bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiation protection in the operating room: Need for training, qualification and accompaniment for the professionals
Authors: Housni A. , ES-Samssar O. , Saoud B. , El Amrani N. , Malou M. , Amazian K. , Essahlaoui A. , Labzour A.
Published: January 2023

The objective of this work was to evaluate the knowledge of the professionals working in the operating room about the risks associated to exposure to X-rays, and the radiation protection practices. To meet this objective, we conducted a multicenter study in three Moroccan hospitals. Data collection was carried out with a self-administered questionnaire to the professionals. The results showed that more than a third of the participants ignore the ionizing nature of X-rays; and that the effects of exposure to ionizing radiation are related to cumulative dose. Three percent of the participants were aware about the effective dose limit of ionizing radiation for workers for a year and the annual dose limits to the extremities or to the skin. 45.50% of participants had no knowledge about the most irradiating technique when using the amplifier; 58.21% felt that continuous fluoroscopy mode was the most irradiating. All of the participants declared the absence of a radiation protection referent, and did not use any written procedures guide for the most common radiological examinations in interventional imaging. Multidisciplinary cooperation, at least, between radiology staff and operating room staff appears imperative, and seems to strengthen the system of vigilance and protection against the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.
Die Gewebe des Menschen – mehr als nur Baumaterial des
Organismus
Authors: Spohr Gunnar
Published: January 2023

Gewebe sind nicht nur Baumaterialien, sondern Ausdruck der Bau- und
Gestaltungsleistungen des Körpers. Erst durch ihren Gewebekontext
erlangen die Stoffwechselleistungen der einzelnen Zellen Stoffwechselwirkung.
Die tradierte Einteilung der Gewebe erschwert jedoch das Verständnis der
eigenständigen systemischen Leistungen. Eine Neuordnung kann dazu
beitragen, die in der osteopathischen, manualtherapeutischen Praxis erhobenen
Palpationsbefunde quantitativ und qualitativ umfassend neu zu bewerten. Dieser
Artikel argumentiert, warum es erforderlich ist, die klassische Einteilung zu
überdenken, und plädiert für eine Betrachtung der Gewebe
aus entwicklungsbiologischer Perspektive.
Editorial
Authors: Engemann Katharina
Published: January 2023

Liebe Leserinnen, liebe Leser,

in dem Moment, in dem ich dieses Editorial schreibe (es ist Mitte September 2022),
ist der VOD-Kongress in Bad Nauheim zu Ende gegangen und ich halte einen kurzen
Moment inne und lasse Revue passieren, was dort alles passiert ist: die vielen
großen und kleinen Momente, die sich in der Rückschau zu einem
Gesamtbild zusammenfügen. Die große Freude unter den Anwesenden,
sich nach langer Zeit wieder einmal persönlich zu begegnen, war unmittelbar
spürbar. Es ist zu hoffen, dass sich wieder viele andere
Möglichkeiten für den Austausch mit Kollegen ergeben. Dieses Heft
möchte Ihnen ein paar Anregungen für Gesprächsthemen
geben.
Schulter-Arm-Schmerzen
Authors: Peters Kristin
Published: January 2023

Schulterschmerzen gehören zu den häufigsten Gelenkbeschwerden.
Da in der Schulter auf engstem Raum viele Muskeln,
Bänder, Sehnen, Schleimbeutel und Knochen zusammenarbeiten,
können die Beschwerden verschiedene
Gründe haben. Die genaue Ursache herauszufinden, gelingt
nicht immer. Die Dauer der Erkrankung liegt zwischen 3 Monaten
und 1 Jahr. Die Ursachen für das Auftreten und die
Dauer der Erkrankung sind vielfältig und mithilfe der ganzheitlichen
Sichtweise der osteopathischen Medizin gut zu
erfassen und zu behandeln. Der Erfolg ist abhängig von der
Schwere der Schädigung, der Auswahl von adäquaten Behandlungsmethoden
und von der Compliance des Patienten.
Copper(I)-Mediated Decarboxylative N-Arylation of Dioxazolones: Synthesis of N-Aryl Amides
Authors: Park Jinhwan , Jang Dongkyu , Son Jongwoo , An Jihye , Park Yeongmi , Bae Hyeonwoong , Kim Minseok , Lee Joohyun
Published: January 2023

Dioxazolones, which are potent amide precursors, have been widely explored for the formation of C–N bonds with the help of transition-metal catalysts. Here, we highlight our recent studies on the synthesis of N-aryl amides using dioxazolones and boronic acids in the presence of copper(I) chloride under mild conditions. The versatility of the developed reaction is demonstrated by its wide range of functional-group tolerances as well as the release of nontoxic carbon dioxide. Optimization screenings reveal that a fluorine additive improves the desired reactivity toward the intended transformation. The addition of triphenylphosphine results in an N-acyl iminophosphorane, suggesting the involvement of an N-acyl nitrene intermediate in this transformation.
One country with two systems: The characteristics and development of higher education in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area
Authors: Xie Xiujuan , Liu Xu , McNay Ian
Published: January 2023

