bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Porous, multi-layered piezoelectric composites based on highly oriented PZT/PVDF electrospinning fibers for high-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators
Authors: Du Xiangxin , Zhou Zheng , Zhang Zhao , Yao Liqin , Zhang Qilong , Yang Hui
Published: January 2022

Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) that can harvest mechanical energy from ambient environment have broad prospects for multi-functional applications. Here, multi-layered piezoelectric composites with a porous structure based on highly oriented Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3/PVDF (PZT/PVDF) electrospinning fibers are prepared via a laminating method to construct high-performance PENGs. PZT particles as piezoelectric reinforcing phases are embedded in PVDF fibers and facilitate the formation of polar β phase in PVDF. The multi-layered, porous structure effectively promotes the overall polarization and surface bound charge density, resulting in a highly efficient electromechanical conversion. The PENG based on 10 wt% PZT/PVDF composite fibers with a 220 µm film thickness outputs an optimal voltage of 62.0 V and a power of 136.9 µW, which are 3.4 and 6.5 times those of 10 wt% PZT/PVDF casting film-based PENG, respectively. Importantly, the PENG shows a high sensitivity of 12.4 V·N−1, presenting a significant advantage in comparison to PENGs with other porous structures. In addition, the composites show excellent flexibility with a Young’s modulus of 227.2 MPa and an elongation of 262.3%. This study shows a great potential application of piezoelectric fiber composites in flexible energy harvesting devices.
Investigation of microstructure changes in Al2O3-YSZ coatings and YSZ coatings and their effect on thermal cycle life
Authors: Dai Meiqi , Song Xuemei , Lin Chucheng , Liu Ziwei , Zheng Wei , Zeng Yi
Published: January 2022

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings and Al2O3-YSZ coatings were prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). Their microstructural changes during thermal cycling were investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the microstructure and microstructure changes of the two coatings were different, including crystallinity, grain orientation, phase, and phase transition. These differences are closely related to the thermal cycle life of the coatings. There is a relationship between crystallinity and crack size. Changes in grain orientation are related to microscopic strain and cracks. Phase transition is the direct cause of coating failure. In this study, the relationship between the changes in the coating microstructure and the thermal cycle life is discussed in detail. The failure mechanism of the coating was comprehensively analyzed from a microscopic perspective.
Dynamic oxidation mechanism of carbon fiber reinforced SiC matrix composite in high-enthalpy and high-speed plasmas
Authors: Yang Lingwei , Xiao Xueren , Liu Liping , Luo Jie , Jiang Kai , Han Xinxing , Zhao Changhao , Zhang Jun , Wang Guolin
Published: January 2022

This work employed an inductively coupled plasma wind tunnel to study the dynamic oxidation mechanisms of carbon fiber reinforced SiC matrix composite (Cf/SiC) in high-enthalpy and high-speed plasmas. The results highlighted a transition of passive/active oxidations of SiC at 800–1600 °C and 1–5 kPa. Specially, the active oxidation led to the corrosion of the SiC coating and interruption of the SiO2 growth. The transition borders of active/passive oxidations were thus defined with respect to oxidation temperature and partial pressure of atomic O in the high-enthalpy and high-speed plasmas. In the transition and passive domains, the SiC dissipation was negligible. By multiple dynamic oxidations of Cf/SiC in the domains, the SiO2 thickness was not monotonously increased due to the competing mechanisms of passive oxidation of SiC and dissipation of SiO2. In addition, the mechanical properties of the SiC coating/matrix and the Cf/SiC were maintained after long-term dynamic oxidations, which suggested an excellent thermal stability of Cf/SiC serving in thermal protection systems (TPSs) of reusable hypersonic vehicles.
A Student's Guide to Laplace Transforms
Authors: Fleisch Daniel
Published: January 2022

The Laplace transform is a useful mathematical tool encountered by students of physics, engineering, and applied mathematics, within a wide variety of important applications in mechanics, electronics, thermodynamics and more. However, students often struggle with the rationale behind these transforms, and the physical meaning of the transform results. Using the same approach that has proven highly popular in his other Student's Guides, Professor Fleisch addresses the topics that his students have found most troublesome; providing a detailed and accessible description of Laplace transforms and how they relate to Fourier and Z-transforms. Written in plain language and including numerous, fully worked examples. The book is accompanied by a website containing a rich set of freely available supporting materials, including interactive solutions for every problem in the text, and a series of podcasts in which the author explains the important concepts, equations, and graphs of every section of the book.
Capillary instability of a two-layer annular film: an airway closure model
Authors: Erken O. , Romanò F. , Grotberg J.B. , Muradoglu M.
Published: January 2022

Capillary instability of a two-layer liquid film lining a rigid tube is studied computationally as a model for liquid plug formation and closure of human airways. The two-layer liquid consists of a serous layer, also called the periciliary liquid layer, at the inner side and a mucus layer at the outer side. Together, they form the airway surface liquid lining the airway wall and surrounding an air core. Liquid plug formation occurs due to Plateau–Rayleigh instability when the liquid film thickness exceeds a critical value. Numerical simulations are performed for the entire closure process, including the pre- and post-coalescence phases. The mechanical stresses and their gradients on the airway wall are investigated for physiologically relevant ranges of the mucus-to-serous thickness ratio, the viscosity ratio, and the air–mucus and serous–mucus surface tensions encompassing healthy and pathological conditions of a typical adult human lung. The growth rate of the two-layer model is found to be higher in comparison with a one-layer equivalent configuration. This leads to a much sooner closure in the two-layer model than that in the corresponding one-layer model. Moreover, it is found that the serous layer generally provides an effective protection to the pulmonary epithelium against high shear stress excursions and their gradients. A linear stability analysis is also performed, and the results are found to be in good qualitative agreement with the simulations. Finally, a secondary coalescence that may occur during the post-closure phase is investigated.
APPLICATIONS OF PCF THEORY TO THE STUDY OF IDEALS ON
Authors: MATET PIERRE
Published: January 2022

