Stasiewicz Krzysztof , Kłos Zbigniew
Published: April 2022

The analysis of four-point measurements by the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscalespacecraft reveals that the formation of quasi-parallel shocks is consistent with the counter-streaming ion–ion resonant right-handed instability. The counter-streaming occurs between the incoming solar wind and a diffuse hot ion population moving upstream. It is found that the onset of the instability is initiated by 30 s period oscillations, which steepen to shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies. The turbulent cascade in the electric field ranges from 0.01 Hz to a few kHz. The dominant frequency of the instability in the magnetic field is observed around the proton cyclotron frequency, consistent with the theoretical predictions. The instability produces large amplitude magnetic field and plasma density shocklets with the perpendicular scale length of 300 km (3 proton gyroradii) and the parallel scale length three times larger. The active acceleration regions are characterized by non-gyrotropic ion populations in the velocity space, in addition to the solar wind beam and a diffuse hot beam propagating upstream. We show that non-gyrotropic ion populations are consistent with the $ExB$ wave energization mechanism that can both heat bulk plasma and accelerate some ions to the observed energies of 200 keV.
Radiation-magnetohydrodynamics simulations of cosmic ray feedback in disc galaxies
Authors: Farcy Marion , Rosdahl Joakim , Dubois Yohan , Blaizot Jérémy , Martin-Alvarez Sergio
Published: April 2022

Cosmic rays (CRs) are thought to play an important role in galaxy evolution. We study their effect when coupled to other important sources of feedback, namely supernovae (SNe) and stellar radiation, by including CR anisotropic diffusion and radiative losses but neglecting CR streaming. Using the ramses-rt code, we perform the first radiation-magnetohydrodynamics simulations of isolated disc galaxies with and without CRs. We study galaxies embedded in dark matter haloes of 1010, 1011, and $10^{12}\, \rm M_{\odot }$ with a maximum resolution of $9 \, \rm pc$. We find that CRs reduce the star formation (SF) rate in our two dwarf galaxies by a factor of 2, with decreasing efficiency with increasing galaxy mass. They increase significantly the outflow mass loading factor in all our galaxies and make the outflows colder. We study the impact of the CR diffusion coefficient, exploring values from κ = 1027 to $\rm 3\times 10^{29}\, cm^2\, s^{-1}$. With a lower κ, CRs remain confined for longer on small scales and are consequently efficient in suppressing SF, whereas a higher diffusion coefficient reduces the effect on SF and increases the generation of cold outflows. Finally, we compare CR feedback to a calibrated ’strong’ SN feedback model known to sufficiently regulate SF in high-redshift cosmological simulations. We find that CR feedback is not sufficiently strong to replace this strong SN feedback. As they tend to smooth out the ISM and fill it with denser gas, CRs also lower the escape fraction of Lyman continuum photons from galaxies.
The young Galactic cluster NGC 225: binary stars’ content and total mass estimate
Authors: Yalyalieva L , Carraro G , Glushkova E , Munari U , Ochner P
Published: April 2022

Galactic star clusters are known to harbour a significant amount of binary stars, yet their role in the dynamical evolution of the cluster as a whole is not comprehensively understood. We investigated the influence of binary stars on the total mass estimate for the case of the moderately populated Galactic star cluster NGC 225. The analysis of multi-epoch radial velocities of the 29 brightest cluster members, obtained over two observational campaigns, in 1990-1991 and in 2019-2020, yields a value of binary fraction of α = 0.52 (15 stars out of 29). Using theoretical isochrones and Monte Carlo simulations we found that the cluster mass increases at least 1.23 times when binaries are properly taken into account. By combining Gaia EDR3 photometric data with our spectroscopic observations, we derived estimates of NGC 225 fundamental parameters foras follows: mean radial velocity  = − 9.8 ± 0.7 km s−1, log (τ)=8.0-8.2 dex, distance D = 676 ± 22 pc, and colour excess E(B − V) = 0.29 ± 0.01 mag.
Constraining variability of coupling constants with bright and extreme quasars
Authors: Gupta Rajendra P
Published: April 2022

The ‘extreme Population A (xA) quasars’ approaching, sometimes exceeding the Eddington limit, are a type of quasars that could serve as standard candles to measure distances too large for supernovae type Ia (SNe Ia) to be observable. For using xA quasars as standard candles, it would be beneficial to know how their luminosities would vary if coupling constants varied over cosmic time. Alternatively, when calibrated using SN Ia standard candle, xA quasar observations could constrain the variation of coupling constants. We show that the Hubble diagram of xA quasars provides the same constraint on the constants’ variation as the Hubble diagram of SNe Ia from the Pantheon data. The coupling constants vary concurrently in our model, i.e., the variation of the speed of light c, the gravitational constant G, the Planck constant h, and the Boltzmann constant k, are interrelated as $G \sim {c^3}\sim {h^3}\sim {k^{3/2}}$. The constraint thus determined can be expressed in terms of the Hubble constant ${H_0}$ as ${( {\dot G/G} )_0} = \,\,3\,\,{( {\dot c/c} )_0} = \,\,3\,\,{( {\dot h/h} )_0} = 3/2\,\,\,\,{( {\dot k/k} )_0} = \,\,5.4\,\,{H_0} = \,\,3.90( { \pm 0.04} ) \times {10^{ - 10}}\,\,{\rm{y}}{{\rm{r}}^{ - 1}}$, where subscript 0 is for the current time. This conclusion is corroborated with the analysis of data on the quasars with correlated UV and X-ray emissions.
Cosmological forecasts with the clustering of weak lensing peaks
Authors: Davies Christopher T , Cautun Marius , Giblin Benjamin , Li Baojiu , Harnois-Déraps Joachim , Cai Yan-Chuan
Published: April 2022

Maximizing the information that can be extracted from weak lensing (WL) measurements is a key goal for upcoming stage IV surveys. This is typically achieved through statistics that are complementary to the cosmic shear two-point correlation function, the most well established of which is the WL peak abundance. In this work, we study the clustering of WL peaks, and present parameter constraint forecasts for an lsst-like survey. We use the cosmo-SLICS wCDM simulations to measure the peak two-point correlation function for a range of cosmological parameters, and use the simulation data to train a Gaussian process regression emulator that is applied to generate likelihood contours and provide parameter constraint forecasts from mock observations. We investigate the dependence of the peak two-point correlation function on the peak height, and find that the clustering of low-amplitude peaks is complementary to that of high-amplitude peaks. Consequently, their combination gives significantly tighter constraints than the clustering of high peaks alone. The peak two-point correlation function is significantly more sensitive to the cosmological parameters h and w0 than the peak abundance, and when the probes are combined, constraints on Ωm, S8, h, and w0 improve by at least a factor of 2, relative to the peak abundance alone. Finally, we compare the forecasts for WL peaks and voids, and show that the two are also complementary; both probes can offer better constraints on S8 and w0 than the shear correlation function by roughly a factor of 2.