The creation of bay areas is one way to develop economies and culture based on natural characteristics and regional connections; successful examples include the San Francisco, New York and Tokyo Bay Areas. In 2019, China established the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA). As a result of historical and geographical factors, the GBA is uniquely characterised by being subject to ‘one country, two systems’, ‘three customs territories’, and ‘three legal systems’. This study offered ample empirical evidence based on qualitative methods referring to in-depth interviews with academics and managers as well as publicly available policies and literature in the GBA. A thematic analysis was used to explore the context and characteristics of developing higher education (HE) in the GBA. The study emphasised that developing GBA’s HE improved its partnerships from co-operation to strategic co-ordination to resource sharing. This research contributes to HE and its governance in the GBA, a topic on which there is limited information in the extant international research literature. It is also useful to policymakers and scholars as it provides potential strategies and insights regarding the development of regional higher education.
The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the connectedness of the BRICS’s term structure
Authors: Jareño Francisco , Escribano Ana , Umar Zaghum
Published: January 2023

This study aims to examine the impact of the different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on the connectedness of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) term structure of interest rates and its components (level, slope and curvature). For that purpose, this research applies the time-varying parameter vector autoregression (TVP-VAR) approach in order to assess the direction of spillovers among countries and factors and measure their contribution to the connectedness system. Our results show that the total connectedness measure changes over time, and the level and curvature components show connectedness that persists longer than the slope component, both in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brazil and South Africa would appear as net transmitters of shocks, whereas China and India are net receivers. Finally, the most significant differences in the net dynamic connectedness between transmitters and receivers were focused on before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Some additional impacts were observed during the last waves of the coronavirus pandemic. To our best knowledge, this is the first study on the connectedness between the yield curves of the BRICS economies and the COVID-19 crisis uncertainty according to the coronavirus MCI, by decomposing the yield curve into its factors (level, slope, and curvature).
Dynamical footprints of hurricanes in the tropical dynamics
Authors: Faranda D. , Messori G. , Yiou P. , Thao S. , Pons F. , Dubrulle B.
Published: January 2023

Hurricanes—and more broadly tropical cyclones—are high-impact weather phenomena whose adverse socio-economic and ecosystem impacts affect a considerable part of the global population. Despite our reasonably robust meteorological understanding of tropical cyclones, we still face outstanding challenges for their numerical simulations. Consequently, future changes in the frequency of occurrence and intensity of tropical cyclones are still debated. Here, we diagnose possible reasons for the poor representation of tropical cyclones in numerical models, by considering the cyclones as chaotic dynamical systems. We follow 197 tropical cyclones which occurred between 2010 and 2020 in the North Atlantic using the HURDAT2 and ERA5 data sets. We measure the cyclones instantaneous number of active degrees of freedom (local dimension) and the persistence of their sea-level pressure and potential vorticity fields. During the most intense phases of the cyclones, and specifically when cyclones reach hurricane strength, there is a collapse of degrees of freedom and an increase in persistence. The large dependence of hurricanes dynamical characteristics on intensity suggests the need for adaptive parametrization schemes which take into account the dependence of the cyclone’s phase, in analogy with high-dissipation intermittent events in turbulent flows.
Low temperature plasma ablation device for minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Sun Mingyang , Xu Guimin , Zhang Guanjun
Published: January 2023

This study introduces the design principle of a high-frequency square wave power supply, as well as the simulation and design process of a minimally invasive electrosurgical scalpel, which formed the low temperature plasma in saline solution. In order to verify the performance of the device, saline discharge experiments and pork ablation experiments were performed. An alternating high-frequency square-wave voltage was applied between coaxial double-layer electrodes with a spacing of 400 µm. The waveforms and amplitude of output voltage and current, conductance between electrodes, and output power were measured in saline discharge experiments. The results of pork ablation experiments with different power sources demonstrate that the device can generate low-temperature plasma for ablation rather than relying on thermal effects. The device can ablate pork under the driving of a 10 V, 100 kHz square wave voltage. In addition, the ablation speed and area will be greater with an increase in voltage or frequency.
Numerical study of buoyancy induced arrest of viscous coarsening
Authors: Henry Hervé
Published: January 2023

The effect of buoyant forces on viscous coarsening is studied numerically. It is shown that at any time buoyant forces induce a vertical flow that scales like the Stokes velocity. This does not induce any noticeable change in the morphology of the coarsening microstructure under a value of the characteristic length of the pattern. Above this threshold, the pattern evolves toward a quasi 2D pattern and coarsening stops. The characteristic length is shown to scale like γ/(gΔρ), where γ is the surface tension and Δρ is the mass density difference between the phases.
2D Toda τ functions, weighted Hurwitz numbers and the Cayley graph: Determinant representation and recursion formula
Authors: Ding Xiang-Mao , Li Xiang
Published: January 2023

We generalize the determinant representation of the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili τ functions to the case of the 2D Toda τ functions. The generating functions for the weighted Hurwitz numbers are a parametric family of 2D Toda τ functions, for which we give a determinant representation of weighted Hurwitz numbers. Then, we can get a finite-dimensional equation system for the weighted Hurwitz numbers HGd(σ,ω) with the same dimension |σ| = |ω| = n. Using this equation system, we calculated the value of the weighted Hurwitz numbers with dimension 0, 1, 2, 3 and give a recursion formula for calculating the higher dimensional weighted Hurwitz numbers. Finally, we get a matrix representation for the Hurwitz numbers and obtain a determinant representation of weighted paths in the Cayley graph.
Tutorial: Systematic development of polynomial machine learning potentials for elemental and alloy systems
Authors: Seko Atsuto
Published: January 2023