Let$\kappa $be a regular uncountable cardinal, anda cardinal greater than or equal to$\kappa $. Revisiting a celebrated result of Shelah, we show that ifis close to$\kappa $and(= the least size of a cofinal subset of) is greater than, thencan be represented (in the sense of pcf theory) as a pseudopower. This can be used to obtain optimal results concerning the splitting problem. For example we show that ifand, then no$\kappa $-complete ideal onis weakly-saturated.
The relational impact of social rights judgments: a trust-based analysis
Authors: Vitale David
Published: January 2022

There is a growing body of scholarship examining the impact of courts’ social rights judgments, especially their distributive impact (ie the extent to which they deliver social rights-related goods and services to the poor and marginalised). Commentators have used this impact to evaluate the effectiveness of courts in realising citizens’ social rights. This paper contributes to the scholarship by adding a new ‘relational’ dimension to our understanding of such impact. It uses the literature on the concept of trust from philosophy, sociology and other disciplines to analyse the impact that social rights judgments have on the relationship between citizens and the political branches of government, and argues that social rights judgments can modify two elements of this relationship that determine the dynamics at play in it: citizens’ vulnerability to the political branches with respect to the relevant goods and services; and citizens’ uncertainty about the political branches’ exercise of control over the goods and services (which can promote the political branches’ trustworthiness). By broadening our understanding of these judgments’ impact, the paper offers a valuable lens through which to analyse social rights judgments and adds needed nuance to current debates about courts’ effectiveness in realising citizens’ social rights.
An Argument for Phonological Stress in French: the syntagm over contrast
Authors: Ulfsbjorninn Shanti
Published: January 2022

It is standardly assumed that French does not have word-stress, rather it has phrase-level prominence. I will advance a number of arguments, many of which have appeared already in the literature, that cumulatively suggest that French roots are characterized by phonological prominence, even if this is non-contrastive. By prominence, I mean a syntagmatically distributed strength that has all the phonological characteristics of stress in other Romance languages. I will remain agnostic about the nature of that stress, eschewing the lively debate about whether French has feet, and if so what type, and at what level. The structure of the argument is as follows. French demonstrably has phonological word-final strength but one wonders what the source of this strength is. Positionally, the initial position is strong and, independently of cases where it is reinforced by other factors, the final position is weak. I will argue, based on parallels with other Romance languages, that French word-final strength derives from root-final phonological stress. The broader significance of this conclusion is that syntagmatic properties are enough to motivate underlying forms, even in the absence of paradigmatic contrasts (minimal pairs).
Tax Expenditures and the Tax Reform Act of 1969 in the United States
Authors: Mozumi Seiichiro
Published: January 2022

In the United States, tax favoritism—an approach that has weakened the extractive capacity of the federal government by providing tax loopholes and preferences for taxpayers—has remained since the 1930s. It has consumed the amount of tax revenue the government can spend and therefore weakened the possibility of the redistribution of fiscal resources. It has also made the federal tax system complicated and inequitable, resulting in undermining taxpayer consent. Therefore, since the 1930s, a tax reform to create a simple, fair, and equitable federal income tax system with the capacity to raise revenue has been long overdue. Many scholars have evaluated the Tax Reform Act of 1969 (TRA69), which Richard M. Nixon signed into law on December 30, 1969, as one of the most successful steps toward accomplishing this goal. This article demonstrates that TRA69 left tax favoritism in the United States. Furthermore, it points out that TRA69 turned taxpayers against the idea of federal taxation, a shift in public perception that greatly impacted tax reform in the years to follow.
Modeling Wave‐Particle Interactions With Photoelectrons on the Dayside Crustal Fields of Mars
Authors: Shane Alexander D. , Liemohn Michael W.
Published: January 2022

Whistler mode waves have been proposed as a crucial mechanism in determining the velocity‐space distribution of electrons on the dayside crustal magnetic fields of Mars. A superthermal electron transport model has been unable to reproduce the observed pitch angle distributions on a crustal field line. The two key differences are that the observed pitch angle distributions are much more isotropic and the observed high energy pitch angle distributions have a flux peak at perpendicular pitch angles. We solve the bounce‐averaged quasi‐linear diffusion equation to calculate the steady‐state pitch angle distribution of electrons along a crustal field line when in resonance with whistler mode waves. We perform two simulations, changing the background ionosphere, which affects what energies are in resonance with the whistler mode wave. The wave parameters are chosen based on previous observations of whistlers at Mars. Our results reconcile both qualitative differences between the previous data‐model comparisons.
Anomalous Post‐Rift Subsidence in the Bohai Bay Basin, Eastern China: Contributions From Mantle Process and Fault Activity
Authors: Liu Qiongying , He Lijuan , Yi Zejun , Zhang Linyou
Published: January 2022

The Bohai Bay Basin is the largest Cenozoic rift basin in eastern China, which exhibits a high rate of post‐rift subsidence deviating from the theoretical exponentially decay trend of thermal subsidence. The driving force for this phenomenon remains an outstanding question. Here we quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of the anomalous post‐rift subsidence by removing the thermal subsidence related to earlier stretching events from the observed tectonic subsidence. A multi‐episodic finite extension model is employed to estimate the stretching factors during rifting for nine profiles and 48 wells covering the basin. Our results show that the anomalous subsidence commenced at 12 Ma and the average anomalous subsidence rate accelerated from ∼19 m/Myr during the late Miocene to ∼75 m/Myr during the Quaternary, reaching ∼400 m at present. The anomalous subsidence is compared with published changes in dynamic topography arising from mantle flow. The temporal evolution of the dynamic topography generally fits the evolution of the anomalous subsidence, whereas variation in dynamic topography exhibits smaller amplitude and larger wavelength than our results. Small‐scale convection in the shallow mantle might play a role in generating short‐wavelength topography disturbances in the past tens of million years. Besides, the spatial distribution of the Quaternary anomalous subsidence generally coincides with fault movements in the past ∼2 Myr. We suggest mantle processes as well as fault activities might be possible mechanisms accounting for additional accommodation in the basin.
Selective 5HT3 antagonists and sensory processing: a systematic review
Authors: Tsitsipa Eirini , Rogers Jonathan , Casalotti Sebastian , Belessiotis-Richards Clara , Zubko Olga , Weil Rimona S. , Howard Robert , Bisby James A. , Reeves Suzanne
Published: January 2022

Ondansetron is a selective serotonin (5HT3) receptor antagonist that is under evaluation as an adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia, and a novel treatment for hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease. Ondansetron reverses sensory gating deficits and improves visuoperceptual processing in animal models of psychosis, but it is unclear to what extent preclinical findings have been replicated in humans. We systematically reviewed human studies that evaluated the effects of ondansetron and other 5HT3 receptor antagonists on sensory gating deficits or sensory processing. Of 11 eligible studies, eight included patients with schizophrenia who were chronically stable on antipsychotic medication; five measured sensory gating using the P50 suppression response to a repeated auditory stimulus; others included tests of visuoperceptual function. Three studies in healthy participants included tests of visuoperceptual and sensorimotor function. A consistent and robust finding (five studies) was that ondansetron and tropisetron (5HT3 antagonist and α7-nicotinic receptor partial agonist) improved sensory gating in patients with schizophrenia. Tropisetron also improved sustained visual attention in non-smoking patients. There was inconsistent evidence of the effects of 5HT3 antagonists on other measures of sensory processing, but interpretation was limited by the small number of studies, methodological heterogeneity and the potential confounding effects of concomitant medication in patients. Despite these limitations, we found strong evidence that selective 5HT3 antagonists (with or without direct α7-nicotinic partial agonist effects) improved sensory gating. Future studies should investigate how this relates to potential improvement in neurocognitive symptoms in antipsychotic naive patients with prodromal or milder symptoms, in order to understand the clinical implications.
Externalized phosphatidylinositides on apoptotic cells are eat-me signals recognized by CD14
Authors: Kim Ok-Hee , Kang Geun-Hyung , Hur June , Lee Jinwook , Jung YunJae , Hong In-Sun , Lee Hookeun , Seo Seung-Yong , Lee Dae Ho , Lee Cheol Soon , Lee In-Kyu , Bonner-Weir Susan , Lee Jongsoon , Park Young Joo , Kim Hyeonjin , Shoelson Steven E. , Oh Byung-Chul
Published: January 2022

Apoptotic cells are rapidly engulfed and removed by phagocytes after displaying cell surface eat-me signals. Among many phospholipids, only phosphatidylserine (PS) is known to act as an eat-me signal on apoptotic cells. Using unbiased proteomics, we identified externalized phosphatidylinositides (PIPs) as apoptotic eat-me signals recognized by CD14+phagocytes. Exofacial PIPs on the surfaces of early and late-apoptotic cells were observed in patches and blebs using anti-PI(3,4,5)P3antibody, AKT- and PLCδ PH-domains, and CD14 protein. Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells was blocked either by masking exofacial PIPs or by CD14 knockout in phagocytes. We further confirmed that exofacial PIP+thymocytes increased dramatically after in vivo irradiation and that exofacial PIP+cells represented more significant populations in tissues ofCd14−/−than WT mice, especially after induction of apoptosis. Our findings reveal exofacial PIPs to be previously unknown cell death signals recognized by CD14+phagocytes.
Novel biallelic variants expand the SLC5A6-related phenotypic spectrum
Authors: Holling Tess , Nampoothiri Sheela , Tarhan Bedirhan , Schneeberger Pauline E. , Vinayan Kollencheri Puthenveettil , Yesodharan Dhanya , Roy Arun Grace , Radhakrishnan Periyasamy , Alawi Malik , Rhodes Lindsay , Girisha Katta Mohan , Kang Peter B. , Kutsche Kerstin
Published: January 2022