Machine learning potentials (MLPs) developed from extensive datasets constructed from density functional theory calculations have become increasingly appealing to many researchers. This paper presents a framework of polynomial-based MLPs, called polynomial MLPs. The systematic development of accurate and computationally efficient polynomial MLPs for many elemental and binary alloy systems and their predictive powers for various properties are also demonstrated. Consequently, many polynomial MLPs are available in a repository website [A. Seko, Polynomial Machine Learning Potential Repository at Kyoto University, https://sekocha.github.io]. The repository will help many scientists perform accurate and efficient large-scale atomistic simulations and crystal structure searches.
Computational design of anisotropic nanocomposite actuators
Authors: Ianiro Alessandro , Berrocal José Augusto , Tuinier Remco , Mayer Michael , Weder Christoph
Published: January 2023

This paper presents a theoretical investigation of the design of a new actuator type made of anisotropic colloidal particles grafted with stimuli-responsive polymer chains. These artificial muscles combine the osmotic actuation principle of stimuli-responsive hydrogels with the structural alignment of colloidal liquid crystals to achieve directional motion. The solubility of the stimuli-responsive polymer in the neutral state, its degree of polymerization, the salt concentration, and the grafting density of the polymer chains on the surface of the colloidal particles are investigated and identified as important for actuator performance and tunability. The computational results suggest that the proposed mechanically active material matches or exceeds the performances of natural muscles and provide the guidelines for the realization of artificial muscles with predetermined actuation properties.
The role of partial ionization on the instantaneous charge state of uranium projectiles in fully ionized plasmas from energy loss experiments
Authors: Morales Roberto
Published: January 2023

In Morales et al. [Phys. Plasmas 24, 042703 (2017)], we analyzed the experimental energy loss of U ions with an initial charge state of 33+ and an energy of 1.4 MeV/u passing through a highly ionized hydrogen plasma from the measurements shown in Hoffmann et al. [Phys. Rev. A 42, 2313 (1990)]. However, in our previous work, we assumed a fully ionized hydrogen plasma and our theoretical predictions overestimated the data at the times of 30 and 35 μs. As the capture of bound electrons was missing in the previous version of the code, we explained those discrepancies due to the possible presence of a higher part of bound target electrons at these times. In such a case, the projectile charge-state should be lower, and therefore, the theoretical energy loss would be also smaller in consequence. The main novelty of this work is to include the partial ionization of the plasma target, which was neglected in our previous analysis, for the theoretical estimation of the ion beam charge-state. Here, we re-analyze the experiment with the new version of our charge-state computer code based on the Cross-Sectional Model (CSM) as described in R. Morales [Phys. Plasmas 29, 093112 (2022)]. We are showing that taking into account the small contribution of bound electrons present in the plasma target affects the projectile mean charge-state and a much better agreement with energy loss data is found with our new CSM code.
Spreading behavior of cell-laden droplets in 3D bioprinting process
Authors: Chen Xinxing , O’Mahony Aidan P. , Barber Tracie
Published: January 2023

3D droplet-based bioprinting technology is an innovative and time-saving additive manufacturing method, which enables spatial patterning of biological materials and biochemical and living cells for multiple clinical and research applications. Understanding the criteria that control droplet spreading behavior during droplet impact is of great importance in controlling printing resolution and optimizing the printing performance. In this experimental work, the spreading of 3D printed cell-laden droplets was studied with side and bottom view images. The droplets contain 1×107 cells/ml input cell concentration and corresponding Φ=0.52% cell volume fraction and impact onto a flat hydrophilic substrate, a pre-printed droplet, and a pre-printed thin liquid film. The cell-laden droplet impact morphology, the maximum spreading factor, and the cell distribution under different printing conditions (89<We<365,174<Re<414) in a 3D bioprinting process were characterized. It was found that on the hydrophilic flat substrate, the cells homogeneously distributed into a disk structure. The maximum spreading factor, βmax, can be well described by the correlation formulas based on the energy balance and volume conservation. A power-law scaling formula was found to describe the maximum spreading in terms of the Weber number for cell-laden droplet impact on both pre-printed droplets and thin liquid films, where βmax∝We0.25. Input cell concentration, up to 1×107 cells/ml, was found to have negligible effect on the maximum droplet spreading factor in a 3D bioprinting process.
Regularized least absolute deviation-based sparse identification of dynamical systems
Authors: Jiang Feng , Du Lin , Yang Fan , Deng Zi-Chen
Published: January 2023