The sodium (Na+):multivitamin transporter (SMVT), encoded by SLC5A6, belongs to the sodium:solute symporter family and is required for the Na+-dependent uptake of biotin (vitamin B7), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), the vitamin-like substance α-lipoic acid, and iodide. Compound heterozygous SLC5A6 variants have been reported in individuals with variable multisystemic disorder, including failure to thrive, developmental delay, seizures, cerebral palsy, brain atrophy, gastrointestinal problems, immunodeficiency, and/or osteopenia. We expand the phenotypic spectrum associated with biallelic SLC5A6 variants affecting function by reporting five individuals from three families with motor neuropathies. We identified the homozygous variant c.1285 A > G [p.(Ser429Gly)] in three affected siblings and a simplex patient and the maternally inherited c.280 C > T [p.(Arg94*)] variant and the paternally inherited c.485 A > G [p.(Tyr162Cys)] variant in the simplex patient of the third family. Both missense variants were predicted to affect function by in silico tools. 3D homology modeling of the human SMVT revealed 13 transmembrane helices (TMs) and Tyr162 and Ser429 to be located at the cytoplasmic facing region of TM4 and within TM11, respectively. The SLC5A6 missense variants p.(Tyr162Cys) and p.(Ser429Gly) did not affect plasma membrane localization of the ectopically expressed multivitamin transporter suggesting reduced but not abolished function, such as lower catalytic activity. Targeted therapeutic intervention yielded clinical improvement in four of the five patients. Early molecular diagnosis by exome sequencing is essential for timely replacement therapy in affected individuals.
Omicron escapes the majority of existing SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies
Authors: Cao Yunlong , Wang Jing , Jian Fanchong , Xiao Tianhe , Song Weiliang , Yisimayi Ayijiang , Huang Weijin , Li Qianqian , Wang Peng , An Ran , Wang Jing , Wang Yao , Niu Xiao , Yang Sijie , Liang Hui , Sun Haiyan , Li Tao , Yu Yuanling , Cui Qianqian , Liu Shuo , Yang Xiaodong , Du Shuo , Zhang Zhiying , Hao Xiaohua , Shao Fei , Jin Ronghua , Wang Xiangxi , Xiao Junyu , Wang Youchun , Xie Xiaoliang Sunney
Published: January 2022

The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant contains 15 mutations of the receptor-binding domain (RBD). How Omicron evades RBD-targeted neutralizing antibodies requires immediate investigation. Here we use high-throughput yeast display screening1,2 to determine the profiles of RBD escaping mutations for 247 human anti-RBD neutralizing antibodies and show that the neutralizing antibodies can be classified by unsupervised clustering into six epitope groups (A–F)—a grouping that is highly concordant with knowledge-based structural classifications3–5. Various single mutations of Omicron can impair neutralizing antibodies of different epitope groups. Specifically, neutralizing antibodies in groups A–D, the epitopes of which overlap with the ACE2-binding motif, are largely escaped by K417N, G446S, E484A and Q493R. Antibodies in group E (for example, S309)6 and group F (for example, CR3022)7, which often exhibit broad sarbecovirus neutralizing activity, are less affected by Omicron, but a subset of neutralizing antibodies are still escaped by G339D, N440K and S371L. Furthermore, Omicron pseudovirus neutralization showed that neutralizing antibodies that sustained single mutations could also be escaped, owing to multiple synergetic mutations on their epitopes. In total, over 85% of the tested neutralizing antibodies were escaped by Omicron. With regard to neutralizing-antibody-based drugs, the neutralization potency of LY-CoV016, LY-CoV555, REGN10933, REGN10987, AZD1061, AZD8895 and BRII-196 was greatly undermined by Omicron, whereas VIR-7831 and DXP-604 still functioned at a reduced efficacy. Together, our data suggest that infection with Omicron would result in considerable humoral immune evasion, and that neutralizing antibodies targeting the sarbecovirus conserved region will remain most effective. Our results inform the development of antibody-based drugs and vaccines against Omicron and future variants.
A cell-free approach to identify binding hotspots in plant immune receptors
Authors: Markou George C. , Sarkar Casim A.
Published: January 2022

Plant immune receptors are often difficult to express heterologously, hindering study of direct interactions between these receptors and their targets with traditional biochemical approaches. The cell-free method ribosome display (RD) enables expression of such recalcitrant proteins by keeping each nascent polypeptide chain tethered to its ribosome, which can enhance protein folding by virtue of its size and solubility. Moreover, in contrast to an in planta readout of receptor activity such as a hypersensitive response that conflates binding and signaling, RD enables direct probing of the interaction between plant immune receptors and their targets. Here, we demonstrate the utility of this approach using tomato recognition of Trichoderma viride ethylene-inducing xylanase (EIX) as a case study. Leveraging the modular nature of the tomato LeEIX2 and LeEIX1 leucine-rich repeat (LRR) receptors, we applied an entropy-informed algorithm to maximize the information content in our receptor segmentation RD experiments to identify segments implicated in EIX binding. Unexpectedly, two distinct EIX-binding hotspots were discovered on LeEIX2 and both hotspots are shared with decoy LeEIX1, suggesting that their contrasting receptor functions are not due to differential modes of ligand binding. Given that most plant immune receptors are thought to engage targets via their LRR sequences, this approach should be of broad utility in rapidly identifying their binding hotspots.
Conformal properties of hyperinvariant tensor networks
Authors: Steinberg Matthew , Prior Javier
Published: January 2022

Hyperinvariant tensor networks (hyMERA) were introduced as a way to combine the successes of perfect tensor networks (HaPPY) and the multiscale entanglement renormalization ansatz (MERA) in simulations of the AdS/CFT correspondence. Although this new class of tensor network shows much potential for simulating conformal field theories arising from hyperbolic bulk manifolds with quasiperiodic boundaries, many issues are unresolved. In this manuscript we analyze the challenges related to optimizing tensors in a hyMERA with respect to some quasiperiodic critical spin chain, and compare with standard approaches in MERA. Additionally, we show two new sets of tensor decompositions which exhibit different properties from the original construction, implying that the multitensor constraints are neither unique, nor difficult to find, and that a generalization of the analytical tensor forms used up until now may exist. Lastly, we perform randomized trials using a descending superoperator with several of the investigated tensor decompositions, and find that the constraints imposed on the spectra of local descending superoperators in hyMERA are compatible with the operator spectra of several minimial model CFTs.
Evaluation of multiple satellite precipitation products for rainfed maize production systems over Vietnam
Authors: Gummadi Sridhar , Dinku Tufa , Shirsath Paresh B. , Kadiyala M. D. M.
Published: January 2022

High-resolution reliable rainfall datasets are vital for agricultural, hydrological, and weather-related applications. The accuracy of satellite estimates has a significant effect on simulation models in particular crop simulation models, which are highly sensitive to rainfall amounts, distribution, and intensity. In this study, we evaluated five widely used operational satellite rainfall estimates: CHIRP, CHIRPS, CPC, CMORPH, and GSMaP. These products are evaluated by comparing with the latest improved Vietnam-gridded rainfall data to determine their suitability for use in impact assessment models. CHIRP/S products are significantly better than CMORPH, CPC, and GsMAP with higher skill, low bias, showing a high correlation coefficient with observed data, and low mean absolute error and root mean square error. The rainfall detection ability of these products shows that CHIRP outperforms the other products with a high probability of detection (POD) scores. The performance of the different rainfall datasets in simulating maize yields across Vietnam shows that VnGP and CHIRP/S were capable of producing good estimates of average maize yields with RMSE ranging from 536 kg/ha (VnGP), 715 kg/ha (CHIRPS), 737 kg/ha (CHIRP), 759 kg/ha (GsMAP), 878 kg/ha (CMORPH) to 949 kg/ha (CPC). We illustrated that there is a potential for use of satellite rainfall estimates to overcome the issues of data scarcity in regions with sparse rain gauges.
Ecoregional and temporal dynamics of dugong habitat use in a complex coral reef lagoon ecosystem
Authors: Derville Solène , Cleguer Christophe , Garrigue Claire
Published: January 2022

Mobile marine species display complex and nonstationary habitat use patterns that require understanding to design effective management measures. In this study, the spatio-temporal habitat use dynamics of the vulnerable dugong (Dugong dugon) were modelled from 16 satellite-tagged individuals in the coral reef lagoonal ecosystems of New Caledonia, South Pacific. Dugong residence time was calculated along the interpolated tracks (9371 hourly positions) to estimate intensity of use in three contrasting ecoregions, previously identified through hierarchical clustering of lagoon topographic characteristics. Across ecoregions, differences were identified in dugong spatial intensity of use of shallow waters, deeper lagoon waters and the fore-reef shelf outside the barrier reef. Maps of dugong intensity of use were predicted from these ecological relationships and validated with spatial density estimates derived from aerial surveys conducted for population assessment. While high correlation was found between the two datasets, our study extended the spatial patterns of dugong distribution obtained from aerial surveys across the diel cycle, especially in shallow waters preferentially used by dugongs at night/dusk during high tide. This study has important implications for dugong conservation and illustrates the potential benefits of satellite tracking and dynamic habitat use modelling to inform spatial management of elusive and mobile marine mammals.
Polymorphism analysis of pfmdr1 gene in Plasmodium falciparum isolates 11 years post-adoption of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Mekhlafi Hesham M. , Madkhali Aymen M. , Abdulhaq Ahmed A. , Atroosh Wahib M. , Ghzwani Ahmad Hassn , Zain Khalid Ammash , Ghailan Khalid Y. , Hamali Hassan A. , Mobarki Abdullah A. , Alharazi Talal H. , Eisa Zaki M. , Lau Yee-Ling
Published: January 2022

A total of 227 Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Jazan region, southwestern Saudi Arabia were amplified for the P. falciparum multi-drug resistance 1 (pfmdr1) gene to detect point mutations 11 years after the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in Saudi Arabia. The pfmdr1 86Y mutation was found in 11.5% (26/227) of the isolates while the N86 wild allele was detected in 88.5%. Moreover, 184F point mutations dominated (86.3%) the instances of pfmdr1 polymorphism while no mutation was observed at codons 1034, 1042 and 1246. Three pfmdr1 haplotypes were identified, NFSND (74.9%), NYSND (13.7%) and YFSND (11.4%). Associations of the prevalence of 86Y mutation and YFSND haplotype with participants’ nationality, residency and parasitaemia level were found to be significant (P < 0.05). The findings revealed significant decline in the prevalence of the pfmdr1 86Y mutation in P. falciparum isolates from Jazan region over a decade after the implementation of ACT treatment. Moreover, the high prevalence of the NFSND haplotype might be indicative of the potential emergence of CQ-sensitive but artemether-lumefantrine-resistant P. falciparum strains since the adoption of ACT. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the molecular markers of antimalarial drug resistance in Jazan region is highly recommended.
Free-water diffusion tensor imaging detects occult periependymal abnormality in the AQP4-IgG-seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Authors: Kim Minchul , Choi Kyu Sung , Hyun Ryoo Chang , Hwang Inpyeong , Yun Tae Jin , Kim Sung Min , Kim Ji-hoon
Published: January 2022