This work develops a regularized least absolute deviation-based sparse identification of dynamics (RLAD-SID) method to address outlier problems in the classical metric-based loss function and the sparsity constraint framework. Our method uses absolute derivation loss as a substitute of Euclidean loss. Moreover, a corresponding computationally efficient optimization algorithm is derived on the basis of the alternating direction method of multipliers due to the non-smoothness of both the new proposed loss function and the regularization term. Numerical experiments are performed to evaluate the effectiveness of RLAD-SID using several exemplary nonlinear dynamical systems, such as the van der Pol equation, the Lorenz system, and the 1D discrete logistic map. Furthermore, detailed numerical comparisons are provided with other existing methods in metric-based sparse regression. Numerical results demonstrate that (1) RLAD-SID shows significant robustness toward a large outlier and (2) RLAD-SID can be seen as a particular metric-based sparse regression strategy that exhibits the effectiveness of the metric-based sparse regression framework for solving outlier problems in a dynamical system identification.
In situ observation of medium range ordering and crystallization of amorphous TiO2 ultrathin films grown by atomic layer deposition
Authors: Abbasi Mehrdad , Dong Yutao , Meng Jun , Morgan Dane , Wang Xudong , Hwang Jinwoo
Published: January 2023

The evolution of medium range ordering (MRO) and crystallization behavior of amorphous TiO2 films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were studied using in situ four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy. The films remain fully amorphous when grown at 120 °C or below, but they start showing crystallization of anatase phases when grown at 140 °C or above. The degree of MRO increases as a function of temperature and maximizes at 140 °C when crystallization starts to occur, which suggests that crystallization prerequires the development of nanoscale MRO that serves as the site of nucleation. In situ annealing of amorphous TiO2 films grown at 80 °C shows enhancement of MRO but limited number of nucleation, which suggests that post-annealing develops only a small portion of MRO into crystal nuclei. The MRO regions that do not develop into crystals undergo structural relaxation instead, which provides insights into the critical size and degree of ordering and the stability of certain MRO types at different temperatures. In addition, crystallographic defects were observed within crystal phases, which likely negate corrosion resistance of the film. Our result highlights the importance of understanding and controlling MRO for optimizing ALD-grown amorphous films for next-generation functional devices and renewable energy applications.
State averaged CASSCF in AMOEBA polarizable water model for simulating nonadiabatic molecular dynamics with nonequilibrium solvation effects
Authors: Song Chenchen
Published: January 2023

This paper presents a state-averaged complete active space self-consistent field (SA-CASSCF) in the atomic multipole optimized energetics for biomolecular application (AMOEBA) polarizable water model, which enables rigorous simulation of non-adiabatic molecular dynamics with nonequilibrium solvation effects. The molecular orbital and configuration interaction coefficients of the solute wavefunction, and the induced dipoles on solvent atoms, are solved by minimizing the state averaged energy variationally. In particular, by formulating AMOEBA water models and the polarizable continuum model (PCM) in a unified way, the algorithms developed for computing SA-CASSCF/PCM energies, analytical gradients, and non-adiabatic couplings in our previous work can be generalized to SA-CASSCF/AMOEBA by properly substituting a specific list of variables. Implementation of this method will be discussed with the emphasis on how the calculations of different terms are partitioned between the quantum chemistry and molecular mechanics codes. We will present and discuss results that demonstrate the accuracy and performance of the implementation. Next, we will discuss results that compare three solvent models that work with SA-CASSCF, i.e., PCM, fixed-charge force fields, and the newly implemented AMOEBA. Finally, the new SA-CASSCF/AMOEBA method has been interfaced with the ab initio multiple spawning method to carry out non-adiabatic molecular dynamics simulations. This method is demonstrated by simulating the photodynamics of the model retinal protonated Schiff base molecule in water.
8-band k ⋅ p modeling of strained InxGa(1−x)As/InP heterostructure nanowires
Authors: Garigapati Navya Sri , Lind Erik
Published: January 2023

An 8-band k⋅p theory is implemented for studying the electronic properties of near-surface lateral InxGa(1−x)As/InP heterostructure nanowires in the (100) direction. The change in bandgap and effective mass due to inhomogeneous strain are compared to unstrained scenario nanowires, and the lattice mismatch is varied from −3.2% to 1%. The nanowires' height is H = 5, 13 nm, and the width varies from the smallest possible width for a given height to 100 nm. The change in the bandgap exhibited a nonlinear trait with strain for all sizes of the nanowire. The tensile strain reduces the bandgap irrespective of the width of the nanowire for a given height, while the effect of compressive strain on change in the bandgap becomes width dependent. Minima and maxima in the change in effective mass with respect to the nanowire width are observed in compressively and tensile strained nanowires, respectively, due to the interplay of quantum confinement and strain. The electrical performance of a single nanowire In0.85Ga0.15As/InP MOSFET in quantum capacitance limit is discussed for various nanowire sizes. The implemented 8-band k⋅p method is verified with the available experimental work and demonstrated that the developed model can be extended to study electronic parameters of arbitrarily shaped core–shell structures over a wide range of strain.
Avian assemblages are maintained after aerial applications of ULV fenitrothion for control of the Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera (Walker)) in arid and semiarid agroecosystems
Authors: Story Paul , French Kris
Published: January 2023