To compare free-water corrected diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures in the normal-appearing periependymal area between AQP4-IgG-seropositive NMOSD and multiple sclerosis (MS) to investigate occult pathophysiology.
This prospective study included 44 patients (mean age, 39.52 ± 11.90 years; 14 men) with AQP4-IgG-seropositive NMOSD (n = 20) and MS (n = 24) who underwent DTI between April 2014 and April 2020. Based on free-water corrected DTI measures obtained from normal-appearing periependymal voxels of (1) lateral ventricles and (2) the 3rd and 4th ventricles as dependent variables, MANCOVA was conducted to compare the two groups, using clinical variables as covariates. A significant difference was found between AQP4-IgG-seropositive NMOSD and MS in the 3rd and 4th periependymal voxels (λ = 0.462, P = 0.001). Fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity was significantly decreased and radial diffusivity was increased in AQP4-IgG-seropositive NMOSD in post-hoc analysis, compared with MS (F = 27.616, P < 0.001, F = 7.336, P = 0.011, and F = 5.800, P = 0.022, respectively). Free-water corrected DTI measures differ in the periependymal area surrounding the diencephalon and brain stem/cerebellum between MS and NMOSD, which may suggest occult white matter injury in areas with distribution of AQP-4 in NMOSD.
Spread of variants of epidemic disease based on the microscopic numerical simulations on networks
Authors: Okabe Yutaka , Shudo Akira
Published: January 2022

Viruses constantly undergo mutations with genomic changes. The propagation of variants of viruses is an interesting problem. We perform numerical simulations of the microscopic epidemic model based on network theory for the spread of variants. Assume that a small number of individuals infected with the variant are added to widespread infection with the original virus. When a highly infectious variant that is more transmissible than the original lineage is added, the variant spreads quickly to the wide space. On the other hand, if the infectivity is about the same as that of the original virus, the infection will not spread. The rate of spread is not linear as a function of the infection strength but increases non-linearly. This cannot be explained by the compartmental model of epidemiology but can be understood in terms of the dynamic absorbing state known from the contact process.
A rapid influenza diagnostic test based on detection of viral neuraminidase activity
Authors: Lin Xuexiang , Liu Xiao-Yu , Zhang Bo , Qin Ai-Qing , Hui Kwok-Min , Shi Kevin , Liu Yang , Gabriel Don , Li X. James
Published: January 2022

Current methods used for diagnosis of acute infection of pathogens rely on detection of nucleic acids, antigens, or certain classes of antibodies such as IgM. Here we report a virus enzyme assay as an alternative to these methods for detection of acute viral infection. In this method, we used a luciferin derivative as the substrate for detection of the enzyme activity of influenza viral neuraminidase as a means for diagnosis of influenza. The resulting commercial test, the qFLU Dx Test, uses a different supply chain that does not compete with those for the current tests. The assay reagents were formulated as a master mix that accommodated both the neuraminidase and luciferase reactions, thereby enabling rapid and prolonged production of stable light signal in the presence of influenza virus in the sample. The assay was evaluated using depository throat swab specimens. As expected, the assay exhibited similar detection rates for all influenza types and subtypes except for A(H7N9), which exhibited lower detection rate due to lower viral titer in the specimens. When throat swab specimens were diluted with the sample buffer of the test kit and tested with the qFLU Dx Test. The sensitivity and specificity were 82.41% (95% confidence interval: 79.66–85.84%) and 95.39% (95% confidence interval: 94.32–96.46%), respectively, for these diluted specimens in comparison to a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. The uniqueness of the qFLU Dx Test as an enzymatic assay makes it highly complementary with currently available methods.
Retrospective analysis of OCT on MB characteristics and 1-year follow-up of the ISR incidence after the DES implantation in patients with MB
Authors: Xu Tian , You Wei , Wu Zhiming , Meng Peina , Ye Fei , Wu Xiangqi , Chen Shaoliang
Published: January 2022

We used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to analyze the "half-moon" like phenomenon and its characteristics and observe 1-year follow-up of the in-stent restenosis (ISR) incidence after the drug eluted stent (DES) implantation in patients with the myocardial bridge (MB). Patients were retrospectively analyzed from January 2013 to December 2019. We used OCT to check 45 patients with MB and found a visible muscle layer (VML) around the vessel adventitia with the same or high density compared to the vessel media layer. There was not any significant difference in maximal thickness, maximal arch, and total length between the half-moon layer and the visible muscle layer groups (p > 0.05). Maximal thickness, arch, and total length of the half-moon layer were significantly positively related to VML, respectively (r = 0.962, 0.985, 0.742, p < 0.01). Of these 626 patients with MB seen by OCT, only 300 could be checked out by coronary angiography (CAG). Besides, the larger the thickness and arch of the VML around the vessel adventitia, the more severe the MB in these patients (p < 0.05). After the OCT use, there was no coronary perforation in these patients with MB covered with DES. After 1-year follow-up, ISR in MB covered with DES showed a notable difference among no MB, mild MB, moderate MB, and severe MB groups (p < 0.05), and ISR in DES aggravated with the MB severity. However, ISR in MB with and without covered with DES had no significant difference among the 4 groups (p > 0.05). OCT could evaluate MB characteristics accurately compared to IVUS and had a higher rate of detecting MB than CAG. Moreover, it is safe and effective to guide DES covering the mild MB segment in patients with severe coronary lesions detected by the OCT.
Calculation of blast hole charge amount based on three-dimensional solid model of blasting rock mass
Authors: Chen YingXian , Wang PengFei , Chen Jian , Zhou Meng , Yang HongXia , Li JiaYing
Published: January 2022