Context Risk assessments currently undertaken to approve pesticides for use against locusts in Australia are predominated by laboratory-generated data, often collected from non-endemic species. Very little information exists concerning the potential ecological effects of insecticides used for locust control. Aim To determine the effect of aerial ultra-low volume (ULV) applications of the organophosphorous insecticide, fenitrothion (used for locust control), on avian assemblages in arid and semiarid agro-ecosystems. Methods Avian abundance was surveyed in pesticide-exposed and unexposed locations during standard locust control operations, using fenitrothion, in western New South Wales and Queensland in the spring and summer of 1996, 1997 and 2000, using a transect-point method. Temporal changes in assemblages were analysed using multi-dimensional ordination (MDS) and permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) with PRIMER (V7). Key results Avian assemblages varied over time, independent of pesticide application, reflecting significant redistribution and mobility of birds across a highly disturbed agricultural landscape, irrespective of pesticide exposure. Additionally, pesticide exposure did not affect species abundance or diversity. Conclusions There was no evidence that ultra-low volume (ULV) applications of fenitrothion, currently used in locust control, are impacting avian assemblages, despite previous research indicating that individual birds co-occurring with spray operations suffer suppressions in the enzymatic biomarker for OP exposure, plasma acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Implications Although the risk to avian assemblages associated with the aerial application of locusticides is reduced by the small proportion of the landscape where locust control activities are focused, any change in spray application parameters would necessitate a re-evaluation of the risks associated with insecticide exposure.
Do we need to mine social media data to detect exotic vertebrate-pest introductions?
Authors: Caley Peter , Cassey Phillip
Published: January 2023

Invasive alien species are responsible for considerable biodiversity loss and environmental damage. Timely detection of new incursions is critical in preventing novel populations establishing. Citizen reports currently account for the majority of alien species detections, arising from the massive observation effort that the physical and digital ‘eyes and ears’ of citizens provide, in combination with crowd-sourced species identification. Because the reporting of alien species sightings is generally not mandatory, there is interest in whether mining social media data via image recognition and/or natural language processing can improve on existing passive citizen surveillance in a cost-effective manner. Here, we illustrate, using examples from Australia, how citizen surveillance for most vertebrate groups appears to currently be effective using existing voluntary reporting mechanisms. Where citizen surveillance is currently ineffective, for reasons of inadequate sampling, data mining of social media feeds will be similarly affected. We argue that mining citizens’ social media data for evidence of invasive alien species needs to demonstrate not only that it will be an improvement on the business as usual case, but also that any gains achieved cannot be achieved by alternative approaches. We highlight the potential role of education in increasing the surveillance effectiveness of citizens for detecting and reporting sightings of alien species. Should data mining of social media platforms be pursued, we note that the scale of the task in terms of the potential number of exotic vertebrate species to be classified is very large. The expected number of false positive classifications would present a considerable workload to process, possibly undermining the efficiency rationale for the use of data mining. Hence, prioritisation is needed, and we illustrate how the number of species to be classified can be reduced considerably. If we are to deploy data mining and analysis of social media data to help with detecting introductions of invasive alien species, we need to conduct it in a manner where it adds value and is trusted.
Dry eye disease in mice activates adaptive corneal epithelial regeneration distinct from constitutive renewal in homeostasis
Authors: Lin Joseph B. , Shen Xiaolei , Pfeifer Charles W. , Shiau Fion , Santeford Andrea , Ruzycki Philip A. , Clark Brian S. , Liu Qin , Huang Andrew J. W. , Apte Rajendra S.
Published: January 2023

Many epithelial compartments undergo constitutive renewal in homeostasis but activate unique regenerative responses following injury. The clear corneal epithelium is crucial for vision and is renewed from limbal stem cells (LSCs). Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we profiled the mouse corneal epithelium in homeostasis, aging, diabetes, and dry eye disease (DED), where tear deficiency predisposes the cornea to recurrent injury. In homeostasis, we capture the transcriptional states that accomplish continuous tissue turnover. We leverage our dataset to identify candidate genes and gene networks that characterize key stages across homeostatic renewal, including markers for LSCs. In aging and diabetes, there were only mild changes with <15 dysregulated genes. The constitutive cell types that accomplish homeostatic renewal were conserved in DED but were associated with activation of cell states that comprise “adaptive regeneration.” We provide global markers that distinguish cell types in homeostatic renewal vs. adaptive regeneration and markers that specifically define DED-elicited proliferating and differentiating cell types. We validate that expression of SPARC, a marker of adaptive regeneration, is also induced in corneal epithelial wound healing and accelerates wound closure in a corneal epithelial cell scratch assay. Finally, we propose a classification system for LSC markers based on their expression fidelity in homeostasis and disease. This transcriptional dissection uncovers the dramatically altered transcriptional landscape of the corneal epithelium in DED, providing a framework and atlas for future study of these ocular surface stem cells in health and disease.
Two-speed genome evolution drives pathogenicity in fungal pathogens of animals
Authors: Wacker Theresa , Helmstetter Nicolas , Wilson Duncan , Fisher Matthew C. , Studholme David J. , Farrer Rhys A.
Published: January 2023