The development and use of intelligent drilling rigs make it available to obtain accurate lithology data of blast drilling. In order to make full use of drilling data to improve blasting efficiency, the following research was carried out. First, a database is established to manage and store the blast hole data recognized by the intelligent drill. Secondly, the blast hole lithology data is taken as a sample, and the inverse distance square method is used to interpolate the blasting range's solid elements to generate a three-dimensional solid model of the blasting rock mass. Afterward, the blasting range polygon and stope triangle grid are used successively in the solid model to obtain the cut 3D solid model of the blasting rock mass; finally, the blast hole charge is calculated based on the cut 3D solid model of the blasting rock. The C++ programming language is used to realize all the blast hole charge amount processes based on the three-dimensional solid model of the blasting rock mass. With the application example of No. 918 bench blasting of Shengli Open-pit Coal Mine in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, the blast hole charge amount in the blasting area is calculated and compared with the results of single hole rock property calculation, the results show that the blast hole charge calculated by three-dimensional rock mass model can be effectively reduced.
A fluorescent probe for specifically measuring the overall thioredoxin and glutaredoxin reducing activity in bacterial cells
Authors: Zuo Xin , Zhao Ying , Zhao Jintao , Ouyang Yanfang , Qian Wenjun , Hou Yinmei , Yu Chong , Ren Xiaoyuan , Zou Lili , Fang Jianguo , Lu Jun
Published: January 2022

Both bacterial thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems can reduce TRFS-green selectively, which confers TRFS-green to be a remarkable probe to detect the dominant disulfide reductase activity with a slow reaction rate in bacteria, e. g. E. coli Grx2&3.
Rotaxane-branched radical dendrimers with TEMPO termini
Authors: Peng Zhiyong , Xu Xiao-Qin , Wang Xu-Qing , Shi Xueliang , Wang Wei , Yang Hai-Bo
Published: January 2022

The precise synthesis of novel rotaxane-branched radical dendrimers with up to 24 TEMPO radicals as termini was achieved.
Supramolecular cancer photoimmunotherapy based on precise peptide self-assembly design
Authors: Liu Yamei , Zhang Lu , Chang Rui , Yan Xuehai
Published: January 2022

Combinational photoimmunotherapy (PIT) is considered to be an ideal strategy for the treatment of malignant cancer, because it can ablate the primary tumor and induce the host immune response to control tumor growth and distal metastasis.
Synthesis of isoxazoloazaborines via gold(i)-catalyzed propargyl aza-Claisen rearrangement/borylative cyclization cascade
Authors: Tsuda Masato , Morita Taiki , Nakamura Hiroyuki
Published: January 2022

Isoxazoloazaborines have been synthesized from 4-N-propargylaminoisoxazole via gold(i)-catalyzed propargyl aza-Claisen rearrangement followed by electrophilic borylative cyclization in 27–86% yields.
Donor–acceptor based solvent-free organic liquid hybrids with exciplex emission and room temperature phosphorescence
Authors: Wakchaure Vivek Chandrakant , Veer Sairam D. , Nidhankar Aakash D. , Goudappagouda  , Nayak Rashmi , Asokan Kiran , Ravindranathan Sapna , Babu Sukumaran Santhosh
Published: January 2022

Solvent-free organic liquids enable doping to deliver hybrid liquids with exciting luminescent features. Here exciplex emission and room temperature phosphorescence are achieved from two donor–acceptor combinations.
The dual band and white-light emission from piperazine halide perovskites
Authors: Jung Mi-Hee
Published: January 2022

We used 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane to prepare the perovskite (C6H12N2H2)4Pb5Br18 ((C6H12N2H2)4+ = DABCO) and (DABCO)Sn2Cl6, to demonstrate their dual band and white-light emission properties.
Modulating the oxidation states in nickel–iron layered double hydroxides by natural cooling for enhanced oxygen evolution activity
Authors: Wu Yong , Zhang Qin , Bai Cheng , Zhang Xinyu , Hu Xiaolin , Xu Chaohe , Li Dongmei , Yu Peng , Guo Xiaolong
Published: January 2022

Modulating the relationship of oxidation state–OER activity by natural cooling.
Diffusion Monte Carlo evaluation of disiloxane linearisation barrier
Authors: Hanindriyo Adie Tri , Yadav Amit Kumar Singh , Ichibha Tom , Maezono Ryo , Nakano Kousuke , Hongo Kenta
Published: January 2022

This work investigates the linearisation barrier of disiloxane using the fixed node diffusion Monte Carlo (FNDMC) method. The basis-set independence of FNDMC relative to other theoretical methods is valuable in studying Si–O–Si bonds.
Combinatorial nanodroplet platform for screening antibiotic combinations
Authors: Li Hui , Zhang Pengfei , Hsieh Kuangwen , Wang Tza-Huei
Published: January 2022

We have developed a combinatorial nanodroplet platform for screening antibiotic combinations and successfully screened drug response of pairwise antibiotic combinations from selected antibiotics using the platform.
2-Imidazolidinone benzofurans as unexpected outcome of the Lewis acid mediated Nenitzescu reaction
Authors: Horsten Tomas , Alegbejo Price Temitayo Omowumi , Van Meervelt Luc , Emery Flavio da Silva , Dehaen Wim
Published: January 2022

Herein, a metal-free methodology towards 2-imidazolidinone benzofurans via piperazinone enaminoesters addition onto quinones and subsequent rearrangement has been disclosed.
Characterization and evaluation of the adsorption potential of chitosan-impregnated cellulose nanofiber multi-walled carbon nanotube aerogel for copper ions
Authors: Wang Xuerong , Shi Jie , Zhuang Jie , Chen Chuchu , Ouyang Kangwen , Xu Mengting , Xu Zhaoyang
Published: January 2022