The origins and evolution of virulence in amphibian-infecting chytrids
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
(
Bd
) and
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans
(
Bsal)
are largely unknown. Here, we use deep nanopore sequencing of
Bsal
and comparative genomics against 21 high-quality genome assemblies that span the fungal Chytridiomycota. We discover that
Bsal
has the most repeat-rich genome of the Chytridiomycota, comprising 40.9% repetitive elements; this genome has expanded to more than 3× the length of its conspecific
Bd
, with autonomous and fully functional LTR/Gypsy elements contributing significantly to the expansion. The M36 metalloprotease virulence factors are highly expanded (
n
= 177) in
Bsal
, most of which (53%) are flanked by transposable elements, suggesting they have a repeat-associated expansion. We find enrichment upstream of M36 metalloprotease genes of three novel repeat families belonging to the repeat superfamily of LINEs that are implicated with gene copy number variations. Additionally,
Bsal
has a highly compartmentalized genome architecture, with virulence factors enriched in gene-sparse/repeat-rich compartments, while core conserved genes are enriched in gene-rich/repeat-poor compartments. Genes upregulated during infection are primarily found in the gene-sparse/repeat-rich compartment in both
Bd
and
Bsal
. Furthermore, genes with signatures of positive selection in
Bd
are enriched in repeat-rich regions, suggesting these regions are a cradle for the evolution of chytrid pathogenicity. These are the hallmarks of two-speed genome evolution, and this study provides evidence of two-speed genomes in an animal pathogen, shedding light on the evolution of fungal pathogens of vertebrates driving global declines and extinctions.
Sec22b is a critical and nonredundant regulator of plasma cell maintenance
Authors: Bonaud Amélie , Gargowitsch Laetitia , Gilbert Simon M. , Rajan Elanchezhian , Canales-Herrerias Pablo , Stockholm Daniel , Rahman Nabila F. , Collins Mark O. , Taskiran Hakan , Hill Danika L. , Alloatti Andres , Alouche Nagham , Balor Stéphanie , Soldan Vanessa , Gillet Daniel , Barbier Julien , Bachelerie Françoise , Smith Kenneth G. C. , Jellusova Julia , Bruhns Pierre , Amigorena Sebastian , Balabanian Karl , Linterman Michelle A. , Peden Andrew A. , Espéli Marion
Published: January 2023

Despite the essential role of plasma cells in health and disease, the cellular mechanisms controlling their survival and secretory capacity are still poorly understood. Here, we identified the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) Sec22b as a unique and critical regulator of plasma cell maintenance and function. In the absence of Sec22b, plasma cells were hardly detectable and serum antibody titers were dramatically reduced. Accordingly, 
Sec22b
-deficient mice fail to mount a protective immune response. At the mechanistic level, we demonstrated that Sec22b contributes to efficient antibody secretion and is a central regulator of plasma cell maintenance through the regulation of their transcriptional identity and of the morphology of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Altogether, our results unveil an essential and nonredundant role for Sec22b as a regulator of plasma cell fitness and of the humoral immune response.
Molecular Nature of X(3872) in B
0 → K
0
X(3872) and B
+
K
+
X(3872) Decays
Authors: Wang Hao-Nan , Geng Li-Sheng , Wang Qian , Xie Ju-Jun
Published: January 2023

We investigate the decays of B
0 → K
0
X(3872) and B
+ → K
+
X(3872) based on the picture where the X(3872) resonance is strongly coupled to the

D

D
¯

*

+
c
.
c
.

channel. In addition to the decay mechanism where the X(3872) resonance is formed from the

c

c
¯

pair hadronization with the short-distance interaction, we have also considered the

D

D
¯

*

rescattering diagrams in the long-distance scale, where D and

D
¯

*

are formed from c and

c
¯

separately. Because of the difference of the mass thresholds of charged and neutral

D

D
¯

*

channels, and the rather narrow width of the X(3872) resonance, at the X(3872) mass, the loop functions of

D
0

D
¯

*
0

and

D
+

D
¯

*
−

are much different. Taking this difference into account, the ratio of

ℬ
[

B
0

→

K
0

X
(
3872
)
]
/
ℬ
[

B
+

→

K
+

X
(
3872
)
]
≃
0.5

can be naturally obtained. Based on this result, we also evaluate the decay widths of

B
s
0

→
η
(

η
′

)
X
(
3872
)

. It is expected that future experimental measurements of these decays can be used to elucidate the nature of the X(3872) resonance.
Framework for Contrastive Learning Phases of Matter Based on Visual Representations
Authors: Han Xiao-Qi , Xu Sheng-Song , Feng Zhen , He Rong-Qiang , Lu Zhong-Yi
Published: January 2023

A main task in condensed-matter physics is to recognize, classify, and characterize phases of matter and the corresponding phase transitions, for which machine learning provides a new class of research tools due to the remarkable development in computing power and algorithms. Despite much exploration in this new field, usually different methods and techniques are needed for different scenarios. Here, we present SimCLP: a simple framework for contrastive learning phases of matter, which is inspired by the recent development in contrastive learning of visual representations. We demonstrate the success of this framework on several representative systems, including non-interacting and quantum many-body, conventional and topological. SimCLP is flexible and free of usual burdens such as manual feature engineering and prior knowledge. The only prerequisite is to prepare enough state configurations. Furthermore, it can generate representation vectors and labels and hence help tackle other problems. SimCLP therefore paves an alternative way to the development of a generic tool for identifying unexplored phase transitions.
Multisource electrohydraulic servo valve fault status diagnostic algorithm based on a message propagation mechanism
Authors: Wei Gao , Pengfei Sun , Chao Ai , Lei Wang , Lijuan Chen , Wenting Chen , Shuwei Zheng , Dong Yang
Published: January 2023