Chitosan solution was innovatively used to impregnate CNF/MWCNT aerogel, which is convenient and does not produce any toxic substances.
Enhanced water-resistant performance of Cu-BTC through polyvinylpyrrolidone protection and its capture ability evaluation of methylene blue
Authors: Zhu Yingzhi , Wu Danping , Chen Jiehong , Ma Na , Dai Wei
Published: January 2022

Water instability issues greatly restrict the application of Cu-BTC for cationic dye (e.g. methylene blue (MB)) capture from wastewater.
Cyclic vs. acyclic alkyne towards Hg2+ ion detection: combined experimental and theoretical studies
Authors: Pal Adwitiya , Goswami Bappaditya , Thakur Arunabha
Published: January 2022

Comparison between the alkynes in terminal and internally conjugated 1,3-diyne systems produces differences in molecular recognition, maintaining the HSAB principle.
Q61 mutant-mediated dynamics changes of the GTP-KRAS complex probed by Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics and free energy landscapes
Authors: Chen Jianzhong , Zeng Qingkai , Wang Wei , Hu Qingquan , Bao Huayin
Published: January 2022

Q61 mutants induce structural disorder of the switch domain in KRAS and affect binding of KRAS to effectors.
Correction: South African physical sciences teachers’ use of formulae and proportion when answering reaction-based stoichiometry calculation questions
Authors: Stott Angela Elisabeth
Published: January 2022

Correction for ‘South African physical sciences teachers’ use of formulae and proportion when answering reaction-based stoichiometry calculation questions’ by Angela Elisabeth Stott, Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2021, 22, 443–456, DOI: 10.1039/D0RP00291G.
A pressure-jump study on the interaction of osmolytes and crowders with cubic monoolein structures
Authors: Surmeier Göran , Paulus Michael , Schneider Eric , Dogan Susanne , Tolan Metin , Nase Julia
Published: January 2022

Cellular solutes affect the equilibration of cubic lipid structures after pressure-induced phase transitions.
Recent progress in tannic acid-driven antibacterial/antifouling surface coating strategies
Authors: Sathishkumar Gnanasekar , Gopinath Kasi , Zhang Kai , Kang En-Tang , Xu Liqun , Yu Yunlong
Published: January 2022

Tannic acid-based bioinspired coating strategies for tethering functional materials or molecules on different medical substrates for resisting bacterial pathogens and fouling agents.
Correction: Blood compatibility of a new zwitterionic bare metal stent with hyperbranched polymer brushes
Authors: Wang Xiaobo , Chen Xiaoqiang , Xing Lei , Mao Chun , Yu Hongxing , Shen Jian
Published: January 2022

Correction for ‘Blood compatibility of a new zwitterionic bare metal stent with hyperbranched polymer brushes’ by Xiaobo Wang et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013, 1, 5036–5044, DOI: 10.1039/C3TB20855A.
Correction: High-performance fluorescent organic electroluminescent devices benefit from sensitization of thermally activated delayed fluorescence
Authors: Cui Rongzhen , Zhou Liang , Sun Weidong , Liu Wenxing , Wang Jiahai
Published: January 2022

Correction for ‘High-performance fluorescent organic electroluminescent devices benefit from sensitization of thermally activated delayed fluorescence’ by Rongzhen Cui et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/d1tc04819h.
Nonequilibrium evolution of quarkonium in medium
Authors: Akamatsu Yukinao , Miura Takahiro
Published: January 2022

We review recent progress in open quantum system approach to the description of quarkonium in the quark-gluon plasma. A particular emphasis is put on the Lindblad equations for quarkonium and its numerical simulations.
Abelian Dirac-type monopoles and the dual Meissner effect in QCD
Authors: Hiraguchi Atsuki , Ishiguro Katsuya , Suzuki Tsuneo
Published: January 2022

We investigate the Abelian dual Meissner effect due to violation of the non-Abelian Bianchi identity in SU (3) gauge thoery without gauge fixing. To decide the vacuum type, we evaluate the Ginzburg-Landau parameter from the spatial distribution of color electric fields and squared monopole density. Although the study is done only on 24 (40)3 × 4 lattice at β = 5.6, the SU (3) vacuum is found to be of the type 1 near the border of type 1 and type 2. We also confirm the dual Ampere’s law directly.
On transverse momentum broadening in real-time lattice simulations of the glasma and in the weak-field limit
Authors: Ipp Andreas , Müller David I. , Schuh Daniel
Published: January 2022

In these proceedings, we report on our numerical lattice simulations of partons traversing the boost-invariant, non-perturbative glasma as created at the early stages of collisions at RHIC and LHC. Since these highly energetic partons are produced from hard scatterings during heavy-ion collisions, they are already affected by the first stage of the medium's time evolution, the glasma, which is the pre-equilibrium precursor state of the quark-gluon plasma. We find that partons quickly accumulate transverse momentum up to the saturation momentum during the glasma stage. Moreover, we observe an interesting anisotropy in transverse momentum broadening of partons with larger broadening in the rapidity than in the azimuthal direction. Its origin can be related to correlations among the longitudinal color-electric and color-magnetic flux tubes in the initial state of the glasma. We compare these observations to the semi-analytic results obtained by a weak-field approximation, where we also find such an anisotropy in a parton's transverse momentum broadening.