Fault identification of electrohydraulic servo valves is crucial to maintain the reliability and safety of high-precision electrohydraulic servo systems. Because the nonlinear characteristics and fault characteristics of electrohydraulic servo systems under noise conditions are implicit, it is difficult to obtain a large number of fault data of electrohydraulic servo valves. Therefore, an electrohydraulic servo valve fault diagnosis model based on characteristic distillation is proposed in this paper. First, the original fault data model is obtained based on an electrohydraulic servo valve fault test platform, the data are standardized, and the data of more than one cycle are extracted using a combination of down sampling and a sliding window for data enhancement. Second, a neural network fault diagnosis algorithm based on stack graph convolution is proposed, which is suitable for detecting different types of states (normal state, wear state, stuck state and coil short-circuit state) of electrohydraulic servo valves. The accuracy of the test set fluctuates between 0.7 and 1.0. Then, because there is a certain relationship between the characteristic smoothing phenomenon of a stack graph convolution model and the number of layers, a multilayer stack graph convolution model is bound to have problems such as model degradation. Therefore, a residual model is introduced into the stack model to improve the convergence speed of the model during the optimization process. The results show that the average accuracy of this method is 100%.
Extraction of incipient fault features of rolling bearings based on CWSSMD and 1.5D-EDEO demodulation
Authors: Wu Kewei , Xiang Dan , Cai Danna , Feng Yuanpeng , Xu Yuxian , Jiang Zhansi
Published: January 2023

The fault feature of a rolling bearing is weak in the incipient fault stage, with severe environmental noise interference, which makes it difficult to extract the fault feature information from the vibration signal. In this paper, an adaptive method based on component-weighted symplectic singular mode decomposition and 1.5-dimensional envelope derivative energy operator (1.5D-EDEO) demodulation is proposed to extract the incipient fault features of a bearing and it does not require manual parameter setting. The method begins with the original vibration signal decomposed by symplectic singular mode decomposition to obtain multiple initial symplectic singular components (ISSCs). Then, the fault information amount of the ISSCs is measured by fault impulse sparsity (FIS) constructed by the Gini index of the square envelope which has a powerful sparsity measurement capability. After this, the ISSCs are reconstructed based on the weights obtained from the FIS to obtain the final denoised symplectic singular component (DSSC). Finally, the DSSC is demodulated by 1.5D-EDEO to further highlight the fault features of the bearing and reduce noise interference. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through simulation and experimental analysis. The experimental results show that the proposed method is more effective in enhancing incipient bearing fault features compared to other bearing fault diagnosis methods.
Measuring glacier mass changes from space—a review
Authors: Berthier Etienne , Floriciou Dana , Gardner Alex S , Gourmelen Noel , Jakob Livia , Paul Frank , Treichler Désirée , Wouters Bert , Belart Joaquín M C , Dehecq Amaury , Dussaillant Ines , Hugonnet Romain , Kääb Andreas , Krieger Lukas , Pálsson Finnur , Zemp Michael
Published: January 2023

Glaciers distinct from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are currently losing mass rapidly with direct and severe impacts on the habitability of some regions on Earth as glacier meltwater contributes to sea-level rise and alters regional water resources in arid regions. In this review, we present the different techniques developed during the last two decades to measure glacier mass change from space: digital elevation model (DEM) differencing from stereo-imagery and synthetic aperture radar interferometry, laser and radar altimetry and space gravimetry. We illustrate their respective strengths and weaknesses to survey the mass change of a large Arctic ice body, the Vatnajökull Ice Cap (Iceland) and for the steep glaciers of the Everest area (Himalaya). For entire regions, mass change estimates sometimes disagree when a similar technique is applied by different research groups. At global scale, these discrepancies result in mass change estimates varying by 20%–30%. Our review confirms the need for more thorough inter-comparison studies to understand the origin of these differences and to better constrain regional to global glacier mass changes and, ultimately, past and future glacier contribution to sea-level rise.
A U-shaped and alternately driven ultrasonic motor using three bending coupled modes
Authors: Xu Dongmei , Yang Wenzhong , Zhang Xuhui , Yu Simiao , Liang Tenglin
Published: January 2023

Most of ultrasonic motors (USMs) using non-isomorphic hybrid modes have resonance deviation which are easy to produce frequency decoupling, and conventional USMs can only drive rotor once in a working cycle. To overcome these problems, a surface-bonded type of U-shaped USM is proposed in this paper. At the same frequency, three isomorphic fourth-order bending vibration modes can be excited simultaneously and the resonance deviation between modes is eliminated, thus reducing the effect of frequency decoupling. In addition, a fourth-order bending vibration mode on horizontal beam of the U-shaped structure is used to provide pressing force at driving feet, and bending vibration modes on two vertical beams generate driving forces. Under the excitation of orthogonal signals, alternately driven elliptical trajectories are generated at driving feet. Besides, the surface-bonded type USM is more convenient to realize miniaturization and flexible structure. The USM is analyzed by using finite element method. The prototype is fabricated to evaluate performance of the USM. The experimental results show that velocity of the USM is 89.03 mm s−1 when excitation voltage is 180 VP-P and frequency is 86 kHz. The feasibility of working principle is proved by the experimental results.
Model-based investigations of ferroelectric energy harvesting with regard to an improvement of life span and operability
Authors: Warkentin Andreas , Behlen Lennart , Ricoeur Andreas
Published: January 2023

A new ferroelectric energy harvesting concept is investigated theoretically, based on a thermo-electromechanical multiscale constitutive framework in connection with the so-called condensed method. Taking advantage of comparatively large changes of strain and polarization due to domain switching, the electric output is higher compared to what is commonly known as piezoelectric energy harvesting. Dissipative self-heating and augmented damage accumulation, on the other hand, may impede the operability of the harvesting device, in particular if tensile stress is required for depolarization, as suggested by recent works. The new harvesting cycle thus dispenses with tensile stresses and instead exploits the potential of existing residual stresses. It is further investigated to which extent a bias field, commonly applied to support repolarization as an important stage of the cycle, can be omitted, saving considerable effort on the technical implementation. Process parameters are obtained from various simulations by pareto-optimization, considering, inter alia, the effect of ambient temperature.
Dual stage approach to laser-driven helical coil proton acceleration
Authors: Ferguson S , Martin P , Ahmed H , Aktan E , Alanazi M , Cerchez M , Doria D , Green J S , Greenwood B , Odlozilik B , Willi O , Borghesi M , Kar S
Published: January 2023

Helical coil accelerators are a recent development in laser-driven ion production, acting on the intrinsically wide divergence and broadband energy spectrum of laser-accelerated protons to deliver ultra-low divergence and quasi-monoenergetic beams. The modularity of helical coil accelerators also provides the attractive prospective of multi-staging. Here we show, on a proof-of-principle basis, a two-stage configuration which allows optical tuning of the energy of the selected proton beamlet. Experimental data, corroborated by particle tracing simulations, highlights the importance of controlling precisely the beam injection. Efficient post-acceleration of the protons with an energy gain up to ∼16 MeV (∼8 MeV per stage, at an average rate of ∼1 GeV m−1) was achieved at an optimal time delay, which allows synchronisation of the selected protons with the accelerating longitudinal electric fields to be maintained through both stages.
Numerical simulation of vortex shedding from rectangular cylinders with different elongation ratios
Authors: Wu Jian , Liu Yakun , Zhang Di , Cao Ze , Li Zhuoyue
Published: January 2023

RANS simulations are performed for flow past rectangular cylinders with different elongation ratios (L/D= 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16) at Re= 22 000 using the k-ω SST turbulence model. As L/D increases from 1 to 6, stepwise increase of Strouhal number (St) exists, whereas an almost linear variation of St with respect to L/D can be found (St= 0.1618*L/D) at L/D⩾ 8. In the flow, two small secondary vortices beneath the shear layers are identified and the trailing-edge secondary vortex presents opposite rotational direction comparing with the leading-edge main vortex. Analysis of the shear layer and vortex characteristics is carried out to correlate with the wall normal stress and shear stress on the rectangular cylinder surfaces. Further, four coupling modes between leading-edge vortex (L-vortex) and trailing-edge vortex (T-vortex) among cylinders with different L/D are observed, named L-Vortex Mode (i.e. L/D= 1–2), L-T-Vortex Mode (i.e. L/D= 4–8), T-L-Vortex Mode (i.e. L/D= 10–14), and T-Vortex Mode (i.e. L/D ⩾ 16). When L/D > 4, the convective velocity of the L- and T-vortex is not sensitive to the L/D.
Automatic generation of Grover quantum oracles for arbitrary data structures
Authors: Seidel Raphael , Becker Colin Kai-Uwe , Bock Sebastian , Tcholtchev Nikolay , Gheorghe-Pop Ilie-Daniel , Hauswirth Manfred
Published: January 2023

The steadily growing research interest in quantum computing—together with the accompanying technological advances in the realization of quantum hardware—fuels the development of meaningful real-world applications, as well as implementations for well-known quantum algorithms. One of the most prominent examples till today is Grover’s algorithm, which can be used for efficient search in unstructured databases. Quantum oracles that are frequently masked as black boxes play an important role in Grover’s algorithm. Hence, the automatic generation of oracles is of paramount importance. Moreover, the automatic generation of the corresponding circuits for a Grover quantum oracle is deeply linked to the synthesis of reversible quantum logic, which—despite numerous advances in the field—still remains a challenge till today in terms of synthesizing efficient and scalable circuits for complex Boolean functions. In this paper, we present a flexible method for automatically encoding unstructured databases into oracles, which can then be efficiently searched with Grover’s algorithm. Furthermore, we develop a tailor-made method for quantum logic synthesis, which vastly improves circuit complexity over other current approaches. Finally, we present another logic synthesis method that considers the requirements of scaling onto real world backends. We compare our method with other approaches through evaluating the oracle generation for random databases and analyzing the resulting circuit complexities using various metrics.